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BEADLE'S
HALF DIME
Library
$2.50 a year. Copyrighted in 1879 by BEADLE AND ADAMS. July 1, 1879.
Vol. IV.
Single
Number.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS,
No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK.
Price,
5 Cents.
No. 101.
Jack Harkaway in New York;
OR,
The Adventures of the Travelers' Club.
BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG,
(JACK HARKAWAY,)
AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN OF THE CLUB," "DICK
DIMITY," ETC., ETC.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TRAVELERS' CLUB.
CHAPTER II. "THE DUEL ON THE SANDS."
CHAPTER III. THE ASSASSIN AT WORK.
CHAPTER IV. ADÉLE.
CHAPTER V. THE VOYAGE.
CHAPTER VI. THE ABANDONED SHIP.
CHAPTER VII. THE MYSTERY OF THE DESERTED VESSEL.
CHAPTER VIII. A LOVERS' QUARREL.
CHAPTER IX. THE RACE.
CHAPTER X. A RECONCILIATION.
CHAPTER XI. FORTUNE-TELLING.
CHAPTER XII. MRS. VAN HOOSEN SACRIFICES HER DAUGHTER TO HER AMBITION.
CHAPTER XIII. "A BUFFALO-HUNT."
CHAPTER XIV. MASTER AND SLAVE.
CHAPTER XV. MR. MOLE PLAYS BASE-BALL.
CHAPTER XVI. BAMBINO IN THE HOSPITAL.
CHAPTER XVII. JACK MAKES A LAST APPEAL.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE BRIDAL.
CHAPTER I.
A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TRAVELERS' CLUB.
"'Pears to me, Marse Jack, you done gone been quiet long 'nuff dis
spell," exclaimed Monday, Jack Harkaway's colored servant, as he
entered his master's room at the hotel.
It was a fine morning in the month of October.
Jack Harkaway at the age of eighteen, well supplied with money, had
been leading an idle life in London for some time.
This did not suit Monday's ideas at all.
Looking up from the newspaper he was reading, Jack pushed back his
curly hair from his ample forehead and smiled.
"What would you like to be doing, my sable friend?" he asked.
"Don't know 'zactly that I'd like to do anything in pertickler, Marse
Jack, but dis chile hasn't killed nobody lately."
"You must learn to curb your savage instincts, Monday," said Harkaway.
"But this I may tell you. It is possible that we shall be on the move
sooner than you expect."
"Hooray! Golly, sah, dat's de good news, for suah. I'se been afraid
I'se gwine ter rust out, 'stead ob wear out."
"What have you got in your hand?"
"Ki! What hab I got? A letter. I misremember dat I come in for
somet'ing."
"Give it me."
Monday handed his master a letter and retired, without venturing on any
further remark.
The epistle was directed in a delicate lady's hand and was highly
perfumed.
Breaking the seal, Jack muttered: "From Lena Van Hoosen. Wants to see
me at once. Something important to communicate. I'll go in half an
hour. Lucky it was not this evening, as I have a special meeting of the
Travelers' Club to attend."
Miss Lena Van Hoosen belonged to one of the first families of New
York city, and at nineteen years of age was the prettiest and most
accomplished girl in London, which is saying a great deal.
[Illustration: "'PEARS TO ME, MARSE JACK, YOU DONE GONE BEEN QUIET LONG
'NUFF DIS SPELL," EXCLAIMED MONDAY, JACK HARKAWAY'S COLORED SERVANT, AS
HE ENTERED HIS MASTER'S ROOM.]
She had been making the tour of Europe with her mother and father,
and was resting awhile, before returning to America. Jack had been
considerably struck with her grace and beauty, paying her much
attention, since his first introduction to her at a ball.
He had every reason to believe that she also thought very well of him.
Taking up his hat, he quitted the hotel, and hiring a cab, was driven
to Miss Van Hoosen's residence in Belgravia.
She received him cordially.
"I sent for you, Mr. Harkaway, for a particular reason," she exclaimed.
"Indeed!" replied Jack. "Whatever the reason may be, I feel very much
indebted to you for this mark of attention on your part."
"In the first place, we are going home next week."
"So soon?"
"Yes, papa has business to attend to and we have already been absent
nearly twelve months."
"I regret that I shall lose your agreeable society."
"The gap in the circle of your acquaintance, which our going away will
create," said Miss Van Hoosen, "I have no doubt you will soon supply."
"Not so easily as you imagine," he answered.
"But that is not all I wanted to see you about," continued Miss
Van Hoosen as her face assumed a graver expression. "You are well
acquainted with Lord Maltravers."
