Under His Thumb — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. 69 see you about the scene of the murder to-day, and I fancy I watched the locality pretty closely.’’ ‘There 1 bg a very good reason why you failed to notice me.’ “What is that?”’ ‘“T have not been Seat a dozen blocks of the place.’’ ‘“How does it happen, then, that you were follow- ing Carl Brandon?’’ Hyjah made an odd sound in his throat that seemed like a suppressed laugh. ‘I knew about the old quarrel, that is all. In fact, I was not greatly surprised when I[ heard of the mur- der. Probably, Mr. Croly, both of us could place our finger on the guilty man. The thing is, to prove it. Evidence is what I am after.” Croly was more and more surprised each moment. Could it be that the Hindoo detective had the case down so fine as he claimed? Or was he merely play- ing at ‘bluff’? in the hope of getting rid of his rival? Croly was on his guard. He admired the impas- - sive Hindoo, but he was not afraid of him. They had tested each other physically. In mental skill the test was only begun. In the struggle, Croly’s digs had become dis- arranged, else Hyjah would not have recognized him so readily. “Ves, it is evidence that we require,’’ Croly re- plied, in ready acquiescence. He added, with the greatest apparent frankness: “‘I suppose you suspect whither this Brandon disappeared so suddenly ?”’ ‘‘T have an idea, yes.”’ “That he skipped out at the other end of this pas- sage?’’ “Is that your idea, Mr. Croly?’’ (E(oy allicel oxox) cS (E(@) m