On the needle is ricinus!"
Craig advanced, furious. As he did so, Clutching Hand pointed
calmly to the clock. It was twenty minutes of three!
With a mental struggle, Kennedy controlled his loathing of the
creature before him.
"All right--but you'll hear from me--sooner than you suspect," he
shouted, starting for the door.
Then he came back and lifted his hat, hiding as much as possible
the selenium cell, letting the light fall on it.
"Only Elaine's life has saved you."
With a last threat he dashed out. He hailed a cab, returning from
some steamship wharves not far away.
"Quick!" he ordered, giving the Dodge address on Fifth Avenue.
Minute after minute the police and I waited. Was anything wrong?
Where was Craig?
Just then a tremor grew into a tinkle, then came the strong burr
of the bell. Kennedy needed us.
With a shout of encouragement to the men I dashed out and over to
the old house.
Meanwhile Clutching Hand himself had approached the table to
recover his weapon and had noticed the queer little selenium cell.
He picked it up and for the first time saw the wire leading out.
"The deuce!" he cried. "He's planned to get me anyhow!"
Clutching Hand rushed to the door--then stopped short. Outside he
could hear the police and myself. We had shot the lock on the
outside and were already inside.
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