Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 485 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

oe a a r - ever, let us talk in the open sunlight. 7 — P . i 3 7 a 7 » j * , . a é ° # 12 ‘¢ And lovelier, fairer than a Greek statue’s!” She frowned commendably. ‘*No more such talk—at least, not yet awhile —or we shall quarrel. But really, | have ceased to have any nerves, at all.” ‘* Or, still better, say that you areall nerve of the right sort.” ‘‘ That is what 1 meant.” ‘You may need it all.” ‘“ What are my instructions?” ‘You will join me at the Astoria dock at dusk this evening. “ By what means?” **'The ferry-boat.”’ éé So! “Yes; and little Starlight will be with you.” ‘* You cannot come for me, then, in the yacht’s boat?” **No; your last adventures were sufficient in that line. Besides, the public ferry will be safer—less room for treachery. After that, you will be with me.” és (tood 1”? ‘You had better come in disguise.” ‘Which of my disguises?” ‘* As you may determine.” At this juncture there was a suspicious stir outside the summer-house, in which the inter- view was going on. Rowlock was out of it in a flash. ‘* No one there!” said he, returning. ‘* How- After what has cnanced, I almost feel suspicious of the very air we breathe.” **So do I,” said Inez. ‘‘ Not only walls, but trees and bushes may have ears.” They acted accordingly. ‘* You will then meet me at Astoria?” contin- ued Inez. q ‘** What is your plan?” ‘‘It is as yet not wholly determined.” **The attack will be made by boat?” ** Chiefly.” ‘** And I shall accompany it?” ‘““T can’t tell yet. Perhaps, you and Starlight will be sent on as avant couriers. Then your disguises would come into play.” ‘‘T shall take a selection of them with me.” ‘*That will be well.” ‘You must have made some discoveries in the past few days.” ‘* A few, and good ones.” ** 'W hat are they?” ‘In the first piace, by to-night, or to-morrow at the furthest, [| hope to have tracked La Senorina to her city residence.” Inez instantly grew more anxious, ‘That woman! Thank Heaven, I was not conscious when in her grasp! Had it been otherwise, | fear her contact would have de- stroyed me.” Or one of her pet snakes, [ told you about, might have made your acquaintance. How- ever, she mostly has them in subjection, I haven’t a doubt.” Inez drew a Jong breath. ‘* What a woman!” ‘* However, she was earnestly solicitous of your safety, or her dagger might have tasted of my blood.” “Thank God for that! So you told me. You think’she secretly resides in the city, then?” **T am almost sure of it; probably in the an- nexed district.” ‘* Well, what next?” ‘Juan and Vasco continue to cover their tracks admirably. But I have been very care- ful. My contemplated descent upon their fast- ness—even my knowledge of its existence—can cat be suspected by them.” ** Oh, may it prove so! And you hope to cap- ture them? ‘*Such is my hope—and perhaps the mother, aswell. She has been known to visit the ren- dezvous.” There was a long pause, after which the de- tective held out his hand. . ‘* To-night, then? ‘* Yes; but don’t go yet.” ** There is no hurry.” And the detective sighed inwardly, he so wanted to take her in his arms, or, barring that, to escape the temptation. “There are several that I wish to ask you a ‘** You have but to speak, Inez.” ‘First, then, how do you account for the Sibyl’s strange evanishment out of that coach?” ‘**T don’t attempt to account for it.” ‘* Might she have slipped out on the opposite uzzling things, Ensco, ut.” ‘side, directly after relinquishing me to your grasp, and so made her escape up into the Park grounds?” ‘It is just possible. But, as I have said, everything about that woman is simply unac- countable—unknowabl:.” ‘** Unknowable?” ‘For the present, at least. We must content ourselves with being agnosiics, so far as she is eoncerned, until we have her in our very