Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

He had reached home in time to find a freshly written note on his table saying that Nell had taken Mrs. Lane to her quarters which were somewhat better than his and he felt that the old lady would be safe there and feel more at home with one of her own sex. On the night in question the boy detective had come to Gotham Court for the purpose of carrying out a plan which he had thought out some time before He gained a spot of ground known as Double Ailey. This is nothing less than the,covering of an immense sewer which was then the run for criminals and desperate characters in general who doging down a man-hole or run- ning through a dark cellar could drop into the sewer and thus escape the police. Davy was not seen to enter Gotham Court nor to approach Double Alley and when he stcpped it was at a door which opened when he rapped. He slid across the threshold and stood against a wall with one hand behind him while he watched the person who had let him into the house. There was a poor light in the chamber and the young detective smiled when he saw the little man come forward and look into his face with a leer. ‘* Well, what you’ want?” was the question that met the boy. ‘*] want to go down into the sewer.”’ The man seemed to draw back for a mo- ment and shook his head. ** What do you want down in the sora “T want to go down—that’s all, Muz- Zles.”’ If this man’s name was Muzzles, it fitted him to a T, for there were scars on his face which looked like the muzzle used to render cross dogs harmless and in the light these scars seemed to glow like red-hot irons. ‘* Will you come u ‘* That depends, ‘*Come, then.” Spotter Davy was led across the room and the littke man opened a door with a key which he took from his pocket. This admitted the pair to a cellar across which they went and in one corner Muzzles lifted a trap. A RIO: damp, disagreeable smeil came this way?” he asked. uzzles,” — up. “ You'll want a light, ” said the man. ‘* Here, take my lantern.” He handed Davy a lantern which he took from a nail in the wall, and, lighting it, the boy detective stepped into the hole and going down six short steps landed on the floor of the big sewer. It was large enough for a man to walk through withouf stooping. Its floor of flags had been trodden by many fect of crime, and the young on his-own- hook detective went down through the dark- ness feeling now and then on his feet the rats that infested the place. Every once ina while he would stop and strike at the foes he barely saw as they flitted out of sight and when he seemed to have reached his journey’s end he leaned to- ward one of the sewer walls and listened, He was underneath the city. A noise as of distant water and now and then the distant puffing of river craft came to his ears. Davy emerged in an alley a ag the one where ew He ‘pulled his bod hole and went toward a! This time he did not. , but opened ag door and blowing out his lantern enter- which was as entered the gh a man- we Hello!” said a voice as he entered the room. ‘If you don’t stop and give an ac- - count of yourself I will blow you to Davy os nat sts et to some extent, a a a — rO-—_OoSS—— CO OOO e ———__-- -- —_ _ —__ SO OoOnX—er— eee eee ee ee eee ee Oe ee eC eee ee eee eee Davy Doon’s Bigy Bounce. whispering his name heard a laugh at which he moved forward again. A human figure rose before him—a man who could not have stood erect if he tried, filled an old arm-chair. He was past fifty and his face was covered with hair His arms were long, and hanging to the chair ready for his hands was a revolver which he had lowered only when the boy mentioned his name, ‘‘ You don't come by the street, I hope,” he said as he watched the young sewer-run- ner, ‘* No, [came over the rat- walk,” was the reply. ‘‘ You haven't been here forsome time. I am glad to see you. You know I don’t see many people, shut up as Iam from the world I will never again enjoy Do I Jook like I was nearer the grave than when you saw me last? Take the light and look for yourself.” The boy did so, the face, and while the eyes blinked like an owl's, he surveyed the features before him. ‘‘ You’re good for years yet,” he declared. ‘* That's flattery; but, no difference, boy,” was the answer. -‘* What's up?” ‘*T want to ask you a question.” ‘* Ts that what brought you to me to-night, Davy?” « Partly,” ‘Well, what is your question?” and the man fell back in the arm-chair and looked at the boy with resignation, Davy did not delay. ‘* Look here, Captain Paul: what became of Hiram Honeybee?” A queer question to be asked in that place, at that hour and of that man. It seemed to fall upon him like a thunder- bolt from a cloudless sky, and for a moment he did not move, but sat bold upright, look- ing at the questioner with fox-like eyes that were almost lost in the depths of his head. ‘* 'You’re crazy!” he cried suddenly. ‘* What should I, who have not seen the sun- shine for nearly two years, know of what be- came of the man you call Hiram Honeybee?” ‘‘ T know just how long you have’ been here, Captain Paul, but Il want my question answered all the same.” . ‘* You young rogue you! Doyou want to get me into trouble? 