"Then some one will get shot!" said the first speaker.
But at the same moment, the sound of the opening door came to Dory's ears. He was on the point of springing in at the window, to prevent the escape of the burglars, when he realized that he was almost sure to be shot, as the first speaker had suggested. He was unarmed; and against two men, as he supposed they were, he had a small chance of accomplishing any thing in the way of capturing them.
Through the open door into the shop he saw several flashes of light, and then he understood that the operators were provided with one or more dark-lanterns. He could hear their retreating footsteps in the shop; and he concluded that they intended to escape through one of the rear windows, which they could easily open, as they were fastened on the inside.
Two lights were approaching from the dormitory, Dory saw, as he withdrew his head from the window. But what use were they now? He had solved the enigma, and any further light on the subject was superfluous. The burglars had effected an entrance: whether the explosion had opened the safe, or not, was yet to be discovered. But while he was thinking of the matter, the robbers were getting away. This was all wrong, Dory suddenly realized.
"Help! Help! Burglars! Robbers!" shouted Dory, at the very top of his voice; and he had never been accused of having weak lungs.
"What are you about, Dory?" called Matt, as he rushed towards him.
"Doing the next best thing!" said Dory hastily. "Run to the dormitory, Matt, with all your might, and ring the bell, just as you would for fire."
"Do you think there are any burglars in the office?" asked Matt.
"Not now! But there have been at least two of them there, and now they are escaping by the back windows of the carpenter's shop! They are armed too. Hurry up, and ring the bell, Matt!" shouted Dory, in the ears of his companion, as he took one of the lanterns from him.
Placing the lantern on the doorstone of the office, Dory darted off at the fastest run he could get up for the rear of the building. He appeared to have forgotten that the burglars had revolvers.