Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 907 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

. = ae ~~ v . he oe ie ~.. os av “ Re 1 - > ~ ex a, oa aw ssa". anes ng HF it t w + me” bal _* , = Ce, *, << | sued Robbins. ty Jack?" i and the boy choked down asob. o with an abrupt return of spirit. want to be kind of sensible if you say any- ed Israel, surprised. ~ fool me. be in the jail.” . 2. + eF ~ Reddy Rusher, the Bell-boy Detective. an heres rem res He had detected the old woman’s pocket widely flapping, and his hand stole toward it. His fingers touched the cloth. A little more of good luck and the key would be— Thump , thump, thump! It was a knock at the door, and the Rusher stopped short, alarmed at last, Somebody was secking admittance, and he did not need to be told whoit was. *: Oh!” gasped Hugo, Reddy's wits did not desert him. It would never do to be found there, and he took steps to avoid it. Theold woman turned her eyes toward the door, and just then Reddy dropped and disappeared beneath the table. He turned a resolute face toward Hugo, made a motion calling for silence on the part of his new acquaintance, and then dropped the tuble cover behind him, As this cloth was of good size, he was wholly hidden. Thump, thump, thump! Again came the knock, and Mother Moll came into life. She rose, shuffled to the door and produced the coveted key. With this she unlocked it, and Israel] Robbins walked in. : He took a rapid survey of the room, but Reddy, peering out of his ambush, delieved there was no suspicion in the man’s faee. Israel nodded to Moll ““ How goes it?” he asked, “* All right, deary,” she croaked. *« Like your new quarters?” “* Yes, deary.” “* And the boy?” Robbins turned upon Hugo. The latter shrunk away, and Israel laughed harshly. ‘* Why, the little fool is scared ’most to death. See! He trembles like a jellyb ag. Never have seen him so scared, Boy, what’s got hold of you, all at once?” Huge tried to speak, but he could not. Tir remembered Reddy under the table, and it was because he had a friend near, and hiope and despair were in the balance that he was so broken up’ now. ‘“Lost all your ‘pluck, ain't you?” pur. ‘* Rather think [ will eat you up, eh? Seen any signs of it? Come, boy, speak out! What ails you?” CHAPTER VIII. LIVELY WORK FOR THE RUSHER. Reppy watched and listened from his covert. He wus well aware that Hugo's ex- treme agitation rose from the fact that he was under the table and he feared the boy would not prove equal to the task of keeping the secret. Hugo's intentions were good, but it was a severe test for one so young. _ “IT don’t know what does ail me,” an- _swered Hugo, feebly. ** Has anybody hurt you?” 4é No.” *‘ Have you seen any signs that you are ter be hurt?” ‘‘T want to go away!” suddenly, shrilly declared Hugo, “1 don’t like here, and I don't like any of you. Let me go.” | “There, there! Don't break that way or ‘ve shall have to tie your mouth up so you cant speak at all. You shall go in due time.” ‘* You are not my friend, Where is Hear- ‘ “Oh, you want him, do you?” “Ves. He was—he was good to me,” “* We will let you go to him lateron. We ane. want you to doanything to harm your- ‘ge nis Op * You don’t talk sense!” asserted Hugo, ** You thing to me.” sé ell, well, my young peacock!” mutter- . Vou area low, mean man, but you can't If you had your rights you would ep 4 f Israel stared hard, and then a half-smile crossed his face. ‘‘I guess the less I say to such a plucky rooster as you, the better it will be for me.” He turned to Mother Moll. She had re- lapsed into oblivion, but he punched her in the ribs and brought her back to life. ‘Is everything goin’ wal, old woman?” he added. ‘* Lovely, deary; lovely!” ‘See that you don’t get forgetful know why I took the youngster away from your neighbors in the otber house—they didn't attend to business. I had Mayo Mont. gomery -hire this place and bring you an’ Chowder Johnny an’ the boy here, an’ now I want you ter be sharp and faithful.” **T will, deary,” | Just then there were footsteps again, and Chowder Johnny came in hastily, Reddy could see him distinctly, and he noticed that the tough looked flustrated. He swept a quick glance around the room, taking in all visible things, and winding up by looking, as it seemed, under the table. The Rusher grew worried. Why did he look there? Was discovery at hand? ‘‘Did you want anything in here?” ab- ruptly asked Johnny, turning his gaze uvon Israel. ‘* Only to speak with yer mother ” ‘‘Et’s a good bit pleasanter in de front room,” pursued Johnny, rapidly. ‘* Come in there an’ we will hev a game o’ poker.” ‘*T don’t play no cards.” ‘‘T’ll give ye a butt ter smoke, boss.” _ TT don’t smoke, cither; it gives me a head- ache the next mornin’, Never mind, Mr, Dunn; I'd jest as soon set here,” Israel carried out his idea by taking a seat. Chowder Johnny did not relish this new de- parture, He scowled, and the worried look did not leave his face. Then, without say- ing more, he came close to the table and kicked the cover back somewhat. ‘The jig is up!” thought Reddy, He prepared to make a rush for freedom, but Johnny did not seize him as he expected, Instead, the tough