As we dodged from corner to corner, endeavoring to keep the red ray from touching us, the crooks seemed in no hurry, but rather to enjoy prolonging the torture as does a cat with a mouse.
"Please—oh, please—stop!" begged Elaine.
Clutching Hand only laughed with fiendish delight and urged his men on.
The thing was getting closer and closer.
Suddenly we heard a strange voice ring out above us.
"Police!"
"Where?" growled the Clutching Hand in fury.
"Outside—a raid! Run! He's told them!"
Already we could hear the hammers and axes of the police whom Kennedy had called upon before, as they battered at the outside door.
At that door a moment before, the lookout suddenly had given a startled stare and a suppressed cry. Glancing down the street he had seen a police patrol in which were a score or more of the strongarm squad. They had jumped out, some carrying sledgehammers, others axes.