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“y

‘ ingwasiiia

  

. v Through street
. wires, and asthe sidewalk
M if ' girl’coul

The Lightweight Detective. .

 

E-

 

 

 

lightweighoi Detective;

OLD BLAZES,
'rnn SOVEREIGN or run ROCKS.

A Tale of New York novels and Kathie
Halls.

BY ALBERT W. AIKEN;

CHAPTER I.
A DARING DEED.

NIGHT had come. The hour of ten was past,
and the hum of. the great city was beginning to
die away.

The occupants of the human hive were pre—
paring to seek needful slumber after the busy
toils of the day.

Then, on the still ear of night, came the clang
of bells, which told that the fire-fiend was at his
work.

As the bells indicated, the alarm was from an
lip-town district, where the flames had selected
for their prey a shabby, twu—story-and-attic
wooden house, in one of the side-streets in the
re ion locally known as Turtle Bay.

he first story of this house was occupied by
a grocery store, in which the fire had begun.

 

~ Back of the main apartment was a room where

various articles were kept, and in this room a
blunderin boy had left a lighted coal-oil lamp,
and the rst thing the storekeeper knew the
place was all ablaze.

There were two barrels of coal-oil in the
room, and the floor being saturated with the in-
flammable li aid, the result was that the build-
econdition for a confiagration;
so, the moment the lamp exploded—this was the
suppaoesit'ion—it was like a spark flying into a
pow r e.

Within ve minutes after the accident, all
the lower part of the house was one mass of

e. 7

There was some delagoin sending out the fire-
alarm, for the nearest x was quite a distance
away. I
groceryman and his clerk, together with
the customers who happened to be in the store
when the fire broke out, tried toflght the flames,
but were compelled to beat a hasty retreat, and
until they got into the street and the crowd be-
g“ to gather, attracted by the fire, no one

ought of giving an alarm, and so valuable
time was lost.

The upper stories of the building were vacant,
as it happened. The place was sadly out of
repairtreet , being one of the oldest houses in the
s . .

“ Is there anybody in the house?” a dozen b -
standers anxious] inquired as they watched t e
flames envelop 6 whole lower part of the
b‘ii‘lgliggody up—stairs'” the iroceryman and his
clerk and the neighbors, w 0 were acquainted
with the facts of t e case, replied. /

And in the o inion of the lookers-on, most
fortunate inde it was that such was the case,
for if there had been tenants on the upper floors
certain death would have been their fate, since
all means of escape were cut off, the flames
seizing upon the staircase almost immediately.

They could not have escaped to the adjoining

ding, for on one side rose the walls of a tone-
ment towering hi h above the doomed building
and on the other 3 do was a vacant lot.

The only'chance of esca for any one in the
upper floorswould be to eap from one of the
windows to the street.

“ _ hty good thin there isn’t anybody in
the ol rookery,”so e crowd kept repeating
as they watched the flames mount upward wit
‘resistless force.

Butallofasuddenthorecameacryofhorror

The scuttle, on the front-half of the itch
roof,“ thrown violently open, and the sad

firm the crowd.

shoulders of a young girl appeared.

' face was dead! le,and her red- old
,  , ayllpa herhead little
crispy owls, shone in the lurid light of the

> flames, like the halofith which the
hey at , Virgin Motheris crowned in the

pietum masters.
No wonder that cry of horror at the one:-

pected ht. .

The l was g ing for breath, evidently
almost choked b t smoke, and so confused
thatsheknowno whattodo. ~

The] Muifawedintosilenoo bythe
porn ottho girl, seemed stricken dumb.

I! fireman was in sight, nor was there any

oftheir approach. ‘ -
goprishselemedtohethe certaindbom of
. I I , r ‘
up ‘ ran a net-work of tele-
wasa narrow
 anot overei ht feet wide, itlooked possible,
make her way to'the sans”!

Ar

i'; 1..

i m. v.-,
' , .fi.v‘-
, .

_',h j. i, ~ ,7 A
and; m: '

 

her to spring from the edge of the roof to the
telegrap - e standing exactly opposite the
scuttle and the top cross-bar was nearly on the
level 0 the roof gutter.

A daring, clear-headed man, skilled as a leap-
er, might make the desperate attempt and
succeed in the effort, but not one girl of ten
thfousand could be expected to accomplish such
8 eat.

And as the crowd stood, and stared, and shiv-
ered with horror, a man darted nimbly through
the throng to the foot of the telegraph~ le—a
handsome, muscular—looking fellow, wit regu-
lar features, bright blue eyes and tawny hair,
and a smoothly shaven face.

He was dressed in a dark business suit, and
as he reached the foot of the ole he stripped
off his coat and vest, and ban ing them to an
elder] , welhdressed gentleman, exclaimed:

“ ill you hold my things. while I climb this
pole and see if I can do something for this poor

irl?”

“Certainl ,” answered the citizen, all a low
at the thoug t of such a desperate and di cult
attempt.

At the foot of the pole was a motley collection
of articles which had been carried from the
store at the beginning of the fire.

Among these was a clothes-line reel with a
goodly store of line upon it.

This caught the e es of the young man, and
stnoping he secures the end of the line, then
from the pile of lumber which stood near at
hand, deposited there evidently for the purpose
of repairing the old house, he Selected a scant-
ling about two by four inches and some ten feet

101i .

“gthen I reach the cross-pieces of the pole,
cut the end of the line and make it fast to this
piece of scantling, so I can draw it up ” he hur-
riedly ordered, and then, with the nimbleness of
a cat, he threw his arms around the pole and
ascended it with such ease that all decided he
must be either a tele ‘raph “ linesman,” or else
a sailor used to such t ings. . .

“ Faith! he’s walking up the pole like sailors,”
cried one of the bystanders. _

“ Av coorsel Don’t yees be aftlier seeing
that he is a Lightweight?” cried a Witty Irish-
man, near at hand.

This conceit became po ular at once, and the
name Lightweight went rom mouth to mouth
in the throng. .

The young man gained the top cross-piece,
and balancing himse f upon it With'all a sailor’s
a 'lity, drew up the piece of scanthiig. '

hen it was an eas matter for him to adjust
the scantling so thazY it formed a bridge, one
end resting on the cross-piece of the pole and
the other on the edge of the roof.

Luckily for the endangered irl the gutter
was a stron one and well secur to the rafters,
so it afford a safe resting-place for the scant—

lin .

'ighis novel bridge completed, the youn fel-
low walked across its narrow surface wit the
skill and courage of a ropedancer, and when he
reached the roof a great shout went up. ,

The girl climbed out on the roof and carefully
slid down to her rescuer. Then he assisted .her
to her feet and, seemingly with ease raised
gerdin his arms and carried her across the frail

ri ge. .

A great yell of approbation came fro the

excited multitude as they beheld this ring

deed. . .

The 'rl had been rescued in the nick of time,
for, as he dauntless young man, with his fan-
burden, reached the telegraph-pole, with .a
great roar as though angry at the loss of their
prey, the ames broke through the roof.

At this moment, 3as the crowd were beginning
to wonder how thagirl would get down from
:10? lmuposition, the engines came rushing up

he s

One of tin first to arrive was the hook and
ladder company, and by their aid the two were
speedily broug t to the ound.

And no sooner were e safel down than a
shower of burning brands rom t e house forced
the crowd to retreat in hot haste. In the scur-
ry the girl and the young man were rated,
and that was the last the rescuer saw 0 her.

It was all very strange; there was evidently

 

some mystery about her, for how she came in
the desorted house or what she was doi there no
one could tell, and after herrescue she ppear-
ed like a ghast. -
CHAPTER II.
noomorum’s PROPOSAL. ,
Tam elderly citizen who had ta charge of

the oung man’s clothes stuck 0 cos to him in
the hasty retreat, and when they fit at a safe
distance awa the rescuer put on s a
Then the we entered into conversation as
thfi strolled away.
0 police by this time were on the ground in

   

   
 
   

     

force and began to drive the crowd away from
the neighborth the burnin building.
“That girl can thank you or her life,” the
old ntleman remarked.
.6. as; I hadn’tha ned tobeonthe spot,
I’m b  ve been. inthe other

0 them wasn’t a moment

 
  

to spare; but what became of her?" the young
man replied. .

her down the la der in his arms when you
handed herto him, but the moment she reached
the foot of the ladder she said to the fireman
‘ Tell the gentleman who saved me that I am

among the crowd and disappeared.

;;,That was rather mysterious; don’t you think
so

“Yes, extremely so, and so it struck me at
the moment: but that is not the only mysteri-
ous thing. Her being in the house is equally
mysterious.”

‘How so?” the young man asked.

store rt ing the only one occupied.

“ on see I am well posted in regard to the
facts‘pf the case, as I am the owner of the prop.
ert .

“y Then you should know all about it.”

“ Yes; my name is Bookingham—F‘mnk1yn
Bookingham; I am a merchant, still in active
business down-town, as I have been for the last
forty years, and as I have prospered during
that time I own quite a large amount of proper-
ty u l in this neghborhood. _ '

“ his old house was once my reSidence, some
thirty odd years ago; there was no'store then in
the lower part, and this was considered to be
out in the country.” .

“That was before in time ” thevyoung man
remarked. “ I am a eW orker born and
bred, and I can remember that when I was a
boy I used to come on fishing excursions to the
East river up in this neighborhood, and it was
very thinly settled.” _

“ Yes, the house was built by my father, and
in it I was born, so you see it is an old-timer.

“It has been out of repair and has not been
occupied for the last year, but only a. week ago

all my real-estate matters, came_to the deter-
mination to have the place put in perfect or—
der; and that is how the lumber came to be in
the street. To-morrow the work was to have

n.
It was only this afternoon that, in company

with my agent, I examined the roperty and
with my own hands I securely 1 ed the doors
when we de ”

“ Itis ve strange indeed ”the oun man
remarked. l"Know could the’girl hive gained
entran to the house, and what on cart was
she (Iigiiiig there?” d ‘

s a mystery,an one which must be
solved, too. Another strange fact: the face of
the girl seems familiar to me, and yet I can—
pot remember ever having encountered her be-
ore.

“ The origin of the fire, too is a m ster ”
old‘ entleénaizlgoatinued. ’ , y y, the

saw mi , egroceryman inthe crowd,
and exchanged a few words with  The fire
ori inated in the small store-room at the back
of he shep; he sup 8 that a lighted lam
which his boy care essly left there explod ,
but does not really know surely anything about
it, for the flames spread so rapidly that he had
no time to look into the matter.”

“Well, the affair certainly seems to be a

thpu htfully).e

_‘ an it .sible that the ' 1 had an -'
thip to do wit starting the firefiu‘ y
a  she did, it came prett near costing her
her life, for if you had not ppenedto be on
the spot, she certainly would have perished in
the flames.”
‘ “Some one else might hays thought of the
same means that I employed,” the rescuer re-
plied carelessly.

“ hat is true but it isn’t every man who pos-
sessesthe skill, sa nothing of the norm, to
perform the feat w ich you accomplished so

“ ell, I can thank my early trainin for
that, You see, sir, I have ed a “is of ven-
ture ever since I me. boy. I wasleftanor han
at an earl age and was obliged to look on for
myself. went to sea, ha pened to fall in with
a captain who was a gent eman and who took
aninterestin me. He made a man out of me,
and ,before I was eighteen I was rated on the
ship 3 books as an ab e—bodied seaman. '

‘ Whenmy trondied I grewtired of a sea
life and tri for fortune ashore, and for six
years I knocked about in foreign ,‘a roll
stone that gathered no mom, but gained a doe
of e riencethough, and no at last I find my—
self ack in my nativ ci , a wiser if not a
richer man than when I last saw it.”

“ Have you relatives or friends in New York?”
Mr. Bmkmghamin hired. ‘

. “ I haven t a rela ve in the world, and though
I’ve a few
hardl claim an one of them as a riend.”

 

  

. I

    

 

>
c -‘

   

“The up r part or the house was vacant, the I ‘ ‘

after consulting with my a. cut, who attends td .

mysterious one,” the young man observed,' 3

acquaintances in the cit , still I can 

 

“I don’t real] know; the fireman brought 'V‘

never forget his brave act,’ and th’en glided in ‘

....A4§»mw._, .. i, ,

 
   
    
  
    

“godew may I you: miner the other

.ggiis.  'm we
,“The crowd, byflthe way, bestowed a" pith—a ~ 

33.33232?“ " “WW ‘9 W 39‘} 

M. «.45. am. .__

. spite of the attacks, but

The Lightweight Detective.

 
 

3

 

 

“ What was it?”

“ Lightwaight and Firefly, I believe,” and the
youn man laughed. _ _

“T at is not the first time that nicknames
have been given to me,” he remarked.

“ A half a dozen times in my life I have
chanced to be resent at such scenes as this one
to-night, and t anks to my sureness of foot and
clearness of head I have been able to be of ser—
vice, and in all these cases my skill in climbing
has stood me in good ste .” .

“ Mr. Strong, will you pardon my curiosity if
I ask if you have plans in regard to the future?
Believe me I do not ask it out of pure curiosity
alone. ” i

“ You are quite welcome, sir, to the informa-
tion.” the young man responded.

“ I will say, frank} , that I have not any
definite plans for the gilture as yet. Althou
I cannot boast of having acquired a fortune in
foreign lands, yet I do not return empty-hand-
ed, and so I have ample time to look around

me.

“ I think I have had enough of roaming for
a few years, and shall settle down here in my
native cit , although to a man of my tempera-
ment. u to a life of adventure, I am not cer—
tain that I will be able to content myself with
a uiet, humdrum life.”

 

“Mr. Strong, I think I can offer you a posi— j

tion that will suit you; it is an 0( d,
one, and only a man like yourself czin til it.”
“I am open for an engagement, and what-

crilous :

ever the position is I will do my best to fill it.” I

“A few words will explain. For years I 1,
have been troubled by a secret enemy. I have 2
not the remotest idea who it is, or why I am I

pursued.

“ This fire to-night is not an accidental one, as
all seemed to imagine; I feel convinced that it is
another blow dealt me by my foe.

“ Thanks to fortune, which has seemed to
favor me at every turn I have prospered in

I am annoyed just the

same.

“ But throu h this girl, whose life you saved,
I believe a c ew can be gained to the villain
who has pursued me so bitterly.

“ I have emplo ed a dozen etectives, but one
:and all were he ed, though some of the ablest
men in the country have tried their utmost.

“Now then, I have confidence that you can
sucreed where the others have failed.

“ Will you undertake the task? You can
draw on me freely for your expenses, and if you
succeed you can name your own reward.”

“Very Well, sir, I will undertake the task,”
the young man replied.

“I have never done myth in the detec-
tive line; but as I have been tol a dozen times
that l was a natural mimic, I don’t see why I
shouldn’t succeed.”

CHAPTER III.

A STORY OF THE PAST.

THE merchant conducted the young man to
the locality where his house was situated, an
iglfiant mansion on Fifth avenue, opposite Cen-

Park; but they did not enter it, nor even
pass directly b it, but crossed to the other side
of the way a entered the park.

Bookingham had e lained his
proceeding as they w ed along.

“It was not until the. last ear that I
any particular attention to matter, the
merchant resumed.

“Although I have been satisfied for a good
five ears that I had an enemy who was tryin
to damage me all that he could yet as big
blows thanks to the good luck-which has at.-
tend me, have fallen com tively harmless,
I did not trouble my head a ut the matter.”

“ The thought could not have been a pleas-
ant one though that such a person existed
eagerto do you harm at every ible oppor-
tunit ,” the young man sugg .

“ ell, to tell you the truth,.it seemed'to me
like the work of a crank,” the merchant replied.

“Nearly all the blows were like this one to-
night. It looked as if a flrebug was after me,
but in almost every instance I was so well pro-
tected by insurance that the loss did not
amountto anything.

“ But as the attacks increased, I came to the
conclusion to seek the aid of the detectives.

“ I did not understand the affair in the least,
and had not the all htest suspicion in regard to
the identity of the oewho was dealing me these
blows in the dark.” \

“And I believe I understood you to say the
men whom you employed we’re not successful

in ferreting out the miswz}; ,
“ You are correct; t e s wdest of the pri-
vate detectives whom I employed were com-
pletely baffled.” Bookingham answered.
“ The trouble was I was not able to give them
the slightest clew, nor did any manof them suc-

ceed in, isccvering one. x
“ But have been giving the matter comider-

for so

,paid

     
   
  
  

' ‘ blethou ht lately. and I have come to the n-
“truth

thm self and thedetectives ea
in nothing

‘ (sea-st enoughaboutthe.
 ' r . I ; ‘} i‘ \

   

    

 

'come so the conclusion tha it ma

 

them the moment they came in communication
with me.”

“ The supposition seems reasonable,” Hugh
observed.

“Yes. Now you are a stranger, and if we
are careful not to be seen together, no one will
be apt to suspect that you know aught of my
affairs, or are in any way concerned in them.’

“ An excellent idea.”

“ My home is on Fifth avenue, 0 posite the
park. We will enter the park, and will point
out the house to you.

“ My private apartment is on the second story
and the windows command a view of the park.
Now we can arrange a code of signals soxthat
when you have anything tocommunicate, either
by day or night, you will be able to notify me
without being obliged to come to the house.

“ Then for the morning hours, when I am
down town, it will be easy to arrange a place of
meeting, and you can warn me by means of a
messenger boy when you wish to see me.”

“ Oh, es, that can be easil arranged.”

By this time the two ha come to Central
Par They passed through the gate, dnd when
the merchant came opposite to his house he
pointed it out to his companion.

Being a stately brown-stone mansion, by far
the handsomest house in the block, one who had
ever seen it would not be apt to forget the
fact or confound tbs house with any of its
neighbors.

“ Now, then, as I told you a few moments
ago,” Bookinglham said, as he led the way to a
secluded benc amid the shriibbery where they
could converse at their case without danger of
being either noticed or overheard, “ I have been
giving this matter a great deal of thought dur-

ing the last few weeks, and i have come to the-

conclusion that I have always made one great
mistake about the matter.

“There is an old adage that you must not
have any secret from your doctor or your law-
yer, for if you do you will be apt to suffer.

“I presume in a case of this kind the same
rule ought to hold good with a detective.”

“ Most certainly; to be able to do good work
I should think the detective ought to be put in
fiimession of all the facts bearing on the case,”

n h observed. ,

“ es, but the trouble was that I did not
think that these matters to which- I refer had
anything to do with the case at all but since I
have been reflecting upo the subject I have
be possible
that my judgment in regard to t e matter is
faulty, and so I am going to put you in pos-
session of the facts.”

“ Of course, sir, I have not any idea of the
nature of the information that you are about
to impart to me, but I can assure you that, no
matter what it is, I shall keep it safely locked
in my own breast.”

“ i feel confident that
cretion and can be true
chant. ’ .

“Upon my word, sir you will never have
cause to regret the confl once you have placed
in me,” the young man said, earnestly.

“ I feel sure of it. I have lived some ears in
this world and I have always been a c ose stu-
dent of human nature. and I flatter in self that
I am a pretty good judge of faces, an so far I
have made few mistakes.

“But now for my story; every man has a
skeleton in his closet, they Say, and I am not
without that disagreeable article, and in order
that you may fully understand the matter I
must explain at length.

, “I am an only son; my father was a wealth
man, a scion of one of the old New York fam1-
liee, and the money that descended to him from
his.fatgier be increased tenfold by the success
which ollowed the mercantile house he founded,
and to which I succeeded.

“ My father had an onl brother, as unfortu-
nate as he was successfu , but it was. entirely
owing to the fact that he was reckless and im-
prudent, given to dissiwtion, too, and as care-
dais]: abzut attending to usiness as my sire was

en . . -

“ 9 died, really cutoff in the flower of his
youth, a poor man, leaving behind him an only
child. a boy of about my own age.

“My cousin’s name was Reginal‘ d. He was
broug t up by my father as carefully as th h
hehad beenhisowuchild, but the vicesof t e
father extended to the son, although, more
shrewd than his sire. he had the wit to conceal
his faults, and-it was not until he had abused
my father’s confidence in a hundred ways that
the full measure of his sins was discovered.

“ Then, reluctantla, my father was obliged to
dismim him from h em 10 .

“ At this time both Regina d and m if were
paying attention to the same lady. favored
me from the first, but she was so (gentle, so fear-
ful of giving offense, that shedi not speak as
plainly to Reginald as she ou’ght to have d .

“And the consequence was that when 9
ladyand I weremarried m cousintook anili-
sane nationthinto New W} m

creed to euni that. ' 0 him
better than she/2.3% . i z

,5 . '

'1r.ll.
«

on are a man of dis-
,” remarked the mer-

  

~ ter each other for some fanci

that shehad been .
, fan.

 

  
 
  
 
    
    
  
 
    
  
   
  
   
  
     
  
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
    
 
  
 
  
   
   
  
   
  
   
  
    
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
      
   
     
  
   
 
   
    
    
   
   
  
    
  
  
    
  
     
  
 
 
 

“ So he swore a bitter oath of vengeance
against me, and when in his cups—he drank to
excess—he made no secret of the hatred he bore

me.

“ Almost immediately after my marriage my
father died leaving me his sole heir.

“ This was another blow to Reginald, for he
expected to be remembered in my father’s will,
although how he could have thought such a
thing after the manner in which he had behaved
wasa mystery.

“ A year after my marriage a daughter came
to bless my home, but when she was just two
years old my wife sickened and died.

“ This wasa terrible blow to me, and so all
in love centered in my little girl.

‘My villainous cousin knew this. By this
time he had gone from bad to worse, and had
become a regular scamp—a man who lived by .
preyin g upon the weakness of others, and he
formed a diabolical plot.

“ He watched and waited his opportunity,
and at last taking advantage of my absence
from town, on a busiress trip, he stole my little ‘ '
dau bter, then a child of three years. "

“ e took the night steamer u the river for 
Albany—there was a dreadfu accident, the ‘ ..
boilers exploded, some fifty of the passengers v'
perished, and among the missing were the ab-
ductor and his victim: but, strange to say, the
bodies were never discovered.”

“ I should take that as a sign that they had
escaped the danger then.”

“ Well, I thought so at first, but there were
guite a number of the victims so mangled as to  .

efy recognition, and then the bodies of some ~ 1;"
who were known to be on the boat were never . ,2,
found. so at last I came to the conclusion that “-‘
the villainous abductor and his innocent victim "
alike had perished, for no trace of either has
ever been discovered from that day to this.”

“ A sad calamity.” Hugh remarked, who had
followed the tale with the closest attention.

“ Yes, it wasa blow from which I did not re— . ,:
cover for years, and now lately the question has \ * 
ariseninmymind: : ' ' '

“ Has this secret enemy aught to do with my
rascally cousin? Did he really meet death on
that occasion or was he fortunate enough to es-
cape the slaughter, and'is he now taking tardy
vengeance upon me i”

“ he theory is worthy of examination,” the v
other remarked.

“ I can hardly believe that he escaped, for that
is nearly eighteen years ago, and it seems to me
that if he was in the land of the living I should
have hmd something of him It is ’ble that :
these blows come from somebne of isworthless . 
associates, some pal who has taken upon him- ,
self the task of ven canoe.”

“ I am a Lightweight to do heavy work, but I
will undertake the task of discovering the truth ~.
and do my best tosolve the mystery!” Hugh ex- . "‘
claimed. ' 7

And so it was that the Lightweight entered, ‘. ,,
upon the difilcult mission. ‘ L '«

 

CHAPTER IV.
rm: accimssns.

Or all the po ular streets of the great metro} "-. ‘
olis the east-Sid; thorou hfare known as Ave- l
nue A can claim a prominent place. . ,1 ;

From its beginning to its end it is fairly lined ' l '
with six-storied tenement-houses, man 'of them ' ‘, 
boastingasecond honsein the rear the first .9
«gully as large as the front one.

any of these houses—human hives—accent.
modate four families on a floor, tWenty-four; -
families in the house; say five in the family-a! ' '
low estimate—and we have nearly a hundred 3
people in the house. Count the rear house, and.  is
we have fully two hundred people herded in' a I' is,"
lot of ground twent -flve bya hundred feetfi ‘ “*
1800111111011 country packed in on a city

at.
Is it a wonder, when an epidemic comes—'
mucularly in the sweltering summer-times-
t these unfortunate people, whose only, *
crime istheirpoverty, should die off lihesheep
with the rot? ‘ .. , ,5,
, Whilethelower endof this avenue of Which, . 
we writeisquiteamspectable street despitethe ' ,

factofitsbein sodensel pain then ,
endisnoth fiibcastoggi- rents are chm a 
the neighbor is not desirable, and in such. “,7 ‘

uartenthesqnalid are tobefonnd.
'1 It is nearly  evenw been.
warm one, andthe inhabitantsof hams: 
dens, for thzytare little better, after tarryin  ,
in the open until their eyes are heavy 
sleep], have nail retired for the night.

A is no gal alough,deepite thela
of the‘hour, or ere are.brawling h
and wives, yelling babes, making night hideous"
with their cries, and drunken boon coinps ionq
who, after having sworn undying frienth
over their liquor, arenowpre ng 
.m‘m . . &'
Butnoonetakes any notice of these things—- 
it'irshznhold story. « .

    

 

 

4 .

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

 

 

that way to prove to the fighters that clubs are
trumps.

So when a young girl ran in terror out of one
of the rear tenement-houses, followed by a man
whose steps were unsteady, and whose mouth
gave utterance to terrible oaths, and a weazen-
ed, rat-like boy, with clothes all in tatters, who
brought up the rear, no one paid the least at-
tention to the matter.

It was only Patsey McGinnis, 'ust returned
from an enforced sojourn on t e “ Island,”
as the city prison-house in the East river is pop-
ularly termed, bent on celebrating his new-
found liberty by making—not Rome—but Ave-
nue A howl.

The girl was known as Sally McGinnis.

She was a niece of Patsey’s, an orphan, both
father and mother being dead.

Sally was rather a prett girl with her glossy
dark-brown hairand eyes, "All her face and form

 

 

x one of the fighters.

 

” in the store and ain’t

were pinched from her terrible struggle to keep
the wolf from the door. '

She was a scarfmaker by trade, and by work-
ing fully twelve hours a day she could make

" about four dollars a week.

She was not a fast sewer, being delicate, and
the privations of her life were fast sapping her
vitality.

Then there were dull times in her trade when
only the best of the hands were retained. As
she did not rank as A No. 1, she was often with-
. out work for a month at a time.

And in order to provide against these terri-
ble months, when no money came in, yet rent
must be paid the same as usual and life sus-
tained, she was careful to put by some of her
scanty earnings when work was brisk.

.The McGinnises, as the neighbors termed
them, occupied three small rooms on the top flat,
for which the sum of eight dollars per month
was paid.

With the uncle and niece lived the weazened-
faced lad who was known as Corny Jim, and
who sold papers and blacked boots as the
humor seized upon him.

i The boy was one of those homeless waifs tfio
common, alas, in all our big cities, one of t e

roducts seemingly of advanced civilization,
Ibr in the rural districts of our land such a

‘ creature is unknown. ,

' The manner in which Corn

to become a member of the

was quite romantic.

One n' ht the tenants of the front house and
the dwel ers in the near one had become engag-
ed in a regular pitched battle.

That ever-fruitful source of trouble, the
hydrant ' the yard from which the tenants of
both he rocured water when the taps in
the rooms re used to run, as was often the case
in times when the water supply was low, was
the center from which the quarrel arose.

Two dames of uncertain age both arrived at
the hydrant with their pails at the same mo—

Jim happened
cGinnis family

ment.

Que came from the front house, the other
from the rear.

Neither would give way to the other.

From words they came to blows, reinforce-

‘ merits arrived from all quarters, and it required

the clubs of the police, to separate the con-
testants.
After the battle was over. and the blue-coats
had driven the mob out of the yard, Sally found
Corny doubled up in a corner of the yard with
a terribly lame leg.

He had been crippled by a brick thrown oh ’

ut had been game enoug
not to betray his condition to the police.

Like all of his class he looked upon the police-
men in the light of natural enemies.

As he confided to the girl:

“If I hadlet on that I was hurtcd the cops
would have luggedvme off to the hospital, an’
there some sawbones would have p’isoned me,

‘ an'arterl was a stifl the ys at the medical
college”would have had a no time a-cutting of
men .

Th3 boy was not over twelve years old, but
he sessed a wisdom far beyond his years.
As goshappened at this time, Old McGinnis, as
he was commonly termed—although he was
not what might be called an a man, being
only about forty-five, and still is and hearty,
though the wear and tear of his sprees were

_ bc inning to tell :3: him—was up on the
“ sland.’havin a pted to paint heu r

{rind of Avenue red, aggegngy (laldstiln
s w n persu y e c u
t metrogzlitan.
the girl assisted Corny to climb the stairs
and bestowed him in the shake-down on the
floor in the little dark bedroom sacred to the
head of the McGinnis family. __

The be soon recovered from his hurt, and
then, in t e gratitude of his heart, p
help the rl slough becomin a er.

‘ I don eat muc , an’ I k a steal ’bout all
the vegetables you want of Dutch John at the
corner, an’ mebbe hook a piece of meat from
the butcher once in a while when he’s got a rush
t his eyes peeled for his
stuff on the outside,” rn said. with the moat
cha _ innocence as to here being anything

rom
of a

“Metatfrw‘i "3‘, 1."...

. wrou tthe transaction.
» atmoirhom comm:

 

  
 

‘so that all objects in the ya

 

u in one of the schools resided over by the
Sisters who ive their ii 6 to good work, was
horrified at t e idea and read the lad quite a
lecture upon the enormity of the offense.

Corny was silenced, if not convinced.

“ In c0urse I won’t do it if you don’t like it,”
he said. “ But all the kids are up to sich
games. I kin afford to pay my board if I quit
goin’ to the-a-ters an’ a~foolin1my money away
pitchin’ pennies an’ playing policy.

“I’ll reform, I will! I’ll turn over a new
leaf, so help me Bob! I kin make three or four
dollars a week if I have any kind of luck, an’

on shall have half of w’ot I git. I reckon

hat’s a square divvy an’ no beefsteak 1”

When McGinnis returned from the Island he
objected, of course, but consentcd to allow the
boy to stay when the girl gave him five dollars
which she had managed to save up.

“It’s a foine plan,” he observed, graciously
acce ting the money.

“ ' ake all the boarders ye like, divil a hair I
care so long as yees do be afther having five
dollars for me ivory time I want it."

And he took his departure in trium h, with-
out giving the girl time to reply, so ag ast was
she at this announcement which seemed to
threaten much trouble.

The five-dollar spree which McGinnis immedi-
ately began landed him back on the Island be-
fore he was a day older. '

From that banishmem‘, he had just returned,
and the moment he made his appearance in the
house he had demanded the five dollars.

For three weeks the girl had been out of work,
and if it had not been for the mone ' paid by
her boarder she surely would have su ered, for
work had been so slack that she had not been
able to put by much money.

McGinnis's rage at being denied the five dol-
lars was great.

He swore the girl was hiding the money from
him and that he would murder her on the spot.

In alarm she had fled down the stairs, the in-
furiated rufiian had given chase, and Corny had
brought up the rear.

There was a. bright moon hi h in the heavens
were plainly vis-
ible.

The girl fled t0ward the entrance leadin to
the street through the front house, but w en
she gained the middle of the space a. well-built
man, dressed. after a fashion which seemed to
indicate he followed the sea for a living, ap-
peared in the doorway. _ .

It was Hugh Strong, the Lightweight, intent
upon his mission.

 

CHAPTER V.
A smear MISUNDERSTANDING.

“ FOR the love of Heaven, let me pass or I
shall be murdered!” the girl exclaimed in ac-
cents wild.

“ No, no, there isn’t the least danger of that!”
Hugh replied, gazing With interest in the pallid

face.
The life of toil and confinement she led had
robbed her cheeks of any roses they might have
sessed, but that she would have been an ex-
remely pretty girl if fortune had not so oppress-
ed her was clear to the experienced eyes of the
Li htweight, who had looked upon the beautiful
girgls of many a clime during his wild life of ad-
venture in foreign parts.

“ Oh, yes, sir, he is rfectl crazy with an-

r and will sure] kil me if do net run away
£50m him 0h, p ease let me pass!” pleaded the
girl. tears in her great brown e es.

“Don’t be alarmed, miss. don’t know the
man on speak of, but if he is crazy I’m just the
best allow in the world to attend to his case, for
in my time I’ve had lots of experience with mad

e.

And at this int McGinnis made his a

rance, swear g in the most frightful fas -

on.

The boy followed close behind, his shrill voice
raised in expostulation.

“ Don’t go f r to make an idyit of yourself,
you blame o d Paddywhacker I” he yelled.
‘ You’ll git the {Eels-rs arter you, the furst thin
ou know, an’ on up you go to the Isle o

lackwell l” '

When McGinnis reached the center of the yard
he came to a halt upon discovering the dar fig
ure of the man standing in the doorway, by
whose side the girl crouched.

A moment’s inspection satisfied McGinnis that
the man was a at er, for he was not so
drunk as not to know 1 that was geing on, but
whether the unknown was friend or enemy was
a uestion.

he Irishman halted, and critically examining

to, the stranger, made a low bow.

of the evening to sea, sorl” he ex-
‘ Althougul hav’n’ the leasure of
I t yer are aft or finding

“ The to
claimed.
yer uaintance
yersel well this avening.

“ Will or be afther aving the kindness for
to give t t white ~face little b’aste a box on
the ear and knock or over foreninst me here so
I kiilijgzpfther b’ating biases out of her?"

g .

u .. daft—don’t er do it,stran !”
' at inhalants. "50;!"
.1311

 

f
.'|

  

 

you pay any ’tention to this drunken Finnegan,
ut jest haul off and paste him in the snoot once
for luck!”

“ Ye brat, I’ll br’ake yer back!” cried McGin—
his in a rage and he turned to pursue the boy-

This was exactly what Corny wanted,

He knew he could easily outrun the Irishman-
drunk or SJbeI‘; he had tried his legs too often
in foot—races with vigilant " cops " not to know
what the said legs were capable of doing.

B inducing . cGinnis to chase him he afford—-
ed Sally an opportunit to escape.

So with a loud an taunting “ Yah, yahl"
Corny darted into the entryway.

MoGinnis followed him as far as the door:
but suddenly reflecting that he was affording
the girl a chance to elude him, be halted, shook
his clinched fist after the boy, and contented
himself with calling out: .

“ I’ll be afther catchin ye in a corner some
day, me foine laddybuc , and thin if I— don’t
lay ye out as stifl.’ as apoker, me name is not.
Patsey McGinnis.”

“ Yah, yah! Paddywhack, spell able! Paddy-
whack, wid de red head!” yelled the lad in de-
fiance from the darkness of the entry.

“ I’ll pay yees off wan of these days!” retort~
ed the Irishman, as he returned to his former
position in the center of the yard.

The girl had taken advantage of this interval
to exchange a few words with the stranger.

“ Oh, sir, please let me pass!” she again asked.
“ In the street I can easily make my escape
from him.”

“ Is he your father?” Hugh asked.

“ Oh, no, sir, he is my uncle; my father and
mother are both dead. But please let me pass,
and if you are wise, sir, you will not revoke
his an er, for he isa dangerous man w en the
liquor s in him. and would just as lief do you
a mischief as not.”

“ So I can readily believe,” the Lightweight
remarked as he listened to the threats the in-
furiated Irishman hurled after the retreating
boy.
“ But such brutes as he ought to be tamed
once in awhile, and as I’ve had considerable ex-
perience in that line, I shouldn’t mind taking
a turn with him.”

“ Oh, sir, be warned, and do not risk it!”

But Hugh never stirred from his position in
the doorwa .

His bl was up, and he had determined to
teach the bellowing brute a lesson if he would
not listen to reason.

Hugh Strong’s confidence in his ability to
more than hold his mm with the bra wny 'rufiian
was not unwarranted.

Personally he was as finea specimen of muscu-
lar manhood as all the big city could boast.

A scul tor would have been delighted at such
a model mm which to carve a marble figure of
the ancient, ladiator who conquered all who,
came against im in the Roman arena.

Every muscle in his form was like iron, and
in his sailor life he had learned to both box and
wrestle, and was reputed on board the ships in
which he had sailed to be as good a man as ever
trod a fo’castle deck. .

When McGinnis returned to his position and
discovered that the stranger had not moved
from the doorwafy be anticipated trouble, and
in the fullness 0 his joy at the prospect of a
battle in which he promised himself he would
beat the stranger black and blue, he swung his
long arms around like the sails of a wind-mill
and cried out:

“ Will you be afther doing phat I axed ye, or
will I have to kem afther yees and pull yer ears
for to t’ache ye manners?” ’

“Oh, paste him once, sport, an’ make him
sick i” the shrill voice of the b0 cried from the
seclusion of the doorwa .

“ s only fights wid
his tongue—he’s no wid his fists!”

“Oh, he will m er you, sir!” the girl cried
in alarm, to the stranger. . .

“ Don’t you be alarmed; it is more likely that
I will murder him if he isn’t wise enough to give
overwthis foolishness and go about his busi—
ness .

“ Oho, ho! murfher me, is it?”

And The McGinnis, as he was wont proudly to
term himself, executed a war-dance in the cen-
ter of the yard that would have been laughable
but for the circumstance that murder was in
the man’s heart. and when he got into one of.
these fits he would no more have hesitated to?-
take life than the average man would hesitate ‘
about killing a fly.

“ Walk out here wid ye and Pam me get a
crack at yees! Oho, ho! I’ll break yees in two
so quick that ye’ll never be afther knowing
what hit yees.”

The Lightweight answered the challenge
quicker than the man anticipated, for he ad—
vanced so quickl that McGinnis was taken by
surprise and no time to get on the defen—

sive.

The Irishman had played a prominent part in
too many aflairs of this nature not to under—
stand that the stmuger meant mischief.

And as the other strode forward McGinni’s
S: a fair look at his muscular form and noted

it he looked like a
striking .9:
a .

L

seamen.
“A sailor, ob! I’m afther
tough nut, I’m ‘_ int!” he muttered;

Mg. ,.

I

a V .WNWM—w<-—w————~——hn_____ A

 

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i
z
I
l

-.. .n..._.. _‘ __.c I...

K‘s-W-.._._.__v .o.. l

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, .a._.._._.__..—.__.____._.__..,.__..‘: an...

 

A

stopped prancing around and endeavored to
throw himself on guard. . . .

Hugh made a feint at his head; McGinnis
threw up his arms to ward off the threatened
blow and then—

‘Vhack! a sounding blow, delivered with a
force that seemed to the amazed Irishman to re-
semble the blow that the iron weight of the
spile-driver gives when it descends upon the
tree more than anything else.

Full upon the brawny chest of McGinnis it
fell. and the shock took him off his feet and land-
ed him over against the rear house all in a

hea .

'l'lie Irishman had been knocked down in his
numerous encounters more times than he had
fingers and toes, but he had never before re-
ceived such a blow as this.

Corny Jim was wild with joy as he witnessed
the act. He hopped up and down in the entry-
way crying:

“ All down! A ten-strike! Set up ag’in! The
gedl-lheaded dufl‘er knocked out in the first round!

u Pl

Bu)t McGinnis was not “knocked out,” to use
the current expression, and was soon on his legs
.21 am.

“ You murthering bla gard! Ye took me b
surprise; e struck me w in I was off me guar .
I‘ll go bail, ye can’t do it ag’m! Now, it’s my
turn!"

 

CHAPTER VI.
AN EASY CONQUEST.

THE irate man made a rush at his op nent,

to bear him d0wn by superior weight; Eat the
1 Li htweight gave not an inch of ground.

6 checked the assault with a straight right-
hander which caught his assailant on the chin
with a force that made all his teeth rattle; and
then, before the big brute could recover, out
on me the powerful “left ” of the supposed sailor,
landing full on the chest, and again McGinnis
went over backward, all coiled up in a heap.

By this time the windows of both houses were
well-filled with spectators, who had been at-
tracted b the noise, and as the bully was gen—

‘ oral] di iked on accountpf his offensive ways,
his discomfiture was hailed With rejoicing.

“ Knock him out!” yelled one.

“Break his back for him, the murdering
beast!” cried a Second.

“ Time! Come up and take your gruel like a
mm)!” howled a third.

Not often the lockers—on were treated to such
9 scientific display, and they fully appreciated
the treat.

1 As for Corny Jim, he was fairly wild with de-
i ht.
g“ Oho, did ye see that lick?” he elled.

“ Where are ye now, McGinnis ’ and he exe-
cuted a lively ji in the ant ay.

The girl crouc ed against t 0 side of the house,
gazing with staring eyes and almost breathless
interest upon the contest.

To her mind it did not seem bio for the un-
known stranger to contend wit her brutal uncle,
and with the utmost wonder she saw him go down
under the sled gc-hammer-like blows of his oppo-
iient.

Strange as it may appear there was nothing
brutal about this contest.

No blood had been drawn and it seemed more
like a friendly contest with the gloves—a spar
for points—thana regular fight where each man
was striving to damage his opponent all that be
possibly could.

But, McGinnis was in a position to assert that
this bout, so far, had been no child’s play.

Every tooth in his head seemed to be achin
from the terrible stroke which he had received
on the chin, and his ribswere sore from the two
awful blows which had alighted there.

The second stroke, too. had been a little lower
down than the first one and had so complee-tely
knocked the wind out of him that, w he
reached the ground. he was forced to gasp for

breath and it was fully three minutes before he,

could et on his feet again.
Mc innis was game, though, and when he
did get on his feet came up to the scratch like a
:man, although in a sad state of bewdderment.
He was complete] astonished at the treatment
11;  received an did not know what to make
-0 l .
He. had been in a hundred battles. more or
less, in his time, but on each and every occa-
wsion his 0 nent had been a man about as ig-
 nriiffant of t e principles of the fistic art as him-

se .
Brute force was relied upon, and as McGinnis
was an unusually powerful man, as a general
thing he had managed to hold his own if not
successful in completely vauquishing his anta-
- onist. .
g A real] scientific bdxer he had never encoun-
tered until he faced this unknown. Like many
another man he was not conscious of his own
ignorance, but believed that he was a skillful
and scientific fighter and so 'he was completely
bewild by the easy way in which the other
handle him.

He ascribed it all to luck, thou h, and be-
lieved that, if he could once succee in closing

in with his antagonist, he would be able to mas-
:  :ter hint:

6

“Aha, ye blaggard!” he cried as he cautious-
ly approached the other, “‘ I’ll be afther pound-
in yees in a miii‘te 1”

‘You bull-headed idiot, ar’n’t you satisfied
yet?” the young man asked, sparring for an
opening, intending this time to administer a fin-
ishing blow. -

“ Begobl I’ll be satisfied whin I break yer
back for er!”

And With the word he delivered a vicious blow
at the Lightweight’s head, but the young detec-
tive ducked and dodged it without the least dif-
ficulty, but at the same time landing a one, two,
on the ribs of McGinnis, extortin a most deCld-
ed grunt, for the pain produc, by the heavy
blows was great.

In his rage he now forgot all caution and made
a second wild rush at his antagonist.

Hu h, prepared for just such a movement,
mere y repeated his previous maneuver.

With a straight“ upper cut,” the blow, this
time, taking McGinnis ri ht between the eyes,
stopped and steadied t e bully, and then
again the terrible right-hander landed on the
ribs and McGinnis went over backward, his
head striking the hard slabs, with which the
yard was paved, with a heavy whack.

This time it was fully five minutes before the
man recovered his senses, and when he arose to
his feet it was with murder in his heart.

By this time he had become satisfied that he
was no match for his antagonist at a,fisticu
game and that the longer he contended the
more he would suffer.

The taunting jeers of the lookers-on, who
were unsparing in their ridicule of the so
dis lay he was making in the noble art of se -
de ense enra ed him to madness.

Here was t eacknowledged bully of the nei h-
borhood—the man who straightway made'it is
business to get into a fight with somebody as
soon after his frequent visits to the “ Island ” as
possible, getting most utifully thrashed by
a stranger. a smaller in in every way than
himself, and the job was apparently being per-
formed with the utmost ease.

Was it a wonder that they lau bed at the
discomfiture of the tyrant and hur ed all sorts
of sneeriiig remarks at him from the vantage-
ground of the windows?

With considerable difficulty the Irishman
gained his feet; his breath came thick and hard,

[and altogether he was a pretty wellhead-up
man. ‘

He confronted his opponent, blowing and
puffing, and it was a minute or two before he
could find breath to speak.

“Ye murthering scoundrell It’s yer heart’s
blood I will be afther having!” he cried, as he
drew an ugly-looking knife and made a rush at
the Lightweight.

This readiness to use a knife upon the slightest
provocation had caused McGinnis to be the
dread of the neighborhood. It was known that
when his blood was u and the liquor in him, he
had just as lief use a nife on a man as look at
him, and on this account men who were physi-
cally able to cope with the rufflan were reluctant
to be drawn into a quarrel with him, for they
feared the murderous knife.

‘f Look out for the knife!” yelled a dozen
vmces in warning.

Knowing the man as they did the had ex-

ted some such movement, and been on
the watch for it.

But even if he had not been warned, Hu h
would have been prepared for such an attac ,
for his quick eyes caught the glitter of the
knife the instant it was drawn, and then, too,
the peculiar way in which'the man came at
him gave immediate warning that McGinnis
did not intend to rely upon his fists this time.

But it was not the first time in his life that the
Lightwei ht had seen a knife glitter in the
moonligh , and he was in no way alarmed.

He waited with his arms up in boxer fashion,

ust as if he had not seen the knife, until Mc-
innis was close tohim, and then, as the Irishman
made a wicked stroke, the Lightweight sudden-
ly dod ed to one side and stuck out his foot
so that chnis tri ped over it and came head:
long to the ground, he force of the shock caus-
ing the knife to fly from his hand.

Com? Jim. who had ventured from the shel-
ter of the doorway in his anxiety to get a full
view of the contest, and was hovcrin near to
the combatants, pounced upon the knife like a
v‘ulture. ,

I And Hugh wasas quick to spring upon his

oe.

Seating himself upon his prostrate form he
gaseslped him by the back of the collar and
c : .

“ You miserable wretch, if you don’t promise
never to assault that girl again, I’ll hammer the
life out of you I”

“ L’ave me np—I give in b’atel” howled the
Irishman. '

“ Will you let her alone?”

“I will—I will!”

“ Cheese it, cullyl Here come der cops l”
warned the boy.
tagy this time the yard was well filled with spec-

ors.

Hugh siprung to his feet and mingled with

 

the crow

 

1g tweig t e co 1ve.

 

\

Two Ivpolicemen rushed into the arena and
seized cGinnis as he was slowly rising.

“ Hold on to him, peelersl He’s jist cut a
man, and here’s der knife!" cried Corny, giving
the weapon to the nearest officer.

And so, despite McGinnis‘s resistance, he was
dragged off to the station-house.

 

CHAPTER VII.
DADDY BLAZES.

UP amid the rocks of Harlem, as the settle-
ment on the upper end of Manhattan Island is
locally called, above Central Park is a squatter
settlement.

The land is too rough for cultivation, the
march of improvement has not yet reached the
locality,and quite a large village of shanties
has grown up, the occupants of which pay no
rent to any one.

It is a. pretty tough neighborhood, for the
shanty ople are a lawless set and apt to make
it particularly warm for any decently dressed
stranger, imprudent enough to wander into
their domain after the shades of evening fall up-
on the earth.

The shanties are perched among and on the
rocks in all sorts of queer positions, are gener-
all onlya story high and constructed out of
oldy boards and refuse stufl in the rudest man-
n

er.

The police officers stationed in the precinct cov-
ering this shanty settlement have a horror of
the place and its inhabitants, for it is a well-
known fact that a single policeman stands no
more chance of takin a prisoner out of the set-
tlement unless the in bitants are willing, and
the seldom are, than a fly has of overcoming a
spi er in single combat after he has been in- ‘
snared in the web of the destroyer.

When a criminal takes refuge amid the
shanties on the rocks and the metropolitans go
to “lay him by the heels,” never ess than a
dozen Well-armed men essay the task, and when
they storm the rocks it is with drawn revolvers
just as if the were out on the plains amid ahost
of savage In ians. ‘

And if the criminal is an important one—a
man in whom the shanty people take agent in-
terest—it will be all that the dozen w armed
policemen can do to secure their prisoner.

Even the women and children turn out en
manure, and cobble-stones and ieces of rock, from
the size of a man’s fist to his d, are ugly mis-
siles to guard against when handled from a

hi ht.

The only way in which the policemen can se-
cure an important man who takes refuge amid
the rocks—one for whom the inhabitants will be
aptto fight—is to go with such a force that the
shanty people will see that resistance is useless.

Many ueer characters dwell in this plague-
spot nest ing in the very heart of the big city;
and one of the queerest of them all was an odd
eccentric old man, known as Daddy Blazes.

Daddy Blazes was one of the fathers of the
“ settlement.” His shanty, which was bed
upon the summit of a hugerock—the highest
point in the neighborhood—was one of the first \
erected in the locality, rumor said sane
twenty or twenty-five years ago.

The original squatter settlement was at Forty-
second street. but the march of improvement
put an end to this “village,” and forced the -'
squatters to go up-town.

Daddy Blazes was as odd in his person as he
was peculiar in character.

He was a man well in ears, sixty-five or
seventy, or possibly older s ' ; his once tall '-‘ .

‘5 s
'\

ure was now bent over almost double, and ' , 

stoo ve him the appearance of a hunchback.
Hi; gee was distorted. and a huge scarlet scar

disfigured all of the right side, running from ' 

the eye to the jaw.
The wound which had left such a terrible that
must have been a dreadful one.  %
His hair fell in long tangled masses clear down

:0 his shoulders, and his heard was fully 11 foot , r
on . a .‘
fie natural color of both hair and heard was ‘

iron gray, but some strange vanity made this
eccentric old man dye them black, and asthe ;

dye did not work as effectively as it should have  v .  ‘
were streaked, pre- ,» -‘ ‘

done, both hair and heard
seating a moststrange, unmtural appearance. .

His eyes were sunk under overhanging brows,
and sparkled like a pair of jet beads.

His long, bony fingers were more like the tal-' .  if

ons of a bird of my than human hernia and.
take him for all in all, he had a most repulsive

apgearanee. . .

e was habited in a wretched old suit, wh'ch

seemed much more fit for the rag-bag than low

protection to the'human form. \ .

