Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 880 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

~ >< > © Ppt et ., os iy " er. } ‘ 4% we . ‘ * 7 e — cy o~ ] 7 ‘ ds ; > g — . « ’ “ Broadway Billy and the Bomb-Throwers. Another excellent mark for Broadway Billy and his aide. The crime for which Meunier was arrested, and for which the police of three countries had been looking for him for two years, was that of causing ‘the explosion in the Cafe | Very, Paris, in which the proprietor was Ailled. Yet another piece of information furnished by the young Americans, was that an ex- | pow was to take place immediately in | aris, Another red ballot had been drawn, and another bomb delivered. But, the most vital of all, it could not be said who had dr wn the ballot. Nor, either, the place that was in danger. The police were alert. Suspicious persons were watched, but it was impossible that their eyes could be ev- ery where. Ata quarter past nine in the evening an | explosion took place on the window sill of the Restaurant Foyot, in the Rue de Conde, near the Luxembourg, at a time when the restaurant was two-thirds full of late diners. Pieces of the bomb flew through the room, demolishing glass and crockery, and the end of the room facing the Rue de Conde was partly wrecked. The window sill and two or three feet of | password had been spoken the door was | answered that worthy. ‘wall were blown out, and the plaster was cleaned from the ceiling as if with a knife. Everything on the nearest tables was in fragments, and not a window on the Rue de Conde side oj the building was left whole. The windows of houses for two or three bundred feet in each direction were shatter- | ed into small] bits and strewn with the glass, Everybody bad made a start for the doors, ina panic, but the fright soon abated. When the police arrived they found that only three persons had been injured. Many others, however, had been slightly cut and scratched by fiying glass and other fragments, cr hurt by falling in their eager haste to get out of the room, fearing another explosion would follow. The whole neighborhood was shaken up and greatly alarmed, The audience in the Odeon Theatre, about a hundred and fifty yards distant, was bad- ly frightened by the report and shock. Many senators hurried to the cafe immedi- ately after the explosion, and the military guard of the Senate was called to arms, and ten minutes after the explosion the prefect of police was on the ground, An arrest bad mean time been made by the liceman first to arrive upon the scene, and it was believed that the right party had been taken, for a waiter had seen the man who placed the bomb on the sill. The description tallied with that of the prisoner, the pavement was CHAPTER XVIL. THE CRITICAL TEST. Ox the following morning Broadway Billy and Harry Freeman stepped out of the prison. They slunk away like veritable jail -birds— gibiers de potence, 83 the French call it, and were soon lost to sight i= the slums of the great city. Evidently, they knew where to go, and as they proceeded they cast w looks about them as if fearful of being followed and of having their plans interfered with by the police-agents. They entered a time-seared house, and were lost in its dismal interior as soon as the door had closed upon them. Groping their way to the end of a hall, they spoke a password. Almost immediately there was light upon the scene, coming from a secret door that Before them stood Jacques Gallichon and another man, each with weapons in hand, ready to greet friend or foe, as the case | might be, | And they greeted, as they had believed, friends. ‘‘We looked for you,” spoke Gallichon. |“ Are you sure the police have not followed you?” ‘*That is impossible to say,” answered Harry. ‘Even if they have, though, the ferrets cannot find usif you are quick to con- ceal us. Let us not delay.” ' “Come right in, and be quick about it. | They will have to be sharp to find us here, ‘unless they blow up our retreat. We want 'to have some explanation out of you two | gentlemen.” | Billy and Harry passed in, and the secret door closed after them immediately, leaving the hall in darkness. ' : : | fellow bringing up the rear. Gallichon led the way along the passage, | looked into by the police. | Billy and Harry following him and the other | their scheme hinged upon it. ‘* As if we had not been tried,” said Harry, | with an injured air. ‘‘ What have we been in jail for, think you? Do you imagine we would have served our time could we have proved that we were of the police? That was where they had us.” ‘‘That is the only thing in your favor,” admitted Gallichon. ‘* And then for the rescue of your charm- ing daughter, sir,” said Billy. ‘*‘ We are de- termined to prove ourselves, somehow.” ‘‘Tt is much to learn that she is alive,” Gallichon declared. ‘‘ They cannot hold her long, Jam