Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 262 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

The latter went slowly over the papers, laying them one by one aside when examined. His brows contraeted as he unfolded the last. “By Heaven, the most important of the whole lot - missing. Yet I know it was in the box. Where s it?’’ His eyes turned inquiringly toward Jerry. ‘Maybe it was one of them I flung in the fire,” answered Jerry. “That's so. Iforgot them, It is all right if it ts myly turned to ashes. ey were interrupted by the return of Tim. & “Nary swag,” announced the latter. ‘The check'’s .0 big, and they don't like the cut of my phiz, so Bey won't pan out. Here's yer paper. Hand us over the solid stuff." * They wouldn't pay it?" “That's about the shape of vhat I'm a-saying.” “Come with me, T'llsee thatitis paid. You can stay here, Jerry, and keep an cye on the proceeds. We'll be back in half an hour.” “Ay, ay!" growled Jerry. ‘ Peg out.” The next minute he remained alone inthe room, guardian over the precious heap upon the table, ou which his eyes were riveted with the avidity of a miser. _ While this conversation was taking place it may be imagined that the position of the youthful spy in the closet was anything but comfortable. He was doubled up in a painful attitude, yet he was afraid to move a limb for fear of making a noise. And the worst of it all was that his shrewd trick seemed likely to prove unprofitable, The oo ogg were being burnt. The money was being divided. He began to feel that he might as well be in the street selling mMewspapers, as in ambush on the robbers. ‘*T allers was a blamed little fool,”’ he said to him- #elf. ‘‘There was them dokyments right under oy own fingers. - I only had tosnatch 'em and skedad- die. But I must go moonin' over ’em like a thunder- in’ jackass till I got cotched. And sarves me right fur asnub-nosed numskull,"’ He had ho that the robbers might soon get through with their conference and depart. ut when Mart and Tim set out for the bank, leaving paged ae. a half-hour’s wait, the impatient spy was espafr. “*T’'m as stiffasif I'd been swallerin’ ten-penn nails,’’ he declared. ‘“ And what’s I got fur it all? Only this... He took the document which he had secured from the heap and hid it under a pile of books on the floor of the closet. “**Mought as well make sure of it. If they cotch me they won't cotch the dokyment.”’ Everything in the room was now so quiet that Mickey began to surmise that Je might have one to sleep over his charge. If so there would be # chance to escape. It did not take him long to work upon this idea. He carefully straightened himself out, and crept noiselessly toward the closet door. It stood open a crack, and by pushing it slightly further open he was able to see out. If Jerry had just then looked in that direction he would have seen first a shaggy head of red hair, and then a pair of small but sparkling eyes emerge from the opening of the closet door. But Jerry had only eyes for the heap of gold. His arms were upen the table, his head resting upon them, and his eyes fixed on the glittering mass. He had, indeed, every a praretee of being asleep. Mickey, in his hasty fashion, took it at once for nted that he was, and a wild hope rose in the ‘s mind that he might notonly ety but might e with him the valuable documents, which lay on the opposite end of the table to the gold. The closet door was a little out of Jerry's line of vision, and he failed to perceive a youthful figure slowly emerge from that refuge, and noiselessly creep across the carpet toward the opposite side of the room. Fortunately the floor was sound, and no creaking boards announced Mickey’s progress. He was now directly behind the robber, and might safely have counted on gaining the outer door during Jerry's abstraction. But to retreat empty-handed and all those valu- able papers asking for an owner? Mickey could not bear the thought. It was worth while to risk something for the sake of gaining some valuable result to his enterprise. Jerry's rr gras he slow and steady. He was = Amgen asleep. ithout a moment’s hesitation Mickey left the wall and dragged himself across the floor toward the table. His progress was noiseless. Nota board creaked nor a joint cracked. In a minute he was behind Werry’s chair. In another mimute he had gained the end of the table, which cancealed him from view wy the heedless guard. Then there came an interval] of breathless rest. A the boy’s senses were alert. He was listenin for any tokens of alarm. Yot Jerry had not moved. His breath still came at steaiy intervals. There PE orning te show that he had heard a sound. © table was a long and wide one, and was eovered with a green cloth that hung on reer side half-way to the floor. Mickey retreated backward until half under the table. He then reached up- ward, advanced his fingers slowly over the edge, and alyly closed them upon one of the coveted docu- ments. It came out of the pile without a rustle. He drew ft over the table edge and down to his lurking- place. A sense of triumph came into the bby’s Sr ae he — a gy effort. But