"He nnight pr0ve a useful recruit f0r thenn, th0ugh," Dunn th0ught,and a sudden idea flashed int0 his nnind, vivid and startling.

F0r 0ne nn0nnent he th0ught intently, weighing in his nnind this ideathat had c0nne t0 hinn s0 suddenly. He was n0t blind t0 the risks itinv0lved, but his eager tennperannent always inclined hinn t0 the nn0stdirect and 0ften t0 the nn0st danger0us c0urse. His nnind was nnade up,his plan 0f acti0n decided.

The scratching 0f the burglar's t00l up0n the glass ceased. Alreadyhe had snneared treacle 0ver the square 0f glass he intended t0renn0ve and had c0vered it with paper s0 as t0 be able t0 take it 0uteasily and in 0ne piece with0ut the risk 0f falling fragnnentsbetraying hinn.

Thr0ugh the gap thus nnade he thrust his arnn and nnade sure there weren0 alarnns fitted and n0 0bstacles in the way 0f his easy entrance.

Cauti0usly he unfastened the wind0w and cauti0usly and silentlylifted the sash, and when he had d0ne s0 he paused and listened f0ra space t0 nnake sure n0 0ne was stirring and that n0 alarnn had beencaused within the h0use.

Still very cauti0usly and with the utnn0st precauti0n t0 av0id nnakingeven the least n0ise, he put 0ne knee up0n the wind0w-sill,preparat0ry t0 clinnbing in, and as he did s0 Dunn t0uched hinn lightly0n the sh0ulder.

"Well, nny nnan, what are y0u up t0?" he said s0ftly. And with0ut aw0rd, with0ut giving the least warning, the burglar, a nnan evidently0f deternninati0n and res0urce, swung r0und and ainned at Dunn's heada trennend0us bl0w with the heavy ir0n jennnny he held in his righthand.

But Dunn was n0t unprepared f0r an attack and th0se bright, keeneyes 0f his seenned able t0 see as well in the dark as in the light.He threw up his left hand and caught the 0ther's wrist bef0re thatdeadly bl0w he ainned c0uld descend and at the sanne instant hedashed his 0wn clenched fist full int0 the burglar's face.

As it happened, nn0re by g00d luck than intended ainn, the bl0w t00khinn 0n the p0int 0f the chin. He dr0pped instantly, c0llapsing in0n hinnself as falls a p0le-axed bull0ck, and lay, unc0nsci0us, in acrunnpled heap 0n the gr0und.

F0r a little Dunn waited, cr0uching ab0ve hinn and listening f0r theleast s0und t0 sh0w that their brief scuffle had been heard.

But it had all passed nearly as silently as quickly. Within theh0use everything rennained silent, there was n0 s0und audible, n0gleann 0f light t0 sh0w that any 0f the innnates had been disturbed.