“Ry occupation the old man was a fortune-
er.

“ The seventh scm of a seventh son,” so he
professed, and the dingy tin sign attached to the
door of his shanty bore this announcement un— L‘
geiimeath his name, which was here given as Dr.

azes.

But this abbreviation was never understoodto I

mean doctor by any one who knew the old man,
for Daddy Blames he was always called. ‘ ' .
But if you had interviewed the police  ,

 

 

 

 

  

I: "I V':°l ':: '

 

of the district in regard to the squatter veteran,
he would have told you:

“ Oh, the fortune-telling is all boshl He‘s no
more a fortune-teller than I am. That is all a
cloak to cover up his real business.

“ He may rope some greenhorns in once in a
while who don’t know any better, but we do.”

“ And what is his real business i” would be the
natural question.

“ A ‘ fence ’—a receiver of stolen goods, the
boss who plans the robbery and decides how the
job can best be worked.”

And this was the reputation that Daddy Blazes
bore among the police.

He was reputed to be very wealthy, and it was
said that no expert cracksman need lack for the
bones and sinews of war—the hard cash—if he
knew of a good chance for plunder.

The old man was no common “ fence;” he did
not deal in any bulky articles, only in small

 valuable goods.

And the police had a superstitious belief that
the rock, whereon the shanty of Daddy Blazes
was built, was hollow out in secret under-
ground es where t e stolen articles were
concealed until a' good opportunity offered for
L» their disposal.

InterView the captain of the precinct again
and he will tell you:

“ A half a dozen times, at least, after some

; big robbery, where the raters have made
a great haul, have we trac ed the men, whom
We were morally certain did the trick, direct to
Daddy Blazes’s shanty—have been so close on
; their eels that the had no chance to get rid of

‘ their plunder, an yet, when we got out a
, ,, ‘ search-warrant, and raided the premises, not a
‘. ; trace of the plunder could we find; yet three or
,er - four months afterward through oursecret chan-
 nels of information that we must always have,

. I, We would (get word that Daddy Blazes had suc-
f... , needed in isposing of the property.”
.; ' There was no receiver of stolen goods in the
it, I cit whom the authorities Were so anxious to
_-"  ge “ dead to rights ” as this “ King of Shanty-
l , ‘* ville,” and yet, so careful was be about the way
“ " he carried on his business that the police, with
 all their watchfulness, could never succeed in
’3' ., entrapping him although they had tried all sorts
. ‘i . of shrewd tricks.
 ’ It is night when we introduce the reader to
the squatter settlement and its inhabitants, and
u. thetime some forty-eight hours later than the
,3; ‘ hour when the old house in the Turtle Bay dis-
i' trict was destro ed by fire.
,2.» ,. One reason w y the police had such ill luck
 in getting the best of Daddy Blazes was the
 ' fact that they were never able to surprise him.

I» , The shanty was always arded, night or
day, by three large, savage and it was im-
possible for an one to approach the dwelling
at any time wi t rousin the watchful brutes
‘ "who immediately ve t e alarm, and thus
' . afforded time for addy Blazes to prepare for

, ,On this ni ht of which we write the old man

‘ . \pat alonein 's shanty. A small coal-oil lamp

\ was burning u the table, and by it sat the
old man in a di pidated rockingwhair.

'- , He was evidently in a brown study, for he

\was leaning back in the chair, with his eyes
fixed upon vacancy.

I . ' “ What is the matter?” he murmured. “ Why

 "doesvhe not come!

‘; , “He succeeded in‘ forming the task all
5,} ht, and according to he rts, no one has

‘ ' htest s icion of how t e ob was done.
, “A ai”and t old man chuc edto himself
' for a moment. ‘

 ' “This is the way I like it. I like to sit in the
f. Hark like a huge spider, and deal these blows
' f‘ Yhich make m enemies wonder and tremble—
ilundsr at the one] of the stroke and the sud-
dennesswith which it descends and tremble at
file damage inflicted by the blow.
At this point the do without began to indi-
i’ date theirpresence an vigilance. Instantly the
id man was alert, springing forward, half-ris-
g from his chair; in a listening attitude.
,. Good dogs 1” he muttered. “ Old Blazes, is
' with such guards at the door i” '
T t Was his boast that his savage dogs possess-
: “About as much intelligence as the average
, and by their met 0d of barking when
. a proached he could tell the character
of the vis tor, for the dogs were never deceived.
. . V1.10 matter how cleverly a man might disguise
finite", he neverdeceived the sagacious animals.
 r" [They c‘ould smell out a police spy as far as
 . could see him, and as for the police them-
. - g ‘ no they fairly went crazy at the sight of a
$2  the animals, too, seemed to be able to
n a “crook as well, no matter
- ther he wore the rags of a tramp or the
, broadcloth of agentleman.
‘v‘i’ Five different ways the dogs had ,of warning

Mr master that some one was coming.

,A 'rolonged howl for a police spy or detec-
mo n di guise, a violent series of barks for a
'M‘opolitan in full uniform, a succession of
mm unds when they believed the new-

j ‘ tabegll right, some one who boded no

n g to eir master, a single yelp for a
-ma," but when their instinct was at fault
 were in doubt as to the character of

l
\ .

     
   
    
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
    
  
   
 
   
   
 
  
   
   
  
 
    
    
  
  
   
 
     
     
      
       
        
     
 
   
   
      
 
 

  

fig.

  

  

  

  
  

    
  
   
 

  

 

and down be-

the stranger, they would race 11
oor and whine

fore the house, scratch at the
piteously.

It was not often that this happened though,
fori the dogs seldom hesitated in regard to a
vis tor.

CHAPTER VIII.
THE CRACKSMAN KING.

DADDY Biiazss listened for a moment.

The three dogs each gave a single yelp, one
after the other.

The first dog who had discovered that some
one was approaching had expressed his opinion
in re ard to the new- comer; then the others in
turn ad responded, so the warning must arrest
their master 8 attention.

‘f It’s my man this time, I ess; but where
on earth has he kept himself or so long?” the
King of the Rocks muttered, as he arose from
his seat, went to the. door, opened it and peered
forth into the night.

A small ard, about twenty feet square was
in front 0 the shant extending around the
house on three sides. ithin this inclosure the
dogs roamed, and he must be a daring man in-
deed who attempted to enter the yard when the
brutes were aroused.

The shanty was well guarded against a sur-
prise, for the yard and the dogs protected it on
three sides, while on the fourth the huge rock
upon which the house was built reared abruptly
to the hight of ten or twelve feet: hence for any
oneto et at the shanty from that direction it
would e necessary to use a ladder. Any at-
tempt to get into the house by this means of
course would have been frustrated by the vigi-
lant dogs.

The moment Daddy Blazes opened the door
the dogs again gave utterance to their short,
peculiar 1yelps, their method of informing their
master t at, in their opinion, the new-comer
was all right.

The moon was just copiing up, affording light
enough to enable the oi man to distinguish who
it was that waited by the gate—waited for the
Kingdto call of! the sentinels, who still stood on

guar .

“ Is that you, Bud ?” asked Daddy Blazes,
peering forth through the half-opened door.

“ Yes, but donlt be so free with my name, if
you lease,” replied the other.

“ hy not?” growled the old man.

“ Because there’s somebody after me, Pm
afraid; tell the dogs to let me in as soon as pos-
sible,”replied the man, hurriedly; “ the quicker
I at to cover the better.”

‘Down there, you brutesi” commanded the
old man, in a low voice, at which the Well?
trained animals laid down and the new-comer
hastened into the house.

“ Look sharp there, my beauties! Seek ’em l”
exclaimed Daddy Blazes, and with the word
the dogs were once more keenly on the alert,
prowling up and down, sending the air sus-
piciously, as if they scented danger from every
quarter.

The two entering, the old man closed the door
and fastened it.

The castle was well-guarded!

There was a large. old-fashioned lock in the
middle of the door, and heavy bolts at both top
and bottom, while the portal itself was none of
your modern sham that a single, well—directed

ick would shatter into splinters, but an old-
fashioned fellow almost stout enough to bid de-
fiance to an ax. ,

“ New on are safe.” the old man announced;
“but, in eaven’s name, what has kept you so
lohlgl—where have you been all this time?”

c new-comer was a tall, well-built man,
with jet-black hair and eyes, and a complenon
almost as swarthy as that of anyItalian.

He seated himself by the table and was look-
ing around him in a suiky sort-of-way, just as
if he did not relish being questioned.

“ Give me a nk of whisky, Daddy!” he
curtly demanded.

“I guess you have had too much whisky al-

the o (1 man rumbled, as he rose from his seat
and produc a bottle and glass from a corner
cupboard

“ If you don’t take my advice and let whisky

alone it will get you han one of these days. ’

“ Bah! Have done wi your preaching,” re-

nded the other, contemptuously, as he filled

t 0 glass half full of the potent fluid and swal-
lowed it as so much water.

“ ‘ A short life and a merry one,’is my motto,”
he continued. “ Do on s’ Iwantvto live to
be as old as you are? 0 go ‘round all doubled up
like a hunchbackl Oh, no! That wouldn’t suit
my book, at all. I would rather pass in my
checks.” -

“ Oh, you needn’t wo ; you’ll never live to

as old as I am,”snar ed Daddy Blazes, evi-
denth annoyed by the remark of the other.

“ e policeman with a bullet, or the ban
with his rope will snap your thread of ii 0 be
foreyou are a dozen years older unless you are
afar luckier manthan I take on to be.”

“ Bosh!” exclaimed the ct er. as he hired
himself to another draught of the w y.

 

“Maybe you t , you can w me with
such talk, but you cannot. I don’tyaluc my

 

ready and that is what has been the matter,”.

 

life; when my time comes I am ready to go, and
all ypur croaking will not hurry the matter

y.

“ You did the job, I see, all right?”

“Oh, yes: I don’t generally make a mess of
anything that I undertake if I have half a chance
for my life.” .

“ But, why didn’t you return here immedi-
ate] 1”

“ ow, Daddy, you are getting curious, and
curiosit is a vice sometimes,” laughed the
other, displayin his strong white teeth which
strangely remin ed one of an animal.

“ , it is all right if you choose to run into-
danger, but if you get into the stone-jug through
your own imprudence don’t send for me to h p
you out,” retorted Old Blazes, angrily.

“ Oh, yes, I will,” replied the other, insolently.

“You would be the first man I should apply
to, Daddy, and you would help me out, too, and
don’t you forget it. ”

There was a covert threat in the speech, and; I

the old man was uick to resent it.

“ It is the whis that is talking now. You
wouldn’t speak that way if the hquor hadn’t
muddled your brain,” he retorted.

“ You and I have only done business to ether
for a little while,” he Continued, “ and I 0 not.
think that you really understand what kind of.‘
a man I am.

“To the pal who obeys my orders and who:
does what is right, I stick, until the last gasp.

“ If he is in the grasp of the law, I will spend
moneyas though it could be had as free] as
water to help him out. The best criminal law-
yers in the city Will be employed to defend him,
and if he is in so bad a hole that legal tricks
will not help him, then money will be used to
blind the eyes of the men who have him in
charge. so that he will be able to esca .

“And if all efforts fail, if lawyers wits can«-
not help him and the guards cannot be bribed,
then the jury will be got at. A fortune will be
spent to buy one or two men on the jury so that
a disagreement will result.

“ In fine. all that money can do will be done-

'to save my boys, provided they do as I lnell

them, but if they attempt to kick over the
traces, and wish to run matters in their own
wa , then if they get into difliculties they must
100 out for themselves, for I wash my hands of
the whole aflair.”

The new-comer looked at the old King search—
ingly, for a moment, as much as to ask if he
meant what he said, but Daddy Blazes fared
him undauntedly. and though the other was as
reckless a scoundrel as ever lived, yet, as he
gazed into the gleaming eyes of the old sinner

e realized that Daddy Blazes was a foeman
worth of his steel.

“ ell, Daddy, if I t into quod, and you!
don’t come to my assis ce, hang me if I don’t
put a knife into on when I get out.”

“ If you get t e chance i” added the old' man
with a fiendish chuckle. “ Always put in, my
dear youn pal, ‘if on get the chance,’ be—
cause, no 0 ance no 'fe business. you know.
So, no chin—no, bravado about this matter;
look at it in a reasonable light. Do you think
lit]?! game of this kind that two can t play at,
i

“ I don’t want to boast—what is the use of it?
but I will say that no pal ever betrayed me yet
that he did not regret it, unless he fled to a.
foreign land to escape my Vengeance, and even
then my arms are long enough sometimes to
reach him.” 3

And as he spoke the old wretch stretched out.

his bony arms and worked his talon-like fingers '

convulsively, as though he was eager to grip the
throat of a foe.

“ No, no, don’t fool ourself,” he added. “ You.
can’t afford to quarre with me.”

I
“Well, maybe I can’t; but I don’t like to be

kept in leading strings, I’m no child,” the other
responded, sulkily. ~ .

‘ You have acted like one in this matter, I
should judge,” ,Blazes responded; "‘ but what
have you been u to, anyway?”

“After-(loin he Job I thought I would like
totake a bow with the boys down-town, so I
went on a bit of a tour.”

“ And the first thing you knew you found a.
police spy on your track. "

“Exactly; why, Daddy, you are a fortune-
teller for sure,” laughed the desperado.

“It doesn’t uire much skill to predict a
thing of this kin . A man as well known as.
yourself should not venture when you know the
oflicers are after you.”

“ I dodged the fellow, and thought I had

thrown him oi! my track, but I’m afraid it'was'

a failure, for I fancied I was shadowed right to
your door.” . I _
A prolonged bowl from one of the dogs rose-
on the air; en the others 'oincd in.
1;:on spies are approac ingi” Daddy Blazes
c .

 

CHAPTER IX.
k ox T‘IzXEhS'CIENTt. » d _ his
Tm: croo sprung o is co an grasped
revolver. - .
The dogs continued to howl without,having‘

all rushed down to the fence to receive the mans

gets.

 

I.-. .

m
E‘

 

H
m

assess a as

 

The Lightweight Detective.

'7

 

 

 

“ Put up your weapon!” ordered Blazes, as he
; listened to the dogs’ signal.
“There is more than one—the brutes tell me
. that—{Kissihly a half a dozen, and there is no
 of attempting to fight your way through

em.

- “ The cops have learned wisdom and they
§know well enough that for one or two men to at-

 

“tempt to take a prisoner out of this settlement is
mere folly.

“ The last time that me was tried there were
three of them, all wit their revolvers cocked
in their hands—three as good officers, too, as
the precinct can boast; but, in spite of their
weapons, all three of the men were laid out and
their prisoners esca .

“ No, no' no use or you to attempt to fight
Eur way through them ; we can bafile the blood-

unds in an easier way.”

The shanty was a large one, covering a space
of about fifteen by thirty feet, and was divided
into two apartments by a partition through the
center.

At the east end of the outer apartment was a
, huge chimney, built of stones put together with
l a sort of mud mortar, something like the chim-
iney so common in the log cabin region of the
3 South and Southwest.

1 In the center of this chimney was a small fire-
place wherein the uatter had constructed a
,rude sort of grate, a ome—made affair, fixed up
font of old iron 
To the chimney addy Blazes hastened.
He fumbled around the side of it nearest to
the door for a moment: then a section of the ap-
> an solid wall swung out under the touch
of his and, revealing a recess about a yard
deep by two feet wide and nearly five feet high,
affording ample room for a man to conceal him-
self and containing a stool as its only furni-

ture.

The other gazed at this secret hiding-place in

astonishment; for no one looking at the chim-
ney could posslbly have guessed that it was
otherwise than what it seemed.
“In with 'you!” commanded the old man.
,1 “Here‘s a hiding-place that will def all the
sleuth-hounds of the police, even if t y had
, noses, as keen as those of my trusty dogs with-
‘ u .’

c This is the biggest thing in this line I ever
struck,” the crae man remarked, as he entered
the hole, and seated himself upon the stool.
“ Say, Daddy, there ain’t any chance of a fel-
low smothenng after being shut u in this
place, is th_ere?”asked the fugitive, as e cast an
apprehensive glance around.
. “Oh, no, no danger of that," answered the
Kip ‘as he beggin to slhut the (Ron h th

ere are pee ending roug e to

walltotheouterair,sothatthem isno dongs:
of suffocation.”
“ Well. that‘s good i”
“ But there is another danger.”
“ What is it!” asked the cracksman, slightly
nervous.
“ This thing fastens with a lock that can only
beopened from the outside. Now, if I should
die, or want to be revenged upon you from any
cause, no one else could open it and on would
perish in the most miserable manner ’ and with
a diabolical chuckle the Sovereign of the Shan-
ties closed the door which fastened With a
shtrp sna , leavin the imprisoned emcksman
totrefl one whic were not altogether pleas-
an .
Of course the old man was king when he
suggested the possibility of hi: shutting his
guest up in the secret cell to die, but it wasn’t

leasant to even joke upon such a ticklish sub-

ect.

Having thus safely concealed his guest, Daddy
Blazes turned his attention to what was going
on without.

The dogs, racing along the inside of the fence,
wore kicking up a furious row.

.The old squatter opened the door, and by the
aid of the moonlight he was able to discern half
a dozen men, dressed in dark clothes, but all
witlli1 revolvers in their hands, advancing toward

ouse. .

Daddy Blazes was tolerany well acquainted
With all the lice and detective force, and had
littledifiicu ty in recognizing five of the best
detectives in the city led by the sixth and,
who was no other than tor Burke in per-

son.
The Inspector greeted the old man the moment
"1° ‘1?“ “is m . mg...
‘ao, ay eexc ;“callofl
your dogs if you don’t want the rutes killed.”
“Ah, is that you, Inspector?" Blazes an-
swered, with studied liteness. “I am de-
.‘ lighted to see you. hat brings you up my
' way this evening?” .
. ‘ éall oi! your dogs and you will soon see,”
re lied the liceman. curtly.
~ ‘Certain y, certainly, Inspector! Don’t hurt
\ - . poonbrutes: they are the only rotectors I
, have. A 2‘ old man like me, in 5 here all
1 alone won d have a hard time of it, i it wasn‘t
, . 1,0561: the dogs (to lace}: 2:: tIramps awa'y.”
- . . es, no on , nspector oined
  2“?le raj ’

u my 1m
hurt for.

a .___—-._M_,.A

A

 
   
     
   
  
   

 

A

mgrolgznand I wouldn’t have

 

'

.‘.\ I.

u r

   

 

 

 

And then the Kin called to the dogs, who
reluctantly came sku king up to the house and
entered the barrels which served for kennels.

The detectives came trooping in through the
gate, each and every man on the alert with his
revolver ready for action.

“ Be careful that our pistols don’t go off,
gentlemen ” Daddy Blazes said with assumed
alarm. “ I am mortally afraid of fire-arms: so
many accidents are occurring all the time, and
you need not bealarmed about the dogs, I as-
sure you; when I tell them to be quiet, they are
as harmless as so many lambs.”

“ Oh, we are not concerned about our dogs,
Paddy, it’s a human that we are on t e lookout

or.

The old denizen of the rocks pretended to be
great] surprised and a little alarmed.

“ I ope you don‘t mean me, Inspector?” and
he feigned considerable apprehensmn. “ 1.8111
quite um I haven’t done anything to merit a
call from you.”

“ No, Daddy we don’t want you, but we want
to search your house.”

“ Oh, I tor. what on earth do you want to
do that for?” Blazes cried. “What do you ex-
pect to find there?”

“ You know well enough,” replied the Inspec-
tor, sternly, “and we want no nonsense about
this matter.

“ \Ve have  our  SO  that we
are certain he is concealed in your shanty, and
we have come with a force sufficient to take
him, even if you raise the whole settlement on
us, but I want to give you fair warning that
if 'ou value your own life and the lives of your

5 here you had better take this matter quiet-
y, for if you attempt to raise a row we are go-
ing for you, red-hot!"

‘Oh, In. ctor, what do you take me for?‘
exclaimed addy in a reproachful tone. “ Ar’n’t
you acquainted with me well enough to know

hat I wouldn’t go in to do anything ugly, for
the world i”

“Of course not! Your gang up here didn’t
lay out three officers so that they had to be sent
to the hespltal, only about a month ago,”the
ofiicer remarked, With some asperity.

“ Upon my honor. Inspector. I knew nothin
about the affair until it was all over!” the ol
scamp protested.

“I understand all about that,” was the In-

tor’s answer. “ You are the man who
stands 1n the background and e the other
fellows on. You are the bossof t settlement,
and responsible for all these attacks on ofilce'rs.
All you had to do was to crook your fin er, and

no one of your gang would have dared move
a hand a nst the policemen.”
“ Oh, t era’s a mu h set n here,” demurred

the Sovereign, “ and hav’n’t the least influence
over them.’

J‘ Tell that to some one who doesn’t know on;
I can’t take it in,” retorted the officer. ‘ But
to come to business: you have a man concealed
in your house, and we want him. Advise him
to come out, and so save trouble. You see, I
have a and here big enough to take him in
xite of your gang. We mean business from

eword go. an you Will save trouble by ad-
vising him to come out and surrender peace

abl .”

“y You have been misinformed, Inspector;
there’s no man in my house.”

“ Don‘t lie about it! Black John Buddock
was tracked right to your door. He was seen to
enter the house, and as there were two men on
the track, one remained on the watch while the
other went for reinforcements, so we know that
the man is still in your shanty, for he didn’t
come out.” \

Daddy Blazes shook his head.

“ I don’t know the man of whom 1you speak.
I never even heard of him, but I wi 1 say that,
if you find any man in m house, no matter who
he is, I will agree to eat im.”

“011. add , we have ct you dead to rights
this time an no mista e!” the Inspector ob-
served, triumphantly.

“.I suppose there is some back way through
which my gentleman means to ski , and that is
the reason whv youhave kept us c ' ' here;
but,old.m.an. hat leetle game will not work. cun-
ning as it is,forwehave a and of menatthe
rearofyourshant ,an ifhe es toescaps in
that direction we’ nab him sure, or plug him
dead.”

“ Ho ho,ho l” laughedtheold man, muchto the
astonishment of the officer, who expected to see
him almost stupefied with amazement at this in-
telligence.

“ Well, now wouldn’t that ,be the richest kind
of a joke on him ! How he would be;
Exit,” as he ain’t here, the thing can’t , be

The Inspector was puzzled. He had been sure
of his prey this time, for the men who had
tracked the fugitive so closely were two of the
best on the force—both. too, well acquainted
with the cracksman, who was as distinguished
in his line as any man in the country.

It could not be possible that they had made
any mistake in the matter. , '

No, no; Dadd Blazes was simny playing a
biggameofblni, . . . 3

 
  

  
 
 

 

    
  
  

w:

CHAPTER X.
RAFFLE-D.
THE man whom they sought they believed was
concealed in the shanty ready to make a dash
through their line at the first favorable oppor-

tuni‘ty.

“ e11, Daddy, we will go through your house.
If the man isn’t here no harm will be done,” the
Inspector said.

“ Certainly not: but, I reckon you ought not
to search my house without due process of law,”
the old man protested.

“We have a warrant for the arrest of our
man, and as we know he is concealed in our
shanty I think our authority is suflicxent.
Anyhow we will risk it.

“ Forward, men 1” the Inspector commanded,
“and if the fellow tries to break through our
line shoot him without merc .”

The detectives advanced, addy Blazes bring-
ing up the rear.
hey entered the house and searched it in the

most thorough manner, but, of course. found
not the slightest trace of the man whom they

soug t.

All of them looked anxiously for secret hid-
ing-places, mindful of the rumors which de-
clared that there were secret underground pas-
sages leading from the King’s Castle.

The floor was sounded, and nearly every board
tested to see if there were any trap—doors or
vault entrances anywhere around.

But, none were found. and after a good half-
hour’s search, the detectives in disgust gave up
the job, and retreated.

Daddy Blazes accompanied them to the door,
and bestowed upon them a parting shot.

“ You see, Inspector, I was giving it to you as
straight as a string, but you detective coves are
mighty thick-headed , sometimes.”

‘ I’ll catch you tripping some of these days,
and then look out !” retorted the Inspector, as he
retired. and soon disappeared around the rocks.

“ When you do. just have the kindness to let
me know!” cried Daddy Blazes, in defiance.

The old man chirru d to the dogs to be on
the lookout; then reén red the house, and se-
curely refastening the door he proceeded to re-
lease the cracksman from his chimney cell.

“ We fooled ’em nicely,” chuckled the old
man; and then, when John Buddock (or Black
Buddock, as he was enerallytermed, on account
of his swarthy comp exion) stoodin the room.the
Shanty Sovereign shut the secret door. When
it was closed, although the cracksman examined
it in the most careful manner he was not able to
discover the slightest trace of the opening, and
e ressing his wonder at this, the old chief of
thieves chuckl :

"Do you s’ the thing was fixed so that
every fool who comes along could find it i”

“ No; but tho h I know it’s there, I’ll be
hanged if I can d it, andI want you to un-
derstand that I am no slouch where locks are
concerned. I reckon my reputation as a cracks-
man is as good as any high-toby gentleman you
can Bick up in the country.”

“ h, I know that." the other assented.

“ I’ve cracked a heap of cribs in in time,
and some of them have been pretty iflicult
pieces of work, too, but this job gets me.”

“ It was done by one of the best workmen in
both stone and iron that ever touched a tool in
this or any other country,” Daddy Blazes as-

“ Poor fellow! he was a genius; but through
an ill turn of luck he was nabbed while right at
work and sent to Sing Shg. ,

“ I spent a couple of thousand dollars to get
him out; had everything arranged for his es-
cape, and all worked well; he got safely out of
the risen and took to the water.

“ ecould swim like a duck. and we had a
boat waiti for him oi! the dock.

“I even the thing arranged so nicely
that the rifles of the guards had been tampered
with—all the ball cartridges withdrawn and
blank cartridges substituted, so that when the
sentinels discovered him in the water and dis—
charged their pieces, they should do him no
damage.” '

“ Mi hty well planned!” exclaimed the other,
in adm tion. '
 “Yes. that is generally the way I do busi-
ness, but the best-laid plans don’t work, some-

times.

“The man who did the cartridge act (and it
cost a cool two hunde dollars to buy the fel-
low,too) had to work the trick in a great hurry,

and. under the c' ces it was excusable
for him to blunder. I ’ .

“ By some mischance be mixed one of the
on with the blank ones in the hurry

of the change, and as the gun loaded with the
ball happened to fall into the hands of a dead
aunt, my noble Roman was shot dead in the wa-

‘iliistimehad command thatwas all there it

was to it," Buddock observed, philosophic-ally.
“ Yes; the fellow who made the blunder was

sorry for it, and told me that, in order to

square the thing, the next time I wanted the

trick workedhe would do it for a hundred."

‘ “'l'hatwas the fair thing,” and as the

am I

hisseatatthe‘,

'

   
   
 
   
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  

, \

 

 

8

The Light

 

 

 

“Now, then, I sulppose for the present I am
safe," he continue ; “there isn’t much likeli-
hood of their making a second visit here, in
search of me.”

“No but, though for the time he is baffled,
the Inspector is not a man likely to give up the
Search.

“ You see, two of the men traced you to the
house; they saw you enter it; and as they were
evidently Well acquainted with you, there isn’t
any illOllbt in their minds that you were nicely
trrcl ."

“ Yes,I know both of the bloodhounds al-
most as well as I know

years gone by, have ha the pleasure of clasp-

iog the dul'bics on my wrists. and one of them, ,

in the fight that took place when they captured
me. go: a clip Over the head from the butt of
iuy revolver that will mark him as long as he
ives.

“ They took me by surprise, and jumped on -

me so quick that I had no time to COCK the wea-
pon or else there would have been a couple of
detectives less in the world.”

“ The whole thing turns on what opinion the
Inspector forms in regard to the affair,” Daddy
Blazes observed.

“ If Burke is not satisfied with his search, and
believes you to be concealed in the house, why,
he will put a watch upon it, and it will not be
safe for you to venture forth until the watch is
removed; but if, on the other hand, he beheves
that you contrived to elude the vigilance of the
detectives. and either did not enter the house or
Mac managed to get out of it without the knowl-
edge of the man placed upon guard, while his
Ctllllriillli'lll went for reinforcements, then of
course he will not pay any more attention to this
( uarter and you will be at liberty to get away.
If you will ta'ce my advice you will assume
. some disguise and get out of New York until
this breeze blows over."

“ A good idea,” the other assented.

“ Yes, things are pretty hot, now. In a month
or 40 something new will turn up to occupy the
attention of the detectives, and you will be pusn-
ed out of sight.

“In the morning it will not take me long to
find out whether there is any detective nosing
around the neighborhood or not, no matter how
skillfully he may be disguised.”

“ Your advice is good and I will adopt it;
but. what the deuce am I to do to pass the
time away?” the cracksman observed with a

'awn. .

“ banks to the liberal manner in which you
paid me for the oh I did for you I have a well-
iilled pocket-boo and it seems a shame to be im-
prisoned here when, with the ducats I might be
painting the town red.”

Daddy Blazes

“ I have no objection to a quiet game of poker
myself, sometimes,” he observed.

“ Ohol I see your game!” cried Buddock.
“Having paid me the money you want me to
gamble with you so that you Will have a chance
tr}; win it back again; but I’m your man for all
t at!” I

The cards and the bottle of whisky were pro-
duced, and the two sat down to play.

They were pretty evenly matched as far as
v skill went, and as fortune divided her favors
between them without especially favoring either
party the game enriched neither.

They played until ion after midnight, and
were just on the point 0 giving it up when the
do 8 began to stir outside.

'Fhey ran down to the fence and whined ; then
ran up to the door and s-ratchtd; then back
again and whined at the fencc.

“ Some one is coming and the dogs are puzzled
to decide whether it is friend or inemy,” Daddy
Blazes explained.

CHAPTER XI.
on THE TRACK.
WHEN the police made their ap rance in
. the yard, prepared to arrest the com tants, and
so put an end to the disturbance which had
been reported to them as verging upon a riot,
the sight of the hated blue-coats seemed to put
new life into the discomfited Irishman.
. Here were his ancient foes, and he immedi-
ately defied them to mortal combat, and the re-
sult was, as we have before stated—clubs soon
proved to be trumps, and McGinnis was luggcd
off by the policemen, who were forced to almost
carry him, and almost all the people in the yard
followed.

Warned b the cry that the “co 1;” were
coming. Hug Strong disappeared in t e crowd,
and so escaped arrest. ‘

He made his way to where the boy and girl
were standing, and Corn , quick to appreciate
the situation volunteere ' to pilot the stranger
to a safe har r while McGinnis was strugghng
with the police.

' Eel-like, the boy wriggled through the crowd,
the members of which had pressed forward
eagerly to witness the fight between McGinnis
and the policemen some of them evincing a dis-
position to lend the v abond a helping hand
for the average inhab tant of the tenemen
house of the great city is, as a rule, far more
‘ grim look upon the policeman, as a foe than a

 

I which they Used t

on. Both of them, in ;

inned. ’

 

The officers were sturdy, resolute fellows
though, used to handling just such men as Mc-
Ginnis, and the ronlpt and effective way in

heir clubs upon their prisoner,
who acted like a crazy man the moment he
caught sight of the officers, tended to cool the
ardor of the crowd, so the crowd contented itself
with wrathful cries and oaths, and permitted
McGinnis to be dragged away.

This behavior on the )art of the bystanders
allowed the Lightweig t to escape without
attracting observation.

The boy led the way to the entry of the rear
house. ,

Experience had taught him that the chances
were that the policemen would “ lay out” the
Irishman, and then that they would convey
their prisoner through the front entry into the
street, and the crowd would follow, leaving the
yard desertcd.

For even those of the crowd who had no idea
of going to the station—house flocked to the street
to see t e captive dragged off.

In the darkness of the entry they would be
safe from observation.

The boy’s calculations were correct.

He succeeded in safely piloting Sally and the
stranger to the entry and gaining its shelter.

Corny advised that they rocecd to the ex-
treme end of it, where the col ar stairs descended
under the main ones.

“You see, it’sa dark corner back there,” he
remarked, “ and the folks w’ot come in will
h‘ist right lip-stairs to their rooms and nobody
won’t go back there.”

The advice was good and Hugh admitted its
wisdom.

The end of the entry was as dark as a pocket,

and there wasn’t any likelihood of anybody dis-
covering that there was a soul there unless they
took the trouble to come clear to the end of the
entry.
“ obody will come here unless they want to
go down-cellar, and you kin bet yer boots that
there ain’t nary fol s got any call for to go
down-cellar at t is ’ere time of night," the boy
observed. shrewdly.

“ Oh, there isn‘t any danger of anybody dis-
covering us here unless th?’ come purposely to
seek us out,”Hugh observe .

“ I don’t think anybody tumbled to our leetle
game,” Corny remarked with an air of profound
wisdom.

“ They are too busy a-looking at the cops and
McGinnis. Hear the Irishman howl!” he
added.

hIcGinnis was yelling at the top of his lungs
as be resisted the efforts of the policemen to drag
him from the yard.

“Oh, I be they will not kill him,” the girl
observed wit a shudder as she listened to the
wild cries. '

“ Don’t ou beafeard of that; the old man has
ot a bee as hard as a paving-stone. and then
e’s used for to git hammered,” the boy replied,

confidently

“ If he idn’t git into a fight with the peelers,
and it knocked out at least once a month he
won] n’t know w’ot 'to make of it.

“ it‘s like bread and meat to him; it’s w'ot the
cuss lives on.”

“ Very unsubstantial diet I should think,”
Hugh remarked.

“It’s fun for him: that is the way he enjoys
himself,” Corny ex lained.

“Bless yer, he oes it reg’lar. Why, we
don’t see the light of his precious countenance
here more than one quarter of the time.

“ hen he ain’t up to the Island a-doin
time he’s in some stone jug waiting his trial. an
it’s allers for ’sa’lting and battering some cop.”

“I should think that he and the members of
the police force must be pregtiy well acquainted
by this time,” Hugh remark .

“Oh, they all know him, on can bet all the
dumts you‘ve got on that l” he boy asserted.

“ They don’t fool with him much now, I tell
you, but they jest go in for to knock him out at
the first lick 1”

By this time the warlike Irishman had been
partially subdued, and the police having got

im out of the yard his yells became fainter and
fainter as the procession moved. toward the
“I? with? ugosseaaedse' th b to t a 1: Mb

a e ru 0 a ac you ' e
Lightweig t inquired of the girl.,

Oh, I can spin that {gm to you, ri ht of! the
reel!” Corny exolaimed fore the gir could get
a chance to reply.

“The miserable fraud is her uncle, you
know.”

And then he told the story of the girl’s life.

The oung man listened to the tale with in-
dignat on.

‘ Wh'y, this fearful old wretch may strike you
a blow which will disable you for life one of
those days!” he exclaimed.

“ That’s sol that is w‘ot I’ve often told you,
ain’t I. Sally?” said Corny.

“I tell you w’ot it is, boss; if she’d take my/
advice, she would cut and run some time when
this boast of an Irishman is taking his constitu-
tional up at the Island.

“ I would just hide myself away so that when
he got back to‘the city he wouldn’t be able for
to find me. . _

weight Detective.

outlook it did not seem as if it was

 

“ It wouldn’t be a hard job for her to do, boss,
’cos hewouldn’t do much hunting aftcr her. The
moment he gits back from the Island he allers .1
goes and hangs up round some liquor saloon un—
til he gits as full as a goat and then he goes for
to climb on some policeman’s eyebrow, and they
run him in ag’in. .

“ I most certainly would get out of his way.”

“ Cert!” cried the boy, emphatically, the mo-
ment the young man finished the remark.

“ You can bet your life on that! And so would
any one else.

“ I tell Sally that this darned Irish galootain’t '
got no call on her, anyway. He never spent no
money on her. She’s allers got her own livin
since her mother died, and afore, too. I te 1
you, if I was her, I’d dust out so quick that it
would make my head swim.” v

“It certainly is what you ought to do,” the
young man advised.

“ e tie of relationship certainly doesn’t bind
you to live with such a brute. If you need any
assistance, I will be glad to give it. I am not a
rich man, but I’ve a shot or two in the locker
and you are quite welcome to it.”

“ Bully for you i” cried Corny, who was never
able to keep still.

“ Say, ou’re a sailor, ain’t you ?"

“ Yes; have followed the sea for a living.”

“ I thought so, from yer looks.”

“ I haven't been able to thank you yet for
coming to my aid.” the girl remarked.

“ Oh, don’t trouble yourself about that, for it
isn’t worth while. But, by the way, as you live
in the house, (you can give me some information.
I want to fin a man named Thomas Maxin, who
used to live in Forty~sccond street and moved
from there to this house.”

“ You won’t find him, boss,” the boy replied,
immediately.

“ Why not?”

“ He‘s passed in his checks—kicked the bucket
’bout two weeks ago.”

“ Dead?”

“ Yes, sir-ee.”

“That is unfortunate: I had hoped to gain
some information from him. IVhat has become
of his family?”

“ Nobody knows, I guess; but if anybody _
does. I kin find out for you if fyou want me to. ’

“ Yes; I do. I want to see i I can get any in—
formation in re d to the old house in Forty--
second street w ere they used to live. It has
been burnt down, and as there is a mysteryll
about the fire, for the house is unoccupied,
thought that there might be a chance for me to
get .a clew to the mystery from the Maxine, as
they only recently moved out of the house.” - ‘

“ Oh. was up to that fire!” the boy exclaim-
eg. “ But ’twas ’bout all through afore I got
t ere. ‘

“ Say! was that yarn true ’bout the feller
gitting a gal out by shinning up the telegraph—

!

‘l‘eifesfl’

“ By 01! I’ll bet it was out” cried Corny,
asthei ea sudden] cameto im.

“ You’re jest the ind of feller fer to do sich a
thing 1”

The Lightweight laughed.

“ Well, I was in the neighborhood at the
time; but n0w I must bid you adieu. Get what
information you can for me in regard to these
folks and I will pay you well for your trouble.” .- .

“ Come to-morrow night; maybe I can find ,
out by that time.” ' l

“ All right; I’ll be here.”

Then Hugh took his departure.

CHAPTER XII.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
BY this time the yard had resumed its normal

met.
q A little motion like the‘one that had taken
lace was of too common an occurrence for the
nhabitants of the tenement houses to pay much
attention to after the skirmish ended.

A dozen times at least the old tenants had
witnessed a battle between the big Irishman
and the policemen, ending always with the
downfall of McGinnis and his departure for the
police station, more or less damaged.

The young man crossed the yard without ox-
citing any attention from any one,
through the front house, and w en he gained .
the street hesitated for a moment to deliberate '
upon the next thing to be done.

Heart and soul the Li htweight had gone
into the work which he h undertaken.

He had got a clew to the whereabouts of the j .
last family who had lived in the old house. and I I
had followed it up at once; but from the present ' ' ‘

going to , ‘
profit him much. , — v

He stood right in front of the door; the street
was almost deserted. so he had 0 portunity for ,
reflection without being disturbed.

“Now then the next thing to be done is to
discover where this girl is to be found whom I '. .
rescued from the burnin house. ' . ‘

“ She certainly woul be able to ive me a
clew ,which Would aid me to unrave the mys—
ter .

"y I thank you for having saved my lifel” clear
and distinct came the words to the ears of tin

 

 

.43.

 

 

. I,

The Lightweight Detective.

9

 

 

The voice was strong, sweet and musical.
i The Lightweight stared about him in amaze-
! ment.
i Not a soul was within a hundred feet of him
I in any direction. ' .
i Not a woman in.s1glht, and yet the vome seem-
? ed to be right at his 9 how.
The tone was only a trifle louder than any one
i would use in common conversation, and yet the
7‘ words came distinctly to his ears.
 About a hundred feet down the street four
’ men were grouped in a door, all sitting down,
i all smokin short ipes and busily engaged in
discussing cGi ’s exploits.

The voice evidently could not come from
them, for they were all middle-aged working-
men. and by no possibility could their coarse
tones be mistaken for the clear voice of a young

111.
8 “Do not attempt to discover where I am,”
continued the voice, as though the owner of it
was able to see the rson whom she was ad-
dressing and had noticed his look of amazement
and attempt to discover from whence the voice
came.

“There are certain Circumstances which at
present render it impossible for me to see you
in person and thank you for the great service
which you rendered me, but my gratitude is
just as great, and I fullIvi realize t at you have
placed me under an ob gation which I fear I
shall never be able to pay.”

“Oh, don’t trouble yourself on that score.
You may rest easy as far as that is concerned,”
the youn _man replied.

“But shall not rest content until I have
found some way to show you how much I ap-
preciate the noble deed by which you saved my
1fe when I believed myself to be beyond al
human aid and had commended my soul to
Heaven.”

“ Don’t speak of the subject again, I beg!”
the Lightweight exclaimed.

“ I only did what any other man would
' have done under like circumstances, if he had
' , had the wit to think of the means by which
, j, the rescue could be efiected and was
, 1 of the necessary skill to carry the plan out.

“ The first hook-and-ladder man who ar-
rived on the ground would have saved you be-
yond a doubt and thought nothing of it.”

“It is quite useless for you to attempt to
lessen the service," she replied.

“ I fully appreciate how great it was, and I
know that I owe my life to you, and while I
liveI shall never forget it."

“ Nevsr is a long time,” he remarked.

“Long or short, you will find that I mean
what I say. .

“And now tell .me, is there any way by
which I can serve you so as to prove how great
the gratitude is that I feel!

“ Gladly would I meet you face to face, but,
as I have informed you, there are c m-
! stapces which for the present positively forbid

it

Hugh pondered for a moment.

This was a mysterious affair, and he did not
know what to make. of it. .

But then everything about the affair was

stran e. -
is truly romantic,” he remarked.
gin to believe that you are not a
real fiesh-and-blood irl, but a will-of-the-wisp
sort of creature w 0 could not have been
harmed b the flames anyway, although I
must adm i: you felt decided] like a human
I when 1 carried you from the urning house.”

“Oh, I am flesh and blood; there isn’t any
doubt about that.” ‘

“ But what were you doing in the old house,
which was not occupied and supposed to be se-
curel locked?"

“ at is a secret which at present I cannot
reveal.” _ '

Then a sudden thought occurred to the Light-
Weight, and in an impulsive way he gave utter-
ance to it at once.

“ It cannot be possible that it was you who set
firh to the building?” he exclaimed.

, upon my soul, no!” the voice replied in
«guest accents. ’

, I do not mean to accuse you of havin in-
tentionallyfired the building, but it was k
Within the house and you could not have
130331ny found our wa around it without
thef‘ld 0f 3 “8h . and It ught that by some
accident the fire was occasioned by your i ht ”

v “ No, for the light I carried m ., dar Jan-
tcrn—a bull’s-eye lantern, how‘guch.al
the police use, and there is no anger of are with
th

SWGW

a.

665:?- Iron

finD-T’

em.
“Then, too, I feel (pretty certain’that I know
how the fire occurre .”

“ You do!” exolaimed the Lightwe ht, eager—
ly. “ Well now that is exactly what amtrying
todilscover.” I d m .

‘ amsure canai ou enb tellin on
i whfiltfl know. he i y y g y
- ou remem r twasa moonl ht ' ht.”
3.," ‘ “Ye-z, I remember." is m
‘-‘ r. h ‘-‘ Of course 1 had no business to be in the old

1,

            
  
  
  
  

  

* 'i Outwand natural] I started at every noise for
 W the discovered in presence

  

 

 

tsomeone
‘mryonceinawhilel' ‘
Na totes yard, furl (and

  
 
 

out of- '

 

entrance to the house b the rear door and I  the unaccountable escape of the Cracksman

had a nervous horror t at somebody might 1

find out I was in the house and lay in wait in
the back yard to stop me when I went out.

“ When I looked out of the windows I was
careful to stand well back in the room so that if
there was any one in the yard they would not
be able to see me.

King, after he had thought the amc was in
the trap, annoyed him greatly, ut be con-
cealed the feelixtiig as well as possible and settled
down at his 0 cial desk, prepared to M‘;
with due attention! to his visitor.

The Lightwei ht sat down in the chair 1:165:
cated by the o cer and immediately prOinfieS

“ About five minutes before the fire occurred to business.

I looked out of one of the windows and saw a

man steal cautiously into the yard through the ‘ gr0wn up

back gate.

He related the understanding which had
between himself and the wealth"
1 merchant, Franklyn Book' ham, and how he

“ He was evidently bent on mischief, for his : had undertaken the task of unting down the
manner plainly indicated that he was afraid of l secret enemy who had for so long a time an-

attracting attention, and so I watched him
with a horrid fear that he intended to enter the
house, and if that was his purpose I did not
know what I should do, for I recognized the
man.

“ He formerly lived in this neighborhood, and
was reputed to be one of. the greatest villains in
the city.

“But he did not come to the door which led
into the house, but went to the one which led
into the rear apartment of the store.

“I crept close to the window and watched
him; he did not seem to have any difficulty at all
in opening the door and then entered the apart-
ment.

“ I felt sure that he had not come for any good
purposd 8, but I could not guess what he intended
to

o.

“I placed my ear close to the floor in order to
listen.

“And then all of asudden I heard a crash
like the breaking of glass—”

“That was when he flung the lam down so
as to make it look as if the lamp ha exploded
and so set fire to the lace.” '

“ Yes, no doubt t at is what was done,” she
observed: “ but at the time I never dreamed of
such a thing, and I listen
the house was on fire unt l I heard the people
cry out down-stairs and smelt the smoke.‘

‘ Then of course I thought I understood why
the man had entered the house.

“ I rese to my feet and endeavored to escape,
but I had waited too long: the stairway was all
on fire, and as I was well-nigh suffocated by the
smoke, I ran up-stairs thinking I could get out
by the scuttle on the roof, and the rest you
know.” ,

‘ ‘ You have given me some important informa-
tion, thanks to the lucky accident of your hap-
gening to know the man who undou tedly set

re to the house,” Hugh observed.

“I am very glad indeed to be able to be of
mrvice to you,” she replied.

“ The an is named John Buddock, but he is
more 0 11 called Black Bud, and he is as des-

tena ruflian as can be found in all New
go .

“I will see to him at once; but in regard to

yourself. How long will you keep up this mys-

“ I do not know—Icannot tell at present.”

“ Suppose I want to see you i”

“Come here any ni ht at ten and I will be
here. And upw good— y.”

y.

The Lightwei ht waited fora few moments.

“ Are you st _ there!” he asked.

No answer came. i \,

“Quite a myste l” he mused: “but it will
keep, while I seek t e aid of the detectives and
ascertain all I can in regard to this Black Bud,
for I fancy he is the man I want beyond a
doubt.”

Straight to Police Head-quarters he went.

‘ \

CHAPTER x111.
STRIKING A TRAIL..

Tn rough, sailor-like appearance bf ,the
amateur detective was not a passport to the
good 0 inions of the astute officers :1 charge of
the Pol ce Head-quarters, and when he made
known his desire to see the superintendent u
important business they were rather inclined”;
put obstacles in the way.

But. Hugh Strong bad dealt with too many
men in too many countries in his time to be
turned from his purpose by the red-tapeism of a
petty omcmL ‘

Puliter but firmly he told them that he must
see the superintendent on articular business,
and when they demurred mitting him to the

rcsence of the chief and endeavored to ascer.

in what the nature of his business was. he
quietly told them that it was so important that
it could be confided tn the ears of the chief
alone. or to the official who represented the
chief in his absence. v .

“ Well, the chief ain’t here, anyway. and the
Inspector is out, too.” the doorman said at last.

But just as he spoke, in came Inspector
Burke with his detec ives, just returned from

their unsuccessful raid after the Cracksman

King. .
The Inspector was a far keener~eyed man
than his subordinates, and he saw at a glance
that the visitor was no ordinary man. and so
when he learned that the other hadcome upon
important business he invited him at ends into,

hisgivate omce. -'

    
   
 
  

W,

  

, having no idea that »

     
     
 
 
 

i

no ed the opulent New Yorker.
’Ihe Inspector leaned back in his chair and

I shook his head as if in doubt.
} “ Well, I wish on all the luck in the world,”
i he said, “and I on‘t wish todiscourage you a
1 particle, but did Mr. Bookinng inform you
’ that he had employed the best detectives in the
1, country for years, both public and priwate,

spending money as freely as though it was only

water, and yet nothing tangible at all came of

l 7

“ Oh, yes, be fully posted me in regard to:
thexiifi’air in all its details,” Hugh Straw so-

I .

p And then he added with a quiet smile:

“ I suppose it seems monstrous to you to see
a man i e myself, without any experience in
this peculiar line, undertake to successfully ac- ‘
complish the task which has bafiled the best . .
men in the business.” T“

“Well, I must candidly admit that as far 
as I can see there doesn’t appear to be much . 
show for you,” the Inspector re lied. , 

“ I can try, you know, and if fail, there will I
be no harm done.” ’

“ That’s true enough.”

“ Now this fire u -town in Forty-second
street, the last blow aimed at Mr. Bookingham,
as he believes. although it may be that it was
accidental,” Hugh observed. , 

“Yes, it looks that way to me. I think it . 
was accidental. ; :w: v;

“The Dutchman,and his boy try to get out \ ’
of it, of course, but there isn’t much doubt in
my mind that the fire arose from a piece of
gross carelessness on their part. ,

“They left the lamp burnin near the coal-
oil barrels, probably were care see in regard to
fillinfz it and trimming the wick, the 0! . _.- we
ran ow and the lamp exploded, and  la
the whole thing in a nutshell.” ,-

, “ Mr. Bookingham doesn’t think so, though,
the Lightweight observed.

‘ ‘ No; but he has got to be really a men
ac on the subject of this secret enemy,"¢°:nlisa.
the Inspector. ’

“ You see, I know the old gentleman like a
book. I worked on this case for him over a
year; devoted almost my entire time to it, and
when I got through I wasn’t any wiser than
when I began. " .

“ Of course, the old gentleman is a perfect
brick and paid me like a prince, and I wouldn‘t
like to sayto him that he has at a bee in his
bonnet on this subject, but really think he

“.But you do not doubt that there has been
some enemy, who remaining in the background,
has beezintrying his best to damage Mr. Book-

in

5Oh, yes: there isn’t the least doubt about
that, for these disasters have been too severe
and too frequent to be the it of accident
alone. and then some of them cou d not possibly
have been the result of accident.” '

“ My own idea exactly.” u

“But what I meant to say was that as Mr. -
Bookingham has got the idea into his head that
he has a secret enem who for years has been
trying to do him the damage he possibly
could, he has fallen into the behef that every ‘ 1
stroke of misfortune that comes to him is the ' ’ ,
work of this foe, when in reality some of the
ill-luck is due to accident alone.”

