shadow to another. Leaning
from the window, I made out the form of a somewhat disreputable urchin,
who, dropping upon hands and knees, proceeded to crawl towards me over
the grass with a show of the most elaborate caution.

"Hallo!" I exclaimed, "halt and give the counter-sign!" The urchin sat
up on his heels and stared at me with a pair of very round, bright eyes.

"Please, are you Mr. Uncle Dick?" he inquired.

"Oh," I said, "you come from the Imp, I presume." The boy nodded a
round head, at the same time fumbling with something in his pocket.

"And whom may you be?" I inquired, conversationally.

"I'm Ben, I am."

"The gardener's boy?" Again the round head nodded acquiescence, as with
much writhing and twisting he succeeded in drawing a heterogeneous
collection of articles from his pocket, whence he selected a very dirty
and crumpled piece of paper.

"He wants a ladder so's he can git out, but it's too big fer me to
lift, so he told me to give you this here so's you would come an'
rescue him--please, Mr. Uncle Dick." With which lucid explanation Ben
handed me the crumpled note.

Spreading it out upon the windowsill, I managed to make out as follows:

DEAR UNKEL DICK: I'm riting this with my hart's blood bekors I'm a
prisner in a gloomie dungun. It isn't really my hart's blood it's only
red ink, so don't worry. Aunty lisbath cent me to bed just after tea
bekors she said I'm norty, and when she'd gone Nurse locked me in so i
can't get out and I'm tired of being a prisner, so please i want you to
get the ladda and let me eskape, please unkel dick, will you.

yours till deth,
REGINALD AUGUSTUS.

Auntie was reading Ivanhoe to us and I've been the Black Knight and you
can be Gurth the swine-herd if you like.

"So that's the way of it?" I said.

"Well! well! such an appeal shall not go unanswered, at least. Wait
there, my trusty Benjamin, and I'll be with you anon." Pausing only to
refill my tobacco-pouch and get my cap, I sallied out into the fragrant
night, and set off along the river, the faithful Benjamin trotting at
my heels.

Very soon we were skirting blooming flower-beds, and crossing trim
lawns, until at length we reached a certain wing of the house from a
window of which a pillow-case was dangling by means of a string.

"That's for provisions!" volunteered Ben; "we pertended he was
starving, so he lets it down an' I fill it with onions out of the
vegetable garden." At this moment th