Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 887 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

A /. = \ - 2) ey me, Bl oe ay oa é r ‘ ‘ \ nt av ‘ * , ’ - #Ff Sah) _ ger, ye nade some wan-to look afther ye.” | without delay. Battery Bob, the Dock Detective. ‘‘T’m sorry I can’t step ashore, you little | posed to the scheme as she was to Jack Tarr's Tat! warn you.” If I could, we’d see this thing out, I wooden leg. ‘** Never, Bobby, never!” she declared, em- ‘Bet your life we would,’’ retorted Bob. | phatically, when she had heard all. “*Me an’ Terry would run you in so quick it would make your head swim, I have got my awful eye on you, Mister Texas, an’ I am goin’ to keep it there till ITrun you to your hole, you bet. Battery Bob is in it, you bet!’ The boat was rapidly swinging around, and the man bad only time to shake his fist at the boy ere he was out of sight. ‘* Now, tell me all about it,” demanded ‘Terry, leading Bob away. ‘You have got the whole facts, Terry, in few words. That feller has stolen a pa- er that belonged to a fine young lady, and was after that paper, red-hot. If there is a black sheep astray in this village, he is the sheep aforesaid, to wit.” ‘‘See here, Bobby, b’y, you have got onto a bigger case than ye are willing to tell me about, and Oi have a notion to make ye tell all about it.” “Don’t see how you would go about it, "Terry.” ‘*Oi’d run ye in.” : ‘That would do you a heap of good, now wouldn't it? What charge would you muke “against me? You couldn’t make any.” ‘*Qi could class ye as a suspicious charac- ter around the docks, and hint that the best place fur re would be a home on the island fur a spell, more or less.” ‘Get out with ye! Couldn’t I brin Betsy Sokup to prove that I’m all wool an two yards and a quarter wide? And Jack “Tarr to swear that Iam a clean clipper in full rig, with fresh paint? I should grinif I couldn’t.” ‘‘ Well, well, it’s not a-runnin’ av ye in Oi would be, but ye moight let me onto this ‘thing wid ye, and we’ll work it together.” ¥ ust what we are doing, Terry, you CHAPTER XIV BATTERY BOB RAISES THE WIND. TERRENCE McDovucGau could not see it in just that light,. however. ' - It appeared to him thatjif he was ‘init ” at all, he was notin far enough to sight the game. He argued the thing with Battery Bob, ‘but to no purpose, Bob getting the better of him * almost every point, and finally they ‘parted, That something was going on, the police- snan knew full well, but he could not tell ‘how great the case was, having little to guide bim, If they had tried to murder Battery Bob, however, it must. be notrifling affair, Then, too, Bob had told him that another life wasin danger, and if that was the case, ‘the game must be big. = os ob,” said Terry to himself, after Bob had left him, ‘*Oi think Oi will be after uttin’ Billy McNeil onto your track, me b’y, f you are bound to run your head into dan- ; Now, this: mentioned Billy McNeil was a detective on the force, and as Terry left the ‘dock, swinging his club, he had it in mind to ‘telephone for this Secret Service gentleman y. And that was what he did, and an hour later he and McNeil put their heads together. But, in the mean time, Battery Bob was getting right down to business, in the strange matter. When he left his officer friend he went at once to the stand kept by Betsy Sokup, where he had atalk withthe old woman who had been his friend ever since he ‘member. Betsy listened to what he had to say with could re- “patience and interest, but, as he proceeded, 3ob noted that her lips began to set together i . ) . ‘ a , : : ; : et | ‘ , ‘ ~ : et ; : : . sav* ‘ { A fn « a » 4 ’ *! | ‘ h + os be a Tene Rec ey ies “. ee we RN Ll . *>} Fie 9 a! i ens . 7 . ‘ Ae _Cinens te tha Feared f Seo * Fi ‘ * « ‘ é ae bt li Le y Sins uy 4 y 4 Rae | tH ip : _ ‘more firmly, her eyes to burn with a pecu- ; jiar light, and he knew she was as much op- | ei eHeli +h! .f rv of ag Sy t >, Me, t a" - ' .. 3 , | : quire? He knew more or less about the time of } ; - 3 . ‘ \ ; 1s “' 3 ’ A Tees e : we hay ee °F , ’ \ i ‘ ' ’ “A + : vss ) tc fy i be oa oot + ea oyna ay Teas , 1 ’ ; vi See my } : y , f OL on ; a a ret or ? Ft) | ‘ fe ry ° yr 1 ¥ Wey Ths 58) y sar ‘J r ‘Fu v d AO a “) ; You > a ~—" 4 ; >* , Fy rt, ‘ . 2 te . : we (WY a ry a h, +e ty - ~ J ¥ » ' y 5 - Ay ‘ 4 4 - ce cn * vi B ea ‘ Sts e-sesss_tsslstsstsseesessesessssssss-stss ef ‘‘ Well, I knowed it, aunty, so I ain’t a bit surprised,” said Bob. ‘‘Seen it in your eye fore I’d got half done.” ‘* Do you for one minnit think that I would villyain, and maybe git killed? Never! ain’t no use your askin’ it of me, Bobby Dickery. ‘* Nuff said, then, aunty. If I can’t foller him I kin deal with his partners right here to home, and | bet Ili make ’em dance square. to a waltz tune before I git done with ’em. Think [ll go an’ pay my respects to the young lady, too, while lam outcallin’, Ta- "7? Bob had an object in all this. THose who knew him knew of his friendly relation with the old candy-and-cakes wo- man, Should he get into trouble, and not put in his appearance, the police could, by inquir- ing of her, get on his track and perhaps find him. It was his intention to go by train to Long