Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 683 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

| | -it strengthened her reso —_—— - could help her, and was unwilling that Sol and Ned should run any risks. She arged them to consider their own safety only, and get away as soon as possible. This they refused to do, and she finally ielded, She said that, besides two women and oseph, the occupants of the house were Jimmy, Cale Jones, Ross Brown and a gentlemanly- looking man to whom all looked for orders, Of course, this was Thomas Lake. Having arrived at a decision, no time was lost, They moved toward the house “8 & cir- cuitous route, taking great pains not to be seen, When opposite one of the windows Eliza Pe Tet me see whether the men are all here,” she directed. ‘‘ Wait a moment!” She went to the window. The lower sash was raised, and the curtain pulled allof the way down. She moved it sufficiently to get a view, and saw Flocton, Jones, Brown, and Lake seat- ed at a table. They had just finished supper, and were drinking liquor in high spirits, ‘Will up well, lads, ’ Lake was saying. ‘* We have disagreeable work ahead of us to-night, and we can get fresh courage from every drink we take,” ‘‘ We haven’t settled how many we wipe out, et,” suggested Brown, ‘*Oh! the three boys will be enough; we don’t waut to disgrace ourselves,” gil say, add Eiiza!” growled Flocton, with a scowl. ‘I tell you there is mischief in that wo- man. She never was a willing helper, and was given to whimpering over her work; and the seven devils are in her lately. I suspect her; I suspect that she’s going to give me the dead shake, I tell you, our safety demands that we sacrifice Eliza, Living, she may betray us; dead, she will be harmless!” A cold chill crept over Eliza, and her head grew dizzy. If she had been freezing in bitter weather, and numbed of body and brain, the effect could not have been greater. **She’s your wife, Jim,” Lake replied, ‘* and I suppose you have a right to say, but she ought to haveachance, Let this decide it!” He took a coin from his pocket. **Say when it’s in the air!” he directed, and flung it up. ‘* Heads!” cried Jimmy, The coin fell. * Bully!” added the ruffian; ** l’ve won, Now, keep you still, Lake, and let me have my way.” **T will!” Eliza turned from the window, sick at heart, This cool, careless way of bartering her life away was a step in infamy which words could but poorly describe, but, severe as the blow was, lution: she saw that she had moved none to soon. ‘ Follow me!” she directed, as she rejoined So] and Ned, and they passed to the rear of the house. : ‘“‘ Now,” Eliza added, ‘I will go and get the boy. Remain here, and be sure and do nothing to cause trouble.” Sho entered the house, Sol and Ned were ina highly expectant state that was not free from nervousness, All depend- ed upon Eliza, and they were useless for the time, Even if Joseph had been outside, they did not know in which direction to flee with him, “Lucky we've got Eliza fur a helper,” Sol Ter Lope she won't be caught.” “Don’t mention it! You make my hair risa up an’ dance, Ef she does git kitched, our name is Dennis K. Mud!” 4 th Several minutes passed, an © boys grew uneas Where was Eliza? Her prolonged ys ‘tong, and they feared sho had absence was suspiclou%y, ited: still met with trouble. Still they watted; still sho remained absent. When patience cease Pitas nce ed, we've got ter de somethin’!” ** What can we do?” “ “Til gointer the wigwam. __ ,, Sol, you’re mad; don’t do it! x “T must. We won't gain no credit nt our consciences by neglectin’ Eliza an J "aT an’ I guess that Juck will stan’ by me while r: creep up-stairs. Ill try it, anyhow. So-long “* Wait a little onger,” urged N ed. s ** An’ let them snakes git in motion? “They may be in motion, now.” ‘Ned, it’s no use; duty demands me ter make a break. I’m off!” He opened the door and entered. Ned saw him go with gloomy emotion. He was eager to help E d to be a virtue, Sol liza and Joseph, himself, but, less reckless than Sol, he knew at danger lay inside, : on This time he waited e One minute—two Saltpeter Sol. —three. Where was Sol? great start. A loud ery had sounded from the house, Suddenly he gave a CHAPTER XVII. FRIENDS AND FOES MEE} THE cry was one of pain or alarm, or both, and it was that of a woman, Ned heard other sounds immefiately after that; heavy footsteps and loud voices, and it became evident that the dreaded catastrophe had come, Ned did not hesitate as to his partin the affair, Saltpeter Sol was there, and he would not desert his friend. He opened the door and entered the house. There was a noise up-stairs as if two or more persons were struggling, and he went up two steps atatime, HKeaching the top, he saw an open door, and, in the room beyond, Sol and Eliza were contesting with Cale Jones. Ned sprung to the rescue and neatly tripped the ruffian, and the two fell upon the fellow so heavily that he was stunned. This was easily seen as they arose. Eliza darted into the next room, and came out with Joseph in her arms, The imperiled party turned to retreat, but as they did so, Lake, Wloctan and Brown rushed into the room, Jimmy broke into a loud laugh. ** Nabbed in the act, by Judas!” he cried, He turned upon Eliza with a dangerous look. ‘* You traitress!” he hissed, ‘‘ you have sealed your own fate! Upon them, Brown, and knock them over like ten-pins!” ‘* Down with them!” Lake added. The men moved forward, and utter destruc- tion seemed to confront Eliza and her young friends, but help, little expected, was st hand. A loud shout arose behind the would-be assail- ants: ** Walt! you scoundrels! peril!” And Edmund Fordrest stood in the room with Hiil ana several other men at his back, ** Arrest these villains!” he added, pointing to Flocton and his gang. The latter were taken wholly by surprise, and the nerve of one deserted him at this crisis; Lake did not make a movement, but stood like one stupefied, Flocton and Brown rushed for- ward to fight their way through, but the odds were against