Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 122 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

—_—_— —- -- — = gee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee -- ee: A ee eee — ——_ a This he carried across the deck, and lowered care- fully into a boat which rubbed the vessel’s side. In a moment more he had cast off from the ship, and was rowing heedfully out into the stream. He did not notice a pair of keen eyes that glittered like diamonds in the darkness of the n wharf. Nor did he hear the fall of a pair of light feet, that earried their owner from pier to pier, following. closely the movements of the rower. In this careful way he rowed along for a consider- able distance, pausing occasionally and looking watchfully out into the bay. At op be after a longer inspection than usual, he turned the boat and rowed directly outward. The spy on the pier looked after him with a rueful glance. ‘rhe boat had not egene twenty yards, how- ever, before it Again paused. The dip of oars was heard outside, and a long, stout boat of the harbor police came dimly into view, slowly patrolling the stream. The mate’s boat was yet in the shadow of the wharves. He now pulled noiselessly back. As his skiff touched the side of the pier he sprung ashore, quickly twining the wr about a spile. There was no watchman at this wharf, a fact of which the mate had probably been aware. Reach- ing into the boat in a minute more he had drawn up his heavy bundle. Closely clasping itin his powerful arms, he walked slowly across the dark peer utterly unaware that his every movement was c osely observed. A short distance brought him to the opposite side of the street adjoining the wharves. This was occu- pied with warehouses, produce stores, and all man- ner of business, prominent among which was the sprinkling of grog-shops. Stopping ppowite one of these latter, which was now firmly closed and dark, the mate gave a low knock at the door, repeating it in the manner of a previously-arranged signal. There was no response, and he waited impatiently for a minute before repeating his signal in a louder manner. Now the door was carefully opened and a man's frowsy head protruded. ‘*Is it you, Mr. Hendricks?” “Yes. Is all clear?’’ “Asa daisy.” “Open out then, and let mein; for this is getting confounded heavy.” In another minute he had disappeared with burden and the door closed tightly behind him. “Holed! If he aint I’m a sinner!” spoke a low, boyish voice, as a diminutive form crossed the street and looked critically at the house, ““T know Tim Fagan’s like a book,’’ he muttered. ‘““‘And it aint any too respect’ble neither. I’m bound to git inter this shanty and find out what's in that bundle, or bust.’’ He walked backward, noting the house with the eye of an architect, CHAPTER IV. PHIL AS A BURGLAR, Ir was now approaching the hour of naling, and the darkness increased as the clouds seemed to gather more densely. This portion of the wharf ' avenue was but sparsely lighted with street-lamps, dimly on Tim leam from the nearest one fell but agan’s groggery. But Phil drew back to the shelter of a small office on the wharf, lest he should be rit be some vigilant inmate of the house. Here he lurked, eagerly scan- ning a building before him, and waiting develop- men It was an old-fashioned house, apparently one of the relics of the New York of the past, two stories in hight; with ked roof, forming a narrow attic, and with a wide chimney, built in the days before coal came into fashion. | All these details Phil noted with an observant eye. A narrow alley, which ran between this house and the adjoining one, also came under his observation, ‘““Mought have to commit burglary afore the night’s over,’’ he muttered. ‘And it’s as wellto know the pints. I’m kind of took with that chimbly. Looks big enough for two boys!” He was now attracted by a light which shone ceeey through certain cracks in the lower win- ows. It then disappeared, and a minute after was seen through the windows of the second floor. There seemed to be two rooms in the front of the ho d the light was in the one to theleft. Phil straine eyes to see into this apartment, but the window nearest which the light appeared was closed with a curtain, drawn heavily down. He could just see one or two moving figures, but could make out nothing of their actions, He had not many minutes to observe, The light disappeared, In a moment more the door was cau- tiously Opened, and the forms of two men became visible. Some talk in a low tone ensued. Then one of the men, whom Phil at once recognized as the mate, came down across the wharf. It was but the and the faint york of a minute to cast off his line and enter his | boat, which he rowed away with the same caution that he had used in appreaching. The house was now again closed, Philretained his | Pressinz firmly post for a few minutes longer, his eyes fixed dubi- ; | cumulations of old soot which he disturbed | passage. | The distance seemed to him interminable. Every ously on the front. The light again shone for a mo- ment in the room in which the mate’s burden seemed to have been left. It then moved on and entered the adjoining room. In five minutes more every trace of light was gone. The house lay in impenetrable darkness, save