Buck Hawk, Detective | Page 3

meet ye, at the Bi-Centen?"
"Of course I shall," responded the young lady, as she ushered him out.
"Be careful of the diamonds."
"But I will!" Turk replied, as he strode away down the street, whistling
merrily, and wishing he was a millionaire.
At the Broad Street Station of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Turk found
the man who had employed him for the errand pacing to and fro in the
waiting-room, as if in great impatience.
His face lightened, however, when he saw Turk and the package.
"Well! you're back at last, eh?" he said, seizing the package "You were
unreasonably long. I have barely time to catch the train."
And with these reproving words he turned, and was about to move off,
but Turk was not to be bluffed in this way.
"I say! hold up!" he cried, catching the man's coat sleeve. "You're
kinder forgetful, ain't ye!"
"What do you want??

"Why, ye was goin' ter whack out a present weren't ye, if I beat
Goldsmith Maid's time?"
"Oh! I forgot! Yes, here is a dime."
And tossing the coin to the astonished messenger-boy, the diamond
merchant disappeared among the crowd.
"Well, sell me out fer a huckster if that ain't cheek," Turk muttered,
turning away in disgust. "Ten cents fer a hundred thousand dollar job. I
wasn't half-smart, or I'd 'a' collected before delivery. Never mind. I'll
see the old chap ag'in, sometime."
And dismissing the matter from his mind, he went back to the office
and resumed his messenger duties for the day.
They were not few.
He was considered one of the smartest and most trustworthy boys on
the force, and messages of special importance were generally intrusted
to him, besides errands which frequently took him out of his own
district; so that when six P. M. came, he was invariably pretty tired, and
not loth to seek his quarters in Black-cat Alley.
To-night, especially, be found himself nearly fagged out, as with his
dinner basket on his arm, he left the office in company with another
messenger. Pat Murphy by name.
"There'll be a divil of a row to-morrow," Pat observed, as they trudged
along.
"What kind of a row?" Turk asked, rather disinterestedly.
"Och! sure it's some one o' the messenger boys will get bounced."
"Humph! what for?"
"Robbery, be jabers-- an' one of the cutest, too. Jest heard of it up on
Seventeenth."

"Seventeenth?" Turk echoed, his heart sinking within him.
"Yes it seems that some chap applied at one o' the district offices, and
hired a messenger to go an errand, an' represinted hisself to be Jerome
St. Clair, the diamond merchant. He sent the messenger to the St. Clair
residence, bearin' a letter to Miss St. Clair, orderin' her to deliver the
messenger a box of diamonds. Miss St. Clair wasn't in, but recognizin'
the writin', as she supposed, St. Clair's niece delivered up the diamonds.
Awhile arter old St. Clair came home and the swindle was 'sploded.
Jeminetta! but I bet there was fun!"
Turk was white as a sheet, but managed to maintain composure.
"How did you drop onto this? Are the police onto it?"
"No; et's goin' to be kept mum, and be worked up on the quiet by Jack
Grimes, the detective. He told me and paid me fat to learn ef any of the
boys at our office went the errand."
This was a stunner to Turk and he at once made up his mind not to let
Black-cat Alley know him that night.


CHAPTER II.
HOW A TRUE GIRL RESENTS AN INSULT.
As soon as he could do so without arousing suspicion, Turk left the
company of young Murphy, whom he had never liked any too well, and
whom he must now necessarily consider an enemy.
Full well the boy realized that be was in a desperate position, to say the
least.
A daring robbery had been committed, and be was the tool that had

been used to secure the plunder. If it were discovered that it was he
who had gone on the errand, he would be arrested, and like enough be
sent up, charged with being in the plot.
The thought was horrifying to him, for not only was be working
himself up to a high standard in the favor of the company, but he was
also hoping that, by steady application, he would ere long be offered an
office, as he was already a thorough operator.
Any such trouble as promised to result from his unfortunate errand that
day would be a serious dampener to his prospects for promotion, even
if it did not secure his summary discharge from the employ of the
company.
It is, therefore, little wonder that be felt decidedly blue after what
young Murphy had told Mm.
"I can't