h us.
The door was open, but he isn't there."

"There is another man in the drawing room, tied." Bob said. "He was
putting a lot of things into a sack."

"The scoundrel! Perhaps that is the butler," the admiral said.

"Well, Emma, you had better go back to bed again.

"Jackson, you stand guard over these two villains here, and split
their heads open, if they venture to move.

"Now, let us go and see to this other fellow."

The admiral proceeded downstairs, followed by the boys. The other
two servants were standing beside the third robber, who was still
insensible.

"You keep watch over him, John," the admiral said.

"William, you come with us. There is another man in the drawing
room, but he is tied."

"There is the key, sir," Bob said, producing it. "We thought it
safest to lock him up."

"Upon my word, young gentlemen, you seem to have thought of
everything. If I were in command of a ship, I should like to have
you all as midshipmen."

The door was opened. The man was still lying on the ground, but had
rolled some distance from where they had left him. He had succeeded
in getting his feet loosened from the handkerchief, but the
whipcord round his wrists had resisted all his efforts to break or
slacken it. He was panting heavily from the exertions he had made.

"It is Harper," the admiral said, in a tone of indignation and
disgust.

"So, you treacherous scoundrel, it was you who let these men in,
was it? Well, it is a hanging matter, my lad; and if any fellow
deserves the rope, you do.

"You had better go and get some more cord, Williams, and tie all
these four fellows up, securely. Let Jackson see to the knots.

"Where did the scoundrels get in?" he asked, turning to the boys.

"At the door at the end of the passage, sir, where the plate chests
are standing. We found it open--here is the key of it. We locked
it, after we came in, so as to prevent anyone from getting away.

"There is another man, with a cart, in the road."

"We will see to him, directly we have got the others all tied up
safely," the admiral said. "That is the first thing to see to."

In five minutes, the four men were laid side by side in the hall,
securely bound hand and foot.

"Now, Williams, you keep guard over them.

"Jackson, do you and John sally out. There is a cart standing
outside the gate, and a fellow in it. Bring him in, and lay him
alongside the others."

The boys followed the two men, to see the capture. The