Flood instantly dropped his hand from Nick’s collar, abruptly terminated the threat he was about to utter, then turned like one electrified and sprang to open the door of the outer room.
The humpback, with eyes starting from his head, appeared on the threshold.
“God in Heaven!” he cried hoarsely, with his uncouth face convulsed with alarm. “It’s Detective Gerry, of the central office.”
Nick saw and heard, and his bearded features took on a look of sudden passionate resolution. With a bound he reached the gambler’s side and threw him back toward the table, at the same time crying, with terrible sternness:
“Hark you, Flood! Not a word! You must escape! Your arrest must be prevented! Leave this detective to me!”
Nick Carter’s influence at such a critical moment was irresistible. Moses Flood, scarce knowing why, recoiled from the terrible look on the detective’s face, and Nick instantly strode into the outer room, closing the door behind him.
The humpback was already darting to secure the heavy door leading into the hall, with a view to preventing Gerry’s entrance.
Before this could be accomplished, however, the central office man, who had bounded up the stairs, and saw the swinging door, hurled himself forcibly against it and came nearly headlong into the room.
“Oh, I say, Gerry!” cried Nick coolly, “what’s the meaning of this?”
Gerry glared at him, as he recovered his equilibrium, but failed to recognize him. Whipping out a document from his pocket, he cried sharply: