Delamare shook his head smiling. "Not much. Stunned only. I cracked
him on the head with his own gun. He had no strength."
A wave of compassion swept over Jack. "Poor devil! Poor devil!" he
murmured. "He isn't the real criminal!"
"I expect not," said Delamare.
Jack suddenly became aware of a dark stain spreading on Delamare's coat
sleeve above the elbow. "You're wounded!" he cried.
"Nothing serious. A flesh wound. I can move my arm freely."
"You must have a doctor."
"All right. Monahan, telephone for Doctor McArdle. Then for the
police."
By this time Berg's eyes were open. He was muttering incoherently, and
rolling his head from side to side on the floor. As Monahan was
leaving the room, Jack was struck by an idea.
"Wait a minute!" he said. To Delamare: "If I might make a
suggestion----?"
"Go ahead."
"Couldn't we keep this affair to ourselves for the present?"
"Certainly, if it will further your plans."
"This young fellow is mad--or the next thing to it. If we could put
him in the hands of a good brain specialist, and have his senses
restored by proper treatment, he might make an invaluable witness
against the man we really want."
"Good!" said Delamare. "We'll call Doctor Watkins Kent. Monahan,
never mind the police. First call Doctor McArdle, and say I have had a
slight accident. Say no more than that. Then call Doctor Watkins
Kent. Say that Mr. Delamare presents his compliments, and wants to
know if he can make it convenient to come to his house at once on a
matter of importance."
34
Jack, remembering the critical stage at which he had left matters in
Forty-Eighth street, did not wait for the doctors, but left Berg in Mr.
Delamare's care, and hastened back. He found that Tommy and the two
plainclothes men had arrived in the meantime, but finding him gone,
they were hanging around outside the door of the room, at a loss what
to do.
This time they broke in the door without ado. At his first glance
inside Jack saw that the room had been visited. Though he had been
away but little more than half an hour, a clean sweep had been made of
the cards and papers. A still smoldering fire in the grate showed the
manner of their disposal. The window on the fire escape was open.
"He was inside when you got here!" cried Jack. "He heard you outside.
Now he's given us the slip again. Why didn't you watch the back
windows!"
The city detectives looked distinctly aggrieved. The spokesman for the
pair said: "How did we know what your game was?"
"You knew!" said Jack to Tommy.
Tommy hung his head. "When I came back, and found you gone, I didn't
know rightly what to do," he muttered.
Jack saw that it was really nobody's fault. "Oh, well, we'll have to
try again," he said.
"You should have called on us sooner," said the principal detective
condescendingly.
"Sorry, I didn't," said Jack dryly.
The other missed the note of irony. "Well, lay out your case to us
now, and we'll give you some experienced advice."
Somehow the manner of this well-meaning gentleman did not inspire Jack
with overmuch confidence as to his perspicacity. Moreover, since his
man and his evidence were both gone, he saw nothing to be gained by
consulting the police.
"I'm not quite ready to do that," he said good-naturedly. "Sorry to
have troubled you for nothing."
The two detectives exchanged a look of scorn. "These amateurs think
they know it all!" it said. Only the fact that they knew Jack was a
great man's secretary, and therefore a person to be propitiated,
restrained them from audible comment.
However, when they found that Jack was disposed to reward them
liberally, they changed their opinion of him. Ten dollar bills are
wonderful sweeteners.
"How about me?" asked Tommy anxiously.
"Back to the mines," said Jack. "In other words, 1118 Broadway."
Tommy's face fell piteously.
"Mind you," said Jack quickly. "I'm not blaming you for our failure.
You did wonderful work. I'll send for you when the trail gets hot
again."
He likewise presented Tommy with a green testimonial of his
appreciation.
Before any of them got out of the room the telephone bell most
surprisingly rang. They all stopped and stared at the instrument as if
they expected an apparition to issue from the mouthpiece.
"Wait!" said Jack. "Perhaps there's something here."
He took down the receiver. "Hello," he said ingratiatingly.