The Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale by Frank L.
Packard (340 Pages), 1919. The first three chapters (1, 2 & 3) are really
one arc. With Larry the Bat supposedly killed in the last adventure, six months
ago, Jimmie Dale has created a new underworld identity, that of Smarlinghue, a
drug addict artist down on his luck and living in the badlands. Marie LaSalle
has stopped contact, as she’s still afraid for her life, and Jimmie can’t find
her. One night Officer Clancy of headquarters breaks into Smarlinghue’s
run-down studio, and threatens him, He wants Smarlinghue to listen in on
certain crooks and report back to him – a stool pigeon! After Clancy leaves
there is an envelope beneath his door, and Jimmy finds another letter from
Tocsin. Now he knows Marie is still around, and probably hiding out in the
underworld. He’s instructed to, basically, follow Clancy’s orders and listen in
on a meeting, but something else is going on that Clancy wasn’t aware of. With
this arc the police and underworld discover that the Gray Seal is still alive
and up to his old tricks.
Chapters four and five are the
next arc. A thief steals a diamond pendant from the home of an elderly couple
and bargains it to others who fight over it. But there is more to the theft
than meets the eye, and Tocsin has given Jimmie all the data. Now he must take
back the pendant, and see that it is returned.
The next three chapters (6, 7
& 8) is another arc. Jimmie returns as Larry the Bat and finds the Magpie
murdered, with a gray seal on his toes. He learns from Tocsin that there is
also a theft of bonds tied to the murder and detective Meighan is closing in on
the Gray Seal.
Chapter nine and ten is the
next arc. The Wolf, a Bad Lands killer has murdered his pal, Spider Webb, and
is after his hidden jewels. A note from Tocsin tells Jimmie there is more at
stake, and Jimmie beats the mobster to the hideout, only to be wounded and
trailed to his Sanctuary, where Wolf grabs the jewels. But Jimmie has other
things Wolf is unaware of.
In the next three chapters
(11, 12 & 13), Jimmy Dale, pretending to be in an opium dream in Foo Sen’s
opium parlor, overhears two crooks talking about fifteen thousand dollars being
placed in a private after hours bank that would be easily stolen. Returning to
his Sanctuary he finds that Tocsin has been there and left new instructions for
the Gray Seal. She all ready knows about the money and theft, but she has it
different, as to the identity of the crooks. As usual, Tocsin is right, though
Jimmie is, too. There is only a slight change to the plans.
Chapter 14 & 15 has a neat
little plot. Jimmie learns from Tocsin that the District Attorney’s son has
been set up in order for the gang known as The Private Club Ring to stop the
D.A. from investigating their criminal activities. Supposedly caught robbing a
safe to repay money he’s lost, and a letter that could mean he had planned the
robbery is all set up nicely. The boy will be prosecuted unless the Gray Seal
can stop the set up.
With Chapter 16, 17 & 18, Jimmie receives
a call from an old acquaintance who is now in charge of another bank. He needs
help. But when Jimmie arrives at his home, the banker is dead, a possible
suicide. There is a note, but the suicide is false. An English forger has written the note and
forged his signature, as well as forged signatures on bonds.
Chapters 19, 20, 21 leads
Jimmie to another murder, but the murder sets Larry the Bat up, as he’s led to
believe the Tocsin has been captured. Instead, it’s the murderer disguised as
Silver Mag, captured and waiting for Larry the Bat to rescue her. It’s all been
a set up.
In Chapter 22, 23 & 24,
Jimmie learns the details of the Tocsin’s story. He learns that one of the
remaining men from The Crime Club is lawyer, Peter Marre, and he’s disappeared
while working behind the scenes to kill Tocsin and the Gray Seal. There’s been
another murder at a bank, and Hunchback Joe has something to do with it. Jimmie
follows the trail, unearthing the clues and finally facing the ugly hunchback
in a final confrontation that reveals his true identity.
The story ends with Jimmie and
Marie locked in a long embrace. The stories were fun, but terribly outdated.
Still, to learn the influence of the later pulp heroes like The Spider, The
Shadow, The Phantom Detective, and all of Johnston McCulley’s coming costumed
heroes, you need to read the Jimmie Dale adventures, for these were the
blueprints. Happy reading.
Tom Johnson
Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA
