“Down on your hands and knees, ye hound, and see if any o’ the women ye felled are there!”
Scimmins was already on his knees.
“There’s no one here. Open the door!—open the door!” he cried.
Braunt opened the door an inch or two.
“All out, sir!” he shouted.
“Thank God for that!” said Sartwell. “Come down at once. There’s not a moment to lose.”
“I’ll be down as soon as you are, sir. Run!”
The manager stumbled down the crackling stair, not doubting but Braunt followed.
“Now, ye crawling serpent, I’m going to keep ye here till ye’re singed. I saw your villainy, ye coward!” The terror-stricken man mistook the purport of Braunt’s words, and thus lost all chance of life.
“I swear to God, I didn’t mean it!” he cried. “The match dropped before I knowed it. God’s truth, it did, Braunt!”