Night-Hawk, The Mounted Detective — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| | | “* He would have shot his father?”’ Mr. Pladwell believes at this moment that you | ™€2 Were gathered round; some were playing “<I Delieve he would.’’ are the means of making his:son a burglar.’’ || ©8748, others were rapping away om a misera- : “* After his father had recognized him?”’ ‘*] doubt it not.’ ble old pool-table, and others were standing be- 4 Yes.” ‘Yes; the old man thinks you are one of fore the bar drinking and talking politics. « “* And you inteifered to save the old gentle- | the vilest creatures alive.” : an Pd stag ts dag geet yr the place, man?” ‘* Well, well, as it has turned out, my ene- | 224, 4dvancing to the bar, ealled for a drink, | “I did.” mies, afte: all, may have done me a sabre. and invited all hands to joim him. The man ‘‘Have you seen him since that fatal night | Had they not maligned me, I might have been | WS ¢Vidently a stranger to the hadiéués ot the | previous to your meeting with him here?’’ at this moment the wife of that man who would | Place, but they were gladly ready to aceept an | es Seog not spare even the life of his Own father.”’ | Invitation to drink. . | ap en?’’ ‘’ We can not tell. This is indeed’a strange Among those standing around the eounter 3 ‘* The day after the attempted robbery.”’ and mysterious affair, and 1 am determined te. | was a young man with light hair, fine eyes, and / “* Where?”’ get at the bottom of it. One thing is certain— | well dressed. ‘He was not taking any part in | “Hemet me on the village street. He was | absolutely certain: the young man who was | the conversation, but appeared to be an inter- i in disguise.” engaged in the burglary is no novice at the | ested listener. “* And what did he say? What explanation | business; he is an experienced burglar. He The young farmer acted in the foolish man- did he ofter for his conduct? ; has been the associate of criminals for years.”’ | ner peculiar to some rurals when under the ** He attempted to make me believe it was all The young lady seized the detective’s arm, | ** influence,’’ and after a time appeared to take a a joke.’ and there same a wild, startled expression over | a particular fancy to the young man with the | ‘‘ Did he inquire how it happened that you | her beautiful face as she demanded: light hair. The latter was rather cffish until i were in his father’s house?”’ sb Do you Know your last statement to be} the young farmer displayed a tempting 10]] of ~ « Ves, ; true? ees ; greenbacks, when he melted and became quite | “And what did vou tel] him?”’ ‘“Ican not substantiate it now with the reg- | sociable. The two drank several times to- ‘*] told him how I had overheard a discus- | uisite procfs; but, In my own mind, I am as | gether, the young farmet putting up.every time. | gion of all his plans between himself and his | well satisfied that it is true, as that I am talk- At length the party thinned out, until there | companions. MIE TO POU, Be Sale, MOREnet, only remained the young man with the light a | And then what did he say?” , You are mistaken—you must be mistaken!’ | hai- and two others, when the farmer shocked at “" He said he was merely using those men as Lam so well satisfied that it is true, that 1 | nq 'startled the owner of the place by asking ¥ fools. Our interview was very brief and his | would stake my very existence upon it!”’ the question: * ? “s rif later explanations you overheard. It can not be true; but, if it were— ‘Byron, were you in that burglary racket Ex ** In the library at his father’s home?”’ ae Yes. >> ‘ , CHAPTER XYI1. AGAIN an awkward silence followed. They had reached a crisis in their talk. it was the detective who broke the silence with the remark, The detective remained lost in thought fora long time, but at length he said: ‘* Miss North, despite all you have said, lam still under the impression that the young man who was here is an impostor, and I will make it my business to establish the fact.’’ “* You never can do so.” : “* Well, we shall see; and now I will ac- ¢ompany you to your home.”’ | ‘* No; L will return by boat.’’ ‘* You are not afraid to go alonet”’ 4¢ Wo.’ , ‘* Not even. after the dastardly attempt to kidnap you?’ | ‘‘ No; when | Jand Il am practically right in the village, and besides, I do not expect an- other visit from him to-night.”’ ‘* You must never meet him sgain,”’ | “*] never will.’’ “* ]t will be safer if you do not walk forth at night until after this strange mystery is cleared up; the moment | establish the fact that this man is not Charles Piadwell, 1 will close in on him and put him out of the way against fur- NIGHT-HAWK the Pladwelis; the sister ot whom I speak, my former friend, is very intimate with Mr. Plad- well’s daughter, and 1 can well see how a prej- udice has been created against me.’’ ‘*I am glad you have told me this tale; the Stories told against you have been more hate- ful than you imagine; you have been represent- ed as a dangerous and designing siren, and The girl. stopped. .** Well, if it be true?’’ ‘*Then there is some terrible mistake some- where, and, if your other suspicions are cor- rect, and you would stake your jife that the young man who committed the assault upon me is no novice in crime, 1 would stake my life that, three months. ago, Charles Pladwell was an honorable young man,”’ ‘So 1 believe, and I believe the real Charles is an honorable young man now!”’ ‘*Then how can this wonderful—this terri- bly fatal resembiance, be explained?’’ “e ‘* That is one of those mysteries that can not be solved without data, but 1 am bound to se- cure the facts.’’ ‘* How can you?’’ | ‘* Well, we detectives have own.’” ‘* But where can you commence?”’ ‘*] can commence by investigating this oung man who travels under the name of e}l,”’ | ‘Is that the name Charlie assumes?”’ ee Yes,’’ methods of our Ss... Sather LT Te \ oo the citizens had sought to drive from the place; but the fellow had been raised in the town, and he would not be driven away. It was this, Jack Byron’s place, that the seemingly inebriated young farme: entered. It was well,cn toward midnight, but the place was open, and a number of dissolute young up at the Castle?’’ - The man addressed turned pale with anger, but did not deign to make any reply, and after a final drink the farmer started to go home, He took a lonely road toward che mountains, and had not gone far before he discovered that he was being followed. ‘** Aha! just as I thought!’’ he muttered, ‘* the bait draws the fish!’’ | / There was no sign of inebriation in the young farmer’s tone as he spoke, but he still staggered along like a man well gone in liquor. At Jength he reached a point m the road where it had been cut through a solid wall of rock, and there was no house within a quarter of a mile. He still staggered on until finally he heard rapid steps behind, and an instant later two men sprung upon him. As the men sprung forward the farmer turned, and draw- ing a club downed one of ang men so quickly that the fellow fell off into a deep unconscious- ness without knowing what had struck him. The second rascal was quickly caught and disarmed. ee “—_ / Ce GO a a ‘* Certainly not.’” *“* And you are an honest man?’’ ? Ves, fam, ‘* Then I was too quick, wasn’t j?”’ ** Yes, you were.”’ ‘* Weli, 1 think I was too quick for you, home until you hear from me.””— She pulled off from the shore, and under the moonlight rowed down the creek, and as the detective stood and watched her, clad as she was in a white dress, she looked indeed like a jair angel gliding over the dark waters. me; 1 rejected him, and he became persistent, and in the end L was compelled to dismiss him from my acquaintance in the most imperative manner, and, as a result, 1 incurred the hos- , tility of his whole family. His sister, who had been my friend, became my most bitter enemy, \ ate a ss oe tn 7? ‘a thet nalsohief.’ The girl’é face darkened. “Why did: you pull on me?” is ‘1 am unaer deep obligations to you, sir.” ‘" That statement dashes all my hopes.”’ “ Well. mister. I’ t tai : . ‘Do not mention your obligations to me: i eg i aoe EE eae GE 19” Site PRISE). Jn VO. BPS: FOU. eas, maven’s but let me ask you one question: Do you know ‘* Pell is the middle name o arles Plad- | °', ; gS a a of the cause of Mr. Pladwell, senior’s, hostil- | well.’’ | rhe salons sSareatey was the ahi haloes ai fty to you?’’ The Jatter declaration was a sort of staggerer | M80 Wild wom the farmer had been taiking ar <1 have: a. suspicion” ‘Gthd detective. : 3 in such a friendly »nanner less than an hour F ‘* And what is your suspicion?’’ ‘* Your statement deepens the mystery,’’ he | 289% ee phen pels Say ga, a of drunk- i ** His mmmd has been poisoned against me.”’ said. | eae AS Oe Th a Bnei et d the iil " mesa 4 «By whom?” : | ‘‘And your investigation will establish the x Well ene vO Yisie : * eet OF EER: ae **'To answer your question 1 would be com- | identity of Pell as the real Charles Pladwell.”’ ee rogide ae sy 1 mICe asta ea t you? ~ said i welled to relate my own history.”’ ‘“* Well, we shall see. Either way, I will go the farwer. sib ibe ane? and spemling 4 “We have a few moments to spare, and it | slow until one or the other fact is established. | ™Y, No?” biskea: Whe deta d <r aps Pa a | may serve your own interest if you were to | And now, miss, return to your home, and bide deThAs Sindh r ‘ rs your history.”’ ps : your time until you hear from me.’’ aii eo you live out this way? ‘ . ** It is commonplace enough, and can be told | “Where do you live?’’ \ in trief: nt father hem a wealthy man—a wid- Nam ries! ** Over the mountain.’’ . ower—and I was anonly daughter. 1 attended Te ‘* Why did you pull a pistol on me?”’ af School with a young lady with whom 1 was CHATS sis ‘ete togn ‘** Because you knocked my friend down.”’ ‘very intimate, and during one of our vacations Tom Hawk saw her down to her boat, and, ‘“ Oh, that was the reason, eh?’’ 1 I paid a visit to her house; while there her | asa parting warnin £, said: ** Yes. ’”’ es ‘*Remember you must keep close to your “* And you had no intention of robbing me?” and when my father failed in business and died, Our hero did not trust to her courage and. | Pell!’’ and I was thrown upon my own resources, | confidence, and when she Janded from her boat | Upon heating the name the fellow gave a _, the enmity of that faniily pursued me, and I | he was near by, ‘and his eyes were upon her | start. | ‘* Ah, you did not think that I knew you?’’ ** ‘Who are you?’’ ** Well, 1 am a lad who can’t be taken in by a fellow like you!” ‘** You were only playing drunk?” ‘** You’re right there.”’’ | ** You are disguised?”’ until he saw her enter her home. : | About an hour subsequent to the incidents | described, a farmer, seemingly under the influ- ence of drink, entered alow resort kept by a | mulatto, on the outskirts of the tcwn. The | Keeper of the place was a desperate character, who had been many times arrested, and wham ‘ Jost several positions thruugh their means. I Jeft New York and procured a position with the family where I am now engaged, and my enemies, coming to this town as summer visit- ors, tried to injure me here; my employer, however, had Known my father, and was not influenced by them; but they are intimate with | biother professed to have fallen in Jove with | | wo - ow ee — 4 B. & mt c ; © ~ ~ ee, ae ge ye