“Oh, dear; oh, dear!” moaned the girl; “why did Uncle Walter ever send you here in this chest?” 

 The bandits became interested. 

 “That is what we should like to know,” declared Victor, eagerly. 

 “But no one will ever know, for Uncle Walter was lost while hunting elephants in Africa,” she continued, with conviction. 

 “Then we must accept our fate and rob to the best of our ability,” said Victor. “So long as we are faithful to our beloved profession we need not be ashamed.” 

 “’Tis so!” cried the fat man. 

 “Brothers! we will begin now. Let us rob the house we are in.” 

 “Good!” shouted the others and sprang to their feet. 

 Beni turned threateningly upon the child. 

 “Remain here!” he commanded. “If you stir one step your blood will be on your own head!” Then he added, in a gentler voice: “Don’t be afraid; that’s the way all bandits talk to their captives. But of course we wouldn’t hurt a young lady under any circumstances.” 

 “Of course not,” said Victor. 

 The fat man drew a big knife from his belt and flourished it about his head. 

 “S’blood!” he ejaculated, fiercely. 

 “S’bananas!” cried Beni, in a terrible voice. 

 “Confusion to our foes!” hissed Victor. 

 And then the three bent themselves nearly double and crept stealthily down the stairway with cocked pistols in their hands and glittering knives between their teeth, leaving Martha trembling with fear and too horrified to even cry for help. 

 How long she remained alone in the attic she never knew, but finally she heard the catlike tread of the returning bandits and saw them coming up the stairs in single file. 

 All bore heavy loads of plunder in their arms, and Lugui was balancing a mince pie on the top of a pile of her mother’s best evening dresses. Victor came next with an armful of 

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