Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 526 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

ty em gh te ter back out now.” Hesitating only a little longer, Nat crept cau- tiously up the stairs, When he reached the top ‘** You're a brick, Randall Greggs!” he declar- | He was up again in a moment ard running ed, ‘an’ I'll show ye that, 1 appreciate a good | away, and then he had no fear. He plunged turn, I’ve got a bottle o’ beer put away, an’ | into the thickest part of the shanties, and did he found himself in a short hall, It was with- | I'll hev it out,” pen eee ; f i ened “Ee Aan Le Ra ner aaa 1 aie ig EEX, sayy | -' 6 North River Nat. Suddenly arousing, he looked sharply toward “Tll bet, Alf, that you can’t guess who our | face, He could conceive of but one way to pre- the low house Greggs and Parsons had entered. | boss is,” interrupted Parsons. vent this, and the open window scemed to be ; ‘*T warn’t to see thart place inside out,” he “You shut up, will you?” angrily cried | the key to the situation. added, Greggs, uickly he made a rush toward it; a few steps He surveyed it carefully, calculating his “Oh! all right,” replied Alf; ‘*I don’t know | took him to the spot. He took a hurried sur- chances of escaping detection if he investigated. | that I blame you. Ef you’ve knocked a man | vey. Owing to the fact that the house was so Thus far he had no proof that the men he had | over you want ter be mighty keerful. Say, | small and so old-fashioned, it was only a few followed were other than honest citizens, and he | Greggs, ef you see a chance for me, give me a | feet to the greund. did not want to get into trouble or worry worthy ! tip, will ye?’ He must risk the leap or be captured. men—his mission was to defeat rascals, ** Yes,” Alf saw his intention, and rushed forward After a little reconnoitering he glided for- Greggs was thoughtful for a moment, and | with outstretched hands. Forgetting the fact ward, made a few turns among the smal build- | then he slowly added: that he had no valuables, he believed he had dis- ings, and approached the one he wished to inves- ‘This case may yet give you a chance. Our | covered a thief. tigate from the rear, employer is playing a bold game, and there is He reached out to grasp him, but as he did e found the door open, and everything | no knowing what be may have to do before he | so the boy disappeared—he had taken the leap. dark, gets through, If another man is needed, Ill Short as the distance seemed it preyed to be ‘It’s a burglarious thing ter do,” he mutter- | give you the chance, Alf, sure.” no trifling affair. Nat alighted on feet, but ed, ‘‘ but I’m in fur it, arnd it wou’t do fur me The melancholy man’s face brightened, experienced a heavy shock and fell to Me ground. not et until he had reached Riverside Boule- out a lamp or gas, but a door just beyond be- So saying, Alf arose in great good-humor end | vard. Then he came to a halt in a retired ing ajar, sent out enough light to break the | proceeded to make good his offer, . gloom a little. At first sight it would ba supposed that this From the room beyond the door came the | offer did not particularly interest North River sound of voices, and as Nat feltsure that Greggs | Nat, as he had received no invitation whatever ; and Parsons were there, he crept forward, It | but it remained a fact that the matter was of would be dangerous to look inside, but once | great interest to him. lace, Bs Great ginger!” he panted, ‘‘ that was a pes- tiferous close shave, Don’t want another jump like that, It driv my legs right up through my body, ernd I reckon my hip-bene must be stick- in’? up above my shoulders, Fax is fax, arnd more chance favored him. Alf came out into the hall, and as he did so | they’re stubborn things.” At the side of the hall was a small closet; the | he explained: He paused to brush the dust from his knees, ‘loor of this being open showed that a small ‘Beer is a luxury with me, now my pocket- ; and then resumed: window had been fitted into it, to secure light | book is bu’sted, an’ I keep it hid in this ‘‘Tve been in another burglarious scrape. from the room beyond. It was just the place. | closet.” North River Nat, this won’t do. It’s ag’in’ the Nat quickly entered, pulled the door to behind North River Nat started. He had seen noth- | law