This was certainly enough to rouse anybody.
Up jumped Frank, and rushed to the door.
Up jumped Bob, and sprang after him.
The noise outside was outrageous. What was it? Could it be robbers?
No. Robbers would prefer to do their work in silence. What was it?
Slowly and cautiously Frank opened the door, and looked forth into the parlor. It was as yet quite dark, and the room into which he peered was wrapped in the shades of night. What little he could see he saw but indistinctly. Yet he saw something.
He saw a dark, shadowy figure in rapid motion backward and forward, and at every movement some article of furniture would go with a crash to the floor. Sometimes the figure seemed to be on the table, at other times it was leaping in the air. Suddenly, as he looked, the door, which opened out into the parlor, was banged back with a violent blow, and shut again. Frank was nearly knocked down.
"What is it?" asked Bob.
"I don't know," said Frank, "unless it's a madman."
"What shall we do?"
"If we were all together," said Frank, "we might make a rush at him, and secure him. I've a great mind to make a start, as it is."