The Boy Inventors and the Vanishing Gun

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 ...done, it would have defied the keenest eyes to tell that there had ever been an opening there. As the panel was slid shut the vastly altered Jake Rook tiptoed softly across the room to the door and listened intently. He was just in time to hear somebody descending the ladder. Instantly he slid across the room and threw himself on the couch, drawing the dirty blankets up to his chin. He had just done so when a sharp rap sounded on the door. Jake instantly began to cough in a painful manner. "Ugh-ugh-ugh! Who's there?" "Open this door at once!" "Ugh-ugh, I'm sick in bed. Open it yourself. What is it? Ugh-ugh-ugh--what do you want?" As he spoke the door was flung open and two policemen, with Tom just behind them, stepped into the room. "Who are you?" demanded one of them of the figure on the ragged bed. "Ugh-ugh--oh, my cough!--My name's Tattered Terry. I was selling papers up to a week ago, when I took sick. Ugh-ugh, how my cough hurts!" "Guess we're on the wrong scent," said one of the policemen. Then he turned to the huddled figure of the man on the couch. "Did you hear any disturbance here to-night? We're looking for a boy who entered the place next door and has vanished." "Ugh-ugh-ugh," and Jake Rook was shaken by what seemed to be a paroxysm of coughing, "if he's in the next house, why don't you look there?" "We have, but there's no trace of him," burst out Tom; "are you quite sure you've heard nothing unusual?" "Ugh-ugh. Oh, my poor lungs! Not a thing, my boy, not a thing. Ugh-ugh--is that all you want to know?" "I guess that's all," said one of the policemen. Turning to Tom, he "Are you quite sure he went in ...