Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 860 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

7 >) * es ra § Fe Ae an ¥ . " hme OY J ite. — . go , yy 2 yr. Vogt nite sca aero oe PRS te? fh 10 | Kit Clipper, the Boat-Club Mascot. | I is a “ Judging by the time, I should say the watch- | matter, he knew of no place more to his taste ‘My mother died when I was an infant; my we en man had just made his round,” a second Sea- | than to be a picket. father died three years ago.” | ‘ Horse added. He was still caressing the arm which he | ‘+ knew them both, though my acquaintance a ay ‘¢ Then we'll move at once, Come on!” claimed to have injured, and he held the elbow | with John Bease was only casual, Ann, his Pee oa They advanced in a body until they stood un- | up with the other hand and readily agreed to | wife, | knew well previous to her marriage.. sie a der the south wall of the-building. the last direction. Possibly you’ve been taught to revere her, 1 ted Ousa of the party then shook out something he Obediently enough, he passed around the | Irad, but I must say that Ann wasa hard lot. had carried ina compact bundle, and Kit saw | building. She never was worthy of poor old John Bease, a tiat)s wasa rope-ladder, To one end was at-| When he reached the front he made a discov- | and she proved it by duping him the worst way. | Bory 4 tached o small cord, and this Hamblin proceed- | ery. The door was open, and two persons, both ; You were no child of theirs!” | Bo in ed to tia uround th» mascot’s waist. of whom were men, stood there in conversation. | ‘‘ Proveit!” oy rae ‘“ Wot’s tbat fur?” Kit esked. Ho realized that one was the watchman, while ‘‘T can, when I get ready. I can produce me ry 4) ‘¢ You'll seo directly.’” the other seemed to bo a caller, Ann’s son—a fit offspring of the mother, and a a se i f r: The Sea-Horse finished his work, and then Here wa3 a chance to give the alarm without | kid for whom you were swapped when your iter i at laid bis band vpon a lightning-rod which rose necessarily betraying himself to the Sea-Horses, | teeth could hardly win ina competition with a ¥ Be es by the building’s side. and he was aout to hurry forward when he hen’s.” te ae “ Climb that!” he directec. heard a step behind him. ‘¢ Why Should such a swap have been made?” ie a ‘¢ Hh?’ the mascot repeated. He turned and saw the man Deegan. Irad Bease asked the question with more in- i ee Re} ‘““Climb thatrod!” e Evidently, be had a spy upon his own move- | terest than he bad yet shown, and Dan showed a 7 ‘¢ What fur?” ments, but ‘he was equal to the emergency. | corresponding gratification. F cht ‘“T want you to reach the upper-story win- Promptly he beckoned to the Sea-Horse, and the “Dve told you,” he answered, “that there | ca om dow, pull up the ladder, fasten one end there, | latter came forward. | was money in the case.” < ey and so give usa chance to get up. See?” Again Kit looked at the men by the door, and | _ ** You are putting in a claim which sounds ) ot ine Kit Clipper understood ane too éplainly. | a surprising discovery followed. like a fairy tale, hut 1 remember it was always y t "! Principally because he was the lightest weight One of them was Dan Decker, the cracks- | said that I did not resemble John Bease.”’ ; ate: there, a task had been laid out for him which | man! | ‘ Natarally, you didn’t.” : i af would make the rest easy, and make him an ac- gee RNAS ‘‘Tf he was not my father, who was?” } complice. ‘¢{¢t will cost you five thousand dollars to i The idea startled him, and he saw himself in CHAPTER XII know!” 