OSCAR CONCEIVES A PLAN AND A REMARKABLE DENOUEMENT FOLLOWS—COOLNESS AND PLUCK WIN AGAINST SCHEMES AND CUNNING.

Our hero finally decided upon a plan. He determined to convert an impending tragedy into a farce.

The detective smiled when the lackey volunteered to "do him up," and said:

"I see you wish a little amusement, you fellows. You shall have it. Get the swords. I am a gentleman and I will enjoy slaughtering this ambitious cocky-doodle-doo. He wishes to become mincemeat; I will gratify him. Yes, gentleman, get the swords and the fun shall begin."

The men stared. This was a turn in the affair they had not anticipated, but they were evidently prepared to meet the emergency.

"Who will act as this fellow's second?" asked Girard.

"You need not trouble yourselves, gentlemen."

"Oh, no, you must have a second. Although you are not entitled to any consideration this affair shall be conducted as though you were really a gentleman. Thatford, will you act as the fellow's second?"

"I must respectfully decline," said Thatford. "I am not acting as second in an affair of honor for a low-bred spy and sneak."

The lackey meantime had prepared himself for the affray, and Girard had produced two dueling swords. It looked serious indeed, but there was also an element of farce in the whole affair.

"I will excuse Mr. Thatford from acting as my second."

"Will you accept me?" demanded Girard.

"No, I will not accept you. I anticipated that you fellows might be part of a gang of thieves and I prepared to meet you. No, no, gentlemen, you have not got this all your own way. I do not propose to be murdered like a caged rat, I assure you."

The men glared. There had come a complete change over our hero, and indeed Oscar had laid out his whole campaign.

"You fellows are thieves," he said, "thieves and murderers. I believe you are the parties who murdered a young man who has been missing for some months, and I further believe he was made a victim in some such way as you planned to make a victim of me; but, my dear rascals, I won't have it."

The men began to assume menacing attitudes, while exchanging glances.

It was evident they were surprised, but a greater surprise was in store for them as our hero exclaimed:

"The opening act is over. We will now bring on the tragedy."

Oscar stamped his foot, the door opened, and to the surprise of the men a boyish-looking youth stepped in the room. Indeed they did stare, and Oscar said:

"See, I anticipated your moves. Here is my second; this young man will see that I have fair play."

Girard here spoke up and demanded:

"Who are you? How dare you enter my house uninvited and unannounced?"

The youth assumed a merry demeanor and said:

"I thought there was going to be some fun here and I dropped in; that's all. I like a fight—a good square fight."

The men were evidently unmanned. There was something going on that they evidently did not understand. They were very shrewd men—great schemers. They believed they had played a good trick, but suddenly there came a change in their belief. There had followed a succession of strange and remarkable developments which they did not understand. The mystery paralyzed them; the boldness of the move terrorized them. Indeed, Thatford, who was usually a pretty nervy man, edged toward the door, but Oscar called out:

"Hold on, mister, don't go. Remember this lackey here was to afford you some excellent amusement. He looks as though he were just the man to keep his word. He shall keep it, and afford you the amusement he promised. I will aid him. See, he is all ready; he is stripped for the fun. I do not need to strip. Give him a sword, give me a sword and we'll have gore; yes, we'll have gore. I will punish him, and then, gentlemen, I will be prepared to mix the gore. Yes, we shall have lots of amusement; it will be a roaring farce."

One of the men appeared to recover his nerve and said:

"Say, mister, you call us thieves, but I reckon you are a thief. You have undoubtedly arranged a good little game of your own."

"Oh, yes, I've arranged a good little game. I invited yonder fellow to my house to engage in a game of draw. I had three dummies ready to run on and make a trumped-up accusation. I attempted to force a duel on the man I had inveigled into my house. I had a disguised swordsman in the garb of a lackey to do the murder act. Oh, yes, I am a thief, and I planned well—so well that I have you gentlemen all at my mercy. Just witness how well I planned."

Again Oscar stamped his foot on the floor and three men entered the room, and they were fully equal to the part they were called upon to play. The rascals thus overmatched realized the neat manner in which they had been beaten. Terror filled their hearts, for they did not at the moment know how well they had been trailed down. One fact was patent to them, and that was that they had put up, as they supposed, a great trick on a detective and had been outwitted in the most complete manner. There was no way out of the hole for them. Bad as they were, they knew they were not a match for the five individuals who faced them. The three men who had entered the room last were Jim terrors right on their looks, and their easy, offhand manner froze the blood in the veins of the conspirators. Girard attempted to face the matter by a display of nerve, but his attempt was pitiful in view of the situation as it at the moment confronted him.

The lackey meantime gave signs of terror. He was a swordsman, but realized that all his skill would go for naught, seeing that the game was exposed. Indeed, a most remarkable tableau was presented, but Girard tried to play out to save his confrÈres. He said:

"Well, well, Dunne, I expected to work a big scare on you, but I see you have been too smart. The next time I attempt a practical joke I will measure my intended victim better."

