Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. so [ guess he kin onwind ther burden of his dis- tress without any danger.” In their hotel at Denver; Broadway Billy, Skinny, and Roger Watts. Billy bad just received a telegram, the cause of bis emphatic exclamation. Skiony and the old ranger were eager to learn what it contained, ‘* Well, my gay and festive partners, the diffi- kilty is just this: Here’sa telegram saying my poor old mother is very sick, and urging me to cut short my sojourn and hasten home,” ‘**Great ginger!” cried Skinny. ‘Is that so, Billy?” ‘** Yes, frail youth; it is so.” ‘** And you’re goin’?” ‘“Sure! When mammy calls I always says ‘Here!’” ‘** Hoo-ray!” yelled Skinny, jumping up and dancing around the room wildly. ‘I tell ye ’'m glad of that, Billy. Not glad your mammy’s sick, but glad we’re going home, I have had more than enough of this cavoortin’ around,” ** Well, I don’t know but I’m ready to go my- self,” confessed Billy. ‘* I did want to stop over in the different cities on the way, thougb. But, no matter; I can take another trip some time _ and make up forit, Yes, we must start as soon as we can. But, Rover, what are you looking so glum about?” This was the old ranger, who was looking rather sad and downcast. ** Well, lad, I war jest a-thinkin’, that’s all. If you two are goin’ ter pick up and strike out fer ther East, of course, that means partin’ with me, and I’ve come ter like ye so well that, hang me, ef I don’t bate ther idee of losin’ yer com- pany. I'll be lonesome,” ‘‘Sweet pertaters! What are you talkin’ about, old man? Isn’t your own homein New York State? Aud wasn’t you goin’ there, any- how? You'll go with us, and stop over with us in New York for a visit before we let you go, and don’t you forget that! You are going right along with us, you bet,” Tbe old ranger cheered up at once, ‘Well, ef that’s the case,” he answered, * thar’s no use cryin’ over the partin’ jest yet.” ‘“’Course not, So, mom is sick, is she? 1 hope she ain’t bad, and I don’t believe she is, either, for I think 1 smell a rat in this thing,” ‘* Do ye, Billy?’ ** Yes, 1 do, I have a sneaking idea that it is only a trick to get us home, But, it won’t do to act on that thought and not go.” ‘* No, 1 should say not, for you can’t tell how bad off she is, Billy, and it would be awful if she should die before you get home, I have often thought of that, and the same of my poor old mother, too,” ** You're a dutiful son, Skinny, and your heart isin the right place—or at any rate I s’pose it is; you’ve got so fat there is no telling anything about your inner workings any more, There was a time when I could tell whetber your heart, lungs, gizzards, and so forth, were in good work- ing order or not,” ‘“Get out. Roger, he’s talkin’ to hear himself now.” ‘*Oh! but it’s the fact,” Billy urged. ‘t You remember how thin he was the day you saw him for the first time, Roger; eh?” ‘*Parfectly well, meson. I wouldn’t want ter see him any thinner than he was then,” ‘*'No, [ should think not, Well, all I bad to do was to shake him, and[ couid hear his inner organs rattle around like dice ina box. Fact, And I could tell by the sound of them whether they were all right and in good working order or not, Once in awhile it was necessary to inspect a little closer than that, and then 1’d hold him up to the light and look through him. Why, he was so thin—” ‘* Ob! give usa rest,” cried Skinny. ‘* What time do we have to start?” Billy, while talking, was already consulting a time-table, and was able to answer the question promptly. ‘* We’ve got just one hour and twenty minutes,” he said. ‘*‘ Come, we shall have to bustle our- selves to get there, Time and. steam don’t wait worth a cent in these latter days of get-up-and- hump.” ‘‘And it will take us the twenty minutes to get over to the Seventeenth-street Station,” added Skinny. And at once he began to make preparations for a ‘‘ b’iled ” shirt, ‘* We'll shorten things up a bit,” said Billy. *“V’H go right down to the office and order a hack to take us over, bag and baggage, and we'll bave lots of time then to pack our Saratoga.” ‘‘That’s about the proper thing,” agreed Skinny, - ms eae ‘* And what