Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 513 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 In that glare of light she saw a white, haggard face, its eyes looking vacantly at the Demon Doc- tor’s window, but witha stare that seemed not to “see anything. The face was the face of her husband, Barney Driver. **Go to bed, Clara,’’ said Lucette, kindly. ea mp she obeyed, but all through her dreams was that terribly staring face, and she felt as if her sleep was one long nightmare. She thought the face looked like that of a drowned man, who might in life have been her husband. CHAPTER XII. THE DEMON OF NATURAL GAS, How Barney Driver managed to escape the deadly ‘peril in which he was placed when he was drawn over the wickets of the dam by the resistless torrent he could hardly have told. He remembered being tossed about in the seeth- ing flood, with the great logs crashing against him on all sides. He felt himself drawn under the water while pass- ing over the wickets,and he held bis breath until stars danced before his eyes and his head seemed as if it would burst. Then he was thrown hither and thither, up and down, backward and forward, until, his senses seem- ing to come back to him, hestruck out boldly for the shore below the great lock. For afew minutes his strokes, powerful as they were, seemed to have no effect. Then, as if tired of him, the torrent threw him away from the swirl at the foot of the dam, and he found himself in the nearly calm slack-water. It was an easy thing then fora strong swimmer to reach the shore, and ina very few minutes he stood on the river-bank, shaking himself in his wet clothing and listening to the steady thud-thud of the Demon Doctor’s boat, as the three men in it plied their oars with clock-work regularity. The sti!l night brought every sound to his ear. “It’s all right, gentlemen; but my turn will come. You have got the better of me to night, and beaten me out of a fortune. But I sill have that girlin my piped and I'll make Mr. Demon Doctor pay me well “4 my secret—that isn’t such a great secret, after all.”’ He chuckled as he climbed the bank and walked swifily along the railroad track toward the city. He had only gone a few hundred yards when he noticed a small skiff chained to a wooden post at the water’s edge. -* Not much use chaining a boat when the post can be pulled out as easily as this,” he muttered with a grin, as with one vigorous wrench, he tore the post from its insecure hold in the loose, crumbling earth, soaked with water. There were no oars in the boat, but, an old barrel that chanced to be lying near was soon kicked to pieces, and two of its staves made excellent paddles, which be used dextrqusly. He reached the shore at the foot of Mount Wash- ington while the Demon Doctor was parleying with Clara at the shanty-boat. Knowing the locality so well it did not take Barney long to reach the top of Mount Washington. He wanted to get to his secret hiding-place in the mine, where he hoped to find Oscar and Curly Bob and get some explanation of their absence, and find .out how Lawrence Sinclair and Mike Carroll had managed to masquerade in these places. Perhaps a little explanation of this may not be out of place at this time. It will be remembered that when Lawrence Sin- lair was about to step off the chain to the side of the mine he was struck by Oscar, the colored man, and thrown down the pit. He did not fall far, however. Fortunately, Mike.was -on the watch, and putting out his hand, was enabled to save him from what would have undoubtedly been a fatal fall. Osear and Curly Bob. supposing he had fallen to the bottom, were off their guard for a moment, Lawrence’ and Mike quickly recovering them- alas out of the mine from the chain, and, ‘springing upon the other two, overpowered them, after a sharp struggle. As Lawrence forced Oscar to the ground some- thing dropped out of the negro’s pocket. Examination showed it to be ascrap of paper on “which was written: “ Davis Island Dam—11 o’clock to-night—skiff.”’ _ An’ bedad, we'll keep the Sy cet a said Mike Carroll. ‘ For there is the skiff down there in the wather beyant; [’'ve seen Barney the Blacksheep in it many's the toime.”’ , With some difficulty, they got Oscar and Curly Bob down in the cage to the bottom of the mine, and forced them to go into the corridor from whence Lawrence and Mike had made their way to the shaft. Some stout cord that Oscar had in bis possession had afforded means to bind the two_ prisoners, and when they were finally left lying on the floor in the darkness of the damp corridor, they were, as Mike expressed it, as “ hilpless as troosed chickens and as shtiff as b’iled owls, bedad!”’ Lawrence carefully bolted the heavy oaken door that guarded the outlet of the corridor to the space at the foot of the shaft, and wnen he and Mike climbed the chain once more and went down to the boat to keep the Davis Island Dam engagement, he felt that he had safely disposed of Oscar and Curly Bob for the time being. To return to Barney the Blacksheep. It was with weary steps that he reached the The Demon Doctor. ening of the old mine and walked straight toward e secret chamber where we first saw him in the mine. For some unaccountable reason, he felt as if he could not enter the room. He went to the door, which, as we know, was generally barred and bolted, but which, when empty, was secured by secret fastenings from the outside. / He placed his hands on the door, but still he did mot open it. ‘*‘Pshaw! What's the matter with me?” he mut- tered. ‘‘I believe I’m getting nervous.”’ He strolled through the corridors again, with every inch of which he was familiar, and went to the en- trance, facing the Demon Doctor’s house, standing there for a few minutes in deep thought. It was then that he was seen by Clara. ‘Well, itis no use. I must attend to this business of mine and get things settled up. 1 have had enough of this part of the pone? Tli just go get the swag and be done withit. I wonder where Oscar and Curly are. If I find them loafing around ere, sees I told them I wanted them fora job, The desperado clinched his fists and scowled darkly as the thought crossed his brain that perhaps they had betrayed him. *T'll soon find out, anyhow,” he said to himself, fiercely, as he made his way to the secret room again. With quick, determined movements, he unfastened the door and. threw it open. One hasty glance around showed him that the room had not been disturbed siace he was last in it. There was the table overturned, just as it had been thrown in the struggle with Lawrence Sinclair, while the chairs and other furniture were in the same positions in which he had left them. He went into the room, locked and barred the door and examined the opening in the opposite wall, through which Mike Carroll had entered so uncere- moniously two days before. Everything was secure. ‘*Osear!’’ he called, No answer. He opened the trapin the floor and called again. ‘‘T have an idea that those fellows are somewhere around here. I guess they got wind that there was danger and they + kept shady and let me take my chances. But Ill make it hot for them when I get ne hands on them.”’ he natural-gas flame was still throwing its glare around the rcom. ‘** Oscar!’ he called down the trap. No answer. ‘* Well, I'll get this thing settled by myself.” He shut down the trap and carefully examined every mode of egress and ingress to see that he was not likely to be disturbed. Then he took a shovel and began industriousl digging at the pile of slate and rubbish to which reference has already been made several times, A few shovelfuls of the stuff had been removed, and then the shovel struck something hard with a ringing sound. ‘“Ah. there you are, my beauty, safe and sound,” muttered Barney, as a smile spread over his rugged features, while his eyes glistened with the fire of avarice, ; He soon removed the rest of the rubbish that hid his treasure. Then he threw aside his shovel with a low cry of triumph and pleasure. A square, iron box, such as Express companies use for the conveyance of money and valuables. Another careful look around the room, and he 02,3 - key from a pocket inside his shirt and raised the lid, A Fe ei of dirty newspapers was all that was revealed, Barney took the trouble now to walk all around the room and look carefully at every place where it might be possible for an intruder to effect an entrance. Everything was silent and safe, and he was quite alone, He returned to his box and began slowly and cautiously to take out the old newspapers one by one. Soon the real contents of the box met his eye. Jewels of all kinds, some in cases and some lying loose were there. while thousands of dollars, appar- ently in gold and greenbacks were stored away at the bottom. ‘Good!’ said Barney, in a rapture of satisfac- tion, as he took up the rings. bracelets, brooches and earrings one by one and examined their luster at coeerent angles in the light of the natural gas me Then he took up one particular ring, a solitaire diamond of large size and remarkable fire. ‘** Where did that boy get this ring?’ he mused as he placed it on his finger. ‘I thought when i took this from him the other night, on the river, that I had settled his business forever. I felt sure then that he knew too much about me, but if 1 had known that he was Deadhold, he would never have lived over that night, either iu the name of Frank Trenton or any other.” It was indeed a beautiful ring, and far outshone anything else in the box, splendid as its contents were. “There are about $20.000 worth of stuff here,”’ he reflected. ‘“Oscar’s share is to be $1, and Curly’s $500—if I feel like giving it to them,” with a chuckle. He proceeded to take out the contents of the box and dispose them in pockets about his clothing, The jewels he placed in paper, in little heaps, leaving the cases in the box. He did not want to be burdened with anything save the valuables. Soon all the blazing stones, in their handsome