Beadle's Dime Library No. 628 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

ter gave the money to the other, who received it with eagerness, ‘* Just keep this matter to yourself, you know, for itis a thing that ought not to be talked about.” **Oh, that is all right, Iam one of the dumb- est men in the world when it comes to busi- ness!” the ruffian asserted. ‘‘ Don’t you be skeered "bout my opening my ’tatur-trap! I know too much forthat. These detectives allers stick together, and if I succeed in laying, this Joe Phenix out the other coves will do all they kin to make it hot for me,” ** Undoubtedly !” And then Rochester arranged a means of communication—the ruffian stopped at one of the cheap hotels on Park Row, well-known to the police as a resort for crooks—and the inter- view came to an end, . CHAPTER XXI, THE ATTACK, It was Joe Phenix’s idea when he made the revelation to the Englishman in regard to the conspiracy that the plotters would be tempted to attack him. The game was an old one with the detective. The scheme to get at the Engleburt money had been planned with such exceeding care that even the acute bloodhound was puzzled to know how y get at the conspirators so as to unmask em, He had cabled to England to one of the chief detectives of the metropolis—a gentleman with ‘whom he had once been assoviated ina profes- sional way when the Londoner chased a notorious offender across the ocean—and the reply he received afforded him no information. In fact.it confirmed the woman’s story, and all that the London detective could say of George Rochester was that he was a fast young man about town, and though he was known to have kept bad company, yet he had never got into any difficulties. ‘** Tt is as 1 suspected,” Joe Phenix mused after he received the information, ‘‘ This man is an extra smart rascal who has been shrewd enough to mauage matters so he was not caught by the Engli:h police, and I, undoubtedly, will have a bay to to entrap him. “Unless I am especially favored by some lucky accident, the only chance [ will have to catch him will be if he is unable to resist the temptation to strike a blow at me and so expose himself,” And the detective felt pretty well satisfied that the conspirators, alarmed by the disclosures which he had made, would be apt to try to get at him. He knew that it would be an easy matter for them to find out what particular detective young Engleburt had employed, but in order to make sure that the parties should have the knowledge, Joe Phenix took the trouble to call upon Coun- selor Have and tell that gentleman that he had been employed to look into the matter. The lawyer was surprised, and did not hesitate to express his opinion that Mr. Maurice Engle- burt was wasting bis money, but added though that it was nobody’s business but his own, Joe Phenix had already been noted for being one of those men who while not euperaney: paying any particular attention to what was g0 ng on around them yet managed to see every- ing. And now that he anticipated an attack he was more on the alert than ever. So it happened that when he left the house one morning his attention was attracted toa shabbily dressed man, with a green shade over his eyes, and some lead-pencils in his hand who bad sat down, apparently to rest, on ‘the step of the next house to the one where Joe Phenix resided, : Now the detective as wellas any man in the city knew that nine out of every ten of these mendicants are imported, who trade on the credulity of the public, yet the moment he came up to the man he stopped, fumbled in his pockets until he found a couple of pennies which he dropped in the outstretched hand of the supposed blind man, who whined out his thanks true professional way, The detective bestowed this offering so that he might have an opportunity to examine the fel- low, and as he turned away, Joe Phenix mutter- ‘* A plant, fora thousand dollars! But I have got you down fine, my man, and I will not have any difficulty in knowing you again, no matter where I may see you!” It was the detective’s idea that he would run across the fellow again. His supposition was correct, When he left bis office that noon for lunch the man was io the corridor but dressed in a different suit of clothes, the green shade was removed, and he had a piece of paper in his hand upon which a direction was evidently written, for he had halted at the door of the detective's office and was comparing the inscription on the paper with the detective’s sign as Joe Phenix came out. ‘©T beg your Honor’s pardon,” he said, ducking his head and scraping his foot after tho sailor n the |: Joe Phenix’s