DAN, THE DETECTIVE.
It was sunset, and Master Plummer stood at the ferry-slip in Weehawken,
awaiting the coming of Dan, the detective.
Much against his will had the fat boy left the home of the German lady
to set out on this long tramp. He understood that it would not be safe
for Joe to come out of hiding, and, because of the arrangements made by
Dan in the morning, it was absolutely necessary some one should meet the
amateur detective at the ferry-slip.
Hence it was that Master Plummer was loitering around just outside the
gate, keeping a close watch upon all who came from the boat, and on the
alert for anything bearing the resemblance of a blue coat with brass
buttons.
Dan Fernald, believing that a detective who knew his business would not
make a single movement without a certain attendant mystery, had decided
it was not safe for him to leave New York in the daytime, and therefore
Plums's time of waiting was exceedingly long.
Not until eight o'clock did Dan appear; and then, instead of answering
his friend's hail, he marched gravely out through the gate, crossed the
street, and, during several seconds, stood peering first to the right
and then the left, while from the opposite side Plums looked at him in
bewilderment.
Master Plummer had spoken to his friend, but received no reply; had
followed a certain distance without being apparently recognised, and
stopped in bewilderment when Dan indulged in these curious antics.
Finally the fat boy grew impatient, and, crossing the street, asked,
sharply:
"What's the matter with you, anyhow, Dan?"
Master Fernald glanced at his friend only sufficiently long to wink in a
most mysterious fashion, and then, turning quickly around, marched
gravely up the street without speaking.
Plums watched in anxiety until, seeing his friend dart into a doorway,
it suddenly dawned upon him that Dan was desirous of avoiding a too
public interview.
Then Plums hastened after him, muttering to himself:
"That feller thinks he's awful smart, scrimpin' an' scrapin' 'round here
as if there was a dozen perlicemen right on his track. If he'd go on
about his business nobody'd notice him; but when he's kitin' 'round in
this fashion folks are bound to wonder what's the matter."
On arriving at the doorway, he looked in, but without seeing any one,
because of the gloom.
Thinking he had made a mistake, Plums would have hurried on, but for a
hoarse whisper which came from out the darkness.
"Come in here, quick! Don't stand there where everybody'll tumble to who
you are."
Plums obeyed immediately, as was his custom when any one spoke harshly,
and Dan seized him by the arm.
"Keep quiet, now, whatever you do, 'cause I wouldn't be s'prised if
more'n a dozen cops followed me over on the boat."
"I didn't see any," Plums replied, in astonishment.
"That's 'cause you didn't keep your eye peeled. Of course they wouldn't
try to get on my track while they was dressed in uniform. I saw one I
felt certain about; he was disguised like a truckman, an' drivin' a
team, but he couldn't fool me."
"Do they know where Joe an' I are?"
"I don't think so; but jest as soon as I left the town they was bound to
have their eyes open mighty wide, 'cause I guess it must be known up to
perlice headquarters that I'm in on this case. Where's Joe?"
Master Plummer told the amateur detective of the very pleasant refuge
they had found, and concluded by saying:
"First off we couldn't talk with the old woman at all; but at
dinner-time a kid about half as big as me, what calls her 'grandmarm,'
come home, an' he knew how to talk United States. Little as he was, he
could chin in the old woman's lingo as fast as she. That fixed things
for us. Joe said he was out lookin' for work, which is the dead truth
when you come to that, an' made a trade for us to stay there a couple of
days. I was 'fraid they'd ask about the princess, but it seems like they
didn't. They thought she belonged to us straight enough, so it's been
all plain sailin'."
"I didn't get over here any too soon, if you fellers have gone to
stoppin' at a house."
"But why shouldn't we, when we found one like that where they'll take us
in mighty cheap? An' say, that old woman is the boss cook!"
"An' she'll get in jail, too, if you keep on this way. Here's you an'
Joe advertised for by the lawyers, an' yet are sich chumps as to settle
right down where the detectives will get on to you the very first
thing."
"I ain't been advertised for."
"Well, that's where you make a mistake, Master Smartie. Perhaps you
haven't seen the evenin' papers."
"What's in them?" Plums cried, in a tone of alarm.
"Pretty much the same as what you saw in the _Herald_ this mornin', only
that they're offerin' to pay for any news of Joe Potter an' a feller
what's called 'Plums.'"
"Do you mean that, Dan? Are they really advertisin' for me?" Master
Plummer asked, in a tone of terror.
"That's what they're doin', an' the way the cops are chasin' 'round town
huntin' up bootblacks an' newsboys is a caution. Three different ones
asked Jerry Hayes if he knew you or Joe; but you can bet they didn't
find out very much. Jerry's sharp enough to keep his mouth shut."
"But what do they want me for? What have I done?"
