Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

- . ¢ aa “wie 4 ve ‘ Si / es Sea eo ea i ey —\ e+, Vaca . ‘pts tw 4 ~ } house and even had a talk with her. ** > OO pet . tide a ed a %t - \- coal ~% 2 * ae a | SS eteeseee ey A *y * eX Davy Doon’s Big Bounce. The door swung to so easily that he was not startled by the noise; in fact, he hardly realized that he was shut in, but the dark- ness and some squeaking told him that he was in the home of the Norway. He turned toward the door and found in the dark an ironring like the one by which the portal had been manipulated. Seizing it witn all his might he pulled, bracing his feet against the hard wall, but the pull availed him nothing. ** What is this hole like?” he asked himself. ** Will a match show me very much of it?” He produced a match from his pocket and rubbed it over the surface. ‘*Hello! Some one has been here before me!” he cried. ‘*‘ What is this written—no, scratched—on the wall. Heavens! it is the name of Hiram Honeybee. I am ona trail!” His eyes seemed to start from his head while he gazed at the name rudely scratched on the hard surface, but plain enough to tell him whose name it was. Davy looked at the name until his match went out, and when he went down into his ecm for another he discovered that he ad used the only one. “What a misfortune! My last and only match. I would give a good deal for anoth- er. But I will see what is here if I can. HEN SeeP is the prison? I will follow this wall,” He did so, his hand for a guide, and all at once he stopped for bis foot struck something hard, and stooping his hand felt with a shud der what he knew from the touch was a human skeleton! A terrible question leaped uppermost in his mind. He recalled the name on the wall. Had he found Hiram Honeybee? CHAPTER VIII. ANOTHER FLY FOR THE WEB. LEAVING the young detective in the under-. corridor or dungeon, Jet us go up and enter the room where he was confronted by Jason and Nat Natty. When these two men came back from be- low they stood face to face with another per- son who had emerged from an adjoining room and who seemed to be waiting for them, This man was Bolivar Brass as Davy a have exclaimed could he have seen im. The old lawyer was somewhat disguised and now stood in the middle of the chamber ' looking at his companions asking them ques- tions with his deep-set cyes. ‘The Boy Spotter is safe. aren’t played just right. look? Well, she looks a good deal older than she did when she made such a stubborn fight in the courts, but she has a good deal of vim yet. Why, her eyes flash when she talks about the case and the way she struck that horse atthe crossing shows that she | had lots of power in her limbs.” ‘*She always had that,” remarked Natty, stroking his mustache. ‘‘That is charac- teristic of her side of the house, The Mul- lens always had muscle and knew how to use it, besides. Is she determined in this matter?” ‘*You would think so if you could hear her talk.” ‘‘The girl, I suppose, is enlisted in her cause?” ‘* Of course,” ‘What do you say, Bolivar? You know something of this matter for you’ve hada finger in it—”’ : ‘*Not so loud. You don’t know who may be at the window,” cried the old man throw- ing up one hand and springing tothe win- dow. ** You’re not backing out, I hope?” ‘‘No, but by George! 1 don’t want to be overheard. i know the girl Mr. Jason is talking about. She gave me ashock a few hours ago and I haven’t recovered from it yet. What do I say?” ‘Yes. We want your opinion,” ‘*My opinion of what?” ‘¢ What is best to be done. The old lady is inthe city. She says she is on the hunt of Hiram Honeybee.” . ‘‘ Well, she cant find him,” Jack and his companion exchanged glances. | ‘You ought to be able to answer that question,’”’ continued Bolivar Brass. ‘‘If that woman finds Hiram Honeybee your in- terests might suffer. Let me see. When did he leave home?” ‘“Come! We don’t care to go back to ancient history,” laughed Natty, again stroking his mustache. ‘‘ He left Pascal Point one night and never came back. That ought to be satisfactory to you.” ‘‘T guess it is satisfactory. I will consider it so at any rate. Well, if she can’t find a Honeybee what harm can she do any- re) ?”’ Both men laughed. ‘*She may give us trouble.’’ ‘‘ By getting some people to story ?” ‘* Just so,”’ ‘* They will clap her into the asylum if she keeps on,” was the reply. ‘‘ They don’t let people with a hobby air that hobby on the believe her There is no | streets of this city. The first thing they escape for him, Now let us go back to; know they are in a wagon going to the business.” These words were uttered by Natty as he Island. Don’t you see?” ‘By Jove! Bolivar, you're a good one,” threw himself into a chair and looked up at | cried Nat Natty, slapping the old lawyer on Bolivar, : ‘* You're sure he’s safe, are you?” ‘“Why, of course! Do you think we would leave the door unlocked and the key with him besides?” ‘* No, hardly,” grinned Bolivar. ‘‘ I don’t expect anything of the kind; but, you see, I «don’t want him to know that I am in the city and not elsewhere as my placard says. it is a little ticklish and I want to be on the safe side.” : ‘“‘There’s right where you are,” was the reply, as the speaker glanced at Jack. ‘‘ We Gon’t propose to be on any other side just now. Let’s see: We were talking about the old woman. She is here and may give us some trouble.” “Yes, that’s it. Whereis she?” - ‘* At present she is domiciled with Nickel Nell,” putin Jack. wrong as she calls it and she will a j aft i ~ ; as ~. < , 7 : ; Ge tai pt een’ © a? } ‘ » on s <v ' MOGs —_ ~ > x ¢ ® P <* 7% Aye ) : oes Mee See te fa BX fas * 4 3 i * ed» aied Vi > 4 meee a ou 4 a? Core ye » a] Mee , - ‘rs » = is ¥ “« > = eee e ~~ § Av . i ee : at o> bs 7 VAs ie eS -, es >. s oe a) an. aS . n 7 a, ; rz ~ tS Pay Pes) ae Yui t R x S ai - a “ oF, - Sy ‘tis vee Yt . a, 44% < Lal, * - S23 —- Tat: erie = ,- . Y yA Ne ; ee < aa Pe * J e _ mo hd Nal 4 b ae a “ > 5 4p." ” Be ot ai (Rl ais ~> oo ss », wz = ’ ee Tid s AB Ye Fe NY reem Bi ees) ae PS ae —. ‘ 7 the shoulder. ‘‘I guess they can't circum- vent you. If they do they will have to stay up all night to getastart. But you see l don’t like to have my name connected with this old will matter. It was settled more than two years ago—settled to the satisfac- tion of the courts and everybody |s satisfied but this crazy old womar and—” ‘¢ And the girl, Miss Holly Lane?” ‘Yes, wherever she is,” smiled Natty, her. Old Lucy ‘*T couldnt wouldn’t tell you, eh, Jack?” her. While I talked she pulled a letter from | move along as they are moving. When | I tried hard to | find out where the grand-niece is we will : I am | play another hand. MeanwhileIlam going = = | you to-morrow if. her bosom and looked at it. make out the post-mark, but failed. sure that letter was from the girl herself, but, of course, I have no positive proof.” ‘“‘T would like to know,” said Natty. ‘*T have been to the; ‘‘ While she remains away she is not danger- : ‘en | She ! ous, but if she should come to New York _ has devoted her hfe to the righting of the | and aid Old Lucy the two might give us ) will give some- | trouble even without finding Hiram Honey- _ body a good deal of trouble if the cards , bee.” a : : Dp aad - Dp > *, py Ks ge 5 " Tamas we, 4) ‘ * 4 a oe -. oP SE oe bs a... a) ‘ a A seh a << ~ ¢ Ps e 4 es i ee - "ll ~ | Ns ‘ 7 : 7 7 of / WAP % a eee rr oats. * a “7 ee! : + ts ie How does she | | | | | | | A moment’s silence fell in that room and was broken by Bolivar Brass who threw