Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

as “In the West that is all right, but here in the | East we call it murder, and if you should try that game and be unlucky enough to fall into the clutches of the law, it would cost you ten or twenty years inthe State Prison which would be an extremely high price to pay for the satis- faction of ‘laying out’ your foe.” ‘‘ Yes, that is true enough, and I don’t think I should be willing to pay that price,” Talbot ob- served, ‘* Tt seems hard too, that I can’tget a crack at him, for the scoundrel has persistently sought my life right from the beginning,” ‘True, but his blows are dealt in secret, so that the law cannot reach him.” ‘Suppose I take example by him and try the same game, excepting that I am willing to give the fellow a fair chance for his life which is more than he has ever given me.” ‘*The idea is a good one.” ‘**T think so.” ; ‘We will try it—we will change our tactics, instead of attempting to catch him in some overt act so that we can turn him over to the law, we will scheme to bring you and him to- gether, and in such a place that there can be no possible interference, and if you succeed in kill- ing him in the fight no one will be the wiser in regard to it.” ‘‘ That is exactly what I want!” cried Talbot, emphatically. ; ‘ ‘And if I do not succeed in avenging the murder of my pard, then the scoundrel is wel- come to go free.” ‘¢‘ T have been thinking out a plan which I have an idea will work. ‘*The fellow is like a fox and doubles and twists so it is no easy matter to tell how to find him. ‘* We have been lucky enough though to twice | gain a personal interview with him, despite his strenuous efforts to avoid the meeting, and, from certain discoveries which I have made, I feel tolerably well satisfied I can anticipate his next move, and if I am correct it will give us the opportunity we seek.” The entrance of Bowers at this moment inter- rupted the conversation. In his hand the veteran held a newspaper—one of the afternoon journals, fresh from the press, and from the look upon the face of Bowers, both Talbot and Phenix could see that he believed he was the bearer of important information. ‘*Gen’iemen, hyer’s a racket and no mistake!” Bowers exclaimed, waving the newspaper. ** What is it?’ Talbot inquired. “The jig is up!” ** How so?” | Injun Dick, Detective. **S’pose we go and take a squint at the body,” Bowers suggested. ‘*T reckon we have been introduced to the man once or twice, and if we take a look at the corpus we will be able to tell whether it is our mutton or not.” ‘‘ No doubt about that, even though the face is disfigured, as I apprehend it is from the news- paper report in regard to the wounds on the head,” Phenix observed. ; ‘That would be his game, of course, to dis- figure the face so as to make recognition diffi- cult, if not impossible.” ‘No doubt it is a plant!” the detective ex- claimed decidedly. ‘* Everest is too long-headed a scoundrel to al- ya any of his rascally associates to get the best of him. ‘** And then we know where he was last night and on what business he was engaged. “The police jumped to the conclusion when they found the body that he had been in some _ his weapons, could not be easi river rat expedition and had been murdered by his confederates. ‘** We know better. We know that he escaped from us by means of a boat, and, although it is possible of course that he may have encountered some river pirates in his flight and have fallen their victim, yet it is not probable, for there isn’t the least doubt that the fellow was armed to the teeth, and being an se ik in the use of y settled.” ‘* But how about the body?” Talbot inquired. _“ Where did that come from?” ‘** That is a mystery, certainly, but its solution doesn’t concern us unless we come to the conclu- _ sion that it has something to do with our man. But let us go and take a look at the remains.” ‘* Whar will we strike ’em?’ asked Bowers, ‘‘At the Morgue, as the city dead-house is termed, where all unclaimed bodies are placed on inspection.” ‘“*T catch on, me noble dook!” exclaimed the | veteran, theatrically. ‘*T know what you mean; Iam posted on all | sorts of foreign lingo, and I reckon if I gota good ready on, that I kin parley-vou with any frog-eater you kin scare up.” The three went straight to the dead-house, but ' were too late to see the body as it had been ‘“The cuss we have been hunting has passed | of Everest.” iu his checks.” Both the detective and the Westerner uttered an exclamation of surprise. ‘*Sure as ye’r? born! Hyer’s the hull account in this newspaper,” He handed the sheet to Phenix, and the