"Ah, you will?"

"Yes."

"Then this was all a joke?"

"Certainly; but you have proved yourself the best joker."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I am dead beat."

"And as you say it was all a joke."

"Certainly, you know it was."

"And what license had you to attempt to play such a broad joke on me?"

"Joking is my delight."

"Is it?"

"Always."

"Good enough; you tried your joke, I will now try mine. I'll teach you to pick up a stranger in the street to make him the victim of your joke. Oh, yes, we will call it a joke, a good joke, but the joke is not played out yet. You have had your fun. I must have mine, and here goes!" Oscar whipped out a club. He leaped forward and down went Girard, and the other detectives also got in and there was a very lively time in that upper room for about three minutes. The thieves did not dare offer any resistance. They took their medicine and yet they were all brave men. They were only too glad under all the circumstances to get off with a good sound clubbing, and they got it. Then Oscar and his forces drew off, leaving the men to think over their discomfiture at their leisure. We say the officers withdrew. They did, all but Oscar. He thought to take a little advantage of his success, and dodged into a room adjoining the one where the remarkable scene we have described occurred. He knew the men were all well done up and would not in their bewilderment be prepared for the latest trick of the detective. Our hero's friends descended the stairs, making a great noise, and they kept addressing themselves to our hero, asking him questions in a loud tone, but he was not present to answer them. The questions were a part of his scheme to mislead the men, and his purpose was to overhear what passed between the men after they supposed that he and his companions had departed. He relied, as stated, on the demoralization of the scoundrels, and his position, as it proved, was well taken. The men did assume that he and his party had departed and they commenced talking, and our hero was at hand to overhear them talk. Girard was the first speaker.

"Great Scott!" he ejaculated, "who was looking for this? We are boys—greenhorns—compared to that fellow and a tale is told."

"Yes, a tale is told," said Thatford. "We thought we had everything dead under cover. We were proceeding in fancied security, but these fellows have been on our track. This is not the scheme of a night. We have met a setback that will keep us poor for six months. We will not dare move until we ascertain just how far they are on to us."

"I knew something was up when we discovered that fellow shadowing Wadleigh. It was a lucky discovery, and our experience to-night, although rough, is a good play out in our favor. We know now just where we stand; that is, we know to a certain extent our danger."

"Not altogether, nor do they know all. Otherwise there would have been a close-in. They are on to us, but have no real points. Yes, Girard, this little experience is a good one for us. All operations must cease until our enemies are removed. We must go back to the old game and do a little dropping out and make the road clear again."

"That is just what we must do. We certainly have some information for our friends."

"We have; and there must be a meeting. All work must stop. Word must be sent out all along the line."

"Yes, sir, and at once. When will Redalli return?"

"He should be in New York within two days."

"We need his headwork; that is certain."

"We do, and you say he will be in the city within a few days."

"Yes, and one more fact: we must throw up the lease of this furnished house and seek new quarters. They have this place down."

"Well, this is only a fancy resort for us anyhow. Fortunately, there is no evidence in this house."

"No, no; I never would have brought that fellow here if we had had any evidence in the house, although I did not think for one moment that he would do us up the way he did."

"He has our identities."

"He has."

"That is his advantage, but where does ours come in?"

"We have his identity."

"He will change."

"So will we, but I will know that fellow under any cover. He will not know us unless we have forgotten how to do it."

"It is easy for us to change."

"You bet; he fell to us in our best rÔle."

"He did."

"But how did he get on to us at all?"

"I must have time to think that out, and mark my words: he is a shadower. He got his points down well. I am a shadower; I will be on his track, and the next time I will have my points down well. Whatever happens, that fellow must be put away."

"He is a terror."

"He is, but he had it all his own way this time. We were groping in the dark, but he had a good flashlight on us."

"He did."

"Boys, we have had our ups and downs before. We have been in bad holes, but we always managed to get out. We have had better men than this young fellow on our track, and we have always got the best of them in the end. Remember, we have for years baffled the best officers in the United States. We have no reason to be discouraged. This is only an incident; we know they are not down to facts, and before they get there we will get in some of our good work."

"You bet! How will we start in?"

"Our first object will be to identify every man who is in this raid against us. When we succeed then we will know just what to do."

"Then we know how to employ our time until Redalli arrives in town."

"Yes."

"And we will lay everything before him. In the meantime there is no danger."

"Unless he may get on to Wadleigh. How much did he learn from that fellow?"

"I can give it to you that he learned nothing, for Wadleigh said nothing; it was a lucky escape."

"You have seen Wadleigh?"

"Yes, and he had something to tell me. I did not have time to talk with him because I had this scheme on hand with that fellow. Oh, I only wish I had known his game, and I would have laid a different course. He had it all his own way, as I said, when we thought we had it ours. It would have been a big thing, however, if our little trick of to-night had not miscarried. We would have had that chap in a hole that only a full confession would have gotten him out of, and then it is doubtful if we would have let him off alive."

