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- that gatoot got ther handcuffs on us.
’ te
HAPPY DAYS...
CHAPTER XIV.
~-- THE FOUL SCHEME WORKS.
Greaser Dan and Underwood knew it was
ea detective the instant they saw the re-
volver leveled at them.
The villain from ‘Texas was one of the
sort of men who will take chances. He
was not going to be captured if he could
Possibly help himself.
ood was “about to surrender to
the man, when Dan lowered his head and
. butted him in the stomach.
It was a very clever move, and a quick
one,
It took the detective by surprise, and
down he went ir in 2 heap, the breath knock-
ed. from. his
“Come on!” eetiaimea Greaser Dan,
But his companion hardly needed the
invitation.
Away they bolted, leaving the man dou-
“pled up on the sidewalk and gasping to
recover his brea'
Around the first corner went the two,
Underwood leading, for he knew where to
go better than Dan
The villainous New Yorker knew he had
to pay a sharp game, but he felt equal
0 it. :
“We'll go right to a friend of mine,” he
whispered, as they ran, “His place is in
Baxter street. It is where I thought about:
getting the policeman’s unifor
on, Dan! I guess we’re all right now. 7.”
Luck was with them, for they saw noth.
ing more of the detective, and . walking
briskly, they soon reached a store in Bax-
ter street that was closed now, of course.
t was a second-hand clothing store, and
according to the sign, a man by the name
of Isaacs kept it.
Making sure that there was no police-
man in sight, Underwood went to the door
and rapped upon it lightly three times.
Almost immediately there was a stir
within and then a voice called out:
Who is dere?”
“It’s me, Ike. You know me—Under-
wood.”
“Ah, Underwood,
ter come in?”
“Yes! Hurry up, Ike!
There was the sound "nade by a key
turning and a bar being removed, and then
the door was opened slightly and the face
of a crafty-looking man showed itself.
Underwood hastily pushed him aside and
went in the store, followed by his com-
panion,
At first the fellow did not recognize his
friend, and he acted as though he was go-
ing to shout for help, ue doubt thinking
“the two had come to rob him.
But Underwood quickly seized him by
the arm and made him understand who
8
is it? Und you vant
he was.
Ike, as he was called, breathed a sigh of
relief.
“Vat is it, my friend?” he asked. “Vas
you in trouble?”
ot ‘much, I want to buy a suit of
cloth
“Oh, “but, vhy didn’t you vait till morn-
ing, buh?”
“1 aut going to wait till morning, Ike.
My friend and I are going to stay here till
morning, and then I will buy the suit. He
will buy. a suit, too, and we’ll pay you
good for the clothes, see?”
“Yes, I see, ‘Meester Undervood.
vas a fine man. It is all right.”
The storekeeper did not ask another
question, but bustled about fixing them a
place to lie down in the rear of the store,
He slept there himself, so it was easy to
arrange for them.
The second-! hand clothing made a pretty
good sort of a bed.
The two yillains were much relieved
You
now.
“Dan, it was you who saved us that
time,” declared Underwood, as they . lay
own.
“Well, I’m always ready ter git out of
trouble afore I git inter it,” was the re-
ply. “I knowed it was all up with us if
is what he was goin’ r do, I reckon.
Never mind, pard. I kin hold my own with
these New Yorkers, if I am from Texas.
I'm gittin’ used ter it now, an’ I rather
like it.”
“Yes, but the time will come when you'll
get caught, if you follow it up long, Dan.
As soon as we get through with the job
on hand we had better light out some-
where. We'll have the money | to go any-
where, and to stay a while, t
“Wait till we git ther Sob “jone; then
we'll talk it over an’ see what's best. But
I wanter go ter sleep now, pard.”
“Al right. Good nigh
Greaser Dan was me tong dropping off
to sleep, but his companion remained
awake for over an hour, studying out what
he would do in case Tom Kee failed to
get the girl.
But after a while he got to sleep, and
then he slept until long after daylight.
It was past eight o’clock when the store-
keeper aroused them, declaring that it was
time for them to get up, since he had want-
ed to get at’the clothing they were lying
n for a customer, and that he had not
disturbed them.
