Nick reached down, and, seizing the man by the shoulders, lifted him up to the platform of the car as if he had been a child of ten. "Look back," cried the detective, pushing Gaspard to the other side of the car. "Is your man still at the station?" Two or three men were there, having, apparently, just missed the train. It seemed possible that the criminal--if such he was--had seen Gaspard point, and had been shrewd enough not to board the car. But Gaspard looked back and declared that his man was not there. "Good," said Nick. "He must be on the train. We have him sure." CHAPTER III. JOHN JONES. "I want you!" whispered Nick. How many luckless criminals have been startled by those words! How many have seen the prison or the gallows rise before them at the sound! In this case, however, the words seemed to produce less than the ordinary effect. The man to whom they were addressed turned suddenly toward the detective, but did not shrink or tremble. "I beg your pardon," said he; "I didn't quite understand what you said." The man's coolness made Nick even more in doubt about Gaspard's identification. After boarding the train they had walked through it hurriedly, and in the car next the engine Gaspard had clutched Nick's arm, whispering: "There is your man!" The person indicated was well-dressed, rather good-looking, and about thirty-five years old. There was nothing particularly striking about his appearance. It would have been easy to have found dozens of such men on lower Broadway any day. Nick feared a mistake. But Gaspard was sure. "I never forget a face," he said. "That is the man whom I saw coming out of room B. That is the murderer." The man was standing up and holding on to one of the straps. His profile was turned to them. Nick waited until he turned and showed his full face. The detective was bound to give Gaspard every chance to change his mind. But he remained firm, and at last Nick approached the accused and suddenly whispered the terrifying words in his ear. Having done so, he was obliged to carry it through. Therefore, when the stranger asked Nick to repeat what he had said, the detective, in a low voice, inaudible to anybody else in the car, told him what the accusation was. "This is ridiculous," said the man. "I read the story of this affair in the papers this morning, but I am not connected with it in any way. If you arrest me, you must be prepared to take the consequences." "I guess we can manage the affair quietly," said Nick, "and give you no trouble at all. I suppose you were going downtown to business?" "Yes." "Well, I will go along, too, if you don't mind." "By all means," said the man, and he looked much relieved. "I understand what your duty is," he continued. "Since this imported French jackass has made this charge, of course you'll have to look into it. Come down to the office and make some inquiries, and then go up to my flat. I was at home last evening after eight o'clock.