Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 419 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

>. —_ es ‘‘Make your game, gentlemen,” of the dealer was heard. The dark young man put a hundred dollars’ worth of. chips on the king, and Phenix, in the The Bat of the Battery. street, thanks to the moon and the gas, was _mvself you will find me game to the back- jargcn of the gamblers, ‘*‘coppered” the king with fifty dollars’ worth of chips to lose. This action instantly excited the stranger. With flashing eyes and a voice hoarse with sup- pressed passion, yet modulating his tone so as not to excite the attentien of any of the game- sters, he turned to Phenix and said: ‘‘ What do you mean by that? Do you desire to cast a spell of ill-luck upon me? Do you ‘copper’ the card with fifty to lose just because I bet a bundred that it would win?” “Your action, sir,in betting upon the card had nothing in the world to do with mine, You think it will win—I think it will lose; that is all there is to it,” Phenix replied, calmly, thinking the young man had allowed the excitement of the moment to get the better of his judgment. ‘‘T have not wona stake since you came to the table, and you have bet against me in the most persistent manner. Jf the king loses there will be trouble between us!” the other cried. CHAPTER XXX, FORCED INTO A QUARREL. THE superstition of gamblers is proverbial, and Phenix would have been inclined to laugh at tbe incident, if the face ond tone of the young stranger had not betrayed how deeply earnest he was about the matter. Tne detective bad been playing with so little interest that he had not been conscious of bet- ting in direct opposition to his neighbor, and nothing was further from bis thoughts than the idea of so doing with any malicious purpose. But now that his attention was aroused, be im- mediately discovered why the young man’s av- ger bad been excited, His stack of chips were gone; the few ten-dol- lar checks which he had bef upon the king were all that he possessed, and Phenix remembered now that when he had taken hissentatthe table there was qnite a pile of checks, five or six hun- dred dollars’ worta at the least, in front of bis neighbor. ortune had frowned upon him, and with the uou2l inconsistency of man he was disnosed to attribute bis ill-luck to Phenix’s presence, With. decided interest now the detective watched the game. He had got the iiea into his head that the king would lose, just becauss tha young man appeared to be so anxious that it should win. Phenix was something of a fatalist, and he thought he had noticed that when a man gets intoa streak of bad luck it generally Iests some time, and the mors one struggles against it the worse it becomes. This was the gambkr’s superstition over again. ‘* No use to buck against thegams when luck runs dead opposite!” The king came out—a losing cxsrd—cnd the youg man’s chips went to “‘ join the me jority,” on the dealer's side. A stifled curse came from the stranger, but with the exception of the strange glitter ia his dark eyes, and a curious way in which he com- pressed his Jips, he betrayed no signs of the pas. sion which was raging within his veins, He touched Pienix on the shouider and whis- pered in his ear: ‘‘ Will vou have the kindness to come outside so that, I can have the pleasure of a few min- utes’ conversation with you?’ Tbe man’s tone was calm—polite even, and yet Phenix detected that there was a worid of menace in it, “ Certainly,” he replied, for the detective was not the man to back out of a game of this sor when it was forced upon him, ‘ Just wait un- til | cosh in these checks.” ‘min no hurry, sir,” and the man cast an envious giance at the pile of checks before the detective as he spoke, . Phenix had commenced with twenty checks, worth five dollars apiece, and in the short time that Le bad been playing hed wou quite a little stack, so when he cashed them in, tour bundred and eighty dollars were counted out to bim in piace bf tbe one hundred he had originally in- Vested. ‘* Quite a snug little sum for an bour’s work,” the detective murmured, as he stowed away the money in bis pocket-book, *‘ or an bour’s amuse- ment, ruther.” he added. ‘ But if I had needed the money the oddsarea thousaud to one that I would not have been able to secure it, and that is the way the world goes,” Vhile Paeuix had been attending to this business, the stranger had gone to the elaborate Blieboard, where the liquors were displayed and helped himself to a small tumbler o brandy, which he drank raw with as much ease as though ib were only water. Down the stairs the two went, the young man leading the way, through the carefully- guarded portals—for there were three vigilant guards to pass before admitiance