Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 669 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 ‘Cert: come right along, an’ we'll scare up some more fun.” ‘‘You are welcome ter have th’ fun all ter yerself, if that was a sample of it,” Skinny de- clared. Billy led the way, and knowing the direction of the Chinese quarter, they bent their steps in that direction. They saw much to amuse them on the way, _ and were in no hurry. Their time was their own, and they meant to enjoy it for its full value. They little thought that two evil-looking men were upon their track. Into street after street they ventured, until finally they found themselves in a decidedly hard- looking quarter. ‘Sweet pertaters!” Billy exclaimed, “ but this looks like some of th’ shady spots of may York. It’s a hard hole, Skinny, that Vil et. “Ginger, yes!” echoed Skinny. ‘“‘ Let’s get on and out of it without delay. “Dm willin’, fer I don’t like th’ looks of th’ citizens.” They moved forward rapidly, but they had not gone far when both were seized from behind by powerful arms, end before they could resist they were run into a narrow alley that was right at hand. The men who bad been following them had come upon them silently, and before the lads were aware of their presence they were prison- ers. The alley was dark and dirty, and it ended in a little court that was even less promising in ap- pearance. It was a noisome hole, and filth abounded every where. “We couldn’t ’a’ got ’°em inter a neater trap, hey, ard?” one of the rascals observed. ‘ ere howlin’? we couldn't!” agreed the other. ‘“* An’ now let’s do fer ’em quick, an’ be off.” The lads were held at such a disadvantage that their struggles were useless, though Billy’s were by no means weak ones, He was doing his best to get free, but the man, holding bis arms from behind, was too powerful for him to shake off, “Tf you know when you're well off, you'll let me go." Billy cried. ‘We will, eh?’ the man sneered. ‘‘ We know about that. Ye’d better think over yer prayers, if ye know any, fer ye are goin’ where they don’t bave any ice in summer, an’ that’s straight.” Billy saw that his struggles were futile, so he began to shout for help. hat was the fatal thing for him to do, and ‘yet perhaps it saved his life, for it caused the twor s to make haste. ‘‘Curse ye!” they cried, and both seeming to have the same thought at the same moment they jerked the two lads toward each other and eracked their heads together in a murderous manner. Skinny’s head dropped instantly over upon his shoulder, and in a moment Billy sunk down limp and unconscious. «Jest as like as not them yells will bring th’ aed growled one of the men, ‘‘an’ we must an’ git away from here,” “Right ye are,” agreed the other. “Jest kick in that winder there, an’ well dump ’em inter th’ old suller fer th’ present, an’ ter-night pes comé an’ finish ’em, or git th’ Chinese ter o it. There was a narrow’ window, about a foot high and three feet long, in one of the walls, right on a level with the ground, and this one of the men kicked in. As soon as that was done, the boys were drag- ee to the opening and forced in, Billy and his box first, and Skinny after him. No sooner was this accomplished than the two ruffians hastened away, and were soon out of immediate danger. But no one had witnessed their crime, and no one knew the fate the two brave boys had met. Not a sound came up from the dark depths beyond the window, and had the guilty ones returned to the scene of their crime, even several hours later, they might have felt satisfied that they had accomplished their design. CHAPTER XVI. THAT BING DOES GOOD SERVICE, IT was a close call for the two boys’ lives. As has been said, however, their lives were no villains ‘would have been in Jess haste than they were used knives upon - doubt saved by Billy’s calls for help. Had he not done so, the two powerful after that, and might have their victims. | s i a ———— to see if his heart was gay an’ new, except that there was Broadway Billy Abroad. Even as it was, the whole afternoon passed and night came on before Billy recovered his consciousness; and Skinny was even longer than that: for without the help Billy rendered him, he might have died. It