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24 THE NICKEL LIBRARY.
middle of the room, and gazed wildly about
1m. . . r
“Baffled!” fell from his lips. ‘‘Hugh
Marston has more shrewdness than we have
credited him with. We must force the truth
from the man below.” ‘ ‘
Captain Lacy did not stay to examine the
room.
It was enough for him to know that Esta
was notthere. | a
'**Where’s the girl?” asked Harold before
Lacy could speak. . :
‘‘Ask the man you are choking,” replied
Lacy. oe oe co
Instantly the fingers of the spy relaxed
their grip. : _
The porter. staggered back with a faint
gasp. :
.“*You have killed him! - He will. never
speak again!” cried Lacy. SO
“T. guess not,” said Sincoe.:.
The man was insensible, that was all, and.
the comrades at-once sought to restore him
to consciousness, a task which was not com-
pleted for several minutes.
‘‘Was there a lady upstairs?” asked the
man. :
“Yes.” i
‘I did not know it.” - | , me
‘‘Bewarel” flashed Lacy. ‘‘No lies, my
man.” fo. 2
“I shall give you neither. Icame to this
house awhile ago to see my friend, Allen
Bostwick,who has been staying here for one
: Hugh Marston, who often comes down here
from the Island.- I found the door unlocked -
_ and thioking that Allen had gone out for
awhile, I] was waiting for him when you
men,came., As I-hope to live’ a hundred
years this is true.”
roe man’s*manner impressed Sincoe and
acy.
He was telling the truth.
_ “We will wait awhile for your friend,” the
spy said. cl, se
‘They waited an hour, but Bostwick did not
come. ‘ mo oe
“There is another channel through which’
we may reach the truth, "suddenly exclaimed
Sincve. ‘*Come, Lacy. We will go back to
our delectable Hugh. He has had a whole
day in which to play this shrewd game of
1s. : pot tee
Once more they were threading the stre
of New York. y 6 es
Tuey directed ‘their steps ‘toward the’
wharf, and passed Bentwick’s tavern on the
way. . : .
‘Beaten. again!” cried the spy, coming
toa sudden halt within sight of the star-
lit river. ‘Look, Lacy, where is the Homo-
selle?” :
The Yankee smuggler uttered a cry of
bitter disappointment when he saw’ the
place so lately occupied by the Homoselle
vacated.
_| threatened to return to the barracks forhelp
_. “Captain Mainspar was not to leave. till
daylight,” he cried. '
'“sSomething has happened to hasten his ,
departure. The fates are against us to-night,
Lacy.” ee, oo oe
“We may learn something at Bentwick’s
about this sudden sailing,” responded Lacy,
turning away. a oa
The two entered the tavern by a rear door,
and sent a bar maid for the overseer of the
taproom. — oa
‘You here?” exclaimed the, fellow, as he
entered the presence of the two worthies,
his eyes dilating with astonishment.
‘*Ag you gee.” , o
“‘Where were you when the soldiers were
here??> 0 rr :
‘The soldiers?” echoed the two men in a
breath. OC Dit
“Why, don’t you know? The red_ coats
are hunting you two. They were here not
an hour ago. They ransacked the whole
house and played smash with the liquors in
the cellar.. ’; gL oe
“They seemed to know that you had been
here—you must have been watched—for
they told me you had arrested a. king’s man
in the taproom.” po :
.The comrades stared at each other, unable
to speak. |, rs pots
“They didn’t go away satisfied,” continued
the tapster. ‘‘They may come buck very
soon. ;
‘But the -Homoselle?”’, queried Sincoe.*'
‘She has quitted her moorings.” © . 2.
“She was not to have-sailed until .day-
light? oh i,
“The soldiers hastened her . departure.
They’re always meddling somewhere. Some
of the Homoselle’s crew were insulted by
tha soldiers while the house was being
searched, and ina fight that. followed two
of the red coats were badly cut. They
furced the'sailors back to the. ship and.
and ‘storm the vessel. Captain Mainspar
sent them word that they would have to
catch him if they wanted revenge, and so he
putout.” - “ , oe
“That’s unfortunate,”, sighed the young
smuggler, nee
‘Decidedly so,’ responded Harold Sin-
cue. ‘‘Everything seems to be against us
to-night.” Sy tebe! Poy
“Tf the troops return Bentwick’s will be
gutted.” :
| Hark?? me es co
Instantly the face of. the tapster lost its
color..- ce :
“They are here now. ‘They have discov-
ered that the Homoselle has outwitted them,”
he cried. ‘Just listen to the scarlet slaves
of the British king!” : wd
The next instunt the noise of a door bein
dashed open was heard, and. crowd 0
shouting, swearing soldiers rushed into the
taproom.
hot KO a ue ayp wan “lea pea ee ee ene nen NB