CHAPTER XXVIII.
BLACK MADGE CAUGHT IN A TRAP.
But the flaring up of the match also developed another rather startling
fact, and that was the presence of Curly, who, with the bartender, Phil,
was standing directly behind Chick.
The light also discovered Nick Carter to the others, as it discovered
them to him, and, although it burned but a moment, it was a revelation
to all the parties concerned. It was Phil, the bartender, who acted more
quickly than the others in this somewhat confusing moment of the
encounter, for, with admirable presence of mind, he stepped quickly
forward, and, reaching out his hands, managed to pull the others toward
him until their heads were so close together that the faintest whisper
could be heard, and then he said:
"Follow me along the corridor into the front hall. We can talk there."
They did so, and presently they stood together in the front hallway
beside the stairs beyond the hidden doorway which Nick had discovered.
And, during the time they occupied in getting to this point, Nick, who
realized that the disguise he wore was no longer of any importance,
busily engaged himself in removing it, or, at least, the facial part of
it, so that, although in the dark they could not see him, he had
restored himself, nevertheless, to his proper person.
"Now, Curly," said the detective, "tell me what this all means. I don't
understand it at all."
"Let me talk," interrupted Phil. "It's this way, Carter: When you
escaped from the barroom through the little door into the boss' sanctum,
you had no sooner gone than Grinnel switched on the lights again, and
your absence was discovered. Then it was that the whole bunch lit on to
Curly and Chick here, with both feet, downed them, trussed them up, and
when Chick was taken to the cellar below, to feed the rats, if he had
been left there long enough, Curly was fired along with him. I tell you,
right now, Carter, it's all up with Curly in this place. He never can
make himself good with this bunch again as long as he lives, and it's up
to him to light out now, for good and all, unless he wants to turn up
his toes and go to the morgue."
The detective turned to Curly again, and once more struck a match so
that they could all see the faces of one another.
"Is that straight, Curly?" he asked.
"That's about the size of it, Mr. Carter."
"Then," said Nick, "am I to understand that the occurrences of this
evening have released me from my promise to you to make no arrests in
this place, or any arrest of any one who is now in this place within
twenty-four hours?"
"Yes, sir, the promise is all off. You can do as you've a mind to. It
would suit me to a T if you would gather in the whole push."
"Thank you, Curly," said Nick. "That statement of yours lets me out of a
peck of trouble, for having given the promise, of course I would not
break it, and I could not quite see how we could carry this thing
through to a finish without."
He was silent for a moment after that, and then he asked:
"Can I rely upon you, Curly, to stand by me through what is to come?"
"To the last ditch, Mr. Carter," was the emphatic response.
"And you, Phil--what about you?"
"Well," was the slow reply, for the man was evidently considering his
words with very great care, "I guess my usefulness in this place is just
about over. When the boss finds out that Curly and Chick have both
gotten out of the dungeon below, he will know mighty well who it was
that let them out, and that will mean yours truly for the dead wagon in
about fifteen minutes; so I think, Carter, that I'd better tie up to you
while I've got the chance. I am not a crook myself, and never have been
one, although I have consorted with them, and been companions with them
for a good many years."
"And will you see the thing through to the finish, Phil?" asked Nick
again.
"I will do just as Curly said he would do. I'll stand by you to the last
ditch."
"Are you all ready to obey my orders, exactly as I shall give them?"
asked Nick again, slowly.
"We are," came the unanimous response.
"In this case," said the detective, "I am going to make a desperate
effort to find out what a bold stroke will do, and here is my plan: We
will go back together to that door before which I was standing a moment
ago, which, I conclude, from its character, is rather a flimsy----"
"It is that," said Phil.
"And after we get there we will stand silently for a moment, each one of
you preparing for the signal which I shall give. When I say, 'Now,' I
will throw myself against the door, and burst it open, and as I do so,
and leap into the room, you three are to follow me, one after the other,
as quickly as possible.
"You, Phil, will make directly for the electric switch, and you will see
to it, no matter what happens, that the room is not plunged in darkness.
"You, Curly--by the way, have you any weapons about you?"
"I have got two guns in my pocket, all right."
"Very well; you, Curly, the moment you get into the room, will draw your
two guns, and level them at the crowd.
"After that all you have to do is to follow the lead of Chick and
myself, and protect yourselves until the fight is over--if there is a
fight."
"I reckon I can do that, too, Mr. Carter," said Curly.
"I haven't a doubt of it, Curly. I want you to remember not to shoot too
quick, and under no circumstances to shoot to kill, unless it is
absolutely necessary; as a matter of fact, I don't expect that we will
have much trouble, for when they see us in the room, fully armed, and
hear the first words that I shall utter, I think we will have no
difficulty in carrying our point."
There was nothing more said then, and Nick turned away, and led them
quickly back again to the door, near which he had heard the conversation
between Black Madge and Mike Grinnel.
For a moment they stood there, waiting to get their breath, and to
prepare their muscles and sinews and nerves for the ordeal to which they
were about to be put; and then from the detective came a low and
emphatic--"Now!"
The instant that the detective shouted out this word, he plunged
forward, throwing his shoulder heavily against the flimsy door, already
mentioned, so that it was burst from its lock and from its hinges at
the same time, and was sent flying halfway across the room.
But even before the clatter which followed the crash had subsided, Nick
Carter, with a pistol in either hand, had leaped across the threshold,
and with one more bound arrived at the spot directly beside Mike
Grinnel.
Turning the weapon about while he approached, he brought the butt of it
down, with a resounding whack, upon Grinnel's skull, sending him
tumbling to the floor, and then he straightened up, with both arms
extended, and the muzzles of his pistols wavering from form to form of
the astonished throng in the room, and he cried out:
"Hands up, every one of you. I am here after just one person. The rest
of you I don't want, unless somebody interferes with me, and if you do
interfere there are enough outside of this house, without doubt, to take
you all in."
When he leaped across the threshold, the others followed him, as he had
directed, and, having already cautioned Chick in a whisper to look out
for Madge, and feeling sure that the others would do their respective
duties, as he had directed, Nick had no fear whatever of the result.
A collection of criminals assembled as these were are always glad to
hear that there is only one among them who is "wanted," for each one
seems instinctively to know that he is not "it." And Nick Carter knew
the criminal class so well that he was certain that this announcement
would prevent any immediate attack upon him by the twenty or thirty men
who were gathered there.
Having heard this statement, and having, also, taken due notice of his
suggestion that there were plenty of reenforcements outside the
building, although it will be remembered that the detective had not
explained how far outside they were, and remembering that a considerable
time had elapsed since Nick Carter left that room before, they were one
and all willing to wait a moment before beginning what might be an
unnecessary attack, which would be sure to send many of them to prison
before it was over. And so they waited, casting furtive glances at one
another, many of them with their hands upon their weapons, and all of
them ready to fight, if need be, but quite as ready to avoid a fight, if
it were policy to do so.
"Now, listen to me," said Nick Carter. "I came here to-night to get
Black Madge, and I know by the sounds I have heard behind me since I
entered the room just now that she has got a pair of bracelets on her
that she doesn't like to wear. I am going to take her away with me, and
she is going to be sent back to the prison from which she escaped, and
if there is anybody in this crowd that interferes with me, or offers to
do so, it will be very much the worse for that person.
"On the other hand, if I am not interfered with, we shall go away
quietly with Madge, and what the rest of you may do after that does not
concern me. You have my word for it, and you all know that when Nick
Carter gives his word, he keeps it. Now, answer me, somebody, and let
him speak for all. Does what I say go?"
A voice from the far end of the room replied instantly:
"I say it goes, for one."
"Then answer, all of you," said the detective.
"It goes. You bet it goes."
In their eagerness to answer his request, they came near to all shouting
at once.
"Thank you," said Nick, smiling. "Now, I have one more word to say, and
then we will take our departure. There are eight men here whose names I
will call, and I want them each to take this as a warning from me. They
are Scar-faced Johnny; a man called Slippery Al; Surly Bob, whose career
I know; Gentleman Jim, who, for the good of his health, ought to take a
vacation on the other side of the ocean; Joe Cuthbert; Eugene Maxwell;
Fly Cummings; and, last, but not least, is the man who is known as The
Parson, and that same Parson had better get himself out of New York as
quickly as possible.
