male comrade had served out so well. Oscar
desired to follow the leader and he arrived behind a rift of sand in
time to watch them, and he was able to discern the fellow he desired to
shadow. His man made a roundabout tour toward the depot and then started
afoot down the track, not daring to take the train at the Manhattan
station. Our hero, however, proceeded to the station, knowing his man
would board the train at Sheepshead Bay, and his conclusion was
verified, for all three men had arrived at the Sheepshead Bay station
and boarded the train as individuals, not exchanging one word. Indeed,
all had worked a sort of half-and-half transform.

Oscar maintained his seat; he did not go to the car boarded by the men.
He remained one car behind, but he was on the alert lest at any moment
the rascals might desert the train, and so he arrived at Long Island
City. The men went to the Twenty-third street boat, the detective
followed them, and still they kept apart.

"Those fellows are scared," he muttered. "The surprise they got has
taken all the life out of them."

Once in New York the special chap whom he was following walked up
Twenty-third street to First avenue, then he turned down and finally
entered a low tenement house. Oscar was at his heels and noted the house
he entered, and took up a position directly opposite. There were lights
in some of the front rooms, but the windows of the top floor front
reflected no brilliance until a few moments after our hero had taken his
position, when there shot forth from the small windows a sickly gleam
of light.

"Top floor front," was our hero's comment. He had located the room where
the man had entered.

Oscar stood a little time revolving his next move in his mind, and
finally he determined upon the old trick played so often and still
played daily by officers on a quiet "lay."

He entered the tenement house and ascended the creaking stairs, and not
a muscle in his sturdy form quivered, although it was a dangerous
undertaking to enter that sort of a house on such an errand. There was a
possibility that there were a dozen villains scattered around in the
several apartments, for as the old saying has it, "Thieves flock
together."

Oscar, however, was well-armed, cool, strong and agile, and he arrived
in front of the door of the room and heard voices. He peeped in, as the
keyhole was large and there was no key in the door. He saw the man to
whom he had given the sore head, and