he said to
Mike. "We had better see what it is all about. Do you go round the
wall by the right, and I will go round by the left, and see if
there is any way by which we can climb over."

They met at the back of the house. The wall was unbroken, save by
the gates in front.

"The wall is too high for us to climb, Mike," Desmond said. "Even
if I stood on your head, I could not reach the top. Let us go
round to the front again."

They returned, and closely scrutinized the gate. It was not so
high as the wall itself, but was fully twelve feet.

"I have got a pistol with me, your honour," Mike said. "I have
seen doors blown in, by firing a gun through the keyhole."

"That would do, if we were sure that there were no bars, Mike; but
the chances are that it is barred, as well as locked. Besides, I
am sure that we should not be justified in blowing in the door of
a private house. It may be that they were the cries of a mad
woman. I would rather get over as quietly as possible."

"Well, sir, I will stand against it, and if you will get on to my
shoulders and put your foot on my head, you will reach the top.
Then, if you lower one end of your sash to me, I can pull myself
up beside you."

"Yes, I think we can manage it that way, Mike. I am convinced that
there is something wrong going on here, and I don't mind taking
the risk of getting into a scrape by interfering. Now do you stoop
a bit, so that I can get on to your shoulder; then you can raise
yourself to your full height. Take off your hat, first. I shall
certainly have to put my foot on your head."

"All right, your honour. Don't you be afraid of hurting me. My
skull is thick enough to stand the weight of two of you."

In a minute, Desmond had his fingers on the top of the gates, drew
himself up, and, moving to the corner, where he could get his back
against the end of the wall, lowered his sash to Mike.

"You are sure I shall not pull you down?"

"I am not sure, but we will try, anyhow."

This was said in a whisper, for there might, for anything he knew,
be two or three men in the garden. Mike took off his boots, so as
to avoid making a noise. Desmond was sitting astride of the gate,
and had his end of the sash over the top of it, and under his leg,
thereby greatly reducing the strain that would be thrown on it,
and then leaning with all his weight on it, where it crossed the
gate. Mike was an active as well as a strong man, and speedily was
by his side.