Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

. 4 Ss he: Pad « pas —_ x’ on « oh OF sroa, *. ov 4 ——_—$——$———__—_—— — been stored. The slats of that register happened to be open.” ‘* Ah, I begin to understand.” ‘““Yes, my friend. Presently I heard, by means of the register flue, low voices in earnest conversation in the room below.” ‘‘ Was one of the voices Kotzka’s?” ‘‘ Having never heard thet monster’s voice, to the best of my recollection, I cannot say, my son. But I have an impression that neither voice was his.” This impression was borne out by Hawk's re- calling Nixey’s report, which made it impossible that the voice should have been Kotzka’s at that particular time. ‘The other voice, however,” continued Mr. Schmidt, ‘‘ I had no difficulty in recognizing.” ** Aha! the lady’s of the incurable face-ache, your worthy landlady’s?” **The same, my son, and yet in such unguard- edly masculine tones that I more than half divined the secret of her disguise.” ** What were they talking about?” ‘That I could only make out in part, for I ‘could not distinctly overhear all their words.” ‘What did you infer from what you were able to overhear?” oe ‘‘That the pair were to join in some sort of expedition that was to be set on foot at a later hour. I heard the words ‘ bridge’ and ‘ferry’ repeated several times, as if the exact route had not been decided upon.” Hawk gave a joyful start. ‘¢ What else?” he demanded. ‘‘Nothing more that I could make out, my son, save that the man talking to Dupont was to rejoin him at a later hour.” ‘How long did they converse together?” ‘Only a few minutes. They then both went away. After hearing the street door open and shut, I peeped out of one of my front windows, and saw the two men hurry away.” The detective glanced at his companion for some moments in a peculiar way. ‘**So!” said he at last. ‘‘ After making this discovery, together with the suggestions it must have prompted, you could coolly seek your couch at your usual hour, and compose yourself to the oblivion of slumber?” ** Certainly, my son.” ** And without even fastening your doors?” ‘Tt has never been my habit to fasten myself in my rooms, my friend.” This with unaffected simplicity. ** But, after what you had overheard, did not the thought occur to you that your rooms might be feloniously entered while you were asleep?” Mr, Schmidt smiled ingenuously, ** Ah, yes, to be sure,” said he. ‘‘ But what else might a thief find, my son, but the duplicate papers that were in readiness for him?” he detective softly but emphatically slapped him on the back, ‘‘Bravo, mynheer!” said he. ‘* You have a cool courage I would scarcely have given you credit for.” Mr. Schmidt was about to respond, when he paused, listening intently. Then he softly stooped to the register, and opened the slats of it with the utmost caution. He arose, holding up his finger warningly. | ** Hush!” he whispered. ‘* The two are again together in the room below. We may overhear what they say.” CHAPTER XXVII. TRAPPED AGAIN, Tre next instant both Hawk and the old Ger- man were bending their ears before the tell-tale register, eagerly listening for what it might dis- close, They had not long to wait. At first they could only hear footsteps moving about the room below, with an occasional mono- syllable or two, : Then a harsh, guttural voice, which the lis- teners ascribed to Dupont, made some remark in a foreign tongue. This was responded to by a softer, deprecat- ing voice, in the same language. After that the interchange proceeded in bro- ken English, the purport of which was for the most part distinctly overheard, ‘‘But that doesn’t explain why you are so late,” said Dupont. ‘“‘Should the Master learn of your tardiness, Rudolph, he would be furi- ous.” ‘But, my dear Arnold,” responded the voice of Redipk. as he had been addressed, ‘* you surely will not be so unkind as to notify the Master.” think so?” : ink fs But ace be sure of it! Besides, I am not so late, after all.” 5 be ‘You should have come earlier. ‘But it is still nearly two good hours befgre sunrise.” ; “Think where we have to drive to, though, before reaching the bridge.” “T know—away up yonder in Harlem. But. the good dapple-gray is rapid of gait.” ; ‘‘Ay, but harder to drive than ever, since that upset in front of the old brewery. I could jas a, ‘ Se te ee ee Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective. | hardly steal him from the police station, and he has been nervous ever since.” ‘*Is the Master still furious over that affair, Arnold?” ‘** Yes: but more about the missing memoran- dum than anything else.” ‘* Was it so very important?’ **'You would think so if you could have no- ticed the change that has come over the Master since its loss.” ‘* How is he changed?” ‘Oh, in fifty ways. He has grown alarmed and haggard. He falls into moody reveries, and starts out of them with looks of affright.” ‘*F right in connection with the great Kotzka? That is odd.” ‘‘It is none the less true, Rudolph. One would imagine that the lost paper might cost him his life,” [‘‘ So it would, if entire,” thought our hero, ** Oh, if we had but the missing half of it!”] ‘‘Have you any idea of the nature of thedost paper, Arnold?” pursued Rudolph’s voice, es Not I »” ‘* Yet you might have—” ** Enough of this! Would I dare meddle with the Master’s private affairs?” ‘* But where does he think he lost it?” ” Somewhere in the crowd when the coupe was upset,’ ‘** Might he not have left it in the coupe ?” ** No; [ have looked through the vehicle with- out finding a trace of it.” (‘** Ah!” thought Hawk again, ‘if [only might make a search there,” ‘*T say, Arnold.” ** Well, Rudolph?” ‘* What if that missing paper might have fallen into certain other hands at the time of the upset?” ‘* Whose, for instance?” ‘** Those of the man whom the Master seems to fear more than aught else in the wide world, and yet has a strange liking or leniency for— this Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective.’ ‘* Hush!” exclaimed Dupont’s voice, with an inflection of terror. ‘Do not even hint such a thing. Rudolph.” ** Wherefore?” ‘* Lest these very walls might hear and report your words to the Master.” ; ‘ nth— ? ‘‘Hush, Isay! That dreadful supposition has already occurred to the Master—I am sure of it —and it sets him into a frenzy.” ‘Of fear?” ‘*Of fear or rage, or both. How should I de- termine?” ‘** Still, one would think—” ‘*No more of this, I tell you! word!” There was an interval of silence, after which Rudolph’s voice took up another thread. ‘* Where is this house to which we are todrive for our load?” it inquired, ‘*In Harlem.” ‘*T know that, but whereabouts in Harlem?” **'You will know when we get there.” ** ‘You don’t say so!” **T thought I did.” ‘**May I ask another question?” ‘** As many as you like, since [ can anwer or not, as I choose.” ** Since you have heretofore always driven the coupe alone, why am I now ordered to accom- pany you?” ‘** Because you are so ordered.” ‘* But I can’t imagine why.” “It isn’t necessary that you should; but I presume you are to assist me in event of an emergency.” ‘* What emergency could possibly arise?” ‘* Hasn’t many a one clustered around the old Not another ‘ black-and-yellow vehicle before this?” ‘Yes; but now, at this lonely hour?” ‘Ah! well, The young lady might make out- cries. Then, again, why might not that infernal detective and his subordinates intercept us again? abed fellow is a chameleon with a charmed ife. ‘‘True. One more question.” **Ouf! still another? te Yes.” ‘* Well, out with it.” ‘* Ts our destination distant after we cross the bridge?” ‘* Yes; an isolated house far backin Brooklyn, bordering on Prospect Park. I have only been there once. The building was formerly a pri- vate Insane Asylum, I have understood.” {Hawk rubbed his hands.] ‘*Ts everything in readiness for our reception there?” Rudolph’s voice went on. ‘*‘ Never fear. Does the Master ever do any- thing half-way?” : ‘* No; and yet this is very strange.” “What is? ‘* That he should go so far away from our §So- ciety’s head-quarters.” ‘* Does he intend to live over there, you fool?” ‘Doubtless not; but I wouldn’t have thought he would have chosen any new retreat so far away.” ‘“‘ Perhaps he couldn’t help