Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

a onneeeneaneenein - ‘No, I did not.” ‘‘ Then you don’t know anything for certain.” ‘¢T did not like to subject the child to any in- dignities,” said Captain Pygmy. _ ‘ Are you chicken-hearted, captain?” The lcok which accompanied these words al- most made the dwarf grate his teeth. ‘‘Ttis not that, Felix!” he cried with resent- ment. ‘' Do you think the hand that became so well known in the golden heart of the Sierras has grown less iron-like in the lapse of time? It is the same hand, but I did not lke to resort to extreme measures when [ thought a little soli- tary confinement would fetch the girl around. If we had gotten her across the river to-night, I should have let Hazel search her, Tuat would have been better, eh, Felix?” ‘¢ Hazel would have done the work well, cap- tain,” answered Felix with a smile. ‘ But, as we can’t get across—curses on the head of the boat-stealer!—and as the secret is so important in your eyes, we may have to take Hazel’s place.” ‘¢ And search the girl?” sc Yes.” Captain Pygmy made no reply. “Tf I were youl would know something,” Felix went on. ‘‘ If as you say Nora Raymont has a detective in her employ—if Captain Cinna- bar and his spies—members of the old Spider League, want the general’s millions and your life at the same time, why, the sooner you get hold of the girl’s secret the better, What if this cage should not prove as strong as you think? What if the man who sent the boat adrift has followed us from the river—” ‘* Hnough!” broke in Captain Pigmy, jump- ing down from the table upon which he had seated his misshapen figure, ‘‘ By heavens! if ou get such ideas into my head [ll rush in and ar the girl limb from limb in order to get at the secret, Followed, do you think?” Felix leaned back in his chair and looked calmly at the excited atom, ‘¢ Who cut the boat loose?” he asked, ‘¢ There it is again!: You are bound to drive me to it,” cried Captain Pygmy. ‘You always had a peculiar way of accomplishing your point. Ay, who did cut the rope? That is the puzzle, sure enougb.” ‘* Stand there and do nothing and the user of the knife will answer the question himself before morning,” retorted Felix. ‘‘ You haven't asked me for my opinion, captain. Mebbe you don’t want it,” ‘‘'Yes, I do,” and the dwarf leaned toward Felix till his little coal-like eyes seemed to scorch his cheeks. ‘* Have you such a thing as an opin- ion about your head, Felix?” ‘‘ Tm never without one, respected captain.” Captain Pygmy looked at his companion as he drew off a pace and waited for a reply. ‘‘T think one of .the enemy cut the rope,” the man from beyond the river continued coolly. ** Ah! do you? That is the beginning of your opinion, I presume?” Felix held up his hand to enjoin silence. ‘¢ The enemy, as you know, is Captan Cinna- bar and Company.” ‘¢ Xerxes and Monte?” “The two tiger hounds of the Californian trail,” smiled Felix, ‘* You are becoming positive, Felix,” rejoined the dwarf. ‘* We were seen to meet at the pier, and the man who saw us cut the boat loose to keep us from carrying out the very plan he balked with his blade, I think Ive studied this out step by step, captain. We have been balked by the gang, and Spider Cinnabar holds us in a web unless we break it and cut our way out heroic- ally. oTo-night™” * To-night!” ‘‘ But we are incumbered with the girl,” and Captain Pygmy looked anxiously toward that part of the house which held the fair prisoner, ‘A quick play and the prize, if she has it, is ours,” continued Felix noticing the glance, “ If ou propose to let a child keep you from success because of any scruples of search you may have, you may count Felix out of the game,” The last sentence was spoken with provoking coolness. ‘*We must keep our grip on the girl no mat- ter what happens,” remarked Captain Pygmy as Felix did not proceed. ‘¢ What is she worth after the surrender of the secret message which Juliette gave her before she took her life?” ‘She may win this very game for us.” Alive?” 