Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 306 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 — —— = The Roughs of Richmond. ‘‘Come; then, and, mark you! no tricks, or I shall blow the whole top of your head off.” Griping the boy by one arm, he forced him ing to give you your life, but you must follow | me before seeing any more. I cannot betray the order, so binding is my oath. Come; in | relation of the adventure that ha rised by the befallen his It was Tuff’s turn now to be s partner. from the place and drew.shut thedoor—an iron | one minute more you will be surrounded b ‘* What do you think of Mrs. Fenwick?” Call door set strongly in the masonry. those who will kill you without asking a single | asked, when be bad concluded. The door shut with a light click, and Jo Call | question.” : ‘“‘T think as I told you I thought last night, ir observed that it was so arranged that it could Jo Call could not avoid an exclamation of ad- | after you had told me what transpired between only be opened from the side on which they now | miration for the boy’s pluck in thusexposing | you and the young Jady, Erminie Fenwick.” stood. himself to instant death at the hands of anene- | . ‘*That the woman needs watching?” A narrow landing-place, scarcely two feet | my of the order sooner than betray the secrets | ‘ Exactly.” square, down from which led into impenetra- | of that order. \ - | “And that is my intention—to watch her ble darkness beyond the ray of a dul] lamp on a Ischan, to save his life, was willing to conduct | closely. Return to the house, Tuff, in the dis- bracket at one side, a flight of very narrow | this interloper to safety beyond the house; but guise you say you bave been assuming there. stairs of heavy joisting. not to save his life would he let that interloper But do not forget our arrangement for to- The boy hesitated and seemed to be greatly | into the secrets of the Order of the Golden | night.” distressed. : * | Beetle. | “Tsballnot. And do not you forget. Itisa “‘T shall be murdered for this,” he whispered, The effect of the unexpected shot was instant- mighty risky game you and I intend to play, trembling, ly discernible. Jo, and if you should fail to be there it may * For what?” Below, Mandez grasped the wrist of the wom- | cost me my life.” ‘‘ Liberating you.” an who was about to be initiated by a mystic | | ‘I will be at the trestle of the bridge in sight ‘* And you will assuredly be murdered if, you | rite. and in a position to render assistance in bagging ~ do not keep on and lead me toa place of safety The rest, in concert, turned and dashed to- | the party who may attempt to enter the trap outside of this infernal abode of dark traps. Do | ward the flight of stone steps leading upward | we have laid,” vou comprehend that I am in earnest?” and he | from the underground apartment. | The two separated. pressed the cold muzzle of the revolver close to ‘* Come—come, if you value your life!” urged Tuff returned to the Fenwick mansion. the boy’s temple as he uttered the words, Ischan,. Jo Call sought the agency on Capitol Square, ** Do. not kil) me!” Jo Call realized his danger fully, where he found one of the detective-police wait- ‘Will you lead me out?” He sprang from the position into which he had | ing there for an interview with him. There was another hesitation. settled himself to spy upon the proceedings be- ** Jo Call, 1 want.a word with you.” ‘Come, my lad, I haye no wish to kill any | low, and started on a run after the boy, who, “ All right. Step this way.” one, but it is evidently your life or mine, and I | thongh no longer menaced by the revolver, | He knew that the visit meant business of some certainly shall not hesitate to blow your brains | seemed as anxious as the detective himself to | kind, out if you hesitate much longer.” have the latter out of the council-chamber of In the rear room the officer produced a t eit y- t “Then I shall be killed, anyhow.” the Golden Beetle. | dollar gold-piece from bis pocket. ** What do you mean?” Through the curtains they dashed and up the ‘Look at that, please.” “There is but one way from the spot on | stairs leading to the reception chamber, ** Well?” which we stand.” Here Ischban said: The detective examined the piece critically. ‘. Well?” ‘‘Give.me your weapon. I will say that I ‘*Do you observe anything? “ Through the council chamber of the Order | was examining it and it exploded in my hand,” ** No,” of the Golden Beetle—we must go through ‘¢ And the moment I do that, you will under- ‘* Look at the outer edge—” that.” take to make a prisoner of me,” the deveetive “Ah!” ‘You came that way?” assumed, adding: ‘¢-You see it now?” ‘“No. Look,” pointing upward. “Oh, no, I guess I am not quite so green as ‘t Ves.” Casting a quick glance upward—not long | that,” ‘The piece has been lathed out and then filled enough to permit of any. trick on the part ‘**Tf you do not give me the weapon, I cannot | and colored,” of the i et saw that there was an opening | make any excuse for that sbot; nothing that I ‘But it is a magnificent job,” overhead, through which the boy had evidently | may say will be believed. They may inflict a ‘Very true. And goodness knows how man argpped to gain an entrance into the pitfall. terrible punishment, a torture upon me, to find | of them are at this moment in circulation, bot ‘* How did you expect to get back, then—if it | out what it really meant. I swear to you that | in Richmond and north of it. The first intima- is so dangerous to pees through the council- | I will not trick you,” ‘tion came from Baltimore that there were chamber of this Order.of the Golden Beetle of There could be no doubting the boy’s sincer- | recently anumber of just such pieces discovered which you speak?” ity, asthe fe 'and their current was watched for some time ‘*Ob, Iam a member.” “Take it, then. But mind, if you attempt | before anything being said aboutit. They are ‘You are a member, eh? Then I guess you | anything tricky, I have another here, and I | coming north, said the Baltimore officials, from can safely conduct me through the place, For- | shall not hesitate to use it,” the vicinity of Richmond,” ward, now! Do not hesitate any longer or—” ““Go—go!” urged the boy, who was trem- ‘* And you have been put on the thing to hunt wie } and again he pressed close the muzzle of the | bling. it down, eh?” weapon. The detective started out by the door the boy ‘*That’s it. And what in the world to do first “Tread carefully, then,” warned Ischan. ‘‘I | indicated, knowing that he could not hope to | is a question.” am risking my life to save it. If we are caught | gather any more information regarding Ma- ‘“*T think I can aid you.” * together we are both as good asdead. Tread | thilde Fenwick at that time without great jeop- ‘*- You speak confidently.” earefuliy, I beseech you.” ardy to bimself. ‘‘T am warranted in doing so.” | With one hand gr) ing the boy’s shoulder, Jo In the hall he continued his retreat. “Will you tell me why?” ) ; Call was led slowly Lib the steps into the ter- Within five minutes after leaving the second ‘* Not at present, my dear friend. But I . . rible darkness beyond. floor room in that mysterious house, he was | think I can aid you materially in your field of 4 Going a short distance along a level, Ischan | standing on Main street a little perplexed for | inquiry. Let me give you a pointer.” . paused and said: the moment with all that had transpired. **T shall be glad if you will.” , “Wait; I will take a glance. Don’t youhear| He had heard, though, in that brief moment ‘Have an eye on a lady known as Mrs. Fen- footsteps? The members are moving. Perhaps | when he looked down upon the white-robed | wick.” T can get you out without discovery.” figures with the woman in their midst, the ““ What—of Monroe Park?” : He pulled aside a draping of curtains ahead, | words which indicated that they wished herto| ‘The same,” | and the detective had a glimpse of that wonder- | become their queen. ‘* Surely,” in hugest surprise, ‘‘ there cannot ful subterraneous chamber which had so daz- He had seen the piles of gold, the lathes, and | be anything crooked with that family ?? | zied Mathilde Fenwick on her first entrance | enough to convince him that this Order of the ‘*T have not said so positively, have I? Nor | into it. Golden Beetle was no common order, and by | doT include the. family, for she has a daughter | It was at the moment when the last. of the | some means, the object—an object fully obtain- | who is, I am sure, the personification of purity | spectrally-garbed band was descending through | ed—was the accumulation of money. and guilelessness, I only say I