Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 397 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

The door was opened by a pert-looking ser- vant, who first gazed at him scornfully and then a expression suddenly. ‘‘ Oh, be ye ther b’ye ter see Misther Ridding?” she asked. ‘‘Tm that same, an’, ez our biz is important, yell be so good ez ter heave ahead an’ pilot me ter his distinguished presence.” “Why, certain, me darlint. Jest foller me, an’ we'll be dhere in dhe twinklin’ av an eye.” ‘‘ Let her twinkle!” graciously replied Bob, as he followed her up-stairs? Once there, she opened a door a trifle and bade him enter. e obeyed, but one glance was enough for him, and he would have sprung back had not the door been slammed to at his heels. After all, he was in a trap. Oscar Bertrand and Lije Wolf were there, and the latter was holding a revolver close to the boy’s bead. CHAPTER XII. OFF THE TRACK, To say that Bob o’ the Bowery was astonished would be to but feebly express it. He was sure he had ‘seen Gus Redding at the window, but here he was in the self-same room and no Gus was there. Both Bertrand and Wolf looked ugly, and the latter backed up the impression made by shoving the revolver under Bob’s nose and fiercely exclaiming: ‘‘ Be quiet, you young hound, or Pll blow out your brains!” . A red flush appeared on the boy’s face. ‘“‘T ain’t sure [ve got any,” he replied, with an air of deep mortification but without a sign of fear. ‘Why so?” Wolf wonderingly asked. ‘‘*Cause nobody with hoss-sense would hev run their head inter sech a fix ez this. Darned ef I ain’t a puddin’-head!” His mortification was so deep and undisguised that, though Wolf laughed loudly, he rather ad- mired the pluck of a boy who could think of such a thing and disregard danger when a revol- ver was at his head. ‘““ Suppose I blaze away and see if you really have any brains?” he suggested. ‘* Blaze an’ be darned. Sech a milk-sop ez me won't never grow up ter be an ornimint ter s’ci- ety nohow ye kin fix it.” ‘¢ Oh, come now, don’t be too harsh on your- self,” said the sharper, not unkindly. “Our game would have roped in an older hand than ou. Wesaw you hesitate at the door, and my riend just showed his hat and eyes to give you encouragement. At that distance you were naturally fooled. Anybody would haye been. Don’t take it to heart. You're the right sort, as I can plainly see.” ‘‘Knough of this,” said Bertrand sharply, an- noyed to see that his ally was really admiring the boy. ‘‘ I suppose you see now, young fellow, the fix into which your meddlesome qualities have got you, don’t you?” Bob rallied. ‘“‘T’d like ter inquire w’ot fer you decoy a ’spectable ’Merican citz inter a shebang like this an’ menace him wi’ a shooter? My frien’, let me ‘quest ye ter put down that weepon. ‘Tain’t a healthy thing ter hev in ther parlor, an’ ef my mem’ry sarves me c’rect, thar’s a law ag’in’ pintin’ it with ther tunnel-eend foremost at one Q’ yer feller-bein’s.” ‘Never mind your impressions,” said Ber- trand. ‘‘I have no time to fool with you, so let me say one thing briefly. You have stuck your nose into my affairs to an extent I will not tol- erate, and this is the result. Explanations are not necessary; you know what | mean. As a result, however, you will remain six weeks in this house, a close prisoner, and then start on a voyage to China as cabin-boy. We'll see how you'll like that.” 66 n ye ask me afore ye let me out ter work, boss? ‘V’ot ef I say no? W’ot ef I ob- ect ter plowin’ ther heavin’ an’ briny deep? *ye observe arything “bout me that looks like a sailor yoo ee yp belayin’-pin, or a fore- top-roya min’, t under-blossomed mainsail? Do I look ez though I could live on dolphins an’ mermaids an’ keep my muscle up ter a John L, bigness” ‘Your wishes amount to nothing. I’m going to get you out of the country. That’s flat.” “Sho! I kicked up a mighty big dust when I give a boost ter yer ole unk, Adam Woodman, didn’t I? So you ’spect ef you send me ter Hoang-Ho, or Orang Outang, or Cape Hotten- tot Town, you kin slash ’round hyar an’ scoop in Adam’s boodle like a fly, do ye?” Bob faced his captor unflinchin