LUCK AND SKILL RUN OUR HERO INTO A GREAT "OPENING" ON TO THE BIG ORGANIZATION, AND LIGHT STRIKES IN VERY DARK CORNERS.

It is not necessary to explain to our readers our hero's great hold on the man Credo; but he knew his man well and knew that when Credo said, "I am with you," the fellow did mean just what he said. Credo led our hero to a rear room and once there he remarked:

"It's dead against me what I am doing. I had a big stake in this enterprise."

"You haven't lost one, old man, the lines are drawn close."

"That's all right so far; but is it necessary that I tumble from anything you may pick up to-night?"

"No, you are safe; you will not come into it."

The man's face was at once wreathed into a smile.

"I know you, Mr. Dunne."

"Yes, and I mean it. You will not in any way be involved."

"They need never know that I keeled 'em over?"

"Never."

"You know your business. When you talk you know what you say. I am satisfied, and I am going to let you into a secret, Mr. Dunne. I can fix you out just lovely. You will have the whole business, for the king-pin is to be here to-night. You'll get the muggs of all the big men. If you were ready to close in you couldn't have a better chance; for as I said the king-pins will all be here to-night. But I don't see how I can run clear of suspicion."

"I tell you that in no way will you be involved. I will open up from another quarter. What I pick up here to-night is only side evidence. I've got almost all I need."

"And you won't forget me?"

"No, sir."

"You know I've always been faithful."

"You have, and it's a good streak of luck that they covied right here in your den."

"Yes, they have covied here for a long time."

"Are you into this affair?"

"Only partially. I am not one of them, but they have paid me well; never asked me to go in."

"Then you can't locate anything?"

"Only the men."

"You know them all?"

"Only the big fellows, and they will all be here to-night. Their big gun, the boss of all of them, is in town, and to-night he receives reports up there. Yes, sir, you will get it all. Is it luck or Dunne?"

"It's a little of both, old man."

"You've got it good, that's all. You are against the deck every time, and I did not look to you for a drop in on this thing—no, never. But you've got it all; yes, sir, that's certain."

The man Credo carefully locked the door leading into the room where he and the detective stood. He then disclosed a remarkable sight to Dunne. He slid aside a movable panel covered with paper at the side of the projecting fireplace and revealed a door. Oscar stared.

"You see, I like to know what's going on, Mr. Dunne. I made this little arrangement myself. No out knows of it but you. This opens into the chimney, and there you see a spiral staircase that leads up to the room where the meetings are held. When these chaps come here I always give them that one room, and I have gathered some strange secrets at the head of those steps. You see I've let each party into the arrangements of the room where they meet. They think I have prepared for them a wonderful meeting place. I have arranged for escapes to the roof. Indeed, I've got all manner of ingenious contrivances for them; but you and I are the only ones who know of this little arrangement here. Yes, I am credited for picking up a great deal of criminal news. There's where I get it, up there, and there is where you will get it to-night. I've given you the whole business, Mr. Dunne."

Oscar fixed his keen eyes on his man, and a cold chill ran around our hero's heart. He knew in some things he could trust the man, and he also knew that his own death would relieve Credo of many terrors. He knew that away down in his heart Credo hated him, and there was something suspicious in the revelation the man was making. It struck our hero that the fellow was acting with too much readiness. There was no need for the man to discover this very important secret. Was it possible that Credo was putting up a job to do away with the man who held him in his power? It was indeed possible at least, and our hero was slow and cautious. He did not intend to be trapped like a mouse nibbling at a piece of cheese. The idea of honor among thieves is a myth. A rogue is a rogue all the time, and criminals will betray a companion or a friend ninety-nine times out of a hundred. There is no romance in crime; it is always a dark record.

"Credo," said Oscar, "you have it nicely arranged here."

"Yes, sir, it's perfect for the matter you have in hand."

"What matter have you in hand?"

"You know."

"Do I?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"I get the information and trade it. I've traded valuable information to you."

"That is true, and between us it is business. You were not aware that I was on to this arrangement?"

The man stared.

"No, I was not."

"Well, I am going to avail myself of this trick staircase, but keep very shady. Some of the lads are outside; they must not close in if I am gone some time. Give them a signal when they rush in, or they might do something rash. The rest of the fellows have not the confidence in you that I have, and they might suspect something. Be on the lookout, and if necessary show one of them where I am, for my orders have been very strict."

There was no misunderstanding on the part of Credo. He smiled and said:

"I take what you mean. No, no, I've no such notion. It's business with us; that's right. I am not going to free myself this way, and here it is on the square. I'd rather make a stake this way, for if a man dies, he dies sudden—he don't linger."

"We understand then?"

"Yes."

"All right, I am going to take in the meeting upstairs."

Oscar drew his mask lantern, slipped into the opening after a thorough examination of the whole contrivance and then he said:

"Close the door, old man, close the door."

The door did close and immediately our hero opened it. He looked out and said:

"Play very close to-night, Credo: don't let your customers, if you have any, fall to us."

"The people are all at a ball. I'll have no visitors to-night except it may be a straggler."

"All right, close the door."

Oscar believed he had taken every precaution, and indeed he had; and under all the circumstances he was very cool, but for him it was a big night and the most important consequences were destined to follow, and he knew it.

With his lantern properly adjusted he ascended the stairs and in good time arrived at the place where he was to take in his news. He had been fully instructed and he found everything just as the man Credo had stated. Well, the arrangement was indeed a good one, and he mentally concluded:

"That fellow Credo is a genius; it's a pity he is not an honest man."

