They closed the door and then, lying down as close together as they could, put the two bunches of fur at their feet and covered themselves with the old coat and the deer hide.

But they had scarcely lain down when crashes in the underbrush startled them, and they heard a great noise as of a herd of cattle running past.

The old Squire peeped out at the door.

"I guess it's deer," he said.
"Something's scared them." He lay down again; but a few minutes later they heard what sounded like a shriek a long way off up the stream.

Billy started up.