With Links of Steel

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With Links of Steel

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Title: With Links of Steel
Author: Nicholas Carter
Release Date: November 19, 2004 [eBook #14096]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH LINKS OF STEEL***
E-text prepared Steven desJardins and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders

WITH LINKS OF STEEL
Or, The Peril of the Unknown
New Magnet Library No. 1164
by
NICHOLAS CARTER
Author of the celebrated stories of Nick Carter's adventures, which are published exclusively in the NEW MAGNET LIBRARY, conceded to be among the best detective tales ever written.
Street & Smith Corporation Publishers 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York
1904

[Illustration: Cover of With Links of Steel]
CHAPTER I
A CRAFTY ROBBERY.
CHAPTER II
CONCERNING SE?ORA CERVERA.
CHAPTER III
THE KILGORE DIAMOND GANG.
CHAPTER IV
GETTING DOWN TO WORK.
CHAPTER V
BEHIND THE SCENES.
CHAPTER VI
A SHOT IN THE DARK.
CHAPTER VII
A STRATEGIC MOVE.
CHAPTER VIII
FOUND DEAD.
CHAPTER IX
NICK STRIKES A STARTLING CLEW.
CHAPTER X
ON THE TRAIL.
CHAPTER XI
THE CRIME AND THE MEANS.
CHAPTER XII
CLOSING IN.
CHAPTER XIII
CRAFTY CERVERA.
CHAPTER XIV
IN A WARM CORNER.
CHAPTER XV
THE DIAMOND PLANT.
CHAPTER XVI
THE CUNNING OF JEAN PYLOTTE.
CHAPTER XVII
THE GAME UNCOVERED.
CHAPTER XVIII
AT CROSS-PURPOSES.
CHAPTER XIX
HANDS SHOWED DOWN.
CHAPTER XX
THE BOOT ON THE OTHER LEG.
CHAPTER XXI
AN ONLY RESOURCE.
CHAPTER XXII
THE LAST TRICK.

WITH LINKS OF STEEL
CHAPTER I.
A CRAFTY ROBBERY.
"Mr. Venner, sir?"
"Mr. Venner--yes, certainly. You will find him in his private office--that way, sir. The door to the right. Venner is in his private office, Joseph, is he not?"
"I don't think so, Mr. Garside, unless he has just returned. I saw him go out some time ago."
"Is that so? Wait a moment, young man."
The young man halted, and then turned back to face Mr. Garside, with an inquiring look in his frank, brown eyes.
"Not here, sir, do I understand?" he asked, politely.
Mr. Garside shook his head. He was a tall, slender man of forty, and was the junior partner of the firm of Rufus Venner & Co., a large retail jewelry house in New York City, with a handsome store on Fifth Avenue, not far from Madison Square.
It was in their store that this introductory scene occurred, and proved to be the initiatory step of one of the shrewdest and most cleverly executed robberies on record.
It was about eleven o'clock one April morning. The sun was shining brightly outside, and at the curbing in front of the store were several handsome private carriages, with stiff-backed, motionless coachmen, in bottle-green livery, perched on their boxes, all of which plainly indicated the very desirable patronage accorded the firm mentioned.
In the store the glare of sun was subdued by partly drawn yellow curtains, which lent a soft, amber light to the deep interior, and enhanced the dazzling beauty of the merchandise there displayed.
The store was a rather narrow one, but quite deep, with a long-counter on each side, back of which were numerous clerks, some engaged in waiting upon the several customers then present.
At the rear of the store was an office inclosure, with a partition of plate glass; while at either side of this inclosure was a smaller room, entirely secluded, these being the private offices of the two members of the firm.
Mr. Garside was standing about in the middle of the store when the young man entered and inquired for Mr. Venner. As he turned from the clerk who had informed him of Venner's absence, he added, half in apology, to his visitor:
"I was mistaken, young man. My clerk tells me that Mr. Venner is out just now. Do you know where he has gone, Joseph?"
"No, sir, I do not."
"I think he will presently return," said Garside, again reverting to the caller. "Is there anything that I can do for you? Or will you wait until Mr. Venner comes in?"
"I will not wait, Mr. Garside, since you are one of the firm, and probably know about this matter," replied the young man, drawing a small cloth-covered package from his breast pocket. "Here are the ten diamonds for which Mr. Venner sent us an order this morning. I come from Thomas Hafferman, sir, and will leave the stones with you."
The man mentioned was also a jeweler, and a large importer of diamonds and costly gems.
Mr. Garside's countenance took on an expression of mild surprise.
"From Hafferman? An order from Venner?" he murmured, inquiringly. "I was not aware that Venner sent out any order for diamonds this morning."
"One of your clerks brought the order, sir, and requested Mr. Hafferman to send the stones here as soon as convenient," replied the messenger. "Mr. Hafferman did not know your clerk personally, so I was sent here to deliver the stones."
"What is your name, young man?"
"Harry Boyden, sir. I have worked for Mr.