CHAPTER XVIII
MUGGS MEETS DISASTER
Muggs knew that it would take his master some time to get there from theapartment house, and he hoped that Landers would remain in the hoteluntil Verbeck arrived. Muggs began speculating, too, as to the identityof the two Misses Whaley. Probably they were members of the Black Star'sorganization.
Muggs was doomed to disappointment. Before ten minutes had passed, hesaw Landers come from the hotel and start walking up the street. Muggswheeled the roadster, and followed slowly. Landers was on the oppositeside.
"I hope he don't look this way and spot me!" Muggs growled. "He surewould remember this car. There ain't another like it in town, and he sawplenty of it when we were after the big crook before. I sure hope hedon't look this way!"
It appeared that Muggs was to have his wish. Landers walked briskly downthe street for three blocks, and then stepped to the curb. A big touringcar was standing there, and Landers spoke to the chauffeur and sprangin. The car started down the avenue, and Muggs followed in the roadster.
The touring car cut across the city, following the boulevards andkeeping away from the busy streets, and it appeared to Muggs that thechauffeur was trying to make speed. After a time it turned into thestreet that led to the river drive, and the speed became higher.
"Drivin' for his health, is he?" Muggs asked himself, and then answered:"Not any, he ain't. That bird's got all the health he needs. It's coinhe's after--other folks' coin!"
Mile after mile Muggs followed the car ahead, now creeping up closerwhen there was traffic, now dropping behind so there would be nosuspicion that he was deliberately following. Muggs knew that theroadster he was driving could overhaul the other car at any time. He hadmade a note of the other car's number, too.
Then they reached the pleasure resort, and the car ahead turned in.Muggs promptly followed.
"Must be out for his health, after all," he mused. "Maybe he's goin' tomeet some more of the gang out here. It'd be a good place at that, inall this crowd."
On seeing Landers get out, he parked the roadster and followed his man.Landers walked down to the water front and watched the bathers. Muggswatched him from a corner where he could not be seen. He saw thatLanders glanced around now and then, as if to search for some one, or tosee whether there was an enemy near.
Then Landers began walking along the shore of the river, and presentlyturned into a little grove and made his way toward a road that ranthrough the woods.
"Now we get it!" Muggs said. "Here's where he meets some of the gang. Iwish the boss was here!"
Muggs followed him cautiously through the woods, careful not to attractattention. They came to a lane, and Landers turned down it, glancedaround, and then began walking faster.
Muggs remained in the woods, but followed as swiftly as he could. Hemanaged to keep Landers in sight. After a time he saw his quarry leavethe lane and plunge into the woods again, cut through them, and come outwhere there was a clearing and an old farmhouse in the midst of a groveof trees.
Crouching behind a clump of brush, Muggs watched Landers stoop and pickup something. The man's back was turned and Muggs could not see what hewas doing. Presently he got up, walked to the gate, stood there amoment, and then opened it and passed inside. He took great care, Muggsthought, to see that the gate was closed and latched again.
The valet remained where he was for several minutes, and then creptforward under the brush until he reached the spot where he had seenLanders stoop. He felt around there--and found a telephone.
"Ha!" Muggs said to himself. "This is a funny thing to find around here.He phoned before he opened that gate, too! I've got an idea that fenceain't a pleasant thing to touch, and I ain't goin' to try it until Iknow. I wish the boss was here!"
He put the telephone back, crept on through the brush, and watched thehouse. There was nobody in sight.
"I'll bet that's the big crook's headquarters, or one of his brancheswhere he plans things," Muggs told himself. "And I ain't man enough totackle it alone. The thing for me to do is get back and phone the boss,and get him out here with a gang!"
Muggs started to back through the brush. He heard a step behind him,then whirled and tried to get to his feet. He found himself in theclutches of two men dressed as fishermen.
In his younger days, Muggs had enjoyed a reputation for being anexcellent rough-and-tumble fighter. He still retained some of hisstrength and all his knowledge of how to conduct such a combat. Heuttered no word, but went into action.
He kicked, struck, tried to bite and to get his thumbs into the eyes ofone of his antagonists, ignoring all rules of fistic combat, strivingonly to be victor. But he found that he was fighting men who were usedto such tactics.
Back and forth across the ground they fought and wrestled, until Muggs'breath was coming in gasps, he was seeing red, and he felt his strengthgoing. Another fisherman crashed through the brush and threw himselfinto the fray--and Muggs went down from a blow to his chin.
He came back to consciousness to find two of the fishermen bending overhim, one of them throwing water in his face. He struggled to get up, butthey held him securely. Then he saw that he was not out of doors, but inthe house.
"No more fightin' for you just now!" one of the fishermen growled athim.
"Let me up, and I'll show you!" Muggs said. "What you mean jumpin' melike you did?"
"What do you mean by snoopin' around and investigatin' things you ain'tgot any business investigatin'?"
"I don't remember investigatin' anything. Can't a man bum through thewoods any more? Is there a law agin' it?"
