Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 742 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

TT, ae ep . a Gl a LS pg ee ee ee. a - eee > ‘7 Billy Winks, the Bell Boy Detective. His words were answered with the revolver, pushed close to his face, ‘*Go through him, Simon!” And Simon at once put his hand on his pris- oner. ‘Tf he offers resistance, you shall search a dead man, Simon,” he of the six-shooter went on. ‘* He’s gone through more than one man in his lifetime, and he shouldn’t object to a bit of his own medicine,” Holcomb, seeing that resistance was useless, allowed Simon to search him. There was very little money on his person, but there was the note from Pappy Pink. Taking this note from Chuck’s pocket, Simon tossed it to bis companion, ‘‘ Hello!” cried that worthy. ‘‘ Here’s a go, sure enough! I told you we’d find something on him, Simon. Search further! Maybe you’ll find something else of importance,” But nothing else was found, and when Simon’s fingers were withdrawn, Chuck drew a breath of relief, but watched the man who was now reading the letter from Pappy Pink for the third time. **T reckon you'll let me go now,” remarked Holcomb. ‘What, let you go? I guess not, Mr. Hol- comb, When did you come in?” **You ought to know, seeing what has hap- pened.” x Palas came in with a friend, Where is e Holcomb was silent. ‘*Don’t want to tell, eh? Well, keep the se- cret, if you want to. It is immaterial to us, You were on your way to call on the writer of this nute, weren’t you!” ‘‘ No)” cried Chuck, with the boldness of a born deceiver, “‘I wasn’t moving toward his house at al).” **You were mighty close to it, anyhow,” laughed the other, ‘‘I guess the Jetter tickled the right spot in your conniving brain, Pappy Pink? Is that what he calls himself now?” No answer; then Simon, at a sign from his friend, retired for a moment, but only soon to return with a pair of steol bandcuffs, ‘*By heavens! you rascals sha’n’t manacle me!” cried Holcomb; but the revolver was thrust forward once more and he saw a pair of gleam- ing, tigerish eyes behind it, ‘* We intend to do what we please, so don’t give us any unnecessary trouble. If you had remained away you would not have fallen into the trap we set for you.” Chuck evidently wished he had remained away, for, menaced by the revolver, he was se- cured with the bracelets and found himself a prisoner of the chair. ‘* Well, what success had you two?” asked the spokesman. Holcomb’s answer was a vengeful look, ‘* What is he going to pay you to strike the trail and carry out bis schemes?” ‘¢ See here,” suddenly cried Chuck, ‘‘I don’t intend to tell you anything, You may manacle me, you may even keep me a close prisoner in this house or elsewhere, but you can’t loosen my tongue, No, you can’t do that!” There was a laugh from Simon who stood at the back of the chair, and the next moment he was leaning over and looking down into Hol- comb’s face, ‘*'You’ve heard of missing men, I suppose?” he suggested. ‘‘ You are ay to join that caravan of the missing. Yes, Chuck toleomb, ou have seen your friend in the game for the fant time, for you bave fallen into the grip of the Golden Coil, and unless you open your mouth and tell the truth you will die where you are! An expression of set resolution settled over the Philadelphian’s face. ** Don’t you intend to tell us anything?” asked the man with the revolver. ‘* Not much, I don’t!” ‘Don’t, Simon! Give him time for repent- ance,” and Simon fell back and looked at the prisoner, vindictively—murder in his heart. ‘* We've struck the trail in this,” wenton the other, holding Pappy Pink's letter in Chuck’s face, ‘*‘We know Something now we had not known before, thanks to your coming to Gotham, Mr, Holcomb,” The occupant of the chair made no reply and yrie’ another look full of meaning the men with- rew. ‘“*In Heaven’s name, where am I?” the prison- er asked himself, ’ He made an effort to quit the chair, but some unseen agency held him to the Seat; the chair was a trap, capable of holding bim as though it had jaws of steel. CHAPTER III, BILLY WINKS STARTS HIS TRAIL, A SHORT time before these exciting events, Billy Winks, with some time on his bands, be- fore he was expected to go on duty at the Metropolis, left his humble quarters and made his way to the home of a friend, whose friend- ship extended from a chance acquaintance that happened some time prior to the opening of our story. ‘*T haven’t seen Josie for some time, and I’ll kinder drop in and see how she’s coming on,” he mused, as be ran nin. bly up a flight of steps and knocked at a door in a narrow ball on the second floor, back. ‘‘Heigh, Josie!” cried the bell boy, springing into the room and surprising a neat-looking girl of seventeen, who had just put away the re- mains of a frugal supper, ‘‘I was going down to business, but thought I’d drop in and see how the world wasusing you. You look as fresh as a peach, Josie,” he girl blushed under the compliment. ‘* Rattling the type-writer don’t seem to hurt you, Josie. I believe it does you good, really, now I do,” **One has to do something, Billy,” was the reply, ‘‘ and | guess my fingers were made for just what I do every day.” The bell boy crossed his legs and looked ad- miringly at the type- writer. ‘*You don’t see that man any more, do you, Josie?” ‘“‘Husb! I saw bim again to-day,” was the answer. ‘‘He nearly frightened me to death for I did not know he was near, and when I looked back as I sometimes do when on the street, I found him right at my shoulder, I nearly fainted.” ‘*T would like to know who heis. He’s been watching you off and on for months, hasn’t he, Josie?” ‘* For three months, at any rate. I believe I haven’t made a single trip to the office that he haso’t seen me, I[t is something terrible to be watched that way! This morning something exciting happened on the car. An old man was robbed by some pickpocket, and of all be had, too, He went on ata terrible rate, for