Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 839: Broadway Billy's Big Boom — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

‘7 oe we rab A , en i ee ae - ae 2 | . ~WA r Ae mae ‘elaimed Feeny. rm — — ~ - ~ * ~ a fin OREN? ay EE UT A ee ee repre 12 Broadway Billy’s Big Boom. Lo mr ~ 2 ’ ‘oe. - . : og Pry =, oe ‘ oe Bs oD a Aye ~ ont . sxreater length, but only to reach the same ending after all, the two rascals went their ‘way, and again Harry was alone. He was cramped, thirsty, hungry, and everything else, and was in despair. What was he todo? Was there no hope ‘for him. : Of a sudden a thought came to him, some- thing he had not thought of before, and he could but wonder that he had not. The place he was in has been described—a room only about four feet wide by a good many in length, and the walls were remark- ably thin, as Harry knew well enough. It ‘looked reasonable that he could break through! Not that it would help him, being bound, ‘but it would be some satisfaction, since it would expose the secret room, and some- thing might turn up in his favor if he could get out. No sooner thought of than he set about putting it into practice, so worming around till he had his neck and shoulders braced against one side, he lifted his bound feet and brought them against the opposite wall with the force of asledge. ~ : fear result was almost a surprise to him- self. There was a crash, a flash of light, and down went a big portion of the wall and the ye nem legs shot out into the room! e was still bound and gagged none the less, and lay helpless across the broken edge of the hole he had made, and by the lamp in ‘the room he knew it was night. He had been a prisoner a long time. In a moment the door opened, and the old woman of the house came in. At sight of what had been done, she let out a string of imprecations, and rushing ‘out into the hall, returned with a broom. Laying hold upon Harry, then, she jerked him out to the middle of the room, and there she began to ply the broom upon him with a ‘vigor that was painful to the victim, to say the least. It would have been a religf to Harry could - che have yelled, but he could not, so he had to bear it as best he could. He was glad Seth was not there to witness it, anyhow! While this was going on the door opened, ‘and in walked Bob Feeny and Burk Burret. ‘‘'The deuce!” cried Burret. ‘*The worse-than-that, you mean!” ex- “ll kill him, that’s what I'll do!” screamed the old woman, as she still laid on the broom. Harry was writhing and squirming like a good fellow, and he was thankful to the vil- lain Feeny when he ordered the old hag to Aesist, ‘‘We'll take care of him,” he said, *«That’s what we’ve come for. Get us a big sack, that’s all we ask, and a stone for the bottom of it, and we'll in the East River!” Harry’s blood forgot to flow, or so he felt anyhow. ‘‘Ha, ha, ha!” chuckled the old hag. give him a soft bed ‘“‘That will serve him just right for the damage he has done here! Id like to be the one to pitch him in!” ‘‘ Never you mind, we’ll see that he goes there all right. You do what you're told, old woman.’ The woman gave Harry a parting thwack for luck, and went out of the room to get the things that had been called for. She soon returned, with a big bag, or sack, and a stone in it, | ‘* Now, sonny, you see what’s goin to hap- “pen to ye,” said the big ruffian. ‘‘I guess you'll wish you hadn’t been no detective, won't ye?” How Harry would have delighted in giving him an answer! ‘*Tt was all fun on little cases,” the fellow “went on, ‘‘ but you have run up against men this time, and you'll find there’s a difference. Or ruther, ye won’t find it, for ye won’t live long enough.” ‘‘ Here, old woman, hold open the bag,” said Burret, who bad made it ready, the stone at the bottom of it. ‘Yes, an’ glad I'll do it!” she cried, as she obeyed the order. | ‘‘ Now, Hob, lay hold of him.” ‘* You bet!” So was Harry picked up, and head first was shoved into the yawning sack, his legs and feet being shoved in after him, and then the neck of the sack was tied up se- curely. If ever a boy was in a fix, Happy Harry was in one then. - 4 - +4 Nn Spt rete Se hve 4 : \ - "iy fT. ‘* Now, see that all’s clear,” ordered Hob, }- ‘‘and we'll be off to market with him. It’s early, and we'll never be questioned. Police are too ’fraid of their good clothes to meddle with junk-carts, Step out, old woman, and see if there’s a bluecoat around. Her report, when she returned, was that the coast was clear, and the bag was taken up and carried out and put on a junkman’s cart that was in waiting, and Hob, in a ragged coat, set off with it, looking not unlike a scavenger rag-gatherer of the very .worst type. He went on his way at a usual walk, down toward the river, and finally to the water’s edge, where he dumped the cart and the sack rolled into the river with a loud splash! 