Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 932 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

sure we had met before. ai oe i. ATMs taf mee ~~ cn cae - — | A ee <i aS An © i . A a hae we bs . eine — “Then he knelt and placed his finger” upon his pulse. “ Still as death,” he breathed, solemnly. Bending over, the breast, his ear over the heart. There was no pulsation, no throb. “He is dead, that is vertain, and yet hardly cold. * How did he get into the house? “ Who killed him? “ What does it meaz.?”’ Unable to answer these questions, New York Nat gave a shrill signal whistle. It was answered by a like call from Olive. * Lock the doors, put the keys in your pocket, and come here,” called out Nat, using his hands as a trumpet. Then, as Olive answered, he called out: ‘Call Guard and leave him by the door also, for no one must get out!” Olive called the dog, and he went off quickly to obey. A moment after, trap. “Sis, the plumber who went through the'house the other day is here, so please lower me a rope that is.in the kitchen.” ‘“Yes, Nat.” A few minutes later one end of a stout rope was lowered, and, making-it fast around the body, Nat told Olive to tie the other end about a post. This she did, and he went up hand over hand, and then began to draw the body up. It was not an easy task, but it was done, and, carrying it up to the kitchen, he laid it upon the floor and lighted the two gas jets there. . Then he looked fixedly into the face of the dead man, took a towel, and, wet- ting one end at the sink, washed the face off, and said: “Olive, the plumber was our worst foe.” ‘* Who, Nat?’ “* Sykes?” Olive started, and, coming forward, gazed fixedly into the face a moment and said: she appeared at the “You are right. I recall his face now, - perfectly. “ And Nat?” es. “Don’t you think he looks strangely like the Italian fruit seller?” “Indeed I do, and I believe he and the supposed Dago are one and the same. “Yes his face comes back to me, now, and I recall the resemblance which I could not before discover, though I was “He is Sykes, and the pretended Ital- jan, and in some way he got into this ‘house and rescued Rip.” ut who killed him?’ e as not Rip, who has no doubt see us and escaped.” “Oh, brother, I will—listen voice!” Both listened, and a muffled cry came to their ears. Nat seized the lantern and ran down to the cellar, for the sound surely came from there. But he could not trace the sound. “ Gall Guard!’ cried Olive, who had fol- that to lowed. A call brought the dog hurriedly to them. His ears, also, caught the sound. He listened attenti vely for a few seconds, and then bounded into the front cellar @ireetly to the huge refrigerator built " ov ax oe ! : into the wall. ee followed quickly, the muffled cries g more distinctly as he advanced, cried: at's Some one is in pach Olive! te! © dog was a ras in ain ee ¥ & eae! mee — 1s cule c * \ a ys Aa a | handle, he threw open the he laid his head upon — Te New ‘York Nat's ee ee front of the heavy door, door the form of a man rolled out upon the Cellar floor, OHAPTER XXYV. THE At first neither New York Nat nor Olive SECRET OUT, of the refrigerator and lay at their feet, limp and moaning; but, as he flashed the lantern upon him, Nat recognized his own suit of clothes, his hat and his satchel. * Oh, sis, it is Rip!” “It is, indeed.”’ “And he it was you heard in the cellar. It must have been he that was just going out when we came in, so he ran here to hide, but once in he could not get out, so shouted for help, as he must have been suffocating.” | * He is not hurt, is he, brother?” “TI think not, but terribly scared, and half smothered, “Come, Rip, right now.” ‘The young crook’s eyes opened, there was a wild light in them, and he shrank away while he cried: “TI did not kill Sykes. He drank the poisoned liquor himself, indeed he did, and I only put him down there. ° “He drugged the dog, indeed he did, and—oh! oh! don’t rob me of my money! please don’t, for I want it so- bad—so bad!’ * Sister Olive,’’ said Nat, very seriously. ‘* Yes, Nat.”’ ‘His terror in that place has turned his mind, and Sykes lies there dead, so I must have help, but I would not leave you here alone, so you go at once to the nearest car and hurry down to Mr. Canfield, our good see | get up, for you are all | friend, and ask him to come here at once, Tell him to ring the bell twice, so I will know who he is. ' “Then go after Keno and have him come up with several of the boys, you returning as soon as you have sent ‘him after the others.” “I will go at once, Nat—but you?” « “IT will take Rip back to the prison room and see that he is comfortable.” Olive at once started on her errand, while Nat, supporting Rip, who was mut- tering to himself, aided him up-stairs. gain in ‘this room, the young crook