y head he placed the other upon my mouth.

He dragged me round, half-choked and helpless, and then he said
something over his shoulder to the woman, while I fought and struggled,
and tried hard to shout again to Ike, whose heavy feet I could hear in
the midst of a good deal of altercation on the stairs.

As I struggled to get free I saw that the window was opened and the rope
thrown out. Then the window was quickly shut, and I was dragged towards
the door.

"Here, you be off outer this," whispered the great ruffian, with his
lips close to my ear. "You cut; and don't you--"

He stopped short, holding me tightly, and seemed to hesitate, his eyes
glaring round as if in search of some place where he could hide me, not
knowing what to do for the best.

"Shut the door, mates," he said quickly; and the two men dragged the
door to after them as they stood outside.

"Just you make half a sound, and--"

He put his lips close to my ear as he said this, and closed the great
clasp-knife with a sharp click which made me start; while his eyes
seemed to fascinate me as he bent down and glared at me.

It was only for a moment, though, and then I managed to slip my face
aside and shouted aloud:

"Ike!"

There was a rush and a scuffle outside, and the woman said in an
ill-used tone:

"I told yer how it would be."

"You hold--"

He did not finish, for just then one of the men outside growled--plainly
heard through the thin door:

"Now, then, where are yer shovin' to?"

"In here," roared a voice that sent a thrill of joy through me.

"Now, then, what d'yer want?" cried the big fellow, thrusting me behind
him as Ike kicked open the door and strode into the room.

"What do I want?" he roared. "I want him and our cart-rope. Now, then,
where is it?"

There was a fierce muttering among the men, and they drew together while
the boy and the woman cowered into one corner of the attic.

"Oh! you're not going to scare me," cried Ike fiercely. "There's the
police just at hand if I wants help. Now then, where's that rope?"

"What rope?" growled the ruffian. "I don't know about no ropes."

"They threw it out of the window, Ike," I cried.

"That's a lie," snarled the man. "There ain't never been no ropes
here."

"There has been one," I cried, feeling bold now; "but they threw it out
of the window."

"Well, of all--" began one of the men, who had crossed the room with his
companion to the big ruffian's side.

"You