At the end of that time Spike showed by his action and his vigilance that the person or persons for whom he had watched had come into view.
Presently two men crossed from the lower side of Thirty-fourth Street to the corner where Spike was standing, and as they passed him, carelessly nodded to him.
Spike spoke to them and they halted.
What passed between them of course Patsy could not tell, but it evidently ended in an invitation to drink on the part of one of the two strangers, a man who in his outward appearance looked like everything else but a thief and burglar.
As Patsy was preparing to follow, he suddenly became aware that a man had stopped on the pavement immediately in front of him and was regarding the group across the street most intently.
Looking at this man closely, Patsy quickly recognized a celebrated detective from Chicago.
Stepping up to him, Patsy called him by name, revealing himself to the Chicago sleuth.
“What do you know of those men over there?” he asked.
“Are you after them?” asked the Chicago man in return.
“I am after the one who is on the corner that they spoke to. He is Spike Thomas, a New York crook, second-story man.”