Beadle's Dime Library No. 260: The Masked Mystery; or, The Black Crescent — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

om ————- —_ +. —- —_—- Gil Bret just glanced into the lawycr’s face, and exclaimed, with a grunt: * ‘Well, by thunder!” Whether it was disgust, bewilderment or amazement at the way in which those bony fingers grasped, and seemed to sink into the fiesh of his shoulder; or whether it was all these combined in a feeling of helplessness, as be halt- ed in that retaining grip of iron, it is impossible to say; but the words he uttered were all that could express the sensation he experienced, whatever tbat sensation was. “Just the parties I wanted!” repeated the lawyer, eying them alternately. ** An’ what do you want us for?” spoke Bret, with a scowl ** Release me!” demanded Haxon, in a voice thickened by rage and pain, for the hold on his shoulder grip d harder each second. ‘Softly. A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush—as I’ve two birds in hand, I’m not both- ered about the bush. Explanatory! What do you think of yourselves, eh? Rascals, both!” Their dialogue, very naturally, was attracting attention. axon assumed a little brass. ‘*Whatis the meaning of this insult, scoun- drel? Take your hands off!” Crewly was. for a moment, taken aback by this speech, But he soon saw through it. He also saw that, in that Sera Ml mass of buman beings, a number of faces were staring in wonder. wering his voice, he said: “Yes—I see. “"Twon’t do! Pretty smart, that. Rather brassy—very. My name’s Crew- ly. I’'malawyer. Sometimes I fight a little” ificantly, ‘‘If you don’t come with me docilely, Ill are you another Jamming, in about a piir of minutes. And I always keep my word—more so with a rascal than anybod else, Hear? Now then march; turn round; come—sharp!” ““What you goin’ to do?” put Bret, without budging. ‘‘ Ahem! none of your business, Just—” **None o’ your tricks ’ith me!” snarled the bruiser, not so much cowed, after all, by vivid recollections of his late thrashing. “I ain’t the man ’at’s a-goin’ to be bossed by you nor any other carpet-baggin’ jackass—mind? Now, you just take your hand off my shoulder,” “* Wonderful!” exclaimed Crewly; then he ground out, between his teeth: “Takecarenow. Hit you once, knock you in three pieces, this time, sure. Spatter your nose all over your face!—I will. Earnest, I am. No fooling. Centra' Guard-house. arrest ou— “ You do, eh?’ Gil Bret’s head was lowered, his dull, muddy eyes seemed, for the moment, ablaze; be looked at the lawyer from under ha!f-closed lids. That the bruiser could hit a stout blow with his fist, must be inferred, else he would not have acquired the appellation we give him. Tbough the lawyer had outmatched him in a fair fight, his bull-dog co @ was not gone, by any means, nor would he have hesitated to give enemy another ‘‘shake,” had oppor- unity offered. ' Hence, when Crewly stated that their des- tination was to be the Central Guard-house, he very promptly determined within bimself that he would submit to nothing of the kind. | Harold Haxon saw his companion’s fist slowly doubling, saw that Bret was about to do some- thing toward their escape, and he, also, aroused to the emergency of the case, Slowly his own fist began to double, and his ores fixed upon the lawyer with a savage eam § When Bret struck, he would strike, too; the simultaneous resistance was certain to prove ef- fectual, and their escape be insured. ‘¢- You're arrested, I say. Understand that?” said Crewly, immediately. ** An’ who’s a-goin’ to take us?” Bret asked, ney: ‘““Who? Well!—more impudencs than I’ve seen in a month, this is, Who? Why, me, me, mE, Hear/—me, Come on now; march!” Two fists were tightly clinched; two pairs of eyes Final oh upon him. “ Hear me? meon, Won't? Well, now—” some one hit Crewly a smart blow on the back, ‘and some one cried in his ear: “Look! Look, Crewly! there’s Eola! Quick!” It was Austin Burns, Blake, Crewly and Burns were there together, to witness the dis- lay of fireworks, and the lawyer was close by fis two companions when he halted Haxon and Bret, though they did not observe his move- men The tone was so sharp, the cry so sudden, the mouth so close to his ear, that Crewly winced, and his hold on his captives loosened, The yorng man had, unknowing, done his bit- terest enemiesafavor. _ No sooner was the grip on their shoulders withdrawn, than, like eels, quick as a flash, the villains slipped away in the crowd. Perhaps it was better for Crewly that mat- ters were so; else, in another instant, two