Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 839: Broadway Billy's Big Boom — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

' / : : match in order to see what manner of per- sonage he had been in life. He discovered a good-looking young man, well-dressed, having every appearance of re- finement about him. Billy felt to learn if he was dead, and found he was not. He cast about for means of a better light, and it was at hand. On the ground lay several bits of candle, one of considerable length, and taking up this he lighted it. This threw more light upon the scene, and he examined the man further. His watch was in his pocket, and Billy drew it forth to learn the time. He found it was near the hour of six. ** Sweet pertaters!” he cried, ‘‘ I’m nearer starved than I thought I was!’ He set his own watch accordingly. “Well, it is plain this was not a case of robbery,” he reasoned. ‘‘ If it had been, the watch and chain wouldn’t be here. Then what was it? The man was wanted out of the way for some reason, I take it.” Having put the candle in a place where it would stand, Billy gave more critical at- tention to the man; to Jearn where he was hurt, and to what extent. He could discover no wounds, but soon came upon a lump on the back of the head that was not natural, and guessed the rest, Knowing then the man was simply uncon- scious, he set about restoring him to life again. It took time, but finally it was accom- plished. When he opened his eyes he gave a start, but Billy hastened to speak some words to reassure him. 3 ‘Don’t be alarmed, pard,” he said, using his Westernism. ‘‘I’ma friend, so there’s nothing to fear. Your enemies have done their worst, now, and you're alive and kick- ing.” it Was some moments before the man got himself together sufficiently to put thoughts into words. ‘Who are you?” he asked, presently. ‘* My name is Billy Weston.” “Not Broadway Billy!” ‘** Nobody else,”. answered Billy, feeling some surprise. “Then you are the the very man I was looking for, sir!” ‘* And who are ‘* My name is Edward Franklin, sir.” ‘““Guess I don’t know you. You seemed 0 know where to find me, anyhow—ha, ha, “Yes; but it was against my will, I as- sure you. Whew! but my head buzzes! I uess it was intended fora blow to kill. nd it would have been death, too, but for finding you here.”’ ‘No, you would have come to anyhow, after awhile, But, we are not out of the woods yet, and not likely to get out unless we have better luck together than I have ou?” had alone. But, you said you had been look- ing forme. What did you want to see me about?” “Tn regard to the matter Miss Laurence put in your hands yesterday.” ‘‘Whew! That so? Then my . wasn’t so far wrong after all, though not put much faith in it.” ‘* What was your guess?” ‘“‘That my own trouble had come of that very matter.” ‘“There’s no doubt about it, sir, for such is the fact. We supected it, and I have put the case in the hands of the police.” “ What about my- aides, the boys?” ‘They are missing, too.” ‘“Sweet pertaters! this is serious. I can stand a’ good deal myself, but when they do harm to my boys they rouse me up. But, tell'me all about it, so ’ll get my grip on the matter?” | And so Mr. Franklin did, - uess did — ~ — ~ Som wre > Vn —_* ; —~- -—_ Tr > > = ~*~ Broadway Billy’s Big’ Boom. SS By the time he had done, he was feeling quite like himself again, and Billy gave him something of his own adventures. It looked as though Providence truly had thrown them together to be each other's help, and there was no longer any doubt about the terrible scheme that was at work to steal a fortune. ‘We'll bring them to time, when we get a chance at them,” Billy confidently declared. ‘** But, first, we must get out of here, and then I must look after my pair ot ferrets. It is possible they have got so far into a hole they can’t get out again. I would not bet they haven’t been killed.” ‘* Goodness help their murderers, if that’s so!’ ‘“You well may say it. Better they had & millstone around their necks, and so forth. They’ll wish they had never been born.” “ Well, we’ll seeif we can get out. I can’t promise you a pleasant journey by any means, and it'll be rough on your clothes, but that will matter little if we can get out with our lives.” ‘* Well, lead the way.” ‘‘The blind leading the blind, eh?” ‘“* And both fall into the—river, I hope!” They gathered up all the pieces of candle they could find, knowing they might need them, and set forth. Billy felt less lonely now, but none the Jess hungry, and he eagerly hoped they would soon get out of the. dilemma they were in, and once more gain their places in the land of the living. After the obstruction was passed, where the wall had fallen in, they had easy going, with the candles to light their way, but they were not destined to escape in a minute, nor in an