Hawkins, facing Tom.

"Don't look at me like that," laughed Reade softly. "Save that face to
frighten children with."

The negroes had busied themselves until they had gathered up all the
implements of gambling and had stuffed them into their pockets.

Now Tom went up to the bootleggers. Both men he boldly searched, bringing
forth from their pockets bottles of liquor. These he threw down hard on
the floor of the cabin, smashing them.

"I don't know why we allow you to do all this, Reade," fumed Hawkins, whose
face was white with rage.

"It's because you're afraid, and know that you can't help yourselves," Tom
smiled.

"I'll show you who's afraid!" yelled Hawkins, again throwing his right
hand back to his hip pocket.

This time Reade saw the unmistakable butt of a revolver. Without an
instant's hesitation. Reade leaped at the fellow. In a moment Tom had
the revolver, springing backwards.

"Well---shoot!" jeered Hawkins. "You don't dare to."

"You're right," assented Tom coolly. "I don't dare to. Assassination
belongs to the lowest orders of human beings. An honest man seldom has
any need of concealed deadly weapons."

Tom stepped still farther back, breaking the revolver and dropping the
cartridges into one hand. Hawkins made a move as though to spring upon
him, but Harry leaped into the room, confronting the gambler.

Thus shielded, Tom drew a combination tool-knife from one of his pockets,
then coolly drew out the screw that held the trigger in place.

Dropping the trigger into his own pocket, Tom tossed the weapon back.

"Catch it, Hawkins," he called. "You may want this to frighten some
children with over in Blixton. Now, Mr. Renshaw, I believe you know
what you're to do."

"Yes, sir," nodded the superintendent, from the doorway, and vanished.

"We'll take our leave, now," sneered Hawkins, "unless you have some further
humiliation in store for us."

"Just one," Tom declared, "so you can't go just yet."

"Oh, all right," Hawkins laughed fiercely. "You'll have to pay for this
unlawful detention."

"You can tell the officers all about that," Tom suggested tantalizingly.
"Mr. Renshaw has just gone to telephone for them."

"The officers? Police?" snarled Hawkins.

"Yes. Did you imagine that you could keep on defying all the laws? You've
just threatened me with a taste of the law. You may try a taste yourself,
Professor Hawkins!"

"Let us out of this place!" insisted Hawkins angr