When they came to the window from which the nail had been removed, Fred told them he had seen the tramp take it out, and he was sure he would try and enter there.
This served to add to the uneasiness of the sisters, but they had great confidence in the security of the house, which had never been disturbed by burglars, so far as they knew, in all its long history.
"The chest where we keep the silver and what little money we have," said Lizzie, "is up-stairs, next to the spare bed-room."
"I don't know as I can do anything, but I can try; I want that old musket4 that's over the fire-place, too."
"Why, it will go off and kill you."
Fred insisted so strongly, however, that he was allowed[Pg 33] to climb upon a chair and take down the antiquated5 weapon, covered with rust6 and dust.
When he came to examine it he found that the description he had heard was correct—the ancient flintlock was good for nothing, and the barrel, when last discharged, must have exploded at the breach7, for it was twisted and split open, so that a load of powder could only injure the one who might fire it, were such a feat8 possible.
The sisters showed as much fear of it when it was taken down as though it were in good order, primed and cocked, and they begged the lad to restore it to its place as quickly as possible.
But he seemed to think he had charge of the business for the evening, and, bidding them good-night, he took his candle and went to his room, which he had occupied once or twice before.
It may well be asked what young Fred Sheldon expected to do with such a useless musket, should emergency arise demanding a weapon.
Indeed, the boy would have found it hard to tell himself, excepting that he hoped to scare the man or men away by the pretence9 of a power which he did not possess.
Now that the young hero was finally left alone, he felt that he had a most serious duty to perform.
The spare bedroom which was placed at his disposal was a large, old-fashioned apartment, with two windows front and rear, with a door opening into the next room, somewhat smaller in size, both being carpeted, while the[Pg 34] smaller contained nothing but a few chairs and a large chest, in which were silver and money worth several thousand dollars.
"I'll set the candle in there on the chest," concluded Fred, "and I'll stay in here with the gun. If he comes up-stairs and gets into the room I'll try and make him believe I've got a loaded rifle to shoot him with."
The door opening outward from each apartment had nothing but the old-style iron latch10, large and strong, and fastened in place by turning down a small iron tongue.
It would take much effort to force such a door, but Fred had no doubt any burglar could do it, even though it were ten times as strong. He piled chairs against both, and then made an examination of the windows.
To his consternation11, the covered porch extending along the front of the house, passed beneath every window, and was so low that it would be a very easy thing to step from the hypostyle to the entrance.
The room occupied by the ladies was in another part of the building, and much more inaccessible12.
Young as Fred Sheldon was, he could not help wondering how it was that where everything was so inviting13 to burglars they had not visited these credulous14 and trusting sisters before.
"If that tramp, that I don't believe is a tramp, tries to get into the house he'll do it by one of the windows, for that one is fastened down stairs, and all he has to do is to climb up the portico15 and crawl in here."
The night was so warm that Fred thought he would[Pg 35] smother16 when he had fastened all the windows down, and he finally compromised by raising one of those at the back of the house, where he was sure there was the least danger of any one entering.
From his position he could see the broad, flat candlestick standing18 on the chest, with the dip already burned so low that it was doubtful whether it could last an hour longer.
"What's the use of that burning, anyway?" he asked himself; "that fellow isn't afraid to come in, and the candle will only serve to show him the way."
Acting19 under the impulse, he walked softly through the door to where the yellow light was burning, and with one puff20 extinguished it.
The wick glowed several minutes longer, sending out a strong odor, which pervaded21 both rooms. Fred watched it until all became darkness, and then he was not sure he had done a wise thing after all.
The trees on both sides of the house were so dense22 that their leaves shut out nearly all the moonlight which otherwise would have entered the room. Only a few rays came through the window of the other apartment, and these, striking the large, square chest showed its dim outlines, with the phantom-like candlestick on top.
Where Fred himself sat it was dark and gloomy, and his situation, we are sure all will admit, was enough to try the nerves of the strongest man, even if furnished with a good weapon of offence and defence.
[Pg 36]
"I hope the ladies will sleep," was the unselfish thought of the little hero, "for there isn't any use of their being disturbed when they can't do anything but scream, and a robber don't care for that."
One of the hardest things is to keep awake when exhausted23 by some unusual effort of the bodily or mental powers, and we all know under how many conditions it is utterly24 impossible.
The sentinel on the outpost or the watch on deck fights off his drowsiness25 by steadily26 pacing back and forth27. If he sits down for a few minutes he is sure to succumb28.