up his head and exclaimed: | ‘‘T was just thinking that it might be a good stroke of policy to get her to the city. She would be a stranger here and once out of the way, would never trouble us.” ‘She is very pretty, Bolivar, and there’s ' where the trouble lies,” laughed Jack. *‘ Nat ‘ ; extract that information from | fuss in another direction, I say, but let thin | there might fall in love with her and turn against his friends.” ‘‘T'll run the risk of: doing that,” put in Natty with a laugh. ‘‘I don’t care to divide what I’ve fought for. The lawyers didn’t leave me very much and what I have I propose to keep. No love for me. If she comes she might be spirited out of the case and with her away, Old Lucy would be powerless,” ‘ That’s just what think,” replied Bolivar Brass ‘*‘ But we must first find out where she is. If Jack could have, read the post- mark on the envelope we would have scored a point.” ‘‘It might be done yet,” was the quick retort, ‘‘ There are several ways of getting that address, saying, of course, that Miss Holly penned the letter.” ‘* Will you see to it, Jack?” ‘‘T will do my best.” “That’s all we can ask,” Bolivar an- swered. ‘‘ Meantime, I am ‘out of the city’ as the sign on my door says and I can be of some service, disguised as I am just now. The boy gave me a shock when I saw him through the key-hole of yon door, but ¢ know he is out of the way now and that the young lynx will not play spy in the future,” For some time longer Jack Jason and his companions continued to discuss affairs in a like strain and when the conference was over he and Natty withdrew, leaving old Bolivar alone. ‘What do you think of the old gud- geon?” asked the latter as they rounded a corner, ‘‘ He is a cute one and will serve us to the end with his valuable opinions and knowl- edge of the trickeries of law. He has been worth his weight in gold to us, and while he never appeared in the foreground, he gave us the victory and we can’t afford to dispens9 with him.” ‘*Of course not, but we must watch him I am afraid that he does not keep his papers as private as he should. He really keeps a secret record of all he has done—I don’t know why —and if some of these should see the light somebody might find themselves in trouble.” Nat Natty turned on his friend with a sudden start. | ‘You surely don’t mean to say that Bolivar Brass has in writing a memorandum of his part and ours in the case of Lane vs. _ Natty?” ‘1 believe he has, but what of that so long as it is safe?” ‘‘T don't like to think of that, I care not how ‘safe’ itis,” was the reply. ‘‘ He has locked up his office for ten days. Do you think he has left the papers there?” © ‘*| don’t know.” | The teeth of the handsome young man seemed to clinch. ‘* Now let things go on as they are going,” / ng aa ‘‘T would like to know what has become of | said Jack, ‘‘The young spy is caged and = = Make no ro. ee you Know who his companion is. we down this street. Will see not sooner, Good night.” | They parted on a corner and Jack 1 ¢ ee ra, ney . « oe mm oF * 'e * + a " +s ‘~ rr be . *. ity a - : r 4 ‘ ~ = a. . — = 4s a> ee ar A 4, 7 pm —_ . > wi i _~ 4 -" a r j . red, fae ey ~ look at Natty walked rapidly until hecame ; 4 a ay to the ferry-house. The lights were b a he,entered it. My © ” te aS a re hed a cr e et Pe y ThA 7. - Hn | k | | 5 : 4 . Rt \ - / er, q e *< +- hele “07 ia and ¥ fas ras r a * i} 4 bcs if See ‘ oS * ] a, - a nw, . rus oe i ae SD =e PT * ao en ~ \. \ / b ym | } \ \ y, » 4 » ; Pa Oe et. ; ee be Mya * illiant there and the figure of the young man was plainly seen ag et) . y Aon “a ee.” Sar 4° Kao® - : © eo SS ™. 2 * < ae, . e's he ~ < bang =~ ™*, * © Gag Po y r ‘ - cok. " ‘oe. @e 4 -<¢ Pees . * ae - @* ow ake f > ~ a " i a d < * ‘oss > a ~ FA ee