Page:The Children of the New Forest - 1847 - Marryat.djvu/255

 traveller. This was sufficient: it could not be the party from the Intendant's, but the robbers who wished to induce them to open the door. Pablo put a gun into Humphrey's hand, and took another for himself; he then removed the light into the chimney, and on the application from outside being repeated, Humphrey answered—

"That he never opened the door at that hour of the night, and that it was useless their remaining."

No answer or repetition of the request was made, but, as Humphrey retreated with Pablo into the fire-place, a gun was fired into the lock of the door, which was blown off into the room, and, had it not been for the barricades, the door must have flown open. The robbers appeared surprised at such not being the case, and one of them inserted his arm into the hole made in the door, to ascertain what might be the further obstacle to open it, when Pablo slipped past Humphrey, and gaining the door, discharged his gun under the arm which had been thrust into the hole in the door. The party, whoever it might have been, gave a loud cry, and fell at the threshold outside.

"I think that will do," said Humphrey, "we must not take more life than is necessary. I had rather that you had fired through his arm—it would have disabled him, and that would have sufficed."

"Kill much better," said Pablo. "Corbould shot through leg, come again to rob; suppose shot dead, never rob more."

The dogs now flew to the back of the cottage, evidently pointing out that the robbers were attempting that side. Humphrey put his gun through the hole in the door, and discharged it.

"Why you do that, Massa Humphrey? nobody there!"

"I know that, Pablo, but if the people are coming from the Intendant's, they will see the flash and perhaps hear the report, and it will let them know what is going on."