Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 963 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

~ - i oe cage * * fg < Pe oe oe a vo? - a” you really know what you are about. 12 ee out in due time. They must go to some stables in the rear of Folsom’s big lumber yard. Let each man have his pistol ready—” “Of course. ‘vard?” “Over on the East Side, near—’ Adam whispered the exact location in the Sser- geant’s ear, then adding aloud: ‘ There is & password for them to know by whom they are wanted.” “A password! And who should they be wanted by but you? This looks a sort of wild-goose chase, that I hardly like to un- dertake.”’ “Well, then, T’ll look somewhere else for help. Mind you, though, I am going to land the murderers of old man Rawlins in the Tombs. Fact, old man! If you want to take a hand, now is your time. But 1 Say plainly, I can get all the help I want without any from here. So long!” “Hold on! You are as fresh as a high School kid, I suppose I will have to humor you, this time.’ “You might find it best. “I'wouldn’t do for the papers to say that some one else bagged the Rawlins murderers while the “Centrals’ were nosing about in the dark.” The sergeant, making a virtue of necessi- Ty, acquiesced in Adam’s. demands, Ar- rangements were soon made, and the boy detective gave the password. “It will be ‘Rawlins.’ Do you tumble to that?’ he queried. “See here!’ exclaimed Sloper, still un- able to entirely give up his point. “I hope lam But where is Folsom’s taking a pretty large responsibility—” “Ta, ta, sergeant! Like my respected uncle, I, too, am in a hurry now. Will you be there on time? Come, Mr. Raw- lins, let us go.’’ *“ Well, Hoke, I will have my men on hand.” The sergeant surrendered and made a wry face. When the messenger boy and the uncle from lowa reached the street the old man rubbed his head in a perplexed way. “Who do you reckon that other uncle wan be that the sergeant spoke of?’ he asked. “And what are we going off from here for, without getting my poor nephew Rube out of jail?’ “ Well, we couldn’t help Rube, just now, if we were to try. It is a serious thing to be jugged for murder, even if there is no proof. Mere suspicion will often keep a fellow in a cell until some one else is under arrest against whom the facts of the case bear stronger. ‘‘ As for that other uncle—he is a fake, 1 feel sure. The guilty ones have cooked up some scheme to thus divert suspicion from themselves and secure a surer chance at the property. At least, this is my idea,”’ : “You are a sharp lad, and no mistake. Looks like you know what you are about. But I hardly like to go off and leave Rube in jail.” ‘We will have Rube out before long. You trust me. Iam the only one who can help your nephew. The other cops are on a false trail.’ * That being the case, I guess I had bet- ter go along. Then—” “See that fellow over there?’ inter- rupted Adam, jerking his head in a certain ‘IT think he is dogging us.” CHAPTER XVI. SPOTTER AGAINST SPOTTER. A seedy-looking man was following them on the opposite side of the street and a little to the rear. Uncle Nahum gazed at him before he resumed his walk, but when he looked back again the fellow had disap- peared. After direetion. dinner, Adam took Mr. Raw- Jins to his own room, where he made the old man agree to remain until the young detective’s return, which would not be very long off, he averred. *T have a little running around to do,” explained the boy detective. ‘* Then you and I will make ready for our work to- night.’’ As Adam reached the street again, he saw the same _ seedy-looking man. slip around a corner and vanish. ‘This con- firmed a previous impression made on the boy detective’s mind, “*“T am shadowed again,” thought he. “T guess it is one of Sloper’s men. Don't know who else it can be. Those Central Office fellows are so suspicious, or jealous —which can it be? I hardly think he can do any harm, now.” In order to avoid being further followed, however, the youth made several puzzling detours before he sprang on a Brooklyn Bridge car. The seedy man was not seen again on the route. A little later on Adam was seated in the basement dining room of the modest house that’ fronted upon the little green square. Jennie, who had let him in at the street door, looked somewhat pale and anxious, though she was quite as pert and pretty as ever. “Tam very glad you came, after they had shaken hands. “That is the way I like to hear you talk,’”’ he replied, ‘* Have you any partic- ular news?” “Mr. John; Sylvester was here hardly more than an hour ago.” “Indeed! Well, what did that fellow have to say for himself? I hope he did not threaten or annoy you, Jennie.”’ ‘He said that he wanted me to be sure and testify strongly against the boy whom I saw in the hall standing over the body of Mr. Rawlins. He as good as said that if I do not get that boy into it, somehow, he would bring forward proof to show that I was concerned in the murder myself. Isn't he perfectly horrid?” “Oh, he is up to anything. But don't you Weaken, Jennie. He is in a bad way himself’ Sloper has got his pal in quod, and he wants your evidence on his side to offset anything the police may sweat out of his pal in villainy.” “And his pal is—not that boy?’ ‘ Nixey! His pal is a far worse speci- men—a regular East Side tough. But don’t you cotton to Sylvester. He can't turn a wheel, now.” ‘He is very cunning. what he is capable of.” “1 know what he would like to do, but he is helpless, now. His time has gone by.”’ ‘Are you really sure of what you as- sert ?” “Sure as preaching. John Sylvester is about at the end of his rope.” Jennie smiled cheerily, then her face crew grave again as Adam continued, earnestly: “Old man Rawlins’s murderer will be exposed. Listen! In the first place, I now know pretty surely who did the deed.” “Mercy me! I am glad I don’t.” She shuddered and leaned forward, eagerly. * Yet I do hope so much that, whoever he is, he will be caught and punished.”’ “Bet your life he will! Further than this, I know where your employer’s money is. It will, I think, be saved.” “That is good. I wish to goodness some of it was mine.” “Perhaps you will be luckier than you suppose. I have run across a late will of the old man’s. Your name is mentioned in it, Jennie.’’ “Mine? You must be joking, Adam. What a wizard you are!” She spoke half- mockingly, as if she doubted the truth of the inference he intended. she told him You do not know ' r ¢ 7 re _ "J i ae df * , : wat Whe Di $i) : * . A ) 7 Mie st i ’ raya * r if . -* 7 - oe es = de * Well, now, perhaps the old man was ay Shrewder than we all thought. You have served. him well,.and he hated his relatives. Wait and see. You won't be disap- pointed.”’ “You talk so wisely that I am almost afraid of you.” ‘Nonsense! I am your best friend. Yet some people, with whose plans I am inter- fering, may have reason to feel that I am playing the mischief with them and their work.” Jennie looked exceedingly pleased, and blushed a little. ‘Now I must be off,” added the young detective, rising. ‘“‘I merely ran in to let you know there is a better time coming.” He shook her hand cordially and left the house. Then he went through the little square so rapidly that, as he wheeled around a clump of shrubbery, he ran fairly into a map who was evidently peering at the house whieh Adam had just quitted. The electric light at that point was bril- liant, and the boy detective recognized his man at once, It was the shabby-looking shadower he had seen twice before that evening. The sudden contact with this would-be spy en- raged the lad. He seized the man and whirled him around so that his face was fully revealed. “You're a nice bird!’ exclaimed Adam, scornfully, as he released the fellow and stepped back. ‘‘I’ve a notion to punch your head, if you are the biggest. Did Sloper put you on to this job?” ‘*“None of your business, kid,’ said the other, striking at Adam, who dexterously dodged the blow. ‘I am on to your game though—” “* Ah—a—a—h! You make me tired—you do! Phil McGraw was bad enough, but you are worse. Say! If 1 wanted to hire a shadow, d’ye think I’d take you? Say! Vd rather haye a wooden Indian from the ¢i- gar stand,” ‘You impudent little devil! Tl teach you manners.” But the effort of the en- raged detective was in vain. The Hast Side Spotter feinted, dodged, ducked, and was off down the path like a bird, so swift and elusive were his move- ments, Whipping out of the square, he suddenly darted behind a fire and police alarm box on the curb aud watched the shadow-spy look earefully about. But the boy de- tective was invisible. Then the fellow walked off, shaking his head and seeming otherwise pertubed. ‘* Now, old soap,”’ muttered Adam, “‘guess I will do a little shadowing myself, } thought I had you off the track before took a car. TIl see what you mean by sticking so close to:me, and who you re port to now that I’ve given you the slip.” The boy detective now began to dog the shabby man much in the same manner that he had been pursued himself, CHAPTER XVII. INVESTIGATING THE FALSE UNCLE. But Adam was more of a success as a spotter than the unknown detective the lad was now following. He had the art of keeping the object of his serutiny in sight without being seen himself down to almost perfection. The «= color of his clothing was inconspicuous, and being as alert as a eat, Adam man- aged to avoid notice entirely. The man, after some preliminary hesita- tion and looking about, started for the Hast River water front at a round pace. Soon the dwelling house and retail loeality were left behind for dingy warehouses and deserted streets. Even at that early night hour the wholesale regions wore the air as of midnight. A few street lamps at’ long intervals, and an occasional pedestrian va a fi C =. fe | _ “<a Say! : _ : { ft | of . pe om -_— re = = -_ r- Ps <— as o® a le i Fy <i