Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 628 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

= ,- * - +» * e 8 Broadway Billy’s Dead Act. cine and all that pertains to it, and he ,declared that there was hopes for you even then.” ‘**[’m much obliged ter him, I am sure,” ob- served Billy, feelingly, ‘‘ an’ likewise ter you, too; also yer brother. If it hadn’t been fer you an’ yer Porgy, I would about now be lendin’ my carcass ter fatten th’ crabs o’ th’ bay, I s’pose. That would be pleasant fer th’ crabs, { have no doubt, but ruther rough on me,” Captain Daunton had to laugh, ‘**T believe all that has been written about you is true,” be declared. ‘‘If you are so full of life in your present half-dead condition, I cannot imagine what you must be when you are well and able to get around,” ‘* Who is half dead?” Billy demanded. ‘You are. You are bruised and sore from head to feet almost, and itis a wonder to me that you are not dead quite.” Billy realized that this was true, and that he could not move without an effort and the pen- alty of considerable pain. Nor would he be likely to do otherwise for days to come. ‘*i do feel pooty sore, an’ that is a fack,” he admitted. ‘* Let me go on with my story,” said the cap- tain of the craft. ‘‘ Father set to work at you, and we a!l had our hands full for about two hours. Father was determined to bring you back to life, but I must confess that Charles and I would have given up in despair, had it not been for him. *** We must keep at him, boys,’ he kept say- ing. And be went on and told us of cases where drowned persons had been revived even after they had been supposedly dead for an hour or more. Our first work was to roll the water out of you, and then while my brother and I took turns at holding your tongue out and working your arms up and down, father worked to re- store your circulation and inspiration, The way he pressed you this way and that was enough to have dislocated every rib in your body. But, it did the business for you, and here youare. Whatare you laughing at!” Billy was laughing heartily. ‘* I was only smilin’ ter think that you done somethin’ fer me that I was never able ter do fer myself; namely, ter hold my tongue.” Just thea a bell sounded somewhere aborda the Pirogue, and the captain arose to go, saying that it was the signal from his father that they must rise for a supply of air, and he hastened out, leaving Billy alone. CHAPTER IX, BILLY’S RESURRECTION, HALF a dozen stories the length of this would hardly serve to tell all of Broadway Billy’s ex- perience on board the Pirogue during his nearly three weeks’ stay, It must be crowded into this one chapter. Other matter demands that we push on, so it must be briefly summed up and disposed of. What his reflections were when he was left alone, as the narration closed at the end of the preceding chapter, may be imagined; they cer- tainly cannot be fittingly told. Perhaps bis own exposition of them will serve as our best guide. ‘* Sweet pertaters!” he exclaimed, ‘*‘ but I am floored this time fer sure, This beats all th’ s’prise parties that ever happened ter me, Ido wouder what th’ next will be, It is purty sar- tain that [ have been jest a leetle closter ter death this time than I ever was before or sence, This jest melts th’ honey right out o’ th’ comb, an’ ao mistake about that. It takes th’ beans right out o’ th’ pods, Ter think that I am on board of a craft that goes under water—words fail me ter express my ’motions. Why, I would give th’ best an’ brightest two-dollar silver cer- tificate that ever kem out o’ th’ press if I could have Skinny here, Wouldn’t his eyes flip open some, though! He would open his mouth so wide with wonder that I could count th’ jints in th’ back o’ his neck, an’ numerate his ribs from th’ inside. An’asfer Inspector Br— Hello! I ruther reckon we are on th’ move,” The clicking of machinery was heard, and the ee felt to tremble and quiver like a thing of life. 3 Billy could not tell whether it was moving forward, backward, or upward; but from what had been said he guessed that it was moving to- ward the surface, This surmise was correct, and in a few mo- ments the motion of the waves was felt, and soon after there came a rushof air into the apartment where the boy lay. The air was cool and refreshing, and Billy drew it into his lungs in