Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Natty, the lucky heir. I won’t see Bolivar Brass come out of that house as I saw him quit Jack Jason’s abode, But—” He paused abruptly and in another mo- “rei had recoiled with a singular cry on his ips Sure enough; the door had opened and a man stood on the threshold. He was young and elegantly clad. As he drew on a pair of gloves he was watched like a hawk by the boy ferret and when he came down the steps as if going out for a lark his figure was seen to be agile and dan- dified in appearance, “Is that you, Mr. Natty?” mentally asked the boy. ‘‘Do you come out this time of night and go off somewhere? Well, you can do pretty much as you please since you are a ‘retired’ citizen.” The Boy Spotter saw the man joined by another person when he had reached the cor- ner. The next moment a carriage rolled up and the pair entered. Ready for any adventure, the boy ferret ran toward the corner as the carriage door shut with a bang and he had just time to swing on behind as it moved off. Making himself as comfortable as possible, Davy was hustled over the stones almost as fast as the horses could go and some time elapsed ere the vehicle showed signs of stop- ping. Every now and then the young detective looked out from under kis arm so as to keep the route in his mind for he might have need to recur to itinthe future. When the vehicle drew toward the sidewalk he made himself as small as possible and held his breath as he used his keen black eyes. The men alighted and moved toward a house which stood in the shadows of several trees. ‘‘Great Cesar! that is the same house to which I tracked Bolivar Brass,” cried Davy Doon. ‘In the name of common sense what does all this mean? Surely this isn’t a dream. No, I am wide awake and on the alert as I should be. They are going into that. house. Those men have come hither to see Bolivar Brass andI must know what takes place. I did not look for anything of this kind but everything is fish that comes to my net.” The carriage drove off with the boy still between the hinder wheels; but as soon as possible he dropped to the ground and sneaked back toward the house. He was very anxious to see what had brought Jack ae and Nat Natty to the lace whither he had tracked the rascally frrcay and man of questionable acts, and was willing to run his head into danger to accomplish his purpose, The house was as quiet as a grave when he drew near, but the moment he touched the sidewalk a light flashed up in one of the rooms and he bounded forward and placed his eye to the shutter. But nothing fora moment rewarded the boy detective. Every- thing was dark beyond the window. Eagerly Davy put up his hands to part the slats when one of them broke with a sound like the report of a percussion cap. CHAPTER VII. Is IT HIRAM HONEYBEE? «Tyat’s bad!” exclaimed Davy Doon as the sound seemed to fill his ears like the roar of acannon. ‘It will bring down upon my head the vengeance of the three or frighten them off and I won't get to carry out my purpose.” e had reason to fear this for he had just caught a glimpse of three men in the room beyond the window and was in the act of placing himself on the defensive when the window opened and he was confronted by a face which had two blazing eyes set in a white surface. | e ae - <-._ ee —————— — _ — ‘Halt there!’ cried a voice. ‘‘ Here is the young spy. Iwill hold him level till you catch him. If he runs I'll drop him dead in his shoes, which perhaps I ought to do anyhow.” The front door of the house had already opened and Davy saw approach him with a bound another man who threw out his hands to clutch him. There was no escape and the young de- tective was taken in before he could stir even if such had been his intention, menaced as he was by the revolver at the window, ‘¢You were on watch, were you?” said the man who had caught Davy. ‘‘I did not ex-. pect to get you so easily, but you will learn by the outcome of this adventure that watch- ing people isn’t very profitable employ- ment.” The boy was dragged to the house and the door closed behind him and his captor. At the same time the window shut down, and the shutter was pulled to. ‘‘T shall see them all anyhow,” passed through his mind as he was taken toward the room alongside the hall, ‘‘I shall get a look at Boliver Brass, too, I wonder how he will take my capture? The old fellow evidently thinks everybody believes he has left the city but he will discover when he looks .at me that [am one who thinks nothing of the kind,” : In another moment Davy was ushered in- to the room and found himself faced by but one man, There was no one there who in the least resembled Bolivar Brass and the person who was there was Jack Jason who started when he caught sight of Davy. ‘“ Place him in that chair,” ordered Jack with a wave of the hand. It was done, and the young detective was seated in an arm-chair, while his captor fell back a step and smiled, ‘What were you doing at the window?” asked Jack. | .Davy made no reply. ‘‘T guess it’s pretty plain—plain enough without asking questions,” Jack