Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

~~ “You will te oe -— This was Papa Pangborn. ‘The girl had entered his house; she had been forced te enter it with the threatening hand of Bowery burt over her. She had seen more than one hidden trap-door there, more than one adievil’s snare. No wonder she recoiled when she was told ‘that she was expected to decoy Captain Cold- grip into this place, and the more so when she thought it could be easily done if he considered Papa Pangborn his friend. ut Floss was in the meshes yet, and Bowery Burt knew that he had but to threaten with his veyes to force her to the play. ‘‘There’s a spangled wardrobe an’ a better i pss Captain Coldgrip in New York. For all this, she was beautiful, there was a | willowy grace about her figure that rendered her doubly attractive, and she did not look like a person whose companion and friend was a character like Bowery Burt. For several moments she stood in front of the house as if undecided as to her next action. ‘“‘T must do this,” she said to herself. “I must go to the detective’s; I must decoy him to Papa Pangborn’s, I must help along his scheme against human life. Oh God! why am I bound to this man called Bowery Burt?” ! “What yer stoppin’ for?” growled a coarse | voice behind her, and the girl turned with a shudder to see her friend. ‘* Don’t yer intend house than this,” he said, glancing around the | to set the trap? Move off,or by the holy room in which he and the girl wee seated, | heavens! it’ll be the worse for yer!” “* You want better quarters, don’t you, Floss?” The girl said * yes’ mechanically. | Floss sprung away with a startled cry as if eager to get beyond the sound of that voice now ‘‘ We'll move up-town, right intothe heart of | dreaded more than ever before. ‘sold-dom, hang me if we don’t!” and Bowery urt brought his fist with emphasis down upon the table. ‘“* Mebbe we'll sport a drag on the Avenue one of these days. Elegant 4Jueen Helen could do that if they like; but, you hab an’! won’t have ’em in her head, either. ‘*She’s been gettin’ scruples lately, that girl has,” muttered Bowery Burt, watching her. ‘*T don’t want any such things about me. Gone, has she? Now Id better take a short cut to Papa see, they can’t begin to play deep till we’ve | Pangborn’s, an’ get the trap oiled by the time he dealt with Captain Coldgrip. I wish I could choke that man without further ceremony, but I don’t want to fall into the grip of that ice-cold hand of his. Get him into Papa Pangborn’s, Floss, my seraph, and the diamond dragon which you shall see some day will get in its work.” ‘** You have spoken so often about that thing,” ‘said the girl, her countenance lighting up. ‘I would like to see it.” ‘*'You shall, I say!” exclaimed Bowery Burt. “* Play your game well to-night, an’ Pll show you this wonderful object. Jingo josh! girl, if I had the dragon’s scales, you wouldn’t see Bowery Burt hangin’ ‘round A place like this. Now let ane come dewn to business for good.” The Shadow filled his glass for the fifth time, and continued: ‘** You will find Claude Coldgrip between nine an’ ten o’clock to-night at his room at Number — Bowery. You will take him an urgent mes- sage from Papa Pangborn.” ‘Have you got it?’ asked the girl, ‘*No, but you shall have it before [ go away. him that you are now living in the house, an’ you will go back with him—in short, -you are to see the man-fox safe in the trap,” The giri cast down her eyes and remained silent, ‘‘There must be no failure, Floss,” Bowery Burt went on. ‘If Captain Coldgrip hesitates, you will tell him that the affair hinted at in the note is even more important than it appears. You know how to do these things. By Jupiter, girl! { would undertake to hoodwink Mephisto- pheles with you. You need not think that the man-hunter will not go: he will; the letter will fix that for certain. Bring me pen an’ ink.” The girl went to a little shelf on the wall and | took down a common little secretaire and pens andink, The next minute she had placed them on the rough table before Bowery Burt who drew his chair up and seized the pen. “T’m goin’ to make the throw a sure one,” he ' laughed, glancing up at Floss, and then bending forward he went to work. For several minutes he wrote slowly and pain- ‘fully, for, whatever accomplishments Bowery Burt had, if any, he was not a practiced pen- man. But he kept at his task until he produced the following: “My Frienp Caprars C——:— ‘*For Heaven's sake come quick to me. I think I have my hand on a bird you want. now. I have news of Jacapo; [ am sure I