ime we get there," said the latter, rolling the inevitable
cheroot from one corner of his mouth to the other, "it will be dark
enough for our purpose. It's a warm night, and dry, which is fortunate,
and I've marked a place right opposite the gate where we can lie all
snug until we're wanted."

"Can you rely on Sullivan's men?"

"He's sending eight of the best. At his office, this afternoon I went
over a plan of the place with them. It's impossible to march a troop up
to the house to reconnoitre. They know exactly what they've got to do.
It will be covered all around. A cat won't be able to come out of The
Cedars, sir, without being noted!"

"Yep. And when we march up to the door?"

"Directly it's opened," explained Alden patiently, "I'll _hold_ it open!
Then, in go five Sullivan men, Martin and you. But there'll still be a
man covering every egress from the house. If anybody tries to get out
there'll be someone to hold him up and to whistle for more help if it's
needed."

"Seems all right," said Oppner; "if we don't get loaded up with lead. Is
this place much further? We seem to have been walkin' up this blame hill
for hours."

"See that white milestone? Well, the first gate is fifty yards beyond,
on the right."

"Have the crowd arrived yet?"

"Some of them. They're drafting up singly and in couples. There ought to
be four on the river side of the place by now, and Martin waiting
somewhere around the front."

"Four to come, yet?"

"Yep. Two for the other gate of the drive, and two for the lane that
leads down to the river."

They plodded on in silence. Abreast of the milestone, but without
stopping, Alden whistled softly.

He was answered from somewhere among the trees bordering the left of the
road.

"That's Martin!" he said. "Come on, Mr. Oppner, through this gap in the
fence."

Mr. Oppner crawled, in undignified silence, through the gap indicated.

"You see," explained Alden's voice out of the gloom, "farther along are
open rails and dense bushes. That's where we're going to watch from.
We'll see every soul that comes up."

"You're stone sure it's to-night they arranged?"

Patiently, Alden replied: "Stone sure."

"Because," drawled Oppner, stumbling along in the darkness, "this is not
in my line."

"_Sss!_" came from close at hand.

Mr. Oppner started.

"That you, Martin?" from Alden.

"Yes; no one has gone in yet. But a ground floor room is lighted up, and
also the conservatory."

"