Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

- 28 He, however, peered out into the hall, and was all attention while the hated Kotzka was being admitted into the passage, and thence into Count Rudovosk?’s presence, At the end of about five minutes, Kotzka came out of the drawing-room, unattended, and with a countenance expressive of much satisfac- tion, Before going out by the street-door, however, ‘he stood before a hat-rack mirror, with his back to Hawk, and, drawing some articles from the bosom of his coat, proceeded to effect a self- transformation with the expertness of a light- ning-change performer. When he again turned toward Hawk’s place of concealment, in quitting the house, it was no longer as Count Kotzka, the Proscrided, but as bluff and blonde Jack Blithers, of Scotland Yard. As Hawk stepped out of his hiding-place, with a bealGebsipetiod expression, Count Rudovoski looked out of the drawing-room with his peculiar smile rather emphasized. Hawk understood it perfectly now, He merely masked his sense of humiliation un- der a profound bow, and hurried away. The equipage had already disappeared. ** Well, well,” muttered Hawk, grinding his teeth while making a bee-line for the Hotel Brunswick; ‘‘ poor Clarisse rather understated the case, after all, She said that Kotzka had a passion for disguises, when she should have said a genius’, ‘a stupendous genius’, for them! ‘The man is almost a necromancer!” Hawk was, therefore, not greatly surprised to learn at the hotel that ‘‘Mr Blithers” had dis- appeared the night before, leaving his baggage behind him, and without paying his bill. ‘*Now for another bout with my worthy superior,” thought Hawk, assuming his most sphinx-like expression, as he once more betook himself to Head-quarters. ‘‘If the chief thinks he has got dead-wood on me, 1 fancy he'll find himself mistaken.” ‘* Well, Heron,” said the chief of the Detec- tive Bureau when Hawk was again alone with him, “ how did you get along with the Russian Consul?" ** Capitally,” wes the reply. man to-night.” ‘Good! With Blithers’s assistance eh?” Hawk stared, and then burst into a laugh. “What!” he exclaimed; ‘tis it possible you «lon’t know who Blithers really is?” The chief looked disappointed. ‘*T know that he isn’t Blithers at all, for that matter,” he growled, Hawk waved his hand alittle contemptuously. ** Oh, that has stood to reason all along!” said be. ‘* The bogus Blithers, Count Kotzka, Max Steinman, et cetera, are one and the same.” ‘* The deuce you say!” Hawk smiled and chuckled knowingly. He felt it a real pleasure to get back at the chief in that way. ‘*Of course,” said he, off-handedly. ‘* But all his personations will be melted in one when I get my hooks on him to-night.” “But how do you imagine he got possession of ‘the real Blithers’s papers and baggage, so as to personate him so successfully?” ia imagined boldly, and with the best of luc ** Ah, Kotzka must have put in fine work there,” said he, admiringly. ‘‘ In the first place, he doubtless got secret word from London as to Blithers’s personal appearance, and the probable date of his arrival here.” ‘Yes; and what then?” “Tn the next place, the real Blithers must have been a big, portly, florid man, very much of Kotzka’s build.” ** Right again; what next?” ‘* Gad! isn’t it plain as the nose on your face, Cap? Why, Kotzka must have murdered him on the lonely pier landing at daybreak, assumed his character forthwith, and taken possession of his papers and baggage.” “By Jove, Heron, you're a regular magician! That is just the way the villain must have work- ed it. The real Blithers’s dead body has just been brought from the river-bottom at the foot ‘*T shall nab my of the pier, and identified.” “Poor fellow! but the discovery was only a question of time. Stab or bullet wounds on y? ‘“Neither. The garroter’s twist.” ** So; [ might have guessed it.” *t Whither are you off to now?” , To Brooklyn. This is the beginning of the ond. ‘* Glad to hear it.” “Can Ihave six men, in civilian’s dress, at, the entrance of the old brewery building this evening?” ‘** An entire squad, if you like.” “Thank you.’ And Hawk set out at once for Brooklyn, only stopping On the way to obtain old Mr, Schmidt’s company. ce, CHAPTER XXXT. ONCE MORE IN THE TOILS, ‘* BLESS me, my young friend!” said the good old German; *‘ you have hurried me along with you so rapidly that I seem scarcely yet to have recovered my breath.” ee = He po ar his brow with his great pocket- hendkerchief as he spoke. Hawk Heron, his companion, smiled sadly. They were crossing the loneliest part of Pros- pect Park, Brooklyn, and were consequently nearing their destination, But while their arrival there might restore the beautiful Olga to the good old music-teacher’s heart, what of the yet lovelier Clarisse, the doubtless forever-vanished Clarisse, the an- ticipation of whose radiant presence would have caused the Falcon Detective’s bosom to bound with tumultuous joy? **One should not complain of urilue haste, mynheer,” sighed the young man, *‘ when a great joy perchance is awaiting him.” ‘** Mein Gott! what do you mean, my son?” ex- claimed Mr. Schmidt, struck by the other’s strange significance of tone. ‘‘ But you have not yet told me where we are going.” Hawk bit his lip. He was sorry to have hint- ed this much, but at the supreme moment Olga might be again mysteriously snatched away, in- stead of being restored to them. They were entering an unfrequented spot, near an unfinished excavation, and bordering a small lake, half-embosomed in trees, ‘Yonder is our destination,” said Hawk inting over the tree-tops to a tall, isolated uilding on the further side of the Park. ‘‘ And we must exercise great caution in approaching it. ‘* But wherefore, my son?” ** Because [ forgot to wait in New York for Nixey’s message before coming here, and there may be danger in the air,” ‘* Danger?” ** Yes, but let us be patient. Nixey is doubt- less following us hither, and Seagrave cannot be far away.” They were now proceeding slowly under a precipitous bank, with the lake to their right, and the old excavation in their rear, Hawk being in the lead. ‘** But, my son, your words are mysterious,” said the old man. ‘**They will soon be explained, mynheer, Come along!” ‘* But what danger is to be feared?” ** None, I hope.” ‘But what great joy can be in store for me in yonder grim old house?” Before Hawk could reply, two armed ruffians started up in the path before them, as if by magic. Hawk’s revolver was out in an instant, But a startled exclamation from his compan- ion caused him to likewise hazard a swift look to the rear. Two similar rufians—wild-eyed, foreign-look- ing rascals—were making toward them from the direction of the excavation, in which they had doubtless been lying in ambush. ‘Courage, mynheer!” said Hawk coolly thrusting a spare revolver in the old German's hand. ‘* Back to back is the word for the time being!” ‘* Have no fear for me, my son,” said Mr. Schmidt, accepting the situation with unex- pected coolness. ‘* I was an Austrian soldier in 4 younger days.” he ruffians were advancing from either side, brandishing their bludgeons and knives, and vociferating in various foreign tongues: *‘ Here are the accursed spies who would ae vi us to the Czar’s minions! Kill them! It is the Mas- ter’s order! Show no mercy!” or other words to the same effect, Nevertheless, they seemed to advance with some hesitation, and to glance up along the steep bank over our friends’ heads, as if half-expecting some sort of ing assistance from that quarter. Without understanding their hesitation, Hawk deemed it advisable to take advantage of it in the interests of peace. ** Look here!” he called out in French; ‘‘ we are not the spies you take us for, Give us the chance and we will prove it.” Then Mr. Schmidt spoke to them, successively in German, Hungarian and Italian, to the same effect. The ruffians continued their hostile demon- strations, though less violently than before, and one of them, whom Hawk now recognized as Arnold Dupont’s coach-companion, Rudolph, seemed more than half-disposed to parley. ‘* Nonsense!” cried this man; “‘you are our swornenemy. Whatcan you prove?” “T am not your enemy—l swear it!” replied Hawk, earnestly. ‘‘ Your real enemy—the ser- pa Spy. in the bosom of your Order—is Kotzka imself!” Most of the ruffians seemed infuriated, or rather appalled, by this charge, but Rudolph still wavered. ** Prove it!” he cried. F Hawk was nonpiused for the time being. He could not oe Kotzka’s perfidy to his as- sociates then and there, without giving away his plot for the arch-ruffian’s overthrow and capture at the forthcoming conclave. Suddenly he recollected his mastery of the Order’s secret signs, grips and passwords. He made a swift sign, which was hesitatingly responded to by Rudolph, 7 : / - r ww “a f ‘ a a ce eet he ea pil ere ge cee ae ermal age ea Hawk Heron, the Falcon Detective. But at that instant there was a crashing, eee, sound overhead like the rush of a