Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1004 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

i 7 OR W Raa as: ie toe | Oe ee "1 . + ra we ee Ls ij Seren ail °C arias tan fee -— J > ~ * 1 f= >» * a ~~ a se 20 - - é pe - —_ ~~ - pa: Fhe rca ~ Soe + « - ~~ a4 lie a - a ¥ nS ita he > . ~ Tees ayy 7 - =r YT; 7 + - eres S 4 a] os *, Ss al Boe; ak tear tt owl a es Ww wre oe . ay 8, ~~ aw F Mer say Lae “ v1" sad wade” : ve a cone Nee >: —s ae this morning. meee, f | “Yes; do you wonder _ bs are te, > eh, it can be. there are three who look alike.” “And these, we are told, are twin brothers.”’ “They look it,” *“See; he ness.”’ “So he is. I want to be the first to speak to him, if his brother will permit me.” Scorcher Sam hastened forward and knelt beside the injured man, who was beginning to move his head ‘and open his eyes a little. “He is better?’’ Sam asked. “TIT think he is coming to, reply. “Will you allow me to speak to him first?”’ Sam requested. “What do you want to do that for?” “fo satisfy myself on a certain point. His answer may clear at once the mys- tery of his accident.”’ “You cali it an accident? ” *““Tt may have been.” “TIT do not believe it.” “TI think I can assure you that your suspicion against this man is wrong,’’ meaning Cactus Bill. “Well, I aope it is.’ “Were you ciose to your brother when it happened?” ““No; I had met with a delay, and we were riding a block apart at the time.” “Ha! That proves one thing, then, at once. It was not he who was in here talking with this Irish girl, but must have been some one else.” “Why that is plain enough, isn’t it?” “It surely is.” 39 was the > | The brother got up, and Scorcher Sam took his place. | In a moment more the injured man came to and looked up at Sam as he bent over \ him. “Do you know me “Yes; you are the ” Sam asked. an who chased me Was it your wheel?” “Yes. Then you are the man who was in theytent and came near getting killed in mistake for another?” ' was in haste? I would have stolen the king’ Ss coach and , eee six, if such u thing had been at hand at the moment. Your wheel would have been returned to you, of course.” “But LI could not know that at the No, of course not.” ps “Well, about this accident—what do you remember about it?” “Why, my brother and I were riding along this way— Where is he now? Oh, ere you are, Edgar!” aX “Yes, Anton.” i? “You see, we were riding this Way, and | IT was in the lead. When I was passing here I took the sidewalk, seeing no one ta ¥.. he ‘ ° So in sight and the road being none of the f ay) ss smoothest=- ” a 1. 4a mG, op “T see <¢ now,” Sam interrupted, turn- mie." INE to Cactus Bill. aed. Tbe man followed his-look, started, and then got upon his feet. wes “Don’t be alarmed!” said Sam : He ret = > understands the n:ztake that has been ss made. Goon with your story.” | ““T took the sidewalk, as I said,’ con- tinued the man, “and just as I cate op- it Ey posite to this opening a man rushed out and collided with me, and over I went.” “And what became of the man?’ om asked Sam. I don't know; my light went out just then, so to say.” — “Did you see him, Caiten Bill, awhen rahe “you came up?” turning to him. — ss * T saw several persons moving along the street. Maybe he, was one of them.” “Not a doubt of it to my, ngs age bh en q at: rt WY But it is either that way, or | is returning to conscious- another person,” ~~ —— eee = vinaeaicneat apne eee . 3 a Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes. “But, would ye be sayin’ dhat the two eyes av me head are no good?” de- manded Molly McGee. “You have made the same mistake that all of us have been making,” an- swered Sam. ‘“ By the way, did you no- tice a scar on his neck, Molly?” “Oi did not, then, sor. Sure, Oi was that excoited, wid havin’ him’ here at all at all, and havin’ Mike comin’ and foind- in’ him here, dhat Oi don’t know phwat Oi said to him, no more Oi do.”’ “Then you did not find out much about him? ”’ “ Never a t’ing, sor.” “ Well, it does not matter; for I have learned something myself. I was coming here on purpose to.tell you not to bother with him, and also to let you know that I was unable to find Mike after I saw you. Molly is innocent in it all, Mike; blame me if anybody.” “ Sure it is all roight, av you say-so,” answered Mike. “But what is the meaning of it all?” inquired the brother named Edgar. ‘* Your: brother has been mistaken for said Scorcher Sam. “ It might have led to serious complications but for this timely discovery.” Then I am glad the discovery has been made.”’. “So am f. your names?”’ “Edgar and Anton Hall.’ “Do you know a man named Phil Dixon?” “No, sir.” “Or one named Louis Murrill? ” ce No. > “Do you, Anton, remember the man you met when you escaped me on Wash- ington Bridge?” ce Yes. dy “ Did you take him to be your brother here? ” “Oh, no; don’t you suppose I would know my own brother at sight, in broad daylight? ”’ “Did you notice him particularly? “Well, no.” “Did you notice that he looked like your brother, or like yourself, to come nearer? ” “T did look the second time at him, taking it to be Edgar at the first glance, but I immediately saw that it wasn’t he.” “Well, of course you would note the difference quickly, but to others the three look so nearly alike that all this confu- sion has arisen out of that similarity.” * Lucky that it is settled, then.” “ Yes, decidedly. Would you mind go- By the way, ing up to the tent of this showman?” “Ts it saie’’’ asked Anton. “ Yes; he can go on ahead and prepare his sister tor your coming, so that no accident will happen.” “ All right, we'll go, if by => doiny we can do any good and assure the people that we are not the ‘nan they want, For my part, I don’t want another such call,” said Anton, ~ CHAPTER XVII. Meh DONA TERESA’S STORY. ‘The Scorcher said a few ‘words in >ri- vate to Cactiis Bill, The sport went out ahead of the others, and tool: < cable car in the direction of his tent. The otheee” waited, while Anton Hall fully recovered his strength and adjusted his bicyclo, after its rough usage, and then saying adieu to Molly McGee and her lover, they followed on their wheels. When Sam arrived, Bessie Blake was | just onthe point of leaving, but. seeing hee? she dismounted | ws ‘What have’ rae sta peak to him. © Neoptteaza asked. . ; tT 9 "4 = * 4 in” we . > ’ ' &*, oS “ 4 a ‘ . . , ‘ « ‘<4. “iow + ee A - Louk | « 4 - = . 4 7 , . eas RJ Ad dal a PT oe hae c t re ~ SE . * r i may I ask. iy bri sight ot her, but her “The whole pitiful story,” was the — answer, ~~ Sa “And you think Louis Murrill deserves punishment? ”’ “Yes, if ever,sman did. It would be just to let Dona Teresa face him, Sam.”’ “Yes, but would it not be dangerous to her, if he is such a character as they. give him credit for being?” * Undoubtedly, unless first rendered harmless. You can do that, easily. Shall I give you the story now, or will you wait?” ‘TI will wait. You pedal down to Wash- ington Bridge, and wait for me there, — I'll probably not be detained very long here. See these two men coming, Bess? ’”’ Sam had arrived a little ahead of tha others. . Bessie looked in the direction indi¢ cated, and gave a start. “Why, you have got the ‘fellow als ready!” the Boulevard Detective ex- claimed. “ Which one is he?” a ae ‘“‘ Neither one is he,’ and explaining in Sec, Sa a few words, he bade Bessie ride on. ei) She started as the others came up, and just then Cactus Bill appeared from his sister’s private tent. ‘Dona Teresa will see you, gentlemen,” he annotinced. “Leave your wheels in the rack aud follow me, if you please.’ When they came to the tent the young woman met them at the door. , At sight of the brothers she gave a start and looked from one to the other in a puzzled manner. “Which is the one you saw this morn- | ing?” asked Sam, ‘*‘TI—I do not know,” she admitted. “Well, is either of these Louis Mur- rill?” ra No. Pi ; “How do you know?” asked Cactus Bill. ‘“ You have not looked for the scar.” “IT do not believe that either of these gentlemen has the scar; now that I study : - oth, ee * £) a eid Ts aa) fae oF A 5 ae ae a7 te Ly 7 rT. i Fa A ia x. VJ 4 ‘em . in. - Sa : al ’ a ~"s < 1 — ~ ea 4, - Ww <a their features calmly, IL know thad | bid neither is Louis Murrill.” 2 “e “That is true,” assured Sam. “Neither = sj), one has the scar, as you say, and neithen |} ~ is the man you seek. I know where he is; 4 5. * however, and I hope to bring him to — you. -to-nighty” “You will do that?” eagerly. “Yes, or take you to see him, if my plans do not miscarry.” “That is all I ask; I will force thd truth from him, for he cannot escape me, once I meet him.” get ‘But, you will not be allowed to da | | him harm. As an officer, I will not-al- © low that, you know. And, without me; you cannot hope to find him at all.” een “What is true.” Ses “ Then you promise that you will not ; attempt— ‘ae “No, no; impossible, impossible! You pe. must prevent it, that is all.” “Very well; I will prevent it. He will have more crimes than one to answer for, eg + it seems.” | as my ee) Mae * oe “> t ~< - we -? = ; ] 4 ee a " Fn Ps . They took leave, and here, their patties 4 having been played, we w Il allow t 6 ae twin brothers to take leave of our read= ers as well, — 2 ee The Scorcher went to rejoin Pesala te Blake. iT; ti He found her on Washington Bri in one of the crenelles, hedged in mi one of wheelmen, They were standing leaning on ee ag “ bikes,” laughing and talking, and Bes- es: sie looked distressed when Sam pat ey face instant~ es? rightened at sight of him. rode up quickly, and the pict roughs | made a move to. go a ‘Bessie ordered them to s * “ Officer,” she’ paid to esta i. F. Pte) s re +? > ta ee . 2 . | rn ut > | ~ 7 =p ad & a > - . ‘ ‘ ; . - " 5 ’ > ° * os Pi - 4 . a > wer’ ‘ : vrx¥ we. . wi ~ ~iihe, ee Troe a ie ee ee a a ee ee ~~ : _ “ « = ; . § ” . o- i e St abt eye nT , ‘ ae Aw \ - = , . oe | he t ~gt na v“< ~ . ~~ on Teal ¥. . ’ - m= 4 44 }- ¢ ‘ P 2 . ° = - t . * . 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