“Come here, and be ready to shut and bolt it after me, Ivan,” I said angrily, as I drew back two of the heavy bolts.
As I did so, I felt a light touch on my arm, and turned quickly to find Helga, white and agitated, by my side.
Then I knew why Ivan had run away. If he had not, I would have made my threat good.
Chapter XIII—THE ATTACK
“WHAT are you doing, M. Denver?” asked Helga.
Her inopportune arrival took me so completely by surprise that for the moment I could think of no plausible answer.
“I—I was seeing to the security of the door,” I said very lamely.
“Making it secure by drawing back the bolts, do you mean?”