The Safe Breakers' Gang — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

pater 7 ra 5 i ~ * uf Pv 8 7 - 7 “ee ‘ . "./ EK ra P “Me ; 2) ) can apationt at the delay, Hyde at last knocked upon. the rough door of one of the rude structures. He beheld a gleam of light from within before. knock- ing; but the instant his summons sounded the light was extinguisHed. _ He repeated the knock, believing that the men within were playing cards, and perhaps enjoying a forbidden bottle of liquor, which they feared might be confiscated by the police. But no response to his summons came; and the detec- tive paused to consider the advisability of forcing an en- trance, when he was startled by the sound of footsteps in his rear. Turning quickly, he found himself confronted by Silsby himself. “Thought I’d given ye the slip?” the youth asked, ina cautious key. “Yes. But what are you doing here?” “Got tired of hangin’ round where I wa’n’t wanted, and thought I’d come out here and see what sortofa shanty-town they was buildin’ up,” replied Tad, in a tone that he made a strong attempt to make a careless one. The “ tail-ender” of the ‘three H’s” gave him a single swift glance, which, even in the gloom, discovered more thant he youth even dreamed that his countenance was capable of betraying. “Well, have you seen enough of this quarter by star- light so that you can go to work?” Hyde asked, averting his face so that the other should not divine that he sus- pected anything. ‘‘Reckon I’m ready for most anything you can scare ‘unless you catch onto new ideas. - 2 - : » ; A : . \ ' o& » : _ ‘ q ‘ = e y . se) ¥~ tb a oe fi a“ : . ‘ * ~~ * a -. 4% odd < >? PA 2 = ~~ > ad 4 Pe $4 ped ; ay ss > rr J Pie) " ¢ 20 > =44 >"\gebe tee ade +7 a? Apa Stl ie wy . aie, ' Vii eA gh ak b gh ~ j m 4d, Se of » ; a . ; t . 2 —; iz -_ he , oe > A» ‘ Ww, 2 tS . F a + _, bs * ; ‘ “Aw " . 7 ‘. Poa ~ os ey 4A r. sf ’ ec 4 i RA rs. . ‘ if 4 * J ’ ‘a +3 mat ft » “; ‘ phe — f ee a a ‘ee fe, o a w bh . a ea! - 4 SP 8 45 oe A ‘ * . id oy ‘ « = a” 2 © . " : » a eee. ae ee ‘ hy Oe « es + e Ve . : ‘ ais - > . . . - o's at a es ee ee er outside, several heavy winnie were nlased on the ground, a, making a sort of rude, uncovered platform. bi Without stopping, then, to figure out the probable pur- pose of this platform, the “ tail-ender” of the “three H’s” stepped noiselessly upon the planks, and pressed his ear against a crevice in the walls of the hut. At first he could hear nothing; but after a moment of patient listening he heard the growl of a masculine voice which he instantly recognized. ™he speaker was Tad Silsby. “T don’t like to do it!” he was saying, with his nasal drawl. “I ain’t no saint, and I'd like to be rich as Van- derbilt and them chaps, but I'll be ding-dashed if I want to play a double game like the one you’re askin’ of me.” “Then what are you here for?” demanded another voice, which was crisp and clear like the ring of steel. “) dunno. You told me that you had a snap that would make me rich, and that the detective chaps would never give me any more than day-wages for anything they wanted me to do. I’m poor as dirt, and always have been poor. My dad was poor afore me, and I hain’t even gota relation in the world that ain’t as poor as I be, and most of’em lazy. Gosh-mighty! Why don’t it happen that somethin’ good should happen to me? Why in old Nick don’t somebody Gie, and leave me a fortune ?” The other seemed to listen with remarkable patience to this plaint of the country youth, who, with all his great strength, had never been able to turn it to account for anything more than the poorest pay for the hardest work. “That’s it,” returned the steel-like voice. ‘‘And you are always dead sure te be just as poor as you are now, It’s bad enough to die up, rather than hangin’ round ene pogeeay: | poor when you can’t help it; but worse to know that you I was late, I pcp ae Ms ie: t igure time roa to a | have flung away achance toberich. I thought you had dot beforehand, an ad more to occupy my time than I ‘more sand, else I would never have sought this interview. expected. I want you to watch a certain house till to-mor- You re a sheep-head—a candidate for some almshouse— Sissi afternoon. I’m going to New York on the next ect and no matter how honest you may be all your life, you which leaves at four o’clock. Can you stick to