Whose was the hidden master brain behind
them, controlling this evil power that struck in the dark; that lately,
though unseen, was permeating the underworld with its presence; that
intuitively he had felt was reaching out, feeling its way, to grapple
with and, if it could, to strangle him the Gray Seal! He had felt the
menace, known that it existed, and the slogan ringing always in his
ears, the Whispered "Death to the Gray Seal" had taken on a deeper
significance, had brought him a more acute and imminent sense of peril
than ever before; but it was only last night, for the first time, that
he had equally _felt_ that he had had any concrete knowledge of, or
contact with this new antagonist. And last night, if there had been a
challenge he had accepted it, and if there had been no challenge he had
at least thrown down the gauntlet himself! If this was actually the
criminal organisation that was arrayed against him, the master brain at
the head of it would now have a greater incentive than ever to trap and
exterminate the Gray Seal, for English Dick lay dead, and Reddy Mull was
behind the bars, and twenty thousand dollars in cash that they had
schemed for was in the hands of the police--thanks to the Gray Seal!
Added incentive! They would move heaven and earth to reach him now! All
the trickery, all the hell-born ingenuity that they possessed would be
launched against him now, and--Jimmie Dale's face, that had been set and
hard, relaxed suddenly.
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