Rouse vanished, but soon returned with the chairs, which he placed upon the table.
Old Spicer then locked the door, and the two men mounted on to the elevated chairs and placed their ears to the ventilator.
The next instant a smile of satisfaction spread over both their faces.
"A regular speaking-tube," whispered Rouse.
"Remember that!" returned Old Spicer in his ear; "and on no account utter a word above the lowest whisper."
Rouse nodded, and both gave their undivided attention to what was being said in the room below.
It was Mr. E. E. Bissell who was speaking. There could be no doubt about that, and he was talking right to the point.
"There's no use continuing this interview a moment longer," he was saying. "The man's dead, I admit that fact; but such a bungling piece of work I never heard of before."
"It wasn't a job to be proud of," muttered Barney.
"I should say it wasn't! However, he is dead; and while Reed, of the Consolidated Road, has hit pretty near the mark, neither he nor any other live man suspects that I am mixed up in the affair; hence, so long as you two keep your mouths shut, I am satisfied."