Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 513 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

i..¢e6 <2 ss . 4 ny 4 oh Na ae i oo — - >} af! Songs oo : a a- 2 «= a Noe Mh ‘‘ Down brakes!” pa ted the fireman, in the cab of the engine, as he, too, lent his aid Loward check- ing the train, anc— ‘Down bralkes!’’ mutely joined in a living some- thing stretched across the track of the B. & O. on * that stormy December night. 4 It was a Gark and dangerous place. Though only five or six milesfrom the heart of Pittsburg, it was as desolate as if it had been in the inmost fastnesses of the mountains which interpose their gigantic bulk » between Eastern and Western Pennsylvania, On one side a high, jagged cliff, the rocks preserv- ing all the ugly angularities left by the giant powder used in blasti g a way for the railroad; on the other, the turbid, rushing waters of the Monongahela River, bearing on its bosom many a whisper of the rustic quietude in which it takes its rise, but yet seeking the busy hum of intustry in the Smoky City with an eagerness very similar to that of the human delver for wealth in Pittsburg’s murky precincts. On the opposite side of the river a lurid glare <hoot- ing up here and there against the inky blackness of the sky told that iron and steel mills were in opera- tion, and that half-naked sons of Vulcan were literal- ly earning bread for themselyes and families by the sweat of their brows. Mingling with the noise of wind and rain the indescribable hum and roar which ever rises and falls in regular cadence in Pittsburg foreed itself upon the notice and spoke of fortunes being made for the manufacturers and wages for the workmen, ‘© Down brakes !”’ The locked wheels of the train grated on the rails; the engine, with the lever reversed by the engineer, struggled hard to overcome the momentum gathered from its previous swift flight, and the headlight threw a sickly p beady over the form lying helpless on the rocky road-bed with limbs stretched over the rails. as if courting a fearful, bloody death! ‘- What is it?”? asked the engineer of his fireman, as the latter, with both hands on the brake-wheel, pearec with starting eyeballs and bated breath into he night. ‘It is a boy, I believe!” “So it is! And we are on the down-grade. It will be a close call.” A score of heads were protruding from the car windows and the excitement was intense. For the moment the fate of the helpless creature on the track was of more importance than that of nations, The passengers grasped the window ledges as if apf would stop the train themselves by ex- pending their strength on the insensate wood. ‘Soe he moves!” cried the fireman. ‘ Ring the bell louder and whistle!” “Tris no use, Nothing can save him,” returned the engineer. ‘‘ We are right upon him.” The train had materially slackened its pace and a sulphurous smell arose from the track as the brakes, pressed hard down, prevented the wheels turning, and caused them to strike fire from the rails. Forty yaris more and the living sacrifice to the monster of iron and steel would be consummated. , “No good, talking, Jim!” said the fireman. “I ain’t going to see that boy crushed to death! I be- lieve | can save him!” aud, like a cat, the fireman climbed out of the cab, crept swiftly along the side of the locomotive, where the throbbing of the im- mense driving-wheels bardly kept pace with that of his own heart and reached the cow-catcher. The nen was very close now, and the fireman hardly had time to reach dowr and grasp the boy with a side fling, ere the spot where he had lain was half the length of the train behind! But the deed was accomplished, somehow, and the unknown was safe! Just as the fireman flung the boy from the track, a tall figure sprung out ffom behind an old wooden shanty which stood. and still stands, at the side of the B, & O. Railroad track at that particular point— a man of perhaps forty years of age, with swarth countenance and strongly-marked features. His square chin was covered, though not concealed, by a thick growth of grizzled beard, while his strong white teeth gleamed from beneath a heavy mus- tache. dress was that of a mill man, while his large, muscular hands and pent! fingers seemed to indicate that he was familiar with the use of heavy tools and pone machinery. ‘Curse their smartness!” he hissed. “‘They have upset all my arrangements, and I shall have to do everything over age n.’’ He stooped and raised the boy in his arms as he spoke, and, throwing him over his shoulder, strode down the bank to the river. He cast the boy, with no gentle hand, into the bot- tom of a skiff which was bobbing up and down ainst a cluster of wooden piles. Then, steppin in himself, he shoved off into the river and waite i 7 the people on the train to finish their investiga- - tion, “Tord, how it dves rain!’ muttered the man, as he pulled his coat closer around him, “ And it is as dark as agrave. i’ll have trouble over this night’s work as sure as my name is Barney Driver, I shall et the rheumatism, if nothing worse; that is cer- j 3 The train had stopped and several of the crew were searching the side of the track for the boy who had had so narrow an escape. Up and down they walk- ed, swinging their lanterns and inspecting