Nicholas Carter

“ Nick walked boldly into the saloon, and called Amos aside.
Martin did not allow the two men to get very far away from him, and he watched them as closely as a cat would a mouse every moment they were talking together.
“Those two men are in bad shape,” Nick said.
“Well, you did the hitting, I didn’t.”
“That won’t make any difference. We’d both have to stand trial if we should get caught.”
“Oh, come off! Nothing can be done to a man for knocking out a highway robber.”
“Ah!” thought Nick, “he has been getting some advice from my friend Martin.” ”

“ Almost before the men could realize their true position, they were handcuffed and helpless.
“It’s just this way,” said Nick, still keeping in the shadow, “nothing is to be said about your attempt to lame Denver Bay.”
“What are we arrested for, then?” gasped Brower.
“For the larceny of twenty thousand dollars from James Wheeler’s office in Wall Street not long ago.”
“Where is your proof?”
“Never mind the proof now. There is a carriage waiting outside. If you make any noise here, or in the future give any intimation of the place of your arrest, it will only damage your case with the court.” ”

“ People fight their way through the crowd to the bookmakers, and deposit their money, many of them placing it on Denver Bay.
Finally the rakes and brooms are called from the track.
The crowd rushes up the stairways, and the next moment a splendid bay horse comes around the head of the stretch.
“Denver Bay! Denver Bay!” is the cry. ”

“ Nick was thinking fast, and did not answer for some time.
“I’m responsible for the Brower end of the scheme,” he thought. “The fellow doesn’t dare to risk his ten thousand dollars.”
The detective smiled as he thought how little confidence crooked sporting men have in each other’s word.
“In this case,” he thought, “it may be that Brower doubts Johnson’s ability to fix the horse. He’s afraid of some failure in the plan at the last moment.” ”

“ The fellow hesitated with some confusion in his manner.
“What’s that?” demanded the pool-room man, sharply. “Are there any new tricks over that horse?”
“I don’t know anythin’ about any tricks.”
“Well, if you don’t no man in New York does.”
“That’s all right, but I didn’t come here to talk about that. Let’s get down to business.”
Nick’s sharp ear had taken in every word of the conversation, and he at once resolved to test the fellow’s knowledge of Denver Bay’s standing.
“Aw,” he said, advancing toward the desk, “I see Denver Bay is on the board. I’ll bet on him.” ”

“ A couple of bullies shoved themselves between Nick and the desk, and one of them took occasion to drop a quid of tobacco on one of his nicely polished shoes as he passed him.
“Look heah, fellah, no gentleman would do that, doncher know.”
“Who ain’t a gentleman?” demanded the bully, doubling up his fists.
“These people are weal coarse,” said Nick, turning to Steve; “I shall leave the place.” ”

“ If you recover this money you will take the whole amount belonging to these heirs and invest it in some place where it will be beyond the reach of New York thieves and race-track sharpers.”
“You have my word on that. That is exactly the course I had decided upon.”
“Then there’s one other condition.”
“If it is not more difficult than the other I accede to it in advance.”
“That is, that if we discover crookedness on the part of these horsemen, you are not to drop the matter as soon as you are made whole. You are to stand up to the rack and help me to have justice done to them.” ”

“ If a man calls and asks to see you in regard to Lackawanna admit him to your private room at once. You may not recognize me, but you can trust the man that mentions that word.”
After the departure of the broker the detective busied himself for some moments in the examination of a list of the many pool-rooms in the lower part of the city.
“It’s a tough job,” he thought, “but it will give me a chance to see the inside of some of these dens again.”
He stepped into an inner room, and in a few minutes returned in the guise of a cattle drover from the far West. ”

“ He had procured badges admitting him to all parts of the grounds, the track, and the judges’ stand as well, and the little jockey had provided him with a ribbon bearing the name of Denver Bay.
This would enable him to work around the horse after he appeared upon the track.
“I imagine,” thought the detective, as he listened with his ear at the door, “that there’ll be a performance on the track to-day not down on their bills. If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Johnson will go home to-night sixty thousand dollars poorer than he thinks he will.” ”