~ 1 vant to "get: ready for der next cus-
tomer,” he added, “So it vas better dot
you up.”
“I should say so!” exclaimed Underwood,
as he looked at his watch.
Then he gave Ike a ten-dollar bill and
bade him Send out and get something for
them to e
“You sa keep the change, but we want
a good breakfast, mind you,” he si
ealer in Second: ‘hand
smiled all over his fac
“You shall have der. best vot kin be
bought,” he declared. “A regular Valdorf-
Astoria preakfast!”
“Get a morning paper, too,” said the vil-
clothing
ain,
“All right, my friends, I vill get you
some soap und vater to vash mit, too.”
He was as good a: s word.
The two made their, “toilet behind the
curtain that was drawn across the rear
of the little store and then waited for the
breakfast to arrive.
It came after a while, and with it the
morning papi
Underwood ‘seized the paper and hastily
Sseanned the ne’
Pretty soon te ave a violent start.
Information that is a detriment to the
workings of the police department some-
times gets in the papers, and in this case
it was certainly detrimental to them, since
it gave Underwood and Greaser Dan an
inkling of what they were up against.
A news item in the paper stated that a
notorious Chinese crook had been captured
the evening before, and that his arrest
would quickly be followed by others be-
longing to a certain gang that held forth
in Chinatown and were engaged in the
business of kidnapping girls.
Underwood read it to his partner.
“That's all right,” said Dan, after he had
thought for a minute, “Ther Chinaman
can't. tell nothin’ that will hurt us any.
Ther police knows already that we tried
ter git ther gal, That ain’t nothin’, pard!
We know now that we needn’t expect Tom
Kee ter git ther gal. It’s fur you ter pass
off as a policeman an’ git her now: That
kin be done putty easy, I know. All y
have got ter dg is ter go ter ther store
where ther gal works an’ on her that she’s
wanted at ther headquarters ter identify
some prisoners that’s been catched. She'll
be glad enough ter go, an’ she'll git right
in a wagon with yer, an’ then away we'll
go fur that place yer was talkin’ about,
which is away out somewhere.”
Underwood’s eyes sparkled.
“By jove, you've hit it just right, Dan!”
he exclaimed, “I was thinking all along
how it would be done, but you’ve solved
the problem. That girl will be on Staten
Island before the sun sets to-night!”
threw aside the paper and
Undei
turned ‘hls attention to the breakfast.
e knew about what his guests would
like ‘to have, and he had ordered accord-
ingly,
Ham and eggs, hot rolls and coffee was
the bill of fare, and they quickly made way
with i
Then they sent out for some cigars and
sat smoking, waiting for a time when Ike
was not busy in his store.
When he came in and asked them if they
were ready to buy the clothes they had
spoken of, Underwood looked at him keen-
ly and sai: ia:
“Ike, I want a regular police uniform,
and I "want it to fit me. Do you under-
stand?” -
“My gracious!” exclaimed the Hebrew,
shrugging his shoulders; “TI have not got
i
“Well, you can get it, can’t you?”
“I may et it py der safternoon, Meester
Under
“All. eke, We'll wait right here until
‘you get it. But you can fit out my friend
here with some kind of a suit that will
make him look altogether like a different
man. Go ahead; I'll watch you as you do
it. You are going to get well paid for this.
See here!
He showed a roll of bills, and Ike’s eyes
sparkle
Then he left his clerk to look after the
customers who came in and devoted his
time to fixing up Greaser
It was not long before he had him rigged
out like a tough s:
“I guess you vill do,” he said, with a
grin, as he clapped a brown Fedora on his
head. “Keep dot pulled down a leetle und
der scar yill not show.” -
Underwood was pleased with the rig,
and so was his partner.
Ike next took the measurement of Un-
derwood, and then he sent his boy out
somewhere. The boy came back half an
hour later with a bundle that contained a
policeman’s helmet, belt and club.
“Der rest vill pe ready at four o’clock
und not before,” he said.
There was nothing to do but to wait, so
they sent out for drinks and made the best
of it.
