Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 628 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

tit fae. eee te, Fe a TO “tek ) oar ytes i> + Sane, : os) : + come P — : + a " he t is to be short. It is likely to be tbe last that you willever hear. I do not know how it will e with you on the other side, however.” “It will be a heap better with me than it will with you,” was the boy’s retort, ‘an’ you kin bet high on that.” ** We will not discuss that point. I was com- plimenting you on your nerve. You have plenty of it. Why, we have had men in this room who have quaked with fear at the very sight of the skulls and bones, but you have not minded them at all, What are you made of, anyhow?” ‘* What be I made of? Now you bit me hard. { am built of iron, steel, and Injy rubber, I am Jike a cat, too, in one respect: I have nine lives. What is more, I haven’t lost one of ’em yet. Th’ only thing that [ really lack is brain. If I had a little o’ that I should be happy.” “You will not have long to mourn over your deficiency. In a few hours you will be lying still and cold at the bottom of New York Bay. We cannot oblige you by taking you to the Red Sea, as you desired, but we will do the next best thing we can. You shall be drowned in the most approved style.” ‘¢ Thanks,” said Billy. ‘‘ When a feller can’t get just what he wants he should be thankful ter git what he kin. Your kindness shall never be forgotten.” | ‘** No need to say anything more about it. In a few hours we will come for you, and then you will take your last ride. In the mean time you can remain here and enjoy yourself as best you can. Billy stepped down to the floor and the men prepared to leave the room. ‘*Hadn’t we better make his hands a little more secure?” one inquired. ‘¢ Perhaps we had,” agreed the chief; ‘* bring a little wire.” One of the Seven produced some wire. This was twisted around Billy’s arms in addition to the string that already held them, There was little chance for him to get his hands free, ‘¢ There, now I guess we can trust you,” the chief remarked, ‘‘and we will take our leave, In about two hours it will be midnight, and then you may look for our return. Be prepared to meet your doom.” At that instant the lights went out, and the room was plunged in total darkness. Billy heard a hurried movement of feet, then a click- ing of the closing door, and he was left alone there in the dark. He felt around until be found one of the stools, and sat down, to reflections not pleasant. “Sweet pertaters!” his thoughts ran, ‘‘ but [ am inamess 9’ pickle this time fer sure, Th’ chances is that this will be my last adventure. Skinny will have a chance ter eave th’ stand in mournin’ an’ wear a big band on his hat. It seems that I ain’t goin’ ter git no chance ter es- cape, and’ Dll have ter face th’ music, whatever itis. Better death than th’ other, though, an’ there ain’é no doubt in my mind but they meant real old business. None o’ that fer William o’ Broadway. If itis ter be death, Pll go down with my eyes an’ tongue. No use tryin’ ter git my hands loose, fer they have done me up fer keeps. I kin only set down an’ await my doom, jest as that feller said. It is hard ter be taken off in my youth an’ bsauty, but it is purty sar- tain that I would have ter go sooner or later, anyhow, so I don’t know as it makes much dif- ference. I'd like ter say good-by ter mom an’ Skinny, though,” Billy’s thoughts were sad enough, but he did not remain long idle. He went around and around the room, trying in vain to find the door, hoping that by some means or other he might get out. Nor was his brain idle. He was try- ing hard to concoct a plan for escape, but no feasible method of escape could he conceive, and the two hours passed away. Suddenly the light flashed forth from the skulls once more, and the men were in the room. Billy had not heard a sound, They were clad in the same red-hued gowns as before, and had their swords in had. ‘‘ We have come for you,” answered the chief, ‘¢and there is now no time for talk. Men, take him and bind him,” ; Two of the men dropped their swords and laid hold of the unhappy boy, and in a very short time they had him bound securely. A gag was in his mouth, and a bandage was over his eyes, This done, they lifted him up and carried him from the apartment. Along a dimly lighted hall they bore him, then down a flight of stairs, and there at the bottom of the steps was a boat into which they laid him, — a ae All the men got into the boat, having discard- tr LLL Q. Broadway Billv’s Dead Act. Sr —— oe ed their gowns, and for some time Billy heard them making their way out,of some underground canal to the open river. It took quite a while to reach the river, but at last the boat came out into the cold night air, end for halfan hour or longer fonr of the men pulled steadily at the oars, When they stopped, Billy was put into a big sack, the sack was tied up, a heavy weight was anchored to hie feet, and he was dropped silently over the side of the boat into the cold, dark waters of the bay! CHAPTER III. ‘*SACRED TO THE MEMORY,” ‘*WHaT! Broadway Billy dead!” That exclamation was uttered by Detective Speare. He had been out of town, had just re- turned, and this news was a great shock t> him. And it had come upon him with the sudden- ness of a thunderbolt out of a clear sky—to be original. anting to see Billy, he had sauntered up Broadway as far as the boys’ corner-stand, Ar- riving there, what was his surprise to find it closed, and not only closed but heavily draped in mourning, Immediately he knew that one of the partners was dead, and thought it must be Skinny. Glancing around to see some one of whoin to in- quire, however, he saw that meager individual coming toward him, and his worst fears were confirmed. Skinny was clad in the deepest black, had a heavy band of mourning on bis hat, and a bow of crape was tied around his left arm ‘* Skinny, who is dead?” the detective demand- ed, as soon as the boy came near enough to be addressed. ‘* Billy is dead,” was the doleful reply. Then came the exclamation with which this chapter opens. ** Yas; poor Billy is dead,” Skinny repeated. ‘* When did he die; and what was the cause?” the detective impatiently questioned, ‘* ‘We don’t know just when he was killed—” ** Killed!” ** Drowned, sir.” ‘Then the brave fellow met with foul play at last, did he? But he shall be avenged, as surely as I can doit. Goon