rrived at the storehouse, they found that the door was closed, and that
the windows were too high to enable them to throw in their torches. A
piece of timber lay near at hand.

"We must make a battering-ram of this," cried Higson; "here, Gordon, you
and Tim lay hold of it on one side, and I'll take the other, and we'll
soon knock in the door."

The first blow failed in its intended effect. "Now, lads, heave with a
will," cried Higson, and the door gave way.

Picking up their torches, as well as their muskets, which they had put
down to handle the battering-ram, they sprang in; and Higson, running to
the farther end, ignited some woodwork and a pile of sacks; while Tim,
leaping up a ladder, left his torch burning on the upper floor. In a
few seconds Higson came back, and, throwing Archie's torch as far as he
could into the building, they all rushed out again. As they were making
their way as fast as their legs could carry them to the boat, Archie,
turning his head over his right shoulder, saw the horsemen he had before
observed galloping at full speed towards them.

"Here come the Cossacks, Mr Higson," he shouted out. "Run, Mr Higson,
run, while Tim and I keep them at bay."

Higson, having grown somewhat stout, was not as active as formerly; and
Archie knew that he and Tim could soon overtake him. Higson, aware of
this, did as he was advised, while he shouted out to the rest of the
people in the boat to cover the two who remained behind.

"Oh, Mr Green, Archie and the man with him will be cut off if we don't
pull in and help them," cried Tom, who, just as the boat got clear of
the smoke, caught sight of the Cossacks.

Green on this pulled to the shore, and part of the two boats' crews
landing, just as the Cossacks got within twenty yards of Archie and Tim,
they opened fire, which emptied two of their saddles, and made the rest
of the troop wheel quickly round; while Archie and Tim, having also
fired their muskets, took to their heels and soon joined their
shipmates.

"Give way, my lads," cried Higson, as he once more took his seat; "we've
done the work effectually, and there's no use stopping to get fired at
as we pull down the river."

The dense volume of smoke which rose up from the bank of the river
completely concealed the Cossacks, and of course prevented them from
seeing the boats, which they possibly might have supposed were still
lying off the place, ready to commit other mischief. Higson had
re