Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 915 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

a ~~ >.aathey had it when they went out.” *“Out where?” : “Out o’ the house.” ‘‘Oh. oh! Have they— Did they carry it off? Dcn’t tell me they did! Don’t tell me that! Where is it?—where is the box ?” man as he rushed frantically about the room. poor, like the rest of those who lived adja- lionaire had been have been more disturbed. * “ Wish I could comfort ye,’’ answered Shoestrings, ‘‘ but I guess it’s no use, They carried a box off, fer we see them.” ‘Why didn’t you stop them?” cried Peter. ‘“We did, an’ they stopped us,” coolly re turned Flip. ‘‘Oh! we was ready enough ter hold ’em up, but they, played Sweet Marie on my supper, an’ knocked me an’ Shoetrings silly, by gum! Then they got off!” Peter wrumg his hands, ‘*] am ruined, ruined!’’ he asserted, al- most weeping. ‘ Was there money in that box, boss?” ‘* Millions, millions! groaned Peter. am ruined; I will kill myself!” up 4 knife. ‘e if aud he caught CHAPTER IL. WORK TO BE DONE, PETER seemed to mean all he threatened, and the sharp knife was so fully capable of doing the rest that Shoestrings was fright. ened. He stood mute and still while the knife was swung up, but Flip was made of different stuff, He sprung forward, seized Peter's hand, and checked the fall of the weapon, Another movement and he had pinioned the man’s arm, ~*~... poo > - claimed. ‘‘ Want ter go an’ make a mess on the floor that we shall have ter clear up? Folks never hev no consideration fer nobody else when they kill theirselves, an’ I say it’s mean, by gum! Ef you are bound ter sui- cide, go out in the yard an’ do it.” This practical speech appeared to take away all desire on Peter’s part. ‘Oh, I did not mean to do it!” he de- clared. ‘* You acted like et!” ‘‘] was crazy.” «You acted like that, too,” ‘‘T am ruined, ruined!” ‘‘Say, boss. did you really hey so much money in the box?” gh «Tt wasn’t money—” Phe “Then w’ot in thunder was et?’ bluntly asked the boy. Tt was— But maybe my fears are groundless; maybe It was something else they had, I will see.” He ran into the next room, while Flip shook his bead. ot wee _ * His trolley is twisted.” “Yes, he’s lost his grip On the cable,” agreed Shoestrings. | ? Peter came running out, tears, running _ down his cheeks. “It’s gone!” he announced. ‘TI am a lost man; I am undone; all my hopes are dashed to ruin. Iam lost!” roe “Never mind; we will get a lantern an’ y oat you,” replied the irrepressible elder oO ; cial Sad q@ ‘strings, seriously, - Bete “ Tcan’t tell; Tcan’t tell!” answered Peter, | ‘3 af | beginning, to walk the smoke-laden room eM! wildby... 3-2: ~) « “The sumiand substance of it all seems. ter be there -has. been a burglary here,” added house on. job, an’ it means a 8S pee ‘ 7 | a et ‘§ -.- Li a7 ” é - c ' . - ’ ’ 4, 4 ~ The boys looked hard at the white-clad | Shoestrings had always supposed he was | cent to the alley, but if the wealth of a mil- | at stake Peter could not | | hands, ‘‘Now, you hold hard!” he lightly ex-. Wot was in. the box?” inquired Shoe-, ire, That’s a.mighty seri; Flip.“ Somebod er q Bet the y stole som Ne somethin’ like twenty _ Possibly, they, lad, At any. rate, they ' a t%, 4A ? ; Flip Flasher, Ferret. years, I believe, when sleepin’ folks are inter the house. We hev got inter a stew, an’ the oysters hev skipped the tra-la-la. Now, w'ot shall we do about et?” ‘Go ter the perleece,” suggested Shoe- strings. ‘* Yes, yes; we must do that,” agreed Peter, ‘‘Oh! my box;.my box! This will kill me.” ‘* Never mind; et ain’t so quick as elec. tricity.” ‘‘ Electricity!” cried Peter, clasping, his ‘That is just it.” ‘* W'ot is jest it?” ‘* Electricity !” . ‘‘ Mister, I ain't onter yer curves fer a red cent,” ‘Go for the police; go forthem! No; I will go myself. Ned Green, you are an hon. est boy—stay here until my return,” He started toward the door. ‘* Hold up!” called Flip. ‘What now?” ‘You ain’t dressed accordin’ ter proper New York style, boss, Nobody on Fifth avenoo would call that orthodox evenin’ dress, ’’ Peter, recalled to his senses in a measure, hurried into his.,room and came out properly clad. He then proceeded to put his plan in- to effect, and hastened from the house, leav- | the boys in charge. ; 4 Say, his nibs is all broke up,” remarked “lip. ‘* So he is.” ‘* W’ot is all this talk about his havin’ treasure? He don’t look like a bondholder, by ginger!” ! ‘* I’ve heerd he was an inventor.”’ “ Of what—sassage meat?” ‘‘I don’t know what. He lives here all alone with his daughter Bess, an’ folks say he’s all the time porin’ over queer diagrams and other jiggers.” | ‘‘Shoestrings, jest you take warnin’ from this. Don’t you never let jiggers git inter your think- machine.” ‘*Can’t we hev a light here, Flip?’ “Dunno, There’s the gas-fixture.” ‘“* Yes, but,” added Shoestrings, as he tried & match, ‘‘the gas ain’t on. Guess Peter don’t burn the stuff. There should bea lamp— Hi! here’s the pieces of 1t on the floor—it has been broke.” ‘‘Never mind; here\comes Peter, I guess. Yes, it's him.” . A buman figure appeared in the gloom. ‘* Hey, Petesey!’’ cried the headlong Flip, ‘‘hev you raised the cop?” | The man stopped short. He had come from the outer air, and ought to have been Peter, it seemed, but both boys were of the opinion that he did not act as Peter would. They tried their best to penetrate the darkness and smoke with their gazes, but failed. | Flip ee iad forward. “Say, Captain Mum, who in blazes be you, anyhow?” he demanded. The man remained silent, but, suddenly, he wheeled and began moving off in the direction he had come. Now, Flip was not the boy to let a chance pass by, and he sprung forward and caught at.the tail of the stranger's coat, 3 ‘‘ Hold hard, old chap!” was his order, The straiger wheeled again and Flip found himself looking into the muzzle of a revolver. / ** Die!” growled the unknown. “« Bluff!” retorted the impetuous boy, not in the least bit alarmed, and with this he leaped upon the intruder's:neck, ‘*“Dump_ him,. Shoestrings)” he shouted. ‘* He’s our meat!” , | If Shoestrings was less headlong he was not by any means slow, and he sprung to the aid of his friend. Both twined their arms around, the stranger and held fast, Wg _ ‘* We've got the.fire-bug!” yelled Flip. . - - Ce P ; Cr ao Te ‘ ~* * - a? a oe Ronee , ~ » : : ‘ . 3 ——— $$ $$ seemed to have caught a’ man unwilling to face them further. ‘‘ Let me go!” he cried, fiercely. go or it will be the death o’ you!” It was an ominous warning, but it did not work. ‘‘Police! Firemen! Peddlers!’ shouted the rattle-pated Flip, and he held all the tighter for the threat. hen the man began to struggle in earn- est. He was a powerful fellow, and when he got in motion he went fast. The boys held on, but they were whirled around like tops, and their limbs knocked together as they made wild evolutions in mid-air. ‘Keep yer grip, Shoestrings!” yelled Flip. ‘This ain’t so bad as a windy day in City Hall Park!” ° Just then Shoestrings’s hold was broken, and he went banging heavily against the wall, One-half of the burden was off of the man, and he gave Flip a swing which dashed him to the floor. 0 ‘* Let me ‘“My .leg!’ screamed the boy. . ‘‘It’s broke!” The man stood in irresolution. Shoe- strings lay perfectly still, while Flip writhed and groaned ina most dismal fashion, He appeared to be in the direst agony. ‘*Good!’’ muttered the man. He turned and hurried off, but his steps still sounded on the stairs when Flip leaped up lightly. “ Ha, ha!” he laughed. ‘‘ Fooled ye that time, Old Tough! Say, Shoestrings, be you awake? That gent is one o’ the gang, sure as pancakes, an’ I am goin’ ter foller him ter his lair, Ketch on?” Shoestrings lay motionless. ; ‘* Knocked insensible,” added Flip, more seriously. ‘‘ Hope he ain’t got no concus- sion o’ the think-tank. Say, Ned, old man, I'm off!” . | Still Shoestrings did not move. ‘You'd better git up sn’ bathe yer head, Shoestrings; that will resuscitate yer,, I can’t stop ter do it; ’moff! So-long!” With this Flip hurried out of the room and the house. He was firm in the opinion that the man last seen had been a part of the fire-bug gang, and he intended to prove it. He meant to follow him to his headquarters. First of all, he made a wild bolt out of the rear yard, and this succeeded so well that he caught sight of bis mau. When this was accomplished Flip’s man- ner underwent a sudden change. With all of his impetuousness, he had plenty of cau- tion and shrewdness when he say fit to exercise it, and he proved it now. His game was rapid in his movements un- til he was well beyond the alley and the danger of being seen appeared to die away, then he manifested sudden caution, himself. He looked around him, and began a tortu- ous and stealthy retreat. It was greatly to Flip’s credit that he was not detected in his pursuit when such care was exhibited, but the boy seemed fiterally to be gifted with abnormal powers of pro- tection. The instant the man made a motion to look around Flip dodged like a shot int» a” doorway, and always with such success that all efforts to detect possible pursuit were rendered useless. Thus, the chase went on for a long time; but the stranger, after heroic attempts to make himself safe by turning many corners, finally entered a building and it was over. Flip chuckled merrily. ‘‘Old man, I’ve got ye hived!” was his exultant comment, | CHAPTER TI. A VOLUNTEER DETECTIVE. — Furr FLASHER stopped and surveyed the scene before him. He had it all to himself. The man whom he had followed was invisi-~ ble, and nobody else was on the block so far as he could see. | - = Se Te ae = -