CHAPTER II
IT OPENS NORA'S EYES
Garth waited at the end of the bridge above Garrison. At eight o'clockit was dark, but the river, glass-like between the rugged hills,retained a pallid light. At a short distance two men smoked and chatted.They had withdrawn themselves in response to Garth's moodiness. Hefancied they discussed him as one already dead.
A whistle shrieked. The hills rumbled. Flinging their cigars in thewater, the men rejoined Garth. He slipped the mask from his pocket, andsecreted his features behind its gray protection.
The train dashed across the bridge, sparks grinding from its wheels.When it stopped, panting sullenly, the two men sprang aboard.
Garth flattened himself against the side of the car and watched themreappear, leading a third who wore a grey mask above a plain brown suit.He heard a croaking, unnatural voice issue from behind the mask.
"Didn't look for you so soon, friends."
Excitement drove the melancholy from Garth's brain. The undertaking hadbegun reassuringly. Simmons had no suspicion that he was in the hands ofthe police. Garth noticed also as he entered the car that thepassengers were not aware of the substitution. He resented therepugnance in the glances they turned on the mask. Simmons' attitudetoward life became comprehensible. But, as the journey extended itselfinterminably, Garth grew restless. He realized he was in the position ofa man entering a cavern without a light. He must feel his way step bystep. He must walk blindly toward innumerable and fatal pitfalls.
At last the train paused for the change from locomotive to electricmotor. Although he knew that normally no passengers would board it atthis place, he gazed anxiously from the window. A man stood close to thetrack with the evident intention of entering the train. Garth saw himelude a brakeman, saw him grasp the railing and swing himself out ofsight. A moment later the man walked into the car, stopped dead, andturned sharp, inquisitive eyes on the gray mask.
About the figure was a somber air, accentuated by a black felt hat,drawn low over the eyes. It let Garth see, however, a sharp andcolorless face which conveyed an impression of uncommon forcefulness.
After a moment the slender man leaned over and spoke with a leer.
"You must be a star gambler, judging from your face."
He continued to stare as though expectant of an answer. Perhaps somecountersign was demanded. If that was so the whole enterprise swayed inthe balance. Garth concentrated his thoughts with difficulty. One wordhad strayed circuitously from the gang to him. He used it at random,trying to approximate the voice he had heard at the bridge.
"That depends on whether I hold the ace."
The slender man continued to stare. Garth's heart sank, but at last theother straightened with a nod.
"Suppose you take a little stroll with me."
Garth arose and followed him down the aisle. He didn't know whether tointerpret that quick command as acceptance or condemnation. He might begoing to the work for which he had been chosen, or--and he realized howlikely that was--to an execution. Yet he had no alternative. He mustfollow the slender, sinister figure into dark places not knowing.
They paused on the platform. Garth thought it likely that one of theinspector's men was in the car, but of course the fellow would notconfess himself by stepping to the vestibule at their heels. It would beenough for him to know that they were on board and that the train wasnot scheduled to stop before reaching the Grand Central Station.
Garth knew that, too. Therefore he could not understand why hisconductor stooped and with an air of confidence opened the vestibuledoor and raised the trap. Garth started, for, as if the engineer were anaccomplice and had received some subtle signal, the brakes commenced togrind while the train lost its speed rapidly.
The slender man grasped Garth's arm, and, as the train stopped, leaptwith him to the right of way and hurried him into the shadows at thefoot of the embankment. Any men the inspector might have had on thetrain had been outwitted.
He saw ahead the red and green lights of an open draw-bridge. Heunderstood now, and marvelled at the simplicity of the trick. Certainlyit would not have occurred to the inspector to post his men at theHarlem River where express trains were seldom detained at night. Yet ithad been only necessary to send some small boat to loiter in the draw atthe proper moment to assure the security of the conspirators.
Immediately Garth lost all sense of direction. The other led a stealthy,circular course through a lumber yard, across a fence, around darkenedbuildings, and finally onto a small wharf. A craft was moored there--abarge, Garth thought at first. It lay in darkness except for itsnavigating lights, and, as Garth looked, even these were extinguished.
The slender man glided across the wharf, and, Garth at his heels,stepped to the deck. There he reached over the railing, droppingsomething from his hand. Garth heard three splashes at regularintervals. A blade of light flashed sharply athwart the darkness andbecame an open doorway, framing a troubled face.
