Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 860 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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We'll hunt tergether,” ** Kin you give me any p’inters?” ‘* Nothin’ reliable, but I kin tell you dat the ‘man wa'n't deada day or two back, He’s shut ‘up here, an’ dey kept him at work. I could hear his trowel late at night, a-goin’ clink! clink! ‘clink |" Kit grew hopeful, If Birdston had not been _killed at the time of his disappearance, there was strong hope that he was still alive. _ They went on, but only a few yards away ‘reached a door which barred their further pro- gress, It was locked, but not so elaborately as those they had seen before. A padlock was the only visible means. he basement had been found perplexing, but Kit Clipper felt sure that if Birdston was there ‘he must be on the other side of this last door. Their key would not anlock it, and no other key was found, but the mascot was not at loss for a ‘way of procedure, He found a stout strip of board which suited ee a and after properly edjusting it, he and Levi threw their weight upon it and wrenched the padlock open. The road to further discoveries was before them. Carefully Kit opened the door. The light re- ‘vealed a perfect desert of building material “jammed into a small room—bricks, stones, mor- ‘tar, lime and the like, but it was about as desti- tute of signs of life as it could be, The investigation went on, and the explorers found that some mason had been busy there, a ‘number of small rooms having been constructed. ‘* Look like cells!” Kit muttered. ‘** Dat’s a fack.” ‘** Do they ever have prisoners here?” ‘* Never heerd ob any.” : as Can't see what else they could use sech dens ‘fur. ‘Some o’ this work has been done lately.” ‘+ Looks like it.” ‘* Den whar am de mason?” ‘We'll look fur him,” / They started, but had gone only a few steps ‘when Levi Adonis caught his companion’s arm. ‘* Hark!” he directed. Kit obeyed, but quickly broke the silence, ‘*Say!” he exclaimed, ‘‘it’s the sound o’ a trowel!” ** Right ue be.” **Then Charles Birdston is nigh. Come on, ‘an’ we'll find him |” | _ The clinking sound was soon located, and ‘found to proceed from an aperture in the earth, beyond where the mason-work had been done. Levi showed some signs of timidity, and argued against entering the hole, but the young detec- ‘tive was not made of such weak material, ‘With his revolver in one band and the lamp in the other he was about to invade the place when his movements were brought toa sudden stop. : A human neato appeared in the mouth of the cs a , and Kit saw a pair of wild eyes glaring upon bim. | Levi started back in terror, and, indeed, the sight was not one calculated to be reassuring at - that time, The object was a man, but his hair and beard were in wild confusion, his garments were in rags, and his face was so pale as to be The creature of the tunnel glared at Kit Clip- per as though about tospring uponhim, © ‘*Tt’s de Evil One!” gasped Levi. Nota word said the unknown, but, resting on his hands and knees like a mere animal, he kept up his steady stare, ‘*Say,” finally spoke Kit Clipper, ‘‘ who in thunder be you, anyhow?” he unknown’s eyes agg suddenly, + en you belong to the gang?” he de- =n | . * » O Foy Fs ~ “tng . . 7 J Ma x . - * . ¥ ? : - « 4 . wey bg : : 5 : ; : and made thts report. inthefight. © Ty ~ « eetty 7 or cr ae 2 es, ‘ Py’ UF ae ab i ue } . — ’ > hay Wirt; we - athe é t Le f wee . | . 5 ee ye ahh oo} “hy at . te 4 wy ANS ree A fos hal ha d 7 "y rd LAY se a 4 aii ® a a : Ae ef ry) ‘4 : , : + ; a e oes ™ «© 7 * : 7 » ‘ **'Who be you?” ‘¢ My name is Charles Birdston—” Kit uttered an exclamation and stopped the speaker, ‘* You Charles Birdston!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Yes, Have you heard of me?’ ** Well, I should smile! Did you ever hear of Kit Clipper?” The man rubbed his eyes, ‘¢T can’t see well, and am not sureof what I think. Are you Kit? If so, what means your rags?” ‘* Well, I be sort o’in disguise, now I think on’t. Say, Charles, old chap, come out o’ thar, We're here ter rescue you.” He held out his hand, and Birdston quickly emerged from the tunnel. ‘* By my life!” he exclaimed, ‘‘I can hardly credit this, Wherein the world did you come from?” : ‘* Come ter rescue you.” ‘* Did you dig in?” ** Come right down through the boat-house.” ** How did you pass the men?” ‘‘Tt’sa long story—let’s git ter importanter affairs first. Say, I wouldn’t skeercely know ye, Charles!” ‘Hard work and misuse have made a great change in me,” ‘* Should say so, b’ gracious!” The statements were well founded. Charles had lost flesh rapidly; his hair and beard were in confusion; his face was pale; his garments were strangely ragged; and mortar was plas- tered and smeared over him until it was not strange that oven Kit’s eyes had been at fault. Levi Adonis ventured to advance, ** Ts it the dead man?” ke asked, curiously. ** Tt’s Charles,” Kit explained. ** Does he pretend dat he ain’t dead?” ** J reckon so.” ‘** Dat’s hard ter b’lieve,” ‘*No wonder you hesitate, but I still live,” Birdston answered. ‘‘If you doubt it, feel of what little flesh 13 left on my bones.” ‘We lose time,” the mascot interrupted. ‘We must git outo’hyar. Reckon there’s no way down here. Eh, Charles?” ‘*T have been ai work on this tunnel for some time, unknown to the Sea-Horses, for I conceal all signs of it when they are around, It’sa big undertaking, for I am so seldom able to do any- thing on it—much of the time I have been un- der lock and key—that my prognee has been slow. I believe that a few hours’ work would take us up to the open world, if we could all work, and—if we were left alone.” ‘¢ Levi, w’ot’s the chances o’ slippin’ past the Sea-Horses after club hours?” ‘* I’m afeerd the doahs will be locked on us, an’ den, dar’s the watchman.” ‘* Small chance.” . ‘*Can’t we go up now, an’ make a dash f’r’u’ them, an’ holler fur the peleece?” “ IT guess our best way is ter all go fur the tunnel, an’ dig until we get ter terror firma, Can’t be fur up.’ | ‘*T am worried for fear my captors ma come down again,” interrupted Birdston. ‘‘It was an oversight that I was not locked u , for such is usually the case when I am left un- guarded, and my jailer may remember his error and return to rigbt it.” ‘* Hev you tools so we kin all dig?” “Yes; but you will see that my tunnel will admit only one man at once, We can workin unison, however, and two of us pass back what earth the foremost dislodges,” ** Before we begin, 1 want ter go back up, open the door an’ take a squint through the club-house, The chances are dead ag’in’ it, but we may be able ter slip past the Sea-Hosses. It’s worth investigatin’.” Birdston agreed with this, and Kit made the journey. The result was a disappointment, owever; he found the Sea-Horses so scattered through the place that it was out of the ques- tion for the mason to them unseen. He relocked the door, returned to his friends Then work was resumed on the tunnel. Levi was the strongest physically of the trio, 8 he ar the forward position and began to dig reso- utely, None of the party expected to be left alone, but they had the will and the courage to resist: stoutly if discovered, and the two revolvers which they possessed would be no mean factors By taking refuge in the tunnel, they would eh kei: a eee r . Kit Clipper, the Boat-Club I Mascot. eee we Ce working for crooks. All of the older portion of the basement was kept locked up, and they ex- plained plausibly what [ had to do. 1 know now that the small rooms 1 made were intend- ed for cells where rich men could be impris- oned, after being kidnapped, and held for ran- som, ‘This was a new industry which the Sea- Horses intended to add to their criminal work, ‘*One day they carelessly left open a door which had always been kept locked, Not sus- pecting anything, I entered the room, and there i AP proof that they were robbers on a big scale. ‘* A general row followed, and 1 was prevent- ed from leaving the place. They offered to give me my freedom if | would join them, and swear eternal