and professed himself utterly unable to account for it.

Once or twice the foreman thought he saw the shadow of a grin flit
across Bindle's face, especially when Bindle suggested that he should
act as night-watchman, adding as an excuse the obvious fatigue of his
superior. It was this that had terminated the interview with great
suddenness.

Thus meditating upon the curious occurrences of the day, the foreman
dropped off to sleep, for he was tired, and the armchair, in which he
half lay, half sat, was extremely comfortable.

As he slept a dark form moved stealthily up the drive towards the
house. Keeping well within the shadow of the trees, it paused to
listen, then moved on for a dozen yards and stopped again. When it
reached the top of the drive it crept off to the left in the direction
of the tradesmen's entrance.

Displaying great caution, the figure finally reached the scullery
window, which by a curious chance was unfastened. After great
deliberation, and much listening, it opened the window, and inserting
itself feet foremost disappeared.

Three minutes later the back door was noiselessly unbolted and opened.
The figure looked out cautiously, then retreated within, leaving the
door open to its fullest extent.

The first figure had scarcely disappeared before another approached the
back door from the opposite direction. It must have come through the
hedge and crept along in its shadow from the main entrance. The second
figure paused, as if astonished at finding the back door open. For
some minutes it stood in the shadow of the water-butt, listening.
Finally, with a quiet, insidious motion, it slid through the doorway.

The first figure, passing cautiously through the servants' quarters,
had reached the hall. Finding all the doors shut, it proceeded
stealthily upstairs to the large drawing-room that overlooked the
drive. The door was open! Groping its way with great care, the figure
for one second allowed the light of a dark lantern to show. The effect
was startling. The whole room was piled up with long narrow wooden
cases. On several tables, formed by boards on trestles, were laid out
what appeared to be dozens of rifles. The figure gasped. The place
was apparently nothing less than a huge arsenal. The long narrow cases
contained guns! guns!! guns!!!

The figure had just picked up one of the guns to make sure that its
eyes were telling the truth, when there was the sound of a footfall o