Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 419 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 ‘* Eead, Joe, I really believe you have more The Bat of the Battery. - os ee ee > _- ——_ = ‘ That is, he pretended he was a traveling horse- lives than a cat!” the superintendent of police | doctor. exclaimed in admiration. ‘* T’ve one life, | am sure of that, and I intend to hold on to it as long as I can, | Was provided with a little book treating of horses and their ailments, got up by the proprie- tor of a horse medicine for free distribution to ** But I tell you, superintendent, this fellow is | advertise his compound. But in order to deceive the guileless country- | a regular devil of a man. **He is not, physically, a match for me, but if he was I never should have escaped alive from the fight I had with him the other night; it was as close a shave as I ever had. ** And now another point. ‘* At Miss Brandon’s house I have brought two o trails together—the search for the girl and the : pursuit of the mysterious assassin. ‘* Now the first task was not only to find the girl, but also to discever and punish her abduc- Ms tor if it was possible,” ey ‘* Certainly.” ‘* The presence of this man in Miss Brandon’s house has put the idea into my head that he is the fellow who abducted the girl, and that it was her presence in the mansion which attract- eo ]) ed bim,” Mel oe That is a deuced bold theory of yours, butsuch _ strange things do happen sometimes,” the super- - intendent remarked, musingly. ; men, and lead them to believe that they were getting something for nothing, and so induce them to more highly prize the pamphlet, a price, twenty-five cents, was printed upon the cover in prominent letters. Joe Phenix had secured a number of the books, and to go around the country in various dis- guises offering the books for sale and pretending to be a traveling horse-doctor was a favorite de- vice of his when the work in hand required a spy. In such a guise he was sure of a respectful hearing from all grooms and stablemen, and as he was an excellent judge of a horse and able to really give good advice in case of sickness, be found no difficulty in playing the role to the life, and often in this manner secured important in- formation. Stablemen are prone to gossip. and when Phe- nix in this disguise gotinto a stable, he was cer- tain of being able to put in an hour or so there, for after explaining his business it was the easiest matter in the world for him to get into a conversation with the men in regard to the ** stock.” Then the races were to be discussed; Phenix always made it a point to be posted in regard to what was going on in this line, and being an | admirer of the sport, was able to give the latest | } news, and the correct “ tips” as to which would be the lucky horses to first reach the post in the important races near at hand were freely given by him. Of course a “ gent” possessed of such impor- tant information was atways entertained in the most cordial manner, and in return the hosts were glad to gossip in regard to affairs in their own immediate neighborhood, and so, usually, the detective had no difficulty in gaining the in- | formation of which he wasin search. eer Os “*T think L have hit upon the truth, but now _ tke work is to get my man dead to rights. BEC ‘‘T cannot nail him and clap the bracelets ~~ upon his wrists upon mere surmise, you know.” ‘nae ** Of course you must have the proof, but now that you have discovered the tail of the rat, 4 there isn’t much doubt in my mind that you will ie paar to find some way to get him out of his | Ve ole, a *“* Well, I can try,” Joe Phenix remarked with | ie an air of grim determination which boded ill for he’ the man whose trail he was about to follow. ae ‘*This disguise having served its purpose I hes shall change it for another, particularly as I have an idea that my gentleman suspected I was | ieee not what [ seemed, and the moment I find out a who and what heis I shall telegraph to New st York and endeavor to locate him. 5 a ‘*T assume that New York is his headquarters it of course.” ie ‘*Undoubtedly! Well, you know I have given | -_- yorders so that any service you need in the city, that the police can do for you, will be freely _ rendered. yy: ‘**] am going to stay down here all this week; . Sl I presume that you with your opportunities for - —- gaining information know where my cottage is as well as I do myself.” fly. Phenix smilingly admitted that he was ga i Pe I am convenient to the telegraph office, and as they understand there that my messages gen erally mean business, every time, they are very prompt in getting the dispatches to me, so if anything turns up making it necessary for you -.