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, whopassed out just after the young detective entered. The old fence eyedBob sharply, and perhaps somewhat suspiciously. The manner of the smallboy was excited. He did not appear natural, and this alone wassufficient to attract the old man's attention.
It was a critical moment for Bob. He did not know that the boy would notturn against him. In fact, he half suspected he would, but neverthelesshe was willing to take the chance in the interest of Herbert, and thathe might do a skillful piece of detective work. Moreover, there was thedanger of being recognized by Felix Mortimer, who had seen him twicethat very day; once at the bank in the morning, and again in theafternoon when Bob played the role of bootblack.
Old Gunwagner questioned him sharply. The small boy, however, toldthe story precisely in accordance with Bob's instructions. The youngdetective meanwhile hastily surveyed the room and its furnishings, andwhen he had discovered what he thought would serve his purpose, heturned 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 'emoutside," answered Bob, carelessly.
When Tom saw the boy come out alone, he knew the part he was to act, andfollowing out the directions of his chief, he and the confederate rushedinto the dark passageway leading to the fence, and yelled "Fire" withall the power they could command. Before giving the alarm, however, theylighted a newspaper, and placed it near the outer door.
Bob had purposely made his way to a far corner of the room, so that, asa matter of fact, he was farther from the place of exit than eitherMortimer or Gunwagner. This was part of his scheme.
When the cry of fire reached the old fence, he bounded to the door likea frightened deer. Throwing it open, his eyes instantly fell upon thegreat flames that shot up from the burning paper. The sight struckterror to him, and, with an agonized cry, he rushed down the hallway tothe immediate scene of the conflagration, with Felix Mortimer not farbehind him.
A gust of wind now blew in through the partially open door, andscattered the charred remains of the newspaper all about the feet of thefence. In a few seconds all traces of the fire were lost, and then thetrick dawned upon the old man. He was furious with rage, and ran outinto the street, to try and discover the perpetrators of the deed.
Tom and the confederate remained on the opposite side of the street tillGunwagner and Mortimer appeared at the door. Bob had instructed Tom todo this.
Both Gunwagner and Felix tumbled into this trap, which, by the way, wasa skillful one for our detective to set. As soon as they caught sight ofthe two boys, they started after them in hot pursuit, but Tom and theyoung lad were excellent runners, and, having a good start of theirpursuers, they kept well ahead of them.
Seeing, therefore, that the chase was a hopeless one, the old fence andMortimer returned to the den. The former was almost desperately ugly. Hegrowled and raved in a frightful manner, that quite alarmed our youngdetective.
"What has become of that new boy?" asked Felix, who was the first tothink about him.
Gunwagner was so thoroughly agitated that up to this time he had notthought about Bob. At young Mortimer's reminder, however, he stoppedsuddenly in his ravings, and the color as quickly left his face. Then hehurried to where a box containing silver and other valuables were kept.
"It's here," he gasped, almost paralyzed with the fear that it had beenstolen by the strange boy.
"Is anything else missing?" asked Felix.
Our young detective was at this minute doubled up in a large box thatwas stowed away under a sort of makeshift counter. He had hurriedlyconcealed himself in this manner during the absence of the fence andFelix.
"I'll look things over and see," said old Gunwagner, replying toMortimer's question.
Bob thought the game was all up with him now. He felt much as TomFlannery 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, hardlydaring to breathe. "I didn't think about it comin' out this way; if Ihad, I would a' fixed things with Tom different. Now I suppose he's gonehome, as I told him to, and I can't look for no help from him or nobodyelse."
The situation was a depressing one, and it grew more so as the mousingold fence came nearer and nearer to where our young detective lay. Hesearched high and low for traces of theft, and examined everything withcareful scrutiny.
He was now close to Bob's hiding place.
"He must be hid away here somewhere," said Felix, with a very anxiouslook upon his face.
"What makes you think so?" asked the old man, as he noticed youngMortimer's anxiety.
GUNWAGNER PURSUING THE BOYS.]
No boy ever tried harder to suppress his breath than Bob Hunter did atthis instant. "It's all up with me now," said he to himself. "They'llget 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 ismissing."
"To be sure, but I believe he is the same boy that was in the bank todaylooking 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 fewmoments' careful thought.
Bob's ears missed nothing. This conversation interested him through andthrough.
"Arab!" said he to himself. "If I don't get caught I'll show you whetherI'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 gonedown through that trap door while we was out."
"That's what I thought; and he and Randolph may already be hatching upsome plan for escaping," said Felix.
Why old Gunwagner neglected to search the big box under the counter isinexplicable. Possibly the hand of destiny shielded the young detective,for he was on an errand of mercy.
The old man and Felix now descended the stairs into the cellar, andcommenced their search for the strange boy who had so thoroughly alarmedthem.
Boy Broker; Or, Among the Kings of Wall Street Page 17
