Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 771 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

os knife, It did not come, but he bade fair to suf- focate. No air could enter the folds of the blanket, and the supply first imprisoned there was about exhausted. While he was thinking of this he was again lifted and borne away, but only for a few steps. He was thrust into some place which he supposed was a door, but a new sensation quickly pro- claimed the truth. He was in a carriage, and being borne away. Dimly be heard a voice beside him, and then the blanket was loosened, but only toallow of the introduction of a revolver which was thrust against his temple, ‘* Be silent, or you are a dead man!” came in a sterr and menacing voice. Otis said nothing, and the unknown went on: ** We don’t want to do you harm, but are pre- pared to shoot you if you force us to it. We won’t let a life like yours stand in our way. If you call for help it would go hard with us, and we won’t have it. You give an alarm at your peril. Itis silence or death!” The blanket was still further loosened, evi- dently to give him a chance to breathe, but not a word passed his lips. He was too wise to shout for help with the weapon against his temple, and, strangely enough, he did not im- prove the chance to speak in an ordinary tone, Naturally, almost any one would have been quick to ask the meaning of such violent work, but Harding Otis allowed himself to be carried away without a question or a remon- strance. At last the carriage turned from the street into an alley, and thence to a stable at the rear, The captors alighted and took the prisoner out with them, All went to the office, There, Otis was left standing alone, but on each side of him was a masked man, and four revolvers bore upon him, He regarded them during the pause which followed in a manner apathetic to the observer, but his face was =, and drops of perspiration stood on his fure- ead, Presently one of the party spoke: ** You know us?” ‘I suppose I do,” Otis answered. ** Tt is years since you saw us last—” ** ‘Yes, and you premised, then, never to mo- lest me‘again !” suddenly, sharply interrupted the prisoner. ‘*Tt is your own fault that we meet again.” Otis was silent. : ** We need explain nothing. You know how ou came between us and our purposes, of late, nviting death; and if you suffer thereby you have only yourself to thank,” Evidently a reply was expected, but the cap- tive looked somberly at the wall and seemed al- most to forget them. His gaze came back wher the leader impatiently continued: ** Wheres is the girl?” ** Where, indeed?” Otis echoed, with a shiver. **'You have spirited her away, but, we are not to be baffled. The world is not wide enough to hide any one we seek, Whereis she?” ** Why do you descend to force?” cried Otis, with a return of emotion, ‘‘ You came to m house and stole her away. I know notif she living; | know not whether you have one grain of pity for the innocent, suspect you have none,’ ‘You are right. Pity is a quality which makes strong/men weak fools; we want none of it. Butdo you think you can turn the tables upon us? You know we have not been in your house. Whatever you do, don’t attempt any such sitiallow trick,’ : **Men,” Otis returned, ‘‘I am your prisoner ‘and you can do with me as you please, I realize that, and realize the folly of an appeal for mercy, I make none; I am prepared to take whatever fate you allot me, Goon with your work with- out circumlocution; but for that girl I ask your pity. She never did you barm; why should you injure her?” ‘We can’t, until we find her,” ** You have her now,” ‘*T say we have not.” Otis evidently did not give the denial the least credence, but the masked spokesman more 'slow- ly added: **Do you expect us to believe you had no band in her disappearance?” ** You know I bad none,” **Then where is she?” The prisoner made an impatient gesture. “This is childish, I had only just brought her to my home, Evenif you were not concerned in her abduction it must be evident to you that I would not bring her there, keep her a few days, and then spirit her away. If I were going te do Foxy Fred’s Odd Pard. the latter, why should I take her to my house at ali?” For the first time the spokesman looked at his companions and seemed to be in doubt. He hesitated, and then made a motion to one of the quartette, after which the two left the room. Otis’s position was not improved. He still had two revolvers bearirg upon bim, Now, however, he began to rally from what had seemed apathy, but which, really, had been the stupefaction of despair. He regarded his companions closely, as if he would fread their faces through the masks, ‘*Men,” be said, presently,” have I ever seen you before this night?” ** No,” one of the pair answered. ‘‘Then you have nothing against me,” ** Well?” ‘*Men, I am rick, I can make other men well-to-do and never feel the loss of money. This I will gladly do to you if you will de- serve it. What is life with your comrades to the pleasures you could have elsewbere, Money is grand; it is potent; it is the lever that moves the world. Think what you could do in Europe, for instance, with money, Tbis you can haveif you will allow me to go out of this place. Allow me to make a dash for liberty, and promise not to shoot,” It was a rapid, earnest plea. but the only reward was the cold response: ** We shall shoot you dead if you try :t!” ‘** But the money—” ‘*We disdain it. Besilent! Would you make ustraftors? No: we would rather shoot you?’ It was an implacable response, and Otis’s brief hope ‘fled. His heart seemed to lie in his breast witit the weight of tons. Hopeless, in- deed, was bis cause. The other men returned, .and the former spokesman again broke tbe silence: ‘We have decided that you are tying; that you do know where the girl is. Reveal her whereabouts, or you are a dead man!” He touched the revolver to Otis’s head. CHAPTER V. THE CONVICT AT BAY. PERCY BERTHRONG stood looking quietly at his superior. There was not the least trace of suspicion in his manner, and he did not once glance toward Foxy Fred, He could hardly have had a better disguise. In former days he had been an elegantly-dressed sport; now, he had a two weeks’ stubble on his face as.an incipi- ent beard, and his ink-emeared hands were even cleaner than his ink-smeared, coarse old clothes, Foxy Fred easily recognized the fact that this ink, 80 lavishly spread on, was a part of bis dis- uise, Tbe old-time sport was not there in appear- ance, and a casual acquaintance of past days would not have recognized him, The Keener was not at fault, however. ‘* Mr, Brown,” began Berlong, **sit down here and discuss this blank with us,’ YThe foreman readily obeyed, and chance brought bis chair so that his back was toward Foxy Fred. Beyond them ail was a mirror, and in this the Keener could see the escaped convict’s face. lt was calm, and he gave unsuspicious at- tention to the paper which Berlong and Detec- tive Warden put before him. The latter was duly cautious, and talked about the blank and the circular as if it was the hight of his am- bition to carry on the swindle he claimed to have in mind, but, finally, he contrived to look at the Keener ina way which betrayed nothing, Foxy Fred nodded, and then Warden knew he had found the escaped convict, The detective did not betray himself, but went on with the argument until a decision was reach- ed on the disputed points of the circular, about which he really cared nothing. In the mean while, he arranged bis plan. Since entering Berlong’s establishment he had learned that he had, indeed, to deal with men not to be trifled with, Accustomed to the crim- inal classes he knew that any one of the five was ready for murderous action, if necessary. They had served full apprenticeship in the school of crime, and placed their interests above fear of the law. Warden was well aware that prudence re- quired him to get help before proceeding bo action, but he wanted the glory of making the capture alone. He was resolved to do it, and his plan was to let Lgestrnigr. | pass the office door, and then pounce upon him and, with the con- trolling power of a revolver, get him out of the establishment before the gang fully realized the situation, Up to this time Foxy Fred, realizing that the o glass meant danger to their purpose, had kept | behind Berthong so that his own face would not be reflected, but, as the three men straightened up after their conference, the Keener lost the line, He was squarely caught by the glass. Worse than that, Berthrong saw the reflection of his face, The ex-sport seemed to change to a statue, In the very act of rising he stopped snort, and his gaze was fixed on the shape in the glass, Alarm, doubt and perplexity were pictured on his face. Then came realization of a part of the truth, and everything else gave place to rage, He re- cognized one whom he knew to be bis deadly ene- my; who had done more than anybody else to bring his arrest about before, and the instincts of revenge and self-preservation rose within bim at once, His hand was thrust into some recess under the apron he wore; it came out clasping a revol- ver, and the weapon vas hardly bared before he wheeled and presented it to Fred’s breast. ‘* Spy!” he snarled; *t you shall die!” It really seemed that he intended to press the trigger, but bis purpose was never fully demon- strated. If he was quick to act, Jethro Warden was not less active. The detectiva knoched up the revolver, and, in another instant, a shining six-shooter, held in his own band, covered the convict, ** Don’t do it!” he warned, Perce Berthong was not too dull to take a very perceptible hint, and be turned bis gaze almost quietly upon the detective. ‘‘ What have you to do with it?” he demanded.,. ‘‘ That boy is my helper,” “In what?” ‘‘ Private work.” ‘*That won’t go down,” “Tt’s a fact, and I won’t see him injured. Hang it! we didn’t come in here to be butcher- ed ? ‘* Perhaps you come as volice spies.” The ex-sport’s wits were flowing sbrewdly, at last, and he did not fail to suspect thetruth. He did not believe Foxy Fred would be the ally of a crook, and his knowledge of the Keener’s char- acter served to put Warden under definite sus- picion, The latter, however, answered coolly: ‘‘ Your charge is an insult, but I will not let. it worry me. A man who bas been hunted. from one end of the United States to the other hasn’t much use for the police; he only asks to be left alone, A murrain on the police?! Don’t be abeurd.” Berthrong had lowered his revolver half-un- consciously, and Warden followed his example, but they sat facing each other, both ready for work, and that meant a good deal when it was considered that they were good shots. Into the pause came Berlong, the printer. ‘* What in perdition does this mean?’ he de- manded, ‘Simply that your visito. is a spy.” ‘* It is false!’ Both Perce and Warden spoke with emphasis, but that did not help matters. Berlong rung a bell, and the three compositors appeared at the door. Matters began to look very ugly for Jethro and the Keener. ‘‘We will settle this, right away,” declared Berlong. ‘‘ Mr. Brown, what grounds have you for your charge?” ‘* This boy,” Perce returned, motioning vicious- ly toward Foxy Fred, ‘‘ is an amateur detective, aid to detectives, police spy, or whatever you see fit to call him. He was the cause of all my re- cent troubles. But for him I should now be walking the streets of New York fearlessly,” The ex-sport glared at Fred. By his way of meeting the danger he had thrown off all pre~ tense of secrecy; his disguise was such no longer, and be made no pretense of being anybody but Berfhrong, the escaped convict. He added, before any one else could speak: © ‘*T know the boy well, and a demon he is. He can have but one motive in being here, and that is to ruin me—to capture me, He is a police spy, and it’s likely tbat this fellow has a detective’s badge under his coat,” The speaker motioned to Warden, who smiled easily. ‘Wrong, all wrong,” he averred. ‘I don’t: know what personal trouble you and my boy may have had, but he is a good helper of mine in just the lines I have indicated, Iam sorry that any clash bas occurred, for I hope much from the work you are to do for me; I hope for good,, hard dollars.” Glancing meditatively at Foxy Fred, the de~ tective seriously added: _ ‘‘ We want tosmooth this over. For my parts 900KS'C EN a ~ *. ve Fe _ ~ = —_ . by i a yé Z ~ , - ' 7 &. a i ¢ Sony Sa ie ae 4