Oscar had overheard enough, and he did not give the rascals the credit he would have done had they suspected his little dodge in listening to what they had to say after the shindy, and again, as they were to follow him he knew he could get on to them when the time came. It was to be a game of hide-and-seek, and he felt assured that with the brave and magical Cad Metti he could give them points on a double shadow. He stole down the stairs, gained the street, and as he walked away he was joined by Cad, and he said:

"Well, sis, you appeared at the right moment."

"Yes, Oscar, I feared they had some desperate game to pay. I knew your rashness. I fell to your track and when you entered that house I sought out some of our friends and had them at hand to drag you out of a bad scrape."

"Sis, I was in a pretty bad scrape, and you appeared on deck at exactly the right moment."

"That is what I intended to do, but what was their purpose?"

"Cad, to tell the truth, I don't know."

"How did they get on to you?"

"They caught me peeping on the fellow Wadleigh. There is where they played it nice on me."

"What have you learned?"

"I have only picked up some leaders. We have a tangled skein to unravel, and we have got to do some pretty smart work. Those men are good ones; we are guarded at every point, and yet we have made a big stride toward a grand close-in some day, but our chance may come in some months from now."

"What lead have we?"

"I have the names of some of the king-pins. I have their identity; I know the name of the great master of this lodge of criminals. I will have his identity, and then our work will begin. They will shadow us; they have my identity. They are good shadowers, and as they said I worked in the light last time they may work in the light next time, but if they do, Cad, it will be when our lights are smashed."

Cad and Oscar proceeded to their several homes; both had worked hard, they needed rest, and it was late on the following day when they met. Before parting from Cad our hero had given her some specific orders, and when the two met they were prepared in case of an emergency to work some wonderful changes. They were prepared, as intimated, to do some magic trick detective work of the first order. Oscar had had a chance to think matters over and lay out his campaign, and when he parted from Cad he went to meet Wise, the great government special. He found his man at a hotel where he was masquerading in the rÔle of a merchant from St. Louis, and he also knew well how to play any rÔle he started out to assume.

"Well, Oscar," said Wise, "I've been expecting you."

"Certainly."

"When will you start in?"

Oscar smiled and said:

"I thought you had started me in."

"I did, but not having heard from you I thought you might be laying back to finish up some old business."

"No, sir, I went right to work."

"You did?"

"I did."

"Well?"

"I've made some progress."

"You have?"

"I have."

"Let's hear about it."

"I've shadowed down to several of the men."

"Oh, you have?"

"Yes."

"Well, my dear fellow, we did that, but it's the king-pins we want."

"So you told me, and it was the king-pins I went for."

"Eh! what's that?"

"I know the name of the chief center of the whole gang. I am on his track; I've got the identity of his aids."

"You think you have."

"I know I have."

"Oscar Dunne don't talk unless he knows what he is talking about."

"I know what I am talking about this time."

"Let's hear your tale of woe."

"Not yet. I only came to tell you that within three days I hope to introduce you to the king-pin—the chief man—the director of the whole business."

"If you can do that you have accomplished one of the greatest detective feats of the age."

"I will do it, sure. I've got all the lieutenants identified, got their names and their muggs. I've got them shadowing me. Within an hour they will be on my track. How is that?"

"It's great."

"Watch them on my track. You know what it means."

"I think I do; you will really be on theirs."

"Yes, and I've some big surprises for them. I've learned their plans, they are ready to spread a flood of counterfeits of every description. They have got all their plans complete. I will be on to their plans in a few days, and we can close in on them just as they let go their first dove."

"If you are correct you are at the top of the profession. I'd like particulars."

"In a few days, I'll give you all the particulars and your men."

Oscar went away. He had gotten up so as to be recognized. He sauntered on to Broadway when a lady approached. She was veiled and she asked:

"Is this Mr. Oscar Dunne?"

The detective was taken a little aback, but answered:

"May I inquire why you ask?"

"If this is Mr. Oscar Dunne, the detective, I have some business with you."

"We will suppose I am the man you seek; what is your business?"

"Will you accompany me?"

"No."

"I thought you were a detective."

"Suppose I am."

"It's your business to listen to one who seeks your aid."

"Go on, I am listening."

"There are reasons why I do not wish to talk on the public street."

Oscar was only sparring for time; he was measuring the woman, and he had not gotten on to her purpose when he said:

"Where do you wish me to go?"

"To any public place where we can sit down and I can relate to you my strange and remarkable experience. You will decide that I need aid and advice. I have been told that you are just the man to aid and advise me."

"Who sent you to me?"

"A friend."

"What is your friend's name."

"A Miss Lamb."

Oscar did know a Miss Lamb. He had once done her a great service, and the woman's answer rather threw him at sea in his conclusions.