de- scending avalanche. ** Look out! crouch in under the bank!” yelled Rudolph. ‘But it is too late. You are both doomed!” But Hawk and the German had heeded the warning in time. Just as they had ensconced themselves under the overhanging bank, an immense bowlder, se- cretly loosened from the side of the precipice by the ruffians’ confederates, came bounding down the slope. There was a cloud of dust and gravel, and then the huge fragment disappeared into the water with an awf plunge. “Quick, mynheer!” whispered Hawk, seizing his companion’s arm; ‘* now is our chance!” Before the dust of the debris had wholly cleared away, he had burried the old man back along the narrow path, and into the excavation. But this was only out of the frying-pan into the fire. They at once found themselves surrounded by a pentece swarm of ruftians, who dashed the pis- tols out of their hands, and almost in an instant had them at their mercy. Rudolph at this juncture put in an appearance at the head of the original attacking party. ‘*Parleying is out of the question now,” he whispered, as Hawk and his companion were be- ing gagged and bound with scant ceremony. ‘** But be of good heart. You are not goimg to be killed right off.” With this comforting assurance, the captives were hurriedly carried toward a small rough- built sort of disused tool-house at the further ex- tremity of the excavation, Overgrown with bushes and surrounded by great rough-hewn blocks of stone, which con- cealed it from the adjacent path, it was a for- Jorn and lonely spot. ‘*In with them!” growled, in German, one of the ruffians who seemed to exercise more au- thority than Rudolph, and he unlocked the door of the shanty as he spoke. ‘‘ Let them rot here along with the others till the Master’s wishes can be known. Atall events, the Sibyl will be here presently.” The captives were hurried into the dimly- lighted interior, and cast helplessly in a corner. Then, if their gags had not prevented, they would have uttered an exclamation of astonish- ment and despair. No wonder Seagrave had not yet co-operated with Hawk, and Nixey, asa messenger, was not likely to be disappointed, as Hawk had feared. Two other prisoners, similarly gagged, bound and helpless, were already occupying the oppo- site corner of the shanty. They were Seagrave and Nixey! Dull despair began to fill the hearts of all our friends, but at this moment the door again opened, and a tall female figure, voluminously ckeked and vaiied in black, abruptly entered. However, this mysterious visitant afforded no rey of hope. ler gestures were menacing, her eyes glittered through her vail like those of an angry pytho- ness, and her voice, as she spoke, seemed like the rasping of a file. **Hence! the Master awaits you!” said she, addressing the now obsequious ruffians with harsh authority. ‘* But first, carry off all the captives but this one, With him I have urgent business, and without witnesses.” She half-spurned our hero’s prostrate form with her foot as she spoke, and at the same in- stant he perceived a half-concealed dagger, glistening in her right hand. Her orders were at once obeyed, The door again opened and closed behind the disappearing ruffians and their human burdens, Hawk was left alone with the vailed woman. ‘““What new female coadjutor has Kotzka here?” thought Hawk, with an inward shudder. ** Some sort of desperate virago, or vailed mur- deress, after his own heart, most probably.” But here the woman, towering to her full hight, suddenly divested herself of her cloak and vail, and shook aloft her glistening poniard. The revelation was astounding. In spite of the gag between his teeth, a great and terrible cry burst from Hawk Hercn’s lips, CHAPTER XXXII. BEATING HEARTS AND BUSY BRAINS. Bur the cry that our hero had uttered was only one of immense, overmastering joy. ** Clarisse!” Such was the next exclamation framed by his quivering lips. It was indeed she! The cloak and vail had fallen only to reveal the graceful yet majestic form, the youthful and radiant yet queenly features of Clarisse Letours. She indeed waved aloft her glistening dagger, but it was only to sever his bonds with keen, flashing strokes, ‘* Hawk, my beloved!” Even the counterfeit harshness of her voice melted into the velvety natural tones that were such delicious music to his ears. And could a woman’s voice, this side of Para- dise, be tenderer than hers at this supreme mo- nent? For were they net murmuring that the cComichbooks ale ee —<—— > = (GE uy ee re