Do you think, Sergeant, the
blackguard has got off in that way, without paying?"
"A sailor," said Sergeant Cuff, "might have done it--early in the
morning, before the street was astir. He would be used to climbing, and
his head wouldn't fail him on the roofs of the houses."
As he spoke, the arrival of the carpenter was announced. We all went
up-stairs, at once, to the top story. I noticed that the Sergeant was
unusually grave, even for him. It also struck me as odd that he told the
boy (after having previously encouraged him to follow us), to wait in
the room below till we came down again.
The carpenter's hammer and chisel disposed of the resistance of the door
in a few minutes. But some article of furniture had been placed against
it inside, as a barricade. By pushing at the door, we thrust this
obstacle aside, and so got admission to the room. The landlord entered
first; the Sergeant second; and I third. The other persons present
followed us.
We all looked towards the bed, and all started.
The man had not left the room. He lay, dressed, on the bed--with a white
pillow over his face, which completely hid it from view.
"What does that mean?" said the landlord, pointing to the pillow.
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