“I am Nick Carter. These are my two aids, Chick and Patsy. We’re going upstairs, and if you give so much as a whistle of alarm, it will be all day with you. Do nothing, say nothing, and stay right here.” The three then rapidly passed through the door into the hall, and so upstairs to the second floor. Here Nick said: “Go to that front door in the hall. When I whistle, break it in. Patsy, follow me.” Chick did as he was directed, and Nick, followed by Patsy, went to that door which led from the hall into the bedroom. Together both placed their shoulders to the door, and, exerting their united strength, burst it open with a crash. They sprang into the room, with a loud whistle from Nick, and had hardly landed on their feet when they heard the crash of the door burst in by Chick. Lannigan was in bed, and he sprang up into a sitting position with an oath. He seemed to take in the situation instantly, for he reached under his pillow with both hands, and drew forth two revolvers, both of which he leveled at the two intruders, discharging them at once. The balls went wide of the mark, doing no damage to either Nick or Patsy. Lannigan immediately sprang out of bed to his feet in another effort, but as he raised his arms to level his revolvers again, Chick burst through the door leading into the front room, and, springing forward, struck Lannigan on the head with the butt end of his revolver. He did not prevent Lannigan from discharging his revolvers again, but he did prevent him from taking true aim, and thus, for a second time, the balls went wide of the mark. Chick attempted to take the revolvers from Lannigan, and succeeded in wrenching one from him. The other one, however, Lannigan was desperately endeavoring to use, and this time on Chick. The bed was between Chick and Lannigan on the one side and Nick and Patsy on the other. Patsy sprang on the bed to cross it to go to Chick’s assistance, while Nick attempted to pass around the foot of the bed. Grappled by one, with two approaching him from different directions, Lannigan, for a brief instant, seemed to hesitate on which he should use his revolver. The hesitation was fatal to him, for, as a matter of fact, in his doubt he aimed nowhere, discharging it between Nick and Patsy. The next moment Patsy had seized his arm that held the revolver, and, with a quick wrench, he took it from his hand. Without weapons, Lannigan made even then a desperate effort at a fight. He was a powerful man, with muscles like steel, wiry and active. But he was not a match in strength or skill for even Chick, and when Patsy’s strength was added, he was as a child between them. The two threw him over on the bed, where they held him down. “You’d better give up,” said Nick. “You’re done, and you can’t make any fight. You’ve lost the game. It’s all up with you.” “Who are you?” panted Lannigan. “What do you want?”