Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 754 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

7 —.- . eee ar 12 a ee hour, the newspapers are anxious to get all the news they ean about me, and they wouid allow you so much per column for the narrative.” The very coolness of the Cuban was perplex- ing and eccentric Timothy Turk could not over- look it. ‘‘T guess I’m about through,” he said, leav- ing bis ehair and retreating to the door with bis eyes riveted upon the man from Cuba, Ortiz drew a breath of relief, ‘‘No, bold on a minute! I forgot something. You haven’t told me where Tom is,” ‘‘ What if I should say 1 didn’t know?” ‘“ Thon I, the last of the Turks, would say de- liberately that Captain Ortiz lied,” A flush of brightness came instantly to he Cuban captain’s cheek, and he started toward the old man, but suddenly checked himself. ‘‘T guess you will tell me before you touch me,” cried old Timothy, suddenly drawing a re- volver and thrusting it into Captain Ortiz’s face, Taken aback by this sudden display of war, the man from the tropics stopped and looked into Timothy’s face over the leveled pistol. ‘*' You know, for one of your minions took bim off,” continued Timothy Turk. “I have no compunctions, none at all, and would as soon blow out your brains as those of a pig.” His look confirmed these words, and the eyes that glared behind the six-shooter told Captain Ortiz that be must be dealing with a crazy man. “Tam going to couut three, and if at the end of the count [ haven’t been told where Tom Wagner is, I will proceed to give the coroner of New York a job,” The breath of the Cuban came fast. ‘**] shall begin without any further ceremony, so here l go. One—” Captaic Ortiz looked toward the door for he was almost sure he had caught the sound of footsteps there, ‘‘This weapon carries six bullets, captain. I am going to find Tom or turn the man who is laying such a cool hand into a lead mine, I am, Two The door opened, On the threshold stood the tall figure of Reck Sloper who had not dropped in for the purpose of rescuing any one in particular, but on a mis- sion calculated to replenish his pockets through the blackmailer’s arta, He took in the situation at a glance, but did not stir, ‘‘Stand where you are! I[ am running this thing,” said Timothy Turk with a mad glance at the new-comer, -Captain Ortiz’s eyes made an appeal which was hard to resist, Perhaps Mr. Sloper thought that should Timothy press the trigger, a certain source of revenue would vanish, and in a mo- ment, with more courage than be bad ever dis- played, he bounded across the room, knocked the revolver into the air and threw the old man against the wall, ae was like the sudden swoop of a thunder- t. Captain Ortiz seized Sloper’s hand and looked into his eye. “I won’t forget this,” worth—” ** About five thousand,” finished the money shark, ‘* Both of you are wrong,” put in old Timothy who was picking himself up in one corner, ‘“ It will coss you a term in Sing Sing if not a jig on the gallows,” and before either ceuld detain bim he bad sprung across the room and was gone. he said. “It is CHAPTER XV. LIFE IN A LION’S DEN. Wan Reck Sloper left the room occupied hy Captain Ortiz he considered himself richer by several theusands than he was when he crossed its thireskhheld. He bad been the means of saving the Cubsan’s life from the pistol of Timothy Turk who would have pressed the trigger if the man from the tropics bad not given him the information he was after. Sloper, who lacked the cco’ness displayed by Simon Slyboots, was withal » man of some vood points, and he was soon far from the scene of bis adventure in search of his friend Simon to whom he was eager to detail bis exploit. If he bad turned his face in another direc- tion he might bave ran across two boys sneak- ing through the shadows of New York, the one in advance being our friend Billy Winks and his companion long-lost Tom Wagner who once more found himself on the streets of the city. Te eut a long story short, Violet had opened ‘ . fat A tem Vv : Billy Winks, the Boss B —————— the door of their prison and they were making their way toa place where the boy ferret was anxious that Tom should hide for a time, Tney reached this place which turned out to: be Molly Marks’s little house, and there the lost boy heir was made as comfortable as possible, ‘*l am out of the trap and now the ratcateber will have to look out,” said Billy Winks, ‘‘ ‘The first thing | shall turn my attention to will be the locating of the captaiu’s house, but I don’t think that will be difficult,” The following day Billy, looking over a news- paper while he was “‘ tuking a snip,” as he called it, in the cheap restaurant he patronized, saw a notice in the ‘*‘ want column” that riveted his gaze, ‘I wonder if I could get myself up so as to hoodwink the hawk from Cuba,” he thought, reading the notice for the second time, ‘it is risky, but worth trying, for it would give me an insight into the very workings of the plot, though, if [ shou!d be discovered, it wouldn’t go very smootbiy with yours truly.” Billy laid the paper down and went home, Jim bad been there looking for him, as he found out, and a note lying on the table, Jim having tossed it over the transom, told him that, unless he found him elsewhere, he (Jim) would return that nigbb. “$P)} play my uew band azd then run the chances,” remarked Billy. At ten o’clock a boy who did not look in the least like the young ferret of New York present- ed himself at the door of the house occupied by Captain Ortiz, he door was opened by a young woman who asked him in, and 1n a moment he found himself op the inside, ** Don’t look very much like a lion’s den, but that’s what it is,” muttered the boy detective, taking in the scene that presented itself, Just then be heard footsteps and in a second Captain Ortiz, in smoking jacket, made his ap- pearance, The captain of the Centipede looked at the boy and then nodded good-naturedly. ‘** You’re the tenth l’ve had already,” said he, ‘Then I’m lucky, for it’s queer you haven’t had