Nicholas Carter

“ A moment later Kilgore, Pylotte and Matt Stall came flurrying into the house by the rear door.
In the bright light of the broad hall each party discovered the other at precisely the same moment, and Kilgore instantly guessed the truth.
With a cry of rage, he whipped out his revolver and fired point-blank at the two men on the stairs.
"Down 'em, boys!" he yelled furiously. "Down 'em, or our game is done for!"
His bullet glanced from the baluster rail near Chick, and buried itself in the wall behind him.
"Drop them, Patsy!" he shouted, instantly. "Shoot to kill! It's them or us!" ”

“ You'll not live to see another."
"Possibly not."
"Caramba! do you doubt it?"
She darted nearer to him, with her hand tearing open the waist of her dress, and then the gleam of a poniard met Nick's gaze. She swept it before his eyes with a wild gesture, and gave vent to a mocking laugh.
"Do you doubt that I can slay you?"
"Not at all," answered Nick. "It's very evident."
"Or that I will?"
"That appears equally manifest."
"So it is!" hissed Cervera, with vicious intensity. "I intend to do it! Do you hear, Nick Carter? I intend to do it!" ”

“ The rough foundation walls of the house, the massive stone wall built across the cellar to mask the secret chamber, the elaborate electric furnace, the huge hydraulic press, the workbench and tools, the powerful arc light pendent from the ceiling—half an eye would have convinced Nick that he occupied the workroom of that master craftsman whose chemical knowledge and inventive genius had given birth to a most marvelous production, long, earnestly, yet vainly, sought by others—
The production of an artificial diamond! ”

“ He went to his library desk and took from a drawer the silver jewel casket which he had brought from Central Park.
When he turned he held it in his extended hand, and the eyes of the girl suddenly fell upon it.
Instantly she leaped to her feet, as pale as death itself.
Then a scream, as of sudden, ungovernable terror, rose from her lips and rang with piercing shrillness through the house.
"Catch her, Chick—she's fainting!" yelled Nick, with eyes ablaze. "By Heaven! we've struck the trail at last!" ”

“ He is a man to be feared—constantly feared! I'm cursed if I can tell whether he gave us that on the level or not."
"Pshaw!" sneered Venner, contemptuously. "Of course it was on the level."
"I'm not so sure of it—not so sure of it!" reiterated Kilgore, with clouded brow. "I tell you, Venner, that he must be watched, and we must be guarded. We have too much at stake to suffer Nick Carter to queer our game."
"There is one sure way of preventing it," cried Cervera, with passionate vehemence. ”

“ It was upon this scene that Nick Carter and Chick arrived just before midnight, having left their carriage at a remote corner, to await their return.
"Yonder is Venner's house, Chick," said Nick, as they picked their way along the unpaved sidewalk. "We'll vault this iron fence and steal across the grounds."
"It doesn't look much as if our quarry was there," observed Chick, as they scaled the fence.
"Their deeds are dark, and like seeks like," replied Nick. "They now may be making darkness their cover." ”

“ We have said nothing about it."
"Ah, that opens the way for conjectures," cried Nick. "Is there any person who knows of the engagement, or who suspects it, that would jealously aim to injure Boyden by implicating him in a crime?"
"Oh, I cannot think so, sir!" said Violet, with a look of horror. "I certainly know of no such person."
"Have you been accepting the attentions of any other young man?"
"No, sir," smiled Violet. "That is not my style."
"I am glad to hear you say so, yet I really might have known it," laughed Nick.
"Thank you, Detective Carter," bowed the girl, blushing warmly. ”

“ Is he more crafty than Dave Kilgore?" demanded Venner, significantly. "Is he more daring than Spotty Dalton, or more determined than anyone of the Kilgore gang? Not by a long chalk, Philip, and I know of them of whom I speak. Ay, as much and more of them than does Detective Nick Carter."
"Perhaps you are right, Rufus," murmured Garside, nodding. "We certainly are about launching a tremendous, an utterly unparalleled, swindle. The like of it was never, never known. There should be millions in it. ”

“ Venner," Nick now declared, with emphasis. "Without a shadow of doubt, sir, you have been victimized by the notorious Kilgore diamond gang, a trio of the shrewdest and most daring scoundrels that ever stood in leather."
"You amaze me."
"Do I?" inquired Nick, smiling softly. "Well, sir, if I were to tell you the history of these rascals, you would be more than amazed—you would be astounded. No crime is too desperate, no knavery too hazardous, no villainy too despicable, for them to attempt, and too often successfully execute. ”

“ In a single year, barring these infernal Carters, every man of us should be a millionaire."
"But why this sudden fear of the Carters?" growled Dalton, impatiently.
"I'll now tell you why," cried Kilgore, with voice lowered, and an ugly gleam in his frowning eyes. "We cannot sack Cervera, nor put out her light, for she's too good and strong a card for us to lose. But in losing her head over Venner, and jealously doing up that girl to-day, she has given the Carters a clew by which to track us." ”

“ Venner turned upon him with a half-smothered snarl of contempt.
"Bah! You'd be afraid of your own shadow, Garside, if left alone with it," he sneered, between his white, even teeth. "Necessary—of course it was necessary! Otherwise, I should not have adopted the ruse. We are about to attempt a big game—an infernally big game! When it matures, when it is finally launched, the very first concern that finds itself bitten will rush to Nick Carter for aid." ”

“ The fiery bolt reached the earth—but it reached it through the rod to which Dave Kilgore was desperately clinging.
Not a sound came from the doomed man as he went down—or if there was a sound, it was drowned by the deafening crash and successive reverberations of thunder.
Before Nick had fairly recovered from the blinding light and terrific concussion, he heard the voice of Chick yelling loudly from below:
"Nick, Nick, come down here! The house is afire. The whole house is afire!" ”

