“What luck!” came his declaration. “It looked like a sure bet. We’ve missed. A bum steer!”
“We found the place, all right,” answered Briggs, sullenly. “Maybe Harkness didn’t know anything else about it.”
“That’s quite probable,” retorted Bob, “but it doesn’t help us any. The place is empty. A good little cubby-hole, but that’s all. We’ve got to begin all over again. Nothing else to do, except tell the Chief—”
So intent was Betty that she had not noticed a motion of the man in front of her. Not until he had turned so his face was partly toward her did she realize he had changed his position.
She glanced quickly at him and her eyes froze with horror. She was staring at a hideous, monstrous face — a countenance with twisted, gruesome lips and a horrible, misshapen nose.
The sight of those deformed features was like a nightmare. Betty gasped in sudden revulsion.
The ghastly creature turned at the sound. The girl was paralyzed with fear as two gleaming, catlike eyes saw her standing just within the range of the light.
Before Betty could turn to flee, the man pounced toward her. Betty screamed in terror; then clawlike fingers were upon her. A filthy hand covered her mouth to stop her cries.
She struggled vainly as she was dragged down the passage. Other hands seized her. She was in the power of the three men.
The girl fought with despair. Hands choked her; she was battered against the wall. She slipped to the floor in a hopeless effort to escape. Everything became black as she fainted, overcome by dread.