"Now, if luck's on our side, we'll make a raise."

"You talk too much," cautioned his companion. "Work first, and talk
afterward."

They approached the safe, and Jack kneeled down before it and prepared
to effect an entrance. Marlowe was about to follow his example, when
his ear, made acute by necessity, distinguished a footstep outside.

"Jack," said he in a sharp whisper, "I hear a step outside."

Instantly Jack Morgan was on his feet.

"Do you think we are heard?"

"Perhaps so. If we are we must secure ourselves. It may be the boy. If
it is, we'll quiet him pretty quickly."

They never dreamed of any opposition which they would be unable to
withstand. Paul was, of course, no match for them, and as to Mrs.
Hoffman, she might go into a fit of hysterics, or might give the
alarm. It would be easy to dispose of her. Since, therefore, there was
nothing to fear, the two confederates thought it best to face the
enemy at once and put him _hors de combat._

Thereupon Marlowe opened the door at once, and, to his dismay, found
himself confronted by four stalwart policemen.

"The game's up, Jack!" he shouted. "Save yourself!"

He made a spring, eluding the grasp of the officers, and plunged
downstairs at a breakneck rate. Meanwhile Jack had snapped a pistol at
one of the policemen, but it missed fire. By a return shot he was
wounded in the shoulder, and his right arm hung useless. He broke into
a volley of execrations.

"Do you surrender?" demanded the officer, at whom he had fired.

"I must," said Jack, in a surly tone. "You're four to one."

Only one policeman had followed Marlowe downstairs. Circumstances
favored the escape of this, the more dangerous villain of the two. At
the foot of the basement stairs was a door, and on the outside was a
bolt. This Marlowe had noticed on going up, and the knowledge stood
him in good stead. He got downstairs sufficiently in advance of the
policeman to bolt the door and so obstruct his progress. This gave him
time, and time was all-important to him. While the officer was kicking
at the door and trying to burst it open, as he finally did, Marlowe
dashed through the kitchen and got out at the open window. Then he had
to scale the wall; but this was easy to do on the inside, for there
was a narrow ledge midway. In less than a minute he was on the
pavement outside, and fleeing from the danger under cover of the
darkness.

When he had got far enough to dare to slacken his pace