- to communicate with me in person I can be ._. quickly reached.” big fi 3 ** T shall remember.” ee ‘Good luck go with you!” . “Yon may depend upon me trying to de- ti serve it!” ini Then the superintendant drove off and Phenix went on until he came to an isolated house, situ- ated in a small grove. This humble abode the detective entered, first being careful to examine the surroundings, so as _ tomake sure that no suspicious character was in the neighborhood prepared to play the spy _ This old house, being unoccupied, had been selected by the detective as a headquarters, _ Within the house was a veteran detective, al- though a young men , Robert Plantington by e + name, in whom Joe nix placed great trust, ‘ag _ and it was his custom when he needed an assist- b ant to select this gentleman. s * What luck?’ asked Plantington. pics ‘‘ The best that could be wished for.” Bie And then he briefly related what had oc- i curred. _. -* By Jove!” cried the detective in great glee, RC must play my cards with the greatest care or this fellow will give me the slip _ again, for he is as watchful as a fox. a “Tam certain from the way he looked at me that he suspected I was a detective in disguise. ite x, Rae Pe 2 Nine Lara is certainly an excellent one! es, but I (i ieee y ** A more cunning and wary fish than this fel- " low I never attempted to catch, and if I do not manage in the most careful manner I never will be able to land him.” ‘Tt will be seen from this remark that the ___- veteran man-catcher did not commit the com- --- mon error made often by successful men, of un- derating his antagonist. _ A-half an hour later Joe Phenix quitted the _ eottage, but no one would have recognized in | him now the miserable old tramp or merciless Phas _ man-hunter. _ He was a venerable old gentleman with iron- _ . . gray hair and beard, rather poorly dressed. _.. A good representation of the traveling agent, who journeys through the country, selling all |. sorts of little articles. ‘Pe CHAPTER XXXVIII. pee, IMPORTANT INFORMATION, et i _ Tue “horse doctor gag” was the “lay” the ss geute detective was on this time, ob, 4, 1) ey And on this present occasion the stablemen attached to the Brandon place made him wel- come in the most hospitable manner. There were two of them, both colored, one well in years, the coachman; the other, a young man, the hostler. It was beginning to get dark wken Phenix sauntered up to the stable and engaged the two men in conversation. The pair were sitting in the stable door smok- ing their pipes. A lantern, suspended from a wire running up and down the apartment in the rear of the horse-stalls, illuminated the scene. When Phenix explained his business and pro- duced his books, the negroes, with the usual dis- position of their race to talk, were immediately interested. For a good half-hour the detective did his best to make a favorable impression upon the pair, and succeeded in a perfectly satisfactory man- ner, both of the colored men becoming impressed with the belief that their visitor was one of the most entertaining and knowing of men. Then, being convinced that his hosts would be lad to give him any information in their power, enix turned the conversation by remarking that there was some good ‘‘stock” in the stable. There were six horses in the place, two of them handsome dapple grays, evidently a pair of coach-horses—and a splendid team too, worth at least twelve hundred dollars of any man’s port then a pair of chestnuts, no such hand- some horses as the others, but, as the keen eyes of the experienced horseman eh gary de- , afar better pair, a team capable of doing work which the showy, big-boned grays would never be able to go through. In addition, there was a high-headed, long- necked ‘* cob,” plainly a coupe horse, and a fat pony, suitable for a village-cart or phaeton. It immediately struck the detective that it was strange a lady like Miss Brandon should keep two pair of carriage-horses besides the other single horses, and so he spoke in refer- ence to the teams: ‘That is a fine pair of dapple grays you have there,” he said. ‘*°Deed dey are, sah!” responded the coach- man with conscious pride, and the hostler echced the exclamation. ‘* Dat’s as fine a pair of hosses as you will find along de beach, sah, cl’ar from Seabright down to Ocean Grove,” the coachman continued. ‘*T done know w’at I am talkin’ "bout, sah, for I’ve driv’ dem hosses along Ocean avenue wid de best of dem.” ‘Yes, anybody can see that they are good *uns,” remarked the disguised detective, survey- ing the beasts with the eyes of a critic and nod- ding his head with a wonderful air of wisdom. ‘* That other pair are not bad beasts, either, although they look more