am I goin’ ter be doin’!” asked the old ranger. ‘* Be putting on your purple and fine linen, the same as Skinny,” directed Billy in all earnest- ness, ‘*Mebby I'd better be lendin’ him a band,” suggested Roger, witha wink. ‘‘ He is gettin’ so fat I think he'll have a hard time to make out alone,” Skinny growled something about being able to help himself, he guessed, and Billy went out laughing, leaving them to have it out between themselves, for there was little time for play. Skinny,bad been taking on flesh and fat by the hour, seemingly. Ever since his long sickness in the mountains he had been gaining, and now he was really larger and heavier than Billy, In- deed he weighed closer to two hundred than to one huudred pounds, and was no longer recog- nizable as the ** Skinny ” of old, As soon as Billy was gone, he and Roger set about preparing for their trip. Skinny was overjoyed at the prospect of see- ing home again, after his long absence, and about the same feeling animated the old ranger, They were hard at work when Billy returned, and at once he fell in with them in the necessary work, changing clothes and packing up; and if was no easy task, for they had a big stock of personal effects, ‘* Well, it is all right,” Billy remarked, ‘‘ The hack and extra wagon will be here in time to make connection,” ‘The extra wagon?” queried obese Skinny, worderingly. ‘‘ What do you want with an ex- tra wagon, Billy?” ‘* What do we want with it? Do you suppose there is a hack in Denver big enough to take me and Rover, and the baggage, and you besides? The extra wagon is for you, of course,” ‘*Now you see here, Billy Weston,” cried Skinny, stopping witb his bead and cne arm in his shirt, ‘tif you begin that business 1l’m not goia’ to travel with ye, thatisall. I had enough of it when I was thin, and I don’t want any more of it now,” ‘*Pshaw! you are too particular,” placated Billy. ‘* Now that you are bigger, you ought to be able to stand it all the better. Besides, itisa change, and there won’t beso many chestnuts for you to juggle witb, Never mind, though; Ll will let up for now.” Skinny growled, and after some little straining managed to get into bis shirt, though it was a close fit, At last the trunk was packed and roped, their other bundles were done up and secured, and they were ready. A porter was called, the trunk was taken down, and after it went the lads and their old friend. Bidding good-by to their acquaintances at the hotel, they set off, and as they bad time enough Billy called a halt at the Police Headquarters, where he ran in to take a proper leave of the friends he had made there, All expressed regrets at losing him so soon, and cordially invited bim to comne again. Arriving at the station, Billy made it his busi- ness to get the tickets, which he made sure were via Kansas City, Chicago and Philadelphia. It had been his intention and desire to stop over at these, and other cities, but it was now impossible, and he secretly made up his mind that he would pay them a visit later on. They started, and as our story has not to do with the journey, it may be passed over hastily, or at any rate until Philadelphia was reached. Passing through the different cities en route, Billy looked back at them regretfully, There was no help for it, however; duty Finally, after some days and nights of weary riding, they crossed the Schuylkill River and rolled into the Broad Street Station, Phila- delphia, It was early morning, and Billy and bis friends had enjoyed their best night’s sleep since leaving Denver, and they were up and dressed and feeling in first-rate condition, There was a wait here, and they were glad to get out and stretch their legs, ‘‘ Thank goodness we are on the home stretch, anybow,” Billy cried. ‘‘Come, my gay and festive pards, and we'll see if our stomachs and ‘ketbooks wil) stand another railroad meal, his is to be the last. If nothing happens we’ll dine in dear old Gotham.” , ‘‘And if nothing bappens I’m going to dine there for a good many days to come,” declared Fatty-Skinny, ‘* I wesn’tcut out for u rover, and I’m going to stay at | omeafter this. I have bad enough of traveling to last me all the rest of my vatural