Nick Carter Weekly (no. 225) (1901 04 20)
The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive
Page 1
No. 225. ICK CARTER WEEKLY Issued weekly, Subscription price $2.50 per year, Entered as second class matter at the N. Y. Post Ofice by StRuxt & SMITH. ee a — Price 5 Cents. SATE , A vo ~~ me "A ru _ bt AT >) { : 4 FFP £ UMSTERY y GF THE PAINTED AR® HE SPRANG UPON THE ASTOUNDED RIVER PIRATE LIKE A PANTHER.
Page 2
or at Raia Cone ee eee paw: ec < - ey pater eremey era
Page 3
Issued weekly. No. 225. sreeer.& surrn, Publishers. NEW YORK. April 20, 1901. 238 William 8t., N. Y. 5 Cents. DONE WITH A CLICK: OR; The Mystery of the Painted Arm. By the Author of ‘‘NICK CARTER." CHAPTER I. THE HUE AND CRY. “Stop him!’’ “Ves, if you can find him!”’ ‘“Ten dollars to know who he is!’’ “Tt’s worth it!’’ “Twenty to get my grappling hooks on him !’’ “Tf you made it fifty, Red Jeff, *twouldn’t fetch—the kid has vanished, neck and heels.’’ Red Jeff, ex-smuggler, ex-pirate, wharf tat, king of the river thieves of New York city, ground his teeth in rage. **Call the boys!’ he growled, hoarsely. ‘“They’re coming,’’ announced his companion. _ “Line the river—the runaway made for cover that way.’ Hot on the heels of the two men who had just dashed into view, four brawny fellows came forward, puffing and pant- ing. Tinye on him, governor ?’’ inquired the foremost. “Bye on nothing!’’ ground out Red Jeff. ‘‘He dodged around the corner here, and he’s gone.’’ aoe “Like a puff. of smoke,’’ put in his _ » companion. _ “Mates!” roared Red’ Jeff, (action! It’s the snuggery broken up if that spy gets free—it’s dodge and slurk, and fin- ally come slap up against the beaks. In five years not a stranger has passed the threshold of our den, unchallenged, till this fellow did.”’ ‘*He couldn’t have been in the house five minutes. ”’ - ‘““Two was enough for him.’”’ “Bh ?? ‘“To tumble over every scrap of writ- ing, every bit of plunder we had in the secret room. ’’ ““That’s bad!’ ‘‘Pretended to be a plumber’s assist- ant, come to mend a leak. I found an envelope he had some solder in.’’ ‘Then you yelled-—-—’’ ‘“‘And scared him into flight like the wind. Yell! so would you, for that envel- ope contained an address telling who he was from.’’ ‘Who a ‘*Nick Carter.’’ A dead silence fell over the group. A rough, coarser set of faces could not well ‘be gathered together, yet more than one paled under the bronze of exposure and the hardened recklessness of crime. A spy, a detective, a representative of the man whom they feared personally more than the allied police poWers of the NICK CARTER | WEEKLY. Butered according to Aci of Congress in the year i. ae vest Smith, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, ashington, D. C. Pntered as second class Matter at the New York, N. ¥., Post Office. Subscription price, $2.50 per year.
Page 4
~ metropolis, had penetrated their- secret haunt. ~ It must have been for a purpose—the last one of them was certain of that. The shady, narrow street where their 7 den fronted was of itself considered dan- _ gerous for any pedestrian who looked as if he possessed a dollar. ‘The only outsider who ever entered the _ doorway of the low groggery front of their haunt just at hand was some igno- rant sailor who might better have stum- bled ‘into a den of tigers. x As to penetrating the eidoked guarded - Jabyrinth to the rear, whence Red Jeff years—from that the bravest city detec- tives had ever shrank. _ Until now it had been as sacred from intrusion as a nest of rattlesnakes. But now—not ten minutes since—a young fellow dressed as a mechanic, car- tying a kit of plumber’s tools, had swag- = z— into the place, letting its inmates lieve that he was from the aout of the building. i Red Jeff had run across him two min- utes later in a room, the door of which he had forced. Red Jeff had found a_ trunk rifled, his “coat pockets ransacked, a table drawer containing his limited correspondence all in disorder. _ He was startled—not because twenty chests of tea stood piled up in that room, _ mute evidences of last night’s foray of his gang on a China merchantman, _. But because that very night, a few ; hours hence, was fixed as the occasion for “‘a big haul.” 1 So big, in fact, so secret and unusual, that Red Jeff suspected that some outsider had got onto its details. __ And as he discovered tlie envelope bear- ing the name of ‘‘Nick Carter,”’ he ages ith the alarm = a —. cry rang out. He had turned and sprang upon the as- tounded | river pirate like a panther. ‘There was a struggle in which nerve gility outdid and sheer __and his cohorts had defied the police for® jAEOAE , ‘e lea Ge 1a NICK CARTER WEEKLY, Flat to the floor went Red Jeff, upset- ting a chair and half overturning the table, and at the racket, the man’s yell for help, the rush of startled feet, the spry intruder sprang for a window, darted toward the river, and vanished. The brawny giant glared now across the stretch of territory intervening be- tween himself and the river. A large transfer dock comprised it. At one end of the wharf a steam scow was driving piles. Beyond that a barge had just chuted its load of grain into an elevator. Nearer were two buildings about a hun- dred and fifty feet apart. One was four stories high, a storage warehouse; the other was a low slied-like building. From the higher to the lower struc- ture, set on trestles, ran what might be termed a freight toboggan slide. Down this from a third story platform to that of the shed, alot of boxes con- taining salted fish had been in progress of transportation for river reshipment. All thissRed Jeff took within the scope of an anxious, piercing glance. ‘““Aimt every ¢rack and corner,’’ he ordered. ‘‘We’ve got to get that spy!"’ - Four of his gang deployed toward the river. Red Jeff and his companion pro- ceeded down the planking that marked a roadway. They looked to the right and the left. Then Red Jeff gave a jump forward, as | at a spot where a pile of bricks and a box of mortar stood a form came into view. It was apparently that of one of the laborers employed in fixing a chimney of the warehouse. He wore a well white-washed hat, lime streaked his clothing, and he carried a hod. “Tt’s him!’ declared Red Jeff. “You're crazy!’? demurred his com- panion. ‘“‘What! slick hair under an old hat he’s picked up—white collar for dress - duty at‘mortaring? Oh, yes! Close in on him, quiet, now!”’ The river pirate almost whispered the word, and with cat-like tread, started after the cones proceeding form ahead. ter never turned if he heard,
Page 5
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 3 never betrayed so much as a quiver if he suspected. But just as four claw-like hands went out not two feet behind him he gave a _ spring that was half a whirl. He kept whirling and spinning around like a tup, the hod suddenly outstretched spinning with him. It was a fearful weapon, for as it struck Red Jeff’s companion the latter went flat ' with a slam. _ Red Jeff himself dodged. One corner of the hod grazed his shoulder. He gtabbed out, held on, and its wieider let- ting go went back tumbling. “After him!’ yelled the river pirate. His comrade was nursing a broken head and groaning, and Jeff bounded for- ward alone. The fugitive saw him coming. His hat _was off now, his face disclosed. His actions had already betrayed him as the late intruder at the den. A sight of his face completely con- vinced Jeff on this score anew. And, in the light of his knowledge that here was one of the dreaded Nick - Carter’s allies, the river thief discerned a clear eye, a firm lip, a menacing some- thing, that, boy though he evidently was, he was to be feared in his reckless en- thusiasm and resolute courage far more than any snag he had yet run up against in all his busy criminal career. ‘The boy put for the river straight. Red Jeff uttered a shout as he made out - two of his men at the dock edge. They turned, saw the fugitive, and ~~ darted forward to intercept him. ie 4s) a" x , “J = cs 4 nas! z _ +» It seemed as if the latter was now in a trap, for the three were closing in on pats, ‘He ‘halted abruptly, wavered, shot a quick glance in every direction, and then _ Sprang to a stationary ladder running up the side of the warehouse. _ Itended at the platform three stories up, and the climber got there as prompt- _ Jy as if he had possessed wings. Red Jeff sprang up it after him. The _ boy picked up a hooked pole with which _ the boxes were shunted down the slide. _. At first it seemed as if he was going to use this as a weapon, 2 . aes _ Then seeing that no ‘outsiders were in ’ the immediate vicinity upon whom he ae he, cold rely for assistance or protection, if needed, he sought to evade an unequal contest, for all three men were now com-.. ing up the ladder. i The platform and the slide were smooth as glass. Both were waxed, and a mere touch moved a box as if rolling over ice. The fugitive pushed one to the edge of the slide, sprang upon it, directed a swift glance at his pursuers, and then raising the hooked pole, drove it clear through the cover of the box. He had now something more than a vehicle to shunt him one hundred and fifty feet from his enemies with a bird’s swiftness. The fixed pole was a mast to cling to —a stay, a support. With a whir and a swish the box tilted own the incline, made a shoot that took the rider’s breath away. The daring adventurer never looked behind. The vivid rush of “air drove his hair back from his face Jike floating rib- bons, and he could see clearly. Then perhaps fifty feet accomplished, as he saw something he had not antici- pated, his keen face took a sudden token of alarm. \ : He discerned why work had been tem- porarily suspended in transporting the boxes. Where the slide made a slight curve to break the velocity of descending objects and to strike the receiving platform be- low just right, a sideboard was out of place. The sharp contact of the corner of some box had shattered it awry—he could see the wreck of both in the yard below. Would he graze it?—whir!< Could he evade a fearful tumble ?—whiz! Over the break, from solid planking to a cushion of air, the box leaped before its passenger could think. , He was aimed for the ground now. He let go the pole as it began to turn, he gave a side twist to his supple body as the box wobbled and slid out from under ; his feet. i Luck favored him. As the box crashed apart with a terrific noise, his feet came squarely down into a nest of excelsior, lying where it had been dumped from some pottery-packed hogsheads and crates.” {aig te ete .
