Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 512) (1887 05 17)
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TeasRD EDITION. allel es - Wy <2 df fa o-" ARR RRR RRA RAY, ,™ ) J 2 Wa ie | co ST WU Za tai May 17, 1887. ‘+ Entered at the Post Office at New York, Y., at Second Class Mai! Rates. Copyright, 1887, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price, No 5 1 2) a Year. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents. ; : OR, H - 1} Ty ( hi f Jack o Diamonds and his Game, ie ae + ea, UC, HARBAUGH, | e AUTHOR OF ‘‘ BUCKSKIN DETECTIVE, TEXAS TRUMP,” ‘‘ FELIX FOX,” ‘* PHIL FLASH, “ CITY SLEUTHS,” ETC., ETC. ZZ JZ A HARBOR MYSTERY. At an early morning hour, while the sky was streaked with the coming dawn, the River Patrol found an overturned boat drifting among the docks of New York, The find was not an unusual one, and occa- sioned no particular remarks, but the patrol se nt saw that the boat was of peculiar build, and ordered it righted and taken in tow. The prize was accordingly taken to the nearest rsgar’, - pier and secured to it in the usual manner. WHAT HAS OLD FIX FOUND NOW?” QUERIED DODGER DICK. }}}} be Ny CHAPTER I. | | |
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ee —a ae These latter proceedings were watched by a boy who lay at full length on a lot of baled cot- ton, which evidently had been his bed, for the night had been pleasant, and the morning breeze, as it came cityward over the waters of the bay, seemed to have been shorn of its usual chill, ‘‘ What bas Old Fix found now I wonder?” queried the hoy, when he saw the patrol sergeant, whom he recognized as one Frederick Fix, a man for whom, from his manner of speech, he aid not have the kindliest feelings. Nobody saw the boy on the bales, and when the patrol bad secured the picked-up boat, they vanished in the morning mists. ‘“That makes the second event for me since I occupied this cotton-bale hotel,” the wharf lad went on to himself, and a moment later he scrambled down from the bales and moved to- ward the boat. In stature he was about as large as boys of sixteen usually are; bis build was good, and his face had much expression. His eyes were dark, not black, and keen, and his movements denoted unusual agility. His garments were not of the best, as a mat- ter of course. Boys who sleep on the wharves and piers do not dress like those who ropose on soft beds; but the clothes were whole and com- fortable—much better than those of the com- mon street vagabond. ‘That is the same boat! I’d bet a hundred on it!” he exclaimed, leaning over the guard of the dock and scrutinizing the prize of the patrol. ** A while before midnight I saw three persons leave this very pier in that boat. Now it comes back in the hands of the harbor cons, picked up somewhere out yonder where their lanterns find lots of strange things. What became of the three who went out in the craft?” The boy seemed eager to get to the bottom of what appeared to him a mystery. He lowered himself over the wharf and dropped into the row-boat. It gave forth ample evidence of having been overturned, for considerable water was yet in it. The boy began his search at once, and it did not occupy much time. Under a seat in the stern he found a mass of cordage, which had been wedged in there so tightly that it had not fallen out while the boat remained capsized. He drew it forth and began to look through it in the light just then breaking over city and harbor. ‘“‘ Hello! what is this?” he cried out, diving at something that glittered in the mass. “A ring, as I live!” and he held up in triumph a small ring whose set, if he was a Judge, was a solitaire diamond, not large, but unusually fine. The wharf lodger wondered how the ring found its way to the cordage, but he went on with the search, which produced nothing else worth taking. He transferred the ‘‘ find” to his pocket, and stuffed the cordage back under the stern-seat, then climbed nimbly upon the pier and disap- peared. : Some boys would have carried the ring to Police Headquarters, but this boy, known all along the water-front as Dodger Dick, did noth- ing of the kind, Borbaps he thought that whatever he found was his, especially after it had escaped the eyes of Frederick Fix, the man whom he did not re- gard with any kindly feeling. Y Half an hour later the lad came suddenly into the presence of a woman who occupied a small room in a wooden tenement, some distance from the river. She was about fifty, with a thin, sallow face, and eyes that told her disposition. : “A pretty time to be getting in!” cried the woman at sight of Dick, and in the voice of a perpetual scold. “ It’s a wonder the cops don’t take the likes @ you and send you to the Island! One o’ these days I'll be pulled for harboring a boy whose only occupation is prowlin’ around 0’ nights. You ought to have some respect for me, Dick Sly.” The semblance of a smile a red at the cor- ners of the boy’s mouth. e had heard the same whine before. and the manner in which he treated the woman told that she was not his mother. ‘‘ Well, wherever I was I had a good bed!” he declared. ‘‘I tell you it isn’t everybody who can sleep on a ten-thousand dollar—” ‘‘Qn the wharves egain!” interrupted the oman. “Under the stars, tra la!” laughed,Dick, be- ginning to dance about the room, while his eyes sparkled. g The woman watched bim with an expression between anger and contempt. wi 2 ‘Dodger Dick. All at once Dick ceased his antics, and came toward the old woman. One of his hands was partially lost in the depths of a pocket. “Tt is sometimes profitable to sleep by the river. Look bere!” and he held up the ring, whose glitter at once caught the woman’s eye. She almost left her chair in her eagerness to inspect the prize, the value of which she seemed to determine at a glance. ‘No, you don’t,” cried Dick, drawing back, but still keeping the ring in sight. ‘* What's mine is mine. re I had slept here, or at the Fifth Avenue last night I wouldn’t have found anything equal to this.” “Tt is shoddy, as anybody can see with half an eye,” replied the. woman. ‘Then you don’t care about handling it; ha! ha!’ was the retort. ‘Where did you find it?” she now asked, ea- gerly enough. ‘* In the most unlikely place in the world.” ‘ Tel] me.” ‘Im a boat which the harbor cops brought in early this morning.” ‘And you?” ‘“*] was lying awake on some cotton-bales on the wharf.” ‘Playing spy, eh?” “* Waiting for some kind of fish to come into the net.” ‘Well, a gold-fish came, I see,” and the wo- man looked at the ring longingly, and then she added, with a laugh, as =e thrust forward a hand, ‘*T believe it will just fit one of my fin- gers.” ‘‘Phere’s not the least doubt of it, but we'll not try it just now,” retorted the boy, as, much to her disappointment, he put the ring back into his pocket. ‘Of course you'll hunt the owner?” she went on. : “© Of course I will do what I think best, Mother Sturgeon,” was the response, and Dick went to- ward the door. ‘* Don’t you want any breakfast?” ‘“‘T breakfasted on daylight awhile ago,” and, a minute later, the door had closed on the night- walker, and Mother Sturgeon was the only oc- cupant of the room. ‘Don’t I know that that ring is worth iain ire chee nf a hundred dollars?” she murmured, ‘¢ He was very careful to tell me that he found it in a boat at the dock, but did he? Day by oy I see that boy slipping through my fingers. He never has been of much use to me, and now, when he has reached the age when I could use him, he wants to be a wharf shadow. He won’t take the ring to the police. I know him too well for that. When he comes back I'll show him a piece of strategy which he cannot resist.” As for the boy, Dick Sly—Dodger Dick—he was moving down a Side street with a deal of agitity. The new day was fairly on, and the great city was wide awake, Suddenly Dick darted into a little alley and rung the door-bell of a plain, two-story brick house. In a moment he was admitted by a young irl who passed him in with a nod of recogni- ion, and the lad darted up-stairs without in- uiry. Rushing into a certain room without knock- ing, the “‘wharf rat”—as such boys are com- monly denominated—sprung to a bed 1m one cor- ner and bent over it with a light cry. “Ah! here you are, Donald! Get up; I’ve got something to show you!” The next moment a young man of twenty- two, with clear blue eyes, raised himself on his elbow and looked at Dick, “Youre always ye | something, but you never find much.” he laughed. ‘“‘ How is this?” and the boy produced the ring. “Mother Sturgeon calls it shoddy, but what does the future editor of a great newspaper say?’ In an instant the eyes of we young man, & newspaper reporter, got a rich sparkle. He held out one hand for the ring and Dick surrendered it. ‘‘It is a genuine stone,” the reporter said. “T never saw one of its size so brilliant. And a lady’s ring, too! In Fortune’s name, Dick, where did you it?” Then followed the story of the finding, and with it a mention of the three persons who had taken the boat out before midnight. ‘“‘ What a splendid chance to work up A sensa- tion,” the young reporter was impelled to ex- claim. ; “But you don’t want to, Donald,” protested Dick. ‘See here! I want to try my hand on this case. It is the fir-t real mystery that has dropped into my lap.” ‘“Tt may be the easiest thing in the world to An clear up. The ring may have been in the boat for weeks. Who knows?” ; = “I propose to know!” declared the boy, 4 “Only you keep it out of the papers, and lend me your head when I want to use it.” *s an do it, Richard the Dodger.” ‘¢T knew I could bank on you, Donald. Mebbe my hunt will secure a better ring than this for Rosa’s wedding finger!” The young reporter colored deeply, CHAPTER II. iS IT A TRAP? : DonaLD DustTIN was attached to a morning paper. e was a young reporter with a good deal of natural shrewdness, and was always on the lookout for items. It was during one of his visits to the docks in search of something for his paper that he first i. encountered Dick Sly, who passed much of his time in the domain of the wharf rats. Dick was discovered cuddled up among a lot of bales waiting for shipment, and from their first acquaintance a strong friendship sprung up between the pair. More than once had Dick supplied the reporter with timely items, and once or twice had put him on the trail of a dock sensation which had helped Donald in the graces of his employers. Donald had discovered *%he relationship exist- ing between Dick and Hannah, or ‘‘ Mother” Sturgeon. The woman was the boy’s guardian, or so pre- tended to be, though she did not exercise much care over him, She explained that Dick’s moth- er, Mrs. Sly, in dying, had left the boy to her to bring up as she saw fit—a story which the young dock detective rejected for several good reasons. While Mother Sturgeon was nota bad woman, as the eyes of the law saw her, Dick did not like certain things he saw about the tenement, and his observations alienated him from his guar- dian, and sent him to the free and somewhat hazardous life he led around the water-front. He seemed to know by name the hundreds of strange people who lived by hook and crook under as well as on the wharves and piers. ae More than once he had penetrated to the dens fs of the river thieves, those dark, dismal places 4 beneath or at the inner end of the piers. He — could go anywhere, and so well did he cover his tracks, that the wharf rats never suspected that he might be, what he sometimes was, a police spy. ; It was the night after the finding of the dia~ mond ring that Dodger Dick entered Mother — Sturgeon’s abode, the first time since we last saw him there. As he entered the woman threw a quick glance toward a small door which opened into a ward- robe, but she instantly turned upon the boy. ‘Well, Dickey, you turn up very seldom of late,” she called out, in a pleasant tone, ‘I have been waiting for you to come home to tell you thut a gentleman has been here to see you,” “‘ What sort of a gentleman?” asked Dick. ‘A real nice-looking man he was, looked like he might own a block on Broad street, or some good lots on Broadway.” “ Are you real sure he wanted to see me?” ** He said so.” “Did he leave a card?” ‘‘He sat down at the table there and wrote you a note.” ‘* Well, let’s have it.” : Mother Sturgeon went toasmall clock that adorned a mantle over the mock fireplace and = fished a bit of folded paper from behindit. This = she gave to the boy. * “He is a gentleman sure enough!” decided =~ Dick, when he saw thet the back of the paper — bore the inscription, ‘ Richard Sly, Esq.,” a title of courtesy which had never been bestowed upon, him before. Esquire! That was immense! - “That's what I’ve said,” remarked Mrs, Stur- — geon, and then she began to watch the lad who © was reading the letter, which ran as follows: __ “RicH«rD Sy. ei om . ““My Dear Srr:—When you receive this,no mat- ter at what hour, I wish you would at once repair to my office, right-hand door, second floor, No. — e man street. I have a matter of business on ws which I desire to intrust to a shrewd person of your age, The directions given above will enable you to — find me at any hour, day or night. Please con! ele this important and confidential, and come atonceto No. — Beekman, ves ‘Very truly yours, SELDON, Jr.” ai “ When did he leave this?” asked Dick, looking
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up suddenly, to find Mother Sturgeon regarding him with a good deal of curiosity. ‘* Just after dinner to-day,” was the reply. ‘* Then it has been delivered in good time.” “T have carried out the gentleman’s wishes. He wanted you to get the note as soon as you came home. is it very important, Dickey?” ‘He calls itso, at any rate,” equivocally re- plied _the boy. | ‘*You are going to see him?” ‘* Yes, I s’pose so,” carelessly. Dodger Dick. A mellow light beyond the pe et gw tran- som told Dick that somebody awaited him, and when he rapped lightly he was admitted by a invited to a chair, which he took, and looked at the man sharply. tally asked Dick. ‘If this is Silas Seldon, Jr., Mrs. Sturgeon took a step toward Dick and slightly lowered her voice. me **What have you done with the—I mean the ring you found in the boat?” “Maybe I’ve found the owner,” ventured the no. ee wharf spy. ‘‘ What would you say if I told you ie) Ca that I had returned it toa rich lady in Madison ror? Gog Square, who had given me ten dollars for my re honesty and luck?” ar. Mother Sturgeon started. ‘I would say that ee I ought to have three dollars of it for the rent pee which is now past due,” she answered. ihe: “Well, here’s the three dollars,” and Dick ‘ produced three bright silver dollars which he mt extended toward his adopted mother. me This unexpected promptness seemed to give ai. _ Mother Sturgeon a back set, ce | img “Do you really mean to say that the rich z lady of Madison Square is no myth?’ she de- manded, *“Why should she be? The ladies of Five Points don’t wear diamond rings, I guess.” : “But you haven’t found the owner. You have the ring yet?” Dick made no reply. but kept the money be- fore the woman’s eyes until cha took it, saying at it should go to liquidate a debt to the land- lord, ** Well, I’ll see Mr. Silas Seldon,” announced ck > aa “ To-night?” ae Cas “The letter says at once, and that means im- he | mediately, don’t it?” laughed the lad, and the 2 im next moment he bade Mrs. Sturgeon good-night : and vanished. Pf. He had hardly reached the bottom of the stair 3 when the woman sprung toward the wardrobe, but before she could reach the door it was open- ed by some person on the inside, and a man Sisod before her! He was a rather fine-looking person of five sgn seine fs oe and forty, well dressed, and somewhat dandi- a, ? fied, as his heavy black mustache was waxed to co | a needle-like points at the ends. ee ‘You heard what he said?’ exclaimed Vo) Mother Sturgeon. Ty. aa “Every word,” aay * Well?” _ “He hasn’t found an owner for the rin any more than I have! He’s got it yet. But I can’t remain here while is going down to the office, u I’ve got. to be there when he comes,” Foe ** But you can’t head him off.” “! **T can, and will!” cried the man positively, - *T guess [ know all the short cuts in this city, ; He was hoodwinking you when he talked about the Madison Square woman.” “T thought so.” * Well, he won’t hoodwink me!” The man moved toward the door. ; “JT don’t wan’ you to hurt Dick,” cried Mother Sturgeon, springing forward and catch- ing his arm as he reached the door. *Pshaw! who said I intended to?” he exclaim- ed, looking down into ber half-trightened face. « | know how to deal with all kinds of people. Dick may think himself shrewd, and he may be around the docks, but he can’t play against a | gentleman. Have no fears, Mother Sturgeon.” The man gave the woman no chance to reply; he was gone before she could speak more, **T don’t like to see a fellow pile it on like he’s done,” murmured Dick Sly, as he was covering the distance between Mrs. Sturgeon’s and the house on Beekmanstreet. “I haven't the slight- est idea who Silas Seldon is, but his invitation coming at this time sets me to thinking. I found a yaluable ring in an abandoned boat just before day—a lady’s te? at that. That boat was found bottom up in the harbor by Old Fix, of the water patrol. I saw the boat go out ae and come back, othing of value came back in it but the lady’s diamond ring. Donald has agreed to ree: the mystery out of the papers, / and I may be able to give him something new about ‘the ring puzzle,’ as he calls it, to-mor- row. _ Dick did not walk very fast, and considerable time had oe .when he found the number _ designated in the singular letter, 5 Going boldly into the open hallway, the wharf - spy ran up the steps and easily found the first sae to the right on the second floor, I have walked into the net of a sharper.” Then he waited for the man to speak. ‘“‘T presume you are Richard Sly?” he sud- denly asked. * Dick Sly, or Dodger Dick, as you prefer,” r nded the boy, he man did not take any notice of the em- phasis. “Then you got my letter. .Your presence here tells me this,” & Lf it,” quietly. “Well, Richard, | understand that a good deal of your time on the piers.” ‘“‘T am there, sometimes.” “Yes. Ihave learned enough to know that you see much that occurs along the rivers, par- ticularly after night.” The dock spy made no reply. “I want you to belp me in a little matter which I do not want to put into the hands of the police just yet for certain reasons. A few nights ago a relation of mine was very mysteri- ously robbed of a number of pieces of jewelry. I will give you the particulars a little further on. Ihave reasons for believing that the plun- derers left one of the pieces in a boat, and, as you frequent them so much, I have called your shrewdness to my assistance. A very heavy reward will be paid for a certain piece of the stolen jewelry, a keepsake in the shape of a — ring, plain gold, with a solitaire diamond ou spend ocks and Dick started slightly as the man paused; he could not help it. ** Aha! I see the scheme!” he said to himself. ‘** And the man’s smile has betrayed him, It is Jack o’ Diamonds!” CHAPTER III. GETTING OUT OF THE SNARE, THE boy did not let on that he had recog- nized the man who had inveigled him into the snare. It would have been dangerous for him to have done so, The man’s smile had betrayed him, and now Dodger Dick knew him as Jack o’ Diamonds, a person to be feared and watched. “T must get out of this ben decided the boy. ‘I must do it, too, if possible without ex- citing Jack’s suspicions. Can I accomplish it?” and then he went to work, **I don’t know as I can help you any, Mr. Seldon,” he said, to the man. ‘“‘ But I am at dead service. ‘You saya valuable ring has mn lost?” ‘“Valuable mainly as a keepsake, an’ heir- loom,” replied the man, quickly. ‘Tam acting for the lady who lost the jewelry. She is averse to putting the case into the hands of the regular sine <9 or c* any Seactire agency, re prefers to work quietly. ou understand the in Richard” Pe era Dick nodded, at which Silas Seldon, Jr., look- ed disappointed. He expected to see the bo produce the ring at mention of the reward of- fered for it but the lad made no efforts in that direction. The man knew he had found the ring for he had come from Mrs. Sturgeon’s house to the Beckman street office, beating Dick to the latter place by fast walking. . Mother Sturgeon, never famous for holding her tongue, had given him some very important information, and the shrewdest “crook” in Gotham was acting upon it, playing against a boy, who, fortunately for the boy, in acumen was nearl his match, Suddenly the man moved bis chair toward inp and the next moment had laid his hand on is arm, - ‘Tam authorized to pay two hundred dollars ‘* A Vanderbilt ona very small scale, Mr. Sel- don!” laughed Dick, drawi gently back. “You will admit that I have no clew to work on. You don’t expect me to pick up the ring on the docks, do you?” “Not that, but I am confident that it is in your power to delight the lady, my employer.” Dick looked at the mau, man with a full black beard that covered his : face almost to his eyes, The door was shut behind him, and Dick was ‘- Where have I seen those eyes before?” men- Did he mean that he knew where the — was? Did Jack o’ Diamonds know who found the diamond ring, and where it had been found? “T will try,” answered Dick. ‘“ A plain gold | ring, with a solitary diamond, you say? hen |} was it lost?’ Instead of replying, the man leaned back in his chair and gazed at the Dodger. | ‘There’s no use in playing about the bush,” he suddenly said, his whole manner chateine Ft an instant and his eyes getting a flash. ‘* We | happen to know that a ring answering the de- | scription has been picked up. We know, too, that it was found by a boy who lives witha widow lady on Greenwich street. What do you say, Richard?” The eyes of the disguised crook were fastened on the boy, and he looked ready to dart for- ward and seize him at the first movement on his part. ‘*The crisis has come!” decided Dick. ‘ But Jack o’ Diamonds can’t get anything out of me, Tl play a right bower to his left, or my name isn’t Richard Sly. “Tf you know all this, why have you sent for me?” asked the young wharf spy. ‘‘ Why don’t you lay your hands on the Greenwich street boy if he has the lost ring?” “Tl do it now!” was the instant retort, and before Dick could stir, the man sprung forward and fastened his arm in a grip of steel. ‘* You know the Greenwich street boy as well as I do; you are he! Now, Richard, where is the ring?” Dick’s first response was a spring upward, de- spite the grasping hand. His movement was so sudden, and was exe- cuted with such force, that he succeeded in leaving the chair, and broke ent.rely from the crook’s grip. ““No foolishness, my wharf ferret!” grated Jack o’ Diamonds, planting himself between Dick and the door. ‘‘ You don’t get out o’ here until vou give up the ring which fell into your hands last night. It is known that you picked it up. Come; let me have it!” Dick Sly faced the man and saw plainer than ever the features of the New York crook. “What if I don’t happen to have the ring?” he asked. ~ **But you have! you carry it on your per- son!” “You are very positive, Mr. Seldon,” said Dick, still keeping tne rascal to the belief that the dock detective did not know his true charac- _ ter. “T have a right to be positive. I know what I know! We don’t want to parley here all night. Give me the ring!” e advanced toward Dick as he uttered the last demand, but the boy did not recoil. ‘Here; search me!” he exclaimed, holding u his hands. “If you find a ring about me it is yours. Goahead now. As I told you awhile ago, I am at your service,” Jack o’ Diamonds did not know what to say. The apparent willingness of the boy to be pete ed had taken him by surprise. What did it mean? ** Aren’t you going to search me?” the Dod asked. ‘‘I don’t want to leave here, Mr. Sel- don, making you believe that I have deceived ou. The next moment Dick was clutched by the disguised crook and thrust intoachair. Then his pockets were submitted to a close inspection, and the eager hands of the man subjected him to slight indignities. Dick endured it all with a quiet twinkle in his expressive eyes. He did not murmur once dur- ing the search, which was thorough enough, and occupiec some minutes, ‘What do you say now?” asked Dick, lookin triumphantly into the man’s face as he conclud- ed the search. ‘‘I told you beforehand that you would not find the ring. If I found it maybe Dve made myself a young Vanderbilt by selling it. , you have not done that!” was the quick retort, and then the crook’s eyes seemed to soften. “You will excuse the rudeness to which I have subjected you. My employer wants the ring soon. Her daughter is to be married, and the ring must grace her hand during the cere- mony.” a fo! that is the reason for all this haste, is *S'Yes: I eps to know, to a certainty, that you found the ring. I am acting under orders that don’t permit any ceremony. Don’t you know that you can’t sell the ring without exciting suspicion and causing your arrest? What would a lapidary or a pawnbroker say to
