The dark man scratched his matted head. "We don't know," he said; "we was just put in here to dig. At first there was ten of us; but we was kep' on to give the finishin' touches." "What became of the others?" "Oh, Mr. Blizzard, he's got other work for them." "Is this place under his house?" "No, sir, it ain't. But the cellar at the head of them steps is." "Maybe he's hollered this out to hide things in?" The blind men turned toward each other and nodded their heads. "That's just presactly what we think," said the blond one. "What do you do when you aren't working?" "Oh, we sleeps and eats in Blizzard's cellar." "How long you been on the job?" "We don't know. We lost track." "See much of Blizzard?" "Oh, he's in and out, just to keep things going." "Is the passage to the river just to get rid of the dirt?" The dark man laughed sheepishly. "We don't think so," he said--"we gets lots of time to think. And it ain't always dirt that goes into the river. Twicet it's been men, and once it were a woman. There was lead pipe wrapped round the bodies to make 'em sink. And oncet Blizzard he tumbled a girl down the stairs to us. But she weren't dead, and me and Bill took the lead off her before we throwed her in." His comrade interrupted. "She said she could swim. She said if we'd take the lead off and untie her and give her a chanst, we could have a kiss apiece. But we let her go fer nothin'." "Did she get away?" Bubbles was tremendously interested. "No, sir. It was dark night, and she couldn't find a way out from under the wharf. She just swam round and round, slower and slower, like a mouse in a wash-tub. Then she calls out she'll come back and we can hide her till daylight. But she don't make it We has to stand there and listen to her drown." "When she's dead she gets out into the open river, and when Blizzard hears she's been found without any lead on her he raises hell." "When he gets through with us we was most skinned alive." "He wouldn't dig that hole to the river," said Bubbles, "just to get rid of people. What do you think it's for?" "You ain't goin' to tell Blizzard you been here, nor get us in trouble?" "I'll get you out of this some day, but you can't get in no trouble through me." "Then," said the blond man, "this is what we thinks out and concludes: Blizzard he's calculatin' to receive stolen goods wholesale. First he stores 'em in here until this cellar is full, and then he takes 'em down to the river and puts 'em aboard a ship bound fur furrin' ports, and we thinks and concludes that he'll make his get-away about the same time." "Well," said Bubbles, "I'm obliged. I won't forget your kindness. But it's time I was off." "Come close first," said the blond man. Bubbles was instantly alarmed. "Why?" "Only so's we can feel your face, so's to know what you look like." He stood impatient and embarrassed while they pawed his face with hard, grimy hands.