ed in gasps, but his
splendid constitution pulled him through.

When they saw that he was recovering, the two men left the room, after
examining the iron-barred windows, and as they went out they locked and
barred the door behind them.

CHAPTER XVII.

MURDER IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

Ted lay for a long time only half conscious.

But gradually his senses returned, and he opened his eyes to find
himself in darkness, trying hard to think what had happened to him.

He knew that he had been felled by something powerful and terrible, that
had knocked him in a heap so suddenly that he hardly knew what had
happened to him.

Slowly the consciousness of it all came to him. Some one in an
automobile had ridden alongside him and thrown ammonia in his face.

His eyes were still smarting with it, and he wondered, seeing no light,
if it had blinded him, and he was now lying in the dark when there was
light all around him.

He struggled with this thought for a moment, because the idea of going
blind was terrible to him.

He wondered where he was, and felt around and learned that he was lying
on a couch.

Then he swung his feet to the floor and sat up. The ammonia had left him
still weak, but gradually he became stronger, and got to his feet and
began to explore the room with his fingers.

He found a chair and a table, and presently came to the door, which he
tried to open, but could not.

Passing around the room, he arrived at the window, and, looking through
the glass, saw a star, and thanked Heaven that he could see.

He tried the fastenings of the window, unlocked it, and threw it up,
stretching out his hand. The window was closed with iron bars.

He had made the circuit of the room, and had discovered that he was
securely shut in.

He went back to the lounge and lay down to think matters over.

He felt quite sure that the man Checkers had been his assailant. The
warning had not been without reason, after all.

As he lay quietly he heard footsteps in the next room. Two men evidently
had entered it. They were talking, and occasionally, when their voices
rose higher than usual, he could catch a word or two.

From the tones of their voices he learned that the conversation was not
of the most pleasant nature. They were quarreling about something.

By degrees their voices grew higher, and occasionally Ted caught such
words as "money," "half," "thousand," enough to tell him that they were
dividing something.