Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

bon Seas rt ~ * We . ean be no compromisa between us. ft iron. %m you a , a 5 ——— re : we her shapely throat, and the while she gave him a glare of d “a © 3 adil enn aavelitneendinen! Se eee — a= -_— ee — a © articles up, and_wit ———_ SS = — '? — — ——— =a ss —— we SS ime ne . the ravage I’ve left behind. Ta-ta, - Hotspur. When are you goiug to appear in the game as the true Percy heir?” . ya ’ <_ yma died awa a te ig a aie — a ee eee —— -— ee ee ee - os © ——_—— the Dragon League; there was more of the roughness about Raven Rob, but for all this he was a big, good-looking city cool-blade, Helen tried to read his mission in his eyes while be confronted her, As be had forced his way into her presence by a subterfuge, she could readily believe he was there for no good. What should she say to him? Should she open the ball? ‘* My lovely creature, [am hyer on business of importance,” suddenly ejaculated the Raven. “Well, Ahab is not in.” *¢ Ahab be hanged!” was the quick retort, “I want to see you, and I am enjoying that pleasure just now. lam sorry I have to trouble you, but want the papers.” Helen’s face grew white that instant. ‘* What papers?” she exclaimed, recoiling a step. or The Percy documents!” said the Raven, fol- lowing her up. “If you eae of the Dragon gue think you can play the best game, go ahead. I am hyer for them papers, Ill take them first.” ‘“ And what afterward?” asked Helen. ‘‘ The diamond dragon!” The Queen of the League did not cry out at this announcement, but stood like a statue be- tore the Raven and gave him a stony stare. ‘Does your eyes say ‘no?’” ejaculated Raven Rob, ‘*Sha'n’t I have what I’ve come for?” ‘*They are not here,” said Helen. “Not hyer,eh? Do you think I expect Ele- gant Ahab to carry ’em on his person? Not muuch I don’t, my dragon guardian. Come! thar Iam hyer for the pages and the dragon inits little box and ’em over!” But Helen did not move. “ Must I hunt ’em myself?” continued Raven pe fs _ Rob suddenly, throwing up his big hands which were formidablo enough to drive a shudder through the woman, ‘*T tell you they are not hero; and, besides, you are nothing lessthan a robber!” cried Helen‘ ‘* That’s just what I am!” laughed the Raven, showing his teeth below his glowing eyes. “I am just what Elegant Ahab was the night he / . -went to Ferg Fowler’s house last November—a * —- snidnight robber. I want the papers and the diamond dragon, and I want ’em almighty me i, _ ajnick, too, Don’t tell mo they're not hyer! By Jove, my city seraph, if you force me to hunt ll have to clean up after a tornado. Tand ’em over!” Although Helen was of good figure, the giant towered above her like a mountain. His eyes were darting fire, and his fingers moved nervously, as if eager to do violence. i All at once his hands sprung forward and aly as caught the woman who faced him. * Shall [ hunt ’em myself?’ he cried, een Helen’s teeth met with firmness, “Yes, thicf,’”’ she seut into his face. In an instant his hands were transferred to ae there, efiance, _ The next second was one of intense pain to the of the Dragon League. ‘ 5 : In the grip of the Raven she could offer no re- ___ sietance, and although she clutched his arms in her struggles, she could not loosen his grasp. **T guess she'll know when she comes to that Tm not to be fooled with!” said Raven Rob, as ‘heturned from the unconscious woman on the sofa in the lamplight. “*Tll now hunt the them we'll play a hand 49 een make us Wall street kings.” -He began to search the room in which he had overcome the Dragon League Queen. _ Nothing escaped his eyes or hands, . ; He picked the lock of the elegant writing-desk an‘ searched it thoroughly. - ‘From that room he went into another and sub- jected it to the same scrutiny. ~ Dressing-stands, bureaus, and wardrobes were turded inside out,as it were, but without re- aults, J ‘The track of the cool blade looked like the track of a storm. He sounded the floor, looked -_ behind the pictures, and examined the walls for secret compartments. \ His eyes fairly blazed with disap intment when he came back to the parlor and threw a mad look at the still unconscious Helen. She knows, but she can’t tell just now,” he _ gaid. “ By Jupiter! I’d like to choke the secret out o’ you, Queen Helen! The next hunt won’t fail. To-night only begins the Raven’s game! * This is cyclone number one, my sleepin’ seraph. _ ‘Thar ar’ ten millions at stake, an’ ’ve sworn ter - win—Ian’Foxy. Good-night, my choked viper. - “You will curse me to my boots when you look at iss Helen The laugh of the Raven, brutal and coarse, ed, and the city thug was on the street again. Not this