“Thankyou，Daddy！“shesaidsoftly-andlaidabilluponthecounter，andsteppedbacktothedoor。“Good-night！“shesmiled。
Sheheardhimcalltoher；butshewasalreadyonthestreetagain，andhurryingalong。Shefeltbetter，somehow，inamentalway，forthatlittleencounterwiththeshadyoldpawnbroker。Shewasnotsomuchalone，perhaps，asshehadthought；thereweremany，perhaps，eveniftheywereoftheunderworld，whohadnotswervedfromtheloyaltytheyhadonceprofessedtotheWhiteMoll。
Itbroughtanewtrainofthought，andshepausedsuddenlyinherwalk。Shemightrallyaroundhersomeofthoseunderworldintimatesuponwhoseallegianceshefeltshecoulddepend，andusethemnow，to-night，inbehalfoftheAdventurer；shewouldbesurethentobeamatchforDanglar，nomatterwhatturnaffairstook。Andthen，withanimpatientshakeofherhead，shehurriedonagain。Therewasnotimeforthat。Itwouldtakeagreatdealoftimetofindandpickhermen；shehadevenwastedtimeherself，wheretherewasnotimetospare，inthemomentarypauseduringwhichshehadgiventhethoughtconsideration。
Shereachedthenearestsubwaystation，whichwasherobjective，andboardedaHarlemtrain，satisfiedthatherheavyveilwouldprotectheragainstrecognition。Unobtrusivelyshetookawindowseat。Noonepaidheranyattention。Hourspassed，itseemedtoherimpatience，whiletheblackwallsrushedby，punctuatedbyoccasionalscintillatingsignallights，and，atlongerintervals，bythefullerglarefromthestationplatforms。
Intheneighborhoodof125thstreetsheleftthetrain，and，enteringthefirstdrugstoreshefound，consultedadirectory。
ShedidnotknowthissectionofNewYorkatall；shedidnotknoweitherthelocationorthefirmnameoftheironplanttowhichDanglar，assumingnaturally，ofcourse，thatshewasconversantwithit，hadreferred；andshedidnotcaretoasktobedirectedtoJakeMalley’ssaloon，whichwastheonlyclewshehadtoguideher。Theproblem，however，didnotappeartobeaverydifficultone。Shefoundthesaloon’saddress，and，askingtheclerktodirecthertothestreetindicated，leftthedrugstoreagain。
But，afterall，itwasnotsoeasy；noeasierthanforoneunacquaintedwithanylocalitytofindone’swayabout。Severaltimesshefoundherselfatfault，andseveraltimesshewasobligedtoaskdirectionsagain。Shehadbeguntogrowpanickywithfearanddreadatthetimeshehadlost，before，finally，shefoundthesaloon。Shewasquitesurethatitwasalreadymorethanhalfanhoursinceshehadleftthedrugstore；andthathalfanhourmighteasilymeanthedifferencebetweensafetyanddisaster，notonlyfortheAdventurer，butforherselfaswell。Danglarmighthavebeeninnoparticularhurry，andhewouldprobablyhavegonefirsttowhateverrendezvoushehadappointedforthoseofthegangselectedtoaccompanyhim，buteventohavedonesoinaleisurelywaywouldsurelynothavetakenmorethanthathalfhour！
Yes，thatwasJakeMalley’ssaloonnow，acrosstheroadfromher，butshecouldnotrecallthetimethatwasalreadylost！Theymightbetherenow-aheadofher。
Shequickenedherstepsalmosttoarun。Thereshouldbenodifficultyinfindingtheironplantnow。“BehindJakeMalley’ssaloon，“Danglarhadsaid。Sheturneddownthecrossstreet，passedthesideentrancetothesaloon，andhastenedalong。Thelocalitywaslonely，deserted，andnonetoowelllighted。Thearclamps，powerfulenoughinthemselves，weresofarapartthattheyleftgreatareasofshadow，almostblackness，betweenthem。Andthestreettoowasverynarrow，andthebuildings，suchastheywere，weredarkandunlighted-certainlyitwasnotaresidentialdistrict！
