Beadle's Dime Library No. 146 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

Sel en ee The Doctor Detective. now, and the chances are that we will catch | force it will not bea picnic. I have made all some big fish if we do the bam, up brown.” ‘* The man is already alarmed; he knows that there are spies upon his track, and will he not seek to evade the danger by instant flight?’ ** No; hois nof likely to fly. In the first place, he will not be apt to think he is known, even though his disguise was removed and his features revealed, and thin, if he contemplates flight, be would be almost certain to wait until dark- ness set in, 30 that if police spies were in wait- ing for him in some disguise he might escape xerutiny. The chances are great that there ‘will bea meeting of the head ones of the gang to deliberate over the situation at the house, to- night, and by surrounding the place with a suf- ficient force, we may be able to capture all the jeading lights of the gang at one fell swoop.” There was, in all this, reason born of long ex- perience, and although he was as anxious to spring upon his prey as a hungry bloodhound held back by the leash, yet Diamond knew that his impulse ought to yield to the cool judgment of the old officer. ‘No doubt you are correct, sir,” he remarked, ** You will see by the result that I am, and while I am just as anxious as you to get my hands on the rogue yet I know that a hasty movement would throw all the fat into the fire. I owe the fellow a grudge, the scoundrel! to dare to make m uaintance and hob-nob with me like an old friend, juat te pull the wool over my eyes! You come here at eight, to- night, and then we will see what we will see, and mind! not a word to a soul in regard to this affair,” Diamond promised secrecy and withdrew, well pleased at the result of the interview. The end seemed in sight at last. CHAPTER XXVI, THE MOUSH-TRAP. Prompt to the minute at eight that evening the doctor entered the police head-quarters, He had found tbe task of killing time all da long somewhat difficult, burming as he was wit tience, wice, during the day, he had amused him- self by promenading slowly through the street where his house was situated, and, in order to test his disguise, on the second occasion he had walked boldly up the steps and rung the door- bell; then, when the housekeeper appeared, he had inquired for Doctor Diamond, Taking him for an utter + alyp ah the woman ave him all the information she possessed in ~egard to the doctor, which was not much, is principal object, theugh, in bigs tee | inte that quarter Diamond fully accomplished, and that was to ascertain whether the house was watched or not. And he vary seom discovered that it was, not only by one, but by two gangs of spies, and, what made the affair more mys- serious, was that when the second gang made their rg ond tes which they happened to do at the time the doctor was proeeeding hrough the street, the first lot seemed to be- come alarmed and instantly retired, so it was plain to the doctor that the two parties were "The fot. tro th ir peculiaaly disreputab! 6 m the «ae e appearance, he judged to belong to the White d, but the second set of spies, a couple of well-dressed, remarkab! yed men ap. ared like detective officers, The spies of the ite Band were alarmed by theirappearance, for they suspected their presence in thct lo- cality meant mischief. ws How, who the deuce are these fellows?” the doctor muttered, as he stood on the eorner of the street, and attentively observed the pro- ceedings. The solution of the mystery soon came; & Car- reg drove past the house, turned the corner and halted in the next street, In the most in- nocent manner the two men snuntered up to if, the door opened, and the occupant of the car- pesky a brief conversation with them. nt his position upon the corner Diamond got a good view of the occupant of the carriage. t was the mysterious wcman who had held so strange an interview with him which, as the reader will doubtless remember, we detailed at the beginning of our tale. ‘“*T remember, now,” the doctor murmured, walking slowly up the street, “‘she gave mea certain time to comply with her demand, then threatened vengeance if I refused. Well, we will see; first to settle this White Band matter; then I will attend to the woman.” Arriving at police head-quarters in the evening, upon asking for the chief he was condu to his presence, orders having been left to that effect. The superintendent was alone, dressed as ff he was booked for an evening party, instead of an expedition meditating the capture of a despe- rate and dangerous criminal. ‘“You are punctual, sir; are you all prepared to set out?” “Yes, sir.” : ** Armed?” ‘Yes, a pair of revolvers.” “That will do; the chances are that these ame will show we pounce upon t, and, if they