Transcriber's Notes:
The original spelling, hyphenation, and punctuation have been retained,
with the exception of apparent typographical errors which have been
corrected.
Text in Italics is indicated between _underscores_.
Text in small capitals has been replaced by regular uppercase text.
* * * * *
NICK CARTER STORIES
New Magnet Library
_Not a Dull Book in This List_
ALL BY NICHOLAS CARTER
Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that
the books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the
work of a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no
other type of fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of
new plots and situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from
all sorts of troubles and landed the criminal just where he should
be—behind the bars.
The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories
than any other single person.
Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been
selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of
them as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth
covers which sells at ten times the price.
If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet
Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you.
_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_
850—Wanted: A Clew
851—A Tangled Skein
852—The Bullion Mystery
853—The Man of Riddles
854—A Miscarriage of Justice
855—The Gloved Hand
856—Spoilers and the Spoils
857—The Deeper Game
858—Bolts from Blue Skies
859—Unseen Foes
860—Knaves in High Places
861—The Microbe of Crime
862—In the Toils of Fear
863—A Heritage of Trouble
864—Called to Account
865—The Just and the Unjust
866—Instinct at Fault
867—A Rogue Worth Trapping
868—A Rope of Slender Threads
869—The Last Call
870—The Spoils of Chance
871—A Struggle with Destiny
872—The Slave of Crime
873—The Crook’s Blind
874—A Rascal of Quality
875—With Shackles of Fire
876—The Man Who Changed Faces
877—The Fixed Alibi
878—Out with the Tide
879—The Soul Destroyers
880—The Wages of Rascality
881—Birds of Prey
882—When Destruction Threatens
883—The Keeper of Black Hounds
884—The Door of Doubt
885—The Wolf Within
886—A Perilous Parole
887—The Trail of the Finger Prints
888—Dodging the Law
889—A Crime in Paradise
890—On the Ragged Edge
891—The Red God of Tragedy
892—The Man Who Paid
893—The Blind Man’s Daughter
894—One Object in Life
895—As a Crook Sows
896—In Record Time
897—Held in Suspense
898—The $100,000 Kiss
899—Just One Slip
900—On a Million-dollar Trail
901—A Weird Treasure
902—The Middle Link
903—To the Ends of the Earth
904—When Honors Pall
905—The Yellow Brand
906—A New Serpent in Eden
907—When Brave Men Tremble
908—A Test of Courage
909—Where Peril Beckons
910—The Garoni Girdle
911—Rascals & Co.
912—Too Late to Talk
913—Satan’s Apt Pupil
914—The Girl Prisoner
915—The Danger of Folly
916—One Shipwreck Too Many
917—Scourged by Fear
918—The Red Plague
919—Scoundrels Rampant
920—From Clew to Clew
921—When Rogues Conspire
922—Twelve in a Grave
923—The Great Opium Case
924—A Conspiracy of Rumors
925—A Klondike Claim
926—The Evil Formula
927—The Man of Many Faces
928—The Great Enigma
929—The Burden of Proof
930—The Stolen Brain
931—A Titled Counterfeiter
932—The Magic Necklace
933—’Round the World for a Quarter
934—Over the Edge of the World
935—In the Grip of Fate
936—The Case of Many Clews
937—The Sealed Door
938—Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men
939—The Man Without a Will
940—Tracked Across the Atlantic
941—A Clew from the Unknown
942—The Crime of a Countess
943—A Mixed up Mess
944—The Great Money-order Swindle
945—The Adder’s Brood
946—A Wall Street Haul
947—For a Pawned Crown
948—Sealed Orders
949—The Hate that Kills
950—The American Marquis
