Nick Carter Weekly (no. 275) (1902 04 05)

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9 - - <a ee ne id = = — ‘THIS ISN’T A REGULAR STOPPING-PLAO! eye WE'LL GET OFF HERE!”’ es =

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- Issued Weekly, No. 275. By Subscription $250 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 238 William St, N. Y. aan according to Act of Congress in the year 1902, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, Di NEW YORK, April 5, 1902. Price Five Cents. NICK CARTER'S ENEMY: OR, CHAPTER I. A STARTLING DISCOVERY. “There's been murder, sir—murder !” i The man gasped these words in a husky voice, and caught at the stair rail for support. e was a Fihort, stocky man about forty years old. is face was red and dripping with sweat. ‘ As” he stood there he breathed raat. and looked : as if he were in pain. _ Before him stood three men who had eas come do wn the stairs with grips in their hands. | y were the famous detective, Nick Carter, and 5 assistants, Chick and Patsy. | opped his grip and took the man by the Bringing a Murderer to the Gallows. By the author of “NICHOLAS CARTER.” The other shook his head. “No,” he said; “I’ve been running hard, that’s all. I heard you were going to leave for New York, atid I wanted to catch you. I’ll be all right in a min- ute.” Nick glanced at the clock behind the clerk’s desk. It was in the office of a hotel in Buffalo. The only other persons in the office at the time were the clerk and three or four guests, who were reading newspapers. Their attention was attracted by the scene at the foot of the stairs. Two of them got up and crossed the room cu- riously. . “T think,” gaid Nick, in a low tone, “that we'll wait over another train.”

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He went to the desk and told the clerk that he would hold his room for a little longer. - Then he returned to his assistants and the man who had met them as they were about to leave. “Come apstate he said, “and we'll hear “what you have to say.” Nick did not know the: man, ee he had: no idea what the case was that had brought the man to ‘him, except that one remark that there had. been murder, eet once ae een The man had said nothing else. Evidently he knew who the Carters were, and meant to interest them with the fewest words pos- sible, -\ He had succeeded. * Tt wasn’t the fact that there had been a murder that caused Nick to change his plans, but there was something i in the man’s manner that seemed to show that the case was one of unusual importance. All went upstairs and sat down in Nick's room. By that time the stranger had caught his breath and could speak. without difficulty. 2h _ He came to the point at once. ; “Mr. Carter, ” he said, “you fished a dead man out of the Niagara rapids yesterday and thought that _ he was Jean Lacrosse, alias White, alias Malcolm, _ a criminal you pls hunting for?” Nick nodded. xf “Patsy fished the man begs the river,” he re- ay sponded, “but I was there, and in other respects your statement is correct. We certainly believed, A ‘and still believe, that the man'was Lacrosse; whom” we we had chased. over a good bit of Canada.” “Yo ut were mistaken, M r. fied - as ken!” | “Yes, sir. some things you didn't know. nape time need be ashamed of—" Aaa: sce ieee “Any man is mistakes. at 1 have lay Sind want mar cee NICK CARTER WEEKLY. You couldn't help ‘a a eas were” - “One moment. You seem to be a man who ; knows how to go straight to a point. So let’s have 7 “ an be oe Ae a and get at this thing i in the righty 4 way.” “Agreed, Mr. Carter.” “First, then, who are you?” “My name is Dunn, and I belong i in St. Catherines, es Canada. I am deputy sheriff there.” ; “Ah! I have heard your name, but never hap- f pened to meet you before. I understand now how it is that you know just how to talk of a matter of this kind.” \ ps a = 9 at “a ought to, for I’ve net business with criminals ; for the last fifteen years.” i “Did you know Lacrosse?” - “A little. His real name is Malcolm, you know.” “Yes, but we have known him so long as LaSeee that it’s easier to speak of him by that name.’ : “That's all right, so long as we understand it. \ Now, this man Lacrosse had a brother who went — under his own name of Malcolm, and who lived near St. Catherines. I knew him well.” “And what of him?” “He's been murdered,” Bie Bak “Absolutely. rapids.” The detectives looked at each other. “By gum!” exclaimed Patsy, “has that slippery cuss got away from us again?” “Nothing would bec ake ‘me less,” * It was his beat yon fished from the pe responded . Nick. ~ a a Gt The Carters had first come ‘up against fsacued in. England, where Chick had an adventure with After that there was an exciting chase into. , the wilds of Canada, at the end of which Lacrosse. was ‘taken to a hospital in Montreal to, recover. r from ne bullet wound falas by ‘Chick. es ae ae ce, em arena

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vas found as the head of a gang of smugglers op- g on Lake Ontario. ing to cross the line into the United States. The three detectives and many local policemen § were on the lookout for him, when Patsy risked his jumping into = rapids and tio ashore a Ti not until Sheriff a told them so that hey had heard that Lacrosse had a brother. I thin » said Nick, “that I can see what's com- you'd better tell us about Ba ll, Mr. Carter,” replied Dunn. “I was in- s it evening that Malcolm had disappeared.” mean the man who lived near St. Cath- siitecae?! tea ; Fybody gre: him.” ‘ we heard of what you had done. _ make an examination of the body. This took some time, but I found it and I know that it was the NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 3 “Was this near where Malcolm lived?’ “Yes; on his farm, but some distance from the house. There were footprints to show that two men had had a fight, and there were bloodstains on the ground. Then we found an iron bar under some bushes.” “I suppose it had suspicious marks on it.” “T should say so; bloodstains and a few gray hairs ~ sticking to the end. A doctor proved quickly that it was human blood and human hair. The foot- prints of one man were found pointing toward the Niagara River. We set a dog on the trail, and fol- lowed it to a point just below the falls. There the scent was lost.” , “Were you at work at this last night?” “Yes. We got to the river about sunrise. Then I went at once to body of Malcolm.” “The farmer?” “Yes.” “Malcolm and his brother, Lacrosse, must have looked very much alike.” “They did. They were twins.” “Ah!” “But there was a. mark by which they could be told apart without fail.” “What was it?” “A scar on the forehead?” “Not a white sear?” “No. 2 ‘Tf that had been the case you would have _ Noticed it, and your suspicions would have been aroused. The scar was red.” “We saw it.” ~ “Doubtless ; and you thought it was a rep bruise?” “We did.” “No wonder. It always looked as if Malcolm had been hit the day before, but he had carried that scar for years. It came from_ te —. while by! was # os

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4 NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Nick thought a moment. \ Then he dréw a long breath and said: “T thought we had got through with Lacrosse.” “1 thought you ought to be told about it,” re- marked the deputy sheriff. Nick went on as if he had not heard: “T see the scheme. That doesn’t do any good now, but I see it. Lacrosse, finding that the boun- ‘dary line Was so well guarded that he could not cross into the States without getting captured, had to do ‘something to blind us. _ “He murdered his brother and sent his body down the river, reckoning that we would find it sooner or later. ae ‘We did so, and, of course, supposed that it was na the body of the man we were after. | “That being the case, of course we stopped watch- ing the bridges and ferries. Po “It's a thousand to one that as soon as we left the 5 hie ‘boundary line unguarded, Lacrosse slipped over, and, by this time, is far away. _ It was a successful scheme, as clever as it was Re ‘3 How do you think Lacrosse managed to get his a _ brother’s dead body from St. Catherines to the river aaa ¥ “Piltebaous. : Ce a “You're right, sheriff, I ee to be told about BS rate ‘There are only a few more questions to ask. ea - without being discovered?” vi “Fle stole” one of his brother’s horses and a “Sure?” / “Oh, yes. Horse and w wagon were missing, and 7 ‘that Jed the farmhands to suppose that Malcolm had i st _ gone somewhere on business. We found in our in- 1 that Lacrosse | had taken the dead body - of his brother to the bushes where we found the - iron bar and hid it until he could go up to the barn and get a. horse and wagon and sn entpty. barrel. awe Peegn no Hea abope sit aes a Dp Car. truth. Now, tell me what you did when you found the body that had been in the barrel.” “T was asked what had become of you.” “Well?” “T was be that you had gone to Buffalo on an- other case.’ “Yes, we had a little business here, but we man-_ aged to wind it up in no time.” " “So they said at police headquarters, where I went — to inquire for you. They told me you had started back for New York. Thinking that perhaps you hadn’t got out of‘town yet, I ran to the hotel and | met you, as you know, just as you were going to’ leave.” : “Then you haven't told anybody else about this matter?” “Not exactly.” — “What do you mean by that?” 4 “J haven't told anybody here, but up at the Falls I said, as soon as I saw the body, ‘That’s Farmer Mal- | colm,’ nia two or three who were See: pabite | heard me.’ “Well, that couldn’t be helped, and I presume no harm’s done. I will leave my assistants here———” “Then you mean to follow the matter up? ” “Indeed I do! Lacrosse is one of the most. ras- cally villains alive.. He’s beaten me, and you needn't suppose that I’m going to give up until I’ve had another shy at him. r mean to bring that man to the gallows.” _ ; “You can if you catch him, for he'll have to be tried in Canada, and we hang people over na you know.” a age heals |. oi: ty eee ait. ‘THE PORTER'S QUEER DREAM. Bis teg .. Nick turned to. Chick and Patsy and spoke them rapidly. ena ey have still time,” ha sid “to catch ee tin io ‘New do tae ne eS go ke as

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© "Ido. “I believed that that was the place he was making for when he was trying to get over the line, ‘gta he knows that there’s no place to hide in so good Pasa. big city.” ia “And you want us to look out for this end?” “Yes. The sheriff has undoubtedly got the facts raight so far as he found them, but you may get “onto other things, and it is possible, of course, that ovr man is still in this vicinity. I want you to make other examination of the body found in the barrel ~ and wire me what you think. earl shall ‘expect to find a telegram from you'when I - get to the city.” ~ ‘There was no need to give his clever assistants any "more points on that matter, a He could depend on their judgment, but there was _ one other little thing about which he spoke to Patsy. _ “It would be a mistake,” said Nick, “to suppose i this man is a fool. He's proved that he is as P as they make them, and, while I think he has tr ht to New York, the fact may be that he So I me get out of town Seoiefibae his wing it. Who knows but that there are men in otel now who are confederates of his?” w what was abies: ‘a cab pabiss he asked. - om lied Nick; * ‘side door.” bs FES young detective- went out at once. 7 aos shoroaglys” ‘Foutatd: Sheriff Nick responded. — Once in a while at there’ ae in catching him, but Lacrosse that ‘sort, Tt “He knows: that if I learn of a | scab er ice ‘NICK CARTER WEEKLY. le de was asics 32 Rebs was v stapey him- ’ Nick in the toom with Sheriff Dunn. crook who plays into our hands so — won't do to take chances on his his disguise, but he when he went out 5 Chick’s advice in anything that needs to be done at this end.” “Certainly, Mr. Carter.” “And, Chick, I’ll leave my grip here. it to me-some time later in the day.” “All right, Nick.” The disguise was then finished, Nick shook hands with the two men and left them. He went down to the side door of the hotel and found a cab waiting for him. The driver understood what he was to do, for Patsy had given him his orders. Nick got in, and was driven to the railroad sta- tion. He glanced out of the side windows of the cab as it rolled away from the hotel, but saw nothing to in- terest him. -There was no window in the back. If there had been, the detective probably would have seen something to make him think. ; As it was, not having eyes in the back of his head, and not being able to look through wood and iron, he did not see a man hurry from the cornet opposite the hotel and‘ get into another cab that stood near by. He did not know that the second cab followed his until it was near the railroad. ‘ Then the second cab stopped suddenly and the Passenger got out, going into the station by the baggage-room door. Niek knew nothing of this and Patsy knew noth- ing of it, for, as soon as Patsy had ordered the cab, he had gone back into the hotel, expecting to see Express When Patsy returned to the room, Nick had gone. It was not suspected by any of them that a man had been hanging around the hotel ever since they went to it after ig tees their Ammarienk + Bolice re headquarters. _ ee This man might not have known Nick Cait j iy og Sata recognize Patsy tor :