Page 6
accompanied the sudden stoppage, and for a second or two the fugitive was 7 aii € was now about sixty feet trea the _Tiver. He made toward it as he saw the lowermost fellow on the ladder nailed to the warehouse drop sheer to the ground, _ and his companion still higher up follow _ his example. __ They blocked escape streetward. To the boy’s right was the steam scow, but coming from that direction was another _of Red Jeff’s cohorts. Hemmed in, the fugitive made a des- -_-perate bolt forward, and coming to where alot of piles had been driven, jumped "tothe first clump. ~~ Others were being set in place, and the derrick operated from+the scow was but a few yards away. The boy’s idea seemed to be to reach the water’ e, and trust to a dive ora swim to the shelter of numberless craft _ anchored near at hand. oe He sprang from one cluster of piles to another, then to a third, and barely missed landing in the soft mud beneath _ the fourth, as fierce yells pursued him. _ He turned to study out the proximity of his enemies, and’ this distracted his ae ,-* full attention as he made another jump. This time he landed on a single log grooved sides of the pile-driver. é It was the last log.. Below the water tan lay. He eagerly scanned the prospect. _ There was a grain barge moored near a the elevator thirty feet down shore, out a farther distance a coal scow was floating he ‘frightful yell. rather halted, than ‘ged the boy forward. seemed to bear a new and terrific ort that dazed him somewhat. a net aid not proceed from any of his ene- ae mies. They had halted in various Stages ‘es “of pr pr from ladder to logs, stockstill and ok Paget nd, and fetowld. not exactly _ understand it. _ The ae came from a man farther down e doc fairly starting from their peckena . He was. wavin his” arms in a wild, es way, ‘released _ end, to find himself cased between the was 80 excited that. NICK CARTER WEEKLY, his cries were the merest incoherent bab- blings. _ Take care!’’ the fugitive made out. He wavertd, wondering if the menace outlined hovered behind or below. Then he looked up quickly as a sharp snap echoed forth. He seemed instantly to shrink and fall, without nerve or power to control him- self. Both were paralyzed by an awful threat” let loose at that second. The engineer on the steam scow had the hook that held the iron pile-driving weight into its grooves. Down these the half-ton bulk of metal shot with the velocity of lightning. Sweeping and crushing all before it, the immense hammer head landed on the top of the log. CHAPTER II. “SIN ‘TOUCH.’? “Wiped out!’’ shouted Red Jeff. ‘*Squelched—imincemeat!’’ interlarded the man nearest to him, aghast. The workman who had so agitatedly hailed the fugitive came forward, pale and unsteady. ‘“That—boy——”’ he gasped. ‘*Ves, we saw him,’’ nodded Jeff. “Didn’t——”’ chattered the man. “Didn’t what ?’’ “Get crushed—by pile-driver.’’ ‘* Nonsense !’’ ‘See, now!’ The huge hammer began to ascend— the top of the log was revealed. ‘“Told you so—I saw him fall,’’ con- tinued the workman. ‘Fall, where? Quick, man! He’s got free after all, boys!”’ “Qver. the log, as the hammer came down——”’ ‘Yes! yes!’ ‘‘And into the water—splash !’’ ‘Fish him out—hunt him shouted Red Jeff. All three of the pirate crowd began jumping across the piles. - From the top of the one farthest out their leader eagerly scanned the surface of the river. Some ripples showed. Floating away gently was a Be the one ‘the ar sath out!’? ete eee: . 7
Page 7
. Steadily. and ravenously, like some gloating fishhawk, Red Jeff kept his _. eyes fixed on the water. - “Went down—hasn’t come up,’’ he \. _ pronounced after. a spell. ‘‘As good -_ .a@ way as the other. . Let the ~police ind him if he’s missed. Come on, mates.’ is We're safe now?’’ insinuated one of 2 - the men. = “Ror what he may have found out, , “yes; from any éther spy ever fooling us —oh, just!’ responded Jeff, with unc- tion. ‘‘This one bothered me. ae must have been after——’”’ ‘*To-night’s big game ?”’ 2 .. ‘What else?”? - - 5 The trio made their way hack to land. a They halted to take up their battered a companion, and soon disappeared in the direction of their den. ee ‘““That,’? observed Bob Ferret, ‘‘was a “=~ clese shave!”? a Bob Ferret was the name of the mein- ber of Nick Carter’s detective schoo] who had penetrated the lair of the harbor _ thieves. mS € was not lying cold and stark under afternoon's venture. When he went over from the top of the oe just in time to escape annihilation _ from the descending iron sledge, the cold ; "water acted on his energies, momentarily a _ paralyzed by horror, like a spur. : ie swam to where a flapping, box- - like e piece of canvas extended from one Tak the elevator chutes. maa ‘Atday over the dock just as it had been removed ayn She hold of the barge a ae Bob ctimbe up, seized it, and pulled “Any good?” : “This good,”’ responded Bob, with vigor—‘‘Mr. Carter is right; Red Jeff is up to some big game.’’ ‘“To-night ?”” ‘Yes, that I have found out positively. You know we complained of getting rusty yesterday morning because there seemed nothing to run down, no work to do, and how Mr. Carter said he had happened across a little pointer that might keep us in practice??? * Buff nodded assentingly. ‘In his wonderful. way of picking up all kinds of tips, Mr. Carter heard that Red Jeff was up to something out of the ordinary. He said it would be a great thing to. run hak Ellow down on general
Page 8
ae “principles, for he was the pest of the mer- chant marine, but to bag him on some pane sure outside crime would be a decided ‘feather in our Gaps. We laid our plans _- _here,’’ and Bob glanced about the yard. “Then, a couple of hours since, I got one of my restless fits on 2 “And went up to Red Jeff’s hang out ?”” “Up to it, happened to hear the bar- tender refer to a leak in a water pipe, made for a plumber’s outfit, and—I had graze in getting away, but I got some- thing.’’ “‘What?’’ interrogated Buff, eagerly. “This. 1% Bob unrolled a wet and wadded strip of paper. _ *A Jetter to Red Jeff, dated this morn- ing,’’ he explained, ‘‘with signature torn off. Listen: ‘I send the thousand. Dupli- “as etleat ee cal va a a se va - Ps ent Le Pa ale of it.) 2? ~~ “That sounds promising,” commented Buff. - **Promising! It’s no cheap penny game, the one Red Jeff is up to, and I believe Mr. Carter knew it when he ‘Started us out. This isn’t in the junk line, I can tell you! Thousand-dollar offers come from people of. importance, and they don’t pay that amount except for a big heap of work, either.”” ‘*That’s so, Bob, and you propose——’’ ~**Our original plan. ” “To utilize the heavy wagon of our friend, the teamster, here ?”’ ‘*Exactly:”’ “*He’s ready to accommodate us.’’ aoe ‘Good! Here’s the layout, Buff—Red Jeff is up tosome big scheme. He and his -—s evening. It’s so big that two thousand _ dollars’ pay is involved. That much we know. Now, then, we want to know = amore”? Se re By getting posted just as near them ae thie eventing as we can.”’ __ “It’s the only way. There are a dozen blind exits from the street, where these 3 pirates hang out, and to venture into it even after dark is worth a fellow’s life.’ ae “Your visit will pet thens even more five minutes of it only, and a narrow - cate same, if you. make a successful run’ men are priming up to start off on it this ~ unsavory thoroughfare where the den of. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. stances. I’m going home to get some dry clothes on. Meet me here at five.”’ ‘And tell the teamster he’s wanted ?”’ “Certainly. Engage him. Let there be _nlo miss as to time or place.’’ “Oh, he’ll do his share. I did hima great favor once, and he hasn’t forgotten it,’’ declared Buff. The two young detectives parted, but it was too meet again promptly at the hour agreed upon. Bob atrived, to find Buff on hand. He was talking with a cheery-voiced team- ster, who nodded pleasantly to Bob. ‘All ready ?’’ inquired the latter. ““There we are!’’ was the driver’s answer. Two horses were attached to a heavy box wagon. It seemed heaped up full with cinders. As the man slipped a slide in the side, howev er, a false bottom and ample empty space was revealed. ‘““That will do,’’ commented Bob. “You know the place ?”” “Like my own yard,”’ replied the driver. “Right against the side, you want to land ?”’ **Just where I told you.”’ “*Get in.”’ Bob crept through the aperture. and high started up. A little loop-hole was afforded where a bolt had come out, and Bob kept track of their progress by peering through this. _ He was all attention to detail, as they lined. the docks where he had ‘gene through such exciting exploits earlier in - the day. Then the wagon proceeded down the the king of the river pirates was located. Every other house was a saloon, and low-browed, villainous-looking fellows loitered in doorways or promenaded the narrow pavements. By the side of the haunt that Bob had visited ran a narrow alley cutting through windingly to the next street. As they entered it, Bob braced himself, and Buff spread out both hands to pre- serve a needed balance. “Take care!’? warned Bob. _ _ “Tm steady!’ asserted Buff. Buff came after him, ‘closing it, and the team _
Page 9
. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 7 Crash ! Bob knew that the critical moment arriving had found the driver ready. The hind right side wheel had smashed off at the hub, just as it had been ar- 1 ranged that it should. Somewhat in the fashion that the an- cients were Wont to plant their movable forts in front of the castles of their ene- mies, Bob had devised the present plan to plant himself not two feet away from a window looking into Red Jeff’s lair. “The driver had fixed the wheel for just the present catastrophe, had operated a wire, disconnected a bar just at the right time, and now leaping to the ground, he looked the dismayed victim of a genuine breakdown. y Of course’a crowd gathered. Eagerness _ died away on the part of many, however, as they saw nothing worth stealing about ' the wagon. + Then the man who ran the bar in Red Jeft’s place came out to inspect the break- down. See here, my man,’’ Bob heard the driver say, “‘I’m going to ask youa aes. faver.~’ That so?” Just. ¢ First, I want to set, up the _ cigars for all in the house.’’ : __., **That’s business !”’ “And leave my wagon here till morn- ing.”’ : ; —_ “*Why not?” ~ “Vou see, I couldn’t get a wheel here by sunrise, though.’’ Oh! that’s all right.” “The driver went in to pay for the ¢igars, came out, unhitched the horses _ and started away. fixed right?’ queried Buff, in a whis- r to his companion, who had his eye ued to the little port-hole. ‘ouldn’t be better.’ Good!” _ “We're not two feet away from a win- and our side slide opens right on Sead Sue get s—a 1 and our ien- v then,'’ spoke gee Ph es before dark. I'll have it out of, your way Buff, eagerly, ‘“‘to ‘‘Now then,’’ supplemented Bob, promptly, ‘‘to work and win!” CHAPTER III. THE REVOLVING ROOM. ‘*Be cautious, Bob!?’ “Yes, Buff, we mustn’t lose what we’ve gained by any false break now.’’ It was exactly three hours after Nick Carter’s young detectives had so cleverly camped ina successful and unique way tight on the trail of the harbor thieves. They had been so near to a little ceil- ing window looking into the den of tlic river thieves that they had been able to see everything going on. When it had been casually hooked back to give ventilation, they had heard nearly every word spoken. Those words had been enlightening, for they told the eager listeners that at pre- cisely ten o’clock picked members of Red Jeff’s gang were going by water to earn two’ thousand dollars by a few hours’ work. Those words had been stimulating, for as the crowd retired from the room under inspection to repair to some secret lair far to thé rear, Bob had insisted on creep- ing through that little window and fol- lowiny them up. ‘“They may slip out any one of a dozen secret exits, and all our work will be for nothing,’’ he declared. “You hope to keep with them?” in- quired Buff. “TI want to,see how and where they start from,’’? answered Bob. ‘‘If we can’t do that we’re left, aren’t we?’’ *‘I guess you’re right, Bob, but we’re diving into a nest of pitfalls.’’ ‘All in the line of detective duty,’ ob- served Bob tersely. ‘‘One miss and they’re off, and the job’s done, tracks covered up, and mystery too deep for us to follow. Come on.’’ Buff was willing to go anywhere with Bob. He went in through the window after him. In front was the bar—they had uo busi- ness in that direction. ; Bob took the lead. They opened a door to the rear and crossed a bare apartment. — A second was cautiously recounoitred and entered. : ~ : ‘This is the room where Red Jeff discovered me,” whispered Bob.
Page 10
a queer door—built “*T noticed it to-day,’ said Bob, com- ing up and feeling over its half-circular surface. The dimmest kind of light came in at the windows. Bob located a catch, : a opened the door and stepped ahead. Buff followed him. ‘Then two things happened in rapid succession quite start- ling in themselves. The door behind them closed witha slam—evidently a stout spring operated it—the boys had not proceeded five steps before they came to a forced halt. “Why! what are we in, anyway?’’ breathed Bob—‘‘a closet ?”’ “*No, Bob, it’s a trap, a cage!’ “Nonsense !’?’ ‘*Reel the bottom with your feet.’ “*Hollow- sounding, yes.’’ . “Feel the sides, rounding and smooth. We’re in a sheet iron cylinder.’’ “‘Maybe its an elevator. No. Why, I see what it is, look here—a revolving ; room !?? Bob drew from his pocket a tiny vial . and removed its cork. That was his special dark lantern. It took up no space, it was simple, and he could control its rays. The minute air was admitted the little : lump of phosphorus it contained, soaked in sweet oil, gave out a soft gentle glow. Guiding the light, Bob verified a dis- covery he had guessed at before. ‘They were indeed in a cylinder. It was set on a pivot in a bricked up space, and reaching through its open doorway and pushing, Bob found that it revolved with them. “Don’t “you see?’’? he interrogated. ‘‘We slide around till we reach a corre- sponding doorway on the opposite side.’ Po we?” murmured Buff, dubiously. “Certainly. Clever device] No one _ can get through from the front to the _ back unless the opening in this is oppo- site the doorway. The deuce!’?’ **T should say so!’’ _ “We're fixed !’’ _ “Badly.” ee _ The conviction came simultaneously to aE both venturesome explorers. ~ Te was tips: bya pest ys of the - ae NICK CARTER WEEKLY. > And here’s revolving room, accompanied by a distinct grating jar. Bob pressed on the brick work one way, then the other way. ‘Locked!’ he reported, **Locked!’ echoed Buff, grimly. ‘“Some catch ahead of us._ I can half understand it,’’ muttered Bob. **Can you ?’’ questioned Buff. : ‘*Yes. We should have pushed the cylinder around and unset the lock on its outside before we started. That's the knowing way of it, must be. You’re tight, it’s a trap—for the tinwary."’ Bob shied the feeble rays aloft—solid. He tapped at the brickwork front two inches away—solid, too. **T don’t ever remember being in quite so tig.it a box before,’’ he observed. ‘““What’s bothering me, is that those fellows wiil get away on their scheme,’’ complained Buff. ‘Oh! we'll be brought to light long - before they start,’? promised Bob. ‘*And then ?’’ Bob hunched his shoulders philosophi- cally. He did not give up entirely until he had spent fully an hour working to get the cylinder revolving again, the bricks in the wall loose, aseam in the bottom widened. It was all of no avail, and he had just made up his mind that this was_a barrier set against entrance to the front till the next morning, when voices sounded, then footsteps, and then the revolving room began its tour again. ‘‘Pnsh—hold back the way we came!” whisperéd Bob, energetically. He and Buff bruised and jammed their fingers trying it—a steady force had un- locked and was hauling the cylinder around the way they did not wish to go, “*Is it fight, Bob?’ interrogated Buff. ‘To the death, or get killed,’ an- swered Bob, grimly. The. cylinder edge past the new door- way and light began to flood it. Before it had fully crossed the fitting cpening space, however, a ‘startled warn- ing utterance rang out. Just a flashing view six or eight men _ got of the two sturdily planted young dehantises, bright weapons extended. Justa mere glimpse that twain was
Page 11
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 9 afforded of grouped enemies, only now aware of their proximity. Then the cylinder was sent whirling. For all the world like squirrels in a drum cage, the boys spun around and around. — Then came a jerk back, forward, and back again, carrying them off their feet, slamming them against the iron walls and over one another. Bob saw what was intended. The pi- tates were employing these tactics of con- stant gyrating motion to dizzy, unnerve and drive them off their balance. ‘Buff,’ he s “I'm flopped!’’ came the prompt re- sponse. : ‘*Rvery time. we pass the doorway where those fellows are grouped——”’ ‘“Ves.”? **Fire!’’ i} see. ” Bang—bang! ‘ It was like shooting at a flashlight, so ‘flitting was the passage of the open space. Around again, two more reports, and cries of dismay ensued and the cage began to go slower, ‘Dive!’ breathed Bob, ‘‘before they push again or lock.’’ ‘*Back into the front?’’ “Of course.’ “*Made it!”’ ‘‘Out of the way!”’ “Why, Bob——”’ ~ Crash! ; Both the boys had executed a really . clevér piece of gymnastics, for they © bounded from the revolving room into the one they had recently left like rubber ‘ balls and never grazed a hair. -____ Bob, however, added a new laurel to the exploit. : _ On his feet in an instant, bryshing Buff uncerenioniously aside, he mlade a dive for a low, narrow settee. _ R As the doorway of the revolving room __- eae around again, nearly on its last spin ‘tow, he gave the piece of furniture a _ jerk anda push. _ , Ne atl squarely through the aperture they had just cleared, half in, half out of - . Tt; a Ess SS nee shock the cylinder grated toa ke quickly, ‘‘sit down.”” what’s the matter?” “Blocked, locked, barricaded!” an- nounced Bob, rather exultantly. **They can’t get after us.’’ “Not through that revolving room— they can’t even budge it now.”’ ‘“They may have some other way!”’ “Dozens of them, probably, so back to the wagon. Hello!’ ‘SA signal!’ “Sounds like it—in Quick, Buff! Well?’ Dodging across the room to open its opposite door and make tracks the way they had come, Bob halted very sharply. - Just as he touched the knob, the door jarred. At that very instant heavy bolts top and bottom were shot into place on its other side. ‘“They’ve telegraphed their friends in front——’’ began Bob. ‘“‘And we’re shut in,’’ nodded Buff. ‘“What now, Bob?’’ : ‘“The windows. ”’ *“Not that way—look out first.”’ - ‘*Pshaw!’’ Bob drew back. They were a well drilled set in this den of crime, it seemed for under each of the ally windows of the room as many men were already posted in an attitude of vigilance and expectancy. On three sides the apartment was now surrounded or barricaded. Naturally the young detectives made for the sole direction from which danger had not challenged. A door yielded to a touch. Across a dark room Bob proceeded to reach a second door, but this one was secured. Tramping footsteps and noisy voices suddenly filled the air all around them. “‘This room is no better than the other one ”” began Buff. ““Unless we can hide.”’ ‘*Here’s a bed.”’ “Creep under it.’’ ‘There is no under.”’ ““How’s that?’’ spoke Bob, gliding to his comrade’s side. ‘‘Oh, a folding bed, spring, blankets. Under them! some one is certainly coming.”’ The springs jangled as the boys piled upon them. ‘Pull the blankets over you,’’ directed 3 Bob, ‘‘but keep your weapon ready—eh ? the front bar.
