Evidently they had had experiences in slips, and they were satisfied to give over the chase at the first fence.
No street-lamps shed their light here, and the boys blundered along through the blackness with their hearts in their mouths.

In one yard, filled with mountains of crates and fruit-boxes, they were lost for a quarter of an hour.

Feel and quest about as they would, they encountered nothing but endless heaps of boxes.

From this wilderness they finally emerged by way of a shed roof, only to fall into another yard, cumbered with countless empty chicken-coops.
Farther on they came upon the contrivance which had soaked Brick Simpson's pursuers with water.

It was a cunning arrangement.