oked his part
that Handsome, when he stripped him, had not the slightest doubt of his
reality.

But the frauds connected with Chick and Ten-Ichi were easily detected.

Black Madge, while still seated at the table with the detective, had
suddenly recalled the name that had long ago been mentioned in her
presence by the chief of the Paris police. It had come to her in a flash
that the name was Nick Carter--and that this man who was so calmly
seated in her presence was Nick Carter.

Madge knew a great deal more about Nick Carter than Nick supposed she
did; she knew all about his household, and about his assistants. She
knew their names as well as if they were followers of her own--and when
Handsome, in mentioning the names of the other men, had talked about
Tenstrike and the Chicken, she had connected the names at once.

As for the other one--Pat--that had a significance also; but Pat is a
very common name, and she did not do herself the honor to suppose that
Nick Carter would bring all three of his assistants into the woods with
him in search of her. One, she thought, would have to be left behind to
look after the business, and, therefore, she was all the more ready to
believe that Patsy, since he was not in disguise, was one of her own
kind, who had inadvertently fallen into the company of the detectives.

Handsome and four other men accompanied Chick to the cottage, and when
he stood before Madge she looked him over from head to foot with cold
scorn.

"So," she said venomously, "you thought to deceive me, did you--you and
your master?"

Chick made no reply, and, after a moment, she went on:

"We have a way of ridding ourselves of such men as you are, when they
come among us. It is not pleasant for them, but it serves as a lesson to
others. Step inside the house. Take him inside, Handsome. Let the others
wait out here, and if there is the slightest sound of a row inside the
house let them enter it at once."

When the three were in the room together, she said to Chick:

"You observe that I know who you are?"

Chick nodded--and he also smiled.

She stamped her foot upon the floor under her, and continued:

"Down there, beneath us, unconscious and chained to the wall, is Nick
Carter. Even Handsome did not know that till now. He did not know that
Dago John, who went with him last night to rob the bank, was no other
than Nick Carter. But it is true, Handsome."

"Gee!" breathed Handsome, his fingers twitching.