Entering it after his visit to the Bugle office, he threw himself into a chair and fixed his eyes on a full-length picture of a man in modern dress. He did not even take the trouble to light the gas.
The rays of the moon dimly illumined the room and lighted up the picture. The boy sat for nearly half an hour staring absently at the portrait, thinking nothing about it, but trying to plan his work for the next day or two.
But soon he began to realize that he was very tired. He found himself yawning, and his eyelids drooped in spite of himself.
"It's no use," he said to himself, "I'll have to leave business until to-morrow. I'll go to bed."
But just as he rose from his chair—could he believe the evidence of his senses?—the figure of the man stepped from the canvas and approached him.
It was no dream, for in an instant the boy was as wide awake as he had ever been.
Apparently the picture had come to life!
CHAPTER XV.
SAVED BY A SHADOW.
In a few seconds Al perceived that the picture had not been endowed with life; the painted figure remained in its place; it was a being of flesh and blood that was approaching him.