“Submit quietly,” said Lucas, “and we will not fire on you.”
“Get out of my way!” returned the burglar defiantly, and at the same time he drew a pistol and fired full in Lucas’ face.
He dodged, but the ball grazed his cheek, and the pain made Lucas forget everything else.
Before one of us could lift a finger to stop him, he had dashed the young man against the iron door of the safe, and, by the limp, helpless way in which his head hung down, I knew that his neck was broken.
Lucas eyed his work with grim satisfaction.
“It’s the first one I ever killed outright, but I swear I’d do it again under like circumstances.”
The other burglar submitted without resistance, but the third one was never secured.
There was a coroner’s inquest on the dead body of the young robber, and just in the gray light of the morning Mrs. Leroy forced her way through the crowd to where the corpse lay.
I shall never forget the expression of the face she lifted to mine, so sadly reproachful, so full of unutterable grief.
“You promised me that there should be no murder done!” she said hoarsely.