Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. III, No. 29 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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shebang? Now keep astraig that showed how bitterly the indignity put upon him yet rankled in his breast. And all this time, fred Powell, afraid to go home, lest this second lapse into intemperance should be detected, was sleeping off the effects of his dissipa- tion in a boat-house on the river, all unconscious of the storm that loomed darkly above him, just about to burst.” CHAPTER VII. THE BANK ROBBERY. As Cecil Beaumont lay listening to the heavy breathing of Dawson, the janitor, a tumult of thoughts crowed his brain. "This was the turning- ointin the drama of wickedness in which he had involved himself. A few hours would prove the per- fectness of all his plots. In that moment he knew no relenting. He had cast his lot, and henceforward nothing could swerve him from the steady prosecution of his pur- ose, ‘*T am too deep in the mire to think now of re- treat, even if I desired it, which I do not,” he said. *All the high ground lies in advance. I must go forward. With twenty-five or thirty thousand dol- lars in my pocket, and Fred impassably separated from Florence, I can throw overboard May and her fortune, and try to win my heart's core—the apple of my eye! Oh! poverty and heaven with her! the wealth of the Orient and the tortures of hell without her! My life! my darling! I cannot—I will not give you up!” The clock struck one, It broke in upon his medi- tations like a note of doom. His bedroom door stood ajar, and he could hear the click /—click /—as the pendulum swung back and forth. With bated breath, lips apart, and a clammy moisture on his brow, he fell to counting the sec- onds. Thus the time wore on until the clock struck two. The tinkling sound died away in the silent room, and nothing was heard but the ayaying. of the pen- dulum and the heavy breathing of the sleeper. e suspense was becoming unendurable. Cecil Beau- mont lay upon his bed, trembling from head to foot, and with the perspiration starting from every ore. Presently he heard a sound, different from those he had been Matauing. to. His heart gave a bound, and then stood still. e listened again. It was the radual insertion of a key into alock. It glided by the wards with a sound only perceptible to his strained senses. Then a door turned noiselessly on its hinges. A chilly breath of air reached him in his room. Muffled eer Rit passed the threshold. The door was closed, and was silent as the grave—all save the click /—click /—-of the swaying pendulum and the heavy breathing of the sleeping janitor. Cecil Beaumont could hear the blood course through the arteries of his neck, as it surged up into his brain, with a concussion like the fall of a heavy hammer. Then long shadows fell through the crevice of the door, and traced their course across the walls of his darkened ch :mber—one!—two!—three! Then an in- terval of quiet, in which the pendulum seemed to cry out in warning—awake/—awake/—and the gurgling sound in the throat of the old sleeper sounded like the death-rattle. Cecil Beaumont raised upon his elbow, with eyes fixed upon the crevice of the door, through which the light streamed faintly. He hushed breath. It seemed a3 if the throbbing of his heart must be heard in the outer room. Through the awful stillness came a sound— not the click of the pendulum, Upon ’s ner ened senses it burst like the crack of a rifle, but he knew it was the set of the hammer of a pistol. Then came a sound of awakening from the sleeper. The gurgle in his throat increased to a sound of strangulation that made Cecil shudder. and his blood run cold. But the sleeper rallied, coughed, turned on his couch, and aroused himself with a stifled ex- clamation,. ' Next came a voice in a hoarse whisper: ** Silence, on ey life!’ The old man lay still and said, in a subdued voice, somewhat shaken by appreh on: Gentlemen, what do you want with me?” ‘* Bind him!’ came the whispered command. And then to the old man: “One motion of resistance, one ‘sound to attract assistance, and your life pays the penalty!’ There was a slight creaking of the sofa-bedstead, asif the old man were turned on his face; thena coil of rope fell with a muffled sound to the floor. **Now listen, And remember your life isn’t worth a toss, if you try to spring any little game on us. “You need not ho a that pistol to my head; I will answer you.” ‘**We will keep it there as a reminder. Is the key to the vault kept anywhere in the bank-office? tomy knowledge.” ** Where is it?” ‘** Mr. Powell has one, sir.”’ * Any else?” The ier, Mr. Beaumont.” ** Whereis he?” ‘* He lives—” y “* Hist!” came a sudden warning. What was that?” “Tt sounded ate some —_ breathing heavily, or snoring,” said a strange voice. “ Hariees, old man," said he who appeared to be the principal, ‘does an . — cael > in this here “Take it away, sir! Ill answer you. The cashier is ee in the oe oe . me s fellow. out of his Py Hold the little bulldo knowledge-box, Jimmy, while we escort dainty cashier. Gads! we're in luck! There were sounds as if his orders were being car- ried out, and then stealthy footsteps approached the door of the bedroom. Despite his association in the plot, the ee 30 ween that Cecil felt his heart leap into his ‘ as the door swung 0 admitting a flood of ligh and three men in m The leader held a cocked pistol in his hand; the second carried a coil of rope, and the third a gag. Cecil lay as if asleep, until the masked intruder placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. Then