“Makes me sick,” he complained. “Mr. Merrimac at least ought to see us. That’s only common courtesy.”
In leaving the premises, the boys walked around toward the rear of the house.
“Why, the kitchen window is wide open!” Dan observed in surprise.
Mr. Merrimac, they both knew, was no fresh air fiend. Furthermore, the weather was far too cold for one comfortably to keep a window wide open.
“That’s funny!” Brad said, stopping short. “S-a-y!”
As the two Cubs stared in utter amazement, a pair of legs protruded from the window.
Before either Dan or Brad could recover from astonishment, a man leaped lightly to the ground. Seeing the two boys, he ducked his head and ran toward the alley.
“Gosh, a thief!” cried Brad, the first to recover from shock. “He’s been rifling Mr. Merrimac’s place!”
With one accord, he and Dan gave chase to the intruder.
From the start it was a losing race. The man already had put a considerable distance between himself and the Merrimac house.
Long-legged and surprisingly agile for his weight, he continued to gain on Dan and Brad.
Finally, he slipped between two buildings and was completely lost. Winded, the boys halted to consider what next to do.
“Not a chance to catch him now,” Brad puffed. “Let’s call the police, and then go back to Merrimac’s place. He may have slugged that old man.”
“Brad, didn’t you think that fellow looked like the tramp we saw out near the marsh?”
“Well, he had the same general build, Dan. I didn’t see his face.”
“Neither did I. He purposely kept his hat pulled low over his eyes. Heck, just our luck to let him get away! For all we know, he might even be the one who stole the money box.”
“That’s possible,” Brad agreed. “Our best bet is to put police on his trail. If we can furnish a good description, they may be able to pick him up.”
Circling the block to make certain the intruder had not emerged elsewhere in the vicinity, the boys sought a policeman. Unable to find one in the neighborhood, they telephoned their report to the Central station.
“Well, that’s done,” Brad said in relief. “Now let’s hustle back to Merrimac’s place and find out if the old man’s been hurt. I’ve got a mighty uneasy feeling.”
Upon arriving at the Merrimac home a few minutes later, the boys saw that the kitchen window remained wide open.
