and he had no difficulty in falling asleep now, and when he woke 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, 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
asleep.

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 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 his vest pocket. It was not much,
but it was more than he had had in his possession f