Just
witness how well I planned."
Again Oscar stamped his foot on the floor and three men entered the
room, and they were fully equal to the part they were called upon to
play. The rascals thus overmatched realized the neat manner in which
they had been beaten. Terror filled their hearts, for they did not at
the moment know how well they had been trailed down. One fact was
patent to them, and that was that they had put up, as they supposed, a
great trick on a detective and had been outwitted in the most complete
manner. There was no way out of the hole for them. Bad as they were,
they knew they were not a match for the five individuals who faced them.
The three men who had entered the room last were Jim terrors right on
their looks, and their easy, offhand manner froze the blood in the veins
of the conspirators. Girard attempted to face the matter by a display of
nerve, but his attempt was pitiful in view of the situation as it at the
moment confronted him.
The lackey meantime gave signs of terror. He was a swordsman, but
realized that all his skill would go for naught, seeing that the game
was exposed. Indeed, a most remarkable tableau was presented, but Girard
tried to play out to save his _confreres_. He said:
"Well, well, Dunne, I expected to work a big scare on you, but I see you
have been too smart.
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