's the closest of close corners, Either he must : ‘‘T can’t produce one-twentieth part of it,” t give actual aid to the gang, or, by backing down ONDER FISs. ity ite “ You need not pay a red until you get your uarely, betray himself. _ THE last discovery bewildered Kit Clipper. | money, though I shall take good care to protect hat was he to do? It was not strange that the old burglar should | myself. Vi arrange all that, and advance you ar One plan occurred to him. That was to | bein that town, for any one engaged in hislaw- | some money, if you want. You can’t be gettin ‘ ascend as they wished, end thereby secure his | less calling was liable to be anywhere; but what | any big boodle here as night-watchman, an hb own safety, and then give the alarm and baffle meant the fact that he was in conversation with | may not hberich. Well, just you stray down to : them; but, if ho did this, farewell to his con- | the watchman? New York and J’ll fix you all right!” F nection with the club, and his hopes of solving | No good ever kept Dan Decker company “111 do it.” Charles Birdston’s fate. and it did not seem likely that he had any good} ‘Good! Another fellow is now in your Truly, he wasin a dilemma. | errand there. What did it mean? shoes, but be don’t fill them; and 1t won’t be Me How could he get out of it? ‘* Was he an ally of the watchman? hard to fire him ont. He’s got his nearest rela- ‘¢ Climb!” Hamblin ordered. Or was he trying to hoodwink that person? tives—or, to be more exact, your nearest rela- ‘¢ Don’t b’lieve I kin, cap’n.” Was another robbery intended? tives—down on him, and a recent attempt to ** Nonsense !” | fi touched Kit’s arm. rob the old man has fixed his mind so he would ) ‘‘T ain’t no great o’a climber.” ‘6 We've got to wait,” he announced, ‘Times | jump at the chance to swap nephews,” ‘| ‘* Any boy could do it,” ain’t ripe for no move cn our part, so we must Ka What old man is this you refer to?” ; ‘¢ Wal, what one boy kin do, I kin!” lay low fur awhile. You stay here, an’ I'll go ‘Don’t you wish you knew?” laughed Decker. This declaration, resolutely made, brought a | an’ tell the cap’n ter call off his war-dogs fur | ‘¢ Well, it must be a secret fornow; I’m theonly i peed expression of approval from the Sea- | awhile.” | person who can tell.” : orses, but the mascot was not of their mind,| ‘* All right 7 Kit Clipper was not so sure of that. He | Come what might, he was resolved not to be a Kit answered mechanically, for he had dis- | recognized certain points which agreed with | party to their crimes. covered that he could overhear what Decker | the Leechmere case, and also remembered that | He could see but one way out of it, and | and the watchinan were saying, and, when | Stephen had spoken to Decker about a servant- a that one way appeared to him like the star of Deegan retreated, the mascot sunk down by girl toward whom he seemed to feel no kind- , pe. the corner of the building and lay as quietly as | ness. ol ee He grasped the rod und tested its strength | the foundation. | ‘‘Reckon J will take a shy at Irad Bease!” 4! skillfully; then be began to climb, From the Tbe first distinct words he beard were from | muttered the young detective. ‘ 5 first he made awkward work of it. He was Decker’s lips. At that moment something drew his attention: careful not to make any sound, and thereby ‘No; I won't mention any name,” the old | toa point beyond the two men. A dark figure i _ arouse the Sea-Horses’ suspicions; but if he bad cracksman was saying, ‘‘butI can do all I | wascreeping along close to the building, steadi- =f weighed three times as much as he did, be could claim, You tickle me, and I'll tickle you.” ly drawing nearer to Bease and Decker. . not have had more trouble, in appearance, than ‘‘T can’t believe what you allege,” the watch- Then a hand was laid on Kit’s shoulder, He he now did to draw himself up. man replied, slowly. turned and saw Deegan. He progressed for some time, however, and| ‘ Why not? AintI—” _. - *Gome back, mascot!” the Sea-Horse di- Ae rose five feet from the ground, The Sea-Horses ‘Why should any money ‘be due me?” rected. yey. stood looking on in mingled doubt end dissatis- ‘‘ Why shouldn’t it be?” Other men were there, and Kit did not fail to | faction. Their mascot was not showing the| ‘‘ Because all my relations are, and were, | comprehend the situation; the Sea-Horses ‘ite ' agility which they had expected, but all might poor.” had decided to risk allin a rush for the open Ae end well, | ‘‘ Sure?” | door. tan Suddenly, though, Kit was seen to slip, and Cee Fr Unfortunately for them, they had one person . at en ¥ then he fell unchecked to the