Part 4 (1/2)

”Here she comes!” exclaimed Ted in a whisper as the door opened.

And this time, instead of contenting herself by merely looking about, Mrs. Mooney came out on the porch. Then she started down the front walk toward the lilac bushes, though she did not know the boys were there.

”She's comin' after us,” whispered Ted. ”Come on, Bob.”

Bob was aware of the danger of getting caught. He prepared to run.

Now there is this advantage to a tic-tac. Once you want to escape you can take it with you by the simple process of pulling on the long string, when the pin is jerked from the window-frame, and you can drag the nail and all with you, thus leaving no evidence behind. This was what Bob did.

Quickly winding up the string as he pulled the pin and nail toward him, he and Ted started to run, crouching down low so as not to be seen. But Ted, unfortunately for the success of their plan, stumbled and fell, making so much noise that Mrs. Mooney heard it.

”Thieves! Burglars! Police!” she screamed.

”Come on!” cried Bob desperately. ”We'll be caught!”

Mrs. Mooney ran back into the house, slammed the front door, shut and locked it. She believed she had surprised thieves at work, for she saw two dim forms running toward the street.

”Leg it!” whispered Bob.

”I am,” replied Ted.

They reached the gate together, but that was as far as they got, for just as they arrived at it they collided with a large man who was running toward the house. He was so large that the combined impact of Bob and Ted against him never staggered him, but it almost threw them off their feet. They were running, head down, and had not seen him.

”Hold hard there, my hearties!” exclaimed the man in a gruff but not unpleasant voice. ”What are you trying to cross my bows for in this fas.h.i.+on? That's no way to run, not showing a masthead light or even blowing a whistle. Avast and belay! You might have sunk me if I didn't happen to be a heavier craft than you.”

As the man spoke he instinctively grasped the two boys, preventing them from continuing their flight.

”What's the trouble?” he went on. ”I heard a female crying--sounding a distress signal like. Where are the burglars?

Are you going for the police?”

”No, sir. It was us, playing tic-tac,” explained Bob, thinking it best to make a clean breast of the affair.

”Tic-tac, eh? I haven't heard that since I was a boy. On whose window?”

”The Widow Mooney's, sir.”

”And it was the widow, I presume, who was signaling for aid. Well, I'll stand by and see what's wanted. You'd better come back also.”

”Aw, we don't want to,” spoke Ted.

”No, I suppose not. Still you're coming.”

The man had both boys firmly by their arms, and he turned in the gateway with them. As he did so, Mrs. Mooney, hearing voices, ventured to open her door. The light streamed out and showed the face of the man. At the sight of it Bob uttered an exclamation.

”Why, it's Captain Spark!” he cried.

”That's what. You read my signals right, my lad, and if I'm not mistaken, you're Bob Henderson.”

”Yes, sir.”