Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

| | ae —_ em Fe = en z I oe eee ew ee — + ae a ef *« ere = ers Se \ ‘ 20 head. ‘The cartridge missed its mark, but flew far up into the topmost flames, where it exploded with | a deafening noise and a tremendous jar. Kotzka was seen to be crushed down onto the balcony in a squatting posture. / It was even all the three friends could do to _ keep their feet, the entire building trembling to s its foundations. ‘‘ Hurrah!” cried Hawk, redoubling his blows with the ax; ‘‘ we'll yet cut them off at the staircase!” Elated by his dangerous experiment, Nixey sprung to his aid, tearing away large chips and splinters as fast as loosened. The framework was of pine, old, and in many places rotten. In a few minutes more a breach was effected almost large enough for a man to crawl through. The staircase was in sight, Suddenly Olga appeared upon it, her epics hair streaming over her shoulders, her hands outstretched wildly toward them, ‘* Save me!” she shrieked. ' At that instant, however, an unlooked-for ap- ‘parition interposed between the maiden and her would-be rescuers, ' It was that of the hostage, who had mysteri- ously freed himself of his bonds. Dashing them aside, with an appalling yell, he snatched a handful of cartridges from the box in Seagrave’s hands, and plunged head- foremost through the breach, They saw him grasp Olga roughly, and drag her below, just as Kotzka, white and dazed-look- ing, was making his way down behind. Seagrave fairly gnashed his teeth. “ Villain!” he eried, leveling his revolver ; “¢+ou at least shall only follow her as a corpse!’ ‘Point-blank at the ruffian’s breast he fired, but apparently without a particle of effect. ‘‘ Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the giant, as he dis- appeared; ‘ foiled again, fools, idiots that you are!” Then the cartridges that had been snatched from the box were hurled far up through the hollow space toward the expiring flames at the top of the tower. ‘Back, back for your lives!” shouted Hawk, dragging his companions along the roof. “‘ Down on your faces, flat down, I tell you!” They had barely obeyed, throwing themselves flat on their faces behind a short, thick chimney not far away, when the second explosion oc- curred, It was twenty times more deafening, jarring and disastrous than the first. There was a rumbling roar, a blaze, a stupend- ous concussion. Then the entire tower was seen to spring up bodily into the air, and crumble back im ruins. Then, as though in sympathy with the com- motion below, the tumult of the elements re- doubled overhead. The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed, “ani the rain descended more torrent-like than ever. ‘* Come, my friends!” said Hawk, fastening the rope, which he had still retained, to the chim- ney, and throwing the free end over the divid- ing wall; ‘* we must beat a temporary retreatat ast. ‘‘ Whither away now?” said Seagrave To terra firma.” ** What then?” “Tf Kotzka is driven out of the brewery building, we may head’ him off with his cap- sag A e pei chat eto ve,ground his teeth. ‘‘The villain doubtless wears a bullet-proof shirt next his skin,” he muttered, “If I get an- other go at him, it will be with a knife!” “His nob shall be my next mark!” said Nixey. “I'm bettin’ Pll ring the bell on it at my next shy!” Then, one after the other, they followed Hawk, who had already preceded them, down the rope to the adjoining roofs, So violent was the rainfall that even the ter- rible explosions so near at hand had called up but few of the tenement-dwellers as yet. Dashing through such as had ventured on the roofs, the three friends plunged into one of the furthermost scuttles that been left open. With but little iptaxsnpion on the way, they succeeded in speedily reaching the street. Here a bustling and tumultuous scene pre- sented itself. : Though, thanks to the rain, the roof of the brewery had not caught fire, it was smoking and the startling nature of the explosions ha called forth the fire department in force. The narrow street was, moreover, jammed with sightseers. ‘ Nevertheless, a coupe had just driven up be- fore a small door in the brewery building. The three friends, from their momenta pause on the tenement stoop, could mark this much over the heads of the surging crowds. Hawk and Nixey, at least, recognized uipage and driver on the instant. t was a mud-spattered