Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 854 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ed 7 —— TP ~ ann eh Oe Se ie ee nee —— - a « - -% @ a the paper shall be all right, Mr, ‘ vepresent the Secret Service Bureau of the Treasury Department at Washington, and I ‘aia me you that.” bested wm a ee ieee Uncle § Oe be worth while to fasten the door, so they left it unlocked. “Them ducks thought they knew it all, but they fooled themselves that time,” ob served Sam Stokes to himself, as he opened the door and entered the room softly but swiftly, closing the door behind him. Hardly had he done so when the step of Mother Halket sounded on the stairs and in the hall, and then he heard the front door open and close. He felt his way carefully in the dark to the spot where he had obtained a glimpse of the detective for the moment that the door was opened, and placed his hand on his shoulder To Sam’s joy and surprise, Ralph took him by the hand, and the boy knew that the detective was entirely free from bis bonds. ‘Got the rope all off yer?” “Yes,” ‘Then, let us sneak.”’ ‘Not till [ take Lucey Hawkins and her father with me,’ answered the detective, ‘nor until [ have Smasher Jim in my power,” ‘* You can’t do all that now,” *‘T can, and will.’’ declared the detective, in a determined tone ‘*Look out! I can hear ’em outside,” whispered the boy, excitedly. He ran to the door and crouched behind it, with his blackjack in his hand, ready to knoek down whoever might enter, Ralph, in the mean time, with the dexter- ous fingers of a sailor, twisted the rope around him in such a manner that, at a superficial glance, it would appear to be tivd, while really leaving him free, Hardly had he completed his task when ‘the door was pushed open slowly and «cau- tiously, and some one stole into the room. Sam Stokes sprung silently to his feet, and raised his blackjack ready to give the in- truder a blow that would settle him, when he was stopped, in the very nick of time, by hearing a well-known voice exclaim, softly: ‘Wal, gol-darn my boots! Ef this ain't a nice fix for a Government official to find himself in! They’ll never believe it down in Sangville!” ‘‘T'm_ blowed if it ain’t he boss!” mutter- ed Sam Stokes. ‘‘ Now, we z7zll have some fun!” Then, raising his voice slightly: ‘‘ Hel- lo, boss! How gces it?’’ The light from the hall shone on the boy’s face, and Hiram Hawkins looked at it for several seconds, before he said, in stern ac- cents! : ‘Who is looking after the Government business in Sangville, and the Sangville Herald, while you sre away?” CHAPTER XII... | THOSE PATENT HANDCUFFS, Sam STOKES was so much taken aback by this unexpected question, at. a moment when they were all in such peril, that he could not reply, and Ready Ralph came to his assistance, with: -“T'll guarantee the Government work and Hawkins, I al, I swan! You are there, too, eh, Mr. Rapier?” The postmaster did not appear to be much excited over his situation, but walked calmly up tothe gas-burner, and lighted it with a - match that he took from his pocket, and ? struck on his jean trowsers with a cracking vi noise that seemed to echo all through the ou : house, ; \ -_ **Look out, Hiram! Don't you know that. “| Smasher Jim and tbat terrible old woman have usin their power?” asked the detective, _ as he felt in his po revolver had not been removed, i ges Don't you be rae I have everything pocket to make sure that his ced, They can : ool a a man from Injiauny y 4° ae = . a“ / ; %, v Val es i rr iN bes * fe ‘ e +. "i i, 1 epi Me Tidhed 7 RAS: eat detective wou at first, but Hoosier grit is too much for ’em at last, you can bet your socks!” Ralph drew his revolver, and was pleased to find that it was all ready for instant use, ere he observed: ‘“T have.made up my mind not to stand any more of theirnonsense. I'll take Smasher Jim now, dead or alive. But, at the same time, I’d like to know how you got away from that room up-stairs?” ‘* Easy enough! Come up-stairs and look for yourself.” In a perfect maze of wonderment, Uncle Sam’s detective and Sam Stokes mechan: ically followed Hawkins up the stairs and into the back room, the editor of the Sang- ville Herald leading the way as coolly as if he were taking a stroll down the main street of Sangville Smasher Jim and Mother Halket were both lying on the floor, handcuffed together, while their ankles were secured with light steel shackles, joined by a light, but powerful steel chain about a foot in length, so that the two prisoners were fastened together hand and foot and were unable to move from the floor. ‘How did you do it, Hiram?” ‘“Wal, you see, it was this way: The sheriff of Sangville county is a particular friend of mine, and he gave me these hand- cuffs and shackles to bring to Chicago, be- cause he wants another pair made like ’em. They are made by a patent of his own, and no one can open them except him. He always keeps the key, Wal, I hadn’t had time to go to the man in Chicago that was to make the new ones, but I've been carrying . these around in my pocket, and to-night they came handy. Do you see?” ‘*But how did you get them onto these people?” | , ‘*Made him help me.” ea Who?” ‘‘Him!” repeated Hiram, pointing