Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 488 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

— ee 12 whose corner sae stood. jounged lazily away. Evidently he had done his share of the job. Moll was the one to be foll wed. Dick put himself in an instant on her track. It was not a very charming path she pursued. Through dirty ein ill-smelling streets and alleys she passed, inhabited by tattered men, women and children, of all ages and degrees of dirt, ‘ many of them drunk, while here and there was an evil-faced ruffian who eyed Dick savagely. He was in perilous quarters, It was no place for a man with respectable clothes. He slyly unhooked his watch-chain and slipped it into his pocket. His hand slid quietly down till it ‘touched the stock of a revolver in his pocket. Moll moved on with the free step of one thoroughly at home amid all this misery and degradation, Dick followed. He did not lose sight of the fact that a brace of ruffians were following .him, close behind, He was now in the very heart of the dangerous district. A man might be knocked down and robbed here, or even beaten to a jelly, and his assailants laugh at the authorities. ** Moll has led me into a den of thieves,” he simply said, while every nerve in his body grew alive with alert readiness. It was needed. A hand fell on his shoulder. A hoarse voice growled into his ear: ** Hold yer hosses, young ’un, Jist stop and tell a poor chap what’s o’clock!” ** Just struck one,” answered Dick, wheeling sharply around, and dashing his fist between the eyes of the ruffian. The burly fellow went down asif he had been kicked by a mule. The companion of the felled villain sprung forward, with a horrible oath. But he hastily paused ‘when he found that a‘revolver was staring him in the face, near enough to touch his nose, ‘* Look out it don’t strike two,” cried Dick, sternly. ‘‘Slide, you beat, or rll sprinkle your brains on these brick walls!” _ The fellow hastily retired, protesting and curs- ing. That will do, Now keep your distance, or Tl salt you with lead. You have barked up the wrong tree, this hitch.” Dick walked on.. His felled assailant was crawling, with terrible oaths, to his feet. The two fellows followed again, but at a respectful distance. Evil looks were cast on the daring intruder, but the weapon in his hand, and the late proof of his prowess, kept villainy back. He moved on unmolested. But he had lost sight of Moll in the momen- tary diversion. He hastened forward, with the hope of recovering the lost trail. Just before him another, street crossed the one he was fol- lowing. He gained it, and gazed up and down itscourse. No trace of Moll was visible. Dick stood for a moment in a quandary. Which course had she taken, right or left? ‘There was no other street near enough for her to have reached. She must have sought shelter. But where? To the right the row of tumble-down residen- ces was broken by a better built and more pre- tentious edifice. Toward this Dick hurried, with th hope that it might be the place sought for. ‘There across its front, in glaring red letters, was ‘the sign: “THE TRAMP’S DELIGHT.” ‘So far, good,” he declared to himself, with a sense of satisfaction. ‘‘ Now to find out the se- eret of Moll’s mission. I feel in my bones that I have some stock in that business.” . He entered witho:.t hesitation the open door o the rum-mill, It was well-tenanted with a dila idated and vile crowd, some of them beastly drunk. At the side were tables, tenanted by the more aristocratic customers. At one of these sat Moll, in company with a man at sight of whom Dick started. This personage was dressed in a coarse suit, the coat buttoned to the throat as if to conceal the lack of a collar. A blue bandkerchief around his neck partly covered his chin. His visored cap was drawn down so that only his eyes ay peared. He was evidently seeking to conceal his iden- , tity, but it was wasted on Dick, who knew him at a glance. It was Phil Morton, his scheming cousin! CHAPTER XII. ' LIFE AT THE TRAMP’S DELIGHT, “GIMME a& Snooger o’ old rye, boss, and quick as thunder, d’ye hear?” Dick had grown suddenly very drunk. He would hardly keep his feet as he made this de- _ Joe turned and Wild Dick Racket. mand. The bartender, with a look of surprise at his respectable dress, passed over the liquor. ‘*Reckon you’ve made a teu-strike lately,” he remarked, ** You bet,” hiccoughed Dick, staggering to the bar, and filling the glass to the brim with the vile liquid there dispensed as whisky. ‘‘ Guess l’ve—hic. Guess I’ve made Rome howl.” ** Plank down the forfeit, then. It’s cash down at this bar.” ‘* Want to’sult agen’l’man?