Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 485 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

nat te _ tive companion, promptly obeyed; he ‘‘ shut up.’’ j co 2 sporting journal, and there were four persons pre- | nc | with the air of one familiar with the place, closely sent. Two of them—the men whose conversation opeus this chapter—were typical “* sports.”’ One was a big, burly fellow, with heavy red mus- tache, strongly-marked features and keen black eyes ever on the watch for some slip on the part of those with whom he was dealing. His dress was a busi- ness suit of brown and white check, surmounted by a white plug hat, with a broad black band, This was he who had expressed his contempt for ‘ un- knowns,” The other was a little, weazened, dried-up speci- men of humanity, in asoft hat and shabby clothes of BO jeg pattern. The remaining occupants of the room were the editor himse!f— a young man of fashionable appear- ance, aud a well-known pugilist, who had come with the !ittle man to see that he got *‘ a square deal.’’ ** Well, now, bow much is there in that pile?” asked the big man, as he gazed at the money on the table. . * Five hundred dollars,” “And what do you propose?” “To row your man three miles with a turn, regu- lar racing shells, over the Hulton course, Pittsburg, for twenty-five hundred dollars e side, race to take place within sixty days from date.” “Um! You have it down fine.” **T mean business.” : “You bet yer life we do,” put in the pugilist. ‘*T en’y wish it were a scrapping-match, ’stead of one @ these here rowin’ rackets, on’y fit for kids.”’ “Shut up, Jim Cripps! You don’t know nothing about this matter, and you don’t want to put in your oar at the wrong place,’’ warned the little man. Jim Cripps, the prize-fighter, who could have smashed the little man with one blow of his brawn y fist, but who evidently stood in awe of his diminu- “Tl cover your money. We'll put up in fhe hands of Mr. Wolf, here, but you'll get badly left, as sure as my name is Frank Burton. Stretcher Bull isn’t going to be laid out by any unknown, Any- how, it isa soft enough thing forus. I would like to mike a side bet of a thousan’ with you that we beat you by at least half a length.” ‘ Done!” assented the little man. In a few minutes Mr, Wolf, the editor, held three thousand dollars—one thousand being a deposit, and the other two the side-bet between Frank Lur on and Scrawny Will, which was the elegant pseudo- nym to which the littl man answered among his acquaintances, “T suppose this will be satisfactory to Stretcher,”’ said Scrawny Will, as he parted from burton on the stops of the office. “Ti like to know what he has got to do with it,” ywas the con emptuous reply of Burton, ‘All he has to do is to row when and where he is told. I pay ' him for it, and that is enough for him.” ‘**So long'” and Scrawny walked away. ‘Now, Jim, you pe want to keep that big mouth of yours shut, and I will let you into a good thing,” he said, as he and Cripps started down Broadway. ‘Thanks, porerue captain, and what do you want me todo? Youain’t the kind of maa to give me a good thing ‘less I do something to earn it. Who do you want me to lick?” ‘Lick? You’re always thinking about licking somebody.”’ ‘Certainly, That’s my trade.” ‘*'You are a goo friend of Stretcher’s, ain’t you?’ asked Scrawny, not hee ing Cripps’s last remark, “Ay. Had many a lark with him.” | *“*Can you see him to-night?”’ ‘‘Dunno. Burton’s a-handlin’ of him, and he keeps his man mighty close.”’ * You know where he is?” “Yes. They’ve got him own to Mooney Baggs 6 dive, on the Bowery. They don't let him nk nothin’, but they are fiJli g him up with raw beef- steak and oatmeal mush, and makin’ him use the élubs and bells nearly all the time he’s awake, They can’t do nothin’ with him unless they keep him in trainin’ all che while.” ‘Ah! They’ll train him down too fine, if they don’t watch it.’ ‘ | “Ob, no, They let him take a spin occasionally. He has had two cr three scrub races lately, Then he manages to get out once in a while when Burton is away, and gets on a tare, killing all the trainin’ he has had for a week.”’ ‘* Good! You must get at him to-night,” “T}] try.” ** Keep him sober until you can fix things with ‘*But what do you want me to do?”’ ‘** Stoop down. ' Cripps did as requested, and Scrawny whispered something in his ear. . The pugilist started, “Ts that straight ?” “ Straight as a string!’’ 3 _ * And there’s five hundred dollars in it for me?” — “Tf you don’t make an idiot of yourself and spoil the lay.””’ **You can depend on me, Cap.” ‘It’s the last job you get from me if you spoil it. ‘“*T won’t spoil it. But you had better give mea few more pointers.”’ ‘All right. Let’s step in here.” The two turnedinto a small saloon to which en- trance was obtained by a narrow doorway that would hardly be noticed save by one already aware of its presence, long hallway a dirty window on which the words *‘ Sample be faintly discerned by the light with- dim and close, ended in a door | | i | ae es eee ee i L ——————————————— rrr Re “Git Thar” Owney, the Unkno ——+ + Scrawny led the way and pushed the door open followed by the pugilist. A small bar, behind which the closely-cropped head of the bartender, bobbing about as he mixed a drink for a solitary customer, could be seen shin | ing like a danger-signal on a foggy evening. In acorner of the apariment was a little closet with just room for a table and three chairs. Here the two companions seated themselves and having been served with their favorite drinks they proceeded to business, The ay customer before referréd to—a shabby genteel man, who looked like a book-agent out of luck, and who had probably se: n bett: r days, leaned avainst the bar and seemed to be absorbed in the occupation of tae ag his mixed drink last as long as possible. while the red-headed bartender amused himself by plying solitaire with a much- used pack of cards on the end of the bar. x Of course Stretcher has to lose this race,’’ com- menced Scrawny. ‘* Course,’’ was Cripps’s sententious reply. **T feel certain my Man can beat him anyhow, but I must make quite sure.” ‘** Course,” asserted Cripps again, ‘‘The race is to come off on the 26th of July. This is the 80th of June. Guess we can get everything fixed in tha’ time.”’ ** Course.”’ ‘*Now, you must see Stretcher to-night, get him fixed, th n make an appointment for me. We can’t co it at Baggs’s? It wouldn’t do for me to be seen around there now. Let him meet me here any time he says.” * All right.” ‘‘The trouble is Stretcher issuch a fool that I doubt if he knows how to give away a race,’ mut- tered Scrawny, reflectively. “Tf he don’t Coit up in good shape, I'll breal: his face,’”’ and Cripps brought his fist down cn the table with a crash that made the shabby-gentee] man start and the bartender lose the combination in his game of solitaire. “You wont do anything of the kind. When I want youto break anybody’s face I'll let you know. Do as 1 tell you, and kcep quiet.”’ ' ‘You are always telling me to keep quiet,’? whined Cripps, in aggrieved tones. ‘*Guess l know how to keep my mouth shut. When did I ever give any- thiug away?” ‘**How about the Montville Bank job?’ put in a pei voice that seemed tv come from under the tadle. ‘* What d’yemean?” yelled Cripps, starting up and lool. ing vindictively at Scrawny. ‘*‘Why can’t you let things sleep?” But Secrawny wes evidently as much surprised as his companion, as he gasped: ‘IT didn't speak.” ‘You lie!’ In an instant Serawny held a bull-dog revolver un- der Cripps’s nose. He did not fire, however. ‘*You are a fool, Jim Cripps, and I know it, or I would put you where you’d never cali another man a liar,’ said Scrawny, coolly, as he returned his noreon re his pocket. “I tell you I did not open my mouth, ‘Well, sro did?” asked the now thoroughly cowed prize-fighter. He looked into the bar room, but the bartender was deep in his cards at the other end of the bar, while the solitary customer had dropped into a chair and was snoiing as peacefully as a child on its mother’s breast. ‘““Mighty strange thing. Somebody spoke, sure,” averred Cripps, as he looked under the table and then glanced suspiciously at Scrawny. The shabby-genteel man snored louder than ever. Cripps walked over to him and shook him, but the sleeper did not respond, * Let bim alone, Cripps. You don't think it was him as spoke, do you?” said Scrawny. **Can’t most always tell. The voice came from somewheres,’? and he gave the snorer another vig- orous shake, but beyond a few incoherent exclama- tions could get nothing out of him, | Cripps was troubled. He did not know what to make of it.. He suspected Scrawny, but dared not charge him again with having uttered the m; steri- ous words. It was whispered among Cripps’s frien’s that he had been concerned in one or two safe-blowing op- erations, | ut no one had been able to prove anything of the kind, and he always posed as a strictly honor- able man, ‘ * Well, do youthink you can work it with Stretcher to-night %? gdsked Scrawny, resuming the original conversation. | “ Tl try.” ; ‘You must not fail.” “All right; I wo»’t fail.” “Remember. Five hundred dollars for yourself on the day we beat Stretcher Bull on the Hulton course,” , ‘You can consider him beaten.” _“ Well, it is four o’clock now. You had better be getting toward gs’s. The sooner you commence operations the better. Be careful and keep your mouth shut,” Z Trust me,” said the prize-fighter as he sauntered out. * Yes, I'll trust you just as long as I can see you,” was Scrawny’s inward remark, as the door closed behind Cripps’s retreating form, ‘ You are too fond of blabbi\g to suit me. Now, let me see,” he mut- tered, as he consulted a bulky note-book and made some memoranda. ‘| will see Cripps in the morn- ing, to find out how he got along with Stretcher. As soon as that matter is off my mind I must get off wih. to Pittsburg to look after the boy. My! Won’t the crowd be surprised when they see my unknown! They’ll be still more astonished when they find cut tnatheisonly a boy. Al! But such a boy! He don’t snow hifnself what he can do, and Iain't going to be fool e:ough toteil him. He's the coming carsman though, sure!”’ Scrawny rubbed bis hands aud chuckled to him- self in intense enjoyment of his thoughts. Had he not been so closely absorbed he would have noticed that the shabby genteel man was watching him keenly, * Well, I must Le going,”’ continned Scrawny as he replaced his note-book in his peck t and arose from his seat. “Il wonder who made that remark that upset the slugging friend so? I cidn’t hear the words myself, bet they seemed to hit | im in a ten- der spot, 1 gucss it was only this drunken fool snoring,” giving the outstretcl ed feet «f the appar- ent sleeper a vicicus kick as he passed. ‘‘ Cripps has a bad conscience. Thank my stars, I have al- ways acted square, aud peuple’s snoring don’t trou- ble me.” No sooner was Scrawny outside the door than the shabby g. ntcel man started up, very wide-awake, and made for the door. In the hallway lhe ew poral. ¢ in a mysterious way, for the person who followed Screwny Will ixvto the street was a young f. llow not more than eighteen rears of age, vith harcsome f atures, short curling londe hair and with the ligi.t springy step of an athlete. His clothes, with the exception of the plug hat, which he had exchanged for a soft low crowned ar- ticle were those of th s! alby genteel man, but no one would have said the two mev were one and the stme person, “So my disguise was a good one and I have found out inore than I expected. Scrawny Will may discover that I know mere about myself than he suspects. Score one for Owney the Oarsman! He'll “ git thar ” every time.” CH: PTER I. _. A WRESTLE AND A FIGHT. Ir was cight o’cl.ck inthe evening of the day on which occurred the incidents narrated in tbe last chapter. Mooney Bagegs’s sporting saloon on the Bowery had not yet awoke from the lethargy that gencrally overcame it during the day. A lively place was Baggs’s about midnight. Then it was that men well known in racing, boating, box- ing, cock-fighting, ccg-fichting ard other select circles fuvored the Cing y little ber-room with their presence. There was an aimosphere of sport at Baggs’s onl exceeded by tha: of stale beer, whisky, and dead- and-gone cigars which always hung over it. The wails were of course decorated with the usual colored prints of fistic, aquatic. and other heroes, Interspersed with portraits of noted turf- flyers doing a fast mile, or standing still to be ad- mired in a vividly green paddock. At the back of the bar-room, and divided from it by a wooden screen, was a spacious hall, witha small stage at the upper end. chiefly devoted to ex- hibitions of sparring, agreeably relieved by an occa- sienal ballad, rendered by a ,entleman in a greasy dress suit and ared nose, who acted as waiter when he was not singing, and sung when he was not waiting. The customary small tables. smeary with the marks cf ey tumblers and surrounded by wood- So eeeerer chairs, completed the furniture of the all. . The red-nosed singer was moving aiound, putting the chairs straight, while Mooney Baggs himself. a short, thick-set personage, With an ¢normous dia- mond in his shirt-bosom and another on one of his chubby fingers, walked up and down, with a cigar between bis teeth and his eyes bent on the ground, as if in deep reflection. Some half-dozen patrons of the house lounged around the room, killing time until the stage per- formance should commence. and there was a gen- erally tired appearance Ov‘ rhung everything. ‘“Where’s Mooney?” askid a gruff voice in the bar-room, “Well, he’s here, tending to business,” sung out Mooney. ‘You'll always find him at the post of duty, and don’t you forget it. Why don’t you come in. Jim Cripps. “Is there any rope tied to you?” Jim Cripps barged the screen door open and grasped the hand of Mooney Baggs with more than usual affection. ‘Why, Mooney, how goes it, and hew’s Stretcher to-night? Don’t see him around,’’ and Cripps glanced over the room, “Don't, eh? That’sfunny. When a mani is be- ing made fit for a race it’s a pity we don't let him lay around the bar-room for every loafer to get a chance at his drinks,” “* What d’ye mean?” ‘Oh, now, Jim Cripps, you are not a baby on the turf, any more than Iam, You have known medi- cine put into aman that would knock bim cold for a month, and do up any training you could put him through. Seems to me you worked a fellow that way yourself once when two Texas boys met for a scrap out in Illinois State,” suggested Mooney, with a meaning glance at bis companion. “Well, let’s take a drink, aryhow,” said Cripps, leading the way to the bar-room. The two sports disposed of their “ benzine ” with- out winking. One drink led tomore, and by nine o’clock, when the curtain rose for a bout between the “ Russian Sockdolager ” and the “London Tap- per ’’ both sports felt *‘ comfortable.” “Couldn’t you let me see Stretcher a minute?” ee Po,