"Try them. See this."
The poet turned one of the policemen half over and let him roll back with a thud. The drugged man snored on.
"That's all right. Now let's hurry up with the job before their boss does come, what?"
They all three disappeared into the cottage.
Robin wasted not a moment. Already, by means of another slip of paper, he had arranged with Dave what to do. As swiftly as they dared the pair ran to the waiting and unattended motor-car. Each had his penknife ready. Robin selected a front wheel and Dave a back one. Rapidly they plunged their knives up to the hilt a few times into the tyres.
"That'll settle 'em," whispered Robin, triumphantly. "Now, let's have all the Merry Men creep farther back from the danger-zone. We've got to see this thing through."
A few of the less-adventurous spirits "got the wind up" and made off down the Bramble Path, but Robin was not sorry to see them go, particularly as they were careful to make no noise. In the last resource, if the security of the remainder were threatened, they, too, could make themselves scarce by the same convenient route.
Barely another minute had elapsed before a medley of very hard swearing proceeded from the interior of the cottage. It had not taken long to wrench up the boards, which the police had nailed down again after forge's discovery, and the thieves were doubtless feeling as Mother Hubbard did when she opened the bare cupboard door. These particularly dirty dogs had not even a bone to console themselves with, either!
For reasons dictated by prudence, however, the thieves quickly stopped their angry noise, and came darting out of the cottage in a violent hurry. Into the motor-car they leapt, the bearded reciter proving the sprightliest of the three. It was a self-starting car of a first-class make, and ought to have bounded forward at a touch of the driver's hand. Instead, it tottered jerkily for a few yards, causing the driver to draw up with a frightened oath.
"Punctured, by jingo!" he cried. "One of those confounded gorse-thorns must have jabbed itself into us as we rushed up the incline. Outside, chaps! Quick! Lift off the spare wheel and let's have it fixed. Those fellows behind there may be waking presently."