give you a i| f the massive trap in the floor. y Where have hy. been?” Reet, and that is: watch Mrs, Fenwick. The voice broke in on his cogitations sudden- ben de have done that thing pretty well, D ihe CHAPTER. VI. ly, and a touch fel upon his arm. would be glad to know what you have poss } “NOW FOR THE ROUGHS OF RICHMOND !” The speaker was bis partner, Fmashy Tuff. And now if you will excuse me, I will be much ih ISCHAN, when he saw that the chamber was Both detectives were in disguise, but they | obliged, as I have some rtant arrange- | empty, made a movement forward, the detec- | knew one another well. ments to make for a little job on hand to- | 1 tive still retaining a on. his arm. “T have something to tell you, Tim. I have | night,” ' | _ They crossed the floor to the curtains | had an adventure in following up the woman, A very much astonished individual was the | { on the opposite side, where was the entrance | Mathilde Fenwick.” police detective when he went out from the { by which Mathilde Fenwick had been ad- ‘You have been following her, then?” office of Call & Tuff. : — " mitted, sad? “< Yes.” For a few seconds Call remained standing in ! i ** Wait,” said Cal], having ascertained that ‘“*T knew she was not at home,” the center of his little back office, and there was- i ’ here was an outlet. ‘“* How did you know?’ a grim look on bis face. ' ““W bat would you do!” asked Ischan. ‘* Because I have been there.” ‘Tf I haven’t got hold of a pretty big rat by [ “T have a nution that I would like to see Ab}? the tail, then I’m greatly mistaken!” he ex- i what is going on down there,” pon to the} ‘Yes. I was in the house as one of the un- | claimed. ‘‘1 see—or I believe Isee. Hardly y lab that had been moved aside to admit the | dertaker’s assistants. I, too, have made a queer |am I safely out of the mysterious house of . escending and mystic band. discovery.” Arban, where saw a remarkable under- j **Do not pause,” the boy urged, anxiously. ‘What like?” ground workshop, when here occurs something “If we are caught—you and I together—they ‘*T have seen a golden beetle.” which seems to point to that workshop as the if will kill us.” “Where?” source of lathed and refilled gold-pieces. My in- r “Obey me!” was all the detective vouch-| ‘In the library of the mansion. More—it is | formation may prove quite a mare’s nest to Bob } safed; and not for an instant. removing, his | a very remarkable thing.” : Boswick, But 1 cannot follow up. the trail I set gripe from the lad, he stepped quickly back} ‘‘In what way?” . bim on myself just at present. I am satisfied ‘Sa the aperture, stooping and glancing down- ‘“*T will give you a description of it.” that. Miss Erminie’s suspicion regarding her _ r ward. He related to his ner the presence of the | mother is a foolish one; Mrs. Fenwick knows | xz He bad only time to gain a glimpse of the | strange thing on the table in the alcoye—tbe | nothing about the death of ber husband, though | mysterious workshop that was so far under- | table of black marble with gilded trimmings. she is evidently engaged at something wonder- | ; ground in this strange abode, when he was re- ‘‘ More than all that—” he said, in conclusion, | fully dangerous in connection with the Order of : { minded that it was no child’s le to attempt | and pausing. the Golden Beetle. Let Bob Boswick follow | ‘ig to pry into the secre‘s of an order like this. ““ Well?” that pointer, while I get after the roughs who With a quickness that was astonishing, Ischan ‘“The thing is endowed with life,” killed Mr. Dorsey Fenwick— Well?” inserted his finger in the trigger of the revolver ** Pshaw!” The office clerk had entered. “a which the detective beld. ‘‘Laugh if you will. I tell you I distinctly ‘‘IT knew, you were alone,” he said. ‘* And ; fi _ Bya ge pull, the weapon exploded, send- | saw it move!” here’s a note for you that just came,” Bt is ing the glancing down on the stone flooring ; | ‘‘I bave just come from the council-chamber | Delivering the missive, bedeparted. __ ; | below, : of the order that is called the Order of the Jo Call opened the envelope and read this: , . “You may kill me!” he cried; ‘‘ but now, if | Golden Beetle,” said Call. ** Nothing to be learned at the mansion. I am now . you do, your own death is certain. 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