But he glanced at him, suddenly, over his shoulder, and then strode swiftly forward to close the door which Claire had left open behind her on her way to the kitchen wing of the house.
Something in the big man's action aroused in Brice the mystic sixth sense he had been at much pains to develop,--a sense which often enabled him to guess instinctively at an opponent's next probable move.

As Milo took his first step toward the open door, Brice went into action.
Both hands slipped into his pockets, and out again.

As he withdrew them, one hand held his battered but patently solid gold watch.

The other gripped his roll of bills and as much of his small change as he had been able to scoop up in one rapid grab.
On the stand at the head of the couch reposed a fat tobacco jar and pipes.

The jar was more than half full.