And this man, the detective saw at a glance, was Mustushimi himself.
He had doubtless been the last to enter the house, and had perhaps been standing, grasping with one hand the knob of the door, when Nick turned on the current; the result was that he had been held as well as the others, for Nick perceived now that Chick in following out his instructions had builded even better than had been the original intention, and had carried a wire to every bit of metal that could be reached.
The pandemonium of curses and cries was something awful to hear; it is, almost as bad to contemplate.
But the noisiest had dwindled to moans now, and Nick could not tell whether they were more frightened than hurt, or whether it was the opposite.
But he knew that his plans had succeeded; he knew that he held every one of the men who had dared to force themselves into that house in search of him; and he knew that they could not escape until he chose to release them.
And then again he looked down upon the chief of them all, still writhing at the door, with his hands grasping the brass knob.
But, even as he looked, a stronger wrench than the others on the part of Mustushimi succeeded, and with a wild cry he tore himself loose, and staggered backward so that he fell to the floor.
But in falling he tumbled through the open doorway,outside it, and alighted on his back on the marble floor,without; and then with a scream of agony he leapedto his feet and ran away down the steps outside, withthe fleetness of a hare, and as if all the devils in Hadeswere pursuing him.
Mustushimi, the chief of them all, had succeeded in making his escape, and for a moment the detective considered dashing down that charged stairway in pursuit of him.
Fortunately, however, he thought better of it; but, nevertheless, the leader of the spies had, for the moment at least, made his escape.