set- tings. were hidden away in his inside pockets, ‘“Now for the ready cash,” he muttered. ‘ That’s always useful, and I may want all I can get before I get safely away from this part of the country.” He had just completed his task, and after care- lessly shoveling back the rubbish and slate so as to hide the box again, was examining a splendidly finished Smith & Wesson self. cocking six-shooter, when he tarted, holding the weapon, his finger on the trigger, as if ready for Instant action. “What was that?’ he said, softly. ‘I thought I heard a voice,” His face turned a sickly yellow in the reflection of the natural gas flame. He bastily buttoned his sack coat, and, revolver still in hand, bent down to listen. A faint cry struck his ear. _ “Sure enough! There is some one, and I believe it comes from below.”’ He pulled up the trap and peered into the dark- ness, but could not distinguish any thing. He took a lantern from a corner of the room, and lighting it, closed it carefully and held it down the trap opening. ‘I doa’t believe there is any one there. They ge have got down that little shaft in the corner.” “Barney !”’ “By gracious! It’s Oscar! What in the deuce is he doing down there? Well, I'll find out very soon, anyhow.” He quickly brought a rope with a hook from 4 corner of the room and let himself down. Then he went over to the shaft in the corner and looked down. Osear’s voice sounded nearer now, but still he could not see him. With a bound he was down the shaft and stumb- ling along the corridor to the spot from whence the negro’s voice, crying “ Barney,” could still be heard. ‘* Where are you, Oscar?” cried Barney. ‘“Hyar, boss, an’ nearly done played out. I’se gwine to die, 1 know, an’ Curly Bob, he done gone dead, already, I b’lieve,”’ “Don’t be a fool! Where are you?” was Barney's impatient response. Then he added: “ Hallo, what's this? I feel kind of hard to breathe. It is terribly close down here.”’ He went on a few yards further and stopped, while he opened the coliar of his shirt. He felt a tight- ng around the throat that he could not account or. ‘‘Look out, boss,” said Oscar, “‘dere’s danger ’roun’ hyar, suah. I done shet dat doah, ‘cause there’s—there’s—”’ ‘What? Why don’t you say what you mean?” said Barney, impatiently, as he felt his head swim, while his breath came quicker and shorter. ‘“Why, boss, I—I ca—an’t eee, say what I wants, ‘cause—’cause I feels sick, an’ I b’lieve Curly Bob is a goner; I do, suah!” Barney Driver stumbled along until he came toa door, tightly closed, from the other side of which Oscar’s voice proceeded. Barney felt very sick now. Sparks seemed to dance before his eyes, there was a humming and buzzing in his ears and he could not keep his mind under control without great exertion. ‘‘ What is it, Oscar?” he asked, faintly. “Why, boss. Doan’t you open datdoah! I guess the nat’ral gas done be escapin’ somewhere, so I shut the doah, but there’s ‘nuff of it got through the chiuks to choke Curly, an’ I doan’ b’lieve I kin hold out much longer.”’ ‘* Natural gas!” repented rig as a thrill of horror ran through him, while the stars danced faster than ever before his eyes, and the noise in his ears became louder and more bewildering, Too well he knew the terrible power of this but little understood product of Mother Earth. He knew that natural gas, while ten times more dead- ly in its effects than the regular manufactured gas used in all parts of the civilized world, was still apparently innocent until the,victim was fairly in its clutch. He knew that natural gas was entirely odorless, and that it gave no sign of its presence by the strong, unpleasant smell that always gives warning of the escape of regular coal gas. It was this peculiarity that had made it possible for Barney to be nearly overcome by it before he knew that it was escaping around him at all. In different parts of the mine the gas existed, as he knew, he having taken advantage of itin the room above to sink a pipe into the small * pocket,” as the gas ~ ami are called, and thus furnish him- self with light. But he was not prepared for the leakage that had probably killed Curly Bob and from which he himself might not escape. He felt that he must get away and recover himself before he could attempt the rescue of Oscar, He turned around bo walk back, and stumbled over a huge bowlder that lay in his os As he fell, his lantern struck the bowlder and Smashed the glass. For perhaps a thousandth part of a second there was a low sound, like a rumbling sigh. Then, with a mighty roar and crash and boom—that shook Mount. Washington to its foundations, and made the good people of Pittsburg and Allegheny across the river, turn in their beds—a large portion of the worked-out mine was laid bare to the heavens. The remains of Barney.Oscar and Curly Bob were never found, and it was supposed that the force of the explosion drove them further into the mines, where the tumbling masses of dislodged slate and earth covered them beyond recovery. Noo - .