him upstairs to a remote
room, where it would be quite impossible for him to give any warning to
his confederates, even if he should have the strength.

The hour came at last when poor Patty felt worn out with suspense and
fearful anxiety; came, when Mrs. Tucker and her two maids were strung up
to an almost hysterical pitch of excitement; came, when Sam was
beginning to look absolutely hollow-eyed with watching every movement of
the police with admiring yet fearful glances.

It was twelve o'clock. The grandfather's clock on the stairs had struck
the hour in company with several silvery chimes about the house, making
music when all else was still as death.

Up to that time the sky had been dark and lowering, causing darkness to
reign supreme, till the full moon, suddenly emerging from the heavy
flying clouds, lighted up the house and its surroundings with its
refulgent beams. Then suddenly throughout the silent night there rang
forth a low, soft, piercing whistle. Only once it sounded, and then dead
silence fell again. The wounded man started in his bed, but he could not
raise his hand, and the whistle was gone.

The eyes of the women watchers looked at each other with faces weary and
worn with anxiety and fear.

Then another sound broke the stillness. Another whistle--an answering
call to the one that had rung forth before! It had the effect of
startling every one in the house, for it came from under the very window
of the room in which they were gathered.

With an upraised finger, cautioning silence, the sergeant stepped to the
window and raised it softly.

"Hist!" he said in a thrilling whisper, without showing himself, "the
lib'ry winder."

He softly closed the casement again, having discerned in that brief
moment the moonlit shadows of three men lying athwart the lawn.

In stockinged feet the five men slid noiselessly into the library where
the Venetians had been so lowered as to prevent the silvery moonrays
from penetrating into the room. Placing the three gentlemen in
convenient places should their assistance be needed, one of the men in
uniform pushed aside the French window which he had previously
unfastened to be in readiness.

"Hist! softly there," he growled; "the swag is ours."

With a barely concealed grunt of satisfaction the window was pushed
farther open, and the forms of three men made their way into the room.

With lightning-like celerity the arms of the first man were pinioned,
and whe