CHAPTER VII

LIGHTS OUT

Berry Todd and Nat made careful plans for what might happen during the next few days. It might be necessary for the assistant to continue the rôle of chief sleuth for some time, or until the Tolas were thrown off their guard.

"They were evidently out to do you," declared Berry, when Nat had told of the episode in the dark alley.

"They were," agreed the chief. "Though how they made their plans so quickly and got on my trail so easily I don't quite see."

"They're desperate!" decided Berry.

"Oh, yes. But worse, they have underground ways and means of getting information," added Nat. "Evidently the whole band is sworn to exterminate any who have a hand in keeping the oil wells away from them."

"Is Mrs. Lemberg willing to let the property go back to the original owners?" asked Berry.

"No, she isn't. She says part of it is hers by right now, since her husband is dead, and she will need the income from it to support her, since his business will not be carried on. She has the usual German thoroughness and determination to hold on, and I don't know that I blame her. But I'm working not so much to make secure the possession of the oil wells as I am to avenge Dan Steele, and also Lemberg. Though I was not friendly with the German detective, yet he belonged to the same national society as I do and we are sworn to protect each other. So it is war to the knife now between me and the Tolas."

"I'll help carry it on!" promised Berry.

A little later that night, having left certain disguises with Nat Ridley, the helper went back home and the following morning he appeared at the office in the semblance of Nat Ridley. So well did Berry simulate the dress and bearing of his chief that for a moment even Toodles was deceived, exclaiming as Berry entered:

"Good morning, Chief! You're a bit early."

"The early bird catches the worm, Toodles!" chuckled Berry. And there was something in the laugh that made the office boy look a second time, after which his eyes opened wide and he cried:

"Sweet daddy! If it isn't Berry!"

"Not so loud, young man!" warned the detective. "We don't want this little masquerade known!"

Toodles subsided, but Berry was pleased that he had made such good work of his disguise.

Nat passed a restful night in the Herald Square Hotel--that is, as much of the night as was left after his adventures, and in the morning went to his office, though not in his own character. He had made up to resemble a small town business man in New York to buy goods for the fall trade, which fact he spoke of as he ascended in the elevator.

Nat was so well made up that the elevator boys, who were well acquainted with him in his usual manner of appearing, thought him a stranger, and one of them directed Nat to the office of a commission merchant in the suite adjoining the detective's offices.

To throw off any spies who might be watching, Nat entered this office, but when the corridor was clear he came out, apologizing for having made a mistake, and entered his own rooms, where he found Berry, as Nat Ridley, waiting for him.

There was a hurried conference, and then the plan by which it was hoped to trap the murderers, or at least to get on their trail, was put into operation.

Berry, pretending to be Nat, left the office openly, and Toodles, following instructions, asked loudly as Berry held open the door leading into the corridor:

"What time will you be back, Mr. Ridley?"

"Can't say, Toodles!" was the equally loud answer. "If anybody asks for Nat Ridley say he's gone fishing," and with a smile Berry, as Nat, lighted one of the latter's black cigars, though the brand was a much stronger one than Berry liked to indulge in. But he had to do this to make the part perfect.

Watching his assistant from the partly opened door, Nat, who was still attired as a business man, saw Berry enter the elevator, greeting the boys who called him by name.

"Everything is working fine!" decided the detective.

As he watched he saw, coming from a washroom along the corridor, a small, dark man who glided like a snake into the elevator behind Berry. He had timed his entrance well, in order to be the last in the descending cage.

"There goes number one!" thought Nat, as he made ready to take the next down car. He had told Berry to wait in the corridor of the building before going out, and when Nat reached the street floor he saw his helper, who, of course, he pretended not to notice, start off down the street.

Behind him went the man who had glided out of the washroom.

"The chase is on!" grimly reflected Nat Ridley.

Then began what was like a desperate game of hide and seek. All that day Berry, as Nat Ridley, went about New York, into this office and that, where he was known, but where his disguise was not penetrated. And behind his assistant went Nat Ridley, now in one disguise and now in another, for he deemed it wise to change several times.

And between Nat and Berry was the small, dark man who was a clever shadower. That, the chief detective was forced to admit, for not once did he betray himself, and to anyone less sharp than Nat Ridley and Berry Todd, it would not have been known that any shadowing was going on.

