He had been looking about for a convenient “crib to crack.” He had, to use a cant or sporting phrase, “spotted” a large warehouse which stood at the east end of the town, and had come to the conclusion that there would be but little difficulty in his effecting an entrance. The place was left in charge of a night watchman, whose vigilant eye Peace felt assured he could easily avoid. It was his custom at this time to wear women’s boots. He had on the same pair which he made use of when he entered the millowner’s house at Dudley Hill. Once in the premises, there would not be much difficulty in abstracting all valuables which were in any way portable. He was over-confident on this occasion. He, however, took the precaution to disguise himself by wearing his false arm and colouring his face, which presented the appearance of a mulatto. He was under the full impression, to use another sporting phrase, “that he would be able to walk over the course.” The town of Bradford was enveloped in a mist when Peace sallied forth upon his marauding expedition. He did not start from his lodgings, but had been for an hour or two at a quiet respectable coffee-shop. From this place he started upon his expedition. There were but a few stragglers in the streets at this time, for the hour was late, and most of the operatives were fast asleep in their beds, save a few of the most irreclaimable, who were in the parlours or skittle-grounds of the public-houses. In the course of about twenty minutes, or from that time to half an hour, Peace arrived at the warehouse which he had chosen as the scene of his operations. He glanced furtively around. Not a solitary passenger was in sight. The warehouse stood in a part of the town where few chance pedestrians were to be seen even in the busiest part of the day. Now there were none, and the burglar therefore had it all to himself. He tried the lock of one of the side doors with more than one of his skeleton keys, but was not at first successful in shooting back the bolt. He was, however, not a man to be easily baffled. On many occasions he has boastfully displayed to his companions his ability in tampering with locks of every description. After some further efforts he managed to turn back the lock. This done, he gently pushed against the door, which he found was fastened by a top bolt――the bottom one had evidently not been driven home into its socket. He had now but one thing to contend with, this being the top bolt. He had provided himself with a small piece of flexible steel with a sort of claw at its end, wherewith to operate on this. A considerable space of time elapsed before he was enabled to successfully surmount this difficulty. At length, however, by patience and perseverance, combined with skill, he contrived to send back the bolt from the socket by slow degrees. This done he opened the door, entered, and closed it after him, so that it might not attract the notice of any of the police.