testify truly, young masters, that you found most excellent fare and
lodging at the Red Lion?"

"Of course we will," answered Carl saucily, "and pleasant company, too,
though they visit at rather unseasonable hours."

A stare and a "humph!" was all the answer mynheer made to this, but the
daughter was more communicative. Shaking her earrings at Carl, she said
sharply, "Not so very pleasant, either, master traveler, if you could
judge by the way YOU ran away from it!"

"Impertinent creature!" hissed Carl under his breath as he began busily
to examine his skate straps. Meantime the kitchen boy, listening outside
at the crack of the door, doubled himself with silent laughter.

After breakfast the boys went to the police court, accompanied by
Huygens Kleef and his daughter. Mynheer's testimony was principally
to the effect that such a thing as a robber at the Red Lion had been
unheard of until last night, and as for the Red Lion, it was a most
respectable inn, as respectable as any house in Leyden. Each boy, in
turn, told all that he knew of the affair and identified the prisoner
in the box as the same man who entered their room in the dead of night.
Ludwig was surprised to find that the prisoner in the box was a man of
ordinary size--especially after he had described him, under oath, to the
court as a tremendous fellow with great, square shoulders and legs
of prodigious weight. Jacob swore that he was awakened by the robber
kicking and thrashing upon the floor, and immediately afterward, Peter
and the rest (feeling sorry that they had not explained the matter to
their sleepy comrade) testified that the man had not moved a muscle from
the moment the point of the dagger touched his throat, until, bound from
head to foot, he was rolled over for inspection. The landlord's daughter
made one boy blush, and all the court smile, by declaring, "If it hadn't
been for that handsome young gentleman there"--pointing to Peter--"they
might have all been murdered in their beds; for the dreadful man had
a great, shining knife most as long as Your Honor's arm," and SHE
believed, "the handsome young gentleman had struggled hard enough to get
it away from him, but he was too modest, bless him! to say so."

Finally, after a little questioning, and cross-questioning from the
public prosecutor, the witnesses were dismissed, and the robber was
handed over to the consideration of the criminal court.

"The scoundrel!" said Carl savagely when