have. pe with you. Papa P——.” ‘‘How’s that for a bait?’ laughed Bcwer Burt, tossing his production into Floss’s lap. ‘‘ It isn't copper-plate, but it’s a fair imitation of Pa- pa Pangborn’s scrawl, which I have seen on several occasions.” The girl took the letter up and read it in the light of the lamp. ‘* How's our sick man overhead?” asked the rascal, glancing toward the ceiling. ‘‘T haven't heard him to-day,” said Floss, ‘TJ am to take this to Captain Goldgrip, am I?” as Yes.” Floss slipped the note into her bosom without a word. ‘‘Remember! if this game succeeds, an’ it shall, silk attire an’ a new home!” Bowery Burt ejaculated, springing up. ‘‘ You will outshine legant Ahab’s queen. Play the scheme well, * [Floss,” ‘* Where will you be?” asked the girl. ‘Whar I should—at Papa Pangborn’s!” was the answer. At that moment a very small hole in the dark ceiling was covered up, and if Bowery Burt, the Shadow, had entered the room of the sick man, he would have seen a singular looking person rise from the floor! CHAPTER Y., THE NIGHT HAWK’S CATCH. FrveE minutes later Floss was on the street. The girl had for a moment a wild, bewildered look, and the lamplight fell upon her pale face and bloodless hands, ; } comes,” He walked to the first street, sprung around the corner and was gone. Floss kept on until she had put several squares between her and her home. She looked back with furtive glance, but could not see the figure of Bowery Burt. ‘* Ah, here you are, my seraph,” said a voice at her side, and the next second she was looking up into the shining eyes of a young man, almost faultlessly attired. ‘*‘ Don’t skip from me now. This is a pleasure totally unexpected, but a aac pha nevertheless. Going uptown, eh? So am [,” Floss felt like drawing back. She had met this man before; she knew that he had followed her on the street, and she did not like his oily tongue and his expressive eyes, ‘*Aha! you need not try to run away!” he went on, seeing Floss’s aversion. “I want to sce he on special business,” ‘** Me?” cried the girl. ‘You, my angel.” She recoiled a step. His manner, obsequious before, was becoming insulting. He had as- sumed a boldness which, until that moment, he had never shown. He caught her wrist as he uttered his last words, ** You have just come from Bowery Burt, have you not?” he said. ** What if I have?” “‘It matters a good deal to us,” was the an- swer. ‘*Here is the house of a friend. Come into the hallway, Floss.” Floss drew back the length of his arm, and threw a frightened look around. She was midway between two not very bril- liant lamps, and the sidewalk was almost de- | serted., Nobody knew the reputation of that part of Gotham better than the startled girl, Sheknew that a woman’s scream would attract very little if any attention, and the blazing eyes of the man who had stopped ber said that a cry from her lips would do no good, He dragged her toward a door, and seemed to laugh at her efforts to escape. ‘** Don’t make a scene, Floss,” he said. ‘‘ This is only a sideplay to the big game.” She lobed at him amazed. What did he mean? Allis quieth re | He took the knob of the docr and pushed it open; he almost lifted the girl from tl O The bearer, my new child, is trustworthy. She will | ; 5 1e ground as he took her into a darkened hall which led to a flight of steps. “Have you got the bird, Foxy?” asked a voice, whose owner Floss did not see. ““T’ve got her.” “All right. Blindfcld her and fetch her up. A cry for help came to Floss’s lips, but the sudden tightening of the hard hand at her wrist kept it back. Ina moment a silk handkerchief was pre*sed over her eyes and tied behind her head. It seemed to be the work of a man who was up to such things. _ The next minute Floss was ascending the stair in the arms of her captor. She mentally tried to count the i but gave up when her brain seemed in a whirl. In a little while the top of the stairs was reached, and the blindfolded girl was carried across a room. ‘“Put her down, Foxy,” ordered the same voice she had heard when a‘ the bottom of the steps, and Floss was seated in a chair. _“* Now, my girl, you will answer a few ques- tions, and answer them satisfactorily. You have just left Bowery Burt?” Floss was thinking fast. What should she do— oppose these men and show them a bold front, or let them have their way and answer their in- terrogatives? ‘* You will make nothing by keeping a silent tongue,” the unseen man went on. ‘‘ We know your fox-like friend, and we want a little infor- mation—that is all. You have just left him?” “*T have,” Floss