951—The Needy Nine
952—Fighting Against Millions
953—Outlaws of the Blue
954—The Old Detective’s Pupil
955—Found in the Jungle
956—The Mysterious Mail Robbery
957—Broken Bars
958—A Fair Criminal
959—Won by Magic
960—The Piano Box Mystery
961—The Man They Held Back
962—A Millionaire Partner
963—A Pressing Peril
964—An Australian Klondike
965—The Sultan’s Pearls
966—The Double Shuffle Club
967—Paying the Price
968—A Woman’s Hand
969—A Network of Crime
970—At Thompson’s Ranch
971—The Crossed Needles
972—The Diamond Mine Case
973—Blood Will Tell
974—An Accidental Password
975—The Crook’s Double
976—Two Plus Two
977—The Yellow Label
978—The Clever Celestial
979—The Amphitheater Plot
980—Gideon Drexel’s Millions
981—Death in Life
982—A Stolen Identity
983—Evidence by Telephone
984—The Twelve Tin Boxes
985—Clew Against Clew
986—Lady Velvet
987—Playing a Bold Game
988—A Dead Man’s Grip
989—Snarled Identities
990—A Deposit Vault Puzzle
991—The Crescent Brotherhood
992—The Stolen Pay Train
993—The Sea Fox
994—Wanted by Two Clients
995—The Van Alstine Case
996—Check No. 777
997—Partners in Peril
998—Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé
999—The Sign of the Crossed Knives
1000—The Man Who Vanished
1001—A Battle for the Right
1002—A Game of Craft
1003—Nick Carter’s Retainer
1004—Caught in the Toils
1005—A Broken Bond
1006—The Crime of the French Café
1007—The Man Who Stole Millions
1008—The Twelve Wise Men
1009—Hidden Foes
1010—A Gamblers’ Syndicate
1011—A Chance Discovery
1012—Among the Counterfeiters
1013—A Threefold Disappearance
1014—At Odds with Scotland Yard
1015—A Princess of Crime
1016—Found on the Beach
1017—A Spinner of Death
1018—The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor
1019—A Bogus Clew
1020—The Puzzle of Five Pistols
1021—The Secret of the Marble Mantle
1022—A Bite of an Apple
1023—A Triple Crime
1024—The Stolen Race Horse
1025—Wildfire
1026—A _Herald_ Personal
1027—The Finger of Suspicion
1028—The Crimson Clew
1029—Nick Carter Down East
1030—The Chain of Clews
1031—A Victim of Circumstances
1032—Brought to Bay
1033—The Dynamite Trap
1034—A Scrap of Black Lace
1035—The Woman of Evil
1036—A Legacy of Hate
1037—A Trusted Rogue
1038—Man Against Man
1039—The Demons of the Night
1040—The Brotherhood of Death
1041—At the Knife’s Point
1042—A Cry for Help
1043—A Stroke of Policy
1044—Hounded to Death
1045—A Bargain in Crime
1046—The Fatal Prescription
1047—The Man of Iron
1048—An Amazing Scoundrel
1049—The Chain of Evidence
1050—Paid with Death
1051—A Fight for a Throne
1052—The Woman of Steel
1053—The Seal of Death
1054—The Human Fiend
1055—A Desperate Chance
1056—A Chase in the Dark
1057—The Snare and the Game
1058—The Murray Hill Mystery
1059—Nick Carter’s Close Call
1060—The Missing Cotton King
1061—A Game of Plots
1062—The Prince of Liars
1063—The Man at the Window
1064—The Red League
1065—The Price of a Secret
1066—The Worst Case on Record
1067—From Peril to Peril
1068—The Seal of Silence
1069—Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle
1070—A Blackmailer’s Bluff
1071—Heard in the Dark
1072—A Checkmated Scoundrel
1073—The Cashier’s Secret
1074—Behind a Mask
1075—The Cloak of Guilt
1076—Two Villains in One
1077—The Hot Air Clew
1078—Run to Earth
1079—The Certified Check
1080—Weaving the Web
1081—Beyond Pursuit
1082—The Claws of the Tiger
1083—Driven from Cover
1084—A Deal in Diamonds
1085—The Wizard of the Cue
1086—A Race for Ten Thousand
1087—The Criminal Link
1088—The Red Signal
1089—The Secret Panel
1090—A Bonded Villain
1091—A Move in the Dark
1092—Against Desperate Odds
1093—The Telltale Photographs
1094—The Ruby Pin
1095—The Queen of Diamonds
1096—A Broken Trail
1097—An Ingenious Stratagem
1098—A Sharper’s Downfall
1099—A Race Track Gamble
