Beadle's New York Dime Library, Vol. XVIII, No. 232 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Oxx, the Man of Iron. P 8 en ipstantly turned on being addressed in this Donald Marvin wason the point of correcting The terrified negro made a brief, terrific ashion. | his champion, when the latter touched bim as a | struggle, clutching desperately at the side of Orson ee > ao - ee ce. ‘* What is it?” He doubtless beliéved it referred to the sad | errand which had brought him to this lonely A “We must speak low,” said Orson Oxx; | “those two scoundrels there must not heara word we say.” | This rather vigorous languaga gave the young ~h d the first intimation of the character of | the boatmen. | “| unders and,” said he, instantly lowering» his vice. ** Those fellows are river pirates.” * Are you sure of that?” ‘‘T know them both; they bavye committed murder!” ee ee = signal to bold his '- Wal,” leered the Tom Tit, *‘ we'll take all the spondulicks that you have for this little job. Bx Countin’ in de watches,” struck in the negro, who was itching to get hold of the time- pieces; “I feel de need of a good chronyomyter, and so does my friend, Mr. Tompkins.” ‘* You mean to rob us then, do you?” ‘Some folks would call it that,” returned the Tom Tit, with a chuckle, ‘‘ but we don't; it’s only axin’ toll. Come. you’d better be quick, and hand ober de stuff.” Orson Oxx rose to his feet, spreading them upart, so as to poise himself, ‘We don’t intend to pay you a cent; neither the toat, as he felt himself being hfied upward by that remorsele-s grasp. But ail in vain; there was the dizzving. spin- ning sepsatiuon which ove feels whin going swiftly through the air, then a splash, as he sprawled on the surface and went down, just as the Tom Tit came up. Having discharged his cargo, Orson Oxx sat = on the stern again to look over the mani est. The instant the river pirates came to the sur- face they swam toward tbe boat. There was ro refuge witbin reach, for the tide was running very fast. As they approached, Orson addressed them. ‘*Before you can come aboard, you must ‘*Great heavens! do they intend violence to- of us has given you a penny for toll, and we | promise me one or two things.” ward us?” | intend to make you take us back to the Battery The wretches were swimming close to the “They are taking us to this out-of-the-way without getting oy pay at all.” boat, afraid to catch bold of it, but nei ber o spot on purpose to rob us,” The Tom Tit and vegro laughed outright; it | spoke. | ** And then?” ‘was the joke of the season; they bad never The Man of Iron said, addressing the Tom ** Pitch us overboard.” ; heard anythixg so rich. Tit: “And did you know that when you came| ‘Wal, there’s one way of fixin’ that,” said ‘*T will let you in the boat on condition that aboard?” | the Tom Tit. you row us back to the Battery and not charge 1 Ge.” /} Heand Riseup Bilkens had drawn their oars | acert. Whoet do yeu sey?” “ Why then didn’t you tell me, sothatI might _ within the boat. ‘* We can’t help ourselves,” growled Tom Tit. bave kept out of the danger?” | The dwarf with the prodigious shoulders rose ‘Your head is Jevel there. Climbin th boat; “ What difference? I warn you now.’ | from his seat, aad made toward Orson. I won’t ask any promise of yeu: if you want to ** Bat I am defenseless,” | “ We are pcor and honest men, and we must | start the circus again, I’m willing.” ** Have you no pistol?” have our wages.” ‘*Say,” suddenly asked the negro, with bis “ Nothing of the kind.” The Tom Tit saw that the man who defied | bands on the boat, while bis black face peered “You had no thought of getting in such a him was large and well-proportioned, and it | over the gunwale, “am you de chap what dey ho'e?” | would be no child’s play to bandle him; at the | cally de Man ob Iron?” “ Not the least.” ‘same time he had not the least doubt of his **Tam the man.” “ Ab, New York is a dreadful bad city,” said ability to do so. ‘*De Lord gracious heben!” gasped the Afri- the detective with a sigh, as he gezed off toward He halted just beyond reach, for a moment, | can, drepping back into the water; ‘den you the metropolis. that he might brace himself for the shock; the | am de debbil!” “T do not understand yeur course,” said