glars stepped out only to be
immediately handcuffed and carried away to prison, sullenly submitting
to their arrest because they saw that resistance was useless.

But before being taken from the house they were searched and the
captain's watch found upon Ajax. He had evidently visited the
dressing-room of his late master to obtain the key to the strong room
door, and appropriated the watch at the same time.

The lock of the safe was also examined and found but little injured. The
scoundrels had not succeeded in getting at the valuables there.

They had collected together some from other parts of the house and made
them into bundles ready to carry away, but they were uninjured and had
only to be restored to their places.

Max was greatly excited. "Papa," he said, when the sheriff had departed
with his prisoners, and doors and windows were again secured, "we have
had a narrow escape from serious loss; perhaps worse than that; for who
knows but those fellows meant to murder us in our beds?"

"I think not, my son," replied the captain. "I presume their only object
was plunder, and that if they had succeeded in rifling the safe without
discovery, they would have gone quietly away with their booty.

"Had they desired to kill any of us, they would have been likely to
attempt it when upstairs in search of the key to the strong room."

"And it was Lu who spoiled their plans! Just think of it! I'd like to
have had her chance. Papa, I think Lu's splendid!"

"She has certainly shown herself very brave and unselfish on this, and
several other occasions," the captain said with a happy look in his
eyes.

"But come, we will do well now to go back to our beds, for it is
scarcely four o'clock," he added, consulting his recovered watch.

The men servants had returned to their quarters, and father and son were
alone.

Violet, in dressing-gown and slippers, met them at the head of the
stairway.

"You have not been able to sleep, my love?" the captain said with a
glance of concern at her pale, excited face. "But of course that was not
to be expected."

"No; we have all been too much excited to close an eye," she answered."
They are gone? Do tell me all about it!"

"O papa, please come in here and tell it where Gracie and I can hear,"
called Lulu entreatingly, from the inner room, and the bed where they
still lay clasped in each other's arms.

"I will; I think you deserve the indulgence," he said going to them,
Violet and M