If he had been in his own bailiwick, he would have rather enjoyed the
tense excitement of the chase than otherwise, for there he was at home
and knew all the cross-cuts and where to find each broken paling in
the roof-fences, and all the traps in the roofs. But here he was
running in a maze, and what looked like a safe passage-way might throw
him head on into the outstretched arms of the officers.
And while he felt his way his mind was terribly acute to the fact that
as yet no door on any of the landings had been thrown open to him,
either curiously or hospitably as offering a place of refuge. He did
not want to be taken, but in spite of this he was quite cool, and so,
when he heard quick, heavy footsteps beating up the stairs, he stopped
himself suddenly by placing one hand on the side of the wall and the
other on the banister and halted, panting. He could distinguish from
below the high voices of women and children and excited men in the
street, and as the steps came nearer he heard some one lowering the
ladder he had thrown upon the roof to the sixth floor and preparing to
descend. "Ah!" snarled Raegen, panting and desperate, "youse think you
have me now, sure, don't you?" It rather frightened him to find the
house so silent, for, save the footsteps of the officers, descending
and ascending upon him, he seemed to be the only living person in all
the dark, silent building.
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