ile of bricks and rubbish on the opposite side of
the street, crossed over, and passing around to the rear of the house,
obtained access to the garden thro' the back gate which had been
purposely left unfastened for them. These two men were police officers,
who had been for some time on the watch for the burglars. They entered
the house thro' the kitchen window, and stationed themselves upon the
stairs, in readiness to rush to the assistance of Frank, as soon as he
should give the appointed signal.

Meantime, the Dead Man had raised the slide of his dark lantern, and by
its light he led the way into the back parlor, followed by the others.
Davis had not the remotest suspicion that one of the men, whom he
supposed to be a burglar, and whose appearance was that of a ruffian,
was his master! No--he looked him full in the face without recognizing
him in the slightest degree.

The Dead Man, approaching a side-board, poured out a bumper of wine and
tossed it off, after which he drew from his pocket a small iron bar,
(called by thieves a _jimmy_,) and applying it to a desk, broke it open
in an instant. But it contained nothing of value;--and the burglar,
addressing the others, said:

'We must disperse ourselves over the house, in order to do anything. I
will rummage the first story: you, Fred, will explore the second, and
our new friend here can try his luck in the third. As for you, Davis,
you must descend into the kitchen, and collect what silver ware and
plate you can find. So now to work.'

At this instant Frank threw himself upon the Dead Man, and exclaimed, in
a loud voice:

'Yield, villain!'

'Damnation, we are betrayed!' muttered the ruffian, as with a mighty
effort he threw Frank from him, and drew his horse pistol;--levelling it
at the young man with a deadly aim, he was about to draw the fatal
trigger, when Dennis, the Irish footman, who had been concealed beneath
a large dining table, sprang nimbly behind him, and felled him to the
carpet with a tremendous blow of his thick cudgel, crying:

'Lie there, ye spalpeen, and rest asy.'

Fred Archer and Davis instantly made for the door, with the intention of
escaping--but they were seized by the two policemen, who now rushed to
the scene of uproar; the butler and burglar, however, struggled
desperately, and one of the policemen was stunned by a heavy blow on his
head, with the butt of a pistol, dealt by the hand of Archer, who, thus
freed from the grasp of his