Part 39 (1/2)
A strange series of accidents began the night of the day following the receipt of the letter, and Nick Carter had no doubt whatever that it was the first act to be played in the drama of vengeance which Black Madge had inaugurated against them.
It was rather a simple thing of itself, and did no damage to amount to anything. The fact was that during the night some malicious person had placed under the front steps in the areaway of his house a barrel that had been filled with cotton waste saturated with oil. It was only necessary after that to apply a match to the inflammable material to start an incipient conflagration. Had the house itself not been built of granite, and--save the doors and windows and other tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs--been practically fireproof, the result would have been disastrous; as it was, however, beyond badly scorching the door, and cracking a few of the stones by reason of the intense heat that was generating, no damage was done.
But the fact had been sufficient to remind Nick Carter and his three a.s.sistants that Madge had not threatened idly, and that already she had undertaken to carry out the substance of some of her warning.
At midnight the day following the fire in the areaway a blazing bomb was hurled through the window of the second story of Nick Carter's house, and rolled to the middle of the floor, where it blazed furiously, and would undoubtedly have done a great deal of damage had it not so happened that the housekeeper was present at the time, for Nick had a guest that night, and she had been called late to prepare the room for him.
The day following this one, about four o'clock in the afternoon, Joseph discovered a dynamite cartridge containing a pound and a half of the explosive in the vestibule at the front door. The fuse of this cartridge was already alight and would have reached and exploded the percussion, or detonating cap, if Joseph, for some reason unknown, had not gone to the front door at that moment. He was not called there, and had not heard anybody in the vestibule, or on the steps, and Joseph forever insisted after this incident that it was an intervention of Providence.
This last incident was extremely serious, for had the cartridge been exploded it must have torn away the entire front of the house, and have done enormous damage, even if it had taken no lives.
Friday night of that week at about half-past eight o'clock in the evening Chick and Patsy were walking up Madison Avenue together, and when they arrived at the corner of Thirtieth Street, and were about to turn toward Fifth Avenue, a shot was fired at them from across the street.
Fortunately the bullet did not strike either of them; and, although they both immediately pursued the would-be a.s.sa.s.sin, he was evidently prepared to avoid them, for he leaped upon a bicycle and sped away so swiftly that there was no hope of overtaking him. They only saw that he was tall and slender, and that was all.
The Sat.u.r.day morning following an express wagon stopped at Nick Carter's house and delivered a package addressed to the detective, which was marked: ”Fragile. This side up, with care.”
Joseph carried it to the detective's study, placed it upon the table, and was about to leave the room when Nick stopped him.
”What is that, Joseph?” he asked.
”An express package, sir, which just came for you.”
”Who brought it, Joseph?”
”The express wagon, sir.”
”Bring it over here. Let me see it.”
Joseph took the package in his hand, carried it over to place it on the desk in front of the detective, who regarded it with a smile, while strangely enough his mind went back to the number of attempts to injure him that had been made during the week that was now nearly past.
”Did you sign for it, Joseph?” he asked.
”Yes, sir.”
”I am expecting no package.” said the detective.
”No, sir,” said Joseph, not knowing what else to reply.
”I think, Joseph,” said the detective, ”that if you will take it to the bas.e.m.e.nt, or, rather, to the laundry, and draw one of the tubs there full of water, it would be a good idea to put the package to soak for five or six hours before we open it.”
”Really, sir,” said Joseph. ”Why?”
”Joseph, if that package had come here as it has a week or ten days ago, I should have opened it without a second thought, but, under the circ.u.mstances and considering all that has happened of late, I deem it wise to use every precaution. Take the package down and soak it as I have directed.”
Some hours later, when the detective recalled the incident to mind, he and Chick went to the bas.e.m.e.nt together, found the package, and with a great deal of care opened it--from the bottom.
It was found to contain an infernal machine of the most approved pattern, loaded with broken gla.s.s, slugs of lead and old iron, and an a.s.sortment of nails, old keys, and bullets.