1100—Without a Clew
1101—The Council of Death
1102—The Hole in the Vault
1103—In Death’s Grip
1104—A Great Conspiracy
1105—The Guilty Governor
1106—A Ring of Rascals
1107—A Masterpiece of Crime
1108—A Blow for Vengeance
1109—Tangled Threads
1110—The Crime of the Camera
1111—The Sign of the Dagger
1112—Nick Carter’s Promise
1113—Marked for Death
1114—The Limited Holdup
1115—When the Trap Was Sprung
1116—Through the Cellar Wall
1117—Under the Tiger’s Claws
1118—The Girl in the Case
1119—Behind a Throne
1120—The Lure of Gold
1121—Hand to Hand
1122—From a Prison Cell
1123—Dr. Quartz, Magician
1124—Into Nick Carter’s Web
1125—The Mystic Diagram
1126—The Hand that Won
1127—Playing a Lone Hand
1128—The Master Villain
1129—The False Claimant
1130—The Living Mask
1131—The Crime and the Motive
1132—A Mysterious Foe
1133—A Missing Man
1134—A Game Well Played
1135—A Cigarette Clew
1136—The Diamond Trail
1137—The Silent Guardian
1138—The Dead Stranger
1140—The Doctor’s Stratagem
1141—Following a Chance Clew
1142—The Bank Draft Puzzle
1143—The Price of Treachery
1144—The Silent Partner
1145—Ahead of the Game
1146—A Trap of Tangled Wire
1147—In the Gloom of Night
1148—The Unaccountable Crook
1149—A Bundle of Clews
1150—The Great Diamond Syndicate
1151—The Death Circle
1152—The Toss of a Penny
1153—One Step Too Far
1154—The Terrible Thirteen
1155—A Detective’s Theory
1156—Nick Carter’s Auto Trail
1157—A Triple Identity
1158—A Mysterious Graft
1159—A Carnival of Crime
1160—The Bloodstone Terror
1161—Trapped in His Own Net
1162—The Last Move in the Game
1163—A Victim of Deceit
1164—With Links of Steel
1165—A Plaything of Fate
1166—The Key Ring Clew
1167—Playing for a Fortune
1168—At Mystery’s Threshold
1169—Trapped by a Woman
1170—The Four Fingered Glove
1171—Nabob and Knave
1172—The Broadway Cross
1173—The Man Without a Conscience
1174—A Master of Deviltry
1175—Nick Carter’s Double Catch
1176—Doctor Quartz’s Quick Move
1177—The Vial of Death
1178—Nick Carter’s Star Pupils
1179—Nick Carter’s Girl Detective
1180—A Baffled Oath
1181—A Royal Thief
1182—Down and Out
1183—A Syndicate of Rascals
1184—Played to a Finish
1185—A Tangled Case
1186—In Letters of Fire
1187—Crossed Wires
1188—A Plot Uncovered
1189—The Cab Driver’s Secret
1190—Nick Carter’s Death Warrant
1191—The Plot that Failed
1192—Nick Carter’s Masterpiece
1193—A Prince of Rogues
1194—In the Lap of Danger
1195—The Man from London
1196—Circumstantial Evidence
1197—The Pretty Stenographer Mystery
1198—A Villainous Scheme
1199—A Plot Within a Plot
1200—The Elevated Railroad Mystery
1201—The Blow of a Hammer
1202—The Twin Mystery
1203—The Bottle with the Black Label
1204—Under False Colors
1205—A Ring of Dust
1206—The Crown Diamond
1207—The Blood-red Badge
1208—The Barrel Mystery
1209—The Photographer’s Evidence
1210—Millions at Stake
1211—The Man and his Price
1212—A Double-Handed Game
In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the
books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New
York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance
promptly, on account of delays in transportation.
To be published in July, 1927.
1213—A Strike for Freedom
1214—A Disciple of Satan
To be published in Aug., 1927.
1215—The Marked Hand
1216—A Fight with a Fiend
1217—When the Wicked Prosper
To be published in Sept., 1927.
1218—A Plunge into Crime
1219—An Artful Schemer
To be published in Oct., 1927.
1220—Reaping the Whirlwind
1221—Out of Crime’s Depths
To be published in Nov., 1927.
1222—A Woman at Bay
1223—The Temple of Vice
To be published in Dec., 1927.
1224—Death at the Feast
1225—A Double Plot
The Photographer’s Evidence
OR
CLEVER BUT CROOKED
BY
NICHOLAS CARTER
Author of “The Barrel Mystery,” “The Blood-red Badge,”
“The Crown Diamond,” etc.
