Reuben began to tremble with a vague terror. What could it mean? Some one surely was moving about the yard who had no business to be there. How was it that the faithful watchdog, which ranged the premises at night, had given no alarm? Watching closely, Reuben began to fancy that he could see forms moving stealthily in the darkness. All his senses now on the alert, he became aware of dull, muffled sounds from time to time. Something apparently was wrong, and he must discover what. Hurriedly drawing on his clothes, he prepared to go forth, but at the door of his room he paused and hesitated, in doubt whether it would be well to rouse old Samuel. He went back to the window. The light was no longer visible, but still he fancied he could hear sounds as of some one stirring in the yard. Yet it all seemed so dream-like that Reuben was by no means sure that he was not the victim of some delusion, the result of his over-strained nerves and sleepless night. He resolved, though not without tremor, that he would slip into the yard, and ascertain whether there was any one there before he awoke old Samuel. The sound of the old man's heavy breathing was reassuring to Reuben as he crept downstairs. He began to hope that he had disquieted himself about nothing. But as, having quietly opened the house door, he stepped into the yard, he saw the light again, Reuben's heart beat fast as he crept along towards the spot at which it had appeared. Presently the sound of subdued voices reached his ear. There were men moving at the end of the yard, but he was not yet near enough to hear what they were saying. It was lighter out of doors than it had seemed from the window. As he advanced, Reuben saw to his astonishment that a cart and horse stood before one of the buildings. It was that in which the metal goods, when finished, were temporarily stored. Reuben could not imagine how the cart could have been driven into the yard after the gates were closed. He moved on, feeling like one in a dream. As he came up to it, he saw that the horse's hoofs were muffled to prevent its tread being heard. The next moment he perceived that the storehouse door stood open, and that some one within was handing out goods to a man who stood at the back of the cart, and was hurriedly packing them into it. Reuben shrank back against the wall, trembling in every limb. Here were thieves indeed, and they were doing their work in a wholesale way. But the discovery inspired him, excited and overwrought as he was, with such terror, that he cowered against the wall, close to the cart, unable to move forward or back. The next minute the man at the cart said, in a low, cautious tone to his confederate within, "I say, Nat, it's getting late. We'd best be off before it grows any lighter." The man within appeared to assent. A few more things were handed out, then a few moments later Reuben heard the sound of the storehouse door being closed and locked.