BURGLAR V. VENTRILOQUIST.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 392, 2 September 1911, Page 6

BURGLAR V. VENTRILOQUIST.

lie 1 urglnr. with a whispered caution to his confederate. who w.is to remain outside, crawled noiselessly in and started up the staircase. On." of the steps creaked, and lie stop] el instantly. Not the slightest sound came from the rooms above, and, after waiting a rcsonable time, he. moved forward. Fntering what seemed to he the main upper room, he .glanced about. Sufficient light came from the street lamp to enable him to sec a bed occupied by a man whose desp breathing furnished suliicient evidence that he was asleep. The man's clothing was hanging at the foot of the 1.c;1. The burglar moved in that direction. Instantly he heard a loud whisper: "Don't do that; you'll wake him!" Annoyed and alarmed at what he conceived to be a wholly unauthorised an;l bungliug attempt on the Tart of his confcdei ate to take a hand in tlie fine wcrk of the job instead of remaining outside, he mo'.' ed towards the door, with the int.ntion of administering a rebuke to his confederate. "Vou silly fool," whispered the \oice. "You haven't got enough sens 3to rob a calidbank. Let me do this !" The burglar petrtd into the gloom of the upper landing. Not seeing his pal, he stepped out through the door. "Stop !" exclaimed a loud, determinjd voice. "If you move another inch in this direction I'll put a bullet through you !" He jumped back and darted in thi direction of the. front window. "Hi, there !" spoke another voice. "Don't go that way, either ! Can't yo.i sc2 you arc running right intc a revolver ?" Trembling in every limb he stood near the centre of the room, uncertain what to do. He put his hand to his hip pocket. "If you make another motion with that hand," exclaimed a voice from somewhere in the darkness, " I'll shoot ! I've got the drop on you !" He stole another glance at the sleeper. The man had not stirred. The burglar felt a cold sweat breaking out all over him. Then, as the savage yell of a fierce apparently under the bed, came startlingly to his ear, he jumpec with terror to the side window, sft. or 6ft. away, plunged through it, carrying th: sash with him, and rol'ed down the kitchen roof into t. flower bed, from which he emerged., and fled like a deer, followed by confederate. He had made the blunder of trying to ro'.) a professional ventriloquist —who happened to be awake.