Mezzoni the Brigand — page 147: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. : 139 and were carrying him away when the English de- tective came up, weak from the loss of blood and from pain, but as plucky as a bull-dog. He told them to follow him, and he hastened forward to the stone arch. Without pausing for a moment he rushed into the entrance of the archway, as he did so stepping sud- denly to one side, for he expected to draw the fire of the man who was now at bay. His calculation was correct, for the moment he appeared at the en- trance Alberto fired at him, but as he did so the de- tective’s change of position saved him. The shot, as was anticipated, discovered the culprits’ position, and the three men were upon him in a minute. It was an exciting moment. He was quickly dragged toward the entrance, but another man was disabled by his dagger before he was got there, and the detective also felt that his own strength was rapidly failing him at this crisis. He therefore cocked his revolver and prepared to fire as his last resort, when Alberto making a sud- den spring struck down the only unwounded man, leaped over his body, and disappearing down the dark and narrow street was qweety beyond their reach. “What a devil to handle,’ said the officer, whose head had been severely cut by his heavy fall upon some projecting stones. “He fought like a wild cat,” said the detective. “But how are our friends?”’ The man who had been wounded by the fugitive’s dagger now crept forward covered with blood, but able to walk. Others of the police force having been attracted to the spot by the pistol shots, all were finally got to the police headquarters, though in a Eomicbooks €O