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_ fend myself?” 4 Dodger Dick. lodgings shortly after the finding of the ring, and have heard the conference between the two friends, Donald had given his word that the episode should not get into the paper, but he had given it reluctantly, for he knew it was the destruction of an excellent column sensation, About the time that Richard Sly was making his way from Mother Sturgeon’s to the trap Jack o’ Diamonds had set for him, the young reporter knocked at the door of a small house not many squares from the Beekman street snare. He was admitted by a middle-aged woman who smiled as she recognized him, “Ym afraid you won't find Rosa at home,” said the woman. “Not at home?” exclaimed Donald, surprised. “ She went away last night and I don’t think she hasveturned. However, you can go up and see. You know the way, Mr. Dustin.” Donald hardly waited to hear the last words, but passed the woman and sprung up-stairs. Jn a little while he entered a small room whose furniture was revealed by the light in the outside hall, “Mrs. Hartwick was right. Rosa is not here!” The reporter looked puzzled, for the room was without a tenant besides himself; but nothing indicated that its dweller had gone away to stay. He stood near the door debating what to do when he heard a step behind him and Mrs. Hart- wick entered. ‘“Rxcuse me, Mr. Dustin,” she ejaculated. ‘I came up to see what has become of Rosa any- a boy who offered for sale a diamond ring? You know, Richard. You haven't slept on the docks and piers and lived among the wharf vermin for nothing. Come! let us understand one another. Is the lady to have her property?” ‘Maybe I’d sooner treat with the lady her- self?” remarked Dick, in a bantering way. ‘““You will treat with me, and with no one else!” was the emphatic answer. ‘‘ lam the au- thorized middle-man in this matter.” * And you will pay two hundred for the ring?” ‘*'Yes,’ “ Cash?” “‘ Cash on delivery.” ‘‘ What I haven’t got with me can’t be deliver- ed,” replied Dick. “Then, you mean—” — “J mean nothing!” ‘was the interruption. “ However, if you convince me that thisisa fair deal I might help you.” A scow] darkened the crook’s brows and his hands closed madly. ““ What more can I say?” heexclaimed, leaning forward. ‘You want the lady’s name. That is what you're holding back for. I see it all lainly. ou think you can increase the reward y treating directly with her. She will enter- tain none of your propositions. Iam the right party, lsay. What are you going to dos” Once more the figure of the Gotham crook seemed to hang over the wharf-boy like an im- poe avalanche, Behind heavy black lashes is eyes foretold the oncoming storm, ‘You cannot show me the person who says I found such a ring,” suddenly declared Dick. The words seemed to startle Jack o’ Diamonds. “Tell me who has been playing the spy in my kingdom,” he went on. ‘Ah! you cannot do that, Mr. Seldon! You make certain charges here, yet you cannot substantiate them. I found a ring last night. You say you know this to be true. Why don’t you give me a chance to de- Ww. ‘¢ She is not here,” answered the young repor- ter in disappointed tones, ‘‘When did she go away?” Mrs. Hartwick smiled. “Tt is rather strange. Nothing like it ever happened to me before,” was the reply. ‘“‘I don’t believe in spirits, Mr. Dustin, but I have dabbled in spiritualism a little, as you know.” ‘‘ A little with Rosa for amusement. 1 know all about it. Goon, Mrs, Hartwick.” ‘“‘ Well, last night about seven o’clock I was sitting in my front room when I heard a voice at the window. I heard it very distinctly, for the room happened to be still at the time. Three times the voice pronounced the name of Sarah Simpson, a friend of mine who lives just around the corner. Mrs, Simpson believes in spirit-rappings and all such things, and when I heard her name at my window I almost be- lieved myself, I did not know what to do, but plucking up courage I tip-toed toward the win- dow and asked what was wanted. The only reply I got was, ‘Sarah Simpson, ‘Sarah Simp- son,’ and the name died away slowly with the last pronunciation. It flashed across my mind all at once that Mrs. Simpson needed help in some manner, and I resoived to go to her. ‘Rosa was in this room at the time, and not wishing to show her my face,for I was frightened, I slipped off alone. hen I found Mrs, Simp- son she was in peed health and invited me to remain, which Ff did for two hours. It was after nine o’clock when I got back. There was no light in Rosa’s room, and peo, Wd the girl was tired out and had gone to Me! retired myself. This morning she did not come down to breakfast, and then I discovered that she was not in the house, Her bed had not been disturbed. It was just as you see it now, Mr. Dustin. That is all I know about Rosa’s going away. It is kind of queer, seems to me, that I should be taken off by a mysterious voice at the window and that should dis- appear while I was gone.” he ye gebel was in a deep study when Mrs. Hartwick finished her story. “Don’t you think it is very queer?’ she asked. The question seemed to bring him back to himself. “There are several elements of mystery about it,” he exclaimed. “I cannot account for Rosa’s absence, What did you think when you found she was gone?” “ At first I thought she had taken a sudden notion to stay all night with her friend Alice Gray. She does so sometimes, but_then I al- ways know that she is going. When that theory was exploded by Alice herself who called for her this morning, 1 did not know what to hink. “ What do ur neighbors say?” “None of them saw Rosa go. I have asked all but a young man who clerks in a store in Baxter street.” The crook made no reply, but stood nonplused before the lad. He dared not tell him how he had obtained the information; he could not afford to betray Mrs. Sturgeon, Dick’s guardian, and so he faced the young shadow like one wholly at his wits’ end. ‘* All this is not ayes | my question!” he suddenly cried. ‘‘f have ed you what are you going to do?” ** About the ring?” “ About nothing else!” “J want a little time to decide,” replied Dick. “You want time to hide it beyond possibility of being found, eh?” “JT did not ge so.” “By Jove! I'll give you time,” was the start- ling response. “jl play fair with you, Richard. I give you until this hour to-morrow night.” ick Sly could hardly believe hisears. Was he going to walk out of the crook’s presence un- checked and unharmed? “T accept,” he answered. ‘‘ At this hour to- morrow night, what?” , ‘I can be found here if you come alone.” ‘Ready to pay the reward for the ring if it is produced then?” “oe Yes.” “That is fair,” asserted the boy, apparently satisfied. “You must come alone, remember!” admon- ished the man. ‘“‘T understand; alone.” “You will come, eh?” “Tf nothing prevents.” Jack 0’ Diamonds stepped back, He seemed to be satisfied with the compromise. “fT know what 1t means,” concluded Dick. «From now on I am to be watched by the cool- est and shrewdest rascal in New York. Jack °’ Diamonds is playing a deep game of some kind, and the ring isat the bottom of it. I will do my best, too, and I'll bring Donald to the rescue.” A minute later Dick was on the street again, ana he felt that the eyes of the crook were al- | ready upon him. CHAPTER IV. ANOTHER DIAMOND RING. Dick Sty, it happened, was not the only per- son who thought it singular that the strange boat should be found drifting in the harbor just before dawn. There was one individual besides the dock fer- ret who gave the circumstance more than pass- ing thought, : his was Donald Dustin, the young reporter, always on the lookout for a good item, and ever ready to get ahead of his associates on the morn- 3 r, We have seen Dick rouse him from sleep at his ‘A Jew?” asked Donald ‘ a ‘“ No; a young American named La Leng. (4 He and I haven’t been on very terms: #) lh for some time, and 1 concluded ‘wouldn’t. eae Ue trouble him about Rosa’s going away.” egress: Ca “Did Rosa know him?” {si “Yes, and despised him, too, Didn’t she . tell you, Mr. Dustin, how he used to persecute: A her with his attentions?” oh be “Never! the infamous rascal!” ejaculated y Donald coloring. ‘But that must bave been tes some time ago, Mrs. Hartwick?” “Only last spring. I presume she didn’t. want to bother you about such affairs, and then a she used to say that she could manage such = fellows like Larry Lang.” % EN ‘Where does he clerk?" asked the young re- i porter his eyes sparkling with resentment, ‘He is with Solomon Strauss.” * ‘And I know exactly where to find Solo- pa) mon!” exclaimed Donald. ‘‘I once had a re- ai. portorial experience with that oily Baxter- street, sharp. I am sorry that Rosa is not re. “Ts that all, Mr. Dustin?’ she exclaimed. a] “ Aren’t you alarmed?” oo “Not much, Mrs, Hartnick. Rosa is too ie sensible a girl to keep us in suspense long.” ‘* What do you think?” ‘Qh, she has taken a sudden journey to an- other part of the city,” answered Donald, though Ej ata his voice told that he was far from being at his > {iene ease, an” ‘She has not deserted me, I hope?” cried the me teal woman. hia “Of course not. See! she has left all her ‘i oods behind, She willcome back shortly. But: ‘ et me ask you, Mrs. Hartwick, when did you ees. last see Larry Lang?” | oo “‘ Not since yesterday.” » | ae “‘ He boards next door?” 7 eae, a“ Yes.” ‘ i418 ‘‘ That is all,” answered Donald, and the next minute with a final look about the room he went 2 RS ann bidding Mrs. Hartwick good-night. at “Here is a mystery about as deep as that which clings to the diamond ring,” he exclaim- ed tc himself when he reached the street al- ws ready lit up and thronging with people. ght” ae a don’t believe Rosa would go off in this manne Mae, of her own accord. I am puzzled, and can’t: é help associating her disappearance with the : strange voice Mrs. Hartwick heard at her win- =| dow last night. As for Larry Lang, I willim~ vestigate him first. This is one of the things Me (oe Rosa has kept from me. I see that she did not ie want to draw me into a difficulty with any one.” ae Meantime the young reporter was hurrying: a oe toward Baxter street. He knew that Solomon a ait Strauss closed earlier than some of his neigh- Sage bors, and he was anxious to catch Mr. Lang at = his post. one There was a short cut to the clothing store and Donald took it. After a brisk walk he reached the place and found it still open. It s'ood in the midst of the Jewish quarter, and on every side were the sym- ee, 5 bols of the trade which has made Baxter street famous the world over. At that particular hour Solomon Strauss, an angular Jew, with a very hooked beak, had no customer. He stood near the door of his establishment, leaning against a pile of goods, and seemed to be coupting in his nind the profits of the day. Donald’s sudden appearance gave Solomon’s eyes an avaricious sparkle, and he pounced. upon the supposed customer with Jewish avidity. iP But all at once he seemed to recognize his visitor, for he drew back with a flashing look k and became a statue of suppressed rage. Jaa Where is Mr. Lang?” asked Donald, who secretly enjoyed the Israelite’s mood. a “] haf ne dealings mit a man like you!” cried A Solomon. ‘“ You ish dot smart young man vat — come here after my fire, an’ put me in der babers mit unshentlemanly remarks of your‘ own! You ish dot reborter who brint dot der stuff vot vas burned up den vas all oldan’un- salable trash. I could shoke * Aeay at dot time!” — aie: and Solomon Strauss looked like he wanted to . | do it then. eae “Tm not here to call up that little episode,” said Donald. ‘‘I want to see Mr, Lang. ae * Vell, Mister Lang isn’t in!” . m ‘¢ Gone for the night. eh?” ages ee, “ Mister Lang has left my employ.” ae ae The young reporter started, 1 a ; ‘When did he leave?” tS “T settled mit him yesterday. I haf adver-— a tised for a new clerk. " Vat you vant mit Mister = Lanes hey? ue “T wanted to see him on business.”
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7” _ “Mebbe you'll find him at bis poardin’-house, an’ mebbe not,” snapped Solomon. ‘“‘ Ain’t you ashamed o’ dot report you published apout my fire dot time, eh? Der custom you ruined for ame almost sent me to der almshouse.” Donald discovered that the Jew merchant was aletermined to go back to his fire, and believing that he could get no information from him con- «erning the ex-clerk’s present whereabouts, he began to withdraw, “Dot young man never comes pack to me!” suddenly cried Mr. Strauss. ““ Why not?” ““Veeping Rachel! he spends money like water!” was the reply. ‘Every night he puts his money on der cards, an’ talks play mit der «ustomers in der store. Mebbe it vas not all his money dot he spend. Vat you think, Mister Dustin, hey?’ ““ Why didn’t you find out, Mr. Strauss?” “Ven I only find out_day before yesterday apout his habits? Ven I begin to talk he asks for a settlement, an’ we quit. He buys studs, diamond rings an’ all dot stuff on twenty dollar ua month! Only yesterday I see on bis finger a Jady’s gold ring mit a blaziu’ diamond in it. I thought it vas paste, but I now know dot it cost dot young rascal two hundred dollar.” Donald did not wait to hear more from Solo- mon Strauss. A strange thought, or a com- parison, flashed across his mind as he hastily bade the Jew good-night. ‘‘ Dick says that one of the three persons who took the boat last night was a woman, and Larry Lang when he left wore a lady’s diamond ring!” murmured the young reporter, CHAPTER V. DONALD AND DICK. A STARTLING revelation seemed to burst upon Donald’s mind as he walked from the store of the Baxter street shark. Were there tivo diamond rings enveloped in mystery, or but one? he question puzzled the young reporter while he pushed down the street. Suddenly wheeling about he began to walk rapidly in another direction. When he came to a halt he was at the foot of the stair leading up into Mother Sturgeon’s quar- ters, ou Greenwich street, and a little later he stood before Dick’s self-constituted guardian. Donald was on hunt of the young wharf spy, ‘but Mrs. Sturgeon told nim that Dick was not at home, and added in the same breath that she did not know where he could be found. The reporter did not disclose his business with the boy, though Mrs. Sturgeon threw out sev- eral hints for it, and he soon left the woman to herself again. By this time Donald had associated Rosa’s strange disappearance with Larry Lang, and when he thought that the girl, his best friend, had fallen into a trap spread by the oung rascal, his indignation almost mastered m. Dick Sly had found a diamond ring in a boat which had been picked up adrift by the harbor police, and only the day before Larry had sport- ed a ring that answered the description of the - one found. ‘ He had not pressed Dick for a close descrip- tion of the parties who had taken the boat from _ the dock earlier in the night. If he had he ~would have been poorly rewarded, for the boy from his bed on the baled goods did not recog- nize them. However, Donald was very anxious to find Dick, and thinking to do so soon he went from Mother Sturgeon’s to the docks. ~ Tt was now past the time that witnessed Dick's interview with Jack o’ Diamonds in the office on Beekman street. ; The night was warm and beautiful, and the arching heavens were studded with stars, Nobody recognized the busy young reporter as he pushed along, but he saw several faces which he had seen before in the police courts. “ Hello!” suddenly exclaimed a voice at his elbow, and the next moment he was looking into _ the face of the very perscen he wanted to find, - Dick Sly. - Donald gave utterance to an exclamation of gi figures in the shadow of the boxes,” whispered Dick, as he touched the reporter’s hand signifi- cantly. Z Donald looked and saw the figures without ‘ouble. “Well, what of them, Dick?” he asked. “They are two distinguised gentleman who - ghould reside in Sing Sing,” was the reply. ~ Ahi you know them!” 4 5 *€ Look over your right shoulder at the two Ce . sll as ee he pian Moe Se nr tee A ‘Dodger Dick. “Yes, Ihave just had an interview with the fellow nearest us. He calls himself Silas Seldon, Jr., but I saw in his head the eyes of the famous Jack o’ Diamonds.” The reporter could hardly suppress a cry. “ He is no one else,” continued the Wharf Spy Detective, casting a covert glance at the two men who did not seem to be paying the slightest attention to them. ‘His pal is Red Reynard, a fellow not so shrewd as Jack o’ Diamonds, but a man well known to the police. Red.is the man who cleverly outwitted my old friend Frederick Fix a year or so ago.” “Are they watching us, Dick?” whispered Donald. ‘They are doing nothing else,” was the reply. ‘They have followed me for the last half | hour, Jack o’ Diamonds alone at first, then in company with Red Reynard. Let us move ona piece. The two friends walked up, the wharf and after a time the crooks left their station and did the same. “Tt is plain now!” ejaculated the young re- | es porter. ‘ What is their game, Richard?” The boy spotter smiled. ‘“‘ They want to get ahead of Dick Sly!” he ex- claimed, his briluant eyes ina twinkle. ‘‘ Jack o’ Diamonds is very anxious to recover a ring that was found in a boat last night.” “The diamond ring?” cried Donald. “yea.” “Tt ison account of that ring, or another, that I've been hunting you. Rosa has mysteriously disappeared.” “Not our Rosa?’ cried Dick almost loud enough to be heard by the two men not far | away. ‘“‘Our friend Rosa,” answered the reporter. ‘* She left Mrs. Hartwick’s last night while the | widow was at a friend’s, having been called away by an alarm of strange voices at the win- dow. I have discovered several things connect- ed with Rosa, but nothing that gives me a clew to her absence,” ‘*What have you discovered, Donald?” asked the boy quickly. ‘Go on.” ‘**She was once persecuted with the attentions | of one Larry Lang, a young fellow who clerked for Solomon Strauss of Baxter street, I think Rosa’s rejection of his attentions angered him. Well, yesterday Larry quit the employ of the Jew merchant. Solomon discovered that the young man was spending too much money on diamonds for the counter salary he was drawing, and so they dissolved.” ‘He gave Larry the grand bounce, did he? cried Dick. ‘That is about it. Larry was not at his boarding-house all day yesterday. During the day he wore a ring like the one you found in the boat, You have never seen Solomon’s dis- charged clerk, I presume.” ‘‘T know him quite well!” exclaimed Dick to Donald’s surprise. ‘If I bad known he was in Solomon Strauss’s employ, I coul dhave warned the Baxter street shark long ago.” ‘* How so?” ‘* Near here is a place Larry used to patronize. Everybody has free entrance, and I drifted into it as a matter of course, We call it Hawk’s Hollow, because it is a trap set back a little from the main buildings. Some people have queer tastes, and hither Larry ng in his good clothes used to come and get rid of somebody’s money. He could play here without being found out by bis employer, for no Jews patron- ized Hawk’s Hollow; at least I never saw any there. Shall we goup? We might find Larry there.” Donald assented to the proposition, but not with much hope of finding the discharged clerk. Once more he threw a look over his shoulder in search of Jack o’ Diamonds and his friend. They were not insight. “Our night-hawks have given up the game!” he exclaimed, returning to the boy.. ; “‘ By no means,” was the quick response. “I see the top of Jack’s hat over the bales yonder, and you may be sure that the keenest eyes in New York are under it, and wide awake, too. They won’t follow us into Hawk’s Hollow, for they do not want to be inspected in the light. Jack thinks I am going to lead him to the ring found in the boat, Ha! what a fool the fellow is for once! He tried to fill me with an adroit story about a recent robbery, and wanted me to believe that the diamond ring, if produced, ~ into his hands, you know, would enrich me y two hundred dollars, Something is up when Jack o’ Diamonds wants to give that sum of mo- ney for the prize I fished from the abandoned boat. And nobody knows that better than wharf rat Dick Sly!” i Several minutes later the young ferret led Donald into a frame house which stood a little back of its neighbors. j The hallway was dark at first, but soon light was produced by the opening of a door some dis- tance ahead. The figure of a man advanced to- ward the pair, and then Dick exclaimed, “Is that you, Spotty?’ the man stopped and wel- comed the friends. Dick and Donald passed into a room half-filled with smoke. There were half a dozen tables in the place, and at each one men of all ages were drinking and indulging in coarse conversation. “This is not Larry’s quarters,” whispered Dick, with a glance at Donald, and the two went upstairs and entered a room where one table ac- commodated all the players. ‘Ho! here is the king of the wharf rats!” called out a burly man, at sight of Dick, ‘‘T am here, Goldenrod,” laughed the boy, and then as the man’s eyes drop to the game be-~ fore him, the Zoung detective said to Donald: “That is Goldenrod, the man who never frowns: He is always in a good-humor. He covered me with his coat one night when I was asleep on the docks, and since then Goldenrod and I have been friends.” ‘“‘ He looks jovial,” remarked Donald, ‘“ May- be he knows something about Larry.” ‘‘ We will see,” cried the boy, and the next moment he leaned over the burly man‘s shoulder and talked in low tones. “What has become c! Larry?” he asked, ‘Oh, the Baxter street prince? He’s given us the good-by! He will never come back any more,” “Why not, Goldenrod?” ““T don’t know. He acted kind o’ mysterious. He dropped in here yesterday, and singled me out to say that he was about to leave New York, that he had tapped a fortune which would in time fetch him the wealth o’ Vanderbilt. He talked about going to Europe—” ‘To Europe!—Larry?” ejaculated Dick. “Across the pond. He wanted to sell me @ diamond ring he wore, just as if I owned a bank in Broad street.” ‘“‘ Did you examine the ring, Goldenrod?” ‘‘He forced me to do so.” “Then you would know it?” ** Among a thousand!” cried the man, confi- dently. ‘‘ But why allthis, Dick! Did the fel- low get the ring off on you?” _“T know where it is,” replied the boy, sinking his voice to the lowest whisper. ‘* When can you get away from here?” “ At any time if you want me.” “ Then join me on the pier within twenty min- utes. I will have a friend with me, my old friend Donald, the reporter. Something im- portant is in the wind, Goldenrod,” “Pll be there,” replied the jolly man, as he went back to the game, and Dick withdrew. ** Come,” be said to Donald as he rejoined him. ‘‘ We'll have a clew in a little while.” The two friends left the house, and as they emerged upon the dock a certain hand closed on a certain arm. ‘Yonder they go, Red!” exclaimed a voice in a whisper. ‘‘ That young wharf rat is the pest of the scheme. Watch him! don’t let him give us the slip. By Jupiter! I could throw him to the fishes with a laugh!” ' CHAPTER VI. A DOCK-RATS’ ‘‘ NEST.” IT was the night after the events with which we have just closed the foregoing chapter. The hour was verging on to twelve when a boat ran noiseless up to one of the docks of New York. It contained two men, but only one handled the pliant oars. : ‘This is the place, Red,” said one of the men to his companion as the boat ran in between two piers where the waters made no noise. “ Wait for me here, or come t ack in an hour.” The speaker left the boat and drew bis body up into a dark opening almost on a level with the surface of the gloomy water. When he disappeared the person remaining in the boat rested awhile, and then put Lack, to be lost in a little time to human eyes. Let us follow the man who has crawled into the wharf rats’ retreat. He was a person very like in figure to theman who had insnared Dick Sly in the Beekman street office, only, instead of a full beard as that person wore, he sported a heavy mustache which entirely hid his mouth. The man seemed to be at home in the dark space between the heavy timbers that formed the pier. He had to crawl on his hands and knees for a JNA 4
