About half past twelve Aunt Faith awoke; "I certainly hear music!" she
thought. Opening the blinds she heard the faint strains of "Nelly
Bly," with the well known "Hi," E flat; "Hi," E natural; "Hi," F
natural, and at the same time saw a light proceeding mysteriously from
the ground. Hastily dressing herself, she ran over to Tom's room; it
was empty. Much disturbed, she knocked at Hugh's door; "Hugh! Hugh!"
she called; "something is wrong. Please get up."

"What is it, Aunt Faith?" said a sleepy voice.

"Get up at once! Tom is gone; there is music somewhere, and the
strangest light coming out of the ground in the back garden."

"The B. B.'s, I'll be bound," said Hugh with a laugh, as he threw on
his clothes. "Don't be frightened, Aunt Faith; it's Ruin, Riot and
Revenge."

"Dreadful!" murmured Aunt Faith outside the door.

By this time the whole household was awake, and a group of persons
stole out of the back door and went down the garden walk. Finding a
barricade of boards at the base of the hill, they opened it, and
discovered a little den in the earth containing one chair, a table,
the three dogs, and Tom; a candle stuck in a bottle gave light to the
scene, and the table was covered with the remains of a feast, cake and
pies having evidently once filled the empty dishes. Tom was playing
dismally upon his violin, and the three dogs sat mournfully at his
feet.