Garth, shoved from behind, stumbled over the sill into the presence offive men who circled about him, like cats, wary and suspicious. Hewould know now. One word from his conductor would deliver him to theinevitable judgment of that circle.
But the slender man slipped in after him, closing the door.
"The cops are drunk with sleep," he said.
Garth breathed again. But into that moment's respite crept the thoughtof Nora, suddenly become unobtainable. Resolutely he fought hisdepression back. At a gesture from the slender man he sat on a benchagainst the wall.
He saw now that the apparent barge was a rough houseboat, unpainted,unfinished, with windows closed and heavily barred. The only furniturewas this bench and another opposite with a deal table between. Fumes ofgasoline and cylinder oil came through an open doorway forward and mixedrepellently with an atmosphere already poisoned by tobacco. For all fivesmoked, not with enjoyment, Garth noticed--rather in an abandonment tonerves. It impressed him that these men, who unquestionably were thecleverest and most indomitable of the Hennion group, should expose thisrestlessness, this apparent fear, on the threshold of the night's work.His conductor, indeed, was the only one immune to the contagion ofsuspense.
Garth glanced at these others with a sharp personal curiosity. Theyvaried amazingly from his anticipation. One, a sallow youth with untidyyellow hair and large-rimmed eye-glasses, might have been a student ofthe most devoted species. Another cunningly resembled a well-to-dobusiness man, while a third had the clothing and the air of a tramp.The fourth, with his dapper tailoring and ferret-like face, was morefamiliar to the expert in crime.
These, however, Garth passed over quickly for the fifth, perhapsbecause, with the detective's extra sense, he foresaw there a specialand unintelligible menace.
This man brought his huge, handsome figure forward and leaned heavily onthe table. His close-cropped hair, dampened by the heat, curled about abronzed forehead from beneath which inquisitorial and threatening eyeschallenged.
The slender man, who clearly was the leader, crossed the room.
"Seeing ghosts, George?" he asked. "Or maybe you're anxious for aglimpse of what Simmons hasn't got any more. Why not show him the bigevent, Simmons?"
His laugh, scarcely audible, was like the wrath of a gigantic sneer.
Garth's hand crept to his pocket and closed over his revolver. Georgedrew back.
"Look yourself, Slim, and it ought to be done."
The other swung on him angrily.
"Do you think I'm bringing him here without checking him up. He doesn'thave to take his mask off to show you a scar. The lot of you look likesudden wealth for a nerve specialist. Sit down. We'll get to business."
He swung on Simmons.
"I know how you feel about that. Now, listen. All you know is that wewanted a scientific fellow who doesn't use his profession exclusivelyfor the benefit of humanity. Also one without any nerves. I've alwaysheard that of you."
Garth nodded, smiling a little to himself. Lack of nerves had been theinspector's chief
requisite. Now the criminals demanded the samequality. He stood, as it were, between two deadly fires. He wondered ifmurder was on the boards. He recalled the slip of white paper in hispocket, questioning if he would be able to finger it, to scratch upon itthose vital invisible directions before these sharp and overcuriouseyes.
The slender man hurried on, glancing at his watch.
"We're waiting for one more. At first all you have to do is to keepclose to George. We're going to crack a safe."
His voice colored apologetically.
"No jewelry or bags of gold. George falls for that cheap stuff now andthen, but you needn't be ashamed of this job, Simmons. By the way, Idon't have to ask you if you duck your lid every time the band blats'Oh, say, can you see!'"
Garth shook his head.
"Say, Simmons," George broke in, "you talk yourself to death. Thatexplosion must have hurt your voice something fierce."
Again Garth tried to approximate the croaking tone he had heard at thebridge.
"Talk's as cheap and easy as cracking safes."
He risked it for its effect on the others. Moreover it was an antidotefor his nervous strain to give that much rein to the antagonism healready experienced for the huge, dark fellow.
Secretive laughter greeted his daring. A gesture from the leader haltedGeorge's movement, almost instinctive, to resent the affront physically.Then three faint and regular splashes came from the water.
They all held their poses of the moment statuesquely until, at a nodfrom the leader, the intellectual-looking youth arose and moved towardsthe door.
During that moment of waiting Garth tried to fashion what he knew into arecognizable pattern, but the pieces were incomplete. He could onlywonder why they had sent to Chicago for an anarchistic chemist toconnive with this expert at a task as simple as cracking a safe.
