Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

_———i, —< Davy Doon’s Big Bounce. 13 But, something told him that the man who -had posted a lie on his door was inside; so he began to inspect the place though he did not intend to enter and thus run another risk. To proceed with all possible caution was now his policy. Bolivar Brass was inside. The old fleecer, who, in fact, had been frightened from his regular office by Nell’s sudden discovery ot a certain name on a cer- tain document, was quite alone. He had assumed a slight disguise, the best part of which was a false beard which com- pletely altered his appearance, and sitting at the table with some papers before him he seemed at his ease and in no fear of being disturbed. This time no slat broke to announce the presence of a spy; but, one was at hand, all the same. A pair of keen eyes were at the window, and Bolivar bad some one to watch him at his meditations and solitary proceed- ings. All at once the old rogue sprung up and went to one side of the room where he open- ed an old-fashioned valise and took from it some more papers, which he carried to the table. Sitting down, again, he bag to go over them, when the door behind him opened noiselessly. The boy watching at the window saw a man step into the room, and to his astonish- ment he noticed that it was the same one he had seen in Captain Paul’s den! Could it be Hiram Honeybee visiting Bolivar Brass? This intruder silently advanced across the room, and stopped where he could look down over Bolivar’s shoulders and study the papers in the old trickster’s hands. Davy saw a gleam light up the deep-set eyes; he bent forward, the skinny hands were lifted, and the next instant one of them had swooped down upon the documents in the lawyer’s possession, Bolivar Brass fell back with a sudden cry, and when he looked up and caught a glimpse of the man in the room, it seemed as if his whole face underwent a change—that he shrunk within himself. It was such a picture of horror as Detec- tive Davy had never seen, and while he looked at it he could not repress a smile, Clasping the papers in his hands, the thief watched the shivering Bolivar; he appeared to take great delight in the terror he was causing; and when he came close again, the lawyer threw up’one hand to warn him off though he did not have the strength to resist a child. ‘‘T guess I have as good aright to this paper as any one else,” said the stranger, ‘*T—JT don’t know about that,” stammered the lawyer shark. ‘You don’t, eh? Well, if you don’t, I would like to know who does?” ‘You know it doesn’t belong to you.” ‘When, pray, did you .become owner of it?” was the instant retort accompanied by a derisive laugh. ‘‘ You no more own it tnan you own the moon and I guess you haven’t been able to steal that yet.” Old Bolivar said nothing. His teeth were chattering as Davy could see, and when ‘he stranger drew back with the papers tightly gripped in his hand, Bol- ivar dropped forward in the chair and seemed to swoon. ‘Here! I don’t want to go away and leave you in this condition!” cried the man. ‘*] will give you back one of the papers. I believe I have taken three. Which one do you want?” ‘*T will take the one to the right—the one sealed with red wax.” ‘You will, eh? 1 guess I prefer to keep that myself. It is the most important one and it will not pass from my hands, just ”? The old fleecer groaned in despair. LL LLL LDA L LLL LLL LLL LE tt ttt “What are you going to do with it?” ‘Feather my nest, maybe! Don’t you think I would be doing right to sell it to the best bidder? It is worth something, eh, Bolivar? and the wonder is that you did not destroy it, long ago. Is it a club which you have been holding over his head?” No reply. ‘Well, good-night, then! You may tell him, if you wish, that I have taken this pa- per. ” Old Brass, with his eyes starting from his little head, looked at the speaker, but said nothing. He let him get to the door, watching him all the time like a hawk, and when the door had closed the old schemer sunk back in the chair, as white as a burial shroud, ‘* Robbed of the best card I ever had in my hand!” the boy spy heard him cry, as he shut his hand and struck one of the arms of the chair with all his might. ‘* Why didn’t I have courage to spring up and cut off his retreat? I had him at my mercy, but I hadn’t the spunk of a flea. I Iet him carry if off and he threatens to sell it to the best bidder. What if he takes it to the old lady, or to Natty himself? How will I be able to face the storm if he carries it out? But, he won’t do that. It would be ruinous to him, for Nat would turn on him like a lion and the next time the trap would hold its catch for good and all; the world would never see bim again.” Old Bolivar sat staring at the wall like a man losing his mind, and. Davy left him in this state of mind and silently withdrew, CHAPTFR XIV. DAVY PLAYS ANOTHER HAND, THE next morning bright and early a boy rung the bell attached to Bolivar Brass’s door. The sun bad come up and was gilding the tall spires of New York City and the boy at the bell ssemed eager to get into the. bouse, There was no response to the ring and for some time he stood on the steps with bis ex- pectations on the alert only to have them dis- appointed, uddenly he was accosted by a voice which came from the sidewalk below the steps and, turning round, he looked into the face of a man who had come up without being seen, **T guess you won’t find the old man at home,” said this person, ‘‘I think he went off last night to be gone some time, if not for good,” ‘* Gone for good, do you think? I don’t see why he should go off so suddenly,” ‘* Neither do I for he rented the house of me for a good term and paid for it in advance,” “* Rented it of you, did he?” ‘* Yes. He brought his things round some nights ago—he hadn’t very many of them—and I saw him installed, hoping that I was getting a quiet renter, He never said a word why he was going away; but he may have been disturb- ed by the rats underneath the house; but that’s not my fault, you know.” ‘**Of course not,” remarked the boy. ‘* Then if he is gone, I need not look for him here, Tid he take anvthing with him?’