ing. Spider Jack was in bed, then!

Directly facing him was the open door of another room, and Jimmie Dale,
moving softly forward, entered it. He had never been in Spider Jack's
before, and his first concern was to form an intimate acquaintanceship
with his surroundings. Again the flashlight circled, and again went out.

"No windows!" muttered Jimmie Dale under his breath. "Nothing very fancy
about the architecture! Three rooms in a row! Store in front of this
room through that door of course. Wonder if the door's locked, though
it's a foregone conclusion the package wouldn't be in there."

Not a sound, his tread silent, he crossed to the closed door that he had
noticed. It was unlocked, and he opened it tentatively a little way.
A faint glow of light diffused itself through the opening. Jimmie Dale
nodded his head and closed the door again. The street lamp, shining
through the shop windows, accounted for the light.

And now the flashlight played with steady inquisitiveness about him.
The room in which he stood seemed to combine a sort of office, with
a lounging room, in which Spider Jack, no doubt, entertained his
particular cronies. There was table in the centre, cards still upon it,
chairs about it. Against the wall farthest away from the shop stood
a huge, old-fashioned cabinet; and a little farther along, anglewise,
partitioning off the corner, as it were, hung, for some purpose or
other, a cretonne curtain. Also, against the wall next to the lane,
bringing a commiserating smile to Jimmie Dale's lips as his eyes fell
upon it, was a clumsy, lumbering, antique safe.

Jimmie Dale's eyes returned to the curtain. What was it doing there?
What was it for? Instinctively he stepped over to examine it. A single
glance, however, as he lifted it aside, sufficed. It was nothing but
a make-shift clothes closet. He turned from it, switched off the
flashlight, and stood staring meditatively into the darkness. In a
strange house, with the knowledge to begin with that what he sought was
carefully hidden, it was no sinecure to find that package. He had never
for a moment imagined that it would be. But of one thing, however, there
was no uncertainty in his mind--he would get the package!--by search
if possible, by other means if search failed. It was now close to one
o'clock. If by two o'clock his efforts had been fruitless, Spider Jack
would hand over the package--at the revolver point! It was quite simple!
Meanwhile--Jimmie Dal