"I'll follow. Quick!"

Leo leaped for the window, a small affair, opening on a narrow and dirty alley.

The opening was barred, but he easily wrenched the irons from their rotted fastenings and crawled through the opening.

As Carl followed there was a crash, and the door fell in.

Half a dozen young men, the worst in the town, swarmed into the apartment, only to find it empty.

Up the alleyway sped Leo and his companion, nor did they stop until the theater had been left several blocks behind.

Deeming themselves now safe, they dropped into a walk and began to discuss the situation.

Soon they met several other members of the company. From these they learned that Nathan Wampole had indeed run away, carrying every cent of the box-office receipts with him.

"The scoundrel!" burst out Carl. "What are we going to do here, penniless and over two hundred miles from New York?"

No one could answer that question, and, as there was nothing else to do, Leo and Carl turned their steps toward the boarding-house at which they had been stopping.

CHAPTER XVI.-AN UNPLEASANT POSITION.

The bad news had preceded Leo and Carl Ross, and they found Mrs.

Gerston, the landlady, waiting at the front door.

"So Mr. Wampole has run away, eh?" she said sharply.

"It seems so," said Carl soberly.

"And who is to pay me?"

"He is responsible, madam," replied Leo.

"Well, you'll not come in this night, unless you pay," cried the landlady, blocking up the doorway with her portly form. "I'm not running a boarding-house for fun."

"I have no money to pay with."

"Neither have I," added Carl.

"Then you can just leave."

"Very well; give us our baggage and we will."

"I'll not give up a thing until I'm paid," was the determined reply.

Both Carl and Leo were nonplussed. They could not blame the woman, yet it was a hard situation to face.

"We have lost more than you," said Carl. "Mr. Wampole owes us both three weeks' salary."

"That's not my affair. When you pay the ten dollars due me you can both have your traveling bags, and not before."

And with this the boarding-housekeeper shut the door in their faces.

"Knocked out all around," said Leo, with a grin.

It was not in his nature to grieve over misfortune.

"Where shall we go for the night?"

"I don't know. Let us look around for Wampole."

The two set out on a search. It availed nothing, and by midnight they were worn out.

Fortunately the night was warm, and coming to a deserted mill on the outskirts of the town, they determined to remain there and rest. They found some old sacks, and on these made their bed.

Carl awoke with a start the next morning. Looking up he saw a young man of eighteen standing near him. The young man had a pleasant face, and he was smiling.

"Thought I'd wake you up," he said. "How is it you are bunking here for the night?"

"We are out of funds," replied the young magician.

"Tramping?"

"Hardly that; but we may be soon."

"We belonged to the specialty company that went to pieces last night,"

explained Leo, who had roused up.

"Oh! Were you on the stage?" the young man asked of Carl.

"Yes."

"Are you the magician?"

"Yes."

"And he is the gymnast, isn't he?"

"I am," replied Leo.

"I saw you both. You did finely. So you are out of money and out of a job?"

"We are."

"It's strange. Do you know I intended to call on you to-day."