With Links of Steel, Or, The Peril of the Unknown

Cervera, the latter enveloped in a voluminous black

ing them, a sturdy, roughly clad fellow in a red wig and croppy beard suddenly slouched out of a gloomy

rled away, this rough fellow darted swiftly across the stree

softly cried, as he spra

r's youthful yet exceedingly clever assista

nd since had completed a perfect disguise in the cab, which he had had

ick had not a doubt. Nor was he mistaken. At the end of twenty minutes the clever you

t the cab did not stop. Nick trotted along beside the vehicle for a rod or two, keeping it

them pull up at it just as I reached the corner, so I

approvingly. "Take home the t

ant any help to-night ag

ng to-night, I imagine. Remember the ho

on that, sir. I

that he had not been seen leaving the cab. He darted quickly back of the v

f an imposing stone residence, entirely separate from it

se, then he crossed to the gloom of a doorway on

l appeared to be in darkness, and Nick waited and watched for se

eam, however, appea

maining in darkness, or else they have all of those windows heavily c

suspected an espionage, and are now watching from the gloom of one of those front windows. I'll fool them if that is

his steps to the corner, then crossed the street and presently approached a

ed; so Nick returned to an alley which he had just passed, and which ran ba

gh, wooden fence, crossed two adjoining back yards,

e was equally feasible, and Nick then had th

ooms was brightly lighted, with only the lace draperies

ought Nick, calculating the arrangement of the

t the stable, then stole quickly across the

t having reached a position just below one of them, he sprang up and sei

within, clearly revealing his location, Nick heard a s

i

liar song of a flying bullet-

leaden ball beat itself shapeless

of Nick's ribs, and he knew at once t

their location, and Nick instantly surmised that

ehind him, however. And he knew, too, how to bring

him, Nick let go his hold upon the stone coping and dropped into

ched something hot, and he d

f lead which had come withi

itted ruse to operate. "I'm blessed if this affair is not taking on a new and live

ndrels are alread

irection of the stable, and now he silently dr

eam of light, evidently from a bull's-eye lantern, shot across the

as motionles

ows, and both heavily bearded, came quickl

le shot," remarked on

hen I piped his head in the light from t

s vest, and see if his heart is beating. Then we shall k

ernly interrupted, half rising with weapon leveled.

ly detected, and he had resolved to take the bull by the ho

nary nerve and reckless daring, appeared in what instantly fol

t the detective's uplifted arm, so swift and accurate and forceful that Nick felt the bones of his wrist fairly crack

n, even while he kicked. "At

together for the first time. Both fell upon Nick like wolves up

s revolver, and grappled with the secon

hich Nick thrice wrenched himself free, at the same time fiercely banging the h

oke from the latter, and t

ou, be quick! Th

r his violent efforts to overcome both powerful men,

nents, Nick tried to eject the object

a solid pear, instantly expanded,

wider, and again the pear-shaped

guessed

e the victim of an infernal instrument but seldom seen in these days, and on

ick's mouth was

me of Palioly, the notorious French robber and renegade

interior springs, that, once thrust into a person's mouth, it expands

" or to cry out for aid, the larger the hideous object bec

criminals, Nick would have been warned by the significant wo

nd in the mouth of any ordinary man the "

. Instead, while hands and arms were still engaged in the furious conflict with his assailants, he brought his jaws together as if with

the snapping crunch, and u

d by hurried foot

Venner, and a flood of light revealed the struggl

another minute he would have had them at his

ver, and dealt the detective a s

an ox struck dow

s nothing to the darkness t