where the faint lamp-light touched its front, and a fainter gleam from the moon, which had now broken through a rift in the clouds, fell on 4a roof and through its open windows. joa ¢-roin’ to go through that house or bust," | a me me me ge ~ a ewe 6 wm re ee me + ee rep 9 eee a -_-- ae gt Fe re Phil Hardy, the Boss Boy. —— ee cr empress said Phil, with set lips, ‘‘ and that afore the next tide Satisfied that there was no mode of entrance avail- — from the pe zoe next ane his SS gai rear, cro e street cautiously, an up the alley by the side of the house. This terme nated in a gate, which was closed, but, as it proved, not locked. “*Here’s a neat bit of chance,’ muttered Phil. ** Not luck. Dont b’lieve in no such thing as luck. Now let’s see how the land lays.” He through the gate, and found himself in the yard of Fagan’s house. The slanting roof came down lower on this side than in front, reaching nearly to the roof of a shed- like structure, an addition to the o house, which served the purpose of a kitchen. It was of frame, and one story in hight; its door and windows firmly closed. Phil looked at it with a critical eye. Two dormer windows broke the line of the roof above. But to reach them seemed not so easy a matter. “Granny says I’m somethin’ of a cat,’’ muttered the boy, as he glanced upward. ‘ That’s a steep bit of shingling, and there aint no ladder to shin up this shed. But thar was never a feller yit_ got rid of trouble by lookin’ and wishin’. Guess Ill see jist how much of a cat Iam.” He soon proved that no ladder was needed for the first part of his task. A bench stood against the rear of the shed. On this he planted an old chair. Mounting on the latter and grasping the upper sill of the dgor, he swu himself lightly Aides until his upreaching han seized the edge of the roof. Now a moment's writhing and squirming followed the boy swinging loose in mid-air. One jerk upward and the other hand had caught the roof. In an in- stant more the vigorous and agile lad had lifted him- self upward and had a knee on the sharp eaves, This was victory for him. Ere a breath could have been drawn he was lying flat on the upper surface, anting from his exertions, and resting awhile be- ore venturing a second step in his burglarious enter- prise. . All was still about the house. Phil’s movements, so far, had been almost noiseless. Before him lay the steep roof, which it was in his plan to ascend. **Mought have been better to have posted the Customs, and busted in the front door, ‘stead of climbing the roof,—But they wouldn’t never b’lieved a stunted little rascal like me, no how.—Best git rid of these shoes, though. They’re noisy, and they wont dig into shingles like bare toes.”’ Thus cogitating, Phil removed his somewhat an- cient shoes. ae nn them quietly over the edge of tho shed into the yard, he was ready to proceed. Now up the steep slant he went, digging fingers and toes into every crevice of the shingles, and mov- ing with cat-like persistency and noiselessness, One of the dormer windows was soon reached. Grasp- ing its sill, the boy drew himself upward, gazin curiously through its narrow panes. All was dar within. He listened intently for the least sound. After satisfying himself in this respect, Phil made a cautious effort to lift the sash. Here he was des- tined to disappointment. It seemed to be fastened within, as it would not yield to his hand, “*Here’s a go,» he muttered. ‘ Like to know what they want to lock their windys for, way up here on the roof. ‘Specially when gents is a-callin’ to see them. § I'll have to try the chimbly.”’ The wish was father to the deed with Phil. Ina minute more he was making his way round the od my ; rapes window frame, and he soon reach- The distance from here to the ri le was not great. Clinging to the steep slope soon sur- mounted the remaining difficulty. It was not ten minutes since he had left the ground and he was al- ready | prone on the apex of the roof, = urso good,” he said. ‘* But I never calker- lated that Phil Hardy would brung to play Sao Earecy). Hope they aint got no fires go- The great, old-style chimney, with its generously- wide flues, was but a few feet from him. A minute brought him beside it. Phil’s next movement was to extend his hand above the opening. A strong draft of cold air came up from below. “All right,” he thought. ‘‘ Aint no fire there. ans roast me anyhow, if they mought bile me arter while." Lifting his head above the aperture he gazed down the open chimney. The place was of ample size, fully largs enough for the passage of a diminutive creature like h If. ** Hope it aint a-goin’ to be too kag cogitated Phil. ‘Wouldn't like to drop through like a stone, and fotch up on the bottom like a bag of taters. Mought be hard on the taters.”’ Cautiously climbing to the chimney top he let him- self down easily within. The fit was a closer one than he had thought. But this was all the better, as it removed the danger of slipping and falling. Without hesitation Phil began the perilous descent, using his hands and feet like a true chimney-sweep. against the sides he worked his way down foot by foot, half-choking himself by one = minute of his descent was stretched tenfold in length. To make matters worse the flue contracted as he got lower down, till, at length, he could hardly force § way through. ** Hope I aint going to stick fast here,” he mutter- ed, uneasily. *‘* There aint so much daylicht as would show an owl's wing; and the Lord knows whetfe the bottom is. Judge I've come ‘bout ten mile a’ready Know I’ve been an hour at it.”’ As this last thought passed through his mind he was overjoyed to feel a sudden sense of ease about oe limbs. The next instant his feet touched om. . odie 1 fag gl an ae wg gh oe A pert that ne pace, a hea apparently, but vith some obstruction in front. - : Pushing easily at this, it gave way and he had to catch it quickly to prevent its falling. It was a fire- board used to close up the old h h into which he had descended, and which was no longer in use. In what part of the house Phil was intensely dark, and he was afraid to move lest he should make some unfortunate noise, “Must be on the und floor, anyhow,” he thought. “I’ve come fur neu’ to be in a three- story-deep cellar. And I’m on the right side of the house. For the chimbly was on that side, and it come down straight.—Like to see myself in a glass ust now. ‘Spect I’m as black as a nigger that’s een painted with charcoal. Got to warp myself out of here, anyhow.”’ After a perilous stumble against a table, which made more noise than he liked, Phil got down on his hands and knees and commenced a process of crawling about the room, feeling every object before him with great caution. He soon reached a doorway opening in one corner of the room. Passing through this, he found himself in what seemed a narrow hall, He crawled through the impenetrable darkness, and scon, with great satisfaction, laid his hand on the lower cry of a flight of stairs. “Thought I had them when I got into the entry,” he said to himself. ‘Know jist where I am now, and it’s all plain sailin’,”’ Up the stairs he went, noiselessly as_a professed burgiar. Reaching the landing at top, he found some alleviation to the intense gloom. The clouds had opened somewhat and the moon was shedding a faint illumination. Some impress of its beams came through a window near him, faintly lighting up the passage in which he stood. He looked carefully around. There were several doors in sight, on either side of the passage that — to run across, from side to side of the ouse, To his “ign lay the doorway of a room which he instinctively selected as the one of which he was in search, Stepping with infinite caution, lest some unfortunate creak should reach the ears of a wake- ful member of the family, he reached the door in question. It was on the latch, and opened at a touch. The moon, which was in the eastern ky shone into this 4) more brightly, plainly revealing every object n it. A slight shudder, compounded of hope and dread, pasens over the boy’s frame, as he saw, lying on a ed in the corner, the outlines of a long, slender figure, of the very shape of the human form. A second glance satisfied him that it was the same bundle he had seen carried by the mate. Phil’s hésitation lasted but aninstant. He was too direct in disposition to nd a moment in thought that could be spent in action, Ina minute he was beside the bed, listening in- tently for any stir in the house, and bending curi- ously over the mysterious parcel. It was about five and a half feet long, made of some dark cloth, png 5 corded at intervals of a foot. But the portion which ny nearest the head of the bed had been uncorded, as if for purposes of ex- amination by the two men, The dark material was partly opened, showing something within that gave the boy an involuntary quiver of apprehension. , He sped ones as i — afraid of the mys- ery which he nvoked, his eyes slowly tracin % cretings om oe oe. d J : en, a quick movement, he threw open the two folds of the dark covering, ’ a Partly Bo gays as he had been, for what he was to see, Phil started suddenly back, with an incau- tious noise. For there lay revealed before him,in waxy pale- ness, the outlines of a dead woman’s face. A beautiful face, with delicately-chiseled features, showing spectral-like in the dim light. Phil sj d forward to inspeer it more closely ; but at that instant the moon passed behind a cloud and the ghostly face vanished as if it had indeed been that of a specter. The boy stood dazed and fearful, the magnitude ne discovery slowly making its way through bis mind. He was roused from his reverie by a sound in the next room, The noise he had made seemed to have wakened the occupant. Phil heard him spring to the floor, and grope around, as if for a light. With a quick movement the midnight prowler re- placed the folds of the cloth which he had disturb- ed, and drew back against the wall of the room, | every nerve =. and his senses alert to the least sound from the adjoining room. He heard the door open and a step on the floor of the ome 8 The gleam of a light came in through the open door. Phil glanced around with the look of a wild beast brought to bay. CHAPTER V. Ir was a perilous position in which Phil Hard position in whic found himself. What could a little midge like hime do in the er hands of Tim Fagan? And if this was @ case of murder, as tho boy imagined, they Eomilecboo “S e had not the | most remote conception. The room he oceupied was ° (E(0) ‘ th