investigation disclosed the fact that this scuttle-way was the means of
exit. Sam thus ascertained why his long, weary watch had been fruitless.

After Cummings fired at the fortune-teller he turned quickly and ran up
the steps to the roof of the house and so escaped through the vacant
dwelling which faced the street. Believing that the old woman had either
betrayed him or had been frightened into giving the desired information
he decided to "vamoose the ranch" and that quickly. Moriarity must trust
to his own good luck, for time was pressing and to save himself he must
take an immediate departure.

A thousand schemes passed through his head and a hundred disguises
presented themselves to him as he hurried toward his room. Side streets
and back alleys were taken and more than once he doubled on his track to
ascertain if he was followed. Satisfied that, as yet, no one was on his
track, Cummings allowed his fears to vanish. He was still safe and if he
could only reach his "den" in safety he could lay low until the first
wind had blown over. He knew that in a short time the whole city would
be scoured for the noted Jim Cummings, and he laughed derisively as he
thought of the open manner he had moved in the town since the robbery.
No disguise had been attempted, no great secrecy and if it had not been
for the unfortunate affair of the cooper-shop, he might have lived there
for years without any suspicions being directed toward him. Although he
had moved so openly and boldly he had kept to himself, not even telling
Moriarity the location of his residence. To this place he now hurried.
It was a large room in a first-class boarding-house whose landlady and
boarders would have been horror-stricken had they known that "Mr.
Williams," the jolly, good-natured young fellow who had proved such a
valuable acquisition to their after-dinner gatherings, was the desperate
free-booter who had walked away with the valuable express package.