“He’s lying under the stairs, at the rear of that house on the corner, bound and gagged.”
“Why?” asked Patsy and Nick together.
“You see, it’s like this,” said Chick, laughing. “After I had tracked them to that corner and saw them both go into the house, I sneaked into that back yard, and was going to try the stairs, when I struck the unknown coming down. It was him or me right on the jump. I was afraid he would give the alarm, and I gave him the garrote so that he couldn’t holler. I went through him to see if he had anything we wanted, and, finding nothing, I tied him up and put a gag on him and threw him under the stairs, where he couldn’t make any trouble for a while.”
“Come on, boys,” said Nick. “We’ve got no time to lose.”
The three detectives hurried to the corner, and entered the barroom, stopping only long enough for Nick to say to the barkeeper:
“I am Nick Carter. These are my two aids, Chick and Patsy. We’re going upstairs, and if you give so much as a whistle of alarm, it will be all day with you. Do nothing, say nothing, and stay right here.”
The three then rapidly passed through the door into the hall, and so upstairs to the second floor. Here Nick said:
“Go to that front door in the hall. When I whistle, break it in. Patsy, follow me.”
Chick did as he was directed, and Nick, followed by Patsy, went to that door which led from the hall into the bedroom.
Together both placed their shoulders to the door, and, exerting their united strength, burst it open with a crash.