"Say, bo," said he, "I don't like the way you smile, but you talk so soft an' pretty, I guess I'll jest have t' come along t' gather up what they leave of ye." "Spider," said Ravenslee, "shake!" The Spider obeyed, somewhat shamefacedly to be sure. "It looks like two domes bein' cracked 'stead o' one, an' all along o' that fool-kid!" Having said which, he lurched on beside Ravenslee, chewing voraciously. "How you goin' t' work it?" he enquired suddenly. "I don't know yet." "Hully Chee! You've sure gotcher nerve along. There's some o' the toughest guys in little Manhattan Village at O'Rourke's dump t'night, keepin' th' ring an' fair achin' for trouble." "We must dodge 'em, Spider." "S'pose we can't?" "Then we must trust our luck, and I've got a hunch we shall get Spike away somehow before Mr. Flowers dopes him or makes him drunk; anyway we'll try. The dressing rooms are behind the annex, aren't they?" "Know the place, do ye?" "I've looked it over. We can get in behind the annex, can't we?" "In?" repeated the Spider, smiling grimly. "Oh, we'll get in all right; what gets my goat is how we're goin' t' get out again. You sure are a bird for takin' chances, Geoff." "Life is made up of chances, Spider, and there are two kinds of men--those who take them joyfully and those who don't." "Well, say, you can scratch me on the joyful business. I'm th' guy as only takes chances he's paid t' take." "How much are you getting on this job, Spider?" "Oh--well--I mean--say, what's th' time, bo?" "Five minutes after eight--why?" "I guess d' Kid's in th' ring, then. There's a full card t'night, an' he's scheduled for eight sharp, so I reckon he's fightin' now--an' good luck to him!" By this time they had reached that dark and quiet neighbourhood where stood O'Rourke's saloon. But to-night the big annex glared with light, and the air about it was full of a dull, hoarse, insistent clamour that swelled all at once to a chorus of discordant shrieks and frenzied cries. "Ah!" quoth the Spider sagely, "hark to 'em howl! That means some guy's gettin' his, alright. Listen to 'em; they love t' get blood for their entrance money, an' they're sure gettin' it. Some one's bein' knocked out--come on!" It was a dark night, for there was no moon and the stars were hidden; thus, as Ravenslee followed the Spider, he found himself stumbling over the uneven ground of a vacant lot, a lonely place beyond which lay the distant river. At last they reached various outbuildings, looming up ugly and ungainly in the dimness. "Say, bo," said the Spider, stopping suddenly at a small and narrow door, "you'd best wait here and lemme go first." "No, we'll go together." "Right-o, only be ready to make a quick get-away!"