Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

‘*T do.” prove it. can be; the men can’t seem to find him.” Just then a man came to the tent. ‘‘Wecan’t find the boy, boss,” he report- ed. , ‘“Have you seen anything of Hunter?’ the showman asked immediately. ‘‘ No, nobody seems to ’a’ seen him, either. Hope he hasn't got in a crack at the young- ster.” ‘‘He must be found,” cried Murray. “‘ I'd give a big sum rather than see that-boy come toharm. Find him, Smith, if possible; ask everybody you see, and have them all hunt for him.” Lines ‘‘ Yes, sir.” ‘And what about this fellow?’ Murray asked. “We must not let him get out of our hands,” said Bruce. ‘‘ I we do, he will give us the slip.”’ ~ © Youare right. Tlltell you what you had better do, you had better take out a warrant for him and let the authorities lock him up, and put the case in Mr. Cooper's hands.” ‘You'll have your trouble for your pains,” growled Old Wit. ‘* You can’t prove noth- in’ ag’in’ me,” ‘‘Say, do you know where that boy is?” ‘‘No, 1 don’t; but I hope he has broke his cussed neck!’ : ‘But, there is no time to attend to it be- fore the performance,” said the woman, ‘You are right,” agreed Bruce, ‘No matter; I’ll set Jones to watch the man and he will not get away, that is certain. Will rou send him here, Mr. Murray?” ‘“That is the very idea, Yes, I'll send , him,” - Murray took his leave. : ‘* You see we mean business,” said Bruce. ‘¢T believe we are on the right track, and we are not going to give you the chance to get out of our hands,” ‘‘ Who is Jones?” asked Old Wit. ‘‘He’s one of our detectives,” ““Well, he won’t have nothin’ to detect, in me. What I’ve said I'll stick to, now, no - matter what comes.”’ ‘We must see that woman again, Sam,” - said Lucy. ‘* You know I have kept many of my childhood things, and there may be something in the lot she will recognize.” “* And what if it should turn out that she is your mother?” ““T should not be sorry, for my heart al- most aches for her, after the way she took to our Baby Bess.” ‘‘ Well, we cannot control the events, any further than to keep this fellow from getting away. Hello! here is Jones already. Jones, we have gota little job for you to under- murtake.” The matter was explained, and the detec- tive led the old bummer out. There was no further time to spare, now, as they would need every minute to prepare for the evening performance, . If Old Wit was eager to see the perform. ance, he was destined to disappointment, now, forthe detective took him around to one of the stable tents, where he made him _——s- prisoner. «But, the old bummer had no longer a de- -_ gire to see the show, all he wanted was tie - chance to make himself scarce, He knew there was danger in the air, The hunt for Jumping-Jack was kept up, ‘but he was not found, and fisally the time for the performance came, and the band struck up. : Jack had now been ‘prisoner in the big chest for twenty minutes or more, and he s-was finding it anything but a comfortable place. He must have suffocated, but for the, ur ract that the chest was cracked. __ -_ Even as it was, he was perspiring freely, and felt as if he was in an oven, wrapped up ips. ~ Te ® Ve § ¢ éa* ; * ¥ i ; ; ae aK ~~ > * ’ ’ . J 2 / —_—_—_—_—_ CS ee oe Se | will peed a guide till I get well out of eS SC OO c | may get more than we bargain for before we ' ‘ ‘ , Fs ~* : : ' . . 7 - To. a” * * - — « . . é —-* ee Jumping-Jack’s Jubilee. He made every effort to free his hands, but “ Well, it is possible, but we have got to | that was impossible, and of course it was It isstrange where Jumping Jack | just as impossible to free his mouth of the gag that prevented him from calling for help. In his struggles he made one discovery, though it might not amount to anything. This was. that the chest he was in did not rest solidly upon the others. , The movements he made caused it to rock. | Jack heard the band strike up, and knew the performance had commenced, and he longed to be where he could see it But, that was not all, he knew he must get out if he was to keep his promise to Sam Bruce that he was to keep an eye upon Baby Bessthat night to see that no harm came to her. ° The thought rendered him desperate, but what could he do? There was no escape for him, and he would have to remain where he was until the box was needed, unless something unforeseen chanced to turn up in his favor, and that was not worth hoping for, CHAPTER XIII. A HEINOUS SCHEME IN MIND. Tre performance was on, If the crowd had been great in the after- noon, it was greater in the evening by some hundreds. Every performer was at his best, and no one could suspect that the mind of the lead ing clown was fixed upon anything other than the nonsense of the hour, The very reverse was true, however. He did well his part, but all the time his mind was elsewhere, thinking of the various events of the day, and the mystery that he hoped soon to clear up. So it was with Murray. He was greatly worried about the disap. pearance of Jumping Jack. The word was passed, and all the employ- ees of the show who were idle or could be spared were looking for him : - One of these was Jones, the so called de- tective of