Combine. fashion, ** but can you tell me where I can find Mr, Richard Phenix of the yacht Gleam?” ‘* No such person here that I know of,” ‘That ’ere sign says Phenix!” the man ex- claimed, pretendiog to be puzzled, and scratch- ing bis head. ‘*Joseph Phenix; that is my name, but I don’t know any Richard Phenix, nor anything about any yacht,” ‘“*T was told to come to Wall street. I put down the name, but not the number, thinking I could carry it in my head, but it is clean gone, so I axed a man in one of the shops, and he looked at the paper and inter a big book and then told me to come here.” ‘‘He made a mistake; there is no Richard Phenix bere.” ‘* Sorry to trouble your Honor; I s’pose I will have to go down to the dock ag’in,” and then, with another duck of the head and a scrapa of the foot, the man departed. The detective smiled grimly; he was pleased that his anticipation had been so quickly ful- filled, ‘*The fellow has taken the job of attacking me,” he soliloquized. ‘‘ And as I am astranger to him, he wants to be sure of his game before he makes a mve, ‘“‘Tt is wonderful how well this old trick of mine works, ‘* Now then, I must try to arrange this mat- ter so I will be able to capture the man without having to call upon the police for aid, and the question immediately arises, how will the attack be made? “The fellow is an Englishman, I should judge; either the knife or a bludgeon, then, is likely to be the weapon used, for these British transplants seldom use firearms. ‘*T must post Western, and we will see if we can fix up a trap for this party.” After lunch the detective beld a consultation with his assistant, and a scheme was soon ar- ranged. When business ended that day Joe Phenix did not proceed to his home as usual, but went up-town end took dinner at one of the popular restaurants, Then he visited the different hotels, whiling away the time until the theaters began, one of which he visited, and remained until the per- formance ended, then he sauntered into a noted resort and remained there until the hands of the clocks pointed to midnight. It was his idea that the unknown woulil be apt to lay in wait for him that night, and he wanted to postpone the attack to so late an hour that there would not be any ckance for anybody being around to interfere in the matter. It was just midnight when the detective started for home, and after leaving the main thoroughfare he found that the streets were de- serted, Only one pedestrian did he encounter in half- a-clozen blocks, He turned the corner of the street in which his house was situated. , The block was dark—not a light shone from any of the houses on either side of the way, Il had retired to rest, The gas lights alone dispelled the gloom, Joe Phenix came on at a leisurely pace; if there was any one in the street waiting toassault him be wanted to afford the party a favorable opportunity. ut although from the way in which he ad- vanced no one would suppose that he suspected danger menaced him, yet all bis senses were on the alert, | | 19 * man, was taken at such a complete disadvantage that he was not able to offer any effectual re- sistance, Joe Phenix’s strong hand choked him so that be was not able to cry out even if he bad been disposed to give an alarm, and despite all the resistance be could offer the man was soon choked so that bis head swam and his senses reeled, The moment he perceived that the fellow wns weakening the detective turned his head to call his aszistant, Western, who had been in waiting, concealed under the stoop of Joe Phenix’s house. But slight as had been the noise of the scuffle it had not failed to reach the acute ears of Tony Western and when the detective turned oe head he found that his assistant was at his side, ‘*T have the fellow all right!” the detective remarked, speaking in the most matter-of-fact. tones, as though it was a common thing for him to go through little experiences of this kind. ‘“*Get out your gag and put it in his mouth while I snap the bracelets on!” the detective continued, ‘‘ We must burry up and get him out of the way before a policeman comes along, for it isn’t my game to give this fellow up to the law, By this time the man had been choked so near to insensibility that he had almost ceased to struggle, and he only offered a faint resistance when Western forced a pear-shaped gag into his mouth, Joe Phenix at the same time snap- ping a pair of stee] handcuffs upon his wrists, Then the two lifted the man up bodily and carried him into the house of the detective, en~ tering by the basement door. All this had really occupied less time than it has taken to tell