Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1015 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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J — - a — The Reportver-Detectives Pig Pull. cavern was the elder Boland, and behind him was a aquad of blue-coated officers with the lieu- tenant at their head! Their batons and pistols were drawn, The cave had but one outlet and the police had the drop. Weapons were accordingly thrown to the groundand handswentup, Then the lieutenant with two men passed through the crowd, handcuffing each prisoner as they went. Tom, as soon as released, ran to Agnes notwith- standing :the pain of his woun!, which fortu- nately was not severe, There was also a bullet hole through his hat where Leland’. first bullet had passed, Swivel, seeing the youth tree once more, lost his discretion in a burst of distem- pered rage. ‘* Blast you!” he cried, intermeddling.” He leveled a swift blow with his pocket knife at Tom’sthroat. But the stroke was diverted by a blow of a handcuff which one of the officers ‘was trying to snap over his wriste, Tom, hard- ty aon the assault, took Miss Sutherland’s and. ‘‘ Thanks to you more than any one,” she re- sponded, in a low, sweet voice, ‘‘ But, youseem to be wounded,” Noticing blood on bis person, ‘*Oh, heavens! Am I to lose my bravest and truest defender?” ‘‘]t igsnothing—a mere scratch. I could suf- fer much more than thatin your behalf.” ‘¢ Ha—you runaway,” exclaimed Mr. Boland, coming upon bis son. “Give an account of yourself! A nice mess you made of things, and yet I suppose you considered yourself a full- **Take that for your ; fledged detective.” : The father’s manner was more playful than t serious, pow that success was assured, and he listened attentively to Tom’s explanations. “ ‘¢ Well, all’s well that ends well, I suppose,” 4 was hisonly comment, ‘“ But, my son, it takes discretion ag well as nerve to circumvent ras- S cality, these days.” . Agnes was presented to him as she was leav- ing thecave. Looking at the corpse of Leland wl gbeshuddered. _ | ‘‘T owe an inextinguishable debt to both you and your son,” she said, to the detective when g they stood again outside. 2 ‘Oh, that isallright. I saw Tom was great- ly interested. I think he intends to make his apt success here help him back to his old job again led if possible, These chapsare a tough lot. There ‘ci is a fellow who has murder in his eye, if I am any judge.” tho Mr. Boland pointed to the butler. Sa ‘‘ Heisas great a Villain as was his master,” ing gaid Tom, ‘‘ We shall prove by him and the pon Ttalian that Leland murdered his uncle, in or- d der to save his own fortune by forcibly marry- cat _ ing the commodore’s daughter and thus secur- lat- ing the property. Weshall prove also, that his me authority as guardian atd administrator was si fraudulently obtained, and also that the lunacy ph a proceedings through which Miss Sutherland was ‘i ® forcibly incarcerated here were brought about ste by Leland through the aid of this man here,” Tom pointed to Studley, who had been -and- ence cuffed like the rest, despite his vigorous remon- aged strances., | hor ‘‘ ranconi ge.w the murder committed,” con- tinued Tom. ‘ Lalso have possession of a scarf- he is pia that Leland wore the night of the commo- land a dore’s death, I found it, with part of the tie, in ooke the dead man’s hand.” ‘* Why did you not turn it over to the police, ete my son?” asked his father, winking slyly at the of at lieutenant. ‘ ee ‘Well, they were so high and mighty with right, snethatl did not feel much like helping them » (out, I had resolved to attempt the case myself, Sta ‘and I was not going to weaken my own chance t me: | of winning. I rather think that the end has ‘BZZCC; instified the means, eb, father?” y to i “With a little help from your dad, who, a JE ay though a little old, is still in. the ring, Mr, ro ith Smalley, too, bas not been idle, n with "“Of course I feel greatly indebted to you both—to every one here, in fact, I should have ti been hard put to it if help had not come as it ee nS did.” : 1 wit Smalley, now a free man, again suggested «wy that tt was high time to move on. Doubtless he ley. His 8s thinking of Miss Helen. The prisoners De as were attached to a light chain by their band- ig, aD? (> guils and marched out two abreast, Studley c ago was greatly enraged at such treatment. Z : b chil TT will make some of you smart for this,” he ledere * asserted. ‘. Sik | Easy, Doc,” remarked Boland, senior. I ing voice. 