Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ore on * SS er _ —- = . 2 Se . - — . > -——— = Soy »~'¢@ ~ * —-_§s — — — — - ow eae = ~~ _ _ = aT ¥ f : ‘ * Se ~—— = Stu * - a * >, . ad as, _ *“ #6 relies on this city ferret to run us down PS — a oo ¥7 a - : , - » ¥ “14% 2 ete — —— ee - tu <= = — Se : wy " de t * -— — ee ees — — ay «4 Se ae a = =a > & a-* . ‘ * > oe : : cd | > 7 is. <2 Ts Fo > a> -_~ —— % = * _ * - f ps " 7 “~ eye hand grasped in the at A =" to waive all claims on him for a mill- be : : . would not be afraid to go to court.” ed 4 ‘anxious to mount the witness-stand in a court of ___ certain house on Canal street. a. . rad * Tr. ¢ « -_ night-key produced by the kidded sport. eee he ae A ey drop into Simon Peter’s place and proceed to do “ ‘a . 2 a He moved down the alley till he reached a hee». _ They all looked at him for a moment and then _. returned to the story Simon Peter was telling. 14 continued Elegant Ahab, ‘* You are to share equally with us.” “*T know that,” ‘* There will be two millions apiece, for we are going to strip Ferg Fowler of every dollar.” ‘“*That’s the game,” said Bowery Burt; ‘‘ but I don’t want to show a hand until we can sus- tain it—don’t you see? What has just hap- ned? A cocl devil—the pard of Foxy, who yed Claude Coldgrip to Papa Pangborn’s— has tried to put his hand on the prizes. He knows we have them, and you can bet your - head that he also knows that we do not train with the real Percy heiress. If you say this ene shall be played, Ahab—if you and Queen elen insis upon it—played it suall be!” | ** With your assistance?” “Yes,” said Bowery Burt, with a hesitation scarcely perceptible. The next moment the Bowery villain felt his i of the carriage. “Very well,” said is tobe made. Helen insists upon it.” _ * When?” % “During the next forty-eight hours,” Wie ‘‘'That will give us a little time.” —. * For what?” “To run the Raven and Captain Coldgrip ” down. _-~—~—s« **T will do my share. Helen is to appear to _ Ferg Fowler like a person from the grave, told him we could produce the heiress, but I fe would not consent?” andsave him. With the case that we've got, I Please exc se this gent from that ordeal,” _ gaid Bowery Burt with a chuckle, and then he - thought of his narrow escape from the police officer that very night. Bowery Burt was not AKA - Jaw; the crime of the old Jew’s house had put his neck into the shadow of the rope. AS ear bie, the carriage had traversed consid- le distance, and before either of the conspi- oke again, it drew toward the curb of a y MM ~ Fey 4 ators ‘* Here we are!” said Elegant Ahab, opening the door of the vehicle. ‘‘I would not be sur- prised to find Helen waiting for us.” ___Thecarriage was dismissed and rolled away, _ while the two men entered the house by aid of a the first alley-opening, something dark ropped to the ground from behind the car- . In another instant it developed itself into a human being, and before the vehicle was out of sight it had disappeared in the alley. 4 ‘‘ Hang me! if it doesn’t cramp a fellow terri- *. y to play spy like that,” said this person who -. ‘was small of stature, indeed a dwart. ‘Tl ‘have to oil up to get the kinks out of me. I'll a -* a Rot VA ~ Se . * * Li oe beyond whose transom there was a feeble ee! Sie lifted a latch and walked into a dirty-look- ing bar-room with a short counter and a still : Lghorter man doing duty behind it. - §imon Peter’s was one of the * gig hon whisky- dens in that part of the city, and as an all-night . am it got a certain custom which some of the other saloons did not enjoy. __ Several rough-looking characters stood at the bar when the dwart entered. - ‘ > . 4 anh _ The dwarf moved down the counter behind the Rrsark men and got between the last one and the He had not removed from his clothes all trace of his uncomfortable ride, and his face _ ‘was smeared with the grime of the under part of oe -- . . ~~ ‘> * e | ie: ‘The chu by owner of the alley den took no oe of the dwarf till he had finished his coarse ae narrative when he came toward him with his / usual “‘ Whisky, eb?” ___ The little spy could be as sententious as Simon Whi ,” said the dwarf in a tone which _ geemed only the echo of the barkeeper’s ques- ‘The usual long-necked blue bottle and a small glass’ were placed before the dwarf, and Simon _ Peter left him to himself. At that moment the door-latch clicked again, and the little man glancing up saw the person ‘who came in. ay ate od Burt! koe _ In an instant the dwarf became as immovable a ¥ s one of the pyramids. _ _ He seemed to become a part of the dingy wall itself, but from under his deep black lashes he -- -watched Bowery Burt like a hawk. Between