Noiselessly raising the lower section, he then pushed aside the curtain and peered in, finding that the window opened into the hall on the second floor. Listening, he could faintly hear voices from below, but could not distinguish whose, nor what was said. “Come on, Patsy,” he whispered, with a significant glance at him. “Have a gun ready. I’ll lead the way.” “You won’t be far in advance,” muttered Patsy dryly. Crawling quietly through the window, one after the other, they tiptoed toward the broad, angular stairway leading to the lower hall. “Keep on, old top,” whispered Patsy, now with a revolver in each hand. “The sooner we get them the better.” “I think so, too.” “They’re in one of the side rooms. Ah, that was the chief’s voice.” “Come on,” Chick muttered, starting down the stairs. Patsy followed close at his companion’s heels. They had made only the first turn in the stairway, when the voice of Mortimer Deland, rising high with the last threatening words he was addressing to Nick Carter, coupled with his fierce commands to his three confederates, fell loud and clear on the two detective’s ears. Chick Carter glanced at Patsy and pulled out a second revolver. “Fire the house, will he?” he whispered hurriedly. “There’ll be firing of another kind done here, if necessary.” “You bet!” nodded Patsy, with brows knitting. “Shoot to kill, if you have to shoot.” “Kill goes!” “They’ll come out this way,” Chick said hurriedly, as they reached the foot of the stairway and paused for an instant near the front door. “Had we better rush in on them?” “We might meet them on the threshold and get into too close quarters,” said Chick, after an instant’s thought. “We’d better get them after they come into the hall.” “I guess you’re right.” “Slip across into that front parlor and be ready to nail them from that side,” Chick directed. “I’ll cover this part of the hall.” “I’ve got you,” Patsy nodded. “Give a yell when you’re ready.” He darted across the hall with the last and into the dim, luxuriously furnished parlor. Chick crouched back of the rise of the stairs. Both scarce had gained these positions when the four crooks, with Nick in their midst, issued from the dining room and headed toward the front of the hall. Chick waited until they were midway between the several doors, that no swift leap into either room should save any of them. Then he uttered the yell for which Patsy Garvan was waiting. “Now, Patsy, get them!” Nick Carter heard him, and then saw both. As quick as a flash, he shouldered both Deland and Henley to the middle of the hall, then leaped quickly back into the dining room, out of range of a chance bullet. Chick saw the idea, and a shriek instantly followed his yell. “Hands up, you fellows! We’ll drop the first man who resists!” “Every man!” roared Patsy, with both guns leveled. There were four weapons covering the crooks, with bullets enough in all to have riddled them.