Part 7 (2/2)

”The Mistletoe Bough lady,” breathed Eustace

”Yes; and we hunted every box, chest, and cupboard in the house, but Dorothy was in none of them She seemed literally to have been spirited away It became so late that at last all the other children were taken home, and ere left just ourselves--a very miserable family”

Eustace sat up suddenly and held his breath, his face blanched, his eyes alert

”At last, close on ht,” Mrs Orban went on in a low voice

”Mother,an ar?”

”Yes, darling,” Mrs Orban continued, ”close on ht--”

”No, no,” Eustace said, ”not then--now--this !”

Mrs Orban started perceptibly

”No, darling,” she answered ”Why? Did you?”

There was an instant's tense silence

”It is so round the veranda--barefoot,” Eustace whispered

”One of the maids, perhaps,” said Mrs Orban, but her voice quivered

”They would coh the house,” said the boy ”This fellow has come up the veranda steps I heard thereat solitude sharpens the hearing to the ht up in the wilds often have this sense more keenly developed than any other The Orban children see--sounds which, even when she was told of the, did not catch till several minutes later

But now the pad-pad-pad of bare feet was unmistakable--a pad-pad-pad, then a halt, as if the visitor stopped to listen

Below in the scrub--that wild thick undergrowth ae creatures--there were hoarse cries, and now and then the howl of a dingo, so horribly suggestive of a huony of pain

The pair on the veranda clung together for an instant--one only

”Iherself

But Eustace held her down

”Oh, don't--don't for one moment,” he implored; ”wait and see what it is”

”Pad-pad-pad” came the steps, nearer and nearer A shadow fell aslant the corner of the veranda--the shadow of a -room side

[Illustration: The shadow of a man fell aslant the corner of the veranda]

CHAPTER IV

A NIGHT OF TERROR