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Fantasy Football Challenge presents
The Triple Alliance

29 of 65

passage awaiting their companion's return. At length the door was pushed softly open. "It's all right; there's no one there. I must have been mistaken. Come along." In a very short time the Triple Alliance were once more outside The Hermitage. Diggory lingered for a moment to close the window, and then followed his companions through the shrubs and over the wall. "You are a great ass, Diggy, to go giving us a start like that," said Jack, as they paused for a moment to take breath before returning to the house. "Well, I could have sworn I heard the gravel crunch as if some one was walking on it," returned the other. "I should think the place must be haunted." A good tea, with all kinds of nice things on the table, soon revived the boys from the trifling shock which their nerves had sustained, and by the end of the evening their adventure was wellnigh forgotten. They were destined, however, to remember it for many a long day to come, and before many hours had passed they were heartily wishing that they had never set foot inside The Hermitage, but kept on their own side of the wall. The party were seated at supper on Sunday evening, when a servant entered the room, and addressing her master said, "If you please, sir, there's a policeman called to see you." Jack's father rose from his chair, remarking, in a jocular manner, "I expect it's one of you young gentlemen he's come after." The meal was nearly over when Mr. Vance returned and reseated himself at the table. "Did either of you hear the dog bark last night?" he asked. "No; why?" "Why, because old Fossberry's house has been broken into, and they think the thieves must have come through our garden; there were some footmarks in the shrubbery just on the other side of the wall." The hearts of the Triple Alliance seemed to jump into their throats, and their mouths grew dry and parched. Jack stared at Mugford, and Mugford stared at Diggory, but none of them spoke. "It seems," continued Mr. Vance, not noticing the effect which his first announcement had produced on at least three of his hearers, "that the old woman who looks after the house went there this morning, and found that the iron safe in which the old chap keeps his coins had been opened and the whole collection removed. The only trace of the thieves that the police have been able to discover is the broken blade of a clasp-knife, which was on a flower-bed near the window." "What will they get if they are caught?" asked Jack faintly. "Oh, penal servitude, I suppose; it's a serious business housebreaking." "How quiet you boys are!" said Mrs. Vance a short time later. "I think you must be tired. Wouldn't you like to go to bed?" The three friends were only too glad to avail themselves of this excuse for getting away into some place where they could indulge in a little private conversation. Diggory and Mugford slept together in the same room; Jack followed them in and closed the door. "Well," he exclaimed, "we're in a nice mess." "But we didn't steal the coins," said Mugford. "Of course we didn't--the safe had been robbed before we went there--but it looks as if we'd done it; and if they find out we got into the house, I don't see how we're going to prove that we're innocent." There was a short silence; then Diggory spoke. "Look here, Jack: I was the one who proposed going inside the place; shall I tell your guv'nor?" "Well, I was thinking of doing that myself, only I don't see what good it can do. If we tell him, he'll be bound to tell the police, to explain about those footmarks; and when it comes out that we got into the house, I should think we are pretty certain to be charged with having stolen the coins. I think the best thing will be to keep it dark: we didn't crib the things, and the thieves are sure to be caught in time." Even after Jack had retired to his own room, Diggory and Mugford lay awake for hours discussing the situation; and when at length they did fall asleep, it was only to dream of being chased by "The Hermit" and a swarm of long-legged policemen, who forced their way into the Third Form classroom at Ronleigh, and handcuffed the unfortunate trio in the very bosom of "The Happy Family." The following morning was spent in visiting such parts of the town of Todderton as were worth seeing. "Upon my word," said Jack, "I feel funky to show my nose outside our gate, just as if I really had prigged those wretched coins. I shan't be at all sorry this evening to get back to Ronleigh. It's all in the paper this morning; it mentions the footmarks and the knife-blade, and says that as yet the police have not been able to discover any further traces of the robbers." The conditions on which the half-term holiday was granted required every boy to return to school on the Monday evening, and accordingly, about seven o'clock, the Triple Alliance found themselves once more on their way to the railway station. They took their seats, and had hardly done so when young Noaks entered the compartment. "Hullo, you fellows!" he exclaimed; "didn't you hear me whistle? I was standing over there by the book-stall." Regarding this as an overture of friendship after their recent encounter, Jack Vance replied in an equally amicable manner, and after a few common-place remarks the party relapsed into silence. At Chatton, the station before Ronleigh, a man who had so far travelled with them got out, and the four boys were left alone. Hardly had the train started again when Noaks put down his paper, and turning to his companions said,-- "That's a rum business about that old chap's house being robbed, isn't it?" Something in the speaker's look and in the tone of his voice caused the three listeners to experience an unpleasant quickening of their pulses. "Yes," answered Diggory, with a well-assumed air of indifference. "I suppose they'll catch the thieves in time." "I suppose so," returned the other, "especially if they find the chap who owns that knife with the broken blade." The malignant look with which these words was accompanied showed at once that the speaker meant mischief. The three friends looked at one another in horrified amazement. Could it be possible that their visit to The Hermitage had already been discovered? Noaks watched their faces for a moment, evidently well pleased with the

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