Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 889 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

“hi \ , a do, s eee ee WES 5, ; ial int | ge Nes rae . % ' Tet ROR UES abate * ;. “oe” New York Nat’s D eadly Deal. ‘** But they did not attack me, Mr. Can- field. for 1 was dogging them, caught them : art and arrested one, and his pal rescued m. ‘**So you got one of them, sir?” ‘* Yes, the man with your steel bracelets on his wrists.” ‘* You have done splendidly, Mr. Canfield; but where is the other one?” ‘“‘That I don’t know, but this one, I sup- pose, can be made to tell.” ‘* Where is he, sir?” ‘Out in the hack, and the cabman is standing guard over him, for I drove home just to change my rig and then take him to jail as the prisoner of the Unknown Ferrets of the Secret Service Chief, ‘* You see I am slightly disfigured, but still in the ring,” and Sherman Canfield laughed as he pointed to his torn collar and clothes, not to speak of a slight cut on his cheek. | ‘‘He fought you then, sir?” ‘* Like a catamount,” ‘‘Tam glad | came here, sir, for had you given him up to the chief he might have told enough about me so that there would be no longer a secret as to who were the inspector’s Unknown Ferrets.” . ‘‘Tam indeed glad then that you-headed me off here, Nat.” ‘* But you did splendidly, Mr, Canfield, in running the fellow down, and would make a first class detective.” | ‘Lam glad to know it, if other schemes of mine fail, Nat. ‘*T never took a trail in the city before, but my plains experience helped me,”’ ‘* How did you do it, sir?” ‘‘T just kept the two men in sight without letting them know they were followed. ** At times [ took chances by heading them off, but luck came my way and the result ‘was thatthey led me to a locality where it was most dangerous for a well-dressed man to be seen. ‘* But they halted at a dive, a perfect old rookery, where | had stepped into the shadow to see them go by. , ‘*Butit seemed that one of them lived ‘here, and I overheard the other one ask just where his room was and say that he would B° to his quarters and get some files and come ack and remove his handcuffs, ‘* «ll wait here, Bill, and take you up with me,’ said the man in irons, and the’ other started off at a rapid pace. - Then I decided to show my hand, and pretending to be drunk and to have lost my way, I stepped out of my hiding-place, and he, seeing my condition did not step back in- to the shadow. ‘) | ‘*Tvasked him if he wanted to make a stake by guiding me to where I could get a hack, and he said he would if 1 paid in ad- advance, ‘*Of course, I divined his motive, to rob me, for he thought | was very drunk, and saw my diamond stud and watch-chain, so I was’ prepared for him when I| took out a roll of bills. ‘‘ He, with his manacled hands, grabbed me by the throat, and at once it became a fight for mastery, for he is a very powerful man. ‘* But, | had the advantage, of course, and as I cannot yet get over the habit of carrying a small revolver, | had him subdued after a fierce fight of it, and I showed him to a hack and brought him here, ‘*T'll go and fetch him in, Nat; but tell me, were you much hurt?” . | ‘* Under the circumstances, no, sir, for I pot off well; but Mr. Vanderlip will be de- ghted to know that he left in his stead, when he was called West, an ally for the Boy Police League, who can run in New York crooks as well as he can, and [ sincerely thank you, Mr. Canfield, for the services you have rendered me.” | | “Don’t speak of it, my boy, for my old ; shall go plains pard, Walter Vanderlip, asked me York Nat took from his pocket a gag he ; : od ' ‘ 4 . | { LF me ah . set Wy apes tea, 7h aa ty . if & ¢ in ‘ A. a” te. o : , , on ve ly uy 1 lash “Te to be the master of his home in his absence, and,as you know, to act for him as your ally, and I have done so with real pleasure, and candidly, you and your wonderful Secret Service work has made time pass pleasant- ly with me. ) ‘*But [ heard from Vanderlip to-day, and he writes that he hopes the chief bas not yet been able to find out who his Unknown Fer- ret is, as, in your own good time you will make it known, ‘He also says that he hopes to return within a month; but now for the prisoner,” and Sherman Canfield went out to the car- riage and soon returned with Zip Ralston the escaped convict. The man looked even more used up in ap- pearance than did Sherman Canfield, for he bore the marks of the young Nebraskan’s knuckles in his face, and finger-marks upon his throat, while in his struggle the. steel manacles had cut his wrists until they bled. ‘*This is your man, is it not, Nat?” asked Sherman Canfield, as he entered the library where New York Nat sat perfectly at home, for his Arizona ally had given him a pass- key to enter at all hours that he found need to do so. ‘* Yes, sir, that is my man, and his life de- pends upon what he knows,” was Nat’s stern reply. CHAPTER YI. THE BOY FERRET’S PRISONER. ‘Tue prisoner taken by Sherman Canfield heard the words of New York Nat with evi- dent terror. He cast a quick glance at the young de- tective, but as the wig and spectacles had been removed and the coat turned again, he did not see in him the one who had arrested him near the Barrett House, But he did recognize the youth whom