"I reckon it's 'cause Joe slept at your house. Now the only safe thing
is for us to strike off into the country as quick as we know how. We've
got to walk all night before we so much as think of stoppin'."
"But what about the princess? We can't make that little thing travel
from post to pillar."
"If Joe Potter hadn't been a fool he'd left her in town. It jest makes
my blood boil when I think of his havin' a kid taggin' 'round after him,
an' every detective in New York on his track!"
"I don't believe he'd be willin' to leave the princess, not even if he
knew he was goin' to be 'rested the next minute."
"He's got to, or I'll throw up the job of tryin' to save him. Now we'll
go up to this Dutch woman's house that you've been talkin' 'bout, an'
snake him out. All I hope is we'll get away in time."
Master Plummer turned to walk out of the hallway in obedience to this
command, when Dan, clutching him by the arm, brought the boy to a sudden
standstill.
"What kind of a way is that to go out when the streets are full of
detectives huntin' after you?"
"How else can I go?" Plums asked, in surprise.
"I'll show you. Watch out on what I do, an' act the very same way. I'll
go on one side of the street, an' you on the other, so's folks sha'n't
know we're together."
Master Plummer was puzzled to understand why it might work them mischief
if the public knew they were acquainted with each other; but Dan was so
peremptory in his commands that the boy did not venture to ask a
question.
Then Master Fernald went out from the hallway, in what he evidently
believed was the most approved detective fashion of walking, and, as
Plums confidentially told Joe later, "he acted like he was a
jumpin'-jack, with some one pullin' the string mighty hard."
The two went slowly up the street, one on either side, and such of the
citizens of Weehawken who saw them were mystified by their singular
method of proceeding.
Dan quieted down somewhat after half an hour had passed, for no slight
amount of labour was required to continue the supposed detective manner
of walking, and, before arriving at the house where Joe had taken
refuge, he behaved very nearly like other and more sensible boys.
"No, I won't go in," he said, decidedly, when Plums proposed that he
call upon the old lady. "You don't catch me showin' myself 'round this
place any more'n I can help, 'cause there's no tellin' when the perlice
will be here askin' questions, an' I'm goin' to steer clear of trouble."
"Shall I tell Joe to come out?" Plums asked, timidly, for Dan's superior
wisdom awed him.
"Of course, else how can I see him? Don't let that kid tag on behind,
for it's mighty dangerous to be on the street with her. That
advertisement about you had in it that you was last seen with a little
girl."
Master Plummer entered the dwelling, and Dan paced to and fro on the
sidewalk, with a consequential air, until Joe appeared.
"Why don't you come in?" the latter asked. "Mrs. Weber--that's the name
of the lady who owns the house--is mighty nice, even if you can't talk
to her."
"I ain't so foolish as to show myself in such places, an' you ought'er
let your head be cut off before takin' all these chances."
"But we couldn't keep the princess out-of-doors from mornin' till night,
an'--"
"That's what's makin' all the trouble, Joe Potter. If you hadn't brought
the kid along we'd get through this scrape in good style."
"But I couldn't have left her in Plums's shanty alone."
"It was a fool business pickin' her up in the first place, 'cause if you
never'd done it, them lawyers couldn't say you had a kid with you.
That's the very best way they have to let folks know who you are.
Anyhow, you've got to give her the dead shake now, if you want me to
keep hold of this case."
"Then I'll have to get along the best I can without you, for I won't run
away from a poor little baby, who counts on my findin' her folks."
Joe spoke so decidedly that the amateur detective understood he could
not easily be turned from his purpose, and Master Fernald was
astonished. He had supposed that his threat to "drop the case" would
have reduced the unfortunate merchant to submission, and it seemed
little less than madness for Joe and Plums to continue the flight
without the guiding hand of one so wise as himself.
"Of course, if you don't want me, that settles it," he said, sulkily. "I
ain't throwin' my time away when folks had rather I wasn't 'round; but
you'll get into a heap of trouble without somebody what knows the ropes,
to steer you."
"I would like to have you with us, Dan; but I won't leave that poor
little princess when she needs me so much."
"But how you goin' to fix it nights? We've got to sleep outdoors mostly
all the time, an' she'd soon get wore up with that kind of knockin'
'round."
"Why must we sleep outdoors?"
Dan explained that the search for the supposed criminal was to be
prosecuted with such vigour that even Master Plummer was included in the
advertisements, which piece of news both alarmed and mystified Joe.
"What are they after him for? Does anybody claim he's been goin'
crooked?"
"I s'pose it's 'cause he let you sleep in his shanty. You see, Joe, the
lawyers are bound to nab you if the thing can be done, an' you've got to
give up sleepin' in houses. It might work once or twice; but you'd be
sure to run across somebody what had read the papers, an' then you'd
find yourself an' the princess in jail mighty quick. The evenin' papers
said a large reward would be paid, an' perhaps, by mornin', they'll
raise the price to as much as ten dollars."