Andnowshebecameawarethatshewasclosetotheriver，forthesoundofapassingcraftcaughtherattention。Ofcourse！Sheunderstoodnow。Theironplant，forshippingfacilities，wasundoubtedlyonthebankoftheriveritself，and-yes，thiswasit，wasn’tit？-thispicketfencethatbegantoparalleltheright-handsideofthestreet，andenclose，seemingly，averylargearea。Shehaltedandstaredatit-andsuddenlyherheartsankwithamiserablesenseofimpotenceanddismay。Yes，thiswastheplacebeyondquestion。Throughthepicketfenceshecouldmakeouttheloomingshadowsofmanybuildings，andspideryironstructuresthatseemedtocobwebthedarkness，and-and-Herfacemirroredhermisery。Shehadthoughtofasinglebuilding。
Where，insidethere，amongstallthoseramblingstructures，withlittletime，perhapsnoneatall，tosearch，wasshetofindtheAdventurer？
Shedidnottrytoanswerherownquestion-shewasafraidthatherdismaywouldgetthebetterofherifshehesitatedforaninstant。Shecrossedthestreet，choosingaspotbetweentwoofthearclampswheretheshadowswereblackest。Itwasahighfence，butnottoohightoclimb。Shereachedup，preparatorytopullingherselftothetop-anddrewbackwithastifledcry。Shewastoolate，then-alreadytoolate！Theywerehereaheadofher-andonguardafterall！Aman’sform，appearingsuddenlyoutofthedarknessbutafewfeetaway，wasmakingquicklytowardher。Shewrenchedherautomaticfromherpocket。Thetouchoftheweaponinherhandrestoredherself-control。
“Don’tcomeanynearer！“shecriedoutsharply。“Iwillfireifyoudo！“
Andthenthemanspoke。
“It’syou，ain’tit？“hecalledinguardedeagerness。“It’stheWhiteMoll，ain’tit？ThankGod，it’syou！“
Herextendedhandwiththeautomaticfelltoherside。Shehadrecognizedhisvoice。Itwasn’tDanglar，itwasn’toneofthegang，orthewatchmanwhowasnobetterthananaccomplice；itwasMartyFinch，aliastheSparrow。
“Marty！“sheexclaimed。“You！Whatareyoudoinghere？“
“I’mheretokeepyoufromgoin’inthere！“heansweredexcitedly。
“And-and，say，IwasafraidIwastoolate。Don’tyougointhere！ForGod’ssake，don’tyougo！They’relayin’atrapforyou！They’regoin’tobumpyouoff！Iknowallaboutit！“
“Youknow？Whatdoyoumean？“sheaskedquickly。“Howdoyouknow？“
“IquitmyjobafewdaysafterthatfellowyoucalledDanglartriedtomurdermethatnightyousavedme，“saidtheSparrow，withasavagelaugh。“Iknewhehaditinforyou，andIguessIhadsomethingcomm’tohimonmyownaccounttoo，hadn’tI？That’sthejobI’vebeenoneversince-tryin’tofindthedirtypup。AndI
foundhim！Butitwasn’tuntilto-night，thoughyoucanbelievemethereweren’tmanyjointsintheoldtownwhereIdidn’tlookforhim。Myluckturnedto-night。Ispottedhimcomin’outofItalianJoe’sbar。See？Ifollowedhim。Afterawhileheslipsintoalane，andfromthestreetIsawhimgointoashedthere。Iworkedmywayupquiet，andgotasnearasIdaredwithoutbein’heardandseen，andIlistened。Hewastalkin’toawoman。Icouldn’theareverythingtheysaid，andtheyquarreledalot；butIheardhimsaysomethingaboutframin’upajobtogetsomebodydowntotheoldironplantbehindJakeMalley’ssaloonandbump’emoff，andI
heardhimsaytherewouldn’tbeanyWhiteMollbymorning，andI
