Nick Carter: The Great Spy System

"I haven't any doubt of that."

"I hope you'll be on your guard, Carter."

"I shall try to be so."

"And, of course, if there is anything that I can do to assist you, you can command me at any time. You know that."

"Yes. Senator?"

"Well?"

"Don't you think that you stand in some danger from Mustushimi, yourself?"

"I have never thought much about it, to tell the truth."

"If you saw and recognized him in front of the operahouse, it is safe to say that he also saw and recognized you."

"Without doubt."

"And realized that you had recognized him."

"Possibly."

"And therefore set one of his men upon you to follow you and ascertain where you went. Consequently, he knew that you came here, looked at the register, found my name, and then composed yourself to await my arrival, in order that you might tell me what you knew."

"Well?"

"Also, that at this very moment, somewhere around here, he or one of his men is watching us, and one of his lip-reading experts is probably at this moment studying everything that I say."

"And what I say, as well, eh?" laughed the senator.

"Doubtless."

"Pardon me, Carter, but you are seated facing that window, exactly as if you wished the spies of that man to know what you are talking about."

"I do."

"Eh?"

"I am taking this method of warning Mustushimi that I am here after him, and that I am going to get him, too. I am taking this opportunity to send word to him, through his spy who is now reading from the motion of my lips all that I am saying, that I have no doubt that he will attempt to assassinate me in some manner so that it will appear to be an accident, but he must remember that I was not brought into the world to be put to death by such as he."

"Upon my word, Carter, you are strange tonight!"

"No. I am sending a message to Mustushimi. Out yonder, at the opposite side of Connecticut Avenue, there stands a man who looks like a Frenchman, who is one of Mustushimi's spies. He reads what I am saying now and he is getting nervous. He is only a common scoundrel, and coward at that-"

Nick broke off into a hearty laugh, and the senator stared.

"What are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"I was laughing at the fellow over there-the one I referred to."

"What did he do?"

"When he found that I was talking to him instead of to you-for that is what I was doing-he got madder and madder, and when I told him he was a coward, he shook his fist at me."

"At least, Carter, you will know him the next time you see him."

"Oh, I am not so sure of that. He is a chameleon who can change his appearance as well as his colors. A scoundrel like that, who will serve under any flag, isn't fit to live. But as you say, I think I will know him again -in fact, senator, now that I think of it, I believe that I will have an opportunity to see him close by, and to talk with him, too, presently."

"You do? How?"

"I will tell you that a little later, senator."

"Is he there yet?"

"Yes."

"I should think he would go away now that he knows he has been discovered."

"Oh, no; he knows that he would have ample time to escape, if I should leave my chair to go over there after him. He is bound to stay there as long as he can read, from the movement of my lips, what I am saying."

"But how are you going to catch him so that you can talk with him, as you suggested?"

"As I said before, I will tell you that later on. Now, let us return to yourself. We were discussing yourself a moment ago, weren't we?"

"Yes."

"I was referring to the fact that you stand in some danger, senator. I think I am correct about it too. It would be well for you to be constantly on your guard, sir."

"Oh. I am always more or less on my guard. I am not afraid."

"I know that. I merely wished to warn you."

"I was brought up in the West when it was a wild place, Carter. I have been used to danger all my life. I have faced death a great many times, and I am not going torun away from a parcel of little brown men, now."

"No; I don't think you are one of that kind."

"Besides, it is a long- a lifetime habit of mine to go around prepared."

"That is a good idea, especially under the present circumstances."

All that time Nick was looking out of the window, watching closely everything that was occurring on the opposite side of the street where he had discovered the spy standing, and watching him.

For the reader knows that Nick Carter went everywhere, prepared for all things that might happen.

The letter he had received from the President, while it had explained nothing, had nevertheless informed the detective at once what he was called to Washington for; and he had gone there prepared to take up the case in his own way.

And just at that moment, when he seemed to become somewhat abstracted, and did not pay the strict attention to the senator that he had been doing, it was because he saw one of his assistants come around the corner near the drug store and slowly approach the spot where the spy was standing.

It was Patsy, and Patsy was ready to obey any signal that his chief might choose to convey to him- for Patsy was one of three who had accompanied Nick Carter to Washington that day, coming, however, secretly, so that no one save themselves might understand that Nick had brought any one with him.

And now when Patsy appeared around the corner and approached the spot where the spy was standing, the detective leaned back in his chair and raised his arms three times over his head.

It was his signal to Patsy.

"One would suppose that you were signaling, to the spy," said the senator, watching him.

"I was signaling, but not to the spy," replied the detective.

"To whom, then?"

"To one of my assistants, senator." Nick was now shading his lips with one hand so that what he was saying could not be read.

"Do you mean that one of your assistants is over there, near the spy?" asked the senator.

"Yes."

"I begin to understand you now."

"Surely-"

"You brought him here secretly, I suppose."

"Yes; he and two others. They are all busy, right now, doing part of the work that is required of them."

"It was a happy thought when you did that, Carter. One of your assistants is a Jap, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Is that one here, too, to assist you?"

"No. However faithful to me Ten-Ichi is, I would not ask him to work against his own people. I left him in New York."

"But you said you had three assistants with you."

"So I have. But one of them-Danny-has not been promoted to that position just yet, so far as the title is concerned. He is really my chauffeur; but he is a good lad for all that and quite capable of doing good work. I brought Chick, Patsy, and Danny: and right now, senator, Patsy is approaching that fellow over there, Please don't turn your head to look."

"I won't. You may tell me about it."

"Patsy has ordered a carriage to drive around and up against the curb, directly in front of where the spy is standing. The carriage is approaching now."

"Yes."

"Now it pulls up at the curb; and now-" The detective turned his chair so that he no longer faced the window, and he added: "In about half an hour, senator, we will take a walk together, and interview that spy; that is, if you care to accompany me."

"I should say I do care, Carter. What a fellow you are. But tell me what happened over there. You know I was seated so that I could not see, and you would not permit me to turn."

"No. I didn't think it best, at the moment."

"Tell me what happened, won't you."

"Certainly. A carriage drove around the corner toward the spot where the spy was standing at the same moment that Patsy approached the man on foot. Inside the carriage was either one of the other of my men, Chick or Danny."