"But at last I heard something as pretty nigh made my hair rise right up and lift the table cover offen my head. And it certainly did make ice water trickle all down my backbone! And this is what I heard: 'To fight a duel, or to do a murder!' Yes, squire, that was what them two young hyenas was a-planning--them two there, standing by the mantelpiece!" The two young men bowed to the compliment, and the witness went on: "Them was the only connected words I heard. And I heard them, 'cause they was said in such a grim, gritty way there was no preventing me from hearing of 'em. But, still, I made out as Roland--him there, a-grinning like a tomfool--was to carry a challenge from Leonidas Force--him there, a-winking like a magpie as has just hid a thimble--to Col. Anglesea, at the Calvert House. And then Mr. Leonidas rode away, and Roland ran into the house so sudden he almost tumbled over me. Yes, you did, you young rhine-horse-o-rus!" she added, shaking her finger at Roland, who dropped his eyes and smote his breast in mock penitence. "Well, squire, you may be sure as I never let on to my young gentleman as I knowed anything about what he was up to. It wouldn't have done no good, you see. But I watched him. He carried a folded paper in his hand, like a letter, and he put it on the mantelpiece, and went upstairs, a-saying as he was going out; that I mustn't wait tea for him, as he mightn't be home till late. And soon's ever he was gone, I ups and takes that letter. The hungwallop was stuck together werry slight, and I opened it easy, without tearing, and took out the sheet of note paper, and read it. Lord, if all my skin didn't go into goose flesh! Of all the bloody-minded, murderous notes as ever was wrote. But you saw it, squire. You know!" "Yes," said Mr. Force, taking up a little piece of folded paper and holding it in readiness. "Why, she intercepted the challenge! I remember I thought the letter felt rather thin when I took it from the mantelpiece, but I had not the faintest suspicion that it had been tampered with, and never gave the matter a second thought. Yet she had intercepted the challenge," said Roland, in a low tone. But Miss Sibby overheard him, and answered: "Yes, you young tiger, I did interslip it! And, if I hadn't interslipted it, there'd 'a' been murder done, and the constable would have slipted a pair of handcuffs on your wrists by this time--and both of you in jail for murder! Yes, I mean you two young wolves in sheep's clothing, a-standing up by the mantelpiece there and a-grinning like apes!" "She'll exhaust the menagerie on us presently," said Le. "Have you any more to tell us of this case?" inquired Mr. Force.