door and after a furtive look up and down the
street, they started away. After them, on the other side, went Scanlon,
treading cautiously, so as to make his progress as soundless as
possible, and keeping well in the overhang of the buildings. He expected
a long journey in the wake of the two prowlers; but at the end of a
half dozen blocks he was pleased to find that this was not to be the
case. They stopped before a sort of loft building, and, in the shadow of
this, held a conference. From the mouth of an alley Bat watched them;
then, with a feeling of consternation, he saw they were advancing toward
him.

"They've spotted me!" was his first thought; but in a moment he realized
that this could not be so; the darkness where he stood was too intense
for them to have made him out. A second thought was illuminating; the
building beside which he stood was to be the scene of their effort. He
shrank back into the alley. Overhead was a tangle of fire-escapes;
dozens of windows, some of them broken and with paper and old clothes
stuffed into the openings, looked down upon him.

"A burglary in such a place as that!" Bat stood aghast at the idea.
"What are they after?"

The two men were now at the opening of the alley and came cautiously
along. From the shadow of the far wall Bat watched them. Softly, he
heard the voice of Bohlmier:

"Is dis der door? Eh?"

"Yes. It's never locked in this joint," said the other, in an equally
low tone. "The halls are as public as the street."

The old Swiss clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"To bick oud such a place," spoke he. "It is not goot sense."

Big Slim put his hand out and Bat heard a door creak on its hinges.

"Now, then," spoke the lank burglar, to his companion, "in you go. And
if we meet any one, act as if we'd lived here for a dozen years."

The two disappeared; and as Bat heard the door close softly behind them,
he drew in a long breath.

"Well, here goes," said he. "There will be very little cover now."

He knew if he once allowed the burglar or his colleague to get out of
view or hearing, his chances of coming upon them again were greatly
lessened. And yet too much promptness might land him stumbling upon
them, spoiling everything. Guardedly, he turned the knob, and the door
opened the merest trifle. Through the chink he had a clear view of a
dirty hall, long, and lighted by a single incandescent lamp. Quietly he
stepped inside, closing the door aft