4 ' CHAPTER XII. THE SILENT SHADOWER’S FRIEND IN NEED. And how had it fared with Silent Seth? He was not gagged, when left bound in the cellar, but had been warned that if he made any outcry his brains would be batter- ed out. As he lay there his reflections were any- thing but pleasant, and he wondered if this was to be the last case he would ever figure in with his noble chief and brave ‘** pard” Harry. | Testing his bonds, he found them only too well secured. There was little hope that he could escaped unaided. And what his fate was to be was altogether uncertain. Could he have had his choice, he believed he would rather have faced the worst at once than wait in that uncertainty. But, there he was, and he looked at it in his cool and practical manner. How was he to get out of his dilemma? That was the important question of the moment. He could not answer it. He could not blame himself for his mis- fortune, for he belicved it had come about by accident and not by design. : The house was not a silent one by any means, for heavy feet were moving in some part of it almost constantly, to the slam- ming of doors and loud voices frequently in cursing. | It was plainly a pretty hard kind of pate, and Seth knew—or at any rate be- ieved, his life was not worth a nickel. And, he kept his brain hard at work trying to conjure up some scheme by which he might get free. But, think as he would, it was a long time coming. e was not gagged, as said, and finally, when he had tired of thinking, he took a turn to whistling. + This was some relief to his mental strain, he found, and he trilled out a popular air at a lively and cheerful rate, as though he were as happy as a lark. . And he kept it up for considerable time, till at last a door opened and a ray of light came into the dismal place away back at the rear end, and light feet sounded on the stairs. &@ Seth stopped his whistling, to learn who f Se, Noting this the prisoner broke forth ” pe: afresh. . gael ; ‘Who are ye down dere?’ a feminine voice demanded, in unmistakable Irish ac- cent, ; ‘‘ As likely a boy as the two eyes of ye ever beheld,” Seth cheerfully answered her, as though nothing was the matter and he was having the best kind of a time. ‘‘ And phwat are ye doing dhere?” ‘Taking my ease, sure,” zi Come out dhis way till Oi take a look at ‘* Now Id like to, miss, but ’m too com- fortably situated to stir. An’ ye care to see me ye will have to come where I am.” . Seth gave justa touch of the brogue to his talk. ‘* Oi could almost swear it’s Dinny O’Fin ye are,” the female declared. ‘‘ And ye can’t swear that I’m not, till ye have seen me, can ye? I’m not going to be telling ye, depend on it.” Seth whistled agatn, a lively Irish air, and the steps came on down the stairs to the bot- tom, and toward him. ‘‘Phwere are ye?” the voice presently asked, in lower tone, near him. : ‘‘ Mind out or ye’ll be stepping on me!” Seth warned. ‘¢ And phwy don’t ye get up?” ‘*Tf you had a light you would see.” ‘*Dhat same Ov'll make at want, wid a match.” The match was produced, and quickly lighted, and they could see each other. | Seth saw a girl about twenty years of age, by no means pretty, cheaply clad and with her sleeves rolled up. ‘‘Tt. is tied up ye are!” she cried. ‘‘ A few,” said Seth, in his dry way. ‘‘ And phwat is dhat fur, Oi’d be askin’ e?”’ ‘¢ You ask me too much,” Seth declared, © ‘*T guess it’s for keeps.” At that the girl laughed, and as her match went out she stepped forward and stooped down. ‘An’ ye won't tell on me,” she said, ‘‘ Oi’ll be afther letting ye out av dhis fix ye are in. Sure Oi t’ought it was Dinny. whin Oi heard ye whistlia’, and Oi’d let him out ye can et!” | ‘‘T’ll never give ye away,” Seth quictly promised. ‘‘I’ve been here as long as I care to stay, anyhow.” ‘* All right; Oi’ll help ye; but av ye get caught don’t l’ave it be knownst.” ‘You can trust me for that. What is your name?” ‘‘Mary Ann O’Flathery.” , ‘That's a good name, and it’s no flathery — I’m givin’ ye in saying so.” The girl had now taken a pair of scissors from her pocket, and with them she pro- ceeded to set the prisoner free. ‘‘Dhere ye are,” she said, in a moment. Seth got up and stretched himself. ‘‘Much obliged to ye, Mary Ann,” he of- fered. ‘‘Hope I can return the favor in some way some time. house is this?” re ‘« Sure, it’s dhe ould divil’s own rafich, so it is! It’s mesel’ dhat's going to be afther S aYtRE it an’ Oi get me next wages dhat’s ue, Oi had to beg me bread!” ‘That’s right. I take it you’re a pretty honest sort of girl, and I won't forget you. What do you do?” : ‘Oi work in dhe kitchen. sure.” | ‘* Well, which way do I go out?” “Oi can let ye out dhe back way, SO Oi ag - can. Come on wid me.” e was coming, and as he stopped so did the | avoid detection. feet on the steps. w The girl went out first, closing the door, es Now, what kind of a Oi wouldn't stay here any longer, and’ It was your whistlin’ brought me here to see who it was, Seth followed, and was conducted up the a stairs, cautioned to move silently so as to ESN 7 Of an hs & . oe