as, I judged, glad to get rid of me at my corner. It had been his
instruction to leave the car there too, no doubt, but my discovery of
him drove the little man one block farther. I waited till he got off and
waved a hand at him before I walked to the Graymount. For me it had been
a very entertaining little adventure, but I am inclined to think he
found it embarrassing.

The program of my movements which I had given him was accurate enough.
Dinner finished. I went to my room for a cigar, after which I called up
a taxi.

I selected an ulster with a deep collar, and in the right hand pocket I
dropped a revolver, but not before I had carefully examined the weapon.

As I stepped into the taxi the vest-pocket edition of Nick Carter with
whom I had ridden up from the city a few hours earlier darted out from
the alley where he had been lurking. Again I waved a hand derisively
toward him. The chauffeur threw in the clutch and we moved swiftly down
the hill. The little sleuth wheeled off in the direction of the nearest
drug store.

"He's going to call up Bothwell to tell him I've gone," was my guess.

For perhaps a quarter of an hour I had the chauffeur drive me about the
city, now fast, now slow, crossing and recrossing our track half a dozen
times. When I was finally convinced that no other car was following mine
I paid the driver and dismissed him.

Catching the nearest street car I rode down to Market Street. It was a
cool night, so that I was justified in turning up my coat collar in such
a way as to conceal partially my face.

Inconspicuously I stepped into the Argonaut and up the stairs to
Blythe's room.

Sam met me at the door and nodded in the direction of No. 417.

"He went out half an hour ago."

"I'll bet he got a telephone message from little Nick Carter first," I
grinned.

Three minutes later we were in Bothwell's room. Since it was probable
that he was making himself at home in mine it seemed only fair that we
should do as much in his.

We did. If there was a nook or corner within those four walls we did not
examine I do not know where it could have been. Every drawer was opened
and searched for secret places. Bedposts, legs of chairs and tables, all
the woodwork, had to undergo a microscopic scrutiny. The walls were
sounded for cavities. We probed the cushions with long fine needles and
tore the spreads from the beds. The carpet and the floor underneath were
gone over thoroughly. Blythe even took t