“ As Amos started to take off his coat and vest, Nick picked up his own.
When Amos threw his garments down Nick threw his own on top of them.
The money was staked, and Amos won easily.
“That’s hard luck,” said Nick. “Can you run as well as you can jump?”
“I can do some running,” said one of the men.
“I want to get my money back on this jumper,” said Nick, throwing himself down on the pile of clothes. “I’ll bet five dollars that he can beat any man in the party for a block.” ”

“ From that conversation with Wheeler, every word of which was still fresh in his mind, Nick had satisfied himself that the broker was anxious to let the stake remain if there was any prospect of securing a fair race. ”

“ The detective followed until there was no doubt as to where the man was going, and then walked about the street for some moments in deep thought.
When he finally entered the pool-room the man stood at the desk talking with the proprietor.
“There is no doubt in my mind,” Nick heard the latter say, “regarding the horse’s ability to win. The only question is whether the boys will do their work well.”
“You can’t gamble on anybody’s honesty when it comes to dollars and cents,” was the reply. “The other side has the age now, and can afford to put up a lot of money to have things go their way.” ”

“ He was firmly of the opinion that Denver Bay would be the best horse in the race.
He believed that word had been passed around the inner circle of gamblers and sporting men that the Western horse would not be permitted to win, and he reasoned that they would lay almost any odds against the horse.
He thought that the best way to punish them would be to meet them on their own ground, and win their money.
Nick Carter is by no means a gamester or sporting man.{23}
He derives an immense income from his detective work, and has no inclination to make a break for sudden fortune. ”

“ The odds were two to one on Denver Bay, and no bookmaker would have taken such chances so long before the race. The bet was made with a down-town sporting man, for whom I frequently do business in a small way.”
“His name?”
“Peter Johnson.”
“One of the most notorious race-track sharpers in the country.”
“I was not aware of that at the time.”
“Well,” said Nick, with a smile, “I never knew a horse to win a race with such an outside bet on him, and all in the hands of one man, and that man a professional trickster.” ”

“ Nick regarded both men with a countrified stare for a moment, and then walked away.
“It’s a good thing,” he thought, “that I tumbled to the racket before we got started for the stables. The man would certainly have suspected something.
“Now, then,” he said to Chick, as the two again stood together, “you follow these men over and locate the horse. You may report to me at the house at eight o’clock in the morning.” ”

“ The horses thunder past, and Denver Bay wins by a good length.
The great handicap race is over and Denver Bay is officially declared the winner.
As the crowd surges around the winning horse and the jockey is being weighed, there is a cry from the grand stand that some one has fainted.
Nick sees that the excitement is about the spot the Wall Street broker selected as his seat, and hastens in that direction.
As he reaches the place Wheeler slowly opens his eyes and reaches out his hand.{60}
“Not a word here,” whispers the detective, as he bends over him. “Are you able to walk?” ”

“ They shall have all the money I have won by the use of their money.”
“There is one thing more. I want you to give the little jockey a thousand dollars when he comes to your office to-morrow. I leave my compensation entirely to yourself.”
“It shall be ten thousand dollars, if it is a cent. Come around in the morning and get the check.”
“You’d better collect in all your bets this afternoon,” said Nick, as the two men parted, “for the pool-rooms have been hit hard. I just won a few hundred myself; not because I wanted to win the money, but because I found myself in places where I had to bet. ”

“ As Chick placed himself in a position to watch every movement of the men he was shadowing, Nick stepped into a restaurant and ordered a liberal meal. This concluded, he walked into a saloon next door and sat down in a private stall.
Five minutes later a respectable-looking, middle-aged business man walked out of the stall and took his way toward one of the most popular gambling dens in that portion of the city. ”

