ls drew their chairs closer, and in a very few minutes
Kilgore had disclosed his entire design, a scheme so recklessly bold
that it brought murmurs of amazement and misgivings from both his
hearers, daring knaves though they were.

"It strikes me, Dave, that it's too long a chance for us to take, this
giving Nick Carter a genuine clew to our game," objected Dalton,
doubtfully.

"But no other clew will answer," declared Kilgore, forcibly. "You
cannot fool Nick Carter with any false move or faked story; I'm already
sure of that."

"So am I," nodded Stall. "He's too wise a guy to fool with."

"We are compelled to give him the real thing, and make him feel that he
is up against a square deal, or no man among us can work the racket,"
added Kilgore. "With my scheme, however, Pylotte is just the covey to do
the job, and land both Carters where we want them."

"And then?"

"Then it's our ability against theirs," snarled Kilgore, "If we go lame,
with the odds all in our favor, we deserve to be thrown down."

"That's right, too," admitted Dalton.

"Will Pylotte undertake this sort of a job, think you?" inquired Matt
Stall.

"Will he?" rejoined Kilgore, with an ugly gleam in his determined eyes.
"He will, or--well, you know! Yes, Matt, he will; and he's just the man
for the job."

The vicious significance with which he spoke plainly indicated that,
though Cervera may have ruled her own roost, there was but one chief of
this gang, and that was Mr. David Kilgore.

He turned sharply about in his chair, and cried:

"Here you, Pylotte! Come and give us your ear! I have work for you
to-night!"

Both Pylotte and Cervera quickly turned and hastened to join the gang at
the table.

For twenty minutes Kilgore's project for outwitting and securing Nick
Carter was earnestly discussed, and every detail of the plan carefully
laid.

Then the four men stole quietly out of the house in company.

It then was a little after midnight.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE CUNNING OF JEAN PYLOTTE.

Kilgore had reasoned shrewdly, in so quickly suspecting that Nick Carter
would lose no time in getting a line on the Venner residence. Even while
the diamond gang were discussing the plan by which to capture the
Carters, the two detectives were at times within a hundred yards of the
secret plant.

It was dark out of doors that night, with only a few stars in the
clouded sky, and the wooded locality and neighboring streets were but
poorly li