hard fists, sned with hate, directed in desperation, would have blinded bim and knocked him sense- iv: He was not venturesome by nature; thought ‘The Masked Mystery. | that, after thrashing one, in the forenoon, and e-caping the pistol of the other, they would yield to him, He knew not the impending calamity to himself, and the escape of his cap- tives threw him into considerable ill-bumor. ‘Hang it!” he exclaimed, turning upon Aus- tin, with a frown; ‘* there you go again! Every time I catch those rascals, you let ’em off. Bad business, sir. Want of co-operation. You'll have to let. me alone in future or—I’ll get mad ! New then, what’s the matter? What made you squeak in my ear, eh?” “Tt was Eola, Mr. Crewly—” began the young man, who may be pardoned what he had done, considering the excitement occasioned ‘in him by a supposed vision of his betrothed. But Crewly interrupted him with a snap: “Eola? What was Eola? Where?” ‘In the barouche, Didn’t you see her?” ‘*See her}+—no. What barouchbe? Saw her in a barouche this morning; nearly run my legs off, 0 trying to catch her. No go, bc PF ‘*But, Mr. Crewly, she passed right by us— through this crowd, J saw her; you must have seen her.” ‘‘Tell you I didn’t. Here—you’d better go home. Night air don’t agree with wounded men, Your head’s turned. Eola Forde go through this crowd?¢—in a barouche’—you saw her? Nonsense! Come on now; where’s Wat Blake?” ‘Gone after the barouche; after Eola,” re- lied Austin, who felt this would convince his riend he was not dreaming. Crewly had started to move away. He stopped short; the look he fixed upon the young man was comical in the extreme, and he enun- ciated the one word: “a No!” ‘‘ But I tell you yes,” Austin said, firmly. ‘‘Why do you doubt me/ I tell you I saw Eola. Wat Blake saw her; he has gone in pur- suit, ‘Find it a long one then, I guess.” He snif- fled and chuckled as be thought of Wat Blake taking the useless, fatiguing run he had in the morning. ‘* Don’t you think he can follow them?” ** Hope he may,” returned the lawyer, illucid- ly. ‘*Come on now; the fun’s over; and l’ve lost those rascals for a second time. Hang it! it’s all your fault.” ; Austin was not disposed to encourage Crew- ly’s ill-humor by retort. The exhibition of fireworks was over; the concourse of people were moving away from the scene of their enjoyment. Songs, jests, laughter, shouts filled the air. Pretty misses on the arms of affectionate lov- ers, were chatting merrily, and praising with warmth all they had seen, Vehicles were striving in vain to go forward; people elbowed, jammed, foreed themselves upon those in their front and rear, endeavor- ing to makea clear way; and as they moved down the avenue, it was like the mense waves of a ruffled sea, Crewly and his young friend hurried forward through every little opening that offered a chance of escape. ; When they could walk abreast, Austin Burns said, in a voice that betrayed the eagerness of hope: *“Oh! Ido wish that Blake may succeed in tracing her ont!” ‘Her? Oh, yes; excuse me; I had forgot. So do I,” the jatter, with peculiar emphasis. “Your words imply that it is impossible,” said the young man, interrogatively. “Dothey? Ob, no. But yousee, fact is—” “Well, what, Mr. “9 . ‘Why, only this: if he has to run like J did, this morning, he’ll not be likely to catch ’em, Ahem! not very. Give it up as a bad job, That’s all.” “Did you chase them far this morning?” “Did I?’ dryly. ‘‘Rather! Straight mile— full split. Then up a bil); then bad a fight; near- ly got my brains blown out. Umph! Enjoy- able, that is, or was!” / “But they must be somewhere inside the city limits.” “Then they take pains to reach home by graye clear round the outskirts. Tell you, you might as well chase a shooting-star! Fact. I do believe they saw me, though.” “But, Mr. Crewly, we must continue the search, even if it should lead us all the way around the globe! We must find them,” ‘‘ Exactly. But if it’s going to be a stern- chase, and we've got to follow around that globe on a full run, you'll excuse Mx if I give out about the time we’ve made a couple of miles. If I was steel-planked, and carried a steam apparatus to move my legs, and a bel- luws to keep—but what’s the use in talking about it? Abem! I’m afraid it’sa bad business, We're going to huve a long chase and a strong chase, and a chase that'll make us ache, before we book what we’re after.” As they passed the Reservation, opposite the theater, they did not notice the forms of two men standing in the shadow of a poster-board, and who exchanged a few