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oA, ~ considerable distance, hearing now and then the contests of the huge rats that fought for mastery ‘in the darkness. Once in a while he would hear a weird laugh, some snatches of a song, or some curses; but they seemed to come from far away. It was a dismal place. At last the persistent crawler reached the rim of a ghostly hght, and then he came upon sever- al wild-looking figures seated in the gloomy siniles of a lantern hanging from a peg. A nest of wharf rats! The visitor was not seen until he was upon the group, and an exclamation of recognition an- nounced him. ** You don’t come often any more,” cried one of the group, a youth of seventeen or eighteen with deep, half-famished eyes, and in ragged clothes. There used to be a time when yon weren’t above us wharf rats, Jack o’ Diamonds; but now, since you’re able to strut about in good gear, you keep aloof, or come only when— “Give Jack a chance, Bender,” interrupted one of the others, clutching the speaker’s arm with a lot of scrawny fingers, ‘*t Whenever he comes he fetches work, an’ you'll spoil it all by growling too soon mebbe.’ **Let Bender growl, Tony Whack,” laughed Jack o’ Diamonds. ‘‘ He’s never himself when he isn’t growling over some imaginary bone. How’s times, boys?” ‘*Not very brisk,” answered the one called Tony. ‘‘Somebody bored into a lot o’ sugar on the pier last night, an’ the cops have their peep- ers open for us.” “How does Prince Peter come on?” asked . Jack. ** Here he is! He can speak for himself,” was the reply and then the crook saw a pale thin face in the lamplight. It was the face of a little boy not more than thirteen. The skin was drawn tightly over the bones, like the skin of a starved person, and the oe ten year's older than he was. is eyes, unnaturally bright, shone like dia- monds. , It was easily seen that this child was a crip- le; his lower limbs lay helpless on the ground, But he supported the upper yee of his body on his hands while he looked at Jack. ‘*Here you are, sure enough!” ejaculated the New York croo', turning to the boy. ‘“‘ How do you come on, Prince Peter?” *“ As always, Jack,” was the answer as the boy’s face seemed to brighten, but with a pyeon sadness to which his companions were accustomed. ‘‘Last night I saw the bright stars again. I crept from the nest to the water, and there I fell asleep looking at them.” Jack o’ Diamonds gave Tony Whack and Ben- der a glance of rebuke. ‘We couldn’t help it,” quickly put in Tony. **Bender an’ I were off on a little lark, and Prince Peter was asleep. When we came back we found him at the front, safe an’ sound. No- body had seen him, though.” ** Nobody but the g: man in the sky,” said the cripple.” I never saw the store so bright before. Just over where I lay was a big bright fellow that looked like the big gold pieces I used to see before I came here to live.” “You've ep lived here, Prince Peter,” cried Tony Whack, throwing the cripplea glance not very pleasant. The little boy seemed to recoil. * Always, Tony?” he asked, ‘“*Why, of course. The docks o’ New York have always been my home an’ yours, too. They’re good enough for me, don’t they suit you, Bender?’ Bender, the ag of the three wharf rats, confirmed Tony Whack’s opinion, and poor lit- tle Prince Peter remained silent. By-and-by Jack o’ Diamonds and the two larger boys exchanged meanful looks and with- drew, leaving the cripple to go back to the bunk he had left at sound of the crovk’s voice, ‘Boys, when did you see slick Dick Sly last?” asked Jack o’ Diamonds of the two wharf rats, as they drew up to him some distance from the strange encampment, ’ ‘‘T haven’t seen him for several days,” an- swered Bender after brief thought. “T saw him to-day,” said Tony Whack, Jack wheeled upon Tony with a question on li pe Where was he, Tony?” **On the next dock.” * Alone?” ‘6 -Yes,” ““ What was he doing?” em “‘ Seamed to be strollin’ about for his health.” _ © That’s not what =e told me, Tony!” ejacu- ted Bender snappishly. ————S— ““T want the truth,” remarked the crook sternly, his eyes catching a fierce gleam as he turned upon the boy. ‘‘ Dick was doing some- thing when you saw him?” ‘*Not much after all. He stopped walkin’ after awhile and made some marks on a big box with a nail.” ‘* Where is the box?” asked the crook quickly. ‘* Oh, a dray took it off this afternoon.” ss But you saw what the boy drew didn’t oe Yes,” ; “ Well?” “Hang me, Jack, if it wasn’t the picture of a section of wharf-ratdomj” cried Tony. ‘‘ He drew it from memory too, with all the cross ways, the nests—the whole thing complete! I never saw anything like it. I recognized it as soon as I clapped my peepers onto the wood.” Jack o’ Diamonds clinched his hands. “You mean that Dick Sly drew a diagram of the ward you occupy?” he exclaimed. Ss b) “Don’t you know,” and Jack lowered his voice, ‘‘that Dick Sly sometimes pipes for the cops?” ‘We've heard you say so, Jack.” ‘** Well, it’s not to my interest to lie about it,” scowled the crook, ‘* Now, what if I should get him to pay a visit to, say—to ‘the chapel’ to- morrow? e’s. been there before, you know.” ** We've seen him among the rats there.” ‘** Dick Sly was freshening his memory when he drew on the box,” continued Jack, ‘ One o’ these days the harbor cops will enter your ward. and there’ll be merry sport. Think of the stuff theyll find! It won’t be an arrest for boring into sugar hogsheads.” ‘* Heavens! itll be for something worse!” cried Bender. “I should say so!” ejaculated Jack o’ Dia- monds, witha grin. ‘ You can’t afford to have Dick Sly, the wharf rat shadow, carrying a dia- gram of the planting-ground in his head. You can’t afford to have him find Prince Peter asleep in the starlight.” ‘Neither can you, Jack!” exclaimed Tony Whack. ‘‘ When I saw what Dodger Dick had sketched on the box, I cut it all to pieces witb my knife.” ‘ A capital idea that was!” cried Jack; ‘ but that is not safety, not by any means. See here! I can get Dick to ‘ the chapel’ to-morrow.” ‘By a decoy?” asked the two boys in a breath. ‘*T'll get him there!” was the response. A moment’s silence followed. ‘‘ He will come without suspecting anything foul,” the crook went on. “Just now the young rat is on a trail that will give all of us a peck o’ trouble if he isn’t trapped: He knows the dock paradise of New York pretty well, but there are a few secrets connected with it which have never been revealed to him.” ‘*And ‘the chapel’ is one of them, Jack!” cried Tony. “Tt must remain a secret to him,” was the re- ply. ‘‘ To-morrow, at three o’clock in the after- noon, the Dodger, Dick Sly, the wharf spy of the cops, will be in ‘the chapel!’ You two will work together. Now, about Prince Peter. He doesn’t want to play astronomer on his own hook any more. One o’ these days, if it suits me, he will see all the stars he likes; but until then he doesn’t want to study the heavens from the dock. Remember! Prince Peter must be kept at home!” ive minutes later the council under the wharf broke up, and when Jack o’ Diamonds went back to “the nest” he found the little cripple lying at the edge of the light fast asleep, with a sad, sweet smile on his pinched face! ‘* Worth more than his weight in gold if 1 can pull the right string,” mentally ejaculated the tham crook. ‘I’ve got a trap set for the secret young copper now, He did give us the slip last night, and Red’s to blame for it. But to-morrow, under busy an’ roaring New York, there'll be sprung a trap that'll forever fix the wharf rat shadow. Larry’s got a wife ere this, I suspect, an’ it’s time for Jack o’ Diamonds to pull the golden cord.” CHAPTER VII, FOUND AND LOST. ; GOLDENROD, the jolly frequenter of Hawk's Hollow, had but to glance at the ring which Dick Sly had picked up in the boat to recognize se as the one he had Jately seen on Larry Lavg’s er. ‘This solves a part of the m !” exclaim- ed LD - gem reporter. ‘ a, young ra as played a deep game against Rosa What say you, Richard? ee ee eS 3 ald’s suspicions. “T am afraid,” he said, mildly, ‘that the woman who went out in the boat with the two men was Rosa. I cannot say, however, that she went unwillingly.” “You don’t mean to say that she would go freely with a fellow like Solomon Strauss’s dis- honest clerk?” exclaimed Donald, flushing. “Not that, Donald. But some cool, deep games are nightly pare in Gotham.” ‘**T know that. Woe to Larry Lang if he has made Rosa the victim of any of his schemes! What is your first move, Dick?” | ‘“We must find the water trail to a cer- tainty,” was the reply. ‘‘ Give me till to-mor- row night.” : “So long?” ejaculated the impatient reporter. “Tt will not be long if we make any dis- coveries,.” _ The boy’s pes eg was agreed to, and the little council which had outwitted Jack o’ Dia- monds and Red Reynard on the docks, broke up for the night. n the night following and some time prior to the hour of the crook’s visit to the wharf rats” nest, Donald and Dick came together at an ap- pointed rendezvous. The reporter had used his wits during the day, but did not have much to report. He had visited Mrs. Hartwick only to learn that Rosa had not returned. The good woman was nearly distracted over her boarder’s absence, and it was with difficulty. - that Donald could persuade her from lodging in- formation with the police. ‘** What have you discovered, Dick?” asked the young reporter eagerly, when he had told his rief story. ‘*T’ve picked up one or two threads that may have a bearing on the case,” was tbe reply. “ve been all over town, and with ‘a nose for news,’ aS you newspaper fellows say. In the first place, Larry Lang is putting on airs in an up-town hotel.” Donald uttered an exclamation of surprise. ‘*T had the pleasure of watching the fellow for half an hour. He seems as happy as a clam in hisshell at high tide. If I had not looked twice 1 would not have known him.” ‘* Where is the rascal?” cried Donald, clinch- ing his hands. “Wait till I'm through,” smiled Dick. “I don’t want you to go up thereand spoil the hand- somest face in Gotham. We can afford to let Larry enjoy himself for the present. While I was watching him, a man came upand teok him away. The man was my old friend, Silas Sel- don, Jr., of Beekman street.” ‘In other words, Jack o’ Diamonds!” The boy nodded, with asmile. ‘They went into one corner of the billiard- room, and sat with their backs near an open window. Ina little whileI was on the sidewalk under that same window, and my ears picked up a word now and then, t cugh the two scamps talked in confidential tones.’ ‘* And you heard what?” ‘* Enough to know that Rosa took a boat-ride the other night,” was the reply. ‘With those two men?” “ Yes. ” Donald’s hands met suddenly, and his bright eyes got an indignant flash, “Those fellows are playing a double game,” the boy wenton. ‘Jack o’ Diamonds is help- ing Larry for help in return, He told the young clerk that he would recover the ring and ‘fix things’ in that direction, while Larry makes a . move to-morrow.” “What kind of a move?” asked Donald. “That iss what puzzles me,” answered the Dodger. ‘At this juncture their voices sunk lower, and I could only catch the name of a an. ‘* Whose name was it, Dick?” “Peter Prayne.” % Mor: that is the name of the merchant who lost a child, mysteriously some years ago,” _ “Soitis, I'll never forget tbat, for the case interested me, and started me on the lookout for men and things.” : “*The merchant bas been bothered almost to death since that time. Rascals of all kinds have bled him. Do Jack o’ Diamonds and Larry in- tend to play a game of this blackmailing sort?” “ They intend to play some sort of a hand to- morrow. At ten o’clock Larry calls on Peter e,” “The first move in the game! I it!” ex- claimed Donald, “Let me be there oa hewner the villain!” a “Not for a thousand!” protested Dick. ~ The eyes of the Wharf Spy Detective already a gleam which partly confirmed Don- —
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ae a? se -_ nt eee. Aen ones 8 7 —" ~ » Abb Sa - ay Ff at = ora STREP ee & CP og he hes See “Don’t you ses that the play against Rosa and the one on the merchant run together?” ‘The same men are doing it,” replied Donald. ‘1 want to find the girl.” *“Very well. Confront Larry Lang now and accuse him, and Rosa will not be restored. Jack o’ Diamonds is one of the coolest and most desperate men in New York. He comes often to the nest under the docks, and some of his games originate there. I haven’tfrequonted the wharvesall my life for pte 2 Rosa is safer, wherever she is, with Larry Lang at the big hotel than she would be with him under ar- rest and Jack o’ Diamonds on the path of ven- geance.” There was logic in the wharf shadow’s re- marks, and Donald was not slow to see it, ** Go ahead, Dick,” he said, looking the young ‘detective in the face. ‘* The drifting boat is still a mystery to me, but time will clear it up. “Tt is clear to me now. The occupants of the boat got into another craft, and it was turn- ed adrift to deceive the water cops, To-mor- row Peter Prayne will receive another visitor besides Larry.” “T trust it will be a visitor with his eyes open,” smiled Donald, who saw through the young ss words. ‘“‘Tt will be no other kind!” was the assur- ance. ‘* When I was on the wharf to-day I saw the sneaking figure of Red Reynard, Jack o’ Diamonds’s partner. The fellow was trying to make up for his failure to keep up with us when we were taking Goldenrod to identify the ring. He watched me like a hawk, and once more I gave hin the slip, in broad daylight, too. These fellows are sharp, but sometimes they lose a point when they expect to make one.” And the Dodger laughed over his adventure with the crook. Donald was anxious to know at what hotel Larry Lang was airing himself in style, but he did not like to question the Wharf Spy Detective, for he knew that the boy would curb his curi- osity by a flat refusal to impart the informa- tion. After awhile the pair parted, and Donald went back to his desk in the newspaper office. Dick Sly, who now wore a suit of clothes in which Mother Sturgeon would not have recog- nized him, boarded a car and was soon whirling up-town. : A short time later he appeared in front of a hotel noted for its massiveness and style. The electric lights that blazed in front of the structure illuminated a great deal of space, and the Dodger found himself in a crowd ef people who were airing themselves in the pleasant ht air. mine boy strolled past the open doors and into the brilliant reception room. His sparkling eyes were on t’ e lookout. “Tm off o’ my old beat, sure enough!” he mentally exclaimed. ‘‘This is paradise com- pared with the gloomy docks, where I’ve slept on bales and shadowed night prowlers for the clumsy cops. It must cost a power of money to live here, but if Donald told me fair, Larry must have feathered his nest from Solomon | Strauss’s till!” ar At this juncture a wy att ee youn man of twenty-four came down from tie dining-room, and lighted a cigar at the cigar- stall. Dick ‘‘ spotted ” him in an instant. “That is my friend Larry!” he decided, watching the P oung fellow closely from an ex- cellent point of observation. ‘‘ He has enjoyed ‘a boss supper, and tops off on a better cigar than he ever puffed about Solomon Strauss’s establishment. Ah! if Solomon could see him here, what a picnic there’d be!” - Having enjoyed his cigar for a few mo- - ments in the lobby, Larry Lang strolled to the ‘ a Tae vehicle wheeled into the street, and as it ‘started off on a straight line, the dock spy bound- CN eee eee eee SSS... ycNnuq ed after it, and dexterously caught a snug posi- tion between the hind wheels. Dick could imagine Larry leaning back in the cab enjoying his cigar and revolving some cher- ished plans in his mind, The ferret of the cock was in clover. The cab kept on over the stones, down one street and up another, but all the while the horses were taking it toward East River. **-You’re carryin’ double thar! Unload yer extra trunk! Whip behind!” These sentences were yelled at the driver as the cab scattered a lot of gamins in crossing a square. Tae man in the box, a surly, iil-looking fellow, clutched his whip and gms back, The street Arabs saw the action and redoubled their shouts. “A hanger-on, have I?” g:owled the driver. “By Jehu! I like to cut the cab leeches loose!” And the next moment the cutting lash came down over the top of the vehicle and hit the boy square in the face! The blow stung like a scorpion, and made Dick shut his teeth hard. Still, be held on. A moment later a perfect storm of blows were rained upon face and hands. The Jehu of the whip seemed a demon, At last it became more than heroic Dick could stand, and he relinquished his hold and Cropped. The next minute the cab was gone. The wharf spotter had lost his prey! CHAPTER VIII. WHERE LARRY WENT. WuHarr Spy Dick was inno good humor when he picked himself up amid the jeers of the gam- ins who had witnessed the driver’s triumph. Because Dick’s clothes were respectable in ap- pearance, the sympathy of the little ragamuffins was not with him. If they had known that the boy was a dock gamin they might have s;ared him, but this wasinformation which nobody had imparted, At first thought, and while the jeers cf the rag-tag crowd rung in his ears, Dick felt like jumming into the pack and waging battle. His blood was hot. As if they did not want to tempt the wharf boy too far, the street Arabs gradually ceased their yells, though an occasional taunt sounded in Dick’s ears as ke moved away. He noted the direction in which the cab had disappeared before he started off. It was toward the river, then not very far away. He knew it would be useless to follow Larry Lang afoot, so he retraced his steps discomfit- ed, but by no means disheartened. ‘To-morrow Ill py to get even with you, Larry,” muttered Dick. ‘‘To-morrow, at ten, you will call on Peter Prayne in furtherance of the brilliant scheme which Jack o’ Diamonds has thought out.” In a little while Dick was far from the scene of his failure, and his face was turned toward his ofd kingdom on the docks, We will go back and follow the cab. ‘“*T cut that young cab leech loose!” exclaimed the Jehu, shouting to the passenger inside. ‘““Was there reallya boy on behind?” asked Larry, showing a good deal of interest in the subject. ‘There was nothing else, sir.” ‘Won't he try it again?” “Not that gutter-snipe from the way the lash eut him! Oh, it takes Billy Bangs to cut ’em off!” And the driver straightened on his seat and went back to business. Meanwhile, Larry had finished bis cigar, but peat fragrant perfumes of it still remained in the ca * Aha! to-morrow I enact a new role!” burst suddenly from his throat, and he rubbed his kidded hands as if in glee. ‘‘I guess I’m up in the piece to play it toa T. One zood turn de- serves another, and I’ve no objection to helpin’ Jack, seeing that I’m to profit by the success of the play. There’s to be no more Baxter street counter life for Larry Lang. I followed it as long as the goose yielded her golden egg, and when something better crossed. my ath I left Sclomon. Where are we now?’ And Larry looked out and noted the buildings which seemed to tell him that he was near his journey’s end, for a satisfied expression overspread his countenance. ‘‘ Another square and I'll get out. I think the driver discovered that boy just in time. By Jove! it may have been Dick Sly, who is giving Jack so much trouble just now.” The cab kept on for some distance, when it ean up to the curb and the horses came to a still. The driver sprung down and opened the door. Sa rep rts As Larry made his appearance he handed the man three silver dollars, The cabman looked surprised. ‘““Two of them are for whipping the street vermin loose,” said Larry, with a smile, and the man bowed and dropped the money into his pocket. ‘Do you want to go back?” he asked. “Not to-night,” replied Larry, and the cab was turning in the street while he waited at a certain door for a response to his ring. The door was opened by a rather good-looking woman of forty, who smiled as she greeted the young man. ** Is he in yet?” asked Larry. ‘ ‘“‘ He is up-stairs now,” was the reply. The following moment the ex-clerk hastened up a flight of steps and walked into a room at a table of which sat a man with his back to the door. He was an odd-looking personage, stooped and homely; with a scattering gray beard on his face, and .a pair of keen eyes behind old-fash- ioned spectacles, ‘So you have come—at last?” he exclaimed in arasping voice as he turned the battery of his eyes upon Larry, whom he scrutinized from head to foot. “Well, I’m here, which is a pretty good sign that I’ve come,” was the reply. “Don’t you know that my time is precious?” continued the spectacled man. ‘‘ That’s why I came early,” smiled the young fellow. As he coneluded ke drew achair up to the table and seated himself before the man. “Tve got the documents with me,” Larry went on, and he threw a packet upon the table. ““There! untie them, Mr. Fleece, an’ see what you can make out.” Fergus Fleece was not exactly a lawyer, though he dealt sometimes in law. He had a dingy little office not far from the house in which he had met Larry, and from it he sent some queer advertisements to the pa- pers. He pretended to be an expert in findin old titles to property, in hunting lost heirs, an in recovering hidden fortunes. Buried in the depths of New York and seldom | seen out of his office, Fergus Fleece had a strange existence, He was naturally shrewd, knew the property laws of all countries, and had settled some strange cases, People who went to him, and they were many, soon found out that his keen eyes were not for nothing; he seemed to have the faculty of get- ting at the gist of an old document at a glance. He was the butt of many a joke cracked in ele- gant offices, but the jokers had to admit his shrewdness, Larry took several turns about the room while Fergus Fleece looked at the parchment- like papers he had thrown on the table. Every now and then he would cast a furtive glance at the old man as if to read his thoughts through his countenance. Allat once the old man uttered a singular cry. i Where did you get these papers, anyhow?” he exclaimed, looking up’ at Larry who had stopped in his rounds and was staring at him. “Why, are they worth something, Mr. Fleece?” and the young man came forward and ; rested his hands on the table. “They might be,” remarked Fleece cautious- ly. ‘But you haven’t told me how you came by them.” ‘* Won’t you excuse me if I do not?” “Oh, yes,” and there was a faint smile at the corners of the old n‘an’s mouth where a smile was seldom seen. ‘I will say that these papers may become valuable some day.” ‘What do you know about the property they speak of? I told you some time ago tc hunt the matter up.” **T bave looked into the matter a little.’ “Well” ‘“‘T find that the only living heir. if indeed he or she be Jiving, is the child of Morgan Blair’s granddaughter.” * Just so.” “There is this difficulty, Mr. Lang. There are millions of people in this world.” _ “Thaven’t the exact number, but it is mil ions, Mr, Fleece,” smiled Larry, with a half- mock bow. ‘Yes. and we look for a needle in a hay- cock when we look for this child, who may dead.” A frown came over Larry’s face, but a smile sudden and bright chased it away, F ‘“*T want to know if the child can inherit if found,” he ejaculated. ‘‘ We'll discuss the un- important questions after awhile.” -
