for them. The place is surrounded; they can't escape alive.
Is anyone in the front room, lower floor?'

He shook his head sullenly.

'You were put there on guard--is it not so?' He blinked under the
lantern's rays, and I saw that I was right. 'And you thought it would
be quite safe to slip out for an hour or two; and so it would have
been last night or the one before. Now, is Delbras on the second-floor
front? You had better tell me!' He nodded sullenly. 'And Bob?
Remember, your answers can't injure their case and will benefit yours.
My word is good. Is Greenback Bob there?' Again the sullen fellow
bowed his head. 'And how many more, exclusive of your prisoner?' The
rascal started, and seemed taken with a new panic. 'You had better be
quite frank,' I admonished. 'How many?'

He held up three fingers as well as the handcuffs would permit, and a
moment later we had left him at the mouth of the alley, guarded by two
officers, while we arranged for our attack.

One man was left to guard the rear, with full instructions covering
any and all possible emergencies, and one was told off to guard the
front entrance, while the remaining six were paired: Lossing with
myself, at his own request; Dave and one officer, and Jeffrys with
another. Murphy we had left with Smug, and in charge of the party
without.

'Masters,' Lossing said, 'I want to be with the man that attacks
Delbras. I owe it to him.' When Jeffrys had heard him he declared
Delbras his prey. But I also had my word to say. Jeffrys might serve
his warrant and bear off the captive from the city, but he could only
take him when I had failed; and so it was arranged.

When all was ready we waited, six of us, upon the steps of the gloomy
house, until after what seemed an hour, and was in reality ten
minutes, had passed, and then a long freight train came rumbling
cityward. As it came near I inserted the key in the lock carefully and
turned it slowly, and without noise; and while the sound still covered
our careful movements, we entered the hall, leaving the officer in
charge of the door.

Then, when Dave and his companion had entered the front room and stood
ready to move upon the watcher through the door behind the screen,
trusting the other door to the watchful eye of the guard at the front,
we crept upstairs, with that sidewise movement which insures one who
has the patience to try it a silent if slow passage, to the top, in
single file.

At the top we separated,