Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 282 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

r Rast di - rs SS ee qpweenee 2 4 eee ee, —_— Lumley, ‘‘ for arranging your circus so that I can have a front seat. But I suppose I shall have to pay for my ticket by taking part in the performance.” By the light of the lantern the typo made his preparations for the conflict he expected. After the lapse of about fifteen minutes Three- tingered Jack returned, dragging Weasel in by the arm. The boy’s face was pale, but he showed no fear. His lips were closed tightly, and the expression of his countenance was that of dogged defiance and determination. The tramp placed him in the middle of the room, near the boxes bebind which Lumley was concealed, and set his lantern where it would throw light on the se-ne. To the ambushed printer the picture was a striking one, though by no means pleasant. The dark and dingy cellar, the stout figure of the tramp and the slight form of the per the dim rays of the lantern falling on the dark and coarse features of the one and the clean and e face of the other, the contrast between ute force and courageous weakness—made a scene more peculiar than pleasant. “Now, sonny,” said the brute, “‘ you and me is gwine to hev a heap o’fun together. Youare fond o’ cirkisses, and we will hev a leetle cirkiss all to ourselves. You are gwine to be the trick mule, and I will be the ringmaster.” Weasel said nothing, and the tramp pro- duced from his coat pocket a stout leather “Do you see this tickler?” he said, “ It'll play a big part in the cirkiss. I’m gwine to give you sech a larrupin’ as’ll teach you the folly o’ tryin’ torun away from me. When I fotched you over here, and made you a fine offer ef you would sw’ar ag’inst runnin’ off, you said you wouldn’t do it on no sort o’ tarms.” “*T meant it, too,” defiantly replied the boy. “Bo now I’m Fyne to settle with yon, and pay you up fur the new and theold. Dve got say ere alone, whar thar cain’t a mortal crit- come nigh us, aud I mean to jest about skin you alive.” Weasel did not flinch, and the set lines of his face showed that he bad made up his mind to worst. “You've got to ketch it fur w’ot that dog- goned printer did, too,” said Snell. *‘He kem ever here a-huntin’ you, the cussed skunk, and J ootched him and hived him right in this hole, — him tight; but he got loose and sneaked Weasel’s face brightened. It was evidently a joy to him to learn that his friend had been searching for him, and that he was safe, The tramp ordered him to take off his coat; but this he evidently could not do, as bis bands were tied, and it was necessary to unfasten them to get bis arms through the sleeves, As soon as his hands were loose the boy made a fight for liberty; but the tramp was too strong for him, and soon had him partly erred and tied, binding him so as to bring him in a leaning position over a box. ** Now, sonny,’’ said Snell, ‘‘ the cirkiss is gwine to begin, and when it’s through thar won’t be a bit o’ hide on your body that ain’s as sore’s as a wile. Yell just as much as you wanter, Thar ain’t nobody to hear you but me, and that’s the kind o’ music I’m fond of.” George Lumley, concealed behind a pile of i $e ee ge ree eee eee piicipeetnemetiensit ee Sesser ee ~The Typo Detective. : -~ This time the pred became a stab, and the sharp blade of the knife entered the tramp’s fiesh nearly its full length. He howled with pain and sprung up as if he would jump out of his ragged shoes. om Murder !’*heshouted. ‘Snakes! i b Then be rushed madly through the open door into the back cellar, and could be heard stum- bling up stairs, cursing as he went. Lumley came out from his concealment, cut Weasel’s bonds and raised bim to his feet. The boy uttered an exclamation of joy as he recognized his friend. ‘** Did you do that, Mr. Lumley?” he asked. Then, recollecting himself, he began to talk with bis fingers. ‘*Never miud your fingers this time,” said Lumley. ‘Tell me how that rascal got hold of you?” ‘* Hadn’t we better git away from here fust?” asked the boy. ‘No. He will not be likely to hurry back. If he should, he will be sorry for it.” Weasel told his story. e bad gone down- stairs at the boarding-house, to get some fresh air, taking Lumley’s pistol as a_ protection. Seeing a