ck.

As he lay there his hand touched something hot, and he drew it nearer to
examine it.

It was the battered chunk of lead which had come within an inch of
ending his life.

"They meant business, for sure," he said to himself, while waiting for
his quick-witted ruse to operate. "I'm blessed if this affair is not
taking on a new and lively interest. I reckon there'll be more doing
to-night than I gave Patsy to believe.

"Ha, ha! The scoundrels are already breaking cover!"

His alert ears had detected a sound from the direction of the stable,
and now he silently drew his revolver and held it gripped by his side.

Presently the stable door was cautiously opened. Then a momentary beam
of light, evidently from a bull's-eye lantern, shot across the paved
area, and lingered for an instant upon Nick's prostrate figure.

Nick remained as motionless as a corpse.

Then two men, both large and powerful fellows, and both heavily bearded,
came quickly from the stable and hastened toward him.

"Done for with a single shot," remarked one, as they approached.

"Looks like it, Dave," was the reply. "When I piped his head in the
light from the window, I felt sure I could drop him."

"Well done. 'Twas a good shot. Shove your hand inside his vest, and see
if his heart is beating. Then we shall know for sure whether he's down
and out. If not, we must--"

"Throw up your hands, instead, both of you!" Nick sternly interrupted,
half rising with weapon leveled. "At the first move by either, I will
shoot to kill!"

Nick had foreseen that his foxy strategy must be very quickly detected,
and he had resolved to take the bull by the horns, and attempt to arrest
both of his cowardly assailants.

That he was up against uncommon men, however, men of extraordinary nerve
and reckless daring, appeared in what instantly followed, even under the
very muzzle of the detective's revolver.

As quick as a flash, before Nick's threatening command was fairly out of
his mouth, the man called Dave made a kick at the detective's uplifted
arm, so swift and accurate and forceful that Nick felt the bones of his
wrist fairly crack under the blow, and the fingers of his hand gripping
the weapon turned numb and tingling as if from an electric shock.

"At him!" snarled the ruffian, even while he kicked. "At him, I say!
Quick--the pear!"

It was plain that these men were not doing such desperate work together
for the first time. Both fell upon Nick like