edroom, as he stood a couple of yards back from the
window.

"Now, sir, if you please," came in severe tones. "What is the meaning
of this?"

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

It did not mean apples nor pears from the garden, for they were nearly
as hard as wood, and it did not mean going out to carry on some game
with a companion, for Tom knew no one there.

Uncle Richard was aware of this when he heard Tom stealing down the
trellis, and peeped at him from a darkened window. Hence his stern
question.

"Oh, uncle!" said Tom, in a subdued voice, "how you frightened me."

"I'm glad of it, sir," said Uncle Richard, holding the little match to
the candle and increasing the illumination as Tom climbed in. "I meant
to. Now, sir, if you please, explain."

"Yes, uncle," said Tom calmly, and making his uncle frown.

"The impudent young dog!" he said to himself; and then he stood nodding
his head, and gradually growing more satisfied that he had after all
been right in his estimate of his nephew, though the night's business
had rather shaken his faith.

"Then you didn't make out who it was, Tom," he said, when Tom had
explained.

"No, uncle; it was very stupid of me, I suppose."

"Very foolish to be guilty of such an escapade."

"Foolish!" said Tom, growing more damped than before; "but he was
stealing the ironwork."

"Yes, evidently carrying it off; but it was old iron."

"But it was just as bad to steal old iron as new, uncle," said Tom.

"Ahem! yes, of course, my boy; but you must not be so venturesome. I
mean that it was not worth while for you to risk being stricken down for
the sake of saving some rubbish. Thieves are reckless when caught."

"I wasn't thinking of saving the old iron, uncle; I wanted to see who it
was, so as to be able to tell you. I didn't think of being knocked
down."

"Well, perhaps it was all a mistake, Tom," said Uncle Richard, "for it
was in the dark."

"Yes, uncle, but I feel sure that some one was helping himself to the
pieces of iron."

"Look in the morning, my boy. Get to bed now, and never do such a thing
as that again. Good-night."

Uncle Richard nodded to the boy kindly enough and left him, while Tom
soon turned in to bed, to lie dreaming that the man came back to fetch
more iron, and kept on carrying it off till it was all gone. Then he
came back again, lifted the mill sails as if they were mere twigs, and
took them away, and lastly he was in the act of picking up one of