Nick Carter Weekly (no. 207) (1900 12 15)
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NICK CARTER Issued weekly. Subscription price $2.50 per year. Entered as second class matter at the N. Y. Post Office by STREET & SMITH. No. 207. Price 5 Cents. THERE WAS A SUDDEN RUSH OF WATER THAT SWEPL PATSY ALONG WITH IT, THE LARGER PANEL WAS OPEN.
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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Entered according t0 Act of Congress in the year ee by Slr ee Smith, in the Office of the Librarian of Oongrese, Washington, Issued weekly. Entered as second class Matler at the New York, N. ¥,, Post Office. _ Subscription price, $2.50 per year. December 15, 1900, 8TREET & SmiTuH, Publishers. a Nog 207, NEW. YORK. 5 Cents, 238 William 8t., N. Y. Pir Ste The Hole in the Bank: > OR, NICK CARTER'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST “CAPT, GOLD.” By the Author of ““NICK CARTER.’* CHAPTER I. A LIVELY SCENE IN A BANK PRESIDENT’S OFFICE. — “T’ve found it!” “What?” “The hole in the bank.” ; When President Tyler, of the Wall Street National Bank, asked Nick Carter what he a" had found, he knew in advance what the an- _ swer would be. The world’s greatest detective had ee en- “gaged to look for just that thing. Dollars had been leaking out of that great and rich institution. The question was to find the __ leak. * _ Three days before, Sydney Westcott, cash- _ ier of the bank, had announced at a meeting _ of the board of directors that something was __ wrong. > President Tyler had doubted it. asked for particulars, and the cashier- who - the cashier. He had — that, Nick Carter should be called in. Th was himself one of the oldest of the bank’s directors—had been unable to give them. He had ascertained that something was He and President Tyler had had an argument about it hefore the board met, and the president had asked Mr. Westcott not to state what he had discovered to the board. The cashier had in- sisted upon doing so. wrong, and that was about all. At the meeting, the president had sug- gested a quiet investigation by himself and The latter had opposed that idea, and had urged that Nick Carter be called in. The directors were scared. They remem- bered the recent plunderings of banks. They wanted exact information about the condition of their own bank, and oo PSHES it right away. | “So they sided with the apiece and voted re
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4 president voted against it, in a lonesome ma- _ jority of one.* ‘Then, the directors, to show that they still had perfect confidence in their president, voted that he should engage Nick, and that the great detective should report to him. Nick had come to make his report. He began it in the words with which this record opens—a record of one of the shrewdest crimes in the history of the street. President Tyler tapped on his desk ner- vously. “Where is it?” hé asked. “Bookkeeper James Dunham can tell you. Shall I call him in?” - “Wait. You go too fast for me. Is it pos- sible that Dunham is a thief?” “Tt’s better than possible. | It’s sure.” . “How much has been stolen?” “T don’t believe Dunham himself could tell’ you that without taking several days to go over his books. However, I know enough to satisfy me that the amoutit is very large.” “Several thousands?” said the president, weakly. Nick smiled. “Several hundreds of thousands,” plied. . “Neither of us would make much fuss about any sum that could be written in four figures.” he re- ‘ _ “Of course not, of course not,” said the president, running his fingers through his gray hair. | “T wonder what’s the matter with him,” thought Nick. “He Gan’t be in this himself. _No, no; Tyler’s an honest man. Can it be that he has any reason for shielding Dun- ham?” “T can tell you the method,” he said, aloud. |, “It was a good one, but not new. It’s been worked before.” ‘The president was silent. “Perhaps you'd rather ikea it from Dun- atl said Nick, Usige NICK CARTER WEEKLY. He was still revolving in his mind the ques- tion which he had been asking himself ever since he began the investigation: “Why is it that Tyler, who is certainly honest, fears the result of my search?” aoa BY Thus far the problem had been too much even for Nick’s actteness. “No, no,” said Tyler. “Don’t call Dun- ham in. Tell me yourself.” ee “Very well,” replied the detective, resum- _ ing his seat. “This is the scheme in a nut- shell: “Your bank is very old. It is regarded as being just as solid as the United States Treasury. Therefore a good many people have used it as the countryrnan uses his stock- — ing.” “How is that?” 4 . “3 “To hide his money in.” “To hide it?” "VY es,? “T don’t understand you.” You must know, of course, “That's queer. that there are accounts on your books which have remained unchanged for years.” “Yes; that’s true.” “A good many prudent men and women have put their money—or a part of it—in é your hands here, and have been satisfied to let it stay there. p “They've said to themselyes: ‘If vevery-— thing else on earth goes to smash, the Wall — Street National Bank won’t start a rivet. It j will be right there, sticking up above aber: wreck as solid as Bunker Hill Monument,’ “These people have enough to live on. Their déposits with you are merely for safety. They never touch them. “There are a hundred depositors in this bank who ee drawn out any meer ‘in : fifteen years.” | ees. “That’s so, no doubt; but. what 23 it? a ae ; There’s the hole. in the — / “Everything: t 2 bank.” Bose
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“T don’t understand.” “Why, it’s easy enough. Somebody else has been drawing against the accounts of these people.” “Great heavens! Nick nodded. -. “Forgery by wholesale!” gasped Tyler. ae ‘No forgery about it,” rejoined Nick. ~~ “How can that be? Surely you mean that ~somebotly has been personating these old de- ' positors and drawing on their accounts?” Is it possible ?” “T don’t mean anyfhing of the kind.” “Then what do you mean?” “T'll tell you by means: of an illustration. Suppose a man who hdd an account here should walk up to the paying-teller’s window and present a good-sized check, so big that the teller had_doubts whether the man’s ac- What would he do?” “Find out whether it was good, of course,” “Exactly ; and how would he do that?” “By asking the bookkeeper.” count was good for it. “Well, suppose he asked Dunham, «and Dunham said the account was good—that the man had that much money in the bank? ’ “And suppose that man really didn’t have What could Dunham do?” exclaimed the old finan- the sum? “T see the game!” . cier. “Dunham could transfer money from the account of one of these depositors of whom you have spoken to the account of the man who presented the check.” “That! S just what he did. ¥ “Then Dunham had a pall The pal pre- sented the checks and Dunham fixed the ac- counts.” : “Of course.” “Who was he?” % ~ “T-don’t know yet, but I can find out: ae “How?” “By calling Dunham in here and | forsing ¢ \ rot nee this : gs CARTER WEEKLY. suggestion. Instead, he ‘sat in dee thought — for several. minutes. ee ee - “Now what is he fine about?” J asked himself. “I haven’t found any co nection between him and Dunham.” Tyler came out of his trance. y wouldn’t do that,” he said. confesses, we'll only have his word for it, and his pal or pals may escape. “Why not wait; keep a sharp lookout, and _ - _try to nab the man himself in the act?” “There’s nothing i in that,” said Nick. the slow way. You don’t want to waste time. My advice to you is to get the story out of Dunham, make him help you to ascertain the exact amount of = loss, and then fix it up as quickly as you can.’ Again Tyler took time to think. “Tt’s a shrewd game,” he muttered. “Right,” said Nick; “but it ought not to have been allowed to go so far. books all to himself. he wasn’t likely to find a thing like that. “With your system here it would only be noticed when the sum became very large. All the accounts lool straight. “Tf we call * Dunham in here we'll give the alarm. If he — “Ty’s = pit Your meth- Re od has been bad. Dunham has had hisset of Nobody's ever checked _ them except the bank examiner, and of course “Fflere’s John Jones, we'll say, an old. de- . positor. He has twelve thousand dollars in one thousand dollars. eleven thousand dollars, and it looks as if John Jones had got it. ference. a Jones should happen to show up ies : ‘the bank. The books show that he has only, — Dunham’s pal has the — That’s the only dif- 7 with a check for two thousand dollars, Dun- . ham would simply inform the teller, if he was asked, that Jongs was good for it, and he’d transfer, the necessary amount to Jones out of. ‘some other old. account.
