Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

‘em, and arter we git her into the carriage we kin put ’em on. ‘‘ Then if some inquisitive cop should take it into his head to peek into the wagon, he'll be smarter than the most of them are if he suspects that there is anything wrong, ’cos the gal will look as if she was asleep.” The little man nodded in token of comprehen- sion. With cat-like steps the ruffian approached the sleeping girl. She was soundly bound in slumber’s chain. Injun Dick, Detective. and in close proximity to it, so that the mo- ' ment the explosion takes place a blaze will be | From his pocket the cracksman drew a vial, | full of a peculiar-smelling fluid, as was plainly almost certain to spring up.” “What is your idea of that?’ Melancholy Mike asked. ‘*To destroy all traces of the tragedy which has taken place,” the other replied. * Althouch I have owned the cottage for years, no one knows that it is my property, with the exception of yourself. ‘“T bought it under an assumed name and have always been known in the neighborhood by that name, ‘** Now it is just possible that Phenix and this made apparent when he withdrew the cork, and , Western bloodhound have not told any one they a sponge about half as big as a man’s fist. saturating the sponge with a fluid, he applied it to the nostrils of the girl, seizing her at the same time with a grip of iron and compressing her throat so it was impossible for her to utter acry of alarm, The rude attack woke the girl right speedily from her slumbers, but it was in vain for her to attempt to struggle, for she was like a child in the grasp of the powerful ruffian. Soon her senses began to reel, too, under the influence of the powerful drug. Vorcibly imprisoned as she was in the grip of the cracksman, she experienced the full force of the dose so rudely administered. Vain were her struggles, vain the attempt to resist the influence of the powerful drug. Her head swam around, the light faded from her mind, and she fell back, senseless, in the hands of the burglar. ‘¢ She made a plucky fight,” the cracksman re- marked, in a tone of admiration, *‘ but it ain’t no use for to kick ag’in’ such a thing as this here cologne, ’cos the human don’t live w’ot kin fight s+ 9? ‘‘Right you are; but let’s git while we are young,” the manikin replied, in a brisk, business- like tone. Then in his strong arms the marauder lifted the form of the helpless girl. The dwarf with the lantern led the way inte the entry, bearing the girl’s cloak and hat, and after his companion quitted the room, closed the door and ne means of the nippers locked it again, so as to keep the fact of her abduction a secret as long as possible, Then he glided on in the advance and led the way through the lower regions, Not a sou! did they encounter in their passage were coming here to-night. **Success sometimes makes men over-confi- dent, and they have run me so closely they may have got the idea into them heads that I was about at the end of my rope. ‘‘If they have not taken the precaution to post their friends in regard to this trip to-night the manner of their taking off may remain a mystery.” ‘That's true enough,” Mike remarked, amaz- ed at the depth of the plot which the ** Old Man” | had concocted. } | possible, for merely charred ' ‘*If the ruins of the house take fire, as I feel sure they will, the chances are a hundred to one that recognition of the bodies of those who perist ed in the explosion will be rendered im- bones will re- main, ‘Now, are not the odds great that all will | believe that I, the master of the house, perished, and if they succeeded in discovering that there were two men in the house at the time of the explosion, will it not be likely when inquiry is made that it will be believed that the bodies | are yours and mine, for your presence in the through the house, and not the least bit of noise | <lid they create. : When they arrived at the coal-bole, they sig- naled to their confederate who was on the watch in the street, and he hastened to remove the iron cover, ‘‘ Ts the carriage to the fore?” the leader asked. ‘Yes, right alongside.” “¢ And the coast is clear?” ‘‘Nary a thing in sight.” ‘“‘ Here’s the gal then—stow her away as quick- ly as you kin.” And as he spoke, the ruffian passed the sense- less form of the victim up through the hole in the pavement to his comrade, and he hastened to place her in a shabby-looking coach which had made its appearance since the two had en- tered the house, and was drawn up by the side of the curbstone. After the girl was saf ly bestowed in the vehicle, the ruffian returned to the coal-hole, The other swung the dwarf up to him, and after the manikin had reached the pavement by the aid of his comrade, climbed out of the cellar, Then the iron cover was carefully replaced, The three entered the coach, and away the vehicle started. The girl’s hat was placed upon her head, and her cloak cast around her, and, as she leaned back in a corner of the coach, it would have re- quired a close inspection to detect that anything was wrong. — me beatitiful job—very beautiful!” the dwarf declared, with true professional pride. CHAPTER XXXITI. THE RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION. TE moment the wire was pulled, whose mis- sion it was to bring the hammer down and ex- pléde the dynamite, Everest and his companion retreated as rapidly as possible through the un- derground passage, for both of them had the fear that some of the falling timbers of the house might descend with sufficient force to break in the roof of the passage and so cut off eir escape. p The force of the explosion had completely ruined the house, as Everest had intended, and as he explained to his companion as they hur- ried through the dark, underground pamage, there were fires in three different stoves, the stoves crammed full of coal so that when the red-hot pieces were dispersed by the explosion, the chances were great that they would set fire +o The honse is old, and will burn like tinder,” the Old Man observed to his pal, as they went onward as rapidly as possible. “Then, too, I took the precaution to have three full cans of coal-oil, a can to each stove, house to-day was known to some of the neigh- bors, for I saw two of them passing when I ad- mitted you this afternoon.” ‘*Oh, there ain’t much doubt about that,” re- ' sponded Mike, more and more impressed with the ingenuity of the carefully planned scheme. ‘**Tt’s a horse to a hen that it will work as I have described!” Everest exclaimed, decidedly, ‘* And, therefore, until this affair blows over and curiosity dies away, you and I must be among the eran ** This part of the country must know us no more.” ‘* ‘We can easily keep shady.” By this time the