Scanlon

“ Dear Scanlon: I am leaving you nine dollars to send me a postcard.
He snapped out the flashlight, stuck it in his pocket, and tiptoed to the front door, laughing softly.
Man is the slave of habit. Outside Beck turned to lock the door—a most illogical thing to do. He placed the bag between his feet, fumbled for the keyhole and inserted the key. Then he stiffened. He felt the cold muzzle of a gun against his temple, and a gentle voice said:
“Let me carry your bag.”
Frozen with horror, the gambler felt a hand remove his own gun and the flashlight. ”

“ Bat Scanlon, as he regarded it, nodded knowingly.
"It's the kind of a place where the seven-twenty is the chief topic in the morning, and the five-fifteen in the afternoon," he told himself. "The habits of the rubber plant are common property; and every man in every street thinks his roses have it all over the man's next door."
Duncan Street proved much like the others; and No. 620 had all the characteristics to be expected of it. When Scanlon stopped before it he found a little group of idlers standing on the walk, each member of which stared at him with a curiosity that was active and acute. ”

“ At the foot of the stairs he paused; from above came the voice of Campe, and in it there was lightness and ease.
“The billiard ball is also merrily clicking,” said Mr. Scanlon. “Evidently he is still engaged with the golden-haired Helen, and she is making him forget his troubles.” He began quietly to ascend the stairs. “But it might pay him to keep an eye open; for who knows when her ambition might break out afresh, and she might take another swing at him with the sword.”
As his head appeared above the landing, he came in sight of the billiard room door. ”

“ Among the inmates were Scanlon and Kernell—two men who had thousands of times delighted great audiences with song and joke. I knew of their presence [160] but how they would look or feel I had no means of imagining.
One of my assistants for the occasion was Miss Cynthia Rogers of Toledo, Ohio. The programme was not printed, nor arranged in detail, so we were in ignorance as to what songs had been selected. Miss Rogers “went on” dressed as an Irish lad, beginning in a copy of Scanlon’s familiar make-up, the most popular song of his own composition, “Mollie O.”
Everybody looked at Scanlon. ”

“ I suppose that’s why you keep so much to the roads?”
“Yes,” replied the invalid.
“Outdoors,” said Scanlon, “is a fine thing. I guess that’s why there is so much of it. It’s full of benefits, night and day. Moonlight nights,” sagely, “are especially good. Then you not only get the air, but you get a view of things, which helps the mind. Last night was as bright as day, and Schwartzberg looks well with the moon on it.” ”

“ Scanlon, with a nod and a half-spoken excuse, left the girl and Campe together. Descending the stone stairs, he let himself out into the courtyard, and lighting a cigar he began walking up and down.
The square figure of the German sergeant-major was to be seen upon the wall; there was something intent in his attitude, indistinct though he was.
“A good watch-dog,” mused Bat, as he puffed away. “But, dash it, I don’t get him! A fellow like that is useful if you know he belongs to you; but when you get to thinking that he might——” Here the big man paused and took the cigar from his mouth. ”

“ Eventually, one of the rebels brought out an animal whip, suggesting it might be fun to see if they could get some amusement out of the damned Imperial.
Somehow, Dave Scanlon thought, being held prisoner by a bunch of rebels just wasn't what it was cracked up to be. He wasn't even locked up, and his guard had won every one of their chess games so far! Oh, the rebels themselves seemed to be having a good enough time—it sounded like a fun party—but he was bored. Then he heard something odd, and looked around. "Hey, Theo, what was that?" ”

“ Scanlon seemed struck by this; then he nodded and said:
[33] “I guess that’s right. But don’t you think a good chance to pump Campe for some inside information would be better than anything else?”
“In its proper place, perhaps. But I want to look over the outside, uninfluenced. Five minutes’ talk with a man in Campe’s state of mind might colour one’s thoughts to such an extent that it would be difficult to see anything except with his eyes.”
“That sounds sensible enough,” agreed Bat. “And if there’s anything in the world you don’t want to get doing, it’s seeing things as he sees them.” ”

