A strong suspicion took possession of me, and I watched him as a cat does a mouse.
"'He came to examine the premises, I 'm sure of it, but we will be ready for him,' I said, fiercely, as I told the family about him.
"This fancy haunted us all, and our preparations were very funny.

Mother borrowed a rattle, and kept it under her pillow.

Aunt took a big bell to bed with her; the children had little Tip, the terrier, to sleep in their room; while Jack and I mounted guard, he with the pistol, and I with a hatchet, for I did n't like fire-arms.

Biddy, who slept in the attic, practised getting out on the shed roof, so that she might run away at the first alarm.

Every night we arranged pit-falls for the robbers, and all filed up to bed, bearing plate, money, weapons, and things to barricade with, as if we lived in war times.
"We waited a week and no one came, so we began to feel rather slighted, for other people got 'a scare,' as Tom says, and after all our preparations we really felt a trifle disappointed that we had had no chance to show our courage.