Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

a was no empty talker—not given to either brag nor Lluster, but a quiet, resolute fellow who pre- ferred to allow his deeds to speak for him, In all his long career of crime, this was the most serious situation that Everest bad ever faced. - The escape of the Western sleuth-hounds from the death trap that he had so carefully planned for them was unaccountable, He was as positive as he could well be of any- thing which he had not really seen with his own eyes that he had heard Talbot and Bowers pass through the front door into the entry of the house; that is, two men had applied for admission, and when the woman let them in he had distinctly recognized Talbot’s voice, If it was Talbot, and he was in the entry at the time of the explosion, if the woman had been killed, by what miracle had he es- caped? ‘Oh, not all; I only want to show you that you are out of your reckoning when you assume that I haven't any case in this in- stance.” ‘* Go ahead!” Everest exclaimed, in the most reckless and careless manner imaginable. | ‘‘ When the woman brought the invitation, I suspected at once that it covered a trap, a sort of ‘won't you walk into my parlor,‘said the spider to the fly ’ business. ‘‘T counseled them to pretend to accept the offer, though, and at the same time deter- mined to put a watch on the house so as to find out just what little game you were trying to lay.” ; Oyen are a paragon of a detective!” cried Everest, in his most sarcastic manner. ‘¢ Well, I don’t claim much, and in this case, if fortune had not favored me, I should not have been able to accomplish anything. ‘But hardly had myself and party placed ourselves in ambush when two men came along, bound for your house.” Everest drew a long breath and listened with all his ears. ‘‘Two men for whom the rope of the hang- man has been waiting for a year or more, ‘‘T would have sprung forward and secured the scoundrels, had not one of them chanced to speak as he passed me, ‘‘T listened with amazement, for his voice bore a strong resemblance to the voice of Mr. Talbot. ‘‘Then the idea flashed upon me to let the men go on, thinking that you might be deceived by the voice and spring your trap. ‘*The two men who walked to their death were Bud McNulty and Dutch Karl. One was killed outright, the other is badly wounded and will turn State’s evidence.” Everest stood like a statue, CHAPTER XXXVI. KEEPING THE OATH. ‘* So you see at last you are fairly trapped,” the detective concluded, in his quiet, yet expres- sive way. ; ‘*T have been after en for a long time, and I will not attempt to deny that you have given me a deuce of a chase, and more trouble than any ten men I ever encountered; but you are run to earth now, like the fox that you are,” ‘‘ Oh, you think so, do you?” asked the hunted man, growing white in the face, a sure sign with him that passion’s fires were raging flerce- ly in his veins, and as he spoke he surveyed the bloodhounds who bode pursued him so closely i alignant glare. wives ori you ec safe to bet all your wealth onit. At last I have you dead to rights, and I flatter myself it is rather a feather in my cap, too, for I am about the first detective that ever succeeded in getting a hold on you, Phenix re- i lacidly. pis on’t Scien, though, as I ought to claim much credit for myself-in the affair,” he con- tinued, after pausing for a moment as if to re- flect upon the matter. ‘“ For had it not been for this gentleman,” and he nodded to Talbot, ‘‘I am not certain that I could have accomplished this much-to-be-desired c .: ” ars You will pardon if I am somewhat dull of comprehension,” Everest remarked, having choked back his anger, and in a measure recov- ered his composure, ‘‘but I am not able to per- ceive that I am ina particularly bad hole. ; ‘‘T have been in worse scrapes than this in my time, even if all you have said is simply the truth without the least bit of exaggeration. ‘You charge me with certain crimes, perhaps you will be able to prove that I am guilty, and perhaps you will not be as successful in the at- tempt as you firmly believe. ‘‘T have money and influence, and your own experience in New York must have told you that it is a difficult matter to bring to grief in this city a man as well-heeled as I am, even if guilty of worse crimes,” : This was true enough, and the detective was well aware of the fact, but he put the best possi- ble face on the matter. * It isn’t so safe to count on that as you seem to think,” be rejoined, _ Injun Dick, Detective. succeed in going unwhipped of justice once in a in yet in the long run he wi