Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 742 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

| | j a Billy Winks the Boy Detective, The girl seemed to realize the full terror of the situation, for all at once she stopped and looked into Spanker’s face. ‘‘You are a villain of the deepest dye!” she cried, coming toward him, ‘¢'You may be right,” he added, ‘You have a dark motive, and, I believe, are connected with a plot against me, poor as | am! ** What have [ told you? Youarerich if you only knew it. You are rich enough to buy me a dozen times over. I don’t know bow rich you are, but rich enough to make the fur fly even among the millionaires of New York,” He got up as he finished and went toward the door, His movement was so sudden that Josie for a moment thought he had heard some one there; but when he came back with a smile she knew she bad been mistaken. ‘‘ Whatever became of your brother, girl?’ he asked, ‘‘My brotber?” exclaimed the type-writer. ‘¢T never had a brother.” ‘“Yes, you had. Here, look at this,” and Spanker took from his pocket a photograph which he handed to her, With a curiosity which she could not beat down, Josie leaned toward the light and looked at the two faces on the card—a boy and a girl, children who, from their looks, were evidently brother and sister, ‘*That’s your brother on your left,” continued Sam Spanker, with a quiet grin, ‘* You don’t remember him, do you?” Josie did not speak, but was looking at the pbotograph intently. ‘You know something about my pastif you speak the truth,” she said at last, looking up and catching the villain’s eye. ‘*T know enough to make you rich,” Her eyes wandered back to the picture, ‘*[ think I can see a resemblance between the boy’s face and—” Sam Spanker was actually holding his breath, but to his disgust Josie did not complete the sentence, ‘* Here, take it back,” she went on, ‘‘I don't know what to think. I am an orphan, like my young friend Billy Winks. I don’t want to be mixed up in any squabble for a fortune,” Spanker took back the picture, but his eyes reste on the girl’s face. ‘* Well, what you don’t know about your t others do,” he went on, ‘lt is a sealed book to you, but not tous. They call you Josie Jackson, but that isn’t yourtrue name, But, if you won’t go in with me and let me pour a golden fortune in your lap, you may always be Josie Jackson, and may never touch the keys of another type- writer.” ‘‘ Merciful heavens, I understand you. 1 am to be got out of the way if I don’t come over to your plans?” ‘‘ That is it exactly,” coolly said the scoundrel. ‘You play with me or you never quit this room alive.” ‘‘ Then I perish here!” was the heroic answer. ** No compromise with crime!” CHAPTER XIV, BILLY COLLIDES WITH THE SPANKER. THE escape of the man at whom he had fired both troubled and mystified Fred, or ‘* Flash ” Phlox. He did not see how he had avoided killing him, but when he looked down the stair and saw no dead man lying on the floor, he resolved to go He had no doubt that Chuck Holeomb had perished at the hands of the Golden Coil and at the first opportunity he quitted the house and, disguised, hurried to the depot. ‘*’m done with this game,” said he. ‘I don’t want any more of it, for when you shoot at a man with your pistol right in bis face and then have him escape, something is bewitched and the sooner you get out of the affair the better,” He did not know that the man had saved his life by dodging 1n the nick of time and that the bullet intended for his head had missed it and buried itself in the ceiling, But, Phlox was not permitted to get: out of the city, for in passing along the sidewalk he was run into by a drunken man and tumbled into the tter. Springing to his feet as soon as he could, e saw the reeling individual upon whom he fell with vengeance in his eye, and the upshot of the whole matter was that instead of quitting the city Perteonn escorted to abe euypicn.” and left to spen @ night in a cell, where he wassa the Golden fon fe from oX wondered what had become of Bill Winks; but as he was not permitted to solve that question, he fell asleep and dreamed of fall- ing into the Coil’s grip, for all at once he awoke Li Up to this moment Billy Winks had no‘ de- cided what todo, He knew that if he let the with a yell which roused his companions and he | rascal have bis own way he would be among the was roundly cursed by all, The next day Billy made bis appearance at Phlox’s old place, but of course did not find that worthy in. He was quitting the house when he almost ran against a man who seemed about to enter it and drawing back, he looked at him to recognize the tall ig bigs for whom he had delivered the note to Blake Belden. It was Sam Spanker! In an instant the keen eyes of Spanker were | riveted on the boy detective and though Billy tried to convince him by sundry motions that he was not the person he wanted to see, he was watched with a hawk’s eye and followed by Sam, Under this espionage which he did not like at all, the bell boy ferret went off and turned up in a small Park for the moment out of reach of Sam’s eye. Billy bad chosen a seat where the trees grew taick and the early shadows promised to screen him from observation, He had learned enough of Sam Spanker to know that he was a dangerous man and that it was to his advantage to get rid of him just then, At any other time be would have been glad to have tracked Sam; but now it was different, “What became of the boy?’ thought the Spanker when he missed Billy. ‘‘I bad him under my eye awhile ago, but he has given me the slip and | have lost him.” If Sam had kept on he would have missed Billy Winks altogether; but it happened that all at ouce he came in sight of bis prey and the next moment the boy ferret was watched again, ‘It is now or never,” said Sam, ‘“‘If I don’t trap that young ferret the game will be in dan- er. I can’t do anything with the girl, but I aven’t given her up yet. There is too much money in Josie, the type-writer, to let her slip through my fingers, or to carry out Belden’s