Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 915 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

/ - ; . 3 ~ Pease’. = St *},—..* _—_ ae - a =a! ; : —_— 3 if mem a Pee ox —. = -* & ee 2 eee - Ans .t » * gle : ’ 7 rx o-}: we : ay J te . ; , ¢ Oh e<« " : Ss fs ? : 4 . ; . * ‘ ; an **Only for a few hours.” ‘* What then?—what then?” ‘‘Left me, saying she was going back to Nebraska. I guess she is there now.” Starlivg was silent. His opinions were a trifle shaken, but they were too exact to be given up without evidence. ‘ You’ve said all this before,” he replied, with a sigh. ‘‘ But it don’t bring my gal back.” ‘Not to you, though it may bring her to Nebraska.” ‘‘Maybe, maybe! Wal, I ain’t makin’ no advance here, so I will go an’ look fer her elsewhere. I hope I shall find her.” His lip trembled, and Flip» was deeply moved with fellow-feeling. He had not yet obtained the clue to the trouble between the two parties, but he well knew where his sympathies lay. He believed Starling to be. a worthy man, and was quite sure the others were as bad as men and women were made, To the last remark Violet flippantly re. torted : ‘‘ Better go and look, then,” “*T will.” The ranchman had been moving toward the door. He now paused near it and Jook- ed at his companions. There was enmity expressed there, and it was plain he did not take any stock in their denials. ‘*T’ll go,” he added, ‘‘an’ when I find her Vll let you know. You shall hear from me again.” Flip was expecting a new outbreak, but the gang appeared to be worried by what had gone before, and they allowed Starling to go his way. He passed the door; his steps sounded on the stairs, and they were minus his presence. The trio remained in mute meditation, but Flip did not let any time go to waste. In his airiest way he exclaimed: . ‘* Wal, that ’way-back has got a giant gall. W’ot biz bas he ter git gay an’ sass us New Yorkers?” Violet turned sharply upon the speaker. ‘What do you know about this?” she de- manded, ‘*I know he smashed me until I’m black an’ blue.” - ‘*Do you know the man?” | “‘Me? Know’ a sage-hen from the howlin’ plains?—an’ mea New Yorker? Mum, you mean wal, I’ve no doubt, but you hurt my rim s. Dol knowhim? No, siree; I do no ‘What do you think of our trouble?” “Hey! but wasn’t it a jim-hickey scrap?” cried Flip, with enthusiasm, _ | ‘T mean, do you know what the difficulty aé No. boy. Reus: ** You are too inquisitive, I don’t know whether to trust you or not.” ‘‘He fought well fer us,” reminded Susan, ‘ “So he did,” put in Tim, “He nigh about saved my life. 3 Violet was the most intelligent of the trio. Consequently she was the least inclined to accept Flip as a trustworthy member of the arty, but she was influenced by this chorus, sike the others, she had failed to detect any double dealing in the boy’s inethod of fig ht- ing, and she began to lose her doubts, ““Tiat man,” she explained, “‘is a hay- What was it?’ bluntly asked the - seed from the West who is trying to make a muss for us. Don’t give any heed to what he says,” “e tickey! I knew he was a chump the minute I set eyes on him. The only mis- take we made was not ter do him up, Why, I advised it then. Ef you had took my ad- vice, WE wouldn’t hev left a vest button of him ter tell the story. I tel! yer what, these _hayseeders must be took down!” . Flip waved hig hand wildly in his pretense en earnestiess, but, just then, they were in- terrupted as 4 ~ S$ ths door again unclosed, A “” ” ‘) all " ie. * ¥ - * A é ‘4 ._* > * 62 am en.) on ' : ” : tele 4g bs — * Flip Flasher, Ferret. man walked in, and Fiip could hardly avoid a start of uneasiness. The new-comer was no stranger. | “Hey!” he thought, excitedly, ‘that’s the galoot 1 follered from the alley ter this dive, last night! I’m hot inter it!” CHAPTER VIL. FLIP IS ACCUSED. Tne man who had just arrived was not a prepossessing looking fellow. He was squat of form and red of face, and there was a gene- ral air of evil propensities about him not like- ly to enlist decent people as his friends. Flip could not swear to the face, but the! figure was so much like that of the man he had followed that he felt sure of his posi tion. He was not’pleased with the discovery; he wished the man had kept away. ——— ‘‘Capital idea,” agreed Flip. ‘It wilt jest about fit me. Kin you tie a sailor's knot, mister? Ef you can’t I'll show you. That sort o’ knot will jest about keep me from breakin’ away.” Martin stopped short. “You are a cool one!” he exclaimed. ‘‘Either you are innocent, or your nerve sticks out further than a dude’s collar. Still, ef itis nerve, it shows you are dangerous, an’ I’ll tie you up.” He advanced, but at that moment a voice sounded at the door. ‘* Stop!” Addison Oates walked into the room. ‘Put away the rope,” he directed. “I am not going to have my men used that way.” “But the boy is a spy,” remonstrated The stranger paused at sight of Flip, but | Martin. Violet broke the silence quickly. ‘* Martin, I’m