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ia would have been by comparing the used hecks with the accounts of the books. > “Dunham had both the checks and the books, and nobody took the trouble to investi- gate. “But by and by the enormous amount stolen began to appear as an item in the busi- ness of the bank. Your deposits showed a Then Mr. . decrease instead of an increase. Westcott caught onto the fact that something was wrong.” eae “T see it plainly enough,” said’ Tyler. “How did you discover the method?” “General jndications suggested it to. me,” replied Nick. of your old depositors, saw their books, and “Then I looked up a number compared them with Dunham’s. There’s no doubt about it.” 9 “This is a hard blow,” said the president. “I’ve always regarded Dunham as one of the most trustwarthy men in the world.” _,“He’s a. thief,” said’ Nick. -“‘Shall I call “him in?” |. “No; not yet. plan. Let’s doa little more quiet work first.” “Tt will be a mistake. Dunham may take the alatm and warn his pals. It’s my opin- ion that the gang feels the ground pretty hot under its feet already. A rumor got out. of that directors’ meeting. “No, sir; your plan is bad. ‘The thing to do is to swoop down on. Dunham and break eS Nerve.”’ : sg can’t agree with you.” “Very well, Mr. Tyler. report. I wish you good-day.” “What do you mean to Ae: ?” exclaimed the old banker. oe _ “Abandon the case,” said Nick. NY: hy will you do that?” “Because I mist either manage it or decline to be responsible for it. point where ‘there’s oe one NICK CARTER WEEKLY. I don’t approve of that done my duty, and shall expect my ust Again I wish you good-day.” You have had my T' got this. thing : “Tye studied Dunham, anit I know just what he will do. You can eet the facts from | him if you want them. “If you don’ , why, you don’t want me, that’s all.” “Mr, Carter, you insult me.” il state the facts.” yourself.” “Come, come, Mr. Carter ; let’s get to an agreement.” “Call Dunham.” ; “But I tell you that I don’t think it wise. I know him better than you do. He will re- fuse to speak.” ee a g, I'll pay ‘ the bank’s loss out of my own pocket.” “Then to-morrow you shall question him,’ ‘f “Té he does, under my. questionin “I don’t know anything about to-morrow. _ To-day’s the time to do to-day’s work Plenty of things may happen before’ to- mine 92 row. The banker paced the floor excitedly. “Tam disappointed in you, Mr, Carter!” h exclaimed. “Yon are less shrewd than I sup: posed. You are eae me to do something which I should regret.” ua “Very well; don’t do it,” said Nick. Nick put on his hat and overcoat and pre pared to leave the room. He believed ee a detective was storied = <3 oA hope you will reconsider this,” said t “Tf you don’t, perhaps i may. : Tf T decid Hf take your advice, where can I cor president. want time to ‘think it over. with you?” . Ye “At my home ; but i it t wor
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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. sorry for him. He’s making an awful mis- take.” That evening he received a lees from the bank president, as follows: “Have changed my mind. Come to the bank to-morrow at ten and-we will do as you _ suggest.” cag “Patsy?” called the detective. - The clever shadow entered the room. “Go to James Dunham’s house in Brook- lyn and keep your eye on him.” Patsy vanislred., At one o’clock that night he sent Nick a_ telegram: “T), has been home, but has left, probably for good. No trace as yet.” “Skipped,” muttered~ Nick. “So I sup- posed.” \CHAPTER II. CAPTAIN Scarcely had Nick read Patsy’s telegram when he heard a heavy carriage rumble up before his door. Then a murmur of voices came up from the sidewalk, The detective glanced out of the window. ‘There was light enough to show him that it was no common equipage which had brought his visitors. GOLD. There was a coachman in a very swell liv- ery on the box, and a footman was holding the door open’ while climbed out. Nick knew what to expect. A bank di- rector’s meeting had been turned loose upon him. 2 several gentlemen A few minutes tate the whole re was -in the study. The Wall Street National Bank was very well represented. she President Tyler was there, looking weary and sick. _ He leaned heavily upon the arm of 2 tall and strong young man—evidently his son, by the resemblance between them. be ae Westcott was there, looking brisk ‘ham right away. It ‘was before we got the i and business-like. The other ieee A. K. Reinhart, John Ps Roosevelt, 5 Manier, and J. Maynard ister ateo soli men of Wall street, well known to Nick, and indeed, to the public at large. As soon as he had assisted his father to a seat, young Tyler withdrew into another He had no connection with the bank, and had come only for the purpose of looking room. out for his father, whose infirmities, natural ‘to his.age, had been much increased by re- cent anxiety. Westcott acted: as” sla for a di- rectors, “This affair begins to look mighty bad, Mr. Carter,” he said. “You can judge that it’s no small matter that brings us all here at this time of night. - “Since you left the bank, after your little disagreement with President Tyler, we’ve had experts on Dunham’s books, and they say — there’s the devil to pay. ne “Of course it’s impossible in so short a time to get any estimate of the real loss, but it’s certain to reach half a million. “The directors have been in session all this - evening, and they have accepted your view of the affair. Without in any way censuring President Tyler, they regard it as unfortu- nate that he did not take your advice Sais afternoon and call in Dunham. “The decided #6 brought before them this evening. They se- cured a warrant, and sent an officer to his home. directors have him ~- He had already taken the alarm.” “I found that out for myself,” said “Nick. re “T sent a man over there as soon as s got a President Tyler’s telegram.” “That was sent,” said Tyler, “before the directors had decided that they wanted Dun-_ alarming report from the accountant.” OM rs Nick could see easily spond that tes tel
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ocd. NICiX CARTER WEEKLY. : ; The shrewd detec- 4 tive wondered more and more what could be ‘Tyler to square himself. _ the connection between this old and honored ~ manand James Dunham, the embezzler. The question could not be answered at that stage of-the proceedings, so Nick turned to Westcott. “T understand,” said the detective, “that you want me to resume the case.” “We do.” "With full authority?” “All the authority you want.” “Very well, gentlemen, I will take up the investigation once more, and do my best. to recover the ground that has been lost by de- lay. The first thing to do is to find out what has become of Dunham. Not a moment must ' be lost. me.” Therefore I shall ask you to excuse He rose, and the Wall street magnates got up as if they worked on wires. They all bowed at once to the detective. ; _ Nearly forty million dollars were repre- _ sented’ in that room, and it was as if all that money bowed down at the feet of genius. Nick did not. wait to enjoy that triumph. He hurried away, leaving one of his assistants to do the honorsto the departing millionaires. The detective jumped on a bicycle and went flying down the Broadway cable slot to Chambers street, and then to the Bridge. In — twenty minutes from his own door he came within sight of James Dunham’s*little house on Henry street, near Pierrepont, in Brook- ‘lyn. ' The house had a portico in front, with | « The first thing’ Nick saw was.the figure of a man sliding down one small, round pillars. e of those pillars. Instantly a woman appeared - , __ at a window over the,portico, and cried: as Polce} + fob 5 ~ Nick gamped. 0 over the fence, and grabbed “she supposed to be a a Relecerre withstand a flame. which bears it is not utterly consumed, it cat “Arrest him!” cried thee woman. “He’s: aa: burglar!” ; “What have you got’ §- vege ie de-| tective, noticing that Patsy was. sere shielding something which he held in his. S/ hand. : ; 7 ch “Remains of an ee message, sponded the young man. His hand was full of some black suibstas : Nick knew in a flash what had happened. | Patsy had found a burned paper on which the writing still showed, and he had been detected by Mrs. Dunham while in the act of getting away with it. | “Come this, way!” whispered Nick, and he motioned toward the front door of the hous It was locked, but Nick had it open in 4 other, whom she had scarcely seen, re mrhoe charred paper. S| The meee had been BE in pénci } be read. : This particular paper was in “very aa : shape. It had not been improved in ‘the course of Patsy’s rapid descent from the roof ig of the portico. Seis “T learned from a es Mae a said Patsy, and tossed it, into a grate in oe there: we no fire.
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’ | “Thinking that she had gone to bed, I climbed into the room which she had left. TI had just got that piece of charred paper out of the grate when Mrs. Dunham came oe ‘and caught me. “T had just time to see that the message | was written in pencil and that it showed. \Of course that was what I was hoping for.” | Meanwhile Nick had been closely serutin- izing the blackened paper. “It’s pretty far gone,” he said. “You ‘squeezed it some while you were sliding down that pillar. Yet I believe that it reveals to us the two most important points that the original message contained.” He pointed to the words faintly showing on (the dull black surface. Patsy read the “Washington where,” “beyond pursuit,” and the signature, “Captain Gold.” words, ‘orders are,” | “Tsn’t it a. wonder how much that scrap _ tells?” whispered Patsy. ““Orders’ shows a gang. ‘Washington’ is a direct clew to Dun- Phare? s whereabouts, and in ‘Captain Gold’ we | have the leader of the whole gang, the man _ whose brain directed Dunham in his rob- “beries.” As Patsy uttered these words, Mrs. Dun- 1 ham rushed into the room. | Nick did not attempt to disguise the sit- uation. He told the woman as gently as ; possible that they were in pursuit of her hus- band, who had been guilty of irregularities at the bank. She evidently shared his guilty secret to a fimited extent, and had long helped him bear the burden of it. | : Mi | f sitinesear her tone? f i She did not cry “It’s false!” or go through any other performances intended to portray a belief in her. hasband’s i innocence. Instead, she said, very quietly, with oe. 4 “ “My husband has been ‘the tool of wicked cE Ea ea who was there, NICK CARTER WEEKLY. “ages men. I wold rather he were a in 25e° ie hands than where he is, in theirs.” “Where is he?’ “T do not know,” that convinced Nick of her sincerity. | she responded, in a way oe “He can communicate with me only through Cap- tain Gold.” os “Who is Captain Gold?” “T cannot answer. I know him only as a rame—as a man who gives orders which have to be obeyed, and is never seen. My husband feared him as if he had been the Evil One vpon earth. If you encounter him in your pursuit of my husband it will go hard with cre you, CHAPTER III. BEYOND PURSUIT. “His light is still burning. He seems to be making a night of it.” The speaker, who was a special officer of Major Moore’s staff in Washington, ad- dressed the words quoted to a hall-boy on night duty in one of the swell hotels of the national capital. He pointed to the door of a room, over which was the usual glazed ventilator. A light streamed out, though it was then after three o'clock. “T want to get a look at the fellow’s face,” continued the officer. “You go to the door and knock. Ask if he rang—or better, go get a pitcher of ice-water and carry it to him.” The boy obeyed, while the officer took up his position in a room on the opposite side of the corridor from the one previously re- ferred to. Holding the door a little ajar, me officer waited. The boy carried out ie. part of the pro- gramme promptly. He knocked upon the — door of the room in which the light burned. _ _ There was a pause. Then a hoarse voice es |
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The boy made an appropriate answer. The door was opened a bit, and a white, scared face looked out. ~-*T didn’t ring for this, but I want it,’ he said, and, seizing the pitcher from the boy’s hand, he drank an incredible quantity of the ice: water. _ Then he closed the door and the lock rat- tled. ' The officer came out of his place of con- cealment. “Thank you,” he said, “that’s all I shall want. ~Be careful not to open your mouth.” The boy, with a knowing look, hurried away. ‘The officer walked to the end of the corridor, where a man stood in an angle of the wall, posted like a sentinel. “Well?” he whispered, comrade. questioning his “T\ouess it’s Dunham: beyond a doubt,” said the other. “He answers the description telegraphed by Carter ?” ~ “Closely. _. he had a wig on. “Of course he’s been shaved, and But he’d-evidently:. clapped it on hurriedly when the boy knocked. “Even in that light I could see that it was - a wig, and that the man’s hair was really of ' the right ‘color. Oh, he’s the fellow sure “enough, His manner betrays him.” EP OCATERL e>3 hey “Ves; nerve all gone. his face. He'll give us no trouble.” “We're not to arrest, eh?” “No; Carter telegraphed to be sure and guard the man thoroughly; but that he him- ae self wanted to make the arrest.” ; - ‘Well, this is an easy job. enough. This corridor commands his door. ‘There’s no other way out of his room.” ~ “Except the window.” : ae stories 2 Nae NICK CARTER WEEELY. “the door. I could see that in - One of us is | “All right; I'll take care of the window. There’s a yard back of By hotel. ag keep watch there.” eae He glided away. “The ee remait ed guard the hall. . The light in Dunham’s room still bi rec The officer stepped to the door and. listene All was still at first, and then he heard rustling of paper. A few minutes more close attention satisfied him that the man within was busily writing. - “A confession, I’ll bet a hat,” said Special Officer Murray to himself. : At half-past four o’clock the light was ‘pat t out. Throughout this time Murray had not lost | sight of the door of that room for a single When he saw the light vanish h ‘ slipped.to the door and listened. instant. He heard presently the sound of one tos ing uneasily upon a bed. ae Repeatedly, after that, Murray listened at It was not till six o’clock that the sound of deep and regular breathing “indi- | cated that Dunham had laid down the burden of his crime at the door of the temple of sleep antes its vast ‘falle the sounds of. oe ration for the new ss were ae ae siiee whom he greeted as ‘Alton. “T’ye been in the yard,” said the latte “Nothing suspicious has occurred. — “He seems to be asleep now,” Murray, leading the way to the door, They both listened. “What time is. Carter going to get ae asked Alton. “Probably by ten o ’clock, He'll gia? cial train, and come over a ne But retur
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ture to aay the orders of Murray, who was in charge of the case, _ Their vigils were. absolutely uneventful ote ‘that time till ten o’clock of the fore- noon, when Nick arrived. ering the. lateness of the hour at which he d gone to bed, the fact was not to be won- red at. | was by wire in response to his telegram to i Major Moore, founded on Patsy’s discovery in the grate. | He went at once to the hotel, and received _ Murray’s report. “We have heard nothing of hie lately,” said Murray, Some hours ago he -was tossing about, and “T guess he has slept soundly. T heard him groaning once or twice, evidently not in pain, but probably fram remorse, but that does not last long with that sort of a "fellow. He is probably asleep now and has forgotten all about it.” _ “TI shail arrest him at once,” said Nick. “There is no reason for delay.” _ He walked to the door and rapped sharply upon it. There was no response. He lis- “tened, No sound caine from within. Nick cast one glance at the face of Officer Murray. ; This silence suggested an escape. + The officer was evidently troubled, but in eaoment his confidence returned. _ Escape had been impossible. > Nick rapped once more, and salted a few seconds. “Then receiving no response, he put his shoulder against the door and puset, it | _ open. ae The door, after yielding a Igoe or more, ¢ en- ered an obstacle. Nick's. experience told him what ff: was. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. th hea nea Dunham seemed to be asleep; and, consid- | Nick had been informed where Dunham ~ either by the.door or the window. One of > - through one of the walls from an adjoining “Suicide!” exclaimed the office one Nick had raised the bod auc it upon Pe hed” “Queer case of suicide,” he said, ironica “This is the first time I ever knew a man commit suicide by stabbing himself in the — back.” ae The officer pressed forward. to the side: ji of the bed. 5 ' Nick turned the corpse upon its face, caae then they saw protruding from between the a shoulders the handle of a knife, the blade of - i which was evidently buried in the man’s” — heart. ; - “ES CHAPTER IV. goer. ON THE TRACK OF CAPTAIN GOLD. “You have let this man be murdered right ‘ under your nose,” exclaimed Nick. Beas He could hardly — believe the evidence of his own senses. ae Murray stood aghast. “That door hasn’t been out of my sight for an instant,” he cried. “And Alton has been keeping the window in view. How could the ef murderer ' have entered: Did’ he come room?” “Absurd!” said Nick. “No; he came - you two men has shirked his duty.” _ “Not me, by thunder!” cried Murray. murderer Zot in by that door. it. ” : “T hope. qoees: nh your ae “No : Tl swear to" : was prepared for the two special when they came.
