whenever the parson's horse came that way--well, at that they had
to give in, as well first as last.

If they had strayed here out of curiosity they must just put up
with the "NIGHT side of nature," as Harald Kaas expressed it, with
the stress on the first word.

For all that they were nearly frightened out of their wits the
very next night, when he discharged his gun right under their
windows. The aunt even asserted that he had shot through her open
casement. She screamed loudly, and the others, starting from their
sleep, were out on the floor before they knew where they were.
Then they crouched in the windows and peeped out, although their
aunt declared that they would certainly be shot--they really must
see what it was.

Yes! there they saw him among the cherry and apple trees, gun in
hand, and they could hear him swearing. In the greatest
trepidation they crept back into bed again. Next morning they
learned that he had shot at some night prowlers, one of whom had
got "half the charge in his leg, that he had, Deush take him! It
ain't the prowling I mind, but that he should prowl here. We
bachelors will have no one poaching on our preserves."

The four ladies sat as stiff as four church candles, till at
length one of them sprang up with a scream, the others joining in
chorus.

The visitors were not bored; Harald Kaas dealt too much in the
unexpected for that. There was a charm, too, in the great woods,