The intruder mounted the stairs unhurriedly, with only an occasional inquiring flash of the diminutive torch. He made very little noise, but, on the other hand, did not seem particularly fearful of being heard. In short, he gave Pud the impression of one not in the least concerned with the possible presence of other persons in the house, and so, Pud reasoned, he had learned of Aunt Sabrina’s absence and was proceeding under the assumption that he was perfectly safe and could take all the time he wanted. At the head of the stairs, he swept the light about him, keeping, as always, the rays close to the floor, and in that instant Pud, peering through the narrow aperture in the door, saw him for the first time. To be more exact, what Pud saw was the silhouette of a man’s form, a form apparently rather small and slim and not nearly so formidable as imagination had pictured it. Then the light went out again and the form melted into the darkness. Light footsteps trod the carpet and a door squeaked faintly. The burglar had gone into Aunt Sabrina’s room, on the front of the house. Pud didn’t believe the fellow would find much of value in there, and evidently he didn’t, for he was out again very soon, his coming indicated by another quick flare of the torch. Across the hall was an empty chamber, known as the ‘best room.’ That held the burglar’s attention even a shorter time, and from there he came back, past the head of the stairway and disappeared into the maid’s room. Meanwhile Pud was thinking up plans and discarding them rapidly; to lock the door and somehow get to the ground from the window and alarm the neighbors; to shout for help from the same window; to get downstairs by the back passage, the door to which was almost opposite, take possession of the burglar’s loot and make off with it before the latter could follow. But none of these schemes promised well. Behind him was the peaceful sound of Tim’s breathing and the louder respirations of Harmon. Pud had time for a brief thought of their surprise when they awoke and learned of what had been happening; and then he hoped hard that they wouldn’t awake just yet, for the least sound from them would, if heard by the midnight visitor, either send that person scuttling away with his booty or――well, Pud didn’t like to dwell on the alternative. Burglars, he believed, were dreadfully fond of shooting holes in persons who interfered with their plans! But Pud had assured himself that the key was on the inside of the lock and he was rather certain that he could get that door closed and that key turned in mighty quick time when the right moment came.