TWO SKILLFUL YOUNG DETECTIVES OVERMATCH A BRACE OF VILLAINS AND
PROVE WHAT NERVE AND COURAGE CAN DO.
"Let's duck him and steal the girl."
A young lady and gentleman were walking on the sands at Coney Island
beach. The lady was very handsomely attired, and by her side walked a
young man, a perfect type in appearance of an effeminate dude. Three
rough-looking men had been following the lady and gentleman at a
distance, and when the latter stopped at a remote part of the beach far
from any hotel the three men held a consultation, and one of them
uttered the declaration with which we open our narrative.
As usual certain very exciting incidents led up to the scene we have
depicted. One week prior to the meeting on the beach a young detective
known as Dudie Dunne, owing to the fact that he often assumed the rôle
of a dude as a throw-off, was seated in a hotel smoking-room when a
shrewd-faced, athletic-looking man approached him and said:
"Hello, Dunne! I've been on the lookout for you."
"You've found me."
"I have, and I'm glad. I've got a great shadow for you."
"I am all ears, Wise."
"I want you in the government service. There is a chance for you to make
a big hit."
"I am ready to make a big hit, Wise."
"You are in a position to do it. You speak Italian, but what is better,
you have your lady pal. She is a real Italian, I am told, and one of the
bravest and brightest women that ever entered the profession."
"Some one told you that?"
"Yes."
"Whoever did so knew what they were talking about. Cad Metti is one of
the brightest women that ever entered the profession; she is a born
detective. What is the job?"
"There is a gang at work--the worst ever known. They are Italians, but
they have a contingent of American and English rogues working with them.
They are the most dangerous operators that ever organized for the
coining of base money. They are located all over the United States. They
have regular passwords. Indeed, their organization is perfect, and with
them are a number of desperate assassins, and a few beautiful women. I
can't go into all the details, but the government has appropriated a
large sum from the secret service fund. We must run down and break up
this dangerous gang."
"You have the case in hand?"
"I am directing the hunt. I have twenty of my best men on the case, and
I have trailed down to the fact that all the movements are directed from
New York. The chief men are located here, and never in the history of
criminal doings was such a dangerous lot at work."
"What points have you?"
"The only point I have is the fact that the leaders are located here in
New York."
"In what line are they working?"
"They are counterfeiting in all its branches, they are bank robbing and
burglarizing private houses. Indeed every sort of criminal appears to be
in the organization. It is not even confined to the United States. They
are sending base American money to Mexico and Cuba. The president of the
Mexican republic has sent a large sum here to aid in their capture. The
merchants of Havana have also sent on a fund."
"And you have no clues as to the identity of these people?"
"We have captured several of the gang, but that does not interrupt the
work. It's the leaders we want, and if you can get in and trail them
down it will be the biggest feather you ever wore in your cap. But let
me tell you, it's a dangerous job. Several of our men have mysteriously
vanished. Two we know were assassinated; the others have been done away
with. My reputation is at stake. Thus far I have been baffled."
"And what do you want me to do?"
"Shadow down and locate the leaders."
"Can you give me a hint where to look for them? That is, can you give me
any starter at all?"
"I cannot. You may find them mingling in the best society in New York;
you may find them in the slums under cover. One thing is certain: they
are the shrewdest rascals that ever defied the whole detective force of
the United States, and I have great hopes that you can succeed where we
have all failed. You can command me for all the money you need; and now
get in and run down these rogues."
"You have no photographs?"
"No."
"You say there are women in with the gang?"
"Yes."
"Here in New York?"
"Yes."
"Are the women shoving the queer?"
"If they do they do it so well we cannot trace them; but there are women
in the gang."
"Have they a workshop here?"
"I do not think they have. I believe the workshop is in some remote
place, possibly in Mexican territory; but the leaders are here, and it
is necessary to trail down the leaders and get the evidence against
them. If we get the leaders we can knock out the whole gang. My men have
located members of the gang, and we can close in on them any time, but
none of them will squeal as long as the leaders go free. But once let us
secure the leaders and there will follow a wholesale squeal, and we can
break up the gang."
"All right, I am in with you. I will see Cad Metti and talk the matter
over with you later on."
"I should like to meet your female pal."
During the time Wise, the great special, had been talking to Dunne a
district messenger lad had been standing near munching on a cracker
which he had taken from the free lunch table, and at the proper moment
he stepped forward and handed our hero a note.
The latter glanced at the missive and said:
"All right, lad; there is no answer."
The boy stood around and finally Dunne handed him a nickel. The boy
laughed, said "thank you," and walked away, and Dunne said:
"You have never seen Cad Metti?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Why, certainly, I'd know if I had ever seen her."
"You would?"
"Yes."
"Wise, your memory fails you."
"I've never been accused of loss of memory."
"You never have?"
"No."
"And yet you've seen Cad Metti."
"Never."
"You are sure."
"Certainly."
"You saw her once talking to me."
"Never."
"Come, come, I'll bet you a cigar."
"No use to bet; I tell you I've never seen the girl."
"Then bet."
"All right, I'll bet."
"And you've never seen her?"
"Never."
"But you did see her once, and as an old detective with his eyes always
peeping I supposed you recognized her."
"I reckon I would have recognized her if I had ever seen her. You have
some other officer in your mind whom you confound with me."
"No, you once saw her with me. She was under cover, but of course you
would fall to that."
"But I've never seen her."
"Then it's a bet?"
"Yes."
"You saw Cad Metti within the last five minutes."
"I did?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"That you should know. I tell you that you have seen her."
"I say I never have."
"You think you would have recognized her?"
"Yes."
"Under any cover?"
"Yes."
"You have seen her all the same."