time, but the next—bet your life!” t he exclaimed. | ss Some time after his departure Queen Helen - . moved i° - Greet God! did the man succeed?” she ex- , opened her eyes, and then got up, elaigud i iy Fe « A . . ee ee ee — in the hall, the door opened and clos- a LL Le Ee V———_—_——— ee a Pun * te * $ iS ae i ta)” * . ~ an A “ <p itt \ A: 7 ah, 1 - > ce re ee ee Captain Coldgrip in New York, | a a a a em ot es ee wee owes coe She walked unsteadily across the room and | said Captain Coldgrip to himself. ‘‘ This gives out into the hall. She was gone five minutes, and when she re- | entered the parlor there was a flash of victory in her eyes. me a new insight into Papa Pangborn’s charac- ter. And at Foxy’s expense, too!” During the journey through the last room, the _ old Jew had found and lighted a candle, and its ‘“T have them yet!” she cried. ‘‘No living | feeble rays dissipated the gloom that was thick man can beat the Dragon League!” CHAPTER XI. THE DETECTIVE AND THE DEATH-TRAP, ‘‘ TH first knot to untie is the one about the decoy to Papa Pangborn’s,” mentally ejaculated Captain Coldgrip as he found himself within sight of the old house oceupied by the Jew, ‘I threw him into the house with force sufficient to pe him a life-long remembrance of the event. shall investigate this matter for myself,” anda moment later he stood in front of the house. The hour was late, and the street was strange- ly a aptain Coldgrip argued mentally that he would probably find Papa Pangborn alone, Detective as he was, he was not ready to pro- nounce the old Jew a double-dealer with him, al- though he would not have given him a certificate of entire honesty. On several occasions Papa Pangborn had put the city sleuth onto some im- ogee y clews; but the detective could say that e had always paid the old fellow well for such services, The question now was, did the Jew know that Captain Coldgrip was to be decoyed to his es- tablishment for dark purposes? If he did, then, was he in any way connected with the deep work of the Dragon League? lt was eleven o'clock or past when Captain Coldgrip rung the private bell attached to Papa Pan zborn’s front door, He heard no tinkle beynnd the portal as on or- dinary occasions, for the little bell attached to the end of the wire was in the Jew’s private apartments. After a while there was a noise of feet in the corridor, and a slide opened iu the door itself. Beyond the little opening the detective saw a pair of glittering eyes. An exclamation greeted the New York ferret and when the eyes disappeared a lock clicked and the door opened. ‘* A little late, papa, but always on hand,” re- marked Coldgrip. A single gas jet was ana in the hall, but it furnished light enough to show the detective that for once be was not a welcome visitor to the old Jew’s trap. Papa Pangborn would sooner have opened his door to some one else at that hour, but he seemed to feel that it would not he policy to keep Claude Coldgrip out. ‘*T was here earlier in the night. Ah! you remember!” said the man sleuth, watching Papa Pangborn intently. “ ‘*Ven vas it, my frient?” asked the old Jew with brazen impucence, ‘** When I threw the man called Foxy inside,” was the answer. ‘‘Come! Please don’t lower my established good opinion of you, Papa. heard you at the door when Foxy performed his acrobatic feat. Did I hurt the rascal much?” ** He tray hs near killed,” said Papa Pang- born betraying his duplicity. ‘“ Ah! I thought so. I did not take care that he should fall softly,” laughed the captain, ‘* You’ve formed a new partnership, I see.” The Jew’s eyes dilated and he seemed to re- coil. ‘* Holy Moses, captain! I vas innocent of it all. Dot man never come to me till you throw him in at dot door.” ** Where is he?” The question asked without warning and with sternness, made Papa Pangborn throw a light- ning glance down the hall, ‘Vat I vants him in my house for, hey?” suddenly cried the Jow. ‘‘I send for der batrol wagon—” “Excuse me, Papa; you sent for nothing of the kind,” interrupted Captain Coldgrip, ‘I don’t want any double dealing here. If you are bound to destroy my good opinion of you, you will keep on, The man thrown into your house’ is here yet. I want to sce him.” The detective took a sudden step toward the old man as he uttered the last sentence, and dropped a hand on on» of his shoulders. ‘“Show me Foxy with no more preliminaries!” he said coolly. ‘‘I am now following my pro- fession in dead earnest; there is a gigantic game on hand and if you are found to be connected with it, you may not fare well.” * Joseph’s goat! I swear, captain—” ‘* Postpone your oaths!” smiled the detective. ‘¢ We'll need them in a court of law by