Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 754 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

iy Amo ‘‘ Do you hunt people very often? Aren’t you one of these young ferrets I hear about?” Billy snoiled, ‘¢ You may have of me whatever opinion you piease,” he said. ‘Then, | call you a rascally young spy who was prying into business not your own when caught. My boat will be hereina moment. It is about the hour, Ah, bere it 1s!” At this moment the boy ferret saw a boat come in sight and Captain Ortiz forced him to the edge of the pier. Billy drew back, making a sudden and desperate effort to release himself from the grip that encircled him, but without avail, and he was tumbled down into the captain’s gig without much ceremony and in anotber instaut was on bis way to the Cuban’s vessel, He could almost guess how his adventure was going to end and resolved to betray nothing, he fell back in the boat and saw himself closely regarded by the captain, e saw the boat pulled alongside a trim- looking vessel and he was taken on board and guided to a cabin where he was left alone a few moments, He thought suddenly of the letter be had found, and quick as a fiash he pulled it forth and rolling it into a small compass, swallowed it just as the door opened and Captain Ortiz came back with a grin of triumph on his tace, In another moment he would have been de- tected in the act, Captain Ortiz looked like his old self and Billy could not avoid noticing how black the eyes were and how handsome be was in every par- ticular. ‘‘ Why did you follow me?” queried the cap- tain of the Centipede, looking Billy Winks in the face while he took a seat at a table and across the way from his young prisoner, ‘¢ How do you know [ was?” **Come, you can’t fool me! lowed before,” ‘Very well, then, If you know I was on your track | need not try to deny it.” ‘You make a business of following people, don’t you?” No answer, | Captain Ortiz turned toward the door and struck the table with bis band, The next moment the door opened and a face of a cast decidedly Cuban made its appearance, ‘*Is the Princess in good humor, Blanco?’ asked the captain, ‘¢ She is all right, senor,” ** Fetch her in.” The bead vanisbed and the door was shut. Instead of turning again to the boy captive, the Cuban captain rolled a cigarette and lit it without emotion, At the end of a minute silken footsteps were heard, an the door opened once more, Billy Winks, who was watching the door at the time, fell back with a cry he could not re- strain. ' Blanco bad come back, but he was not alone, On the contrary, he was accompanied by a handsome jaguar that purred at his Jegs likea kitten, ‘* Come, Princess,” said Captain Ortiz, snap- ping his fingers, at which sound the animal ap- proached and showed her teeth, ‘* Here, this 1s a young spy from the gutters,” he went on, looking toward Billy wno had not for moment taken his eyes from the jaguar, ‘¢What, are you going to turn me over to that beast?” cried the boy, the situation forcing the words from his mouth. ‘Why not? You have followed me, and while Princess has you in charge, you won't get to ply your calling.” lanco now withdrew, leaving Captain Ortiz, the animal and Biily Winks in the cabin, he’ jaguar was licking ber master’s dark hand, an’ the boy detective was looking at ber beautiful skin, but not without feelings of fear, ‘Confess to everything,” suddenly said Cap- tain Ortiz, ‘*Why were you watch ng me?” The young ferret of the streets did not speak, All at once the Cuban captain threw the jaguar from bim, and she crouched on the floor with a long whine, At the same moment Billy Winks sprung from his chair and drew back, He was armed with nothing but a kn‘fe, the lade of which was barely long enough to pene- trate the sleek hide of the beast, Still be drew it forth and opened the blade. ** Fool!” laughed Captain Ortiz, ‘ You can’t kill a jagnar with a jack-knite.” There was more truth in these words than Billy Winks realized, but he did not abate his resolution, and placing bimself on the defensive I have been fol- + a ee een tek ane sy Ca ae = while he eyed the beast, he awaited the spring which he felt was near at band, ‘* What, are you going to mar theskin of Prin- cess with that blade? Throw that knife across the cabin!” Instead of obeying this command, Billy only grasped the knife the more firmly and looked from the animal to the Cuban captain. Suddenly Captain Ortuuz sprung to his feet and let out a barsh Spanish oath, ‘Kye him, Princess)” he said, to the crouch- ing terror on the floor, ‘* At the snap of my finger you will spring forward and ‘ kiss’? him!” The jaguar seemed to understand every word, ‘*You young spy, you have been on my trail longer than this day,” continued the enraged Cuban. ‘‘ You are in the employ of the police of New York, and they are watching me through your keen eyes,” ‘* It is not true, at all. hook.” ** A confession! Billy was silent, *‘ Now, what were you after? Why were you following me under tbe lamps of yon city?” ‘*T bada right to,” and the lips of the boy closed behind the last words in a manner which must have told the captain that he would go no further, jaguar or no jaguar. Meantime the animal was creeping forward eager to get at the boy ferret, She was covering, inch by inch, thesbip’s floor, slipping over it without the slightest noise and all the time with her eyeballs riveted upon her chosen victim, Billy Winks had never been in sucha situation before. He had had narrow escapes and had been in close situations, but never bad be faced a huge cat like the one crouching before him, Captain Ortiz showed no mercy in look or gesture. He was a Cuban to the backbone, and Billy could see that he would let the j:guar rend him in pieces, In backing off the boy detective reached a quaint old-fashioned cupboard set in the wall, the door of which was open. A glance showed bim half a dozen revolvers so arranged on the shelves-as to be ready for instant use, Captain Ortiz seemed to divine the boy’s in- tentions, for all at once he