s--it made no difference to her which one.

And now, while she threatened the detective with death if he should make
any overt omission, she was eagerly casting about in her mind how to get
him entirely into her power to do with as she would without alarming the
others that were present there.

She knew that Nick Carter understood and realized the danger as
thoroughly as she did; but she also knew that he was extremely
resourceful whenever danger threatened, and that she might only count
upon him as captured and overcome entirely when he was bound and gagged,
or dead, before her.

As for Nick, when Madge uttered the threat to him, he returned her gaze
steadfastly, at the same time reaching out a little farther with the
hand that was resting upon the table, and then he replied, quietly and
in the same low tone that she had employed:

"I took every one of those things into consideration, Madge, when I came
here. Now, I want to know if you intend to shout out that name, and give
the alarm, as you have threatened to do, or if you will sit there
quietly where you are, pretending to be interested in the drink in front
of you, and talk it over calmly."

She shrugged her shoulders, and again leaned back in her chair, but at
the same time drawing it a little nearer to the table.

"As you please," she said. "I don't care to precipitate matters and
break up the party here unless you force me to do so--at least, not just
yet."

"Madge," said Nick, "you think that you have me in your power. You
believe that by shouting out my name I would be killed. That is
doubtless quite true, but before that killing was accomplished I should
have done a little execution on my own account, and Chick, who is here
beside me, is quite ready to do his part. As for Curly, he is an
innocent party in this affair, so we won't consider him at all, although
you must admit that he would have to take the consequences of bringing
me here, which would be far from pleasant."

She nodded, and smiled at him fiercely, and then she replied:

"Go on. You were about to tell me that in the sleeve of that arm, which
is extended toward me over the table, you hold a weapon with which you
could kill me before I could give the alarm a second time. Very well I
know it, but all the same I am not afraid of it, Nick Carter, any more
than I am afraid of you, and you know that I have never been that."

"I know," said Nick.

"Go on, then," she repeated. "What do you w