Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 238 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

** Here we are. Move and speak cautiously.” ‘* A good place for a grave-yard, if ever there was one!” exclaimed the second, in a guarded voice, as if he felt the dreariness of the surround- ings in bis very marrow, **Come on. We must work fast.” By their voices only the two were recogniza- ble as Harry Hound and Trim Taskar. They drew forth several implements from the interior of the cab—two long-handled shovels, a hatchet and asmall but powerfully-wrought gripper of claw-shape with a cross handle. Carrying these they made their way through the hedging and stealthily across the lot, were- in was nota tree or bush toserve as a landmark in the uncertain starlight. But the detective’s course was unerring. Straight forward he led his companion to a newly-filled grave. ‘We will dig here,” he said. ‘And are we really going to exhume a dead nigger?” demurred the reporter, who had been partly enlightened, during the ride, as to what they were about to do. ** That remains to be seen, Trim.” “Ugh! I don’t like the business at all. It must be something of extraordinary import to call for this kind of thing.” ‘It is. Now to work,” Harry took off his coat, and, grasping a spade, began to shovel out the dirt that was still loose above a recently deposited coffin, ‘Suppose we’re caught doing this?” suggested Trim, casting uneasy glances abouts in the murky distances. ‘“T hardly think that will be likely,” assured the working detective. ‘‘This negro cemetery is a new one; the managers have not yet ap- pointed their superintendent. Don’t be alarmed.” The shovel, being plied vigorously, was send- ing the dirt out sure and fast in a neat pile at one side, Owing to a peculiarity of the soil, the graves could not be made very deep. The ground was raised in ex!ra high mounds over and broader than each grave, and The Hound had not exca- vated much deeper than his knees when he called for the gripper. Trim beard a ripping and tearing of wood down in the narrow hole, and in the next min- ute the detective arose from a stooping posture, holding upward a cumbersome burden. The reporter complied with a shudder, hast- ening to deposit the unpleasant armful on the swird, though not ungently. Hurry leaped out. “Strike a match—two or three of them in succession,” When the flickering light of the match shone down upon the form, Trim saw that the corpse was a young female. The detective was kneeling. In one hand he held a bottle containing a colorless liquid, and wetting his fingers with some of this, he rubbed if ina persistent way upon the upturned cheek of the lifeless girl. ted!” ‘* Ha! it is just as I ex A white spot showed where the acid had touched. Another rubbing produced a similar result. There was white skin under the brown- black exterior ‘What does this mean, Harry?” ‘Oh, merely a little mystery that I am un- raveling,” was the light rejoinder. ‘** But this girl?” ‘* Not a negro, as you see.” ‘‘ Who in the world can she be?” *‘It is the girl that you saw at the voodoo house on Franklin street, last night,” * No!—you don’t say so!” **Oh4, yes, I do.” ‘*T would give a great deal to know who she is and what the mystery means?” ‘*T will tell non cheap—for nothing, if you can keep it shady.” **On wy honor I will not breathe a word.” “Then, thisis Nell Deems, the missing shop- irl!” ens Great Andrew—” “Sh! Notso loud!” ** And what are you going to do with her dead body?’ _ “Nothing with her dead body. It is her liv- ing body that I want.” frim had kept the matches burning and was bending forward with surprised interest. He could only stare at this remarkable speech. “Trim, my dear fellow, I do not believe that this girl is dead. And—look here.” As the detective spoke he raised first the whole arm, then the wrist and fingers of the motionless figure and bent them easily—indeed they were very limp in his grasp. ‘Rather limber, eh, for a corpse of twenty- four hours?” ‘*T should say so. Can it be that she has been intentionally buried alive!” ** Looks that way.” *“Who would have done such an awful thing?” The reporter was horrified. ‘‘The man you pointed out to me in the base- ment of the St. Charles Hotel. I am after him. And that is why you must not start any sensa- tion about Nell Deems. I don’t want to frighten him away before l am ready to bag him. Now | | | | help me to fill up If the poor girl is alive, we are losing valuable time.” — . Trim’s timidity had vanished. With a will Hank Hound, the Crescent City Detective. | 15 5 Or she will be a raving madwoman!” ? “Yes, Isa y. The drug absorbed by her veins he took one of the shovels and they soon had the | to procure the outward semblance of death, is grave restored to its former appearance. , “Yon bring along the tools, Trim,” said | Harry, as he started off, bearing the girl in his | strong arms. And at the cab: ‘*‘ Now, Jerry, my man, back to the house I told you of. And mind: in case I haven’t the opportunity later— for we may have to be dropped in a hurry, and you hasten right on—I want to specially caution you to be close-mouthed.” ‘** Bet on me for that, sir.” Ataswift and almost noiseless rate the cab sped along on its retracing route over the road. ausing once to remove from the horses’ hoofs and the wheel tires the deadening bandages, the conveyance passed through the slumbering city. In dug time, Jerry, the driver halted before the house where we have seen Royal Ardway a voluntary prisoner while the detective so skill- fully assumed the young man’s character. This halt was but for a few seconds, The in- telligent cabman continued on as soon as his passengers reached the pavement, With Trim Taskar following, the detective bore the girl up the steps. At a peremptory rap, the door was opened by a woman whose features betrayed her to be a half-blood Indian. Waving a lamp about her wiry-heired head, while giving the comers a rapid scrutiny, she admitted them and quickly closed the door, | Hound carried the girl up-stairs and deposited her on the bed in the one comfortable room be- fore mentioned. ‘‘There!” he sighed, turning away. ‘‘ That much is accomplished.” ‘‘This is the girl?’ said the Indian woman, sé Yes.” ‘‘A white girl.” She had been quick to de- tect the significance of the white marks on the cheeks. ‘*Do you think she is dead, Ducril?” the de- tective asked. : She stepped forward and examived the face, then ascertained the subtleness of the limb joints as had Harry. ** No, she lives.” ‘*Can you bring her around?” ‘What Ducril does not know of herbs and potions never has been known,” was the boast- ful and rather equivocal response, ‘‘ See: | have brought these with me, to be ready.” She pointed to the table, where were ranged a score or more of curiously shaped vials and boxes, ‘‘ Let no time be lost then, Ducril. you can do.” ‘*T must be alone.” ‘Allright. Come, Trim,” The two descended to the lower part of the building, Harry making use of his ever-ready bull’s-eye lantern to light their way. There was no furniture of any kind in the house, excepting in the bedroom, and they were compelled to stand or move restlessly about while awaiting some summoning signal from the Indian doctress. The signal was a long while in coming. CHAPTER XX. IN THE LIGHT OF THE BULL’S EYE. Art last there was a guarded call from the head of the stairs. ** You may come,” They reascended to the bed-chamber. Harry advanced eagerly to the couch. A beautiful white girl now lay there, ‘* Alive!” he briefly uttered, though so lowly as to be unheard. Ducril stood to one side with her arms folded in a masculine manner, “Whoever did this thing was not a botcher,” she said. ‘Speak on, Ducril.” ** 1 could not call you sooner; there was much for metodo. The whole body was cunningly dyed.” ‘* You have removed the stain?” ** Wholly, as clear as is the face. common beauty.” ‘* And she lives?” ‘** Let your own eyes be the judge.” The young girl, if it was Nell Deems, had truly been preserved from a horrible doom. _ She lay here in all the naturalness of life, calmly, evenly breathing. , ‘She sleeps,” spoke Ducril, warningly. ‘Can we not awaken her—” sc No.” ‘* Why not?” wt, ; “To arouse her at this time might prove fatal. The effort of awakening must be her own, and transpire in strictest quiet. Ina few hours ber eyes will open. fy I can ag a curb my impatience to speak ith her.” i we tants will ruin all. And more, I have this to tell you: at the moment her senses do return one of two things may happen.” ‘Two things?” ‘‘ Bither she will be herself completely, or—” “Or what?” demanded the detective, appre- hensively. See what Her’s is no - nnn nEnnEnENEEEEIsnEEE EEE ——— eee eee EE Ee eee eee the very worst,the vilest of common stwif known to the children of Obi.” “Then