her, pale as marble and trembling with anxiety.

Every hole and corner of the house was searched without success; the
floors were examined for trap-doors, and even the ceilings were
carefully looked over, but there was no sign of any secret door, and the
careless manner in which the bake-board had been leaned against the
wall, as well as its small size, prevented suspicion being awakened in
that direction. This being the case, the leader of the gang called two
of his men aside and engaged in a whispered conversation.

"It's quite certain that he is here," said one, "but where they have
stowed him is the puzzle."

"Well, it is indeed a puzzle," replied the leader, "but I've thought of
a plan. He may be the father, or brother, or cousin of the household,
d'ye see, and it strikes me if we were to pretend to insult the women,
that would draw him out!"

"But I don't half like that notion," said one of the men.

"Why not?" asked the other, who wore a huge pair of whiskers, "it's only
pretence, you know. Come, I'll try it."

Saying this he went towards old Mrs Blyth and whispered to
Nelly--"Don't be frightened, my ducky, we're only a-goin' to try a
dodge, d'ye see. Stand by, we won't do you no harm."

The man winked solemnly several times with the view of reassuring Nelly,
and then raising his voice to a loud pitch exclaimed--

"Come now, old 'ooman, it's quite plain that there's a feller in this
here house, an' as we can't find him nowheres, we've come to the
conclusion he must be under your big chair. In coorse we must ask you
to git up, an' as ye don't seem to be able to do that very well, we'll
have to lift you. So here goes."

The man seized the old woman's chair and shuffled with his feet as
though he were about to lift it. Nelly screamed. Bessy uttered a howl
of indignation, and rushed upon the foe with teeth and nails ready, but
being arrested by a powerful man in the rear, she vented her wrath in a
hideous yell.

The success of the scheme was great--much greater, indeed, than had been
anticipated. The bake-board fell flat down, the door of the coal-hole
burst open, and our hero, springing out, planted a blow on the nose of
the big-whiskered man that laid him flat on the floor. Another blow
overturned the man who restrained Bessy, and a third was about to be
delivered when a general rush was made, and Bill Bowls, being
overpowered by numbers, was finally secured.

"Now, my fine fellow," said th