The Boy Broker Part 16

"I know why it is," continued our hero, growing bold and defiant when he saw it was useless to plead for kindness; "I can see through the whole scheme now; but you mark my words, old man, you will suffer for this cruelty, and so will your friend Felix Mortimer."

These words came from the lips of the young prisoner with such terrible emphasis that old Gunwagner, hardened as he was in sin, grew pale, and trembled visibly for his own safety.

CHAPTER XIV.

BOB OUTWITS THE OLD FENCE.

Bob easily gained admittance to the den by the aid of his confederate.

He found there old Gunwagner, Felix Mortimer, and another boy, who pa.s.sed out just after the young detective entered. The old fence eyed Bob sharply, and perhaps somewhat suspiciously. The manner of the small boy was excited. He did not appear natural, and this alone was sufficient to attract the old man's attention.

It was a critical moment for Bob. He did not know that the boy would not turn against him. In fact, he half suspected he would, but nevertheless he was willing to take the chance in the interest of Herbert, and that he might do a skillful piece of detective work. Moreover, there was the danger of being recognized by Felix Mortimer, who had seen him twice that very day; once at the bank in the morning, and again in the afternoon when Bob played the role of bootblack.

Old Gunwagner questioned him sharply. The small boy, however, told the story precisely in accordance with Bob's instructions. The young detective meanwhile hastily surveyed the room and its furnis.h.i.+ngs, and when he had discovered what he thought would serve his purpose, he turned to his confederate, and said:

"Well, I believe I'll let this man have the things I brought with me.

You may go out and get them, and bring them in here."

"Why didn't you bring them in with you?" asked the fence, suavely.

"I didn't know as we could trade, so I thought I'd better leave 'em outside," answered Bob, carelessly.

When Tom saw the boy come out alone, he knew the part he was to act, and following out the directions of his chief, he and the confederate rushed into the dark pa.s.sageway leading to the fence, and yelled "Fire" with all the power they could command. Before giving the alarm, however, they lighted a newspaper, and placed it near the outer door.

Bob had purposely made his way to a far corner of the room, so that, as a matter of fact, he was farther from the place of exit than either Mortimer or Gunwagner. This was part of his scheme.

When the cry of fire reached the old fence, he bounded to the door like a frightened deer. Throwing it open, his eyes instantly fell upon the great flames that shot up from the burning paper. The sight struck terror to him, and, with an agonized cry, he rushed down the hallway to the immediate scene of the conflagration, with Felix Mortimer not far behind him.

A gust of wind now blew in through the partially open door, and scattered the charred remains of the newspaper all about the feet of the fence. In a few seconds all traces of the fire were lost, and then the trick dawned upon the old man. He was furious with rage, and ran out into the street, to try and discover the perpetrators of the deed.

Tom and the confederate remained on the opposite side of the street till Gunwagner and Mortimer appeared at the door. Bob had instructed Tom to do this.

Both Gunwagner and Felix tumbled into this trap, which, by the way, was a skillful one for our detective to set. As soon as they caught sight of the two boys, they started after them in hot pursuit, but Tom and the young lad were excellent runners, and, having a good start of their pursuers, they kept well ahead of them.

Seeing, therefore, that the chase was a hopeless one, the old fence and Mortimer returned to the den. The former was almost desperately ugly. He growled and raved in a frightful manner, that quite alarmed our young detective.

"What has become of that new boy?" asked Felix, who was the first to think about him.

Gunwagner was so thoroughly agitated that up to this time he had not thought about Bob. At young Mortimer's reminder, however, he stopped suddenly in his ravings, and the color as quickly left his face. Then he hurried to where a box containing silver and other valuables were kept.

"It's here," he gasped, almost paralyzed with the fear that it had been stolen by the strange boy.

"Is anything else missing?" asked Felix.

Our young detective was at this minute doubled up in a large box that was stowed away under a sort of makes.h.i.+ft counter. He had hurriedly concealed himself in this manner during the absence of the fence and Felix.

"I'll look things over and see," said old Gunwagner, replying to Mortimer's question.

Bob thought the game was all up with him now. He felt much as Tom Flannery did. He, too, "didn't want to be a detective, no how."

"There's no show for me if this old tyrant gets his hands on to me,"

said Bob to himself, as he lay cramped up in that dirty box, hardly daring to breathe. "I didn't think about it comin' out this way; if I had, I would a' fixed things with Tom different. Now I suppose he's gone home, as I told him to, and I can't look for no help from him or n.o.body else."

The situation was a depressing one, and it grew more so as the mousing old fence came nearer and nearer to where our young detective lay. He searched high and low for traces of theft, and examined everything with careful scrutiny.

He was now close to Bob's hiding place.

"He must be hid away here somewhere," said Felix, with a very anxious look upon his face.

"What makes you think so?" asked the old man, as he noticed young Mortimer's anxiety.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GUNWAGNER PURSUING THE BOYS.]

No boy ever tried harder to suppress his breath than Bob Hunter did at this instant. "It's all up with me now," said he to himself. "They'll get me sure; but I'll die game."

"It looks suspicious to me, and that's why I think so," replied Felix, showing no little alarm.

"I don't see nothing suspicious about it, as long as nothing is missing."

"To be sure, but I believe he is the same boy that was in the bank today looking for this Randolph."

"And he is the boy that the old banker told you about?"

"Yes; the newsboy who said some foul play had overtaken Randolph."

The old fence looked exceedingly troubled.

"We must capture this young Arab," said he, emphatically, after a few moments' careful thought.

Bob's ears missed nothing. This conversation interested him through and through.

"Arab!" said he to himself. "If I don't get caught I'll show you whether I'm an Arab or not."

"Perhaps he is already in there," suggested Mortimer again.

"We will go down cellar and see," said the old man. "He might have gone down through that trap door while we was out."

"That's what I thought; and he and Randolph may already be hatching up some plan for escaping," said Felix.

Why old Gunwagner neglected to search the big box under the counter is inexplicable. Possibly the hand of destiny s.h.i.+elded the young detective, for he was on an errand of mercy.

The old man and Felix now descended the stairs into the cellar, and commenced their search for the strange boy who had so thoroughly alarmed them.