Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

OLD SPECIE. | 97 The detective sounded his man. He knew how to do this to perfection. By this means he soon made certain that Ben had not said a word to his employer with reference to the little game being played, and which must flank his own. So far the signs were favorable. They indicated that Ben had decided to cast his anchor to windward and hold on. He had taken the first step against his employer, and must go the whole thing. Old Specie was disappointed about one thing. Ben would not reveal the secret of the league save to confess that it was the greatest gathering of counterfeiters ever gotten together. His—Caddy Coles’s—name was to be voted on at the next meeting, andif a favorable response was given, he would be duly installed and given the blood-curdling oath. The detective realized that this was Sood so far as it went, but he meant to better it. Considering the work being done, every day now counted seriously, and he could not seize the gold certificate plates, and the shrewd men who had fash- ioned and were handling them, any too soon to please . the treasury officials. So he made up his mind, when talking with Ben, that he would attempt to follow him to the secret meeting-place that night. He had come prepared for this. Should he fail, as he had done on the other night, he still had a chance left, provided the league agreed to take him in. After a while, having given Ben some hints of the possibilities of the game they were playing, that Comicboo cS €o =}