Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 742 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

For a moment the eyes of Betsy Snipe seemed to avoid those that glistened in the boy detec- tive’s head; but, all at once, as they got a new light, she caught his arm and drew him for- ward, All the fierceness of her nature had vanished and her look was now soft and full of pity. ‘* Billy, my boy, 1 wish you wouldn’t ask such questions,” she seid, ‘‘I do, indeed, .There was aman here, He came to see me. IL used to know him,” ‘You, Mother Snipe?” cried Billy Winks, ‘*God pity me, | used to know him!” was the reply. ‘* You have been listening. You may have heard what be said to me. There! don’t ask me another question; but let me say, what- ever you do, keep out of that man’s way !” CHAPTER XI, MR. PHLOX SHOOTS, Biuiy WINKS was inclined to laugh at Betsy Snipe’s warning. ‘*Ts he dangerous, Mother Snipe?” he asked. ‘To you, doubly dangerous,” was the empha- sized reply. ‘I think a good deal of you, Billy, and I don’t want you to fall into the clutches of a man tiger like that. There! don’t let me talk any more on this subject; but, mind what I’ve told you. Keep out of his power!” Finding that on the subject now nearest his heart Mrs. Snipe bad ceased to be communica- tive, the boy detective withdréw and went. back to his own quarters. He had something to think about, for not only had he discovered that Betsy Snipe was an old acquaintance of Blake Belden’s, but he bad over- heard a part of the conversation that passed be- tween the two and had learned something of the woman’s past, Not only this, but he had found out a little more about the lost Pettibone children, and by putting it with what Phlox had seen fit to com- municate, he thought he had picked upa very important link in the chain, elden left Mrs, Snipe’s house in no enviable frame of mind. The woman had not helped him any, and he resolved that she should not carry out any threat, ‘‘She knows where the boy is, at any rate,” said he, ‘* We have the girl fast enough ani all we want to complete the job is to run across the other. Betsy Snipe, you will have to be watch- ed. Spanker would not tell me where the girl is but advised me if I wanted to interview any one to hunt up old Pink and seehim. I will do noth- ing of the kind, I don’t care about the old man and his crazy inventions and I won’t lose any time with him.” Meantime the boy detective had left the house and gone down on the street. ' The sudden disappearance of Josie Jackson troubled him not a little, He was sure, from what he had learned from the woman in the house occupied by the pretty ty pe-writer that she had been spirited away by Spanker, and since discovering, as he thought he had, that she was one of the Pettibone chil- dren, he was more than ever anxious to find her. Wondering if Phlox had discovered anything new, Billy Winks went over to that young gentleman’s lodgings and found him in a per- turbed state of mind. ‘* Look here; this is the way they strike a fel- low,” cried Phlox, the moment he caught sight of the young ferret. At the same time he handed Billy a note, which he said he found on his table when he came back to the room after a walk, and the boy read as follows: *‘Tf you know what is good for yourself you will et out of this city at once. Don’t raise any alarm, or we know what weare about, and we don’t inreod to be beaten by a man of your stripe. It is worth your life to remain here another day __ By order of “THe GOLDEN Cor,” ‘¢ That means business,” suid Phlox when Billy looked up with a smile on his face. “They seem to have it in for you, Phlox,” was the answer, ‘Yes; and Pve been thinking that the best thing I can dois to obey that warning and get out of town. I want to live to a green old age—” **And you expect to get to that point by play- ing coward at the start? Look here, Phlox, my boy: Do you intend to abandon Chuck Holcomb to his fate?” , **T don’t want to, that’s a fact, buta man must look out for Number One, you know,” ** That's right, but Chuck is in the grip of this same Golden Coil, and it’s our duty to find him.” *‘ Tm afraid it can’t be done.” ‘That hasn’t been tried yet to any extent, I know that he isn’t in the house where I believe / Billy Winks, the Oe a nanan Ili —————————————————————————————————————————————————— ae om I located him the night I went down into a dark cellar, They’ve taken him elsewhere—” ‘*Tf they haven’t finished him,” **Of course,” ** And Pappy Pink bas vanished, and now you tell me that the girl Josie is gone?” Billy Winks made no reply. ‘* All this knocks me silly,” continued Phlox. ‘“*T did not expect to fight such an enemy when I undertook this mission along with Chuck, It is simply irresistible,” ‘* Well,” said Billy, looking at the man a mo- ment, ‘* go, if you want to, Phlox,” ‘* No, | won’t, I won’t run off and leave you to fight the league alone, I wouldn’t do that for the world because I like your grit and, then, ’'m interested in the girl, Iam going to stay if I lose my head by it, I’m with you, Billy.” Phlox put forth his hand and Billy took it with pleasure and smiled on the fellow. He did not havea very bigh opinion of Polox’s bravery, but he thought he wonld fight well if cornered and told him that they would work together and see if they could not baffle the Golden Coil. ‘* Dead or alive, I would like to know what has become of Chuck,” said Phlox. ‘¢ We shall know in time,” ‘* But how are you going to strike his trail?” ‘Leave that tome, I overheard a conversa- tion to-night which promises to lead to results and I sball follow up that clew.” ‘* Don’t let anything escape you for Heaven’s sake. We must outwit the Coil or fall into its power,” ‘*That’s very evident. But, Phlox, why does the man who employed you and Chuck to ferret out the missing Pettibone children hate Blake Belden?’ ‘*Tt’s an old grudge, I guess, Chuck used to say so.” ‘* Where does he live?” ‘“* Over in Jersey.” ** Near Belden?” ‘Yes, His name is a bps Tolliver Tipps, and he isa man who never lets up on any one when he has a pick at them. He is rich, and we were to get three thousand for finding the chil- dren.” ‘* But they are grown now, that is if they are living.” ‘* Yes,” ** Were there no marks on them?” ‘*The girl had a pretty little mole on one arm and the boy—” Phlox stopped and drew one hand across his forehead to Eoictitert his memory. ‘* Well, what about the boy?” ‘*T don’t know as he had any distinguishing mark,” was the response. ‘‘ Wait! He was hurt while playing, fell off of something and the fall left a sear, but that was years ago and scars sometimes disappear, you know,” Billy nodded, ‘* Which way now?” asked Phlox when the young detective picked up bis hat. **T am off on the trail. You can do what you like best, Phlox—remain here or go out; but if you do the latter, keep your €yes open and look out for the Coil,” The next moment Phlox was alone in his room and shaking his head, he exclaimed: ‘That last was a good piece of advice, Look out for the Coil!” He went to the window and looked down into the street, AJ] at once he S8W a man cross it opposite the house and Jooking at him a moment he fell"back and bolted the door. ‘* Curse it all, I believe the Coil has found me out already !” he almost ye Bb **T think I know that man. It is the tall fellow [ saw on the street to-day, and be nearly looked me through. I wish I badn’t taken part in this case, I bad no business to, but listened to Chuck and was lured into it bya display of Tolliver Tipps’s eash. It’s going to end both of us; it’s ended Chuck already, and here I am in the shadow of the same death,” Phlox stood in the room waiting for the man he had seen come up-stairs. He had locked the door, but did not expect that precautionary Measure to save his neck. 5 ; Presently, just as he predicted in his mind, ootsteps came up the b steps and he fixed his pei on the door, The revolver shook in his grip, Phlox counted the steps a8 they approached bis door and when they ceased, he fairly held his breath, In a little while gentle raps were heard and with welded lips and a gleam of madvess in his eye, Phlox went forward and opened the door, The man he had seen cross the street in the gas-light stood before him! Quick as a flash Phlox raised the pistol and At any rate, holding it in the man’s face as well as he could for his shaky hand, he fired at point-blank range without a word of explanation, Phlox looked once and no more, then slammed his door and bolting it, fell nerveless into a ps and let the pistol slide from his grip to the oor, ‘* What if I’ve killed him?’ he thought, was coming for me; they have tracked me down and I was to share the fate of Holcomb, I bad a right to kill that man. It was self-defense, But, heavens! what a hubbub I’ve raised.” Sure enough the whole house was in an up- roar, and when Phlox ventured to look into the hall he saw a crowd at the foot of the stairs, ** What’s that?—not to be found?” he cried when he had listened a moment, ‘' Why, I held the revolver in his face,” . It was true; the man fired at was gone, and when poor Phlox realized this he went back to the chair trembling more than ever, ‘*T must vanish now or perish in the Golden Coil,” he gasped, and that moment he vowed to get out of the game. By and by he questioned one of the parties on the steps and learned that the man he had fired at was not to be found. CHAPTER XII, BILLY WINKS SCORES A RUN, Two days have passed since the somewhat ex- citing events detailed in the chapter just ended. In a little room, the windows of which, from the way they are protected by cross-bars of iron, indicate that it is the prison of some person, sits aman who is at work on a queer-looking ma- chine on a table before him, He bends over the board and works steadily, never looking up but seemingly absorbed in the task that takes up his time, He is the sole occupant of the dull chamber and not a sound is heard but the occasional click of his tools, Presently the old man holds his work at arm’s length and admires it. ‘*'That’s the beauty that will make my for- tune!” he said, ‘I have bit it at last, and when I go out of this house I will be one of the richest inventors in the world. Edison won’t be no- where and Menlo Park will sink into insignifi- cance before the works [I will erect. The gentle- man who is furnishing me with money will be my silent partner and I wil) buy myseifa palace to live in. I have to keep shut up here with bars at the windows to keep rival inventors out. Ha, ha! that was an excellent idea of my friend's; but I wonder if Chuck Holcomb ever got the note I took to the Metropolitan for him? I wish I could have seen him.” Here the speaker stops suddenly and goes back to his work. All at once he is disturbed by a light tapping, which seems to come from one of the closed windows, and dropping the model he crosses the cell-like room. ‘‘ Who's there?” he asks, leaning close to the window. ‘+ Me, Pappy Pink,” ‘‘ (Lods! lieve it’s Billy Winks!” exclaimed the worker, falling back with consternation on his face. ‘* How on earth did he ever find me?” ‘‘ Are you going to let me in?” ‘Yes, Billy, just as soon as I can.” The person outside was told how to reach a certain door which the old man opened, and ina little while be stood in the presence of the only Pappy Pink in New York. . ‘‘ How did you find me, anyhow?” laughed the inventor, looking into the pleased and sparkling face of the boy detective, ‘‘Ilve thought a thousand.times of you and wondered what had become of you. ou see, I am not in the old quarters, but bave sought other, where I am safe from the spies who want to steal my inven- tions, My new partner says it wasn’t good to remain where I was for fear of them, and so I went off with him. I sent you a letter by him once, to tell you where I was; but I suppcse he hasn’t had time to deliver it,” Billy could not keep back a laugh. ‘‘ OF course a pressure of private business pre- vented the delivery of your letter,” he said, “But, who is your partner, Pappy Pink?” ‘¢ A tall man, with the blackest eyes you ever w,” é me Sam Spanker, the cute rascal!” inwardly ejaculated the Bell Boy Detective. “ A partner, Yes, of course. They've made old Pink believe all this stuff, and they don’t intend to let bim ” "i See here, Pappy Pink,” he said aloud. ‘** Do ou know why Chuck Holcomb never got your etter?” The old man started, “Ho ! }