[Illustration]
STREET & SMITH CORPORATION
PUBLISHERS
79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York
Copyright, 1902-1903
By STREET & SMITH
The Photographer’s Evidence
All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign
languages, including the Scandinavian.
Printed in the U.S.A.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S EVIDENCE.
CHAPTER I.
A DOUBTFUL CLIENT.
“Mr. Carter, can I trust you?”
It was in the great detective’s own house that this question was asked.
“Well,” was Nick’s quiet answer, “if you had any doubt on that matter,
why did you come to me?”
His caller looked nervously at the floor.
“There’s no use in talking to me,” Nick went on, “unless you do trust
me. A detective can do nothing for a client who does not give him his
confidence absolutely.”
“Of course,” the other assented; “I did not mean to offend you.”
“You haven’t offended me.”
“I am so disturbed by it, you see. So much depends on secrecy. It is
so terribly important that I found it difficult to make up my mind to
consult anybody on the matter; and yet I know by your reputation that
you are a perfectly trustworthy man. There is nobody in the States more
so.”
While the man was speaking Nick was studying him.
In fact, the detective had been doing that from the moment the man
entered.
He was apparently about fifty years old; a well-dressed,
prosperous-looking man, who might be a merchant, or a lawyer, or a
banker.
Nick did no guessing. The man might be anything else. He had given his
name as George Snell, but he had not sent in his card, and he had not
said where he belonged.
Word had simply been taken to Nick by a servant that a Mr. George Snell
wanted to see him on “most important business.”
“He isn’t an American,” was Nick’s only conclusion from what had been
said thus far. “An American would not have spoken simply of ‘the
States,’ as he did.”
There had been a pause after the caller’s last remarks.
“Well,” he exclaimed then, “I’m not coming more than two-thirds of the
way across the continent for nothing. I set out to consult you, and I
will do so.”
“That’s better,” said the detective; and, willing to help him tell his
story, he asked: “What kind of a case is it, Mr. Snell?”
“I suppose you’d call it kidnaping; but there’s robbery combined with
it, and—and also—also blackmail.”
Mr. Snell hesitated and stammered a little at the end of this speech.
Nick merely nodded.
“To begin with,” continued Mr. Snell, “I come from Wenonah. You may not
be aware that the Government of England has made a large section of
Western British America into a province and called it Wenonah.”
“Yes,” said Nick, “I am aware of that.”
“You are a well-informed man. Few Americans would know the fact, for
the province is so young that it isn’t down on the maps yet. You know,
also, I suppose, that the capital of the province is a town called
Manchester?”
“Yes.”
“That is where the crime was committed. It happened a month ago. The
governor of the province, Bradley is his name, gave a party at his
house. All the prominent families of the town and country around
attended. There was dancing till a late hour.
“Then, when the guests were going away, it was discovered that the
governor’s daughter, Estelle, was missing. She has not been seen since.”
“How old is the child?” asked Nick.
“Child?” echoed Mr. Snell, in apparent astonishment. Then he seemed to
understand, and added: “It is natural that you should use that word,
but the girl is twenty.”
“Oh!”
“She’s the governor’s only daughter, and heiress, therefore, to his
property, which is very great.”
“Has nothing been heard from her?”
“Indirectly, yes. Her captors have offered to restore her for a ransom.”
“Has there been any attempt to deal with her captors?”
“Yes, but nothing has come of it. There is doubt now whether she is
really in the hands of kidnapers.”
“Ah! what then?”
“I haven’t told you the whole story, Mr. Carter.”
“Go on, then.”
“The day after she disappeared it was found that a considerable amount
of jewelry had gone also.”
“Did she wear it at the ball?”
“Some of it, most of it, in fact. But that was not all. There were
also missing certain State papers and some private documents belonging
to the governor. These are extremely important. They must be recovered
at any cost.”
“Are they more important than the recovery of Miss Bradley, Mr. Snell?”
“No, I wouldn’t say that, but they complicate the case badly. An offer
has been made to restore them.”
“And the girl?”
“No. That is, there was one offer to restore the girl and another to
deal for the return of the papers and jewelry. There seems to be a
double gang of villains at work.”
“Possibly. What about the blackmail you mentioned?”
“That,” answered Mr. Snell, hesitating, “has to do with the stolen
papers.”
