Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 970 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 ee York, Jersey City or Brooklyn,” remarked the police-captain, hopefully ‘* Le’s investigate!” It was a practical suggestion, and they went to work upon it at once. Few people were around, however, who had been there during the night, and it was only after considerable ettort taat they found a man who had seen the Brown Bet leave. While he was not sure of the hour, it seemed that the conspirators bad lost but little time in getting away after the late adventure. ‘* Never mind,” the captain advised, ‘‘ Their flight shows their guilt plainly, and the move- ment may not be as successful as they hope. Unless they have put out to sea, we will have them yet,” as Et may be too late ter save Elise,” replied 8, ‘* Let us hope not.” ** Well, Pi skurry away now, an’ see ef I kin find Old Grasshopper. The idee ain’t been outo’ my head fer a minute that he may be drownded, es he’s alive, I'll find him, So-long. I’m off | ** Wait a bit!” $* Wal?” ‘«'You ‘are a prisoner, and, as such, deprived of freedom of movement. I can’t let you go.” ‘‘Great guns! you don’t mean ter say | must go back ter that cell, do yer?” ‘¢ For the present, yes. I cannot be guided by my prejudices or beliefs; you area prisoner, and have no more right to let you go than I would have if you were accused of murder,” **Oh! oh! on!” ‘“‘Stay! (guess I can help you out. The jus- tice who lives over yonder isa friend of mine, and between him and another friend, who will go on your bond, I think we can get you out on ail,’ ‘*Cap, you’re a trump! Of course, the due form of events must be follered, an’ you will ex- cuse me fer kickin’. Come on, an’ le’s git the bailin’-machine ter work!” The captain did not seek to curb Abe’s impa- tience, and the matter was so burried on that, in due time, the Sharp was formally ‘‘ bailed out,” He was to appear in court that day, and, unless Twiss was there to prefer charges against him, it was certain he would be discharged. Oace at liberty, Abe set out to find Old Grass- hopper. At first the fact that the ’longshore- man’s residence was unknown was a barrier to success, but by accident a boy was found who was able to tell just where he lived. The Sharp went there, but the result was dis- appointing and suggestive. The "longshoreman had not been home that night. rs Drownded in the dock, by mighty!” was Abe’s down-hearted, but silent comment; then, saying nothing to alarm the people of the house, he went away, revolving in his mind the very timely question: ** What next?” He was walking in a slow and thoughtful way, when he chanced upon a youth of his own age whose name was ike Hilson. ‘* Hi, Abey!” the other boy called out, * ye ought ter been wid me last night!” ‘Had 1?’ curtly returned the Sharp. ‘* Yes: up ter Pete Glasr’s house.” ‘Eh? W’ot about his house?” cried Abe,with sudden interest, “Why, he took something out of it; I dunno w’ot, only there was quite a scrap over it. Dun- ro whether the thing wa3a human or an an- imal, I don’t.” * CHAPTER XIV. TRACING THE KIDNAPPERS, “Now, see here, Isaac, you ain’t talkin’ through yer hat, be yer?” ‘‘Naw! W’ot yer givin’ us?” ‘‘T'rm givin’ yer a feed on oranges ef you'll narrate the incidents with veracity an’ con- tinuity.” Aboy Abe had grown interested at once, and he felt that he could afford to make the prodi- al proposition to Isaac if he obtained all the acts as an offset. Isaac was of the same mind, and he prozecded to the story. ‘Et was like. this, ye see: I wus a-comin’ home from my aunt’s house, an’ got near where Peter Glass lived. A covered Express ‘wagon stood in front o’ the door, with the driver on the box. ‘‘T had crossed the etreet kinder slantin’-like, an’ he didn’t see me; an’ I stopped by the tail- end 0’ the wagon ter take a squint in, Et was closed ap, though, an’ I didn’t seo anythin g- | | i ee ee ee SS = Ch — ™—_—~- woo —— $C es Ahoy Abe, the Dock Sharp. — | ee EE — ee —— a which made me think o’ the menagerie up in Central Park—a kind of a growl, an scream, an’ snort, an’ sneeze, an’ wuif, an’ yow!, all in one,” ‘* Must ’a’ been a remarkable sound,” Abe | gravely commented. ‘““Ht was; an’itscared me, I didn’t want no animal which might be half bear, half wildcat, half- rattlesnake, half eagle, an’ half Harlem goat, ter drop on me, so I went cer a doorway a few houses below an’ kinder secreted myself fer a watch where [ could likewise sneak, ef oc- casion demanded. ‘‘ Wal, I heerd a few more yowls from the Glass house, but dimmer than t’others, an’ I was jest thinkin’ there was goin’ ter be no manifesta- tion, when the door opened,” “Wot then?” Abe demanded, eagerly. ‘* Sev’ral men come out, bearin’a heavy bur- den.” ** W’ot was it?” ‘‘That’s the question I bey been debatin’ onter, my friend.- Glass hisself was one o’ the men—” “Eh? When was this?” ** Oh, about twelve o’clock.” ‘* B’gosh!” Abe's mind wandered/from the burden for a moment, Glass had heen left securely tied up in the old house in Jersey, the previous evening, yous according to Isaac, he was back in New ork at midnight. ‘¢ That’s straight,” the narrator declared. ‘I know the tout like a book, an’ can’t be took in on him nohow. Glass et was,” ‘¢ But w’ot was they carryin’?”’ ‘‘A thing all sewed up, or bound up, in a thing like a big bag. The snortin’ an’ growlin’ was over, but—ob, "Liza Marial—wa’n’t the thing a-squirmin’! He made the bag flop like a sailin a hurricane, an’ [ sort of expected him ter break loose, but I guess he hadn’t the use o’ his legs. Anyhow, I didn’t see bim at all. He was bundled inter the wagon, an’it drove away. ‘“That’s all, but you’d had a pile o’ fun ef you'd been with me, Abe,” ‘“Mebbe! Isaac, w’ot d’ye reckon wuz in that bag?’ ** Give et up.”’ ** An animal?” ** Don’t think so,” ** Crazy man?” ‘Naw! He wa’n’t that.” ‘‘But you said he snarled, an’ growled, an’ yowled—” ‘“‘I may hev exaggerated a bit—jest a bit. Anyhow, there was a scrap up there, an’ wild an’ woolly shoutin’, but et was human, I guess. Most likely Glass an‘ his heelers biffed the fel- ler an’ got his back up., Et would me, ter be biffed.” Ahoy Abe was far more interested than Jsaac had expected. It looked as though Glass, strangely liberated in some way from his cap- tivity in the old Jersey house, had removed his prisoner of the closed room guarded by Deborah and Dorcas. More questions the Sharp asked, anxious to learn who the driver had been, but Isaac could not inform him, so he decided to make an effort to find Parson Joe. The latter was not at home, and Abe saw with strong annoyance that he had got to adjourn everything else in order to go to court. . He went, but, as every one had expected, neither Captain Twiss nor any of his heelers ap- peared to press the charge against the Sharp. As they had established an unenviable reputa- tion for themselves Abe was discharged, and de- tectives sent out to try and locate the Brown Bet and her skipper. It was nearly noon when Abraham found him- self at liberty to do as he pleased. His first step was to get something to eat. Then he went again to look for Parson Joe and Old Grasshop- per, but found neither. ‘“Shoot the luck!’ he commented, irritably. ‘‘T seem ter be at the endo’my rope. Don’t know what ter do next, by gum!” At this juncture Isaac reappeared, ‘*Say, cully, 1’m thinkin’ we kin foller that wagon ef we wantter. I’ve been tellin’ me bro- ther about it. He works ona ferry-boat from Forty-second street ter Weehawken, an’ he says that same wagon crossed there last night. te seen the bag in the wagon ez he was passin’ it on de boat; an’ he see Glass, too,” te fer Weehawken, was they?” ” ‘* S’pose they could be traced there?” “T do, dat. Le’s try it!” ; Isaac was eager to have some excitement, Wega des" ‘‘ Jest then there come a sound from the house | though he had no clew to the actual m5 | ~ ' : a . re i Yat ade We ch’ iad i ae hie te Carrs Pasture : - hae SA Hise ip i tte eer +e tty oy TER ‘eiaee ee Rae ree alan hits 2 OM : WL Abas Wet 9 TO" i a fee Ol wes Cee a 4 i pai Pete MG Leky MEE, oy) wit! ee 4 : [* +! ‘ Abe looked at it only in a practical light. course of the gang seemed to indicate that they had gone to the old house where he had been put in such peril by Glass, though he could hardly believe they would be so reckless. Glass must know it