“ During the time that martial law was in force in Ireland, and the people were prohibited from having fire-arms in their possession, some mischievous varlets gave information that Mr. Scanlon, a respectable apothecary of Dublin, had three mortars in his house. A magistrate, with a party of dragoons in his train, surrounded the house, and demanded, in the king’s name, that the mortars should be delivered to him. Mr. Scanlon immediately produced them, adding, that as they were useless without the pestles, those also were at his majesty’s service. ”

“ Bat Scanlon, in a rough but well-fitting suit of clothes, and a cloth cap pulled down over his head, lounged at the bar and took in the place and its possibilities.
"It's the kind of a dump much sought after by the youth from the rural sections when he wants to see life," commented the big man, mentally. "There is one thing to be said for this choice, and that is: he won't have to go far to be trimmed; there's a helping hand on every side." ”

“ Scanlon told himself; "a fellow does fool himself that way sometimes. But this time ain't one of them. Before I get out of this phony hotel I'm going to get another little jolt."
Another jolt! Bat whistled between his teeth in dismay. Were there not jolts enough in the thing already? One by one, as he lay there, he marshaled his impressions in his mind, in the order in which they had occurred. When Nora first called him on the telephone there had unquestionably been a note of fear in her voice. ”

“ You are the most loyal friend a woman could have; I have been grateful for you, Bat, and I have prayed for you, many times."
"No!" said Scanlon. "No; have you though, Nora? Well, what do you know about that?"
When he went down the stairs he had a lump in his throat, and there was a tendency to blink [Pg 218] drops from his lashes—Bat would have denied indignantly that they were tears—which amazed him. In the lower hall he met the maid.
"Isn't there a way out beside the front door?" he asked.
"Oh, yes; there is a door which opens onto a yard beside the old carriage house," said the girl. ”

“ These fellows with the lame lungs and the lame legs seem to have more to them than a first glance shows.”
So Mr. Scanlon confidently took the path across the hills. As a rule a criminal caught in the act of housebreaking would not be expected to linger in the neighbourhood of his exploit; but that the man with the cough had departed was not at all in the calculations of Bat. ”

“ My maid had instructions not to admit him, but he pushed her aside and came directly to my room."
"You're right," said Bat Scanlon, glowering, "he had a way with him. It's a pity you hadn't a brother—or some one—all these years to take care of you. His study of women would have done him little good if he had had a man to meet." [Pg 28]
"He wanted money," said Nora. ”

“ So I’ve watched the thing move along, and all the time it got tighter and tighter, and sharper and sharper; and now, to-night, I feel that I can’t draw another full breath until I tell you what I think, and what you ought to do.”
“Well?” said Campe.
“In a civilized community,” said Scanlon, “the first thing a man does, when pestered as you’re being, is to call in the police. That you’ve kept so close, both with me and the police, shows that you’ve got a secret on your hands—something that you’re not anxious to spread around.” ”

“ Scanlon to the master of Schwartzberg, “are very self-possessed, and have more than the usual share of grey matter. I never saw any one collection of persons with more up their sleeves than this lot appears to have.” ”

“ He read a newspaper and smoked for the better part of an hour; the light had dimmed and the old Swiss had turned on the gas; then Big Slim, narrow shouldered and stooping, came into the room with his peculiar slinking gait.
"Hello!" greeted Scanlon, as he got up. "I've just been wondering if I was going to see you."
"Was out with a friend of mine looking over some new work," said the burglar, with a grin. [Pg 149] "You gotta keep after business if you expect to get any of it."
"Had anything to eat?" asked Bat.
"Not yet. Let's go around to Joey Loo's." ”

“ I’d do something in the matter if I were you, even if it was only to post a warning to trespassers.”
“There must be a way of getting in,” admitted Campe, dully. “I made up my mind to that some time ago. But,” and his voice broke into a sharpness that startled Scanlon, “a man whose life is in danger every moment of it can’t take too many chances.”
Bat put his hands on the young man’s shoulders and looked steadily into his face.
“Hold up!” said he, “Hold up! You’re up against something raw and hard. But don’t let them stop you. No matter what the thing is—sit tight. You’re going to win out.” ”