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Dodger Dick. — ‘* Certainly,” exclaimed Fleece, without hesita- tion. ‘All the law in Christendom couldn’t cheat the heir.” “A thousand thanks,” and Larry’s hand reached forward for the documents. *‘ That is all for the present, Mr. Fleece.” ** All? echoed the old heir-finder, leaning back in his chair and giving Larry a sharp look through his glasses, ‘You could have trans- acted this business at my office. Have you dragged me to this place to get an opinion which could have been given anywhere?” “T have a method of my own,” spoke the young man rather sharply, though the next mo- ment his voice melted into a softer tone. ‘I get ae privacy away from a_ business office, . Fleece,” he went on. **Don’t you want my services?” asked the title-hunter. : **] may need you.” ** Which opens the door for you to employ some one else!” snapped Fergus Fleece. ‘* Very well! You are at liberty to employ whom you piease, There are better offices than mine up- town. My furniture wouldn’t bring twenty-five dollars, but Fergus Fleece wouldn’t swap places with the richest title Jawyer in New York.” The old fellow had left his chair and stood mid- way between table and door with an antiquated hat in bis hand. His eyes sparkled like the little orbs of a teased serpent. ** As ] am dismissed I will say that my bill is twenty-five dollars!” he exclaimed. ‘*Do you want to break a man up?” cried Larry. ‘* Twenty-five dollars; consultation and exam- ination,” was the cold reply. It was more money than Larry had on his person at that moment. ‘Td better pay the old leech,” muttered the young man. ‘‘He has given me more than twenty-five dollars’ worth of counsel. I can now afford to put the matter into other hands.” ‘Wait a moment,” he said, to Fergus Fleece, and then disappeared-from the room. In a little while he came back with some bills in his hands, The title-hunter stood where he had left him, and it took but a moment to pay him his de- mand. ‘“‘Tf I want you again I will call,” sneered Larry, as Fleece got to the door, ‘‘ Pm at everybody’s service,” was the reply. = Gooeratgnts Mr. Lang.’ Fergus Fleece went down the stairs, and Larry heard the front door shut behind him. “This is a pretty good night’s work!” ejacu- lated the young man, as he began to gather up the papers which Fergus Fleece had gone over. “There may be the foundation of a colossal for- tune in this little by-play of mine. What has become of the last paper Fergus Fleece ex- amined?—the important one?” Larry seemed to hold his breath as he ran over the papers with care, He looked at them one after another and laid them on a pile. ; “Tt is gone!” he cried. ‘*The old shark has He knew just what to take, too. robbed me. The remaining papers are worth nothing with- out the one he carried off, I was a fool to leave him alone a second. I must beat him. I can’t have him arrested. No! I dare not do that!” CHAPTER IX. A SLEEK RASCAL. THE next morning before Peter Prayne the merchant went down town to his place of busi- ness, he was visited by a boy whom he had never seen before. ; The girl who opened the door to the youth’s xing was about to dismiss him when he said in a raised voice that he desired to see Mr. Prayne on very important business. The merchant himself heard the words and the caller was admitted. “T am Dick Sly,” was the self-introduction, as the boy, well-built and goud-looking,confronted him in the library. “Well, Richard, what can I do for you?” was the response. ‘*T came to say that you are going to have an important visitor to-day.” * At the store?” asked the merchant, seeming- ly interested at once. ‘At the store if he cannot find you at home, where I think he prefers to see you.” ‘*He has a preference then?” smiled the mer- chant. ' Dick nodded. , '“The visitor, who is a good-looking, stylish young, man, is coming to see you about your child. The merchant started, and a cloud of sadness instantly enveloped his face. “Am I to be bled again?” he exclaimed. ‘* What does this fellow know, my boy?” “That is just what I want to find out!” de- elared Dick, as his eyes got a bright gleam. Peter Prayne looked puzzled, ‘““The man to come is named Larry poy the boy went on. ‘He is to call here at ten o'clock. Can’t you manage to let me hear what he has to say?’ ‘*This is becoming a mystery,” remarked the merchant. ‘‘I am to havea visitor, a perfect stranger, and you, a boy whom I never saw before, want to overhear the interview. Who are you, and what brings you here on this singular errand?” The dock detective took a step toward Peter Prayne. ‘“As I have told you, I am Dick Sly,” he re- plied. ‘‘I spend most of my time on the river front spotting the river rogues,” “Maybe you’re the boy who furnished the police with a clew to the wharf rats who tam- pered with some of our goodsa yearago. Are you that boy?” ‘*Maybe I am,” answered Dick with a flush. “Then I am almost ready to grant any re- quest you want to make, hat is it, sir? You want to hear the interview between Mr. Lang and myself, I believe?” * That is it.” “Then you shall, every word of it!” A sparkle in Dick’s eyes showed that he was delighted. ‘*T can conceal you behind yon curtain that conceals some. books,” continued Mr. Prayne. ‘*Ts this Mr, Lang honest in his business?” “By no means. Heis merely a go-between for others.” ‘*Then I am to treat him accordingly?” ‘‘ By no means!” demurred the boy quickly. “T would like to have him go away with the impression that you believe him the pink of honesty.” “JT willdoit. It is almost ten o’clock now. I have been annoyed so much since I lost my poor boy that we seldom admit anybody. I will give orders to have Mr. Lang admitted when he comes.” As it was approaching the hour for Larry Lang’s expected call, Dick Sly did not quit the house, but remained in the library, . At last the clear tones of the bell echoed through the mansion. ‘‘Larry’s on time!” ejaculated Dick. ‘Fix yourself behind the curtain. I will answer the ring in person,” and as the Wharf Spy Detective disappeared the merchant left the room. He presently returned accompanied by a man whose voice the boy among the books instantly recognized, ; ‘“‘T am pleased to see you, Mr. Lang,” said the merchant with well feigned politeness that sent a satisfied smile over Dick’s face. ‘To what business am I indebted for this call?” ‘*T have called to talk about a matter which I know must be always near your heart,” was the answer. ‘'Some time ago you lost a son, a mere child, who disappeared mysteriously in the streets of New York.” ; “‘ That is true, Mr. Lang. "Years have passed since that terrible catastrophe, and the mystery remains unsolved, like the mystery that en- velops the fat2 of Charley Ross.” ‘*But you haven’t given up _ hopes, Mr. Prayne?” asked Larry, who had taken an arm- chair near the merchant’s private desk. ‘* While there is life, hope lasts,” was the an- swer. ‘‘One would think that I had exhausted all the means of discovery.” “You have followed up many futile clews no doubt?” “Scores of them! Some of the best detec- tives in New York tell me that the lost will never be found, but I have hopes that the unex- pected will happen.” ‘Phat is why I am here,” ejaculated Larry. ‘*T believe the unexpected is about to happen.” ‘* Concerning my son?” “Yes. A certain person who does not want to appear in the transaction came to me recently and asked if the reward you offered for your son’s return was still good.’ A ; “Tt is good as ever,” was the response. “Then I believe hope has found a tangible foundation. Now, all phage remarks aside, Mr. Prayne, I am here to say that your be placed in your arms for a certain rry paused and looked at the merchant as if to note the effect of his announcement, “T have been deceived so often that—” “ But this is no deception!” And Larry leaned forward and laid his hand on the merchant's knee. ‘I happen to know something about the man who came to me with the proposition. While there is a bar sinister against him—I am going to be fair with you, you see—he will keep every promise he makes. He has said tome un- der oath that for the sum of fifty thousand dol- lars your son will be restored.” ‘“‘He was kidnapped then?’ exclaimed Peter ee ‘‘ T am asked to condone a felony, am Larry drew back, and the boy behind the cur- tain bit his lips vexatiously. _ ‘“T am here to offer no opinion,” replied Lar- ry. ‘‘ My sole desire in this matter 1s to see you happy, and your son and heir under your roof once more, The man who makes the proposition which involves the payment of fifty thousand dollars for the return of your son, I believe is in a position to keep his part of the programme to the letter,” . E A_ short silence followed Larry’s little speech. “When can the agreement, if made, he car- ried out, Mr. Lang?” “Within forty-eight hours.” **Do you know where the boy is?” ‘“No, the secret is the property of the man. who makes the proposition, I only agreed to bring it to you from a desire to see the lost re- stored.” How disinterested Larry was! How eager the oung tapper of Solomon Strauss’s till was to have justice done! The spectacle brought asmile of derision to Dick Sly’s face. and he wanted to rush from his hiding: place and read a ortion of lLarry’s past for Peter Prayne’s enefit. ‘‘ You are to convey my reply to the man, are you?” suddenly asked the merckant. ‘‘ [promised to,” was the response. ‘He requests an answer in writing. You have but to say that you accept his proposition and sign your name toit. Do you think he asks too much?” ‘“No. I can easily see that he wants to pro. tect himself. What if I should refuse, Mr, Lang?” ‘*T can imagine that the man would become incensed.” " “ And never make a similar proposition, eh?” re eae Peter Prayne turned to his desk and took up & pen. ‘* When and how is the money to be paid?” he asked, with a glance at Larry. ** That, will be settled a little further on.” __ The next moment the merchant was writing slowly, and when he had finished he handed his work to the young scamp. “That will do, I think,” remarked Larry, glancing uP from the writing which was an ac- ceptance of the ore lately made. ‘ That is further than I have ever gone be- fore,” added the merchant verbally to the note. ‘*T trust a great deal to your individual honesty ip this affair, Mr. Lang.” “ IT think you can trust me,” answered the ex- clerk ‘If I become an humble instrument in the hands of justice I sball feel honored.” Meantime Larry bad folded the note and placed it safely in his 5 A moment later he left his chair with an air which indicated that his business was con- cluded questioned Peter Prayne. “Sometime between now and the time you re- — turn from your store. A sealed message will be delivered at your place of business.” “ That will do,” When Larry turned bis back on the room and walked out Dick the dock rat came from his hiding-place. His eyes had a triumphant sparkle. “The rascal knows how to play a game as coolly as his pal, Jack 0’ Diamonds!” he exclaim- ed. ‘I didn’t think it was in . Now, let me follow the trail I have struck. If Iam not - 9 it will lead to two important re- sults. At that moment the merchant came back to the library, He had just dismissed Larry at the front steps, _ 2 “Well, my a te “Not now, Mr. Prayne,” interrupted Dick, clutching the merchant's arm. “You play your part admirably. The fellow is no slouch as a go-between. Now let me see what is going to come of it. I want to gat upon the street im- mepiatsly, but not through your front door.” “Follow me, then,” exclaimed the merchen who seemed to appreciate the need of haste, and — he led Dick to a wicket, through which he passed — \ ‘¢ When will I hear from the—the negotiator?” —
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~ eg ges ne RE +4 2 7 i ae a Py? ae , ae Yi nd ee ie Soe Oa Sane - : saet gon Ie > ~ to the street, without raising any suspicion that he had come from the Prayne mansion. “ Ah, the scamp is in sight,” exclaimed the boy, ashe caught sight of a figure with which he had already grown familiar. ‘‘ Now, Larry, we will see what comes of this play. I am not to be whipped off a cab this time! Fifty thou- sand dollars, is it? Jack o’ Diamonds is striking for big wages. Forge ahead, Larry; Dick, the dock rat, is at your heels.” . And Larry obeyed the boy by pushing rapidly away, keenly watched the while. ——- CHAPTER X. THE DECOY TO DOOM, ** WELL, how did you make out?” ** Fairly.” **He was willing to treat, eh?” ah: Su ‘‘ Let me see the proofs,” The person of whom ‘‘the proofs” were de- manded was Larry Lang, and he had just stepped into the presence of a rather fine-looking manin a small room down town. Of course the strange individual was Jack 0’ Diamonds, the crook, and when Larry was asked for the proofs he drew forth a paper, which he passed to the mustached rascal. “ Hane me if you didn’t fetch it in black and white!” cried Jack, glancing at the young man. “You're a trump from the heart o’ the pack, Larry. Listen to what he has written,” and the crook read briefly as follows: _ “T hereby accept the proposition made by the bearer of this paper. Let there be no failure. “PeTreR PRAYNE.” “That covers the ground, eh, Larry?” con- tinued Jack. ‘Did he think the sum named a little high?” “A little high,” wastheecho, ‘‘ But he didn’t haggle over it. I think another ten thousand could have been added to it.” “You do, hey? Well, maybe this is only a beginning. if presume you haven’t seen anything of the young wharf shadow?” ‘* Nothing,” answered Larry, not knowing, of course, that Dick Sly had tracked bim from the merchant’s house to the room he now occupied, ** As I told you at our last meeting, I’m going to catch the wharf rat to-day,” laughed Jack, maliciously. ‘*The trap I have set for him is . excellently baited, and cannot fail.” ‘“When do you spring it?” ** Between now and sundown,” “Does Red Reynard help?” “No. He let the rat get away from kim the other night like a toothless terrier, therefore, I prefer to play this game myself.” ‘Which is a good idea. “When do you intend to advance upon the fifty thousand?” “Very soon. You told him that a reply would be left at the store?” Set did::” “J will carry out that part of the pro- ” e. Larry gave Jack a very inquisitive look and Jeaned toward him with curiosity in his eyes. “Say, Jack?” “Well, whatisit?” . ; ‘Have you really got the boby—the merchant’s lost child?” asked Tatry. Jack o’ Diamonds started, and then gave vent to a light laugh, ‘ “Do you think I'd play a hand like this if I hadn’t?” he ejaculated, / “Fifty thousand is a big pile,” remarked Larry. “Tt tops all your drawings from Solomon Strauss’s till, eh?” Larry colored and tried to laugh, but the at- tempt was not successful, : " Let time tell whether I have the lost boy or not,” continued re * Frowing serious, ‘I haven’t revolved this brilliant scheme in my head for nothing. But how is the future Mrs. Lang, my boy?” “Oh, She is getting along splendidly,” was the reply. t “ That was a pretty trick, too. The losing of the ring was the unexpected; however, nobody: is going to profit by it in the long run. If the water cops had found it, it would have created a sensation, and some shrewd — would have discovered ere this that it late y graced the finger of Larry Lang. But a boy found it, a boy who thought he saw a chance to work up a case on his own hook. I call that fortunate, Larry, We can outwit the boy, but the police would have given us trouble,” . Larry heard Jack through with a show of im- patience. ray ft ' “T am glad you are going to trap the young | SO ROT a Le Dodger Dick. rat, anyhow,” he answered. also recover the ring itself.” ‘Leave that to me.” ‘‘ Which means that you will recover it?” ““T have found the rat’s nest, and I think I will find something there when I search it.” “Do it, Jack!” cried Larry, ‘ Recover the ring, and take the profound and eternal grati- tude of Larry Lang.” Without replying to this outburst, Jack 0’ Diamonds wheeled his chair to the table at his elbow and took up a sheet of paper as if he had dismissed the young man whom he was making his tool. ‘What a man he is!” mentally ejaculated Larry as he watched the crook. ‘Twice in Sing Sing and Farge knows bow often in other prisons, That a fellow he’d be to force my stolen paper from Poe Fleece; but I dare not mention the matter to him, I was a fool last night when I left the old shark alone with the papers. I see it all now, and I’m afraid my pet by-play will yiela me nothing.” For some minutes Jack o’ Diamonds wrote slowly on the sheet of paper he had spread _ be- fore him. He seemed to have forgotten that the room had two tenants. When he stopped he looked up and appeared surprised by Iry’s prox- imity. ’ ‘Come here between nine and ten to-night,” he spoke. “I think I will delight you with a re- port and a find.” “T’}] be on hand,” replied the young man, as he left the chair. ‘* You'd better go back to the hotel. Solomon Strauss will never look for you there,” ‘« Larry could not suppress a start. “* Does Solomon—” He stopped like a man who catches himself, and flushed. ““There’s no telling what that Jew will do,” smiled Jack. ‘‘ You see he may have discovered that a man can’t patronize Hawk’s Hollow and wear diamond rings on twenty dollars a month, Some of these hawks o’ Jewry are vindictive when they get in the proper humor, Yes, I think up-town life is good for you during the daytime.” hen Jack o’ Diamonds went back to his writing, and Larry, with a faint ‘‘ good-day,” stole from the little room. A new thought took sudden possession of him as a went down the steps that led to the side- walk. : He was in the power of one of the most des- perate of criminals, Not only this, but he was assisting him to piay a game which, if discovered might throw them both into the iron clutches o the law. “TH not have anything to do with him after I recover the ring,” muttered Larry. ‘‘ Let me get my hands on that, and I'll paddle my own canoe thereafter.” He pushed rapidly up-town, as if anxious to get away from Jack o’ Diamonds, and in a little while was back at the hotel. Meantime, Jack finished his writing, which he placed in an envelope, sealed it and hid it un- der his coat. “The young fellow carried out his part 0’ the programme pretty well,” he exclaimed to him- self. ‘Of course it wouldn’t have done for me to invade Peter Prayne’s mansion, I’m too old a bird for that. With the eyes of the cops open for the tricks o’ Jack o’ Diamonds, I’m not going to put my fingers into the fire. If Larry told the merchant all I wanted told, the man won’t have any spies at the store waiting for the next move. However, I'll geta boy to deliver per in i and the papers to-morrow will be my reply.” When Jack o’ Diamonds left the house, he was seen by a keen-eyed boy who had let Larry pass up-town without molestation. Dick Sly knew that Larry had entered the building for the purpose of meeting somebody, and = was anxious to catch a glimpse of that person. When Jack struck the sidewalk, wearing the same whiskers in which he had once appeared to Dick as Silas Seldon, Jr., the dock-rat detective immediately caught sight of him. ‘What's to be the next move now, Jack?” ex- claimed Dick, starting off after the crook. “I recollect that Peter Prayne is to receive a com- munication at his store between now and four o'clock, Are you to deliver it in. person, Jack 0’ Diamonds? I hardly think you will appear on the surface just vet.” While the crook threw a dozen sly glances about, he did not see the boy, who adroitly hid himself among pedestrians, but who saw him all the same, “TI wish you could Jack suddenly turned into a more crowded street, and led Dick a chase toward the East River docks, the boy’s well-known domain, . “ Hillo! where’ve you been keepin’ yerself so long?” hailed a voice, and the next moment the ideal wharf rat sprung upon Dick from the top of a lot of goods that were piled on the dock, ‘** You’ve got kinder stuck up 0’ late, ain’t you, Dick? Or, mebbe, Mother Sturgeon has sent you ter college ter make a balderman out 0’ e? You used ter cometer ‘the chapel,’ but 0” ate you've given all ©’ us the goby. Av’ _— clothes, too! Why, bless me, if you don’t look like a shinin’ hexample o’ reclamation!” Dick knew the boy for Tony Whack, one of the shrewdest and most conscienceless of the wharf rat family. More than once Tony had served him when he was serving the police, and the two had come often, together. Dick looked about for Jack o’ Diamonds, but the crook had passed out of sight. “Tsay, Dick, what’ll you give for a genuine ‘find? ” continued Tony Whack. ‘«T don’t want anything of the kind.” Tony drew back with a well-feigned expres- sion of contempt on his hardened countenance. ** Another proof that Mother Sturgecn has turned saint!” he sneered. ‘‘ Very well; I guess I kin keep what I know. Mebbe Tony Whack kin work out the hull o’ the scheme he has got onto. If he does, there ’ll be nobody to share with. Ill see whether the old merchant’s re- ward o’ ten thousand is still standin’.” DP pace shot through the young detective’s mind, Was Tony really talking about Peter Prayne’s lost boy? ‘““What is it, Tony?” he asked. “Never mind, Dick, Go back to Mother Sturgeon, an’ be a good halderman some day. They ll be nobody to divide with if Tony Whack gets it all by his own efforts.” ‘““Why, I’m not booked. for college, Tony!” exclaimed Dick. *‘‘I’m the same person I’ve al- ways been, only I’m just tryin’ the sensations of good clothes as a diversion.” Tony drew back and looked at the wharf-rat spy. Py Honest?” he exclaimed. ‘* Honest!” echoed Dick. “By glory! I’m goin’ to b’lieve you!” was the answer; and Tony, with a sly look about him, came forward again. ‘I guess the reward is big enough for two, Dick. Come. to ‘the chapel’ at three o’clock to-day.” ‘‘Tll be there,” was the response, and Tony Whack’s eyes got a glitter of victory. CHAPTER XI. THE TRAP SPRUNG. ‘“¢ THE CHAPEL ” was not much of a place, It was merely a hollow under the docks where the wharf rats met at times to make merry in their peculiar way. A few broken store-boxes and crates served for benches, and when a score or more of the wharf scavengers of New York were gathered there, some wild and strange orgies were en- acted. Of late, however, ‘the chapel’ had not been much frequented for the purposes just mention- ed, and knowing this, Tony Whack, Jack 0’ Diamonds’s decoy, knew that Dick Sly would consider it an excellent place for the imparting of a secret. When Tony went back to the gloomy under- world of the docks, be met his friend Bender, to whom he imparted the information that the dock detective would be at ‘‘ the chapel” at three o’clock that afternoon. Bender was delighted, and Tony was congratu- lated on his success, ‘Of course we want to keep all this from Prince Peter,” remarked Bender, referring to the crippled boy who was their companion in the dock nest. ‘* He’ll never find it out if he wants for me to tell him,” snapped Tony. ‘* What has he been . doing since I’ve been gone?” “Stringing buttons an’ dozin’ in the nest,” answered Bender. ‘‘ O’ late, some-how-or-other, thet boy has changed in countenance, Tony.” “Think so, Bender ‘“*T know it.” ‘‘ Mebbe he thinks—” “Thar’s no tellin’ what he thinks,” was the interruption. ““ What have you noticed?” ; ‘The other day I saw him lookin’ intently at one o’ the buttons. He would hold it up in the light as if it was a ten-dollar gold-piece, I caught him at it several times. It was a pecu- liar button made fora boy’sfrock. I never saw ‘
