ining village probably there was not a
person awake. It was like a dead town. Everything seemed favorable to his
designs.

There was the store. He could see it already. And now there was nothing to
do but to get in and take the money, which he had no doubt was waiting
ready to his hand.

Perhaps he might be fortunate enough to secure it without waking the boy.
He hoped so, at any rate, for he was not a desperate or cruel man. He did
not wish to injure Ernest unless it should be absolutely necessary.

Arriving at his destination, he paused to reconsider.

He did not expect to enter by the front door. He did not as yet know
whether there was any other. But at any rate there must be a window
somewhere, and he preferred to get in that way.

He walked around to the rear of the store, and there he discovered the
window. He had been afraid it might be blockaded with shelves, that would
make entrance difficult, but fortunately this did not appear to be the
case. He stood at the window and looked in.

The faint moonlight did not enable him to penetrate the interior very far,
but he could make out something. There were goods of various kinds
scattered about, and he could just see a recumbent figure on a bed near
the counter.

"That's the boy," he said to himself. "I wonder if he is asleep."

There seemed to be no doubt on this point.

But for the indistinct light Tom Burns might have thought the outstretched
figure rather large for a boy. But he only glanced at it furtively.

The next thing to consider was whether the window was fastened. In that
case he would have some difficulty, though for this he was prepared,
having an instrument by which he could cut a pane of glass, and, thrusting
in his hand, unfasten the catch.

But through some strange inadvertence, apparently, the window was not
fastened, and much to his relief he had no difficulty in lifting it.

He was as careful as possible, fearing lest he might stumble over some
article, and by the noise betray his presence.

What if there was a dog inside? This thought brought alarm to the burglar.
In that case his visit would probably be a failure. He remembered,
however, with a feeling of relief, that he had seen no dog about during
his visit to the store during the day.

Now that he had passed through the window, and was fairly in the store, he
looked round for the money drawer. He had not seen the safe, or probably
he might not have entered the store at all, f