Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Si" - ‘a a a al > ee > ‘ ~ one . s ome ‘Then ask Bowery Burt—not me.” Captain Coldgrip was seen to get a firmer | face, revealed to him by the street lamp. -grip on the revolver in his right band. ‘I give you one minute in which to make up -your decision,” he said to the cornered villain. «You came straight from Floss to the door by which I entered this house, This is man against man, Raven Rob. You don’t want the Sawyer or the Day cases opened up, do you?” Raven Rob suddenly turned livid. ‘This man-fox knows what kind of a hand to play,” he mentally ejaculated. ‘‘He knows [ doesn’t want those old crimesdisturbed. I’ve got to give the girl up, but Jehu! won’t I retort with a cyclone hand before long?” Then he looked at the cool blade in his front. ‘‘ What's the girl to you?” he asked. ‘‘ Never mind that. I am here to take her from this trap. You will produce her at once.” ‘* That’s in the neighborhood of immediately,” -grinned the Raven. ‘‘ You seem to know that Y'ten produce Floss.” ‘‘] know it,” and Captain Coldgrip threw a 5 an glance toward the door that hid Bowery urt’s young ward. Raven Kob saw the look and moved across the room covered by the man ferret’s revolver and watched closely. He knew that the Raven was treacherous that he would not hesitate to take advantage of the first opportunity that presented itself, and that he would use that advantage to the full cx- tent of a desperado’s powers, ‘*' You need watching as a tiger does,” said the detective to himself. ‘‘ ’m not going to let you get a finger uppermost, Raven Rob.” The city desperado continued to move across the room until he reached the door. He hesitated there. Well did he know that Floss was just beyond the portal—Floss, the girl whom he considered worth her weight in diamonds if he could only ploy his game out, e could have colored the walls with the brains of the cool detective who had come be- tween. How had Captain Coldgrip discovered that t means had he Floss was in the house? By w found the girl’s trail? He had been commissioned by F n Fow- ler, the millionaire to break up the Dragon e Why did he want to rescue Floss if -she was onl wery Burt’s young decoy? ‘‘Open the door!” said the captain, sternly, breaking in upon Raven Rob's reflections. ‘‘ Your life for this!” hissed the ma! nther, and then he drew a key from his pocket and in- serted it into the lock, A brief silence followed the recoil of the bolt and then the Raven sullenly kicked the door open. re Take your prize!” he said, sending a mad look over his shoulder at Captain Coldgrip. The next moment an exclamation came from the room beyond the door, and a young girl bounded forward. *“* Floss!” said the detective, as she came to a — halt and looked astonished into his ace. “Ah! you are Claude Coldgrip, the detect- ive,” she said, and then, with a furtive glance of fear at Raven Rob, she went forward, The Raven looked on with wedded lips and gleaming eyes. He saw that the game was up. “Will you come with me, or do these quar- ters suit you?” said the detective, addressing Floss. “Heavens! not this house,” was the answer. *‘T will go with you from the clutches of that man there.” * To come back here some time!” growled the Raven under his breath. “If you think this is the end of the game, Captain Coldgrip, time will show what a fool you are!” Floss looked anxiously toward the door that led into the street, for she was eager to cross its threshol.L. The man-hunter saw the glance. ' ‘In a moment,” his look said to the girl, and then he looked at Raven Rob. | “T will leave you now,” he said. ‘ You will take up a new hand, I suppose?” The Raven's glare was answer wets 2) ; ‘‘ Let the future demonstrate that,” he said. ‘You are at liberty to make any play against ‘me you see fit to,” the detective went on. “I shall not hesitate to turn on you whenever I find ‘you at my heels. I sha'‘n’t threaten you with any of your old crimes; I will play with the hand I bold when we mect.” ‘* All right,” growled Raven Rob. ‘‘If I bad known yea were at the door when I opened it, I would have killed yon in your shoes. I sail under no false colors against you, Captain Cold- grip. Remember, from this time on tbat your play to-night will be met one of these days with another equally successful—that is, if you don’t steala march on Raven Rob.” The New York detective smiled and dropped his left band to the girl’s wrist, ‘‘We go now, Floss,” he