Beadle's Dime Library No. 366 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

: 4 se a The -——__ ——_— ‘“*A good one, I assure you,” “Two of you are to accompany us— ce Us q7? “Yes. A certain friend of mine will accom- pany me.” A certain friend! Revere was the name which suggested itself to Marvin’s thoughts. Was he destined to trace down these men and capture not only themselves but the hidden ruler of the League? The conversation was abruptly terminated as a& new-comer appeared at ti.e door. The man Torrance arose, and the coterie breaking up, Marvin withdrew from his place of espionage and retreated to the street below. he replied, Dusk was just coming down over the city and | the thoroughfares were crowded. He mechan- ically placed the relay instrument and small coil of wire in his pocket, and took up a position in a doorway adjoining the building containing the men he was watching, and stood undecided, meditating profoundly over the case in hand. Within his power to arrest were the men who held the secret of bis father’s fate, but to ap- proach them now would be to substantially de- stroy the clews he was working on. By follow- ing them he might ascertain his father’s place of imprisonment; more—might be enabled to foil their schemes to secure the casket of jewels, These two points were the main elements of the case. He must not act rashly, but in attempt- ing to follow diverging trails he might be at fault. He must seek codperation, With the idea in view of hastening away and obtaining the assistance of a fellow-detective he was about to proceed on his mission when he drew back quickly. Three men had appeared on the walk in front of the entrance to the build- ing. They were Torrance, the man Barnes who had been with him on the shore the night pre- vious, and a companion, Marvin drew back within the shadow, and stood silent and earnestly attentive to the muf- fled conversation carried on by the little coterie. ‘‘'We are ready,” he heard Torrance say. ‘We will approach the place from different directions. Remember the signal—a low whistle, twice repeated.” ** All right,” responded Barnes, and he and his companion started down the street. Tor- rance was about to leave the steps, also, when a man came hastily around the corner, and, at- tracting his attention, caused him to start back and await him. “ Torrance?’ spoke the new-comer, in hur- ried, excited tones, inquiringly peering into the face of the other. “Yes. Whatisit? The police—the—” “* No—our prisoner id ** Marvin? “Yes; he has escaped!” A cry of dismay and rage broke from the man’s lips, drowning the half-suppressed ejacu- lation of surprise and gladness which issued from those of the watcher. ** How did it happen?” ‘*T cannot tell, but an hour since we visited the den. The bars of the window were torn out and a rope made of bed-clothing hanging to the ground told the story.” ‘*Confusion! Weare lost! Is thero no trace of him?” ** None,” “Then hasten back and warn the men to leave. Marvin’s first move will be to inform the police. As for myself, Arnold the banker's, and that, too, quickly, or my game will escape me! He ae a few hurried directions to the man in a whispered tone, and then started down the street at a rapid pece, In his excitement he would scarcely have noticed Marvin, the detec- tive, had he come face to face with him. — He did not A aa for vehicular aid in bis pro- ject, but led Marvin a wild, rapid chase until a retired residence portion of the city was gained. A low stone building surrounded by a large garden seemed the objective point of his jour- ney, for he paused as he reached it, darted into a side lane, and a minute later leaped the stone wall inclosing the structure. Marvin did not delay in following. It was a dark, starless night, and he took the risk of scaling the wall and dropping into the under- brush which grew in profusion inside the fence. “The banker's residence,” he murmured, un- der his breath, ‘‘ Will I, single-handed, be able to cope with these men?” He put all though‘s of securing co-operation aside, now, however. He had crawled within the shadow of a large lilac-bush, and his eyes swept the somber-looking mansion before him. No lights were visible in the place except in one room—evidently the library of the house. The window was Open and one side of the inside blinds pushed back. Within the apartment, plainly revealed seated at a desk, bent over and engrossed with @ pile of papers, was a white-haired man, all unsuspicious of the peril which menaced his peaceful home. This must then be the bauker’s home—the man within view the banker himself. Was he, too, destined to come within the baleful — of the operations of the dreaded League? Was his to be the second life