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ie gin. nl + SE Oi. . NICK CARTER WEEKLY. _ And it was not a difficult thing for the man to guess that Patsy was getting the cab for his chief. Having guessed so much, it was easy enough to make another good guess: that the bearded man who came irom the side door of the hotel was none other than Nick Carter. But of course this man who chased Nick’s cab may have thought he was somebody else. He didn’t make himself known to Nick. On the contrary, he walked around the baggage- room, pretending to look for a missing trunk until the New York train was just pulling out. Then he ran hurriedly across the tracks and boarded the smoking car. Meantime, Nick had arrived at the station with several minutes to spare. . He had bought his ticket and a magazine, and then walked around the waiting-rooms. _ Apparently, he was killing time, and he didn't seem to see anybody. In fact, he saw everybody there, studied every face, and decided that not only was Lacrosse, not in the crowd, but that there was nobody there who knew him or who had any interest in him. So, when he went to the train, he settled down to read without a thought of Lacrosse or maa crimes he had committed. For,” in Nick’s opinion, there was nothing to be _ gained by thinking of the matter at this time. “The boys will work up the evidence around the Falls,” he reflected, “and ¥ shall hear from them when I get to New York. Then my work will be | cut out for me, and I shall have to think and hustle until I come upon Lacrosse’s tracks.” __ It was about the middle of the afternoon when _ Nick's ‘train left Buffalo. — _ At six o'clock he went into the dining car, and Grete an hour over his meal. After that he went forward to the Falienas smoker _ and enjoyed. a cigar. . tae He had to go through ieeuare cars to get to the , but they meee, a li _seen somebody, Further forward was an ordinary day coach and at. © . } ordinary smoker. 5 i Nick did not go into either of these cars. If he had it isn’t likely that he would have seen — anything suspicious, for there were several passen- % gers in each car who were snoozing with their hats { over their faces. a One of them was the man who had hurriedly — boarded the train, after pretending to look for a missing trunk, but if Nick had seen him he would not have thought of lifting the man’s hat to see what . face was under it. When Nick returned to his sleeper, he found that | the porter had made up his berth. It was rather early in the evening, but, as there | 1 was nothing else to do, he went to bed. For days before this he had been on a hard hunt 4 for Lacrosse and the smugglers. { He had not had half time for sleep, and, there- 4 fore, though he had not felt tired, he had _— lain | down before he was unconscious. — He was awakened for a moment when the train | stopped at the first two or three stations, but ates | 3 that he slept as soundly as if he were at home. The sleeper was not full. Nick had a section to himself, and ‘there was one FS section near the front end of the car that was not fe occupied at all. , The porter had not made it up, but sat sprawled out on the seats, dozing as the train sped on-toward ” ‘New York. ; ie Albany had been passed. y - It was considerably after midnight, and there was to be no other stop until the train arrived in the city | The porter turned over on his other side, and, as he; did so, he thought he saw a man in the foymard end), of the car. in v3 He sat up and rubbed his eyes. we The light was dim, but he was certain now that h . saw nobody. ; Nevertheless, he was ead, certain that he hac aaa t He ae "Pp be ipsettonn a

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“Perhaps some passerigeram sick,” muttered the _ porter. He went slowly to the forward énd where there r a washroom wath one seat for men who wanted 12 ean: Dat’s what it sing the brakeman, an’ . gone forward.” If he hadn't been so sleepy, he might have tried the closet door that opened from the washroom. > As d if he ‘had tried that door—but he didn't. In tead of doing so, he turned about and went Laas k to the seats where he had been dozing. He stretched himself itp a comfortable position d Reed his eaegck, M us , shaking a oekebih aera it rum- et he still are! ai saree a hace dentist — -€ pee ee eos et EN ae ee : bs A ‘ ‘be in: a dentist’ g.27 Ai she: NICK CARTER WEEKLY. . 3 7 How did it get there? The porter was no fool. He was all awake now, and he wondered with not | a little fear about that strange smell. , He remembered the man he had seen, “Somebody sick, for sure,” he muttered. .._It was his business to help the passengers, and he felt terribly tae for having gone to sleep while on duty. “Getting up, he went along the aisle, sniffing of the poisoned air and trying to.locate it. The smell seemed to be heaviest in the middle of the car, but all the curtains were drawn tight, and there was no noise except that of the train and the snoring of one man near the further end. The more the ais sniffed the more worried ‘he became. 2 At last, and it was not more than a minute*since he waked from his dream, he went to the forward end and began a careful examination of every berth. He did not waken anybody, but he pulled the cur- tains aside and looked in at each sleeper. There was nothing to cet him until he came to lower berth Number 6. In that he saw’a man lying on his back, 2 with his _ (hands partly drawn up. The fists were clinched. One kiice was raised, too, as if the man had tried to struggle, or as if he had been uneasy in his sleep. The porter could not sée the man’s face. . across it. He pulled the curtain open sey ts that. he mh _ \see more clearly. epee Then, to his horror, he saw that the thing across the passenger's face, was a towel. . «Tt was ars apa a the ‘ark pe and : gen him the nose. Bia the ty Pits Someihing, perhaps he et apceti the sheet, lay

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mee + ‘gee =) as; al ; & namie of the passenger occupying lower berth Num- ber 6 was Benjamin Fuller; but his real name was Nicholas Carter. CHAPTER III. STRANGE PROCEEDINGS. “Hi, dar!” cried the porter, in awful fright, “come outen dat!” ~ So saying, he jerked the towel from the sleeper’s face, and threw it on the floor. The passenger did not stir. “Wake up!” exclaimed the porter, to def. Wake up, will yo’!” He leaned in and caught the sleeping man by the “or you'll sleep | shoulders, pulling and shaking him. it was almost like shaking a bag of meal. The only difference was that while a meal bag would have been no less lively, there was a strange, horrible gurgling in the passénger’s throat. He was not dead, then, not yet! The porter dropped him back upon the berth and riished to the front end of the car. There were two glasses in the washroom. He filled one of these with water, and then set it down. Hurrying to his linen closet, he took out his keys to open the door, and started back in fresh fright. The door was unlocked and open. is It was not till that instant that the porter hada suspicion as to the real truth. * He had been scared up to that moment by the fact that a passenger was in danger of-his life, perhaps _ dead. . There hadn't been time to wonder how it hap- ; eg bina must have broken open the door Now it flashed upon him that the towel used to - %, ‘ suffocate the parseaye’ had been taken from his own NICK CARTER WEEKLY. The porter was sensible enough not to lose any ¢ : time thinking about the matter. His fright, luckily, made him act the faster. Reaching to the bottom of the closet; he found a | ‘large tin pitcher. This he took to the washroom “and. filled with water. Then he hurried back to berth Number 6. The passenger lay as before, face up, mouth open, | motionless, “Gawd help ye!” muttered the porter; “if yo’ doan’ wake now yo’l drown to def!” With that he poured the whole contents of the pitcher upon the sleeper’s face. He was made hopeful at once, for the man began to sputter and cough. , Some of the water had gone down his throat. Not a little got into his windpipe. The porter then dropped the pitcher, and went to rubbing the passenger’s arms violently. All the while he kept up a chattering in a loud voice, begging the man to wake up, and crying out that he would die sure enough if he didn’t. The noise he made aroused the other passengers. They began to put their heads out of the cur- tains. “What's the matter?” they asked. Before the porter could answer any of them the passenger upon whom he was working sat up. “Don’t say anything!” he ordered. “What!” gasped the porter, delighted that the man was alive, but astonished at his words. “Tell them,” said the passenger, in a low tome, “that a man was sick but is getting better.” “For de Lawd’s sake!” exclaimed the porter, but he turned about and said to the man nearest him: “Aint nuffin much de apettrs. He gittin’ erovnd lively now.’ '“That’s right,” whispered the “sick” passenger, é rubbing his head. “Ether, eh? huh! ether in a sleeping car! Well, well!” “Somebody done a to do you, sah?” asked the } Man sick, dat’s all. — | 4 m

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“Yes, and he came pretty close to it, eh?” = done t’ink so, sah.” “How did you happen to find me? Tell me about > porter told of his queer dream, and in answer : » questions told also of the man he thought a d seen in the front end of the car. _ “An’ my linen closet was done bruk open,” he con- cluded, picking up the towel. “He mus’ ha’ got dis ras € aeons ite” ¢ had been siemaied. Yas, sah——” * ‘Wait a minute. . How many cars are behind this “Tan all right now.’ . Don’t say anything more about it. going to oe vp athe on, and Se perhaps of na window ‘and the een door. ithe er of the train began to grate - we're coming a a station?” thought er who had so nearly lost his life. is es <i bot he ‘eould see vibagh to boil mo houses Rg curtain beside ‘hia = and looked NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 9 The train was going slower ard slower, and he hurried his dressing. He had all his clothes on just as the train stopped, and the porter came to him. “Feelin’ better, sah?” asked the porter. “Yes. What place is this?” “°Tain’t no place at all, sah.” “Why have we stopped?” “Dunno, mebbe. Mebbe dar’s a hot box.” “Are the vestibule doors open?” “Like enough, sah. The brakeman might get off. Wan’t me ter sah. Signal, Like enough most of ’em are shet. go out an’ see what’s the matter fo’ yo’ ?” “No. I need fresh air, and I'll see for myself.” The passenger went to the rear platform of the ear, and the porter followed. Nobody was on the platform, but one of the ves- tibule doors was open. It was one of the pair on the river side of the car. The porter stuck out his hand, and drew it in with an exclamation of surprise, “What is it?” asked the passenger. “Nobody out dar,” replied the porter. hand opened dis door. See!” He pointed to the lock that cndently had been forced. — | . An fact the door had ais almost broken Glen its hinges. “Funny,” remarked the passenger. crooked work going on to-night.” He started down the steps. “Yo’ no gwine ter git off, sah?” said the porter. “T’'ll stand on the ground a moment,” was the re- ply. “It will help clear my —, - “Train might start-——” Even at that instant there was a teal forward, and the cars began to move. . The passenger had stey off, “Hi! es emepnct, the porter, sate Jen oat +3 2 t se “No train “Lots of - A.

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10 The passenger reached up and touched it, but let go again instantly. He left something in the porter’s hand. “Keep it to remember me by,” said the passenger. s “Fo' de Lawd’s sake!” cried the: porter, grasping what had been given to him, but leaning anxiously out of the door; “yo’ no gwine ter stop in dis Gawd- _ fersaken place?” . The train was moving away. : Wa napa the espace was. half-a-car length dis- tant, “Good- by,” he called, Seat, The porter was too astonished and frightened to answer. ; >, He dared not get off, and he could not get his -_-wits together quick enough to pull the signal cord. a _ A moment later, however, he thought of that, and 26 _ got back to the middle of the platform. | “Dat ether, ” he was saying to himself, “muss ha’ “made dat po’ man crazy as er bedtick.” ie His hand went up to the bellcord. it seemed to be his duty to stop the train, tell the Peter and so have a search made for the un- - fortunate passenger. . But while his be a was in air r the light from the aes fith a queer ipeeten curiosity the porter took is he down and paca’ the thing, up, at the bellecord, a 3 7 ' in was going read ae nae NICK CARTER WEEKLY. The train sped on toward the city, leaving the r] passenger whose life had been attempted standing — beside the tracks in the darkness. CHAPTER IV. THE MAN WITH A GUN. When Nick Carter stepped from the car he found himself in front of a telegraph pole. He leaned against it, and stood perfectly still, while the lights of the train disappeared around a curve, and its noise died away. In the darkness no one could have told that a man ~ was. standing beside the pole. If, however, Nick had moved about there was a chance that anybody. who was watching might have seen him. : That fact was in his mind as he stood there. So were a good many other things. “I’ve had many a close call,” he was saying to himself, “but none closer than that. “I was sound asleep, for I was really tired; the noise of the train prevented me from rousing when - the villain, whoever he was, pulled aside the curtain and reached j in with the towel.. : “He must have had the cloth mighty well soaked, for it made me helpless at once. “I have a dim ‘memory of something happening. | think I put up my hands and tried to struggle. “But, being already asleep, and breathing a 2 heavy - dose of ether, is was a goner in half-a-second. “Great luck that the porter awoke and had et sense to douse me with water. in “Well, the first question is, who did it? ’ “And the next is, where is he?” : ee a eee ar As’ he thought, the thing over, the Sen was eu looking cautiously all: around. He believed that the wonid-pe: murderer was not : vs oer Se err Pes: ee at : a ahs aes vestibule — .

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obably he realized before he got off that his e had failed. a reckon that he went back to one of the rear = cars after he soaked me with ether. “Perhaps he stayed on the next platform and hed while the porter was bringing me to. : Of course he wouldn’t dare stay on the train, for e is somebody I know, and he would know that I would make a hunt for him and recognize him. wonder if he stopped the train himself by ring- the signal-cord? “Anyhow, I think he got off, and the question is, what became of him? “First, though, who is he? : me got plenty or SDE ouble isn’t as old as that. o tsa good gamblé that the man who apt, to do Sebtictaies was the man. e saw how. it was possible for Lacrosse to = him and his assistants in Buffalo. — st thing in the world for such a smart iy now that he’s alive. ini who could have own that I was id be just like him to be lying among ow within a hundred feetofme. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. pee: Nig “Of. oats, we weren’t on Bac POS ae ae ie it that 1 left the train he'll get up 11 It had not taken Nick long to think the matter . over in this way. The roar of the train had no more than died away, and he was about to stir from the telegraph pole, when his attention was attracted by approaching footsteps. They came from the south. The detective grasped his revolver, and looked down the tracks. At first he could see nothing moving, but the sound of steps walking on the sleepers came nearer, and at last he saw a man approaching. He was swinging a lantern, and Nick knew that he was a track-walker. The detective stood still until the track-walker was opposite him. Then, in a low voice, he said: “Hello, friend.” The man leaped aside, caught up a stone, and was about to throw it in the direction from which he thought the voice came. He did not throw it, however, but stood with his arm raised, waiting for another sound. Nick laughed, quietly. The track-walker moved, but he did not throw the stone. He could not see what to fire at, for he did not think of anybody as standing against the telegraph pole. ; “Tf you fire at the nearest pole,” said Nick “you'll be iy to hit me—that is, if you can ahd straight.” “Who the devil are you?” demanded the track- walker. , “Nobody who means any harm to ash the detective. Then he stepped away from the pole, and ap- proached the man, who drew back and looked as if he meant to fight. “Why! Y exclaimed Nick, “what’s the matter with cca Didn’t you ever meet a_ stranger before?” 3 “Ye } asd weuage man, Fgawiaai a asad replied

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12. it was to-night, too; not three minutes ago, and he had a gun, too, just as you have, only his was longer.” The track-walker referred to Nick’s revolver that gleamed in the lantern light. Nick pocketed the weapon. “There,” he said, “now do you feel better?” The man did not reply, but he held up his lan- tern so that he could see Nick’s face. “Well,” said Nick, “what do you think?” “You're a more decent-looking man than the other one,” was the reply. “Thank you,” responded the detective, laughing. “You interest me a good deal. I should like to know something about this other man. Did you say he had a gun?” “Yes. He chased me with it. 4 so skittish when you spoke.” “Did he threaten you?” “Yes. Said he’d blow my head open if I didn’t get out of his way.” “Why should he say that?” | “T don’t know.” ay “Had you said anything to him?” _ 2 “I said ‘heflo,’—but say! what call have you got to ask all these questions?” ——s- “I'l tell you,” replied Nick, frankly, “I was a | passenger on the train that just stopped here. An- other passenger. tried to murder me. IJ pEUSTe, he _ got off hee, and I got off, too, to chase him up.” — “Hully gee! Well, say, mister, I guess that. was . your man.” _ “I shouldn’t wonder, and I want you to tell me about him. But first, why did the train stop here?” a _ “Because I signaled her.” = baie “Oh! I didn’t know but that he had wulled the Bin, 60 : ta “No; at least, I don’t suppose he igotted the cord, for the train stopped at my signal.” y “What was the matter?” “f i “Stone on the track.” . “Did you find it?’ . That’s why I felt heavy rain of last night dislodged it, 1 suppose. I couldn't ; distance ahead, and went back to work at the ie. 5 eden taverk wd opagae ai the ee ce ‘Of course. It had rolled down the bank. The. lift it, and so I set my lantern on the track © NICK CARTER WEEKLY. “Why, nothing. I just went up to the place where the lantern was, explained things to the en-' gineer and conductor, and the train went on.” “What luck!’ “Yes,” said the track-walker, misunderstanding him, “if the stone had rolled down one minute after I passed, the train would have been wrecked.” “I meant,” said Nick, ‘that it was lucky for that man that the train stopped just then. Five minutes more and I would have found him on board.” “Oh! I see.” “Now, tell me about him, please.” “Well, sir, the train had gone on, and I was start- ing along on my inspection when a man suddenly appeared right in front of me. ‘Hello,’ says I, for I usually speak to men i meet in the night. At that he up with a gun and aimed straight at me. ““Go to the devil,’ says he, ugly as thunder, ‘and go damn quick or I'll blow your head off.’”’ “That was friendly, wasn’t it?’ said Nick. “Friendly * exclaimed the track-walker; “well, yes, if you don’t care what you say. I thought ‘twas just the other way, and 1 jumped off the tracks like scat.” : “What did he do?” “Oh, he lowered the gun and ran on.” “Southward ?” OV tS : “You said his gun was longer than mine.” “Yes. Yours isa revolver. He carried a rifle.” “A rifle!” “Ora shotgun. I couldn't tell in the dark, and I wasn’t so darned anxious to know exactly what it was. It might have been a cannon.” Nick laughed, but he was puzzled. If this was the man who had tried to suffocate pi with ether, how did he come to have a rifle? It began to seem as if the man the track- walker. had seen was a hunter, or some desperate fellow who had not been on the train. And. yet Nick feit that strong feeling. cine often meant as much to him as plain evidence, that this man was the would-be egates in one word, | Lacrosse. ~ Then he seenesbvcd that he had noticed a iad senger in the train who had a hunting aioe with r him.’ . That pee evidently hae been in n the o / exclaimed Nick.

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iad his rifle j ina leather case on a the seat be- ots possible,” thought, Nick, quickly, “‘that Sie: w that rifle on his way through the train ‘3 ‘gaiag and stole it.. .That mae account for 7 detective had | an a the Grand Central ation when the train arrived at seven o'clock, he e would have known that he had made a good guess, there was a passenger making a great fuss be- sause his rifle had disappeared during the night. BR s happened before seven o'clock ic think shat he had evened right. ; Sor he gets to New York.” ed the eae “and it’s sa long way to the Almost: an even. hundred miles.” right,” sai Nick, chegetully. “we'll see who ste d 1 down te track at a trot. ly, for h he ¢ did not want to warn La- hough there was small danger Pa Sieve. had left the city clear that Lacrosse had broken from 4 an d “concealed himself until the train went fie ha d hurried | down the track, — 7 oe one wale Re = - NICK CARTER WZEKLY. He's got about five minutes the start of you,” re-_ oy setien, thus far showed — stop ard ities and lie i in ag! for . ees ve con thea ba REF 8 < out upon the river. 13 “Ti I was mating away,” he thought, “I might do something here.” He stepped from the ‘elutes and went up to the _ house. The bridge ended at a door about fifteen feet from the ground. There was another and broader door at the ground level. It was closed, but when the detective took hold of the handle it opened at once. “Ah!” said he, softly, and stepped inside. He did not take out his pocket lantern, but he felt of the lock with his fingers. This exarhination satisfied him that the door had been broken open. CHAPTER V. A -ONE-SIDED BATTLE. Nick closed the door behind him. Then he made a quick investigation of the house. He had no doubt that the door had been broken open by ‘the man he was pursuing. That could have been done for only: one re: to steal a boat. By this time the boat must have been stolen and the criminal was probably somewhere on the river. If he had been hiding in the boathouse when the deteetive entered, he would have fired his rifle. Nick found that the boathouse was built on piles, and that half its length was over. the water. That half was without a floor except for a narrow platform that ran’along the sides. At the river end was a wide pret ee that alto had beet broken open. é A number of boats were stored in the are some on the floor, some hanging from the walls. Among them was a light canoe. “TI shall have to turn thief for a while,” said Nick to himself, as he took down the canoe and set it in the water. 2 head ---He found oars’ and: paddies in a corner, and from n i wiles bn ty them selected a paddle, with abich he “a8 into the canoe. 2 Then he pushed a the water door rand pies ?

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14 The river was very broad there; and there were high hills upon the further side. A little below him on that side were the street lights of a town. “The West Shore Railroad,” thought the detect- ive, “runs through that town. I haven’t got a time- table, but it’s safe to say that there will be an early train for New York this morning. I should think my man would try to connect with that train.” While he was thinking and paddling, his eyes were searching the dark level of the river. There was nothing to be seen except the town lights, and, far down the river, a few other lights, that evidently came from a tow of canalboats. Nick paddled rapidly, for, sure that his man was on the river, he hoped to overtake him. He kept the canoe pointed toward the town, but he could not keep a perfectly straight course, for the current bore him steadily southward. For this reason the appearance of the lights changed slowly, and when he was about in the mid- dle of the river an electric arc light, set on a pole near the shore, came into view. Before that it had been concealed by a building. Its bright rays made a narrow path of light upon the water and across that path the detective saw something moving. It was a long way off, and at first he could not be sure that it was in motion. 5 Nick stopped paddling, holding the canoe so that the dark object at a distance was kept upon the path of light. In a moment he became sure that it was moving. Then he discerned the dip of oars. _ A man was rowing a boat toward the other shore. “Lacrosse!” whispered Nick. He went to paddling again. The man in the rowboat was not hurrying, and there seemed to be a good chance of heading him off before he arrived at the shore. Nick paddled with perfect silence. _ The only sound was the faint ripple caused by the swift progress of the canoe. He steered his course so as to keep above the man in the rowboat, and so out of the path of light. _ Two or three minutes passed. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Clouds had broken away, and left the moon shin- ing full upon the river. The detective saw his man, and saw that he had gained on him. But the moonlight was as useful to the man in the rowboat as it was to Nick. A good deal mare ‘so, in fact, as was proved imme- diately. The man stopped rowing. “Onto me,” thought Nick. The detective paddled harder than before. Now he steered straight for the man he was pur- suing. . The man in the boat stood up. He was too far away for Nick to see just what he was doing, but he knew an instant later. There was a flash from the boat. A little later came the sharp report of a rifle, and at the same instant a thud and a little splash of water at the side of the canoe. “No longer any doubt that that’s Lacrosse,” tered Nick. mut- “There are few crooks who are such good marks- | men as he is.” The rifle bullet had struck just in front of where | Nick was kneeling. It tore a hole in the canoe an inch below the water line. Nick pressed his left thumb against the hole and continued to paddle with his right hand. “Give me two minutes,” “and I'll be in revolver range. send a bullet half-way to him.” Lacrosse fired again. thought the detective, | From here I couldn’: 4 He was undoubtedly trying to hit the detective, : and, though he missed that mark, his shot was a _ good one. The bullet struck the canoe behind Nick, and again there was a splash of water to show that a hole had been made below the water line. “Well,” thought Nick, turning to investigate the damage, “I can’t stop more than two leaks at a time, _ and I can’t gain on him if I have to stop paddling.” This thought was no sooner finished than a third shot came. It struck the canoe directly beside the detective. If it had been two feet higher it would have killed a him, > ‘ a LU => ane \ ae? i ae - 5 yer Dre, mi - Re ~<a ror ti x oF Sa ef . P< : re 2, | eh et ee PE ae oe ee & —_ ~ + ¢ - Then the sky suddenly became light, . te _ It seerned almost as clear as day.