The youth turned the lock and opened the door a little. It was pushedboisterously against him, and, beyond his amazed back, Garth had aglimpse of a gaudily colored skirt. The others had risen. The leader,grasping the youth's elbow, shoved him to one side, and Garth, his viewunobstructed now, gazed incredulously at Nora's blazing, painted face.
His first impulse was to cry out and warn the girl back from this ambushinto which she had unaccountably strayed. He gripped the edge of thetable. He half arose. For a moment the room went black. All at once herealized that her presence at this unique rendezvous must be withoutthe slightest ambiguity. Perhaps it was an ill-advised attempt torescue him from the net. He waited tensely for some word. His heartsank. She couldn't recognize him behind the mask.
He wouldn't lie to himself any longer. Nora, whom he had always seen inblack, wore a flashy dress. She had given the conspirators their ownsignal. She received from them a welcome of anxiety.
The room darkened again. He sat in a frozen silence. He saw and heard asfrom a vast distance.
"Whole force at your heels, Nora?" the leader asked gently.
Closing the door, she faced them breathlessly. Her eyes flashed, butfear lurked there, too.
"No," she said, "but it might be tramping on the dock without yourguessing it. Listen, Slim."
She raised her clenched fists.
"There's a bull here. There's a cop with his hand at your throat."
"Nora! You're having a nightmare."
"Hold on," George said. "Nora ought to know."
"Yes," she gasped, "and it's straight."
Slim relaxed.
"From your father?"
She nodded.
"How in--"
"I don't know," she said, "but he was sure he'd have a stool with youto-night. He's tried so long I know he wasn't bragging. Slim! We can'ttrip up now. I've worked too hard. You've told me what a mess you madelast time, when that cop, Kridel, was croaked. Where will we be ifanything like that's pulled again?"
"Easy, Nora," Slim said. "Maybe we wouldn't be any worse off than wewere then. Has anybody burned in the chair for that? Does anybody knowwho croaked Kridel? Well--the man who did it. Don't lose your nerve. Thecops would have a fine time getting a witness in a murder case out ofthis crowd. And, if what you say is so, maybe the same thing will happento-night, only in a more convenient spot."
"What are you going to do, Slim?" she asked. "Tie him up, but no moremurder. I quit at that."
"Leave it to me," he muttered. "Show me the bull."
Garth received the words as a condemned man probably hears the voice ofa judge who wears the black cap.
The girl glanced rapidly around. Then, advancing steadily to the table,she raised her hand and pointed at Garth.
He stared fascinated at the finger which, a few hours ago, he had heldviolently in the rush of his passion. He was aware of the flashing eyeswhich that afternoon had been wet with tears. But his brain was dull. Hewaited patiently for the exposure which now appeared unavoidable becauseof the woman he loved.
She spoke evenly.
"Who could it be but this man that hides his face? There's no doubtabout the rest of you. You only have to see, Slim, whether this fellow,Simmons, has got a face."
"He had the word," the leader answered, "and look at that scar. Butyou're right, Nora. If there's a bull here he's behind that mask."
"Then make him take it off," she said.
Garth raised his hands. His croaking voice was torn with dismay.
"No. I warn you. Spare me and yourselves that. It's not pretty, whatyou'd see."
"Take it off," the girl repeated.
"I hide it," Garth cried. "For years--Listen, you. If you don't let mekeep a little pride you can do your dirty work without me."
The leader put his hand on Garth's shoulder.
"Now, now," he said soothingly. "Depend on it, Simmons, if you're allright we don't want to hurt your feelings."
"All right!" Nora mocked. "And I tell you there's a cop here. And youknow as well as I he's the only one. You're crazy, Slim."
"Good thing one of us is then," the leader sneered. "If this isn'tSimmons we're out of the running for to-night anyway. If it is, what dowe gain by making a show of him? That's what I was going to propose.Only one of us need look."
"That'll do," Nora agreed. "Well! Who?"
"George here was anxious."
"Look yourself," George answered. "I'm no dime museum fiend."
Suddenly Garth arose.
"Maybe the lady--" he croaked. "She's so set on it. A pleasant sight forladies."
Nora flushed angrily.
"I'll call that bluff."
She waved the others back towards the end of the room.
"And be quick about it," she said to Garth.
