old watchmen were soundly asleep in their boxes. They did not meet a
soul moving upon their way to the object of the expedition, the barge
that had run them down. Very quietly they slipped on board, satisfied
themselves by listening at the half-open hatch to the snoring within
that their enemy was there, then loosened the moorings so that they
could be thrown off at a moment's notice.

"Now, Peter," the elder brother said, "open our lantern. The night is
quite still. You hold your hand behind it, so that the light will not
fall on our faces, and I will look whether he is only wrapped up in a
blanket or has a regular bed; we must not risk setting the place on
fire. Get the crackers ready."

A dark lantern was now taken out from under Tom's jacket, and was
found to be still alight, an important matter, for striking a light
with flint and steel was in those days a long and tedious business,
and then opening it Tom threw the light into the cabin. It was a
tiny place, and upon a bench, wrapped up in a blanket, the bargeman
was lying. As the light fell on his eyes, he moved, and a moment
afterwards started up with an oath, and demanded who was there.

No answer came in words, but half a dozen lighted crackers were thrown
into the cabin, when they began to explode with a tremendous uproar.
In an instant the hatch was shut down and fastened outside. The rope
was cast off, and in another minute she was floating down stream with
the crackers still exploding inside her, but with their noise almost
deadened by the tremendous outcry of shouts and howls, and by a
continued and furious banging at the hatch.

"There is no fear of his being choked, Tom, I hope?"