a time, and then broke down and sat half-dazed in one corner. I pitied bim from the depth of my heart, and when he got off I alighted, too, and made him take a little something to help him along.” : “ That’s just like you, Josie. You've got a big heart, I'll bet you gave bim all you had.” “Not quite, Billy,” smiled the pretty type- writer. ‘I left myself enough to get home on. I gave the ohi man my address; he seemed to want it. And then we parted on the side- walk,” ; ‘¢ You didn’t know him, Josie?” ‘* He said he was a stranger in the city—that he had come to New York on an important errand, and there be stopped suddenly, as if something strangely affected him, and Jeft me rather suddenly and was swallowed up in the crowd on Broadway.” ‘‘ He wasn’t like the man who has been watch- ing you?” ‘Not at all. That man is a villain of the deepest dye, and J have been thinking of giving up my job and not going out on the street any more,” ‘‘ Don’t do that, Josie—at least not until I can get a look at the man. I'll follow you down town to-morrow, but you are not to notice me at all, What do you say?” | ‘‘ That will be the thing, Billy, I want you to get a fair look at my watcher, for fam sure he will be on my track in the morning.” ‘What does Nelse say?” ‘¢Oh, be wants to call in the police, but I don’t want to get into the papers.” “ Has Nelse seen the man?” ‘* Once, I believe. He caught sight of him on Broadway in company With another person who seemed, to be his chum. ‘Then, there are two of then?” ‘¢Tt would seem so from what Nelse says, but I have seen but the one, aud he has frightened me enough,” Billy Winks arose and went to the window, “*T’'m going on, now, Josie,” he said, ‘I had arun of luck last night. Got a good tip, but was almost stared out of countenance by two men from Philadelphy.. Good-by, Josie!” and, with the cheery good-by of the type-writer ring- ing in his ears, Billy Winks darted from the room and went back to the hotel. For some hours he saw nothing of either Hol- comb or bis ner, Mr. Phlox, but at the end of that time he caught sight of the latter in the office, considerably disturbed in mind, a ad 4 at eet. Aus Phlox was watching the main entrance of the Metropolis with all eyes, and every now and then he would go to the door and look up and down the street, These movements did not escape the keen eyes of the alert boy, and for some time he amused himself watching the nervous man who, after every trip to the door, became more disturbed than before. ‘*Mebbe he’s lost his mate,” thought ire Winks, ‘‘He acts that way, anyhow, but uess he won’t tell me anything—not from what beard last night.” For some time Phlox had glanced at the boy on the bench, and at last, after four hours of mental torture, he came forward, ‘*Here you are,” he remarked, taking a seat beside Billy. ‘‘l’m always on hand,” was the reply. ‘¢ Where’s your friend?” In an instant the face of young Phlox aled, pe To be plain with you, that is just what puz- zles me,” he answered, ‘“‘ I’m afraid everything did not go well with him, and if I thought he had fallen into a trap, I should go mad.” ‘‘ Into a trap?” echoed the boy, and then he gave a prolonged whistle of amazement, ‘‘ You don’t think a trap could catch a sharp like yer pardner, do you?” **T—don’t—know,” slowly answered Phlox, with a shake of his head, “ There are some mighty shrewd men in these cities and they’re capab eof catching anything.” ‘They’re cute in New York, Was yer pard- ner to come back very soon?” ‘* He didn’t expect to be gone over an hour, and here six have passed and he isn’t back et.’ ‘¢ What do you think?’ ‘¢] daren’t tell you, I think the most horrible things you can imagine,” ‘‘He must bave gone off on important busi- ness?” ‘‘ He did, he did! See here, boy, Do you know—” ‘* Flash” Phlox put his hand to his forehead fora moment to brighten his recollection and then continued: “Tl have it now, named Pappy Pink?” Billy Winks nearly fell from the bench, ; tad Pink, the inventor? I should say I 0 ‘*[ don’t know what he does, but I do know that is the way he signed the letter.” ‘‘ He wrote a letter, did he?” ** Yes, to Chuck, It was signed ‘ Pappy Pink,’ and | thought at the time it was the funniest name | ever heard,” ‘You thought mine was funny, too, didn’t you? I know Pappy Pink, but the queer thin with me is that he should know anything abou you,’ Phlox did not reply for a moment, but the bell boy watched him closely, ‘Could that letter have been a decoy?” the Philadelphian asked at last. ‘‘ What, the letter from Pappy Pink? Not a bit of it! I know the old man and he is as harmless as a dove, All he knows is how to get up the queerest machines you ever saw, and one of these days he'll strike it rich and then we'll be somebody.” a6 Wea? ‘*Me and Pappy Pink, He always says he is going to share the fortune with me unless mine comes first, when I am to share with him,” Phlox seemed to forget bis companion for a moment, ‘‘ Where would your fortune come from?” he asked, looking into Billy’s face, intently. ‘‘Hrom the moon, probably,” and the bell boy whistled again, ‘I should think it would be as likely to come from there as any where else, But, it’s funny that Pappy Pink should write to your companion.” Perhaps Flash Phlox thought that he bad said too ss or bad resolved to curb his tongue, for he relapsed into silence and it was some time before he spoke again, During his silence he continued to watch the door, or look at the clock in the office, and whenever Billy Winks came back to his bench, after serving some guests, he found the man in the same mood, | ‘‘T can’t stand this any longer,” suddenly de- cided Phlox, dropping down upon the bench be- side the lad. 4 tL believe you are honest and square, boy, and can keep a secret, I came to New York on some very important business in which there are thousands not only for ourselves, but for a lost boy and girl if we can find them,” Do you know any one 3" Chuck and_ aff VF