Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 701 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

— ; s% ae wet . t os A ‘ ¢ ‘ “) j toe F 4 ca - > - , i —« Pas. ca . v4 ’ ° ' a” > . > pt 6 ~ «4 : P, a . ye eel 7S eo Ss / ae) <.. rag é rN ae #« ‘ a" 3 Ar, oe wes Photograph Fred, the Camera Sharp. . <i” The avaricious eyes of Old Hawkbill had fol- lowed the model to its hiding-place, and they now had a look of danger. **'You don’t wantit very bad, I see,” contin- ued the other, rising. ‘‘Vll bunt another mar- ket, and you'll live to see what you've missed, ‘W hat’s one thousand to aman like you? [know that you’ve sat in this little shop and made money, band over fist. They say you haven’t made allof it honestly, but, that’s none of my business, I’ve just pocketed your chance, and you don’t seem to realize it.” Old Hawkbill said nothing, but let the man move down toward the door which he opened by putting his hand behind him. ‘You don’t want it, eh?’ he said, sharply, ey- ing old Jacob, ‘*T can’t be beggared,” whined the old rascal, ‘* You mean that you want to get a fortune for nothing,” was the quick retort. ‘‘ Well, you don’t shave me, I know what I’ve got and Ill yoake the fortune myself.” { ‘ Out in the little shop there were many shad- ows. The various goods on the dusty shelves were barely distinguishable, and Old Hawkbill had put up his front shutters before the coming of his caller, The way between the counters was very narrow and almost as dark as the path of a forest after night. The man with the model must have been afraid, for he suddenly pressed his hand against his breast where the model lay, and tried to make out old Jacob’s movements in the semi-gloom. **T'll give you two hundred,” said Old Hawk- bill, stipping forward in his felt shoes, ‘*Oh no, Jacob,” laughed the other, what I’ve got.” “Pl Se on another hundred,” ventured the old shark, **One thousand or nothing,” was the answer. Old Hawkbill was heard to take a long breath, He glided closer to the man with the model who was moving rapidly toward the front door, and all at once, with the leap of a panther, fell upon him and threw him over the edge of the counter, at the same time covering his mouth with one of his big hands, It was the work of but a moment, and the sp of the coveted model was at Old Hawk- ill’s mercy. No noise which the sharpest ears outside could have detected had accompanied the attack, and when Old Hawkbill desisted, the man lying against the counter did not move, but lay like one dead, half-way upon it. For a few moments the figure of the old shark stood at the front door with an ear glued to t key-hole; but at last he crept back to where victim lay and his dark hand felt the stranger’s wrist, Not a word said the old villain, He ran his hand into the hiding-place of the model and drew it forth. He carried it back into the little room, where he dropped beside the table and ex- amined the prize with eager eyes. ** There’s thousands in it,” said he to himself. ** I have it all to myself now, and tbat is better than paying a thousand dollars for it, Of course, I’d like to know where he got it, but I’m afraid he’ll never tell me.” He langhed at the idea, and then went back to where he had left his victim. Picking up the body with great ease, he brought it back to the little room where he lowered the light until the chamber was almost dark; then he opened a — in the floor and descended with his burden. hen he reappeared be brought forth the model once more and fell to looking at it from various points of view. Old Hawkbill knew a fine piece of work when he saw one, and he han- dled the miniature machine with the playfulness of a child. ‘“* There’s nothing like it in the world,” he de- clared, ‘‘ It beats some of Edison’s inventions. 