Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 637 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee ~~ 12 ~=————sS&Diiek Doan, the Dock ‘Won't you?” he exclaimed. ** By ke-prentd yout” fie éxélaimed. —“ By Jupiter’ 171 Pll throttle you till you’re black in the face.” ‘* Like you served Pappy Powder, eb?” The man seemed to recoil before these start- ling words. ‘* What’s that?” he cried. ‘*T guess 1 needn’t repeat it, English.” Once more Waffles came on, red to the tem- ples, but Dick held his ground with the strong chair above his shoulders, ** You touch me at your peril, Ake Ai exclaim- ed the rogue. ‘‘ I’m as strong as a lion,” At the same time he covered the remainder of the distance between him and the boy detective and allat once the chair came down upon bis head with all the accompanying power Dick I spoke good could muster. Although Waffles threw up one hand to break the effects of the blow he was only partially successful, for he staggered under the stroke, and, ere he could recover, another one had been dealt. Waffles went back to the wall, and Dick, de- spite his deep-seated dislike of the rascal, almost regretted the two blows which had covered his face with blood. He threw down the chair and went to the door, The key was in the lock and a twist sent the bolt back, the sweetest sound Dick had heard in a long time. With another glance at Waffles, who had sunk along the wall to the floor, he opened the door and stepped out, ‘** Better luck than I expected!” saidhe, ‘* This is like getting out of a steel-trap unexpectedly. If Wat Waffles will occupy his haunt ten min- utes I promise that he shaJl be in the bands of the police, If Cid Cuyler don’t look out I'll fin- ish the game before he gets a fair chance at it, It was the boy’s intention to put Waffles under arrest for assault, hoping to fasten the greater crime of fraud if not murder upon him before he could wriggle from the clutches of the law, and tocarry out his purpose he addressed the first policeman whom he encountered after quit- ting the scene of his brief combat with Waffles, The two hurried back to the spot, but when they entered the room they found that the bird had flown; not only this, but there was not wanting evidence that he had gone for good, ‘*Too late!” smiled the policeman, This is the way it happens sometimes. You don’t often get to put your fingers on these city fleas when you want ’em,” As there was nothing for Dick and the officer to do in the room they soon took their departure, the boy walking back to the spot where he had picked up the blue coat, *€ Ain’t you the boy who hunts the harbor?” suddenly queried the policeman, looking into Dick’s face by the hght of a street-lamp. ‘* Pm Dick o’ op Docks.” ‘*T thought s You don’t recollect me, I poate pose ?” he boy detective shook his head, “fT am Jimmy Callister, Some years ABO, when you were just learning to paddle a boat, I yicked you out of the water rafter an upsetting. dried you on the dock in the sun, and in a few minutes you were as lively as a cricket.” ‘*T recollect the circumstance, though I had forgotten your name, I thank you again, Mr, Callister.” ‘* Oh, that’s all right!” laughed the big police- man, whose whiskers were nearly as red as oa cheeks ‘‘I remember at the time that looked a little like a lost boy that New pit went wild over some years ago. Where’s your mother, Dick?” ** Dead, sir.” ‘Was she dead when I fished you out of the water?” ‘She was,” ‘* What was her name?” ‘* Mary Doan, I guess.” A smile spr ead over Jimmy Callister’s face. ‘* You ‘guess’ eh?” said he. ‘‘ What have you got to show that Mary Doan was your mother and that she was dead the first time we met?” Dick looked in wonder at the policeman and did not speak for a moment. ‘“T don’t know what you are driving at?” cried hey ‘‘'You wharf-rats are floaters on the sea of life, ” said Callister, ‘‘I take an interest in all 0 ye. Twixt you and me and my club, Dick, I used to be a wharfer myself, Mary Doan, you say? Well, that doesn’t keep me from remem- bering that at the time I thought you looked like that lost child of Kingdon the broker.” Dick could not repress a start. ‘* Come, Mr. Callister, you don’t mean that?” he exclaimed, laughing. ** Cer tainly I do, I had my head so full of little Custer Kingdom once that I hadn’t lost much of it when I found you. Theresemblance between your face and the boy’s was rather stri- king then, but,” he looked very hard at Dick, ‘it isu’t so gi ‘eat now.” ve got nothing but poverty blood iu Sea but I’m satisfied all the same,” said Dic ** Good night, Mr. Callister.” ‘* Where are you going?—after the fellow we missed a while ago?’ ‘**)]] find him yet.” ‘* Be careful! He'll show his teeth again.” ‘We'll pull them if be does,” was the reply that came back, and the next moment Jimmy Callister, twirling his stick, Jooked after the boy with a smile, while Dick himself was thinking of something he had not thought of before. CHAPTER XV. THE YOUNG HOT-HEADS, Wat WAFFLES was a fugitive from justice, It was not the first time he had enjoyed this distinction, but now he was eager to hide himself any where, ‘although he had not given up the game he had played so shrewdly and with such profit to himself, He thought of several things at once when he recovered from the effects of the rather surpris- ing knock-down he had received at the hands of Dick Doan, He recollected that the boy had accused him of the murder of Pappy Powder, that he had throttled another man in the same plac eand that sees would probably retu.n soon with a police- ° Back thoughts were apt to admonish him to clear out as soon as possible, Ht § eye had become black from the blow with the chair, and he was anxious to get away be- fore it could Jead to his discovery, Five minutes had barely elapsed ere the room was vacated. Wat took a few little things and disappeared, Therefore, when Dick came back, he found the apartment