like trotters than car- riage horses,” nd as he spoke, Phenix turned his attention to the chestnuts, 8 Sean you are right dar, sak,” the coachman said, en ee —— ee eee ‘* No,kerriage hosses ’bout dem; jist a pa’r of trotters. Dey are big enuff an’ have got plenty of go in dem, but no style, sab, like de odders. ‘* Not fit, sah, in my opinion, for to put before de kerriage of a furst-class lady or gemman.” ‘‘Dey don’t belong to us, sah,” added the hostler, anxious to take part in the conversa- tion, ** No?” ‘* No, sah; dey belong to a New York gem- man—a high-toned rocster, sab, dough I would- n’t give much for sich stock as dat for to use before a_ kerriage,” the coachman remarked, with an air of owl-like gravity. ‘‘Mister Almayne is w’at dey calls him, I b’lieve,” the hostler remarked, determined that his companion should not deliver all the infor- mation. ‘* 1) think Ibave heard of him—lives up-town?” Phenix remarked, eager now on the scent, al- though so careful a guard he had over himself that no one would ever bave suspected he took anv particular interest in the matter. e had a suspicion that ‘* Mister” Almayne was the game he was in search of. ‘*' Yes, sah, dat’s his name; mighty queer one, too, ’cos de odder is something like Basil; but dere is more to it.” ‘*T say, Jim, ’most all de bloods call him Doc Almayne, don’t dey?’ the bostler asked. ‘*T reckon dey does—leastways, dat is w’at I’ve heerd,” ‘* Visiting at the house, I suppose,” observed Phenix, carelessly. ‘* Well, he’s up dar now,” the coachman re- plied, ** but he ain’t but jist done come. ‘* De mos’ foolish trick 1 ebber heerd of. Dat man, sah, brought his coach and bosses all de way from de city, wid a driver—a low-down, triflin’ white man, Pm thinkin’, ’ka’se you can't git two words out ob him wid de mos’ civil questicon—and now de gemman allows dat he will drive all de way back to de city to- night.’ ‘* Yes, sah, and gib me a quarter for to see dat de hosses had a good feed ob oats, so as to brace ’em up for de trip!” the hostler added. “Did he drive down?” asked the disguised detective, who began to suspect he had got — of the tail of a particularly large-sized rat nere, ‘* No, sah; come by de Long Branch beat.” ‘** Going to drive back by way of Keyport and Staten Island, I presume?” ‘*No, sah, he can’t make it dat way, ’cos de ferryboat tween South Amboy an’ Perth Am- boy is drawn off, and darfore he will hab to go by de way of New Brunswick.” ** Yes, yes, I see.” And now having gained all the information he desired, the disguised detective brought bis call to a close and took his departure. Back again to his headquarters he hurried as fast as possible. ‘*Bob, you must start for New York imme- diately,” Joe Phenix cried, the moment he en- tered the old house. ‘*Our man is here with a coach, and has given out that he intends to start to-night with the in- tention of driving to New York. “It isa ‘plant,’ as sure as you are born! His little game is to kidnap this girl again, and if I don’t work the trick so it will end in my puttin the bracelets on his wrists, then Iam not as goal a man as I believe!” ae will you work it—catch him in the act ‘*Oh, no, I wan’t to build on surer foundation than that. ‘‘ Kidnapping isn’t enough to satisfy me. I want to take him right in bis den; get him so dead to rights that all the salt in the world won’t save him. ‘* His name is Almayne, and his first name is something like Basil, only longer, but in New York, among the bloods, he is known as Doc Almayne. ‘Your task is to discover his house and put a watch upon it, but in such a way that it can- not be detected, for if it was discovered that a have spotted bim, all the fat would be in the re. ‘*My game is to let him abduct the girl and get off with her. ‘The trick will not be worked until late, in all probability. ‘**T will be on the watch, and will provide my- self with one of the racers, as coal a running horse as I can pick up, and there’s plenty of cracks over to Monmouth race-course, you know. ** J will have the horse’s hoofs muffled so that I will be able to follow this fellow without his being aware that a spy is on his track. ‘‘Tf he heads for New York it will look as if he was making for his den, and if he goes inany other direction it will not be possible for him to shake me off. ‘Tf I have a chance I will telegraph you after we start. | ‘‘ When you reach New York you had better see Inspector Byrnes, who is acting in the ab- sence of the superintendent: or, better still, I will see the superintendent, get the racer through him, and ask him to go to New Yorkso as to spring the trap on the rascal in person,” , EOmMIIc SS NK) - <4 Cc (@) 4 7 " . 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