—hic. Got pocket full o’ greenbacks. Smother you in gold dollars —hic—if you open that oyster-bar o’ yourn ag’in. Here’s yer dough.” He planked down a coin on the bar with a hitching stagger. At the same instant the glass, raised to his lips, slipped from his loosened fin- gers, and fell with a crash to the floor, pouring its vile dose over the thirsty boards. Dick stood with his hands on his knees, look- ing down at the wreck, and growling deep down in his throat as if he had met some dreadful mis- fortune, ‘*That’s what comes 0’ ~rease on yer fingers,” he muttered. ‘‘ Don’t nobody say I’m drunk. ’Cos it’s a lie, and [’ll punch—I’ll punch—” He sought to straighten himself, and lurched blindly across the room, bringing up in a limp heap on the floor on the opposite side, ‘* TU punch his head!” These last words were brought out in a low grumble. Dick remained doubled up against the wail, his head depressed, his face on his knees. A faint snore followed. He had apparently dropped off into.a drunken sleep. The landlord let him alone. He had been paid twice over for his loss, The seemingly drunken man had settled down close beside the table tenanted by Moll and her companion. They looked down on him in a moment's ques- tion. **Oh, he’s only a bloated beat,” remarked Moll, scornfully. ‘‘ He’s been pourin’ in blue Yizen, and now he’s come toanchor. Go ahead. et’s hear from you.” The answer came in a low, cautious tone, while the speaker gazed suspiciously and anx- iously around the saloon. ‘* What made you bring me to such a place as this? A den of cut-throats, where a respectable mais in danger of his life,” ‘* Likely you’d sooner meet me at the Conti- nental, or some sich tony place,” Moll scornfully replied. ‘‘ I’m a neat figure to meet gentlemen in ’spectable society, ain’t I?’ looking down at her soiled and ragged dress. ‘‘ Brung you here ’cause [ve got more sense than you. Nobody won’t hurt you while I’m about.” ‘*T see.” He nodded, as if he perceived the justice of her remarks, ‘‘I don’t intend to do anything but on the square, Moll.” ** You’d best not try it,” she savagely replied. ‘‘Pve got the whip hand on you, mister, Try a trick on me and [ll make you howl.” ‘But it’s no place here to pass cash. Be a’ the place I told you— You know where it is?” ‘* Like a book, Lived near there. Afore whisky made me the thing I am now.” ‘* Be there at eight o’clock, Thursday evening. I will see that the coast is clear.” ‘** Beechcroft. Don’t I know it?” ‘*Hush! hush! No names, Give the signal. I will let youin. The cash shall be ready. But mind, that ends all between us.” ‘*?’m sound as a brick,” rejoined Moll, with a significant nod. ‘‘When I say beans I mean beans. You plank down handsome, and you won't ae me snoozin’ round ag’in,”’ ‘* You're bleeding me too heavy, as it is.” ‘‘Notared. I know the vally o’ diamonds.” The drunken man at the wall gave a stir at this minute, followed by a louder snore. Moll looked down on him. ‘* Bet that chap’s been slingin’ rank p’isen,” she remarked, ‘‘ Been caught in a reg’lar cy- clone. Iknow. Ive been there,” “ That’s all,” said Phil, cautiously. ‘‘ You understand. Sharp eight, Thursday night. Now let me out of this dangerous den.” ‘*Not yet,” answered Moll, sternly. ‘‘ You can't play sharp on me, as you’ve been trying. Had job enough to fetch you here. You don slide a step till I’ve got security in hand.” ‘* But—” he anxiously began. ‘No but about it. I want your promise to pay fer a clean five hundred,” ‘Tl be hanged if you'll get it, then!” “ Won't I? en out jumps your cat from the bag, that’s all.” ‘*T will never put my reputation in your rt ” 3 a A tool. “It ‘I ain’t going to use the paper, you foo S ours again when I get the cash. But I’m und to have