or, The Silver Skates 195

‘‘Impertinent creature!” hissed Carl under his breath, as
he began busily to examine his skate-straps. Meantime the
kitchen-boy, listening outside at the crack of the door, doubled
himself with silent laughter.

After breakfast the boys went to the police court, accom-
panied by Huygens Kleef and his daughter. Mynheer’s tes-
timony was principally to the effect that such a thing as a
robber at the Red Lion had been unheard of until last night ;
and, as for the Red Lion, it was a most respectable inn, —as
respectable as any house in Leyden. Each boy, in turn, told
all he knew of the affair, and identified the prisoner in the box
as the same man who entered their room in the dead of night.
Ludwig was surprised to find that the robber was a man of
ordinary size, especially after he had described him, under
oath, to the court, as a tremendous fellow, with great square
shoulders, and legs of prodigious weight. Jacob swore that
he was awakened by the robber kicking and thrashing upon
the floor; and, immediately afterward, Peter and the rest
(feeling sorry that they had not explained the matter to their
sleepy comrade) testified that the man had not moved a muscle
from the moment the point of the dagger touched his throat,
until, bound from head to foot, he was rolled over for inspec-
tion. The landlord’s daughter made one boy blush, and all
the court smile, by declaring that, “if it hadn’t been for that
handsome young gentleman there” (pointing to Peter), they
“ might have all been murdered in their beds; for the dreadful
man had a great shining knife, most as long as your Honor’s
arm,” and she believed “ the handsome young gentleman had
struggled hard enough to get it away from him; but he was
too modest, bless him! to say so.”

Finally, after a little questioning and cross-questioning from