ey would be here at nine o'clock. We passed them about
six miles on the road, so they ought to be here to time."

"I suppose there's no doubt about this here being a good business?"

"I will answer for that," the other said. "I don't suppose as
there's much money in the house, but there's no end of silver
plate, and their watches, and plenty of sparklers. I have heard say
as there's no one in the county as has more jewels than the
squire's wife."

"You know the house well, don't you?"

"I never was inside," the other said, "but I have heard enough,
from them that has, to know where the rooms lie. The plate chest is
in the butler's pantry and, as we are going to get in by the
kitchen window, we are safe to be able to clear that out without
being heard. I shall go on, directly the others come, and chuck
this meat to the dogs--that will silence them. I know the way
there, for I tried that on once before."

Reuben had thought that the voice was familiar to him, and the
words gave him the clue--the speaker was Tom Thorne--and he, and
those with him, were going to commit a burglary at the squire's. He
was hesitating whether to make off at once, to warn the squire of
what was intended; or to listen and learn a little more of their
plan, when suddenly a light shone behind him, and a voice exclaimed
with an oath:

"Who have we here?"

He leapt down, and was in the act of turning round to defend
himself, when a heavy blow with a cudgel struck him on the head,
and felled him insensible to the ground. While he had been
listening to the conversation, two men had come quietly up the
lane, walking on the grass as he had done; and their footsteps had
been unheard by him, for the horse continued, at times, impatiently
to paw the ground. The sound of their comrades' voices had told
them where they were sitting and, turning on a bull's-eye lantern
to show them the gate, they had seen Reuben leaning over it, in the
act of listening.

When Reuben recovered consciousness, he found that he was lying in
the ditch, his hands tightly bound to his sides, and a handkerchief
stuffed into his mouth. The four men were gathered close by,
talking in low tones.

"I ain't going to give up the job, now we come so far to do it,"
one said, with an oath. "Besides, it's not only the swag, but the
grudge I owe the squire. If I am ready to go on, I suppose you
needn't be afraid; besides, he don't know us."

"Best cut his throat and a done with it