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F Entered as Second Class Matter at the New York. N. Y . Pout omce. Copyrighted 1896. by 85mm: um ADAMS. October 21'. 1896. ‘
I $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS. Price,
NO-  a. Year. No. 92 WXLLIAM STREET. NEW YORK. 5 cents. V01 
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/t/ ,1 1r

BICYCLE} BESS,

Boulevard~ Emily Detectiva

BY J. C. COWDRICK.
AUTHOR or "BROADWAY BILLY" NOVELS, mo.

CHAPTER I.
THE ST. NICHOLAS AVE. NIGHTINGALE.
IT was one of the richest and roundest

 

"SURE, IT was YOU DONE IT, YE BLA’GUARD!” voices imaginable.

 

  
  
 
 
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
   
  
   
  
   
 
   
 
 
  
  
   
  
    
 
  
 
 

  
  
   
 
  
 
  

. board fence at the corner, reaching from

~ Hundred Fiftydifth Street, New York,

~pie at the corner, most of whom had

Imore for comfort‘than forshow, as were

, wheels at hand.

 bird, are you?” the new arrival re-
.‘marked. ,‘

'jlr'ind,ithdt‘girl hauls :ortune in her vol 8.,
’  will}; is she singing there? ”
i I  ‘T’ h. you.”



Scorcher Sam‘s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

 

The full tones poured forth with a
smoothness that was attractive, and the
voice had a fine flavor of Ould Ireland,
by way of spice.

The song was nothing classic: it Was
only one of those popular airs that now
and then catch the masses and are heard
throughout every city and hamlet in the
land.

Passers-by along the street stopped to
listen, and strangers wondered where
the singing was, for no one could be seen
who appeared to be making any vocal
effort. There was nothing but a “high

a new and elegant building on the one
hand to an older yet somewhat preten-
tious structure on the other.

, It Was in that section of the city where

the march of improvement is rapidlyw

progressing, "ct where even not: the. old
almost predominates, here and there.
On the one hand are seen elegant struct-
ures and line pavements: or. the other
the old—style homes of generations past.
behind which are the rugged, sloping
hillsides, just as they Were left when
Nature finished her work and pronomiced
it good.

The .Lfiection referred to lies above One

though one need not go as far as that
to find examples of‘what we are about
to depict in words.

The particular spot need‘not be desig-
nated. ‘

Whoever the singerwas, it was evi-
dent that she was unconscious of the
notice she was attracting, or else, know-
ing it, was doing her best to hold her
audience. . .

There was quite a little knot of peo-

solved the mystery, but every recruit was
puzzled at first, the same as those before
him had been, and, generally it was by
asking the question that they were en-
lightened. . I
In the‘crowd were several bicyclists.
“What is the excitement here?” in-
quired a wheelman who had just stopped.
He was a stout, athletic fellow, clad:

most of those who, like him, had their

“ Listen, and you will know," some
one. answered. .

“ Dannie Murphy’s daughter Nell—"

And the voice sprang into the chorus
with full vigor and without effort, send-
ing forth notes that many an amateur
opera singer might envy. while the audi-
ence admired. - w

1 “ Oh! you are listening to the mocking—

‘f’That’s what she is,” from another
wheelman.g “With training of the rig t,

. ’,'_,:who_1‘0‘i§§h€?”~ ‘ ' , , I
‘“ "on’t, youknowr". asked the new-
comer. °‘ 3   n v '

“ .-.' take it she is behind the fence; but,
herd amuse  show 37011,".
, -., ' , qu1§=ivill'.get for:
In:  “ -

   
     

:- in“a  'V t
‘\i".."

o?de out (if ithe crowd and to

I 1119,001'11‘9',‘ mg us Wm} ‘wi‘h  .
‘ 81*“ théf'bmn . wears-mu“ 11°31

Burt ' nothing suicides“
t first, and-i‘it’waa notguntii they passed
“down a section: of the .board fence that
ingrown,” one};  .. There one see.-
ftiohxof in" fence, or" ,

,  in about two

I

  
   

 

g and of the sec- ,

 

    
 

 

' Iq‘méug-tmciihome
I   

:

   
  

it, ‘ A301“: '
‘ i .u. - ,

There, on the bare rocks, stood a
house, a structure of one story, and that
story not so ~nigh a: the fence that had
been built around the humble dwelling.

it was a dwelling of almost indescrib—
able architecture. It was not of any of
the recognized classes, ancient or mod-
ern. but was peculiar to itself. It seemed
to have grown by stages, as'the family
had increased in :iZe, until there had
come to be accommodations for all.

It looked like what might have been
attempted by a company of large school—
boys in the Tray of a. playhouse of more
than ordinary size and importance.

And there was the singer.

0n the rear “piazza” of the shanty,
the top of which gave her just room to
work, was a'rosy—chceked Irish girl.

She had her sleeves rolled up abol'ye
her elbows, and was bobbing up and
down over a steaming washtub. singing
away while she worked, and evidently
as merry as a lark.

She was of full flesh, and looked a
picture of health and strength. Her
hair was coal black. her eyes and brows
the same. while her lips might have
rivaled twin cherries of brightest red.
Her complexion was one that any wo-
man in “upper circles " might envy.

About the time the. two wheelmen
looked in at the opening the singing
ceased, and the girl stooped [and entered
a door near at hand.

“Scott! but she is a beauty!" one of
the wheelmen exclaimed.

“A beauty of her kind, you are right,”
the other agreed. “We call her the St.
Nicholas AvenueANightingale." “

“You know her, then? ”

“ Oh, yes; after a fashion.
time of daywith her.” ,

“Looks to me as if she is out of her
station, here. Beauty like hers was not
born to blush unsoen.”

“Better here than in a worse place, as
perhaps you will allow. But. she takes
her outings on Sundays, and is the belle
of the-Fort George resorts, when she is
togged.” *

“I don’t doubt it.’.’ '

At that moment the girl reappeared,

and happening to look in the direction
of the fence opening, saw the two wheel-
men. '
A flush of indignation came over her
face for one second; but,
the one who had laid claim to having a'.
speaking acquaintance with her, she
smiled and gave him a nod.

“introduce me," requested his com-
panion.

-“Can’t very, well do that, seeing that
I'do not know you myself," was the re:

I pass the

“ My name is ,Phil ,Dixon.”
.- ,“I haVe Ito/reason to doubt that,‘but
'I. can’t introduce you. I would'not in—

troduce any. one to that girl, without~

knowing him Well.” ,
‘ '4 Whewt you are mighty particular,i.it.

sewed me. .

approaches”;  - K

£11“ do not 

their "we hadlto’ hand on ceremony in our
on r ‘

 
 
   

 
   
   

    

    
 
 
 
  
  
    
  
    

recognizing .

What ‘3 $116. anyhow?
onogfiomdfithink-m was in scammed: A _ I

I couldn’t do th to.  .p .
=. " “ Oh. that 1,}: night,

,1 follow wheeling».

 

She flushed. 5

" Sure, can Oi help it?” she demandedfl
“ Av dhey are foolish enough to be
either stoppin’ to listen to my schreech-
in‘, dhe more fools dhey, says Oi. ‘Is it
a friend av yures, Mr. Bu—”

“ No. I do not know the gentleman,"
was the reply, spoken before the name
could be uttered in full.

“My name 1: Phil Dixon, Miss Molly."
said the other, lifting hi: cap and bow-
ing. “ I was charmed with your singing,
and wondered whether it was a girl of
flesh and blood or (17.1 angel, as I could
not see you. You have a charming
vorce."

"Bah! go along wid ye fur blarney!
Sure, ye have found out it is no angel
Oi am.”

“ 1 am not so sure about that—-—”

“ No more av it. now, sor. Sure, and
Mike was to hear ye a-talkin‘ to me loike
that, it was takin‘ offense at ye he would
be." ' "

“ I do not know who Mike may be, of
course. but if he is your lover. I .Would
think he would be pleased .to hear you
honestly praised. that do you Say to
it, friend?”

'This to the wheelman whose acquaint-
ance he had made.

“if you will take a friendly word of
warning, you Trill not. wait around here
to see how acceptable it will he,” laughed
the other. “Mike is a bad boy with his
fists, and Molly ere 13 the apple of his
eye. Well. good—day, Molly; go on with
your washing."

“Good-‘day to ye, Mr. Buckley. My
respicts to Mike, and ye see him. Don‘t
ye forget."

“ All right, Molly."-

“ I think I’ll remain a. moment lenger
and see the play of those plump arms in
the tub again, and hear another verse 01’
your song, Miss‘ Molly." raid the young
man who had, given his name as Dixon.

" Ye. will throt roight along'about
yure business, L: :that ye will be do-
ing," cried the girl, with a show of spirit."
“'Av ye don’t, sure it is a dipper av hot»),
wather straight from dhe boiler ye willy;
be gettin’, d'ye moind. Dhis is not 11'}
sideéshow and Oi am no frakei ” ' 

l 
'2’,

CHAPTER II. ‘ "
. CACTUS BILL'S BETTER. ' i
Sam Buckley laughed heartily, and his?
companion beat a retreat. ~ j
‘; scorcher Sam” was well known. tot; a.
Molly McGee, and was well establishedf’g»
in her good graces. H g 
The other, however, was a. stranger, -.~

and not even vouched for by, Sam. :He

 

'met with a proper reception for his ads‘f'

vances._ - ,s-

“ Ginger! ” he exclaimed, “ but she has}:
ajtemper of her own, I see. I' hardly”;",
think I will tarry to witness withing;
more of her performance"; ' " " 

“ And 701'. Till] do just as Well net tot-j:
come 100ml ardundmere.” advised the“;
Scorcher.) “ on have no call to bei‘
oflehded for my. .not introducing youjigig

..i

 hoarse; but 
1 .doitf‘ " ’ ~<
WW

  
    
  

thought you .f

 
  
   
 

      
 

  

, my;
Vet.” l.
 I

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes. - ' " 3

 

 

{it possible that you are the chap they
. call Scorcher Sam? "

“ I am the fellow; but don‘t let it out.
I have got business' up here on the hill.
Were you going in that direction?"

“Yes, and I would like to lead you a
scorch over Washington Bridge, just for
the fun of it. i have come up here on
purpose to try that piece of road. I hear
it rides like a carpet."

“Don’t try it while I am in sight any-
how,” laughed Sam. “ I would be under
the unpleasant necessity of taking you
in if you did."

“Then ['11 wait till you are out of
sight, if that is the case."

They had now turned int; Amsterdam
avenue, and continued on in company as
far as 181st Street, where Dixon took
leave of his new friend and turned in the
direction of the bridge.

Scorcher Sam continued on to the toll
of the hill at 190111 Street.

From this section had come many'com-
Iplaints respecting a certain gang of
toughs who made it their stamping
ground.

Nothing serious had been charged, but
many petty annoyances, yet no police-
man in uniform had been able to happen
on hand at a time to witness any of the
minor misdemeanors and 719.19 a cap-
ture. ~

The east side of the avenue, along
there, is given over to small stands,
small amusements, and fakirs. it re-
minds one of a Coney Island in minia-
ture, with its many cheap attractiOns,
and at one point a tent under some trees
bore this sign in big letters:

CACTUS BILL'S CIRCUS.

The tent was of fair size; there was
music within; before the opening a typi—
cal Western sport was pacing up and
down, and haranguing the passers—by to
entice their patronage. He was a tall,
well-formed fellow, with long hair, big
hat, and a short, fancy coat, with agaudy
Spanish sash around his waist. TTe had
strong features and a big mustache.

At the top of the hi3! Sam had stopped,
and after viewing the splendid gcencry
for a time, though it was neither new
nor novel to him, started down in the
direction he had come, now. walking.

In front of Cactus Bill’s tent he stopped.

“ Walk right in and prove the truth of
my statements, ladies and gents; and
get your money back if it is not just as
represented,” the Western sport was say-
ing. “ Only a dime, and your wheel
checked free while you see the show. The
next act is to be pistol sharp-shooting,
and you are just in time to see it. Noth-
ing like it to be seen out of the wild and
woolly West." »

Scorcher Sam had certain instructions
respecting some of the shows along the
avenue, and putting his wheel in a rack
thatstood hear at hand, he paid the ad-
Jnission and entered. i '

Zita interior of the tent was roomy.
.tn at its rear end was a small stage.
= Quite a number of pérsons had entered,
and pr’ssently a bell tinkled. the curtain
was drawn aside, and a young woman
appeared»? v . . f
She Was clad in fancy costume, and
 in her hands a number of’xglsss
hummus she laid on a stand in front,
other and made her bow to theaudienoe.’

snow quite dark, and evidently ‘ g I
,I will undertake to capturothéi'man, if
:he has committed acrime, but! can’t

Spanish or Mexican. ,- I A ,_

Ha made harbor; she took up the
of the, us and  tossin them in.
air from hand-to, hand. first ght. then

 then passing them qiqsery in mm:

a a." incantation she"

arm-mos  , _ .
added-‘9. third ball, varying" the perm-int

 

  
 

ance to suit the number; then a fourth
ball, then a fifth, then a sixth, keeping
them all in motion with a steadiness and
regularity that was surprising to many
who saw it.

Then the sharp crack of a pistol was
heard. and nearly every woman under
the canvas uttered a scream. The top-
most ball at the moment was shattered
to fragments, but the girl kept the others
steadily going, merely changing to suit
the number of balls that remained to be
handled.

Those who looked in the direction
whence the shot came saw there Cactus
Bill, smiling and confident.

He had a revolver in each hand.

Presently came two more shots in
quick succession. and two more of the
glass balls in! t the fate of the first.

This left but three, and one of these
was quickly picked off with a shot, and
aft-er that two shots fired at the same,
time disposed of the other two together.

The rest of the performance was va-
ried; but enough has been told for our
purpose. The alarm the first shot created
had passed away at once. of course, and
after that the performance was thor-
oughly enjoyed until finally the young
Woman made her bow to retire.

Just as she was in the act of bowing
she was seen to start; the smile left her
face instantly; and with a cry Ishe leaped
forward to the,edge of the stage. pointed
in the direction of the entrance, and
cried: .

“ There he is! I would know him
among a thousand! "

A man had just entered, and he steed
staring, his face/{he hue of death, a1m05t.

Scorcher Sam was on his feet at once,
at the first sign of the young woman’s
emotion, and was within a yard or.two
of Cactus Bill when he wheeled to face
the entrance.

Cactus Bill still had his revolvers in
hand, and the Scorcher, not knowing
what was coming, leaped forward within
I“2Ch. 4—-

“ You are sure?” the sport. asked,
turning to the girl on the stage.

“Yes! yes! See his white face, the
color of his coward’s heart! It is Louis
Murrili; I would know him even in an-
other world! ”

She spoke in English, but there was a
foreign accent that was as pronounced
as her color.

This had occupied but a few seconds.

A moment’s pause, a desperate look
around, and the man at the entrance
turned to run.

“ Stop! ” cried the showman, lifting his
revolvers. “ Stop! or I will drop you in
your tracks, Louis Murrlll! ”

But, the man did not stop; a couple of
strides would carry him out of range,
and he meant to take the ‘desperate
chance—scarce one in a thousand. ‘

The revolver in the sport's right hand
came up to the level and its report rang
out just as the man was" disappearing.
but the aim had been disturbed,,and the
bullet went wide. _ ' . ' \

Cactus Bill wheeled and faced Searcher
Sam furiously, his eyes fairly burning.

"Whydid you do that?” he cried.

" To save you from doing a murder,"
was the cool answer. ‘

" And allowed a‘ worse than murderer
to escape! Out of my way!" ‘x ‘ , -

. “ Not in your present franc 'of mind.

allow“ units shoot him as You intend."

 »“  of my ,wa'y‘,’ ‘or thqrworse'tfor
10.9??? 3513,6111; in. tibia! Western ‘ sport
took-a1 backward'andraisod his

,wieapons: but. in the same instant, [the

scorchoi'  [him by both me.

!

 

if -' It was Mn hm: Mac is ths'discéflehT-i

  

The greatest excitement prevailed, the
women were inclined to scream, and all
were crowding toward the entrance.
Scorcher Sf“l and Cactus Bill were car-

ried in that direction by force, the latter ’

in a towering rage, and the former try- ’2'
ing to calm him. '

The young woman
from the stage.

had disappeared

 

CHAPTER‘ III. ,
SCOIH'H! '. SAM Si'Uili‘liED.

Cactus Bill had met a surprise.

The scorcher was holding his wrists
with apparent case, though the sport was
r. powerful man.

Th; Westerner had no small opinion
of his own prowess. and with good rea—
$011, but here he had evidently met his.
better, for Sam Buckley was a trained
athlete.

“ Unhand me! ” the sport panted. _,

“If you promise not to shoot, I will,"
said Sam. -;

“That man must not escape, I tell
you! " .

“ I am willing to help you take him.”

“ Who are you?” .

“ A police detective, and you can thank
me for saving you a sitting in the death
:hhir. You certainly meant to shoot to
'11 ."

“No, you mistake: that would have
been poor revenge. But. I did mean to'
bring him down with a bullet, so that
1.: could not get away. Expert as I am,
I could have done it without danger
to any one else.” ‘

“ '_‘ can well believe that.” . .

Sam had released him, now, and they (
were hastening out. I

They came out into the open space
between the front of the tent and the
sidewalk, to find already there the young
woman who had juggled the glass balls
on the stage only a few minutes before.
She was pointing down. the street and
calling upon the people to stop the man.-
who had escaped. i

“There he goes!” she cried, on seeing
Cactus Bill. “He will escape us! I
know he will escape us! ” "‘9

“Not if I can help it,” answered
Scorcher Sam. ‘f Where's my wheel?” ',

“But, he is on a Wheel—don’t you
see? " cried the girl. ‘ 4

“ And I believe it is mine! ” cried Sam,‘
looking where he had left his “bike”,

“ It is, by Jupiter! " .

“He has taken your wheel?“ ,

“Yes; and I‘ll never catch him. in the; I “

world, if he is an expert rider, With that
wheel!” ' '

“ Here, take another!” urged Cactus
Bill, quickly. “ Take your pick of the'
lot; I will stand the damage, whatever
it may be. No time to fool away.”