to .a turned-up bedstead in the shape of a book- case, against the opposite wall. The detective, with a smile, went to the bookcase and pulled it down, As he ex- pected, there was Rufe Rourke, nearly stifled from being shut up for half an hour among the bedclothes and pillows, Rufe Rourke was a miserable- lookin ject, evidently in considerable awe of Hawkins, as well as the detective. ‘“‘T grabbed the old woman. behind first, slipped the handcuffs on her, and then had ’em on Smasher Jim, who seemed to think I didn’t amount to an mins oe laughed the postmaster. ‘But these handcuffs work with a patent spring, and go on themselves without any trouble. When once I had them on, I made Rufe Rourke hold the dar. lings here, while I put on the shackles, and then I had ’em both, That’s the story. Let us go down-stairs,” concluded Hiram, mo- tioning to Rufe to walk in front of him, and leaving the two prisoners alone with as little compunction as if they had been rats, “Pll get even with you yet!” snarled Smasher Jim, as they went down-stairs. To release Lucy from the ay ts was the work of a moment; then Ralph directed Sam Stokes to go to a police station for two ofli- cers. He had made the capture of Smasher Jim, and had taken possession of the den, but he wanted officers to be with him when he searched it, because he did not know what he might find, and he was not disposed to take any more chances, Rufe Rourke was sitting disconsolately by the side of the piano, waiting to see what the do with him, apparently, He was in deadly terror of Ready Ralph, as- cribing to him more than human powers, especially since he had learned that Ralph ob- iram was in the employ of the Bureau of Secret. Service. | The detective felt sure that he had taken all the treachery out of Rufe, and although he could not hope to save him from punish- am’s Detective in Chicago. a light. Then he uttered a long whistle, 15 ment altogether, he was disposed to say a few extenuating words for him at his inevit- able trial. ‘‘T never bear malice,” observed Ralph, looking at Rourke, ‘‘and I shall take care that your work in behalf of the Government, in assisting Hiram Hawkins to capture James Walker and Mrs. Halket, is given due weight in the proper quarter.” Rufe Rourke was in the middle of profuse thanks for the detective’s kindness to him, as he called it, when a slight noise in the hall — made Ralph start from his seat and run to . the parlor door. He gave ita pull, but discovered that it was fastened outside. At the same moment he felt a stream of cold air come through the broken panels, as he heard the front door Open, | ‘Hurry, Hiram, and help me force this door!” cried the detective, excitedly. Hiram rau to his assistance, but, as the door opened inward, they had little power over it. ‘* Ha, ba!” laughed Smasher Jim, outside in the hall. ‘‘Thought you had me, eh? Give my regards to the folks in Sangville and Washington when you get back, and tell the Secret Service guys that Smasher Jim is still in his old business.” ‘‘Confound you!” yelled Ralph, ‘‘you shall not escape me!’ He drew his revolver, as he spoke, and took quick aim at the form of Smasher Jim, who had reached the front door, and was just stepping outside. There was a loud report, but the bullet went wide of its mark, as the postmaster knocked up the young detectives arm just 8 8 a ag the trigger. ‘‘What made you do that?” demanded Ralph, in a rage. ‘‘He’s gone for gvod, now.” ‘“Don't get skeered! We'll catch him, You want to take him alive, don’t yer?” ‘‘Dead or alive, 1 don’t care which,” an- swered the young sleuth-hound, hotly, ‘Wal, you shall have him, alive! Though I don’t see how he got out of them patent handcuffs and shackles!” : When they reached the room they saw that the sheriff’s patent handcuffs and shackles did not amount to mnch after all, for they were broken and smashed in all directions, while a piece of strong wire that lay by the side of them told how Smasher Jim, an expert man in picking locks, had de- stroyed the springs, and freed bimself and Mother Halket with comparatively little trouble, ‘* Wal, I swan!” exclaimed Hiram, regret- fully. ‘*Pll never believe -in no patents again,” CHAPTER XIV. \ AT LAST! SAM Strokes scuttled along toward the nearest police-station, but, in the dark, he soon lost his bearings, and, in spite of his | old knowledge of the city, he could not find the place of which he was in search. , ‘“Durn this thing! Ralph will think lm no good,” he muttered. ‘‘I might ask a cop, if I see one, but I don’t want to do that. These Chicago cops are so suspicious, an’he might run me in without giving: me no | chance to explain.” He was standing in the shadow of a tall - : house at the corner of two aie aap a Clark street bridge, when a woman da up against him, and excitedly clung around his neck, whileshe muttered some unintelli- gible words into his ear, | | “ What’s the matter with yer? Let go of my neck,” spluttered Sam, who was nearly choked by the violence of the hug. are you, anyhow? I don’t know yer.” As he spoke, he managed to drag the wo- her face toward a distant e turned ec \ , : 0 LB - = oat = Who) man a little away from the buil ing, | an a, aS a ae ry - . Z Ss, *