Page 12
as Saclay Bob warningly, his eal: Some one in the room!”’ A § guess not.’’ _ Some one slid off the bed as we landed on it!” “Are you sure?”’ nie = Seisten..”” _ Tt was a palpitating moment. Bob had an ear like an Indian. He caught a - stealthy, gliding rustle. "Slip off the bed—you on one side, _ me on the other,” he directed. SS; It’s too late P* ehcaaee “It’s lifting!” . _ Fiop! At the bottom the bed was suddenly seized by an unknown lurker in the rooin. From its bottom the bed shot up and _ shut up. Knocked one, over the other, and un- able to get out, the two young detectives - were brought to a halt, flattened out as if _ in a squeezing press. ‘It was, indeed, a folding bed, and ‘it had folded them helpless, like two herrings packed in a box. _ Squeezed and half smothered, the boys wriggled and panted. Then they crept with a new suspense, for through the room they were in there _ laugh. CHAPTER IV. THE TIMELY BULLET. ‘ Bob. had been thrown with his body } | crossing the bed. Buff was nearly doubled up, head down. _ The bed had not been locked, the bulge of their bodies preventing this, but _ whoever had s in stood braced a ainst it, holding i ‘it in place. a captives felt the pressure reduced y wriggled, but o1 ore they could ee out two inches was back in place, having lit the bounded again into position, — began blowing on some kind “swept Bob’s ear to whisper cau- grated forth a mocking, triumphant y for a moment. . meet spat eames bog. saw NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Bob heard a voice that kind of thrilled him. ~* “Well, what’s the racket for?’’ pro- pounded Red Jeff’s gruff tones. **Got ’em!”’ “*Got who?”’ “Two fellows—spies.’’ “‘Glorious! I was shaking in my boots. Feared they’d slipped us. I said, ‘Are they raining down? Is the place a sieve, suddenly letting in all kinds of varmints! You’ve got them—where?”’ “In the bed.”’ ae Eh ?? ’ “‘Shut up in it. Take care! They’re spry. They'll pop out like jacks ina box.’’ ‘One on each side,’’ directed Jeff, and Bob surmised that he had not en- tered the room alone, as two pairs of heavy feet crossed the floor. ‘‘In there, you two!’ continued the pirate, raising his voice—‘‘I fire if you so much as lift a fmger. Now, then, lower slowly.’’ The pressure was relieved. Bufi’s feet flopped over somersault fashion, and he rollediout of the interstice despite him- self. Bob, more erect, clinched his weapon firmly, but a groping arm slid over him and clutched his wrist in a grasp like steel. Then he was snaked out rudely, the weapon was torn from his grasp, and he was flung against the wall in a corner where his disarmed comrade was just get- ting to his feet. Red Jeff glared at them, first curiously, -and then with a sanguinary snarl as his eves studied Bob’s features. “He didn’t drown!’ he voiced—"‘Jook, who’s that ?”’ ‘Why!’ declared the man who had shut up the bed—and Bob noticed that his ead was bandaged up, and that he was the fellow he had struck with the hod in the shipping yard—‘‘it’s the kid who banged me to-day !”’ ‘*YVes, the one from Nick Carter! Hold ona bit, mates !*’ ‘The two men who had yanked the two boys out of the folding bed, great iron- framed fellows, sprang forward as their leader pronounced the name of the hated veteran detective. sae eons was a in their eyes—both
Page 13
J boys read that. checked a’ crushing assault on the cap- tives. “Ves, hold a bit,’’ put in the man wearing the bandage. ‘‘Them’s my game. Why not? I owe one of them this broken head, I caught both. Jeff, they’re mine!’’ ‘ ‘What do you mean ?”’ “What do I mean!’’ repeated the fel- low gratingly. ‘‘Ay! what don’t I mean? You two lead those fellows into the next room and watch thema bit. Then I’ve something to say to them in private.’’ Bob and Buff were hustled through a doorway until now hidden by a curtain. _ Their guardians penned them into an alcove, barricaded it by seating them- selves. and“ crossing their feet, never taking their eyes off them. Bob kept his ears opev. He caught occasional fragmentary sen- tences from the adjoining apartment. Red Jeff and his injured lieutenant were discussing the chances of there being any more prowlers about the place. Some one was signaled and “sent to make a scour of the entire square and its vicinity. — ~ : Then the colloquy became more ani- mated and less guarded, 4 ~ You don’t drop to-night’s job for this ~~ break?” Bob distinctly heard the man he had hit with the hod say. “Not for twenty Nick Carters!’ de- clared Jeff. ‘‘With another thousand *.* 1? waiting? Hardly! Got to be cautious. ’’ a, la down at ‘Murphy’s dock, a ship at mock quarantine down the bay to visit, a box to get, a row to make, a stowing in one of our wharf tunnels and we’re through. As to the two- fellows in yonder——”’ “Jeff !’? spoke stern, steady accents that made Bob guess they had fallen into the dest kind of luck, ‘‘when you come are. + That sharp command NICK CARTER WEEKLY. i ‘‘Settled !’’ whispered Buff across to his companion. ‘*It looks it,’’ nodded Bob. There was no light in the room except that which came in through the curtains. At one side was a stove, and a roasting hot fire in it, but it was shut up, and only a few stray glints came from it. Besides this, some clothing spread out on two chairs before it as if to dry shut in the front of the stove. Red Jeff’s lieutenant came into the room abruptly. He lit the gas, and sat down on a stool near the stove, which was between the boys and the doorway. “Tie their hands behind them,’’ he ordered the two men. Some stout cord was wrapped around the wrists of each of the captives. **Put one in that corner of the alcove, the other opposite. ”’ This also was done. The man with the bandaged head made a gesture to the two men, and they slouched into the next room and out of it. ‘*Now for a pleasant evening,’’ spoke Red Jeff’s lieutenant. ‘‘I can’t. join in the fun of a sail, so we’ll have some sport at home. First, who are you two?”’ Aniron bar used as a poker lay by the stove. This the man took up. He weighted it, hé felt of it, he clinched it ominously as he fixed lurid, savage eyes on the captives. Bob noticed that near at hand was his revolver. Its muzzle protruded from the pocket of the man’s coat, which hung smoking on the chair at his side. Bob had knocked him into a puddle of mud when he struck him with the hod, and the garment had been sponged and hung up to dry. ‘“Nothing to say,’’ growled the fellow, grating his teeth as Bob and Buff eyed him steadily in silence. ‘Well, I'll tell you who are you—two of Nick Carter’s precious brats !’’ , ‘Let it go at that, if it suits you,’’ ob- served Bob, coolly. : “*It goes. I just wanted to know so as to tab you. We've got a private cemetery hereabouts.’’ ‘*Have you?”? muttered Bob. ‘ ‘For a fact. There’s two spaces wait- She jolt bake Cee
Page 14
ing. You'll be labelled before morning. 5 4 Show up, tell if this is only an accidental venture of hair-brained, would-be cop- pers, and maybe—may be, I say—we might consent to give you a twelve: month forced cruise to Australia to cool your blood and make you forget us.”’ **Nothing to say,’’ retorted Bob, tran- quilly. ‘Nothing to say,’’ echoed Buff, with unwavering vim. . “You haven’t! Then I have!’’ 2 - The man lashed himself into a fury by : kicking the stool from under him and __ brandishing the iron bar. . There was no doubt of his purpose—he i shrank no more from putting two trouble- ‘ some intruders out of his way than he would brushing two gnats.aside. Bob steadied himself, and Buff, taking his dauntless comrade as the prime model of the age, squared back quite as un- flinchingly. **Look out—I’in coming!’’ The man crouched back as if for a _ spring—that horrible, heavy bar uplifted. Bob counted the seconds—he felt that he was in the closest corner of his life. Just as the fellow broke his vicious ' pose for forward progress, there was a flare, a puff, a loud report. His spring changed to a whirl, the iron "bar went crashing to the floor, ‘and after it, without so much asa groan, he sank a prostrate, inert heap. . _ Bobstared. Buff thrilled. _ ‘The former tried to take in the situa- tion, found its key, and sprang forward ta the side of the prostrate ruffian. oD aes ” he called to the puzzled ick, what ?”’ ca + ie 2% ams to me! Be nimble. | _- the free use.of your fingers?” Be hs - “Tied only at the wrists.’”? _. **Unloose the cords about mine,”’ _ Bob stood with one foot lifted, as if to “eth ‘to allencs. bs man at his feet Ai ha aia He 110 By ee oN eee ath ito & b ea You have _com1 at wrists at a disadvantage, but yaoi loose just as a door was heard _ to open in the next room. ‘Hey, you, ee “rang. out a NICK CARTER WEEKLY. “Bob held his breath and looked at Buff. ‘““Too bad!’? he muttered. ‘‘Don’t move, don’t speak,’’ whispered Buff. SPihaty te. ‘Try what???’ Buff was a superb mimic. In a recent case triumphantly won at every point, his ventriloquial powers had enabled him to pass: one of its most critical crisis. Now, in perfect imitation of the guff, harsh tones of the voice of the ‘‘leften- ant,’’ he den.anded: ‘*Well?”” ‘*Cap’n wants to know if anything’s wrong ?”? **Course not. I kill.” “Ay! ay ag ‘*Bob!? exploded Buff, in a vast breath of mingled relief and wonder as the man withdrew from the next room, ‘‘who fired ?’’ “THs? Bob reached over and dragged from the coat smoking before the stove its pro- truding revolver. “*Feel,’? he directed, pressing weapon across Buff’s hands. The cartridge chambers were almost: too hot to touch. ‘The fire fired it!’’ ‘What else? Mr. Carter has a record of a dozen cases of this kind; sun’s rays, electricity, common fire. A miracle. has interfered in onr behalf, Buff. We were never nearer facing death.’’ 3 ‘Is the man dead ?’’ Bob released his comrade’s hands. Then he stooped and made a speedy examination of the motionless body. ‘A bad ridge along the skull, only stunning, though, I fancy,’’ he ry ‘“*We can’t stop to nurse him. i ‘‘Hardly, in view of his kindly Zan tions toward ourselves!”’ ‘Creep into the next room and the next beyond, Buff, softly now, and see if the ally is still guarded. Buff glided away and promptly came back with a whispered: ; ** All clear.”’ ~ Bob recovered their weapons from whence they had been tossed on a couch. They entered the room peokeng out ow Tell him I scare before - the Si the side lane of the bg
Page 15
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 13 Softly Bob. raised the window, peered ‘out and then along the opposite side of the street. ‘Ready for a bolt!’ he ordered.. . ‘‘Never more welcome!’’ declared Buff. ‘‘Now for home and _ reinforce- ments to nail this murderous gang, I suppose ?”’ “Not a bit of it!’? dissented Bob, strenuously—‘‘now for Murphy’s-dock, the yawl Susan, and a close shadow of the water trail of Red Jeff’s two thousand dollar scheme !”’ es e CHAPTER V. HE MYSTERIOUS BOX. A dash across the street like flitting shadows, a dive down a narrow space be- tween two buildings, and unperceived, unseen, Nick Carter’s young detectives were free of the dangers that had encom- passed them for the preceding two hours. Bob made for the river, straight. He questioned two officers he met, gave a boy strolling by a dime to answer some questions, and lined the wharves with steady confidence. x “There it is,”? he announced to Buff, as they crossed a little dock piled with tanbark at the.edge of which rocked a good-sized yawl. ; Fore and aft were covered spaces, as if for secret stowage. It held four pairs of oars. © S.U-S-A-N’’ spelled Buff, as a glint of light caught the labelled stern. “This is Murphy’s dock.”? : “YVes,’? assented Bob. ; - * . **And this is the Susan, so——’”” Rind ont the safest place to hide in.” -—s- ' You're going with them, Bob?” -*Is there any other way to keep track _. of them?’ “Pm with you!’’ mE Rs - Bob decided on the space under the bow as.a place less likely to be disturbed than the stern, for the latter held tar- 224 paulins, ropes and other stuff often used == Ima.voyage. ee There was ample room for stowing and stretching themselves, and making sure that no one was watching them in _ the vicinity, Bob and Buff went into re- ‘They had come just in time, it seemed, Piao ire ae: ane be. i tis a et ~ = SS s for in less than ten minutes four men arrived, got into the boat, took up the oars, and started down the river. From their voices Bob was enabled to guess that Red Jeff was not among them. From bits of their conversation over- heard as they progressed, he soon learned that the king of the harbor pirates was in waiting atone of their ‘‘wharf tunnels”’ ready to receive their cargo when they returned. The night had set in misty and with the air full of fog. Bob’s chance to peer was limited, and he had to guess out the course the yaw] was taking. It passed the Battery, went down the bay, and after two hours’ rowing slowed up slightly. Then it grazed some object, apparently the side of a ship, was halted there, and Bob could see a yellow lantern among the rigging of quite a large vessel. Not a; word had been spoken by the rowers for some time, but one of them, in a suppressed voice, now directed: ‘Signal, Bill.” A low, peculiar whistle sounded out. Then the boat rocked, as over the side of the vessel a form came down a rope. ‘‘Who is it?’ inquited the new ar- tival, trying to scan the faces of the Towers. : “The Susan—Red Jeff—come for a cargo. ”’ “Quite correct. It’s all ready, boys. Make your yawl steady, lower and come below and have a bracer fora hard night’s work.”’ > “‘Not much time to waste, cap’en.’’ *‘Oh! no one will trouble you. Why,’’ half laughed the speaker, ‘‘I worked the game of my mate down with the yellow fever so that all three passengers I didn’t want in the way payed handsomely to be landed down*the coast. The plague ship racket, the yellow lantern, keeps all meddlers at safe bay, and this fog will cover box and boat like a shroud going back.’? The yawl was secured by ropes to the side of the vessel, fore and aft. Two men went aloft. Then Bob made out the outlines of a box about six feet long and two broad come swinging below on ropes. - ) ‘It was rested across the stern of the
Page 16
