Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 932 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

/ * \y - - @ ° ry ie r ap ie i ! ay i ‘ : oi ? SS - é : "Ged { } y ") bens h att bn : ive ee t : COAST 1 Pit * seh — 4 % | ae Y Are po iW? A > . a if ‘ " ex: “a a gif , of 4. wt bn ag NO te a rie ts Beh c enti a ‘es os "] is a bi: a +, Fe ¢ a ; = . tion, thousand dollars 8 —————— — o —— + in the hospital called to his aid, for he said: ‘Save my life, and name your price. “YT have much to live for, and do not wish to die.”’ He spoke calmly, but it could be that he dreaded the worst. Nat would have left him the moment he was in safe hands, but the stranger would not have it so, and said: “But for you I would have been killed outright. “Remain with me, for the present.” In vain Nat tried to get away, for he could not do'so without creating suspi- cion against himself, he knew. So he remained, while the surgeons ex- amined the wound, and, after a short con- sultation together, announced to the wounded man that he was fatally hurt. He received the announcement calmly, and said: | * How long will I live?” ‘* A few hours; perhaps a day.” “Send for a lawyer at once.” The lawyer was sent for, and in half an hour arrived, the wounded man cling- ing to Nat the while, and who was most anxious to get away, as he did not wish to risk his disguise before officers of the law and the coroner, who had also been sent for. But stay he must, and he opened his eyes with surprise as the stranger said: “JT am from Colorado, and a miner of means. “My family dwell there, but I came to New York to enjoy a few months’ recrea- and was walking out enjoying the night when I was attacked. *“T have with me in my wallet just ten in money, and enough in my purse besides to defray all expenses, for my body is to be sent to my home. “The wallet I wish now placed in the hands Of my rescuer here, and so write it down “ Give it to him now, and that will end it, and after he has given his deposition all I ask is that he will remain with me until I die.” There was much more that the dying mam said, speaking with perfect calmness, and he gave a description of the attack upon him, his assailant’s appearance, and of Nat's rescue of him. Nat then told his story in his broken English, boldly gave his address as the professor, for he dared not do otherwise, and had the wounded man place in his hands the wallet containing the ten thou- $s —— | seen _ sand dollars. An hour after midnight the generous stranger breathed his last, and New York Nat was glad to slip away from the hos- pital, almost dazed by what had occurred. But through all he had held to the knife the stranger had wrenched from the as- Sassin’s hand, not once referring to it either to the coroner or the captain of po- lice who had beem called. Once within his own house he went up to his room, and drawing the blood- stained knife from his pocket, he looked intently at it for a moment, and then cried suddenly: “ This knife betrays him! ‘I know the murderer!’ CHAPTER XII. “THE PROFESSOR.” ‘‘'This looks to me like a very close call, and I must work quick and hard to show that Il am what I professed to be. “I’m in great luck with this unlooked- for legacy, but we Ferrets are not yet ready to be known.”’ So mused New York Nat after he had reached his home, and was pacing to and fro in his room. age ORE i * . Mise Pe f) eat bene), yo Jed - New York Nat’s Drop. There upon the table he» had placed the wallet with the small fortune in it which the Colorado miner had bequeathed to him, and the knife he had gotten posses- sion of, which had given the fatal wound. Counting over the money, Nat saw there was no mistake. The amount which the miner had named was there. Taking up the knife again, Nat wiped the red stains from it, and said: ‘* Yes, | recognized it the moment I saw it, for it was given to me by a sailor whose life I saved five years ago, and here is his name upon it. ‘It was stolen from me when I was in the Rookery, and I always felt some one of the boys had taken it, SO Was not sur- prised when Keno told me he had seen Sykes with it, and Foxey said he had taken it away with him when we exiled him, and that he had known him to pawn it twice and redeem it, but never suspect- ed it was mine.” The knife was a fine one, with a long blade of finest steel, and a handle of beau- tiful mosaic work, in which was the name in gold letters, inlaid: “JACK JPSSOP. “Brig Rainbow.’ It was a knife which, if onee seen, was not to be mistaken. “But the seabbard is gone, and the murderer of the miner must have it. * And that murderer is none other than Sykes, and there is now no doubt _ that he is home again and will betray u ‘““He was not dressed as when L met him near the retreat, as well as I could see in'the moonlight, but the murderer was of about the same size and build, ‘“T'll put the money and knife away now, and get a few hours’ rest, for I must be out early, telling the boys to help me out in this music fake, in case the police should haye me under their eye, or the Superintendent, wishing more testimony, should send for me. “Then, too, I must look to it that my disguise is as perfeet as can be, and not have it give me away.” In the wall of the room there was a small closet, and, opening it, New York Nat took hold of the shelves, gave them a steady pull, and they came out, with ap- parently the plastered back with them. Behind this cleverly hidden secret nook was a space that went a foot further into the solid wall, and here it was that New York Nat kept his treasures, extra money, and the private books and papers of the band, it being known only to Olive and himself. The little.closet in front, and which ap- peared to be the real depth and size of the aperture in the wall, Nat had aecidentally discovered one day, when trying to pull one of the shelves out, as they were too close together to alow him to put into the closet what he wished to. To his surprise the whole closet had come out at his pull, and he at once real- ized that he had found a very secure hid- ing place for his valuables. In with his other treasures the knife and wallet were placed, and the closet was closed and locked as before, Then for several hours New York Nat enjoyed a sleep, when he arose, made a most careful toilet as the professor, and left the retreat in the early morning, From the hotel where Flip was a bell- boy, the telegraph office where Parson was on duty, district messenger” Offige where Teaser worked, went New Y¥ rik ° Nat, at each place having a short talk with those of his band whom he saw, aad giving them or- ders td see others of the young Ferrets and tell them what he expected of them. Then he took the HWleyated road, and fu NO ke re " +3 ~ 2 te ot -- we hy oO - ia “yy »*> * i iy vel ‘ ” to Freckles’ news-stand, and the was whirled rapidly up to the station nearest to where Olive lived. The Girl Queen had just come down- stairs to her breakfast, and was surprised to see Nat, knowing that something im- portant had happened. He lost no time in telling her of his adventure after leaving her, his good for- tune, and that he was convinced that Sykes was the murderer. Then he added: ‘* Now, sis, as I had to give my address, in case more inquiries are to be made of me, and officers come to the retreat, | must be' able to fully carry out my idea of a teacher of music, so I have seen some of the boys, and have given orders that they tell the others, and for several days they must drop in as pupils, and in various disguises, several of them coming dis- guised as girls, and you must help me in this, too.” ‘Just tell me how I can, Nat.’’ * You must at once come to the retreat, bringing a disguise as an old lady, and you are to rig up and play my mother.” Olive laughed and replied: “Oh, I can do that to perfection, and you know how perfectly I can disguise myself as an elderly woman. “JT will be there within brother.” Then Nat hurried back, stepped in at the restaurant he was wont to frequent, and while he was eating his breakfast, another was being prepared for Rip, the prisoner. It was just half after nine when he re- turned to his retreat, carrying Rip’s break- fast, and Guard's, too, and began to pre- pare to face the officers of the law if the necessity arose for him to do so. an hour, CHAPTER XITI. A VISIT FROM THE CHIBF. New York Nat was not to be caught napping. He had been compelled to give his name and address to the police, or, that is, as he wished to be known, and he was not to be found off his guard. He had stated that he had pupils in both vocal and instrumental music, and had rented a house cheap, where he dwelt with his mother, and their faithful com- panion, a dog. This was all he said, but he was deter- mined to be able to prove what he had lene if any doubt arose on the sub- ect. » He knew that a prominent man of wealth had been killed by an assassin. He had arrived upon the scene in time to prevent a robbery, but too late to save the life of the Coloradian. Dying, the miner had left him a small fortune. What was,.more likely than that more upon the subject would like to be known than what the coroner and police captain had. found out? ‘So it was that Nat had planned for what might occur. When he reached his retreat he took the prisoner’s breakfast in to him, and fed Guard as well. Then he said: “ Rip, a circumstanee occurred last night that may cause the police to visit me, so I wish to be prepared for them. ‘*T shall lock this door, and leave Guard in here with you, but I shall leave the outer door open in case a search should be nade. ‘* Should you hear persons about the house, be careful to keep silent, for if you betray your presence you will hang for the murder of Fatal Fred, the convict, as sure as I have to explain who you are. * You have had your breakfast, Guard - ‘ , oo a MICDOOKS. ‘ i - —- + - — =~ > eS