Part 31 (1/2)

”There's our house yonder,” and he pointed to a handsome stone residence.

”Hullo, what's that I see on the roof?” asked Jack.

”That's my wireless outfit. Mother made an awful kick about having it there, but at last she gave in.”

”So you're still a wireless boy?” said Billy.

”Yes, and I've got a dandy outfit too. Come on over. I want to introduce you to the folks.”

”Thanks, we will some other time, but not to-night. We don't feel fit for company. You see quite a disaster has happened to a friend of ours,”

and under a pledge of secrecy from Ned, who he knew he could rely on, Jack told the lad part of the story of the theft of the code.

”By jove, that is a loss,” said Ned sympathetically. ”I've heard dad talking about the new code. It was a very important matter.”

”We were going for a walk to discuss the whole question,” said Billy.

”Can I join you?” asked Ned.

”Glad to have you,” was the rejoinder. Talking and laughing merrily over old times on the _Tropic Queen_, the boys walked on, not noticing much where they were going till they found themselves on an ill-lighted street of rather shabby-looking dwellings.

”Hullo,” said Ned, ”I don't think much of this part of town. Let's get back to a main street.”

”It's a regular slum,” said Billy, and the three boys started to retrace their steps. But suddenly Jack stopped and jerked his companions into a doorway. Two figures had just come in sight round the corner. They were headed down the street on the opposite sidewalk.

”It's Judson and his son,” whispered Jack. ”What can they be doing here?”

”Hiding, most probably,” returned Billy.

”Yes, they--hullo! Look, they're going into that alley-way.”

The boys darted across the street. Looking down the alley-way, they saw the figures of Judson and his son, by the light of a sickly gas lamp, ascending the steps of a rickety-looking tenement house.

”Jove, this is worth knowing,” exclaimed Jack. ”If they are really hiding here we can get the police on their track. How lucky that we just let ourselves roam into this part of town.”

”We ought to have them arrested at once,” said Billy.

”Yes, that's a good idea. But they may have just sneaked through the hallway and out by a rear way. You fellows wait here till I go and see.”

”Oh, Jack, you may get in trouble.”

”Yes, we'll go with you,” said Ned.

”No, you stay here,” Jack insisted. ”One of us won't be noticed. Three would. Besides, that house is full of other tenants. Nothing much could happen to me.”

In spite of their further protests he walked rapidly, but cautiously, down the alley-way. Noiselessly he entered the hallway and walked to the door of a rear room, where he heard voices. But it was a laboring man and his wife quarreling over something. Jack heard a door open on an upper floor. Then came a voice that thrilled him. It was Jarrow's.

”Hullo, Judson, back again? Well, how did things go?”

Then Jack heard the door closed and locked.