about it. Not a soul stepped foot within the block from the beginning of the igs 9 to the end, and when a policeman came leisurely along some five minutes later he had no suspicion of the stirring incident which had occurred but a short. time before. There was a gas lamp burning in the entry of the dwelling, so the detectives could see what they were about. Down the cellar stairs they carried the pris- oner, and then, through a secret passageway built in the wall, and so cunuingly contrived that its existence would never be suspected, they proceeded to a sub-cellar which had been con- structed under the original one, Joe Phenix had swung a lantern on his arm i descending the cellar stairs so as to have ght, The sub-cellar was about as dismal a place as | the mind of man could conceive; it was more like the old-time dungeons, which existed be- neath the ancient castles than aught else, Into this gloomy den the light of day never came, The air was dense, damp, and chilly, aad seemed to possess the peculiar property of strik- ing straight through the flesh to the bones, There wasn’t anything in this gloomy hole but a bundle of damp straw in one corner, and a couple of old boxes which were evidently in—- tended to be used as chairs, The prisoner was unceremoniously dumped upon the heap of straw, the gag removed from bis mouth, the lantern suspended to a hook | driven in one of the side walls and then the de- tectives seated themselves upon the boxes to wait. for the man to recover his senses, Although the Showing had been a severe one: yet it did not take long for the strong and vigor- He fancied that the game would be for the | ous ruffian to get over the shock, man to conceal himself in some dark corner and 7 As the detective bad anticipated, the assailant then approach bim in the rear after he had | was the man whom he had twice encountered on So, while apparently sauutering along, free from care, the lynx-eyed detective was keenly on the watch; and when he came within three doors of his own dwelling, be noticed the dark form crouchisg in the shadow of a doorway, and listening with his well-trained ears—acute almost as the ears of an Indian brave—was able to distinguish the sound of the stealthy footsteps following him so closely. Suddenly the detective turned. , CHAPTER XXII. CATCHING A TARTAR, HE was just in time; not a second too soon had he wheeled around, for the rufflan who had stolen up behind him had his arm raised to strike. In his hand he had the favorite weapon of the English Thug, a short, leather club loaded with lead at the butt-end, and with a loop at the other which passed around the wrist of the man who wielded the weapon, Joe Phenix’s prompt and unexpected move- | ment took the fellow completely by surprise, | and before the man could make a motion the iron-limbed detective grasped the wrist of the hand which wielded the ‘‘ life-preserver,” so as to intercept the blow, and with his other hand Joe Phenix took the ruffian by the throat and with a sudden spring bringing his weight to bear upon the other bore him to the pave- ent. The fellow, although a powerful, muscular ? : JP ae it “ a ’ ‘ ° * pe Gia | bids a. | , va arieal » ae tis = - ’ that day, the blind man with the pencils and the supposed sailor who had accosted him at the door of his office. The reader too doubtless has recognized the — man, for it was the redoubtable Bridle Bill who ad been so anxious to undertake the job of putting the detective out of the re and had een so sanguine in regard to his ability to ac- complish the feat, . And now as he rose lanced about him upon the strange surround- ings the look of deep disgust which was on his: countenance made his face look more brutal and repulsive than usual. to a sitting posture and — \* he man was thoroughly amazed, andit was evident from the expression upon his countenance that he did not know what to make of the peculiar circumstances, wey 4* He surveyed the gloomy surroundings in pro- x A found astonishment; the handcuffs upon his — wrists did not surprise him though. His attempt to Jay out the detective had failed—be had canght a.Tartar, and it was: onl wrists with the steel bracelets, but why he had been brought to such a gloomy den was a mystery. ; Tt was not a pried cell—if he had awoke from his insensibility in a jail’be would not have been surprised, for under the circumstances it would be the most natural thing in the world-for the detective to clap bim behind the bars, but this work was a complete puzzle, ; natural for the man-bunter to adorn bis’ ‘é , re « . i } 4 \ ~. T a «i 4 ARs . re “- > ww “Seacomicbooks.ce ff «| ifr vd ot a a