Beadle's Dime Library, No. 240 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

4 A Cool Head. CHAPTER XXXII. “YOU ARE MY PRISONER.” AFTER Orson Oxx returned to bis hotel from his vain pursuit of the fire-bug, probably there was no more disgusted individual in the State of New York. ‘‘T had the game in my hand,” he muttered, fairly gnashing his teeth with chagrin, ‘and | then let it slip: I am not likely to have anotber | such a chance. The Winking Demon is no | Langdon been left to perform her holy work, fool and he will not be as careless as he bas | possibly this would not have taken place; at been.” any rate she would have been here to soothe | | The old lady was ques and these were the neighbors who had gathered to perform the last melancholy duties to the departed, A few subdued inquiries convinced Oxx that no one knew of the charred brush and sticks behind the little house which would have told | their own story. ‘She is better off,” remarked the detective, with a sigh, as he passed on; “had Etbel ——————— But the most skillful detective cannot count | her dying moments.” on an unbroken line of successes and the sleep It was an incident by the way, yet, as is of the Man of Iron was scarcely less sound than | often the case, it was not without its indirect usual. influence upon the main events of the narra- When he awoke in the morning his mind was | tive, which seems to be entirely outside of it. as Clear as a bell. Orson Oxx, while thoughtfully moving ‘‘] bad some thought,” he said to himself, | through the village, came to the conclusion “of going on to Brandon and joining in the | that, in all his experience, be bad never come hunt for the missing lady, but I feel as though | in contact with a more execrable miscreant I have no excuse for doing so, than Algol Langdcn., **Tt’s all such plain sailing now that if Bray- The officer bad been asking himself whether ton Russell don't win bis girl, he don’t deserve | it was his duty toremain and call upon the to have her. villain, ‘who, ‘beyond a doubt, wished to use “Tf I were in his place, I would resent any | him for his own purpose, or go to the assist- interference from outsiders: if necessary I | ance of Brayton Russell. would announce that I had taken charge of the When he first received the letter his inclina- campaign and intended to run it on that line if | tion, as we have ssown, was to leave his young it took all of my natural life— Hello! come! friend to work out the rescue of bis beloved in!” without any help from him. The detective was about to descend the stairs But he recalled that Russell was impetuous when some one rapped smartly on the door. ; and hot-headed, and was as likely to get him- When he opened it the landlord handed him a | telf into trouble, as to assist a friend out of letter with the remark that Le supposed it was | danger. intended for him, and was addressed to Thomas He might need a cool brain and a steady Tumbrell, which was the name Orson had regis- | arm at his side. tered under, when he returned to the Delaware Orson Oxx wasin this state of donbt when House late at night from his unsuccessful pur- | he learned of the death of the aged invalid, suit of the Winking Demon. who had been so tenderly cared for by the With some surprise the detective opened the | angelic Ethel Langdon. letter and this surprise became amazement It filled his soul with such burning indigna- when he read the following: tion against the Winking Demon tbat he de- ‘** Homestgean, Friday, Nov. —. termined to enter the struggle against him i wate D LD Seow you plende call sf (Be tt gre FEAR Oe ee yO pacnee call Ot The: stOnie “If I down him, as I believe I can, it will See ee oo clo k tile noriing? (F Havers propo: t+. the direct means of, rescuing the young sition to make to ‘és which will prove profitable to es aa ; lady from a position which js not likely to be us both and greatly to your interest. “A. Lana@poy.” | anything more than unpleasant and which “That's very singular,” muttered the detec- | mnst terminate of itself before many days, ‘* My duty is to bring down retribution upon tive, who, as may well be supposed, was puz- zled to understand all the phases of this mes- | his head, and that, wiih the belp of Heaven, I shall do with the Jeast delay possible,” gage. In the first place, there was no intimation of At ten o’clock that forenoon Orson Oxx, in the nature of the business for which the inter- | the same guise that he had used on his pre- view was asked. vious call, presented himself at the Homestead, Again, the name by which the detective was | and sounded the huge brass knocker. addressed was extremely suggestive. Prosperity Jobnson, as before, admitted him, It was near eleven o'clock, the preceding | without a suspicion of bis identity with the night, when Orson Oxx wrote that signature | entertaining old gentleman who appreciated in on the register of the inn. A monelary way the value cf an interview with the servant. Toe circumstances were so peculiar that it was impossible that Algol Langdon had re- Oxx walked into the library, where Algol Langdon received bim with his usual unction. turned after that hour and taken it from tbe The Winking Demon koew that this was the register. ‘He has called here early this morning; he | man who had come within a hair of arresting bas looked over the book, and obtained from | him the night before, after bis attempt. to fire the landlord a description of me, which of | the dwelling of the old lady Mrs, Moseman. course must have corresponded with that of The Man of Iron was equa'ly well aware the countryman who was in the bar-room last | that he had walked into the den of his dead- night, treating folks in a reckless fa-hion, It | liest enemy. was then a very easy thing for him to make