t time it is. Oh, there is a watch in those clothes. Look at it. What
time is it?"

"Half-past two," replied Patsy, imitating the broken voice of the old
man to perfection.

"That's good, Patsy. I refer to your imitation. You will not have to use
it much--possibly not at all; but it is as well to be perfect in your
part all the same. I think we will have time enough for what we have to
do if we hurry."

He led the way rapidly then, back to the valley, where some of the
searchers had already returned, and he found them grouped around the
exit, when they issued from the cave.

But when they attempted to address him, believing him to be Handsome, he
returned no reply, for he had seen Handsome ignore them utterly many
times; but it was Cremation Mike who stepped forward in front of them
as they approached the cabin in which Madge was supposed to live.

"Any luck?" he demanded surlily.

"No," replied Nick, stopping for a moment.

"Look here, Handsome, if that fellow is gone for good, do you suppose
that Madge will do what she said she would?"

"What was that, Mike?"

"Hang me in his place?"

"I shouldn't wonder if she did."

"Say, Handsome, can't you say a word for me with her? Where is she? Can
I see her?"

"You had better keep away from her," suggested Nick.

"No; I want to see her. Take me to her, will you?"

"All right. Come along," replied the detective, and so Cremation Mike
fell in behind them, and followed them into the cabin where Madge was
supposed to be.

But they were no sooner inside the house with the door closed than Nick
wheeled in his tracks, and grasped Mike by the throat, and then struck
him with his fist over the temple. The result was that Cremation Mike
sank to the floor without a sound, and was speedily bound and gagged.

"That's one," said the detective grimly. "There are a good many more,
Patsy."

"Do you expect to get them all, one by one, in that way?" asked Patsy.
"It will take a week to do that."

"No; I have a better plan than that. Wait."

Nick knew of Madge's fondness for trapdoors, and also that she always
kept a large supply of liquors on hand with which sometimes she treated
her men, or some of them. He had no doubt that somewhere in that cabin
he would not only find the liquors he wanted, but also drugs.

There was a trapdoor in the floor of the largest room in the cabin, and
under it was a shallow cellar wherein were several cases of liquors. The
robbery of frei