Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 671 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

and steer clear of Captain Catchem, the detec- tive, “Pll do both, Simon,” answered the Jersey boy, and when he left the house some time after- ward, he clap his hand on his bosom to assure himself tbat the important work of Simon’s scissors was still there, Alas! for Jed! The unwished-for was about to happen. CHAPTER V, CAPTURED, It was with unconcealed eagerness that the Jersey boy purchased bright and early the next morning a copy of a certain paper. He did not proceed directly home in order that his mother might share with him the discovery he expected to make, but opened the journal at once and sought the ** personal” column, A moment later his eyes rested on a ‘‘ persoual”’ which sent a thrill along his nerves, and in a friendly doorway he reai half aloud as follows: ‘“H. & Co.:—Domot think that matter off, Let- ter at hand and will be speedily attended to. M.”” **Tt’s very brief, but tells its own story,” said Jed to. himself. ‘*‘H. & Co.,’ means Weldon and Nottingham, and ‘M,’ is Murchison. It’s as plain to meas though the full names of the parties appeared in the ‘personal,’ It won’t suit Webb Weldon; I know it. He will see that the last line means a delay—that Mark Mur- chison is playing for more time. He wants to circumvent the pair with his detective, and time is precious now, No, that won’t suit Mr. Weldon, He wants money; he must make a showing of wealth, or lose the young lady on the avenue,” Jed put the paper away and went home. He read the “personal” aloud to his mother and commented thereon in the same strain just noticed. ‘* Now, what are you going to do?” asked Mrs, Jeffreys. “‘T shall bring matters to a crisfs,” answered Jed, ‘*Webb Weldon will be for moving straight on Murchison’s works, I don’t think Nick Nottingham will be able to hold him back.” At this juncture and before the widow could mys there came, sharp and resonant, a knock on the doo . Both: mother and son started, but the widow recovered first and opened the portal. There stood before them a man whose face _ ‘Was covered with a thick gray beard. __. Jed could hardly keep back a rising ery of re- _ cognition, for, despite some clever masking, the visitor stood before him as Captain Catchem! Mrs. Jeffreys, of course, did not know the nan, but a terrible suspicion rose instantly in her mind. : The detective had already spied Jed, who was looking at bim from his chair, and as the widow eld the door open he came in with a pleasant ** Good-morning.” The boy was caught at last. The very man whom he had resolved to avoid had found him = before his resolution had ceased to sound, Jed knew, or thought, at least, that the best way to meet the difficulty was to put on a bold ~~. front and from the start let Captain Catchen know that if he was in Mark Marchison’s pay, z= had come to the wrong hcuse for informa- on, ** Mother,” said Jed, wavin the detective, ‘‘ this is Burt called Captain Catchem,” The famous detective was completely taken ‘aback by this unexpected move. It had been executed without the slightest warning and the effect was like the dropping of a thunderbolt, “TIT know what the gentleman wants,” con- tinued Jed. ‘Take a chair, captain. I can’t » Say that I’m overjoyed to see you; but I'll make your visit as pleasant as I can.” Captain Catchem in finding Jed so soon had the accident on the Deen bight favored by fortune, The inei - concenin —- wery, as detailel by Murchison, had given Be At the station-house ‘where we saw him last he had learned the name of the in- jured boy; not only this but he had seen one of his hand toward utler, commonly e ” ont % the policemen who carried Jed home, and from him had secured all the necessary information, __ . The detective knew the moment be saw Jed at home that he had not made a mistake, He had discovered the lost link—the boy who saw by c. eae be men who robbed Murchison in Jer- . ee DV. ? Cae ar 7 eee Bae “gis a ot iN ¥ She . Seok “ > 3 “eG Rahs ox n Te 4 re “Now, captain, what isit?” asked Jed, coming to the ferret’s relief, for his manner of the interview had embarrassed | oe a Pee _ ’ " aot ; : ot Aa ap ~ 4 - 6 cet wi ; : a . roa yes gw Oe Sor see vero 1 ES Neen