which was to pav the | nalty of being concerned in the secref of the borndyke fortune? : Suddenly there came a low, double whistle. It emanated from the shrubbery so near to Marvin that he started as he marveled that his appearance had not been discovered. It was the signal agreed upon by the conspirators! Whether Barnes and his companion had gained the garden previous to Torrance’s arrival or had crept thither since, the detective did not know, but he saw two forms resembling them coming toward the spot stealthily. A minute later a third form, enveloped in a long cloak and slouch hat, glided from a point near the fence. “We are all here,” he heard Torrance say in a guarded tone. ‘‘ Yonder is our man—within the room the casket. Remember no shots if it can be avoided, and—” ; His voice died to a murmur, responded to in as low a tone by the new-comer. Who was the latter—what his mysterious identity?’ If the silent worker behind the real manipulations of the League, Adrian Revere, Marvin resolved that he would devote his main attention to him, whatever occurred, He drew his revolver and held it in his hand ready for action, wildly excited, trembling with suspense in every nerve. He saw the men arise and start forward, saw a flying figure cross the garden at a bound, the fifth in that singular coterie, and beard a startled exclam- ation from the quartette before him. For the new-comer, evidently unaware of the operations of the others, and having no connec- tion with them, had advanced to the low steps leading to the side entrance of the library. The door seemed to give at his touch, but his appearance, while it alarmed the conspirators, did not balk them in the execution of their fate- ful crime, - For at that moment, as the cloaked stranger and Barnes advanced to the window, he heard Torrance’s voice speak in hurried and excited tones; ‘**Into the room, quick! Banker and visitor— down both and secure the casket!” CHAPTER VI. THE HAND OF FIRE, THe man who sat within the library of the mansion that fateful night was indeed the pri- vate banker indicated in the overheard conver- sation of the conspirators. _Whether friendship with Robert Marvin, or his high reputation for honesty and fidelity, had been the cause of his becoming the monitor of the fortune of the dead millionaire, he had at all events been selected as the warden of the treasure, according to the intercepted letter of the escaped prisoner of the Dynamite League, by Robert Marvin himself. As be heard a sound at the door, he started from his work, glanced quickly at an open safe by his side, and arose to his feet. The desk be- fore him was covered with papers and articles of business correspondence; and besides, held a small round server, upon which was a common tin box. The cover was off, and a glance with- in revealed a singular phosphorescent mixture. It was a package-can of a new illuminating paint, which had been left with him that day to experiment with. A recent invention, its value consisted in the fact that when applied to an object, that Na in the dark would stand plainly outlined, Thus the door of a bank vault painted with the mixture would be as plainly illuminated as if by gas and could be seen en watchman from the street. With a view to an experiment of its alleged merits, Hiram Arnold, the private banker, had secured the novel invention, intending to apply it to his safe door that night. All this—the banker, the room, the package of paint, the new-comer; the aroused conspira- tors, Willis Marvin saw at a glance. His hand aw age his revolver sey as he realized that a crisis had arrived and he heard Torrance’s Ominous words: “Into the room, quick! Banker and visitor, down both, and secure the casket!” The long-cloaked stranger and Barnes had started toward the window, Torrance and his companions remaining in the garden. Behind them was Marvin, trembling with excitement, Bndecided apes to do, e saw the two assassins spring within the window, heard the banker iter ion’ cry of alarm at sight of a form entering the apartment from the outside, and then with a crash the library lamp went out. A moment’s delay meant the loss of the Thorndyke fortuné, if the casket was within that apartment—it might be the life of the banker himself! The confusion of moving bodies, of startled tones in the darkened room excited the detective to the intensest pitch of suspense. He could remain silent no longer. Forgetful of all save a confidence in his own courage and strength, he sprung from the shadow of the lilac-bush toward the open win- | ow. At that minute a shot was fired in the libra- | 'ry. The pistol-flash momentarily showed the Telegraph Detective. a) white-haired banker sinking back, a look of mortal agony on his