The Searcher made a hasty choice,
mounted the wheel, and was away its
pursuit of the feiiow.- i g

He had a personal interest in the mat-3 *
ter, now. '

The fellow had a long lead. and was,
wheeling at'agood pace, and by‘tho way
he followed th: irOn plating under which
l:.,, the railway cable Sam" know he was
no novice, and Sam felt misgivings about
securing his wheel again“ . 1

He admired the fellow’s selection,

which. was: further proof of his being  

an 02911on wheelman.

a ,
had «(the la wheel and  « _
gear or the lot, but it docked- ,othsrwiui -

Themwuoniy One hope form‘s, , t~ .4 ‘
‘ive. and. that was to pin Ema bflo

hemd‘iscovered. . g,  e 

. .4

So, an?!” went. 
or. Hist =    aim: 

 

 

 

3. .7: .'

  
    

 

"v 3.. ..

J
l .
1

-

  

4

 

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

men and wheelwomen were going in both
directions.

They were not numerous, however, for
Amsterdam is not so good a speedway for
bicycles as the boulevard or West End
avenue, the next thoroughfare to the
west. There were enough for the Scorch-
er’s purpose, however.

That is, when the man he was after
turned around, as he presently did, he
saw nothing to alarm him, for his pur-
suer was only one of several wheelmen
and (lid not seem to be making any espe-
cial effort. Further back, on the hill
where he had started, he saw quite a
crowd.

As soon as the man looked ahead again,
Sam let out speed and crept up.

He wondered where he had seen the
man before.

The face he had seen somewhere, and
recently, but evidently it had not im-
pressed itself upon his memory to any
great degree.

Still, he had seen the man somewhere,
or one who looked like him, and he won-
dered who it could be. He meant to
know, if he could gain a little more
ground before the fellow took alarm.

At 18Ist Street the man turned to the
left.

Either a knowledge of the city, and a
definite idea a: to where he wanted to
go, or, and more likely, as Scorcher Sam
believed, the beautiful pavement of the
bridge had caused him to turn.

Washington Bridge, beginning just
here, has a pavement as smooth as a
floor.

As he turned, the man looked back.

Sam was now close upon him, coming
at good speed, and the fellow took the
alarm. .

The bridge was almost clear, having
but few persons on it at the time, and
the man, with a look of alarm, applied
himself to his pedals with vigor, and was
off like a shot.

The Searcher buckled down to the pur—‘

suit.

He had discovered that the wheel he
was on was a speedy one, but he knew, of
course, that it was not equal to his own.

If this stranger was near his equal as
a. rider, then the chance for overtaking
him on that mount was slim indeed.
Nevertheless, Sam meant to keep him in
sight, at least.

It was as he feared.

They had gone but a little way when
Sam found his own wheel was gaining
and that he was being left in the rear.

He pedaled “for all he was worth,”
but.it was of no use, and he knew it, so
he called out for the fellow to stop and
surrender, or take a bullet.

The threat, however, only seemed to
increase the other's efforts to get away,
and he went pinning along over the
smooth bridge floor at a rate of speed he
had probably never attained on a bicycle,
for, as explained in a preceding story,
the wheel was a special, made to order.

Hundreds of my readers, doubtless,
have never seen New York, and hence
have no idea of Washington Bridge. It
is 2,400 feet long, to say nothing of the
approaches, and is 80 feet wide; hence it
is an excellent place for a trial of speed
o—when the police are not on hand. The

height of the bridge is 135 feet above

tide water.

Seeing that no notice was taken of
his command, further than to show in-
tention of defying it, the Scorcher fired

’ a shot—fired in the air, of course.

But the only effect was to spur the fel-
low to greater effort.

It caused the few pedestrians on the
bridge to stop and stare, and aWakened

‘their interest immediately, of course.

Evidently the man felt confident that
Sam would not fire at him, taking the
risk of killing some one else in doing so,
for he certainly showed no signs of stop-
ping.

Sam shouted once more, and fired
again, but the man bent lower on the
wheel and gave no heed.

Just then Sam saw another wheelman
c0ming in the opposite direction.

He recognized that other at sight, and,
at the same instant, remembered where
he had seen the face of the man who
had appropriated his wheel.

These two men looked very much
alike, so much so that, meeting them
apart from each other, Sam would have
found it difficult to say which was which.
Seeing them together, he might distin-
guish them easily.

Sam fired again, and motioned for the
on-coming wheelman to intercept the
.man he was pursuing.

Although only a few moments had
elapsed since the man in the lead had
turned onto the smooth bridge pavement,
yet they were already nearly across.

The wheelman coming from the op-
posite direction saw the signal and evi-
dently understood it, for he proceeded to
put himself in the way of the flyer on
the detective’s wheel, who shouted for a
clear road.

The other dismounted and signalled
him to stop.

A glance back showed him Scorcher
Sam bearing down upon him, and not
only so, but now a policeman, who had
suddenly appeared from samewhere, was
also shouting and motioning for him to
stop, and stop he did. He slackened his
speed suddenly, leaped off, and ran for a
stairway that was near at hand leading
down to the street far below.

CHAPTER IV.

sconcnsn SAM SLIGHTLY PUZZLED.

Policemen are a grand institution.

It is difficult to imagine what a city
would be without their controlling influ-
ence.

At the same time, they are only human,
and far from being infallible, and it now
and again happens that one of their
number makes a mistake when his in-
tention is all right.

The policeman in this instance made
a serious mistake.

He thought the two coming from the
west side of the river were two scorch-
ers trying the merit of their wheels on
the hard and smooth bridgeway.

Having just come up from below, he
had not seen the shooting, and if he had
heard the shots at all could not tell from
what direction they came. He took the
fellow coming from the east side for an
oflicer in citizen’s dress.

With this misconception, he braced
himself in the form of an X and mo-
tioned with his club for Scorcher Sam
to stop.

He meant to make a capture.

“Out of the way!” shouted Sam.
“Catch that other fellow!"

“Stop!” yelled the officer. “You are
riding out of speed, and I am going to
arrest you! Stop!”

This Sam was forced to do, or take the
risk of a broken neck; so he slacked his
speed immediately, but at the same time
called out:

“That other fellow stole a wheel! I
am after him! I am a bike cop in citi-
zen’s dress! " '

“Stop a bit till I see what ye are,"
ordered the policeman.

Sam had to stop, but, the moment he
was on his feet he showed his badge,

38?

 

 

ing: -
“Confound it! you are allowing that

 

fellow to get away from me! I am one
of the police force myself! After him,
and see if you can’t scoop him in. He
stole my wheel! ”

“Well, how was I to know?” demand-
ed the ofiicer, a little crestfallen over his

mistake. “If you had been in uniform,
With your badge in sight, I would ’a’
known ye.”

“Yes, and so would he. Here, mind
these bicycles, if you are not going to
chase him. Wait here a minute till I
come back, Mr. Dixon,” to the other,
who had just then come up.

“All right.”

With that, Sam made a dash for the
stairs, which wound by easy stages down
to the street.

Once below the body of the bridge, he
looked this way and that for the man,
but he was nowhere to be seen, and Sam
wondered where he could have disap-
peared to so quickly.

Some men were working among the
grass plot: and flower beds around the
bridge abutments, and he called out to
them: .

“Hello. there!"

They looked up at once.

“ Did you see a man running down here
a minute ago? "

“No, sir,” one answered.

“ Do you see a man anywhere around
there now, dressed in a mixed gray
suit?"

They looked all around.

“No, sir," the spokesman shouted
again.
“Well, it is deuced queer,” said

Scorcher Sam to himself, running down
to the next turn for another look.

The man was not to be seen, however,
and so he gave it up. He was out of
sight, and would make good his escape
with as little loss of time as possible.

The scorcher returned to. the bridge.

The policeman had picked up his wheel
and was examining it.

It had suffered no damage beyond the
fact that the fall had turned the handle-
bars slightly.

“ I would give a V to have caught that
fellow,” he said, as he opened his tool-
bag to get out his wrench to straighten
the handle-bars.

“ And I would have caught him the
same as I caught you,” said the police-
man, “ if I had been just a little sooner.
He was past and you were comin’ when
I came up on the bridge.”

“As it was, you succeeded very well
in letting him get away from me.”

" Well, don’t blame me too hard; I had
no way of knowing.”

“It can’t be helped, anyhow.”

“ Who was the fellow, anyhow? ” asked
Dixon.

“ I do not know.” answered Sam, “ but
this I do know: That he looked enough
like you to have been your twin broth-

' I,

“ I thought niyself that he looked like
somebody I have seen before,” admitted
Dixon, with\a smile. “ The first I know,
you will be picking me up for him, and
running me in."

“ You will be lucky if some one else
don’t pick you off first, making the same
mistake,” intimated Sam.

“ How is that? "

“A fellow is gunning for him, with
blood in his eye-"

Dixon seemed to be interested, and
took the statement in a serious frame of
mind, as Sam thouzht-

" That so? " he Queried. " Who is it? "

“A showman up near Fort George,“

who calls himself Cactus Bill.”
Dixon started.
“ You mean that? ” he demanded. -
“ Of course I mean it. He Would have

 

 

Soorcher Sam’s S

l

weep-Stakes.

 

 

 

  
 

shot the fellow, had it not been for me,
and he might have done it anyhow, had
the chap not stolen my bike and wheeled
away."
“And do I really look so much like
' him? " '1
, “You saw him yourself."
“I know; but we cannot see ourselves
las others see us, you know." ‘
“ Well, you look enough like him to be
his twin brother, as I told you before.
You had better steer clear of Cactus
Bill."
{ I “What seems to be the trouble be-
tween him and the fellow who looks
like me? ”
“ I don’t know that myself, as yet.”
“ Did you learn what the man’s name
was? "
“ The showman called him Louis Mur-
, rill, I believe."
i To Seercher Sam’s surprise, the man
i ‘ somewhat paled on hearing this, and
_ Sam took renewed interest in him.
1 ‘- “ Do you know anything about him? ”
he demanded.
,~ “Oh, no; I know nothing about him,
, 1,;4 of course," Dixon assured, hurriedly, as
' '  it seemed.
“ I thought you acted as if the name
was not new to you." -
“ I will confess I do not want to meet
_  - I  your CactusrBill.” -
 i; ‘  “Would it not be better to meet him
ét-I.‘ . and be introduced, and let me vouch for
-  " it that you are not Louis Murrill?" ‘
_' 'j l  "‘N’o; thank you; I think I will keep
‘  clear of him altogether.” ,
"‘Well,‘ there is wisdom in that, no
.  doubt. However, I have got to go back
.:- '14; ,‘ there with this borroWed'wheel, and I
 Y  E‘will mention the fact that there are two
  ' jLouis' Murrills, and that may be a life
. g 5-";  preset-yer for both you and the‘real‘ Mur-
'  . rill.” v - '
 ' 1 “ Yes, that is not a bad idea. Do it,
“ ‘, , all means."

 

 

bx

“And you, ofllcer, just keep your eyes‘

open around here for awhile, and if you
; a see a’ man 'wholooks like this gentleman,
' g ‘ "  {take him! in and hold him and let me
'7 a . ‘- know.” i ‘
' , ‘ “ I will do it, I promise?
~ " . " r“. You’won’t go with me, eh?” to Dixon.
. _ . ".‘No, thank you; I have no desire to
- 4 pose as Murrill, if that fellow is after his
71‘ y 
 fiffiV‘ery well. By the way, I suppose
,, ,l- ybli‘efljoyed your search over the bridge,
‘ .‘aitesl'gOt out of sight?" ‘
7?;Well, since: you did not see me at it
you mustnot ask me to testify against
myself Tln.;_the matter,” was the laughing
‘ reply. “ By'the way, where is that show.
man's/place???  .‘ ‘ t
- , Samnamed the place.
" flszot thatiljwmt to see him._3’on
‘ ,. . understand: it'wm save my running into
 ,« Ginger: But rmmmt told me the
3  story; evidently-g Would you mind
 ' stilling/me all you knowabout’thls fellow
  Wil‘and Cactus Bill}? But you said
‘th not know what was the trouble."

 CHAPTER v. _ A '
,1 IS Awaxss‘mp. l.

 

 something-'th Phil Dixon he die— not
‘.  "M I» I . r '. .
. ,. War-g:
 audit ‘
 Bilatelntem
i v ,nsmnégersefimed name—and per-
i x "  .fasifi'pa‘; he had not heard the
a . fatherly,   gas 3. declared byE the
. reassess-vases:- "   »  v

 

  
     
   

    
 

,g. "scoflémtgam. was somewhat: puzzled.

fastidious-eight, that names,
- staunchly, brothers, and hence;

  

~ ,   ,fltf'w i :shbotn distance;n
theztotlwrmt them was ' m’ mm “ “8.18%   ,

 

f we’ll exchange;

of the bridge, the Scorcher having ex-
amined his wheel and found it all right.

“ There is not much to tell,” he an-
swered Dixon. “A young woman at-
tached to the show first saw and recog-
nized Murrill, and she pointed him out to
Cactus Bill.” '

“And you say he shot at him?” ,

“No, but would have done so had it
not been for me. It was a close call for
the fellow, I believe.”

“ What did the young woman say when
she pointed him out?”

“She cried out—‘ There he is! I would
know him among a thousand!’ And the
showman asked her if she Was sure.
‘Yes, I would know him anywhere, even
in another world!’ she answered.”

“ And she spoke his name? ”

“Come to think of it, she did not.”

“ Then how did you get hold of it? "

“ Cactus Bill spoke it, when he ordered
the man to stop. ‘Stop! or I will drop
you in your tracks, Louis Murrill!’ he
cried.”

“He is the girl’s champion, then, it
would seemrand is taking up some quar-
rel of hers. From what you .have said, I
take it that he did not know the man by
sight, himself.”

“ That is the way it looks."

“Do you know what relation he and
the young woman bear to each other? "

“ No, I do not."

“ Is she his wife, do you think? ”

“ Impossible for me to say; don’t know
any more about them than yOu do, Mr.
Dixon.” ’

“ 0t ecurse not; what is the use of my
bothering you with questions? Here I
am detaining you,-and I suppose you
want to return that borrowed wheel."

“ You are not detaining me, Mr. .Dixon.
Is :that all you want to know about
them?” ‘ .

“‘I am curious to know all about them,

naturally."
. "Yes, it seems .to have awakened a
good deal of curiosity, that is true. I was
beginning to think that perhaps you
had more than ’p’asslng interest in them.”
-» "‘ Oh, no.” the man hastened to assure.
“ Nothing of the kind. I am full of nat-
ural curiosity; that is all. Andi why
not? Here is a fellow who looks some-
what like me,.who appears to be in dan-
ger of his life. Why wouldn't I be. inter-
ested?” '

“ There is something in that, I have
to admit.” ’

" There is a good deal in it. I would
really like to know what more ‘ you
learn." , ‘ .

“ Well, give me your address, and if
it is not too far out of the way I will

'make you a call, and let you know how

it comes. out." .

“My address would take you alto-
gether toofar out of your way, and I
will not. trouble you that far. Tell you'
what I will do, however, that will an-
swer the same'purpose.”

“What inmate," . t -

“I will come ito' v-this part of the city
for my bicycle exercise, and " wills, no

doubt 7fall in with‘you again!”

“Yes, we may possiblymeet again.
that's so, ‘Weil, soelong, Mn; ,‘Djixon!
Steervliciear of Fort" George until after
that affair hasheen settled, or you may

 in that-neck, ssathe. boy‘s: say.',’

Thank you;VI'll "talseygood care not to

:"‘:'ohi;;by the wists- ' I
we   t J
  

 even-W "570“
learngso‘e  j ‘ '
“fSu’r'efiyidfifif 
. And, themes,  ,

 

  
 
  

.' make you tireder, if you fever take;me

' his ‘patwnce. 100“ far,

this it you can? f’. ‘

     
    
   
  
  
  
   
  
   
    
  
  
    
   
   
   
   
   
  
  
   
  
    
  
   
    
   
   
  
    
    
   
  
  
   

“Nothing would please me better. I
feel quite honored at thus having the
confidence of a real police detective; am.
glad that, I have made your acquaint-
ance.”

The Scorcher mounted his wheel and
started back toward the avenue—Am-
sterdam~with the other wheel in tow, so I
to say. He guided it along by one of the . 
handle-bars, steadying his own machine 
with one hand—not an easy trick, but '
one that any accomplished rider can do, ~ ,1,
taking due care to avoid a contact of 1‘:
pedals. "

Dixon accompanied him a far as the
avenue, where he turned in the direco
tion of High Bridge Park, Buckley going
north in the direction of the place. from.
which he had started.

The detective was turning the matter
over in mind as he rode along.

Not that there was a “ case " in it; he
did not think that; but when anything
piqued his curiosity he generally liked
to learn all there was to be learned
about it before he let go.

He decided to 'know more about this. .

Approaching the tent of the Western
sport—showman, he found that the crowd.
had dispersed, and that only the ordi-
nary concourse was present. .

A little k‘not near the bicycle stand,
however, remained, in the center of
which was a man who seemed to be
laboring under, some great excitement,
and Scorcher Sam rightly guessed who
he was. ‘ 5

It was the owner of the wheel Sam had
borrowed. ~

A woman near the curb, leaning on a.
wheel, called. to him and 'pointed as
Sam was drawing near.

The man stepped out of the group
with whom he had been standing and
looked down the avenue, and as San
drew up and stopped he shook his fist
and called out: ,

“What right had you to go off with a. . _~
wheel that didn’t belong to you, I want
to know?" "_ - , -‘

“ Keep cool, sir!” said the detective.

“ Here is your wheel, all in good condi- t‘ .
tion, and much obliged to you for it. It». ” , 
Kits a case of necessity, and I borro

“ You had no right to dolt, though, and
I’ve a notion to make you pay dearly
for it.”. . 

