of
the super's room on the upper story opened on the head of the stairs
and, still on tiptoe, Noodles reached the top. Here, on his knees, his
eyes glued to the keyhole, he peered into the room--Regan and the super
were engaged in their nightly game of cards. There was nothing to
raise Noodles' hopes in that, so he descended the stairs and took up
his position behind the rain barrel at the corner of the building,
where he could watch both the window and the entrance.

At half past ten the light went out, Regan and Carleton came down the
stairs and headed uptown. Noodles, not forgetting the shadows, trailed
them. At the corner where Carleton had joined Regan, Carleton left
Regan, and Regan went on two blocks further and disappeared inside his
boarding house. Noodles, being a philosopher of a sort, told himself
that none of the heroes ever succeeded the first night--and went home.

The next night, and the three following night, Noodles shadowed Regan
with the same results. By the fifth night, with no single differing
detail to enliven this somewhat monotonous and unproductive programme,
it had become dispiriting; and though Noodles' thirst for vengeance had
not weakened, his faith in the nickel thrillers had.

But on the sixth night--at the end of the second week since Noodles and
Noodles' father had turned their backs upon the roundhouse--things were
a little different. Noodles, in common with every one else in Big
Cloud, was quite well aware that the super's private car had been
coupled on No. 12 that afternoon, and that Carleton had gone East.

Regan came out of his boarding house at the same hour as usual, and
Noodles dodged along after him down the street--Noodles by this time,
for finesse, could have put a combination of Nick Carter and Old Sleuth
on the siding until the grass sprouted between the ties. Noodles
dodged along--in the shadows. Regan didn't stop at the corner this
time, but he kept right along heading down for the station. Regan
passed two or three people going in the opposite direction up the
street of the sleepy little mountain town, but this did not confuse
Noodles--Noodles kept right along after Regan. There was no Carleton
to-night, and Regan's criminal propensities would have full
scope--Noodles' hopes ran high.

Regan reached the station, went down the platform, and disappeared as
usual through the same door. A little perplexed, Noodles followed along
the platform; but, a moment