“It’s not my habit to explain my methods,” Nick said slowly, bent upon prolonging the conversation, if possible. Margate seemed to suspect something of the kind, for his brows knit suddenly and his eyes took on a more threatening gleam. He crouched nearer to the opening, again shaking his revolver at the helpless detective, while he cried more fiercely: “You’d better hand it to me straight, Carter, or you’ll mighty quick get all that’s coming to you.” “Hand you what, Margate?” Nick drawled. “Hang it, Margate, he’s stringing you,” Conroy now cried fiercely, gazing down at Nick over the other’s shoulder. “The sooner he’s handed his, Margate, the better ’twill be for us. There’s no telling what he has up his sleeve, or who else is on the case. We may get it in the neck from another quarter.” “That’s right, too,” snarled Ardley sonorously. Margate seemed suddenly impressed with the same threatening possibility. He sprang up, instantly closing the opening, and swung round to Ardley. “Will that trap fill quickly, Ben, if you open the sluice gate?” he demanded, with a murderous light in his evil eyes. “In about three minutes, Dave,” was the reply. “How do you open it?” “By throwing that lever,” said Ardley, pointing to a long iron bar near the wall. Margate’s face turned hard as flint. “Throw it, then,” he commanded. “Throw it, Ardley, and wipe this cursed sleuth off the earth. It’s only the fate he has invited. Throw it, Ardley, and drown him like a rat in a sewer.” Nick Carter, listening grimly, heard Ardley stride toward the iron lever. CHAPTER VIII. ON THE BACK TRACK. Nick Carter had reasoned correctly concerning the night telegram which he had received from Patsy Garvan, whom he had directed to shadow Pierre Toulon when the latter returned on the special train to New York with Lenaire and the several assistants whom he had brought to Langham Manor. Patsy expected to have a busy night, but the jaunt Toulon led him far exceeded his anticipations. It was after twelve o’clock when the train arrived in the station, where Toulon was employed for half an hour in removing to a wagon the articles belonging to the caterer. He no sooner was at liberty, moreover, than he hurried to the nearest hotel, where he entered a telephone booth and remained for several minutes. It was then that Patsy heard him call for a long-distance wire, also catching the name of B. Ardley just as Toulon closed the booth door, but mistaking it for Beardly precisely as Nick afterward suspected. Unable to overhear more, Patsy seized the opportunity to write and send the telegram to Nick, which the detective received an hour later. Patsy then shadowed Toulon to an all-night restaurant, where the waiter ate a hearty meal, remaining there until three o’clock and then returning to the railway station, where he purchased a ticket.