Oscar could see into the room and could overhear every word—almost hear a whisper, so cunningly had the eavesdropping trap been contrived. Oscar peeped in, and there was his siren, and there also was his whilom friend Girard. He and the siren were alone. Both wore a pleased look upon their faces; they were in a merry mood, and the man Girard said as our hero got fixed to take in their sayings:

"He thinks himself a very smart fellow."

"Don't make any mistake; he is a smart fellow—the smartest fellow that ever started out to shadow us, and he would be too much for us but for one fact."

"And what is that?"

"He is honest and sympathetic, otherwise I would never have succeeded in fooling and getting him in tow, but now I've got him."

"You feel assured of that?"

"I do. I've secured him on the only weak side he's got. He is the hardest man to secure I ever started out to gain, but I've gone for him on just the right tack. I will handle him with care; I will learn all he knows. I will learn just who is working in with him, and then——"

"What then?"

"Alas! it's sad to think of it. He is a good fellow, but he must walk the plank like the rest of them."

"Look out you don't lose your heart to him."

The woman laughed in a merry manner and said:

"I've won his. I can read it in his eyes."

"Woman's vanity," thought Oscar, and he did mutter: "That is her weakest point."

"You have measured pretty well. What is your conclusion?"

"I'll tell you; he is going it alone. He is the only one who has any points on us; of that I am certain. But, as I said, I'll woo until I know just who is in with him, if any one."

At that moment the talk was interrupted and three men entered the room. Well, our hero was surprised. One of the men he recognized at a glance and he muttered: "Can it be possible?"

As the three men entered Girard rose to his feet and greeted the man whom our hero had recognized. He exclaimed as he extended his hand:

"Redalli, I am glad to greet you, and let me tell you that you have arrived just in time."

"Bah! I've heard all about it. You gentlemen are too easily frightened. There is nothing to fear."

"That man is now known as Redalli, eh?" muttered Oscar, and there came a gleam in his eyes which few could read.

"We do not scare, as easily as you think, Redalli. I tell you there is a man on our track who is quietly running us down, and if we do not dispose of him he will spoil all our work of years."

"We will dispose of him; but what have you gentlemen been doing? Why did you not dispose of him?"

"We have completed our plans."

Girard proceeded and related all the arrangements for disposing of Oscar and all the other men who might be working with him. Redalli listened attentively and finally said:

"That is all right; but, gentlemen, we will make a fortune anyhow. We can move on while these men are locating us. We are all ready to shoot forth one of the greatest floods ever sent driving over this or any other land; in fact we will sweep over Canada and Mexico. I have managed our affair, I believe, in a satisfactory manner. One day this week all the agents will be in New York. We will distribute the stuff and send them abroad. The sweep will commence in three days. Under our present arrangements we will have gathered in several millions of dollars. No such plan was ever attempted or worked out."

"How many agents are there?"

"There are eleven men."

"And where are all the documents?"

"Here in New York."

"Where are the plates?"

"The plates are all here in New York."

"Where will the distribution be made?"

"I have secured a furnished house. In that house we will have all the goods and all the plates. The latter we will bury in the cellar, there to lie forever until New York shall crumble and some future archÆologist digs them up from the ruins to be put on the shelves of some future museum. Yes, everything is complete."

"But these detectives?"

"We will go ahead and dispose of them. There must be no mistake. We will secure them, take them on board a vessel we can secure, run them out to sea, hang them and throw their bodies heavily-weighted overboard. That is the plan; so let our good girl there, Libbie, carry out her plan. I am here now; there will be no surprises, no rushing in of detectives. I will have a well-armed and drilled force who will nail them all, and we will quietly dispose of them. The game is all in our own hands. We have nothing to fear. Our organization is too large, too far-reaching; and when once we have made the sweep we will make good our agreements and free every member of the gang that has been arrested. Yes, we will free them all, and as to the officers we will say good-by to them after the sweep and sail away to enjoy a heaven such as Mahomet has described. Yes, it's all right; let Libbie play her game. In another ten days the cyclone will have passed and we will all be rich men—rich as Monte Cristos, dead sure."

Oscar could hardly believe his own ears. It was the most wonderful "pick-up" of his whole career; and again was it proven how crime, in spite of the most skillful precautions, is always sure to walk into its own trap in the end.

Our hero lay low for over an hour and learned some additional facts of the utmost importance. Indeed, he had men and evidence. He knew it would be the greatest close-in since a detective force had been organized. It would beat all records. He had the names of every one of the leaders. He had the lead-up to the places where the manufactured goods were to be stored. He had the hour when the gang would assemble, and he determined upon one of the most dramatic of denouements.

Oscar stole down the stairs. He passed to the door of the room and summoned Credo. To the man he said:

"Credo, your fortune is made, unless——"

"I understand. You need not fear me when I know you have them dead to rights, as you must have them after a lay-in up in that eavesdropping den of mine. No, no, they will get no hint from me. I am not in with that gang. I am in with you, and you've got 'em, and I am glad. They have not used me right anyhow."

"Then you fully understand?"

"I do."

"All right."

Oscar stole forth and Cad Metti joined him.

"What have you made out, Oscar?"

"Cad, we've worked up the job of our lives. We've got the whole business. Now then, you lay to my trail, for I must shadow Redalli."

"You've got him?"

"Yes."

"And the woman?"

"You were right. She is a siren indeed, but I will amuse her. Good-night for the present. Go, for here comes our game."