without a tenant as we have sven, Waffles being far away at the time, making tracks for a new hiding-place from which he ex- pected to play a trump card every now and then and secure the prize, of the game, Carlos Kingdon’s fortune, As to Dick, after his interview with Callister the policeman, he went straight to the lodging occupied by Cid Cuyler the detective who, with Mollie, had rescued him from Mother Scam- mon’s trap in the old house in Jersey City. But he found the door locked, and was obliged to turn back without seeing the sbadower. During his last movements he was observed by a pair of keen eyes which belonged to a fig- ure that kept pace with him without noise, and when he turned back from Cuyler’s quar ters he was followed as before. It happened that the detective’s lodgings were ina part of the city not very far from Carlos Kingdon’s residence, The boy seemed to think of this before he had gone a square from the house, Remembering his interview with Tony in the Scag and his discovery of the portrait in Tom- y Topp’s room, Dick appeared to be goaded rec ak the brokers house by a strong desire, ‘ Here! I want you!” said a sudden voice at his elbow, The boy turned quickly. ‘* Ho!” he exclaimed, surprised to see Tony within reach. ‘I did not expect to meet you here,” ‘*T should say not,” was the answer. ‘*‘ What made you lie to me awhile ago?” Dick assumed an expression of indignance which did not deceive Tony, the heir. ‘“‘Ain’t youaspy? I believe you are!” he ex- claimed, seizing the boy’s collar. ‘* You told me that Tommy Topp was dead,” ** Well?” ‘* He is alive!” ‘** How do you know?” ** ve just seen him.” Dick was nonplused for a moment. He saw that Tony had caught him in a fiction invented for the purpose of drawing him out and disclos- ing his origin. Wat Waffles’s confederate was in a passion. The two boys were well-matched physically, and for a little while they looked at each other like young gladiators. ‘““T’ve a mind to escort you to the station,” suddenly cried Tony. Dick Doan, the Dock | Boy Detective. I'd just as lief go there as anywhere,” answered Dick. ‘If you don’t know the way to the station, [ll show you,” Ton did not accept the challenge. hat made you try to hoodwink me?” he went on. ‘‘ Did you think I wouldn’t go to Unele Noll’s Nest and find you out?” That is exactly what Dick had thought, though he did not say so, “ Who's paying you?’ continued Tony. “Hor what?” ‘For playin ** No one, y.” ‘* Don’t I? What were you doing in the house on the other street?” ‘¢ What house?” ‘*The one occupied by Cid Cuyler, who, as every body knows, is a detective.” ** You’ve been watching me, then?” Tony laughed, for Diek’s reply was in his eyes a confession of guilt. ‘* A boy like you don’t hoodwink other peo- ple and then hunt up a detective for nothing,” he suddenly resumed, ‘‘ You can’t get away without telling me the whole story.” The boy shadow of the docks straightened and looked defiance in Tony’s face, ‘In the first place, ’'m under no obligations to tell you anything,” said he, ‘Secondly, you can’t force anything from me,” This was plain enough, and Dick was ready to back up his words with all the strength at his command, Somehow or other Tony did not seem inclined to accept the challenge thrown out by word and ‘*Come along! spy. ” ou don’t know that I’m playing 5 “Tf I catch you spying any more, [ll make it warm for you!” said he. Dick merely laughed. ‘*Remember!” continued Tony, shaking his finger at the wharf detective as he stepped back, ‘Keep your distance, and don’t dog my steps. If you do, I’ll break the ground with ou! Without another word, Tony turned and walked away. ‘‘1%m coming,” exclaimed Dick, following him with clinched hands, ‘TI happen to be going toward Carlos Kingdon’s house, and a fellow has a right to go where he pleases in this cit ony drew aside, his face crimson with rage, ointed up the street. oon!” cried he. ‘Go ahead; don’t play sleuth-hound at my heels,” Dick looked at him a moment, and then assed on. He walked rapid enough to soon get veyond Tony’s sight, but when Wat Waffles’s false heir came near the house, he saw the figure of the dock detective on the steps. The boy had just rung the bell, and was waiting for a response, ‘‘ This is impudeuce itself!” cried Tony, flying at Dick without giving him a moment for de- fense. ‘*If I don’t settle you here, you'll give us trouble,” The two boys almost went headlong to the sidewalk, but their hold on each other was not broken, and in a second they were struggling under one of the trees in front of the bouse, Tony was desperate. The situation seemed to lend him strength, but his ire got the better of his judgment, e was punishing Dick against the tree when a man appeared suddenly on the scene, and separated the combatants without ceremony, throwing them in two directions by main strength. It was Carlos Kingdon himself, end before Dick had fully recovered he saw the broker lead Tony up the steps and disappear with him bey ond the door. ‘If he knew what I knew he wouldn’t be so eager to protect that young scamp,” thought the boy spy of the docks, picking up bis bat and walking off with a parting glance. ‘* Maybe it is best that I did not get to lay the game ¥ had in my mind, I was going to tell Carlos King- don all I knew. Maybe he would have listened, and perhaps I would have been ordered out of the pate Tony will tell a, plausible tale of some kind, and Kingdon will believe him, They’ve hoodwinked the broker completely, I never saw anything like it. Wat Weffles knows what he is talking about when he calls himself a sly old fox.” Just twenty minutes afterward, when Dick was wiping the dirt from his face, with the as- sistance of a public fountain, he was startled by a heavy step, and almost immediately felt a hand on his arm, ‘‘T guess you're the chappy,” said a gruff voice, and the boy detective was jerked back and f - ™ / a ora J00KS.com