A Woman at Bay

y. He realized that now the entire situation depended solely upon him, and that

o which he had been conducted blindfolded. Around him were men, all ready at any instant to take his life for the merest excus

he inclination on his own part to make some sort of signal would be too strong for him to re

he halted, and waited there for Handsome, for he guessed that the man wo

ye tell me what is to

y mind about that ye

left to you

tain

ine. I wish it was l

you do to

n 'em, b

ome l

he said. "However, it is likely th

that sam

an is thrown into that, he sinks out of sight in a few minutes, and that is the last of

's unhealthy, it is; but I'll go a

ore he started long enough to select a long, strong rope that he had seen nea

tling; and then, after a little, he found an opportunity to linger arou

rds; but his voice was good, and it attracted attention, even among that motley

, which Ten-Ichi had taught him to speak perfectly;

to the pit, spread out your arms. And also spread out your legs. Keep as still as possible so as not to sink too fast. I will be there as soon as I can do it. I will throw you the end of the

ure that Ten-Ichi had heard and understood, and would c

o sing to Nick Carter; but each time he was stopped an

rescued Chick and Ten-Ichi I will have them to help me, and then it

procession followed them. The hands and feet of the prisoners were not bound, for it was desired that they should flounder in

something to seize hold of; and the operation of sinking was so slow, and the hoboes had seen it so many times, that they had lost interest in it; so that almost at once after Chick and Ten-Ichi were thrown in they be

he found an opportunity to leave them, an

es had sunk almost to their armpits; but in an instant Patsy found

been unsuccessful. But with Chick and Ten-Ichi straining for their lives at one end, and Patsy pulling on the other as

I have seen him. He is chained to the wall in the cellar. If you get a chance before I do, overcome that beast of a sentinel, who is walking up and down near the house. I'll go back through t

quarreling, and they had taken the centre of the glade to settle their differences; and

a single glance upon what was taking place, he hurried silently past them-it was almost dar

had just turned to retrace his steps; this made him assume a position with his back toward Patsy, and in an instant the young athl

Ten-Ichi, none too gentle, now that his anger was aroused, rapped the sentinel on the he

en the three assistants of Nick Carter leaped forward toward the door of the cottage, realizing that at any insta

ned directly in front of them, and Nick Carter appeared bef

ted backward; and then he re

ith some of her own stuff. There's plenty of it in the house. Get into the woods, all of you, over

concealed themselves, they presently saw a blaze flare up inside the house; then another, and then another,

. "Watch that upper

m of a woman standing there, outlined against the blazing fire; and if they had not known differently, there

ive. "It was done to keep the attention of the crowd

crowds now; and they saw the figure of the

ef-Black Madge, otherwise Hobo Harry, the Beggar King, as she preferred to

, believing that Nick's dummy at the window was she; and then danced and shou

he detective. "This

t a sign of life within it; they hurried down the path among the alders toward th

hase; and then, with the strength of desperation, and guided by Nick, who had been twice over the route without being b

s they climbed the grade of the railway. "If only a

of Madge into the care of Chick, leaped out upon the track between the rails, and, at the risk of his

ather slowly. The engineer saw the frantic appea

alamont. She jeered at her captors, assuring them that she would be free a

York, pretty thoroughly tired out by their ex

president of the E. & S. W. R. R. Co., and tol

stir about it. But I know where the loot is concealed, and if you will raise a hundred men for me I will go back and clean out that swa

o carry out Nick's plans, but th

the time Nick and his force of railroad employees reached the place, the gang had fled, and the people o

and matches, and what they could not destroy in that way they blew up w