Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 580 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

i —_— -~ Shadowing a Shadow. 21 brought into operation in case the chair failed to work, or the detective by any chance did not sit down in it, * It will be seen that thé demon doctor meant business in the work he had taken in hand. But, how would he now trap his victim? That he had been studying upon, and at last had found the plan. When he went out of the room and closed the ! door he motioned bis servant to silence, and pro- ceeded along the hall and envered the parlor office, some one, answering himself in a changed voice. This deception he kept up for a few minutes, and presently moved across the floor to the doors which divided the two rooms from each other. He looked throvgh the keyhole. The detective was sitting in the same place where he had left him, and was toying with one of the skulls which he had taken up from the table. He seemed to be paying no attention to anything else, but he was really on the alert for any attack tnat might be made from any quar- ter. The doctor had had one sample of his adroit- ness with the revolver. : Evidently satisfied with the situation of his intended victim, the doctor refreated across the room, had further talk with his imaginary pa- tient, and then the deception of the patient’s taking his leave was carried out, Gonsalvo réturned to the rear room, ‘*T will be with youin a minute or two,” he said, opening the door and looking in. ‘“ Ail right, take your time about it,” was the detective’s response, as he looked up in a seem- ingly careless manner, he doctor made the motion of drawing back and closing the door, but as he did so he tossed into the room the bottle containing the prepara- tion he bad lately put up. He closed the door instantly. It was closed none to soon, for in the same second there was an explosion in the room that sounded like the report of a rifle. It was the bottle that had exploded. This wasa means of attack, it must be con- fessed, that the detective had not looked for, He was not prepared for anything of this kind. Instantly the room was filled with a deadly as, and even as Kinworth sprung to his feet he elt his senses leaving him. He made an effort to reach the door, but be- fore he had taken three staps he was overcome, and fell heavily to the floor. He was in the power of his enemies, whose de- termination was that he should die, He had fallen into a trap after all. CHAPTER XXVIL. ° A THRILLING SCENE. ‘‘ Ha, ha, ha!” the demon doctor aghed, the moment the explosion took place, “let us see if you are quick enough to foil that agent.” He took his watch from his pocket and held it in bis hand, watching the time, When four minutes had elapsed he opened the door of the room and entered. The gas had spent its deadly power, but he still took the precaution to hold his breath, and hurrying across the room threw open a window. In a few moments the room was cleared, as the gas, having the greatest affinity for the pure air, rushed quickly out. Detective Kinworth lay like one dead, ‘“‘Your race is run, my fine fellow,” the doc- tor observed, pushing the body with his foot, ‘¢- You will never know what has happened to you, and when you wake up in the next world you will wonder how you came there.” His face now had on its demon-like expres- sion. Calling to his servant, that sable fellow was soon with bim. ‘* Golly!” he exclaimed, using the word that comes so bandy to gentlemen of his color, ** but you done that fine, doctah!” “Not a word out of you, you black imp!” the doctor warned, giving him a look that fairly made him tremble. “You know that I could hand you over to the hangman to-morrow, so look to it that you huld your tongue well.” The darky was a shade lighter, if possible. ‘“‘Nebber a word,” he declared, solemnly. Yo’ needn’t warn dis chile, doctah; 1 knows what am good for me,” ‘‘ Well, see that you remember it; and stop that nigger-talk, or I will kill you, anyhow.” Whenever the darky was frightened or ex- oo ng dropped into the broadest of negro ialect. ‘What you want me to do?” he asked, now in a little better tongue. ‘¢*Qpen the trap-door there, go down and light the gas, and then help me to carry this fellow down,” the doctor directed. The servant sprung to obey, and the direc- tions were soon carried out to the letter. Pulling the table away from its position in the middle of the floor, and taking up a big rug on which it had stood, a trap-door was discl : That being raised, a