Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 726 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

“4 ie r }- i ie oa MOQ OY * ww ‘ ‘ a ; 4 tis | a, ro ye sl dx Dennis Duff, the Brown Sport’s Kid. 11 violent closing of the door to the wind, or some natural cause, and that he was not under sus- picion. He could not escape, but was it not pos- sible to act insidef He was determined to learn if Tom Tracer was near. He went to the door and listened. There was @® murmur of voices beyond, but no coherent words reached him. He lay down and tried to get some points by looking through the crack where the light showed, but this attempt re- sulted in nothing. eing in a mood for risky venture he now eres to take a bold step. He deliberately ut very carefully, opened the door, Fortunate- ly, no betraying sound followed. ) A large room was revealed; one almost desti- tute of furniture. It was only poorly lighted, for only the lantern broke the darkness, and that was far from being as good as the avérage of itskind. It set on top of a dry-goods case of considerable size, and two men were playing cards by its apology for light. They were Water Bill and Garland. Dennis could not tell whether a prisoner was present or not, so, relying upon the darkness, he entered the room fully and closed the door, Under more favorable circumstances he would have seen that the place was fitted out witha rickety stove, the dry-goods case, two smaller boxes used as chairs, anda bed on the floor, These, with a few cooking utensils, made up Water Bill’s visible property. He and Garland were playing poker, and were deeply absorbed at that moment, Each hada hand upon which he placed some confidence, un- less he was bluffing, and the betting, though slow, was firm, Dennis could see that Water Bill held three kings and a pair of queens. For a moment he vaguely thought that the river- thief was in the way of winning, but bis mind soon turned to other matters. The room received his closest scrutiny, but nowhere could he see Tom Tracer, and, while it was possible that he was stowed away in some remote corner, there was no reason to believe this true. “‘T call you!” suddenly exclaimed Water Bill, throwing down his cards, Cal scanned them for a moment, and then smiled grimly and turned the facesof his own eens to the light. He held three aces and a pair of queens, ‘“‘ Perdition!” Bill exclaimed. ‘‘T’m just one over you, William,” “You always have three aces, Whar d’ye get them?” | ‘* Out of his sleeve!” The last words came in a hollow voice, and Water Bill kicked the dry-goods case, ‘Shut up!” he growled. “As my guardian,” added the hollow voice, **T advise you to look out for Esquire Garland. He is a slippery fellow, and probably lined with aces and kings.” Lily “‘ Don’t mind him, Bill,” interrupted Garland. **I play a square game,” . ‘ask him what the game is, William,” ad- vised the hollow voice. ‘It’s poker!” snapped Calvin. ‘‘ Doyou want to try me a back?” ** Not unless you cut off your sleeves,” ** Bill, don’t mind bim; he is sore, and wants to make trouble between friends,” » ‘‘ Between sharks, you mean,” averred the hollow voice, ‘ Puzzled at first, Dennis had not been long in deciding as to the source of the voice, _ There was a man in the big box! Was it Tom Tracer? A In vain the boy detective tried to settle this point. ‘I'he box and the almost-empty room were alike against any such discovery, and all speech there had about the same sound. Still, Dennis’s hopes went “p greatly; if the man in the box was not the Headquarters detective, who was veh ay Tracer’s ally believed he was on the Cal Garland dealt with that careless grace never seen but in an old card-player, ater eta poe peng he found he bad a “ bob-tail ush ”—the ace, king, queen and jack and the five of diamonds, eae ee He hesitated. Of all bands the straight flush was the bardest to fill. Should he draw to it, or not? The decision was finally made, and be flung down the five of diamonds, “‘Gimme one!” he directed, Cal took three, and the fresh cards were dealt, Water Bill had acquired the five of clubs, and he Was a supremely disgusted man. He tried