Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 288 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

‘ye must have been, to make soloud a noise. Won- derful rats must they be which inhabited the al- most impenetrable darkness of that horror- breeding place, for soon, and in another direc- tion came another and similar sound, this last even louder than the first. A few moments more, and it seemed as if there must be a gigantic rat behind every spile —and the sounds were in motion, he detected, converging toward that point whence came the glimmer of the ]'ght, ‘* Rats,” he muttered. ‘*‘ Aha! the wharf rats of Locust Point. Iam on the right scent,” Sgqueak! Squeak! to the left, Then to the right, Then in front. And, bark! was not that another squeak in his rear? The rats were on every side. Still onward went the bold detective, deter- mined to follow to the end, come what might. In the space of a few minutes, he was re- warded by a remarkable sight. He had reached to almost within the circle of the weird light, and paused quickly as he looked upon a set of phantom forms, Across the heavy joisted timbers, cross-pieces and girders, were stretched the planks of an im- provised floor. In the center of this floor burned a candle, Around the edge of the floor could be seen several little single-thwarted skiffs, out from which had stepped and were stepping several ings. Beside the light, upright and surveying those who were joining him, was the tall form of the man whom Daniels had determined to be the Italian, Pietro Idello, in the disguise he. had worn when entering the junk-shop that morn- ing while the detective was in conversation with the Jew. The Jew was just then moving toa position beside the Italian. Baltimore is not, unfortunately, provided with a harbor police, like some other cities. The wharves havo their watchmen—faithful ones, too—but an organization like the one which Daniels was now discovering might easily exist and thrive under the very noses of the sail watchmen, and there was not the slightest danger of the light from the candle being ob- served by any one out upon the dark waters, beeause of the labyrinthine spiles under the great pier, which served well to break and dis- perse the rays. The Italian was speaking at the moment Daniels came to his point of observation be- yond the glimmering circle of the light. “Well, Jacobs, you have brought the valise?”’ ‘*’‘Yahs, dere he wos,” and the Jew held for- ward and shook the valise which Daniels had geen in the “ blind ” pawnbroker shop. “And did you put in it the amount that is to .. be the share of our brother wharf rats?’ ‘« Yahs, I haf t’e amound. Of you will please t’e bag ant disburse t’e moneys, t’en we consign t’e tell-tale valises mit a shtone rount it down by t’e water here.” The Jtalian took the valise, and while openin it, said, to those who were congregrated aroun on t improvised platform: “‘ Brothers, there has been a diamond robbery committed in the city; the spoils cannot be dis4 posed of safely for a long time tocome. But our good brother here, Jacobs, has decided to estimate the value of the gems obtained and make a division of the funds without delay—” ‘*Good! Good for old Jacobs!” broke from several of the rats. “Yahs, my prot’ers, I haf a bart times to get dot moneys; but I knows you want him, ant I haf t’e greatest regart for my prot’ers of t’e mbar rats by t’e Locust Poind,” ‘ There are six of you when our boatman gets _ in—two of us. Eight in all, Our covenant share and share alike in all that is obtained by the amen of our organization.” “Yes, yes, that’s the bargain,” chorused sev- eral again. ‘Now, there were two magnificent robberies, first netted diamonds, as I say, and their value Jacobs has computed to be about ten thousand dollars.” - A murmur of delight went up from the grim ae Dot wos true, so hellup me—” n Jacobs, as if fearful some one would accuse him of un- dervaluing the gems. “The balance of the plunder, in various arti- cles of jewelry, will bring the result up to about. fittv thousand.” Another and louder murmur came from the rats. A haul of fifty thousand dollars among eight was a prize to thrill their thievish bearts. ‘* Ant I haf make of dot proceeds eight pack- ages—all haf t’e same amound in dem, so hellup me—” | ‘Here, brothers, are your separate shares. a carefur og it, I ree tows yous let ed see wine-cup make you reckless, lest you y your good fortune to eyes and ears that are at this moment on the alert.” Ac ke distributed the