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head, probably as he lay asleep. 10 NICK CARTER WEEKLY. “About seven o'clock. That’s the last time I remember hearing him breathe. He snored a little when he first went to sleep, but grad- “tally became quieter.” “You heard no other noise?” “Once I thought that I heard him moving about, but when I reached the door all was still.” “When was that?” “Twenty minutes of eight.” “T think the chances are a hundred to one,” said Nick, impressively, “that you heard the murderer at work.” Murray shuddered, though he was an ex- perienced policeman. “But why didn’t I hear Dunham?” he de- manded. “Can a man be stabbed like that and die in a flash without making a sound?” uiNiope wotld lave lived several minutes if he had responded the detective; “Dunham had no other wound than that with the knife. AS a matter of fact, he was struck on the stabbed as a matter of precaution. He was undoubtedly hit with a sand-bag, for though his skull is fractured on the right side, just back YY the ear, “there is no visible wound.” “Tow did he happen to be out of bed?” “He was dragged out that the bed might be said Nick, pointing to the bed- clothes, which were thrown about in wild dis- searched,” order. iy “Here’s the table where he was writing,” said Murray, “but where’s the stuff he wrote? Have you found any letters?” “T have found a full confession, containing the details of his crime, and the names of his- accomiplices.” « ~ & What!” Raeped Muccay Where is it?” cried Alton. “Tt is here,” said Nick, removing a big towel which had been spread over the wash-_ ~ bowl. Then he was ' ig the other direction to the roof, The bowl was nearly full of the charred rey mains of paper. : ‘ “T would bet high, if there were any way to prove the truth of my assertion,” said Nicki “that those cinders once ‘held the complete Even.as they stand, they! story of the crime. are important.” “Why?” / “Because they show beyond a doubt that this man’s accomplices in the bank robbery are guilty of his death.” ft Nick had already made an examination o: the body. It was clothed only in a nigh shirt. The indications were that Dunham had seen his assailants, though it was impossibl to be sure about that. On Nick’s theory that they were the man’ accomplices in the bank robbery, it was pos: sible that Dunham had allowed them,to ente and bad believed their visit to be with friend ‘ly purpose. He might have been struck down just as h was beginning to dress. In any view, the crime was easy enough i an explanation of the way the murderer < murderers got into the room could be found? Nick was inclined to trust in Murray’s re port that he had watched the door faithfully, Then there remained only the window. The detective looked out. It was a ton way to the ground, and nearly fifty feet cd There was nothing whatever to aasit - person in climbing the wall from the yar¢ But overhead Nick saw something that aston ished him. ; es ladder was swinging from the edge of the roof, and on it were two men busily en gaged in painting the side of the house. Nick surveyed them for a ae and then addressed Alton. aoa “How long hawe those painters be there ?” be demanded... Tee
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“Sirice six o'clock.” Murray ran to the window and looked out. 0. “Well, this beats me!” he exclaimed. “It <isn’t possible that the murderer climbed in at his Window and out again while those fel- Ows were at work so near him.” “Tl admit,” said Alton, “that after they . up I didn’t think it was necessary to b keep a close watch.” ¥ “I'll be hanged if I blame you,” said Mur- “and yet it must have been by the win- How that the murderer entered.” i Alton shook his head. “That won’t work,” he rejoined. tay; “T was It was aylight by that time, and nobody would have the yard until the painters came. dared to try anything on the outside of the house. “They ‘nust have worked some game ‘bn you up here, Murray.” ; | The two officers argued warmly as to atiels should bear the blame. Meanwhile Nick was doing some hard thinking. “After the painters came, where did you zo?” Nick asked, at last, of Alton. “T went into Clerihew’s store. the hotel. There’s a back itayed there half or three-quarters of an hour Warming myself.” entrance. I “Who else was there?” “A clerk. I don’t know his name. He’s a new man.’ | ae go down to see him. Murray, you KCeP Watch here. Sit in the window and watch those painters. If they show any signs f leaving, just press the electric button. I'll ix it with the clerk in the _ to be in-. formed when your bell rings.” i Nick and Alton went down to Clerihew’s store. On the sidewalk Nick encountered hick, who had been to see Major Moore. Nick told Chick in a word what had hap- if investigation. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. It’s under © ! pened, and put into his hands a certain line ae _ Carter,” “Now let’ s see that desk ” said Nicky enter- ing the store with Alton. The officer glanced around, nodded to Clerihew, and then walked toward the bac room. He pushed open the door and looked in, Nobody was there. © i “Where’s that new clerk of. yours?” tie . called to Clerihew. “What new clerk: eee “Why, the stout fellow with the side whis- kers.” “T don’t know any such person.” “Do you mean to say,” cried Alton, whose eyes were bulging out of his head; “that you haven’t any clerk answering that descrip- tion?” “That’s what I mean. here;’ Alton looked dazed. There was a mild tinge of satisfaction in Nick’s expression. “This is as I supposed,” he said. Then he turned to Clerihew and asked: “Who opened your store this morning?” “That fellow over there. Brett.” “What time was it?” : “T say, what’s all this about?” demanded the storekeeper. “Of course I’m willing to answer your questions, but I’d like to know what’s up.” His name is “We have reason to believe that your store was broken into this morning.” , “I guess not. There’s nothing missing. You're fooling me.” “Not aebit.. Call’ Brett.’ He was called, and he testified positively that he had not reached the store till a quar- ter-past seven, which was later than usual. By this time Alton was in a most uncom- 3 Mic os fortable state of mind. The perspiration was dripping from his forehead, , “We don’t need to go any peime Mr... * he said. “Tes s evident that. T’'ve been All my people are ie ;
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12 | done. That fellow got in here for the ex- ‘press purpose of luring me away, and giving ‘his pals a chance to get in through that win- ‘ low. But how about those painters?” ~ “They'll need to be looked after,” Nick. He briefly outlined the real facts to Cleri- hew, and told him to keep dark. Then, with Alton, he went up to the office of the hotel. In about half an hour Chick came in. said He was accompanied by a young man, who, to the detectiye’s experienced eye, looked as if he might be a printer, and, as a matter of fact, he was one. said Chick, “He lives in a “Flere’s an important witness,” drawing Nick to one side. boarding-house back of the hotel, and his ' window looks out this way. “He tells me that he was lying in bed this morning, unable to sleep. He doesn’t know just what time it was, but it was quite light. “Looking out of his window—the shades were not tightly drawn—he saw those paint-, ers at work. “They lowered their ladder down to a win-. dow on the seventh floor, and one of them went in, “He remained a few minutes, and then came out again, after which the ladder was hoisted up. Now, what do you au to that, Nick?” that?” Seat ; And yet I didn’t really sus- “1 say an eye-witness, Syaios It’s great Hey Mick, He turned to the young printer. . “Weren’t you surprised when you saw tat 3 “Ves, I was. oe broad een S| mE the house within fifty feet of the scene.” A gS ve, thought of that pea! z Leis NICK CARTER WEEKLY. -prietor himself, Mr. Waldron, sa sa thel ‘ pect anything wrong. Why, it was almost — I yee t believe that a man. Indeed it was the incredible feature of - he ' case. Both Nitk and Chick knew that these’ painters were at that moment at work on the. side of the building. “What incredible bold-{ ness, if they had had ane to do wit crime! As Nick was gins with this problem, | the bell of the room which Dunham had en- | gaged, and in which he had met his death, : rang loudly and repeatedly. Nick was instantly notified by the clerk. He knew what the signal meant. The painters were leaving. — } Without the loss of a. moment, Chick was_ dispatched to the roof. Nick went out into the yard, and Alton remained with the wit-| ness. F Nick arrived just in time to see the painters step off their ladder, which they had bas up to the edge of the roof.. ie, Chick was on hand, and ie two men were forced to accompany him down through 1 the) house to the proprietor’s private office, where fe Nick, Alton, the young printer, and the pro-) party. The painters had offered no resistance, but | they expressed astonishment at Chick’s re 2] quest that they should follow him. He had not placed them under arrest, but he had} given them. very distinest to derstand hat! they had to come. —— “Now,” said Nick to Hollis, the pri “which one of these men was it who went if through the window ?” Hollis looked from one to the Sine = “T don’t know,” he said, at last. . “Neithe of them looks like the man. és as So the Siena bad. broken cost at mm aN first question. | eS ae Nick turned to the painters and de MeCart y. their names and addresses.