1, onto your game and I think you are caught your arms bis time. I’ve sus = before, Rapes kid- .pping an heiress under the guise of junacy eh of the ) gs, and being in partnership with her , ime 2 Bei Stoo: J a of ‘ Pad ~ father’s murderer, ought to land you snugly in Sing Sing for one while.” Studley quailed. He knew he was in for it, if licemen were left with Leland’s body, and the Huntingdon everything were proved. Two coroner was notified. Tom and Smalley, es- corting Agnes, brought up the rear of this strange procession now on the way toward Huntiogcon. Half the distance had been thus traversed, and the open field around the village reached, when a deep groan from Swivel in the rear rank of the prisoners was heard. CHAPTER XX, CONCLUSION, THe butler sunk to the ground, Then the man at his side darted like lightning past the officer bebipd, who, after shouting at him to halt, fired. The man kept on. Tom, Miss Sutherland and Smalley had fallen somewhat behind. At the report the man changed his course so as to bring them within the line of fire, and thus shield himself at their expense. ‘*‘T must tackle that fellow or he will get away,” said Tom. ‘‘ Look after Miss Suther- land, George.” : He rushed forward to intercept the prisoner, who, brandishing his arm, struck at Tom. Something glittered in the lantern-light as Boland struck the fellow’s hand aside. Thenthe young man, springing forward, bore the fugitive tothe earth, The latter fought, bit, scratched and gnashed his teeth. His snake-like eyes glit- tered ominously. But others now aided, and he was again made prisoner, It proved to be Franconi, who bad managed to secrete bis stiletto about his person. As they passed forward they came to Swivel in the death-agony. ** Dog!” papa. gas Italian to the dying. man. ‘‘ You and your master lied to me. shall never get my twenta-five dollar.” RKige and disappointment had evidently so imbittered his mind as to cause him to seek this surprising revenge upon the chief coadjutor of the man whose ill-kept promises had brought him to this pass, ‘* How dil he get loose?’ demanded the lieu- thousand tenant, examining the empty pair of hundcuffs | banging to the chain. Mr. Boland examined the prisoner’s hands, ‘‘ The fellow’s hands are unusually slim; the cuffs are large. He slipped them outas we came along.” ‘‘ Where is—Miss—Sutherland?” gasped Swiv- el, who was still alive, though his minutes were numbered. Agnes came forward with some reluctance, ‘¢ Listen,” said the butler as she drew near. “The night—of the murder—Mr, Leland asked —Commodore Sutherland—for your hand. He refused. They quarreled. I was up-stairs—I heard, They went down-stairs—still quarreling. The Italian—followed, Hesaw—tbe murder, I die, Oh- the pain! Curse them all—curse— every—body—” The butler’s eyes became fixed. His head sunk to one side, The man was dead. ‘“Twenta-five thousand dollar,” muttered Franconi despiiringly. ‘* All gone! A/lgone!” ‘*Shut up, you brute!” growled an officer, as | they hustled him away, Agnes was overcome by a sickening sen- sation. ‘*T cannot bear these horrors any longer,” said she, ‘* Let me go away—anywhere,” ‘‘ We will go to father’s,” said Tom, reassur- | ingly. ‘‘My mother and sister will welcome | you gladly.” ‘*1’m with you there,” exclaimed Smalley at once, ‘**I think we have earnedarest, Your | wound, Tom, needs attention, I am pining— | actually pining, for a good fire and a bed to rest | my bruised boneson, Isay, Boland! You may | take up the detective line if you want to, but I | shall stick to quill-driving, A reporter’s note- | book and an unperforated hide are more to my notion than such work as this,” ** What do you think?’ asked Agnes of Tom, ‘** Anything for me!” he replied, gaily. ‘‘ Just so that I am with you, all places and occupations are much alike.” _It wasa bold speech, but Tom, in his exhilara- tion, was hardly responsible for what he said just then, yet Miss Sutherland only blushed and looked modestly pleased, It might be surmised that this story ought to wind up with a veritable love match, Also that 'Tom need not be a reporter or a detective / 609 Boll | 629 Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport; or, The Jubilee ot Jacktown —— — > lo in a year or so the Sutherland millions, together with the personality of the commodore’s charm- ing daughter, should beconfided, under Hymen’s auspices, to the life-long care of Thomas Boland, Junior, But we will not pursue this branch of the subject. Every reader is apt to be more or less ready at such kind of air castling, and we pre- fer in this case to gratify each one, by allowing those who have read this story to construct a romantic or realistic conclusion, suchas seemeth to them individually best. It may be said, however, that a few davs af- ter the “ great scoop in the Sutherland affeir” had trickled thoroughly into public comprehen- sion, a gray-eyed, alert-looking young man was interviewed by the managing editor of that functionary’s own private office. Acorrespond- ing consultation was said to have been beld in the Sun office over increasing the salary of a stout, jovial reporter known to the public as George Smalley, and toa few of his especial chums as ‘* Fatty.” ‘‘ Well, Tom,” said Mr. Briggs, the follow- ing day, ‘‘ what is the old man going to allow ou “Thirty a week, I think. He’s doubled me on the old job. I call that very handsome, Mr, Briggs.” ‘* He knows now something of what you can do, Boland. Before, he took you on trust as it were, and for the time being you didn’t seem to pan out well. I hear that the commodore’s daughter is quite gone on you, Boland.” ‘*Oh, we are both too young for that sort of thing—yet,” remarked Tom, inscrutably. ‘ Be- sides, I am too poor.” But at the wedding of his sister nearly a year later, sore social surprise was created upon the announcement that Miss Agnes Sutherland would be the first bridesmaid, This was, per- haps, increased when it was seen that Smalley’s best man was Tom Boland, Mr. Boland senior’s opinion as to bis son’s qualifications as a detective were not altogether favorable. ‘‘Tom has nerve but he lacks discretion,” he told his wife one day. ‘‘He wants to rush things too fast. But he did a very creditable job in tracking that traitor, Leland, to his hole, ‘Tom is all right,” rejoined that voung man’s | mother, serenely, ‘* Did you notice Miss Suther- land’s manner when-our boy wasabout? You may be a good judge of criminals, and all that, | Mr. Boland, but I know girls and their ways. ‘ a either, ina year or 80, unless be wants to be, Wait until they are both old enough.” ‘*Old enough for what?’ queried Stephen, with seeming obliviousness, Mrs, Boland made no verbal reply, but she looked very, very wise. THE END. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BY J. W. OSBON, 469 The Rival Giants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Luck. 5ST Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner, or, The Man Without a Past, Dorrit, the Veteran Detective. 620 Little Lightaing League; or, The Mystery of tne Island 688 Plucky Paul, the Boy Prospector. 751 Gold-Dust Dan, the Trail Patrol. 755 Gold Dust Dan’s Gath; or, Kecklese Roy, the Regulator BY WM. G. PATTEN, 6% Vialet Vane’« Victory; or, The Jasper City Clean Out. 98 Violet and Daltsy, the Posy Pards. 05 Violet Vane’s Vow; or, The Crafty Detective’s Cratt. 724 Vielet Vane’s Vengeance; or, The Wipe-Ont. 780 Violet Vane’s Verdiet; or, The Game at Coffin City. 6 6 T41 Violet Vane, the Ventriloquist Vidocg; or, Sport vs. Sport. 750 Violet Vane, the Vanquished. or, The Lite Strugg'e. 768 Violet Vane’s Vision; or, The Fiery Hand of Fate. 48% The Dlamond Sport: or, The Double Kuce of Bed Rock. 519 Captain Mystery ; or, Five in One. 681 Dalsy ware the Sport from Denver. SRT Old tHombehell, the Ranger Detective. 604 Iron Fern, the Man of Fire; or, Among the Valtures. 619 The Boy Tramp Detective: or. The Doubie Grip Witness 641 Dismal Dave’« Dandy Pard; or, The Clue to Capt. Claw 651 Bound Boy Frank, the Young Amateur Detective 682 Wild Vulcans the Lone-Range Rider. 714 Old Misery the Man from Missouri. 774 Clear-Grit Cal, the Never Say-Die Detective. 789 Sam Sheridan, the Secret Service Special. 806 Cowboy Steve the Ranch Mascot. . 820 Nobby Nat, the Tenderfoot Detective. 836 Sharper Stoke’s Double Deal. 857 Spotter Bobin New York. 866 Spotter Bob’s Bowery Racket. _ A& New Iasue Every Tuesday. The Half-Dime Library 1s tor saie oy all Newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of .ix cents eaco. . BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Yeorse . xt “2 a? hs - Fd ® . i=? Rae, ~2 . ~~" re, ’ —— = ~ ee comicboo ks.com