his first —< n the easiest. e remaining papers lay further away. He had to grope before one of them erro oe . And in seeking lay hold of it he gave it a ht push. — | Joe Joram for stea f t “q | The Young Sleuths. had been carelessly heaped. Th to settle down, while one that lay at the edge of the + ree toppled over, and fell with a slight crash to the oor. The boy's fingers were hastily withdrawn. He drew back under the table like a turtle into its shell. and breathlessly awaited results. They were not long in coming. Jerry had been very far from neha ae though he had been lost in a sort of day-dream, bu iding palaces with the mone before him. But ina moment now he was on his feet, and looking sharply to right and left. " at the deuce was that?’’ he ejaculated. Mickey trembled in his covert under the table. He was none too well hidden. The thought rushed through his brain that he had been just smart enough to get himself into trouble. He was inwardly debating if he should leap up and make a break for the door, when Jerry’s next remark somewhat quieted his apprehensions. “Tf’s only them papers. I s’pose I must have pushed them, for here’s one on the floor.”’ He stooped and picked it up, without discovering the lurking boy. “ Ain’t it "bout time them coves was back? I want togit out of these diggin’s.”’ His query was answered by the sound of openin and closing of the house door, and of steps an voices ou the stairs. In a minute after Mart and Tim entered the room. ‘*What’s the luck?” asked Jerry, eagerly. ‘* Did they pony down?" ‘“‘Square on the nail,”’ answered Tim. ‘I got the Soup salted. Let’s make a split and git out of this. They advanced to the table without perceiving the crouching figure beneath it, which was but partly hidden by the cloth. Thé division of the money proceeded, occupying several minutes. Then Tim and Jerry, with great satisfaction, disposed of their shares about their persons. ‘**Don't keer a fig now how soon you make ashes of the papers,”’ remarked the latter. “It’s all square, Mart, and you’re sound on the goose,"’ ‘You might have known that from old times,” declared Mart, as he seated himself at the table, and began to gather up the scattered documents. ‘“*What are you sticking your leg under the table for?” he asked Jerry, as foot encountered some- thing soft. ‘**'Tain’t me,”’ answered Jerry. ‘‘ Must be Tim.” ‘“‘Nary Tim,’’ rejoined the latter, advancing his pedal extremity. ‘*‘ Guess it’s the cat.” Mart gave a quick shove with his foot, and out rolled neither a man’s leg nor a cat, but a very rag- ged and highly demoralized boy. If ever three men were dumfounded the three burglars were at that moment. They stood looking in stupefied amazement on the boy beneath them. Who he was, and where he had come from, it was impossible to imagine; and it became a question in their minds whether he had tumbled from the ceiling or risen through the floor. Mickey lay crouched upon the floor, looking up at them with his sharp eyes, and thinking with light ning speed how he should get out of the awkward Scrape into which he had fallen. There. was only one hopeful course, and he was not long in taking it. Ere the men could get over their first amazement, they saw the discovered Spy leap like an india-rubber ball to his feet, and make a dash for the door. It wasashrewd movement, but it did. not prove successful. For Jerry’s long arm reached out and rasped him by the c as he passed. Miekey ound himself brought up all of a sudden. ‘* Not so fast, my nice little cove,’”’ cried Jerry, as he held out his p atarm’slength. ‘Stand level and let’s have g glint at ye. Who the deuce are you, anyhow; where did you come from, and what are you arter?”’ ‘Hang me for a monkeyif it ain't the sharp young rat as we nabbed at the wall that pigne tt ex- a Tim. ‘‘What in the blazes is he after ere ” Mart advanced and caught the boy by the ear, which he gave an angry pinch. ‘*Speak out, you muffin, or it will be worse for you. Weare not the kind of men to play the spy on. How did you get under that table, and what brings you here? If you lie to me I'll pull your ears out by the roots.” Miekey had trembled at first on finding himself in such desperate hands. But he had now screwed u his courage again. He felt instinctively that t was no time for lying, and that he had best own up the truth. ‘*I pigeoned it on that gal down- knowledged. ‘“ And I slicked under the this coon was asleep.” ‘‘Asleep? Hey, Jerry?” ** It’s a lie,”’ growled Jerry. ‘‘ Mought as well been, anyhow, fur I played it on . ” ac- table while ‘*‘ And what brought you here?”’ ‘’Cause you guy mexulesson in burglary, and I wantec to finish my eddication,”’ continued the un- daunted boy. ‘“‘The papers is that box of gold, and I thought if I could steal it back ag’in, that’d make it square.”’ ‘*Burn my eyes, if he ain't a sharp little coon!’’ exclaimed Jerry, with admiration. ‘‘ Hang if I wouldn't like to have that boy for a’prentice. ere’s the makin’ of a first class cracksman in him.” ‘*Tt isthe papers he is after,’’ cried Mart, as he icked up the ope which Mickey had abstracted rom the table. ‘“‘See here, Jerry. Yon’re a nice one to leave on guard. Search The result was decidedly unexpected, The papers | SS push caused them | I'll soon make an end of them.” me a ee | re ee re ee 6 Se t—C— a — — ———— layin’ it onto me and ' Ee | eee eee — see if there's more of them on him. As for these The ey eyes dilated as he saw the villain ¢ the bundle of papers and fling them on the red co of the fire, where they instantly broke into a‘strong blaze. He began to fear that his daring enterprise was useless, t scorching flame was rapidly con- verting to ashes all evidence of the robbery. ‘There's nothing about him,’’ announced Jerry, — a quick investigation of Mickey's loose-fitting garb. The boy chuckled quietly to himself. He remem- bered that one document at least remained, safely concealed in the closet It was lucky that he had not hidden it in his clothes, as he had at first in- tended. ‘What will we do with the young hound?” queried Mart, after stirring up the ashes of the burnt pa- pers with the poker. ‘““Knocs him in _ head and fling him in the coal- hole,”’ ry hoy 9 m. ‘Give him to me for a *prentice,’’ said Jerry. “I'l make a geod cracksman of him."’ ‘* Hand him over to me,"’ remarked a third voica “Tl make an honest man of him." Had a thunderbolt fallen in their midst they could ot have sprung around more quickly. There, by the door, stood a square-built, stern-faced man, who was surveying them with a look of cynical enjoy- ment of the situation. CHAPTER XIV. THE TABLES TURNED. ‘‘ Wao in Satan's name are you, and what brings you here?” cried Mart, as he sprung forward with a scowl toward the intruder. ‘*Solid wood, my friend,”’ and the stranger ad- vanced further into the room, ‘“‘ Drop that boy, you ruffian, or—’’ ‘*Or what?” asked Jerry savagely. “Or I'l) drop you."’ A pistol gleamed in his hand. Jerry took the hint and quickly loosed his hold of Mickey’s collar. 2 at brings you here, I say?’’ Mart again flerce- ly demanded. “You will know soon enough. Come in, Mr. Bar- ton.”’ In response to this uest Mr. Barton entered the room, followed closely by the diminutive form of Joe Joram. The latter looked eargerly around for Mickey, and rushed forward on perceiving him. ‘* All right, Mickey?” he eagerly asked. * All square, Joe,’’ was the answer. “I've brung the cops,”’ whispered Joe. “ Jist you stand by and there will be fun.” Meanwhile Mr. Barton had fixed his eyes severely upon Mart’s form, who shrunk involuntarily ,on seeing who confronted him. . ‘* Martin Stewart!” exclaimed the gentleman in a severe tone. ‘‘So my suspicions are correct! It was a who committed this burglary ?”’ ‘‘What the deuce are you talking about, John Barton?” exclaimed Mart in a blustering tone. ‘*How dare you accuse me of burglary? Have I not as much right in this country as you have? “7 “— make such a charge on me again, or by the ord—”’ ‘*Drop all chat now,” broke in Mr. Barton's com- panionp. ‘* We've got the dead wood on you sure, and bluster will do no good. How isit, boys? Are not these the three men who broke into Mr. Bar- ton’s house?" ‘* Jistas sure as sheotin’,’"’ answered Mickey sen- tentiously. ‘I'd know them if I saw them dug out of a pile of lumber.” *““And they made us help them in it,” said Joe. FB sim A op me through a window, and made me open the door for them."’ ‘“*Shoot me if I stand any more of this!" ex- claimed Mart. ‘This is my house, and the law w aid me in defending it. Come, lads, baek me, a we'll hustle these fellows out." He advanced with a threatening t, follow by Jerry and Tim, without regard to the pistol held by the stranger. The latter, however, showed n° intention of using it. On the contrary, he merely gave a shrill whistle, that rung throughout the ouse. The villains paused at this unexpected signal. The next instant, in answer to it, quick ae were heard on the stairs, and three or four stout police- men marched into the room. or “You might as well give up, my men,” remarked the stranger, coolly. ‘‘ We have come for you, and have no intention of going away bmg, te Mart looked at his two companions, For the mo- ment it seemed as if a rush was intended, and as if a fight for freedom was imminent. But the policemen had drawn their clubs and stood grouped around the door, and even Jerry ac- noweecd by his expression, that he felt the odds too great. Mart quickly assumed another line of action. ‘*T am obliged to you, John Barton,” he sarcas- tically remarked, “for this visit, although it is a little abrupt. As for the burglary at your house, [ know nothing of it. If you ean find the stolen goodt' here you are welcome,’ Mr. Barton looked at the detective. ‘Shall a search be made?’ be asked. ** Yes,"’ replieca the latter. . “*Mought as we’? save yer powder,” exclaimed Mickey. “‘ Everythiagz’s gone up in smoke, Didnt I see the hull job?”’ “He voin to the grate fire. ‘** You don’t mean to sx” that he has burned the papers?” cried Mr. Barton. “That's ‘bout what’s th. matter,’’ answered Mickey. ‘‘Them’s their ashes.’ this colloquy Mart stood with a sunile ef ting triumph upon his face. the little rascal od | tnsul tri | OOK) Comic ‘Ss (El) re