Roger spoke quietly.
“I wasn’t.”
The hold on his coat was too tight to break; they were behind him as well, and escape was impossible.
“What you got in your coat—candy?”
“Nothing much but a packet of lyddite—the explosive. Be careful!”
His ruse was not successful. One caught his shoulder.
“What’s that, now lyddite?”
The grip of the other held, and Roger felt the buttons rip out.
As quick as a flash he had his hands on the packets: feeling told him which was which. He snatched one out, and with his eyes fixed over the heads of those he faced, he shouted:
“Catch it, Tip. Here she comes!” and he made a move to back out when they would turn to see who he spoke to. But that ruse also failed and in sudden desperation Roger realized that he must keep them from noticing that his coat pocket still held something.