In a moment they were gone, and the old fellow was to be heard chuckling audibly to himself: "Five dollar for von great big mix-up."
Oakes watched the team turn up the Yonkers Road after our decoy, and then he said:
"Come, Stone, move quickly." He led the way downstairs to the back entrance, and to the stable, where we found a man with a team. He saluted us. It was the carriage in which Oakes's men had come out.
"Drive hard for the Harlem Station; we can catch the 10:30 train," was the order.
Our driver evidently knew what to do, and we soon passed out of the carriage-way.
At the side of the door we halted a moment, and I saw Oakes give the German a twenty-dollar bill.
"Remember," he said, "not a word."
We caught our train after a long drive to the east, and back over the Harlem River. When we seated ourselves in the sleeper, Oakes turned to me quietly. "Please remember, Stone, that you are a possible buyer, and that I am Charles Clark, agent for the owner of the Mark Mansion. We have had a pleasant evening together so far, have we not?"
He smiled in his quiet, unruffled manner as he spoke.