A full and detailed recital of all that occurred was given him by his subordinates, who then put the case in his hands.

“Boys,” he said, “we must get one of these men, either Cook or Moriarity, to squeal.”

“They are both afraid of Jim Cummings, I can see that in every word they speak,” said Chip, “they would rather go to Jefferson City than to turn State’s evidence.”

“We must work on them in some other manner, then.  Sam,” turning to the detective, “are you a good hand at forgery?”

“I can imitate most any one’s handwriting,” said Sam.  “Sit down and I will dictate a letter to you.”

Sam, taking some paper from the table, wrote as Mr. Pinkerton dictated.

Mr. William Pinkerton: 

Dear sir—­The letter I wrote to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat is all correct, excepting that I did not tell who plugged the bell-cord.  The man, Dan Moriarity, who is now under arrest in Kansas City, was the man who did it.  He also forged the order which I gave to the messenger Fotheringham, and was the one who planned the robbery.  I make this statement, relying on your word of honor to secure me a light sentence if I turn State’s evidence and give information leading to the recovery of the money which I secured.

Yours truly, Jim Cummings.

Mr. Pinkerton, taking from his pocket-book the train robber’s letter which he wrote to the St. Louis newspaper, handed it to Sam.

“There is a letter in Jim’s handwriting.  Now sit down and write this letter in the same hand.”

In an hour the detective had completed his work and laid the forged letter before his superior.  It was cleverly done, and Mr. Pinkerton felt satisfied.

“Now for the jail,” he said, and accompanied by his two “bowers,” as he often called them, he left the room and walked to the Kansas City jail.

CHAPTER XVI.

Moriarity in the Sweat-box—­the success of the forged letter—­Moriarity confesses.

Dan Moriarity, seated on a bare plank bench in his cell, was passing away the weary hours in figuring how he was to get out of the bad scrape into which he had plunged.  He was now fully satisfied that the detectives were very certain that he had a hand in the express-car robbery—­but how did they get hold of that dangerous fact?  Not through Cook, for since his incarceration in the jail Dan had talked with Cook in the corridors, and Cook had sworn by all that was good and holy that he had not divulged a single word, and knowing that Cook stood in mortal fear of Cummings, as did he himself, Dan believed him.

It was not at all probable that either Haight or Weaver had given the thing away in Chicago, for Dan knew from Cummings that they had not been disturbed, and Cummings had not, or would not have given any information.  Then how did the cursed “man-hunters” find out that he had helped in the affair?