136 DOGGED A CK.
 As he did so, he found that the day had already
broken, and that the sky was tinged with the glorious
crimson which announces the sunrise.
 At first he could see nothing to account for the
noise which he had heard, but in a few minutes he
saw a boy's form creep out from some evergreens
underneath the window, and stoop down to the
ground for another handful of gravel.
 When he raised his face to take aim at the window,
what was Jack's astonishment to find that the boy
was no other than Roger Gordon.
 Then the thought suddenly flashed through his
mind that he had come at this early hour to bring
news of Adolphus, and that it might, perhaps, be the
awful tidings of death!
 He was about to raise the sash of the window,
when he saw Roger shake his head at him vehe-
mently, put his finger across his lips to impose
silence, and make signs that he was to come down
stairs and out to him.
 More than ever convinced that the news to be
communicated must be fatal, and that, therefore, the
house was not to be disturbed at this early hour to
hear of such a sad event, Jack hastily but quietly
threw on some clothes, and crept downstairs with
his shoes in his hand.
 He found but little difficulty in opening the