Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 721 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

and his wn but ar~ ay. and Ape ou- ne? lay the rif his nd if bis 1 & mM, pa 1 Ve er is AS Dn. g?? 1e le ie Fy af pausing, ow Maverick Mose, the Arizona Detective. — ‘‘T have suspected him for several days, but this note confirms my suspicions, There is no doubt but that he is the man.” _ “Then who is this Iammond?”’ **That 1 can’t tell, but he is in bad company. I owe him a grudge, and mean to pay it,” fierce- ly,‘‘and whatever we do must be done immedi- ately.” “You are right. We must act at once, for there is no telling what to-morrow may bring forth, But, how are we to,accomplish our pur- ose? ‘‘T will see to that.” ‘* Good! I have charge of the prisoners, and it will be easy to carry out any plan for putting them out of the way, but it must be done so as to not attach any suspicion to eitker of us, W hat is your scheme?” * Look,” and Mockton drew a small box from beneath the table, and raising the cover, dis- played several sticks of giant powder, “The work must be done with this,” The marshal started, . ‘Do you mean to—” ‘““'T> plow up the jail—yes,” ‘* But, it willalarm the whole town—we would be found out—” Mockton smiled. “I see you don’t understand my plan.” **No, Pll be hanged if Ido. How is it to be managed ?” ‘* That is easily explained,” asserted Mockton, ** Pll just place a piece of fuse in the box. One end will be connected with the powder, and the other with a candle—about an inch from the top.” ‘** (fo on,” ‘‘ Then you are to place the box in the jail.” 2 Yeas ” sé In tition.’ ‘* L see,” ‘* Then you will simply light the candle, Then lock the door and come to the Desert Fountain saloon,” ‘* Correct,” . fn a half hour there will be a great ex- plosion,” ‘‘T see—I see!” ‘“‘ Well, our presence at the Desert Fountain ‘will keep off any chance of our being suspected of having anything to do with it. 6 can give out the theory that an attenipt must have been made by the pals of the prisoners to blow up the jail and rescue the two men, but they used too much powder—didn’t know the strengthiof giant powder, see?” ‘1 do see, and your plan is simply immense, It can’t help but work!” cried the marshal, in evident admiration of his companion. ‘“‘ That's what I think, Now, have you a guard placed over the prisoners?” | ‘* Yes; Simpkins 1s there now.” hen you must release him at twelve o’clock,” I have already promised to do that.” ‘So much the better. That will leave the coast clear for action.” lor nearly an hour the two conspirators re- mained iu close consultation. Then the mar- shal took his leave, and hurried into the town, It was twelve o’clock when Mockton emerged from the cabin, carrying a small box under his arm, He advanced a few es from the house, and lanced cautiously about him, Then, as if satisfied that noone was lurking in the vicin- ity, he walked hastily toward the jail, a half mile away. He found the marshal standing a few yards from the lock-up, awaiting his arrival, ** You have brought the box, eh?” saluted the marshal, ina guarded whisper, ‘You bet!’ cautious tone, Is it all ready to light?” ‘‘ Correct; all wound up and ready to strike,” with a chuckle, The two men withdrew to a clump of mes- the empty room against the wooden par- -quites a short distance away, where they would not be observed by any one who might chance to pass that way, ‘‘ Have you been down to town since I left you?” asked the marshal, ‘*No; why do you ask?” “Then you have not heard the news?” No; what is it?” _. “Curse the luck!” hissed the marshal, ‘ the ‘Keeper of the Montezuma Hotel says he thinks this Hammond is no robber, Says the young _ Man’s father owns a big ranch across the range, ld acd that he stopped at his hotel not a month 0, “‘ The deuce you say!” ' _ Ue di ’ - + eet é& 7 a. » tse replied Mockton, in the same ‘* Yes, and he’s going to inquire into the case to-morrow.” ‘* That’s a bad go.” ‘* And the chances are that the prisoner will be released to-morrow, if—” ‘Tf nothing happens,” ** Exactly!” “‘ Then we must make doubly sure that it does happen.” ** That’s the idea.” ‘* But what does the hotel-keeper say about this man Barker?” ‘* He don’t know anything about him; but you see how it will all end if we let matters go on as they are?” ** Yes, I see, Well, the cards are in our bands, and all we have to do is to play them and rake in the pot. Has Simpkins been relieved?” ** Yes; he left as soon as I came,” ** Then let us get to business. All you have to do is to place the box in the empty room close to the partition, then light the candle—there can’t be no barm in lighting a candle,”—and Mockton laughed a coarse, evil laugh—*‘ then just leave things to work out their own course.” The marshal now took the box, and placing it under bis arm, remarked: ‘** Wait for me at the Desert Fountain, and Pll be there in a few minutes,” Mockton then turned and walked toward the saloon, a feeling of certain triumph in his evil breast. Although it was nearly one o’clock when he reached the Desert Fountain, be found it still open, and the gambling tables full, Twenty minutes later the marsbal entered the saloon, ‘ ‘* All fixed?” queried Mockton, in a low tone. ‘* Yes; and it will work like a charm,” | CHAPTER V, _ A WAY TO LIBERTY. ~ To return to Nat Barker and Frank Ham- mond whom we left in the little adobe jail. The jail was a low, two-room structure, and evidently had been an old Spanish mission house, which “‘ civilization” had put to other uses, Onthe north side of the building lay a mass of ruins, over which stood the crumbling walls of what had once been the main building, The north wall of what now served as a jail had been constructed by the citizens of Desert City, and was composed of sur-dried bricks or adobe, aia the center of the building had also been placed a heavy oaken