132 EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 



the window-ledges the broken ends of the joists made 

 a rude ladder. Up this the Band clambered to the 

 first tier of joists, without any mishap save that the 

 Captain's hat fell off and landed in front of the 

 fireplace. 



As they all roosted like chickens on the beams, 

 there sounded a footstep just outside. The Band 

 stood stony still and held their breath. Through 

 the dim doorway came the furtive figure of a man. 

 In one hand he carried a basket, while the other was 

 clinched on a butcher-knife well fitted for dark and 

 desperate deeds. Although the basket seemed to be 

 filled with dandelion greens, no one could tell what 

 dreadful, dripping secret might be concealed under- 

 neath. For a minute the stranger looked uneasily 

 around the shadowy room, and when his eye caught 

 sight of the Captain's hat, he started back and peered 

 into every corner, while the Band stood taut and 

 tense just over his unsuspecting head. At last, 

 however, evidently convinced that the hat was owner- 

 less and abandoned, he picked it up and, taking off 

 his own battered, shapeless head-covering, started 

 to try on the Captain's cherished felt. Then it was 

 that the latter acted. Bending noiselessly down 

 until his head was hardly a foot above the unwary 

 wanderer's ear, he shouted in a deep, fierce, growly 

 voice which the Band had never suspected him of 

 having : — 



"Drop that hat! Run for your life!" 

 The stranger obeyed both of these commands to 

 the letter. Throwing away the hat as if it were red- 



