night."

"You have not noticed any of the dragoons lurking about outside,
I hope?" said my aunt, anxiously.

"No," said I, "all seems quiet at present; but there is no knowing
when they will return, and my parents have sent me to fetch you away.
My mother declares she shall know no peace till she has you under her
roof."

"My good boy, I can no more go to her than I can fly," said my uncle.

"Oh yes, uncle, you can. I have brought you a nice covered cart, filled
with hay, on which you will lie quite easily, and I will carry you down
to it on my back."

My uncle and aunt were most thankful for this, and, after very little
preparation, closed the shutters of the little dwelling, and turned the
key on it. My uncle was made tolerably comfortable, with my aunt seated
beside him; and in this way we stealthily quitted the neighborhood.
I could hear uproarious voices in the distance, and occasionally a faint
scream or wail, but gradually left these painful sounds behind. To say
truth, I was by no means sure of our performing this journey in safety,
and had many alarms by the way; and as for my uncle, my aunt afterwards
told me he was in prayer the whole of the way, to which might probably
be ascribed our safety; for ours is a God that heareth prayer, not
when it is a mere babble of words, in a language we do not understand,
repeated over and over again, and made a merit of; but His ears are
attent unto the cry of the contrite heart, and the prayer of them that
are sorrowful.