assented. | | | ’ | —— eee ‘** That is right,” laughed her questioner. ** You are off on an errand?” Floss was silent, The message to Captain Coldgrip—the decoy letter—was in her bosom. “He never sends you out at this bour for nothing,” the man went on. ‘‘ Bowery Burt is sending you toa game; you know it. You are going to play decoy again. Do you remember when you played it last?” The girl started. ‘Let me tell you, Floss. The last man you decoyed into Papa Pangborn’s angelic estab- lishment effected his escape. He is before you now. Floss uttered a cry of astonishment. ‘* Then you must be the Raven,” she said, She heard the two men laugh in concert. ‘‘IT am the Raven,” was the reply. “Il hada time getting out of the trap; they think me there yet, the fiends! It was all because I sus- ect something—because I got onto the e legant Ahab and his pards are playin’ in Gotham. Isn’t this true, girl?’ Floss made no answer. ‘*Come back to business, Rob,” said the man who bad captured the girl. “T will. Floss, we don’t want to hurt you, but we want all you know about the scheme,” he said, ** ‘What scheme?” “The big one—the one that put Ferguson © Fowler, the millionaire banker, out of bis head: the one that makes Elegant Ahab, Queen Helen an’ Bowery Burt pards. We want to know where they keep the swag the banker lost the Ps night the blow was struck. Itisn’t inthe steel safe now. They have it in their clutches, and you know where it is.” ‘You have come to the wrong person for in- | formation,” said Floss quickly and with firm- ness. ‘‘ No lies!” threatened the Raven. “This is the deepest game ever played in Gotham. The best man-lynx in the city is on the trail. He is playing against all of us. There isa wheel within a wheel. We are the inside wheel. We are playing against the Dragon League and Captain Coldgrip. You don’t want to misun- derstand us, girl. When the Dragon League — discovered that I was getting onto theirscheme, — Bowery Burt ordered you to decoy me into — Papa Pangborn’s. You did it, for then I did not suspect you, Floss. Jupiter! the horrors of the inside of that place make me shudder — now. But, never mind!—I am out—the only hoodwinked victim that ever escaped, I sus- act.” . “You're getting off the track again, Rob,” Tox reminded bim. based ‘*So Iam! Curse it! I can’t keep fromthat — infamous house when I approach it,” was the i, - a answer, Ke ‘‘ Where is the swag, girl?” a ‘“* IT don’t know.” ia The next moment a hand clutched the young cirl’s arm. Fe ‘“T’ve got a grip as famous as Captain Cold- __ 3. 0% grip’s!” was spoken in her face. mean that for your final reply?” , “IT can give you no other, declared Floss, “Think a moment. Don’t make it final, for ns we bi lieve you know where the swag 1s.” rene Floss shook her head, ‘* All T know I kave told you,” she persisted. ‘By Jebu! you know more! you know that the man who smote Ferguson Fowler with ]una- __ cy was Elegant Abab: you know that the ar- ticles secured that night are of priceless value; you know that the Dragon League is playing _ fer still bigger stakes, You are off on a mission _ for itnow. Tell what you know.” ‘ A strange giddiness took possession of Floss, — uncer these words. ee ‘Catch her, Foxy!” she heard her persecutor exclaim, and the next second her brain reeled and all was dark. 9 The man called. Foxy caught the swooning —_ girl before she touched the ficor, and the Raven who was a powerfully built man of forty or thereabcuts uttered an oath over the catastro- he, ee eS What will we do with her?’ asked Foxy. ‘She knows more than she told,” wasthean- — swer. ‘She must remain in our net till we get what we want. When she comes to I'll fe | h a > a her around, Carry her down and then come ~ “Do you rs & * . c- - ci . * a P| a* <” a * —- 7 back tome. Isn’t sbe a beauty Foxy?” : Foxy’s eyes were alpeady fastened on Floss, — and he was admiring her loveliness as shelay unconscious in bis arms, - pis ‘Hold on! let me look at her,” the Raven — went on, coming up to Foxy _and bending over the girl. ‘*I wonder where Bowery Burt picked __ her up? There’s good blood in her, Foxy—blood good encugh torun on the avenues, See how finely chiseled her features are! I used to bea 3 ood judge of humanity—before I went intothis __ siness. Her life in the plague-spot hasn't — made her coarse of feature. I'd ike to hold Bowery Burt up some day an’ make him tell me all he nows about his decoy. Take her away, — now. “Se Ls The big man was alone in a ‘moment, and no sooner had Foxy disappeared with the girl than he exclaimed: > re * AAllicel evevey <S3 (E(o) (E