Page:Ned Wilding's Disappearance.djvu/153



felt around on the ground. He thought the valise might have slipped from the rope and rolled away into some corner of the yard. He got down on his knees and crawled about, looking among boxes and barrels, as well as he could in the darkness. But the valise was gone.

"Where in the world could it have disappeared to?" Ned asked himself. "I came down within three minutes after I lowered it to the ground."

There was a gate, opening from the yard to the street, and Ned decided some one had either seen or heard the valise drop and had slipped in and stolen it.

"Now I am in a pickle," the lad murmured. "No baggage, not even a clean collar, only a little over four dollars left" (for he had taken one from his pocketbook to leave for his room rent), "and I can't even tell the police I've been robbed. If I do they'll question me and find out I'm wanted for that stock matter. I certainly am up against