light. Cursing himself for
his inertness, Jack soon shook off this drowsiness, and set to work in
earnest. Availing himself of certain inequalities in the door, he soon
managed to climb up to the roof; and securing his feet against a slight
projection in the wall, began to use the fork with great effect. Before
many minutes elapsed, he had picked a large hole in the plaster, which
showered down in a cloud of dust; and breaking off several laths, caught
hold of a beam, by which he held with one hand, until with the other he
succeeded, not without some difficulty, in forcing out one of the tiles.
The rest was easy. In a few minutes more he had made a breach in the
roof wide enough to allow him to pass through. Emerging from this
aperture, he was about to descend, when he was alarmed by hearing the
tramp of horses' feet swiftly approaching, and had only time to hide
himself behind one of the largest sign-boards before alluded to when two
horsemen rode up. Instead of passing on, as Jack expected, these persons
stopped opposite the cage, when one of them, as he judged from the
sound, for he did not dare to look out of his hiding place, dismounted.
A noise was next heard, as if some instrument were applied to the door
with the intent to force it open, and Jack's fears were at once
dispelled, At first, he had imagined they were officers of justice, come
to convey him to a stronger prison: but the voice of one of the parties,
which he recognised, convinced him they were his friends.

"Look quick, Blueskin, and be cursed to you!" was growled in the deep
tones of Jonathan Wild. "We shall have the whole village upon us while
you're striking the jigger. Use the gilt, man!"

"There's no need of picklock or crow-bar, here, Mr. Wild," cried Jack,
placing his hat on the right arm of the guide-post, and leaning over the
board, "I've done the trick myself."

"Why, what the devil's this?" vociferated Jonathan, looking up. "Have
you broken out of the cage, Jack?"

"Something like it," replied the lad carelessly.

"Bravo!" cried the thief-taker approvingly.

"Well, that beats all I ever heard of!" roared Blueskin.

"But are you really there?"

"No, I'm here," answered Jack, leaping down. "I tell you what, Mr.
Wild," he added, laughing, "it must be a stronger prison than Willesden
cage that can hold me."

"Ay, ay," observed Jonathan, "you'll give the keepers of his Majesty's
jails some trouble before you're many years older, I'll w