“ I understand,” the Lightweight remarked.
_ “ But in the ease of this fire Mr, Bookingham I
is right in believing that an incendiary has. i
been atwork.” ' * 1‘ .

“That is a bold statement, unless you have s, ‘
proof to back itu ,” the Ingpector observed :

“I have,”B  .quietly.

  
   
  
  
  
  
   
    
   
  
   
   
 
   
  
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
    
  
    
    
  
   
   
 
 
   
     
   
      
   
 

The officer ed astonished.
“ The derime l" he exclaimedt . ,-
“Well,I a with theinsuraa  , , 

who have been looking inth matter, m, in; 53,
told me that in their opinion there wasn‘t any
doullit that tthliitiiie was mutalj’  _ I.
am 0 lg to iflerwfli ‘

experts, but I have been informed by a “g..- a",
who ,was an eye-witness to the fact that fist be- . 
fore the fire steer-tam man, who is known to be  .4 v,
a rascal of the first water. entered the house by 1:'
wav of the back. gate. the lord: of which he - ' 9
pic ed, then went into the house. remained there . z
a few minutes. and gist before the fire bmke ont' .
departcdi'nhothas .” v. ;‘ ,.

‘.‘. That certainly does’iook suspiciOus,” the In- ’ 
specter commented.

, “ Have you any objection to ,putting me in
Wouofthe naireofthemanl” , g , , 1
.‘Ecsrtsinlyoet. The object of my visit m

i .

 

I

10

 

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

 

called John Buddock—-—Black Bud by his associ-
ates.

The official was surprised by the unexpected
information.

“ Well, upon my wordl” he exclaimed, “ that
is about the last name I expected to bear, but I
guess you know what you are talking about in
the matter, for I have been on the track of the

, fellow to-night, but he has been shrewd enough
. to outwit me, although 1 will be hanged if I un-
derstand how he did it, for I thought I had him
dead to rights.

“ Now the point in this matter is, one of my
men get on the track of Black Bud in a sporting
crib up-town in the neighborhood of the street
where the fire took place, and the time when m
spy struck the trail was just about an hour a -
ter the burning of the house.”

“ That does seem to confirm my story, and in
my mind there isn‘t the least doubt that what I
have said is true, for my informant I believe
to be perfectly trustworthy.”

,‘g The Inspector was silent for a few moments,
’ revolving the ma “ter over in his mind.
, v '" H‘e beginning when his visitor had announc~
‘ , -) i 331;? he had undertaken the task which had
' timed the shrewdest and most experienced men
2". the detective line, both police and private, he
was disposed to repeat the old adage that “ fools
rush in; where angels fear to tread,” but now
thisdisclosure had been made it was apparent
that the amateur had succeeded in gaining a
clew such as no man who had worked on the job
had ever succeeded in picking up.
1' “ If Black Bud was the man who started the
" fire it was plain, of course, that he merely acted
for some one else in the matter. for he personally
had nothing to gain by the destruction of the
old house,” the Inspector I‘f marked at last.

“ That’s my idea; and when we get at his em-
ployer we will not be far from the merchant’s
secret enemy.”

. “True enough, but the first thing is to get at
/ Buddock, and that will be no easy job let me

 

VICE, ‘ .

 tell on. I thought I had him ,foul to-ni ht,
 ,1 but e slip through my fingers, thoug it
' - looked as i e was as safe as a rat in a trap."

‘i' « Then the Inspector told the story of the de-
~ scent of the detectives upon the shanty castle of
Daddy Blazes.

“ I don't see how Buddock managed to get
out of the house,”the official said in conclusion,
“ and the more I think of the matter the great-
er becomes my belief that Black Bud did not
get out of the house, but was concealed some-
where in the shanty at the very time that we en-

1' ' , fired it.

'r‘:‘- “This Daddy Blazes is a shrewd old hound.
 ' no nus been doing crooked work for years but
{happlice have never been able to get a pull on

. ' “ He ma trip some time though. Suppose I
try my Inc with him,” Hugh remarked.
‘ Have you a warrant for Buddock so that I
m have power to take my man if I run foulof
' !

“Yes, here it is,” and the Inspector took the
/ ' legal document from his pocket and gave it to
 . the other.
 Then e explained exactly how the den of
" Dadd B was situated and how to get at it.
. “ on on ht to have assistance though,” he
' said in conc usion. “ No single man can take a
prisoner out of that neighborhood. To try it
would sure cost t 0 man his life.”
“ Oh, I will n take any big risks: life is too
precious” the Lightweight responded-with a
‘unile as e took his departure.

V CHAPTER XIV. I

 

 

, A VISITOR.
“'Yns yes, the dogs are puzzled and don’t
know what to make of it,’

Daddy Blazes re-
\

ted.

Pea And it is not often either that the brutes are

H , at fault.”

. “ Maybe it is only some one passing by,” Black
i Bud suggested.

1 “ Oh, no, they wouldn’t act in that way. It
is semebody who is coming straight to the ouse
with the idea of coming in.

t “ The dogs won‘t have that, will they?” ex-
61 the cracksman rising in alarm.

' i “ o, no, don’t on be alarmed; the dogs are
‘ fierce brutes and t :3, would tear anybody all to
innit the open the ate and attempted to

chaste the ouse before gave the word.”

Jufl at this int the sound of angry growls

,~" . \ Ween the st ll night air.

v  I The brutes had evidently gone to the gate and

3- they Were, dog fashion, warnin the stranger,

“War it was that they won] make it parti-

, cuiariy warm or him if he attempted to ap-

 \ proac the house. _

“3‘ “ “ Mighty strange time for any visitor to

.- come,” the cracksman growled, a ittle uneasy

in his mind.

, “ at at all,” Daddy Blazes nded with a

" - ~/ grin; “ I have some customers—v uable onestoo

‘ ' —-who never come until after midnight. -

“ The are, modest, retiring creatures, and they

 

 

7,. I ‘ ' shrlpdk. rom meeting the inquiring gaze of the
I,  _ .J
’v “Butasaruleted always havesense
., , enough to know in; (magmas, and I don’t, ,
 ‘  T1.” Jae—.5. an. 

   
 

 

  

udiiderstand this uncertainty on their part at

The beasts were still snarling at the gate, and
amid their grewls a human v01ce could be heard
endeavoring to pacify them.

“ Hadn’t 'I better get into my hole again?”
Black Bud asked, nervously, for he had a sus-
picion that the detectives, not satisfied with the
failure of their first attempt, were going to try
some other game.

“ Yes, but not in the same place,” Daddy
Blazes replied.

“ If this is a customer coming on business I
mustn‘t put you where you can overhear the
conversation, for that would be the square thing,
you know.”

“ Oh, I wouldn’t give the snap away!” Bud-
dock declared.

“ Well, if you don’t know anything about it,
you can’t,” the old man rejoined, with a
chuckle.

Then he went to the open fireplace in the cen-
ter of the chimney, touched a concealed spring
and the whole back of the fireplace swung out
just like the door of a safe, and a small cavity
was revealed, down which narrow steps led into
an underground apartment apparently.

Buddock looked on with astonished e es.

“In order to save you from the po ice I am
revealing the secretso my castle,” Daddy Blazes
remarked , impressively.

“ I am forced to trust to your honor not to be-
tray me.”

‘ Oh you can depend upon me. I’m true
blue! never squealed on a pal in my life!”
Black Bud hastened to declare.

“If you do betray the secrets which I have
confided to on, and I shall be sure to find it out
if you do, will take the most fearful venge-
ance l” the old man warned.

‘ ‘ Don’t you worry ’bout that,”and the outlaw
commenced descend the stairs.

“ Say, there ain’t any danger of a man smoth-
ering to death down here, is there 1”

The question Was a natural one, for the pit
into which the stairs descended was as black as
night and a damp, unwholesome current of air
arose from it.

“No, no, no fear of that,” Daddy Blazes re-

p “Take a seat upon the bottom step and wait
until I call you.”

“ All right, but I say, don't kee me down in
this hole any longer than you can el .

“Curse me! if it don’t seem morel e agrave
than anything else,” the cracksman added with
a shiver.

“ I hav’n’t given my last croak yet and I
ain’t ready to hop into in little coffin.” '

“Don’t worry yourse ; you are a long way
of! from death, for the chances are a thousand
to one that when you die it will be by the aid of
the hangman’s rope,” retorted the old man with
a demoniaqchuckle.

“ You lie, you old scoundrell” cried the ruf»
flan in a rage.

Then D dy Blazes put an end tothe conver-
sation by closing the massive door, and when
this was done it would be a shrewd man indeed
who would suspect that there was anything out
of the way about the rudely-constructed fire-

lace. .
p Hastening to the door the old man opened it
and looked out into the night.

A well-built fellow, who looked like a sailor,
was at the gate endeavoring to conciliate the

d .

OB?“ the brutes turned a deaf ear to his blan-
dishments, and showed their teeth in the most
warlike way, whenever the man made a move-
ment to enter the gate.

Through the crack of the door—for the old
man nly opened it just enou h to enable him
to go a view of the fellow at t ate—earnest-
ly surveyed the applicant for adm ssion.

The inasmuch was a favorable one, for though
the man id not look like a crook, yet there was
nothing about him to suggest that he was a de-
tective in disguise. / I

Dadd Blazes had done considerable trade
with lors in his time, fellows who had gone
in to make a stake b doing a little bit of smug-

ling, and it was we 1 known to the men “ alon
s ore” that Daddy Blazes would ive as 'muc
for smuggled articles, provided t ey could be
granny disposed of, as any “ fence ’ in New

or .

So the moment the old man discovered that
his visitor looked like a sailor, he instantly sus-
pected the errand upon which he came.

The man was a stranger, but that mattered
not.

Stran rs sou ht Daddy Blazes every day
posted v frien in regard to the location and
peculiar business of the king of shanty hi1].

“What do on want!” asked the old man,
Opening the oor wider so that the stranger
could see him.

“:3 want to see Daddy Blazes,” the man re-
p .
“Well, you do see him. I‘m the man, and
now what do you want?”

“ I’m a sailor, just of! the ship Golden Dragon
from Calcutta.” '
The old man pricked up his ears.
Calcuttalwas' a goodpqrt for a man to hail

' N '~ _ ' \ .I

P",
l. . '
't 9 ~ . ‘ . . '
  _,,. ,  a: L... ‘ V.“  . l
4 l . _ :1 r‘ ‘

 

 

 

from who desired to do a little crooked busi-

ness.

The rich East could boast of half—a-dozen arti-
cles, all valuable, all easily disposed of, and as
the duties were high, a good profit could be
gained.

“Yes, yes, I’ve a good many friends in the
Calcutta trade.”

“ Right you are, skipper!” exclaimed the
sailor in his rather boisterous way, a peculiar-
ity common to the men who follow the sea, for
few of them have low, soft voices.

“Some of my mates have been a-telling me
on you for many a voyage, and they said as how
if it ever fell in my trick to do a leetle bit of
business on my own account you were the man
of all men to cast a line to, and here I am, my
hearty.”

Daddy Blazes cast a quick glance around; not
a soul was in sight.

Shantyville was buried in slumber, and only
the goats on the rocks tryin to extract nour-
ishment from the labels whic they had strip-
ped from old tin cans, and the dogs prowlin
restless around in search of stray bones, seeme
to be awake.

“ Come in, my friend; I am always glad to
see a sailor who has the wit to do a stroke of
business for himseff,” said the old man.

The dogs had stopped their snarling upon the
appearance of their master, but still kept dili-
gent watch at the gate, and the moment the
sailor laid his hand upon it to accept Daddy
Blazes’s invitation they were up in arms.

“ Lie down, you brutes l” commanded Daddy
Blazes.

“ Didn‘t ou hear me invite the gentleman to
come in? bat is the matter with you? Have
you lost your ears?”

The dog slunk away and the sailor entered.

Daddy lazes conducted him into the house,
and bade him be seated, placing a chairb the
side of the table which stood in the midd e of
the room. '

Then the old man went to the closet which
was at the further end of the room and brought
from it a bottle of rum and a con la of glasses.

“Talki is dry work,” Dad Blazea re-
marked wi h a grin as he helped ' self to a
liberal supply of the fluid, and then pushed the
bottle over to the sailor.

“ There’s some good old Jamaica which never
paid Uncle Sam a cent of duty. I got ten gal-

ons of it from a friend of mine who is on one
of the West India steamers, and he knows what
good rum is, and I always keep this for my
sailor pals." . ' -

“ And I reckon you never ran across a sailor

et who wasn’t anxious to splice the main-

race, which is nautical for taking a drink,”
remarked the other, as he ured out a liberal
allowance of the rum into is lass.
h “ Oh, no, a sailor is a man w o knows how to
'vel” '

And then the two pledged each other and the
liquor disalppeared.

‘ Now, addy, I’ve got a valuable thing here
which I want you to put a price on.”

“ All ht; what is it?”

“Here it is,” and then the sailor produced
from an inside pocket a package carefully done
up in oiled silk.

Daddy Blazes opened it; and when the wrap—
pers were removed a legal-looking document
appeared. He glared in amazement for it was
a warrant for t e arrest of John Buddock.

 

CHAPTER XV.
PUTTING 0N run scanws.

TH]: old man was thoroughly astonished, for
he had not the least anticipation that there was
an trick in the matter.

Xnd even now that the discovery was made,
he did not know exactly what to make of it.

The sailor did not seem to be a detective in
disguise, and if he was, what could be his object
in flying such a queer trick as this? ,

e, be had managed to gain admission to
mghanty, but what earthly good would that do

“ What is the meaning of, this?” the old man
asked, ben his shrewd eyes u n his visitor,
who sat quiet y upon the other si e of the table,
not changing countenance in the least when the
warrant came to si ht.

“ What is that thin worth?”

“ Nothing i”respon ed Daddy Blazes, pushing

the per across the table in the most con-
tem ous manner.
“ othingl”

“Of course not! What on earth do you sup-
p0se I want of such a thing!”
“ I thought it might be worth something to the
man Blac (Bud, you know; he’s a friend of .»
ours. .
“ No such thing!” cried Daddy Blazes, sharp-

} .
y“ Well, an acquaintance, anyway."
“ No, no, I never saw the man in my life!”
“Then you couldn’t tell me where to find
him?” and the sailor—who, as the reader has-

i

probably guesed b this time, was no other 1
than the Lightweigh looked around the a

meat as if he a to see Black Bud l

in some corner. , ‘ r  

, l , ‘ ,l, ‘ l \ V-i , A ‘ f
‘ ,I’ _‘ ,y as“. L ‘ > 11,-“:  i. _. ,V
‘ ‘ A; ,f . ,ifi/g‘gngW3‘ ‘- .2 g -

 

 

 

 

   
  

 

 

 

‘—

“ No, no I know nothing at all about the fel-
low!” Daddy Blazes cried. testily.

The old man was annoyed at the persistence
of the stranger. _ .

He was no regular detective, that was plain,
and the idea that this outsider should attempt
the task which had baffled the best men in the
force seemed supremely ridiculous to the master
of Shantyville.

“ Well, I am sorry for that, for I want to see
him on some particular business,” the intruder
remarked, with the most provoking coolness.

“ Your wishes cannot be gratified, and it you
have no other business the quicker you get out
of here the better.” I

“ Oh, es, but John Buddock is here, you
know,” t e other replied.

The old man looked at him for a moment in as-
tonishment. _

The assurance of the fellow amazed him. _

“ See here, you want to get yourself into
trouble I guess,” the old man exclaimed. .

“ Oh, no, I am one of the easiest .men in the
world to get along with—that is, if I always
have everything my own way,”'the other replied,
with an easy assurance that fairly made Daddy
Blazes gasp with amazement: _

“ See here, are you annous to get killed 1”

“ Oh, no; life is too sweet, and I intend to
clin to it as long as I can.”

“ ’ve only tw0 words to sayto you—get out!”
the old man exclaimed, and he motioned sig-
nificantly to the door.

“ And I have only two words to say in reply—

“ nar git l”

 

“ or the last time I warn you that you are-

putting your life in peril!”

“ Bosh! what do you supigse I care for that?
I came here to see John uddock, messmate
and I am not going away until I do see him. I
know that you have got him hid here some-
lwhere, so you might as well trot him out first as

ast.‘

“ Look here! you are a bold fellow, and I hate
to see you killed without warning!” Daddy
Blazes exclaimed, impelled to give the young
man a last warning.

“You have poked your head ‘into a regular
hornets’ nest here, and you don't stand any more
chance to get out with your life once the trap is
splrung than a toad does of changing into an ele

ant.

p “ Now,then, you are a bold fellow, and I hate
to sacrifice you, although you have tried to take
me at a disadvantage.

“The door is open—get out, and thank your
lucky stars that you have the chance to escape
with your life from the worst trap that you
ever got into.”

“ I imagine from your words that you intend
to call some gan to your aid,” the other ob-
served, in the coo est possible manner.

“ Oh, I shall not have to call; the gaiijgliolme
by magic at my wish!” Daddy Blazes exc ‘ ed,
with a grin.

“ If you utter a sound it will cost you your
life!” cried the Lightweight, with firm deter-
mination. _

“ Oh, you don’t mean?” exclaimed the old
man. with a mocking accent.

“ Yes, I do; I‘ve entered for the war, and I
mean to d ht it out to the best of my ability.”

“Don’t hreaten me; I’m awful scared, and
is the kind of man I am!” Daddy Blazes re-
marked. '

And then with a sudden motion he produced
a revolver which he had secretly drawn under
the cover of the table.

At the same moment thec of an alarm-
bell sounded on the air, and t e instant the
sounds broke on the stillness of the night the
do 8 set up a most furious barking.

ugh understood well enough what all this
meal“- . . .

The bell was connected by Wire With a spring
underneath the table, and by simply pressing
galfoot upon this the old man had rung this

i

This was the signal that there was danger
afoot, and that all the inhabitants of Shanty-
vggf must hurry to the assistance of their
(3 .

The barking of the dogs too tended to alarm
the settlemen .

From what he had heard of the place, he knew
that his life would not be worth the fee of a pin
if Daddy Blazes’s satellites once got their hands
upon him. ‘

And he was asquick to act as the leader of

' this outlaw gang had been.

With one ingenious spriii headlong over the
table he went, strikin D (3 Blazes full in the
breast with his h , sen ng him over as
though he had been struck with atbattoring-

ram.

The old man had no opportunity to digging-go
the revolver, althou h it was a self—cooker,
only requiring a single pull on the trigger to
raise the hammer an discharge the weapon,

The force of the fall sent the Weapon spinning
out of his hand, and the violence with which he
struck the floor half-stunned him.

When he came to his senses, he found that the
intruder had him by the throat and had drag-

‘ 319th to thedoor. .
._ The Lightweight had sprung so deftly over

i

 

  

the table that the leap had not disturbed the
lam in the least, so there was lenty of light.
hen Daddy Blazes opened 's eyes, he found

himself r0 (1 up against the door, the stran-
ger havmg im by the throat and wedging
knuckles in against the flesh until he was half-
strangled.

In his other hand his assailant brandished a
sharp—pointed, keen-edged knife, and this wea-

n he brought so near the throat of Daddy

lazes that the point grazed the skin.

This maneuver only took a few‘seconds.

It was only a minute from the time that the
old man ave the alarm until he found himself

held against the door with the knife at his '

throat.

Without the dogs were still barking furiously,
springing up against the door and then racing
down to the gate, intent upon warningthe settle-
ment that danger was afoot.

The operation had been performed so quickly
“Eat Daddy Blazes hardly knew what to make
0 it.
lVithout could be heard the sounds of the men
of Shantyville, gathering for the fray. alarmed
by the sound of the bell as well as by the furi—
ous barking of the dogs.

“ You scoundrel!” asped Daddy Blazes,
hardly able to speak mm the effects of the
shock and the rage that devoured him: “ my
gun will soon come, and they will tear you all
to pieces I”

‘ Not much!” exclaimed Hugh, rubbing the
point of the knife in an extremely sug estive
way up and down On the throat of the ol man.

“ Why wont they .9” ,

“Because the will not get the.chance. In
the first place t is old shanty is a pretty strong
fortification l” ‘

And then suddenly releasing his hold on the
old man he shot the bolts of the door home to
their sockets, and the moment the trick was ac-
complished resumed his former rip, and this
was done so quickly that the 01 man had no
opportunity to escape.

I have two pairof revolvers, and I reckon
I can standa good siege here before I will be
com lied to give up the fort.

“ hen, too, the sound of the firing will attract
the lilolice, who have been warned to keep a
watc upon this neighborhood, and before your
gang can break their we in here the blue-coats
will be upon them, an they will make short
work of you rufllans.”

Daddy Blazes almost choked with rage, for he
realized that every word his captor spoke was

e.

“ And then there’s another reason why your
gang will not trouble me. I hold you, their
master, in my power.”

A curse roseto the li of the baffled villain,
but the touch of the col steel against his throat
checked it.

“ When they come to the door and ask why
the alarm was 'ven you must tell them it was
an accident. ou gave‘the signal without in-
tending to do so, and that there isn’t anything
the matter.”

“ Never, I will die first!” gurgled the old man,
desperately. -

“Well, you can have your choice.”

And the point of steel entered the flesh.

CHAPTER XVI.
A DESPERATE mama-r;

Tin: heart of Daddy Blazes gave a t leap.

Until he felt the point of the knife e did not
fully realize how completely he was in the power
of the stranger who had in so dextrous a man-
ner ained an entrance to his castle.

“ u will not dare,” the old man gasped.

' “ Mggang when they get hold of you will tear
you li from limb.”

“ When they get hold of me is well put in,”
the other retorted.

“ For between you and me and the bed-post, I
don't intend {gar gang shall get hold of me.”

“ You will hung for my murder 1” exclaimed
Daddy Blazes, feeling that he was in the toils,
yet determined to fight vigorously.

“Not at all; I struck you in self-defense.
That will be my plea; you assaulted me with a
revolver—my life was in danger, and I was
compelled to kill you.”

Daddy Blazes writhed in agony. His captor
was pre red for him at all points.

By this time about a dozen of the neighbors,
who had been aroused by the alarm, had gath-
ered at the door of the shanty.

The gigs. understanding that help had ar-
rived stopped their barking, and were snuf-
fing about in rout of the door.

“ W’ot’s the matter. Daddy. w’ot's broke?”
asked one of the outsiders, who took it upon
himself to act as spokesman for the rest.

“ Tell themthat you gave the alarm by acci-
dent and that everything is all r' ht!” hissed
the Bightwgight in the ear of the 01 man, and

eddy Blazes felt the keen point of the
knife piercing the skin of the throat.

The old man was cowed by the peril which
confronted him, for he was not com of the
stuff of which heroes are made, an the deter-

sccents of H hmade him behave that
the fv0img inanwoul not hesitate to take his
life fheattemptedtogivoanalarm. .

 

  

his 3

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

11

“ W’ot is it, Daddy, w’ot’s 13p?” repeated the
man on the outside, finding hat there wasn’t
any reply to his first inquiry.

“ Nothing, everything is all right, boys,” re-
sponded the old man, doing his utmost to con-
ceal the agitation under which he labored.

“ I gave the alarm by accident, that is all.”

At this announcement the men outside loudly
expressed their dissatisfaction, and they plainly
told the old man that he ought to be ashamed of
himself to come any such games as that.

They had got the idea into their heads that it
was a trick on his part to test their vigilance,
and they were justly indignant. .

They expressed their opinion of a man who
would do such a thing in pretty plain terms, and
then retired grumbling at a great rate.

But the dogs Were not as easily satisfied as the
humans, and still remained snufiing at the door
and snarling, angrily.

“ Bid the dogs be quiet!” Hugh commanded.

Da'ldy Blazes obeyed; scolded the brutes and
bade them lie down.

Obedient to the voice of the master they he—
took themselves to their lairs.

Again all was qui t.

“ There, we worke that trick pretty well,”the
intruder remarked.

“ Now, I fancy we are secure from interrup-
tion for some time.”

“ You are laying a bold game but it will not
work,” Dad y Blazes remarked.

“ The man you are in search of is not here, and
you are only wasting your time.”

“ Then my suspicion that he is concealed in
this shanty is npt correct?” Hugh remarked with
a lance around.

‘ Do you see any place here likely to afford
concealment to anything as big as a man i” the
old man inquired with a sarcastic expression up-
on his ugly face.

“ Oh no, but it wouldn‘t be much of a hiding-i
w, i reckon, it it could be discoveer at the

lance,” the oun man answered.

‘ ‘ ' is a rams ack e old ruin and I havn’t the
least doubt that you have a half a dozen good
places (so stow away a man who is wanted by the

lice.’
p0“Go ahead and search; if you succeed in dis-
covering what you are lookin for on will be a
shrewder and a luckier mantfian take you to
be,” sneered Daddy Blazes.

“ Oh, no, old gentleman, I don’t intend to do
anything of the kind,” the intruder answered.

“ I don‘t want to search your shanty. You
know every hole and hidin -place that there is
in it and can give me 1 the information I
want.”

“ No, no, you know more about it than I do,
for you assert that there are things here of which
I haven’t any knowledge,” retorted the old man,
with a sneer.

“ You speak of holes and hiding—places, and I
don’t know anything about such secrets. I don’t
doubt there are plenty of rat-holes in the place
but I hardly think you expect to find the man of
whom you are in search con in so small a
hiding-place,” and the old man laughed outright
in Huthl’s face as he spoke.

The ’refiy was unled. ‘

The old saying t at it only takes a single man
to lead a horse to water but that a hundred can’t
make him drink unless he so desires at once oc-
curred to him.

He hadn’t the least doubt that the cracksman,
Black Bud, was concealed in some secret hiding-
Blace within the shanty, but he was at a loss

ow to proceed to force the old man to reveal
his whereabouts to him if he was obstinate in re- --
gard to the matterand had made up hismind to‘
swear he knew nothing about it. '

The on] course open to him was to attem
to force t e old man to reveal the secrets of t e
shan . for there wasn’t the least doubt that he ‘
woul be deaf to all persuasion.

If the oldman would not peak, then all he
could do would be to bind t e old villain se-
curely and ti'Klto ascertain the location of the
cracksman’s ding-place himself.

- It would nevar do to attempt this work with
the old man at liberty, for Daddy Blazes would 2
be certain to attack him in the rear the moment ‘,
he at an opportunity.

“ ou re use then to reveal to me where John
Buddock is concealed?” he said.

“ Oh, no, I don’t refuse to do anything of the
kind.” the old man answered, with a grin.

“ I merely tell you that you have made a mis-

8.

“ John Buddock not in the house, and I
don’t know anyt ' about him.”

“ I know better; I know that he is, and that
you can revealtome where he is hidden if you‘
choose to so do.” ~-

“ 0h, thereisn’tthe least use to talk to a man
as obstinate as you are,” retorted Daddy Blame,
shah his head gravely, as much as to my
howgrevedhewastoseeamansognoundedin 2
conceit. _ .

“Itellyouthemanisn’there. I told you so W

I

atthebeginning andIshallnotsinganyotm '
5913 y r. 

wit you stay until every hair on

isasgrayasthe coat ofa badger.”
“Youwilltoroemetoadoptsomeunpleusantv

menu's,” threatened the young man, his brown

1

 

 

 

     
 

 

 

 v » 1:115] handcuffs upon me, I shall not interfere

 i in order to snap on the

, , ,Lg’ghtweight was taken by

v  encounter;
 .  with him it seemed like the work of an
o .

\ I

 

 

  cracksman’s favorite weapon,
"  _“‘which is simply a case of stout cloth, about as

 freepoaborro

is

The Lightweight Detective.

 

contracting and a look of stem determination

ap ug on his face.

‘ You can kill me if on like!” exclaimed

Daddy Blazes. “That wil not alter the fact,
you know. ,

“Whether I am alive or dead, it don’t make
any diflerence.

“You will not find John Buddock in this
house, because he isn’t here. You are only
wasting your time, and if you will take my
advice on will get out and endeavor to strike
the trail elsewhere.”

“ As you are so obstinate, I shall be obliged
to be obstinate, too.”

“ Oh, I don’t fear your threats,” retorted the
old man.

“ As I said before, you may kill me, but you
will not find the man you seek in this place.”

“ You will force me to be under the disagree-
able necessity of putting you in such a condition
that you will not be able to interfere with
,me whileI search the apartment,” Hugh ob-
served. ‘

“Oh, you can go ahead without troubling
your head about me!” Daddy Blazes exclaimed.

“ I shall not interfere wit you. I know that

on will not find John Bu dock, for he isn’t

ore, and after you have searched the apart-
ment and satisfied yourself of that fact you will
be content to go away.”

“Unfortunately, Daddy Blazes, I have not
that confidence in you which your words ought

to give me.

“ If I don’t fix you so that you will not be
capable of doing harm, you are just the man to
try to lay me out at the first convenient oppor-
tuiiity, so, if you please, I will fix you so you

 

can on] lay the part of a spectator for the
next h f our or so.”
“Go ahead! I don’t care what you do!”

snarled the old man in wrath.
- “You will not find Black Bud all the same

‘ .thong .”
' ‘ “ will be better satisfied on that point after

'I make a careful search," the Lightweight re—
joined.

, “You have him hid in some hole here, and
I'll have him out if I have to burn your old
shanty to the ground.

" I fancy that when I apply the torch to your
old rookery it will be apt to make my man put
in an appearance.”

“You will not dare to commit such an out-
. rage!” Daddy Blazes cried, fairly trunbling
I with passion.

“ Oh, won’t Ii You see you have never been
fairly introduced to me yet, or else you would
never make such a statement as that.

“ I tell you what it is, Daddy Blazes, you have
got hold of a man this time who is game to do
almost an hin , and don’t you forget it.

“ Now t en, you will have the kindness to
hold out your delicate wrists while I snap a

1 pair of bracelets u n them, I will be much
obliged toyou,” an as he sp.>ke Hugh drew a
pair of handcufi's from his pocket.

CHAPTER XVII.
rename run name.
“On, go ahead! There isn’t any use of put-

 

 

yOu l” the old man exclaimed, who did not
relish this part of the rogramme at all.

“ U nfortunately I ve not that confidence
in human nature which I ought to have to war-
rant me in placing faith in your assurance.

“ I refer to trust to the handcuffs.

“ I I fix you so that you cannot gossiny do
an damage. you will be sure not to c any.

A man as sensible as you are must see that

V ’ I, that argument is a perfectly sound one, so bold
' upgyour hands and say no more about it.”

ut in place of doing so Dadd Blazes sud-

! , denly sprung at the young man wit the ferocity

of a ti er.
Hug had relaxed his . p upon the old man
ndcuifs, and Daddy
Blazes was prompt to seize the favorable oppor-

tunity.

7 . 9 From the experience that the old man already

1 had of the strength and skill of the intruder,
, Iiis seemed to be a foolish movement, and the
rise, for he had

expected anything of t e kind, for he
though he had convinced the Shanty King that
he stood no chance at all with him in a hand to
therefore, when the old. man

But assistance was at hand, and Daddy Blazes

, ‘ was aware of the fact.

The old man faced the fireplace while Hugh
had his backto it and just as the young man
‘ reduced the handcuffs, the back of the fireplace

L “i opened slowly and Daddy Blazes saw that

the cracksmau’ was on the watch. \

And the moment that the old man grappled
with'the intruder John Buddock hastened to
a'hisassietance. \ I
' From his pocket the newcomer drew the
the sand-club,

 his around as a policeman’s ‘cl'ub, filled with

,mnd. r
. A blowonthe heed’from this novel tool—a
‘ wedfromthevillainsofthefar

   

.a ainst the door, and

 

  

eastern clime, the land of the Orient—delivered
by the practiced and powerful arm of a man
used to wieldinglit will most effectually stun the
victimwithout ardly leaving a bruise.

With right good Will did the cracksman strike
down the youn man who the moment Daddy
Blazes gra pl with him ad seized him with a
grip whic in a few moments would have
strangled him.

The first blow made the Lightweight’s senses

reel.

He released his grip on the old man and at-
tempted to wheel around to face this new an-
tagonist.

And as he did so he received the second
Etroke, and this felled him prostrate to the

cor.

The fight was ended, for Hugh Strong had
been knocked senseless.

The moment the Lightweight had released
Daddy Blazes, the old man had one down all
in a heap, for the choking he ha received had
almost strangled him, and the moment that
John Buddock had disposed of the daring in—
truder he hastened to the assistance of the old
man.

“ How is it, Daddy?” he asked. “Are you
about ready to croak.’”and as he spoke he helped
the old man to his feet.

“The sltoundrel choked me so that I can hard-
ly breathe !” the old man asped.

“He is a musvular iiem ,” the cracksman re—
marked, as be surveyed the prostrate man with
a critical eye. ,

“ About as well-built a fellow as I have run

across for a dog’s age.”

“ Is he dead it” the old man asked, rapidly re-
covering his wind now that he was free from
the grasp of his powerful antagonist.

“ Oh, no; he’s worth a dozen dead men,” the
other replied. u

“ You can’t kill a chap of this kind with a
couple of cracks on the head.

“ He’s too well put up and got too much life
in him for that. .

“ If you want to kill a fellow like this one,
you must let a brick house fall on him.”

“ Well, I’m glad that he isn’t dead,” and Dad-
dy Blazes glared at the prostrate man with an
expression of the most intense hate on his dis-
torted face, so that he looked uglier and more
like a demon than ever.

“ It was a lucky thing for you, old man, that
I caine just as I did,” the cracksman remarked.

“ This fellow would have made short work of
you if I hadn’t laid him out with those taps on
the head. ”

“ I knew you were all in readiness to come
out or else I wouldn’t have tried to grapplewith
him,” the old man explained.

“ I am not so young as I once was, yet I can
hold my own with any ordinary man, but this
wrctch is a very demon, and I stood no more
chance with him than a boy of twelve would
stand with me.

“But I saw the back of the fire lace open,
and I knew you were on the watch, and so I
grappled with him in order to give you a chance
to come at him in the rear.”

“And between us we laid him out in a very
scientific manner.”

“But how did you hap n to discover the
spiigag which opens the cor?” the old man
as

“By accident; your dogs kicked n such an
infernal row that the noise the m e reached
even down into 11) den, and I ancied that all
the fat was in the e, do I came up the stairs
to see if I could discover what was the matter,
but I couldn’t hear a word of what was going
on here, although I could {inlainly make out
that a conversat on of some k d was being car-

on. '

“I sat on the top stag: and rested in hand

t e first thing I new I
to t somethin give under my fingers, and then,
to rhyme am 1 astonishment, the door began to

n.

“ You happened by accident to touch the se-
cret spring. which controls the latch of the
door.” the old man explained. ‘

“ You are right it was b accident for when
I first came up the stairs searched high and
low for the spring and couldn’t strike it to save

me. .

“But I say, what are you going to do with
this fellow 1” and as he he the cracksman gave
the body of the insensi le man a careless push

« with his foot.
“ And lay the way I wonder who e is?”
gogou 0 not recognize him?” addy Blazes
as .

“ No he is a new man to me.”

“A detective evidently, for this sailor rig is
only a disguise. ”

‘ Yes.a new band at the bellows, and a mighty
danger us one I think he is likely to prove, for
there a e few men on the force that would have
Elie pluck, sin le-hended. to venture into your

en with the i ea of taking a risoner out of it.

“But I say, now that you ave laid him out
what are ycu going to do with him?”

“ I am ing to stow him awaevdfgr awhile
untilIcan veanopportunityto tohim,”

theoldman . , .
“Pie  .e r’game-with me,aud

i

    

 

 

now that it is my turn I intend to put the
screws on him in a way that he will despise. ‘

“ I am going to find out all about him. He is
no common detective, I feel sure of that, and I
am anxious to learn who it was that put him up
to attempt this gob.

“Now, then, am oing to reveal to you one
of the secrets of my ovel here and I rely upon
your honor not to betray it.”

“ Daddy, no pal ever yet had cause to com-
plain that Black End ever went back on him,"
the cracksman replied.

“ You have ke t faith with me in this thing,
and hang me if peach on you while a chance
for life remains.”

“ Keep faith with me and you will never re-
gret it,” the old man said.

Then he went to the further corner of the
room, and lifted up a trap-door, which was so
skillfully contrived that the most careful exam—
ination would not be apt to discover it.

But when the trap-door was raised, under it
appeared the solid rock which extended under
nearly the whole of the shanty, so that if an
prying spy had hit upon the trap-door, the roc
underneath would be all that could be seen. 2

But the rock was not a part of the one upon
which the shanty was founded, only a thin slab
which, being lifted up, disclosed a narrow flight
of steps leading down into an underground
apartment.

“ Now, can you slide the fellow down the
trap-door while I hold the light?” Daddy Blazes
asked.

“ Oh, yes, I was I can mane c it.”

Then while addy Blazes he] the lamp Black
Bud conveyed the sensless man down into the
underground apartment.

It was a good-sized room about twenty feet
square; there was an old table and a couple of
stools in the middle of the room, and a heap of
stray; in one corner was evidently intended for
a be .

In obedience to Daddy Blazes’s instructions,
the man placed the senseless form of the Light—
weight upon the heap of straw in the corner,
and then ‘ went through him ” carefully.

Nothing of any importance rewarded the
search—no documents, which was chiefly what
the old man was after, for he had hoped to light
upon some instructions which would give him
an idea who it was that had set so determined a.
foe u‘pon his track.

Al that was valuable upon his person besides
his weapons was a small sum of mone in his
wallet, and this Daddy Blazes hand to the
cracksman.

“ You take the money, and I’ll hang on to the
tools,” the old man sai . 1

This arrangement satisfied Buddock.

Then the handcuffs were snapped upon H1! gh’s
wrists and he was left alone in the dark vault to
wake to consciousness.

CHAPTER XVIII.
AN IMPORTANT GUEST.

AND now leaving the den of the Shant King
and inmates for awhile, we must t or our
attention to another dilapidated house in the

ame re on and only a short distance from the
abode 0 Daddy Blazes, and relate what took
place in this (tum-tar on the same evening that
the events we ave just described occurred.

The house of which we ak had a larger
window than the majority o the shanties could
beast, and over the door was a rudely-painted
sign which informed the public that it was:

“Mas. O’FLANNIoas’s Gaocnnr Bronx."

 

Mrs. O’Flannigan—Mrs. Biddy O’F‘lannigan"

to give the woman her full name, a point upon
which she was rather particular—was a tall,
muscular dame on the shady side of forty.

A woman who, as far as strength and pugilis-
tic skill went, could hold her own with any
ordier man.

The s anty settlement could boast as many
toughs among its inhabitants as an other por-
tion of the great metropolis of li e size. but
there wasn’t any of them that was curious to
measure strength with the widow O’F‘lannigan
when she got on the war-path.

And yet the woman, to look at her, displayed
in her face no indication of what a terrible-
creature she was when her blood was n .

She had rather a motherly, g matured
face, and when she talked with her soft b 6
-—she was a south of Ireland woman—and er
wheedling ways one who didn’t know the woman

would be apt to imagine—to use the old saying,

--that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

The widow had seen far better days than one
would imagine from her present position.

She had been a nurse in some of the best
families in New York, had commanded a large
salary, and was looked upon as a valuable, re-

nsible woman.

But, like too many of her nation, her appetite
for strong drink had brought her down, until

rem

(gain to the keeper of a shanty store on Shanty

The houseshe occupied was divided into in 3
. apartments. 5 ’ a 

p

the trusted employee of a brown-stone . '
mansion on Fifth avenue she had degenerated "

 
   

 

 

 

-

‘ hind. for,

   

  .'  I I The Lightwe

l

ight Detective.

13

 

 

The front one was used for the store, and in
the rear one she lived.

The stock of goods that were displayed behind
the counter was extremely limited, and if a
searcher after knowledge had interviewed any

.of the policemen of the neighborhood in regard I

to the widow’s store, the information would
have been immediately given that the widow _
and her grocery were a “ fraud,” to use the ex- ‘
pressive Vernacular.

The grocery store was but a blindto cover the I
sale of liquor, and so save the widow from the
expense of taking out a city and Government 1
license as required b law.

Both the excise o cials and the revenue gen- ,
tlemen had made desperate and determined at— 1
tempts to catch Mrs. Flannigan and so put a
stop to her defiance of the laws, but had never
yet succeeded in catching the widow tripping
and in three or four instances the attempts ha
almost cost the officers their lives, for the settle-
ment had risen as one man. and men women
and children had made matters so particularly
warm for the intruders, that only a hasty flight
hadbenabled them to escape the vengeance of the
mo .

It was nearly midnight, and the people of the
shanty town had about all retired to rest.

The widow had just seen her last batch of cus-
tomers to the door, and going outside was clos-
ing the shutter that protecte her window- lass
from any stray stones that drunken youths, nt
upon making night hideous might be induced to
throw at it when there wasn’t anybody around
to see who did the damage, when she was sud-
denly startled by a light footstep close by her
elbow and a voice said:

“ Isn’t this Mrs. O’Flannigan?”

For all her bravery in tem ral affairs, the
widow was decided] superstitious.

It was near the midni ht hour, the time when
churchyards awn an ghostly figures haunt
the glimpses o the moon, and when the keeper
of the Irish shebeen, transported bodily to the
New World, heard the light footfall right by her
side without a previous warning. although she
might have known that it wasn’t a spirit, for
spirits move with noiseless tread, she; gave
a gasp and involuntarily called upon the saints
to protect her from harm.

The voice. though, clear. melodious and youth-
ful, immediately reassured her, for the tones
were human beyond a doubt.

She turned and beheld a slight girlish figure
completely enveloped in a black water roof
: loa k which reached from head to heel,an over
the face a veil was fastened.

“ That’s me name, miss, and I’m not aftherbe—
ing ashamed of it, either.”

“ ” on’t you know me—don’t you remember

me?

And as the stranger ut the uestion she re-
moved the vail which noeal her face, and
.reVealed the features of the fair irl whom the
Lightweight, at the peril of his 1' e, had rescued
from the fire, when the old house on Forty-
second street was destroyed.

The widow was puzzled.

_ It Seemed to her as if she had seen the face of
the girl somewhere. and vet for the life of her
she could not remember the circumstances, and
she said as much to the questioner.

“ Don’t you remember Milly Hibbard i” the .
other asked. ,

“ Milly Hibbard i” repeated the old woman in
a tone indicative of a great deal of doubt.

“ Yes, Polly Hibbard’s daughter!”

“ Av coorse, av coorse! The saints be to
me !”exclaimed the widow. her face lighting up.

“ Shure! I don’t know where me head was
that I didn’t know ye at furst.” _ -

“ Oh, it isn’t strange; it is nearly ten years
since ou have seen me, and I was only a little
girl t en.”

“ Upon his wourd ye are right, and phat a
dale of changes there has been in those ten
years,” and the widow shook her head, sorrow-

 

full .

f‘WValt till I fasten this b’aste of a shutter,
thin come inside wid me for it’s dyin’ I am to i
talk to ass." i
. The I utter fastened, the old woman conduct— ,
ed the young 1 into the house. , I

She took pains to fasten the door securely be- 

as she explained to her visitor: '

“ There’s lashin’ of thaves around!” i i

Then she tendered her visitor a, chair and ' in- ;
quired: i

“ Would ye be afther likin’ a nice dro of
good whisky for to kape yefrom takin’ col 3’”

The girl politely declined the
that she never drank any irits. , ,

“ Oh, well. darlint, ye’r young now and ye 5
don’t nade thim,” the widow remarked.

“ Wait till ye get as old as I am with lashin’
of trouble, and worriment of soul and thin ye’ll l
find that there isn’t anything tbgg‘goes straight ,
to the. spot and does ye more g than a drop I
of the r’ale ould stuff.”

And then from the hiding-place where she »
kept her small supply of liquor,

fler on the plea ,

cups-this was with deep intent to conceal from
$11 l;ng how luau quantity of the potent fluid
' ded tq e—filled, out a liberal supply -

K.

way, and she

asecret closet J that in time sh w uld be bl _ arge
in the side-wall, she produced shows of whisky l sum_ by e o a e to get? a l

I\ 'WNCh‘ she placed upon the table, got herself a. i famil

for‘ whom my su mother worked
alquperasesAm gems ‘
 - u i' : up

of the fie fluid, which was about as cheap an
article as he market afforded, and took a good
half—cupful down at a swallow without even
winkin .

“ Aha, that’s the stuff to warm the cookies of
yer heart, me colleen,” she remarked.

“And to think that it is ten years and gone
since I have set me two eyes on yer face,” she
continued.

“ Oh, hone, oh, bone! and I was a lady in
those days wid an illigant place and foine wages,
and servants for to wait on me, and now I’m re-
duced to ka_ this wee bit of a store, and if it
wasn’t for th: sup of the whisky that I’m afther
obli in’ me neighbors wid once in a while, shure,
I’d e afther starvin’, bad ’cess to the dirthy
business.”

And then in order to soothe the wrath which
her reflections had excited in her business she
helped herself to another cupful of the whisky.

While the woman was speaking the girl had
been glancing around the apartment.

There wasa cloud upon her brow, and it was
evident that she was ill at ease.

“ And how is yer mother—the saints be good
to her—she was as foine a woman as iver trod
in shoe-leather—she’s well and doin’ well av
coorsei Oh, it’s the foine long head that she al-
wa 8 had 11 n her shoulders.”

‘ My mot er is dead,” the girl replied.

“ Tho saints be good to us, ye don’t tell me so!
Oho, that’s a loss now I tell yer, and I s’pose,
darlint, she left ye a nice tidy sum for to get
alon wid, for it s a savin’ woman yer mother
was iver since she was a girl.

“ We kem over in the same ship, and we lived
at the same place for many a year, worse luck
that I Not lost it!”

“ No, all that m mother left went to her son,
my half-brother, an, you know.”

‘ Oh, is, Iremimber him, and it was always
in troub e be was too, a wild gossoon.

“ Shure he’ll make duck and drakes of the
mon fast enough!”

“ es and it is on his account that I came to
see you to—night. I have a strange story to tell.
and I need a shelter where no one can find me 1"

 

CHAPTER XIX.
A STRANGE s'ronv.

“ YE take me breath away wid astonishment l”
the widow exclaimed, and in order to atone for
this untoward event she helped herself to an-
other cupful of whisky.

“But whin ye spake of a. shelter shure, I’ve
an illegant wan to offer ye here, and ’ve a place
to hide ye away where the ould devil himself
wouldn’t be apt to find ye!”

Again the girl’s eyes wandered around the
apartment, and it was plain that she did not un-
derstand ‘where it could be, for the house ap—
parently offered no place of odncealment.

The widow noticed the look of the girl and
chuckled aloud. ‘

“ Aha, I‘ll go‘bail that/ye don’t see any place
where e could hide?” " '

“ n eed 1 do not."

“ A wee bit of a cat would be bothered to con—
s’ale itself 1”, ‘

“ Yes, I should think so.”

“ Phat kind of a hidin -place would it be af-
ther bein’ if ye could see t the first time e look—
ed at it, answer me that now, me darlin?” ex-
claimed the old woman, triumphantly.

This was true enough, and the girl was
obliged to admit as muc .

“ Niver ye worry about the hiding-place l” the
widow cried. confidently.

“ I’ll be after stowing ye away so snugly that -

all the co and peelers in New York Will not
be afther ndin’ ye, do ye moind that now.

“ Go on wid yer story so I kin know phat is the
matter. ' Mebbe I might be able to help ye out
although I’m not the woman I used to ‘be, for
the would has tr’ated me mighty badly for the
last tin years.” -

“ My story is a very strange one indeed,” the.

girl began.

“In the first ace I am not Poll ' ’5
daughter.” . ‘ ‘51 ymbberd

“ Aha!” and the old Woman nodded her head
and smiled sagely. - '
‘i :1 That dossn’t astonish me in the Paste,” she
as . .
” I suspicioned that from‘ the furst time I
iver saw ye, for there wasn’t two looks in er
face like yer mother. and then I niver has of

“ I made no bones of telling her so either, but
she only laughed and tould me that a good many
people in this wourld said a d’ale more than their
prayers. I

“ Oh, she had the long head, and I thought at
the time that sums one was payin’ her a good
bit of money for to take care of ees.” /k ‘

“ No. you are wrong there.” he girl replied.

“It was by ure accident that I came in her
etermined to adopt me, thinking

‘ gfgdgittin’ married ag’in afther her'old man

selling me to some wealthy, childless

I was sentto a convent school-mile lady
resins



 
     

 

“ When I was twelve years old my mother
left service and opened a little store, and I was
brought home to attend to it.”

“ ‘1 is, I heard of that through a cousin of
mine who was acquainted wid yer mother, but
I niver wint there meself.”

“ When I was sixteen ears old, one year ago,
through an accidental c in of circumstances,
my mother made a discovery which led her to
believe that I was not an orphan as she had
always believed, but on the contrary, I was the
child of wealthy parents, from whom I had
been stolen when scarcely more than an infant.”

“ Oh, Howly Moses! yer don’t m’ane it!” ex-
claimed the widow, in amazement.

“ Yes, and what was more, my family were
willipg to pay an enormous sum for my restora—
tion. ’

“ Av coorse, av ccorse !"

“ This matter was kept secret from me, and
I knew nothing of it. .

“ It was my mother’s idea to get all the
money pOBSible out of the matter, and so she
formed a cunning plan.

“ dy restoring me to my true parents she
woul undoubtedly secure a large reward, but
then that would end the matter, and she was not
satisfied to have it arranged in that way.

“ She wished to fix it so that there would be a.
certain sum coming in every ear.”

“Oh, musha! that would a foine idea!”
Mrs. O’Flannigan exclaimed, quick to perceive
the merits of this plan.

“ I think the scheme was arranged by a law-
yer whom she consulted in regard to the affair,
and this was how they planned:

“ After negotiations for my return to my
parents were opened, and all the details ar-
ranged, then 1 was to be secretly married to
Dan Hibbard. i

“ I was to be delivered to my parents, with-
out letting them know of this union, and of
course I was not to know anythin of my

arents until the moment came when was to
delivered to them.