every inch of the ground where he was likely to be. Not a vestige of him could they find. He had vanished completely! It puzzled the trainmen, but a Night Express must “be on time. and they did not stay long when they found that their search was fruitless. In a few minutes the conductor sung out “ All aboard!” a lantern gave the signal to the engineer, The Demon Doctor. — and the B. & O. Express was once more on its way to Pittsburg, the red light on the rear car throwing along streak of color on the wet rails behind, that looked like newly-spilled blood! “So, It has gone!” said Barney Driver to him- self. ‘‘Now for this brat! lf thateengineer had not been provided with good eyesight it would have been all over by this time, and no one would have been any the wiser. If I only dared to throw him overboard. But no; it would be too dangerous. The other plan was the best. Just a case of walking on the track; a hasty inquest; no one to identify the remains; burial by the city, and Barney Driver all right. I might.glve it up and let him stay with me, perhaps. But no, no; I couldn’t stand ¢/at/ He must die, That is the only thing to do, as far as he is concerned,”’ It had stcpped raining, and one feeble star could be distinguished peeping through the heavy banks of clouds, as if it were a pityiag eye fixed on the still form in the bottom of the boat. The boy seemed conscious of this inquest, for he stirre:! slightly and opened his eyes. Barney Driver heard the movement and dropped on his knees to peer into the youns face. “Oh, I am so tired!’’ said the boy, wearily. ‘“Whereaml? I feel as if I were being rocked ina cradle, as mother used to rock me, years ago!" ‘Shut your mouth, you fool!” was Barney Driver’s unsympathetic response, ‘‘or T'll give you a different kind of rock. I'll slug you!” The boy forced himself into a sitting looked straight into the eyes of Barney Driver. ‘* What do you mean todo with me? And how is it Tamin a boat alone, with you, in the middle of the night?” ‘“You arein the boat because 1 om you in, and how you came to be walking on the track in the middle of the night you know better than I can tel you. What is yourname?” asked Barney. ! The boy hesitated a moment and _ then replied, as if with difficulty: ‘* Frank Trenton.” ‘Where are you from?”’ ‘“New York.’ ** How did you get here?” ‘Walked.’ ‘* What did you come for?” Wor, ‘Have you learned any trade?” ‘No, but I am willing to turn my hand to any- ’ osition and ‘Well, there are poy of places in Pittsburg where a strong, healthy boy can get work, and—”’ ‘Bang! bang!”’ Two deafening reports sounded from underneath the boat, and at the same moment a blinding flash of light glared in Barney Driver’s eyes, Ere be could recover his breath the light was gone and all was darkness as before. ‘‘What was that?’ he spluttered, with an air of bravado, The only answer was the soughing of the wind and the splashing of the big rain-drops in the boat, The storm. which had for a few minutes lessened in violence, increased once more as if it would annihi- late the skiff and its two passengers. Te boy had fallen back again and the rain was beating upon his upturned face and washing his clus- tering curls from his forehead, ‘*Hle’s gone again!’ said Barney. ‘‘ Chloroform will fix them, every time, when properly adminis- tered. Ihave aecocod mind to pitch him overboard now. There could not be much dangerinit. Noone knows I am here, and even if they did and the worst came to the worst I could say thatit was an accident. Something must be done quickly one way or the other. I don’t want to stay here in the rain, I have been pretty nearly struck by lightning once and that is enough. That stroke just now was too close to be comfortable.” The boat had drifted into the middle of the river by this time and had gone down with the current until the roar of the locks could be heard distinctly above the noise of the storm. ‘‘Hallo! I don’t want to be seen by those fellows at the lock,” said Barney. ‘That would give my scheme away, completely.” He picked up a pair of oars which lay by the side of the boy and commenced to pull up-stream, mut- tering to himself meanwhile: “TI feel sure that boy saw me at Sing Sing, and that he will give me away if he ever gets a chance. I have no desire to put in another three years in the ‘jug.’ I had a close shave in getting out of it, and I mean to stay out, if possible. Then there is this lit- tle thing, too.”’ He let go of the oar on his left, and grasping it with his right hand, steadied the right-hand oar with his elbow. With his disengaged left hand he drew a ring from his pocket. ‘A diamond and worth $500 at least. I wonder where he got it? Not honestly, I feel sure, Then why haven't [ as much right to it as him? I'm go ing @ keep it, anyhow.” @ was 80 much absorbed in the con*emplation of the jewel that he did not notice a light dancing up and down within a few yards of his boat to the left. The light seemed to be re in mid-air, about five feet above the water, and its colors changed from white to red, then to blue, yellow, and aney to white again, but a white of much greater bril- liancy than at first. What could it be? There was no sound, as of a boat, being rowed in the vicinity, and the storm had lulled again, so that the splash of oars and the ripple of a boat’s keel could have been heard plainly if it had existed. Still the light shone and moved up and down as if borne on the crest of the huge waves or by a being walking on the river. Nearer and nearer it came until, with a start, Barney Driver saw it, He fell back, with jaws and eyes distended, while the oars, released from his hold, slipped out of the oarlocks and floated away on the surface of the wa- ter. “There it is again!’