“There will be no immediate rounding up, Carter, since it depends upon you alone,” replied Badger, with a searching stare at Nick’s face. “Ah, then you were also told that I’m alone on the case,” said Nick, willing enough to have him think so. “Aren’t you alone on it?” “If I’m not, Badger, you’ll hear from others soon enough.” “There are no others.” “All right.” “And you are now helpless.” “Not quite.” “As good as down and out.” “But I’m still in the ring,” insisted Nick. “You’re in hands from which you’ll never escape alive, I give you my word on that,” cried Badger, with menacing austerity. “Your word, Badger, is a poor voucher.” “You now know far too much about us for us to let you escape and disclose it,” added the latter decisively. “I now want to know of just what your knowledge consists, and what action you have taken against us.” Nick laughed a bit derisively. “I guess, Badger, you’ll have to take it out in wanting,” said he. “You’ll not inform me?” “Not by a long chalk.” “I shall find a way to compel you.” “Possibly,” said Nick. “But you’ll have a long hunt before you find the way.” “You’ll let me alone to find that,” cried Badger, with confident asperity. “I can devise tortures so acute that even you will reveal what you have done toward——” His rascally threat was interrupted at that point by the sound of approaching steps from beyond the partly closed door. In a moment it was thrown open, and Jerry Conley, followed by Vic Clayton and Badger’s wife, entered the dismal place. That the two women were as low-bred and disreputable as had been reported to Nick appeared in their utter disregard of his wretched condition, and the malicious satisfaction with which they stared at him, as they might have stared at a caged beast which they had had occasion to fear. “You’ve got him back to earth, have you?” asked Claudia, with a glance at Badger’s grim face. “Jerry just came and told us, so we thought we’d have a look at him.” Vic Clayton, however, came and bent above Nick, peering down at his stern features, now white from loss of blood; while her own evil eyes, with the mocking smile that curled her cruel lips, plainly evinced her despicable and malignant nature. “Well, you’ve got as many lives as a cat, haven’t you?” she demanded, in taunting tones. Nick returned her evil stare with hardly a change of countenance, yet there was in his lifted eyes an ominous, fiery gleam, from which those who knew him best had learned to shrink with fear. “I shall live long enough to repay with interest the blows you dealt me, and to land you where you belong?” he sternly rejoined. “You will, eh?” sneered Vic, with a derisive laugh. “Without the slightest doubt.” “Evidently you’ve forgotten what I predicted for you.” “The predictions of a charlatan are seldom fulfilled.” “Charlatan?” “And crook,” added Nick.