The Great Spy System | Page 7

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.
CHAPTER IV.
NICK CARTER'S PERFECT PLANS.
"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