CHAPTER XXV
A BAGGAGE SMASHER'S REVENGE
When Robert awoke in the morning it was eight o'clock and the steamerlay quietly at its pier. Almost all the passengers had landed and he wasnearly alone on the great steamer.
Of course Mortimer Fairfax had gone with the rest; in fact, Fairfax wasone of the first to land. He had passed the remainder of the night inthe saloon, anxious, as long as he remained on board, lest Robert shoulddenounce him for his attempted theft.
Robert was a stranger in New York. He was instantly impressed by what hecould see of the great city from the deck of the steamer. He took hisvalise In his hand and walked across the gangplank upon the pier. At theentrance he was accosted by a hackman.
"Carriage, sir?"
"No," answered Robert.
"I will carry you cheap."
"What do you call cheap?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"Astor House."
This hotel had been suggested by the hermit.
"All right! Jump in!" and the hackman was about to take Robert'svalise.
"Wait a moment," said the lad firmly. "I haven't agreed to ride. What doyou charge?"
"Two dollars."
"Two dollars! How far is it?"
"About five miles!" answered the hackman with unblushing falsehood.
"Is there no stage that goes to that part of the city?"
"No; your only way is to take a carriage."
Though Robert had never before been in New York, he felt convinced thatthis was untrue and said quietly:
"Then I will walk."
"It is too far, young man. Nobody walks up there."
"Then I'll be the first one to try it!" said Robert coolly.
"Wait a minute, youngster! I'll take you for a dollar and a half."
Robert did not answer, but crossed the street.
"Carry your bag, sir?" said a boy of about his own age, who seemed to bewaiting for a job.
"Do you know the way to the Astor House?" asked Robert.
"I ought to."
"How far is it?"
"Half a mile."
"That hack driver told me it was five miles."
The boy grinned.
"He thought you were green," he said. "Say, boss, shall I carry thatv'lise?"
"How much do you charge?"
"I'll take it to Broadway for a quarter."
"All right. I'll pay it."
"I see," thought Robert, "I shall have to look out or I shall becheated. It seems to cost a good deal of money to travel."
As Robert walked along he asked various questions of his young partneras to the buildings which they passed. On reaching Broadway he said:
"I don't care about riding. If you will walk along with me and carry thevalise I will pay you a quarter more."
"All right. Only pay me the first quarter now," said the boycautiously.
"Just as you like. Are you afraid I won't pay you."
"I dunno. I was served that way once."
"How was it?"
"I was carryin' a bag--a thunderin' big bag it was, too--for a man tothis very hotel. I'd carried it about a mile; when we got there he tookit and was goin' in without payin' me.
"'Look here, boss,' I says, 'you haven't paid me.'
"'Yes, I did,' he says. 'I paid you when you took the bag.'
"Then I knew he was a beat, and I made a fuss, I tell you, and folleredhim into the hotel.
"'What's the matter?' asked one of the hotel men, comin' forrard.
"'This boy wants me to pay him twice,' he says.
"Of course, the hotel people took up for the man and kicked me out ofthe hotel. I didn't blame them so much, for who'd think of a gentlemancheatin' a poor boy?"
"That was pretty hard on you," said Robert in a tone of sympathy. "Hemust have been a mean man."
"Mean? I guess he was. But I got even with him, and I didn't wait longneither."
"How was that?"
"I got an egg and I laid for him. Toward night he come out, all dressedup like as if he was goin' to the theayter. I follered him, and when Igot a good chance I just hove it at him. I hit him just in his bosom,and the egg was spattered over his face and clothes. He gave a yell andthen I dodged round the corner. Oh, it was rich to see how he looked! Iguess he'd better have paid me."
Robert could not help laughing, and did not find it in his heart toblame the boy who had chosen this summary way to redress hisgrievances.
"I hope," he said, "you haven't got any eggs with you now."
"Why, ain't you goin' to pay me?"
"Oh, yes, I mean to pay you. I wouldn't cheat a poor boy. I'm a poor boymyself."
His guide looked at him in surprise.
"You a poor boy, with them clo'es?" he repeated. "If you was a poor boyyou wouldn't pay me for carryin' your baggage."
"But would carry it myself?"
"Yes."
"So I would, but I wanted somebody to guide me to the hotel. I amtraveling for a gentleman that pays the bills."
"Oh, cricky! ain't that jolly? Wouldn't he like me to travel for him?"
"I guess not," said Robert, laughing.
"If he should, just give a feller a chance."
"I might, if I knew your name and where you live."
"I left my cardcase at home on the planner, along with my jewelry, butmy name's Michael Burke. The boys call me Mike. I live at the Newsboys'Lodge, when I'm at home."
"All right, Mike; I'll remember."
The remainder of the walk was enlivened by conversation of a similarkind. Though Mike was not much of a scholar, he was well informed onlocal matters, and it was upon such points that Robert wished to beposted.
When they reached the hotel Mike uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Say, do you see that man in the doorway?" he asked eagerly.
"What of him?"
"He's the very man that cheated me out of my pay--the man I hit wid anegg. Here he is again."
Robert surveyed the man with curious interest. He was a man of middleage, well dressed, but with a hard, stern look upon his face. He was byno means one likely to attract strangers.
"How do you know it is the same one?" asked Robert in a low voice.
"He's got the same look. I'd remember him if it was a dozen years, butit's only six months."
"But you might be mistaken."
"I'll show you whether I am. Come along."
When they entered the vestibule of the hotel Mike paused a moment and,in hearing of the stranger, said:
"Last night, as I was walkin' along, I seed a man hit wid a rotten egg.He looked mad enough to kill the one that throwed it."
The stranger wheeled round and regarded Mike intently.
"Boy," said he, "I think I've seen you before."
"Maybe you have," answered Mike coolly. "Lots of people has seen me."
"Did you ever carry a valise for me?"
"Maybe I did. I've carried lots of 'em."
"I think you once brought a valise for me to this very hotel."
"How much did you pay me for doin' it? Maybe I could tell by that."
"I don't know. I presume I paid you liberally."
"Then I guess it was some other boy," said Mike, grinning.
The gentleman looked puzzled, but just then a young man came up andspoke to him, addressing him as "Mr. Waldo."
Robert started at the sound of this name. He remembered that this wasthe name of his employer's cousin, who was suspected of abducting theboy of whom he was in search.
Bidding good-by to his young guide, he registered his name and thenturned over the pages back. In the list of arrivals for the day beforehe came upon this entry:
"Charles Waldo, Sullivan, Ohio."
"It's the very man!" he said to himself in excitement.
Robert Coverdale's Struggle; Or, on the Wave of Success Page 25