MUGGS MEETS DISASTER
Muggs knew that it would take his master some time to get there from the
apartment house, and he hoped that Landers would remain in the hotel
until Verbeck arrived. Muggs began speculating, too, as to the identity
of the two Misses Whaley. Probably they were members of the Black Star's
organization.
Muggs was doomed to disappointment. Before ten minutes had passed, he
saw Landers come from the hotel and start walking up the street. Muggs
wheeled the roadster, and followed slowly. Landers was on the opposite
side.
"I hope he don't look this way and spot me!" Muggs growled. "He sure
would remember this car. There ain't another like it in town, and he saw
plenty of it when we were after the big crook before. I sure hope he
don't look this way!"
It appeared that Muggs was to have his wish. Landers walked briskly down
the street for three blocks, and then stepped to the curb. A big touring
car was standing there, and Landers spoke to the chauffeur and sprang
in. The car started down the avenue, and Muggs followed in the roadster.
The touring car cut across the city, following the boulevards and
keeping away from the busy streets, and it appeared to Muggs that the
chauffeur was trying to make speed. After a time it turned into the
street 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 coin
he's after--other folks' coin!"
Mile after mile Muggs followed the car ahead, now creeping up closer
when there was traffic, now dropping behind so there would be no
suspicion that he was deliberately following. Muggs knew that the
roadster he was driving could overhaul the other car at any time. He had
made 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' to
meet some more of the gang out here. It'd be a good place at that, in
all 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. Muggs
watched him from a corner where he could not be seen. He saw that
Landers glanced around now and then, as if to search for some one, or to
see whether there was an enemy near.
Then Landers began walking along the shore of the river, and presently
turned into a little grove and made his way toward a road that ran
through the woods.
"Now we get it!" Muggs said. "Here's where he meets some of the gang. I
wish the boss was here!"
Muggs followed him cautiously through the woods, careful not to attract
attention. They came to a lane, and Landers turned down it, glanced
around, and then began walking faster.
Muggs remained in the woods, but followed as swiftly as he could. He
managed to keep Landers in sight. After a time he saw his quarry leave
the lane and plunge into the woods again, cut through them, and come out
where there was a clearing and an old farmhouse in the midst of a grove
of trees.
Crouching behind a clump of brush, Muggs watched Landers stoop and pick
up something. The man's back was turned and Muggs could not see what he
was doing. Presently he got up, walked to the gate, stood there a
moment, and then opened it and passed inside. He took great care, Muggs
thought, to see that the gate was closed and latched again.
The valet remained where he was for several minutes, and then crept
forward under the brush until he reached the spot where he had seen
Landers 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 fence
ain't a pleasant thing to touch, and I ain't goin' to try it until I
know. I wish the boss was here!"
He put the telephone back, crept on through the brush, and watched the
house. There was nobody in sight.
"I'll bet that's the big crook's headquarters, or one of his branches
where he plans things," Muggs told himself. "And I ain't man enough to
tackle 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 the
clutches of two men dressed as fishermen.
In his younger days, Muggs had enjoyed a reputation for being an
excellent rough-and-tumble fighter. He still retained some of his
strength and all his knowledge of how to conduct such a combat. He
uttered no word, but went into action.
He kicked, struck, tried to bite and to get his thumbs into the eyes of
one of his antagonists, ignoring all rules of fistic combat, striving
only to be victor. But he found that he was fighting men who were used
to 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 strength
going. Another fisherman crashed through the brush and threw himself
into the fray--and Muggs went down from a blow to his chin.
He came back to consciousness to find two of the fishermen bending over
him, one of them throwing water in his face. He struggled to get up, but
they held him securely. Then he saw that he was not out of doors, but in
the house.
"No more fightin' for you just now!" one of the fishermen growled at
him.
"Let me up, and I'll show you!" Muggs said. "What you mean jumpin' me
like you did?"
"What do you mean by snoopin' around and investigatin' things you ain't
got any business investigatin'?"
"I don't remember investigatin' anything. Can't a man bum through the
woods any more? Is there a law agin' it?"
"There is in this particular section of the woods," the fisherman
replied. "And you needn't try to run any bluff, either. We watched you
lookin' 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. You
get up and we'll tie your hands behind your back, in case you want to
get violent and beat somebody up. And if you start a fight again, we'll
just 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 fish
cord. 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 a
buzzer sounded.
"In you go!" one of the fishermen said.
They opened the door and thrust him forward, and he heard the door
slammed behind him. Muggs blinked his eyes rapidly, for the hall had
been half dark, and the apartment in which he now stood was lighted
brilliantly.
He saw a room with expensive furnishings. A long table was in the middle
of it, heavy chairs were scattered around, and before him was a man
dressed in a black robe, with a black mask on his face, and a flaming
star of jet on his hood.
"Greetings, my dear Muggs!" the Black Star said. "I regret it if some of
my men handled you roughly, but then you are inclined to violence
yourself."
"You--you----" Muggs gasped.
"Be seated, Muggs. You must be fatigued after your recent exertions. I
understand 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 flatter
myself that I am a big crook. Please sit down."
Muggs complied. He was still weak from the fight, and he felt that he
wanted to gather what strength he could, for use in case an opportunity
presented itself.
"I understand that you followed a certain member of my organization,"
the Black Star went on. "I have rebuked him for his carelessness. Since
you have discovered my location, I cannot allow you your freedom, of
course, and have you bring the police down upon me. I make it a point,
as perhaps you learned before, to change my headquarters now and then.
But I am very comfortable and safe here, and have no intention of moving
for some time. So you are to be my guest, Muggs, until I do decide to
move."
"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 interesting
things. 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 to
your employer. Perhaps, if I keep you prisoner, and so inform him, he
will exert himself and add spice to our little game. Mr. Verbeck hasn't
betrayed any great amount of cleverness recently, you know."
"Is that so?" Muggs retorted. "He could, if he wanted to, I guess! It
looks as if you don't read the newspapers. My boss ain't in the game any
more. He and the chief had a scrap!"
"Oh, my dear Muggs! Give me credit for having some intelligence, and
some clever people in my organization. I happen to know that it is all a
trick--and not a very clever trick at that. I know the arrangement he
made with the chief. Thought I'd take my eyes off him, didn't he? Utter
rot!"
"I tell you he had a scrap----"
"If that is so--if Verbeck is no longer trying to capture me--why do you
betray so much interest in my affairs?" the Black Star demanded. "Why
did 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 my
own hook. There's a fat reward up, ain't there?"
"That's not at all clever, Muggs. But we need talk along this line no
more. We understand each other, Muggs. You are my enforced guest for a
time, and I trust that you'll appreciate my hospitality. If you start
causing trouble, I shall be forced to descend to means I abhor--and use
violence!"
"You untie my hands and take off that fool robe, and I'll give you all
the violence you want!" Muggs cried. "Maybe I can't fight half a dozen
thugs 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 work
to do, and it would be delayed if you happened to lay me up for a few
days. Perhaps, some other time----"
"Yellow streak!" Muggs taunted.
"Take care!" the Black Star thundered angrily. "You may go too far, my
man!"
"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 to
that couch and make yourself comfortable, Muggs. You may see and hear
some 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. It
was like the Black Star to let him overhear orders and commands; and
there always was a chance that he could escape and give the alarm. He
needed rest now to gather his strength. He would wait, learn all that he
could, catch the Black Star off guard as soon as possible, and effect an
escape.