Night-Hawk, The Mounted Detective — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

7 s ; - ‘ . THE MOUNTED DETECTIVE. ‘‘ That is sufficient, sir, but it will be impos- sible for me to sleep.’’ ‘It is necessary that you should retire to _ your room; and, sir, one word more; unless | surmmcn you, do not leave your room, even though the robbers may come and a fight shall take place.”’ } Ase **) certainly shall not remain in my room!” ** Please remain until | summon you; there may be danger: should you come forth before.’’ ‘*] will not promise.’’ ‘“ At what time do you usually retire, sir?’’ ‘‘ It is about my time now.”’ ‘* Will you please go?”’ ..** Your request is very strange. ”’ ‘ **No, sir; I do not wish the robbers to get a ‘tip’ on me. They know the habits of your family, At any moment their watch may com- mence, and should they find anything cut of the way their suspicions will be aroused and. the game may be postponed. I have worked hard to get them down to this point, and I should like to capture them to-night. I want a sure go this time.”’ Reluctantly the master of the house retired io his room, and the detective, a few moments later, set about making his arrangements for ihe exciting duties of the night. Detectives are inured {o petii, and well-trained officers are coc] and steady,, but nevertheless they always fully appreciate thei: danger. Burglars are the most dangerous class of men with whom they are brought In contact, as housebreakers, aS a rule, are desperate men, and as capture means a long term of imprison- ment, the villains are always ready, in an emer- gency, to sacrifice lite in order tu avoid capture. Our hero had reason to know that the partic: ular gang with whom he was to deal that pight were among the most desperate of their class, and he knew also that they would be well- armed and prepared to fight. . Tom Hawk went outside and led his horse to a certain point, and then after a careful survey passed into the house. All the lights were extinguished, and the de- tective took up his yuarters in the library. All was still, and he sat alone, and his thoughts ran over the events of the day. He had fallen upon singular and startling dramatic incidents. The finding of the girl by the road-side, and her strange reticence, was a singular episode; and yet the girl was Innocent- looking, very beautiful, and evidently refined, and she had entered a handsome house, The second incident was the discovery of a certain photograph in the family album of the house he had set to protect against a midnight robbery. | An hour passed. The detective glanced at bis watch, and muttered: ‘It’s two hours yet before 1 may expect them.’”’ . CHAPTER LV. EvERY one knows how slowly time appears to pass when one is waiting and watching, and to the detective minutes seemed doubled in their length. He had removed his boots and bad put on a pair of mocassinus; and; to pass the time, he determined to look around a bit, and get the exact lay of the house. He passed from the jibrary across the broad hall that 1an tbrough the center of the house, and entered the parlor situated on the opposite side. Once in the large room he drew his masked lantern, and let the sharp glare of light flash around. The house was evidently the abode of wealth, and works of art of rare value were observable on every hand; and, as the light was passed from object to object, the detect. ve, in muttered tones, made his comments. At length the ray fell upon a portrait on the wall, and, as Tom Hawk’s eyes fell upon the pictured face, he gaveastart. — | ‘* By George!’’ he muttered, ‘* this is terrible! - there is that face again; there wil) be sad work in this house to-night.’" A m»pment the detect- ive hesitated, but at length added, *‘ 1 must de my duty; he is one of the most desperate men in the country, but it is strange, alas! it is strange|”’ : The officer stood hefore the portrait examin- ing the cutiines of the face, when he heard a moise, and cuick as a flash, indeed, he *’ doused his giim,’’ anu stood on the alert. He knew it wae not quile twelve o’clock, and he knew also shat house-breakers, as a rale, for reasons, were faithful to their set time. ac A momert passed and our hero became con- ‘ ‘ : ; - e , yee ee! Py 2 . - : Fs ’ . fh : fv . a ‘ » ‘oF a, ; — “n + 2 oe > . i ™ 5. - , f - ¥ & "*E , @ » - is yh rf 3 fe 8 Le Oe re #é ¢ ; a I> — = .s ‘ ~ ba i a |. be _ e <, * ‘yo 4 . & 4 Loge — oe o jn - > bs 2 : « — - scious that there was some one in the room be- sides himself. It might be the master of the house, and Tom was determined that the man should first declare his presence. A moment passed and a terrible silence pre- vailed: the intruder into the 100m did not speak or declare himself, but Tom determined to tay low; soon he became aware that some one was approaching him through the darkness, and he was amazed at the lightness and stealthiness of the step. | ‘* Can it be possible,’’ he mentally exclaimed, ‘* that the scoundrels are already in the house?”’ and as he spoke he jet his hand rest upon the butt of his lucust, and. the next instant he was compelled to step aside as the mysterious in- truder to the room passed within a foot of him. The detective thought it time to act, but some accident might occur in the darkness, and he suddenly flashed his light, and a lew cry of utter and unrestrained amazement fel) from his lips; the flash of light revealed not a man nor a robber, but a woman—a beautiful young girl —and, oh, horror! in the brief moment that the light flashed, our hero recognized the beautiful face of the girl whom he had found fainting beside the road at an earlier hour in the even- ing. : . As the light flashed the girl also uttered a low, startled cry, and then again all was still and dark, for the detective had mereiy flashed his light like a coast signal to let the gloom follow. | Strange and thrilling were the emotions of the detective as he stood and pondered over his discovery; but a mcment later he was recalled to a more active source of amazement. The girl came toward him with extended arms as though feeling her way in the dark- ness, and the detective did not meéve, but let: her delicate fingers rest upon his bread bosom. ‘‘ Fist!’’ she said, in a whisper, “‘ fly, leave this house at once! Your plans are known; you will be captured!” lt was with a cold chill tugging at his heart that the detective realized that the lovely girl was an accomplice of the gang of burglars. | He was a cool man. He did not give himselt away. He was on the lay for information, and in a whisper he answered: ‘Tay low; it’s all right. 