“This appears to be a very serious wound,” he said. “It may not be fatal, however. May I ask you how your friend came by such a wound?”
Nick did not tell him how the inspector had been wounded, nor did he tell him that the patient was a police official.
“Do your best by my friend. I will be back to-morrow and see how he is getting along,” said Nick, as he took his leave.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE BLIND BEGGAR.
Five minutes after Nick had driven away from the spot where the encounter had taken place, a dozen rough-looking men had come from the woods and were looking around to see if they could find any trace of the detectives.
They were piloted around by the chauffeur of the taxi, who declared that the two officers had been assaulted and thrown to the ground by Meloy and himself.
“You see,” said the fellow, as he stopped at the side of the road, “we had a desperate fight with the two cops, but we were more than a match for them.”
“But where are they?” asked one of the party.
“Right back of where you are standing,” the other answered.
The party looked back of the woods, but were not able to find any trace of the two detectives; they turned on the driver and were going to call him to account when they saw that he had been injured and that he was out of his mind.