Under His Thumb — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

28 , UNDER HIS THUMB. CHAPTER IV. STEVE’S THRILLING EXPERIENCE. _ §$teve Lawton, face to face with Dyer, the fore- man, was strangely impressed by the speech of the latter. ‘Why did you run from the cops?’’ the boy reiter- ated. ‘“‘Because I did not wish them to take me,’ was the weak reply. ‘“That’s a slim reason, I call it. Why shouldn’t I run from ’em? Why shouldn’t everybody in the city take to their legs when they see a couple of cops comin’ along—hey? I guess you’ve done something, George Dyer!”’ The grasp upon the boy’s arm tightened, and a menacing glance shot from the young man’s eyes. “Tf you dare to betray me it will go hard with you,’’ he hissed. ‘“‘T don’t see how I can betray yer when I don’t know as you’ve done anything.”’ The footsteps of the pursuing officers grew louder over their heads. The sounds increased the anxiety of the foreman, who said: | “Steve, you must help me to escape.”’ ‘“Me—help you?’’ “Yes. You must throw my pursuers off my track.”’ “Why should I do that?” ‘“‘Because I have done nothing deserving of the punishment which J] am sure to receive if 1 am taken.’”’ ‘Then what are you hidin’ for?’’ comicbooks. col