"This is a rum game!" said one of the fellows, giving the door a kick, "it wont open!"
"Never mind, let it be," said the other man; "there's a spring or something. The back kitchen's open; we had better begin there; we know there's some property here, because we took it away before. Show yourself smart, and bring the bag."
As the speaker stooped to trim his lantern, the other man joined him, and said, with an oath and a chuckle—
"Shouldn't you like to know who it was as struck you with the sword, Tom?"
"I wish I did," growled the other; "I'd put a knife in him before many days was over. Come on."
They went down stairs, and Trott, softly gliding from his hiding-place, double-locked the street-door, and put the key in his pocket. He then stationed himself at the top of the kitchen stairs, where he listened with great glee to the exclamations of surprise and astonishment which escaped the robbers, as they opened drawer after drawer, and found them all empty.
"Everything taken away!"—said one of the men: "what the devil does this mean?"
The officer, by way of reply, fired a pistol charged only with blank powder, down the stairs, and retreated expeditiously to his parlour.
This being the signal, the sound was instantly followed by the noise of the other two officers unlocking and unbolting the doors of their hiding-places. The thieves, scrambling up stairs, rushed quickly to the street-door, but, in consequence of its being locked, they were unable to escape; were easily made prisoners, handcuffed, and borne away in triumph.