Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 932 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

2 4 what had been decided upon regarding the prisoner. . “It seems cruel to keep him. here, week after week. We have not the right to punish him, and so he has agreed to my terms if I would allow him to go away on @ sailing vessel that leaves in a couple of weeks, and will not reach port for months. “It would be more than half a year before he could return, even by steamer, and then you must know he dare not be- tray us, aS he murdered the escaped con- vict, Fatal Fred, whom we captured and held as a prisoner here; and no matter what the fellow was, Rip was guilty of putting him to death to get him out and receive the reward offered for him, dead or uiive, but which we thwarted. ‘Now, I ‘wish the consent or refusal of the band as to whether. Rip’s pledge should be taken and he be allowed to go, as I have stated.” So had New York Nat addressed the clan of young Ferrets, and with perfect confidence in their captain, the boys had unanimously voted to thus get rid of their troublesome customer, though some did not think he should be allowed his share of the money. But New York Nat argued that this was the best means of getting rid of him and keeping him quiet, and so he ‘was led from. his prison before the band, and told what the decision of the members was. He looked nervous, fearing the clan would not allow him to go. Soit was a great relief to his strained feelings when the vote was taken and New York Nat said “You will go free in two weeks, and wiil be escorted on board the vessel by sev- eral of the band, who will see that you do not play us false. “On the day you leave, the Queen will pay you the sum agreed upon, and, as Sykes, the traitor, was exiled for three years, so you are to be, and if you break your pledge and return within that time, I will charge you with the murder of the convict, Fatal red. “Are you ready to take the oath “Yes,” came the low response. He was led before the table, made to kneel, and, placing one hand upon a Bible, the other wpon a human skull, while a cross was held before his face, he was told to repeat the oath after the Maseot Queen. This he did; and then back to his prison room he was taken and left to his own meditations, with Guard as ‘his keeper, while the band filed out as they had come, in twce.» and threes. And still upon the corner watehing chem was the shadower, Sykes, his evil face lighted. up with triumph at his success, while over and over he muttered: “My fortune is made the day I betray the band, and my revenge is complete.” CHAPTER YV. KNOWN. When the last one of the Ierrets had left the gloomy mansion where their young captain dwelt alone with his dog, save that Rip, the traitor prisoner, was then there, the Girl Queen removed the fiesh- like mask she had worn and stood. re- vealed as her natural self before New York Nat. Any one seeing the two together would have observed at a glance the striking resemblance between them, and that they must stand in the relation hip of brother and sister to each other. But this secret was carefully concealed vi i - from the band, for, when New York Nat ished to east off the mask and appear re the world, no longer as a Secret i} = i b ma! We: PL | ‘ iy ‘ P Ah, s os ’ . AON ST tea sik gels FY Uae SRO eae ay - % A ‘ at 4 «! be rae oe t 4° > ‘ wi ' - , 6 ; New York Nat’s Drop Service Ferret, he did not intend that the Girl Queen should be known to any one of the clan as she really was. Well born, reared in luxury in their early years, the brother and sister had, by cruel fate, been separated, brought down to poverty and a hard life; to again drift together in New York, where the boy hac become the leader of the Ferret clan. Beautiful in face and form, clever, dar- ing, having had a rough and severe ex- perience as a little flower girl, Olive Chandler, the Ferret Queen, was a strong and able ally of her young brother in all of his bold, and at times desperate, under- takings. ** Now, sis, I'll see you home,” said Nat, when the two were left together in the mansion, and he added: “But do you not think we have acted for the best in this case with Rip?” ‘“T do not see how you could do other- wise, Nat, for you could not keep him in imprisonment here.” ‘No, and I do not believe he will come back to betray us, at least, until it is too late to do us any harm, for 1 hope within a year we will be able to make ourselves known to the chief, get pardon for all of the band who should have it, let those who wish to do so enter the Secret Service legitimately, and you and I will be rich enough to go elsewhere and seek a quiet home, for that is my ambition.” “And a worthy one, Nat. But I think even now you could command a pardon by what you have done, from the chief, for those who have to have one, and you certainly deserve: the. greatest credit, brother, for having rescued the boys that you have from ruin, and made of them what they now are.” ‘But, Olive, one thing troubles me.” * What is that?’ “You remember Sykes, who turned traitor to sell us,out, and whom we exiled to China?’ “Yes; he was the oldest member of the band, and the worst. ‘‘He has his counterpart in Rip, and I am glad we bave no more of their stripe in the band,” *“SoamtI. But what of Sykes?’ “You know I never forget a face.” ‘*“Yes; you are a born detective, Nat.” “Well, I saw a man several days ago whom I am sure I recognized as Sykes.” ‘Oh, brother!’ ) “T caught his eye, and it impressed me as I met him. ‘Then the memory of Sykes’s face came back, and I felt sure of my man. ‘TI turned to shadow him, saw him has- ten around the next corner—” ‘* Near here?” “Yes; he was in front of this place.” “'That looks bad.” ‘‘Yes, and when I reached the corner he had hailed a cab, sprung into it, turned in the other direction, and was driving rapidly away.” * It must have been Sykes, for him to attempt to escape you.” , ‘*Yes; for he recognized me, as I was my natural self; but I came in, rigged up as the professor, and when I. went out it was that 1 met him again,” ‘“ And he knows so many of the band.” “He does, for three years has not changed them out of his remembrance.” sé No.?’’ ’ “He has returned, I am sure, has met some of the boys, reeognized them, tracked them here, and is plotting to be- tray us.” “But you remember he had murdered a man, so he dare not show himself.”’ “He will not, but he can act through a pal whom he will take in with him.” n 4 ’ “Tt would be a pity, after all of our hard work and good services, to be be- trayed to the chief of the Secret Service before we get ready to make ourselves known,” ‘* Indeed it would, and I do not intend to be.” ‘How can you prevent it, Nat “TT shall see each member of the band to-morrow, tell them Sykes is back, and put them on his track to run him down.” ‘ And if you catch him?” - “Fe will have to go into Rip, or remain a prisoner here, “T hope we can outwit him in some way.” “We must.” ‘Has he changed much?” ‘Yes; for he is stouter, uglier looking. has grown a beard, his face is darkly bronzed, and he dresses like an English- man and carries a cane; but Ill stake my life I am not wrong in my suspicion.” “You are always right, Nat. But it is late, and I must be going,” They left the house, Olive giving the prisoner the fruit she had bought from the shadower, for hers was a kind heart and noble nature, and they found the sup- posed Italian still at the corner. Nat stopped to buy some fruit for Olive, and, then they took a ear to the upper part of the city, where, in a pretty little cottage on the Hudson River, and where the houses were few and far between, the young girl lived with a widow and her two children, who little dreamed that she was harboring in the “young artist,” as Olive claimed to be, the Girl Queen of the Ferrets. Returning to his lonely quarters, Nat found the vender still on the corner; and with nearly all of his fruit sold. He bought a pear and went on to the house, while the shadower, seeming to feel satisfied with his night’s work, pre- pared to depart, muttering: “T’ve got ’em down fine, and T’'ll strike my blow only when I’m sure of success and my price, which shall be a big one.” os , 7 exile with + Be CHAPTPR VI. THE TRAITOR PERR=T. To the surprise of New York Nat, the second morning after the meeting, as he was about to leave the house, the doorbell rang, It startled him, for never before had that occurred save once, when a young lady had called to take music lessons, and he had been foreed to tell her that his classes were full, and he could take no more pupils, fortunately now he was in his disguise of the German professor, so he hastened down to the door. He had always paid his gas bills. the day they were due, and all others that prevented a visitor from coming to the house, and he naturally wondered who his visitor could be. Guard followed him to the door, as cu- rious aS was his master, for the dog also knew that the doorbell’s ringing was an occurrence to be looked into. Opening the door, the “professor” saw there a man with dirt-begrimed face, un- kempt hair, a leather apron, blackened hands and clothes, and a cap pulled down over his eyes. : ‘Is you the professor?” he asked. “T yas,” replied Nat, in broken Bnglish, adjusting his gold-rimmed spectacles more firmly upon his nose and reading the card handed him by the man, who said: “Ther agent give me this, and I is ter do as he says.” Nat saw that the card was froin the agent from whom he rented the house,