could be comme to the club-room, and then out into the ree It was a bright moonlight night, and the almost as light as by day. When the pair gained the pavement the stran- | ger tarned and faced Phenix, anger appearing | in every feature, | “JT suppose you are aware, sir, that your ' cursed interference in my affairs has cost me a | ' pretiv penny to-night?” he cried. ‘No. 1 am not aware of it,” the detective re- plied, regarding the stranger curiously, for such men were a study to this buman bioodbound, and the» too, now that he was taking the trou- ble to examine the features of the otber closely, the idea came to bim that he had seen just such a face before, but, for the life of him, be could not tell where, and this puzzled Phenix, for he prided bimself, and with good reason, upon his excellent memory. It was seldom that a face once seen by him was ever forgotten, or the circumstances under which it was brought to bis notice. ‘** Do vou know what I have lost to-night in that infernal den?’ and the speaker shook his clinched fist fi-rcely at the palatial mansion, that looked far more like the abode of a merchant prince than a gaming hell, within whose devouring maw hundreas of victims were sacrificed weekly, “My dear sir, I do not take the slightest in- terest in the recital of your losses, so 1 trust you will have the kindness to retrain from inflicting the taie upon me,” Phenix remarked, with cold indifference. ‘ Only I will observe that a man who goés into a tiger’s den of bis own free will, with the idea of securing the teeth and claws of the animal that he may carry them away and ex- hibit them as trophies, has no right to grumble if the “east proves the victorin the struggle, and all he has to show for bis pains are some ugly scratches. If you can't afford to lose you had no business to play, and if I was in the preaching line of business, I should remark that itisa great moral Jesson for you, young man; go! and sin nomore!” ‘You infernal scoundrel!” hissed the other between his firm-set teeth. ‘‘it is all your fault!” ‘* You are crazy, young man, and so I refrain from hecoming angry at your abusive expres- sions, bub I warn you that my patience has its limits, and if you do uot keep a watch over that unruly tongue I may be forced to give you a lesson in manners.” * Yon give me a lesson?’ “Yes, my friend, teach you how to behave yourself.” ‘You are relying upon your superior phy- sical gifts, or else you would not dare to threaten me.” “And you are relying upon the fact that our size protects you, or else you would never 2aVve dared to let your tongue wag as freely as it has,” Paenix re'orted. ‘‘if you were a man of my own weizht and inches 1 would have | perfectly indifferent,” Phenix repised, pulled your nose the moment you dered to ap- ply an abusive name to me.” “You would have pulled my nose!” cried the other, his face distorted with passion, and his hands clinched in a manner strongly indicative of war. ‘** Yes, sah, in two wags of a goat's tail! ‘and [ give you fair werning thet if you should again forget yourself and affront me ia that ungentlemavly way, despite my age, and the dignity which should attach to it, 1 shall imme- diately proceed to take some measures which may be decidedly unpleasant to you. _“ Although I have the advantage of superior sizeand weight, yet you have youth as accunter- balance, but for all that I will try a dog-fall with youif you willfully provoke me to the en- counter!” Phenix was a marvelous actor, and this as- sumption of the manner of a dignified yet irate S.ucherner was perfection. The young man drew himself up prondly, “‘lam a gentleman, sir, and 1 presume that yon are also one.” ‘*The man who doubts the truth of that state- ment, as far as I am concerned, sah, will get himself into trouble!” ‘** As we are both gentlemen, we must not de- scend to fisticuffs, as if we were only a pair of coal-heavers.” _ “Correct, sah; but when a man provokes me into a pagal lam ready to meet him with any kind of weapons, from ten-pound rifle-cannons down to pop-guns!” | “Stay a moment!” the young man exclaimed, haughtily. ‘itis not 1 who bave provoked this quarrel, but you.” ‘“* Sah, youare entirely mistaken; I don’t know anything about you—and bave not the slightest desire to make your acquaintance. If you bad got up from the table and gone away without | sayivg anything to me I never would have | known that you existed at all. But you are a donkey, sah; you have lost your money, and Ha wish to throw the blame upon some one else. ‘** Enough of this!” cried the young man, flerce in pression, “ Are you man enough to make your words good—do you dare to meet me with. suitable weapons?” *“* Anything you like, my deah boy! Although Tam not as young as I might be, yet I flatter, * 4 — =< — - ° ’ a 7 4 ad - ” | *- " “th = : ft ‘itl 4 : ' J a iM " G , + « / : me < f a ** ° x “ a 4 = ~.