Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 754 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

a re NN ee ‘“‘Heavens! I’m no millionaire. You must think I’m a bank president, or the owner of a Stock Exchange.” ** But think what you get from Captain Ortiz, without taking half the risks I have,” , “you don’t know that he is to pay me a dol- sr,” **-You don’t help men for nothing.” **T don’t, eh? l reckon I know whatI get, if anything, and here you want five bundred merely for keeping the key toacertain door, I guess not!” and he ran his hands into the depths of his pockets and shook his head, Just as he turned toward the door, Violet's hand closed suddenly on his shoulder, aud he was jerked back into the middle of the room. ‘*] can go away without pay,” she said, and there was a desperate glare in her eyes, ‘I know where the river is,” ‘* Well, go to it, then!” He looked at her with a malicious eye and opened the door, ‘‘TL.ot me say one thing before we part,” he wenton, ‘“ If youever do anything looking to- ward giving the snap into the hands of the cops, I want to say here that you will wish you had never seen the steeples of New York. Do it if you dare!” e shut the door in her face and went out. Violet stood in the room for a moment, and seemed to listen to his steps till the sound of them died away, ‘“Have I helped them for this?” she cried. ** He has received thousands for his share of the work, and I have made success certain. What did he do, anyhow? He decoyed the boy from home, brought him to my house, and I have acted as his jailer, keeping bim out of sight, and the whole city believes him dead, Then, I kept the boy ferret in the trap when he came ona mission which, if successful, would render the play abortive, and here, when I ask for enough to take me from the scenes of my life, I am re- fused, even laughed at.” She clinched her hands while she spoke, and when she had finished she went to the window and stood there some time, looking out upon the street through the shutters, ‘*T could go and tell all, Then I could go back and unlock the door which stands between the boys and liberty. But I wou'd have to put many miles between me and Captain Ortiz and his men. I would be hunted as mercilessly as ever wolf was hunted. 1 know what they are— Simon Slyboots is one of the coolest cut-throats living, and Reck Sloper but little better, What shall | do?” She walked across the room, and seemed to have made up her mind, In another moment she was at the door lead- ing to the steps that took one to the chamber tenanted by Billy Winks and Tom Wagner. ‘*Are you going to let the rats out?” said a yoice bebind her, Violet turned as if a serpent had hissed at her heels. Near by, grinning from ear to ear, stood Simon Slyboots! ‘¢ What, bave you come back?” cried the wom- an, ‘I thought you had gone tah pS “But [thought I would drop ack and see how you were getting along.” There was no reply for a moment, and the half-frightened creature watched him with her foot at the dungeon door, “ Listen,” said Billy Winks to his companion in the dark, ‘‘ The woman, Violet, is out there once more, and she is talking to some one.” The boys were at the threshold, and their eagerness was something startling, ‘Give me the key,” said Simon Slyboots, **T am jeiler still.” ‘‘No, you are discharged from this moment. Give me the key!” | Violet felt in her pocket and grasped the iron Rein held the young friends in durance, ith a word which the boys could not com- prehend, she threw it at Simon’s feet, and the rattle of the iron on the stones was distinctly heard, ‘*'You wanted five bundred, [ believe,” con- tinued the sharp, ‘There, take that.” Violet stooped and picked up 4 roll of bills which he had tossed at her feet, but the next mo- ment they were in his face, ‘*[t is three hundred short,” she cried. ‘I want five hundred or nothing,” Simon coolly transferred the money to his at and at the same time secreted the iron ey. © Good-by,” said he witha laugh, ‘‘ You can get away whenever you want to go, You know the road out of this house. But, as I have said, beware!” men ra a Oe ae See es 00S She nodded and looked after him with a sav- age gleam under her long lashes and he went whistling up the corridor till he disappeared. Scarcely had he gone when Violet threw her- self against the heavy door. ‘** Are you in there!” she asked, ** Of course we’re bere,” answered Billy Winks, ** Well, you won’t stay very long. [am going to see that both of you get out.” ‘* That’s clever and we will see in return that you lose nothing by your act.” ‘*T don’t ask anything. 1 won’t expect to be protected even, I am tired of serving a nest of scoundrels and I want to see them lose the prize, She went off before either of the boys could reply and they were left again in darkness with no sounds of any sort to reach their ears, Violet gained the street and hurried off, There was an eagerness in her step and a cer- tain whiteness to her face that boded evil to Simon Slyboots and his game, She did not trust herself to the cars, but walk- ed on and on andat last turned into Mulberry street, Her last turn told of her destination. knew where the police station was, ‘In afew moments you will be unmasked, Simon Slyboots,” she said balf aloud. ‘I am desperate and you bave dared me, I will get out of this infamous affair, even though it gets me into prison, Captain Ortiz, who has won thou- sands, may pay you, but you refuse to pay me and the whole gang shal! suffer.” In another five minutes’ walk she would have reached the station, but some One was on her track, Violet looked back in time to see the hand that descended upon her shoulder, and before she could spring from beneath it, it fell with the power of a trip-hammer, ‘“*Going to give the snap away, were you?” cried the owner of the hand, ‘‘I guess you will come with me,” and as she was pulled back she tried but vainly to articulate a single word, Poor Violet! She was in the clutches of as cool a villain as ever played a bold hand for big