the show, who had disposed of his prisoner, O:d Wirt, in the manner we have shown, and who was looking around the town. The two men in disguise, Tom Hunter and Pete Mulvern, had so far escaped detec- ion. After the performance commenced these- two wandered off together toward one of the stable tents that was out of the way. _ ‘Well, when is it to be done?” asked Mulvern. | ‘‘Right after Baby Bess performs and comes from the ring,” “And you think it will work?” ‘‘See no reason why it should not, [ll ‘tend to my part of it, and you see to yours ” « But, there isa big risk to run, letting that lion out of his cage, you know, and we are done with it,” “Tl take chances of that, and you can do the same. I'll be off in a hurry, and you can seek a place of safety before I open the door, nd when the excitement is on you can do the trick.” ‘ T think it will work.” ‘Yes, of course it will, Bruce wilt be one of the first. to try to capture the brute ” ‘‘And others will shoot at it, and a stray bullet may hit the clown and that will be the end of it. of course.” | ‘‘That’s It; DOW you haveit.” . ‘And I’m great] your help. I wish more to aid you.” ‘‘Don’i see how you can. I'd like to fall in with that. old sot, Old Wit, now, for A pure and simple accident, \ obliged to you for could do something d we 8 t ‘ f ® - ve Sek ray ? ¢ f ' ° y a! 4 ‘ : < e%, a” in : ad , eo * te. 7, x bs pe ty i Be, Ave , . “a | : oh 5 9 - ee os § > eo ‘ ”, . ra - we ny * , he. ° 4 é ts % av oa - —— = 4a teh ig] rieb dd. bow! ep ANAS re OE at mb tn ye Lea at Py ry ANON Tt Mate ORE rsa ca SF eR | y J ve iw % F “Ls ; + / a! />Ars prt * ¥ # ] «3 by: * avin ‘ites , ea ay : reach, and he must know the country i around,” | : ‘‘Then jest scoot around here and set me free, durn ye!” This in a hoarse whisper, from the other side of the canvas, and it caused both men | to start. , They looked at each other, in the very dim light, and Hunter asked. ‘Is that you, Old Wit?” ‘**Course it’s me,” ‘And what are you doing there?” ~‘* Tm a prisoner,” ‘* Prisoner!’ +. eee This in whispers. ‘‘ Stay right here, Mulvern, and I'll sneak around and free him.”’ “ All right, but take good care about it, for if anything turns up now we are dished, maybe for all time,” ‘*T’ll take care.” Hunter left his accomplice and moved around and entered the tent, and was not. long in finding Old Wit, by the light of a. lantern that hun’g in the center of the tent. He freed him at once, and the old bummer followed him out. , They joined Mulvern immediately, and the three moved off to the rear of all the tents. where they would not be likely to be over. heard again, ' + b ‘ How came you there?” asked Hunter. ‘Through that cussed boy,” the bummer ‘rowled. ‘* Well, we have taken care of him so’s he: won't bother us any more,’ “Tm glad of it. But, I heard you say that you wanted meto guide ye some’rs, didn't iy” | “ Yes, you have it right. [Lam going to steal that kid, and want you to guide me off to a safe place in-the woods, and then help me out to-morrow so I can get away.” | ‘tll try it, for 1 have no love fer any of ‘em, now, and this will be a dig at—” But, he stopped short and did not finish. ‘‘We understand,” said Hunter, ‘Allright, ef yedo. I heard your plans. laid out, an’ I want to tell ye l ain't got no- business around here if you are goin’ to let. that big lion out.” | | ‘That is what we are going todo.” . ‘Then I ain’t in it. 1 bid you good- evenin’,” and Old Wit started off at once. He had not taken three paces, however, when their hands fell upon him. ‘‘No you dont!” said Hunter, grimly, ‘You have got to aid me, or we'll put you: back where we found you,” ye.” ‘Tf ye try it I'll squeal on ‘ We'll gag you.” ‘*‘ T’ll raise a row and block your game.” “You try it und I'll slit your throat” | hissed Mulvern, displaying a knife as he ~ made the threat | ra This brought Old Wit to time quicker than anything clse could have done, forhe — had a dread of a knife anyhow, and there Was that about the threat to convince that the man meant what he said. ‘*But, we'll all be killed,” the bummer. — ' a ‘*No we won't, for the lion will never get out of the tent alive,” assured Hunter, — ae “They'll shoot it if it won't go into its. Ur cage.” \\l gh “Yes, but what do ye want to let it out fer 2" f “To make an excitement so ‘that we can carry out other plans. Now, will you aid — me or will you not?” a “* What is it I’m to do?” | : iS ple ny, ‘“You must guide me to a safe in 138 the woods as soon as J get the brat. ae 4 " And go to jail if I get found, out.” ‘You'll go to jail anyhow, if we leave: — A ee Fe 4 oe P you here in the hands of the show 4 uce is onto you, now.” ‘* Well, I s'pose I’ll have ter do it.” — you will, Now © » ““T guess , Pn q a i Az abe joe.) Be aate oe ad aes + 3. hk . : i e ce,» %) tee Ping \ Sage bist 5 .¢ me ; fo he? ete 6 ‘ 7 5 ” » a" ; ‘ ‘. ae 2," , . = 4 - 7 . — - J a" \ sae ca, at a + . «= ’ ye * 5 -@ f 7 ; , ~ > * " : _- r ae Me of PA) ’ 2" 4 a « * 1 ge Be _ =o , * a ’ ‘2 ae Py 4a % +? Yaa ’ F eh ° . Ai : " are; ” ‘ ae Am OK a, Me Phe heat YI Say > . wt iM ‘ pe rad ‘ - ~ ks Sr. a s | r% qa aon ° ® pS - J z wan OE eee a * 4 . ' , on be a* *9 a?) - . ’ ; _ el