* aan ~ r . , i >} id ; i + _.. , = ‘ ‘y Pea <= ° > : a . n* — — op bone!” ‘Can you handle a sword?” ‘““Try me and find out!” For mere sport Phenix was going to see the matter through. ‘*] give you fair warning that Laman expert swordsman. I was the best man of my class at Heidelburg, in Germany, when I was at college, and I havea pair of rapiers that I brought home with me when I returned; they are at your ser- vice. ‘“ And I give you fair warning that I had as lief spit you on a German rapier es on any other weapon in the known world!” Phenix blustered. *“Come, then! I know where I can get a boat, and under the Weehawken cliffs we will not be disturbed !” ‘Go ahead, sah!” the disguised detective re- sponded. CHAPTER XXXL ON THE RIVER. Tus odd adventure was just to Phenix’s taste, He wus annoyed at not being able to get on the track of the secret slayer avd quite in the humor to relieve bis iniud hy g-ving this rash and un- fortunate gambler a lesson that would be apt to do him good, In regard to the issue of the fight, the mind of the detective was perfectiy easy, In bis youta be bad lived in a German quarter of the city, and bad been a member of one of the Turner associations so common in New York, and in the Terne Halle he bad Jearned to usé the sword, and at one time bore the reputa- tion of being one of the most expert swords- men in the city. Nature bad been singularly kind to him in bestowing gifts necessary to the fencer’s art. Long-armed and iron-muscled, a wrist as strong as steel, and yet as supple as the willow, coupled with most excellent judgment and a temper always even, so under all circurusiupces he was perfectly calm end self possessed, 1b was no wobvuer that the old German fepciny-masters declared that he was tie very perfection of a swordsman. Straight toward the river they went, stopping only once on the way to enable the young man to enter a small, old-fashioned brick house, where he said he jodged, and from whicb be speedily reappeared, bearing under his arm a pair of swords caretully wrapped in flannel cases, so that any one not postea in regard to them would never have been apt to suspect what they were. ‘“ By the way,” observei the young man, as they resumed their walk, “‘I presume, to be strictly in order, we shouid have seconds to wit- nes our fight.” . ‘That is a matter in regard to which I am ‘*] bad just as lief fight you without seconds as with.” ‘‘ But what will tne law say it there is a fatal issue to our quarrel?” “That toe man who survives is the murderer of the other, and whether we tight with secouds or without, it doesn’t make the least difference; the law will hold it just the same. Dueling is forbidden, and the mea who transgress ibe ton must bs prepared to take the cousequences.”’ * Bub! [ am not efraid!” the young man ex- claimed, ina tone of contcmpt, and, as Le spoke, he cast a glance of withers: g hatred at Lis com- panion. “i am resolved tv kal you, and if I knew that the execeutioner waited for me inomeut afterward, 4 would not besitate.” * Neither would I! tuat is my platiorm, sah, to a hair!” deciared Phenix, determined not to be outaone by his fire-eating companion. ‘* Al- though at the same time I reckon 1 sha’n’t take the troubie to kill you, because you are young yet, aud you ought to be allowed tolive so asto outgrow some of F cme tool-notivus. Whben you get older you will know more.” ; . The stranger glared at Pvenix for a moment | in a way that plainly showed he resented the plain speaking, but be Gisdained to answer, and so no further words were exchanged between them until they reached the street which ran parallel with the water. Turning to the north, they went on for about | a dcoz.a biocks and then halted ata smail ‘‘all- — night” restaurant, whose sign declared ‘‘ We never close.” ‘““The man whoruns this place keeps the boats also,” the young man remarked. ** He will not think it strange that 1 come at such a time as this for a craft, for often in the smail hours of the night, when my brain burns with study, I take a pull on the river, and so keep myself from going mad.” Pheuix took a good look at the speaker, and the refiection came to bis mind thatif he was. not a trifie crazy now, he could not boast of any more sense than the jaw aliows. “Tt will only take a moment to get the oars and the key to unlock the padlock which fas- tens the boat,” the yo man continued, halt- ing with his band on the latch of the door. * All right, sah, I will wait for you,” the Os . tective replied, still character. But when the door of the saloon closed behind keeping up his . + (€ = - oe) od.” - Fe —_ 2 = — . * .