CHAPTER XIV
DICK MAKES A DISCOVERY
While the boys were discussing the situation one of the night clerksof the hotel arrived, having been summoned by the hallman. He listenedwith interest to what the lads had to tell.
"I'll set the house detective on this," he said. "We can't allowanybody to prowl around, trying to use false keys."
"We want to catch that man ourselves," said Dick. "We are going to seta watch for him. No more sleep for us to-night."
"I don't blame you," returned the clerk. "If you spot him, call up theoffice and we'll give you all the help you want."
The boys hurried into their clothing, and then, led by Dick, walkednoiselessly through the various hallways of the big hotel in thedirection where the oldest Rover boy had heard the door shut. Butthough they passed many doors, Dick could not determine which was theright one.
"Let us set a regular watch," suggested Tom "We can take turns. Onecan watch while the others sleep."
"All right, I'll watch first," answered Dick.
"Call me in an hour, Dick," returned Tom.
"And call me an hour after that--if you want me," added Sam.
The hallway was long and but dimly lighted. At the end was a sofa, andafter walking up and down several times, Dick sat down on this. Thelong journey from Valley Brook farm had made him sleepy, but heresolved to keep wide awake, in case the mysterious individual shouldagain show himself.
"He's got to come out of his door some time, unless he tries to getaway by a fire escape," thought the youth. "And I guess all the fireescapes on this side of the building are at the end of the hall. Ihope I've got him trapped, whoever he is."
Half an hour went by and nothing unusual happened. Then Dick heard adistant elevator stop, and two men got off and came down the hallway.They stared rather curiously at the youth.
"What's the matter?" asked one, presently.
"Waiting for a friend," was the answer.
"Humph! rather late," remarked the man.
"Better say early, Jack," laughed the other. "It's ten after two."
"Is that so! Great Scott! Time we got to bed!" And the two men passedinto a nearby room, locking the door after them.
After that came another period of silence, broken only by the soundsof the two men undressing. To keep himself awake Dick commenced towalk up and down the long hallway again.
"I guess I'll call Tom," he thought, at last, after more than an hourhad passed. "I've got to get some sleep, or I won't be worth anythingin the morning. And if I am to call on Messrs. Pelter, Japson &Company I want to have my wits about me."
He stepped around the corner of the hallway, in the direction wherehis own room was located. He did not know that a man with eager eyeswas watching him,--a man who stood on a chair in one of the rooms,peering through the transom light of the door.
"Gone at last--I was afraid he would stay here all night!" mutteredthe man. "Now is my chance to get away. I didn't think they'd get hereto-night. I should have gotten that key made sooner." And opening thedoor noiselessly, he came out into the hallway. He wore a thinovercoat and a slouch hat, and a heavy beard covered his face.
Dick hurried his steps and called Tom, and then went back to the otherhallway, unwilling to leave it unguarded even for a few minutes. Hewas just in time to see somebody disappearing down a broad flight ofstairs to the floor below.
"Hello! who's that?" he asked himself, and ran towards the stairs.When he arrived there he looked down, to see the man going downfurther, to the ground floor of the hotel.
"The same fellow, I'll bet all I'm worth!" cried Dick. "There is thatheavy beard! He must have been watching for a chance to get away! Whata chump I was to let him get out! I've got to stop him!" And hebounded down the stairs three steps at a time.
By the time Dick reached the next floor the man was in the lowercorridor of the big hotel. Here, in spite of the hour, quite a fewpeople were stirring--coming in from late suppers after an evening atthe play or opera. The man moved into the crowd and towards the mainentrance on Broadway.
"Hi! Stop him! Stop that man!" cried the oldest Rover boy, as he, too,gained the lower corridor. But the man had already gotten out onBroadway. As Dick came out he saw the fellow run across the street toa distant corner and leap into a taxicab that was empty. The driverwas on the seat and the turnout started rapidly away.
"You're not going to get away if I can help it," muttered Dick,desperately, and looked around for another taxicab. One stood halfwaydown the block, the driver taking a nap inside.
"Wake up!" exclaimed Dick, shaking the man. "See that taxi? I want tofollow it! Don't let it get out of your sight, if you want your fareand a couple of dollars besides."
"I'm on!" answered the driver, and leaped into his seat, while Dickgot into the cab. Away they started, in the full glare of the electriclights of Broadway.
The course was downtown, and the first taxicab made rapid progress.The man inside looked back and when he saw Dick following him, hespoke hurriedly to his driver. Then the cab turned swiftly into a sidestreet, and, reaching Fifth Avenue, shot northward on that well-knownthoroughfare.
"Can you catch that other taxi?" asked Dick, anxiously.
