Henry Carroll and Dr. Vaudelier had heard the confusion, and judged that
the conflict had begun with something more than the war of words.
Hatchie had scarcely done his work when Henry reached the library, and
rescued Vernon from the hands of Jaspar.
The contest was ended, and the victors and vanquished stood
contemplating each other in mute astonishment. Dr. Vaudelier, who had
followed Henry into the room, assisted Jaspar to rise, and conducted him
to a chair. The courage of the vanquished seemed entirely to have oozed
out, and they remained doggedly considering the new state of things.
Hatchie bent over his fallen foe, and, drawing from his pocket the
revolver and bowie-knife which rendered him a formidable person, he
loosed his firm hold of him, as if it was an acknowledgment of weakness
to hold him longer a close prisoner. Seizing the prostrate lawyer by the
hair, he bade him rise, at the same time giving a sharp twist to the
ornamental appendage of his cranium. But the hair yielded to the motion
of his hand, and the entire scalp scaled off, bringing with it the huge
parti-colored whiskers, and revealing a beautiful head of black, curly
hair, where the mixed color had before predominated!
"What does this mean? Methinks I have seen that head of hair before,"
said Henry Carroll.
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