ack, ceasing to
breathe. Startled, and a little bit frightened, Phil ran and put a hand
to his heart. There was no vibrating response.

Stuffing the paper into his jacket pocket, he ran to the door and gave
two low but distinct whistles. Hardly had he given the signal when there
was an unearthly crash and a muttered expression of disgust.

Phil made for the stairs, and was about to descend when he was joined by
Dick, who whispered sibilantly:

"Dig out of here; this is no place for us," and seizing Phil by the arm,
started down the stairway. At the bottom they found Garry extricating
himself from a heap of splintered wood and debris.

"All out in a hurry," commanded Dick.

Garry and Phil both sensed that there was danger in the air, or, at the
very least, a need for extra care, and followed the lead of Dick in
making a quick exit from the house.

They hustled down the sidewalk, and noticing an open hallway, unlighted,
Dick led the way in there.

"Not a whisper, now," he cautioned.

Hardly had they found shelter in the doorway when three men came
tumbling out of the deserted lodging house they had just left, and ran
past the hallway where the boys were crouching, finally to disappear
around a corner farther up the street.

"Say, for the love of Pete, Dick, what's all this mystery about, and who
found anything and where did the screams come from?" queried Garry,
amazed at the strange turn events had taken.

Dick was about to make a reply, when Phil interrupted.

"All our stories can wait. First we must get the police. I've just left
a dead man, and I have good reason to believe there was foul play."

"Then let's save our breath and hustle after an officer; we can compare
notes later," said Garry.

They branched off Canal Street, up through a narrow thoroughfare, more
alley than street, and soon found themselves on a well lighted business
street. Here they moderated their pace, and after a brisk walk of three
blocks, saw a policeman.

"You're the spokesman in this case, Phil, you know what this is all
about, and we don't," directed Garry.

Approaching the officer, Phil stated the case. The policeman looked at
them curiously, then appeared to be convinced of their honesty, and
turning to a police box, notified the station, asking that the night
lieutenant come at once. He told his superior where the place was, for
knowing that section of the city, thoroughly, he immediately recognized
it from Phil's descr