Under His Thumb — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

198 UNDER HIS THUMB. “Tt ean’t be. He must be here, somewhere. Come this way,’’ said the other, in a subdued tone. But a thorough search of the place met with the same result. Croly, the detective, whom they had sought to kill, had escaped. Let us see how it happened. The instant that he felt sure the telephone pole ~ was falling, he flung himself forward with all the power and agility he possessed. He was barely able to seize the edge of the jutting roof; and to this he clung, while the pole fell with a clatter to the ground. For a minute he hung suspended, his body swing- ing like a pendulum over the abyss. He could hear the whispered exclamations of his enemies; he saw the light from the lantern flashing upon the dingy buildings, and reflected for an instant from the a carried by one of the ruffians. | He paused to see no more. There was no time to ~ be lost if he hoped to succeed in his purpose. He realized that his enemies were combining forces against him, and that he must be doubly alert and resolute if he was to overcome them. | An agile spring, and he was upon the jutting roof, and beyond any possible ray from his enemies’ lantern. And, without stopping to see what the would do next, he found his way to a skylight, whic was open. He did not hesitate to drop down through the opening. The room in which he found himself was small and dark, save for a dim light that came in through a transom. : | Passing out into a narrow passage, he was brought to a halt by the sound of footsteps. They came from a room near at hand. He went to the door, and prepared to listen, when the knob turned with a jerk, and the door was opened so sud- denly that it struck against the detective’s arm be- ' fore he could withdraw. It was a dwarfish figure that crossed the threshold _ and confronted Croly—the figure of the shrewd, malicious being known as Spider. Als. oad €omicbooks.com | » , 4 ln ‘ “a i i ae | n/a, At 2S