Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— of seeing any people whom she should recognize did not ouce enter her mind. But, all at once, Nora almost came to a halt. An exclamation of astonishment bubbled to her lips. A figure had just risen from one of the numer- oerae eae und one which was nearly in her path. There was about this figure enough to cause one to remember it after having seen it once. The body itself was well formed but the Jegs were short, the arms unusually long and the head quite large. ‘* That,” said Nora under breath while watch- ing the strange creature. ‘Certainly that is the man I found crouching in the hallway one night nearly a yearago! Yes, it must be the same, for the world cannot pcssess a duplicate of such @ man-ape.” The maiden saw that she had not been noticed and was glad to push on, eager as she was to escape recognition; but, as if to frustrate her design, the man turned upon‘her, and seemed to look ber through. Nora pretended not to see the act, and quicken- ed her steps, fe stepped aside to let her pass, ‘*Thanks!” she murmured, ** Thisis more than { expected. He cannot have recognized me, unl | will let him bave the Park to himself.” ‘* Don’t 1 know you, my fine bird? Ab! it takes a sharper person than you are tuo escape the keen eves of Captain Pygmy, Going home, are you?—back to the nest which has been rob- bel of the male bird. Well, I have business here, just now; but Ull see you and your money later, Yes, Nora, when I’ve got my web finish- ed, PH show you what a thoroughbred spider ean do!” Nora by this time was just vanishing toward the other side of the Square, when Captain Pyg- my’s restless gaze aligated on a figure that tcok him forward, and suddenly his hand was on a young girl’s arm. ‘You do keep your word, don't you, my child?” he laughed, ‘The clocks have just struck eight and here you are as bright as a dollar.” ‘¢ Yes, I am here because I said I would come,” was the answer, and Captain Pygmy drew the girl to the nearest bench,’ ** Well, has my friend Juliette recovered her ring?” he asked, eagerly, Lucy Lemon shook her head. ‘What has our detective, Mr, Javert, been doing that he has not found the ring?” cried the man, ‘* What does he report to your mistress?” “*He has made no report; I am sure the de- tective has not called since Madam Juliette put him on the track as well as she could.” ‘*Wasn’t he to report eften?” he asked, un- easily. ‘‘T thought so,” ‘* Very well,” he went on, rubbing his hands. ‘We will have to wait, but, I don’t see wh Javert hasn’t called since. Can it be that he is op the trail?” Lucy made fo reply. ‘** But what does Juliette say?” he demanded. ‘* She keeps ber own counsels,” ‘“* She does, eh? Juliette always did that,” be added, as 1f addressing no one but himself. ‘* These women who share their thoughts with no one are the dangerous ones. I may have said before, my child, that Juliette, on this ac- count, is dangerous,” ‘““T never thought her so.” ‘** No, because she has been kind to you. She may be playing lamb in your estimation, just now. ait till you see her play tigress. Does Juliette know that one of her callers is dead?” he asked, “Tf you mean Raymont, Juliette knows.” ** Well, what does she say about that, child?” “She threw the paper down with a singular ery, and rushed up-stairs, which was the last I gaw of her for six hours,” ‘It gave her a shock, eh?” exclaimed the man. ‘Juliette wouldn’t have been shocked by the news some years ago. I should say not !/” Luey looked at Pygmy, but offered no re- mark, ‘* You haven’t found out much since I left you here; still it helps us on,” he continued, ‘I think you will do better within the next twenty- four hours. The agent will certainly report within that space of time. Juliette will not be satisfied if he does not. My advice again is, keep eyes and ears open, Stick to Juliette like a leech, child. Therein lies your future—the se- cret and the fortune!” An exchange of good-nights followed, and Lucy, glad to get rid of those piercing eyes and glistening teeth, turned awny. As she left, the man’s eyes seemed to be watching her with a keenness not affected by distance. ‘*T’ve got the cords, nearly all of them at Jeast, in my hands,” chuckled Captain Pygmy. ** IT want to know who robbed Juliette, and who killed Raymont—for killed he was, I don’t care what the doctors say-—and then I'll draw in my net. Then, tov, my cool gamblers of the gold coast and the rushing city—then Captain Pygmy will play the most tremendous hand ever seen on this continent. No sleuth shall interfere, = ame