“Never mind what she says, Bart, lad,” said the latter; “she’ll thank us some day for half-killing as big a scamp as ever stepped.”
“Thank you!” cried Mary, with her eyes flashing and her handsome face distorted, “I hope to see you both well punished, and—”
“Who’s that coming?” said Abel, sharply, as steps were heard approaching quickly.
As Mary turned round to look, Abel caught sight of something over her shoulder in the evening light which made him catch his companion by the arm.
“Quick, Bart, lad!” he whispered; “through her room and squeeze out of the window. The constables!”
He opened the door of his sister’s little room, thrust his mate in, followed, and shut and bolted the door; but as he turned then to the window, a little strongly-made frame which had once done duty in a vessel, Mary’s voice was heard speaking loudly in conversation with the new arrivals in the outer room.
“Out with you, quickly and quietly,” whispered Abel.
“Right, lad,” replied Bart; and unfastening and opening the little window, he thrust his arms through and began to get out.
At that moment there was a loud knocking at the door.
“Open—in the king’s name!”