Ike secured the services of a hackman
for them, and he assured them that he
could be depended on, and all he wanted
was fifty dollars to go anywhere they want-
ed him to, providing it did not take longer
than a day.
he uniform came around on time, and
a ‘Tutte later the two villains got into the
hack and went around to the millinery es-
tablishment.
e scheme. worked like a charm, and
not long after that Minnie Harlan was on
her way to the Staten Island Ferry, un-
conscious from the effects of chloroform,
: ‘CHAPTER XV...
HOT ON THE TRAIL.
Sam Hall was thunderstruck.
Had the villains been captured, then?
It seemed too good to: b
But such must. be the casas “or the girl
would not be sent for,
“Buck,” said he, “I suppose we are being
looked for, too. ‘e will be needed, you
know. Come on! We'll go right to police
headquarters.”
“Right yer are, Sam!” was the reply.
The two hastened from the spot, cross-
ing town far enough to take a car that
would lead them to the headquarters at
Mulberry street.
They were not a great while in getting
there, and when they made inquiries about
the girl they were promptly sent to: the
Officer in charge.
“You say a policeman came and took
the girl from the store she worked at?”
said the officer, sharply.
“Yes, Sam began to realize that
something was wron;
“Well, if he did nothing is known of it
here. Wait! I will try and find out. [
think there must be some mistake about
+
Be
Then the detective sergeant, who ~was
known pretty well now by the boy from
Texas, gave: them an audience,
He listened to the story, paying strict
attention, and when Sam was through he
said:
“Looks to me, my boy, as though the
scoundrels haye got the girl. We
made no arrests other than that of the
Chinaman, I'll use the telephone a minute
or two and find out.”
The next five minutes was.spent in tele-
phoning, and the result was that no one
connected with the department knew any-
thing about the girl being sent for.
“The case is getting deep now,” said the
sergeant. “But I have made up my mind
to ferret it out, and I will do so if it takes
the whole detective force of New York to
do it. That girl must be found. When
she is found, I guess we’ll have them just
where we want them, Sam Hall.”
Sam was much disheartened,
He thought a great deal of Minnie Har-
Jap, and to think that she had fallen into
the hands of Greaser Dan and Underwood,
after all, made him feel sore indeed.
In less than half an hour the city was
being scoured for the missing girl
Detectives received all the information
they could from those who had seen Min- |_
nie get into the hack with the alleged
policeman,’ and they had a description of
the vehicle, and of the route it took when
it went away from the store.
Sam and Buck waited around headquar-
ters until six o’clock, and then they glean-
ed the information that the hack had been
traced to the
me on, .
will go to that ferry and we'll cross over.
‘We may find her by going on our own
hook. There is no one living who would
be able to recognize Greaser Dan as quick-
ly as you or I.”
yall right, Sam,” was the reply. “What
you say goes, I’ll take my rope along, an’
if it should happen ter drop around ther
neck of Greaser Dan, I reckon there won’t
be no need of him havin’ a trial, fur I'll
sure furgit myself an’ snap his neck bone.”
There was not the least doubt but that
the cowboy meant what he said.
The gleam in his eye told that.
Sam said nothing to discourage the no-
tion, and a few minutes later they were
riding for the Staten Island Fer
They got there just in time to ‘catch a
boat, and as they got aboard a man tapped
Sam on the
In spite of. ‘the fact that he was dis-
guised, our hero recognized him as the de-
tective who had appeared on the scene in
time to get them out of the trouble with
the policeman in Nassau street the day be-
oe
¢
gS
“So you are on the trail, too?” he said,
in a low tone. “Well, I am glad of that.
I have got a pretty good clue as to where
the girl is being taken, and I may need
you two to give me a little help.”
They went inside and sat down, and then
the Getective told them that his name was
Eastm:
“There is a man on this boat I am fol-
lowing,” he explained, a little later, “He
doesn’t know either of you, I am sure,
But he might have his suspletons if he sees
that coil of rope. e that his ac-
complices have informed him that you
Texans are mixed up in the affair,”
“All right,” said Buck, taking the hint.