ok ‘ ' ' 25 - SE ee a ** My experience is taat though a rascal may | but instead of turning and fants his opponent i he darted into the house, and pulling up a trap- be brought to | door in the floor, descended rapidly. It was plain now that the trap-door led to “You ought not to complain, you have had a | some secret passage, aud that the invitation to Jong run of it, and have managed tosuccessfully defy the law for a good many years. ‘** But all mortal things must have an end, you know; run of luck to hold out forever. that goes often to the well will be broken at last.’” ‘** An old adage, but one that does not always come true,” Everest replied contemptuously. “Tl give you a far better fioht than you ou cannot in reason expect such a | ‘The pitcher think, and I am quite ready to bet you a good | round sum that you will not succeed in downing me as completely as you fancy.” ‘** Pil take that bet,” Talbot observed, prompt- ly, ‘‘and Pm mean to cover all the money that you can put up. am not betting on the law, though, but on myself. ‘* You may escape the agents and ministers of justice, but you will not escape me. Tl run you down at last even though you should at- tempt to escape me by flying to the ends of the earth!” ‘** Quite dramatic—a regular romance!” sneer- ed Everest, in contempt. ‘*T suppose you have registered an oath and all that sort of thing.” ‘* You're right, | have, and Pll keep it too,” Talbot replied, quickly. ‘‘Tll have your life if the law does not step in between us,” ‘It’s a great pity that you did not trust to your own exertions without calling upon the law to aid you,” the master rascal remarked with another sneer. **So [ would if you had been a man with any pluck, but when a man is dealing with such a craven cur as you are he is obliged to use all sorts of weapons.” ** Why do you apply such a term to me?’ Ev- erest asked, growing white with rage. It was wonderful how the taunts of this cool and quiet Westerner excited him, and yet he was wont to be a man of ice with nerves as true as steel. **T faced you once, sword in hand, and though by a trick you succeeded in proving the victor in the fight, yet I am not aware that I exhibited any signs of cowardice.” ** Because you had your precious person pro- tected by armor,” Talbot rejoined, immediately. ** Otherwise you would not have dared to en- counter me.’ ‘And you kin bet ducats on that, too!” ex- claimed Bowers, who had been eager and anx- ious to put in a word for some time. ‘You don’t dar’ to strip now ‘cos you know you’ve got sheet-iron all over you; and the brass in your face, too, is powerful enough to turn any pistol-ball that was ever molded.” ** Phenix, you don’t dare to give me a chance to meet this man now in a fuir and open fight!” aac cried, in a rage, turning to the detec- ive. ‘** Oh, yes, I do,” Phenix replied. ‘‘ That is a matter that you two can settle between you. Tam not employed by the law, but am in his pay, and if he chooses to get satisfaction in that way I am perfectly agreeable.” ‘**Good! 1 am glad of it!” Everest exclaimed, apparently with a great deal of satisfaction. ‘“ And now, you Western bloodhound, if you are half the man you pretend to be I dare you to meet me in single fight, ‘*T am armed wita a six-shooter and I pre- sume you are not without a revolver. We can adjourn to the garden and settle our little mat- ter there once for all. ‘** The moon is up full and strong and will af- ford us ample light, and as for armor, look!” and as he spoke he opened his vest. ‘* Now come, you loud-mouthed fellow,” he said to Bowers. ‘‘and see if you can discover any armor here.” e veteran did not hesitate to make the ex- amination, and was obliged to admit there wasn’t any breastplate beneath the shirt. ‘* Good solid flesh and no mistake!” he said, as he hit Everest a thump in the breast that made him wince, ‘We'll adjourn to the garden. You remain by the house, Ill walk off a hundred paces while Phenix counts ten, and after the word ten is spoken we are at liberty to advance and fire as soon as we like, and the fight to be kept up until one of us is unable to continue it.” The conditions suited Talbot and he agreed to them at once. Then they all proceeded to the open air with- out delay. Talbot took a position at a corner of the house, ‘* No motion to draw or fire until the word ten is spoken,” Everest enjoined, ** All right, it is understood,” Talbot replied. “Go ahead, Phenix!” Everest commanded, as he walked leisurely toward a little summer- house which was about a hundred yards away. Phenix began: “* One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten When the lest word was spoken Everest was about a yard away from the summer-house, a LLL A battle was but a pretext on the part of the outlaw to afford him an opportunity to escape from the snare in which he had become entan- All of the party were taken completely by surprise, for none of them had the slightest sus- picion that the desperado, thus oun en- reper and brought to bay, was not willing to yield to circumstances and acknowledge himself conquered, Even Talbot was caught off his rd so he only had time to fire a snap-shot at the King of Crooks as he disappeared through the trap-door, and though Injun Dick seldom missed even such hastily executed shots, ae this time, as the fugi- tive had dove through the opening with almostas much rapidity as a pantomime actor on the stage vanishes from sight, he had serious doubts as to whether he had hit his man. Melancholy Mike laughed outright at the dis- comfiture of the bloodhounds, ** Aha! it is early you will have to rise in the morning to put salt on the tail of such a bird as Malachi Everest!” he exclaimed. Talbot and Phenix, closely followed by Bow- ers, rushed to the summer-house, anxious to ursue the fugitive, although they were too een-witted not to suspect that the trap-door through which the villain had escaped, was ar- ranged in such a way as to impede pursuit. The suspicion was correct. The trap-door was iron, and all the efforts of the pursuers could not move it in the least, Melancholy Mike had followed them, eager to see if they would succeed in the pursuit. It was not often that Phenix betrayed that he was aig, bos at any misadventure, but on this occasion he could not conceal his displeasure at the escape of the man whom he had so cleverly entrapped, and he turned to Mike. ‘* Here, you know the secretof this trap-door!” he cried. ‘* Show me how to open it!” **Upon my word I don’t know anything about it!” Mike protested. ‘Oh, that is too thin!” Phenix added. ‘** Altogether too gauzy !”’ Bowers asserted. “Tt is the truth, asl am a living man!” the ruffian averred, ‘* You mustn't take the Old Man for a flat, you know. Hewasn’t the kind of man to give his secretsaway. I wish I may die if I know any- thing at all about this passage!” ‘*Oh, nonsense!” Phenix retorted, ‘‘ you are his right-hand man and deep in his secrets. ‘‘ Nothing of the kind! Of course I will ad- mit that once ina while I was mixed up with some job that he engineered, but that is all.” ‘* The only thing we can do is to get an ax or sledge-hammer and see if we can’t break a wa through this iron door,” the detective observed, giving up as a bad job the attempt to gain in- ormation from Melancholy Mike. Phenix believed, too, that the ruffian spoke the truth. Such a first-class schemer as Malachi Everest, would be apt to keep his secrets to himself, for by intrusting them to one of his tools, he ran the risk of having them betrayed. Warning Talbot to keep an eye on Melancholy Mike, Phenix went to the stables, which were near at hand, and succeeded in finding an ax. He was determined upon etikiy a entrance through the iron door, although he had little hope of GORE. the fugitive, as he felt toler- ably certain that this king of rascals would not be fool enough to shut himself up in a hiding- place where he could be found by his enemies. It was his belief that the tran-door was the entrance to some underground passage, by means of which the desperado chief could make his escape. But whether Melancholy Mike knew this or not was a question difficult to answer. The fellow swore that he did not, and it was possible he spoke the truth. By the aid of the ax the iron door was on Getly and, as Phenix expected, a secret undergroun passage was discovered leading to the boat-house on the river, so that by means of the boat, Ev- erest had been enabled to escape. The wolf had succeeded in breaking through the snare and was still at large. The hunt was not yet ended, and Talbot's vow of vengeance was still unfulfilled. Accompanied by the girl, overjoyed at her rescue, the three friends returned to the city. kage yg Mike had been dismissed with the injunction that he must be careful how he con- ducted himself in the future, if he did not wish to be sent to his old quarters up the river, and the rest who had been captured in the raid, were also released with the injunction that they had better take warning and lead honest lives, if they didn’t wish to look through iron bars, J CHAPTER XXXVII. COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING. AN unpleasant duty Talbot and Phenix had to” perform, and that was to acquaint Fedelia with Gomicbooks co