Beadle's Dime Library No. 628 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

OS ON ee ee eae oe ¢ . 13 Broadway and took a car going up-town, and as he got on board he cast a careless glance be- hind him with the idea of seeing if he was fol- lowed, But he was not, as far as he could make out. No one boarded the car, nor could he perceive any one hurrying along the sideway in order to keep an eye on the vehicle, - ‘* Hither I am not watched, or else this spy is a cut above any shadow that I ever encounter- ed,” the Englishman remarked after the car had proceeded for a couple of blocks, without any passengers getting on board, Rochester proceeded up-town as far as Forty- second street; there he alighted and walked through to the Grand Central Depot, where he took a Harlem train, and as it happened he was the last man to pass through the gate, being just in time to catch the train. ‘* This settles my shadow!” he exclaimed as he got on board of the car. ‘“ If I have been track- ed, this last move throws the hound off the scent!” Rochester left the train at Harlem and pro- ceeded to one of the small hotels on Third avenue where he secured a room, Then he dressed himself in the rough suit of clothes, tied a dingy black bandkerchief around his neck, and with a paste preparation which he had in a small box, discolored his chin sv that it gave him the appearance of having been recent- y relieved of a heavy beard. With the battered-up bat pulled over hia eyes he presented a good representation of an Englisu- man of the dog-fighting stamp, He waited until the dusk of the evening came and then descended to the street, Taking the Elevated Road he rode down-town to Houston street, got off there and proceeded to that quarter which is locally termed Murder- er’s Row, the name bestowed onaccount of the many deeds of violence which have occurred in the neighborhood, About every other house is occupied as a saloon, and some of the drinking places have the reputation of being ‘*‘ dives” of the lowest grade, regular ‘‘ houses of call” for toughs and crooks of all grades, Into one of the saloons—according to the po- lice the worst one of the lot—the Englishman proceeded, The interior did not differ from the usual sajoon. There was a bar along one side of the room, and a balf a dozen tables on the other. There were a few ill-looking fellows in the place, drinking and playing cards. All took a good look at the new-comer as he showed up at the bar, but perceiving that he bore tha ‘‘ear-marks” of the ‘‘gang,” they turned their attention to their game again. Rochester ordered a glass of beer and a sand- wich, and after he got the articles sat down at one of the tables and proceeded to discuss the refreshments, A rather undersized, but muscularly-built fel- low, with a forbidding face, almost as much re- sembling «a bulldog’s countenance as a man’s, sat at the next table, He was poorly dressed and looked like a man who was having a hard time cf it. This personage surveyed the new-comer for a few minutes with a great deal of attention and then rose and took a seat at the table opposite to where Rochester sat. ‘¢ Tt appears to me that this isn’t the first time that I have seen you,” the burly fellow re- marked, Rochester took a good look at the other, then he nodded and remarked: : “‘T think you are right, but it wasn’t in this blooming country that we met though,” ** You are right there—it was across the her- ring pond,” ** In London?” ** Yes, and if I ’ain’t made a mistake the last time we met it was in a public house in Seven Dials where we had a pot of beer together.’’ The disguised Englishman studied the face of the other intently for a few moments, ‘Well, it seems to me that | have met you before,” heremarked, ‘“‘ But although your face is familiar to me yet I am not able to call you by name,” ‘** We only came across each other promiskis like,” the man replied. ‘‘I came in with a pal who knew one of the coves with you, and so we all had some beer. I don’t believe you heard ay name, but I knew who } ey were, for my pal put me up to the time of day.” ** Yes, I see.” And I took a good look at you for I knew ou were at the top of the heap while I was est a beginner, If I hav’n’t made any mistake, you were known as the Dandy Charmer,” and the man lowered his voice to a cautious whisper as he spoke, Rochester gave a quick glance around as if to assure himself that there were no listeners near, ™ But the rest were busy with their cards, and no one was paying any attention to the two, *“f hav’n’t made any mistake ’bout this ’ere thing, have I?” the man queried. * Well, I,suppose the. name will fit me as _ well as any otuer,” the Eazlisuman replied. = 1 ey * a x4 ts ry ' a ° Joe Phenix’s Combine. ee re ee ae — ‘“That was about five years ago,” the other remarked, in a reflective way. ‘‘I had jest joined the swell mob then, and wasn't anything more than a beginner, so it was natural for me to take a good look at a man like yourself who was a high-toby cracksman, and that is the reason why I knew you the moment you came in.” ‘The country across the water got a little too hot for me and so I got away before the bobbies gota chance to nail me,” the Englishman ex- plained. ‘“‘Things must have gone badly then for I allers heard that you worked yonr tricks so nicely it was hardly on the cards for you to be caught,” “The pitcher that goes often to the well is bound to be broken at last, you know,” Roches- ter remarked, ‘‘No matter how cunningly a man may plan, he is certain to make a mistake some time, and that is what happened to me; so [ left my country for my country’s good.” ‘‘Same way with me,” the other remarked, “TI laid a cove out one night wich a life-pre- server, and as he happened to be a rich_ bloke, with no end of swell friends, they made London so hot for me that I had to cut and rup,” ‘Well, how have you made out over here?” ‘“T have not got much to brag on,” the man replied, ‘I ain’t done much in a professional way since I came across the water, Mv reg’lar lay is in the boss line, you know, and I got a job over in Jersey on one of the winter tracks, and then I took a trick once in a while when I saw a good chance, but as I am one of the coves who don’t take big chances, allers going in for a sure thing if I can, I can’t say as I have done much.” ‘What is your lay, when you are on the ‘cross ’?” ‘*The street business, laying out my man with a club, and then going through him for bis mo- puses,” the other responded, ‘‘ Bridle Bill is my name among the coves of the swell-mob,” he continued. ‘* Maybe you have heard of me.” ‘“Yes, I think Ibave, You got that name be- cause you had a trick of putting a bridle on a man, as your pals termed it.” “That was the how of it,” the ruffian re- sponded, with a grin, ; ‘* My dodge was to steal up ahind a cove wot I wanted to go through, sling my arm around bis neck and choke him—put a bridle on him, you see—while I went for his ‘ ticker’ and his ‘Jeather’!” ‘And I suppose you strangled the man so that it was not possible for him to cry out?” ‘That was my game, and generally it worked right up to the handle.” ‘‘ How you making out now? You don’t look as if you were playing in good luck,” “Well, [ ain’t, for a fact! I lost my_job in the training stable a month ago and I ha’n’t been able to get anything to do since, You see these ’ere racing men ain’t got a good opin- ob jot me, and none of them will give me a 0 * ** How is that?” ‘Tt was all along of a hoss in my stable being got at and doctored. He was the favorite and it was thought that be was sure to win a big race, but some of the bookmaking coves laid a por of money ag’in’ him afore it was known jest ow good a hoss he was, and as they were 3! blokes they concluded that the best way for them to save their money was tc hire some good man to get at the hoss and give him a ball so that he couldn’t win.” F **And your stablemen suspected that you were the party who did the trick?” ‘*Blowed if they didn’t!” the ruffian cried with an injured air, ‘‘And though I swore that I was jest as innocent as a babby, blessed if they didn’t give me the sack!” ‘*And that gave you a black-eye among all the rest of the turfmen, of course?” **Oh, yes, I couldn’t get a job in any stable now, no matter how cheap [ would be willing to work,” It is the old story of give a dog a bad name and hang him!” Rochester observed, “That isso, and Isay, you don’t look to be in very five feather either,” the ruffian observed with a glance at the rough attire of the other, ‘*T hope that you ain’t down on your luck?” ‘“T can'tsay that I am doing particularly well,” the Englishman replied, ‘I manage to get enough to eat and drink though, so I don’t suppose I ought to complain, In Br Sal to my togs, a man don’t want to rig out like a heavy swell, you know, to come to a boozing ken of this kind, because if he did he would be apt to attract attention that might be unpleasant.” ‘That is so! Some of the coves would be sure to try for to clean him out.” ‘“Then I am here on a little matter of busi- ness,” ** Are you on a Jay?” the other asked, eagerly. “Cos if you are, and there is any chance for aman about my size, I- hope to: goodness you will give me a show!” “Well, I don’t know,” Rochester replied, slowly, as if he was debating the matter in his mind, “It isa little bit of business that I am attending to forafriend of mine. The party came to me and wanted that I should under- 1 a 5 uR f é - ey ’ : De .