Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

-_—— ne ry which some speaker had just retired whose the falcon, which he Sp proBraler as his emblem Philippic had awakened the stormy plaudits ; and his motto, Such is that had first attracted our explorers’ atten- tion, and had not yet wholly subsided, Just at this moment a fresh orator—a wo- man, young, beautiful, superbly formed, her every movement instinct with melodious grace was ascending the platform. “Can it be possible?” murmured Hawk, starting back. ‘‘ Here at this hour, and in such company!” It was Clarisse, CHAPTER XIT, BURIED ALIVE. SHe began to speak at once, in a tcngue that was unfamilar to Hawk, but with such eloquence and fire as to thrill him strangely, while the audience before her seemed to be spell-bound. ‘‘Peerless creature!” muttered the detective. ““ She may be mistaken, led away by false lights, but she cannot be either ignoble or bad, What would [ not give to know the purport of her silvery eloquence?” b ‘T understand her every word, for she is speaking in Russian,” whispered Seagrave, “Well may you admire her, my friend!” “6 Why?’ . , : ‘‘ Because the purport of her impassioned speech, though in support of anarchical senti- ments of which I do not approve, is of a purity and enthusiasm in keeping with her mag- nificent beauty.” ' ‘*‘ Ah, 1 can believe you! But listen. Her tones are like those of a wind-harp, interspersed with tempestuous throbbings!” Clarisse was sumptuously dressed, even glori- ous jewels flashing at breast, throat and ears, and she wore them as an empress born. As she proceeded in her address, her voice and manner grew more wild and impassioned. The one at last rung through the vaulted hall with startling yet melodious distinctness, while the other attained that of an angry but still lovely pythoness invoking the vengeance of in- sulted deities, Suddenly she ceased, with heaving breast, flashing eyes, her whole bright figure quivering from the excess of the stormy emotion that had swayed her. Then the assemblage burst forth in semi-de- lirious plaudits, the roar of which, in compari- son with that which had preceded it, was as heaven’s artillery to the lapping of summer waves upon an island beach. Tumultuous and hoarse as it was, with but a gesture of her shining hand she presently silenced it, and, retiring gracefully from the platform, gave way to a fresh orator. Her successor was Kotzka, whose appearance, magnificently dressed and covered with glitter- ing regalia, was hailed with only less enthusiasm than had greeted Clarisse, Without preface, Kotzka at once burst into a thundering harangue, likewise in Russian, which had a marked effect upon his hearers. ‘Why, this is astounding!” whispered Sea- grave in our hero’s ear, ‘This man’s address is directed almost solely to one subject—that is against you!” ‘‘ Against me?’ murmured Hawk. ‘' You must be raving!” ‘*No, as I live! though Kotzka is, or rather ranting, against you at a tremendous rate!” ‘‘ What is he saying in substance?” ‘Ho is holding you, Hawk Heron, up to the Order’s special attention and vengeance, as a secret agent of the Czar’s representative in this country for the identification of the prominent Nihilist exiles, emissaries and apostles here,” _ **T begin to comprehend the villain’s tactics, Does he go into particulars?” Yee “ says that you are-in constant com- munication with Count Rudovoski, the Russian consul in New York, whom you keep thorough- ly informed as to to the movements of all Nihi- list, Anarchist and Socialistic societies in America!” ‘*Oh, the deep, the designing knave! Why, I never even heard of the consul’s name before!” *‘ He alsodeclares that you have branded him as the author of the Gotham Flats tragedy solely for the purpose of enlisting the New York detec- tive authorities In your relentless pursuit of him, Kotzka, the Master of this secret Order, in the interests of the Czar’s government.” ** Oho!” ‘ , “Wat, now. As heisdrawing to a close, I will translate the concluding words of Kotzka’s harangue as he utters them, and you can judge of their effect by what follows. Ne The concluding words of Kotzka’s inflamma- tory address, as whisperingly translated in Hawk Heron’s ear, were as follows: | ‘Comrades, compatriots, brothers in oath and fidelity! will you then tamely submit to this Hawk Heron’s persecution of your chief and dis- ruption of your Brotherhood? No; I feel that you will not—that you will array cunning against his cunning, force