yaw, and the lowering tackle was re- moved. “Come up!” he heard called out. “Come out!’’ he whispered to Buff. “Hverything as to the crow on the vessel was pure sutmise with Bob, but he real- ized that the moment for decisive action had arrived, and it must be paveipy:i im- proved. “See here, Buff,’’ he continued, in a -, low tone in his comrade’s ear, as both crept from covert, ‘‘that box is what these people came after ?’’ “Sure!” “It's what two thousand dollars was _ paid for?”’ “Right again, I think.’ ‘*We want that box.’’ “Tf we can get it.’’ “TV isten Pp? Bob bent his ear. Then he ran up the tope dangling over the ship’s side, peered a moment across‘its deck, slipped back, _ and rapidly untied the ropes holding the yaw] at stay. **Can you row? ?”? he whispered to Buff. **T can try.” “Softly ! Don't put for that island— strike boldly into the fog.” *+Start, it. is! 7) _ ‘The yaw! drifted abaft slowly. Bob _ had seen noone on the deck of the vessel, but he had heard sounds of laughing and clinking glasses in the cabin. He estimated that they would have about two minutes’ free action before the absence of the yaw! and box was dis- covered. “The vessel was swallowed up in the __ nists. The fog shrouded the yaw]. Sud- den: a light showed to one side. an gore get run tun over!’’ warned Buff. ¥ “No—stay the oars. It’s a tug.” 4 her course. It’s heavy pulling on the oars.”’ Fo eee ere US dai, ‘. Ml etre coho: ORs ante as Ment eee Pee ee Bat iy _-** How ?” _ Bob was peering e ‘the tug and her ‘She had j in tow a string of sand scows. ; the first of these passed, Bob reached ogg of rope lying i in the bottom he ebody beating down upon us— . ~ We must mend Sbat, ”” remarked Bob. “He despected.t closely, looped it as if NICK CARTER WEEKLY. he meant to do something with it, and ordered Buff: **Row, now.’’ ‘* Ahead???’ ce Yes. ” ‘‘But we’ll run into the side of one of those barges?”’ **Don’t delay—do as I say! what I want.’ Two things urged Bob’s tones up to unusual] sharpness. In the first place, he had a scheme in view, and running into the barge meant its initial step. In the next, there was an outcry back in the mist-laden gloom—the loss of the yawl Susan had been discovered. Buff would have obeyed Bob’s orders if the latter had directed him to row into a mnaelstroin, He drove the oars deep, and the yawl promised to strike the last of the sand barges just ahead of its stern. “Reverse !’’ sudgenly called out Bob. As he spoke, the rope flung wide of his gtasp with a graceful swoop of its looped end. Coming up from the rear of the barge were the ends of a dozen or more posts, so revealed because the tep sheathing board had come off. The loop caught on one of these. Bob dropped to a seat. “Hold _steady—we’re going to. veer sharp!” he spoke to Buff. The yawl nearly tipped as it was dragged sideways. Then it swung to the rear, the holding line came taut, and it went forward true and straight as an arrow. Bob uttered a decided sigh of relief and ~° satisfaction; Buff’s face expanded into a proud smile. ‘“We’ve won!’’ he observed. ° ‘*So far as getting the box is concerned, yes,’’ admitted Bob. ‘“That’s'all Red Jeff was after.”’ ‘**] am sure of that. So for as he is con- cerned, the deal is no more than a night foray after junk.”’ “But some one is behind him.’ | ‘“That’s it, Buff. I wish I knew who. There’s the essence of the scheme. How- ever, we couldn’t miss. that golden oppor- tunity to nab the box.’’ “Wonder what’s in it?” ‘ That’s just
Page 17
oe x NICK CARIER WEEKLY. 16 Something they don’t dare to land in a legitimate way.’ “*That’s certain, and we’ll soon know.’ “Yes, soon as we can we'll get it home.”? | “*Going to take it to Mr. Carter’s?” “Straight. We'll call him into censul- tation, see what the thing holds, proceeds of a robbery; something smuggled, I think, of great value—and then start after the real actor in this affair.”’ **Tf we can find him ?”’ ‘Jot to. I saw that vessel’s name.’ “*What was it?” . *€A bdallah.’? ‘““There’s a clue.”’ “Oh, we'll hunt up plenty of them when we start out fresh. Here’s a big catch. Let us get that safely off our hands before we think of anything else.’’ Bob gave no care for the crowd on the vessel—there was no possibility of their catching up with them, even if they knew the direction in which they had escaped. Drawn safely, swiftly and evenly in the wake of the sand barge, present progress ‘was of the most satisfactory kind, Bob spent some time guessing what was in the box—he even tapped it, poked his finger into one of a dozen holes in its - top. Then as he got nearer to the liglts of the city, he gave up guessing and kept eyes and wits on the alert to land right. “The tug in advance swung toward the Brooklyn bridge, bound for some point beyond it, and Bob got ready to cut loose. They fell astern, rowed to a_ wharf, and Bob clambered up it, found a be- lated express wagon, and into this the ~ * box was soon Janded. Buff was radiantly content as they rattled over the noisy paving stones. ; 7 “tive career, and he had helped him do it, and Buff was proud, happy and curious. Bob had worta new Jaurel in his detec- His busy mind, full of all kinds of ex- cited suggestions as to what the box con- tained, was firmly set on the conviction that when that cover came off a mystery of the biggest kind would come to light It’s worth the bother we’ve had, just to he by when it’s done!’’ he declared Two minutes after they had reached Nick Carter’s heuse, that place was a scene of vivid animation. The box was carried into the large sitting-room and placed on a big table. Nick advised of his favorite’s return “‘with news’’—such was the message Bob called up through Nick’s private speak- ing-tube—came down promptly. Jack Burton, Aleck White and Larry Moore, other members of the detective school, tumbled out of their beds in short order, as Nick tapped at their doors and gave them the hint that ‘‘something was up. = Bob rattled off the essential points in the doings of the night clearly, but with brevity. There could be no doubt—all hands conceded—but that the box contained stolen or sinuggled goods of immense value. Nick examined it curiously. Its cover was only lightly nailed down and a screw- driver loosened it so that strong Jack Burton, getting his giant-hinged fingers under it, ripped it off with very little effort. Perhaps six more interested faces never peered down into a surprise box. A counterpane showed, snugly tucked in three-quarters of the length of the box. Its remaining space was covered with a piece of filmy gauze. A deadening taint was noticed proceed- ing from the box as it was first opened, and now a cloud of it arose stupefyingly. After drawing back slightly to wait for this to dissipate, all five young detectives pressed forward with renewed eagerness, as Nick lifted up the piece of gauze. A simultaneous cry of motley import rang out. CHAPTER VI. THE PAINTED ARM. The box Nick Carter’s young detec- tives had wrested from the possession of the New York harbor thieves contaiped a human being. A man of about middle age lay back on a pillow covered with a counterpane, eyes closed and perfectly insensible to what was going on about him. ; His face was a thoroughly good one,
Page 18
hot rays of a tropical sun, and wrinkles of thought, grief orscare had lined his brow. Even Nick Carter himself. was slightly startled at this unexpected revelation, and stood silently gazing down at the queer cargo of the night for some time. Bob was greatly excited and surprised— to his quick mind here at the seeming end of a case was practically its real beginning. Buff looked slightly disappointed. He had entertained gorgeous visions of smug- glers’ treasures, robbers’ rich booty— silks, coin, jewels—something opulent and dazzling. ‘*He’s asleep——’’ Bob was the first one to speak. ‘*He has been drugged,’’ supplemented the detective. ‘“What do you make out of that, Mr. Carter ?’’ inquired Buff, eagerly. “Tet me try to make something out of the man first, and then I will tell you,’ announced Nick. He took a glass of water from the server _and sprinkled the sleeper’s face. Then he tried a whiff or two of am- moria, following this up by opening one eyelid and eee a small pinch of snuff beneath it. Except for faint flutterings and SAO untary spasmodic movements, however, the slumberer withstood all these tests. Nick bent his ear to his heart, felt his pulse, listened to his soos notes, and re- top his man’s place is in bed, in a well ventilated rooim.’’ “Can we not arouse him?’’ inquired Bob. ‘‘Not at present. He is laboring with a dense, but harmless, drug.’’ ‘And its effects will be gone——’’ **By to-morrow noon.”’ ‘‘Must we wait that long!’’ cried Bob, disappointedly. ait for what, Bob?’’ asked the de- be “M9 find out.’ - “His story? Yes. The scheme back of him? Yes. In the meantime, however, you might cogitate over the probabilities of a case something like this: A man “from some foreign country is coming to 16 - ”. NIOK CARTER WERELY. - but was bronzed, apparently through the the Wnited States with some secret or secret power. An enemy ora friend who has wronged him, learns of it. He bribes ~ the captain of the ship to never allow him to land in Néw York city, to deliver him up to him. ‘This captain scares his other passengers away by claiming to have yellow fever aboard. He drugs and boxes up this man. Red Jeff, hired by the enemy, goes to get him. He missed connections, you checkmated him, and— to-morrow this man will tell us his whole story.’’ Bob was forced to be content with this. He helped Nick and the others carry the man to an upstairs chamber. There they gently disrobed him, placed him in a comfortable bed, and Nick opened all the windows in the room. ‘‘Give him time and plenty of air, and we’ll have him chatting with us at lunch to-morrow,’’ prophesied the detective. **Oh, Bob! set his collar and wristbands loose. Help nature, it is the only restora- tive in these noxious tropical drugs.”’ “‘T say, Mr. Carter!’’ Freeing the patient’s neck and one arm, Bob gave quite a start as he came to the other arm. The wristband flapped loose, revealing a queer state of affairs beneath. Beginning at his wrist, there ran up the man’s arm a solid stain—jet black. Bob traced it to the elbow and saw that it reached apparently clear up to the shoulder. He directed Nick’s attention to it. “*T call that queer!’’ declared Bob. **So do I,’’ admitted Nick. ‘‘It is no -bruise or natural discoloration. The arm is painted.”’ ‘*Painted !’? ejaculated Bob. ce Yes. ” ‘What for?’’ ‘*T should say for some burn, or to pre- vent the spread of some poison sting or bite. It is a dense pigment, and will wash off. Leave that till to-morrow, too, Bob. We've got the case and the man now thoroughly in our own hands, and can ex- ploit its mysteries at our leisure.’ “You wouldn’t try to hunt up Red Jeff to-night?’ é “It would hardly pay.’ Bob and all hands ed to rest on the detective’s advice, the latte? included.
Page 19
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. : 17 It was hard getting to sleep, however. ‘Bob had been used to going through with a case at lightning speed, once started in on it, and the present wait, brief and natural as it was, irritated him. He was sure that some great plot would be unmasked through the queer human cargo he had intercepted, some strange mystery appended to that painted arm. He was fighting for its possession in . his dreams with Red Jeff just after sun- rise, when he was roused up by a vigor- ous shaking at the hands of Buff. ‘Bob, wake up! hurry up—oh, Bob!”’ Buff’s face bore traces of excitement, and he was breathlessly concerned, ‘What is it, Buff?’’ ‘“The man!’’ ‘*He’s woke up?”’ ‘*And gone!’’ he ‘¢What!’’ } Bob was out on the floor in a flash, diving into his clothes any way to get them on. : “‘He’s gone!’ reiterated Buff. ‘‘Mr. = Carter just discovered it, and sent for you—”? You mean——-’’ “*Stole away.’’ “When?’’ ee. ‘Nobody knows.”’ Bob came down the stairs on a run. : He found his patron with his hat on in the hall. : — “Steady, Bob,’’ advised the latter, curbing the young cyclone of excitement. *s ‘“The man’s gone, but he may not be f far.’? gone .» “He may have left hours ago!’’ . “That is hardly possible. I miscalcu- | ated on a drug I was unfamiliar with, is that is all. I imagine he woke up since _ daylight, for he could not have climbed _ down into the yard, leaving no trace in 2 the darkness. He may think we are ene- _ mies—he may be in some restaurant ea in the neighborhood. Leave that for me - - «to find out.”? | + Bob waandered up to the vacant room and down again to the long hall restlessly a half a dozen times, on pins and needless est of suspense, during the absence of Nick —— a Carter. = Tt was prolonged one hour, then a bie Bob cold stand it no longer. Stee ee “Buff, I feel we’re wasting valuable time!’’ he declared, emphatically. “I’m going out to search for that man.”’ At the door, however, he came face to face with the detective himself. Bob only glanced at Nick once, te know that he had no particularly good news to report. “*You haven’t found him, Mr. Carter ?’’ he projectetd, anxiously. 4 “No, but I have set some machinery in motion that may help us accomplish that result. Had your breakfast ?’’ **T couldn’t eat.’’ “Go and get it.”’ Bob knew his patron’s way. He would not speak further till the day was started right—with a good square meal. ‘‘Now, Mr. Carter,’’? reported Bob, entering the library a few minutes later, “I’m ready to go on the track of that man,’’ ‘*All right, Bob, that is what I intend you shall do. ‘The police are looking for him on description. ’’ ‘We can’t rely on that.’ ‘““No, we have a better clue.’’ ‘*Eh ?”’ cried Bob, pricking up his ears. ‘“‘What do you say to that?’’ Nick handed over the latest edition of a morning newspaper. It was folded across an advertisement ge. Taking up double space in the Lost and Found column was the following: ‘Rive hundred dollars reward. The above sum will be paid for any informa- tion that will lead to the discovery of James Singleton, lost last night from the bark Abdallah, off Quarantine—dead or alive. ’’ An accurate description of the man the young detectives had found in the box followed. ; But it was at the name of the person offering the reward that Bob gazed keen- lv, eagerly. ‘Apply to Victor Rhodes, Temple Block.”’ That was Bob Ferret’s clue.
