It was a longer wait, however, for the other two, and Nick was made aware of their coming by a string of oaths from inside the fence which he knew to be from Lannigan.
Straining his ears he found that Lannigan was swearing over the door at the foot of the stairs.
He was attributing the broken door to the thieves who had robbed him, assuming that that was the way in which they had gotten in.
To have heard him swear and talk one would have supposed that he was an honest man and there had never been such an outrage before, or so dishonest a thing, as that of robbing him of what he had robbed Mr. Herron.
Nick, laughing at this, nevertheless by a long whistle gave Chick the signal to be on the alert, as their birds were coming.
The next instant Lannigan and the unknown stepped out into the street and hurried in the direction of Third Avenue.
Nick hung back, fearing that he was known by one or both of the two, and signaled to Chick to take up the shadow.
Chick promptly appeared at the corner and, seeing the two men now pretty nearly at the other end of the block, hurried along past Nick and heard Nick say that he would follow behind him.
Thus the four went to Third Avenue, where the two men, Lannigan and the unknown, boarded a street car.
A coach and pair stood at the corner, and Nick, calling to Chick, sprang in after telling the driver he should have double fare if he kept the passing car in sight.