take the lower door. The rest come with me."

* * * * *

Followed closely by Dr. Bird and two operatives, Bolton sprinted across
the street and up the steps leading to the main entrance of the house.
The door was barred, and he hurled his weight against it without result.

"One side, Bolton," snapped Dr. Bird.

The diminutive Chief drew aside and Dr. Bird's two hundred pounds of
bone and muscle crashed against the door. The lock gave and the Doctor
barely saved himself from sprawling headlong on the hall floor. A
woman's scream rang out, and the Doctor swore under his breath.

"Upstairs! To the roof!" he cried.

Followed by the rest of the party, he sprinted up the stairway which
opened before him. Just as he reached the top his way was barred by an
Amazonian figure in a green bathrobe.

"Who th' divil arre yer?" demanded an outraged voice.

"Police," snapped Bolton. "One side!"

"Wan side, is it?" demanded the fiery haired Amazon. "The divil a stip
ye go until ye till me ye'er bizness. Phwat th' divil arre yer doin' in
th' house uv a rayspictable female at this hour uv th' marnin'?"

"One side, I tell you!" cried Bolton as he strove to push past the
figure that barred the way.

"Oh, ye wud, wud yer, little mann?" demanded the Irishwoman as she
grasped Bolton by the collar and shook him as a terrier does a rat. Dr.
Bird stifled his laughter with difficulty and seized her by the arm.
With a heave on Bolton's collar she raised him from the ground and swung
him against the Doctor, knocking him off his feet.

"Hilp! P'lice! Murther!" she screamed at the top of her voice.

"Damn it, woman, we're on--"

* * * * *

Dr. Bird's voice was cut short by the sound of a pistol shot from the
roof, followed by two others. The Irishwoman dropped Bolton and slumped
into a sitting position and screamed lustily. Bolton and Dr. Bird, with
the two operatives at their heels, raced for the roof. Before they
reached it another volley of shots rang out, these sounding from the
rear of the building. They made their way to the upper floor and found a
ladder running to a skylight in the roof. At the foot of the ladder
stood one of Carnes' party.

"What is it, Williams?" demanded Bolton.

"I don't know, Chief. Carnes and the other two went up there, and then I
heard shooting. My orders were to let no one come down the ladder."

As he spoke, Carnes' head appeared at t