His wife and daughter followed as rapidly as possible.

Meantime Harry recovered.

The doctor brought him home in a carriage.

Old King Brady was at home and got the particulars.

His rage knew no bounds when Harry explained all, after the doctor’s departure, and he cried bitterly: 

“That villain has caused us more trouble than any other criminal we ever attempted to run down.  I’ll even matters up with him.  Had you not retreated just when you did, that knife would surely have killed you.”

“I’ll be laid up a few days, the doctor said,” replied Harry, “but I’ll soon get over it.  If I ever meet La Croix again, I won’t have any mercy on him.  He’s a bad man.”

The boy then went to bed.

A week afterward, Old King Brady met Harry at police headquarters, and the boy saw by the look of triumph on his face that he had good news.

“How are you feeling to-day?” he asked the boy.

“Fine.  My wound don’t bother me at all.”

“I’ve been working hard, Harry.”

“So I imagine, as I haven’t seen anything of you since yesterday.”

“La Croix’s four spies have arrived in town.”

“What!  Come from Canada?”

“Yes.  I saw them going up Broadway in a bunch, to-day.”

“Why didn’t you arrest them?”

“Couldn’t.  Had my hands full at the time.”

“Of what?”

“Mrs. La Croix.”

“Did you catch her?”

“Yes.  Shopping in Twenty-third street.”

“Good enough.”

“She’s locked up now.  I’ve changed my plans.”

“How?”

“Well, I think we’ve made a great mistake in allowing those women their liberty, hoping they would lead us to Paul La Croix’s hiding place.  My new plan is this:  To yank every one of them in, the moment we catch them.”

Harry pondered over the proposition a few moments.

As a fact, he did not fancy such a summary proceeding.  He firmly believed that using the different members of the gang as a bait to trap the others was the most efficient method of acting.

However, Old King Brady was getting impatient over the slow progress they were making to arrest the smugglers.  His plan would show a quick result.  That’s what he wanted.

The boy, therefore, did not contradict him.

“Any way you say,” he replied, presently.

“I’m following out my idea now,” said the old detective, as he took a chew of tobacco.  “The moment I saw Mrs. La Croix, I grabbed her.”

“She protested, of course?”

“Vigorously.  But I locked her up just the same.”

“Couldn’t you get any information out of her about the rest?”

“No.  She wouldn’t say a word.”

“Acts like an old offender.”

“Exactly.  Her husband and daughter must be somewhere about the city.  I suppose La Croix sent for the spies.  He may have use for them, else they wouldn’t be here.  I only hope he hasn’t disposed of any of those stones yet.”