“Wake up, gents,” he shouted. “The chief of police is over at the station, waitin’ for the early train!” In five minutes the reporters were all at the station with the chief, and he was joking them about their wild-goose chase. “I’m glad I got the better of you once, boys,” he laughed; “but it was accidental. It would take a smarter man than I am to fool you fellows on purpose. I’m too smart to try it, anyhow.” In the ride back to New York Dick became well acquainted with the chief of police, and the acquaintance often proved valuable to him afterwards. When he reached the office he gave the city editor a full account of his adventures. “It often happens,” the editor said as he laughed with Dick over his odd experiences, “that the reporter’s adventures in gathering news would make a more interesting article than the news he goes after; but we seldom print the reporter’s side of it. However, I think we will make an exception in this case and let you write us a special about your experiences in hunting Sterling’s body. Make it about a column and a half. We pay extra, of course, for breezy specials.” CHAPTER VI. HOW DICK SPURNED A BRIBE. The opportunity to write this “special” was a great relief to Dick; for, notwithstanding his success in a professional way, he found it hard to make both ends meet. The writing of one amounted to little, but he knew that one would open the way for more. There were scores of little expenses that he had not counted upon, and the support of the family devolved mainly upon him. He was proud of this, even though it did take his last cent every week. Then there was the twenty-five dollars he owed Randall, which he felt must be paid off soon; and he was in need of newer and better clothes. The Russellville clothes did very well while he was doing small work in the office, for the men he met on these little jobs were dressed no better than he; but in the class of work he was doing now it was different. He was constantly meeting the best reporters in New York, men who made a great deal of money, and who wore the best clothes they could buy, and carried fine watches, and often wore expensive diamonds. Dick cared very little for the diamonds and jewelry, but he wanted to present as good an appearance as his associates. Occasional specials would help him wonderfully in this and a hundred other things, for they paid ten dollars a column; and he knew that if he had any sort of success with them they would almost double his pay. He did not know, of course, that the chance to write specials was an arrangement that had been made expressly to give him more money, growing out of a conversation between Dr. Goode and the city editor. “Sumner’s work is always good,” the night editor had said. “I never feel any anxiety about an assignment when it is in his hands. You ought to increase his salary, for he is doing some of his best work in the office.”