was some time before Billy could realize what had happened, and it was longer before he could move, Skinny waslying right across him, a dead weight, and when Billy finally remem- bered what had taken place, he feared that his thin partner was dead. ‘‘Sweet pertaters!” he mentally exclaimed, ‘“ but [reckon we're done fer, this time. I guess I’m as good as dead, an’ I’m ’fraid Skinny is even worse off. Hang me if I kin move a finger)!” Gradually, however, he regained the use of his limbs, and finally was strong enough to roll Skinny off of him and to get upon his feet. His head felt very sore, and his brain was dizzy. Not a thing could be seen, but he realized that he wasina cellar that was damp, foul-smelling and filthy. As soon as he had exercised his limbs enough to have the use of them in some degree, he felt around to get hold of Skinny again, He feared that his slender partner was dead, and almost dreaded to touch him. When he got hold of the poor fellow, he felt beating. At first he feared that it was not, but presently he found that it was, though in a very faint manner. ‘“Sweet pertaters!” he spe “but I guess there is a little spark o’ L.dleft in him, an’ I must see if I kin fan itinterablaze, It won't do ter let him die— Sweet pertaters, no! Must do all I kin fer him. "Wonder how long we've been in this hole? It seems like a year, ag by th’ soreness I feel.” hile muttering thus, he had set to work to rub Skinny’s limbs as briskly as he could, a process which he kept up steadily, until at last the thin partner gave 4 gasp and ..me fo. ‘Be ye alive, lieutenant?” Billy inquired. ‘Hang me if I didn’t think you was a gone gosling, sure pop. Keep yer pump a-goin’, my festive pard, fer we must’n’t allow ’em ter do us up in this way.” Billy spoke cheeringly enough, but he found that Skinny was not yet able to talk. In fact, the thin tees soon went off into another faint, and for an bour or longer Billy had to work his hardest to bring him out of it, Fully three hours passed, from the time when Billy bad first come to, before Skinny was able to sit up and talk. He owed his life to Billy’s persistent efforts to save him, All this exercise had redounded to Billy’s good, for he was by this time almost as good as a spot on his head that was terribly sore, “‘ How d’ye feel now?” Billy finally asked. “ Awful bad,” Skinny moaned. ‘I don’t feel able ter hold up my head, Billy.” “Ye must brace up, though, lieutenant,” Billy tried to encourage, ‘‘ fer we have got ter git, ovt of this hole and make good our escape afore they come ter finish us, if that is their in- tention, onless they think we are dead already.” ‘Well, you feel around, Billy, and see if ge 0 kin find ‘any way out, an’ I'll try ter git bol some strength,” ‘“That’s th’ talk! Try yer bardest, Skinny, an’ you will pull through, éven if ye was almost a goner. You’re good for another round yet.” Billy left him then, and began to feel around the hole they were in. It wasa cellar, as said, and there was a good deal of rubbish in it. Billy fell over things in every direction. _ ‘‘ Sweet pertaters!” he cried out, ‘if I was in th’ habit o’ swearin’, which I ain’t, ’d be tempt- ed ter swear now. Hang meif I don’t believe we have waked up in th’ bad place below, Skin- ny. Say, haven’t ye got a match ” * Come ter think of it,” answered Skinny, ‘‘ I believe I have some matches. I will feel an’ ste, ‘‘ Tt strikes me that you'll have ter do th’ feel- in’ without seein’,” Billy joked. “Yes, here’s some,” Skinny soon announced, and he 2 pny one to cuide Billy back to him. By its light they looked around their prison. It was a dismal hole, There were old boxes, bar- rels, broken furniture, etc., everywhere, igh up was the broken window through which they had been pitched. On one side was a flight of steps leading up to a floor above, ‘*That’s better,” Billy cried, ‘an’ I'll soon see where these steps go to. I mean ter git out of here if it is in th’ wood. Sweet pertaters! we didn’t come all th’ way ter Fan Cransisco ter be killed like rats! Not much we didn’t, an’ it won’t do fer os ter give up th’ ghost and so lose puke lead at ye in solid lumps as thumbs, Buff’ler Bill on the shoot.” the advantage, deathly pale, and the Chinese were in