Branch. The old lady, though, would not further his scheme, though she did not see its deeper depths, as explained. | He blewed a kiss to her from his fingers, and was off. She called out to him, but he knew it was only to read a lecture to him and warn him to keep out of danger, so Bob went on, He now had no money, but, meeting a bootblack whom he knew, he asked the fa- vor of the loan of a nickel, and receiving: it, was soon on board an Hlevated train and on his way up-town. A. little later he was at the doorjof the dwelling of Edith Allen, | ‘Want ter see Miss Allen,” he said to the servant, ‘‘Come right in,” he was invited, ‘‘I will take you right to her.” The servant closed the door and led the way to a room where she knocked and en- tered, \ ‘‘ The boy,” she said, ‘* Let him come right in,” | Bob entered, and the door closed. ‘‘Have you got it?” the young woman asked eagerly. ‘‘Had it,” answered Bob, ‘‘ but I didn’t keep it long.” ‘* How was that?” ‘*Got caught in the act.” “Then it is now lost forever, I fear.” ce I don’t.” | ‘ ' ‘* What brings you here?” ‘Fact is, I’m bu’sted, and can’t do any- thing without the scads.” | “What in the world are’ you talkin’ PDONE? hu hs, ‘‘You’ll have to toss the chink, or I can’t do anything.” | ** Werse and worse, you, Bob.” ; ‘*Then you can’t understand plain United States lingo, that's sure, I mean”] want money.”’ ) . *“Oh! Why didn’t you say so right out? then I would have known. I never before heard such ridiculous words applied to money.” . ‘‘Don’t know nothin’ "bout that, ma’m, but you will have’to ’ply money to me or I won't be in it ’g'inst these rascals. I want to take a run down to Long Branch by train,” ** And what takes you to Long Branch?” ‘Phe train will, if you'll ante the glitter.” , “If I'll do what?” | ‘Toss up ‘the chink, as I said before. I can’t understand Furnish the needful.’ “Give you the money, you mean? Cer- tainly Pll do that. How much do you re- ‘*Don’t know the fare, but a ten-case note orter drag me through, J should think. Give me a fiver, if you ain’t got a tenner.” ‘‘Here is the full amount, my boy. I know I can trust you.” “ Thisis ten of the promised fifty,” said Bob, as he pocketed the bill. ‘‘If 1 don’t corral that certiffykit Vll make good my 1 will give you the means to carry you down to | ’spenses to you.” ong Branch to hunt down a great hairy | “You will do nothing of the kind. It | bear all your expenses, and if you are suc- cessful you shall have the fifty besides. But, bas that paper been taken to Long Branch?” ‘*Tt has.” ‘“'Who has got it?” ‘‘The same feller, Texas Long-hair,”’ ‘* And you tell me you had_it in your hand again?” ‘“That’s what I had, but they got onto me, Pickin’ pockets is out of my line, an | ain’t upinthe art.” ‘‘The wonder is that you arrested, then.” ‘* No wonder ’bout it, ma’m, fer they didn’t dare to! I bluffed ’em on that, I tell ye. Say, who was that dude that met you on the dock? I know his name, but lam after his peddygree.” ‘That was Mr. Harvey Alexander, an ac- quaintance of mine,” thay did not have ‘‘T knowed all that; tell me somethin’ about him that I don’t know. It is infer- mation I am after.” ‘‘So I recognize,” with a light laugh. ‘‘ Well, he is a well-to-do young man, and one who has been paying attention to me—if I gene speak out plainly. Why do you as yr" : ‘*A well-to-do young man, is he? You kin set it down fer fine that he ain’t a to-do- well young man, allee samec, and I am bet- ting con it. I don’t like the cut of that fel- ler’s nose nor the squint of his off eye—not a bit. Better sail clear of him, I’m tellin’ 1) Ab : ‘“* What do you know about him?” ‘Not a thing. But, I read faces, and I don’t miss the mark one time out o’ ten, that’s all.” j ‘*You greatly interest me, What doyou | read in this young man that does not impress you as being all right? Come, tell me every- thing.” | | «Wish I could sling the lingo like you kin, ma’m, then mepey you could under- stand me when my chix is waggin’, That word impress is G08 and I’ll store that away to s’prise Jack Tarr with.” ‘What a boy you are! But, you must be entirely mistaken about Mr, Alexander.” — ‘“Mebby I am, but I’m bettin’ I ain't. But, I must be off, fer I ain’t much time ter ketch that train.” ‘‘ You must tell me, though, what your suspicion against him is, Bob. I will con- fess to you that he is a person I do not really admire, but he has forced himself upon me.” ‘‘That’s his game, [’'m_ bettin’! coming in fer a fortune, if we kin bu’st up this skeem o’ matterymony, an’ Harve wants to come infer a share of it—but he don’t know nothin’ ’bout your marriage; thinks the field is all clear an’ that he has the inside track.” ' ‘‘Do you think it possible 7 ‘Sure as shootin’. Long Branch, hada sort o’ sleepy look in his squinters, an’ they have gamblin’ places down there that run all night—that is what’s Texas down there this afternoon. | takin’ But, tra-la; must be goin’, You kin think over the p’inter I have dropped till we meet again.” : CHAPTER XV, BOB TAKES IN A PARTNER. 9° | Tue young woman tried to detain the boy longer, but Bob had no time to spare, now, | got none too | You are \ He jest came from . } : . _— = — . ww ~ al : “ a * ~ wi