And now and then she heard what she knew to be the rush of a round shot far above her head, and following the sound saw a little silver fountain leap up into the sunshine and skim before the breeze; then glancing up the hill she saw the gray puff drifting, and presently felt the dull rumble of the air.

At the root of the smoke-puffs, once or twice, she descried a stocky figure moving leisurely, and in spite of the distance and huddle of vapour could declare that it was Captain Stubbard.

Then a dense mass of smoke was brought down by an eddy of wind, and set her coughing.
"Come away, come away this very moment, Dolly," cried Faith, who had hurried up and seized her hand; "you are past the danger-post, and I met a man back there who says they are going to fire shells, and they have got two short guns on purpose.

He says it will be very dangerous till they get the range, and he begged me most earnestly not to come on here.
If I were anybody else, he said, he would lay hands on me and hold me back." "Some old fisherman, no doubt.

What do they know about gun practice?
I can see Captain Stubbard up there; he would rather shoot himself than me, he said yesterday." While Dolly was repeating this assurance, the following words were being exchanged upon the smoky parapet: "If you please, sir, I can see two women on the beach, half-way between the posts a'most." "Can't help it--wouldn't stop for all the petticoats in the kingdom.