Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Crowningshield, the Sleuth. a —_ — ‘* Have they treated you well here?” ‘* Yes, sit; I’ve only seen one lady and she has been real kind to me.” ‘“ Well, I guess you had better write a little note to your father, tell him, you know, that you went with a gentleman to see your mamma, but that you wasn’t able to see her and you have been stopping here with some people who have been kind to you and treated you well, but you want to come home and for him to please s nd some money to pay the bills,” suggested the man, ‘Yes, I will write!” exclaimed the child, grasping eagerly at the idea. There was a table in the room and in the drawer was pen, ink and paper. Curly Kid got these out and drawing a chair to the table arranged the boy so he could write his letter. ‘*Go ahead and compose the letter in your own way,” the man said, after all was in readi- ness. ‘“*T don’t doubt you will make a good thing out of it.” The lad wrote quite nicely for a boy of his age and his letter covered the ground admira- Tt ran as follows: “DrarR Papa:—I went with a gentleman to see mamma, but after I got to the house where I was to see her, somebody wouldn't let her come, so I want es to please come and bring me home, and please i, Spe money with you so as to pay the people who have taken care of me. *T am awful lonesome without you, papa, so pisase come as quick as you can. ‘The folks have een real kind to me here, but 1 miss you, papa, and my dear home so much. *Please] give my love to Aunt Letty and Uncle Horace and to everybody in the house, and I shall be so glad to see them all, ‘Your loving son, ** ADONIS CROWNINGSHIELD,”’ Curly Kid read the letter over carefully after the boy had written it and nodded his head in approval. ‘That is very nicely written, my little man, and I will see that your papa gets it the first prs de> the morning, but it may be a day or two before he can come after you, so you mustn’t get impatient.” The boy opened his big blue eyes wide in as- tonishment when he heard this, “Oh, you dowt know my papa, sir!” he ex- claimed. ‘* Hell come right away the moment he knows that [ want him.” “Yes, but I understand that he has been called out of town on some important business,” the man replied, perceiving that it was necessary to get out of the difficulty in some way. “T had forgotten that when I said I would see that he got your letter the first thing in the morning, but [ will have it sent after him, and T’ve no doubt he will hurry back as soon as pos- sible, but his business may detain him for a day or two, and so you mustn’t worry if he doesn’t come right away. ‘‘' Your letter will let him know that you are all right, and so he will not be alarmed.” This was a plausible tale, and the boy was sat- isfied. ‘‘Please send him word, though, to come as quickly as he can,” said the child. “Of course; don’t you worry about that. I will tell him that you are in a great hurry, and very anxious to get home. ‘But make beens comfortable now; un- dress and go to bed like a good boy, and above all, don’t fret, for your papa will come as soon as he can.” And then, with really tender care, this wily, unscrupulous desperado assisted the child to pre- are for bed, assisted him into the couch, and Facked the clothes in around him as dexterously as though he had been the father of a family, and accustomed to looking after “ olive-branches” for years. : After the child was safely bestowed in bed, he bid him good-night, and left the apartment. ‘¢T don’t wonder that he made an impression upon the heart of Moll,” Curly Kid muttered as he made his way down-stairs. ‘‘ He’s a brave little fellow, and has the mak- ing of a fine man in him, and though I hope by his aid to make a big stake out of his father, yet if I don’t succeed, nota hair of the boy’s head shall be har mee. » that I would have any luck if I attempted to harm that child.” =, With this impression strong in his mind, he joined Randolph and Moll in the parlor. ‘It’s all right; Pve got the document I wanted,” he said, “‘and it is about as nice a lit- tle letter as I ever run across. Just listen to it:” And then he read the boy’s letter aloud. ‘‘ He’s a bright little fellow to be able to write such a letter as that,” the gambler commented, ‘‘Oh, yes, he’s a lovable little fellow,” the woman remarked, ‘‘and I wouldn’t have any- thing happen to him while he was under my roof for the world.” “Don’t you be alarmed; f don’t intend that any evil shall come to him, but if T can use