eg Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler. “menace to the public.” his coolness. ‘*‘ We need no introduction, I’m Jed Jeffreys, formerly of New Jersey, and the unwilling witness of six years ago, In other words, I’m the boy you're looking for.” It cost Jed an effort to give vent to such lan- guage. It was ‘‘ taking the bull by the horns,” as he afterward told Scissors Simon, but he saw no other way out of the dilemma, Captain Catchem could not keep back a smile at Jed’s boldness, ‘*You are right, Master Jeffreys,” said he. Just now I am looking fora young man of your description and—” ‘In the interest of Mark Murchison?” exclaim- ed Jed’s mother, springing forward and laying her hand heavily upon the detective’s shoulder. ‘Don’t get excited, mother,” put in Jed. ‘*T can’t help it. My blood boils when I think of that man. If you have become his agent, Captain Catchem, my son shall give you no in- formation, no matter bow much you lose indi- vidually by his silence, ; ‘‘ Wait, madam,” answered the ferret calmly. ““T bave the feelings of a man if I do sometimes hunt down my fellow-creatures, Your son and I will come to an understanding.” Mrs. Jeffreys, with a look at Jed, drew off re- luctantly. ‘* He will tell you nothing that conflicts with our interests,” said she, ‘* After all these years of injustice he will not, he must not, favor the man in whose employ you are said to be.” Captain Catchem bowed and turned to Jed. ‘‘You lived in Jersey six years ago?” he queried, ‘‘ Yes, but why approach the subject by de- grees?’ smiled the boy, “Hit the nail on the head the first blow, captain. We lived there at the time of the robbery of Oak Mansion, the home of Mark Murchison. I am the witness who ran off to keep from telling him what I knew. I saw the robbers in the ravine, I got a good look at them for I watched them more than two hours. They say the reason the detec- tives never caught them was my refusal to de- scribe them at the time.” ‘‘ You are right,” replied the detective, ‘If you had told the story of your watch in detail the mystery would have been cleared up long lighting up with indignation as he spoke, is not fancy, but terrible fact! Tetributiou forever, When youecarry to him tbe spoils of that old robbery you deprive us of vin- dication. Would to heaven it were such!” swered the detective. ther an injustice.” ‘*T want to believe that.” . ‘Tam in Murchison’s employ. Se2ing that you have known this for some time, I will not attempt to conceal the fact, You will not dis- close the whereabouts of—” Captain Catchem pausod a second, ‘*T have no desire to fur- smile, ‘* Yes! You know the men; you are familiar with their movements.” ‘‘[ know the men!” responded Jed firmly, **A description of them as they appeared six years ago would be of no practical bene fit now. They have changed. Six years make a good deal of difference in face and figure. I’m sorry, Captain Catchem, We'll have to fight our own battles. Your triumph in this matter means our defeat. I know what victory tor Mark Mur- chison means. Tell him,if you will, that you have found us. Say to him that wntil be rights the wrong—the infamous wrong—my mouth, as a witness, will be closed, Meantime, I -sha)l go on and carry out the plans I bave formed. I am my own shadow, I have been a detective sistance. Murchison and Holdfast & foil me, I will submit as gracefully asI can, But I keep my own secrets, captain.” Findin tive, balf an hour later, tsetse but determined still to find Holdfast & speedily reach the end of the trail, — — - CHAPTER VI. “ja. JED IN THE TOILS, THE Boy things” as fast as Co,, and sible. zo. ‘Just so,” laughed Jed. ‘“‘And we would have received no more justice than he had doled out to us before,” ‘You don’t like the gentleman known as Murchison?” “Why should wef’ cried the widow. ‘‘If ee the past as We know it—if you could ed Mark Murchison’s service, he knew he would bave to act promptly in order to get ahead of the detective. intentions, he soon followed Burt Butler into the the following night, Knowing from certain observations cautiously taken, that Holdfast & Co. were seldom at home at that bour, he went straizht to their retrea resolved upon entering the house which he long desired to search. Jed was anxious to find the documents which Weldon and Nottingham were holding over Murchison’s head, while the told the story of wrong as it might be detail- , you would not wonder that we have nothing but bate—heaven forgive us!