ly. «¢ You know too much!” Oscar, with ee eee am nT Bob oO’ a scowl. ‘‘ You are too sharp for your own good,” ‘*Fer yourn, you mean.” ‘*T meant what I said. Do you sup going to run the risk of being ruin as you?” ‘Yer case must be weak ef it kin be ruinated So easy.” ‘*Never mind. I now have you secure, and you are not going around to use that glib tongue of yours. Tl ship you for China.” ‘* All right, boss. kit.” by such You'll stay here till the vessel is ready to sail.” ** Mebbe!” As the boy spoke he attempted a dash for the window, but Wolf was on the alert. He caught the boy, clapping one hand over his mouth, and I'll go fer ter pack my | Iam | | | ' ‘*No, you don’t! Don’t let him out, Wolf. | “ Bianca.” ] | ' and give to her a sealed paper which had been when Bertrand came to his assistance Bob was | soon securely bound. Not until he had been dragged into a rear room did Wolf remove his | hand from his mouth. ‘* Now, then,” continued Bertrand, “you are | where all your screeches for help will do no good as no one can hear them except my men, but warn you not to yell. If you do, there’s a big fellow here who will come in and hush you up in a way you won’t like.” ‘Can't I buy him off?” ‘* Try it, and see.” ‘Thank you for nothin’: You’re a bloomin’ daisy, you be, Mister Dude; but ye’ve got holt o’ a chap w’ot wasn’t made ter be kep’ down. I’m bound ter rise. Look out fer me, fer when ther Shanghai ship sails my berth won’t hev no- body fer ter warm it. Dll be warmin’ you ’bout that time, Oscar.” ‘* Talk is cheap; we'll see,” tersely replied Ber- trand, and then he and Wolf left the room. Bob o’ the Bowery was in a bad fix. He was not only bound, hand and foot, but was in a small room from which there was no opening save over the door. At one end a rough ee wall showed that it had been hastily partitioned off for a prison. ‘* Nice sorter fix this is, b’gosh! Tombs, without no chance o’ bein’ led up ter a jedge fer ’zamination. But, great Scott! do ' the pocket-book in which I placed the address _-was singularly stolen from my pocket on Four- en Reg’lar | ‘was informed that Silva and Bianca had left they ’spect they kin keep me hyar?—keep Bob | Not any, fer Joseph! 0 the Bowery down? Ef Don’t I wish I could git word ter Stumpy! _girlin a ragged dress, who had a head of red. I could, that boy would jest come up hyar an)’ | knock ther Fourth o’ July outer them—he would, fer sure. He’s anawful chap, is Stumpy. But I can’t get word ter him, so I must git outer hock alone. An’ Ill do it, too, or loosen all my back teeth!” Miss Helena Abbott, unlike some other rich people, had a real taste for helping the needy poor. She had money enough, and she tried to use it so as to benefit her fellow-creatures. It is true that when a long paper came around for the aid of the Wabbleshorrri natives of Chuck- incash, Africa, or the Poundcake Colony in ES Patagonia, she did not contribute largely; but | she went alone into the houses of the poor peo- ple of New York and supplied them with food, coal, warm clothes and the like. Which was the better way, let the poor of New York decide. On the afternoon of the same day that Bob was trapped, she called at a low house on Eliza- beth street, near Houston. When she rung the bell a pale-faced, sad-looking woman appeared, butshe brightened a good deal at sight of Miss Abbott. She had seen her before, When they had entered the humble front room, Helena came to business at once. ‘‘ Well, how are you all getting along, Mrs. Leordi?” ae ohnny is better,” said the woman, hesitat- ingly. ‘Ts any one else sick?” ** Well, you see my husband’s brother is here now. He was knocked down in the street and yuite badly hurt, and was taken to the hospital. ® was very restless there, and wanted to come here, and as his injuries were not serious, the hospital folks let him come. Butit will be two weeks before he can go out.” ‘Ah! I see. And that means fresh ex- pense?” ‘Yes. I’m very sorry, miss, when you were so kindly helping us, for it seems like throwing away what you gave us, but Briano is my hus- band’s brother.” a Is he an honest man?” - Oh! yes, miss; honest and