THE LAST OF THE SWINDLERS.
Clancy had fought every step of the way through the woods to the
blacksmith shop.
Every convenient tree trunk, every rise of ground, and every rock which
he encountered in the course of his retreat was taken advantage of and
used as a temporary breastwork.
The fact that no serious injuries resulted from the shooting proves how
wary the men were.
Nick emptied his repeater at about the identical time Clancy emptied his
revolvers.
Clancy saw this, and gave vent to a mocking laugh.
“It’s anybody’s fight yet!” he yelled.
No longer fearing to show himself, he turned and made straight through
the timber, coming out on the road in the vicinity of the blacksmith
shop.
Coming upon this blacksmith shop was an entirely unexpected event, but
it was one of which Clancy did not fail to take instant advantage.
There was only one man in the shop at the time Clancy made his advent
on the scene--one man and the red-headed boy before mentioned.
The boy was having the horse shod, and just before he went to work on
the horse the smith had been heating a crowbar for the purpose of
repointing it.
The crowbar was still in the fire, one end cool, but the other sizzling
hot.
The blacksmith looked up as Clancy burst in.
With a quick blow, Clancy knocked him out of the way, and looked around
for a weapon.
The crowbar was prominently in his view, and he caught it out of the
fire.
Nick was in the door as Clancy possessed himself of the bar.
“I’ll have you!” roared the Montana man. “My second try at you won’t end
like the first.”
“This is your third attempt on my life, Clancy,” returned Nick,
springing forward and watching the Westerner warily.
“The third time?” repeated Clancy, resting the red-hot end of the bar
for an instant on the anvil.
“My name’s Nick Carter, and----”
A torrent of invectives burst from the robber’s lips.
“I’ll have you now,” he yelled. “I’ll strike a blow for Ramsay as well
as for myself!”
He jumped through the door of the shop, whirling the bar about his head
in a livid circle.
Straight toward Nick he rushed, shouting his imprecations and vowing
that he’d have the detective’s life.
Nick waited coolly, the rifle in his hand.
The robber struck at him, and Nick parried the blow with the gun,
leaping in with the quickness of a cat and gripping Clancy about the
waist.
From that moment the fight was lost to Clancy.
The Little Giant’s phenomenal strength quickly made itself felt.
He contracted his arms, the awful, viselike pressure slowly but surely
driving the breath from the robber’s lungs.
Clancy began to gasp, his eyes distended, and the bar fell from his
nerveless hand.
“Stop!” he whispered; “you’re killing me!”
Nick bore him into the blacksmith shop and hurled him to the ground.
Clancy struggled to avoid the handcuffs, and Nick, forcing his arms
around the anvil, made the wrists fast.
“Now,” said the detective, “you can struggle all you please.”
The blacksmith was bathing his eye in a tub of water.
“Are you hurt much?” asked Nick.
“Thought for a spell I had been kicked by a mule,” answered the smith,
wiping his eye on the dingy handkerchief that was tied around his neck.
“Sorry I didn’t come through in time tew help ye.”
“Gee whiz!” cried the red-headed boy, “he didn’t need no help. He downed
the big feller easier’n anythin’ I ever see. Gosh, mister, but you’re
great!”
The youngster looked at Nick with admiring eyes, and the latter brought
out a half-dollar, which he had in his pocket, and which had somehow
escaped Clancy’s search and the consequent bath in the river.
“Do you want to earn this, my lad?” Nick asked.
“Can a duck swim?” the boy chirped.
“Then get on that horse and ride up the road. You won’t have to go far
before you find a couple of automobiles----”
“What’s them?”
“You’ll know when you see them--you won’t make any mistake. If there is
any one with the machines say that I want them brought here.
Understand?”
“Like a house afire!”
“Then catch!”
Nick flipped the coin toward the boy, who grabbed it out of the air and
stowed it away in his pocket.
A minute later he was galloping up the road.
Several men, hearing the commotion at the blacksmith shop, had come in
from the neighboring fields, and they were standing around, looking from
Clancy to Nick, and trying to get the true inwardness of the affair from
the blacksmith.