face. Then, as Marvin gained the window, a pair of strong hands seized him by the arms, drew him back to the garden, and relaxing the hold on his body ' Clasped his throat in a viselike grip. It was Torrance! The detective’s eyes started from his head as he struggled vainly to arise, his opponent’s knee on his breast; he lay at the mercy of his foe. His sight dimly viewed the darkened room, black and somber except where a broad streak of phosphorescent light indicated » where the overturned illuminating paint bad fallen—and something more! A hand of fire! As if a supernatural manifestation, a human hand radiantly outlined and holding a smoking revolver in its clasp swayed in mid-air, its pos- sessor in the obscurity of darkness! The ig ie ation of ready comprehension told the detec tive the truth—the mystery of the paint—and told him, too, that the possessor of that hand was the murderer of Hiram Arnold! It moved hither and thither; there was a loud sound as of a door torn from its hinges; then a shrill whistle sounded from the library, Torrance arose to his feet. But he dealt his well-nigh strangled foe a terrific blow with the butt-end of his revolver as he said to his companion: “Quick! They are successful! Run for it! Meet Barnes and secure the girl as agreed on.” The balf-stunned detective lay inanimate for but a moment; then he sprung to his feet Crossing the rear stone wall he saw the forms of two men, one in advance of the other, and one of them was the mysterious cloaked con- spirator with the flaming band. It flitted across the wall, it guided him down the alley after the man. A brand of fire and blood on this man’s hand, it was destined yet to play an important part in the concurrent re- sults of that fateful night's trayedy !} ‘“‘Is it Adrian Revere?” he muttered, as he darted after the two fugitives; “und who is the stranger? An accomplice, or some person bent on an outside game in the tragedy?’ The others had gained a thickly-populated street. The man with the flaming hand was in advance, He had gr ag observed the aint, for he had incased the hand in a hand- erchief, The other, ten yards behind, kept up a steady run. He was the strange visitor at the library-door, Suddenly, as the latter reached a large tene- ment-house, he glanced up at the window and darted into its open doorway. The detective half a square behind him accelerated his pace, reached the place and sprung toward the door, It was locked! “One of them cornered,” he concluded. “‘ He lives here; that is evident. Now for the other; but which one has the casket?” The moment’s pause had given the man in the cloak a good start, and a minute later he turned into a side street. When Marvin gained the corner he had disappeared! He stood breathless, chagrined, disappointed, He had lost sightof the principal actor in the tragedy. But the man who had entered the house a short distance back—he could find him at least. He turned to retrace his footsteps, when coming down the side avenue, he saw two men walking at arapid pace. He sbrunk back against the fence and crouched within a jog of the structure as he recognized the apprcscning men as Barnes and the companion of Torrance in the garden of the banker’s residence. ‘‘And the casket/” he heard the latter ask, eagerly. ithe captain has it. He fired the shot, and then made for the safe, There’s one thing curi- ous, however.” ‘* What was that?” | “The stranger, whoever he was, was about to give fight when the captain gave the order to scatter.” The captain! This must be he of the flamin hand—the principal in the affair—the man o all others in connection with the League who should be hunted down and punished!” “T will follow them,” murmured Marvin. ‘Once their trail lost I shall be at sea again.” He inwardly censured his excitement which had led him into the error of hoping to cope with his enemies, single-handed, but present ac- tion and the progressive issues of the case caused him to forget all save the trail he wag following. ' : Where would that trail end? If at the den of the meB, their capture would be attempted at, pe once. He kept farin the rear, but never lost sight of them. He began to ie suspicious and curious, however, as finally they turned into the very street where he had left Constance Thorndyke. Then he recalled the hastily-ut- tered words of Torrance in the garden and dis- cerned that they were bent on operating a new phase of the business of the night. Constance Thorndyke! If her abduction was ‘ J ’ , . , > the object of the men, Adrian Revere’s hand . alone could have directed the affair, and neces- sarily he had besn concerned in the murder of the banker. Marvin started, and his heart beat wildly as (EOP OOO KS / A e | 4 «4 ‘ fa con | J