went on. ‘®You were playing spy, and if you get your neck in trouble you must blame no one but yourself.” Allat once a sound seemed to come through the door and Jack’s companion hastened out of the room. Presently, however, he came back and said something to Jack in low tones, ‘“ We will have toinsist onthe truth, We must demand that you tell us why you were at the window when caught.” Davy looked at the two men, undoubted- ly Jack Jason and Mr, Natty, and wondered what they would do if he should refuse to tell all. They were good-looking fellows, but might bedesperate, and he did not care to provoke them too far. Bolivar Brass had not shown up and Davy supposed he was keeping in the background for 2 purpose and doubted not that he was at that time in an adjoining room. . ‘Come. We will give you just three minutes by the watch,” continued Jack, tak- ing out his time-piece and holding it in his hand. ‘* This is no child’s play as you will discover if you don’t act with reason. We are not to be trifled with and I will inform you now that you have poked your nose into dangerous business.” No need of telling Davy Doon this, though he did not say so. He knew that he was in the shadow of evil circumstances, and that his safety depended upon the mercy of the enemy. Jack Jason advanced toward the young oc- cupant of the chair as he spoke and for a mo- ment looked at Davy with a good deal of eagerness. “ Tthink you have been interfering with my affairs before this,” he said, ‘‘If I am not mistaken you have poisoned the mind of a certain young girl against me, and that’s enough to make me your foe.” ‘‘T don’t know about that, but I guess it ———— eee ee wouldn’t take much poison to settle the case if you refer to Nell.” There was a sudden start on Jack’s part showing that the shaft had gone home, and Davy turned to look at Mr. Natty whom he now saw for the first time fairly. He was dudish in appearance as Mrs. Lane had briefly described him, but he was a young athlete and showed signs of having tarried too long at the wine. He was sober now, however, but his eyes were red and they seemed to get a new and evil light as they regarded the boy ferret. ‘He won't tell you anything,” said Nat Natty. ‘‘I don’t think we ought to fool long with this young rat. He was playing spy and you know, Jack, that we can't afford to have such people atour heels. Take him off. The carriage can be recalled in a moment, and you know where he will be safe.” These words, full of doom, sunk one by one into the boy’s heart. They almost threw him from the chair, and meeting the man’s gaze with a look that contained a good deal of interest, he cried out: “Don’t you think, from the business you are engaged in, you ought to be watched a little? Think a moment. You are now playing a game which may get both of you into trouble, no matter how you dispose of me. You may even take my life, but that will not give you the victory. I could not help spying you to-night because—” The raps sounded on the door once more and Jack Jason went toward it, “My fate is sealed now, Your face tells me that, Jack Jason,” said Davy to himself when he saw the man come back, Jack and Nat held a low conversation, and then both advanced upon the boy. ‘We don't want any explanation. We have seen all we want. I guess you're dangerous,” and Davy was suddenly seized by the wrist and pulled forward. ‘What are you going to do with me?” ‘‘We intend to put you out of the way of harming any one,” “Do you intend to kill me?’ ‘Well, now, that’s a pretty question. We have a right to do what we please with you, so come along and don’t ask any questions, A spy’s a spy, no matter what his age is, and youth don’t excuse any one in our eyes,” Resistance was useless for Detective Davy saw that the men were enraged though they looked cool enough. They marched him out of the room and through another and thence into a cellar where Jack, after looking around for a moment, went to one corner and took out a stone in the wall. The removal of the stone revealed an iron ring which pulled out after an effort, and Davy looked down into a dark opening which was revealed by the light which Natty held. He now saw that they stood at a sham wall, that the door had swing back with the stones attached to it in some manner, and that, in fact, they were at the mouth of some pit or dungeon which was underneath the busy city. The boy involuntarily drew back, bot a hand thrust bim forward and he fell against the jamb of the door with a cry, “Te IT ever come out of that hole look out,” he eried. ‘We will be willing to do thut—if ever © you come out,” was the answer accompanied by a laugh. ‘But 1 guess you won’t spy at any one’s heels after this, so go on and see what may be lurking in the darkness, You can’t beat us at this stage of the game. The detectives wiil never come to you for any more clues.” Davy went forward. With welded lips and eyes that told the two men that he would smite them heavily if ever he came out of that place, he stepped over the threshold and was shut in, > : F ' ' win a al Yk ag) , a? ‘eur pe