"An I've got my razor, which I shoved under my pillow," said Uncle
Moses; "an so let em come on. But where are they now?"
"H-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-h!" Said Frank.
All were silent, and listened. There came out from without the sound of footsteps approaching the house, and of low voices.
"They're coming back again," said Bob.
The rest listened.
Frank stole to the window and looked cautiously out.
By the moonlight he saw plainly the figures of four men. They were coming from the road to the house, and they were carrying a ladder. The ladder was very long. The sight sent a shudder through him. He had thought of the windows as being out of the reach of danger; the idea of a ladder had never entered his head at all. Yet he now saw that this-was one of the most simple and natural plans which could be adopted by the brigands.
He came back and told the others. All felt the same dismay which Frank had felt. None of them said a word, but they all stole up to the window, and looking out they saw for themselves.
The brigands approached the house, carrying the ladder; and on reaching it, they put their load on the ground, and rested for a short time. As they did so, the boys noticed that they all looked up at the upper windows of the house.
Then they saw the brigands gathering close together, and the murmur of their conversation came up to their ears.