Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 908 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

-“T feel that I can rely on you, sir, for ever | since you came to New York as the ally of | my old friend, Mr. Vanderlip, you have | fully taken his place. 1 do not know what I | would have done but for your aid, and to | have this clegant bachelor home as my | quarters, * You have most effectually been the shield that has protected me from the police and | city detectives, and allowed me and my Boy Ferrets to be unknown Secret Service agents, and to do our work ina secret man. ner as suited us, until in our own good time we choose to'throw off the mask of secrecy and allcw the chief of the bureau to know us as we are, and just What we have done, which, but for you, we could not have accom plished, by half.” ‘Well, Nat, after this most flattering speech do you want me to return the com. pliment, and tell you that I consider you the shrewdest and cleverest detective in New York? “You are really but a boy, in years, and yet, with the aid of your beautiful sister and a 4 ; - i? ) we v-« ‘ ‘ : - ed oT Lee, New York Nat’s Double. tage, accompanied by the same young girl closely vailed. and, rapidly walking a few blocks, they came to the overgrown grounds of a large and long-deserted old residence, rapidly crumbling to decay. That part of the city was very thinly peo. pled, and no one was abroad to see them sexle the wall and enter the grounds, and soon after to pass into the mansion through the cellar door | Nat found a lantern lighted in the cellar, and then, as they entered, a nice dog came forward to greet them, ‘“The Boy Police have arrived, Olive,” said New York Nat, and the two ascended to the top floor, where, in a large room, on benches facing a table, behind which were two chairs, sat some two-score boys, ranging from twelve to twenty years of age, and dressed in any conceivable fashion, from bootblack to dude. All arose as their young chief and the Mas cot Queen appeared. and going to the chairs behind the table, they seated themselves, The council of Unknown Ferrets was then i % . : 4 9) er. & : 4 J ' nh . es . . - “44 . ow? 7 tl Ld “ay . o- _- , ‘ 7 -¥ f se A ¥ x ip. oy »* *s ‘ Ng a us La “ us Ry Re bd O9e ides 5 la hehe eg * Cy iat ita A li ie ho (Nie ¥ ‘ Eh Lapeer eT ok ch GT YN iP) ea | : ; e 4 oi? iy - . i : : . ,! 4 : * ‘ - ' i - 7 * ‘¢* Vance Vertner was found to be the pal of Bernard Gaston in the bank robbery and murder, after the flight of the latter, and was also sentenced to death on the gallows; but he, too, escaped. ‘““* Came to New York and boldly went into business; enticed a rich customer into his office and robbed and killed him, and es caped; but was run down, caught, and after short trial was sentenced to the gallows. ‘**Was recognized after trial as Vance Vertner, already sentenced, but again most mysteriously escaped, and for several years was not spotted or located. «Next heard of in Chicago, where he practiced as a physician, nnd played the game of enticing rich people to his office and robbing them, several times committing murder to do so, ‘“** Was detected, tried, and again sentenced to be hanged; but once more escaped in the same mysterious manner as before, and then | became known as the King of the Gallows. ‘** He was discovered in Chicago to he Vance Vertner, under an dias, and every- = - » —-, ete ee a + - SS where the papers referred to him as the King of the Gallows, having three times escaped it when three times sentenced. _ «His whereabouts now unknown, and there now are rewards out for his capture amounting-to ten thousand dollars. «Ts well educated, speaks several lan- guages, studied law, got a diploma as a physician, and is a skilled mechanic, while he is an adept at disguises,’” | ‘‘ Well, that indeed is a record, Mr. Can- field. He has well won the name of the called to order, it being seen, as Olive threw her wraps and vail off, that she wore a close-fitting wire mask. Boy Police you have