oping roof, it was possible to look in at the uncurtained
windows of the first and second story.

During fully an hour he lay at full length upon the hard boards without
seeing that for which he sought.

Now and then a female form would pass one of the lighted windows, but
nothing more, and he was beginning to think he had struck the wrong
trail, when Barker returned.

He was whistling merrily while coming up the lane which led to the
house, and, as if this was a signal, a man came from the building with
a pipe in his mouth. Jet's heart beat fast and loud.

Although it was impossible, in the gloom, to distinguish any object
clearly, he felt certain that this man was the one whom Harvey was so
eager to find. The stature, form, and general appearance was Bob's,
and Jet believed his search had come to an end.

It was evident that the two had some business to discuss which they did
not care to speak of in the house, where the other members of the
family could hear them, for they walked directly toward the shed on
which the boy was lying, and, fortunately for his purpose, sat down on
a log almost directly beneath him.

"It is all arranged," Barker was saying. "The fool actors kicked at
first about working for nothing, as they called it; but we soon brought
them to terms."

"When are you going to start?"

"Day after to-morrow."

"Why do you wait?"

"I think we had better find out first what the officers did after we
left, and a few hours can't make much difference, for I'll get rid of
plenty of the queer to keep us going before we've been out a day."

"I'm not certain that it is best for you to do this thing, Jabe. A
minstrel show can be tracked a dozen times where one man could give the
officers the slip without trouble."

"I'm not intending to shove so much that there'll be any fuss. Just
enough to put us in funds so we can skip if things begin to look black.
We wouldn't be in this shape if my advice had been taken; I always
insisted that there was no reason why Joe should carry all the cash."

"He's a slick one, Joe is, and could get out of a tight place where you
or I would be pulled."

"Well, with all his smartness he's cornered this time."

"That remains to be proven. He may have had to skin out while we were
watching the house. If he was arrested we should have heard it before
this."

"That isn't certain; none of the gang have showed up yet, and----
Hello! Who is this?"

Jet looked toward