“Come outside,” said Nick, amiably, “and I’ll tell you all about it.”
And that’s what he was doing when Chick and Patsy bore down on
him--smoking and enlightening the natives.
A few hurried words of explanation were exchanged by the detectives.
“Are all the grips belonging to the prisoners still in the Red Spider?”
asked Nick.
“There are three here,” said Chick; “they’re big ones, and heavy as
lead.”
“It was the heft that kept the grafters from lugging the grips along
when they made their break for the timber,” put in Patsy.
“Open one of the satchels, Chick,” said Nick, “and see what’s inside.
I’m a little anxious to know.”
Chick complied.
“Whew!” he exclaimed, his amazed eyes fixed on the contents of the
satchel he had opened.
“Gold, silver and bank notes?” queried Nick.
“I should say so!”
“It’s the bank money. I’ll travel in the Red Spider with you, Chick, and
Clancy and the man with the broken leg will ride with us. Patsy, you and
your man can hum along in the other machine.”
It was necessary to rope Clancy’s legs before he could be put into the
automobile; but he was finally stowed away and all was made ready for
the return journey.
Nick, before climbing into the Spider beside Clancy, turned to the
blacksmith, who was standing near.
“How far is it to the Canadian line from here?” he asked.
“See that pile o’ rocks?” the smith returned, indicating a heap of
stones about a hundred feet to the rear of the shop.
“Yes.”
“Well, Canady lays on t’other side o’ that monniment.”
“Great Scott!” exclaimed Patsy; “you wasn’t very much to the good, Nick,
after all.”
“It was close, mighty close,” added Chick.
“A miss is as good as a mile,” said Nick, jumping into the auto. “Let
her go, Chick.”
* * * * *
That evening, at about nine o’clock, the two automobiles drew up in
front of police headquarters, in the city of Latimer.
The chief was not in evidence, but he was quickly summoned from home by
telephone.
“By Jupiter!” he cried; “you’ve done it, Carter--done it, and with
ground to spare.”
“A hundred feet of ground,” grinned Patsy.
“Are you sure they’re the right men?” asked the chief.
“That’s the only kind we capture,” said Chick.
“I believe you,” returned the chief, and shook hands heartily with the
New York men and tendered his congratulations.
Cricket and Clancy were taken to their cells, and Spark was conveyed to
the Memorial Hospital.
Nick went to the place to which he had taken Clancy in the automobile
the night before the start north, and found that, as he surmised, Five
Points was there.
Spark and Cricket had also stayed at this boarding house after the
robbery, and when they left a nurse had been hired by Clancy to look
after their wounded pal.
Five Points’ wound, which was at first not believed to be serious, took
a turn for the worse and ultimately caused his death.
Before he died he made a statement, telling how he and Spark and Cricket
had joined Clancy, had captured the automobile and made prisoners of the
Chicago men, and had confined them in a house occupied by Cricket’s
father--a worse criminal than Cricket ever dared to be.
Nick was on the point of proceeding to the place where the Chicago men
were imprisoned and releasing them, when they saved him the trouble by
releasing themselves and coming on to Latimer--the newspapers having
informed them that the Red Spider was at that point.
Aside from their jarred feelings, the Chicago party was none the worse
for its little experience.
The bank’s funds were found intact in the satchels, including the twenty
thousand dollars paid over to Clancy on his certificate of deposit.
The ownership of that twenty thousand is still being debated in the
courts.
Clancy, Spark and Cricket were sent to the penitentiary for life, not on
a robbery, but on a murder charge.
By the capture of “the Montana man,” Nick Carter closed his experience
with a gang of Western crooks, all of whom had proved desperate to a
degree, and as courageous and clever as they were desperate.
THE END.
* * * * *
BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY
This library is “bound to win” its way into the heart of every American
lad. The tales are exceptionally clean, bright and interesting.
PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK
To be Published During July
126--For Big Money By Fred Thorpe
=125--Too Fast to Last= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
To be Published During June
124--Caught in a Trap By Harrie Irving Hancock
123--The Tattooed Boy By Weldon J. Cobb
122--The Young Horseman By Herbert Bellwood
=121--Sam Sawbones= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
To be Published During May
120--On His Mettle By Fred Thorpe
119--Compound Interest By Harrie Irving Hancock
118--Runaway and Rover By Weldon J. Cobb
=117--Larry O’Keefe= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
To be Published During April
=116--The Boy Crusaders= =By John De Morgan=
115--Double Quick Dan By Fred Thorpe
114--Money to Spend By Harrie Irving Hancock
=113--Billy Barlow= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
To be Published During March
112--A Battle with Fate By Weldon J. Cobb
=111--Gypsy Joe= =By John De Morgan=
110--Barred Out By Fred Thorpe
=109--Will Wilding= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
* * * * *
108--Frank Bolton’s Chase By Harrie Irving Hancock
107--Lucky-Stone Dick By Weldon J. Cobb
106--Tom Scott, the American Robinson Crusoe By Frank Sheridan
=105--Fatherless Bob at Sea= =By Bracebridge Hemyng=
104--Fatherless Bob By Bracebridge Hemyng
103--Hank the Hustler By Fred Thorpe
102--Dick Stanhope Afloat By Harrie Irving Hancock
101--The Golden Harpoon By Weldon J. Cobb
100--Mischievous Matt’s Pranks By Bracebridge Hemyng
99--Mischievous Matt By Bracebridge Hemyng
98--Bert Chipley By John De Morgan
97--Down-East Dave By Fred Thorpe
96--The Young Diplomat By Harrie Irving Hancock
95--The Fool of the Family By Bracebridge Hemyng
94--Slam, Bang & Co. By Weldon J. Cobb
93--On the Road By Stanley Norris
92--The Blood-Red Hand By John De Morgan
91--The Diamond King By Cornelius Shea
90--The Double-Faced Mystery By Fred Thorpe
89--The Young Theatrical Manager By Stanley Norris
88--The Young West-Pointer By Harrie Irving Hancock
87--Held for Ransom By Weldon J. Cobb
86--Boot-Black Bob By John De Morgan
85--Engineer Tom By Cornelius Shea
84--The Mascot of Hoodooville By Fred Thorpe
83--Walter Blackshaw By Frank Sheridan
82--The Young Showman’s Foes By Stanley Norris
81--On the Wing By Weldon J. Cobb
80--Yankee Grit By John De Morgan
79--Bicycle and Gun By Cornelius Shea
=78--The Backwoods Boy= =By Horatio Alger, Jr.=
77--Ahead of the Show By Fred Thorpe
76--Merle Merton By Frank Sheridan
75--The Three Hills of Gold By Harrie Irving Hancock
74--A Barrel of Money By Weldon J. Cobb
73--Lucky Thirteen By John De Morgan
72--Two Ragged Heroes By Ernest A. Young
71--A Slave for a Year By Fred Thorpe
70--In the Woods By Frank Sheridan
69--The Prince of Grit By Harrie Irving Hancock
68--The Golden Pirate By Weldon J. Cobb
67--Winning His Way By John De Morgan
66--Boats, Bats and Bicycles By Ernest A. Young
65--Bob, The Hoodoo By Fred Thorpe
64--Railroad Ralph By Engineer James Fisk
63--Comrades Under Castro By Victor St. Clair
62--Life-Line Larry By Frank Sheridan
61--Track and Trestle By Ernest A. Young
60--The Phantom Boy By Weldon J. Cobb
59--Simple Simon By Herbert Bellwood
58--Cast Away in the Jungle By Victor St. Clair
57--In Unknown Worlds By John De Morgan
56--The Round-the-World Boys By Fred Thorpe
55--Bert Fairfax By Frank Sheridan
54--Pranks and Perils By Ernest A. Young
53--Up to Date By Weldon J. Cobb
52--Bicycle Ben By Herbert Bellwood
51--Lost in the Ice By John De Morgan
50--Fighting for a Name By Fred Thorpe
49--Lionel’s Pluck By Frank Sheridan
48--The Mud River Boys By Ernest A. Young
