Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1015 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

& The Reporter-Detective’s Big Pull. ‘*T shall stop at the Hoffman,” said Leland. **Come around at half-past nine in the morn- ae be ready to see that confounded Italian off. Tnen Leland passed slowly away down the street, wrestling with foreboding thoughts, When Swivel closed the door, he saw Boland watching his movements, ** Now see here,” said Tom, ‘‘ My partner is going to remain with you to-night. You must make him comfortable. You needn’t try to poison him, because, when weare about, poison doesn’t take any effect,” **[—begin tc—understand,” replied Swivel, slowly. ‘* Well, then, don’t let your understanding run away with your judgment, or prudence, You can go up now. You'll find my pal wait- ing. I willlet myself out, Now—as a pointer —Il’ll wind up with this: your only chance is to stick to us. If you don't, you’re gone. sure as preaching. Ta-ta. See you at the Hoffman in the morning.” Then Boland disappeared down the deserted street. CHAPTER X, AT THE HOFFMAN, BOLAND TAKES THE TRAIL, AT half-past nine the next morning, Mr, Swivel entered the Hoffman House anu asked the clerk to be shown to the roum of De Lancy Leland. The butler was in ordinary street costume, He looked haggard and anxious, Following him was Smalley, who had never allowed the man out of nis sight for an instant, At the same time young Boland rose from a chair in the corridor as Swivel disappeared up-stairsin the wake of a call-boy. ‘** T guess there is no need of my following him up there,” said Smalley, as the two drew to- ether. ‘* After all that we saw and heard last night, Swivel knows his only chance outside of utter flight and disappearance is to stand in with us. Well, be has got no money to leave on, nor will Leland give him any, for he needs him here, ‘*T suppose as soon as we bag the Italian we might as well have Leland nabbed at once?” ‘*You are good at executing, George, but when it comes to cool planning, you are not in it, If Leland is arrested now, how does that belp us to find Miss Sutherland? True, the po- lice might hunt ber up, but I have promised that amasement for youand J. We might as well get all the credit for ourselves that we can out of this case and let the police hoe their own row. Wealso want this precious traitor to en- trap himself so deeply that when we bring him up finally the whole world will stare, both at our shrewduess and his villainy. Have patience, He is roping himself the tighter every day. Ab! here they both come—a delightful pair of rascals, Let us get into a corner,” Leland and Swivel descended the main stair- case and walked into the reading - room. Smalley, who was unknown to De Lancy, sauntered in after them. The dead commo- dore’s nephew sat down at a writing-table, drew forth a check-book and wrote. Smalley, seated near, seemed to be absorbed in smoking, Swivel glared malevolenitly, like a trapped ani- mal, **There,” said Leland, handing bis butler a draft. ‘** Do not give it to him until you sea him safely aboard, and the gangplank ready to fall, I bave madeit outin anotber name than a eles for precautionary reasons, Tell bim I will cable instructions to him at Paris regard- ing the cashing of it. Curse him! He has euchered me out of a snug pile, but I will be even with bim yet,” | **T would,” grumbled Swivel, ‘* He is a com- plete hog. T weaty-five thousand. Thatis five times what you are weve me,” ‘* Perhaps,” returned Leland, with a cunning smile, ‘‘but the law has hardly any hold on Franconi at present. It has a good one on you, Only the public place they were in prevented Swivel from breaking into execrations at this manifestation of his master’s complete selfish~ ness, ‘*T hardly think this is fair,” he said, ‘‘This Italian, for merely avoiding a chance to give you away—” ‘* TJs—us, my good fellow,” corrected Leland, blandly. ‘‘ Your safety, as an accessory before and after the fact, is compromised quite as sure- ly as mine.” ‘*He gets all this cash for merely going - away,” insisted the butler, in a voice thick with anger, ‘‘ while I, who have stood by and helped you through all, get one-fifth as much, - bave a good notion to split on the whole af- air, ‘** No, you will not.” ‘*T would like to know why?” ‘* First, you care too much for your own precious hide to want to risk spending ten or fifteen years in Sing Sing, Second,if I reall thought you would do so ungrateful a thing, would kill you. You know I would, A man cannot die but once for a crime, whether he takes one or a dozen lives,” _ Though this conversation had been carried on in vel y low tones, Swivel’s countenance assumed such a look of utter fear and desperation that Leland himself grew alarmed, The butler, be- tween his master on one hand and Boland’s sleuth-like relentlessness on the other, was well- nigh at his wits’ end, ‘* Come, come!” whispered Leland. ‘‘ Enough of thissilly talk. Take thisdraft. Do as I bid you, When Agnes Sutherland becomes my wife, your reward shall be ample. Fail me now—and your chance of life won’t be worth a nickel,” He rose, and buttoned his overcoat, folded the draft. ‘* What surety have you that Franconi will not return and bleed you again?” Leland smiled in a sinister way as he drew on his gloves, ‘* Do you think the success of all my plans de- pends upon your ccdperation?’ he asked, ‘Hardly. The Jtalian can be reached 6ven better in Europe than here. Before he gets the money on that draft—if my plans work—he will have no need of it or anything else in this world, unless it is a grave,” Then Leland walked away. Swivel, looking at the draft, saw that it was payable in sixty days only and @rawn upon an obscure banking- house in Naples, ‘* Master is a shrewd one,” he thought, “ But I fear he has got a shrewder one after him and me both.” Some one tapped him.on the shoulder. Then Smalley held out his hand for the draft. ‘*T am afraid that is too much money for you to be obliged to worry with, my friend,” said George urbanely. ‘‘ You are gray already with responsibility, We must be more considerate of your health,” While speaking he pocketed the folded paper, took Swivel by the arm and propelled him out upon the sidewalk, ‘* Now for Franconi,” said Smalley, ‘‘ Take me tohim. Tl follow.” As Swivel hesitated the other pointed toan officer in blue. ‘* See thatcop? Well, I should hate to have to give you up, for I really dote on your society, do indeed, But—frankly speaking—if we do not find Franconi in about fifteen minutes or sol am very much afraid we will find Inspector Byrnes,” Swivel gave a sortof despairing groan and moved off, Smalley following at a discreet dis- tance, When Leland left the hotel Boland kept him in sight, This youth was now in high spirits, Every- thing seemed to be moving on smoothly, With Smalley to look after Swiveland Franconi, he resolved to look after the arch traitor himself, He felt rather like playing with him, somewhat as a cat plays with a mouse before making a meal of its victim, Leland tock the Elevated and so did Tom, At Canal street on the way down-town Leland got out. So did Boland, The coramodore’s nephew then plunged into the mazs of streets lying adjacent to the Hudson River, and after making several turnings, passed down some area steps and entered a tall, ancient- looking house by a door in the low basement, Tom, who had, as he thought, kept well out of sight, sauptered by after Leland had disappeared, To his surprise he saw that the basement door was only ajar. What could Leland be up to here? Might Agnes be anywhere in the neighborhood? Bo- land, realizing that his man was capable of any- thing desperate, felt his veins tingle at the idea that those gloomy walls, and closely-shuttered windows were possibly the prison of the girl he had resolved toliberate, Ho took a sudden reso- lution, retraced his steps, glided down the area and peered cautiously within the door, Nothing but gloom and obscurity could he at first discern, Yet—was not that a twinkle of light ahead? He entered and softly closed the door. He had not intended it, but the catch fastened with a sullen click. He attempted to Swivel Se) ee — open the door again, but his efforts were baffled by the intricacy of the lock. ‘*Here’s a go,” he thought. ‘‘I should have been more cautious, But as long as I am in here, I will see what that light ahead means,” The narrow basement passage in which he found himself was totally dark, except for the faint glimmer, apparently far ahead. He made his way slowly forward, feeling the walls as he went, and keeping hiseyeon the light. Ita peared to be the reflection of a lamp or candle passing through some crack or cranny in the partition. Thesilenceinside wascomplete, Tom’s breath- ing sounded to him unnaturally loud. Suddenly his groping footsunk, The floor seemed to give way and he pitched heavily forward into some invisible abyss. As he fell his body bounced from one projecting subtance to another until he lay motionless and groaning upon a damp and mildewed surface, his breath nearly driven from his body and his joints cae, with pain, A harsh, mocking laugh sounded from above, Tom opened his eyes and saw Leland holding a candle and gazing down into the black abyss, The man’s face was really diabolical in its say- . age exultation. ** Ho, ho!” he chuckled, your own business and alone?” ‘‘ Where am I?’ faltered Tom, in a feeble tone, for he was far gone with pain and ex- baustion, ‘* You are where you will be apt to stay until I see fit to let you out. Do you know when that will be?” Boland did not respond other than with a groan. ‘* Tt will be when you aredead. D’ye hear? [| recognized you as I left the Hoffman, I saw that you were following me. Well, 1 do not choose to be shadowed, I have had enough of your impudent intermeddling. You were a very poor waiter, but you are a worse detec- tive,’ Again sounded that mocking laugh that echoed ‘* Now, willyou mind let other people’s dismally through the deserted rooms over-' head, **You are a tremendous villain!” said Tom, exasperated atlast, ‘‘ Your crimes will be made known yet. Do not think that you will finally triumph,” ‘** This house is mine,” continued Leland as if Tom had not spoken, ‘‘It is empty. So are the houses on either side, This back region is also comparatively deserted. Your cries can- not be heard, When you are starving and rot- ting down there, I will be on my wedding- trip.” ay iss Sutherland would die rather than marry you!” exclaimed Tom, lashed into this indis- creet expression by Leland’s taunting tone, ‘*She will go with me willingly, when she learns that her amateur detective bas played her false. I will see that she hears only the worst of you and your work,” ‘She will not believe you. Beware! Your own day of reckoning may be nearer than you think,” ‘Your mind wanders,” sneered the other. ‘*But—I waste time. 1 shall close and bolt this trap-door. Nice place, is it not, down there? I have had this place fixed for just such an emergency as this. I thougbtI could lure you bere if lever saw you again after I heard how you had served my servant, Over this trap I shall chain a beast, already half-famisbed and eager for flesh. Now, miserable fool, fare- well!” A heavy door fell down over the lad’s head, and Tom saw the last vestige of light dis- appear, ‘* Villain! Murderer!” hecried. ‘‘ Undo that door, A taunting laugh was the only reply. Then he beard the sullen clang of the bolts as they were shot into place, A moment later camea clanking sound, intermingled with fierce growls, that seemed to descend from the upper Ons of the house to the trap over bis head, ‘Tom knew that Leland was chaining some fierce, half- starved animal, perhaps a dog, to the floor, CHAPTER XI, BURIED ALIVE, TOM’S TELEGRAM, THEN the footsteps retreated. A street door banged in the distance, and Boland realized that he was leftin this horrible situation alone. He was bruised, aching, yet still unconquered, He knew that he must either rescue himself or in all probability die a slow death of exhaustion and starvation. The beast overhead, though it probably knew Leland, would attack any one else, It also must be overcome or eluded. ails 4 ¢ > ¢ 1 oe? comichooks: J “4 : a $ i ne “at 5 aah # ts ~f ~~ - 7 a ; Pear te 2 ae o Ay ‘