"Get out, and come in, Muggs," Verbeck directed. "You're in on this. I hope we can keep away from the newspaper boys, or we'll both have our pictures in the papers. Come along."

They hurried across the walk, threw open the front door of headquarters, and entered. And just inside the door they stopped, confronted by a scene that was a commingling of confusion and hysteria.

Half a dozen detectives were scattered along one wall, looking as if they wished to be elsewhere. Three or four uniformed officers stood about nervously. A captain sat behind his desk and chewed savagely at his mustache. And up and down the center of the big room strode the chief of police, waving his arms and bellowing accusations and charges of cowardice and incompetence.

"Babies! Fools!" the chief was shouting. "I'll have the shields off every one of you for this! Haven't the newspapers been laughing at us enough? You'll drive me to drink! I'll hand my resignation to the mayor in the morning! I'll-- How d'you do, Mr. Verbeck?"

"How do you do, chief?"

"Here's the man who did it-Roger Verbeck! Because he got peeved at this Black Star he turns in and runs him down-what you b.o.o.bs are supposed to get paid for doing! He takes chances-he and his chauffeur, or whatever he calls him-and he gets his man! Keeps the police out of it, and does it all by himself, just to show you up--"

"Scarcely for that reason, chief," Roger put in.

"Don't misunderstand me, Mr. Verbeck-I'm not belittling what you've done. I'm just showing these alleged sleuths that they are wanting in intelligence. Here's a plain citizen gets peeved and goes out and rounds up a big crook-hands him over to you all done up in a bundle and handcuffed, watches while you throw him in the wagon, and then--"

The chief stopped a moment and gurgled in anger.

"_And then, by Heaven, right at the door of headquarters, you let him escape!_"

CHAPTER XV-THE CHALLENGE

Silence for a moment, save for Muggs' single gurgle of disgust, and then:

"What's that?" Roger Verbeck demanded, stepping forward and facing the chief.

"They let him escape, I'm telling you! How, in the name of all that's human, they could do it is more than I can guess! Don't ask me-ask some of these b.o.o.bs! For months we've been crazy to get this Black Star-we have him handcuffed and in the wagon-and he escapes! He's been gone an hour or more. He's probably ransacked the mayor's house and blown up the vault of the First National Bank in that time, just to show his anger at being pinched. Ah-h!"

The chief sputtered his wrath again.

"Out!" he cried to his men. "Out-every man of you! Some of you saw that crook's face-though I doubt if you can tell me now whether he's got one eye or two. Out, and get him! Don't come back until you do!

Get out of here-and I'll break the man who dares to report no progress! Out, fools!"

Glad to escape their superior's wrath, the detectives scattered, and the uniformed men ascended the stairs to the room used by the reserves, there to discuss the latest event in lowered voices, for the chief's command did not apply to the "harness bulls."

The chief beckoned Verbeck and Muggs to follow him into his private office.

"It's enough to drive a man insane!" he exploded, reaching for his box of cigars and pa.s.sing it around.

"How did it happen?" Verbeck asked.

"Don't ask me! The wagon stopped before the jail door as usual. We had the eight crooks and this Black Star. As they started to get out, two of the crooks b.u.mped my men aside, two more tripped at the end of the wagon, the female crooks of the gang pretended to faint, and the Black Star made a dash for the alley. One of the fools took a shot at him and smashed a fourth-story window across the street. He made a clean get-away with the bracelets on him! Think of it! Right here at headquarters! They thought he was knocked out--"

"Probably he was shamming," Verbeck observed in an emotionless voice.

"You'd think anybody'd watch out for that-but not these fine detectives of mine! And every newspaper in town knows we had our hands on the Black Star and let him go. They've been pestering the life out of me, and I tipped off the capture as soon as my men telephoned from the Charity Ball, where you handed the crook over, thinking the department would get a little credit. And now they'll be worse on me than before. I'll resign! I'm done! But I'll break some of 'em first--"

"Your men are after him, aren't they?" Verbeck interrupted.

"Yes-they're after him. They've been after him for four months, and a lot of good it has done. You tell me your story, Verbeck; there are some things I don't know."

Speaking quickly, Verbeck did as he had been requested, telling the chief of his discovery of the Black Star, and of how he had played master criminal for a day in an effort to corral the band. He explained how the Black Star had an organization that gathered information for him and another that committed the crimes. When he had finished the chief chewed at his cigar and smote the desk with a palm.

"Great scheme!" he exclaimed. "Got an organization that reaches into every corner, eh? No wonder we had a time trying to get a line on him!

Oh, he's a master crook all right! Great Scott! Maybe some of his men are right here in headquarters!"

"It is possible," Verbeck said.

"Well, his perfect plans are spoiled now, at any rate. And half a dozen of my men have seen his face-besides you and this man Muggs of yours. So I suppose he'll make a break and get away; he'll be afraid to work here any more. We'll send his eight crooks over the road, but not the Black Star, eh? That'll be one nice stain on my department!

But, thank Heaven, his work is done in this town!"

Suddenly the chief sat forward and regarded Verbeck gravely.

"See here!" he exclaimed. "There may be considerable danger for you.

Even if the Black Star beats it, and his plans are smashed and his organization scattered, some of his friends may take it out on you for getting hands on him and spoiling their game. You may be a marked man.

Better let me send a couple of good men up to that bachelor apartment of yours. And you'd better stay, close around home for a few days, until we know how things are going to be."

"Pardon me," said Verbeck, "but from what you have told me to-night I scarcely think a couple of your men would be of much value. I'd rather rely on myself and Muggs."

"Rubbing it in, eh? I don't blame you! But you can have the men if you want them."

"No, thanks, chief. I'll go along home now and get some sleep. Here's hoping you catch your man. He didn't have much of a start, and he had handcuffs on his wrists-but he's a slippery customer. My man can testify to that. He slipped away from him once, and left a b.u.mp on his head when he did it."

"Better let me send up those men, Mr. Verbeck, even if they are pretty much worthless. We don't want to have you found knifed in bed some morning."

"I'm not afraid of any of the gang, chief, and the Black Star can't organize again and issue orders until he has a new headquarters. And, remember, I've talked to the Black Star. He isn't the sort of man who kills."

"No?"

"No; he's the sort that takes a pride in being a master criminal who uses brains instead of violence in pulling jobs no other man would approach and in doing them in a neat manner. Did he ever leave a mussed-up safe behind?"

"He generally unlocks 'em, takes what he wants, puts one of his blamed black stars in 'em, and locks 'em again-cuss him!"

"There you have his character, chief. Good night!"

Verbeck and Muggs made their exit in dignified and proper manner, and they did not speak until they were in the roadster and a block from police headquarters, on their way home. Then Muggs broke the silence in characteristic fashion.

"Whaddaya know about that!" he exclaimed in great disgust.

"The Black Star is a clever man, Muggs."

"His pals helped that get-away."

"Certainly-thinking that, with the Black Star at liberty, the organization will come to their rescue in some manner."

"I noticed you swallowed that bunk the chief handed out about this Black Star making a break for other parts, now that he has been seen by a few cops."