eager haste, as though ri were to be the last chance that he would ever ve, The Pirogue remained at the surface for some time, but presently its air-ports were closed and it sunk once more out of sight, But it did not go tothe bottom. Instead, it sunk only toa certain depth, its propeller was put in motion, and, headed toward the Narrows, it moved rapidly away from the city. Some time later, Mr. Daunton, the elder, came into the apartment where Billy lay. ‘* Well, my lad, bow do you feel?’ he in- quired. ‘‘ | think [ improve as I grow better, sir,” answered Billy, his face perfectly straight and sober, The man smiled at the quaint expression, ‘That is good,” be returned, ‘‘and if you only grow better as you improve you will soon be well.” ‘“T hope so, sir; and I want to thank you for saving my life, and for your care of me,” ‘That is all right, lad; don’t mention it. What do you think of the Pirogue? But it is hardly fair to put that question to you until you ere seen more of the boat, and what she can o.' ‘* T think she is a great craft, sir,” was Billy’s response. ‘*Only fer her Ll would be furnishin’ food fer fishes about now.” ‘*'You certainly would, My invention has proved the means of saving your life. By the way, has either of my sons told you where we are going?” ‘* No, sir; they haven’t been in,” ‘* We are going to Philadelphia.” ‘Sweet pertaters! I won’t git home ina week !” ‘* ‘We shall be back here in about two weeks,” ‘* Why, my mom will think fer sure that I am dead,” said Billy, anxiously. ‘*I wish I could git word to her that I ain’t. I am willin’ enough ter take th’ trip, but I hate ter have ’em think that [ have gone under,” ‘Tf it had not been for the Pirogue you would be dead indeed, my lad, but as it is you will turn up all in chock tiie like a bad penny. It is very thoughtful of you to have your mother first in consideration. Her joy at your return however, will amply offset any anxiety she will have had about you,” ‘* Well, if it can’t be helped, of course it can’t,” reasoned Billy, ‘‘so Pll make th’ best of it ‘* That is the right view to take of it, my boy; and now I would like to hear your story, and know who it was that tried to put you out of the way. Billy went ahead and told him all he could about it, and the man listened with much inter- est. ‘* ‘You are a remarkable boy,” he observed, when Billy ended his narration, ‘‘ and it is no wonder that your enemies have tried to dispose of you. My son Charles has told me of some of your adventures, lt seems that you are some- thing of a police detective.” “I might be, if I had any brain,” Billy mo- destly returned, ‘* but that is a serious impedi- ment that stands in my way. IfI have helped th’ perlice any, it has been more through dumb luck than anything else,” ‘** Charles bas anotker opinion on that point,” Mr. Daunton observed, ‘Then Tl bave ter set him right, th’ first time I see him, that is all,” the boy stoutly de- clared. ‘* As for the rascals who tried to murder you,” the man further observed, ‘it will do them no harm to think that they made a success of their undertaking, and their surprise will be all the greater when you turn up to confront them.” ‘** That is jest what I am countin’ on,” averred Billy. ‘‘It is th’ delight o’ my life ter bring sich fellers up with a round turn when they think they have got everything their own way.” ‘* Perhaps, though, your friends will have found them out and arrested them.” ‘*T don’t think so,” replied Billy. ‘I don’t see how they could git a clew ter th’ case. Nobody knows where I started fer when I left th’ stand, an’ I didn’t even tell, Skinny, my partner. Ye see I had no idea that I was runnin’ inter danger. I tell ye they got th’ bulge on me in good style, an’ that is further proof ter th’ fact that I ain’t got no brain in my bead in th’ place where brain orter be.” They talked for some time, but why record all that was said? It would be of interest enough in its way, but there are interests of greater moment that demand our attention. In two or three days Broadway Billy was able to go about the boat, and be was greatly liked by his three friends, especially Charles, the younger son, who had read everything that had been published about bim, ee —— Sen eee es Oe eee eee eee“ eee eee eee Oe It was an experience that was worth a life- time, almost, to the boy. The Pirogue