Read Online Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty by Michell Plested, J. R. Murdock - Free Book Online Page B

Reporters from every newspaper and daily were there by the score, their photography people taking pictures of everything. The smell of sulfur was strong. There were also the dignitaries and the actual dockworkers. Rich and poor rubbed elbows and chatted like old friends. A feeling of a festival was in the air.
    They stopped to buy a pretzel and found a spot to lean.
    “What do you think, Squiggy?”
    Squiggy scratched his head. “I think that French ship doesn’t look like much.”
    Lenny had to agree. The ship was an aging frigate obviously refitted for this voyage. It had originally been a three master, but one mast had been removed to allow for a smokestack. It now had paddle wheels on either side, and the hull was a patchwork of timber and metal, both brass and steel.
    “Yup. It’s pretty much the ugliest ship I’ve ever seen. Maybe that’s why they used it. No one would ever think to attack something like that,” Squiggy said.
    “What’s this about an attack?” a passing police officer said, stepping up to the two. By his accent, he was one of the many Irish immigrants who’d come to America. “Are you boys planning something?”
    Lenny straightened as Squiggy’s shoulders hunched. “No sir, officer. We was just talking is all. Came to see the ship what brung the statue. My pal here was surprised they’d send it in that there tub. I tole him it was probably to decrease suspicion by bad types.”
    The officer adjusted the truncheon on his belt. “Ah, I see. Well, that’s very clever of you boys. Mind you be staying out of trouble.”
    “We will, officer. Thank you,” Lenny said, doffing his cap in respect. He waited until the officer was out of hearing. “Whew, that was a close one! We’d better get moving before that copper decides we’re suspicious after all.”
    “Why? We ain’t doing nothin’.”
    “Not right now we’re not, but that doesn’t matter. The boys in blue don’t need an excuse to take us downtown. If that happens, who knows what the boss will do to us.”
    “You ain’t wrong about that. So what should we do now?”
    “Not much more we can do now. Let’s do a bit more wandering, then we’ll hop a cab back to the yard.”
    ~ * ~
    While Betsy adeptly used her womanly charms to sell pamphlet after pamphlet, Jack was the one who pulled the walking carts along as they made their way toward the docks. He had always marveled at her beauty and knew she used it to her advantage, but to see her in action was a wonder to behold.
    “Why sir, thank you very so much. I hope I’ll see you when I come this way tomorrow.”
    “And thank you, sir.”
    “Two? Of course. Are you sure you don’t want three? Perhaps you have another friend who’d like to read one.”
    “A dime? I can make change. Oh, keep the change you say, why thank you ever so much.”
    He had gotten so caught up in her banter he’d nearly forgotten why they were headed to the docks. Once the piers were in sight, they’d sold quite a good quantity of the pamphlets, and Jack had folded up one cart and placed it on the other, surprised at how quickly the pamphlets sold.
    However, much to his dismay, it’d taken them nearly an hour to reach the main office where Betsy’s father worked. This was New York. Things moved fast, and if they didn’t get on top of the situation with the sunken ship, they might lose the people responsible or worse, miss what their next step in the plan should be.
    “Betsy, could we hurry along? Please?”
    “Why Mr. Kane, you should know better than to hurry a lady. Don’t you understand how important it is for me to get word out about the British conspiracy right here in our country? In our very city?”
    She prattled on for several minutes, but at least they made it to the entrance of the office. He hoped she’d paused long enough to catch her breath.
    “Hold on a minute.” Betsy’s hand hovered over the doorknob. “What’s going on over there?”
    Behind them a massive walking