She said nothing for a while; and then old Crib began to growl.

He got up and walked along the track that led up the hill.

Father stood up, too, and listened.

We all did except Starlight, who appeared to think it was too much trouble, and never moved or seemed to notice.
Presently the dog came walking slowly back, and coiled himself up again close to Starlight, as if he had made up his mind it didn't matter.
We could hear a horse coming along at a pretty good bat over the hard, rocky, gravelly road.

We could tell it was a single horse, and more than that, a barefooted one, coming at a hand-gallop up hill and down dale in a careless kind of manner.