Suddenly a light flashed upon this scene of fierce but silent struggle. The woman herself had been aroused from her couch in the room below, had lighted a small lamp, and climbed the rude steps to the loft. Mr. Haydon turned his head, saw her, and snapped out a single word. She set down her lamp, disappeared, and was back in an instant with a long strip of cloth in her hand. Mr. Haydon took this, and soon whipped a gag round the mouth of the intruder, while Jack held him down. In response to another whispered request of Mr. Haydon's, the woman fetched a length of cord, and in two minutes the thief was bound hand and foot. Then father and son got up and stood looking down at their captive, who stared sullenly up at them from his dark eyes. "If this isn't a confounded fix," murmured Mr. Haydon. "Why should this thieving rogue choose us to drop in on, of all people?" "The unprotected house drew him, I expect," replied Jack. "Ah, true," returned his father. "I wonder, though, if he had any accomplices." He turned and spoke to the woman, and she at once blew out the lamp. "The light in any case is dangerous as likely to attract attention," whispered Mr. Haydon. "Now, listen." They listened intently for some time, but there was not the faintest sound of any movement in the neighbourhood. "I hope to goodness this rascal was working by himself," went on Mr. Haydon, "and no one knew what he was about. We don't want a companion peering in to see what has happened to him." [Illustration: THE MIDNIGHT THIEF.] "What under the sun are we going to do with him, father?" whispered Jack. "We must leave him tied up here and run for it," replied Mr. Haydon. "I see nothing else that we can do." "Nor I," replied Jack; "and the sooner we march the better. We don't know that there was not someone outside to help him carry off the spoil, and the accomplice may have learned of our presence." "You are right, Jack," said his father. "But there is Me Dain, we must pick him up," pursued Jack. "Without him we do not know where to strike. How can we get hold of him?" "The woman will be of service there," said his father. "She is our only hope." He spoke with the native woman for a few moments, then gave a whistle of satisfaction below his breath. "She knows where he is lodging, and thinks she can rouse him without disturbing anyone else," whispered Mr. Haydon; "at any rate, she is going to try." The woman shuffled down the steps, and was gone in an instant. "We may as well go down and be ready for a move," murmured Mr. Haydon, "but we'll try this chap's knots first." They examined the bound thief, and made certain that he could not easily shuffle out of his bonds, then they went down to the main room of the hut and posted themselves near the door.