Under His Thumb — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

68 UNDER HIS THUMB, | ‘It is hardly worth while, that’s a fact,’’ Croly re-. plied. And they clasped hands with a sincere cordiality, which even the thought of rivalry did not cool. ‘We were both in pursuit of the same game, it seems,’’ Hyjah observed, a moment later. ‘And we have both missed it,’’ Croly replied. ‘For the present, yes.”’ ‘‘I suppose you intended to arrest the man?”’ Croly asked, carelessly. In reality he was intensely cu- rious to learn why the Hindoo detective was in pur- suit of Brandon, the vagabond. Could it be possi- ble that Hyjah, the Hindoo, was at work so soon on the printing-house mystery? If so, how did he ob- tain a clew implicating Carl Brandon in the affair? These queries flashed through the mind of Croly; and at the same time he was impressed by a convic- tion that, if he were to solve this mystery first, he could do* so only as a test of skill between himself and the great Hindoo. ‘‘I did not intend to arrest the fugitive,’ the latter declared, in response to Croly’s question. “May I ask, then, why you were chasing him?” ‘‘For the same reason that you were, I fancy.” “What is that?’’ “To question him about the Waldron tragedy. That was my object. Will you be equally candid, Mr. Croly 2” ‘It is useless to deny what you suspect. But I con- fess that I am surprised.’’ “Surprised by what?’’ “That you have undertaken this case.”’ “Why shouldn’t 1?’ ‘There is no objection, of course. ‘But I did not comicbooks.co « . i 7 a @ < Bx a 4 © P ai, Pho ; . 44 a