"We'll draw cuts," said Benjie, "which is to walk sentry first; see, here's two straws, the longest gets the choice."-- "I've won," cried Tommy; "so gang you in a while, and if I need ye, or grow frightened, I'll beat leather- ty-patch wi' my buckles on the back-door.

But we had better see first what he is about, for he may be howking a hole through aneath the foundations; thae fiefs can work like moudiwarts."-- "I'll slip forret," said Benjie, "and gie a peep."-- "Keep to a side," cried Tommy Staytape, "for, dog on it, Moosey'll maybe hae a pistol; and, if his birse be up, he would think nae mair o' shooting ye as dead as a red herring, than I would do of taking my breakfast." "I'll rin past, and gie a knock at the door wi' the poker to rouse him up ?" asked Benjie.
"Come away then," answered Tommy, "and ye'll hear him gie a yowl, and commence gabbling like a goose." As all this was going on, I rose and took a vizzy between the chinks of the window-shutters; so, just as I got my neb to the hole, I saw Benjie, as he flew past, give the door a drive.

His consternation, on finding it flee half open, may be easier imagined than described; especially, as on the door dunting to again, it being soople in the hinges, they both plainly heard a fistling within.

Neither of them ever got such a fleg since they were born; for expecting the Frenchman to bounce out like a roaring lion, they hurried like mad into the house, couping the creels over one another, Tommy spraining his thumb against the back-door, and Benjie's foot going into Tommy's coat-pocket, which it carried away with it, like a cloth-sandal.
At the noise of this stramash, I took opportunity to come fleeing down the stair, with the gun in my hand; in the first place, to show them I was not frightened to handle fire-arms; and, in the second, making pretence that I thought it was Mounseer with his green foraging-cap making an attempt at housebreaking.

Benjie was in a terrible pickle; and, though his nose was blooding with the drive he had come against Tommy's teeth, he took hold of my arm like grim death, crying, "Take tent, faither, take tent; the door is open, and the Penicuiker hiding himself behind it.