Nick Carter Stories No. 150, July 24, 1915: The House of Fear; or, Nick Carter's Counterstroke.

Nick Carter, the hard‑boiled detective famous for walking the mean streets of early‑twentieth‑century New York, is winding his way home after a fruitless night’s chase. The city is still dark, the air still smells of whisky and cheap perfume, when a stumbling stranger asks for a match. In an instant the pleading figure becomes a cold, steel‑eyed gunman, forcing Carter to raise his hands and obey a sudden, terrifying command.

The robber orders Carter down the steps of a stately brownstone belonging to a wealthy Wall Street broker, sealing the detective behind an iron grate that locks with a chilling click. Trapped in the shadowy basement hallway, Carter faces a ruthless captor whose eyes blaze like fire, promising a deadly showdown that will test his legendary instincts. This pulse‑quickening opening sets the stage for a classic cat‑and‑mouse hunt through the underbelly of the city’s elite.