Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 685 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

wn ¥ : Hap ~ able to reach, was a small window whiéh enabled - jight and air to reach him. ugh had tried a hundred times to reach that window. He wondered how strong the bars were. They appeared to be as thick as his fin- gers, but rusty as well, and while he looked he fancied that he was strong enough to twist them off if he could but reach them. He drew back and looked most wistfully at the window, but the situation seemed to goad him to renewed exertion. ; He noticed that there projected from the sill an iron spiké, It looked strong enough to bear his weight. , és Pkg experiment, of course,” said the lad, ‘“ bnt it’s worth trying.” He jerked off his coat and carried the stool be- neath the window. The next moment he was trying to catch the coat upon the nail, and after several efforts suc- eeded, : Hugh tugged away and found that the gar- ment bad fairly caught. ‘‘ That’s pretty good as far as it goes,” thought the prisoner, and then he began to draw himself up to the window, - . He felt like giving utterance toacry of tri- umph as bis hand found thesill and ina little while he was looking out through the bars, ‘‘7 was under ground sure enough,” exclaim- ed the young shadower, ‘‘ The window is near- ly ona level with the ground. Burt Denman knew all about this cage before he landed me in it. Now for the bars.” He caught hold of one of the upright bars and tugged at if with one hand, but it would not yield, Then he tried another and still another but with the same result, “The web holds well!” laughed Hugh, drop- ing tothe ground out of breath, and leaving bis coat fast upon the iron spike, ‘* This isn’t getting out very fast, but Rome wasn’t built in a day and I must go to work again.” The window looked into a cramped back yard, and now Hugh saw in one corner of it the stoop- ing figure of a boy, After surveying the lad some time, the boy detective whistled, and in an instant the young- ster, who was almost in rags, made a spring for the close fence, ‘Come here!” said Hugh, while the boy stared at him. ‘I don’t wart to eat you, for I’ve just bad my breakfast. I’m shut up in this hole.” The gutter-snipe, who had been detected on a pillaging expedition, looked at Hugh in open- mouthed wonder. “What! shut up in that cellar?” he said, com- ing forward by inches. “Yes. I’m a prisoner here,” ‘** What did you do?” The boy prisoner could not keep back a smile. ‘Nothing to get in here fairly, ’ he answered, ‘Well, I s’pect you wants to git out,” ‘*Of course I do,” _ “JT wish I could help you, but them’s jron bars, and l’m no Samson.” ‘Neither am I, or I wouldn’t be here now, W ho lives in the house above me?” .**T don’t know.” ‘¢ What street is it” ** Don’t you know that?” ‘¢T do not.” ‘* It’s on O—— street, about three blocks from the river.” ; “T thought last night that I heard the boats.” ih Of course you did,” said the strange boy. ‘Well, Jim— “My name’s not Jim,” broke in the gamin; “but, Jim’s good enough, though, What is it?” ** You must get me a file,” Hugh urged, “Pll have to beg, borrow or steal it if I do,” grinned the boy on the outside. “If files were three cents a thousand, with discount for cash, I couldn’t buy the point of one.” ‘* You're broke, then?” ‘Broke flat; but, as my pard, Hubby, says, it’s my normal condition. You want a file’ eb! Yes.” ‘I know what for. them bars?” “That's it, Jimmy, my dear.” 5 gamin drew back with a look of delight in his clear, blue eyes, “Tl try old Seesaw,” said he. “The old fel- low has nearly everything in his den, and _, there’s likely to be a million files there.” ‘‘ Be cautious,” warned Hugh. “ That’s my name,” laughed the gamin. “The _ house don’t seem to be occupied. I haven't seen any one about,” , ** But it 1s tenanted,” admonished the prisoner. ‘*Tf you are Caught, the jig is up.” You want to cut through 53 ” >A . ae » 2 -aik a ae ‘4 sal ted ee — r i py Sa ‘ y Hugh, the ‘ i be _ she ~ “4 t x , . . The boy was already scaling the fence with the agility of a monkey, and the musician detec- tive saw him disappear, with a fervent prayer for the success of his expedition. Hugh watched the fence until he could no longer keep his body suspended along the wall, and was obliged to drop back for a rest, In a short time he was up at the window again, and, to his delight, saw the frowsy head of the gamin above the fence. “Here I am, pard!” exclaimed the boy, drop- iug into the yard and running forward. ‘‘ Old Seesaw bad oodles of files an’ I managed to get the ** loan” o’ two,” Hugh’s eyes fairly beamed at sight of the files which the boy drew from under his tattered garment, “I guess the house is deserted now,” contin- ued the street Arab, ** ‘Why so?” “I took a look at it out o’ curiosity before I dodged down the alley, and I saw a man come out, lock the door and go away.” ** What did he look like?” ‘“* He was tall, with a hooked nose an’ a chubby mustache, Looked vicious, I tell yer.” ‘* Had he dark hands?” Hugh thought of the hand which had handed his victuals into the prison. _ “As dark as mine!” answered the boy, show- ing bis own hands which were very dark. “Then, my jaileris out for an airing!” de- cided Hugh, ‘* Now for the files, Jim!” “Id like to do the job myself,” cried the gamin. ‘* Yousee I can work better thau you for I don’t have to hang along a wall.” ‘“That’s a fact. Goto work. If you get me out, I'll start you on the road to fame.” ‘*Don’t varnish me!” chuckled the strange boy, and the next minute tlugh was listening to the gnawing of the file which he thought was the sweetest music he had ever heard—eclipsing the wonderful strains he had ofter coaxed from bis flute, CHAPTER XIX, “PHELAN! HELP! HELP!” HvuGH was out of the web! _ The street Arab who had come to bis rescue in the nick of time had persevered until the iron bars could be broken with little effort, and the young detective was helped througb the window to scale the fence beyond and find himself out of the clutches of Burt Denman