It was not until late in the evening that Number One, as Nat had called him, was joined by another. This second man walked with a slight limp and as if he were in pain.

"I wonder if that's the fellow I shot or the one I kicked?" mused Nat as he noticed the halting gait. "It doesn't much matter, but it proves that I'm on the right track. Now I hope Berry remembers what I told him."

The assistant detective did, for he soon called a cab and, rather ostentatiously, asked to be driven to the Club Tamalle where Nat had seen the three men of the day before go in--the three, one of whom had ordered Ramon to keep watch over some "pig."

Nat, meanwhile, had made some inquiries and had learned that the club was the rendezvous of sportily inclined Mexicans, Spaniards and West Indians.

"I wonder how Berry, as me, will fare in there?" mused Nat, as he took another cab to follow his helper. "He'll be a bit conspicuous, I'm afraid, but it has to be done. After all, it isn't a private club, and anyone has a right there."

In the taxicab Nat Ridley made a final change in his costume, for he knew he was following clever and dangerous criminals and he thought one of them might have seen him some time during the day. Consequently, when Nat alighted at the Club Tamalle and paused to pay for his ride, he surprised a look of astonishment on the face of his driver.

"What game is this?" asked the man. "I didn't pick you up!"

"No," admitted Nat, with a smile, as he held up a couple of dollars extra to signal to the man to keep quiet. "But you're letting me down and you're getting paid for it."

"I'm wise," was the comment, and the cab rolled away while Nat, who was looking like a man out for a good time, followed Berry into the club where, it was rumored, high-priced and high-powered drinks could be had. Before entering, Nat had observed the two foreigners, one of whom walked with a limp, entering after Berry, who was still Nat Ridley, in disguise at least.

It did not suit the chief detective's plans to be too conspicuous in this well-known night club, so he tipped the head waiter to show him to a table rather screened from view, yet from which Nat had a good place from which to observe all that went on. There were a number of little private booths down one side of the room, and Nat was near one of these.

Not far away Berry had a table. Following instructions, Berry had picked up a woman, one of several who frequented the club for the purpose of having drinks bought for them, on which they reaped a percentage of the profits.

Berry began to act the part of a man out for an evening of pleasure. He ordered champagne, or what passed for such, and at the order his companion's eyes sparkled, for she saw her evening earnings greatly swelled.

While Nat was watching and pretending to drink some wine he ordered (and it was only pretending, for he was a teetotaler) the detective heard voices in the booth next to him.

"And from there we went to Paloma," a man said in low tones.

"Was there anything doing there?"

"Not much. We left, pronto, and headed for Rola----"

The remainder of the name was lost in the blare of the jazz band which struck up just then, but Nat thought he could guess what the rest of the name was.

"Rolamotaza--the place of the oil wells," thought the sleuth to himself. "We are coming on!"

The night club was now filling up rapidly, and Nat noticed that Berry was entering fully into the spirit of the occasion, with his pretty woman companion to aid him. Nat also noticed that the two men who had been shadowing Berry had been joined by a third who, in spite of a change in his clothes, was recognized as one of the trio who had passed Nat when he was examining the cab in which Lemberg had been murdered.

Nat saw these three change their table so that now they were next to the one where Berry sat, and the sleuth was wondering what that meant when he saw Berry give him a secret sign.

Nat had instructed his helper that if during the evening need arose to speak to his chief, a sign should be given, and Berry would go to the washroom, whither Nat would follow. There they could communicate with each other.

Accordingly, Nat rose slowly, as if without any definite object, and made his way to the washroom, whither he saw Berry bending his steps. The two entered, Nat behind Berry, and throwing a glance back over his shoulder, Nat observed the three Mexicans following. They, too, were headed for the private room.

"There's going to be something doing in about a minute, Berry," said Nat in a low voice as the two entered the room, followed a moment later by the three.

And something happened in less than a minute.

For the man who limped suddenly but purposely collided with Berry and at once cried in angry tones:

"What do you mean--pushing me? Beast! Pig! You have lamed me! Not for nothing shall a Gringo step on Don Castro!"

Like a flash the man drew a knife, but as he lunged for Berry his chief leaped forward and, with a skillful blow, sent the steel clashing to the floor.

At the same moment one of the other three shouted:

"Lights out!"

In an instant the place was plunged into darkness.