Nick did not for a moment think that Chick would have lost sight of this woman. Now replying to Floyd’s inquiry, Vera Vantoon told him of her meeting with Minerva, and reported in detail the information the girl had imparted. Some of the color faded from Floyd’s face while he listened. Those of Bug Bannon, Bagley, and Gorman took on more serious expressions. “What the devil did he want of hot water and a spoon?” Bannon suspiciously demanded, addressing Floyd. “What kind of a test could he have wanted to make?” “I’ll be hanged if I know.” “It don’t go down, not down my throat,” Bannon growled. “He had some other object. He may be putting something over that we don’t know about.” “I’ll darned soon find out!” cried Floyd, with eyes blazing. “What was it, Carter? What was your game?” “You’ll not find out from me,” Nick curtly answered. “Won’t I?” “Not by a long chalk.” “We’ll see!” thundered Floyd, lifting from the melting pot the ladle half filled with liquid silver. “You answer! You tell me! Out with it--or I’ll pour this down your infernal neck!” He meant what he said--and he looked it. CHAPTER IX. DEAD ASHES. Chick Carter whipped out his searchlight, crouching above the prostrate man he had found in the alley. At the same moment a low moan broke from the victim of Bug Bannon’s treacherous assault. Patsy’s head was harder than the cowardly young ruffian had thought. Patsy was fast on his way to reviving. The glare from the searchlight fell on his upturned face, and a low cry of dismay came from Chick. “Great guns!” he muttered. “It’s Patsy.” Patsy heard him, and the sound of the familiar voice was like a stimulant. It brought him completely out of dreamland. “Oh, it’s you, Chick,” he said faintly. “Gee! that was a hard crack on the bean--but I’m still in the ring.” Chick heard him with a thrill of relief. “By Jove, I thought you were done up, Patsy,” he replied, raising him to a sitting position. “How are you feeling?” “Better every second. I’ll be on my pins in a minute.” “What happened? How did it occur?” Chick inquired. It took Patsy only a few moments to inform him, and for Chick to state how he had discovered Vera Vantoon and afterward lost sight of her. Before they had finished, Patsy was on his feet, but with a look of disgust on his rather pale face. “Hang it, then, we’ve lost both of them,” he said dubiously. “What’s to be done? The chief may be in dead wrong by this time.” “The fact that both of them vanished in this locality is significant,” Chick replied. “If only one had come here, I might think nothing of it. Under the circumstances, however, it’s ten to one that the gang has quarters in this section.” “Gee! there’s something in that,” said Patsy, quick to see the point. “In one of these old buildings, perhaps.” “Are you fit for a search?” asked Chick, still a bit anxious. “As fit as a fiddle,” Patsy assured him.