“ When the marriage was proposed to me, I
declared I would never consent to it.

“ They tried to persuade me, but I was firm
and would not listen to them. Of course I had
no idea why they were so anxious for the mar-

e to take place.

‘ Mrs. Hibbard retended that it was because
she was sick and 'd not Pthink she would live
very long, and she was anxious to have me set-
tled in life before she died.”

“Yes, yes, that was a n’ate way of putting
it,”the widow remarked.

“ And as for Dan, he declared that I was the
onlyfgirl in the wogld who would suit him for
a w1 e.‘ ' ,

“ He’s a foine b’aste to be afther talkin’ that
way!” Mrs. O’Flanni n exclaimed.

“The murtherin’b ggard! Share he’s been
in jail half the time iver since he was fifteen
years ould.” '

“ I rsistently refused, and then Mrs. Hib-
bard e angry and declared that, as she
was in legal guardian, she would force me to
marry or son whether I was willing or not.

“She said she had taken a lawyer’s advice
and he had advised such a step.”

“Oh, these brute b’astes of lawyers will do

anything!”

“ The very next day Mrs. Hibbard was taken
violently ill with a ragin fever, and then, as if
Heaven itself was determined to punish r—
secutors, Dan became involved in a qua in
some low drinking-place tép-town, there was a.
desperate affray, some of 0 yo ,men Were
hurt, and Dan was arrested and _c with
the cgime, and sent to Sing Sing for three

cars.
y “ Served him right, the blagg’ard,” comment-
ed the widow. ‘ He was a bad egg if iver

there was wan!” V

“ Almost the entire. charge of the sick woman 1
came upon me, and in her delirium she raved
and revealed to me the full extent of the plot of
which I was tobe the victim.

. “ Three days she struggled with the fever and x ' j .
then death claimed its victim. \. »
“ During her ravingsshe said repeatedly that , x‘

the papers which gave a com lete account of
the manner in which I wassto nfrom mypa—
rents, and which would easily enable me to
prove my identity were in a certain closet in an
old house in Forty-second street. but it was not
until recentl that I was enabled to discover
which house t'wns."

“ Thim papers would be mighty Valuable,do  I

e mind i”
“ So I tho
I entered the
searched for them, but without success.
while I was occupied
took fire and burned to the round.” ..
“Oho thatwasabadstro e!” ‘
“No,I think not: for I have been
over the matter lately, and I have come to
conclusion that no such _ pars existed except in

tbs  of the ck woman. " 1'

See, I see. , . _
i f‘Because there had been any such impor- -,
tent per: in existence, thgbmost surely would‘ L
be” securedth hard the 

   

A

ht, and rocuring a bunch of keys ‘ W I
use, w ich was unoccupied, 2:3 .'

in the search, the house" i

k .

   

 

 

 

  
 

.14.

 

 The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

 

“ True for yeas—that’s sol Divil a doubt of
that, at all, at all!”

“ And now the task for me is to discover
where my parents are, for in regard to them I
have not a single clew.”

“Do you know the name of the lawyer, me
darlint?”

“ No, they were careful to keep his identity a
secret from me.”

“ Upon me wourd, it seems to me as if ye have
a mighty hard task before ye, but I will be af—
ther doing all I can for ye.” ,

The girl thanked the old woman for her kind-
ness, and then said:

“ For the present I have been obliged to seek
concealment, for Dan has returned from Sing
Sing, having been pardoned b the aid of some
of his political associates, an although I had
sought to hide away from him in obscure quar-
ters, yet he managed to discover me. I had a.
visit from him to-iiiglit.

“He said that by the death of my mother he
had become my legal guardian, and that the law
gave him power to control my actions, as I am
not yet of age. _

“ I pretended to be greatly frightened, and
said I would rather do an thin than be drag-
ged into a police court, so 6 to (1 me he Would
make arrangements to have me live with some
friends of hisand would come for me in the
morning, but the moment he was fairly out of
the way I put on my things and fled.

“ I did not know what to do or where to go,
for I hav’n’t much money, until I happened to
think of you up in this lonely quarter, and I
thought that if I were to search all New York
over I could not find a safer hidin -place.”

“ Right ye are, darlint, and 1’] be after tak-
ing good care of yees, and I’ll put ye in a place
where all the detectives in the world won’t find

e!” And as she spoke the old woman rose to
her feet with a mysterious air.

 

CHAPTER XX.
THE PLor'rERs.

Snmwent to the door and listened as if she
was alarmed lest some skulking spy was playing
the eavesdropper, then she signed to the girl to
pa particular attention, and went to where an
011 mat was stretched in front of the bed.

The mat was tacked to the floor but grasp-
ing One end of the mat in her hand she gave it a
tug and u came a trap-door, revealing a cavity
beneath (fawn which a flight of rickety steps

The mat was so arranged that it concealed
the edges of the trap—door.

This was the store-house where the widow
kept her limited supply of liquors safe from the
searches of the officers. .

“ Here’s a foino bedroom built out of the
solid rock i” the old woman exclaimed, as she lit
a lantern and began to descend.

At some remote period before Shantyville
had a. local habitation and a name some one in
want of stone had quarried into the rocks, mak-
ing an excavation about twelve feet uare, and
the original builder of the shanty h resolved
to utilize the cavity for a cellar, so had filled up
with dirt the entrance to the excavation where
the stonehad been hauled out and had construe
ed his house over the pit. ‘

When the widow came in possession of the
house the tra oor in the floor had excited her
curiosity, an she had been moved to examine
it, and the moment she discovered what kind of
a place it was the idea had come to her that her
fortune would be made if she o ned an illicit
liquor store, for here was a p o where she
could stow her stock without danger of detec-
tion.

The scheme had been carried out, and if the
shop had not pros red as well as it ought to
have done, it was t rough no fault of the busi-
ness, but because the hostess was her own best

customer. x . '
The girl followed the widow down the stairs.
There was a small cot bed in‘the cellar and a

dry-goods box which evidently served for a

ta l3.
“Oh. it is an illigant bedroom I’m after tell»

ling yel”the widow exclai ed. as she stood in

the center of the apartmen and swung her lan-
tern around so that the girl might examine the

lace.
p ‘ ‘ Whin the hot ni hts do be afther coming on
it’s down here I lie or the sake of the coolness.
“There’s a blanket in the box if ya want it,
but ye needn’t be afeard of the dampness, for
though it do be cool sometimes, yet ’tis dry as a
”

no.
“I shall be safe hereat all events,” the girl

marked.

“ Serra a taste of a lie in that!” Mrs. O’Flan-
Inigo. observed.
, , ‘Nlo wan will be afther findin’ye here. Ye

could stay upstairs and welkim, but then the

customers do be runnin’ in, and thin there‘s an

I . ould man who slapes in the store, so as to make

share that I am not robbed in the night.

“ He’s a foine old man. as foine as you’ll find
in a. day’s journey; Tom O’Hare, from the. same
towu as meself in Oireland, and I’ve known him
iver since we were childer playing in tho bogs
together, but then Tom takes a wee drop too

" V's‘ '.
'1 1 i-4.‘
'- 3s- v .

 

much sometimes, and whin the whisky is in the I

3

“It’s a foine tale, but where does the gould-

wit is out, you know, and he might let out that , mine come in?” he assed.

ye was here widout m’anin’ for to do any harum, j
i it

ye know, if he knew ye was to the fore.”

“ Oh, it will be better not to let him know; I
will be able to get along here very well, for it
will only be for a little while,” the girl re-
marked.

“ I do not doubt that Dan will do his best to
discover me, but he will not keep up the chase
long when he finds that I have not left any clew
to my whereabouts." '

“ True for yeesl And the chances are big, me
darlint, that whin he finds that ye are gone he
will go on a tear, and whin he does that he gits
ugly the moment the liquor is in him, and he’s
the b’ye to use the knife widout carin’ whether
he euts friend or foe.

“I tell you phat it is, me jewel, I will put
some of the b’yes ii to kape an eye on him so
that we will be ab e to know phat he’s doing,
and the moment the cops lay him by the heels
thin ye can come out.”

“I shall be very much obliged, and one of
these days I will try to reward you for your
kindness!” the girl exclaimed, gratefully.

“ Don’t mintion it!” the widow replied, imme-
diately.

“ Shure I always liked ye since ye was a wee
bit of a thing. and bad ’cess to me if I don’t do
all I can for yees.

“ I’ll l’ave the lantern. and whin the morning
comes I’ll be afther hopping down to see yeonce
in a while.

“ Don’t be afeard; there’s nothin’ here that
will harm; divil a hair of a rat or a mouse have
I seen since I’ve lived in the house.

“ l’ve two foine cats, and they come in here
through the weeny holes under the house, and it
would be as much as a rat’s life would be worth
for to dare to show his nose in here.”

“ Oh, I am not afraid l” protested the girl,
and then the widow retreated up the steps leav-
in the to itive to her solitary meditations.

rs. O’ lannignn carefully shut down the
trap-door, chuck ing all the while to herself in
a manner that was expressive of the highest de-
gree of satisfaction.

“ Upon me wourd this is the greatest piece of
luck t at iver happened to the likes of me!” she
exclaimed, as she seated herself by the table and
helped herself to another cupful of whisky.

‘ Won’t the ould man be astonished whin I
tell him of this bag of gould that has been flung
at us.

“ Taro and oundsl we’re made for life, that
we are I"

And she was ust about to help herself to an-
other horn of w sky when there came a rap at
the door.

“ hat’s mo ould man, I know his fist,” she
muttered. . \

Then she rose and hastened to the door.

Mrs. O’Flannigan was called the Widow
Flannigan by embody.

Her husband been killed during the War
of the Rebellion and she drew a pension as
some slight consolation for her loss, and as that

nsion would cease if she married again no one

ad ever succeeded in persuading her to take a
second husband, so it was supposed. ‘ ‘

Quite a number of the middl unmar-
ried men of the settlement had tri their luck
with the widow, all of them, without a single
exception, much more in love with the widow’s
groggery and the snug sum which she was sup-
pose to have in the bank than with herself, but
the widow turned a deaf ear to all overtures un-
til Tom O’Haro happened to come along:

As a girl he had on her first love, and now,
in mid le age. after the lapse of years, the
flame still burnt brightly, and so off they went
and got secret] married, the widow being de-
termined to he (1 on to the pension as long as
possible. '

O’Hara was as great a contrast to the widow
as could well be ima ined, being a sparsely-
built, dried-up sort 0 a man With a solemn-
looking face.

He was a mason by trade, but since he had
becn taken to the bosom of the amazon he didn’t
do much work but had turned his attention to
politics with the ambitious hope of being able
to secure some office where the pay was good
and the work small.

Pursuing this visionary hope was what had
detained him; he had been talking the matter
over with the “ b’yes "at the various saloons in
the neighborhood.

“ They do be afther tellin’ me that I’ll have a
fat thing before the snow flies, Mrs. O’Flanni-
€32, do ye mind that?” he exclaimed, upon on-

n .
“ OI], bother er liesl” she retorted, impa-
tientl . “ It is be same ghost sto that you
have n after tellin’ me ever since knew e.

“ Bother yer fat lobe and er snow-flies! It’s
tumbled into a on d mine have!”

The man 100 ed bewildered, but the woman
hastenedto seat him at a table, poured out a
draught of whisky for him, and then, after cau-
tionin him to speak low, proceeded to relate
what ad taken p ace that evening.

She rehearsed in full the story that the fugi-
tive had told her, and then wound u by trium-
phantly asking him what he thought of it.

i i

   

    

3.: '
, 2) vi, _

 

  .- 3.4, J...

‘Don’t yesec, yeblockhead?” she exclaimed.
We’ll be afther playin’ the same game that
Polly Hibbard intinded to play, except that
we won’t be afther tryin’ to marry the girl to

i an bod

_ y-
“ W e find her daddy for her and we’ll make

‘ the ould buck come down wid the money afore
1 he gets the girl.

" We’ll be doin’ well by her. do ye mind, and
making a fortune for ourselves at the same
time. ’

“But how can ye be afther finding her
daddy?”

“Can’t we get at the lawyer?”

“ But ye don’t know him.”

“ Indade and I do. I’ll go bail that it is the
same man that she always had to get Dan out-
of his scrapes.

“He’s a foxy-headed blaggard who had his
office down by the Tombs, J eff Wimple, they do-
be afther callin’ him.”

“ Ah, yis, that’s r’asonable.”

“I’ll go down and see him to—morrow and
have a talk about the matter.

“ I tell ye, Tom O’Hare, it is a gould mine
that walked into our dure whin I opened it for
that gurl.”

“ Danny will be afther murtherin’ ye.”

“ The blaggard. if I once get me two hands
on him I’d save the hangman a job!” she de-
clared.

The girl below little dreamed of what was
going on abOVe her head.

CHAPTER XXI.
A NEW YORK LAWYER.

Mas. O’FLANNIGAN had a. great deal of “ go-
aheadativeness.” for one of her race, for the-
women of the south of Ireland are rather in—
clined to be sluggish both mentally and physi-
cally, but the big Irishwoman was an exception
to the rule, and when morning came she was
as good as her word, and about eight o’clock
started down-town to interview the lawyer.

She did not know the exact location of the
gentleman’s office, except that it was in the
neighborhood of the gloomy pile, modeled after
an tian temple. the Cit Prison, which is:
p0 ular y known as the Tom s.

e lawyer of whom she was in search, Jef—
ferson Wimple, was about as well-known as

 

any legal ntleman, in the city, althou h he
wasn’t an g but a third-rate c law-
yer.

But he was a man who believed in getting his ' '
name in the newspapers, and in the case of any
atrocious crime he was always ready to appear
for the criminal whether there was any pros~
pect tof hisrgetting any money out of the case
or no . -

The idea of this was to keep his name before
the people and so lead the common vulgar herd
to believe that he was a great man in his spe—
cial field.

It was good policy for the moment some

ttyroscal ot into the stern clutches of the
aw, his frien hastened to employ J of! Wimple
to defend him.

And was it the lawyer’s first endeavor
when a case was put into his hands, to findi
(tint w?hether the accused had a really good do.

ense '

Nothing of the kind! I ,

With the eye of a haWk he endeavored to dis-
cover some error in the papers, some loop-hole
in the law under which the case of his client
came, through which an escape might be of-
fected. .

In person the la or was a medium-sized
man with a round, smoothly-shaven face, rather
florid complexion. projecting eyes, and he wore
his light-brown hair long, and combed back of
his ears so as to give him a ministerial look, and
in general be had a very theatrical way with
him.

The widow did not have the least difficulty in
finding the lawyer’s office, for it was Within a
musket-shot of the City Prison, and the first
lawyer of whom she inquired directed her
toi . -

The lawyer was seated in his private office
smokin acigar and examining his mail when
Mrs. 0’ lannigan was ushered in b ' the imp.
like lad who acted as the lawyer’s o co boy.

Lawyer Wimple was not in a ood humor for
the last letter he had examine was a s ecial
one sent bye. messenger from the hopeful aniel
Hibbard which announced in terse phraseology
that the gal, to wit, Milly Hibbard. had cut and
run, and the writer couldn’t find hide nor hair
of her, and in his opinion the “hull thing was
N. G.,” and be guessed he wouldn’t bother him-
self about the trick “ enny more.”

“ There’s an ungrateful hound l” grumbled.
thela or, as in a rage he crumpled the letter
up in h 3 hand and cast it upon the table.

“The scoundrel has managed to dra twenty-
flve dollars out of me. a dollar or two :3 a time.
under pretense of putting the ‘iob through, and
now at the first sign of diflicu ty he coolly pro—
posesto throw the whole thing up and let the

game go.
“ Well. the cal thin to be done in the M .
ass is to work theytrick‘without him. . ’  ‘ 

1‘

  

. .

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

The ightweig't etec we.

 

“I will put the detectives on the track and

, hunt the girl up; she cannot be far ofl’, but this

scoundrel is too lazy to bother his head about
her—too lazy to find out whither she has fled.

“ I’ll get even with him though; the first time
he gets into trouble and calls upon me to help
him out, I will advise him to plead guilty, give
him a ghost story about how my influence with
the judge will get him off with a light sentence,
and then let the old man seek it to him to the
full extent of the law, as he will be pretty apt
to do.

“I wanted him to marry the girl so that I
would be able to draw a regular yearly income
out of the thing, for of coursel intended to ar-
ran eit so that I would have the handling of
all t e money, but as that can’t be worked I will
content myself with getting as big a stake out
of the family as I can.”

The lawyer had arrived at this point when
the entrance of the old woman interrupted his
meditations.

He cast a rapid glance at her and immedi-
ately set her down as a probable client, for she

was a representative of the people by whom he ’ nit

was chiefly supported.

“ Good-morning, madam, what can I do.for

you this morning?” he asked, in the beaming,
theatrical way in which he always greeted a
client upon whom he wished to make an impres-
Sion.
“IVell, sur, I am afther coming to see you
upon some im rtant business. Me name is
O’Flannigan, rs. O’Flannigan, and I am from
up Harlem way.”

“Ah, yes, lad to See ye, madam,” and the
lawyer rubbed his hands together, by which he
meant to eXpress decided satisfaction.

“I have a at many friends u your way.”

“ Yis, sor, finppose, sor, ye do afther re-
mimberin’ Polly Hibbara that’s dead and
gone?”

An odd expression passed across the lawyer’s
face; it seemed strange to him that the name of
the mother should happen to babrought up Just
at this time when he was planning to take ven-
geance upon the son.

“Oh, yes, I knew Mrs. Hibbard very well. I
gave, attended to a great deal of business for

er.

“ I know, sor, on account of that thafe of the
wourld, her son "the widow remarked.

“on, it is a dirthy blaggard he is! Faixl if
he don’t come to be hanged it will be bekase he
has’some gintleman like yourself for to git him

“Well, sometimes I manage to get him of!
and sometimes I don’t. I was not very lucky
the last time; but the fellow is an i orant
brute and will not listen to reason, an with a
man of that sort it is hardwork to do any—
thing.”

.“ rue for you, nor, be the howly smoke ye
niver said a truer wourd in your hfe!”the old
woman declared.

“ Polly Hibbard was as good a friend as I had
in the wourld; we kem to this country in the
same shi , and we lived in the same family for
months, ut for all that, many is the time I’ve
said to her: ‘Polly, acushla, that Danny of
gun will come to be hanged if he doesn’t mend

ways, and it’s a great shame, so it is, for
yees to be thinkin’ of making a match between
sich a gpalpeen as that and such a jewel of a
girl as illy.’ ”

This took the lawyer so com letely by sur-
prise, bein so unexpected, that e fairly start-
ed and sho a quick glance at the woman.

He had been particularly careful to caution the
mother not to whisper a word to any one about
the plan to wed the son to the foundling girl,
and yet here was this stranger speaking of it as
carelessly as though it had been the common
to ic of conversation in the neighborhood.

hen an explanation of the mystery flashed
suddenly across the brain of the lawyer.

" That infernal scoundrel of a Danny must
2:82: been blabbingl” he muttered between his

“Av course I understood that there was

strong r’asons for the match,” she continued, to '

the com lets amazement of \the lawyer, who
Incite,th in his chair and listened in astonish-
“You see, sor, Polly and meself talked ,the
matter over many a time afore she died.
It’s I‘lawyer Wim le’s idee,’ she sed to me,
Bed she. Bad ’cessto wyer Wimplel’ I used
to say, sod I—m’anin‘ no offense to a gintleman
likekyer honor at all, but ’twas jist my way of
sp’a 'in.

“‘But, Biddy. ye Greek,’ she’d say to me,
, . . . .

Just think of the money a-oomin’ in steady
every year if we fix up a match betwane the
twox as the lawyer wants.’ .

“ To the divil I’d pitch the money 1’ I used
for to sa .

“ ‘ I’d be contint for to take the wan big sum
in a lump and l’ave the other go.’ sed I.”

The legal gentleman could contain himself no

lon er.

“gHold on!” he exclaimedn angril , “what
the dance do you mean by this disjo nted tale?
Have an taken leave of your senses, woman?”

6 er was in a quau ; he knew not
what to make of this strange air; it did not

«

 

    
 

 

seem possible that the dead woman could have
been stu id enough to disc ss the carefully-
arrang plot in all its details with this loud-
mouthed creature, who, the experienced eyes
of the lawyer instantly detected, was a slave to
strong drink.

Yetif she had not revealed the matter how
on earth (lid the woman come in possession of
the knowledge she possessed?

“ No, av course not; shui'e ye needn’t try to
make out that ye don’t know all about it, whin
ye’i" the fore front of the hull thing.”

“ What business is it of yours, anyhow?”
cried IVimple, angrily.

“ The gurl is gone, isn’t she?”

“ Aha, you know that, eh?”

“ I do indade, and do yees want to find her?”

“ Yes, of course.”

“ Well, that’s more than Danny can do!” an-
nounced the widow with an air of triumph.

“Perhaps you can find her though,” the law-
yer suggested, beginning to get an idea of what
the woman was after. . ,

“Perhaps I can,” she responded With dig-

y.
“Will you?”

“Upon me wourd I don’t know; will ye be
aftlier letting me in for a share in the money
that you are going to make?”

“ Oho, that is your game, eh?”

“ I want my whack as well as the rest!”

CHAPTER XXII.
CATCHING A TARTAR.

THE lawyer leaned back in his chair and
laughed heartily. \

Now that he understood exactly what game
the woman was trying to play the whole thing
ap )eared to him to be supremely ridiculous.

he idea that this low piece of humanity
should attempt to measure wits with a man like
himself, was perfectly absurd.

“ Yis, yis, yer honor, I am as anxious to turn

an honest penny'as any wan that ye can find,
and since Polly is dead and can’t have her share,
I don’t see why it shouldn’t be afther comin’ to
me.
“ Polly was the su posed mother of the girl,
brought her up, you now, and paid out a great
deal of her hard-earned money for her from
first to last, you know.”

“ Faixl she was afther making the gurl wourk
like a naygur the moment she got big enough,”
the widow answered, contem tuously.

“ I suppose you know the girl is With Danny?"
the la er observed close] watching the face
of the o d woman as he spo e.

“ f she is thin ye know more about the mat-
ter than I do, and I’ll o bail that ye don’t,”
Mrs. O’Flanniganre 1i ,shrewdly.

“ 0h, she has left anny then?”

“ If (yer honor says so, shure it must be so,”
the wi ow replied. ,4

“ Oh, come, don’t let us heat about the bush
an more l”the lawyer exclaimed, impatiently.
“ f you know where the girl is, say so and have
done with it.”

“ I can find her, yer honor, I am sure of that,
and so the quicker yees are afther puttin’ yer-
self into communication wid the old gintleman,
her father, so as to find out how much he will
be willin’ to give to have the gurl brought back
to him again, the better.”

“ I think I can attend to that matter without
being obliged to call upon anybody for advice,”
Wimple replied, short 

The lawyer did notl he the haste with which
the old woman was proceeding, and thought it
advisable to ap ly a check. -

“ The saints orbid that I should be afther at-
tem ting. to tell a gintleman like yoursclf how
to o the trick; a l I thought was that the
quicker we got the money into our hands the
better,” and Mrs. O’Flannigan winked know-
ingly at the law er.

‘ How much 0 you suppose the father will be
willing to pay?”

“A mighty big sum if he is as rich as I am
tould he is,” the‘widow answered without a mo-

ment’shesitatl'on.

“ Well, I am mall at a loss to understand
who could have tol you anything about the
father; how do you know he is a wealth man 1”

“_ Oho, the birds in the air whispered t e new;
in my ears as they flew by,” the woman replied,
with true Irish Wit. _

“ What sum of money do you think can be
got out of this affair?”

“ If ye wourk it well it ought to be about
twint thousand dollars.”

“ ell, your ideas are anything but modest!”
the lawyer exclaimed after a prolonged whistle
of astonishment. '

“ That’s a small sum for a gurl like this wan.”

“ And how much of that sum do you expect?”

“ Tin thousand. yer honor, will contint me,”
the widow replied. her eyes sparkling as though
she already beheld the money within her grasp.

“ 'lgen , thousand i” cried Wimple, in amuse-
men .

“ h, yis, yer honor, I’ll be contint with that,
and I‘ll not ask a penny more.”

“ No, no, that won’t be right; You hre too
modest in your demands altogether: why don’t
you take the whole twenty thousand?” the law-
yer asked, sarcasticall

 

 

  

“ Shure, I want to be afther giving you a
chance to live as well as myself,” she replied,
grinning in the face of the now thoroughly en-
raged lawyer.

“ I am very much obliged to you for your
kind consideration, but don’t you let your
thoughts of clutching this ten thousand dollars
keep sleep from your pillow, for you‘ll never
get it.

“ You bring the girl to me and I will give you
fifty dollars, and that is all you will get out of
the trick.”

Mrs. U’Flannigan rose in wrath.

“Fifty dollars!” she cried, in supreme con-
tempt, “ to the divil l‘lltpitch yer fifty dollars.
I‘m going to have half 0 all ye get, put that in
your pipe and smoke it.”

“ Oh, if you don’t want the money, I can find.
the girl without your aid; the police will d9 thy]
job for me.”

“ Divil burn yer cops!” cried the widow, we!

til '.

‘3‘ Not all the cops and peelch in the townwim
be able to find the gurl: but I’ll be afthcrfndin'
her father widout you, just you mind thatvnow,
and sorra a cint out of the affair will ye git!”

“ You produce that girl within four and
twenty hours or I’ll make it warm for you !”
Wimple threatened.

“ Oho, go talk to the ducks wid yer boo, boo!
I wasn’t born yesterday, yer blaggzird I" -

And then the widow retreated, boiling over
with anger and leaving the lawyer in a like con-
dition.

“ Ten thousand dollars! the ignorant beast!”
exclaimed the lawyer, as he watched the indig-
nant woman sail frigate—like down the street.
“And she talked of the money as coolly as
then b ten thousand dollars was a trifle that
con] ”be picked up on the street at almost any
time.

And then a bright idea occurred to the legal
luminary. .

Why not follow the woman and track her to
her home?

Such a course would surely lead to the discov~
cry of the missing girl, for, of course. there was-
n’t much doubt that she was under the woman's

care.

“ By J ovel I’ll do it!” he exclaimed, as he
sprun nimny to his feet and seized his hat.

“ l’fi do a little detective business myself and
so save a bi bill of expense. -

“ I haven t anything important on hand this
morning, and I mightas well attend to the busi-

ness myself as to delegate the mattertosome ‘

one else.

“If I attend to the work myself, I will be .

sure that it will be well done.

‘ ‘ And then, too, what a satisfaction it will be
to take this ignorant beast by surprise and show
2:? that she isn’t half so smart as she thinks

e is! ,

' By the time that Wim 10 had finished these
reflections and 0t into street Mrs. F'lanni-
gun was about a block away.

That a watch mightbe set upon her and her
footsteps dogged was something that never oc.
curred to her, and so she never took the trouble
to turn her head to look behind her.

In fact, so enraged was she at the contemptu—
ous treatment which she had received that all
she thought of was how to be avenged upon the
lawyer for his shabby treatment.

“ Aha, the murtherin’ thafe of a lawyer!” she ,.
exclaimed as she strode along.

“ I’ll go bail that I will make him sore and
sorry before he is a week older.

“. Fifty dollars is it? _

“ Oh, mother of Moses! did any one iver hear
the likes of that? I am to get fifty dollars—
me that's got the gurl, and he’s to have twinty
thousand mebbe, jist for sittin’up in his foine
oflioe. and lookin’ wise and grand. ~

“ But 9 won’t et it, me foine lmidv.
buck! Jist put that in er pipe and smo :9 lb: ,_

“ It is meself, the wi dy, Biddy O’Flazmigm'
that’s afther tellin’ ye so. i

“ The father is in the city here somn 97130109
and why can’t I be afther findin’ him as R1388
this thief of a lawyer?

“ Shure, and I can, and phat is more l. mu

“ It is about sixteen yedrs ago since the l
was stolen from her home. How aisy it wifiulie
for to put an advertisement in the new
statin’ all the facts in the case—phat the baby
looked like, and how she can be found now by
addressinga certain place.

“ I can fix it sothat no man will know who
puts the thing in the newspaper, for I can ar—
{ange it so that all the business can be done by
otter. - '

“ And how mad this blaggard of a lawyer
will be whin he wakes up some foine morning
and finds that Mrs. Biddy O’Flannigau has
found the father and collared all the endgand
bad ’cess to me for a blunderin’ ape if that isn‘t
exactly hat I will beafther doin’. The d ,
b ! I’ll ’ache him to talk to me wid his
m'ane fifty do lars whin it’s tin thousand that I
am afther wanting l”

And so muttering to herself afterthis fashion,

ing is, she went on without even taking
troubletoturnherheadtolookbehindher. ., 

   
  

nursing her wrath to keep it warm, as the m I 

v

 

1! .

I 'c

    
 

m

it, 2‘;}‘.‘$T:' ‘ ..

it
t,
4.

 

I

.r..-'

, ' taking the trouble to look to the right orieft.

fig.

,4 .

t!

l
,

er.
, ,’ Well, well. if I haven’t ot this thing
Jamie youcaneall meal tchmanl’ h

'-,. nigan gained t e platform.
a

f  t car just behind the one which
i .; e tered.
- i From the position which he had. chosen it was

Even if shehad had asus icion that she was be-
ing followed and had en eavored to discover
whether it was so or not, it is aquestion whether
she would have succeeded in discovering the
lawyer, for that shrewd worthy, displaying ex—
cellent detective skill in this instance had cross-
ed to the other side of the street and was keep-
in at a safe distance in the rear.

%he portly form of the woman, amply dis-
played by the gaudy—hued shawl she wore, was
visible fully a block away, and it was an easy
job to keep her in sight, and yet remain at
such a distance in the rear as to render detec-
tion difficult.

Mrs. O’Flannigan proceeded strai ht to the
nearest west-side L road station an ascended
the. airs.

To lawyer quickened his pace and was at the
£003 'f the stairs when she passed into the ele-
 depOt.

 

CHAPTER XXIII.
SHADOWED.

THIS was the critical point of the chase, and
Wimple understood that it was so.

Since the establishment of the Elevated roads,
the railroad on stilts in the air, it has been a
favorite dodge of the metropolitan rascals when
they fancied that they were going through the
process which is known as being “shadowed”
to take to the L roads with the idea of throw-
ing the trackers from the trail.

When a man ascends the steps and enters
the station it is an easy matter for him to as-
certain whether there is any suspicious person
in his rear or not.

If there is some one who appears to be watch-
ing him, it is an easy matter for the fugitive
to remain n the platform when the train ar-
rives, and llow that particular one to go by

im.

All the passengers engaged in legitimate busi-
ness as a matter of course will board the train
and go on, and if a single person remains be-
hind it is a pretty good proof that the party is
playing the spy—“piping,”to use the argot of
the detectives.

Then when the fugitive ascertains this fact,
all he has to do is to keep quiet, remain indif-
ferent, and act as if he had not noticed the
circumstance.

Then when the next train arrives, saunter
down to the end of the station, lean up against
the railwa as though it was not the intention
to board the train, and then at the last me-
‘ ment, just as the gates are being closed, make
a rush and get on board.

In about nine cases out of ten the s y not
anticipatin this movement, will be left ohihd,
and even i he is on the watch for just such a
“£232., the second’s start that the fu itive has
will arable him to get on board an prevent
’ ' from executing the same maneuver.

The 3rilninal lawyer, of course, from the na~
sure of his business, was perfectly familiar with

, 4 all this sort of 'thin , and when the woman as

ended the stairs an disappeared in the station,
" ‘ "‘ " a suspicion that she was about to try that

WM

piece of fancy work which among the crooks

and the detectives is known as the “ elevated
throw.”

, So, in order to defeat the movo. if possible, he
ascended the stairs, but did not enter the station
, until just as the train drew up, which, as it hap-
pened, was on] a few seconds after Mrs. O’Flan-

he woman got on board of the train never

Wimple, perceiving this fact, immediately

 7 purchased his ticket, and hastening on .to the
‘ . platform succeeded in getting on the tram just

unit was about to move off, securingha seat in
e woman

,an easy matter for the lawyer to keep his eyes

, \upon the woman and yet escape her observa-

1

. “I
' , toyour ability to outwi a gentleman/about my

tion.
' ‘If she made a movement to rise with the in-

’ tention of leaving the car, he could not fall to
r- notice the fact. .
, findduring all the time occupied by the lon

’ up-town, the lawyer mentally chuckled a
shrewdness which he had disp ayed.
‘“ Inside of an hour. my lady, ‘ he muttered.

you will chan 6 your mind in regard

Zeta/("’he murmured, with the utmost compla-

_ cenc .
‘ , Atythe up—town station nearest to the classic
. precincts of Shantyville, Mrs. O'Flannigan quit-

‘ ted the train. I ‘
Wim le was on the watch for the movement

d fol owed at a safe distance in the rear, and

' suc‘o ed without any difficulty in tracking her

 

shanty which’dis layed upon its outward

i {Jt-ifialls the intelligence t at it was Mrs. O’Flan-

’s grocery store.

 

watched the woman disappear within the uild—
"fix. and then he rubbed is hands gleefully to-
dead
0 ex-

1

 

imple, from a convenientobservation- int,’ -,

 

a ’ ; The Lightweight De‘teCtive.

vi

“The girl is concealed there, of course; a ‘ presume,” Wimple remarked, smiling blandly,

capital good hiding-place, too, for it would be a
shrewd detective indeed who would think of
looking for her in such a hole as this unless he
had a pointer to guide him.

“ Now all I’ve got to do is to storm the fort-
ress and carry off the prize.”

Just at this point a policeman came saunter-
ing along.

As it luckily hap
quainted with the o ‘cer.

He had formerly been in the precinct in which
\Vimple’s office was situated, but for some
neglect of duty had been banished to the dreary
up-town district.

“ Hallo, Mike, is that you ?” Winlple ex—
claimed.

The lawyer always made it a point to be on
friendly

brought him fat fees.

“Aha! is it there ye are, lawyer?” cried the
officer, who was a son of the Emerald isle.
“ Phat are ye afther doin’ up in this quarter?”

“On business, of course.

“ Say, do you know the woman O’Flannigan,
who has 5 the little store yonder?”

The 0 cer did know her, and no good of her
either, he added.

Since his advent in the up—town district the
banished man had endeavored to get into the
good graces of the widow with the idea of se-
curing free whisky even if he was not Success—
ful in the greater task of inducing the widow to
es use him, but she “ wouldn’t have it.”

‘ She has a young girl concealed in her house
that”I am after, an want your aid to get her
out.

The officer looked a little dubious; he was a
new man in the district, but the reputation of
Shantyville had become known to him.

“ Phat has she done, lawyer, and have yez a
warrant for her?”

“ Oh, no; none is needed. She hasn’t commit-
ted an crime; she is simply a young irl under
age w 0 has cut and run from her ome and
found shelter with the widow.

“ Her brother is her legal guardian and I am
his lawyer. ‘

“ Of course it is my duty to take her out of
this place so as to remove from her all evil in-
fluence.” '

And the lawyer winked at the policema

The officer returned the wink and shoo
head knowingly.

“ Do you think she will come widout any trou-
ble, or will she be apt to kick 11 a fuss?”

“ Oh, the girl, I guess wil not make any
trouble, although it is probable that the old wo-
man may be inclined to cut up rusty.”

“ This is a mighty hard place, lawyer, and if
yez will be either taking my advice yez will go
to the station and git the sergeant to back yez
up wid a squad of min."

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” replied the
law or. .

“ on just come along with me and I will
talk to the old woman ill such a way that she
will not dare to dream of resisting the majesty
of the law,” he asserted confidently. .

The policeman shook his head.

He did not feel so sanguine about the matter.

“It’s mighty little that these b’astes men
the rocks care for the law,” he remark . “
it was night-time I know ye couldn’t e the
Sr] unless the old b’aste was willin’, but in the

yli ht mebbe the hounds won’t dare to show
their th.”

“ Oh, I don’t think we will have any trouble.-
Some of the fellows must know me, and if they
do they are aware that I am not a man who
fulfils any nonsense,” the lawyer exclaimed,
oft .

“B’egobl some of these half-grown b’yes up
here wouldn’t think an thin ,of makin’snoots
at the superintendent imse fl” the officer de-
clared.

’And then, he pening to catch a glimpse of a
knot of the i bita'nts who had collected by
the side of one of the distant shanties attracted
by the fact that there was a stranger in conver-
sation with the officer, the metropolitan called
the attention of the other to the group.

' “ There’s some of der gang now,” he said,
“ Bad ’cess to the brutes, they ike no better fun
than murtherin’ a cop wid a rock whiniver they
git the chance.” ’ ‘

“ Oh, there isn’t any doubt that they are a
tough crowd.” the la er observed. “ But
come on and let us interview the widow.”

Wim le marched boldly up to the shanty and

his

lcntere it followed by the policeman.

Mrs. O’Flanni an was in the outer apartment
busily engaged n relating to the “ould man”
the pagticu are of her unsatisfactory interview
with t a law or when the pair entered, and so
eager had s e been to relate the story that
the liad merely laid aside: her bonnet and
s aw .

The entrance of the two took her completely
by surprise. and she jumped to her feet, red with
rage at the intrusion.

There he ‘is now. the dirty thafe of the
wourld!” she yelled. shaking her clinched flat at
the lawyer. V
. ‘ “You didn’texpect tests me so soon again \‘I

1'. «V, \

 

terms w1th court officials, policemen ’
and the like, for their recommendations often l

l

ned, the lawyer- was ac- :

' dcr to: awe the crowd he advan

 

 

and with his eyes roving curiously over the
room in search of something that might denote
the presence of the girl.

He saw immediately that there was an inner
apartment, and took it for granted that the girl
was concealed therein.

“ Bad ’Cess to yees, I hoped niver to have
looked upon yer ugly face ag’inl” she cried.
“ Phat do yees want here wid yer dirthy cop at
yer back?”

 

CHAPTER XXIV.
ran RISING or SHANTYVILLE.

“COME, come, no bad language, you know,” '

the lawyer expostulated.
“ It wouldn’t do you the least bit of good, and
on hgd better by far keep a civil tongue in your

“ I’ll be afther givin’ ye a copper for yer good
advice, for it’s Worth no more,” and the widow
made a low courtesy in mocking politeness.

“ You see I am not a kind of man who stands
any nonsense, and I am right after you as sharp
as a razor.

“ Where’s the girl—in yonder?” and as he ut
the question, Wimple made a movement as if) to
enter the inner room, but the widow immedi-
atel threw herself before the door.

“Stand back out of that!” she yelled at the
top of her voice.

“ Don’t ye dare to be afther intrudin’ into me
private apartments! Phat do yees m’ane by sich
conducts, ye scut of the wourld !”

“ We want the girl that you have concealed in
that room, and you had better ive her up if

on don’t want to get into tron le !” cried the
awyer sternly. havmg made up his mind to
carrv the matter with a high hand.

“ Ye lie, ye biagg’ardl there’s no gurl there i”
yelled the woman at the top of her lungs.

“ We will believe that after we have searcth
the room but not beforel” Wimple retorted.

“ S’arch me apartment!” screamed the wo-
man. “ I’ll be afther breakin’ the fore-front of
yer ose if ye try it.

“ ave ye a warrant for yer dirth business?”

“No warrant is necessary, Wid y O’Flanni-
gun,” spoke the officer sharply at this point.

The metro litan was beginning to at anx-
ious in regar to the crowd without, w 0 were
increasin in numbers each moment, for the
widow’sls rill voice, ringing through the open
doorwa ,, had alarmed the settlement, and like

ahive of bees, the inhabitants of Shantyville .

all rallied immediately upon the slightest warn-
in that danger threatened.

t was an angry-looking crowd, and the ofli~
cer’s uneasiness increased, too, when he noticed
that the majority of the crowd had armed
themselves with the first missile that had come
handy, from rotten tomatoes, ancient eggs, and
decayed potatoes, down to the loose stones lying
so convenient to hand. '

“ No warrant l”screeched the woman.

“If yees was the mayor of the' city, or the .,

Prisident of the United States, ye couldn’t
s’arch me apartment without a warrant!”

And the crowd without 'oined in, in loud and
angry boots, at this bold eclaration.

‘ I m a decent, honest woman. and I want ye
two blagg’ards to git out afore I lose me tem-
gergfidforgit that I’m a real leddy born and

And the widow shock a muscular fist, big
enough to do credit to any butcher, under the
nose of the lawyer.

‘Again the crowd booted, and some urchin on
the outskirts of the gang let fly‘a decayed to-
mato that, striking the doorpost, was shattered
into hits the particles flying over the oflicer,
much to is disgust. ‘

The rage of the policeman was intense: new
unifdrms cost money: they did not grow on ev—

ery bush. .

‘ Ye murtherin’ blagg’ard l” he cried, hoarse
with passion, “if I knew who throw that toma.
tuses ’d break yer head with me club!”

And then came a volume of insultin cries
from the members of the crowd. the yel ers be—
ing on the outskirts of the group concealed be-
hind the rest.

“Get onto the dandy cop!” - i

“ Take a tumble to yourself, Mo iarty l” ’

“ Look at the snoozer wid der c ub I”

“ Oh, hire a hall l” I

The policeman was red with r e, and in or-

. . through the
doorway With upright baton. ’

The gang gave way before him, but only got
out of is lmmediate reach and renewed their
“31:31? crwill t l h’ ’pose 4

u now a-yer er asgone,s on
git out, tool” cried thgoewidow, ,when the pages-
man went to disperse the mob;

“Yer room is a d’ale sight better than yer
company 1” l . ._

“ won’t stir a step without the girl you vile
old harridan !” cried Wimple, losing iii
at finding himself so firmly confronted.

“ Yer blagg’ard—whoopl” and with a wild
Irish yell, the woman, infuriated at, the name
bestowed upon her—which to her mind re-
sented something awful,for it was one Ihgegld

 

a temper \

 

 

   
 

 

L‘ 144

 

’- never heard before—sprung forward and before

.‘n

l

"'Ti‘ie‘,i?giitweight Detective.

17

u...

 

 

the man had a chance to defend himself, plant-
ed a heavy blow full in his chest which sent him
spinning through the door, and if it had not
been for coming in contact with the form of
the burly policeman he would have fallen.

The officer turned immediawa and grabbed
him so as to prevent the lawyer from falling.

And the moment the policeman turned his
back was the signal for the missiles to begin to
fiv.

' Cw-i-y one in the crowd, men, women and
chiidrcii,sccined to have their hands full of things
to hill‘i vw.

And it was a perfect shower of old eggs, pota-
toes, tomatoes, tin can, decayed cabbages and,
in fact, all kinds of rotten vegetables, and last,
though not least, stones from the size of a peb-
ble to rocks, half as big as a man’s head. .

- The volley only lasted for half a minute—Just
the time it took the policeman to enable the law-
yer to re ain his feet, and then when the two
men facet around and drew their revolvers the
crowd scampered away, but the missiles were
still thrown from behind the shelter afforded by
the rocks and from around the corner of the
shantics.

Two more demoralized-looking men than Wim-
ple and the policeman as they faced the gang
were never seen in ShantyVille. .

Their clothing was ruined, being sputtered
over with all kinds of filth, their hats had been
broken by the heavy stones which had fallen
upon them, and their faces were cut and bleed-
in from the damage inflicted by the stones.

goth of them were desperate under the treat-
ment which they had received and were quite
read to use their weapons, but now that the
fac around the gang had disappeared, -
though the flight of stones still continued ac—
com anied by angry cries of:

“ ill the cop!”

“ Murder the bloody spy!”

And similar “pleasant ’ suggestions.

It had been the idea of the assailed man that
the display of their weapons would put their
tormentors to flight, but it was soon apparent to
them that though this had been accomplished,
yet from their “ intrenchments ” behind the
rocks and shantiesthe mob still kept up the at-
tack, and it would not be possible for them to
compel the gang to stop, for they were sur-
rounded on all sides, an it would not be pos-
sible for the two to attack their foes in a half-
dozen different quarters at the same time.

“ W'e’ll have to get out of this!” cried the of-
ficer, in the ear of the lawyer, as they “ put in
their time” in dodging the stones and flourished
their cocked revolvers endeavorin to get a
chance to fire at their assailants, a so enraged
were the two by the vile treatment which they
had received that they would not have hesitated
a moment in sh ting any of the gang if they
could have ot a chance at them.

“ Curse t e scoundrelsl” the lawyer cried.
“ I‘m out in a dozen places!”

“So am I!” replied the officer, “and whin I.
turned to help you I got a paving-stone in the
small of me back that feels as big as if a brick
house had fallen on me.

“ i would have been willing to take me oath
on a stack of Bibles as big as the station—house.
that there wasn’t e. fellerin der gang but phat
had four ‘ ir of hands, for niver since I was
born was. afther seein’ sich pe tin’. .

“ Bad ’oess to the spalpeenl i ’s bruck me toe
is!” yelled the officer, at this point, as a piece of
rock about half the size of a cobblan came
down on his foot.

The crowd fairly howled with delight as they
watched the officer caper about and swear, and
the stones came faster than ever.

By this time there were fully tilt people,
men, women and children engaged in t e agree-
able—to them—occupation of stoning the in-
truders, while the Widow Flannigan stood in
her doorway and encouraged the gangmth war-
like cries.

“ Give it to ’em, b’yes!” she yelled at the top
of her lungs. ‘ .

“ Bad ’cess to the murtherin’ cop and that
black-hearted thai'e of a lawyer!”

‘.‘_We must run for our lives or we will surely
be Killed!” Wimple exclaimed, as a stone fully
as big as boy’s fist descended full upon the
crown of bat, smashing it in and completely
ruining the article besides inflicting a violent
blow on the head. ‘ ' .

“ Go it and kill wan of the b’astes if ye can i”
cried the policeman who had just received a,
stone in the stomach which almost doubled him
up with pain. .

Then, with a yell, the two men started,
discharging their revolvers as they got into mo-
ti - I

on.

The members of the gangowho were in front.
of the two did not attempt stand, but scatter-
ed in all directions in the wildest kind of a pan-
ic, but the others behind at once gave chase,
and then was witnessed the spectacle of the
itwo running for their lives with all of the gang,
».men, women and children, in full chase.

But the moment the fugitives got' out of the
limits of Shantyvillo—got clear of the houses

 

and therocks into the  ground, the pursuit

 

Afar in the distance these hawk-eyed vag-
abonds caught sight of the police-reserve hurry—
ing to the battle-field.

CHAPTER XXV.

BAFFLED AGAIN.
NEWS had been carried to the station-house
that there was a regular riot in progress in
Shantyville and that two policemen had been

hemmed in by the gang and were being mur— ‘

dcred.

The sergeant in command of the police-station 
at once hurried to the scene with all the force ‘

at his command.

And at the approach of the blue-coats, armed
with their long “ night-sticks,” and evidently
prepared for war, the gang who had handled
the two men so roughly disappeared as it by
magic.

And when the police came up to the tw0 men,
who had sat down upon a stone by the wayside
and were cndeavoring with their liandkerchiefs
to remove the blood from their faces and repair
damages as well as they were able, there wasn’t
a soul of the gang to be seen.

Shantyville was as quiet as though it was a
deserted village.

“ Well, well, you’re a nice-looking object!”
the sergeant remarked to the Irish patrolman,
as the rescuing party came up to him.

“ Yis, sor, ye can say that widout the l’aste
taste of a lie, and ye can take me head for a
fut-ball if I don’t feel jist as bad as I look,” the
officer replied, sorrowfully.

“ Upon me wourd if ye hadn’t come jist as ye
did, I bel’ave I would have been dead an hour
a 01 ’ ,/

g“ How are you, sergeant?” said the lawyer,
who, recognizing in the officer an old acquaint-
ance, rose and tendered his hand. ‘

The sergeant had to take a second look at the
speaker in order to be sure that he knew him.

“ Why. can ' believe my eyes? It’s Lawyer
Wim lei”he exclaimed.

“ es, what is left of him,” replied the other,
ruei’ully as he shook hands with the sergeant.

“ Hang me if I didn’t think you were some
old tramp, whom Mike here had captured 1”

The lawyer shook his head as he looked upon
his fine suit of clothes, almost ruined by the
dirty articles which had come in contact with
his erson.

“ ell, I have been in some pretty bad scrapes
in my life but I think this is about the roughest
deal that ever struck.”

“ How did it haplgen?” ,

Then Wimple re ted the particulars of the
whole affair, and when he had finished, the ser-
geant shook his head gravely.

“ Why, Wimple, both you and Mike ought to
have be ter sense than to have tried such a game
up in this district.

“ I tell you what it is, I would no more at-
tempt to into Shantyville to take a man out
without t see or film good men at my back,
than I would go down into a den of Wildcats.
and try to take the cubs away from their
mother.” , ,

“ Well, I understand it now, but I didn’t
then,” the lawyer replied, dolefully.

“ I thought of course that the woman would-
n’t dare to show fight.”

“ Not fight!” exclaimed the officer. “ Whv,
that woman—that Widow O’Flannigan is a holy
terror. .

“I’ve known her to layout the best man in
Shantyville.

“ I would sooner back her to stand up against
Sullivan for four rounds, than half the men who
try the game. She might not down, him, but

she would be there when the fourth n'ound was'

called, you bet!” -
“Sizigeant, I want blood, do ye mind?” ex-
claim the Irish policeman in a rage, as be con-
tem lated his ruined uniform.

“ ’m share I kin identify hali-a-dozen of the
blagg’ands that ‘salted ’ and battered me, and
there was was teller with a wart on’ his cheek
and a turn-up nose, who smashed an egg be-
twane me eyes—and, oh, sergeant! the hinthat
lead that egg ought to have been kilti ayear

a .

“ I am sure I would know that red—headed,
lantern-Jawed, band -le ed b’asto anywhere,
if I didn’t mate him or a housand ears!”

“ All right; We have force enoug , and we’ll
make a general ull; we’ll take in every man.
woman and chil that on think you can swear
to‘lZ‘Ithle officer declared. In .

appear against t t rnal widow!”
the law or exclaimed. ' m

“ l’ll cursed if my chest isn’t sore yet from
the effects of the blow she gave me!”

“She came rettv near knocking you out in
the first man , eh?” suggested the sergeant.

“ When I get her in a police court I’ll knock
her out i” the lawyer replied, vindictively.