“One wheelman ought to be glad, to _ ‘
aid‘another, undernuch circumstances. a 
By taking your- wheel I was enabled to". U
rescue my own, you see, and the only? '*
damage done was the inconvenient-em: ‘
a little delay”. ' '-   r 4- 1 “
‘ “A little delay. You have kept me 
here almost half an hour—P ‘ . . -  , ‘ ‘
d‘ Well, you have got your wheel now;
go off and say no more about it." You
make me tired." . ,  H

,‘,_‘ Make you tired, do I? " loudly. *‘ I'll:

     
       
     
         
        
      
        
  

 
   

wheel again, or any'other man that
it! For one cent-I wouldw" .~ .r v g
“ I would take your wheel again. under
the: circumstances; or any other man's."
returned Sam. sternlyg “I would tak‘c‘
your horse and carriage, if necessityltle-ét,
manded.it, u you-'hadsuemt?  1" 

‘-‘ Do you-mean to tell. a . L 

“, Yes, and I...-wui: ,ef’you. in, .1: you»;
don’t ‘sh'ut rig tapiandiget out ofhe  ,
cried Sam, showing his badge..- ‘ v‘  

.‘The mau'spmflsonableness had '

    
     
  
   

  
      
 
     

 
 
 
   
 
    
 

gladly haircadoue‘the same . in . h-
Manuel-circumstances 01' the '
'revem..;_ aw... a  
f FiWhaLis. .your numb?“

   
 

   
  

 

 “ i sf‘hlust‘erea; 3‘3 1' win
1 ,  in)?“ benign; nu

  
 

, ,. f j??? 99“

  

 
 
  

0

iii}:

1

     

s

/ .

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

 

  
    
  
   
   
   
 
   
   
  
   
 
   
  
 
 
 
  
    
   
  
  
 
   
  
 
  
    
   
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
   
  
   
 
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
    

fashion or not, and i’ll see how far your
rights to take another man’s property
extend. I’ll see—”

“Don’t tell me anything more about
it,” warned Sam. “I’ll give you my
name as well as my number, if you want
it, and you are welcome to go straight

; to headquarters with any Complaint you
have to make against me in this matter.
Move on now, for you are drawing a
crowd. If you don’t go at once, I’ll do
myself the honor to put you underarrest
and escort you.”

 

CHAPTER VI.
TAMING JOHN HENRY.

The Scorcher meant business, for he
advanced upon the irate gentleman as
he spoke the words of fair warning.

The other man was bigger than he,
and somewhat older, with red hair and
a fiery red mustache—and evidently a
temper to match, but that made no dif-

i ference.

The woman in the case was for peace,
and was tugging at the man’s sleeve, try—
ing to induce him to come away. She
was evidently his wife, for no one else
in the world would have ventured such
familiarity with a man of such fierce and

, fiery mein.

1 “Come away,
away!” she urged.
into trouble if you don’t.
see he is a. policeman?”
"‘I want his name and number, that
is all I want,” cried the angry, John
Henry. “I’m going to see what we pay
our police for, whether it is to protect
our property or appropriate and make
off with it at pleasure. I’m going to see
what rights a law-abiding——~”

,“ Come away, John Henry—"

“ Yes, come away with me!” supple-
mented the Scorcher, laying a hand on
his shoulder. “You would not take my

,  Warni g, so I'must keep my word with
' you. hate to disappoint a gentleman
. of your stripe. We’ll go to the nearest
station together, where you will be given
time to reflect upon the rights of citizens,
and so forth. Will you walk or ride? ”
t “Release me, sirrah!” the individual
‘w-s’houted, striving to get away, but'Sam
, seemed like a mountain to move. -
‘~ "You are my prisoner." '
“ Remove your hand, sirrah! ” ’
“Do you prefer to walk or ride? ”
“Let him go. lease! i’,‘ pleaded the
 wOman. [WI will ta e him away;1'prom-
’ its: you I will.” , _
. ‘LYou will take me away, Marth-y Jane
dDooiittle? ” criedthe irate, as he turned
- upon ‘her fiercely. “ You will take me
, yaway? I Would-like to see the woman
" that could take me where L1 didn'twafit
,  crown was around them bythis time,
fian‘d‘it was fast being augmented. _'
 They all'laughed heartily/at that, bat,
 this-llaughter only‘.,served toinci‘ease
red—head’s eholer, and lie fretted like the
flamed porcupine. .- i - .
‘, seer-tee. I’ll take you," iterated the wo-
 manwith ,grim determination in her
itoiieiand her mouth" termed itself into a
“straight line that was‘hot to be mistaken.
. “Didi ever! " "cried. the man, . icoking
 t her.” disdainfullg. , "  . v _ "
* “liqyou onever‘ id you Mil gnow,’.’ was
espouse. ," You are r'mditing a tool
7 at if, John Henry .rDooli-‘tftle’! .’" * ‘
’t’allo’w discussion offthe malt

John Henry, come
“ You will only get
Don’t you

  

  
 
 

     
   

   

   
  
 
 
  
 

W" .,  -
sine; sir. your;

We  «as ease?“ it"

amen

  
 

‘ madam: interrupted smarter :
“frhej‘dornestic arena is] the place.
a such fighter:  'will" let you take-

  

sured Sam, giving him a pull and taking
him right along.

Cactus Bill was an interested auditor.
He had taken hold of Sam's wheel, at a
signal from him, so Sam had both hands
frEe to manage his man.

Mr. Doolittle struggled, but found that
he was no match for Sam, and, seeing
that the detective really meant to carry
out his threat, he began to “ take water,”
as the saying is.

“But my wheel! ” he exclaimed. “You
will damage my wheel! You have got
me at adisadvantage! And my wife——
she will be without a protector if I am
obliged to go to the station with you.
Your name and number, that’s all I want
of you; .I will do the rest.”

“You are a fool, John Henry Doolit-
tle!” cried the woman. “Let him go,
please, Mr. Officer, and he will go with
me fast enough. You know right well
you will. John Henry. If you don’t, I
will create one of the worst scenes here
you ever dreamed of in your life. You
hear me? ”

“But, Marthy Jane, think-L”

“Think of nothing. Will you come
with me or won‘t you? I am not arrest-
ed, and I’m going away from here this
minute.”

“Hold on! hold on!” cried the irate
John Henry. “I’ll go with you; all I
want is this fellow’s name and number,
and if I don’t put him in a sWeater for
the indignity heaped ,upon me—"

“Will you go to'the station, oriwill you
go peaceably with your wife? Take your
choice!” » i

“I’ll go! I’ll go!” averred the man.
“ I’ll go with her now, for I have no time
to fool away with you; but you will hear
from me again, I promise—~"

“John Henry!”

The woman now took hold/of him and
gave him a shaking. - *

“Get on your wheel, this minnit, or
you will see one Of the very worst scenes‘
right here that you ever dreamed of!
What are you thinkin’ about, anyhow? *’

The Scorcher let go hishold and gave
the woman a signal to take charge, step-
ping back out of the way. By that time
a couple of regular policemen had ap-
peared, and one of them Sam knew.

’ “ Move this crowd on, Jerry,” he called
out to him. i“ The ekcitement is all over
and nothing more to be seen.”

This the two policemen prOCee'ded to
do: while the irate Doolittle, under the
guidance of his better half, was moving
in the opposite direction.

“ I’ll see aboutyour case, young man,”
he called back'as he -..rode'away., “ I’llsee
what wepay our police for—" but he
ceased'suddenly, and nothing further Was
heard {rum him.  - , -

The crowd, dispersed, ‘ Scorcher, Sam
could give his attention to the showman.

\

 

'was near him, and two or three, other
performers wereistanding around. ‘ ,

“ Well, yougot thewheel back, 1' Beef?
observed cactus-Bill. . i   ~
Yes, but.'I‘didn’t get the manihe
managedtoget away from me.” ‘ ‘

“Too bad, after we have waited and

the girl spoke. ,_ ,5  . 

she .knew the - language wen: enough,
‘for’éifi'n‘éccent, that ,lent a charmiito What
 ‘ ‘ L _ J. 1'  « g,  z
. “Are you sure it was‘the" man you
want-1?”.a'sked Sam.  . ‘ -
 9‘ 011! do you think renal

,be mistaken,

"after all he, hasumafdeimep sufler?”- she

asked, and her- Wideeye'siiooked up] into

 

I was Louis Manner,  I , J &

  

The young woman in the fanoy‘attire-.

. r 'It had not been his. intention tda

watched/soflong to get av--sightot‘.,;himr’"

but. asylum, she spoke with a'pronbunced”

his eppeailngly. 1  No.3 no; *r  surexita

 

“Then there must be two Louis Mur—
rills,” said the detective.

“ Two Louis Murrills‘. What mean
you?” And the young woman looked
from Sam to Cactus Bill, wonderingly. .

“I mean that if the man who took my
wheel from here has not a twin brother,
then he has a double, for I liave seen him
of him, if I may use such an expression.”

“ Impossible! ” cried the young woman.
“There is only one Louis Murrill, and he
was the man you saw here. You have
been fooled; you have seen the same per-
son twice and have been imposed upon.
Oh! why did you interfere with my
brother in his just vengeance? ”

 

CHAPTER VII.

("AC'H'S liliiL'S PLEDGE.
Scorcher Sam was one point ahead.
He now knew the relationship that ex—

isted between Cactus Bill and the young
woman. ,

But that only served to whet his appe—
tite for more knowledge concerning them
and their grievance against the man,
Louis Murrill. That it was‘ no triflin
matter their hatred attested. '

“That view of it might be acceptable.
madam. were it not for the fact that I
saw them both together, at one and the
same time,” the detective rejoin-ed; “ as
well as for the fact that they were differ-
ently attired, and that one made his es—
cape while the other remained." '

“It is wonderful; I do not compres-
hend.”

“You are sure the one we saw here

was Murrill? ” > , ‘-
“Yes, yes; I. could not be mistaken ,
in that face, sir.” , . ’1

“You do not know him yourself, sir,‘
it appears,”\turning to Cactus Bill.

“No, I have relied entirely on my sis. .
ter’s recognition of him,;’ was, the an-‘ ’ 2"
swer. “I do not believe she was‘ mis-
taken.” ‘

“Then I wish it were possible for me ,
to bring both. of these men face to trace? k;
witheach other here before you. I think "
you might find it diflicult to tell one from
the other.” . ' 

 Did Louis have a brother? " asked the
showman. , , .

“Not that I ever knewof,” answered !. 
his sister. V ' ‘ '  i ' . _t

“ And yet you are positive in what you ' -’
state? ?’ turning to the detective again. f_ 

“It is just as I. have stated it to you)?"  
assuredSam. “.There are two of the "ii.
men, and they look very much alike...
There is a. Question I would like toask, , 
madam—4’; - , ; - « _
‘ “No, no! i cannot tell you, I cannot
tellnyou,” cried the young woman, mo-
tioning him off with her hands. ,"It‘ is
something that I will not repeat, but that
I would willingly forget it I could—mo ,
110;;th forget; heaven turbid it! ” , T, ,.

The Scorcher was nonpluss’ed, ,buthis
curiosity was greater than ever; he be—
lieved that an interesting story laybe'é'
hind it all. 1'

      
      
     
     
     
    
  

 
        
       
   
     
   
        
       
    
   

"for that, however, and hehastenb‘d f?“
set himself right in thatrespect. By W
ning the regard. of these strange pers
he would get the story all in good tim
‘f You do not understand me,". he

quickly. '“It‘ is nothing of reprise
that I, would ask;  was on: the point- If
inquiring it there is any marked! , ’
kind upon the real Louie Martin
which you“ could ‘ unmistakably ~=id
 u If I .v . ‘- g, U
,‘f mark?,':.Ye-s,‘yes!. There-is" .
,on his throat. just ‘beneath hi no
white segamythat‘. looks as.
had , been cut and lhadttiéfiifid 

   

     
    
  

    
  
   
  

    
   
  
  
     
 
 

 

 

 

,R.:19“3*W°»ieches ions.

  

 

\

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

    

'\.
across. If there is any doubt. that will
' settle it; but, how can there be any doubt?
The man I saw was surely Louis Mur—
rill.”
“You did not see the mark on his
L throat?” V
" “ No, but I saw "his face.”

“That is not enough, in view of what
I have just told you. It is more than
lucky that I prevented your killing him,
Cactus Bill.”

“I had no intention of killing him, as
I said," was the reSponse. “You know
. what kind of a marksman I am; I would
have put a bullet where it would have
stopped him merely.”

“ And perhaps wounded an innOcent
man. I could not allow that, even did I
know your intention and the chance
were to happen again. But, go slow!
Next time you may get the other fellow,
and it is certain that both cannot be
Murrill.” '

“Can you tell them apart, if you see
them again?" asked the showman.

“Yes, I can tell the one I am most
familiar with, or the other if he is in the
same attire.”

“Do they look so very much alike?” '

asked the young Woman.
‘ “Strikingly ‘so; and yet were we to
See their faces side by side We could no
doubt find great difierences.”
-, _ “ Then we shall be uncertain, next
’ time, if we fall in with him again. wheth-

9

er it is Murrill or not, brother. Oh! that
you had' not interfered, sir! You do not
know—" V

“Is the‘ man guilty of a crime?.”

' Scorcher Sam inquired.
“Yes, yes! a monstrous crime."
“And you have not reported it to the
police? I will'make it my business to
, ', take him if I can run across him again.”
i “ No, we have not told the police, sir;
 ‘ in fact, it is not a recent crime, and
it is our own private affair, anyhow.
Oh! that you had not interfered. I have
‘ waited so long, so long! "
“t: . While this was being said, others Were
_, shouting out the merits of the show, and
some people Were entering the tent.
There would soon be enough to pay for
another performance,‘and the young “'0'
"man left her brother and disappeared
around the tent.
Scorcher Sam gazed after her\with

.  somethin of admiration, perhaps, for
32V,- she. was getite and graceful.
. .;,~; ' , Cactus Bill saw the look.
  p . As Sam looked again at him. there was
'  ’ ? dark expression on the Western sport’s
 " ace. i ‘ '

 

“It was honest admiration,” observed
Sam", in his frank manner.‘ “ A man has
' a. right to admire what he sees, it it
 awakens admiration. You can, take no
"1 offense.” ' ', f ,

“No, no offense,"returned the sport.
. "I-Ier young heart has been seared, and

   
  
   
   
    
    

  19313," ' - ,

‘  "Death? And so young”. _

. " \3"_'Fhe young die as Well as the old.

pYouvdhino't see my sister as she was. Had

,.,‘~-ou kflfifim her before-before her sor-

‘ -' v fcameiupon her, you would 'hardly

‘ Cogniaeher. now. You would see, as I

 ,m thatethe seal is upmrher.” .

l .\ .f I am not willin: to believe that..Cac-‘

 - f PPS Bifl.f-»Tho',wmng may yet be rightedg.

, flinch she will regain her spirits and be
Tush?  v .  -
 ,FTImpossibleigzlYOu do not understandf’,

 i.“ No, I do noepnderstand, ‘nor do I ask

your confidence. :At the same time I
we a detectives. curiosity."

afz‘A-nd yopr'lneanfto-‘gratify it if you

-'i;certeinly."  ‘

  
   

  

  

 

     

  
 

 
 
 

 
  

    
   

,3 z.

. T5: ( ray .

 

s]   there remains nothing onf‘her “but death, ~-

1 a sign. »

 

“Well, to do that you must find "Mur-
rill.” ‘

“Of course; that is something I hope
to accomplish.”

“Then there, is a favor I would ask.
If you do find him, put me on his track.
Come, is it a bargain? "

"On condition that you pledge me
your word that you will not kill him."

“Very well; I give my word that I
will not kill him.”

“Then it is a bargain. I will try to
bring you and him together, if 1 can get
sight of him. Can you give me any clew
toward finding him?”

 Not the slightest.” '

“Yet you hoped to find him here in
New York 7‘"

“Yes; my sister has looked diligently.
and almost despairineg. It is hard for
her to bear, to have seen the man and
know that he has escaped her.”

“ And on your part. you promise to go
slow if you fall in with him first, lest
you get hold of the wrong man? This is
evidently a case that will be difficult to
settle.” '

 The settling will be easy enough, once
we get the right party. But I promise all
that you ask. You are a detective, and
if your skill is anything like your grip,
you are a_ good one. You held me as if I
had been a mere boy ”

“ I’shaw! I had the advantage of you.
that was all,” Sam passed it off, though
he knew'well enough what his strength
was. “ Well, I must be going, for I have
an‘appointment to keep. I’ll run up and
see you again before long, for you may
be of some use to me, now that we are
acquainted.”

 

 

CHAPTER VIII.
.-\ msstu. m'xca DI'PED.

Scorcher Sam went‘away in a strange
frame of mind. ‘ '

Here was one of the most peculiar bits
of mystery that had ever come his way.

Whether more was even a case in it
was yet in doubt, though he fully be-
lieved there was, and one of no ordinary
caliber, at that.

Leading his wheel out into the street,
he Icoked up and down the thoroughfare
as if for some person whom he expected
about that hour, but whom he failed as
yet to discover. E.

Mounting, he pedaled slowly down in
the direct’onoi the tower.

The recgnition of Dona Teresa (such
was the young woman’s name on the
show posters) .of the man Louis Murrill’
had been so positive as hardly to admit
of a doubt; but there was the peculiar
resemblance Phil Dixon held to that
man; and more, the impression the men-
tion or the matter had seemed to have
upon him. It appeared almost positive

that he and Murriil must be related close-

ly, and Sam believed they were brothers.

That was one point ’to be settled, if
he had the good fortune to fall in with
either of them'again. ~ , r

He went along at low speed.

Presently his face lighted; he evidently

saw the person whose appearance he had '

been expecting. ' . .
It was a young wom-an,_,jauntily',at-.
tired and mounted on a fine wheel, cbm~
ing, toward him. He wasonathe point of.
turningito‘joln her, when she gave him
Not-wanted, eh? ” said-"Samto him-
self. {‘What'g
Béssie. Blake? v . .. .
‘-She- it wasthe. dauntless little bou-
levard detective. Searcher Sam‘s ally. 5
‘As sheugame nearer, she looked irre«
si‘stably 'bew1tohiog.,,g  » ' '
An excellent ridoipher'»

, o

in the wind, my Bonny

 

Potume 'set /

off to perfection, being at once modest
but chic.

Heeding her signal, Sam passed her
without appearing to re gnize her,
though their eyes met and he gave her a
wink.

"No flirting," she

said, just loudly

enough for him-to hear. “See what is
'coming after me; I have got one of the

roughs on my string, I guess; you do
the rest.”

There was no time for Sam to respond
in words. without speaking louder than
would have been desirable. '

So he passed on and looked to see
what was following.

And he saw.

Right here a few words of explanation
will not be out of place, in order to a.
clear understanding. '

Complaints had been received from
that neighborhood concerning a gang of
roughs. who. if they did not belong there,
had been infesting that neighborhood
with their presence.

Their offenses need not all be partic-
ularized, but they were of such a. nat~
are that the attention of the police com-
missioners had been called to them more
than once, and they ‘had instructed the
police captain of the precinct in regard
to the matter.