little girl crying over the way, he had crossed the street to learn what was the matter with her. There be had been suddenly seized from behind by two men, gagged and tied. They carried him through an alley, and across some back lots to the river, where they put him in a boat, and brought him to the old house in Pulltight. ‘It was Three-fingered Jack and his pard- ner,” said the boy, ‘‘ and Jack wanted me to take a Bible oath that I'd never leave him ag’in. He told me that if I’d stick to him he’d take me to my father, whois arich gen’leman, and will ive me lots 0’ good clothes and plenty o’ money. [told him that I didn’t believe a word be said, and that all the money in the world wouldn’t hire me to stay along o’ him. Then he cussed me black an’ blue, and swore I shouldn’t never gitaway from him no more. I reckon Id ha’ been thrashed nigh out o’ my skin, if you hadn’t been around.” ‘*T did not give that fellow near enough,” said Lumley; *‘ but I thought that the easiest way was the best. Come; let us get out of ere.” “Say, Mr. Lumley; they didn’t git your pistol away from me. I hid it down here in this hole, and I can go right to it.” ‘‘Never mind that, Weasel. I happened to find it, and I have it safe. Here it is, You may carry it; but you must not try to use it unless I tell you to. Come with me now.” Lumley mounted a box, pulled out the bolt of the trap door, and lowered it. Then he lifted Weasel through the opening and swung himself u Tm snake- p. The upper room was empty, and there was no sign of life about the place. fhe young printer opened the street door, aud looked out, As he did so, he saw a number of men in front of the house, and found himself face to face with Tom Cripps. CHAPTER XI. A TOUGH TIME AT PULLTIGHT. “'THUNDERATION!” exclaimed the big press- boxes, had picked up a piece of cord and bad | map, when he found himself confronted by tightly bound his penknife to the end of his George Lumley and his companion. ‘‘ Who’d stick, opening ove of the small blades, which | have thought of running against you two?” Was 43 sharp as a razor. Three fingered Jack planted himself near the “™ pile of boxes, with his back to his unseen foe, and raised his strap for a cruel, cutting stroke. | | : ' ’ Then, recollecting himself, he began to con- verse vigorously with bis fingers. At the same time the other men separated, stationing themselves at different points about As he did so Lumley thrust out bis stick from | the old building. between the boxes, prodded bim sharply in the | thickest part of his thigh, and immediately drew the lance back to his shelter. The tramp jumped up with a yell and clapped “- his hand on the wounded portion of his form, trembling with fright, if not with pain. _He relieved his mind with a string of oaths, picked up his lantern, and carefully examined | ‘** Never mind that, Tom,” said George, ‘‘ We will talk with our mouths, just now, and on this side of the river.” ‘** Weill, Dummy. Iam mighty glad to find yon safe and sound. What were you doing in that house, and where did you get the boy?” George explained the situation as briefly as he could, and gave an account of his adventuresin the floor of the cellar, but saw nothing that | search of Weasel, carefully omitting, for rea- | sons of his own, the conversation that he had could excite his suspicions. “* What in thunder was that?’ he asked bim- self. ‘“‘It couldn’t ha’ been suthin’ in my breeches. Never knowed any bug to bite like that afore. Was it you, you mizzable young bag-o’-bones? You don’t look like you could ha’ done it; but tyar’s no tellin’ w’ot such a can- tankecrous scamp kin be up to. You'll hev to Rey for it, anyhow. Doggone my skin if I op’t fetch blood every lick!” in he raised the strap to give effect to his s,and again his convealed foe thrust out his lance. | overheard between Joseph Blackman and the mis ‘‘ But what are you doing here, Tom?’ he asked. ‘* You seem to have a party with you, too. What brought you to Pulltight again?” ‘* That’s a secret of state, Dummy, my boy.” solemnly replied Tom Cripps. ‘‘ But it will be an open secret very soon, and I m:y as well give you the rights of it. You know—or, if you don’t know, you may accept the assurance of the undersigned—that robberies have been the plague of Vinson fora longtime. Houses