“You have. Your pockets and your breast are full of silverware. Now I want you——”
At this moment came a loud whistle from outside, followed by the pounding of a musket butt on an outer cellar door.
“An alarm! Let me get out of here!” yelled Prent and made a leap for the stairs, which were narrow and old.
Before Henry could stand on guard he found himself in the other soldier’s grasp. Then Prent gave him a shove which sent him over the side of the steps head first. Henry tried to save himself, but went down between two barrels with a crash. Before he could extricate himself from the tight position his assailant had fled. Then the tallow dip spluttered up and went out, and the young soldier was left in total darkness.
CHAPTER XXI
UNDER ARREST
For the moment after the tallow dip went out, Henry, half stunned by his tumble, knew not what to do.
“Hi, Prent!” he called out. “What do you mean by knocking me over and leaving me?”
No answer came back to his query, and a few seconds later he heard a crash of woodwork, followed by several exclamations.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he heard a rough voice demand.