cried the two soldiers admiringly; and the gardener came
away smiling with self-satisfaction at the men's admiration of his
skill.

"Oh," he said to the sergeant, "it's easy enough when you know how."

"That's so, my lad," said the sergeant. "There's nothing like having a
man who understands his tools."

Waller still stood frowning and rattling his knife, the key, a piece of
curb chain, and a few other odds and ends in the bottom of his pocket,
furtively watching the fat constable the while, till he caught sight of
the sergeant looking at him, ready to half close his eye in a knowing
wink.

"That'll about do," said Gusset; and he looked up to the top of the
ladder, half hidden amongst the clustering ivy, then down at the two
men, and, lastly, at the sergeant.

"Now, then," he said, in his unpleasant, husky voice, "it's no use to
waste time. Somebody had better go up."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

A HOT SCENT.

"To be sure," said the sergeant sharply. "Well, we are waiting. You
know the way better than we do. Up you go."

The constable turned upon him in astonishment, blowing out his cheeks
and seeming to make his eyes roll, while his naturally rotund figure
began more and more to assume the appearance of a fat cork float.

"Me! Me! Me go up there!"

"To be sure," said the sergeant. "You country chaps are used to this
sort of thing. My lads are not. Scaling ladders is more in our way,
and they are bad enough when you have got to carry your Brown Bess."

"To be sure," said the gardener, chiming in, with a grin of
satisfaction. "That's right enough, sergeant. Up you go, Fatty!"

"You will get yourself into trouble, Joe Hanson," said the constable
pompously. "This here's the second time I have warned you. You,
sergeant--you know I can't get up there at my time of life, and it's
your duty to send your men. I order you, in the King's name, to search
that roof."

"Oh, very well," said the sergeant gruffly. "Here, number one and two,
stand your muskets up against the wall. No, one of you only. You, Jem
Cogan; you are a light one. Up you go. You are not quite so heavy as
the constable here."

"Haw! haw! haw!" laughed the gardener. "That's a good one!" And he
bent down to slap his knees, while, to the constable's great disgust,
the hoarse laugh was echoed in the shape of a titter uttered by the two
maids, who had come to the back kitchen door.

Gusset blew out his cheeks again, and moved sl