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Dodger Dick. § . Pr Sop ite 5 Re Me a any like it before, but it seemed to attract Prince Peter.” ‘“‘ Did you cabbage the button?” “‘T cut it off the string when he was asleep.” “ Well?” “f showed it to Jack an’ he said ‘ Great hea- vens! whar did ye get that? I told him off 0’ Peter’s string, an’ he made me look if thar was any more like it thar.” “ And you did not find another like it?” “Tt was the only one.” Tony was silent for a moment. ‘“‘ Bender, that button took Prince Peter back to his childhood, when he did not live under the docks,” continued Tony. ‘‘T know it.” ‘No wonder Jack wants all them buttons,” and Tony smiled. ‘ We could sell ’em for ten dollars apiece if we had a few.” Bender’s eyes seemed to glisten avariciously, but he made no reply. “There will be no strangers at ‘ the chapel’ to-day, Bender?” asked Tony. ‘“* Of course not.” “ Jack won't come any more until after we have “fixed the deck Jspy. There must be no failure, Bender, for, if the half of what Jack said is true, we can’t afford to have Dick Sly on the docks.” “That is correct, Tony; Jack isn’t springing his trap a bit too soon!” The two youths went to their old quarters where they found Prince Peter the cripple at his old occupation of stringing buttons of various kinds, The boy looked haggard and pale in the sickly light of ‘the lantern that hung overhead, and when he saw his companions a faint smile ap- peared at his lips. ‘“‘ At the same old business, Peter?” exclaimed Tony, throwing himself on the ground and look- ing up into the boy’s face. “ Don’t you wish you had all the buttons in New York to string?” “That would take a lifetime, Tony, and I don’t want to end my days at this work,” was the answer. “Then you want to leave us, eh, Peter?” The little cripple threw a look about him. “ T don’t want to die here,” he smiled, “ but I guess there’s no other place for me.” “It’s good enough to die in, eh, Bender?” laughed Tony, and Bender nodded and echoed his companion’s merriment; then he leaned to- ward the cripple and continued: ‘‘ Mebbe, Peter, we'll all get to show off in a mansion one ©’ these days, an’ then no one will think o’ dyin’ in a place like this.” The cripple did not reply, but went on with his daily amusement, taking the buttons from a box on the ground, and putting them one after another on the string. Tony and Bender watched him in silence. Every now and then they would see the sad countenance light up as if with hope, and for a moment the deep blue eyes would beam with a light out of place under the docks. . “After the passage of a significant look between them, the two boys crept away and left the little button-stringer alone. They made their way to “ the chapel,” which ** Noth- was quite deserted and lonely. “Tt is all ready,” exclaimed Bender. ing is lackin’ in the arrangements, and Jack can- not but be satisfied.” “Pm glad it’s all right, boys.” The two wharf rats turned at the sound of the voice, and beheld the figure of J ack o’ Diamonds before them. The noted crook seemed to have risen from the ground, and for a moment the yi were puzzled to account for his presence there. . “T let my curiosity get the better o’ me,” con- tinued Jack. ‘‘ The old trap hasn't been worked for so long that I thought I’d take a look at it.” ** You ound the trigger, then?” asked Bender. ‘“QOh, yes.’ ‘* And worked it?” “J tried it once; that was enough,” was the reply. ‘‘I puta stone on the door, an’ saw that everything is in apple-pie order. I guess you boys know how to catch a weasel even when he is awake,” ‘‘ Tf we don’t, we know nothing!” smiled Tony Whack. Once more “the chapel” was left alone and deserted, and the conspirators against Dick Sly went back toward the nest. Jack o’ Diamonds did not want to disturb Prince Peter over his buttons, but after looking at him a few moments he withdrew after giving a few instructions to the boys. Bender with a strange look watched him out e of the crook had dis- of sight and when the fig ony with a faint smile. appeared he turned to ee “That man is engaged in the biggest game o’ his life,” he exclaimed. ‘‘He actually got pale when I showed him the button which seemed to give Prince Peter a glimpse of the past. When you an’I get a little older, Tony, we'll play games for ourselves; we'll be no man’s tool then,” i An’ mebbe we'll graduate, like Jack, in Sing ing. “Oh, that’s to be expected. All great men graduate thar!” grinned Bender, who looked forward to a life of crime which had to be the natural outcome of the life he was living. ‘‘Mebbe we won't have a Prince Peter to play for a big card like Jack has.” ‘An’ no Dick to shadow us either!” was the response, While the day full of sunshine was passing over busy New York, the hours were wearing slowly away amid the gloom of .the low-ceiled places under the docks. The sun reached the meridian and began its journey down the west. The hour of three approached, and the rats that scampered hither and thither under the wharf drew back from two figures lying at the rim of the hollow known as “ the chapel.” Tony Whack and Bender were waiting for Dick Sly. ‘‘He won't come,” whispered Bender, whose patience was leaving him. ‘* He has winded the scheme, and isn’t going to give us a chance to spring the trap.” ‘Give him a little latitude,” answered Tony. “« Ah! some one is coming now!” At that moment the flight of a score of rats announced the approach of some one, and in a little while Tony left his companion and crept toward the basin. ‘Is it you, Dick?” he asked in cautious tones. ‘*T’m on hand, Tony.” As these words were spoken Bender’s hand moved forward and clutched a stout string. “Tm a little behind, ain’t I, Tony?’ inquired the same voice which was that of the young spotter of the docks. ‘“‘ A minute, mebbe, but that’s nothin’.” The two boys met near the middle of the ba- sin. The darkness about them was almost palpable. Far away glimmered a light, but its rays did not reach them. “T’'m ready to hear from you, Tony,” sudden- ly resumed Dick. ‘* You know you wanted me to come to ‘ the chapel’ to hear about the pointer yeu have picked up.” I recollect,” replied Tony. ‘‘I want to make sure that we’re alone here. Wait for me here till I make a circle. I won't be gone long.” “Hurry up,” said Dick, and Tony crept away. St it isthe easiest thing in the world,” he mur- mured as he glided back to the spot where he bad left Bender with the cord in his hand. “Dick Sly isn’t half as sly as his name sug- gests. Jack thought we’d have some trouble with him, but it is no trouble at all. I must be near Bender. Ah! here we are!” The two youths met in the darkness and Tony Whack clutched Bender’s wrist as he placed his lips at his ear. ‘ “The fly is in the middle o’ the web, Bender. [I’ve just left him there awaiting his doom, Jerk the cord—quick!—Ah! that_catches the bird!” At that very moment Bender pulled with all his might, and a strange sound was the re- sult. ‘Now, back! Let me help you,” ejaculated ce — Tony, catching the cord with both hands, and | the two boys pulled hard for a moment. ‘There! that completes an’ covers the work!” cried Bender, throwing the cord down, ‘The floor of ‘the chapel’ is solid again and ready for the next victim. Shall we go down, Tony?” The two boys descended into the basin, end searched it in the gloom. The floor was as solid as if a circular trap had not opened in the center, and Tony kicked some dirt and dust over the spot. Dick _ was gone! He had been decoyed to ‘ the chapel,’ and the ie ag oe known to but few of the rats of the dat, kad brushed him from Jack o’ Diamonds’s at th! Tony and Bender went back to thenest where Prince Peter was still busy with his buttons. But they did not see the sparkle of the cripple’s eyes. CHAPTER XII. WORKING THE BIG SCHEME, PeTeR PRAYNE, the merchant, was about to quit his store for the day when a boy deposited Si sail MART ee eles SS ene ee a, Bm ee ; a sealed letter on his desk, and escaped before the astonished man could have him detained. The letter, when opened, was found to be from a person who knew all about Larry’s visit to the merchant’s house. Indeed, the writer said that he was the person who was to restore the lon missing boy, and announced that Larry had acted under instructions from him. Mr. Prayne was asked to meet the writer at a certain office on Beekman street that night. He was told to come alone. | ‘Tf you are accompanied or watched by de- tectives you will find the office closed, and your son will never be restored,” was the concluding sentence of the letter. “1 wonder if Dodger Dick, the young dock detective knows about the delivery of this let- ter?” the merchant asked himself, and as he folded it and placed it in an inner pocket he resolved to meet the writer at the hour and place mentioned. This took place some time after the spring- ing of the trap in ‘the chapel,” and, if Peter Prayne had known tbat Dick Sly had been lured to the fatal place by the crook’s tools, he would not have been so willing to meeting the writer. When night had once more thrown her pall over the island mart, the merchant repaired to Beekman street. He did not know that his store had been watched by a pair of keen eyes since his re- ception of the letter, but that did not matter, e went to the rendezvous alone, The room or “ office ” was on the second floor; arather cosey and neatly-furnished place, and its sole occupant, when the merchant entered, was a black-bearded man, who appeared to be waiting for some one. “You are punctual, I see,” smiled this man as the merchant announced himself, ‘‘ I am quite alone, as you perceive, and have been waiting for you.” Peter Prayne had taken a chair and was mak- ing a mental study of the speaker. He had never met him before, and though he was wel! dressed and affected the manners of the gentleman, the man of business could see that he was in disguise. ‘This is the man with whom I am to negoti- ate for my boy’s restoration. He is a cool, cal- culating rascal. I can see this much without great scrutiny. Since my loss I have been thrown into contact with a score of his class.” The stranger, who called himself Silas Seldon, Jr.—a name already familiar to the reader—be- gan the interview by saying that he was the person who had employed Larry to open nego- tiations with the merchant, They had now come to the gist of the mat- rs Mr. Prayne was reminded that he had lost a child, that the disappearance had baffled the best detectives of Gotham, and that, to the world at large, the boy was as much lost as ever. ‘“‘ Now, Mr. Prayne, it is inmy power to clear up the mystery,” concluded the man, who was our old acquaintance, Jack o’ Diamonds, ‘‘I have had to sacrifice a great deal to reach the victory I have lately gaimed. Your boy’s whereabouts are known to me, and to me alone. Your signed agreement to pay me fifty thousand dollars for your child is still in mv possessi ion. You are still willing to carry it out?” The merchant said ‘ yes,” and the crook pro- ceeded. “ Circumstances oblige me to require one-half of the amount in advance. I shall ask for twenty-five thousand now, to be delivered to- night.” The merchant started. “T never carry large amounts of money with me,” he ejaculated. “That is not at all strange,” was the reply. “You have it at the store.” “Which is closed now.” * But the safe?” “It has a time-lock which cannot be opened till a certain time to-morrow.” Jack o’ Diamonds was not abashed. “You have friends at your house. I have a friend who will act as my agent. Mr. Prayne, I must have this deposit asa guarantee of good faith on your part. ‘But my boy!” cried the merchant. “ He is y to spring into your arms.” “ Does he know—” “That I am negotiating with you for his re- turn? He is not entirely in the dark, and Ican that be approves of it all he knows. sa ou ll pay the guarantee money? I will call inmy friend, whose office I am occupying for in- terview.” ' |
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Dodger Dick. - ere : sara ar a T Before Peter Prayne could reply, Jack o’ Dia- monds went to the door, and called a name in tones that reached the merchant’s ears. In response to the call, footsteps were heard, and a rather handsome man entered the room. The new-comer was introduced to Mr. Prayne as Theodore Chaffinch, a lawyer who occupied the office. In truth, the man was Red Reynard, Jaci’s confederate who was ready to play any hand that would advance the crook’s big scheme. Mr. Chaffinch volunteered to accompany the merchant to his house and receive a package at his hands, and having expressed this willingness, retired leaving Jack and Peter Prayne alone. Again Peter Prayne wondered what had be- come of the boy, Dodger Dick. Were his keen eyes on the alert, and did he know anything ahoak the present interview? But for the Dodger he would never have re- ceived pry ee his library, and the scheme to rob him of fifty thousand dollars—he could iook at it in no other light—would never have been encouraged. Now he was in the clutches of two consummate rascals, one of whom was to accompany him home and bleed him for both to the tune of twenty-five thousand dollars, What the next step would be no one knew. ‘‘Within twenty-four hours after Mr. Chaf- finch returns with the guarantee money, your lost son will be in your arms,” resumed Jack o’ Diamonds when his confederate had retired to be called for when wanted. ‘‘ The boy is not in very good health, but your physician can make him himself again. Now, Mr. Prayne, if you are ready to show Mr, Chaffinch to your house, we will conclude this interview.” The merchant did not leave his chair. ‘*T cannot say that I like to surrender that amount of money to a stranger,” he remarked. Jack showed a frown. -“T see your affection cools as the years go by,” he said with cruel sarcasm. “No! My love for my boy is as strong to-day as it ever was,” was the quick retort. ‘* You say that you can produce him. What proof have you got of this?” Jack o’ Diamonds thrust one of his hands into a vest pocket and produced a bright-colored. nny at sight of which the merchant started visibly. ‘*Tsn’t this proof enough?” he went on display- vee button and finally laying it on the table. “You have a right to expect proof, Peter Prayne, and I am glad to be able to accommo- | date you. Ah! I see you recollect the button!” It was evident that the New York merchant - had seen that identical button or one like it pre- vious to the interview. He took it up and looked at it along time, “T do know it,” he suddenly exclaimed. ‘ It was one of a number that graced my boy’s jacket the day he gear I never saw any like them on any other child.” “No other child ever wore them,” answered the crook. ‘That button, Mr. yne, came from your boy’s clothes.” After awhile the merchant handed back the gilt button, and looked at the face which was ll of triumph in its expression. “What if I night?” he asked Then I cannot continue these negotiations,” was the reply, and Jack o’ Diamonds leaned across the little table at his elbow as the last words left his lips. “The restoration of "Sod action to-night. ayne. P And his lips closed like the lips of a king who has spoken an ultimatum. “That is a threat,” passed through the mer- chant’s mind. ‘“‘Tbis man knows something about md boy else he could not have produced the but- von, cannot pay the guarantee to-' our child depends on member this, Peter Then he said aloud. _ ** Where is Mr. Chaffinch?” Jack o’ Diamonds went to the door for the second time and called bis pal. In an instant Red Reynard was on hand ready for the twenty-five thousand-dollar swoop, “This gentleman is ready to go,” Jae throwing a glance toward the merchant. “You will remain with him till he gives you a packet for me. He understands that the second halt of an agreed sum is to be paid on said, _ the delivery of a certain specified object.” _ Peter Prayne slightly inclined his head, but made no audible reply, The next moment he walked toward the door accompanied by the disguised villain who was - to be his guard to his private rooms. - “Red will not come off without the notes!” ejaculated Jack, rubbing his hands with delight. ‘* This is only the first draw though it is a good one. My experience with these money nabobs is that when the ice has been broken, the con- tinuance of the game is easy. Why, this but- | ton is worth a fortune to me, and the boy under | the dock is the key that unlocks the gold-mine. I willrun up and see Larry before Red gets | back. I want to tell him that the trap was suc- | cessfully sprung this afternoon, and that the | ring he lost needn’t bother him any more. Jack o’ Diamonds locked the room behind him and went away. He was not far behind the merchant and Red Reynard, and while he went up-town, he did not take the-same route taken by them. In due time Jack o’ Diamonds reached the hotel where Larry boarded, and as he alighted br the car he noticed a surging crowd in the lobby. ‘* What is the matter?” he asked, as he touch- ed the sidewalk. ‘*Didn’t you see it? No? Well, a- young re- porter named Donald Dustin has just aires a guest in there. It was a complete and. neat thing, too. I saw it all. Something about a woman, The fellow’s name is Larry some- thing.” Jack waited to hear no more, but turned and walked away. CHAPTER XIII, THE FIGHT AT THE HOTEL. IT was true that Donald, the youhg reporter, had found Larry the person supposed to be re- sponsible for Rosa’s disappearance, Ever since his discovery that the girl was missing, he had been on the lookout for the young ex-clerk, and though he had promised ick that he would not raise any disturbance if be found Larry, the temptation proved too reat. - A short time before Jack o’ Diamonds reached the hotel, Donald strolled into the lobby with no as A of finding Larry there. e had heard Dodger Dick’s account of his attempt to follow the young fellow in the cab, but the boy had been careful not to name the hotel which enjoyed Larry’s patronage. When Donald saw the Jew’s clerk compla- cently smoking a cigar in the lobby, he could hardly believe his eyes. Larry did not see him, and the reporter stud- ied bim for some time, as he waited for him to quit the hotel and make a trail which should ' lead to Rosa. There was no longer any doubt of Larry’s con- nection with the abduction, The ring found by Dick Sly in the picked-up boat had proved to be his, and Larry’s associa- tion with Jack o’ Diamonds had been established beyond all doubt. sa was hidden somewhere, and the well- dressed, brazen-faced young man, who coolly enjoyed his cigar, held the key to the secret! Donald thought of all these things while he watched Larry. The ex-clerk did not seem eager to show him the trail, and the longer Donald watched him the stronger grew his rage, “I'm going to force the young rascal to know me!” he suddenly ejaculated. ‘I can’t keep my pledge tu Dick any longer. It is tame for me to make a pass of some kind, Here goes!” The next moment he walked toward Larry, and the first intimation the city sport had of Don's presenoe was his voice as he accosted im ‘“Good-evening, Mr. Lang,” spoke the young reporter, arry started and looked at Donald as the color left his face, I believe I don’t know you,” he answered. Perhaps not; our acquaintance has not been very close. Ihave seen you several times be- hind Mr. Strauss’s counters.” Larry_threw a frightened look around the room. Donald had reached delicate ground. “* When did you quit Mr. Strauss’s employ?” ‘* Some time ago. “For good, may I ask?” ‘6 Yes,” “Your relations were always pleasant, I pre- sume?” * Quite so.” : , * T had a talk with Mr. Strauss since you eft.’ The young sport colored. ‘* Are you in my old place?” asked Larry. “No. “I could not think of giving up my pres- ent berth for Solomon Strauss’s counters.” ' ” ou a “Tam Donald Dustin, the friend of Rosa. Is it possible, Mr. Lang, that you have not suspect- ed me before this?” The half-smoked cigar almost dropped from Larry’s fingers. ‘* What do I know about the person you caik Rosa?’ he exclaimed. ‘* A good deal!” was the response, and Donald leaned forward as he lowered his voice. ‘‘ Solo- mon Strauss is very anxious to see you, and the police will want you unless you tell the truth to me about the girl.” ‘“By Jupiter! you have a power of cheek!” cried Larry, bursting into a derisive laugh. ‘* This is the first time I’ve ever had blackmail attempted on me.” Donald flushed to the temples. ‘* Blackmail, you miserable rascal!” he scorn- fully retorted. ‘‘ You can’t laugh down the charges I can bring against you, theft and ab- duction. Here! quiet down, and don’t attract the crowd.” “Go to Halifax!” retorted Larry, starting back. ‘* I don’t want anything to do with you. If you attempt to follow me—” Donald stepped instantly after him, ‘You don’t slip away in this mapner!” he cried. ‘Iam here to make you hear me!” And he caught Larry’s arm and jerked him under the electric light. In an instant all the tiger of the city sport’s nature seemed to spring into being. He wheeled upon Donald with a flash in his eyes and an oath on his lips. ‘* Release me!” he snarled. ‘‘ By heavens} things have come to a pretty pass when a gen- tleman isn’t safe in New York’s best hotels!” He spoke in a tone of voice heard by the scat- tered groups in the lobby, and all eyes were turned to the speaker. At the same time Larry jerked back and raised the thick rattan cane he held in his hand. The next moment Donald darted at him, and threw up one hand to ward off the blow about to descend upon his head. This action exas- perated Larry still further, and the cane de- scended with force as the young reporter struck out from the shoulder! During the next second several blows were given and received by the enemies, but Donsld was too quick for the sport, and all at once a — well-directed blow sent the scoundrel against the marble-topped counter at the clerk’s desk! Larry struck the marble with a dull thud and would have dropped to the floor if some one had not prevented. ‘* He is sufficiently punished.” said a gentle- man, touching Donald’s arm. ‘‘ You have made an item for your pencil; now go off and write it up. The man bad recognized Donald asa reporter, ani as he finished, he took the young man’s et ag led him through the crowd to the side- walk. Fortunately for Donald there was no police- mm ge the scene, and he walked away unmo- ested. ‘May be I was foolish, but I could not help it,” he remarked to himself. ‘I have showed the rascal that he can’t laugh down ‘some charges with impunity. My only regret is that I did not give him more than I have. When he recovers, he will do what? The first thought will be of Rosa and he will fly to see whether she is safe. He won’t cause my arrest. I know Larry too well for that.” As Donald left the hotel Jack o’ Diamonds came up, but the two did not meet. The crook did not want to appear on the scene just then, and, as we have seen, he walked off until every- thing had settled down. Larry had been taken to his room where half an hour later he was confronted by the dis- guised crook who came in on tip-toe, anxious and somewhat displeased. Larry met him with a lugubrious smile. “This is an excellent way to keep a secret!” Jack exclaimed. “If you don’t keep out o° broils the whole thing will go up the flume, an’ I will lose my rrize.” “J could not keep it. That was Rosa’s re- pe, the young man who has been Jooking for er ever since we played the little hand that took the bird. He made my blood hot, and I raised my cane when he landed one between my peepers, almost flooring me, Wait! ITU get even, Jack. Before to-morrow night I'll more than even with the pencil-shover. What time is it?” Jack o’ Diamonds glanced at his watch and told Larry the time. “What news have you got, Jack?” the city sport asked. “‘ Some little,” replied the crook, as his eyes twinkled. ‘In the first place, we sprung the *
