Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 720 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

eo be ro e 5 a te J = e ‘ a ; ~ P » ie i ‘Ss, ; ... ae . ry 4 mts Broadway Billy’s Full Hand. when the match had burned into a bright flame he applied it to the cigar, giving three strong puffs at intervals of a second apart. This done, he went leisurely on. Perbaps the lads would not have thought any- thing of this, or at any rate they might not have attached much importance to it, but, a mo- ment later, a sound was heard on the opposite side of the street. It was like a clapping of hands, and was heard three times, giving three distinct raps at inter- vals of about a second. Broadway Billy caught hold of Skinny. ‘“‘Sweet pertaters! lan one, did you hear that?” he demanded, ‘* Yes, I heard it hard enough,” was the reply. ** What do you think of it?” ‘* What Go you?” ‘‘Tf it wasn’t a signal, then it’s the strangest coincidence I ever heard of, that’s all.” ‘“‘The same idee hit me, and hit me hard, too,” ‘Then we’ve got to take it as such.” ** What’s goin’ to be done?” ‘It’s got to be done quick. You go on and follow Clever-and-so-forth, and I will hang *’round here and spot the house. We'll meet at the hotel when we find there’s nothin’ to be gained.” **Quereck,” decided Skinny. ‘I’m off likea hossfly.”’ And away he went, and his shadowy form was soon swallowed in the gathering gloom. This house was a corner one, and Billy took up his station where he could keep an eye in two directions. He bad before taken note that there was a side entrance as well as a front, and in order not to let anything escape him he must watch both. It was some time before there was,any sign of life about tne house, Then a light appeared over the hall door, as though carried by a per- son coming down stairs. This light grew brighter, then diminished, and finally disappeared again and all was dark as before. A little time later and Billy heard a door close, and be was on the alert instantly. The next moment a dark form came out from the side gate, turned down the street, and moved rapidly away. Needless to say the Gotham Gamin followed. It was his business to learn who this person was, Approaching as near as he considered safe, he followed after, almost as silently as the person’s own sha/ow. Straight toward the outskirts of the town he was led,in the direction in which he had met with his other adventures, and with which neighborhood he was somewhat acquainted by this time. He noticed that the woman—he had made the figure out to be a woman—kept to the most de- serted of the streets, and proceeded straight ahead without a glance to the right or left, Finally, in a really lonesome place, not far froma growth of/trees and the ruins of some old building, she stupped. Billy immediately sunk to the ground, and crept forward, keeping in the shadow of every- thing that offered. He soon found himself behind a low portion of the wall of an old building, where a surprise awaited him, Putting forth bis hand to creep just a little furtuer before stopping, he placed it upon some- thing warm, and drew back quickly. Instantly his hand sought a revolver, but be- fore he could draw the weapon he felt a cold . muzzle pressed against bis forehead. And im- mediately a voice in lowest whisper demanded: ** Who is it ?” Billy recognized the voice, It was the lean lieutenant whom he bad stum- bled upon! ‘* It’s me—Billy,” he hastened to declare. ‘‘ Be still as a rat dead in a trap,” Tbe weapon was removed, and the lads were , as silent as as though no living thing was behind the wall, Immediately they heard steps on the opposite side, and the next moment there were low words of greeting between a man and a woman, Billy needed no one to explain the situation to him, Skinny had followed his man to this place, and the signals they had seen and beard were to this end. After their first words, the man and woman drew near to the stone wall, and in another mo- ment were leaning upon it in easy conversation. The pard detectives had never had a better 6é sna Mads ‘* And you think it is now all safe?” the woman questioned, ‘lam sure of it,” was the response, ‘‘ The | cee has gone away satisfied, That is proof of it. “Tam glad, I did uot see how they could find anything wrong. We know there was not, and therefore no need for them to question it.” “You are right. You will now probably get the insurance in the course of a few weeks, In the mean time you must keep exceedingly close, and play the sad widow to perfection.” *‘I do not think you can find any fault with re way I have been playing the role, Clever- ale, ‘* Indeed, no! But, you mustn’t relax a bit. Keep it right up.” “*T will do that, until I close my hands over the thousands, anyhow,” ‘Yes, and afterward too. Our little private arrangement must be of slow growth. 6 must not be seen together under a year at least.” ‘**T suppoge not.” ‘*Tt would raise a talk, you know, and talk might raise the devil,” ‘‘T understand you perfectly. After due time, then we wil! meet, become better acquaint- ed,finally you will be my lover, and then—” “And then a neat little wedding, and yours truly will fill the dead man’s shoes and help you enjoy the money, In the mean time we can have our little meetings on the quiet just the same,” ** Of course.” At this point these pretty rogues exchanged a kiss, and Billy and Skinny exchanged a sly poke in the ribs. ‘‘How are we to communicate?” the woman presently asked. ‘‘ By leaving sealed notes at the place agreed upon, the best way I know of,” was the answer. ‘*] suppose so. It will hardly do to make use of the post-office.” ‘‘Decidedly not. Every precaution must be observed, especially until you get your hands on that money.” So they talked on, finally drifting into the soft nothings of the love-sick idiot and spooney maid, THe listening lads heard sufficient to let them well into the scheme the pair had in action, They had planned to have the husband insured, and now that he was out of the way, wanted the money, intending to marry as soon as they con- sidered it safe to do so! Finally the pair parted and went off, in dif- ferent directions, and Billy and Skinny came forth from their place of hiding. They fell into each other’s arms, held their sides with laugh- ing, and acted like unruly, mild lunatics gen- erally. CHAPTER IX. BILLY AND SKINNY INTERVIEWED. WHEN they had become half rational again, Skinny demanded: ‘‘ Well, what’s th’ tone of yer think now, Pard Billy? Do ye think we'll git thar and corral th’ herd?” ‘* It will be the strangest thing you ever heard of if we don’t, my gay an’ festive littie snoozer, If we don’t shake some persimmons off ther a you kiu take me out an’ kick me, that’s all!’ ‘*Great ginger! but wasn’t it ther sickest old time you ever saw!” ‘*T should say it was, That woman is one gay old widow. Pity the ghost of old Lodgelaw didn’t appear to’em, an’ scare ’em out of their boots.” “Right you be. But I guess ghosts is a dead fake, or his would have been on hand, sure. There’s one thing we didn’t get hold of, Billy. There ain’t much doubt about it, though,” ‘* What’s that, slender one?” ‘* They didn’t Jet on whether they killed the old map or not,” ‘No, they didn’t let that out, that’s so; but you kin bet on it that they had a hand in bis goin’ off,” F “Tt would be funny if they hadn’t, after plan- nin’ to get bim insured as they did, a-purpose ter git ther sp yndulics after he had petered out. Whew! but it was a cold deal on him,” “Skinny, this world is full of jest sich p’izen critters. What a pity it is that all folks can’t be good, true and beautiful, like you and me, What a glorious old world it would be then! But sich ain’t ther cas3, and bence we Mourn,” ‘* Oh, dry up with yer filiysoffykill nonsense, Billy. We ain’t got no time fer any of that now, We have got our bands full, an’ we have got ter hustle and git our grip onto these hard- ¢case sinners. 1’m jest itchin’, now, ter see ’em squirm when we begia ter wind ’em up.” ‘© Made up your mind that it is we, have you?” laughed Billy. **T thought you would, when - you saw the prospects of victory loomin’ up. And this is th’ case you was fightin’ against our takin’, too. This don’t say who killed Harry Rentaway, not by a big heap it don’t, We ain’t half done yet. But come along, snoozer, and we'll amble back to town.” In due time they were again at their hotel, their point of departure and base of supplies, as Billy termed it. They entered with lazy easiness, as though they bad been out for a stroll and had been tak- ing plenty of time about it, and Billy looked around to see who was in the room, He hardly expected to find the old Mexican, **Don Alva Paso,” there yet, but thought pos- sibl7 be might be; He was not, however, but the other Mexican, Pablo Costo, was. He was seated at a table, dreamily smoking cigar- ettes,” Billy paid no attention to bim, but fell into ee with the landlord for a little while, There was nothing new regarding the murder mystery, so far as he was able to hear. Work on the cases seemed to be about done for that day, When Billy and Skinny turned away from the landlord, the Mexican accosted them, pulling chairs for them to sit down, Billy readily accepted the invitation, but de- clined the cigarettes. ‘No, thank you,” he said, ‘‘I don’t care to imbibe any poison this evening; I don’t in- dulge.”’ uch to his surprise, the face of the Mexican assumed a dirty pallor, about the color of putty, and he seemed for the second to be somewhat confused, ‘“Wh—what do you mean?” he asked, es don’t imagine I would poison you, do you 9) Billy was still wrestling mentally with the man’s sudden changing of color, and his con- fusion at the innocent remark he bad made, But undoubtedly it meant nothing, he decided, ‘*No, of course not,” be responded, * but I would poison myself if I smoked these things, 1 am ’posed to cigarettes the worst way. IT’ve seen too much of. their deadly work in New York.” ‘““Oh, ah! Now I see. Ha, ha, ba! But these are different, my young friend; you see I make them myself.” “Can’t help it,” answered Billy, ‘‘ There’s only two kinds of cigarettes,” ‘* And what two kinds are they?” ‘The bad and the mighty bad,” The Mexican laughed. ‘* Well, sorry you won't smoke,” he remarked, putting the things in bis pocket. ‘ Perbaps you won’t object to some wine at my expe nse.’ “There you hit me wrong again,” answered Billy, pleasantly, but firmly. ‘'We don’t drink anything in that line, my pard and I, so we'll have to decline with thanks, and let you have our share,” Well, you are exceptions to the rule, for cowboys, that’s certain. That is what I take you to be, by your Gress—cowboys,” ‘And you ain t far from wrong.” ** You can’t object to a quiet chat, then, cer- tainly.” ‘Ym with you there, every time!” Billy ex- claimed. ‘‘I can hold my end up in a confab, every time.” ‘*T] have received that impression of you,” was the smiling response, ‘and I guess your partner is not far behind you.” ‘‘ Skinny behind? Never! He’s small, but he gets there,” ‘* And I guess both of you arein the habit of getting there, judging by what I hear about you, ‘*'You mustn’t believe half Billy, ‘If you do you will fin been stuffed a good many times with tion. “But there is no fiction about this, I guess, You bave the reputation of being quite able de- tectives, and I understand you are trying your hands at the mystery of this shooting.” ‘“‘ That's it,” cried Billy. ‘“‘Give a dog a bad name, and he’s got to carry it whether he would or not. Just because we happened to get mixed up in that bank affair, we are expected to get tangled up in this otber thing, too.” ae you are paying attention to it, are you not? ‘‘ Everybody is interested,” answered Billy. ‘*T see you don’t want to admit that you are after the rascal, What prospect is there of get- ting at the truth of it, provided Waldmar is the ou hear,” said that a have ancy fic- | wrong man?” | ‘‘ Sweet pertaters!” exclaimed Billy, ‘do you ee _ = . Ze = a . >. Oot MIG LIARS LON te NE te tee a Taina ™%,