Under His Thumb — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

¥ . - UNDER HIS THUMB. 59 that it was in quest of Carl Brandon that he had come to this locality. — The detective started toward them, bent upon se- curing an interview with the strange man. | _ But at the moment a shout was raised in his rear. “A fly-cop—down with him!’’ ; The utterance came from Bill Leary, and its effect upon the crowd was magical. Croly did not for a moment suppose that the ruffian had suspected his real character. The cry had been merely prompted by the desire to bring the roughs down upon the seeming dandy, not be- cause Leary really knew or thought him to be a de- tective in disguise. An angry murmur ran through the motley throng. Some darted off into alleys and door-ways; some stood motionless to watch the affair; and a half dozen of the most desperate characters made a rush toward Croly. In an instant they were between him and those he wished to overtake, hiding them from view. “Out of the way, you rascals!’ the detective ex- claimed, as he was confronted by his reckless foes. “Down with the fly-cop—quick, ’fore he gives the alarm!’’ cried Leary. Croly saw that he was in fot it. He must fight his way through the throng of desperadoes, and there was no time for parleying either. He swung his cane over his head, and brought it down with cutting force. It was not so much of a toy as it looked, as was speedily proved, for the one on whom the first blow descended was felled to the ground. Another was sent reeling into the arms of his comrades; and the others fell back in dismay. For it seemed to them (eo palirel exexo <3 co ri <i)