ulty in falling asleep now. But asleep
he took no note of time, and when he woke up it was much later than he
intended. However, without delay he made his way to the cabin, and
arrived just as Ernest discovered the death of the old man whom he had
supposed to be his uncle.

What time it was the tramp did not know, for it was years since he had
carried a watch; but as he stood with his face glued to the
window-pane he heard a clock in the cabin striking the hour of three.

"Three o'clock," he ejaculated. "Well, I did have a nap!"

The boy was awake and he thought it best to wait a while.

"Why didn't I get here a little sooner?" he grumbled. "Then I could
have ransacked the cabin without trouble. Probably the old man has
been dead some time."

He watched to see what Ernest would do.

"He won't be such a fool as to sit up with the corpse," he muttered, a
little apprehensively. "That wouldn't do no good."

Apparently Ernest was of this opinion, for after carefully covering up
the inanimate body he lay down again on his own bed.

He did not fall asleep immediately, for the thought that he was in the
presence of death naturally affected his imagination. But gradually
his eyes closed, and his full, regular breathing gave notice that he
was locked in slumber.

He had left the candle burning on the table. By the light which it
afforded the tramp could watch him, and at the end of twenty minutes
he felt satisfied that he could safely enter.

He lifted the window, and passed into the room noiselessly. He had one
eye fixed on the sleeping boy, who might suddenly awake. He had taken
off his shoes, and left them on the grass just under the window.

When Tom Burns found himself in the room, he made his way at once to
the trunk, which his watchful eye had already discovered.

"That's where the old man keeps his gold, likely," he muttered. "I
hope it isn't locked."

Usually the trunk would have been fastened, but the conversation which
Ernest had had with old Peter so engrossed his mind as to make him
less careful than usual. Tom Burns therefore had no difficulty in
lifting the lid.

With eager fingers he explored the contents, and was not long in
discovering the box which contained the two gold coins.

The discovery pleased and yet disappointed him.

"Only ten dollars!" he muttered. "There ought to have been a pile of
these yellow boys. Perhaps there are more somewhere."

Meanwhile he slipped the two coins into hi