or, will you promise to come quietly down, and
no nonsense?"

"Yes--oh YES!" said all the children together.

"Bless me," said the Vicar, "surely that was a female voice?"

"Shall I open the door, sir?" said the keeper. Andrew went down a few
steps, "to leave room for the others" he said afterwards.

"Yes," said the Vicar, "open the door. Remember," he said through the
keyhole, "we have come to release you. You will keep your promise to
refrain from violence?"

"How this bolt do stick," said the keeper; "anyone 'ud think it hadn't
been drawed for half a year." As a matter of fact it hadn't.

When all the bolts were drawn, the keeper spoke deep-chested words
through the keyhole.

[Illustration: The keeper spoke deep-chested words through the keyhole]

"I don't open," said he, "till you've gone over to the other side of the
tower. And if one of you comes at me I fire. Now!"

"We're all over on the other side," said the voices.

The keeper felt pleased with himself, and owned himself a bold man when
he threw open that door, and, stepping out into the leads, flashed the
full light of the stable lantern on the group of desperadoes standing
against the parapet on the other side of the tower.

He lowered his gun, and he nearly dropped the lantern.

"So help me," he cried, "if they ain't a pack of kiddies!"

The Vicar now advanced.

"How did you come here?" he asked severely. "Tell me at once."

"Oh, take us down," said Jane, catching at his coat, "and we'll tell you
anything you like. You won't believe us, but it doesn't matter. Oh, take
us down!"

The others crowded round him, with the same entreaty. All but Cyril.
He had enough to do with the soda-water syphon, which would keep
slipping down under his jacket. It needed both hands to keep it steady
in its place.

But he said, standing as far out of the lantern light as possible--

"Please do take us down."

So they were taken down. It is no joke to go down a strange church-tower
in the dark, but the keeper helped them--only, Cyril had to be
independent because of the soda-water syphon. It would keep trying to
get away. Half-way down the ladder it all but escaped. Cyril just caught
it by its spout, and as nearly as possible lost his footing. He was
trembling and pale when at last they reached the bottom of the winding
stair and stepped out on to the stones of the church-porch.

Then suddenly the keeper caught Cyril and Robert each by an arm.

"You bri