It was not long, however, before it became evident that in some way word had been passed that we were not mere sightseers.  Perhaps it was by a sort of wireless electric tension that seemed to pervade the air.  At any rate, it was noticeable.

“There’s no use staying here,” remarked Garrick to me under his breath, affecting not to notice the scowls, “unless we do something.  Are you game for trying to get into the stuss joint?”

He said it with such determination to go himself that I did not refuse.  I had made up my mind that the only thing to do was to follow him, wherever he went.

Garrick rose, stretched himself, yawned as though bored, and together we lounged out into the public hall, just as someone from the outside clamoured for admission to the stuss joint through the strong door.

The door had already been opened, when Garrick deftly inserted his shoulder.  Through the crack in the door, I could see the startled roomful of players of all degrees in crookdom, in the thick, curling tobacco smoke.

The man at the door called out to Garrick to get out, and raised his arm to strike.  Garrick caught his fist, and slowly with his powerful grip bent it back until the man actually writhed.  As his wrist went back by fractions of an inch, his fingers were forced to relax.  I knew the trick.  It was the scientific way to open a clenched fist.  As the tendons refused to stretch any farther, his fingers straightened, and a murderous looking blackjack clattered to the floor.

All was confusion.  Money which was on the various tables disappeared as if by magic.  Cards were whisked away as if a ghost had taken them.  In a moment there was no more evidence of gambling than is afforded by any roomful of men, so easy was it to hide the paraphernalia, or, rather, lack of paraphernalia of stuss.

It was the custom, I knew, for criminals, after they had made a haul to retire into such places as these stuss parlors, not only to spend the proceeds of their robberies, but for protection.  Even though they were unmercifully fleeced by the gamblers, they might depend on them to warn of the approach of the “bulls” and if possible count on being hidden or spirited off to safety.

Apparently we had come just at a time when there were some criminals in hiding among the players.  It was the only explanation I could offer of the strange action that greeted our simple attempt to gain admission to the stuss room.  Whether they were criminals who had really made a haul or mere fugitives from justice, I could not guess.  But that a warning had been given the man at the door to be on his guard, seemed evident from the manner in which we had been met.

There was a rush of feet in the room.  I expected that we would be overwhelmed.  Instead, as together we pushed on the now half-open door, the room emptied like a sieve.  Whoever it might be who had taken refuge there had probably disappeared, among the first, by tacit understanding of the rest, for the whole thing had the air of being run off according to instructions.