Part 18 (2/2)

Leaping across the street, he reached the window only a moment after the last of the four had slammed it down.

But the men had paused long enough to throw the catch. It took Jerry a full minute to break its grip.

When, at last, they vaulted cautiously over the sill and flashed their light about the interior, they found the place empty.

”Dey's flew de coop!” whispered Jerry. ”Now wot's de chanst of dem makin' a clean git away?”

They made a hurried examination of all possible exits. All the window ledges and doorsills were so encrusted with dust that one pa.s.sing through them would be sure to leave his mark. That is, all but one were.

One windowsill had apparently been swept clean. But that window faced the river. As they threw it up, and looked down from its ledge, they saw only the murky waters of the river swirling beneath them.

Johnny studied the situation carefully, and the more he studied, the more baffled he became. If a boat had been tied to the windowsill there would have been marks on the casing. There were no such marks; yet, the fugitives had gone that way. He thought of the shots fired from the river the previous night and tried to connect the two. He could not make it out.

”Dey's gone!” said Jerry the Rat. ”Did dey fleece y'?”

Johnny smiled. ”They were trying to croak me, Jerry, and they nearly did it. Got a b.u.mp on my head big as a turkey buzzard's egg.”

”Who wuz dey?”

”That's what I don't know altogether. Say, Jerry, are there some tough characters hanging around the river these days that ain't regular crooks?”

”Is dey? Dere's a mess of 'em!”

”Where do they stay?” asked Johnny eagerly.

”Dat's it.” The little fellow scratched his head. ”I bin skulkin' 'round 'em to find out. Sometimes I follers 'em, like now. Dey always drop out like this. Dey's queer. Dey ain't regular crooks, nor regular guys either. Dey's cookin' soup for sump'n big.”

”That's what I think,” said Johnny. ”What are they like?

”Dey's five Roosians, three Heinies, one Wop, an' one j.a.p, I seen.”

”Say, Jerry,” said Johnny suddenly, ”do you want to earn some honest money?”

”Not work?”

”No, spyin'.”

”Not on me pals? Not on regular crooks?”

”No, on these queer ones.”

”I'm on. Wot's de lay?”

”Find where they stay. Hunt them day and night till you do. Here's a twenty. There's more where that came from. There's a century note if you get them. Get me?”

The Rat ducked his head in a.s.sent.

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