Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 899 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ate ee My ** What’s that ter you?” ** We are your guests, you know.” **Fia!l you come here an’ rob me of my sleep; ou make me watch, an’ watch, an’ watch. evils! you care nothin’ fer the poor laborin’ man, You make him work, work, work!” “Do you want an easy life? Do you want money? You shall have both by going with me to my home in New York.” ** Lies, lies! All lies!” ‘€T promise it faithfully.” Buck held up the revolver, balancing it neatly on his thumb, “The only good Injun is a dead Injun, an’ you will never be honest until you’re dead, I’m goin’ ter shoot you. See?” ** Nonsense! What would you gain thereby?” ‘* A chance to sleep.” ‘* You can sleep now,” ‘* You say 80, but the boss— domeup.” ° ‘‘Ffe need never know it; we will not tell him,” The guard flourished the revolver wildly. **You think you’re wonderful smart,” he cried, angrily, ‘‘ but you don’t know enou h ter eat hay. Take me fer a fool? You'd like ter hev me sink into slumber like a log an’ give you a chance ter escape, but it won’t work, The boss put you here, an’ here you stay, A dead Injun is a good Injun; a dead prisoner is easy kept. Ha! I will kill you now!” Again he flopped over on his hands and knees and began tocrawl toward them, inch by inch, His face had a wild expression, but the fixed, glassy appearance of his eyes did not change, “Seat, you varmint!” Basement Bert impul- sively exclaimed. ‘‘ Don’t be crawlin’ around here like a pesky wildcat. Ef you knowed how homely ye was you wouldn’t put yerself on ex- hibition, but would go off som’ers an’ den up fer the season,” These candid remarks produced no effect, but, when Buck had advanced just far enough, he resented the revolver and aimed at Warland’s reast. ** You must die!” he repeated. up ter three, an’ fire when I git thar, Warland’s facechanged color, He was not an adventurer hardened by years of wild life, and it was a terrible thing to be slain by this whisky- crazed wretch, **One! Two!l—” The young man closed his eyes, ‘* Three |" Click]! The hammer fell, but no report followed. Meredith opened hiseyes, Buck was looking at the revolver, and a snarl! followed. ‘*Not loaded! Never mind; I have cartridges, an’ [’ll kill ’em yet. Just fit ter kill!” Buck went to a drawer near at hand and took out half a dozen cartridges. These he arranged in a row on the floor, and then resumed bis old polishing operations, the object of which was not clear to any one else, even if it was to him. The revolver was in good condition, aud it was only a freak which led to this outward burnish- ing. * Ha! he would **T will count Ready !” Pretty birds! pretty birds! g. , ‘* Pard,” observed Bert, ‘‘ this is powerful try- in’ ter the nerves,” “You are right,” Warland agreed. ‘¢ Don’t s’pose we kin hope fer interruption.” ‘“‘T fear not. This building stands in a wild spot, remote from other habitations, and is doubtless supposed to be deserted, In all pro- bability our enemies have taken possession with- out leave or license, Perbapssearch would show stolen goods concealed here, No; 1 do not think any one will come to our aid,” ‘Be your hands tight?” ‘So tight that they’re very painfvl,” ‘*Thisis a pretty cold deal.” ‘*’m sorry that you have got into trouble by following my fortunes—” ‘*Don’t mention it, boss; we’re in the same swim, an’ we'll reach the shore or sink with a commotion that’ll make the bubbles sing mer- rily. But we ain’t gone yet! Never say die! Our crazy frien’ may take on @ new notion, an’ not do us up, after all, Never say die!” Bert tried to be cheerful under disadvantages, but did not lose caution. Both he and Meredith spoke in low tones, to avoid being heard b Buck. That person finally ceased polishing the revolver and slipped the cartridges into place with slow and thoughtful movements. is manner was so sluggish that they began to hope he would forget his purpose and go to sleep, but, suddenly, he raised the weapon, pointed it their way and fired without.warning. _ The report in the small, close room was alarm- ingly loud, and Bert had a vague sensation as if Basement Bert. 11 he had been shot to his death, but when the first panic had passed it became evident that both he and Warland had escaped injury. Buck was laughing loudly and pointing toward or near them, and a side glance showed the boy that the bullet had penetrated the wall at a point directly between them. Considering how near each other they were, and how uncertain the aim of the drunken man was, their escape bordered on the remarkable. The guard wasstirred out of his ugly indolence, and began to dance and shout, and flourish the revolver. Now and then he raised the hammer and took aim at the prisoners, who every mo- ment expected the final act; but he wound up re dance by losing his balance and falling in a eap. After that he lay quiet for some time, % A nightmare!” commented Bert, wi th a sigh, ‘*Tt is particularly painful when we consider that all our peril rises from such a cause, Kven Norman Holmes’s hatred is not so bad as the whims of a drunken brute.” ‘! Never mind, boss; our turn will come bime- ** How can it?” ‘¢ Dunno yet.” ** Where will morning find us?” **Tn the blessed city o’ New York, I hope, though you’d better not buy any ticket fer there until we’re surer o’ goin’,” Buck bestirred himself, hunted up a rope and once more confronted his charges. ‘*See that beam up overhead?” he asked. ‘*Lucky the room never was finished off, fer now l’m goin’ ter hang you, Capital place fer capital punishment, ain’tit? Ha! ha! Yes; Pll swing you up by the neck from the beam, an’ be sure o’ findin’ you in the mornin’!”’ His idea pleased him so much that he laughed long and loud, and, more troubled than at any other stage of affairs, Warland made a fresh at- tempt to touch his cupidity, Buck was asked to name his own price for unclosing ths doors and letting them out, but he paid no attention to the proposal, He proceeded with his own scheme, but not as at first announced, He tied the prisoners to- gether, and then passed the loose end of the rope over the beam and secured it. This prevented them from lying down, but did not bring the dreaded pressure on their necks, Buck produced a bottle and imbibed copious- ly; more than that, he poured down the liquor as if it was only water. His companions were worried as to the conse- quences. If the stuff fired his blood he would get some new scheme of recklessness which might not end so tamely as those in the past, Next he filled a pipe and, lying on his couch of old blankets, smoked in stupid silence. Now and then he cast a glance toward the captives, and his eyes would light up with an ugly gleam, as if he still blamed them for the fact that he had been aroused from rest. Time passed. ‘* His eyes are shet,” remarked Bert, in a whisper, ‘*Oh! jiminy, don’t I wish he would go ter sleep!” ‘t What good would it do? We are helpless,” ‘* Dunno erbout that! I can’t only tell as ter that till | hev a good, smart tussle with these ropes. Might possibly worm out on ’eni, though they seem ter fit like the paper on the wall.” ‘* Buck smokes slower, t< he really going to sleep?” ‘*Looks that way, Don’t speak nor sneeze!” Two pairs of anxious eyes were bent upon the ard, His smoking grew irregular; it ceased, he pipe dropped from hismouth, He seemed to sleep, but finally roused slowly and, after much labor, gained his feet and walked toward the Hestaggered remarkably ; the last drink e was now un- water. bad been too much for him, conscious of his charges. He reached the water, but, just then, lost his balance and fell heavily to the floor. Then he pillowed his head on his arm, muttered a little, and went on in sound sleep. A strong odor greeted Bert's nostrils, He looked toward the blankets; they had been set on fire from the pipe, and were smoking and dwindling away. ‘* Great Cosar!” the boy cried; ‘‘ we shall all be burnt up!” CHAPTER XIII. SMOKE AND FLAMES, ‘* THAT docs look bad!” Meredith Warland made the confession with his gaze fixed upon the eating tongue of fire, and Basement Bert added: Se eee ee eee... al ee er rrr rr ee ee ‘* Hf that thing ein’t put out we'll git gnawed up.” ‘* Hew can it be put out?” ‘¢ That’s what I want ter know.” Thus far the fire did not amount to much, It was still in the incipient stage, and there was more smoke and odor than flame, but it was clear that it would gain steadily and soon break out into strong blaze; and when once the blan- kets were in the grasp of the fire it would be only a few moments when the dry loosely-placed boards would catch. With the blaze once under way the old building would burn furiously. **Can’t we wake up Buck?’ Bert added. *“*T think it would be impossible; he isin a drunken slumber, and if as far gone as he seems to be, the voices of twenty men would fall un- availingly upon his ears,” Bert looked at the blankets again, The fire was eating steadily, and threatened to make a sudden increase at any moment. ‘* We must git out o’ here, or we sha’n’t be in it with the birds in the spring. Squirm, pard, an’ try ter get out o’ yer bonds!” The Boy Cobbler set the example, but War- land knew it would be useless for him to struggle, The ropes could not be broken, and they were drawn so tightly over his wrists that the flesk had puffed up on either side. Escape from thm terrible grasp was impossible. At various times Bert had entertained the idea that he could get free if allowed chance to. ‘* squirm,” as heexpressedit; he now did his best, Kach movement produced pain, and it seemed as if his hands were being torn to pieces, but he would not give up. The air became laden with smoke,which made. breathing difficult. ‘¢ Darn that old Norm Holmes and his gang!” panted the boy; ‘‘ he’s got us inter a little the ugliest scrape | ever heerd tell of, an’ I wouldn’t give hima chromo ef they was sellin’ at five cents a cord; but there’s somethin’ else I’m anxious ter give the measly varmint., Oh! wouldn’t I jest like ter dance a jig on his nibs’s ribses |!” It took a good while to say this, and the words were given utterance on the installment plan, but all the while he was busy. ‘¢ The blaze increases!” commented Warland, roll over and try to extinguish the blaze that way.” ‘* Never say die, general! I believe— Say! is the p’izon thing a go, or ain’t it?” ‘* ()oes the rope give?” —, ‘That, or my bones, Dunno which!” ‘¢ The fire— Ha!” The blaze sunk down like a crouching foe, and then leaped up ina bungry flame which told a startling story. Already, too, the boards under the blankets had grown black and red, an ominous mixture, and were ready to spring into a blaze on a little encouragement, ‘* Shout!” Warland ordered. ‘Small as the hope is, we may be able to make some one hear.” ‘* | kin do better!” gasped Bert. He gave one more twist, and one of his hands was free, Down into his pocket went that hand; it came up bolding a knife, This he opened uickly and began to slash away at the ropes, The blade was were soon free, ““Scud!” Bert cried. ‘* No: we'll save the building.” The speaker flung open the stove, and, with the aid of a broom, tossed the blankets into the When the door was closed on them the ast, and a few pailfuls of rowned out the ‘trouble stove, greatest danger was water on the floor there, Their peril was over, and they opened the win- dows to let the smoke drift out. ‘‘ Whoop!” Bert cried, ‘‘! reckon we are in this deal, curselves, No trip ter the Future Land fer us jest now—nor fer Buck. That measly skunk ought ter go, though. Here’s the revolver he skeered.us silly with, an’ ef we wa’n’t candidates fer the Law an’ Order League, we would pay him off in his own coin, Hey, Bucksey ?”’ He rubbed the revolver on the guard’s arm in a ludicrous imitation of Buck’s recent burnish- ing methods, and the victors felt so exhilarated that they laughed long and loud without an clear idea of what they were laughing at, It was enough that their lives were saved. Meredith tried to arouse the guard, but failed. ‘Try the perleeceman racket,” Bert sug~ gested, een, and both he and Meredith _ ~