"And in that you will not be alone," a.s.sured Harry Bernard, a moist light glittering in his eye. Even d.y.k.e Darrel did not suspect how deeply his young friend was interested in the fate of Nell.

The days dragged into weeks ere d.y.k.e Darrel was able to be on his feet again. He was not very strong when he once more took it upon himself to hunt down the scoundrels who had wrecked his happy home. Even the railroad crime was forgotten for the time, so intense was his interest centered in the fate of his sister. If not dead, d.y.k.e Darrel believed she had met with a far worse fate, and it was this thought that nerved him to think of doing desperate work should the cruel abductor ever come before him.

Madge Scarlet was dismissed after an examination, but Nick Brower and his companion were held to await the action of a higher court.

One morning the pallid man in brown suit who had haunted the various depots of the city for several days made a discovery. On one of the early morning trains a man and veiled female had taken pa.s.sage East.

d.y.k.e Darrel trembled with intense excitement when the depot policeman told him of this.

"Only this morning, you say?"

"It was on one of the earliest trains, I believe, this morning.

"A New York train?"

"I am not sure. I see so many people, you know. You might inquire at the ticket office."

d.y.k.e Darrel did so.

No ticket for New York had been sold that morning. Then the policeman said that it was possible he might have been mistaken as to the time.

It might have been on the previous day he saw the man and his invalid sister.

"Do you know that they took the New York train?" questioned d.y.k.e.

"No; I'm not positive about that, either. You might telegraph ahead and find if such a couple is on the train."

This was a wise suggestion.

d.y.k.e acted upon it, but failed to derive any satisfaction.

And there was good reason for this, since when leaving Chicago a dark man, with smooth face and gray-tinged hair, accompanied Nell Darrel; whereas, before reaching the borders of New York State, the place of this man had been taken by a man with red beard and hair, blue gla.s.ses, and a well-worn silk plug.

This change disturbed ident.i.ties completely. The change had been made at a way station, without causing remark among the pa.s.sengers, the most of whom were not through for the great city. Once New York whelmed them, the scheming villain and poor Nell would be lost forever to the man-tracker of the West.

There was a suspicion in the brain of d.y.k.e Darrel that he scarcely dared whisper to his own consciousness. It was that Harper Elliston had a hand in the late villainy. The detective's eyes were open at last, and he realized that his New York friend was not what he seemed.

It was this fact that induced d.y.k.e Darrel to believe that the abductor of Nell had turned his face toward the American metropolis. At once he made search for Harry Bernard and Paul Ender.

Neither of them was he able to find, and he had not seen them for two days previous.

It did not matter, however.

Leaving word at the hotel that he had gone to New York, d.y.k.e Darrel once more hastened to the depot, arriving just in time to leap aboard the express headed for the Atlantic seaboard.

The train that had left four hours earlier was almost as fast as the one taken by the detective, so that if no accident happened to the earlier train, there could be little hope of running down his prey before New York was reached.

Nevertheless, d.y.k.e Darrel preserved a hopeful heart, in spite of the terrible anxiety that oppressed him.

The woman who had but a few days before been released from prison was destined to complicate matters and bring about startling and unexpected meetings, as the future will reveal.

When night fell d.y.k.e Darrel found himself yet hundreds of miles from the goal of his hopes and fears.

CHAPTER XXIV.

A RACE FOR LIFE.

As may be supposed, Professor Ruggles was deeply stunned at the coup de main that had deprived him of his fair charge.

Who had robbed him? This was the question that at once suggested itself to his mind, and he found it not difficult to frame an answer, although, until this moment, he had supposed that Madge Scarlet was still in prison.

"It must be her," he muttered, as he gazed madly at the vacant seat.

"I'm sure it was HER," said the old man who had first spoken. "A queer, wrinkled old woman, too, she was."

"Did she say anything?"

"Not a word."

Mr. Ruggles pa.s.sed into the next car, hoping to find Nell and the strange old woman there.

He went the whole length of the swift-moving train, only to learn that his fair captive had been spirited away completely.

At first rage consumed the man's senses, and he scarcely realized the dangers of his position.

"I will not give up to such a sneak game," he muttered at length.

"Madge Scarlet has shadowed me for this very purpose, it seems. Can it be possible that the friends of Nell Darrel have employed this hag to rob me of my prize? I will not believe it, for it isn't in the nature of Madge Scarlet to do a good action, not even for pay. No; it is to gratify her own petty scheme of vengeance that she has stolen a march on me; but she will not succeed. I will get on her track and wrest the girl from her hands."

A minute later Professor Ruggles stood before the conductor.

"When does the next train pa.s.s going west?"

"It pa.s.ses Galien in an hour."

"Galien? Do you stop there?"

"Yes."

"Soon?"

"Within five minutes."

When the train slowed in at the station, Professor Ruggles left the car and entered the depot. Here he would have to wait nearly an hour before the New York train west would pa.s.s. It was a tedious wait; but he could do no better. With his hand satchel clutched tightly he paced up and down like a ghost of the night.

He was glad indeed when the train came at length thundering up to the station, He had purchased a ticket for the station from which the abductress had boarded the cars and stolen Nell.