“"hy. er WE ¢ > es BO ~ _~_ +o take it, but Itold him that it was not at all in my line, but, to oblige him, I would get a man to do the job.” ‘* Yes, I see.” ‘‘And I was told I could find the man here, T know him by sight, but be isn’t here yet. He travels under the name of Spike O’Hooliban.” ‘‘T have heard of him; he used to be a pug, but as be couldn’t be trusted not to sell a fight be couldn’t find no backers,” ‘‘That is the man,” ‘Well, w’ot is the job? Couldn’t I take hold of it?’ the ruffian asked, anxiously, “I am sart’in I can handle any game that Spike O’Hool- ihan is up to jest as well as he can, and | would- n’t ask no odds of bim either any day in the week !” ‘* Upon my word! I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t do!” Rochester exclaimed as though the words of the other had made an impression upon him. ‘* The party who spoke to me about the matter recommended Spike when he found that | was not inclined to take hold of the job.” ‘*T don’t see what difference it will make as to who does the job so long as it is done,” the other urged, ** That is true enough,” ** Ts the stake good?” ‘* A hundred!” ‘i'm your man!” Bridle Bill declared instant- yeYou don’t need to wait for Spike to put in an appearance, I will do the job right up to the handle!” “Tt is a difficult bit of work!” Rochester warned, ; ‘‘No more difficult for me than for Spike!” the other replied. ‘If Spike O’Hooliban can do the work you can bet all that you can raise that I can do it too, so drive on your apple-cart, and let me know what the game is!” ** Did you ever hear of a detective named Joe Phenix?’ the Englishman asked, lowering his voice to a cautious tone as he spoke and castin an earnest glance around so as to be sure tha there wasn’t any one near enough to overhear the conversation. But no one in the place was paying any atten- tion to the two, ** Yes, I have heard of the cove.” And from the careless way in which the ruf- fian spoke Rochester got the idea that Bridle Bill knew but little of the bloodhound, and felt no dread of him, not on the police force, but a private cove.” ‘‘Oh, yes, | understand! As these Americans say, the woods are full of such blokes,” ‘Well, this particular man is in the ye of the party whom I pepecocut and he wants him settled,” and the speaker dropped his voice toa deep whisper as he made the announcement, **T can do that right up to the bandle and no mistake!” Bridle Bill declared in the most emphatic manner. ‘! And I tell you what it is, Dandy, no Spite O’Hoolihan can work a trick of that kind any better than I can, In fact, I douht if. Spike could work the game one-half as well, for it is much mere in my line than it is in his,” the ruffian added in a boastful way, ‘* Well, this party will give a hundred to have the detective Jaid out so that be will not trouble any one any more,” “T will do the trick!” “This Phenix is a good man, you know,” Rochester warned. ‘‘ He is no slouch, and you will have to work tke trick carefully or else you will not be able to do the job.” “Oh, I allers go on the idea that the bloke I am to lay out is an uncommon smart one,” the ruffian declared. ‘‘Hoe has an office down-town and he lives in Tbirty-fifth street, just east of Second avenue,” and Rochester gave the number, “That is all right!”the ruffian declared, ‘IT have got it down in my bead and that is the best kind of a memorandum-book! Once I get athing into my noddle it stays there you bad better believe!” a ie: ‘¢ There is no burry about this job. you know, you can take your own time,” the Englishman suggested. ? “Yes, but I think the quicker the trick can be pulled off the better.” ‘* Well, the sooner it is done, the sooner you will get vour hundred,” the other suggested. ‘*But I would advise you to proceed slowly, and not to make a move until you are sure of your ground. : “I know that this Joe Phenix is an extra good man, and unless you are careful to ar- range the matter so that he will not have any chance for his life he will be apt to get the best of you,” “Don’t you be afeard of that, old pal!” the ruffian exclaimed, ‘I will go on the idea that he isas good a man as ever walked in sboe- leather! ‘‘T never make the mistake of thinking that the man I am arter is a duffer who can be set- tled without any trouble.” ‘+ You are wise to avoid that error, for many a good man has come to grief by making 4 take of that kind, O@ 4 ‘ ‘‘He is not a regular detective, you know, ; ose comicb Ab shale -