Who's to pay for that ?" There was a rush to the spot, and a quick cry of reaction.
"Whose work is this ?" demanded the sheriff's voice, with official severity.
The master uttered an instinctive exclamation of defiance, and dropping quickly to the barn floor, would the next moment have opened the door and declared himself, but Mrs.McKinstry, after a single glance at his determined face, suddenly threw herself before him with an imperious gesture of silence.

Then her voice rang clearly from the barn:-- "Well, if it's the hound that tried to force his way in yer, I reckon ye kin put that down to ME!".