Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 657 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

ae fg Cc Pee o * “a r » ~, ; : . d . A ; Py! ee e% ; . } f 4 th " oe a? ry 4 ad Pd Age San + oat h; 6 “That old Leonard ought to be lynched!” was ‘*'We must find Lew the emphatic declaration. at once, I know where the shaft of the Jim Crow Mineis. It ain’t a mile from this very lace, The scoundrel, to keep any one in a hole like that!” But, what do you make of the handwriting?” **Oh, that? That’s Lew’s, sure! I could swear to it anywhere,” ‘Then [ll go!” and the detective breathed a sigh of relief. “And PU go!” with eyes flashing, ‘If your brother was in a fix like that, you wouldn’t stay back for anybody, would you?” **No, perhaps not. But, circumstances are said to alter ca-es,” **Oh, you must let me go, Mr, Ware, —I can’t stay behind!” The Warbler found it impossible to resist the boy’s pleading, ‘**Be ready then when the show is over, We will start as soon as the bulk of the crowd is gone, Now, leave me alone, while I try to figure outa plan for getting into the mine,” And the boy tripped down-stairs, bis mind so whirling that it is doubtful if he would have recognized John Leonard or Fanny Fulton had they passed him, CHAPTER VII. ‘* DOWN IN A COAL-MINE,” Harry had been gone but a few moments, when Ware proceeded to disguise himself by changing his clothing and donning a bushy, tawny beard that well matched the color of bis mustache, The articles were obtained from a rusty-looking grip-sack which he had brought with him to Rocket Range, The change thus effected was so great that his most intimate acquaintances would scarcely have recognized him, When he had locked his dingy cutaway and other ordinary apparel in the receptacle from which the others had been taken, he surveyed himself in the oblong mirror that hung against the wall. **Not a bad get-up,” was his muttered com- ment, ‘‘Methinks if the fair Fanny should clap her peepers on me at this instant she would tumble head over heels in love with yours truly. That girl has a fund of information that would be invaluable tome, Whether I can succeed in extracting it is another thing. She’sas shrewd and wary as aprofessional, What a pard she would make in the detective line!” After a few further disguising touches he ex- tinguished the dimly burning lamp, upened the door slightly and peered into the hall to see that the coast was clear, No one was in sight; and he crept softly into the street, His usual evening performance did not begin till nearly ten o’clock, He had visited Miss Malcolm immediately after nightfall, and had spent about halfan hour in talking with Harry and in changing his garments. Hence he had abundant time for the work in band, which was the securing of miners’ suits for himself and Harry. The thronged streets were fairly well lighted; but, with a soft hat pulled far over his eyes, he boldly made his way along them. On reaching an obscure part of the town he entered a little store where miners’ supplies and outfits were sold. The proprietor bustled briskly forward, scent- ing a sale; and the Warbler was soon in posses- sion of the needed articles, lanterns included. On his return to Tanner’s, he regained his room in the same cautious way, divested himself of his disguises, and was once more the smiling and affable gentleman of the song and guitar, Shortly after midnight, when he was again at liberty, he once more ascended to his room, this time taking Harry with him, ** Now, slip into that suit,” he said, when he had screened the light and turned it so low that the place was filled with somber shadows, ‘ It may be a little large for you, but it is the smallest I could find. Work lively, too, for we've got to get into that mine in some way be- fore daylight.” Just then a step was heard in in the hall and operations were for a time suspended. Ware had taken his usual precaution of leaving the key in the lock, however, and he had little fear that prying eyes could see them. But the foot- steps halted only temporarily, and the changing of clothing was resumed, Within ten minutes what seemed to be two miners emerged from the lower hallway and strode down the street. There was nothing in this to create suspicion had they been seen, for : nee of miners roomed together in the ote I can’t When they had traversed some distance they - - . Vaa bh > ' 7 A tis b ; we 5, . : " : Crak 4 ‘ dD “ es ; x J m sd a ee ; Sal PONE s ¢ in ~) Taw "ag be al £ i. be ’ Warbling William. took .to dark side streets and alleys, and after much winding and turning left the town behind them, ‘*I] don’t hardly know how we’re going to work this,” the Warbler whispered, when the black dump-pile of the Jim Crow Mine loomed before them, ‘There is a day and a night shift of workmen, and if we had been here when the shifts were changed the thing would bave been easy enough, Wecould have entered the mine with the night shift without much danger of detection.” A lantern gleamed here and there about the dump-pile and the mouth of the shaft: and as they drew near they could hear the voices of men, ‘I don’t suppose it would be worth while to reveal ourselves and try to deceive them in any way. They know about who has business in the mine at this time of night and who hasn’t.” Just then a little car containing coal was hoist- e]d from the shaft and run out upon a small tramway leading to an elevator from which the coal was to be loaded into railway cars for ship- ment, The incident gave the detective an idea which held some promise, ‘‘Comeé!” he whispered, giving the boy’s coat a tug, and sinking noise essly to the earth. ‘* We'll try the weasel game, If we can sneak into one of those little cars we'll go down the shaft a-rolling,” With movements as silent as those of the ani- mal he had mentioned they approached the tim- bers about the mouth of the shaft. While crouching expectantly another car came up and was run upon the tramway. It was filled with coal, and on top of the heap was a numbered paddle showing to what miner’s account the delving should be credited, These cars were ascending and descending al- most constantly, and, after an hour’s watching, an opportunity presented for slipping into one that was going down, The attention of the workmen was drawn elsewhere for a few minutes, and when the car was lowered it bore the singing detective and his boy pard into the depths of the mine, ere detection seemed inevitable, When the door of the cage opened the lamp of the work- man below pierced