Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 526 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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That young man had left Bank street at an early hour, and thus foiled the servant girl who had intended to place the stolen articles in his trunk: No one there'knew where he had gone, and it was to be hoped that | Holdsworth would not be able to get another chance at him. Nat laid his plan before Heselton, and the lat- ter at once agreed toit. The bogus letter was written, a false name signed to it, and inside of an hour Nat had posted it. All this had been well done, and the young detective started for home in improved spirits, Heselton had agreed to help him whenever he was called upon, anc Nat had a suspicion that this might soon be. As the boy neared Beckwith’s house the im- | pulse came over him to make a slight deviation, and have a look at the Indian doctor’s tent. On a former occasion he had gained import- ant clews by going there secretly; it might be so again. He cautiously approached the vicinity. The tent was standing in the lot as before, showing its dim white form in the darkness, All was rate oy within and about it, but he could see rare ” that a light was burning. oe : SAM, A OvaES ‘*T need ter be summut car’ful,” he solilo- ‘Wal, how does it strike ye?” Nat asked. nized, as hecrept forward, ‘‘ Idunno whether “This seems to be genuine,” Eudvra an- Chippy is onter me eza detective yet, or not, swored, | but I don’t want his big Injuns ter fall me with If it didn’t it wouldn’t be much 0’ a cecoy, | their tommy-hatchets arnd divorce my skulp but Pll bet a hat it was adecoy. Olbsarve that | from the rest o’? my anatomy, Assooredly not! it wasfur the very night Foretop Tom disap- | All the hair-tonic in New York couldn’t recon- peared,” cile me ter the loss o’ the crop Natur’ ginerously ‘Then you really think it a decoy?” pervided me with.” “'Xes,” The silence continued, He reached the rear Eudora turned it over thoughtfully in her | of the tent, and knelt down in the old place, hands, but did not reply. | The slit in the canvas was still there, and he ‘* Notice,” continued Nat, ‘* the pecooliar sig- | was about to take a look when the rattling of a nificance o’ the words, ‘any hour after dark.’ , stone caused him to turn his head. Suspicious, ain’t it? Why did the writer say | Some one was approaching the tent, but in a any time after dark? : simply ’cause Tom § zigzag course which indicated that he had been couldn't be got away with in broad daylight.” indulging in liquid stimulant too freely for his “There is something in that, but who do you | own good. tuink wrote the letter?” t Nat smiled, He believed that some drunken ‘Ilov you a specimen o’ Doctor Chippy’s | fellow was about to descend upon Holdsworth, writing?” | and that some sport would follow, but a closer ‘‘No. He never wrote any prescription, for | view revealed the fact that the reeling man was the reason that he furnished all his medicines, | one of the doctor’s own red-men. second door. ** Yes, Look inside, if you wish.” Nat did so, but the closet was nearly vacant. One suit of clothing evidently worn cn board his ship, and another of ordinary kind, hung upon the hooks. Tho young detective went | through the pockets. He found more or less to- bacco everywhere, but not a scrap of paper. He begar to be in doubt, but was not ready to give up. He searched every drawer of the bureau. No sign of a letter did he find there. For a moment he stood in doubt, and then his | roving eye becamo fixed on the mantel. Walking to that point he began peering be- hind the bric-a-brac. As hoe did so he caught sight of a white paper, and drew it out. He un- folded it, and after a moment’s survey a look of triumph appeared on his face, He handed the paper to Eudora. ‘* How does that impress ye?” he asked. Eudora saw several lines of writing in a coarse, irregu'ar hand, but she easily read as follows: “FRIEND Tom:—Am just in froma cruise on the brit Lady Lize. Dropped anchor in New Yorkfora few days; would like to see you. Old messmates seem scarce—want tostick ‘to those know, Hvar you arein port. Throw your grappling-irons this way. Will be on Pier —— Monday eve, at any hour afterdark. Iexpect to see — there, so don’t dis- appoint me. Heave to in that vicinity, and let us | talk over old times. Your old messmate, “Ts that a closet?’ he asked, indicating | But do you think he wrote this?” The spy hugged the tent and lay very quiet, ‘*T am so suspicious that Iam goin’ ter git a | but the man did not once glance his way. Nat specimen o’ his writin’ arnd compare with this.” | quickly looked inside the tent. Doctor Chip- “5 Tow can you get it” — | pewa and two of the Indians were there, the “Tl gita certain individooal whom I know | Fodenee being engaged in smoking and, evident- ter write ter Chippy arnd describe certain | ly, deep thought. bogus symptoms, arnd arsk Chippy ef he kin The third Indian appeared at the entrance. cure ’em-—ef so, ter wait lis orders ter call. The He came to a halt there, and stood as near white Injun willsnap at tho bait like a hungry | erect as was possible, but exhibited a painful fish, arnd write a letter sayin’ he kin do the cure | want of stiffness in his legs. fur sure, Thart is how Ill git a specimen o’ his | Holdsworth looked at him, and a frown ap- spider-tracks,” | peared on his face. ‘“A feasible plan, f do believe, When will! ‘* You fool! you are drunk again!” he ex- you attend to it?” ’ | claimed. “Right off, quick. Now you take this note, ‘* Whoop!” returned tiae noble red-men. ‘Set arnd hang to it like a barnacle. Don’t let any | ’em up ag*in, Loys! we won’t go home until live soul hev it ontil you git word from me that | mornin’. ['m Sun-that-Shines, an’ ’m a big it’s all right. Onless Chippy 1smore cunnin’ than | Injun from over the Rhine. Yab—whoop!” [ think he is, that note will be the means o?’ fixin’ © Silence!” commanded Chippewa. * Do you him,” want the police down upon us? Sit down!” ‘* Do youreally believe Doctor Holdsworth was | He arose; placed a camp-chair and guided the one who spirited Uncle Thomas away?” Sun-that-Shines into it. There was little about ‘‘Trely on you ter heep mum, but I don’t | the noble warrior that was “ shining ” just then, Ive been | and he ‘submitted with good grace but poor _ judgment in the way of helping himself. ‘You're at your old tricks again,” continued the doctor, angrily. ‘‘ You are hever to be n trusted, and once you get sigit of whisky, you Have you told officer Snyderham?” go and fill up like a mere swine.” ‘‘ Hev 1? Assooredly not! Between you arnd | ‘Why sbouldn’t I git full?’ asked Sun-that- me, that member ©’ the finest has gota heart | Shines, witha gurgle and a hiccough, ‘ I’m ay Sm an OX, arnd abrain as small asa ’skeeter., | only happy when I’m full, an’ I reckon [ve a { don’t mean no disrespect ter him, ‘cause I | right ter git that way. Why not? I’m a big rec'ly hke him, but he ain’t sharp.” chief with seven toes on my feet, and I wear "; Perhaps you're right.” trade-marked corsets, I’mabad man when I’m ‘I be. ow you won't let on what Dve tol’, | mad, an’a-slayin’ epidemic right from Epidemic will ver? City. Pmchain lightnin’ ona tear, an’ a mixture NO , © grizzly b’ar an’ tarantula. Whoop! Hear ** Kee-rect! Jes’ keep quiet arnd trust ter me, | me sing! Ya-whoop! Ker-whoo!” arnd Pll work the case out, arnd show yer | By this time Nat had come to the conclusion parient thart Chippy is a first-class scamp. <A | that the supposed Indian was no more one than marn may smile, arnd be a villain still.” himself, and it enlightened him a good deal as to After a little more conversation, Nat left the | Chippewa’s methods. house and went in search of the person whom | Probably all the so-called Indians were West- he proposed to use to trap Holdsworth by means ern roughs in disguise—counterfeit red-men to of the decoy letter. This was Erwin Iton. | give lausibility to his scheme—and partners of Of course the latter’s real name must not ap- ; his plan for raising money. pear, but be could sign an assumed one, If the | Sun-that-Shines emitted the final part of his ' mind sayin’ that [ ain’t a doubt on’t. lookin’ ’round a bit, arnd things is shapin’ their- selves in a way Which is convincin’. wouldn’t | say this ter you ef I didn’t