value is
100. They will try to run it in to that; if they do, we'll make more
than $300."

"But if it goes backwards or down instead of up, we won't know what hit
us," remarked Fred.

"That's true. But it's going up," said Bob, with a good deal of
emphasis. "I have seen it done before, and know just how it works."

They walked up to Broadway and turned toward the City Hall. All the
newsboys knew them, and, as a late edition of the afternoon papers had
an account of the arrest of the forger, in which Fred's name was
mentioned, some of the boys ran to him to ask him about it. The account
said nothing about the money that had been given Fred, so he felt
relieved. Of course he had to stop and tell them about it. While he was
doing so a man came by and asked:

"Do any of you know a newsboy named Fred Halsey?"

"Yes, I do," replied Fred very promptly, ere any of the others could do
so.

"Where can I find him?"

"Oh, he's around somewhere, He never stops long in one place," and he
winked at the boys as he spoke.

They all understood at once that Fred did not wish them to give him
away, and not one would have done so under any circumstances.

"I'd like to give one of you a dollar to find him and point him out to
me."

"Show us your dollar and I'll tell you how to find him yourself," said
Fred.

"Here's your money," and the man handed him a dollar bill. Fred took it
and said:

"That cop over there by the Astor House corner is his dad. Just go over
there and stand there a while and you'll see him come up to the old man.
He meets him there about this time every day."

The man, who seemed to be in earnest, seemed half inclined to doubt what
Fred had told him.

"Is that so, boys?" he asked, appealing to the boys.

"Yes!" the entire crowd sung out.

He turned away and walked over to the Astor House corner.

"What's yer givin' 'im, Fred?" one of the boys asked.

"Whist!" half whispered Fred. "He's a pal of that forger and is looking
for me to do me up. Come on and we'll eat up this dollar," and he led
the way to a fruit stand up beyond the City Hall, where he spent the
money the man had given him for bananas for the boys.

"Well, that was the slickest thing I ever saw done," said Bob. "Why
don't you have him arrested and sent to join the other fellow?"

"Got no proof on him."

"You said he was his pal."

"Yes, but I couldn't prove it, only my word for it, that's all. He wants
to lay me out for giving th