by the first story-windows. Wildney, as the lightest
of the four, was to take the birds, while the others held the ladder.

Slanting it so that it should be as far from the side of the window as
possible, Wildney ascended and thrust both hands into the cot. He
succeeded in seizing a pigeon with each hand, but in doing so threw the
other birds into a state of such alarm that they fluttered about in the
wildest manner, and the moment his hands were withdrawn, flew out with a
great flapping of hurried wings.

The noise they made alarmed the plunderer, and he hurried down the
ladder as fast as he could. He handed the pigeons to the others, who
instantly wrung their necks.

"I'm nearly sure I heard somebody stir," said Wildney; "we haven't been
half quiet enough. Here! let's crouch down in this corner."

All four shrank up as close to the wall as they could, and held their
breath. Some one was certainly stirring, and at last they heard the
window open. A head was thrust out, and Mr. Gordon's voice asked
sternly--"Who's there?"

He seemed at once to have caught sight of the ladder, and made an
endeavor to reach it; but though he stretched out his arm at full
length, he could not do so.

"We must cut for it," said Eric; "it's quite too dark for him to see us,
or even to notice that we are boys."

They moved the ladder to the wall, and sprang over, one after the other,
as fast as they could. Eric was last, and just as he got to the top of
the wall he heard the back door open, and some one run out into
the yard.

"Run for your lives," said Eric hurriedly; "it's Gordon, and he's
raising the alarm."

They heard footsteps following them, and an occasional shout of
"thieves! thieves!"

"We must separate and run different ways, or we've no chance of escape.
We'd better turn towards the town to put them off the right scent," said
Eric again.

"Don't leave me," pleaded Wildney; "you know I can't run very fast."

"No, Charlie, I won't;" and grasping his hand, Eric hurried him over the
style and through the fields, while Pietrie and Graham took the opposite
direction.

Some one (they did not know who it was, but suspected it to be Mr.
Gordon's servant-man) was running after them, and they could distinctly
hear his footsteps, which seemed to be half a field distant. He carried
a light, and they heard him panting. They were themselves tired, and in
the utmost trepidation; the usually courageous Wildney was trembling all