the job?” | + in be despised more than I shall, and just because you “JT reckon I can stick, if you’ll show me the house, and ae poor.” tell me what to do. a3 yeaa | The taunt was well put. Hyde briefly and rapidly gave the required instructions, Tad Silsby quickly retorted. at the same time conducting the youth to the street upon| ,, If ye’ll fight f fair, ll lick ye for callin’ me a sheep- which the Daiton house was situated. ye head.” Here they separated, the detective promising toreturn| «uy, might whip a dozen like me, and still they aman by two o’clock the following afternoon. : call you a sheep-head after you were dead, just for dyin Hyde went first to a hotel for a few hours’ sleep; but M P y J ying poor.” at a little after four in the morning he was out again and ate ania And the speaker indulged a low, taunting laugh. Ee ice his way toward the Dalton house instead of to] op in it all! how much cash will ye give?” Tad de- e station. manded. “Mhat’s business. Now, we may come at something. You want to be rich. Now, what do you call a comfort- able fortune ?” | . The other hesitated. Doubtless a great many fabulous figures flitted through his brain—figures too fabulous for him even to utter. At last he said : “Ten thousand dollars would support me for life—jest the interest on it at six percent. I never had more’n twelve dollars a month and board. I know ye won’t give : * g es! 7, a) 7 >" : icy - . a 3 6 Pm , " . ed nie she, oe oe ’ 7.7% r. eo .' * MI * iP . ef ae ae : a, te . ae nat Se » : 6 eee ~ > r » ee iver AT od . : eae”. > * | ; ee ' fh : > ~s : 4) " g a, out Wa - at % , | s aa hile ' » * , ae > i ~ 4 + : : > ae. : : is ; i ~ - Py an a 7 ‘. LS A d : +> a “ih \ bay's a a ag ‘2 wv , |. Ss . ‘e Pe P| ‘I 4 Se § ih) 0 ele ¢ 2 , ~ - re ‘ see - ‘ A » nt —— h« ws \ * - Le * st J f * ” aa ’ . + —" . a “+ papa + pn . " * mo > Se ats . » ., - 2 ce at y ih - « ' oan | oi . i = “TS « ‘ 4 H ‘ oe a . : 5 U . : * - a > ee Py - WV + * ‘a Pe “| A! en om. - <a “ ms ’ me . ; ‘4 : < a 6 eo , ~~ a) } 9 ns 4 ‘nd - “" a ie J 4 - * ’ 2 fm? 4 7 a a , ’ , , “ - ‘ ‘ - ‘ - 4 ; oo * . Me. ; as é . ~ - ® . ‘ i : ia w a . . zz ‘ < ~ 1A , y ~ ¢ ve 7 « “eo a + . “* . \ , - » : toe, ‘f o ¢ e _ ‘ ‘Ff * ht Ye i'l . vs. py i & RX , - ¢ : a > is - » ’ a ' . * * "7 bem e . - ~ ‘ ‘we ‘ : § a * P . oe as ’ , * * f ee oy * : et i ‘ ’ _ ‘ . - 4 nb Oy" "Te : —— ~ jaa 5 . . “ie f t im » “eS “oe : . : 4 ‘+ ~ - 4 Vo 1 3“ < - y ta ~ © - ' < : ‘ hg ; : 4 = ‘ aa < C4 ’ 4 : : .* J , as Z ’ \ wi of ays ee <“ Jey eo : Ly As, Ae , : - ip ¢ | 5 a,“ | ' TT) > Ve oak ‘ . hs : 4” » Vl : mt .- « - pd ; 7") ‘a : ; 4 tw £ lee i f . , \) - : ™~ : va . + « : ahd a ia ii r * [ : > u - > ; -, os = Ps A 1 *, . ’ ey we ~ Ps if a (a - : *. . b. ° . a 7. 4 ; ' £@ iLewr? ‘% 7 - * iis < “ : ~~ oe 7 a. , 7 oP. i . > ry . ; 2. “yo a ’ i 7 : 7? i nn ‘ : ‘ * . *, “7% i” Ae * ‘ as z , ha d: ‘G - a es os a . Zs " x « i = * = << P ~ é eo > ; . _—. - ‘ . +4 Bye 6 TS ea ag PO al 7 a : “< ~ yar hd ae a ty » a 6 i tix ~tAe ee ~ vs “ “- , *¢ = 7 te ti tn OE yg : oe. . “ As I expected,” he exclaimed, after a reconnoissance of the locality revealed the fact that Tad Silsby had deserted his post already. Swiftly, yet silently, he made his way back to the vicin- ity of the Italian huts. The one which he had before approached was again dimly lighted within, for morning was only beginning to dawn in the east. There were as yet no signs of life about the other huts, and 1t was probable that the inmates would not be gener- BEAN os Pan — ep = We ee me om ~~ s — wana a — —¥, = . at : ease By; a ~ a .< ‘ rad} = le, ae im baa Ne - , > > ' 7. ‘tw x; *% ro . ot I ‘ Ae Fe ally astir for fully an hour. The hut to which the attention of the detective was di- rected was one of the largest, and there were about it more signs of rude comfort than the others displayed. On the side opposite the door there was a small window consisting of a single “ seven-by-nine” light of glass. Hyde also noted that underneath the window, on the- me so much as that, but ye axed me for figgers, and I'll give ’em at that.” “Barn the money and you shall have it, and two thou- ' sand to boot as a bonus,” exclaimed the steel-like voice. “Twelve thousand dollars!” gasped Tad Silsby. “Twelve thousand dollars, and you won’t ever be called a sheep-head again as long as you live.” mn ESHICHSSKS com