the boy as a lever to work five or six thousand dol- lars out of his dad, I’! be that much better off and the boy will be none the worse for it. é “His father has money enough and can easily re ——————————————————————————————————————————————— > CO or 353533939. spare the amount. This letter will be sure to fetch it, I think. ‘* Now, I must devise some means by which the transfer of the money into my hands and the boy into his, can be effected, without danger of the police getting onto the racket and bu’st- ing the whole thing up.” ' “That will require some thought,” Randolph suggested. ‘* Yes, but I'm able for it, as an Irishman would say. Tl thinkit out as we walk to the station. There’s an owl-train makes a stop at the Crossing sumewhere around twelve and we've got plenty of time to catch it. Take care +: yourself, Moll, and don’t worry about the OY. And then the two departed. CHAPTER XXXII. A SURPRISE. THE two men emerged from the house and ee Moll closed and bolted the door behind them. “This is really a great scheme,” Curly Kid remarked as he and his companion made their way to the gate through the front garden. “Well, I hope it will work,” remarked Ran- dolph, who was not at allsanguine about the matter. He hadn’t any evperience at this sort of busi- ness and to his mind the danger of detection before the money could be gotten at seemed reat, ** Oh, I'll fix it so it will work!” exclaimed the other confidently. P ‘* Here’s the strong pointin all matters of this kind; we work on the fears of the parent. ‘*T have your boy, you have a certain sum of money, I propose to exchange the boy for that sum and you had better be quick about it if you want to ever see your child again. ** Now if a man has plenty of money—plenty so that he won't miss the sum that is demand- ed, do you suppose he is going to hesitate when he thinks the life of his child is at stake?” ** Well, no, I should think not,” “Take the matter home to yourself—would you not yield to such a demand under the cir- cumstances?” ** Yes, I think I should, but then some men would be apt to get ugly and show fight; pre- fer, you know, to pay the money to the detec- tives to recover the child rather than to the kidnappers as ransom.” ‘Very true, some men are bull-headed,” Curly Kia remarked. ‘‘Some men would al- ways rather fight than compromise, but when the life of this child is atstake, the man must be obstinate indeed who dares to adopt a course ey to bring harm to the little one. ‘*It’s a bold game, I know, but to my think- ing the chances are a hundred to one that we will take the trick and collar about five thou- sand dollars of Crowningshield’s money.” By this time the two had passed through ths gate, and gained the road. ‘“Yes, yes,” continued Curly Kid, as they walked along, “it is about as sure as anything can be in this mighty uncertain world.” ‘* Well, I hope we'll succeed, for I need some money bad enough,” the gambler remarked. — pockets are about empty, too,” rejoined the other. ‘But then that’s nothing wonderful. I’m such an extravagant dog. I ought to have been a millionaire, for I was born with a taste for all sorts of luxuries.” “* Throw up your hands !” Stern were the accents in which the command was given, and the three spies, who had so close- ly tracked the confederates from the ont to this retired spot, rising from the bushes by the road- side, where they had lain concealed, with cocked and leveled revolvers, gave due emphasis to the words, Never in this world were two men more com- pletely surprised. They had not the least idea that there was a soul anywhere in the neighborhood, until the three men rose like phantoms from the bushes. aa Sap ees yoabend cmp? were heey six-shooters repc in their pistol-pock- ets, but their adversaries had ‘‘ the aegis them in a way they despised. The spies ware plainly aramed in dark clothes, so that they would not be apt to excite attention anywhere, by reason of being too well or too poorly attired. They were well-built, muscular men, with firm, resolute countenances, and from the way their eyes glanced along the shining tubes of the revolvers, it was plain they ‘‘ meant business,” to use the old expression. The three are old acquaintances of our readers, being no other than Howard Crowning- shield and his two friends—the chums of by- one days—Gordon Endicott and Washington inslow. Curly Kid recognized Crowningshield, know- ing him by sight, although not in any other way acquainted with him, but the other two were rita ea to him, and he took