Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

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ANOTHER SPLIT IN THE TRATIL Two young women at this moment came along and joined them, and the important part of their conversation ended at once and they be- gan a light run of nonsense with the women, This gave Billy and Skinny a chance for a lit- tle talk, which Billy was eager to take advan- tage of. ‘* Skinny,” he said, in a tone that could not be overheard, ‘‘ this thing is going to b’ile up pretty soon, and unless we look out pretty sharp it is going to scorch before we can get it off the fire,” ‘*What do you mean by that, Billy?” Skinny asked, ‘* You heard what they have been talking about,” ** Of course,” ‘* Well, add up the sum and see what it comes to,” ** Oh, speak out and say what you have got to say, and no fooling about it.” ‘* Well, I have been hit with an idee, and as it isn’t often anything of that kind comes my way I have held fast to it.” ** W hat 1s it?” ‘*This fellow Jake seems to have a hold on Robert in a money matter of some kind,” ‘** So it would appear.” **Ani thar Jakeis more of a plotter than Robert, is plain to be seen.” ** It looks so,” ‘Well, you heard what he proposed, and what Robert said to it, I have un idea Jake may try the same thing himself, and so throw Robert and the parson both overboard. What do you think of that?” ‘*Great ginger! 1 hadn’t thought of it, Billy.” ‘** No discredit to ye, Skinny, for it was only a chavce idea with me, and it may not amount to anything. Bat, I’m going to have an eye on Mr. Jake.” They! paused, but there was nothing worth i to being said by the others, and Biily said: ‘* Skinny, I am going home right off and rig up. I want you to stay here and keep your eyesand ears open. Will you do that?” ‘* What good will it do yetorig up?’ Skinny asked, ‘* Because I’m too well dressed to be hanging around over there where the girl is imprisoned,” ‘Well, all right; but what am I to do if they go aways And if they part company, which one am I to follow?” Like Mr. Robert, Fatty-Skinny was a better soldier than he was a general. ‘* Why, stay here, if they stay, but if they go away keep your eye on, Jake and follow him, Don’t let him get away from you till you find out more about him and where be hangs out,” ‘*T savvy.” ‘“* All right, and I guess you’re big enough to carry it out,” Billy took his leave, ‘*T ought to have known enough to tone down a little,” be muttered, as be bent his steps in the direction of home, ‘But, then I had an idea that mebby I'd have to go to that hotel again, and they don’t admit tramps there.” He had gone only a few steps from the beer garden w hen he came to a sudden stop. “Sweet pertaters!” he exclaimed, “‘ here is auother go! Now I am ina fix, forsure. There are going to be more horns to this dilemma than Iand my slender— Ha, ha! That shows what the force of habit will do My fat and solid partner, [ mean. More horns to the beast than we can take care of without danger of missing some and getting hooked by others, Now, what is going on here, I wonder?” He had reason to stop sbort and consider. Just ahead of bim was the villainous-looking rascal he had seen on the train that morning, and whose name he had now learned was Burke Wedger. He was talking with another fellow as eyil- looking as himself, and they seemed to be deeply engrossed in whatever they were talking about, here was an excellent opportunity, too, as Billy immediately discovered, for him to get near enough to hear what was passing between them. They were standing near the steps lead- ing to av Elevated Station above, and all he would have to do would be to get quickly around on the other side. That he lost no time in doing. “But will there be money in Wedger’s companion was asking. ‘**Of course there’ll be money in it!” was the assurance. ‘If there wasn’t, it ain’t likely I'd be in it, is it?” it?” Burke ot ape Magetiy eel, tt ordi sand cee = “hey St er 2n-4 ¢ =." _ ph > Mid 2 ia * i) «- 4 he + ¢ onal a, tp eay yt eT glial all a aE es St “ Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. 4 : i * 4‘ . ; Ca © oe & — - J 4 foes rn a a} o, 4 bad m 4 “4 - r. 4 oad > ee += = a @ each one smaller than t’other, and there won’t be anything left of her if they keep that business up long. Willyum, you have got to get in your little graft here somewhere, and the sooner you go about it the better. It won’t do for you to take bold of any more sub-divisions, if there are avy; you have got about as many irons in the fire as you can at- tend to, The next thing you know you will have to call out your reserve force, which same is Roger, ana then you will have to get out the police to keep him out of trouble. You have got to buckle right down to it, Willyum, and come out on top of the heap, or it won’t do for you to go around to see the inspector. Helio! this seems to be the end of the trail.” He had followed his man to a miserable bouse on a miserable street on the east side of the Bowery, where he entered and- shut tbe door | efter kim with a bang. There was no fastening to the door, or did not appear to be any in use if so, and Billy might bave gone in if he desired, but be had no ‘‘ Well, no; but then, you will get it alland | I'll have ter whistle fer what 1 git out of it. | That is about the way I figger it out, anyhow.” | ‘*Now you look here, Gil Brand; yeu orter | know Burke Wedger better’n that. I say there | is money in it for you and me both, and that or- | ter settle it. When I say a thing to a pal I mean | it. | ‘But a feller is likely ter git inter trouble, | ain’t he?” | ‘* Haven’t you been likely to get into trouble | any time during the last twenty years or more? And haven’t you got off scot free so far?” ‘*But they say it’s a long Jane that don’t have no turn in it.” ‘** Well, if you are afraid, say so, and I’ll look for somebody else to help me, I thougbt you had more backbone than this,” ‘Hold on, now; don’t go off in too big a burry. Give a feller a chance ter think a min- nit, can’t ye?” | ‘** What’s the use, if you are afraid of it?” | ‘** Don’t be too sartain about my bein’ afraid | of it. How much money is there init for me?’ | desire in that direction. He waited outside, ‘* Well, a hundred dollars, anyhow.” As some minutes passed, and the man did not ‘‘That means, a hundred dollars whether you | reappear, be set about finding out whether it succeed in your little game or not, I s’pose,” was his residence or not, ‘*Nixey. That means if I do succeed, If I This was easy enough to accomplish. Hav- don’t, then you don’t get anything. I can’t af- | ing the man’s name, he inquired of some children ford to pay unless I make something to pay | if they knew where such a person lived, and with.” they promptly directed bim to the house into ‘‘Must be makin’ somethin’ anyhow, ain’t | which he had seen bim enter, — ef” That was all Billy wanted with Mr. Brand for the present, If the young woman fell into his hands, Billy would know where to louk for her, and that was a winning point in the game. Without further loss of time he hastened home, where he found the old ranger regaling the two women and several other persons with tales of the wild and woolly West, dwelling particularly upon the exploits of Billy. Billy only stopped long enough to give an outline of his plans, and then weuvt for his trunk and got out his Chinese disguise, When he stepped out of the adjoining room in full Celestial array, there were several screams from the women, and be had to tulk pretty straight English for a few moments to reassure them. Finally, when he made his appearance upon the street again, bardly avy one would bave taken him for anything but a genuine China- man, without a closer Jook than he was likely to receive from passers in the street. ‘** Well, if [ am, that is another affair. This will be a new dodge to make more than my regular fee, don’t ye see? And if you help me, then you come in for some too,” “* Well, I'll take hold of it with ye. What is it ye want of me?” ‘* Could you take the gal to your house, after we let her ’scape?” ‘* Sure,” ‘‘ And youand your woman would see to it that she didn't ’scape fer good and git all ther puddin’ in ther muck.” **Yer could trust us fer that.” “Then consider it a bargain. You come around jest about dark and we’ll talk it over fur- ther.” ‘** I'll be there, sure.” A word or two more and they parted, one go- ing one way and the other the opposite, Billy did not have to stand to decide which of the fine fellows he should follow. He knew where Burke Wedger was ledged, but he knew nothing about this other man, Gil Brand. Accordingly it was to Mr, Brand he gave bis attention, ‘*S weet. pertaters!” be muttered, as he moved cff after him, ‘‘how many more mixes is this thing going to have to it before I can get a grip on it? If they stir it up much more I won't | know which is head or tail to it, and Pll go off | aud commit hara-kiri with a bootjack, or do somethin’ else about as desperate. Never seen a case double up so fast in my life. Seems to me it’s a reg’lar cut-throat game all around, and the best villain will be the one to win—providing I don’t get in my little act somewhere. Le’s see, Pll have to think a little on this matter, or it is going to get so big pretty soon that I won’t be able to hold it at all.’ He snatched off his hat and scratched his head as he went along, ** In the first place,” he mused, ‘‘ there was the bit of a suspicion that hit me in the cheese-box on the train this morning. That was only a mole-hill then, but it has grown until it’s a mountain with half a dozen peaks, more or less, and I guess it’s more than less by several, First, there is that slick-lonking preacher, so-called. He is the king-bee of the lot, and the greatest rascal of them all, No preacher about him, not abit. He’s more like a thoroughbred gambler than anything else, He has a bold on the young lady, somehow, and means to make her marry Robert if he can. Robert is willin’ enough, but not so the girl, Then here is Jake, be comes in with advice for Robert, and bas some sort of a hold on him. I have got to keep an eye on Jacob, or somethin’ may get away from me yet. Then, to make it worse yet, here is Burke trying to get up a bargain with this Gil Brand to run the gir) through anotber course of money-makin’ jugglery. Sweet pertaters! I’d like ter be in- spector, with the hull police forceat my command fer about one hour, now!” But, he wasn’t, and he realized it. ‘* Poor girl,” be said to himself, thoughtfully, ‘they are makin’ it interestin’ for her, whoever she is, Wish I could get a chance to talk to her about two minutes, Here they are pitching her about from pillar to post, and ggin’ her through rat-holes without number, so ter say, CHAPTER VIII. ONLY A DOOR BETWEEN THEM. Wirnovt loss of time Billy made bis way to the garden, where he bad left Skinny to watch the man Robert and his friend Jake—particu- larly the latter. No one cbjected to bis going in, but be had no sooner entered than there was a general objection to his remaining there for any ex- tended period, It was clear that be was barred. ‘* What d’ye want here?” a rough fellow de- manded, steppirg up to him, Billy thought at once he bad made 6 mistake in acopting this disguise, after all. ‘‘ Me wantee find a man,” he said, in as good Chinee lingo as he could command, ‘‘ Mebbe you seen him allee samee?” ‘*How the deuce do I know anytbing abcut him?” was tbe retort. ‘‘ Take a look around, and if you don’t see him quick, then git.” Billy took a survey of the room, and not see- ing anything of bis partner there, took the man’s hint and ‘ got” according to direction, not caring to get into trouble. ‘That settles it,” hesaid tohimself, ‘* Skinny has bad to take to the trail alone, and I hope he will make a big showing for his part in the game, He will certainly make a big subject, if they fix him cut for the hospital. But, he knows a thing or two, does Skinny.” The next move for him to make was to go over and take a survey of the place where he knew the girl to be imprisoned. By this time it was the middle of the after- noon, and he did not hope for much furtber | than a general survey of the place from the out- side, He did not think any opportunity would offer for bim to get in before night. But, in this one respect he made a mistake, for his disguise as a Chinaman was going to serve his purpose here better than he had thought. When he reached the place of his destination he found it was in a Chinese neighborhood, and that some of the Celestials occupied the very house to which he was giving his attention, ~ “comicbooks.com