Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

~ fry 6 Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective, **Then they are rascals, jest as you said at first?” ‘* Yes, or ’m a Dutchman. I can see about as far up a dark alley as the next one.” “IT know youcan. Well, where are we going to take hold of this thing, and how are we going to begin to wind it up?” ** You holed the other safe enough, you told me,” ** You bet we did, and they never looked at us once, Oh! they are a bad lot, sure.” ‘*I know they are, Did they abuse the girl any more?” . “They abused her enough, with the woman yanking her along and the man giving her a push as they entered the house,” **Confound them!” Billy muttered. ‘‘ I want to get a chance to pay that big bully back for all that. It makes me mad all over when I think of that girl in their hands,” ‘*I hope you wou’t get into his bands, Billy, for I think he’d make short work of you.” “Oh, do you? Well, maybe he would, but you can safely bet I'd try to make it interesting for him, anyhow, Now, prepare to feast your eyes, Skin, for here is the old stand.” They were coming out to it now, from a cross street, and Skinny was eager to see the old spot once again. It was soon in view, and immediately on be- holding it Skinny stopped short, " Great ginger!” he cried, ** how it has shrunk up! ‘Billy laughed. ‘** It isn’t so much that,” he declared, “‘ as that on have expanded since you have been away. hy, Skinny, ll bet you can’t get bebind it any more!” - cuh d you don’t think I’m an elephant, do you **No; but Pll bet a quarter you can’t. Come on and let’s try it, just for the fun of it. If you none OF have to look up new quarters, that all, They had brought the key with them, and un- locking the door, Billy threw up the lift and in- vited Skinny to step in. Skinny went forward with all confidence, but he soon came toa stop. It was next to impos- sible for him to get behind the narrow counter. He grew red and drew back, and Billy enjoyed a hearty laugh. **T give it up, Billy,” he said. ‘ It’s no use. Besides, the place looks so small and mean now that I'll be glad to make a change. Come, let’s attend to business,” CHAPTER VI. IN A BOWERY BEER GARDEN, THE same impression which had taken hold upon Billy had seized Skinny too; he was too big for the business. In his case this may be taken with a double meaning. Locking the establishment up again, they turned away, but as they started to go Billy suddenly caught Skinny by the arm and detained him. Ashedid so he cautiously pointed, whis- pering: ** Do you see that pretty gentleman, Skinny?” “‘Great ginger!” Skinny ejaculated, “ it’s him, sure enough!” ‘**Of course it is, Wonder who the young fel- low is he’s talking with? We are on the trail again, I guess, before we expected to be,” The man indicated was the man whom Billy had followed to the hotel, and who bad there registered as Rev, B. Greene Graceaway. The person he was talking with was a young man, witb a foppish air, ** No chance to hear what they say, I s’pose,” observed Skinny. “Too bad I’m not a boy agaiv,” mourned Billy. ‘* With my kit on my arm I could slide right up and strike them for the contract of polishing their understandings,” *“*That dog is dead. We'll have to make the best of the matter as itis, If we can’t listen we can watch, anybow,” ** Yes; but that don’t satisfy. Come on, and we'll edge that way, and we'll be pretending to be looking for some sign or something or other.” Skinny agreed, and they moved toward the two men, not looking at them, but with their eyes fixed upon the buildings on the other side of the street and staring away like countrymen. In a few moments they were near enough to overhear what was being said, and yet no notice had been taken of them, They were now with their backs to the men, their faces to the curb, and seemed deeply interested in their search for something, “That looks like the building, right over there,” Billy was saying to Skinny, as they stopped. ** Yes, I think that’s it,” Skinny agreed. Then no more was said for a moment, ‘Then you think it is a sure thing, do you?” the younger man of the two under watch was saying, f Yes, a sure thing, Robert,” the elder made response, ‘‘ She will not remain there long be- fore she will consent to marry you, and then it will be all right.” ‘* Women have stubborn wills, sometimes.” ‘*That’s true enough, but there is a way of breaking them,” ‘* Well, I hope it will turn out as you say.” ‘*We are going to make it turn out so, Robert, Then you will be in clover for the rest of your natural life,” ‘*It is to be hoped so, I have been browsing in stubble long enough, I think, Well, shall I meet you there to-night?” ‘* Yes, at nine,” ‘*What number did you say?” Tbe number was given, and Billy and Skinny at once recognized the number as that of the house where the girl had been taken, The two conspirators parted company and went off in different directions, ‘*Sweet pertaters!” cried Billy, ** that wasn’t bad, eb, Skinny?’ ‘““[t was pretty good, I should say,” was the response, ‘* Which way now? Going to follow them?” ‘* We'll follow the new one. We have got the sleek rooster’s headquarters all right, and need not trouble our heads about him just now.” So, after the young man they went, keeping him in sight. Tbe young man had, as said, a foppish air, and had also a dissipated look, <A certain something about him, which the two detectives read at a glance, told them he wasa Bowery sport and maybe worse, ‘* Now, Skinny, you can just bet your money on the bob-tailed nag that there is a diffikilty a- brewin’ here,” Billy remarked. ‘*We have heard enough to give us some idea about it. This girl is being forced to marry that Bowery bum, for some reason or other, and from what was said I take it to be a money reason,” ‘*That’s it, dollars to dimes,” agreed Skinny, ‘*Andif that is the case, it is our business to slip in a little joker and nip their game right in the bud,” ‘* Exactly.” * And we'll do it, too, or bu’st a buckle try- ng.’ lt seemed natural enough when the men turn- ed iv the direction of the Bowery, and the two ** pards” so fresh from the Western wilds went right after bim, hey were at home here, knowing every street as they did, and it seemed like old times to be on their own stamping-ground, as Billy expressed it. When the man reached the Bowery he turned up that thoroughfare and proceeded for some distance, when he entered one of the leading ‘* gardens ” which there abound in all their glory of beer and blare, ‘“We are wid ye, McGulligan,” remarked Billy. ‘‘Come right along, Skin, and we will follow him up. Remember, we are Bowery toughs for the present, regular ‘dis and dat’ boys. We'll have to buy something in here, too, but no need to drink ‘it if we do, and of course we won't.” In they followed, and seeing their man about to sit down at a table, they played the same old dodge and took seats at the table just behind him. Waiters were at their elbows at once, and Billy held up bis fingers to indicate that two beers might be brought, and two mugs of the amber colored Germanenthusiasm were soon be- fore them, It is an old saying that, going to Rome one should do as Romans do; but here all the noble ‘*Romans ” were drinking and smoking, in which Billy and Skinny did not follow example, They toyed with the stuff that had been brought them, but not once was it put to their lips. At the table where their man had taken seat another fellow was already sitting at the time, and the two fell into conversation, The first few words exchanged Billy and Skipny did not catch, being bothered with the waiter, but after that they were enabled to hear quite a good deal that was said, ‘*So, your prospects begin to brighten, do they, Rob?’ the one said to the new-comer., ‘* Yes, Jake, there is now some show for me,” was Robert’s answer, ** You have seen the parson, then?” ‘ i se? = - > ~*~ “Yes; just left him.” ** W hat’s he say?’ ‘* He is in high feather; thinks it’s a sure go.” ** And the angel?” ‘*She is bere, too, The whole thing is work- ing finely, and if we can only carry it out there will be no trouble,” ‘* Not likely that any one will get onto it, eh?” ‘*No, not at all, Don’t see how any one could. It has been managed finely all the way through,” ‘* When are you going to know sure about it?” **Maybe to-night,” ‘* Going to see ber, then?” ‘* ‘Yes; and I guess the parson means to force things, two.” **Good for him, he knows when his nest is covered well. He means to line it, too, if he can,” ‘*T’m willing he should, for it means a golden egg for me at the same time, And I don’t be- lieve you are going to kick, Jake,” ‘*Say, Rob.” Well?” - Have you got any particular love for the rson ?”? ‘*Not a bit. What makes you ask that?’ ! ‘*] was thinking whether you couldn’t beat him at this game and collar all the stuff your- self.” ‘Hang it! I hadn’t thought of that. How could it be done?” ‘Oh, I don’t know that it could be done; but it wouldn’t do any harm to try it on.” ‘* But, suppose it slips up, and the parson gets mad and won’t come to time with me, what then?’ ‘Not much fear of that, You bave too good a gripon him forthat. If he does find it out he may make a good deal of fuss, and threaten a good deal, but that won’t hurt you, and you can tighten the screws on him whenever you want to,” ‘*That’s so, But, how would you do it?” «You say the zirl objects to marrying you,” ** Yes, flat.” ‘¢ And yet she is in a dickensof a scrape allow account of it, being held a prisoner till sbe will marry or sign off,” 6s es,” ** Well, couldn’t you go to her ina secret way, and make a proposal to ber? You to rescue her and get her out of the bands of the parson, on condition that she marry you?” **T don’t believe it would work.” “ You don’t know whether it would work or not, It won’t cost much to try it, anyhow, and then you would know,” ‘*That’s so, too; but I wouldn’t know how to go ahead with it,” ‘*Then you are not much of a general, but a good soldier, it seems,” ‘* You may be right; but, I’m satisfied to be a soldier, if the pay is as good as it promises to be here.” ‘Well, you can do as you please about that, of course, but I would play for the whole thing, if it was my game,” ** How would you work it?” ‘“* Why, go and see her, on the sly, and tell ber you will get ber out of the bands of her enemies if she will marry you.” ‘* And see her lip curl with scorn that would make a chill run down your back, eh?” ‘* What ifit did? You could stand that. Or, you might go with another tale, and so get her in your power and let the parson find her if he can, ‘*That would do no one any good. Ani, if she got away from me the fat would bein the fire sure enough.” ** Oh, well, there is no use talking with you on that line, I see. You are satisfied well enough as it is,” ‘*] think it’s best to let well enough alone.” ‘* Well, however it turns out, Rob, I want my motrey just as soon as you get your fingers on any of it.” ‘**Ob! that will be all right; you know I mean to pay you,” ‘*T know that I mean to see that you do, so don’t forget that. By the way, you haven’t told me where she is stored away.” ‘** She’s at No. — —— street. Burke Wedger and Mary Ann have her in charge, and you can bet high she won’t get out of their clutches in a hurry.” ‘And you say you are going to try it to- night?” ‘Yes; we are to be there at nine, and the parson will see whathe candothen. J have my doubts about success so soon, but he seems to think it will work, Anyhow, I will do all I can to make a success of it, you bet.” ‘ - ¥ —_—— 7 . ‘ . a / = ee Whee ; Cc (0) f | i We | Md oOo ‘ \ re w Pe € = = Vw? EE i —