, now, Paddy Ryan," said the man called Mike; "ah, now, Paddy Ryan,
sure an' I know 'tis a gentleman's house since you rule it. But do
them fellers on the roof know it?"

"Fellers on the roof?" said Ryan, advancing a step, threateningly.
"Mike, ye been drinkin' again. An' the night's work not done yet. Out
on ye, ye--ye----"

"Listen," said Mike, holding up a hand. "Listen. 'Tis all I ask. Sure
an' wid Pete caterwaulin', 'tis no wonder at all ye cannot hear wot's
goin' on. Hear the shootin' now, don't ye?"

As if he were a magician calling the demonstration into being at
command, the shooting and shouting of the trio on the roof, which for
the moment had died down, was now violently renewed. Ryan's lower jaw
dropped open grotesquely.

"Now will ye believe me?" demanded Mike, triumphantly.

"Who--who is it?" asked Ryan, still in the grip of his astonishment.

"How should we know?" asked Mike. "We was comin' up from the beach wid
another cargo o' the stuff when we hear it."

"Mistuh Higginbotham went up to de roof wid two men," interposed the
gigantic negro. "Leastways, he done went up to see 'bout dem prisonahs
an' ax 'em a few quistions."

"You're right, George," said Ryan. "I'd forgotten. Listen to that.
There they go again. Come on."

He darted for the outer door, the negro George, Pete and Mike at his
heels. The crowd of mixed whites and blacks in the doorway gave 'way
before him. In a trice they all were gone. The room was deserted.

"Now is our chance," said Captain Folsom, to the three boys and Tom
Barnum, crouching beside him. "Come on. We must get downstairs and out
of the house before they return, for return they will as soon as they
understand what the fellows on the roof have to tell of our mysterious
disappearance."

He darted down the stairs, two at a time, with the four others close
behind him. Halfway across the big room, however, he halted abruptly
and groaned:

"Too late. They're coming back."

"Here," cried Jack, seizing him by an arm, and pushing him along.
"Quick, fellows, through this door. It's a chance."

Jack had observed a closed door, near the piano, and the others
followed pell-mell behind him and Captain Folsom. Frank, the last to
enter, closed the door and, finding his hand encounter a key, turned
it in the lock.

None too soon. They could hear shouts and curses, as the mob surged up
the stairway.

Jack, meanwhile, had been flashing Tom's torch about and, discovering
a