kicked the ccver again and continued to look uneasy. ** What bug is gnawin’ at his brain?” won dered the Rusher. ‘‘ Ef he keeps up, his antics, he will show my legs up in public,” Johnny did not try it again, but walked over near Israel and sat down, himself, The man from Ulster county did not appear to see anything unusual in all this, and he be- gan to talk good naturedly. He had a poor listener—Johnny made irrelevant replies, and frequently looked under the table | Reddy grew more and more puzzled. He did not understand the tough. It certainly seemed that his presence was known to Johnny, but, if this 'was so, why didn’t he make the fact known? — | * All jungled up!” murmured the Rusher. ‘*T hope he will let the cover alone, now; he will make me visible, by crickey!” | It was rare good luck that the intruder had not been seen before, but, now the kick- ing was done with, he was well screened by the unusual length of the cover, ‘“Ef et ain’t me, what is he interested in, : here?” wondered Reddy, looking back of im, | Before this he had not explored the re- cesses of his covert with his eyes, but he did sonow. He could see a small box tLere, but it was an innocent-looking thing of puste- board, and it did not seem possible that it could be the object of interest. Jolnny’s gaze wandered from one to the other of the persons Visible, and then he ad- dressed Israel: fare yez want the kid any more?” ‘NO, 7 ' ‘* Moll, take him off to bed. He needs a nap.” ye | Mrs. Dunn was used to being ordered around by her son, and she obeyed now with ¢ ‘eh ?> a, ies ' - po =, , oy - ee. wrt - : TL." . > a! * A .2® ay : i | - ~ )) ee ee ines | i fea : You erty, ? bie i eee : ots —_ ee ¥. Belt 2 tare : Kite. at ? aS - . on re —_< a cheerful, ‘‘ I will, deary!” and went. This done, the tough suddenly eee up and began to talk rapidly to Robbins, but the latter had dropped in only on an inves- tigating tour, and he did not long delay. Rising, speedily, he announced his intention of going, and Johnny did not stop him. ‘* Say to Mayo that I will see him again in a-few hours,” added the man from Ulster. ‘‘ He lay down to take a nap when I came in here, and I will not disturb him.” Israel departed, and when Johnny had watched him out of sight he hastened to fasten the door. Next, he went to the door through which Mother Moll had gone with her charge, and secured that in the same way. Closed in, he shot a swift glance around the room, ‘ ] guess [am clear now,” he remarked. With this he made a forward movement toward the table. | ‘‘T’m in fer et!” thought Reddy. It did seem that his time for discovery had come, for Johnny bent and ran his hand un- der the table. Tbe Rusher was not inclined to hasten his own fate, and he shrunk closer to the wall. ‘* You jest lay fingers on me,” he thought, ‘fan’ there will be a prodigious pullin’ 3’ hair around these diggings!” The tough did not try to follow the move- ments of his hand with his gaze, but he fished around and finally grasped the paste- board box. He pulled it ont, Reddy breathed casier. He did not know what the box contained but he had rather it would be seized than himself. Chowder Johnny rose and stood erect. ** Bully fer our side!’ muttered the boy in ambush, all of his nonchalance returning. Johnnv went to the table and set the box down. Then he walked first to the north door and then to the south, and listened at- tentively at each, manifesting a degree of caution very surprising in one of his rough- and-tumble nature, ‘‘ Jim-crickey!” murmured Reddy, ‘‘ w'ot is eatin’ the galoot? He acts as ef he hada bean in his gullet.” Johnny trotted back to the table. Then he hurriedly took off the cover of the paste- board box. ‘ Aha, you beauties!” he muttered. The Rusher lifted his head as high as he dared. He wanted to do his share of seeing. The tough appeared to gloat over his prop- whatever it was. His coarse face was the picture of delight, and he writhed in bliss. \ ‘* Glorious!” he exclaimed; ‘‘ glorious!" ‘* W’ot the dickens has he got?” wondered Reddy. quert it means something.” The Rusher rose so far that if Johnny had chanced to look that way he surely woul have seen him. Prudence was lost sight of She took Hugo | ‘‘ When such a rounder gits eller- in the desire to Jearn all about the mystery | of the tough’s emotion. P Johnny plunged his hand into the box. ‘* Glorious!” he repeated, , He raised his hand. ‘*Oh!’' gasped Reddy Rusher. From Johnry’s palm had slowly fallen a rich, yellow ribbon of sand, and the spy was quick to understand it. ‘*Gold!” he murmured. | Quick of comprehension it had rushed over him in an instant that he had found more than he was, looking for, Johnny’s extreme caution; his association with Israel, and the fact that the man from Ulster ones had lost a bag of gold now became welde in the spy’s recollection. He believed he could have told Israel where his missing gold-dust was. — Wen eA MEAT Johnny did not spend much time with the treasure thus exhibited. He had not brought it out because he wanted to gloat over It, but the presence of Israel in the room bad led him to fear the gold might have been — . o | 7 fe: ge 733 yy 4 js q pee } | wer ' c+ -—-_ 7 - -~ be