said, and watched ‘savagely by the baffled man-tiger in the middle -of the room, be led the girl to the front door, which she opened, and the pair passed out. “Do you wantto go back to Bowery Burt?” Captain FB * , asked the detective, looking down into Floss’s ‘‘ Not if I can go elsewhere,” said the girl. ‘You can, i do not ask you to turn from Bowery Burt, but I leave it all to you.” ‘‘ Then I would not go back there.” The two started off, walking rapidly, and in tine turned into the Bowery. More than once Floss looked up into the ce- ‘eg ky face and always caught him watching or. There was surprise and subdued excitement in Captain Coldgrip’s eyes, and he wore the countenance of a man who thinks be has made a startling discovery. ‘Great Caesar!” exclaimed a man who caught sight of the pair under one of the Bowery lamps. ‘‘Shoot me for a clam,if the ferret hasn’t made a ten strike by some means! He has found Floss. I wonder where he got her. Mebbe he spotted the Raven and raked in the stakes. By Jove! my city Vidocq, we'll see where you take the girl, because I’m the man who wants to know, you know,” A chuckle followed the last sentence, and be- fore it had died away Captain Coldgrip had a man on his track. This man wore a fur cap that was pulled down over his head and almost hid his cunning little eyes. He had a quick, almost noiseless step, and he did not take bis gaze for a moment from the ferret and his prize after he had once spotted them. Captain Coldgrip conducted Floss to his own quarters in the Bowery, a quiet and plain house, and gave up his own little room to ber. ‘Tt in’t a king’s palace, but it’s a resting- place,” he said to the girl in an apologetic way. ‘{t may be better than Bowery Burt’s or tha Raven’s. You will remain here as long as you wish, or until I find you better quarters; that ts the wolves of New York don’t carry you off. ‘* The wolves?” echoed Floss, her eyes dilating. ‘* Am I to be hunted?” “[ would not ba rised. You have left Bowery Burt; he won’t like to give you up. have taken you from Raven Rob, and against his wishes. These are two of tae wolves of Gotham, and they will more than show their teeth.” ‘*Forgive me!” cried Floss, springing to the detective and grasping hisarm, ‘* I don’t de- serve a whit of this kindness at your hands, I was to have decoyed you into Papa Pangborn’s, and set out on my mission. I would have done it, perhaps, but was taken off the street by Foxy ‘and the Raven.” *“* And Foxy pert: the hand out to his doom!” said the trailer. ‘‘ Floss, you don’t want to thank me for anything I do. I am a man of duty, and believe my duty is to take you from the power of such men as Bowery Burt and Raven Rob.” ‘*L wish I could pay you in some manner for this work,” the girl went on, her handsome eyes suddenly filling. ‘“‘I can—I will! I can tell you that Ferguson Fowler’s papers and the dia- mond dragon are in the hands of Elegant Ahab and the woman called Queen Helen.” Captain Coldgrip started slightly and then broke into a laugh. As I believe I can say I already know that,” he said. **But there is one thing you don’t know,” Floss went on. ‘‘ You do not know that there is a small dragon tattooed on my arm!” The detective uttered a singular cry. ‘*What does it mean?” pao to f the girl. “ Has it anything to do with the metallic dragon stolen from Ferg Fowler, the New York mone king, by Elegant Ahab? I never dared as Bowery Burt, though I am almost certain that he knows I am thus tattooed.” Captain Coldgrip looked down into Floss’s face, but did not speak. “T have astonished you, I see,” she said. | ‘*Not very much, my girl,” was the answer. ‘*T have been on two trails instead of one for some time, and I believe they are going to run together.” : t that moment a certain man in a fur cap was eying the house from the opposite side of the strect, All at once a closed carriage, moving at a rapid gait, approached the sidewalk where he stood. The watcher seemed undecided whether to stay or fly. _Before he could make up his mind, the car- riage stopped in the gutter before bim and the door flew open. _ “ Get in here!” said the voice of a man on the inside, ‘‘ I want you the worst kind. By Jove! this is luck itself. Jump in, Bowery Burt!” ‘*Here I am, Ahab!” was the reply, and the vehicle rattled off again. CHAPTER XV. BOWERY BURT OUTWITTED, ‘*How did I come to find you here?” asked Elegant Ahab. ‘Just happened that way, I guess,” said Bowery Burt, thankful