no better condition. th’ conferdence of Inspector Br— Hello! hang me if { don’t hear somebody comin’!” He blew out a match that he had just lighted, and listened. Sure enough, steps were heard overhead, and soon a key was heard to turn in tbe lock of a Jon and a light appeared at the head of the stairs, Broadway Billy drew his revolver, for he now carried one, as has been shown: and he and Skinny waited in breathless suspense. A pair of heavy boots thumped on the steps, followed by another, and after them came the lighter sound of Chinese shoes, Down they came, and Billy and Skinny, by a hasty agreement, pretended to be dead, or asleep. “T guess they’re donefur,” one of the men growled, as he took a look in the direction in which he had expected to find them, and saw them lying in a heap under the window, ‘Oh, they’re dead enough,” agreed the other. “That fall was enough ter kill ’em, ter say nothin’ of th’ bumps we gev ’em.” ‘‘ That’s so, an’ there won’t be nothin’ fer th’ Chinese ter do but ter git ’em out 0’ sight, either by buryin’’em, or dumpin’ ’em in th’ bay.” ‘‘That’s all. You’ve got a snap of it, John.” ** Allee same muchee bettee,” responded a vil- lainous-looking Celestial, who was coming down He them, followed by three others of his ind. The man with the lamp advanced toward the place where the boys lay, kicking ehe debris out of his way as he did so, and had nearly reached them when, with a sudden spring, Broadway Billy was upon his feet and pointing a revolver straight at his head, ‘‘ Move an inch, any one of you,” he shouted out, ‘‘ and I'll make a hole clear through ye.” The men fell back in the greatest alarm, “Put that lamp on that shelf,” Billy imme- diately commanded, seeing a shelf near where the man who held the lamp stood; ‘and _ be quick about it, or you die in your tracks. We'll stand no nonsense now, fer I’m on ther shoot!” The fellow had not got over the first shock yet, so he obeyed the order, ‘* And now up with your hands!” ) The command was given as sternly as though Billy were a veteran detective, and he was obey- ed, But now the reaction came, and the men cursed wildly, threatening all manner of dire vengeance if th immediately. | e revolver was not put out of sight. ‘“ Don’t you move,” Billy ordered, ‘‘ or it will big as yer Every shot will tell, too, fer 1 am He held the best hand, if he could only keep The faces of the twomen were ‘See here,” Billy suddenly cried, addressing them, and holding up his left hand as be did so, “do you recognize t iS ring, and this mark on my wris Phe effect of this was almost magical! The Celestials became greatly excited, and chattered among themselves for a moment like so many eese, They leaned forward to take a closer ook atthe ring and mark, They were evidently ey for immediately they dropped to their ees ‘This action was a great surprise to the two villains who had brought them there to help them dispose of their victims. The leader of the four Chinamen said some-— thing in Chinese, which of course Billy could not understand. ‘‘- You'll have to talk plain English,” he-said. ‘‘Whatee want Chinamans do?” the heathen inquired. ‘Allee same fliends of ’Melicans. Do whatevel wantee, now ev’ly time!” | ‘‘In the name of your Great Consulate Gen- eral, then,” said Billy, speaking as impressively as he could, ‘‘I command you to secure these two men and bind their hands and feet. If they resist I will shoot them down in their tracks,” The Chinamen understood, and without a word, except an exclamation in their own @, they hurled themselves upon the two now de- moralized rascals, and bore them to the ground, where they soon had them secured. This action proved that the Chinamen were to be depended on, so Billy put away his revolver and held out his hand to their leader. “That was well done, Jobn,” he cried, ‘ | you deserve the thanks of th’ court. Put it here, rascal] though you are.” Celestial shook bands with him, asking: * How ’Melican get ling and mark?” ‘‘ Got it from the Consulate,” Billy responded. Holding the advantage he had gained, the ee ‘ : ‘ yy ou ; . : ' ma Th ; ; “4 “ - ‘ 4 | bd : 4 ‘ xh! \* r " . : P . 7 ° (r ‘ . E ; . wo ’ r - » ae . ' ' ' : . Mee i | ’ Ud , a pA . \. eR? , +e ee a ag a =<? a SS a -— -<