Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 432 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

| | ——— Se ee . a — ee ee owes oe OO — rr identify a person with a check. Did he get the money ¢” ‘** No, sir. We were too late. closed one minute before we reached it.” ‘*That will do,” said the broker, calmly. The youth disappeared. ‘That game is discounted,” he continued. **T will stop payment on the check.” Mr. Middleton was beaming with satisfaction. It was the detective who wore a cloud on h:s face. ‘* You have saved your fifty thousand,” he re- marked, gloomily. ‘*Yes—thanks to you.” ** And—lost your diamonds!” “Eh? What do you mean by that?” “That I have been on the wrong track. I have been trailing a pair of villains and have tracked them to the wrong hole.” ‘‘But I do not understand you, Mr. Logan,” faltered the broker. ‘* What I mean is this. On the night that the diamonds were stolen, I fixed my eyes on my man. As Count Ormond I followed hira up. He suspected me and had me kidnapped, and that only confirmed my idea. I have just learned that I have been mistaken. It is clear now that his game was the making and placing of these counterfeit certificates, not the disposal of the diamonds. And the ransoming of Count Or- mond was delayed till this job was consummated. He wishes to finger the ransom, too.” ‘May he not have stolen the diamonds also?” ‘* Possibly; yet I doubt it. Few men would handle two big jobs like these at once. I must look for another trail.” CHAPTER XII. A TRAIL OPENED AND A TRAIL CLOSED. THERE was a doubtful, dissatisfied look on John Logan’s face as he stood on the wharf of one of the Jersey City ferries, waiting for the next boat to take him over to New York. In a minute more the boat entered the slip, and soon its passengers were streaming off. The detective stood quietly aside. One of the landing passengers stop sharply before him, turned, and held out his hand. ‘*How do you do, Mr. Logan? I have been wanting to see you. How goes the hunt?” ‘‘Bad—very bad, Mr. Emory. To speak plainly, sir, I am in an ugly quandary. The man I have been following is not the man I want. He is at criminal work, but not of the diamond color. I am off the track and utterly in the dark.” ‘* That is a bad business,” declared Will, shak- ing his head gloomily. ‘‘The diamonds will be called for this day week, according to the demand in Fletcher’s letter. I know my uncle’s temper. I fear the worst consequences,” “He must be watched,” declared the detec- tive, energetically. ‘‘I trust to you to remove every weapon from his reach. See if there is any poison in his room. Report everything to me, I will manage to par one of my men into his house. He must stopped in this mad freak.” ; / ‘*T will do all 1 can,” rejoined Will. is hard to stop a desperate man.” ‘‘What have you been doing? We were rtners in this job, you remember. I have ost my hold. Have you struck any sign?” ‘* Nothing,” said Will. ‘‘ I had a suspicion, it istrue. But it has fallen through. There is nothing in it.” ‘* ‘What was it?” asked the detective quickly. ‘*T have traced the handwriting on that scrap of Pee . “Hal That may lead to something. Whose is it?” : ‘¢ Pearson Fletcher’s,” The detective started, while a look of hopeful intelligence came into his face, ‘“‘ By Jove, I like the look of that. ‘You say there is nothing in it. On what grounds?” “The first is that my uncle is in correspon- dence with Mr. Fletcher, and the corner of a letter may easily have been torn off and fallen on his desk.” “Very true. But Fletcher may have torn upa doubtful letter of his, which he found amon Mr. Middleton’s papers, and carelessly dropp ascrap. What is your other reason?” ‘‘ Simply that Fletcher was in Havana at the date of the robbery. I have seen a letter from him: also a telegram sent on the night of the theft.” ‘*On the same night? That is a strange coin- cidence. Coincidences are ofter suspicious. ‘* Yet it Were those received by your uncle?” ‘‘No, By a mutual friend of my uncle and Mr. Fletcher.” The detectivé stood looking at him quietly, as if revolving the thing in his mind. The bank door | So ‘*Ts that all?” he asked. ed any thin more?” ow On: ‘* Have you discover- and Fletcher. It has troubled mea little. May- be it may mean something to you.” ** Relate it.” The boat had now left the slip on her return trip. The two men stood alone. Will told the story he had heard from Mr. Corlish. He further related his uncle’s demeanor when ques- tioned about his relations with Fletcher. The detective listened to him with a quiet and grave look. ‘What do you think of it, Mr. Logen?” asked Will, curiously. “As one door closes another opens. Thereare infinite possibilities in your story. Isce work before me. Where is the office of this Mr. Corlish? I must see him at once.” While they were speaking another boat had come in, and the passengers were hurrying past them. Will answered by a slight exclamation, as he lifted his eyes, ‘* As I live, there is Mr. Corlish now! That short gentleman just leaving theboat. Another coincidence, Mr, Logan. 1 will introduce him to you.” ut he was prevented from doing so by a cir- cumstance of considerable importance to the two men who were observing it. Just as Mr. Corlish came near them, another personage, a tall, slight-built man of dark com- plexion, who wore his hat well down over his face, brushed hurriedly past, elbowing the gentleman before him rather rudely, Mr. Corlish turned, with an exclamation of annoyance, and looked the man who had dis- turbed him angrily in the face. But his expression changed instantly to one of surprise. ‘* Hillo!” hecried, sharply. ‘‘ Pearce Fletcher, as I’m alive! Well, when did you get back?” — ‘*How d’ye do, Corlish?” said the other, still pushing on, and with a sour look on his face. ‘ Just off the Havana packet. Glad to see you. Excuse me. I’m ina hurry to catch the train,” The two men passed on. Will and Logan stood looking after them. ‘** Another strange coincidence,” remarked Will, with a meaning look. “There's more than plain sailing in this,” an- swered Logan, heirriadty, ‘See if any Havana acket has come in, Mr. Emory, and zet a list of er passengers, I have business on the same train that this dark-skinned