ouldn't mind. He'd
sink to the bottom and walk about safely all over the mud."

"That he wouldn't," cried Waller. "He'd shoot up to the top again like
a cork."

And then the banter ceased, for the sergeant's men passed through the
swing gate, and to Waller's great relief he was able to make his way
back to the hall, very silent now as he went over the day's proceedings,
and thought of the chances of the men coming back to make a fresh
search, while the gardener kept on harping metaphorically upon the
broken ladder, and what "master would say" when he came back.

At last the boy got rid of him, and made his way into the house, where
he had a hard fight to curb his inclinations to rush up at once to his
room.

This desire he kept down till he had made sure that the servants were at
their dinner, and then, after a cautious saunter about the grounds to
convince himself that the gardener had gone to his cottage, Waller
hurried up, and paused breathlessly at the door of his den, which he
opened and closed, and then locked himself in.

The next minute he had crept out of the window, to hold on by the sill
and feel with his feet amongst the ivy for the stone gutter which ran
all along the front of the house. Upon this, half hidden by the ivy, he
proceeded cautiously to his right, where a deep gully between two gables
went right across the house, with the ivy positively rioting and pretty
well filling it up with long strands and great berry-bearing clumps.
Here, completely hidden, Waller crept along three or four yards.

"Only me," he said merrily, "Don't shoot! How are you getting on?"

A head and shoulders were slowly raised from among the thick glossy
leaves, and he was confronted by Godfrey's sombre countenance.

"Miserably," he said. "I had hoped that this despicable hiding was at
an end. Pray help me to-night to get away."

"Oh, I know what's the matter with you," cried Waller. "You are hungry
and tired out. But come along back into my room. But I say, you found
it easy enough to get here, didn't you? I was in a fright at first;
then I thought that you would be sure to creep out."

"Oh, yes, easy enough," said the lad. "Is the enemy quite gone?"

"Yes, right away, and well satisfied. They won't come again."

"Why do you speak like that?" said Godfrey, sharply. "It sounded as if
you were afraid that somebody else would come."

"Well," said Waller slowly, "I am not quite satisfied about our
fat-he