Killer Bill had pointed out to him at the garden concert, and the two had followed. Still he did not connect Nat at the con- cert, and Nat who arrested him as one and the same. Py, | ‘*So I owes this to you, does I? ‘¢ Killer Bill said as how be know’d you as the one who had pricked his pal and sent him back to jail,” and the man glared sav- agely at the young detective, Nat laughed and replied: ‘*See here, my man, your tongue runs away with your brains, for you have told me just who the man is whose face, disguised as it was, I could not recall, ‘*So your comrade was Killer Bill, eh?” ‘No, I was joking,” and the man felt that he had said too much, . ‘Well Iam in deadly earnest, and I tell you that the face of your pal comes back to me now, and I remember that he again es- caped from prison, ‘The next time he will not be so fortu nate,” , ‘‘T says it wasn’t Bill.” he oot ‘* Very well, 1 know that it was; but who are you?” ““Nobody you knows,” ‘* Maybe you'll be known at Secret Service Headquarters,” | sé Oo I on’t.” ‘‘Tll wager big money your picture is in the rogues’ gallery, andas Killer Bill was your pal it condemns you.” _**T demands my freedom, for you has no warrant for arrestin’ me,” ‘*T have the warrant of knowing you to be a villain, or rather this gentleman had. **-You and your pal shadowed me from the | ree. tem yet were not so clever but that fooled you; but now youare to go with me,” | | ‘¢ Where?” { ‘* Wherever I please to take you, and you wholly at my mercy,” and New : carried with him and forced it invo the man’s. mouth, Sherman Canfield holding the pris- oner securely in his strong grasp until he was properly gagged. Then his hands were secured, manacled as they were, to his waist, and the young de- tective said: ‘*Now we will go.” ‘‘One moment please, Nat,” and Shermar Canfield called the young ferret chief to one side and said. ‘‘See here, Nat, you are badly off and suffering as I can see, so remain here to-night. and I can take care of your prisoner also.” ‘*Thank you, Mr. Canfield, but 1 must go to night.” ‘« Where will you take’ him?” ‘*To my quarters, sir.’ ‘‘Then I will go with you, for you shalt not go slone with this man injured as you really are.” ‘‘’Mr. Canfield, Mr. Vanderlip even does not know my quarters, for he has never been there. “Only Olive, our Ferret Queen, and my sister as you know, with the members of our League of Boy Police know the hiding-place: of the band.” ‘‘ Well, Ido not seek to pry, Nat, but I will go with you as far as you care to have me gO. ‘‘Mr. Canfield, go all the way, as I see that ou are determined, for I trust you, sir, and t is useless for me to say that I consider you bound to secrecy as thoroughly as one of my own allies.” ‘Certainly, and I so pledge myself. ‘ Just wait until I partially change my toilet,” and in five minutes Sherman Canfield returned to the library, and with Nat and the prisoner left the house. The carriage was waiting outside, and im a whisper Nat told Mr. Canfield where to have the cabman drive, and to push right along. | When they entered the vehicle Nat ccm- pletely blindfolded his prisoner, and for a long while not a word was spoken by any one, the captured convict being gagged of course kept silent. It was a long drive, and nearly an hour passed before the hackman drew rein in the upper part of the city which was very sparsely settled. | Here the trio got out and Sherman Can- field bade the hackman await his return, telling him he could take a nap meanwhile, Then he followed Nat with his still blind- folded prisoner, , After quite a walk they came to a wall surrounding a large old mansion built in the last century, and surrounded by extensive grounds completely overgrown with foliage and underbrush, | The prisoner was helped over the wall, Nat leading the way and guiding him by holding to his arm. But Nat led the way without hesitation to the rear of the o}\d mansion so dark, and weird in its intense solitude though with- in the city limits, and halted at a rear door leading into the basement, A key opened the door, and Nat cog ng it. a. behind them, struck a match and lighte lamp that was there. Sherman Canfield, in spite of his nerve, | shuddered at the gloomy surroundings, but silently followed his young leader up two- flights of stairs, when for the first time he discovered that they were followed by an enormous dog as savage-looking as a tiger, but which had made no demonstration to- ward himself or the prisoner, the presence of Nat controlling him perfectly. oak Upon the top floor they entered a room where there were several cots, and New York Nat said quietly: “‘ Now, prisoner: you are in prison again, and from the sentinel over , escape,” and he looked si ficantly at the. dog. | | v — ‘ ' * Si ret 4 = y a | 4 ‘ ; : « . 4 » : (@K @) ou there is n® ae ae a Se > _ = » Fol - << * , a + a -. .—~ 7 — Us ity a * oe Ee — neste ey ee = op “ Ks > —. é > — «< — a = . .* : . a} Ne, | a5 — . i = - — = ~ 2p « x 3 —— 4 —_ = At ee es Ne ‘“e—' : < rast ti. -Se 4 ¥ —s ohms ae a ff * , > ay = fiw Satay 2 BS ae 22 = < = —- — 2 fed ¢ a - - Lets let x > . . . rey 7. i | —_=-_ «+ ae ees -— wo - . e>7 tg a... ~.* 7 ed Po P ‘\'s “* . ‘ - - “4 BA oy Fi Be. c 7 . % ‘shoy . 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