ter introod ina private house, even ef vil- him, stepped upon a trunk, and, looking through | ing of the beer, and did not know whether it | lains live thar, arnd you must keep out on ’em. the window, had the desired view of the men. | was in the closet or not; butone other thing was | The majesty o’ law is sacred ter all honist fs They were three in number, two being Greggs | certain—he was there, and if Alf came in he} minds, Assooredly, Still, the idee is strong in f and Parsons. The third was a fellow who looked | would certainly be discovered, my mind thart in Gregesy arnd Parsons I hev “ as Villainous as Parsons, What was to be done? struck ’ile, so ter remark,’ A Nat found that he could easily hear what was Acting on the impulse of the moment, the boy Still keeping his place, he tried to recall what 4 said, and he proceeded to listen. His mind, | stepped down from the trunk, seized the door | he had overheard when in the closet. i ad however, was not at ease; he did not like the | and held fast. AlJf laid hold on the Opposite side Two remarks stood out distinctive and sug- a} - part he was playing. There might be no real | and pulled gently, It did not open e pulled | gestive. Parsons had said that he and Greggs . reason why he should thus shadow the men, and | again, using more strength. Still it did not | had ‘“‘dropped a man the other night,” and vt his entrance to the house had been decidedly un- | open. Greggs had added that they were engaged upon. | a ceremonious. ** That’s queer,” he observed; ‘‘ I never knowed | ‘‘a very peculiar case,” 7 nar. Whether they held secrets which he wished to | this door ter stick before. I reckon the wet ‘Fits like a glovel” decided the boy. ‘It aha, ae know o1 not, they were desperate-looking men,,| weather swelled the wood.” would be rayther a pecooliar case ef they oe 7 and discuvory might prove fatal, He gavea jerk. It was a severe trial for Nat, | worked fur the Injun doctor, arnd ef they was: Se. Fi who felt sure that the next effort would result in | the ones thart fell afoul o’ poor Foretop Tom, 4 favor of Alf, That person, however, turned | it sorter explains what Parsons said. H¢ lle!” i CHAPTER VI back toward the main room. ' He started as he saw two men crossing the ' a 4 ; . “I reckon this will open it,” he said, picking | Boulevard, They were Greggs and Parsons, and . ‘< tt THE BOY IN THE CLOSET, ‘| upa long, dull knife, the blade of which was | they were walking rapidly. ei) NortH River Nat pressed his face close to | strong if not sharp. ‘Scared out, eh?’ thought Nat. “ Wal, now, She the window and listened eagerly, Idle curiosity is easily aroused, and Greggs | I hev a presentiment tha t it’s my bounden me Y ne “Times are mighty hard,” said the unknown | and Parsons, understanding that he proposed to | dooty ter foiler ’em ag’in, ef Ikin, Oh! thart?s: ah fs man. ‘* Why, l ain’t had a square meal fur a | pry the door open, arose and followed him. In | whar they’re goin’, is it?” PS week, and the Lord only knows when I will. | the mean while, North River Nat had been At that point there was a break in the wall +E ht New York is gettin’ too goody-goody fur me.” doing some rapid thinking, Hé knew that he | which made the western boundary of the Boule- eee ‘Times ain’t what they was,” Parsons agreed. could not long “‘ hold the fort” against Alf, and | vard,- with a vacant lot beyond, between the ewe ie “T was down on the bluff t’otber day,” pur- | he laid his plans for rapid action. He heard | street ard the river. The men had turned into oe feo, sued the disconsolate man, ‘‘ an’ when I seen the | the other men moving, and, springing back | this lot. | d eye . fHludson River train comin’ I was a good mind | to the top of the trunk, laid hold of the win- “They’re either goin’ ter cross the river in a ie ye ter go down an’ let ’em run over me, but I hated | dow, boat, or ketch onter a movin’ train, They go bias Bhs ter be done up by a freight train, I’ve some This swung on hinges like a door, and had |-mighty slow past hyer, when draggin’ a hull eis | Fy pride left, ef I be poor.” once been furnished with a hook by which to | boodle o’ freight-cars. We'll see!” hs Po : “That's the way ter talk,” secure it, but this had long since gone the way He hurried across the bouleyard, and then = 1S ‘‘Nobody hez asked me ter