1 know that sometimes you help the police, and I haven’t been the best of men in my time, and they hold a grudge against me. [ don’t know what be- came of Hiram Honeybee,” eyes and the young detective noted it. Davy said nothing for a moment. ‘You knew a man by that name, didn’t yO ’ he said at hast 4s 9»? “X 8) you unseal your lips and tell me all? How do I know that you knew Hiram Honeybee? Pardon me but it was an accidental dis- covery. You know that three months ago ye ou gave me some papers to keep for you, ou thought they weren't safe in this trap. Well, this morning when I went to look for them—” ‘They were stolen?” interrupted the man. ‘‘No, the rats had been to them, They had eaten the strings add gnawed the papers I happened to see a name on one of them while tying them up again; I could not_help it, Captain Paul, It was the name of ‘Hiram Honeybce.” “The man in the chair looked again at his little friend, and then threw out one hand. ‘You can never find him,” he exclaimed. ‘‘Hiram Honeybee is dead! There! don’t ask me another question,” and the lips shut like a vise behind the dread reply. CHAPTER IY. SOMEWHAT STARTLING. : ‘ foes HONEYBEE is dead!” The words were spoken with drooping Come, "Gaivakn Paul, why don’t, | have been too much for me. Was it true? Was the missing witness— the man so eagerly sought by Mrs. Luey ~ Lane—no longer among the living? Had he (Davy) taken up the trail too late to be of any benefit to the poor woman and to justice? He looked at the man in the chair and watched the strange play of light and shadow in his hair-covered face until he continued: ‘*T have told you all J can tell you. Did you bring me the papers which the rats had mutilated? No? Why didn’t you? lll bet my head you read them every one, ‘‘T did not read one of them, Captain Paul, I tied them up as well as I could and put. them in another place where the rats cannot find them. They are safe now.” ‘That is good. I believe you are a boy of your word, Davy. Though I can’t re- ward you, some day perhaps you will be re- warded, But you came to me with a singu- “Tthought you would consider it so. I fs to know what became of Hiram Honey- bee and I can’t get it through me that he is dead, for, living, he would be of such great. help to a woman who has been cruelly and — terribly wronged. Captain Paul did not ask who that wo- man was as Detective Davy thought he would but sat still and blinked his eyes, ‘‘T guess I’ll go back,” said the boy. “ Over the rat-run?” Seg... ‘*Aren’t you afraid?” ; ¢é No. but the light seems to keep them off.”’ Davy went to the door, watched all the time by the half-buried eyes and when he had seized the latch the man spoke. ‘Why do you want to know what became of Hiram Honeybee, Davy?’ The boy investigator turned and moved across the floor toward Captain Paul. ‘*T will tell you. That man put his name — toa will and the will was stolen, Isay so — from what I have heard from the lips of a — truthful woman. Another#will has come — forward and it was accepted as the true one, It is claimed that the names _ to that last will were forged—that Hiram Honeybee could ~ expose the whole fraud and break up the nest of fleecers and villains. But you see he — can’t be found, He went away soon after the first will was written and since that day, — he has been seen only once,’ He held the light close to | lar question,’ * ~ - * = & « “ ee ee > s 2 ee ele * z .* ae * . ey le we a3," a Ty see “we 7 4 : ee eA, ate, Vs > - vf Las "~% = rs i, _— =. There are some large ones there | *. «? ~ “hk a). = a . " F - ged z - P aed - i ie / ‘ : < * All this time the occupant of the arm- ‘chair ron + | was watching Davy likeahawk. Heseemed — to be drinking in with interest every word | as it fell from the boy’s lips. ‘‘Wheel my chair to yon wall, Davy, “We | boy,” he said at last. on Davy sprung to obey and pushed the me as across the floor. if mS Now, turn your back to mea minute, please,” The boy detective obeyed again. ie It seemed to him that he heard a door oper ae in the wall—at least it sounded like that to him but he was not sure. he He wanted to look, but dared not. “ All right now, boy, ” was what he heard, be: and the next moment he turned again and Sh looked at the man. ie ‘*T don’t see why I should not go on idee tell you everything,” the invalid continued. ig “Do I look like a man who is near death?” ‘No. Ihave told you that once before to-night. JI can't see anything desperate in _ your case, Coptain Paul. a “Don’t touch me!” cried “the man, wee seemed tu shiver with a, sudden paroxysm of pain. agine. This visit and the attending shock Iam sctupliNe: ¥ dying now.” oe panne have hig, poison, Captain Pav sina cried Davy, springing toward the bub. ~ only to ha wave off Site a look. ve nea “What if Ihave?” was the answ ‘Tam nearer death than you im- Ms ne i: Bice tg , ee bs Foe . 4 ae. i * *, x r4 ia tis no wonder that the Boy Spotter fell back with ¢ a half. hi 4 came cry. con ‘panied by a eds hageand\ Bice cai: ve cd. a pas * foe: i on =i DOYy Doon’ smiled — at. these wont and 5° ‘ , \. > 7 uae id ai pe By oe Tite Ra ‘ , weet: 1icbooks.com__ oN ate ibe , fs td ’ ’ ’ P| ; f ale a =e Ye td iad } aw: i Mee * ee Re ~ “2 be > eo 7 » . é Ae : x — = ? $2 . ; } i y ¢ Dp” 4 4 » mS ree S.- =i A ae un ; et bs : a > ij 23 3 ; bs: : » ip Pat . 5 ae Meee 55 ut = iia Le ‘ ee re AL NS -- ¢ oo Eee pt : bs . 6 sf ; Fc, 1% - : Py ae he AG es ne ae. | id 4s ne eS ee et ayant s as | i wane va mere ‘ ) a aie Sr ae fa afte oie : = n le ee eee eg BF