accomplished wonders. ‘You have eluded the police and dctec- tives at every point, and as Unknown Fer- rets, communicating through me with tbe chief of the Secret Service, you have secret- ly achieved wonders in ferreting out vil: lainy and in running down crooks. Why, you even went out to the Wild West ona trail of criminals and there unearthed most mysterious wrongs and crimes. ‘Your own sister, Olive, your most able ally, is not even known to your own band of - ~ * LJ - —_ ~ -oy & ee... 2 PS ee, — <4 on CHAPTER lV. THE ‘‘ KING OF THE GALLOWS,” HAVING introduced New York Nat and his secret allies, his Unknown Ferrets, to the reader, there is no need now to speak of the council held every night in the young : —— a < PRE ey - ee ———~ | - en — ee a’ * , +> | + ‘“ . i —_ » Boy Police, as she successfully conceals her identity from them. It is best that she does so, not to be known in the future, and is only now known as the Mascot of the Ferrets of the Haunted House, ‘As for you I—” “IT beg you to take a breathing spell, Mr. Canfield, for you have more than returned the compliment, whch was due to you after all that you had done for me.” ‘** Well, Nat, I am glad we are even, as far as compliments go; so now fire away at the target and let me know what I can do for you at this juncture.” . ‘* Well, sir, as I was playing in disguise this afternoon, to catch some counterfeiters, I happened to overhear a conversation be- tween two men who accidentally met near me on the street. “They are both crooks, fugitives from, justice, escaped from prison, and one of them has dodged hanging so often that he is known as the King of the Gallows.” ‘‘Indeed? You are in luck, iu striking such a lead.” ‘‘T have the men spotted, Mr. Canfield. I shadowed them to their hotel, and have secured the next room to them. ‘‘Here are their names, their real ones, 1 am sure. Iam anxious to know just what -- 'you can find out about their records.” | ‘‘T will go at once to the chief, Nat, and ascertain, for I have time before dinner.” “Thank you, sir. Iwill drop in to see you in the morning and get the report. here is a meeting of the Ferret clan to- night, and lam now going up to dine with _- my sister and escort her to the meeting,” * She is not afraid to go to that old rook- ery alone, Nat?” — **Oh, no; Olive is afraid of nothing.” nies “ Nor are you, for though I am not super- __ Stitious, I would not sleep alone in that old mansion as you do.” svat _ ** Tt is’ safest, sir, for a haunted house, as a py . es - r _< ; ~ ‘ = . -é 2 «* --% 4 sf yp ¢ ~~ =~ * mall 5 > “Iie -<g "Se - “ . a i * : “ ° Py - - : et SS 7 co Oe : ve ons “Te 3 " ‘<i — c > = <e : - : a > _* 7. +i, : S—_ tt & » = a xe ha — ¥% e = a — A # * = - PY « j v Sat te lal? Pe * -— ) a, as ae + > fA — ~ — , - ‘ Vay . ° - = . > - >? : - : + Soe, ae - * ~ - - ‘ , . ~~ 2 : oF a Oe tS _ 2 ~ on) ; - 5 ; ? r - ot ‘ - - 4 ~ - z - " - 7 « a - -_* . - . - " i : - ; ~ vy cs rr a. . > @ * ba ‘ “4 re : z - . : : he " ” : , ; S A LS -- ‘e ae if te. ' NO one ever comes there, knowing its history < at i la LO > - - 7 ard) _ of murders committed beneath its roof, — ._ ** But, I must be off, sir,” and New York __ ; Nat left the mansion, took an Elevated car _ for up-town, and entered a pretty cottage upon the banks of the Hudson, a beautiful __- young girl meeting him at the door. tat? 57 pe ee » >) 4 oe ~ ~ aoe, tf a, — t ‘ ’ 7, abies rt lee) 3 Bas, P’ La pe a) : ae’. \ MR Wks 7 Ie era" #9 fine To ty , - » . ty a > . , i a e+ - 7 « 7 >» ' * * ‘- 4 . : 4 . phat byt rite 2 * 7%. % My Le 7 > bye ¢? 3 “y , oo r } fo 2S Eee. ae © v2 aa) « Lee ee ee a. » 2 r . ms ’ - . of ® “ . 