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"By God!" he cried or, rather, the syllables seemed to jump from his lips like bullets from a gun. The words shattered the tableau. On their echo Maitland sprang and fastened his fingers around the other's throat. Carried off his feet by the sheer ferocity of the assault, Anisty gave ground a little. For an instant they were swaying back and forth, with advantage to neither.
It was very plain to a deductive reasoner from the girl's attitude toward him that she had fallen into relations of uncommon friendliness with this Maitland, young as Anisty believed their acquaintance to be. So much the better. Turn-about was still fair play. Maitland had sown as Anisty; the real Anisty would reap the harvest.
Maitland and the detective were battered against the side and back of the vehicle and slammed against one another with painful regularity. Under such circumstances speech was difficult; yet they managed to exchange a few sentences. "Yeh gottuh gun?" "Anisty's two good cartridges." "Jus' as well I'm along, I guess." And again: "How'd yeh s'pose Anisty got this cab?"
He had actually feared that she had eaves-dropped, however warrantably; and Maitland's authoritative way with the servants had been too convincingly natural to have deceived a woman of her keen wits. There followed a lull while Anisty was ordering the luncheon: something he did elaborately and with success, telling himself humorously: "Hang the expense! Maitland pays."
Here he gathered together all the articles of clothing that he had discarded, conveying the mass to the trunk-room, where an empty and unlocked kit-bag received it all. "That, I think, is about all." He was very methodical, this criminal, this Anisty. Nothing essential escaped him.
You see, I happened in just at the right moment; our criminal friend got nothing for his pains. The jewels are safe. Reason Number Two: Having retained my property, I hold no grudge against Anisty." "Well I dunno " "And as for reason Number Three: I don't care to have this affair advertised.
The other had beaten them down; but its arrival at the street level was greeted by a short chorus of mad yells, a brief fusillade of shots perhaps five in all and the clang of the gate. Then, like a ball rebounding, the cage swung upwards again, hurtling at full speed. Evidently Anisty had been received in force which he had not bargained for.
And of a sudden Hickey had drawn the bolt, and the body of police behind forced Maitland pell-mell into the room. As he recovered he saw Hickey hurling himself at the criminal's throat one second too late. True to his pledge never to be taken alive, Anisty had sent his last bullet crashing through his own skull. A cry of horror and consternation forced itself from Maitland's throat.
"It is really remarkable, if you will permit me to say so." Snaith was studying his host's face intently. "Higgins, poor fellow, had his faith shaken to the foundations. This Anisty must be a clever actor as well as a master burglar. Having cursed Higgins root and branch, he got his second wind and explained that he was Mr. Maitland! Conceive Higgins' position. What could he do?"
And Anisty was upon her, striking the telephone from her grasp with one swift blow and seizing her savagely by the wrist. As the instrument clattered and pounded on the floor she was sent reeling and staggering half-way across the room. As she brought up against the flat-topped desk, catching its edge and saving herself a fall, the burglar caught up the telephone.
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