“Here you, Pylotte!  Come and give us your ear!  I have work for you to-night!”

Both Pylotte and Cervera quickly turned and hastened to join the gang at the table.

For twenty minutes Kilgore’s project for outwitting and securing Nick Carter was earnestly discussed, and every detail of the plan carefully laid.

Then the four men stole quietly out of the house in company.

It then was a little after midnight.

CHAPTER XVI.

The cunning of Jean Pylotte.

Kilgore had reasoned shrewdly, in so quickly suspecting that Nick Carter would lose no time in getting a line on the Venner residence.  Even while the diamond gang were discussing the plan by which to capture the Carters, the two detectives were at times within a hundred yards of the secret plant.

It was dark out of doors that night, with only a few stars in the clouded sky, and the wooded locality and neighboring streets were but poorly lighted.

It was in a northern suburb of New York, a section not yet much encroached upon by the spreading city, and the dwelling owned and occupied by Rufus Venner was that in which three generations of his family had lived and died.

It was a square, old house of brick, set fifty yards from the suburban street, and was flanked in either direction by extensive, ill-kept grounds, made damp and dark by the huge, old trees, which nearly covered the estate.

Back of the house, and off to one side, was a large wooden stable, fast running to ruin; while a rusty iron fence, falling to fragments in places, skirted the dismal grounds in front.

Beyond the trees, far to the rear, could be seen the roof and chimneys of an old, wooden mansion, fronting on another street, and having a very similar environment.  There, too, the house and grounds were running to ruin and decay, both places being but crumbling monuments of former opulence and grandeur.

It was upon this scene that Nick Carter and Chick arrived just before midnight, having left their carriage at a remote corner, to await their return.

“Yonder is Venner’s house, Chick,” said Nick, as they picked their way along the unpaved sidewalk.  “We’ll vault this iron fence and steal across the grounds.”

“It doesn’t look much as if our quarry was there,” observed Chick, as they scaled the fence.

“Their deeds are dark, and like seeks like,” replied Nick.  “They now may be making darkness their cover.”

“Not a light in the house, is there?”

“None visible from this side.  We’ll steal between the house and stable, and have a look at the opposite elevation.”

“Not much danger of being seen.  It’s as dark as a nigger’s pocket under these trees.”

“So much the better in case anyone is watching.”

“Who lives here with Venner?”