emed to come to him in an instant. His eyes
flashed from right to left, he turned deadly white, and then merely
moving his arms and legs enough to make himself aware that he was bound,
he sat perfectly still and said not a word.

I now felt that I must go and acquaint my wife with what had happened,
or otherwise she would be coming downstairs to see what was keeping me
so long. David declared that he was perfectly able to keep guard over
them, and I ran upstairs. David afterward told me that as soon as I left
the room the tall burglar endeavoured to bribe him to cut their ropes,
and told him if he was afraid to stay behind after doing this he would
get him a much better situation than this could possibly be. But as
David threatened personal injury to the speaker if he uttered another
word of the kind, the tall man said no more; but the stout man became
very violent and angry, threatening all sorts of vengeance on my
unfortunate man. David said he was beginning to get angry, when the tall
man, who seemed to have much influence over the other fellow, ordered
him to keep quiet, as the gentleman with the iron club no doubt thought
he was doing right. The young fellow never said a word.

When I told my wife that I had caught three burglars, and they were
fast bound in the library, she nearly fainted; and when I had revived
her she begged me to promise that I would not go downstairs again until
the police had carried away the horrible wretches. But I assured her
that it was absolutely necessary for me to return to the library. She
then declared that she would go with me, and if anything happened she
would share my fate. "Besides," she said, "if they are tied fast so they
can't move, I should like to see what they look like. I never saw a
burglar."

I did not wish my wife to go downstairs, but as I knew there would be no
use in objecting, I consented. She hastily dressed herself, making me
wait for her; and when she left the room she locked the door on the
sleeping George William, in order that no one should get at him during
her absence. As we passed the head of the stairs, the door of my Aunt
Martha's room opened, and there she stood, completely dressed, with her
bonnet on, and a little leather bag in her hand.

"I heard so much talking and so much going up and down stairs that I
thought I had better be ready to do whatever had to be done. Is it
fire?"

"No," said my wife; "it's three burglars tied in a bunch in the lib