semen had passed out of hearing, Tresler still exerted the
utmost caution. He had yet to pass the blind man's room, and he knew
that that individual's hearing was something bordering on the
marvelous, and, he argued, he must still be up, or, at least, awake.
So he moved on with the lightest tread, with every sense alert;
watchful alike for every unusual sound or movement. At the stable he
paused and gently tried the door. It was fast. He put his ear to it
and listened, and was forced to be content with the rattle of the
collar chains, and the sound of the heavy-breathing animals within. He
would have liked to investigate further, for the noise of the shutting
door, he knew, had come from the stable, but it behooved him to
refrain. It would be worse than useless to rouse the man, Anton, who
slept over the stable. And there was no other means of ascertaining
what had been going on.

He crept on; and now the shadowy outline of the house itself shut him
off from the ranch. He cleared the danger zone of the rancher's
bedroom and reached the kitchen, where he met with a first
disappointment. He was relieved and delighted to find that a light was
still burning there; but his joy was dashed almost immediately by
finding that the linen blind was down, and not a crack showed by
which he could get a view of the room. He dared not go to the door
until he had ascertained who was within, so he stood for a moment
uncertain what to do. Then he suddenly remembered that the kitchen had
another window on the far side of the lean-to. It would mean passing
out into the open again; still, the darkness was such that the risk
was reduced to a minimum.

With no further hesitation he hurried round. His only care now was to
tread quietly, and even this seemed unnecessary, for the blind man's
room was at the other side of the house, and, if his suspicions were
correct, Jake was busy at his nocturnal trade. Fortune favored him.
The blind was down, but the lower sash of the window was raised, and
he saw that, by pulling the linen on one side, he could obtain a full
view of the room.

He was about to carry out his purpose. His hand was raised and
reaching toward the window, when the sound of weeping came to him and
checked his action. He stood listening for a second. Then, with a
stifled ejaculation, he thrust his hand out further, and caught the
edge of the blind.

He paused for nothing now. He had no scruples. He knew without inquiry
who it w