When he came to the first cross street he saw a passing taxi and hailed it. The driver had some suspicion as to the ability of his customer to pay, for Ted was still in his newsboy’s clothes. However, Ted proved he had the necessary funds and satisfied the chauffeur.
Ted left the taxi two blocks before he reached the Winckel residence. The inside of the house was almost, not quite dark. 73 Stealthily the boy investigated. He decided that any entrance would have to be made from the rear or the side of the building. The rear windows to the basement and the door he found were locked.
The boy studied the situation. He saw where he could enter through one place, but it would mean that he would have to remove a window glass. He decided against that. There was danger of being heard.
Though Ted was seeking an entrance he had not as yet made up his mind to try to go to the rescue of his friends. To go into the building and take chances? But then, after all, his information could be of use to Strong only, for he held the many threads.
It would be folly to call the police, Strong would not care to have the publicity, and then, too, the two men might not be there after all.
He decided, come what may, he would go in. He felt fairly certain that Winckel would not be in the house nor would he return for an hour or more. Before making any further attempt to get inside, Ted went to a nearby drug store. He obtained paper and stamped envelope and wrote the following 74 message to Strong’s office, addressing it to Strong’s secretary, Miss Ford.
“Unless you hear from us in the earlymorning, you will find us imprisoned in thecellar of Mr. Winckel’s house. I am nowtrying to get Mr. Strong and Mr. Walkerout, but may not succeed. | |
| “11:15 p.m. | Ted.” |
Having mailed the letter he hurried back to the house. Cautiously he prowled about, trying to find a way into the basement. There was no way.
At any ordinary time Ted would have said it was impossible to get up on that ledge, but he managed it now. The house entrance was through a wide door, but one had to go down three steps and it made the floor an English basement. The floor above that was much higher than most ground floors and yet lower than most second floors. Ted crept along the narrow ledge holding on to such supports as were there. He reached a big window and by careful manipulation and urging the boy managed to force it open.
He crawled in. Spot’s suit was very useful now, for it held matches. Ted did not 75 intend to use any unless he had to, but the building was strange to him and the occasion for the use of them might arise. He knew that he would have two floors to travel, the one to the basement and the one to the cellar. He got down the one floor without mishap. He was about to begin the exploration of that floor for the entrance to the cellar, when he heard the key being inserted into the street door.