Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 821 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

B wre ml “4 . = ~ « “ere «+ - {= . Ww << “ " - * Had his tongue cut out.” ‘““Whew! That’s rough on the Chinee, sure enough. What was that done for? But of course he hasn’t told you.” The Chinaman had brought a light, and Billy took a good survey of his face, the Celestial looking at him in a helpless, pitiable way as he did so. ‘““[m sorry for you, Wun Lung,” Billy spoke, ‘‘Can you understand what I say to you?” The poor fellow grunted, nodding his head that he could. ‘‘Come here and look at this ring, Wun Lung,” Billy then invited, holding out his bound hands so that a ring on one finger was plainly shown. | The Chinaman obeyed, and as he looked closely at the ring his face turned pale for a moment, and the next moment he had dropped on the ground before Billy, kissing his feet. That ring was known to him!* “ Well, I he hanged!” exclaimed Haswick, under his breath. ‘‘We are all right now, if we work with care,” assured Billy. ‘‘ Get up, Wun Lung, and hear what i have to say.” The Chinaman obeyed, and stood before the young detective, his head bowed. “You can’t talk, but you can listen,” Billy continued. ‘* Now, was it this mad- man, so called, who cut out your tongue?” The nodded answer was yes. ‘* And that was so that you could not tell what you know. about him?” Yes, again. ‘““And you serve him only because you fear him and are helpless, depending on his support.” ‘The same, ‘* But, you hate him—” ‘The fire that flashed in the Chinaman’s eyes was enough. ‘“Very good. Now, you must help me and this man to escape from here, and we will take you with us,” The slave bowed in submission to the will of a master. ‘**You know the secrets of this place, of course,” Billy went on. ‘‘ You must this night reveal them to us, and then help us to eet out and away. You will be taken care of afterward.” The Chinaman nodded, and at the same time freed the hands of the man he acknowl- edged master, - , ‘*T want you to get my weapons and the handcuffs that were taken from me by the Mad Chemist,” Billy further directed. ‘‘ And, when we have gotten out away from here, our first move will be to go down to New York, taking a train at the nearest station except Brisbane.” ‘Must I go with you?” asked Haswick. - ‘* Yes, for you must remain in the back- ground until I have trapped the others, or have placed them where they can be en- trapped when I make the denouement.” * All right.” ‘That is all for the present,” Billy said to the Chinaman. ‘‘Come to us when the right time isat hand and guide us out of here, and you wiil lose nothing by it. If you fail me, the curse of the ring will rest upon you forever. But, you are not going to fail us. And when the end comes, you shall have sweet revenge upon the man who -« -wronged you.” ‘The Chinaman withdrew, and Billy Has- wick ate what he had brought. - Suppose there is poison in this food,” ~ Haswick suggested. “ Have no fear so far as the Chinee is con- cerned,” Billy assured. _ protection, with him.” ~“Tameager to know the secret of that ping, Mr. Weston.” __ So, Billy gave him the account of how it ~ ‘+, 4 ,. ~ «’ =: i: Read Deadle'’s Hal -Dime Library, No. 669, ‘This ring is our had come into his possession, and thus they passed the time, talking. . It must have been near midnight when the Chinaman came back again, The two prisoners were awake to receive him, and he came in with all the stealth of a robber. He could not speak to them, or make his idgas known otherwise than by signs, but his signs were as plain as words. He motioned the prisoners to be silent and follow him, They did so, and he conducted them from the damp cellar and out into a still more damp and dismal passage, along which he led the way, bearing a light in hand. The passage seemed never ending, and Broadway Billy wanted to inquire of the guide, but that was useless since he could not speak. But, it was not necessary, for he, Billy, already had the secret from Has- wick, At last the. end came, the passage ter- minating in what was clearly a burying vault. ~~. ‘This is the place I told you about,” ex- plained Haswick. ‘‘ This isthe vault by the big tree in the Granton Graveyard.” j “Yes, but Iwas told that the door had not been opened in sixty years, and was so rusty it could not be opened,” Billy re- marked. ‘‘ Are you sure there is no mistake about it?” , ‘No mistake, as you will find. There are other hinges inside here, as you see, and the whole frame is hung as a door so that it is not necessary for the old door to be opened, This improvement, was made by Germain, as he is called. But, you will be able to clear up all that is mysterioys.” The Chinaman had now opened the door, and the warm and sweet night air came in upon them, ‘* How will you fasten the door s&gain, Wun Lung?” Billy