As if Bill had touched a button, Sanders’ face changed. Gone was his cordial air, his friendly smile. In its place, an evil look of anger and wounded pride. He had failed in his mission and he knew he had failed; but Bill could see that he wasn’t the man to take failure lying down. With an impatient gesture, Mr. Sanders flung his cigarette into the fireplace and got to his feet. White spots showed on his nostrils.
“Bolton,” he said in low, suppressed tones, “neither men nor boys trifle with me—you’ll learn that before you’re much older. I’ve given you your chance and you’ve refused to take it. Now I shall give you my orders.”
“I will give you till tomorrow night to obey my orders or the consequences for young Charlie Evans and some other people will be sudden and—er—not pleasant. By nine o’clock tomorrow evening as a deadline you will be in Gring’s Hotel, in Stamford, Connecticut. You will ask for Mr. Harold Johnson, and you will tell him exactly where Mr. Evans is to be found. When you meet Johnson, you will nod, as I have a habit of doing, and you will say ‘Zenas,’ which happens to be my first name. You will also pass Johnson your word of honor that you will quit this game for good.”
“Stamford is a long way from here,” temporized Bill.
“But you have an excellent plane at Parker’s, in Clayton.” Sanders laughed shortly. “This is not a lone hand I’m playing, Bolton. I have an organization behind me, and it is a thoroughly efficient one. What I don’t know about you, and particularly your doings since that youngster Charlie brought you his father’s message, would not be worth writing home about.”
“And if I refuse?” Bill crossed his legs and looked at him with as much insolence as he could command.
“If you refuse, Mister Midshipman Bolton, your friend Charlie, who my men caught up this morning, and the girl, Deborah, will have to take the consequences of your bullheadedness.”
Slowly Bill got to his feet. “So that’s your filthy threat, is it?” he cried. “You hold that over my head. Well, Mr. Zenas Sanders, two can play at your game!” Bill took a step forward, prepared to spring on him.
The man did not move. A smile had come back to his face, and again he gave a quick little nod.