“It’s all over, Smithson!” he whispered at last.
“All over, sir?”
“Yes; that’s the house, and there’s the policeman on the watch.”
“That’s awkward,” said Dick; “but he’ll soon go, sir.”
“Soon go, man! Who’s to go and play a duet with a policeman keeping his eye upon you all the time? I couldn’t do it, Smithson.”
“Let’s walk on a little farther, sir, and then turn back.”
“No; we must give it up for to-night. How terribly strange things are turning up! And, besides, it’s getting so late.”
They walked on a quarter of a mile and then turned back, hardly a word being said, the lieutenant filling up the time by uttering the peculiar sound expressed by the word tut repeated rapidly.
“Shall I go on first, sir, and see if the policeman is there?” said Dick at last.
“No, no; it would look so suspicious. He might take us for bad characters. We must walk by together.”