Looking about the room, he noticed a closet, the door of which was bolted on the outside. Withdrawing the bolt he opened the door and looked in. It was nearly empty, containing only a few articles of little or no value. A plan of operations rapidly suggested itself to Walter in case the room should be entered while he was awake. In pursuance of this plan he threw a few pennies upon the floor of the closet, and then closed the door again. Next he drew from the pocket-book all the money it contained, except a single five-dollar bill. The bank notes thus removed amounted to fifty-five dollars. He then drew off his stockings, and, laying the bills in the bottom, again put them on.
"He won't suspect where they are," thought Walter, in a tone of satisfaction. "If he takes my pocket-book, I can stand the loss of five dollars."
He put on his shoes, that he might be ready for instant flight, if occasion required it, and threw himself down on the outside of the coverlid.
If our young hero, who, I hope, will prove such if the danger which he fears actually comes, could have overheard the conversation which was even then going on between Jack and Meg, he would have felt that his apprehensions were not without cause.
When the woman returned from conducting Walter to his room, she found her husband sitting moodily beside the fire.
"Well, Meg," he said, looking up, "where did you put him?"
"In the room above."
"I hope he'll sleep sound," said Jack, with a sinister smile. "I'll go up by and by and see how he rests."
"What do you mean to do?" asked Meg.