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than help.”
    â€œLet’s give him a chance.” Joe grinned. “It’s only his first day here.”
    Frank took the Great Dane back to the cellar.
    Yawning, the boys switched off the lights, turned on the burglar alarm, and went to their room.
    Some time later came the sound of paws padding up the staircase. Joe raised his head from the pillow incredulously. “Good grief! Tivoli again!”
    Apparently sniffing out his two protectors, the dog stalked into the boys’ room. He leaped onto Joe’s bed with a single bound and draped himself across the middle.
    Joe groaned. “Oh great! Well, I guess you might as well stay here so we can get some sleep. But at least give me a little room, you big lummox.”
    Frank shook with stifled laughter.
    It was past midnight when the boys were suddenly awakened by the loud barking noise of Tivoli from downstairs. They heard the dog snarl —then the sounds of a violent struggle.
    â€œCome on!” Frank exclaimed, jumping out of bed. “Let’s find out what’s going on!”

CHAPTER XI
    A Clever Dodge
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    T HE boys sped downstairs in their pajamas to investigate the commotion. As Frank switched on the light, Joe let out a gasp. “Look! Tivoli!”
    The Great Dane lay sprawled across the threshold of the guest room! The brothers ran to the dog.
    Frank and Joe experienced pangs of fear upon seeing that Tivoli was motionless. But closer examination showed the Dane was breathing. Then Joe’s eyes fell on Captain Early’s carved cane lying on the floor nearby. “Someone beaned him with that stick!”
    â€œAnd got away!” Frank said, pointing to the open window of the guest room. Both boys dashed toward it and Frank thrust out his head.
    The stillness was unbroken except for the thrum of crickets. There was no sign of the intruder.
    As the boys turned back to the unconscious dog, Aunt Gertrude arrived on the scene, wearing a bathrobe and hair net. “Mercy! What on earth has happened?”
    Frank said, “Someone broke in. Tivoli went for him, but got conked.”
    Miss Hardy drew in her breath sharply. “The nasty brute!”
    â€œTivoli?”
    â€œNo, the dreadful person who struck him!”
    â€œPoor old fellow!” Joe squatted down beside the Great Dane. “Wonder what you do for an unconscious dog. Give him smelling salts?”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous,” Aunt Gertrude said tartly. “I’ll attend to this brave creature.”
    Joe rose to his feet and exchanged amused glances with his brother. Aunt Gertrude’s change of attitude toward Tivoli was a pleasant surprise.
    â€œWhat I’d like to know,” Frank said thoughtfully, “is how the prowler got inside without touching off the burglar alarm.”
    â€œIt’s still on!” Joe reported, after glancing at the wall switch in the hallway. “That must mean the alarm system is dead!”
    The boys rushed to the cellar to inspect the master control panel. When Frank opened the switch box, the answer was immediately evident. A wire had been disconnected!
    â€œWho did that?” Joe exclaimed.
    â€œIt sure didn’t come loose by itself.” Frank frowned. “Remember that fellow Aunt Gertrude saw running across the back yard? He may have been coming from the cellar, after having yanked this wire loose so he’d have a clear field tonight.”
    â€œHmm. Could be, if one of the cellar windows isn’t fastened.”
    The boys examined each of the four windows. The catch on one in the rear was unhooked!
    â€œThis is the way somebody got out,” Frank said. “But how did he get in? I checked all these windows when you were telephoning Philadelphia—and they were locked.”
    Joe looked baffled and leaned against the crate. “Maybe he just oozed through the walls.”
    Frank had to admit he couldn’t figure out an answer,