“ Scanlon, “a liver that’s never, in its career as such, said anything to its owner, seems to me to be tame enough.”
The jaundiced one grew more agitated than ever.
[138] “Don’t be deceived,” begged he. “Don’t be imposed upon. They are things given to the most deplorable treachery. One can place no faith in them whatever; they are worthy of not the lightest confidence. ”

“ They even seem to have written books about bumps which any fairly strong man could pack into the thumb of a lady’s glove.”
“And is your friend also interested in this study?” asked the girl.
“Only a little,” replied Scanlon. “He does not make a practice of any one thing, as a matter of fact. He’s the kind of a fellow who has a great many cards up his sleeve; and so he always has one to play when it’s wanted.”
“That,” said Miss Knowles, “is clever of him.”
“And it’s so unusual to find a man interested in biographical bypaths,” said Miss Hohenlo. ”

“ And so, when I wanted to go to the police with what I've seen, she wouldn't hear of it. She said we might even have our names in the papers."
"Women are that way sometimes," said Scanlon. "I've noticed it more than once."
"Fools, I call them," declared the old resident. "But when they have control of things, you've got to let them have their way." He stood with his face turned toward No. 620 for a few moments and then continued: "Yes, sir, queer things go on in that house. People that's sick don't act the way she does."
"Who does?" asked Bat. ”

“ Beck,” said Baca, cupping his chin, “your little joint can be closed any time I lift a finger?”
“Baca,” said Scanlon with level eyes, “you’ll close nawthin’! We bought protection from you. We’ll get what we bought. When you feel any doubts comin’ on, don’t [270] talk to Beck about it. Talk to me! And,” he added with venomous intensity, “one more word about any divvy on our poker roll and that pass book goes to Ducky Drake!” He tapped his breast. “I’ve got the pass book—not Beck.” ”

“ A friend of mine up at the big place you were just talking about,” and Scanlon gestured toward the castle, “is kept on the jump all the time by them. They’re very forward; even [87] undertake a little housebreaking now and then, he says.”
The soft man caressed one hand with the other.
“Ah, well,” he sighed, “everything has its drawbacks. I suppose it’s too much to hope for complete tranquillity. I thank you, sir, for your courtesy. Straight on, did you say? and then across the bridge? Again, thank you. You are very kind.” ”

“ I went on, "and he saw the whole thing and was a witness to Tautala getting the seven dollars, and he made To'oto'o pony up four dollars more as the price of his own secrecy."
"Four dollars," ejaculated Scanlon. "That's right, Captain Branscombe. Four dollars!"
"So, if you are angry with anybody," I said, [Pg 133] "you ought to be angry with Tautala. All To'oto'o did was to buy a little cheap notoriety for eleven dollars and a music box."
I never saw a man so stung in all my life as Oppenstedt. ”

“ Good! But, willing and all as I was, I wasn’t the right party. I can handle small matters that are set down plainly for the eye to see, but what you really want is a man that’s capable of putting the hook into those that the eye can’t see, and one, at the same time, not having anything to do with the police.”
Campe smiled faintly.
“That is an ideal combination,” said he. “But where is such a person to be found?”
“I think,” said Scanlon, “that I could provide such a one if you feel inclined to talk to him—a fellow who is naturally put together for getting to the bottom of things. ”

“ He paused in a place between two small hills; in the ground was a bowl-shaped hollow. Scanlon looked at this and at the surroundings with interest.
“Some days ago I had occasion to speak to you of the theory of Gall, the Antwerp empiric, as to the skull and the brain and their effects, one upon the other. It was the custom of the Aztecs to flatten the heads of their children by continued pressure; this resulted, finally, in the altering of their skulls as a people. And who knows what effect this deformity had upon their inclinations. ”

“ Jones would be his natural associate, the two having been bucking the game together; but Jones expects to get clear of his debt by sticking to me. He could gain nothing by telling Drake. We are too powerful. He knows there is no way to make us disgorge—disgorge is the word, I think, in this connection. I find Jones most amusing, myself. If he wearies me——"
"Don't you figure Jones for any easy mark," warned Scanlon. "If he tries to hand us something—look out! ”