When Fremont, the pathfinder, was lost with his command in the Rocky Mountains, and was subjected to such arctic rigors29 in the dead of winter as befell the crew of the Jeannette in the ice-resounding oceans of the far north the professor, who accompanied the expedition for the purpose of making scientific investigations30, warned all that their greatest peril31 lay in yielding to the drowsiness which the extreme cold would be sure to bring upon them. He begged them to resist it with all the energy of their natures, for in no other way could they escape with their lives.
And yet this same professor was the first one of the party to give up and to lie down for his last long sleep, from which it was all Fremont could do to arouse him.
Fred Sheldon felt that everything depended on him, and with the exaggerated fears that come to a youngster at such a time he was sure that if he fell asleep the evil man would enter the room, take all the money and plate and then sacrifice him.
[Pg 37]
"I could keep awake a week," he muttered, as he tipped his chair back against the wall, so as to rest easier, while he leaned the musket along side of him, in such position that it could be seized at a moment's warning.
The night remained solemn and still. Far in the distance he could hear the flow of the river, and from the forest, less than a mile away, seemed to come a murmur32, like the "voice of silence" itself.
Now and then the crowing of a cock was answered by another a long distance off, and occasionally the soft night wind stirred the vegetation surrounding the house.
But among them all was no sound which the excited imagination could torture into such as would be made by a stealthy entrance into the house.
In short, everything was of the nature to induce sleep, and it was not yet ten o'clock when Fred began to wink33, very slowly and solemnly, his grasp on the ruined weapon relaxed, his head bobbed forward several times and at last he was asleep.
As his mind had been so intensely occupied by thoughts of burglars and their evil doings, his dreams were naturally of the same unpleasant personages.
In his fancy he was sitting on the treasure-chest, unable to move, while an ogre-like creature climbed into the window, slowly raised an immense club and then brought it down on the head of the boy with a terrific crash.
With an exclamation34 of terror Fred awoke, and found[Pg 38] that he had fallen forward on his face, sprawling35 on the floor at full length, while the jar tipped the musket over so that it fell across him.
In his dream it had seemed that the burglar was a full hour climbing upon the roof and through the window, and yet the whole vision began and ended during the second or two occupied in falling from his chair.
In the confusion of the moment Fred was sure the man he dreaded36 was in the room, but when he had got back into the chair he was gratified beyond measure to find his mistake.
"I'm a pretty fellow to keep watch," he muttered, rubbing his eyes; "I don't suppose that I was awake more than a half hour. It must be past midnight, so I've had enough sleep to last me without any more of it before to-morrow night."
He resumed his seat, never more wide awake in all his life. It was not as late as he supposed, but the hour had come when it was all-important that he should keep his senses about him.
Hearing nothing unusual he rose to his feet and walked to the rear window and looked out. It was somewhat cooler and a gentle breeze felt very pleasant on his fevered face. The same stillness held reign37, and he moved to the front, where he took a similar view.
So far as could be told, everything was right and he resumed his seat.
Some one was trying hard to raise the dining-room[Pg 39] window—the rattling39 being such that there was no mistake about it.
"It's that tramp!" exclaimed the boy, all excitement, stepping softly into the next room and listening at the head of the stairs, "and he's trying the window that he took the nail out of."
The noise continued several minutes—long after the time, indeed, when the tramp must have learned that his trick had been discovered—and then all became still.
This window was the front, and Fred, in the hope of scaring the fellow away, raised the sash, and, leaning out, peered into the darkness and called out:
"Halloo, down there! What do you want?"
As may be supposed, there was no answer, and after waiting a minute or two, Fred concluded to give a warning.
"If I hear anything more of you, I'll try and shoot; I've got a gun here and we're ready for you!"
This threat ought to have frightened an ordinary person away, and the boy was not without a strong hope that it had served that purpose with the tramp whom he dreaded so much.
He thought he could discern his dark figure among the trees, but it was probably fancy, for the gloom was too great for his eyes to be of any use in that respect.
Fred listened a considerable while longer, and then, drawing his head within, said:
"I shouldn't wonder if I had scared him off——"
Just then a soft step roused him, and turning his head,[Pg 40] he saw that the very tramp of whom he was thinking and of whom he believed he was happily rid, had entered the room, and was standing within a few feet of him.
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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antiquated
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| adj.陈旧的，过时的 | |
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6
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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7
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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8
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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9
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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10
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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12
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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14
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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15
portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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16
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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17
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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18
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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20
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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21
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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23
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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24
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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26
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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29
rigors
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| 严格( rigor的名词复数 )； 严酷； 严密； （由惊吓或中毒等导致的身体）僵直 | |
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30
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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31
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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32
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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33
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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34
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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35
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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36
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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37
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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38
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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39
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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