4 vel Ginin ” : i > - , : , "Fen . : bag : 4 + they call it, and with a graveyard back of it,’ : ried his rival, Bernard Just after nightfall he came out of the cot- chief’s quarters at the Haunted House; but we proceed at once to state that the next day the appointment was kept with Nat’s go between, Sherman Canfield. ‘Well, Nat, I have good news for you, and it is well that you have your men spot- ted, for there is money in them,” announced Mr. Canfield, taking his note-book from his pocket and opening it. ‘¢ Yes, sir, one of them has money, for he stole my fake pocketbook yesterday, which I held so as to tempt him,” and Nat Jaughed merrily. al ‘He swiped it as he helped me upon the car,but it had only counterfeit money in it, being a fake, as I said, to tempt pocketbook snatchers! ‘But, you found the record of the slip pery pair, then?” ‘Yes, and an unsavory one it is, while there are rewards amounting to two thousand dollars on the head of this so-called King of the?Gallows, and a thousand on the other fellow known as Star Durning.” ‘Good! we must add that to our Boy Police bank account! Why, the Ferrets are getting rich, Mr. Canfield—rich as stock brokers on a rise!” ‘‘ As they deserve to, considering the big risks they take, and the work they do ‘ But, listen to this, for 1 jotted it down as the Secret Service chief read it to me,” and Sherman Canfield continued, reading from his note-book: | ‘“*Vance Vertner, native of S——, New York State, thirty-five years of age, six feet tall, weighs one hundred and cighty pounds, hair dark brown and wears Burnside whis- kers, eyes dark, and features handsome, with perfect teeth, voice clear and speaks rapidly. ‘«* Was born rich, but squandered his own fortune, and ruined his father, who was a banker. : | “* Loved a young lady of S—— who mar- aston, who went to the bad, entering a bank at night where he was a clerk, to robit and hide certain specu- lations, and killing the watchman who sur- prised him. ‘**Sentenced to die on the gallows, Ber- ‘nard Gaston escaped through the aid of his wife, and has not since been heard of. © ~ Votp® Cs OL ae eg sh ’ ‘eT " —— d . ie , es 4 - rts yy he - a a y —_ taf ol, Ms ; Ee EP RR yl Mente . j ath) + ee oe ' v td - « ‘ . nd aS Py mi wy ae - } . $2 7 joe ' yi f = Sy * . ; Z . hs coe) Pr, |, 4 : . . ’ es) & - 7 4 . uSp. «Ye : t ¢ . ra ), be i r 4 ~. A vr. rs “ hae re A < ake 9 Ye. s ioe 4 8 . - ’ >, Amida { Wao eaetey my er ae fe : > : _ « ; + «!, A a @ oP ae, St ySlss, ro v2, : r wt th oe 7 R* * —* i Fy King of the Gallows,” said Nat. ‘¢] should say so; but now to his pal’s re- cord Star Dunning.” Try Oe, BY. ‘‘He was a boy companion of Vertner’s, has blond hair, blue eyes, is about five feet ten in height, and weighs one hundred and seventy.” ‘“'That describes him, sir.”’ “ «TTe was arrested,’” and Canfield was read- ing from his note-book, ‘ ‘for complicity in the bank robbery and murder, with Gaston and Vertner, and was sentenced to prison for ten years; but he escaped. ‘** Under an assumed name he was Vcrt- ner’s,pal here in New York, but managed to eludé the police and got safely away. He was implicated, a year after, in holding up a train and robbing the Express box; was cap- tured and sent to prison for six years, and served his term. Whereabouts now un- known, but the reward for him on former escape holds good.” ‘Well, we know where he is, and the Reverend. Doctor Van Elliott and Mr. Daniel Starbuck must be run in and the rewards won,” announced New York Nat, with busi- ness: like decision, | ' Yes, of course; and ean I help you?” ‘1 do not know yet, sir, for I have got to reconnoiter and find out the best way to upture them secretly,” of: | Nat left the house and went direct to the hotel, : | There he met Foxey, one of his boys, who came up to him with a peculiar look on his " shrewd face, for he said in a low tone: | * Lordy, chief, 18 this you or your ghost?” ‘It's myself, in good flesh and blood, — : -Foxey!” “Then you've got a Double, New York Nat, for I saw you, as 1 thought, get into a carriage not two minutes ago and drive off,” declared Foxey. | . CHAPTER V. _ NEW YORK NAT’S DOUBLE. — -. Nar knew that Foxey was not one to joke | with him, or to say what was not so, and he said: Pe cealevany Sho " “So you saw my Double, or my ghost, Foxey?’ Cae ae ii ih { ae duel ,; + * Sets . j = Via! Ih Nias 7 ie + be = 2 sr * - = c ~a