“Yes. It may have been signed for by the clerk, or delivered to Dewitt himself. The boy who took it there could tell us, but he is out just now. You can telephone to the Reddy House and find out.” “Not by a long chalk,” Nick quickly objected. “I don’t want my interest in this matter suspected. Have you found the other message?” “Yes, here it is.” Belden tendered the yellow paper on which the copied message was written. CHAPTER II. THE INTERCEPTED LETTER. Nick Carter read more carefully the telegram discussed in the hotel café, and which had so seriously aroused his suspicions. “John Dalton, Shelby: Dust flying. S. D. on way. Ware eagle. Martin.” Belden watched the detective for a moment, then asked: “What do you make of it? Dust flying seems to have no definite significance.” “On the contrary, Belden, it is very significant to me,” said Nick. “You have heard it said, no doubt, that some men have dust on their clothes, others in them.” “Dust—you mean money?” “Exactly. There is money moving in some way, Belden, or about to be moved, of which felonious advantage is going to be taken. In other words, Belden, crooks are out to get the money.” “Ah, I see!” Belden exclaimed, with eyes lighting. “You suspect that a crime is being framed up.” “Precisely. I feel reasonably sure of it, in fact.” “For any other reason?” “Yes. Notice the last phrase in the message.” “Ware eagle,” said Belden, reading it. “What the deuce can you make of that? Is one of them to wear an eagle, or some such insignia?” “Not at all,” said Nick. “It’s a warning.” “A warning?” “Surely. Observe the spelling of ‘ware.’ The word does not refer to something to be worn, or it would be properly spelled. It is an abbreviation of the word beware. In reality, Belden, the phrase means: Beware eagle.” “But how do you interpret that?” questioned Belden perplexedly. “Why is Dalton to beware of an eagle. I can’t see any sense to that.” Nick laughed a bit grimly. “I can,” he said tersely. “Crooks have favored me with all sorts of names and epithets. I am the eagle referred to, Belden, as sure as you’re a foot high.” “Ah! I see the point.” “This man, Martin, the sender of the message, has warned Dalton to beware of me,” Nick added. “It was that phrase that first led me to suspect the character of the entire message. It is generally known, now, that I am here in the service of the S. & O. Railway. This message convinces me, therefore, that another of the railway crimes is about to be attempted. It’s up to me to head it off, if possible, or at least to get the outlaws.” “By Jove, you are a wonderful man, Mr. Carter,” said Belden, with much enthusiasm. “There is no denying that you probably have interpreted both messages correctly.” “I think so,” said Nick modestly. “But how can you head off the anticipated crime, or succeed in getting the outlaws?”