It can well be understood how disturbed in mind Joe was at learning that
his enemies were so eager to capture him; but yet he had no intention of
abandoning the princess, until Plums made a suggestion which seemed like
an exceedingly happy one.
"Why not pay old Mis' Weber somethin' to take care of her for two or
three days?" he asked. "The little thing would get along a good deal
better with a woman, an' we can sneak back here once in awhile to make
certain she's all right. I don't believe them lawyers will spend very
much more money huntin' for us, 'cause we ain't worth it, no matter what
we've done."
"That's the very best snap you could fix up!" Dan cried, approvingly.
"I'd been thinkin' of somethin' like that myself; but didn't have time
to tell you about it. I've got more'n two dollars that I borrowed to
help you fellers through with this scrape, an' that ought'er be a good
deal more'n enough to keep her till we can earn more."
Joe understood that it would be to the princess's advantage if he left
her with the kind old German lady, and at once decided in favour of the
plan.
Never for a moment did he fancy they might be as safe in this house as
anywhere else, but firmly believed a continuation of the flight was
absolutely necessary, as Dan had announced.
"I'll see what Mis' Weber says about it, an' if she's willin', we'll go
right away."
"Don't stay in there all night chinnin', 'cause it's mighty dangerous
for us to be hangin' 'round here," Dan called after him as he entered
the dwelling, and Joe hastened the matter as much as possible.
The princess was in bed sleeping quietly, and looking, as Plums
expressed it, "fit to eat." Mrs. Weber's grandson was ready to act as
interpreter, and in a few moments Joe had made the proposition.
The good woman asked no questions concerning the parents of the child it
was proposed she should keep, and her silence on this point may have
been due to the fact that, even with her grandson's aid, it was
difficult to understand all the boys said.
She was willing to take the princess for a week, but not longer, and
decided that one dollar would repay her for the labour.
"Tell your grandmother we'll make the trade," Joe said, quickly,
delighted because the sum named was so much less than he expected. "I'll
be back here in two days at the longest, an' she's to take the very best
care of the little thing."
"Granny would be kind even to a mouse," Master Weber replied, with an
air of pride, and Joe added, promptly:
"I ought'er know as much by this time, an' if I didn't, the princess
wouldn't be left with her. That poor little swell hasn't got anybody to
look out for her but me, till we find her folks, an' I ain't takin'
chances of her comin' to harm. Here's the dollar, an' you tell your
granny I'll be back by the day after to-morrer if all the cops in New
York are close after me."
The little German boy looked up in perplexity, for he failed to
understand the greater portion of what Joe had said, and the latter was
in too great a hurry to heed the fact.
A shrill whistle from the outside told that detective Dan was growing
impatient, and Joe started towards the door, after seeing the old lady
take the money; but halted an instant later.
"Is there something more you want granny to do?" the German boy asked,
and Joe was at a loss for a reply.
"I was thinkin', perhaps,--if, course, it wouldn't make any difference
to your granny,--say, I'm goin' to sneak in an' kiss the princess!"
The boy nodded carelessly, but Joe made no effort to carry his threat
into execution.
Again the amateur detective whistled, and Master Potter stepped towards
the bedroom door, but halted before gaining it.
"Perhaps her folks wouldn't want a duffer like me doin' anything of that
kind," he muttered, and straightway walked out of the house as rapidly
as his legs would carry him, much as if he feared to remain longer lest
the temptation should be too great to resist.
"It begun to look as if you was goin' to stay all night," Dan said,
petulantly, when Joe appeared. "There's more'n a hundred people walked
past here, an' I'll bet some of 'em was huntin' for us; we've got to get
out of this place mighty lively, if you don't want to be chucked into
jail."
Plums looked so thoroughly terrified that Joe at once understood the
amateur detective had been frightening him by picturing improbable
dangers, and said, almost sharply:
"There's no use makin' this thing any worse than it really is."
"That can't be done, Joe Potter. You're in an awful scrape, an' don't
seem to know it."
"I wish I'd stood right up like a man till I'd found the princess's
folks, an' then gone to jail, if the lawyers are so set on puttin' me
there."
"What's comin' over you now?"
"I'm thinkin' of that poor little swell we've brought out here."
"She's a good deal better off than if you let her tag along behind."
"That may be; but I ought'er found her folks instead of runnin' away."
"Now, see here, Joe Potter, you're makin' a fool of yourself, an' all
about a kid what's goin' to have a soft snap while she stays here. Of
course if you want to be put into jail for two or three years, I won't
say another word, an' you can rush right straight back to the city."
"Don't stand here talkin'!" Plums cried, in an agony of apprehension.
"We've got to leave, else nobody knows what may happen!"
Dan seized Joe by the arm, literally forcing him onward, and the two who
were ignorant of having committed any crime continued the flight from
the officers of the law.