Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-03
CHAPTER xxTII.

It was windy day, and as Number Two spoke we distinctly heard the gate at the end of the garden blow to with bang.
 Who's that. I wonder?" said the chief. T latched the gate myself just now very careTuIly. Some one must have opened it."
 He rose as he spoke, and crossing to the side that faced the garden, put his eye to one of the many spy-holes that he and lubbock had made.
 Then he turned to us in alarm.
 "I don't like the look of this. boys," he said. There's a man coming up the path who looks and walks uncom- monly like a plain-clothes policeman. And what makes the thing all the more 6shy is that there's another hiding be- hind the hedge outside, as If on guard. An! there's the knock"
 Sure enough an authoritative "rat- tat-tat-tat-tat-tat" told us that some one was making free with the knocker on the door below.
 What had we better do, Hubbock7" asked the chief, looking anxiously at his factotum.
 'Let them knock, think" was the answer. They'll think there's no one at home. And even if they effect an entry and search the house, they'll never find US here."
 Perhaps you're right" replied Num- ber Two, more nervously than was his wont, as the visitor below began to ring the changes with series of sounding single blows that reminded one of blacksmith playing his ham mer upon an anvil.
 He's playing Rule Britannia on it now" said Number Six with an uneasy laugh. T suppose you don't know any thing about this caller, MT. Hall? You were nightly sure about our being safe here, and about the police think ing you to be respectable resident, and nothing's happened since to change | their opinion. cant think 1t of you, l that you'd play us false.
 Halls reply was to take a revolver from his pocket, and to offer it, butt forward. to the speaker. Tt is load ! cd in the six chambers he said. "Keep 1t, and If give you cause by as much as finger stir to suspect that I'm in league with the police, blow my 1 brains out where I stand. =
 T ask your pardon for fearing for the moment that you'd rounded on your pals, said the fellow, not with out dignity, t'and I'm quite satisfied. l Keep your shooting irons. MT. Hall. l You may have need of them, and I've got brace of my own in my pocket if they're wanted"
 The knocking ceased and was re- l placed by low whistle. At a signal from Number Two, lubbock crossed to the spy-hola and looked out. 1T thought so," he said. "The man I outside the gate is coming up the path That's what the whistle meant. fancy they're going to break in"
 He was right, for before long we I heard each of the windows and doors on the ground floor being tried in turn.
 They're all fastened said Hub book, and they won't get In that way. Listen! they're breaking a window An, now they're in, I hear their foot steps and voices in the hall. They're searching the ground-foor rooms. ex- 1 pect."
 Keep still, every man of you" whispered Number Two sternly. "You three and lubbock and are the only living souls who know about this room. What cause the police have for suspecting me, and what they've come for, can't think. But, whatever they have got to know, they don't know about this room and if we keep per- fectly still, the chances are, after they've satisfied themselves that no one is in the house, that they'll go away again. And if they do find us out, and 1t comes to fighting, so much the worse for them. We're five to two, and after all the risks we've run, we're not going to be taken by a couple of Tarborough bobbies." 1 They're coming upstairs now, sir,'' interpolated lubbock warningly We must be very quiet when they're in your room below, for believe left the cup board door open, and when that's so, the sound of what is being said or done in that room comes up surprisingly clear. Number Seven, you're nearest to the trapdoor that opens into the cupboard. Would you mind standing on it, in case they should happen to try If it pushed up?"
 tiptoed to the spot indicated, and l took up my position as desired. The 1 next moment we heard the two search CTS enter the room below.
 This is the last room, Stocker, 2 said voice, "and now I think we've pretty we'll satisfied ourselves that no one is in the house. All the same, we're sure of our man, think. MT. I Hall is gentleman-every one knows that-and directly he hears who the william Is that he's been employing as a servant, and what he's wanted for, he'll be only too glad to assist Us to make the arrest"
 There can't be any doubt about that. sergeant" was the reply. land lucky for him too that he hasn't been murdered in his bed before this with that fellow about the place. How so