"I am speaking now to those eight whose names I have mentioned. I know
that you have all joined in with an organization created by Black Madge.
I know, or think I know, the purpose of that organization. I will give
all of you twenty-four hours to get out of the city of New York, and if
any one of you is found inside of the limits of the city after that
time, look out for squalls."
There was a low murmur around the room following upon this speech by the
detective, but whether in protest or approbation, the detective did not
concern himself to discover.
With calm deliberation, he turned his back upon them all, and motioned
to Chick, who had Madge securely handcuffed to his own wrist, to precede
him through the door.
Then he motioned to Curly and to Phil to pass through it also.
And, then, stepping himself to the door, he turned about upon the
threshold, and faced the crowd once more.
"One last word to you all," he said. "He among you who hurts Curly John,
or Phil, the bartender, for this night's work, or attempts to do so,
hurts me. I bid you good night."
It is only necessary to add that, within forty-eight hours of that time,
Black Madge found herself again in the prison of that State for which
she had expressed such abounding contempt, and that, at her trial, which
followed soon after, she was sentenced to serve ten years in the State
prison, where she is at this day.
THE END
"The Temple of Vice" is the title of New Magnet
Series No. 1223, by Nicholas Carter. It is a story
that will thrill you throughout its reading.
NICK CARTER STORIES
New Magnet Library
Not a Dull Book in This List
ALL BY NICHOLAS CARTER
Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that the
books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the work of
a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no other type of
fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of new plots and
situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from all sorts of
troubles and landed the criminal just where he should be--behind the
bars.
The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories
than any other single person.
Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been
selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of them
as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth
covers which sells at ten times the price.
If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet
Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you.
_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_
901--A Weird Treasure
902--The Middle Link
903--To the Ends of the Earth
904--When Honors Pall
905--The Yellow Brand
906--A New Serpent in Eden
907--When Brave Men Tremble
908--A Test of Courage
909--Where Peril Beckons
910--The Gargoni Girdle
911--Rascals & Co.
912--Too Late to Talk
913--Satan's Apt Pupil
914--The Girl Prisoner
915--The Danger of Folly
916--One Shipwreck Too Many
917--Scourged by Fear
918--The Red Plague
919--Scoundrels Rampant
920--From Clew to Clew
921--When Rogues Conspire
922--Twelve in a Grave
923--The Great Opium Case
924--A Conspiracy of Rumors
925--A Klondike Claim
926--The Evil Formula
927--The Man of Many Faces
928--The Great Enigma
929--The Burden of Proof
930--The Stolen Brain
931--A Titled Counterfeiter
932--The Magic Necklace
933--'Round the World for a Quarter
934--Over the Edge of the World
935--In the Grip of Fate
936--The Case of Many Clews
937--The Sealed Door
938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men
939--The Man Without a Will
940--Tracked Across the Atlantic
941--A Clew from the Unknown
942--The Crime of a Countess
943--A Mixed-up Mess
944--The Great Money-order Swindle
945--The Adder's Brood
946--A Wall Street Haul
947--For a Pawned Crown
948--Sealed Orders
949--The Hate that Kills
950--The American Marquis
951--The Needy Nine
952--Fighting Against Millions
953--Outlaws of the Blue
954--The Old Detective's Pupil
955--Found in the Jungle
956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery
957--Broken Bars
958--A Fair Criminal
959--Won by Magic
960--The Piano Box Mystery
961--The Man They Held Back
962--A Millionaire Partner
963--A Pressing Peril
964--An Australian Klondike
965--The Sultan's Pearls
966--The Double Shuffle Club
967--Paying the Price
968--A Woman's Hand
969--A Network of Crime
970--At Thompson's Ranch
971--The Crossed Needles
972--The Diamond Mine Case
973--Blood Will Tell
974--An Accidental Password
975--The Crook's Double
976--Two Plus Two
977--The Yellow Label
