they were too sleepy to do anything more than
slip off their things on reaching their rooms, while almost directly
after, the moon was shining in right across Rodd's snowy white bed, the
pillow being in the darkness, which also formed a black bar across the
foot, so that only the boy's hands and breast lay in the light.

One moment after laying his head down in that black velvety darkness
Rodd Harding was wide awake and thinking that all outside the window was
silver, a broad streak of which came straight over him to die away in
the wall on his left; the next, he was far away in the land of dreams,
wandering over the moor, his confused visions taking the form of
escaping prisoners flying before soldiers in scarlet coats.

And then after a blank pause which seemed to have lasted only a few
minutes, Rodd opened his eyes upon the bright silvery light once more,
to find that it struck across from the window in the opposite direction,
for he was wide awake, listening to a soft tap, tap, tap, evidently
administered by a knuckle upon his door.

CHAPTER FIVE.

THE MILK IN THE COCOA-NUT.

"Yes, all right, Mrs Champernowne; get up directly. I say, what's
o'clock?"

"Oh, I don't know, my dear," came in agitated tones, "but would you come
to the door and speak to me a minute?"

There was a bump on the floor as Rodd sprang out of bed, and then--

"What is it?" whispered the boy, who was moved by his caller's evident
distress. "Don't say uncle's ill!"

"No, no, my dear, but I am in great trouble. You--you didn't shut the
front door."

"Oh!" ejaculated Rodd.

"And--and, my dear, there have been thieves and robbers in the night.
They have stripped my little larder, and I don't know what they haven't
taken besides. Do, pray, make haste and dress, and come down and help
me! I am in such trouble, I don't know what I shall do."

"All right; I'll make haste and come down," cried Rodd, feeling guilty
all over, and then trying to excuse himself by shuffling the blame on to
the right shoulders. "It was uncle she asked," he muttered, as he ran
round to the other side of the bed for the chair upon which he had hang
his clothes when he undressed. "Why, hallo!"

He stood staring at the chair for a moment or two, and then ran round
the foot of the bed, opened the door two or three inches, and called in
a subdued tone so as not to awaken his uncle, though if he had been
asked why, he could not have told, beyond saying that