"No, she had one of her nervous headaches, and I thought it would do no good. But I couldn't sleep all night, and I laid with a big stick in one hand and papa's old revolver in the other. The revolver wasn't loaded, but I thought I might scare somebody with it." "The revolver ought to be loaded, Dora. Do you know what caliber it is?" "No; you know I know little or nothing about firearms." "Then I'll find out for you, and get some cartridges. If Josiah Crabtree is around you ought to shoot him on the spot." "Oh, I couldn't do that--even though I do know how dreadfully he treated you while you were in the heart of Africa." "You must be very careful of your movements, especially after dark. Crabtree may be around, with some new scheme against you or your mother. I wish he could have been left behind in Africa." "Oh, so do I! but he and Dan Baxter both came back to America, didn't they?" "So we heard in Boma. But don't get worked up too much, Dora, for it might have been only a cat,--or a common tramp looking for something to eat. We have had lots of tramps around the Hall lately." "I have asked Grace Laning to pay us a visit, and she is coming over to-morrow." "Then you will have somebody in the house besides your mother and yourself. I wish I could stay with you folks." "How long are you going to remain at the Hall, Dick? When you came back you said something about going out West with your father to look up that mining claim in Colorado." "We shan't start for the West until next spring. Father was going right away at first, but after he found out that Arnold Baxter was safe in jail and couldn't bother him any more, he concluded to remain with Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha until next spring so as to give himself the chance to get back his old-time strength. His sufferings in Africa pulled him down a good bit." "I suppose. Well, I am glad you will be around during the winter. Next summer mamma has promised to go with me on a trip to Buffalo and then around the Great Lakes. I trust the lake air will do her much good, and that we won't hear or see anything of Mr. Crabtree while we are on the water." "I'd like to go with you on that trip," answered Dick. "I have no doubt you will have a grand time." Little did he dream of all the perils that trip was to lead to, and of how he and his brothers would be mixed up in them. In the meantime the others had journeyed up the hill to where the road branched off in three directions. At this point Joel Darwell pointed out two newly-made holes in the earth, about fifteen feet apart. "See them?" he cried. "Well, that is where I placed the danger sign, and I am willing to swear to it." "And so am I," added the workman who was along. "Well, there is no danger signal here now," returned Tom, glancing around. Some bushes torn up beside the road attracted his attention, and he hurried toward them. "Here you are!"