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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 15 it was, it tore “a rent alone the bottom of the Then he climbed the hill to the owner’s house. ; Nick explained to him just what had happened,. : This was ‘worse than a idbten' bullet holes. and offered to pay for the canoe. p ‘It made a leak that could not be stopped with the “Not a cent!” exclaimed the owner. “I am only hs TS. # fs sorry that you didn’t capture the scoundrel.” 1 beaten at this game,’ hin tac the detective, “I sha’n’t rest until I do,” responded Nick. shall have to play foxy.” “Well, if he brings you this way again, you take hhalf-rose from his seat, swung the paddle in my boats without asking any questions. And, : air, and then fell full length. meantime, come in and let me get you some dry _ As he did so, he stopped the leaks as well as he clothes.” could, and a moment later cautiously raised his Nick gladly accepted this invitation, and stayed at d above the gunwale. the house until he had had breakfast. Lacrosse had sat down and was rowing again. After that he was driven to the nearest railroad ~ But he had changed his course. . station, where he took a train for New York, arriv- i Instead of making for the town on the west shore ing there before noon. i" rhe was go ng down stream. _ Nick | was disappointed. CHAPTER VI. le had hoped that Lacrosse would row up to the oe to make sure that he had killed his man. - KNOCKED OUT. That would have given the detective a chance to He found a telegram from Chick that told him in a revolver shot. nothing new of importance. Now it was evident that Lacrosse was too sharp Chick had become satisfied that Sheriff Dunn’s take any such chance. story was correct, that the body of the man in the page é xelieved that he had ae his barrel was that of Farmer Malcolm, and that the “killed | him, and he may have murderer was no longer in the vicinity of eget he detective would drown before aid Falls. C se bts m shore. | By this time, of course, Nick was sure of all that, how, i was ear nae he meant to lek far and he set himself at once to the task of f lovating La- from that place before landing, as it was almost crosse in New York. that the shots had been heard in the town. His first step, after making a careful inti was had gone ashore there, somebody would to go to the West Shore Railroad station and make A certain | to ask him troublesome ever inquiries. e ground his teeth. _ As it was quite possible that Lueebied had good one!” he said; ‘ H fas good as any changed his plans after the battle in the boats, and led. You’ re g.vooet Aateling, at I'll come to the city by the Central «Road, Nick also made an investigation at the Grand Central station. : + de) made no headway at either place. . it would be impossible to keep If Lacrosse had arrived in the city, he had come in — paddle to either shore. “such ; a way as not to attract anybody’s attention. d to one side, and out into. the _ There was nothing for the detective to do, there- as fore, but make a round of the dives where crooks. % down ‘stream, were likely to ‘be found. y ¥ Nick’ s long” experience pe piiciect, knowledge. of ‘was tight when New York City enabled him to do this as no other : je 4S could have done Mot rely _ He knew that certain kinds of crooks on arriving: y in ae ite ia make for the Bowery; that other ‘ va re go lo the

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16 Now Lacrosse was a Canadian. On the west side of town were a number of places kept by Canadians, and Nick decided to begin his investigation there. But there was no sense in beginning at midday. Lacrosse had been awake all night. That was certain, and it was probable that after reaching the city he would put some hours into sleep. Besides, it wouldn’t be like a clever crook to show himself by daylight. So Nick stayed quietly at home until early in the ev ening. Before going out he looked-over the late editions of the papers, and found one item that interested him. It was a dispatch from Haverstraw, a town on the Hudson river, telling how an empty rowboat had come ashore there in the morning. “The boat had no name,” said the paper, “but the initials ‘J. E. D.” were painted on the stern, In the bottom of the boat was a fine hunting rifle, with the initials ‘S. F. G’ engraved on the lock. It is sup- posed, as the rifle contained an empty cartridge, that the man whose initials are ‘S. F. G.’ shot himself and fell overboard.” The detective smiled. “No suicide there,” he said to himself, and went to his desk to write a letter. The name of the man who owned the boat La- erosse stole and the canoe Nick took was J. E. Daw- " Nick wrote to him that his boat could probably be found at Haverstraw, and enclosed the item from the newspaper. “If I knew the man whose initials are ‘S. F. G.,’” he said, “I'd write to him, too, but I don’t, and hel have to recover his rifle in some other way.” The detective mailed the letter on the way to the West Side. He was dressed as a countryman, and he appeared . to be tipsy. From the very start he was tackled by bunco steerers and confidence men, but he managed to shake them. in’t investin’ no money,’ ’ he would say; “I’m ~~ of t in. I’m going ter see the taown, Come NICK CARTER WEEKLY. So he treated the swindlers who tackled him, and went onsfrom one place to another, until, about ten o'clock, he entered a basement dive ywhere there were a good many tough characters idling about. Two men near the door were talking in Canadian French. The bartender, as Nick knew, had lived in Que- bec. ; “This will be a good place to stay in for a while,” he thought, and he dropped into a chair at a table. Nobody was sitting there at the time, but not many minutes had passed before three men took the other chairs. Nick seemed to be dozing. “Well, deacon,” said one of the men, slapping Nick on the shoulder, “what do you think of New York?” “Hay?” asked Nick, pretending to wake up. “What do you think of New York?” “You called me deacon, didn’t ye?” “Of course.” “Wal, say,” and Nick looked uneasy, “who give it away? Who told you I was a deacon, hay? Goshtamighty! I wouldn’t want the folks to hum to know I come in here.” - “We won't tell on you,” said one of the men. “We can show you more sights than you could find alone.” “Guess you could. Hev suthin’, misters, an’ we'll talk about it.” They went up to the bar. Several of the men in the place looked on with smiles. They thought the three had hooked a “sucker.” ' Nick noticed their smiles, but paid no attention to — ‘them. He was more interested in the fact that as he crossed the floor a panel in a door at the back of the room was suddenly closed. It was closed from behind, which showed that somebody had been in the back room looking | through it. “ft wish I had had a glimpse of that fellow,” — thought the detective, He thought he saw one of the three men st vain him nodding in the direction of the panel. a raat ees a eee | Some kind of game was up, of course; but was it ; er ba he vat mem et “oe 1 me day after to-morrow an’ p'r’aps

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2 ible, of course, especially if it was Lacrosse who was hiding in the back room. . _- Lacrosse had shown before that he was very keen in’ ‘seeing: through Nick Carter's disguises. _. “What’ll ye hev, gents?” said Nick, to the men ~ at the bar with him. _ They called for whisky and Nick did the same. While they were drinking the men leaned close him and spoke in low tones. “Tell ye what, old man,” said one, “it’s pretty gangerous for a man ae you to run about the city alone.’ 2 “Like enough, ” Nick admitted, “but nobody’s _ done a‘thing to me yet.” : ; “You might get into trouble any minute,” another. oe said the third, “there’s plenty of iets ‘only looking for a chance to swipe a stranger on the head and go through him.” ae The detective made believe that he was fright- re- ps "Gosh! !’ he said, “I guess I’d better go back to my, boarding-house. I don’t want no trouble. I _ should hev to walk home - if my pockets was picked.” DOSE. al your money: with you, eh re : ‘00 bad. “Hlépe* you won't lose it.” say,” said the third man, suddenly, “the dea- a good sort of iellow. We ought to take care at s so, and we ought to- show him a thing or et’s sit adn in the back ome, where we scheme! You scr earned to Nick* z, “there's men here right now who r you as soon as you left. Better come ack room. You can go out oe the side give them the slip.” Al Se oe as pe, say) respond NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 17 signaled through the panel door, they might try to kill him. There was no one in the back room when they went in, and, as far as Nick could see, there was but one door leading from it besides the one from, the saloon. That door probably opened on the street. When the bartender brought in drinks, the de- tective saw the three men exchange glances. They were ugly looks, and showed that the vil- lains meant to lose no time. One of them cautiously took a small bottle from: his pocket. Nick, of course, pretended not to see it. He knew what that meant. _ They were going to put knock-out drops in his liquor. After that they would rob him, or, -if they had nerve enough, kill him. They were three to his one. Every one of the three was a powerful fellow, and undoubtedly desperate, and if there should be a fight there was no doubt that other toughs would come from the saloon to help them. Nick had faced too many situations like this to feel at ali alarmed. He knew that if he should sail in he could wipe up the floor with these three, and probably stand off the entire crew who were in the saloon. But that was just what he did not want to do. He had not come out for the purpose of making a big haul of crooks. That would have been pleasant enough, but Nick Carter was out after one man, the Canadian crook known as Jean Lacrosse, and he was bound not to let anything interfere with getting that particular fellow. f He was not yet sure that Lacrosse was near, but he suspected that that was the case; and he remem- bered that on one occasion, which was described in a previous number of this weekly, Lacrosse had recognized him because of his display of great strength. eis “I mustn’t give myself away yet,” thought Nick, as he saw one of the toughs secretly put knock-out oui in: a whisky glass. “If I should clean them ; ‘that I was Nick Carter, and ae

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18 - So the detective decided to let the villains drug him. : He drank the glass that was pushed toward him, and almost immediately his head fell forward on the table. The rascals did their work. quickly. Nick’s pockets were pulled inside out, and all his - money was taken. An old watch, that looked more valuable oe it really was, went also. Then he was lifted to his feet, the outside door was opened, and he was shoved across the side- walk. The detective staggered blindly to the middle of the street, where he fell full length and lay motion- Tess. The side door was closed at once, but it was opened again instantly and the three men came out. Behind them was another, who spoke to them in a low voice. _— It was Jean Lacrosse! ‘ CHAPTER VIL NIcK FINDS HIS MAN. The toughs had no sooner got out to ar side- walk than they hurriedly scrambled back into the Bt a Tapa .§ policeman was coming around the corner. a He did not notice them, but he saw the man in the middle of the roadway. - Going to him, he stooped and shook him. th Case: of plain drunk,” he began to mutter, when he was astonished to hear the fallen man speaking to him in a low but perfectly steady voice. “Officer, ” said the detective, “keep. your head now, and don’t give me pide r am ey Car- Nea? “Great Scott!” - : “Shake me! put up a sao blot! I _ t kek if you hurt me. Catch on?” : __ “All right, sir,” and the policeman went to shiak- i Nick as if he were trying to wake him up. “That's right,” said the detective; “I want you to, 4 se There's a call at the cor- Ti ome and stand ¢ over me sia it comes.” : rab ? ¥ Ps | iM nel NICK CARTER WEEKLY. - toward Bellevue, tathiog., ote ina widle; to look in: wasn’t: ew and th The policeman understood, and gave Nick another shake. Then he stood up, and said in a loud voice: | “Hang him! he’s too drunk to stir. Tl have'to | send him to Bellevue.” With that he ran to: the ambulance call, rang it, and returned quickly to the spot. / Usually such a scene draws a crowd in the city | streets, no matter how late it is. This time a few strolled up from the corner, but | nobody came out from the saloon. The men in there knew too much about the affair to show themselves. , . “But as Nick had, said, there were faces behind every darkened window watching to see what would . happen. . The policeman stooped over Nick again. “Did somebody try. todo you, sir?” he asked in a whisper. “Ves; I took knock-out drops.” : “Whew! how do you manage to keep awake?” | “Because I didn't swallow the stuff; I got rid of | it without them seeing me, but I want them to be- | lieve that ['m dead et the world.” “You look it, sir.’ The ambulance arrived quickly, and Nick was | lifted inside. ; Then, without any delay, it was driven off toward — Bellevue Hospital. : As soon as it was out of sight of the crowd Nick — sat up and began to change his disguise with ate rapidity. “T’ve got to go back ware at once,” he said, ‘ He: bird will fly the coop.” i ' The ambulance surgeon had been told by the a liceman what to expect, and’ he helped Nick make — the change in his appearance. | k Before the ambulance had gone three blocks Nick’s farmer makeup. had disappeared, and~ ‘he. looked like a plug-ugly tough. Then he got out, and ‘went back to the Canadian dive. eS He did not go: in, “a lake three men who had ; dosed him: were standing outside. = ; They 1 were at the corner, and looking up the street other directions. Re ae Shi “By Jove!” thought Nick, “ghey suspect that T they’re ence for me. ° mad