1 wonder why the Wizard of Menlo Park didn’t get hold of this idea? What would he give for it? It’s come tome complete. All I have to do, after a reasonable lapse of time, is to put it for- ward asmy own and reap the harvest of gold "Old Hawkbill let several w et several hours slip by whil he toyed with the model. He took “gf Bi “ae ‘time, saw nothing but the prize he bad won, and did not hear the clock striking in the tower a square from his den. | At last he left the chair aud unlocking a large iron-safe in one corner of the room, the mode! was placed in a pigeon hole and the heavy door reclosed. When the lock clicked, telling him that the little bit of brass, which had probably cost a buman life since sundown, was safe, be struck the table with his fist and burst intoa triumphant laugh, * ‘I’m no fool; I never was one,” cried he. “1 ‘*T know don’t let good things slip through my fingers, and I never allow myself to be bled when I can get what I want by a little muscle.” Half an hour later the shop . by Old Hawkbill was as still as the tomb, and the police- man who passec it every half-hour, on his beat, did not dream that a crime, which might be murder, had taken place beyond its threshold. The next morning, at his usual hour, Old Hawkbill unlocked his safe, eager for a look at the wonderful model which had been carefully wrapped up in several thicknesses of cloth. He thought that the safe did not open with its usual ease, but this circumstance caused no alarm. Pulling open the door, he reached for the model, but the pigon-hole was empty! ‘Where is it?’ gasped old Jacob, growing pale. He had been robbed! Unnerved, Old Hawkbill fell back from the safe and tried to clutch a chair for support; but his powers failed him, and, with a gasping cry, he dropped to the floor, unconscious, CHAPTER IV. THE MAN IN THE CELLAR, IT was the morning after the robbery of Old Hawkbill’s safe and Photograph Fred and Jerry Jump were in the vicinity of the second- hand shop when the Camera Sharp proposed to go and look over the old fellow’s wares. ‘‘A great many stolen things find their way to old Jacob’s shelves,” explained Fred. ‘‘If the models have been stolen for trade we may find them there, and if we don’t there won’t be much time lost.” Jerry acceded to the proposition and the boys turned into the street which had the responsibil- ity of harboring Old Hawkbill. ‘* Ho, the place is closed!” suddenly exclaimed Fred, catching sight of the store, ‘* The Old Hawk is usually an early bird, but, here, he isn’t up yet! Something may have happened, but we shall see,” ‘ Sure enough, the shop was shut; the shutters in front were still up, making it evident that they had not been down since the night before, This condition of affairs was occasioning some remarks in the immediate neighborhood, and in a short time the boys saw two policemen come round the corner, Their presence attracted some attention, and by the the time had they reached the store a curi- ous crowd had assembled.: ‘* Let’s stay and see what has happened,” urged Fred. ‘‘I may ‘catch’ something,” and he tapped his breast, reminding Jerry that the de- tective camera was ready for a shot, The failure of Old Hawkbill to have his shop open at a certain hour led to the belief thata crime of some Xind had been committed and the police had been notified. It did not take the blue-coats long to open the front door, and in a little while they were in the shop. The crowd would have rushed in at their heels if the police had not objected, but Photo- graph Fred, who was recognized by the lieu- tenant, was allowed to follow, and a nod toward Jerry, indicating that they were together that morning and interested in the case in hand, secured an admission for the Jersey boy. The store-room was dark enough, and the four pushed on to the little chamber at one end where Old Hawkbill lodged and concocted his villainies, ‘“‘That’s his private room,” whispered Photo- graph Fred, there,” The lieutenant had already put his band on the latch and the next moment they stood in the apartment, There was no sign of old Jacob’s presence in the place, and the two boys exchanged looks of disappointment. Not satisfied with the condition of things, the policemen went up-stairs but found nothing. Old Hawkbill had evidently deserted his establishment. “You haven’t peeped into the cellar,” suggest- ed Fred. **So we haven’t, boy,” was the reply, and just Sich the patrolman discovered the door in the oor. The lifting of the trap discldsed a flight of steps and the searchers, headed by the flash of a dark lantern, went down into the foul depth rather cautiously. The cellar was a repository for trumpery of all kinds, and the air was foul enough to make the explorers gasp for breath, | Photograph Fred was helping to search the hole when be suddenly drew back with a loud cry, and all saw there, before him, a man lying on a lot of rags. ‘We're likely to find something ¥ : 7 ' . He looked horrid in the rays of the bull’s-eye, ° and when one of the policeman took hold of him he broke away and ran to another corner, | Of course he was followed and seized again and this time he was hell beyond a hope of escaping again, ‘‘He looks like the man with the drop shoulder,” said Fred to Jerry.