show the opening through which their enemies were about to
come.

The brigands had lighted a lamp!

The excitement grew stronger.

Voices arose, low and hushed.

Then footsteps!

The light above the opening grew brighter!

It was an awful moment!

The suspense was terrible!

Yet in the midst of that suspense they had no thought of surrender.
In fact, they did not think that surrender would be possible. These
bloody-minded miscreants would show no quarter; and the besieged
party felt the task imposed upon them of selling their lives as
dearly as possible. And so it was, that as the brigands came nearer
to the opening,--

Frank grasped his knife more firmly.

Bob do. " chair do.

David do. " knife do.

Clive do. " chair do.

While Uncle Moses held up his razor in such a way, that the first
brigand who descended should fall full upon its keen edge.

The light grew brighter over the opening. The shuffling footsteps
drew nearer. Then there was a pause, and low whispers arose. The
brigands were immediately above them. The light shone down into
the room.

The suspense was now intolerable. It was Frank who broke the silence.

"_Who's there?_" he cried in a loud, strong, stern, menacing voice,
in which there was not the slightest tremor.

At this the whispering above ceased. Everything was perfectly still.

"WHO'S THERE?" cried Frank a second time, in a louder, stronger,
sterner, and more menacing voice.

No answer.

All was still.

What did it mean?

"WHO'S THERE?" cried Frank a third time, in the loudest, strongest,
sternest, and most menacing tone that he could compass, "SPEAK, OR
I'LL FIRE!!!!!!!!!"

This tremendous threat could not have been carried out, of course,
with the knives, chairs, and razor of the party below; but at any
rate it brought a reply.

"Alla raight!" cried a voice. "O, yais. It's onalee me. Alla safe.
Come up here to get some straps for de vettura. Alla raight. I haf
joosta come back from Velletre. Haf brot de oder vettura. Scusa de
interruption, but haf to-get de straps; dey up here. Alla raight!"

It was the voice of their driver!

At the first sound of that voice there was an instantaneous and
immense revulsion of feeling. The dark terror of a moment before
was suddenly transformed to an absurdity. They had been making
fools of themselves. They felt this very keenly. The chairs were
put quietly upon the floor; the knives were pocketed very stealthily;
and