Page 20
CHAPTER VII THE IVORY HAMMER. Nick Carter’s youngest and brightest detective pupil went at once to the vicin- ity of the address given in -the advertise- ment. x He knew, however, that he had an en- tirely different class of people to deal with now than the river thieves, It had been rough and tumble work — with Red Jeff’s gang—but shrewdness - ' would now count instead of force, in case ae: this Victor Rhodes was the employer Red ; Jeff had allu led to. , ‘James Singleton—I know the name ; “of the. man in the box, at all events,’’ ‘ soliloquized Bob. ‘‘The promptness with which this Rhodes advertises for him only a few lrours:after we got him away in the = yawl, shows conclusively that he must sa have received instant word of the lost «6 box. Now then, to work—quick, but ; cautiously !”’ aie Bob assumed a disguise that completely : concealed his late identity. sas First he made active inquiries concern- sae ing Rhodes, and within the space of half _____ an hour had his record down fine. a _ ‘There were two Rhodes—father and 4 son. The elder was not in business. ‘ The younger Rhodes posed as a law- yer, although Bob learned that his cases were few, and that he was more of a mortgage shark than an attorney. The minute Bob entered his office he discerned that its occupant had a crafty, _ unscrupulous character. He stated his case very simply: He wanted work, he had seen the advertise- ‘ment. Somebody wanted to find a missing man. Hire him to hunt for him. The lawyer looked him over with a smile at his apparent simplicity. Why, half a dozen amateur detectives | oe _ and agency men have been herg with all i of schemes this morning,’’ said ys, tl 00, “hodes They're very positive as to what they’re ‘going’ to do! What we want: ig a trace of the missing man. Find __ the remotest hint of that, and we’re ready to talk.”’ = “TE 9 ae ge me now, and give NICK CARTER WEEKLY. body. James Singleton, on board the Abdallah, disappeared last night, accu- rate description given. Eh?” ‘“Telephone, sir.”? The office boy had interrupted. Rhodes stepped into the next room. “Who is it??? Bob heard him ask. “Oh! you, father? What—what! Found? Got him? I'll be home right off. Fa- mous!’? Lawyer Rhodes came back into the inner office one vast glow of chuckling satisfaction, of half-suppressed excite- ment. Bob, under the surface, was quite as actively moved, but he did not show it. Rhodes bundled a lot of papers into a drawer and hurriedly drew on his over- coat. “Oh!? he remarked, observing Bob, “thought you had gone. About that hoax? As I said, nothing to it.’ ‘But you didn’t say aan began Bob. “Then I say it now. Some malicious or mischievous person inserted that Sin- gleton advertisement. We don’t even know the name. All a sell, a joke—see?’’ Rhodes hustled Bob out of the office, gave a sharp order to the boy in charge, and was down the elevator before Bob could get in another word. “They’ve found him—they’ve got Singleton !”’ All the affected simplicity of a rather stupid fellow out of work and running down all kinds of prospects to get it, dis- appeared like magic from Bob’s face. His visit to the lawyer’s office had been timely, resultful. That telephone message incautiously repeated by the excited Rhodes, had given Bob a sure clue. There was not the slightest doubt in Pob’s mind but that Singleton had fallen into the hands of his enemies. That such the Rhodes’ were theré could be no question whatever. The advertisement, the lying evasion of the lawyer, the manner in which-the telephone message had been received, set- tled this point bevond dispute. **Sinlgeton has been run across by some of | Rhodes’ emissaries, or visiting the Rhodes residence’ has been detained there,’’ reasoned out Bob. ‘I'll get there, double quick, myself!" :
Page 21
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 19 He knéw where it was—he had learned that along with his other recent investi- gations. The cab Bob engaged could not have been ten minutes behind that occupied by Rhodes in reaching the home of the latter. It was an ordinary house on an ordi- naty street. Dismissing the conveyance at the corner, Bob inspected the place. He was strolling by it for the second _ time, planning how he could get into it unperceived, when its front door opened abruptly. The man he had seen at the office in the Temple Building period at the threshold. He was more excited ee he had been when the telephone message had arrived, and he was hurrying out a man who looked like a servant. **Dr. Dennis—quick, now!’’ he spoke. *“Tell him we are all ready. & . **Yes, Mr. Rhodes,’’ nodded the ser- vant, squaring his hat on his head for a hurried trip. “And be sure to tell him to bring the oe tus for the operation. ’’ . “ee & ‘Apparatus for the operation,’ ’’ re- _ peated the servant. ‘Very good, sir. That’s all ?’’ “Except to hurry.’” ‘Ves, sir. ” Every word of this anfinated colloquy Bob's quick ear caught distinctly. He put after the man as he made down _ the street. ___ “Waiting for the doctor means every- thing held in suspense iu that house till he atrives,’’ theorized Bob. ‘‘What’s up, I wonder? Does it pertain to this Single- ‘ton? ‘Apparatus for the operation!’ Now, what may that be? It sounds mighty a omsnous prec ~ Bobhad to go fast to keep up with Ma rer art: the servant, but his thoughts flew as well. graces on the return trip from the doc- | = office; when the man dove into a a ee side street. _ He entered the open hallway of a rick- dwelling with a faded, battered sign — tsi Poyrapid the name, ‘Dr. Dennis. ”’ to come for the abo at re xs He was planning to get into ‘his good | ‘a knock, a response, and the servant's ‘Sing-song tones repeating the message from Lawyer Rhodes. Then the servant darted past him for the street again, and Bob prepared to fol- low. As the man cleared the steps, however, and Bob the threshold, a hoarse interjec- tion halted him, **Here, you!’ . The person who had received the mes- sage, Dr. Dennis, i eae bis door. Bob hesitated. “Do you hear me—you phate from Rhodes?’ _ ““Want me?’ propounded Beb, advanc- ing. “*Yes—no! Who are you? I wanted the man who just brought me a _ mes- sage,’’ spoke Dr. Deunis. “He was a squatty, greasy-skinned man, in whose hands as a patient Bob voted he would scarcely leave his worst enemy. “I eame with him,’’ said Bob, ‘‘but he’s gone back.”’ “Nice thing!’’ grumbled the doctor, and Bob, studying him closely, decided that he was a Greek. ‘‘Send for me ina rush, and pever wait to pein me with my traps!”’ **1’ll help you,’’ said Bob, promptly. “What can I do, doctor?” Come in,” Dr. Dennis accepted Bob unsuspect- ingly as all right. Bob’s claim that he had come with Rhodes’ servant settled that. : Bob could not guess how the affair would turn out, but he *determined to pursue this branch of the adventure till it developed something one way or tlie other. The doctor put a lot of queer instru- ments into a satchel. Then he boxed in a canvas case a square electric battery. “‘Getting too old to lug that half a mile alone,’’ he remarked. “py carry it,”’ spoke Bob. ‘‘Got noth- _ ing else to do. You. see, I saw Mr, Rhodes about giving me work this morn- ing, so I'll carry it to his house and back again, if you like, and be glad to put in the time.’’* “Very good,” siihited Mr. Dennis. **You deserve a for being so accom~ =a a a3 acs oh. oe aii oF myo
Page 22
“a Hs ‘ S agedathnig: T shall probably be an hour or two at the house, though.”’ _ *Oh, time’s nothing to me; I'll wait for you,’’ said Bob. the house that he would be allowed to wait. That would be luck in accordance _ with his most ardent hopes. It was inside the house. As they ' reached it, the servant who had brought the message to the doctor admitted the latter promptly, as if waiting for him. _ ““Go at once to the library, sir. They ate waiting for you,’’ he said. + **Put my traps in the hall. He'll wait for me,’’? spoke the doctor, indicating Bob. = As the doctor tapped at a door, the ser- ce: vant led Bob fast it two rooms beyond. -. It was a sort of smoking apartment. He carelessly nodded Bob to a chair, and __- Bob heard him proceed down the hall. = Then his footsteps were checked as ae Rhodes’ tones spoke. “Go below, and keep the servants there till the doctor leaves,’’ he uttered sharply. : ‘S$ Ves, sir.’’ Bob heard the man go downstairs. He was overlooked, forgotten, and this just suited him. He caught the echo of quick voices from the library. Its door closed. Then it opened again. _A slight jangle convinced Bob that the _ doctor had taken in his traps. He heard the library door close. __ “Now fora peep!’’ muttered Bob. He opened the door cautiously, made » sure of his ground, glided to the next, listened, turned its knob, and a second later stood at the side of a sliding door _ slightly ajar. s ____ **Never,”’ that was the first word that met his hearing—‘‘never, I tell you! ix. on ats word at : a oe ae ed. e speaker was Single- 23 He sat on a Paes tied to it hand : ja foot. ‘He was white as ups Two persons epee him—the lawyer and an older evidently his father. eir es were sais jek q i, C vy ae Tt ri , » - “ * . ay ‘ +c, OS a ds it A cate Se le ah so! fia Bate ae 4 Yat ihe & oF Lista Oe fos ee Sere He only hoped that it would he inside ' NICK CARTER WEEKLY. came to this city purposely to give us trouble ?’’ insinuated young Rhodes. ‘*Trouble!’’ cried the captive. ‘‘To unmask you, and that I swear to do! Hark you! scoundrels, plotters, murder- ers—for you drove into exile my poor friend, John Lester, to die of a broken heart, you made him believe that two yeats since when intoxicated he fired a shot that killed aman. You got him to make over his property in trust to you, and flee.“ I sought him out. I told him the real truth of his innocence, but too late. He died, but I have returned to vindicate him. ‘The world shall know the truth—of your dastardly double deal- ing!’ » **T presume you hope to wrest his prop- erty from us also?’’ sneered Rhodes. “That trifle! no; but wait till you know all! His sister, whom you left in poverty, shall yet take her rightful place far above you—far abuve you!’’ ‘*He has no papers. What proofs can he have to disturb us?’ ventured the elder Rhodes. . ““He knows—he has some secret pow- er!’ hissed the lawyer. ‘‘Enough of this! Doctor!’’ _The Greek physician advanced. ‘Do you_see this man ?’’ demanded the lawyer of Singleton. ‘‘He is our friend.’’ **He looks it ?” ‘*Dennis,’’ continued Rhodes, ‘‘do you know what we want done? Seal this man’s lips!’? “Seal them!’ shouted Singleton, in a wild transport of excitement. ‘‘Do you think that will destroy my power? Ah! there is an imperishable record ” ‘*End this!”? Dr. Dennis drew his battery close to the chair. He placed a steel cap with one small opening in it over Singleton’s - ees . plied various wires to it, and one sah hel in his hand. In the other hand he poised a small ivory mallet. 3 “Ready !’’ he spoke. “Connect the battery?’ queried Rhodes. ad Yes. ” Singleton’s face was ashen, but he only glared and panted hopelessly. ai was never so startled in his life. za =
Page 23
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. : Only one reasonable theory occurred to his mind. These monsters in human form were about to electrocute the man with the painted arm! ~ Whir! Before Bob could make a move, the . electric battery started up. Before he could utter a cry to deter, the poised ivory hammer dropped through the aperture in the steel cap. “Tap! CHAPTER VIII. DONE WITH A CLICK! A tragedy had taken place—Bob was sure of it. Yet to his amazement the man in the chair only paled the deeper, closed his eyes spasmodically, and then opened them wide again. “Dr. Dennis threw down the ivory ham- mer and turned off the electric current. **It’s done,’’ he announced, simply. There was perfect confidence, a certain __ professional triumph in his tone. 5 Old Rhodes stared intently, young Rhodes looked anxious. ‘ 7 ad * markets. As they neared an office building Bob — ok me Bob drew back in the room, studied the windows, opened one, sprang out, tounded the house, and crossing to the next yard, came out into the street from its front. . He glanced eagerly toward the ‘house he had just left. ’ . From the library window three faces peered out—those of the men who had just committed some singular crime— Bob knew this, but was not yet clear as to its entire import. Singleton had reached the bottom of the stone steps. From all Bob could discern, he had un- dergone no change. The pallor had left his face, the excite- ment had faded from his eyes. Except for a certain dazed pncertainty of manner, he looked and acted perfectly natural. Glancing up street, down street, he started suddenly forward, passing Bob on a rapid walk, Bob paid no attention to him that could attract the notice of the people at the window. He simply kept Singleton in easy hail- ing distance, turned when he turned, and after proceeding several squares, caught up with him. ‘‘Good-morning, Mr. Singleton,’’ he ventured. With the pleasantest. smile ~in the world, Singleton extended his hand. *CAh, senor!’ he remarked. ‘**Going to the plaza?’’ “‘What plaza?’’ stared Bob. ‘““We are down a cent on Santos, you know?’ continued Singleton, in a busi- ness-like tone. ‘‘Sugars are a poor invest- ment. We must curtail shipments from the plantations, eh ?’’ : ‘ ‘He thinks he is in Brazil,’? ejaculated Brazil. : Singleton rattled on at a great rate, and Bob let him'talk uninterruptedly for suddenly Bob began to guess out the truth. It was all about sugars, coffees, dia- monds, Rio Janeiro, plantations, the knew well, he caught his companion’s arm and brought him to a halt. “Mr. Singleton,’’ he said, ‘‘will you come with me a minute or two?!” “ a a — rey ; ey Pe aS . woe . ” io)
Page 24
es “why not ?”? **T want to introduce you toa friend.” “Good! We may be able to unload some surplus sugars on him, eh?’’ Bob led his companion into a doctor’s é office: that of a physician of high skill in whom Nick Carter had great confidence. Bob knew him familiarly. While Singleton was examining some pictures on thé wall, he found time to hurriedly explain to the physician what had just -_— oceurred. cima ne face of the latter drew down as Bob proceeded. It grew very stern as “he said: “J must make at least a cursory exami- nation of the patient.’’ This had to be worked deftly. The doctor talked sugar and coffee with Singleton for a minute or two, proposed ‘a glass of wine, and ten minutes later had his visitor under the influence of a light drug in his operating chair. . ‘**Horrible!”’ , Bob thrilled at the doctor’s report after a el inspection of Singleton’s head. hat have they done, doctor?’’ he __ inquired, falteringly. They have killed this man’s mem- 2? 4 “Tneredible!”? _. “I have heard of this ‘infamous Dennis - before,’’ said the doctor. that he was once employed in Italy to - scientifically maim, blind, distort children sot grew up objects of pity, profes- : aha, Lapeaabel _ “Tt seems monstrous !”’ ‘tHe has depressed a portion of this “man’s: skull, has killed all memory of brightness, _ his. intelli- E ee his at eit continue the one sass , he would entertain that fallacy, alone, Of his past, its associations, ts, its connection with the pres- st > contintie to the end,’? ts **Tt is rumored. past—he is a machine, henceforth.” : which he will live. Placed on the~ , the future—all, all is a blank to him, _ NICK CARTER WEEKLY. They had deprived him of memory, of reason—what had they to fear? Shrinking at actaal murder, they had “simply grazed the gallows by killing lis mind. | It placed everything in a muddle. ‘To arrest these men to hunt up John Lester’s pauper sister, the captain of the Abdal- lah, R&d Jeff and his malodorous crew— all this might be modeled into some kind of a result, but not the one aimed at. They could punish, but they could not probe. The secret -knowledge James Singleton had entertained had been for- ever buried under the stroke of the elec- trically propelled ivory mallet! *Doctor,’? spoke Bob, ‘‘I feel that I must call Mr. Carter into instant con- sultation.”’ *‘I deem it best myself,’’ answered the physician. ‘‘This man should be taken care of—kept in friendly control. Some- thing might—mind you, 1 name a mere fleeting possibility—something might be done to ameliorate his unfortunate condi- tion.’? . “Will you hold him here till I return ?’’ inquired Bob. **T promise that.’’ Bob started for the door. He was go- ing after Nick Carter. An intricate exi- gency had arisen that he felt to be beyond his power of grasping coherently. At the door, however, he turned. A sudden thought had occurred to him. He approached the operating chair. It was drawn close up to an open window looking out on a court. Not ten feet across fronted the win- dows of other offices, but view from these was excluded by a shade raising up from the bottom. This Bob drew down—he even wheeled the chair nearer to the strony light re- flected from the white-tiled brick walls of the court. ‘Look, doctor—I want to show you something,’’ he said. Bob pulled up Singleton’s sleeve and disclosed the black-painted’ forearm. “Why! what is this?’ lag, isi the ° physician, curiously. | “Something that just occurred to me,"? explained Bob. ‘‘We noticed that painted arm in disorbing this man ‘early, this” morning. sn