think you a right sensible young lady.” discourse in yells which brought Chippewa to his feet. ‘** Silence, you drunken fool!” he exclaimed. ‘Tf you don’t hold your tongue Ill make you; all the police within a mile will be down upon us. Hush your noise!” ‘* Who says that?” “*T dos” ‘* Wal, you ain’t my boss; I’ll do ez I please, I'm a big Injun with bells on my fingers an’ rings on my toes; I’m a big sealper with a scor- pion in my vest-pocket; ’'m a brindled jaguar with fangs eleven inches long an’ ears bigger than a mule’s, I’m a good °un, an’ don’t ye doubt it. I’m tough, an’ I’m a terrer, an’ Vil yell when I feel in humor, by thunder! Ya- uhoop! Ker-who-o-o !” He ended with a tremendous yell, and Holds- worth sprung torward and caught him by the neck. ‘* You dog!” the Indian doctor hissed, ‘* we’ll see if you will stop!” He bore the unlucky Sun-that-Sbines to the ground and, still holding fast to his throat, knelt upon his breast. It looked very much like a tragedy, and Walking Bear and War-Wolf sprung to their feet. ‘Don't kill him, Jake!” exclaimed Walking Bear. ‘* ll stop his cursed squalling or—” Holdsworth did not finish the sentence. Sun- that-Shines had been a good deal sobered by the unexpected assault, and he now proved that he was not wholly helpless. Somehow he managed to draw back one of his legs, and he. sudden! planted the foot in the doctor’s stomach wit a force which sent the latter spinning across the tent. , He fell at the entrance, and bare outside, and as he scrambled to his feet he saw Sun-that- Shines rushing at him with a drawn knife. He had no weapon at hand, and, quickly coming to the conclusion that it was a case where discretion was wiser than valor, he dodged around the tent with tbe maddened Sun-that- Shines in close pursuit. A moment often brings great changes. A lit- tle before it bad looked as though North River Nat had no interest in this quarrel, but as Holds- worth rushed his way the scene underwent a great transformation. The boy sprung quickly to his feet. As he did so Holdsworth rushed past him, and Nat was thus left between the two men. Worse then this, it seemed too late torun; Sun-that- Shines was but a few paces away, his knife raised for a fatal blow. He was too drunk to know what he was doing, and the young detective’s life was in the utmost peril. CHAPTER XIV. ‘““THE RULER OF THE ROOST.” NEVER before had North River Nat had oc- easion to use bis wits more quickly. His position had placed him in the very danger Doctor Chip- pewa was thus escaping, and as Sun-that-Shines then seemed strong enough on hi; legs, it would never do to turn his back to the man. What was to be done? Nat had an idea, and he executed it with won- derful celerity. The knife was almgst over him; he had no time to lose. He dropped flat to the ground, Another moment and Sun that-Shines tripped over him, and sprawled widely on the ground. He was hardly down before Nat was up. With a quick spring the boy regained his feet. Walk- ing Bear and War-Wolf were rounding the side of the tent, but he did not wait to meet them, Promptly he started in retreat, and his feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground as he beat a retreat from the lot, He did not pause until he reached the nearest building; then he came to a halt and looked back, Evidently the excitement was Over, e could see the tent-men in a group, and Sun-that-Sbhines seemed to be tame enough; in fact, Nat judged from toe. that the fall had in some way injured the bogus red-man. The boy was very cool after his adventure, but no one knew better than be that he had been in reat danger, Had be been less quick-witted, his history woulda have ended then and there, Stull watching, he saw the fallen -< warrior ” helped back to his tent by his companions. ‘*T reckon it’s time for me ter_slide. Wonder ef they will si ae me? Most likely the _ will think it was only some common boy stealin’ a look at them out o’ curiosity. al, I don’t banker fur any more.’ thart kind o’ curiosity ter-night, arnd I reich Pll slope.” _ He lost no time in carrying out this plan, and ‘ 7 - . + =F ; ? 4 f4 . * ; * yt he ‘ awe e . af * rz | » *. * | a CcComicbDo oks:com