MIKE QUICK’S MISSION.
Bidding Cook good night, Quick left his saloon. His objective point
was Monte Murphy’s, in Elizabeth Street.
Mike had proceeded on his journey as far as Broadway, when he
encountered Joe Snell. The meeting was accidental.
Snell seemed to be considerably under the influence of liquor, and
his first act was to invite Quick to go and have a drink with him.
Mike gladly accepted the invitation. His business with Murphy could
wait.
Late as the hour was, the pair found a saloon open. Snell seemed to
be in the highest spirits.
“Made a cool five hundred to-night, Mike,” he said, “just as easy as
wink.”
“The last time I saw you I think you were broke.”
“Sure; why, I’ve been walking on my uppers for two months.”
“Cracked a crib, eh?”
Snell laughed loudly.
“Easier than that.”
“I don’t care to know anything about it,” said Quick, believing that,
pretending indifference, he would draw the drunken thief out. Mike’s
surmise was correct.
“But,” said Joe, “perhaps I shall tell you. I always knew you were a
man in whom a friend could trust.”
Quick chuckled softly to himself.
“Say,” added Snell, “you know Enoch Cook?”
“Yes; he’s no good.”
Joe smiled all over. Quick didn’t like Cook.
“Well,” said Snell, “Pat Brady and I pulled off a thousand between us
for doing Cook and a friend of his.”
“You didn’t commit murder, I hope?” exclaimed Mike.
“Oh, no; you don’t catch me putting my precious neck in jeopardy.”
“Then what do you mean by ‘doing him’?” inquired Quick.
“We just held the two coves up, while Monte Murphy gathered in some
of their swag.”
“What did the swag consist of?”
“A big brilliant that Monte calls an emerald. Murphy was expecting
the pair, and had me and Pat on deck.”
“Do you call your action square?”
“Why not?”
“How should you like to be done out of the proceeds of a job?”
“Shouldn’t like it at all.”
“Yet you were willing to give that medicine to another?”
“I was broke; and, besides, there is an old grudge between Cook and
me.”
“You have no grudge against his pal?” said Quick.
“No; I felt a bit sorry for that chap,” answered Joe.
“What did Monte do with the stone?”
“How can I tell? That old thief don’t take any one very deep into his
confidence.”
“I’ve seen Cook.”
Snell started.
“The devil!” he exclaimed; “why didn’t you tell me that at first?”
“I didn’t think it necessary.”
“Did he tell you all about it?”
“No; he merely said he and his pal had a bad run-in with you and
Brady.”
“Do you know his pal?”
“Quite well.”
“Snide, eh?”
“Nothing of the kind; I wouldn’t stand in place of you or Brady for a
good deal, and you know I’m counted pretty tough?”
Something nearly akin to a pained expression appeared on Snell’s
countenance. He was not afraid of Cook, but he did not like the hint
Quick threw out regarding Kidd.
“Who is Enoch’s pal?”
“Dick Kidd is no stranger in New York. You should know him.”
“Didn’t he operate in Philadelphia some two or three years ago?”
“Same man.”
“I’ve heard of him.”
“Then you must have heard that a tougher man never cracked a safe.”
“You’ll see that I’ll steer clear of him.”
“He swears to kill you and Brady on sight, and Dick Kidd generally
carries out such little programs after making them.”
“How about Murphy?”
“Kidd will take care of him, too, if the facts are as you state.”
“If I had known I was risking my life,” said Snell, “you can bet
I would not let Monte off so light. I’d have made him give us a
thousand apiece at the very least.”
“You’re in for it now.”
“Well,” muttered Joe, “to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Have
another drink, then I’ll go around and see Brady.”
“Where is he?”
“Gone home to roost.”
They drank and parted.
When Monte Murphy found himself, after the departure of Brady and
Snell, alone with the “Eye of Jobu,” he could hardly contain himself
from very joy. Time and time again he gazed fondly upon the wondrous
gem.
