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| YOUNG -KLONLD IKE. v
the man’s hand came down with a thump upon Daw-
ley’s shoulder with force’ enough to send the banjo
ringing to the deck. :
“By the Jumping Jeremiah! I’ve got you at last!”
he exclaimed. ‘‘Hold up your hands while 1 put the
bracelets on!’’
Dawley sprang to his feet and teaying himself free,
seized the “‘ Great Unknown” by the throat.
“The blazes you have !”’ he cried. ‘* Who’s got me?
What you got me for? Who the blazes are you any-
how—say ?”
“Ye gods and little fishes ! Wrong again !”’ gasped
the Unknown. ‘I beg your pardon, my good friend.
I’ve made a mistake.”
“I should say-you had,’’ growled Dawley.
“You don’t have to say it. I admit it.
ways making these mistakes.”
‘‘ Well, you’d better not make it again with me.
I’ve a good mind to break my banjo over your blasted
head !”” ~
*¢Which would bust your: banjo and damage my
Dunlap hat all to no purpose. Far better break the
neck of a bottle and settle it with a drink.”
«Not much 7 Yes, I will, though, if you’ll pay for
it.?
“Pay for it! Ha, ha! ! That’s good! Here am I
ready to jump into Puget Sound and drown myself
with sorrow for my blunder. It is I who should be
treated, not you. Why, I’m entirely ready to forgive
you and take a drink at your expense.”
Here the Unknown winked at the boys with such a
comical expression, that they could not help laughing
outright. Indéed, they had had all they could do to
keep from laughing before.
“‘ Well, I. don’t mind; we’ll have a arise,” said
Dawley, joining in the laugh.
Out came the flask.
The Unknown took a long‘pull.
“‘Dropit! Dropit!’’ cried Dawley. ‘And whisky
a dollar a drink at Dawson. Drop it, I say!”
«« Ah, dear boy, I never drop a good thing until I
have to,” chuckled the Unknown, handing back the
flask,
“«Tt’s the last drink you’ll ever have on me,”’ growl-
ed Dawley. ‘‘ What’s your name? Who are you,
anyhow ?”
«Vm a private detective and my name is Smith,”
replied the Unknown, winking at Ned. ‘Say, young
fellow, haven’t I seen you before ?”
«‘ You bet,’’ laughed Ned. ,
“‘I was sure of it. Mistook you for my man once or
I’m dead wrong. Let’s see, Louisville, Kentucky,
wasn’t it?”
** No.”
**No! Oh, Iremember! It was in New Orleans,
on Gravier street.”
‘“‘No, sir! Never was in-New Orleans in my life.”
«‘ Bother | My memory is getting as bad as my eye-
sight. But I remember now. It was Rio Janciro, a
year ago. I met you at.the Mountain House.”
I’m al-
“Nonsense! I never was in Rio Janeiro any more
than New Orleans.’’
«“‘Then really you’ll have to jog. my. memory, dear
boy. Stay, though!.. 1 have it.. It was Jerusalem!
Hotel Oriental. Larrested you——”’
‘‘ Not in Jerusalem, old man.”’
“Hit him again! Paris? On the steps of. the
Bourse in’90? Now, I’m right.”
“As wrong as ever. Give it up.”
“Wait! Idid arrest you?”
“© You tried it.”
“Of course. Inever forget a face.
for my man, I s’pose.”’
«Seems to me you’ve been looking for that man of
Mistook’ you
_yours a long time.”
‘For ten years, dear boy, and in every part of the
world.”’
‘What did he do?”’ drawled. Dawley.
“Stole a pair of boots from Cohen’s second . hand
shoe store in Baxter street,’’ chuckled the Unknown.
“‘There was a million dollar bill hidden in,the toe of
the left. That’s why I want him. Let’s see, I have
it now. It was on the corner of Third Avenue: and
Twenty-Third street, New York, a couple of. weeks
ago. Ped
“Right, you’ve hit it at last,” said Ned.
/ ‘Knew it was either there or in the Transvaal last
summer. By the Jumping Jeremiah, I merit areward
for this mighty exercis¢ of memory. « Boys, let’s have
a drink.”
‘“Not out of my bottle,” said Dawley, drawi ing
back.
“So? Well, I must learn to bear privation. I
shall have to get used to it. On the Klondike drinks
come high, soI may as well begin to school myself
now.”
«Are you going to the Klondike,” asked Dick.
“You bet.”
“To dig gold?”
“Dig nothing. I cannot dig and -to beg I am.
ashamed, as the Scripture says. No; I have reason
to believe I may strike my man on the Klondike, and
that’s why I’m going there.’
““Good!”? said Ned. ‘ You’ve heard of his being
there, I suppose?”
“Not at all. I’ve heard nothing—don’t expect to;
I’ve searched every other corner of the world from
Greenland to Cape Horn; from Frisco to Hong Kong;
from New York to Timbuctoo, including all the lead-
ing cities of Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Aus- :
tralia.’
«Ever been to the moon?” drawled Dawley.
“No, young man, nor to the Klondike, and that’s
why I’m going there now. : You see I’m bound tomeet
my man sometime if I only keep on the go long enough,
for the world is small and, by the way, as the Gover-
nor of, North Carolina remarked. to. the Governor of
South Carolina, it’s along time between drinks.”
“Tt will be longer before you get a pull at my bot-
tle again,” Dawley growled, and he picked. uD his
banjo and walked away.
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