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DIAMOND DICK, JR.
Bertie opened that nearest l1im just a
trifle.
As he peered in he was just in time to
see Conkling rush up to Chamberton and
say something to him hurriedly.
The proprietor checked him and looked
furtively in the direction of the <loor,
and Bertie, not wanting them to suspect
that he was “on,” opened the door and
entered.
He did not look in their
once, b11t glanced around as if to fllld
some one, and then, as he caught sight
of the proprietor, smiled and advanced in
his direction, with a wave of the hand in
greeting to Conkling.
“Well, any luck yet?”
quired.
“No, but I think I’m on trace of the
Bertie answered. “I’m off,
haste, but I may
direction at
Conkling in-
nugget,”
now, gentlemen, in
drop in again.”
He moved toward the door, even while
speaking, and they had no more than
time for a word or two more when he was
out and gone, and then they turned to
each other with a smile and shook hands.
And Bertie believed that he had a
trace, too, but in a way they never sus-
pected. He was satisfied that Conkling
had brought important news of some sort,
and he meant to learn what it was in a
way of which they little dreamed-if it
worked as he believed it would.
CHAPTER V.
KRIS-KROSS AND BY-BY HAVE IT nor.
Orrin Brann, when he left the Thistle
Club, laid a somewhat erratic course
down the street.
“Kris-Kross” and “By-By” followed
after him, keeping him well in sight,
and as Braun was able to avoid collisions
with other people, the police (lid not
offer to molest him.
“I’m all right now, all right now," the
dissipated fellow said to himself. “Know
15
IIIGIITS A VVRONG.
jist where I put Turtle nugget, and all
got to do is go there and git ct. No, that
ain’t all; got to keep this drunk jist at
this notch sols I won‘t ferget the place.”
Here was every evidence that he was
not quite responsible for his doings.
He was a sort of Jeckyl-Hyde com-
posite.
He rolled merrily along, turning a cor-
ner now and again as ifhe knew perfectly
well where he was heading for.
The other two followed after, and once
when a policeman did make astart for
their man they called him off by telling
him they were taking care of Brann.
And they were sober, certainly.
“Whur kin he be headin’ fur?”
neried Kris-Kross.
Q
“Be durn to me ef I know," re-
sponded By-By. “Not to any high-toned
quarter, I’ll be bound.”
“"hat‘s right. Et begins to look any-
thing but that, hyerabonts. Et will be a
durn fine joke on us ef he loses us, now
won’t et?”
“Holy smoke! But he can’t do that,
as long as he don’t git out of Californee.
We’ll be like the Injun, we inebby kin
lose o11r wigwam b11t we can’t lose our-
selves.”
They chatted together as they
along.
Finally their man came to a place
where he stopped and steadied himself
while he took :1 survey around.
He held on to a lire-plug and took a
long look at the building before which
he stood, till presently he seemed to be
satished that he was right.
Then he let go of the plug and crossed
the sidewalk and disappeared.
“We hev holed him at
By-By.
“That’s right," agreed Kris-Kross.
“And now ter go in after him.”
“And mebby pull the hole in after us,
hey?"
“Or us pulled in, ‘fore we git done.”
went
last,” said