t the band set out, accompanied by the
Stranger and the Hermit's Pupil; and when they had gone some miles
the Captain halted them to inform them of the object of the
expedition. "We are going," he said, "to rob the Queen's museum. It
is the most important business we have ever undertaken."

At these words the Stranger stepped forward and made a protest. "I
left the city yesterday," he said, "commissioned by the Queen to
obtain one or more objects of interest for her museum; and to return
now to rob an institution which I have promised to enrich will be
simply impossible."

"You are right," said the Captain, after a moment's reflection, "such
an action would be highly dishonorable on your part. If you will give
me your word of honor that you will remain by this stone until our
return, the expedition will proceed without you."

The Stranger gave his word, and having been left sitting upon the
stone, soon dropped asleep, and so remained until he was awakened by
the return of the band, a little before daylight. They came slowly
toiling along, each man carrying an enormous bundle upon his back.
Near the end of the line was the Hermit's Pupil, bearing a load as
heavy as any of the others. The Stranger offered to relieve him for a
time of his burden, but the Pupil would not allow it.

"I don't wish these men to think I can't do as much as they can," he
said. "You ought to have been along. We had a fine time! We swept
that museum clean, I tell you! We didn't leave a thing on a shelf or
in a case."

"What sort of things are they," asked the Stranger.

"I don't know," replied the Pupil, "we didn't have any light for fear
people would notice it, but the moon shone in bright enough for us to
see all the shelves and the cases; and our orders were not to try and
examine any thing, but to take all that was there. The cases had
great cloth covers on them, and we spread these on the floor and made
bundles of the curiosities. We are going to examine them carefully as
soon as we get to the den."

It was broad daylight when the robbers reached their cave. The
bundles were laid in a great circle on the floor, and, at a given
signal, they were opened. For a moment each robber gazed blankly at
the contents of his bundle, and then they all began to fumble and
search among the piles of articles upon the cloths; but after a few
minutes, they arose, looking blanker and more disappointed than
before.

"So far as I can see," said the Cap