“But there will not be a moment between now and then when the eyes of the gang will not be fixed upon the house, and, if they should discover us——”
“Come with me,” was the only reply which Nick Carter made, and he glided away through the darkness.
The detective had provided himself with a key to the side door, and with that he admitted himself and his companion to the Fells mansion.
The hall was brilliantly lighted, and Nick directed that Tom turn off each light as he approached it.
“We must work swiftly and carefully,” he said. “And Tom, let us start right. It will not be a waste of time to say this much to you. I know you. You are Tom Danton, supposed by all your family, save your sister, to be dead. Hush! I have talked with her about you. She loves her big brother now with the same devotion she gave to him when she was a girl. She only wants you to be good, that is all. To-night do your mightiest, Tom, in working for her, and for your father, and mother, and brother. Your mother was injured this afternoon. She is ill unto death. She may not recover. She and Mercedes must be saved first. After them, your father, who is an old man. You must take your sister to a place of safety. I will take your mother. After that you rescue your father, and after them we will get the others out as fast as we can. Now talk quickly. You were born here. You lived here all through your boyhood. There must be a place where we can take them—some place where, as a boy, you played Indian scout, where these fiends will not find them until we have rescued everybody from the house. Think it up while I make use of this telephone before the fiends cut the wire.”
He seized the receiver and placed it to his ear. The instant he got a reply, he said:
“Quick, Central. There may not be a moment to talk. This is Linden Fells. The house is besieged—is to be burned to the ground. Tell the police; summon assistance——”
He heard a sharp stroke against the wire as if it had been struck with a hammer, and the connection was cut off. He had no means of knowing whether Central had understood him or not, and he knew that he must work on the supposition that no help would come.
“Well?” he demanded, turning to Tom. “Have you thought of a place?”
“Yes. I know the very place. If we only have time and are not seen, we can save them all. Can you carry my mother, Mr. Carter? She is very heavy.”