—for that base man, Perhaps you should not be blamed, You area detective; you Work for money, Mark Murchison. no doubt pays you well for what you are doing; he can afford to. You and Jed for it, I have confidence in my boy,” and Mrs. Jeffreys uitted the room, leaving Captain Catchem and ed alone. ‘It deeply affects my mother,” remarked Jed ; ‘‘ but let us not talk of that. You bave run me down, I think I know what you want.” “You ought to know.” “You want my description of the men I saw same, Jed reached the house and found it silent and apparently deserted, sss S=>—S ss that day.” and stood in darkness that seemed visible. “T do.” : The adventuresome Jersey boy now drew his — “You will then want to know whether I | shoes, and finding the stairdoor unlocked know their present whereabouts.” The detective nodded, ‘Captain Catchem, | will give you the de- scription which I refused Mark Murchison and his detectives six years ago, but there my in- formation must stop.” The boy spoke witha firmness which must have told the detective that nothing would move him. “You don’t realize the needs of your full speech concerning this affair,” said the shadow, ‘‘ Those men are Villains who ought to be behind bars, and each moment of their liberty is a oor, | He felt that he was the sole tenant of the house at that hour, and if he could but find the biding- would not affect to despise, belief that the men were not at home, With the coast tbus clear Jed went to work, but with all his search he found nothing, He was careful to replace every thing he dis- turbed lest Holdfast & Co., coming home should — discover that the house bad been visited and ‘“‘Tknow that, I know that just now they suddenly and secretly change their quarters. are playing a dark game fora fortune. They have Mark Murchison in the toils, and are | Jed found a lamp which he placed he putting the thumb-screws to him in grand | flcor so as to keep its lightfrom reaching the — sh ; window, and this assisted him greatly inthe “Then, of course, you know their_identity, their disguises, their hiding-place. You have not lost sight of tbese men for six yaars.” Jed made no reply. roti ** You have stopped the wheels of justice; you are willing tc see the rascals perpetrate another crime, one as great as the first effort. Because you and your mother fancy you have been | search, a He had finished the bunt and stood at the basement when ho was startled by key in the front lock. The sound caused the stand stil. \ fer The next moment the door opened, he voices and saw two figures enter the hal, wronged—”" “Faney, do you say?” broke in Jed, his eyes . i ‘ “ag : . ‘ . ° - 4 ie ~ : ° a. A . 1h us oe fate ~ EE Dal Rahs oe EIR oe fe J > Br 7 i “ : : -* "ys " . Ws ce per Le os - >> . ae | es 4 4 lew est vies - oh ’ ° Vv) om = = . le s ke re * . . | = = ’ s° b : =, a SF. % > - ie _ __* / a : of i in , P a - . oi 7) me . ey = 9 ? ° rnd ee éé, ey 0 ft Ca? & a No a \ - . ian . e* - P| - a ee - a, - X iet> a Finding bimself discovered by Captain Catchem _ who seemed to have entered heart.and soul into sinpes up the steps and searched the second The sleaping-room of the two conspirators he — found empty, which discovery confirmed his — xe head of the staircase about to. descend to the Boy Shadow’s heart to . ~o I i I =." gs ref rw 7A , gi gh | The moment — of Mark Murchison’s triumph puts off the day of ~ Fancy, do you say, Captain Catchem? — “T'm sorry to find you in this humor,” an- | Of Holdfast & Co., eh?” finished Jed witha — You must hunt Holdfast & Co., witbout my as- ~ on my own hook for three Psa and if Mark himself balked, the New York detec- — uitted the home of the - Jeffreyses with thoughts he had not bad before, — Shadow now resolved to “ push» | Saying nothing to his mother concerning his street, but did not attempt to play shadow until demanded the — enormous sum of two hundred thousand forthe — Making his way into the back-yard he effect- — 5 ed an entrance through the basement window place of the missing papers, he would placeimm — bis own hands a weapon which Mark Murecbison * ais ee _ aS J T n 1, we tm ‘7 bet a" a “4