roused them
shortly after midnight.

"Up, boys, up!" he said, as he shook himself. "It is high time we were
off; and I hope fule-Tammy is as sound asleep now as you have been for
the last five minutes."

From that mention of Tammy you will guess that another raid on
Trullyabister was proposed. The fact was, Yaspard had made one quiet
visit to the old ruin by himself, and had found that the things they
secreted in the old chimney had disappeared. From a remark of Tammy's,
Lowrie had concluded that the "natural" had discovered their
hiding-place, and had abstracted the articles in question. It would
have been a simple matter to ask the truth and claim the property, but
_that_ course was not the one a Viking-boy was at all likely to
approve. Hence the present "lark."

The three conspirators were not long in reaching the old Ha'house, and
as the back door was never locked, they easily gained admission.

Tammy slept in a small chamber beside the kitchen, and at a distance
from the rooms inhabited by his master, therefore the lads were not
much afraid of being heard even if the recluse had not gone to sleep.

But Gaun Neeven _was_ asleep, and so was Tammy, "like a top, and
snoring too like one," whispered Yaspard as he led the way. Tammy did
not even move when they gently and deftly tied his hands together, and
put a not uncomfortable gag over his mouth, and he only snored a little
louder, but did not wake, when they lifted him up. (Tammy always went
to bed with a complete suit of clothes on, which he kept for the
purpose, saying he did not see why a "puir body" should not be as
decently clothed all night as all day.) They carried him to the ruined
apartment with which we are already acquainted. I ought to have
mentioned that Yaspard had provided masks for himself and his
companions. These were made of brown paper, painted to resemble
tatooed savages, and had been put on as they came up from the mill, so
that Tammy should not recognise his assailants.

But Tammy was far more cute in many ways than he got credit for being;
and though astonished when the cool air and a few gentle shakes woke
him up, he was not frightened by the hideous visages; even the feigned
voices did not deceive him. But he was wise enough to pretend
ignorance of their identity, and stared a well-acted credulity.

"What have you done with what you found in that chimney?" Yaspard
demanded in assumed tones, which did not deceive Tammy, how