moker till nearly
another hour had elapsed, when Sam drew a long deep breath and said
softly--

"Now for it."

For _it_ meant money, freedom from all domination, and, as the lad
thought very unwisely, a general sense of independence of father and the
whole world; though in carrying out this act he was riveting, so to
speak, moral fetters round his wrists.

He had had hard work to string himself up to his task, but now he showed
plenty of determination, and going back into the lane, he walked rapidly
toward Heatherleigh, passing nobody on his way.

Upon reaching the bottom of the garden he hesitated for a few moments,
peering over the hedge at the house; then seeking the palings, and
looking over them at a spot where the trees were rather open, and,
lastly, making his way to the gate, where he satisfied himself that
there were only two lights visible there--in the servants' part of the
house, and in the little dining-room.

Apparently contented, he walked back to where the yard wall turned off
at right angles, and following this for a few yards, he climbed over and
made his way like a dark shadow close up to the mill, where he stood
listening and looking sharply round.

All was still, and in spite of the glittering stars, it was very dark
close up to the tall brick building--so black, in fact, that unless
close up, there was not the slightest probability of his being seen even
by any one upon the watch.

Satisfied of this, he went softly to the door, took hold of the handle,
and tried it, pressing hard at the same time, in expectation that it
might yield, as people were so careless about locking up in the country.
But he was soon convinced that the door was securely fastened, and he
moved now to one of the workshop windows and tried it, with no result.
Then he gave it a sharp shake, but there was no suggestion of its
yielding, and he at once went right round to the other side and tried
the window there.

The result was the same, and he uttered a low ejaculation indicative of
his vexation on finding everything so secure.

"More ways than one of killing a cat," he said softly, and taking a
large screw-driver from his pocket, he was in the act of thrusting its
wedgelike flat point in beneath the framework of the casement when there
was a step behind him, and as he turned sharply, it was to face a tall,
thin, rough-looking figure, very indistinctly seen as it stood close to
him, and the word "Halloo!" was whisper