doa job fur an | of all things earthly—at least, it was not on the | waited in the cover of the wail until theman | AA oe age, an’ I’m sorter losin’ my nerve, anyhow. | window, f was nearly through the lot. They passed along f a igen? eis om, Abe an’ Dan are all in Sing Sing, an’ I Quickly Nat swung the sash back. the side of the steep hill which rises at that ie * a Ga7t don’t want ter go.” All three men were in the ball, point, but the moment they disappeared, Nat Fa ag: R47 “‘ Brace up, man!” interrupted Greggs, ‘* You The boy was as nimble as a cat, and having | ran after them. His faith that they would take | wee om Je pan never do anything without nerve, Faint | conceived the plan of going through the window | one of the two courses mentioned by him was so: ead Ky heart don’t get boodle.” to the next room, he acted promptly. With a | strong that he had no fear of losing them other- — BE hp. (it ‘Be you takin’ risks now?” vick movement he squirmed to the level of | wise. Ae Fe i ‘* Certainly.” the window, slipped through, and dropped al- | When next he caught sight of them they were eee ee mie) “What racket be you on?” most noiselessly on the other side—an achieve- | crossing the tracks of the Hudson River Road, = ek ‘‘Never mind that.” ment of which a contortionist might not have | Nat could hear no train approaching, and-as aaney Is.) “el ; ‘t Nothin’ more than the confidence game, Pll | been ashamed. they did not seem tc be looking for one, he fe}l — BVA “ et.” . “T thought the knife would open it,” said Alf, | back on the boat theory, ts vp oe ‘“ We dropped a man tother night!” _ | at this moment, as he pulled the closet door open. The shipping interest is not lively at this point — * “4 Parsons made the assertion with the quick in- | ‘* Now for the beer.” of the river, but be could see two schooners just A F Feahs dignation of one who feels his business nerve Nat looked sharply around, The men were off the land, while several row-boats weredrawm = 2, a and sagacity assailed, but Greggs turned angrily | between him and the way of retreat; he could | up out of the water, The men were proceeding = =—— rat upon him. , not go down as he had come up, and they would | toward one of these, and Nat composedly sa dy “‘ Don’t give your brains away !’ he ordered. | soon return to the room. hat could he do? | down on the hillside. yey “T see ye don’t trust me,” grumbled the | The front window was open, but the best way ‘T reckon I’ve got ter let ’em zo, or else Swim Bene stranger. seemed to be to hide for a while. the pestiferous old river, and they might lead Come Bae} ‘* Nonsense, Alf. You and I have been in too He had selected a place for this when Alf | me a chase 0’ several miles, I won't try if ‘ Same many jobs for you to think that, but You know | unexpectedly appeared in the doorway, bottle | Assooredly not!” : 7 ¥ She ee it was always your Own motto that, ‘What is | in hand, Greggs and Parsons promptly entered a boat, pea one outsider’s business, is everybody’s business,’ ‘* Hullo!” he said, blankly, | it was pushed off, and then one of them 8g ey *> We're in delicate business, you see.” He had seen Nat, and was staring at him in | to use the oars. The boat was at once heade ‘y: a ** Boodle in it?” amazement, How the boy had come there he | due west. M, . . ae PY ': Sean ‘* Good promises,” did not know. ‘Goin’ over ter Jarsey, by ginger. Ithought = 4 Ae ‘** But not sure pay, eh?” ‘‘ Here’s an inferna: spy!” he abruptly added, | so.” _. ; 1 Cae & ‘It may prove so,” and a most hostile look appeared on his face. 1t did appear that such was the men’s destina~ ‘‘ When I silence a man, I make sure the pay | ‘I say, you young scamp, what are you doin’ | tion, for up to the time when theircraft vanished is good.” here— from his gaze in the darkness 1t steadily held its. f That’s all right,” acknowledged Greggs, The sentence was not finished. Nat did not | first course. He looked across the broad stream _ yess | ‘but this is a peculiar case—a very peculiar | care so. very much about Alf, but was very anx- | to where the Jersey bluffs sbowed grim and dark. apene eat i +> oe . cage,” ious that Greggs and Parsons should not see his ' on the other side, and then arose, ee a | : bh. § . ss 5 te . 4 o's ; a Be Fo erage pets —, 7. 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