ground, grasping Decker chuckled, to deal with who was just as sharp as them- Ax: Ce as wildly for support he did not gain, ‘You mean that you think you are sure. | selves. Dan Decker lived a life where he was Ho’ ad oe He landed in a heap, and then groaned lugu- | There are lots of things in this world that we | obliged at all times to watch closely, and he saw Ae i briously. don’{ know, though, and you are liable to be | the skulking figure, © i Fa bier e ‘¢ What’s the matter?” Hamblin asked. surprised, In fact, I promise to surprise you i ‘Ware hawks!” he suddenly exclaimed, a th ‘¢ My arm’s broke,” I am paid for it.” ‘¢ Look out for Number One!” Di . ** No!” “How are you going to prove all this?” the | So saying he darted away at full speed, his® ee ne . + Yes, ’tis—ouch/ don't tech me!” watchman asked, doubtfully. legs playing ina fashion that showed them in as (oor Ni The wily mascot groaned again and caressed | ‘** Trust me for that. All you have to do is to | good light when it was remembered that trey Te doe + ie his alleged injury gingerly. Of course it was | agree to give me five thousand dollars if I get | had already carried Daniel nearly threescore Se bom alla sham, but that was his scheme for getting fifty, or more, thousand for you—this, and keep of years. — il) hs * : out of th® responsibie part of the robbery, your promise,” rad Bease did not follow him. He sprung rs ; ay, ‘‘Confound it! why were you soclumsy?” “Do you claim that I am heir to this | back into the building, and the door clanged to ee : * T slipped.” | amount?” f as soon as he could fling it into place. e | ‘¢ You had no business to slip.” ‘*] claim that it’s yours,” Exclamations arose from the Sea - Horses ¥ ; =e ‘‘ Dye think that rod is easy ter hold on ter?” ‘© Who holds it now?” which were not in keeping with church rules, Be : 3 ‘6 Well, well, let it pass. Is your arm hurt so “A secret told is worth no gold, IfI give | and they rushed to the attack like hungry he you can’t go up?” myself all sey, there would be no use for me | wolves. That door must be forced betore it Tap Sa Kit stretched out the member indicated, and | in the game. ell you ek that I am the | could be secured, or the chances were decidedly *. ae Say then uttered an exclamation of pain. only one who has any knowledge of the affair, | in favor of defeat. Mae | oe Couldn't lift a muskeeter with it,” he re- | and the only one who Can get you any boodle. Bang !—bang !—bang! , ay a plied. “It ain't broke, but it’s sprained the | Query: Are you willing to pay me for it?” One after another, they hurled themselves wuss’ way.” | *¢ {won't make eny bargain in the dark.” against the door, and each shock brought en eh hee Rp aes nies it, Brogan, you may go up.’ “You're as stubborn asa mule!” Decker ex- | audible sound, but they might as well bave Pp Boeri ‘‘ Wouldn’t it be a good idea to surround the | claimed, in disgust. ‘ Well, l’ll give you a! spared their labor. The agile watchman had | m building?” Bat asked. . | clew, but don’t you think you can beet me out, | secured the door, and it did not yield inthe ~~ ai? ‘Perhaps so—at least, we might throw out | Now, then, -uppose that you are not Irad Bease, | least. ‘ Se « pickets to see that all is right. Peters, go to the | son of John and Aun Bease, but a cat of entire-| ‘‘ Done up!” growled Deegan, savagely Fie. | east end, and you, Deegan, to the west. Kit | ly different color?” | ‘By my life! Pll have him yet!” Captain: - _ Clipper, you may have the north side.” ‘¢ You start off wildly, stranger.” Hamblin cried. ‘‘ Bring a log—stone-—-any- — rere ; It was clear that the Sea-Horses intended to! ‘Then you think you are Irad Bease?” thing with which we can hatter down thedoor, _ es | draw their mascot into thecase,sprainedarmor| ‘I know lam.” We'll silence the watchman before he can give Oy no sprained arm, and that astute youth did not| ‘‘Having your father or mother to prove the alarm. Quick!” Rent Bo 3 object. Indeed, if he must be concerned in the it?” | The plan was good, but it did not work, An ~ DOSE POE asic? yes SOM gen MeO M Een Lee Sain ee OWNMEIOORS “CC «+ PS Or 2s’ > ‘ 8