burried words as our friends passed them. - ne . SC al — Christopher Crewlv and Austin Trens went on, unconscious of the LWo Lguics lund were following them. Had we glanced into the faces of those who walked in the rear, we would bave seen features distorted with malignant hate, and the black, pointy threatening expression of murderous re- solve. And there was still another figure, who fol- lowed, with equally cautious movements, those hase were dogging the steps of Crewly and urns. CHAPTER XXVIL. FOUND! Wat BLAKE had started in pursuit of the barouche in which, he felt sure, be had seen a, The lawyer had acquainted him with the oc- currence of the forenoon, and as he made his way with difficulty through the crowd, he re- solved to make the chase as short as possible eens head them off at the first oppor- unity. The pursued parties seemed unaware of his al bagee ) they proceeded along at leisure speed, and Blake gained upon them rapidly. Into and along “‘D” street they led him; pa La Reservation; up Thirteenth, then down. As he passed Sheldon’s dancing academy, he: was met by a small party of revelers, who: were going home, and somewhat under the in- fluence of liquor. For a moment his attention: was attracted from the object of his pursuit—. only for a moment, but when the party bad, passed him, and he looked up again, the ba- rouche had vanished. His heart gave a bound; he ran quickly to the corner—looked up, down, east, west. Nota sign. The streets were deserted and gloomy; not one solitary figure, or an echoing footstep. ‘““Too bad!” he exclaimed, a Yaa mpre a ‘*Crewly said it was like chasing a locomotive. They have disappeared altogetber.. Too bad!” He fancied he beard the rumbling of wheels. on the soft, earth immediately, an ougly discouraged. ‘* Strange,” he thought: ‘‘how they elude us! This does not promise well for our object,.. Bertha must not know of this second vain pur- suit; it will cause her to despair. I regret that- Crewly mentioned his chase of this morning. And Haxon, with his vile ally, is in town, eh? Poor Eola! Ifear for ber. But tben, Provi-- dence surely will not permit a match between two so unfitted for each otber! Our caseis in the hands of the Omnipotent; if be designs our success or failure in this pursuit, either is for the best. But it will go bard with Bertha, if that villain should wed her child. The hour was late. Wat Blake quickened his pace, glancing about bim occasionally, as if ex- pecting to see again those who had slipped away from bim, and alternately framing his thoughts upon their situation, which promised. nothing. When he reached the east square of the Capi- tol, he slackened his walk. He pondered eo ly, surmising and considering u all fea . plans or means which might a him in discov-. ering the whereabouts of those he sought. While in the midst of these reveries, the rat- tle and grind of, wheels, on the cobbles before: Whitney’s Hotel struck upon bis ear. All vehicles, of whatsoever kind, had an ine. terest for him, just then; the sound of one ap- proaching, naturally enough, drew his atten- tion. It wasa baroucbe—ah! Blake smothered an exclamation which rose to bis lips; his heart tbrobbed, bis face flushed with the fever of a fresh excitement, As they passed swiftly by the gas-lamp, at the corner, he bad seen a familiar face—two of them. It was Harnden Forde and Eola! This time there was no mistake. They were close enough for him to bear Eola speak. ‘‘We certainly have not been disappointed in the nein! sights, father—” came to his ears; and he heard no more, Like a shadow, silent and swift, glided Wat Blake after them, Had they far to go? Would this chase too prove fruitless? Was he to bave another rub for nothing? These questions he asked himself, and almost held his breath in suspense, as the vehicle whirled to the right around the no east corner of the square. Then it turned to the left and held up, until the horses only walked. ; “T have them!” he exclaimed; “ they live- near!” 3 Half the block was gone over; then it paused before a fine, large house. Wat Blake epi’ behind a tree and watched. Forde and Eola alighted; they entered the house. The barouche drove off; silence reign The retreat of the pursued pair was discovered. “ Found:” burst from bis lirs; and he burried away toward his own boarding: house. “ Pound at last! Not a moment is to be lost!’ We sball see Harnden Forde at once—to-night! Bertha shall see him, and give him opportunit¥” street; but even this ceased he turned homeward, thor- IOOKS * ade .% m (E©) (E com ~ 4 | | |