gl: anced about him and dropped down upon his bed. But New York Nat, determined to be on the safe side, put irons on his wrists, and the m: inacles again upon his ankles. Then he searched him and found the money of Sykes which he had secreted about him, the silver flask which he had seen when Rip had poisoned the convict, Fatal Fred, and which he had forgotten to take away from him, but which was now empty, save for a little of the fluid, which Nat intended to have examined. The satchel full of what he had found in the secret closet: told the Ferret per tain that Rip had supplied himself well with all he had found of value, and a search in his own room revealed the crook’s clothes and Sykes’ revolver and knife. “Ah! Here is the scabbard knife, though he has another now. “Tt is all plain,to me now, that Sykes got into the house in some way, set Rip free, poor Guard not troubling him as he to that one in it had seen me admit ‘him as the eepapne’ | plumber some days ago. . “He drugged Guard, and onee he was | free, that arch-fiend Rip simply gave him, a drink < of: that mies ee, -determ- » ee TAS ° Te hen 2 a s 4 he é P , 4 - yn. ae a oe “4 e —) i % : 2 i awh ._—".~ ot a ee ‘ St - oo and, seizing the it New York Nat turned it and as | Money he knew was here. — “Then he threw the body into the dun- | ee ined he would share with no one geon, dressed himself up to eseape, but the coming of Olive and myself caused him to hide in the refrigerator, and the fright drove him mad, if he is not sham- ming, which I half believe is the case. “ Yes, it is all plain now; but what cam I do with the body of Sykes, or with Rip, | if he has really gone mad? recognized who it was that had rolled ous : “Mr. Canfield can advise me, I know,” In little over an hour after Olive’s de- parture, Sherman Canfield arrived, ever ready to serve his young Ferret friends, middle-marm | and to -again act as the between the Secret Service Chief and the Unknown Ferrets. Nat sat down in the parlor with him, to await the return of Olive, and told his friend the whole story from begin- ning to end—stating that he had a corpse in the house, and a erazy crook as well. “You have been away the past week, Mr. Canfield, or I would have kept you posted, as I always, do; but now know ‘all, so what I to do? This Sykes is the murderer of Colonel Brad- ford, for here is the scabbard of the knife which 1 picked up that night of the murder, but the scabbard has another knife in it. you | “He had also with him this scarf and— pin, which he tore from Colonel Brad- ford’s neck, and in the struggle the col- onel got hold of a button on his coat and pulled it off, with a strip of the cloth, so when I find where Sykes lived, we may discover that torn coat and match the button with the others, for it is a very odd pattern, and the Chief has it.” . “Your argument is most convincing, Nat, but how Chief for the death of Sykes, even though he was Colonel Bradford’s murderer?’ asked Sherman Canfield, anxiously. are you to account to the | “That is just the question, sir, but let — me give you another proof, while I think of it. “The colonel said that he grasped the man by the neck, and the nails of his four fingers on his left hand tore the flesh, he was sure, pretty badly. “Now, Sykes’ neck has on the right side, four deep seratches.”’ “Well, he is the man, say; but what shall we tell the Chief?” ““T will have the body taken out to- - night, sir, just as we did with the corpse | of Fatal Fred; one of my boys can drive the carriage, and, if you will, you can go ~ to the Secret Service Chief and tell him — to send to the Morgue to find ColoneL — .Bradford’s murderer, “for I will go in dis- guise as a detective sas deliver the body there.” “The very thine: Nat!” “ And if you will tell the Chief you will bring the coat, knife, scarf and diamond pin to him as proof that you have your man, we will find out where he lived and get the other things needed.”’ “And about his death?” “Tell him, sir, that the Unknown Fer — is eh | rets ran him down, but to be taken, his life had to be forfeited, as in a leap he made his neck was broken, for I notice that such is the ease, and this was doubt- the — - » less done by Rip’s throwing him into the - Re a an cellar. " That will go all right; but now to ~ this mad crook, if he is not playing ee sum.’ | _“ Yes, sir.” “T can take him to a private asylum for you, where he will be safe.” “Now we-are all right once ne cried Nat, just as Olive returned; eine three of the Ferret cl; a ee fe P ; ' ee 4 ee 4 + ex * Be an aA Pe = Sa © “The yery thing, Mr. Canfield. Bee Te Ww ous > Bae ie <2 Fo ’ , re ~ 2 — 7 — a Fy * 7 is a a : * oJ, . * + + » & : . 4 ~ * ad > : we ee a guy 4 . << y - ie Pies gee ae ot 4 > en ‘ Sy ‘e oF 7 a." at the Vester eee. Pa oh 7 > ~ comicbooks.com