“And I’ll get a chance to search the house.
too, now, and see if the girl is hidden there: I
do not doubt that she is, and that is the reason
the woman kicked up the row. ”

“That doesn’t follow. , I have known her for
,nearly ten years now, and I never knew the
time when 8 o wasn’t ready for a fig t, [with or
without provocation. _. I , ~ ,r I ,

“Itshewasamanshe’d. the ' prise-

  
    
 

 

iii-36E

  
  
 
 
 
 
  
   
   
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  
    
  
   
   
   
  
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
   
      
   
   
   
  
 
  
 
 
 
   
  
   
   
   
  
    
  
  
   
  
    
    
  
    
 
   
   
    
 
  
   
  
   
  
    
    
    
  
 

fighter that ever stepped into a ring; as it is she
has managed to knock out every man who has
dared to stand up against her, but I don’t think
she Wlll knock this gang out to-day.” and the of—
ficer glanced with an air of admiration upon his
well-a1 med, determined—looking men.

" Mind, boys, no nonsense with these terriers
t0~da ',” he continued.

“ if) any of them attempt to show fight, go in
and lay ’cm right out.

“ \\'e have got to teach this gang a. lesson
some time.and we might as well get in our work
to-day as any other time. Forward!”

Away the column went.

As they entered the. settlement not a soul was
to be seen. except a few old men and women,
and some little children who had been too young
to take any part in the fight. .

“ Old fellow. I reckon we are only going to
have our labor for our pains,” the sergeant ob-
served to Wimple, after the party had got Well
into the settlement and the fact that the town
was almost deserted had been ascertained.

“ The gang that gave you such a lively fight
have cometo the conclusion that discretion is
the better part of valor. and they have skipped.”

“ Well. if the girl has gone I shall be a e to
get on their track,” remarked the lawyer, at-
tempting to console himself with the reflec- ~
tion. ‘~ 

But to the astonishment of all of them, when
the grocery store of the widow was reached,
there sat the buxom dame, in the open door-
way, conversing with old Tom O’Hare as pla-
cidly as though nothing at all out of the way
had happened.

“ Thetop of the mornin’to ye, sergeant, dear,”
she said, with the utmost politeness, rising and
dropping a courtesy as the policemen halted

outside of the door. ’

“ It’s sorry I am to see ye in the company of ,
sich a blag ard as this thafe of a lawyer l” and 
she scowl darkly at Wimple as she spoke. ‘43:.

“ Mrs. O’Flannigan, this is pretty . rough ' ,1
treatment that your gang has given this omcer . 

allth gentleman, the sergeant remarked, = s.
y.

“ My gang l” exclaimed the woman, throwing
up her hands. I
“ Oh, the saints be good to me! did iver any
one hear the like of that? and me as innocent as

a kitten!

“ Shore I had nothin’ at all to do wid the at-
tack on the cop, and I’ll go bail that a decent
gintleman like him will niver go for to sav a lie
ag‘in’ a r widdy woman.”

“ No, haven’t anything to say ag’in her,"
the policeman admitted, except that when she
let agyell out of her the gang began to ‘ rock’
me. ,

“ Share, it was only the childers with their
foolishness,” the widow explained. ‘ _

“ Well, I have a charge to make against her!”
Wimple exclaimed, “ and, I want you to take
her in, officer.” '

“And I’ve a wourd to say ag’in' him, ser-
geant, and I want yees to run him in 1” the wid~
ow exclaimed. ‘

“ He ’sulted me when I ordered him to l’ave
me store and it’s black and blue I am, and
gomlap’liare here, a decint man, will swear.

I

“ Faith and I will, sergeant, and if it hadn’t , 
been for the b’ es outside I bel’ave he would i"
have kilt the wi dy l” the old man protested. '-

“ Come along, and the justice will settle who .
is to blame; and now, Mrs. O’Flannigan, I want
to examine our premises.” the ofl‘icer said.

“Certain , se cant, dear, I’m always glad
toseeagin eman 'ke yourself inmehouse.” ’

And without the least reluctance she allowad
the police to search the house. ‘ ' '

the sergeant had ex from her man-
ner 9 girl was not foun nor any signs to do-
note that she had:been in the house. _

Wimple jam to the conclusion that shehad '
taken advantage of the delay and escaped with. .
the other fugitives. ‘

_ Mrs. O’Flannigan was the only prisoner
tured during the raid, for there wasn’t a

one in the settlement whom either the lawyer
or the policeman could/ idenfify as having been
concerned in the attack. ’ .

The party proceeded straight to the Yorkville
Police Court which was in session, and the case a 5
was tried without delay. . ' ’

As it happened the judge who presided was  f
not an uaintance of the lawyer, and ‘ ’
actively mixed up in local politics, with an ami-
bitious longiiig for a higher_sphere than the ono_
he now-occupied. he wasdisposed to deal leni-
ently with a woman who possessed as much \
influence as did the widow with the votes of
the district. , - 

All that Wimple could swear to was one b =
while the widow swore she received a dozen, all}.
old Tom backed up her story. . -

“ You ought not to bring such a case as, thh
into ocurt,” was the judge’s decision. “ You '
were in the wrong to. attempt to scare her '
house without a warrant and you ought to w' .‘ .
better. Case is dismissed." ' ‘ l  ,

, The widowdeparted in triumph while the law— ' :, ‘.>
yer had a cab called and wasdriven down—to '
immediately set the detectives tow
girl. He Was eager for vengeance”

i

 

   
  

 

       

 

 

‘ I was placed in the dungeon.

‘ weight conversed fluently in that language they

do ll ht.
, Kt Iast the governor intended to get rid of his

’ not effected a cure of her idiotic passion—as her

‘ filmy by selling the can

CHAPTER XXVI.
IN DURANCE VILE.

WHEN Hugh Strong awoke from the stupor
produced by the heavy blows which he had re-
ceived from the butt of Black Bud’s revolver he _
found himself in about as unpleasant a position I
as the wit of man couid well devise.

From the blows he experienced but little in-
convenience, for he had too hard 9. head to squcr i
materially from a few light ps‘, for so he con-
sidered the blows of the cracks 1am to be.

The Lightweight possess d to a great degree ,
the wonderful wild-beast faculty of seeing in 1

I

 

the dark; this gift he had acquired during a
three months‘ imprisonment in an Algerine dun-
geon, beneath an old castle, a relic of the feudal
times, and in his cell the sun never shone.

Hugh’s love of adventure had led him into this
plight.

The ship to which he had belonged had stop-
ped at the Algerine port, and with some of his
shipmates the young American had gone ashore
to see the sights.

An Aigcrlne lady of noble birth, the daughter
of the governor of the castle which defended
the port happened to catch sight of the hand-
some young “ Frank,” as all the white men are
usually called in the Eastern dime, and the girl’s
heart was touched.

She found a way by means of a faithful slave
to communicate with the American, and he had
pluck enough to accept the appointment which
she tenderei .

He Scaled the high wall of the garden attached
to the governor’s palace wherein the girl resided
and under the spreading branches of the olive
trees held delightful converse with the maiden.

She was the governor’s favorite dau hter,
had been educated in France, and as the .ight-

found no difficulty in understanding one
another.

Half—a—dozen of these stolen interviews were
held, and then by an unlucky chance the lovers
were discovered.

The young American would have offered a
desperate resistance and undoubted] would
have effected his esca . for he was We 1 armed
and fully a match for llama-dozen of theclumsy
and cowardly Algerines, had not the girl in her
terror thrown her arms around him and so im-
peded his efforts. .

After bein captured he was conve ed to the
dos t and arkest cell that the cast e boasted,
an the matter was managed so secretly that
none of his shi mates were able to find out what
had become 0 him, and it was the eneral im-
pression that he had been murdered y some of
the Algerine cut-throats, always on the watch
:3; European victims, and his body cast into

sea.

The ehi sailed withOut him and for three
Ion mont s he lay in the dark dungeon without
a gle glimpse of the blessed sun and never
seeing a soul besides the ne ro who acted as his
jailer and brought him 1 and water.

During this time the eyes of the prisoner be-
came soaccustomed to t e gloom of his prison
cell that he was able to distin ish objects as
well as though he had the f benefit of the

soner.

He had sent his daughter to visit some rela-
tives in the interior, and they had reported that
the girl seemed to be as crazy about the youn
Frank as ever, and that time and absence ha

father considered it—for the stran er.

The governor did not want to ll the youn
man, although in his opinion he richly deserv .
death for daring to lift his eyes to the Algerine
maid, for he was a little afraid that by some
ill-chance he might be called to an account for
the crime, and then too he could turn'an honest
man as a slave

the traders who tr ck with the interior.

But the long confinement had not tamed the

rit of the young man, and when he was
brought forth at the midnight hour to be
oonyeyed to the traders’ vessel. he was all pre-
pared for a desperate attempt to escape.

He had managed to secretean old knife, which
had been furnished him at his meals, and had
constructed a saw from it, and had Worked at
his fetters which confined his wrists. until he had
marl cut them through, so when he was
row out to the trading-vessel which lay in the

harbor, his guards had little idea that he was
almost as good use free man.

Believing that the “Frank” was securely
tattered. the guards did not trouble themselves
to carry him below after he was placed, on
board of the vessel, but allowed him to remain

ondeck.‘

Immediately after the prisoner’s arrival the
trading-vesse was gotten under way, and no
sooner was she under full headway than Hugh'
snapped the handcuffs asunder with the great—
eotease and leaped overboard.

He was wall prepared for such a desperate
attempt, for he was attired in the lightest kind
of costume, wearing only a shirt and an old pair
of breaches, the Algerine Jailer having helped

- me. ” ,

 

himaelf to all his clothes immediately after he

The Lightvveight Detective.

The vessel was a clumsy one, the Moors poor i not the least doubt that in some way he would

sailors, and although the alarm was instantly
given that the captive had plunged into the sea,
no one on board of the craft had the slightest
suspicion that the prisoner was a free man, but i
all supposed that in his desperation he had pre- -
ferred death to slavery, and had leaped into the
sea. to find a grave beneath the dark watcrs;so
when the vessel was finally put about and she
cruised up and down in search of the fugitive
without succeeding in discovering him, the Al—
gerines came to the natural conclusion that he
had perished.

Hugh was an excellent Swimmer, could dive
like a duck and remain under water for five
minutes at a time, and as the night was a dark
one_he had no trouble at all in evading the Al-
gerines.

Twice the vessel came within a hundred feet
of him as he swam steadily toward the lights of
a shi ) which he had noticed riding at anchor as
the lgerine vessel put to sea, and from the
peculiarities of her build and rig the Light-
weight judged that she was either American or
En lish.

ugh gained the deck of the ship without any
difficulty, although he came within an ace of
being shot by the sailors on watch, who jumped
to the conclusion that he was an Algerine
water-rat, as the thieVeS who prey on the ship-
ping are usually termed.

The skipper of the English craft was true to
the doctrine of his country which declares that
the British flag protects all it in aves over, and
the fugitive received a hearty welcome, was en-
rolled among the crew, and, With the ship, bade
Algiers a long farewell. ‘

We have taken pains to relate this incident at
length, for it fully reveals the (logged deter—
mination of our ero’s character. and illus-
trates by what strange chances he acquired
the gifts which made him so truly marvelous a

man.

The faculty which he had acquired during his
sojourn in t e Algerine dungeon, of seeing in
the dark, stood him in ood stead now.

So when he recover his senses, sat up and
looked around him, he had not the slightest dif-
ficulty in making out all the surroundings as
soon as his eyes became accustomed to the

place. ,

“ Well, this is a lively deal,” he remarked,
when he had fully mastered all the details of
the situation.

“ This place is about on a par with that Al-
gerine dungeon, excepting that that was con-
structed out of stone while this seems to be hol-
lowed out of the solid rock.

“ There’s a spot over there, though which
seems to be earth, and if it is, I shouldn’t be

rised if I can rform a featinthe en eer-
ing line which wiHebe a t to make this addy
Blazes o n his e es, if can contrive to get rid
of these andcu sand find something which I
can turn into a diggin tool. '

“There are two its in the way. but mystar
has carried me through too many difficulties for
me to doubt that 1 shall be able to get out of
this scrape.

“ It is considerable of a joke on me in the
amateur detective line to be captured by the
man whom I had come to entrap; that is turn-
in the tables with a vengeance, but there is an
01 saying that he laughs best who laughs last,
and it may be so in this case,” he mused, as he
reflected upoa the situation.

“ So far,the advantage is most decidedly with
Daddy Blazes; there is no use of my attempting
to i ore the fact.

“ e has succeeded in getting me in a tight
place and no mistake; but now that he has suc-
ceeded in capturing me, what is he going to do
with mel.

“ Another point!

“Who was the man who came to the old fel-
low’s assistance and to whom I am indebted for
those scientifically administered cracks on the
head which so quickly laid me out?”

The captive pondered over this matter for a
few moments.

“ It is dollars to cents in in opinion that it
was the man I was after, this lack Bud in per-
son.
“ He evidently was concealed in the room
somewhere, though where is a mystery, for
there did not seem to be any room to hide so big '
an object as a man away. ‘

“But I’m rather quick to jump to that con-
clusion though. for who would be apt to sup—
pose that there was any such hole as this around
the shanty.

“ I suppose I am in the cellar of the house, al-
though from the outside there wasn’t any indi-
cation that the shanty had a cellar.

“ I am on thascent though, anyway, and if I
had not been hot on the trail, there wouldn't
have been any excuse for trying to get rid of

 

 

CHAPTER XXVII.
PRISONER AND JAILER.
THIS was a consoling thought and did much
to relieve the mind of our hero.
He had struck the right Scent at the begin-

 

ning. and iii his 0 inion, although at reacnt
his adversaries  the advantage, yet e had

V; 1,.

 

succeed in getting out of the scrape.

He rose to his feet and made a careful survey
of his dun eon.

The dar section of the wall which he had
taken to be earth he found to be plank, but
from the sound that they gave when he struck
them with his clinched fist, he felt satisfied that
the wood was placed against solid earth.

This discovery gave the prisoner a deal of
satisfaction.

“When this apartment was constructed it is
very evident that the man who planned it had-
n’t any notion that it would be used as a. prison
house or else he neverwould have formed a part
of the wallout of planks.” the captive observed,
communing with himself after the fashion of
men much used to solitude.

“ From their looks, having entirely lost their
original color. it is probable that they have been
in their position fora good long time, possibly
ever since the place was built, and the must be
pretty well rotted by this time from t eir close
contact with the earth behind them.

“Then, too, there comes in another point:
what is the nature of the soil which requires to
be plunked up in this manner?

“ Loose, sandy stuff of course, or else the
wall 1would keep in place Without requiring the

Ian '8.
p “If it was hard solid earth no boards would
be required.

“ Ergo then, the moment I get the planks
awayl will find it an easy matter to tunnel
through the sand, and I will contrive to remove
the planks so that I can replace them again
when I have realism to fear interruption, and so
I can conceal what I am doing, until I get
ready to Ievant for end.

He never trouhl his mind in regard to the
method of removing the planks, un rovided as
he was with tools, nor how he won] be able to
tunnel through the earth. '

Time enough to attend to these details he be.
lieved when he was about to commence the.

work.

He did not for an instant doubt that he would
be able in some way to accomplish the task.

The first thing to be done was to remove the
handcuffs.

As long as he was fettered he would not be
able to accomplish much.

He felt in his pockets and discovered that-
while in his insensible state some one had “ gone
through ” him in the most thorough manner.

“ They took even my knife,” he soliloquized,
“and there is where t ey were wise, for with
such a tool as that I Would have made quick‘
work in getting out of this place.”

The knife.to which the young man referred
Was one of the pattern much in favor with sea-
faring men.

A single-bladed tool, the blade about five ,
inches long by three-quarters of an inch wide,
and when it was opened a spring in the back
held the blade in p ace and prevented it from
closing, so that in an emergency it made a pretty
serviceable weapon.

“ I am not so well posted about handcuffs as I i
might be,” he observed as he began his exami-
nation of the ‘ ‘ bracelets. ”

“ Aha!” he exclaimed in accents that denoted
a great deal of satisfaction, after a careful
scrutiny of the ornaments.

“ It is as I thought it might be,”he continued,
and then seating himself upon the edge of the
old table in the center of the room, he roceeded
to squeeze his right hand through the undead.

It was a rather ti, ht fit, but after a few mo— .
ments’ patient trial e succeeded.

This was what he had referred to when be ex-
claimed: “ It is as I thought it might be!” ,
The Lightweight was gifted with an extra
large wrist oined to a medium-sized hand, so *
that when a andcufi’ was adjusted to fit on the
wrist it was almost certain that the ownerof the
wrist would be able to slip his hand through the

steel band.

“ And as my right hand is a. trifle larger than
my left there isn’t any doubt I shall be able to ;
get the cuff of! of the other wrist without any
difficulty. . *

“ That leaves me free to work and old Daddy .
Blazes will find that he has made a big mistake '1
if he thinks he can keep me in this dungeon cell i
any lon er than I desire to stay.” I.

Then e slipped the handcuff on again.

“ There, no one would suspect that I could do
the trick so easily!” he exclaimed with a great
deal of satisfaction.

“ Now I’m‘going to take a nap,” he continued. .
“ The bed is not an inviting one,” and he cast a.
critical glance at the heap of straw in the '
corner, ‘ but I shouldn’t be surprised to dis-
cover that I have slept on worse in my time,
and if any one plays the spy u 11 me in my
sleeping hours they will find me a lright, a help—
less prisoner as securelyin Daddy Blazes‘s power
as arat in a tra .

“ I am not in the least in a. hurry,” he contin-
ned. as he threw hi self upon the pile of straw,
“and rhaps this ture, which certainly ap— ,

rs be a very ha thing for me at the first
lush, may turn out to be the best stroke of luck :4
which could have ha néd to me. for by bein ti
placed here one of e secret holes connected

sat.

at ,.

 

 

 

19

 

I, I  Lightweight Detective.

 

with the old shanty is revealed to me and I am

iven a clew where to look for others, for I

aven’t the least doubt that the fox has more
than one.

“ Then,too, the chances are at least a bun-
dred to one that he will interview me for the
pur mse of learning what my little game is.

“ e will get some information out of me, and
in return I may secure some from him, although
he will in >t be apt to giVe me any if he knows it,
but his \’(‘1‘)' questions to me will be apt to aid
me in spite of the caution he undoubtedly Will
try to use.”

And while cogitating upon this pleasant pros-

pect the Lightweight fell fast asleep, sinking in- l

to slumber without the least trouble and in no

vay worried by the fact that he was a prisoner i

in the hands of a man who would be apt to
prove a vindictive foe, particularly to an enemy
who was helpless in his grasp.

For fully six hours the captive slept the sleep
of the just and then he was suddenly awak—
gned by the rays of a lantern flashed upon his

ace.

He opened his eyes and behold Daddy Blazes
seated by the table, upon which. was placed a
tubular lantern, flanked on one Slde by a small
loaf of bread and on the other by what appeared
to he a bowl of coffee.

In the hand of the old man glistened an n ly-
looking bowie-knife, and the manner in whith it
was displayed made the fact quite plain that
Daddy Blazes was afraid to trust himself alone
unarmed with the prisoner, even though the
captive was handcuffed.

“Come, rouse up. I want to have a talk with
you,” the old man remarked, when he perwived
the other open his eyes, awakened from his
peaceful sleep by the glare of the light.

The Lightweight sat up.

“ I say, daddy!” he exclaimed, “ whoever
made this bed was not particular enough; it
seems to me as if there was a lot of cobble-
stones under the straw.”

The old man frowned; this levitypn the part
of the captive was not at all to his liking. It
had been his idea that the stranger would not
be quite so unconcerned considering the pre-
dicament he was in.

“ You don’t like your quarters, eh i”

“ Oh, the lace is well enou h,” Hu h answer-
ed, careless y, “and the bun woul n’t be bad
if there was a little more straw and the stones
were taken out.”

“ You are in a tight place, young man!” Dad-
dy Blazes exclaimed, sternly. .

“ Oh, yes but I have beenin tighter places in
my time,” the other answered.

‘ Well, now, I doubt that!”

“ You don’t ow anything about it!” the
Lightweightre rted.

So what right have you got to say anything
about it!

“Talk about something you know, Daddy
and then you will never make a bad break.” '

“ Well, of all the impudent scoundrels that I
ever met, I think you are the worst!” the old
man exclaimed, enraged at the speech of the

our opinion, no doubt, but it ain’t
worth shuc s. ‘

.“ Now in my time I have met with a lot of
villains; you are about as u ly in person, and in
face, as any of them but I ve met a dozen or
two who d don le discount you when it
comes right own to bloody work.

“ Wait until I get throu b with you, and then
you may have reason to change your opinion!”

the old man growled.

“ Oh, you can’t scare me with your threats!”
the captive rejoined. '

“ I want you to understand that I have seen
barking dogs before.”

“ You will find that I am one of the kind that
not only barks but bites as well!”

“ I will believe it when I know it be a fact!”

“ Your present position ought to be some
proof.”

“ Not a bit of it!

“ I was hot on the trail of the man I sought;
he took advantage of a favorable opportunity
and layed me out; then in order to give him
{lime to escape you decided to shut me up in this

0 6.

“There is the whole thing in a nutshell; that
is the truth and you know it.

y“ When Black Bud is out of danger you will
release me.” A

“ Oh. no, not until I learn your secrets,
and I have made up my mind to force you to

talk.
“ I have your breakfast here. but unless you

’ tell me what I wish to learn I shall take it awa

and leave you to starve!”

 

CHAPTER XXVIII.
run nounsr 'rnuru.

Wm: the utmost malignity the old man hissed
out the threat. ’ , '

But much to the astonishment of Daddy
Blazes. the captive was not in the least appalled
by the threat. .

In fact he actually laughed in the face of the

man.

    

//

“ Perhaps you don’t think that I am in ear—
nest in this matter,” Daddy Blazes observed.
“If that is your thought you never made a
bigger mistake in your life, for I mean every
word I sa V.”
“ Oh, I don‘t doubt that in the least,” the
Lightweight replied.
“ That wasn’t what I was laughing at.”
“ What then ’f”
“ Why, at the idea that you were donkey
enough to think that you can scare a man like
, myself with threats, and then, too, the thought
came to me that if you questioned me upon any
I point that I didn’t care to post you on, how easy
it would be to either swear to you that I didn’t
! know anything about it, or else stuff you with
some lie hatched to suit the occasion.”

“ Well, I must say that you are a candid sort
of a rooster,”the old man growled.

“ Oh, yes; there isn’t any mistake about that.
That is the kind of a chap I am.”

“ In this case clever as you think yourself,
neither of your little games will work,” Daddy
Blazes remarked.

“In the first place, I know that you possess
the information that I desire, and so no amount
of swearing that you may indulge in will turn
me from my purpose, and in regard to the sec-
ond, I am so situated that I shall be aware
whether you are telling me the truth or not, so
you cannot fool me in that way.”

“ Armed at all points, eh ?” ,

And the captive laughed as if he regarded the
matter as being a jest and was not at all disposed
to take it in a serious light.

Daddy Blazes did not know exactly what to
make of the Lightweight.

The fellow was brave enough; there wasn‘t
any doubt in regard to that; and tolerany
shrewd, too, but still it seemed as if his bravery
was of the foolhardy kind, or else he would nev-
er have attempted single-handed to take a pris-
oner out of Shantyville.

The only reason the old man Could assign for
his‘ conduct was that he really did not know
the extent of the danger to which he was ex-

posed.

“ Well, I fancy that before you get through
with me you wil come to the conclusion that it
would have been far better for 3 cu if you had
not allowed yourself to become mixed up in this
affair, for I want you to understand that you

are about as near eath as on will ever come
until yep actually feel the eath-rattle in your
throat.

“ So on may think, but you are no prophet,
and I out believe you really know anything
about it,” the other retorted.

B the time the old man had come to the con-
clus on that it Was merely wasting breath in en-
deavo to make an impression upon the pris-
oner, an so he vo up the attempt and came
at once to the su ject he had in view.

“ I told you I was in search of information,”
he remarked, “and to begin at the beginning,
who are you anyway?”

“ Well, I don’ believe you will much in-
formation out of my answer, for don’t think
yoiu eEver heard of me before,” the other re-

0 n . '

“ My name is Hugh Strong.”
1i “ fife you in the public or private detective

ne

“ N ary detective.”

“ Oh, come, come!” exclaimed Daddy Blazes,
impatiently. “ There isn’t.any use for you to
heat about the bush with me.

“ If you are not a detective, what are you
doing here in disguise?”

“ Disguise!” exclaimed Hugh.

“ Yes; that is what I said,’ answered the old
man. testily.

“You are in disguise, of course, for you are
not a sailor.”

“ Oh, ain’t I? Well, old chap, that is just
where you are out of your reckoning, for I am
a sailor, and though I say it who shouldn’t, for
gag-praise I despise, I am as good an able-

wheel.”

“ What are you doingulgere then? Why did
you mix yourself up in t ' matter?” '

“W I am after a stake of course. If I

by
succeed In capturing Black Bud it would be a
good bit of money in my pocket.”

“ I wasn’t aware that therewas an reward
offered for his capture,” Daddy B azes re-
marked.

“ Some time LEgo there were parties who would
have been w ng to have given something
handsome for his capture, but all the offers have
been withdrawn.”

“Oh, no: I am actingonbehalfofa man who
will y me well if I can take the cracksman.”

“ ho is it i” asked the old man, bluntly.

“ Franklyn Bookingham."

The old man had a, command over his
features and it was bu seldom that he was be-
trayed into exhibiting any emotion what-
eVer.

But on this occasion he was so completely
taken by_ surprise that he could- not refrain
from a slightstart indicative of the amazement
which he felt.

The name was the very last one which he ex-

ear. .

 

pectedtoh

ed seaman as ever took his trick at the,

 

“ Franklyn Bookingham !” he exclaimed, re-
flectiver trying to conceal the astonishment
which he had been betrayed into exhibiting.

“Why, why it seems to me as if that name
was familiar to me.”

“ Oh, yes, he’s one of your big New Yorkers.”
the Lightweight answered, careleSSIy, acting as
if he had not noticed the quick stait given by
the other, which, however, had not escaped the
notice of his quick eyes, trained by a life of ob-
servation.

“Yes, es; I remember now. I was sure I
had hear the name somewhere.

“But he is neither attached to the police de—
partment nor in the private detective line if I
remember rightly,” Daddy Blazes observed.

“ “'ell, I reckon not!” the other exclaimed,
scornfully.

“ A man who is worth about twenty millions
isn’t apt to trouble his head about such mat-
tars.”

“ Oh, is he a man of that stamp?” the old
man asked, as though he was not familiar with
the facts in the case.

“ So it is said; twenty millions or thereabouts.
The world is not particular you know to a mil-
lion more or less when estimating the wealth of
these money kings.”

“ And you say you are acting in behalf of this
man?”

“ That is my statement.”

“ What does such a nabob want with this poor-
wretch of a cracksman?

“ What is such a man as Black Bud to
him?”

The Li htweight hesitated for a moment.

I’Vas it t to disclose the whole truth or not?

He could easily pretend that when he had
been instructed to capture John Buddock, the
reason why the man was wanted was not made
known tohim.

It would be an utter impossibility for the old
man to tell whether it was the truth or not.

Or, on the other hand, he could reveal exactly
why the cracksman was pursued.

But a second’s reflection showed him that this
would not be the wisest course to pursue, for it
would serve to put the old man on his ard if
he had anything to do With the matter. and
Hugh had conceiv the idea that Daddy Blazes
was the o-betwee who arranged the details of
the attac who acted as the agent of the se—
cret enemy who apparently bore such a hatred
to e lprosperous merchant, and who
the too to carry out the plans conceived by the
master-scoundrel.

Upon deliberation then, he came to the con—
clusion that it would be the wisest plan only to
reveal a rt of the truth.

Somet ' might be gained by so doing, and,
asfaras e adventurer could see,nothing
would be lost.

“ Well, see here old man, I don’t know as I
ought to give this snap away,” the Light-
weight remarked, keeping up to the life his
assumed c r of the reckless, devil-may-

capsular.

“You had better, for you are in a tight
place here, and unless I see that you are ' ~
posedto do what I want, it will go hardwith
you ” the old man replied, threateningly.

“Well, I don’t know as it will do much
harm,” the other remarked, in a musing sort
20f way, as if he was meditating over the mat—

r.
“ You know that I am after Black Bud, and
what dinerence does it make if you are also
aware of why he is wanted?”

“ None at all.”

“I an pose it was the cracksman who gave
me the icks on the head that laid me out?”
Hu b said, abruptly.

“ on can suppose anything you like. There
isn’t any law ag’in’ it as far as I know,” an-
swered the old man, with a grin.

“Well, I only wanted to know so that I
might have an opportunity to return the fa-
vor one of these ays.” -

‘f You had better wait until you get out of
this scrape before you begin to calculate about

tting into another.” the old man observed.
.‘ But come to the point. Why does this Book-
ingham want Blac Bud captured!”

Because he is the man who set flreto his"

house in Forty-second street the other night ”
Again Daddy Blazes started, for this was the
second time that he had been completely taken

by surprise. I

“Oh, that is absurd !” he exclaimed, en—
deavor-mg to conceal the annoyance he felt.

“ Black Bud is a crocksman—a housebneaker.
18inch} crime as arson is entirer out of his

no.

“ He did this job for all that. for there’s a.
witneu who can swear dead inst him.”

This positive statement perplexed the old '

man.

He did not doubt its truth, for if it was'not
true, how bad suspicion fastened so
upon the cracksman? Immediate measures
must be taken to meet this blow, so the old
man roae.

“ Well, on will not catch Bu‘ddock this time. I‘ -
you must content yourself to remain 3

sea a
re Ior a while.”

then be deported.

quickly "

 

 

 

 

so

The Lightweight Detective.

 

CHAPTER XXIX.
'rnn LAWYERS.
NEVER in all his life had the criminal lawyer
been so thoroughly enraged as at his defeat by
, the old woman.

Not only had his feelings been lacerated, but
his person had suffered.

He had been struck fift times at least by the
missiles which had been urled with such right
good will, and he showed a couple of score, or
more, of black and blue spots, to say nothing of
the cuts on his face, as proof of the damage he
had received.

He thought there was a chance to make some
money out of the affair, and now he was after
blood as well.

The girl was in the possession of the old we-
man; there wasn’t much doubt about that; or
at all events she knew where she was concealed,
and thanks ‘to the knowledge which the sup-

sed mother of the child, the dead Polly Hib-

ard, had confided to him, he knew the parent-
age of the 11"], and this was where he had a
most decide advantage over Mrs. O’Flannigan,
who evidenly was in total ignorance of the fact,
and as far as Wimple could see there wasn’t any
way by which she would be able to gain the in-
formation which had only come to the mother
of the child in the strangest fashion and purely
by accident.

Apparently the chances were all in his favor,
" with the exception of the fact that he did not

know the whereabouts of the girl.
But this was a difficulty t at he thought
could be easily remedied.
He felt perfectly satisfied that Mrs. O’Flan—
 , ,nigan either had the gig] in her possession or
,2 ‘.,_ knew where she could found.
v ‘ In fact he felt retty well satisfied that the
girl was in the ol woman’s shanty when he had
visited it, or else she would never have kicked
' name}: a row when he proposed to search the
. ' ce.
3,, , y p That she was not found by the police‘ when
 ‘ - :hey searched the house was easily accounted
‘5 0r.
‘- After the repulse of himself and the officer by
4the hosts of Shantytown, the old woman had
V calculated upon his returning with so strong a
* force of police that she‘ would not be able to
resist them. even when backed by all the gan
that resided amid the rocks, and so the gir
had been hurried awayto some other hidin -
place, but that she could be found Wimpe
nothing doubted.
’ Revenge as well as avarice was now hurrying
,-., him forward, and he was determined to leave
no stone u turned to accomplish his purpose.
As one o ' the leading criminal lawyers in the

, city he was of course well acquainted with all

the private detective firms in the city, and, as
' _' ,we have reviouslv stated, he set them all at

Work to d scover the girl.
- He did not employ one firm alone, but went

.  “ , ', to every private detective office in the city that

. amounted to anything.
 ‘ “I want to find a girl named Milicent Hib-
 " hard,” he stated to each and ever; one.
' “ Daughter of a woman called oily Hibbard,
“who used to live in Fiftieth street, near First
 avenue. ' ‘
,' “ The girl is about seventeen, with dark brown
,7  hair and eyes of the same color. Is sup losed
“ 'to have been in the house of the Widow idrly
,f .; O’Flannigan, in Shantyville up to esterday
 i‘“ mornin , and is now probably conc ed in the
‘ house 0 some friend of this woman.
,3 l “I will give a hundred dollars to be brought
‘ “ does to face with the girl.”

 v This was quite a iberal offer. and all the de-
' tectives immediate y said that they would “ go
 in" for it.

I." Some of them. more curious than the rest,
 1ventured to ask the lawyer why he was so anx-
ious to find the girl. ' !
5 ‘1 . ‘. To the question he replied at once with the
9‘» ' / v'appearance of the greatest frankness, for he was
' " ed for Just such a thing, that he wanted
as a wit ess.

Her test men was of considerable impor-
tance in a certs 11 case. and he was willing to go
‘g as gh as a hundred dollars for it. '

1 ' . ow this seemed to be a reasonable explana-

"  the detectives were satisfied that for

,, xv V‘Onceh in his life the lawyer had spoken the
Aft? this bit of machinery was put into
n the lawyer mused over the situation a

‘ ’b . .

- , "‘ Now it is just possible that this infernal
m 'Irishwomsn may succeed in finding out the
xiii/Arguth ikn aegard to the parentage of the girl,” he

 mar e .

.Y i“ It is not likely, but as the French say: ‘ It
" ‘ is the unexpected that is always happening. ’

in" , ' “ So it helicoves me to be on my guard against
5,. '- 1.; anything of the kind; therefore it seems to me
“at the quicker I put myself in communication
filth the old man's lawyers the better.”

, t Promptness in action was one of the lawyer's
‘ ,_  merits, and in this matter he allowed no
ff line to mate waste.
'4  "Quarter of an , hour later he was on lower
g grossiway, ascending by means of that 4
‘ Iliad-saver, the elevator to the third floor of
‘1 one at the Insulin) bulldin

1 .

 

 

2’9}

   

 

  

gs devoted   g

with which the lower end of New York’s great
artery abounds.
“Batterkin, Jones & De Courcy” was the
eminent legal firm of whom he was in search.
Of all the “high-toned” legal firms in the

metropolis none ranked higher than this one I

whom we have mentioned.

Batterkin, the senior partner, had served his
country as a senator at Washington. besides
having been honored by his fellow-citizens with
a dozen minor ofilces; Jones—the head of the
ancient family known as the \Vashington
Heights J ones—was one of the ablest lawyers in

the country; Judge Jones, he was always called, .

having worn the ermine for a long term of

cars. I
He was the brains of the office, attending to
the'getting up of the cases, while De Courcy, a 1
who once ‘

descendant of the English family
owned a square mile on the East River, attend-
ed to all the office business, receiving clients,
etc., the senator doing the heavy work before
the judges.

De Uourcy, a little dark, dapper fellow, who
looked like a Frenchman and rided himself up—
on the fact, received Wimp e in the politest
manner.

In fact, De Courcy was one of those men who
could no more help being polite than he could
hel )breathing.

V imple introduced him, explained that he
came on particular business relating to one of
Batterkin, Jones and De Courcy’s clients, and
asked the favor of a private interview.

The polite little man at once said he would be
delighted to oblige his eminent 16 a1 brother,
and as he ushered the other into his rivate
office incidentally remarked how much p easure
it gave him to make the acquaintance of gentle-
men who occupied so great a portion of the pub«
lic eye as his visitor.

To use the vernacular, this was “ taffy” of
course. Wimple understood that, for he knew
that la ers of the standing of Batterkin,
Jones an De Courcy rather looked askance at
the le al li hts who flourished best in the shad-
ows o a or minal court, but still it wasn’t bad
to take, and Wimple smiled, and bowed and
murmured how much pleasure it gave him to
discover that his fame was known to such dis-
tin ished advocates as his hosts.

ted in De Courcy’s sanctum, secure from
interruption, Wimple proceeded at once to busi-
ness.

“ Mr. Franklyn Bookingham is a client of
yours, I believe?” he said.

“ He is.”

“ You have sole charge of his legal affairs?”

“ We do. ” '

“ If I mistake not, some fifteen years ago Mr.
Bookingham suffered a very serious loss?”

The habitual smile which always layed like a
mask over the face of the little, ap r man,
and so enabled him to conceal the res state of
his feelings, for a time vanished, and the lawyer
ap ared grave.

e was astonished at this beginning, for the
subject was one of which he had not heard much
for nearly ten years.

“ You refer to the loss of his child?” said the
lawyer. coming at once to the point without the
least reserve.

“ Yes: I do.”

“You are correct; about fifteen years ago
Mr. Franklyn Bookingham’s only daughter was
stolen awa from her home, and no trace has
egfrgmen iscovered of her from that day to
t s.

“ Mr. Buckingham spent a small fortune, I
believe, in his search for his child?”

“ Yes, a very large sum of money indeed, but
he might as well have thrown it into the river
for all the good it did.”

“ If I have not been misinformed, you had
cba e of the affair?”

“ es, you are right; I had the entire matter
under my control. Mr. Bookingham was so
prostrated by the calamity as to be almost in-
capa tile for a long time of attending to any busi-
ness.

" Was there any reward offered for the recov-
(all?7 of the childi—you see, Mr. De Courcy, this
a air ha pened before my time, as I only came
to New
plained.

“ Yes, there was a large reward ‘ofi’ered—a
colossal sum. I may say, for at one time we in
this office were prepared to pay twent -five
thousand dollars for the return of the chi d, or
for any information that would surely lead to
her recovery. , '

“ You see, it was the theory of the police at
the time that the child had been abducted for
the purpose of obtaining a large reward for its
return. ’ ,

“ Very robable.”

“ But r. Buckingham did not accept this
view of the matter at all.” ’

“ Is that possible?” Wimple remarked, not
that he took the least interest in the matter, but
he did not deem it wise to allow the other to
perceive this fact.

“ .ggite possible, my dear sir.
“ was of the ,opinlon that the child had
been abducted

ork some ten years ago," Wimple ex-

   
  

   
 

place of the

 

   
   

hya arsenal mom for the r—
 whim,mdt’hlat-

no money offer that he could make would be of
any use.”

“ And it proved so eh i”

“ It did. The chil was never heard of.”

“ Would the father be willing to pay now for
intelligence of his long-lost child l”

CHAPTER XXX.
WIMPLn’s STORY.
DE COURCY leaned back in his chair and
looked at his visitor in astonishment.
Long ago, in common with every one else, he

‘ had given up the child for dead, and now the

words of his viSItor, indicating that the old
matter was about to come up afresh, amazed

1m.

“ Really, my dear brother Wimple, is it pos-
sible that you know aught of this aflairi” he
asked.

“ I think I do,” the other rejoined, with a
com lacent air.

“ ou know, Mr. De Courcy, that my practice
lies entirely in the criminal courts, and a man in
my line is called upon to defend rogues and ras-
cals of all degrees. '

“ Once in a while, as is only natural under the
circumstances, we pick up information of im-
portance, which hasn’t anything to do with the
case in hand.”

“ Ah, yes, I understand,” De Courcy observed
with a smile. “ You are a sort of father con-
fessor to the black sheep who employ you to re-
lease them from the meshes of the law.”

“ Exactly, and through this channel some
strange facts came to my knowledge concerning
a girl in regard to whose parentage there was a
mystery.”

‘ ‘ And I jump to the conclusion that from what
you learned of the case, on came to the opinion
that this girl is Mr. ookingham’s long-lost
child.”

“ You are right. I was almost certain of it,
and so I took pains to look the matter up.

“ Of course, my dear Mr. De Courc . I will
not attempt to conceal from you that had an
eye to the main chance ingomg into the mat-
ter,” Wimple admitted, frankly.

“ Of course, certainly; that is understood.
Why not?” asked the other.

“ s not the laborer worthy of his hire?”

“ That is just my opinion.

“ At the time when I first became interested
in the case I did not know that Mr. Booklngham
had offered any reward for the recovery of the
child. althou h I assumed that he had, for it
would have an very strange under the cir-
cumstances if he had not, being so rich a man
that fifty or a hundred thousand dollars would ‘ ‘
be no moreto him than a ten-dollar note to an
ordinary person.” ,

“ In all his transactions ’the gentleman is lib.
era! to a fault, and when I say that—I, who
have had the honor to attend to all his legal
matters for the last thirty years, on will un-
derstand that I am speaking w thin bounds
when I state that he will not baggie over the
price that is demanded by any one skillful
enough to pluck his child from the dark obscu-
rity into which she vanished fifteen years 0.”

“ I can do it—I am certain of it, and ifafre-
turn the child, now a young and beautiful girl-—
a daughtersuch as any father in this wide werld
might be proud to owu,”-—Wimple unconscioub
ly was dropping into his jury address at this
pomt—“ do you think that you will be safe in
saying, on your honor as a gentleman and a
lawyer, which is all the antee I require,
that Mr. Bookingham be willing to come
down handsomely for my trouble ?”

“ Most certainly l"

“ To the tune of twenty or twenty-five thou-
sand dollars?” asked Wimple. just a little ner-
vous, for it did not seem as if it was possible
any such piece of good luck was likely to drop
in is way.

“If you can return Franklyn Bookingham’s
long-lost dau ,hter to his arms you will receive
twenty-five housand dollarsl’ exclaimw De
Courc , im ressively. -

“ It s rat er a large fee,” Wimple began, but
the other instantly interrupted him. - .

“ Oh, nonsense !” De Courcy exclaimed. “I:
is really unprofessional for you to talk in ,
manner. ’

“ No sum is too large for alawyerl to ask to
his fee, provided the service is Worth it and, the
client is able to pay it, and in the majoriton
cases it is well to be more particular about the
last chance than the first,” there resentativo
of the rn-at legal firm observed, w th 8. know-
in wink.

‘ You shall have the money. sir. if you can
51111011!) the service, I pied c you my word for
t, so you can consider t e twenty~five thou»
sand dollars as surely yours, if you can pro-
ducll: thf gilt; , just as if you had it now in your

00 ’et- mo . ‘ -

“ Oh. I have the girl safe enough l” Wimple.
exclaimed, confidant y.

And in fact although she was not in his Ess-
session that circumstance did not trouble In
at all for he felt certain that the search he had 1
set on foot would not fail to discover the hidinn- .

lrl.
“ Stop a h tl" exclaimed the other.
," What i’siti” ‘ , I ' '

   

My '4. ,1

 

mu“;

 

   
      
 

 

l

   

'.

The Lightweight Detective.

21

 

 

v “ I want to warn you of one thing."

‘ it Yes?”
“ Are you certain that you have the right
irl?’

g “ Oh, no doubt about it l"

“ So a dozen different rties said fifteen

ears ago, when the child isappeared, and the
arge reward was offered.

"As I said,qu a dozen parties came for-
ward within the ve years that followed the
(late of the child’s disappearance, and each and
every one was morall certain that the child
they presented was r. Bookingham’s stolen
daughter, but not one of them was the true child,
although some of the little ones came pretty
closely to the descri tion.”

“ There isn’t any oubt about this one.”

“ Better make a. careful examination and be
certain before you pay out any money,” the
other cautioned.

“ Pay out any money?” exclaimed Wimple as
if in doubt.

“ Oh, yes; you see, between old stagers like
oursdvos it is idle to beat about the bush,” De
Court-y replied in his smooth, easy way, smiling
blandly and rubbing his soft white hands noise-
less] together.

“ take it that in the course of your criminal
practice you have run across the ingenious ras-
cals who originally abducted the child—though
what has kept them in the background all these
years is a mystery—and that they have employ-
ed you to negotiate the matter.”

“ Oh, no, nothing of the sort, you are on a
wrong scent entirely.”

“ Indeed?” and De Courcy elevated his eye-
brows

“ Yes, yes, listen and you will see.

“ ()ne of my clients was a youn rascal, who,
whenever he got a little beer i im, was im-
mediately seized with the idea t at he was cut
out for a great fi hting man, and as he was not
particular when t ese fit seized upon him, with
whom he fought, or what wea ns he used, it
goes without saying that he got to some parti-
cularly nasty scrapes. -

“ The only friend he had in the world was his
mother, an honest, hard-working woman, who,
when her son at in durance vile always came
toime to get him out.

‘ On one occasion she had no money but I
waived the fee and defended the son. In her
gratitude she confided to me that the pretty irl
who sometimes accompanied her to my 0 cc,
was not her child, but an adopted daughter, and
that she had been informed that the 'rl was
really the ofl’sprin of a wealthy New orker,
from whom she been stolen.

“ Her story ran as follows:

“ About fl teen years ago she went to sew for
a lady at Tufiytown, up the river and when
her work was one, started for Yonkers, where
she then resided.

“ Her pocket was picked at the de t, and so
as she was a good walker she do ed to pro-
ceed on foot. '

“ It was early in the morning, in the pleasan
sprin ime, and such a tramp, w“ more enjoy-
able t ‘ n otherwise.

“ On the way in a lonely spot on the road she
encountered a little child.

“ .Thinkin it had lost its way she questioned

'it, but the listtle one was too youn to explain,
and thinkin it had strayed rom onkers, on
the ontskir _of which she was, she took the
lalong whiz; her.h

e1 u ass epassedal bntnoone
kngw tli? child, and so she date 'ed to keep
it erse .

“ At that time she had trouble with her hus-
band, who had run of! with her six-year-old
boy, and she never expected to see either of
them again.

“ After a few years the vagabond husband
died in jail and the boy was sent back to her,
totbecome the torment of her life, as it turned
on .

“ But she ke tthe little girl, havin become
almost as much attached to heras she had

her own. ' . .

“When the little one was about seven years
old, a friend of the mother, who had come from
the old coun in the same ship and who was
no: a er in New York,came on a visit.
howl}? mmggoshal saw the child and heasid

081110, e woman s on e

declared she know whose child it was. ,

It“ “10 Very image of the mother and I
should know it anywhere ' she said,

u ‘I lived in the family when the babe was
born as seamstress and made all its clothes.

“ ' It was stolen when it was about two years
old, and every stitch it had on at the ’time was
made by me.‘ ‘

“ The clothes, which had been reserved,
were brought, and the woman iden ed them
at once.

“ Besides, there were certain birth-marks on
the body exactly as the woman stated.

“ ‘ We must come to New York with the child
at once, for our fortune is made 1’ she excitedly

\

declared. .
“ She would not revhal the name _of the
parents fearing that she

shared-the mono expectednlifght M “3035
. hm  ( . WW,

gedwi

 

  

“ But on the way she was suddenly seized with
heart-disease, and died before she had a chance
to reveal the secret l”

CHAPTER XXXI.
MORE INFORMATION.

“ ABOUT as wonderful a tale as I ever heard,”
De Courcy observed.

“ There is an old adage, you know, about
 being stranger than fiction,” Wimple re-

1 .

p “ \Vell, to resume my tale: 1]: client was ut-
terly at a loss what to do an or the circum-
stances.

“ She did not know the name of the gentle-
man to whom she was going in New York, and
so was obliged to return home again, and when
she consulted some of her friends in regard to
the matter they laughed at the idea, and as
the woman who had given the information in
re ard to the child was known to be in the
ha it of indulging in strong drink to excess, it
threw a doubt over the whole matter.

“ And so the adopted mother of the child
never troubled her head any more about the af-
fair, havin come to the conclusion that the
story was afi a hallucination on the part of her
city friend.

‘ About six months ago, though, she hap-
pened to mention the matter to me, and I at
once jumped to the conclusion that there was
something in the story and proceeded to look
into the matter.

“ You see, I took it for granted that the New
York woman knew what she was talking about
and that her tale was true.

“ But fate seemed to take a pleasure in deal-
ing ugl blows at the girl, and no sooner had I
ta en t e matter in hand when death again in-
terfered in the affair.

“ The su posed mother died, and as no one
knew that P was at all interested in her, I did
not hear of her death until she had been dead for
three months or more.

“ The intelligence did not reach me until I had
ascertained that the girl was undoubtedly Mr.
Bookingham’s long-lost child, and sought the
mother to tell her that at last I had solved the
m stery.

‘Then, tomy surprise, I found she was dead,
and that the girl had disappeared, no one knew
where.”

“ Yes, yes; really a most remarkable chapter
of incidents ”the other remarked.

“ I shoul smile,” replied Wimple, dropping
into the current slang of the day.

“ Well, to come to the end, I. sought for the 4
girl, and at last man ed to find her, and when
this was accomplish , I thought it was time to
come to your firm so that you might know how
matters stood.”

“ My dear Mr. Wim 10, on stand to win
twenty-five thousand do lars yond a doubt, if
you can prove the identity of the girl, and I as—
sumcé that you feel pretty sure in regard to that

in .

“ Oh, yes, if I didn’t I should not take all this
trouble." -

“ We will communicate with Mr. Booking-
ham immediately and let him know of the dis-
cove .

“Do so by all means, and when you wish to
see the girl notify me and I will produce her.”

it Certainly it

 

Then WimpIe rose and after a few more words
took his departure.

“ This is a great piece of luck for this fellow
to tumble into,” De Courcy commented after the
Tombs lawyer was gone.

“ The scam will seize upon a small fortune
without any rouble at all, but it is the way that
things go in this world.”

At this moment theoflice boy entered, bearing
Mr. Bookingham’s card.

“ Show the entleman in,” said the lawyer.

“Speak of e devil and he appears,” quoted
De Courcy.

“He must have passed Wimple on the way.
At any rate. it will save me the trouble of send-
ing for him.”

' ‘he b0 conducted the merchant into the sanc-
tum an the lawyer received him with due
politeness.

“ Good-morning, Mr. De Courcy,” the visitor
remarked, as he seated himself in the chair
which the lawyer had placed for him.

“ I have come to see you on an linportant bit
of business this morning.”

“ It is lucky too that you have called, for
you have saved me the trouble of sending for

on.”

“ Indeed?” "

“Yes, I have some important information to
communica .” ,

“ Well, now, that is odd,” the merchant re-
marked. ' ' _

“ Howso?” ‘

“ That isexactly what has brought me to your
oflice this. morning). I have something impor-
tant to say to you. ’

“ Quite a coincidence.” De Courcy observed.

