Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 483 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

‘take her there also 14 oe eS CHAPTER XXIII. THE FERRETS’ PLOT. ALL along the journey Flora was most kind ‘to the good old woman, and upon arriving ip Topeka, as her son did not meet her at the train, as she had said, they took her to the ho- tel with them, Here Ben Bancroft hired a vehicle to drive himself and Flora to the farm, some twenty miles away, aod bidding their old fellow-pas- senger good-by, they left her at the hotel to await her son’s coming. ine old lady watched them depart, from the piazza, and asthey disappeared around a corner She said to the landlord: ‘‘ It’s a likely driver they’ve got, and if my son don’t come, lll have to git him to drive me to his place, if you knuws who he is.” ‘* Oh, yes, he is from my brother’s stable, and he’ll take you where you want to go, if your son don’t come for you,” answered the landlord. The old woman thanked the landlord and then took a stroll about the town. After an hour’s walk she returned to the hotel and called for a telegraph messenger. She wrote a telegram, and a long one, put it in an énvelope, addressed it to the operator, Sealed it, and told the boy to have it sent at once, ‘giviog him a quarter to make him the more anxious to do her bidding. Thus the day passed away, and she told the | landlord she would like to see the driver who had taken her friends to their farm. ‘* He’Jl be back late ma’am, and I'll send him up in the morning,” was the reply, and in the morning the man appeared. ‘** You got my friends home allright, sir?” she asked, ‘* Yes, ma’am, and I drove it in four hours, ‘though it’s a long road and a bad one.” ‘Could you tell me just how to get to the ‘place, should my son take a notion to go by there with me when he comes?” The man gave her explicit directions, es- pecially as she told him she might wish him to if her son did not come, And so another day passed, and anight, and a oung man arrived on the trainand went to the hotel He asked to be shown to the room of the old lady, and said he was her son, but he had come down from Leavenworth, not expecting her so soon. He was an honest-faced country boy, with long yellow hair and an awkward manner about him that showed he was what might be called green. The moment the mother and son were alone to- gether a change came over the faces of both, and the latter said: ‘* Here [ am, Foxey.” ‘*]T knew you'd get here cn time, Cap’n Billy, soon as you heard from me,” was the reply of the supposed old woman, ** Yes, [ took the train an hour after getting ‘your telegram, stopped at Leavenworth for your letter you said you would write there, and fixed up, as you suggested, in this rig.” ‘* You look like a country youth from toe to top-knot, Cap’n Billy; but did you come alone?” ‘* No, indeed, I have two of the boys with me.” ‘*And you got the requisition from the gov- ernor?” ‘*Oh, yes, my papers and letters will do all I | | | | | wish, and I’ll go to-day to see the Governor of | don’t you be surprised if them men behaves a | | leetle strange.” | i | | | Kansas.” ‘It will be best; but where are the other boys?” ‘* At another hotel; but what have you done?” In a few words Foxey told the young detec- tive captain all, from leaving New York to the arrival, adding: *‘ And the driver who took them to the farm | piazza, Wizar | lout, said quickly: can drive us there.” ‘* Have you any plan of action?” ‘** My idea was to get an officer here to serve us, os going with me as my son. ‘We could go ahead in a buggy, you follow- ing with the driver who took them. “IT can, say our road lay by their place, and learning where they lived I concluded to stop, | | going on his mission, and the next day he re- | him; but all that he can tell | | The Ferrets Afloat. ——— - ee — you I know, for I turned with the proper papers; and in the mean | have his secret,” Wizard Will said, cone time Foxey, still in his disguise of an old woman, ‘‘ Who are you?—ah! You are Wizard Will!” had gone to the Police Headquarters, made | she cried. me known who he was and his purpose, and asked ‘¢ Yes, and this old lady is—Fomwey,” Wizard for a detective to accompany him to Bancroft’s | Will replied quietly, and the cry that broke house, | from Flora’s lips showed the utter amazement This request was granted by the genial chief, | she felt at this startling revelation. who praised Foxey upon his detective work and | remarxable disguise, and one of the best men CHAPTER XXIV. THE YACHT AND CREW. were assigned to the duty of accompanying It was a long time before Bancroft opened his him, Two vehicles were then secured at the livery | eyes, and then he did so in a dreary sort of way. stable, the same driver who had taken Bancroft His gaze fell upon Wizard Will, and then up- to his farm being engaged, and he drove the | on Foxey, and he tried to raise his hands to his supposed old woman and her pretended son, the | | | face and started as he saw that his wrists were detective, while Wizard Will and his two com- | ironed. ’ rades from the League followed behind, ‘By Jove! the man is dying!” cried Wizard They planned to arrive at Bancroft’s farm | Will. ‘* Yes, of fright,” Foxey returned, and they sprung to his aid, But human aid could not save him, for, with a tremor and a groan he breathed bis last, A gloom seemed to fall upon all, in spite of the fact that the man was all that was bad, and a carriage was sent to the nearest village for a coroner. But, shaking off the feeling upon her, Flora bravely set to work to prepare ly aah for her guests, and, aided by Foxey, soon had a good meal to set before all. The coroner arrived in good season, an inquest was held, and the next day the young ferrets accompanied by Flora, started for town, and the followmg night were dashing along on a train for New York, In good time they reached the city, and Flora went to Wizard Will’s home, to become the guest of Pearl, while the Boy Detectives set to work to insnare Elegant Ed and his band of Land Sharks. To do this was no easy task, but Wizard Will and his allies were not to be turned aside by dif- ficulties, and