Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

18 another, with Felix wondering when the jour- ney was to end, owers, the sleuth, did not lose sight of the two men for a single moment, but like the faith- ful, persevering tracker, kept close at their heels, ‘‘Ts the passenger hard to handle?’ whispered Captain Pygmy’s companion, leaning forward and clutching his sleeve. “Tl let you see for yourself in a moment,” was the response. ‘‘ Hard to handle, eh? I fancy that you'll laugh at your inquiry when you see the oird I’ve caged.” ‘‘T hope so, captain. [don’t want any trouble with the passenger, even if there is a million in it, because I’ve been behind the diamond once, and I don’t want to get back.” ‘*Pshaw!” laughed the dwarf, with a half- contemptuous glance at Felix. ‘I'd risk a good deal for a round million, and I’m doing it at this moment—risking my precious neck, old fellow. A gentleman who’s been half-way to the morgue ought to be able to play a cool hand, beyond all chances of failure. But come on, Felix. Ill open up the cage, and show you the bird presently.” Curious to see, as his countenance indicated, Felix kept close to Pygmy, who, after a few more evolutions apparently calculated to throw any trailer off the scent, halted at the door of a modest-looking building. He opened it with a loose key, and the two men entered. The hall beyond the door was dark, till Cap- tain Pygmy struck a light, after which he con- ducted his companion to another door, ‘¢ Here’s the cage, Felix,” he smiled. ** Mebbe it is appt ys The deformed plotter frowned. “Empty ?—this cage of my own building?” he exclaimed. ‘‘Tll show you in a minutes the passenger we're going to take across the river in the boat,” He swung the unlocked door back with the closing of the sentence, and Felix leaned for- ward with eagerness, to see what the room con- tained, A slight cry greeted the two men, and in the dimly-lighted apartment they stopped suddenly, and gazed at the person before them, ‘“A child, by bokey!” cried Felix, with a swift glance from the young occupant of the room to Captain Pygmy. “Is this the passen- ger, Paul?” ‘* Yes,” answered the captain tartly, and then he went toward the girl still staring at them both and addressed her in anxious tones: ‘‘ Have you made up your mind, child? You've had some time for reflection and I am here for your decision,” Instantly the eyes of Lucy the little captive seenied to catch fire, and despite the look of de- spair on her face, she flushed with indignation, ‘‘T had nothing to decide,” said she, ‘I told ou before you went away that you could not ave the secret.” ‘* Which means the message sent to some one by your mistress just before she put herself out of the world?” ‘““That is the way you construe it,” replied the girl, abating none of her determination. ‘* You see what we've got,” laughed Captain | tvemy. turning to Felix, who had not taken his black eyes from the girl since their entrance, ‘* A little headstrong,” returned Felix. ‘*No, not that. Iam only contending for my rights,” and a single step brought Lucy close to the two men, but her eyes were now fixed on Felix. ‘‘ In the first place no one has a right to detain me here, I am held because Captain Pygmy wants me to help him through witha lot against somebody and somebody’s money, e holds me now because I will not divulge a certain secret which should belong only to me, You know that this is not right, butif you are his friend, and in the game with him, [ suppose I appeal to you in vain.” _** Of course you do,” put in the dwarf before Felix could shape an answer, ‘‘ Felix and [ are old friends, and he is somewhat interested in all that concerns me. So don’t waste any breath on him, girl.” The captive of the house fell back and her eyes dropped. ‘* Did I understand that you are not ready to surrender the secret?” Captain Pygmy asked. **] will not give it up!” ‘‘ Not if the® surrender would restore you at once to freedom?” ‘*Not even then!” ** A stubborn head is one’s worst enemy,” said _ the dwarf. ‘I’ve offered you all that’s fair, child. You reject every overture, and there’s nothi ng left for me to do but to play the hand out. He took a sudden step toward Lucy, and one of his hands left a coat pocket and shook some- thing in the girl’s face, In another instant both hands swooped down over her head, and before she could resist a rub- ber strap had been placed over her mouth