Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 581 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Double-Curve Dani. was herretort. ‘‘I knew it was all right or [ ‘wouldn’t have shown myself, Still, if the club wants to fine me the ten cents they can take it out of my wages, an’ I guess I can stand it.” ‘* Quit yer gassing an’ come down an’ let me in. We'll take this rouster in an’ see what he has to say for himself, anyhow. If wedon’t like bis style, why we can just give him a cold bath, after we have cut his neck, an’ that’ll end it.” Mag hurried down, securely fastening the lit- tle door in ihe wall first, and shutting the cup- board by its spring lock as she left it. iron bar and three bolts secured the door of tbe castle, whieh was made of two thicknesses of oak, studded with large iron rivets at regular inter- vals all over it. The hag’s nimble fingers soon shot back the bolts and removed the bar, ' She flung the door wide open and the young man staggered in, closely followed by the big man, who was kuown to the associates as Billy the Buffer, The latter assisted Mag in fastening the door and then turned to look at the stranger who bad thus, under such peculiar circumstances, found his way into Chromo Castle. The young man bad fallen on the floor ina deadly faint, his face looking like that of a ied ay in the dim light of Mrs, Mullins’s coal-oil amp. Billy the Buffer turned his bull’s-eye on the unconscious features, One glance and hestarted back in amazement. ‘* By the great horn spoon, it is Wilfred Noel, the pitcher who wouldn’t play the game to-day!” _ CHAPTER IV. IN HIDING, BILLY THE BUFFER stood for a moment look- ing down at Wilfred Noel with anything but a favorable expression. He could have forgiven crimes of the ordinary kind, such as burglary or arson, but a man who would deliberately betray his ball club was almost beyond the pale of mercy, | ‘*T’ve a good mind to give him one,” be mut- tered as he drew a bowie-knife from its sheath up his left sleeve and felt its point caressingly with his fingers. ‘*'What’s the matter, Billy?’ interrupted the old woman. ‘* You are not going to cut him before you know what he is here for, and with- out giving him a little show, are you?” ** None of yer durned business,” was the surly reply, ‘‘I tell yer I sawthis duck leave the field to-day an’ go an’ hide himself in the grand ‘stand when he ought ter have been in the pitch- er’s box.” ‘* What of that? If he didn’t want to play I don’t blame him for not doing it. I wouldn’t nave done it myself.” woe the Buffer looked contemptuously at Ag, ‘Of course. What do women know about ‘base-ball, anyhow? But we'll hear what he bas to say, if he ever wakes up.” real he gave the prostrate figure a vicious KICK, ‘*'W hat’s — the — matter?” feebly murmured Wilfred, as he slightly turned, ‘* Why you’re a—” | ** Hold on, Billy. You needn’t be so fresh,” interrupted tbe hag, as she knelt down by the side of the young man. . The burly ruffian drew back his foot as if to kick her with his heavy boot, but thought better of it, and, putting his hands in bis pockets, stood regarding her in sullen silence. he went to a small trunk that stood in a dis- ‘tant corner, and unlocking it drew forth a bottle of brandy which she placed to the mouth of Wilfred Noel. | The effect of the treatment was soon apparent, for he sat up on the floor, and in a few minutes was able to arise and seat himself upon the stool near the brasier. The storm had by this time subsided to a con- siderable extent, though occasional mutterings of thunder could be heard, while the rain had almost entirely ceased. : * You are sure that door is secure, are you not?” asked the young man, as he looked wildly troin the old woman to her companion, **Course itis. What’s the matter with yer?” demanded Billy. ‘‘ Now, just tell us what you mean by disturbing respectable people late at night, like this, or I'll fire you into our back yard.” ‘* Back yard?” “6 s ” 7 Ad age the river,” explained Mag. “* Hal! ha! ha!’ laughed Billy the Buffer. “I tola you when I first came to the door that ties - A heavy: I was square, and I am,” said Wilfred Noel, with a curl of his lip. : ** Prove it.” **T will. Come forward.” Billy the Buffer and Mag Mullins stepped in front of the young man, as he crossed his arms and taking the man’s right band and the woman’s left, pressed them in a peculiar man- ner, The Buffer started back in amazement. ‘Why didn’t you give us the grip before? I hadn’t any idee—” ‘“*Of course you hadn’t. But you know itis one of the rules of the Order not to use its grips, signs or passwords save when absolutely neces- sary.’ ‘*Seems to me that it was necessary for you to do it when you were standing out there hardly able to keep yourself from dropping into the river,” remarked Mag. ‘* No, because I knew that some of the boys would be along before many minutes had pasred, and I could afford to wait,” ‘Why did you try so hard to make me let you in, then, when you hadn’t any password on your lips, or a sign to give me?” ‘* I just wanted to test you, for one thing!” ** You can test all you’ve a mind to, but you'll never catch Mag Mullins going ‘back on her oath, now, I tell you.” The old woman bridled up as she spoke, Wil- fred Noel had touched her on a very tender spot, for above all things did she pride herself on ber loyalty to the society of thieves and murderous rascals that had its New York headquarters in Chromo Castle, ‘*That’s all right, Mag. You didn’t open the door, an’ no damage was done, Pity you can’t keep your mouth shut as well as the door,” grunted Billy. ‘* Bill Cranch, I don’t want none of your slurs,” retorted the woman, sharply. ‘* You just tend to your business, an’ let me alone,” ‘*Oh, well, you nee dn’t get mad, I didn’t mean nothin’. Only a little fun.” ** Billy the Buffer or Bill Cranch, as Mag had called him spoke apologetically. Big as he was, he did not care to provoke the virago too far, ** Well, I don’t like your fun, so stop it,” she said, as she brought forth a coffee-pot from somewbere and put it on top of the coke