Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 437 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ee ae before, the door was unlocked, and he at once entered. So did someone else. Bold measures had helped Duke Dorgan once before, and he was not going to be timid now. He followed as close after Peters as he dared. iverything seemed as usual in the house, and he moved up the stairs. Then he saw that both hall doors were closed, This did not look so favorable, but after listening a moment at the tirst, he decided that no one was inside. Accordingly, he turned the knob and passed carefully through. Everything appeared the same as on the for- mer occasion, and he could hear nothing but the sound of voices from the other room, These showed that Peters and Benlow were in confer- ence, and he glided to the connecting passage. The two men were at the same old table, and, as usual, Abe was drinking beer, but the bar- ain did not seem to be prospering amicably. eters looked angry, while Abe was talking doggedly. ‘*’Tain’t necessary ter argue the p’int at all,” he said. ‘** The long an’ short on’t is that 1 don’t see fit ter trade with you. DPvearizht ter do ez I see fit, ain’t I?” ‘*But you promised that if I brought the money you would tell,” urged Peters, ‘* Don’t keer a durnef I did,” growled Abe. ‘See here, my man, what other scheme have ‘you in mind?” ‘* What other scheme?” sé Yes. bP ** 'W’ot d’ye mean?” ‘Simply that I know your way; and you would never throw away a chance to make money unless you saw a better thing. Have you been paid by Professor Woodside to keep silent?” ; Peters spoke sharply, menacingly, and Abe’s face showed some dismay and a good desl of sullen anger. ‘* Wot rubbish be you talkin’ now? Who's yer professor, an’ w’ot for should he pay me?” ‘Oh! come, old man, don’t try the innocent dodge. [know vhat Iam talking about. Per- haps you think I don’t know you were over to see old Vad er and nearly got kicked out.” “By the Old Nick, Bob Bent has squealed!” said the ruffian, bringing his hand down heavily on the table. “Oh! you were there, ch?” ““You know I was. Iseen Bob thar, march- in’ round with bis head up in the air like a tur- key-gobbler, dressed like a Fifth Avenue dude, an’ lookin’ so sweet ut ther gal. Wal, I was thar. What on’t?”’ ‘* Simply this: old Woodside has paid you not to talk to me.” ‘That's a lie!” “Then you think you can make him pay.” Abe could not avoid a look of annoyance, and Peters smiled in a disa able way and added: ‘So you mean to play the traitor, do you? When I have made you a good offer, and given you a chance to share in my pickings, you are only ungrateful and go looking for a chance to ie me, do you? That’s your style, is it?” “* 'W’ot if *tis?” on Abe defiantly. ‘* Simply this: [ won’t have it!” ‘You won’t?” **T will not.” ‘*Curse you fur a fool, you can’t help it. Who the blue blazes are you that you should dictate ter me? Ill hev you understand that I shall do jest ez I see fit, an’ I'll thump the head off’n the man who says any different.” Abe was a very warlike-looking person in his wrath, and he looked quite capable of crushing Peters, but the latter sat unmoved with a quiet smile on his face. “Take it easy, Abe, old boy,” he coolly ad- vised. ‘* You have no cause to kill—I am the man with a wrong to avenge, and you're the in- fernal traitor 1 am after. No, don’t double up those hams you call your fists; if you offer to = a hand on me, I'll put a bullet through your ck head. I hold the advantage here, and—” He suddenly ceased speaking, and stamped his foot heavily upon the floor. Instantly there was a racket in the passage- way, and a moment later a knot of human flesh, which looked like several men wound up together, circled into the room and went spin- ning about in a bewildering way, showing here and there an arm, and somewhere else a leg, but presenting no definite aspect, Peters and Abe gazed in surprise, but the hu- man knot suddenly surged their way, struck the table and knocked it over with Abe beneath it. The table went to pieces, crushed by the heavy weight, and Abe howled with pain and wrath, but the fight wenton, Peters comprehended the situation, and gave a hand, and after a brisk skirmish order was restored and the fight ended. * And this was the result: , On the floor lay Abe Benlow, witha leg broken or badly wrenched, and beside him was Duke ~~ bound hand and foot. ** 'W hat the dickens does this mean, and whom have we here anyhow?” Peters asked, in sur- rise, a Some pal o’ Benlow’s,” said one of