ten hundred,” Captain Ortiz told the young ferret to enter a room alongside the hall and wait for him which he did and in a little while found himself alone, The Cuban was not out of sight very long and when he came sauntering in he had changed his apparel and looked more like his old self, ‘*T want a boy,” he began, crossing his legs and takivug a cigar from an open box on the table, ‘* You may bave heard of me. 1am be- sieged by cranks, They have been calling ever since the rascally papers have told them that [ live here. You see [have beeu kicked into a fortune, and they come to me thinking that what comes easily will depart as easy, and that [ stand here all the time with my purse striags open, ready to fill the pockets of every Tom, Dick and Harry who calls.” ** That’s just like some people, and you want a boy who can tell a crank when he sees one and who will not let them inside?” ‘*That’s it exactly. The girl who opened the door to you won’t do at all, She thinks it her duty to let everybody in and she religiously obeys her sweet will, You know the city?’ “1 ought to,” ** Born bere?’ ** Yes,” ‘* Name?’ ** Ned Hanley.” ‘* Well, Master Hanley, I guess you will do. The job won’t bea very long one, for I expect to move to other quarters in a few days and then I will be among peopie Who don’t allow cranks within a stone’s throw of their homes,” And so Billy Winks found bimself in the em- oy of the very man who hed hissed a jaguar u ,on kim, He realized that he was in ‘‘ the lion’s den,” as he caled it, that if he was suspected, he would be in a predicament to which even the confine- ment of the top room of the strange house would be a pleasure, but he had weighed everything bef re coming to the place, aod he was prepared to take the consequences, If the “isgnise beld out he was safe; if it failed, his life migbt pay the penalty. He had bardly taken bis place when the bell sent its tones through the bouse and Billy an- swered the ring, A mas stood on the step. ‘* We ain’t giving our wealth away,” said Billy, shutting the door in the man’s face and watching his lips curl with scorn as he turned away. coming into the hall, “ One of the Crank family, and [ sent him off before be could get his request in, I don’t know whether he wasan orphan or some agent for the Senegambian Society; but he didu’t get a cent all the same, and off he went,” Back went Billy to the little room where he was to answer the belland the long hours began to pass, The interior of the house shut off from the rays of the sup, was quite dark aud the room cool, Billy knew that Captain Ortiz was in the ad- joining roor, for a subtle perfume of tobacco stule into the chamber be occupied and he re- solved to be on his guard. The long day waned and the shadows of night came, He thought of Jim, and longed to have an in- terview with Mother Magog’s son. ‘‘T am here on duty and can’t steal out and see Jim,” said the boy detective. ‘'L will have to see him another time, for if I keep my post here I will win. Something will come to me here and [ will pick up the clew 1 want. Suddenly the bell rung and he bounded from his chair an’ sprung into the ball, As he entered he saw the door open and a man appeared to him. Simon Slyboots! The young detective knew him on sight, and when the tall form of the rascal came forward Billy dodged back into the room and let him go on to Captain Ortiz, He heard tbe door leading to the Cuban’s room open and shut and master and man were together. Billy moved over to the door between the rooms, and prepared to take mental notes of the interview, Captain Ortiz was surprised to see Simon there at that hour, and the first words dropped by the sleek tool startled him. ‘‘ What made you threaten the girl?’ asked Simon, Captain Ortiz laughed, ‘*Confound her, she don’t know a good thing when she sees it,” he exclaimed. ‘* But who told you that I have had an interview with Molly Marks?” ‘‘f hear a good many things,” answered Simon, in an off-hand manner, ‘“*She might have been won over, but now it is too late, un- less a good band is employed,” ‘‘Thatmeans ‘hire me; [am the good hand,’” said Billy, under his breath, ‘* This man is a gold-eater. He is money-hungry all the time, und now is trying to bleed the captain before he bas had a chance to get his hans upon the estate for which he has played his cards,” ‘Do you know Molly Marks, Simon?” ‘Don’t 1? If yeu bad come to me some time ago and intimated so and so, [ could have ar- ranged this thing to your satisfaction, and you need not have bad a tiff with the girl, You know how she lost her father?” C ptain Ortiz said ** Yes,” and then Simon went on: ‘“ You see she more than half believes that the Fleetwing wasn’t lost, as at first reported, but that a duel was fought by her captain and a certain Cuban gentleman, and that her father was mortally wounded,” ‘‘ She as good as told me so,” ‘* You were a littla too fast, captain,” There was a moment’s silence, when the voice of Simon Slyboots was heard again: ‘You've got a boy, I noticed, when I came in?” ‘‘Got him through the papers, to give the crauks the bouace, and he seems to fill the Lill.” ‘‘He made himself scarce when he caught sight of nie, I guess he saw i wouldn’t stand any of his foolishness, and concluded to let me pass. About the same size of the boy I stopped from tracking us. He was really dangerous, captain, but it’s all O, K, now, and we don’t have to look back when we are abroad,” It was an hour before the inferview ended and the footsteps of Simon Sly boots went toward the door. Billy Winks did not escort him out, but stood near the door, more than half fearing that some sudden impulse to look at him would take posses- sion of Simon’s noggin; but he was agreeably disappointed, and when he heard the door close on the figure of the oily villain of the streets he breathed free once more, Verily life in a ‘‘lion’s den” was somewhat exciting, ’ ‘‘Nothing risked nothing gaived,” said the boy ferret. ‘‘f am here for business, and here I will stay till I am ready to go back to Jim,” Cad COMICDOOKS.