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"LITTLE
somely-furnished reception-room, and presently Mrs. Peripont ap-
peared.
She greeted Jack very cordially, saying:
“ I learn from the papers that you and your twenty boy-firemen are
becoming famous. You are a young hero."
This remark did Jack more good than a live-dollar note, but he
was very modest, and he said:
“ We only try to git there every time.
got big news.”
Then he went on to tell what the reader already knows about the
note.
“ Now, ain't we right? Ain’t Doc David Morton Hamilton the
cove who is to inherit Little Pearl's fortune if she dies, an’ ain't he
the fellow you suspicioned?" he said in conclusion.
“ I will admit now that he is. And since there can now be little
doubt that he instigated Pearl's abduction, I will tell you that I have
long suspected him to he a villain,” answered the lady.
“ Well, now I’ll tell you what we can do to get back the kid. Ex-
cuse me, marm. I mean the little lady, Miss Pearl," said Jack.
“ Well, what do you propose?" asked the lady, smiling.
“ That we put the hooks on his pill-bags-the doc, you know. Let's
make him understand we can prove he put up the job with the Italian
to steal the little girl."
“ Yes.”
“ Then he'll squeal.”
“ Squeal?”
‘- That is to say, marm, he’ll see he's in a scrape, and he'll want to
get out of it. Then we says, no you don't unless you bring the little
girl back safe and sound. How is that?"
“ Excellent. You are quite a diplomat.”
H Eh?”
“But stay. Have we proof enough to convict Hamilton-I think
not. We must have some real evidence, something more conclusive
than this vague note telling the Italian to call for his money.”
"I reckon you're right, marm. But how will we get it?”
" That's the question.”
“ Well, Darky Dan knows a good deal about the doc, for he used to
work for him. He may be able to help me some.”
“ Glad to do dat. cappen, ifl can," said Dan.
“ When shall I hear from you again, Jack?" asked the lady, as the
boy lireman arose to go.
“ Just as soon as I have anything new to tell you.”
“ I hope that may be soon.”
Then the lady kindly said good-night and slipped a ten dollar gold
piece into Darky Dan’s hand as he left with Jack. She knew the white
boy would have felt insulted if she had offered him money for what he
had done.
Darky Dan had no scruples. Once outside the house he tossed up
the money and caught it in his mouth.
“ Dat lady is a perfect lady, suah null". No low down white trash
’bout her. No, sahl See de yeller shiner she dropped me. Take me
wid yah nex’ time you go dar, cappen," said the delighted darky,
gleefully.
Jack promised, and he said:
“ Now see if you can‘t think of something about Doc Hamilton that
will help us. Did you ever see Covetti. the Italian, at the doctor's
house?”
“ No."
“Thought you might have done so."
“ Oh, do doc is a very foxy old coon. If he's had a han’ in dis busi-
ness he's taken keer to keep hisself well out of sight, an’ you can bet
on dat."
The boys walked back to the enginevliouse.
Though Little Jack questioned the boy to some extent, he failed to
call up any recollection in Darky Dan's mind regarding his late em-
ployer which could be called to account to serve Jack in his plan to
get Pearl out of the clutches of her captors.
The note Jack had found was dated that very day, and so Jack was
sure Dr. Hamilton had not sailed for Europe, as the public in general
supposed he had done.
Jack supposed the doctor sought to deceive every one on this point.
But now, Mrs. Peripont, I’ve
so that no shadow of suspicion as the one who wouldhprolit by Pearl's
disappearance should fall upon himself regarding her.
Jack fell asleep thinking of the little girl whom the Italian had in his
power. Suddenly- he awoke with a start, and the next :moment he sat
up in bed, his eyes protruding‘ and enchained by amazement and alarm.
What did he see?
CHAPTER VII.
AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY-COVETTI Locirran-sous oxia COMING.
No wonder that Little Jack was alarmed and surprised, for he saw
a lurid red light streaming in through the window opposite his bed, in
the rear wall of the bunk-room, and the sound of cracking glass as the
window was shivered into atoms by the intense heat.
With a shout Jack leaped from his couch, and, awakened by his
outcry, his boy firemen tumbled out of their bunks, which were scat-
tered all about the large apartment.
In a. moment Jack saw that a large wooden shed in the rear of the
engine-room was in liames. This shed was shut in upon the one side
by the engine-ho-use, and upon the other by a tall warehouse, and
hence it was that the fire had gained considerable headway before it
was discovered. Perhaps the flames could not yet be seen beyond the
walls of the two buildings between which it stood.
Jack ran to the window the moment he leaped from his couch, and
he discovered that the flames had already communicated to the engine
house, against which one end of the engine-house abutted.
As the chief of the gallant twenty peered out of the window he
caught sight of a man who was skulking along the alley where the
burning shed stood.
There was something familiar about the man's appearance, and al-
though he vanished from sight almost immediately, Jack believed he
recognized him as the tall, lank Italian who had led the pilliigers at
the fire when the house of old Abraham, the Jew, was endangered.
“ I'll bet he was sent to burn as out by Covetti. That st-onndrel
means to be revenged upon us for interfering to save little PB‘.ll’l Law-
rence. His were no idle threats,” cried Jack,
But he meant to save the engine-room, and his comrades flew to the
hose and the engine, in which fire was always up.
They were somewhat experienced now, and they set to work intelli-
gently and with a will.
The hose were soon throwing several large streams of water upon
the flames, while Jack, Darky Dan and several others seized their
tire-axes and attacked the walls of the shed, intending to demolish
that part of the structure which joined their headquarters.
The part of the shed which the boys sought to fell soon began to
SW83’. and presently. as they continued their eflorts, it went down with
a crash.
Just then some of the hosemen unintentionally turned the hose in
the direction of the axmen who were hidden from their view by the
dense smoke, and Jack and Darkv Dan were drenched to the skin be-
fore they could get out of the way.
The fire, however, was soon extinguished, and the boys returned to
the engine-house. It was chilly, and those whose garments were wet.
through all hastened to exchange them with one exception in the case
of Darky Dan.
“Oh, oh! seems to me dat water was mighty wet," shivered Dan.
“And de absence of me wardrobe, which I lufl' in me trunks at Sam-
toga dis summer, an’ which hasn't yet arriv' makes it look like I wasn't
E-goin’ to git dry clothes. But hol' on, I'se got de old coat Doc Ham-
ilton gave me. I'll put that on, anyhow," Dan added, and he took
down the garment he mentioned from a hook behind the engine.
But the other boys were well supplied with changes of clothing, and
they soon furnished Dan with the rest of the change which he required.
There was not much sleep for the boys during the remainder of the
night, and as they sat about the stove in the bunk-room talking over
the occurrences of the night and striving to devise plans to bring the
‘93zB"19 09 Italian iiiceiidiarios, who had become their vindictive en-
emies, to justice. Darky Dan sudddenly exclaimed:
“ IIellol What's dis? Wonder if l'se struck luck. Share as I'm
a-livin’ dar’s something in de inside pocket of dis ole coat of Doc
IIamilton’s."
“ Can't you find out what it is?" asked Jack, with interest.
“It feels like some papers. Hope it's a bundle of lmnl-:-notes, but