- ‘‘If you will notice, one of his shoulders seems lower tk an its mate; but bow in the name of wonder came he to this hole?” When caught the second time, the prisoner of the cellar did not speak, but sealed his lips like a person inclined to baffle the police by silence; and even when he had been taken up to Olé Hawkbill’s room, above the dungeon and placed in a chair, he maintained the same mood. “*It is the same man; there’s no doubt of it. He is Simon Sharp’s companion, and crooked Lone of some kind brought him to old Jacob’s: shop. ‘*But he won’t talk, so what are we going to do about it?’ responded Jerry. “They'll find his tongue in the course of time,” answered Fred. than f think he is to get ahead of the police of New York.” Meantime the man in the chair had spied Jerry, and was looking at him with a curiosity which the boys could not fathom, He did not. seem to take any note of the officers; his gaze was riveted on the boy from Jersey; and the question which the young lieutenant fired at him almost drove him from the chair. ‘**Do you know that boy?” asked the police- man. ‘‘ That kid?” exclaimed the man, ‘‘No, How should I know him?” ** Did you ever see that man before?” The lieutenant had turned upon Jerry and ad- dressed himself to him. Jerry was compelled to shake his head. ‘“‘T think J have seen him,” spoke out Fred, at: this juncture, ‘I ‘caught’ his companion om Broadway the other day.” ** ‘Who was his companion, Fred, my boy?” ** He bas gone by the name of Simon Sharp.” The man in the chair started violently, and his hands clutched the wooden arms, **T don’t know such a person!” he cried. never was with a man named Simon Sharp.” Fred took quietly from bis pocket the snap icture he had secured cn Broadway, and handed t to the lieutenant, “This is Mr. per a said he. ‘‘ This is the picture I secured on Broadway.” . The sharp, black eyes of the prisoner followed the picture as the policeman received it, and al) at once he broke into a shrill laugh, ‘* Ob, I see! The kid goes about with a camera under bis coat,” he exclaimed, looking at Fred. ‘**'No person is safe nowadays with such cha at work, They ought to have their nec wine and—” ‘*That will do!” interrupted the lieutenant, sternly, ‘‘ You say you don’t know Simon gob ‘*That’s what I say.” At a sign from the lieutenant the patrolman held the lantern close to the prisoner’s face, pig the picture was thrust forward for inspec- tion. The man in the chair looked at the portrait with the utmost sang froid, and then grinned, ‘*He’s playing a game; that’s plain,” whis- pered Fred to Jerry, ‘¢ What’s your name?” asked the lieutenant, ‘| Jasper Paget,” ‘* How came you in the cellar below?’ The lips met resolutely once more, and there was no reply. ‘¢ We'll have to lock you up till you’ve given a full account of yourself. You were found in the cellar of a shop not yourown. Mr. Money- fist bas disappeared, and there’s a mystery which we believe you can clear Op ‘‘ What, baven’t you arrested Old Hawkbill?”’ demanded the man. ; ; “Have you a charge to prefer against him?” ‘No, though I came near dying by his hands,” ‘* How so?” ' my ‘‘T came here last night to doa bit of legiti- mate business with him, He’s ahard old stick to get along with, as you policemen , know. 1 didn’t like his terms, and as 1 wouldn’t come to them, he seized me by the throat and choked me insensible. When I came to, I found myself in darkness, with horrible pains in m in a little while I rela Into a sta sciousness, and spen iD with brief intervals of sensibility. That’s the truth, gentlemen. My name, as I’ve told yeu, is I have rooms on Division, and I of uncon- Jasper 7 repeat that I know no man named Simon Sharp, _ a ; | hf, 4 | a , s/s fe - ' Ea (eevaat “Tt takes asharper mam — “oy limbs and — t the remainder of the night © — - — —_—-—-e-oOo or ‘ Mf ie 9! kh Se 3 ' naw ae ee —— — ee —, i hee