Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective. *<T sleuthed him down, boss,” said the lad, ** though it was a hard race, as he took a cab as soon as he had turned the first corner.” ‘‘Good! Where did you track him to?’ ‘‘Melton place—the house of Clarisse—the house of the man-hole!” 46 Oho!” Hawk remained for a moment buried in thought. ‘‘ And what more natural than that Blithers should go there again, in view of what I have already noted?” he mused. ‘‘ That he had some sort of detective business when I first chanced on him there, seemed quite apparent. How often has my own private business thrown me amid equally questionable surroundings, that I would not have explained to my dearest friend! Truly, f must be mistrusting Blithers without sufficient cause, and yet—” He turned his eyes upon Nixey, who was studying him intently. Et oy, my little friend,” said he, kindly, “we'll just drop Mr. Blithers out of our plans for the present, and I wish you would think no more of that attempt on your life—at least, not just now. ' The boy’s impish face flushed with pleasure. ‘Street Arab as he was, a word of kindness from Hawk was his delight, and to be thus consulted confidentially was an honor that made him feel six inches taller. c “ Agreed’s the ticket, boss,” said he; ‘an’ you're the doorkeeper.” ‘Well, then,” said Hawk, “now as to the commissions I gave you this morning?” ‘¢ All hunky, boss, leavin’ out the swell’s name what's to be dropped.” ‘¢ Was Clarisse at the funeral?” ‘¢-Yes, boss; at the services,” ‘¢ How did she act?” ‘¢ Like a thoroughbred lady, boss; but at the same time as if disappointed.” ‘* Disappointed at what?” ** At not bein’ able to look at the face of the younger woman’s remains,” ‘Yes; old Schmidty had covered up the win- ders of both coffins with flowers, an’ so they re- mained.” ‘‘Clarisse did not accompany the remains to the cemetery, then?” ‘‘No; she made a motion to get into one of the kerriages, and then changed her mind.” ‘** You then shadowed her to the house in Mel- ton place?” ‘* Right you are, boss.” ‘* And saw no more of her?” **Nary a sign.” ‘‘ Now as to your first commission, You gave my note to the patient in Bellevue Hospital?” ' Vee," ‘‘ Did he seem to understand its contents?” ‘‘He growled and cussed under his_ breath while readin’ it, enough to make one think so, boss.” ‘‘ That bespeaks animation, at all events.” ** An’ why not, boss?” ‘“ Why, I understand he was half-killed.” ‘‘Killed be blowed!” exclaimed Nixey, with supreme contempt. ‘Do you fancy where he is now, boss?” ‘* Yes; in the hospital, I suppose.” “Wrong.” ‘¢ Where, then?” ‘‘ At the curb-stone, just over the way, waitin’ for me to signal him to come up, if agreeable to ” ‘The deuce!” exclaimed Hawk; and then he muttered between his clinched teeth: ‘Ah, Clarisse, Clarisse! am I always to be the dupe of your deceptions?” . , “€ Hold on, boss, if you'll parding the liberty !” said Nixey. ‘‘ The young feller likewise alluded to that ’ere odd young womanas havin’ been his friend in need.” ‘But she assured me that he had been almost murdered,” ‘** So she might have thought at first, boss, an’ likewise the young feller himself an’ the sur- geons what looked after him. But the poundin’ he had got turned out to have made nothin’ but lumps an’ bumps, after all.” ‘‘T rejoice to learn this. Signal him to come up at once.” Nixey went to one of the windows, opened it, and wafted three shrill whistles down into the street. A moment later, Seagrave entered the apart- ments. . He wore many bandages around his face and under his hat, but his eyes were eager and his wiry activity seemed to have undergone no diminution. hia! | a ‘Never think of mT injuries, Mr. Heron,” said he, after returning awk’s welcoming grasp of the hand, ‘but tell me the particulars of our failure; that is,” stot side-glance at Nixey, when it is convenient. é ‘“‘T have determined to take Nixey fully into my confidence,” said Hawk. ‘‘Stand by the door yonder, my lad, and keep your ears pricked.” : ; Nixey sprung to his post with sparkling eyes and flushing cheeks, *« Now, Seagrave, let’s commence at the be- ginning,” said Hawk. “How did you chance into such an out-of-the-way spot as Melton place, | where you were assaulted?” ‘Why, your message directed me to go there.” ‘*T sent you no message; but go on.” ** Last night,at about eleven o’clock,” Seagrave proceeded, ‘‘ while on my way back to you, I was standing in a drug store, waiting for a cer- tain prescription to be put up of whose intended use you are aware, when a ragged little girl brought mea note. It purported to come from you, and directed me to apply without delay at No. 23 Melton place, where something of impor- tance would be communicated to me.” ‘** And you obeyed it?” ‘*T am ashamed to confess that I was unsus- picious enough to do so.” ‘** And the result?” ‘*T was suddenly assaulted, at the spot. indi- cated by two ruffians, who would have doubtless hammered me to death with their bludgeons, had not the handsome young woman, who sub- sequently carried my message to you, bravely rushed to my assistance,” ‘* At least one point in Clarisse’s favor!” thought Hawk, with asense of pleasurable relief ; and then he added, aloud: ‘‘ Let me see the note you received at the drug store.” * ‘*Tt has disappeared. I either lost it in the struggle, or it was stolen from me.” ** So, that is all?” ** Not quite,” said Seagrave, uneasily, ‘The pinan gery part of my misadventure is to be ‘**Go ahead.” ** Well, no matter by whom I was lured to Melton place, the ruffians who attacked me there evidently mistook me for some one else.” ** What makes you think so?” ‘My assailants, or rather one of them—a short, stocky fellow, evidently a foreigner, with side whiskers—kept muttering something in broken English during the assault, which convinced me_ that they were Anarchists, Socialists, Nibilists, or something of the sort, who considered me as a false fellow-conspirator —as one meditating treason to his associates.” ‘* That doesn’t seem likely to me.” ‘* But lam sure of it. Sometimes the fellow I allude to would hurl upon me epithets in Rus- sian, and I happen to have some acquaintance with the Russian tongue. ‘Miscreant spy!’ ‘Dog of a traitor!’ ‘ What, would’st thou be- tray us to the Czar’s minions?’ These are sam- ples of his furious expressions that were hissed into my ears till I lost the power to understand them,” Hawk now grew grave. ‘** This is a new element in the tissue of perils closing in around us,” said he, after a pause. ‘“* Kotzka was evidently the prime mover in all this. He must have reported you as a spy to some secret society of which he may be the chief. What was your other assailant like?” ‘*A horrible-looking tatterdemalion—an im- portation, I should say, from some foreign cess- pool of crime.” ‘* Aha! a portrait that both Nixey and I re- cognize, [ fancy,” said Hawk. ‘‘ Now it is my turn. But meanwhile, Nixey, take a look at the stove in the back room there. I smell some- thing burning.” The boy obeyed, bringing back word that the fire in the stove had gone out. All were then aware of the smell alluded to, but they attributed it to some cooking going on in the adjoining house, the dividing walls being thin and out of repair. Then Hawk went on to relate in detail the strange events that had intervened since Sea- vere and he had separated in the chamber of eath, His listeners hung upon his words with the most absorbing attention. Seagrave groaned aloud when he had finished. ‘“To think of Olga in the power of that fiend— her own mother’s murderer!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ It is appalling!” “True,” said Hawk, ‘‘ but the secret of her re- storation is still safe, since her captor will not dare divulge it,” ** Ah, but may he not effectually silence her as —as the mother was silenced?” And Seagrave shuddered. ‘Hardly, or he would have done so in the feat instance, instead of merely drugging er. ‘But you forget that now she may bea wit- ness against him—the only one, in fact.” ‘‘ Was she not so in the first instance, and did he not spare her?” ** Ay, to be buried alive, as she surely would have been but for our intervention!” ‘‘ Never believe it! The villain is a deep one, We but forestalled his intention in rescuing Olga, and effecting a substitute for the grave.’ Do you think so?” _ “Tam snre of it. And now, in this connection, listen to another story of mine,” He then related in detail his adventure in the secret passage, but more pereculanly that por- tion of it that referred to the fissure at the tun- nel’s entrance, whence the groan and chain- clanking had issued, and which Clarisse had so hastily closed, while attributing the sounds to the gurgling of the water-pipes. “It’s a strange story,” said Seagrave, when it 11 was finished. ‘' But I don’t see how it connects with our lost Olga and her whereabouts.” “You don’t?” said Hawk. ‘* Well, I do, though it is true that I have a pretty lively im- agination.’ ‘* Explain your theory.” ‘it is this: In the first place, Clarisse is in some way in Count Kotzka’s power, though whether through fear or a common interest I can’t determine, Perhaps some political oath or revolutionary conspiracy may furnish the bind- ing tie. Whoknows? At all events, the social- istic tinge of the assault upon you, Seagrave, has set me to thinking. Well, to my mind, some poor prisoner is kept in chains in a secret cell near the mouth of that secret passage. Kotzka isdoubtless that prisoner’s jailer, and Clarisse his attendant.” ‘** Doubtless.” ‘* Well, something tells me that there is some mysterious relation between that prisoner and Olga—that communication with the one would lead to a knowledge of the other’s where- abouts.” ‘* Why do you think so?” “To answer you intelligently would neces- sitate my revealing much of the history of my past life—a dark and eventful one, mostly amid scenes faraway. That lam not now prepared to do; though henceforth you may learn it from my lips.” “Thank you. Come, then, how shall we set about reaching the mysterious prisoner of the secret cell?” ‘We must first apply to Nixey,” said Hawk, turning to the boy. ‘*‘ We can’t avail ourselves of the man-hole, as it is too public, but Nixey knows of a spot where the tunnel opens out among some rocks in a secluded place.” ‘That I does, boss!” cried the boy, proudly. ‘*Tt’s down in the rocks where the last of the squatters’ shanties in this ward are lingerin’, an’ where me an’ the Short Tails used to have lots of fun!” “Could you giige us there this very night, for instance, and then procure us lanterns and crowbars?” said Hawk. ‘‘ But the deuce take that burning smell! There it is again, and stronger than before!” “You bet, boss!” replied the lad, intent upon the question. ‘* There’s a livery stable just un- der the bluff, where the hostler’s a friend of mine, an’ I could get everything needful from him. But mght you are, boss; somethin is burnin’, sure!” “Yes,” said Seagrave, going to a window, “and there’s a great crowd of people collecting down there in the street. ‘‘ What can be the matter?” Hawk also sprung to his feet, while Nixey darted out into the passage. The latter returned almost instantly, with consternation depicted in every feature. “Wire!” he shouted, ‘‘ Oh, boss, we’re cut off already! The stairways an’ passages are chock full of smoke an’ flame!” A chokin for a puff of dense smoke had followed him back into the room, The many-feathered pets belonging to the old professor began to flutter wildly in their cages, as Hawk and Seagrave dashed out into the pas- sage. Nixey had not overstated the danger. Dense volumes of smoke and flame drove them back, and they heard a crash—the fall of a burning stair-case—far below. ap ‘Quick! the roof—the scuttle—it is our only chance!” panted Hawk, groping for the ladder leading to the trap-door, which he was lucky enough to find. ‘t Where are you, Nixey?” ph es at your side, boss!” “Up with you, and lift the trap! the spryest. Quick!” Nixey had instantly ascended. *“T can’t budge the trap, boss!” he called down. ‘It must be fastened on the outside.” ‘‘ Nonsense!” And Hawk darted up to his as- sistance, Just as he exerted all his force ineffectually, however, a demoniac voice from the upper side of the scuttle smote their ears, “Trapped at last!” it cried. ‘* Now, fools, roast and fryin your cage, while Olga and her secret survive for me alone!” You are CHAPTER XI. FIRE!—AN UNDERGROUND QUEST. For an instant, Hawk was appalled at the im- minence and horrible nature of the new danger that environed him and his friends, but it was only for an instant. | ‘“Nixey,” said he, “it seems to me I saw an ax in the old German’s kitchen, Do you think you might fetch it?” A choking sound of assent was his only an- swer as the brave urchin slid down the ladder, and crept away on all fours. “Where are, you, Seagrave?’ Hawk next called out. . ‘Directly below you,” was the gasping reply. ‘‘God help us! Five minutes of this atmosphere will— Ha!” He was cut short by a crash of breaking panes, followed by a shower of water, while a fit stopped his further utterance, MIGDOOKS (E(@) G (E()