Nat only that, but they had sent
Scorcher Sam there to look into affairs
at little on the quiet.

One of the offenders was called~ Don
Quixote.

He was so called because it seemed ap—
parent that he had entered upon a’ con-
quest, though in his case it was a con-
quest of hearts.

“Don Quixote on Wheels” he i was
more tuliy termed, while, the name hav—
ing been given the Spanish pronuncia-
tion in the first instance, he was now
known to the police as “Donkey Hota.”

And the Scorcher believed that. this
was the chap. ‘ .

He had never seen him before, but the
description seemed to fit closely.- .‘

He was togged out Ietchingly—it alit-
tie politerslang be admissible—4n bright _
tan slippers, red-checkered hose, light

suit of diagonal plaid of very pronounced,‘ I '

pattern, and cap to match. I . ,

Not only so, but his left lapel supporter
ed a gorgeous flower, and an eyeglass _
was screwed into one, eye. He was a 1

stunner, looked at from his own point of‘ "

view, and Scorcher Sam felt certain that
he was the “ Donkey Hots.” he had heard »
about. ‘ ~

There were other, wheelmen ‘in sightgf‘. 
but be singled this one out at once; as  

the fellow Bessie Blake had referred to: . a
He allowed him to comeon and 13888.. '
“ That is, the chap, ten to one on in”;

Sam said to himself. “And I am otter.

him, too. *We’ll see how he will ma’kéxxit 

with Bonny Bess.“ - r ., A , -
The detective laughed ,to himself as he
turnedhis wheel and fell in behind the,
masher, for heknew there was a‘mprise,
in store for the chappierwhienthe, tit-
tempted to pick up the acquaintance with... :
Bessae Blake. .   ~ . __ C
Needless to say, sheshadco'me out DIR-#75
posely to lure the conceited, idiot into 7
Sam’s net.» . , r . . 1’ ' " "
‘ Bessie rode straight on; Payinsno‘heed
whatever to there'llow, ,who wesjslowm
gaining upon her, and after him. 
Searcher Sam on his spacial moupt, ‘
s‘wiftest Wheel in New York. . f '  "
Finally, in Iran-t of the. Isabel TIE
math, at the top of meant-newsman
drew in" to the sidewalk and
the wall that incloses an , ' “ if

 

    
 
 
 
 
  
  
 

that-e .‘instmition; . .3.
wheel wane cur» ‘

   

  
 

 
     
       
 
    
       
    
    
      
      
 
 
     
      
           

  

8

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

 

Don Quixote was there in a moment.

It was his old trick, and Scorcher Sam
was sure of his man the moment he saw
it.

“Donkey” ran up close to the curb, as
if he had not looked for the lady to turn
in there, and as if unable to guide his
wheel awav from the curb or stop, ran
into Bessie’s wheel.

The collision, or run-in, was the light-
est and slightest imaginable, done on
purpose. of course, and chappie was off in
an instant, cap in hand, bowing and
scraping and offering apology by the
yard. Sam was not near enough to hear
what he said, but the sight was enough.

Bessie looked at him coldly and ac-
cepted his apology, and acted as if she
expected him to go on about his busi-
ness.

Sam now rode slowly by.

“ But your wheel—I hope I have done
it no damage," the fellow was saying.
" Could nevvah forgive myself if I have,
you know. I must look and see. It was
deuced awkward of me, deuced awkward,
and all that; don’t see what got the mat-
tah with my wheel."

Bessie gave Sam a wink as he passed,
and Sam smiled. The dismal dunce was
on his knees examining the wheel, feel-
ing it here and there and testing it in va-
rious ways, or pretending to do so. Sam
rode to the opposite side of the street
and stopped, and enjoyed the situation
immensely while he waited for the cli-
max.

It was the “ Donkey,” no mistaking him
now, and he was up to one of his favorite
tricks. Selecting good-looking ladies for
his victims, he usually made their ac-
quaintance by pretending to find some-
thing the matter with their bicycles,
which he offered to remedy. And then,
the work done, it was 'his game to take a
sudden kiss from the lady’s lips and
mount his wheel and spin away to re-
peat the trick on some one else.

So, Sam knew what was coming, and
hence the situation had a double zest for
him.

Sure enough, chappie found something
wrong about the wheel, and opened the
tool-bag and took out .the wrench to
make it right, all the while making a
show of the most deferential politeness.

He tinkered and fussed around for a
few moments, pretended to try the im-
provement he had made, and finding it
satisfactory, put the wrench back into
the bag and closed it up. He then lifted
his cap, and Bessie was seen to thank
him, as she stood holding her wheel.

But she was only pretending to hold it,
for she knew‘ what was coming. She was
allowing it to lean against her, so that
she could let go with her hands without
danger of its falling, and the moment
chappie sprang forward to take the ac-
customed kiss she brought him a couple
of stinging slaps with her gauntleted
hands, first on one side of his face and
then on the other.

At the same time she uttered a scream,
as agreed upon with Scorcher Sam, and
the fellow took the alarm and left her
instantly, mounting his wheel and spin-
ning away down the avenue, very red in
the face and very much in a hurry. After
him went the Scorcher, calling to laugh-
ing Bessie to follow, and the idir ‘, glanc-
ing back and finding that he was being
pursued, bent himself to the task of
scorching away.

 

CHAPTER IX.
BESSIE BLAKE assm'rs.
The Scorcher, also, was laughing.
This was only play for him, for he
knew by chappie’s slender legs that he

 

had no great speed at his command, and
probably less staying power.

Sam would have been willing to bet
that Bessie herself could overtake and
arrest him single~handed, had the occa-
sion required. He could have overhauled
him within two blocks, had he so de-
sired.

The detective worked along easily,
keeping just about so close, and Bessie
was now coming on after him, and gain-
ing.

“Donkey” looked back again, pres-
ently, and put on more steam.

Away they went, three in a row, about
half a block apart, the man in the lead
iloing good execution with his slender
egs. .

Sam looked back to see where Bessie
was, and she waved him a laughing sig-
nal for his encouragement, if he needed
it, which she well knew he did not, so
far as the race was concerned.

No one interfered with them, and sev-
eral blocks were wheeled off, the gay
masher finding his pursuer just so near
every time he looked, and every time
making an effort to increase the distance
between them, until he was perspiring
freely and panting.

Presently the fellow turned to the right
into a street that presented fair wheel-
ing, and Sam knew that he was making
for Kingsbridge Road. Having no desire
to go in that direction himself, and not
wanting to overtax Bessie, Sam called
upon the fellow to stop, but that had only
the effect to make him work the harder
to get away.

With a little imprecation, the Scorcher
let out his speed. I

Before another block had been covered
he was up with his man, and had seized
him by the shoulder.

Chappie wabbled and would have taken
a header if Sam’s strong arm had not
controlled both wheels while they came
to a stop, and the moment they did stop
Sam lifted his prisoner bodily off his
seat.

“ Why didn’t you stop when I told you
to?” he demanded.

“ Wh—wh—what do you mean, fellah? "
the chappie gasped and panted, his hand
fluttering for his eyegless, with which to
transflx his foe with a single icy stare.
“ H—h—how dare you? ”

“Come off,” said Sam, with disgust.
“You are the chap I want, and you know
what I want you for. Here comes the
young lady whose wheel you so gallantly
attended to just now, and she will make
the charge that will insure you a berth
in the cooler.”

“ But, I—er-a—I have done nothing;
on my word I have done nothing."

“No: she did it all,” assured Sam,
smiling.

Just then Bessie rode up.

“ So you caught him? ” she cried. “ Oh,
you naughty wretch. you! "

She shook one of her dainty fists at
the masher, who, very much overheated,
looked anything but a masher just then.

“What do you want done with him? ”
asked Sam.

“I want him locked up; that is what I
want done with him,-. sir; and I will ap-
pear against him, too."

“ Do you hear, chappie?"

“No, no, lady; do not go to that ex-
treme. I am sorry, deuced sorry, don't
you know,” pleaded the kisser. “I will
never so much as look at you again, if
you will let me off this time."

“Then you acknowledge the corn, do
you? ” demanded Sam.

“ Think of the temptation,” pleaded
the fellow, some of his assurance return-
ing.

“ How is that for a compliment, Bess? ”

 

cried Sam.
heart to press the case after that?
ha! ha! ”

” He is a ninny! ” cried the young wo-
man angrily. “Of course, I'll press the
case—not on my own account, for I think
I rather got the best of him, but on ac-
count of the many, others he has in-
suited.”

“But 1 nevvah—"

“ There, now, don’t add any lies,” said
Bessie. “It happened that you picked
up the wrong girl this time, that is all.”

“ Yes, that is all," said Sam. “ The fact
of the matter is, my fine young gentle-
man, you fcll into a trap that was set for
you, and hanged yourself with your own
rope.”

“ Who—who are you? ”

“ My name is Buckley; called Scorcher
Sam, for short.”

On hearing that,'the man wilted com-
pletely, for he knew into whose hands
he had fallen.

He begged like a good fellow, as the
saying goes, but it was of no use; his cap-
tors had come out hunting, and it was
not likely they would let their game go
after bagging it.

He was allowed to mount his wheel,
and the trio rode to the nearest station,
where chappie was duly docketed and
sent down below, with the prospect of a
neat fine to pay on the marrow. He bit-
terly protested, and the last they heard
of him he was vowing vengeance.

“ Well, there is one less, anyhow,"
said Sam. as he and Bessie rode away.

“ Yes; it is not likely that he will both-
er any more ladies for a time," Bessie
responded. “I felt half sorry for the
poor fool, though."

“ There, now, soft heart, turn to pity-
ing him after you have jugged him. It
is the best thing that could have hap-
pened to him—my opinion; it will take
some of the conceit out of him.”

“ And perhaps give him a little sense,
eh? "

“ I don’t know whether it will be possi-
ble for so simple a remedy to work so
great a change or not,” rejoined Sam,
laughing.

“ Well, what more do you want of me
this morning? ”

“ I have run up against a case.”

“ You are always doing that. What is
it this time? "

“Right there is the mystery of it. Bess:
I’ll be hanged if I know what it is."

“ That is a likely story."

“It is the fact.”

“ What is it like? "

“ I’ll tell you, my little lieutenant; and
I wish I were an artist, so that I could
draw a face for you." .

“ A face? "

“ Yes; the face of a man—rather two
men—I would like you to have your eyes
open for. But that is out of the question,
as I am not an artist."

“ That is where a Tom Thumb camera
would come into play.”

“ The same as you use, eh? "

" You bet. When I see a face I want to
remember, click!—and there I have it.”

As she spoke she took from the pocket
of her dress a tiny camera not more than
an inch and a half square, and had
Scorcher Sam’s picture in a second.

“ I must have one of those, sure
enough,” said Sam. “ But the story I
have to tell you—that can be done with-
out the aid of photography. I want you
to drop in at a show up here on the hill.
‘Cactus Bill’s Circus' you will find it
billed, and—"

u 1 see; you want to get me scalped."

“ No, no, nothing dangerous in it, Bess.
I want you to make the acquaintance of
one of the performers."

“Have you got it in your
Ha!

 

 

 

..

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

9

 

 

“And have him lasso me and carry
me off into the Wild West to become his
bride? Oh, no, thank you; I had rather
cling to the evils I know all about than
be hustled off into others that—”

“Suppose you try to be serious for a
minute or two—”

“Was never more ser‘ us in all my
life,” declared the you'g lady, with a
smile in her eyes.

“The trouble is, yu- are like all the
rest of your sex, always supposing a man
in the case,” said Sam.  I did not say
anything about a man, did I? The per-
son '1 want you to pipe is a young wo-
man.”

(I  )7

“ So you see you were off on the wrong
tack entirely. There is a young woman
there called Dona Teresa, sister to Cac-
tus Bill. I would like you to work
yourself into her good graces, and per-
haps she will make a confidante of you
and tell you something of her history.”

“Oh! I begin to see. You have lost
your heart to a Spanish beauty of mid-
night eyes, and you want me to help
along your suit. All right, give me my
cue, and I'll do all I can for you, Sam.”

“ First of all, hold that nimble tongue
of yours while I tell the story,” said
Sam; and forthwith he gave her the inci-
dents of the morning.

 

CHAPTER X.
THE NIGHTINGALE ASSISTS.

Bessie Blake was an aide to be de-
pended on in any emergency.

The Scorcher and she had worked to-
gether for nearly a year at the time of
our story, and there was a perfect un—
derstanding between them.

The girl was something of a tease, or
would have been if Sam had been teasa-
ble, which he was not. It was about an
even thing between them, and one could
seldom claim any advantage over the
other.

She listened attentively to the particu-
lars of the matter Sam was interested in,
as they rode slowly along, and when he
concluded Slam aslked her opinion re—
specting the puzzle. It was, he said,
really none of his business, but it had
taken a hold upon him that he could not
shake on. .

“ I suppose it is the old, old story,” she
said simply.

“ You mean regarding Dona Teresa.”

H Yes.”

“ You may be right, but I think you
are wrongnYou have come to that con-
clusion before you have seen her.”

“Then there is more to it than you
have told me, evidently. If you consider
my opinion worth anything, Sam, you
must give me all the pomts so that I
may give it intelligently.”

“ You have got all the points; your
conclusion is a natural one, and yet I
cannot quite agree with you. But, your
opinion respecting the two men was
what I more particularly meant. Do you
think they have something in common,
or was it mere coincidence? ”

“ I don’t believe they ever saw or heard
of each other before, Sam."

“ You don’t?”

4‘ No.”

“ Then you are one point ahead of me.
Just explain. I have come to have the
highest respect for your opinion.”

“My opinion is, then, that Dona Teresa
made a' mistake in her recognition. and
that Cactus Bill frightened the life out
of an innocent man, who, to get away,
borrowed a. wheel and—” .

“ at one fact tells against him.”

“ pistol in the hands of such a

 

marksman was a strong incentive to ac—
celeration.”

“And a wheel was the quickest means
at hand, eh? Well, giving him the bene-
fit of the doubt, what about the other fel-
low? ”

“I believe that he is the real Louis
Murrill.”

“By Jupiter!”

“ Then you had not thought of that?”

“ My wits must have been wool-gath—
ering, sure enough. Score a big one for
yourself, Bess!”

“ Then you agree with me? ”

“ Well, you are as likely to be right in
your theory as I in mine, if not a little
more so.” \

“Thank you. And if I am right, that
he is the man, you know where you are
likely to run across him again, of course.
You don’t need spectacles to see that."

“Not at Cactus Bill’s, surely.”

“ Rossibly, in a disguise, but that is not
where I mean.”

“ Oh! I see—".

“ Of course you see; a blind man could
see. He will go fooling around the St.

Nicholas avenue nightingale again, the

way you say he seemed to be stuck on
her, and there will be your place to get
on his shadow.”

“ That is a happy thought, Bess. I will
profit by it. 1 tell you I would not be
half a detective, were it not for you as
my aide.”

“ Pshaw! you made your reputation be-
fore you ever'saw me.”

“ That don’t matter; I have come to
lean a good deal upon your help, when-
ever we have a case together, my girl.”

“Don't get familiar, now,” said the
girl, putting up her hand. “ You don’t
know whether you have got a case or
not, yet, and in those we have had I
don’t claim any credit.”

“You have had your share of it, all the
same,” said Sam.

“Well, no matter. Do you want me to
rope in any more kissing dudes for you
to~day?” ,

“No, that will be all for this time, I
guess. Give your attention to Cactus
Bill’s show, and get int-o the good graces
of Dona Teresa, if you can. We will have
to look to her for the solution.”

“ Which you will not get.”

“You think not?”

“ That is the way it looks to me, after
what you have said of her manner when
speaking about it.”

“That is all right, Bess; I know that
I could not succeed, but if you take hold
of it you will be able to get at the se-
clt‘et. and then we’ll know where we are
a .”

“Why -will
slang? ”

“Slang? Bless your innocent heart.
Besa, that is a classic!” /

“Well, where are you going?“

“I am going to drop around and see
Molly McGee, the jolly Irish lass, again.
She may be able to help me a good deal.”

“More than I, perhaps.”

“Only in learning what she can about
our man, if he comes there.”

“Well, ta-ta, Sammy. 'Will see you
later. I’ll go up and scrape acquaintance
with Cactus Bill.”

-With a smile and a nod, Bessie Blake
turned her wheel, and the Scorcher lifted
his hat to her politely as she pedaled
away.

“There is a girl in a thousand,” he
said to himself. “Sam, my boy, you are
in luck to stand so well in her good opin-
ion, I tell you. She is as good a detective
as You are yourself, or a better.”

Watching her until she turned a cor-
ner, and lifting his hat to .her again as

you persist in using

 

she glanced back in his direction, he
then turned and set off to see Molly Mc-
Gee.

When he came in sight of the corner
where the McGee shanty stood, he no-
ticed a number of loiterers along the curb’
outside the high fence that concealed
the shanty from view, and he rightly
guessed that Molly was singing again.

He was not mistaken.

Coming a little nearer, he heard her
clear, strong voice rendering a popular
song.

Scorcher Sam went past the corner,
then dismounted and entered with his
wheel at the open space where a panel of
the fence had been set back a little. ,

\ Molly was there, and looked up as he
entered.

The washing was all done and the
snowy clothes were on the line, and the
empty tubs .were standing bottom-up in
the shade, while she was adding the fin—
ishing touches to the cleaning up.

“ Ho! and is it you? ” she cried.

“It is nobody else, my girl," said the
intruder.

“Sure, it is not yure gurrel Oi am,
at all at all,” she gave him to under—
stand. “Oi am Mike Murtha’s own, and
no wan’s else, so there!"

“I wouldn’t think of trying to cut
Mike out, Molly, for he is a good friend
of mine. I meant it just the same as I
mean when I say “my boy ” to Mike.
See?”

“Sure, it is all right, sor; Oi was only
funnin’ wid ye.”

“Well, I didn’t want to be misunder-

stood, that was all. Wouldn’t want to
have Mike jealous of me, you know."
‘ “And naythur would Oi, sor. Sure, he
has bad blood, whin it is up, so he has.
Phwat did ye do wid that other chap
that was here wid ye whin ye was here
before? ”

“He is the fellow I have come to see
you about, Molly."

“About him?”

it Yes.’)

“Phwat do Oi know about him?"

“I want you to learn something about
him, if he comes here again.”