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ie = NICK CARTER WEEKLY. readily enough to questions, and showed no alarm. “Was anybody else with you at work to- day ?” asked. Nick. - Both shook their heads, “What time did you begin?” _ “At nine o’clock.” “That won't do,” said Hollis. that I saw you at work before seven.” “You're mistaken,” they protested. “intended to come as early as that, but we got Mr. Waldron’s note and “What note?” demanded the hotel owner. McCarthy produced an envelope with the “Tl swear hotel stamp. Within was a sheet of paper, on which was written : “Do not begin work on the hotel till about nine o’clock. If you come earlier you dis- turb the guests.” Tt was signed A. C. Waldron, and was ad- dressed to McCarthy at the shop where he was employed. “This is bogus!” exclaimed Waldron, “T didn’t write it, and don’t know anything about it.” Chick and Nick exchanged admiring glances. They saw the outlines of the deep- laid plot, and perceived dimly in the back- ground the master in the art of crime who had directed it all. “This Captain Gold is a wonderful fel- said Chick, aside, to his chief, mis low,” ~ CHAPTER V. NERVY VILLAINS, Nick had found time since the discovery of the murder to notify the local authorities. _ While the questioning of McCarthy and Buf- - finton was going on, the medical examina-. tion of the body was also in progress. Just as Waldron declared the note to be - bogus there was a knock on the door, and — been driven into Dunham’ 's back. bebind him,” “We >of Clerihew’s “new clerk.” _ Nick, apart, to Chick. He returned, bearing the knife which had It was an unusual weapon, being, a long and very heavy DAR ities broad, blunt end. “There’s the only ding the murderer ‘left said Nick to Chick. “What do you think of it?” “Tt’s handy ina paint-shop,” said Chick. “This thing was driven into Dunham’s.. : back so hard that actually a part of the han- - dle entered the flesh. This blunt blade cut ’ a rib. completely in two.” “A strong arm,’ muttered Chick. “Neither . But — of course it wasn’t either of them, anyway.” - of these fellows seems to be equal to it. Nick turned to the two painters, " “Where were you,” he said, “between half- > past six and nine o’clock this morning?” : They replied, without hesitation, that they were at the shop from half-past six to seven, and had then gone to McCarthy's home, where they had remained till nearly nine. “There'll be plenty of witnesses to this,” McCarthy added. thing that happened in that time we're call “If we're accused of any- right.” ig ” said Nick, to’ “Who. “I guess you are, my lads, whom the plot was now obvious. brought that note to the shop?” “A stout fellow, with side whiskers,” plied McCarthy, promptly. re He described him further, and the descr tion tallied neatly with that given by Alton : “The man with the side whiskers seems to have been a very useful individual,” sai “Hollis,” he continued, “were the two men you saw dressed like painters?” “Ves.” ‘ a “ 7 ns “They had vse paint-pots, ete! re 2 F ; «Ves, 2? a
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_ “No : now that I look well at these two, I n see the difference. tice particularly, when I was lying there in and not attaching any special importance to what I saw. But now I’m sure that the man who went in through the window was much taller than either McCarthy or Buffin- said Waldron. Their “T know both of them,” “They have worked for me before. characters are excellent.” “Of course,” said Nick, you left your lad- _ der slung last night?” “Yes; it was all ready.” The plot was by this time perfectly clear to the detective. ‘Dunham had been followed from New: - York by his pals. They had feared that he ~ would confess, and had resolved to kill him to protect themselves. They had been foreed to desperate meas- ures by the fact that Dunham was guarded by Murray and Alton. * In making a careful study of the ground” they had discovered the painters’ ladder, and - had formulated their bold scheme. _. The bogus letter to McCarthy, the clever fellow who had beguiled Alton from his duty, were merely parts of the machinery of crime designed by that mysterious man whose name __ Patsy had found upon the charred paper— Captain Gold. Leaving: Chick- at the hotel, Nick went to Police Headquarters. There’ was one point -in the case which could be covered from there. “Good-morning, major,” said the detective, entering the chief’s room, “where ” was that 2 burglary this’morning?” “For Heaven’s sake, Nick, how did you hear of that? It has just this moment been __ reported here.” god didn’t hear of it, but I knew it must have taken place.” ; ea ee Nick told the major the latest NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Of course I- didn’t guises,” said Nick. ' them was broken. “2 “T found this on the ground ont,” said ; eros ce ge “Of course those fellows had to have dis- “They couldn’t +have — brought them from New York, because they — didn’t then know by what means ee get at Dunham—probably had no idea "| would be very difficult. es “But when they saw that painters’ tadd ae the disguises became necessary. The easiest — way to get them was fo break into a paint- % shop.” “That's what they did,” said Major Moore. He showed Nick a report of the burglary, and among the articles missing were two . suits of working clothes and some glaziers’ tools, among which was, of course, the big putty-knife that had been driven into Dun-_ ham’s back. Nick immediately visited the scene of the ‘ robbery. The shop was in a shed at the rear of a | large building. It had been reached by means _ of an alley, which passed by the side of the structure and then turning to the left, lead- ing up to the door at the rear. Major Moore, on the first tip of a con-— nection between this seemingly small case and the murder, had sent one of his best — men to the place. He was inside the paint- — shop talking with the owner and investigat- ing the case. Nick questioned him. “One man did this job,” he said. “The ‘el- low got in through that window.” _ He pointed to one which opened on the alley. It had four large Be and one of i The officer showed Nick a piece of sine : with fragments of glass glued to it. Every- body knows that that is the way thieves break ‘windows. The cloth is glued over the pane, — _ and when the glass” is broken the pieces can- not fall and make a noise, because sige stick _ to the cloth. mee oe
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“How do you know that one man did this?” “Because,” replied the officer, Sith a look of great shrewdness, “the ground under the ‘window is soft, Saye there’s. only one person’s foot-prints in it.” _. The officer was very particular to state all ; his facts precisely. and he wanted to He knew who Nick was, “make himself solid.” Nick smiled at the man’s eagerness to ‘oblige. tective felt disposed to give him a little in- struction which might some day be useful to him. “There were two men in the job,” said Nick. inches tall, and when caught—if that doesn’t “One of them was about six feet two take too long---he will have a small cut on the back of his right hand. toed shoes and——-” He wore square- “T noticed that,’ exclaimed ‘the officer. “The tracks showed it, but the man couldn’t have been so big as you say, for the only plain tracks out there show small shoes. I couldn’t _ measure the length because the heel didn’t print, but the toe part is unusually short. I should think the man would be about five feet tall.” Nick laughed. Then he led the way to ie alley, where the little patch of soft earth a under the window. There were the foot-prints, two of them side by side, and they certainly did look very small. “T can measure the man by those marks,” said the detective, “and he’s certainly as tall as I said he was. Isn’t it clear what he was doing when he made eas tracks?” “He was reaching up.” “Certainly. And the broken pane is seven feet and a half from the ground. How could -@ short man have stood on the ground and glued, the cloth onto the window?” ie ze thought that he | pulled hims elf up.” : NICK CARTER WEEKLY. He was a good fellow, and the de- - -You will notice a single drop of blood on a “They had all been examined. One of them — gnees near a paces for the first suit, “Could he have stepped in this. soft and then put his foot on the side of. white painted shed without | leaving a an “Well, I don’t see any mark. But thei must have made one. Even so tall a man as you describe couldn’t have climbed in through i that window without putting _ foot on the | side of the house.” “Which proves that he didn’t climb in at all. No; the facts here are plain. The two men were ina hurry. The tall one went_to Fa work on the window and the other on the door. The door vibes first, and they went in that way. “But meanwhile the tall man had broken “ that pane, and had. cut his hand slightly. — projecting piece of glass which sticks to the sash. Now, the short man, who couldn’t have is ” eg been over five feet four. “How do you get at his height? I can see a the other part of it easily enough. Of course, = a fellow who could stand on the ground and: E glue a cloth to a window more than seven feet high must be a very aa man. But the i other ?” ae of working- — said Nick, referring to information A “There were three suits > clothes,’ which the officer had already given him. - was very big—helonged to a slab-sided creat- That was taken, of course. 3 Fe ure as tall as a telegraph pole. “Of tiie: other two, one belonged to a man 2 ebetir six feet tall; the other to a boy of sev-_ E enteen. The first one was tried, and then thrown\to the floor. Its position, as you hav described it, proves that. The boy’s suit wa taken. Pee ae 1 “Now, the rascal who took it wasn’t Joo! ing for a Fifth Avenue fit. Tf he’d. been ally
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ntich too big as to be likely to attract at- ention if anybody saw him with it on.” rt to be sure that the criminals had left “nothing which might be useful. Having sat- isfied himself on that point, he hurried back to the hotel. © Chick had been hard at work there. His first effort was to get a description of the : criminals who had taken the painters’ places. They had been seen by Alton and by -the ee prinier, whose evidence had proven to be of so. mich importance. Alton had seen them at the top of a nine-story Z i building, » © But neither could describe them. while he himself was on the ground. ~ It is needless to say that he had a very ins _ definite idea of them. The printer had had a better view, as he had not been obliged to lock ‘straight up; but his observation seemed _ to be defective. He couldn’t help Chick out. In spite of these difficulties, Chick had a ; - definite report to make to Nick. Bet rah ve found the painters’ clathes,” he said. - ae Tete Top ae room t ?” queried Nick. Ves! _ “Tandy to the roof. pant?” : _ “An old man, very much bent with age.” “YT don’t think.” Who was the occu- “I’m quoting the clerk,” said Chick, laugh- ing. _ stoop disguised great height, I suppose.” ~ “Right. “He was rather poorly dressed, and was alone. He wasn’t seen to talk to anybody in io the hotel... Of cour se, he came here late— after Dunham got here.” ’ I’ve got at that in another way.” NICK CARTER ee se k took a good look around the shop, in ' lows came on from New York, and they'll get “The ‘age’ was a white wig, ne the: ” room—— “And he furnished the colores f poor fellow.” “Fixactly. 2 they got down hrotish the scuttle in the r shifted their clothes, separated, away.” . “You've worked down to the tall man,” ¥ said Nick. “Have you got onto the other?” “He doesn’t show up so plainly. Of course, he’s somebody who came to the hotel q late and isn’t here now. He’s.a small man,’ judging by the clothes he wore. But it hap- pens that there are several men who came in. j late last night and will fill the bill. I haven’t_ had a chance to work them all up.” ; “That can be done later. You've wired | New York?” ‘piling ia “Yes. I figured it out this way: Those fel- back as soon as possible. There’s ae more for them to/do here. 2 . “Of course t they’ ll change their disguises. There’s a fair chance that the tall man, who? 4 seems to be the leader, will appear in his own } person. He'll probably want to show upg among his ordinary acquaintances. ; as “And he certainly Son rome a: on. a ! Washington express. ‘He's too- “slick ‘ior that. ; “So I wired Pay ‘0 go out to Renate) N % J» and meet the Washienae. express there: man. that I could, and told him to ook ‘out for such a fellow, who would | get « ex) press and then take the next local train ‘ior New, York 0" "s e . “Good Now we have the theory
