Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 122 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

, going to cast off 4 mind goin’ to Brooklyn,” said Dick, | 0 ee ne ee - a ce —————— re SS ee 16 break-down, and some kind of a ditty.—TI’ll be gittin’ stowed away on while capting mate are kickin’ you ashore.”’ ‘**T dont now exactly how I'll like the kicking,” ‘*Oh! hop like a skeeter, and they wont hurt you. Pass round your hat, like an Italian minstrel with an organ.—Come, dig, boy! You aint afeard of them as 9 | “Not much!” said I walking meee areard. ‘*I spose ther’ll a oe named ee ed Phil be here soon,’’ exp Joe Dot. ‘He’ likely have some perlicers with him. And he'll be too late, as gentlemen allers are. Jist you tell him where ship has gone to.” ‘* What kind of a looking cove?” . ‘“A handsome gentleman. ‘Bout as h as you are, Ls A dea as stout. Dressed in a mighty stylish gray rig.”’ ‘‘Guess [T'll know him. What’s your dodge now?” ‘To sell out a couple of rascals, that’s all." By this time Dick reached the ship. Leaping lightly to the deck he stationed himself near the capstan, and commenced a popular ditty in a shrill oon voice, that was by no means unmusical. he sailors at once ceased their labors, and turned to look at him. He commenced a dance with the chorus, a lively break-down which seemed to please them mightily, to judge by their laughter and cla % iP ite What's broke loose here’ cried the ee suddenly caeeey his conversation with Fagan, an forw ‘Only a bit of fun, cap ” Dick humbly re- plied. ‘*Thought you wouldn’t keerif a poor boy picked up a few pennies from these brave sailors.” ‘We have no time for any of your nonsense,” growled the mate, a litile mollified, however, by Dick’s shrewd advancement in his title. “ Come, slide now.” ‘Oh! let the boy finish his song,’ protested old Bowline, the privileged sailor. “It wont take him a minute, and we dont often hear as good a song.” ‘Hurry up then!’’ returned the mate, more gra- ciously. “And take care you don’t show yourself bere . We want no tomfoolery.” The captain and Fagan had walked forward after the mate. But as the latter had taken the distur force in hand, his appetion officer was cones leave it in his han Ss, and stood in In fact Captain Monroe liked a good song as well as any of his men, and was not at all disposed to in- torfere in Dick’s ditty. Nor did he object to the jig with which the lad finished his amateur effort at melody. ‘Hope you'll drop somethin’ now ina r boy’s hat, that’s got a sick mother at home, and ten small brothers and sisters, without a bite in the house, and nothin to eat, and only my talent to keep them from 8 A Dick got this off with the sre protean whine, ad a series of other particulars of his extreme pov as he circulated through the group of sail- ors. ‘* And I hope the captain's a-going to drop in some- thing handsome,” he continued, shaki small ag as he presented his ragged h ear to the ma With a subdued growl the latter deposited a small piece of money. “May you git it twice back agin,’’ said Dick, fer- yon " I know the commodore aint going tom’ poor Dick, the minstrel." ; ‘You see, —* dont rank above me yet," said Cap- ug tain Monroe, . “ Here’s the price of a loaf, may oes And now you'd best be going.”’ ‘Not till this gentleman has given me that piece of silver that’s burning his fingers,” persisted Dick, handing the hat to Fagan. “T’ve got no money for vagabonds,” and the latter turned surlily away. “And I eS gentleman!" said Dick, rue- fully.—* Well, well, the best will make mistakes, you see. We both made one.” ‘* What do you mean?” asked Fagan, sharply turn- ing. Ry aint no walkin’ dictionary,” replied the un- daunted boy. ‘* Thought I plain enough.” It was ce plain encugn for the sailors to un- derstand and to relish it, judging by their subdued laugh. Pagan would have made some fierce reply, but was prevented by Dick's commencing another song, which h off with intense liveliness. re) sung his eyes were fixed aft, and saw what none of the others did, the gliding of asmall form along the deck, and its disappearance down the coin- panionway. 1 was fairly on board. ‘Come, get out now," cried the mate. “We are Do you want to go to sea?”’ uldn’t with a shrewd wink. “It'll save ferriage.”’ ‘Who told you we were bound for Brooklyn?” ‘* Maybe I dreamt it, last night.” | ** Oast off that !” cried the cap sharply. The mate was instantly recalled to a sense of his duty, and stopped his chatter with Dick to attend to getting the ship under way. The was as good aa: word. He kept aboard while the vessel slowly left the dock and commen her short voyage across the river. Not caring to encounter the mate, he went below, into sailors’ quarters, where he occupied himself in a voyage of discovery of the ship's in- srior. | Meanwhile Phil, as we have seen, had sli stealthily aboard the vessel, and introduced 4 self into the cabin while Dick was attracting the - attention of all on —— oe ee ee ee — ee to . ‘ entered the cabin It was a pamgorous position for the boy to be in, and he looked aro for a place of concealment in case of being suddenly intruded upon. e cabin of the pin aed ormed a room of considerable size, and rather pl furnished, a a a few chairs, and a lounge, being the principal cles. There were a couple of state-rooms on each side. Two of these ood y open, forming the bed- rooms of the cap and mate. The other two were locked. Phil next tried the door in the forward part of the cabin, to the room in which he had been confined. It was only closed by a bolt on the cabin side, and he quickly opened it, and entered his old prison. The apartment was a contracted one, and very faintly lighted by a dim illumination coming from the forward part of the vessel. He had more than half expected to find Alice con- fined here, and it was with a feeling of disappoint- ment that he found the room empty. “Where in blazes have they got her, then?” he muttered. “I dont know = other place ’cept it’s one of them state-rooms. Here’s a door leading for’'ard. Maybe I'd best explore.”’ The room formed a sort of limber-closet for the cabin, and Phil stumbled, in the faint light, over various articles, as he sought the door which his quick eyes had made out. It proved to be, like the other, fastened only on his side. In a moment he had it open and was gaz- ing forward into the vessel. t was a dim profundity into which he looked. The cargo had been removed from this part of the *tween-decks, and the hatches fastened down. Its only light came through a grating in the bulkhead forward, and lost itself in the center of the wide concavity, failing to penetrate the dark sides. “That's all ight, thought Phil, stepping boldl forward. ‘‘Dunno what this bucket of water is left settin’ here fur, ’cept they want to guv a fellera foot-bath.—Hello! here’s a hole and a ladder. Guess Vl take a look further down.” The ladder led down to a lower hold, which Jay in almost complete darkness, the light which came down with Phil hardly revealing the spot on which he stood. All else was profound gloom, except where, in what appeared an interminable distance forward, a faint beam of pent struggled through what appeared to be a closed hatchway. * Well, if it aint dark enough to cut, here, I'll sell out,”’ muttered Phil, venturing several steps forward in the darkness. There was no obstruction. This hold, too, had formed part of the stowage capacity of the ship, and was now empty. Satisfied with his lorations so far, and growing anxious about the main object of his adventure, P made the best of his way back, reaching the small apartment mt ne the cabin. : Before venturing further he looked warily woe a minute opening in the door. His quick ear caught, at the same moment, a step on the cabin stairs. It was Captain Monroe, who now paused in the center of the cabin, his small, fox-like face peering warily around. Phil could see that he was nervous over something. An idea occurred to the boy. Going cautiously back to where he had seen the bucket of water, he dipped his head into it as deeply as the bucket would mit. He came up streaming like a mermaid with salt water. ** Now for it,’ muttered Phil, in a choking voice. When he again reached his point of view, he found Captain Monroe in the act of unlocking one of the state-room doors. ‘“‘ That’s where he keeps Miss Alice,” thought Phil. ‘** Now to give him a header.” The cap was on the point of looking into the room whose door he had sis | opened, when he was startled by an odd noise behind him. He turned quickly, to behold, with starting eyes, a small head protruding from the lumber-room into the cabin, a head dripping with water, the hair hanging in soaked masses about the face that seemed to ooze water. He knew the face to be that river. ' ‘TP ve been drownded!’’ muttered Phil, in sepulchral ones, The captain’s face grew white as he gazed at this apparition, his superstitious soul full of dread.. “I’ve been drownded!”’ repeated Phil, in tones that seemed drawn from as far down as his toes. _ It was too much for the guilty nature of the cap- tain. With a suppressed cry of dread he ran for the companionway, and dashed up the stairs as if in fear of being carried bodily to the lower regions. With a laugh of triumph at his success, Phil hastily . The door of the state-room stood ajar, and he lost no time in flinging it wide open. It was as he had hoped. There lay, reclining on a | omer, her eyes | short lounge, the form of Alice Staring oddly out at the intruder. She seemed to be just recovering from the effects of the narcotic, and to be in a stupefied condition. There was no time to be lost. rudely by the arm, c se **Come, Mi lice! Git up instanter! Your life’s in danger, here!” Pig Ph . Stirred by his energetic appeal, she tried to obey, and raised herself to her feet by his vigorous aid. She tottered, though, like a drunken person, and seemed not to understand where she was nor what was expected of her. ' Half | and haif ging, Phil hurried her out of the room, the door of which he locked and appropriated the key. \ es eee — of the boy whose helpless form he had flung into the | Phil caught her | ing the ladder. ‘Phil Hardy, the Boss Boy. = tte eee ee ed — — eee a ——si—SC ee eS Se -,-— eee eee >. ————-— eee (+ ree “This way! ck as lightning!’ he exclaim ar ing her forward.” | lik alking or e volun eé one w a dream. In a minute Phil had her through the lum- ber-room and into the hold beyond. Lea her there, he returned to close the doors he had left open behind him. At moment he heard the heavy step of the amet descending into the cabin, and his harsh voice mu ring: “Ghosts be blowed! There’s a screw loose in Cap Monroe's brains.”’ CHAPTER XXII. RATS IN A TRAP. THERE was no time to be lost. The mate was of different caliber from the captain, and would be more likely to discharge a chair at Phil’s soaking head than to run from _ } * He said aie had Z ‘cy = J ysemyesary ae I ont see an ns of it,” growled the mate, taking a key from his own pocket and applying it to the lock. hil hastened from the door at which he had been listening, and hurried back to where he had left his bas, * There'll be somethin’ hot to pay soon,” he said. ‘““ Wont take him long to find that the other door’s unbolted.” There came a subdued roar from the cabin. The mate had just discovered that his bird had flown; the state-room was gg ‘*Come, Miss Alice,”’ ig ano f exclaimed. ‘These is dangerous quarters. We must be gitting.” Her previous hasty movement had partly recalled her flown senses, and she yielded to Phil with better command of her nerves, He led her to the hatchway, opening to the lower hold, and aided her, with some difficulty, down the narrow ladder. ‘““Here we are now,”’ said Phil, cheerily, ‘in darkness as thick as jelly. And it wont be five minutes afore we're foliered. Feel better, Miss Alice?” ‘““My head is very thick and confused,” she hesi- tatingly replied. ‘ Where are we?” ‘*Away cown in the second story cellar of the Strongbow. Know whol am?” “ eee 7 uneasil Frey | pane ed Phil with “Thought you n’t,”’ respon a slight laugh. “I’m Phil Hardy. I’m the chap that took you out of the water once and that’s a goin’ to take you out of the fire, now.”’ ‘**Oh, yes; I remember you,’’ she replied dubious- ly. It was evident that her faculties had not fully returned. ‘* Wait here a minute,” cried Phil. He dashed up the ladder to the deck above, Ina minute he returned with the half-emptied bucket. “Here! Dash some of this in your face,” he or- dered, “It'll wash the cobwebs out of your brain quicker’n any thing I know of.” | Phil heid up the bucket while she mechanivally obeyed him, giving her face a plentiful ablution in the cold water. It had the effect he anticipated. Her consoious- ness returned more fully, and she looked around her with a clearer idea of the situation, ‘**Towels aint handy,’ explained Phil. ‘ But it’s ony water, It'll dry off." e carefully placed the bucket at the foot of the ladder, while she partially dried her face with her bandkerchief. ‘Here they come!”’ Phil cautiously remarked, his quick he catching a footstep on the deck above. “We've got to be movin’.”’ Taking her hand he led her epouay the gloom to- ward the light which so faintly illuminated the hold. It was a forward hatchway, closed with grating, through whose Fe agent the light came down. Phil ran hastily up the ladder which led to it, and tried to push it aside. His attempt was vain; it was fastened above. At the same moment a gleam of light shone from the other ay prsaidey and they saw the sturdy figure of the mate descen ing. : “Tf we aint rats in a trap, then there’s no pum kins,’’ muttered Phil, loo gpa = Wonder if Dick’s aboard?” [ll guv a call, anyhow.” ° With his lips to the grating Phil whistled, repeat- ing it three times in quick succession. twas answered in an unexpected way, by_the sudden extinguishment of the light aft,and bya fierce curse from the lips of the mate. Phil at once divined the cause. He clapped his hands on his knees in delight. “Tf heain ety Ba into the water-bucket, sell me out! Wish I only had another bucket, full! I'd guy him a shower-bath, sure.” ‘What shall we do, Phil?” asked Alice, anxiously, as she heard her foe cursing as he ascended the lad- der again. ‘“Wish TI only knowed,” answered Phil. “I’m desp’rate afeared we’re in atrap. If Dick was only about now.”’ His words were answered by a repetition of his signal, from the deck above the sreing. ‘Hello! that’s clever,” cried Phil, quickly ascend- ‘Here we are, Dick. this confounded trap-door, or we’ll be in trouble, sure.” * All right!’ came the voice of Dick from above, and his honest eyes were visible through the open- ings. ‘*Hold hard. Ill fetch her soon.’ , ‘Here comes our enemy again,” said Alice, in a ow tone. : The light which now flashed through the hold was more intense than that which had been so suddenly ut out. Butit was also more contracted in range. t came from a dark lantern, which threw but a nar~ cS —— = ee ee De CeCe ayicel eee) GO -—