“ Oh-ho! Then me own impression av
him was not fur wrong, maybe. Oi took
him fur a blackleg, sor, on me wurred."

“You did?”

“ Thot same Oi did, sor.”

“Well, you may be right, for all I
know to the contrary. That is what I
want to find out."

“Very well, sor, though, on me wuro
rud Oi don’t loike to have him hangin’
around. And if Mike should come in
and foind him here, goodness only knows
what would happen! "

 

CHAPTER XI.
SAM ASSIGNED T0 SERVICE.

Molly McGee was as good as gold.

She was betrothed to a sturdy young
bricklayer whose name has been men-
tioned, and, not looking above her sta-
tion, but making herself content and
happy therein, she was likely to make a
good wife to the man of her choice.

The Scorcher had made her acquaint-
ance through a service rendered to her
lover, and enjoyed the friendship of both
alike. Mike had been accused of a crime
of which he was innocent, and Sam
proved his innocence.

Sam appreciated the point raised, and
thought for a moment.

" I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Molly,” he
said. “I will go and find Mike and tell
him bout it, so he will understand.”

“ hot is just the thing,” cried the
girl. “ You do that, and Oi will do phwat

ever ye say. But, do ye know he is comin‘

 

     
  
 
   
    
  
    
   
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
   
  
  
 
  
   
   
  
   
   
   

   
 

t

::

 
   
   
    

    

x that was rather'low, if you noticed.”

’ camehere andfound him talking with

, wurreld, sor."

' J ' good turn ye done fur Mike thot toime.

" '-,_..prigon,»,and him as innocent as Oi was

1;;mfeael’.” v' I r ,1 .
 5“ Don’t -‘mentio'n it'again, my girl—-
Your, rdon; 1‘ mean Miss McGee."

 his hat andmade her a bow, and after
a. few more remarksflthe Searcher took

I‘idopndfthat vhehad not been 'at' work that
, r ’ _ .r . I ' e .

10

Scorcher Sam‘s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

 

here again? Phwat business is it brings
him here? ” '

“No, ’I don’t know that he is coming
here, Molly, but he may. As to what will
bring him, what but a nightingale voice
and a pretty face?”

“ Bah! go ’long wid yer blarney, now."

“ I mean it." .

“ Sure, it is not singin' another wurrud
Oi'll be, so dhere."

“Don’t give up your singing, Molly;
too bad your voice has never been culti-
yated—"

“Phwat’s thot?"

“ 0h, made perfect by care and study,
under some great musician. so you could
sing opera, and all that sort of thing.
you know. You wouldn’t have to do
washing, then.”

“ 0i guess me voice is good enough as
it is, sor,” was the'rejoinder to that.
“Sure and Oi was an opera singer Oi
couldn’t marry Mike, and phwat would
loife be worth widout Mike? Oh, no, Oi.
guess me voice is good enough as it is.
and Oi’m not cryin‘."

“Well, I guess you are right, after
all," said Sam.

“ And as fur dhe washin', Oi loike it.“

"Mike will have a jewel when he gets
you, sure enough, and if he doesn't ap-
preciate the fact and use you well he had
ought to be horsewhipped, that is all.”

“Never you fear fur Mike, sor.”

“Well, to business: If that fellow
comes again, talk with him and find out
all you can about him. Get his name
and where he lives, if possible, though
not at all likely you can do that. Any-
how, I want you to pay particular atten-
tion to his throat." -

“And phwat’s the matter wid his
t’roat?” , i

“ I want you to see if there is a scar on
it.”

“On his neck, ye do be meanin’, don‘t
'  n ' ‘

“Neck, if you please; the front part,
down where his collar should be."

“And suppose he has a collar on? ”

.“ Then you.will .not be likely to see it,
of course, but hemay have,on the same
outing shirt he had on thismorning, and

“Well, all.roight; but don’t you furget
to tell Mike.”

“ Where is he at work? ”

The «girl mentioned the place.

“ All right, I. will go there and ask for
nimiandf make it right with .him. He
might toss a brick at my man, if he
011.": , ‘ , ,
“0i wouldn’t have it happen fur dhe

“Well, I’ll. go and‘see him right away
and iix,that matter. «Pardon me for take
ingsup your time, Molly.”

"‘ Och! that is all might, sor,‘ afther dhe

Only fur you, sor, he moight nowxbe in

‘ a The ightlngale laughed, as Sam dotted

leave, . ' K 4 . . .. . -, ,
' "Prue {to‘hls word. he set out to. find
 Martha. out on asking for him at
:th 5. building, where he. was‘ employed,

 k'od‘w'ingvgwhere' he mum, and not
, oping. it of great, importance; anyhow,
am did unblock-further.  t  __ 

 «Went home; ' ' -

It was a brief message from his supe-
rior, asking him to come in for an in-
terview as soon as possible.

Sam ate his lunch and took a little
rest, then set out.

“You got my note?” asked the chief,
when Sam entered the private office at
headquarters.

“Yes, sir,” the Scorcher Detective an—
swered.

“I have a piece of business for you to
look into, Sam.”

“ So I supposed.

“ You
George? ”
.“ Just came from there, sir.” i

” Well, this matter will take you back
to the same neighborhood.” ‘

“ All right, I am agreeable to that. as I
have already got a mystery on my hands
up there.”

"So much the better. if this will not
interfere with that. If it does, I will put
some one else on this so as not to in-

What is it?"
have been up around Fort

have." - I,
“ Let me have the particulars, then I
can decide.”
“All right. give me your attention. I
will be“ brief and right to the point. I
think we are on the track at last of
those mysterious robbers who have been
playing such havoc with the big' silk and

I

we are, if you can only follow up the
clew.”.

ice? I thought—3’

“Never mind what you thought, Sam.
The others are stumped, and say there
is no clew to follow.”

“Then. you may as well save your
breath, chief, as tell me the story, if
that- is the way the others look at it.
What can I hope to do where such men
as——” ‘

“ You will take hold of this case, Sam
Buckley, and I expect you to sblVe‘ the
mystery. Now, not another word out of
you, sir, till you hear what the 'case is,
and then I want to be assured that my
confidence in you has not been mis-
placed.” \ ‘

Sam was silent—~he "had been ordered
to silence. ,

“ At an early hour this morning,” the
chief went on, “an undertaker’s wagon
broke down under the‘ bridge that unites
the two parts of Trinity Cemetery. on
Eleventh Ayenue. and there, strange to
say, it was deserted." -

Still Sam was silent. _ o

“There it was deserted, I say.” the
’chiej went on, “‘and'there a patrolman
found it; and not.only so, but he found
that it was loaded. with silk‘and laces,
evidently stolen, spilled along the‘ curb
from the bursted body of the wagon, and
he took charge of it, Of‘course.”

Sam said not a word. r

“The patrolman took the rig to the
station'and reported the "matter, and, a
report of it was sent to me. Aboutthe
same time that_I received that, I got a

" complaint from Baltman &  stating

that their store had been robbed during
the night to the extent of several thou-
sand dollars’ worth of goods, One of their
men” went up and examinedvtttheseithings.
and identified the lot a! the‘ptolen goods.
There you have it”.  “
S “You want meta 'speakLnow? ” asked
'am' . I V] ,  .,'1
373,0! course 1' want yonxto speak now.
What is your opinion of theimatter? "
“ You-say when; no clew, so I sup-

 

6“he found

w,

ignore beginners}

  

    

» i

terfere with any other plans you may-

jewelry stores of late-in fa‘ct, I am sure

“ Why have you called me for the serv»

,_ no other way, and even‘that is not very

pose uneasiness term ‘50 ask-anew

 
  
     

“They say there is no clew, but the
does not prove that you will not find
one. Go ahead and ask all the questions  _,
ygu want to, and see what you can make 
o it.” - -'

Thereupon Sam put a number of ques-
tions to his chief, with which We will not ‘.:
weary the reader, as to the identity of - " ,
the wagon, how marked, the horse, what
kind, and so on; but when he had done
he found that he had learned nothing.
that was likely to give him any light.

His chief looked at him, as if fearful
that he would give it up, as the others
had done. 01? course, not every man on
the force had been called, but several
of them had, with that result. They
could see no way of proving where the
rig was bound for at the time of the ac-
cident; would it be the same with Scorch-
er Sam?

 

CHAPTER XII. ' ‘ .5 
Tim SCORCHER'S EXPERIMENT.  ' «‘
It was a case calculated to baffle any-
body. = v
The wagon bore the name and address
of its presumed owner; but there was no
undertaking establishment at the num- .‘ .
ber given. . ' 1;:
In fact, there was none anywhere near 
that place, nor had such a name ever  L“-
been heard of there. Hence, it had to be '.  4'”
concluded that the wagon was a. clever
blind for a different business. A
Sam remained in thought for several
minutes. '
The chief began to get anxious, and
finally he broke out: ‘ 4 
“ Now. don’t say that you give it up; I
won’t hear to it. I want you to trace
that wagon to itsdestination.”
“Well, you give me'a pretty stubborn
task. chief; but‘I will undertake it, né-Ve

 

      
       
             
          
   
    
 
     
       
       
       
    
      
         

 

ertheless. I suppose the others have 1
taken every mark on the wagon andhar- 
ness—” ~ > ' ' v

“ Yes, yes; everything thatfpromised a '
clue even in the remotest manner.".

“ But they have left the horse? "

“Yes, the horse is in charge of that
Precinct.” : - p , 

“ Then I will take the horse, sir. ' Laced:

i

    
     
  

promising.” ~
“But a horse can’t
“ No; but a horse has got
and ‘I' will rely on that”.
“ What? do you mean to do? "w . 
“Why, simple enough. chief. Iv willi
have,the horse‘ hitched to some sort of  .
wagon and drive wonder the arch where g: ‘
the accident occurred, and let the animal 
have free rein togo where it will-from

that point”: ‘ . .  
“ By Harryl Why didn’t we thinkirof

mater. ). v ,   n, 
._ '“ Because. it-is so simplelaripl‘afit 1%?»
pose, air," said Sam. ‘  " 
MNo; because we weretioif Search”
. ants, you mean,” the e’hiefiafliaputfi the
p‘OintQK 1.", " g ' >‘ 
a “Well, is that all, chlfif‘lf' ,
~ “ That is all. Youi'hayeeverkuoint
that r can give you; .butaou’can so;
see the horse and Wfian. bf course‘ -

am, Samaria, . ,,
horse sonnet,

   
 
   
     
     
    
   
 
 

   
   
 
   
  
         
    

   
 

      
    
     

 

‘La

      
         
        
 

  

       

  
  
 

.‘_‘ I’ll go at once-3337’:-  - . .
“ What we Want; you see. is to 88 11,0.
of the thieves; we - it there is any”
ized band of them. as I begin to.
now, wa wapejevidence that an 
them-into our. "ands." ‘ . L  ‘ ' 
" an» richer? 1 do my l.~e.ve.>l.~.be t
“ That; means: something... the ,
the  ‘you are already on

  
       
   
  
   
    
   
    

  
 
  
 

  

 
  

   

. ,1" _V in  an outline'mflit, '5’
earth-Jodi!“ make or 1113;: '

  
 

 

  

i'giopfibqueesgiug thehorse, uneasy so,



  
     

up :amrése’y ids-k {hellish ,, ,

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

1‘1,

 

 

  
 

“ Well, now for it,” he ‘said, as he
mounted his “bike” and rode away.
“This is a nut to crack, sure enough:
and if that horse fails me I’ll be as much
at sea as the other fellows.”

, In due time he reached the place where
the horse was stabled.
‘ He had called at the station first, and a
sergeant had come with him to the stable.

“ There is the beast,” said the sergeant,
indicating the horse.

“ The mischief! " exclaimed Sam

“ What’s the matter?"

“ It is a better-looking horse than I
expected to see.” I

The animal was certainly a fine one,

sleek and well cared for and in prime
condition.
‘ “Better than the wagon, a good deal."
said the sergeant. “That was an old af-
‘fai'r, though strong enough yet save in
that weakest spot that gave way and. let
it down."

“Let me see that."

The sergeant led the way through the
stable to a little yard in the rear, where
the broken wagon stood.

It was just what the chief had claimed
for it—an undertaker’s wagon of the
usual style. It had been newly painted,
  and the name and address were on it in
a 'i neat gilt letters. '
7"? Sam noticed that an old address was
” ‘ ‘ still visible under the varnish and coach

black, or fragments of it; but it was use-
 less to try to make it out, as the ser-
 geant declared. The others had all tried
it, he said, and failed. So Sam gave that
‘u

l‘

 

 

 

3“ You see. there is no clue," said the

sergeant.

"‘ So it looks, at any rate,” Sam agreed.

“ That being the‘case, what will you do

about it? ” ’
‘Sam mentioned his idea.

_' "2 By hokus! ” exclaimed the sergeant.

' ’“ Not a man of us thought of that, not
‘oneJ’

'- ““I was forced to it as a last resort,"

.,'j,said Sam. “Is there a wagon here that
we can‘ hitch to for the experiment? ”

"“ Yes; I’ll have the rig ready in five
minutes.” 5

= “ All right.” ‘

The sergeant was enthusiastic over the
idea. and eager to put it to the test. .

_ In a. short time he was ready, and Sam.
leaving his wheel there in the care. of the
stableman,,he and the sergeant got into
the wagon and drove off.

‘ Once out on the Boulevard they drove
:lalong 0n the. right hand side in the direc-
tio’n ot the cemetery.

 r The horse was disinclined to walk, and

' along at a“ swinging trot at good

 

 

 

x

speed.
eSI’he two men were in disguise.
‘ Sam had attached-a heard to his face,
'  the sergeanthnd borrowed an old
,liat and coat of the stableman. '
~ “4 tin due time they reached the cemetery,
".::‘m~hn to the point Wherevthe wrecked
wagon had been found, the lines lying
,s'iackonfthe horse’s back and the two
mentaliting. v ~
if‘ThQ animal went straight on; as it it
ad never stopped at that point; and
 biless'it‘ never had before thé."ocoa~

 
 

  

   

    

“otth accident. , - -

V Now for it", said the sergeant.-  
tall“; and we, shall discover somsthinz.
too,” assumed Sam. ' ' W « ’ :'
it" Why do‘you think so? ”

 
 

    
  
  

    

rse; stops, along}?

  
  
   

Myopinion: is”. (team, “that the
' ' “353m” diswwreclthe rig almost im-
1‘ after)“ had,been deserted.”

:  ‘3’ do- you iihin’lt. that??? inquired
— ers‘ea’ntx.  "T 2,,  g "'

 . I ‘    V

 
  

  
   
 
  

its

    

\

‘t'. the confidence with which; the ‘I strangers in this part of the city, I talus
«. .it ’ \  » "

“turning again to/the man at the fence. ,

of.“ .Yes: so We are.”

"come ?x’-' .

 

'trom well down, town. .We'. must,_.have'_

“ Because I believe the driver saw the
roundsman first, and knew that his only
hope for escape was to skip at once.”

“There is something in that. It was
noticed that the horse had apparently
not been standing there a great while,
and you may be exactly right in the mat-
ter.” , ,

“ I feel sure that I am.”

Thus they discusscd the affair, while
the horse kept up its regular speed, till
finally it turned a corner without being
guided.

The detective and the sergeant gave
each other a look and nod and awaited
impatiently for further developments,
which were not a great while in coming.

Another corner was turned, the horse
came to a walk, and at last drew in to
the curb and stopped.

“Let‘s get right out, as if .we have
stopped purposely," said Sam.

This they did, and Sam patted the
horse. while the sergeant pretended to
be doing something about the wagon.

They were aking in the locality, and,
especially the place before which the
horse had stopped, which was an old
estate, with a very old mansion some
distance back from the street:

“ This is the place, not a doubt of. it,"
said the sergeant in low tone.

“Not a doubt on my mind,” agreed
Sam.

“What shall we do now?”

 We’ll get in again and give the horse
the rein. and, see what hisnext point of
destination will be.”

They were just getting into the'wagon
when a man appeared, coming down the
walk from the mansion. and at sight of
him Scorcher Sam could not repress a
start. Was it his friend, Phil Dixon, or
was it the man Dona Teresa so eagerly
sought, Louis Murrill? That it was the
one or the other he was sure.

 

CHAPTER XIII.
FPHEADJNG THE DRAG-NET.

. “Hello!” exclaimed the sergeant in
a low tone. "" We are in fOr it.”

“ So it seems,” answered Sam; “and
I am glad of it. This is the most fortu—
nate thing that could have happened.”

“ Is that so? But what shall I do?
Shall I drive on? ” ‘
“ Not yet; wait. This is a man I have
been looking for, and I am glad I am in
disguise, for he will probably not recog-
nize me. I’ll ask him the way to some

place or‘other." ,- , '1

The man had by this time come to the~
gate. ‘ l '

He "leaned on the post and looked at
the two men for a few moments, they
giving him no attention, apparently.
hiThen. Sam suddenly wheeled and faced

m.

“Can you tell me where the institution
for the blind is, sir? ” he inquired.

“It is down about 165th and Ridge
Road,” was the reply. “ You are a con—
siderable distance out of your way here.”

“I guess we are lost,- sure enough,”
said Sam to his companion, loud enough
for the other to hear. “ You thought this,
house looked like it, but I was sure it
wasn’t." < v ‘

" Guess you’re right," said the sergeant

“ Much obliged to you,’sir,” said Sam,

1

f‘Oh, you are welcome, You must be

a,

[‘11 thought so. ’Whidh‘dway— did. you
, .“tsmtgaeup Eleventh ,aVenue, “sin;

 

passed" the place}?
' ‘ I. r .  " I.

“ Yes; you should have turned at 165th
street.”

“Well, we’ll go back and try it over
again, that being the only thing we can
do. Let her go, Gallagher!”

The last was to the sergeant, as Sam
got in. and he said in low tones:

" Give the horse free rein, and see
where it will go, no matter if the fellow
is looking.
the horse anyhow."

“ You think so? ”

“Sure of it.”

“ Well, here goes. Gee up!"

The sergeant touched the horse with
the end of the lines, and it sprang for-
ward «into a trot immediately, turning at.
the corner.

The Scorcher looked back as they
turned the corner. and noticed that the
man had left the yard and was walking
leisurely down the street: but he was not
deceived.

He believed that was only for a blind.

There was one thing he had noticed
about the man, for he had taken a criti-
cal survey of him while standing at the
curb. V '

The man had on an. outing shirt, cut
low at the neck. and Scorcher Sam had
noted plainly a white scar like a seam
across the throat, low down near the top
of the breast bone. ~

He had found Louis Murrill!

