Held Fast For England: A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar (1779-83). G. A. Henty

      "Well, if there are, they are most likely chained up. We must risk something.

      "Well, here goes. If you don't like it, Wharton, you can stay behind."

      So saying, he put his hockey stick between his teeth, and then proceeded to climb up the wall, by means of the ivy.

      The wall was but nine feet high and, as soon as he gained the top, Bob said:

      "Come on, you fellows. I am going to drop down."

      In two minutes he was joined by the other three.

      "There is a path, just beyond," Bob said; "let us go by that. Don't you fellows say a word. As Wharton says, there may be some dogs about."

      Quietly they stole along the path, which ran parallel to the road, until it turned off at right angles.

      "Now, the first tree that grows against the wall we will get over by," Bob whispered.

      After going twenty yards, he stopped.

      "This tree will do."

      "But what are you going to do, if there should be some men?" Wharton asked, in a tone that showed he objected, altogether, to the proceeding.

      "It depends upon how many of them there are," Bob replied. "Of course, the admiral has got some men in the house; and they will wake up, and help us, if we give the alarm. Anyhow, we ought to be able to be a match for two men, with these sticks, especially if we take them by surprise.

      "What do you say, Jim?"

      "I should think so," Jim replied. "Anyhow, if you are game to go on, I am.

      "What do you say, Fullarton?"

      "Oh, I am ready," Fullarton, who was a boy of few words, replied.

      "Only, if there is anyone, Bob, and we get into a row with them, of course it will all come out about us; and then shan't we get it, just!"

      "I suppose we shall," Bob admitted, "but I don't see we can help that.

      "Well, we are in for it, now," and he began to climb the tree and, working along a limb which extended over the wall, he dropped down into the garden.

      The others soon joined, Wharton being more afraid of staying behind, by himself, than of going with the rest.

      "Now, what are we to do next?"

      "I should say we ought to find out whether anyone has got into the house. That is the first thing. Then, if they have, we have got to try to wake up the people, and to frighten the men inside.

      "Have you got some string in your pockets?"

      "I have got some."

      They all had string.

      "What do you want string for, Bob?"

      "String is always useful, Jim. We may want to tie their hands. But what I was thinking was, we might fasten it across the stairs, or some of the passages; and then set up a sudden shout, and they would think the watchmen had come, and would make a bolt; and when they got to the string over they would go, and then we would drop on them with these hockey sticks, before they could get up.

      "Well, come on. There mayn't be anyone here, after all. Now we will go up to the house, and creep round."

      The house stood thirty or forty yards away and, stepping as noiselessly as they could, the boys crossed the lawn and moved along the front. Suddenly, Tom Fullarton caught hold of Bob's arm.

      "Look, Bob, there is a light in that room! Do you see--through the slit in the shutters?"

      "So there is. Well, there is no mistake, now. There must be some fellows belonging to that cart inside. That must be the drawing room, or dining room, and they would never have lights there at this time of night.

      "Now, let us find out where they got in. This is something like fun. It beats rabbit hunting all to nothing.

      "Now mind, you fellows, if we do come upon them, and there is a fight, you remember the best place to hit, to begin with, is the ankle. You have only just got to fancy that it is a bung, and swipe at it with all your might. Anyone you hit there is sure to go down and, if he wants it, you can hit him over the head, afterwards.

      "Now, come along. I expect they got in at the back of the house."

      They soon came upon a door at the side of the house. It was open.

      "That looks as if they had been let in," Bob whispered. "See, there is a light in there, somewhere! Come on.

      "Now, let us take our shoes off."

      The others were thoroughly excited now, and followed Bob without hesitation.

      "Bob, is the key in the door?" Jim whispered.

      "Yes, on the inside. They have been let in. I wish I dare lock it, and take the key away. Let me see if it turns easy."

      Very gently he turned the key, and found the bolt shot noiselessly. It had doubtless been carefully oiled. He turned it again, shut the door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.

      Then they crept on tiptoe along the passage. At the end were two large chests, strengthened with iron bands. A lighted lantern stood upon them. Bob peered round the corner into the hall. No one was to be seen, but he heard a noise through an open door, from which came a stream of light.

      Motioning the others to stand still, he crept forward noiselessly till he could look into the room. A man was occupied in packing some articles of massive plate, clocks, and other valuables into a sack. He was alone.

      Bob made his way back to the others.

      "There's only one fellow there," he said. "If there are any more, they are upstairs. Let us have this one first--his back is to the door.

      "Now, Wharton, you hold our handkerchiefs and the string. If he don't look round, I will jump on his back and have him down.

      "The moment he is down, you two throw yourselves on him, and you shove the handkerchiefs into his mouth, Wharton. In the surprise, he won't know that we are only boys; and we will tie his hands before he has time to resist.

      "Now, come on."

      They were all plucky boys--for Wharton, although less morally courageous than the others, was no coward, physically. Their stockinged feet made no sound, and the man heard nothing until Bob sprang on to his back, the force sending him down on to his face. Bob's arm was tightly round his throat; and the other two threw themselves upon him, each seizing an arm, while Wharton crammed two handkerchiefs into his mouth. The man's hands were dragged behind his back, as he lay on his face, and his wrists tied firmly together. He was rendered utterly helpless before he had recovered from the first shock of surprise.

      "Tie his ankles together with the other two handkerchiefs," Bob said, still lying across him.

      "That is right. You are sure they are tight? There, he will do, now. I must lock him in."

      This was done.

      "Now, then, let's go upstairs.

      "Now, fasten this last piece of string across between the banisters, six or eight steps up.

      "Make haste," he added, as a faint cry was heard, above.

      It did not take a second to fasten the string at each end; and then, grasping their sticks, the boys sprang upstairs. On gaining the landing, they heard voices proceeding from a room along a corridor and, as they crept up to it, they heard a man's voice say, angrily:

      "Now we ain't going to waste any more time. If you don't tell us where your money is, we will knock you and the girl on the head.

      "No, you can't talk, but you can point out where it is. We know that you have got it.

      "Very well, Bill, hit that young woman over the head with the butt of your pistol. Don't be afraid of hurting her.

      "Ah!