and by perhaps. Now, come along, Papa. Is the man up-stairs or down?” The eyes of the Jew sunk back into his head, and while he ‘Spa at Captain Coldgrip, bis skinny hands clinched. Fora moment the de- tective was in danger of an assault by the old tiger, but he cooled down and led the way dowa the hall. He opened a door at the end of it and con- ducted the city trailer into a small room dimly lit by a gas-jet, then the two passed through that to a closet-like place, where they found a flight of steps, ‘* Aha! Foxy is somewhere in the bascment!” | in the chamber at the foot of the stair. The room was not floored, but the ground was almost as hard as cement, and the detective saw the cob-webbed rafters overhead. ‘** Is the man dead that you should fetch him _ here?” asked Captain Coldgrip. Papa Pangborn made no reply, but led the sleuth to one of the corners of the place, and pointed toward the ground, The candle held down at the same time re- vealed a low cot, with the figure of a man upon it. The position of the person struck the detective at first glance. The face, which was very dark, was partly h'dden by the scan ty bed-clothes, the knees were drawn up to the chin, and the hands clutched the threadbare cover. A wild thought flashed through Captain Cold- grip’s brain. ‘That man is dead!” he exclaimed. The old Jew uttered a cry of startling borror, and the feeble candle almost fell from his bands. ‘“*Dead! For der love of Abraham, no!” he cried. ‘* Look at him!” said Captain Coldgrip, snatch- ing the light away and holding it close to the ob- ject on the cot. ‘‘ This man has gone to judg- ment!” Papa Pangborn came forward with reluct- ance, his eyes large and wonderstruck, ready to escape from their sockets. ‘1s this Foxy?” asked the detective. The old Jew nodded. ‘‘ Somebody has been here since he was placed on this cot,” continued the captain. ‘Did you ever see the corpse of a man who was choked to death?” **Shoked? My God! Captain Coldgrip! vas _ man killed in dot vay?” gasped Papa Pang- rn. ‘‘He died by violence—strangled by some- body!” was the answer. ‘‘ The body is not alto- gether cold, but life is gone just the same.” The Israelite looked in silence at the dead, and the man-hunter watched him furtively. He saw that bis discovery was a surprise to Papa Pangborn. The old fellow expected to show him Foxy alive on the cot, but here the decoy was dead—strangled by the hand of some one. ‘Was Foxv playing against me with your consent to-night?’ suddenly asked the detective. athe Pangborn solemnly raised bis hand. ‘** Before heaven, he vas not!” be said. ‘“Where is the real criminal? I mean, who has had access to this place besides yourself?” The Jew hesitated. “Very well, keep your mouth closed,” said the detective. ‘‘The case is this. A man comes to Papa Pangborn’s house; he is slightly con- fused when found by the owner; he is taken to the basement and strangled there. His bedy is warm when found by Claude Coldgrip. Papa Pangborn has access to the cellar at all hours. He pretends ignorance of the crime. What do you think the verdict will be, my old fellow?” The countenance of the Jew was a sight to be- hold when Captain Coldgrip got to his last sen- tence. It was one almost blocdless, and written all over with terror. ‘““Ah! you anticipated the verdict, I see!” laughed the sleuth of the Jaw, ‘* There are two paths before you, Papa Pangborn. Take your choice.” The old Jew leaned against the stone wall of the cellar and trembled, He looked once at the corpse of the cot and then into the detective’s face until his gaze be- came a stare. “Tean’t stay here all night,” said Captain Coldgrip. ‘‘ As you keep silent, I presume you court an investigation. Very well. It may throw some light on the murder of this man in Papa Pangborn’s house. Come, we'll go up- stairs. Foxy will be taken away by the proper authorities.” Papa Pangborn gave utterance to a strange cry as the detective moved away. ‘Hear me!” he gasped. ‘‘ Dot oder man vat could come here if he would, is gone.” ** Bowery “ Aha!” said the captain. way down here, did he?” st Yes.” ‘* And he knew, too, that this man Foxy was here?” Papa Pangborn slightly inclined his head. “We'll go up now,” continued the detective. ““T begin to see that this piece of work is not pou though done on your premises. The andiwork of Bowery Burt is apparent since you bave spoken his name.” The white-faced Jew seemed anxious to quit the place where Foxy, the decoy and Raven Rob’s chum, lay dead in the damp corner. He led Captain Coldgrip from the cellar and up to the main floor of the house, “He knew the EoOmicbooks.com ~ ae by 4 7 A , ) he’ > hae 2 t . * iv r ' | | | | 1 ) ‘ _ 7 ,