Nick made a hasty examination of the body and found that, besides the wound in the temple, Sweet had received a knife lunge through each lung.
It was miraculous how he had kept his strength enough to enable him to stagger back into the office.
The inspector and Nick gazed at the body for a moment in sorrowful silence.
“Poor Tom,” said Nick, “you did your best. But, if I live, your cowardly murder shall be avenged.”
The inspector did not know who the murdered man was until Nick explained that Sweet was the man he sent to shadow Weeden and Young.
Immediately after the explanation a general alarm was sent out, so that steps could be taken to arrest the assassins before they had time to leave the city.
After this had been done, Nick and the inspector, accompanied by the young surgeon, made their way to Brooklyn.
They called first on the inspector in charge of the Brooklyn detective bureau, to whom the inspector explained the nature of their business. The inspector was astounded when he learned from Nick Carter the character of Weeden. The man bore such an excellent reputation, for sobriety and honesty, that he could scarcely credit what he heard.
“If you have any doubt as to the correctness of what I have just told you, here are proofs that I am sure will satisfy you,” said Nick.
He handed the inspector a document, and a photograph from the rogues’ gallery, of Boston, numbered 1313.