The Argosy, Vol. XI No. 19 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

298 ‘* Take the left hand side and feel for doors, Club, while I do the same on the right. Jack can keep his ears open, and be ready to lead the retreat.” And in this manner they moved slowly along, passing the front room door, and another that Dick concluded was a bedroom, until they reached the end, where it terminated in what they rightly judged to be a sitting room. ** Keep right on through,” Dick whispered. ‘* In all probability the door to the cellar is in the rear. Hear them talking ?” £* Yes,” replied the other two, and the boys stopped to listen. The subdued murmur of conversation carried on below could be heard. Also the sound of persons moving about. A strange odor prevailed, and when the hammering began it sout:-ded so loud the boys were startled. ‘There is no use standing here,” whispered Chub. ‘*' We cannot hear anything. If we had our guns and shoes, | would be only too glad to clear out.” ‘©So would I,” agreed Jack. ‘‘ It is going to be risky opening the cellar door, and I am almost afraid to try it—Great Scott !” And the other two's hearts almost stopped beating as Jack collided with a chair and came to the floor with a terrific racket. CHAPTER XXII. AN UGLY PREDICAMENT, HE sounds in the cellar instantly ceased, and the boys heard a gruff voice ask : ‘What was that ?” ‘Blamed if I know,” responded another. ‘T puess it’s Moll prowlin’ round agin,” “Pm not goin’ to let it go at that. Bill, you ” And then his voice dropped so low the boys could not hear, They stood motionless, not caring to sur until the actions of those below directed their movements, and, while perspiring profusely, Dick said reassuringly : ‘* Keep perfectly cool ; we'll come out all right.” “That is well enough to say,’’ Chub returned, ‘but if [ was stand- ing in 200 degrees Fahrenheit 1 couldn't perspire a drop more a minute, Listen!” ‘¢}Some one coming up the steps !” whispered Jack excitedly. ‘' Back you go!” And with Chub in the lead they flew down the hall just as the bed- room door opened, The person who opened it stepped out just in time to get in Chub's way, and they came together with a force that sent both sprawling, Dick and Jack tripped over them, and by the time they regained their feet the stranger had Chub by the collar, and two men witha lantern had arrived via the sitting room, “What's the trouble here ?" asked the man with the light. “Tt's them chaps that Moll took in,” said the other, peering into the bovs’ faces. ‘** There’s some keerlessness "bout this.” “Naw, there ain’t,” retorted the other, ‘I did jess’s you said.” “What do you want, prowlin’ round the house at this time of night 2?” demanded the man, turning to the boys. “A drink,” said Dick boldly. “Sure you warn't after anythin’ else ?” “Our guns,” admitted Jack. ‘Nothin’ else 2?” persisted the man. ‘What else would we want ?” blurted out Chub. “ Look here,” chimed in the man who had been knocked down; ‘if you was after a drink, what made you run so blamed hard ?” This was a poser, and Dick began lamely : “The lady that admitted us told us she was alone, and that there was no men on the place, and, consequently, when we heard you talk- ing ‘Heard us talking ?” interrupted one of the men quickly. “We could not hear what you said,” Dick hastened to add; ‘but 9% we heard your voices: ‘An’ you run ?” finished the man, “Exactly,” replied Dick. | ‘No, you didn’t do nothin’ of the kind,” contradicted the man with the lantern. ‘You're gettin’ muddled. The first we heerd was a big racket, an’ we sent Bill up this way an’ we started up the other, an’ you never run till Bill got here.” “There!” cried Bill triumphantly. your room when it was locked 2?” “Now, how did you git out of THE ARGOSY ‘*"Pook the lock off,” replied Dick promptly. ‘‘ When people are thirsty they are not particular.” ‘‘ No, I guess not,” agreed Bill sarcastically. ‘‘ Strikes me as kinder funny you'd take the trouble to take the lock off to git a drink of water when there's a pitcher brim full standin’ in the room.” That was acrusher. In vain the boys declared they * never saw it.” ‘Tf you was as hard up for water as you say," returned Bill frigidly, ‘* you'd a-done a heap of snoopin’’round. Accordin’ to my idy, Dillon, these fellers know a heap more'n they let on.” “Then we know how to take keer of ‘em !° replied the man with the lantern. ‘ST reckon we do know how to take keer of 'em,” chimed in the third man; and now that they were in for it, the boys became more self pos- sessed and took a good survey of their captors, Bill and the fellow called Dillon wore stumpy beards, and the other man, who was small in stature, was smooth faced. They ail had a hangdog expression about the eyes. Bill was the mildest looking of the three, and he was far from goud looking. Hts nese was prominent and red, his hair of a lighter hue, and his neck covered with big, yellow freckles. His hands were scru- pulously clean, and marked in the same mauner, Dillon was a large, heavy set man, with a very fierce look, which his black, short beard and sullen eyes did not Jessen. He had a peculiar and disagreeable way of shifting his hand to his pistol pocket, which caused one to prepare to dodge bullets, The small man's countenance bore a striking resemblance to the picture the boys had noticed in the front room. His voice was very gruff, as if for no other reason than to contradict his looks of old age, for his hatr and eyebrows were white. Texpect our workin’ on the apple bin woke you up, eh?” tioned Bill. | “Yes, we heard you pounding,” replied Dick quietly. “Yes,” went on Bill affably, ‘‘we are goin’ to harvest a heap of apples tomorrer, an’ we've got to have some place to put ’em." ‘S kexactly,” acquiesced Dick. The men pazed hard at the boys, as though trying to determine how much they knew, and finally Dillon said shortly : “We ain't makin’ nothin’ standin’ here chinnin’, back room an’ make shore there ain’t no way to git out. right, Dinny 2?” “That's shore right,” chuckled the old man. fix "em." “What have we done to be treated like this ?’’ demanded Dick, with a great show of indignation, which, however, wouid not work. “Tt don’t make no difference what you've done, doin’ or would da,"” returned Dillon crisply. ‘' Vhe best thing you can do will be to foller quietly after Bill. You fellers can look awful innercent when occasion requires, Where’s your footgear ?” ‘* Tn our room,” said Jack. ‘They didn’t want to wake up Moll when they went after a drink,” explained Bill, and the boys knew itt counted much apainst them, “You can stop an’ get’em on your way,” said Dillon. ‘Tf you think they'll pive you any trouble, Rill, Dinny or PH go ‘long.” Tt won't do them any pood to git rampagous, the way the house's locked,” replied Bill, with a laugh. ‘You needn't give them a light to burn us out, either,” Dillon called out, when they were half up the stairs. Bill waited long enough for the boys to secure their shoes, and then led them the length of the hall to another room. With only the lantern, it needed but a glance to note its strength. There was a small window with stout bars bolted on the outside, and the door was of some heavy, hard wood, with several bolts, also on the outside. "We fitted up this room for such chaps as you,” said Bill, setting down the lantern and taking a look around. ‘' The last chap we had in here got too brilliant, an’ we shipped him.” ‘Where 2?" inquired Jack. “Huh! Pm not a-goin’ to tell you. You can gamble on the fact that we sent him to a safe place, an’ he didn't feel a little bit like split- tin’ when he got there, either.” ‘T expect you were building apple bins then, too,” Chub remarked Sarcastically. ‘* Strange, what precautions you take to keep it secret.” Bill suddenly straightened up, scratched his chin and began to think of what he had said. He concluded that he was telling more than was necessary, took a round turn and said shortly : ques- Put ‘enro in the Ain't that — We know how to ECORTICOOOKS.GOm