Wise was thoughtful a moment and then exclaimed:
"Great Scott! it is impossible."
"No, sir."
"Do you mean to tell me that----"
"Yes, I mean to tell you that the messenger lad was Cad Metti."
"Great Cæsar! Oscar Dunne, that girl is a marvel."
"Well, she is."
"I've heard how you first met her."
"Yes, and I've been her instructor. She is, I will admit, the most
wonderful girl I ever met. Did I say met? I will add I never read or
heard of such a girl. She could make her living on the stage as a
marvel. She is a great musical genius. She can sing or dance, she can
fence or wrestle like a man. Her strength is extraordinary, and as a
pistol shot she is the champion woman of the world; and when it comes
to quickness, nerve, cunning, and courage she cannot be excelled."
"I reckon you are dead in love with your pal."
"You needn't do any guessing on that score. She is my detective aid and
together we will perform wonders for you. I will talk the matter over
with Cad. We will lay out a plan and I will report to you."
"Good enough; I feel hopeful. It will be a great thing to run down this
gang, for, as I said, they are the most dangerous lot of criminals on
earth, and their head-center is evidently a man of genius. Let us catch
him and we will easily close down on the whole gang."
"Cad and I will locate him, you bet."
"And get the evidence?"
"I reckon when we get him we will get the evidence along with him. You
know it will be a hunt for evidence that will lead up to the capture."
"Oscar, you are not slow at the business."
"Thank you; but it's business and not compliments."
"Good enough; I expect to hear from you."
"I'll report."
"Will you have your cigar?"
"Yes, I won; I'll take it."
Oscar Dunne was a young detective who had earned a great reputation.
Some of our readers have read an account of his previous exploits and
know what a smart chap he is. Those who have not read about Dudie Dunne
we advise to do so. As stated in our previous account, Oscar had no
particular history. He had simply graduated to the detective force, and
had made a great success; and as also stated, he was a young man of
singularly effeminate appearance, with muscles like a whipcord and
powers of endurance that were seemingly tireless. He was not only a
great athlete but a wonderful boxer, and it was a favorite role with him
to assume the character of a dude, and many a surprise he had given to
various smart Alecs during his career on the force, and with the
surprise he generally administered when required a good sound drubbing
to some fellow who had set him down as an exquisite. His looks when in
the "dude cover" were very deceiving, and when he started in to throw
off his mask he became a terror to evil-doers, and at the time when we
introduce him a second time to our readers he had won a great reputation
as a singularly successful detective officer.
Shortly after parting with Wise, the great government special, Oscar
went on to the street, and proceeding up town entered a very
respectable-looking house which he entered with a night key. It was his
home. He had made considerable money and had provided a home for
himself. The house outside was very unpretentious, but inside it was as
luxurious as the home of a rich bachelor. We will here state for the
information of our readers who are making their first acquaintance with
Oscar Dunne that in a great case in which he had been engaged he met a
beautiful Italian girl who aided him very materially. The girl earned a
good reward and when Oscar asked her what she proposed to do her answer
was:
"I shall become a detective," and then and there a partnership was
formed between Oscar Dunne and Caroline Metti. The latter lived with a
countrywoman who had kept boarders, but who was only too glad to give up
her general boarding business to become a housekeeper for Cad Metti, the
latter having rescued and adopted two Italian children from the street,
a boy and girl, whom she had determined to educate and advance in life
in case both proved worthy.
Cad Metti's home was not far from the residence of her male professional
partner, and the pair were in constant communication. Oscar was an adept
at disguises, and he had found in Cad Metti a ready scholar, and
between them they had studied the art of disguise as a science and both
had become very versatile and proficient.
As stated, Oscar went direct to his rooms after parting from Wise, the
government special, and a few moments later a veiled lady appeared at
his door and was shown into his sitting-room. Oscar's housekeeper was a
sister of his mother, a motherly old lady, to whom the detective had
given a home. The veiled lady entered the house in a manner that might
have suggested to a countryman that she was one of the family. She
entered the sitting-room, as indicated, and throwing aside her veil
stood revealed in all her magnificent youthful beauty.
"Cad," said our hero, "I am glad you have come."
The female detective, who had removed her veil, smiled a dazzling smile
and said:
"I thought you might wish to see me."
"I always wish to see you, but this time it is on business."
"Then let's follow the advice you have often given: spare compliments
and talk business."
Oscar proceeded and related to his lady pal word for word all that had
passed between the government special and himself. The female detective
listened with deep attention, and when the narrative was concluded said:
"I think we can locate this man."
"I think we can; but how shall we start in?"
Cad was thoughtful a moment and then said:
"In our old way."
"How is that?"
"Chum for them."
This criminal "chumming" has yielded good returns, as a rule. It is the
best card in the detective profession.
"Where shall we chum?"
"Everywhere."
"I'll put it straight. Where shall we start in?"
Again the beautiful Cad Metti pondered, and after an interval said:
"Criminals as a rule are fond of race betting."
"That's so."
"We've picked up many a clue down at the race track."
"We have."
"Let's try a little chumming down there. Good races are on, and if ever
our bluefish show up at the track they will do so this present week."
"And we'll lure them as they swim, eh?"
"That's it."
"How will we make up?"
"You are to became Dudie Dunne. I will become Silly Sal."
"And we'll bet on the races?"
"We will."
"It's a go, Cad. To-morrow we will take in the races and chum for our
game."
On the following day the two detectives, well gotten up for their
"chumming" scheme, started down for the Sheepshead Bay track.
They went on the course and played the rôle they had determined to play
to perfection. They attracted considerable attention and that was what
they most desired, for it was their "chumming" game to bring around the
fish.