Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 892 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

-_ “tl at score, he turned to the expectant China- aman who had admitted him and his friend and said: *‘Ain’t much of er crowd ter-day, Hop der matter wid der joint? Sing. W'ot’s Runnin’ down?” ‘* No, he not runee dlown,” replied the Chinaman, with a grin. ‘Heep clome nightee. No clome day tlime. Want hilit plipe, Ben?” ‘Yep, we'll hit de pipe, Hop Sing,” re- ‘Try it, Billy?” he asked, turn- plied Ben. ing to his friend, at the same time winking significantly. Billy did not relish the idea, but he did not know how to get out of it. ‘* Yes, I s’pose so,” he rejoined. ‘*You needn’t smoke,” stepping close to him and whispering. ‘“Make ‘a bluff. That’s all you’ve got to do.” **Yo’ flend smloke?” inquired the at- tendant. “Yes, he’ll hit the pipe, Hop Sing,” an- ‘swered Ben, ‘* All litee. Tlake blunk,” said the China- Man, pointing to an unoccupied bunk. Ben and his friend lay down side by side on the mattress and presently the attendant brought a couple of queer-shaped pipes and handed one to each of the boys. He then took a small lump of opium from a tin box with a couple of bits of wire, which he used like a pair of pincers, or as he would two chop-stlcks. Placing the drug in the bowl of the pipe, he lit a match and held it over the pipe fora moment, at the same time jabbing one of the wires down into the bowl and saying: ‘*Dlaw, Ben, dlaw!” ‘*Dat’s all right, Hop Sing,” rejoined Ben, ‘I’m drawin’ hard ’nuff ter pull er toot’.”” The Chinaman then went through the Same operation with Billy, repeating the in- junction: ‘*Dlaw, mlister, dlaw!”’ He then turned his attention to Ben again, who appeared to be a great favorite with the Chinaman, As he jabbed the wire into the bow] of Ben’s pipe, the young detective began in a aly way to question him. ‘“Yer say youse has lots o’ business at night, Hop Sing?” he said in a careless tone, ‘*Pl-entee,” replied the Chinaman, “* Hleeps mien, clome nightee.” ** Plenty o' them, eh?’ ‘* Pl-entee,”’ “Any women, Hop Sing?” ‘‘No. Not have Chinee women.” - Hung Lee has a wife, I s’spose?” ‘‘ But she don't come here, eh?” «ce No.” ; ' Ben thought he had got into the fellow’s confidence sufficiently by this time to come out alittle bolder. - “Did he steal a white i two days ago, Hop Sing?” he questioned. “Two days ’go?” mused the Chinaman. ** Yep, "bout dat long.”’ 4 ~~. . eye = . Pad Bowery Ben in Chinatown. ‘No, me no slee,” answered the Celestial, * Shure?” ‘‘No, me no slee,” replied the attendant, positively, ‘| believe ye’r’ lyin’ ter me,” growled Ben, ‘but I s’pose I'll have ter take yer word fer it.” ‘* No, me no lie,” protested Hop Sing, The young detective lapsed into silence, and the Chinaman likewise remained silent for some time, but finally ventured: ‘ Whalet flor yo’ ask "blout glul, Blen?” ‘Oh, nothin’,” rejcined the detective, in- differently. ‘'I didn’t know but Hung Lee might be a goin’ in fer blondes, for wives for his friends. See?” ‘Yo’ hear slomeblody slay’ pletty glul lost, Blen?” persisted the Chinaman, whose suspicions or curiosity, one or the other, had been aroused. ‘* Nope,” drawled Ben. ** No leed in plaper?” ‘* Nope.” ‘No hear ploleece talkee?’ ‘* Not er whisper, Hop Sing.” . The fellow was silent a few moments, meanwhile eying the detective narrowly, But he failed to discover any change of countenance in that direction, for Ben’s face might have been carved out of stone for’ all the expression there was.in it. Indeed, it had more the expression of that of a man who was about to drop off to sleep than anything else. At length the Chinaman arose from his squatting posture, and straightening himself up, said: ‘*Blen, yo’ slay bimebly Hop Sing lie. Now Hop Sing slay yo’ lie alle slame hleep *Melican man!” In an instant Ben was upon his feet and had the Chinaman by the throat. ‘* 'W’ot’s dat yer say, yer yaller-faced rat- eater?” he yelled. The fellow was too badly frightened to make any response except a sort of gurgle, which the detective could not have imagined could have been heard twenty feet away. ‘Call me er liar, yer ginger-faced headen!” pursued the boy, affecting to be terribly angry, although ‘he was not in the least so, ae Vil fix youse up fer a Chinee funer’), see?” | ; The Chinaman continued to gurgle inar- ticulately, and whether it was really heard down-stairs, or it was the voice of Ben him- self that alarmed them, he could never tell, but the next instant the door flew open and Hung Lee, followed by a dozen Mongolians, rushed into the room, As soon as his eyes fell upon the crowd Ben relaxed his grip on Hop Sing’s wind- pipe and turned to face the others. Hung Lee was white with rage as he glared at the young detective savagely, \‘* Whalet mlatter?” he growled. ‘‘Dere’s nuttin’ de. matter,” repiied Ben, ‘‘on’y dis yaller-faced headen called me er liar, an’ dat don’t go