Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-02-22
CHAPTER M.
BlncE,llllil.

| Somewhat to my surprise. the news
vendor to whose accidental recognition
Of Tom Webb I owed so much did not
put in his usually punctual appearance,
but when remembered the extra SOW
ereign had given him, his absence did
net surprise me much Sam could ''cel-
CITRATE Il bit of luck" like most of his
tribe, ard was probably rot exactly in
/ form fer paying visits.
Almost exactly ut , O'Clock Dirk VAN
Ston called at my rooms. dressed in his
very best suit. and looking broader and
! stronger than ever. He carried Il par
eel. which proved to contain a length
of strong rope. and from his hip-pocket
he produced revolver
There, sir" he exclaimed, surveying
| these possessions with great sat:sfac-
ton. Now feel ready fer any sort of
scrimnage that may turn UP. though
! I'd rather have Il good rough-and-tum-
bic for CHOICE
l took Il revolver, also. and we start
ed castwards. pretty confident as to the
result should the expedition end in Il
| fight. BY previous arrangement the
Wriroa steward. Mr.. Gray. had agreed
to keep Billy on boa.d that afternoon,
ard when we reached the docks we
found that he had kept his promise
found that he had Kept his promise. He
also told me that Blogg had resigned
his place on board, although he there
ly sacrificed Il months wages, and
that Spratt had obtained leave Of alb
senc" "to visit his sick mother.
III" don't quite trust Blogg.' re-
married the steward. drily. that's
about til" strength of it, and wants to
keep an eye on him. He don't seem to
have The least idea he's being sh;ld
owed himself by Il tee. but he is.
though. and has been for some time
back. Now. then, Billy. you know eX-
actiy what YOU have to do; just what
this gentleman tells you. and ask NJ
questions.
I'm fly sir" replied thu boy. With
one Ct rs foxy lcers WED better get
there q bit ahead CT them TOO. hadn't
| we! Without these gents waits ter
get III by the window" And H. looke:l
d"ubi fully at Dirl's vast width Of
SHE u]Gcr. There was. obviously. sound
sense in this suggestion. and we acted
upon it forthwith. The steward saw
us to the gates.
con account, Mr.. Gray" l whispered,
sill ping a ten-round note into his hand.
Il trust you'll have some good news
for your wife before morning.
THANK you. sir. and gocd-luck." he
answered. with Il grateful Look. Keep
the hey we'll in hand. sir; he's q hit
tricky"
Preceded by Billy, we walked on to
Rodney Avenue. near which the boy
l'alted outside an ironmongers
1T as Just struck me, sir he re-
i marked. "as ow an augur or Il good
sized g;nllet would come in andy. You
sec. last time colld ear most of what
was said. but I couldn't see 'em. on &C
count of the door,
"Ti.c lads right" said Dirk. "Let
me get it,
Gle soon emerged with the required
tool, wrapped UP in brown rapa".
which he described as "a half-inch'
PLY chllclled and rubbed his hands.
Though whether with the prospect of
n"f1orat.ng doors or spying upon Mr..
Blo"G, he Gid NOT inform us We had
decided To leave the question OF our
entrance into the house to him. and II.
| took the lead with full sense of his
own Importance. He certainly posses
1
| in his cunning young brain-coolncss
and aulacity.
| We'd better not wait till it's quite
dark, he remarked. for fear the 9th
| elS nigh; get in afore We're ready for
en-. It's dusty enough already,
reckon. seem tho 'o,lse is set back Il
god bit from the road. Well. III walk
II, carryih that gept's parcel. as
| though WAS Il shoD-boy. and knock
a. 'ile all door, Just to make sure there
amt no one there yet. Ii there is, an
| they answer the knock. why. | inst
'sk if Mrs. Brown lives there. an
'noks it. But. of course. there won't
/ be no one, an 50 round l goes to the
! back rs bold as though I lived there
Then Sims up the ladder and in
through the window. same as afor,
an opens the front door for YOU two
gents. arter I wlistlcs''
That boy'll die in gaol yet. if he
don't get banged" muttered Dirk
shaking his head. as Billy sauntere.l
down the fcotnatl. swinging his par.
eel and whistling Tiara boom decay"
in realistic errand-boy style
Ii was our special business to SO,
that no policeman was watching his
i movements: an easy task, seeing tha'
there was not a guardian of the law H.
sight. In remarkably short space OF
time we heard the whistle-signaI, and
were admitted into the house
| 1t was quite dark in the hall. but
| our youthful guide had profited by his
previous experience, and now produced
a small bull's-eye lantern in great trl-
| umph. He lit it, tested the slide to see
that 1t worked smoothly. and led the
way down stairs into the kitchen. 1t
was large one, and fairly well fur
nished with cooking utensils but show
ing no signs Of recent use. 1t had two
doors beside the one we entered nv.
and both were locked. though the keys
had not been removed. One opened in.
to q scullery. The other gave entrance
into a small room containing various
odds md ends, brushes. boxes OF SOAP