or, The Silver Skates 189

“Get up, Jacob! Here’s work for you. Come sit on this
fellow’s back while we get into our clothes: we’re half
perished.”

“What fellow? Donder!”

“Hurrah for Poot!” cried all the boys, as Jacob, sliding
quickly to the floor, bedclothes and all, took in the state of
affairs at a glance, and sat heavily
beside Peter on the robber’s back.

Oh, didn’t the fellow groan then !

“No use in holding him down any
longer, boys,”’ said Peter, rising, but
bending, as he did so, to draw a pistol
from his man’s belt. “You see, ~
I’ve been keeping guard over this ‘Y
pretty little weapon for the last ten
minutes. It’s cocked, and the least

 

wriggle might have set it off. No

AT THIS MOMENT THE
CHRYSALIS SAT ERECT.

danger now. I must dress myself.
You and I, Lambert, will go for
the police. I’d no idea it was so cold.”

“Where is Carl?” asked one of the boys.

They looked at one another. Carl certainly was not among
them.

“ Oh!” cried Ludwig, frightened at last, “where is he?
Perhaps he’s had a fight with the robber, and got killed.”

“Not a bit of it,’ said Peter, quietly, as he buttoned his
stout jacket. ‘ Look under the beds.”

They did so. Carl-was not there.

Just then they heard a commotion on the stairway. Ben
hastened to open the door. The landlord almost tumbled in:
he was armed with a big blunderbuss. Two or three lodgers