bluff- _ingand run the betting up a little, but lost his nerve and called. Garland threw down a pair of fours. ** An’I had a bob-tail flush!” lamented Bill. ‘One more card would have done the biz, but never a tenner came my way.” ‘*Lcok up Cal’s sleeve,” suggested the man in the box. ‘““You think you are mighty funny, Tom Tracer!” cried Cal, angrily, ** but 1 reckon we have as much reason to laugh as you. You won’t see Headquarters again, right away.” ** Are you sure?” oT esa i ‘‘ Other men have indulged in the same fond hopes, only to get left in the end. Some of them have become proficient workmen at Sing Sing. Perhaps you will make their acquaintance, later.” ‘*Ob! you won’t slip out of the Brown Sport’s grip!” Cal retorted, ‘** Hush!” Water Bill sibilated, angrily. ‘* Let the gentleman talk,” answered the man in the box. ‘* He can tell no more than I know already. The Brown Sport hired you to kid- nap me, though what he has against me, I don’t know,” ‘* Ask Vandevere Van Decker,” suggested al, ‘Ob! So the Pennsylvanian has overcome his fear of Montague enough to tell the latter that he went into Purgatory Coop and got plucked by you and the thimble-riggers, has he? And the sleek Mr. Moptague scents—what?” ‘* Bill,” requested Garland, ‘‘let the detective out of the box. I want to talk with him, and I can’t chin with a man I can’t see,” ‘* He’s all right whar he is,” the river-thief owled. ‘‘ When he’s in thar I know jest where e is, It’s the most convenientest prison I know ‘* But why vot have him out to look at?” | ** Look at me, ef you want ter use yer peep- ers, * William, you are not handsome enough.” ** Anyhow, I’ve got the stuff, there!” Bill patted the muscle of bis big arm, and the argument was One not open to refutation, Gar- land looked disappointed, and followed up his remarks with further words which gave Dennis a new idea; he suspected that Water Bill was as loyal to the Brown Sport, his master, as the typi- cal bull-dog he so much resembled, while Cal was interested chiefly for himself, The idea was strengthened when it came out that Montague had hired the river-thief to ab- duct Tracer, leaving him to select an associate, and he had chosen Cal, Whether the employer would have approved the choice, wasa matter open to doubt, and the watcher suspected that Cal was all ready to turn traitor if he could further his own interests by doing so. But this did not help Dennis in the existing emergency, and, no doubt, the thimble-rigger would figbt as zealously as Bill, if there was need of it. Only cash iv band could turn his allegiance. s Dennis meditated while the men continued to play poker. He had found Tom Tracer, but ow was he to help him? Certainly, he could not overcome tae captors, and there was no way for him to summon help. The situation was all against him, and bisown boldness had placed him where he was liable to be discovered at any time, and made a fellow- captive with Tracer. CHAPTER XIIT. DENNIS BECOMES ACTIVE. THE attention of both card-players suddenly wandered, They had been running the betting up, with Water Bill playing a ‘‘ bluff,” when there was a loud pounding below. ‘*Somebody at the front door!” Bill ex- claimed. aS Have the police got track of us?’ Cal asked, anxiously, ** Mebbe.” ‘* Look out, and see.” ‘*Can’t do it here; gottergo’below. Say, this jigger must be silenced !” The river-thief caught up a@ piece of cloth, and unceremoniously stuffed it into Tom Tracer’s mouth, making it impossible for bim to ery out, ‘¢Come with me!” he then directed, “ Ef it’s the perleece, an’ they try ter break in, we’ve got ter feht them every inch; that’s all. We might as wal be hung fer sheep as lambs,” He drew a big revolver and marched out of the room, and Cal followed him. The latter’s expression did not indicate that he would enjoy a fight with the police, but Water Bill’s manner was so commanding that be did not yet inter- pose an objection. He, however, had less to fear than his rough companion, for less could be proven against him in court, / ” . i , | * * ‘ : . nf \ ‘ Wee rs Jy + . , or . ah ; am Ji at hit “ é ; ae ™ a . - ave : t i : n ‘s Ue . nj ‘ ‘ ’ If they had