. ‘* Pretty much all he brought—the house was already furnished, you see. I saw him go off ir a hack about tén and he left the key with me at the store, saying rather generously that I might have the rent, and thanked me besides,” ‘* He didn’t appear flustrated, did he?” ‘* No, only he looked like a man eager to get off, I anf know what should scare him as he was one of those men who have a wonderful control over themselves,” ‘* You don’t know him,” said the boy to him- self. ‘* No, you don’t know Bolivar Brass. He was badly frightened lastnight. He saw a man who had come back from the dead, and that’s why he packed his duds and left the house,” Half a minute later the boy had turned from the door and was going down the street ata sage d nt t to pl l n’t ge play my little card on old Bolivar’s table this morning, but I will play it yet,” he said to himself, { found the nest empty which wasn’t very strange after what happened last night. He is ‘on the wing’ now, but I think we can bring the bird down,” “Wellf” said two women in one breath, as this same boy entered their presence shortly af- terward, rr a LT re ee IF eae me eee re **T found the nest empty,” was the reply. **'You did? Didn’t you find the old scamp at home?” ‘‘Hehad taken French leave and was gone, that’s all there is of it, He packed his valise last night and stole off with the shadow of a fear at his heels,” *“*He must be found! This man is the brains: of the plot against Holly and I—this rascal, Boli- var Brass, lawyer, is the person who gave the legal avice that won the game when we fought over the will, He may have suggested the van- ishment of Hiram Honeybee aud what not,” “*T shall not give up the hunt, you may de- pend on that. I am in the game to the close and I think I will be able to unearth the mole. As to Holly I shall now see what we can learn about her. It may be a long and ex- citing hunt. She was met at the ferry, you know, The policeman there saw the meeting and even gave you a good description of the agent of the plot, Holly is the fly in the web, I will see.” Once more the Boy Spotter was on the trail, but this time his attention was directed toward the discovery of the present whereabouts of the girl who had fallen into the web of the spider at the ferry-house. He went down to the place itself and found on duty there the same policeman who had volun- teered the information which had startled Mrs, Lane and Nell, When the «flicer recognized his young interro- gator he was eager to give bim all the informa- tion in his power, for the boy was well known to the *‘ cops,” and in a stort time Davy Doon knew something about the man who had driven the hack, It was now a hunt among the cabmen and after an hour’s search he was sure he had turned up the right one. Sitting on his box in the shade of some trees at the edge of a small park, was the man who answered the description given by the police- man at the ferry. ‘*He’s a tough customer, I can tell that by the cut of his jib,” said Davy. ‘‘ I’m all bunk with a good many of the cabbies, but this fel-. low is one I have never seen and I don’t know how [ will get along with him,” In another minute he was sidling up to the cab, while the man geemed dozing on the box. **T say, Jack, what will you take to drive me to the Battery?’ asked Davy. The fellow started and half contemptuously looked at the boy. ** A half if you have it,” he answered, “Pll double it and thank you besides,” was the reply. ‘*I want to get there promptly for I am to meet a gentleman friend of yours.” “You are, ehf I bave a good many gentle- men friends and it’s pretty bard to tell which one of them you’re going to meet, But, get in.” “Or climb up, which?” “ Kither, You'll be a fare no matter where you ride,” Davy climbed nimbly to the seat beside the man and they started off. ** ‘Yes, I am to see on the Battery a friend who sometimes patronizes you.” ‘* Eh?” said Jehu with a covert look, ‘* Why of course—the one who gave you the job at the ferry. ‘You raced him well, he says, nearly killed your horses and got extra pay. He’s as liberal as a prince, and knows how to spend his money besides,” ‘*That’s what! I like ’em, Men of that stamp are born, not made, and that one is as proud as a pink. I like him, I say.” Theride to the$Battery was of short duration and Davy who was well disguised told the driver where t» stop, ‘** If | don’t find him you will have to drive me to the house,” he explained, as he sprang down from the seat, ‘* He are be bere, and he ma not, and my business with bim is such that must see him within the shortest possible time,” Davy hurried away and pretended to look for a certain person, but at last he came back and resumed bis seat on the cab, ‘¢ Not here,” he said, glancing at the man. ‘‘ You will have to take me to the same place where you left bim the other night,” Just as he expected, Davy got a look, but it did not flustrate him. ** Jt’ll be a double fare for this is business,” he remarked at once. ‘‘I have to see our friend and you won't regret the service you do us for I know all that is going on—am the swim as deep as any one, and you know that silence is golden, eh, Jack?” The driver Jaughed as the whip cracked over the heads of the team and away they went once, more, . — — = et een F = a+ _ >