"Yes, his lordship is a member of the same club as myself--the
Travelers'. I have no reason to believe that he likes me; in fact, a
coldness has always existed between us."
The young lady drew her chair closer to Jack.
"Now," she said, "what I am going to tell you, must be received in
strict confidence."
"Certainly, if you wish it."
"Yesterday, Lord Maltravers called upon me and did me the honor to ask
for my hand."
Jack's heart fluttered a little, for this was more than he had ever
dared to do.
"What answer did you give him?" he inquired.
"The same that I have given to others before him."
"And that is--?"
"Simply, that I have promised my parents that I will neither engage
myself to, or marry any one, until I am twenty-one. Thereupon, he most
unjustifiably made use of your name."
"My name!"
"He said that he knew you were his rival, and that I had refused him on
your account; he added that he would soon remove you from his path and
then he would urge his suit again."
Jack Harkaway was astonished at this revelation.
"He may have remarked that I admired you, Miss Van Hoosen," he
exclaimed. "But he was quite unwarranted in saying what he did. If he
attempts to pick a quarrel with me, let him beware."
"That is precisely what I want you to avoid," she replied.
"No matter; the days of dueling are not yet over. In France a man can
seek satisfaction for his wounded honor."
"Let me beg and pray of you, to keep away from Lord Maltravers."
"I can make no promise."
"Remember that people tell strange tales of him. He has resided much in
Italy and I have heard that he keeps a Neapolitan assassin in his pay."
Jack laughed heartily at this.
"I am not a child to be scared by such stories as that," he answered.
"But if it will relieve your mind, I will undertake to be on my guard."
This was all Miss Van Hoosen could obtain from him, and she was very
uneasy in her mind, when he rose to take his leave. He was much
gratified with the result of his visit. For Lord Maltravers he did not
care a snap of the fingers; but he was delighted to think that Lena Van
Hoosen thought enough of him to send for and warn him of a danger which
she fancied he was menaced with.
When he left the house, he walked slowly toward the club, where he knew
he would meet some of his friends.
In the reading-room he encountered Dick Harvey, who had been his
schoolmate and had accompanied him in most of his wanderings by sea and
land.
In an arm-chair sat Professor Isaac Mole, his old tutor, who was fast
asleep.
"How do, Jack?" exclaimed Harvey. "You see the professor is a little
under the weather. Will you come to the committee-room? The meeting is
convened for two o'clock and it is nearly that now."
"With pleasure," replied Jack.
Why the Travelers' Club was called by that name, no one had ever been
able to discover. Its members were men who knew nothing of other
countries, except what they read in books.
The special meeting, on the present occasion, had been called by Mr.
Oldfoguey, the President, to discuss the actual habitat of that noble
beast, the buffalo.
When Jack and Harvey entered the committee-room, there were about a
dozen members present.
Mr. Oldfoguey called the meeting to order.
He was an elderly gentleman with a large bald head; he wore spectacles
and a bottle-green coat with brass buttons.
"Gentlemen," he exclaimed, "you are assembled here to-day, for the
purpose of discussing the actual location of the buffalo. I am of
opinion that this gigantic beast is to be found in certain parts of
Central Park, in New York city, and I am told that it roams at will
over the plains of Jersey. It will be a valuable contribution to
science, if we can settle this vexed question, and I invite the views
of members on the subject."
Captain Cannon, a stout, plethoric gentleman, of a soldierly bearing,
who had seen service in the Rifle Brigade, and was noted among his
friends for being able to tell more wildly improbable yarns than any
one else, responded to the call.
"The buffalo is a great fact," he exclaimed. "When in Canada West with
my regiment, I got lost in the Hudson's Bay territory, and subsisted
for six months on buffalo-meat. As far as I know, the buffalo is only
found east of the Missouri river, and is rapidly dying out. Buffaloes
are, to my certain knowledge, sir, used in New York for drawing
street cars. It is naturally a beast of burden and very tame. When in
Montreal, I used to drive a buffalo to a sleigh; he went well and was
docile. The buffalo's favorite food is peanuts; he will also thrive on
pop-corn."
The gallant captain sat down, after delivering this remarkable
contribution to natural history, and Mr. Zebadiah Twinkle rose to his
feet.
"Sir," he exclaimed, looking fiercely at the President, "I rise to a
point of order. There are only twelve members present, and according to
by-law 27 it requires fifteen to make a quorum."
Mr. Twinkle was tall and angular, and he glared defiantly around him.
The character of Mr. Twinkle was a very remarkable one. He was a
gentleman of independent means, who had retired rich from the grocery
business. His ambition was to be considered a sporting character. He
was a great boaster, but when put to the test, generally collapsed in
a ludicrous manner. In fact he was in common parlance a fraud and a
blower, but he caused great amusement to his friends.
