"And we were dead lucky in getting a whack at a piece of it," Mullen added. "That came of my friendship with Fallon, who knows all about his nibs and has been standing in with him on this job. The taxi came in handy, you know. The trick could not have been turned without it."
"Not very well, Jake."
"Fallon reckoned that I knew of a safe place for the skirt, and having got safely away with her, we’re dead lucky to be in the game. Here, you, Sampson, lay hold and lift her out."
Mullen had been unbuckling the back flap of the wagon top while speaking, and Sampson had secured the horse and emerged from the near stall.
Together the three men raised the form of the senseless woman from the wagon and placed her on the stable floor. Her hat dropped off while they were doing so and the veil fell from her white, expressionless face.
Patsy Garvan caught his breath with sudden amazement.
"Holy smoke! That’s young Mantell’s wife, Helen Mantell," was his first thought, while the three men stood gazing down at her. "Gee! there’s more to this than I guessed. Can it be that the old man has soured on her and wants her out of the way? I cannot believe that. There is more to this job than I have suspected."[Pg 31]
Patsy’s conflicting thoughts were diverted again by Mullen, who suddenly said bluntly:
"Get a move on. It won’t do to let her lie here. Some one might show up. Lay hold, both of you; it will take all three of us to lug her down to the steps."
"She’ll stay there, all right, once we’ve put her there and fastened the trapdoor," growled Corson. "There’s no other way out."