Lifted by two of his men, Cardona pushed it up and peered out upon the roof. The huddled form of a man lay in front of him.
Then came a revolver shot. A bullet splintered the trapdoor. Joe Cardona ducked. Then he put his hand through the opening and fired in the direction of the shots. There was no volley in return.
The detective and his men emerged upon the roof. Crouching in the darkness, they gazed in all directions.
They could see no one.
Then came a shout from the building across the street. Firemen on top of the burning apartment house had heard the shots. They were signaling. One of them pointed in the distance.
“Come on!”
It was Cardona’s command. He started the pursuit over the irregular roofs, leaving one of his men to search the victim who had been killed by the shots through the trapdoor.
Clambering over a small wall between two buildings, Cardona sighted his quarry. Five men were making their way across the roofs. Two of them were leaning upon the others.
CARDONA’S revolver spoke. His shots went wide. The five men scattered. Each one dropped to the roof. They seemed to be seeking safety.
With a shout of triumph, Cardona leaped from the wall, and his men followed.