perty or the feelings of the
squire or his family.

When he entered the house, he had stationed three men at the door to
prevent any of the people from following him. He had also directed them
not to enter the yard or grounds of the house until he gave the signal.
These directions proved a great hardship to the boys in the crowd, and
they were completely disgusted when they saw the flag thrown loose from
the front window.

The mansion of Squire Pemberton was an old-fashioned dwelling, about a
hundred feet from the road. In front of it was a green lawn, adorned with
several large buttonwood trees. There was no fence to enclose what was
called the front yard. The crowd was assembled on this lawn, and agreeably
to the directions of the leader, or chairman of the committee, none of
them passed into the yard in the rear and at the end of the house, which
was separated from the lawn by a picket fence.

Boys are instinctively curious to know what is going on, and the "living
room" of the squire, in which the exciting conversation was taking place,
was in the rear of the house. The windows on the front were dark and
uncommunicative. The boys were restless and impatient; if there was to be
any fun, they wanted to see it. Thomas was as impatient as his fellows,
and being more enterprising than the others, he determined, while obeying
the instructions of Captain Barney in the spirit, to disobey them in the
letter.

He had been a sufferer to the extent of two great wales on the calves of
his legs by the treason of the squire, and no doubt he thought he ought to
be regarded as an exception to those who were called on to observe the
instructions of the chairman of the committee. Leaving the group of
inquiring minds near the front door of the house, he walked down the
driveway till he came to a rail fence, through which he crawled, and
entered the field adjoining the garden of the squire. His fellow-citizens,
men and boys, were too intently watching the house to heed him, and no one
noticed his enterprising movement.

From the field, he entered the garden, and made his way to the rear of the
house. But even here, he was doomed to disappointment, for Mrs. Pemberton
had drawn her curtains. Our hero was not, however, to be utterly defeated,
and as the curtains had not been fitted by an accomplished upholsterer,
there were openings on either side, through which he might command a full
view of the interior of the room.

Thomas proce