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al ll return. Of course, they’re acting un- e dee the orders of Lacrosse. Well, perhaps they'll ~ dead me to him if I am patient.” After leaving the ambulance Nick had not gone ¢ Straight | back. Instead, he had gone up a couple of blocks, and then turned so as to come to the dive from another e did not go up to the men, but hid near, and "waited. It was a long wait. - More than an hour passed, and yet the men dill “not Stir. Now and then a man would come out from the Santee dike and speak to them as he went away, but it was only to say, “So long” or something of Bic sort. At-last Nick decided to try to draw them out, TE they’ re looking for me,” he thought, “per- ~ haps they'll mecuenree me, and do something to make things lively.” b _ So he strolled past them. _ They looked sharply at him, but gave no sign of ‘ him. e Nick thought that perliaps Lacrosse was in the 2 Sypris: for them to bring him information. find out about this he went to the side door mc Pedaetase 7 here was the usual epi of toug’s in the place, t no sign of Lacrosse, _ detective went out again, and again passed the three. Pieait: when it was we eile. and the front dive was closed, the three started nied Nick followed. = nt over toward the East Side, but elie ‘to Sixth avenue they separated. | <3 : to the south, another to the north, and ; | continued on eastward. © : “As mee ‘in three places at the same dine” e, “Tl take my chances ity the oing north” A ‘to follow went siete Sixth € to an Elevated Railroad sta- NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 19 with him to the end of the line, at One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street. The L road connects there with the Northern Railroad, on which there are all-night trains to cer- tain suburbs. The crook went to the ticket office, and asked seme questions, from which Nick judged that he was not a regular traveler on the line. “Tf he was,” reasoned the detective, “he wouldn’t have to ask questions about the running of trains.” ” There was a half-hour to wait before the next train on’the Northern, during all of which time the crook sat in the waiting-room, with the detective less than ten feet away. Nick could not make up his mind whether the fel- low suspected that he was being shadowed. It didn’t matter much. The crook was one of La- crosse’s gang, and, sooner or later, he would show the way to his leader. All Nick cared about, therefore, was to keep the man in sight, which was easy enough until the train started. Nick had BRE a ticket to the end of the line, and he sat in the car behind the smoker, the crook being in the latter car. The detective saw him prepare to get out at Van Cortlandt Park, which is only a few miles from" the city. ; “I know your game now, himself, He left the train at that station, but on the other side of it, and slipped over to the edge of the golf grounds across the road, where he concealed him- self behind a tree. From there he saw the crook walk all around the ”? said the detective to _station slowly, and finally sit down on a bench near the end of the platform. He was waiting for the next train back to the city. This showed that he had taken his journey for the purpose of throwing a possible pursuer off the track. Behind the tree Nick made another change in his disguise, and then waited there until the train for the city was heard coming around the curve a little dis- tance away. Knowing that the train would stop just hefses it came to the station to take on water for the engine, | Nick eu from ss ‘aga tree ane went *P, the ae o.

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20, NICK CARTER WEEKLY. When the train stopped there, he got aboard and took a seat in the smoker, pretending to be asleep. A little later the train moved on to the station and stopped again. The crook was the only passenger to get on. Nick saw him look all around before mounting the car steps, and when he came into the smoker he sat down with a long breath of relief. The detective wanted to laugh. Be It was so clear that the crook believ ed that he was not being watched! The night was nearly gone when they arrived again at One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street. Street lamps were being put out, but the streets were still as quiet as at midnight. The crook took an L train to One Hundred and Sixteenth street, and walked from there toward the | éast. my Nick followed with great caution now, for he be- lieved that he was’ nearing the end of the chasé. He was led across the city to a block of tall tene- _ ments, not far from the river. ._. The crook entered one of the buildings, filock- - ing the door with a key that he took from his pocket. When Nick tried the door a moment later, he : found that it was well fastened. , : Usually this would have given him no difficulty, * for his wonderful little - invention, the pickock,. : “would have opened it for him. ~ But Nick had nothing of that kind with him, not , ‘ even a revolver. But the lack of a weapon was not going to keep Nick Carter from finishing the chase that had al- ready, cost him so much time. _, Neither was a locked door. oe ‘He went on past the house a few steps for the pur- pose of looking. into an alley that ran in beside it om the street. Tt te clear that the alley led to a court at the Before he had time te investigate farther a milk- . milkman. “took several bottles into she alley, | with set them beside a door and 1 a & 7 the back and quietly stopped beside the door of the villainy, probably a bank burglary, for ‘their chairs had all been drawn about a man who was: kneeling He tried it, and found that the woman had leit it unlocked. Carefully he opened it and entered. The woman was at work in a kitchen, and she did not hear the detective. He tip-toed along the hallway to a flight of stairs, and went up to the first floor. Then, before going further, he went into the fcdeid hall, and looked over the names on the bell pulls. There were a good many of them, but none gave him the hint that he wanted. The only thing he gained from this examination was the fact that all the flats on the first four stories seemed to be occupied. On the fifth story there seemed to be one flat empty. No name -was on the bellpull. It was at the back of the building. Nick decided to step in there and wait till people in the house began to stir. Then he hoped to recognize the voices of the crodks, and so trace them to their quarters. He mounted the flights of stairs softly. When he had come fo the fifth floor he went to a empty flat and listened. . : Suddenly the door wan: thrown open from the in- side, Pf a, On the instant there was-a racket, The room was full of men. They tipped over their chairs as they tin up to see who had come in. ce Nick recognized the faces of sh hres crooks at ~ once, He also. iecietlad a harsh voice that cried « out: “Kill him! We must have. no pant Down. him!” gLoP ne § Nick had found Jean Lacrose! ee CHAPTER vit ae as “GEYTING CROOKS ON A STRING, Sri As usual, the paca took in the situation ht a >. Plane! gy Er igiet = : He saw ‘that the daniahe had been Planning some pagtig and Heaeing Ere ee large piece

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Sa them had arisen to go out and had opened sse was standing in: a corner of the room. co nee ‘was a window that opened upon the back Most of the crooks were so startled that for a sec- J they did not stir after leaping to their feet. ere was one exception—a man who juraped to : € door, closed it and stood with his back against pe ore he hd dove so, however, Nick had stepped Wasic ; ; 2 Fae was ‘reaching into the closet. An ugly grin was on his face and his eyes flashed tanger sald have given paittae for a revolver at . the fact that crooks often hesitate to take in- advantage of “getting an nage into their second’s. lay wsine itil aetieatve 's keen mind perceived pier on this oc- any chane; Adiger sid of ® spy. worse a ish to fight these men hiee etary paeihaeee gc it Sgr dh his enormous s strength and skill the detect- gh ‘hope to bea hem if they used no weapons, sh og RE kebdiag ney wets NICK CARTER WEEKLY. ; Beside him was a closet, and near the opposite © nee had decked yi bold bluft 21° Instead he caught up the man who was nearest to him, held him firmly, and pushed his way rapidly to- ward the window. “Tackle him?!’ yelled Lacrosse. As he spoke he withdrew his hand from the closet, bringing out his revolver, One fellow laid for Nick. The detective let go of the man he was carrying long enough to swipe the second a terrific blow that sent him sprawling to the floor. Then he picked up the first before he could break away, and in one stride more was at the window. There he whirled about and held the man in front of him. Lacrosse was ahaus to fire, but he held off because the bullet would have had to go through the bedy of his comrade before it reached the detective. For the shortest possible instant there was 2 pause. The other crooks were standing out of the way to give Lacrosse a chance to fire. Nick lifted the man he had seized and hurled him across the room toward Lacrosse. The instant he let go he turned to the window, threw it up and let himself out. The crooks gasped with astonishment. It seemed impossible that the detective would try to escape by dropping from a fifth story window! Even Lacrosse was startled into holding back his. fire until it was too late. For Nick delayed not at all. ” Lowering himself quickly, until his weight hung by his fingers on the window ledge, he let go. Down he went, five chien to the stone-paved court below. But Nick did not take thatstall i in one drop. There was a balcony to the floor ngiowsrthe re- mains of a fire-escape. The building was old, and this was the édiy part of the fire-escape left. The rest of it had tumbled to pieces. Nick landed on it, nearly going ‘through _ the old wooden planking: A clothesline ran out from this to a pole in the middle of the yard, behind the house. ‘It was new, ran. on a pulley and slanted down t toward the pole. Nick knew it would bear his ‘He grasped’ , and, a moment later, pan d down to-the pole. ‘The line ran on a pulley, and na eta Then it was an = ground, ~ es

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22 The crooks crowded to the window, and before Lacrosse could push his way through them with his revolver, Nick was on the ground. His knees had been bruised, but he was as lively and ready for business as ever, Glancing up at the fifthestory window, he saw several heads, among them that of Lacrosse, taking aim with his revolver. Before he could fire, Nick had dashed around into the alley and went in at the door by which he had gained entrance to the house. 3 - The woman saw him this time and screamed. “Don’t be afraid,” said Nick; “I am an officer.” There was no time to say more. He had seen a reel of clothesline in the basement hallway when he was there before, and that was what he was after now. Snatching it from the wall and unwinding it as he went, he ran out and around to the front door. A boy was passing. “Run to the corner,” said Nick to him, “and get a policeman, It’s worth a dollar to he to bring one here inside a minute.” The boy dashed away, ae Nick ran up the steps . to the front door. There was a sound of hurried steps coming down _ the stairs. ml i = ¥ ee ones ere : escape 5 uae Aine , ine Geetne ger adie foe iy is yh ,Next instant the door opened, and a man tried to rush out. — The detective caught him, and, with marvelous quickness, . caught the clothesline around his shoul- ders, drawing it in a knot so hard that the fellow cond not move his arms. Another was close behind him. _ Nick served him in the same way, Others were crowding up. “Some of them saw what was going on and bolted ; 4 for the basement stairs. _Just then a policeman came running up. “Crooks,” said Nick, shortly “catch them at the _ alley door.” - ‘The policeman went into the alley, blowing an alarm on his whistle as he ran. Then for about two minutes there was a fierce struggle at both doors. . “Nick and the policeman had, all they wanted to divided almost evenly, some try- NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Blocking the doorway, and using his fists when © necessary, he managed it so that he handled one at , a time, and the end of it was, so far as his part was | concerned, that he had a clothesline full of wriggling, cursing crooks. As a last resort they tried to run, knowing that one man alone would not be equal to holding them , all. j Nick queered that move by tripping the two last nen on the line. They fell, and their comrades had to drag their | weight as well as that of the detective who pulled | back on the line for all he was worth. The policeman had a tougher time, for he had no- rope. He handcuffed the first two that came at him and knocked another senseless with his nightstick. But two fought past him and ran out of the alley to the street, They didn’t get far, dat other officers had heard | the policeman’s warning whistle, and they came up in time to capture the two, and also to help Nick in) controlling his linefull. | Then a patrol wagon was suntmoned, and the de- tective left the policemen to take the prisoners to the : station. “T’ll be around later and mail charges,” he said hurriedly. “There’s one man—the leader of th gang—who hasn’t turned up. I can’t stop till I’v got him.” That was the disappointing fact. Lacrosse had had the sense not to try to escape. He had witnessed the fight. He knew that t thug cowld be none other than Nick Carter in dis-™ guise, I; If he started down the stairs he had gone sir soon as he saw that the detective was at the doo oor! ready for business. * The house was in an uproar. Tenants, half-dressed or not dressed at all, were crowding the hallways, and, in the confusion, it wa. it impossible at first to get a clew as to what had be-d come of the chief villain, Nick nts enemy. y CHAPTER IX. ack THE STOLEN TROLLEY CAR, oi cl ied this time there were more polar a at he ndilr

