FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  
from long confinement. As Mortimer staggered back, the uninvited guest recoiled in his turn. He was staring fixedly across the room at his double who met his gaze firmly, erect, tense, silent. The others looked in sheer stupefaction from one to the other of the two Mr. Bellwards. For nearly a minute the only sound in the room was the deep ticking of the clock, counting away the seconds separating him from eternity, Desmond thought. It was Mrs. Malplaquet who broke the silence. Suddenly her nerves snapped under the strain, and she screamed aloud. "A--ah!" she cried, "look! There are two of them! No, no, it can't be!" And she sank half fainting on the sofa. Behrend whipped out a pistol from his hip pocket and thrust it in Mortimer's face. "Is this another of your infernal surprise packets?" he demanded fiercely. All the spies seemed on a sudden to be armed, Desmond noted, all, that is, save Mrs. Malplaquet who lay cowering on the settee. Mortimer had pulled out his super-Mauser; No. 13, who was guarding the door, had a revolver in his hand, and Behrend, as has been stated, was threatening Mortimer with his Browning. Now Max advanced threateningly into the room, a long seaman's knife in his hand.. "Put that blarsted shooting-iron awiy!" he snarled at Mortimer, "and tell us wot's the little gime, will yer! Come on, egpline!" With absolute self-possession Mortimer turned from the stranger to Desmond. "I think it is up to the twins to explain," he said almost nonchalantly, "suppose we hear what this gentleman, who arrived so surprisingly through the book-shelves, has to say?" Though threatened with danger from two sides, from the gang and possibly, as far as he knew, from the stranger, Mortimer was perfectly calm. Desmond never admired Maurice Strangwise more than in that moment. All eyes now turned questioningly towards the new arrival. As for Desmond he drew back as far as he dared into the shadow. He knew he was in the direst peril; but he was not afraid for himself. He was crushed to the ground by the sickening feeling that he was going to be beaten, that the gang were going to slip through his fingers after all... and he was powerless to prevent it. He guessed at once what had happened. Bellward must have escaped from custody; for there was no disguise about this pale, flustered creature who had the cowed look of a hunted man in his eyes. He must have come to the Mill House to get his mo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Mortimer

 

Desmond

 

stranger

 
Malplaquet
 

turned

 

Behrend

 

arrived

 

threatened

 
shelves
 

Though


gentleman

 
danger
 

surprisingly

 
egpline
 

snarled

 

absolute

 

nonchalantly

 
suppose
 

explain

 

possession


moment

 
guessed
 

happened

 

Bellward

 

custody

 

escaped

 
prevent
 

powerless

 
beaten
 

fingers


disguise

 

hunted

 

flustered

 

creature

 
feeling
 
sickening
 
shooting
 

questioningly

 

Strangwise

 

perfectly


admired

 

Maurice

 
arrival
 

afraid

 

crushed

 

ground

 
shadow
 

direst

 

possibly

 

seconds