Page 25
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 23 The doctor looked closely at the stained limb. He brought out a magnifying glass, he rubbed some acid on the flesh. ‘Why!’ he said, quite interestedly, “this is a movable stain covering some writing. “Some what ?’’ ejaculated Bob, vividly . startled. ‘“Writing—letters.”’ ‘*On his arm ?”’ -‘*Yese under the paint.”’ ‘*Doctor! What?’’ **You want to know?”’ “Do I want to know?’’ voiced Bob, ardently. ‘*Why! Singleton interrupted himself in his defiance of Rhodes, claim- ing that there was certain imperishable proof as to his secret power to unmask ‘him and enrich his friend’s orphan sister.”’ ‘““Ah!? murmured the doctor, impres- sively. : 5 “Can this be it?” ‘*You shall soon know.”’ c The doctor ripped up the sleeve of the arm but half exposed. : Engrosed, tremendously excited, Bob watched and helped. tet, Along the forearm, as the application of some acid gradually removed the stain, there began to appear the natural white flesh. ace = Then the contrast diminishing, there appeared, as if written on a scroll of yel- _ Juin, letters—words, sentences. £4 human parchinent!’ murmured the doctor. ‘‘ Vou have it complete.” = “Tt is written——’”” -—s- Ouite a record, with some powerful indelible ink, as effectively as if tat- ~ tooed.”’ -___- Bob fluttered mightily. . derful discovery. The writing was clear, plain, large. _ He read its first section : “YT, John Lester, solemnly certify to all that my friend, James Singleton, may testify as to the plot to drive me into exile on the part ‘of the Rhodes, father and’son, who hold my estate illegally.” The next section began: “Tn the haste of fight I hid away the “of my fortnue. This will be 1 =a og Reto a ‘‘What’s that!’ interrupted the doctor, It was a won- ~ ” ed . It was—click! Bob started and peered keenly. Then he uttered a vivid cry of alarm and dismay. Across the court, just retreating from a window on a perfect level with Single- ton’s uncovered arm, was a man. At a glance Bob recognized him—Vic- tor Rhodes! In his hard the lawyer held a camera. Its shutter,had caused the click. _ It had opened, closed, to take a flash- ing photograph. James Singleton’s enemies and Bob Ferret’s enemies had gained possession of the secret of the painted arm! Bob did not wait to see if the doctor connected man, camera and patient. The recognition of Singleton, the snap of the shutter, an instant comprehension of the fact that he had been followed by people from the Rhodes house, urged him up to impulsive action. He was out of the room, down the hall, around to the corridor fronting the offices opposite in a flash. Elevators, two sets of stairways, rooms above, and rooms helow—Bob_ realized that a person could lose himself in a twinkling in this vast busy hive. He dove, therefore, for the office where he had seen Rhodes with the cam- era. “He knew it by a glance across the court where the doctor and his patient were in full view. Three young fellows, clerks, were in | the office. One was counting over some bills and chuckling, Watching him covetously. _ Bob took a hurried glance around. Rhodes was not in the department. He ran so hastily up to the young fel- low with the money, that the latter put the bills behind him as if deeming him a thief. : ‘Quick!’ urged Bob—‘‘do any of you fellows know a man named Rhodes?” “No,” came a triple dissent. “tHe was in this office a minute ago.’? “Oh! the man who was at the win- dow ?’’ began the voung fellow with the money ?”” 1 : ‘Ves, 2) ‘*With my camera ?”’ . “Yours!” the others. were
Page 26
‘‘He came in, and seemed interested watching the doctor’s office——”’ “Ves! yes!’’ ‘*My camera was on the desk there. I brought it to take a view in the park on my bicycle home spin to-night.’’ : “Was it loaded ?”’ ‘(He asked ine that, snapped it, turned like a flash, hauled out a roll of bills, threw down fifty dollars before me with ‘There’s double value,’ and shot through the door likea flash. I thought he was crazy.’’ The office clerks must have deemed Bob crazy, too, for the young detective dashed from the room without a word of explanation. He got down to the street and scanned it keenly, but he had not hoped to get a glimpse of Rhodes, nor did he. As he returned toward the doctor’s office he was thoughtful and worried. ~ Success had been shrewdly snatched rom his hands at a moment when it seemed positively within his grasp. The unique inscription on James -Singleton’s arm which he had only half read, told where the bulk of his dead friend’s fortune was hidden. - With a perfect photographic copy of that same, the scheming lawyer was now speeding away. Bob proceeded up tlie stairway leading to the doctor’s office formulating rapidly ger) re - the score of things that must be done at once to keep results from slipping from his control. Just reaching the landing of the floor where it was located, a form swept by him with such force and rapidity as to _ almost carry him off his feet. at -_ Tt was not a weapon, surgical tool of some kind, sharp-pointed, ‘Take care, there!’’ he spoke. ‘‘Stop!’’ He put out a hand, but it grazeda dodging form. Then, as he was pa Bee a grabbing swoop upon the passing figure, it halted. One hand shot out. It jabbed something bright at Bob, who dodged back. but a long, slim a deadly as a Venetian stiletto. “I know you—Dr. Dennis!’’ cried Bob. ‘What are vou up to here?” It was the Greek physician—Bob had - “You—spy! Take it!’ hissed the doc- tor. - 5 ; ie NICK CARTER WEEKLY. niade no imistake, and Dennis directed a vicious lunge at an adversary he knew would not let him get away unless dis- abled. Spry Bob evaded the thrust. Warned and enlightened, he posed to detain the man who could be in that building for no good purpose, and for no other pur- pose, surely, than one connected with Singleton. A flashing suspicion told him that bath Rhodes and Dennis must have followed him step by step. Just then asharp cry rang out down the hall. It came from the doctor’s office, and the doctor himself uttered it. As Bobsaw that person stagger through its doorway, his interest was at once dis- tracted from Dennis. The latter instantly sprang down the stairs, as something in the doctor’s plight drew Bob to his side. ‘‘What is it? Speak!’’ urged Bob. “Tt am choking—suffocating! That fiend! A man entered the office——”’ ‘*It was Dennis, the Greek physician,’’ declared Bob. ‘*He broke a capsule of some, vile drug in my face——’’ ‘*Singleton ? harmshim ?’’ **I do not know.”’ Bob rushed through the doorway of the office. ‘: The man with the painted arm lay where he had been placed at the first. There was apparently no change in him. Bob looked him over, trying to guess why the Greek had entered the room. Then his eye falling to the arm wherc the stain had just been removed, his heart sank like lead. ‘“Knocked out!’’ he spoke simply, but expressing volumes. . The arm was red, blotched, disfigured —some powerful corroding acid had cer- tainly just been applied by the crafty Dennis. The writing it had borne so clearly ten minutes previous was a blur. Even as he looked, the dismayed Bob saw the inscription blend into a mass of discoloration, grow vague, fade out. He felt his natural shrewdness to be at your patient—did he a discount, as he realized what ten min- 9
Page 27
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. — utes’ sharp work on the part of his ene- mies had effected. They had baffled him at every turn. They now possessed the only copy in the world of the secret of the man with the painted arm! CHAPTER IX. THROUGH FIRE. | “es Apples p? : “*Get out!” % F “Ripe apples!” 3 ‘Will you let up?” “Dad says if you want any provender ‘ while you're camping here, he’ll] sell it cheap—over at next farm.’’ “A clod of dirt knocked off the speaker’s ___ cap, and he picked it up and retreated % umbling. - ; 3 uae a basket full of fruit on his but twenty feet accomplished with a row of brush between himself and the _ persons who had so rudely addressed and so roughly driven him away, in among the bushes went the basket with a fling. Instantly, too, the gawky pose of a country bumpkin gave way to the brisk alertness of shrewd Bob Ferret. a ‘A detective’s business leads him into queer = places, into widely separated points in a brief space of time. "What of Nick Carter’s young pupil had brought him to the spot where he now so -was, as naturally as an Indian on a trail __-where all the “‘sions’’ are sure. | ___*Phirty-six hours had elapsed since Bob Is resin ood himself knocked out in the ig office of the doctor whither he had taken the man with the painted arm. __ *Placing that individual in Nick Car- __ ter’s charge, telling the veteran detective the condition of affairs, Bob had started to follow a very good piece of advice; on the track and to keep on the track of Victor Rhodes. At two o'clock that afternoon Bob had - learned two things, ‘The “Rhodes, father and son, and the es. SEES ert a se eee a that they were i arm, a « 26 At five o’clock Bob struck rare luck. Passing a railroad ticket office, he saw inside the servant of the Rhodes house- hold. Bob waited till he came out, entered the place, and learned that he had just purchased three return tickets for Fair- field, a town in New Jersey. . Bob guessed what was up. He verified it when he arrived at this place the next day. ° Two miles away from it was what was left of the once stately home of the dead friend of the man with the painted arm— John Lester. It had burned down a year previous. By dusk Bob knew that it was to this ~ spot that the photographed writing al- luded, for the two Rhodes, their servant and Dennis arrived onthe evening train. They carried several tightly done up packages that looked as if they might contain tools, and gave out at the village hotel that they were going to camp out in the vicinity for a day or two. This was how it was that Bob had en- deavored to penetrate their midst, test his farmer boy disguise, and pave the way for picking up a few morsels of informa- tion. ; “They won’t have it, but they never , guess who I am,’’ he soliloquized, creep- ing in among a dense patch of thick bushes. ‘‘They’re here for John Lester’s hidden fortune—so am I!”’ How they were going to get it, how he was going to get it, Bob could not guess, but his spirits were at a decidedly high flow. A definite task lay before him—clear results were attainable if fortune favored him. The treasure-hunting party had made it a point to arrive after dark. es Where there was a slight depression in the ground they had built a large camp- fire s The fire that had distroyed the man- sion had burned down a good many trees, and remnants of these afforded an abun- “dance of fuel, Before, the fire, on a log, sat the two hodes and Dennis, smoking, occasion-
Page 28
ands ‘seemed in no hurry to begin - Bob would have given considerable to get near enough to overhear what the - three men might say, but he dared not venture it, for there was no desirable covert of brush or weeds in their immedi- ate vicinity. Finally, however, as he stood watching and pondering, just that issue was irre- __ sistibly forced upon him. The servant who was poking the fire -_was addressed some words by the younger Rhodes. 4 Bob guessed that it appertained to his recent intrusion, for he fancied he caught _ the words ‘‘prying strollers.”’ = “he servant started away from the ‘others in the very direction he had jaist . gone. - He proceeded slowly, and peered all = about him, and Bob had either to retreat and be forced back out of the neighbor- hood, or round the bushes and trust to luck that the searcher would not come that way. _ Bob decided to risk the latter course. It resulted unfavorably, for Rhodes’ man began a direct circuit ef the bushes. _ He beat into them with his stick and he peered in among them, and Bob was sc never so near discovery. : With some concern he drew nearer and nearer to the camp-fire. _ Fortunately the backs of the three men seated there were toward him, in- _ stead of their faces. Bob kept just ahead by crouching out f of range of his unconscious pursuer, but a he could not maintain this circular run- round beyond a certain point., ‘There’s a show!’’ he uttered, ab- e “show”? aes a section of — It lay flat, and was a mere shell. Bob saw that it would afford a capital hiding not only near to the fire, but s and comfortable. ) — its end, and -he burrowed = ‘little Listersd.g he s were i spli re r Panag cores yee could three pation, but NICK CARTER WEEKLY. The latter:resumed his course, and Bob knew he had found what he was longing for at last. He was not now more than ten feet distant from the log on which the three men sat. He pricked up his ears diligently as Dr. Dennis’ hoarse tones reached him: ‘‘What time do we begin operations, Rhodes ?”’ The lawyer consulted his watch. Oh, in about two hours.”’ “Think it’s best to wait, eh?” “Surely. - Give the’ inquisitive Paul Prys around here a chance to satisfy their curiosity. They roost early, so we're safe from interruption after ten o’clock.’’ ‘““Making a good deal of fuss and delay over a mere job of measurement,’’ it seeius to ine,’’? remarked Dennis. ‘““We don’t know that.. This screed isn’t altogether plain. ”’ Bob’s finger ends tingled to get hold of a photograph Rhodes drew out. ‘‘Well, yes—some parts are a trifle blurred,’? spoke Dennis—‘‘hurry of taking the picture, I suppose, but it’s pretty clear. Oh, well! this is pleasant enough—a variety from the city, with you don’t know how many spies on your track.’’ f ‘tT fancy the scent’s’ blown,’ observed the elder Rhodes, carelessly. ‘‘How that fellow got onto us in the first place I can’t guess,’’ ‘“The Nick Carter crowd have an un- pleasant faculty of getting onto most everything!’’ growled the Greek doctor. ‘*Well, we've placated Red Jeff and they can never pump him, the Abdallah is outward bound again, Singleton isa , dead issue, memory and message alike, and they may hamper, but they can never prove anything against us,'’ spoke the lawyer. : ‘“There’ must be considerable of. a fortune you never got, according to that little photograph ?’’ insinuated Dennis. ‘*We can find room for it all!’ laughed Rhodes. There was a lapse of silence. hour went by without event. The servant came back. The fire had burned quite low, and he began to re- ae it. a ww detective Half an .