sure of it. They can bring no charge against her, and they have made a mistake.” ‘* How a mistake?” asked Harry. ‘« She is now in the hands of proper officers, and if they can bring no charge they must let her go free.” It was not likely that this had not been In fact a part of Whether it would work as they had planned remained to | From the passage they descended some | be seen. | steps. and thence along a sort of tunnel for Pierre Marchaunt was one of those pres- considerable distance until they came to a | ent. a | door. Here they stopped and Gallichon rapped. There was soon a response, and when a | l.opened and they passed out of the tunnel | into a room. It was a cellar, evidently, fitted up to an- swer the purpose of a meeting-place the ' same as the one in the Rue de la —— had been, and there was quite a group of men present. The door was closed, and Gallichon said: ‘‘Well, it seems you were the real stuff, after all, boys. But, how did you escape from where we had you?” ‘We were freed by Fanchette,” answered Harry, promptly. ‘By Fanchette “Yes.” “And where is my child now?’ cried Gallichon. ‘*She is a prisoner in the hands of the police, as we have just learned.” ‘The deuce you say! How came she there, and what do they think to do with her? Tell us all,” ‘It seems she was captured by the banker’s daughter, who Las been playing the detective, and has been held a close prisoner till now, when she has been handed over to the prefect.” This last was true. * And what will he do with her?” “You will hear from him, no doubt, through the press. He will hold her for the return of Banker Helmann.” ** A hundred curses upon him! did she free you?” ‘‘Did you not order her to do so?” “* No, of course not.” ‘« Then it was a part of the trap. We were freed on condition that we would blow up Helmann’s bank at a certain time—” ‘* Inferno! what mystery is here? No wonder the police doubted you. It is a qyestion whether you are Anarchists or spies. Now that we have trusted you, I almost re- Taree laughed lightly. “It is not likely that we would have placed ourselves in your hands a second time unless we were true to the cause, think you so?” he demanded, “If you doubt us, put us to the front and give us work to do. That will befone wayto prove us. We are more bitter than ever against laws and Governments.” ‘* By heavens, that is what we will do.” ‘‘ Nothing can please us better,” spoke up Billy. ‘‘Let us this being under suspicion is not to be borne with.” ‘What say you, men?” **Try them.” 9? . But, why prove what we are, for “ Are you going to put these fellows to the front?” he asked of Gallichon. ‘There is no other way to prove them,” “If they will throw bombs they are ours.” ‘* A test we have been put to once,” said Harry. ‘‘ But, we are willing to do itagain, and not only willing but anxious, after what we have suffered.” ‘* What Iwas going to say,” Marchaunt added, ‘* why not let one be put to the test while the other is held here. If there is then any false play, the one will have to die.” ‘* That is fair enough,” cried Billy. ‘* We couldn’t ask anything fairer,” agreed Harry. ‘* We'll toss a cent to see which shall be held here.” The others, seeing how willing they were, were in favor of receiving them without fur- ther suspicion, but the leaders would not héar to that. So long as there was a suspicion, they must be careful. The cent was tossed, three times, and Bil- ly was the one to goout with the bomb- throwers, while Harry must remain as hos- tage, But, this very thing bad been talked of between them, and they understood it well.” ‘‘ What is to be done?’ asked Billy, eager- ] ‘*« Let the roll be called, before secrets are discussed,” said Gallichon. ‘‘ You know it has been called once,” re- minded Marchaunt, ‘‘ what is the use, for we know every man present.” Gallichon passed around among them, looking into every face, and the inspection satisfied him. ‘* Well, we will omit it,” he agreed. ‘‘And now, forthe scheme. This night the Palais de Justice is to be blown up, four men hurl- ing bombs into it at once, taking the risk of dying by their own hands.” ‘That suits me!” cried Billy. “You will be expected to take the most dangerous position.” ‘That suits me better. If 1 die for the cause, my life will have been well lived.” ‘* And these are the three who will go with ** They you,” said Gallichon, pe hae ope e- are trusted men, and you cannot ceive them in any manner.” They were three villainous-looking fel- lows. “Tet him try it on, that is all,” one of them said, in a threatening way. ‘‘I bet it will be the last thing he will do on earth.” And the others voiced the same sentiment, ‘‘You see, you are forced to be true, whether you mean to be or not,” the leader reminded. ‘‘ The least showing of false play, and you will be a dead man, for these men are not to be trifled with.” “com ——— books.com |