But whether this was the man whom
he had met at the McGee shanty or at
Calctus Bill's show he was unable to de-
c1 e.

“Well, what do you think?” inquired
the sergeant. ‘

“I believe that we have discovered the
real nest,” declared the detective.

“And what is to be done? ”

“We must allay suspicion first.” .

“In what way? ”

“ That fellow has left the house_to keep '

watch of us. by some means or other."

“ For [what purpose? ”

1 To decide whether we are takes or
no .”

“ And’what will we do?"

“Go to the institution for the blind,
straight.” _

“On what pretext?”

“ Oh, I will make up something or other
by the time we get there.”-

“ But I thought we were to let the horse
take its, own course, and see where it.
would go.” -

“ Too bad; but that will have to. be de—
ferred now. Let the horse have its head
as long as it goes in the right direction”

You can try it over again to—night from ,

that point.” ,
"All right; you are the boss.”

“ You see, if we allow the horse to, go ‘

home now, watched as we are, or will be,
it would give the alarm, and our birds
would fly.” ‘

“ That’s so;
how? ”

and won’t they fly any-

“We’ll have to take the chances of, 
that till we‘ can ,putlha'shadower or two .

on that house.” '

The horse turned into’the avenue'and' ' A

took them ~dow"n*the‘way they had come,
and it required quite a pull to turn it :i
the direction otthe asylum. ‘

"This .beast would take us-Stmigh’t’é.‘

home, not a. doubt of it,” said «the de—
tective: ‘ '

"Yes. I} believe it would: and l’m 

we can’t try it.” , ,
“You can hays that, to yourself; alter
dark. it! am not'around to

hand at.‘ the stables at 'nineaso’clockl >111)

   
  
 

not :Maitz‘ipr me; but gosand learn 
m r .'

you“ Can; quietly. and revert It
thenhifi‘fi'i‘ 5.,    a f  

I notice that he recognizes-5

, go with scuff
I ‘Then “you want toga?” ’ i  .
 1‘ Certainly. ' However, it I amsnnto

iv

   
   
   
   
 
  
  
  
  
   
   
   
   
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
     
       
     
     
     
       
         
   
       
   
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
       
     
   
      
     
       
       
    
 
     
     
  
    
  
  
   
   
     

 
   
 
  

 

9
t

flék-‘M‘mfi‘tmfi'. ‘» .,vs- -..‘~— .,..-.._.-.-. .4 ~ ' r .. rs- 7 ~ - x».

  

12 Seoroher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

“ But you expect to be on hand? ”

“ If nothing prevents.”

"‘ All right.”

In due time they came to the institu-
tion, and Scorcher Sam leaped lightly out
of the cart and entered the grounds and
proceeded to the house.‘

The door was opened to him, and he
made some inquiry concerning something
which he knew would not be understood,
.and could not be answered, yet which
gave him the pretext for calling.

After a few moments’ talk and an
apology for bothering, Sam came away
and entered the cart, and they drove off.

At a certain corner Sam got out.

It was understood that the sergeant
was to drive some distance around and
approach the stables from the side fur-
rthest from the station.

Sam reached the stables first, and, se-
curing his wheel, he removed his disguise
and made his exit by a rear way through
some vacant lots to another street, and
left the vicinity.

“ Well, there is something accom-
plished,” he said to himself. “'Who would
have thought that the two cases would
dovetail like that? But, strange things
happen in real life as well as in fiction,
and I am not surprised at anything that
occurs.”

Taking it leisurely, Sam went up to the
same neighborhood again, and came
down by way of the old mansion to
which attention had been drawn.

He surveyed the place carefully.

There was little sign of life about it.
Any one at a casual glance would have
said that the place was deserted.

On the gate and on the walk, however,
as well as along the curb, indications to
the contrary were present, and Sam be-
lieved that it was nothing more nor less
than a place for concealing stolen goods.

In the rear, on the other street, a new
’house was in the course of construction,
though work seemed to be going on at
snail’s pace.

There was no one to be seen in or
.around the old mansion.

Sam had stopped, as if to rest, some
distance away, and had thrown himself
on the grass under a tree.

Much of the ground in this neighbor-
hood has remained untouched to this
day, and is almost in its primitive state,
as when the noble redmen of the woods
were in possession.

There he remained until at last a
couple of men sauntered up the avenue
and began loitering in the neighborhood;
‘then Sam prepared to go. He knew then
the sergeant had reported and that men
had been sent to pipe the place, and that
'these were they.

To make doubly sure he gave them a
sign as he rode past them on his wheel,
and the signal was answered. That set-
tled the point, and he rode away, con-
fident that even if the rascals took the
alarm and sought other quarters his
chief would 'be duly informed of their
newer rendezvous. Being so satisfied, he
sought Cactus Bill’s Circus.

 

CHAPTER XIV.
WINNING A CONFIDENCE.

It was late in the afternoon.

The show had closed until the even—
ing performance.

Inquiry for Cactus Bill proved that he
was not there, but had gone out.

Those around could not say when he
would return, but certainly before the
time for the evening performance. If
not, there would be no performance.

Sam inquired for Dona Teresa.

She was in her private tent in the rear

 

of the show tent, and it was said she had
company.

The Scorcher had noted a ladies’ wheel
in the rack at the side of the tent, and
had recognized it as Bessie Blake's, so
he rightly guessed who the company
was.

He asked to see Dona Teresa, and sent
word who he was.

In a few minutes he was conducted to
her tent, where she gave him greeting.

Bessie, the Boulevard Detective, was
there, and Sam bowed to her, not offer-
ing to recognize her until he received a
cue from her.

She rose almost at once.

“I will be going, Dona Teresa,” she
said. “ I am very grateful to you for the
talk about the Wild West you have given
me, and I am sure it will work into a
good story for my paper."

“ Do not leave on my account, madam,”
urged Sam, motioning her to remain. “ I
shall the here only a few moments, and
would be sorry to interrupt your evi-
dently pleasant tete-a-tete. I would not
have intruded upon the Dona, only that
the proprietor is absent.” , .

“I confess frankly that I am loath t
go,” admitted Bessie. “If you assure me,
sir, that my presence—”

“Is entirely welcome to me'; be seated
again, I beg.”

Bessie sat down.

The Scorcher knew that she had not
accomplished her mission there, but was
not ready to give it up.

“ I will state my errand at once, lady,”
explained Sam, addressing Dona Teresa.
“I have been so fortunate as to dis-
cover the man for whom you are in
quest—”

“ Louis Murrill? ”

“ The same."

“You are sure?" eagerly.

“There can be no mistake; I saw the
scar on his neck.”

“Where is he? Tell me where he is,
and let me meet him face to face. I ask
nothing else in life.”

Her eyes were dilated, her fists
clinched, and she had half started up
from the chair on which she was seated,
in the moment of excitement. She was
eager.

“I cannot tell you that, at any rate
not at present,” said Sam. “I am afraid
that you would do some desperate deed
that would get you into trouble. We
have laws here which, your cause for
hatred being just and the man having
done you a wrong, will undertake to
move in your behalf.”

“That for the law!” cried the young
woman, with a snap of her fingers in
disdain. “What satisfaction would it
be for me to turn him over to the law?
I must meet him face to face; I must deal
with him with my own hands—do you
understand?—with my own, own hands!
I pray you tell me where to find him. Do
not keep the knowledge from me, I im—
plore.” She was upon her feet, and she
held out her clasped hands to Sam in sup-
plication.

“No, no, it is impossible," said Sam.
“ Better that I should tell your brother,
and let his judgment temper your im-
pulse. I must again warn you to take
care, for there are, as I told you before,
two men who look very much alike, and
you might possibly get the wrong one.”

“ There can be no mistake, if I see that
scar." .

“No, if you see that, as I did, there
can be no mistake. But, you must not
take the law into your own hands; I
must not permit that if 'I can prevent it.”

“ At least, then, you will'remain until.

my brother comes?"

 

“ No, I cannot do that, but I will come.

again. You can tell him I have been suc-
cessful. Permit me to say good-after-
noon.”

With that Sam bowed himself out and
returned to his wheel, leaving Bessie
Blake to take up the matter where he
had dropped it, knowing that he had
opened the subject well for her.

For a moment after he had gone, Dona
Teresa was silent.

“No doubt you wonder what it is all
about,” she then observed to her visitor.

“I confess it has greatly awakened
my curiosity,” acknowledged Bessie, “ but

of course I do not expect you to take me

into your confidence, a stranger.”

“You are a woman, and-——”

“And what, dear?” _/

“You can give true sympathy and ad-
vice. I so long to open my heart to
some one.”

“You have your brother—-”

“ Yes, yes, but men do not understand
as women understand. And yet, you are
a stranger to me. You would make a
story of it all, as you call it, for your
paper.”

“No, believe me, dear, I' would not—
But do not confide in me; I do not ask it
of you. And yet, I would like to offer
you sympathy, too, for my heart has
gone out to you strangely, since I first
saw you. It seems as if you must be a
sister of mine.” ..

“You have spoken so kindly to me.
Most of the women who visit our tent
look down upon me because I belong to
a show. We all must live, and this is
my brother’s way.” ‘

“It is as honorable a calling as my
own, so long as you keep it honorable,”
said Bessie.

“That is the way I reason.”

“Who was the gentleman who
called?” Bessie asked.

It was plain that the young woman
had not seen her and Sam together, al-
though it might turn out that the broth-
er had.

“ He is of the police,” answered the
actress. “He was here early in the day
when that man happened to enter the
tent, and he prevented my brother from
shooting him then."

“That would have been horrible.”

“I thank him for it now, though I
was angry enough at the time. My broth-
er would be hanged,-had he killed him,
of course.”

“ Not a doubt of it.”

“And I would not~ desire that, though
I am willing to give my own life for the
sake of a just revenge.”

“ You should not do that. That would
be but small revenge, it seems to me,
when the blow must surely recoil upon
your own head. Better to invoke the
law to your aid.”

“And have it drag along till all pas

tience is worn out, and then, perhaps,
set the villain free———”

“ It surely would not do that.”

“Does it not do so more often than
otherwise, when meney is on the wrong
side?”

“ I hope you are wrong, at any rate.”

“No, no, I cannot wait for the law;
I must face him, and force the truth
from his lips. Oh! if you could only
know what I have suffered, and all be—
cause—”

“ Hush, dear; Perhaps your secret is
too sacred to repeat.”

" It is too sacred to be allowed to go
unavenged. Oh! if he had but told me.
so that I might go—”

“ You would need your brother's" arm
as well as his head, my dear. He did
right not to tell you. You must wait

   

: .s .r -——.- «flu

 

..>v—-~——_..-...

l
Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

13

 

 

and let your brother guide you with his
judgment.”

“And meantime that villain may es—
cape me."

“ I do not think so.”

u  n

“Because, this man being of the po-
lice, as you have said, and you having
gained his interest in your cause, he will
take care of that.”

“ You think so? Then I am encouraged.
Oh! if I thought he would escape me, and
I could never strike the blow he deserves,
I believe I would go mad—mad! ”.

“Dear one,” said Bessie, “you have
my sympathy. I believe I understand
your cause for revenge. You gave him
your love, and he consumed the fresh-

ness of the flower and cast it from
him-”
“No, no! Good heavens, no! You

wrong me in such a thought as that.
Listen; now I must tell you the story.”

 

CHAPTER XV.
SOMEWUAT (‘OMPLICATED.

The Scorcher, meantime, had wheeled
away in the direction of the McGee
shanty.

Now that he had gotten on track of the
man he was after, he felt it his duty to
tell the Nightingale, so that she need not
bother with him, or the other, should he
come there again.

It was, altogether, one of the most pe-
culiar cases he had ever undertaken to
solve.

When he came in sight of the corner
where the high fence was, he saw that
some matter of excitement was attract-
ing a crowd, and increased his speed and
hastened to the scene.

Reaching the crowd, he leaped off his
wheel and pressed in close to the fence
until he came to where he commanded a
view of the whole situation.

There were Cactus Bill, Molly McGee,
and on the ground the fellow Dixon, as
Sam took it to be, lying unconscious,
while kneeling beside him was another
man in bicycle costume.

Just behind Molly was her lover, Mike
Murtha, Molly having just. stepped in
front of him, and as she pointed her in-
dex finger at Cactus Bill, she cried:

“ Sure, it was you done et, ye bla’guardl
Didn’t Oi see ye wid yure two hands at
dhe t'roat av him?”

“I say I did not do it,” declared Cac-
tus Bill, spiritedly.

“ What is the trouble here? ” demanded
Scorcher Sam. “ What is it, Miss Molly? "

“ Sure, dhis gossoon has thried to kill
a mon, and dhey would put dhe blame
onto Mike, so dhey would, and he as in-
nocent as Oi am mesel’! ”

The man who was kneeling turned his
face toward the Scorcher.

Sam started. It was the counterpart of
the face that lay turned to the sky!

He had come upon both the men to-
gether, then, and he wondered which one
of them had the scar on his throat?

“ I believe the girl is right,” this man
declared; “I have reason to believe that
she is right, because of something I
happen to know in the matter. I want
an officer.”

“I am an officer,” said Sam, showing
his badge. .

The man gave a start of surprise.

“ Then I demand the arrest of this
man, and I charge him with the attempt-
ed murder of my brother."

“ Your brother? "

“ Certainly; anything strange about
that? Do not our faces reveal the fact?
,We are twins." .

" I deny the charge, sir," declared Cac-

 

tus Bill. “ I am entirely innocent of any
hand in the ai’t‘air—”

“Ye loie, ye spalpeeni” cried Molly,
shaking her fist at him. “Did Oi not
see ye wid yure two hands at his t’roat,
as Oi said? Deny thot an' ye can! ”

“I was looking for the mark," said
the showman, speaking to the detective.

“And found it?” asked Sam.

“ No.”

“ No! Then it must be on this other."

He laid a hand on the shoulder of the
kneeling man, who rose to his feet im-
mediately.

“What is all this nonsense about?”
he demanded. " I demand the arrest of
that fellow, for the attempted murder of
my brother!”

“I want to see your throat, just under
your sweater, sir,” said Sam.

“My throat! You want to see my
throat? What for?”

“ I want to see the scar you have there.
If you have such a scar, you, and not be,
are my prisoner.” ‘

“Your prisoner—I? Man, are you
crazy? Are you really an oflicer, as you
claimed? I doubt it. Will some one here
summon a policeman to my aid? ”

“I am all the policeman you need,
sir," said Sam, speaking severely. “ Bare
your throat, or I will place you under
arrest and take a look at it by force. I
am not crazy, neither am I fooling.”

“Maybe not, but it strikes me you are
a fool. There!”

With an angry motion, he bared his
throat so that all present might see it.

It was as fair as a woman’s, not a
mar or mark of any kind upon it any-‘
where, and the Scorcher was for the mo-
ment nonplused. .

“ That settles it,” he said, with a wave
of the hand. “I was mistaken, that’s all
I beg your pardon, sir, and now I am
ready to hear your complaint in full.”

“ Whom did you take me to be?”

“No matter, since you are not the
man.” ’

“But it does matter, and greatly, sir.
It matters so much that it has probably
cost my brother his life.”

“What do you mean? ” ,

“I mean this: My brother told me of
an adventure he had this afternoon—or
was it this morning? No matter; he said
he entered the tent of a showman at
Fort George, and came near to being shot
in mistake for another man against
whom the showman evidently had a
grudge."

“ Do you think he is badly hurt? ”

“ You can see for yourself that he is
unconscious.”

“You had no hand
Bill?”

“ I swear that I-had no hand in it.”

“ And Oi say thot ye loie!” cried the
Irish lass. “Oi saw ye wid yer fingers
at dhe neck av him.”

“Yes, Opening the neck of his shirt
to see if he was the man I want," an-
swered the sport. “I did not harm him,
but I have reason to believe that that
young man did,” and be indicated Mike
Murtha.

“ No, sor; Oi did not that same,” spoke
up Mike.

“ Av coorse ye did not,” chimed in
Molly. “ The mon that says ‘ye did tells
a bould-faced loie, so dhere!"

" Let us get at this thing," said Scorch-
er Sam. “ You, sir, try to bring your
brother to, meantime. What reason, Cac-
fil'rsnBill, have you for thinking he did

“ Because, some one here—where is he
now?—-said he heard a quarrel inside the

I

in this, Cactus

 

fence just before it happened, and when

he came around here this was what he
saw, this man lying on the ground-—”

" And you at his throat. the same as
the girl says," spoke up a voice.

“ Let us hear the rest of it,“ demand—
ed Scorcher Sam. “How long were you
in getting around to this side of the cor-
ner, after you heard the quarrel?”

“I did not come until I heard the
voices around here and knew that some—
thin‘ was up. sir; it couldn‘t been more
than half a minute before you got here
yourself, sir; I saw you when you came.”

“And Molly, what have you got to.
say?”

“Sure, Oi have said it," cried the girl.
“Oi say it was not me Mike done it at
all at all.”

“And what do you say, Mike?”

“Oi say dhe same, begob."

“The fellow had come again to see
you, Molly?”

“Yis, and sure Oi was ownly doing
phwat ye tould me to do, talk wid him,
and while we wur a-talkin’ in came Mike.
and wint fur him loike a tarrier goes fur
a rat—but not sa-yin’ me Mike is a tar-
rier, moind ye."

“And they had a fight?”

“Not at all at all. The man made his
excuse and wint out in a hurry, and dhe
next we knowed was all dhis great hulla—
baloo out here, and we came out to, see.
p'hwat it meant.”

“ You came out at once? ”

“ To 'be sure.”

“You did not even stop to explain to
Mike?”

“ Well, Oi did thot, but sure it took
nor more nor a minute to do dhat."

“ Here is a complication, sure enough,”
said Sam, speaking to the brother of the‘
unconscious man. “ You and this man,
Cactus Bill, carry your brother into the
yard, and I will disperse the crowd— Ha!
here is a mounted officer; this is for-
tunate.”

The injured man was taken in behind
the fence, and Scorcher Sam, making an
explanation to the mounted policeman,
the latter dispersed the crowd, and that
having been done, all concerned gath—
ered inside the fence, where every ef-
fort was made to restore the injured man
to consciousness. His bicycle. it was
noticed, had been injured as if by a fall.

 

CHAPTER XVI.
TANGLED runnans.