partition through which a door opened into the south room, the outside door opening into the north apartment. The floor consisted of flat rocks, similar to ordi- nary rough flag-stones, The south room, the one in, which the two prisoners were confined, was about twelve by fourteen feet in area and was lit by a single small window high up in the western wall, and looking toward the town, In one end of the room lay several sheep- skins and a small sack of wool which were to serve as bed and pillow for the prisoners, Ona pine box lay a tallow candle and some matches; but, as the darkness deepened neither of the prisoners attempted to strike a light, At about seven o’clock they bad been pro- vided with a lunch of cold mutton and a few slices of hard bread, but it was left untouched. ** Nat,” said Frank, breaking the silence, ‘*this is the work of Mockton, that we are here, I feel sure of it; but, how do you account for his wishing to fasten the crime upon us?” ‘‘ That’s jist what puzzles me,” returned Nat, ‘hut I’m goin’ to git at the bottom of his scheme —jist see if I don’t.” ‘ This don’t look much like it,” laughed Frank, ‘being shut up ina Mexican bake-oven. But, whatdo they aimtodo with us? They willsurely be compelled to release us, though I don’t be- lieve Mockton would hesitate to bave us hung if he could do so on his own false testimony.” ‘‘That’s jist where™the trouble lies, and it’s liable to go hard with us unless we can con- vince the citizens that we not are the men they want,” “* But, how are we to do that?” asked Frank. ** There is only one way to circumvent them for the present, ** What is that?” ‘““We must not be here when to-morrow comes,” . “That would be an excellent plan; but, un- fortunately, we ara not at liberty to leave just yet; and as these walls are three feet thick it would take us a week to dig through them with nothing to work witb but a pocket-knife,” : Then we must not attempt it.” re Have you any other plan?” 4 We might examine the floor.” “* Which is of hard stone,” “Yes; but itis in slabs which might be re- moved. If we could manage to remove some of these, who knows but what we might be able to dig our way out? The jail is on the edge ofa deep ravine, and the sandy soil is not bard to dig through.” ‘* We can soon examine the floor and find out what can be done,” responded Frank, ‘‘ but there is a guard stationed in front of the jail,” ‘**T know it, but one of us can watch while the other works, We needn’t make any noise ta disturb the guard.” ‘You are right; but there is only one candle in the place, It won’t last Jong, and it may be necessary to work in the dark, part of the time. ** Let’s take a look at the situation and we can tell more about it,” responded Nat, striking a match and lighting the candle. Frank Hammond took his station by the win- dow for tbe purpose of keeping a watch on the guard, while Nat began examining the floor, screening the light by his hat, from the window, that it might not be seen from the outside. Five minutes passed in silence. ‘* How do you find it?” asked Frank, ** Big slabs of rock.” **Can you move them? ‘*T can’t tell yit, Give me your knife, ard I'll see if I can’t dig down between ’am sol can git a finger-hold.” Frank threw his knife to Nat, who took it _ began probing between the rocks in si- ence, A half hour passed, and then Nat turned to companion. **Can you see the guard?” he queried, ce Yes,” , ‘*Is he very close?” ** No; be is several yards away, sitting on a rock,” ‘* Well, jist come here a moment and see if we can’t lift this slab,” Frank knelt on the floor beside Nat, and thrusting fingers in the crevice scoo out by Nat, the two men sought to lift the buge stone from its place, but their efforts were futile, ‘** You'll have to make the crevice deeper, so that we can get a better hold,” advised Frank, and he rose and took bis position at the window again, while Nat resumed work, n fifteen minutes Nat again called to Frank, and this time, to their delight, the rock yielded < their united strength and was lifted from its place. Eagerly the two men peered into the open space left by the rock, exclamations of disap- pointment escaping them as they beheld another rock still below, “The house is built upon a rock,” declared Frank, in a disappointed tone, ‘* Hold on,” responded Nat, ‘‘ there’s another slab like the first down there, and I think it can be moved, bv doin’ a little work. Don’t git dis- couraged. It’sa long time till daylight, and I expect to work all night if necessary. Jist you keep an eye Oa the guard, and I'll goon with the work,” Fe Frank approached the window and looked out, The guard had risen and was walking up and down the path about twenty yards away. . : Nat resumed work, and in a short time an- nounced that he bad loosened the other stone, With Frank’s help, be soon raised it from its , lace, Then taking the candle he examined the_ ttom of the hole, The bottom was of solid rock, without seam or crevice! ‘*Tt’s no use,” he declared, in a low tone. **Tt’s solid rock in the bottom, and can’t be moved without takin’ up the whole floor, and maybe not then,” ‘What shall we do?” asked Frank, in a per- plexed voice. | ** The first er I suppose, is to put back the rocks, If we fail to git out and they should discover that we had been tryin’ to break out, I reckon they’d think we were robbers, sure enough.” ‘‘You are right, Nat but I hope we may not have to remain here to find out what they ” ‘ Nat now slipped one of the rocks back into the hole, and as he did so a cry from his lips brought Frank quickly to bis side. | ** What is it?” asked Fravk. . “Tbhere’s an openin’ below or I’m a liar,” averred Nat, ‘* What makes you think so?” asked Frank, ‘* Listen,” exclaimed Nat, in a low tone, as he lifted the rock and let it drop back its place, . ently to “Do you hear how holler that — rf ‘ : aorh eae Le i