Though the two travelers had not removed their clothes, they covered themselves up with the quilt, in order to deceive anyone entering the room. Then they lay and waited.

It was perhaps ten minutes less than the hour when they heard the door softly opened. In the half light they saw Red Ralph enter. He had removed his shoes, and was walking in his stocking feet.

The earl had hung his coat from a nail just behind the door.

Ralph saw it, and at once began to search the pockets. He only glanced carelessly at the bed, for he felt sure that the potion had done its work, and that both his guests were asleep.

In the side pocket he found the wallet. He uttered an ejaculation of satisfaction, and quickly transferred it to his own pocket.

He could not very well examine it in the [Pg 244]darkness. But he could tell from the feeling that it was well filled, and naturally concluded that the contents represented a large sum of money.

Having got what he wanted, he withdrew as quietly as he came, carefully shutting the door behind him.

When he had gone, Scott broke the silence.

"What will he do when he discovers that the wallet is stuffed with waste paper?"

"Probably he will be angry, and feel that he has been defrauded."

Scott laughed.

"Do you think he will make us another visit?"

"If he does, and complains of the deception, it will involve a confession that he is a thief. I confess I don\'t know what to anticipate."

Ten minutes later a slow step was heard ascending the staircase.

Scott and the earl listened in excitement. They could not forecast the next act in the drama.

The steps paused before the door, but the door was not opened. In place of this they heard a key turn in the lock outside. It was clear that they were locked in.

"Ralph does not mean that we should escape," said the earl.

[Pg 245]

"What shall we do?"

"I shall go to sleep. I think we are secure from any other visit. Hostilities are probably deferred till morning. What will be done then I am quite at a loss to understand, but when that time comes we can decide what to do."

When Red Ralph went downstairs after purloining the wallet, it was with a feeling of satisfaction at the apparent success of his dishonest scheme.

Below, his wife and his accomplice still sat before the fire.

"Well, Ralph?" said the latter, with an eager look of interrogation.

"I have got it," chuckled Ralph.

"I don\'t like such doings," said his wife, wearily. "Heaven will never prosper dishonesty."

"Shut up, Sarah," commanded Ralph, harshly. "I can\'t stand a sniveling woman. What I have done is my business, not yours."

"I wish they had never come. I ought to have sent them away."

"You did just right. You invited them in, and delivered them into my hands."

"Open the wallet!" said the dark man, impatiently.

[Pg 246]

Ralph seated himself in the chair which he had vacated before he went upstairs, and, with a smile, opened the wallet.

But the smile quickly faded from his face, and it grew dark with anger, as the contents were disclosed.

"Confusion!" he muttered. "Look at this!" and he threw the paper into the fire.

"What does it mean?" asked his accomplice, bewildered.

"It means that we have been fooled—tricked! They have filled the wallet with this trash, in order to deceive us."

"But are you sure that they had any money?"

"Sure? Why, I saw it with my own eyes. Didn\'t you, Sarah? Didn\'t the man pull out a thick roll of bills when he paid the five dollars he agreed upon?"

"Yes," answered the woman, reluctantly.

"There was no mistake about that. The money was real, fast enough. There must have been two or three hundred dollars."

"Where could he have put it, then?"

"I don\'t know."

"Why should he play such a trick upon you?"

"He evidently suspected something."

[Pg 247]

"How could he suspect a man with your honest face?"

"Be careful, Conrad! I don\'t allow any man to insult me," said Ralph, with lowering brow.

"Don\'t get mad, Ralph; I was only joking. What are you going to do now?"

"I............