chard, grating his teeth.

"We'll pay him off."

"I'll have my revenge, if I die for it."

"I'm with you there, Dick."

It was midnight when the Greyhound reached the pier at Woodville.

CHAPTER IV.

RICHARD MAKES A TREMENDOUS SENSATION AT WOODVILLE.

The mansion at Woodville was dark and silent when Richard stole
cautiously up the walk which led from the pier to the house. Of course
his father and the other members of the family supposed he was asleep
in his chamber, where he had gone at an early hour to retire. He had
locked his door as usual, and to make the deception more complete, he
had pretended that he was not very well.

His chamber window opened upon the one-story addition which had been
erected to afford room for a conservatory. On one end of the structure
there was a trellis for the support of a grape vine. After he had
locked his door, Richard had opened the window, crawled out upon the
roof of the conservatory, and descended to the ground by the aid of the
trellis.

He intended to return to his room by the same route, but it was now a
more difficult matter than it had been when the family were all in the
sitting room. Mr. Presby's room was next to his own, and the old
gentleman was not a very sound sleeper. The difficulty of gaining
access to his room was so great that he was tempted to sleep in the
boat house, and not take the risk of being discovered; but the
condition of his legs, still smarting severely from the chastisement he
had received, would not permit him to do so. His wounds needed
attention, and though he was no surgeon, he knew that a good washing in
cold water, with the application of a simple remedy he had in his
chamber, might ease the pain, and perhaps save him from serious
consequences.

With a stealthy step he walked round to the conservatory, and with the
utmost care commenced the ascent of the trellis. With all the
precautions he could use, it was impossible to avoid making some noise,
and he trembled lest the wakeful invalid should hear him. But he
succeeded in gaining the roof without creating an alarm. Here he felt
comparatively secure; but sometimes when we think we are safest we are
in the greatest peril. The roof, wet with the dew of night, was very
slippery; and when he reached up to open the window, his feet flew up
beneath him, and he fell, with noise enough to rouse a deeper sleeper
than Mr. Presby.

"Help! Help! Robbers! Thieves!" shouted the old gent