“Yes, yes, Mr. Carter, surely,” Mellen quickly asserted. “We feel nearly as anxious as Mr. Madden concerning his daughter, and fully as indignant over this outrage. We will do whatever you suggest.” David Mack also nodded approvingly, saying familiarly, with an expressive gleam in his dark eyes: “It’s more than an outrage, Carter. It’s deviltry, infernal deviltry, of the most satanic kind. Hanging is too good for such scoundrels.” “I agree with you, Mr. Mack,” Nick replied. “As for doing what you advise, Carter, it looks to me as if I might do very much more,” Mack forcibly added. “But I’m game--I’m game for it. I’ll show these knaves what kind of wood shingles are made of, providing I can trick them in some way and turn the tables on them.” “That must be Greek to Mr. Carter,” said Mellen, rising to go. “He must see that letter in order to understand you.” “Yes, yes, the letter will explain,” John Madden put in. “It came in our morning mail, as promised, and it fully confirms your theory. Hand it to him, David. Let him see for himself.” “It’s a dastardly, devilish outrage,” Mack declared again, handing Nick the communication in question. “Such miscreants ought to be tarred and feathered and then burned at a stake. Read it, Carter, for yourself.” Nick took the sheet of paper and examined it. He saw at a glance that it had been torn from a pad of perfectly plain paper, obviously to preclude tracing the writer by means of it. Instead of having been written, however, the communication was neatly printed with a lead pencil, occasional erasures denoting that considerable care had been taken in forming the printed letters. The communication read as follows: “MR. JOHN MADDEN: The undersigned need money--of which you have a thousand times more than you really need. “In order to separate you from the amount we require, therefore, we have begun with separating you from something more dear to you than money--your child. “The situation now is a simple one. It needs no elaboration. You want your stolen child. We want half a million dollars. “That is the price you must pay--or suffer an only alternative. “If you submit and consent to pay this ransom, acting directly in accord with instructions we shall give, your child will be quickly and safely restored to you. “If you refuse, or attempt to dicker over the payment, we will send you the girl--laid out for burial. There is no middle course. “Half a million ransom--or death. “This is the only letter we shall send you. We refuse, furthermore, to treat directly with you. You are too old a man to engage in such business. Negotiations must be continued, therefore, and the ransom finally paid, by a third party--some representative in whom you have absolute confidence.