1 know the game,’”’ ‘No, no; listen; for Heaven’s sake flee this house. ”’ : ‘‘ Who warns me?”’ ‘Never mind who warns you; plans have been laid for your capture. Flee! flee! remem- ber where you are!’’ ‘Tell me who warns me?”’ ‘No, no; you are warned. Go! go!” There came a noise, when the girl sprung suddenly away. The detective stood and listened, but the sound evidently was only one of those unac- countable midnight creaks that ofttimes affright the timid in the small still hours. A moment the detective waited and then again he flashed his light around. The beautiful girl had disappeared. Like an apparition she had come, like an apparition she had gone, Our hero searched around in every direction; but the tair midnight intruder was nowhere to be seen. | ‘‘Well, well,’? muttered the officer, ** this beats me: beats anything 1 ever struck. She is a lovely girl, and has an innocent face. I have often met beautiful female criminals, but never one with a tace so gentle and innocent-looking.”’ Tom passed from the parlor and looked around in every direction; but could discover ‘no signs of the stiange visitant to the parlor. ‘* Well, well,’’ he muttered, ‘‘ I’ll get at the bottem of this mystery, and already I have an inkling of the truth—the terrible truth!” ~ After a search through the lower part of the house the detective re-entered the library, and had just seated himself when the door opened and a figure in white entered the room. - ** Who is here?”’ came the inquiry, in a male voice. : ; ) Our hero recognized the voice of the master of the house. ‘*T am here, sir.’’ ‘Have you seen anything?” ‘* You are disobeying orders, sir.’’ ‘¢] ean not sleep, i can not rest, and I thought while listening I heard an outcry.”’ ‘* Are all the members of your family resting quietly ?’’ 3 se Yes.’’ ‘‘None ot them have been walking in the street?’’ ‘No Why do you ask?” - See i 7 ———_ : i be a - i, : u , 7 r “4 hy Bs ie ‘ 7 * - oe Fa pi) 7 » ’ Ss > me Te ¢; t = 8 . i. j pee Pa ‘ v., “at * - - ’ : Or 6 os , * ." ‘ = wm ) ‘ a, - “ + ats e : as “4 x 7 ’ ay > 4 re iy . eee" a | - a ‘©} will tell you some other time.”’ ‘‘ What has happened, sir?”’ ‘*] can not tell you.”’ ‘Do you think the burglars will eome here?” ‘‘] have every reason te expect that they will be here unless they are given the ‘tip’ from this house.’’ ‘' Who could have given them the‘ tip ’ from here? None of my family know of the pror posed attack. ”’ ‘* You are sure of that?’ ¢ l am.’’ ‘* Very well, sir, go to your room, and [I be- seech you do not leave il again until you receive a summons from me.”’ ‘¢ This suspense is terrible,’” _ ‘‘Never mind, sir, we have not long to wait now.”’ The master of the house retired from the room. The detective sat long, silently waiting the approach of tlie burglars, although he had some misgivings as to their appearance. He feared they might receive the tip from a quarter of which he knew. | At length it approached two o’clock; the ce- tective sat in the dark room, when suddenly there shot across it a ray of light, and im am. undertone he muttered: ‘* Here they are!’ CHAPTER V. THE detective had been.on the watch. He knew the time, but he had lost all expectation of their appearance, and when they cume it was. atter all a little ot a surprise. The beautiful apparition had failed to notify the villains; more probably the desperate men, after having been warned, had persisted in their purpose. A low French window opened out from the ' library upon the veranda, and the flash of light came from the cutside, as one of the robbers placed his masked-lantern against the window- pane, , Our hero was prepared for some such opera- tion, and as the burglar pressed his nose against the glass and glanced into the room, he saw not the cool-headed, iron-nerved man who was there in waiting to do his duty at the prcper moment. The lantern was only pressed against the window for one moment, when it was with- drawt, and the room was once more veiled im darkness. ‘‘ Now is my time!’’ muttered the detective; and he passed from the room, closing the door behind him, and took up a position at the key- hole. 3 Tom Hawk was not at all excited, although he anticipated being speedily engaged in a ter- rible combat. He was calculating every chance. He wished the men to break in. He did not wish to nab them, and only be prepared to make the lesser charge of an attempt at burglary; it was hie scheme to let: them break in—to be actually en- gaged in one of the gravest crimes Known to. the law. The men had come well prepared for their job, and it took them but a few moments to open the window, and two of them stepped inte the room. Ey Both men wore slouched hats and half-face drop-masks; but’ the detective was able te recognize them respectively, and he muttered: ‘* He’s there [”’ One man had been left outside on the watch, while the two others entered. The men were very deliberate in their move- ments, showing that they were no novices at the business, but old experienced cracksmen, who were cool enough to take all the chances. The detective saw them glance around through the eye-holes of their masks, and then he saw them approach each other and hold a whispered conversation. Tom Hawk still lay low. He had a plan of operations all laid out; a capture was what he desired, and he was waiting for the men to sep- arate, so that he might ‘‘ close in’’ on them in detail, and thus avoid a fight and danger if pos- sible. : The scoundrels oniy hela a few ma : consultatiop, when they made for pppoe through the key-hole of which our he7o was watching them. He retreated across the hall and took up a position in the parlor, when he be- came aware of the presence of some one near him. He at once concluded that the fair ap- parition had reappeared, and he stole over te where he saw the outlines of a form, and said: ~ j W