clutch- “Ah! Heigh-ho!” “Do not be despondent, however. What next?” ‘That woman! Could she have had time to engage in that attempt to abduct me, so soon ; after we saw her on the phantom steam-launch as I call it?” ‘* Undoubtedly; since she did engage in it.” ‘* But doesn’t that prove that the lawless band, with which she and the twins are associated, must have some nearer rendezvous than Bowery Bay?” ‘* They have, doubtless, many such; but the successive incidents of that eventful night do not especially prove it.” ‘* Why not?” ‘*She may have had all the assistance neces- sary on the launch, and then landed anywhere in this vicinity.” éé True. ?? ‘* W hat next?” ‘‘ Where did you get little Starlight from?” ‘‘From a rather mysterious couple in the vicinity of Bowery Bay. I believe be was a sort of adopted son, but they readily enough adopted him into my service. You may see something of them before long.” ‘* Are they in your interest?” ‘Yes; and as true as steel.” ‘* Yet mysterious, you say?” The detective hesitated. ‘Well, but little can be told of their ante- cedents, you ses. The man is a fisherman. Name is Emroled. A queer one, eh?” ‘“Very. And the boy’s, too; though bardly his proper one, of course,” ‘Starlight? No; I gave him that name, from the queer way in which I formed his ac- quaintance. I may tell you of it some time.” ‘*'You won’t forget?” ‘Not I. What next?’ ‘*Next and last—this also concerns a name, and is also somewhat personal.” ‘* Indeed! What name?’ ‘Your own,” The detective winced a little, but then smiled. ** Mine?” ‘Yes; of course, Rowlock is not your real Christian name.” ‘You say so, my dear.” ‘* But is it, now?” ‘* Don’t you like it?” ‘*Of course Ido. But is 1t?” ts No.” ‘* What is your real given name?” ‘Do you think you ought to know?” ‘“Indeed I do!” This with a sense of pro- prietorship particularly flattering. ‘**Sodo lL.” A little reluctantly. ‘* What is it, then?” | ** Douglass,” Inez clapped her hands. _ “What a lovely name! ButI felt certain it would prove so.” | ‘*'Y ou like it, then?” ‘‘T adore it! Besides, ce favorite song?” ‘* What song is that?” ) ‘*You shall hear me sing after—! mean,” with a blush, ‘* But what is it?” * ‘* * Douglass, Douglass, tender and true.’ ” ‘“Ab! But, by the way, comrade—” ‘SW hat now?” La ; ‘“I wish you would content -yourself with ee _ 5 py, ae vag ! oa) ertainly. ough a e disdppointedly. * Au xs be comrade.” «> ee: 1 ‘* Wait; you haven’t told me how you came to be called Rowlock.” ; ‘*T can’t—not now. Aw revoir !” . 4 They had risen from the tree-encirclil par n I forget it in my | it often enough - ' some time,” it * den seat they had been occupying, an with their right hands clasped. ‘*One moment!” persisted the girl. how I fear to let you go—I dread that some- thing may come between us. ** Inez loved! Nothing, I think, can come between us more,” There was a hurtling, whistling sound, a swift flash in the bright air, and a bowie knife was quivering in the tree, having passed directly be- tween their faces. ‘‘ Again!” cried the detective, with a sort of exasperated roar, And then he had dashed like a tiger into the line of cedar clumps from which the weapon had been unmistakably projected. Inez was very pale when he returned, shak- ing his head, and with a troubled look on his brow, By Jupiter! it beats ‘*T can’t understand it. me out!” And, plucking out the knife, he doggedly re- sumed his seat. CHAPTER XVI. AN EXPEDITION, His dejection was so great that Inez, though greatly terrified herself, did not venture to dis- turb him. Presently, however, as he did not look up, she took the knife out of his hands and examined it. ‘* Exactly the same pattern of knife as the one launched at me on that eventful night,” he mut- tered. ‘‘ The design upon the weapon is alone different.” He had sent her word of the former incident, +6 Some- ’ ‘> ~ and she eagerly scrutinized the buckhorn han- dle, i : tlemanly-looking young man from the Rowlock, the Harbor Detective. ‘* There is nothing here,” she exclaimed, ‘* Look on the blade.” She did so, and taen uttered a startled cry, ‘*Good heavens! an exact duplicate of the tattooed design upon your arm!” ‘* Even so.’ He took the clasp-knife from her, closed it, and put it out of sight. ‘* Au revoir,” and he once more held out his hand. _ ‘* But, oh, my friend, my love! this is more than mysterious. It is dreadful—appalling.” ‘* True, my poor child, but what can we do? We can only hope.” ‘** And trust in God,” she added, fervently. Then she gave him her hand, and they sepa- rated without another word. Rowlock did not return directly to the boat that had brought him from the yacbt. Moodily pondering over this last alarming in- cident, he gained the street, and kept along it till he came to a small German wine-shop, which he entered, The proprietress, a comely woman, signed him toward a private room in the rear. Entering this, he found Tom Gaff, the boat- swain of the Seamew, evidently expecting him over a glass of something that looked stronger than German wine. ‘* Ah, sir; I knowed you’d come in season,” and Gaff nodded sagaciously as the detective seated himself at the little table. A likely-looking sailor-man, this Tom Gaff, witha shrewd face, a pair of keen, cold gray eyes, of stocky and powerful build, and for the nonce with but little of the toiling seafarer in his air or dress, ‘* Well!” demanded the detective. ‘““Tts good goods, sir,” ‘‘ Then the clew was not a misleading one?” ‘* Not by a long shot.” ‘‘- You have located the woman?” ‘¢ Yes, sir-ree!” ** Where?” ‘‘ At Hunt’s Point.” **So near?” ‘¢ Tt’s shady, though.” ‘* What sort of a-house?” ‘* No bouse, at all,” ‘* What?” ‘‘ Unless you call a canal-boat a house,” ‘‘Give me the particulars.” ‘“‘T tracked that duck, Jago, what you de- scribed to me,to the place. It’s one of these here laid-up hulks whats been turned into a dwelling. Jago made sure he wasn’t being fol- lered—that is, he thought be made sure—and then hopped over a long plank, an’ disappeared into it. ‘* What then?” ‘*Then, pretty soon, some one peeped up out of the hulk.” ‘Who was that?” ‘The woman you warned meof. Ugh!” he gave a shiver, and drained his tumbler, ‘' No mistake, Mr. Ensco. She fairly gave me the aguer.” ‘* Describe the face.” ~ Gaff did so. ‘‘ The same!” muttered the detective. Then he consulted his watch, ‘* Eleven, scant!” ‘‘ Time enough.” | ‘Could we reconnoiter by water, and get back to the Seamew by return of tide by the middle of the afternoon?” ‘‘In aracing shell, and with me at the oars, es.” | ‘‘ Such a one is doubtless procurable. Come!” ‘¢+ Won't you have a drink with me before we go, Mr. Ensco?” ‘‘No; but as you want another, [ll take a my more than friend, my best be- | . igar.” ,A racing shell was not to be had, but a club w orking-boat, almost the same thing, was ob- tained; and, half an hour later, they a off from the float of the Harlem Boating Club. ‘‘Don’t forget me, if you have an adventure on hand, Rowlock,” called out an athletic, gen- ge of the float. i It was Wright Vanderlynn, a club member and one of Ensco’s acquaintances, to whom he was indebted for the loan of the boat. Ensco and his companion to a pause, after feathering their oars from the initial stroke, which had not quite carried them beyond hear- ing. The former reflected, and then answered back: ‘‘Do you mean one with a spice of danger in it, Vanderlynn?” ‘‘ Ay, my boy, that I do! and the more the merrier.” , ‘‘ You know where the Seamew lies?” ‘‘ At Astoria?” Was.” ‘6 Good!” ‘‘ Be there at an hour before dusk to-night.” $ ‘Ts there genuine tough work in prospect? ee in gn once ne <i ou want. us Count me in, and a thousand thanks, Row- P ’ The sculls caught the water again, and the licht craft shot away. co nN C ie ‘3 wae AFP. P| s = ] | - es N ] ' ° ’ - j - ~