ard but old ledgers and magazines and the tool chest, but of
course, a robber could not know that beforehand.

When Oswald saw that there really was a robber, and that he was so
heavily armed with the screwdriver, he did not feel comfortable. But he
kept the pistol pointed at the robber, and--you will hardly believe it,
but it is true--the robber threw down the screwdriver clattering on the
other tools, and he _did_ throw up his hands, and said--

'I surrender; don't shoot me! How many of you are there?'

So Dicky said, 'You are outnumbered. Are you armed?'

And the robber said, 'No, not in the least.'

And Oswald said, still pointing the pistol, and feeling very strong and
brave and as if he was in a book, 'Turn out your pockets.'

The robber did: and while he turned them out, we looked at him. He was
of the middle height, and clad in a black frock-coat and grey trousers.
His boots were a little gone at the sides, and his shirt-cuffs were
a bit frayed, but otherwise he was of gentlemanly demeanour. He had a
thin, wrinkled face, with big, light eyes that sparkled, and then looked
soft very queerly, and a short beard. In his youth it must have been of
a fair golden colour, but now it was tinged with grey. Oswald was sorry
for him, especially when he saw that one of his pockets had a large hole
in it, and that he had nothing in his pockets but letters and string and
three boxes of matches, and a pipe and a handkerchief and a thin tobacco
pouch and two pennies. We made him put all the things on the table, and
then he said--

'Well, you've caught me; what are you going to do with me? Police?'

Alice and H. O. had come down to be reinforcements, when they heard a
shout, and when Alice saw that it was a Real Robber, and that he had
surrendered, she clapped her hands and said, 'Bravo, boys!' and so did
H. O. And now she said, 'If he gives his word of honour not to escape,
I shouldn't call the police: it seems a pity. Wait till Father comes
home.'

The robber agreed to this, and gave his word of honour, and asked if he
might put on a pipe, and we said 'Yes,' and he sat in Father's armchair
and warmed his boots, which steamed, and I sent H. O. and Alice to
put on some clothes and tell the others, and bring down Dicky's and my
knickerbockers, and the rest of the chestnuts.

And they all came, and we sat round the fire, and it was jolly. The
robber was very friendly, and talked to us a great deal.

'I wasn't always in