Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 754 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ta a ae - 14 Billy Winks, the Boss Boy Shadower. There was a balf insane look in the eyes that regarded Billy Winks and all at once with the agility of a tiger the man sprung to the very desk the boy ferret had just searched and tried to open the lid. “Give methe key! I want toseeif he has kept any records of the past.” “Tl have no key. It is in Captain Jarillo’s pocket.” ‘* But you are shrewd enough to open the desk for me,, You look like a boy who can do almost anything. I want to see into that piece of fur- niture,.” Billy stepped toward the man and looked him squarely in the face. ‘* Who are you?” he asked. “That’s a pretty question. I kLardly know who I am—I have been living a blank life so dong. I used to be— Yes, there was a time when I had a name; but [I haven’t beard it spoken in so many years, that I have almost for- gotten it,” ** You don’t mean to say—” ‘* Ha, are you going to guess who [ am?” and the mau laughed. ‘‘I don’t think you can do that. Buly continued to look at the man, and felt that he was confronted by a mystery. ‘* Won’t you open the desk for me? asked the stranger, ‘*T balf-belisve it ought to be done,” “That is right, This man, Captain Ortiz— that is what J call him—is one of the biggest vil- lains alive. When we fought our duel in the dark, he—”’ The boy detective could not keep back a cry. ‘“T know you now! You have come back from the dead!” he exclaimed. ‘** Back from the dead? That’s right, boy. I have come from nowhere else. Gradually the ast has come back to me, incident by incident, am.ence more Captain Marksof the Fleetwing, and I curse the day I first met Captain Ortiz, the pirate planter of Cuba, There was a time when I was the head of a happy family, but now I am alone in the world.” Billy thought of Molly the sewing-girl, but be did nut mention her name. ‘* Now that I know you as Captain Marks, of whom I have heard, I want to say that Iam playing a hand against this very man, Captain arillo. [Lam a spy in his house—” ‘* You, boy? hat piece of infamy is he con- nected with now?” ‘*One of the coolest and deepest you ever heard of,” was the reply. ‘‘I can’t tell the story a for he is liable to come back and interrupt it. ‘“T wish he would come!” and the hands of Captain Marks shut and his eyes gleamed mad- ly. ‘*I have longed to meet this wretch, and I have lived in hopes of encountering him some ~~ lf an hour later, Captain Ortiz came back and threw himself upon a sofa in his library. ** 'W here’s that confounded boy?’ he cried. Billy Winks heard the call and made his ap- pearance. The room was darkened by lowered curtains, and Captain Ortiz leaned forward and eyed him closely. ‘* Who’s been bere?” he inquired, ‘* The usual number of cranks.” ‘* Ha! and you gave all the bounce?” Billy nodded, Captain Ortiz strode hastily across the room. Unlocking the desk, he dived his hand into it as if looking for something and when he had found the package he drew it forth and thrust it into his bosom, ‘“Tbhat must not be lost,” passed through the mind of tbe boy detective. ‘*Thatis the proof against bim and he shall not make way with it at this stage of the game,” **T'l) be back later on,” said Captain Ortiz, looking at the boy. ‘‘I want you to keepa sharp eye in your head and not to let the callers who want to fleece me because I’ve struck it rich, get a penny for their pains,” ‘* Yos, sir” He walked to the door, watched like a hawk by the boy, and in a moment he was gone. ‘* If I jose him now [ lose the proof of guilt,” said Billy. Captain Ortiz had reached the nearest corner before he had any one at his heels and then he had a tracker in the boy he had employed to anep the bleeders of the city at bay. _He led Billy a good long chase through the city and at last turned into a narrow street and ow ed closely at the numbers of the houses ere, ** He is going to Simon Slyboots,” thought the young ferret. ‘‘The two will play the game out very speedily if they are left alone,” ee ee os a --—--- —— At that moment a footstep sounded behind the boy and he had turned balf way round when his arm was clutched by a hand that seemed to have the grip of a vise, and he looked up into the grinning face of Simon himself, Simon had caught him fairly and there was no doubt in the boy’s mind that he was recog- nized. ‘‘T thought I would run accross you!” hissed the oily rascal, ‘‘ I never let any one get away from me very long, so come along and I will introduce you to a trap that will hold you,” Billy felt himself dragged away by Simon, but this time he did not intend that the door of another trap should open to hide him from the world. He drew back the full length of Simon Sly- boots’s arm and threw into the villain’s face a look of grim defiance, ** You sha’n’t put mein another of your traps. I know all and the hand of justice is hovering over every mother’s son of you. Even now the cops are moving and in less than an hour you will be in the toils, it makes no matter what you do with me,” Billy felt the grip suddenly loosen on his arm. His words seemed to have scared it loose, and all at once he jerked back and was free. Simon Slyboots stood like a man nonplused for a second; he glared at the boy detective, and even smiled. “*1t is you who are in the trap, Simon,” said Billy. ‘* The toils are all about you, and yonder comes Captain Sharpe of the police.” The scoundrel turned, looked once at the officer who had turned the corner and bounded into the house entered by Captain Ortiz, CHAPTER XVIIL THE LAST BIRD CAGED. BILLY WINKS did not expect to find either Simon Slyboots of Captain Ortiz in the house when it was searched by the officer who had made his appearance in the nick of time, for there isno doubt that Simon intended to execute a tigerish leap at the young detective if such an arrival had not taken place, Both worthies had disappeared, but the officer and the boy looked at each other and smiled. Billy