It was a diamond. Who ever before had seen a green diamond?
Monte tested the stone over and over again. There could be no doubt
of its being genuine. He had in his possession the most wonderful
diamond in existence.
What was he to do with it?
Who would pay him one-half its value?
A thought struck him; he would take it to Europe and there look for a
purchaser. Monte ascended to his bedroom, which was under the eaves.
The room was lighted by a single lamp. In a corner stood a small
safe, which the “fence” opened. Wrapping a piece of newspaper about
the Eye of Jobu, he placed it within the safe, and locked the iron
door behind it.
Monte neither knew nor cared anything about the history of the stone.
Would it bring bad luck to him?
He would have laughed in the face of any one who might have told
him it would. Monte placed a revolver under his pillow and went to
bed. It may be taken for granted that the “fence” dreamed of his new
possession.
He did not fear reprisal from Cook or Kidd. In fact the matter of
their seeking revenge had hardly occurred to him.
Murphy was awakened from a pleasant dream by a hand being placed upon
his breast. He awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in the bed, at
the side of which stood a human figure.
Monte reached under the pillow for his revolver. It was not there.
The intruder had removed the weapon. He had also turned up the lamp
which Murphy had turned down low upon retiring.
“You!”
“Yes.”
The last speaker was Mike Quick.
“How came you here?”
“I entered by the door.”
The dive-keeper’s tones were low, but were very severe.
“What do you want?”
“I merely called to pay you a visit.”
Murphy felt his whole body covered with cold perspiration. It was
plain Quick’s visit augured him no good. Monte made no move toward
leaving his bed.
“This is a queer hour and a queerer manner of paying me a visit. Have
you gone back to the old business?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m afraid your object in coming here is robbery.”
Quick smiled.
“I could take advanced lessons in that art from you.”
“What do you want?”
“I believe you asked that question before,” remarked Quick dryly.
“Yes, but you failed to answer it.”
“I come as the representative of Enoch Cook,” said Mike.
Murphy’s eyes almost popped out of his head with amazement.
“The representative of Enoch Cook?”
He mumbled over the words several times.
“What about Cook?”
“Can’t you guess the object of my visit, now that I have mentioned
his name?”
“No. I have not seen Enoch in more than two years.”
Quick laughed.
“Don’t talk silly.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“Enoch Cook has been in this house within four hours.”
“Then I did not see him.”
“You not only saw him, but, with the help of Joe Snell and Pat Brady,
you managed to rob the poor devil.”
Monte shuddered. The dive-keeper knew all. Still the old “fence”
determined to stand by his colors.
“Some one,” he said, with a hollow laugh, “has been imposing a
cock-and-bull story upon you, Mike.”
“No; but you are trying mighty hard to make a strike in that
direction.”
“Is it money you are after?”
As can be seen, Murphy had a very wholesome dread of his visitor.
“Suppose I did want to make a loan?” sneered Quick.
“You are an old friend, and I might stretch a point and lend you a
few hundred.”
Mike smiled grimly. He knew the “fence” actually adored money with
the passion of a shylock.
“I want the green diamond.”
“The green diamond--why, man, what are you talking about?”
Monte’s face blanched.
“You know full well what I am talking about.”
“If you don’t leave this house I shall call in the police.”
“No, you won’t.”
Murphy sprang out of bed. Quick grasped the “fence” by the throat and
forced the upper portion of his body back upon the bed.
“Do you mean to murder me?”
“Yes, if you do not give up the diamond you stole from Cook.”
Monte struggled hard to break away from his assailant. His strength
was almost as nothing compared to that of Quick. The latter drew a
knife from inside his coat.
“Murder! Help!”
The old man’s cries echoed and reechoed throughout the house.
“The diamond?”
“Help!”
Mike’s knife was driven into the struggling man’s breast. Then the
dive-keeper hurried from the scene.