CHAPTER VII.
HAL DETERMINES TO INVESTIGATE.
When Hal came to his senses he found himself in the arms of a boyslightly taller than himself, who was doing all in his power to restoreconsciousness by the application of snow to Hal's forehead.
"What--what----" he began.
"Good! yer come around at last, have yer?" cried the boy. "Blessed if Ididn't think yer was a goner."
Hal put his hand up to his head.
"Where am I?" he asked, faintly.
"Yer all right; don't worry," replied the tall boy. "Don't yer rememberme?"
Hal pulled himself together, and looked at the speaker.
"Jack McCabe!" he cried.
"Yer struck it fust clip. Say, wot was der matter wid yer? Yer couldn'thave been froze, coz it wasn't cold enough."
"I was struck on the head."
"Gee crickety! Who struck yer?"
"I--I--nobody, I think. It was some bricks from that building."
"Oh, dat's it. How do yer feel now?"
"Awfully light-headed," responded Hal, telling the exact truth.
"Kin yer walk about a block? I only live jest around dat corner."
Hal started at these words.
"You do?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, is your father janitor of a building down in Wall Street?"
"O' course not. Didn't I tell yer we lived here?"
Hal looked relieved.
"What has that got to do with it?" he asked, curiously.
"Why, dem janitors all lives in der buildin's da takes care of,"explained Jack.
"The reason I ask is because there is a Daniel McCabe janitor of thebuilding I work in."
"I t'ink dat's me uncle. Better now?"
Hal took a deep breath and straightened up.
"Yes, a good deal better."
"Yer got a lump on yer forehead as big as an egg."
"It feels twice that size to me," laughed Hal. "Jack, you have done me agood turn I won't forget in a hurry."
The street boy blushed.
"Ah! go on, dat wasn't nuthin'," he replied. "I kinder like you, tellder truth."
"And I like you, Jack," replied Hal, giving his hand a tight squeeze.
"Did yer git dat job?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"What do you mean?"
"Wot do da pay yer!"
"Seven dollars a week."
Jack McCabe's eyes opened like saucers.
"Yer foolin'."
"It's true, Jack."
"Gee crickety! but yer struck a snap. Say, if dere's enny more o' demjobs layin' around put in a word fer me, will yer."
"I certainly shall," replied Hal.
"I only git t'ree dollars where I am, an' have ter work like a horse.I've jest been home ter grub, an' now I've got ter go back an' work tillnine o'clock."
"Then don't let me keep you," returned Hal, "or you may be late."
"I've got ten minutes yet."
"By the way, how long were you with me before I came to?"
"About ten minutes. I dragged yer inter der buildin', an' I was jestgittin' ready ter call der cop an' have yer tuk to der hospital when yergive a gulp an' opened yer eyes."
"While you were sitting here did you notice anybody leave the building?"
Jack scratched his head.
"I t'ink I did."
"What kind of a person was it?"
"A man."
"Heavy sort of a chap?"
"I t'ink he was. I didn't pay much attention ter him on account o'havin' you on my hands."
"Where did the man come from?"
"Der back o' der building."
"You didn't notice which way he went?"
"Up toward der East River."
"That way?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. Don't let me keep you any longer. Maybe I'll be up to seeyou soon."
"Glad ter have yer, 'specially if ye git dat seven dollar job fer me."
And with a broad laugh Jack McCabe hurried on.
Hal turned into the building, and walked toward the rear. A ladder stoodlashed to the back wall. The youth hesitated, and then mounted to thefloor above.
A near-by electric light cast its rays full into the open front. Overthe beams were placed a number of loose boards, and on these the snow,which had been swept in by the wind, lay to the depth of several inches.
Taking care that he should not slip through an opening, Hal examined thesurface of the snow with great care.
It was not long before he came to a number of foot-prints leading to apile of bricks close to the front.
The foot-prints was fresh, and looked as if they had been made by aman's boot.
The last of them were at a spot that commanded a good view of thesidewalk below. Hal looked down, and then shuddered.
Was it possible that Hardwick had pushed those bricks down upon him?
"It looked so," murmured Hal to himself. "I must be more cautious in thefuture. He must have seen me when I started to hide behind thebill-board."
Hal descended the ladder, and was soon upon the street once more.
He thought over the situation, and then started for his boarding-house,satisfied that it would do no good to search farther for the book-keeperthat night.
As has been mentioned, the boarding-house was up in Tenth Street. Halsoon walked the distance, and, getting out his night-key, he let himselfin.
He was about to ascend to his room, and wash up a bit before going tosupper, when the sounds of voices broke upon his ear, coming from theparlor.
"And he has your place, Dick?" he heard Mrs. Ricket, the boardingmistress say.
"Yes, he has, Aunt Amanda," returned the voice of Dick Ferris.
"It's too bad."
"How did you come to allow the tramp in the house?"
"He paid in advance, Dick, and he appeared to be a very nice youngfellow."
"Nice!"
"Yes. What is wrong about him?"
"He was brought up in a poor-house."
"Who said so?"
"Never mind, I know it for a fact."
"Well, even that wouldn't make him a bad boy."
"But you don't want any tramps around here, do you?"
"He isn't a tramp so long as he works and pays his board."
"You say he paid in advance?"
"Yes, for one week. He said he would pay two, if I wished it."
"Then you can make sure there is something wrong about him. Better lookout for your silverware."
Mrs. Ricket laughed.
"A robber would never make much out of what little I possess, Dick," shereplied.
"Still, you wouldn't want to lose it."
"I'll trust Carson."
"Well, have your own way. He's a tramp, and I don't want anything to dowith him."
"What makes you so down on him?"
"Didn't I tell you he took my place away from me?"
"How could he do that? I am sure Mr. Sumner would have kept you at work,if you had done right."
"Didn't I do right?" blustered Dick Ferris.
"Hardly."
"What was wrong?"
"You wouldn't get up the day before yesterday, although I called youtwice."
"Well, I was to a sparring match the night before, and I was tired out."
"You should have stayed at home, Dick."
"Huh! you don't want a fellow to have any fun!" growled the boy.
"Oh, yes I do, but not the kind that is going to lose you your place.What do you intend to do, now?"
"Oh, I'll find something else to do," replied Ferris, in a carelessfashion.
"I cannot support you in idleness, even if you are my dead sister'sson," went on Mrs. Ricket. "You haven't paid me any board now in eightweeks."
"Only six, Aunt Amanda."
"No, it is eight. I have it on my account book. I don't see why you letit run, it is so little, only three dollars a week. That Carson pays mefive, and he has not so good a room."
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"There goes that Carson again," stormed Dick Ferris. "I don't want tohear a word more. He's a tramp and a thief and you'll be sorry you tookhim in before a great while."
With this speech on his lips, Dick Ferris walked across the parlor,threw open the door--and confronted Hal.