maids. At all events, you go off at once for another man. You'll find one at the corner. I'll remain here."
Ninety-nine started off, and soon returned with Ninety-six.
"Now, then," said the serjeant to Ninety-six, "you stand here; and keep your eyes upon that window."
"What, that?"
"No, that."
"What, that there one?"
"Yes. And if any one should come out of it, watch where he goes."
"All right," said Ninety-six.
"Now, then," said the serjeant, addressing Ninety-nine, "we'll go over." And marking the house to which the window belonged, they went to the door of Dr. Delolme.
When the serjeant had rang the bell two or three times gently—conceiving it to be inexpedient to make too much noise—the doctor appeared at one of the windows, and called out "Who's there?"
"Policemen," replied Ninety-nine. "There are theives in the house, sir."
"How do you know?"
"We saw one of them just now steal in at the top window."
" Bless my life!" said the doctor. "I'll be down in one moment." And having hastily slipped on his trowsers, he took a brace of loaded pistols from a case which he constantly kept in his room, and descended with one in each hand.
"What had better be done?" said he, on opening the door.
"We had better go up and secure them," replied the serjeant, as he opened his bull's-eye lantern. "I've stationed a man outside to keep a sharp look out above. Perhaps I may as well have one of those?" he added, pointing to the pistols.
The doctor gave him one on the instant, and when the door had been locked and the key taken out, they proceeded up stairs—Ninety-nine going first.
As they proceeded, they took the precaution to lock every door which was not locked inside, until they arrived at the door of Tom's study; when the doctor said, "Now, this is the room at the window of which you saw him enter; therefore prepare."
The serjeant cocked his pistol, and Ninety-nine opened the door, but he no sooner brought his brilliant bull's-eye to bear upon the skeletons, than uttering an exclamation of horror, he shrunk back appalled. The serjeant rushed forward in the twinkling of an eye, and perceiving indistinctly two figures on his right, shot one of them, as he imagined, through the heart, and produced on the instant a most tremendous rattling of bones, for the skeleton of Tom's female fell all to pieces.
"No, no!" cried the doctor, rushing in. "Don't touch them! they're merely skeletons!-Bless my life," he added, on perceiving the male in a pugilistic attitude, "what's the meaning of all this?"