packages of notes amon tne phantom band, which Jacobs ‘had brough in the valise, th. Jew said: or ‘* 'Yahs, my prot’ers, dere wos eyes ant ears all arount. e have caught one of dose eyes ant ears ride into mine house to-day ant we haf him down t’e big hole.” ‘‘A man whom I suppose to be a detective,” the Italian said, ‘* was caught by Jacobs and myself, hiding under the table in the little re- ception-room where we have sometimes met, you know.” “ Yes, yes, and you flung bim down the pit!” ‘We did not fling, but let bim down 80 easy that he did not know what was going on until he found himself between four walls of masonry that you know and I know no mortal man can penetrate, There he shall die like a dog, as shall all detectives, or anybody else who may take a notion to pry into our affairs, eh, my bro- thers?’ ‘* Ay, ay, hurrah for Electro Pete—” ‘Hush! Do you want to bring the watchman of the pier under here after us, Now, you had best depart. We will meet on this night one week hence. Between this and then, Jacobs will have been to some one of more cities north to dispose of the rare booty we have, and we cannot meet, you know, unless all can be pre- sent. You intend to sack the Norwegian bark inside the Lazaretto ree ols do you not?” “Yes,” answered one of the rats. ‘* Be off, then, and success attend you.” Back to their skiffs glided the rats noiselessly. Jacobs followed suit; but the tall form of the Italian remained standing on the platform, as if he wished to see all safely off. At that instant an incident of a startling na- ture for the spying detective transpired. There was a prolonged squeak directly behind him, of a sharpness that was unmistakably a signal. He saw a dripping figure making forward over one of the cross-pieces of timber toward the platform. Simultaneously, the candle was extinguished by the Italian, who kicked it into the water. CHAPTER XV. THE BELT OF DIAMONDS. THERE could be but one interpretation to that which had occurred: the eavesdropping detec- tive had been discovered by some one of the wharf rats who was, perhaps, a sentinel put pas po guard the proceedings of the villainous nd, The ibility of its being the boatman whom he had hurled into the water never once entered his thought. Enough bad transpired within his hearing to cause a sudden resolve for the capture of the Italian called Electro Pete. There could be no doubt that he was the bold and ingenious robber who had secured the dia- monds in a way so very mysterious. If he was captured, it might be easy to ‘‘ bag” others of the gang at a future time—especial:y the Jew— and a matter of State’s evidence could Saving me be worked to procure conviction. The Jew too, must know where the diamonds were, and Daniels felt confident of being able to frighten him sufficiently to bring about their restoration. At all events, the capturing of tbe Italian now became his instant determination. With this in view, he gave his skiff a hard push forward in the direction of the platform = “ very moment the candle was kickecover- ard, ‘And prepared as he was for just such an emergency, a a second elapsed ere his dark lantern, ignited by the patent turning wick- raiser, flashed upon the platform, where the aoe was in the act of springing into his own Bounding onto the planking, the detective made at him. Electro Pete wheeled with a half-smothered curse, The two came be ae with as the de- tective letting fall his lantern to grapple with a man who was, he perceived, very powerful, Darkness again, Only for an instant. Then something happened which the dete tive might have n prepared for and have avoided, if he had but remembered his previous experience with this personage on Gay street bridge. As he threw his arms graspingly around the Italian, the latter became on the instant a hideous image of bluish flame! From neck to waist, at least, he was resolved into a mysterious fire which gave out no per- ceptible heat, but which was accompanied by a shock, like the shock from an electric battery, so tren that it hurled the detective over back- ward, There followed a plash. Mark Daniels had gone over the edge of the ea ag and sunk beneath the surface of the lack water! lt was certainly an electric shock he had sus- tained; but this time it was not as severe as that which be had ee on the bridge. Though fora second it nearly paralyzed every muscle in bis frame, by the time he had sunk in the water he was again in full possession of his senses. Coming to the surface noiselessly, he clung to Electro