tarried by the door after passin it, they might have heard a suspicious soun back of them, but they neither heard nor saw what was trapspiring there. No svoner had they disappeared than Dennis Duff sprung up out of the dark corner and crossed the floor with quick, light steps. The door never had been provided with a lock, but Water Bill bad fixed a cross-bar which was a good deal stronger than any lock. This bar Dennis hastened to put in place, and the kidnap- pers were fastened out. Then he bastened to the box. ‘Hi! be you there, Mr. Tracer?” he cried, rly. The detective was there, as could be seen plainly, but was not in condition to speak. An apology for a bed had been made there, and Water Bill bad put him inside so tbat he would be under their very eyes, as it were, while they engaged in their game. Dennis’s first act was to pull out the gag. ‘‘ Hosten!” Tom exclaimed, ‘* Release my hands,” ** You bet, me hearty!” The or had drawn his pocket-knife, and he severed the cords on his employer’s wrists and ankles as soon as ible. Tracer hastened out of the box, For the first time he recognized his rescuer, but only gave bim a hearty band-shake, wasting no words, ‘* What’s the situation?” he demanded. ‘‘ Sure, there’s no name for it, but it’s a scream- er. I don’t know who's knockin’ at the door, but the man-trappers hev left the room, an’ I’ve barred them out, See?” . He pointed to the door, “You are a brick!” the detective declared. ‘Can we get out of here?” He glanced at the open windows, and Dennis ran to one of them and tested the fastenings. They seemed to be strong enough to defy their efforts utterly. ‘‘There ain’t nothin’ here ter pry them off with, neither,” he observed, ‘‘The room is still our prison, The windows are fast, and to pass the door means to encoun- ter the enemy.” ‘*T hope the perleece hev come,” ‘*As far as our foes’ theory is concerned we may as well dismiss the hope; it is not at all likely I bave been followed from New York. The one hope is that the local officers are raid- ing the old watermen, and that, I don’t im- agine is the case.” ‘‘ Hark! there’s yellin’ down below!” Dennis quickly stretched himself out on the floor by the door, and put his head close to the crevice below it. ‘“Go away, you drunken fool! or [ll be out thar an’ masb you in the jaw!” This belligerent speech was from Water Bill, and it told the whole story, The disturbers of the waterman’s peace were not policemen, but common roysterers of tLe night, Dennis rose, ‘*They’ll be back in a jiff, an’ when they find the door borred agi’n’ them, there will be a tall cyclone with whiskers on top of its head, beller- in’ around here an’ tearin’ up the yarth with its horns,” Tracer looked around the room, and then shook his head, ‘‘We are utterly without weapons,” he con- fessed, “Fact, by St. Patrick!” ** All depends upon ie ay the door intact. The dry-goods case will make the burrier a little stronger; let us wheel it up against the door,” This was done, and none toosoon; Bil] and Cal were heard approaching, and angry words from - the former were audible, “It was a gang o’ young toughs who livea few blocks away; fellers that every policemen is onter, yet they never did a decent job in their lives, Before they will be any good in the broth- erhood of rogues they must hev some o’ their freshness cut out, like.weeds, by time. A boy, bet ween i gine and twenty-five, thinks be knows it all, but his brains wouldn't fill a thim- ble, Freshness, an’ gall, an’ conceit, witbers bis brain up, an’ it’s got ter smell with age afore be can tap a till, work the docks, or— Hullo! what makes this door stick?” Water William had attempted to re-enter the room with the same ease which had marked his exit, but the door did not yield. He tried it several times, | ** That’s confounded odd!” he added, ‘* What is the cause of it?’ Cal asked. ** Just w’ot I don’t know.” ‘* it isn’t the latch.” up" ‘Cun Tracer have got free?” . gh yy i | 4. 4. « ke iT hy oo ae” ea oe pi > Tia. ae at ee , aet a! od a le hg \ vs ry Ye, eT »* f es Le % 4 a f ies ie 3 ee @ | > | | | \ ed ae ag Paty e a le oe No, Darned ef it don’t act as if the bar was —