He knew about how long he would be in traversing the distance between his own house and the scene of the coming tragedy, and the morning after his resolve was made he bolted his own breakfast in a hurry, seized his spear, and scurried down the wood road until he approached the verge of the Maitland clearing.

Then began a series of extraordinary movements.
Mr.Maitland's house stood close by the wood at one side of the clearing, and Grant could easily have walked unperceived until within a few yards of the place, had he but kept hidden by the trees; but such was not his course.

Right across the clearing, and passing near the house, had been dug a great ditch a yard in depth, a year or two before, with the intent of draining a piece of lowland lately subjugated.

This ditch had been overgrown with weeds until it was almost hidden from sight, and now in summer time its bottom was but a sandy surface.

It was with the aid of this natural shelter that the wily invader proposed to steal upon his enemy.