flight of steps was re- vealed that led to a room below. When he had lighted the gas, the darky re- turned, and the body of the detective was taken There he began to talk, as though to' It was what was evidently a part of the cellar of the house walled off into a long, narrow com- partment, In the middle of the floor stood a dissecting- table, with lights over it so arranged that the light was reflected fully upon the table. On one side was a long, deep sink, with faucets above it supplying hot and cold water. There was a chair or two, a side-table for handy use, and in the further end of the narrow room was a door. That door, it may be mentioned, opened upon a narrow tunnel that led to a trap in the sewer under the street. ' When the detective was brought down into this hole, he was laid out on the dissecting- table. ‘*T here, that will do,” said the doctor. ‘* You go up, and if lam wanted, let me know. If Mr. Blackwali comes, take him into the front room and not the rear room. Close the trap- door after you.” ‘* Yes, sah.” The carky mounted the steps and shut down the door, and the doctor turned to the body on the slab, ‘* Well, my fine subject,” he said, half-aloud, ‘tin ten minutes more you will begin to come to I suppose, and I must guard against that. I will put you into a little sounder sleep for the present.” Taking hold of the body by the neck, he raised it to a sitting position and took off the coat and vest. As he did so he noted that the detective carried his revolvers in pockets in the lining of bis coat, near the ‘bottom and well in front. Nowonder that he could get at them so handily. When that was done, the doctor’s next work was to rip open the right-hand sleeve of his vic- tim’s shirt, laying bare his arm. That done, be took a hypodermic needle from among half a dozen others which he carried in a small pocket-case, and made an injection of some subtle drug. ‘‘There,” he muttered, “‘now you are good for hours. I will let you be as you are until [ have exhibited you to Blackwall, and then— Well, I can make use of you as a subject, and you will go into the sewer piecemeal.” That hideous smile overspread his face as he uttered the words, He was about to turn away when his atten- tion was attracted to the man’s bare arm, which he had tbrown across the chest of the body. There was a red streak on it from shoulder to wrist, looking like a line of blood, and at first sight the doctor took it to be a scar, Closer in- vestigation, however, showed that the skin was perfect, and that it must be a birthmark. The line was not large, being no bigger than ordinary wrapping-twine, and its course from shoulder to wrist was slightly irregular. ‘* Well, that is a curious mark, anyhow,” the doctor mused, ‘Is ita birthmark? Or is it a line made with India ink? It does not greatly matter which, I guess,” Turning down the lights, he ascended the stairway to the room above, closed the door, and throwing himself into a chair, lighted a cigar, taking care not to use the one which he had prepared for the detective, “Well, the game is bagged anyhow,” he ob- served, ‘“‘ With this fellow out of the way, perhaps the coast will be clear.. No suspicion can attach to me or Blackwall.” At nine o’clock there came a ring at the bell, and the servant announced Mr, Blackwall. ‘Show him right in here,” the doctor di- rected, The banker entered, and his face bore an anx- ious look, ‘* How is it?” he asked, these being his first words, ‘Tt is all rigkt,” the doctor assured; ‘‘the fly is in the web,” The banker breathed easier. “How did it work?’ he asked next, as he took a seat, **It came near not working at all,” the doctor confessed, ‘‘but I got my grip on him at last. You never saw a man so lightning handy with the revolver as he was,” ‘“* So handy with the revolver! Did it come toa fight” . ‘Well, no, and I’m glad it didn’t; for if he is as good on the shot as be is on the draw, it would have been all d ith 5 see that chair there?) with yours truly. You ** Certainly.” ‘* Well, just take notice how it works.” Saying that, the doctor stepped over to the chair and sat down in it. Instantly the sharp click was heard, and the steel arms flew out and imprisoned him in their embrace. f ok banker looked on in open-mouthed amaze- ment. quickly that was done,” ob- ‘*You see how served the doctor, ‘Yes; if was douein a wink, And what a devil you are, to bave such things in your den.” The doctor smiled as though he considered that a compliment. ‘* Well,” he explained, “quick as this chair works, that detective’s arm worked quicker, for | kind of way. | it was all a mistake, and set him free. een i NE OE EEE EE EE EEE ooaEeoooreeeeeeeee —— a arm straightened out with a cocked revolver in his fist. How he did it I do not know,” ** 'W onderful,” ‘** ‘You see he had the bulge on me in the worst I had to apologize, tell him that And, by the way, you may as well set me free, Just reach under the chair and pull that lever.” The banker complied and the doctor freed, ‘‘How did you trap him, ther?” Blackwall asked, ‘Why, I brought my knowledge of chemistry into play and exploded a pcisonous gas that rendered him insensible,” ‘‘Good! But, where is he now?’ ‘‘ Come along and I will show you. I told you that I would show you something if you would come here at nine o’clock.” The doctor lifted the trap-door and descended the stair, the banker following close behind bim., When they reached tbe bottom and Blackwall caught sight of the body on the slab, a shudder — ran through him, The doctor turned up the light, and remarked: ‘There he is, sir, and as fine a subject as was ever put under the knife. I promise myself a. rare treat when I come to carve him up.” Again the banker shuddered. - What if you are discovered?” he gasped. The doctor laughed, ‘‘ What if lam?’ he repeated? ‘‘I am a dos- tor, and if I am found dissecting a dead man what will it amount to? Thatisa part of my trade. But, I will not be discovered, so you need not let that thought worry you for a moment. By the way, hereis hiscoat. Just see how handy he carried his weapons.” The coat was on the side-table, and the doctor took it up and displayed the two pockets with the revolvers in them. ‘*T tell you he would be an ugly customer to tackle,” be observed, ‘‘Just look at that arm, will you; it is the arm of a Hercules,” The banker, whose face was now deadly pale, looked at the bare arm of tle man on the table, and as he did so he sprung forward, his eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets, and he was — ‘* My God!” “What is it?’ citedly. ‘*Ob! this is horrible—horrible!” Blackwall cried, ahgerrg his hands to bis head, ‘What is horrible?’ Gonsalvo demandc:! fiercely. ‘‘ Have you taken leave of your senses? What are you talking about, anyhow?’ For answer the banker turned to the sice- table, snatched one of the revolvers from the pocket of the detective’s coat, and leveling it at the doctor’s breast, cried: ‘*Dr. Gonsalvo, restore that youpg man to life, or I will send a bullet into your heart!” The doctor reeled back as though he had been struck, ‘* What are you thinking about?” he gasped. ‘““To do such a thing would mean ruin for us both. I will not do it!” * You will do it, or I will kill you where you stand.” ‘Tt is too late; he is already—” ‘** You lie! curse you, you lie!” the banker al- most screamed, ‘It is in your power to re- store him, and unless you do so immediately I swear that I will piant this bullet into your heart!” It was an awful tableau. The unconscious de- ctive lying on the dissecting slab; the doctor standing partly over bim with his scalpel in hand; the banker leaning forward with the cocked revolver aimed straight at the doctor’s heart. How would it terminate? CHAPTER XXVIII. AND STILL ANOTHER, THE doctor was the first to speak, after some: moments of silence. ‘** Are you in earnest—do you mean what you say?” he gasped. ‘*[ am in deadly earnest,” the banker assured, ‘as you will find to your hurt if you do not obey me. What do you mean to dof” Blackwall’s face was still pale, but now he was cool and determined in what he said. ‘*Have you taken leave of your senses?” the doctor parley. ** No, 1 have not,” was the assurance, ‘* Well, do you not know that it will be ruin for us to let this detective go, now that we have gone so far?” , ‘*1 do not care whether it is or not; he shall not die!” “Then you prefer ruin and State’s Prison? Remember where we stand. What is one man’s life tous at such a time? Self-preservation is the first law of Nature, you know. He must die, Mr. Blackwall.” ‘* And I say that he shall not die! Nowifyou do not restore him at once I will kill you, that I most solemnly swear,” There was that in the banker’s words and man- ner that made the doctor cringe with fear. He saw that the man fully meant what be said. But to restore the detective and set him free: the doctor demanded, ex- | up and carried down into that room, no sooner bad he heard the click than his right meant complete overthrow and ruin. Eboo % *,* * . im P 4 J a) . * , “ . . ,