Under His Thumb — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. 199 The latter uttered ‘a startled cry, recoiled, and at- tempted to close the door again. But a firmly © planted foot prevented, and a strong hand seized the — door, and flung it back with a force that hurled §Spi- der almost into the detective’s arms. Before the terrified dwarf could recover himself he was held firmly by the throat—so firmly that he seemed threatened with instant strangulation. “Don’t killme! Mercy!’ gasped the wretch. Hven as the words passed his lips Spider found himself hurled to the floor, while a pair of hand- cufis were snapped upon his wrists. Then he was jerked to his feet again, and for the first time the detective spoke. “This time I am going to make sure of you, and I will not lose any time about it either. I will give you just one minute in which to produce the articles which you took from my room to-day. At the end of that minute, unless you place the things in my hand, V’ll trot you around to the police headquar- ters, and have you held Lor murder. That’s what I will do.’’ Spider trembled like an aspen, his face growing pale as ashes. ““I—I ain’t murdered nobody,” he began, but was sharply interrupted with: “Time! One minute, remember.’’ And Croly produced his watch, and fixed his oaze upon its face. “W ait, wait—I can’t get them so quick,”’ chattered the dwarf. “Yes, you can, for they’re right in this room, as you know. Start your boots—I mean business.’’ Spider dared not put the detective off with further pretext. So he hastily entered the room from which he had just emerged, closely followed by Croly. He opened a drawer in an old-fashioned bureau—the drawer was not locked, and he managed it in spite of the manacles upon his wrists—and took therefrom 4 square pasteboard box. ‘‘Here’s the things, mister, just as I found them,’ he declared, as Croly took the box from his hands. Eomicbooks (E(0) mn