Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 608 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

: ' look into the other’s face. 2 The Pitcher Detective’s Foil. Nanas The tall walls of the Capitol at the head of State street, faintly discernible in the starlight, might have been at a white heat, as it seemed to the sweltering people, who, sitting on doorsteps and sidewalk, were gasping for breath, Hardly an intimation of a breeze was stirring, and the waters of the Hudson River, of which a glimpse could be obtained now and then in the amplight between the houses were almost as smooth as glass, On the sidewalk in front of the American Hohtse on State street, sat two men. An electric light high upon a pole before the hotel illumi- nated the house, and would have brought the two men into strong relief, but for the poplars that intercepted the rays and lent a convenient shadow. We say convenient, for it was evident that the men did not desire to be noticed, and that their conversation was of a strictly private nature. Each was sitting in a rush-bottomed hotel chair, tilted back against the trunk of a tree, and their heads were as close together as it was possible to get them. ‘*Are you sure that he will stay all night?” asked one, a slim, dark young man, negligently attired in a gayly-striped fancy flannel shirt, a broad Panama hat, and a thin calico coat. He was evidently determined to be as cool as possi- ble, regardless of appearances, though his every word and movement bespoke one accustomed to good society. ‘“‘Am [ sure? Wal, now, you kin bet .yer boots thet when Sam Walker sez a thing, it goes! I didn’t git my name o’ Slicker fer nothin’!” ‘*Very elegant,” responded the other, care- lessly, as he knocked the ashes from his cigar, ‘* But what about the boy? Where abouts is his room?” ‘* See thet winder at ther corner of ther house, up in the third story?” s ‘* Thet’s whar heis. He hez ther black sachel, with ther diamonds up thar with him, an’ he never lets it out of his sight, When he goes to “fe he puts it under his vest an’ makes a pillow of it. “You are a smartrascal, Mr.—Mr,.—Slicker,” remarked his companion, turning his head to ** You know all about the young man’s habits, it seems,” ‘‘It wuz my business ter find out,” replied Slicker, shortly. ‘‘Now, Dll drop inter ther room some time afore mornin’, an’ git ther shiners, I'll turn’em over ter you out of ther window of my room, right next to his’n, an’ you git them ter your house ez quick an’ ez slick ez yer kin. See? No one will suspect you, an’ when ther trouble hez sort o’ blown over, why, we kin divide ther swag. Thar ain’t much risk *bout unset stones anyhow.” The young man’s face flushed as he listened to the plan of his companion, He evidently did not like the alliance, and it was hard to under- stand how he had come to be a partner in crime with the individual by his side, Sam Walker, or ‘Slicker,” was a _ short, stout, bullet-headed fellow of perhaps thirty Sa of age. Dressed in a rather flasiy suit, of owery cut, his short sack coat and vest were both unbuttoned, revealing a shirt of black and white cross-bar pattern, unconcealed by any- thing in the way of necktie or collar, his bh be wore a large, broad-brimmed white felt hat, such as is seldom seen east of Kansas City, and looked at from the shoulders up, Slicker might have been taken for a genuine cowboy, especially as he allowed his hair to grow as long as it would, and kept it brushed behind his ears, The fact was that Slicker bad spent a year or two of his life on the plains, and in dress and speech there were yet to be discerned traces of his experience in the West, As to the character of Slicker, that will be developed as this narrative progresses. ‘Yes, yes; [ must have money,” muttered the young man, while Slicker lighted a fresh cigar from the ashes of his old one, and com- posed himself in his chair with the air of a man on good terms with himself and the world at large. Wal, guv’nor, thet’s about all ez we hev ter talk ’bout, I suppose,” remarked Slicker, after five minutes’ quiet smoking. ‘‘ Thet is, ez fur ez this job is consarned. You be ’round hyar at three o’clock, or