stakes, and before she found her tongue she was half a block back and the giowing eyes of Simon Slyboots were looking triumphantly into her face, There was no doubt that the rascal had fol- lowed her from the house and had watched his opportunity. She CHAPTER XIV. AN OPPORTUNE ARRIVAL, MEANTIME Jim, Mother Magog’s son, was again looking for Billy Winks, whom he bad lost for the second time, Jim knew the city, and as be had an inkling that Captain Ortiz was laying his plans for the final capturing of old Gregg’s money, he was very anxious to discover the boy detective, for, with their heads together, he was sure that he and Billy could hatch out a plan that would baffle the plotters. But one thing was against Jim, and this was his unenviable record, He was no angel by any manner of means, but he did not conceal this, though there were sever- al crimes which only Simon Slybcots knew about and this knowledge had been the club which the rascal had held over his head for months, But now Jim had a counter-club for, as we know, he had preserved the letter which, in reality, had frightened old man Gregg to death, and it was ready to come forth whenever occa- sion should require, It happened that Jim was on the street when Simon was leading Violet off in triumph, and seeing this, he resolved to follow the pair. If Simon Slyboots had seen the young man, there might have been a change of play, but he kept so well in shadow that he was not seen at all, and succeeded in following Simon and his charge to a house, which was the same one from which Violet bad fled, Jim watched the place till he grew tired, and as no onecame out, he fell to wondering what had taken place. At last, hower, the door opened and the sleek rascal came out, and after having been followed some distance, was joined by Captain Ortiz, and the two adjourned to a drinking-place which Jim, with his hat pulled over his eyes, entered on a mission of investigation, aptain Ortiz was leaning over a small dark table talking earnestly to Simon, who was listen- ing very closely, The Cuban Captain was agitated, ‘You'll become more excited than you are Billy Winks, the Boss Boy Shadower. —__S_34a SSS 1 now as the game goes on,” remarked Jim in an undertone. ‘* You must have made a sudden discovery that everything isn’t going along just as you would like to bave it. Just wait till lve found Billy Winks and we get our noggins to- gether, Then look a little out, Captain Ortiz,” Jim did not get to hear very much, and when the two came out of the saloon they almost espied him, and would have done soif he had not dodged bebind a man, Captain Ortiz looked more hopeful when he came out of the place than he had when he en: tered it, and Simon was whistling a merry tune as if everything was moving along to suit bim. Tbe Cuban walked off, followed by Jim, who wanted to see where he went, and in time he had bim run down in a house where, as Pedron Ja- rillo, be had rooms, The captain found several letters on his table when he entered the room on the second floor, and one of these he took up with more haste than the others. ‘‘ By Jove! this is the very hour named in this letter, and I wonder if be will come,” he exclaim- ed aloud, ' There was a heavy step on the stair just be- yond the room, and before he could prevent the entrance of any one the door opened and an ojd man came in, ‘*T guess ’m on time, ain’t I?” said this person who was no one else than Timothy Turk, Tom Wagner’s eccentric relative. Captain Ortiz glared at him like a Cuban cat, but did not tpeak. “You got my letter, I see, and{l thought I would be punctual.” ‘¢ But I have not consented to the interview.” ‘¢ But we will have it all the same—” Captain Ortiz broke the sentence with an oath, and waved his yellow band toward the door, ‘¢‘Shut the coor, eh? Of course, Now we are alone and | will make my business known, You are Pedron Jarillo?” * 7 am?’ ‘You will soon take possession of the estate left by Napoleon Gregg as being the person next to Tom Wagner in the will, The boy is a rela- tive of mine, and I represent bim here,” *' You do?” ‘That's what Ido, and Iam glad to be able to do so.” The old man talked with emphasis, under which the man from Cuba bit his lip. ‘¢T want to know where Tom is,” The seeming absurdity of thé words caused Captain Ortiz to burst into a fit of laughter. Look here; old fellow, lam in no mood for joking, and you will bave to excuse me to-day.” Timothy Turk’s features did not change, ‘Tam not joking. I never joke at all, and if you don’t like my language, you will have to put up with it while | am here,” ** Go on,” Perhaps Captain Ortiz thought that the more be bumored the old man the sooner he would get shut of bim, and so be allowed bim to proceed. ‘Tn the first place, 1am one of the few who don’t believe Tom Wagner dead,” he went on. ‘‘'The boy is the victim of a plot, and I think I know one or two people who are concerned in 1¢ 77 “That's good. Why don’t you take your in- formation to the police?” ‘1m not quite ready for that yet.” ‘And you have concluded to consult me in- stead ?” * Just so,” Captain Ortiz glanced at the unopened letters, and waited for the old man to go On, ‘‘ While the boy lives you can’t get your hands on the property,” he said. : ‘‘That’s not troubling me one whit,” ‘“You will bave to prove that Tom Wagner is dead—” ‘¢ That will not be bard to do, I am sorry to say, from a certain point of view.” ‘You mean that you are sorry for the boy’s sake?” ‘* Yes,” ‘* You once Cuba?” i ‘1 got him a wife there—Tom’s mother.’ ‘‘ Yes, You seemed very anxious to have the match come off just as if you looked ahead to something of this sort,” The Cuban’s face grew very dark for a mo- ment, ‘* Now, my dear captain, what would you say if I, Timothy Turk, were to tell the story of the loss of the Fleetwing, and bow a duel was fought between you and her captain in your elegant orange grove?” ‘*T would say that it would be money in your pockets, for, ag I am one of the lions of the did Napoleon Gregg a service in 900ks.com '