silence—though If doubt their sin- cerity in making tie offer, ‘*] refused, and was set upon and overpow- ered. I called for help, and shouted ‘Murder! but, as I was down in the basement, it was all in vain, ‘*T was overcome and kept bere. ‘‘Since then I have been their slave, and obliged to work at the revolver’s muzzle, This I did to prolong my life, though sure that they meant to kill me in the end. ‘*As a rule [ have always been locked up when not at work under watch, but in the little time given me as a free man I have labored on this tunnel, hiding it RY placing barrels in front when they were around. ‘‘That is the history of a period of time which has mado me the wretched object that I am, CHAPTER XV. ANOTHER MAN IN TAE TOILS, THE mason’s story explained a good deal that had caused Kit Clipper to wonder before. When he heard the clinking of a trowel, it had been in Birdston’s hands, and he had been working at night under guard. arah Brown’s story was also proved correct, The digging went on, and at a very satisfac- tory rate, too, Levi Adonis labored with a will, and threw back the earth at a rate which | kept Birdston and Kit busy taking it away. ‘ne tunnel was conducted on what appeared to be the best principles. To dig perpendicu-— larly was out of the question. Even with such a course open, they would emerge only to find themselves in the inclosed court which sur- rounded the club-house, and all wereagreed that they probably would be captured while trying to escape from that place. Accordingly, the tunnel was made at an angle which brought them gradually nearer the sur- face, and, unless they erred in their calcula- tions, would bring them out ata point beyond the Sea-Horses’ inclosure. . | That they would make good their escape be- on morning seemed certain—if they were left one, ‘But I’m afeerd we sha’n’t be,” admitted Kit Clipper. ‘‘They may be down ter lock you up, an’ then, ag’in, Levi an’me hev disap- eared mysterious, an’ the key ain’t in its place, f some o’ these sev’ral things don’t stir up a ruction, we kin think ourselves lucky—most consarned lucky!” Nobody coul ep Meg but there was no wa out of the dunger; all they could do was to d 4 and trust to luck, | But the, dreaded interruption came just the same, : Kit Clipper was at the rear, it being his duty to take the earth from Birdston, where it was flung clear of the tunnel, and throw it in a bar- rel. Hewas busy at_his end of the line when the mason was startled to see him hurried] dodge into the tunnel. | ‘* What is it?” Birdston demanded. “Voices an’ a light!” ‘Then our enemies are coming!” “Sure!” The mason sprung to the mouth of the tunnel and dragged up a barrel so that it would hide the aperture, eS “Té seems a useless precaution to take,” he admitted, ‘‘but we won’t throw away any chance. ‘There isone hope in a hundred that some ordinary errand brings them here,” ‘*Got yer revolver ready?” Kit asked. . 66 Yes,” a ‘So hewI, W’ot shall we do?” ‘* Resist to the last!” Birdston spoke with emphasis. He had re- ceived abundant abuse at the hands of the Sea- ° 74 a =“ Sls ad - | ™ - oi | A ~ 7 El _ © netting a . = ‘ é ey - “ ~~ py: a , : - “ay, . - - pw i . <— ’ ~. - . * >s oe > =~ + * . . ~~ ? >... = « =_ é . 4 © om = a of 4 L bod oe a » ae ad nal a os ~<.. . 7 ‘es ~ “ - -. . = —_—- St - a —e < Ye as = « — — > — « is 5 ~ > - . an ‘* What gang?” ‘‘ The Sea Horses,” _ “No, we don’t,” ped “* Then, in Heaven’s name, help me to escape.” make it hard tocapturethem. | While they worked, the mason talked, _ ** When I began work here,” he explained, ** [ did not suspect for some time that I was ne alae and was resolved not to betaken again alive, j ves Levi Adonis said nothing, but he spade with grim determination. 3 ad grasped his § .? 15 iv . iE i : _ me eC eS eee CL CCch-W.”wYOC_LC$# OS4@G™“ aE — —_———_ Cr — — 0 oe a ‘ a et] -*. eae gos ‘, mh r pat = : - . = ; rand ' ‘ wae i : Ay — , " ba MLAS ' Ps . 4 vy vs » e : eVE-e FY atti ¥ i 1 d hs : , : F F ; " 4 ’ ‘ y . Pil a ‘! , a. , . 1 . 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