Jack opened the window as wide as he could, and helped Gus to get into the room.
"Now go on," said Jack, pointing to the door. "Go through all the rooms, and be sharp back. We'll half kill you, if you don't bring all you can find!"
Thus urged, Gus passed out of the bath-room into the passage, and Jack waited nervously for his return. Five minutes passed, ten minutes, but the boy did not return.
"What can be keeping him so long?" asked Lucas anxiously, at the foot of the ladder. "They'll have done dinner directly. Can't you whistle to him?"
"It's hardly safe; some one might hear," said Jack. Nevertheless, he attempted a soft whistle.
"Can they have got hold of him?" asked Lucas nervously. "We must be off if he does not soon appear."
"Little humbug! I said he would spoil all," returned Jack. "What's to be done?"
At that moment there was the sound of a window opening at the other side of the house, followed by what seemed like a splash and a faint scream. Almost instantly another window was thrown up with a noise, and a female voice screamed shrilly, "Help, help! Thieves! Murder! Help!"
Jack was down the ladder in a second.
"Confound him, it is all up!" cried Lucas; and waiting only to throw the ladder into the shrubbery, they were off.