The entrance at this moment of five additional members of the club,
effectually disposed of Mr. Twinkle's point of order.
"Good!" he said. "Now that everything is regular, I will proceed
with my remarks. As my worthy and gallant friend Captain Cannon has
stated, it is a fact that buffaloes exist in the city of New York,
for whenever the citizens of that vast commercial metropolis go
sleigh-riding, they invariably take their buffaloes. The animal is
by no means ferocious, and is frequently taught by the Indians of
Manhattan Island to follow them about like a dog."
Mr. Twinkle was followed by Jack, who could not help smiling at the
dense ignorance displayed by the previous speakers.
"Mr. President and gentlemen of the Travelers' Club," he exclaimed,
"allow me to state that the buffalo is a wild animal, which is only to
be found on the plains of the Far West, where it ranges in herds in a
savage state. It may be found as far south-west as Texas, and as far
north as Montana."
"Is my veracity called in question?" cried Captain Cannon.
"Am I an ignoramus?" asked Mr. Twinkle.
"Order, gentlemen!" said the President, rapping the table.
"Allow me to make a suggestion," exclaimed Harvey. "As there is such
a diversity of opinion about the buffalo, and the members of the club
seem to be very hazy about the land in which he lives, I propose that
a committee of--say five--be appointed to go to America and make a
report."
This proposition was received with favor.
"Make it a substantive motion," said the President, "and I will take
the sense of the meeting on it."
This was done, and the motion being put to the vote, it was carried,
_nem. con._
"Gentlemen," exclaimed Mr. Oldfoguey, "the power of appointment
belongs, I believe, to me."
"It does, by virtue of the office you hold," replied Mr. Twinkle.
"Then I appoint as members of this investigating committee, Mr.
Harkaway, Professor Mole, Captain Cannon, and Mr. Twinkle, with Mr.
Harvey as Secretary, each gentleman paying his own expenses. The
committee will start within a month for New York and report to us once
a week."
"On the subject of the buffalo?" asked Captain Cannon.
"Precisely."
No objection was made to this, and those named on the committee
accepted the honor imposed upon them.
Jack was willing enough to go to America, because Miss Van Hoosen was
also going to that country, and he thought sufficiently well of her to
wish to enjoy her society.
When all was settled, the meeting adjourned, and Jack went to apprise
Mr. Mole of his selection as one of the Buffalo Investigating Committee.
The professor was still sleeping calmly, but he had attracted the
attention of Lord Maltravers.
This scion of the aristocracy was about twenty-five years of age, very
rich and extremely haughty.
His father died when he was young. He was educated by a private tutor
who let him have his way in everything. His mother doted on and spoilt
him.
Young, rich, titled, handsome, what wonder was it, that he was arrogant
and thought himself cast in a superior mold to his fellow-creatures,
whom he despised and looked down upon. Maltravers hated Jack Harkaway,
in the first place because Jack paid him no deference, and secondly
because he fancied Lena Van Hoosen preferred the dashing Jack to
himself.
Knowing that Professor Mole was a friend of Jack's he lost no
opportunity of insulting him.
Seeing him asleep, he twisted a piece of paper into what boys call a
'jigger,' and lighting it at both ends, placed it on the old man's nose.
He was accompanied by a young man who was his toady; his name was
Simpkins, and in consideration of many favors bestowed upon him by Lord
Maltravers, Simpkins was his most devoted servant.
"Ha! ha!" laughed Simpkins, "what an excellent joke; that will wake the
old boy up."
"He's no right to sleep in a club, by Jove," remarked his lordship.
"Certainly not; it is not the proper place."
Presently the flame began to burn the skin of the professor's nasal
organ, and he awoke with a cry of affright.
His hands instinctively sought his nose and he pulled off the 'jigger.'
"Confound it," he exclaimed, "my face is burnt. Who has done this?"
The two young men began to laugh loudly and were evidently enjoying
their practical joke.
"I did it," said Lord Maltravers. "Is there anything else you want to
know?"
Mr. Mole regarded him with indignation.
"If I wasn't an old man, I would chastise you for your insolence," he
cried.
"Don't fall back on your age," replied Maltravers. "I am here to take
the consequences of anything I may have done."
A quick step caused him to turn round.
"Are you?" asked a voice.
It was Harkaway, who, standing in the doorway, had been a silent
spectator of the scene.
Lord Maltravers folded his arms.
"I am ready to answer you, or any one else," he said.
The two men regarded one another sternly.