the spider. He had parted from his rescuer after plaster- ing him with thanks which he promised should be redeemed with something more substantial in the near future, and had hurried f his lodg- ings. He found the little room in the same condition in which he had left it. He was trying to settle upon some plan of action when he beard a step in the corridor, and Mrs, Salmon, the janitress of the house, made her appearance. Her amazement on seeing Hugh once more in his quarters was very lags but she soon found her glib tongue and the boy ferret was told all she knew. Then he learned that Joly Jenkins was dead, for Mrs. Salmon had seen him with Hugh, knew that he was his pupil and had accidentally heard his name; therefore, when she read of the as- sault upon Lawyer Natchett and the death at the hospital of bis assailant, she put this and that together, and bad some important news for Hap y Hugh when he came home. © went to the old lawyer for something and failed to get it,” thought the boy. ‘* There was & paper missing and Joly was to find it witbin twelve hours, or get exposed. His at- tempt Cost him his life; that’s the way it looks to me, at any rate. Now, Burt Denman is at the head of the game more than ever before. He is supreme master, and all the cards are his, I'll bet my head that he shed no tears when he heard of Joly’s death, Not he!” Mrs, Salmon at last went away and left Hugh alone, and not long afterward ba stole from the house, looking as much unlike his old self as artificial means could make bim. Hugh went over to Phelan’s quarters but the detective was notin. Then he strolled past the ** Eureka” and saw Nips at his post as if death had not taken his friend and manager, Joly, ager to discover Denman, if possible, Hugh stole to the side window at which a had carried on Certain operations known to the reader, and took the liberty of peeping into the private office, ; It was empty, but, even as he looked, he saw i door open and Denman strode into the m, , Boy-Musician Detective. Tbe boy shadower drew back—he could not help doing so—when his gaze fell upon the well- known figure of the spider, He saw Denman seat himself at the desk and light a cigar, ‘* Nips?” he heard the spider call. ‘* Yes, sir,” answered a voice and the following instant the clerk apy eared in the doorway. “Tve got a new manager already,” continued Denman, and at once there came to Nips’s face an expression of surprise. ‘IT hope he’ll be as good as Joly was,” said Nips. **T think he will.” ‘* When does he take hold?” ‘To-morrow, I presume, His name is Comp- ton, and we are going to conclude arrangements to-night in this office. We expect to enlarge our business, and Mr. Compten thinks he has some excellent ideas as to how it.should be done.” Nips listened to all this with stolid face, then bowed and went back to his desk. ‘*He’s roped in another fly, the spider has,” muttered Happy Hugh. ‘‘ Mr. Compton will have more experience than capital if the scheme is let alone. Denman has more than one string to his harp, and knows how to play ’em all,” He then fell to watching the man in the little office, who suddenly ceased smoking, and took some papers from the safe, At tie same time he took from an inner pocket a paper which he added to the packet with an air of triumph. “Everything works for me,” he heard Den- manexclaim. ‘‘l suppose the excitement did it. Besides, he was old, and had done enough rascality to occasion a call hence, Everything works!” And he chuckled and rubbed his hagds with inward glee, ‘Yes, everything works, but not in your di- rection,” said Hugh, eying the chuckling rascal, ‘*What new event has happened? Who has 15 been killed by excitement, and what did that death net you?” Of course there was no answer, and fearful lest he should be discovered at the window, the young detective withdrew. He went toward the river and took a survey of the house from whose cellar he had lately es- caped, t was a cold-looking brick affair, not unlike some of its neighbors, and the closed shutters gave it a deserted appearance, While be gazed the front door opened and a mau, looking like the person described by the gamin, came out, He seemed flurried and alarmed. ‘* He has missed me!” exclaimed Hugh, ‘ He has just discovered that the meshes of the web bave been broken and that the fly has escaped. He will go straight to Denman. He will post the spider and then the jig will be up. Is he Crompton, the new manager? From his looks { would trust him to play rascal with Denman, or any one like him.” By this time the man who had come out of the house was walking rapidly away and Happy Hugh resolving not to lose sight of him was at his heels waiting for an opportunity to check- mate bim. There was no doubt-in the boy’s mind concern- | ing the fellow’s destination, @ was going to Denman to tell him about his (Hugh’s) escape and to put the city spider on his guard, ‘* Why don’t he take a car?” Hugh asked bim- self, ‘It’s a long walk to Burt’s lodgings, and the ‘L’ would whisk him down in a few min- utes. No! by Jupiter! he is going to telegraph,” At this moment the man dodged into one of the numerous branch offices of the ** Western Union,” and the boy detective saw him bend over one of the writing boards reserved for mes- e-senders. e@ wrote a moment and then handed his mes- sage to one of the clerks, “ He’s going to post Denman by telegraph,” thought Hugh, uf would like to know how he worced it. Ha! here he comes again!” The man had turned toward the door so sud- denly that Hugh whose curiosity had nearl drawn him into the office had to step out of h way with some display of agility, All at once be found the gaze of the man riveted upon bim. The young shadow felt reasonably secure in his disguise, but under the sharp look of the Un- known be Sage 1n spite of himself. It seemed to him that the man was looking him through. ‘Hello!’ suddenly exclaimed the stranger, ‘T need a boy. Come here!” Hugh did not know what to do. There wasnow no doubt that he was suspected, if not actually 900 (GE ‘co