“It can’t be helped now, David. Let’s go up-stairs.”
Tom felt stiffer as he went up the step-ladder, and the whole business of the struggle in the dark came back as they stood in the observatory, where all seemed to be correct, save an overturned stool, and the position of the telescope in the middle changed.
“What’s gone from here, sir?” asked David.
“I don’t see anything.”
“Oh, but they must have took something else, sir.”
“Perhaps so, but I cannot see what.”
“Then that’s because you disturbed ’em, sir. They was ramshacking your uncle’s desk thing when you come. Tend upon it that was it. Oh, I do wish I’d been there just at the bottom of the ladder ready to nab ’em as they come down. Say, Master Tom—think your uncle kep’ his money in that there old chest-o’-drawers thing?”
“I think he used to keep a little bag of change there,” replied Tom thoughtfully; and it seemed more probable that the thieves were after that than in search of papers, which could have been of no earthly use to them, though the drawer was nearly empty all the same.
“You did get hold o’ one of ’em, sir?” said David, after a pause.
“Oh, yes, more than once.”