the gloom and revealed their presence, ‘Seems to me you fellows air’ thunderin’ late in gittin’ down!” he growled. ‘* You won't make enough to-night to pay ye fer yer trouble 0’ comin’,” Ware was quick to comprebend the situation. The miner took them for belated workmen who had probably been delayed by some drunken carousal, ‘* Better late’n never,” he answered, with dis- guised and thickened utterance. ‘ Couldn't git hyer no quicker. High ole time with some f the boys, you bet!” ‘You're ope of the new men, I reckon, an’? I'd advise ye to bustle to yer work quick’s ye kin, Ef the foreman gits wind of it, he’ll be mighty likely to lay ye off.” Ware and Harry stumbled past him before he had finished speaking, and hurried on into the gloom, They could see lights twinkling here and there, and hear the tread of mules and rum- ble of wheels where the little trains of coal cars were being brought in from the converging tun- nels and chambers, ‘‘In the abandoned chamber north is where i owet brother is held, if there is any truth in that etter!” said the detective, stopping and trying to locate bimself. “I’m half turned round already. If we only knew the outs and ins of this place we’d have plainer sailing. Before we go any further, though, we’d better light these lamps. There may be danger from damp away from the mouth of the shaft.” The fact that tke miner had not commented on their unlighted lanterns convinced him it would be perfectly safe to strike a match there, When they were again ready to advance, they turned sharply toward the north, and soon found themselves among cobwebbed and dusty debris, showing that that portion of the mine had been worked out and abandoned, Then they came to a tunnel-like opening, braced with rotting timbers, which seemed to be the passage leading to the chamber mentioned in the letter, Harry, by this time, was becoming so excited he could hardly contain himself, Hie believed they were now within a few feet of his brother's terrible prison, sat can’t imagine what kind of a place he is held in,” said the detective, as they picked their way forward, ‘The chamber must be fitted up with a door, or something to turn it into a prison, The more I think of it the more in- ; . ; s P - te 8.2 2 a - eee, oH - 2 definite seem the statements made in that let- ter. They had advanced but a few yards when they came upon indications of the recent use of pick and drill, ‘* That looks a little like we may be approach- ing a part of the mine that is still worked. It may be we have taken the wroug passage, [° didn’t see any other, though, and we’ll go on till we find out where this leads to,” He paid small heed to the drill-marks, not considering them of much significance, He had cause to think of this afterward, however, and to regret bis inattention. The passage widened as they progressed, and the walls began to stretch away on either hand, inclosing an area of unknown extent. There were timber ,braces here and there; and in ad- dition to these, columns of rock and solid coal bad been left by the workmen to support the heavy mass of earth and stone above. In the dim and uncertain light of their lanterns these pillars seemed to divide the vast space into wind- ing and colonnaded aisles, ‘“* There’s just about two ehances to one that we'll get lost in here!” Ware observed, as he en- deavored to pierce the murky darkness, ‘I can fancy 1t wouldn’t be pleasant if I should. There hasn’t been any work done in here for a long time, and we might wander around for days without being able to find our way out or make ourselves heard,” “Don’t you think we ought to be close to where Lew is, now?” Harry anxiously ques- tioned, ‘* Yes, my boy, I have been thinking that we ought, if he’s inhere, It looks a little like we've been sent on a wild-goose chase.” ‘* Maybe we could find out where he is by calling to him!” ‘And maybe we’d bring the miners down on us! Let us look a little further first,” They were on the point of again advancing when a rumbling and muffled report came from the passage they had recently quitted. The stout pillars abovt them shook ag if disturbed by an earthquake and a blinding cloud of dust was driven in upon them, This was accom- panied by a crash as if the walls behind them bad fallen in, ‘‘My God!” the detective exclaimed, a per- ceptible tremor in his voice. ‘* A blast bas been fired in the passage, and we are blocked in!” CHAPTER VIII. IMPRISONED. ENTOMBED alive! The thought is sufficient to appall the stoutest heart. The detective sunk tremblingly upon his knees as the dreadful sus- picion flashed through his mind, and Harry dropped beside him, half-sobbing with fright, ‘It may not be as bad as we think it is, Harry!” straightening up as he noticed the boy’s terror, ‘‘The passage may not be blocked ‘at all, though it did sound like’ the walls had tum- bledin, There is no need to give up till we know the worst.” He shuddered, even while forcing these hope- ful words through his lips, The rush of dust-laden air had not extin- guished their lanterns; and they quickly made their way back to the sarrow passage, Here Ware found his gravest suspicions confirmed, The end of the passage nearest the shaft bad been blotted out, and only a wall of crushed rock and pulverized coal showed where it bad been, ‘* We're trapped!” the detective gasped, when their lamps revealed the desperateness of their situation, ‘‘Unless there’s another passage we'll never get out of here alive.” In this monient of extreme terror the heroism of the boy’s soul was brought out. The flash of his eyes was undaunted, and though his pallid ape quivered, they only opened to speak words of encouragement: ‘ve heard you say, Mr. Ware, tbat as long as there’s life there is hope. We didn’t go into the chamber but a little way. There may be plenty of other tunnels by which we can get out, We'll not give up until we have tried every plan, I don’t suppose there could bea hope of blasting a way through with the powder in your cartridges?” The cheering tones acted like a tonic on the detective’s dazed faculties, ‘You are right!” he asserted, ‘It’s foolish to give way to desvair, The whole black scheme flashed over me in a minute, though, and I acknowledge that for a little while I was com- pletely unnerved,” He had. lifted himself and was now looking the boy earnestly in the face, ‘What se eme?” Harry questioned, not com~ prehending the drift of the statement, nN ya | ; prs Poot ‘a cbooks.com — e Dairtty Vt Soi ees z; ta) as 5 haa 78 > Me he ~a SRT ae ia ’