Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 765 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ee ——— ——* Ld ed y + a 4? a ~ a r ox a ee oe Se — - Pst Ad: 2 7 eo - hall mel CRP er AGRE ag 3 ‘~ ed ~—- Ome) . —- . . Sn i ‘an . _ ee im : a ‘ > — a cal ~ “~~ — ~?.Y eaet ~. + ae —_ lt Flipper Flynn, the Street Patrol. : | | Bs ——a— ee eee we CHAPTER IX. WHAT OLD SPICER WANTED, THE Patrol wheeled quickly. Before him stood a man whose personal appearance certain- ly did not furnish a recommendation fur him. e looked as if he were a remnant of some more attractive article, and had just crawled out of bed, at that. ‘* Hullo, young feller!” he remarked rather than exclaimed.; ‘* Hullo, old feller!” was the Patrol’s easy re- sponse, as he surveyed bis companion doubtfully, ** Out fer the air?” ** Naw; I’m out fer myself,” “Of course you be, but I guess you know wot Imean, Say, ain’t you Flipper Flynn?” ‘* That’s my handle, general,” **] thought so, Well, I was lookin’ fer yon. Iwas sent out fer that very puppuss, Some- body wants fer ter see ye, Master Flynn.” ** Who?” ‘** A feller named Isaac Moss has sent fer you: sent me ter find ye. | wuz on the way when I happened on you. Ye see, I’ve seen ye before, Why, sure; you an’ me bas cantered around Houston street soil fer many a day, ain’t we? Well, I guess!” The seedy man poked Flipper playfully in the ribs, and laugbed in a way not plensing to the person whose acquaintance was thus freely Claimed, Flipper regarded his new acquaint- ance suspiciously, ‘*General, I don’t know you,” be admitted. ** ?m Old Spicer,” ** Wot d’ye spice?—Tom an’ Jerry, an’ sech beverages?” **Ha! ha! you’re a funoy feller! Isaac wants ter see you, bad; he does,” Flipper regarded Mr, Spicer doubtfully. He was not one toawaken a feeling of confidence or admiration. He was like the last run of Poverty and deinoralization; and the message he bore did not recommend him to thefPatrol, Instead, tbat wary adventurer was at once sus- picious of a trap, The encounter smacked of more than chance, ** Yes,” replied the boy, with dignity; ‘‘ 1 am a funny feller. I wuz built that way by chance, an’ they saw I was sp’ilt fer any other pur- pose, so they let me stand, But that ain’t ter the point; w’ot do you mean to say is the reason you are here?” ‘* Isaac sent me,” ‘* Who’s he?” ‘*Tsaac Moss, you know,” "Um! An’ where is he?” ‘*Over on South Fifth avenue. I don’t know ne number 0’ the house, but I kin find it, you JOT. This was not getting light very fast, but Flipper persevered; be subjected Old Spicer to a catechisx, and arrived at this explanation: The seedy gentleman was a rounder about South Fifth avenue and vicinity. He bad, be claimed, been called into a house by a smal girl, and giver an interview with a man who announced bis name as Isaac Moss, This man bad em- ployed him to take a message to Flipper Flynn, stating that he was ia trouble and wanted im- mediate help, * **He said,” added Old Spicer, ‘that ef you would come, you an’ me could take him out ez wal ez a dozen men; so ef you want ter, we will amble along.” ‘ All right, my friend; amble as soon ez you please,” The ready answer pleased Mr. Spicer, as the Patrol plainly saw, but he did not, bimself, hesi- tate in the least, 7 Nevertheless, Flipper had no intention of go- ing far in Spicer’s lead. He regarded the fellow as a very poor kind of a decoy, Rascal was bran‘led on bim indelibly by Nature, and whisky had added to the marking. Seeing the gleam of his evil little eyes, one would be very foolish, indeed, to go into danger with him as a guide. Flipper simply intended to see the outside of the house he claimed shel- tered Isaac, and then get away at full speed. _ Events proved that the enemy had foreseen Just this caution, and bad a more timely plot on the programme, As they were passing the corner of a street, But say, two other persons turned around from the oppo- | site way, coming so suddenly that the Patrol found himself facing them before he could fairly make out what he had to meet, He did see one thing, however, which was not in need of ex- planation. f A hand was reached out to grasp him, and only his habit of vigilance and his agility saved him. Quickly lowering his head, be dodged un- der the man’s