“V'll put ther lariat under my coat.”
The trip across the bay was made, and
then they walked off, keeping close behind
the detective,
Sam tried his best to find out the man
who was being shadowed, but he was un-
able to do s0,
Eastman was walking along, following
the crowd, the same as the rest,
When: the boy saw him pause long
enough at a little window and purchase
tye rai railroad tickets he wondered more
a
Straight to a waiting train they went,
and boarding it, they got seats near each
other.
“Where are we going?” asked Sam, as
the train Started.
“To Tottenville, the end of the route,
unless my man gets off before we get that
far,” was the reply from the detective.
“Just keep cool now.
the telephone that has done the ° trick.
here was a policeman who did some tele-
time they should have been there with the.
girl. There was also a hack that went over
on the boat that left right after that. The
telephoning was done to the man I am fol-
lowing. Just let it go at that, and don’t
ask any more questions.”
The bo
when he heard all this
He left the detective “to himself and be-
gan talking to the
In something less “than an hour the train
arrived at the end of the route.
When Hastman got Up to leave the car
our friends followed
They went along the, ‘platform, descend-
ed a flight of steps and walked out on the
street.
There were some hacks in waiting, and
small satchel get in one he gave a nod.
“There’s our man,” he whispered. “Now
one of us must find out just where he goes,
the girl!
(to BE CONTINUED.) |
wesc cccccc ccc cst ccc cote ec ces
A STIRRING STORY
as
or, The Belmont. Boys’ Best Run
OUT TO-DAY!
In “Wide Avvake Weekly” No. 55
(This story commenced in No. 635}
Little Lightning,
THE BOY ENGINEER
7 OR, .
The Fate of the Fast Express
By Aloeré JS. Booth
Author of “Young Fearless, the Boy
Engineer, om “Fast Matl Fran k, the
Young Engineer,” ane
CHAPTER XVI.
BESS FINDS A NEW HOME.
Little Lightning, the boy engineer, was
aghast at the cowardly attack of Hicks on
dr, Holman, When he saw the capitalist
fall in a senseless heap, he ran in-and
wrenched the cane from the hands of the
maddened old scoundrel and threw it far
across the street.
The boy engineer was-strong, and he
grabbed the railway magnate by the arms
and jammed him up against a building and
yelled for help.
It happened that there were a number
of witnesses of the affair, and they at once
rushed to Luke’s aid. A policeman ar-
rived, and Hicks was put under arrest.
Several of those who had arrived now
raised the insensible man’s head, and one
of them, who seemed to be a physician,
said:
“A vi bad scalp-wound, and possibly
eoneustion. Better call a carria:
A carriage was called, and Mr. ‘Volman
was taken to his hotel. There he was re-
vived, but it was declared by his doctor
that it would be several days before he
would be able to get
Hicks was released’ on “hea avy bail. Of
course the news of the affair spread rapid-
ly. Jim Haley, the stoker, came rushing
over to Luke’s house.
“Mate,” he exclaimed, “T hear that young
Hicks has sold a lot of his father’s M. &
S. stock and has run away on a trip around
the world.”
“Jim, could you expect | anything better
of that’ young scoundrel?”
“Well, I always said he would come to
But will that really put. Hicks out
of the management of the
“Why, certainly it w will, on is no
president of the M.
The stoker began to dance wildly.
“Hooray! You and I will get back on
the line again, my boy, won’t we? Say,
I’m like a lonesome duck since I quit my
job, and I’m just dying to get back.”
“Oh, well, I guess we'll get back, and
things will be better,” laughed Luk
Of course there was tremendous excite:
ment Jn in Mansfleld when the whole story
was
Ticks wha been deceived by his dutiful
Perry
OUT TO-DAY!
doubt that Mr. Holman will be the next ©
I am satisfied that -
I am on the right track, and if I am it is -
phoning at the ferry house just about the -
from Texas was very operat
when the detective saw a man carrying .a*
for where he goes is the place we’ will find~
” .
Young Wide Awake’s Hose. Carriage -
‘ Dash
SO Np ee come a
Sar
_
TT