Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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They know they can trust Murray, I guess, by | miss our next engagement but what we'll ‘‘ What is your clue, Jones this time.” get the child.” ‘‘Two men were seen climbing the back bi m They ran, and Murray found he had work ‘¢ And’ the lion?” : fence about the time the excitement broke } to do to keep pace with Jack. ‘‘ The people will take care of the lion.” out here, and—” ¥¢ When they reached the place their man Just then a voice was heard loudly inquir- ‘And you think Old Wit was one of : was found there, and at sight of Murray his | ing for Mr. Murray, ‘‘ the boss of the show.” | em?” asked the man with the dog. 4 face showed that his heart quaked. “Right this way, sir,’ Murray called out. ‘* Yes, it is just possible that he was.” f 4 ‘‘ What is wrong, sir?” he asked. ‘‘I A man came running forward. ‘*And you had him prisoner here?” ; hear something about the escape of a lion. It was Albert Cooper! ‘ey ee,” : Is there any truth in it?” ‘They tell me that the child has been ‘‘Then take me to the place where he was, | ‘‘It is true, sir,” said Murray, ‘‘ There | stole,” he said hurriedly. let Bowger git one smell of his track, an’ if he “Ttis the sad truth,” answered Murray. | was one of the two we’ll soon be after ’em.” ‘These parents are almost wild with grief.” All recognized that they now had their ‘Yes, I know just how they must feel. | plan straight, and there was no loss of time But, cheer up, fer [am here to help in what- | about putting it to the working. ever way I kin. Ihave got an idea fer ye, The dog was taken to the place where Old has been another escape, too.” | ‘* Another? What else?” ae ‘‘Sam Bruce, whom you saw this morn- . ing, has escaped with his life.” The showman looked the other squarely in the eyes as he spoke, and he noted that | if you think kindly on’t.” Wit had been tied and was given a chance to the man quailed before him. ‘“ Spit it out, uncle, for the love o’ good- | get a knowledge of the scent, and as soon as ‘‘What do you mean?” the fellow gasped. | ness!” cried Jumping-Jack. it was had the animal set off with nose to the . ‘‘ What you want is Ned Taylor’s blood- | ground. hound, an’ put him on track o’ the skunk, The owner of the dog held the brute by a an’ if he don’t run him down, it will be fun- | chain, and followed where it led. ny.” Out of the tent, around the side, then i ‘The very thing!” cried Murray. across to the fence, and to the post where | “ Yes, yes,” eagerly urged the clown. | the old bummer had been left tied. “Where does he live? We must go for‘it | There was discovered the string that had without waste of time.” bound him, now cut, and while this was not ‘Don’t get excited,” urged the farmer. | readily understood it gave weight to the evi- ‘¢T have sent for it, an’ it will be here ia a | dence they had already that their theory was short time. What I want to do is to take | the right one. » 3 this lady to stay with my wife till the child Over the fence and up the street they went, is found.” the man with the dog ahead, and Jumping- “Excellent!” assented Murray. ‘‘ Made- | Jack, Bruce, Murray and the others immedi- moiselle Lucie, you must go, and let ug men ; ately after him, with at least a hundred men ‘‘ Just what Tsay. An attempt has been made upon his life, and that man who came here with you has been arrested for it. My business here is to arrest you, for this same offense.” “ Arrest me?’ in greatest indignation. ** Just that, sir.” But, by what right do you attempt to ; arrest me? What do | know about what some one else has done? Far be it from me to try to put any man out of the way, least 4 of all Sam Bruce.” ‘* Well, you will have the chance to: prove allthat. lam going to take you prisoner, on my own responsibility, and will turn a: es = = te Se Af a ae a wore Es a ee es s ~ « > 4 <= P . * . e . ?s> 4 pt oe ; = ou over to the proper persons as soon as | attend to this business.” and boys following upon their heels, It was it can be done. Come right along with me, “Yes, you must go,” decided Bruce. | the most exciting chase ever known there. or I'll be under the painful necessity of | ‘‘ You can do nothing here.” Out of the street and into a lane, and So, she was led off by the big-hearted far- | thence direct for the woods, and the man mer, and barely had she gone when aman | with the dog uttered an exclamation. came up leading a bloodhound. It took but ‘Ther durn fool!” he cried. ‘I'll bet I a moment to learn that he was the man the | know where he’s goin’to, He never thought fetching you in a way you won’t like,” The man stormed and resisted, but all to no purpose; he had to go, | He was taken to the lock-up direct, where ee a i ge — ay. ei the constable had just deposited the other. | farmer had mentioned. o’ me and Bowger, or he wouldn't ’a’ done | Murray entered charge against the man, But, would the plan work aright? Would | it. He’s made straight fer Looker’sold cabin” i f and he, too, was given a place in the | it be of any avail? out on the wood road.” | i ‘cooler’ until the proper time came for| Let us see! | At that moment the hound gave forth a , if. him to prove and establish the innocence he yelp that was startling, and, tugged at the fey /,. » claimed. ' CHAPTER XVII. chain. Bas RE ge ie ‘Boys, it’s growin’ hot!” explained Tay- a AEs LD» BEEN lor. ‘* We'll have ’em, now, if they are still ; Anout this same time the so-called detec- | there, an’ if they take to the woods we’ve got No time was wasted there. Still led by Jumping-Jack, who cleared every fence at a jump without touching it, > > vad -_—— “ * ae 4 = % < a - . i LBD LL LD LI t Murray hurried back to the show grounds | tive belonging to the circus put in his ap- | the means to track ’em. But, I be hanged ein: 1: _ by a short cut, | pearance. ' if I don’t think there's bigger game, by the 42 The crowd had melted away, and the ‘That you, Murray?” he hastily asked. | way Bowger is actin’, Hope we ain't goin’ to wt Si show people were beginning to collect them- | ‘‘I believe I have a clue, now, to the course | tackle the lion, b’mighty!" ae ta selves and bring order out of chaos, and | taken by the rascal who stole the child, and These words sent a thrill to every heart. + Rae i Murray was in demand, now, and was being | if it were only daylight—” : On they pressed, silent but excited,and = = ie ‘nh looked for. : “Never you mind daylight,” interrupted | all who were armed with guns had their = | oz He took in the situation as a whole at a| the man with the dog, promptly.. ‘‘ Bowger | weapons ready for instant use. Bay Ber glance, and with a few directions here and | is as good at night as he is by daylight, an’ ‘There is but one thing I dread,” said fate ~ there, to foremen, order was restored and | all he wants is a track to foller at be will | Bruce ‘to Murray as they pressed forward $? tied fo the work of taking down and packing up | get there every time.” shoulder to Shoulder, ‘‘and that is, that the Th, 4) was begun in an orderly manner, yet the| ‘‘ A bloodhound?” rascal may kill my child rather than give her ee ae men were cautious how they ventured into ‘¢That’s what heis.” | hes | | are By | dark corners. ‘Excellent! We'll soon be on track of ‘He will hardly dare to do that, Sam; he lg ON Op * _ The lion had not been found, as the pre-| that scoundrel, now. But, before we get would know what the result would be, This pases Yt as ceding words give proof. ie to business I want to report, Murray, | mob would lynch him, sure.” ce SAS eps Neither had Baby Bess. that the other prisoner is missing and can’t ‘‘Tf he did not take his own life.” pis | --«#By this time every man in the town, al-! be found, and maybe he has had a hand in ‘‘ Well, don’t look at the gloomy side of | fae ie most, who possessed a gun or pistol, was | this.” it, Bruce. I think it will come out all right; | i es ee out with that weapon, and a general hunt ‘*You mean that drunken bummer?” somehow I feel that it is going todo so. The y A ae ae for the lion was already getting under way. *Soeae- inet eS dog is certainly on the track of somebody or ae he When Murray had got matters in order ‘‘How could he get away?”> somethiug.” ewe 7 ba around the show, and was ready to give his ‘He certainly could not, without help, ‘‘T dread the lion.” en res 9S eae attention to the finding of Baby Bess, Sam | and he has had help.” «Don’t think of it; time enough when we = | Bruce and his wife appeared, the woman| ‘‘ Then it must have been Hunter.” face it.” ee leaning heavily upon her husband and weep- ‘* And if that is the case the man will at- But, the showman was speaking more em= ing bitterly. She was overcome, and had | tempt to guide him, and they will be found couragingly than he felt, a great deal, and =. 5 neither strength nor courage left. ot Sieur somewhere. But, that is not all; | the clown was not deceived. ' fe eae Ef ‘Murray, what am I to do?” asked Bruce, | I have found a broken chest in which some-| They were as silent as possible, but there = = 8 | ®* Hes, huskily. body—” © , | was plenty of noise even so, there being SO 5 He was still in his ring costume, and was; ‘And that someHody was me,” chipped in | many of them, and when they were once In. ie a . - a conspicuous figure.. He wasalmostas much , Jumping-Jack.; ‘‘Never mind ‘bout that the woods they were ever on the alert lest a overcome as his wife, | | now: rill tell ye all about it when the ’cite- | the lion should leap out upon them un- fy ‘The first thing to do is to brace up, both | ment is over. 1 was tooken prisoner and | seen. 3 BF ‘ _ of aagh declared Murray, not at all un | boxed up by Hunter and his pal.” ‘Yes that’s where he headed for,” said ae - _—s—séKindly.' ‘This is no time to give way to| ‘‘ And who was the pal?” asked the detec- | Taylor. ‘‘ He's gone to Looker’s old cabin, : ~ - your grief, Your child is alive and well, no tive, — | | . and if we don’t find himthere we'll overtake == Rha, doubt.” | ‘‘That man Mulvern, what me an’ Mr, | him soon after.” | Tagen AS OR hs, Oh! do you think so, Mr. Murray?” iarrsy bagged. But, no time to stop and| ‘‘We ought to have lights,” suggested = Spee Certainly I think so, And we'll have , chin o¥er it now. Let’s be doin’.” A one fellow in the van, i ae : ell ra pit ba 5 oN ald kia sa een te Ape fo i ene Awe My ae Le CO TTILC DO AiKe CO