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PATSY’S ADVENTURE. atsy received Chick’s eyed its directions with his usual prompti- There was just time enough for ie to get i Newark and meet the exptess which left -fashington at eight o'clock. oN othing in his manner or dress. distin- e men who were waiting on the platform en the express pulled in. He appeared “take no special interest in the passengers aio got out of the train. Yet there was one of them which. interested m greatly—a tall young man, with keen, ark eyes, whose general description tallied Jonderfully well with what Chick had picked >in Washington. Patsy also had the additional detail of the ratch on the hand, which Nick had worked from his examination of the paint-shop’s token window. This had been wired to tsy ‘at Newark. Now, the tall man “who got off the express ore gloves. He might have a dozen wounds 1 his right hand, but a ‘couldn’ t see ‘em. must be remembered that the. shrewd ung shadow had very little to go by, and an i solute identification was of the utmost due. ; eae 4 If it had been a serious injury to the hand the suspect, Patsy would have tried the and- -shaking game; but this was probably aly @ scratch, and the man could not be made oe > wince by pressing on it. + y . ere was. an interesting ans. : How. : NICK CARTER WEEKLY. CHAPTER Vi = 3 le ram and m s AY ae had ee eae the big station, a _ was somewhat obscure. - ished Patsy from the general average of: tit was important to settle that matter, for had appeared upon the other end of the plat- ae form, smiling and cheerful, without a trace of, ise nervousness, rae The exact meaning of ‘this nerformnarice ga. Of course the man might want to disguise the fact that he had. left the express, in view of the other fact that — he was about to take a much slower train for the same destination. That might look queer, and it was teason- able to suppose that the fellow would take precautions to get around it, but Patsy benicy : lieved that there was more in the dodge than that. ; ees: The man had brought no baggage from the — 3 express. He stood on the platéorm, leaning back against.a bar which was just below the ~ = Both hands ea were behind him, clasping the bar. ae ledge of a window of the depot. Patsy, to be more out *of the way, stood inside the depot, looking at his man ice Sa , the window. Presently a railroad employee came into the — = “station, and began to paste a big railroad ee time-table on the bulletin-board, which was right beside the window. It struck Patsy ee that that man must have been sent by Provi- - 3 dence,-for che fitted exactly into a little a scheme which our young friend had formed. op “Ts this time-table the same as that one over. ‘< there?” asked Patsy, aa beside the ae workman, ; Pee,"
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(18 _ NICK CARTER WEEKLY. railroad man, who appeared to be somewhat “But he couldn’t wear such a glove as t of a tough by his dialect. “Dat’s de West for the paste had hardened upon it unt _ Jersey time-table, and dis is der main line; looked like an English muffin, © see?” He pulled it off, and Patsy, to. > his “Thank you,” responded Patsy. ‘satisfaction, saw the scar. 2 The window was a little way open at the “That settles it,” said Patsy. “Yow re bottom. Patsy leaned on the ledge with his — tain Gold, and I'll gamble on it.””. ae hands outside. He was close to the object of A few minutes later the local for New his pursuit, and directly behind him. pulled in. “Captain Gold” boarded it. With his left hand he smeared the bar with did Patsy, in a changed disguise. ; the paste, as near as possible to the place —~ When they reached New York, Patsy © where the tall man’s right hand eee and 4 chance to appreciate the shrewdness of“ on each side of it. man he had to deal with. , Then Patsy slipped out of the waiting- For three hours they played a game of |‘ room, together. Captain Gold was trying? to th” In less than half a minute the tall man ut- Patsy off his trail. tered an oath. He had shifted his hand, and his stylish glove was rttined with a white and Whether he actually knew who was him, or was only proceeding on the gi sticky mess. ; principle that he was likely to be foll He flung pp the window and stuck his head ; : was more than Patsy could determine. © inside. The railroad hand had just concluded his labors, and had picked up his paste-pot. “Blast your infernal carelessness!’ ‘cried the irate traveler. “What do you niean by “this?” rave him. ; Hi suoules bas pasty glove in the other's At half-past eight o’clock in the eve | aCe. ip aac ibe eo they were in Brooklyn. What t’ell yer givin’ us?’ demanded the ._,. Captain Gold was in a closed catriage,) surprised and insulted ee {ilan,.- Leama te Pte Be Patsy, in a black suit, was riding a black done nuthin’ ter youse.” . $ “You .daubed your cursed paste all over everything, and I put my hand in it.” “Well, yer lucky ter git yer hand back ag'in; see? Dis is extra good paste, and it sticks fer keeps. Don’t yer monkey wid it no more, I’m tellin’ yer.” The railroad man, with a grin, turned. Aside from Captain Gold, Patsy was away. He was well satisfied with the fate ‘interested in the driver of the carriage, cycle without ayy light. He was getting rested on every other block, but, as that quired only the display of his badge, it : not matter. _ For a bicycle is a great | faster than a hack, and can afford to lor little time. that had overtaken “the dude,” and had no He was a little, wiry man, who, thd’ | idea of denying the responsibility for it. -¢ cleverly made up, and experienced in drif ia This was just what Patsy had seals did not look like a “cabby.” | Gas upon. _ With his hack he had appeared just i ee Die Senthennee from Washington aopped sa) of time ae Coppa Seen 4 _ the subject. He had begun to see the i psaiee p : Priety af raising a row, “
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oe ees Faye Cats . i e ‘ ; tdging by the meagre description sent on” nt’ Washington, Patsy was strongly of the lion that this driver was the second mem- got the gang—the participant in the mur- of Dunham. be carriage stopped before the door of The news of her husband's Although tham’ s house. ¥h had not reached his wife. disliked very strongly the idea of keep- 1 in ignorance of it, there were reasons “ch led him to regard that course as best. gatsy knew that the woman had not been- rmed. He had telegraphic instructions pan interview with her, founded on that 1 Vaptain Gold got out of the carriage and the bell of the Dunham residence. q° disappeared within. Patsy had thrown 4 bicycles over a fence, half a block down - street, and had crept up when the tartiage (stopped ié was on the point of effecting an en- ice to the house, when Captain Gold reed with Mrs. “Dunham. She was ssed very roughly ; so. much so that Patsy first took her to be a servant in working nes, but that was only for an instant. i ‘hey entered the carriage, which was fied about and headed toward the Wall et Ferry. (2tsy recovered his bicycle and followed. , crossed on the same boat with them, of ose. the New York side Capleia Gold soon ndoned the carriage. Mrs. Dunham was th him. aptain Gold, during the ride, had also as- eda disguise, He was no longer the ele- creature whose soiled glove had given So- much annoyance. i Dn the contrary, he was the very toughest ng object Patsy had seen in a long time. kin ‘NICK CARTER WEEKLY. ~ 4 a a id he fell int He wore ferocious red whiskers, and they _were about all that could be seen of him above the shoulders, for an ‘old sou esta hat was pulled down over his head, + Patsy began to'scent a really important dis- covery. He followed warily but eagerly. Everybody knows that great basin full of canal boats which opens on the East River within gun-shot of the South Ferry. That. was where the chase led Patsy. Captain Gold and Mrs. Dunham went out onthe pier. : ‘They boarded a canalboat, which lay at the head of it. Patsy, creeping after them, observed that the boat’s name, painted on. her stern, was the Gold Bug. “Captain Gold, of the Gold Bug,” What better rendezvous could the soul of a rascal desire than this old canalboat in the dock: It’s convenient to Wall street, too, where you operate.” , After this brief tribute to the qualities of you. You're smart. said. Fatsy, “you're a dandy. I take off my hat to, the able captain, Patsy quietly slipped aboard — the boat. body appeared to have the least anxiety. In fact, it was all so very easy for him that the shrewd young man began to have the gravest suspicions. = A cocked revolver was in his hand as he ‘approached the door of the cabin of the boat. He could hear voices within. Captain Gold — was speaking, and Mrs. Durham was *inter-_ rupting him by exclamations of grief. Patsy put his ear to the door. ots my husband to’ me instantly,” Mrs. Durham’ was crying out. “I will see him.” \ Wait!” said Captain Gold, and his voice sounded so close that Patsy hastily stepped back frony the door. Spee e sor vas Instantly the fleck under his feet Saue way, it of arkness. en Nobody was watching him. No-. a
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20. i: bottom of the boat, and yet it seemed to him that he had fallen half a mile when his feet struck liard planks, and he fell in a heap. CHAPTER VIf. THE PRISON-HOUSE OF CAPTAIN GOLD. Patsy gathered himself up as quickly as he could,-and was agreeably. surprised to find that no bones were broken. He was in total darkness, and did not dare to move,about much until he had turned on the light in his electric lantern. Then he saw that he was in a perfectly Over his Under him was a flooring, heavy and well laid. bare room, about tweve feet long. head was the deck of the canal boat. The ends and sides of the room were planked up solidly. Over his head was the trap; a very simple ’ contrivance, operated by a spring, and clos- ing by its own machinery. He could not see any way out of this roqm. He had only the tools in his pocket-knife, which were designed especially for digging a way out of places, but not such solidly-con- ‘structed prisons as the one in which he was at that moment. The thought made him hot with rage, and yet there was no denying the fact that he was caught; that the gang could do what it pleased - with him ; ‘and that, unless Nick - found him very soon, the chances were big that this was the last of Patsy. His courage was equal to the situation, ~ but he could not help raging at the thought that he’had been so easily caged, and that he could make no report to Nick, who would. : be depending upon him. 2 He made a thorough survey of the prison, and enlarged his information about it to the “extent of discovering two more traps. _ One was in the forward end. The other in ee the side near the floor. . ‘NICK CARTER WEEKLY. _and presently she opened’ her eyes. Aside from these, there was nothing at to be found except an iron pipe three inc/ in diameter, which ‘ran through the ceil in one corner of the room. eae This pipe was open at the bottom came down within an inch of the flo He was exajnining it with great int for its use was not clear to him, when denly the trap in the front wall was th open, and Mrs. Durham was pushed fore into the room, i Patsy’s pistol was in his hand in a fi} but, before he could use it, the trap 2h closed. Mrs. Durham had fallen when she- pushed in. Patsy raised her up. She jh almost unconscious with terror. The young man did his best to revive When the horror of her surroun burst upon her, she began to scream wil ; force which made even the heavy wall. planking ring like sounding-boards, ” Almost immediately. the smaller of 6, traps opened, and a stream of water be to flow into the room. lt was only a thin, trickling, stream at but it slowly and steadily increased in) ume. Patsy’s hair began to’ ‘stir at the roof. It was an awful fate that confronted. Was he to be drowned like a rat in with the spectacle of this unhappy- ‘ suffering to add to his own? So far as his own efforts were concer) he. knew that they were powerless to a resolved upon inflicting it. a ~ The young man’s mind flashed like fore ca aie: saw no Nese The Btecaur of ‘wate