Don- | negro sat still watching proceedings. He was And turning about, be swam away in the ald Marvin, beginning to suspect he bad a luna- | sure his employer did not need bis help; be bad darkness, ready to rush to ane refuge rather | tic for a fellow-passenger. | never seen bim fail in an enterprise of this | than enter the craft in which tbat creadful | ‘“T know you don’t but you soon will.” kind. p rsonage sat. “ Do you expect to escape these wretches?” Orson Oxx understood the cause of the besi- It was a fatal mistake of the miserable * 1 do, and,” added the young Hercules, bend- | tation on tie part of the assailant. Too short wreteb, ing close to him, ‘*T want to make a request | ‘of stature to reach the face of the young Altbough a strong swimmer, the tide was too or two of you.” Hercules, be therefore ducked bis bead and | much for bim. He was unable to effect a land- “ What is it?” made a lunge at bim, to drive his bullet bead | ing poguneaess and, as he refused to call for “J knew these jail-birds were planning to | into the stomach of bis victim, and knock the | belp, through fear that the boat he had just rob you, when you agreed to pay them ten | breath if not the life from bis body. left would bear down upon bim, he finally dollars to go on this search. I c me aloug on But he made aslight mistake. Just as the | succumbed. tt goed deny a hand in the business; 1 em | rufflan lowered his bead, the Man of [ron Society was the better for the loss of the uily prepare! for them any minute; they are | reached his hard over and griped the dwarf by | dusky desperado. determined on robbing us, and they do not be- | the back of the neck, and bis fingers closed | The Tom Tit showed more sense. Availing - lieve i6 possible for us to escape.” with resistless force. At the same instant, | bimself of the permission, he scramt led into ‘Nor Go [ see how we can. Orson jammed his hand downward. the boat, and immediately began rowing back ‘*There’s where you and they make a great The vertebrm cracked and it looked for the | to the Battery. mistake. They are going to make a complete ; moment as if he had broken the neck of the Orson Orx turned to Donald Marvin, who failure of the job.” wretch, but on the in.tant, Orson Oxx changed | expressed his unbounded worder over the ex- his grip and with lightning like quickness | ploit of the marveious detective, ard said: CHAPTER XII. ayn om him by the sboulders. ‘You see we have started on our return; A TROUBLESOME PASSENGER. A hand was on either side of the brawny des- | are you willing to give up the search for the “Bur what is the request you have to make | perado, who began struggling to free bimself, | body of the missin ady ?” ef’ asked Donald Marvin. muttering the most fearful curses. ‘ T am convir it is useless to search, where ‘¢ When the curtain goes up and the perform- And then, amazing as it may seem, Orson | the field is so vast—tbe chances againtt us are anoa opens, 1 want you to sit still where you | Oxx lifted the wretch clean from his feet and | infinite.” arp.” swung him aloft as though be wereacoat which | ‘You are right; but the lady. Miss Eva *“* What for?” he was flinging over his head preparatory to | Hildreth, I know, is—alive, and well |” “ As a favor to me.” putting on. ‘* What!” “ But it is my duty to assist you in defeating ‘‘ Bilkens!” roared the victim, ‘‘ why don't you The astounded lover sprung to his feet, quiv- these wretches.” help?’ ering with excitement, and almost beside him- “You can assist me best by keeping your he negro saw how matters were going and | self. hands off. Let it suffice tiat I am fully pre- | felt that # was high time for him to interfere, ““T beg you sit down again,” said Orson. gen- 7 ‘‘ Dat’s jes’ what dis cbile am a-gwine to do; I | tly foreing him back; “the waves make the “T>bey are powerful and desperate men.”’ dinks wet Sp hab got a little off yar base, Mas- | boat unsteady.” “T know that,” quietly replied Orson Oxx, | ser Tom Tit. I’m de young gemmen dat butted ‘What do you mean?” “but 1 can handle them both.” de bull off de bridge and lL nebber yet hab found “*T told you the simple truth; your afflanced Prompted by a natural curiosity, Donald ; de white trash dat 1 couldn't handle as easy—” | wifeis