the pant- ing victors. ‘‘He sneaked inter the passage jest arter you began to chin with Abe, an’ we seen he was some pal o’ his’n an’ took him in,” antat tho ee SS ** An’ he fit like a demon,” said man Number Three, ‘*Curse him, yes. What shall we do with him, boss? Say the word, an’ he’s a gone goose.” Deep Duke looked atthe trio of merciless faces about him—two of them were those of as hard- ened-looking ruffians as he ever saw—and knew that he had inadvertently put his head into a deadly noose, He had made such a gallant fight that it had required the combined efforts of the three to overpower him, but the odds had been too great in the end. hg he could only bear his fate philosophi- cally. Abe had ceased his lugubrious groans, and, with a vicious glitter in his eyes, was working his hand around to his pocket, but Peters sud- denly sprung forward an seized his hand, ‘*No, you don’t, my hearty. No revolver practicing allowed here, Your little game is up. Abe looked at one of the other men witha most malevolent glare. ‘*Curse you, Sam Loonsby, you’ve turned ag’in’ me, but Pil hev yer blood fur it?” ‘** Who’s the traitor?’ asked Peters, scornfully. ‘* When I learned your little game with old Woodside I determined to play —_ card for card, and when I told your landlord what a sneak you were, he agreed to help me. Sam is allright. We laid a trap for you, and when you refused to keep your word and talk, we sprung it. But we did not expect to catch your pal.” ‘*T’m no pal of his,” said the detective. ‘Tell that to the marines. Sam, hadn’t we better yank them away before we g2t dropped on?” ‘* Yes; down with them at onc’t.” As he spoke Sam opened a door which one would have supposed led to a side-room, but re- vealed a dark stairway beyond. Down this the prisoners were dragged with a want of cere- mony which brought many a groan and curse frem Abe, until the cellar was reached. Here a light was obtained, and the captives bound to a buge box which seemed to have once been a refrigerator. It was now fastened to the upright poe that supported the floor above, and had been pierced with holes through which the ropes were run. Duke Dorgan was by no means pleased with the turn affairs had en, and he voiced his disapproval emphatically. It was only a waste of words; his protests were thrown away. ‘** You had no business to go into mag ga with Abe,” said Peters, though Duke. had just declared that he had never spoken with the in- jured man. ‘ Tve reached a point in this game where decisive action is necessary, and you shall see my style.” ‘** An’ the style o’ this place,” added Sam. ‘* Just so. Abe knows the uses this cellar is ut to, but, maybe, you don’t. I'll tell you. bis is where we fix our drowned rats. Bya contrivance of our own we can let the water into this cellar until it is full. We only do this when we have men tied to this box—you can guess what becomes of the men.” ‘* Ef he can’t, I'll tell him,” added Sam. ‘‘ You see, I don’t a’prove o’ killin’ men in a way that’) leave marks that may hang us gents. By lettin’ in the water we drown our game, an’ then run ’em inter the sewer. Be you on?” He punched Duke facetiously in the ribs, but the latter could see no joke about the matter. The ruffians were plainly in earnest, and there seemed to be no hope of rescue in that lawless place, Every cry vw! uttered would be edenid by the cellar and distance, and the rising of the water around them would soon end their lives. For the first time in his life Dorgan was in a dangerous trap, and it bade fair to be the ast. The ruffians finished their preparations and went up-stairs, and then came the sound of fall- ing water. The fatal ep had been taken, and the helpless prisoners could only await their fate. Death seemed inevitable. CHAPTER XIII. SWEPT TO DESTRUCTION. DrrPp DvuKE had preserved his calmness through all his experience with his lawless cap- tors. Even his temper was kept under control. While Abe Benlow raved and cursed he main- tained his dignity, and certainly lost nothing thereby. All his efforts to convince Peters and his friends that he was not an ally of Benlow proved useless, however. It did not occur to them whv he had actually been there, and his rough dress was a disguise which Peters did not penetrate. They would have it that he was Abe's ally, and he was handed over to the same fate marked out for that disreputable individual. Perhaps it was just as well; it is not likely that he would have fared any better had his real character been known. The first rush of the water as it