Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— Set ae ‘known as simply Max Steinman, forger and villain at large, and this Mr. Jack Blithers, of Scotland Yard, London, the suspicion speedily disappeared before the latter’s frank, genial and engaging manner at breakfast. ‘*So you really think that our original fugi- tive, Max Steinman, and the perpetrator of this morning’s ghastly crimes, are one and tbe same?” said Blithers, after they had exchanged confidences pretty generally. ‘‘There’s nothing else to think,” said Hawk. ‘*Can you think otherwise after all I have told you?” ‘‘No. But then the fellow must be a regular prodigy of wickedness.” ‘* An inspired monster!” ** What do you propose?” “* You first.” Mr. Blithers smiled contentedly. ** Well, Heron,” said he, ‘it’s my opinion that sleuth-hounds work as well in couples as singly, ‘What’s yours?” ‘* This,” said Hawk, extending his shapely but muscular palm, ‘**Tt’s a go!” cried Blithers, and he struck palms over the unexpressed understanding. ‘‘ We're together in this hunt to the bitter end. Eh?” ‘** Done!” ‘Good enough! And look you, my boy. I like your style so demnition well that we'll top off with just one more bottle.” Hawk assented; and, when the glasses had been refilled, Blithers threw some papers on the table, ‘‘Here’s my credentials from Scotland Yard,” said he. ‘* Pray, throw your eye over ’em be- fore I take *em down to your Head-quarters.” Hawk did so with apparent carelessness, but really with a scrutiny that let nothing escape. He was, moreover, familiar with the signa- tures of the London officials appended to the documents, which he found to be flawless in every particular. ‘* Now, ’m going direct to Head-quarters,” said Blithers, receiving back the papers, ‘‘ and after that I shall be privately engaged till this even- ing. Can you accompany me?” ‘No; it is already late, and I must be at the inquest, Aw revoir till, say, to-morrow morn- ing. With this understanding, they separated. Hawk would have been considerably enlight- ened could he have seen the exulting smile with which ** Jack Blithers” looked after his retreat- ing form. **So, my innocent!” muttered that worthy, between his clinched teeth; ‘* I have hoodwinked you completely. Ha, ha, ha! Max Steinman, forger, Count Kotzka, the Nihilist leader, Adolphe Delancourt, the remover of the pseudo widow Ashcombe and her daughter, etc., etc., in the person of bluff Jack Blithers, will be your confidant, and if he doesn’t get the better o you it will be his own fault,” Tn the mean time, what had become of the true Jack Blithers, whom this protean villain was personating so cleverly? Alas! this was a new secret that had been locked up in that terrible breast since early morning of that very day, and the sole witness to which was the poor murdered body of the real Scotland Yard detective, lying under water off the string-piece of the North river steamship dock at which he had landed only to meet his death-stroke. When Hawk reached the Gotham Flats en- trance, after a considerable detention, two po- licemen were there keeping back the crowd, and an undertaker’s wagon stood at the curb. ‘Ts the inquest in progress?” asked the detec- tive. ‘* Not yet,” said the officer addressed. ‘The physicians are examining the bodies, and three undertaker’s men have just gone up with ice- boxes,” Here Mr. Schmidt came out of the passage, followed by Nixey, now as a smartly-uniformed district messenger boy. Tears were still in the honest old German’s eyes, ‘Oh, Boss Heron!” whispered Nixey, with a grin. ‘* You orter haye see’d one of the under- taker’s coves as went up.” ‘Why a ‘‘The rummiest old cove you ever see, Jest as tall an’ pussy as the. big duck I spotted for ‘ou at the Brunswick, only slouchy, an’ redder in the mug than a b’iled crab,” Hawk was vaguely interested. * One of the undertaker’s men, say you?” “ec Yes. ” ** Room in front there!” at this juncture called ont a policeman, on guard back in the passage at the foot of the stairs. ‘* Here comes one of the undertaker chaps with a big load.” They all drew back from the entrance as a roughly-clad man of gigantic frame emerged, shouldering a large empty tub for stowing ice. As this man caught sight of Hawk Heron, he let his burden fall with a crash, and then started back in the doorway with an exclamation. “Mein Gott!” screamed the old German, in amazement; ‘the man of the theater—the man ‘of the staircase—Olga’s abductor!” Thunder and lightning!” shouted Hawk; the man thas hurled