two had reached the end of the secret passage, and emerring into the shanty, passed through it into the opon air. As Everest had anticipated, the ruins of the house were in a blaze. As they were under the hill they could not see the house itself, but the flames were begin- ning to light up the sky, and people, attracted by the sight, were hurrying to the spot from all directions, ‘We must get out before the flames illumi- nate the night sufficiently to allow any one to recognize us,” Everest remarked. **In such a case as this, unless a man is care- ful, some unlucky accident is sure to upset all calculation, so we'll be off as fast as possible.” ‘** Yes, that will be the wisest course,” Mike observed. ‘*‘ We can watch the fire from a distance as well as though we were near at hand.” And the two, too prompt to let the action wait upon the word, turned their backs upon La flames and set off in the direction of Har- em. ‘* We will not take a.car until after we cross the river and get into the city proper,” Everest said, ‘‘and so we will avoid all chance of recog- nition.” ‘ The two avoided the roads and struck across the fields, and halted not to look behind until they had covered fully a mile. Then they paused and glanced back. From where they stood they commanded a full view of the ruins which were blazing fierce- y. ‘*Tn an hour or so there will be nothing there but ashes!” Everest exclaimed, with an accent of fierce joy. ‘* And with the death of these two men I re- move from my path the only enemies whom I have reason to fear. ‘The weak fool of a woman, too, who was cunning enough to deceive me all these years, who strained at gnats and swallowed camels. ‘*She was such a goodly creature that I never dared to reveal to her my true character: Iacted a lie to her all this time, and now I just dis- cover that she was deceiving me in regard to her past life all the time. ‘*T am well rid of the weak fool, and in the smiles of her daughter I have no doubt I shall be able to find consolation.” “‘Suppose you find that she has the same foolish notions about honesty and such stuff as her mother?” Melancholy Mike asked, shrewd- y. ‘““Why, then, I will whistle her off down aot wind to shift for herself too,” Everest re- plied. ** Don’t fear, old pal, that I shall ever again man, ce make a fool of myself for the sake of any wo- a 2 “This was the one infatuation of my life. It has lasted a long time, stood in my way not a eee but at last has come to an untimely end. ‘Glad to hear you say it; now you're talk- Pe sense,” Melancholy Mike remarked, approv- ingly. ‘** But I say, ain’t the old house making a blaze?” ** Yes, it is the funeral pyre of two of the most bitter enemies that fate ever put upon the track of a human since the world began. **T didn’t like to confess it, old fellow, even to myself, but I really began to be afraid that these bloodhounds would succeed in catching me by the throat at last. ‘* Phenix is bad enough; but this wild West- erner, Who has followed me with the dogged perseverance of a red Indian, was the one I dreaded most. ‘** But come, let’s push on. ** We can read all about the fire and the spec- ulations in regard to who perished in the flames in to-morrow’s paper. ‘The reporters will scent an item of this kind as a hungry vulture scents the carrion upon which he feeds. These newspapers are great institutions,” ‘**T believe you,” responded Mike, and then again the pals proceeded on their way. They arrived at Harlem bridge without hav- ing had the ill-luck to encounter any one whom they knew, and on the city side of the bridge took acar on the elevated railroad and were soon on their way down-town. Nothing of interest transpired on the trip, and at Thirty-fourth street they took the branch road to the ferry, and crossed the East river to the Long Island side. The ferry crossed, they took the horse railrcad, which runs parallel with the river, and journeyed toward Astoria. There were few passengers on the cars and the way was a lonely one, and after a twenty minutes’ ride the two alighted and made their way to a massive stone house which stood half- way between the street and the river. The house was surrounded by a large gar- den, heavily overgrown with shrubbery, and be in turn was encompassed by a high stone wall. The place was an ancient one; had evidently been a fine estate in its day, but lack of care and the destroying hand of old father Time had made sad inroads upon it. ' This was another one of Everest’s retreats. The master scoundrel had fully a half-dozen. They were expensive, but afforded him pro- tection at times when protection most was needed. ; And having these retired haunts to which he could retreat when the great cities became too hot to hold him, may be ascribed, in part, the singular success which Malachi Everest had had in escaping from the many snares which enter- prising detectives had set to catch him. The house was an isolated one, hardly a neigh- bor within call, and therefore for certain pur- poses could not be surpassed. There was an old, weather-beaten man in charge of the massive wooden gate which af- forded entrance to the grounds, and he had his quarters in a small cubby-hole of a house right by the gate. This man was an old crook whom Everest had picked out of the gutter and aa saved aan starvation, and therefore he was devoted to him. ‘“There will be a carriage along to-night,” Everest remarked to the porter as he entered. “So when you get the proper signal, open the gate so they can drive in.” ‘* All right, sir,” responded the old man. CHAPTER XXXTV. ' FEDELIA’S ADVENTURES. THE girl had been assaulted so dexterously that before she had sufficiently awakened from her slumbers to comprehend what was going on, she was plunged into the trance-like state produced by the powerful drug which had been administered to her. So the assault seemed like a troubled dream such as haunt the couch of a sick person, a vi- sion so real and so horrible that the dreamer cries out in agony, and wakes 10 find the brows bathed in perspiration. Having an abundant supply of the subtle fluid, so antagonistic to human life, with them, the rufflans, who by long prance: had become as expert as doctors in administration of the drug, kept the girl under its influence until she was placed in the apartment destined for er. Slowly the girl awoke to consciousness, and as her senses returned she stared blankly around her. That she was not in her own apartment in the detective’s house, but in a strange one upon which her eyes had never rested before, was a t to her as soon as she had recovered - ciently to note her surroundings, She was lying upon a sofa in quite a large apartment, which, however, was scantily fur- 4 AMIEL oyeye) (C cS (E(@) ~"€O a4 —