“He went as far as the freight house with me. Then he took the bill of lading given me by the freight agent, and told me to wait while he got a duplicate of it for the way-bill clerk. I did so, Mr. Carter, and he returned in about five minutes and gave me the bill of lading. I supposed he was one of the yard officials, and that was the last I saw of him.” “You returned to New York that night?” “Yes, sir.” “Describe the man, Mr. Gilbert,” said Nick. “Why, sir, he was a man of medium build and about forty years old. He was quite dark, but with a rather pallid skin and----” “That is sufficient,” Nick interrupted. “Tell Mr. Waldmere that he may send you and McLauren after the seventeen cases remaining in the car. I will look after getting--the other three.” “Do you mean, Mr. Carter, that----” “Never mind what I mean,” Nick again cut in. “Say nothing about the questions I have asked. Do only what I have directed.” “I will, sir.” Gilbert bowed and withdrew. He looked as if something unthought of before had suddenly dawned upon him. “By Jove, we seem to be getting down to cases,” Chick remarked, when the chauffeur had closed the door. “We are,” Nick tersely agreed. “You think the man who showed up just in time to direct loading the freight car----” “Is the man we want, or one of them,” put in Nick. “There is no doubt of that. He got by both Gilbert and the train hand by assuming an air of authority that completely deceived both. One supposed him a road employee; the other the owner, perhaps, of the twenty cases.” “Most likely.” “Be that as it may, he got the three cases containing the gold plate placed so near the car door that they could be quickly removed after arriving in New York. He further fooled Gilbert, moreover, into letting him forge a copy of the bill of lading, probably on a blank already obtained.” “Sure thing,” Chick nodded. “That’s as plain as twice two.” “He was on Gilbert’s trail from the time he left New York.” “If we could discover his identity----” “Leave that to me,” Nick interrupted. “Call in Patsy, also Waldmere, and his wife. Stay--wait one moment!” Nick arose abruptly and approached a large roll-top desk near one of the walls. The cover of it was raised. Taking a lens from his pocket, Nick examined the polished woodwork on all sides, including the faces of several small interior drawers, surveying all of them at an angle that caught the light in a way that served his purpose. “Now, Chick, I’m ready,” he remarked, resuming his seat. Patsy Garvan entered a few moments later, followed immediately by Waldmere and his wife. Both gazed inquiringly at the detective, anxious to know what he had learned, but Nick did not inform them. Instead, addressing Waldmere, he said, with seeming indifference: “I will have finished in a short time. I think you said, Waldmere, that the inventory of the twenty cases, which was mailed to you from London, was received about two weeks ago.”