and tell me all about it,” ‘* You see he has been missin’ about two weeks, an’ yesterday his body was found floatin’ in th’ river.” ‘Too bad, too bad. But are you sure there is no mistake in the identity?” ‘*T guess it is him, sure enough. His mom says it is, an’ I think so, too. She knows him mostly by a scar on onearm. Can’t go much on th’ looks, fer th’ body is all bloated up, an’ th’ fish or somethin’ has disfigured it a good 7 ‘*Poor Billy! so brave, noble, and true; he was deserving of better things. I had great hopes in his future, It is a sad thing. Is the body at his home!” ‘‘-Yes: an’ th’ funeral is ter take place this af- ternoon.” ‘*T will go there at once!” ‘‘T will go with ye, jest as soon as I see if everything is all right around here,” Skinny examined the Jocks, and soon was ready. ‘“Have the police taken the case in hand?” Speare inquired, as they walked along. ‘*Yes, they are tryin’ ter find out somethin’ about it,” ‘* And they have questioned you, to get hold of a Es ae es, they have pum me dry,” Skinn declared, ** but I am abet I did not help them much. You see, I didn’t know where Billy was goin’, He started off one evenin’, sayin’ that be would be back in about an hour, an’ that was th’ last that was seen of him alive.” ** How long had he been missing before you reported the case?” ‘Two days. You see, he was in th’ habit o’ goin’ off like that, an’ we expected that he would show up at any time,” ‘‘ And next day you told the police.” ‘‘- Yes, Billy had some ’portant biz ter attend to that mornin’, an’ when he wasn’t on hand we thought sometbin’ must be wrong, fer sure, Billy was purty prompt in biz, you know,” ‘Could his mother throw any light on the mystery ?”’ ** Not a bit. as I was.” ‘* Billy was a little reckless, He has been a marked boy for some time, as I have told him more than once, and he should have told you where he was going whenever’ he went away.” ‘‘ That was what he ’most allus did,” informed Skinny, ‘‘when he thought he was goin’ inter She was jest as much in th’ dark any danger, but he didn’t, this time, an’ fer that reason I think he didn’t expect ter poke his nose where he hadn’t orter.” ‘‘He should have been on the safe side at all times,” ‘* Tf he bad listened ter me,” Skinny averred, ‘*he would be all safe and sound at this miunit, Many and many a time 1 have warned him that sooner er later he would come ter grief, but he wouldn’t listen ter me, He was allus bound ter run inter some place where he had no biz ter BO, an’ this time he got done up. It is too bad, an I am mighty sorry; but it was his own fault.” Great tears came from the boy’s eyes as he was talking, and rolled down his face, causing him to brush them away with bis sleeves. They talked on, the detective doing his best to draw out some point upon which to build upa clew, but failing utterly to do so; and in due time they came to the home of the lamented Billy. The crying of Mrs, Weston could be heard as soon as they entered the ball, and when they en- tered the apartment where the bod y lay, it was sad indeed to witness the mother’s grief. Skinny’s mother was there, and she was weep- ing, too, and it did not take long for Skinny himself to join in with them, One or two other neighbors were also present, Detective Speare knew Mrs. Weston, and tried to console ber, but it was an impossible undertaking. When she bad become a little calm, he ques- tioned her, but failed to get anything of value, She was only too positive in her identification of the body, and nothing be could say could arouse a doubt in ber mind, . ‘*Do you suppose that I would not know my own boy?” she demanded; and on that she : tood firmly. When Speare came to look at the body, he took plenty of time to do it, He had known Billy for a long time, and wanted to settle this important question to his own satisfaction, if he could. As Skinny had said, the body was very much mutilated, so as to render recognition difficult, The detective studied the dead form long and earnestly. It was certainly of Billy’s height, and, as near as he could tell, the proportions had been his. The color of the hair was the same. There was certaiuly reason to suppose that this was the body of the missing boy, and, taking all the facts of the case into consider- ation, especially the positive assertion of the be- reaved mother, he decided that it was indeed the brave and noble Billy. One thing perhaps more than all else led the detective to this conclusion, and that was some- thing that, in bis mind, amounted to almost proof positive. He knew that Billy bad had scars on his wrists, caused by burns thet he had received by holding his bands over a lighted candle, on one occasion, to burn off cords with which they were bound, Oneof the hands of the body before him was in good condition, and on the wrist was a scar similar to the ones Billy had carried, This, with Mrs, Weston’s recog- nition of the scar on the arm further up, seemed conclusive; Broadway Billy was dead! Finding that all bad been done that could be done, the detective went to Headquarters. ‘‘Speare, I am glad to see you,” was the greeting he got from the chief. ‘I bave bad news for you, however,” he added. ‘* You refer to poor Broadway Billy?” ‘¢ You have heard about it, then.” ‘¢ Yes, and I have been to see the body.” ‘‘Ha! that is good. I was anxious for your return, so that we could have your opinion re- garding the identity. Buy was well known to you. Whutdo you say? Is the body his?” ‘*T have decided that it is.” ““So we allagree. It is a sad thing, for I had big hopes in the future of that boy. He was a detective bred and born. He bas done work that none of you might be ashamed of,” ‘You are right. Itis truly asad event. Is there any clew to the case? Is there any hope of bringing the murderers to ascount?” ‘‘ Sneare, it is a mystery profound. That boy left his partner at their stand one evening, say- ing that he would be back in about an hour, and never returned. The next that was known of him was when his body was found floating in the river. Now the first great question to be settled is, where did he set out to go to on that evening? If wecan only learn that, we may get astart toward learning the truth of the mz tter,” ‘‘Tt is a difficult case. But, we will tackle it —at any rate I will. Sooner or later some of the crooks of the town will let out something about it, and then we can go for them, It may * S > A‘ a com “to”