two who were disguised--what of them?"

"I cannot tell if they are known to each other. I cannot tell whether
they are spies or not, only it is quite likely that they are."

"And the third one? The one who wore no disguise?"

"I think he is all right. He is the one called Pat. When he realized
that the others who had been with him were in disguise, he flew at one
of them, thinking that he had been followed himself, and I think would
have killed the fellow if I had not been there to prevent it."

Madge listened, with a shrug of her shoulders; then she said briefly:

"Bring them here, Handsome. Bring the two who were disguised, first.
Leave the other one alone until I send for him. What are the supposed
names of these two?"

"One is called Tenstrike, and the other calls himself the Chicago
Chicken."

"The Chicago Chicken," she said slowly. "Chick, for short, is it not? I
think we are on the right track, Handsome. Bring that one here
alone--first."

CHAPTER VIII.

THE DETECTIVES FACE A CRISIS.

Chick had committed the folly of not being entirely thorough in the
creation of his disguise; so also had Ten-Ichi; and the soap and
scrubbing brushes, as employed by Handsome, had done the work of
removing it.

But Patsy? Well, it had not been necessary for Patsy to be quite so
thorough, for his own particular person and features were sufficient
disguise, with a few minor alterations and additions.

For instance, at the risk of not having it wear off soon enough to suit
his purposes, he had gone to a professional hair dyer, and had ordered
his shock of hair indelibly dyed to a dirty brick-red; and he had put
spots on his face, and the back of his hands, with nitrate of silver, so
that the spots burned into the skin. No soap and water could remove
these. They would only disappear with time; but Patsy had never traveled
on a reputation for beauty, and he did not give the matter a thought
beyond the immediate necessities.

He had taken another precaution, also, just before he entered the woods
to go to the place of meeting. He had stripped himself in a secluded
place near the railway tracks, and he had rolled himself in the coal
dust around the track, griming the dirt into his body, so that when it
came to the time that Handsome stripped him--well, it can be imagined
how he looked.

A little snuff rubbed thoroughly against his teeth had rendered them
sufficiently discolored, and altogether he so thoroughly lo