may God guide the result!” fervently uttered Harry. ‘** Amen,” added Trim, from the background, To preserve the life, the reason, of one so young and beautiful was the first manly wish of the detective’s heart. Wholly unsolicited had been the interest we have seen him take in the case of Ne!] Deems, and this interest seemed to intensify in an enig- mal form as he stood over and gazed down upon the almost angelic face of the being he had so providentially snatched from the grave. The Hound had never loved in his life—that is, with a lover’s tenderly nameless ardor; he was half-thinking, at that moment, that he could give the best affection of his nature to this young victim of the plot he was trailing out, Subordinate to these feelings was the fact that he believed he had, in Nell Deems, a wit- ness to confound the arch-villain upon whose track he was hot and sure. “Tt will be daylight, then, awakens?” he said, interrogatively. ts Yes.” ** And before daylight ”—musingly—*‘ I have considerable to do. Come, Trim, I guess we'll be going. Ducril, guard and nurse this girl with every art you can master. Restore her in health and reason, and I will pay you a rich re- ward, ‘* All that is in my power, that will I do,” re- plied the Indian woman. The detective and the reporter left the house. On the pavement they 4 arebsies The Hound consulted his watch—one with a phosphorescent dial, by which the owner could see the hour indicated as plainly in darkness as in light. Exactly three o’clock A. M. ‘“*] have very little over two bours in which to work,” he muttered, striding along at a rapid gait. ‘But I think I know pretty much how to apply myself to the task, so not much time will be lost, once I am started.” His course was direct to the mansion on Pry- tania street. Admitting himself with a latch-key, he paused : moment after passing the vestibule, as if to isten, And as he stood in the dim light of the hall chandelier, with its lowered flame, we see—not Harry Hound, but, instead, the image of Royal Ardway. The remarkable transformation in bis appear: ance had been effected as he walked onward in the deserted thoroughfares. It is el of a detective’s professional educa- tion to be able to make such perplexing changes at a moment’s notice. Harry Hound was par- ticularly noted in this ability; in less than ten seconds, at any time or place, he was fully pre- pared to so alter both looks and attire, that it is doubtful whether he would have been recog- nized by a party who even half expected it, His voice, too, bad all the scope of a ventrilo- quist’s, though without the trick of distance. The household seemed to be in sound slumber. His entrance had been so noiseless as not to arouse any one, Ascending to the next story, he went—not to the young man’s room, but straightway, swift and feather-toed, to the chamber where the tragedy had occurred, and to which he carried the only key. Entering here, he pushed the door to, but, b an oversight—or, perhaps, hardly deeming it necessary—he did not close it tightly. It did not seem probable that any one would disturb him in what he was about to do at that un- seemly hour, : Every article remained just as it had been on the night when he was first summoned to hear of Girard Ardway’s mysterious disappearance. The bull’s-eye lantern was produced, and its rays flashed around him brightly. : e advanced to the mantle-piece and stooped own. It was an ornamental affair, merely, the room being heated by register—the molding, hearth and interior being painted in an expensive de- sign, and floored by a richly-wrought rug. As he stooped the light shone upon something just within the line of opening on which his gaze bend studyingly. _A clot of blood, smeared as if by some drag- before she ging contact of weight, and the course of the rag was toward the ba k of the fireplace. This item had not escaped the keen eyes of The Hound upon his previous examination of the apartment. According to Cracker Bill’s statement, Girard Ardway could not have been taken from the mansion on the night of his mysterious disap- pearance—at. least not by the owlish prowler who appeared to have been the moving genius in the tragedy; nor had the gentleman left it since, according to constant reportings which The Hound received from the man he had ap- pointed to keep the house under careful sur- Veillance. e¢om Cc SS ico ~ .———_ Cale Ms —— al iin - J00