Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 744 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

aa | f ia COL her street Ferry, and its every peculiarity was nown to him. On this occasion he was interrupted by the arrival of a twelve-year old boy slightly known to bim, and who rejoiced in the name of Bob Blinks. ‘* Hullo, cully!” Bob exclaimed. ** Hullo, general!” ‘¢ Takin’ life easy?” ‘¢ T ain’t takin’ life, now.” ‘6 You know w’ot I mean. you don’t work much.” ‘‘No; we toil not, nuther do we spin, an’ we don’t keer whether bulls or bears ravage Wall street, seekin’ whom they may devour an’ eat up. vd ruther bea lazy man than a million- aire, ** Right you be, cully!” Young Mr. Blinks agreed heartily, but Richard slyly winked his left eye. Believing that Bob did not know he was a hard worker in the police interests he enjoyed the sensation of pos- ing as an idle nobody. Several commonplace remarks were made, and then Blinks abruptly asked: ‘* Kin you read?” so A few,” ‘¢ Read writin’?” ‘’ Why, cert!” “Then I’ve got suthin’ fer you ter peroose. Me an’ Petesey O’Neil found a paper last night, an’ Pete, he kin read jest enough ter make out et’s about a ey affair, One name on it is Aleck Goodsend, | believe, an’ t’other is--is—” Dick gave a start. ‘*Cyrenus Slade?” he inquired, quickly. ** | b’lieve that is it, nibsey.” ‘* Where'd you git it?” ‘* Found it on the street.” | Blinks mentioned the exact place, and it proved to be the corner where Aleck Good wind was assaulted. ‘* We think, mebbe it’s somethin’ will bring us money,” Bob added, ‘‘an’ef you kin read ink-straddlers I wish you’d come up an’ tell us w’ot it’s about,” Dick sprung up. eg at yer service,” he declared, on Anyhow, me an’ ** Lead CHAPTER VIII. BREAKERS AHEAD, Bos BuLinkKs set out with Dick by his side. The latter had but little knowledge of Bob, having only known him casually as one of the boys who frequented that vicinity, but of Petesey O’Neil he knew more, The Jatter was an honest youth who, to a certain degree, was Dick’s friend. The Night-Watcher was excited over the pros- _ pect of recovering the paper which Aleck Good- wind had lost, and felt that developments were sure to follow, With/the paper in band he could gain some clew to the drama which connected Goodwind, Slade and the water-waif. After a walk of several blocks, during which Blinks talked volubly, they reached an old house on a retired street, The door was not locked, and Rob opened it and entered, . He escorted Dick to a room on the second Or", * Set down,” he directed, ‘‘an Ill git the paper, icbard took a seat and his guide went out, The former was not long kept waiting. Rob returned, and with him was a stout, rough- looking man, ‘* Here we be!” Blinks announced. ‘* Where’s the dockyment?” Dick inquired. Blinks grinned broadly, ‘‘ Gness Petesey O’Neil’s got it,” ‘‘ Where's he?” ** Dunno!” When the man first entered Dick experienced a suspicion that all was not welJ, and the tri- umphant look on both of the visages before him now added to the feeling. “Td thank you fer an explanation,” he re- marked, ‘You shall hev it, cully. I don’t know where Petesey is, nor anything about any paper. You hev had a game played on yer. See? We thought you wouldn’t come here without we de- coyed ye, an’ we took dis way. Seef” Blinks chuckled gleefully, and Dick needed no more explanation, He glanced at the man, marked his evil face, and decided that he was in a very bad fix, ‘** ve been trapped, hev I?” ** That’s it.” & Why?” **’Cause you're too fresh,” ** About what?” — ee ee eC Ce Ss LE 9 ** Never mind,” ‘*'You may as wal own right up. Yer talk erbout that dockyment, which you now say don’t exist, tells the story. You used the names of Aleck Goodwind an’ Cyrenus Slade ter jde- coy me, One o’ them was at the bottom 0’ this!” ‘* Slade’s the man!” ‘Hush yer jaw!” interrupted Blinks’s adult companion, sharply. ‘* W’ots de use 0’ keepin’ it back!” returned Bob, ‘I don’t think Richie will ever tell on us, Ha! ha!” He laughed in great amusement, as if there was some hidden, but big joke in his last few words, but the man remained grim and ugly. ‘*Gents,” remarked Richard, *‘ [ admire a good practical jest, myself, an’ though I’ve wore my shoes out somewhat in walkin’ up here, I won’t kick, Still, ef I don’t go fishin’ [ shall disappoint a frien’ o’ mine, an’ ez I want ter keep all my engagements, Ill ask yer out ter drink a lemonade with me, an’ then Vil go home,” ‘* No, yer won’t!” the man declared, sé No? ‘*That’s it; no /” “Why not?” ‘** You’re my pris’ner!” ** Cricketty-jim! you don’t mean it!” ‘* We have been ter some trouble ter decoy yer, an’ we wouldn’t done it only that we want- ed yer. Dye think we'll let you go, now? No, sir; we want you!” ‘* 'W bere’s Slade?” ‘*'W’ot d’ye want o’ him?” ‘* Want ter confab.” ‘* He is not to be seen, He ain’t here, an’ don’t figger In this case. Bob an’ me are runnin’ this om an’ we know how ter do it, Bob, bind im. Suddenly changing his tone, the rough as sud- denly whipped out a revolver, and Dick saw it bearing full upon him, The bammer was raised and one touch of the bolder’s finger would end the Night-Watcher’s career. Bob promptly produced cords and advanced to do the binding. Richard saw himself fully in the toils, and the appearance of his older enemy was enough to show him how useless resistance, or argument, would be, Still, for form’s sake, if nothing more, he entered a protest—in vain. Subject to the revolver, be had to permit Bob Blinks to bind him. ‘* How is that, Jake?” asked the binder. ‘** All correct, an’ we hey only ter carry out the rest o’ the programme,” Jake advanced as he spoke, and, before his intention became clear, had jabbed a rude gag into the prisoner’s mouth; a step which made the latter gurgle sundry protests in his throat which he could not put in words. A motion from the leader sent Bob to a closet ont of which be brought a common flour barrel. The removal of the cover showed the interior lightly filled with straw, and, also, that the bar- an ae been strengthened by extra contrivances nside. ** This fer you,” Jake explained. ‘Fer me? W’ot do I want of it?’ Dick tried to ask, but the gag shut off all speech, “We'll give him a jolly ride!” laughed Bob Blinks, The prisoner looked at the contrivance with undisguised uneasivess, He did not know what they intended to do, but the uncertainty of the case rendered it all the more ominous. He noticed that several holes had been bored in the staves, and he judged these were to admit air. Darkness was beginning to fall, and the cap- tors lowered the shades and lighted the gas, ‘* Winish the job!” Jake ordered. ~~ At this brief signal they lifted Dick and bore him toward the barrel. He struggled to the best of bis ability, though without ive of suc- cess, This had no effect, and he was dumped down into the barrel, Then they arranged the sparse amount of straw so as to surround him on all sides, and began to replace the head of the barrel, By this time be was in a perspiration. Life was as dear to him as to any one else, and he did not doubt that he was doomed as far as they could control bis future. ; oe stroke of the hammer emphasized this act, It was a most gloomy sound. At last the work was done. Dick bad brought bis mouth close to one of the auger-holes, the straw not being plentiful enough to prevent this, and he found he would have no trouble in breathing, When the work was over be could hear the 4 4 : Pe op oe s | -* Dick of the Docks, the Night-Watch. _ ST Ee Riis r pe ' alee, ates f - voices of the men in consultation, Presently one of them left the room, and there was a lon lull. He judged that balf an hour bad elapse when his single guard was joined by other per- They came straight to the barrel, The latter was lifted and carried away. Dick vainly tried to call for help, Mechanically be marked the course of the car- riers. They went down the stairs and out to the utreet; they dumped the barre] into a wagon: the vehicle moved away with the borse at a trot, The barrel bounced aboutin the interior, and the Night-Watcher was off on the most lugubrious ride he ever bad tuken, Was it his last ride? He could not judge as to the progress of time, but, after being bounced about for some time, the wagon was stopped, Again the barrel was borneaway, Whither? And what did the dread journey mean to him? There was a pause, and be knew the barrel had been set down again. What meant its new, strange motion? What meant a peculiar splash- ing sound? ‘'hey were ina boat! | Brave Dick shivered, His fears suggested an explanation of all this, Was he to be drowned in the river? The oars of the men struck the water and the boat moved away. Once beyond the pier it was caught in the strong current and tossed ns and * down until the prisoner’s head swam dizzily, On they went, and he decided that their course was nearly straight down the river, W hat did that portend? hat, unless that the end of the affair was to come in the waters of the Bay? At last the oars ceased to beat the water. The rowers moved, They had gonealmost in silence, but now he heard the order given: ‘Over with it!” He believed it to be Jake's voice, The barrel was lifted and poised for a mo- mentin air, Then it fell with a splash, and Dick knew his worst fears were realized; he had been consigned to an unmarked grave, Through the holes in the barrel came the water, and its contact quickly convinced him that, with tkese orifices, the barrel could not long float. There was a sound of oars, and a voice hoarse- ly called: ’ ** Good-by, meddler, an’ give our compliments ter Davy Jones!” Then the sound of oars grew fainter, and Dick was alone on the bosom of the bay, with the water steadily percolating into his prison and adding to his peril. CHAPTER IX, IN THE DEATH-TRAP, Nor one of those who bad left Night-Watch Dick to his fate had any idea that be would ever again be seen alive, ‘ Were they right? Had all hope departed? Not at any time in his peril had Dick’s pres- ence of mind deserted him, and what hope he had entertained all rose from one fact which had occurred at the very start. When Bob Blinks obeyed Jake’s order and bound the prisoner the young rough bad done his best to render the job thorough, buteven then Richard noticed that the cords were not ad- justed as an older, more experienced person would have placed them, Upon this fact he based all his hopes, and it was a great relief when Jake did notexamine them. Once in the wagon Dick bad trusted to the rattling of the vehicle on the pavement to deaden any rustling of the straw he might make, and then began the effort to regain a measure of liberty. i After a good deal of work he freed his hands, The gag was soon removed, but he could not very well get at his feet without danger of be- traying himself, and be had done no more when he was cast into the water, As he realized bis peril fully he whipped out his pocket-knife and cut the cords around bis ankles. He was now free from bonds, but still in the barrel. — : He was not in a frame of mind to speculate calmly on just how long it would take the bar- rel to sink, but he was aware that he was get- ting wet, and that breathing was no longer easy. He repared for a final effort, which he had already planned, Moving partially around he put his back against one side of the barrel and his knees against the other, and then with all his strength he essayed to burst the living tomb. 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