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» having explained who he was, borrowed.a from one of them and asked him to stand the door for a few minutes. oliceman stood so that he could watch both door and the alley at the same time. a questioned the tenants as he went, but got no ‘y answers. | Most ot them were too frightened to speak at all, nie g. Sheds who could say anything were sure that ger was hiding in their flats. So > Nick went on until he came to the top floor, t the roof scuttle was open. !* he muttered, and climbed up. he. was just in time tq see Lacrosse dis- ng through the scuttle of a building further the street. c. detective hurried downstairs again, and ed the street a second later than maps did. ick ‘saw him and gave chase. crosse saw that he was observed, and ran like he next avenue, where luck favored him. 7 peeitinn Ae corner and he oe Une ig Rescue ara ain, the Canadian crook: ta ne i} v4 = aay 3 rae te mt < NICK CARTER WEEKLY. ent into the building and dashed up the = open, sing ground. | SGA og 23 Nick saw Lacrosse leap from the car, run for the train and catch it. Then the rascal stood on the rear platform and waved his hand triumphantly at the defeated detect- ive. Perhaps Lacrosse thought he was safe. He might have been, if it had been anybody else who was pursuing him. Nick Carter’s blood was up. “Tl have him!” he said to himself, through gritted teeth, and he hurried to the yardmaster of the rail- - road. : There followed a quick conversation which need not be repeated here. The detective explained who he was, satisfied the railroad man and told him what he wanted. The result was that within five minutes after the train had started, Nick was in pursuit on a special engine. At the first station beyond Morrisania, the engine slowed dewn, and Nick shouted a question to the station agent, who was standing on the platform. “Did anybody leave the train here?” he asked. “No,” replied the agent;. “two men_ got aboard——” Nick did not care to hear more. He turned to the engineer and nodded. Full speed was got up at once, and before the next - station was reached, they had the: train in sight. They could see that nobody left the train there. “Shall I signal the train to wait for us?” asked the engineer. | f “No,” ‘replied 3 Nick; wait til we come to the next | station.” The engine was close behind the. train. at the next ~ stop. “ Nick saw Lacrosse. iSeat the ivan and start, up . 2 if road leading inland. _ Accordingly, he told the engineer to stop, “and a : ‘moment later he was running up the same road, The fugitive was in sight, but he was a good run- and kept his Jead for nearly. two miles. ¥ Then he left the pat ae struck areas: some i aboot there, and he saw

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od Be re SS ees Bet 24 ‘other road, down which he believed Lacrosse would come. And Nick was right. Lacrosse did go down that road, but not afoot. Nick got through the forest in time to see La- ciosse take a desperate chance to increase his lead. There was a single-track trolley line on that road. It ended at a point near the rising ground that La- crosse went over. At that moment a car had come to the end of the line, and the trolley had been reversed for the trip back to the nearest village. There was a farmhouse at the place where the car stopped, and evidently the motorman and conductor were well acquainted there, for they had left the car and gone to the side door. A young woman was in the door handing them cups of hot coffee. That was probably a regular thing with them on their first morning run, and they doubtless reckoned that if they started back a little behind time, they could make up the loss by fast running before they got to the village. Anyhow, there was the car, with no passenger aboard, and no conductor or motorman to take care of it. ~-Moreover, the motorman had not taken his wrench with him. There it was on the power box of the front plat- form. Nick saw Lacrosse turn aside and make for the car, ‘ ‘The crook ran softly to it, got on to the front platform, turned the crank and away the car started. Conductor and moterman heard the noise of the Start, dropped their cofiee cups and ran to the road, yelling like mad. Lacrosse shook his hand at them and turned on alll the force of the current. The car fairly leaped over the tails, and the two employees, knowing that it was useless to give chase, stood in the road, staring helplessly. _ Not so Nick Carter. ' He had calculated well when he cut across lots, Even now he was at a point near the road and ce of isha car, By 3. tinal 5 Ge tege eckaty ae 9p Pe ie et Ore Fe et e bee by phe a eee ee eee ; Nae AG ce te eS een Ee by, mu NICK CARTER WEEKLY. Lacrosse did not see him, for he was-looking back at the conductor and motorman. Nick swung aboard the rear platform. He sat on the step a moment to catch his breath. Then, revolver in hand, he stood up and walked through the car. Something caused Lacrosse to turn his head and see him. With a furious oath, he tried to turn the crank still further with one hand, while he drew his revolver with the other. But he did not try to use his weapon, for Nick had him covered, and the look in the detective’s eye told him that it would be instant death to fight. a So he stood sullenly until Nick came to the front platform. ; “Shut off the power!” commanded the detective, _ sternly. ’ As he spoke, he made a quick movement and snatched Lacrosse’s revolver from him, He dropped it to the pistions and kicked it from the car. Lacrosse obeyed the command. He turned the crank to the starting point, but it made no difference, for the car had got great heid+* way, and it had begun to go down a long and rather steep grade. ne “Put on the brake,” man covered. Lacrosse turned the brake handle. } It went around loosely. ey Something was wrong with it. ) The car was going faster and faster. \ a “Reverse the current,” said Nick, ia Perhaps Lacrosse didn’t know how to, and per — haps he was too nervous. ba At all events he fumbled with the crank without producing any result. i Nick then took the crank, Lacrosse made a movement as if he would ld ea from the car. 2 It would have been Siedoet certain death to do so but Nick knew that he was desperate sree to a such a chance. So he grasped the crook firmly with one hand, with the other tried to reverse the speiae It wouldn’t work. ices He heard something snap, and then he knew ‘the © the car was aren his control. . ave EA ie ee ordered Nick, keeping the ; Sale F fm #3 j anc aq 9 a

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e ‘ The hill became steeper, and the car flew down ‘with the speed of a railroad train. At the bottom there was a sharp curve into an- __ other road, and facing them on this other road was a wooden house. cl caught sight of a sign hung from the trolley It said: “Go slow.” - -He smiled at sight of it. se er wish to gracious we could go slow!” he mut- tered. \ _ Lacrosse began to tremble. Se 3 Ther e was no fight in him now. ; hall be killed, sure!” he stammered. 2 “Well,” responded the detective, “that will save { e hangman a job so far as you are concerned, and vet’s jump!” pleaded the crook. le began to struggle. No, sir!” cried Nick} “we'll take our chances to- é na cae car, ante if it’s my last ride, it will be ’ the ter sea dashed across the ied: nce in the front of the house referred to ~_ts os ? ~ he = cage any ine car, ong its way bang: peaks the fasta. Bs NICK CARTER WEEKLY. mistake this time. as the ou reais wall ta. ng da it dler”” The sheriff was right. Lacrosse was done front end of the car g0 life interesting fo Nick ne. and his. assistants, 25 Then the car stopped. The man had jumped away from the table, and the woman was screaming with terror. “Well,” said Nick, “this isn’t a regular stopping- place, but we'll get off here.” He was uninjured, save for a few seratches and bruises that didn’t count. Lacrosse was not badly hurt, either, but he was so scared that he was helpless. So it gave the detective no trouble to bind him securely with cord that he got from the people who lived in the house. Then he calmed the frightened woman and ex- plained matters to the man. It may be said briefly that when the house-owner tried to collect damages from the railroad company for the wreck of his house, and the company were slow in coming to terms, Nick Carter sent his own check for the amount necessary to make the house as good as it was before. “Tl pay any cost,” said he, “for the satisfaction of capturing such a desperate criminal as Jean La- crosse.” As for the latter, there is little more to tell, for he had had his last adventure with the Carters. _ Nick took him to New York City, and had him locked up until officers from Canada could come with extradition papers. In due time he was tried for the murder of his twin brother, convicted, and executed. on the gallows in the prison yard at St. Catharines. ‘Sheriff Dunn sent Nick an account of it. “y ou may be sure,” he wrote, “that there was no You won’t have any more trou-- ble bas the ntan you call Lacrosse.” THE END. West ees issue (No: 276) will son tie “Nick Carter’s Land Office ; or, Outwitting a Clever Swin- for i in earnest, but there were other crooks to make

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. Last week was a banner week in this contest. More stories came in than during any of the previous weeks. Try and keep on breaking the record, boys. Look on page 30 for full particulars of the contest. His Sweetheart’s Letter. (By Arthur Nordstrom, Minnesota.) A colonel on his tour of inspection unexpectedly entered the drill room when he came across a couple of soldiers, one of them reading a letter aloud, while the ' other was listening and at the same time stopping up .. , the ears of the reader. ‘*What are you doing there?’’ the puzzled officer in- ' quired of the former, “You see, colonel, I’m reading to Atkins, who can’t read himself, a letter from his sweetheart.’’ ‘‘And you, Atkins, what in the world are you doing?’’ ‘Please, colonel, I am stopping up Murphy’s ears with both hands, because I don’t mind his reading my sweetheart’s letter, but I don’t want him to liear a sin- | . gle word of what she has written.” Justice. (By Harry Powell, Millville, N. J.) ‘*All I demand for my client,’’ hetived the attorney in the voice of a man who was paid for it, ‘‘is justice.’’ ., “Sorry I can’t oblige you,’’ replied the judge. ‘*The law won't allow me to give him more than seven years.’’ Masher. at oe “Your cook is a very handsome girl.”’ ‘‘She is; she mashes the potatces by py looking ea Sah ae pe i” Naibiseest Prayer. | | ie . (By Pierce Boyd, Virginia.) ae At one time there lived near one of our Southern to as religious, and was in the habit of going to an not far from his ogre where he engaged in _ Bidet behind the mill tea? young men, ye were aware of the ver awe s faa weet him to the mill, and secreted her side of iter race near the what he would _ towns a half-witted darkey, who made some pretentions — flower, bakun, meet and uther ve stump with his hed. | he inom an "ai they Bose he vd ‘*Oh, Lawd, Ise so deservin’ of Thy fate that if you, were to open the race an’ let the water out and drow me, it would be no more than I deserved.”’ No sooner had he made this confession than the youth on the opposite side hoisted the floodgate and let th water out upon him, and he was almost hidden from sight. After a time he managed to scramble out, and — was heard to say: ‘'*Oh, golly, :massa! this is an awful world; a poor nigger can’t say a t’ing in a joke but it’s took in~ earnest.’ 1 Farmer Kornstubbles’ Letter. Bais r- (By Emil.Neils, N, D.) Boxkartoun, cal. ‘Dere Sur: I have saw acopy of yure pappar here aud wud like to ast you sum questshuns. If you do want to bother with questshuns will you kindly give this to ° sum Responsibul man who will give satisfackshun. I _ see by the pappars that part of the Crow Reservation is _ to cum in fur settelment—Has it cum in yet, if not, when is it cuming I wish to’no exact lokatun es T can- ‘ not find it on my map. Plese send me a map wun uf them roler kind sos I kin use it fur a partishun in my — bed-trume: What do ytrase and do yu farni by erega- -shun or do yu depend on rane. - ‘‘ Ef by eregashun plese state ef a man has to du euny % thing els to rase a crop, How cold dus it get in winter and wud a swetter I have be warm enuf durin Jannery ef a man wus out dores hurding shepe. Is frute a suck- ~ sess, is there wild frute, if so what kind is there. for Ri, man whuse wife is stuck on making jell, Is there ¢ gaine, as I have a dubble baralled shot gun, and a pup — whu has kleaned up this entire naborhud an is | hankerin — fur uther wurlds tu konker. Whut i ig the privsipul She 5 an whut is the yeald uf potatoes an u ~ ue sbiee.i98 ‘“Give me the prise ov land and also uv living such etabels. Prises — hogs, horses, kous, poultry and uther groceries, — ae 3 Healthy. thare esspechially fur rvumatism. How ; ground rent. Is there plenty uv timber or is it m stly pairre sos a ian kan plow without. running age ave ee fe or ae uny thing ef he brot along

