Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 839: Broadway Billy's Big Boom — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— i¢ i LAR H ? (eh 4 - - bee ing a revolver from his pocket he fired a ot. This was something new, and the rats were gone at once, not a sound being heard after their terrific scamper died out. ‘That's medicine of a different sort,” Billy mused, laughing to himself. ‘I guess they don’t like it. Now, to free my feet, and [ll have the freedom of the den I’m in anyhow.” t was but the work of a moment to put away the revolver, draw his knife and riley the bonds that held his feet, and he was ree! “You will probably hear from Broadwa Billy again, now,” he grated, thinking of his captors. He had matches, and striking one, took a survey of his prison. It was a dismal hole indeed, low and frowr- ing and foul-smelling, little more than a hole in the ground. The supports of the building were at regu- lar intervals on every hand, but besides these the place contained nothing save a lot of old rubbish. It had evidently been used as a handy dump place for refuse, From every crevice and cranny the bright Ae of the rats were shining, and again did illy shudder as he thought of the fate he had come so near to meeting. While the match burned he moved toward the stairs leading to the floor above, and there a welcome sight greeted him. This was a gas pipe, witha burner near the foot of the steps. The match went out, just then, but an- other was immediately lighted, and turning on the gas, Billy soon had all the light he could wish for. ‘*Now, this is more cheerful,” ke con- ratulated himself. ‘‘There’s a prospect for fe and liberty once more. And there will come a day of reckoning, the sameas I prom- ised them.” His first effort was made against the door at the top of the stairs, but, he found it hope- lessly fastened. It was a heavy door, and the lock was a massive affair, heavily bolted on. There was no escape in that direction. Descending again, he made the circuit of the place, but nothing but solid wall met his eye anywhere, Not a hole or window was to be seen, and now he could understand why his captors had been so willing to leave him ungagged. His loudest cries for help would not be heard. ‘“Sweet pertaters!” he gave way to his old-time favorite exclamation. ‘‘ This 7s a death-trap, sure enough, and their intention was murder and nothing short of it when they left me here with the rats. How in the name of merry misery am I going to get out?” The idea came to him that by firing his re- volver he might draw attention to the place, but on second thought he saw the chances were against it, ; That, too, would be to waste something more precious than gold—his bullets, for he could not tell how soon he might have urgent need for every shot his brace of wea- pons contained, No; that wus not to be thought of. Heé must find a way out, or remain until some one came. Should any one come, he could pretend to be still bound till the person had come with- in reach, when he would give him a surprise such as he would be likely to remember. This was mere speculation, however. It did not answer the present purpose. He could not sit idle and wait for such a thing to come about. He remembered the plan of the floor above, and knew no turn had been made before de- scending the stairs after he had been brought in from the alley, and hence the stairs indi- cated the front and rear of the building. Whether or not the building extended LL LLLLLLBLLLLLBLBLL LLL LLL LL LLL ttt ca Broadway Billy’s Big’ Boom. —————— ae eC ee through to the next street, was an open question. Judging by the length of the cel- lar, he concluded that it did not. Still, it might, for the building of Bigwell & Gran- son, in the other direction, was a long one. Once more he made the circuit of the wall, taking particular note of it in every part, and presently, at a point where the light was dim, being far away from the burning gas, and in the shadow of some of the supports, he came upon a place that had the appear- ance of being newer than the surrounding portions. It looked as though it had been patched. ‘I wish I could carry that gaslight around with me,” Billy mused. ‘If | had it here I could tell something about this spot. It looks to me as if a hole had been filled in not long ago, for the stones and mortar both have a new look. Wait; I'll see if I can’t make a torch out of some of this old rub- bish. Necessity is the mother of Inven- tion, and when a fellow puts his wits at work he can generally accomplish ’most any- thing,” Hunting around, he presently found a piece of a box, and with his knife split one end in small portions to make it answer the purpose, | This done, he lighted it at the gas flame, and hastened back to the place under inves- tigation. His guess had: been correct; it was a fresh- ly-patched spot ‘‘What does it mean?” he questioned. ‘Maybe there has been a hole in the wall into the next building, if there is any next, and if so it will be a good way for me to get out, if I can tear down the wall. William, we'll try it, anyhow, and sce what we can do. No use standing idle, and this is about the most likely spot to tackle. But, where’s the