“It is a fortunate chance, finding the convicts shut up in this house not expecting anything! They are ours! Come on!” The wagon was left under charge of Top and Jup, and the colonists glided into the enclosure. In a few moments they were before the closed door of the house. Smith, making a sign to his companions not to move, approached the window. He looked into the one room which formed the lower story of the building. On the table was a lighted lantern, Near by was Ayrton’s bed. On it was the body of a man. Suddenly, Smith uttered a stiffled exclamation. “Ayrton!” he cried. And, at once, the door was rather forced than opened, and all rushed into the chamber. Ayrton seemed to be sleeping. His face showed marks of long and cruel suffering. His wrists and ankles were much bruised. Smith leaned over him. “Ayrton!” cried the engineer, seizing in his arms this man found so unexpectedly. Ayrton opened his eyes, and looked first at Smith, then at the others. “You! Is it you?” he cried. “Ayrton! Ayrton!” repeated the engineer. “Where am I?” “In the corral.” “Am I alone?” “Yes.” “Then they will come here!” cried Ayrton. “Look out for yourselves! Defend yourselves!” and he fell back, fainting. “Spilett,” said the engineer, “We may be attacked at any minute. Bring the wagon inside the enclosure, and bar the gate, and then come back here.” Pencroff, Neb, and the reporter hastened to execute the orders of the engineer. There was not an instant to be lost. Perhaps the wagon was already in the hands of the convicts! In a moment the reporter and his companions had gained the gate of the enclosure, behind which they heard Top growling. The engineer, leaving Ayrton for a moment, left the house, and held his gun in readiness to fire. Herbert was beside him. Both scrutinized the outline of the mountain spur overlooking the corral. If the convicts were hidden in that place they could pick off the colonists one after the other. Just then the moon appeared in the east above the black curtain of the forest, throwing a flood of light over the interior of the corral, and bringing into relief the trees, the little water-course, and the grassy carpet. Towards the mountain, the house and a part of the palisade shone white; opposite it, towards the gate, the fence was in shadow. A black mass soon showed itself. It was the wagon entering within the circle of light, and Smith could hear the sound of the gate closing and being solidly barricaded by his companions. But at that moment Top, by a violent effort, broke his fastening, and, barking furiously, rushed to the extremity of the corral to the right of the house. “Look out, my friends, be ready!” cried Smith. The colonists waited, with their guns at the shoulder. Top continued to bark, and Jup, running towards the dog, uttered sharp cries. The colonists, following him, came to the border of the little brook, overshadowed by large trees. And there, in the full moonlight, what did they see?