black-and-yellow ve- hicle, drawn by a powerful dapple-gray horse, Hawk Heron, the the explosives, and hurled it up at Kotzka’s | about the overturned co “The same turnoutin which Olga was first ab- ducted!” exclaimed Hawk, dashing toward it through the crowd. ‘‘The same as brought the big man to the wake. ‘*‘ My assailant in Melton place—our hostage of a few moments ago!” muttered Seagrave, fol- lowing. They had nearly succeeded in forcing their way to the equipage, when Kotzka’s towering form issued from the brewery door. He was enveloped in a voluminous cloak, and he carried in his arms a slender, graceful figure, a+ glimpse of whose unconscious face was sufli- cient to identify it as Olga’s. ‘‘ Stop that man!” yelled Hawk, fighting his way forward like a madman. “ He is an ab- ductor—an assassin—a fugitive from justice!” The crowd gazed at him stupidly, while mak- ing way for him. But before this was done Kotzka had sprung into the vehicle with his burden, slamming the door behind him, and the driver had lashed the ps Cary ies into movement. ut by this time Hawk was hanging at the an- imal’s head, Nixey was clinging bebind the box like a monkey in a hippodrome, and Seagrave with one foot on the carriage-step, was gluec against the door, dashing his armed hand through the glass panel. Brought to a sudden halt, the equipage was instantly the center of a surging, exasperated crowd, most of whom seemed to imagine our hero and his followers as desperate highwaymen. ‘“*Kill’em!” ‘Arrest ’em!” ‘‘ Save the big gent an’ the gal!” ‘‘ Where’s the police?” ‘* Club the robbers!” These and similar expressions were vociferated from every side, anda general rush was made upon the center of the disturbance. Taking advantage of the tumult, the driver suddenly dropped the lines, jumped from the box, and disappeared. Another rush overturned the vehicle, and brought the horse to a stand-still, snorting and trembling. The threatening cries continued. ‘Shut up your noise!” shouted a big police- man, shouldering his way through the crowd, followed by several firemen. ‘* There ain’t no robbers here. Yonder chap is Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective.” Hawk and his comrades were now grouped upe. ‘* Nevertheless, Mr. Officer,” said he, ‘‘ there is crime on foot. My friends and I have fortu- nately stopped the flight of a villain in the act of carrying off a young lady.” ‘* Where is he?” asked the officer. ‘‘ Here, inside the coupe!” The policeman wrenched open the carriage pei and then, after peering in, burst into a Jaugh. The coupe was empty! CHAPTER XXI. A COUNCIL OF WAR. ““ComE, come, Mr. Hawk!” said the police- man chaffingly ; ‘‘ you're out for once, at least, in your clews,” But many of the bystanders, who had seen Kotzka enter the coupe with Olga in his arms, were quite as much nonplused over his myste- rious disappearance as were Hawk and his friends. They did not hesitate to oh ww the latter in what they had to offer, which, was guardedly brief, as to the extraordinary circumstance, The policeman grew thoughtful. ‘At all events,” said he at last, when the vehicle had been righted “I'll take cnarge of the turnout, an’ see what the captain has to say about it.” He clambered on the box and drove away. It having been decided that there was no fire about the brewery building, the firemen were likewise getting ready to quit the scene, and the idle throngs began to disperse, Hawk signaled his followers and mingled with the crowd. As he was about toemerge upon the neighbor- ing avenue, he felt a paper slipped into his hand. urning swiftly, he was only in time to catch a glimpse of a muffled and graceful female figure ere it vanished in the crowd. Five minutes later, when he and his friends were speeding down-town in an Elevated train, he examined the paper. ; ; It bore the following words, hastily penciled: * Thad given you up for lost, but thank Heaven you are safe! But now I have horrible fears for Olga. To-morrow at the house in Melton place. an hour before dusk. Don’t fail! CLARISSE.”’ He communicated the contents of this note to his friends. h'| It was now two o'clock in the morning. ‘* Where are we going now?” asked Seagrave, who was greatly dispirited. ‘*Down-town, to an odd nook I know of, and its driver was a heavy-set short man, with | where we can confer withont interruption,” said mutton-chop whiskers, wearing no livery. Hawk. ‘' Before we seck the sleep and rest of Pons : ee f= et ide = Brunswick!” cried Nixey, darting off in iis’ Falcon Detective. which we are in such great need, I deem it best we should perfect our plans for the morrow. Don’t you agree with me?” Both Seagrave and Nixey acquiesced, though appearing half-dead from fatigue and want of a awk alone, notwithstanding all he had undergone, seemed of iron. : “Tam coming to think,” said he, ‘ that to- morrow we had better separate on several quests, all tending to the same end, to meet again afterward at some stated time and place.” ‘* But why go so far down-town for our con- ference?” asked Seagrave. Hawk bit his lip and remained thoughtful for a moment. ‘“*T must confess, though with a sense of shame,” he said, at last, ‘‘ that, after all that has passed, I have come to suspect myself as being shadowed by that ubiquitous fiend Kotzka, or by one or another of his instruments, at almost every turn.” ‘** He’s a terror, boss!” said Nixey. ‘* The last time I was in bed I dreamt he had me on a pitchfork over a potful of b’ilin’ grease, an’ I woke up with my hair standin’ on end like tooth- dicks.’ pi The villain wears concealed armor; of that I am satisfied,” said Seagrave, ‘‘He seems capers of anything, like a sorcerer of old!” hey were thus agreed that their new precau- tion was being wisely taken. ‘* By the way, boss,” said Nixey, presently, ‘‘T’vea confession to make that I’ve been hinder- ed from makin’ up to this minute.” * What is it?” ‘* You remember when I shadowed Mr. Blith- ers, accordin’ to your orders, after he left you an’me in your sleepin’-room, when I had poe chucked down the Brunswick elevator-shaft?” “6 Yes.” F ‘* You remember the report I brought you of his movements, boss?” = Sg a ‘ y Well, I did somethin’ more than shaduw him, Oss. ‘Whatelse did vou do?” ‘**T picked his pocket, boss.” Hawk turned upon the lad in astonishment and indignation. ** Hold on, boss, before you fly off the handle,” continued Nixey. ‘*“You know how I’ve never taken much stock in that Britisher? Well, I only picked his overcoat pocket of a letter, what reads sort of queer, an’ Ive kept for you ever since.” He handed Hawk an envelope, with letter in- closed, as he spoke. ‘* ve also something to add in the document- ary line,” said Seagrave. ‘‘Here are some things I snatched out of the coupe the second time I dashed my fist through the glass. Like enough Kotzka lost them out of one of his pockets before effecting his last disappearance with his captive.” He handed Hawk a crumpled envelope and a torn piece of bles, The detective would have examined all these papers on the spot, but just then they reached the terminus of the Elevated road at the Bat- tery. “Come along!” said Hawk, buttoning his over- coat over the papers; ** we can presently consider these matters at our leisure,” On descending from the railway station, they found that the rain had been superseded by a furious windstorm. The air had, moreover, turned freezing cold, and everything exposed to it was covered with a glare of ice, Hawk led the way across the lonely Battery Park, and through several narrow, dismal and deserted streets. - At last two colored lamps, flanking the de- scent into an obscure, mean-looking saloon, with tall, partly-lighted buildings on either side, were descried toward the end of a particularly narrow, steep and gloomy street they were traversing. Hts ‘Ts yonder our destination?” asked Seagrave. “Pm fly to the crib,” interposed Nixey. “Tts the ‘Pig an’ Whistle ’—a roundyvoo for smugglers, wharf-rats an’ river thieves,” “Tt is sort of crooked,” assented Hawk, a lit- tle apologetically, ‘‘ but it is our destination for all that, and we'll be safe from interruption there. The deuce!” He narrowly missed a fall on the narrow, slippery walk at the concluding interjection, and his friends were momentarily disturbed in as- sisting his equilibrium. At this juncture, a short, muffled man brush- ed noiselessly past them, after giving them a piercing look of scrutiny, and disappeared in the direction they were going. ; ‘By Jove! that fellow’s figure seemed famil- iar,” exclaimed Hawk. | : ‘“He had mutton-chop whiskers, sure pop!” said Nixey. is ‘“*Our hostage—Kotzka’s minion—the driver of the coupe!” said Seagrave. ‘I’m sure of it!” They all felt uneasy over this supposition, but there was now no help for it, the man kaving vanished. It was as though Kotzka’s baleful influence icomilebooks