come around to the
rear was more than he could understand.

"Now you keep right behind me, an' you come quick," said Ben, as he
looked carefully around to assure himself that there was no one in
sight.

Paul followed the directions, wondering why one was obliged to use
such precautions in getting into his own house, and Ben led the way,
not into the building, but over the fence and down into the yard,
where was stored empty boxes and barrels of every description.

As if he was perfectly familiar with the way, Ben went among the boxes
to the farther end of the yard, where there was a hogshead and a large
packing-case close together. He pulled the case a few inches
aside--for it had been placed directly in front of the hogshead--and
whispered,

"Get in, quick!"

Paul obeyed, hardly believing that this could be the real estate his
companions had spoken of, and Ben followed him, pulling the box
against the hogshead again so adroitly as to betoken considerable
practice.

When one of the candles was lighted, and stuck into an empty
ink-bottle that served as candlestick, Paul was able to see the
interior, and he stared at it in surprise.

The case was evidently used as a place in which to keep their food,
and as a sort of general storehouse, for an old coat was lying neatly
folded up in one corner, and opposite it were several tin cans, all
showing more or less marks of age, and in a battered condition.

The hogshead had been lined with old newspapers, and from the fact
that quite a quantity of straw covered the bottom, it was easy to see
that this was the sleeping-room.

"There!" said Ben, triumphantly, "you can stay here an' live off the
fat of the land jest as long as you want to."

And Paul never realized that, if he had tried, he could not have
hidden himself more completely from those who might be searching for
him, than by thus sharing the fortunes of these two Arabs of the
street.

CHAPTER II.

STARTING IN BUSINESS.

There was a look of delight on Ben's face as he saw his companion
examining their home so carefully, and each moment he expected to hear
his exclamation of surprise at the very comfortable manner in which
they lived. But since, after waiting some time, no such exclamation
was heard, he asked, a trifle impatiently,

"Ain't it a stunner?"

Now Paul did not really think the place merited any such praise. In
fact, he was considerably disappointed, and he compromised the matter
by