a little afore, Stand under thet maple tree cross ther street, an’watch. Ef er don’t see nothin’ by half-past, you kin go ome, cause it must be done by thet time, or not at all, It will be gittin’ daylight ’bout then.” , ‘* Very well.” * Now, ’bout this hyar ball game ter-morrer, Are yer goin’ to fix it fer me? It'll be er big thing fer you, Mister Scott, ez well ez fer me. Let the Diamond Stars of New York beat ther Albanys, an’ there'll be er pot o’ money to divide. Thar’s close on ter $5,000 on ther Stars in the Fourth Ward. Yer know ther ward is jist full o’ base-ball admirers, and they’ve put up ther money. Then ther fellers in Alban ain’t slow, and they’re jist as sure uy their lub as the New Yorkers,” ** Yes, I su so.” **A good deal of ther money is put up on both sides in New York, you understand.” ** Well?” ‘Let ther Stars ‘win an’ thar is $500 for you—” ‘“And how much for yourself?’ asked Scott, quickly, ‘“A thousand! Oh, don’t yer fool yerself, I’m looking out fer Slicker,” answered that con- federate, with a grin. ‘*T don’t like to be mixed up in sucha dis- graceful affair, and yet—$500 just now is worth more than $50,000 will be in another year,” muttered young Scott. Then, aloud: ‘ Ver well, Slicker. *“*Tll do it. Vl pitch so that if the Stars are any good at all, they will have no trouble, With you as umpire, and I as pitcher for the Albanys, our scheme can hardly fail,” ‘In course it can’t, guv’nor! Glad you hev so much sense, Richard,” ‘“*Good-night,” said Scott, shortly, as he arose from his chair and walked to a mansion in the vicinity of the Capitol. ‘* Wal, good-night, ef ye’r’ goin’. Though I think yer might hev offered me another o’ them cigars afore you went, jist ther same,” Richard Scott took no notice of this sugges- tion, but continued his walk, in deep medita- tion. ‘*Wal, go on, Mr. Scott. I know all ’bout you. Do eg think you’re too _— ter be m pardner, eh? Why, you low-down forger, could hev yer sent ter Sing Sing in er week ef I wanted ter. Think I don’t know all ’bout it, eh? But Ido! Slicker Walker makes it his bizness to know everything that may bring him the ducats,” As Sam Walker uttered these words, he arose from his chair and shook bis fist after Scott, while a look of malevolent hate took away what little pretensions to good looks his features might wear at ordinary times, ‘*Halloa! Who are you?” The exclamation came from him with a start- led emphasis, as he saw that he was not alone, ‘*No one in particular,” answered a wheezy voice, as a man in the last stage of dilapidation as to his clothing, and wearing stneeee red whiskers that concealed nearly the whole of his face, except a red nose, stepped from bebind the treeand shivered, notwithstanding theoppressive heat of the night. ‘* Tell me who yer are, or I'll choke yer ter death!” hissed Slicker, shy as he seized the ragged sojourner by the shou der. The stranger shook him off, and drawing him- self up with offended “gpg, be roe ‘‘Tam a gentleman, sir, traveling for pleas- ure. I have stopped over in Albany to witness the ball game to-morrow, and I am desirous of borrowing the minute sum of ten cents,” “Fer whisky, eh?” ‘No, sir; not for whisky. Youinsult me, sir. I do not drink whisky.” ‘“*T begs yer on. I thought ez that nose said whisky ez plainly as anything I ever see.” The ragged man was more dignified now than ever, as he simpered: ‘It does not say whisky; but if you bad guess- ed ‘Rum,’ you would have hit it exactly. When I ask you to lend me ten cents, I do so on ‘account of this.” There was a rapid movement of the fingers of the dirty hand that he thrust into the face of Slicker, which produced an immediate response. ‘* Why didn’t yer make ther sign afore?” he asked, ‘*IT never use it unlessI am obliged. I am sake to help you with a job that you have on n The ragged man had dropped his shabby-gen- teel whining manner, and now spoke earnestly and rapidly. ‘* Who sent you?” ‘The captain.” sé al?” ‘* Well, what is it we have todo? I did not get any instructions, except to find you at the American House, and then let you manage the job with my help, I had a good description of you, and you see I[ found you at