“Can’t say that I do,” said Mrs. Comstock.  “There’s kind of dancing lights there sometimes, but I supposed it was just people passing along the road with lanterns.  Folks hereabout are none too fond of the swamp.  I hate it like death.  I’ve never stayed here a night in my life without Robert’s revolver, clean and loaded, under my pillow, and the shotgun, same condition, by the bed.  I can’t say that I’m afraid here at home.  I’m not.  I can take care of myself.  But none of the swamp for me!”

“Well, I’m glad you are not afraid, Kate, because I must tell you something.  Elnora stopped at the case this morning, and somebody had been into it in the night.”

“Broke the lock?”

“No.  Used a duplicate key.  To-day I heard there was a man here last night.  I want to nose around a little.”

Sinton went to the east end of the cabin and looked up at the window.  There was no way any one could have reached it without a ladder, for the logs were hewed and mortar filled the cracks even.  Then he went to the west end, the willow faced him as he turned the corner.  He examined the trunk carefully.  There was no mistake about small particles of black swamp muck adhering to the sides of the tree.  He reached the low branches and climbed the willow.  There was earth on the large limb crossing Elnora’s window.  He stood on it, holding the branch as had been done the night before, and looked into the room.  He could see very little, but he knew that if it had been dark outside and sufficiently light for Elnora to study inside he could have seen vividly.  He brought his face close to the netting, and he could see the bed with its head to the east, at its foot the table with the candles and the chair before it, and then he knew where the man had been who had heard Elnora’s prayer.

Mrs. Comstock had followed around the corner and stood watching him.  “Do you think some slinking hulk was up there peekin’ in at Elnora?” she demanded indignantly.

“There is muck on the trunk, and plenty on the limb,” said Sinton.  “Hadn’t you better get a saw and let me take this branch off?”

“No, I hadn’t,” said Mrs. Comstock.  “First place, Elnora’s climbed from that window on that limb all her life, and it’s hers.  Second place, no one gets ahead of me after I’ve had warning.  Any crow that perches on that roost again will get its feathers somewhat scattered.  Look along the fence, there, and see if you can find where he came in.”

The place was easy to find as was a trail leading for some distance west of the cabin.

“You just go home, and don’t fret yourself,” said Mrs. Comstock.  “I’ll take care of this.  If you should hear the dinner bell at any time in the night you come down.  But I wouldn’t say anything to Elnora.  She better keep her mind on her studies, if she’s going to school.”

When the work was finished that night Elnora took her books and went to her room to prepare some lessons, but every few minutes she looked toward the swamp to see if there were lights near the case.  Mrs. Comstock raked together the coals in the cooking stove, got out the lunch box, and sitting down she studied it grimly.  At last she arose.