them to be detec- ives. Randolvh, not knowing any of them, came to the conclusion that they were all bloodhounds and he cursed the unlucky chance which had ee EEE Te . brought this evil stroke of fortune down upon his head. For a moment after the command to “ throw up their hands” was given, the two parties stood still and glared at each other. As we have said, both Curly Kid and the ambler were well armed, and if they could nave got at their weapons, most surely would have made a desperate fight. But handicapped by such a surprise, to pull their revolvers forth from their abiding-places, without being shot on the instant, was an im- possibility. Both saw that they were in an extremely tight place, and for the life of them could not comprehend how they were going to get out of it. They put a bold face on the matter, though, raised their hands slowly and clasped them around the back of their necks, Curly Kid striking the key-note by exclaiming: ‘Well, gentlemen, i fortces you have really got us at a disadvantage this time; but I as- sure you, you won’t make much by going for us. ‘“*T reckon that both of us will not pan out over ten dollars to the pair, and our watches are snide, our jewelry ditto.” He pretended to mistake the three for foot- rads, . The gambler was quick to follow the lead of his companion. ‘* My partner is Made Be to you as straight as a string, gentlemen,” he remarked. “You have had the misfortune to run across two sharps in hard luck, and the plunder that ba secure from us will not make any one of you rich.’ ‘*Snap on the handcuffs,” said Crowning- shield, advancing a couple of steps, not at all deceived by the game of the confederates, ** Handcuffs!” exclaimed Curly Kid, allowing his hands to drop toward his pockets, as if by accident. Crowningshield’s keen eyes were on him, though. “Keep your hands up, or Pll put a ball through your brain,” he warned. The desperado set his teeth firmly together, and a long, hard-drawn breath came from tween them, but ‘he did not dare to disobey the command, though, for there was a look in the eyes of Crowningshield which convinced the master scoundrel that the young man would not hesitate to make good his wood if provoked to it. Up went Curly Kid’s hands again, a demon- like rage in his heart, If he had had only half a chance, he would have jumped at Crown- sr Sper like a tiger and torn him limb from imb. Endicott produced a couple of pairs of hand- cuffs and snapped them on the wrists of the conspirators in short order. They would have resisted this movement had they not comprehended that they were com- pletely in the power of their captors. ‘‘ Well, upon my life! IT must say this is the richest joke of the season!” Curly Kid exclaimed, forcing a laugh, which, however, had very little merriment in it. | ‘This is the first time that I ever heard of"a highwayman handcuffing his victims.” ‘Yes, it is a rather novel idea,” echoed the gambler, who was completely disgusted at the turn that affairs had en, and wished he was well out of the scrape. ‘** You know well enough who we are, I guess, and this pretended ignorance will not do you any good,” Crowningshield remarked. | * Well, you may know all about it,” Curly ie flippantly, ‘‘ but TP be hanged if we do. ** You are in the hands of the law.” “The law!” cried the other, pretending to be amazed. ‘Yes, in the hands of the law,” Crowning- shield repeated. ‘Oh, come now, you're argc ‘““No, no, you will not find it any joke, Mr, Kid,” said Endicott. A dark frown disfigured the face of the des- perado as he listened to this speech which re- vealed to him the fact that he was known to his captors, a thing which he had not suspected. “Treally don’t he remarked to Endicott. ‘* Haven’t you made some mistake?” ‘**T guess not.” “That isn’t my name.” “* Yes it is.” ‘““Well, you’re a kind of a itive rooster, ain’t you!” Curly Kid exclaimed, insolently. “ And, if I may be so bold as to ask, who may you be, anyway?” ‘* My name is Endicott, Gordon Endicott, and Tama “oh I had the pleasure once of sitting in the Tombs police court in New York while you were on trial for your life for murder, “You managed to squeeze out of the sc deserved, bu your time will come.” ‘*Tt’s a lie!” cried the other fiercely. “I’m not the man you take me for at all!” ‘*“ Yes, you are; I can swear to it; and be- that time instead of being hung as yourichly © ow what you mean by ad- | dressing me by any such peculiar appellation,” . > a > ie ' ’ 4 ‘ GOMINIGDOOKS (E(0) . o wef P : i. = 5 " ne & aw i)