“Something shady in the governor’s past?”
Mr. Snell looked at the floor.
“I wouldn’t like to say,” he replied. “Some people might think so.”
“Evidently the robbers do think so, eh?”
“Yes, for they put a big price on the papers.”
“I suppose the matter has been investigated by the police of
Manchester?”
“No.”
“Then how did you communicate with the robbers?”
“I didn’t say that I had communicated with the robbers!” exclaimed Mr.
Snell, hastily.
“No, but I supposed it was you. Never mind that for a moment. Tell me
more about the disappearance of Miss Bradley.”
“There isn’t much that I can tell. She must have left the house soon
after midnight, but she wasn’t missed till three hours or more later.”
“Was she engaged to be married?”
Snell looked sharply at the detective.
“You’re a keen one,” he said. “No, she wasn’t engaged, and that is
another complication.
“Well, it is known that she was in love with a young fellow who wasn’t
liked by her father. Naturally he wasn’t at the ball. It is thought
possible that she eloped with him, and that the offer of the robbers to
restore her was a bluff.”
“Was her lover a rich man?”
“Decidedly not.”
“Then you think she may have taken the jewelry to sell for her own use.”
“It’s possible, yes. I’ve thought of it.”
“And that the robbery of the papers simply happened to come at the same
time.”
“That might be.”
“Has Miss Bradley’s lover been seen since she disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“What does he say?”
“Nothing.”
“Indeed! I should suppose he would say a good deal.”
“He goes about his business as usual, but he is under constant watch.
It’s plain enough that there is something on his mind.”
“I should think there might be, in any case. What is his name?”
“Cecil West.”
“And what is your relation to the affair, Mr. Snell?”
The visitor seemed startled.
“My relation to it?” he echoed.
“Certainly. Do you come here as the representative of Governor
Bradley?”
“Oh, no! not at all! the governor didn’t send me.”
“Who did, then?”
Snell looked uncomfortable.
“Do you need an answer to that?” he asked.
“Of course I do. I must know whom I am dealing with.”
“But I gave my name——”
“It is not enough.”
The detective spoke rather sharply.
Mr. Snell hesitated and then said:
“Mr. Carter, I cannot see why I should be dragged into the matter at
all——”
“But,” interrupted Nick, coldly, “nobody has dragged you that I am
aware of. I certainly didn’t.”
“You are trying to do so now, Mr. Carter.”
Nick arose.
“There is no need that we should talk longer,” he said.
Snell also stood up, and he looked very much troubled.
“I see that I have offended you,” he said. “I didn’t mean to. You see,
Mr. Carter, a great scandal might come of this. It is very important
that there should be none. The governor’s position might be lost——”
“At this moment,” said Nick, “I care nothing for the governor’s
position. You have given me some facts in a case that might be
interesting, but I don’t propose to tackle it unless I know what I am
about.”
“We want you to look for the girl and the stolen papers.”
“Who are we?”
Snell hung his head.
“Excuse me a moment,” said Nick; then: “I think I heard the telephone
ring. When I return I hope you will have made up your mind to trust me.
If you haven’t we can’t do business.”
He bowed and left the room, but he did not go to the telephone.
Instead he went to a room where Patsy, one of his assistants, was
reading and gave him a few rapid instructions.
Then he wrote a telegram and sent it to the nearest office by a servant.
Patsy got his hat and went downstairs.
“Now, Mr. Snell,” said Nick, when he returned, “are you ready to tell
me what I want to know?”
“I can only say that I want you to act in behalf of the governor.”
“Does he know that you came to New York to ask this?”
Snell did not answer.
“We are wasting each other’s time,” said Nick.
Snell made a last appeal.
“I may be doing wrong,” he said, “but I beg you to look into this
matter. You can’t help seeing how important it is.”
“Well,” replied Nick, “usually I have nothing to do with a case where
any facts are concealed from me——”
“I am concealing no facts.”
“Pardon me, you refuse to answer one of the first questions a detective
would ask. I was going to say, Mr. Snell, give me a few hours to think
it over and come again. Will you call to-morrow morning?”
“I will.”
“Very well, till then.”
The detective went with his visitor to the door.
Mr. Snell said “good-evening,” politely, and started down the street.
A short distance behind him went Patsy.