security.” * This conversation had been continued in a very low tone, with frequent breaks whenever any of the customers of the saloon came too near. As for the snoring fellow against the wall, they cease to pay heed to him. Phil looked doubtfully at the evil faces surrounding. ‘‘Do you imagine I care for your threat, Moll Brandon?” he replied, witha return of confidence. ‘‘ You dare not inform on me. for it will check your last chance for cash, You get no paper from me.” She looked at him with a gleam of rage in her eyes. ‘* You blind fool!” she hissed. ‘‘ Do you know that you are under my finger at this. minute? This is hell’s vestibule, you idiot! I have but to say a word, and the whole crew will be on you. They’ll fling you penniless into the street, if nothing worse happens. And I'll do it, too,” she fiercely repeated. ‘You've been trying to play with me, but I’ve got the drop on you now.” Phil’s lips grew white at this threat. He looked around him. More than one pair of evil eyes were fixed suspiciously on his face, Two rea | ruffians, in particular, who had just en- tered, were looking at bim with glances that made him tremble. They were the same with whom Dick had had his quarrel in the street, ‘* What do you want?” he asked. ‘‘ Your promise to pay. Here is pen, ink and paper. You promise to pay five hundred dol- lars on demand. I will return the paper when { get the cash. But you can’t play with Moll Branden.” Phil was decidedly in a trap. He recognized that. Without further words he drew the paper to him, and wrote the note of hand demanded. This he passed to Moll, who read it carefully, and tben, with an air of satisfaction, concealed it in her dress, ‘So far, good. But that’s not all, I'want some cash in hand. There’s three days yet to the time fixed, there’s a railroad ride, ‘and I want to get a decent dress, I won’t go to—the place—like a tramp.” ‘* How much?” asked Phil, resignedly. ‘*A ten, Not a cent less,” He tock out his purse, selected a note from it and passed it to her, He was about to replace the purse in his pocket when a heavy hand came down on it with a vigorous slap. **Drap it there, hoss. Ye’re a stranger. IT take it, and ain’t paid yer footin’, That t ere’s my provender,” The speaker was the ruffian whom Dick had recently felled in the street. He wrenched the purse from the weaker hand of its owner, and was about to put it in his pocket, with a sneer- ing Jaugh, when Phil, maddened by the insult, sprung to his feet, and dashed like a wild-cat at his assailant. In an instant there was an uproar in the sa- loon, Some of its habitues crowded toward the assailants, others pushed off. Loud cries arose. The landlord hastily sprung from behind his bar. Phil had caught his purse in the thief's hand, end was striving to wrest it from the firm grip without thought of consequences in his eager- ness to recover the money. ‘Take that, you bloody bummer!” A slap from the left hand of the ruffian stretched Phil helplessly across the table from bis 17 how had just arisen. a Ol now sprung forward fierce as a tigress, ‘*Drop that, Blue Dick! He jis my “riend and I won’t stand by—” , ‘*Sbet up and skip! or I'll kick you out.” ‘Kick me, will you, you blear-eyed pick- lock!” yelled Moll, furious at the insult. She sprung at him with a cat-like agility, caught his bushy beard with one hand, and brought the nails of the other in a long, bloody scratch down his cheek, ‘‘Hell’s fire! Take her off! Bu’st her head Larry!” yelled the discomfited thief. ; All this had passed in almost an instant, The quiet of the saloon had suddenly given way toa loud turmoil. Its customers, drunk and sober, were yell ing wildly, as if excited to insanity by’ thu fight. Among them the snoring ‘drunkard against the wall was on his feet, wide awake now, and with a very sober look in his keen eyes. : Moll continued her assault on the insulting ruffian. On one side the man called Larry came to the rescue. On the other Phil scrambled again to his feet, and snatched his purse from the hand of the hampered thief, He was in- Sstantly assailed by a tattered crew, whom the sight of money had excited to madness, Git now, ye dead beat, se eee es 4 “ . ——— a ee