f the block. Neither of them wore his uniform,
as they remained as they had dressed for the duty they were to do on
board of the Teaser. This was a point in their favor in the course they
were to pursue, for their uniform would have betrayed them as soon as
they were seen.

Before they reached the end of the block of warehouses, they had found
and tried all the scuttles on the roof, but they had not discovered one
which had been left unfastened. At the last one this became a serious
question. The scuttle at the end warehouse was securely hooked on the
inside; but neither of the pair felt discouraged at this circumstance.
Looking about them they found a piece of joist about ten feet long,
which might have been left there when the building was finished. Christy
examined the scuttle with the greatest care, to determine on which side
the hooks were placed.

While he was doing this, Flint detached a couple of bricks from the
party-wall, which were used as a fulcrum for the lever, made of the
joist. The building was not inhabited, and there was little to be feared
at that height above the street from any noise they might make. Flint
sat down on the end of the lever, and the scuttle flew up at once, the
staple drawn out of the wood.

The master's mate was the first to enter; and he "hung off" to the floor
below. Then he assisted Christy to descend, and to close the scuttle
after him. Acting upon their belief that all the warehouses were
constructed on the same plan, they easily found the door by which they
reached the staircase. On the lower floor, they opened a window and
passed out into the alley in the rear of the building. They were on the
ground, and Christy soon ascertained where he was. He made his way to a
wharf where he was fortunate enough to find a boat.

This locality seemed to be entirely deserted, and there was no one to
challenge them, and no one appeared to take any notice of them on the
way. It was not yet nine o'clock, and many stores were open, one of
which they entered and bought a cooked ham and a large supply of bread.
The woman in charge asked no questions, though Christy talked about a
fishing trip to blind her. The boat they found was a very good one, and
as it was the property of the enemy, Christy had no scruples in regard
to confiscating it. He had money enough in his pocket to pay for it, but
as the owner did not appear to dispute his taking possession of it, he
dispensed with this ceremony.