down wid yourn trooly, mung Lee. See?” “é e Yo’ A “Ty a, a > * 2 ‘ , va ‘4 J ‘ " ir watched their opportunity, and got in a tell- ing blow at the proper time. And it never failed to do execution. Every time Ben’s arm shot out a Chinaman went down like a shot stag, The melee was of short duration, therefore, for by the time that Hung Lee and half a dozen of his pals had been laid out the rest became panic-stricken and took to their heels. The boys toek this opportunity to make their escape from thé place, “Well, that was a lively beginning,” ob- served Ben when they had reached tbe side- walk, ‘‘I think it was a mistake, though,” ‘Yes, I do too,” rejoined Billy. ‘* And it was a great surprise to me.” 7 ‘* Tt was no more of a surprise to you than it was to myself,” interposed Ben, ‘‘ When I jumped up my idea was to choke that lemon- colored heathen a little and let it go at ‘hat. You have todo that once in a while to let them know their places, I had no idea the saffron-faced hoodlum was squawking loud enough to arouse the others,” ‘“*Itwasn’'t bis squawking that brought them up, I don’t think,” ventured Billy, ‘* What was it, then?” ‘It was yourself, I imagine,” “Do you think so?” reg ‘Yes. You see you talked pretty loud.” “Perhaps I did. Well, we didn't learn anything by that deal, after all.” ‘“ Where next?” questioned his friend. “We'll go down here to Wah Hop’s, and see what we can learn there.” ‘* Does he keep an opium den?” asked Billy timidly, ‘No, he keeps a restaurant, and it is a great hang-out for the worst characters in this section, both Chinamen and white men,” ‘You think you might learn something there, eh?” ‘“‘Almost sure to, Some of these toughs make a living by doing odd jobs for these high-toned mandarins like Hung Lee. Some of them have it in for him, too, and are onl too glad to give him away to the police, if there is a shadow of a chance,” | Billy walked on in silence, He was not favorably impressed with the adventure through which he had just passed, and, although he was anxious to rescue his sister, he would have rather that Ben had prosecuted the search alone. , However, he was too brave a lad to falter, and went along meekly, fully expecting that their next adventure would prove quite as fruitless and more disastrous than the last one, They were not long in reaching the restau- - rant, which was in Mott street, in a base- ment, Ben took the lead and Billy followed rather timidly. | The restaurant was not an -inviting place by any means, and its patrons, made up, as the detective had intimated, of the worst — characters in that tough neighborhood, Billy shivered as he glanced about at the | , . re 1 rg % me aes) oe P| «4 ) ‘ > i ‘ b t . * he 1 ai % ." an » ay A é. +A , - 1 a7 ~ ‘ 3 es 4 The young men were cool and collected, \ 0’ glit out!” yelled Labo Sorts “Las,” replied the Chinaman, ‘‘Tlwo | wantee flight, ye’ flight Hung Leet” wretched and vicious-looking people who sat dlays ’glo.” WA Goie With that he made at Ben witha club he | at the tables or sat dozing in their chairs, r ‘“'W’ot was she like?” held in his hand, At length he got a chance and whispered ‘‘Hleep pletty,” answered the fellow, He was closely followed in his attack by | to Ben: apes Ae grinning very much, ‘‘Allee slame plic- | the other Chinamen, and soon the young Ce- ‘You don't think of eating in this place, ture on tlea-chlest,” : tective found his hands full. do you?” ;, ; Like a girl on a tea-chest, eh?” Billy, who had regained his feet, took a| ‘‘ Why not?” laughed Ben, hiss Re i “* Las.” hand, however, and he was no weakling in a “Tm afraid I can’t go the grub,” ventur- ‘§ ‘* She must er been a Chinee, den?” rough-and-tum ble, ed the other, | ‘a ; ** Allee slame.” ‘Then don’t, But there is nothing to ee **'W’ot was she?” : CHAPTER III. hinder you from making a bluff, as you did hy oe ** Allee slame you callee shleeney.’ OLP STUMP, THE BUM, at the opium smoking.” | THoucH greatly outnumbered, Ben and his friend were equa! to the occasion. It is a well-known fact that Chinamen can not hold their own with Americans. ‘Oh, she was a sheeney, was she?” '* Las.” Billy said no more, and the two boys sat down at a table. FR Sis Just then the proprietor caught sightof — Ben, and called out: : De ae oi tee tt pe Wal, have yer seen anyt’ing of er gurl ‘wid light hair an’ blue eyes?” + 4» §* Led blair?” \ o a $$ —————— ae ot) 9 LO Dh ei ares Ben and Billy both had the advantage of | ‘‘Hullo, Blen! Whalet up?” A iy oe ae .s LOD, sorter dat way.” returned Ben. | being expert boxers, and, although the{ ‘‘Oh, nuttin’,” replied the young detec- — =“ Sorter w ot wwe caller blonde, wid hair de | Chinese came at them with clubs, they were | tive. ‘Jes’ lookin’ roun’, dat’s all, Wot Bs eoiue o’ taffy, | too much excited to do evy execution, yer got ter eat, Wah Hop?” ihe a 7 aH ¥ ” P . La 4 ° ry : ' | ., route. al Re ~ - ota ; A te ? X : w hy a o ee ry vey A f * ye y é