orders. I will bring ber round all right after awhile, and to dothat I must attend to this sharp-eyed rat of the gutters.” Billy did not know that be was seen by the man he had avoided, for he continued to sit in the Park for some time. When at last he arose and walked toward the street it Was with the in- tention of going toa cheap chop-house near by and getting a cup of coffee and a roll, Desirous of escaping the eyes Of all, he took a seat at the last table in the long and narrow room, but scarcely bad he done 80 when he saw the form of Sam Spanker advancing upon him down the aisle, ‘¢Tracked down!” said he under his breath, **This villain is one of the slickest and I have to face him fairly now.” With bis eyes riveted upon Billy, Sam came on and coolly took a seat on the opposite side of the table, ‘* Good-morning,” he said with a grim smile Whirl told the boy ferret that he was recog- nized, ‘‘Good-morning,” responded Billy, ‘You will oblige me by not moving till Ive discussed a cup of black coffee,” continued Sam. ‘*] know you and I guess you were trying to avoid me awhile ago, I don’t want to send an- other note anywheres; but I have business with ou all the same,” ‘* All right!” assented Billy, appearing as cool as he knew how to be under the circumstances, and turning to the light breakfast the waiter bad just brought, he fell-to as if Sam Spanker of the Golden Coil were not in the city, let alone at the very table ready, vulture like, to sink his claws into his arm, ‘He's a cool little one,” thought the man with the black eyes, ‘“‘I never saw his like, and if Belden knew him as I think I do, he would consider the whole game in danger while he is at large.” Billy and Sam ate together till the man sud- denly pushed back his plateand arose, At the same time, seeing the crisis was at hand, Billy got up too, The eye of the rascal was fixed upon him and when he made a move toward the door the hand of the Golden Coil descended upon him and grip his arm, * Fast as I thought,” decided the boy. * This villain is playing one of his cool hands, I won- der if he knows that I took Pappy Pink out of the trap?” Still gripping Billy’s arm, Sam moved toward the door, where he stopped long enough to pay both scores, after which, with another look at his prisoner, he strode from the house and struck the sidewalk, | missing like Chuck Holcomb and Josie, and that in all probability, the Golden Coil would score its final victory. “You understand?” said Sam, the moment they reached the pave. ‘‘ 1 don’t want to resort to harsh measures, but if you don’t go quietly along, you will wish you had—that’s all.” This was warning enough; but it did not de- ter the boy detective. He looked up and down the street, but saw no ofticer of the force, As usual when ea policeman is wanted none can be seen, and Billy Winks’s countenance fell when he made this discovery, The next moment an empty cab turned the nearest corner and came toward them, Was this design or an accident? When Sam Spanker saw the cab his eyes lit up with pleasure. Leading his captive from the sidewalk he ran out into the street and hailed the man on the box, ** No you don’t!” cried the boy, pulling stoutly back and exerting all bis strength, ‘'I don’t intend to become arat in yourtrap. Hello! I know thedriver, Itis Jimmy Jinks of the old hote},” The last words were nut spoken aloud, there- fore Sam did not hear them and when the vehicle came alongside he opened the door and hustled the boy inside, ‘Which way?” asked the driver. Instead of answering him verbally, Sam scrawled a number on a card and handed it out of the window, Away went the cab and the next moment the Man of the Coil was looking triumphantly into Billy’s face. For a time the boy seemed dazed by the sudden turning of the tide, He had been on the top wave of success, but now was under the water and in the web of the spider. It was torture for him to take that ride with Sam Spanker, It tore his heart to think that he was going toaden from which there might be no escape, while Josie, somewhere in the same toils, was suffering in silence, The rattling cab went up one street and down another. Billy looked out and in passing a certain block said to himself, ‘‘We are within a square of the old Metro- polis. I am going to try it, even if I get choked for the job, The following moment the bell boy sprung to- ward the window and before Spanker could stop him he bad thrust out his hand and seized the driver’s coat, ‘*To the Metropolis Jimmy!” be shouted, “TI am in the grip of a rascal of the deepest dye, IL am Billy Winks. You know me,” The last sentence was stifled by the hand of Spanker who had pulled the boy back, but the driver had heard enough, for he turned short andflashing bis horses into a mad gallop, tore down another street, In vain did Sam rave and curse the man on the box. He kept on, never minding the anathe- mas, and when the heated horses pulled up in front of the old hotel, Billy Winks’s heart took a great leap in his bosom. “ Move on!” shouted Sam. ‘] won't. Me and Billy ar’ old friends,” was the reply. Sam turned upon the boy ferret with a demon in his eye, ‘* ’ve a mind to finish you here,” he cried, ** Better not try it,” said Billy who was almost at the rascal’s mercy, while he wondered wh7 no one came to his rescue, : Spanker laid his band on something that rest- ed in an mnner pocket. ‘‘Help! help!” shouted the boy detective vociferously. In a moment the door of the cab was thrown open by a man in uniform, and saying that the boy inside seemed to be sick, Sam Spanker, with the coolness of an alderman, stepped out and walked away, “Where is he? cried Billy as be tumbled from the vehicle. ‘* What, didn’t you take him? Well, this beats all!” CHAPTER XV. BETSY SNIPE STILL HOLDS THE FORT, “THE next time | won't let him get away,” avowed Sam, when he turned a corner and, dodging into a buliding, escaped for the time, ‘¢‘ He is a hard rat to hold, but the trap will work all right next time. He happened to know the driver of the cab, and that was bad for me