and | she was deprived of the chance of using her | voice, ** Now, Felix, we'll take the bird to your cage,” | remarked Captain Pygmy to his companion, | who had regarded this proceeding with some wonderment, ‘‘ Because she refuses to surren- der the secret bere, don’t think that she will not change her mind in time. She'll go with us quietly, for,” with a significant look at Lucy, ‘“she knows that Captain Pygmy will let noth- ing—not even life itself—block the game for him now.” It was useless for the young girl to try to loosen herself from the grip that had fastened on her arm, and as it seemed to tighten, she was con- ducted across the room and into the hall be- yond, A thrilling thought flashed across her mind. Was she going out? and whither? Once on the street, even in the power of the two men, something might turn up in her favor. True, she had so far failed to find Javert, but the unusual sight of two men conducting a young girl through the streets of Gotham at that hour of the night ought to be enough to attract the attention of the police, The rubber gag was not uncomfortable, but it effectually silenced her, and when the front door was opened and she again felt on her cheeks the breath of the night, Lucy found a hand at each wrist anda grip there from which there seemed no escape. She noticed how deserted the street seemed. There was no person in sight, and when she was walked off, with a man on either side, she wondered if the whole journey to the unknown goal was to be unwatched, ‘‘Tn mercy’s name, where is Captain Javert?” Lucy mentally exclaimed, ‘‘I am surely lost and the secret message, too, if these men keep me much longer, Juliette should not have bound me with an oath to find her detective, but since I am bound, I shall not turn back nor surrender one point to Captain Pygmy and his friend.” It soon seemed to the girl that she was being conducted across the city. Her escort kept to the dark unfrequented streets and among the shadows there. ; Now and then they met a pedestrian who passed without noticing that she was in bonds, but not one statue-like policeman blocked their progress with a suspicious look. ‘* Surely we are going to the river,” thought Lucy at last with a look at the buildings now re- vealed by the lamps, and in a little while Felix loosened his hold and ran to the edge of the pier, She saw his dark figure bend over the water till it threatened to fall headlong among the swishing waves. Captain Pygmy stood off a short distance and held her fast. All at once Felix sprung up and came back, ‘‘By my soul, the boat is gone!” he sald in a hoarse whisper. ** Gone?” ** Gone!” _ The revelation seemed to paralyze Captain yemy. ‘*T warned you to tie it securely!” he growled with a mad look at his comrade, ‘‘T did, but I did not calculate on the work of a knife,” ‘* A knife?” ** The rope has been cut,” ‘By a boat-thief of course!” ejaculated the dwarf, ‘*T don’t know,” ** Hold the girl.” Lucy was transferred to Felix’s clutch, and Captain Pygmy ran forward, He dropped on his knees at the edge of the wharf and leaned far down into the darkness below as Felix had done, ‘* Cut, by the nine gods!” he hissed examinin in the starlight a piece of rope which he fishe up from the water. ‘‘ By Jove! it was_ severed from above, not by any one who stood in the boat. Can’tI see by the severed strands how the strokes were made? The boat was cut adrift for some purpose, and there can have been but one! He threw the end of the severed boat-rope to- ward the water and ran back to Felix. ‘Your boat is out yonder, empty and drift- ing!” he exclaimed, pointing over the river which gave up none of tbe secrets it held. ‘* Why empty?” asked Felix. ‘* Because it was cut Joose from above as any fool can see. Somebody don’t want us to con- tinue the journey.” ** Somebody ?” es Yes,” “Surely I was not followed.” } ““T don’t know. Itis spies and—spies! We must get another boat,” oe ow ?” ** By our wits, you can find,” ‘* Tt will be a useless hunt.” “Felix!” cried Captain Pygmy. of a boat must not throw us back.” ‘* The man who cut it loose may be watching us now,” The sentence threw hope into the captive’s eyes, and made her heart beat faster than it Go up the pier and see what ‘* The loss | had beaten since quitting the strange house. ‘* Watching us? I wish he was!” cried Cap- tain Pygmy. ‘I would give worlds to find the wretch who sent the boat adrift. But goon “ ts a