Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 637 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

oer Oe ae ea ~~ hee -—-———_ -—— Mollie—if she had another name she did not know it—knew that serious consequences would follow a failure to rescue Dick, whose arrival at the house in the Waffles grip she had secretly witnessed. Toe girl waited until the house was quiet. While she had never been permitted to pene- trate to the secrets of the dark room she knew its exact location, and believed that with cer- tain keys in her possession she could reach the enemy of the plotters and send him back to the trail he bad been following, Mollie went to her work with a fearless heart in her bosom. She doubted not that Wat Waffles had gone back to New York to plot new villainy, or to reap the golden rewards of his audacity. Dick needed help; that was enough for her to know. Mother Scammon’s protegee, gliding down- stairs, reached the vicinity of the black trap. She laid her hand on the knob, turned it to at- tract the captive’s attention, and listened. A footstep on the inside came toward the door, ** Dick!” said Mollie, putting her mouth close to the key hole. In an instant a response was heard. ** Mollie!” The breathing of her name thrilled and de- lighted the girl. ick was still there; Mother Scammon had sprung no trap and helped him out of the world, “‘It is a new Egypt in here,” continued the boy, in the dark. ‘*‘ Wat Waffles knew of this dungeon when he arrested me. When I get out, if 1 ever do, I propose to show him that the tables can be turned with neatness and dispatch, [— ? ‘* Hist!” interrupted the girl, and then she drew back and for the first time felt her heart in her throat, Her sharp senses had not deceived her when they told her that.a footstep, soft and cat-like, but a footstep all the same, had sounded at the further end of the brief corridor. Was it Mother Scammon, abroad, lynx-like, ~watchful and suspicious? The girl believed that it was, and in a little time she was entirely convinced. Down the passage came the same dangerous step, and while Mollie looked she saw the mov- ang figure of her guardian, a figure she knew only too well from frequent contact. Mollie could not retreat; it was too late for that. ‘“*Ha! what are Mother Scammon‘s the breathless girl. There was anger in the voice, and the light was not so’ dim but that Mollie could see the flashing eyes that burned above her dark cheeks. ‘‘[ thought you were asleep,” continued the woman, sending a rapid glance toward the door. ‘* You are a spy in my house—in the home of the woman who gave youa home, Is this the way you repay a kindness?” ‘*] am not playing spy,” answered Mollie. ‘“Then what are you doing here?” ya came to open the cage and let the bird out, An exclamation of rage broke from Mother Scammon’s throat, ‘*'You did, eh? You open that door and let him out?” she cried, Mollie looked her squarely in the face and an- swered fearlessly: **T would!” The girl’s defiance seemed to paralyze the maddened virago. In an instant she caught Mollie’s arm and jerked her forward, almost fetching her clear of the floor by the violence of her action. ‘This is gratitude with a vengeance!” she ou doing here?” parted ips as she stopped before shouted. ‘*What is the bird in the cage to ou?’ Mollie did not see fit to answer this fairly. as You have no right toshut him up,” said she. ‘“No right?’ echoed Mother Scammon., “* We'll show him what rights we have before we're through with him! You haven’t tamper- ed with the lock, have you?” She dragged Mollie back to the door and made sure that the lock had not been picked be- fore she proceeded. In flve minutes the boy detective’s friend found herself tied in a heavy chair in a room lighted by a lamp. For some time Mother Scammon stood off and eyed her fiercely, saying nothing. Mollie, the, waif, knew that a storm was brew- ng All at once the woman bounded forward and seemel about to demolish her with her fists, but as if suddenly changing her mind, she laughed in her captive’s face. ** You don’t know how to feather your nest!” she exclaimed. ‘* Don’t you know that I can put my hand upon plenty of money whenever I want to?” ‘* Honestly?” asked Mollie. ‘*What difference does that make?” was the quick rejoinder, ‘*[ don’t think money that comes through Wat Waffles is honest money.” ‘““No? Well, it is honest enough for me!” And Mother Scammon laughed again, ‘*‘ Who is the boy in the dark cage? You know him,” There was no reply. ‘* What! don’t you want to give him away?” ‘*T betray no one.” This resolate answer almost whitened thé woman’s face, — Once more she came toward Mollie with her hands clinched, but the second time drew off as if abashed by her fearless demeanor. “Sit there! [Pll see you after awhile,” she said at last, and then, to Mollie’s surprise, she turned and Jeft the room, locking the door after her. The sound of Mother Scammon’s footsteps soon died away and the gir] had the room to herself. Hour after hour passed and the tigress did not return. Had she crossed the river to con- sult with Wat Waffles? At last the light in the room became that of another day. The long streaks of dawn came in at the win- dows and found Mollie still fastened in the chair and as much a prisoner as ever. She began to wonder if Mother Scammon had not deserted the house for good, leaving Dick in the dark room and herself in the lighter one to die from sheer exhaustion and starvation. It was a fearful thought and one which the poor girl could not shake off. She did not know that at the last moment some one was approaching the house. She heard the front door open and then caught the sound of a footstep. Mother Scammon’s? No, it was too heavy for hers. It may be imagined Mollie waited with burn- ing. patience for the next move. resently the door directly in front of her was unlocked, then it swung open, and she saw, not the face of Mother Scammon nor that of Wat Waffles, but the features of a man whom she did not know. He was a youngish man witb a sharp, keen face arid a clear eye. Mollie thought he looked like a detective whom Dick had once pointed out to her on the streets of New York. At sight of her the man stopped and seemed surprised to find her the only tenant of the room and tied in a chair at that. ‘* I’m sure you’re welcome,” said the girl with a smile. ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for some one, thoygh not exactly for you.” The man drew forth a pocket-knife as he came forward, and in a moment Mollie was free with an expressicn of thankfulness in her eyes, ** Now let’s open the cage!” cried she, taking his hand, ‘* What cage?” ‘** The one that holds Dick o’ the Docks,” The stranger looked at her in amazement. ‘Where is the boy? I know him!” said he, ‘*Come; I'll show you,” Mollie took her rescuer straight to the door of Dick’s prison, and from a bunch of keys the man selected one that fitted the lock. But when the door was opened Mollie uttered a cry of horror and fell back, shuddering. The room was empty! CHAPTER X, THE DETECTIVE’S PRISONER. THE boy shut up in the dark by Wat Waffles anc Mother Scammon had met with a thril'ing adventure, which it becomes our duty to de- scribe, When he discovered from certain sounds that Mollie had been prevented from rescuing him by the timely arrival of the vixen of the house, he fully expected that the girl would be badly dealt with for her courage. He did not think of himself for the moment, though he was in danger of losing his life. As he waited in the darkness for another move on the chess-board, he heard a slight grating noise which seemed to come from a point over- head. Crossing the room on tip-toe in order to inquire into the sound, Dick o’ the Docks listen- ed for a repetition. All at once, instead of a nvise from above, the +? —*+- ~~ ——- * — © ewe gr ae Pea 6 Dick Doan, the Dock Boy Detective. aa ee ws — “he floor seemed to drop, and the boy instinctiver, clutched at the bare wall for support, ‘*My God!” exclaimed Dick. tim of a devilish trap!” And so he was! The wall afforded no support whatever, and | the boy soon—very soon—grew tired of fighting — ——————————————————————————_ for help in that direction. In an instant he gave up the struggle and dropped into an opening which was as dark as the room in which he had been imprisoned. It was not a far fall, and the moment Dick landed on hard ground the trap above shut with a bang. Fortunately he had not been hurt by the fall, although it had stunned him, and in a little while he was examining bis prison, which ap- peared to be a cellar of ample dimensions with a single door apparently nailed shut. Dick guessed that the trap had been set and sprung by Mother Scammon, which was the case, for if he could have looked beyond his prison at acertain time he would have seen a hand leap up above a pair of flashing eyes and jerk a heavy cord with violence, Mother Scammon had thrown Dick into the cellar before quitting the house and when she walked out leaving Mollie bound in the chair as we have seen it was with the belief that she had played two cards which were decided trumps, Dick in the cellar promised to fare worse than in the dungeon-like room, The place was damp and moldy and what added to his ap- prehension was the nailed door that threatened to become the door of a tomb. Meantime Mother Scammon had hurried to the river and taken the first boat. Reaching New York she disappeared in a jiffy and ere long was threading the streets to- toward the quarters occupied by Wat Waffles in the role of Bolivar Betts, the restorer, of Custer Kingdon the broker’s heir, She entered the house and proceeded up- stairs without the formality of knocking and in another moment burst in upon Waffles who seemed to be at ace with the world in the enjoyment of his cigar, ‘‘In mercy’s pame!” cried Wat opening his eyes as Mother Scammon appeared. “I thought I left you on guard across the river.” ‘“‘So you did,” was the answer. ‘* But you see lam here instead of being across there, I opened the trap and left,” The false Mr, Betts looked surprised for an- other moment, ‘“You made no blunder? You are sure of that?” he asked. ‘When did I blunder?’ was the quick re- tort. ‘‘The trap isn’t out o’ repair for it has been inspected within the past twodays. The boy is in the cellar and the girl—” “Yes, the girl—what of her?’ interrupted Waffles. ‘*Pll go back and see that she discovers nothirg. I left her in no condition to do us injury.” ‘Tt was lucky that I nabbed the youngster when I did,” smiled Waffles. ‘‘He was so cleverly caught that he could do nothing, but stare and hold his breath. If I bad not detected the young rat on the ferry he might have es- caped me altogether.” Mother Scammon was silent for a moment, ‘‘T think I ought to congratulate Tony on his success,” she presently said, ‘* You?” exclaimed Waffles, ‘‘ Why not? Hain’t I interested?” ‘¢ ‘Yes—but—” ‘* But what?” broke in Mother Scammon. ‘‘ T think you had better stay away.” Waffles spoke with a good deal of firmness, to which the woman did not take very kindly. ‘* He ought to be getting used to his place by this time,” she rejoined, ‘‘ It’s a great change, Are you sure the boy will make no blunders? ‘*A boy like Tony?’ exclaimed Waffles, amazed. ‘* You don’t know how cee he under- stands the business. Why, he is the best pupil I ever had. No fears about Custer Kingdon, ha, ha!—not at all.” Mother Scammon seemed to derive some satis- faction from Waffles’s assurances, and at the conclusion of Wat’s chuckle she rose to take her leave. ‘‘ Which way?’ queried the plotter. ‘¢ Back to the rest,” was the response, ** Don’t you want company to the boat?” ‘‘ Me want escort to the river?’ the woman laughed. ‘*‘ When I doT’ll let youknow.” And leaving Mr. Betts to the uninterrupted enjoy- ment of his smoke, she went out with a singular smile lurking at the corners of her mouth, ‘‘ That’s a queer creature,” murmured Waf- **T am the vic- Gi @ ooks. C @ mM oes eee ew ee — - —_ ! ; 1 : AY> > Bo