he We've got all we want ” to his this _Tiger: Dick, the! Part started up with a suppressed cry, in which all was not feigned, to such a hight had his feelings been wrought by this diabolical acting. ““Notasound, or you are a dead man!"’ command- ed his assailant, with the pistol at his head. **T see that Iam in your power, and know the fol- ly of offering resistance. Take away your weapon,” said = ina voice whose tremulousness was un assumed, “You have very sensible views,’ replied the | masked ruffian; ‘‘but, if you please, we will put it out of your power to resist. Bind his left arm se- curely, men. And, as we have no use for his tongue, put a stopper on it. You see, if Ido all the talking, you will have so much better opportunity to act.” His orders being executed, he went on: ** Now, sir, we'll give you a chance to get into your pantaloons, if you are On ek de onthat score. But none of your tricks, or I'll let daylight through you in the drop of an eyelash!" Cecil availed himself of the privilege, and was then led out into the counting-room. He found Daw- son lying on his couch, bound and gagged like him- self. 2 The janitor looked the sympathy he could not speak. The leader now drew a bowie-knife from his_ belt, and holding it so that the point just touched the back of Cecil’s neck, said: ‘*Now, Mr. Cashier, the firm, which I have the honor to represent, has concluded to withdraw its de- ee from this bank. Just open that door, if you please.” As there wasno help for it, Cecil produced the key a - inserted it into the slit of the lock, gave ita turn, and one of the burglars shot back the bolts and swung the door open, ‘* That's as easy as rolling off a log,” laughed the leader. “If we always had so obliging a janitor, we could dispense altogether with them tools.” recon, to one of his companions, he said: ‘Just keep an eye on that snoozer, Jimmy, while we take a peep into the sanctum sanctorum,” At ue point, the call of a night-bird sounded clear on the air. With a swift motion, the leader thrust Cecil into the vault. ‘Pile in there!” cried the chief to his subordi- nates, ‘‘and run a knife into that cashier, if he ut- ters a =P ” Asthey leaped in and grasped Cecil one on either side, the chief shut the vault door, and then turned to the terrified janitor. ** Move an eyewinker, and you are a dead man!" he said, sternly. e drew a coverlet over the prostrate man, and then secreted himself under the counter, keeping the janitor covered with his pistol. Dawson era sana that the burglars had received warning that they were in danger of detection; but, far from calling for help, he scarcely daring to breathe. He had seen the two knives held in terri- fying peceaeaie to Cecil's h and now saw the shing barrel that kept its frowning muzzle pointed toward himself. The lower blinds being closed, the burglars would have been invisible to any one passing in the street; but they had secreted themselves in order that sus- picion might not be awakened by any chance shadow thrown upon the walls. After the lapse of about ten minutes a different cry was heard, and the burglar emerged fearlessly from beneath the counter. ‘Whew!’ exclaimed one of the ru drawing a long breath, when they were released from_ the vault. ‘ Don’t ever shove this chicken into such an oven as that I began to think the old boy had got my carcass, sure.” ** You'll be in a hotter place than that some of these fine days,’’ laughed the chief. ‘ But now for busi- ness. Just handle them little silver knobs, Mr. Cashier—lively |” With a knife held playfully at his throat, Cecil went through the combination, and the burglars threw open the safe. With exclamations of satis- faction, they rummaged the safe, appropriating all the paper money and the small supply of coin it con- tained, Cecil was then boun peer’ and thrown upon the bed beside the r; and taking up their of cracksman’s tools, for which there had been no use, the burglars withdrew. ** Kee - heart, my trusted bantams,”’ said the chief, playfully. ‘In the morning you may tell ROBE Hee e that you have had visitors during the en he went out, closing the door after him, and turning a key. The Sanitor stretched his neck around to look his rplexity at Cecil. Where did the burglars get a fey ?—Dawson would have asked, had he the use of his tongue. Cecil only returned his blank e. eeThe scene in the bank had a sequel which had not been countedon. The pe peresous of the robbery had proceeded several blocks undisturbed, when, suddenly, they heard the measured footfall of a po- liceman ah of them. ‘Hunt your holes!’ commanded the leader; and the whole crew dashed into an alleyway. “This won't do,” he went on. “We must or the gx = will the whole lot of us." cting upo n his su on, two of the ruffians took one direction, and he and the fourth took an- other, intending to further separate as soon as op- portunity offered. ha Seg arane roceeding through to the other street, a dog suddenly leaped out vin them, an uproar with his bar . The start forward on a run, anxious to get clear of a vicinity where detection was so imminent. As they emerged from the alley, the one in advance rushed headlong into the arms of a policeman, who was co to investigate the cause of the noise, and both went to the ground. ‘*Stick a knife into him, Jimmy,” cried the cap- tured burglar. But the policeman was strong and active, and kept up a lively motion that the ruffian was at a loss where to strike, so as not to injure his pal. All the while he was loudly for assistance. Soon there was a of feet and a whir of rat- tles, and, seeing himself