himself.” “Aha! Like enough. Now, do you know, Arnold, it is my habit—” ee atonement r= 7 Se en oe ee ee ee mE ee 25 or “* Hist!” The interruption was in a quick, alarmed tone, and then there was a long silence. The eavesdroppers were beginning to fear that their game was suspected, when the conversation was resumed where it had broken off, It was accompanied by a sound of movements, as though Dupont might be dressing for his ex- pedition, with his companion’s assistance. ‘*There, that will do,” said Dupont’s voice. ‘Don’t tie it any tighter. What were you about to say?” ‘**I was on the give of saying that it is mostly my habit, Arnold, to mind my own private af- fairs exclusively, but that this doesn’t prevent other folks’ affairs sometimes becoming both in- teresting and problematic.” **Oh, indeed. Whose affairs do you particu- larly refer to?” ‘* The Master's.” ‘** Beware, Rudolph!” **'Yes, yes; but I can’t help thinking that he had better have fewer private affairs, and de- vote himself more exclusively to the affairs of our Order.” ‘* Beware, I tell you.” ** But there’s a P enty of the brethren of my way of thinking.’ “Dare they?” ‘Yes, anda great deal more, Arnold, let me tell you that.” ‘What do they think?” ‘* They think that Kotzka’s manners and ac- tions are daily growing more incomprehensible, not to say suspicious, to the brethren. There are those, indeed, who dare to hint that he might be meditating—” he rest of the sentence was inaudible to the secret listeners. ‘* Impossible !” exclaimed Dupont’s voice, ‘*Even Kotzka would not venture upon such a thought. A vision of the Order’s vengeance would paralyze such an idea in its very germ!” ‘*One would think so, and yet—” ‘**‘No more of this—we are on dangerous ‘ound. Now, Rudolph, to change the subject, Fos run down into the basement, and find my whip for me. We must be off shortly.” There came the sound of a door pas and shutting, and this was followed by a profound silence. The two listeners retained their kneeling pos- ture at the register in breathless supense to hear more. Sud¢éenly the two doors, front and rear, were closed with a bang and locked upon them. a a mocking laugh sounded outside of each, ** We’re entrapped!” exclaimed the detective, springing to his feet. ‘‘ Heavens! I see it all. ur presence was discovered after that first in- terruption—their subsequent conversation was designed merely to lull us into a false sense of security.” ‘Truly, my son, it must be as you say,” said the professor, lugubriously. ‘‘ But you fastened the door between the passage and the rear room?” ‘Yes, but what would that have availed against such rascals? Besides, does not another ee ee open into the front room?” es. ‘The deuce!” Then the mocking laughs were repeated, = there was heard the sound of shooting ts Then retreating steps were heard, the opening and closing of the street-door, and the rattle of a vehicle being swiftly driven away. CHAPTER XXVIII. WILD WORK. THE detective exerted his tried door-break- ing force against each fastening, but without success, ** Alas, my son!” exclaimed the old German; ‘** vou heard them bolted, as well as locked.” The ** And I have noticed that all the doors are of great thickness. We must remain here till lib- erated from the outside,” Hawk consulted his watch. Only an hour before sunrise. ‘** That might suit you, mynheer, but not me,” a ** Which door is the least secure, thi you “This one, leading into the front room, if my memory is not at fault.” Hawk coolly drew his revolver. **Oh, my young friend! what would you do?” cried his companion, ‘You have no enemy here.” **'You are mistaken, mynheer. That door is just now my enemy, and it is indispensable that Soe quit this house inside of a quarter of an our. With that he began to shoot away the oppos- ae and bolts. ortunately, the closeness of the room deaden- ed the sound of the shots. It was a task that required the repeated re- loading and emptying of every chamber of his revolver. Luckily, it was of heavy caliber and there was no lack of cartridges. The last fastening finally yielded, and, push- (E(0) n ‘S (| ooo) Ce ( it