“I’m coming in there now to disarm you,” said Nick, “but I leave a chap here who can do pretty good shooting. The man who resists will be killed.” Then, turning to Chick, he asked: “How many pair of handcuffs have you?” “Two, but——” “Never mind that,” interrupted Nick. “You stay here and shoot if one of them lifts a finger. I’ll lock the women in a closet.” This plan was adopted, and in five minutes the three crooks were disarmed and handcuffed. “I don’t believe you’re a New York policeman,” said one of the men, glaring at Nick. “They don’t do things in this way. We have been operating here quite a time, and this is our first experience of this kind.” “You are not discreet,” smiled Nick as he handcuffed them. The sound of angry words now came from the room where Chick had been left in charge of the two prisoners and the women. Nick opened the door and looked out. A heavily built man with a mustache dyed black and an evil face was shaking a huge fist at the women. “You’ve robbed me,” he was saying, “and I now give you in charge of these officers. You saw your chance when things were getting mixed, and took every dollar from the safe. You’re nice people, you are.” The women looked the man over scornfully and maintained a discreet silence. The tough turned to Nick. “I remember you,” he said. “You came into the place to-night just before the raid, and you made for this room when the row started. That man there,” pointing to Chick, “hired out as a waiter early in the evening. You are detectives, I suppose?” “You have guessed it,” replied Chick. “Well, I want you to arrest these women. They have robbed the safe of ten thousand dollars. I will appear against them.” “When was this money taken?” asked Nick. “Some time during the evening.” “But the women have been here ever since the row started.” “Then they took the money before that time. They might have taken it during the afternoon, for all I know. They had chances enough if they knew the combination, and they must have learned that, or they could not have taken it at all, for the safe was locked.” “Where is the safe?” asked Nick. “In a little room at the back end of the saloon.” “Near the private staircase?” “Close to it.” “Is your name Jim?” asked the detective. “Not for a minute,” was the reply. “Jim is the bartender.” Nick glanced at the women. They threw him an appealing glance and turned their eyes away. “Perhaps he took the money,” suggested Nick. “He wasn’t here until just before the row began,” was the reply. “Where is he now?” asked Nick. “I don’t know. The police closed the place.” As the fellow spoke he glared angrily at the prisoners. It was evident that he knew something of the cause of the raid. “These men came here,” said Nick, “looking for a man named Hughart. Where is Hughart?” “I don’t know anything about him,” was the angry reply. “What I want now is my money, and I want these women and these rooms searched.”