en ee ee a Jack Javert, the Independent Detective. your hunt for another. There must be one somewhere on the water.” Felix went off with a grow], and Lucy follow- ed his figure as it leaned here and there over the edge of the wharf, ‘* T trust his hunt will be unsuccessful,” she said to herself, ‘* The person who cut the boat loose must have been a friend, and I am safer here than across the river.” After awhile Felix came back, and the girl read his answer oa his face before he spoke. ‘¢ There isn’t a boat within reach,” he report- ed to Captain Pygmy, whose grip suddenly tightened on Lucy’s wrist as he answered; ‘‘Then we must go back!” CHAPTER XXV. THE FLIGHT OF A BIRD, rs go back meant more than to go for- ward, ‘ Both Captain Pygmy and Felix realized ris. The loss of the boat, and especially the pe- culiar manner in which the moorings had been cut, told them that a spy was on their trail. ‘Back! not to the old cage, but to one that will baffle the shrewdest sleuth in New York,” growled the dwarf, ‘“ Let us be off, Iam eager. better it seems to me,” ‘‘ What, Felix, are you frightened?” Felix affected to laugh, but the poor light did not prevent the girl prisoner from seeing that the attempt was a miserable failure. With another searching look along the wharf, and one over the river dancing in the starlight, the pards, baffled by a knife, resumed ther grip on Lucy’s wrists, and drew back. The girl was not unwilling to retrace her The sooner the / Ss, it was better to go back than to be taken for- ward across the river flowing between the cities full of traps and perils, The person who had cut the rope and loosened the boat could not be far off, and Lucy felt that he would be her friend. She was taken up the wharf and for some dis- tance over the same ground she had traveled to the river, She woudered if the boat-stealer was follow- ing, but sbe did not try to compromise him by looking back. Had Javert found her instead of she finding him, and was he following with a knowledge of the seceet she carried in her bosom? This thought, which sent a thrill to her finger- tips, was not kept long. It was not probable that Javert had discov- ered her. The more she thought of the matter, the more convinced of his continued absence did she become, Javert had left the trail to which he had bound himself in Juliette’s presence. He had told her (Lucy) that he had withdrawn from the hunt, and she had found his office for rent and empty. No; somebody had cut the boat loose without any expectation of befriending her. She must not expect any help from that direction; it was merely an accident which bad operated in her favor—nothing more. Lucy was guarded with the same jealous care which Captain Pygmy and Felix had shown during the trip to the river, They saw her every look, and did not let a move of hers escape their ferret eyes, Poor Lucy! she felt ber heart sink to immeas- urable depths when she was taken into a street which she had never seen before. She was not going back to the old house. “Tf Tom Ferris could see me it would be a relief,” thought the girl. ‘* He would follow me to the end, and then inform the police, But I am going to be denied a discovery hy the boy’s keen eyes. Still, I shall) not give up. No! I promised to find Ca tain Javert, and my prom- is one of the secrets I share with the dead!” Nearly an hour elapsed before the backward trip came to an end, The two men turned suddenly into a short by- street, and brought up in front of a shuttered brick dwelling which looked much like a prison, ‘The new cage at last!” mentally exclaimed the girl, glad that the journey was about to ter- minate, even though it offered another prison. Three minutes later she was beyond the thresh- old of the new ‘‘cage,” and when Captain Pygmy’s hand left, her wrist, she fell back and looked at ber captors, ‘‘Make yourself at home here for a spell,” said the city Caliban. ‘‘The sooner you pb ake up your mind to give me the secret, the sooner will you have the pleasure of trying your wings in the Parks and elsewhere,” He did not wait for her to reply, but turned to Felix, and the twain left the room, lockin the heavy and unsympathizing door behin them. . ‘‘ What do you think she did with the message if it was a written one?” asked Felix, when he and Captain Pygmy reached another room in @ distant part of the house. ‘““There’s the puzzle,” was the grinning re- G -t=-==comicbooks — van Ome