Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 657 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

tt és Tate “a * On pee r - ~~ notapproachthebar, Tanner, however, glanced beneath it in a perfunctory way, and then perched himself on a stool in his customary lace, , One by one the others strolled in from the un- successful quest outside; and when the majority had gathered, Tanner commenced to deal out generous quantities of the fiery beverage for which his house was noted. ** Help yerselves, gentlemen,” he urged. “ It’s as free as water, to-night. Mr. Brown thinks you done the fair thing by him, even ef he didn’t git the man he was gunnin’ fer;an’ bas give or- ders to set ’em up liberal, an’ that he’ll settle the bill. This ain’t my funeral, ye know, but it does me good to see a man treat his frien’s han’- some,” No second invitation was required; and if the Kicker really had the bill to pay, it took severa! moaths of hard work in the mines to liquidate it, Brown was almost the last man to enter the saloon; and in his boisterous fashion he repeated the barkeeper’s request to ‘‘ h’ist p’ison ;"—a re- quest which every man was already doing his best to comply with. While this saturnalia was in progress, Harry Cavendish, with nerves strained and pulses throb- bing, was crouching in his cramped and con- fined quarters, a prey to the keenest fear. At almost every movement made by Tanner he felt himself on the verge of being discovered: and what it might mean to fall into the hands of these bibulous wretches he scarcely dared think, But the minutes dragged by, and when.he heard first one and then another leave the room his courage began to return, Finally the last of the laggards bade Tanner ae ay and stumbled into the darkness of he street, Tanner walked about for a time, in a restless, uneasy way. Then all became still, and Harry hoped he had also quitted the place, though there was little ground for the hope, for the lights were still burning. The silence was maintained forso long a time, however, that Harry was on the point of venturing out to as- certain the cause, wher some one entered the room. At this Tanner arose from a box near the end of the bar,on which he had been sitting, and Harry realized how very close he had come to betraying himself. . The new-comer was John Leonard, as was made evident by Tanner when greeting him. ““All gone are they?” Leonard whispered, bending over the bar. ““‘ Egad! I’m glad of it! Such a noisy set I never saw. I could hear them in my room, and they almostran me wild, You must have nerves of iron, Tanner, to stand it!” ‘““Tm purty well case-hardened,” Tanner averred, with a comprehensive grin, © “I kin giner’ly stand a good deal of racket, when I’m well?paid fer it; an’ you’re a good pay master, Leonard, if I can’t say anything ‘else fer you, As good a one as I ever worked fer.” “Don’t tell that to: any one else, please!” Leonard hastily commanded. “I pay you for keeping still, as much as for some other things, By “ph Iv’s a pity that fellow got away to- nigh é took a hurried turn up and down the room, then came back and ordered Tanner to close the door and arrange the room so that no one could possibly get in to eavesdrop them, ‘*Pve got somethin very important to talk about, Tanner, and I don't want any one to hear what we maysay. Bar everything, win- dows and all, Then turn out the lights and see if you can advise mea little, I hope you haven't been muddling vane head with the foul stuff you dealt out to-night.” ‘“*Nary time!” Tanner asserted. ‘It’s a wise barkeeper that knows enough to let his own pison alone, an’ in tbat respec’ I cale’late I’m one 0’ the wisest. I never tech the stuff, myself, though [ve ladled out bar’ls to them that’s fools enough to drink it.” arry, squeezed in among the bottles beneath the bar, almost imagined he could hear bis own teeth chatter. He knew that if discovered, now he would meet with little favor at the hands of these men. Nevertheless, he was glad that an opportunity for learning something of import- ance was about to he presented, even if it did seemingly increase his peril. When Tanner had complied with Leenard’s request he came back and again seated himself on the box at the end of the bar. “This thing is worrying me a good deal,” Leonard