“I suppose she thought I was crazy,” he went on, “but I can’t help that. I wasn’t exactly in a position to shine in her eyes, but if she does what I ask her to, and shuts those back windows, I shall be very much disappointed if we don’t catch our man red-handed to-night.” “You think he’ll turn up again, do you, and that if he finds the coast clear, he’ll lose no time in getting next to the gold?” “That’s the ticket.” Gordon was silent for a minute or two. “Well, I certainly hope you are right, Jack,” he said at length. “And you must be, I think, for it isn’t likely that we would both arrive at the same point by totally different routes unless there was something in it. We’ll put it to the test, at any rate, and if he doesn’t show up by two or three o’clock, we’ll burrow under one side of the garage and see what we can find. That will make it unnecessary to tamper with the lock, and we can fix things so he’ll never know that anybody has entered the place. Then, after removing the stuff, if we find it, we can watch the empty garage to-morrow night, and nab him if he puts in an appearance.” Cray agreed to this plan, and informed Gordon that there was a pile of lumber within a few feet of the garage. “We can hide behind that,” he said, “and wait for him. We’ll be in plain sight from the back windows of the house, to be sure, and Mrs. Simpson may spoil everything if she peeks. Let’s hope, though, that she obeys orders and goes to bed without question.” CHAPTER XXIII. THE WATCHERS MAKE THEMSELVES SCARCE. When Cray and Gordon first came within sight of No. 31 Floral Avenue there were lights in some of the upper windows, but before they had reached a point opposite the house, the lights went out. “Mrs. Simpson is just going to bed,” announced Cray. “Good enough! Glad to see she isn’t a night owl. Thought of that, but was afraid to pile on any more injunctions.” They passed the house and continued along the road toward the brow of the hill, then turned about and paced slowly back. There were lights in some of the other houses, and Green Eye could see that Cray had been right in saying that there were no other windows to overlook Simpson’s rear yard and garage. “Like to see the wheel tracks?” asked Cray, just before they reached the house again. “Safe enough, I guess, if she isn’t snooping around.”