New Nick Carter Weekly, No. 23 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

itty at ba al a NEW NICK CARTER WEEKLY. completely as if he had been at work on ‘it with his make-up box. - — - tee ez Report away ~ then,’’ interrupted Trim, ‘‘and save me the trouble.’ \. The operator immediately sat down and began to click off messages which Trim read by sound. . They were directed ‘to the superintend- ent of the division at Laredo, telling | him that the tracks in the mouth of the _ tunnel had been torn up by the mysteri- _ Ous explosion of a keg of powder. “Vou might add,’? remarked Trim, ‘that the fellows who mysteriously touched off that powder are now on the way to Laredo on a locomotive that they stole when the railroad men at Texuca deserted their posts in the excitement following the explosion.” “You don’t really mean that you want | me to send that?’’ asked the operator 1n | frightened tone. _ “Why not? it’s the truth.’’ 23 __ The operator turned: pale and put his finger upon the key. ‘*Who shall I say is sending this mation ?’’ he asked in alow tove. | ‘You can tell the superintendent that it is Trimble Carter, a New York detect- __ ive, who intends to capture the train wreckers if the railroad authorities will give him their assistance.” ‘Oh,’ said the operator with a sigh of telief, ‘‘I thought you must have been) _ one of the officials of the road.’’ __ And it scared you, didn’t it,’’ asked Have me catch you away from t infor- | s about it, Mr. ¢ you won’t say anything abo graph all you want me to,”’ | *Phat’s all right then,’’ Trim re- sponded, ‘‘but I should have thought you would have been acquainted with the railroad officials so that you would have| known at first sight that I wasn’t one of = i : if | | it it I'l] tele- e al i = ’ a — +he operator smiled queerly. | _*+here’s a looking glass out in the | oom,’’ he remarked; ‘‘suppose out there, Mr. Carter, and ex- » weiiie 4send a message to the su- operator began at once to telegraph | 1€ superintendent and 1 | s & ® . a a . 0 a - , ® ’ | > } a ‘il “a | ! \ { ~ ‘ Sail - | P ~% * = 4 E a could and then returned ages flying line. reported that the only siding occupied by a passenger train with people slaughter to turn the stolen locomotive else, Ishan’t return until I’ve captured the train wreckers.’’ work promptly to repair the damage caused by the explosion in the tunnel. ing a few of the rails and pgantee} 15 It was blackened by powder and smoke ° so that no one would have been able to recognize him and he might easily enough have been mistaken for an official. He washed off the dirt as well as he to the telegraph omce. For the next ten minutes he kept mes- to various points along the The superintendent of the division at Laredo had promptly responded with an order to the railroad man at Texuca to do everything possible to assist the de- | tective. Trim’s messages were directed to the station agents along the line warning them of the theft of the locomotive and ‘urging them to stop it even if it was necessary to turn it into a siding and so wreck it. _ A report was soon received from the first station saying that the locomotive had dashed by at full speed. At the next station beyond that it was there was on board and that it would have been upon it. x There was no report received from two or three other stations and it proved later nen in charge had not dared to to stop the flying engine. While waiting for replies, Trim sent a message to New York to inform Nick Carter briefly of what had happened. This message concluded as follows: “tInless you want me for something _ The men employed at Texuca set to It did not take long to do this for al- though the explosion had been violent | the damage done was limited to dislodg- — rg | , re put in place ic -s were getting further away from These we r r A - .