days, I think, How is it with you, Rover?” ' ‘* Waal, me son, my years are beginn grow hefty on me shoulders, and I think wI I git settled down now I'll pass my days in com- fort, with now and then a leetle tramp in ther woods with dog and gun, mebby.” They found their way to the restaurant and bolted a really excellent breakiast; after which Billy sought a telegraph office. He sent word to his mother they were nearing home, telling her the hour they would probably arrive, and bidding her haye Skinny’s mother at the house to meetthem, Then they had to run to catch the departing train. ‘*Now for home!” exclaimed Skinny, who could hardly contain himself, ‘‘ Il can’t get there soon enough, now,” ‘There is no foolishness about this rate of moving, anyhow,” averred Billy. ‘‘I guess we'll get somewhere, in the course of a day or two,” They were on one of the ‘* flyers,” now, and the old ranger was holding fast to the seat and looking out at the window with bulging eyes. They had done some lively traveling before, but this capped it all—sixty miles an bour, it seemed to him, ‘Smoke o’ Gittysburg!” the old man ejacu- lated, ‘‘ but this is what I call goin’, I hope notbin’ won’t bu’st till we git thar.” Billy laughed, and hilariously enjoyed the situation, After a time his attention was drawn to some passengers who had seats a little distance ahead of theirs. There were two men, two women, and a young lady of perhaps eighteen years, The more Billy gave attention to them, the more it grew upon bim that somethiag was not altogether right. His ‘‘ detective fever” began to make itself felt, but for a long time he said nothing to bis companions about it. He wanted to be sure of his ground, if possible, before he drew their attention to the matter. But the longer he waited the bigher grew the “fe fer,” and finally he could hold in no longer, CHAPTER II, BILLY SCENTS A MYSTERY, ‘““SwEET pertaters!” he at last exclaimed, in subdued tone, ‘‘* What now?’ demanded Fatty. ‘* That means somethin’, I know well enough.” ‘* Hain’t forgot nothin’, have ye, son?’ queried the old ranger. ‘‘ Shell l git off and run back after et?” ‘*Tf you could run back and get me a pint o’ brains, I'd say go, by all means,” was Billy’s ironical response. ‘‘ As most o’ folks like ter hold fast to the limited supply they happen to bave, though, that wouldn’t be any use,” “What has got hold of ye, anybow?” de- manded his pard. ‘‘Seems to me I ketch a sign of detective fever about your eyes. Is it that? If it is, fer the love of goodness keep it down till we git safe in New York. Then you can let yourself loose just as soon as you want to,” ‘*Skinny,” Billy whispered, ‘‘ you have hit it the first shot.” “Great ginger! I bave been hopin’ and pray- in’ all the way along that you wouldn’t see any- thing toset ye off, and I was sure l’d get ye home safe, but— Whatisit, anyhow?” ‘*T was rather in hopes myfelf that I’d get home without any spell on the way,” rejoined Billy, *‘ but it’s no use. 1t is on me, and on mé bad, too, lt is gettin’ higher all the time, and it?ll soon be so ragin’ kot you won’t be able to hold me.” ‘* But, lad, what is et?” from the ranger. ‘Tell us what it is,” urged his fat pard. don’t see anything,” ‘*Thav’s because your skin is thicker than mine, and you are not so sensitive; and then Roger is getting old, and bis sight isn’t what it used to be, When he was my age—” ‘Shut right up!” interrupted Skinny. ‘Tell us right out, or don’t say another word about it. ‘*My! but you are somebody since ye got big, ain’t ye! But, you are right, all the same, and Ill put ye onto it right away. Do you see these folks ahead of us bere?” ‘* Yes,” answered Skinny, ‘‘ of course I see!” ‘*T sight em,” the ranger supplemented, ‘* Well, they are my game, or l’m no §olo- mon!” .Billy announced, Fatty-Skinny and Roger Watts took a long and close look at the persons in question, but could see nothing to arouse Billy’s suspicions or interest, One of the men was about fifty years of age, evidently, and Jooked something like a sleek, well-fed preacher. He had a ‘‘ smooth” look, ey that bespoke his eminent respectability in eve fold and wrinkle of his coat, . iy - 4 » 17 ame a ee ~ = -