The cop thought for a moment that the young man had slugged old Crowell, the building watchman.
The old watchman was still bewildered, looking at the building and shaking his head.
But the old watchman seemed to have one of his sudden strange changes of temper again.
An old watchman lived in a cubbyhole at the back of the ground floor.
"I dropped a cigarette case in the cushions of a cab," Gail told the old watchman.
Get you to your duties, old watchman, and leave me to mine.
The old watchman didn't seem to be much interested.
He'll be the same old watchman when they find him.
They passed the old watchman with a word, and went into the Yard.
On the wharf, the old watchman waited with gun poised.