The Haunted Mine

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER XII.

  CASPER NEVINS, THE SPY.

  "No, sir," said Casper, leaning over and placing his elbows on hisknees, his eyes gazing thoughtfully at the floor; "you don't get anymore five cents out of me, yet awhile, to pay for cigars. I have gotonly ten dollars, and I am anxious to make that do. Now, what shall Igo at next?"

  Casper Nevins was in a predicament the first thing he knew. He claimedto be an orphan, the same as Julian was; but those who were wellacquainted with his history knew that he had a mother in a Westernvillage who was a dressmaker, and who would have been glad to getevery cent he could send her. But Casper never sent her any money. Onthe contrary, he often appealed to her to forward him a few dimes, topay his debts for pool and cigars. Claus often got into him a dollaror two on the games he lost, and his mother was the only person hehad to call on. Now he had lost his position, and the next thing wasto find something else to do. He was really afraid he would have to goto work with his hands. He thought of Jack Sheldon, dirty and begrimedas he was when he came from the shop, and wondered how he would lookin that fix. And, another thing, he wasn't satisfied that he could getas good a position as Jack held. Aside from being acquainted with thecity and carrying the telegraphic dispatches, there was nothing elsethat he could do.

  "I tell you I am up a stump," said Casper to himself; "I shall soon besweeping out saloons, as Julian did, to pay for my breakfast. I wouldrather die than do that."

  When he had reached this point in his meditations the door opened, andClaus came in with a couple of cigars in his hand. He did not seem tobe at all worried over his failure to get his hands upon that box, buthe was whistling a jig as he closed the door and offered a cigar toCasper.

  "What is the matter with you, any way?" he asked, when he saw thegloomy look on Casper's face. "You act as though you had lost yourlast friend."

  "What am I going to do now?" asked Casper. "I have no trade, noprofession, and I must do something to keep myself in grub. There isno pool or cigars for me from this time on."

  "Well, let that thing go until I tell you my story," said Claus, whodid not like to hear a man talk in this way. He knew that he was toblame for Casper's shortness of funds--a good deal of his hardearnings was located in Claus's own pockets--and he wanted to make himlook on the bright side of things while he was in his presence. Whenhe got away where he could not see him, then he could indulge in moodythoughts as often as he pleased.

  "I wish I had not played pool with you as often as I have," saidCasper, showing a little spirit. "Every time I have crossed cues withyou I have always been out three or four dollars. Why don't you playwith somebody else?"

  "Well, if you are going to talk that way I'll go on," said Claus,getting up from his chair. "What I was going to say was that I don'tbelieve that box is gone yet. I have tried twice to get it and havefailed; but there is a charm in everything. Three times and out iswhat I go by; but if you don't want to hear what I have to say, why,good-night."

  "Well, sit down," said Casper, who couldn't bear to let Claus go awayif he had anything to say concerning that box; "but you yourself wouldbe angry if you were in my fix."

  "Oh, I have been that way lots of times. I have been so I didn't knowwhere my next meal was coming from."

  "I have been that way, too," said Casper. "The other night you got tencents of me, and it was the last cent I had in the world; I had to getmy next meal at the free-lunch saloons."

  "I didn't know you were as hard up as that," said Casper, withsurprise. "Have you money with which to get breakfast to-morrow?"

  "Not a cent."

  "Then here are twenty cents," said Claus, putting his hand into hispocket. "Two meals will do you. In the meantime, if you get hard upfor something to eat, go to the saloons; that's the way I do."

  "Yes, but you always get something else. If I go in there and dabblewith their lunch, the barkeeper will want to know why I don't getsomething to drink."

  "Then walk out and go to another saloon. You ain't posted. Now, I wantto tell you my story. It isn't long, and I want to ask you a questionbefore I get through."

  When Claus said this, Casper settled back in his chair and tried tolook interested; but the trouble was, he only succeeded in lookingguilty.

  "I have just come from Julian's room," continued Claus, "and Ithreatened him with the police. He called me by my own name, or Jackdid, and I want to know who has been telling him that. Did you?"

  "I never said a word to him about you or anybody else," said Casper,looking Claus squarely in the eye.

  "Did you say anything to Mr. Wiggins about it?"

  "Never a word. There might have been a detective in the office whileyou were there."

  "A detective? Who was it?"

  "I am sure I don't know. But if he knew your name, there was where hegot it. You went up to the pool-room after you got through there?Well, did anybody follow you up to see what your name was?"

  "There was nobody up there that I saw, and I took mighty good care towatch out. I threatened him with the police for addressing me by thatname, and he just as good as told me to go and get them."

  "What made you say police at all? What had he done?"

  "I wanted him to get the box and let me read the papers in it, becauseI wanted to be sure that they were intended for me; but he would notdo it."

  "Of course he would not!" exclaimed Casper, in disgust. "That was apretty way to do business, wasn't it?"

  "I calculated, if he brought the box in there, to steal it away fromthem," said Claus. "If I once got out on the street, I would like tosee anybody catch me. I would have hung around this city for a monthbut that I would have got away with it."

  "And what would I be doing in the meantime?"

  "You would have known where I was," said Claus, bending toward Casperand speaking in a whisper. "I would have found means to communicatewith you. Of course if I had got that box you would have had a shareof it."

  Casper did not know whether to believe this or not. Somehow he hadfelt suspicious of Claus ever since the first night he spoke to himabout the box. If the German got it without any of his help, he wassure that he never would see any of it.