was most certainly a wondrous craft. It was about sixty feet in length, and was evidently modeled after a fish of some kind. It was larger at the head than at the stern end, Itsengines were placed in the center, and it was propelled with two screws, What its motive power was wedo not know. It wasso arranged that it could be made to ascend or descend at will, and its speed was not by any means slow. Billy never tired of sitting and Jooking out as the mysterious, alive-seeming boat forged ahead through the water, its powerful lights illumi- nating the depths for many yards abead and around, The elder son was the captain, as he had studied and understood navigation, and the younger was the engineer. The father held the post of commander. One supply of air lasted several hours, as Bil- ly soon came to know, Some kind of chemicals were used that kept it charged with its neces- sary elements for a long time. Their food consisted of such things as required little cooking. They had a plentiful and varied stock, however, 80 they did not mind that, The diving-suit of Charles, the younger son, could be made to fit Billy, and on one or two occasions he went out of the boat and had the novel experience of walking at the bottom of the sea. To describe the whole voyage is next to im- possible, and it would require, in detail, half a dozen stories the length of the present one, as we have already said, . Arriving at Philadelphia, Mr. Daunton was the only one who went ashore. It was his re- quest that Billy’ remain aboard, and the sops had no desire to land. In two or three days they started upon their return trip to New York, and all went well un- til they reached the ocean and started up the coast, There they were overtaken by a heavy storm. If they could have remained at the bottom or near it, all the time, they would not have mind- ed it in the least: but they had to have air, and when they rose to the surface they were in dan- ger, The wild waves tossed their boat this way and that, and there was danger that some vital part of the machinery would be broken. But they got through without serious acci- dent, and in two weeks from the time of their departure they found themselves once more in New York Bay. Billy was now eager to get ashore, He had fully recovered from his shock, sore- ness and weakness, and -was, like the much- quoted Richard, himself again. There was no excuse for detaining him longer, so it was agreed that he should be allowed to go on shore immediately. It was about ten o’clock at night when the Pirogue was finally anchored at one of the piers on the East River, and Billy was then at liberty to go where he would. From their manner, his new-found friends parted with him with regret. They gave him a pressing invitation to join them again when- ever he pleased, so long as they remained at New York, ‘} You will probably find us anchored right here for two days,” explained Mr, Daunton, ‘Sand after that we shall take a trip to Boston, From there we shall return here, and will let you know when we are in the harbor, After that we shall start on our intended trip across the ocean.” ‘““T']l try ter see ye afore ye start on that trip,” promised Billy, *‘ if I don’t see ye afore ye set out for Bosting. Mebby I'll see ye two or three times, if ye don’t git tired 0’ seein’ me.” ‘‘ No fear of that,” they all assured him, ‘‘One thing is sartain,” assured Billy, ‘tan’ that is that I shall never ferget you an’ what you have done fer me.” At length, after many assurances of friend- ship and remembrance on both sides, they part- ed, and Billy started immediately for the corner where his place of business was situated. f ‘“Well, here I be, home again,” Billy medi- tated, as he walked along tke familiar streets, ‘San? Lreckon I weigh jest as much asI did afore I started. Ob! but won’t I make it warm fer them fellers, though, jest as I promised ’em I would if I escaped. An’ won’t I s’prise mom an’ Skinny! I wonder if they have give me up fer dead this time. It is about th’ longest stay that 1 have ever made awav from home without lettin’ em hear from me. But, they will find that I am th’ same old Willyum, an’ I'll soon be open an’ reatly fer business at th’ old stand,” wpe - : chk @) te . : \ P a (CU |_| AN bs y _ Se a ot A re A i ey ’ ¢ i ee . ‘ of - Abe ee ee 4 3, 2¢ ? ~ ‘ on . ae a : * . “ce / a le? ae ve : |