With this view he had hurriedly dressed himself and slipped down stairs. He opened the door with the utmost caution, and then made a dart into the arms of the men, who were there waiting for him so quietly and patiently.
This sudden capture of the man from the opposite house was the noise that Blodget had heard opposite just as he had succeeded in removing the last obstacle to getting an entrance to the hall of the house.
The attack upon the man was so sudden, and withal so totally unexpected by that individual, that, for the moment, he was too terrified to cry out.
That moment was precious to him, for before he could recover presence of mind sufficient to have the least idea of what best to do, one of the thieves had him by the throat with such a clutch that he began to get black in the face.
Blodget ran over from the other side of the way in another moment.
‘Who is it?’ he asked.
‘Somebody going, no doubt, to give an alarm,’ said the man who had hold of him.
‘Now is that possible?’ said Blodget.
‘It is, captain.’
‘Dear me, what interfering people there are in the world, to be sure. Has he a cravat on?’