and see how quick you'd
be. It was worth two shillin' to go for that; there, hyste it up and in
with you."

"Hoist the ladder by myself?"

"Yes, it's easy enough. Bottom's heavy and top's light. Shall I do
it?"

"Yes, quickly."

"'Nother shillin'. I arn't going to have nothing to do with it, and so
I tell yer, without."

"I wish you wouldn't speak so loudly," whispered Sam impatiently.

"Yah! go on! nobody can't hear us. Where's that shillin'?"

"I told you I wouldn't give you any more," said Sam, stoutly now, "and I
won't."

Pete chuckled.

"All right; I'll hyste the ladder, only mind you telled me to--it was
your doing."

"Yes, my doing," said Sam, who was full of nervous impatience. "Be
smart; here, I'll help."

"I can do it," said Pete, and with two or three sharp jerks he raised
the ladder right on end, and then, after working it round two or three
times, let the light narrow end down against the railing, just in front
of the long shutter on the rounded roof.

"Will it bear me?" whispered Sam nervously.

"Bear a dozen on yer. Up you goes, and I'll keep watch. If young Tom
Ugly Blount comes, shall I give him one over the head?"

"Yes," whispered Sam, as he began to mount.

"Shove yer hand under the door, and yer can feel the bolt directly. You
can open it. Look alive."

Sam mounted round by round, wondering whether the thin ladder would bear
his weight or collapse and let him down, as a punishment for the
degrading crime he was about to commit; and the higher he went, and the
ladder vibrated more easily, the more nervous he grew. Twice he stopped
breathless and full of dread.

"Is it safe?" he whispered.

"Yes; up with yer."

Then he grasped the railing, stepped over into the little gallery, and,
stooping down, soon found that he could unbolt the shutter.

The next minute he was inside, and descending at once into the
laboratory, he took the screw-driver from his pocket, and had no
difficulty in prizing open the drawers, the wood bending enough to set
free the catch. A match gave him sufficient light, and when he paused
before the right drawer, in which were several carefully-sealed-up
papers and envelopes, he hesitated, wondering which would be the
documents he wished to secure.

Helped by so feeble a light, it was hard work to tell, and at last he
came to the conclusion that it would be best to make sure; and to this
end he gathered all together, and thrust them, to the n