"You made a bad mistake," Verbeck reiterated. "That explains everything. Ah!"
Down the road a siren shrieked. Verbeck deliberately turned his back on the Black Star, walked through the house and threw open the front door. Two automobiles splashed through the mud and stopped near the front gate.
"That you, Verbeck?" some one called.
"Yes. Come right on in!"
He went back and stood before his prisoner again.
"Quick, Verbeck-let me go!" the Black Star begged. "I'll do anything you say-let you give them back the stuff--"
"Save your breath!" Verbeck replied.
The crowd rushed in from the road. The chief and Muggs were in the lead, and half a dozen officers, revolvers in their hands as if they were expecting another battle, followed at their heels. They stopped in astonishment when they saw Verbeck.
"Wha-what--" the chief cried.
"No questions!" Verbeck begged, laughing. "Here is the Black Star, chief, and there is the loot he got to-night, and some jewels he obtained in other robberies. See that you don't let him get away this time! I got him-as I said I would. And where is-- Ah!"
Another man came through the door and stood at Verbeck's side. Every man there except Muggs gasped in surprise, and Muggs only grinned.
Here were two Verbecks, alike except that one was an inch shorter than the other and slightly thinner in the face.
"Here is the explanation, gentlemen," Verbeck said. "I discovered that the Black Star was having me shadowed night and day. The men who shadowed had to report some time, of course. I got the idea that if I could get some one to take my place I might shadow the Black Star's shadow and so find his headquarters. When he threatened three weeks ago to abduct me and let me witness his next crime, I realized that here was my chance. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to my cousin.
His father and mine married sisters-perhaps that is why we look so much alike."
"Your cousin!" the chief gasped.
"He has been living out West. I wrote him full details, and he came on to help me. I smuggled him into my house and let him take my place. He went out with Muggs, visited my fiancee in my place, went to my clubs a bit. Only Muggs was in the secret, for I didn't want to take a chance of having that secret leak out. And I shadowed the shadow, waiting for the abduction, and to-night it came. Mr. Black Star, I came here on the rear of my own roadster, which carried your prisoners. I put your watchdog to sleep and entered this house, and I've been here since. I overheard your plans and telephoned the police as soon as you had left.
"I wanted to be in at the death, of course, but knew I could not get back to the city in time. And I had a suspicion that you'd escape the police at the last minute, as you had so many times before-so I remained here, waiting for you, and when you came I succeeded in making you my prisoner. While you were gone I examined the house and found many interesting things.
"In your excitement at planning and carrying out a big crime you made a mistake, Mr. Black Star-you didn't use your eyes, didn't observe closely. You took my cousin for me. That's all. And now you must pay!
Oh, yes! I must decorate you as you have often in the past decorated me."
He took a bit of paper from his pocket and he pinned it to the Black Star's breast while the master criminal sputtered his wrath. It read:
Mr. Black Star: Never depend on the eyes of others but use your own. Because Muggs drove a roadster and my cousin looks like me, your men took it for granted that my cousin was me, and you let it go at that. That was your mistake.
Roger Verbeck.
"Now, chief, take your man," Verbeck concluded. "And don't let him get away this time. And you, Muggs, go out and get the roadster ready.
We're going home! There is a telephone, chief, if you want to give the glad news to the papers."
Muggs turned toward the door. The adventure was over, Muggs knew. He was no longer comrade in arms-now he was chauffeur and valet and all-around man to Roger Verbeck-until that young gentleman should feel the call of adventure again.
THE END