The ventriloquist stranger was still gazing in the bird case, when close to his ear came the startling announcement, seemingly from the bird case:
"What's the matter with you? Why do you disturb that poor old Egyptian who has been asleep for over three thousand years?"
Ike's test brought its result. He saw the strange youth give a start. He turned about, but he did not look at the talking stuffed bird; he turned around to see who it was that had so cleverly matched him. It was a great game all round. The professor was bewildered, the ladies were bewildered, and the young fellow at the bird case, who had bewildered every one else, was himself bewildered. In fact, Ike, the master, was the only one who at that moment held the key to the whole mystery, and knew just what it was all about.
Ike enjoyed his momentary triumph, and so for a few moments nothing startling occurred.
The professor kept repeating, "This is most extraordinary," and the balance of his party evidently thought so.
The young man who had been looking in the bird case, however, as it proved, was a "Jim Dandy," as the boys say. He was not to be kicked out so easily. He also, as our narrative will prove, was an expert and a very brave and resolute lad. He walked around looking into several cases for a few moments and then quietly edged over toward the mummy case around which still lingered the professor and his party, and Ike realized that a most remarkable duel was portending – a duel between two wonderful vocal experts. Our hero had fully identified the young man on whom he had retorted as the individual who had made the mummy speak.
"I'll have first shot," thought Ike, and as the young man passed close to a second mummy case and stood a moment looking at the bandaged face as a "throw off," the relic of a thousand years appeared to say to him in a hoarse whisper:
"Look out, young man, look out, you may get hit with a club made three thousand years ago."
There was a perplexed look upon the young man's face for a moment, and then his bright, clear eyes wandered around and he too fell to a discovery, as he believed.
The professor meantime had become exceedingly nervous and he said:
"I believe I will adjourn the lecture for to-day."
As the professor spoke, there came a voice from the mummy case saying:
"Yes, you had better adjourn it forever, for you don't know what you are talking about."
The professor advanced close to the mummy case to gaze directly at the lips of the three-thousand-year corpse. He was determined to solve the mystery, but as he bent over the venerable object there came an unearthly yell that froze the blood in his veins. He leaped back, the young ladies ran screaming away and there would have been a great scene were it not that at the time there were no other persons in that particular department of the museum.
The professor led the way down to the office to tell his wondrous tale, while the young man who had first started the joke approached and gazed intently on the face of our hero, the great Nimble Ike. The latter returned the gaze and for a few moments it was a duel of stare; neither appeared disposed to open the conversation, while in the mind of each there dawned a suspicion, and finally the young stranger mustered up sufficient courage to ask:
"Say, young fellow, who are you?"
CHAPTER II
A MUTUAL RECOGNITION FOLLOWS BETWEEN TWO WONDERFUL VENTRILOQUISTS AND AT ONCE THEY COMMENCE TOGETHER THEIR EXTRAORDINARY PRANKS.
Ike did not conclude to reveal his identity at once, and met the question with a similar one:
"Say, young fellow, who are you?"
"I asked first."
"Did you?"
"I did."
"Well?"
"It's your place to answer."
"Do you want an answer?"
"I do."
"I'll tell you something: you asked the wrong person. Go and ask that stuffed owl who I am."
The young man stared.
"You want an answer to your question?"
"Oh, come off," said the young stranger.
"That settles it," said Ike.
There came a smile upon the face of the youth and he caused a voice to come like a halloo from away down the other end of the room, inquiring:
"Say, owl, who is this young chap?"
Ike was amazed, but the owl uttered its peculiar hoot and answered seemingly: "He's the devil himself."
The halloo came again.
"I thought so, for he is not square; he don't keep his promises."
"Why not?" asked the owl.
"He promised you should tell who he was."
There came a hoot and an owlish sort of laugh, with the statement:
"His name is Isaac Andro."
"Nimble Ike?" came the halloo.
"Yes;" and the owl added: "Now it's your turn to keep your promise."
The halloo came in answer:
"I am Jack the Juggler."
Ike at once advanced, offering his hand and saying:
"Shake, old fellow, I am glad to meet you. I've heard about you."
"And I've heard about you. I am delighted to meet you."
"And I am delighted to meet you," answered Ike.
"We must be friends."
"Sure."
"We can have a heap of fun."
"We can."
"We are against the deck."
"We are."
"Will you visit me at my home?" said Ike. "Go with me now."
"I will be delighted."
"Do you live in the city?"
"I did live here, but I've broken up my home."
The two wonderful lads wandered off together – Ike the ventriloquist, and Jack the juggler, also a ventriloquist and hypnotist.
The two soon arrived at Ike's house and the latter showed his guest all through his place, exhibiting his contrivances. Ike ordered a meal sent in and the two remarkable geniuses sat down in a very social conversation.
Ike told his strange, weird story, all about the old necromancer and the mysterious box. And Jack told all about himself, and finally Ike said:
"See here, we are two of a kind."
"We are."
"Let's become partners."
"I am agreed."
"Take up your abode with me."
"On one condition."
"Name your condition."
"I am to share the expense of living in this house."
"Agreed, as it don't cost much to live."
Neither of the lads had told their romance. They had only told the simple story of their lives, and when the meal was over they commenced by mutual consent to practice together, and so several days passed. Ike with his unusual brightness invented a signal code so they could converse with each other and no one else understand their talk. One evening the two lads were playing a game of billiards together in a well-known billiard room, when a very handsome young fellow entered, whom Ike at once introduced to Jack as his friend, Henry Du Flore. Ike and Du Flore held a few moments talk and then Du Flore departed. The moment he was gone the ventriloquist said to his new comrade:
"That young man is a detective."
"He don't look like one."
"He is a splendid officer, brave, shrewd and persistent. I have several detective friends, but I've taken quite a fancy to this young