“Is it a gambling den, or a resort of thieves, I’d like to know?”
Ike was, like many boys, full of enterprise and courage. He did not stop to think of danger—at his age probably did not appreciate the possibilities of peril as an older person would. He walked up and down several times before the house and finally went around to the street toward which the rear of the house faced and at once ejaculated:
“Eureka!”
He found an alleyway between two houses, one of them directly in the rear of the house he was “piping,” and watching his opportunity he scaled the iron gate and grating and landed in the alleyway. “Now,” he said, “I must go slow; it won’t do to be caught here.”
Noiselessly he stole along to the rear yard, intending to climb the rear fence between the two buildings. He had almost reached the line of fence when suddenly he heard a savage growl and a powerful animal sprang upon him. Certainly the lad received a shock, but as stated he had equipped himself and he seized the dog ere the animal could bite. The next instant with a moan of pain and surprise the huge dog fell over helpless, and our hero remarked:
“That’s the way I serve everyone, doggy, who comes too close to me without a proper introduction.” Ike scaled the fence and found himself in the yard in the rear of the house he had seen the men enter, and he was on the lookout for dog number two as he cautiously stole along toward the porch of the house. He met no dog and the house appeared to be dark save a stream of light which shot through the blinds from the second-story room.
“So far so good,” said the lad. A moment he stood and considered, and then he made an effort to climb one of the columns of the porch, and he succeeded with the apparent readiness and ease of a trained acrobat or sailor boy. When he reached the roof of the porch he lay on his belly and slowly crawled forward, and in good time arrived at a position under one of the windows. Here he lay low for a few seconds before rising to his feet. When he did attempt to rise he did it very slowly until he had his eyes on a level with the lower blind opening, and then he peeped in. Several men were seated around a table; wine was before them and they were all talking in a very earnest manner.
“It may be a gambling house and it may not be,” muttered the lad, and he added: “I wish I could overhear what those men are saying.”
Ike considered for a long time. Finally he determined upon a bold and really desperate plan. The plucky boy resolved to enter that house. He was bent upon hearing the talk of those men. He crawled to the end window opening into the small hall bedroom or bath-room. He was equipped for business, as we have indicated, and it did not take him long to undo the fastening, and pull the blind open. Then he tried the window. It was fastened, but the new-fangled catch was not in use and it did not take him long to slide the hammer and raise the sash. Only a moment he considered, and then boldly crawled in. He knew his peril. He knew they were desperate men and did they once suspect that he had overheard any of their talk and catch him his chances would be very slim; and yet he faced the peril.
There was no need for pretense and he removed his shoes and slipped across the room. He found the door unlocked and passed to the hall, and then along to the door of the room in which he had seen the men. Peeping through the keyhole he saw them still sitting there. They were not laughing and talking like men enjoying themselves, but were evidently holding a very earnest consultation. Our hero was of keen hearing and could catch almost every word that was spoken—at least sufficient to know the sense of what was being said.