Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 639 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

vw ce’ Co yi t é. aA As he RR RR em eee —e ee ‘ . ‘ . ad Va Ry f »@ > os Ne . ") : ‘ % 4 < ** Tf I could only raise one of the boards!” he ‘Wal, we'll go quiet-like ter the front door, 4 y * Eat Sunrise Saul. oe ATW Bs eA OOO © 3 7 . ee: | ° ° ° - used your revolvers,” musically proclaimed Liz Lorimer. thought. an’ then you kin slip out.” ’ - ** Guns make too much noise. He experimented and found that several of vat hat about yourself?’ os = Weill, [ hope you won’t lose by it.” the boards were loose. If he had a chisel, or any ‘*T stay hyar!” = ‘We shall not. Early the coming morning | pointed instrument of ordinary strength, he ‘* What do you mean?” - we will do u our enemies for good. Boy,” | could, be felt sure, make the desired start. ‘*T don’t leave until I settle with Arad ¢ _ Hardy added, turning to Saul, “‘ your ruffian ‘*Why, here is one [ could raise with a stout Boyne r ‘ - ally seems incapable of hearing me, so you shall | pocket-knife, even!” he muttered, Are you crazy?” listen to the plan. We are about to shut you The knife was lacking, both he and Jockway ‘*T may be.” - up in a secure place, but you will have only four | having been relieved of all such articles. The ‘‘T think you are, Whereare your weapons?” K of it. At two o'clock we shall take you | only thing left in Saul’s possession was a button- ** Ain’t got any.” out ina boat, tie weights to you, and sink you | hook. ‘‘Do you remember that Hardy has several in the water.’ He was about to throw this away in disgust, | men with him?’ ia Saul made no reply. but restrained himself. Insignificant as it was, ‘* Yes,” ay is a dangerous man; it is my life or | it constituted the one thing upon which he could ‘‘ And that they worsted you once?” his, and I am not ready togounder. As for | pin his hopes, “They can’t do it ag’in!” growled the miner, you, you have seen fit to mix in with his game, ‘‘Can I raise the board with that?’ he won- | ‘I ain’t in the habit o’ bein’ done up twice, Say and you will have to share his fate. You shall | dered no more; ’m bound ter stay an’ polish off my die, too!” And then audibly made reply: enemies!” | _ Still the young prisoner was silent, He com- ‘** Tmpossible!” ‘‘Then I stay, too.” prehended that it would be a waste of breath It did seem so, certainly, but he remembered ** Come off!” ) appeal to the men, and he would not humble | that history told of some things stranger than ‘*] mean it.” © plead in vain. that. It was not that strength was needed to The speakers looked at each other in humor ockway was still held in awe by the | raise the board, but that it was difficult to get | not of the best. Jockway showed bulldog reso- s, and they proceeded to hustle the pards | at it. lution which indicated that nothing could turn way before the man from Lame Horse could Selecting a place, he proceeded to clear the | him from his purpose, and Saul felt equally ver crack of dirt. He then got a grip on the lower | stubborn. Buck did not test bis determination side of the board and pulled, It trembled, but | rigidly, but finally replied: did not come up. Somewhat encouraged, he e if right, pard; you keep with me, an’ Pll cleared the bordering cracks of all obstacles | take keer of you. Come on!” along its length. ‘He opened the door, and they passed out into Then he made another trial, and the board | the hall, A light still burned there dimly. The came up slowly. A little later it was entirely | unguarded front door would have been a strong removed, temptation to any one less set than Jockway, 4 PCOVOI. This, however, he gave no sign of doing. He had to be carried to the prison already ar- ranged, and this brought out no further sign of life than an uncomprehending motion of his eyes. Balti of the room where the capture had been made, was a long, narrow passage, and at the on ‘s me : end of this was a second room. It was without Here was a decided gain, and it suggested a | but he resolutely turned toward the stairs, | any furniture save a table, and the kerosene | good many questions, Below lay a gap between They were soon on the second floor, . lamp which stood upon it was absolutely the | the floor and the ceiling of the room below, ‘‘ Soft an’ easy!” Buck whispered. ‘* We want ) only other loose article to be seen, Was it possible to pursue his efforts? Could he | ter take ’em by surprise, an’ twist their weapons Walls, ceiling, and floor were alike bare and | escape if time was given? Would the breaking | right away from ’em, e?” barren, of the lower ceiling call honest men to their aid, oe hes. ‘‘ Here you stay!” Hardy observed, addressing | or foes to their destruction? Saul answered dubiously, but his big friend ‘* Anyhow, I’m going ahead!” Savl decided. had no such doubts. Carefully he opened the Steadily he pressed down on the lower ceiling. | door and peered into the room, It was not easy to stir it, but it gave way sud- No one was visible, denly, at last, and a quantity of plastering went The gas was burning as it had been when the rattling down into the room below. Saul | miner was last there, but the decoyers were not Saul. ‘* From now until two o’clock you will be left alone, if you keep quiet. I warn you that while any attempt to eseape will be useless, we shall be in, if you make any racket, and do ouupatonce. If you are concerned as to the uture life, you had better fix up your account | paused. Wkat would be the result? visible. One thing he did see which made his while you wait, for you surely will die -between He expected to hear some sound—a cry or an | eyes glitter; two revolvers lay upon the table, two and three!” exclamation—but none came. He peered down, Quickly he crossed the floor and secured these Then the captors left the room, The doors | but saw nothing but darkness, coveted articles, One was his own—a ponder- Considerably encouraged, he enlarged the | ous forty-one caliber—and he was thoroughly aperture, Nir tabde laths and plastering until | himself with it in his hand. the opening was as large as he desired, Then he “‘They’ve found out that we’ve escaped,” he held down the lamp and made a survey. observed, ‘‘ an’ are in our former prison-room. A furnished room was visible, with a bed | Foller me, an’ we'll round ’em up!” standing directly below where he was, No Jockway meant more than he said, and did | occupant of bed or room, however, was to be | not intend to leave until he had avenged Sammy “ seen. Dean’s death. That, in his opinion, could be A way of escape appeared to be open, but how | done only by killing Arad Boyne. could he manage it? Clearly, he could not He entered the passage, but suddenly stopped carry ponderous Buck Jockway out, and he | short, The door of their former prison was se- hated to leave the man, even whiie he went for | cured with a chain—clearly, the enemy were closed behind them, and the prison room had no occupants besides Saul and Buck. The latter lay motionless on the floor. Saul had entertained a feeble hope that his athletic friend was feigning unconsciousness, but this hore was as brief as it had been fragile. When he had vainly spoken and called upon his friend, he knew that he was practically alone in the game. . He looked around eagerly. Originally the room had been lighted by two windows, but they had been covered over on the inside with thick, solid boards, and the lat- ees not there, ter were held in place by what, judging from What could he do? Jockway turned a puzzled face toward his Even as he mentally asked the question, there | ally. was a stir behind bim, and he turned to see the “ Whar be they?” he asked. miner regarding him wi h an intelligent air, ‘¢ Somewhere below, probably.” ‘* Wal, Pll be blowed!” Buck muttered, © ‘We'll lay fur them, an’ fix’em when they ** Are you better?” Saul eagerly asked. show up. I'll squat down behind this chair; ‘‘ Better? Thar’sa mule inside my head, an’ | you crouch aside the writin’-macbine.” he’s a-kickin’ me ev’ry jump. Say, b’Judas! The article dignified by the last name was a them cusses did me up. ey?” desk, pure and simple. As Saul moved forward appearances, seemed to be long spikes, securely driven into a solid part of the wall. As far as Saul could see, the only avenue of escape, either for man, or, as far as that was concerned, even @& mouse, was by the door which led back to where the gang awaited them. ee lt was a bad fix, and the youth was left ‘to face iv alone. eV 08,” he noticed that the drawer was open. Sheets of Jockway was not then in the game,and might | ‘ But I’m still on deck!” ‘ple’ of all sizes were visible, some still un- not be atall. The miner struggled to his feet, lemished and some written upon, aha ““B’Judas!” he added, *“‘ my head’s about His careless glance would bave seen that, cracked open, but it uin’t all gone, Sa-ay, | no more, had not his movements been checked what’s up?” by 5 of a written name, ‘We are in Hardy’s power.” ‘* Ralph Enonbridge !” ‘** I remember,” was the reply, and the miner It stared Saul in the face, as it were, and sug- flushed deeply. ‘Them fellers got the best o’ pee a good deal to him. He stopped; he me; I’m durned ashamed ter say they did; but | looked eagerly through the drawer. at lit on mein sech a way that they had me Several sheets of paper were covered with fo All the muskle ain’t in the West; them | erratic pen-work. The name of Ralph Rnon- toughs was strong as buffler-bulls!” bridge, and oft-repeated figures, predominated, | Buck certainly was deeply chagrined by the | and the whole was like the copy-work of an ad- 2 fact that he had been so discomfited, but his | vanced pupil in school, _ ; ally brought his thoughts back topractical mat- It was significant in view of the fact that it 3 ters by explaining the situation. was the claim of the defense that other hands | my *. What was to be done? There was no chance } -~--«‘ to doubt Hardy’s intention of killing them at 4 | eae the indicated lh, By that time the streets | -——s would be nearly deserted, and they could be es. conveyed to the water, and disposed of forever. No way of escape was visible. CHAPTER XIV SAUL PROVES HIS PLUCK. i Love of life is strong within the human -——sibreast, and Sunrise Saul was not disposed to sit -. down and wait idly for the coming of the assas- - ~~, ana. 5 cy 9? oht. ** but I must do something!” he thought, u what ? What can I do?” ‘* [ think we can get out,” he added. had juggled with Ralph’s books, fi, Y He looked around again carefully. Noray of | _‘‘Course we kin, an’ we'll do it right quick, | ‘Hide, young pard!” repeated Jockway, o Old Buck Jockway is hisself ag’in, an’ he don’t The direction was not obeyed; the youth had ‘SS hopea peared red. If the room had a weak poirt Sie hoe Gall eo see it, and there was Resthinly ae nothing with which to work. _ —-—--Yet, he felt that he must do something. 4, The floor is the only enibie place!” he Ce finally murmured thoughtfully. ~Wlaving arrived at that conclusion, he set out ‘bo: investigate. The bare boards were fairly al _—s- ymooth, but they were old, and cracks of some it laid out no more. B’Judas! I'd give a| seen something even more striking and sig- ushel o’ puggets fur a six-shooter, but I ain’t | nificant. ; ot none, Pard, you drop down on the bed, an’ Side by side lay a big brass key and a cake of Nl foller!” wax, and in the wax was an impression. How Saul needed no urging, and the work was | much it suggested to Sunrise Saul! soon done. Both dropped to the room below. sapeneeci The bed creaked under their weight, but no CHAPTER XV. alarm sounded, SURPRISES FOLLOW. rE Le ee ee ee = — SS. eK ywidth showed between them. These cracks| The miner appeared to be himself once more, | SAUL lifted the key and the wax, Workin “e 4¥ere filled with dirt, the appearance of the room | and his manner was confident, blindly, when with the Enonbridges, he bi 'pyrating that a carpet had been removed ‘¢' We're on the groun’ floor?” he asked. suggested that some one had fampered with “ay eet: atly. “Yes, Ralph’s key, and had learned of the visit of a = et “4 e ; a oad 7. >, 7 ww