.

That evening when Wheeler was present Mr. Pettigrew managed to turn the
conversation to the subject of sleeping.

"I am a very sound sleeper," he said. "I remember when I was at home
sleeping many a time through a severe thunder storm."

"Don't you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night?" asked Rodney.

"Very seldom, if I am in good health."

"Its different with me," said another of the company. "A step on the
floor or the opening of the door will wake me up at any time."

"I am glad I am not so easily roused."

"If I had a fish horn," said Rodney, laughing, "I should be tempted to
come up in the night and give it a blast before your door."

"That might wake me up," said Mr. Pettigrew. "I wouldn't advise you to
try it or the other boarders might get up an indignation meeting."

The same evening Jefferson Pettigrew took out a bag of gold and
carelessly displayed it.

"Are you not afraid of being robbed, Mr. Pettigrew?" asked Rodney.

"Oh no. I never was robbed in my life."

"How much money have you there?"

"I don't know exactly. Perhaps six hundred dollars," said Pettigrew in
an indifferent tone.

Among those who listened to this conversation with interest was Louis
Wheeler. Rodney did not fail to see the covetous gleam of his eyes when
the gold was displayed.

The fact was, that Wheeler was getting short of cash and at the time
he took John O'Donnell's money--for he was the thief--he had but about
twenty dollars left, and of this he contributed five to the relief of
the man he had robbed.

His theft realized him two hundred dollars, but this would not last him
long, as the expenses of living at the Miners' Rest were considerable.
He was getting tired of Oreville, but wanted to secure some additional
money before he left it. The problem was whom to make his second victim.

It would not have occurred to him to rob Jefferson Pettigrew, of whom he
stood in wholesome fear, but for the admission that he was an unusually
sound sleeper; even then he would have felt uncertain whether it would
pay. But the display of the bag of money, and the statement that it
contained six hundred dollars in gold proved a tempting bait.

"If I can capture that bag of gold," thought Wheeler, "I shall have
enough money to set me up in some new place. There won't be much risk
about it, for Pettigrew sleeps like a top. I will venture it."

Jefferson Pettigrew's chamber was on the same floor as his own. It was
the thi