Then, just as suddenly, this thought flashed through his mind:
"What you're doing is for the Flag! Never mind what happens to you,
Jack Benson. Just rash in and say '_here goes_'!"
There was not another second's hesitation. Jack Benson softly pushed
the door far enough open to admit him. At the back of the hallway he
saw stairs leading below.
"Basement stairs, with a rear basement door letting out on another
alleyway!" suspected the submarine boy.
Though he had determined to be as reckless as seemed necessary in order
to get quickly on the trail of the vanished one, Jack moved on tip-toe.
He had all but reached the head of the stairs when a ground-floor door
behind him opened noiselessly. The long-legged one, who had an equally
good reach of arm, thrust out a noose that fell over the boy's head.
"Ug-g-g-gh!" rattled in Jack Benson's throat, as Millard, in grim
silence, jerked the rope noose tight about the boy's neck. A sharp pull,
a twist, and Millard had the boy face down in that hallway, and was
kneeling on the victim's back.
"You ought to have known enough to keep away from me," growled the
wretch, as he tightened on the noose.
Pages:
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82