tective, who always went well supplied with funds, took a roll of
bills from his pocket, and slowly counted out one hundred dollars,
which, without a word, he handed to the bartender.

"I am going to take you at your word, Phil," he said slowly, "and that
is the first installment only of what I shall give you if you perform
the service well and thoroughly, and do exactly as I instruct you to do,
no more, and no less."

"And if I do it all as you tell me to do, how much more do I get?"

"Listen, and I will tell you."

"I'm listening, you bet your life."

"I came here to-night, Phil, with my first assistant, Chick; he is
downstairs somewhere now, probably bound and gagged and thrown under a
table, or behind the bar, or locked up in a closet. I want you to go
down there, and find out exactly what has become of Chick, and what has
happened to him. I want you to pick up all the information you can about
what has happened there to-night--that is, what they are saying about
it. You will have to remain there perhaps half an hour to accomplish
this, and all of that time you must be extremely careful not to let it
appear that you know anything about me at all."

"Well, and after that, what am I to do?"

"When you know what has become of Chick, and where he is now, figure out
the best way in which we can set him at liberty at once, or, if you can
manage to do it before you return to me, do it. If you succeed in
setting him at liberty yourself within the next half hour, I will,
before the sun goes down to-morrow, give you nine hundred dollars more,
and that will be a pretty good nest egg for you, Phil."

"I'll do the job, you needn't fret."

"Wait, there is another thing."

"Well, sir?"

"If you find that you cannot liberate him yourself without assistance,
you are to return to me at once, and we will plan together how it can
best be accomplished. When we have done that, if through your aid I
succeed in getting Chick safely away from here, you shall have the nine
hundred plunks extra just the same."

"On the level, Carter?"

"Yes, on the level, Phil. I mean every word I say."

"Well, I'm the huckleberry that can do it."

"Wait, Phil, before you start, there is one more thing still."

"What! another?"

"Yes. This. After we have gotten safely out of this pickle, and the
place has quieted down, it will be up to you to find out for me where
Black Madge hangs up her clothes. It is important, Phil, that I should
get