At  the  same  moment,  they  were  joined  by  two  other  men,
who  came  up  so  suddenly  that  they  almost  seemed'to  spring
out  of  the  darkness.  A  handkerchief  was  tied  tightly  over
the  victim's  mouth,  and,  catching  him  up  in  their  arms,  the
four  men  bore  him  rapidly  out  to  the  end  of  one  of  the  most
Icserted  piers.     The  sense  of  his  danger  roused  the  poor  fel-


THE   SECRETS   OF   THE   GREAT   CITY.  483

tow  from  his  drunken  stupor,  and  almost  sobered  him.  He
struggled  violently  to  free  himself  from  his  assassins,  but
they  held  him  down  with  grips  of  iron.  A  heavy  blow  on
the  forehead  from  a  "  billy,"  rendered  him  senseless,  and  a
well-aimed  knife-thrust  sent  him  into  eternity.  The  mur-
derers, accustomed  to  such  work,  quickly  rifled  his  pockets
of  money,  watch,  and  other  valuables.  Then  there  was  a
heavy  splash,  in  the  dark  water,  and  the  secret  was  confided
to  the  keeping  of  the  silent  stars.
The  harbor  police  found  the  body,  as  we  havs  described,
and  conveyed  it  to  the  Morgue.
Weary  with  waiting  and  watching,  the  friends  of  the
young  man  will  come  hurriedly  to  the  city,  and  the  police
authorities,  who  know  well  where  to  look  for  such  missing
ones,  will  take  them  to  the  Morgue,  where  their  lost  darling
lies  waiting  for  them.
Young  man,  if  curiosity  tempts  you  to  seek  to  penetraie
the  secrets  of  the  great  city,  remember  that  you  may  leam
ttem  only  to  your  cost.
CHAPTER  LXIY.
THE   OLDEST   MAN   IN  NEW  YORK.
