Under His Thumb — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Te Sees UNDER HIS THUMB. companion, and together they resumed their flight along the dark, muddy highway. Had they only known that they were fleeing from - one who would have proved their most substantia] friend, their action would have been very different indeed. . For the one who had attacked Leary was the brave Hindoo detective; and he had followed them for the express purpose of guarding them against their foes. Yet had they known the identity of the detective, without knowing of his purpose, they would doubt- less have refused to trust to his protection. Hence, in blindness to their own welfare, the two girls fled from their best friend—fled on and on through the darkness and storm, into new and unfathomed depths of danger. Hor an hour they struggled along the muddy road. The ascent grew steeper at every step, and they be- ‘came presently aware that the road was narrower, and densely shaded on both sides by tall trees, Katie came suddenly to a halt, uttering a gasp of dismay. ‘Il believe we’re wrong !’’ she exclaimed. ‘“Wrong—how ?”’ “We've gone off on a cross road, some way. Tt was so dark that I didn’t notice. But I know it isn’t this far from the station to the village. And I know, too, that the road we ought to have taken isr,’t so narrow nor steep as this one.”’ | “Then we’re lost, I suppose.” = “If it wasn’t for the darkness we would soon find ; the right road.’’ They were silent for a minute, the rain beating in their faces. Stella was next to speak. ‘What shall we do?” she asked. comicbooks.com