The old man gave them the money, and begging them to spare no pains in
teaching his son their trade, he trudged homeward. Remembering, however,
that it was necessary to know where they dwelt, he turned back, and went
along with them. After some time, they came to a house in a great wood,
where the thieves lived with a young girl who was their sister. On their
arrival they took off from Tim his rough country craftan and breeches,
and clothed him in habiliments of the very best quality, and regaled the
old man with plenty of capital wine. So the old man, after staying an
hour or two, left their dwelling quite happy and content.

As soon as it was night, the thieves thought that they would give Tim his
first lesson in their art, so arming him in the same manner as they did
themselves, with a pike and a long knife, they went out on the road. As
soon as they were got there, one of the masters said to the pupil:

"Suppose, now, any people were to attack us, what would you do, Tim?"

"What's this for?" said he, grasping his knife; "with this I don't care a
straw for a dozen men."

"It will be of service to you, no doubt, some time or other," said the
thieves; "it will be best, however, that your first essay be in something
not quite so dangerous as levying taxes on the highways generally is. We
will go to the neighbouring monastery, and break into the treasury of the
Archimandrite; we shall find there quite enough to enrich us."

"O! just as you please," cried Timoney; "where the master goes the
'prentice follows."

So away they went, all three in high spirits. When they came to the
cloister, they flung an iron hook upon the roof of the treasure-room, and
Tim climbing up by means of a rope which was attached to it, at once gave
proof that he was anything but a dull pupil. In a trice a hole was made
in the roof--the chests in the treasury were broken open--money-bags were
piled up upon the floor, and then flung down out of the treasury upon the
ground, where they were gathered up by Tim's comrades, and what had taken
a long series of years to acquire was in a few minutes lost to the
proprietor. All would have gone on in the smoothest manner in the world,
provided Tim had been anything of a fool. But he knew perfectly well
that his friends below would take all the money by virtue of being his
instructors, and would not give him a share; he, therefore, took from out
of a chest the cloak of the Archimandrite, whic