as a deal of homely sense in the words of burly Nick Brower,
and the prince of villains realized it.

"I wanted the girl unharmed, Nick. If she's dead I don't suppose it
can be helped, however; she brought her fate upon herself."

"That she did, Prof."

Professor Ruggles then proceeded to make an examination of the wound
in Nell Darrel's head. He was gratified to discover that the bullet
had merely glanced across the girl's skull without making a
necessarily dangerous wound.

"I will take the girl out of this while you dispose of the detective,"
said Ruggles. "Be sure and fix him so that he will give no trouble in
the future."

"Trust me fur thet," answered the villain Brower.

Then Professor Ruggles passed up the stairs with Nell Darrel in his
arms, just as four men halted at the side door in the alley.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE EMPTY SEAT.

A hand shook the door as Professor Ruggles entered the room. He at
once suspected something wrong, but cared only for his own safety, and
so did not attempt to warn the inmates of Mrs. Scarlet's den of their
danger.

He hurried to the rear of the block, down an upper hall, and as he was
passing into an alley down the back stairs, the four men had burst in
the side door and rushed into Madge Scarlet's dingy sitting-room.

"The beaks are out in force, it seems," muttered Ruggles, as he halted
for a moment on the ground to rest from his exertion. "I hope Nick and
that fool pard of his will finish Dyke Darrel before the cops get onto
them. As for me, I shall turn my back on this accursed town the moment
I am assured that Nell is out of danger. I will be quite secure in New
York, I imagine."

And the red-haired villain made his escape from that building and,
leaving his charge in an out-of-the-way alley, went forth to find a
conveyance to take the wounded girl to a more safe retreat. He
succeeded in finding a hack that suited his purpose, and with his
insensible companion he was driven to another part of the city, on the
West Side. Ruggles had more than one resort in the great Western
metropolis, and after he had placed Nell in a cozy room, with an old
negress to watch over her, he breathed easy once more.

Nell Darrel was badly injured, and for several days she raved in
delirium. When she came to her senses she was weak and almost
helpless. During all this time the black tool of Darlington Ruggles
cared for her in a most kindly manner.

The negress had been instruc