That enemy wasa man of wonderful cun- ning and unparalleled treachery. up bis mind that the man who followed him so sharply last night was a detective, ‘* Let the smartest win,” was thé thought of Orson Oxx. ‘“ A corollary of such a conclusion would be that Orson Oxx was the identical individua “I received your note,” said the visitor, taking the chair to which he was motioned, who was figuring in a dual character.” But why this interview? ‘‘and, you observe, am pretty nearly on time.” The matchiess detective could frame a dozen “Yes; you seem to be a very punctual different reasons; but he had no assurance | man.” “‘Tam to the extent of my ability.” that any one of th *m was right. Of one thing he was more and more con- **T hardly expected to find'you in Ardyille to-day.” vinced, Algol Langdon, the Winking Demon was a ‘*T was not certain I would be here myself; miscreant of extraordinary cunning. indeed, had T not received your note, I would have left by the early train.” It looked very much as if ke were inviting the detective to enter into a brain contest with ‘*[ was about to do so myself, when I ob- served a signature on the register which I was bim., ‘‘[’m glad to do it,” exclaimed Orson Oxx, | confident was that of the gentleman for whom ‘for my creed is that when any man can wer- | I was looking.” ‘¢ You then wanted to see me?” reach me. it is bis duty to do go, and I shall admire his ability as @ warrior, even though Orson Oxx assumed an air of surprise, which he was far from feeling. it unhorses me.’ When the detective strolled from the hotel, “T did; I was going to New York to try and hunt you up.’ he passed the house where the incendiary attempt had been made the night before, “Tam glad you were saved that trouble for, He was struck by the fact that a number of though I am pretty well known there, you persons were gathered arouvd the door, which | would have been likely to have had bard work ES <A SN -<nesssesstesSs=SSes was open. to. find me.” Oxx supposed they were discussing the last “So I feared, and I therefore congratulate crime, when he observed that there was crape | myself on my success at this early stage.” en the door. ‘* Well, Mr, Langdon, I am ready to receive a 15 any proposition from you; what does this sum- mons mean?” “It means, sir, that you are my prisoner |” As the Winking Demon uttered these starr- ling words, he whipped out a revolver, which he must have held in his band all the time un- der the table, and leveled it at the amezed Man of Iron. ww we eee CHAPTER XXXII A COURAGEOUS ESCORT, THe dim figure of a man, standing in the middle of a lonely road at night, is generally an alarming sight. Ethel Langdon and her escort, Hannah Hahlo were moving stealthily through the wood, when they were brought to a stand-still by such a startling occurrence, ‘What shall we do?” asked our heroine in a whisper, “TU fix him,” was the assuring answer of the guide, “* How?” ‘*T have that sharp wire which I prepared for the dog; I will slip up to him and run it into his eye. I guess then he will be glad enough to stand aside.” “Oh don’t do that,” pleaded the horrified Ethel, retaining ber grasp on the arm of her companion, “ Why not!” “Tt will kill him!” “What of it? Hasn’t the Queen of the Can- nibal Islands the right to kill any of her sub- jects? Let me go,” “Wait! there, he has moved aside.” Fortunately such was the fact. Whoever the man was, be seemed to have got tired of playing the part of post, and now started down the road ahead of the fugitives, As soon as le passed beneath the shadows cast by the trees, he became invisible, but there was little doubt that he was walking in advance in the same direction with the couple, Furthermore, it was not likely that he had any suspicion that any person was behind him. A few minutes later, he reached the main highway where there were no trees, He was then in sight again about the same distance in front, as when first discovered. *‘See me scare him!” As Hannah Hahlo uttered the words, she moved rapidly forward and called out in a husky undertone: “ Wait a minute, sir; I want your life!” Tbe man heard it, cast one horrified glanca behind him, and, at sight of the shadowy terror bearing down upon him, broke into a desperate run, with the sing’e outcry: ‘** MURDER!” A world cf terror was in that single, gasping ery, and bis speed was such that he vanished from sight almost instantly. Hannah Hablo laughed heartily, as well she might, but poor Ethel saw too much grim danger in the situation to feel anything like mirth, — The declaration of her companion that she meant to kill the stranger, unless he moved from their path, together with what had taken place during the day, showed that the lunatic was unrestrained by conscience. Rather, perhaps, her moral sense was so per- verted, that she was unable to distinguish be- tween right and wrong. There was no saying when she would turn like'a tigress upon her with whom she was now so friendly. Ethel would have given anything in her power could she have been transferred at that moment to the room which she had been so eager to leave. But that was impossible, The fact that Hannah declared that the house of John Burrage was close at band gave hope that ber mind would be so wholly occu- pied until they reached there, that she would not indulge in any “side issues.” a“ My: is the house of your friend? asked Ethe “Yonder, just tack in the ficld from the road,” She pointed across the highway, and, follow- ing the direction, Ethel saw a star-like point of light shining out from the gloom, ‘*Do you notice that?” asked our heroine, | “Of course; how could I help it?” “They are up late; it isn’t possible they ex- pect us?’ ‘‘ How coul? they? Maybe some of the fale ly (there are only two) are sick.” JOO ~ im (¢