do, un- hem in overwhelming needful preparations, and, having bestowed a good deal of thought upon the mat- ter, I think I will succeed in bagging the game in a very complete manner, put a watch on the house right after you left here, this morning—no common police-spy, for it wouldn’t answer to do anything to alarm them, as the rascals would be sure to take flight; but, accident has been favoring us in this affair from the beginning. Right opposite isa boarding: house—a first-class place, you know, and I sent the newest Spy on the force to secure a front room there. @ spy is a woman, and as shesits sewing by the windowit is only natu- ral that she should look out; and soshe is able to ee a watch upon the place across the way without exciting anysuspicion. It would have been better, in one respect, if she had been an old hand, for then she would have been able to recognize some of the gang, if, as I suspect, it is made up of big fellows; but then, on the other hand, there was danger that some of them might recognize her. She has managed to send me three reports since she has been there, and from the description which she gives [ think I know two or three of the parties. He keeps up a big household, lots of servants, male and fe- male, the rascal! I noticed the style of the house when I was there once, and I thought, then, that he must be as rich as a prince to stand the expense of such an establishment, but Inever dreamed that the fellow was a fraud, and that all his servants were cn the ‘cross; and, now I think of it, I never did get a look at any of his people. They were always careful to keep out of my way, although of course [ never thought anything strange in re- ard toit. A man trained to hunt rascals can ave the wool ge over his eyes sometimes, you see. [I will be even with him for it, this night. The house up there is like a mouse-trap; all can go in, but the pull will be when they want tocomeout. I have taken a great deal of pains with the affair, and as these fellows seemed to be pretty well informed about mat- ters and things here at head-quarters I have tried to make sure that there sha’n’t be any leak this time to ‘give away ’ the trick.” The chief, after the fashion of ‘the times, coe not resist dropping into slang once in a while. “T have picked out ten of the best men on the force,” be continued, ‘‘and have directed each and every one to be ata certain point at eight to-night, and have been careful not to lay any great stress upon the thing, but have spoken as if I had made up my mind to take a ramble with each parti Officer. My plan is to surround the house completely so that not a single soul within it will be able to escape af- ter I draw the line around the premises. The more I have reflected about the matter the more I feel inclined to believe that you are on the right track, and that to-night I shall make a eet haul and put the bracelets on some of the biggest rascals in the country.” ‘**]T can answer for one, the chief of the band, and I presume his associates are equally able in their respective lines,” “*But, how the leak occurred in the first place is what puzzles me,” the chief observed. ‘ Was there any one in the room when your in- terview with me took place? I cannot remem- ber that there was.” “*'No one.” “‘And I am sure that I did not speak of it to a soul, and that is what bothers me, but I have taken particular care this time that there shall not bt any leak.” As he finished the speech he glanced up at the clock on the wall. ‘*Time we were off!” he exclaimed. The two descended into the street, A hack stood in front of the building, “Get in! Iwill take you round and show vou some of the sights of New York by gas- ight,” the superintendent said, so that tip peo- ple lounging on the steps of the police head- quarters could hear. Into the coach the two got. The driver had apparently received his instructions for he drove away without asking for any. At the corner of the street a second coach, which was in ag we by the curbstone, fell in behind the other, bu taking care to keep quite a distance in the rear, At four different points the hack stopped and at each place the chief beckoned to a man lounging upon the sidewalk, a detective officer in plain clothes, who immediately got in or on the coach. At the fourth stopp ng-place the chief alighted and bade the officer take his lace. < ‘*] have a coach in the rear here which I shall occupy,” he said. ‘The driver under- stands where to go and when he stops you get out.” The pe ee then got into the second coach, which at different points sto to take in six more ngers, much to the astonish- ment of the detectives, who began now te un- derstand from these precautions that some im- portant move was on foot. And the chief, who had been terribly aa- noyed at the fact that the first information 19 