Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 100 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

— a ~ very short time, “ then, down with the Vo 16 “* And how am I to fight Franz Edouin, or anybody else, with my hands tied behiud me? Diadle/ I am no fool!” **Do not alarm yourself. You will be loose in good ime.” ** Sacre! unfortunate turn!” murmured Bramont, bebind his teeth. ‘I did not expect this. I have all along suspicioned that there was some other out- let to this abominable hole, besides that cursed trap- fall; and if left to myself, being safe from these squirming snakes—I might have discovered it. But, tnen, I may find a better o portunity in the room tiey intend taking me to. I hope so, _“ Come!” exclaimed the Voodoo. ‘TI will not waste me with you. And as to escape ’—as if she under- ~tood his very thought—** be sure you will have no chance for that. Now, if vou will glance out here, ou will see that I place my foot upon a spring in ‘the floor—thus. e spring connects with a rod, and the rod supports the buttoms of my snake cages. Atasingle pressure of my foot, the rod falls: the next moment every snake in yonder cages will be let loose. We may safely watch your death-agonies from this window, which has a shutter of woven wire—as I show you; sotbat your cell will be one large cage, and you will be gradually stung, bitten crushed and poisoned to death by every species of deadly serpent it has been my good fortune to secure in a dozen years—”’ 7 Sed promised to spare my life!’ yelled Bra- mont. **Obey me now, and the obey, and those dozens of deadlv snakes sha Whose, to mangle, bite, destroy—” “Enough! Diabe! Here are my wrists—sor- ceress!’’ and backing to tue window he presented his wrists, which the Voodoo quickly and_ securely boned with a piece of cord produced from her pocket, Having deprived him of the use of his hands, she bade him stand baci, and as he obeyed, a portion of the seemingly solid wall—operating upon noiseless hinges by a secret and powerful spring known only to the Voodoo—swung slowly inward, disclosing an upright aperture about two feet wide. “Now, Victor Bramont, come out; and recollect your finger. In case of trouble, I may shoot off another finger, or an eye, or an ear with this same air-gun,’* and she held the death’s-head cane for a second under his nose, _ Bramont had on his wounded finger during tue conversation which transpired at and after the moment when Xlmo first flashed in the light upon him from the grated window. As he obeyed the summous and stalked forth into the narrow stone passage—ziving one glance at the death’s-head cane and another glance at the short, sharp sword which he perceived, for the first time, thet Helen Varcia carried—he removed the handkerchief from his fluger and discovere|, with much satisfaction, that there was but a small portion of the skin shot from the tip, giving the wound more of a resem- blance to an uzly bruise, and this had ceased bleed- iag after crt ber | the bandage. Replacing tie handkerchief, he followed the Voodoo, and was him- eclf followed by Helen Varcla, who carried her sword in readiness to smite off his head in the cvent “Sucre!” thought the helpless villain. ‘*‘ When I am in the room they will toss to me the American bowie-knife, and with it I will hack my way out ina Once free and armed _ with my stiiettoes—for the stilettoes will be too frail for hack- ing and gouging wood—I can fight my way out of the house. Get outImust. This Franz Edouin may know how to use the American bowie-knire in a deadly way. Oh! be sure I will not allow him the CUPS yenniny to stab me, whether he can do it or not!” But the words of Xlmo, uttered cven while he thus thought, again seemed to indicate that sho knew what passed in his mind. “When Franz Edouin returns, he will meet you romise will be kept. Dis- be let . Of any resistance, | and throw to you a knife with which you must fight for your life. By the terms of our compromise, he will not take advantage of you uvarmed.”’ pepoms ground his teeth in a rage of disappoint- met. “ Sicre di ble!” he resolved. ‘Then, with one of the stilettoes which I carry in my boots, I will stab my enemy, Franz Edouin, upon the instant that he puts his heal throuzh the doorway !”’ Xlmo Jed th: way to a room in the upper and rear ortion of the building, the door to which was very ick and locked with a monstrous key. Opening this door, she thrust tae prisouer forward, and Helen Varcla, accor to previous understanding, aimed a cut at him with her sword which dextrously sev- ered the cord from his wrists. Turning the key the two women hastened away. Had they lingered, taey might have heard a double exclamation, like this: “Hallo! P.u,b.eu; What are you doing here, Vic- tor Bramont?” “Di: le! You are Philip De Vin! The very man I want to ny my eyes on!” Philip De Vin lay in one corner of the large, bare room, tizhtly bound hand and foot. Bramont, over- oyed at this unexpected meeting, paused not to ask e cause of the other's presence and condition, nor to ain his own. By the fact of De Vin being boun:!, he saw that they were alike prisoners of the Voodoo and had a common interest in escape. Soatching from one of his bootlegs one of the stilet: toes before alluded to, he sprung like an @ cat to the side of the prostrate man and slashed off the cords and scarf which bound him. “Get up! Sacie/” he cried, in a shrill, vcice. ‘‘We must escape. And then—revenge! have been wishing to see you! Ho! Let us loose; oo!—down with the citi- zens!—down with the detective! Two men armed with stilettoes, und desperate! Di vie! whata host. Let us see about this door! Ho! come on, here, Philip de Vin!” * Paib.eu /” echoed De Vin, savagely, “ if I am safe- ly out ¢f this, I will han, or guillotine somebody, or urfeit my spurs! Ha! Look! MLscape is easy!”’ aud he pointed to the top of the door. But the discovery by De Vin must wait until we see what was transpiring below, in the ante-room of the Voodoc, while the two men were busy avail- iug themselves of the means of exit from their n, The French Spy. CHAPTER XX. PIERRE PLAQUE AND THE VOODOO, When the actress and the Voodoo returned to the reception-room, they were met at the door, outside, by Zabach. He nodded toward the door and made a sizn which Xlmo knew meant that some one waited to interview her. ‘* Who?’ she asked, handing him the lamp, which he replaced in the calf’s head over the door. ‘“*tierre Plaque.”’ ‘*Ah! the Death-cart driver. What can he want? But I shall ascertain that directly.” “Stay,” said Zabach, detaining her as she was ta to passin. “‘A \ord of the daughter of Helen arcla,”’ ‘““Of my danghter! What is it?’’ exclaimed and asked the actress. ‘* There will be a delay in finding her.” ‘What has happened? Speak,’’ groaned Helen a startled by the grave manner of the mulat- 0. In a few sentences Zabach told what he and Franz Edouin had seen, and Helen Varcla groaned again, wringing her hands in an outburst of distress. ‘*No!—no!”’ she cried. ‘It cannot be that now, in the very moment of my joy, Iam to be so suddenly robbed of the sweetest hope of my life! In the name of Heaven! can nothing be done? Oh! m child! She must be recovered, if she is alive, whic I fear is impossible!” : ‘I have set Belial upon her trail. I think Franz Edouin has started in pursuit, though blindly. We can do no more at present.” ‘True; nothing more,” agreed the Voodoo. “We will hear from the dog, be assured,” and turning aside, she passed into the anteroom. Helen Varela saw that nothing could be accom- lished until the return of Belial, in whose wonder- ul sagacity she had great faith. Smothering the im- patience of her brain, and forcing her shocked nerves to quietness, she silently followed Xlmo. It was au unlucky oversight that Zabach did not inform his mistress of the capture of Philip De Vin, and the latter’s imprisonment in the same room to which the Voodoo had consigned Victor Bramont. The mulatto had locked up‘De Vin and gone to an- swerasummons at the front gate, while the two women were busy with Bramont at the window of the snake-cell—the cellar of the building. And time enough had elapsed to enable Pierre Plaque—mount- ed on his new and swift horse, whose stable was close to the abode of the Death-cart driver—to reach #7 Bibou at the moment when Bramont was being lock- ed in the room with De Vin. The horse was now tied toaringin the pave, and stood steaming. nds be cen and quivering, for Pierre had ridden him like a mad- man, so eager was he upon the errand which con- tained visions of gold, The Death-cart driver sat cross-legged on one of the luxurious ottomaus, dangling and swinging his cone-shaped woolen cap with an air of self-impor- tance: complacently surveying the rich appoint- ments of the room. Immediately upon_ perceiving that the actress accompanied the Voodoo, and re- cognizing her as the very woman he was seeking, he exclaimed, in a cracked voice: “Oho! By the bones of the catacombs! I called Xlmo, the Voodoo, to ascertain the whereabouts of Helen Nee ty SDE as if she smelt the odor of my mission, lo! here is Helen Varcla already bcfoie me. Tell me, Madam fortune-teller’’—to the Voo- doo—‘‘is this Helen Varcla in person?