them; they were overpowered and bound, Then Fordrest caught Joseph in bis arms, ' Saved! saved!” he cried, joyfully, Saltpeter Sol gravely shook Ned’s hand. ‘ Messmate, I guess we’re pooty near O, K., all hunk, right side up with care, an’ # pluri- bus !” he asserted. _Fordrest turned to address the boys, but the sight of Eliza’s wan face attracted his attention. "* My girl,* he said, “1 think I am right in believing you with us in this?” **She’s a baked brick, an’ no discount,” Sol asserted, ‘* She saved Ned an’ me, an’ was tryin’ ter do the same fur Joseph.” ‘*T suspected as much, Young woman, you shall never regret having been on the side of jus- tice, I will be your iriend and protector, and aid you to lead an honest life. re don’t deservo it,” murmured Eliza, “I stole your grandson—” “Were you not led on?” . ** Yes, but that does not excuse me. ‘‘T have been told that, since he was lost, you have been his protector. However much I re- gret the past, £ art not so harsh as to be unable to forgive one who repents.” The girl bursted into tears. _ ‘T deserve nothing,” she reiterated, a ‘¢ She was good to me, and | like her,” deposed young Joseph, . ye ‘* Enough!” cried Fordrest, happily. After that testimony, there is bub one thing to do, You are forgiven: you shall be saved, Once mors he turned, caught sight of Thomas Lake, started and exclaimed: Andrew Morse!” ake was speechless, . 80 it is ‘you! uttered the previous speaker, in amazement, ‘* Now, I know to whom all our troubles are due, and "the cause thereof. Not content with robbing my poor son, and trying to put him in the hands of aw, your poalignency has souuint you further, Scoundrel! f see all, now i: He hired me to have the boy, Joseph, stolen!” interrupted Jimmy Flocton, eager, as cornered kaaves usually are, to shift the burden of blame from his own shoulders. * And yo, villain that you were, had an un- fortunate girl do your work! J want no confes- Touch them at your we 13 sion from you, for you are to be prosecuted to the extent of the law. Sheriff, please take your prisoners below. We want to see what is there.’ This direction was obeyed, and all were soon in the kitchen, On arriving there Ned saw, with some sur- prise, an old valise upon a chair which had once been his father’s, and which had been part of the Flying Fish’s cargo, He was re- garding it with an inquiry in his mind when Kliza came to his side, ‘That has been the cause of all the attacks on you,” she explained. Er ‘But why? Of what value is it?” ‘‘Tt contained papers very valuable to Lake, or Andrew Morse, or whatever his name is, They were there; he dared not go for them; he again hired Jimmy, but you had started on the raft before Jimmy reached your home, Determined to have them, be disguised himself as a tramp, one night, and attacked you on the raft. He failed. ‘“Then he got me to help him, thinking the presence of & woman would keep you from sus- pecting him. Our alleged upset in the boat was all planned, and, according to orders, I burned & newspaper as soon as it was sure you were to take us in, to notify Brown, who was watching on shore,” ‘‘ A few words from me are necessary,” putt in Mr. Fordrest. ‘* Lake, under the name of Andrew Morse, went into business with my son. The firm failed at the end of a year, owing many, and having defrauded many. It was et proved that my son—since deceased—was. innocent, but the blame was put where it bes longed, : ‘* Morse had disappeared, and has thus far escaped justice, but his day is over. He stole a great deal of money from the firm, but why he took my grandson is not clear to me.” — ‘Tt was to get money from you, sir,” Eliza explained, ‘‘ but ‘you searched so closely that he has never dared anply.” ‘‘ Well, well, there is sunlight ahead, and I owe it all to you and thess brave boys, Sol and Ned, Rest assured that [ will not forget the debt!” The mystery of tho valise was solved. Under the lining Lake had put papers by which he hoped to get money in the future. When he left bis home, after defrauding Ned, he took what he thought was the valise, buf a resem- blance deceived him, and he took the wrong one, Valuable the papers might have been, if he bad bad chance to use them, but Flocton and his. allies had an exaggerated view of their value, As it was, Lake never used them. At his trial it was shown that he had long lived a double life, as well as an evil one, art he received a long term in prison, Some of bis companions there are well known to the reader, for they include Brown, Jones, Mother Hooper and Flocton, all of whom wenf there to stay a long time, but death cut Jimmy’s sentence short, Tom Hill having done so nobly, was put in the way of living an honest life, which he did, faithfully. It was impossible to make Eliza take a place in the Fordrest family, but a good situation was obtained for her by the old gentleman, and he insists on looking to her welfare even now, She is honest, prosperous, and far from un- happy. Mother Hooper’s sister, the invalid, was also cared for satisfactorily. The Fordrest family remains united and happy. Joseph is now almost a man in years and so his grandfather is prouder of him. if possible, thanof Caslina, The family often gocruising in the resurrected Dancing Dervish, whereof Twombly is captain and Nixon mate, but the Flying Fish rever made a second voyage. It was broken up at the point where Flocton landed it, and sold fer what it would bring. Sol and Ned stepped suddenly from poverty to what they considered affluence, Fordrest took them in charge, and, as he had more mouey than he knew how to spend, he showered it upon them, Declaring that he saw inthem the material for successful business men, he gave them an education in books and in busi- ness, and so conducted their lives that when they were old enough for real work, they were well fitted for it, They are in business now, as partners, and: in the midst of their prosperity they often speak of the days when they navigated the raft and con- tested with the kidnappers, THE END, co ee ee