against his force, vio- lence against his violence, till you have abolish- ed him from tbe face of the earth he contami- mates! But I must warn you that he combines the wisdom of the serpent with the boldness of is power that Ishouldn’t wonder if even now he might be familiarizing himself with the nature of our secret proceedings here. But no matter; I feel that I have suffici- ently unmasked the treacherous designs of this Hawk Heron—this pseudo police detective, but actual secret agent of the Czar’s despotism—to mark him henceforth as the chief object of your relentless pursuit and unpitying vengeance!” The furious effect of this ingeniously delusive harangue was indescribable. The auditors were fairly frantic, and Hawk Heron’s name was vociferated by hundreds of stentorian voices, and coupled with every ex- pression of detestation and hatred of which the dialects of continental Europe are capable. In fact, our onlookers from the tunnel aperture were so much occupied with observing these demonstrations as not to notice a certain ruffian- ly figure hastily disappear from the hall after receiving some whispered instructions from Kotzka. When the hubbub had subsided, some closing ceremonies were had, including a recapitulation of secret signs and passwords, to which our hero was specially attentive, after which the place was suddenly thrown into darkness, and the strange convention was at an end, Hawk was thefirst to retire from the peep- 10le, ‘*forewarned forearmed!” said he. ‘*'We now know what new perils to expect.” ‘Yes; and how to prepare for them,” said Seagrave, ‘*Come,” continued Hawk, ‘‘ the next step is’ to build up this breaca again.” The wisdom of this precaution was sufficiently apparent, and the task was soon effected. ‘*Now one more precaution before we pro- ceed,” he continued, ‘* What is it?” said Seagrave. ‘* Name it, boss!” said Nixey. ** An oath of mutual secrecy as to what we have seen and overheard, with regard to out- siders.” The oath was taken. ‘* Forward once more!” The trend of the tunnel dipped no longer, but ascended slightly as it led them away from the foundation wall right on through the bowels of the earth. Presently, however, they began to skirt the outer wall of which Nixey had advised them, ‘*We ain’t more’n two hundred yards from the man-hole in Melton place now,” said the boy. “Good!” said Hawk; “but how oddly the formation of the tunnel has altered!” At this point, indeed, the right-hand wall of the ont showed dangerous breaks in many places, causing deep fissures to appear at irreg- ular intervals. ‘These ’ere breaks didn’t used to be here, boss!” called out Nixey. ‘‘ Hello! what was that?” They had left the second house-wall some fifty feet behind, when Nixey, who was last in the line, made this exclamation. It was instantly echoed by Seagrave, who for the time being was in the lead, and then Hawk caught it up. ‘We're being dogged !’ cried Hawk. “A figure just now flitted past me, and vanished into this fissure.” ‘No, boss!” cried Nixey, turning, and flash- ing his lantern to the rear; ‘‘ it flitted past me, too, an’ vanished somewhere back yonder.” ‘*That’s strange!” called out Seagrave, flash- ing his lantern forward; ‘‘I’d almost swear it slipped by me, and darted off yonder, Pah! I smell something like a fuse burning.” ee do I, somewhere back this way,” cried ixey. . Thinnertetitas won’t do in this complication,” said Hawk, greatly puzzled, ‘Seagrave, run on ahead, making sure of every fissure you pass. Nixey, do you retrace your steps for the same purpose. will attend to this deep fissure right here, into which I feel sure the shadow darted.” ‘** All right!” came from both his companions, as they branched away from either side, leaving him alone, ‘*Be on your guard at every step!” shouted Hawk, as a farewell precaution. ‘‘ Mistrust the veriest shadow !” If any response was made, they were now too far away for the responses to reach him. Grasping his revolver with one hand, and holding his lantern on high with the other, he was advancing stoopingly into the fissure. Suddenly a loud explosion, followed by a crash, from the direction in which Seagrave had disappeared, caused him to start back. Then came a similar explosion, accompanied by a like crash, from the direction of Nixey’s retreat. Instantly, then, the sickening, suffocating smell of burned gunpowder in a damp, confined space, Then a chuckling, triumphant laugh, and Hawk had barely time to set away his lantern in safety as an uncouth figure, which he recog- nized as that. of the ruffianly Manchester Tibbs, rushed upon him from the mouth of the fissure, knife in hand, e Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective. 