tools? A fellow can’t tear down stone walls with his nails, that’s sure.” He went on searching about, while his thoughts ran thus, and presently made an- other discovery that was decidedly pleas- ing. It seemed as if everything was play- ing into his hands. In one corner, half buried in the dirt and rubbish, he found a pick, all dusty and rusty, but still in serviceable condition] Now, urmed with this he went back, stuck his torch in the ground, and made an attack upon the wall that caused the sparks and splinters to fly. His aim was at the mortar. between the stones here and there, and as often as the pick point hit it\ fairly he brought out a piece. Presently a stone came out, then an- other, and the prisoner was greatly elated at his success, Suddenly, however, the patch in the wall gave way, falling outward, and the ground dropping from beneath the feet of the astonished detective, he was carried down in the general wreck! CHAPTER VII. MISS LAURENCE’S LOVERS, ViviA LAURENCE was a charming little lady of twenty-four, unmarried: Something concerning her has been made known, briefly, in the preceding pages, and we may now introduce her further. She had some wealth, and lived in a quict way with her widowed mother on one of the retired and quiet streets of the city. Her! father had been one of the members of the firm of Bigwell & Granson, Her only sister had married a very wealthy man, but died about four years after the birth of their only child, a little girl named Zita, whom Vivia took under her care. And the father dying a few years later, Vivia was made one of the child’s guardians. The other guardian was, as already stated, one Job Heron, who had been an intimate friend to Telford Burret, the child’s father. This man Heron was then accounted honest and honorable, but somehow Vivia Laurence had never been able to bring herself to trust ee HI 7! him fully. A certain something in his man- nerhad always been repelling to her, though she could not have described what it was. The events concerning the loss and death of Zita Burret have been set forth, and need not be repeated. . Miss Laurence had at least one friend whom she could trust, besides her accepted lover, and this friend was Jonas Bigwell, of Bigwell & Granson. He and her father had been fast friends, The lover mentioned was one Edward Franklin, a worthy young business man of the city. He was known to Mr. Bigwell, favorably. Franklin had, however, a rival, in the persons of Amson Prettyman, a fore- man on one of the floors of the Bigwell & Granson establishment, It was early afternoon on the day follow- ing the disappearance of Broadway Billy— the same day on which Happy Harry and Silent Seth had come to grief in the manner shown, that Jonas Bigwell called at the home of Mrs. Laurence and asked for Vivia, and was quickly admitted into her presence in a neat little sitting-room where the mother and daughter were together. “T’ve got something to make known to you, Vivia,” the old merchant abruptly an- nounced. ‘* Yes? ing in the way of bad news, I hope, not try to anticipate, however.” ‘*T don’t know whether it’s bad or not, m dear, but I think it is something which will interest you. Did you employ that detec- tive?” ‘Yes, sir; 1 went to him yesterday after- noon.” ‘‘ And you mentioned it to no one?” ‘‘No one. Thatis to say, only you and mamma know about it, besides itdward. I tell him everything, of course.” ‘* Well, this morning the detective’s two boys came to my place and wanted to,see What is it, Mr. Bigwell? Noth- 1 will me, and when | gave them an interview they ° said their employer was missing and they had come to find him.” ‘That was strange; why did they come to you?” Mr. Bigwell explained the matter as it is known to the reader, as far as he had know- ledge, . ‘Why, it is peculiar, Mr. Bigwell, is it not? Who do you suppose can have de- ceived him so? And what has happened to him? Really, I feel anxious about the man; he was a asnauniletienc? “Vtis a puzzle, my child, a puzzle. [ didn’t think much about it at first, but the more I turned it over in my mind the more it impressed me, and I thought I would just run around and tell you. Still, I don’t sup- it can do you any good to know about it,” ‘No, 1 suppose not; but it may do the gentleman some good, if he really is in trou- ble, for l can go and tell Edward, and if necessary he can inform the police about it.” “That is hardly necessary, Vivia. You see, these boys of his are as oak as razors, and if they do not find their boss they will have the police out.” ‘Yes, sure enough; I did not think about it,” ‘‘And are you still of the same mind re- garding the matter you confided in me about?” ‘Yes, Iam strongly impressed, sir, that I am not mistaken. The more I think about it the more certain I feel that the body was not that of poor little Zita.” ‘“What opinion did the detective express?” ‘‘He did not commit himself, but said he would investigate, and if he found I was right he would try to bring them up with a round turn—that was his expression.” ‘¢And no doubt he will, too, unless some- thing has happened to him. I cannot under- stand why he was sent for to come to our Mei when no one there knows a thing about t.