him and the new-comer stood three big men and their bodies shielded him pretty ell, -- But what if they should move back and ex- pose him? And this they were liable to do, for _ thev had no interest in the dwarf. Bowery Burt walked to the end of the counter and caurbt Simon Peter’s eye, a} * vhs, ‘ * ; , ‘ ais ‘ ' = 2 ~—) " _ — = eee ae OOO Or —OeLn oo“ — — ee eee eee a msm ES EN erm rm re Captain Coldgrip in New York. The little whisky-dealer came toward him with | bottle and glass, The Bowery sport filled the latter and ees its contents down. Then he repeated the ex- periment and very reluctantly pushed the bottle away. As he stepped back he threw a look at the three men aires bodies shielded the dwarf; then his glance seemed to fall to the almost breathless spy. ii was a moment of suspense. The dwartf’s head was just above the counter, but the brawny arm of one of the late drinkers almost hid it. Bowery Burt had a keen eye and a quick per- ception. He suddenly lifted his head a little more and appeared to lean forward, “The Bowery thug sees me,” muttered the dwarf. ‘He'll pounce upon me like an eagle if I don’t open the ball. His astonishment won't legant Ahab. ‘‘ The move | last three seconds for he is a man quick to act.” These thoughts flashed across the dwarf’s brain in the fraction of a second, His hand which was resting at his hip sud- denly brought something into the light. The next moment Bowery Burt left the end of the counter and took a step which threw him in a line with the three men. At that moment the dwarf came also into view. ‘* Not a step further!” rung suddenly from his throat as he covered Bowery Burt with a revol- ver. ‘*Move a hand toward the dropper you are never without, and I'll toss you to the cor- oner!” The three men at the counter stood spell- bound at this sudden play. Indeed, they had nearly forgotten the dwarf, but he was now giv- Fig, one evidence of his presence. owery Burt thunderstruck by this coup, stood like a person glued to the floor. He saw behind the leveled weapon a pair of little eyes that fairly blazed. The dwarf had the upper hand. **T suspect that you know me, Bowery,” con- tinued the little man. ‘‘ You have cheated me out of a drink, but let it go—Tll get one else- where,” During this s ward the door, baffled Shadow. Allat once the door opened and something passed out, then it shut with a bang! ech the dwarf was moving to- is eyes still riveted upon the ' ' ' ‘ “Pil get the atom yet!’ cried Bowery Burt covering the space at a bound, The next moment he was in the a‘ley; but the dwarf had vanished. CHAPTER XVI. A TIGER ROBS HIS OWN, ‘THE presence of that atom here means some- thing. y did I let him get the drop on me? Elegant Ahab was not mistaken when he told me in the carriage that Duke Dado, Ferg Fowler’s runaway dwarf, was at his heels to- night.” owery Burt gave utterance to language like this while he stood in the alley near Simon Peter’s door and realized that the dwarf had eluded him. ‘* Shall I go back and report?” he continued. ‘*T do not have to, yet, if Helen knew that Dado may have heard me and Ahab bean in the cab, she might alter her mind about the big card she is bent on playing. vay can’t I play a hand, too?’ And Bowery Burt’s eyes grew bright at the suggestion. ‘“‘If she plays hers out successfully, maybe I will make a fizzle of ge Neg rey e drew forth a watch and consulted it for a moment. went on. “I b’lieve I can feather my nest be- tween now and daylight. Helen will go to the | fair sleeper and lowered the money-king without the documents; she will re- ly on the the tattoo on her arm. That will be enough to throw Ferg Fowler into convulsions!” Bowery Burt laughed to himself as he left the alley and walked back to the house of Helen Hotspur, which was not far off. He let himself in with a night-key and closed the door behind him. ‘*Ts that you, Bowery?” asked a voice from somewhere overhead. *Tt’s nobody else, cap’n,” was the answer. “Tf guess I'll turn in and rest up for the big throw.” * All right!” The Bowery villain smiled to himself and passed up the stair before him, ‘ My opinion is that this game of Helen’s will fail,” he said to himself. “She will go to Ferg Fowler and announce herself as the true Percy heir, She will show him a dragon tattooed on her arm—an exact imitation of the diamond one now in our possession, Ferg Fowler won't give up his millions unless the stolen things are re- turned. I know the man pretty well. Let me play the hand I want to, and I can clutch the whole pill. Elegant Ahab is cool and shrewd; he discovered Helen and put this whole gigantic scheme in her head. Sbe bas throwd her whole soul into it. She would kill