while Foxey was sent to Philadel- Ihia, with half of the League, to hunt down the Porn in that city, the young captain and the balance of his comrades started upon the trail of Elegant Ed. The yacht, which Foxey had heard Bancroft ‘6 Waal. it’s more’n likely ef yer kin tuck us | tell Flora that Elegant Ed had bought, and was away.” — . . living on, pretending to be a Cuban planter, 43 We ean take care of you, though the house | was found at her anchorage, and Wizard Will is not in the best of order; still you shall not go | ee an ae aig cart: ae mi Pbpb on. . ‘* There’s xen pa now, b cin he ap fore me, | rs vessel, Tyee divs wwoWt and sart’in; but I mustn’t forgit to tell him that e saw a boat put off from the . there’s a vehicle back down the road with three | recognized Elegant Ed in his disguise, from the gents in it, and they wants a horse in place of | description Foxey had given. one oO’ theirs that hain’t worth much,” | Springing into a_hack at the ferry, Elegant Just then Bancroft came up, and he gave the | Ed drove up-town, little dreaming that two supposed old lady and her son as cordial a’wel- | Loy Detectives were upon his track, to shadow come as one of his nature was capable of. 7 ae me sh ing tt ane as es ; As for a spare horse for the other carriage, he n the mean time Wizard Will went down to said he had but one animal he had just bought | the dock and entered into conversation with for his own use, and he could not spare him. the two men who had come ashore with the ‘‘ We will have to give them shelter at least, | chief, and who had not yet returned. ya and in the morning their horse will doubtless be ‘My man, I do love a yacht, and I’d like to able to continue the journey,” said Flora. ask you some questions about your pretty “There they comes now,” said the detective, | craft,” said Will. and the vehicle came in sight, the horses at a He might have been bluffed off had he not slow walk, tossed a silver dollar to each man as he spoke, Flora led Foxey into the house, gave him a ‘‘ What would you like to know, sir?” asked room, and said: one. ‘** Your son can occupy that one, while the ‘* What is her owner’s name?” strangers can sleep in the parlor.” ‘“‘ Don Sebastian Fonda, sir.” 2 Oh, they'll git along all right, Florie, and a = Cuban planter, some one said? ‘Yes, sir. ‘¢ Are you Cubans?” ‘*Oh, no, sir.” ‘‘ How long since the Don came into port?” ‘‘T don’t know, sir; but he shipped us two | weeks ago.” ‘‘Has he much of a crew?” ‘¢A mate, sir, four seamen, a cook, steward and negro valet,” ‘‘ Are all on board now?” ‘¢The mate went with the cook to market, sir, but the steward and two other seamen are on | board, while the negro valet went on shore ¢o the laundry.” ‘1 wish you would take me on board,” ‘* Against orders, sir.” “ Here, this will repay you for any scolding late in the afternoon, when he was most likely to be at home. {t was near the sunset hour when Foxey and the detective drove up to the farm-house, the other vehicle following a couple of miles be- hind, It was a pleasant farm-house, situated a hun- dred yards back from the road, and with good out-buildings near. It had an air of ‘neglect, and in fact had been in other hands for years, As the carriage drew up near the door, Flora was visible, dressed in a neat calico, and with the appearance of having been attending to household duties. At a glance she recognized the old lady, and running out, assisted ner to alight and kissed her affectionately, for the poor girl was glad to see a familiar face in that far Weatere land, | ‘‘[ am so glad to see yer, dear, and I wants to interdooce my son. ‘* Hain’t he a strappin’ big fell:r? ‘*Come, son, take off your hat and act the yentieman, for this young lady was as good to me as if she’d ’a’ been my own darter. ‘Ts yer pa at home, Florie?” ‘* He is in the barn; but how strange that your road home leads you by this farm, and I am so glad to see you. ‘* Of course you will remain all night?” | ‘*They’ve been drinking, doubtless; but I do | not mind them,” and Foxey went out on the piazza with Flora. The other carriage had just driven up, and its occupants leaped out. Advancing hee toward the group on the 1 Will, still rigged like 4 country | ‘*’Pard, we wants to stay all night here, and, for fear you may object, [ll just tell you now that you are my prisoner, Ben Bancroft !” | A yell of rage broke from the lips of the man, | and acry of surprise from Flora at what she | saw and heard, for five revolvers covered the | heart of the Land Shark, and like an entrapped | ee - ee eee 4 you may get, and I would like to see the mate, and you can tell him so,” _ The money Wizard Will .offered as a bribe won the men over, and soon after he was on | | board the yacht. . It was really a pretty vessel, and fitted up and that we had passed some parties back on }. wolf, be stood at bay an instant, his face grow- | the road with a broken-down horse, and this | ing whiter and whiter, and then, as he saw that would be an excuse for your coming up, when | all was lost, that the end of his hopes had come, we can simply arrest Bancroft—you, of course, | the blood surged to his heart and Soin, and he taking the leading part.” sunk in a swoon upon the piazza. a ‘*Your plan is a good one, Foxey, and to- ‘*TIs he dead?” eagerly cried Flora, springin : morrow we will carry it out, as soon as I get | toward him, i BAI, ig with every luxury, but before Wizard Will had ‘‘ No, he has but fainted.” a chance to go over the craft, as he would have | liked, one of the seamen said: ‘¢ here comes the mate and cook.” Will went into the cabin as the boat ran along- ‘* He must not die until he has told me a se- cret,” cried Flora, anxiously. “He must not die thus, for the gallows awaits the requisition of our New York governor for { 4 Bancroft.” An hour after Wizard Will was on the train back from my visit to the governor, to show | et cece —— “* cbooks.com , : , > | : . . = al . : a : 4 ,! a a “ . - be . - aD , : . : 7 a< = A gr aoe . y : od nt .Y . » < 1 id . , <5 I - 4 3 sf «> ts - : wif } t. - : ; ~J x . a Path “ Ae ae be A > . . 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