Lieutenant Seth Turner, who owned all the land hereabouts and had
given the liberty to build it.

The people all sat quietly listening to the long sermon. Two hours
long it was. When the minister perched up in his beetling pulpit with
the sounding-board over his head, was about half through his
discourse, Ann Wales happened to glance out of the window at her
side. She rarely did such a thing in meeting-time; indeed she had
been better instructed. How she happened to to-day, she could not
have told, but she did.

It was well she did. Just at that moment, a man in a gray cloak
sprang into the Horse-House, and began untying John Penniman's Red
Robin.

Ann gave one glance; then she never hesitated. There was no time to
send whispers along the pew; to tell Phineas Adams to give the alarm.

Out of the pew darted Ann, like a red robin herself, her read cloak
flying back, crowding nimbly past the others, across the aisle to
John Penniman.

"Somebody's stealing Red Robin, John," said she in a clear whisper.
They heard it for several pews around. Up sprang the pewful of
staunch Pennimans, father and sons, and made for the door in a great
rush after John, who was out before the whisper had much more than
left Ann's lips.

The alarm spread; other men went too. The minister paused, and the
women waited. Finally the men returned, all but a few who were