Chapter 11 TRAPPED!
　　Julian looked at the casement¹ window. The moonlight shone on it. It certainly was a little ajar.
　　'How did we miss that when we went round before?' he wondered. He hesitated a little. Should theytry to get in or not? Wouldn't it be better to rap on the back door and get that miserable-lookingwoman to answer it and tell them what they wanted to know?
　　On the other hand there was that evil-looking hunchback there. Julian didn't like the look of him atall. No - on the whole it might be better to creep in at the window, see if it was Dick upstairs, set himfree, and then all escape through the same open window. Nobody would know. The bird would haveflown, and everything would be all right.
　　Julian went to the window. He put a leg up and there he was astride the window. He held out a handto Anne. 'Come on - I'll give you a hand,' he said, and pulled her up beside him. He lifted her downon the floor inside.
　　Then George came, and then Richard. George was just leaning out to encourage Timmy to jump inthrough the window too, when something happened!
　　A powerful torchlight went on, and its beam shone right across the room into the dazzled eyes of thefour children! They stood there, blinking in alarm. What was this?
　　Then Anne heard the voice of one of the men who had captured Dick, 'Well, well, well - a crowd ofyoung burglars!'
　　The voice changed suddenly to anger. 'How dare you break in here! I'll hand you over to the police.'
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　　From outside Timmy growled² fiercely. He jumped up at the window and almost succeeded in leapingthrough. The man grasped what was happening at once, and went to the open window.
　　He shut it with a bang. Now Timmy couldn't get in!
　　'Let my dog in!' said George, angrily, and stupidly tried to open the window again. The man broughthis torch down sharply on her hand and she cried out in pain.
　　'That's what happens to boys who go against my wishes,' said the man, whilst poor George nursed herbruised hand.
　　'Look here,' began Julian, fiercely, 'what do you think you're doing? We're not burglars - and what'smore we'd be very, very glad if you'd hand us over to the police!'
　　'Oh, you would, would you?' said the man. He went to the door of the room and yelled out in atremendous voice: 'Aggie³! AGGIE! Bring a lamp here at once.'
　　There was an answering shout from the kitchen, and almost immediately the light of a lamp appearedshining down the passage outside. It grew brighter, and the miserable-looking woman came in with abig oil-lamp. She stared in

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