rl?"

"No. She must have hurried from the steamer."

"Well, La Croix is bound to meet her now."

"Of course."

"Our plan is to keep him shadowed."

"See if we can't get a cab, too."

They pursued the carriage on foot as far as Eighth avenue before they
encountered a public hack and got in.

Instructing the driver to pursue the other vehicle, they were carried up to
Fourteenth street, across town to Broadway and thence up to Twenty-third
street.

La Croix's vehicle paused before the Fifth Avenue Hotel and he alighted.

"We were not misinformed about his address," commented Harry.

"No. He is probably going in there to meet the girl."

"Let's get out here at the Arch so as not to attract his attention."

"Very well. Be careful now."

They dismissed the cab and hurried into the hotel.

La Croix had disappeared from view and the detectives hastened to the
office and said to the clerk:

"Got a party here named La Croix?"

"Yes, sir. They're in room 678. Wish to send up your name?"

"No," replied Old King Brady, with a smile, as he exhibited his badge.

"Oh," said the clerk, "detective, eh?"

"We're after La Croix. He's a crook."

"He is? What has he done?"

"Smuggler."

"I see. How about his wife and daughter?"

"They must be in his game too."

"Going to pull them in?"

"Probably. Is he in his room?"

"He just went up the stairs."

"I wish we could reach his apartments ahead of him."

"So you can by going up in the elevator. It's on the top floor."

"Well try it."

They hastened over to the elevators and found that the only one down was
one which had no conductor in it. As they did not wish to lose time, they
both got in, shut the door and pulled the wire cable.

Up they glided, story after story, without seeing him ascending the stairs.

He had gone up in an elevator from the floor above.

Above on the beams over the elevator shaft La Croix was crouching with a
big hatchet in his hand, as he peered down at the people ascending in the
cars.

He had detected them in pursuit and expecting trouble, he was waiting to
give the detectives a warm reception. He evidently recognized them without
their disguises.

As he caught view of his pursuers coming up in the car, he picked up the
hatchet he had found lying on the beam.

Raising it above his head, he brought it down upon the cable by which the
car was suspended, with all his strength.

The shock caused the Bradys to look up and the