hour. Indeed, a considerable time passed before they saw their hope realized. Franklin had just finished a cheerful story, something he had read—Lost in the Sewers of Paris—something calculated to inspire them with hope! when Billy gave vent to an exclamation of joy. The water was deepen- ing about their feet, and ahead the lights on the river could be seen—it was a low tide at the hour. CHAPTER XI. HARRY IN HARD LUCK. Let us return to Harry—not Happy Harry now, confined in his narrow prison—with no hope for escape. He had good reason to fear Broadway Billy had been killed, the fate of Silent Seth was unknown, and here was he, terribly in the toils and likely to remain there for the present, His mind had been busy, trying to devise some plan for freeing himself, but all in vain, so far—and some hours had passed. It would have been some satisfaction if he could have talked to. himself, but he'’was gagged, Several times persons occupied the ad- joining room, and he heard more than one scheme of rascality discussed, the little good it might do him to hear. It was about this time, when he had been there some hours and altogether in despair, that he overheard other voices in the room, and moved so as to lay his ear against the wall to listen again. “Well, Harp, what luck?” one voice asked. Had not Harry heard that name before? He thought he had. Yes, he had heard the voice, too, and he tried to think where. “The best of luck, Prettyman,” was the response, ‘‘ The fellow is done for.” Ha! That was the name of the fellow Harry and Seth had encountered in the store, that morning! ‘* What; so soon?” “Exactly. He will never trouble you again, and no living soul will ever know what his fate was.” ‘ vee ent tre et ce yas ' and not before. / against me, for I was not fool enough for | | evening. _—_—- -—— 11 ‘‘Good for you! But, his body will be: found?” ‘““] suppose so, later on, but not right. away.” “When it is found, then I'll pay you.” ‘‘See ‘here, you'll pay me now, Amson Prettyman! If you don’t, I'll blow out on you. Do you see?” ‘Yes, you are in position to do that!” “Just what Tam! He was put out of the way without my hand appcaring in it, and I could expose the whole thing without dan- ger of getting mixed up in it.” ‘““I don’t believe it. That’s impossible.” “Well, if you want to try it, just don’t pay me, that’s all,” ‘‘Oh, if you are going to make a fuss, T’ll come down, of course; but it don’t look fair to have to pay till the proof is furnished.” ‘‘When a man’s work is done, his pay is due. This work is done; I want the pay,” “ All right, all right; but, we won’t have it one-sided.” ‘‘What do you mean?” “If pay you, you have got to give a. receipt for the money.” ‘* What’s that for?’ ‘* Protection.’ ‘* How?” “Why, if I bay you now, you might come onme again, and finally get me under your hand. It has got to be give andtake, [ give, you take; you give, I take, See me? That's what I mean.” ‘“‘And by having my name to a bit of paper, you would have me in your power to. do with as you please.” ‘Only for self-protection.” ‘‘ Well, you'll never get it.” ‘‘ Then you'll never get your money.” ‘*T’ll blow out, then.” ‘All right; do it! If you can stand it, so can I. Can you prove anything you would say ?”’ ‘“* I'd try hard to prove it.” ‘“And every word would put the rope around your own neck.” ‘Bah! I tell, you J am out of it, There is a doub!e case here, and the other side did the work.” ‘Then according to that I don’t owe you money anyhow.” ‘‘T was back of it, though, and engineered the thing. Come, you had better shell out.. the ducats.” ‘*T will, when I have the proof I demand, You cannot prove a thing that. Let me know when you have the proof, or come and see me when the proof has been found, and then we’ll settle.” ‘‘ Hold on; don’t go off so fast. I’ve got. one other little word for you. I want you to settle here and now, and if you don’t T’ll go privately and tell Miss Laurence the. whole story.” ‘* You wouldn’t do that!” ‘Try me, if you believe it, that’s all.” ‘But that would ruin my chances, and [ would profit nothing by the bold stroke.” ‘I know it; that’s where I’ve got you.” ‘Tl do it on condition, then.” ‘* And what's that?” “That you give the receipt.” ‘‘'Then you'll never pay me, that’s all.” “That settles it, then; I'll bid you good- It was a case in which both held the mas- tery, it seemed, and neither was in position to force the other. If Harper Heron was shrewd in the refusing to sign his name to a paper, Amson Prettyman had been none the less so in his part of it. The alert-minded Harry was taking it all in, and now he only wished he}might get out. of his prison to report to the police all he: knew. There would bea prospect for a rattling among the dry bones, he thought, and he would be there. 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