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F ' f 1 9 ‘ Cn. trap on the wharf-rat spy, and, secondly, the “That doesn’t dissolve the agreement. Fifty never rise to accuse you,” ttered an exclamation of pleasure. “This is news, indeed!” ss web-weaver in Gotham. How ed at Peter Prayne’s?” Even now Red is substantial manner. t affora to get mixed roils? "That young reporter knows % want to make him ‘you're the bo goes the game I open “Tt couldn’t go better. feathering our nest in a Don’t you see that you can something, and you don ‘ That is good logic, go ahead and play my gat What kind of a man is ” smiled Larry. me out before I stop. the old lawyer Fergus things, like hunting up Vhat business have you ‘* He’s good for some heirs an’ such cases. with Fergus Fleece?” Larry hesitated. **T have a frien has been beaten by the old lawye “Tn what way?” “The old rascal purloined a val ‘He'll do that. Jack. “Lf your friend wants it, he’ll have to pay well for it.” “Cunt it be obtained in no other way?” asked Larry, leaning The young man’s ‘Your friend can d, you do not know him, who uable paper.” !” exclaimed trayed his anxiety. % frighten Fergus,” Jack “The old man isn’t one o’ that kind. What is the paper worth?” ‘* Two hundred.” A sneer curled the crook’s lips. “IT wouldn’t lose time for that amo exclaimed. ‘The paper can’t be very valuable, else its recovery would be worth more than two Larry bit his lips and cursed his lack of funds. After awhile I'll recover the hour later Larry was able to leave Diamonds had departed by the front e victim of the young reporter’s rage went quietly down a private stair and reached A short distence from the hotel to a cab and gave the driver the same iven him on a previous occasion, liked this driver; he did not per and when he undertook to he did not stop short nt of the task, been made presentable by r and while be was borne rapidly of New York he cursed dly for the punishment he hanging on behind, whip a street Arab loose, of the accomplishme Larry’s face the hotel barbe through the streets Donald Dustin roun had inflicted. “There is war Dustin!” grated Larry. before a magistrate for 1 a blow that will make you stag- to the knife between us, Mr. ‘“*T cannot have you but I can dea er, ‘After awhile the cab stopped and let Larry across the sidewalk and rung a na moment he stood face to face » ejaculated this with a woman, “The young lady is gone, seemed to recoil a step. He lost color and began to stammer. “Gone? gone?—Rosa—” ave me the slip ab eaned against the wall and gasped. CHAPTER XIV. UNEXPECTEDLY NABBED. “Tas is a catastrophe sure enou ed Larry, before be fair “Here, Rosa is gone; she and I’m left in no en- out an hour ago!” tally exclaim a given her keeper the slip, viable position.” Then he turned upon the woman who con- and said madly: ht she was to be watched like a k? ‘Well, wasn’t she?” you mean to insinuate that I d Larry with clinched hands, and the young man seeing ber gaze, sbrunk 1 “JT didn’t inten was the retort. didn’t do my She came towar d to insinuate anything,” he hastened to say. ‘‘I am sorry the girl is gone. About an hour ago, you say?” ———S “Well, I can’t mend matters by remaining ‘You can settle before you fifty dollars back on the bargain. ‘But the girl is not here,” pro go. There are ‘ses § si Dodger Dic dollars before you leave the house.” Driven to a corner by the demeanor and reso- lution of the woman, Larry produced his pocket- book and paid the amount with the best grace he could assume, then, with a growled “‘ good- night,” he left the woman to herself and turned away. Rosa gone! The thought, the brain in a whirl. dance when he touched the sidewalk. What had become of the girl? Had she gone back to her old quarters, Mrs. Hartwick’s board- ing-house? Had she already told the story of her adventures to the police? “Tf I could find Jac to do,” muttered Larry; for him?” , At last the young sport resolved to go back to the hotel. Rosa did not know that he had been making it his headquarters, and in his room there he could think out the plan of the next campaign. Larry had failed to hold the girl whom he in- tended to make Mrs. Lang. The abduction, with Jack’s help, had proved successful, and the boat abandoned in the harbor had fooled the river police. The loss of the diamond ring had been counterbalanced by the springing of Jack’s trap on Dick Sly. If Rosa had notescaped Larry would have had reason to congratulate himself. As it was, his pet scheme was not getting on very well. If he had known where to look for J ack 0’ Diamonds at that bour he would have gone straight to the crook, but he went back to the hotel and slipped up to bis room unmolested. Meantime Peter Prayne, the merchant in Jack’s net, had gone home with Red Reynard at his side. The crook’s pal was to receive the twenty-five thousand dollars, as the reader remembers, and he had instructions not to leave the merchant until the sum had been paid, All the way up-town Peter Prayne wished that something would turn up to ‘shake ” the man who watched him like a hawk. But nothing came to the merchant’s rescue. At last the end of the journey was reached, and the two men entered the library. Red Reynard was courteous, but firm. He acted like a person who might have conducted several affairs of the kind, and Peter Prayne saw that he was as cool as the man he had left down-town. The money was taken from private drawer and paid over. Red Reynard counted every bill before put- ting it beneath his coat, and certified to the cor- rectness of Mr. Prayne’s count. “You know nothing about the business be- tween Mr, Seldon and I?” said the merchant, at the conclusion of the transaction. “ Nothing,” answered Red Reynard. Peter Prayne knew better than this; but he did not reply, and a few moments later he let the ae out, and turned away with a feeling of relief, * I've got enough to go to Europe on,” ejacu- lated Red, as he waiked hurriedly to the nearest Elevated station, ‘I might try a game 0’ this kind against some fellows, but against Jack 0’ Diamonds, whew! it would be too risky!” He was about to bound up ‘the steps to the depot, when a light = in his rear made him turn, and a man stepped forward. Hold on, Mr. Fox. I want you!” he said. Red Reynard leaned forward, for the man was not fairly in the light, and when he caught sight of him he started. he next instant a second man came in sight, and the foremost one laid his band on the crook’s the merchant’s arm. “We want you.” Red sprung back, but the men were upon im. “What do you want?” he exclaimed. “ The body of Red Reynard!” was the reply. “Come, Mr. Fox; we have the bracelets for you! ‘And the click of a catch made the New York sport the manacled prisoner of the two officers. : “What am I wanted for?” he asked, glaring at his captors. “Por assisting to bleed a citizen.” “ What citizen?” * Peter Prayne.” “You have followed me,” “We have. You have just Jeft Peter Prayne’s ame We will search you at the station, Mr. ox Red Reynard said no more. “Tn fortune’s name, whose work is this?” he ENS oes ey. Fi ae Fee r « By. k. catastrophe, put Larry’s The gas-lamps seemed to just now, I’d know what “but where will I look ask?” “Oh! the youn stay dropped to the work in her and was caught by watching her. ‘against you, springing to his feet. ; gest and deepest game of my life, and woe 4 “Tt isn’t the boy’s, for Jack’s trap thought. as anybody taken fixed him this afternoon. bis place? 1 can’t believe it.” Red Reynard went sullen and speechless to the police-station, where the packet of money was found on his person. He was locked up for the night with the charge of extortion marked opposite his name, and left to reflect on the sud- den change in his fortunes. “Tf they know what I went to Peter Prayne’s house for, they will walk in on Jack, and then the whole game will be up!” be exclaimed in the cell. “I'd give ove-halt of the amount I got from the merchant to-night if I could find out who put the detectives onto me.” Red Reynard could imagine J ack o’ Diamonds waiting for him in the Beekman street office. He could see the expression of rage and disap- pointment on his partner’s face as he came not, and finally he could imagine him lock the office for the night and spring away with an oath. The truth is that Jack o’ Diamonds did not wait long for Red Reynard. , When he left Larry at the hotel after his fight with the reporter he went back to Beekman street, where he waited a certain time for his comrade. Jack knew that Red Re ynard dared not play him false; he was aware t nat his part- ner stood in actual and daily fear of him, and that if he was slow he would turn up in time with the money wrung from Peter Prayne. When Jack left the office he walked toward that part of the city where we first met him, and not long afterward a woman sewing in a i=] small room was startled by his sudden appear- ance, It was Mother Sturgeon, Dick Sly’s guardian, and she held up her finger in a warning way as the crook came toward ber. “Why, what’s the matter?” in uired Jack. “Pye got new neighbors in the next room,” was the rN “New fiddlesticks! but T'll lower my voice out o’ respect for them, Where's Dick? ‘¢ He hasn’t been here for a day or so. the boy has deserted me for good.” “ Are you very sorry ?” ‘There was a good deal in the boy.” “A good deal of mischief!” ejaculated Jack. « What did he ever do with the ring?” “T can’t find it, though I’ve searched his quar- ters from ceiling to floor.” ‘“‘ He has given you the slip completely.” “Not in the end he didn’t!” exclaimed Jack with a leer. ‘Do you think you can get along without Dick?” Mother Sturgeon smiled. “Pve been doing it pretty much since he’s taken to the docks,” she replied. ‘‘ Why do you I guess ter may take a notion to about the docks,” answered Jack. ‘I guess they suit him better than Mother Stur- geon’s house anyhow?” The woman made no reply, but as her eyes her lap a sigh escaped the dark-faced man Deep in Mother Sturgeon’s heart was a in | for the boy who had s ept under her roof, an whose earnings more than once had been onetee into her la a ck 0° Diamonds seemed to notice this, and his eyes got a mad flash behind their heavy black lashes “Well; if the boy takesa notion to stay apa a fr) don’t cry for him,” he suddenly went on. Z belonged to the wharves anyhow, and was get- ting entirely too ‘fly’ for people who want to make a living without interference.” The next moment Mother Sturgeon caught the crook’s eyc, and he saw her dart forward and clutch his wrist. You've fixed the boy as you call it!” she ex- claimed. ‘ You found that he was likely to in- terfere with you in some scheme—in some scheme connected with the ring, maybe. You can’t afford to go too far. You know that the — police of New York are onto you—that they now your past and your present. ? : “T¢ Halifax with the police!” growled Jack, jeriking loose from her grasp, and drawing ac world for whom I have any respect!” he cried. «Do you mean to threaten me, Alice?” “Not for thousands! enough in the vaults of Wall street to turn me Jack. But you want to go slow. Think of the past, the doors that have closed on you—— hh “ T won't! I won't!” almost: yelled the crook, — “Tam playing the | ‘You know that you're the only person in the — A ie There isn’t money : =
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You don’t want the I don’t want any of your advice, Alice. Let me alone. God night, When your wharf-rat person or persons who attempt to balk me. detective shows up, drop me a line, ha, ha!” And while his laugh rung in Motber Stur- n’s ears the door opened and shut, and he was gone! CHAPTER XV. THE RAT AT LARGE, WuHeEn Larry Lang awoke the next morning his first thought was of the girl who had escaped the night before. : He again wondered if, she kad gone back to Mrs. Hartwick’s. ; ‘One thing is certain; I have not tumbled in- to the arms of the police!” he exclaimed, ‘* Rosa will relate her story with much embellishment to the reporter, and he will proceed to turn the thumb-screws of the law on me, I must beat them both. Fergus Fleece may keep the paper he stole from me as it cannot do me any good now. Give me a chance and Ill give them all the slip!” Larry resolved first to discover whether Rosa had returned to her boarding-house and second- ly, to get beyond the clutches of the law as ee ae possible. His first move was to slip quietly from the hotel and repair toa Bates a clothing store where he exchanged his fashionable clothes for a suit a little frayed, but passably genteel. Then he purchased a set of false whiskers suitable for his age, and thus disguised, set out for Mrs. Hartwick’s. When he had rung the dour-bell of the widow’s boarding-house he waited coolly for her appear- ance, and when she opened the door, and stood before him, Larry tipped his hat politely and wished her good-morning in a tone entirely un- like his usual one. ; Mrs. Hartwick gave him a searching look, but failed to recognize him, ‘“‘T have called to see on business a young woman who boards here,” Larry began. ‘* Her name is Rosa Rogers—” “Rosa has not come home!” exclaimed Mrs. Hartwick. ‘Where will I find her?” “T do not know.” | “ But she boards with you?” “« When she is here.” Larry drew back. | “T will come again,” he continued. ‘‘ I want- ed to see her for my employer, Philip Potts, of Duane street. Rosa sews some, I believe?” “ Yes.” “T thought so. She may be in to-morrow. [ will call again to see her.” He went away. “The disguise is perfect,” he said to himself. “Mrs, Hartwick has seen me hundreds of times, but she failed to recognize me, Rosa has not re- turned. In fortune’s name what became of the girl last night?” And Larry’s face got a puzzled look, The young man felt more at ease as he walked from the house where he had tried bis disguise to his satisfaction. He did not know where to look for Jack o’ Diamonds, as the crook had nu- merous haunts, and he did not know anything about Red Reynard’s arrest, He avoided the cars and kept to the sidewalk, where he stood in less danger of recognition. ‘¢ Hello!” suddenly cried a voice at his elbow. ‘Vere you grow dot beard, eh, Meester Larry?” The words went through the young sport like a knife. i “« T know the man without looking!” mentally decided Larry. “It is my old employer, Solo- mon Strauss, the last person I want to meet.” The next moment there was a hand at his sleeve. “Don't run away, Larry. I vants ter talk ter mine old clerk vot I lose all of a sudden some days ago,” continued the hawk-billed Jew who had confronted the young man. Larry’s first impulse was to knock the man down and run, but he saw that such action would only raise a hue and cry, and eventually land him in the hands of the police. ~ It was a Jewish holiday, and Solomon Strauss, arrayed in his best clothes, was enjoying it when he ran against his former clerk. “What did you call me?” suddenly asked , assuming an indignant expression, as he Larry — looked into the Jew’s face. ‘“You vas mine old clerk, Larry Lang. I vould know you ’mong a t’ousand peoples. Vot you wear dot beard for, hey?” ‘Larry Lang, am I?” cried the young sport. e me for one of your vace, Who are you!” Dodger Dick. “Solomon Strauss, vot sells clodings on Bax- ter street.” “Oh! Well, Solomon, what do you want!” “T vants ter talk mit you, Larry.” ‘“Not now. I have business up-town.” The grip of the Jew tightened. Mr. Strauss was not to be hoodwinked by a falsehood. “Mine shop ish just around der corner,” he remarked. ‘ You will go mit me, Larry. Dare ish some dings I wants hexplained.” No wonder Larry drew back, He did not want to be faced by the pecula- tions he had committed while in the Jew’s em- ploy. He knew he could not make them geod, and Solomon Strauss was not very forgiving. A few feet away stood a burly policeman, who | seemed ready to step to Solomon’s assistance, | and a glance at him made Larry apparently do- cile. There was a glitter in the Jew’s eyes, and a moment later Larry was conducted away. “Tf I don’t give this sheeny the slip may I never see fortune’s face again!” he muttered, ‘‘T know what will follow if he gets me beyond his doors. I'll bestripped of every cent I have, and Mrs. Strauss, a real lioness, will hold me up while her husband works the racket. You've caught a hawk instead of a pigeon, Solomon. Go on and let me prove it.” Just around the corner was Baxter street, and the part struck by Larry and his captor was the clothing merchant’s paradise of New York. Larry went with the Jew without opposition. He wondered how Solomon had penetrated his disguise when Mrs. Hartwick had not. He did not know that bis gait, which he had not chang- ed, had given him away to his old employer. In a little while the Jew conducted Larry into an alley at the mouth of which stood his place of business whose interior was familiar to the young man. At a rude door Solomon stopped and produced a key. We Now's my time!” passed through Larry’s mind. ‘If he gets mein the trap, [li come out used up, if I get-out at all.” The next moment just as Solomon was open- ing the door he had unlocked, Larry jerked back. he Jew uttered a loud cry and turned. “Not yet, my old fox!” ejaculated Larry, as he caught the Israelite who sprung at him, and held him at arm’s length. “I don’t go intc your trap. If you follow me, or raise acry I'll ore away your transactions abont those con- emned goods, and the fire!” ‘*Mine Gott! vot you say?’ gasped the Jew, suddenly white. ‘“‘T'll blow that fire business to the police!” was the answer. “ into your shop and let me go in peace. I guess I hold the best hand, Solomon. I didn’t want to say this on the street, but I can tell you heres Now, go!” He pushed the Jew toward the door which opened as he_touched it, and the next instant omoanr Strauss pitched headlong into his own ouse. “My card was played at the right time!” eo Larry, as he turned away. The young sport turned pale. “What is the charge against me?’ he de- manded. ‘* Abduction—brought by the boy here. He says that Mr. Solomon Strauss, your former em- ployer, will probably bring another charge,” the: officer answered. ‘*He will do nothing of the kind,” exclaimed Larry. ‘As for the charge of abduction, it- won’t hold water.” ‘Not if Rosa comes forward and tells her story?” put in the boy. ; “a osa 2” ‘You didn’t find the girl at Mrs. Hartwick’s,. did you? Well, I should whisper not, my light- fingered clerk o’ Baxter street! Rosa will be on hand when wanted; don’t give yourself any un- easiness on that score.” Larry made no reply, and in silence he was conducted from the scene of his mishap with the hand of the stalwart officer at his wrist. The game was up, and he had tarried too long near the scene of his last play. The Dodger did not lose sight of Larry until he saw him beyond the doors of the station, and when he walked from the building there was a smile on his lips. ‘One more, the boss of the gang, and my work is done, If I could, I’a let him go, for a certain woman’s sake, but Justice wants him under cover.” Dick spoke thus while he hurried wie watch- ed though he knew it not by a man who had seem him land his prisoner at the station-house. CHAPTER XVI. THE STORY OF THE TRAP. ‘* ALIVE, by the powers!” growled the mar by whom Dick Sly was watched like a hawk. | “Did the two rats play me false in ‘the chapel? Woe to their, skins !f they went back on Jack o’ Diamonds!” Meantime Dick had turned into a by-street and was making good time down the pavement. Jack o’ Diamonds bad not lost sight of him, but he kept at a respectful distance unseen by the young dock spy detective. Not long afterward the Dodger entered a house and was greeted by Donald Dustin, the young reporter, who uttered an exclamation of surprise at sight of him. “That was a fine drubbing you gave Larry!” eried Dick, dropping into a chair before Donald could begin the twenty questions at his lips. ** You heard of it?” “Yes. I am told that you went for him im good style. You couldn’t wait, Donald?” ‘““No. The impudence of the fellow incensed me. I presume he will now play a new game against Rosa.” “He will do nothing of the kind.” “ What do you know?” “Larry has made new acquaintances.” ‘*Who are they?” ‘The police.” “What! bas he fallen into their hands?” ** He has.” 4 “What is the charge against him?” ‘‘ Abduction, with Rosa as the prosecuting: : y. e city sport was atthe mouth of the alley | witness.” again, and a moment later had joined the pedes- trians. Nobody, apparently, had witnessed his en- ‘* Then she has been found?” ** Rosa is found |” Dick’s last sentence was the greatest surprise counter with the Jew, and he had congratulated | of all. Donald sprung forward and caught the himself on this score. ‘“‘Give me an hour, and I will cease to bea citizen of Gotham!” he cried. “There, that is the man!” ejaculated a voice near bim at that moment. Larry heard every word, and was thrilled. All at once a hand that seemed to give him an electric shock was laid on his shoulder, - “Dm the man,” thought Larry. , The following iene lis had been brought to a standstill, and was looking into the face of a large man. * That is the fellow; that is Mr. Larry Lang!” exclaimed a youthful voice, and Larry saw a boy step to the man’s side. ‘He’s got false whiskers on, and all that, but I know him. [ve followed him all the way from his hotel.” ’ Larry was thunderstruck. He had been fol- lowed, and the boy was a spy. ‘* Who is this young imp of Satan?” he flashed, leaning toward the boy, whose eyes had a spar- kle of victory and delight, “I’m Dick Sly, the Dodger o’ the docks!” was the answer. “You that wharf imp! Why, I thought that—” “That Jack o’ Diamonds’s trap in ‘the chapel’ caught me, eb, Larry?” laughed the lad. “Tm here to prove that the trap caught no- body. I guess you’re the man I want.” ) boy’s arm. “Found! Rosa found? Where is she, boy?” “T thought I would startle you,” laughed Dick, his eyes sparkling like twin stars. ‘* You'd robably fly to her right away and leave me to Follow at my leisure if I told you, Just wait a bit. I have a little more news.” “Go on!” cried the impatient youth. “You look like you know more than a morning paper.’” “Our old friend Jack o’ Diamonds sprung a trap under the docks a few hours ago,” contin- ued the boy detective. “On you ” “On ‘Richard Sly, Esquire, as Silas Seldon would call me. His tool, Tony Whack, lured me to ‘the chapel’ where wasset a trap of which I knew nothing till yesterday. I was warned in a strange manner, and by a per who is worth his weight in gold to Jack o’ Diamonds if he can play his big game out. I was on my way to ‘the chapel’ when I was touched by some- thing in the darkness, and then I heard a low voice. I got down and felt with my hands, for I could not see anything, and discovered a boy who gave the whole scheme away. “T was told not to go to the middle of ‘the chapel’ which is a hollow under the wharf. The boy who called himself ‘Prince Peter’ then told me about the plan for my destruction, a plan which he had heard discussed by Jack o» ee ES
