et fear of a strong man who acknowledges
his own inevitable destiny. Garth reminded him of that. It was his last
weapon.

"They'll get you, Slim. They're keeping the chair warm for you. Will
this help then?"

Slim laughed.

"Will it hurt? I've waited for this moment ever since you and she sent
me to rot in the Tombs. I'll pay old scores while I can."

With an extreme deliberation he commenced to tip the bottle. The fluid,
almost imperceptibly approaching the mouth, exercised for Garth a
dreadful fascination. It was easy to estimate its progress. George had
been right. In about ten seconds! And he couldn't get his chained hands
to his eyes. He tried to tell himself it was impossible that that
innocent-appearing fluid in the control of this criminal could condemn
him to an unrelieved blackness through which, hideously scarred, he must
grope henceforth, a thing repellent and past use.

The lights were centred upon his face. It struck him as ironic that
their glare should hurt his eyes.

Suddenly Nora sprang forward. She stretched her hand towards Slim, but
she didn't touch the bottle or his wrist, for the fluid filled the neck;
was so close to the edge that a quick contact might have spilled it.
George looked on, his hands in his pockets, his attitude expressing
satisfaction at a just and long-deferred punishment.

Slim smiled at Nora. He moved the bottle a little. A drop fell.
Something tortured the skin of Garth's cheek. It was as if an iron at
white heat had been applied against his flesh with a strong pressure.
The stuff was real enough.

Again Slim moved the bottle sluggishly, so that the liquid, ready to
trickle out, was directly above Garth's eyes. Nora reached and closed
her hands about the mouth.

"Look out!" George warned. "You'll get burnt."

"You see, George won't stand for that," Slim said slily.

"No, no, Slim!" Nora whispered. "I'll bargain."

"You're in a swell position to bargain," George scoffed.

The handcuffs cut into Garth's wrists.

"You don't think," he muttered, "that I was fool enough to follow that
trail without covering myself?"

"That doesn't affect me," Slim grinned. "There's a getaway from this
place no cop will ever find. Now, Nora! Hands off!"

But she resisted him.

"Slim," she said breathlessly. "You're not a fool. You must know that I
can bargain. Suppose you got clear--across the border--into Canada?
Couldn't you keep out of trouble once you were there?"

Slim cea