978--The Clever Celestial
979--The Amphitheater Plot
980--Gideon Drexel's Millions
981--Death in Life
982--A Stolen Identity
983--Evidence by Telephone
984--The Twelve Tin Boxes
985--Clew Against Clew
986--Lady Velvet
987--Playing a Bold Game
988--A Dead Man's Grip
989--Snarled Identities
990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle
991--The Crescent Brotherhood
992--The Stolen Pay Train
993--The Sea Fox
994--Wanted by Two Clients
995--The Van Alstine Case
996--Check No. 777
997--Partners in Peril
998--Nick Carter's Clever Protege
999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives
1000--The Man Who Vanished
1001--A Battle for the Right
1002--A Game of Craft
1003--Nick Carter's Retainer
1004--Caught in the Toils
1005--A Broken Bond
1006--The Crime of the French Cafe
1007--The Man Who Stole Millions
1008--The Twelve Wise Men
1009--Hidden Foes
1010--A Gamblers' Syndicate
1011--A Chance Discovery
1012--Among the Counterfeiters
1013--A Threefold Disappearance
1014--At Odds with Scotland Yard
1015--A Princess of Crime
1016--Found on the Beach
1017--A Spinner of Death
1018--The Detective's Pretty Neighbor
1019--A Bogus Clew
1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols
1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel
1022--A Bite of an Apple
1023--A Triple Crime
1024--The Stolen Race Horse
1025--Wildfire
1026--A Herald Personal
1027--The Finger of Suspicion
1028--The Crimson Clew
1029--Nick Carter Down East
1030--The Chain of Clews
1031--A Victim of Circumstances
1032--Brought to Bay
1033--The Dynamite Trap
1034--A Scrap of Black Lace
1035--The Woman of Evil
1036--A Legacy of Hate
1037--A Trusted Rogue
1038--Man Against Man
1039--The Demons of the Night
1040--The Brotherhood of Death
1041--At the Knife's Point
1042--A Cry for Help
1043--A Stroke of Policy
1044--Hounded to Death
1045--A Bargain in Crime
1046--The Fatal Prescription
1047--The Man of Iron
1048--An Amazing Scoundrel
1049--The Chain of Evidence
1050--Paid with Death
1051--A Fight for a Throne
1052--The Woman of Steel
1053--The Seal of Death
1054--The Human Fiend
1055--A Desperate Chance
1056--A Chase in the Dark
1057--The Snare and the Game
1058--The Murray Hill Mystery
1059--Nick Carter's Close Call
1060--The Missing Cotton King
1061--A Game of Plots
1062--The Prince of Liars
1063--The Man at the Window
1064--The Red League
1065--The Price of a Secret
1066--The Worst Case on Record
1067--From Peril to Peril
1068--The Seal of Silence
1069--Nick Carter's Chinese Puzzle
1070--A Blackmailer's Bluff
1071--Heard in the Dark
1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel
1073--The Cashier's Secret
1074--Behind a Mask
READ
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STREET & SMITH NOVELS!
They are the cheapest and most interesting reading matter published in
America to-day. No jazz--no sex--just big, clean, interesting books.
There are hundreds of different titles, among which you will find a lot
of exactly the sort of reading you want.
So, when you get tired of rolling around in your Lady Lizzie or
listening to the blah-blah of your radio, hie yourself to the nearest
news dealer, grab off a copy of a good detective, adventure or love
story, and then READ!
Read the STREET & SMITH NOVELS. Catalogue sent upon request.
Street & Smith Corporation
79 Seventh Avenue New York City
Printed in the U. S. A.
[Transcriber's Note: The original edition of this work did not contain a
table of contents. A table of contents has been created for this
electronic edition.
The advertisement containing a list of other Nick Carter stories has
been moved from the front of the book to the back.
The following typographical errors present in the original edition have
been corrected.
In Chapter II, a period was changed to a comma after "who he was".
In Chapter V, a missing period was added after "take me into the fold"
and after "near the tracks".
In Chapter VII, "dregs in you coffee cup" was changed to "dregs in your
coffee cup".
In Chapter XIII, "she heard Madge inquire" was changed to "he heard
Madge inquire".
In Chapter XIV, "lying at full lngth" was changed to "lying at full
length".
In Chapter XVI, "He rose stifly" was changed to "He rose stiffly".
In Chapter XIX, a missing quotation mark was added before "but he sent a
bullet after me".
In Chapter XXII, "that wake of life" was changed to "that walk of life".
In Chapter XXVI, a missing period was added after "too stuck up for my
kind".
No other changes have been made to the original text.]