“But the meds did me a good turn, at that,” Margate added. “They forced me into seeking other garments than my own, and put me in a way to pull off this job. We’ll clean up handsomely from the whole business, you can bank on that, and there’ll be no clew left to show who turned the trick, after I have bolted with Nance for South America.” “You’ll be bolted in other quarters, you rascal, unless I am much mistaken,” thought Chick, still on the stairway. “By Jove, I don’t quite fathom this business.” The conversation that followed shed a ray of light upon it, but only a ray, as far as the listening detective was concerned. “You feel sure the woman will pay, do you?” Zeke Selig inquired. “Pay--you bet she’ll pay,” said Margate confidently. “Her letter to Barclay shows that. What else can she do? She’s got to have the document before her husband shows up, or--well, she knows what the finish would be.” “When will he show up?” “The letter don’t say. It says only that she must have the document to-day. I would nail Barclay, too, only he’s likely to call on Nick Carter for aid after informing the woman of his loss. I’ll take a chance that we can bleed her before Carter gets to work there. Just now, you know, he must have his hands full looking after my body.” “But what in thunder is the document?” asked Tony, after lighting the lanterns. “I cannot just make it out,” replied Margate. “It’s a foreign agreement of some kind and is signed by a bunch of diplomats. “H’m, I see,” thought Chick, listening intently. “Senator Barclay evidently is in wrong with some woman.” “I know enough, however, to be sure we could nail no one else for anything,” Margate added. “The woman is the only one in our clutches, since the trick must be turned immediately. She’ll come across with the coin, all right, and may show up here with Nance at any moment. I’ll fix the front door so we can let her in. By the way, one of you lock and bolt the back door.” Both Zeke and Angus Selig started to do so, striding out of the room at Margate’s heels, and all three appeared almost immediately in the hall, then lighted by the rays from the lanterns. Chick heard them coming and knew that he must be seen if he remained on the stairway, about half of which he had ascended. He drew back quickly from the plain wooden rail on the outer side, intending to steal quietly up to the second floor. When he trod on the next bare stair, however, the projecting edge of the footboard, weakened with age and dampness in the closed house, broke under his weight. Chick lost his footing and his balance. He fell heavily against the rail, seizing it to prevent falling backward down the stairs. The startling noise brought a roar from Margate: “What’s that?” The question was instantly answered--but not verbally. The stairway rail snapped and broke under the detective’s weight.