Night-Hawk, The Mounted Detective — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

/ fs #ddressed a tew words to his horse Badger, and turned him in beside the road, and on foot, with stealthy step, he tollowed the direction faken by the girl. It was but a short distance to the village, and tae girl walked rapidly; and azriving in front f a fine-looking house, sought to pass through ‘the gate. when the detective stepped torward . -and said: ‘“One momen; here is your portfolio that ‘you left behind.”’ She received the article without a word, and vamtered the house. — . CHAPTER IL. ‘‘ We, I'll be hanged!’’ muttered the de- tective, as he turued away. ‘‘ 1 think she might have said ‘ thank you!’ ”’ The gir] passed into the house, and our hero returned up the road to where he had left his horse. He had business on hand for the night, ut he was determined at some future time to Jjnave an interview with her. There was a deeper mystery connected with ‘the incident than has been disclosed, and the ‘anystery was attached to the finding of the pho- ‘tograph among the articles in the portfolio. The detective found his horse Badger waiting for him as calmly as though the animal were 2 human being, and he was leading the noble yacer back to the road, when a scund fell upon his ear that caused him to stand. He heard voices of men coming down the rcad; one word ‘in Badger’s ear, and Night-Hawk ran along the ‘order of the road, and soon took up his posi- tion in s clump of bushes, Luck favored him: the men coming along the highway weie met just opposite the point where mur hero lay in ambush, by a man who came up from the village. , ‘* Hello, Cheesy! what news?’’ ‘*]’m expecting to get news from you fel- lows.”” . ‘* All calm with us.’’ “** Didn’t you meet a man cn your way down?’’ ee No.’”’ | . ** Then I reckon he must have turned off at @e Jane below.’”’ ** Who was the man?’’ ** That’s more than I can tell, but as it’s ru- gored there’s a new man working the ccuntry road, I thought it might be he.’’ ‘‘ You were always suspicious, Cheesy.”’ ‘* That’s so; it stands a man in hand to be suspicious in our delicate trade, but let it go; and now what’s the programme for to-night?’’ “* We've been up and studied the Castle, and wave vot all the port holes on our map.’’ ** How much of a garrison is there in the Castie?”’ . , “The old man is home to-night, and he brought up a stranger from the city.”’ ‘* Did ycu see the stranger?’’ Dede shake “* What is he?’’ “* A dude.’”’ ** Eh? A dude?”’ “* Yes; a genuine article.”’ “*“] don’t like that bit of a tip.” ** Why not?” ° | “‘ l’ve heard this fellow Tom Hawks can get dimself up as a parson or a dandy, a sporting man or a merchant, a woman or a Jad; they say the’s the devil himself!’’ “ Wel), the man up at the Castle is nct Tom Slawk.’”’ ‘* How do you know?’’ “* |’ ve seen him.’’ “* You’ve seen him?’’ ** Yes,’” ** When?’’ “* The last time I was taken to be ‘ mugged.’ fie was on hand taking my measure, and you bet I got his at the sametime.’ ” ‘** Then you are sure?’’ “* Yes, I am,’” . **] tell you, boys, it stands usin hand to go wery slow just about now; there’s a big excite- ment on our racket. I’ve been down at the tore, and I’ve heard the canallers talking, and ,eccording to them.the country is alive with 4 cops.’ > _ “ We're on theright lead to-night, and there’s a big boodle to pull.’’ ** Where are the traps?”’ ** We've dropped. ’em up where they’ll be andy on the outer walls.”’ ** What time do you make the assault?’’ “ We've set the alarm for two o’cleck.”’ - o>) a NIGHT-HAWK, ‘* And it’s now—?’’ ‘* About nine,”’ ‘* Where will. we put in the time?”’ ‘* We were going down to Huckley’s.”’ There were three in the party, including the man who had come up from the village. Tom Hawk was in luck; after weeks of pa- tient toil and watching he had “‘ piped ’’ down toaraid. The Castle he knew to be a mansion Situated in an isolated, but beautiful, part of the country, and the garrison he understood to be the master of the house, and a young gentle- man visitor. : | Indeed, he had all the ‘‘ points ’’ down fine, as they say in police circles, and his course for the night was well mapped cut. Tom had ne need to follow the men. He knew where he and the three would meet again, and as the men strolled down to Huck!ey’s, vur hero returned to where he had left his good horse Badger. Half an hour subsequent to the incidents we have described, a horseman rode up to the grand entrance of a fine country mansion, and dis- mounting turned his horse loose, and ascending the stoop, rang the bell. It was about ten o'clock in the evening, and lights were still dimly burning in the parlor, while a bright light gleamed from the windows of the library. The detective was compelled to ring a second time before there camé a response to his sum- mons; and then there came an inquiry from be- hind the closed docr. ‘* Who is there?’’ ‘*A gentleman who would speak with Mr. Pladwell on important business.”’ ‘‘It is a late hour to come to a house. ”’ ‘* Open the door, sir; my business is impera- tive. ”’ { The bolts in the door were pulied back, the door opened and the master of the mansion, an elderly and pleasant-faced gentleman, stood in the opening. He fixed his eyes on the late visitor keenly. Tom Hawk said: ‘* Sir, you may be surprised to see me at such an hour, but 1 will ask you to preserve your nerve and look hete.”’ | As the detective spoke he lowered the lapel of his coat and disclosed his badge. ‘‘An officer!’’ ejaculated the owner of the mansion. ** Hist!’’ warned the detective; ‘‘ not so loud, sir; even the trees may hear a warning!’’ ‘* Wil! you come in, sir?”’ ‘* Yes, if you please.’’ | The master of the mansion led the detective to his library, and, when both were seated. asked: ‘* What is the purport of your visit?” ‘** | believe, sir, you are one of the subscriters to the fund for ridding the ceuntry hereabouts of a gang of burglars who are working their racket. in this district?’’ In a hesitating tone the gentleman said: ‘* Yes; I am a contributor.’’ | ‘* You have heard of me then, sir; my nam is Hawk—Tom Hawk.’’ ‘*‘ Ah, yes; 1 have heard of you, Mr, Hark.” ‘* Then 1 have your confidence, sir?’’ ‘** Certainly.”’ | ‘* Your house has been selected to be worked to-night. 1 got wind of the excursion, and that is why I am here.”’ The master of the house turned pale as he re- peated: ‘* My house is to be worked to-night?’’ ‘* Yes, sir; they will be on hand about two or three o’clock, and I propose to make a gobble to-night.’”’ ‘** This is staitling news, sir!’’ ** Yes; but it’s lucky I got down on their traill!’’ and as the detective spoke he picked up a photogiraph-album from the table and ran his eye over several pictures; suddenly his atten- tion was arrested by the photograph of a young man; his face turned pale, byt he uttered no exclamation, while there was a depth of signifi- cance in his voice as he asked: ‘* Ah, whose picture is that, sir?”’ gentleman’s CHAPTER IIL. THE master or the mansion glanced at the picture and answered, readily: ‘* Oh, that is a photograph of my son!’’ > a 4A moment Tom Hawk was silent, and strange | thoughts ran through his mind as he mentaliy muttered, ‘* Here is a go! here is the ground- workiof a good, honest-faced old man has no suspicion o the terrible truth!”’ : Such were the mental mutterings of the de- tective, while audibly he asked: ‘Where is your son?”’ ** He is absent from home.’’ ‘' How long sineé you saw him?’ ‘“ | have not seen him for several weeks.’’ ‘* Where is he?’’ | i The master of the house did not answer, and the eyes of the two men met. The orbs of one glowed with eager interest, while the other’s shone with a gleam of surprise. | ‘* Why are you so interested in the phere- abouts of my son?’’ ‘Lhe detective realized that he was a little too previous, and he said, in an off-hand tone: ‘* Oh, I merely felt an interest in knowing. I think I met the young man once.’’ ‘* Ah, indeed! Where?’’ « ‘* At a photographer’s.’’ ‘’ Very likely: but now, sir, let us know what we are to do about this contemplated robbery of my house that you report.’’ ‘*] learned of the robbery at a late moment, but in time to save you from loss; and 1 hope to capture the burglars.”’ a Would it not be better, sir, to warn then O S"" ‘** To warn them off would be to let them es- cape.”’ } ‘* Yes, yes, | know.”’ The detective fixed his eyes upon the master of the house, and asked, in a significant and pomted tone and manner: ‘* 1s there any reason why you should desire that the robbers should escape? Remember, we may never have a better opportunity for captur- ing them.’’ 3 The master of the house looked the detective straight in the face, and answered: ‘* Certainly, I wish them captured. understand your remark.’’ . ‘* You suggested warning them off.”’ ‘*“ An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ ] do not wish bloodshed in my house, if 1 can avoid it. 1 would like to avoid the notoriety which would attend an attempt te rob my house.’”’ ‘* And you have no other reason for desiring that the men should be warned oft?’’ ‘* Your questions are very strange; wha‘ reasons could | have?’’ , ‘The master of the house spoke in a straight- forward, honest manner, and his eyes met the keen, fixed glance of the detective’s. A moment’s silence followed, when the de- tective said: ‘If you desire it, sir, the robbers can and shall be warned off; but it is a pity to let them escape.”’ ‘* Can you not arrest them?’’ . ‘‘“What advantage would there be in arresting them? them go again. Men are not-ccnvicted on mere suspicion. To rid this district of these men, to make a residence here safe, the men must not only be arrestei, but convicted; and to convict them | must catch them when actually engaged in an attempt at burglary.”” . . “* Ah, I see, and 1 will not stand ia your way. As my house is their objective point, 1 must make a sacrifice in the interests of justice. I hope you have sufficient force to accomplish the arrest?’’ ‘‘ I have all the force necessary at my com- tT Bel ae | ‘* And ncw what do you propose?’’ ‘* Your family must retire at the usual time; your house must be closed as though you did not expect a robbery; all lights must be extin- guished, and the rest left to me.’’ ‘* And what must I do, sir?” ‘** Retire to your room and go to sleep.’’ ** Do you think I can retire to my room and g) to sleep, knowing that an attempt te rob my house is to be made?”’ ‘* You know I am here.”’ A suspicion appeared to suddenly eross the mind of the master of the house, and he said: ‘I have no real proof, sir, that you’re the party you represent yourself to be.”’ ‘*] can furnish you proof, sir; louk at this!’’ The detective handed over a sheet of paper x do net ‘* Your son/’’ repeated the detective im aj|on which was written the names of all the gen- startled tone, ** Yes, sir.” ‘ tlemen who had subscribed to the fund for the | maintenance of a special detective, . Entered accerding to Act of Congread“in the uear 1886, by GEORGE Mummo, tn the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D.Q e; We would only be compelled to let. } Bence life-drama; it is evident <p - - : DOOKS<COMm ; A