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“TI have a pattent washin mashine an a churn, wud it i te well to ship and kin I get a kow fur her keep. Whut is lumber wuth an kin I git slabs at the mill cheep. Have yu enny skules. I have a Jaige familly and I want _ tu kontinner there edjikashun, “Ts there ennything you think of I have not ast, if so plese: state. “‘Yures Truley, “*Hiram kornstubble. sae Pa’s Trip to the State Fair. : (By Robert A. Wiggins, Ga.) Thar wus ma and pa an all uv us chillern er settin er youn ther fire er watin fer pa tu tell us uv his trip las fall. Hit uster be Marthysville way back yander in pa’s _ an ma’sfust memberance. But ets as big, I reckon, as New York now, an thim thar fokes keep siden on changen ther nam uv et. ‘«Well,’’ sez pa, ‘‘that thar plas ain’t berginin ter be what ets craked up ter be. Why, whin me an Luke _. Johnson got thar we wus plum lost. I niver seed sich __ howses theyer bigger ern ther new cowpin, an hier _ than iny pine yu can start in thes diggins.”’ -- “Punch er nuther not in ther fier, Lige,’’ sez he tu Bud, ‘‘an lite my pipe, sez he tu Lilly Ann. _. **Whut fust struck me wus ther site uv fokes. Wal _ meou me an Luke hed tu croud an push an ‘pull powful tu git tu ther stret, an arter weuns got out thar wus er about er mile uv kerriges an stages like er stanin er _ watin. Everybodys got hosses up thar an som mity fine wns tu. Two er three uv thim thar cullard gemmen _ tride tu git us tu go an ridg in ther kerriges, but sez I Ime uster walkin an I kin walkin fas er nugh fer me. So we kep er goin an mity soon got on er nuther stret whut wus called White Halls—ther stret wus brick clur - aerost an not er bit uv mud, an mity hep uv peples wus er walkin on thet stret, an weuns felt kinder tu hum, an Luke he stoped er lookin in er windy whut had wns es an cotes es 7 / gear uv ean lg pe euns kep.er goin’ bout un hour, an sez I tu. Luke Sea er fare? Wal neou sezs thets moren I knos. So sein er man er stanin er lookin down tords us I tuk ther Jiberty tu ax him which er way wus ther fare. But he om plum crazy Jookt like tu me, an narry a thing cud mthin bout hay seeds, but sez I, weuns oa is a] NICK CARTER WEEKLY. . ber tins hows an rite et. down I reckin. 27 prar fur tu spar me an gide me. I felt mity curis tho— an didnt study bout et moren I kud help. I gist kep er thinkin uv Becky an ther chillern—Becky an ther chillern. I wus plum sorrie I left this monton tu go thar. But direckly we got thar an thet man sed as how thet wus ther place, an shore nuff er wus an I got my ticket, an ther gate minder he pinched off er pice an gived et back ter me. ““Wal, thet fare et wus purty fine. Thim thar cows, an hogs, an chickins wus ther finest I ever seed. I tride ter by er hin an er rooster, but thim thar fokes wudent sell um, thim wus pets I reckin. Arter er while I tuk er mity wrindin like in my chist, an I told Luke as how et must be mity nigh eatin time, an thar wus er eatin house an fer twinty-five cints er pice we got er nuff tu sorter kill hunger an so we wuts Ssatisfde an sot eout tu see thim thar race hosses. Ime er tellin ther truth Becky, I wudent give tin dullors fer narry eritter thar. Why ther er as poore as Jebs Tucky, an yu kud kount ther ribs, an gist the hide um, thim sharpers kivered um up with blankets. Thars runners tho, gist got er move on um: Et wud er bin er site ter seed um nef theyd er bin fat. Thar wus.er lot uv cand peches an all kinds uv sitch an some powful year corn bout like weuns. lower cut. But me an Luke thort as how weuns had better finder place tu sleep berfore nite sot in, an thin fer thim thar cars. But I wont so powful skerd so I sot an tuck et ezy Tell thet car driver er least ways ther back un, axt us whar we wanted tu stop. Weuns air huntin in uv er bed. Walsez he hump thin. So we lit off rite by er perliceman, an I must give thet thar felle a good name becase he wus powful good an lowed as how benist we wus Strangers weuns arter tu have er gide boy, an er stepin in er big hows he tuck er little thing down with er string in et an thar wus er big box thet ther string jined ter an lo an berhole he wint ter talkin ter et gist like et wus er man an sez he gimme number Io please, helo sez he is thet number tin? Well sez he sind down one uv yer best boys. All rite sez he, good by. Luke vez I kinder in er lo wisper hes ez crazy az er lunitick, hes dangerus. ¥ am skerd aint yu. Kno sez Luke I aint. But I seed how whit he wuz an er trimlin an I started ter leve. But bont thet time cum ther funniest boy yu ever hurd uv er ridin on er tu whild consarn gist er flyin an bip he hit ther street. Ali rite sez he I ain yer boy frum number tin. Wal thet thar bete me, howsomever thet thar box sont ther wurd I dont kno but et did, an I larnt thin.thet thim thar same litinin wires run tu num- Thet perlice man wus powful good an lowed tu thet funnie pale fast boy with big specks tu karry me an Luke tu er spectable Hotel er er boardn’ hows, an sez he alrite cap. Hopin thars er tip in et. No sez I tuar no tip we left him tu hum. But cum tu studdy I hain’t seed er dog since we left ther monton. Thet thar boy he laft an hollored an laft, but bliss yu I hadint seed nuthin tu tickel anybody, Anyhow, by an by we cum tuer big tall hows an sez ther boy heres yer place ets all rite step up an rite yer hame sez he. So ther man what wached ther book he _ pusht et tu me an I tuck er pin an writ et plane. ‘*John Josh Wiregrass, an ‘Luke Johnson, ‘ee ‘Frum Cracker Hill Districk. ; . ‘*Ther book minder looked powful hard at et an wint

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~‘shedin uv turs, I thort we wus kilt. /uv er rope an tride ter hole, but et kep er goin. 28 ' ter yellin gist er holered, an told er boy tu take me an Luke ter five thirty- five an ther tin boy sez he, Ime er bound ter s¢e yu saft in yer room an ther nigger walket weuns boy an all inter er powful little room narry er bed nur cher gist her couch like wither lookin glass clur acrost et an gist as weuns clurd ther flore. Oh sez I er Ther room et swung roun an thin flew up. An er nigger kotched hole Oh Becky, sez he et wus afful. Luke he dropped down er prain an I tride tu pra, but I kudent, I gist sayed oh Lord Ime er comin’, merci Ime er gonner. Becase et '. started up an thin down ergin, an thets all whut I know => _ hes gone tell whin I cum tu my mine thar was er million lookt like tu me er standin er rown with er doctah a cole water _a meetin hows draps an I wus plum wet, but thank my stars Ime here yit. . ‘“‘Whin I cum plum tu I axt fer Luke but Ime skerd lest ways me an thet boy wint er reun till I giv him up fer dead, an I cum hum an haint seed him - since, gee sez Bud hes ter him kase Mandy sed so least ways whin I seed yu er comin she sed as how hur pas smartin mine he cum yisterday. Well chillern ets bed- time. Less all turn in an giv our thanks fer er saft turnin hum, an go tu sleepe.’’ . —_—_— . The Trials of a Schoo!mistress. (By Jos. Fletcher, Mass.) Teacher (iu mental arithmetic); ‘‘If there were three peaches on the table, Johnny, and your little sister should eat one of them, how many would be left ?’’ ohnny: ‘‘ How many little sisters would be left?”’ eacher: ‘‘Now, listen, Johnny: If there were three peaches on the table, and your little sister should eat one, how ma = Bytes be left ?’’ Johnny: - e ain’t had a peach in the house this year, let alone three."’ Teacher: ‘‘We are only supposing the peaches to be on the table,’’ oe a pg “(Ten, they wouldn’t be real peaches” Johnny: “would they be preserved ?”* Teacher: ‘‘Certainly not.’ Johnny: ‘‘ Pickled peaches?” Teacher: ‘‘No, no. There wouldn’t be any peaches at all, * I told you, Johnny; we only suppose the three ee ches to be there.’’ _ Johnny: ‘*Then there wouldn't be any peaches, of : Be ath Jobnoy, put that knife in your or I will ee away, and pay attention to what saying. Ws fern tk <2ivia to be on the te at ey, but ae wouldn't bree. You don’t k moter 4 there and ia Wie until she ittle sister. RIS, NICK CARTER WEEKLY. the question once more, and if you do not answer ft cor- rectly I shall keep you after school. If three peaches were on the table, and your little sister were to eat one of them, how many would be left?’’ Johnny (straightening up): peaches left. I’d grab the other two.”’ Teacher (touching the bell): ‘The scholars are now dismissed. Johnny White will remain where he is,’”’ Patsy’s Idea of Divinity. (By Ed. Maloney, Mass.) One sunny morning Patsy went to the country schooi for the first time. As it happened, he was the first one to be called upon. ‘*Patsy,’’ said the teacher, there?’’ He quickly responded: ‘Three, sir.’’ ‘“*Take your seat!’’ thundered the master, ‘ ‘‘how many Gods are ‘and in ‘There wouldn't be any © five minutes if you don’t answer correctly I'll welt * you.’ The five minutes passed, and Patsy stood up. ‘*Five, sir.’’ He received the promised ‘‘welting,’’ and took his seat for ten minutes for consideration. Ten minutes was up and Patsy, thinking he had not et the number sufficiently high before, answered, “Yen, sir.’’ He saw the ferule descending and, bolting out the door, — he cleared a five-railed fence, and broke like a quarter Panting from exertion, he met a~ horse across the field. lad with a book under his arm. ‘Where are you going?’’ asked Patsy. ‘*To school, yonder,’’ was the reply. ‘‘You are, are you?’’ said Patsy, quietly. many Gods are they?’’ ‘*One,’’ answered the boy. “Well, you better not go down there or you will never come back alive. I left them with ten, and that wasn’t snotah to satisty them, so I bolted.” “How a Weighing Hogs. “(By Jacob Levy, Pa.) ‘Young Farmer: ‘‘What do you charge to weigh hogs, mister?’’ a T" Grist Mill Owner: “Ob, get on and I'll weigh you for _ penne: BS A Few Things from An Undertaker's Notebook. (By Eric H. Palmer, New York.) © WHY JOHNNY GOT BAD MARKS. won won't be back © ae “4 et om toot

