132 Buz. 



Oh ! for something to wake the old man, before it 

 should be too late ! 



But he slept quietly on. 



And now the villain removed a small pane of 

 glass, large enough to admit his hand ; he had only 

 to open the window, climb into the room — and 

 then 



But in turning the handle gently, he began squeez- 

 ing Buz, who had settled there, and who, resenting 

 such disturbance, planted her sting deeply in his 

 thumb. With a dreadful oath, the man hastily 

 withdrew his hand, but in so doing, swung violently 

 open the window he had just unfastened. 



The latter, coming against a flower-pot standing 

 on the window-ledge, threw it with a crash upon the 

 ground. This woke the old man, who realizing 

 what was going on, got out of bed as quickly as 

 he could, seized the poker, and made for the win- 

 dow. 



Startled by the sudden pain of the sting, the noise 

 he had himself made, and the shouts of the old man, 

 the would-be murderer hesitated what to do, and 

 thus gave the former more time to get to the win- 

 dow. 



Now, to strike down a poor old couple in bed, or 

 to cut their throats, was one thing ; but to climb 



