ate. Nothing remained but to wake early enough the next
morning, before anyone was up, and creep out unobserved. The person
most to be feared was Andrew, who had an awkward habit of coming to his
work at all sorts of odd hours. The boys were inclined to doubt
sometimes if he ever went to bed, for he seemed to know exactly what
kind of weather it had been all night. However that must be risked,
although it would be most undesirable to meet him with the pickaxe in
their possession.

Ambrose went to bed in a fever of excitement, with a mind firmly fixed
on keeping his eyes wide open until morning, for that was the only way
to be sure of being awake at the right time. It depended on him alone,
for David was such a profound sleeper that he could not be relied on at
all: it would most likely be very difficult even to rouse him at the
proper hour. Very soon, from the little bed next to him, Ambrose heard
the deep regular breathing, which showed that he was in the land of
dreams. How could he sleep on such an exciting occasion?

Hour after hour sounded from the old church tower; shadows from the
sprays of ivy outside danced on the window-blind in the moonlight; now
and then a dog barked a long way off, and was answered by a nearer one.
What a long, long while the night lasted if you were not asleep!
Ambrose tossed restlessly on his pillow, and longed for the morning to
come. It seemed very soon after this that the next hour sounded. He
counted the strokes: these ought to have been 12, but there were only 5.
Could the clock be wrong? He started up and looked round the room; it
was not lighted by the moon now; it was broad daylight, and he had been
to sleep after all!

The first thing was to waken David, who was lying in a tranquil slumber
with a smile on his face, as though Rumborough Camp had no existence.
Ambrose called him gently and then shook him, but though he half-opened
his eyes he immediately shut them again, turned on his side with a deep
and comfortable sigh, and was faster asleep than ever. Some decided
step must be taken. Without an instant's hesitation Ambrose got a wet
sponge and laid it on his brother's face. David woke with a snort of
disgust and started up.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Hush-sh-ush!" said Ambrose, holding up a warning finger; "it's time to
start. _Rumborough_, you know."

Thoroughly wakened by these words David was out of bed in an instant,
and the two boys, creeping st