The Project Gutenberg EBook of Messenger No. 48, by James Otis

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Title: Messenger No. 48

Author: James Otis

Release Date: November 26, 2007 [EBook #23627]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MESSENGER NO. 48 ***

Produced by Al Haines

[Frontispiece: Jet brought the cane down on his head with full force.]

MESSENGER No. 48

BY

JAMES OTIS

_Author of "Telegraph Tom's Venture," "Messenger No. 48",
"Toby Tyler," "The Boy Captain," "Silent Peter," etc., etc._

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY

NEW YORK ---- AKRON, OHIO ---- CHICAGO

Copyright, 1899

By

The Saalfield Publishing Company

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I Jet
II Trouble
III The Kidnappers
IV An Engagement
V Baffled
VI The Battle
VII A Bold Attempt
VIII An Arrest
IX The Detective
X One Prisoner
XI Close Quarters
XII The Encounter
XIII The Snare
XIV A Capture
XV Assistance
XVI On the Trail
XVII An Old Friend
XVIII Jail Life
XIX The Dinner
XX A Recognition
XXI The Adirondacks
XXII The Small Guide
XXIII The Visit
XXIV A Stern Chase
XXV Jim
XXVI Success
XXVII Reconnoitering
XXVIII The Struggle
XXIX Bob
XXX A Failure
XXXI An Attack
XXXII Harvey & Co.

MESSENGER No. 48

CHAPTER I

JET

"What's your name?"

"Jethro Lewis."

"How old are you?"

"I don't know."

"Judging from the size I shouldn't say you were over ten."

"My size 's against me, that's a fact; but I can run a good deal faster
than some fellers twice as big."

The manager of the District Messenger Station did not attempt to
conceal a smile as the boy spoke thus earnestly, and continued the
examination by asking:

"Where do you live?"

"Down on East Tenth Street."

"Mother and father alive?"

"Both dead. I'm boardin' with Mammy Showers."

"As a rule we do not employ boys who have no parents."

"Why not? Can't they shinney 'round, jest as well as other fellers?"

"There is no question about that, but we prefer to hav