and : ) =e Je oe Se Per - ean 8 oe ee | wt 0 te ee ee +e et stores have been entered, and property has been carried off by the wholesale; yet the police and the other authorities have never been able to get hold of the gang that did the work.” George Lumley thought that he perceived an extensive rat’s nest, but kept his thoughts to himself. ‘* Lately,” continued Cripps, ‘‘ the sheriff of the county picked upa clew. He got hold of one of the gang, and squeezed a partial confession out of him.” ** Did be give the names of his pals?” eagerly asked George. ** No; but the sheriff is on the right track, and hopes to get at the inside of the whole business ied soon. The man told where some of the plunder might be found, and the sheriff quietly went around to enlist a Spe: come-an’-get-us for service in Pulltight. He came to me, know- ing that L was fond of such work, and that I could play a good hand at the game. I gladly jumped in, as I wanted to come over here and ook after you and the boy, and here I am. The plunder is in this house, and we hope to get hold of some of the gang here.” The pressman’s flow of language was unex- pectedly and rudely interrupted. A dark form stole silently from within the house to the open door, and suddenly rushed out, knocking down Weasel, and nearly over- turning Tom Cripps. George Lumley recognized the shape and gait of Three-tingered Jack as the man ran swiftly up the dark street, and started in pur- suit of him, closely followed by Weasel. The young typo ran well, and gained on the tramp; but the latter was thoroughly acquainted with the labyrinth of Pulltight, and turned and wound among the ruins and brambles, so that it was difficult to — him in sight. George did not dare to fire at him, for fear of arousing a mob of Pulltighters, who would be sere to take the part of the fugitive. The chase was ended by the sudden disappear- ance of the tramp, and Lumley and Weasel searched for bim in vain, finding not the slight- est trace of him. Then they picked their way back to the old bouse, where Tom Cripps was still standing guard at the open door, “The job is finished,” said Tom, when Lumle had briefly reported the failure of his pursui ‘* Part of the posse have gone home, and I was waiting here for you. he sheriff has found lots of plunder, and is as happy as a ward bummer at election time. There will be a big excitement in Vinson over this.” ‘‘Did he catch any of the gang?’ asked George, ‘*Not a man. They had all crawled out at some rat-hole, unless the chap who gave us the slip was the only one in the shanty. But the sheriff is on the right track, and is sure of them. Keep mum about that, Lumley, and let us cross over to Vinson.” ** Please remember, Tom, that when we get to Vinson I am to be Dummy again,” ** All right, my boy; I will make no mistake about that. But I would really like to know what sort of alay youareon. Are you keep- ing up this sort of thing just for fun? ‘* No, Tom, there is somethi: g more than fun in it. It is a serious matter. But I can’t ex- plain it now, and I hope you will believe me when I say that it is nothing but what is square and honest.” ‘*T baven’t the least doubt of that,” ‘You won’t betray me then, old boy?’ “Betray you? Did you fish me out of the river for that? You may bet your utmost ducat on Tom Cripps!” When George Lumley reached bis boarding- house, he and Weas | retired to rest for the re- mainder of the night. The boy was soon lost in slumber, but sleep was slow to visit the eyes of the young tite The revelations of the earlier part of the night kept his brain active and excited, and both troubled and puzzled him. He could have no doubt that Joseph Black- man was the leader of the gang, of robbers whose storehouse in Pulltight had been discov- ered and raided by the sheriff. The old man had escaped capture; but Tom Cripps had said that the gang would surely be brought to jus- tice soon. It was clear that Mr. Blackman had turned the burglarious tramp loose because he was one of the gang, and Lumley sy ae that there might be some further reason k of that. bis was no concern of his, the young typo thought. He cared nothing for Joe ckman, and there was no valid reason why he shouki society by not perform the duty he owed to <S) eGomichbo se. GS: ees ee ry 2 . vi ~—] F ‘