"I can try," was the grim answer. "He's going some, though!"
"Maybe they'll be held up at some cross street."
"Not this time in the morning," answered the driver, "They've got astraight road to the Park."
On and on went one taxicab after the other. Fifty-fifth Street waspassed and still the first turnout kept well in the lead. But then abig furniture van appeared out of a side street and the cab ahead hadto slow down.
"Now is your chance!" cried Dick. "Run up alongside of 'em!"
His driver did as requested. But then came a mix-up, as two more cabsappeared, and Dick's was caught between them. He looked ahead and sawthe man with the heavy beard leap to the ground.
"Guess your man is going to run for the Park!" cried the taxicabdriver. "Hold on--I want my money first, young fellow!"
Dick had leaped to the ground, bent on catching the fleeingindividual. He pulled some bills from his pocket.
"Here is five dollars--wait for me!" he cried. "Or maybe you hadbetter come along. That fellow is a criminal."
"I'll wait here," answered the taxicab driver. He did not wish tobecome mixed up in an affair which he did not understand.
The corner of Central Park at Fifty-seventh Street was already insight. The bearded man ran swiftly across the broad plaza and thesidewalk. Then he darted along the side of the Park and on to the pathleading to the menagerie. In a moment more the darkness of the placeswallowed him up.
"Hey there, what are you running for?" It was a challenge from a Parkpoliceman, as he stepped in front of Dick.
"I wanted to catch that man who just ran in here," explained theyouth.
"I didn't see any man."
"Well, he went in here just now. He ran away from the Outlook Hotel ina taxi and got out just below here."
"Who is he?" asked the policeman, becoming interested.
"I don't know. But he tried to get in my room at the hotel. The hotelmen want to catch him."
"Humph! Well he's gone now."
Dick continued to look around for the escaped man, but it was all tono purpose. Then he returned to where he had left the taxicab. Hefound his driver in earnest conversation with the other driver.
"That fellow didn't pay me a cent!" complained the other driver,bitterly. "An' after me doing my best for him, too!"
"Why did you try to run away?" asked Dick, coldly.
"I thought it was all right. He said he had a 'phone message that hisfather was dying and he must git up town at once, and he promised mebig pay. I didn't know he was trying to git away from anybody."
"Well, it's too bad he got away from all of us. By the way, can youdescribe him to me?" went on Dick, curiously.
"Don't you know him?"
"Only by reputation--and that's bad," and Dick smiled
grimly.
"He was tall and thin and didn't have much hair on his head. I thinkthem whiskers was false."
"Anything else that you remember?"
"He had two of his front teeth filled with gold. I noticed it when heyawned under the electric lights."
"Two front teeth filled with gold!" cried Dick, in amazement. "Andtall and thin! Can it be possible!"
"Do you know him after all?" asked the man who had given theinformation.
"Perhaps I do. Tell me some more about him. How was he dressed and howdid he talk?"
As well as he was able the taxicab man described the individual whohad gotten away. As he proceeded Dick became more and more convincedthat he was on the right trail.
"Here is a dollar for what you have told me," said he, to the driver."If you spot that rascal, have him arrested, and call up the OutlookHotel," he added.
"All right, I'll remember that," was the ready answer.
"I'll go back to the hotel," said the youth, to his own driver. Heknew that Sam and Tom would be wondering what had become of him.
It took but a short while to reach the Outlook Hotel, and there Dickfound not only Sam and Tom, but also a clerk and several othersawaiting his return. He settled with the driver, and dismissed him.
"Do you know anything about the man who got away?" asked Dick, of theclerk.
"Not much. He came here several days ago and registered under the nameof Peter Smith, of Pittsburgh. All he had was a small valise, and thatis still in his room."
"Anything in it?"
"I don't know. We can go up and take a look."
"It's a pity you didn't catch the rascal, whoever he is," was Tom'scomment.
"Wait," whispered Dick, to his brothers. "I've got something to tellyou."
All passed upstairs in an elevator, and the clerk led the way to theroom which the patron calling himself Peter Smith had occupied. Allthe apartment contained was a rusty-looking valise.
"Must have picked that up at some second-hand store," was Sam'scomment.
The valise was unlocked and the clerk opened it. It contained nothingbut a comb and brush and some magazines.
"Humph! A dead beat!" muttered the clerk. "He put the magazines insideto make the valise feel as if it was filled with clothing. It's an oldgame. Be intended to leave without paying his bill. I wish you hadcollared him!"
"I wish I had," answered Dick; and then he and his brothers returnedto their own rooms.
"What have you got to tell?" demanded Tom, when they were alone.
"I've found out who that man was," answered Dick.
"Who?" questioned Sam.
"Josiah Crabtree."