glad you’ve come,” she averred, Martin looked at her. ‘* Why?” ‘ ‘‘ We have had trouble here—” ‘*] suspected it, He is a spy.” “ Who?” Martin leveled a fat finger. ‘This boy!” It was Flip who was thus accused, but he kept up his courage. He was getting accus- tomed to difficulties. Deliberately he turned and looked toward the rear, and then, again turning, fixed a puzzled gaze on Martin. ‘* There ain't nobody here,” he remarked, ‘* Ain’t you here?” ‘¢ No, I’m over in Scotch Plains, New Jer-. sey. Ha, ha! Excuse me fer jokin’, mister; I meant no harm. Yes, I’m here, but I don’t see the spy.” ‘You are him,” ‘¢ Vm. a—what?” ‘* 1 say you are a spy.” ‘Oh, Hannah Q. Jones, w’ot are you giv- in’ of us? Spy fer w’ot? Whose little spy be I? Mister, shuffle the cards over an’ let us have a deal with the checker-board side up.” Flip was as light-hearted and cheerful as ever, but he was ignored. Mr. Martin turn- ed to Violet. | ‘Is this the new boy?” ‘Tres. \‘* He is a spy.” ‘‘ Say, you make me weary,” said. Flip. ‘« You ought terhev atipon yer teeth, an’ that means youtalk too much. I don’t know the meanin’ 0’ this, an’ I guess you don’t; if you do, spit it out. Start up the fire-works!” ‘* Do you know a house which has an en- trance on an alley as well as on the street?” sharply asked Martin. ) ‘ Flip could not fail to see that Peter Main- ford’s house was meant, but this did not wor- ry him in the least... His old rollicking smile was on Lis face, ‘‘That’s Mike Culver’s saloon. Know it? Why, my Uncle Dan rushes the growler that way every night—” , ‘ Shut up!” | ‘€ Allright,” cheerfully replied Flip. ‘Do you mean to say you are not the boy I saw last night?” ‘Can’t say as to that, fer I don’t know where you was; but I don’t know you. I guess I’m not the hairpin you hev in mind, mister,” ‘‘There was a fire,” suggestively remarked Martin. Flip shook his head. ‘‘T didn't attend no fire last night,” he as- serted, ‘Boy, I don’t believe you !” declared Mar- tin, suddenly. ‘This thing must be sifted; I want to know who you are.” **T ain’t no card with me—” ‘* Until Iam sure you are all right I will ut you under a trifle of restraint, Now, ere isarope. I will put it onto you and tie j , 2 vm et J - - “ft , -_ Bs * yee y j ay * . » 2 ; - | pts ae? : 2 ~ mpeyt® - ~~ >> sf ey, « im 7 wel? w@ — ~\ - a = ‘ r haw ww e+e oll al \ | ( ( te — { é a . *, “~~ ; a ral c - Z - "ae ‘ ne, TS 4 x : . roe! ~ ¥ ‘Prove it!” ‘“T think I saw him last night at—” ‘Yes, yes; I know. Can you swear to that?” * No.” ‘“‘Then don’t be so fast to worry my em- ployees. From my point of view your sus- picion is ridiculous. The boy is an honest boy, and one of the noble, bright youth of this section.” ‘ That is a fact!” interrupted Flip, not too modestly. ‘He is not to be troubled under mere sus- picion.” ‘Send fer Dick,” quickly requested Mar- tin. ‘‘He had a much better look at them than I did—he will be able to say positively whether it is the boy I think.” “Tim,” ordered Oates, ‘‘go for Dick, Hump yourself! ‘*1’m off, sah.” The negro hurried away on his errand, while ali the others satdown. Flip followed the general example, and was, outwardly, as cool as anybody else; but he was not so well satisfied as he seemed. ments a man was coming who could identify him beyond question, and it looked as if the boy was going to have scrious trouble. ‘*Guess I'll git slashed up,” he thought. ‘‘ They will prove me ter, be a giddy fraud, an’ then off will go my head. I don’t like the gleam in their bonny blue eyes—they bad as soon do a feller up as not. Anyhow, I’ve got a pointer on them: they hev jest as good as confessed that they was in the alley last night. Flip, my boy, you are on the trail, with bugles blowin’. The only drawback is that you may hev yer own funeral before you score yer victory.” ‘‘It was a melancholy prediction, but he did not let it disturb his outward serenity. He smiled the old, happv-go lucky smile and talked his full share. Hesaw that Mur- tin was the only one inclined to doubt him, and he set himself to work to increase the good opinion that the others held of him. If he escaped the exposure which threaten- ed him he wanted to be fully in the swim later on. ‘‘Shoot that Dick!’ he meditated. ‘‘ Ef he comes an’ gives me away | will make East Broadway how] fer this, by gum!” It was a period of uneasy waiting,” but | Black Tim finally drifted in again, and he came along. ‘« Where’s Dick?” asked Oates, ‘* He wa’n’t in.” ‘“ Where was ha?” According to state- ° w~? ‘“T reckon he was out on our private biz, — by wot I saw,” replied Tim, with an air of | He ~ seemed to study the boy keenly, but Flip | secrecy. Oates turned his gaze upon Flip. had never been more at ease in appearance. Suddenly the black-whiskered gentleman spoke. ‘Come to the office. ters I want you to deliver in is time to do it.” ** Where?” inquired Yn. ras a Tr es > f -* > " aS = 4 . ‘ SS ™ . . I have a dozen let- person, and it ~~ “a « ¢ ro > a Nee eh -