"Well, what do you want with us, anyhow?" asked Barney, with a somewhat mollified air. "We're only a lot of poor kids as hasn't got no better place to tie up in winter-time nor this. We don't do no one any harm." "I know that," answered Hook, pleasantly, "and that's why I propose to let you alone. I found the entrance beneath the flat tombstone in the church-yard entirely by itself. If you wished to conceal it you were foolish to clear the snow away. But you need have no fears of me, not one of you. All I want now is that you answer me a few questions, and then I'll be off about my business and forget that I was ever here." "Well, that depends upon de questions," replied Barney, taking upon himself the duty of spokesman. "Maybe we'll answer and maybe we won't." "They concern Frank Mansfield only and can't harm you." "Fire away, den," said Barney, shortly. Frank, meanwhile, maintained a discreet silence. It was plainly evident that nothing he could say or do would help matters at all. "Who was the woman that passed through here just now by the way I came in?" The detective had seated himself carelessly upon the table, with one foot resting upon the ground. As he propounded the question he coolly lighted a cigar, and passed one to each of the boys. "I don't know wot yer mean," replied Barney, with some slight evidence of embarrassment. "Dere's no woman comes in here, is dere, Jerry?" "Not much!" said Jerry, shortly, as he produced matches and lit his cigar. "Well, I'll try again. Which of you boys found the box last night?" He held up the tin box of papers handed him by Frank Mansfield a short time before. "I found it first. And I gave it to Barney to take care of," replied Jerry. "I picked it up on Rector street, right in front of the bank, after I see'd the burglars run." "Oh, you saw the burglars, did you? By the way, you are the newspaper boy that was with Frank at the Catherine Market this morning?" "Yes." "What's your name?" "Jerry Buck." "How did you come to see these fellows?" "Why, I was coming down Rector street on my way here just as they were comin' out of the bank." "Did they see you?" "Not much," replied the boy, laughing and showing his teeth. "I'm too fly for that, mister. I hid in the shadow of the wall, and give them the bat call. Gosh! you orter seen them run! There was three of 'em--one had a big bag, another a carpet sack. It was the big feller wot dropped that box." "What do you mean by the 'bat call?'" "I didn't mean to say nothin' 'bout that," answered Jerry, hesitatingly, seeing that the Bats were regarding him with no pleasant eyes.