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qu: ae not checked,-had begun to flow i im- at diately after Mrs. Dunham’s frightened incfeams had made their prison ring. ceil he still deafened him with them, Le sprang to her side and laid ‘his hand r her mouth. or. |'Be still!” he cried. “They wil kill us terth if you scream like that.” i siThe deadly earnestness of his tone and ir@nner impressed itself upon the woman de-’ rite her terror. ‘She became silent. — Patsy was bending over her. For an in- » ant he dared not turn toward that spot ct here the water had begun to flow in. 7It was his last chance that he had taken. his he knew, and he summoned up all his urage to face the worst. > Then slowly he turned toward the fatal ot. ‘ Patsy sat down on the floor and laughed br joy. The woman looked at him, dazed with ter- , “It’s all right, so long as you don’t gteam,” said Patsy. “If you do, we're lost. 7? you keep still, we may get out ofthis all dght. Now, tell me why you are here.” “This Captain Gold brought me. ai am cre because I know too much about him.” “Your husband confided in your” By oS, For more than a year I have known at he was a criminal, under the power of at demon. te “How did he ever get into his power?” “Innocently enough. This Captain Gold, vhose real name I do not know—nor_ his ace either, for he is always in disguise to that bank two years ago, and.. a deposit. _ NICK CARTER WEEKLY. | 21 did not see the true explanation, which \ was, be hind which my husband was ee and asked what was the amount of his balance “Mr. Durham. told him, ‘Phen — Gold, whose name for that occasion - Crawford, drew a check and showed it to my husband. “It was for a little less than oe ; balance, ; a “Gold took the chided to the teller’s win- dow. The teller looked at it and then glanced. at my husband, who nodded, indi- cating that it was all right. “The check was paid. That afternoon, as my husband was leaving the bank, Captain Gold met him. He looked much agitated. ““Come to my office,’ he said ; ‘I've got something to say to you.’ “Mr. Durham followed him. It was only a little way. “When they reached the office, Captain Gold locked the door, and turned to my hus- band. “This isa nice fix you've got me into, he : cried. “Mr. Durham, alarmed, Aeriaauied what. he meant. | ‘ : “Why, you gave me my balance a thou- — sand dollars too high, and I’ve overdrawn — “my account to that extent.’ “Mr. Dunham protested that he had given ~ the correct figures. Captain Gold showed ~ him the stub of the checkbook on which, as a3 he had asserted, there appeared the record es of a check which meant an overdraft of about = one thousand dollars. ne ome ae ““T’ve lost the money in speculation ‘ones “the Street” to-day,’ said Gold. “What shall Ido? I can’t make it good at the bank, and — there'll be a terrible row. I shall be accused — : of swindling, and, if I give the true expla- nation, you will be discharged.’ “Mr. ‘Dunham was so frightened that le “His account was kept on et sb a S ees Gold had had t two checks, « one of f which: a ee BY
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. that he had not correctly given the balance. “There was every chance that “the error would cost my husband his position, and at that time he could not afford to lose it. “He begged Captain Gold to raise money sufficient to cover the overdraft. Gold:swore that he couldn’t do it to save his life. “Thus they talked, until at last Gold sug- gested the infamous scheme which he had had in mind from the first. © “Pransfer the money to my account,’ he said ‘from one of those dead accounts that “never is drawn upon. That won't be noticed for a long time. Meanwhile, I’ll raise the money, and when I’ve deposited it, you can _ transfer it back to the old depositor, and no- ss body will ever know. and I will save my reputation at the bank.’ “My husband weakly yielded. The trans- fer was secretly’ made on his books next day. _ “Gold did not raise the money. My hus- band besought him to do it, and tried hard ~ to get it himself, but failed. “Then Gold said that he had a dit tip on the market. If he had a few thousand dol- lars he could make enough to put back what he. had wrongfully got from the bank. -/ “He convinced Mr. Dunham that the tip ‘was sure. “in which my husband was an accomplice. “Gold presented a check for nine thousand dollars. . _ Gold’s balance was good for it, and the check ‘was paid. ; “From that moment my husband was in You know, probably, to what an extent their dishonesty was car- ai _ the swindler’s power. ‘NICK CARTER WEEKLY. | ‘ciplined, and working under his command. Thus, there will be no real dishonesty. You will save your job, Then came the second robbery, , My husband informed the teller that - dered. Captain Gold became a power. ae gang, which he had previously . organized, a grew to be a formidable band, perfectly diss) “Already the same desperate game is be-- ; ing played in three other ‘New York ‘banks, _and I know not what other schemes of rob bery are being worked. sh “How my husband’s share in the the was discovered you doubtless know better, ‘ than I do. a “When he was obliged to run away, he told me substantially the story that I have - told you. Before that, though I knew that he was going wrong, I was ignorant of the colossal size of the fraud, and the share which ~ the infamous Gold exacted from his dupes. — “As a matter of fact, my husband hag had~ little of the stolen money. Captain Gold has — claimed. nearly all. He has, speculated with it, and has lost hundreds of thousands of dol- © © lars, for, clever as he is, so bad : is his luck’on ‘the Street,’ that he almost always loses.” Such was the story which Patsy heard in - 2 that strange prison, while waiting for the death that might come upon him at any moment. “T can guess,” he said, “why they have pe. you. into their hands. They have learned off your husband’s ‘confidences to you. He wrote a document in ‘Washington which fell into their hands.” This was all that Patsy would tell her aS xe the Washington tragedy. He had learned - about the burned confession from Chick’s = telegram. It was a “pointer,” to be used in — his talk with Mrs. Dunham, vs ere How little even thé far-seeing Chick: stis- > pected under what strange circumstances ~ that interview would be held! ; a Patsy had learned all the facts much “hae than he could have hoped for. But would he ever ie an to are use ee them?
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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. : Suddenly he was aware of a. peculiar sound. It came from the direction of the ) larger of the traps in the wall. Patsy, who had been sitting on the floor, leaped up and ran toward the trap. Mrs. Dunham would have followed him, but she | tripped upon his lantern, which was lying ‘on the floor, and, falling upon it, broke the mechanism. Instantly they were in total darkness, The woman’s nerves could not endure that awful blackness. A fit of hysteria, as violent as raving mania, came upon her. She screamed horribly. Then she laughed splitting violence. Patsy sprang back toward her. “We're lost if you do that!” he cried. Already above her screams he could hear the sound of the water pouring in. This time it was not a feeble stream, but a eS ae eee great gush that in a moment spread all over the floor. And still the woman screamed. Desperate with apprehension, Patsy flung himself down beside her and muffled her head with his coat. He was trained in the art of gagging a human being, and though even in this awful | amoment his heart rebelled against such treat- ment of a defenseless woman, he did the work well; -- Her cries ceased. Then, in the interval of comparative silence, Patsy listened. 2 The water still rushed in. ye Minute after minute passed; _ seemed like hours. Patsy was forced to lift the woman’s head out of the water. and they. Then he raised his wet hand to his throb- bing forehead. f “Tt’s all over,’” he whispered. ‘This is the end. ‘Nick has told me it was always near tous. And he has taught me how to face it. I am not afraid.” wildly, and again she.screamed with ear-' He tore away the coat from the woman's - face. She was quite still. “She had fainted. And so, supporting her head u shoulder, Patsy knelt there in the flood and waited. . CHAPTER VIII. THE CRUISE OF THE GOLD BUG. There was a sudden rush of water, which - swept Patsy along with it, ; He knew instantly that the larger panel— the one by means of which Mrs. Dunham had been put into the room—was open, Hope, which had abandoned ee came. back. : He struggled to keep his footing amid the Zi rush of water, but more for the woman’s — ‘sake than for his own. It was necessary, at all events, to keep her head above water, and he managed to do it, a Presently he found himself grasping the side of the little doorway. Ase A. strong hand seized his arm as he fell outward through the opening. A light flashed out amid the darkness.. He saw the face of Nick Carter, ‘ There isn’t anything in this world that he would rather have seen at that moment. “ Nick pulled him aside, out of the flood which was pouring from the opening and running down into the hold of the canal boat. “That was a pretty close call, chief,” whis- pered the lad, with a sickly smile. “If you'd waited any longer, there’d have been a va- ¥: cancy on your staff.” “The infernal’ brutes shall pay for this,” said Nick. “But there’s no time for words. F They'dl find this out pretty quick. ae “Here are my orders: Crawl forwaidl aa through the boat to the bow. You’ll find a — hole cut in her hull, and below it is a row- boat. “T had to get aboard that way, ie sie i lee on that pier is infernally a Of
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course ‘i followed you by the marks, and when hey. ended I knew what was up. T’ll stay here. There doesn’t seem to be anything the matter with ow then, look alive. ou take Mrs. Dunham with you. her that won’t cure itself with fresh air and a little time. Find the police boat and re- _ port the iacts to the officer in charge, but - don’t bring her around here too soon. “J shall want her exactly at twelve o’clock, and there must be a land force to co-operate. ‘Thave reason to believe that the whole gang will be aboard at that hour, and we must nab them all.” “Patsy merely nodded to express his under= standing of the orders. Then he hurried away, bearing the uncon- 4 ~ scious form of Mrs. Dunham with him. Nick closed the trap, shutting off the flow of water. Otherwise, the boat would soon have settled so that Captain Gold would have ~ "realized that something was wrong. ‘As it was, Nick hoped that the escape of Z Patsy and his companion would be un- a noticed. . > He waited some minutes, favelvets in hand. ee “Then he crept forward and looked out sthrough the opening which he had cut in the bow of the boat. ‘He saw Patsy pial away: The row- the night. Nick heaved a sigh of relief. scape af his eee assistant had affected im deeply. ae He had, felt the gravest anxiety when he NICK CARTER “WEEKLY, Se at was just disappearing in the shadows The narrow. es ‘Nick at last discovered it. sae ~The method by which: he had 1 re | may require a word of explanation, | aa It is one of Nick Cartet’s st een al de Hi desire was to communicate with Paty f whose interview with Mrs, Onhae he hoped for good results. Me z home*of the Dunhams, and there picked. ta He went to the house which: had & Patsy’s trail. There was a mark in chalk onthe iron fence in front of the house, which indicated. Patsy’s arrival. There was another whick showed his departure and the cee that © he had ‘taken. The marks, at intervals i ae blocks, ted Nick to the Wall Street Ferry. ; He took up the trail again on ‘the shes Eventually he found Patsy's where the lad had hidden it. roe side. <4 ri But here there was no mark indicating his depart ire. Disguised as an old canal boatman, Ni Then he traced him to the pier. went out upon thes pier. aes He quickly discerned the watchman boat, but oy eee paying fhe _ Suspeting e Pay d str
