trength of his arms to the utmost, he
literally picked it from the floor and hurled it over his head, while he
was practically lying on his back.

Then, kicking the chair from under him, and half rolling over--realizing
in that instant that Madge could not possibly get upon her own feet as
quickly as he could on his--he leaped to his knees, and threw himself
forward across the now empty space which the table had occupied, and so
managed to seize the skirt of Black Madge's dress.

One jerk of his strong arms pulled her toward him, and the next instant
he had seized her, and by passing one arm around her neck clapped his
hand over her mouth, thus preventing her from calling out.

Although she struggled fiercely, clawing with her hands, and kicking
with her heels, and attempting vainly to scream, the confusion in the
room was so great that no one was conscious of what she was doing, save
Nick Carter himself, who held her.

And Nick knew that behind the bar, almost midway in its length, there
was a small door, which connected with some sort of an apartment back of
it. What that apartment was, he did not know, other than that he had
seen Grinnel pass out and return through that small door twice since he
entered the place; and he concluded that it must be sort of a retiring
room, possibly a private office of the proprietor.

The door was not tall enough for a man to pass through standing in an
upright position, and it was considerably narrower than an ordinary
door; but all the same, to Nick's idea, it offered a safe and secure
retreat for the moment, if he could but succeed in reaching it.

What was beyond it, he did not know. But it was enough for him, that, if
he could get past it before the lights were turned on again, he at least
would be out of that crowded room, and have time to catch his breath,
and determine what it was best to do.

He regarded Chick as entirely competent to take care of himself.

Therefore, the instant that he seized upon Madge, and stopped her
screaming by clapping his hand over her mouth, he pulled himself to his
feet, and, holding her struggling form firmly, he carried her safely
across the space which intervened between him and the end of the bar--a
space which he knew would be practically clear of impedimenta at the
moment.

Nick figured that Grinnel, having turned off the lights, would stand
silently with his hand upon the switch ready to turn them on again in an
instant.

If he co