They had collected together some from other parts of the house and made them into bundles ready to carry away, but they were uninjured and had only to be restored to their places.
Max was greatly excited. "Papa," he said, when the sheriff had departed with his prisoners, and doors and windows were again secured, "we have had a narrow escape from serious loss; perhaps worse than that; for who knows but those fellows meant to murder us in our beds?"
"I think not, my son," replied the captain. "I presume their only object was plunder, and that if they had succeeded in rifling the safe without discovery, they would have gone quietly away with their booty.
"Had they desired to kill any of us, they would have been likely to attempt it when upstairs in search of the key to the strong room."
"And it was Lu who spoiled their plans! Just think of it! I'd like to have had her chance. Papa, I think Lu's splendid!"
"She has certainly shown herself very brave and unselfish on this, and several other occasions," the captain said with a happy look in his eyes.
"But come, we will do well now to go back to our beds, for it is scarcely four o'clock," he added, consulting his recovered watch.
The men servants had returned to their quarters, and father and son were alone.
Violet, in dressing-gown and slippers, met them at the head of the stairway.
"You have not been able to sleep, my love?" the captain said with a glance of concern at her pale, excited face. "But of course that was not to be expected."