went back to Jim and told his adven- tures while a watch was placed on Captain Ortiz’s city house, besides one on the ship lying in the harbor. Nothing was said to Molly Marks about her father’s return, and it was agreed that Tom should remain with her for the present. Several days passed, but nothing was heard of Simon or the captain. Billy and Jim followed every clew that offered itself, but without avail, They did not want to see the game get away, for the boy ferret’s victory would not be com- lete without them, and he went everywhere ooking for the pair. One night, nearly a week after these events, the young shadower was seated in one of the numerous parks of the city when be saw a mau glide into view, and after eying him for a mo- ment, slip away as rapidly as possible. ‘** Ah, Simon, my sleek fox, so you are still in the city?” cried Billy, following the vanishing figure. ‘* If I track you will I find the captain, or has he gone back to his dear Cuba, laughing in his sleeve how he gave me the slip?” Billy was sure he had discovered the subtile Slyboots, and for nearly an hour he followed him up one street and down another till he was beginning to despair. All at once Simon was joined by another figure, with whom he exchanged words and they separated. But the keen eyes of the young detective had noticed the conversation, and in another instant he was after Simon once more, **Catch the blackmailer, and he will tell on bis employer,” thought Billy. Simon stopped at last. Dodging down a flight of steps that led to a baser ent room, the city fox vanished, and when Billy came up he saw a shoemaker’s sign hang- ing conspicuously on the door, At the same time he heard the sound of a hammer, and smiled when he crept down the steps and saw a man half-soling a pair of boots, en minutes later the boy y Bok opened the door and walked in. The shoemaker looked up with a start, and then went on with bis work, The man at work was Simon Slyboots, turned shoemaker, not because he liked the business, but to deceive his hunters. Billy knew him at once, in spite of his cun- ning disguise. Sse — Nee ‘*Come, we will go up,” said the boy, at which words Simon’s hammer rested and he said: ‘“What do you mean? I am busy now and can’t go away from the job.” ** You can’t, eb?” Billy Winks was standing near the door on the outside of which leaned a man in blue. **But you will go with me, job or no job. Iam here, Simon, to turn you over to the police,” The “shoemaker” lifted himself from the bench and threw the boot past the Boy Shad- ower’s head, Tbe next instant he was looking into the muzzle of a revolver and behind it was the grinuing face of Billy Winks. ‘* You have turned Crispin and it was a sly thought of yours, too, If I wanted a sleek job done I would give it to you, Simon,” ‘*T had you once and was a fool for letting you escape. But do you think I am afraid of the gun you carry?” * Just as you like, Iam heretotake you to the police and you are to giveup your trade this very night.” ** Which trade?’ smiled Simon, Billy gave the signal agreed upon between him and the officer waiting on the basement steps, and ina moment the door opened. and Simon saw thathe was fairly captured. ‘* Here’s a shoe-shop for sale,” laughed he with the nonchalance of a practiced villain. ‘‘I was going to giveit up in a day, orso, but I am done with it now,” He seemed to reflect for a moment and then broke out fiercely: ‘‘ Have you captured the captain? Have you nailed the Cuban scoundrel whose cause I have served?’ ** Not yet, but—” ‘* Maybe you don’t know where heis, I want him with me, [t will look better to have both of us together,” Simon continued and told the officer and Billy where to find the captain, and then gave up his hands for the manacles, remarking that he bad bad a good time playing the. game for gold and that if he bad been let alone, he would have bled Captain Ortiz till he had fleeced him out of every dollar of his ill-gotten gains. ‘Tt was leech suck leech, but that’s no mat- ter,” said Simon. ‘I don’t think it a crime for one wolf to eat another, andI always act on that princivle.” When he found himself in the cell at the sta- tion he felt of the iron bars and laughed. ‘*T guess you won’t find Sloper. He got frightened and sloped, but if you run across the woman called Violet, the Death-Flower, I will esteem it a personal favor if you let me have an interview.” ‘* And let ber throat be in danger, Simon?” said Billy Winks, ‘*‘ We may want to use Vio- let, and she sba’n’t get within reach of your hands.” Captain Ortiz was watching his chance, for when Billy and the officer went secretly to the house where Simon said be was to be found, he was not there, and Billy felt a pang of disap- pointment. Was the head of the plot to get away at last? Was he to lose the pleasure of seeing the Cuban captain behind the bars, and thus fail to carry out the vow he bad taken? Sloper had sloped, as Simon said, and was not in the city; but as he was not such a very great rascal, he was not looked after with very much care. Jim and Billy were on the pave the second night after Simon’s capture, when Mother Ma- gog’s son grasped the boy detective’s arm and called his attention to a man who was about to cross a street. ‘‘That’s the captain! Any one would know him by the way he carries bis head.” In a flash the young Vidocq was dashing for- ward, and was at the man’s heels when he sud- denly turned, ‘Don’t let him grip you, Pilly!” cried Jim. That seemed to tell the hunted man who was in his front, for he caught sight of the boy sharp, and instead of flying from him, be darted at him with a mad curse. There was the gleam of desperation in the eyes of Captain Ortiz that reminded Billy of the light seen there when he hissed the jaguar at him on board the Centipede. ‘* Found at last! Now I will settle everything and then they can have Captain Ortiz!” pealed from bis throat. Billy tried to meet the sudden attack, but it was too cyclonic in its nature to be avoided.