gentleman is after. Good-day.” He was off in an instant, hurrying toward the train entrance. Will stood looking after him until he had vanished through a door. Then he turned and made his way toward the ferry-boat. Reaching New York he found that a Havana steamer had come in that morning. But there was no such name as Pearson Fletcher on her list of passengers. We will not follow the shrewd detective in his errand. It will suffice to say that it was a long one. It was noon of the next day when he made his reappearance at his office. But there was a@ new expression on his face. The uncer- tainty of the day before had vanished. He was his own keen self again. Among the letters awaiting him was onefrom Will Emory, stating the result of his investiga- tion of the Paved passenger list. ‘Not there. I know that. How do, Jenkins! Anything for me?” ‘““ Here is a notethat was left by a boy. Mark- ed, in haste,” said the man who had just en- tered. Logan took it and tore it open. He ran his eyes over'it quickly, while a smile curled his lips, “They have not forgotten,” he remarked. “The afternoon of the 20th, And they have laid their plan very neatly. I must read it again, to make no error.” He ran _ his eyes once more over the letter. “I am to row out alone, on the East river, bringing the ransom. I must row up-stream, just before sun- set, and land where I see the signal of three handkerchiefs hung inarow, IfT fail to come alone there will be no signal, Very well man- aged. They are bound not to be CAneTS nap- ping. But they don’t happen to know the man a are dealing with.” e took from a drawer the revolver he had captured, and proceeded carefully to load it. ‘I have somehow taken a fancy to this bit of steel and wood,” he smilingly remarked. “‘ It carries good luck withit in this business. If they force me to use it, somebody will be hurt.” -_ nee ee Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. —_—_—— eee eee 20900OwO§M ma ee Hastening through his office business, and holding short consultations with several persons have learned a little bit of old-time | in the building, he stepped into the street and rascality, relating to the fathers of Middleton | made his way to Mr. Middleton’s office, Here a somewhat lengthy consultation tcok place. When the detective left he was the richer by the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, in good legal tenders, the amount of the ransom. His next movement was toward a restaurant, where he sat down to a very deliberate meal. An hour afterward found him onthe wharves, making negotiations for the hire of an easy- rowing boat, The approach of the sunset hours feund the detective on the river, rowing leisurely along between the two cities. As he rowed along his eyes were fixed on the shore, in readiness for the promised signal. But sunset was at hand, and he had passed the spot of his imprisonment, without a trace of the sig- nal, A boat that lay some distance in front of him wheeled round toward the Brooklyn shore, As it did so three handkerchiefs were dis- played for a moment in a line over the stern, They were immediately withdrawn, ahd the boat continued its inward course. Logan turned and followed. There were two men in the boat. They land- ed, fastened it, and stepped ashore. Logan had recognized them at sight. They were the pair of kidnappars, Jake Clark and Toby Myers, Fifteen minutes afterward found them at the door of the solitary house. Not a soul was visible, They opened the door and entered, fol- lowed by the fearless detective. Entering the room in which he had had for- mer conferences with his captors he found it oc-. cupied by five persons. Three of those were men he well knew, comprising his two captors, and the fellow who had acted as jailer. The other two were dressed in rough clothing,. so large as to mask their forms. Their faces were likewise masked, their eyes alone being: visible. On the table before ther lay a smal arsenal of pistols. ‘This job must be done on the square,” spoke: one of them, in a disguised voice. “If there: is any treachery tried, Jack Logan, you will not live to boast of it.” ‘*T have the ransom money here,” answered Logan briefly. ‘‘I am in as much danger from treachery as you. But to prove that I do not fear it here is the money. Count it, and pass: me over your prisoner.” He threw a bundle of notes on the table with a careless gesture. With some skow of surprise at this movement the two men proceeded to: count the cap S t foots u ** All right, p, correctly,” said the: okesman. ‘You have kept your bargain, e will keep ours. Bring out the prisoner,” he signed to the jailer. **] will go with you,” remarked Logan quiet- ly. ‘*I want to see in what sort of den you have kept him.” 0 objection was made to this, and the de- tective followed his conductor from the room. Several minutes passed. Then the door re- opened, and the surly-faced jailer re-entered. Count Ormond followed him. It was the count in every trait and feature, in dress, hair and whiskers, and courtly ease of manner. But there was no one else; the detective failed to put in an appearance. ‘* How is this?” cried the masked spokesman, sharply. ‘‘ Whereis Logan?” ‘Stayed back. Wanted to ’vestigate,” de- clared the surly jailer, ‘You confounded fool! Go for him, instantly!” ‘‘He may save himself that trouble,” replied the count, in his most polite tone. ‘* How? What do you mean?” ‘““That he needn’t go far in search of John Logan. Your man is here.” | In an instant the count’s wig and whiskers were off, and the detective stood revealed be- fore the astounded villains. They sprung to their feet with cries of rage and alarm, seizing each a brace of pistols as he did so. “Treachery!” they cried. ‘‘ By the Lord! you shall not live to boast of it!” ‘Keep cool; and don’t pull trigger, as you value your lives!” aiaverat the calm detective, as he quickly drew and cocked his own trus weapon. ‘‘lamaman of my word. Butas it is impossible to deliver a man to himself, I cal- culate you have not earned this ransom.” He laid his hand firmly on the money. ‘What does this mean, you treacherous hounds?” cried the masked speaker, turning fu- riously to his trio of tools. ‘“‘It means that you made a slight mistake in com 900KsS.con