asked, The Chinee motioned to a spring lock that would secure itself, and urged them to hasten out. Out they filed, and the Chinaman, coming last, closed the door after him with as little noise as possible, though it was a practically silent door, being well oiled at the hinges, That done, they teok the road and set forth ata rapid pace in the direction of Bris- bane, though not intending to make that their destination. Haswick knew the coun- try well, and snid they could reach another station in time to catch the earliest morning train. | CHAPTER XIV. _ SPRINGING THE SURPRISE. | — MBANTINE, on this same night, Happy Harry end silent Seth were on their way back to New York. The man they had been set toshadow had suddenly closed up his business, and as they had been vigilant, they had been able to fol- low him and take the same train with him, in disguise. He had been called by a telegram, had taken all the money and papers from his office before starting, and had sold -all the office fixtures to a dealer for a very trifling consideration. No further proof was neede that he was going away for good and all, Needless to tell of their work in detail, now. On the following morning, at the Ruins, there was great excitement when it was found that the prisoners had escaped! Wun Lung was missed first, and when he could not be found, then search was made and the truth was revealed. And never was seen a more angry man than was the Mad Chemist then. ‘‘ Here is het to pay!” he cried, stamping around, | ““What’s going to be done?” asked Lycur- gus, with alarm, | me, since your success means my success, = —_ & > * 4 * i he ws _- . pate . am rears a ee | * - — —_——SsS sro ——y pas ‘We'll have to get out, as soon as Brad- ley gets here,” was the plan named. ‘‘ We can’t stay longer, now.” es “And I can’t stay at all, with Haswick at © large. He knows who his captor was, and he’ll have me yanked up before | know it,” ‘You have got to stay as long as I do, that you can depend on,” said the Mad Chemist, sternly, “You shall not shirk ‘our share*of the responsibility that way. You stay here with me; we cun hold the fort against any odds. We must not yicld.” “Vl tell you what Pll do,” “What's that?” ‘Make a bargain with you.” ‘ Let me hear it.” ‘Tl sign over my share of the profits to you, out and out, if you will let it appear that I had no share in the business, but was simply your sccretary, as has been under- stood here.” ‘Do you know that means a big loss to youY” | ‘Yes, I know it does; but, what matters. that? J must have that girl, and Lam will- ing to make any sacrifice to get her,” “Youarea greeter fool than I took you ‘ to be.” | “Tf T am, you you will be the gainer by my foolishness, You take all the risks, and if you get off whole, all the profits are yours, so faras my share is concerned. What do you say to 1b?” ‘Til do it.” EY “Very well, let’s have it in writing, then. Shall I draw up a paper in the right form?” “Wes,” The secretary sat down at a desk and was aM busy for a few minutes, when he read aloud. ie what he had written, 3 il ‘¢ Just the thing,” cried the Mad Chemist. “Make another copy of it, and we'll sign 2 them both and it will be all straight and no | chance for either to kick over the traceS afterward,” ek ‘All right.” | Ge And so the papers were drawn up, and a. Z signed, and Lycurgus took his leave from. the place, going over to Granton. ‘There he told that he had been‘dismissed from the employ of the Mad Chemist, andin conversation with Mr. Granton, hinted that — he was open to engage in any situation that ‘eal would pay well. From Granton he drove over to Brisbane, where he called upon a young woman at ber home. ‘*Madeline,” he said, never with us,” “Why, what is the matter?” lady asked, inalarm. — ? ‘This is the matter: Haswick is at liberty, oe and will ee in his appearance at any time, | , ‘it must be now or the young” | almost. You must meet him, deceive him, and marry him,” . Ses ‘But, how?” " 2 ee ‘“Make him to think you are Gretna \ or Granton,” “ Do you think I could do that? He would know me the moment he saw my face, and > would despise me,” ee “Then he must not see your face. Be at. Granton to-night, for he will come there—the magnet will draw him, and when he enters = = the grounds, meet him. Tell him your father has dismissed you from the house, be- : cause you will not wed Bardner, andif he | would save you he must wed you at once. — He'll gladly and blindly do it.” hem ‘* And then what of you?” ™ ‘“When Haswick is fast in your power, _ then I will enter the lists against the banker's = =} son and see if I can’t distance himinthe =~ race,” a ; “Well, if it is my only chance, I will try” a ee “And it is. Once let Gretna and Dave meet, and your chance is lost. Thenallour = * | planning will have been in vain pais Tt 2 is now or never for you, and the same for 7 LP ies