Page:The Whisper on the Stair by Lyon Mearson (1924).djvu/145

 more than you wish,” said Teck. “I want to warn you, too, that you’d better not try to escape, because if you do you’ll be killed instantly. O’Hara!” he called out into the next room.

“Here y’are, boss,” came the answer promptly, and an unshaven, hulking tough came into the room. One of his eyes was wickedly beady and black. Probably the other one was, too, normally. At present it was puffed to unholy proportions, and blue. He had a face like a horse, with a large, coarse looking nose and lips and ears laid well back to his closely cropped head.

“Hello, Horseface,” called Val, cheerily. “Did you attend my little party here earlier in the evening? From the appearance of yon weakly glowing orb, I have me suspicions.”

“Yes, I wuz here—an’ I’ll be here when you’re gone, kid,” answered the one called Horseface.

“Maybe—maybe,” said Val. “In the meantime⸺”

“In the meantime,” said Teck, “I just called him in to show you that you’re covered—that the slightest move to escape on your part means death. What are your orders, O’Hara, if this man tries to escape or to shout?”

“To pump hot lead inta him, that’s all, boss,” said Horseface with satisfaction. “An’ I might add that it will give me pleasure to carry out them there orders, too⸺”

“All right,” interrupted Teck, nodding to the door. The tough withdrew to the next room and took up his silent vigil again.

“Nice, pleasant little playmates you have, Iggy, old thing,” commented Val. “Must be a great intellectual satisfaction⸺”