Page 29
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. ee ; He got tired finally of picking up small Getting ity between himself and the pieces of wood, and began kicking, drag- camp-fire, Bob grasped its heavy main ging and rolling dead limbs and larger stem and began to climb. logs down into the depression. All four of the men at the camp-fire Bob quivered as he saw tlie speculating had put after him, but Bob was away up eyé of the faithful fire-tender light onthe -aloft, well sheltered by a dense mass of very: log he was in. leaves by the time they reached the tree. The man approached it, gave it a test- The servant and the elder Riodes ran ing kick with his foot, and it quivered. on, Dennis and the lawyer poked in about Leaning toward it, with both hands he the vine roots, in and out of the bushes ris started it on a roll. | = near by, but never thought of looking = “Oh, this won’t do!” muttered Bob in _ aloft. dismay. ‘‘Where did he go to?’’ projected Den- Bree: = "The third ‘roll Bob made up his mind _ nis. | : : The could’ not help revealing himself. ‘*He disappeared here,’’? declared the” ',About to attempt to ctawl out, how- lawyer. ‘‘Now, then, what do you make ever, the man tipped | the log over — of that ?’’ = edge of the brief incline. ~ -“Tt looks suspicious, but still it may. Be ‘The next minute it rolled saicaiy be that prowling “apple seller or some 3 _ down into_ the nest of fire. other country gawk, imagining it ‘clever 4 : wp Rett S to fae se people’s business.’ tn a6 yar e dickens !’’ whis ered Bob to him- bt Set CHAPTER X. ‘self just here. if ae TRAPPED! The vine was giving. He cintched a fh Bs handful of smaller feelers. These strained, ie east sparks went up. Bob made a vigorous scramble. = ae described a quick ascent to save _ There was no denying the desperate- = >of im-- e had got to the top of the tree now. ness of his dilemma, the urgency of 1m Catcling Gi of its agead aden he Heed mediate action. ae is was fortunate that one jagged end of amet up. to a more comfortable posi~; rose on a tilt free of the “ ato e r Bob sought to balance himself there in this end Bob made, He got out of as small a compass as possible. Wa decided hurry. He swung both feet over down into the _ It entailed a fall to the ground, but hollow of the tree, and sitting on its edge ‘ spry. wriggled under a canopy of leaves. 4 ; shouts of mingled dismay, ainaze- ‘All right now, I guess,’’ he solilo- larm rang out, he bounded to his quized—‘‘No, all wrong!” Bob’s hand came swinging around and: as niping right through the fire so asto down, aud with it came a big rotten Bi evade the four grouped starers, Bob struck piece of the tree. 7 eé-line for the nearest cover. He fell, sliding forward; tried to catch ~ eo had his eve fixed on a row of shrub- at something, missed, and went shooting 1¢ downward, feet foremost. soe “Whew! yy? . _ Breath and wits seemed shaken out a _ him, for he Janded_as mych as twenty feet 4 panwtuatertting abruptness. te ers Be ~The shock would have been ‘tremen- s bt tent the fact that he Get his-feet bed of soft, punky refuse that col tie rie trunk of
Page 30
- Here the hollow had natrrowed so Bob ~ could just slide through and that was all. He could turn around, he was probably safe from the remotest contingency of dis- “covery on the part of his enemies, but Bob did not fancy his new dilemma. If his descent had caused any particular tustling, either it had not been noticed by Dennis and the lawyer, or they at- tributed it to disturbed birds. Bob heard their voices recede and then die away altogether. “T can’t stay in here,’’ he muttered. “Tt’s stand up all night, if I do, and it’s close as a furnace!”’ He felt. all around his queer prison place, turning a -complete circle in cme =i “Smooth as glass,’’ he Sanaa ae -- **not a break, not a hollow. Yes, here’s one, but chest- high, only.’ Bob poked his finger into a punky rot- ting knob. Its core pushed out. It was only big as a thimble head, but he was glad of one thing—it made an a ee: ee i ‘ ‘ aur he! o> Ue Bae Pe , ay sey i hey yy 4 Ene re da! i i> _. aperture looking out directly on the camp- fire fifty feet away. a He could make out there the four men =: who had pursued him. Se They would discuss, then separate, ae scour the vicinity, return, sit down, get et up, and act generally like people badly disturbed and very uneasy. ‘“This will hurry their operations,’’ de- cided Bob. ‘Where will I be when they get the plunder? Not in here, I hope, worse than helpless. Not ifI can help <i “ith ‘3 “With a doughty will Bob set at work mae ay get up out of the hollow tree as he had nee down into-it. _ He found even the initial ae the hardest work he had ever undertaken. It was like scaling a smooth tube. At last he thought of something that might take copsiderable time, but it seemed the ae course open to him. _ Employing the largest blade of his : pocket knife, he cut little notclres about _ two feet apart till he got them head high. =: possible ais toe and finger hold made ble by a sturdy back brace, Bob “Teached up his free hand, cut a higher ined iat. another, and then pee aac discovery. me a et M1 idler ree ve tay sy * ‘ f b NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Groping up, his hand came in contact with some daugling object. ‘‘Why,’’ declared the mystified Bob— “St’s a rope!” Such’ it was, and he seized it. He had not noticed it in the rush of his descént. Bob pulled at it. The strands strained slightly, but it sustained his weight. ‘*Pamous!’’ he exulted. But three feet accomplished, Bob found his new hopes dashed. He had come to the narrow part of the cavity. Through this he had slid, and if the tree had beew flat he might have managed to force through, but, lifting, he saw after one or two arduous efforts, that it would - «be an impossibility to wedge past the in- side trunk bulge. ‘*Give it up, because Ive got to give it ° up!’ he soliloquized regretfully. Bob drupped to the bottom, glad to re- lieve his strained sinews. His predicament, he now decided, was something more than incoriveniénce——t was serious. : Unaided, he could certainly not get out of that tree, and he had no idea ofappeal- ing to the four deadly enemies in sight. He now abandoned all hopes of being on hand when they made their hunt for the hidden fortune. His only theory of escape was that after they had departed he might the next day hail some casual passer-by from his mi- nute loophole of observation. He saw the quartet at the’ camp-fire lighting a lantern and undoing their bun-~ dles, and guessed that they would soon begin to search for what they had come after. “I'd like to know how that rope hang- ing down the inside of this tree got here. What’s, it for??? he mused.- ‘Hello! I smashed through a piece of bark and caught my foot in my fall,’? he continued, as he lifted one foot to change his position. He kicked clear the obstruction. Then he applied himself to watch the treasure hunters. a They were down to business at last. Old Rhodes catried a lantern. He held this close to his son, who walked along with frequent references to the oe: — of the patos arm.
Page 31
¥ » NICK CARTER WEEKLY. - : 29 This he inspected through a magnify- ing glass, and each time he did so he would say something to Dennis and the servant who carried a long tape line. Bob saw them strike a central point— neat where the ruins of a house founda- tion showed. ~ The lawyer called off distances. Dennis , repeated, and would run out the line. Once it ended right at the tree in which Nick Carter’s young detective was in- cased. Twice—three times—and Dennis sang _ out: i **Here’s the spot. Does that end the directions ?’’ “It does,’’ replied young Rhodes, run- ning up quite excited. 5 ye Dennis, this is certainly the place.”’ ‘*This tree is blurred—— “’'That’s what’s in the photograph— sixty feet, ending at a some kind of a something. Why not ‘oak tree’ ?”’ “All the ~ measurements end here. We've found it. Rhodes, John Lester’s hidden fortune is in that tree!”’ **Great goodness!’’ ejaculated the dis- turbed Bob. He thrilled all over. In that tree! What unique freak of fate had put him in this of all places? What would the amazed ‘plosters say when their ardent search resulted in un- earthing—one of Nick Carter’s detec- tives! -. §*It can’t be in here,’’ fluttered Bob. - ‘Why not, though? The rope! Did it hold a box or parcel suspended, and has . it rotted off or has some animal bitten it off? “My foot went into something! I thought it was bark. Yes. No! Why, it’s ir, these rotted, broken, Lee dae found the treasure !’’ pe Td Bob felt like shouting the word—he N was surprised, excited, dumfounded. . Half stooping, his ik grazed just : “what he described. ger they groped among powdery dust, fragments of rope and pine, ea. ate papers rustled. + Ree ese tort little packages of do _ bonds, stocks, he knew not & what, but but they certainly must comprise hidden a ag Every circumstances minutely to SAE sai agate ” . a eee ay ee Ae ea eS py : The lawyer’s voice sounded outside again: **Well, get to work.” “What are you gding to do?’ asked Dennis. “Raise a ladder.” **None around. You aren’t thinking of getting at what’s in the tree that way ?”’ “Tam, it’s hollow.’ “Who'll go down?’’ “‘That’s so. What are we going to do? >?) Bob felt a pardonable glow of exulta- tion at having handled the hidden treas- ure first. It was superseded by a chilling shock of dismay, howev er, at Dennis’ next, ominous words: **Get an axe!”’ CHAPTER XI. DYNAMITE! Bob Ferret was startled, but he was not rattled. ~ The unexpected possession of the hid- den treasure inspired him with a mighty - resolve not to part with it readily. ‘“They are going to cut the tree down,”’ he soliloquized, and as he spoke a dull clang vibrated. Pluck to the last, grit to the core, Bob set his wits at work. He stowed the papers in his breast and reascended the inside of the tree, with ’ the,help of the notches he had cut. When he reached the rope he gota good hold on it and half-dangled, half braeed himself. He was now entirely beyond the possi- bility of any danger from the axe. : This cut through the thin wood of the tree trunk in.a very few moments. There was a sharp creak and the tree swayed. “Tt’s going! Where will I be?’ mut- tered Bob, grimly. “Stand back !? he heard Dennis shout. Then with a splitting crack the trée bent over, dropped and landed with a crash. In falling Bob was shot forward, and a peculiar accident happened. To his dismay he found himself held by the arms and shoulders in the narrow- ing bulge of the tree as tightly as” at driven i #525 human wedge, =" see
Page 32
= - He simply could not -budge an inch, ee he’ was imprisoned*helplessly. ‘Noy, then!” Tang out the lawyer’s excited voice. _ _A mighty scrambling echoed among the debris i in the revealed tree trunk. 4B “*Rope—a box, but broken,’’ called out Dennis. “Empty !’’ fairly howled the lawyer. “Some one has ‘been before us!’’ shouted Dennis. ‘‘Hold the lantern— ~ what’s that ?’’ _ It was Bob, and he saw him, or rather, Bob’s feet, for the rays of the lantern slrot up the cavity in which Bob was » wedged. . **It’s all up with me!” muttered Bob. “> -He feit: vis feet seized. oo) terrific wrench, Bob got one hand into his breast, seized the papers, flung them beyond him into -the hollow trunk, and came out head eo down, >! a “Who is it}? detuned as lawyer, eagerly. ee Bob was righted, but firmly clutched, by three pairs of hands. The jantern was flared into his face. “Phe boy with the apples——’’ began the Jawyer. y +. “Hold! I know lim,’ cried Dennis. iz “Rhodes, it’s the same boy who bothered us in the city. Look at his eyes |?” ‘Ves, search him!’’ Bob submitted. to the rough process __, without making any special ado. _ **Where is the stuff that was in that tree ?’’ raved the lawyer. “Why should I know?’ destieniied Bob, coolly. “You do, you must know! Is this 3 ~ magic—his meeting us at every turn! Where is it? Where is it?” ‘The frantic lawyer put out his hands “as if to clutch his prisoner by the throat and choke the truth out of him. __ “¥ haven’t got it,”” declared Bob. ie Pi make him tell——”’ _ “Rhodes!” - z In a shout Dennis distracted the law- vi i Hes was 2 eS toward c is “refer was as There was a 7 NICK CARTER WE KLY. A new actor had appeared on the scene. Plainly visible, coming toward them from the direction of the fire, was a man —James Singleton. He held a smal] wooden box under his arm, and he was studying trees, bushes, all the ground about him as he advanced. Bob was amazed. How had he got away from the city—how had he got here ? “*Rhodes!’? whispered Dennis, hoarse- ly, ‘‘it’s Singleton !’’ “Or his ghost !? ‘‘Nonsense! See! he has a box! it be the treasure ?’’ Both started forward. Never looking up, Singleton approached, engrossed. They grasped him suddenly. The man with the painted arm uttered a startled cry and tried to wrench free. Can The lawyer tore the box from’ his - grasp, Dennis dragged him toward the tree, “Hold the oy 2? he ordered -to the servant, ‘‘hold this man,’’? he spoke to the elder Rhodes. ‘‘What isin it?’ he continued, running back to where the lawyer was turning the box over and over in his hands. ‘Do not open it! Do not open m- began Singleton, but the two men ran toward the camp-fire eagerly.. | They got a hatchet and began to pry up the cover of the box, Abruptly the impatient lawyer gave the stubborn lid a kick. Singleton had been struggling fiercely, utterly incoherent warnings all the time. **TDo not strike it!’ he shouted, Too late! As the hatchet descended a second time an awful boon rang out. The appalled Bob saw a blur of mingled . flash and form. A shock that drove his captor! s ca free permeated the air. ‘“Dynamite!’’ panted Singleton. With an awful shriek the elder oe . darted toward the spot where a moment before his son had been and now was not. - Then as he realized what had happened | he reeled, threw up his arms and sank _ senseless to the ground, The servant, white as death, tottered toward him, and stood gazing, pale and | eat hole in the ground | liorrified, at a amenere the ea IN had sg place.’ 1