detec- tive read the account aloud. In the blackest of display lines was the head- ing: ‘*DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN CROOK.” Then followed the particulars, which ran as follows: “The police patrol boat just before daybreak this | morning picked up in tie East river the body of a | man who had evidently met a violent death, as there | were some fearful wounds on the head, “Prom letters found upon his person the | ody was identified as that of Malachi Everest, who was well known to the po.ice as one of the leading . ks’ of the country. — raved was a sori of king among the * cracks- men.’ and bore the re utation of having planned more big jobs than any other man in his line in the country, although he always managed his game so shrewdly that the authorities were never abl» to t him dead to rights. arn It is surnilsclt by the police that Everest was engaged in some plundering expedition and that a quarrel having arisen between the thieves, they re- sorted to violence and in the struggle Everest was killed. The murderers then abandoned the boat and made their escape, ; ‘ The police are working on some impo tant clews and hope to be able to apprehend the culprits in a short time.” ‘ Humph!” was the comment that the detec- tive made when he came to the end of the ac- count. a ‘Ags the cuss has passed in his checks, that up- sets our leetle game,” Joe Bowers observed, “* And if so be as how that is the lay-out, m my opinion, the quicker we get back to the shadows of the durned old Rocky Mountains the better.” ; : ep Joseph, my boy, this newspaper article is no proof that the man 1s ¢ead, Talbot remarked, ‘* My own idea exactly, said Phenix, “It must be true; ain’t 1t in the newspaper and a newspaper never tells no les, you know,” the veteran observed with a grin. . “Tt isa plant to throw us off the track!” the detective declared. ' “That is what it looks like to me,” Talbot coincided. ie ‘Not the least doubt about it in my mind, We have been pushing him so closely that he | to him, calculated we would be apt to surely run him | down in the end and so he devised this cunning | trap, but he 1s out of my reach now,” Phenix trick to make us give up the chase.” | | | | | | 1 claimed and removed. ‘* The body was recognized then?” Phenix asked Being well acquainted with the keeper of the Morgue, it was an easy matter for him to gain all the information he required. ** Oh, yes.” ‘* As Malachi Everest?” ** Yes, a lot of the crooks came after it.” ** And there isn’t any doubt that it is the body **Oh, no, none at all.” “You knew the man?” ** Yes, tolerably well.” ‘** And did you recognize the body?” ‘Well, yes, but I reckon I wouldn't if I hadn't been posted in regard to who he was, for the face was all disfigured. You see he must have got an awful tanning before he turned up his toes.” “T feel a curiosity to see the body,” Phenix observed, quietly. ‘‘Do you know where the remains were taken?” ‘“Up to Harlem, somewhere, around One Hundred and Tenth street, near the river.” The three immediately set out, determined to learn the truth, By inquiring of the policeman whose beat ex- tended through that neighborhood, they succeed- ed in finding the house to which the body had been carried. [ft was the residence of a well-known crook, with whom Phenix was personally acquainted ; the man-hunter had been instrumental in pro- viding him with a boarding-house up the river once, but, as he assured the detective when he greeted him, he bore no malice, but rather thanked him for doing him a good turn, for the trip to Sing Sing had been the means of making anew man of him, as after his release he had turned over a new leaf and was now leading an honest life. Phenix expressed his pleasure at being the means of rescuing him from a crooked life, al- though as he spoke he knew the man was not telling the truth, but, on the contrary, was as big a rascal as ever The detective explained why he had come, and the host conducted him to the little, scantily- furnished parlor where the body reposed. The room was dark, the curtains being drawn, and then, as the face was peemewy hid by the pee and bandages which had been applied y the undertaker so as to make the body look as well as possible, besides being evidently much altered by the withering touch of the Great Destroyer, it was no easy matter for the three men to decide, as they stood by the coffin and gazed upon the unpleasant sight, whether the really looked upon the mortal remains of Mal. achi Everest or not, ‘He's gone at last,” remarked the host, as- suming a sorrowful expression, as though the cead man was one who had been near and