Pete, the Man of Fire. one of the spiles and remained thus, gathering bis confused wits. An unbroken silence prevailed around him. Tbere could be no wharf rats there then~ though stop—was not that a scraping sound he heard, not far from him? mre a boat being pushed rubbingly past a spile. It at least gave him some idea of the way he must turn to get out of that impenetrable labyrinth, he water was very cold. But Daniels was a good swimmer, and clinging there long enough to remove his gaiters, which he placed between his teeth, he began making in the direction Sores had come the sound of the departing at, When he reached the semi-gloom of the har- bor and paused for a moment’s rest at the brink of the high wharf, there was nothing to indi- cate the recent presence of the band upon whose stealthy meeting be had spied, ‘All right, my bold wharf rats of Locust Point,” he muttered, a little out of breath after his tedious swim, ‘1 think I am pretty hot on your trail now. And my rare burglar of dia- monds, Electro Pete as you are called—and for- sooth as you seem, judging by my two contacts with you—I sball nab you yet, never fear. Ha!”—with a sudden thought—‘‘ can it be pos- sible that I have learned why West has not been to the Agency for such an unusual length of time? Is he the one they spoke of as having been cast into a pit of some kind—’ ‘* Hello, there, you?” He was interrupted by a voice from the wharf above. A form was bending over, looking down Or He called elp, my friend!” he ed promptly. ** Who the divil are ye?” ° ‘* Don’t stop to catechize, my friend. I have fallen in here, and if you don’t lend me a help- ing hand soon, J’ll be a goner.” It was one of the watchmen of the pier. A friendly rope was soon lowered, and Dan- iels climbed up to a firm footing with panted breaths of relief. ‘* What were ye doin’ down there, anyhow?” * Well. U didn’t go down for fun, you can bet, old man,” returned the disguised detective, with aspice of grim humor, ‘I was paddling around in the dark like, and the first thing I knew, over I went—” ‘* But divila splash did I hear, Come, what were ye doin’ there?’ interrupted the Irishman, suspiciously. **Of course you didn’t hear any plash, for the Lord knows I didn’t fall in right bere, but some- where nigh the elevators, and I’ve been swim- ming round like a sick fish hunting for a place to get out, ‘Sb! don’t give it awav, but I’m afraid I wasa little—you know. Take some- thing?” Having drawn on his gaiters, the detective produced a small flask and extended it to the watchman. ‘*T’s ag’inst the rules—” “Pshaw, old man! why, you’ve saved my life. You needn’t be afraid, Come, I want a drink myself, and I like company.” “It’s too much company ye’ve had to-night already, I’m thinkin’,” opined the Irishman, as he received the bottle, nevertheless, and cast a patents glance about as he slyly removed the cork. ‘‘Do ye live round here?” he asked, after smacking his lips over the Jong pull he took. ‘“No, I belong in the city, But don’t give it away. I’m all wet, and I guess the best thing I can do is to hurry home, I’m sober enough now, you can bet.” ‘*Good-luck to ye, an’ be careful as ye go through the ‘frog pond,’* for there’s a lot o° cars an’ engines busy there this night, an’ if ye’re heel takes a twist in the rails, ye'll bea goner yet, d’ye mind.” ** Thanks, I’)] be careful.” Recrossing the ferry Daniels, filled with ap- eet emg for the safety of his partner, after earing what he did in the haunt of the wharf rats, proceeded straightway toward the junk- shop of the Jew, o enter and explore the premises he was fully resolved. pane this was soon discovered to be no easy He sveceeded at last in entering the yard at the rear and at the side of the saekel dwelling, by climbing the fence. Then be found the same cellar door through which West bad passed to fall into the cunning trap which the house contained, ‘I would do a wise thing,” he ruminated, “ if I changed these wet clothes for dry ones; but I’ve no time for that with the chances that West is in a bad pickle here somewhere,” The hour was now quite late; a dead silence reigned in the yard at the back of the junk-sbop. arefully raising the cellar door, Daniels de- scended, * The “frog pond ” at Locust Point is a well-known trap for the unwary, because of the multitude of railroad tracks ng one another by the coal os ke a ye “: ; ae wk : les 0 me tracks freq y cau e boot of a man, m cases resulting in death to the unfo eg Sa a ae ep a ee a ee ee et Eomicbooks: Pe —