fell into the cellar was greeted by Abe with a groan. ** Tt’s all up with uz now!” he said, uke, the Silent Sleuth. — - oe Oe eee eS ee ee SE z2 ‘Ts the situation as bad as they say?” Dorgan coolly asked. “Yes; | know this place o’ old. The suller is small, an’ the stream o’ water they hev let on will soon flood it. An’ we hev got ter set here an’ be drownded like rats.” Bitterness and despair were in the man’s voice: it was plain that he had no hope. Hh fee they really let the matter go on to the end?" ‘*'You bet. Peters has got too much at stake ter give me any show.” **So you were really going to treat with W ood- side, were you?” There was a momentary silence. In the dark- ness Duke could not even see his companion’s face, but his manner when he did speak proved that Abe felt the force of the question. ‘** W’ot do you know about the case?” he growl- ed, surlily. ‘‘Everything. I told Peters the truth, as you know, when I said I was not your pal. I might have added that I wes no friend of his, I knew him of old—a sneaking private detective Le is.” ‘*“You’re right, hoss,” Abe viciously replied adding a curse on Peters’s head, ‘‘ I’ve helped him some, but if I could get out o’ this ’'d make him howl,” ‘*T feel the same way. Say, partner, ain’t there some way to make him squirm on this W oodside tenet Seems that he’s playing fast and loose there, and up for sale to the highest bidder.” ‘*He always is. Call him a detective! He’s only a miserable blackmailer—that’s what he is!’ Abe spoke with as much righteous indignation as though he had not fallen into his present trouble by deciding to desert Peters, and black- mail the professor on his own Pict set 6 ‘*'What is it about Woodside?” asked Duke, seeing that the iron was hot. ‘*‘ He was once a fellow-convict of yours, wasn’t he?’ és Yes. ” ** Where was this?” Abe hesitated, and then answered: ‘* Charlestown, Massachusetts.” ‘What was he in for?” ** Stealin’ a hoss.” ‘* He was also wanted for murder, I believe.” ‘Yes, but the cops was just a bit too late. They thought ter arrest him at prison when his time was up, but they made a blunder an’ was a day or two late. Arch had gone, and I reckon they never struck the trail ag’in.’ ‘*'Whom did he kill?” “IT dunno. It was a job in New York, an’ he then fled to Maine, som’ers. He lived a crooked life ther, an’ finally had ter light out. Officers pressed him sharp an’ he stole a hoss ter git away on, but he was took as hoss-thief an’ jugged.” ‘Was he sentenced under the name of Archi- bald Woodside?” ‘*'Yes, though he didn’t use that namo in Maine.” ‘* ‘What name did he use there?” “See hyar, I reckon I’m tellin’ too much. Meracles do occur sometimes, an’ we may git out. Peters sez the old chap hez a deserted wife lookin’ arter him, an’ I reckon T’ll keep my tongue still. 1 wos a fool ter tell so much. Hello! the water is hyar!” The last words were sharply uttered, for Abe felt a dampness about his feet which was not to be mistaken. The water had been falling steadi- ly ever since their captors left, and in a large stream. The bottom of the cellar was now flooded, and more had entered than seemed to be there, the prisoners being on the highest part of the Aoor. ‘* The ruling passion is said to be strong even in death, and Duke Dorgan had put Aint i other thought aside in his anxiety to question Abe. He now turned his matter. Was there any hope of escape? He gave a stout pull at his bonds, but it only caused the cords to sink deeper into his wrists. They held firm. He then threw his strength so as to test the firmness of the refrigerator. Once more be saw no good t. ‘* It’s no use,” said Abe, mournfully. ‘‘ Them fellers know how to do their work, an’ we might ez well try ter raise the house.” ** Are you reconciled to die here?” ‘‘Don’t make any difference whether I be or not. We’re in fur it, you see.” The detective gave the box another wrench. He, at least, was far from ry 3 reconciled. ‘*The cowards!” he uttered, fiercely. ‘* Shall we yell?” asked Abe. ‘Yell?’ Somebody may hear us, though the —~ ** Yes. chances are awfully ag’in’ it. Every nook and crack is sto up so that nobody kin hear what is said in this pit.” ‘* I don’t suppose anybody in this part of the city would care a red for all the yelling we might do, anyhow. Wemay as well save our breath. But, see here—what becomes of the water after the cellar is flooded?” ‘* They lets it off inter the sewer.” a“ Ah 1” ** An’ the ed may go with it, an’ when th are found nobody thinks a murder has been € EOMICbOOKS attention to another (E()