Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 396 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

x The Piper Detective. _ . Big Mike might have an idea as to who his _ sprisoner was, but it was pretty evident that he _ did not recognize him as the little man who knocked him down at Copper Sile’s. Had - hedone so he might not have been in such a cruel good-humor. | But there was something more to follow. | A peculiar but familiar odor reached the ' young man’s nostrils. He made what fight he could, but of course ' to no purpose. Chloroform did its work, ' and in a few moments he had lapsed into in- | sensibility. } ‘‘That settles him,” send Mike, in a satis- fied tone. ‘‘ Only, I orter done it sooner. He can’t tell where he’s goin’ to, but mebbe he kin tell where he came from, ef that will _ do him any good.” | But who is he, Mike? Don't yer think _ there’s somethin’ crooked ’bout this yere? _ Teil yer, I’d sooner put his chunk out an’ done with it. How did he happen ter kim _ tumblin’ through jest when we were ‘round? ~ Who hangs out up above? [ ain't skeerier - than ther next man, but I likes ter know _. ther kind ov a game I’m goin’ inter afore _ they begins ter deal off ther keards.” “Dry up, Jinks. I told yer ther’ war a _ job ter be did, an’ I paid yer ther chink - right down. Good ernuf; what more d’yer want? I’m runnin’ this rag, an’ ef yer don't _ jike ter see me throwin’ double sixes [ll _ row inter shore an’ you kin pull out—an’ is am yer eye ther next time | meet you. Ther pal ez goes back on me ketches it hot - whenI git my hands empty. . **Oh, I ain’t a-pullin’ out; an’ I ain’t goin’ - back on yer. Ther only thing ar’ ez I war 3 se faa But s’pose ther cops come swoopin’ along, an find what looks mighty like a stiff - layin’’round. They'd take us right in.” Oops be hanged! We kin dodge ’em, can’t we? An’ ef ther’ ain’t no chance we'll _ jest take mister man by ther legs anelet him _ inter ther water soft-like, an’ leave him there. * Tain’t riskin’ me own neck, an you kin bet _ yer bottom dollar I ain’t askin’ you ter resk _ yourn.”’ _ This partial explanation seemed to prove _ gatisfactory., A murder more to add to his ~ eonscience-list did not trouble Jinks half as much as being actually taken by the police, - in a suspicious position. The boat went ' rapidly on. _. When Howard returned to his senses he a found himself once more on terra firma. The rag had been removed from his face, and he had a chance to see, by a feebly- burning lamp, that he was in a cramped, squalid apartment, and from the feel of the al neste he divined that it was part of a cellar. He looked around him once more, and more é. * 7 ly. The mist was beginning to clear - away from his brain, and now there was a | am. of recognition in his eye. What sort of luck is this? I’m on my own stamping-grounds again, and if they give me half a chance I’ll fool them yet. If ~ Tean’t walk, maybe I can roll; and if I can oll far enough and reach high enough, I'll - leave a mystery to solve at their leisure.” Acting in accordance with his soliloquy, he rolled over, and felt so encouraged that there was a smile of content on his face. ef he had been brought there he could / ne ess, though he doubted if his life was in danger. Certainly it would have been ~ easier to have left him in the sewer, or drop- ped him into the river. As he raised himself up into a sitting pos- _ ture, he heard the sound of a light laugh, and became aware of the fact that he was no _ longer alone. The door had opened noise- lessly, and some one had glided into the ; Don’t, please don’t!” said a languid voice, that was not at all unfamiliar. ‘‘I know you are a young man of resources, and -- doubtless have some schemes afoot; but, eally I couldn’t afford to lose you now, v3 all the trouble I have taken.”’ ‘Madam Velvet!” exclaimed Clayton, in some surprise. TT was not mistaken, when I said you knew me,” answered the madam. ‘‘ You - evidently are a very wise man, even if you _ did put your head in the lion’s mouth, and ou cannot wonder it that I decided at Lt , once that it was necessary that you should _ die. Self-preservation, you understand—of - ourse you cannot blame me for tumbling you through the trap, which was provided for such emergencies. ” ‘But if you want to kill me, how does it come that I am here?” ‘“Why, are you not dead? I certainly saw you drop down through a roadway, which no one ever came back to try a second time. There was not a man there that did not heave a sigh of relief when you per- manently disappeared, even if you took their money with you. And now you are think- ing of returning to the beggarly vanities of the cruel world. Why should you be so foolish?” There was a careless mockery about the speaker that did not at all tend to put the young man at his ease, though it was not hard for him to understand that he was brought there for a purpose. He could even see that the woman was studying his face sharply while she spoke. ‘‘Other people who fell through the trap did not find a boat waiting below to take them out of danger. If the boat was placed there to receive me, then the events of the night were all planned, and fora purpose. Who planned them, and for what reason?’ ‘*Ah! you can understand that much, can you? Very well—J planned them. I did not know of, and I do not yet understand the substitution, nor do | believe that a mis- take was made in arranging for a meeting with the wrong man. Whichever came would have been in the same danger, since the man you represented is viewed with dis- trust, snl it is only within the last twenty- four hours that it has become known that Craiglaw Howard Clayton not only still lives but is meddling with affairs that do not con- cern him. I had arranged to save the man known as Paddy the Piper; but now that it has turned out as it has, | am all the better satisfied. You are a betterman than he, and now I want you /” ‘‘For what?” asked Clayton, still a little astonished, though he had already suspected something of the kind. ‘To hunt down, to the death if needs be, the men known as the Gilt Edge Gang, and most of all, their leader.” ‘But their leader—who zs he? I assure you l have no love for the villains; but I have never yet been able to learn who it was that directed the movements of that extraor- dinary band of criminals, though I made a long step to-night toward it.” So far she had left him a bound prisoner; now she quietly applied a knife to his cords. ‘“Do not become too suddenly brave. In spite of what you said to-night, I can shoot very straight. And if I miss, | have a cou- ple of my brave supporters in ambush who would drop you at the first sign of treachery. They can see, but Ido not intend them to hear; so lower your voice, sir, and listen. In the first place, can I trust you?” ‘* Better when you know that I am sure I can trust you. hat guarantee have I that you do not intend my death so soon as you have learned what you can of my plans?” ‘‘ Only the guarantee of a woman who, while at variance with the law, hates the criminal she has spoken of with a volcanic hatred. You said once to-night that you knew my secret. If you told the truth what need for me to say more?” ‘T begin to believe. I swear to you that I never will betray you so far as anything oes that you tell me to-night in good faith. ore than that I cannot promise until I know more.” He spoke frankly, and without the sem- blance of fear. The woman seemed to be struck by his tones. ‘* You are both cool and brave,” she said, in a low voice, : ‘*] have need to be,” he answered. ‘‘A man condemned to the gallows, who has suc- cessfully evaded the power of the police, urged on by unlimited wealth, must be eith- er cool or go under, I am living yetin spite of them; and I expect to live until I have re- versed the verdict of the law, and can once more walk in the open light of day, a free man.” While they spoke the two were studying each other. Evidently each was afraid to trust and yet wished to, It was still the wo- man that pushed on the overtures, ‘*T can help you, perhaps, more than you dream of. ou heard to-night who the real eS am Sst LL lie criminal was, for whom you were condemn- ed to suffer. I do not wish to deceive you. He and the chief of the Gilt Edge Gang are not the same; yet to succeed you must strike both. Until to-night I never knew who the other was. Chance revealed it.” ‘‘And now you know? Who is it then?” ‘‘Swear to me to aid me to hunt him down. I will put in your hands the machinery I can direct, if you can handle it better than I; but you must swear to me to use it,” “T swear. I too begin to see light ahead.” ‘The chief is known to me by the name of Conyngham; but his real name is Raven— Edgar Raven. Under that name he wronged me as fearfully as man can wrong a woman. I vowed then to hunt him to death; but I looked for him in vain. He hasa thousand disguises, and is perfect in all of them, It was only by chance that he let the mask drop for a moment; but in that moment I recog- nized him—not as one man, but as three. He was posing then as a certain General Rawle, late from the far East.” ‘“Impossible!”” exclaimed Clayton, deeply moved. ** Not impossible, but the very truth. To- night I discovered that he and Conyngham were one. I struck one blow at him to-night —and failed. Now I must use more caution. If he strikes first he will crush me. At best it means ruin for me; but what care I if he goes down with me. As General Rawle he cannot be reached, but as Conyngham he is ready for the gallows. In that character I want you to hunt him down. You can reach him, perhaps, through an agent of mine [ think I can trust, but you must run your risks, Will you dare them?” ‘“‘T will,” answered the youn extended his hand, which clasped. man, and he adam Yelvet CHAPTER XVII. THE HOTEL MYSTERY DEEPENS. THE messenger sent to summon Preston Blaine had returned unsuccessful. Through some inscrutabie chance he met no one who would tell him where the gallant major had his lair. Four evenings out of seven, he would have been hard to miss; but this, of course, was a special occasion, and he was specially invisible. It was provoking. But the fact was, that having handed in several interviews, and plenty of other mat- ter, the major had felt relieved from the ne- cessity of further duty, and had gone to his room, at what was, for him, an early hour. The first intimation he had of what had hap- pened was through the columns of a morn- ing paper. e looked the paper over as a matter of business, but almost at first glance his eye fell upon something that held him with a shocked, breathless interest, for the head- lines told him where the mysterious murder had taken place, and a line or two mcre re- vealed who it was that the stroke had fallen . upon. For an instant or two his face was deathly white. ‘Murdered! My heavens, I cannot be- lieve it! Yesterday all health, life and beauty. To-day a corpse. Strangled in her bed, found there by her father. What a shock to the general. The maid missing— perhaps murdered too. Who are the guilty parties? The Gilt Edge Gang, I'll take my oath. I'll hunt them xovw, if it brings me to Pee reston Blaine’s teeth closed with an angry snap. He had fought hard in his time, and after the first burst of sorrowful regret the combative in his nature came to the front, along with a good share of the vindictive. Though he felt for the general, yet it was in a hazy sort of way. He gave the paper another glance, ‘‘ Marks of a strong hand on her throat. No robbery known to have taken place. No clew. Police at fault. General broke down after trying to keep up, and refuses to see any one. I must go to him at once. It wants a wild Indian on this trail.” He had been sitting at a table in a restau- rant, having nearly finished his breakfast be- fgre he took out the “3 he had purchased revious to entering. Having paid his bill e went hastily out and in a very short time was sending in his card to General Rawle, following it in person a moment later. EOMiICc > a = — 2 = » ews r é é * ‘ a a" at’ ‘ = * i. ; bd o # yore : (7s & ied \ tay ye vv “