"It's all right. Is the boss there? I want to speak to him,"
replied a voice with no cough in it. The tone was reassuring, yet
rather strained, as if there had been an accident--or it might be a
cautious policeman or bushranger reconnoitring.

"Better see what he wants, Peter," said his sister-in-law quietly.
"Something's the matter--it may be the police."

Peter threw an empty bag over his shoulders, took the peg from the
door, opened it and stepped out. The racking fit of coughing burst
forth again, nearer. "That's a church-yarder!" commented Uncle
Abe.

The settler came inside and whispered to the others, who started up,
interested. The coughing started again outside. When the fit was
over the mother said:

"Wait a minute till I get the boys out of the road and then bring
them in." The boys were bundled into the end room and told to go to
bed at once. They knelt up on the rough bed of slabs and straw
mattress, instead, and applied eyes and ears to the cracks in the
partition.

The mother called to the father, who had gone outside again.

"Tell them to come inside, Peter."

"Better bring the horses into the yard first and put them under
the shed," said the father to the unknown outside in the rain and
darkness. Clatter of sliprails let down and tired hoofs over them,