Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

24 DIAMOND DICK, JB. OUT OF SIGHT. body shining like ebony in the afternoon Sul, ‘“Got any word yo’ wants to send so anybody ober dar?’’ he asked. ‘Took liver, nig,’’ said Harry. “What is it, boss?” “Tf you aire seen from that house you’ll purty most likely git shot.’? “Golly! Dat would be bad, shua nuff. But hab to take ma chances ob dat, I reckon.’? “And if you git a boat you will have to be thunderin’ sly not to be seen makin’ away with et, fer ef they ketch ye we aire dumped, we aire so.’’ ‘Dey neber done kotch me, you bet!”’ ‘Allee saniee want to lookee out sharp, else no goodee to Diamond Dick, Juny.”’ ‘You neber hab no feat bout me. An’ now if dat’s all, I’s off. You jes’ keep your eyes on mie, ata’? I show yo’ how to swim.’ With that he slipped off into the water. It was cold, but he did not seem to mind that, and with long, easy strokes he started off. The swim would be a long one, a couple of miles each way, at least—but then, if successful, he would not have to switn all the way back. The lake was longer than wide, and this made the swim greater than if it had been straight across from the rock-bound south shore to the grassy lawns on the north side. Handsome Harry and the Mascot watched the bobbing bunch of black wool as far as they could see it. It was finally lost to sight from where they stood. They were not able to make out even the boats which the little darkey, with his Keener eyes, claimed to have seen. And when they had lost him there was nothing they could do but sit down and rest while they waited as patiently as possible for his return, which they knew would be late in the day. Whien lost to sight of Handsome Harry and the Mascot, the Ace of Spades was nearly abreast with the mansion or the north shore of the lake. He was swimming carefully, with his head as low as possible, desiring to escape discovery if he could. It was his intention to swim bevond the boat house and approach it from the other direction, thinking he would thus be less likely to be seen from the man- sion. It was good judgnient. He had plenty of wind left, and did not seem to be tired in the least. Thus he was going leisurely and stead- ily along, when a remarkable thing hap- pened and caused lim to stop. Something popped up out of the water just ahead of him which at first sight he took to be a fish, leaping two or three feet in air and falling back at once. “Golly !? the darky exclaimed. ‘‘I’s powerful glad dey ain’t no ’gaitors in dis heah water—— But ima stars an’ Sally Jones! Dis heah ain’t.no fisn; hit ama bottle! Whar in de worl’ hit done come frou ?”? A stroke carried him to the bottle, and he caught it. Holding it up, he looked at it, and what was his gieater surprise to find that it contained a piece of paper. It was tightly corked, and the cork ticd with a string. While he was looking at this one,- another popped up out of the water in nearly the same place. ‘‘Ma stars an’ Sally Jones!’ cried the Ace o’ Spades. ‘‘What dis heal mean, anyhow ? Wh—wh—whiar dese heah bot- tles done come from? Who eber heard tell ob botltes behavin’ in dis fashion, anyhow ?” Making a grab at the second bottle he caught it, aud left that spot with as little ‘delay as possible. The reader has guessed whence thie bottles canie. But the little darkey, with no kunowl- edge of what was underneath the waves at that point, was alarmed. Yet he clung to the bottles. The sight of the paper in them made him do that, as he was curious to learn more about the matter. ‘Hit done beat all!’ he said to him- self. ‘*Bottles bobbin’ up out ob de water in dat style—neber heard tell ob sich doin’s in all ia days befoali! De old debbil must be at de bottom of dis pond, shua nuff! Guess I got no business heah no mo?!” He swam faster than before, holding COMmiiclooe S Nw een COL!