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Diamonds, Tony Whack and Bender. The bo is in Jack’s power, and he is holding him bac like a trump card. I could hardly get away from the little fellow whose lower limbs seem to be useless. He wanted to teil me every thing he had heard, but, most of all, he wanted to baf- fle the rascals who had set the trap for me, ‘Well, I went to ‘ the chapel’ as I had prom- ised Tony. He met me there, but Bender was not tobe found. Tony had agreed to give me some information about Peter Prayne, the mer- chant’s lost boy. He wanted me to accompany him to the bottom of the basin. I did so but when he withdrew to see that there were no lis- teners around, I scrambled back, and waited. All at once a strange noise grated on my ear and I knew that a trap of some kind had been sprung. If Prince Peter told the truth, the bot- tom of the basin disappeared for a moment. — It sounded like something of that kind. As noise- lessly as I could, I crept from the place without letting Tony and Bender know that I had es- caped. They are still in the dark; but Red Rey- nard, who bled Peter Prayne to the tune of twenty-five thousand dollars last night, knows that some rats are sharper than the traps.” “Since my escape from Jack o’ Diamonds’s dead-fall, I have thrown Red Reynard into the hands of the detectives. I followed him and Peter Prayne to the merchant’s house, and at the steps of an ‘L’ depot, I had the villain turned over. The whole lot are caged now but Jack.” ‘*The coolest and shrewdest of all!” ejacula- ted Donald. ‘If he suspects that you have eluded him he will take flight and not get his just dues.” ‘**] would be willing to call it quits,” was the singular reply. he ey reporter gave Dick a surprised ook. ‘* After all he has done—after his infamous dock trap?” he exclaimed, ; ‘*There are some things you don’t know, Donald,” was the answer. ‘‘ But Justice cannot afford to let Jack slip through her fingers, I am oing to the end of the scheme. Now, Donald, fwill put you on the trail to, Rosa, but you must not publish anything about the romance that began with the mystery of a ring till I give you authority.” “T agree, Dick; but I’ve got two columns in my head now, and they’re trying to get out.” ot long after this there was a pleasant meet- ing in a certain house and Rosa told Donald the story of her adventures, The reporter listened with rising indignation to her account of Larry Lang’s infancy; how Mrs. Hartwick had been decoyed from her home by Jack’s voice at the window, how she (Rosa) had been decoyed from the house by a well- coined story about a sick friend by Larry, how she was forced to go aboard the boat with Larry and Jack, how she was taken to another boat in the harbor, while the first was abandoned to de- ceive the police, and how she was then rowed to the quarters prepared beforehand for her recep- tion by the young rascal! ; Larry’s intention was to force the girl into a distasteful marriage, but ber escape from_ the house, and her unexpected meeting with Dick Sly on the street had overthrown all his plans, hile Rosa was detailing all her experience to Donald a man appeared suddenly to two young larks sitting in the light of a lantern under the wharves. ** Here! you ought to be at the bottom o’ the harbor with a stone about your necks!” cried the man. ‘‘ What kind o’ trap-throwers ar’ ye, anyhow? Can’t you catch a rat when you have *?im at hand?” The two boys, Tony Whack and Bender, start- ed back with scared faces, for a thundercloud of passion had darkened Jack o’ Diamonds’s face, “A pretty kettle o’ fish you made o’ it!” he went on in a growl. “What has happened, Jack?” asked Tony. ‘The kid’s alive!’ “ Dick?” “ Dick,” The answer seemed to take the boys’ breath. “The next time I want you to doa thing, you'll know’ it; but there’ll be no next time. here’s Prince Peter?” The two boys threw a glance toward a pallet just beyond the rim of light. Jack o’ Diamonds crawled forward and bent over the emaciated body that lay on the dirty straw. ™ y trump card after all,” he muttered to himself. ‘‘ I tell ye, Peter, that button was what brought him to time.” The next moment he picked the boy up softly, and came back to Tony and his companion. “Tm going to take Prince Peter to better a Le Dodger Dick. ‘* What! do you mean that you have him?” ‘*No, but I can put my hand on the prize.” “ Not on Jack?” **On Jack, when he comes back to the new quarters; but on Prince Peter, now.” ‘*-You’re a trump, Dick!” *“T’ve had a long hunt, and I feel a bit tired.” Jack has taken Prince Peter away from the wharf nest: he wouldn’t trust him any longer with mt and Bender. But,” and the boy’s eyes twinkled with triumph, ‘* he couldn't hide long from Dodger Dick, the ferret of the wharf. I have dropped in to tell you, Donald, that I hope to finish the job to-night.” « '' Not alone?” P **Of course not, but-Jack will know that’ the rat has turned catcher.” It was verging onto eleven o'clock that night when @ man climbed a narrow stair to the second floor of an obscure three-story building, | and unlocked the door of a little room, untidy and dimly lighted, In one corner of the apartment stood a nar- row cot, which was occupied. ‘“* Aren’t you asleep yet, Peter?’ he asked, bending over a cot, and looking into the bright quarters,” he remarked, replying to their inquis- itive looks. ‘* You fellows kin stay here and spring traps for some one else; but remember! vou don’t want to play any games ag’in’ Jack o’ Diamonds!” The look which accompanied the words was a startling threat only too well understood by those who heard. ‘The two wharf rats made no reply, and when Jack o’ Diamonds, carrying the crippled boy passed beyond the light, they had seen him for the last time. CHAPTER XVII. THE RAT’S VICTORY. Just three days after these events, Mr. Peter Prayne found a letter on his private desk at the store. No onein his employ knew how it got there, but there it was to confront the mercbant when he came down-town for the day. Mr. Prayne broke the seal and read {several sentences written in this manner. “Mr. Perer Prayne:—If you really want your boy restored, play fair and don’t buy off the negotiators. If you mean business, say so in to-morrow’s Hérald in a ‘‘personal’’ addressed to ‘‘ Business.”’ This is the last chance. Iam the person, and the only one who knows. BuSINEss.” As the merchant folded the note, a boy who | eyes of a boy. had just entered the store walked up to the pri-| ‘I have been asleep, but a dream awakened vate desk and took off his hat with a cheery, | me.” bright-eyed ‘* good-morning.” ‘*You dream too much,” growled the man. It was Dodger Dick, the Wharf Spy Detec- | ‘‘ What did you dream this time?” tive. “T thought a splendid carriage drove up te ‘No clew yet, Ricoard?” asked the merchant, | the door, and I was taken up through the city to “Three days have passed since—” a magnificent house.” ‘‘ Since we nabbed Red Reynard, eh? This is ‘* Fudge! fiddlesticks!” growled the listener. the third day, sure enough.” ‘“*That’s all nonsense, Peter.” “ It cannot be that Jack o’ Diamonds has got | A knock sounded on the door, wind of the arrest?” ‘* Who's that?” he exclaimed. “No! The affair has been kept out of the ‘*Mebbe the little girl who was here yester- papers, and Red 13 in close confinement, He is | day. She said she would come back.” sullen and fierce, and_ will confess nothing, ** But it is nearly midnight. Curse the street through fear of Jack. But I don’t think we'll | fairy if it be her!” And Jack o’ Diamonds went have to wait for Red to open his head,” to the door. , “Then you have a clew?” He unlocked it and opened it a little, when, ‘* Not much of one,” smiled the boy. all at once, it was dashed in his face! “ Well, what pF ho make out of that?” and ‘‘ Surrender!” cried two stern voices at the Mr. Prayne handed Dick the anonymous letter, | same moment and the ex-convict who stood The boy’s eyes dilated as he read; when he | spell-bound in the light looked into the muzzles looked up at the merchant his face was wreathed | of two revolvers. in smiles, ‘That is the man!” exclaimed a boy coming ‘““The same old fox!” he exclaimed. forward. ‘ That is Jack o’ Diamonds!” see his tracks all through this letter.” The look that passed from the convict’s eyes “Tt is from the ex-convict, is it?” to the young detective was one of tigerish ‘Tt is from Jack. And to prove it, I ask you | fierceness. to look at this.” ‘* Caught by the rat after all!” he grated, and Dick produced a a of crumpled paper | then submitted to the manacles, from his pocket and placed it and the letter side by side on the merchant's desk, ‘“*T see! Both are the work of the same hand!” declared Mr, Prayne. “T know that Javk wrote this one,” continued Dick, touching the crumpled paper. “Then he wrote the other!’ The next moment the merchant leaned to- There was intense eagerness “T can It isnot for us to describe the affecting re- — that followed the capture of the con- vict. Prince Peter’s dream speedily came true, for the fine carriage did come, and he was taken to a magnificent house up-town. The merchant had found his boy, at last, and the doctors thought that the crippled limbs could be restored, Some. years before the opening of our story a child was run over in the streets, and the man wko picked him up disappeared from view, It now turned out that the child was little Peter Prayne, and that his abductor was a com- mon thief who, dying afterward, left the crip- pled boy and his secret to Jack o’ Diamonds. ward the boy spy. in his eyes. : “But do you know for certain that my boy— my long-lost son is in the convict’s hands?’ he cried, ‘¢ Yes,” admitted Dick, candidly. ‘‘ I do know it, Mr. Prayne. I owe my life to your boy! He saved me from one of the most infamous traps ever set in New York. 1 owe him something, ou see; I owe him rescue from the hands of the man who plays him as a card te extort money from you.’ The merchant flushed. ‘Give me a chance at this man. Stand Jack o’ Diamonds before me, and I will promise you The second trial sent Red Reynard where he that the law will never get to dally with the | naturally belonged, and the third and most im- monster. But I leave the case with you, my portant one opened the prison doors again for boy. You are the best detective I want, Why, | the famous Jack o’ Diamonds. you beat them all. When will you report again?” It then transpired why Dick Sly felt a little *“ When I have something to report. This is | pity for the scamp. He was Mother Sturgeon’s the third day and I think I have a clew.” own brother, and the woman loved him, de- ‘*Follow it! Don’t let the villain escape you. spite his vil'ainies, Remember that my boy’s life is at stake!’ We hardly need say that Rosa became Mrs. Donald Dustin, nor that the young reporter wrote up in style the strange story which start- ed with the finding of a diamond ring, The paper Fergus Fleece stole ee Larry never did anybody any ag The young sport always refused to say what it was, Dick, the Wharf Spy Detective, was well re- warded for his work and the doors of a certain New York marsion are always open to him. In due course of time three criminal trials took place in the courts of New York. At one Larry Lang was convicted and sen- tenced toa term in Sing Sing. “I forget notbing,” was the reply, and the next moment the merchant was the only occu- pant of the little room. The day, now well advanced with its_roar and hum of business, was a busy one for Dick. He was no longer the boy whom we first saw on the bales of the wharves; he had apparently deserted his old stamping-ground, and had trans- ferred himself to another part of the city. ‘Well, you have been baffled!” exclaimed Reporter Donald, as Dick entered his lodgings late in the afternoon. ‘I see that Jack o’ Dia- monds has given you the slip.” : Dick’s eyes glistened. ‘‘ He has poked his head into the law's noese,” he ausw: with a light laugh. boy beginning to walk again, “it isn’t always that the trap catches the rat.’ “No,” answers Peter with a laugh, “I know one trap that caught nothing.” _ The boys are great friends. ' THE ENB. a “T tell you what, Peter,” he often says to a |
Page 15
; 289 The Gol Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. BY PHILIP 8S. WARNE, 67 Patent-Leather Joe; or, Old Rattlesnake, the Charmer. 175 Captain Arizona; or, Petent-Leather Joe's Big Game. 198 Captain Mask; or, Patent-Leether Joe’s Defeat. 219 Despard, the Dueliat; or, The Mountain Vempires. 888 A Tough Boy ; or, The Dwart’s Revenge, 868 Little Tornados or, The Outcasts of the Glen. BIB Little Jingo; or, the Queer Pard, B88 Little Oh-my ¢ or, Caught in His Own Trap, 401 Little Shoo-F ly; or, A Race for a Ranch. 408 Little Leather- Breeches ; or, Old Jumbo’s Curse, 481 Little Ab sin; or, The Curse of Blood, 451 Colorado Kate. A Tale of the lines. 480 Three Jolly Pards. 517 Jim Gladden’s Deputy. 527 The Jolly Pards to the Reacue, 547 Sandy Andy; or, A Good Man Down, 556 Lariat Lil; or, The Cast for a Life, 574 Old Weasel-top, the Man with the Dogs, 598 Ketn Clem, the Kavch Imp. 599 Jim Dandy; the No-Name Sport. BY CAPTAIN FRED. WHITTAKER. 15 The Sea-Cat; or, The Witch of Darien. 29 The Dumb Page 5 or, The Doge’s Daughter. 48 Dick Darling, the Pony Express Rider. 150 Lance and Lasso; or, The Children of the Chaco. 154,The Sword Munters ; or, The Land of the Elephant Riders, 159 The ae Dereeey or, Skipper Jabez Coffin’s Cruise to the n Polar Sea. 200 e Boy Bedoutns; or, The Brothers of the Plumed Lance. 214 Wolfzang, the Robber of the Rhine, 249 Milo Komer, the Animal King; or, The Round the World Wanderer, 265 The tiger Tamer; or, The League of the Jungle. 881 Black Nick, the Demon Rider, 895 California Joe’s War Trail. BY BUCKSKIN 8AM (Major Sam, 8, Hall.) 284 Old Recky a **Boyees; reaker, 246 Glant George; or, The Ang’! of the Range. 275 Arizona Jack; or, Giant George’s Pard. 297 The Tarantula of Taon; or, Giant George’s Revenge. 807 The Strange Pard; or, Litt Ben’s Death Hunt. 818 Ker-whoop, Ker-whoo}; or, The Tarantula of Taos, 827 Oresening Cat, the Caddo}; or, The Red and White Pards, 882 Frio Fredy or, The Tonkaway’s Trust. 844 The F lehting Trio; or, Rattlesnake, the Tonkaway. 849 Wild Wolf; or, Big-Foot Wallace to the Front. 857 The Ranch Raiders; or, The Siege of Fort Purgatory, 864 Snap-Shot, the Boy Ranger: 875 Chiota, the Creek; or, The Three Thunderbolts. 881 Bandera Bill; or, Frio Frank to the Front. 892 Romeo and the Reds; or, The Beleaguered Ranch, 404 Little Lariat; or, Pecan Pete’s Big Rampage. 414 The Daisy from Denver. 427 The Three Tratlera; or, Old Rocky on the Rampage, 442 Bluff BAU; or, The Lynx of the Leona. 455 Little Lone Star}; or, The Belle of the Cibolo, BY EDWARD WILLETT. 167 Asa Scott, the Steamboat Boy. 199 Featherweight the Boy Champion of the Muskingum, 228 Ozark Alf; or, Featherweight Among the Outlaws. 282 The Typo Detective; or, Weasel, the Boy Tramp. 295 Feurless Phil; or, The King of Quartzville. 31iL The eying Sport; or, The Pride of Chuckaluck Camp, $22 Nemo, the Detective; or, Kit Kenyon's Vendetta, 840 CHp the Contortionist; or, The Montana Vigilantes, BY J, ©. COWDRICK. 860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery. 869 Shasta, the told King; or, For Seven Years Dead. 420 The WVelective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Without a Name. A424 Cibuta Johny; or, Red-Hot Times at Ante Bar. A489 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout, A467 Diaco Dan, the anny, 4 Dude. 490 Broadway Billys the Bootblack Bravo. B06 Redlight Ralph, the Prince of the Road, 514 Broatwey iM : i Hooere, 524 The Engineer Detective. 586 Broadway Billy’s ‘ Diftikilty.” 548 Mart, the Night Express Detective. BS? Broadway Billy’s Peath Racket. 571 Air-Line Lake the Young Engineet. 579 The Chimney Spy; or, Broadway 59 e Boy Pinkerton. 605 William 0’ Broadway; or, The Boy Detective’s Big Inning. BY JO PIERCE, 897 Bob o’ the Bowery ¢ or, The Prince of Mulberry Street 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bob’ Ab2 Hotspur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective.” aerens 460 The Lawyer’s Shadow}; or, Luke’s | egaey, A72 Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse-King. A94 Surly Sim, the Young Ferryman Detective, 504 Five Points Phil. 509 Jack Jaggers, the Butcher Boy Detective. 5616 Tartar Tim; or, Five Points Phil’s Menagerie. 626 North River N at, the Pier Detective, B88 Wrestling Rex, the Pride ofthe Sixth Ward, BA Jeff Flicker, the Stable Boy Detective, 551 Nick Nettle, the Boy Shadow. — 659 Harlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective. : 569 Rrooklyn Ben, the On-His-Own-Hook Detective, 577 Pavement Pete, the Secret Sifter, BSS Jack-o’-Lantern, the Under-Sea Prospector, 608 Wide-Awake Bert, the Street-Steerer. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 8 BL Mek or, The Yellow Chief's Vengeance, = The Land jrates; or, The Lengue of Devil's Island, 18 e Helpleas Hand; or, Backwoods Retribution, tanga mye Gulde ¢ or, The Lost Mountain, or, Benito, the Young Horse- . Billy’s Surprise-Party. BY MAJOR HENRY B. STODDARD, Ex-Scout, 806 Neck-Ti or, The Dug-Out Pards, $48 papier Bet soil 3 or, The Swordsmen of Zacatecas, BY9L KId-Glove At, the Dandy of the Rockies. Kid-Glove Kit and Pard; ot, The Gold King, The Mad Man-HMunter; or, The Mystery of Golden Gulch, — 505 Powell's Pard; or, The One-Armed Giant. BY WARRY ST. GEORGE. _ 80 Roaring Ral ph Rockwood, the Ran er. 44 Rattlin 3 or, The Ni k PKentucky. Hickory; or, Randy aii me i pepe 108 Daring D Y + aring Davy} or, The Trail of the Border Wolf. 166 Hickory 3 or, Th i 478 Thunderbolt Toms ore Wathee No Double Numbers. BY ALBERT W,. AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunes ofa Bowery Girl. 76 Abe Colt, the Crow-Killer. ZY Sol Ginger, the Giant Trapper, 288 Joe Buck of Angels and His Boy Pard. 447 New York Nat. A ‘Vale of Tricks and Traps in Gotham. 458 New England Nick; or, the Fortunes of a Foundling. 464 Nimble Nick, the Circus Prince. 498 Taos Ted, tae Arizona Sport. 510 Cool Colorado, the Hal!-Breed Detective. 515 Cool Colorado in New York. BY GEORGE WALDO BROWNE. 86 Dane Rock the Man from Texas, 90 ‘The Drend Rider; or, The Texan Duelist. 99 The Tiger of Taos; or, Dandy Rock’s Angel. 115 The Mad Miner; or, Dandy Rock’s Doom, 181 The Golden Hand; or, Dandy Rock to the Rescue, 164 Dandy Reck’s Pledge}; or, Hunted to Death, 178 Dandy Rock’s Rivals: or, The t!aunted Maid of Taos, BY CAPT. J. F. ©. ADAMS, 84 Oregon Sol; or, Nick Whiffles’s Boy Spy. 46 Glass-Eye, the Great Shot of the West. 54 Ned Hazel, tie Boy Trapper. 566 N ick Whiffies’s Pets or, In The Valley of Death. 60 The White Indian; or, The Scovt of the Yellowstone, ZO Old Zip’« Cabing or, The Greenhorn in the Woods. S1 Lightning Jo, the Terror of the Prairie, 85 Buck Buekramy} or, Bess, the Female Trapper, 247 Old Grizzly and His Pets; or, The Wild Huntress. 251 Light-house Lige; or, Osceola, the Firebrand. 257 The Lost Hunters; or, The Underground Camp. 288 The Scalp King: or, The Human Thunderbolt, BY ROGER STARBUOK, 25 The Boy Captain; or, The Pirate’s Daughter. 114 The Black Schooner; or, Jib Junk, the Old Tar. 259 The Golden Harpoon; or, Lost Among the Floes. 848 Fire-Meels; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. 854 Big Horn Ike, the Hill Tramp; or, The Odd Pards. 861 The Phantom Light-house, 870 Breaker Ben, the Reef-Runner, BY WILLIAM Ff. EYSTER. 190 Dandy Darke; or, The Tigers of High Pines 210 Faro Frank; or, Dandy Darke’s Go-Down Pard4 BY COLONEL DELLE SARA, 108 The Lion of the Sen; or, The Vailed Lady. 186 Cool Desmond ; or, The Gambler's Big Game. BY JAMES L. BOWEN 107 One-Eyed Sim; or, The Abandoned Forest Home. 110 The Black Steed of the Prairies, A Story of Texas. BY ©. DUNNING CLARK, 185 Captain Paul; or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. 280 The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef, BY GEORGE ©, JENKS. 485 Git Thar Owney the Unknown. 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. 518 The Demon Doctor. 581 Double-Curve Dan, the Pitcher Detective. 598 Flute, the Singer Detective, BY CAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR, U. 8. A. 191 Buffalo Willy, the Boy Bullwhacker; or, The Doomed rhe 194 Buffalo Bill's Bets or, The Gambler Guide, BY OWARLES E. LASALLE, 50 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. 52 The White Buffalo. A Tale of the Northwest. BY JONUN J. MARSHALL. 