About this book

A Woman at Bay; Or, A Fiend in Skirts

Nicholas Carter

"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