“ HOW HE BECAME A DEAD GAME SPORT. By the Author of “NICK CARTER.” {2}
CHAPTER I.
DENVER BAY.
“And so, you see, I stand to lose twenty thousand dollars.”
“That’s a large sum.”
“Yes, Mr. Carter, it’s a large sum; but a middle-aged gentleman like yourself ought to be aware that risks are sometimes forced upon people who handle money in large sums.”
The celebrated detective smiled as he looked into the excited countenance of the Wall Street man before him.
Half an hour before, if the broker had seen him at all, he would hardly have referred to him as “a middle-aged business man.” ”

“ Without doubt, it gives strength and firmness, combined with quickness and pliability, to the limbs, vigor to the body, coolness and discrimination to the head and elasticity to the temper, the whole forming an energetic combination of the greatest power to be found in man. ”

“ As Nick stepped out and bounded down the stairs a bullet struck the wall just above his head.
“I shall have to fine myself for that{29} error,” he thought, as he hastened away from the stairway into the crowd.
“If I had kept on my countryman’s uniform they would have regarded that break I made as the result of curiosity on the part of a country chump out to see the town, and I might have learned something more about that twenty-thousand-dollar daylight haul on Wall Street.” ”

“ Nick had made every calculation upon going to the stables with the fellow whom he had assisted. He wanted to know the place where Denver Bay was in training.
He had not yet decided upon what course to pursue after reaching the field of action, but was positive that once on the ground some means could be found by which the plotters could be circumvented.
By this time the detective had made up his mind to give the tricky sporting men a very hard deal. ”

“ Wot you got to do wid de stable, say?”
“W’at I got to do wid de stable?” said the other, in as sarcastic a tone as he could command. “I’m chambermaid for Denver Bay, I am.”
“You’re a nice man to be around a racing stable,” said the other, with an oath. “W’at do you know about a hoss?”
“You’re a sucker,” said the other. “You wait till the Denver Bay runs, and I’ll show you a wad.”
“You won’t get it on Denver Bay. You’re drunk, that’s what’s the matter with you. Doncher talk to me no more. You’re drunk.”
“You’re drunk yourself. You smell like a sour apple. Stan’ up like a man. ”

“ After a time two men, evidently none too sober, entered the stall next to the one occupied by the detective, and ordered more drinks.
“It’s a bloomin’ shame for a feller ter drop his wad like that,” said one, in a maudlin tone, “specially when he’s on de inside an’ oughter know. But you lost{13} more’n I did, an’ I sympathize with you.”
“I don’t want none o’ your sympathy,” said the other, evidently a little nearer sober than his companion; “I’m broke now, but I can get plenty of money when I get over to the stable.”
“You’re a liar! you’re always workin’ that bluff about the stable. ”

“ Photography is a clean, light, and pleasant accomplishment, within the reach of all. The camera will prove a friend, reporter, and helper. With a very inexpensive camera any boy or girl can now learn not only to take good pictures, but pictures that there is everywhere a demand for at remunerative prices. ”

“ It is generally supposed by the public that these pool-rooms merely conduct a commission business, and that the odds{8} offered there are the ones posted at the race track.
But this is by no means the case. The proprietors of the places bet according to their private ideas of the proper odds.
The rustling of greenbacks and the clinking of gold and silver were heard throughout the place as the detective entered.
“The race in which Denver Bay is entered takes place the day after to-morrow,” mused the detective, “and I’ll just see how he stands in this locality.” ”

“ Nick stepped noiselessly into one of them, and closed the door.{12}
A moment later any one glancing into the stall would have seen a half intoxicated countryman sitting with his chair tipped back against the wall, his hat pulled down over an inflamed face, and his feet resting upon the table.
Not a single trace of the well-to-do cattle drover remained.
“I may have to stay here a long time,” he thought, “and may as well have some cigars. Besides a whisky glass properly placed on the table can do no harm.” ”