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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Having seen Patsy safely away, Nick crept aft. “ With the greatest caré, he got out upon the main deck of the.craft and worked along in the shadow of the low rail until he was alongside the cabin. Tt was a finer craft than most canal boats. The cabin was raised higher above the deck. ‘There were half a dozen windows in the cabin, but, of course they were carefully shaded within, and nowhere could Nick find a chance to peep at the occupants. Suddenly, as he lay in the shelter of this deck-house, the door was opened, and the tall form of Captain Gold emerged. Nick crouched close, and escaped the sharp eyes of the redoubtable captain. Gold had a lantern in his hand, and he walked forward with. it. He stood on the bow as if waiting for something. . At last a little tug came puffing along. Captain Gold swung his lantern, and the _ tug hove to. "She ran in alongside the canal boat, and there was a conference between her captain and Gold. The tug was turned around, and a tow-rope from her stern was made fast on the Gold Bug’s bow. Then the lines were cast off from the pier, and the tug boat’s wheel was started. The Gold Bug slid out into the river. This was mighty serious business for Nick.- He had made an appointment with our young - friend, Patsy, that could not be broken with- “out endangering the success of his éntire plan. How was the mepolice boat's s crew to” find out Tt was-a hard question. “Nick ning to fear that the ; game wou ferent ending from that wh for. as hy One aig He did not know how ‘many members of the gang were on board, but there-was every reason to believe that several were already in roe the cabin, and that the others would meet e the canal boat at the landing to which the tug = e was taking her. Nick might make a successful fight aceite sot the gang, so far as his own personal sate was concerned, but he could not hope to cap- 2 ture all its members single-handed. They were men who could not be “held x up” ~ by the display of a pistol. Several of them must know that their lives were forfeit in case of capture, and so they would fight It is better to be shot than tc die by the rope or in the chair. against any odds. The boat was headed up the East River. — That was the direction” Patsy had taken. ~ Nick had observed that, but could only guess — é the reason. It may as well be said that he he had guessed rightly. Patsy had seen the — familiar lights of the police boat in that di- rection. Nick, therefore, had some ground for hope that he should pass near enough to the police beat to signal her; and, if so, he resolved to : dc it and take the chances. It was better to. make a sure thing of as many of the gang as. were then on the canal boat rather than to’ run the risk of losing at least half of them. Two men had already come out of 7
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swered in size, at least, very closely to the des iptions of the two who had assisted ain Gold in the murder of Dunham. Nick had to do some clever dodging to keep out of their way. They went presently te a sort of pump alongside the cabin and began to work it. The defective rightly guessed what it was. It was the pump by which the water was discharged from the * room in which Patsy and Mrs. Dunhanr had so nearly met death. This was the explanation of the iron pipe which Patsy ‘had seen. The men worked diligently at the pump, which threw .out the water with incredible rapidity. Soon one of the men ceased to work, and went below. He was gone not more than two minutes when he reappeared ; he rushed up to Captain Gold. Nick knew what had happened. The man had discovered that there were’ no corpses in that room. It had been the intention of these criminals, as Nick now saw, to weight the bodies and # drop them overboard in the middle of the se aprver, 4 ; By “These fellows must have made murder a. pretty safe trade,” muttered Nick. _ -Gold, after a. word with his man, hurried below. It was getting pretty warm for Nick. A search of the canal boat was sure to come, -and then there would be a fight for life. - — As this thought crossed Nick's mind, he She came saw the lights of the police boat. out of a dock i oe the Brooklyn Bridge. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. PR Drawing his lantern, ke flashed its Fight to- He knew that Patsy’s 3 eyes would be sweeping the river, on that — Se Fi, ward the police boat. the signals would be understood. <a” But scarcely had Nick sent the lantern’s rays across the dark water, when there was. t an ominous noise behind him. a8 He turned like a flash, with his pistol i his hand. : . But he was too late. A great stone, thrown : with terrible force, struck him in the fore- a head, and he fell senseless to the deck. CHAPTER IX. THE DEATH SENTENCE. When Nick opened his eyes: he perceived. that he was im the cabin of the Gold Bug. He was securely bound in’a chair, which | was fastened to the floor. 3 He could feel upon his face the blood which had flowed from the wound in his — Tt had dried, and that was ‘the | only measure he had of the time is he had forehead. been unconscious, In the cabin were Captain’ Gold and ives * other men. Snes, sat at a table, with the captain at the F head, and directly facing Nick. 3 Then, for the first time, the detective had a : fair view of this man whom he certainly bee ig lieved to be one of the most desperate ras- se cals on the face of the earth. 4 ee as ergit Somewhat to Nick's surprise the captain 4 was without Sok a Nick knew him in a 2 flash. © oh
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- NICK CARTER WEEKLY. — S55, x duct was partly explained. But. wn Sue planation! - Beer) - Could it be possible that the venerable - financier knew of the diabolical wickedness of fiton? This thought was uppermost in “Nick’s _ mind, although he had enough to think about on his own account. ‘That young Tyler should appear without disgtiise was ominous. It was deadly in its meaning. ; Surely Nick would never be permitted to leave that boat alive. “So you have come to yourself, Mr. Car- ter?” said Tyler. “It would have been bet- ter, perhaps, if you had never done so, but—” “Tm. surprised that I did,” said Nick, calmly. “Why didn’t you weight my body aad throw it overboard?” “There were arguments in favor of that 3 course,” replied Tyler, politely. “Several of myvfriends were in favor of it. posed it strongly.” “Thank you,” responded Nick. “May I venture to ask the reason for your amiable conduct?” “Surely. I wished to ask you a few ques- _ tions.” “Proceed. a “What has become of your man and Mrs. Dunham nd “y don’t know.” “Kindly tell the truth.” —_ oa “I am endeavoring to do so. Surely. it ~ must be evident to you that I cannot know. “In fact, T don’t mind telling you that I'd be ,a great deal easier if I did. They left your ain I've seen or heard of bred in the Wall Street school, ; not belong to them, the temptations of that _ wealth, made anyhow, so it was made fast— But I 2) a ial ee thoughtfully. 7 ai | “Of course they nen tte fad: ‘the boat: » Bete -“T should think it likely.” Nore “There is not much time to be Jost,” aid EES they were aboard the police boat when we passed her there’s going to be trouble. 2 Gold, turning to his companions. Nick glanced at. the faces of the group. Rea Though most of them were partly turned | away from him, he could io them av faitly well. i yale _ These criminals were, all but cae ae men. They were not roughs ; they had been- i The continued sight of money witch did great gambling | game of stocks, the desire for ~ these were the influences that had madedes- perate villains of men well born and bred. One of them Nick knew as a bookkeeper it) a bank, another as the confidential- agent ae 5 He was the only member of the party who was over forty years of age. 4 It was he who spoke first. oe “Let’s hurry what we have to do,” a said. - “Wait” said Captain Gold. I must know from this man.” He walked up to Nick and looked straight into his face. of a broker. “One dhing 2 “How ash does my father ek demented: yey - “How should I fon fe paid Niele ~ good ship, the eos Bug, ina boat foes I Pe
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28 _bookkeeper,. who was very pale. ‘any time to discuss such a subject. S Gold. doubtless caught some faint hint of his son’s criminal career. Had he seen and suspected him when the son came disguised as Crawford to draw the fraudulent checks upon his father’s bank? This seemed likely. Nick hazarded a guess. he said, “T believe,” “that he thought you looked like a man named Crawford.” “TI feared it,” cried Tyler. “But you know more than that. You talked confidentially with my father when you were investigating the bank’s affairs. “I must know what he said.” ~ “He said nothing that would give you a clew,” replied Nick. “Gentlemen,” said Tyler, turning to his ’ gang, “I appeal to you. The safety of every one of us fs involved. This man must speak.” “T believe he’s told ae truth,” said the “And if he hasn’t, can’t stand your plan. I’m not hard~ ened up to it.” Tyler laughed. “You don’t object to murder,” he said. “When it’s necessary, I say kill,” responded _ the other, “but torture is another matter, and “by. the Eternal, I can’t stand it.” “Took here,” cried another; “we haven’t It must ei be decided in the usual way.” “There are six of us hete,” said Captain “Four must vote against torture in order to override the decision of the capfain. ; That i is our rule.” a : ae LS ite cried the gases oe let’s NICK CARTER WEEKLY. have the pleasure. 7. Negi ig taking some blank eas from. a drawer 4 in . the table. - % Each man seized a slip and hurriedly wrote — Bee tae fi a word upon it. To say that Nick Carter viewed that pro- = so ceeding with calmness would be to renege him as more than mortal. The thought of torture administered by a man like this Captain Gold eeeht well ae pall the stoutest heart. : eA ee As the ballots were cast into a tittle ee E Nick’s blood leaped in his veins. The captain and one other counted thém. ae Onfacridets said Gold, calmly, and ie spite of himself Nick’s face showed his re lief. R eC = “You seem gratified, Mr. Carter,” said j Gold. -“Well, you can afford to be. we | sha’n’t need this now.” fi He lifted a little alcohol lamp AE the ' floor and put it away in a drawer. | ars 4 _ “T would have liked to try your. nerve, ~ Carter,” he continued, ““Red-hot iron is a But under the rules I can cs Now, gentlemen, what a T suppose we i need not take a formal vote on that.” age great persuader. is the verdict as to his. life. that his ‘adial had not bees seen, young: assistant hee. then been aboard th
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NICK CARTER WEEN TAY, crt ee : 2s Gold. “Who shall execute the sentence? Die der the rules, we must draw lots.”. He took six playing cards from a pack “These -he glanced at, and then threw them into the bal- lot box. which was in the table drawer. “The highest card,” he said, “is the nine of diamonds. Whoever draws that is to kill this man by the method already decided upon.” The box with the cards was placed upon the table, and covered with a hat. The men, whose faces showed the most terrible anxiety, gathered about it. Nick prayed that one of the youngest men would be chosen. He felt! that there might be some chance for him, if his doom rested “with the bookkeeper, for instance, and he could be alone with him.. But of them all he dreaded Gold the most. The captain was the first to put his hand tnder the hat and draw a card. He threw it face upward on the table. he said. “Tt’s all over, boys,” “T have drawn the card!” CHAPTER X. THE EXECUTION. As soon as Gold had spoken the others rushed to the sides of the cabin. Lockers were pulled open, revealing money hidden there, in these secret recesses, which gave no sign to the eye. There was not a great deal of it, but each had a share in a separate. place. Nick supposed it to be a sort of emergency fund saved from their robberies, and hidden here that it might be instantly available if (flight became Budidenly. necessary. ; ac -the cabin. fore been opened, a black object, which>was There were a few other articles-—clothing a various material of disguise. _ E This was carelessly thrown on oe floor “Tt might as well go with the A Bug,” ee said one. “We can’t carry it with, us.’ A (erie thought flashed through Nick’s, brain. They were going to burn the ee leave im in the midst of the flames. Duara fe “Tyler,” he demanded, “what are you about to do?” There was no answer. “Look here, my men,” ones Nick, “you’re only making the case worse for yourselves. - é ” You will only ; Gold slapped his hand hard across Nick's mouth. # _ With the other hand he pointed to the cabin door. F His men filed out obedient to his unspoken command, and Nick saw more than one of them cast a horror-stricken look backward at himself, , oe “Now, we're alone,” said Tyler, “and short stories are the best. You won’t waste ~ time pleading with me. ae “Probably you want to know where you're ‘tu die, and [ll téll you right away.” He drew from a locker which had not be- about the size of an ordinary mantel clock, and resembled it somewhat in appearance. , He set this on the table, and immediately : it began to tick. “ee Tyler looked at his watch. Then he a turned to Nick. sae aes
