Butalmostimmediatelyhegaveastartand，pressingGeorge’sarm，appearedtolisten，nottothespeechwhichwasnolongeraudible，buttosomethingmuchnearer-astepormovementintheadjoiningyard。Atleast，soGeorgeinterpretedthequickturnwhichthisimpetuousdetectivemade，andthepainshetooktodirectGeorge’sattentiontothewalkrunningunderthewindowbeneathwhichtheycrouched。Someonewasstealingdownuponthehouseattheirleft，fromthealleybeyond。Abigman，whoseshoulderbrushedthewindowashewentby。Georgefelthishandseizedagainandpressedasthishappened，andbeforehehadrecoveredfromthisexcitement，experiencedanotherquickpressureandstillanotherasone，two，threeadditionalfigureswentslippingby。Thenhishandwassuddenlydropped，foracryhadshotupfromthedoorwherethesentinelstoodguard，followedbyasuddenloudslam，andthenoiseofashootingbolt，which，proclaimingasitdidthattheinvaderswerenotfriendsbutenemiestothecausewhichwasbeingvauntedabove，soexcitedSweetwaterthathepulledthewindowwideopenandtookaboldlookout。Georgefollowedhisexampleandthiswaswhattheysaw：
Threemenwerestandingflatagainstthefenceleadingfromthesheddirectlytotheporch。Thefourthwascrouchingwithinthelatter，andinanothermomenttheyheardhisfistdescenduponthedoorinsideinawaytorousetheechoes。Meantime，thevoiceintheaudiencehallabovehadceased，andtherecouldbeheardinsteadthescrambleofhurryingfeetandthenoiseofoverturningbenches。Thenawindowflewupandavoicecalleddown：”Who’sthat?Whatdoyouwantdownthere?”
Butbeforeananswercouldbeshoutedback，thismanwasdrawnfiercelyinside，andthescramblewasrenewed，amidwhichGeorgeheardSweetwater’swhisperathisear：”It’sthepolice。Thechiefhasgotaheadofme。Wasthatthemanwe’reafter-theonewhoshouteddown?””No。Neitherwashethespeaker。Thevoicesareverydifferent。””Wewantthespeaker。Iftheboysgethim，we’reallright；butiftheydon’t-wait，Imustmakethemattersure。”
Andwithaboundhevaultedthroughthewindow，whistlinginapeculiarway。George，thusleftquitealone，hadthepleasureofseeinghissoleprotectormixwiththeboys，ashecalledthem，andultimatelycrowdinwiththemthroughthedoorwhichhadfinallybeenopenedfortheiradmittance。Thencameawait，andthenthequietre-appearanceofthedetectivealoneandinnovery，amiablemood。”Well?”inquiredGeorge，somewhatbreathlessly。”Doyouwantme?
Theydon’tseemtobecomingout。””No；they’vegonetheotherway。Itwasaredhotanarchistmeeting，andnomistake。Theyhavearrestedoneofthespeakers，buttheotherescaped。How，wehavenotyetfoundout；butI