Jimmie Dale drew a breath of relief.
He went on again to the door, still listening.

Was it a trap--that step outside?
At the door now, tense, alert, he lowered his ear to the keyhole.

There came the faintest creak from the stairs.

Jimmie Dale's brows gathered.
It was strange! The knocking had not lasted long.

Whoever it was was going away--but it required the utmost caution to descend those stairs, rickety and tumble-down as they were, with no more sound than that! Why such caution?
Why not a more determined and prolonged effort at his door--the visitor had been easily satisfied that Larry the Bat was not within.