Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 907 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

o b Nid (oe . ie tH ‘7 - ’ = .r " 3 a oo ———s /— een ee ae — pa Sm ot ei ea ds 6,741 veh : ne ae Se ; ~~ Ss ' P 4.4 ; ‘ meddled with. Now he ceased to gaze and | arguments to that effect. His game did not | trap. The Rusher was not yet out of dan- ‘went again to the door to listen and see if the | appear, nor did he get an answer, and he! ger, but his audacity returned and a mocking way was clear. finally became impatient. smile came to his sharp face. “Can J] git that yeller stuff?” wondered ‘‘ Keep et up, ef you will!” he snapped. ‘Git a grip on yer cable afore ye go round Reddy. ‘‘EfIcan lay hold of it an’ skip it | ‘I'll fix ye!” the curve!” he tantalizingly advised, *‘ Poke - a and A 4 = = — ‘ : ae } Ww , _ z c- . . |e r 4 ; . re # “ nh Poni. ae ; | Reddy Rusher, the Bell-boy Detective. | a Si r. Av re -_ a ww « aed i r 4 _ Reddy said nothing. He had crawled in oy blamed thing here, an’ [ kin feel the whole | tion. He saw something peculiar about the — behind a huge box, and there he nestled floor, Now, that’s pison! Where has the | man from Australia, BN ey Re thing gone ter?” ry ‘“Crickey! he acts as ef he was bein’ | ~ Remembering that he had s#,match he | chased—” | | ‘ass & a } a oo Fe, og oat down, 7 dew? 4 "Ey ac +4 { ° 2 “ ‘ @ - —- ** No way. out,” repeated Johnny. “* Will s! 4 ; "a> oF > id oe ‘ : pa : : *\ _ \ ; ie y*. you give in?” struck it and used his eyes, The bag was| Reddy stopped short. Hearty Jack dodged —._-_—*Reddy was silent. He gripped the bag | not visible, and, surely, had not come down | into the door of anundertaker's shop, es and longed for chance to act once more. He | the trap with him as far as the floor. ‘* Wal, that’s cheerful, by gum! Wonder Bes 4 __ did not see the chance, however, and he was| ‘‘‘ Hi!” suddenly yelled somebody above, | ef he’s goin’ ter order his own coffin, or— = ce. wey worried even while doggedly determined to | ‘‘come up here, or 1 will graft a windin’- | Hi! there goes a female woman, too!’ ele 2 oa fight it cut to the end. . ~ - ‘ed # r ‘ sheet onter ye!” TIED op | Certainly a well-dressed lady had abruptly = = Reddy glanced up and beheld Chowder | gone the same way, though where shecame =. Johnny continued to talk, He wanted to , re : “he Johnny. The tough was peering down the , from the Rusher could not say, The fact — We hey . , : “oN ’ ; ! ‘ 4 | : ? . “. . ‘ / eonquer without more trouble, and he used wiil be arich snap. I'll try it!” He fell back and closed and locked the | a nickel in the slot!” door. ‘*Come up here, or you'll git done up!” . ; CHAPTER IX. ‘*R. Rush, you are in fer ct!” muttered | shouted Johnny. =a REDDY HAS TROUBLE. the boy. ‘* Ef you don’t slip yer cable right ‘*Oh! git yer shoes half soled; your feet ae THe Rusher had no idea of how he was | soon you will be set on. Git out!” show.” nie f ‘to carry out his plan, but luck opened the He left the box and tricd to reconnoiter, With this sneering retort Reddy turned : chance. A sudden racket in the room to | This was not easy, for the closing of the door | away. He did not fail to remember that. if om a which Mother Moll and Hugo had gone told | had snut off the last gleam of light, and | he had come down Johnny could do the ey | that something was wrong there, and Johnny | when he moved he stumbled over boxes and | same, and he had due respect for the ruffian’s ¢ cea Oy grew angry. . boards. muscle, if not for his brains. vim 4 ee ** Cheese it!” heexclaimed. ‘‘ Ifthat keeps ‘‘ Wal, this is a pretty go!’ he admitted. He had decided that the way was clear for — tf HY, up Mayo will be in here ter see w’ot is up, | ‘‘ Et takes a cold, calm nerve ter like this | retreat if he was not molested, and he went pie “Ae an’ I don’t want him nigh the dust.. Et must ! sit!” without delay. Bho be stopped!” ‘He was still moving aimlessly when the At the end of the hall he found another 4 a The tough hurried to the connecting door, | door reopened. The gleam of a lamp dis- | door, and this yielded to his touch. Just as ey unfastened it and threw it open. pelled the darkness somewhat, and Reddy | he unclosed it there was a heavy ‘‘ thump” je} ‘‘W’ot in thunder be you at?” he growled. | used his eyes in a hurried attempt to see | behind. He looked back; he saw Chowder yen ** Want the perleece down on us? Ef you | what was about him. He found that the} Johnny. The tough had leaped down the Fae don't hush yer noise I’]1 be in an’ smash both | room had no window, and no door except | trap, and was in pursuit. creer a Ye, ) Nec? that where Johnny stood. He was penned ‘Look out!” he yelled. ‘‘I’m comin’! a ai , He was half way through the door. Red- | in fully. You sneakin’ spy! Dll do ye up right quick. ae dy was half way out from under the table. The tough held the light well up and look- | Hold on!” Fades He had seen his chance and improved it. | ed around. He could not see the boy, but | ~ Ea Slipping out, he ran to the table with light | his expression was confident. He relecked CHAPTER X. Aes f steps and grasped the treasure. He saw | the door, pocketed the key and started to] — BAD FOR HEARTY JACK, ines that a bag was inside the box, and he ignored | search. CHOWDER JOHNNY was enraged, and Red- » 2) the latter. ‘*T'll bave you ina jiff!” he declared. dy knew he would fare hard if the tough ———s Catching up the bag, only, he gave one| He peered behind one box after another, | laid hold of him. He did not intend to be el Atar ar twist to the string and made for the door | and gradually neared the boy. The latter | thus caught, and he hurriedly closed the ere _,._~which led to the hall. He unlocked it quick- | decided that he would have to yield. He | door behind him, and scud for safety. It | oom jy and carefully enough, too, but there was | could not run, nor could he oppose his | was all a matter of whether anybody got in pia an alarming click, _ ,; strength to Jounny’s piso ef Since it | his way, he believed, and for the time being Tah Johnny wheeled about. He saw the boy, | must be so he decided to make his submis- | the way was clear. ae and he saw the bag in his hand. The tough | sion dramatic Johnny’s steps sounded heavily in the Tite stirred into life at once. . | He rose bebind the box. rear, but it*was soon over. ‘The Rusher | Aine nv An angry cry escaped his lips, and he ‘* Here I be, boss!” he announcea., passed another door, and he was near the 1 rushed in pursuit. | Johnny saw him, and his eyes gleamed, street. He ran out and stood on the side- i -...- - Reddy banged the door to in the pursuer’s ** Aha!” he cried, *‘ I’ve got ye!’ walk. Bray +! Be _ face, but he could not stay to lock it, even Just then the floor seemed to sink under Once there, allof his audacity returned, 1 aes a ae) if the key had been on his side. He had | Reddy. He dropped down. He disappear- | and he paused to see if Dunn was coming. . ———. @nly one way open to him, and that was to} ed from the view of the tough, and, when | Johnny reached the door, - sit hi -——soatsake use of every moment to flee, | the Jutter pressed forward a little more, ‘* Hi!” called out the boy. ‘‘ Be you go- © We Of course he wanted to reach the street, | there was only a yawning gap in the floor. | in’ my way? Ef so, jump on, fer the cable he —~— but he found that, instead of the’straight | He was alone in the room. He stood dum- | is runnin’, Take a brace, old man!’ \ ‘ps Wy are way usual to city houses, the space was pe-| founded. He realized that he was looking The pursuer looked up the street. Then ‘ ~—s «uliarly divided and broken up. Crooks} at a trap of which the dvor had fallen, but | he weakened. No policeman was to be seen, HN and turns were before him, and he could not | he was amazed to see such a thing. but there were several other persons, and in et pause to solve the tangle—unless he kept on} | ‘‘ He’s gone!” cried Johnny, ‘‘an’ the gold | the light of day he dared not follow and pre- er Sie rapidly the heavy hand of Chowder Johnny | has gone with him!” cipitate a conflictagainst a boy. ae would be upon him—he could only runand| The Rusher certainly was gone, but nota} He shook his fist at Reddy and returned | eae: trust to luck. _| great ways, He was quite as much amazed | into the house. Ph wt ie: Ey Be a Grasping the bag tightly he did run, and | as his enemy when he fell. He had grasp- ‘* Acts as ef he was mad about sometbin’,” ‘ fs _ with all possible’speed. Through two door- | ed wildly to try and get a hold somewhere, | commented the Rusher, grimly. I can’t im- ———s-ways he went in suctession, but the last at- | but had failed. He brought up witha shock, | agine w’ot et is, Hope I ain’t said nothin’ J ae ae tempt brought dismay. He was inaregu-| though not with force sufficient to injure | ter hurt his feelin’s,” a a Jar room, and he knew he was astray from | him. For awhile the boy indulged his exhilara- oy cy nay his proper course. He looked back of him; ‘‘A firm floor was under him, but where | tion, and then he came down to business, ay -.-- Ghowder Johnny was in hot pursuit. he was he did not know. ‘ He walked away, thinking carefully. ApS + -- Reddy tore open one more door, Al! was ‘¢Guess this is a well,” he mused, ‘‘an' I ‘‘ How be I ter proceed next? The game ‘a id eae darkness beyond, but the part nearest to | shall drown or get smothered with foul air, | is all in there, but I can’t pick et alone. f ead NS _ him showed that he was ina kind of store- | Where's the water, an’ where isthe gas?” | Shall lcallinacop? The game is. ihere, as es -— yoom, Big boxes and boards were all about Ile did not feel the one or smell the other, | aforesaid, but et ain’t ripe fer pickin’, } | SeRee 3 ‘the place. cs and he grew more hopeful, He felt wooden | kinder hate ter spring the trap until allo’ the’ Eat at te 2a | ___ It was not inviting for one who wanted to | walls on two sides of him, and there was an | victims is inter it. I guess I'll go ter a reach the street, but he had to go there, He | open space elsewhere. Briggsy, an’ see w’othe saysaboutit, LTain’t | ae went. ‘“T’ll hustle on before Jack gits his claws | got much faith in the opinion of a cop, no- : Beh | Johnny reached the door and then paused. | onter me again.” how. They are too. gallus,” ‘ “5 ae Ss: His marked prey had disappeared, but it did | | He started, but suddenly paused. | With Briggs looming up as a signal light, Baha) ‘not appear to trouble a Wu ~ Instead, his ‘“Say, where’s that bag o’ gold?” he ex- | Reddy set off. He went several blocks with — Bes nf _ troubled face cleared. | claimed. springy steps, and then something else at- «ve got you now,” he remarked, confi- It was not in his hand, surely, and he tracted his attention, | : te he ) ee = “dently. ‘You can’t pass out o’ this hole, | went back as far as he could go and began to ‘‘ Hearty Jack, by ginger!” ~ gh aattes hei s an’ the sooner you give up, the better, | feel for it on the floor, _ It was the sailor, but there was more than ts { ae ML. Seer” ‘‘T’ve lost: it, by crickey! No sign 0’ the. his face and form to keep the boy’s atten-) Te a Md 7 19 7)” . 6G Wh Sy Ca eae ; (7.9 j ¥ She a. “ar | a AT » 5 ; : ‘ y ‘ p : ' P : " a | ahs 4 ae : ; ; ‘ ‘ ‘ Ad * ; ' ) » i ‘ . : rr 4 . a oF ae e ‘ ° > - - = SS ened —_——= ; ’ ‘ b : ¢ i” i "ARS . VL) aes ° wher’ vo . aay 4 43 , Spe oo ey ie ; Ce +t . oe ass Jf ety Py, ~ the’, » - ‘i 7; ; Ie, A =< La ree ~ 4 Pf ye ates » 4 * ‘ . i+ 7. Ate — + —— ¥ « Ss.cOmMm. 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