alive and well.” Marviu reached out bis band and placed it on At the moment Riseup Bilkens a talking, ‘‘But—but—but sbe was rescued, then?” the biceps of the Man of Iron. he also began rising to his feet, and at tbe in- ‘“She was not, for she bas not been ia dan- As he did so, the latter closed his fist and | stant of reaching the word last given above, he | ger. It was another person altogetber who slowly brought it back over his shoulder, was fully up, with fists clinched, muscles braced | leaped cff the ferry-boat last night, and who he young lawyer felt the prodigious muscle | and on the point of going for the reckless white | was mistaken for your beloved.” oe until i¢ threatened to burst through the | man. Donald Marvin leaned forward and clutched coat sleeve. But just then the reckless white man went | the arm of the Man of Iron. His breath came "te seemed as hard as ivory, and when the as- | for him! short and fast, like one who feels the crisis of néed. youth attempted so pinch it, his fingers Oxx held the Tom Tit in bis mighty grasp as | his life bearing down upon bim with terrifio off, as though he had tried to close them | helpless as if be were an infant. is sbort legs | rapidity. upon a steel bar. were beating the air, while he writhed and| ‘Do you speak thetruth? I¢ you are jesting, “Great heavens!” ex@limed Donald, “I | wriggled with all the strength at bis command; | it wif! kill me!” never saw anything like it ” but it was useless. ‘‘] am the last man in the world who would Orson Oxx smiled. He did feel some pride in The astounded Donald Marvin sitting at the | jest upon such a matter.” his muscle, ski? and strength, stern caught the outlines of the short limbs “Then you say it was not my Eva who Now, do you know what I meant when I | against the starlit sky; the next instant they | sprung into the river last night?” gaid I was prepired for them?” made a sweeping circle downward, like the ‘She never leaped from the ferry boat as was ‘“T de, but for all that [ tremble for you,” spokes of a revolving wheel. reported; it was another gam altogether,” “You need not; I feel the need of exercise; Orson Oxx used the Tom Tit asan instrument ‘ But,” persisted Donal Marvin, who seemed ap th your promise to keep your bands off and | with which to punish the black brute. to be ir doubt whether he heard aright, ‘‘ I ean- | to allow me to enjoy all this by myself?” The heels of the Tom Tit came down on the | not unuerstand all this, How was such a blun- * You have.” head and shoulders of Riseup as if they were the | der committed?” ) “1 know it is a little selfish, but J can’t help | arch of a falling tunnel. ‘There was no blunder about it. It was a : it—dselloa |” He imagined, as he collapsed under the fear- | deliberate put-up job, intended to give the im- Both the river pirates ceased rowing at the | ful avalanche that bis head bad been driven | pression that she was dead.” same moment. . down between his heels and he was going ** For what purpose ?”’ “What does that mean?” demanded Orson, | through the bottom of the boat. ‘*] have not been able as yet to determine tho looking up as if surprised. As it was he was considerably demoralized. precise couse, though I begin to suspect it. Her The Tom Tit now became surly and threaten- a companion last night, or rather the companion ; CHAPTER XIII. of the young woman who personated her, was 1 This ig bard work and we’ve 'cluded to THE RETURN TRIP. an elderly man, who claimed to be her un- < make you two coves pay more than you ’greed HAVING used the Tom Tit for the purpose of | cle—” t . Wo pay. crushing his adversary, Orson Oxx now flung ‘Tt was her uncle Ward, the oily-tongued “ow much do you want?’ him overboard—sending the ruffian fully adezn | Villain who actually called on me to-cay in Phil- “How much bave you bloomin’ coves got feet away, where be sunk under the surface; | adelpbie, and pretended to shed tears over the \ about your clothes?” then, before the dazed African could rise, he | loss of his niece,” d “J’ve got a watch and several hundred dol- | had him by the throat. ““ What ak has he in pretending that his Jars; my friend bere may bave more.” “ Come, we can get along without you.”’ niece is dead?” 2 GOmicooo (E ESHAElo) im