was no place of safety. ‘* Wal, isaac, | s’pose we might go over.” , “Sure! We ain’tg t nothin’ else ter do, an’ I’d just like ter spite Pete Glass. We will have more fun out of it than.a Fourth o’ July. Come on, old man!” The speakers boyish enthusiasm was in marked contrast to the stern purpose whicu actuated Abe Dow, but the latter knew Isaac was reliable, and was giad to have him along on the trip. He would be of assistance in tracing the wagon, and might be further useful. Without delay they went to Forty-second street and crussed to Weehawken. Here came the pinch, for but few persons were likely to have been abroad at the hour of night when the wagon struck Jersey soil. No one then about the ferry-house could give any infor- mation, but they were referred to one of the gate-keepers of the night-watch, and to bim they went, Being questioned, he shook his head. ‘¢ Don’t remember that any strange team come over,” he observed, ‘‘ But what tears were there?” ‘‘Only a few, of course. The only covered Express I remember was—” “What? Who?” ‘* Well, Jimmy Cotter come over, as usual.” ‘‘ Who is he?” ‘* He does a general Express in New York, but lives here, arid stables his horse here.” ‘¢ W hat fer a looker is he?” Isaac interrupted, quickly. oung man; about twenty-four, I should say; slender-built but strong; face smooth, but for a small, straw-colored mustache, and wore a gray suit of clothes—” ‘‘That’s him; that’s the man that drove the team!” Isaac declared. ‘‘ By jiminy! et’s all right, Abe!” Non does this Jimmy Cotter live?” Abe asked. The gateman described the place, adding that Cotter was probably in New York, then, though he did not remember oy J him go over, as usual, that morning. The boys went outside, and Isaac continued so positive that they were on the right track, Abe decided to call where Cotter lived. They went, and the second boy suddenly exclaimed: $$ Say there’s the wagon, now!” The Sharp looked and saw a wagon which cer- tainly did answer the description which Isaac had early given. Much encouraged, they knocked at the door, and the stout woman who appeared made answer to their question: ‘No, Jimmy ain’tin; though he didn’t go to New York to-day. He had a job which kept bim out late last night, and he slept all the fore- noon. Now he’s gone out somewhere, but I don’t know where.” She could not suggest any better way of find- ing Jimmy than to wait for him, but this did not suit the searchers; they wanted more active service, Fortunately, they were put in the way of continuing work. ‘‘ Hil” saddenly broke in a small voice ‘Swot wuz it Jim carried ter Old Duffy’s ] night? it squirmed like @ snrke when they took it up, in the bag. Me bruddcr said it wuz a dog, but 1 said it wuz too big. We’s got a bet o’ ten cigs on wedder 1t wuz a dog or not, See?” Before them stood a very suiall boy who might have heen anywhere from four to six years old. His only visible garments were a ragged pair of overalls, a ragged shirt and a ragged hat, but he sported dirt enough to clothe him fully. In his mouth he heid the stump of a cigarette, which gave @ clew to the nature of the bet mys- teriously referred to as *‘ ten cigs.” Abe and Isaac exchanged glances. All this was very suggestive, The woman could not settle the important wager, and said so good-humoredly, but the larger boys seoldeded to steer the small youth cJear of the place and question him, His name, be said was B.rtbolomew Shea, and he lived next door to ‘Old Duffy's.” The pre- vious night be and his'‘*brudder” had been awakened by a team which was driven between the two bouses, and they bad seen a mysterious object in a bag unloaded from Cotter’s wagon. ‘¢ Me mother said she seen a bloke around de place, to-day, dat she used ter know. His name was Peter Glass. I tried ter light on him, me- silf, but couldn't, an’ it depends on Jimmy ter settle de bet I have wid me brudder of de cigs.” hg-- v9 eat : ’ ty 2 a ff ates 9% 3 Ye qian yy <> . ni oi) el “4 ti ate . ‘ | a Mes ah nif , eg 5 + ie jee vel. P| 4 ie) Yu TU — L f | . ae .C - if if * del ee ee - et SN ee eee ee —_—_——._ —-—<e= ~— -_ ~ — lt —— * nil LLL A ET Mee = - = - " . — ~ =e - a teny * —~ I~ ete, Fo