UNDER COVER

The shed roof was below, and he struck it, fortunately feet first, but the sharp slant of the boards sent him hurtling forward over the edge into a miscellaneous pile of boxes beneath, his body finally resting on the hard ground.  He lay there dazed, the breath knocked entirely out of him, bruised, and scarcely certain whether he was dead or alive.  For the moment, he seemed to have lost all consciousness, unable to realize even what had occurred in that upper room, or to comprehend the necessity of immediate flight.  All about him was intense darkness, and, after the crash of his fall, no sound broke the silence.  He could see nothing, hear nothing to arouse his faculties; his flesh quivered with pain, although he felt sure no bones were fractured, for he could move both arms and limbs freely, while after the first shock, his mind returned to activity, dominated by the single conviction that he must get away from there before those men could get down stairs.

But how?  He retained no strength, no ability to use his limbs sufficient to carry him away from the neighbourhood swiftly.  He felt paralysed, numb, even his brain functioning strangely, the danger of his helpless condition its only incentive to action.  He endeavoured to rise, rolling partially over in the effort which failed, but the movement, slight as it was, left one hand dangling over an excavation at his right.  His fingers explored the edge of this opening cautiously, revealing a cellar-way, leading down into the basement.  The opening was black, silent, mysterious, yet it was a hiding place.  If he could manage to roll down those steps into those depths below, he might hide there unseen, until he regained strength, until the first effort at pursuit had been abandoned.  Then there might be a chance for escape.

West grasped the idea clearly enough.  Those fellows would be there swiftly.  If they found him gone they would have no doubt but what he landed safely, and had made a get-away.  They would search, of course, perhaps out into the alley, hoping he might have been injured, but it was hardly probable they would think to explore the cellar.  Even if they did, he could surely creep into some dark corner where he might escape observation.  Anyway, crippled as he was, this offered the one and only chance.  He could not argue and debate; he must act.

He rolled over, and lowered himself down into the opening, locating the half-dozen broken and rotted steps with his feet.  He made no attempt to stand, but simply slid down, finding a partially closed door at the bottom, the passage-way blocked by a litter, the exact nature of which could not be determined in the darkness.  With some difficulty, and more than ever conscious of his weakness, and the pain of bruises, he managed to crawl over this pile of debris, and crouch down finally in the intense blackness within.  He felt like a trapped rat, still gasping for breath, his body quivering from exertion.