temperate.” Then I would like to see him, if he is well enough.” Thus it happened that Miss Abbott met the —_— man whom Bob o’ the Bowery had seen carried away in the ambulance; the victim of one of the city’s brutal ‘‘ gangs,” who had knocked him down and robbed him. The man’s mind was now clearer, and he talked so reasonably, though still with his Italian accent, that Miss Abbott was interested and resolved to help him as she had helped his brother’s family. All were poor, and they were deserving of aid. But in the course of the conversation, Briano Leordi mentioned something which interested her. When he was half-insensible, Bob had heard him say that he wanted to find a certain He was now clear-headed enough to explain to Miss Abbott that ‘‘ Bianca” was the adopted daughter of an old organ-grinder named Tomaso Silva, and that he wanted to find her given him in trust for her. He added that, on her mother’s side, she was American, and that he believed she was heiress to a good deal of money. Helena heard him quietly, though with inter- est. ‘Tl help to find her,” she then said, ‘‘for I recognize in the names, Bianca and Tomaso, two people I met on the street one day, where they were playing a hand-organ and tambou- rine. I took their address, and intended to call, for the dark-eyed little girl interested me, but teenth street.” She used the word ‘‘ singularly ” deliberately, for she had always thought the disappearance of the pocket-book an odd one, That Bob o” the Bowery took it she had never believed, but she really was not so sure about Oscar Ber- trand. She now resolved to see Bianca, though she did not place much faith in Briano’s assertion. that the girl was heiress to any considerable amount of money. Probably five hundred dollars would seem a good deal to him, She left some money with the Leordis, and then went to the address given by Briano, but and gone no one knew where. She was in perplexity, but a sudden pull at her sleeve caused her to turn. She saw a small hair which was as obstinate as though each hair was at war with its neighbors, ‘‘ See yer,” said the small girl, ‘‘do ye want a straight tip?” ‘‘Do I want what ?” asked the lady in bewil- derment. ‘A straight tip "bout them Italians.” ‘*Do you know them?” ‘No, but I’m a perivate detective, an’ Pm. onter a racket. I know whar they be, an’ why they skipped. I ’spect you’re on ther squar’ so ther head o’ ther bureau won’t kick ef 1 squeal.” ‘‘ My dear child, I don’t understand half that: you say. Who in the world are you?” ‘‘T'm Nan.” ‘Nan? Do you mean Nannie?” ‘‘ Bf I meant Queen Victoria, 'd say so. But I don’t. I’m Nan. W’ot'll you give fer ter know whar ther Italians herd? S’pect I must make all ther collat’ I kin, fer ther firm is arter tin. Wot boodle is inter it?” The red-haired midget looked at Miss Abbott with g-ave eyes, and her air was business-like, so she was promised a dollar for the informatiorm on condition that she also gave her own address, This she readily did,and the matter was soom settled. Hélena was conducted to the house, and was then directed to the room occupied by Silva and Bianca. She rapped, and then heard the invita- tion to enter. She obeyed. The first person she saw was dark-eyed Bianca; the second—and she grew amazed at the sight—was Oscar Bertrand! What was he doing there? CHAPTER XIII. THE MULBERRY STREET BRAVOS, Apam WoopMAN was a prisoner, and had beer since he was decoyed away from the hotel. As Bob 0’ the Bowery had suspected, it was Wolf and Mc- Gookin who had done this little piece of work. They came to him, represented themselves as de- tectives, and promised to conduct him to his grand- daughter. He had waiked blindly into the trap, been conduct- ed to Marco Gambora’s house, an’ there held untik Bob’s movements alarmed the Padrone Prince and iy necessitated Adam’s removal, “a In his new quarters he vas not unkindly treated ze but little fresm air and no view of the outer world were a'lowed him. If he was ignorant of the traps Cae and tricks of New York, he was not dull enough ie , " ° oat g™ ty Ss &- pe 6 ent + ‘ row x4 gept ee Fe AE a3 - *- . . = a ’ micpooKs.com Ce pege. m hi : a