for it. She hates Ferg Fowler’s wa 222 bea * other day that she intended to throw the girl 4 z i ae * shee ~ ° dt Gin thle eden Ae j } She told me the . J] ‘7 + * mn —_—_—_— Oo ae ee et OS C—O out of doors without a dollar. I wouldn’t do that quite,ashardasIlam.” And Bowery Burt, sitting on the side of a little bed in a smell room on the second floor, supplemented his remarks with a laugh. In a little while the house was quiet, but there was at least one person in it who was not asleep. Bowery Burt bad a good-deal of patience, and ho used it with effect as the hours wore on. One—two—three o’clock came. At last the Shadow moved across the room and listened at the door, He heard no sound. Slowly and softly he crossed the threshold im his 3 Bl feet and went down the stair. There was the movement of the burglar im the subtlety of the Bowery Shadow. At the foot of the stair he paused and lis- tened, ‘*Il guess the cats are asleep,” he smiled to himself. * Play this hand cool, Bowery Burt: it isa big one.” The Shadow crept through the dark hall and found the door as if he bad the eyes of an owl. He tried the knob, but it would not turn. ‘*Mebbe I’d better look after Elegant Ahab. first,” he muttered, going back. He soon found another door which stood ajar, and a moment later be stood in a room whose interior was revealed hy a small gas-jet. Bowery Burt moved toward g bed which his sharp eyes had discovered. “Tf he wakens, I'll make out that I heard something,” be said. ‘* But I know how Ahab. sleeps—like a rock.” In a moment he was leaning over the hand~ some face of Elegant Abab on one of the pil- lows, The chief of the Dragon League was fast asleep, and the eyes of Bowery Burt blazed while he looked at him. ‘“‘A daisy, ain’t he?’ grinned the Shadow. ‘‘ Tf the law had its own, it would lengthen that darling neck of his’n. Mebbe he’s dreaming of the big play, but not the one that’s in my head just now.” Bowery Burt left the kidded sport and turned back; he went to the door he had first visited. In another moment he had a key in the lock, and the bolt recoiled without noise. After a minute’s silence the Shadow pushed. the door poe As in Elegant Ahab’s sleeping apartment, there was a light in this, but it came from ™ small lamp on an elegant dressing-stand. A glance would have told any one that the owery sport was ip a woman’s sleeping cham | ber. and the beautiful face half-buried in the pillows would have confirmed it. Bowerv Burt glided to the bed and looked at Queen Helen. There was a strange gleam in the fellow’s: eyes. ‘* They don’t pick up Cleopatras like this one every day,” he ejaculated inaudibly. ‘* By Jove! I imagine her standing before Ferg Fowler as the supposed heir of the English major’s mil- lions! She kin play the game, too—has the sand and the coolness. At that moment one of the arms of the sleeper’ moved, and the Shadow almost gave vent to & startled cry. “Thar it is!” he said, staring at a certain ob- ject which had been brought into view by the movement, ‘‘ Thar’s ther tattooed dragon that is to establish her identity. The work is well done, sure enough. t will knock the nabob clean off his pins. I know another mark like that, Queen Helen. It’s been in its place longer than the one on your arm. I don’t want a divide of the big bonanza; by Jupiter! I want ‘** Pll let Floss go for the present,” he it all myself!” He turned away with a — look at the igbt a little more. Bowery Burt bad taken acertain very natural precaution before entering Helen’s room, After leaving Elegant Ahab he had clapped a set of false whiskers upon his face, thereby com- pletely altering his looks, He crept toward a small picture that bung on the wa’l. - Raven Rob had looked behind it in his bunt for the diamond dragon, but his eyes, sharp as they were, had discovered nothing there. Bowery Burt took the picture down carefully, and then pressed a certain figure on the elegant Boe : maar a small opening appeared in the wall, The rascal’s eyes got an additional gleam at this. Before he thrust his tapering fingers into the opening, he looked over his shoulder toward tho bed. The sleeper there had not stirred. In another minute Bowery Burt held some-: thing in his hand. ‘*Tve got the agents of success!” he ejaculat- ed, thrusting the “ find” into his pocket. “1 will cover up my track in a manrer that will hoodwink Elegant Ahab and the queen. Let ’em play their new hand if they can’t wait til! we have removed the detective and the Raven? By Jove! if the test comes neither Ahab nor Helen dare get up in court and say that I b’long: Gp to the Dragon Ler ata} 9 | @ (0/0) cS Ne ~ .* * “ rs y a Veer fit tes wen itt -~ 7 Ln . -_ _ (EO )} fi |