A mere pressure of the hand slid the scuttle aside and, making a spring, he caught the upper edges of the scuttle-hole with his hands and drew himself so that his head was above the roof.
Immediately his attention was attracted to a piece of paper clinging to the chimney nearby.
He clambered through the hole and, going to the chimney, found that it was a small piece of that kind of paper known as tracing paper, used by draftsmen.
On it was a drawing of what was apparently machinery.
He jumped to the conclusion that it was a part of the missing drawings that had been searched for all day.
Thrusting it in his pocket, he returned to the scuttle-hole and let himself drop down to the floor as he had supposed Spike and Bally had done.
Remounting the chair he placed the scuttle cover in position again and put the chair back where he had found it.
Turning to the two who had been silently waiting, he said:
“I’m satisfied. That’s the way those fellows got into the house. They went into the house in which this girl lived, got out on to the roof from the scuttle of that house, crossed over and came down this way. They did not go down that way, but went out to the street down the stairs and through the front door.”
“You’re right,” cried the saloon man. “That accounts for the bolts being off the front door.”