47--Partners Three By Weldon J. Cobb
46--Rivals of the Pines By Herbert Bellwood
45--Always on Duty By John De Morgan
44--Walt, the Wonder-Worker By Fred Thorpe
43--Through Flame to Fame By Frank Sheridan
42--A Toss-Up for Luck By Ernest A. Young
41--The Jay from Maine By Herbert Bellwood
40--For Home and Honor By Victor St. Clair
39--A Bee Line to Fortune By John De Morgan
37--Never Give Up By Fred Thorpe
36--Vernon Craig By Frank Sheridan
35--The Young Showman’s Triumph By Stanley Norris
34--The Roustabout Boys By Herbert Bellwood
33--The Young Showman’s Pluck By Stanley Norris
32--Napoleon’s Double By John De Morgan
31--The Young Showman’s Rivals By Stanley Norris
30--Jack, the Pride of the Nine By Frank Sheridan
29--Phil the Showman By Stanley Norris
28--Bob Porter at Lakeview Academy By Walter Morris
27--Zig-Zag, the Boy Conjurer By Victor St. Clair
26--The Young Hannibal By Matt Royal
25--Git Up and Git By Fred Thorpe
24--School Life at Grand Court By Frank Sheridan
23--From Port to Port By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N.
22--The Rival Nines By Walt Winton
21--The Young Journalist By Harrie Irving Hancock
20--John Smith of Michigan By Herbert Bellwood
19--Little Snap the Post Boy By Victor St. Clair
18--Cruise of the Training Ship By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U.S.N.
17--Chris, the Comedian By Fred Thorpe
16--Lion-Hearted Jack By Frank Sheridan
15--The Rivals of Riverwood By Herbert Bellwood
14--His One Ambition By Harrie Irving Hancock
13--A Strange Cruise By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N.
12--Dick Derby’s Double By Fred Thorpe
11--The House of Mystery By Matt Royal
9--From Switch to Lever By Victor St. Clair
8--Clif, the Naval Cadet By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N.
7--The Boy in Black By Fred Thorpe
6--The Crimson “Q” By William G. Patten
5--The Balas Ruby By Capt. Geoffrey Hale
3--Bound for Annapolis By Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N.
2--Blind Luck By Fred Thorpe
1--The Boy Argus By William G. Patten
* * * * *
CIRCUS LIFE
Is admirably described in Stanley Norris’ great series of books for
boys, published in the BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY. The hero has strange
adventures while fighting his way to the top of his chosen profession.
Every boy will thrill to the finger tips to read of his many narrow
escapes.
_PRICE, 10 CENTS PER COPY AT ALL NEWSDEALERS_
STANLEY NORRIS
29 Phil, the Showman
31 The Young Showman’s Rivals
33 The Young Showman’s Pluck
35 The Young Showman’s Triumph
82 The Young Showman’s Foes
If ordered by mail, add four cents to cover postage.
STREET & SMITH, Publishers, New York
* * * * *
Battles on Sea and Land
We heartily recommend our _Boys of Liberty Library_ to boys who have
good, red blood coursing through their veins--who like really good tales
of adventure.
The books listed below detail the adventures of brave lads who took an
active part in the Revolutionary War, who, in many cases, saved the day
to the Patriot army when all seemed lost. Read this series boys, nothing
you can buy for the money will please you half so well.
=1. Paul Revere and the Boys of Liberty= =By John De Morgan=
=5. The First Shot For Liberty= =By John De Morgan=
=9. The Hero of Ticonderoga= =By John De Morgan=
=13. On the Quebec= =By John De Morgan=
=17. Fooling the Enemy= =By John De Morgan=
=21. Into the Jaws of Death= =By John De Morgan=
=25. The Tory Plot= =By T. C. Harbaugh=
=27. In Buff and Blue= =By T. C. Harbaugh=
For sale by all newsdealers at 10c. per copy. If ordered by mail, add
four cents to cover postage.
Street & Smith, Publishers, New York