once.” ‘Allright. What’s yer name?” ** Barker.” ‘* What, Barker ez did ther bank job in—” ‘‘ Hush! Thatis all right. A man can have too much fame, you know,” suggested the rag- ged man. ‘‘I have been laying low for a year, since I did that little trick, but the cops are still watching for me. This is the first thing I have been into since,” ‘**'You can’t do nothin’ in them clothes.” ““T know it. But they are not as bad as they look.” He threw off the tightly buttoned ragged coat he bad been wearing, and showed that he wore avery good one underneath. Then he pulled his necktie and collar straight, pushed out two or three dents in his derby bat, brushed scme dust from his trowsers with his hands, an 2- moving his whiskers and wiping the end of ais nose with his handkerchief, thus taking off the red paint, showed himself as a neatly-attired, clean-shaven fellow of about the same age as Slicker. ‘*T guess Ill stay at this hotel, Slicker. Let us go to your room and then you can tell me what [I have todo. Well, and how do you do?” The last sentence was addressed to a bright- looking girl who was walking hastily up the hill and was about to enter the hotel. She took no notice of Barker’s remark, but he was not to be put off thus. He prided himself on bis allantry and always said that he was a regular lady’s man, He seized the girl’s wrist, exclaim- ing: ‘** Just one kiss before we part.” ‘You paltry omadhaun! Faix! I’d wipe oop the goother wid yer, av ye wuz worruth it, Git out of me soight!” The girl wrenched her wrist away, and, at the same time, struck Baker a violent blow in the eye with her left fist, ‘*Take that, ye tief of the worruld! Saints abeve, I’d have ye to know that Norah O’Connor bees a dacent girrul, Kiss me, indade, ye thafe!” Barker had been stretched on his back by the blow delivered with the healthiest good will by the buxom maiden who stood over him, her gray eyes flashing in the electric light, and her P skid ob curls falling in disorder over her flushed ace. A look of deadly evil was in Barker’s face as he sprung to his feet, and drawing a knife from bis sleeve, ran toward the girl. ‘*‘Ow! Theblagguard has a knife, so he has!” shrieked Norah, too terrified to move, ‘* Quit that, Barker!” yelled Slicker, who saw the movement, and remembering the desperate character of his companion,had no wish to figure as an accessory to a murder before and after the fact. The maddened Barker heard nothing, saw nothing, save this country girl who had burt his dignity as well as knocked him down, and — was murder in the arm tbat raised the nife, In anotber second it would have reached the girl, when, like a thunderbolt, something whizzed ast Norah from above, and striking Barker in the shoulder, knocked him backward as the knife flew from bis hand into the street. Before he could recover himself, Norah had run into the botel, and, too upset to say any- thing about the encounter, to the ay oe cler went through the hall to ber room in the rear 0 the house and cried herself to sleep from sheer excitement, As she disappeared a young man who had been watching the controversy on the side- walk from the end window in the third story went inside, saying to himself, as a smile played around his mouth: ‘*T guess that hot ball saved that girl’s life.” The young man was a handsome fellow with blonde curls and steel-blue eyes, and some of our readers already know him by bis sobriquet of Double-Curve Dan, the Pitcher Detective. CHAPTER II. TWO STRIKES. IT was between two and three o’clock in the morning, and everything about the American Hotel was still and peaceful. The occupants of the many rooms in the great, rambling house were nearly all asleep. ven the night clerk, in his comfortable chair behind the counter had dropped into a deep slumber, There were no trains to come in for an hour or two, and he was safe in assuming that he would not be troubled with new guests from any other quarter before daylight. In the dining-room, which could “be seen through a window from the office, the white tablecloths were already spread ready for break- fast, and the napkins, twisted into cones by the 5 7, =r 4 he eo 6 & © = mw wt _ — (Sis com Gpoo