observed, as he took a seat at the bar- keeper's side. ‘‘It seems impossible to put that fellow out of the way, without at the same time running my own head into a noose, I don’t care to do that, fer it’s already far enough into one, Warbling William. il I thought that jealousy business would nerve Brown up to the deed, but he made a botch of it, in bis usual manner. I don’t know that I ought to blame the fellow, though, for I didn’t do any better when I tried my own hand at the bellows,” ‘‘ Hain’t diskivered anything new, have ye?” Tanner questioned, with some nervousness, ** No; but I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to throw this bloodhound off the trail is toend the trail. I thought I’d ask your advice about it.” ‘“*T don’t adzactly ketch on.” Well, we’ve been holding the young fellow in jail at Silverton a long while. it? Why not organize a mob, storm the jail, and have him bung?” Harry gavesuch a gasp that he felt sure his retreat would be found, ‘* We tried somethin’ like that one’t, ye know !” Tanner reminded, “Yes, and failed. But we needn’t fail again, if we work the thing right. If we don’t do something, this cursed detective will yet drop onto our secret,” ‘Your secret, ye mean,” Tanner chuckled, ‘** Remember that [ hain’t handled the cards any furder than I’ve had to,” ‘*Have it yourown way. An accomplice is as guilty as the principal. We'll not quarrel about that, though, f you can think of a better plan, tell it,” ** Who'll ye git to put the thing through!” TPll take the responsibility of that myself, I can rely on the jailer, and I’ve friends and allies in that town.’ ‘Then, I say it’s a good plan,” declared the barkeeper, breathing freer when he found he was not expected to manipulate the scheme. ‘A bu’stin’ good plan. If I'd stood in your shoes I'd ’a’ done it long ago,” ‘*T don’t like to,” Leonard averred, ‘‘and yet I suppose I must,” For a long time he sat with head bowed and brows contracted. ‘“*It can be worked better than that,” be de- clared at last. ‘The young chap was put in there under an assumed name, and a week or more ago I had the jailer give out the word that he had escaped, So, you'll see the people of the town don’t know he’s in there now? What’s to prevent him from shuffling off this mortal coil ent dark night, and no one being the wiser for i ** Jes’ the thing!” Tanner exclaimed, slapping his thigh, enthusiastically. ‘ Ye couldn't hit it better if ye’d think a week, Now, if ye on’y had the man to do it!” ‘* Money will find the man!” Leonard assured. ** Let’s see! “Yes, I'll go over there day after to- morrow. I want to find this fellow here, if he ne be found, or discover what has become of im, ‘* IT don’t "low he'll show upon the stage ag’in!” with a short, hard laugh, ‘It’s not likely that he will, Ill have the men keep a lookout for him and the boy to-mor- row, They can surely find some trace of them, or at least learn where they have gone. Then the day after I'll go to Silverton, and see that our young friend over there gets as short a shrift as possible,” CHAPTER XV. A CHANGE OF PLANS, Tae ‘cold-blooded manner in which Leonard made the statement caused the boy’s heart to sink and his blood to chill, A man who could speak of a contemplated murder in that calm and collected way was a dangerous man, in- deed. After much further talk on the same subject, and a discussion of the troublesome affair in all its bearings, Leonard took bis departure. The lamps, which had been turned very low, were now extinguished; and Tanner followed his chief, locking the front door after him. When certain that Tanner was gone, Harry crept from his hiding-place. His limbs were so stiffened by the long confinement, that for a time he could scarcely move. ‘Pm afraid I’m cooped up here for all night,” he whispered, going to one of the windows and feeling of the barred fastenings. “It would oe a regular burglar to get in or out of this place, The thought brought with it a refreshing recollection. A burglar had madt his way into the place only a few nights before, coming in b the way of the cellar, and cutting a hole throug the floor of the stage. The hole had been tem- porarily closed until new flooring could be laid, hy continue SSSSSSSSsSSSSsS90.0. Se ——>>> and tke chauces of escape by that way looked