that the man who ad- aedeaud him could not see his face for the dark- ness, ‘* What has happened?” _= etn tear eens eee. ee ———————————————eeEeEeEeEeEEEeEEEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEe=eEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeeeEeEeeEeeCuonteses| Coldgrip in New York. i-% lo “Two things,” was the answer. ‘**Do they concern the game?” ‘*They do.” ‘* Well, give me the lay-out.” The carriage was moving rapidly up the street, and the men did not try to bridle their tongues. ‘In the first place, ’ve seen Duke Dado to- nicht,” said Elegant Ahab. j “Oho! the dwarf Ferg Fowler fetched home ee from that European trip?” ; ‘6 Vos.” ‘‘T have reasons for suspecting that the imp was dogging me.” ‘*‘Where did you see him?” **On Broadway, near Union Square.” ‘** Was he alone?” ** He seemed to be.” Bowery Burt was silent for a moment, ‘* Well, what is the next event?” he asked, “Helen had a visitor.” ** To-night?” pe ** Not very long ago.” (ie ‘* What was his business?” ‘‘He wanted the aad and the dragon.” b “Holy Hezekiah!” ejaculated Bowery Burt. ‘*He was cooler than Mephistopheles,” con- | tinued Elegant Ahab. $ ‘*Then it was Captain Coldgrip!” ‘* You are quite mistaken. He called him- — self Robert Randolph in a derisive manner. — Helen can read men pretty well, you know. She says that this one is an old-timer in ; playing—a regular b’hoy in the art, as it we oa “ 0 ” as ‘Yes. Ill bet my head he is the manI wanted to see an hour ago—Raven Rob, Foxy’s ~ “Do you really tkink so?’ asked Elegant — Ahab eagerly. oe “T do. What did the fellow do?” ite DE jae made ree, howe look. os ry acyclone — passed through. He ransacked everything —dived into the bureaus, looked into the dress- ing naan ins hob generally.” ae ‘ Where was Helen all this time?” a ‘‘Choked into unconsciousness on the sofa,” growled Ahab. ‘‘If I had been there tohave — received the devil, there would have been a rivate funeral from the Dragon Palace. It on ned just after I had left.” | “Did he find what be wanted?” asked Bowery ‘‘Fortunately no. The prizes are stillsafe.” ‘*Good for that!” - ‘*But with this cool and rous devil on — the track, something must be done quickly. I don’t think he will come again soon with the — same kind of a hand, but he won’t put up with one failure.” ee 2 “Well” PS ‘* After consulting with Helen I am in fav “74 of a big play.” Elegant Ahab went on. a ju : Against Ferg Fowler?” i ee this es ‘‘ What is the nature of your play ?” ‘‘We must spring the heiress trap. knows her part well enough to play it through. — She is getting impatient. She upbraics me because I did not kill Captain Coldgrip when I _ a him unconscious in the millionaire’s li- “Phere is where you missed it, sure enc 1g A, ae said Bowery Burt. ‘‘ You don’t catch me let- ting a rat out of the trapifIcan helpit.” “T think I failed to deal a stunning blow then, but we can’t recall itnow, Helenisready — to face Ferg Fowler as Frances Percy. — The papers have helped us a great deal. The tattco on her arm has heaied, and looks excellent, The | game isin our hands. Whatdo yousay?”? 5 % If Elegant Ahab could have seen the face: of 7) Lis companion at that moment, he would have — shown surprise. ee Bowery Burt did not like the game proposed his gerne eyes showed that the kid-glove ful « * + , had proposed a covp which was distaste-— é > ie “T don't like to play this new hand with ‘Clawe . tain Coldgrip on the trail,” Rowery Burt said, — when Elegant Ahab was a iy « Sows 4: ent ae * « * . ° over his perplexing silence. ‘ This oe faculty of turning up just when he is not want- — ed.” Con ‘You don’t think that Helen can’t play — Frances, eh?’ exclaimed Ahab. ‘sfan} ‘‘No—not that. She can sustain any ro but can we afford to let her turn up As Pes ae with this Captain Coldgrip on track of — us?” ie. * ¥ «“ ? ~ .T o Elegant Ahab was silent, and the carriage traversed a whole block before he spoke again. ‘*Don’t you consider if a little dangercus?’ — said the voice of Bowery Burt in the darkness. ‘There is risk with all plays,” was the reply. — ‘‘Of course, and an almighty big one with this scheme, I think,” Bowery Burt said, and — then the Bowery fox continued to himself: = ‘*T must bold this move off. I have found — Floss—I know where I can lay my hands on her. I’m not very anxious a see Helen walk upon the stage as Frances—not just now, any- — ow 3 “Bowery Burt, you belong to the Les sue, ms (ECO) AACE a, * oY JOCKS ° — =