Under His Thumb — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. of him back against the wall, holding him thus until he was black in the face. At this juncture the policeman was treated to a - startling surprise. A pair of powertul hands seized him from behind, lifted him clear off the floor, whirled him aloft with dizzy swiftness, and then sent him reeling toward the other end of the passage. The astonished policeman recovered his feet and glanced about him in a dazed fashion. He saw Steve Lawton standing at a little distance; and near the boy was a slender, thin-faced man re- garding both through his spectacles. In the door-way stood Mr. Blain. ‘“Who—who did that?’’ the policeman demanded, as soon as he could recover his speech. ‘Perhaps I did,’ the thin man replied, in a mild tone. “You! Well, I guess not.’’ “Why not [?’’ “T could spin two men like you as I would a couple of tops.’’ ‘**Do you think so?”’’ ‘“‘T am pretty sure of it.”’ “Well, you may try spinning me, if you really think you can doit. But I would advise you to in- sure yourself against accidents before you begin. There is always more or less risk in experiments of that kind.’’ The policeman advanced, bending a penetrating look upon the thin, mild-voiced man. The passage was rather dimly lighted; but as he drew nearer he suddenly remembered that he had seen this same spectacled man before that day. He recalled, at (Elo) ECOMIcHOOKS