ape, by
withholding the information I want, you must be an accessory of his. As
such, you'll have to go to jail!"

The man wilted.

All his lordly, overbearing manners vanished.

Turning as pale as death and trembling like an aspen, he gasped
tremulously:

"For pity's sake don't lock me up. I didn't know the circumstances."

"You're an unmannerly dog."

"I know it, sir. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Promise me to act more civilly in future."

"Yes. Yes. Certainly I shall."

"Then I'll let you go. Let this be a lesson to you. Now, where did he go?"

"He bought a ticket to New York."

"Why didn't you save all this bother by saying so in the first place?"

"I--I--I don't know," stammered the fellow in subdued tones.

Giving him a look of contempt, Old King Brady purchased a ticket for New
York, and said in angry tones:

"For two pins I'd notify the company what a brute you are, and have a
gentleman put here in your place."

And with this rebuke he departed.

He went to a telegraph office and flashed a message to the authorities of
various stations along the line to New York, asking them to hold La Croix
if they caught him on the cars.

He had to wait an hour for a train to Buffalo, and sent Harry a message
telling where he was going.

Finally he was carried away in his train.

The old detective stopped off at every station to which he telegraphed, but
in every instance he received the same answer, that nothing was seen of a
man answering La Croix's description.

That set the detective thinking.

"La Croix was probably keen-witted enough to suspect that we would find his
trail and pursue him. In order to conceal his identity he has doubtless
disguised himself and thus passed through unrecognized. He has got to
dispose of that big lot of diamonds yet. Carrying such a huge amount will
of course attract a great deal of attention. Therefore it should be an easy
matter to find out where he is operating when he reaches New York."

On the following day Old King Brady reached the city.

He instituted inquiries about La Croix at once in the jewelry district, but
no one seemed to have seen him yet.

That did not worry Old King Brady.

He was too astute a man to be discouraged by a trifling rebuff.

"The villain is keeping shady," was the conclusion he arrived at. "He is
going to let the fuss blow over before he exposes his stock. Very foxy, no
doubt, but I'm bound to land on him sooner or later."