Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 915 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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He, too, struggled in vain, avd he was dragged forward several feet. ‘‘Lemme go—lemme go!” he cried, un- consciously repeating his ally’s very words. ‘*Ha, ha, ba!” laughed the man who held him, but it was not a pleasant laugh, ‘Darn you, take that!’ snapped Shoe- strings, and he drove his fist into the cap- tor’s body with force that brought a grunt of pain, Suddenly the darkness faded away. and the cabin became plain in allits parts. Shoe- strings’s eyes were dazzled, but he made out enough so he knew what the situation was, to a certain extent. By his side stood a negro, and a little ways off was a white man. There was no sign of Flip. The negro gave his captive a shake, ‘‘ How dared you hit me?” he demanded, ‘‘ How dared you ketch me?” retorted the boy. The white man came forward quickly. ‘What were you doing in this cabin?” he snarled. ““ Nothin’,” answered Shoestrings. ‘You are a thief.” ‘*No, Lain’t; I ain’t took nothin’,” “ You were the one that was taken. We nipped your scheme in the bud. . Still, your guilt is certain. You came in to steal.” ‘‘T thought the darned old ship was de- serted,” lamented the captive. ‘‘Do you think so now? change your mind.” If so, we will CHAPTER XIII, EXCITING EVENTS ON THE WRECK. SHOESTRINGS was worried, and all the more so because he believed he, knew the man who was doing the talking. ~ That per- son had a big black beard, and he had not forgotten that Flip had pictured Addison Oates very much as this man looked, It might have been a wild theory on the boy’s part, but it was natural under the circum- stances. He was not too much frightened to forget his friend. In that crisis Flip would have seemed like a bulwark of safety, and his gaze wandered around the place. ‘‘ What are you looking for?” snapped the black-bearded man, “* The other boy.” ‘* Dead !”’ ‘We tied a weight to him "and dropped him into the dock. Unless heis part fish he is dead now—drowned,”’ “Oh!” gasped Flip. The white man surveyed the prisoner criti- . cally for a moment, and then a half-smile crossed his face. He turned to the negro. ‘*T guess, Tim,” he remarked, “this kid jis no more than an idle wanderer of the piers, but we shall have to deal with him according to the plan he has himself marked Silence him!” Black Tim’s hand glided to Shoestrings's throat, and the last chance to sound an alarm was gone. The two men seemed to know ~ Ahejr business well, and in a'short time their a4 pg efforts had rendered Shoestrings help- ‘less, _ ‘Where shall we put him?” asked Tim. ; >» “This one that was broke in the wreck.” mee ey ‘ . ve te ‘ oe those é 2: zal > iM - * : - i ’ ae 4 . . Ls _ “Never mind; he can’t get clear with all ropesonhim. Toss himin, When we " A +e whi * { ce aera’ af Fhly we i A‘ %4 yy 7 iia ” \) Ul i Pont dt), SP G if oa a f wi pd éi MS Pha GNM oe | 7h fh 7 ra j py) " iy ets) ; a byt.) —_—_ <= e. 2a i BS Flip Flasher, Ferret. | get time we will drown him like we have his | | | | | | : : . oven | in! . A fellow thief. Ha, ha! Won't it be rich when the police find their bodies.” He of the black beard looked at Shoe- ent and prospective sufferings. Shoestrings showed his alarm. He was not a coward, and could stand up bravely when he had a chance, but who can fight bravely when there is no hope? “Away with him!” white man. The captive was picked up and tossed in- to the state-room, ‘“That comes of meddling, leader, as they moved off, suddenly added the oe added the ‘Yes, ie should hev known better.” ‘We must carry out our plan. He will die with the rest, but it will not be our fault.” Die? words, them? He was in narrow quarters, for the ship had not boasted of elegance. The light that floated in from the cabin ‘revealed a break in the wall of the state-room which looked ragged and suggested the wreck of which he had heard. This did not then seem of importance to him. **T shall soon go ter join Flip,” he thought. ‘Poor Flip! He was a faithful frien’ an’ an honest kid. He may be better off than when he was with me, but I think I shall be better off alive.” He still had view of the cabin, and he watched the two men there. They did not seem to think longer of him, and they acted as if worried about something. They talked in low tones, and he noticed that they occasionally walked forward and look- ed up toward the deck. ‘“They’re expectin’ somebody,” thought the prisoner. ‘ I hope et won’t make things | any worse than they are now, ‘This is the very gang that we are after, Flip said the negro was named Tim, an’ that is w’ot this negro is called. I wish Flip— Poor Flip! It was awful that he had ter die so young. He always wanted ter be an alderman, an’ nuw he can’t.” Shoestrings paused tosigh. Then he gave a start. The sigh was echoed close to him. ‘‘ Crickey ! who is that?” He looked around, and, dim though the light was, satisfied himself that nobody else was in the state-room, ‘‘ Mebbe et was Flip’s ghost!” he thought. Again the sigh. ‘*No, I don’t believe et is, Flip had kinder a husky voice, an’ this one is clear— fullo!” There was an unmistakable stir close to him, and it settled one thing. it came from the next state-room, and just beyond the break in the wall before noted, ‘¢ Somethin’ is in there. I wonder ef it’s a human bein’? I'll try my luck with it. Say !”’ | He whispered a call, lowering his voice until such a thing seemed safe. There was no reply, but again came the stir. ' Sa-g-ay !” : | Again he whispered, but nothing ¢ame of it. ‘Et may be & tiger, or a snake!” This thought gave him a momentary chill, but the more he thought of it, the less he felt alarmed. ' ‘* Tigers an’ snakes wouldn't be no worse than them reptiles out there.” =~ He considered the possibility that Flip was still alive, but due meditation ednvinced him that, if this was so, the person or thing in the next room was not his ally... He and Flip had numerous ways by whieh they could Shoestrings shivered as he heard the What terrible event was before make themselves known to each other in |. such an emergency, even if, their mouths were bound soas to prevent speaking. Plainly, he was not near Flip. i Toy, Sa ee tcf nN strings and appeared to gloat over his pres- o, we os . 12 ee + or eu “a a ws At AR 3 se es -_ : < po . i we a ——— ————————————— — een Present], there was sound of steps on .he deck above. ‘“‘They come black beard. ‘ Shall I douse the glim?” asked Tim, cried the man with the 4? ‘‘No. Iheard Dick’s signal—this is our man. If he has the other fellow, all is well. Receive them.” The black-bearded man dodged into an- other state-room, and then the steps sounded on the stairs. Two men came down. Tim stood bowing and smiling blandly. ‘‘ Good-evenin’, gents!” he spoke, ‘‘ Where’s the lady?” demanded one of the men. ‘She's makin’ her toilet, sah, but she will be here directly.” ‘‘T have brought her father. This is Mr, David Starling.” ‘‘Glad ter meet you, sah,” replied Tim, with another bow. ‘Hurry up the lady. ter see her,” ‘“Ts my child really here?” demanded Dave Starling, quickly. ‘* Oh, yes, sah,”’ ‘*Tt seems very queer ter me.”’ ‘‘ Nothin’ so very queer, sah, You see, I own dis ship now it’s been in a wretk, an’ it lays right by this pier all the time. The lady she was down disaway when she was chased by toughs. She sprained her ankle, an’ they had things pretty much their own way until I sailed in an’ drove them off. Then 1 took her on board—’” ‘‘T have explained all this,” broke in the third man, ‘* No doubt, Mister Dick.” ‘Briefly, the gal couldn’t walk on account o’ her ankle, but she was in powerful distress o’ mind, an’ the nigger seen me an’ got me ter go an’ hunt you up. Et was a wild- goose chase fer awhile,but I finally found ye, an’ here we be.” ce peak to Nell, an’ let her know I am here,” urged Dave, Tim promptly went to a door and rapped. “Say,” he cried, ‘‘ yer pais here. Hurry u !” "Then he bent his head, smiled and walked back. _ She says she will be out in a jiffy,” he added, / | All this was seen and heard by Shoe- strings, It gave hima very uncomfortable feeling. He knew that Dave Starling was being deceived. He did not think Nell was on board the ship, and if she was it was cer- tain she was not free to go and come as they pretended. ‘‘Dave has run his head inter a trap!” thought the boy. There could be no doubt of that. ourse the black-bearded man was Addison ates. He was well known to Dave, so he was keeping out of sight, but his tools were deceiving Dave. doubt. Her father wants CHAPTER XLV. A TERRIBLE SCHEME. Snorstrrnes did some clever thinking. | If he was to believe all that had been said to him he could not make his own situation any worse, do what he might, and there was a possibility that prompt action might help Dave Starling. ‘“By jing! I am goin’ ter sing out!” de- cided the captive. ‘I s’pose they will rush rivht in an’ do me up, but et must be tried. I'll holler an’ see—" Stas Just then Dick broke a brief silence. ‘Excuse me fora moment,” he requested, ‘Tl think I heard a step on deck. We hev ter keep the tramps off. I'll come right Lack.” ~ ’ 7 Of lt was a trap, beyond go up, but TN \: ; He had been moving toward the stairs _ f ‘while he spoke, and he now hastened up. i, **Mebbe I had better sce that Be habe, i} pens ter him,” added Tim, : ve ‘ . 1 La j iti ae Sed of, wt. ty .é . : ¢ - ‘a i “i.e js ( > a oe me - : a ty}