Scorcher Sam and Cactus Bill stood
apart from the others.

The injured man’s brother was doing
all he could to restore him to conscious-
ness.

It had.been ascertained that he had no
wound, so far as could be discovered,
save a bruise on one side of his head,
and there the bone did not appear to be.
broken.

A doctor had been sent for.

“ What is your opinion of it all?”'
asked Cactus Bill. \

“ It is more complicated than ever,
now,” answered the detective. “I am
half bewildered.”

‘fAnd I am almost completely so. If‘
neither of these has the mark on his
throat what am I to think? That Dona i
Teresa is mistaken? "

“ She was not mistaken,” declared Sam-

“ Not mistaken? How do you know
that?" .

“ Because I saw the man and the mark
both this very afternoon."

“And it was one of these? But no,
that is impossible, unless— I give it up:
I’m all at sea."

“ Perhaps you meant to say, unless
the scar is removable! That idea is in

my own mind, and yet I do not see (how

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

it can be. But it is either that way, or
there are three who look alike."

“And these, we are told, are twin
brothers.”

“They look it."

“See; he is returning to conscious-
ness.”

“So he is. I want to be the first to
speak to him, if his brother will permit
me.” ‘

Scorcher Sam hastened forward and
knelt beside the injured man, who was
beginning to move his head and open his
eyes a little.

“ He is better?" Sam asked.

“I think he is coming to," was the
reply.

“Will you allow me to speak to him
first?” Sam requested.

“ What do you want to do that for? "

" To satisfy myself on a certain point.
His answer may clear at once the mys-
tery of his accident."

"' You call it an accident? ”

“ It may have been."

“ I do not believe it."

“I think I can assure you that your
suspicion against this man is wrong,”
meaning Cactus Bill.

“ W'ell, I hope it is.” ' -

“ Were you Close to your brothe
when it happened? "

“No; I had met with a delay, and we

were riding a block apart at the time.”
, “ Ha! That proves one thing, then, at
once. It was not he who was in here
talking with this Irish girl, but must
have been some one else.”

“Why that is plain enough, isn’t it? ”

“ It surely is.”

The brother got up, and .Scorcher Sam
took his place.

) In a moment more. the injured man
came to and looked up at Sam as he bent
overxhim. ‘

“Do you know me ” Sam asked.

“ Yes; you are the an who chased me
this morning. Was it your wheel?”

“Yes. Then you are the man who was
in thedent and came near getting killed
in mistake for another?”

“ Yes; do you wonder I was;in haste?
I would have stolen the king’s coach and
six, if such a. thing had been at hand at
the moment. Your wheel would haVe
been returned to you, of course.”

“But I could not know that at the
time.”

“'No, of course not.”

“Well, about this accident—what do
you, remember about it?”

, “Why, my brother and I were riding
‘along this way— Where is he now? Oh,
there you are, Edgar! ”

,  ‘.‘ Yes, Anton.” '

“ You see, we were riding this gray, and
I was in the lead. ‘When I was passing
here I took the sidewalk, seeing no one
in sight and the road being none of the
smoothestvr ” '

" I see it now,” Sam interrupted, turn-
ing to Cactus Bill.

The man followed hisolook, started, and

, then got upon his feet.

 “ Don’t be alarmed!” said Sam. " He
understands the mittake that has been
made. Go on with your story.” ' i j
. “ I tooktho sidewalk, as I said," ‘oon-
tinued theman, “ and just as I came op-
positeto this opening a man rushed out
and collided with me, and over I went."

9‘ Add what became (it the manif'
asked Sam. ' ‘

“ I don'tknow; mm light-went out just
then, so to say.“ " '3‘  g
 “‘Did 'youseo him. cactus Bin, when

5 70d  uniwturningitohim.  ,

. ’ .“I’saw several persons imovi-ng slots

‘ tho-street. Maybs'riiewasvone “them.”

"   «My if“: is W ‘P‘WT‘W ’ 

s

,1 -

‘i,;. 
...\

 

“But, would ye be sayin' dhat the
two eyes av me head are no good?” de-
manded Molly‘McGee.

“ You have made the same mistake
that all of us have been making," an-
swered Sam. “By the way, did you no-
tice a scar on his neck, M'olly? "

“Oi did not, then, sor. Sure, Oi was
that exooited, wid havin’ him here at all
at all, and havin’ Mike comin’ and bind-
in' him here, dhat Oi don’t know phwat
Oi said to him, no more Oi do."

“ Then you did not find out much about
him? "

"Never a t‘ing, sor."

“ Well, it does not matter: for I have
learned something myself. I was coming
here on purpose totell you not to bonher
with him, and also to let you know that
I was unable to find Mike after I saw
you. Molly is innocent in it all, Mike;
blame me if anybody."

" Sure it ‘is all roight, av you say-so,”
answered Mike.

“But what is the meaning of it all?"
inquired the brother named Edgar.

“Your brother has been mistaken for
another person,” said Scorcher Sam. " It
might have led to serious complications
but for this timely discovery."

‘ “Then I am glad the discovery has
been made.“ '

“So am I. By the way, may I ask
your names?”

“Edgar and Anton Hall."

“ Do you know a man named Phil
Dixon? "

“ No, sir."

"‘ Or one named Louis Murrill? ”

It No.9!

“Do you. Anton, remember the man
you met when you escaped the on Wash-
ington Bridge?." .

“ Yes." -

_“ Did you take him to be your brother
here? ” .

“Oh, no; don't you suppose I would
know my own brother at sight, in broad
daylight? ” ‘

“Did you notice him particularly? "

\“Well, no." I

“ Did you notice that he looked like
your brother, or like yourself, to come
nearer? ”

“I did look the second time at him,
taking it to be Edgar at the first glance,
but I immediately saw that it wasn’t he.”

“‘Well, of course you would note the
diflerence quickly, but to others the three
look so nearly a ike that all this confu-a
sion has arisen o t of that similarity.”

‘f Lucky that it is settled, then."

" Yesydecidedly. Would you mind go-
ing up to the tent of this showman? "

“ Is it safe?  asked Anton.

"" Yes; he can go, on ahead and prepare
his sister for your coming, so that no
accident will happen."

“ All right, we'll go, it by 2:) doing we
can do any good and has re the people
that we are not the mean t ey want. For
my part, I don’t want another such call,”
said Anton. , p x \ .

CHAPTER XVII: I

, r , DONA‘TERESA‘S‘STORY. v p
. The Scot-char, said a femwordsain pri-
vate to antds Bill. ' i 5'1 f ;

The s rt went out ahead of the others,
and too i agctble car,in"tho direction of
histent'.  "  1 .

The others'wnited, while Anton Hall.
fully recovered his stron‘gth and adjusted
his bicycle, after-Jim rough»: usage, and;
that saying  to Molly-i McGee and"
her lover, they 40110de on theirwiieefl‘sfp
- When 8am arrived, Bessie Elaine pm
just. on‘tlio‘ Mullet-Waving; but." I ' ‘
Somme  WSMR ton i

l... .

_ it seems.” '

“The whole pitiful story,“ was the 

answer.

“ And you think Louis Murrill deserves
punishment?“

“Yes, if ever/man did. It would be
just to let Dona Teresa face him, Sam."

“Yes, but would it not be dangerous
to her, if he is such a character as they:
give him credit for being?”

“ Undoubtedly, unless first rendered
harmless. You can do that, easily. Shall
i give, you the story now, or will you
wait? " t

“ I will wait. You pedal down to Wash-

ington Bridge, and wait for me there. ‘

i'll probably not be detained very long
here. See these two men coming, Bess? ”

Sam had arrived a little ahead of the
others.

Bessie looked
sated. and gave a start. .

“Why, you have got the fellow al‘
ready! ” the Boulevard Detective ex-v
claimed. “Which one is he? ”

“ Neither one is he," and explaining in
a few words, he bade Bessie ride on.

She started as the others came up, and
just then Cactus Bill appeared from his
sister's private tent. '

“ Dona Teresa will see you, gentlemen,”
he announced. “Leave your wheels‘in
the rack and follow me, if you please.”

in the direction indiv-

When they came to the tent the young

woman met them at the door. .

At sight of the brothers she gave a
start and looked from one to the other:
in a puzzled manner.

“Which is the one you saw this morn- -

ing? ” asked Sam.

“ I‘.—~I do not know,” she admitted. I

“ Well, is either of these Louis Mur-
rill?”

H No"!

“How do you know?” asked Cactus

Bill. “ You have not looked for the scar."
“I do not believe that either of these
gentlemen has the scar; now that I study
their features calmly, I know that!
neither is Louis Murrili.” 
“That is true,” assured Sam. “ Neither

one has the scar, as you say, and neithen '

is the man you seek. I know where he is;
however, and’l hope to bring him to face
you,:to-I‘iight\” ‘ -

“ You will do that?" eagerly. 
“Yes, or take you to see him, itmy'

plans do not miscarry."

“That is all I ask; I will force the
truth from, him, for he cannot escape me,
once I meethim.”

“But, you will not be allowed ,to do 1
him harm. As an oiiicer, I will notral- .,
“low that, you know. And, withoutalle.‘

you cannot hope to find him at all." '
“ 'Ilhat’ is true." ‘

"‘ Then you promise that. yougwill not. 

attemptv”
" No, no; impossible,
must prevent it, that is r 1
“Very well; r will preventht. He will
have more crimes than one ‘to answer for,
They took leave, arid her , their parts
having been played,_'we w H allowthfi

' twin brothers to take lady's of our road

ers as well., a  . . ,V j
The Searcher" went to rejoin. Bessie
Blake? ;  '  a  
He fgund  on Washington 
in one at the orenelles, hedged m b ‘ V
couplef‘otwheoimen. ( _   1  '
The "were. standing leaning on,
“ 51W? finalizing and talking, and.
fifilwm" Mussel! when,  it:
caught sight of herr‘but.~hgx- Ml 
iy"brightened at sight “my;
' He‘lrode'up 'quicitlyjijdl‘mg

«much: made. a «move to...

Bosnia orderedthem to stay

 



, ,"I Officer,” shew to, . _

. l ’ i
immibie. You;

 

 

Scorcher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

15.

 

 

i 'toC-arrest these fellows for forcing their
"attentions upon me against my wishes. L

will appear against them and press the
. charge.”

“Not this evening, thank you,” said
one of them, and he was on his wheel
and away instantly.

The other tried to follow. but. Be;:ie
laid a hand on 'his wheel and clapped a
pistol under his nose.

“ You stay right here! “ she ordered.

He stayed!

Scorcher Sam had dismounted, but was
on his wheel again immediately and aft—
er the fugitive.

It was a. hot chase, but, before the chap
could reach the other end of the bridge,
Sam was up with him, and when he
called on him to stop the fellow obeyed,
and began to beg.

"‘No use.” avowed Sam. “A few of
you roughs up here want a. lesson of this
kind to bring you to time. Your con—
duct brings odium upon respectable
wheelmen, and the sooner it is broken
up the better. We’ll put you where we
put Don Quixote~”

“Scorcher Sam!" they exclaimed.

“At your service,” from the detective,
smiling. '

“ But, we have done no harm. we
didn’t knew the lady's—that it was a de—

“Tho fact that you did not know her
tells against you for forcing your un-
welcome attentions upon her. Mount
Your wheels and come with us to the
station.” _>

They begged and argued. but of no
use, and in due time they were in police
custody. l '

That business done, .Sam and Bessie
sought supper. ,

Theyentered a nice, quiet hotel in the
neighborhood, where Sam ordered a good
repast. ' ‘

“Now, Bicycle Bess," he said, when
the viands had been spread before them,
“I am ready for the story of Dona Te—
resa and Louis Murrill."

,' “You give me still another name, I
see.”

“Yes, and one that fits you well, too.
You are the queen of wheelwomen, Bess.”
 'r “ Nonsense! ‘Blarney,’ as your Night-

ingale would tell you. You oan’t'com—

  

 

  
   
  
    
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
  
    
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 

 , .you‘better if you won’t try to flatter me.”
~ “Wellhfl’ll drop it, then. Now, the.
slimy.” ‘

'~ “ It is not a, very long one.”
“ You can'tell, it all the more in detail,
them Was .my suspicion in the matter
w. right?” - r r

" “ Nit."

“ Than 50?» "But. fire away,, Bonny
iBess! ” 1-  4

“ Fire something atjyour head? Well,
1 give me your ears and here goes for it:
“Dona Teresa is. seeking to avenge
#211119 wrong a, sister of hers suffered at
7.1.110 hands of Louis Motrin. The follow
‘ mom'in her, but only to get  property,
andgfinding he could not get that. became

("may hadione child, new assign“,
an, .if living, and at lastho: stole
 “mom its mother, hoping by a.”

 
   
  
   
   
  
    
 
   
  
  
   
 
  
   
  
 

 tohim: In the mean time choked
tfihqforrod the. property to her. sister,
' ,, offers“; and she-had gone away
  ' ~ ‘ ;  : '
Well net flasher. ,chud killed the
 Short-time, andpho died on

'  , ‘a’n return home.
 ‘S‘Tietessrrem'

    
   
 

   

  

      
 
 
 
 

 tuition

 

'_  and has been

umbmrmraummu care Ion ' , 7 ,  , .,  ., ., ..
'  woman. had-o andrttconvmoflonmiihfl

  
 

 

.“ pipers ” were making out there.

pliment me that way, Sammy. I’ll like '

to toms» to turn over certain;

 

 

seeking ever since, with Cactus Bill, so
called, to assist her. _

“Cactus Bill is not her brother, but
they travel as brother and sister, and
none of their companions know any bet-
ter. He is. in fact, her lover, and they
are engaged to be married, but she will
not marry him until they have first dis-
covered Louis Murrill and righted ,‘the
wrong of Dona Inez—that being the sis-
ter‘s name. as a girl. Hence, you can
understand Cactus Bill‘s eagerness to flu—
ish the quest and find the missing boy.
That is all.”

 

CHAPTER XVIII.

Si'VXil'lNl} 'rnr; sm:n:x1>m:i.i<.
Scorcher Sam was an attentive listener.
He complimented his aide. upon 'her

success, saying he knew she would ac-
complish it. ,

“But. this child," he questioned. “ Has
it any identifying mark by which it can
be recognized? If not. We may still have
trouble.”

“Yes, there its a mark. It has a birth-
mark, a red stain, as it were, in the
shape of a pear. that involves the right
temple. There can be no mistaking the
child,‘ once seen."

“Good enough. That gives us a cinch
on the rascal by which we may be able
to force him to terms, if he does not
yield to the pressure brought upon him
by Dona ‘i'eresa. By the way. you go
up and spend the evening with her, till
you hear from me.” I

“ What for? ”

Sam briefly explained.

They finished their meal. Sam settled
the score and they passed out.

Sam saw his aide off in the direction of_

the showman’s tent, while be, watching
her ride away. with something of tender—
ness in his eyes, Set exit for the police
station where he had the appointment
with the sergeant.

The sergeant was not there, but Sam
left word fof’him and took a run upto
the old mansion to see how the two
He
found one on duty, the other having
gone to supper, and from him he learned
that the man had not yet returned to the
house. Sam began to fear that perhaps
the birds had flown, but in a. short time
he would know.

Telling theman to keep up a tireless
vigil. he returned to the station, where he
now found the sergeant awaiting him.
The sergeant was ready for the advent-
ure, and suggested that they ought to
take another man or "two, along with
them. This was Sam’s idea, too, so two
besides themselves prepared for the trip,
and just about dark they set forth from
the stable with the ‘horse and a wagon
that would carry them all.

Going to the place where they had that
afternoon turned the horse in -the die
rection of the institution for the blind,
they there turned about and gave the
horse free rein and a touch of the whip.
The horse was a good one, as we have

seen, and it was off at once. They’did,

not once lift a line to guide, it; but 8.1.
lowed it to take its owngcourse,”.which the

boastdid, unhesitatingly, and ’at‘laét it

came to its destination and stopped“-

.forora rather impming'houlewuh inn!) 6
grounds and asthma in thereon: -' ‘

The horse had turned: iniand stopped
With its. handset tho driveway ~
‘l Hero wuss! f’hnnounced .i.he»Soo_rc-liiY
8r.» :fNe-minaksjisguessr    

menus, .  ,‘ I  ., 
Sam; stopped (him. «and: sewn: snout-oi

were -nhomeostasis».

 

him, with the result that the policeman
took Charge of the horse and wagon,
while Sam and his companions entered
the grounds.

Two of the men passed around to the
rear, so as to intercept any who might
try to escape in that direction, in case
of alarm. while Sam and the sergeant
went to the front door.

A servant answered the‘summons. and
Sam inquired for the master of the
house. His name was asked, but Sam did
not give any. merely telling the servant
that his business was of great importance
and urging haste. The servant eyed him.
and went off.

In a few moments a man appeared, and.
to Sam‘s surprise, he recognized the man
immediately. It was the same John Hen—
ry Doolittle with whom he had had the
tilt that day! Sam being in disguise, was
not\ recognized in turn, and the man»
quietly inquired what he wanted. At the
same time he surveyed him searchingly.

“I understand. that you have lost a
valuable horse, sir," said Sam.

As quick as a flash the man produced
a whistle and raised it to his lips, but
before he could sound the note,Sam
jerked his hand away and clapped a pis—
tol to his head.

“None of that!” he commanded. “I
see you were quick to tumble. but you
were not quick enough for that trick.
One word above a Whisper, and I will
blow your head off! The handcuffs, ser-
geant!" " ‘

They were applied in
man was a prisoner.

At that moment the servant appeared,
and with a' bound Sam had him, too, and
his silence was enforcedwhile he was
quickly tied. hands and feet. It had all
taken place in :. few brief moments, with:
out a. sound that could alarm any one
else in the house. Sam sent the ser- I
geant out to bring in the other men, and
one of them was placed guard over the
prisoners.

Sam and the others passed down to
the basement floor then, a d more serv-
ants were there arrested, and all the
doors were securely locked to prevent:
any escapes. . These prisoners, too, being
left in the hall, Sam led the way to the
floor above, and just as they approached
a doe , the door opened and a woman,
looke out. It was Mrs. Doolittle. ,

The Scorcher immediately informed .her '
what was wanted. He knew he was malt-
ing no mistake; and the fact that tho
horse had brought him straight there,
and the fact that Doolittle had tried to.
give an alarm, were’enough. ,

A boy appeared at the door, while Sam
stood there in the fact of arresting the?
woman, and Sam noted aired mark on'
his temple! There was no doubting the
identity; it must be the child for which.
Dona Teresa was so eagerly searching.

