wn way; only succeed. That is all the
railroad people desire--success."

"I will get your man; only I won't promise to do it in a day, or a week,
or a month. I won't set a time."

"All right. You shall be your own master in the case."

"I will have to be that--absolutely. After I leave this office, when my
interview with you is finished, you will not see me again until I have
got Hobo Harry in my clutches. You will not communicate with me, or
attempt to do so, and I will not communicate with you."

"That is a little hard, isn't it, Carter? We would like to know, from
time to time, how you are getting on, and what you are doing."

"That is precisely what you will not do."

"All right. Have it your own way. But what about the other men that are
now on the case, Carter?"

"Leave them on it. Add more of them. Appear to increase your vigilance
in other quarters. If there are fifty detectives on the case now, add
fifty more if you wish. I would prefer that you should do so rather than
not. The more the better."

"But suppose that one of them should nab the real Hobo Harry while you
are seeking him. You would lose the reward."

"I will take my chances about that. The point is that I must work
absolutely independent of all others who are on the case, and that
nobody outside of yourself and the board of directors of your company
must know that my services have been called into the matter. Will you
agree to that?"

"Certainly."

"Increase your vigilance on every side, if you can. If you do so, you
will assist me."

"I suppose," said the president slowly, "that it is your plan to become
a yeggman yourself, in pursuing this case."

"It does not matter how I may accomplish it, does it?"

"No; I was merely going to say that that very thing has been tried four
separate times; once with more or less success. But I ought to warn you
that two of the four who attempted it lost their lives; a third is a
cripple for life, minus a leg; and only the fourth, who ended by
arresting the wrong man, after all, had any degree of success. And now
he is frightened almost into imbecility, for his life has been sworn
away by the yeggmen, and he expects to be murdered every time he goes
out alone."

"All the same," said the detective, "that will not deter me."

"You will want money for your expenses, Carter. If you will tell me how
much----"

"I will present my bill of expenses along with my demand for the fifty
thousand dollars r