Part 2 (1/2)
”Well, what has that got to do with it, Bob? The cart won't do him any harm.”
”No, but there may be some fellows with it, who may be breaking into his house.”
”Do you think so, Bob?”
”Well, it seems likely to me it may be his house, or one of the others.”
”Well, what are we to do, Bob?”
”I vote we see about it, Jim. We have pretty nearly half an hour to spare, now, before Johnny Gibson will come along. We have got our hockey sticks, you know.”
”But suppose there shouldn't be any men there, Bob, and we should be caught in the grounds; They would think we were going to steal something.”
”That would be a go,” Bob said, ”but there isn't likely to be anyone about, at half past three; and if there were, I don't suppose he would be able to catch us. But we must risk something, anyhow. It will be a bit of fun, and it will be better than waiting at the top of the hill, with nothing to do till, Johnny Gibson comes.”
They were now past the wall in front of Admiral Langton's, and far out of sight of the man in the cart.
”There is some ivy on this wall,” Bob said. ”We can climb over it, by that. Then we will make our way along, until we can find some place where we can climb over into the admiral's garden.”
”Perhaps there are some dogs about,” Wharton objected.
”Well, if there are, they are most likely chained up. We must risk something.
”Well, here goes. If you don't like it, Wharton, you can stay behind.”
So saying, he put his hockey stick between his teeth, and then proceeded to climb up the wall, by means of the ivy.
The wall was but nine feet high and, as soon as he gained the top, Bob said:
”Come on, you fellows. I am going to drop down.”
In two minutes he was joined by the other three.
”There is a path, just beyond,” Bob said; ”let us go by that. Don't you fellows say a word. As Wharton says, there may be some dogs about.”
Quietly they stole along the path, which ran parallel to the road, until it turned off at right angles.
”Now, the first tree that grows against the wall we will get over by,” Bob whispered.
After going twenty yards, he stopped.
”This tree will do.”
”But what are you going to do, if there should be some men?”
Wharton asked, in a tone that showed he objected, altogether, to the proceeding.
”It depends upon how many of them there are,” Bob replied. ”Of course, the admiral has got some men in the house; and they will wake up, and help us, if we give the alarm. Anyhow, we ought to be able to be a match for two men, with these sticks, especially if we take them by surprise.
”What do you say, Jim?”