Sally, seeing her mistake, assumed a calmness she was far from feeling and watched them ransack the house. All went well, despite her nervous forebodings that Zenas might happen back to the house, that Mistress Harrison might send someone else, Zeke not appearing, for the bullet mould, that a telltale glimpse of smoke from the distant cornfield might rise above the intervening orchard and meet the enemies' eyes when they loitered near the tiny-paned window. But all went well until she heard an exclamation, when, turning away from the window whither she had strolled to satisfy herself upon the last-named point, she saw James holding up his baby brother's cape.
"Ah!" he said triumphantly. "My mother hath been here! Tell me, wench," he turned roughly to Sally, "where she be!"
"Oh, la!" Sally looked at him amusedly. "No one hath said your mother was not here at all this morning, James. How think ye I got here? Why, you, yourself, must have seen us leave wi' little Nathaniel!"
"Nay," blurted out James, "I had to leave afore ye did!"
"So?" Sally smiled at his angry stupidity. "Well—all I shall say be this—your mother be not here now!"
James uttered a snort of rage, drew out his hunting knife, and with it in his hand, went through the
