The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 86: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

76 “But how would they get any clue to it?” asked Delroy, bewildered. ‘Surely, they didn’t leave telltale scraps of paper for every one to find!” Jerry shrugged wearily. “Mysteries no longer stagger me,’ he _ said; “they are the order of the day. But I want to get a look at those fellows; they must have stopped, or they would have passed the corner before this. Come!” They stole cautiously to the corner and peered around it, and they saw the other two men half concealed in a doorway di- rectly opposite the one under such general observation. “That puts a stay on our proceedings,” observed Hampton. “We can’t very well make an attack on the place while they are there without precipitating action that might be bad for us.” Delroy agreed. “T can’t imagine where Kingsale picked up such a villainous accomplice,” he said idly. “Probably during the period of his spy- ing upon your house and mine,” Jerry suggested. “I think that the man lived in that shooting gallery, and Kingsale, for some reason, got lodgings with him. I saw the man first when I was watch- ing Exmoor’s boat, and he guided King- ‘sale to it. So it’s evident that he was employed as a spy. He is probably ac- quainted with all the desperate charac- ters along the water-front, and he was just the man to ferret out Exmoor’s hiding place for his employer.” They waited for a time where they were, peering around the corner at intervals to make sure that the men were still there. “Suppose we run around the block,” suggested Jerry suddenly, “and come through the street below? I noticed an apartment house on that corner that is _ still under construction, and if there’s a watchman there he is probably sauntering around outside. If we can slip in and get up to the roof, we may be able to jump to the roof of our apartment, and in most of these houses the roof doors are left open during the daytime.” THE ARGOSY. Delroy shook his head dubiously, but Jerry had started at a fast walk and it was too late to object. When they arrived at the corner of Haven Avenue again Kingsale and the dark-skinned man were still at their post of observation. ‘““There’s the watchman, as I hoped,” Jerry whispered, pointing to a portly figure poised on the curb in front of the build- ing, ‘“‘and here is a side door. Come on!” He dragged the weary Delroy into the gloomy interior of the new building, which smelled strongly of plaster and fresh wood, and they went up a precarious temporary stairway. There were five flights of the stairs and the older man had to stop and rest at intervals, as he was now suffering acutely from the strain.of the previous night. When they gained the roof, however, by climbing a rickety ladder through a trap, their spirits soared once more, for there was an easy drop of some four feet to the next roof, and they could see a scuttle standing open invitingly. A moment later they were creeping down a steel staircase to the fifth floor of the middle house on that block. “Look!” Jerry exclaimed, with satisfac- tion, “there is your apartment, Number Fifty-One.” The other drew back, startled, and on consultation they decided to return to the sixth floor and wait there till they were ready for action. The day was waning, and it grew dusky in the halls. They were prepared for ac- tion, but Jerry decided that they should wait for some one to enter or leave the apartment before they made their advance. They sat on the upper flight of stairs till six o’clock, and grew restive and doubt- ful. Then a door opened and closed. Jerry darted down the stairs on tip-toe and leaned recklessly over the railing at the middle landing to see who was ringing the bell for the passenger elevator. He was back at Delroy’s side in an in- stant, breathing hard with excitement. “Tt’s Foxford!” he whispered, ‘“‘and he’s going out.” EOPMICGLOOOLK< co