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x 4 I tell you that it is nearly full of dynamite, xe 1 will be able to picture the result. ‘This Boat will be teduced to inatch-wood. Your body will -vanish in. vapor. “Not so much as a piece of bone from your skeleton will ever be found, nor a shred of your clothing, You will be! reduced to the elements of-which all-of us are made.» “It is a quick death, though a terrible one. On the whole, I regard it as better than you déserve. “You have pushed me fard, Carter. For months, I/have felt your hand. In the mat- ter of the Caswell & Mortimer defalcation which was engineered by me, I perceived your work. » “You were. very tose to me once, and only the stiicide of the actual defaulter saved me.” “So you were in that?” said Nick, trying ‘to steady his faculties for a last effort. Heat the ticking. How many seconds are there in foxes and in others. But time flies. fifteen minutes—only (thirteen minutes now. “Tell me and I will tell you how many sec- onds you will live. . thousand, but they pass-quickly. ‘Every tick i a second, and so your life ebbs away. “Now I must go. This Washington ‘af- on ‘air, as the tail-piece of my little flyer with ‘ my father’s bank, settled the business be- It was death to one of us. tween us. : “Had I been the one, I would have faced it calmly, as you are doing, now that the lot Good-by.” said Nick. ‘has fallen to you. “Hold 6n, “Tylet,” “There’s : one thing more. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. intelligible. Why, there are nearly a : adit. "You hold both oy Tnde 2 ~ Of course you’ve been father suspected? His letter —” Re “Curse you! aia Tyler. He made a leap for Nick a You must have hand into the detective’s coat. — Then, as ay sd out his other han “tt head forward, as a snake strikes, and fastene¢ his teeth in the wretch’s eS agit Nick’s teeth cut Tyler’s fingers to the une d Yet the deteneye could speak in spite « this. His wor ds were mnie, but they wer Ne i vy Peay: He had tried every poe ean whi “Reach over my back and’ pall t open with your teeth.” 2 Tyler obeyed. Nick felt the
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* 6 NICK CARTER WEEKLY. | before he was able to hurl Tyler from him against the policemen is were there on i and stand up a free man. guard, With the force of Nick’s propulsion, Tyler | fell to the floor. He sprang to his feet and rushed toward | the door. _ Two burly forms, clothed in blue, and with ' revolvers in their hands, blocked the way. a Tyler, regardless of their weapons, and ‘| fea tiie only the terrible explosion behind _ him, dashed against them. He was hurled back, shrieking out curses. As he did so, Tyler, who was half crazed with rage and Nick also sprang forward. fear, pulled out his watch. ~ “My God!” he cried. ‘i come iE “ Behind the Chick’s form. up astern to the Gold Bug, “The minute has Nick There was a tow-boat backed blue-coats could see which was lying at a pier. Nick knew that the awful explo- sion would involve the death not only of him- self and of Chick, who was dearer than a brother, but of the officers who had so loyally come to his aid. : For a single instant his mind struggled with the terrible problem. , Then, with the strength of a madman, he seized the fatal box and hurled it through one _ of the windows of the cabin. A single awful second, longer than any hour he had ever passed, elapsed. Then there.was an explosion of tremendous violence. The whole side of the canal boat was blown in. : Nick, who stood at the cabin door, was blown through it, his body striking violently They rolled together on ies Ss ar te hs Nick was the first to regain. his feet, ees The wreck was sinking under him. One of the policemen was unable to rise, - Nick flung his body upon the stern of the _ tug-boat. The other isoliecuen was able to climb aboard, and Nick followed, - On the stern of the tug, the first thing he saw was the body of Mrs. Dunham. She had evidently Been knocked down by the force of the explosion. It had blown in the doors of the boat’s cabin, and three men were rushing out as Nick leaped aboard. The astonished detec- tive recognized them as members of the gang which so short a while ago had sentenced him to death. How they came there he did not stop to speculate about. He instantly sprang upon one of the escaping prisoners. Chick hurled himself against another 60 vio- lently that. both fell headlong into the cabin. In a second Nick had snapped the hand- cuffs on his prisoner’s wrists and had torn a false beard from his face. On the pier, meanwhile, two policemen had captured a third. The round-up was complete, for the other two prisoners had not escaped from the cabin. They had been nearly stunned by the explosion. Patsy had also suffered from it, but he soon recovered. Nick, meanwhile, had heard the state of affairs explained by Chick. The late ter had traced Nick to the pier, as Nick had traced Patsy. He had not identified the Gold : : Bug, but had known that one of the canal “
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_ 195—Nick Carter's Grateful 32 boats was the gang’s rendezvous. Having learned so much, Chick posted a.secret po- 5 lice guard at the head of the pier, and then engaged a tug to guard the seaward end. While bearing down upon the pier in this tug, he had encountered Patsy’s boat; and while he was picking Patsy up, the Gold Bug had got away in the darkness. Then came a search, with the fortunate result already de- scribed. But what of Captain Gold? That question was soon answered. His body was found in the wreckage of the canal boat, pinned down by fragments of her planks which had been driven in amass into a corner of the cabin, and were tightly jammed together. Such was the desperate villain’s end. Only a word remains to be said. The two men who had assisted Captain Gold in the murder of Dunham were identified among the prisoners, and will pay the penalty of their crime with their lives. The others will serve long terms for vari- ous robberi¢s of which the gang. has been proven guilty. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Its plots were disclosed by confession, and it was: the universal opinion that it would. have become the terror of “the Street” had > not Nick Carter stepped in and ended thcgnee President Tyler will never recover from the shock on learning that his son was 80 great a villain. He had only dimly suspected © him of connection with the robbery of the Wall Street National Bank. ve His suspicion had. been enough to make “a 4 { ; him anxious to hold back Nick’s original ex- amination, and yet he had had little doubt ney v that his son could clear himself. it 4 Mrs. Dunham recovered from the terrible — | strain of her experiences, but not from the loss of her husband, for whom she will ever — mourn with an intensity worthy of a better man as its object. x é f ” THE END. ; x F 5} The next number will contain ‘‘Saved | from the Flames; or, Nick Carter at Mystic — Vale Crematory.” f Nick Carter Weekly LATEST ISSUES: 208—Saved from the Flames; or, Nick Carter at. Mys- ‘ ic Vale Crematory. ‘207—The Hole in the Bank; or, Nick Carter's Cam- paign Against “Gapt, Gold.’ 206—The Doctor's Dangerous Experiment; or, Nick ; Carter's Wiying Trip to New Orleans. 205—The Passenger in the Lower Berth; or, a Star- tling Disappearance from a Railroad Sleeping 204—Tracked to Union Station; or, The Celebrated St. Louis Mystery. 208—Pardoned by the President; or, Nick Carter at the United States Treasury. 5 202—The Counterfeiter’s Gold Tooth; or, Nick Car- ter’s Crooked Correspondent. paste Great Life Insurance Fraud; or, Nick Car- - ter’s Tussle with a Very Slick ‘Countryman. 200—The Beautiful Shop-Lifter; or, Nick Carter's Search for an Old Offender. 199—Nick Carter and the Forest Fires; or, A Nest of Vipers Burned Out, 198—Nick Carter Under the Knife; or, The Little Giant Among the Body- -Snatehers, 197—The Little Glass Vial; or, A Beautiful Black- : mailer Brought to Bay, 496—A Man of, Wood; or, Who Killed Dr. Startle? Client; or, Saving the Honor of the Old Man’ s Boy. Back numbers always on hand. r ng aie to you, my seal, poste “487—The Best Detective in the Country; or, A Promp ae 194—Nick Carter on the Bowery; or, A Crippled Cracksman’s Detection | eee Carter on the Inside; or, No Chance for the oroner. s 192—Nick Carter in Frisco; or, Instructed by a News- = paper Personal. 4 i Wasee for Tembezzlement; or, What Became of e Treasurer. 190—Nick. Carter's Sip Rery Quarry; or, The Case’ Against ’Frisco = 189—Nick RR ee Proofs; or, Bad News for the Gu ‘ wigan or, Two Kinds of ilty. 188—Nick Carter at the Races; Lead Pipe Cinch. Reply to a Telegram. eit 1s8—Nick Carter Rescues a Daughter; or, The. Junior | Partner’s Strange Behavior. ; iss—Nick Carter Saves a Reputation; or, , Button J Worth a Fortune, ee 1s4—Shielding a Murderer; or, Nick Carter’ s Dealings an Avenger. he baekee from the Penitentiary: or, Three Cheers for Nick Carte ; 182—The Blood- Stained Check; or, Nick Carter in the P plpseoting- Roons, If you cannot get our publicati ons from your ‘newsdeate, five cents a a! w
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RUE detective stories are stranger than fiction. The Shield Weekly is a new series of detective stories, but it is ‘““some- thing different.” Street & Smith’s long experience in the publishing business has taught them that the average man — and boy like nothing better than good detective stories. We have, in the past, published many of the old style, where the detective passes through a series of marvelous and hairbreadth , escapes and finally secures his quarry. The Shield Weekly will, however, be an absolutely new departure. Each and every number of the weekly will contain a history of a complete and intricate crime, the solution of which is worked out by the skill and ability of the detectives. These are True stories, absolute chapters of experience taken from the note books of the greatest and most noted Their fund of knowledge upon this subject has been drawn upon by special arrangement. We propose to demonstrate to the reading public | of America through the Shield Weekly that the frue histories of real crimes contain as much and more of romance than do the imaginative tales which have been constructed in the past by the Writers of detective stories. We feel that the time is ripe for the presentation of this absolutely new class of detective tales. The first number in this series will consist of manu- scripts from records in the archives of the Boston police, as repre- sented by INSPECTOR WATTS, who is well known throughout the New England states, in fact, throughout America, as one of the shrewdest and most clever Secret Service Officials in the world. The great inspectors of other large cities of the country will figure in due course. C ) ¢ ¢ It is issued every week on Wednesday. No. ! appears Wednesday, December 5, 1900. It can be found on sale at all newsdealers. Try one. We know cts. you will like it. PER COPY The Shield Weekly True Detective Stories with Real Plots @ #@ ( STREET & SMITH, Publishers, & 238 William Street, New York Chiefs of Police in the largest cities of America. _ Mme RD oy. 4