Nick now felt reasonably sure, too, since learning that Cora Cavendish had sent the three crooks out there, that Patsy must have got on her track before that was done, and he was borrowing no trouble as to the outcome of his own situation. The only point that Nick now wanted to clear up, in fact, was the precise relations that had existed between Madison and this gang of thugs, and he knew that he was in a fair way of doing so. John Madison had not stirred from the swivel chair in which he was seated. Nor had he spoken, or even changed countenance, during the vicious remarks that had passed between the several crooks. He really appeared indifferent to them, and he now wore the grimly determined aspect of a man who had made up his mind what to do, and had the nerve, and stamina to do it. Deland was quick to observe all this, and his evil eyes had an uglier gleam when he resumed his seat at the desk to continue his talk with the lawyer, while Daggett, Flynn, and Tobey occupied chairs near by. “Now, Madison, let’s get right down to cases,” Deland began, whipping out each word with ominous asperity. “I’ll say what I mean and you do the same. You are up against one of two things. You’re going to settle with us, as you agreed to do, or you’re going to be sent up for the murder of Tilly Lancey. There’s no middle course for you.” “H’m, I see,” thought Nick, already sizing up the situation. “No middle course for him, eh? I’ll lay one out for him, then, unless I’m much mistaken.” Madison did not reply for a moment. He drew up his powerful figure a little higher in his chair, and bestowed a frowning glance upon each of the rascals confronting him. His gaze finally settled upon Deland’s evil face, however, and remained there. “I will be sent up for the murder of Tilly Lancey, will I?” he slowly answered. “That’s what you will,” Deland nodded. “That’s one course.” “How can I be sent up for a crime that you scoundrels committed?” “We’ll swear it onto you, and we have the stuff to fix it so it will stay. I’ve got the bunch of letters you wrote to her. We’ll chuck them in for evidence. We’ll frame you up, all right, and in a way that will let us down dead easy. You can bank on that.” “And bank on it good and strong, too,” put in Plugger Flynn, pounding the desk top with his fingers. “You fellows are a fine gang with which to do business,” said Madison, with manifest contempt in his deep voice. “Either one of you would double cross his own mother. I ought to have known it in the beginning, but I was caught by the bait you threw me. The only other course is for me to settle, you say?” “You heard what I said,” snapped Deland.