me from the train—the Me Pe PIE Bos SETA gC ARE ges I RE SS SPE Sear RRA Ra RS I SE nA EO RN Mg Se SIRE ee a Se a ae a a ne ioe eas en man that gave me the slip in the tenement-house passage!” And he sprung like a wolf at the big man’s throat, CHAPTER V. BAFFLED AGAIN, ‘* HeLpP! robbery! assassination! murder me!” Such was the alarm raised by the gigantic undertaker’s assistant as Hawk Heron sprung at his throat, and he raised his powerful arms to defend himself, It was answered by two men, the driver of the undertaker’s wagon and another policeman, who, at the same moment, issued from the door- way. Neither was acquainted with Hawk, whose action was therefore wholly incomprehensible to them, and they at once precipitated themselves upon him. ‘* Don’t be fools!” cried Hawk, from the midst of the wild struggle in which all four were straightway mixedup. ‘ This man is a mysteri- ous villain, and I am a detective officer! Ha! ce you both! I got that through your med- ing! At the last words, he reeled back, faint and dizzy, from a random blow in the chest from the giant’s sledge-hammer fist, while the policeman and his companion came to a dumfounded pause, Then the colossus, likewise flooring ~ old Schmidt, who was coming to Hawk’s assistance, and shaking off Nixey, who had grasped the tail of his blouse, leaped into the undertaker’s wagon with a panther-like bound, gathered up the reins, and lashed the horse into a run. Though the worst sufferer, Hawk was the first to recover. ‘** After him!” he shouted. ‘‘It is doubtless the murderer himself!” And he shot off like a grey- hound in 8 sae followed by the rest. Hawk Heron had never met his match as a runner, even among the most noted profes- sionals. Notwithstanding that the horse was a good one, and lashed to its utmost, he held his own in the chase, and soon distanced the other pur- suers. At last, after momentarily losing sight of the fugitive equipage, at a sharp turn, he once more saw it dashing away, but empty and without guidance, At the same instant the banging of a street- door on the right indicated that the fugitive might have disappeared behind it. The house was one of a block of small, mean- looking, three-story-and-basement dwellings, in a narrow, out-of-the-way little street, of unen- viable reputation, known as Melton place. It was only after clamoring at the door for a long time, and after many protests on the part of an angry but melodious feminine voice from within, that our hero was finally admitted into this house. Then, as he recognized the owner of the melo- dious voice, be sprung into the passage, and grasped her wrist. ‘*Ha!” he exclaimed, ‘‘my demure warning- giver of the elevated railroad—my young lady of the lost basket!” She stared at him with well-simulated aston- ishment, ‘*Come, come!” cried Hawk; ‘“‘ where you are the ‘sweet Adolphe’ cannot be far away, I must search the house this instant.” ‘** As you choose,” said the young woman, col- lectedly. ‘‘It is empty, however, save the base- ment, which I occupy, as janitress,” She was possessed of a remarkable and even commanding beauty, which by this time had impressed the detective strongly. Under other circumstances he might have Zey would thought it a case of love at first sight, and the fact that she returned his searching gaze with a look in which annoyance had given way to in- terest would have somewhat flattered his self- esteem at least. ‘*T must do my duty, miss, ‘‘ said he, half apologetically. . She stepped aside, with a gesture toward the staircase. He hesitated. **T beg you to tell me your name?” said he, **Clarisse Letours,” ** A beautiful name!” She smiled coquettishly, and then grew sud- bier! ele ‘*T honestly dislike flattery, sir,” said she, simply. ‘‘ But, since you are so courteous, I shall conceal nothing.” ** Thank you!” “Just before you rung the bell, I did hear some one burst into this house, like one pursued, and run up-stairs.” ‘Where were you?” “In my basement rooms. I thought it might be a thief, and you an accomplice.” ** But how could he have got in?” - ‘“* Heaven only knows. Perhaps by a skeleton ey. bad peopie.” ‘*T am aware of that, Anything else?” ‘Yes; all the rooms above the basement This is an evil neighborhood, infested by | 5 floor, with one excetion, are vacant and un- furnished, There is a man in that room now, but not the one you seek,” As she hesitated, a suspicious frown crossed the detective’s face. ‘* Explain!” said he, ogo tcp ** Oh, sir!