fire, Wilfred Noel was shivering in his wet clothes and was keeping as closer to the brasier as possible, : ‘* How are things in Albany with the boys?” ‘asked Bill, looking curiously at the young man. “Still.” ‘* Nothing doing, eb?” ‘* No, but there are one or two plants nearly ready. I suppose they will be worked in the course of a month or two?” ** Banks?” Wilfred nodded. ** Much in it?” ‘‘ One should be good for three hundred thou- sand, and the other for half that.” ‘* In it yourself?” ‘* No,” curtly. ‘I didn’t mean no offense,’ sail Bill, ‘I thought you might be, Tbat sort of work pays better than playing ball, I should think, though in course it ain’t quite so safe,” ‘*T am going to stay here for a while.” ** In the Castle?” “cc Yes ” “Why? In trouble?” as Yes,” , ‘What kind? Those impudent police been trying to interfere with legitimate business?” ‘*No, Worse than that,” ‘“Is that so?” asked Bill, drawlingly, as his eyes opened wider than usual. ‘‘ When did it happen? I see’d you at ths ball-ground this af- en an’ I suppose it must have been since at, ‘*It was. Soon after the game ” Billy the Buffer gave utterance to a long, though almost inaudible whistle. ‘Who was the party? It wasn’t that—that— voung pitcher that some of the boys called ouble-Curve Dan, was it?” ‘* No, curse him!” hissed the other, between his clinched teeth. ‘“‘I wish it was, I would take. my chances willingly if I had laid him out. “ Billy Cranch shrugged his shoulders. ‘* { suppose you know what he’s done to you, an’ I guess he deserves to be laid out if you say SO, But, 1 tell you, he does pitch a strong me. ‘“* Never mind about that, The party I—I— put to sleep was a boy—” i Yes, Now don’t interrupt me. JI was go- ! ing to tell you that it wasan accident. I would- n’t have hurt him for a thousand dollars, But he got in the way of my knife, and the first thing I knew he was gone.’ ** You'll have to tell me bis name if [ am to help you in this thing, accordjng to the rules of the Order,” suggested Billy. ‘* Bob Hetherington, son of Robert Hether- ington, Esq., President of the Hetherington Bank of New York,” answered Wilfred Noel. ‘** Bad!” remarked Billy, sententiously, ** Decidedly dangerous!” said the young man. ‘““Do you tbink you had better stay here?” asked Mag, joining in the conversation. ‘‘ The New York police are prey ane and they might come stumbling over Chromo Castle when they get down toa still hunt for you,” ‘‘How can I get away, and if I were to go, where should I take myself?” asked Noel, mood- ily. ‘* That’s so,” acquiesced the woman. ‘‘I su pose you wil] bave to stay here, and if there are signs that the place will be too hot for you we must get you away by the river. Here, the coffee is ready. Come and get alittle luncb and you'll feel better.” She spread a cloth on the table,and soon bad a much better meal than would have been ex- ted from a casual glance at the surround- ings. There were several kinds of cold meat, canned fish, etc., and a large loaf of new bread, This, with the hot coffee, made a very accept- able repast for a weary, bun man like Wil- fred Noel. As for Bill Cranch, he ate as if he had not tasted food for several days, The Order of which the pitcher of the New York Club had shown himself to be a member was one of those associations that bave been nearly eradicated by the police, but that are in existence here and there, formed by habitual crin.inals for mutual protection. As ‘will be easily seen, Wilfred Noel had an- other business besides that of ball-player. He had heen with the New Yorks for only a_ part of the season, and though his be Pa yale dis- poner had caused him to be disliked by his rother players, no one suspected that he was known. to a select circle of pals by the title of ‘* Steely Williams,” and that he was rapidly ac- quiring for himself the distinction of being one of the most expert safe-blowers in the East. Yet, such was the case. So far he had been lucky enough to escape the police. He bad been operating for a year, and though be bad put through two ‘‘ bank jobs,” the authorities did not as yet suspect that Steely Williams, the bank burglar, and Wilfred Noel, the crack pitcher, were one and the same person. At least, he hoped they did nct, though there was one Albany detective about whom he did not feel so sure as he would have liked. Noel, or Steely Williams, as we will call him in future, ate and drank mechanically as he- tried to think out his circumstances and de- termine what he was to do, Bad as he was be felt remorse for the death of the lad, Bob, though, even now he told hjmself that be would not have prevented himself from slaying Dan Manly, if he could bave done it, There was evidently a bitter hatred in bis heart for the brilliant young pitcher, that went beyond the jealousy engendered by the latter’s success in the ball-field. | Billy the Buffer looked stealthily at his silent companion from time to time, but did not ven- ture any remark, The big man stood in con- siderable awe of the young fellow now that he bad discovered he was none other than the famous Steely Williams. He paid the tribute | exacted by brains from brute strength every- where—even among thieves and cut-throats, Mag Mullins busied herself in supplying the wants of the two men, taking her own meal at intervals as she moved about. ‘Suddenly the young man stopped eating, and his eyes took on the hunted expression that the showed when he stood on the plank bridge wai ing to get in. . He was listening intently. tie Bill Cranch’s jaw dropped, as he. too, listened, ‘“What’s that?’ whispered Steely Williams, Did you hear it?” ~—» . ‘Thought I heard something,” returned the Buffer, in the same guarded toues, “‘but it must bave been the wind, I guess.” __ Mag Mullins stepped to the door, placed ber ear against it, and help up her’finger for strict’ silence, 7 Then she darted sight and softly placed an iron lid on the The two men sat stiil and scarcely breathed. — The next instant there was aloud and per- — emptory | g at the door. . : ' 4) ) a Py ae, wea toi the ‘teble, Blew outsthe |. mi