in d r of apprehension, Jimmy abandoned his luckless chief a lunged in- to the alley. he was again attac by the King. il LED ee dog; but as the act could not now further jeopard his safety, and as the brute, if left, might be employ- ed by the police to track him, he shot him, and sped on thro the darkness. Emerging on another street, he ran up a stairway, fearing to appear in the street, where he might meet an officer at any turn, Up to the fourth sider and out upon the roof, carefully replacing the scuttle; from roof to roof and down through another build- ing into a cross street he passed, and gliding from doorway to doorway like a shadow, he eluded his pursuers. Meanwhile, the plucky policeman clung to his eap- tive until assistance came, Then he was secured and his wrists ornamented with the steel bracelets. His mask had been torn off in the struggle; and a bull’s-eye turned upon him revealed the smiling coun- tenance of Tiger Dick. “* Well, gone, he said, coils. “you've got me; I don’t ask to be handled Iike a baby; but I ain't the devil, either; so a reasonable amount of tying up and holding onto will keep me from running awny. If you know of any nice boarding-piace in a quiet neighborhood, suppose we seek it and get in out of the night-air.’ The policemen knew the Tiger, and laughed at his sally. One of them said: ‘* Ain’t this a little out of your line, Richard?” * Ain't what out of my line?” “Why, this masquerading, you know, at such un- seasonable hours,”’ replied the officer, with a grin. ‘What's to prevent a citizen of this here Com- monwealth from taking an airing whenever he peaseee! And if he has a mind to protect his phiz pe these raw winds, who's to hinder, I'd like to cnow?"’ The Tiger pushed his tongue into his cheek, canted his head on one side, and favored his auditors with a decided wink. His playfulness put them in a good humor. Even his first captor laughed as he rubbed his head where it pad sustained too intimate relations with the pave- men “T say, Bewick,”’ said Tiger Dick, addressing one of the policemen, as they walked along, “if, when you are off duty in the morning, you will take the rouble to tell Jimmy Duff the number of my room and ask him to drop around, the first thing, he'll pa vou the five dollars that ['ll owe you. I wouldn't him to call upon me, only I feel as if I'd keep the house for a few days.”’ Bewick laughingly promised compliance, and one of the other officers said: ‘Speaking of Jimmies, wasn't that ‘Tho Shady’ that gave us the a a “He called him Jimmy, and requested him to tuck his knife under my ribs," said the policeman who had effected the capture. ** All's fair in love and war,” laughed the Tiger. “Not that I loved you less, but that I hated your company more.”’ ‘Laven, McCabe and Doolan, suppose you go and. lay for Shadow Jim," said the officer who appeared to be in command. ¥ ** You may low as much as you please; but if you hatch out that chick, just let me know,” said the Tiger, withachuckle. CHAPTER VIIL THE TIGER UNDISMAYED. Ticer Dick sat in his cell, with a look in which was a curious blending of satisfaction and vexation. **It’s deuced hard luck to be coo up in this bandbox,” he said, with a half-frown, ot around the narrow confines of the room. “ Well, they can't bring anything against me but resisting arrest, if I can only stop the mouth of Freddy's pa. Gads! it was lucky I Vand the keys into the sachel along with the green , or they would have found them when they searched me. Shadow Jim must have grabbed up the sachel, when he let out. He's a trump, he is. Hesaw there was no use of sticking to me any longer—he'd only get bagged along with me, if he did—and so he é off with the plunder, which the same was the only evidence of our indebtedness to Messrs. Carrington & Powell. If I hadn't intrusted the yellow boys’’—Dick meant the coin—‘to Me- larland, we would have been in a box, He would have had to leave one or the other, which would have been equally bad. By the way, I suppose Mac is just e etough to run away with the skads, if he didn’t know that ’'d hunt him through purgatory and back but I'd put a sky-light into his carcass for t. - cid Rh one me we're up and the next we're down, the valiant will only put inan a ance, we'll see what can be done toward eff my release from this snug little seven-by-nine,”’ Jimmy Duff was r Dick’s partner. His “ end of the shop " was the “ whisky ng," while tle Tiger ‘‘ mani ted the Hestehooras. He was a man with b black and. brist black beard. When he frowned, his beetling b brows bristled; and when he compressed hii tipa, the hairs of his short-cropped mustache rose successively, like the quills of an angry hedgehog. Th man ‘had ee sor a some wa any - the. trical ons -barrels; and th panustoak gurgle of the “ bis whisky tate in his oice. “Arrah! Dick, me jewel, an’ fwhat : he-ur, in this baste a a holes” was the & ston when ushered by the warden into the presence of the - Pei down, Jimmy,” said pts ee oh ba. °° ey vi logo of your pro stand long on his fect.”” ee ae mee) ““Whisht! me b’y,” said eo ene down ri m ug upon the bed and myste a flask fro 8 pocket. “It’s mesilf s bro e a tooth- ful av pothee os a sure, to ‘liven ye up a bit. stout hairt, an we'll jerk ye out o' this lo Decl tiee dean, oft. pee a es n’ spalpeens. that xy pela on you last night, bad ‘cess to them, ne ee the liquor, and smacking his ps, said: ‘* Jimmy, I'll remember you on the judgment-d if I see it going hard with you, and ee a drop of consolation in my canteen, But now to Have you seen anything of Shadow Jim?" e that ‘u'd loike to , th Gomicbooks Cor A