Page 33
NICK CARTER WEEKLY. : il “Come f1)- Bob Ferret could not afford to lose his wits, to take any risks. He got the papers out of the hollow tree and grasped Singleton’s ari. The latter was babbling incoherently of Brazil, of treasures, of dynamite— snatches of real and imaginary things— but he went placidly along at Bob’s guid- ance. By the time they had reached the nearest farmhouse, Bob fancied he guessed the mystery of his strange appearance on the scene. Nick Carter’s doctor had operated on Singleton’s head sufficient to help back his memory in part. : In some way Singleton must have es- eaped and had hurried hither, directed by half-clouded impulses. He had purchased a stick of dynamite - and had placed it in the box, with some vague idea that it might aid him in blow- . ing up the tree to get at the treasure—a brain-siék man’s phantasy—the explosion could be explained in no other way. Bob got the farmer out of bed. He told him enough of the story of the tragedy of the night to enlist his interest and services. Singleton was given in charge of one of his sons. The other, with the farmer, accompanied Bob back to tlie site of the explosion. : _ At noon the following day the news- ip of New York city told graphically what Nick Carter’s young detective had accomplished in the case of the mystery of the painted arm. : Dennis and the lawyer had been blown to pieces, the father of the latter had re- ceived a shock from which he would never recover, the servant was in jail. . A raid was made on Red Jeff’s haunt, put the famous king of the river pirates had fled, ridding the city merchant _ marine of one of its greatest pests. ‘Phe or] sister of dead John Lester ound, and to her was given the for- P “ye ted by the securities found fy Bob fa the old hollow tree. “ aorle was again placed in charge Carter’s doctor, who had great would a 5 eee: So . rch ‘ wees Cari by careful treatment within a ' be completely iw” ee c* i 8 : — pe sada Bob placed in Nick Carter’s curiosity cabinet a few days later two ominous me- mentoes of his latest case. One was the photograph of the painted atm, found at the scene of the explosion. The other was the little ivory mallet, secured at the Greek doctor’s office. They were mute but eloquent reminders of one of the most perilous shadow trails ever followed by a member of Nick Carter’s detective schvol. THE END. P The next number of the Nick Carter Weekly will ‘contain, ‘‘Nick Carter’s Junior Force; or, The Man with Four Arms.”’ ———~ 10+ LATEST ISsSsUCEs. 2 223—Done with a Click; or, The Mystery of the Painted Arm, 224—A Young Detective's Air Route; or, The Great Hindoo Mystery. king in the Dark; or, Helping Hand. 222—Nick Carter's Newsboy Friend; Sandoval Mystery. 221—Worse than Murder; or, Nick Carter’s Second Assistant on the Suburban Robberies. 220—' Mid vive Bullets; or, Lively Times on the Chesapeake. 219—From Hotel to Prison Cell; or, A Criminal Globe Trotter's Useless Bribe. . 218—The ‘“‘Tyburn T;’’ or, Nick Carter and the Body- Snatchers, 217—Nick Carter's Double Header; or, The Ins and Outs of a Boston Sensation. 216—A Confession by Mistake; or, A Helping Hand to an Unwilling Prisoner. 2 215—Nick Carter's Name at Stake; or, After the Sun- set City Sharpers. 214—Blackmailed for Thousands; or, The Facts in the Famous Ford Poisoning Case. 23—A Swindler in Petticoats;. or, Nick Carters Pretty Prisoner. _ 22—The Wizard of the Cue; or, Nick Carter and the Poo] Reom Case. E 2%11—Run Down in Toronto; or, Nick Carter's Work for a Friend. 2 210~The Man With the Big Head; or, Who Opened the Combination Safe? 29—The Mystery of the Yellow Cab; or, A Little Set-Back for Chick. 208—Saved from the Flames; or, Nick Carter at Mys- . tic Vale Crematory. A Novice Lends a or, The Great _ 27—The Hole in the Bank; or, Nick Carter's Cam- Gold.” pa Against ‘Capt. : 206—The tor’s Dangerous Experiment; or, Nick Carter’s Flying Trip to New Orleans. e Passen ger in the Lower Berth; or, a Star- tling Disa arance from a Railroad Sleepin gta te to Union Station; or, The Celebrat - Beautiful Shop-Lifter; or, Nick Carter's for an Old Offender. ‘and the Forest Fires; or, A Nest Vipers Burned Out. rernes o aag ad Ae the Rte. ae The Little sth 2: Botty= ; 197—The ‘Little Glass ial, ‘or: ‘A Beautiful Black- 196—A Man of Wood: or, Who Killed Dr. Startle? ister Carter's Gratef : ; “a ~Nigjonor of the Old ‘Mat <tee: or, Saving the Back uumbers always on hand If cK 1 1 you cannot get our ations from your newsdealer, five cents acopy will them to you, by mail, postpaid. eee eT Ye - - ees ie
Page 34
"a _ §5—A Voyage to the Gold Coast.. THE MEDAL LIBRARY. The Best Boy’s Books Ever Written. . The Right Books at the Right Price, 10c. * There is a line of classics for youth—the books your fathers read—the books you wan-— to read—the books the boys and girls will read and like as long as the English language ent dures. They have done more to shape the mind of American boys for the last fifty years than any others. We refer to the writings of Oliver Optic, Horatio Alger, Edward S. Ellis, Lieut. Lounsberry, James Otis, William Murray Graydon, wherever the American flag floats. etc. These names are familiar Unfortunately, they have heretofore been procurable only in expensive binding at from _ $1.00 to $1.50 each. The average boy has not got $1.50 to invest. We have made the ten cent book the leader with the elder readers. Now we are going price. Ten cents is nearer the to do the same thing for the boys, and give them their favorites inaform in every respect to our well-known Eagle and Magnet Libraries, at the uniform price of ten cents. Thousands of boys have asked us to issue this line. Thousands more are ready to buy it on sight. There is no line like it in the world. We can justly call it the Medal series, as every book will bea prize winner. It will contain no story that the boys have not approved as a “standard.’’ They have bought them by the thousands at $1.00 and upwards, and now they can get them for TEN CENTS A COPY. 8i—The Five Hundred Dollar Check............ Horatio Alger, Jr. 8—Catmur’s Cave..........+. Wks rafiee Richard Dowling %—Facing Death............-ssecere- ..G. A. Henty $4—The»Butcher of Cawnpore........--6...++++5- William Murray Graydon &3—The Tiger Prince...........---+-.+++ William Dalton 82—The Young Editor.............. Matthew White, Jr. 8i—Arthur Helmuth of the H. & N, C. Railway, Edward 8.’ Bliis @—Afloat in the Forest.:........ Captain Mayne Reld 79—The Rival Battalions........... Brooks McCormick 78—Both Sides of the Continent...Horatio Alger, Jr. 7i—Perils of. the Jungle................ Edward a Ellis 7%—The War Tiger; A Tale of the ‘anes ee ARIE Bes cu occas ecesepieoas cba iam Dalton 75—The Boys in the Forecastle.. iy ebide H. Coomer 74—The Dingo Boys..........-.- George Manville Fenn 72—The Wolf Boy of China............. Man Dalton 72—The Way to Success; or, Tom Randal Alfred Oldfellow the Indian H. G. Kingston 70—The > and Amusing History of pendtort and Merton Burnand ee ‘Seaworth’s Voy: e@ on illiam 68—Smuggler’s Cave ..........-.-- ee Annie Ashmore €7—Tom Brown's School Days.. @6—A Young Vagabond............2<...+.. Z. R. Bennett @5—That Treasure................... Frank H. Converse 64—The Tour of a Private Car...Matthew White, Jr. 63—In the Sunk Lands........... +++-..Walter FP. Burns @--LHow. He Won. .tivcisciss. essed Brooks McCormick 61—The Erie Train Boy............. Horatio Alger, Jr. @—The Mountain Cave...,........ George H. Coomer §8—The Rajah’s Fortress...William Murray Graydon 68—Gilbert, the Trapper...... ++e..-Capt. C. B, Ashley 5i—The Gold of Fiat Top Mountain...... pe atten’ $6—Nature’s Young Nobleman....Brooks McCormick -Frank H. Converse HJ ichols; or, Difficulties Overcome..... yor Be Alfred Olafellow 53—The adventures of a New hse Telegraph Boy, Arthur Lee Putnam §2—From Farm Boy to Senator....Horatio Alger, Jr. S1—Tom Tracy...........-.+-...»..-Arthur Lee Putnam 50—Dean Dunham....................Horatio Alger, Jr. 49—The Mystery of a Diamond....Frank H. Converse 48—Luke Renpatt'a ar se a ae aarantae seks Capt. C. B. . Ashley, Uw. 8. Scout 4#7—Eric Dane...........--- Eireoeees Matthew White, Jr. 4—Poor and Proud...-.....-... tereeereeeee-Oliver Optic 45—Jack Wheeler: A Western Pree. Ps be Captain in Davia Southwick 44—The Golden Magnet......... George Manville Fenn 43—In Southern Seas.... ....Frank H. Converse 42—The Young Acrobat... ...-Horatio Alger, Jr. 41—Check 2134............+- Cache tebeosee Edward 8. Ellis 40—Canoe and Campfire......... St. George Rathborne 39—With Boer and Britisher in the Transvaal, William Murray Graydon 38—Gay Dashleigh’s Academy Days....Arthur Sewal] 87—Commodore Junk............. George Manvile Fenn 36—In Barracks and Wigwam...............-++.. William Murray Graydon %—In the Reign of Terror..............05- G. A» Henty 34—The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green..... Cuthbert Bede, B. A. 33—Jud and Joe, Printers and Publishers,.... Gilbert Patten 82—The Curse of Carnes’ Hold............ G. A. Henty 31—The Cruise of the Snow Bird...... Gordon Stables 30—Peter Simple 23—True to the Old Fiag...........ss00+0+: G. A, Henty 2%—The Boy Boomers..............00e005 Gilbert Patten 27—Centre-Board Jim....... Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 26—The Cryptogram......... William Murray Graydon %—Through the Fray. ....<cccevessscseteess G, A. Henty 24—The Boy from the West..... ++.+----Gilbert Patten 23—The Dragon and the Raven.......... G. A, Henty 22—From Lake to * leneintes 77) a vs ga nohke ae ta 21—Won at West Point..... 2—Wheeling for Fortune 19—Jack Archer.......-+.+..« 18—The Silver Ship...........ceeesesager dees 17—Ensign Merrill............ Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 16—The White King of Africa................... William Murray Graydon 15—Midshipman Merrill..... Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 14—The Young Gomaints: A Byory = wan and War in Africa.. Henty 13—Up the Ladder........----sseeeereree ss . Murray 12—Don Kirk's Mine.......- Neves Wapato. Gilbert Patten li—From Tent to White House (Boyhood and ' Life of President McKinley)...Edward 8. Ellis 10—Don Kirk, the Boy Cattle King....Gilbert Patten oe pp a Pa pees he ener Pte fe Oliver Optie &—Kit Carey's Protege....Lieut, Lionel Lounsberry 7—Chased Through Norway................ James Otis 6—Captain Carey of the Gallant Seventh...... Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry WW PROTO oo oo cca c wow Ptnycccncett cd! Oliver Optic 4-Lieutenant APG YG ENMOR oie ec cieis pencdewasts Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry 3—All Aboard..... beveesce PR re. Oliver Optic 2—Cadet Kit Carey... ..Lieut, Lionel Lounsberry 1—The Boat Club........ TE teveseveees Oliver Optic Car tila ses: If you cannot get them send to us, Remember these are J2mo books, printed from ee ee ee See ee aa coly TEN CENTS: A- COPY,
Page 35
rs 7 yievet rt PANS oe aOR RRR ape
Page 36
NIGK GARTER ON THE STAGE Wr irre ESSRS. STREET & SMITH beg to announce to their patrons and readers of the Nick Carter Series of Detective Stories the interesting fact that these famous stories will soon be produced upon the stage under unusually elaborate circumstances. Arrangements have just been completed between the publishers and Manager F. C. Whitney, to present the entire set of Nick Carter stories in dramatic form. The idea that will be followed will be one as original as the stories themselves. A series of plays will be presented, one to follow the other, depicting the many wonderful events in the career of the remarkable detective. The admirers of this great character will know in advance that the stage presentment will be fully up to the interest he possesses in the novels. The dramatization will be made by Stanislaus Stange, whose recent dramatization of “Quo Vadis” has raised him to the foremost ranks of American authors. The publishers feel some satisfaction in the fact that the enter- prise will be under the management of Mr. F. C. Whitney, whose magnificent productions during the past ten years have been so noteworthy events in dramatic annals. The first play of the series will be brought out next fall.