promising. “ Hurrying to that point the boy found that a square of heavy planking had been let into the aperture and fastened so it could not be removed from beneath. The fastenings above, however, could be slipped out of place without muck effort. A gloomy hole was revealed by the dis- placement, “Tl have to leave the hole open,” with a dubious shake of the head. ‘1 don’t like to de that; but I can’t see that there’s any help for it —so here goes!” He swung himself through the hole, and after hanging in mid-air for a moment, dropped inte the gloomy cellar. The fall was about ten feet, but he landed without mishap. ‘“My, I hope that open hole won’t give the snap away !” » exclaimed, pulling himself to- gether and staring at the yawning cavity. ‘* Tbere’s one consolation, they can’t know who did it, whatever they think, and if [ can only find Mr. Ware we'll fix things so that their guessing won’t do them much good.” To get out, now, by the coal-hole, was an easy matter, and, five minutes later, Harry stood in the deserted street. He was puzzling over the direction he ought to take when a low whistle reached him from the shadows of the buildings opposite, He recognized it as Ware's signal. “Where did you drop from’ Ware asked, when his boy pard had guined his side, ‘I didn’t drop; 1 ascended!” and Harry hastily explained how he had escaped from the saloon, ‘*And you heard the talk? That's fine. I tried every imaginable way to accomplish that. Harry, you’re a jewel! Come! Let’s hunt up a place where we can talk without danger of ing disturbed. 1 do believe fate is at last going to play them into our bands,” He spoke in a quick and nervous way, and, grasping the boy’s arm, fairly dragged him from the spot. When they had gained a safe distance he halted. ‘* Now, tell me all about it, and as quick as you can,” The boy complied, compressing the story inte as few words as possible, “Silverton! That’s the town across the di- vide, I understand Leonard has an interest in the silver mine there. And they’ve got Lewis in jail at that place? Well, we'll see if we can’t get him out in mighty short order,” ‘‘It must be Lewis,” Harry exclaimed. ‘* They didn’t mention any name, but I felt sure they meant Lewis,” “Certainly; they couldn’t have referred te any one else! He's the only partie we have an interest in or that they would be likely to spea of in connection with us, ‘That will cause a change in our plans, We'll have to drop the show business here and journey to Silverton, I can’t say I’m sorry on that ac- count, however, for now that the Kicker has started in to do me up, he’d be apt to cause us a good deal of trouble here. I’m surprised that he could gain so many followers, I don’t know that it ought to be thought stramge though, when it’s understood that nard and Tanner are backing him.” He was silent for a time, and them centinued- “No one will expect us to reappear on the stage to-morrow night, anyway. Brown’s mur- derous attempt on my life is all the excuse that’s needed to explain our sudden disappearance from the town. I never like to run from dan- ger, or even seemingly run; but we'll do it in this case, and be glad of the cpportunity.” He took out his watch and looked at it by the faint sta: light, ‘Not more than three hours tillday. We'll want to be a good distance on our way before the sun rises, It won’t do to let Leonard’s cut- throats get ahead of us. We can get there by evening, but we’ll have to go without food, pro- bably, There's little chance, now,. ef getting anything of the kind to take with us.” ‘“*There’s a little restaurant down-town that keeps open all night,” Harry reminded. ‘‘I remember it, but we'll have to go there disguised. And I must havemy guitar, too. I skall need to carry out the plan I’ve thought of. Stay here; I'll see if I can’t get into our room at Tanner’s,” He was off like a shot, without further ex- planation. Within fifteen minutes he had returned bringing with him the guitar, amd a change of old and worn garments for each. ‘No trouble at all,” he cried, gleefully. ‘* Leonard had a man on guard in the hall, but he was a sleepy chuckle-head, and I passed him without him once suspecting any ene was near.” . | = ae - Pe i y i L* ye ‘ 4 \ ; ‘4 ~ i . _ : 4 ae ek ‘ ' ~ - mete Vie comicboo 9 eS, b wa es Lk.