which he had received in regard to the secret band had in some unaccountable manrer reached the rascals’ ears, now chuckled with satisfaction, for he felt convinced that he had planned the raid with such care that the first intimation of danger the White Band received would be when the polics descended upon them. One person only had the superintendent at all trusted, and that was the Irish coachman who drove the coach, but he was the chief’s own man—had been with him for years and was as honest as the day, and all that he knew, too, was that he was to stop at a certain street cor- ner. This corner was just half a block away from the house, and when the hacks wa there ew and the men got out, the chief in a words explained the situation. We are after big game to-night, gentle men, This gentleman,” and he indicatd the doctor, ‘‘and myself will go on in the advance; you follow after, by twos and threes, so as not to excite notice. will go to the front door and you surround the house front and rear, but keep out of sight. The moment the door is opened, Jim, and you, Bill, be prepared to go in after me if everything is all right, or to break our way inif they show any signs of be- ing ugly. Get your revolvers ready, and don’t hesitate to use them if the birds should attem pt to break through the line, for it is no common game that we trap to-night. They are des- she x men and they’ll make a bold strike for y: After this brief lamation the chief, ac- companied by Diamond, led the way down the street, the rest following accerding to the di- rections of the master spirit. The house was reached; it was in a rather dark spot in the street, and having a little yard front and rear, and being detached, too, on one side frum the rest of the block, it was easily surrounded. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE GIRL AGAIN. In our anxiety to trace the footsteps of the doctor in his campaign against one of the most werful bands of desperadoes that had ever in- ested the great metropolis, we have somewhat neglected to follow the strange fortunes of the orphan girl, Dura Eldon, but now we will take up the thregd of her geet She had muck food for t ~ when she re- flected over the particulars of her strange in- terview with the stranger who had stepped into her life-path in such an odd and unaccountable manner. He had fallen in love with her at first sight, go he had said, and really, as the world goes, he was proving the truth of ‘the statement in the most thorough manner, for what better evi- dence can a man give of his sincerity than when he backs his words by deeds? He was lavishing money upon her as freely as though it cost no more than water and eould be as easily got. Ashe said, in his peculiarly soft and in- sinuating way, it was a case of love at first sight, and yet, despite all her efforts to do so, the girl could not warm to him at all. Ske had accepted his money without a thought of the consequences, asa drowning sailor in a stormy sea will cling gladly to the first articles that the angry waves vouchsafe to bring with- im his reach. In the agony that she had e ienced in witnessing her mother’s struggle with the grim King of Terrors, she had accepted the stranger’s aid which had been so freely proffered without a single thought in regard to the price to pa for the service, for she had lived long eno h te understand that very few things in this werld are to be had without payment. But in her eagerness to save her mother she had for- “der me else. She had failed in her endeavor, ut now she was called upon to pay for the ser- vice all the same, At the first glance fora girl situated as Dura Eldon was, heart-free, unpledged to any lover, and, what was really wonderful in a girl as old as she, and as cultivated and beeutiful, totally free from the trammels of pay love-affair what- soever, to be able to gain the heart and hand of such a man as Lescant seemed a pare of good fortune almost too great to be rea True, she was very beautiful, very ladylike and very accomplished, but for a girl to be sessed of these gifts is not alwaysa sign that she will make a good match. auty, grace and virtue do not always buy gold and station. No doubt that most apy in Dura’s position would have jumped at the chance to call such a man as the ex-Mexican duke, husband, but the more she reflected upon the position the more distasteful the idea of the union became to her, and yet, when she tried to reason with herself—to question why it was that she could not gees herself, if not to love, at least to re- spect and accept the protection of the man who was doing so a ah oe i she pba oor give any reason a except 3) on was distasteful to her. " She struggled with the idea—she strove with all her power to conquer the feeling, but she could not; and ever and anon, too, the face of EAA CYC) <SiGO