Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 935 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

na -* mel iy Pee. ni Vp « - - oye P “= J 7 » ee = ¥ « * ‘ ‘ * 7 } 7 4 A ty ~~ és . os P , + e r : The nae of ' id 2» * ¥. Ne ; mm | Ne : hy : tc: | » ass | < : -. 5 “4 > = #e ef a -. “a aa Ss x * ate aes “> "oe ee wv? oo i * % * _ (OE , e ms « Fy tei ee . .- 4 = on, The . \ Fe AS we, A * . 10 “And how am I to know?” ‘Tt won’t do for me to be telling you every move, you must plan for yourself. Perhaps this is a little difficult, however. I think I will disguise you in a clever manner, on second thought.” “Go ahead.” ‘“T will freckle you pretty plentifully, and you can change your clothes and put on another hat, and then if you do meef Ambler he will not be likely to know you.” “Good enough; put on the freckles, boss. I will go and ask for Kerner, and if he is there I will go right off and leave no explanation, only thing I can do, un- less you want me to wade right in.” “That will do, I think.” _“ And if he isn’t there, I'll declare that T have got to wait and see him, no matter what breaks, and will get into the house on that ’scuse. It is no small task you have set for me, boss, sure enough.” “*That is the reason I inquired about your nerve. You will get there somehow, I have every confidence of that, and be- ing a boy, you can do it better than I could do it myself. Now for the dis- guise, and I’ll make such a change in you that your own mother, would stumble over you and never know you,” . | CHAPTER XIL. BOB BUCKLE IN HOT WATER. Apprentice Bob hardly knew himself ‘when he looked in the glass. The change in his appearance was re- markable, and the freckles in themselves were 2 perfect disguise. ‘Great Gowanus!” he exclaimed. ‘ In- troduce me to myself, won’t you, boss?” | ‘The detective laughed, while he ad- mired his handiwork. “You will pass, that is certain,” he averred. ‘‘Make ready, now, and be off with you, and be back again in two hours.”’ | “ All right; I will be here, if nothing breaks. If I’m not, you will know where to take up the trail to find me, and you want to make a smoke in their «amp if they do any damage to me.” | “TI will, you bet. But you must take care that they do not get a chance to do you damage, as you express it.” “I'll try to, boss. tice of funeral hereafter.” roa Phillips laughed, and Bob hastened off. In due time he was in the neighborhood of his destination, and he slackened his _ pace while he thought. Here he was on the ground, but how was he to proceed? He had been trying to figure it out as he came along, but thus far without success, and it seemed a hard nut to crack. | “Wish the boss had shed some more daylight on the matter,” he said to him- self. ““Maybe he was stuck himself and couldn’t—but no, they don’t stick Joe Phillips as easy as that; he only wants me to do my, own thinking, that is all, and I will have to do it.” : He ran different schemes over in his There was something to act as a draw- back to every one of them. If he asked ‘for Kerner he might be taken right in to- see him, and what could Le say. He decided to act upon the plan that seemed the most feasible of any, and so he continued on, mounted the steps _, and rang the bell, and when the door was opened, he inquired: “Who lives ‘here, please?” Ta ss * Mir. Howson Carper,” was the answer. _. This was a set-back for the apprentice, _. but he met it promptly. a aiid “That isn’t the name I was lookin’ - = « oe r e ™ Le X {thy F ‘* 4 rh TT... 4 Hs; | ee 7 ed ‘es eee - The Ex-Newsboy Detective’s C Well, so long; no-- 4 # 4 “es we . 4 . ‘ - a or e ~ d ‘ , = — ee On ; 7 ty Ap xy . mye hs J 3 . ’ 7 tor,” he said, musingly. kept here?” ‘What name do you want?” ‘“‘“Don't know; I have forgot.” Bob was acting as if not very bright. “Well, there are no boarders here, but Mr. Carper has friends who come and see him on business more or less.” ‘‘ Mebby it’s one of them.” “There is a Mr. Kerner for one; that the name?” * Sounds like it. “Has gone out.’ “Then Mr. Carper is at home?” “No; he is absent at present. what do you want?’ “T must see Mr. Kerner without fail. That is the name, I guess. I must come in and wait for him.” “But I don’t know when he will be back.” “That don't make any difference; I will wait till he does come, or until Mr. Carper comes.” “You will have a long wait, my lad, You had better tell me the business, and maybe I can do what is wanted. Who sent you here, anyhow?’ “That is something I can’t tell. The only thing I can do is to come in and wait, and I'll keep right on waiting, if you will give me something to eat and let me sleep on the floor.” “Your errand must “Of course it is.” ‘Well, come in, for this is no place to talk so long.” The man stepped back from the door to allow Bob to enter, and the detective’s apprentice stepped in. As soon as the door had closed, man seized Bob’s arm roughly and hur- ried him into the nearest room, where he took a good look at him without saying a «word. “Think you will know me next time?” Bob asked. “YT want to know you this time,’ was the fierce response. fe want to know what you are nosing around here for.””’ “What I'm nosing around here for?’ “Yes, just that.” “JT am not Dosing, sir; open and told you what I wanted. Seems to me you are the one that’s prying.” “And I want to know the whole bus- iness, too, I want to know who you are, who sent you, and what you want to see Mr. Kerner for, and the whole business. Come, now, speak right up.” “Who the mischief are you?’ Bob de- manded, | | He had at first taken the man to be a servant, when be had spoken so meekly at the door. ; | Now he decided in his mind that he was the master of the house, if anything, and he believed that it was Carper himself, if the man had given his right name, or whether he had or not. “You will find out who I am if you don't speak up.” : “'That’s what I want to do. But, you are taking the wrong course with me, for I won't tell now, if I die for it!” “You won't, eh?” “No, I wouldn't even tell Carper.” “We'll have to see about that, my gen- tleman. Who sent you here?” “T’ll never tell you. The man I want to see is Kerner, and I mean to see him if I have to stay all night.” “You will remain, have no doubts on that score. You will stay here, and maybe a good deal longer than you are figuring on staying. That is, unless you are more reasonable.” | Bob saw that he was in for it. He had invaded a place where there was danger, and there was suspicion against ‘*“Any boarders is Is he here now?’ But be important.” the ha I came right . “4 ?. oF. gt aye wufedy AO hum. as you are!” ea ake We) _ ‘The fact of the matter was, Bob had no On entering the room, the man had re- leased his hold upon him, and stood with his back to the door, and there was an expression upon his face which Bob did not like to see. Bob looked around. There was another door to the room, and two windows in front. The latter could not do him any good, but the door might, if he could make a bolt and get through it before the man caught him, He had;<ome there for the purpose of learning’ what he could about the interior of the house, its inmates, and what not, but if he allowed himself to be made a prisoner he would fail. He decided to bolt, and lead the man a race from the top to the bottom of the house if he could. “ What do you mean?” he asked, while thinking. *T mean that I am going to hold you a prisoner if you don’t tell me what has brought you here,” the man growled. “You do, eh?” Bob had noticed that the other door was ajar, and he knew it would be a queer house if there was not still another door leading out of that room, “Vea 3:do.”’ “Well, you will have to catch me first, noe now that you have let go of me. I’m off!” Bob wheeled and made a dart for the door, and was through before the man hardly realized what had taken place, but with an oath the man was after him in the next instant. | Bob had slammed the door shut, and was looking around for the other as he ran, which he espied immediately, and for. which he made with no loss of time. There was a key in the lock, which he jerked out, with the thought that he would lock the man in. 5 | | He had no time for that, however, for by the time he opened this door the man had opened the other, and was leaping after him. With the key in his hand Bob made a dash along the hall toward the front, and could have escaped undoubtedly, unless the front door was locked, and he felt sure it was not. To do that, however, would be to make a failure of the business that had brought > him there, and he had no intention of do- ing that, even if he did have to run some big risks to accomplish it. So, instead of making for the doors, he turned and dart- ed up the stairs. | : —-) + - CHAPTER XIII. , ANOTHER DISAPPEARANCE STILL. ‘*Ha! now I have got you!” So cried the man exultingly, as he ran after him. | | | “I expect you have,” answered Bob. » “I told you I had come to stay, but not as a prisoner,” ; | “You may stay as worse than a prisoner if you don’t stop instantly. Stop, or I will shoot you, and bring you to a stop in a way that you won’t relish! Do you hear me?” . | : Bob had just reached the top, having taken two or three steps at a stride; now he glanced back. | ai Sure enough, the man had a pistol in his hand, and Bob jerked back out of re quicker than a wink, while he shout- “Two can play at that game, and you | commenced it, so look out for yourself if you poke your nose where you hadn’t ought to! . Maybe I am just as good a shot — 4 ‘* a é \ ‘ #T. *r pistol at all!