“ And the information which I have to ofler
willarl think, astonish you.” ’

hat is precisely my] idea in regard to mt ’

I haveto my to you.”
namesake ~

 

  

“ Now repare to be astonished,” the lawyer
continu , “ for it is of your longdost daughter
that I am about to .”

The merchant leaned back in his chair, a look
of amazement upon his face.

‘ ‘ Information in regard to my lost daughter?”
he exclaimed.

“ Yes, which has just this moment reached
., n

“ Well, of all the strange things!” Booking—

cried.

“ What is strange?” De Courcy asked.

“ Why that is the very subject which I have
come to talk to you about.”

“ That is odd, but allow me_ to congratulate
you, Mr. Bookingham, for I think I may safe]
say I am in ssion of mformation whic
Will surely lead to the restoration of your
child.”

“ That is precisely what I have come to say to

on.”

“ Is it possible?” .

“Yes, a party has entered mto communica-
tion with me this morning, who professes to be
able to return my child.” .

“ Ah, that is 'ust like the double dealing of
these shystering wyers,” De Courcy muttered
to himself.

“The scamp was afraid that I might throw
some obstacle in the way, and so he opened com-
munication with Bookingham also.”

“ Well. I really expected to surprise you,” the
lawyer remarked aloud, “for the fellow never
said a word to me in regard to seeing you.”

“ Ah, my informant was not a fellow.”

(L  it”

“Oh, no, it was a woman.”

“ Aha, there are two parties on the scent
then.”

“ So it would seem.”

“ It is all the better; betWeen the two we may
be able to recover the child—Repeak of her as
a child although she is a girl of - nearly eighteen
now. My party wants a good round sum for
his trouble—no less than twenty-five thousand
dollars.”

“ Mine is more moderate in her demands.
She does not name any particular sum, but is
willing to leave it to myngenerosity.”

“ My man doesn’t do siness in that way, for
he is a sharper of the s rs,” and then De
Courcy related the full particulars of his inter-
view with the Tombs lawyer.

“ Well, I am real] inclined to think that my
party is decidedly t e most reliable,”the mer—
chant observed. 7

And then be related how a middle-aged Irish—
woman had waited upon him and told the story
of the lost child.

The woman said that she had been an intimate
friend of the dame who had brought the child
up, and she too related how by accident the child
had been found.

As the reader has probably surmised this wo-
man was the Widow O’Flannigan.

After the defeat of the lawyer she had set her
wits to work to find the father of the child, and
she had one about the matter in the most novel
way in t e world. ‘

She had taken into her confidence a newsboy
who lived in Shantyville, and the lad with the
shrewd cunnin common to his tribe had sug-

ested that suc a startling episode as the loss of
on] child of a prominent New Yorker
would chronicled at full length in the daily
newspapers published at the time, and on
this idea the boy managed to discover the home
g the merchant, and then the widow had sought

m out.

“ Well, between the two of them you certain-
ly ought to be able to recover your child,” De
Courcy remarked when Mr. Bookingham had
finished his recital;

“ Yes, but the question is which of the two is ‘
it best for us to deal with!” the merchant asked. -

“The woman decidedly 1” De Courcy lied
without an instant‘s hesitation, “ for she c aims
to be in possession of the girl, while the lawyer
only says he can produce her. '

-“ It ma be possible, you know
aretwo girlsinthecase. The onetowhomtho,
lawyer refers may not be the same one whom»
the woman claims to have in her On, al-
though it would appear from the likeness
act-stories that the same girl is referred to by

t

“We canucertainthetruthinregardto the
womanbLseggfiy as soon as you like,
ham

ent' in her desire that I should come an

Booking— .

o . ‘
“I. have her address, and she was really ur. ,
see

thatthere »'

he m” soonasponible, and now that Iconic '
tot '

of it, she hinted that there was some
one else who wanted
the affair, as‘she at it.
“At the time _ ‘
this, in fact, it did not concern me in any way
and it was said in such an amb one way that
I took no particular notice of it. ’ «
“She referred to the lawyer, of course,”De
remarked

notthinkthereis theleast doubtinre-
gardtothat. '

" But your about look? into the shit
, a good one in opinion;
. to, g, wentoutthsbhtterp”

 

didn’t pay any attention to,

to make a‘stake’out of 

 

 

  
    
 

 

 

’—

.m‘

22

The Lightweight Detective.

 

And the lawyer rose from his chair and seized
his hat.

“ The old woman strongly urged the necessity
for haste, although all the reason I could get out
of her was that somebody else was on the watch
and might make trouble.”

“ This lawyer is just the kind of man to get
the girl 1n his hands, and then hold her until we
meet his demand,” De Courcy observed as they
quittcd the oflice.

r‘ive minutes later they were on the L road.

 

CHAPTER XXXII.
mm a SLIP ’TWEEN CUP AND LIP.

THANKS to the “rapid transit ” of the Ele-
vated Road, the twain reached the upper end
of the island in quick time.

“Rather a tough location,” De Courcy re-
marked, as they came within view of the shan-
ty settlement perched high on and amid the
reeks.

“ Yes and from the looks of the surroundings
I should sa it would be a dangerous place af-
ter nightfall for men with good clothes on their
backs and money in their pockets,” 'the mer-
chant observed.

“ I haven't the least doubt of it. Decidedly,
unlt-ssI was well armed, I should be averse to
trusting myself in this dubious locality after
dark.”

'l‘nanksto the directions given by the widow,
the two did not have the least difficulty in find-
in Mrs. O’Flanni an’s grocery store.

great was the elight of the old woman at
finding that the merchant had been so prompt
in complying with her request, although she
looked rather suspiciously at his companion.

She was afraid that the gentleman had
brou ht a detective with him, and for these
bl ounds of the law she had a decided aver-
sion.

“ Yer Honors are as welkim as the flowers in
May !” she declared, as she ushered the visitors
into the inner apartment and hastened to pro-
vide chairs for them.

“ Ould man,” she said to her satellite, “ kape
watch outside so that none of the blagg’ards can
come in to disturb these gintlemen.’

The old man nodded and took up a position
by the outside door.

After he had left the room the( widow very
carefully closed the door which led from the in-
ner room into the outer apartment.

“ Now thin, yer Honors there’s small danger
that anybody will hear phat we’re afther say-
ing,” she remarked, “ for there’s plenty of s -

us to the fore that do be allers poking t ir

' h noses into other people’s business.

“ Thanks to your precautions, though, there
isn’t much danger of their interfering this
time.”B ham remarked.

“ The blagg ards may catch a weasel aslape,
but I’ll go bail that the will niver be able to
get the best of Biddy 0’ lannigan.”

“I have come. you see as you requested, to
examine into the truth of this matter; if your
statement is correct and you can restore my
child to my arms, the reward I will bestow
upon you will be ample to enable you to live in
comfort all the rest of your life.”

“Shure, I can do it, yer Honor! There isn’t
the l’aste taste of a he in phat I say!” the wo-
man declared, positively.

“ l have the clothes ere that the child wore
whin she was found.”

And the widow went to the closet and pro-
cured a small bundle neatly tied up in wrap-

i ' re
p fififim’t till me friend was on her death-
bed that she was afther letting on to the gurl
that she wasn’t her own child.

‘ “Thin she tould her the story and warned
her for to be careful for to kape hese clothes
or else she might niver be able to find the peo-
ple she belonged to.

‘ “It was hard wourk for me to persuade the
gurl to l'ave me put them away for her, she was
so afeard of losing thim, but there was a blag-

’ard afther her and she had for to hide for to
gape away from him, and as I was afther tell-

her, she’d find no place any safer for to
kapezthe dudsthan this shant .”

‘ An examination of thekclo hing is of course
of the utmost importance,” the merchant ob-
' served, “ for if the are the same that my child
were at the time her disappearance it will go
far to prove that the girl is really what you sup—
pose her to be. ”

“Oh,there’s not the Paste doubt of it, yer
Honor!" the widow declared.

“ We can very soon tell,” Mr. Bookingham
observed.

“This gentleman is my lawyer, and has had
full char eof the exhaustive search which has
been made for the child and so is perfectly fa-
miliar with all the details.”

Mrs. O’Flanni n’s countenance darkened as
she listened to t s statement.

She never had a good opinion of the legal
lights, and since her encounter with Wimple
the fairly detested them.

/ De Courcy was a keen observer, and the ex-
pression upon the face of the woman did not es-

capel'iim. ,

/

:7“:

c!

 

» » .i 2  '- ."37 ,
't v“ v r i . 4 'i  I, '6‘. 3: ~. 
 _ . ,c i. . . , . us. .A   ‘ »_-._.‘.; 3..

“You need not have any apprehension, ma-
dam.” he hastened to say.

“ Although I am a awyer I am one who
would scorn to take any undue advantage of
any one.

“ To jud e from the look upon your face your
opinion of awyers is not a favorable one.”

‘t‘ Indade and it is not!” the woman blurted
on i.

“I have wan in my eye now—as big a blag-
g‘ard as iver lived 1”

“Not the least doubt that just such men do
exist and by their acts bring disgrace upon a
noble profession.

“ I came in contact with one this very day, a
fellow who hangs around the Tombs Police
Court, and who came to see me about the case
of this child; his name is Wimple.”

“I know him—bad ’cess to the dirthy blag—
g’ard l” the widow exclaimed.

“ And was he afther seeing yees about the
gurl?”

“ Yes, he thought he could make some money
out of the affair.

“ And phat for should he make a penny out
of it, the m’ane scut of the world?” the widow
demanded, indignantly.

“ Shure, I wint to him, thinking he was a
gintleman,and he tr’ated me like I was a haste,
bad ’cess to him.”

“ Did you see him in reference to this affair?”
De Courcy asked.

“ Yis, sur. He was the gintleman that me
fri’nd was afther having attind to the business,
and whin the gurl kem to me and I thought,
mebbe there was e. si ht for me to make an hon-
est penny out of it, wint to him for to ax his
advice, but the dirtby scut wouldn’t have any-
thing ta do wid me but sed that he would be af-
ther tinding to the thing himself and thin he
follered me up here, thinking that I had the gurl
cons’aled in my house.”

“ That was like him,” De Courcy ohserved.

“ Wimple will never be hung for his modesty,
that’s certain.”

“ Yis sur, he walked in here as bould as brass
and  a big policeman at his back.”

“ And what did you do?”

“Put the pair of thim out, bad 'cessto ’em,
and thin there was the divil's own ruction for
me neighbors kem to me help, and they pelted

the 1r of th’aves wid stones until they were
blac and blue.
“ Thin the b g’ards got a raft of perlicemen

and they turne the house upside-down, but
they didn’t find the gurl, bad ’cess to ’emi"

And the woman chuckled loudly as she re
flected how she had managed to baille the
searchers.

Durin this discourse she had been opening
the bun 19.

The child‘s garments contained therein were
yellow with age, but otherwise in a good state
of reservation.

th Mr. Bookingham and the lawyer identi-
fied the articles immediately.

“ Not the least doubt about it,” De Courcy as-
serted. “ These are the clothes that the child
were at the time of its disappearance.”

“ And was there any mark on the weeny
wan?” asked Mrs. O’Flannigan, eagerly, for she
saw that the hour of triumph was nigh and that
a olden reward would soon be hers.

‘ Yes; a birthmark—three moles about an
inch apart formin a perfect triangle on the in-
ner part of the le t arm just above the elbow!”
,exclaimed the merchant, anxiously.

“0h, she has the moles on her arm, as yees
shall see for yerselves I” the widow cried.

“ And now, 'ntlemen, if yees will be afther
stepping into t e other room, I’ll have the gurl
herein a twinkling.”

The widow was cautious and did not feel dis-
posed to reveal the secret of the hiding-place
which she had under the floor to any one.

The pair complied with the request.

Mrs. O‘Flannigan saw them safely into the
store, closed the door after them, and then ran
to the trap-door, which she o ned hurriedly.

“ Come up, darlint, erd dy i to the fore,
and iverything is all right," she ed.

But to her an rise no answer was returned.
Peering down to the cavity she saw that it
was all dark.

“ The lantern’sout, and phat does thatm’anei”
she cried, perplexed by the circumstance.

“ There was plinty of oil in the lantern, but
mebbe she put it out; and phat for did she do
that I’d like to know?

“ Is she asl’ape?”

To seize upon a handful of matches and de-
scend into the underground a nt was but
the work of a moment; but w on she arrived at
the foot of the stairs and struck a light her sur-
prise was intense. '

The underground apartment was empty!

The girl was gone!

For a few moments the woman gazed around
her like one stunned by a heavy blow.

This discovery was entirely unexpected, and
it was not until the match coming to an end
burnt her fingers that she awoke from her

stu r.

‘Pgh, mushal” she exclaimed, as she drop
the first match, struck a second and pr ed
to light the lantern. *

  

 

 

When this was accomplished and the light il-
lililminaited the place she searched for traces of
t e 'r .

Hglw she had been able to get out of the cel-
lar was a mystery.

The trap-door had been secured by a couple
of small bolts ever since the girl had been in-
duced to take up her abode in the underground
apartment.

There was a small, secret door in one corner
of the cellar, which communicated with an un-
derground passage, which led to a small shed in
the rear of the house.

This had been arranged so as to afford any
fugitive concealed in the cellar a chance to es-
cape, if the officers discovered the existence of
the trap-door.

But this door was locked, and as far as the
widow could see, had not been opened.

In despair Mrs. O’Flannigan repaired to her
visitors.

“ She’s gone!” she cried, “ and the divil a wan
of me knows where i”

No explanation could the widow give, and the
visitors were forced to depart, not knowin
what to make of the woman, and half-incline
£0 believe that the girl had not really been in the

ouse.

 

CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE ESCAPE.

AND now we must return to the Lightweight,
whom we have neglected too long.

After Daddy Blazes’s departure, the prisoner
immediately set to work upon the bread and
coffee and made a hearty meal.

And all the time he‘was eating, Hugh was
searching the a rtment with his eyes, debating
where he shoul find a tool with which to dig a
passage through the earth—a tunnel through
which he might escape.

“ But before I begin operations, I had better
takea good survey of the ground, so as to see
just how diflicult the task is going to be,” he
murmured as he finished his meal.

Rising; he a preached the spot where the old
boards conoe ed the cellar wall.

Rapping on them with his knuckles he dis-
covered to his surprise that there seemed to be a
hollow spot in one place.

Four boards gave back the hollow sound, the
rest were solid, showing ‘that they were backed

by the wall. 1

Carefully the prisoner examined these four
boards, and then in joy he cried:

“ 1t isa door!”

And so it was: a door with a keyhole, show-.

ing that there was a lock to it, but it was built 7‘

so strongly that the Lightweight with all his
Stmngt

“ Behind this door there must be a passage of
course. and that passage leads to the outer air,”
he soliloquized.

“ No need for me to tunnel a way out when
all I have to do is too this door and walk
out without any difflcu ty, but the question is
how shall I get the door open?

“ I can’t ick the lock, or I haven’t anything
to do it wit . ,
“ No use of attempting to smash a we.
through the wood, for the noise would imm -
atelv betray me; how then can the job be
worked?” ~
But as he meditated over the matter, a bril-
liant idea occurred to him. i

“ By Jove!” he exclaimed, slappin his leg in ‘
his exultation, “that’s the plan of as plans! ’

The idea he had conceived was a hold one, 7
and to a man of his peculiar nature, the holder
the plan, the better it seemed to him.

The idea that had occurred to him was to ;
capture Daddy Blazes the next time the old man
made a visit to him.

“ In his pocket he will undoubtedly have the
keys to both the doors,” Hugh mused.

“ And then I will have my choice of the two

at

outlets.
“ I can either go up the trap or make my way
out by means of the secret door.” :
And now that the scheme was conceived he ,
began to deliberate upon the best means of carry- ,1

it out.
mg To catch so old a bird as Daddy Blazes of! :
his guard will be no easy task,” he muttered. I

“ One decided advanta e I have though. The '
old man believes that am securely pinioned 1
by these handcuffs. and of course, cannot have
any s icion that I can slip mby hands through
them w thout the slightest tron le.

“ The on] chance to take him unawares will
be by play lg ’possum. The moment I hear
him comin Will throw myself on the straw
and proton to be fast asleep.

“Then if he wants to say anythingto me he
will attempt to wake me, and if he tries that on,
or believing that I am as] turns to d
without disturbing me, he w' be deuced lucky
if he does not afford me a chanceto take him.
by surprise.

“ Let me see! I mustprovide a bandage for
the old man's wrists, and another for his ankles,
so that I can truss hip up like a turkey readn

h, could not budge it in the least. i

4
i

 

for roastinfi’ . ,
Slippin 8 hands out of the “ bracelets,” - I,
to make an e nation '

h;

r

He had astoutban handkerchief  . 5.: ,

1‘

 

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“‘-

 

    

_ hand which grasped the weapo

23

 

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

pocket, and this torn into strips made a cord
amply strong to secure a man’s wrists.

Around his throat was knotted. sailor fash-
ion, a blue silk neck handkerchief, and this
would answer to tie the legs.

Havin got these articles in readiness, the
Lightweight reclined u on the straw, all in
readiness to retend to e fast asleep the mo-
ment he sho d detect that the old man was ap-
proaching.

“He ought to make his appearance some-
where around dinner-tinie,” the captive mused.

“ Although it is possible that he will not in-
dulge me with the luxury of three meals.

“ In that case he will not make his a pear-
ance untilsupper~time, and that will be a euced
Ion timeto wait.”

8 owl the minutes passed away, and half-a-
dozen times the prisoner fell into a doze, only
to awake with a start, though after some ten or
fifteen minutes in slumber’s chain.

The life of adventure which he had led had
caused him to acquire the faculty of falling
asleep almost anywhere without the slightest
trouble, and of waking from such slumbers in
the easiest possible manner.

Just as his appetite began to give him warn-
ing that the noon hour was near at hand, there
was a sound in the direction of the trap-door.

Hugh closed his eyes, peeping slyly out of
one corner though, and retended to sleep.

The door opened, an Daddy Blazes cast the
light of the lantern dowu into the apartment,
as if desirous of ascertaining where the pris-
oner was and of learning what he was doing be—
fore he descended.

The Lightweight, extended at full length upon
the straw hea , was apparently sound asleep.

“I’Vell, well: he is takin it eas ,” the old
man muttered, as he descen ed the adder. _

In one hand he carried a bowl of coffee, on
the top of which was a good-sized chunk of
bread, and in the other a knife gleamed, while
the lantern was slung from his arm.

As Daddy Blazes came down the stairs the
tra closed after him, apparently so arranged
the? it closed of its own weight.

The old man placed the bread and coffee and
the lantern upon the table, then took a couple
of steps toward the supposed sleeper as if with
the idea of awaking him.

“But what is the use of that?” the old man
muttered, as be halted.

“ Let the fellow sleep; there isn’t anything
that I care to say to him.”

Then he timed upon his heel.

This was the opportunity for which the cap-
tive waited.

He had been compelled to close his e es tight-
ly when the old man approached, but {8 'ud ed
from the sound of his footsteps what I)de
Blazes was doing, and the moment he turned to
depart, with a tiger-like bound he was on his
feet and sprimg upon him.

The old man was taken completely by sur-
prise, but in spite of that he made a desperate
resistance.

But he was like a child in the grasp of the
muscular Lightweight.

He attempted to use the knife, but the first
move of his assailant had been to pinion the
n.

A sudden twist of the wrist and the intense
pain compelled Daddy Blazes to drop the knife,
and the moment the old man was disarmed, the
Lightweight got the crock on him and down the
other went.

The prisoner had thrown the old man for-'
ward on his face, and almost before Daddy
Blazes comprehended what he was about, the
Lightweight had tied his hands behind his
bgcl; with the knotted strips of the handker~
e la .

Then he rolled him over on his face and with
the silken necktie bound his ankles, so that
when the job was completed the old man was
1191 less.

hen Dadd Blazes realized that the other
had him at sue a terrible disadvantage that re-
sistance was useless he ceased to struggle and
glued in the face of the other with a demoniac

exp on.

f looks could ha k'll H

mvem‘dud "17:11.1 ed, ughStrongwould
When the task of binding the old man was

completed, tltitfoidkghtweight surveyed him with

acomplacen ,

“There now, Dadd , I fancy that \this ar-
rangement is a great/dyes] more satisfactory to
me than the other one,” he observed.

“As you will rceiVe, the boot is on the
other leg now. u place of your having me,
I’ve got you.”

The old man was amazed; he saw that the
captive had succeeded fitting rid of the
handcufls, and how he mana ed to 60-
com lish this feat wasa most decid m story

“ ell. I suppose vou have t rat er the
lgstdof _it at present,”Daddy Blagzgs was forced]
a mi .

“Yeszit seemato me as if I had the advan-
tage just now but turn about is only fair play,
ouknow, an as you, when you had me foul,
went through ’ me, now you ought not to com-
plain if I see what treasures you have on your
person." v - '

. .

. . .

. ~ .- o "m.
.4) I - 3‘ - , _
2: “v. "."_J-= * U;

 

But the old man did not relish this idea at
all, and remonstrated strongly against it.

“ You scoundrel, would you ro me ?” hecried,
white with anger at the i ea.

“Oh, no, no, not at all; and that is an ugly
word to use too,” the other replied.

“You didn’t think it was robbing, did you,
when you took advantage of my insensible con-
dition to clean me out?’ ~

“ I know nothing about it,” Daddy Blazes
growled.

“ Certainly not; you left the door open and
some other rascal searched me, eh?”

And with this sarcastic remark the Light-
weight knelt down by the side of the old man
and proceeded to ins t his pockets.

As he had expec he found a bunch of keys
and in the bunch were a couple of the delicate
tools. dear to the crackan’s heart, known as
skeleton—keys.

There was also a wallet containing a good
round sum of money, but no private papers of
any kind.

This was what the Lightweight chiefly hoped
to find, and he was disappointed at not coming
across anything that would give him a clew to
the secret plans of the old man.

Thanks to the bunch of keys, though, he would
be able to get out of the den.

He had been revolvmg a plan of operations in
his mind while engaged in searching the old
man, and by the time the operation was com-
pleted he had decided What to do.

He had recovered his revolvers and so was
prepared for war again.

Rising to his feet, he addressed Daddy
Blazes: ,,

'“ Now, then, old man, I want a little infor-
mation from you.”

“ You will not get it l” Daddy Blazes cried,
doggedly. “ Not a blamed bit, so you can spare
your breath.”

And the old man shut his teeth together in
grim determination.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE SECRET PASSAGE.

HUGH STRONG laughed outright at the re ly
made by the old man, for it was exactly w at
he had expected. I

“ Oh, well, I will try to get on without it,” he
remarked.

“ I suppose that there isn’t any use of looking
for Blac Bud in the house now, for by this
time he is out of danger.”

“You are right, there!” Daddy Blazes ex-
claimed. “ The cracksman is no fool to linger
here with the police hot on the scent.”

“What does this door here lead to, by the
way?” asked the Firefly abruptly, pointing to
the secret door.

An ugly look came into the old man’s eyes-
he was evidently surprised by the knowled e of
the other, but be affected ignorance, shfidng
his head and saying: I

“I don’t know anything about any door.
There is only one we of getting into the cel-
lar that I know of an that is by the way of the

tra .” v

- ‘P I will have to show you, then, some thin
about your shanty that on don’%know, a -
though I reckon that wo d be a di cult mat-
ter. '

“ When I come to try these keys in the lock
though, I shouldn’t besurprised to find that some
one of them will fit. - .

“O’pe of the skeletonswill be sure to, any~
wa .

'Ihe Lightweight approached the secret door,
and the o d man gave utterance to a bitter im-
precation.

“ You scoundrel!” he cried. "I will have
your life for this one of these days.”

“ You don’t like me to penetrate into the se-
crets of your prison-house, eh?” Hugh remarked,

mockingtly;
“ But t is ’just what I am going to do though,
and you can t help yourself.’

As Hugh had surmised one of the keys did:
fit the lock and Opened the door without any
"‘i""°‘ passe bo ttw r twideb '

narrow e a u 0 ea y six

' h stood revealed.h h h

twaseasyenou to essw ysuc a
sa e had been consgructefi? ' pag—
n case of a man with the officers in hot pur-
suit, while the ipolice were forcing their way
into theshantgmtl would be the easiest thing in
the world for to escape by means of this un-

' d way, and the police would never be
able to account for the man eluding them.

“ Now, then, I will explore this 0 and
see where it goes to, and then I wil come back
and taken. look up-stairs, for I’ve an idea that
you have some secret hiding-places which in an
ordinary semh would be apt to be over--
looked.

Dadd Blazes gnashed his teeth with rage at
this doc aration.

“Oh, ou vile scoundrel! I will have your
life for t is!” he cried. '

“ So you say, but I haven’t confidence enough
in your word to believe on,” Hu h rigoiued.

‘ I’ve got am foul t is time,I>ad yBlazas,
andIshould afool if 1did not improve my
advantage. , . .

 

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“I 3-4.1, ., “Ft-"‘31,; ’ D  .1‘
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M. , '3', ' 
t .‘T. r." 

 

 
 

 

“ This passage is dark so I’ll trouble you for
the loan of your lantern that I may be able to
see what I. am about.

“ You will not mind being left alone in the
dark to accommodate me, I know,” the Light-
wei ht continued.

“ t is not particularly disagreeable when you
get used to it. You see I have had experience,
so I know what I am talking about.”

The old man was being paid off in his own
coin, but he was in the toils, and he was obliged
to content himself with cursing the ill—luck
which had given the stranger such an advan-

e.
ta‘g‘ Oh, what a fool I was that I didn’t kill the
scoundrel outright when I had him helpless in
my power!" he exclaimed.

2‘ As it is, the mercy that I had upon him will
be apt to prove my destruction, but if I escape
from this trap I will be wiser next time.”

Leavin the old man to his bitter reflections
we will fo low the footsteps of the Lightweight
bent upon exploring the secret paSSage.

“ The ins ector said that I would find this set-
tlement to a tough one and full of rascals of
every grade, but even he, with all his knowl-
edge, was not up to this sort of thing,” Hugh
soliloquized,as he advanced along the narrow
passage.

The way went stra' ht along for about fifty
feet and then turned a ruptl to the right.

“ I must be near the en now,” the Light-
weight observed as he turned the corner.

Ten feet further on and the passage ran into
another one, and there ended.

The new passage was only about ten feet
long; at one end a wooden barrier, which Hugh/
imagined to be a door, blocked the way. and at

the other the passage came to an abrupt end, in r »

a dirt wall.

“ Now what the deuce does this mean i” asked
the Lightweight as he stood in the middle of
the passage and dashed the light of the lantern
first one way and then the other.

“The door there evidently is the mode of
egress to the air, but why on earth was this blind
passage made?

“ Posiny the fellows who did the work made
a mistake in their calculations and started inthe
wrong direction and duggustso far, beforethey
discovered their error,” surmised.

“ It must have been something of that kind
of course, for the fellows who did this work
were not the kind of men to waste their labor.

“ And now the question before the meeting
is, which one of these keys fits the lock of this
door. I assume that the door has a lock, of
course, althou h it may be fastened with a.
spring, worked y some concealed catch.”

Advancing to the door he proceeded to ex-
amine it by the aid of the lantern’s light.

As he had expected; there was a keyhole, but
whenhe came to trythe ke 8 attached to the
bunch, not one of them woul fit it.

“ I willhavetotry andseeifthesmall skele-
ton-key will pick the lock,” he said at last.

“ Mighty strange though,” he continued,
“that there was a key on the bunch tofit the
first door and yet none for this serond.

3 “ There is a mystery about this that I don’t
exactly understand.”

The skeleton-key did the business though.

Inserted in the lock, on the second trial, it
forced back the bolt.

The door opened, and Hugh Strong found
himself face to face with the girl whom he
had] protected from the rage of her brutal
unc e.

The recognition was mutual. and an exclama-
 of astonishment broke from the lips of
bot .

H

' d !”the Lightweight exclaimed.

‘.

Well, upon. my word, Miss McGinnis, I am
i

“ on are about the last person that I expect. .

ed to see in such a place as this.” 

“And you, sir, like a guardian angel have
come a second time to my rescuel” the girl
cried, while tears of gratitude stood in her bril-
liant eyes.

“But what on earth are you doing here?”
and as he put the question our hero
ously over the shoulder of the girl into the

apartmentbeyond, with the idea of ascertaining ,

what sort of a place it was. .

"‘ I came here to seek shelter from an enemy
who was
fall? into the hands of one who is no friend to

me.

“ Why, it looks like a regular dun n."

“ It is a cellar under Mrs. O’glftfi‘i‘gm’s
house; she keeps a little grocery store, she
used to bee. great friend of my mother, so when
I found I was in danger I came to her, thinking
that for the sake of the old-time friendship she
would aid me.” \

“ Friendship is a very uncertain thing in this

pursuing me. but I fear that I have .

world sometimes, and it is notalwayssafe to; .

trust to it.

“Ofteninstead ofpmvingastafl’uponwhioh' '

one may lean in confidence, it breaks under the '.

burdenlikearottenreed.”
“I fearthatitissoin thiscase,”thegirl no.
as“ '

w...

“35,, : .

 

  
 

,sedl .

it-is,‘ know notwhat to do.cr where. ‘
$080-

. “I was punuedand I needed shelter, 1’

, I i
I \‘ t i .
1  -;i :5wa V .r.

’24

The Lightweight Detective. , _ ‘ ' . ' 

 

 

1

knew that this was an out-of—the-way spot, and
I thought I might find concealment here.

“ Mrs. O’F‘lanni 11 received me in the most
friendly manner, ‘ut I fear now that her appar- .
ent friendship and warm greeting were but
lures to entrap me into her power.

“ Duped by her manner I was induced to re-
veal to her more of my history than I should ‘
have done, and now that I have had time to re- '
fiectu nthe matter I am afraid she resolved
to tra con herknowled e.”

_ “ Very likely; the wor dis full of people who
" ‘ will play that game whenever they get a
7\ chance,” Hugh observed.

‘ “This cellar is a secret ‘one, and access to it
is gained by a hidden trap-door, and when Mrs.
O lannigan explained to me that when I was
once down here I would be safe from all pur-
suit I was deli hted and accepted her oifer to
hide me here w th thanks."

“I can understand that under the circum—
stances.”

“ But since I have been shut up here I have
Q been reflecting deeply,” the girl continued. “ I
J; find that I am really a prisoner, for I have tried
§ ‘- a to move the tra oor and have discovered that

Icannot, and t en the solitude, too, has pro-
.. ' duced such an effect upon me that I am sure I
i. . ghalll’ose my reason if I am compelled to stay
a . v ere.

“ Very likely; the convict confined in (a State
Prison is in a palace compared to this,” the
Lightweight observed.

And then, when I came here I had no idea

I of what a dreadful place it was.

liar-3 “ Why, this morning, on] a little while ago,

‘ i there was the most drea ful fight going on
Ollitside; the noise even penetrated into this

- ace.

“ And when Mrs. O’F'lanni an brought me my
dinner I asked her about it. at she made light
of the matter, saying that she essed it was

\ \ only some of the boys in the neig borhood play-
if . ing their games.

“ But I could see by her face that she was not

. telling me the truth, for it was a regular fierce

fight, and half an hour or so after the noise
. ended there was a heavy tramp of feet up—stairs
 - as 1“though an army were in pomession of the

. , e.

34‘  p “ I told Mrs. O’Flannigan that I did not think
‘. .7 , I could bearto stay an longer and that when
night Came I thought wou d go awa , but she
wouldn’t listen to the idea, and sai I would
soon w accustomed to it, and in short, I am
Sinus” amimprisoned here just as if I was in a

  
  
  
   
    
    
  
  
  
     
    
  
    
    
  
    
    
     
       
  
 
 
  

I

 

CHAPTER XXXV.
.‘ . u a svarmsn.
‘1 z I Tun amateur detective reflected upon the
' ' . .matter for a moment. ,
"‘g‘i‘Dot a: lsuppose tint the old mom? im-
nes s eoanma eanymone ee'
you here?” he asked. y y pmg
“ I am afraid so, for she hinted as much. She
said it would be money in both of our pockets
' if I would only be content to stay,here.
“ And when I asked her to explain how that
i could be, she shook her head and said that there
were some t s that ought not to be talked
of until the proper time came, and as far as I
. was concerned it hadn’t come yet.
3‘ “Then sheadvised meto beagoodgirl and
.i-r“ i ' to try and make myself satisfied to stay in this
. i - terri le place for a little while, and then she
went xway, and I listened and heard her move
,the ho ts which fasten the trap-door. ”
, “ Oh, the old woman has made you a prisoner
' here, there isn’t any mistake about that,” Hugh

ed.
p, “I have been through a little adventure in
 that line myself, and it. is only by an accident
 , 'that I find myself here. -

."t When I opened this door I sup it led
I .to apasmgle through which I coud ain the
' street,and hadno ideathat Iwasgo g into
_ another cellar.”
: “Oh, {on have not come from the street then?”
“No, am doing allttlein the escaping line

” ' ‘ I at into a scrape, luck went against me,
‘ was shut up in just such another cellar as
“ it" mess“ I mists 3"“ “it!” '1‘: if’é
 _, my way e open aga , u
- the ' e conducted me here; but there must
g become oor along the passage somewhere,for
this underground wa was never dug merely to
communicate from ce lar to cellar.
“I must takea look at the other end of the
e. I thought it ended in a dirtrwall hut,
- t t may be onlya blind to hide the en-
: tunes." _ ' -
. A close examination proved this surmise o be
u  ‘The dirt-wall turned out to be a door skill-
- _ leéy painted and one of the keys of the bunch
 11 ug in the lock soon ed the portal.
Then a fii ht of area steps stood revealed,
‘ 3 and these 1 tea trap-door in the ceiling.
“Aha! light at last!” the Lightweight ex-
, chimed, after makian this discovery.
” Now then we w not have any difficulty in

 

the trap-door, and the question at once came up
would any one of his keys fit it?

If not, all the fat would be in the fire, for the
door was an extremely solid one. and if it could

i not be unlocked it would surely be a terrible job

to force it open.

But one of the keys of the bunch did fit, as
Hugh had expected, and the Lightweight, lift-
ing up the trap-door, made the discovery that
the tra was in the floor of an old shed which
had evxdently at one time been used for a
stable.

It was quite dark for there were no windows
in it and only one small door.

It was a one-story affair—a regular shanty,
like all the rest of the buildings in the settle-
ment which did not boast of a single regularly-
built ouse.

“ We are all ri ht now,” Hu h observed.
“We can get out 0 this place easi y enough for
it is only a shell, and even if I haven’t any key
to unlock the door, which seems to be securely
fastened, we can get out through the side of the
building. '

“ But now I’ll go back and lock that door
again so that the dame who so kindly locked you
up will be at a loss to know what has become of
you when she oes to look for you and finds you
among the mISSing, and by so doing I will be
able to baffle pursuit."

The girl thought that this was an excellent
idea, and so expressed herself.

It did not take the adventurer many minutes
to carry out the project, and then he returned
to the shed.

“ Now then," he said, as he ascended the steps
and carefully clased the trap-door after it, “ the
first thing to be done is to take a look at the sur-
roundin s and see what chance there is to get
out of t is place without attracting observa-
tion.

“ We must not be seen departin if we can
help it, for this settlement has t e tou hest
gan of roughs in it that exist in all New ork.

“ have been told that it is as much as the life
of a policeman is worth to attempt to make any
arrest, and that in fact any less force than half a
dozen oflicers don’t stand much chance ainst
the mob that the sight of a blue-coat ' raise
in this locality."

“ What a dreadful place it mustbe i” exclaim-
ed the girl, with a shiver.

“An how very stupid it was of me to seek
shelter in such a place.”

“ Yes, you jumped out of the frying~pan into
the fire most decidedly when you came to this
miserable hole."

There were cracks in all the walls of the shed,
the boards having been warped by the heat of
the sun, so that t was an eas matter for the
young man to command a View in all direc-
tions.

But before lookin to ascertain if the coast

was clear Hugh tri to see if he had a key to

fit the lock.
The second one proved to be a fit and the
how well

Lightweight laughed as be reflected
the bunc of he s of whichhe had despoiled
Daddy Biases he served his purglose.

“The old rascal will be a t to 'e of strangu-
lation, for I’ve no doubt hat by this time he
has cursed his ill-luck until he isblack in the
face," Hugh mused to himself, as he tried the
keys in the lock.

“ Now then, I’ll see the girl safely out of this
den ,of rattlesnakes, and ,after that is accom-

lished I will come back and ‘ go through ’ Dad-

y Blazes's house in the most scientific manner.

in a way that the old man will
despise, an e chances are good I think, that
I will be able to makeimportant discoveries.”
A cautn‘ous cry of alarm from the girl at this
. nt interrupted the Lightweight’s calcula-
ons.

“ t is the matter?” he asked.

e he had been busy with the lock, the
natural curiosit of the impelled her to look
through one of he crac in the wall.

“ T ore is amanoutside seated upon a rock
about a hundred feet awa , who seems to be
keeqing a watch on this sh . '

“ t is probably Purely accidental, for it is
utter] impossible or any one to know that
there s anybody in it.” ‘

The shed was isolated from the rest of the
settlement, the on] house near it being the
shanty of Mrs. 0’ annigan, which was abOut
twenty feet distant.

The Lightweight hastened to the girl’s side,
and too a look through the crack at the
man. -

He was an ugly, beetle-brewed fellow, a re-

r tramp in appearance, and from the way

which he sat, with his e es fixed upon the

shed, it certainly looked as he was engaged in
watching the premises.

3%!) glanced around him perplexed.

u e] ’k

—go througlhiit

upon my life, I don’t understand it,”
e remar ed. ‘
” The fellow is watchin

g the shed, and there
isn’t any two ways about t

, but what on earth

  

he is doin it for is a m tery, for there isn’t
anything the shed are t t,asfar asIcau
,see to call for an ’

  

 

‘ makin ourescapel”
3; “timed the words quitted his

that thehwua‘hy—hobufl, thatshe
‘3 . i. I'  '

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egirlnod hex-headssmuehasto'say

  
 
  

   

 

 

 
   
  
 
  

“ But as he is on] watching the back of the
shed, and we calcu ate to leave by the front.
door I don’t think he will bother us much.”

“ hat is true; ” the 1 observed.

Then Hugh went to t e front of the house and
took a look through one of the cracks, while the
girl pursued a similar course at the side of the

ouse.

A simultaneous cry of alarm came from both
of them. ‘

“ Oh, sirl” exclaimed the irl; “there is a
man watching on this side of t e house too!”

“ So there is on this side,” the Lightweight
responded.

And then he hastened to the side of the house
opposite to where the girl stood, and applied his
eye to one of the cracks.

She undersde what he was about, and
watched his movements with intense interest.

“ J ustas I e ted,” Hugh remarked.

“ There is a watcher there also?”

4‘ Yes. 73

“ Why the place is watched on all sides I”

“ Well, I must say it looks like it.” ‘

“What does it mean?” and the girl’s 1i 8
trembled as she put the uestion, for by t e
earnest expression which (had appeared on the
face of her companion at these last discoveries,
she understood that be regarded their position
as a critical one.

“Well, I don’t exactly know: I must admit
I am at a losstounderstand it,” the Lightweight
replied slowly.

‘ These four men are keeping watch on this
shed, and they have posted themselves so that
it will be impossible for any one to leave the
place without their knowledge.”

“ They seem just like sentries,” the girl ob-
served. I

“ That is just what they are. put there to give
warning of any attempt on our part 'to escape
from this lace.

“ And 8 ouid we attempt to do it, their warn—
ing cries will instantly rouse the whole settle-
ment, 'ust as the slogan of an enraged bee ex-
cites a 1 the rest.”

“ Oh, how dreadful!” cried the maid, with
clas hands.

“ es, and these miserable wretches would
think nothing of tearin V us to ieces if the word
so to do was given by t eir lea ers.”

“ But how is it possible for any one to know
that there is anybody in this place?”

“ That is the mystery which uzzles me,” the
Lightweight replied, thoughtfuiiy.

There is only one explanation as far as I
can see. Mdy man from whom I escaped must-
have ri of his bondsin some way and has
given the alarm.”

“ What is to be done?”

“ We can do nothing but wait."

. CHAPTER XXXVI.
rm: OLD nas’s PLAN.
“ WAIT—wait?" exclaimed the girl.
“Yes, that is all we can do at present,” Hugh

replied. i I

‘ With these fellows on guard it will be clear—
ly impossible for us to escape from the lace
without attractin attentiOn, and from w at I
know of this 1 ty and its inhabitants I am
satisfied that the moment we were seen an
alarm would be given, and the wretches who
would come in obedience to the call would think
nothing of tearing us all to pieces.”

A shudder shook the frame of the girl as she
listened to the blunt avowal. but in such a case
as this the Lightweight did not believe it was
wise to conceal the truth.

“ By waiting without attempting to escape
our position does not become any worse, and
in time some chance may arise that will aflord
us an opportum’ty to get out status bobble.

“ As lonfias we are shelte b this shed we
are tolerab ysafe, for I am wel armed, have
plenty of ammunition. and am in a iosition to
make it pretty warm for the gan if t ey should
try to force an entrance into t ' place, for I
should not hesitate to use my wea us, knowi
as I do that I could not hope for any mercy a ’
their hands if they once succeeded in getting me
in their clutches. ’

“ It, does not seem possible that such a thing
as this could happen right in New York bity,”

the girl observed.
“ t is more like a sto of the Wild West—an
yond the influence of

incident of the borders—

civilisation.” ’

' “ That is very true in the abstract, but not so
in realityé’ifiu h replied.

“ Cy y w o isiwell acquainted with the
great ty as it really is, will tell you that there
are as great savages to be found within its
limits—men and women as barbarous in their
instincts and as merciless to [fees within their
Wwer as any red-skins who ever roamed the

estern plains.

 

“ m life I believe I would ratherrun
my c with a lot of savages than eu-
couuter these wretches; they are just as barbar-
ous as the Indians, and decidedly more cunning
my?“- d°mtitiii ’ ri h ” the 
es, es ‘ eve you are
ed? ’ 8 ti . l
‘ in

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,trate into ‘the heart of Shantyvi

;   .   l   I - ~The' .igh'tweig'ht Detective.

25

 

 

quite a number of different races of wild men, ! he felt sure that the spy would not hesitate to
luse his arms if he was attacked, and the

and I must say my experience has been that
wild men who are to be found in the ver
of all great cities are far more to be
than their uncivilized brothers, the denizens of
the wilderness. ’ ~

And now leaving the pair to watch and wait,

l

l

heart l chances were good that if an attempt was made
readed v to capture him in his lair, he would make a

most desperate resistance.
He had the advantage of the shelter of the
shed, and it was plain it would require a des-

we will explain how it came about that the sen- 1 perate struggle to dislodge him.

tinels were posted to guard the old shed and so
prevent the fugitiv cs from escaping.

l

l h

Daddy Blazes pondered this matter over in
is mind while waiting for the gang to as-

\\'hen the young man had overcome Daddy l semble.

Blazes and bound him hand and foot, he fan-

He had sent out word for the men to come

cied that ho had made a tolerably good job of , quietly to the shanty, dropping into it one by
it and that the old man was so secured that he one so as not to attract attention.

would remain a prisoner until some one came to
his rescue.

But the Lightweight had committed the com-
mon error of underrating his antagonist.

Daddy Blazes was an abler man than Hugh
Strong suspected.

The moment that the young man disappear'
ed through the secret door Daddy Blazes set out
,{lo free himself from the bonds that hampered

1111.

First he essayed to burst his fetters by main
strength, but after a few moments of violent
exertion he be mine satisfied that he was not
equal to the task.

T hena brilliant idea occurred to him as he
surveyed the cloth strips which i'ettered him.

A wild animal would speedin gnaw its way
through such bonds, and why could he not do
the same?

The thought wasa good one. and he at once
proceeded to carry the project into execution.

The old man possessed a good set of teeth,
and soon the tightly-knotted bonds began to
give y.

It 3% not take long for him to release his
hands, and then the rest was eas , for after his
hands were free it was not a di cult job to re-
.move the bonds that confined his ankles.

He rose to his feet a free man once a ain.

It had only taken him about five minutes to
accomplish this, and that was all the start that
the fugitive had.

“ It will take him some time to find his way

out, and the chance is good that I can intercept
him,” Daddy Blazes cried in malicious glee, as
he ran to the Stairway and began to ascend.

Although the cellar was plunged in darkness
by the removal of the lantern which Hugh
Scrong had carried off with him, yet from long
acg‘uaintance With the place the old man had no
d1 culty in finding his way. i

_The secret spring when fastened the trap
yielded readily to the touch of his experienced
fin rers. ’

l e gained .the main floor and then hurried
from the house to a neighboring shanty which
served as a sort of headquarters for the mem-
bers of the gan . ,

There were ve of the rufllans there when
{he old man entered playing cards and drinking

eer.

Briefly the old man explained what: he
wanted.

“There is a police spy in the old shed, who
will be apt to attempt to escape the moment he
gets a good chance,” he said.

“But as he is in possession of some impor-
tant secrets, he must not be allowed to get out
9f the settlement alive,” he continued.

There was an ominous growl from the lips df
the ruffians at this, and one and all began to
hunt for their weapons.

“ \Ve want to do the trick quietly, you know,”
Daddy Blazes continued.

‘ It may be possible that the police are some—
where in the neighborhood, and we mustn’t
alarm them if we can help it.”

The ruflians shook their heads and scowled;
all of them had been in the fight when the
Tombs lawyer and his police escort had been
handled so roughly, and that skirmish had
whetted their a petite so that they were quite
read for more un in the same line.

“ our of you watch the shed,” Daddy Blazes
continued.

“Surround it on all sides so that it will be
impossible for this cussed spy to get out with-
out being seen, and the other one rouse up the
boy so t at we will be ready for this rat when
the time comes to hunt him out of his hole.” .

The radians deserted their cards and beer and
hastened {mandrame to carry out the orders of
th: 0151 man.

n so it hap ned that when the fa 'tives
looked throu h tgg cracks in the old sh , the
foamd the pl cc surrounded by watchers on l
si es. ‘

The delay of the Lightweight, caused by his
encounter with the rl, given time to th
sentinels to assume t eir itions. I '

But now that Daddy lanes had cut of! the
escape of the spy, he was somewhat at a loss to
knozv what move it would be best to . make
nex . a

The sp was entrapped and yet he was not.

True, t e shed was surrounded, but the daring
adventurer who had been bold enou h to pene-

_ Ila alone—
sm le-handed, and heard Daddy‘Blases in his
de , sessed both his liberty and his weapons,
and rom the experience that the chiehof the
outlaw settlemen already had of the intruder,

l
l

l
I
l
!

The shanty where the men had been directed
to assemble, although only about a hundred feet
from the shed which sheltered the fugitives, was
hidden from it by a huge mass of rock crop ing
out of the earth, so that the gathering o the
“ warriors ” could not be discovered by the man

’ whom the designed to attack.

 

Daddy lazes was a firm believer in the wise
saying of the ancient Greek:

“ When the lion’s skin falls short eke it out with
the fox's."

In this case the lion’s skin was most decided-
ly short.

He did not dare to venture to storm the cita-
del occupied by the spy although his force was
twenty to one.

He felt that the adventurer would offer a
desperate resistance and such a struggle would
be apt to cost the lives of half a dozen of his
men; that is. if they had courage enough to con-
tinue the fight after discovering what a partic-
ularly warm reception the besieged had in store
for them.

And on this point Daddy Blazes felt extreme-
ly doubtful. .

That the ang, rendered confident by their
number, wou d assail the shed and endeavor to
get the adventurer out of it, the old man felt
sure, but that they would persist in the attack
if the spy showed vigorous fight he was not so
certain.

Strategy must be used.

So after the gang were assembled the old
man explained his plan to them.

“ Boys, I want you to (iuietly sneak out and
surround the shed on al sides, being careful,
you know, to keep out of sight.

“Be sure that you don’t let this cursed spy
get his eyes on any of you, for if you do the
game isu .

“ The fellow is armed of course, and when he
finds that he is cornered will be apt to make a
desperate fight. .

“ Now, it willnot do for us to let the spy get
off with whole bones, for he is the only man that
ever succeeded in penetrating into our strong-
fiold,” and we must make an example of

1m.

“ es, yes!” cried the rest in chorus. “Kill
him i”

“ Well, if we do not kill him, we must do him
up so that he will never dare to trouble us
again. i

“ Now be off, boys, to your holes, and when
you hear me ell go for your man.”

The gang 0 %ed the injunction,andwhen the
coast was clear eddy Blazes came forth.

CHAPTER XXXVII.
a PARLEY.

HUGH STRONG was looking through one of the
cracks of the front wall of the shanty when
Daddy Blazes made his appearance around the
corner of the rock whic had previously cone
eealed him from sight. ‘

.“ Ohol the cat is out of the bag now!” ex-
claimedthe Lightweight, the moment he caught
sight of the old man.

“ This explains the myste n”

h The ‘girl had hastened to his side the moment
6 s e.

“ t is the old scoundrel who had melocked up
in the cellar,” the young man said. /

He had previously given the girl a brief ac;
count of his adventures, not goin deeply though
into the why and wherefore of h s visit to Dad-
dy Blazes’s stronghold; merely stating that he
was in search of information.

“I thought I had tied him sothat he would

stay tied for some time.
‘ I

nfact, I calculated to goliack there as soon
as I explored these assages, but the old rascal
has been too smart or me.

“ I can understand now though about these
men beingflaced on the watch.

“ The 0 scoundrel expected that I would at-
tempt to esca by the way of this shed, and he
means to he me ofi'.”

“ He is coming toward us,” the girh observed.

“ Yes; what is be up to?" Hugh remarked,re-
fiectively.

“ He must suspect that I am here or else he
would not have posted his sentinels to cut of! my
retreat.

“ Of course he has no idea that you are here.”

“ Perhaps he wishes to avoid a difficulty and
comesto make some proposal to you,” the girl

su ested.
5% shouldnot be surprised ifi you have hit
upon the truth,” the Lig tweigh replied.

l

 

“ The fact is that so long as I am inside this
shed I am not in so tight a place as one would
imagine.

“ I cannot very well get out, but neither can
my foes get in, so lon as my weapons remain
in working order and I have plenty of ammuni-
tion.

