Year: 1879

hapd on the, ladder as directed, presently felt the expected signal, and had mounted four or five steps when he was struck on the head and precipitated to the ground.

 ''Hallo!" said familiar voice, as Number One reappeared just saving himself from fall Ing after planting his foot on Number Two's head. 'You are in too great hurry. l find the ladder is to short. It is at least four feet from the battlements, The only thing to be done is to st and on the top rung, clutch hold of the battlements, and haul yourselft up. l will do this, and when you feel me free of the ladder, Number Two come on."

 Number One went lightly up the ladder again, and reaching up from the top grasped the stone battlements, and by main force drew his bulky form clear up, and tunbed over into the gutter on the other side ot the battlements. Number Two followed, and the rest in due order, each performing with success feat which, difficult at any time, was peculiarly dangerous in the darkness of the night

 Just as Number Five had pulled himself over the ladder was shaken from below, and a voice came up from the darkness with an in terrogating.

 ''Hallo?"

 ''Hallo ?" said Number One, equal to this as, to any emergency.

 "What are you up to ?" said the voice from below

 'We are going to strike the derrick" said Number One, whose quick eye had noticed, standing out from the shadow of the battle. ment, a derrick or pole which had been used by the masons for hauling up materials.

 ''All right" said the voice, and the owner walked off with noiseless footfall across the smooth -shaven lawn.

 Led by Number One, and keeping well within the shadow of the battlement, the little party, having first hauled up the ladder, strode stealthily along the gutter of the roof toward the spiral staircase, which here opened on tc the roof by means of deor. Honest men having any business in this part of the chape would have gone to the Dean, asked~for the keys, unlocked the door of the staircase in the courtyard, and quietly and decently walked up. Our five friends, for reasons of their own found it necessary to approach the staircase by the means here described. They found the door open, and were presently toiling theil way up the winding staircase to the higher roof. On to this door gave, and here, as before, there was a safe promentrance behind the battements.

 The upper or main roof of St. Georges Chapel, as every one knows, has pretty sharply defined apex Number One, after q few whispered instructions to his companions began climbing up the roof on his hands anC knees, an undertaking in which he found con siderable assistance from the hooks let into the lead, after the manner of steps, for the use of the plumbers. On reaching the top the five crawled down on the other side, following close upon the steps of their leader. Arrived at the bottom the party made direct for the door leading to the spiral staircase on the oth CT side of the chapel corresponding with the one by which they had ascended This doo also was open, and Number Two, Three, and Four safely passed in. Number Five wal about to enter when, looking back at the peril ous pathway they had traversed, he saw, clea out against the sky, the figure of a man cross ing the apex of the roof. Seizing Number One by the arm, he pointed to the figure, which was juft emerging from the sky line, and was evidently coming down on their trail.

 1.-Two, Three, and Four have passed in, said Number One. "We nnmber up to five and that is not one of our party"

 With a swift motion his hand went to his belt. The evil light flashed in his eyes, the honest red on his cheeks faded, and the mar who was evidently crawling down the roof would not have liked to have seen the stony set expression of the face that looked up a him. He was coming down backward on hi hands and knees, and looked in the shifting lights like one of the griffins let loose form the battlements But he was too evidentlya man. and how long he would be living man after he touched the parapet and stood face tc face with Number One was calculation not pleasant to undertake.

 ''Let us get into the staircase and shut the door," said Number Five. 'Then he can dc or say what he pleases."

 Suiting the action to the word he made tow. ard the staircase, and was followed by Num- Der One, whose eye seemed to finger regret fully on the unconscious man coming slowly down the roof. Inside the staircase they closed the door, sent home the bolt, and were safe.

 Passing down the staircase-Number One always leading with an absence of irresolu. tion which testified either to his practical knowledge of the locality or to his having made careful study of it from the plans they reached door opening on the right ap- parently into room. This they passed and, coming to similar door below, opened it and entered.

 Here was strange sight. The room was about eighteen feet wide by forty long. It is of course, we'll known to all who ha we busi- ness in connection with the castle, though it had probably never before been entered by the common people who live outside royal castles. There is no reason why 1 should not particularze it. It is understood to have been originally designed as sort of retiring room or vestry for the officiating minister of the chapel. Perhaps it has not thus been used for more than hundred years, and has in the meantime locality obtained the significant ap- pellation of ''Hell." It looks right out on the courtyard through windows of quarried glass set in the thick walls of the tower.

 The party of five proposing to make night of it here, and being. evidently not insensible to creature comforts, had been faced by the Nft tIn ofk They could not, or at least had no intention to, pass the night without fire or light The de- liberate and complete nature of their prepara- tions, and the suspicion of confederates with in the castle, were indicated by the fact that a portion of this room had been inclesed within double canvas walls. These barring the ap- proach to the windows and being roofed across, formed sort of den, within which a ceke-fire boldly burned in an old and rusty grate.

 Coming out of the pitch darkness of the spiral staircase, this f1re-lighted room seemed a hall of dazzling light It at least fully dis dle of the room was plank laid across two trestles. Underneath was a box some four feet long by two broad, Two other boxes or too-chests stood In other parts of the room, and lastly there was an open box containing supply of coke.

 On entering Number One seized the box under the plank, and opening it, produced flat candlestick and supply of tallow can- dles. Placing one of these in the stick he lit it. and by it's assistance rifled the box. First of all he brought out half boiled ham. Then two lOaves, stone jar containing some liquid, one or two bottles, supply of tumblers spoons, knives and forks. and kettle. The last was filled from small barrel which one of the five rooted out from corner of the room, and was then placed on the fire. The viands were spread on the plank, and without more ado the party fell eating and drinking; 'for," as Number Five observed, tomorrow we die."

 "Some one will" Number One said gruffly Pass the pickles"

 The men fingered over their supper as if they did not particularly care to be left alone with their thoughts. The repast concluded, they cleared away the debris and the crocke- ry, and Number Three produced pack of cards Nobody seemed inclined to play ex- cept Number Four, who admitted an acquain- tance with cribbage So these two sat down