"There is in this particular section of the woods," the fishermanreplied. "And you needn't try to run any bluff, either. We watched youlookin' at that telephone--and we was watchin' you before that,trailin' a man."
"Yeh?" Muggs asked.
"Yeh! And now you're goin' to do a little explainin'."
"Let's see you make me!" Muggs exclaimed.
"We ain't goin' to try to make yeh. There's another man to do that. Youget up and we'll tie your hands behind your back, in case you want toget violent and beat somebody up. And if you start a fight again, we'lljust wallop the everlastin' face off you. Get me?"
They lifted Muggs up. He started to struggle, but was no match for them.They held him, and lashed his wrists together behind his back with fishcord. Then they thrust him along a narrow hall and to a door.
One of them pressed a button, and Muggs heard a bell tinkle. Then abuzzer sounded.
"In you go!" one of the fishermen said.
They opened the door and thrust him forward, and he heard the doorslammed behind him. Muggs blinked his eyes rapidly, for the hall hadbeen half dark, and the apartment in which he now stood was lightedbrilliantly.
He saw a room with expensive furnishings. A long table was in the middleof it, heavy chairs were scattered around, and before him was a mandressed in a black robe, with a black mask on his face, and a flamingstar of jet on his hood.
"Greetings, my dear Muggs!" the Black Star said. "I regret it if some ofmy men handled you roughly, but then you are inclined to violenceyourself."
"You--you----" Muggs gasped.
"Be seated, Muggs. You must be fatigued after your recent exertions. Iunderstand that you put up a good fight."
"I'll put up a better one if I ever get a chance at you!" Muggs growled."I'll show you how to make fun of my boss in the newspapers! You _big_crook!"
"That is not an insult, my dear Muggs, but a compliment. I flattermyself that I am a big crook. Please sit down."
Muggs complied. He was still weak from the fight, and he felt that hewanted to gather what strength he could, for use in case an opportunitypresented itself.
"I understand that you followed a certain member of my organization,"the Black Star went on. "I have rebuked him for his carelessness. Sinceyou have discovered my location, I cannot allow you your freedom, ofcourse, and have you bring the police down upon me. I make it a point,as perhaps you learne
d before, to change my headquarters now and then.But I am very comfortable and safe here, and have no intention of movingfor some time. So you are to be my guest, Muggs, until I do decide tomove."
"That's what _you_ say!" Muggs exclaimed.
"I scarcely think you'll escape, Muggs, if that is what is in your mind.And, if you behave yourself, I may show you some very interestingthings. I shall feed you well, Muggs, and give you plenty of cigarettes.What more can man desire? I do this because I admire your loyalty toyour employer. Perhaps, if I keep you prisoner, and so inform him, hewill exert himself and add spice to our little game. Mr. Verbeck hasn'tbetrayed any great amount of cleverness recently, you know."
"Is that so?" Muggs retorted. "He could, if he wanted to, I guess! Itlooks as if you don't read the newspapers. My boss ain't in the game anymore. He and the chief had a scrap!"
"Oh, my dear Muggs! Give me credit for having some intelligence, andsome clever people in my organization. I happen to know that it is all atrick--and not a very clever trick at that. I know the arrangement hemade with the chief. Thought I'd take my eyes off him, didn't he? Utterrot!"
"I tell you he had a scrap----"
"If that is so--if Verbeck is no longer trying to capture me--why do youbetray so much interest in my affairs?" the Black Star demanded. "Whydid you follow my man to-day? Why did you trail him through the woods?Muggs, your story is weak."
Muggs saw that it was, but he wasn't willing to admit it.
"I didn't say I had quit, did I?" he asked. "Maybe I'm after you on myown hook. There's a fat reward up, ain't there?"
"That's not at all clever, Muggs. But we need talk along this line nomore. We understand each other, Muggs. You are my enforced guest for atime, and I trust that you'll appreciate my hospitality. If you startcausing trouble, I shall be forced to descend to means I abhor--and useviolence!"
"You untie my hands and take off that fool robe, and I'll give you allthe violence you want!" Muggs cried. "Maybe I can't fight half a dozenthugs of your gang, but I can handle you, all right, without any help!"
"I fear that I must refuse to accept the challenge, Muggs. I have workto do, and it would be delayed if you happened to lay me up for a fewdays. Perhaps, some other time----"
"Yellow streak!" Muggs taunted.
"Take care!" the Black Star thundered angrily. "You may go too far, myman!"
"Don't you 'my man' me! Even my boss don't do that, and no crook's goin'to! Not on your life!"
"Then do not make me lose my temper," the Black Star said. "Go over tothat couch and make yourself comfortable, Muggs. You may see and hearsome interesting things. Since you are to be my guest for some time,until a certain thing is accomplished, I do not care how much you learn.I have an idea that some of my people are about to report."
Muggs, a sudden gleam in his eye, got up and went over to the couch. Itwas like the Black Star to let him overhear orders and commands; andthere always was a chance that he could escape and give the alarm. Heneeded rest now to gather his strength. He would wait, learn all that hecould, catch the Black Star off guard as soon as possible, and effect anescape.