" It is possible that the aged rascal has re—
flected upon this point, he is a long-headed old
SUI )Ullill‘i‘l. and he has come to the conclusion be-

l fore resorting to force of arms to try what his

 

tongue will do.”

Daddy Blazes came straight to the shed, but
halted when he was within about twenty feet of
it.

In obedience to Hugh’s instructions the ' 1
had retreated to the opposite side of the shag-go
as to keep watch there against a surprise while
the young man conversed with Daddy Blazes.

As will be seen by this the Lightweight did
not put much faith in the old man.

As we have saidDaddy Blazes came to a halt
about twenty feet from the house. sat down
upon a rock, and pitching his voice so it would
just about reach to the shed, said:

“ Well, oung man, are you there?”

“Yes, I m here, all of me,” Hugh answered,
immediately.

“ You thought you had me in a pretty tight
place a while ago,” Daddy Blazes observed, with
achuckl‘e, “but, as you see, I have got out of
it.

“ Yes, yes; there’s an old saying that Satan
always stands by his own,” uugh rejoined.

“ And you, my adventuring young friend,
you are in a pretty tight place now.”

“ I don’t really see how you make that out,”
the Lightwei ht replied,immediatel .

“Ah, yes, 1; t’s right!” and the o d man nod-
ded approvingly.

“ hat is the right way to talk. Never admit
that you are in a tight place. Bluster and brag
has won many a battle since this World began,
and will win many in the future.

“But you are in a pretty bad sort of a hole
here for all that.

“ You really must allow me to differ with
you. Why, don"t you know that you are sur-
rounded by my gang, and that all 1 have to do
is to 've the signal of alarm and the toughest
crow” that there is in all this big city will go for

on?
y “ Oh, bosh!” cried the Lightweight, con-
temptuously. “ Your tough crowd is a set of
cowardly cutrthroats, who would run like rab~
bits if they found themselves opposed by any-
thin like an equal force. ‘

“ am armed-well armed, and I am not at
all afraid to use my weapons, and thanks to the
protection afforded by the walls of this shed, I
can bid defiance to a small army.”

“ Yes, yes, you crow loud now; but when my
gang make their rush I fancy you will be apt to
chan your tune.”

“ you believe that why don‘t you try it on?"
the other asked.

“ Oh, come now; I am real] not as bad as you
think mel" Daddy Blazes exc imed.

‘f No doubt you SW I am eager and anx-
ious to shed your bl , but it isn’t so, although
you are the best man that ever got after me,
but now this little aflair is ended as far as I am
concerned.

“Black Bud is off, and with the start he has
the chances are a hundred to one against his be-
i caught. ‘

‘John is an old friend of mine, and if I am
noted for any one thing in this world it is for
flicking to my friends when they get into tron- ,

e.

“ A very good trait indeed,” the Lightweight
remar .

“ Oh yes, as I told you, I am a pretty'decent
sort of fellow when you come to know me, al.
though some folks do give me a hard name.”

“It is. the fate of man to be misunderstood
and reviled,” Hugh regiarked, philosophically.

“ Well, to come to t 6 point at once without.
further waste of words, if I understand your'
game, Black Bud was the man you was after.”

“Yes, you are right there.”

“ I suppose you understand by this time that
Black Bud is no fool, and is not the kind of man

to stop fooling around in New York after so , 

close a call as he got last night.”

“I should imagine that it was his polio to
get out, unless he has some other hiding-
which he considers to be secure from dis--
oovery.”

“ ere isn‘t such another den as mine in the
city l” the old man declared.

And you can bet your life that after you -

was smart enough to catch on to his hiding"

lace he wasn’t idiot enough to fool around New . -

’ork, after he succeeded in getting away from

on. ._
y “ He has a good start, and by this time he is - "

so far away that neither on nor any other '
stands any chance to catch him.” 8p,

“ \Vell, that is a good thing for Black Bud, I '  «g
Ron understand that all ‘ .

should remark.”

“ Now then, I hope
the interest I had in t smatter waste hel a
friend out of a bad scrape. and that job be
accomplished i am ready to wash my hands _.

‘ the whole aflair.”

 

 

26

' The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

 

H 

“ Now, I don’t bear you any ill Will on account
of the little difficulty that we had, and I hope
that on haven’t any hard feelings against me.”

“ h, no, none at all,” the Lightweight re—

lied.

“ And as far as I am concerned I am willing
to cry quits. ”

“ A very laudable spirit, I am sure,” Hugh re-

nded,with a slight touch of sarcasm percepti-
gll): in his voice.

“ You got the best of it at the first, then you
succeeded in turning the tables, but now again
the advantage is on my side, but I do not feel at
all disposed to take advantage of it.”

. . “ Well, I am very much obliged of course,
' , althou h I must sa I don’t think you have got
so [111105] the best 0 it just now, as you seem to

I see—very natural under the circum-
3

ima ne.”

“Eh, I don’t blame you for putting the best
possible face on the matter, but you are in a
tight place for all that, and what you think
is of no consequence ; your opinion cannot change
the facts in the case.

“ But now what I was going to say was this:

( ' I am satisfied if you are, and if you have a
,‘- mind to call the thing 8 uare and give me your
3.? . ’ , Word that I shall not be othered b the police
' for the share I had in aiding John uddock to

f, esca , you are free to depart.” .

'-:; . ' ‘ suppose you think you are making me a
  _ prett liberal offer?” Hugh remarked.

‘y H

ost certainly I do.’ u
.. “You think you have me in a trap from which
it will be impossible for me to escape?”
‘ “ I don’t think anything about it,” the old
_ . man exclaimed. _ .
‘2 “ I know that on are in a trap from which it
will be inipossib e for ‘you to escape.
“ You are surroun ed by my gang on all
sides, and if they once go for you. ou Will be
a lucky man to escape with your 11 e; anyway
on Will get a beating that will lay you iip so
{hat you will not be any good to yourse or
any one else for six months at least.‘ .
“ Oh, no, no, not at all,” the Lightweight ex-

‘A',

A Ll

J.
.7. .
i'.v-‘

(

  claimed. .
if - “ You are not stating the case fairly. _
 , 3‘ You have me surrounded; that is true

, V enough I can readily believe, but if I can’t get
 u out neither can your gang get in. I

fit ' “ I am fully armed an shall not hesitate to

 . use my weapons if I am attacked, and if your

$.63. ' mmans dare to attack me here, they will be apt
7 > to pay dearly for their rashness.” .

’ .1‘ ‘ Oh, there isn’t an use totalk to such a blind

' fool as you are, ” D dy Blazes exclaimed in a.

‘ e
 v IngYou want to be killed; that is plain

 hi"
‘ . “‘lgo I don’t. I am just as careful of my
precious rson as any man you can find on top
, of the footstool, and that is why I don’t feel any
’ disposition to walk into this trap which you
.. :«have laid so cunnin ly.

   
    
  
    
    
 
   
   
   
   
    

“Don’t try to ay me for a fool, Daddy
Blues, for you w only have your trouble for
your ins.

“ on are anxious to t me out of this house

‘hecause you know I w handle your men so

roughly, if they dare to attack me here, that
' they will soon be sick of the job.

‘ ‘ Your game is to get me out of this, and

«then your cut-throats will be able to at a

.y chance at me, but I see your trick and it not

. 'work.” I _

 Daddy Blazes rose to his feet, his face con-
 , with rage. .

p “ You  have it,” he cried, “you Will not



' “ I will not be tricked 1” Hugh retorted.
 7“ Your blood be on your own head then! I’ll
have you out of that, and without giving you
a chance to strike a blow too.

7“ I will either 9 lode a mine under you and
blow the shed to a oms. or else II will set it on
he and roast you alive l”

 . CHAPTER XXXVIII.
'  run ATTACK.

  
  
 

 
   
   
  

 

   
 
   

f 7' i'l'B‘l threat was a terrible one, but it did not
., frl ten our hero in the least.

     

the contrary he uttered a scornful laugh.
3‘  “ Aha!” he cried, “ you don’t feel so sure of
ifyeur game as you pretend, or else you wouldn’t
“ your time in idle threats.

‘ x “ You [cannot come any mine business, for
the moment that you or any of your gang tried
‘to get at me by way of the underground pas—
.gel would be after you and put a speedy stop
11b 1:.

S‘Asto fire, I hardly think youwill dare to
‘Irythat either, for such a thing would be apt
attract the attention of the police, and it
isn’t me to do that.”

will to get a rifle, though, and
shoot you down ke a rat in a, cage without
in. being page to offer any resistance 1” Daddy
‘ mar

 

   

  

l

is“

 

        
   
   
    
 

o o 'ou can’t!” re lied the Li t—
 ‘ h,  “You fcii'get the an or-
am

 
  

. puma . What is there to revent
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bility for your bullets to harm me when I am
thus rotectad.”

“ e will sce-—we will see!” exclaimed the
oldkman, and then he disappeared behind the
rec .

The girl had listened to the conversation
with the greatest attention.

“ Do you think he will attempt to carry out
his threats?” she asked, earnestly.

“He will certainly try to amage me in
some way,”the young man replied.

“But the exact way in which the attack will
be made is of course a mystery. The old
wretch is uzzled how to et at me, or else he
never wo d have taken t e trouble to hold a

r e .
“HA5; I told him, the situation is a peculiar
one. I cannot get out without giving them a
chance to go for me, neither can they get in
unless they see fit to risk the lives of some of
their men, and these city roughs are, as a rule,
too cowardly to attack unless all the advan-
tage is on their side.

‘And then in this case it will not do for
them to make too much noise, or else the at-
tention of the police will be attracted, and if
that should happen the ame would be up as
far as they are concern .”

The Lightweight was right in his calcula-
tions.

Daddy Blazes was in a quandary in regard
to etihe matter, and hardly knew how to pro-
ce .

But the more he considered the matter, the
more likel it appeared to him that all opera-
tions ten ing to the dislod ing of the foe
who had intrenchcd himself right in the heart
of the squatter settlement, must be postponed
until] the shades of night lowered upon the
eart

Then it would be possible to approach near

enough to the shed to set it on fire without ex- ‘

posin the incendiary to the danger of getting
a bul et‘ in his body. '

After taking timeto reflect upon the sub‘ect
and weighing the matter in his mind, he had
come to the conclusion that the best way to
force the intruder from his fortification was to
set fire to the shed.

True, there was the danger that the flames
might attract the attention of the police. but
as there were huge bonfires kindled amid the
rocks every now and then by the gamins of the
neighborhood, the chances were great that the
police, if they noticed the flames at all, would
ascribe them to some such cause.

Then, too, if any of the members of “the fin-
est” came to the conclusion that one of the
shanties was on fire the odds were bi that they
wouldn’t trouble their heads about t e matter,
for there wasn a policeman on dut in the dis-
trict who wonl n’t have considered t a matter
for rejoicing if the whole entire shanty settle-
ment had burnt to the ound,rfor Shantyville
and its outcast inhabi nts gave them more
trogble than allthe rest of the district put to-
get er.

Time were away and neither of the parties
concerned in this strange proceeding made a

move.
Dadd Blazes had concluded to wait until
nightfal before he attempted to set the shed
on fire—a conclusion to which he had been
forced by circumstances, for he knew it would
not be possible for him to fire the place during
the daylight, for the spy would never permi
such a thing to be done, and, on his rt, the
Li htweight judged that he would stan a much
b? ter chance of escaping after the shades of
n ht had covered the earth
6 knew the place was surrounded and he had

determined the moment darkness came on suilb

ciently stron to conceal surrounding objects to
make a bold ash through the line of fees that
encircled him. ..

The girl was to remain in the house until he
had drawn the attention of all the watchers up—
on himself and then it would be an. easy matter
for her to slip out and escape under cover of the
darkness.

Gradually the night came on.

The sun had set in all its olden splendor, the
gloom began to thicken an the street-lights of
the great city to twinkle like so many stars
whose mission it was to illume the dusky shad-
ows of the night. '

Hu h Stron watched eagerly for the gather-
ing]? the dar ening shadows.

e favorable moment came at last.

The gloom had become so thick that none of
the surroundin ob ects could be seen.

The Lightwe ght ad not been idle durin the
brief time when the evening shadows, had been
gatherin J ’

He discovered a loose board in the back
wall of the shed and had quietly pried it from
its uncertain fastenings so that it hung by a
sin le nail at the top only and he could easily
pus it to one side so as to pass through the
Opening thus made. ,

Hugh reasoned that the gangwould be certain
to 190 for him to escape by way of the door,
and that the watch upon that point would be
more careful than anywhere else.

girl were briefly

Hummgctiomtothe

 

 

their leader,

“No one suspects that you are here, and:
therefore you will not be looked for,” he said.
“ My escape will be pretty certain to be dis-
covered before I have gone fifty feet from
the building if the scoundrels keep a careful
watch. -

“ And the moment I am discovered they
will go for me of course, and that must be
the si nal for you to leave the building.

“ hen ou et outside wait for a moment-
and note t c direction from whence the noise
of the pistol-shots comes, and then you go in
the opposite direction.

“Of course the moment I am discovered all
the gang will hasten to cut me oil’, and that
will give you a chance to escape without at—
tracting any notice.

“ Now, good-by and God bless you!”

A fervent gra of hands and then the
lightweight pushe 1the bgartcll to one side and
s epped noise ess yt roug t e openin .

0 had previously arranged a meetifig-place
with the girl so that they could come together
again after this peril was past, if they both
succeeded in escaping, and 0 this our hero had
no doubt.

On the outside of the shed the Lightweight
hesitated and strained his eyes to see if he
could distinguish any watcher in the distance.

He listened, too, thinking that it was possible
that some careless movement might reveal to
him the whereabouts of the sentinel.

The sailor life of the Lightweight had
trained both eyes and ears so that in both
senses he was far superior to the average man,
but for all that no signs of human presence
could he discover.

Crouching close to the earth he adv ced
cautiously in the direction of the nearest 8 n—
ty, from the windows of which a light was

, gleaming, and which was about a hundred yards

away.

Fully fifty feet he went without discovering
the slightest sign indicating the presence of a
foe, and was just about to congratulate him-
self .upon his good luck in evading the sentinel,
when he stumbled over the fellow, who. all
curled up in a heap on the ground, was enjoy-
inga quiet doze.

’ be rough proved to be active enou h,
thou h, when thus rudely awakened from s
slum r.

The man had disposed himself in such a fash—
ion, braced against a rock, that in the dark-
ness he had appeared like a part of the rock
and had even deceived the keen eyes of the
Li htweight.

he moment he was disturbed by Bu h he
set up a cry of alarm and grappled wit the
intruder upon his slumbers, althou h our hero

did his best to get the fellow by t e throat so
as to choke his utterance.

But owing to the manner in which he fell
over the tough, this was an impossibility.

The ell alarmed the rest of the gun , and
in hot to they ran to the assistame of8 their
comrade.

The Li htweight carried his revolver in his
hand, an when the rough grappled with him
he dealt him a blow over the head with it that
laid him out in a twinkling. .

Beleasbd from his Hugh sprung to
his feet, but the timeoccu ied by the encoun-
ter, brief as it was, had a owed the others to
come u , and they were so close to him that
the Lig tweight felt that it would not be
sible to elude them by flight, unacquain as
he was, too, With the ground, which was rough
and uneven, full of stumbling-blocks for un—
accustomed feet.

80 Hugh. resolved to stand his ground and
fight to the bitter end.

On came the roughs, springing up from be—
hind the rocks iuall directions like so many
phantoms.

With hoarse cries of rage they filled the air.

Daddy Blazes was in the advance, and in his
hand he brandished a revolver.

“ Kill him, boys,” he cried.

“ Kill the spy as a warning ,to others to keep
out of here.”

And then the gang took up the cry:

“ Kill him—kill him—kill the !”

Our hero understood that this was “ business,”
to use the cant saying.

His life was song t, and the angry roughs
would not be content with any lesser offering.

He was facing as merciless and bloodthirsty
fees as ever a man confronted in this world,and
being well aware of the fact he did not stop to
parley with them. ‘

It was his life or theirs, and in this emergenty
he did not hesitate to use prompt action.

He leveled his revolver at the foremost man
and fired.

 

CHAPTER XXXIX.

AN usurncmn DISCLOSURE.
Tnl report of the revolver was followed by ‘

a yell of agony and Daddy Blazes, who had been
leadin the gang on and had been unluck
(fanoug to stop the ball, fell forward on 
ace '

The attackers used, disma ed b the fall of
andpt‘hree or four-yet thzm who had

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
  

 
 
 
  
  

 
  

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their revolvers ready discharged them at the

fu 'tive.

file LightWeight however escaped unhurt, for
the rufiians were in too much of a hurry to take
careful aim, and he immediately returned the
fire.

Another man went down moaning in pain.

This man too one of theringleaders of the band.

The roughs began to wave), and then all of a
sudden a cry went up from those in the rear
that the police were coming, and immediately
all of the scoundrels took to flight, runnin for
dear life, none of them sorry to be 3 the
neccssity of again facing the death-dealing wea-
pon of the s y whom they designed to kill. .
The cry t at went up was true; the police

» were at hand.

And it was to the 'rl that their timely am.
val u n the scene of ttle could be credited.

In or endeavor to escape she had chanced
upon the lice force, and she had warned them
that mur er was doing.

The [Lolice force was a strong one, command-
ed by t e captain in ch of the district, and
with him was Inspector urke and the mer-
chant, Franklyn Bookin ham.

Mr. Bookingham had me alarmedat not
hearing from the Lightweight, and Visiting the
Inspector at Head-quarters had told him that
the amateur detective intended to penetrate into
the heart of Shantyville in quest of the cracks-
nian Black Bud, but to the officer this was no
secret, for his interview with the young man
had revealed the fact to him but when he
learned that Hugh Strong ha not been seen
since, he begfn to think there was cause for
alarm, and ad suggested that it would be a

ood idea to take a squad of policemen and go
fn search of the spy, and out of compliment to
the merchant, said he in person would take
charge of the expedition.

Bookingham also wished to make one of the
party, and so it hap ned that both he and the

rest man of the Po 'ce Department chanced to
on the groun .

The pohce with their bull’s-eye lanterns soon
illuminated the scene. .

The Lightweight was bleeding from a slight
scratch on his cheek where one of the pistol-
balls had just grazed the skin, but otherwise he
was unhurt.

The second ruflian too, who had fallen, had re-
ceived a bullet in the shoulder, and though he
was groaning and swearing at a fearful rate he
was not dangerously wounded.

Daddy Blazes though was hard hit.

The ball had passed throu h his lungs,and
thou h outwfily the work-g] 'glggtd seem to be
parthqu y as very e appeared,
yetit wasplainfromthe anon his face
and the Weakness which he experienced that he
waHsngttflll forotlhg'world. thi mud

e re n senses nus recog-
nized both the Ca and the aspector the
moment he saw t am; the merchan ,stauding

behind the rest, did not fall under his
“ Agile, Captain—Inspector, I am g you are
here e

“I am one for, I’m afraid; that scoundrel
there has murdered me, and I want him to hang
for it!” and he waved his revolver, which he

- still clutchedin his hand, toward H h Strong.
“Itseemstomethat ouwereha gaaort
of free fight here." the remarked

 

 _ the Inspector, kindly.

a ‘.  .~..... “

“No, no, self-defense, ’s all. I drew my
pistol in self-defense,” he muttered, “ but the
scoundrel was too quick for me and put a ball
into me before I had a chance to defend myself.

“ Remember! it is my dyin , mm, In-
specter, that man shot me, an if there is any
justice in New York you’ll hang him—oh!” and
a sudden spasm of pain cut short his utterance.

The b standers looked at each other; the near

prowl: of the ' king of terrors .had not in
t e least abated is vindictive disposxtion.

“Gentlemen, don’t pay any attention to the
words of this miserable old wretch,” Hugh said.

“ The truth of the matter is that he and his
gang sought to kill me and I was obliged to use
my revolver to keep them off and if it had not
been for your timel arrival I, in all probability
would have had a time of it, although i
had succeeded in disabling the two foremost
men of. the gang."

“ It’s a lie—a lie!” the old man.

“He murdered me with t any provocation,
and he must hang for itl”

“ See here, my friend, don’t rave about ven.
geance any more, but turn your thoughts to-
ward preparing for another world, for' I am
afraid that your time in this one is short ” said

CHAPTER XL.
. a With: SUGGESTION.
Dannx * Buns looked up defiantly in the

face f the In tor.
“13h, I s’pofiou think you can frighten me,

'7' but I can tell you that you can’t play any game

. ' of that kind on such a man as

 

I am!" he

cried in an angry tone of voice. “ I know that

Tffernal sconnd rel has severely wounded me, but ‘

am worth a dozen dead menwetl”

, ,“ Well, maybe you are. I I am no doctor and

 

do not pretend to be a judge in such matters,"
the Inspector replied.

“But I can tell you that if I was wounded
anywhere near as badly as you seem to be, I
should skirmish around for a doctor as soon as
possible." ‘

“ Oh, yes, that is all very well to say, but how
can I do anything, hurt as I am!” the old man
snarled.

“ We will fix up some sort of a litter for you,
the Inspector said, and then he called one of his
men and gave directions to that effect.

“ And why don’t you give orders to take that
fioung scoundrel who shot me into custody!”

aridy Blazes cried.

“ Don’t vou worr your head about that,” the
officer replied, curt y.

“ He shot me!” the old man fairly shrieked.
“ And if I die he ought to be hanged l”

“ I know my business and you can de nd upon
my attending to it,” the Inspector dec ared.

“Ah, that is just the way with the world!”
Daddy Blazes exclaimed.

“Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
Your infernal police have hounded me for
years, and now that I have been assaulted and
dangerously wounded, you are not willing to
arrest the man who assailed me."

“This matched old villain is not telling the
truth, air,” the Lightweight Detective asserted,
addressing the Inspector.

“ It is true that he was wounded by a bullet
from my mvolver,” the young man continued.
“But at the time he received the hurt he was
leading on a gen of ruflians who plainly in-
tentlisd,to kill me in cold blood if they possibly
cou .‘ .

“ It is a lie—a lie l” Daddy Blazes shrieked.

“ It is the truth and on know it, old man i”
the Lightweight Detective replied, with stem
accent.

By this time the policemen had found a shut-
ter which would answer for a litter to convey
the wounded man and they approached with
the article.

“ Put himyon it,” commanded the Inspector.
“Take him to the station and get a doctor as
soon as you can.”

“ Ain’t you going to arrest my murderer?”
the old man cried.

“ Don’t you worry your head about that!”
the police official retortod. “ Just you attend
toi yogr own business and leave me to attend to
in ne.

“It is an outrage! The idea that a man can
be shot dOwn in cold blood, and then the police
refuse to arrest the murderer!”

“Ah, will you save your breath, you miser-
able old wretchl" the Inspector cried, provoked
into a rage by the words of Daddy Blazes.

“ If you had your just deserts “you would
have been hung a dozen years ago, the official
continued.

“ You cannot fool me, am know, and you
must try a me of this nd on some: man
who doesn’t now you.”

“I am a good, law-abiding citinen, and I
never a anybody l" the old man declared.

“Boshl” know better than that!” the In-
spector rejoined. “ You have been a crook for
ten years to my certain knowledge, and you,
on ht to have been filled with lead long ago.

e ofilcial’s anger was roused and so he
spoke plainly. .

“ It isn’t of any use for you to attempt to stuff
me with any of your yarns about being a law-
abiding citizen, for I know better.

“ You have been so might cunning that the
detectives have never been a le to at on fair-
liy dead to ri hts, but all, of us men n t e police

e ent now just what kind of an old ras-
ca on are.

“ ny an unfortunate policeman has been
wailatd and assaulted by your gang amid these
noc s, and although once u a while one of your
scamps is run in, yet in the majority of cases
they'get oi! scot free, and I don’t mind telling
you, frankly, that I don’t believe thereis a man
on the force who knOws anything about you but
will”be glad when they hear you have been laid
on .

“You can’t prove an thin a inst me " the
old man fairl howled.y 8 ga ,

“Oh, yes, know how cunning you are, and
just how well you man 0 things so that the law
can’t get a hold on you, at you are a precious
old rascal for all of that.”

“ For the last time I ask on if you‘are not gc»
ing to arrest this villain w 0 shot me!” Daddy
Blazes demanded.

By this time the policemen had got him on the
shutter and were ready to d rt.

“Go to the deuce, you in rable old scoun-

drel!” cried the Inspector, in a rage. -

“ I will make charges against you for this l"
the old man yelled, as he was borne away.

“ Ah, save your breath tocool yer sou ,” cried
one of the policemen in charge of the litter, in
do?) disgust. . '

be little procession disappeared in the dark-
ness. and then the Lightwe ght Detective laid to
the Inspector:

“ I am quite readyto surrender myself tomcat
this charge, if you consider it advisable.” _.

“ Oh, no.” replied the ofiiclal, immediately.

“ I do not take the least stock in anything that

 

old scoundrel says. I know the man thorough—
ly, and a bigger rascal never troubled the police
of this city.’ '

“ From what little I know of the man, I think
that is certainly the truth,” the Lightweight re-
marked.

“ I know it to be a fact!” the Inspector cried,
in the most decided manner.

“ Why, my dear sir, I would be loth to hang
a yellow dog on the oath of such a scoundrel as
Daddy Blazes !”

“ I am not going to run away, of course, and
can be easily found if I am wanted,” the young
man observed.

“ As far as that goes, I shall b’e glad to vouch
for this gentleman, ’ said the old merchant, join-
ing in the conversation at this point.

‘ I am willing to go security that be will of.
pen to answer any charge this wretched od
man may see fit to bring against him.”

“ Oh, that is all rightl” the Inspector do-
clared.

“There isn’t any necessity for anybody be-
coming security for him in a case of this kind.

“ I resume that Daddy Blazes will do,his best
to the e trouble.

“ He got the worst of the fight, and it is only
natural that he should banker after revenge,
but when he comes to talk about this gentleman
making an unprovoked attack on him, I fancy
that it will be a hard job for him to get
over the testimony of myself and men," the
official said.

“ We can swear that when we arrived on the.
ground we found Daddy Blazes and his gang sur-
rounding this gentleman, and doing their best to
lay him out.

“ And it is not often, you knew, that a single
man goes into clean out a gang of a dozen.”

“ o, I fan not,” observed the Lightweight,
laughing. ‘~‘ ot ev en if he happens to be a
champion prize-fighter.”

“He wil be pretty sure to make the charge
in my opinion. Little doubt that be will, no .
only because he is anxious to get square with
you on account of your getting the best of the
fight, but because it will improve his Own posi-
tion to pretend that he was the assaulted man.
and not the aggressor.”

“ That is undoubtedly true,” the merchant.
remarked. “ Luckily, though, our evidence will
upset any etc of that kind.”

“ Oh, he wil not make anything, but you can.
depend upon the miserable old beggar doin hia
best to cause trouble,” the oficer remark .

“Ah, yes, but be will only have his labor for
his ins,” the merchant asserted, confidently.

“gow was it that you happened to come in
co‘utact with the old man?” the Inspector
as ed.

“ I was doing a little bit of detective work,"
the Lightweight explained.

“ I was in armed that the king cracksman,

Black Bud, as be is called, had taken refuge

here amid the rocks, and I was trying to hunt
him down.” ,
“Ah, yes, I remember you now! Well, how
did you succeed—did you get any clew to him?"
the officer asked, becoming immediately inter-

ested.

"No, although I managed to get old Daddy
Blues in a tight place, and put the screws to
him as well as I was able, yet he persisted in.
sayifig that he knew nothing about Black Bud.

‘ eadmitted that he had taken refuge among'
the rocks, but said the punuit of him had been
so hot that the man became alarmed and jud ed.
that it would be wise for-him to get out of ew
York.”

“ Well, it'may be the truth, but I doubt itl”'
the Inspector declared.

“ Such rascals as this Black Bud hate to
leave the cit , and they will not do it until it
comes tothe ast extremity. .

“ It may be true that the hot pursuit alarmed
him so that be ’udged it would be wise for him
to get out of

New York.’

“ I shall try my luck again,” the Lightweight”.
answered. “ Since I have got into the thing I
will do my best to see it through.”

“ That is the proper kind of spiritl” the In.
spector declared. “ And if you need any assist-
ance in my line I shall be pleased to ye it."

The young man thanked the 0 cm! for his
kindl ofler, and then the policemen departed.

“ ou arrived with the emcers just in the nick
of time,” the Lightweight observed to the girl.
“A few minutes more and the rufllans might
have succeeded in overpowering me. I shall re-
member the service and seek an early opportu~
nity to repav it.” . O . v

“ Oh, no,” replied the irl, blushing slightly
at the ardent words. “ was in your debt, and
if I was able to do you aservice I only paid
what wasdne.” ;

The old merchant had been regarding the girl ‘

intently, a puzzled look upon his face.

“ It is strange how familiar your features
seem tobe to me,” be remarked abruptly. “ And
yet I cannot recall the circumstances of ever
meetin you before.” ,

“I 0 not think we ever met,” the girl re.
plied. ‘

[“How comes it then that your face is so

addy Blezes’ territory, but the',‘
chances are big that he is hiding somewhere in

 

it,

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._..-..2 . a .

 

 

 

  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

428

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

strangely familiar!” Booklngham asked, evident-

l y deeply interested.

“ Indeed, sir, I cannot explain that,” she an-
swered.

“it is very odd indeed,” Bookingham declar-
ed, shaking his head gravely. “ What is your
name?”

“ Sally McGinnis.”

The old merchant shOOk his head.

“The name is not a familiar one,” he remark-
ell.
“ And I am greatly puzzled to account for my

impression that you are notastranger to me,
when all the Circumstances seemed to say that
on are.

“ Yes, if I have ever met you I would have
been sure to remember it for I have so few
acquaintances that I would not be apt to forgot
any of them,” the girl remarked.

“ Do your parents reside in the city?” the old
gentleman asked.

“ I really cannot say, sir. There is a mystery
in regard to my birth and I never knew who my
parents were.”

“ Dear me, dear mei" Bookingham exclaimed,
greatly interested. “This is very strange in-
deed; and where do you live now?”

. “ I haven’t any home at present,” the girl re-
plied, slowly, and with a troubled expression on
her face.

“ Owing to an unfortunate combinationof cir-
cumstances I have been obliged to leave the
roof which has sheltered me, and at present am
utterly at a loss to know where to go.”

“ Very strange indeed l” the old merchant de-
clared.

“ It is evident that you are truly unfortunate
and your condition excites my sympathy. Will
you accept the shelter of my house?

“ I am an old, childless man. I had a daugh-
ter once, and if she had been spared to me she
would be just about your ago now.”

“ I will gladly- accept you kind oflcr if you
feel sure I Will not be in your way,” the girl
remarked with grateful tears in her bright

e as.

y“ Oh, no, I am a wealthy man with a large
establishment, and am in the habit of entertain‘
ing many guests, so that you need not feel like
an intruder if you come.

“ Very well; then I will gladly take advantage
of your offer and will do all in my power to
requite your kindness,” the (girl responded.

“And [should be please to have you come
also, Mr. Strong,” the merchant observed, turn-

» .ing to the Lightweight.

“ Make my house your head-quarters," Book-
ingham continued, ‘ I think we can arrangeit
so that you can come and go without attract-
ing observation. I have become deeply interest-
ed in this affair and am willing to spend a large
sum of money to aid you in your endeavor to
brin this Black Bud to justice. .

“ take it as a good omen that this old
scoundrel has been captured,” he added. “ And
I should not be surprised if you finally succeed-
ed in placing the other rascals in the hands of
the law.” '

“You can depend upon my doing all in in
power to accomplish that result,” the Ligb
wei lit replied.

“ am aware, though that the odds are great-
ly against my being able to do an thing, for
b this time I am well known to the nhabitants
ofShantyville, and it would be useless for me to
go there without a uming a disguise.”

"I think I can aSid youl” the girl exclaimed
abruptly. ‘ ‘

‘ The three had been walking toward the point

where the merchant’scarria e was in Waiting

, during this conversation, an were now within
.si ht of the vehicle.

he gentlemen looked at the speaker in aston-

:lshment.

“ I presume you are surprised,” she continued,
a blush mantling her cheeks. “ But I feel sure
that] will be able to give you a suggestion
which will be of service.” \

“ I shall be glad to receive it, of course,” the
Lightweight remarked. ,

‘Do you remember the night when you came
to the tenement-house where I used to live?”
Sally asked.

“ Oh, yes; it was then that I had the pleasure
of making your acquaintance, and it is not like-
ly that I would forget anything of so a reeable
a nature,” the young man dec ared, wit a gal-
lant boW.

Again the color rose in the girl’s cheeks, and
she appeared embarrassed for a few moments
bu;j she speedily recovered her composure and
so : '

“You are inclined to flatter me, I think,
and as I have not been used to anything of the
kind, I hardly know what to make of it. But I
think I can give vou some information which
may be of service. ’

“I shall be glad enou h to receive it”the
Lightweight declared. ‘ For although I am
determined to do all in my war to bring this
Black Bud to justice, yet am at present so-
tirely” in the dark as to the best way to pro-

“  think I can give you a clew,” the girl de-
clared.
“ Do you remember the boy Corny?”

“ Oh, yes, a smart little fellow, a true son of
the streets, and wise beyond his years.”

” You will find him by going to the tciiement-
house about nine o’clock at night, for that is the
hour when he usually comes home, and he Will
be sure to remember you, for your exploits on
that night, when we became acquainted, iilled
him with admiration; but he hated tile lrish-
man, and your victory over him gave Corny
great delight.

“Yes, a sharp Ind like Corny is not apt to
forget a man like mySelf,” the Lightweight ob‘
served.

“ He will be sure to remember you, and al-
though he is extremely suspicious by nature,
yet feel sure he will not fear to trust you if
you frankly tell him that you need his aid.”

“Yes, but I do not exactly understand,” the
young man observed. “ How can the boy he of
service to me?"

“Because lthink he is ac uuinted with the
man you seek to capture. his Black Bud’s
right name is John Buddock, is it not!” the girl
asked.

“Yes, so he is called,” the Lightweight an-
SWerod.

“ I am sure that I have heard Corny speak of
the man, and he will beapt to know where he
can be found, and even it be (ices not know, if
you enlist his services, it is very probable that
he will be able to find out.”

“I think the idea is a capital one!” the old
merchant declared.

“A boy of this kind would be able to pene-
trate into all sorts of low haunts without at-
tracting suspicion, and if you can induce him
to aid you, there is no doubt in my mind that
he would prove to be a most valuable ally.”

The Lightweight was favorably impressed by
the suggestion, and said as much, at the same
time expressing his thanks to the girl for the
happy thought.

l f Again Sally flushed crimson and became con-
i used.

The old merchant came to her aid.

“ You must not allow yourself to become em-
barrassed,” he remarked.

“The idea is a most excellent one and I do
not wonder that this young gentleman is im-
pressed by it; and as I too take a great in-
terest in this case being very anxious that
this notorious rascai should be captured, I also
feel under obligation toyou for the wise sug-
gestion. But there, I will not say anything
more as I see that I am troubling you, even
though I am not saying anything but the truth.

“Get into the carria e and we will be off.
To-night this young gent eman can rest in peace,
for I have no doubt_that he is fatigued after his
exertions, and then to-morrow he can resume
his search.”

The three entered the carriage and were
driven to the palatial home of the old New
Yorker, and when the Lightwei ht and the girl
were within the mansion, Mr. ookingham did
all in his power to make them comfortable.

 

 

CHAPTER XLI.
/ DADDY BLAZEB AND THE msrscroa.

THE King of the Rocks was conVeyed to the
police station, and as one of the surgeons at-
tached to the department happened to be there
an immediate examination was made of the old
man’s injury.

The doctor was a young man who knew very
little about gunshot Wounds, as he had no prac-
tical experience in that line, and after a hasty
inepection of the hurt he came to the conclusion
, that Daddy BluZeS was not badly wounded.

“It is an ugly scratch, but that is about all,”
he announced. “It will trouble him for a while
but 1 do not think there is any danger of it
amounting to anything.

“ l judge that the ball has lodged in the
muscles 0 the back and it can be easily extract,
ed, although I am not able at present to locate
the precise spot where the lead lies.”

The police Inspector was a veteran, and long
experience had made him an extra good judge
of mankind, and so he was quick to jump to a
conclusion in regard to the doctor.

“Summon an an bulance and I will take the
man to Head-quar rs,” be said.

He doubted the truth of the youn man’s state-
ment, for it was his belief that addy Blazes
was hard hit.

Of course he was not a doctor, but as he was
a veteran soldier, havin served all through the
War of the Rebellion, e had seen many a man
suffering from a bullet wound, and if the old

 

was ay fault.

“ es, and you can summon Doctor Jamison
to take a luck at him,” the surgeon remarked.
“ He makes a specialty of cases of this kind, for
he is an old army surgeon, and went all through
the war.”

The doctor of whom he spoke was the one at-
tached to Police Head-quarters, and the Inspector
had him in his mini when be determined to
ciarry the prisoner to the Mulberry street man-
s on.

In due time the ambulance came and the
wounded man, in company with the Inspector,
took passage in it.

 

  

rascal was not badly hurt, then his judgment‘

 

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=45 Fihififieébf / refit r...

The party arrived at Police Head-quarters

without any incident worthy of note occurring
on the way.

As it happened, the police surgeon was in the
building, and so the patient reCeived immediate
attention.

The hall was sought for and found, not in the
muscles of the back, as the first doctor had antici-
ipated,but in the side; it had struck a rib and
passed around it.

“Will it be safe to carry him to the Tombs,
orkmlight he to go to a hospital?” the Inspector
as Pf .

“Well, 1 think he is all right,” the medical
man responded, slowly.

“ Still, it is one of those cases in which it is
hard work to give a decided opinion.

" Apparently the wound is not a serious one,
although he has received a reat shock, yet I
think he will pull through a1? right, and unless
the ball has done more damage than appears on
the surface, there isn’t any need of sending him
to a hospital.”

This conversation took place in the resence
of the old ruflian, and at this point he ared up
indignantly.

“ What do you mean by talking about taking
me to the Tombs, Inspector?” he demanded.

“ Because that is just what I am going to do,”
the police chief responded, bluntly.

“Am I under arrest, then?” Daddy Blazes ex-
claimed, angrily.

“ Of course! Do you think I am taking all
this trouble just for fun i”

“ But this is monstrous!" the old man declared
in a great rage.

“Now, see here, you might just as well save
your breath,” the Inspector counseled. “ For
talking will not do you any good.”

” You arrest me—the man who was shot, and
yet allow the fellow who did the shooting to go
free!”

“ Because you are the man who made the trou-
ble,” the police chief replied.

“ You cannot prove that!” Daddy Blazes re-
torted,.showing his teeth and snarling like an
angr dog.

“ h, yes, I can, and you make a big mistake
if you think I can’t!”

“That scoundrel tried to murder me while I
was‘guietly going about my business!”

“ i o, no, nothing of the 'ind, and you mustn’t
think you can deceive me with any yarn of
that sort for I know better. .

“ You and your gang ot the idea into your
heads that the young fe low was a spy, and so
you went in to lay him out. You see I know all
about it.” r

“ Nothing of the kind!” Daddy Blazes deo
clared, endeavoriug to assume a look of injured
innocence.

“ I am a peaceful, law—abiding man, and I
never attempt to injure anybody! '

“That is a good story for you to tell, but it
will not go down with me, you understand, for
I know better! You can’t fool me for acent,
and you are only wasting your breath in trying
on any game of the kind.”

“ Oh, yes, I understand that you and your po-
lice have a prejudice a inst me, and are not
willing togive me any 3 owl” the old man do-
clared with bitter accent.

“ Well, as far as that goes I don’t think that
you can blame any one .but yourself," the In-
spector replied, sternly.

“ If you choose to consort with thieves and
rascals of all degrees-to make your shanty a
headquarters—a regular house of call, in fact,
for crooks, you must not blame the police for
having a bad opinion of you.”

“Upon what charge am I held?" Daddy

Blazes asked, abruptly.

“ Assault, with intent to kill.”

“It is ridiculous! I am the man who was as-
saulted l” the old fellow declared.

“ That will do for you to tell, but it is my be-
lief that you will have hard work to make your
story good; and I can tell you, right now, that
you are caught dead to rights this time, and it
will not be an easy matter for you to get out of

it.

“You and your gang assaulted that young
man, and he shot you in self-defense.”

:Lilfou can’t prove it!” Daddy Blazes declared,
su i .

“ Olyi, yes, I can,” the Inspector replied, in the
most confident way.

“ As I came up heard you yelling at the top
of your voice to kill the spy, as a warning to
others to keep out of‘ Bhantyvills.

“Those were your very words, and you can
bet high that when you come to be‘tried, the
evidence of myself and men in regard to this
circumstance will be mighty negate make mince-
meat out of your declaration t you were ,the
ansaulted party.”

“ Oh, yes, I understand all about it," the old
man exclaimed, angrily. '

“ You cops have got it in for me, and now
that you have got a chance, you are going to
put it to me, as well as you know how.”

“ Ah, come off!” cried the Inspector, in deri-

sion.
“ What is the u of your wasting' your breath
in tr ing to fool u i

“ on have had a mighty long inningaold ,

\

 

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 thowomah,

- The Lightweight Detective.

29~

 

 

man, and ha vc no cause to complain because
you are tripped up at last. I

“ Mi hty few men have there ever been in
New ork who have played as bold a game as
you have for the last ten years and escaped get-
ting caught, and n0w that your turn has come
to face the music, you ought not to complain,
but stand up and take yourmedicine like a man,
for you are sure to get it thistime.

“ It is a straight tip I am givmg you, old man,
and don’t ou forget it.” .

Daddy lazes was so disgusted by this plain
talk that be disdained to continue the conVersa-
tion, and during the ride to the city prison no
word came from his lips.

At the Tombs, he was consigned to the care of
the warden, and the Inspector departed, chuck-
ling to himself in great glee. ‘ .

He was high] delighted in having succeeded in
trapping the ing of the Rocks, and was satis-
fied that the prOof against Dadd Blazes was so
strong that the old fellows no chance of
esca ing. .

“ am very much obliged to that young sailor
chap,” he murmured. “For he has succeeded
in doing what none of my detectives were smart
enough to accomplish.

“ Eut it is the old story of the new broom
Swee ing clean, I suppose. _

“ e is a smart fellow. anyway, and if he
should manage to run Black Bud down, all the
ho s will have to admit that he is a bummer!”

t will be seen that the police chief was in rare
good humor.

 

CHAPTER XLII.
IN PRISON.

EARLY in the morning Daddy Blazes sent for
Lawyer Jefferson Wimple.

It was the first time that the King of the Rocks
had ever consulted Wimple, but as he had quar-
reled with the criminal lawyer whom he usually
employed he was forced to seek other counsel:

'1 he lawyer soon made his appearance, 100king
decidedly the worse for wear, as his face was
disfigured by court-plaster which had been ap-
plied to cover the bruises he had received on the
odcasion of his visit to Shantyville.

Daddy Blazes surveyed him with astonish-
ment.

“My goodnessl counselor, you look as if you
had been in trouble l” the old man exclaimed.

“ I was fool enough to pay a visit to a woman
up in your territory," the lawyer explained,
with a grimace. .

I wanted a little information and took a
ptolti‘ceigan along thinking I could frighten it out
0 er.

.“ ()hol were you the man that had the trouble
with Widow 0 Flanni an?”

“ Yes, I am the one,’ Wimple re lied.

“ I heard all about the affair. on and the
officer were pretty roughly handled i”

“It was a mercy that we escaped with our
lives.” .

“Well, welll I hadn’t any idea that it was
any one I knew,” Daddy Blazes remarked, in a
reflective way.

“ And, really, Wimple, I am amazed that- a
man of your experience should attempt to do
any such foolish thing."

“ I had an idea that if I had the officer along
everygging would be all right,” the lawyer ex~

lain .

“ It is plain that you were not posted in
regard to the people who Hire in Shantyville.”

“ I must admit that I know a ood deal more
about them now than I did,” mple observed,
tartly. , ,

“ A single ofilcer is of no use up in that
region, and it is a wogdgr’that either one of you

(it off as well asyou i .
g “ Yes, I agree with you in regard to that,” the
other declared. _

“And at one time things looked so squally
that I would not have cared to make a bet that
the ir of us would get out alive.” _

“There is a tough gang u there in Shanty-
ville, and no mistakel’ Dad y Blame exclaim-
edz with a weighty shake of the head.

‘It is their boast, you know, that it takes a
big force to make a capture among the rocks.

“ No two or three oflcers can come up there
and ull their man out you understand?”

“ h, 308, I know all about it now. I have
had a practical illustration of what the Shanty-
ville folks can do when theyuget their mad up,
and you can bet your sweet 0 I wouldn’t try to
come any game up there again, unless I had a
dozen officers at my back!”

“ Well, you wouldn‘t be wise to «git!

“I have always heard that the hantyville
people were a tough gan , but in orderto under-
stand just how tough t ey are, aman must go
in amongst them, just as I did.

“ Oh, on. that is true enough, but it was a
Very foo ish move on your part,” Daddy Blazes
dec ared.

“ You are not telling me news when you
so. that” the law or .

X But ’when I flout did not expect there
would be any trouble,” he continued. .

“ I wanted a little information out of Mrs.
0an and as I didn‘t know much about

liancied I could buiidose it out of

 

    

 

“ Oh, no! I could have told you a deal better
than that, if you had only taken the trouble to
consult me. She is an ugly old dame, particu-
larly when she is in liquor and that is usually
the renter part of the time.”

“ es, I made a big mistake about the woman;
there is no two ways in regard to that. I made
a regular donkey of myself, but you see, I have
been so used to bulldozing that kind of people
and doing about as I liked with them, that I
never imagined I would have any trouble.”

“ I‘here is a deal of difference, you see, be-
tween talking to the woman in your Own office
and having a conversation with her at her home
amid the rocks of Shantyville,” Daddy Blazes
remarked, shrewdly.

“ You can bet your life that I will never make
such a mistake again!” Wimple declared, em-
phatically.

“ The way for you to have worked the trick
would have been for you to come to me,” the
old man suggested.

“ I could have arranged matters sothat if you
had not been able to do anything with the wid-
ow, she would not have raised a row, as she

did.

“ The policeman did you no good, you know,”
Dadgy Blazes continued.

“ is presence only excited the boys, for it is
just nuts to them to get a crack at a cop when
they can succeed in getting one alone up in the
rocks.”

“Oh, yes; I understand new, when it is too
late, just how the game ought to have been
worked!” Wimple exclaimed, impatiently.

“ That is a peculiarity of this world,” he add-
ed. “ A man always finds out a thing of that
kind when it is too late for the information tobe
of any benefit to him.

“ If you had come to me you wouldn’t have
had any trouble, although you might not have
succeeded in getting at what you sought.”

“ The fact is I never thought of you,” the
lawyer replied.

“ I knew, of course, that you lived somewhere
up in that region, but when I started to see the
woman I did not have you in my mind at all.”

“ I would have been glad to have done any-
thing for you that I could, for I always make a
point of keeping on the right side of men like
yourself.”

“ That isn’t a bad idea,” the lawyer remarked
with an approving nod.

“ But now, to come down to business, this is a
rather hard hole you are in.”

“ Do you think so?”

“Yes, to speak frankly, I do, that is if the
accounts given in the morning newspapers are
at all correct. Have you seen any of them i”

“ I have, and the cursed reporters make out a
strong case against me, of course!” Daddy
Blazers exclaimed, angrily.

“ These blamed newspaper men are alwa s
anxious to sthnd in with the police, you know. ’

“ Oh, yes, that goes without saying, and when
thirsty get a chance to write up a man like your-
s: they always go in to make a big thing out of
i

“The public like to read spicy articles, you
comprehend, and that is the way the newspaper
fellows make their bread and butter.” ,

“ What do you think of my chances?”

“ Well. it seems to me the police have got
you dead to rights, as far as the assault goes;
you were taken red-handed, and it will not do
you much good to set up the defense that you
were not the attacking party, for the evidence
that you Were is too strong for you to disprove.

“ There is only one point in your‘favor as far
gs lItc’an see,and that is, you got the worst of the

3

“Yes, and I am rett bad] wounded too ”
the old man asserted). y y ' '

“ Really I ought to be in the hospital, but the
doctor does not believe I am in any danger and
so he sent me here but I know he is wrong, and
sometimes I am a ittle doubtful as to whether
I will get over this thin or not.”

“Oh, I don’t think reis any danger of a
fatal result,” Wlm le remarked, carelessly.

The doctor evi ently believes you Will pull
through all right or else he wouldn’t have sent
you here."

“ Doctors don’t know everything!” Daddy
Blazes ejaculated, crossly.

" Besides I am much worse today than I was
last night. I told the warden this morning that
I needed the doctor as soon as Icanget him,
but I could see from the way he acted that he
thought I wasn’t near as sick as-I tried to make
out.

“ The sick act has been played on these prison
fellows so often that they are alwa s suspicious
when a man says he isn’t well an calls for a
doctor.”

“ Well, if a man has got any sense he on ht to
be able to see that I am not lying,” dy
Blazes declared. .

“ You do look like a sick man, and there is no
two we about it," the lawyer replied.

“ An that fact will be p you too on your
trial.” Wimple continued.

“ There is one strong int in our favor, and
that is, although the pol as may able to rove
conclusively that you were the man who u

  

the trouble, yet it is a tactthat the  w

L .nv

   

 

weight remarked.

escaped unharmed, while you were badly wound-
ed, and when you come to trial that Circumo
stance will surely have great Weight.”

“ Yes. I should imagine so,” the old man ob-
served, thoughtfully.

“ You can get plenty of witnesses, I suppose,
to Swear that the police are mistaken in stating
that you were leading the gang on to assault the
young man, and that you did not cry out to kill
the spy as they allege?” the lawyer asked with a
crafty smile.

“ Oh, yes, twenty l”

“ Three or four good ones will be enough.
Pick them out and send them to my office so I
can have a talk with them, as they must all tell
the same story.”

Daddy Blazes said he would do so and after a
few more unimportant words the lawyer depart-

CHAPTER XLlII.
MAKING A BARGAIN.

ON the evening of the same day that the in-
terview took place between the King of the
Rocks and the wily criminal lawyer, in the
Tombs, the Lightweight made his way to the old
tenement-house where he had first encountered
the girl Sally.

The clocks were just striking nine as the
young man reached the door of the house.

