a great boom shook the barn walls. She scrambled to her feet and found Zenas, erect upon his, facing her horrifiedly. A rattle, probably musket shot, sounded below, then came another boom, jarring, ominous! And Zenas stifled a groan.
"What ha' we done!" he whispered. "The enemy hath come and we still be here! Why did ye not waken me?"
Sally stood in frozen terror. "Think ye—think ye 'tis the enemy?" she whispered back.
Zenas, in spite of his fright, glanced at her disgustedly. "Who else?" His whisper was disdainful. "Think ye the militia are but amusing themselves? Nay, Sally, be not overly foolish! The enemy are come, and we"—he made a precocious gesture of fatality—"are caught like rats i' a trap, for I doubt an the red-coats be prepared to show mercy!"
"Quick—let us try to escape!" Sally started impetuously toward the ladder hole.
Zenas caught her by the arm. "And be shot by stray bullets?" he asked her grimly. "Nay, 'tis safer here. Mayhap," he looked at her almost hopefully, "the enemy will pass by!"
Sally blanched as another volley of musket shot broke out, this time obviously nearer. "Zenas—I—I—cannot stay here, i' this trap!" She jerked her arm from Zenas's detaining grasp and started for the ladder hole again. But the next instant she was back, her face dead white, her eyes staring. "The