arm before be really had time to _ think what he was doing. The prompt action, + Pal . ° hy . . ¥ a i WVe< ay : sae ) though, took him past the man, and as he turned he had a most interesting view. Both of the strangers were looking at him asif they had him already, and Old Spicer was join- ing them inthe regard. In an instant it flashed upon the Patrol that his danger had been in the street, not in any house; and it was clear he had made tne escape by a hair’s- breadth. ‘* The young hound has escaped!” cried one of the gang. ‘* After him!” But Flipper saw Old Spicer’s lips move, and, though he was too wily tu look at bis allies as he spoke, the result was soon perceptible. The other men seized upon him, and Spicer made a great feint at struggling, ‘Help! Flip; help!” heimplored, ‘* Come ter my aid!” | A mocking laugh escaped the boy’s lips. ‘* Say,” be returned, ‘‘ what fer a greener do you take me ter be? See any hayseed in my bair?” ‘* Will Spicer, “if you want help, apply ter your chums who are holdin’ of yeup! Tom-an’-Jerry, I hate ter say it, but we must part; the trick is too thin. I’mon! So-long!” He waved bis hand and turnedaway. It then became clear to the gang that the game was, iu- deed, up, and they touok steps accordingly.“ As one man they rushed in pursuit of the Patrol, He uttered another derisive laugb, “Til see you later, gents, Ef any o’ you want ter apply fer a chance ez sprinters, now’s the time. Whoop!—get a wiggle on, an’ show yer blood !” It was not a generous thing for him to say and do. From tbe first be bad a walk-over, The enemy floundered along in the rear in the painfully laborious style of heavy weights, Thev slipped and panted; and they would have yelled their vain rage had they rot bad occasion to fear the results. Policemen havea habit of inves- tigating such things, and for the police this ag- gregation of men had a deep, if not a boly hor. ror, Flipper Flynn soon left them behind. Then he took matters more easily, ’ **Old chap, you had a close call, then!” be re- marked, confidentially. ‘Wily scheme, they had there; I never thought of hevin’ any rum- puss by the way, The way I sized itup was that they wanted ter decoy me in som’er’s, an’ then set duwnon my anatomy. Well, old chap, you’re out of it, an’ I see that you’re all bunk. Now, how do we stand?” He paused by a street-lamp to again look at the half-burned note secured from Gilbert’s room, He read it through meditatively, - ‘**Tsaac Moss has lost bis name an’ other things, Wal, b’jinks! Lallow I hev found ’em fer him, Who should he be but Lionel Hethington, brother ter my other new friend, Roger Hethington? Ef this ain’t the right deal, itis a most amezin’ coincidence,” The evidence did, indeed, seem strong, and his pin 4 did not waver as he made his way home- ward, ‘*T’ll see Detective Michael Moran the first thing in the morvin’,” he muttered, as be turned over on his bed, ‘* Him an’ I will—” His voice ceased, and he was asleep, The next morning he found that his hard work had left him somewhat weary and sore, but his zealnever had been greater. He swallowed bis breakfast hurriedly, and tben made a line for Morran’s, There disappointment awaited bim: Moran was out, and his whereabouts and prob- able time of return could not be told by any one at the place, He mext went over to Erastus Stowell’s hotel, but fownd the place was bis stopping-point no longer. Harold Dunning had taken the old gen- tleman and his daughter away at an early hour, the inquirer was told, Tbe Patrol did not in- quire for Gilbert, but a chance remark made known the additional fact that the brother had not been around since the previous night, This disposed of one more chance, and Flipper went out feeling at a loss bow to take up the trail again, | He walked on for some time in a meditative mood, but was suddenly aroused, © ** Cricketty-jim!” he exclaimed; ‘there's Betty Gray!” He crossed the street quickly, and accosted the girl, She had been walking ina way which seemed aimless, ** Hullo, Sunshine!” was bis eager greeting. ** How goes it?” She looked up, and her face grew bright, ‘*On!l I’m sogiad ter see you!” she declared, you desert a comrade?’ persisted | or ee Oe ‘3 ' Re o > 4 + ar. e ; ae fi ae! de eh TY * bl » * = . - ¢ pi ies ra . - » 22 ei) ‘‘Be you? Wal, now, that’s encouragin. — Kinder coincidental, too, fer I feel jest that way myself, Say, how’d you drop here?” ‘* They’ve cast me off!” ** Who hev?” ‘* Motber Jacobs, an’ the rest.” ‘¢'You don’t say so! An’ where in the dickens be they? Yes; an’ where is our friend, Isaac?” ‘*T don’t know. They moved last night. I tried ter keep track on ’em, an’ seem iunocent : an’ not ter let on that I was out o’ likin’ with ’em, but it didn’t go. You see, they went all of a sudden, when they did go. Thecarriage come ter the door; they bundJed us in on the run, an’ off we went. Isaac never said a word, but he gave me a secret look an’ shook his bead, as ef ter caution me not ter berash. Of course I was jest ez mum as be.” ‘* But where did the carriage take ye?” “That’s wot worries me; I don’t know, We drove a long ways, an’ then pulled up at a house in a street I never bad seen before, I stoed there lookin’ around, but Mother Jacobs grabbed me an’ told me ter get a move on, Then I was hustled back inter the carriage, an’ told I was ter go an’ get some things, I wanted ter find out w’ot | was ter get, but before I could ask, away went the carriage. We traveled a long ways, an’ then the driver, he stops, gets out, an’ says ter me: ‘ We stop — here!” ‘* Where was you?” ‘‘Over on Greenwich avenue,” ‘* PD’ ye know anybody there?” ‘““Not a soul, You wait an’ hear me, I hadn’t no sooner got on the sidewalk than he whipped up bis hosses, an’ away he went. I didn’t see him no more,” ‘* Dead shook!” Flipper agreed. ‘‘ Wo’t did ye do then?” ““T couldn't do but one thing; [ went back ter the old quarters, When got there I couldu’t git in, but one o’ the neighbors took me inter her house,” **Dead shook!” repeated the Patrol, gloomily. ‘‘This mornin’ I started out ter find Mother Jacobs’s new place, but I can’t do it.” ‘*Never mind; you don’t want ter find it. It migbt be dangerous!” CHAPTER X. THE ACCUSATION, FLIPPER FLYNN made the statement seriously, but Betty quickly exclaimed: ** Pil stand by esas, anyhow!” ‘*T know: that’s your way. <A good one, you be, Sunshine, but ye don’t want ter run no risk of taking one o’ Isaac’s best friends away from him fer all time, Now, ez I look at this matter, you hev been shook off by the inemy, Well, I. think they’ve done a foolish thing. By shakin’ you they hev made you an out-an’-out enemy, which is su’thin’ they can’t afford ter do,” ‘‘ Mebbe they was on ter me,” ‘“'That’s a fact.” ‘*T don’t know w’ot ter do, now, I want ter. find them, fer I think they would take me in, ef only cause they’re afraid o’ me; but where be they?” Betty you be calm, matter. ‘t medo the fine work, an’I hev an idee we shall come up with a grin, yet. Mike Moran an’ yer bumble servant will go fer ’em like a colored gent fer water-millious. See?” Betty was not satisfied with the mere stra <¥ but sbe hed to let it go at that. She looke worn and sleepy after her troubled night, and ngreed to go to a safe place and recuperate, Flipper knew just the chance, and he soon bad her domiciled with friends of his. | He then went out again, | ‘“T’ve got rid o the non-combatants,” he mused, ‘San’ now I'll go fer the enemy in @ way that’)! make ’em howl—ef I kin find the measly critters, We'll see.” ‘His course was again toward Moran’s, but he did not reach there. comparatively short distance when be saw aman — whose presence cbanged the whole course of events, _ Don’t try ter rush this . . ’ ~ > » v4 ae 7 — +4 ~~ : = pos 5 » = * “ * oT a ~_ * » > Ura tes = ae ow 7 Eo . 4 ~ fs + re te - oe bs ~ d = -s Lon ae x, y ae Ps Pw aa < ‘ . ee a - “—. ~ " ta P a — 7 — a - eee ae ¥ #. . _> pa a ss £ He bad traveled buta "s ‘Mister Harold Duvning! Now, then, wot’s he up ter? These are stirrin’ times, an’ I can’t afford ter Jet no chance slip, dead onter you!” Tbis mysterious fannouncement did not mean mm agi} oe ‘; Ad, ad Dun, ol’ feller, ’m a 4s anything more ominous than that the Patrol had Rai Pe lanned to act the spy on the gentleman refer- ed to. He fell in like a soldier, and began the pursuit, Five minutes later Harold reached Washing- 4 Tay dl ’ 7 eae i 7 Ws “ ton Square. He paused and looked arovnd Aaa 5 : closely; | om is he?” muttered th ‘* Expectin’ somebody, oe ‘> fy + Oks-com,