puttwoandtwotogetherandbeatitforhere。“
RhodaGrayreachedoutandcaughttheSparrow’shand。
“Thankyou，Marty！Youhaven’tgotitquiteright-though，thankHeaven，yougotitthewayyoudid，sinceyouareherenow！“shesaidfervently。“Itwasn’tme，itwasn’ttheWhiteMoll，theyexpectedtogethere；it’sthemanwhohelpedmethatnighttoclearyouoftheHayden-BondrobberythatDanglarmeanttomakeyoushoulder。Heriskedhislifetodoit，Marty。They’vegothimaprisonersomewhereinthere；andthey’recomingbackto-totorturehimintotellingthemwhereIam，and-andafterwardstodoawaywithhim。That’swhyI’mhere，Marty-togethimaway，ifIcan，beforetheycomeback。“
TheSparrowwhistledlowunderhisbreath。
“Well，then，Iguessit’smyhunttoo，“hesaidcoolly。“AndI
guessthisiswhereaprisonbirdhornsinwiththegoods。EversinceI’vebeenlookingforthatDanglarguy，I’vebeencarryin’
afullkit-becauseIdidn’tknowwhatmightbreak，orwhatkindofamessImightwanttogetoutof。Comeon！Weain’tgotnotime。There’sacoupleofbrokenpicketsdownthere。Wemightbeseenclimbin’thefence。Comeon！“
Breaduponthewaters！Withasenseofwarmgratitudeuponher，RhodaGrayfollowedtheex-convict。Theymadetheirwaythroughthefence。Along，lowbuilding，astorageshedevidently，showedafewyardsinfrontofthem。Itseemedtobequiteclosetotheriver，fornowshecouldseethereflectionoflightsfromhereandthereplayingontheblack，mirror-likesurfaceofthewater。
Fartheron，overbeyondtheshed，theyardoftheplant，dottedwithotherbuildingsandthosespideryironstructureswhichshehadpreviouslynoticed，stretchedawayuntilitwaslostinthedarkness。Here，however，withintheradiusofoneofthestreetarclampsitwasquitelight。
RhodaGrayhadpausedinalmosthopelessindecisionastohoworwheretobeginhersearch，whentheSparrowspokeagain。
“Itlookslikewegotalonghunt，“whisperedtheSparrow；“butafewminutesbeforeyoucame，aguywithalanterncomesfromoveracrosstheyardthereandnosedaroundthatshed，andactedkindofqueer，andIcouldseehimstickhisheadupagainstthemsidedoorsthereasthoughhewaslistenin’forsomethinginside。Doesthatwiseyouuptoanything？“
“Yes！“shebreathedtensely。“Thatwasthewatchman。He’soneofthem。Themanwewantisinthatshedbeyondadoubt。Hurry，Marty-hurry！“
Theyrantogethernow，andreachedthedoubleside-door。Itwasevidentlyforfreightpurposesonly，andprobablybarredontheinside，fortheyfoundtherewasnowayofopeningitfromwithout。
“Theremustbeanentrance，“shesaidfeverishly-andledthewaytowardthefrontofthebuildinginthedirectionawayfromtheriver。“Yes，hereitis！“sheexclaimed，astheyroundedtheendoftheshed。
Shetriedthedoor。Itwaslocked。Shefeltinherpocketforherskeletonkeys，forshehadnotbeenunpreparedforjustsuchanemergency，buttheSparrowbrushedheraside。
“Leaveittome！“hesaidquickly。“I’llpickthatlocklikeoneo’clock！Itwon’ttakememore’naminute。“
RhodaGraydidnotstandandwatchhim。Minuteswerepricelessthings，andshecouldputtheminuteheaskedfortobetteradvantagethanbyidlingitaway。Withanaddedinjunctiontohurryandthatshewouldbebackinaninstant，shewasalreadyracingaroundtheoppositesideoftheshed。Iftheywerepressed，cornered，bythearrivalofDanglar，itmightwellmeanthedifferencebetweenlifeanddeathtoallofthemifshehadanintimateknowledgeofthesurroundings。