Garth caught the expressions of the others. He noticed their readyhands. While his fingers rose to the fastenings of the gray mask heturned slowly and faced Nora.
For a moment he hesitated. Even after all he had seen he shrank fromforcing on the girl the responsibility of tossing him to those waitinghands. He was tempted to spare her that, to confess himself to theothers. But the stamping of her foot, the tone of her voice, impatient,commanding, decided him.
"Hurry, I say! There's no way out."
So, holding her with his eyes, he slipped the gray mask aside.
He saw her stare while the angry color left her cheeks. But at first herexpression did not alter. It seemed to him a long time before terrortwisted her face, before she screamed. He watched her cower back,crossing her arms over her eyes; watched her fall against the wall,where she bent, trembling.
Garth replaced the mask, shrugging his shoulders, and turned to theothers. The leader laughed lightly, with satisfaction.
"Never dreamed it was as bad as that, Simmons. You're right. Don't blameyou, but you must see we had to be sure."
Garth nodded. He sat down. Let the girl speak. Until then he would playhis part.
"Looks as if the stool lost a leg somewhere," he said.
He studied Nora. Her face hidden, she remained shrinking against thewall. Still she did not speak.
George stepped to
her side and put his arm around her.
"Forget it, little girl. Wish I'd looked for you."
She shook his arm off and pushed him away.
"Forget it yourself, George," the leader warned. "You ought to havelearned that won't go with Nora."
"She knows I'm no butterfly," George answered sullenly.
His touch had aroused her. She straightened and turned wild eyes on thegray mask. Garth waited then for her to betray him, but she onlystammered a little.
"He's right. A pleasant sight for ladies! Boat--must have thrown themoff the track."
She laughed hysterically. She sank on the end of the bench.
Garth was surprised, now that the strain was broken, not to experienceany exceptional relief. In spite of the game's vital stakes it hadinterested him chiefly because of the various effects it might have hadon Nora. Yet it had yielded him no key to her presence here, to herdisgraceful marketing of her father's confidence, to her assumption athome of black robes and grief, or, finally, to her apparent decision tolet the night's work continue in spite of his presence. Probably shehoped he could not get help until the job had been done. Or--and thethought struck him with the shameful tingling of a slap--perhaps shethought he would let the others go rather than capture and convict thewoman he had craved in marriage.
He pressed his lips together. He beckoned to Slim. He took the whip inhis own hands.
"Is the safe here? Are we going to spend the rest of the night on thisboat? If the cops are awake it isn't wise."
"All right," the leader said. "George, you and Nora and Simmons waithere. The rest of you start out."
The studious-appearing youth, the tramp, the dandy, and the elderly manfiled through the door and silently closed it. The leader spoke to Garthquickly.
"George will unlock the safe without any trouble. He's the best in thebusiness. Your job's to open it and handle what you find without blowingthe lot of us to everlasting dirt."
Garth stirred uneasily.
"Explosives!" he said. "I see why you wanted me."
"The pay's high," Slim answered. "The fellows that are after this stuffdon't trust diplomatic talk. Everybody wants it if only to be sure thatnobody else gets it, for they claim that the nation that has it, couldmake a league of all the rest look like Tod Sloan fighting Dempsey. Theinventor thinks Uncle Sam ought to have it, if anybody, but he's beenholding off. It's new, and he's either afraid of it himself, or hethinks he can perfect it."
"He's afraid of it," Nora breathed. "He told me it was a sin to inventit."
"The point is, Simmons," the leader said, "can you handle the stuff witha degree of safety after you have read the formula? A man of yourexperience--"
"I am not afraid to tackle it if I can see the formula," Garth answeredquietly.
"Say, Simmons," George put in with a wry face, "if there's anythingphony about your education, drop off here."
Garth fingered a frayed sheet of white paper.
"I am not afraid if I can see the formula," he repeated.
The leader turned to Nora.
"You're sure there's some of the stuff in the safe with the formula? Theforeigner wouldn't dicker without a sample to analyze."
"I saw the formula and the sacks put in the safe to-night," sheanswered.
George shook his head.
"Nora, you're a wonder."
"No wonder," she said contemptuously. "Nothing but hard work. Animbecile could have made friends with the housekeeper, but it tookdrudgery to get at the old man. I won't waste that. If there's anyslip--"
The leader glanced at the gray mask.
"That's up to Simmons now," he said.