  "Well, you failed in that scheme, and I would like to know if you havesome other means of getting hold of it."

  "Certainly I have. Three times and out is what I go by. My next schemewill be to steal the box from them on the train."

  "How are you going to do that?"

  "We will keep watch of them, and when they are ready to go to Denver,we will go, too. You know their habits better than I do, and bykeeping your eyes on them--"

  "Well, I won't do it," said Casper, emphatically. "They may not go fora month yet, and I must have something to eat in the meantime."

  "I will give you twenty cents a day and enough to pay your rent," saidClaus. "That will keep you going, won't it?"

  "You must give me more than that. I shall need a cigar once in awhile, won't I?"

  "Then I will give you thirty cents. You don't want to smoke more thantwo cigars every day, do you?"

  The question where Claus earned the money he had was a mystery toevery one except himself. When the police arrested him for vagrancyand the justice fined him ten dollars, believing that he was going toshut him up for two months, Claus pulled out a roll of greenbacks aslarge as one's wrist. The justice gazed at him in surprise and said,

  "I had no idea that you were so well heeled as that."

  "I have a relative in Europe who sends me money once in a while," saidClaus.

  "Well, get out of here, and don't come into this station any more."

  "I won't," said Claus; "and I wouldn't have come in here this time,only the police brought me."

  "You must go easy on me, because I haven't too many ducats," saidClaus, continuing the conversation which we have broken off. "I thinkthirty cents a day will see you through in good fashion."

  "Of course that puts a different look on the matter. Begin by givingme ten cents to get a cigar with to
-night. Thank you. Now, what do youwant me to do?"

  "You are to begin and keep your eye on Julian, and report to me everyday at the pool-room. Whenever you see preparations made for them togo out to Denver, you must let me know it; then we will go, too."

  "But how are you going to steal their valises, if they have any?"

  "They will leave their valises behind them when they go out to gettheir meals, and I will slip up and get them. You won't have anythingto do with stealing them at all."

  "That is a bargain," said Casper. "I believe that is the best way yet.But remember--you must keep out of their sight; and I will, too."

  A little more conversation was held on the subject, and then Claustook his leave. When the door closed behind him Casper arose to hisfeet, placed his thumb against his nose, and wiggled his fingers. Thatwas his opinion of Mr. Claus's scheme.

  "I know what you mean to do," said he, in a voice that was choked withpassion. "You are going to get me out there on the railroad and leaveme. But I will see that you don't do it; I will stick closer to youthan a brother, and when you get that box I will be close at hand. NowI will go off to some restaurant and get some supper."

  The next morning dawned clear and bright, and when Casper opened hiseyes his first thought was to get up; but remembering that he had notto go to the office that day, he rolled over and dropped asleep again.But he had to get up at last; and after a good, hearty breakfast, andsmoking a cigar, he strolled down toward the telegraph office. Julianwas there, sitting in his chair, for he could see him through thewindow. He had not made preparations to go to Denver yet. And so itwas during every day that the boys waited for Haberstro to show up.Julian was as impatient as Casper, and even Claus began to growl forfear there was being too big a haul made upon his money.

  "I am not an Astor, to be giving you thirty cents a day to watch thosefellows," said he. "If they don't begin to make some move very soon Ishall be sorry that I hired you."

  "They are going to Denver some time, and if you are bound to have ahand in the box, the best thing for you to do is to keep on hiringme," said Casper. "I know what you want," he added to himself. "If youwere to give me every cent of money you have, I would just about getmy own back."

  But not long after this, when Casper was strolling by the telegraphoffice to see what was going to happen, he saw Julian and Jack go inthere. The two boys were dressed in citizens' clothes, too, and thatproved that there was something up. While he was wondering whether ornot he had better go back and report the matter to Claus, Mr. Wigginscame out and took his way toward the bank. In a little while he cameback again with the box under his arm. Casper concluded to wait stilllonger, and the result proved satisfactory. The two friends came outof the office, and Julian held the door open long enough to say,

  "I haven't gone yet; I will come back and bid you good-bye before Istart."

  "By gracious, they are going!" said Casper, so excited that he couldnot stand still. "Now, the next thing is to find out _when_ they aregoing. I guess I will go and see what Claus has to say about it."

  Claus was found in the pool-room, and he was playing a game withsomebody. He drew off on one side, and Casper hurriedly related whathe had to say to him. For a wonder Claus smiled.

  "They are going to-morrow night," said he.

  "You talk as though you knew all about it. How do you know?" askedCasper, with the accent on the adverb.

  "Because Julian has got his discharge, he is dressed in citizen'sclothes, and they will have to take to-day in order to bid theirfriends good-bye and get some things that are necessary for the trip,"said Claus. "Watch them closely, and when you see a carriage drive upto their door and a trunk put on, come to me here and I will be readyfor you."

  "How are you going to get your own luggage down?" asked Casper.

  "I don't want any luggage," replied Claus; "I have more money thanenough to buy--humph!"

  He had intended saying that he had money enough to buy all theclothing he wanted, but seeing Casper's eyes fastened upon him hecaught his breath in time and said,

  "I have money enough to pay for a night's lodging, and that is all wewant. Now you go and do just as I tell you."

  Claus turned again to his game and Casper went slowly out of the room.The German watched him, as he opened the door, and said to himself,

  "I wonder if that fellow knows what I am up to? He acts like it; butif he does, I would like to see him help himself."