The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler | Page 7

killed.
They peered down the shafts through the grill work and when some saw the car, a shout of relief went up, and a man yelled at the Bradys:
"Were you hurt?"
"No. We are all right, so far."
"Wait, and we'll have the car lowered."
Up came men with ropes, and the end of a line was passed down from the floor above the car and Old King Brady made it fast.
When the danger of the car falling was obviated, another gang secured the cut cable, passed it over the drum, brought it down to the roof of the car and spliced it to the piece remaining there.
The elevator was then lowered to the ground floor and opening the door the detectives passed out, none the worse for their adventure.
A crowd of anxious people surrounded them, but they quickly avoided them by dodging into another car and saying to the conductor:
"Top floor--quick!"
Bang! went the gate and up they shot.
Reaching the upper story the detectives made a rush for the room La Croix had been occupying and found it empty.
"The birds have flown!" muttered Old King Brady in disgust.
"No wonder. We were caged up in the elevator so long they had ample time."
"They may have left some clew behind. Let us search the room."
This was done, and in the slop basin they found a letter torn up in small pieces.
Harry carefully gathered up the fragments and put them in his pocketbook.
"It's written in French," he commented, "but it may be of some use. I'll put the pieces together and we'll have it translated."
They failed to find anything else and went downstairs.
Returning to the clerk, they asked if La Croix had been seen.
"He did not come out this way," replied the man, shaking his head.
"Sure?"
"Positive!"
"Well, he and his family are gone."
"Ain't they up in their room?"
"No."
"That's queer."
"Not at all. You heard how the elevator fell with us?"
"Yes."
"Well, La Croix saw us and cut the cable."
"Good Lord! Tried to kill you?"
"Exactly. That's why they fled."
"What a villain that fellow must be."
"Is there any other exit from here?"
"Yes, indeed. I'll have a boy show you."
He rang a hand-bell and a uniformed boy approached, to whom he gave an order and the Bradys were escorted away.
By questioning the help they soon found that the smuggler, his wife and his daughter had left the hotel by another exit.
A policeman in the street had seen them hire a cab and drive away through Broadway at a rapid pace.
Unable to learn anything else, the detectives went home. They had very comfortable apartments and spent the day there piecing out the torn letter so it could be read.
On the following day they had it translated, and read the following startling piece of information:
"Paris, France, May 19.
"My dear La Croix: In reply to yours of the 5th inst., I beg to say that I can easily meet your daughter at Havre, if she comes over on the Champagne. I shall then take her to Amsterdam, Holland, and procure the fifty packages of diamonds. She can then assume a fictitious name and take passage on the steamer Labrador, to Canada. You can meet her in Montreal, and the stones can be taken across the border at Niagara Falls, as you suggest. Should you follow this plan, wire me at once, and I shall so arrange matters that the American spies for the Customs officials who are on the lookout here shall know knothing about the transaction. Everything depends upon keeping this a secret from them, or they will cable back to the U.S. inspectors to keep a watch for Clara when she returns to Canada--"
The letter ended abruptly here, for the rest was missing.
But there was enough to expose the whole plan of smuggling a huge amount of diamonds into the United States.
The Bradys were astonished and Harry said at once:
"This letter proves that La Croix must be the gigantic smuggler whom the Customs department want run down."
"No question about it," replied Old King Brady. "And as we have the details of a scheme he intends to operate, we had better make preparations to nip the plan in the bud, or else to capture the girl smuggler when she makes her attempt to beat the Custom House."
"Are you aware that the steamer Champagne sails for Havre to-day?"
"Does she?" muttered Old King Brady, glancing at his watch. "Well, we'll barely have time to reach her if we go at once. Get a cab and we'll see if we can catch her before she departs."
"Even if we miss her," said Harry, consolingly, "we will be pretty sure to see La Croix on the pier, seeing his daughter off."
"I don't want to arrest him in that case," said Old King Brady, "for if the girl gets away, we'll have to keep the man watched in order to let