6 Alive.” “Then you need not go to extremes. If she has the paper she carries it in her bosom. Be- neath her dress lies the very prize which you want. And theiron hand of Captain Pygmy bas held back! Well, my old friend, I know when you did not stop at such obstacles,” There was ridicule in every word of Felix’s sentences. ‘You are right!” suddenly exclaimed Captain Pygmy. ‘If the boat was not cut loose by one of three men we have been watched by Nora’s new sleuth—tbe one she employed after Javert left the trail, Will you go with me?” ee EE ———————e——eE—EEeEE—E—EeE—EEE—EeE——————EE————Eee Jack Javert, the Indevendent Detective. He walked across the room and looked back at Felix from the door. ‘“‘f never hold back, especially when there isa million at stake, Ill hold the girl while you rob her and [ll do it neatly, too,” ** At my heels, then!” Captain Pygmy strode from the room with the gliding figure and triumphant face of Felix at his elbow. A minute afterward the couple reached the rik ana the dwarf placed one ear near the ock, ‘** It is still in there—and dark!” he added. ** Dark!” echoed Felix. ‘‘ We Jeft her with a light when we came away.” ‘* So we did; but we'll see in a minute.” A key in Captain Pygmy’s hand grated in the lock, and then he pushed the door inward. ‘* There’s a window up somewhere!” was his next exclamation, and then he scraped a match across the wall, As the flame brightened, it flared above his aco and then he heard an exclamation from elix, ** Look! The window yonder is open, and the child and her secret are not bere!” CHAPTER XXVI. HALTED, ‘Tw fortune’s name how did she get away?” Full three minutes passed before Captain Pig- my recovered breath enough to put this ques- tion, which was a poser to Felix, who, with eyes wide open and full of amazement, was staring at the raised window, ‘*{ thought this was a safe cage, captain,” said Felix, at last, and there was a deep vein of sarcasm in his voice. ‘*T thought so, too,” was the confession. ‘*‘ She must have had outside help,” and then, as he thought of the adventure at the river, and He- lix’s opinion about the man who had cut the rope, Captain Pygmy bounded across the room, and leaned out of the open window. He saw nothing but the gloom of the alley upon which the house abutted, and the only sounds be heard were those which came from the street. After awhile he came back to Felix with the ire of a robbed lion tearing at his heart, and his eyes dancing madly in his head. **Outside help!” he cried, almost choking down in bis wrath. ** Monte or Xerxes?” quietly asked Felix. ‘* Wait! We'll know more by and by,” was the response. Captain Pygmy walked past his companion, and from the room, *¢ The a is gone; curses on the man who cut the boat loose!” he grated, whirling upon Felix in the hall. ‘‘ She’s carried off with her the secret Juliette sent by her to someone, But, never mind, Felix, do you have to go back to- night?” ‘TIT am not forced to go.” ‘* Good. Whoss boat was it he cut away?” ‘¢ Tt was mine,” ** Could it be identified as against you?” se No.” ‘‘That is good. You see, Felix, the river patrol is liable to pick the boat up somewhere, and we might not like eve: ybody to know that Felix Finn, once a resident of Camp Satan, California, crossed the river to New York to- night.” ‘We're safe on that score, Captain Pygmy. I don’t have my name painted on my property. But what’s to be the next move?” Captain Pygmy, who had led Felix back to the little room where he had formerly perched himself upon the table, drew from his bosom several papers which he tossed to his companion, ‘There are some documents Juliette lost a few hours before she died,” said he, smiling on Felix as he began to open the papers, *¢ Lost them, eh?” ‘“Yos, in the usual way,” answered Captain Pygmy with a cunning leer, “Oh, I understand, thanks to that eye of yours.” Felix looked at the documents, which were well covered with writing, until he got half through the last one. ‘‘Why didn’t she strike him for more than she seems to have done?” be asked, looking up into Captain Pygmy’s face. ‘Ah, Felix, what was the use when he was helping her when she needed help,” he laughed. * Yes; but General Raymont, or Colonel Nero, was Juliette’s husband, yet he kept Nora in the house as his heiress,” ‘“‘That is true, but women are strange crea- tures.” ‘‘T know ’em,” grinned Felix, ‘‘ But this pa- per mentions a child born to the couple after the reunion in New York, and years after he had her banished from Camp Satan where, as Colo- nel Nero, he was cock of the walk,” **So it does, Felix.” ‘* But where’s the child?” Captain Pygmy shook his head, ‘* Nora is not that child?” te No,” “*Then I’m stuck.” Felix threw the paper down, ** You are thick-headed