i a LL RE OO TT _ OIE AP TOCD Cae No Javert, with all his bloodhound abilities, sball snatch from me the prize [ am after. I’ve got the web almost finished. A few more threads and Iam done. The webs I weave hold, I’m not big in stature, but in cunning and strength—ye gods!” His step was as full of elasticity as biseye was of fire as he walked reser ‘ On the nearest sidewalk he joined the surging crowd that flowed under the lamps, and pushed on with his hands buried in the depths of pock- ets that seemed to reach to his knees, ' He did not see the huge, panther-like figure bearing down upon him likea pirate craft on the trail of amercbantman. His ears might have been keen, but they did not hear the tread of the giant at bis heels. Suddenly, and without the slightest warning, a hand-grip on the shoulder was followed by the *““My God! You?” ‘‘ Yes, my lizard! Whom did you expect to see?’ was the resporse, ‘‘ [ thought we finished you on the other side of the continent, but you have more lives than acat. Come along, with a still tongue and motionless hands. Ha! you know me, t see! Well, you'll find me the same Captain Cinnabar [ used to be, And I have the same grip, too!” Captain Pygmy made no reply. Strong as he was, in the clutches of his enemy he seemed but a child: but for all this he had not by any means given up the battle. CHAPTER IX, THE SPIDER CAUGHT. THE mav-ape in the grip of Cinnabar might have called for the police and thus precipitated a rescue, for his captor would not have crossed arms with the guardians of the city, but the fact that he did not, showed tbat he feared the hand now upon his arm, The two men, eying each other like hawks, disappeared down one of the side streets running off from the vicinity of Union Square. Cap- tain Cinnabar seemed to know where he was going if his prisoner did not. Suddenly, a figure, darting from a doorway as it were, stopped before the two, and the big man pushed the dwarf toward the stranger. ‘* A bird in the net,” explained Captain Cin- nabar, as the unknown caught eo of the dwarf, and in a moment Captain Pygmy had another hand on him, Once it was in his bead to attempt to jerk from the two, but another idea that promised better results entered his mind. All at once he turned his eyes on the unknown, who was Monte, already somewhat known to the reader, and his look began to assume an as- pect which drew Monte’s attention. At the same time Captain Pygmy’s body be- gan to sink, and suddenly his head fell back as the mouth opened with a gasp, Monte loosened his grip, and looked at Cap- tain Cinnabar. ‘“‘The man is dead!” he exclaimed, a look of horror settling over his face as he drew back, A sarcastic smile came at once to Cinnabar’s lips. Mi Dead?’ he laughed, leaning over the ap- parently inanimate form of Captain Pygm whose entire weight was hanging on his band. “Have you forgotten, Monte, the premature burial we once bad in the Sierras?” ‘‘No, captain. But this man is dead for certain.” ‘**‘As dead now as he was then—nothing more,” was the answer. ‘‘I think I know about all the tricks this lizard is capable of playing, Here, lend mea hand and we will see whether the rascally spirit of Captain Pygmy has secured a divorce from the body. No! go and getacab, Have it come here atonce. I can take care of this corpse till you return.” Monte darted away like a person eager to get off, and Captain Cinnabar was left alone with the man-ape of Gotham. “Tv’s a clever trick, but it can’t fool an old bird,” he suddenly said, his lips almost touching Captain Pygmy’sears, ‘* If would as soon have you dead as alive, so it is but little difference to me, you see,” There was not the slightest outward sign that the dwarf heard a word of this, for not a muscle moved, and the face which had already assumed an ashen pallor which was an admir- able counterfeit of death, was as immovable as the face of a statue, Monte was not gone long. He soon came back with the rumble of cab and wheels be- hind him, and he stopped near Captain Cinna- bar and his charge and showed the driver where to drive, b Captain Pygmy was pest inside by Cinna- bar alone, and the vehicle containing three persons rattled out of the narrow by-street and into a more pretentious thoroughfare. The dwarf bad been placed in one corner of the cab, with his face turned to Cinnabar and Monte on the opposite seat, No indications of life had come back, and the OUI OALY flashes of the lamp as they came in through the glass door showed him to be te all appearances a corpse alzmost bojt upright, | etective. a grip. ee | eS eee Before the journey ended Monte bent across the space between the two seats and felt Captain Pygmy’s pulse, ** How is he, doctor?” grinned Cinnabar, ** As dead as ever!” was the answer, ‘* What do you prescribe?” “or a corpse ?