Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1004 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

che oe | “Well, now for it,” he ‘said, as he 4) Se mounted his “bike” and rode away. . , “This is a nut to crack, sure enough; and if that horse fails me I'll be as much at sea as the other fellows.” In due time he reached the place where e the horse was stabled. aaa - Hehad called at the station first,and a 7 sergeant had come with him to the stable. “ There is the beast,” said the sergeant, indicating the horse. “The mischief!’’ exclaimed Sam *“What’s the matter?’’ “It is a better-looking horse than I expected to see.’’ j The animal was certainly a fine one, “sleek and well cared for and in prime condition. “Better than the wagon, a good deal,”’ said the sergeant. ‘‘ That was an old af- fair, though strong enough yet save in that weakest spot that gave way and let it down.” “ Let me see that.” The sergeant led the way through the stable to a little yard in the rear, where the broken wagon stood. It was just what the chief had claimed for it—an undertaker’s wagon of the usual style. It had been newly painted, and the name and address were on it in neat gilt letters. Sam noticed that an old address. was still visible under the varnish and coach black, or fragments of it; but it was use- less to try to make it out, as the ser- geant declared. The others had all tried it, he said, and failed. So Sam gave that “up. “You see, there is no clue,” sergeant. “So it looks, at any rate,” Sam agreed. “That being the case, what will you do about it?”’ Sam mentioned his idea. “By hokus!” exclaimed the sergeant. said the ¥7 I was forced to it as a last resort,” _ Said Sam. “Is there a wagon here that we can hitch to for the experiment? ” “Yes; I'll have the rig ready in five minutes. * “All right.” idea, and eager to put it to the test. In a short time he was ready, and Sam, . |) Jeaving his wheel there in the care of the | ——s- stableman, he and the sergeant got into | the wagon and drove off. . Once out on the Boulevard they drove along on the right hand side in the direc- tion of the cemetery. went along at a ‘Swinging trot at good heap _ The two men were in disguise. Sam had attached a beard to his face, ‘aud the sergeant had borrowed an old hat and coat of the stableman. | * ‘In due time they reached the cemetery, and ‘on to the point where the wrecked - Wagon had been found, the lines lying _ ‘slack on the horse’s back and the two | men talking. + | The animal went straight on, as if it ‘had never stopped at that poi t, and eee it never had before the ocea- Be, Des of the accident. i “* Now for it,” said the sergeant. : ? Ea Oy ale Yes, and we shall discover something, nig OH aa _ too, ” assumed Sam. r as < ~ ig A ee? “Why do' you think so?” = * |e ‘horse steps along.” | Bri of! That's so7?..° « | _ My opinion is,” said Sam, “ that the Aa _roundsman discovered the rig almost im- & “mediately after it had been deserted.” ie at a fe “Why do you think. that?” inquired bsg ma! oe 3am? 4 ee ing hea ee “i ee ae ih ae Be ite » The sergeant was enthusiastic over the ~ The horse was disinclined to walk, and “See the confidence’ with which the a a a OR A A ST SE AT < Not a man of us thought of that, not | ' .>\“ Hello!” -. Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes. il ‘““ Because I believe the driver saw the roundsman first, and knew that his only hope for escape was to skip at once.” “There is something in that. noticed that the horse had apparently not been standing there a great while, and you may be exactly right in the mat- ter.’ “T feel sure that I am.” Thus they discussed the affair, while the horse kept up its regular speed, till finally it turned a corner without being guided. The detective and the sergeant gave each other a look and nod and awaited impatiently for further developments, which were not a great while in coming. Another corner was turned, the horse came to a walk, and at last drew in to the curb and stopped. “TLet’s get right out, as if we have stopped purposely,” said, Sam. This they did, and Sam. patted the horse, while the sergeant pretended to be doing something about the wagon. They were taking in the locality, and especially the place before which the horse had stopped, which was an. old estate, with a very old mansion some distance back from the street. “This is the place, not a doubt of it,” said the sefgeant in low tone. “Not a doubt on my mind,’ agreed Sam. “What shall we do now?” ‘“ We'll get in again and give the horse the rein, and see what his next point of destination will be.’’ They were just getting into the wagon when a man appeared, coming down the walk from the mansion, and at sight of him Scorcher Sam could not repress a start. Was it his friend, Phil Dixon, or was it the man Dona Teresa so eagerly sought, Louis Murrill? That it was the one or the other he was sure. CHAPTER XIII. SPREADING THE DRAG-NET. exclaimed the sergeant in a low tone. “‘ We are in for it.” “So it seems,’ answered Sam; “and I am glad of it. This is the most fortu- nate thing that could have happened.” “Is that so? But what shall I do? Shall I drive on?” “ Not yet: wait. This is a man I have been looking for, and I am glad I am in disguise, for he will probably not recog- nize me. I'll ask him the way to some place or other.”’ The man had by this time come to the. gate. He leaned on the post and looked at the two men for a few moments, they giving him no attention, apparently. Pea one Sam suddenly wheeled and faced im | ‘Can you tell me where the institution for the blind is, sir?’’ he inquired. “It is down about 165th and Ridge Road,” was the reply. ‘‘ You are a con- siderable distance out of your way here.” “JT guess We are lost, sure enough,” said Sam to his companion, loud enough for the other to hear. “ You thought this house. looked like it, but I was sure it wasn’t.” “Guess you're right,” said the sergeant, “* Much obliged to you, sir,” said Sam, | turning again to the man at the fence, “Oh, you are welcome. You must be strangers in this part of the city, I take it.” ee “Yes: so we are,” aS 8 thought so. Which. way did pein 7 Straight up Bleventh » avenue, sir, ‘from well down town. We must have passed (cc dongs ot ee It was: * Yes; you should have turned at 165th street.” “Well, we'll go back and try it over again, that being the only thing we can do. Let her go, Gallagher!” The last was to the sergeant, as Sam got in, and he said in low tones: “Give the horse free rein, and see where it will go, no matter if the fellow | is looking. I notice that he recognizes * the horse anyhow.” “You think so?” “Sure of it.” “Well, here goes. Gee up!” The sergeant touched the horse with the end of the lines, and it sprang for- ward into a trot immediately, turning at the corner. The Scorcher looked back as they turned the corner, and noticed that the man had left the yard. and was walking leisurely down the street; but he was not deceived. He believed that was only for a blind. There was one thing he had noticed about the man, for he had taken a criti- PaeRT EY of him while standing at the cur The man had on an. outing shirt, cut low at the neck, and Scorcher Sam had noted plainly a white sear like a seam across the throat, low down near the top of the breast bone. He had found Louis Murrill! But whether this was the man whom he had met at the McGee shanty or at Pe a Bill’s show he was unable to de- cide “ Well, what do you think?” inquired the sergeant, “I believe that we have discovered the real nest,’ declared the detective. “And what is to be done?” ““We must allay suspicion first.” “In what way?” “ That fellow has left the house to keep - watch of us, by some means or other.” “ For what purpose?” e To decide whether we are fakes or no 33 “ And what will we do?” “Go to the institution for the blind, straight.” “On what pretext?” “ Oh, I will make up something or other by the time we get there.’ “ But I thought we were to let the horse take its own course, and see where it would go.” ae “Too bad; but that will have to. be de- ferred now. Let the horse have its head as long as it goes in the right direction. You can try it over again to-night from that point.” “ Aj] right; you are the boss.” “You see, if we allow the horse to go home now, watched as we are, or will be, it would give the alarm, and our birds ~ would fly.” “That’s so; and won’t they fly any- how?” . ; “We'll have to take the chances of that till we can put a" shadower or two i ets on that house.” | The horse turned into the avenue ‘and took them down the way they had come, and it required quite a pull to turn it in the direction of the asylum. “The beast would take us straight | home, not a doubt of it,” said the de-' Kg tective. “Yes, I believe it would; and I’m sorry | 3 < Wwe can’t try it.” “You can have that to yourself; after ; dark, if I am not around to go with ee x . *; Then you want to go?” hey _ “Certainly. However, if I am not. on ° hand at the stables at nine o’clock do a - . not wait for me, but go and learn what you can, ave and ined at once o the chief.” 5