—or have you, a why I came, produced a spirit to resemble er?” ** What is your business with me? What have you to say to Helen Varcla?’’ demanded the Voodoo, planting her death’s-head cane forward and fixing a weird s upon her visitor. “Ob, as for that,” said Pierre, independently, while he uncrossed and recrossed his legs and gave his cone-shaped cap a nonchalant twirk, ‘‘ I came to see you to find Helen Varcla. Having found her, I wished to say: ‘Helen Varcla, your name was once Selissa Gordon; you lost a child, about seventeen years ago; 1 know where that child is—a daughter— and can bring her to you—the child now beautiful maiden, and having a birth-mark, an ace of diamonds, on the left side of her neck. But, for this I expect to be well paid. By the bones! I think there is no one in all Paris able to do what I can in veers to the child of Selissa Gordon, who is Helen arela,””’ At the speech of Pierre Plaque, the actress took a quick step forward, and would have said: “Man! speak your secret. Any sum you may name shali be yous, if you can place my child safe- ly in my arms!” But Voodoo, divining her intention, checked her before she could speak. ‘“* Retire to my laboratory, Helen Varcla. Let me deal with this man, I think he will be glad to tell all he knows, and not charge a franc for the service.”’ A'one with Pierre Plaque, the Voodoo continued: “Now you will proceed,” ina significant way. _ ‘“* By the Lones!”’ chuckled Pierre, ‘ this woman is eee if she supposes that she can pump me for nothing !”’ , ‘ We will use the English language, Pierre Plaque; we are more familiar with that," “Very d. llike plain English.” ‘You shali have it—very plain. Now, mark me: I have been intending to give you into the hands of Philip De Vin, whom ycu attempted to assassinate twenty years ago.” The face of Pierre Plaque suddenly became of an ashen hue, and his small one eye snapped in startled glitters. “Ho! what’s this?” shot athwart his astonished brain. ‘They say that Xlmo, the Voodoo, knows everything. Truly. she knows that I attempted the life of Philip De Vir twenty years ago or thereabouts, By the bones! She is a witch! How could she have learned that?” ‘A man by the name of Victor Bramont forged a note, for which another man, named Dorlan K y, was made to suffer,” pursued. the Voodoo. The man who lost heavily by that forgery was an uncle of Philip De Vin’s. De Vin knew who the true for- ger was, and Bramont, tea torte this, hired you to stab the only witness who could injure him.” “Oh, you iknow all about it, Isee. Where did you get it so pat?’ squeaked Pierre Plaque, who was rowing exceedingly uneasy under the stern stare ud haif-hissed wont of the Voodoo woman, ing a a mm mm rc cS nnn ee sit ae eae eee ae ae a ees? “At that time, Pierre Plaque, you were a member of a secret pene ston among the thieves of L«n- don, I may also digress to say that you are a mem- ber of a similar gangin Paris. The hailing-sign of this latter gang is given thus—by presets the tongue between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and laying the palm of tle left hand upon the crown of the head, the translation of which is: ‘If ny tongue betrays yeu, my head is forfeit!’ The authorities are on the look-out for this gang, and I can expose youifI wish. Now, in your attempt upor the life of De Vin you were aided by one of the London society of thieves. Fortunate- ly for De Vin, your knife-blow was not true. Fortu- nately for ycu, De Vin does not know the nome of the man who attempted his life, nor could he recog- nize. the face, because you then wore a mask, Col onel Philip De Vin is now high in power in the Com- mune, atif I say to him: ‘Behold! Here isthe assassin who aimed a knife at your heart nearly twenty years ago, in Londov!’ You will be dragged to your death in your own Death-cart. What a fine spectacle terminating the career of Pierre Plaque!” and the last words were hissed shrilly forth, as she took a sudden and menacing step foward, drawing back her death s head cane as if she meant to give him a poke in the ribs, or grasp his thin throat in her talon fingers and shake off his diminutive head, Pierre Plaque seemed to have lost his speech, His large one eye ogled round and round, and while he stared hopelessly into the flaming eyes of the Voo- doo, he thought: ‘*By the bones! What manner of witch is this? Right: if she tells Philip De Vin that mine was the hand to seek his life, he will have my head piked on the nearest barricade! I begin to think that l was a fool to call upon this Xlmo, the Voodoo at a}ji—” ** What have you to say now’’’ she interrogated, with such startling suddenness that Pierre Flaque rolled from the ottoman and scrambled into a cor- ner of the room, shrinking as far as possible from her, and regretting that she stood between him and the door. ‘Now, Pierre Plaque ’—advancing another step— “IT know that Osalind Ray, the supposed daughter of Dorlan Ray, the artist, is the daughter of Helen Varcla, whoce true name is Selissa Gordon. I know that she fled from her home on a horse of dangerovs spirit. I venture that the horse has carried her to your house. She is there now. You have recog- nized her by the birth-mark of the ace of diamonds on the left side of the neck. You anticipated mak- ing money by the discovery. I now ray to vou, Pierre l’laque, that if you do not immediately brin to this house the daughter of Selissa Gordon, I will deliver you up to Philip De Vin and he will have your Ely body quaricred in the presence of a mo ““ By the bones of the catacombs!"’ lou/lly squealed Pierre, waving her off, for she Lad taken aucther menacing step toward him. ‘‘ Keepthe secret of the ast! I will obey—yes! But tell me, fiist, how you now so much about me?” ‘*Tam Cat! erine Piague!’’ declared Xlmo. An astounded cry burst from the thin lips of the Death-cart driver, and this was echoed by another cry outside the door, a cry of agony, and in the voice that uttered the second cry, lmo recognized her faithful servant, Zabach. With one one bound she reached the door, and was just in time to catch and sustain the falling form of the mulatto, from whose neck spurted the blood of two ghasily cuts. ““I am stabbed to death!” he cried. “ Avenge me! it was Philip De Vin and Victor Bramont!” and with these words the gurgle in his throat told that all hope of life for him was past. Maar the same time the front door was heard to bang shut. CHAPTER XXII. ESCAPE OF BRAMONT AND DE VIN, ScARCE a minute elapsed between the utterances of the cries—the ree Be astonishment on the part of Pierre Plaque and the cry of agony from Zalach— and the death of the mulatto, who, with his last breath, named the murderers. It was so suddenand unexpected that Xlmo could not immediately realize her burden to be a piece of lifeless clay. Then, as the fact of the actual loss of her faithful servitor broke upon her, all the fury of that nature which many Purisians had known, felt and dreaded, caused her eyes to flame, her resp’ration to hiss through dilating nostrils, and the working of her features rendered her appearance so demouiacaland startling that Pierre Piague, timidly regarding the tableau in the doorway, muttered slowly: “Yes, itisshe! I have seen her enraged many) times before this, and itis not safe to be near ber. She becomes thoroughly insane, and is apt to bite, scratch and kill anything or any body she can reach. By the bones! I wish, as I wished a moment tince, that I had remained away from this wife of mine who has turned herself into a Voodoo sorceress, and whose death, long ago, 1 had believed in and ed the Lord for!” And Helen Varcla, attracted by the cries, and gazing on from between the curtains to the la- oratory, said to herself: “People have called this woman a devil-wiftch! Truly, if this is ove of her moods, I would much rather encounter a wild beast than to be the cause of her wrath. In her rage, she is hideous!” The Voodoo dragged the dead Lody of Zabach to an extended ottcman, and having dey osited it there she wheeled and advanced upon the. Death-car criver with a gesture as if she meant to devour im. ‘* Tell me!” she screamed, ‘‘am I not right when 1 say that I believe the daughter of Selissa Gordon to be now at your house? sSpeak—reuegade!” “By the bones of the catacombs! she is at m house!’ hurxiedly squealed Pierre Plaque, terrified by her loud piercing voice and the threatening, clawing motion of her talon fingers, She uttered a shrill, savage exclamation, *Tseeit all, then! Quick, Helen Verela;there’sno time to lose! Victor Bramont and Piiip De Vin, both seek your child! By an accidents they must have been confined in tl:e same room, and by chance have effected their cscape! They have herd enough, at that door, to tell them where to look for Osalind, the supposed davghter of Doilun Roy! How came you here?"’ the last abru;tly to the Death-cart driver. / JOO GOmie cS (E(0) Gn