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Purchase one of 1st World Librarys Classic Books and help support our freeinternet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online atwww.1stWorldLibrary.ORG They burned the old gun that used to stand in thedark corner up in the garret close to the stuffed fox that always grinned sofiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that hedid not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been soperfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight? and somagnificent a brush as he had too. But there he stood and mounted guard overthe old flintlock that was so powerful a magnet to us in those days. Though togo up there alone was no slight trial of moral courage after listening to thehorrible tales of the carters in the stable or the old women who used to situnder the hedge in the shade on an armful of hay munching their crusts atluncheon time. The great cavernous place was full of shadows in the brightestsummer day for the light came only through the chinks in the shutters. Thesewere flush with the floor and bolted firmly. The silence was intense it beingso near the roof and so far away from the inhabited parts of the house. Yetthere were sometimes strange acoustical effects as when there came a lowtapping at the shutters enough to make your heart stand still. There was thennothing for it but to dash through the doorway into the empty cheeseroomadjoining which was better lighted. No doubt it was nothing but the labourersknocking the stakes in for the railing round the rickyard but why did it soundjust exactly outside the shutters? «