Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 889 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

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As her head was level with the top floor in ascending the stairs, she sawa man’s form creep out of the lodge-room and cross the hall] toward Nat’s room, and in his manacled hands he grasped a piece of wood, resem- bling the leg of a chair. She could have called out, but did not, for she feared that Sentinel was only sleep- ing and might rush out and tear the prisoner to pieces. But where was Nat? What did that leg of a chairin the prisoner’s hands mean? Had he killed the dog with it? Was he now going to kill Nat? Or, had he aNeady done so and was seek- ng to escape? uch questions flashed like lightning through the brain of the Ferret Queen. When she went to the old mansion, day or night, she always went armed, and quick- ly was the basket set down and her revolver taken from her pocket. — A moment more and she was on the track of the prisoner. He was in the light from a hall skylight in the roof, she in the shadow, She saw him gently turn the knob and open the door and she ciosed up the gap be- tween them, He had not dared close the door behind him, for there lay the victim he sought upon his bed fast asleep. | A step or two softly taken brought him almost within striking distance, but the club dropped from his hands in terror as he heard behind him in a low, hoarse voice: ‘* Hands up, or I will kill you!” ‘The words and the fall of the leg of the chair from the man’s manacled hands caused Nat to spring from the bed wide awake, and he was one to awaken on the instant and for business. He threw himself upon the prisoner who at once called loudly for mercy. The windows in the room were completely closed at night by heavy curtains, to prevent a ray of light from neing seen without, but by day they were partly drawn, so that New York Nat recognized in a second that his risoner had attempted to kill him, and he had been saved by the coming of his sister, who stood, still covering the man as he clasped his ironed hands and begged the youth not to hurt him. “Twill not hurt you, no, for you are at my mercy; but again you have attempted my life and there is another count against you in the trial by the masked jury to- _ night,” said Nat, and turning to Olive he continued: “Tell me about it, Sis, pend—where is Sentinel?” | He gave a call but there was no response of running feet, and the man cried in fright: _ “ He is not dead. “7 did not kill him, only gave him some morphine on a piece of meat left from m breakfast—it was not enough to kill him, swears it.” a ‘* Woe be unto you if that dog is dead,” 7 re and Nat hastened into the prisoner's room — enema where he found Sentinel stretched out upon the floor and breathing heavily. | ‘* No, he is not dead, and | hope will come round all right,” he said. ‘‘ Yes, he’ll be spry ag’in in an hour or so, for I didn't give him much. ‘1 takes it myself sometimes when I has neuralgy. ‘*The dog’s all right, Cap.” ‘* Well, he’ll have too much sense to take anything to eat from you again, and if he don’t jump on youin revenge when he comes round, Ill be surprised.” “Lordy, don’t say that, for he’s a bad un.” Not noticing the man Nat turned to Olive and again asked her how she had happened upon the scene, She told him, and bringing the basket the man was told to eat his supper, but he was not hungry and put it aside. ‘Lie down upon that cot.” The prisoner obeyed, and with a rope brought him by Olive from his room, Nat fastened the man securely to the cot. ‘* Now, sir, we will work on poor Sentinel,” and New York Nat dragged the unconscious dog into his own room, the curtains were closed and the lamps lighted, and the ‘two set to work to see if Sentinel could not be revived, | CHAPTER XII. THE MASKED JURY, Ir was nearly an hour before Sentinel was able to look about him with any degree of sense, Then he seemed to realize that he had been a very wicked dog, and rising, tottered, as though he had been drinking hard, across the room, his tail stuck between his legs and in a very shamed-faced way lay down in a corner. ‘* How have the mighty fallen! ‘‘ Just to think that Sentinel would ever look so sheepish,” said Olive laughing. ‘Yes, he could sit for a photograph ofa sheep now from his looks; but I’m so glad < have him all right again I'll forgive him, 1s,” ‘‘-Yes, for Iam sure he will never do so any more.” ) ‘We will see how he regards the prisoner now. **Come, Sentinel!” , The dog arose with reluctance, but grew steadier on his legs as he walked and follow- ed Nat into the prisoner’s room, Olive