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160 being away!" said Ann's voice, in a decisive tone. "That fellow's the hardest nut we have to crack. The soldiers don't count!" she added contemptuously.

"Ay, but the question is, where was the capt'n, damn 'un!" retorted Ben the Blast, ferociously. "If so be you say you invited him hither, maybe he's on's way now, and that's how we missed 'un. Hey, Robin, have you seen any strangers about?"

Robin answered first with a characteristic curse.

"If so be as I had seen him," said he savagely, "there'd be naught for to trouble your head about him no more!"

"Maybe, he's gone up to the Parsonage!" suggested Tom, who had entered the kitchen from the porch during Ben's speech. "Folk's say he allus has an eye to the Parsonage when he goes by, spying to see if Mistress Joan's about."

"He'll get no good by doing that!" cried Ann, sharply. "Miss Joan'll never tell aught to harm us, for my mother's sake; 'twas she came herself to tell us, t'other day, that the red-coats were on their way hither."