to-night, Felix, and I _ } a ee 19 amram ~-_— a sha’n’t enlighten you. Let us talk about some- thing else,” ‘“No, I want to know about Juliette’s child. Isee the importance of the information. Do you think she confided to Lucy or some one the secret of the real heiress’s whereabouts?” ‘* Felix, your head is getting clear!” exclaimed Captain Pygmy, ending with a laugh, ‘ You see more than a step before you already.” ‘* Then, by my soul! I wish the cage had held the bird a little longer. The girl had the secret,” *“She had,” replied Captain Pygmy firmly. ** And since your head has no cobwebs you can realize what we have lost.” ‘* By Jove! I see it all!” Felix Finn sprung up and looked like a man about to spring from the room, ‘The trail might be struck if we hasten,” he cried with a look at the dwarf. ‘“The trail down the alley? No, Felix, the man who assisted Lucy, whether Monte, Xerxes or some one else, is not for us to see to-night. The hand that loosened your boat has held trumps before; my head on that, boy.” ‘* But we might make an effort.” To scent bim out?” ec Yes.” ‘* We will try, but if we fail now we will suc- ceed later.” Half an hour later the house from which Lucy Lemon had mysteriously escaped was as dark and as silent as it was before Captain Pygmy unlocked the door. The window which had taken the captain’s breath by being raised was down again and the shutters were tightly drawn and the slats closed. There was nothing about the premises to indi- cate the late presence of the jail-birds and their young prisoner, As for Felix and the captain, they were in another part of the city some distance from the river and the scene of the loss of the boat, ‘“That man yonder, captain!” whispered Felix, touching the hand of Pygmy who for several minutes had been looking ata pair of shoulders that had a very familiar shape as they rose above the wall table of a cheap and crowded restaurant on the Bowery. Captain Pygmy turned his eyes and looked in the direction indicated by Felix, ‘* By the nine gods! you have found Xerxes)” he exclaimed under his breath, ‘““T thought so, and I haven’t seen the fellow since the day he fought the duel with the big Arizonian in Flat Broke Camp.” ‘‘He can’t wear a disguise,” smiled Captain Pygmy. ‘I’m glad you've found him, Felix. Now, fone at my man,” ‘* Where is he?” ‘* At the third table along the wall.” ‘The man alone?” ** That is he.” **T can’t recognize any one by the back of his shoulders,” said Felix after a look. ‘*T think I have done so on this occasion.” «Who is he, captain?” ** 1 would call him Monte,” ‘But the twin sleuths of the Spider League would be together, wouldn’t they?” ‘* Not if they were ata name that requires secrecy and cool heads, They don’t even look at one another, but every now and then Monte watches aman who was here when we came ‘* Which is he?” ‘* Look at the table jnst across from us,” Felix did so, . He found at the table in question a man ap- arently forty years of age. a comfortable- ooking individual, plainly dressed and quietly enjoying the dishes Fefase him, “That man is the lamb the fox is after,” continued Captain Pygmy, while Felix s looked, ‘‘I don’t know him, but Monte thinks he does. What do you say, Felix?” Captain Pygmy’s companion left his chair and strolled forward to the cigar case at one end of the room. In doing this he passed along the table occupied by the man so closely watch- ed by Xerxes, Captain Cinnabar’s spy. He stole one look downward as he walked by—one hasty but discerning look, but that was enough, A start thrilled him, A minute afterward he came back to Captain Pygmy and exhibited a white face when he — leaned across the table, his teeth chattering almost too much to let him whisper: ‘*T thought Captain Javert, the Broadway Independent, was out of the game,” are Pygmy’s eyes immediately dilated. ‘Well, isn’t he?” he cried. “To judge from your look, you have just seen the sleuth himself,” **So I have!” The dwarf returned a laugh. ‘* Why, the man watched by Monte is no more Jack Javert, if I know anything, than I am Julius Caesar!” ‘*He is Javert himself! Don’t I know the man who handed me over to the law one year ago for a bit o’ by-play which would have made me rich if be had not put in his hand?” The dwarf threw a quick look toward the quiet man across the way, ‘**Look! he is rising and Monte has dropped. . Gomicbdoo ‘Ss Ql eT eR” VO,