carry- ing the lantern, , The moment he saw the prisoner he growl- ed savagely nnd showed his teeth, seeming to realize that he was the author of his woes, ‘‘ Lie there, Sentinel,” ordered Nat, and he left the man and the dog in the dark, con- scious that he could fully trust his dumb guard once more. - Then, while Olive prepared for the com- ing of the band, Nat went down and lighted the lantern in the cellar,at the same time unlocking the door, Olive’s toilet in which to meet the band was a black domino nnd a mask. She went into the assembly room and looked over the books of the various meet- ings until Nat returned accompanied by several of the Boy Police who had already put inan appearance, i: By the names they were down on the register, they were Keno, Blow and Teaser, Soon after Doc, Flip and Fatty arrived, then Parson alone, next came Freckles and Chub, followed’ by Shorty and Slim, and it was not long before each member of the Boy Police League had assembled. The fact that the Ferret Queen had called the special meeting had made all anxious re- garding Nat, and they were glad to see him in his seat as presiding officer and apparently well, They each one ‘saluted the young Queen, and welcomed her home again, for she had —————E SS ee eC LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL EE eee eee eee eee eee eee eae aes a ee eae SEs —_—— ae eee eel L_""___ * New York Nat’s Deadly Deal. been away with Mrs. Herbert for a rest of a few weeks, so had not attended the last meetings. They saluted her with marked politeness, and she extended her hand to each one, after which New York Nat called the meeting to order, In a few words he spoke of being at the Concert Garden the evening before and hav- ing recognized as one he had seen before, and under disagreeable circumstances he was sure, the gentleman who was the escort of Miss Maybel Kingdon, ‘* Here is her address, and the man’s name I cannot give you; but I wish to know who he is, what he is, and all that you can find out about him, and this is work for each and every one of you to go upon at times you can do so, ‘‘At the garden also was another man whom I recognized, but could not recall, ‘‘He had a companion with him, and the two ee me closely. | ‘* When I left they shadowed me,” Ladys Then Nat went on to tell how he had eluded them by going into the Barrett House and changing to his quick disguise, but not referring to Olive’s having been with him, What followed he told, and how Mr. Sher- man Canfield had been the one to come to his aid and run down the prisoner, adding: ‘*Now who this man is I do not know, but his companion was Killer Bill, who knows me as the one who thwarted him be- fore, and sent him back to prison. ‘* His pal must know of his whereabouts, and the secret can be forced from him, . . ‘*That he is equally bad with Killer Bill is certain, and my wish is to try him by our Masked Jury to-night and frighten him into all confessions we can get from bim, ‘His companion must be hunted down, and that must ulso be the work of each and all of you.” . The story of the man’s two attempts upon his life, his having been saved by the coming ~ of their Queen, and how Sentinel had been dosed with morphine was all told, the Boy Police listening in deepest silence, and show- ing the intense interest they felt in all that, 2 heard, 2 : ith one accord they arose and hurried to their Queen, in admiration of her seryices to their young captain, and then each one passed along and grasped his hand in token | of their appreciation of his escape, ‘* Now, comrades, it is for the prisoner to be brought before you for trial. ‘‘Prepare to face him as the Masked Jury,” ordered Nat, he young ferrets went into another room, and in a short while they re-entered in silence and took their seats, each one of them wear- ing a black domino and a black mask, upon the forehead of the latter being a skull and- | cross-bones. ‘. The Ferret Queen had had no reason to change her garb, but New York Nat had gone to his ropm and returned robed as were the others. ‘Is the jury ready to try the prisoner?” asked Nat slowly. hy pho “The jury is ready!” came the answer in chorus, and it reached the ears of the prisoner, ‘Let the two guards fetch the prisoner before the bar!” — bes Two of the ferrets arose and entering the room adjoining soon returned with the prisoner, close behind whose heels walked the dumb Sentinel. As the lamps on the table revealed the scene the prisoner trembled when he saw ian he was in the presence of the Masked ury. CHAPTER XIII. THE SENTENCE. | Zip Rauston was terribly frightened, when he faced that black-robed, masked as- semblage. r : ow