forehand to break the pane and move
away the glass, so they had only to loosen the bar and slip through one
by one.

It was cold and very dark, and as on the March morning they stood out in
the playground, all four would rather have been safely and harmlessly in
bed. But the novelty and the excitement of the enterprise bore them up,
and they started off quickly for the house at which Mr Gordon and his
pupils lived, which was about half a mile from the school. They went
arm in arm to assure each other a little, for at first in their fright
they were inclined to take every post and tree for a man in ambush, and
to hear a recalling voice in every sound of cold wind and murmuring
wave.

Not far from Mr Gordon's was a carpenter's shop, and outside of this
there was generally a ladder standing. They had arranged to carry this
ladder with them (as it was only a short one), climb the low garden-wall
with it, and then place it against the house, immediately under the
dovecot which hung by the first-story windows. Wildney, as the lightest
of the four, was to take the birds, while the others held the ladder.

Slanting it so that it should be as far from the side of the window as
possible, Wildney ascended and thrust both hands into the cot. He
succeeded in seizing a pigeon with each hand, but in doing so threw the
other birds into a state of such alarm that they fluttered about in the
wildest manner, and the moment his hands were withdrawn, flew out with a
great flapping of hurried wings.

The noise they made alarmed the plunderer, and he hurried down the
ladder as fast as he could. He handed the pigeons to the others, who
instantly wrung their necks.

"I'm nearly sure I heard somebody stir," said Wildney; "we haven't been
half quiet enough. Here! let's crouch down in this corner."

All four shrank up as close to the wall as they could, and held their
breath. Someone was certainly stirring, and at last they heard the
window open.

A head was thrust out, and Mr Gordon's voice asked sternly--

"Who's there?"

He seemed at once to have caught sight of the ladder, and made an
endeavour to reach it; but though he stretched out his arm at full
length he could not manage to do so.

"We must cut for it," said Eric; "it's quite too dark for him to see who
we are, or even to notice that we are boys."

They moved the ladder to the wall, and sprang over, one after the other,
as fast as they could. Eric was last, and jus