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+ ae ae ars Ber kt : = - Meacher: ‘‘Who wrote the Declaration of Independ- sce ??’ ‘ es Johuny: ‘‘Quill pens, I guess, ‘cause there was no ak Lay. writers,’’ ee eacher: ‘‘If you took $12, $15 and $7, what would : you get?”’ Johnny: ‘‘Six months.” Teacher: ‘If you should ask your father for five cents, your mother for five, and your brother for five, what would you get?” | Johnny: ‘‘ Nothing.’ Teacher: ‘‘Spell ‘ Bs ead.’ Johnny.” Johnny: ‘‘A-h, b-i-t-e h-e-r.”” BT. NEWSBOY’ S$ WILL. Jenuare 31, 189 nine. . x te the ton jt consarns— Dis is ter certifi thet I, Scrappy Towers uy New York ee U.S. A. (use Sam'’s apricots) in sain mine give my Jas will an testimeant ter my ait Kollege the sum uv gest. red ipeey_Joties) i= ‘fo 2cst. : er brudder iat are: rest. 2 Newsboys Hom mab end asi the rest gee PS at . Gran Total $01 ae ste (singed) | Saison Yoors trooly, & e: ; A nS Scrappy Towers, ase tr ‘Kerns, £ frend uv abov. | Pete X the Wart Rat, the same ‘mar irs tery - \Binia.) z 8 . ; a AND ‘tothe . o makes the most money cthdiiks ounterfeiter, generally, me i SP ‘n und ichentlemans, steb dis’ vay; ‘a is vhere besdt fits. Dot nice suidt, sefen tollar. Steb fit sure.”” , “es and schentlemans! generally did. Se sai pe off. So how can I stand on Stand on the cae sine iM NICK CARTER WEEKLY. of married oi are 29 But the judge was behind the beer bar. ing a case of wine. They took me over to the beer bar and when I laughed the judge shouted, ‘‘Order!”’ So we all did. And after we all had a drink. they took me over to the law bar, The judge says, ‘‘What is the charge against this man?’’ meaning me. The bartender says, cigars.’” I refused to settle without a pick. So the officer gave me one. I says, ‘‘Judge, I’m a good fellow. I have money and I'll prove it if you will take evidence.’ The judge said he would take evidence, so I told the bartender to pour some out. And the bartender poured out three fingers of the best evidence in the place. Then the judge called for the bottle. He put the bottle on the stand and he continued taking evidetice until the évidence was all in. And when the evidence was all in I says, “Now, judge, what do youthink you can hold on the evidence?’’ The judge said he did not think he could hold any- thing on the evidence. He says, ‘‘I’m in luck if I hold the evidence.” ; And two minutes later he went out on the sidewalk and reversed his decision. Just then a friend of his came along and says, ‘‘ Hello, judge, what’s up?”’ The judge says, ‘‘Everything but the cork, I guess!’’ He was try- ‘‘Seven-sixty, including the . Some Fine Ones. (By Martin McNichols, I1.) A bragger, boasting of his strength, said he could lower a cask into the river and pull up thirty gallons of water. “Why, that’s nothing,’’ said an onlooker. ao can lower a boat into the water and pull up the river.’ A tourist asked a porter how long the road ran, ‘‘It does not rtrn at all, to my knowledge,’’ said thé porter. ‘Then I will make you run,’’ said the tourist, and he proceeded to do so. a A boy went itto a store, and going up to the counter the eerie dialogue took place: Small Boy: ‘My ‘mother wants a pound of coffee, and said she would pay you Monday.” Waiter: ‘‘Tell your mother we don’t give credit,”’ Small Boy: ‘‘She don’t want credit, she wants coffee.’’ A small boy, named Johnny, asked his father the nate of : a large bu wer “That is the yy 4 ‘lium,’ S Resid is fa! father. ‘Thien what's t A ievial igi in it, if it’s blind ae said 4 Johany. a : Why does a room seem empty when there is a crowd zfs fer a i aigeh in we room.

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30 Stamp and Coin Department. STRIKING-LOOKING STAMPS. One of the most striking sets of stamps issued recently is that for the Malay settlements of Perak, Pahang, | Negri Sembilan, and Selangor. There are different sets for each of the above places, similar except for change of name. ‘They are printed in two colors, the low values, I, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 and Soc. being all of the same design, | with head of a very savage-looking tiger with mouth | open in center. The $1 and $5 are larger and oblong, | and have a group of elephants in center. Salvador has been one of the most prolific stamp | issuing countries of recent years. It issued a new set of stamps, of ten or twelve values, every year, and in 1895 and 1896 issued two full set of regular stamps, be- sides postage due, postal pack, officially sealed, and sur- charged provisional stamps, not to mention a full line of envelopes, postal cards and wrappers. The last issue, just out, is very handsome, and comprises eleven values, 1c, to $1, each with a diflerent design. A good instance of increase of value of postage stamps | is shown by the 3c. scarlet of 1866. A New York collec- tor bought one for $1.50 a few years ago. His collection is now being sold by auction, and this stamp will bring about $50. _ L. P. Mathews.—No premium, fas Leslie. It is worth about a cent. John Kerski.—Your dollar is worth about $1.50. Louis Myers.—Write to the Scott Stamp & Coin Company. _ Thomas Glelack.—Your coin is a valuable one. Take it to some numismatist and have it appraised. J. G. W.—You are right in regard tothecoins. There is no premium to speak of, however, on either. M. M.—You do not send a very full description of your coin. Send to the Scott Stamp and Coin Co. Frank Fischer.—Your coins are worth only their face _value.. A short time ago we printed in an answer toa correspondent a list of United States pennies on which | there is a premium. Look back over your Nick Carter | Weeklies and you will find it. ; L. H. Smith.—Send to the Scott Stamp and Coin Co. | In sending them enclose a stamped envelope addressed | _ to yourself and they will be returned. There is a slight | premium on the stamps. No premium on your cent, however. Read the answer to Frank Fisher. ) | CARTER WEEKLY. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. A SPLENDID PRIZE CONTEST. It is to Laugh! Of course you all like funny stories—the kind you have been reading lately in the Nick If you. can write any like them send them in, that is if you want A FIRST RATE UP-TO-DATE BANJO, A_ SPLENDID ALL-WOOL_ SWEATER, OR LONG DISTANCE MEGAPHONES. P| P H The three boys who send in the three 3 irst rizes funniest stories will each receive a owe first-class banjo. A beautiful instru- ment. Perfect and up-to-date in every detail. These banjos are warranted in every particular. They have 11-inch calf heads, wal- nut necks and veneered finger boards, with celluloid inlaid position dots, raised frets, twenty-four nickel brackets and wi edge. These instruments can be easily mastered, and every boy should jump at the opportunity to winone. ~~ j © The five boys who send us the 5 Second Prize next. funniest stories will each receive a Spalding all- wool sweater. Any color you choose. Guaranteed all wool and full shaped to the body and arms. next funniest stories will receive ( Third Prizes nex scnoicstst | a Spalding 12-inch ‘‘Long Dis- a meh ec RR tance” Megaphone, capable of carrying the sound of the human voice two miles. j The ten boys who send us the —————e HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS: This contest will close May ist. Remember, whether your story wins a prize or not, it stands a good chance of being published, together with your name. To become a contestant for these prizes you must cut out the Prize Contest Coupon printed herewith; fill it out properly, and send it to Nick CARTER WEEKLY, care of Street & Smith, 238 William Street, New York City, together with your story. No story will be considered that does not have this coupon accompanying it. * COUPON. Nick Carter Weekly Prize Contest No 2. ee See ee Title City or Town......... Faue aed obec cess vee degsiec sesh ese unas sm : > ; ed “ - State oR RET Pete near ewan n nee esee es seeeee esses eeeenne E OF Sle. tA ia bi vee ree eee es caeeet seer es eebeeee h

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Boys, in reading one of the Nick Carter stories did + you ever try to think ahead and guess who was the ie criminal in the case? % In the case of ‘‘Nick Carter’s Ocean Chase,’’ for in- stance. How far ha‘ you read before you suspected that Palog was the man who had stolen the missing crown diamond? In that case Nick suspected him from the day when he visited him with the official of Roumelia to tell him about the loss of the great diamond. Or take the story of Nick Carter and the Guilty Governor. Had any of you any suspicions of the Gover- nor before he admitted that he was the head of the Nihilists tm the province | of Perm? Or in the story of the mine under the Grand Duke’s palace, did any of you suspect the woman who had con- " ceived the plot of blowing up the palace? ieee Each of the readers has a chance to find out how he good a detective he is. NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 31 ‘6 Amateur Detective Work. He has the facts of the case laid before him just a Nick Carter himself has. Of course, hé has not got Nick’s experience or won- derful detective instinct. Still, he can prove whether or not he is a good detective by tryingto decide in his own mind what the solution of the mystery is before he has read to the end of the story. The earlier in the story he is able to make his guess and the more accurate it is, the better detective he is, We want to see what sort of detectives the readers of the Nick CARTER WEEKLY are. ‘ We want one and all of you to write to us, telling us whether you ‘were able to solve the mystery that Nick Carter had to solve before reading to the end of any of the stories. Tell us how far you read before you arrived at your decision, and just what points guided you in making your decision. Your letters will be printed in this column. Get to work, now, boys, detectives you are. and show what kind of Everybody is Talking of It. A WINNER WITH THE BOYS. THE FINEST MOST UP-TO-DATE STORY PAPER EVER PUBLISHED. é ‘Frank Merriwell, the great Yale Athlete, writes exclusively for Read his latest Base Ball story now Fine rattling serial stories always running tn Sara The celebrated “Old Pard” conducts his famous “corner” in The Boys of America League has for its officialorgan . The Young Authors’ Library Contest is now running in The liveliest anecdotes, jokes and short stories are printedin . And the finest and most exciting stories of adventure are foundin ' Ask your newsdealer to show you a copy of this rattling weekly, or send for a sample copy to STREET & SMITH, 238 William Street, New York. sek ana ae

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NICK CARTER WEEKLY. (LARGE SIZE.) The Best Detective Stories in the World. aap Carter’s Queer Burglary Case; or, a Thief Robs a Thief. 241—Nick Carter Downs a Doctor and Destroys a Prescription. 242—Nick Carter Accused of Murder; or, Identified by a Nose. 243—Nick Carter’s Water Trail; or, The Strange Hiding-Place of a Millionaire. 244—Nick Carter’s Dynamite Fiend; or, The Unraveling of False Clews. 245—Nick Carter’s Child Rescue; or, The Defeat of a Desperate Villain. 246—Nick Carter on the Racecourse; or, Crooked Work in the Paddock. } 247—Nick Carter’s Black Clew; or, Heard in the Dark. 3 ¢ 248—Nick Carter's Strange Vacation; or, The Town That Was Hoodooed. } 249—Nick Carter Investigating a Lea’; or, One Page Missing. 250—Nick Carter's Double Clew; or, The Fatal Resemblance. 251—Nick Carter and “The Brown Robin”; or, The Unknown Letter Writer, 252—Nick Carter Tracking a Traitor; or, Night Work in a Country Town. 253—Nick Carter’s Tunnel Mystery ; or, Lost: $200,000 in Gold. 254—Nick Carter’s Queer Murder Case; or, Under a Terrible Suspicion. 255—Nick Carter Challenged; or, Fighting a Poweriul Enemy. 256—Nick Carter and Arizona Jake; or, The Big Westerner’s Part in the Cooper Suicide. 257—Nick Carter in the Council of the Reds; or, The Plot of the Anarchists. 258—Nick Carter and the Secret of the Tin Box; or, The Man Who Stole His Name. 259—Nick Carter’s Fire Trail; or, Thwarting a Villain’s Plot. 260—Nick Carter on the Track of the Freight Thieves; or, The Boldest Gang in New York. 261—Nick Carter on the Track of a Gentleman Burglar: or, Robbing a Thief. 262—Nick Carter Attacked; or; The Desperate Plot on the Detective’s Life. 263—Nick Carter on the Trail of the River Pirates; or, The Dangerous Work on the River Front. - 264—Nick Carter and the King of the Tramp Thieves; or, Patsy’s Lone Hand Against the Hoboes. 265—Nick Carter and the Man in the Cask; or, Patsy’s Terrible Predicament. 266—Nick Carter and the Shoplifters; or, The Automobile Clew. 267—Nick Carter’s Ocean Chase; or, The Missing Crown Diamond. 268—Nick Carter and the Broken Dagger; or, The Black Man from Borneo. 269—Nick Carter's Advertisement; or, A New Way to Catch a Criminal. 270—Nick Carter and the Nihilists; or, The Mine Under the Grand Duke’s Palace. 271—Nick Carter in the Convict Gang; or, Ida Jones to the Rescue. 272—Nick Carter and the Guilty Governor; or, The American Detective and the Russian Officer. All of the above numbers always on hand. If you cannot get them from your newsdealer, five cents a copy will bring them to you by mail, postpaid. os a STREET & SMITH, Pustisuers, 238 William St., New York. :

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THE BOYS’ OWN LIBRARY « ENEG Oe. 23.00" Ga ans MAGNET CEURGE MARNIE PERI SERIES OF BOOKS FOR BOYS BY uw Edward S. Ellis ~ WHEELING ; Horatio Alger, Jr. a FORTUNE Matthew White, Jr. Gordon Stables George Manville Fenn W. H, G. Kingston Wm. Murray Graydon Brooks McCormick -AND OTHER CELEBRATED AUTHORS BOYS’ OWN LIBRARY consists of: eighty-eight copyrighted titles pub- lished in this series only. The books are bound in highly illuminated cover designs, and equal in every respect to the average high-priced works. Price, 75 cents each. For sale at all first-class book stores. Catalogue on applica- tion to the Publishers, & * HH HH HH HH STREET & SMITH, 233 WILLIAM ST., NEW YORK