dear “Yes, T have often tried to catch him in a observed, in a reflective sort of way. 4 —EEEE——E—E———E——E—E——EE | 27 ‘*T suppose there isn’t any doubt that it is Everest, or the face doesn’t seem familiar to me? ‘*Oh, no doubt at all about it!” the fellow declared, confidently. ‘The expression is changed, but 1 could swear to him among a thousand.” After a few more words the three departed, ‘It is a plant, sure enough!” Phenix declared, after they reached the street. ‘*It is a cunning trick on Everest’s part to throw us off the track, but it will not work, The man is alive, and we must hunt him down!” CHAPTER XXXIX, THE CROOK AGAIN, AND now we must return to Malachi Everest, and follow him in his flight. Of course the escape by means of the tra door in the summer-house was all carefully planned in the cunning brain of this king of ras- cals when he declared his readiness to meet the western avenger in single fight. He had not the slightest idea of exposing his precious person to the bullets of this determined foe, although, personally, the scoundrel was as brave a man as ever stepped foot to earth. But he had a great deal of shrewdness, and as | he did not believe he was a match for Talbot, he had no fancy to take part in a contest where the advantage would be on the side of his oppo- nent. He had proved that he was no coward when he had faced the avenger, sword in hand; butin that affair he fancied that Talbot stood no chance, and so he boldly confronted him, . Now he knew that the odds were against him, and he shrunk from the encounter. He fancied that he would be able to make his escape by way of the summer-house, and that was the reason why he accepted the challenge so- promptly. Knowing the strength of the iron trap-door, | which was worked by a secret spring, Everest | shrewdly calculated that if he was able to get into the opening and close the iron barrier, his foes would never be able to find the spring which opened the trap, and before they conld force a way through the door he would be safe from pursuit. The plan worked to perfection, As the reader has secn, the master-rascal early found an opportunity to slip into the passage, succeeded in closing the door, and by the time that his pursuers managed to force a way through the iron barrier, Everest had gained the boat-house, put on a rough pea-jacket and an oil-skin hat so that he looked like a boatman, then got into the craft and pushed out into the stream. The tide was running swiftly toward the city the light boat glided onward, and Everest laughed with glee as the old stone house vanished in the gloom. ae ote again, you cursed man-hunters,” he cried, ‘* And, if Ido not miss my guess, it will be a long time before you ever get me in as tight a aig as the one in which you caught me to- night. Sverest pulled a lusty oar and the boat made a rapid progress onward. The night was neither dark nor light; there was a moon, but its light was not strong, for the face of the sky was covered with misty clouds. The fugitive was well acquainted with the locality though, and could have easily found his way, guided by the lights on shore, even if the night had been of Egyptian darkness, When he arrived on a line with Forty-second street he headed for the New York shore. ‘*T must take precious good care how [I move from this time out,” he murmured. ‘*Wor after the way I have tricked them to- night there isn’t the least doubt that Phenix wil move both heaven and earth to get on my track again. “Tt will hardly do to trust myself in any of the flash dens, for a watch will immediately be oat upon all of them the very moment that henix returns to the city, ‘**T must set my brains to work to devise some scheme which will confuse the bloodhounds and set them upon a false trail.” As he uttered the words he cast a glance over his shoulder in order to see if he was heading in the right direction, and as he did so his eyes fell upon a * floater.” , ‘“* In the parlance of the rivermen, a ‘ floater” is a dead body drifting with the tide. It lay upon its back, with its white and ghastly face upturned to the sky. The body was that of a man about Everest’s build and age, and attired in a dark business. suit almost exactly like the one that the master- crook wore. There were some ugly wounds upon the head which terribly disfigured the face, so that it would have been a difficult matter for even an intimate acquaintance to have recognized the mutilated and bloated features As he surveyed the body a bright idea occur- red to Everest. ** Aha!” he exclaimed. ‘*here is a chance to: throw dust in the eyes of my pursuers! mMicboo (E(0) SiG (0) q “l