As a final step must be taken, he de cided to light the small tallow which he had and as quietly as possible he did so. When the place was thus dimly lighted he noticed that it was in a con dition of uncommon disorder. Articles of rough furniture were lying about in a topsy-turvey way and scraps of food were on the floor. It was evident, the outlaw thought,that there was no woman in the place to tidy it, and this dis covery gave him hope that he would catch the occupants offkjheir guard. He found that there was scarcely any food in the room, which was the one apparently in which it was usually kept, and it would be necessary to prosecute his perilous search still further in that direction.
The room in which he was searching was only partitioned off from a second and into this he went. There were two beds in it but neither of them weic occupied, though by their tumbled con dition they had been recently occupied He was becoming somewhat surprised at the apparent desertion ; but, recol lecting about the second floor, it oc curred to him that he would find the owner up there. A small ladder led from the floor in the first room to the attic, and as he put his foot on the first rung he reflected that there was really no good to be got by making the as cent.
