"You are only a criminal," he replied coldly, "and as it's a case of our lives or yours, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot you to save ourselves."
Detectives are not sentimental.
On the contrary, their work makes them harsh.
Harry wanted to scare the girl and he succeeded well, for she remained passive, and burst into tears.
The boy quickly saw his advantage and cried:
"Now, if any of your gang attempts to injure us, I'll kill you!"
As he spoke, he placed the muzzle of his pistol against her head, turned her around and backed over to Old King Brady.
"Come!" he whispered. "We'll use her as a shield and back over to the door. They'll bitterly rue it if they fire!"
The four spies looked desperate and one of them spoke to the girl in French as the detectives retreated, holding her between them and their enemies. The girl replied in English, saying:
"Never mind me. We must not let them escape. Tackle them."