The Great Spy System | Page 8

is a good lad for all that and quite capable of doing
good work. I brought Chick, Patsy, and Danny: and right now, senator,
Patsy is approaching that fellow over there, Please don't turn your head
to look."
"I won't. You may tell me about it."
"Patsy has ordered a carriage to drive around and up against the curb,
directly in front of where the spy is standing. The carriage is
approaching now."
"Yes."
"Now it pulls up at the curb; and now-" The detective turned his chair
so that he no longer faced the window, and he added: "In about half an
hour, senator, we will take a walk together, and interview that spy; that
is, if you care to accompany me."
"I should say I do care, Carter. What a fellow you are. But tell me what
happened over there. You know I was seated so that I could not see,
and you would not permit me to turn."

"No. I didn't think it best, at the moment."
"Tell me what happened, won't you."
"Certainly. A carriage drove around the corner toward the spot where
the spy was standing at the same moment that Patsy approached the
man on foot. Inside the carriage was either one of the other of my men,
Chick or Danny."
"Yes."
"When the carriage was near enough to the spy, the door of it swung
open, and the instant it did so, Patsy acted."
"What did he do?"
"He hit Mr. Spy a clip behind the ear with his fist, and in such a manner
that he sent the man reeling straight into the open door of the carriage.
When the fellow pitched through the door, Chick, or Danny-the one
who was in the carriage, waiting-seized him and pulled him inside.
Then he closed the door, and the carriage instantly drove away, while
Patsy calmly remained where he was."
"It all sounds very simple, Carter."
The detective laughed aloud.
"Such things are simple, when you know exactly how to do them and
have the nerve to carry them out," he said. "My men possess both
accomplishments."
"Suppose a policeman had been standing near, and had happened to see
the whole thing."
"That is precisely why Patsy remained behind," explained the detective.
"Eh? I don't understand."
"If questions were asked, Patsy was there to explain and to show his

authority, if necessary."
"I see."
"And he remained there, also, to observe what the other spies would do
when this one disappeared. There are as many as half a dozen around
us, right now."
"If that is so, one or more of them will follow the carriage, don't you
think so?"
"Probably."
"You speak as if that is what you wished to have happen."
"I cannot pretend to understand you, Carter."
"You will understand as we proceed with the casejust now it is 'not
necessary that you should do so."
"Nevertheless, I wish you would do me the favor to explain."
"When I was sent for to come here-and I was sent for, as you know-I
realized that the only way in which I could hope to succeed quickly
would be to force the other fellow's hand, so I adopted this means of
doing it."
"What means?"
"I came here in the open. I purposely arranged so that Mustushimi
would know at once of my arrival. I believed that if I did that, he would
open the ball at once and not wait for me to do it. I knew that he would
instantly place half a dozen or more spies on, my trail, and that my best
course would be in capturing one of them and forcing the man to tell
me all he knew. And so I laid my plans accordingly."
"But if they follow and know where you take the man?"
"If they do that, it will doubtless end in my capturing more than one.

My dear senator, I have prearranged a nice little trap for Baron
Mustushimi to walk into. I shouldn't wonder if I had the good luck to
catch the man himself, as well as some of his underlings."
"Gee! I hope so."
"Senator, there are times when you make use of surprisingly
undignified language for a senator of the United States."
"Oh, bother that! I am a plain Westerner, Carter, and I never wear the
toga of a senator outside the chamber."
"I think that is one of the reasons why I like you so much."
"I say, Carter."
"Well?"
"Of course you know where your man has taken his prisoner?"
"Of course."
"And you are going there, presently?"
"I just now told you that."
"I hope you haven't forgotten that you promised to take me with you."
"No; I have not forgotten."
"Won't we be followed, too, when we leave