“ Venner were only here!"
"You can send a messenger for him later, or dispatch one of your servants from here," suggested Nick.
"I have none here," sobbed Cervera. "They are all out, and I am alone. I have no one—"
She suddenly stopped, then drew herself up with resentful dignity, and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I am a fool to be so weak!" she exclaimed, bitterly. "Detective Carter, I know nothing of the crime you mention. I never heard of Mary Barton. This arrest is an outrage, and I will appeal to the highest court in the land for vindication!"
"That's your privilege," said Nick, shortly. ”

“ It is impossible that you, Señora Cervera, could be guilty of any evil, or know aught of so accomplished a knave as David Kilgore, or any of his clever gang."
A shrewder move could scarce have been conceived. That Nick would thus have declared himself in the very presence of Kilgore, if known to him, seemed utterly absurd; and the eyes of both Kilgore and Matt Stall were aglow with a vicious amusement and satisfaction much too genuine to be entirely concealed. ”

“ Pale and resentful, with a sneer on her lips, Cervera led the way through, the hall, playing her part so artfully that Nick, ignorant of her late interview with Rufus Venner, was not much inclined to suspect her of duplicity just then.
Upon reaching the top of the hall stairs, Cervera switched on another light, and then that which illumined her chamber, into which she haughtily led the detective.
"A fine affront to suffer," she bitterly exclaimed, throwing herself into a chair. "Your conduct is despicable! You are no gentleman!" ”

“ You were lucky to escape, Detective Carter."
"And you'll be lucky if you escape Detective Carter," sternly retorted Nick, quickly stamping out the fire. "I'll finally land you, my crafty young woman, though I lie awake nights to devise a way."
Cervera gave vent to a shrill, vindictive laugh.
"Do you think you can do it?" she demanded, mockingly.
"You'll find that I can."
"Better men than you have tried—and failed." ”

“ As he sat watching her, Nick was reminded of her matchless work upon the stage, thrilling men and women alike with her wild grace and the fiery passion of her indescribable dances.
She returned to confront him after a moment, crouching before him, with her glowing eyes fixed on his.
"In the next world—not in this!" she now replied, with a voice that cut the air like the snap of a whip. "You'd have brief time for repentance in this."
"So you've decided to do the job, have you?" Nick coolly demanded. ”

“ Pylotte now replied. "The man I spoke of, John David, swindled me yesterday with two artificial diamonds."
"Ah! is that so?" cried Nick, with a significant glance at Chick. "What is your name, my man?"
"Jean Pylotte, sir."
"Who are you, and where do you live?"
"I am a Frenchman by birth, and arrived in New York only this week. My home is in Denver. I am a diamond cutter by trade, and came here to buy some gems for a Denver woman of wealth, who wishes to obtain a certain size and quality." ”

“ You are jealous again."
"A woman who loves as I love is always jealous."
"Of whom now?"
"You know of whom."
"I tell you I have not seen Violet Page since the theater closed."
"I have only your word for it," repeated Cervera, with incredulity bright in her sensuous eyes. "You know what I told you, Rufe. I'll not tamely permit that pale-faced nightingale to come between you and me. You know what I told you. I would kill her as I would a—a snake!"
Despite his own stiff nerves, Venner recoiled from the look on the woman's desperate face. ”

“ Carter, I come to you in despair, a girl without friends or advisers, and who knows not whither to turn. I have been told that you have a kind heart, and that you are the one man able to solve the dreadful mystery which—"
Nick checked her pathetic flood of words with a kindly gesture.
"Calm yourself, Miss Page," said he, in a sort of paternal way. "Resume your chair, please. Though I am somewhat pressed for time just now I will give you at least a few moments."
"Oh, thank you, sir!"
"Be calm, however, in order that we may accomplish all the more."
"I will, sir." ”

“ She was clad in the black dress in which she had escaped from Nick the previous night, the somber hue of which was relieved only by occasional flashes of her dainty white lace underskirts, as she swept quickly from place to place, with her lithe figure crouching at times, and her every movement as swift and impulsive as that of a startled leopard. ”

“ You have been duped—swindled—robbed of four thousand dollars' worth of gems! Raymond was an impostor—a crook—"
"Venner—hush! You are losing your head," protested Garside, white with dismay. "It's enough that we have lost the stones, so at least keep your head. Waste not a moment. Notify the police. Telephone at once for men from the central office."
"Blast the police! The central office be hanged!" cried Venner, choking down an oath of wrathful contempt. "I'll have none of your police—none of your central office men! I want a detective—not an effigy of one!" ”

“ He is the greatest detective in the country—and the greatest will be none too clever, nor too expensive, for those who find themselves duped by our unparalleled design."
"I should say so."
"What will be the result, Philip?—what will be the result?" added Venner, with a curious mingling of exultation and asperity. "If our victims appeal to Nick Carter for help—are we not also already in his good graces? Have we not insured his confidence in us by this little move of to-day? ”

“ Pylotte. I want you to go with me. I think you are the very man I want."
"Go with you!" exclaimed Pylotte, drawing back.
"If you please," said Nick, politely. "I want, at least, to hear more of your story."
"But who are you, sir?"
"My name is Nick Carter."
"Not the celebrated detective?" cried Pylotte, with feigned amazement.
"Precisely."
"That's quite sufficient, Mr. Carter!" the Frenchman now cried, with much bowing and scraping. "I'll go with you when and where you wish. If any man can run down these swindling ruffians, sir, you certainly are the man."
"Thanks," said Nick, dryly. ”