? he gasped, while the cold sweat burst out upon his forehead and his whole form became convulsed as ifina spasm. “It is al- ways a sign of bad luck forme! What can it be? If I ever find out that some fellow has been playing a trick on me, VU—TV’U— By gracious! It is gone!” Boom! sounded the big ell from City Hall. its deep note coming distinctly to Barney’s ears as he looked around him, ‘Three o'clock!’ I must get this job over! It is only a boy, after all, And, who knows? Perhaps he will get out and jump the town. I'll give him the chance,”’ He stooped and raised the inanimate form of the lad in higsarms. Standing up and bracing his fe+t ey he threw his victim clear off the boat into the ver. There was a loud splash, and at the same moment, a flood of light burst over the scene, while a giant hand seized Barney by the throat and bore him into the bottom of his boat. As he was forced irresistibly back, be saw the form of a singular being, nearly seven feet high, wrapped in a black cloak and with a black skull-cap perched on top of his white hair, while, from the middle of his chest gleamed the light which illumin- ated everything within a dozen yards of it, and added to the unearthly look of its wearer. The being had a long, sharp nose, and piercing black eyes, which, vsinder their heavy eyebrows seemed to vie with the eee of the mysterious light emitted from his chest. + As Barney struggled in the powerful clasp of the bony fingers, he sbrieked as one in mortal terror: * The Demon Doctor |” Then the neh vanished as suddenly as it had ap- peared, and Barney found himself alone in the mid- dle of the river. save for the corpse like face of the boy, which glided down the stream a dozen yards from the boat. CHAPTER II. FRANK TRENTON’S MYSTERIOUS POWER. Work was in full swing at the Star Steel Works on the ae after the events narrated in the last chapter. The day had broken clear and cold and the five hundred men employed in the mill were working with a will. Huge masses of white hot steel were being passed backward and forward through the rolls, by men who, with their long iron tongs, seemed to manip- ulate the hissing metal as easily as if it were molas- ses candy. Each time it was put through the rolls it came out longer and thinner, until at last it only needed a few finishing touches to make it a. perfect rail, ready to take its place as part of a railway in any quarter of the gloue. “ Faith! an’ it’s meself ez would loike to be goin’ to the picnic beyant,”’ said Mike Carroll,as he helped to draw a bar of the ht steel from the last roll. “What are you talking about?” gruffly asked Barney Driver, who was in charge of the rolls, * It seems to me you arealways wanting to go to picnics. It is a pity you have anything else todo. Asfor me, I find my work takes all my tin.e, without think- ing of picnics.” ke Carroll winked comically to a companion who stood near him, taking care that Barney Driver did not see the action, however, as he replied: “ah, thin, Mr. Droiver, a picnic in Dacimber w’u’d be a moighty cowld sport; but I belave as it w’u’d be for the binefit of yer sowl and body if ye oy more divarsion. Ye’d feel the better for it, an S19 ‘Curse you, what are you doing?” interrupted Barney, as Mike accidentally dug him in the ribs with the handle of his tongs. Mike tried to apologize, but his sense of humor overcame his desire to moilify Barney, and he burst out laughing at the ridiculous figure cut by the lat- ter as he danced around with pain. Like a flash, Barney seized a heavy sledge-hammer, swung it around his head, and was about to bring it down upon poor Mike’s shoulders, when the terrible weapon was caught by some one behind and the blow was prevented. With another oath Barney turned quickly around, and looked into the pale face of Frank Trenton, the boy he had thrown into the Monongahela River a few hours befor ! “ Where—where—did you come from?” he asked, as his own swarthy face turned almost as pale as the boy’s. ‘*Never mind. Put your hammer down and goon with your work. I am employed in this mill. T have just been engaged. If you want to ask me any questions you wil have plenty of Opportunity in the future.” There was an air of quiet command abo at the boy. very different to his timid manner while in the boat the night before, and Barney obeyed him mechanically. Then Frank Trenton went to work assisting at the rolls in another part of the large room doing the best his ratber limited strength would allow, and soon making himself popular by the wiilingness he evinced to render himself useful, Barnev Driver looked across to the boy from time to time with an expression of mystification, that showed how he was puzzled by the appearance of his supposed victim alive and in apparent good ealth. GomicpDoo cS cor ;