Steadily, although slowly, he pursued the one object of his present mode of life.
Any man who was known to be "crooked," and who at all resembled a certain description, he would persistently shadow until he knew that the person was not guilty of that particular crime.
Again and again was he disappointed.
But he would only make a dissatisfied gesture with his hand, and then in thin air write the words:
"Try, try again! Success must come at last!"
And then he would go relentlessly on, pursuing some unknown person who was even more shadowy than himself.
Besides searching for this one person, Shadow had devoted himself from a feeling of resentment toward the whole tribe of evil-doers, to the exposure of villainy whenever and wherever he found it.
The two burglars whom I had overheard talking about some "job" on entering the dive, were being cared for by Shadow.
Supposed to be deaf and dumb they had talked freely before him—it was destined to be to their sorrow.
They laid their plans for the robbery of a bank with the most consummate skill.