Barely that discovery made, when'ans
other man appeared from the other side
of the hail—none other than, Louis Mina
rill! He was quick to’ taken the situ~ I

a. trice, and the

atton. but the police sergeant Wnswxuiclh . "

er, and had- hold of him, a pistol- at 111! 4

head, before he had tithe to.draw, back" ' 5

or. get a weapon in hand himself." '
It had been a surprise and; capture
complete. , ~ _ ~ ' ‘
“cameraman he   ., . . .
the house was further searched, but no

 

others were found..pnd dispatched_‘,'
to the nearest police, station for oddi-s , 
. tion’al assistancefiot only. that, marshal:

 for    

The police. arrived first, v and were .
placedin charge of the house, and inane.
timethe‘othericnme ands-7‘   i q ,

 

f,

   

.baenm ea;  ‘ 

   
        
     
     
  

 

 

-. ~_x.;-‘~ .~ <, .. a...

16

I SoorCher Sam’s Sweep-Stakes.

 

 

Dona Teresa and Louis Murrill were
brought face to face!

There was no mistaking the man;
there was the white scar on his throat
in witness of his identity!

At first the girl could not speak, but
her breast heaved.

Then she broke forth, in scathing re-
proach, accusing him of the death of her
sister and demanding the child.

The villain smiled at her, and that
wrought the girl’s passion to a fury. She
snatched a keen knife from her bosom
and sprang at him, but she was caught
and held back.

“ Not that! not that! ” protested Scorch-
er Sam. “That would be but poor re-
venge. You want your liberty for the
child's sake. Here, look and see if you

recognize this bright-eyed little fellow,”

l

i

/.

with a wave of the hand to where the
child was standing.

At a sign one of his men had brought
the boy in. With a cry, the girl ran for-
ward and clasped the surprised little one
to her breast, showering kisses and tears
upon its face!

There was no doubting the identity of
the child. 'She spoke to it in Spanish,
and it understood; she mentioned its
dead mother’s name, and it smiled.

Telling her and Cactus Bill to take
the child, for the present, Sam saw his
prisoners properly incarcerated.

That done, he set out with a force of
police for the old mansion on Washing-
ton Heights.

Arriving there, the house was quietly
surrounded, and the capture of three
other rascals was effected and a great
discovery made.

The place was one that had been long
used as a storing place for stolen goods.
Here they were packed for shipment,
and, from the new house in the rear, of
which mention has been made, they were
sent forth from time to time in boxes
that were taken to be carpenters’ tool-
chests. The building of the new house
had been but a blind to serve the deeper
business!

The gang was completely broken up,
and all concerned in it were sent up for
good long terms. Those who were not
captured that night were taken soon aft-
er, and hardly one escaped the general
scoop.

Cactus Bill and Dona Teresa were soon
wed, and Scorcher Sam and Bicycle Bess
stood up with them on that happy occa-
sion. They retired from the show busi~
:nes‘s at once, and, with the boy they had
recovered, soon departedfor MeXico.

Not‘long after there was another wed—
ding to which Sam and Bess were in-
vited, and which they attended, namely,
that of Mike Murtha and Molly McGee.
Needless to say it was as grand a one
as any bride could desire. Mike had pre-
pared a home for his bride, and the voice
of the Nightingale is no longer heard
out on St. Nicholas avenue.

One of these days there will doubtless
be another wedding, for everything ap-
pears to be pointing in that direction.
To mention the parties concerned is un-
necessary.

THE END.

 

me ms.nt LIBRARY.
No. 1006

Deadwood Birgit, Branded

BY ED. L. WHEELER.

 

Beadle’s Hflme library.

BY EDW’AIKD L. “'lIEELER.

Deadwood Dick Novels.

1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince oi the Road.

20 Deadwood Dick’s Detlancc: nr, lionhleDwger-s.

28 Deadwood Dick in Disguise; or, Buffai: Ben.

85 Deadwood Dick in His Castle.

42 Deadwood Dick‘s Bonanza: or, The Phantom Miner.
49 Deadwood Dick in Danger; or, (rm-mun.

5? Deadwood Dick’s Eagles: or, The Pards oi Flood Bar.
78 Deadwood Dick on Deck: or. (Inlnndty 3 Inc, the Heroine
7? Deadwood Dick’s Last. Act: or.Corduro,' Charlie.
199 Deadwood Dick in Leadt‘ilie.
104 Deadwood Dick‘leex ice: or, The Double Cross Sign.
109 Deadwood Dick as Detective.
199 Dead wood Dick’s Double: or. Th? Gorgon’s Gulch Ghosl.
139 Deadwood Dick's Home Base: 0!, Blonds iilll.
149 Deadwood Dlek’s Dig fitrikc M. A Gnmeoiflnld.
1513 Deadwood Dick 0! Deadwoo 1 Or, The Picked Peru.
19:.) Deadwood Dick‘s Dream: or, The Rlvuls ofths Road.
201 Deadwood Dick's “'nrd; 0". Tl"! Black Hill'lI Jnvbcl.
:0.» Deadwood Dick‘s Doom! or.Cnlsmlty Juno’s Adventure.

if Deadwood Dick‘s Dead Dtal.
921 wood Dick’s Death-Plant.
d-Dusi. Illck. A Romance of Roughs and Toughs.
wood Dick's Divide: “r, The Spirit o!Swsmp Lalo.
wood Dick’s Dcntn Troll.

     
    
      
  
  
   

809 wood Dick’s Deal; or, The Gold Brick oiOrsgon.

821 wood Dick’s Dozen: cr.Thc Fshlr ot'Phsntom Flats

.4? wood Dick’s Ducal-t 0'. Q!” in th. Dlfl'llllill-

 woot‘iI Ri'elé'fisinlte'nccd; or, in. Tonibio 't'sudstls.
woo c s ‘ u m.

‘05 w Dick in Dead City.

‘10 Dick’s Diamonds.

4'1 Dick in New York: or. A "Cuts Cm."

480 Dick’s Dust: or, The Chnlnsd Hand.

‘48 Dick, Jr; tr. The Crimson Crescent Sign.

44" Dick. Jr.‘s, Defiance.

‘58 lo , Jr.’s Full "and.

4159 Dick, Jr.’s. Iii]: Round-Up.

4M5 Dick Jr.’s Racket at (‘iaim 10.

4?! wood Dick, Jr.’s (‘orralg or, Boumsn Bill.

476 wood Dick. Jr.'s, Dog Detective.

491 wood Dick. Jr., in Dead“ ood.

wood Dick, Jr.’s, Compact.

 
    
  
 
   
      
   
 

490i wood Dick Jr.’s. Inheritance.

500 w Dick, Jr.’s DI ngs.

508 chk, Jr.’s. Def vet-once.

515 w Dick Jr.‘s l‘rotegee.

:33 lil’i‘ 3"“ Tim" .
wood ' r.’

534 wood mitt-Z Jr.’:’, "lift 52.13.”

589 wood chk, Jr., in Texas.

5&4 wood Dick, Jr., the Wild “'cst Videos

5‘9 wood chlu, Jr., on Ills )Iettle.

554 ood Dick, Jr., in Gotham.

wood D ck, Jr., in Boston.

  
   
   
   

 

   
 
  

5 3' wood D ck, Jr., in Dhlladeiokil
2:: 3333' ll :1? 3:" "' ire-~-
581. wood D ck". or: in Deliver.
590 Dick. Jr.'s, Decree.
595 ch Jr., in Beclsehuh’s Basil.
600 D ck, Jr., at. (.‘one island. ‘
606 D ck, Jr.'s, Leadv ie Lay.
619 D ck, Jr.. in Detroit.
 lli'lflis .‘I'r. i'n (.l‘qincilhnufl.
c '. r. n eva n.
coo n ck. Jr.: in No Man's Land.
 w  elk, in, {\ltlcréhlc Queer.
«- r.. n u a o.
048 wood Dick, J r.‘s, Chase Across the Continon.
654 wood Dick, Jr.. Among the Smugglers.
680 wood D ck, Jr.’s,nlnsurnnce Case.
666 wood D ck, Jr., ack in the Mines.
679 wood D ck, Jr., in Durnngox or, “ Gsthsred in."
 wood Rich, guts ll),iscolvery1 or,FonndsIortuu.
. w c r. s. on: .
690 Dick: 1.3.. DollaSs.
 Rite}? in: nhiinnger Divide.
c r. s rop.
704 .mek', Jr., in Jack-Pol.
a: ..l"l: r: “norm-w
c r s on
was Dick’. Jr.'s Dominoes.

Dick,

Jr.’s, Disguise
luck. ‘

Jr.’s. ionhle Dcai.

 

 
       
 
   

 

D10 c Jr.’s. Deathwatch.
747 wood Dick, .lr.’s, Dot-inlet.
152 wood Dick, Jr.’s, licatilhlow. '
75R wood Dick, .Ir.’s desperate Strait.)
764 wood Dick, Jr.’s, .one lland.
170 wood Dick, Jr.’s ‘Dcl'cnt.
776 wood Dick. Jr.’s. Resurrection.
 w line]? grill” lam: Days.
, c r., c e .
799 w Dick, Jr.’s, Double Device.
79? w ic . Jr’.s. Desperate Venturo.)
809 Dic , r."s, Diamond Dice,
3?} " liltl‘ s'.",:’.'.‘£’.i’a‘3.§'"""
g s ' o
816 Dick, Jr.’s. Riva .
899 Dick, Jr.’s, Doom.
828 Dick, J r. s. Scoop.
2534 Dick, r.’s, l’rox .
840 Dick. Jr-’s, Clutch.
8415 Dick, Jr.’s, lllfh llorsc.
850 Die r., at. 1 cvil’s Gulch.
859; Dick, Jr.’s, Death-Dole Ilustio.
 Riclk‘, :l'r.’s'lirir'nhsiheli.
c r.. n ex co.
an my .’ Jr’s Decoy Duck.
8!" Dick, Jr. In Silver Pocket.
891 Dick. Jr.’s, Dead-Sure (la-o.
 lli'i'cili‘, iris, ili‘outilniedirize.
c r. s. rs c-. or .
910 Dick; Jr" at. Tip-Too.
Old Dick, Jr.’s Dos tic-Dockers
998 Dick. Jr., at Dollarviile.
:34 "fit, gm; at. Flzsh Flats.
9:: Dick: Juli": 5:: 51'." ' imp.
9151. Dick. Jrfs. Dig It Dower.
82: ’i‘f...’ ’i; r.’.§:i.i‘i'.l‘:a
9 I ‘
971 Disk. Inn's 0st .
9?? Dick, Jrfls, Deathoboom.
’86 Dick, Jr.'s, Best Card.
99. Dick, Jr., at Gold Dust.

BY WILLIAM R. EYITEI.

19. M. D k. .7!) Ti rs i hPiac.
9}. 1"." N‘srki :rfrlhsd.’ Octet’s datum Yards
3.8 ‘l'hc "antics Rog-«Catcher. "

8 ’oker Petc’ ' has?
I rtt or, High nailing sl Sinnsrs' Fist.

so: run” hit" ' ‘5”5... Edge st. to

. . ' I .. '

a: r-e'n. fiche.” . . . .. . '
, I or 's n .

04: Billy Bran-notidfsfhi in. Rook-Ravens’ Root-OIL

 

I .-
as c it I! slower; or. Clsrl’s Close Share.
9 last: lililr’s'scsamt or. Tho Boar-Tom’s Dias-b0.

 

BUFFALO BILL sevens.

BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM.

995 Buflalo Dill's Drop: or, Dead-Shot Noel , the Kansas Kid.
98" liulfalo iilll‘s Lasso Throwers.

981 iiuii'uio lilll‘s Fightin Five.

9?.1 Bulfan lilll’s Iiiiieh' etc.

96% Hull'an lliil’s Rush Bidet or, Sure-Shot,tho HI h-Flyer.
964 Bull'an itlll’s Decoy; or. The Arllons Crack Shot.
95h Buffalo liiil’s Mast-p a-Chase.

948 Bull'an liill’s Snap-S ot t M. Wild Kld'l Texan Tally
942 liuii’lslo Bill’s Ton h Tussle.

986 Duifulo liill’s lioy nscot; or, Jim .lsrvis’ Hold-up.
929 liuifuio Bill's Crack-shot I’su-d.

($50 liufllslo Bill’s Boy Ford; or, Butterfly Dilly.

916 illson liill. the Prince oi the Reins.

929 Bison Bill’s Clue; or. Grit, the Bravo Sport.

BY BUFFAID BILL.

55 Deadly-Eye. the Unknown Scout; or, The Banded Brotherhood
0“ Border Robin flood: or, The Prairie Rover.
158 Fancy Frank of Colorado: or, The Tnpper'l Trust.

BY CAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR, u. S. A.

191 Buflalo Dilly, the Boy Bullwhschr.
194 Bulalo Bill I lie“ or. The Gambler Guido.

BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGIIAIIAI.

98. New York Nat‘s Dro : or, Ex-Ferrct Sykos’ Bold Osmo-

926 New York Nat. and the 'l'raitor Ferret.

990 New York Nat Trapped.

914 New York Nat’s Three of a Kind.

908 New York N-t’s Double.

909 New York Nat's in Colorado.

896 New York Nat in Gold Nugget Camp.

SS9 New York Nat’s Deadly Deal.

898 New I crk Nat's Crook-Chase.

York Nas’s Trump Card.

York Nat. and the Grave (Shoals.

York Nat’s Masked Mascot.

‘ ork NIL the Gulnin Detectivo.

“loom’s Kidnap er Knock-0st.

‘loom’s Tel Sir kc.

Mom’s Flush "and.

ioom's Death-Grip; or, The Detective by Destiny.

loom's Destiny or, The River Bluklog’s Term.

uloom; or. l he 5 vsrvs sad Sharks ol New York.

loom In liostont or. A Man of Nsny Masks.

loom in Chicago. _

Doom in the “lid “est.

ioom's (‘ican Sweep: or, Flu Links in s Clus.‘

Ioom’s Death fine.

it 8 Dick loom’s Diamond Deal.

819 llick Doom’s iuirl Mascot.

8 9 l loomzs "Li—"iiw Inn

loom s an .

' _ ‘3.-. irfor The KrntuckyTunderfcot’inrslel.

h.- ..iug (‘harllc’s Destiny; or, The Rsumds’s Captive.

‘ ' _ (‘har le's i’nwnce l’ard.

" Charlie, lhs Rescuer.

luck fut... In... oi n. Cowboys.

luck Taylor, the (‘omsncho’s Castlvc.

luck '1'- lor's Boys; cr.Thc Re Ridsrsotthc Rio Grands.

’awnec III, the Prstrie Sin-down.

118 l’awnee Bill or. Csrl, the lllsd Cowboy.

719 Pawnee Dill s Pledge; or,’l'hs CowMy‘sDwm.

Pawnee Bill: or, Dnrinngcx.

I Rcdfcrn’s (‘urions (Vase: m,’l'ht Riv-Tun».

cos iie‘diemtflnl'etlill' "3"“ 1°" 'ih'kstwp hm 7"“

e crn l I In or us as c .

Redfern's Last Trailx;(>r,,'rhe Rod Bombnroksagsss.

And Filly others.

BY T. .l. FLANAGAN.
Midshipman Dnrc. the. Pirate Catcher.

909
925 The You! Cowbo Ca tails.
989 Th Two idshiprlientpor, The Cornir-Chsssr's First

Cru so.
949 The Three Licutcnants
959 The Mascot Middy ; or, The Four Commandsrs.
906 Fighting Jack Shuhrick.
972 Fighting Jack’s Middle“ or, Dandy Dick’s Duh.

BY LIEUT. A. K. Bill.

589 Toll-Cat and Part]; or.'l'he Dead Set at Silver City.

622 Toll-CI”! Triad; or. The Afl‘uir st Tombstone. ‘

681 Tom Cat’s Terrible Task; or The Cowbo Detective.

688 Tom-Cat's Trium In or, Black sn’s Glut mbius.

‘46 Captain Cactus tll’e haparral Cock; or, Josh’s Ten Striks

588 The Dllldy of Dodge: 0r,Rurtlins tor Mlllions.

5T6 The Silver Sport; or. Josh Povpcnnint’s Jubllse.

588* Elli-on Sol, tho Man With s Shadow

601 "II p5 “ans, the Dutch \‘tdncq: cr,iint'1‘lmesst Round-Up

611 131130 Barnacle, ths Detective Hercules.

«46 Cowboy Gt , the Cattle-Rsngc Detective.

657 Warbl Ilg \\ illiam the Mountsln Mountebank.

Jolly Jeremiah, the Plains Detective.

07“ Final Sam the Lookout. Scout.

689 Billy 31;. Spy: or, The Mute? of Two Lives.

699 Simple Him, the {rent-ho Buster: or. For lg States.

119 The Mesmerist fl opt; or, The Mystlfisd Dubai's.

788 Toitcc Tom, the} ad Prospector.

1’45 Kansas Jim. the (‘rou—(‘ut Detective.

161 Marmaduke, the Mustnnzer Detective.

78 The Rustler of Rolling None.

785 [mac "and Joe. the Committee MOM.

801 Kent Kirby tho High-Kicker iron Killbsek.

he Doctor ilctcl'ctive'l'n TeIsssolon‘o.

ow on ctcc . ves n

he 'll‘exan irohrasdt or. Brazos Billy" suit-350‘
'li‘ra-o’s Tru-p-Trick.

new resume .

loos six-root sol. the sun-Shot": on Johnny on m
Spot. By Wm. B ystsr. _

100. For]... J the Hawaii Sport; or,‘i‘hs Twin Rocket
at 'Placer Ranchy H. M. lioymm"

1004 I ’s Sweep-Stakes or Bicycle Boss,
rkgfiiigm am Detective. ByJ. odouhck.

1005 Deadwood Dick, Jr., Branded. By I. L. Whaler. .

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th D toctl Wh l ', Th Sensation
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.99  r “IVs-.3! I our, or,
1009 BII’aic Bill's Decoy Boys. By Col. P. ispshsn.
1001 Boat], the Do“ r Ruthlack; or,'l'hs Duh-Last.
Detective. 3] LL. hoslsr.
A low issue Evan My. ..
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