n astonishment, "do you mean to say
that you have been inside that saloon to-night?"

"Certainly."

"Would you mind telling me how you got there?"

"Never mind all that, Phil. That is not what I am here for--to explain
things to you. Do you know where Black Madge lives, or where she can be
found besides in this saloon?"

"I don't know anything about her more than I've told you."

The detective looked around the room for a moment, and discovered that
one of its articles of furniture was a tall, old-fashioned pier glass,
which reflected the full length of a person who stood before it. Then he
turned around and commanded the bartender to stand on his feet, studied
his appearance carefully, and then he shook his head.

"It won't do," he muttered.

"What won't do?" asked Phil.

"I was considering the possibility of making myself up in your likeness,
and of venturing in that disguise to go to the saloon," replied the
detective.

"What! right now?" asked Phil.

"Yes."

"And you don't think you could do it, eh?"

"No, Phil. You're too tall and too big. I never could make myself up to
look like you in the world. I will have to think of some other way."

Phil was thoughtful for a moment, while the detective was absorbed in
his own study of the situation, and then he looked up suddenly and
exclaimed:

"Why don't you send me downstairs for you?"

"Because," replied Nick, "the moment you got there you would call up the
whole gang, and have them up here after me inside of a minute."

"I wouldn't, either, Carter. Not if I agreed not to."

"I can't trust you, Phil."

Again that cunning leer came into the dissipated face of the bartender,
and he said quickly:

"You can trust me, if you pay me enough for it."

"A bribed man is usually the first to betray," said Nick.

"Not if the bribe is big enough, Carter."

"Do you mean to say that I can trust you to go down into the saloon and
to come back here presently and tell me exactly what the situation is?"

"You can, if you pay me enough. I told you that before."

"It isn't the question of pay, Phil; that is, the amount of pay. I would
be willing to give you almost anything if I thought you would perform
exactly what I want done, and return to me with the information I
desire, without saying or doing anything to betray my presence here."

"Well, I'm your huckleberry, if you want me to do it. All you've got to
do on your part is to cough up the dough."

The de