40 Roving Ben. A Story of a Young American. 97 The Outlaw Brothers; or, The Captive of the Harpes. BY WM. G. PATTEN. 489 The Diamond Sport: or, The Double Face of Bed Rock 519 Captain Mystery ; or, Five in One. 681 Dalay Dare the Sport from Denver. 587 Old Bombshell, the Ranger Detective. 604 Iron Fern, the Man of Fire. BY MAJOR FE. L, ST. VRAIN. 292 Sancho Pedro, the Boy Bandit. 801 Leadville Nick, the Boy Sport. 812 Redtop Rube, the Vigilante Prince. 888 Brimstone Bob, and His Lightning Horse Quartette, 852 Tombstone Tom, the Arizona Boy of “Sand,” B59 Durnure Blave, the Voom “her ton Wrestler, 871 Kingbolt Chris, the Yeung Hard-Shell Detective, 880 Avalanche Alf, the Foothills Guide. 890 Jaguar Joe, of the Mount»in Mail-Line, BY EDWARD 8. ELLIS. 6 BU Biddon, Trapper. 8 Seth Jonest or, The Captives of tne Frontier, 10 Nat Todd or, TheFate of the Sioux Captive. 21 The Frontier Angel. 98 The Boy Miners; or, The Enchanted Island, 182 The Nunted Hunter; or, The Strange Horseman, 254 The Half-Blood; or, Th» Panther of the Plains. 271 The Muge Hunter}; or, The Steam Prairie Man, BY MAJOR LEWIS W. CARSON, 278 The Three Trappers; or, The Mounts \ 288 Indian Joe; or, Me White Spirit of the — BY FRANK DUMONT. The Branded Hand; or, The } d i3e Wild-Fire, the Boss f the pe dem soe 140 Blue Blazes; or, The Break o’ Day Boys of Rosky Bar. 171 Ebony Dan; or, The Rival Leagues, * 185 Evil Eye; or, The Vultures of the Rio Grande. BY CAPT. MARK WILTON. 256 Young Kentuck: or, The Red Lasso, 270 Blizzard Ben}; or, The Riot at Keno Camp. 286 Josh, the Boy Tenderfoot. : BY BRACEBRIDGE NEMYNG. 89 Island Jim; or, The Pet of the Family. 91 The Captain of the Club; or. The Rival Athletes, 101 Jack Harkaway in New York. BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR. 2 Vellowstone Jack; or, The Trap: ner. 48 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, Phe Outlaw’s Retreat. 65 Hurricane Bills or, Mustang Sam and His Pard. 119 Mustang Sam ; or, ‘The King of the Plains. Night-trawk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch. 144 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. Panther Paul: or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy. 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. 184 The Boy Trailers ; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path. 208 The Boy Parda; or, Dainty Lance Unmaske, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. 810 The Barranca W olf; or, The Beautiful Decoy, $19 The Black Rider 3 or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, 885 Old Double Fist 3 or, ‘The Strange Guide 855 The King of the Woods: or tue bvone’s Last Trail. 449 Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective. - BY W. J. HAMILTON, 68 The Red Brotherhood ; or, The Twelve Avengers. 66 Single Hand; or, A Life for a Life, 72 Mad Tom Western, the Texan Ranger. 887 Ben Bird, the Cave King; or, Big Pete’s Scoop. BY JACK FARRAGUT. 815 Ned, the Cabin Boy. 820 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Skipper. BY LIFUT. i. D. PERRY, U. 8. N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buceaneer of the Bay. 180 The Sea Trailer: or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Point. BY HARRY WAZARD. 828 Arkansaw Jack; or, The Scourge of the Mines. 829 Red-Skin Yom; or, The Demon’s Trail. $42 The Mountain bevil: or, Yellow Jack, the Outlaw. BY COL, A. F. HOLT. 899 Black Buckekin; or, The Masked Men of Death Canyon. 419 Kenneth, the Knife-King. 485 Little Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods, BY J. W. OSBON. 469 The Rival Giants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Luck. 5ST Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner. BY FREDERICK DEWEY. 818 Cimarron Jack, the King-Pin of Rifle-Shote, 478 Tangemund, the Desert Detective. « 542 The Canyon Pards. BY ARTHUR ©. GRISSOM, 440 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowie Kid. 558 The Sure-Shot Pards. BY LIEUT. A. K, SIMS. 546 Captain Cactus, the Chaparral Cock. 568 The Dandy of Dodge. 576 The Silver Sport. 588 Saffron Sol, the Man With a Shadow. 5S9 Tom-Cat and Pard; cr, The Dead Set at Silver City. 601 Happy Hansa, the Dutch Vidoeg; or, Red-Hot Times af Round-Up. MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS. 4 The Wild-Horse Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Reld and Frederick Whittaker. 9 Adventures of Baron Munchausen. 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sailor. His Seven Voyages. 22 f Pa Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Rekiane Crusoe. By Juan wis. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates of the Crrribees. By S, W. Pierce. 86 The Boy Clown; or, The Queen ofthe Arena. By Frank S, Finn. 88 Ned Wylde. the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. 51 = Roy Riftes; or, The Underground Camp. By Archie . irons. 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi. By Lieut.-Col, Hazeltine. 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Ear); or, The Merry Men of Green- wood. By Prof. Gildersleeve. 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain Hamilton Holmes. ’ 112 The Mad Wunter; or, The Cave of Death. By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy. the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George Gleeson. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Bory. By J. Alexander Patten. 227 Dusky Parrell, Trapper: or, The Green Ranger of the Yel- lowstone. By Edward Emerson, 261 Fergus Fearnaught the New York Boy. By George L. ike r Aiken. 266 Killb’ar. the Guide; »r, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign C. D. Warren. 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Cliff. By Captain Comstock. 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lien- tenant Alired Thorne. 828 The Sky tetectives or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honore y Maior Mickey Free. 850 Red Ralph, the River Rover}; or, The Brother's Re-) venge. By Ned Buntline. _ 865 Baltimore Ben the Bootblack Detective. By A. P. Morris. 874 Gold-Dust Toms °*, Ben’s Double Match, “By George He Moree. 876 Cailfornia Joe’s First Trail, By Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery. 418 Blily Bombshell, the Cliff Climber. By F, S. Winthrop. 475 The Black Rhip. By John S. Warner. Comanche Dick and His Three Invineibles. By Henrv J. Thomas. 528 Wizard-Arm, the Dandy Sport. By Arthur 8’, Holt. 582 The Cowboy Duke. By Edwin Brooke Fi B52 Ariel the Athlete. By David Druid, f 585 Will Waters, the Boy Ferret. By H. Enton. A New Issue Every Tuesday. The Half-Dime Library is for sale by al newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each, BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York.
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_ BY EDWARD L. WHEELER. Deadwood Dick Novels. 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road. 20 Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance, 28 Buffalo Ben; or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise. 85 Wila Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval. 42 Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza, 49 Omaha O11; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. bf Deadwood Dick's Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. 23 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine. %% Corduroy Charlie 3_or, Deadwood Dick’s Last Act, ] 100 Deadwood Dick in Leadville, 104 Deadwood Dick's Device; or, The Double Cross Sign. 109 Deadwood Dick as Detective. 129 + i Dick’s Double; or, The -Ghost of Gorgon’s anicn. 188 Blonde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base. 149 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party. 195 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, The Rivals of the Road. 201 The Black Mills Jezebel; or, Deadwood Dick’s Ward. 205 Deadwood Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last Ad- venture. 217 Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. 221 Sugar-Coated Samy} or, The Black Gown. 282 Gold-Duat Dick. A Romance of Roughs and Toughs, 268 Deadwood Dick’s Divide or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. 268 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. 809 Deadwood Dick’s Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of regon. $21 Deadwood Dick’s Dozen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats. 847 Deadwood Dick’s Ducats; or, Rainy Days in the Dig- gings. B51 Deadwood Dick Sentenced; or, The Terrible Vendetta. 862 vearavee Dick’s Claim ; or, The Fairy Face of Faro ‘late. 405 Deadwood Dick in Dead City. 410 Beadweed VDick’s Diamonds ; or, urter. 421 Deadwood Dick in New York; or, A “Cute Case.” 480 Deadwood Dick’s Dust; er, The Chained Hand. 448 Deadwood Dick, Jr. 448 Nickel-Plate Neds or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Defiance. 4538 punhower, Sam, of Shasta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’a Full and. 459 Flush Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Big Ronnd- The Mystery of Joan | Up. 465 Phitto Fly, of Phenix; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Racket at Aan . 471 Bozeman Bill; or, 476 Humboldt Marry, the Hurricane; Dog Detective. AS1 Moll Mystery; or, Deadwood Dick Jy. in AY1 Prince Pistol, the King of the West; or, Jr’s Compact. 496 Monte Cristo, Jr.: or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Inheritance. 500 Deadwtod Dick’s Diggings s or, Dr. Death-Grip’s Swoop. 508 Deadwood Dick’s Deliverance. , bi5S Deadwood Dick’s Protegee. 522 Deadwood Dick’s Three. 529 Deadwood Dick’s Danger Ducks. 6S4 Deadwood Dick’s Deatir Hunt. 689 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Texas. 544 Deadwood Dick, dr. the Wild West Vidoeq. 549 Deadwood Dick on His Mettle. bS4 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Gotham. 561 Deadwood Dick in Boston. 567 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Philadefphia. b72 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Chicago. 678 Deadwood Dick, dr. Afloat. bS4 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Denver. 690 Deadwood Dick, Jr's, Decree. h9> Deadwood Dick Jr. in Beelzebub’s Basin. 600 Deadwood Dick Jr. at Coney Island. 606 Deadwood Dick Jr’s Leadville Lay; or, Bristol and Bneket’s Loom. Deadwood Dick Jr’s Corral. or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Deadwood. Deadwood Dick Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 26 Cloven Hoof, the Buffalo Demon. 82 Bob Woolf; or, The Girl Dead-Shot. 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York. 45 Old Ayalsache 5 or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand, B83 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix. 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team. 69 Gold Rifle, the Shar yshooter; or, The Bo Detective. 80 Rosebud Rob 3 or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Idy], the Girl Miner; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand, 88 Phetogra7h Phil; or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance. 92 Seunae Chet ; or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp, 96 Watch-Eye ; or, Arabs and Angels of a Great City. 218 Jack Hoyle _the Young Speculator. V17 Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sport Detective 121 Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport. 125 Bonanza Bill, Miner. 188 Boss Bob the King of Bootblacks. 141 Solid Sam, the Boy Rond-Agent. 145 Captain Ferret, the New York Detective; or, Boss Bob’s POD. 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 177 Nobby N ick of Nevada} or, The Sierras Scamps. rank, the Buckskin Bravo. Sam’s Seeret; or, Fag Bloody Footprinte, 29 o. 1, the Dashing Toll-Taker. 808 *Liza Jane, the Jiri Miner; or, the Tron-Nerved x 825 Kelley, Mickey & Co., the Detectives of Philadelphia, The Lottery of The Secret of Slab City. BS2 Cool Kit, the King of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, The Rivals of Red Nose. Yreka J DP Wrinkles the Night-Watch Detective. gh lac Macrae de a he a. iv k and Pal, Private aaclivess Santa Fe Sal, the Slasher. Bealskin Sum, the Sparkier. Sam Jim BEADLE’S* HALF-D Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. No Double Numbers. eee Se ie IM BY CHARLES MORRIS. 118 Will Somers, the Boy Detective. 122 Phil Mardy, the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective. 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Rags. 142 Handsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, 47 Will Wildtire, the Thoroughbred. 52 Black Beas, Will Wildfire’s Racer. 57 Mike Merry, the Harbor Police Boy, WIll Wildfire in the Woods. 5 Billy Baggage. the Railroad Boy. 70 A ‘Trump Card or, Will Wildfire Wins and Loses, 74 Rob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. 7 Rob Rockett, the Bank Runner, 88 The Hidden Hand; or, Will Wildfire’s Revenge. 8? Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; cr, The Smugglers, 89 Bob Rockett; or, Driven to the Wall. 96 Shadowed ¢ or, Bob Rockett’s Fight for Life. 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective. 220 Tom Tanner}; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock. 225 Sam Charcoal the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two “ Bloods”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang. 252 Dick Dashaway: or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago. 262 The Young Sharps: or, Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail. 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Anprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’« Job; or, The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Hound; or, The Young Thoroughbred. 805 Dashaway, of Dakota; or, A Western Lad in the Quaker rity. 824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective. 841 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 858 The Reporter-Detective 3 or, Fred Flyer’s Blizzard. 867 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times. 879 Larry, the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevard, 408 Firelly Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier. 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagabond. 466 Wide-Awanke Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive, A479 Detective Dodge ; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty, 488 Wild Dick Racket. 501 Roots, the Boy Fireman; or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, 566 The Secret ~ervice Boy Detective. 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Wolves. . BY OLL COOMES. x & Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew. 18 The Dumb Spy. . 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. 81 Keen-Knife, the Prince of the Prairies. Al Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. BS The Border King; or, The Secret Foe. 71 Delaware Dick, the Young Renger Spy, 74 Wawk-eye Harry the Young Trapper Ranger, $8 Rollo, the Boy Ranger. 184 Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman. 148 Sear-Face Saul, tie Silent Hunter 146 Silver Star, the Boy Knight. 158 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. 168 Little Texas, the Young Mustanger. 178 Old Solitary, the Hermit Trapper. 182 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain. 202 Prospect Pete ¢ or, The Young Outlaw Hunters. 208 The Boy Hercules: or, The Prairie Tramps, 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, ‘Trapper Tom’s Castle, 228 Little Wildfire, the Young Prairie Nomad. 288 The Parson Detectives or, The Little Ranger. 248 The Disguiscd Guide; or, Wild Raven, the Ranger, 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger, 272 Minkskin Mike, tlhe Boy Sharpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy. 800 The Sky Demon 3; or, Ruinbolt, the Ranger. B84 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero. 409 Hercules; or, Dick, the Boy Runger. 417 Webtoot Mone, the Tramp Detective. 422 Baby Sam, the Bey Giant of the Yellowstone. 444 Little Buckakin, toe Young Prairie Centaur, 457 Wingedfoot Fred 3 or, Old Polar Saul. 468 Tamarac ‘lom, the Big Trapper Boy. 478 Old Tom Rattler, the Red River Epidemic. 482 Stonewall Bob, the Boy ‘Trojan. 562 Blundering Basil, the Hermit Boy Trapper. BY T. C. HARBAUGH, ? Nightingale Nat; or, Tne Forest Ca tains, 41 ma Guam Trails, Trig: er, the ie or, The Girl Avenger. njon Jack From Red Core, 98 Arkansaw 3 or, The Quern of Fate’s Revenge, Navajo Nick, the Boy Gold Hunter. 215 Captain Bullets or, Little Tovknot’s Crusade. 281 Plucky Phil; or, Ross, the Re i Jezebel. 241 Bill Bravo; or, The Roughs of the Rockies. 255 Captain Apoli, the King-Pin of Bowie. 267 The Buckskin Detectlye, 279 Old Winch; or, The Buckskin Desperadoes. 294 Dynamite Pany or, The Bowie Blade of Cochetopa. 802 The Mountain Detective yor, The Trigger Bar Buily. 816 Old Eclipse, Trump Card of Atizons, 826 The Ten Parda: or. The Terror of Take-Notice, 886 Big Benson; or, Tne Queen of the Lasso. 845 Pitiless Matt; or, Red Thunderholt’s Secret. $HK Cool Sam ind Pardy ov The Terrible Six. 866 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective. 8X6 Captain Cutlass; or, Ihe Bycenneer’s Girl Foe. 896 Rough Robs or, The !win Champions of Blue Blazes. A411 The Silken Lasso; or, The Rose of Ranch Robin, 418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter. 425 Texas Trump, the Border Rattler. 486 Phil Flash, the New York Fox. 445 The City Vampires; or, Ked Rolfe’s Pigeon, A461 One Against Fifty; or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy Shadow; or, Felix Fox's Hunt, 477 The Excelsior Sport; or, The Washington Spotter 499 Single Fight. the One-Eyed Sport. 502 Branded Ben, the Night Ferret. 7 B12 Dodger Dick, the Wharf-Spy Detective. 521 Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. B28 Fox and. Falcon, the Howery Shadows. B88 Dodger Dick, the Dock Ferret. Detedti B48 Dodger Dick’« Double ; or, The Rival Boy ives, B58 Dodeer Dick’s Desperate Case. 568 Dodger Dick, the Boy Vidocq. 578 The Two Shadows. 582 Dodger Dick’s Drop. 594 Little Lon, the Street-Singer Detective- E* LIB . RERY. > BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM. 7 The Flying Yankee; or, The Ocean Outcast, 17 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccancer; or, The Fugitive Yacht. 24 Diamond Yirk 3 or, The Mystery of the Yellowstone. 62 The Shadow Ships or, The Rival Lieutenants, 75 The Boy Duelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wolf. 102 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Sinuggier. 111 The Sea-Devil; or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. el 416 The Hussar Captain; or, ‘Ihe Hermit of Hell Gate. 197 Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter. 204 Gold Plume; or, The Kid-Glove Sport. 216 Bison BAll, the Prince of the Reins. 222 Grit, the Bravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer, 229 Crimson Kate; or, The Cowboy’s Triumph. 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain. 245 Merle the Middy 3; or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midshipman utineer 3 or, Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 tse Floating Feather; or, Merle Monte’s Treasure sland, 269 The Gold Ship; or, Merle, the Condemned. . 276 Merle Monte’s Cruise; or, The Chase of “The Gola Ship. | 280 Merle Monte’s Fate; or, Pearl, the Pirate’s Bride. 284 The Sea Marauder; or, Merle Monte’s Pledge. 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, the Boy Rover of the Rio Grande. 804 The Dead Shot Dandy ; or, Benito, the Boy Bugler. 808 Keno Kit; or, Dead Shot Dandy’s Double. $14 The Mysterious Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’s Long ‘Trail, a 877 Bonodel, the Buy Rover; or, The Flagless Schooner. ¥ 888 The Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island. 887 Warpath WiILl, the Boy Phantom. 898 Seawalf, the Boy Lieutenant. 402 Isodor, the Young Conxpirator ; or, The Fatal League. 407 The Boy Insurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta. 412 The Wild Yachtaman 3 or, The War-Cloua’s Cruise, 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. ; A88 A Cabin Boy’s Luck; or, The Corsair. ,, 487 The Sea Raider. ¥ 441 The Ocean Firefly; or, A Middy’s Vengeanec. *- 446 Maphazard Marry ; or, The Scapegrace of the Sea, ; ABO Wizard Will: or, The Boy Ferret of New York. a 464 Wizard Will’s Street Scouts, - 462 The Born Guide; or, The Salior Boy Wanderer, 468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster, 474 Flora; or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard. ' 488 Ferrets Afloat; or, Wizard Will’s Last Case. Wa AS? Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. ~ 495 Arizona Joe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack. 497% Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. , 508 The Royal Middy ; or, The Shark and the Sea Cat, 507 The Hunted Midshipman. , 511 The Outlawed Middy. 520 Buckskin Bill, the Comanche Shadow. 525 Brothers in Buckskin. 580 The Buckskin Bowers. ; 585 The Bue.skin Rovers. 540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder of the Rio. 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte. 650 Lafitte’s Legacy: or. The Avenging Son. BSS The Creole Corsair. 560 Pawnee BIIl, the Prairie Shadower. 565 Kent Kingdon, the Card King. : B70 Camille, the Card Queen. 575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective. 580 The Outcast Cadet; or, The False Detectives 586 The Buckskin Avenger. 591 Delmonte, the Young Sea Rover. 597? The Young Texan Detective. 602 The Vagabond of the Mines. 607 The Rover Detective; or, Keno Kit’s Champions, oo — a | tp Sem oy RY BUFFALO BILL (lfon. Wm. F. Cody). 8 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand. 7 19 The Phantom Spy: or, The Pilot of the Prairie, ’ bb Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Scout. 68 Border Robin Hood; or; The Prairie Rover, 158 Fancy Frank of Colorado} or, The Trapper’s Trtat, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 608 The Pitcher Detective’s Folls or, Double Curve Dan’e Double Play. By Gee. Cc. Jenks. 609 Bolly Dorrit, the Veteran Detective; or, Little Lightning” Tnvinel lee. By John W. Osbon. x & F 610 Old Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Sharp on Guard. By at T, C, Harbaugh. ; €11 Bildad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules; or, The Tussle at F T.ble Mountain. By Lieut. A. K. Sims. ; 612 Deadwood Dick Jr. in Detroit; or, Turning the Tables on Satan. By Edward L, Wheeler. y es 618 Billy Blazes; or, The Skeleton’s Legacy- By P.S. Warne. 5 + 614 Whistling Jacob, the Detective’s Aid 0% The Queer Com- ? bination. By Jo Pierce. ae 615 Fighting Harry, the Chief of Chained Cyclone; or, The a Heathen Chinee’s Midaione By J. €- Cowdrick. qe pe 4 616 The Ocean Detectives or. The Last Cruise of the Black “wal Bear By Geo, C, Jenks. Ready May 14. pi. 4 617 Ral the Dead-Shot Scouts or, The Raiders and the ba Red Riter’s of the Rio. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham, ‘cr Ready May 21. as aS % . in Cincinnati; or, T) a 618 Deadwood Dick, Jr: «ey Nerdy May a ne Clincher ae Campaign, By Ed. L. Whee “tives or, Th 1 Detec rads ~ Double Grip Wit- 619 The Boy Tramp. ness. By Wm. in a : agues or, My " i eat Ready Sheet. ne Myatery of the Island By Jobn W- A New Iaaue Every Tuesday. The Half- Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five conte per Copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street New York,