Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 860 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

+f wr; pull the building down, as the French pulled down vue Bastile,” ‘* The men would still remain,” ‘* Bat not their den.. Next thing we know, Horace willbe a member of the club, and you know my opinion of them?” Yea,” “*The old sea-captains that founded the club were none too good, [cantell you. I’ve heard it whispered that they had out a pirate craft during the last war, but that may be wrong. Now the young roughs have full sway, and tell you that there’s no good in them!” ‘‘ Boat-clubs ain’t apt ter be,” observed Kit, anxious to lead the lady on to say all that she would. ‘* Some beat-clubs are all right, and composed of honest young fellows, but not so the Sea- Horse, Weare neighbors, and have a chance to notice more’ than some folks. There are strange goings-on there, and it wouldn’t sur- prise me if stolen property could be found there,”’ ** Ahem |” Stephen Leechmere cleared his throat sudden- IY and gave his sister a warning glance, Kit id not fail to see it, and rightly inferred that the old gentleman did not want to get mixed up with the affairs of the Sea-Horse Boat Club. ‘‘1'd like to know what meant the mason- work done therelately,” Miss Leechmere added, evidently determined to have the last word. ** What did they do?” Kit asked, ‘“Who knows? Wedon’t; but what did they want of vaults and subterranean places?” ‘‘Did they make ’em?’’ asked the boy, with fast-increasing interest, ‘¢ This talk is idle,” interrupted Leechmere, ** We know positively nothing about the club, and what we suspect is no evidence. Let us not speak of them. They did have some mason- work done, and we saw the mason go in and out—he was a likely young fellow of some twenty-two years—but we never spoke to him; we don’t know who he was; we don’t know what he did, and are not interested in the af- fairs of the Sea-Horse Club, All done, El- vira?” 66 Yes. ” Miss Leechmere had finished her work by put- ting a piece of court-plaster on Clipper’s hurt. The latter had almost forgotten it, but not so the old gentleman, “It wes a cowardly thing to do!” he mut- tered. ‘¢ What shall we hear next of that wretched boy?” added Miss Elvira. ‘* Anything is liable tocome. I tell you that he and his associates of the occasion tried to ‘bunco’me. Horace claimed that/he wanted to settle down and go into business, and he de- coyed me in to use my, judgmentin the case, as he termed it. Well, my judgment proved bet- ter than they expected, and when they laid the trap for my feet—and my money—Isaw through itatonce, 1 had money about me, and Horace knew it; and he and his knaves were tempted to take it from me by force, I also saw that gen but my bold stand kept them off. ou heard: me accuse Horace of trying to *‘bunco’ me,” ‘** And to think that he is the son of our only sister!” sighed Miss Leechmere, Once more Stephen returned to the injury which Kit had received—this seemed to haunt him more than any of Horace’s other misde- meanors. Kit would have tried to have him drop the Sureah but a new idea had entered the boy’s mind. He wanted to know more about the Sea-Horse Boat-House, and did not fail to perceive that he was in just the proper place for observation. Exclusive as the club was, with the bizh, tight board fence around its premises, the upper win- dows cf Leechmere’s house were higher. It was a fine place for observation. Could he use it for such a purpose? “* My Jad,” Stephen went on, ‘‘ I cannot think of letting you leave us to-night. You may be worse before morning, and ri want you where we can care for you.” Kit concealed the twinkle in his eyes. ‘*T ain’t used ter sleepin’ in no close room,” he answered, ‘*Kin you give me a high, airy room, facin’ the waterf—an atic, fur in- stance?” ' it was a bold bid, and he waited eagerly for thereply. ‘« Weeangive you just what you desire. Come and seo the room.” And so Kit followed his new friend, and was led to th upper room at the west end of the house. Between it and the boat-club property Fei IE TO tt Tes. aay . * war _ . 7 Kit Clipper, the Boat-Club Mascot. there was a vacant lot, so there was nothing to interrupt the view. This view was all that could be desired, and he decided not to throw away the chance offer- ed—though what good he was to get out of it he did not know. That the Sea-Horses would parade any of their secrets did not seem likely. Mr. Leechmere was greatiy pleased when his young friend promised to stay, and arrange- ments were made accordingly. The amateur detective knew that the less at- tention he received the more chance he would have to observe, and heacted his part so well that, when he said he was both poor and hum- ble, and would feel more at home in the kitchen than elsewhere, be was allowed to go there, He found the mistress of that region to be a very black colored woman who rejoiced in the name of Rosebud, and he and she were soon on good terms. ‘ He ate his supper with her, and the evening evan, All this while he had been waiting for a chance to question Rosebud, being well aware that nobody knows more about her neighbors than a female servant. When he bad wholly gained Rosebud’s confi- dence he began operations, ‘* Mighty fine neighborhood ’round hyar,” ‘* Pooty fair,” Rosebud areed. ‘¢ (Jo inter sassiety much?” ‘‘ Course not, wid my black skin,” ‘* Folks pertic’ler round hyar, eh?” ‘‘Sorter.” ‘‘ ot a boat-house over yender, I see,” éé Yes,” ‘‘ Wish I b’longed,.” ‘Don’t yer do it!” ‘*Why not?” ** You'd git gobbled up.” ** Ghosts?” ‘‘Wu’ss! Tain’t givin’it away, not even ter my boss; but dar is myst’ries in dat ’ar shebang dat would make de police chieftain turn white ’round his gills.” ‘Gosh ter all hemlocks! you don’t say so! W hat’s up, 1’d like ter know?’ ‘* T spect thar’s a man been killed!” ‘Who?’ ‘‘ A mason who worked dar,” The detective’s eyes grew larger. ** How’s that?” ‘* A man worked fur them on mason-work,an’ den he vanished inter blue smoke. Thar ain’t much been done about it, an’ no gineral alarm sent out, I reckon; but he wa’n’t never seen ter leab the boat-house one night, when he was through. Good reason why—he didn’t leab it!” ‘* Be you sure?” a6 Yes. ”? ‘* How d’ye know?” ‘* Onereason is dat I didn’t see him go, an’ an- other is dat there was strange goin’s-on in dat boat-house. While de mason was workin’ dere days I could often get glimpses ob him, an’ see brick an’ mortar; an’some seb’ral times | heerd de clinkin’ ob his trowel—you'll notice dis am a Ken aes street, ‘* Well, sab, de night what de mason am said to hab disappeared, I heerd strange sounds in de boat-house, long about seven o’clock. ‘* All had been quiet dar, but I finally heerd voices in loud talk, an’ dey seemed to be right mad, too, Yes, sah, it was a querril about su’thin’, an’ somebody was a-jawin’, Den I heerd one man say: ‘ Lemme go, scoundrels!’” ‘* Bo you sure?” Kit asked, breathlessly. ‘*'Yes,sah, Den thar was de sound ob a scuf- fle, an’ more voices sounded, an’ su’thin’ like a chair was knocked over. Denit stopped, an’ all become quiet,” ‘Why ain’t you tol’ this afore?’ *¢ Well, de Leechmeres had always tol’ me not ter meddle wid de Sea-Horses, nor habanything to do wid’em; an’ dat is just what I hab been doin’.” ‘‘ But that man may hev been murdered,” ‘ Dat’s so, now I think on’t.” ‘* You ought ter tol’ it, Rosebud.” “‘T never meddle wid my neighbors,” ‘‘But you say this happened at seven o’clock, Didn’t the mason go’way atsix?” ‘‘ Yes; but I s’pect they kep’ bim, some- how,” ' ‘¢ T reckon he’s food fur the fish, fore now.” ‘6 Don’t think so!’ declared Rosebud, with an emphaticnod, ‘Why not?” ‘¢ They has walled him up alive!” Kit Clipper gazed at the negress in startled amazement. This assertion was even more re- markable than anything be bad expected, and it almost took his breath away. ‘* Dey had him do their work,” Rosebud add- oer are ‘ Se eet Ys ed, ‘‘and then, so he couldn’t give ci their secrets, bricked him up from all de world.” ‘* How do you know that?” ‘*Wal, dat same night I speak of, long about two hours or so arter ce fight, dat trowel got ter goin’ ag’in—clink! clink! clink /—an’ it kep’it up for a long time until I cropped asleep. Nex’ mornin’ dere wasn’t no work done in de boat-house, an’ de trowel ain’t sounded sence. Good reason why. The Sea-Horses walled the mason up alive dat night, an’I presume dat he’s starved afore now.” Rosebud took a pinch of snuff’, leaned back in her chair and assumed an expression of con- tentment, She had been able to thrilla listener, and pose as the guardian of secrets and trage- dies. — CHAPTER ITI, AMONG THE SEA-HORSES. Kir CLIPPER gazed at the negress for some time in silence, He had a mind far more logical than hers, and he was correspondingly less apt to rush to a conclusion, but he could not he being influenced by the testimony te had heard, His own vague idea that Charles Birdston’s disappearance might be due to the Sea-Horses had received confirmation, and he became mcre earnest than ever, He questioned Rosebud further, but learned nothing of actual importance. At an early hour he announced his desire to go to bed, and he was soon in the attic room set apart for him, A few minutes later the room was wrapped in darkness, but the young detec-, tive was not in bed. Instead, ho was sitting at the window, fully dressed, with his gaze riveted upon the boat- house, There was but little to be seen there, It was well lighted, but curtains screened every win- dow, and shut off all survey. It was evident, though, that the Sea-Horses were enjoying themselves, for shouts of laughter occasionally arose, ; ‘Wish I’s in thar!” muttered Kit, thcught- ully. He looked at the high fence, with its crown of spikes. It would be neither easy nor safe to get over, but it was not that which made the detective the most trouble; he had been told that, besides the servants, a watchman was al- ways there to patrol thé inclosed area, Whatever the Sea- Horses might be in point of houor, they seemed to know how to enjoy them- selves. ‘They had a social club, es well as a nautical one, and the second floor of their main building was used for the aforesaid social pur- pose, Every night they met there, old sailors and young recruits, and passed the time hilari- ously. ie Kit expected them to throw up the window- curtains and parade any of their secrets he was very much disappointed. Noisy as they were, they cid nothing suspicious, and, at eleven o'clock, the lights were put out and they went their several ways toward home, Nobody was left, ag far asthe spy could see except the watchman, He madean occasional ci: cuit of the club house, or entered the building where the boats were kept, After some deliberation Kit opened his door. The Leechmere house wags dark and silent, He crept down the stairs, passed out of the rear door, and stood under the clouded sky. He went at once to the gate by which the Sea- Horses entered their inclosure, Itwasfastened, and the detective was not able to get ony points, He next made his wav to the water, e boat- house had a more extensive frontage than simi- lar places of the present day, and all was trim and nent, but every Sea-Horse seemed to have sought his stall. There was a possibility that Kit could gain entrance ab that point, but he would not try it. If they were otherwise so secretive, it. fol- lowed that they had some protection there against interlopers. Kit retraced his steps, but had gone only half- way to Leechmere’s house when he suddenly aused, : ‘¢ What's that?’ ho muttered, Sure enough, what was it? A peculiar sound was borne to his hearing. Clink! clink! clink! His eyes gleamed with sudden excitement, and to his memory came what Rosebud had said about the sound ofa trowel, The peculiar noise made by that implement was not new to Kit, He had heard it: before—he heard it now. But where? He looked all around without being able