"A disagreeable discovery."
"That fellow is probably going to remain in the house over night."
"It looks so, and yet the papers said the old man had a guard and had declined to go to other quarters."
"We must get rid of that fellow."
"It is possible he will not remain there."
The hour was about eleven o'clock and Jack, after looking at his timepiece, said:
"Possibly he has just entered to see that everything is all right with the old man."
The lads waited around for about an hour, when to our hero's delight he saw the policeman come from the house. The two young men had made a thorough search around the neighborhood and were convinced that there was no one on the watch. After the policeman had been gone some little time Ike bade Jack remain on the watch.
The daring young man then leaped the gate of the old alleyway and passed around to the rear of the house. He saw the glimmer of a light shooting forth from the windows of the room on the second floor. He remained a moment studying the rear of the house, then descended the areaway and in a few moments managed to gain an entrance, although the door was bolted on the inside; but the woodwork had rotted and he easily gained an entrance, as stated. All was cold and damp. As he stepped inside the hallway he drew his mask lantern and glanced around. It was a dreary sight that met his view.
"I reckon," he muttered, "the old man never comes down here and it is a wonder he is alive, living over all this filth and decay."