cried out to bim to come forward, at the same time applying an epi- thet calculated to nettle his courage, But Billy Winks, driven to the wall by the menace of tooth and claw, whirled suddenly to- ward the cupboard and seized one of the nearest six-shooters, Clutching the weapon firmly, the undaunted Billy faced the fierce brute, waiting for the sig- nal from ber equally vicious master, and leveled the weapon at her bead. The jaguar showed her teeth and whined. ‘* Princess is quicker than eye and finger,” de- risively laughed the Cuban captain, and at the same time he snapped his fingers. Quick as a flash, up leaped the spotted terror, and straight at the boy detective’s toroat! She was clear of the floor when the cabin rung with a wild report, and there succeeded a groan almost buman as the beautiful pet fell back, The white stnoke lifted. Captain Ortiz stood like one petrified on the spot; Billy Winks, breath- less, leaned forward with the smoking revolver in bis band and— The jaguar lay on the floor, shot through the brain! | Tam not serving the police When I watch any one it is on my own You were watching me?” CHAPTER VI. IN THE CENTIPEDE’S HOLD, THE tigerish rage of Captain Ortiz at the death of bis pet knew no bounds, For a moment he sat spellbound in his chair, glaring at the boy detective, and Billy fully ex- pected to see him leap at bim with as much im- pulsiveness as the jaguar had done. The animal had not moved since falling, The shot had been decisive, and the terror of the tropics was dead at ber masg'er’s feet. The sound of the shot brought a dark face to the door and the boy once more saw the face of Blanco, The Cuban’s man only waited for orders and stood ready to carry them out no matter what they might be, This tableau lasted a full minute when the hand of the Cuben captain came down upon the table and he cried; ‘You have killed the best friend Captain Ortiz ever had, You shall pay dearly for this rourder!” ‘fOne ought to be permitted to defend one’s Sas os Billy Winks, the Boss Boy Shadower. 5 a LLL ET LL LL LN meg ee i ae Na al _— —_— ee ooo life,” was the answer, ‘The beast was leapin at my throat when I fired and I saw my lifea stake,” p Captain Ortiz arose and faced the young erret, ‘* Come in, Blanco,” he said, for be had caught sight of the bead at the door, Tbe door opened and Blanco stood in the room, ** Seize that young rascal!” said Ortiz, Bianco stepped forward, but in an instant he was covered by the same weapon that had taken the life of the jaguar, ‘*] will kill you if you attempt any violence,” the boy said coolly. ‘‘ Captain Ortiz, as he calls bimself, had no right to bring nie to this vessel and I will act as [see fit. Stand your dis- tance,” Blanco looked at the captain but did not move, ‘Furies! are You afraid of a boy?’ yelled ne infuriated man, beating the table with his st. Blanco bit bis lip and made ready for a spring, pistol or no pistol, The next moment he came at Billy Winks, and when the trigger was pressed no report fol- lowed, ‘*Ha, ba! I took the chances,” laughed the Cuban captain, ‘‘One of the revolvers was sparingly loaded, and I thought you bad itin your band, The only loaded chamber killed Princess, aud now it is useless,” Billy felt like throwing the pistol away for he was in Blanco’s grip, and the band of the Ne ima slave was sinking, as it seemed, to the one, ‘¢ Hold him well, Blanco, my boy. You shall take the place of Princess as far as you can,” Billy could only look at the man wio had spoken and wonder what would bappen next, ‘“Take him below to the cage till he is wanted,” continued Captain Ortiz and without being permitted to bave another word, the boy ferret was marched off under escort of Blanco and in a little while he found himself ina small room where be could hear the swisb of waters as the vessels rocked on the tide, The place was dark enough at first, but after awhile he discovered a bit of light and watched itas the beams stole across the floor, showing him a room without furniture, and forbidding enough to suggest a prison-bouse of death, Billy Winks threw himself upon tbe cot that showed up in one corner, and thought over the sudden change in his fortunes, He was in the hold of Captain Ortiz’s ship and no person outside of its tenants knew aught of his situation, What nad become of Tom Wagner the victim of the plot, and was old man Gregg dead? These thoughts were enough to almost still the heart of the courageous boy, but one thing be was sure of, and that was that the jaguar wonld never leap at another throat, He bad slain the beast of the tropics, and, as a matter of course, expected to feel the ven- geance of her master, Meantime Captain Ortiz had gone back to the city, leaving Billy Winks guarded by the shrewd Blanco who was ready to carry out any com- mands that might be issued, Captain Ortidiwas anxious to know what had taken place since le was Jast in the metropolis, and not long after bis arrival he reached the vicinity of Napoleon Gregg’s house. The place wus as silent as the grave, and he took it for granted that the end had come, and that the rich old man was dead, He remained on the watch till the front door Opened and a man came out, Approaching this person cautiously, the cap- tain of the Centipede was about to inquire after Gregg’s health when the person turned upen bim, and he fell back VW ith at cry. It was Simon Slyboots! ‘* Well, you’re the coolest man I ever saw,” cried Captain Ortiz. ‘ You baven’t been inside of that bouse, 1 hope?” ‘“ Why not?’ grinned the other, ‘Of course, I don’t object, but yon ought to be very careful.” ‘Who is moreso? I am serving you and | know what [’'m abeut?” Captain Ortiz said no more for a spell, during which the two men walked together. In a little while they entered a certain place where they found themselves secluded, when the captain leaned forward and clutched Simon’s arm. ‘* Hovv is he?” he asked, ‘*‘ About the ssme, He has started the whole olice force on bunt of the bay, and says he will ive till Tom is found,” . comicbooks.com. =