Buck Hawk, Detective | Page 3

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 go back to Black-cat Alley to-night-- nor at all, for that matter," he muttered; "��'cause that hawk, Jack Grimes, would durned soon find me out, the hound! I know that feller, I do; and he knows I know of some of his smart games. It's me an' him fer it now, and best one is goin' to win."
Not knowing what else to do, he wandered down to the Delaware wharves, and watched the stream of people surging in the direction of the ferries.
But, though his gaze rested upon them, his mind was upon the trouble which loomed up before him like a grim giant.
"I reckon about the best thing I