—but, yes, 1 will tell you all. Know, then, that I make a little money by occasionally hiring out that room by the day. At present there is a stranger there awaiting the visit of some other man, perhaps a criminal.” ‘Good! I shall interview him.” But, as he started toward the staircase, she reba ig him with a gesture of genuine solici- tude, ‘**Oh, sir, do not intrude upon this stranger, I _ beseech you!” she exclaimed. ‘‘ He is so big, so formidable-looking.” Hawk’s suspicions augmented. ‘* Excuse me, but big men are just in my line at present,” said he, thrusting her aside. * And if the sweet Adolphe chances to be in hiding up yonder—” He checked himself as a door above was heard to open, followed by a surly exclamation, as of extreme impatience, and then a heavy descend~ ing step. Clarisse started forward, as if to give warn- ing, but Hawk’s left arm grasped her as if in a vise, while one hand closed over her lips and the other produced his revolver. ‘*Traitress! Cockatrice!” he hissed, drawing her into the darkest corner of the passage, ‘‘ this is your Adolphe—the fugitive villain I seek!” 3ut when the man descending the stairs came into view, Hawk started back in dismay. ‘** Blithers—Jack Blithers!” he exclaimed, “The deuce!” cried Blithers, for he indeed it was. ‘‘Here’sarum go. What are you doing here, my boy?” ‘* You owe me the first explanation, since I spoke first,” said Hawk, slipping his weapon out of sight, and fastening his eyes on the other’s florid face. ‘* Ha, ha, ha! with all my beart!” cried Blith- ers, with his fat, hearty laugh. ‘I confess I was a little evasive with you when we separated a few hours ago. My real engagement was to meet and confer with one Manchester Tibbs, an old English professional], in Mistress Letours’s little snuggery up-stairs, in regard to a side case V’m on, you know. Precious little good it has done me, by the way!” he added, turning half- angrily toward Clarisse, who seemed agreeably astonished at the turn affairshad taken. ‘ How now, young mistress? No signal as yet, such as I advised you of,” Before she could answer, there came the light, pattering sound of some small pebbles thrown against the dusty transom panes. ‘* Tibbs at last!” muttered Blithers, frowning. **Open to him, mistress, that I may rebuke h tardiness as it deserves,” Clarisse opened the street door." Then, as if in full confirmation of what Blith- ers had been saying, there skulked furtively up the steps from out the gathering dusk of the street a shambling, villainous figure, that seemed a hideous incarnation of Old World squalor, oy ipa and crime. he rascal looked up expectantly, but Blithers ' at once opened upon him with such a tirade of abuse, in the thieves’ Latin that was equall familiar to Hawk, that he speedily skulked bac into the obscurity, with a half-scared, half-sullen look on his hang-dog features, and was seen no more. ‘‘My trouble and time for my pains, that’s all,” said Blithers, with a resumption of his broad good-humor as he retreated into the pas- sage, closing the door. ‘‘ Now, old fellow, it’s your turn, What the deuce brought you here?” Hawk’s confidence in the other had by this time been fully restored, if, indeed, it had under- one any real diminution at all. In a few words e told his story, frankly and succinctly. “Why, I beard the racket that yous fugitive must have made in breaking into the house here!” exclaimed Blithers, when he had finished his recital. ‘‘The steps sounded as if he were making tracks somewhere below. Speak, mis- tress. Is there any secret egress he might have availed himself of?” Clarisse changed countenance and hesitated. Blithers eyed her keenly, and a hard, savage look came into his face. “Quick! out with it!” and he made a signifi- cant gesture, “Oh, Pll speak truth, but don’t try to bully me!” said the girl defiantly, ‘‘ You can’t scare me, big as youare. Pll pees but it will be to please him, not you.” And her color flashed back as she looked at Hawk. : **Speak, then, I pray you, Clarisse,” said the younger man, who had been silently attentive. “There is a secret passage, then,” said she, ‘Tt is a sort of tunnel going out from the coal- hole under the street. It passes under a man- hole, in among the gas and water-pipes, and then on and on, the Lord only knows where, rhaps as far down as the rocks with the squat- ee shanties on top of ’em, for all I know. This house, I’ve been told, was once occupied by a band of counterfeiters.” se Oho p? ** Yes; and whether or not your fugitive knew ee : Gomicboo (G CS (Koy