—nothing.” ‘Wait till we get to theend of thetrip, If there isn’t a resurrection then, there won’t be one till Gabriel sounds bis trumyet.” On, on went tne cab, cutting the night over street after street. At last it pulled up in front of a rather stately house of three stories, One end of it abutted on aa alley, and when the borses stopped, Cap- tain Cinnabar said to the driver. ‘* The first door down the alley to the left.” The cab moved on egain, but only to turn and then to stop once more, Captain Cinnabar lifted the form of the dwarf from the back while Monte opened a door with a key which bad been banded to him in the alley for that purpose, ‘* Pay the cabby,” whispered Cinnabar, bear- ing Captain Pygmy into the house. All this was done in a few seconds. Monte shut and locked the door when he bad followed bis master into the house, and found that Captain Pygmy was already sitting in a chair, but still in the same condition which bad characterized bim during the ride, After looking at bis captive for a little while Cinnabar took a small box from a shelf near at hand. Dipping bis finger into the contents of the box, he applied it to the dwart’s Uppar lip. For a second there was no result, then Cap- tain Pygmy’s head suddenly fell back, and ina flash the body bounded from the chair as if driven upward by a torpedo. Captain Cinnabar burst into a loud laugh while Monte looked on astonished. ‘*Ha! ba! it takes a genuine corpse to resist that restorative!” cried the big man with his eyes fastened on Captain Pygmy, who from the middle of the room was tuking in the situation as best bis bewildered mind could, ‘Sit down, captain, and don’t try to play dead any more. You’re not on your way to the morgue now, and this is no patrol wagon.” Captain Pygmy repaid these insinuations with a look of bitter hatred, seeing which Cinnabar’s smile only broadened, and he stepped toward = prisoner when that worthy retreated to a chair. ‘*Tf you want to remove the taste of the snuff which I presume has got down into your mouth, ou will find the proper stuff on the table,” con- inued Cinnabar. The dwarf looked at the bottle and glasses there, but the presence of his enemies seemed enough for him and he did not accept the invi- tation... ‘“Who was the young miss you saw in the Park?’ asked Cinnabar. ‘*] saw no one,” was the unblushing answer, ‘* You see, Monte, our old friend the captain has the same high regard for the truth he used to have,” laughed the big man with a glance at paar naka feo Fear dCactelae ou insinua snapped Captain Pygmy. ‘Pardon me. I will make it plainer. When you say you saw nobody in Union Square Park to-night you simply lie. Is that bare enough for you? ane dwarf in the chair kept his place with an effort, ‘* Now, who was the girl?’ resumed Captain Cinnabar. | ‘That is my business,” , The terseness of the reply did not appear to ruffle Cinnabar’s temper, He even looked toward Monte and dropped one of his upper eyelids good naturedly. “If yowre touchy on that point, Vl] proceed to another,” he said coming back to Captain Pygmy, ‘How are you and Juliette getting along?” This time the dwarf started, ‘** Does she tolerate you after the past which she certainly remembers?” ‘* That is for you to find out,” **Come! no badinage!” exclaimed Cinnabar, and, crossing the floor, he halted before the dwarf. ‘* Let us understand one another,” be went on. f ‘*T'm willing,” said the little man as be rested his long arms on the sides of the chair as if to have them ready to protect bis throat should it need =| ped monn ‘You've got another web on hand. Spider that you are, and as you have always been, you are spinning your threads to enmesh somebody. Your web bas fallen across my path, and the in- | fernal thrall of your manufacture interferes with my business, and that’s why you are here! Now, Captain Pygmy, I want to tell you that, since the spinning has come to an end, with the web yet incomplete, let me ask you to tell the truth. The girl you saw in the Park belongs to the game you play.” ‘* She does!” There wasasnap of fierce defiance mingled with a certain triumph in Pygmy’s eyes. He seemed to know just how far o= could go with bimself in the clutches of the man of the iron istic ~Eomic ‘s-com + . e a. e ; . . « . > = ‘ bn rea - @ ® f : = 2 ~ : oar. 4 i ie ; ¥ Ao) : 4 2s is gaa wae f - teh et Dh Se