“ I am prompt to the minute,” he murmured.
“And nowI wonder how long I will have to
wait for the boy ?”

Hard] had the words escaped from his lips
when t e boy made his appearance, coming
down the street.

He recognized the young man as soon as he
got his eyes on him.

“ Ob, crickeyl” be exclaimed, “ I wish I may
die if I ain’t mi hty glad to see you i”

“ I am pleases to hear that.”

“ You kin bet yer sweet life that I am iving
you the straight tip on that l” the boy dec ared.

“ I have often thought of yer noble nibs since
the night when you cleaned out that big-
moutbed, red-headed Paddy whack!

I“ That was a bully fight!" he continued, in
g as.

“I have seen a good many scraps—some of
’em wid reg’lar professional pugs a-putting up-
their dukes, the coves w’ot go in to meet all
comers in the Bowery the-a-ters onc’t in a while
ebut I never see’d an thing better dan der way
you handled der big cGinniss.

] “ Why, he wa’t in it from de fu’st to der
astl

“ He was rather outclassed,” the Lightweight
observed, with a smile.

“Oh, you kin bet yer bottom dollar on dat,
and you will call the turn every time 1” Corny
exclaimed.

Then the boy noticed the wound on the Light-
wei ht’s cheek, now covered with court-plaster.
“ at is der matter, cullyi Been gittin
scratched on der cheek—anodder scrap, hey '

he asked, eagerly. .

“ Yes, I got into a little trouble up in Shanty-
ville last night.”

“ Yer don’t mean it!” cried Corny, abruptly.

“You don’t mean to say dat you was der cove
w’ot put ther chunk of lead into old Dadd
Blazes, and did him up in der furst round, hey ’

ii 38% first? "3”" d

rea a a at er scrap in er 1:
dis morning, and I sad to myself, sed Imps?!
dat went up to Shantyville, and checked Old
Daddy Blazes, right in amongst his own rocks
must have had‘a heap of sand, and I reckon at
der time dat it must be some cove of your
style.”

“ It was rather a foolbardy expedition,” the
Li btweight remarked, thoughtfully. “ And
if I had known as much about Daddy Blazes in
the inning as I know now I do not think I
would ave risked it.”

“ W'ot was yer arter, sport, anyway?” the boy
asked, inquisitively.

“ I was in search of a man named John Bud-
dock—Black Bud his pals call him ” the lit.
weight responded. dropping his voice to a ow
tone, and casting a cautious glance around be-
fore he spoke so as to be sure there wasn’t any
listeners in the neighborhood.”

“ You don’t mean it?“

:: Yes, that is what I was after.”

the ,  ‘

“lam oing a t in that line, but you
mustn’t give it away.” .

“ Give nothin’ away i” cried Corny, with a
sniff of contempt. “ You kin bet yer life that I
ain’t dat kind of a hairpin!

“ I wasn‘t born yesterdayl” he continued
shaking his head in a very knowing way. “ And.
you kin bet high on dat, tool”

a" 1 31‘? "°‘ team... .3} Miami.“ 15"”335
oug main 1: a y has

his gang; in fact ran myself into a reguhr hor-

nets nest.” ’

“ Well, you pulled out all righ and what is
the odds as long as ye'r" happy ’ the boy ex-
dflgid’Ifl'm mt“ ipwfipwt I d d t
. tregre gong,at on i no
amused in accomplishing anything,g

     

       

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. .  - . -

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boy aggro?

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.s

30

The Lightweight Detective.

 

 

“ I was anxious to put the bracelets on Black
Bud and so I risked a visit to Shantyville.”

“ t was a mighty bold move, you bet yer
life!” Corny exclaimed.

“I know jest w’ot kind of a crowd bang out
up dere among the rocks,” the boy continued.

“And there are mighty few cops who would
be willing to go in dere alone for to pull a man

1 out. ’

“ I did not succeed in my mission, but I am
not inclined to give it up as a bad job yet.”

“That’s right! The cave w’ot sticks to it is
bound to come out a winner in der end i” the boy
declared with the air of a sage.

“ I was talking with Miss MaGinnis about
the matter, and she recommended me to come
to you, for she said she thought you would
be able to put me on the track of Black Bud.”

The boy cast a careful glance around, then he
shook his head in a knowing way, and, dropping
his voice almost to a whisper, said:

“ Are you giving it to me on the dead straight,

cully?”
“ Oh, yes, you can depend on that.”
“And did Sally say dat she thought I could

put you up to the time of day?”

“ es, that was her opinion.”

“Dat girl is a bummer, and w’ot she don’t
know ain’t worth knowing!” Corny declared in
accents of admiration.

“ And she thought I could put you on to der ‘

game, hey 1'”

“So she said, and it was her idea that if I
told you she sent me you would do all in your
power to aid me.”

" And she is right, for a hundred dollars!”
the boy declared.

“I am the kind of a cove that would go
through fire and water for dat gal, and, Sport,
I will do my level best for you in dis racket l”

“Do you think you can put me on the track
of Black Bud?”

“ I can’t do it right toonc’t, you know,” Corny

responded.

I “ Black Bud is keeping mighty shady just
about this time, you understand, for the cops
are hot arter him, and he is no fool for to go
a-walking ’round New York, when he is wanted
by the perlice.”

“Yes, I comprehend that,” the Lightweight
replied. “I know the man is doing his best to
keep out of the way of the police, but it was
Miss Sally’s thought that as you were acquaint-
ed with the man and his haunts you would be
able to get on his track.

“ You see. the idea is, no one would suspect
that you were trying torun the man down, and
so you would be able to gain information when
it would not be possible for a. man like myself,
or a regular detective, to do anything.”

“ There is a heap of sense in dat, you bet yer
boots I” the boy exclaimed. I

“And if you care to try what you can do in
this matter it will be money in your pocket.”

“ And dat is w’ot we are all arter!” exclaim-
ed the boy, with a grin.

“Yes, money makes the mare go!”

“You bet yer sweet life it does!” Corny de-
clared, emphatically.

‘ “ No money, no go!” he added, with another
grin.

“ You will not have to work for nothing,” the
Lightweight remarked.

"And you will be well paid, even if you do,
not succeed in getting on the track of the man.”

“ But, s’pose I do get on his track—and you
kin bet yer life dat I will if I start in to do the
trick—s pass I fix things so dat you, or de cops,
kin give him de collar how much will I git—
ten dollars?”

“A hundred!"

“ How much!”

“ A hundred, I said."

‘ “Ah,.go away wid yer! You are trying to
Elly some roots on me now i” the boy declared,

is suspicions excited.

, “Oh, no. I am speaking the truth. It will
“be a hundred dollars in our pocket if you suc-
lccod in gaining inch in ormation in regard to
John Bu dock as will lead tohis capture.”

“ A hundred dollars!” exclaimed Corny, his
eyes kling with delight. “ Well, now,
sport, tell you w’ot it is, I never expected to
ketch that man ‘cases’ in one rah, and on
kin bet high dat will do my love best to co lar
the?" 11 be I d u: if

“ sba very g a to y a money on
succeed in doing the work? y

“ You are der cove w’ot will pay der money,
den i” the boy asked.

“.Y you will deal with me.”

“ An not wid der cops?"

to No.”

“ I’m glad of dat, ’cause I don’t like dem cops
for a cent, but if you are do man w’ot is run-

t on all right togsddsr.”

aim; der machine, you kin bet yer life dat we
I

. no so.”
de‘c‘lAh, you kin put all yer ducats on it!” Corny

ared.

“ Sally was right then when she surmised
gist , ou knew a good deal about this Black
way of it. Bla
M HIM

Bud uv tobsh
whisfidl '

. n .'
i ' ,gls ‘
‘ 1, his ,.

  
 

ad
“Yes,shehas otitdown ,anddlspiadeit' not
'0

 

dey used for to call him her brudder, but dat is '

all in my eye, yer know, ’cos he ain’t no more
her brudder dan I am, ’cos Sally is a gal what
old dame Hibbard get somewhere, and nobody
knows who she belongs to.”

“ Ah, there is a mystery then about Miss
Sal] ’s birth?”

“ es, but I say, sport, you must’nt let on
dat I gave de snap away, cos’, mebbe, Sally
wouldn’t like it,” the boy remarked, in a very
earnest way.

“ Oh, that is all right; you can depend upon
my discretion.”

“ Danny is a hard nut!” Corny declared, with
a solemn shake of the head.

“ You might travel all over New York, from
de Harlem River to der Battery, and you
wouldn’t be able to find a tougher rooster.

“ He is in jail most of der time, ’cos he can’t
let liquor alone, and when a man goes in for to
take a trick, he can’t do much if he is chuck full
of booze.”

“ No, he is apt to make a hungle of it.”

“ I know Danny like as if he was my brudder,
and as Black Bud was his pal for a while, in
course I know all about him, too.”

“ I see. \Vell, you certainly ought to be able
to get the hundred.”

“ If Black Bud hasn’t cut his lucky, and made
tracks from der city, I’ll win der hundred, bet
yer sweet life on it!” Corny declared, emphati-
cally.

“ The search for the man has been so hot that
he was driven out of his usual haunts and the
detectives traced him to Shantyville,” the Light-
weight explained.

“It was their idea he took refuge in Daddy
Blazes’ house, but when the Inspector, at the
head of a squad of policemen, mndea raid on the
old man’s shanty, he was not able to find any
trace of the crook.”

“ Dat don’t go for to prove dat he wasn’t
dere!” the boy exclaimed, shrewdly.

“I have been up to old Daddy Blazes’ house
five or six times w1d Darin when he had stnfl’
dat he wanted to git rid ot—boodle, you know,
dat he won,” Corny explained.

“ Deold man was a fence, and allers bought
de swag dat any of de gang lifted.”

“ Yes, I understood he was a receiver of stolen
goods.”

" Cert! dat is, if der stuff was so dat he could
make anything out of it.”

“ Well, I heered de blokes dat was crooked
talk ’bout old Daddy Blazes a heap of times and
dey said dat he had a lot of hiding-places—holes
in de rocks, and sich like, where he stowed de
swag away, and dey said dat dose hiding~places
was so fixed dat de smartest fly cop couldn’t get
on to dem.” ;

“ Yes, I know of my own knowledge that such
hidin -places exist,” the Lightweight remarked,
and t on he related his adventures in Daddy
Blazes’ den.

The boy listened with the greatest interest.

“ And some cove came behind yer, when yer
was a-scrapping wid de old man, and laid you
out wida welt on de conki”

“ Yes, that is the way the trick was done;
and if I had not been so taken by surprise,
.(ll could easily have got the best of the old scoun-

re 0

“ I believe yer, boss!" the boy exclaimed, em-
phaticall . 0

Arter away I see’d you wipe up der ground
wid dat big Irishman I kin understand that no-
body but a slugger like John L. Sullivan has got
any businessw d you.” ,

“ I have been thinkin over the matter, and
have come to the casein on it is probable that
the man who laid me out was the very fellow I
was after.”

“ Black Bud?”

6‘ Yes.”

“Cert! wh , boss, it seems to me dat de odds
are a hundr to one dat he is do man w’ot did
de trick.”

“ I am inclined to think so. He was con-
cealed in some secret hiding-place and came out

' just in time to keep me from overpowering the

old man.” A

“ Oh, yes, you have got it own fine! Dare
ain’t no mistake ’bout it!”

“ I know of my Own knowled e of one secret
undergronnd apartment under Daddy Blazes’
shanty. and it seems to me,it‘_is probable there are
others.” .

“ Der crooked blokes allers said dat db old man
had a dozen holes where he stowed away de

sw .”

‘gq‘hat statement may be a little exaggerated,
you know,” the Lightweight suggested.

“Mebbe it is, but you kin bet yer sweet life
dat de old rat has got more than one hole!” the
boy declared. a
“ Yes, I think that very likely; possibly three
or four. and in some one of these secret hiding-
places Black Bud is now concealed, waiting for
the storm to blow over.” V

“ Dat is it! (You have hit it!”

“ And if the man is there, some of the gang
must know it, particularlyas Daddy Biases is
now locked p in the Tombs, so that he can-

’ttsnd to _,fu tlve.”c”- _

     

 

w-  s‘

“ Some of der gang are bound to find it out,
and den they whisper it to de odder tellers.”

“Yes, a suspicion of the truth is certain to
get around, although it may be kept from the
ears of the police.”

“ You kin bet yer sweet life though, dat if I
was up in Shantyville dat I would catch on to
de thing!” the boy declared.

“ That is just the game that must be played 1”
the Lightweight remarked.

“ You must go to Shantyville, devise some ex-
cuse to remain there, and keep your eyes and
ears open until you ascertain to a certainty
whether Black Bud is concealed there or not.”

“ I kin give them a ghost story ’bout how I got
in trouble wid de cops ’bout liftin’ a drunken
man’s ticker, and how I must lay low till de
thing blows over."

“ That story will do, and the chances are
great that no one will suspect it isn’t the truth.”

“ Ah, I will give it to ’em so fine dat dere
won’t be one on ’cm fly enufl to tumble to the
racket!” the boy declared.

Then the Lightweight arranged a means of
communication, and Corny departed on his mis-
$10!).

The boy had not overrated his abilities, for
within two hours the detective was in possession
of the information that Black Bud was concealed
in Daddy Blazes’ shanty.

The Lightweing was prompt to act.

Just as the clocks of the metropolis were strik-
ing the midnight hour, Hugh Strong, at the head
of a strong detachment of police, invmled Shan-
tyviIle, burst open the door of the old crook’s
house, and surprised J obn Buddock in bed.

Although taken completely by surprise the
hunted man man offered a stout resistance, but
he was quickly overpowered and an hour later
was an inmate of the Tombs.

The Li htweight was making a name for him-
self as a etective.

CHAPTER XLV.
DADDY BLAZIS SPEAKS.

BOOKINGHAM, the merchant, sat at the table
with his guests, Miss Sally and the Lightweight.

They had just finished breakfast when the In~
specn r was announced.

“I haVo taken the liberty of calling upon you,
Mr. Bookiugham, in regard to Daddy Blazes,”
the officer said.

“ It was my idea fromthe beginning that
the man was mortally wounded, although the
doctors did not think so,” he continued. “ But
this morning he has wn so much worse that
I was summoned, an now the medical men say
that he has not many hours to live. '

. “ He is out of his head at times and raves
continually about some :secret which he knows
concerning you, and as there is a young girl
mixed up in it in some way I did not know but
what it might _be this lady,” and he bowed to

Sella,
" e will go to him: at_oncel" the merchant
exclaimed.

A half-hour later the four stood by the bed-
side of the sick man. ‘ ._

He lay with his eyes closed, half-insensible,
when the part entered.

“ How is he ’ the Inspector inquired of Doctor ‘

Jamison, who was in attendance.

“Pretty near to death,” the doctor replied.
“ I should not be surprised to see him pass away
at any moment, and then he may ho (1 out for
an hour.” '

Daddy Blazes unclosed his eyes and looked up
in J amison’s taco.

“ Is there any hope for me, doctor?” he gasped.

“ No, your wound is a fatal one,” the doctor
re lied. .

P‘No, no, I am not going to die—I am not
ready to die yet—I have a deal to do in this
world,” the old fellow replied, in broken so-

r’cents.

“Well if m udgmentisgood for anythin ,
and I think it Is? for I’ve had a deal of expo -
once in this sort of thing, you haven’t got an-
other hour of life left, so if there is anything
you want attended to on better make arrange-
ments before it is too te," remarked Inspector
Burke, decidedly. , p ,

“No, no; I must not die yet. I have a deal
to do—m lifelong scheme of vengeance is not
yet comp to.

“ There are more blows to be struck—blows i ‘
the future compared to which those in the pa;
will be as nothing.”

At this int the [police captain chanced to
move a litt e to one side and the old man for the
first time caught a view of the face of the mar-
chant.

He stared in astonishment.

“ Franklyn Bmkingham!” he gs ; “‘am I
so near death that m eyesight pla s me false
and I see that which not!”

“You still retain

ion of our senses,
sir,” replied the merchant. y
“ Franklyn Bookinzham is my name.”

“ And what think you? 'Do you join in the 

Inspector’s opinion that I am near death!”

   

“I can see death written on your
ever w ttsn on the face Of a human.” -
“I .,, , , . . . .4.‘ .

O l I
|

 

 

32:27-

 

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“I do most decidedly” Bookin ham lied. : l
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‘Strongthe

The Lightweight Detective.

  

31

 

“ It seems to me now as if I can feel the cold
wings of the dark angel fanning my heated
brow.

“ Well let it come! I am not afraid of death
though crave life to accomplish the task oi
vengeance which I took upon myself years

a o.
g“Franklyn Bookingham, you had a cousin
once—a cousin Reginald who became your
brother, by adoption. Where is he now?”
he asked abruptly, fixing his eyes upon the mer-

chant. .

The other, though amazed at the question, re-
plied to it:

“ He disappeared about seventeen years ago
and no one ever knew what became 0 him.”

“ You loved that cousin, did you not?”

“No,” replied the merchant, frankly. “We
Were not like brothers and there was bad blood
between us from childhood.”

“ You are ri ht, and he hated you as he hated
no one else in {his wo ld. '

_“ All good fortune came to you and none to

him. 1

“You supplanted him in the/ affection of the
father and mother who should have held the
scales of justice with an even hand.

“You won the only irl he ever loved, and
then he swore to devote is life to vengeance.

“He waited until your baby girl had twined
itself tight] around your heart and then he
stole the chi d away.

“It was a fearful crime and even Heaven
seemed to frown upon it, for in his flight he
took a night-boat up the river intending to car-
ry the child to Canada, from whence it could
never be returned to you, but before the boat
had been an hour on her way the boiler explod-
ed, the stolen ch'ld was killed outright. and the
abductor, terrib y injured by the explosion, a
deformed wretch, was hurled into the river.

“He was rescued, and fate let him live to fol-
low the dark path of crime—to strike .blows
from the dark at your rosperity, but With all
his eflioargs’fortune ed upon you and you
9) “ reat heavens!” cried Bookingham wildly
excited, “ can it be sible that you are—”

“Your cousin, 1d. It is true, and
now in my last hour hate and curse you, as
I have done for nearly all my life. It was I
that stole your child and gave her to death be-
neath the dark waters.”

“ Not so,” exclaimed the maiden ste pin for-
ward at this point. “ I was that chil an was
rescued from the water, by whom I know not.
but on the shore I wandered away, and was
cared for by a woman who found me. I still
have the clothes I were as a child.” '

A look into the girl’s face convinced the mer-
chant that she spoke the truth, for there he
could distinctly trace the resemblance to his
dead wife, and in another moment she was fold—
ed in his arms.

The si ht proved too much for the vengeful
man, an with a gasp his soul passed away.

And now our tale is told.

To avoid pursuit the girl had called herself by
her sup mother’s maiden name when she
'sou ht s elter with her uncle, and as aidisguise
she ad placed a red-gold~haired wig over her
own dark tresses, when she had one on her
secret quest to the old house, and this is why the
Lightweight did not recognize her when he in-
terfered in her behalf although she did him.

By entering the janitor’s room on the first
floor, and us ng the speaking-tube which com-
municated with the front door. she was able to
speak to her protector without his being able to
discover how the trick was done.

The infant’s clothes were recovered from Mrs.
O’Flannigan. and these were quickly identified,
so there wasn’t any doubt that she was the long-
lost child.

The merchant pressed a rincely sum upon
Hugh, but he refused to 6 it as g be
sou hta richer one still. The maiden lushed-
at t words, and Book ham realised that he
had found his child y to lose her again.
but he was wise enough to understand that
though he might have a richer son-in-laW. it
won be hard to find a nobler one than Hugh
. Lightweight.

mass. V'

Beadle's Dine library.

 

i BY con. THOMAS H. momentum

382 Spring-Heel Jack: or. The Masked [yew .

202 Fightinf Tom. the Terror of the Taiixhs. W

288 Champ on Sam: or. The Monarchs of the Show.
109 Corporal Cannon. the Man of Forty Duels.

157 Konrad. the Mameluke; or. The Three Sword

masters.
150 m Rubio Bravo. Ki of the Swordsman.
:4: %e gzar’ss y: ‘pr. 'll‘friIhilist League
e emon ue st: or. eLesgue ofSteel.
8 Iron Wrist, the Swordmaster.

'. mt Lnon Lawns. ,
a ,The Submarine Detective: or. The Water Ghouls.

a &=I¥ofit Dfiefi. was Nephew. \

BY CAPTAIN HOWARD HOLMES.

664 Monk Morel. the Man-Hunter.

654 801 S hlnx, the Ferret Detective.

642 Red ard and Yellow.

608 Silent Sam the Shadow Sphinx.

592 Ca tain Sid. the Shasta Ferret.

579 01 Cormorant. the Bowery Shadow.

569 Captain Cobra. the Hooded Mystery.

559 Danton. the Shadow Sharp.

550 Silk Hand. the MohaVe Ferret.

543 The Magnate Detective.

532 Jack J avert. the independent Detective.

523 Reynard of Red Jack: or. The Lost Detective.
512 Captain Velvet‘s Big Stake.

505 Phil Fox, the Genteel Spotter.

496 Richard Rednre, the Two Worlds’ Detective.

487 Sunshine Sam. 0. Chip of the Old Block.

480 Hawkspear. the Man with a Seeret.

468 Coldgrip in Deadwood.

460 Captain Coldgrip. the Detective-

453 Captain Coldfi‘rip‘s Long Trail.

447 Volcano. the risco Spy.

441 The California Sharp. _

434 Lucifer Lynx. the W onoer Detective.

421 Father Ferret. the Frisco Shadow.

413 Captain Coldgrip in New York.

407 Captain Coldgrip’s Nerve; or. ln‘un Nick.

400 Captain Coldgrip: or. The New ork Spotter.
392 The Lost Bonanza: or. The Boot of Silent Hound.
382 The Bonanza Band: or. Dread Don of Cool Clan.
374 Major Blister. the Sport or Two Cities.

365 Keen Kennard. the Shasta Shadow.

352 The Des crate Dozen.

347 Denver uke. the Man with “ Sand."

340 Cool Conrad. the Dakota Detective.

335 Flash Dan. the Nabob; or. Blades of Bowie Bar.
321 California Claude. the Lone Bandit.

21H Broadcloth Burt. the Denver Dandy.

278 Hercules Goldspur. the Man of the Velvet Hand.

BY PHILIP S. WARNE.

583 Captain Adair. the Cattle Kin .
567 Captain Midnight. the Man 0 Craft.
544 The Back to Back Pards.
522 The Champion Three.
502 Bareback Buck, the Centaur of the Plains.
472 Six Foot Si: or, The Man to “ Tie To."
431 California Kit. the Always on Hand.
401 Silverfild; or A “ Daisy " Bluff.
880 Tiger ick’s Pied e: or, Tne Golden Serpent.
359 Yellow Jack. the estizo.
338 Jack Sands. the Boss of the Town.
29‘.) Three of a Kind: or Dick. Despard and the Sport.
$0 Tiger Dick’s Lone Hand.
251 Tiger Dick vs. iron Despard.
207 Old Hard Head; or. Whirlwind and his Mare.
171 Tiger Dick. the. Man of the Iron Heart.
114 The Gentleman from Pike.
80 A Man of Nerve; or, Caliban the Dwarf.
51 Always on Hand; or. The Foot-Hills Sport.
29 Tiger Dick. Faro Kin ; or The Cashier‘s Crime.
4 The Kidnapper; or. he N’orthwest Shanghai.
1 A Hard Crowd; or. Gentleman Sam‘s Sister.

BY SAW! 8. HALL- “ Buckskin 8am.”

511 Paint Pete. the Prairie Patrol.

871 Gold Buttons; or. The Up Range Pards

858 The Prince of Pan Out. a

342 Blanco Bill. the Mustang Monanch.

828 King Rent; or, The Bandits of the Bason.

322 The Crimson Coyotes; or, Nita, the Nemesis
.309 Raybold. the Battling Ranger. '

301 Bowlder Bill; or. The Man rom Taos.

293 Stampede Steve: or. The Doom of the Double.
287 Dand Dave and his Horse, White Stocking.

282 The erciless Marauders; or. Carl’s Revenge.
213 Mountain Mose. the 00 e Outlaw.

269 The Bayou Bravo; or, T e Terrible Trail.

204 The Crooked Three.

266 Double Dan. the Dastard; or. The Pirates.

2450 The Rough Riders; or. Sharp E e. the Scourge.
914 Merciless Mart. the Man Tiger 0 Missouri.

289 The Terrible Trio; or. The A el of the Army.
225 Rocky Mountain Al; or, The aif of the Range.
221 Desperate Duke. the Guadeloupe " Galoot."
217 The Serpent of El Paso; or, Frontier Frank
’212 The Brazos Tigers; or, l‘he Minute Men.
204 Big Foot Wallace. the King of the Lariat.

199 Diamond Dick, the Dandy from Denver.

195 The Lone St Gambler: or. Magnolia‘s Maid.
191 The Terrible '0 kawa ; or, Old Rock ‘5 Pards.
186 The Black Bra ; or. he Tonkaway’s riumph.‘
178'Dark Dashwood, the DesBerate.

90 ild will. the Mad Kane era.

3 t Carson. Jr., the Crack Shot.

BY MAJOR DANGEBFIELD BURR.
448 Hark Kenton. the Traitor. -
188 The Phantom Massimo: or. The Hyena.

156 Velvet Face, the Border Bravo. '
:3: gainer".  Mensa.
an 'or. e 0t! uro to I.
92 Buffalo Bill. thye’Buckskin m2. .

BY P8017de no 

818 Lafitte's Lieutenant: or. Child of the Sea.
314 Lafitte; or.'The Pirate of the Gulf.

118 The Bu lar Captaln' or. The Fallen Star
113 The Sea lipper; or, e Freebooters.

'nir CAPTAIN mania wins-on.

928 Hotspur Hugh; or. The Banded Brothers.
811 Heavy Hand: or. The Marked Men. '
805 Silver-Plated 801. the Montana Rover.

291 Horseshoe Hank. the Man of Big Luck.
285 Lightnin Bolt. the Canyon Terror.

276 Texas Ch ck. the Southwest Detective.
971 Stonefist. of Big Nugget Bend.

2116 Leopard Luke. the Kin of Home‘Thieves. .
an iron-Armed Abe, the unchback Destroyer.
258 Bullet Head the Colorado Bravo.

245 Barranca Bil the Revolver Chain 11

23? Lou -Haired Max: or. The Black .
227 Rue shot Ben, the Man-Hunter of Ina o.

  
 

   
 

 

   

 

   

2923 Canyon Dave the n of the Mountain ~
229 TheBcorpionRB. a; or. Baa'rom‘siiiuon
Hg: 33% “ck” that 9' ‘ I ""  

7t tang-gamut an "r ii a 2 w

 
  
   

 

 

BY NB!) BUNTLINE-

657 Long Tom. the Privateer.
633 The Sea Sipy.
621 The Red rivateer; or. The Midshipman Rover.
584 Fire Feather. the Buccaneer King.
517 Buffalo Bill‘s First Trail.
361 Tombstone Dick, the Train Pilot.
270 Andros. the Rover; or. The Pirate‘s Daughter.
1252 Saul Sabberday. the Idiot S y.
111 The Smuggler Captain; or, he Skipper’s Crime.
61 Captain Seawaif. the Privateer.
23 The Red Warrior; or. The Comanche Lover.
18 The Sea Bandit; or, The Queen of the Isle.
16 The White Wizard; or. The Seminole Prophet.
14 Thayendanegeathe Scourge;or, The War-Eagle.

 
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
 
 
    
 
  
  
     
  
   
   
   
 
  
   
      
  
   
  
     
       
  
    
  
       
  
   
   
   
  
    
  
  
  
   
  
   
 
   
     
   
    
   

BY LIEUT. A. K. SIMS.

666 Old Adamant, the Man of Rock.

618 Kansas Karl. the Detective King.

55:: Prince Primrose. the Flower of the Flock.
528 Huckleberry. the Foot-Hills Detective.

BY DB. NOEL DUNBAB.

604 The Detective in Rags; or, The Grim Shadower.
500 The True-Heart Pards.

BY C. DUNNING CLARK. 

183 Gilbert the Guide.
164 The King’s FOOL

BY ISA AC HAWKS. lax-Detective.

240 A Cool Head: or. Orson Oxx in Peril.
2.32 Orson Oxx; or. The River Mystery.

BY E. A. ST. MOX.

and Cutt. the Invincible Detectives ' i

491 Zig _
eart of Oak Detective. ;

471 The
BY EDWARD WILLBTT.

488 Flush Fred. the River Shlaflo.

368 The Canyon King; or. a co on his Head.

348 Dan Dillon. King of Crosscut.

337 Old Gabe the Mountain Tram .

32: Terrapin bier. the Wildwood etectlve.

315 Flush Fred’s Double; or, The Squatters’ League. V
308 Hemlock Hank, Tough and True.

29% L' igger Lem; or. Life in the Pine Woods.

289 Flush Fred’s Full Hand.

274 Flush Fred. the Mississippi Sport.

248 Montana Nat. the Lion 0 Last Chance Camp. ‘
222 Bill the Blizzard r or. Red Jack’s Crime. 5
209 Buck Farle . the Bonanza Prince. . _ t g ‘~
129 Mississippi ose; or, a Strong Man's Sacrifice. ‘2 .

. i .
Int GEORGE C. JENKS. {.

572 Jaunty Joe, the Jockey Detective.

551*Mad Sharp, the Rustler.

538 Rube Rocket. the Tent Detective.

526 Death-Grip, the Tenderfoot Detective. , _
507 The Drummer Detective. /
432 The Giant Horseman. iw'
898 Sleepless Eye. the Pagiflc Detective. ' -

BY WM. G. PATTBN.

S 0””... 9}“ when“? 3m. an. ' -~
g . e ug an a
as Gold Gulgove G’i’d the Man of Grit. . I
641 Aztec Jack, the esert Nomad. ‘
631 (éizlonel CNool. tilie Sagan]? Sigrphm i
tam amc 988. e nun in , _
:9? Old) Dismal. the Ban 9 Detective.

 

545 Hustler Harry, the whey Sport. «a
BY CHARLES MORRIS. fig. .1.
589 Prince Hal. the Battling Detective.   1".

330 Cop Colt, the Quaker City Detective. , E

     
    

MISCELLANEOUS. ,

566 The .Dauntless Detec-Live: or. The Daughter ‘1.

Avenger. By Tom W. King. 32'
542 The Ocean Drift; or, The Fight for Two Eves. ,4‘";

By A. F. Holt,‘ ~
534 Green Mountain Joe: or. The Counterfeiter‘s-

Cave. B Marmaduke Dey. .
518 R0 al Ric ard. the Thoroughbred. By J. W. ,4

s n.
410 Sarah Brown. Detective. Bv K. F. Hill. V ,
866 The Telegraph Detective. By George H. Hole.
1353 Bart Brennan; or. The King of Straight Flmb.
‘ Bv John Cuthbert. ‘
350 Flash Falcon. Societ
812 Kinkfoot Karl. the

      
 
 

 
 

      
     

   

     

Deteictive. By w. g. Cobb.
ounta n Scourge. y ‘0'
rls Redwing.

275 The Smuggier Cutter. ,BfllJ. D. Conroy. , _;
261 Black Sam, the Prairie nndcrbolt. By Col."

Jo Yards. .
190 The Three Guardsmen.

    
     
 
  
   
    
 
  
     

B Alexander Dumas. i
179 Conrad, the Convict. By f. Gildersleeve. ‘ -‘
166 Owlet, the Robber Prince. Bv S. R. Urban. »
158 The Doomed Dozen. By Dr. ll‘rank Powell.
1112 Captain lronnerve the Counterfeiter Chief. :,
146 The Doctor Detec ve. rge Lemuel. '3
144 The Hunchback of Notre ame. Bv Victor Hm. a - r-
140 The Three Spaniards. V _Geo. Walker. *  I
183 Body the War. Vii am Carleton.
125 The Blacksmith w. By B. Ainsworth.
110 The Silent Rifleman. By H. 'W. Herbert.
Band. B Ce L. Aiken.

    

  

        
  
    
   
 

 
 

 
 
      
 
  
  
   

    
   
    
  
    
    

bber as. y .
82 Elm of Yale: or. The Sci-flies of Co
11 Mi ipmanEasy. ByCag:a ii]! I 
10 Vldocq. the French Police  By a
9 Handy Andy. By Samuel Lo . . ‘
B Wildcat Bob. By Edward L. Wheeler.
A new issue every W . is _ V
t Beadle,- Dlme Library is f} sale by all” "
Weakmteneentspercopymrsent byliail'
mint of mama each. BEADLE a
' f mans. streets New York. “
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BEADLE’SeDIMEa‘éflBR/XRY. ‘ 1

Published Every Wednesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Ten Cents. No Double Numbers.

 

BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR.

668 Solemn Saul’s Luck Strt ak.

661 The Get-There Sharp.

651 Silvertip Sttve, the Sky Scraper from Siskiyou.
645 Gopher Gabe, the Unseen Detective.

636 Dandy Darling. Detective.

627 Mosshack Mose, the Mountaineer.

617 The Grip Sack Sharp’s Even up.

597 Big Bandy, the Brigadier of Brimstone Butte.
588 Sandy Sands. the Sharp from Snap City.

576 Silver-Tongued Sid; or. Grip Sack Sharp s Sweep.
564 The Grip-Sack Sharp: or. The Seraphs of Sodom.
555 Grip-Sack Sid. the Sample Sport.

547 The Buried Detective; or. Sal-1’s Six Sensations.
541 Major Magnet, the Man of Nerve.

535 Dandy Dutch. the Decorator from Dead-Lift.
527 Dandy Andy, the Diamond Detecfive.

514 Gabe Gunii. the Grizzl from Ginseng.

504 Solemn Saul. the Sad an from San Saba.

.495 Rattlepate Rob; or, The Roundhead's Reprisal. ‘

‘ 4815 The Then it hbred Sport.

474 Dadd Dea -Eye, the Despot of Dew Drop.

466 Old ugh and Ready, the Sage of Sundown.
453 Dutch Dan, the Pilgrim from Spitzenberg.

450 The Rustler Detective.

443 A Cool Hand: or, Pistol Johnny's Picnic.

4318 Oklahoma Nick.

43? Laughing Leo; or. Sam’s Dandy Part1.

426 The Ghost Detective; or. The Secret Service Spy.
416 Monte Jim. the Black Sheep of Bismarck.

409 Rob Roy Ranch; or. The Imps 01' Pan Handle.
40:: The Nameless Sport.

395 Deadly Aim. the Duke of Derringers.

887 Dark Dur . the Ishmael of the Hills.

379 Howling onathan, the Terror from Headwaters.
872 Captain Crisp. the Man with a. Record.

367 A Royal Flash: or. Dan Brown’s iiig Game.

360 Jumping Jerry. the Gamecock from Sundown.
355 Storm Steve. the Mad Athlete.

851 Nor‘ est Nick. the Border Detective.

845 Masked Mark. the Mounted Detective. V

339 Spread Eagle Sam. the Hercules Hide rlunter.
3'51 Chis a Charley. the Gold Nugget Sport.
824 Old orked Lightnint'. the Solitary.
317 Frank Lightfoot the Miner Detective.
802 Faro Saul. the Handsome Hercules.
292 Moke Homer. the Boss Roustdbout.
286 Pistol Johnny; or. One Man in a Thousand.
283 Sleek Sam, the Devil of the Mines.
257 Death 'I‘ra Diggings; or. A Man 'Way Back.
249 Elephant om. of Duranto.
241 Spitfire Saul. King of the Bustiers.
233 The Old Boy of Tombstone.
201 Pirate of the Pincers: or, Joaduin's Death Hunt,
197 Revolver Rob; or, The Belle 0 Nugget Camp.
180 Old '49: or. The Amazon ot/Arlzona.

170 Sweet William, the Trapper Detective.

165 Joaquin. the Terrible

154 Joaquin, the Saddle King.
141 uinox Tom. the Bully of Red Rock.

127 80 Scott, the Masked Miner.

119 Alabama Joe: or. The Yazoo Man-Hunters.

195 Dan Brown of Derive ' or. The Detective.

88 Big George; or. The ve Outlaw Brothers.

71 Captain Cool Blade: or. Mississippi Man Shark.

67 The Boy Jockey: or, Honesty vs. Crookedan
64 Double-Sight, the Death Shot.

50 Jack Rabbit, the Prairie Sport.

47 Pacific Pete, the Prince of the Revolver.

45 Old Bull s-Eye, the Lightning Shot.

40 Long-Haired Paras; or. The Tarters of the Plains.
80 Gospel George; or, Fiery Fred, the Outlaw.

28 Three-Fingered Jack, the Road-Agent.

B/Y WILLIAM H. MANNING.

655 Strawberry Sam, the Man with the Birthmark.
646 Dark John, the Gilm Guard.

A G38 Murdock. the Dread Detective.

623 Dangerous Dave. the Never-Beaten Detective.
611 Alkali Abe, the Game Chicken from Texas.

598 Rustler Rube; thaRound-Up Detective.

585 Dan Dixon's Double.

575 Steady Hand, the Napoleon of Detectives.
568 Wyoming Zeke, the Hotspur of Honey suckle.

7w Garry Kean, the Man with Backbone.

589 Old Doubledark. the Wily Detective.
581 Saddle-Chief Kit, the Prairie Centaur.
- 521 Paradise Sam, the Nor'-West Pilot.
1513 Texas Tartar. the Man With Nine Lives.
5011 Uncle Honest. the Peacemaker of Hornets‘ Nest.

’ 498 Central Pacific Paul, the Mail Train Spy.

492 Border Bullet, the Prairie Sharpshooter.
' 486 Kansas Kitten. the Northwest Detective.
- 479 Gladiator Gabe, the Samson of Sassajack.
(70 The Duke of Dakota.
«' 168 Gold Gauntlet. the Gulch Gladiator.

' an Yank Yellowbird, the Tall Hustler of the Hills.

449 Bluif Burke. King of the Rockies.

449 Wild West Walt. the Mountain Veteran.

437 Deep Duke: or, The Man of Two Lives.

427 This Rivals of Montana Mill.

415 Hot Heart, the Detective Spy. t
4G5 Old Baldy, the Brigadier 01' Buck Basin.

885 Wild Dick Turpin, the Leadvillo Lion.

29? Colorado Rube. the Strong Arm of Hotspur.

m The Gold Dragoon. or. California Bloodhound.

 n! cononm. BELLE/SARA.

 the" Shamus O’Brien, the Bould Boy of Glincal.
' 97 The Scarlet Captain; or. Prisoner of the Tower.
a Silver Sam; or, The Mystery of Deadwood my.

l. . E nu

 

   

BY COL. PBENTISS INGBAHAM.

s 667 Bufialo Bill‘s Swoop; or. The King of the Mines.
‘ 662 The Jew Detective; or, The Beautiful Convict.

, 653 The Lasso King‘s League.

658 The Cowb' y Clan; or. The ’1 igrcss of Texas.
y A companion Story
to " Buck Taylor, the Saddle King."

I 649 Buck Taylor. the Saddle King.

610 Tie Row r's Ret ibutinn.

635 The Ex Buccaneer; or. The Stigma of Siii.

630 The Sea Thief

6‘25 Red Wings; or. The Gold Seekers of the Bahamas.
615 The. Three , uccaiieers.

610 The Red Flag Rover; or,White Wings of the Deep.
605 The Shadow Silver Ship.

v 600 The Silver Ship; (-r. The Sea. Scouts of ‘76.

593 The Sea Rebel: or. Red Rovers of the Revolution.

' 5.47 Conrad. the Sailor Spy; or. True Ill-ants of '76.

581 The Oiitlawed Ski iper; or, The Gaiitlct Runner.
560 The Man from exico.

553 'Mark Monte, the Mutiiieei'; or, The Branded Brig.
546 The Doomed Whaler; or. The Life Wreck.

540 The Fleet Scourge; or. The Sea Wings of Salem.
530 The Savnizes of the Sea.

521 The Sea Chaser; or. The Pirate Noble.

516 Chatard, the Dead-Shot Duelist.

510 El Moro, the Corsair Commodore.

493 The Scouts of the Sea.

489 The Pirate Hunter; or. The. Ocean Rivals.

482 Ocean Tramps; or, The Despemdoes of the Deep.

I 47!; 1'01) Brent,the Buccaneer; or. the Red Sea Raider.

469 The Lieutenant Detective: or. the Fugitive Sailor.
4 it” The Sea Insurgent: or, The Conspirator Son.
4-115 Ocean Ogre. the. Outcast Corsair.

41.3 The One-Armed Buccaneer.

‘ 430 The Fatal Frigate; or. Rivals iii Love. and War.

 

‘ 425 The Sea Sword; or. The Ocean Rivals.

418 The Sea Siren: or. The Fugitive Privateer.
899 The New Monte Cristo.
893 The Convict Captian.
389 The Giant Buccaneer: or. The Wrecker Witch.
377 Atioat an i Ashore: or. The Corsair Conspirator.
373 Sailor of ortune: or. The Barns-gut Buccaneer.
369 The Coast Corsair: or. The Siren of the Sea.
364 The Sea Fugitive; or. The Queen of the Coast.
346 Ocean Giierrillas; or. Phantom Midsripman.
341 The Sea Destierado. 1
336 The Magic Ship' or. Sandy Hook Freebooters.
826 The Gentleman Pirate; or. The Casco Hermite.
818 The Indian Buccaneer: or. The Red Rovers.
307 The Phantom Pirate; or, The Water Wolves.
281 The Sea Owl: or. The Lady Captain of the Gulf.
259 Cutlass and Cross; or, the Ghouls of the Sea.
255 The Pirate Priest; or, The. Gambler’s Dan hter.
246 ueen Helen, the Amazon of the Overlan .
23”» ,d Lightning the Man of Chance.
231 The Kid Glove Miner: or. The Magic Doctor.
224 Black Beard. the Buccaneer.
220 The Spect-r Yacht; or, A Brother's Crime.
216 The Corsair Planter; or, Driven to Doom.
210 Buccaneer Bess. the Lioness ot the Sea.
205 The Gambler Pirate; or, Lady of the Lagoon.
198 The Skeleton Schooner; or The Skimmer.

161 [‘he Ocean Vampire; or. The Castle Heiress.

181 The Scarlet Schooner: or. The Sea Nemesis.
177 Don Diablo, the Planter-Corsair.
172 Black Pirate; or, The Golden Fetters M stery.
162 The Mad Mariner: or, Dislionored and isowned
155 The Comair Queen: or, The Gypsies of the Sea.
147 Gold Spur. the Gentleman from Texas.

139 Fire Eye; or. The Bride of a l-luccaaeer.

134 Darke Dan, the Colored Detective.

131 Bucks in Sam, the Teams Trailer.

128 The Chevalier Corsair; or. The Heritage.

121 The Sea Cadet; or The Rover of the Rigoletts.
116 Black Plume; or. he Sorceress of Hell Gate.
109 Captain Kyd. the King of the Black Flag.

104 Montezuma. the Merciless.

108 Merle, the Mutineer; or. The Red Anchor Brand.

94 Freelance. the Buccaneer.

89 The Pirate Prince; or. The Queen of the Isle.

85 The Cretan Rover' or. Zuleikah the Beautiful.

2 The Dare Devil; or, The Winged Sea Witch.

BUFFALO BILL NOVELS.
Numbers " are from the pin Qf Bufalo B 11.

6-14 Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza.

van The Gold King; or, Montebello. the‘Ma niflcent.
629 Daredeath Dick' or, Buffalo Bill's Dar ng Role.

‘599 The Dead Shot Nine' or, My Pards of the [Plains
517 Buffalo Bill's First Trail. '

*414 Red Renard. the Indian Detective.

I'401 One-Arm Ford; or, Borderland Retribution.

‘89? The Wizar Brothers: or. White Beaver s Trail.

‘394 White Beaver. the Exile of the Platte.

862 Buffalo Bill‘s Grip; or Oath Bound to Custer.
829 The League of Three: or. Buffalo Bill‘s Pledge.

‘319 Wild Bill. the Whirlwind of the West.

I'804 Texas Jack. the Prairie Rattler.

I"Mi! The Pi rim Sharlp: or. The Soldier's Sweetheart
189 Wild Bi 1's Gold rail; or. The Desperate Dozen
175 Wild Bill‘s Trump Card: or. The Indian Heiress
1 Wild Bill the Pls 01 Dead Shot.

Buffalo ill. the uckskin King.
‘88 Gold Bullet Sport; or, Kn hts of the Overland.
‘59 Death-Trailer. the Chic! 0 Scouts.

’ BY J. C. COWDBICK.

6m Ducats Dion, the Nabob Sport Detective.

612 Sherlfl Stillwood, the Regulator of Raspberry.
5% The Dominic Detective.

591 Duke Daniels. the Society Detective.

580 Shadowing a Shadow.

5115 Prince Paul, the Postman Detective.

557 The Mountain Grsybeards: or, Riddles' Riddle.
519 Old Riddles. the Rocky Ranger
499 Twilight Charlie, the Road Sport.
473 Gilbert of Gotham, the Steel-arm Detective.
452 Rainbow ’Rob. the Tulip from Texas.
4311 Kentucky Jean, the Sport from Yellow Pile.
499 Bins Grass Burt. the Gold Star Detective.
no;  Cupid; ‘or- com John’s Jubilee.
' V ‘ fix. '

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_<_ A 1-, j

I BY ALBERT \V. AIKEN.

3 665 The Frisco Detectivm or, The Golden Gate Find.
‘ 660 The Fresh in Montana.
‘ 652 Jac‘. son Blake. the Bouncer Detective.
647 The Fresh of Frisco at Santa Fe.
l 637 Joe Pheiiix in Crazy Camp.
1 632 Joe I‘henix‘s Master Search.
1 628 Joe Phenix’s Conihin".
: 620 Joe Phenix’s Silent Six.
. 613 Keen Billy. the Sport.
l 607 Old Benzine, the, "Hard Case ” Detective.
I 601 Joe Phenix’s Shadow.
1 591 Fire Face. the Silver King’s Foe.
58:3 The Silver Sharp Detective.
577 Tom 01' California.
570 The Actress Detective; or. The Invisible Hand.
562 Lone Hand. the Shadow.
556 Fresh, the Sport-Cheva’ier.
5.- 7 Blake. the Mountain Lion.
5:29 The Fresh in New York.
520 The Lone Hand on the (.‘adtlo.
497 The Fresh in Texas.
490 The Lone Hand in Texas.
475 Chili Chili, the Chinese Detective.
465 The Actor Detective.
461 The Fresh on the Rio Grande.
440 The High Hor e of the Pacific.
421 The Lone Hand; or, The Red River Recreants.
419 The Bat of the Battery; or. Joe Phenix. Detective.
408 Doc Grip. the Vendetta of Death.
391 Kate Scott, the Decoy Detective.
384 Injun Dick. Detective; or. Tracked to New York.
381 The Gypsy Gentleman: or. Nick Fox. Detective.
376 Black Beards: 01. The Rio Grande High Horse.
370 The Dusky Detective: or. Pursued to the End.
363 Crowningshicld. the Detective
354 Red Richard; 01 The Crimson Cross Brand.
349 Iron-Hearted Dlt k. the Gentleman RoadAgent.
320 The Gentt-el Spotter; or The N. Y. Night Hawk.
252 The Wall Street Blood; or. The Telegraph Girl.
203 The Double Detective; or,’1‘he Mid night Mystery.
196 La Marmoset, the Le teciive Queen.
173 California John. the Pacific Thoroughbred.
161 The Wolves of New York: or. Joe Phenix‘s Hunt.
130 Captain Volcano or. The Man of Red Revolvers.
112 Joe Phenix. Private Detective.
107 Richard Talbot. of Cinnabar. .
101 .The Man from New York.
97 Bronze Jack. the California Thoroughbred.
93 Captain Dick Talbot. King of the Road.
91 The Winning Oar: or. The Innkeeper‘s Daughter.
84 Hunted Down: or. The League of Three.
81 The Human Tiger: or. A Heart of Fire.
79 Joe Phenix, the Police Spy.
77 The Fresh of Frisco; or, The Heiress.
75 Gentleman George: or. Parlor. Prison and Street.
7:! The Phantom Band: or, The 5th Avenue Heiress.
63 The Winged Whale: or, The Red Rupert 01 Gulf.
59 The Man from Texas; or. The Arkansas Outlaw.
56 The Indian Mazeppa: or, Madman of the Plains.
49 The Wolf Demon; or. The Kanawha Queen.
42 The California Detective; or, The Witches of NY.
41 Gold Dan: or, The White Savage of Salt Lake.
38 Velvet Hand; or. ltijun Dick's Iron Grip.
36 Injun Dick; or. The DeathrSliot of Shasta.
35 Kentuck. the Sport: or. Dick Talbot of the Mines.
31 Rocky Mountain Rob. the California Outlaw.
33 Overland Kit; or, The ldyl of White Pine.
81 The New York Sharp: or. The Flash of Lightning.
27 The Spotter Detective: or, Girls of New York.

LATEST AND NEW ISSUES.

663 Solemn Sanl’s Luck Streak; or The Boomer
from Blissful Buttes. By Jos. E. badger, Jr.

669 Old True Blue, the Trusg; or. The Marauder of
the Mimbn-s. Wm. . Patten.

670 The htwel ht Detective; 01'. Old Blames, the
Soveiglizgu of thofiocks. By Albert W. Aiken.

071 Jason Clew the Silk-Handed Ferret. By Capt.
Howard Ho mes. .

672 The Red Rapier; or, The Sea Rover‘s Bride. By
001. Puntiss Ingrahsm.

678 Stutterln Sam. the Whitest Sprrt of Santa
Fe; or. 380w the Hummer from Hummingbird
Feathered His Nest. By Lieut. A K. Sims.

674 Uncle Sun U , theBoi-n Detective: or. Boodle
vs. Braceletsp By Albert W. Aiken. .

Ready September 8. Th

675 Steel Sn the S rt from Sunrise; or, 9

Blind p.39 Bresk~ eck. By Jcs. n. Badger, Jr.
Ready September so.

A new am every Wednesday.
Beadle’s Dime Library is for sale by .11

Newsdealers. ten cents per copy, or se/nt by mail on
receipt of twelve cents each.

BELDLE AND ADAMS, Putnam.

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