13 The single hurried shot that Hawk managed to fire was without effect, The next instant he was grappled, and then ensued a brief, but desperate, life-and-death struggle in the semi-darknes of the now stifling passage. Brief, because, after the first shock, Hawh’s superior address asserted itself, and, avoiding two vicious knife-thrusts delivered with light- ning-like rapidity, he got in a second shot, which Ihaees his antagonist’s breast, and stretched im helpless on the ground. The next instant Hawk was bending over pe flashing his lantern into the fallen man’s ace, : An enormously broad-brimmed slouched hat, which had partly concealed his features, had fall- en off, and now the unmistakable grayness that precedes dissolution was stealing over them. ‘** What! is it so bad?” said Hawk; ‘ but 1 see no blood.” With a feeble effort, the ruffian tore open his blouse and shirt, revealing a small round hole over the heart. ** It’s bleedin’ in’ardly,” he gasped. ‘I feel it tricklin’, tricklin’, tricklin’ all through me! Young feller, you’ve done for me!” ‘** But in sheer self-defense!” said the detective. “Why did you attack me? I never wronged ou. me You never did—I’m sorry enough now, young feller! Oh, a curse on that ’ere Russian! What have Tever got fur doin’ his dirty mur- derin’ work? Blows am kicks! kicks an’ blows! But he held me to my oath, curse him!” The words came disjointedly and with in- creasing feebleness. ‘‘ Hal” exclaimed Hawk; ‘“‘the Russian— Kotzka? You were his minion?” A gesture of assent. ‘*And Blithers, my friend—what connection had you with him?” | A surprised look followed by a smile, but no answer. ‘So! You were meditating treachery to the Russian, and so communicated with Blithers, or made overtures to that end? I think I un- derstand,” "You do, eh?” ‘‘ But is it not so? Speak!” “Young feller, I have an oath! There's lots of blood on Bob Tibbs’s soul, but there’ll never be oath-breakin’.” “What!” exclaimed Hawk, hopelessly; *‘ am I buried alive here—to die slowly, horribly, and unavenged?” ‘Yes, young feller, an’ with only a cellar wall ’twixt you an’ the Russian, your deadly foe! "Twas my work! I’msorry, but it’s too late fur that. rgive! I feel ’m goin’!” The *vords came so brokenly and huskily as to be hardly intelligible, iy I ‘*What do you mean?” cried Hawk. there yet a chance for me?” The dying man made a half-negative sign, and was then seized with a convulsive fit of cough- ing, for the air was almost insupportable for the soundest of lungs, ‘* Another word—one more, I beseech i pled Ne wildly. “Have I a chance es- cape k Perhaps, if—if—that cellar-wall—that is—” Another convulsion, choking the words in his throat, and then Manchester Tibbs fell back a corpse. CHAPTER XIII. THE PIT OF FIRE AND STEREL, AROUSING himself from his despair, Hawk lost no time in assuring himself of the full ex- tent of his situation. It was simply appalling. The bombs that had been exploded in the track of both Seagrave and Nixey had brought down not only the tunnel’s arched roof in im- mense sections, but also tons of other debris, He was completely caged within a stretch of about sixty feet, both ends of which were choked up by masses that might require hours of toil to remove. Long hefore those hours should have passed, he would doubtless succumb to the terrible at- mosphere, which was already nearly suffocat- ao ing. Then came, in spite of his own situation, the wild conjecture as to the fate of his companions. Had they got beyond the jarring influence of the bombs before the explosion occurred, or had one or both been buried beneath those ponderous masses? ' Now at one end of his tunnel-dungeon, and then at the other, he called long and loudly upon their names, but without eliciting a re- sponse, Naturally enough, the horrors of his own situation soon engrossed him altogether, He at last stood gazin> alternately at the dead man and at that portion of the tunnel wall formed by the cellar foundation. Suddenly there was a gleam of hope. The cellar wall appeared solidly constructed, but he might yet pick his way through it with his sharp crowbar, and he bad been assured that’ Kotzka, his enemy, was just beyond it. Then he remarked that the ruffian, whose dead MIGDOOKS Gom = yhaby (E(0) wp ¥ ¥ , Pee bs . : . rE ="