of air, and
scarcely lighted the room at all.

The dinner was but a meagre repast. There was some very thin soup,
then a stew, then macaroni. There were also bread and sour wine.
However, the boys did not complain. They had footed it so far, and
had worked so hard, that they were all as hungry as hunters; and
so the dinner gave as great satisfaction as if it had been far
better. While they were eating, an evil-faced, low-browed villain
waited on the table; and as he placed down each dish in succession,
he looked round upon the company with a scowl that would have taken
away the appetites of any guests less hungry than these. But these
were too near starvation to be affected by mere scowls, and so they
ate on, reserving their remarks for a future occasion.

So the dinner passed.

And after the dinner was over, and the dishes were removed, and
they found themselves alone, they all looked round stealthily, and
they all put their heads together, and then,--

"I don't like this," said Frank.
do. said Clive.
do. said David.
do. said Bob.

"I don't feel altogether comfortable here," said Uncle Moses.

"Did you notice that scowl?" said Bob.
do. said Clive.
do. said David.
do. said Frank.

"He's the ugliest creetur I ever see," said Uncle Moses. "I've been
expectin somethin o' this sort."

The boys looked all around, for fear of being observed. Frank got
up and closed the rickety door. Then he resumed his seat.

Then they all put their heads together again.

"This is a bad place," said Frank.
do. said Clive.
do. said David.
do. said Bob.

"It's the onwholesomedest lookin place I ever see," said
Uncle Moses.

"I distrust them all," said Clive.
do. said. Frank,
do. said David.
do. said Bob.

"I don't like the looks of that ere driver," said Uncle Hoses. "I
b'leve he contrived that there break-down a purpose, so as to bring
us to this here den."

Uncle Moses' remark sank deep into the minds of all. Who was the
driver, after all? That break-down was certainly suspicious. It
might have been all pre-arranged. It looked suspicions. Then the
men below. There were so many of them!

"There are a dozen of them," said Bob.
do. said Frank.
do. said David.
do. said Clive.

"Thar's too big a gatherin here altogether," said Uncle Moses, "an
it's my idee that they've come for no good. Didn't you notice how
they stared at us with them wicked-looking eyes o' theirs?"

"I wish we'd