Читать книгу A Battle for Right; Or, A Clash of Wits онлайн

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The detective had considered, for a moment, the wisdom of rushing down the stairs and out to the lawn, to pursue the person who had just jumped through the window. But he decided that it would be hard to find anybody in the darkness who had had so long a start, and he redoubled his efforts to get the door open.

“Shove, Chick!”

“I am shoving!”

“Harder!”

“Gosh! I’m doing all I can!” protested Chick.

The two moved back a few inches from the door, and flung themselves back against it with all their weight.

This time it yielded. With a smash, it fell into the room. Unfortunately, the two detectives went with it, and it took them a little time to get up and find out just where they were.

Just as they fell into the room they heard a loud noise at the window, and then the sash, which had been held up by one of the primitive catches often employed in country places, broke loose and came down with a slam, locking itself as it did so.

Nick Carter, notwithstanding that he was in such a mix-up, realized what had happened at the window. A man had just slipped through and dropped to the lawn after the first one, and, in doing so, he had disengaged the sash from the contrivance which held it up.