The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-19
CHAPTER ~,

bhdn was KNOWN TO BuUty. ears before
he took the house earned my living there
doing drudge's work and running on er-
rands when was mere child Fly Jiggcr
had it then; that was before improvements
ruined the pcighborhood. The houses in
Sweet Apple LANE now mostly untenant-
ed, were crowded with tenants, and the
Joy was n favor tie house of CALI for all
sorts of bad characters who lived there,
and for the men employed in Baxter's
wharf, which was then one of the busiest
stores for dry salting on this side of the
river.
Fly Jigger did well by legitimate trade,
but he made still more money by dishonest
means and principally by plundering Bax-
ter's wharf For this purpose he and his
crew had made passage under the fore
shore. opening at one end into the cellar of
the Joy and at the other end into the
cellar of the wharf. This passage was
called the tub run, because, to prevent the
sides falling in, it was lined with casks
with their heads removed and set end to
end. As soon as the house was closed at
night Fly ,liggerI and his mates would set
to work, going through the tub run into
Baxter's wharf and returning with goods
from the storerOoms. l have seen them
bring out as many as so hams in Il night
The secret was never found out, but when
the trade went frbm Baxter and the wharf
was sceured out and closed the run was no
longer of any service. The wharf watch
man, who had been party to these robber-
les, took care 10 close and conceal the cellar
opening, and FlyJigger masked the open
ing on his side with a fagstone and bar
row load OF rubbish, which, trodden down,
presented no difference from the rest of the
unpayed floor. Previous to that, to keep
"A NJ of bo ba LnI
moved the beer barrels, which thenceforth
he Kept set up behind the bar, saying that
1t was more fair and squarelke for the Gus
toners to see their beer drawn from the
wood than through the engine from the
deuce knows where.
Tile closing of Baxter's wharf was sad
blow to him, but IL worse came soon after,
for being Of atooactive disposition he took
to sInugg ing tobacco and rum from incom-
ing ahips, and being discovered by the ex-
else was sent to prison, and the Joy lost
it, licenSA The brewers obtained fresh
license to sell beer and put Putty in to
manage the house. When be came, the
spring tidcs had flooded the cellar, and sec
ing that it was of no use he had the trap
screwed down to save the expense of put
ting new hinges on it. Sincethcn, ms ] have
said, no one had ever gone down into the
cellar
With these reoollections crowding my
mind and the metns they suggested of de.
livering 'raras filing my heart with wild
delight, hurried down Ferryboat alley,
and after looking about carefully to make
sure that no one was observing me wedged
myself through the ventilating hole and
dropped into the wharf cellar | knew ex-
actly where the opening existed, having
s.,. .ft . Il a
raudipg expeditions, and dropping down
upon my hands and knees brushed the
dirt away from the stone that covered the
hole. There was not enough light to see
it, but | could trace the outline plainly
enough with my fingers.
But how was | to raise the heavy flag?
There was no ring or anything to catch
hold of, and knew that if | worked away
the rubbish sufficiently to get my hands
underneath should still be unable to lift
il. ! must have something to pry it up
with. A bar of iron would do. 1t struck
me that might find what needed among
the old iron in ,Tohnson's yard. II had
thought of that beforehand, might have
brought it in with me, but | was too I'M
patient of delay, too eager to begin, to
waste time in regrets. ...
Clambering up 10 the ventiator, l looked
uui- Eopint buy fGiH pihg ihb pil VIC ohpiS'
dared not show myself while they were
there 1t seemed to me that they would
never weary of throwing stones into the
water but at length they gave it up and
went away. Then II slipped out, and pre-
tending to be looking for odds and ends on
the shore made my way up to Johnson's
yard and got in through gap in the pal
ing. 1t didn't take long to find what l
wanted-a broken stoking iron looked to
me just the thing. Asking myself if there
was anything else | should need, it oc-
CURED to me that candle would be nee
essary, the cellar of the Joy being even
darker than the wharf cellar. The gates
of the yard opened into Sweet Apple lane,
and as they closed imperfectly was just
able TO squeeze through-thanks to being
kiPWPSSr PWPSrn had be pgbt a balfnennv candle
and box of matches out of the money
given me by Putty, the trembling of my
knees and feeling of faintness reminded
me that | had eaten nothing all day, so |
bought n small loaf and some cold fish and
treated myself to cup of coffee with my
last halfpenny The hot coffee set me up
wonderfully, and with revived energy re
turned to the yard and hiding the bar
under my dress snealled back to the stairs
Then after another cautious look around.
finding the coast q ear, l Slipped the stolS
ing iron through the yentlator and fol
lowed it almost as swiftly.
It was n harder job than l expected to
move the Aagstone and get it out of the
way. But | stuck to it, with the perspira-
tion running down my face, until, the SEN
sation Of sickness seizing me again, had
to give over for "A t me till had eaten my
loaf and regained strength At length,
having worked the stone aside, about foot
out of its place, knelt down to feel if the
opening was large enough for me to pass
through (for had not lit the candle to do
this work.. and then to my dismay | dis
covered that the TOP careful watchman had
filled the hole with rubbish. Sinking
down on the ground, could have cried
with the mingled feelings of rage and dis
appointment, but thinking OF faras des-
peration overcame these sentiments, and
springing up on M knees tore at the rub
bish with my hands yehemently like dog
in warren, determined to reach Taras
though had to dig my way to him through
the solid earth
Happily the rubbish was loose and yield.
ed readily to my hands, and still more hap
PLY there were not above four or five feet
of 1t, or | might never haze got down to the
tub ran with all ne .oe4 ,nination. An
empty box thrown down had got jammed
in the hole about a third of the way down,
and below that the espace was empty. New
ertheless 1t took mo many hours to get the
rubbish out, having nothing TO dig with
but my hands and nothing but my apron
to carry it up in when got down certain
distance, and then the box, which at first
sight seemed to have been set there by tho
hand of Providence, appeared after awhile
to have been wedgfd in by my worst enc
my, for it de6ed all my efforts to loosen it,
until my patience and strength were well
nigh exhausted, and then had to get to
the top and drag It out, which was even
more difficult. Ten o'clock struck before
this task was accomplished.
l had ham cofu nhilad to liuht tba cnndIa