Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 915 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

° a eee ee , < a ee ee en eg, * # ‘ OGaee ivy 4%, . ay ri ey ~~. * cee de eee - i) i “ oy “ bs CHAPTER IX. A LIVELY STRUGGLE. Fie rushed to the scuttle. He did not know what was occurring below, but he be- lieved Moon Martin capable of almost any- thing, and he feared for the safety of the ciplive woman, Again sounded the cry— ‘* Help, help!” ‘By gum! goes!” Flip rushed down thesteps, taking consid- erable risk of breaking his neck inthe head- long pace. . When he was at the bottom he Was in almost total darkness, but he readily distinguished a passage beyond, and he made a few more leaps and was in a room, There, too, the light was very faint, but he distinguished two persons in a struggle. I can’t stand that! Here Flip Flasher, Ferret. —_ open door made way for somebody besides the intruder, he rushed at Flip. ‘T’ll throw you down the stairs!” he cried. Nell Starling was keeping her nerve ad- mirably, and the open way was not lost. She made a rush—just a moment too soon. If she had waited a bit Moon would have been engaged with Flip. As it was, the thug stopped short. ‘* Hold up!” he shouted. He made a forward dive to intercept her, but somebody else was in motion, too. Flip leaped at the fellow and twined his arms around Moon’s neck. ‘Count me inter the waltz!” requested the irrepressible boy. Nell disappeared, and Moon was wild. In his mad haste to get hold of her he tried to disregard Flip. The result was that he ran ‘* Boys,” he cried, in his usual airy fash- | into the hall with his assailant clinging to ion, ‘‘count me inter this gambol. hands around!” All| his neck and dangling from his back. A few steps he was able to go thus without He flung himself into the two persons with | difficulty, but Flip was no small weight and the full impetus of his rush, and one of them was bowled over likeaten-pin. This person went sprawling on the floor, ‘“That’s the way I did when I was center- rush on the Rag-pickers’ Football team,” lightly added the boy. The man sprung to his feet ‘* Who did that?” he sharply demanded. ‘*] did,” cheerfully answered Flip, ‘‘ but I didn’t know the gun was loaded,” ‘Who in perdition are you?” ‘I’m Uncle Isaac’s nephew.” ‘Where did you come from?” ‘Right from the place where I was be- fore 1 come.” The man stood in silence. Flip recog- nized his voice and knew it was Moon Mar- tin, but the semi-darkness of the room pre- vented the thug from recognizing him in return. The woman was close to Flip, and she whispered: ‘* Be careful or he will do you harm,” pee He ain't built right,” confidently asserted ip. Do you live in this house?” added the man. ‘Yes, I do!” replied Flip, warily. ‘’ How dare you meddle here?” | ‘‘T thought et was some o’ the kids inter 4 SCTAP, SO I took a hand. I’ma peach ata scrap. ‘Well, get out o’ this room!” ‘‘] guess I'll sorter stay an’ visit with you, «I'm a sociable sort of a chrysanthemuin, anyhow. I'll nee as : “Get out, or I'll break your head!” Moon advanced threateningly, and his voice carried as much suggestion as his words. Again the woman whispered a word of warning, but Flip remained unconcerned, ‘Don’t rush the cable car, mister, I can’t sce the door, it’s so blamed dark here,” ‘“T’'l] help, you find it.” Surlily muttering this promise, Moon moved toward the door, and Flip turned to his female companion. “Say,” he whispered, ling?” ‘* Yes; oh! yes. ‘be you Nell Star- Do yon know—” there will be riot here. The minute you see the way clear do you rush out o’ the door, See?” * Yes. But—” Moon tutned after swinging the door wide Open, : ‘ Now get out!” he ordered, angrily. “So Iwill, I’m glad ter bev made your “equaintance, an’ | hope you will be Chummy, after this, I live right on the ther side o’ the hull, an’ the latch string 1s tlways out. Pullit, mister, an’—” Will you go?” shouted Moon. Sure! I'll Jeave my ecard, so you—" Flip began to fumble in his pocket; but | Mo n, who saw that he was being trifled bi with » lost all patience. Forgetting: hat the + ; ‘ *) - r 4 Ky, A Sf « : - boat . ; an? tw . he o eC <a f , “oe * 4 FF 4 ¢ i ” 7 oF . <<" ‘ ‘ ws be 4 : , (i ae Te why ae 2 | . te? - at ¢ - ‘. ar ae ee “1 know we've got ter hump ourselves or he began to falter. “* Let go!” he snarled. “Don’t hurry,” advised Flip. ‘Isaid I peace ter give you my card before you eft,” Moon muttered something very savage, and then essayed to get at Flip. He swung his big fists over his shoulders and tried to tear the boy away, but Flip appeared to be there to stay. All his efforts were in vain. Moon pranced around wildly, but the human burr was not to be shaken off. ‘*T'll strangle you!” hissed the maddened tough. ‘ Vil—” ‘Take my card before you go! I want you ter know who I be!” persisted Flip. Nell had wholly disappeared from view, and the rescuer wanted to do the same thing, but he did not dare to let go his hold. If he did, there was good reason for believ- ing he would come to grief. He had Moon fast, and Moon had him, How was he to break the connection safely ? The question was settled for him, When it dawned upon the thug that he could not shake off his handicap, he bethought him- self of another way, Swinging himself around, he suddenly ran against the wall backwards, bumping Flip violently against it, with his own weight to aid the shock, ‘* How do you like i$?” cried Moon, The boy did not iike it at all. He had re- ceived a heavy shock, and when he saw Moon preparing for another effort of the same sort, he decided that it was time for him to part company with Moon. He re- leased his hold and made a rush for the stairs, ‘Hold on!” cried the thug. ‘Too late; I've jest let: go Flip. He was at the head of the stairs, and lost lo time in making use of them. He bounded down with agility, but his enemy wa: by this time worked up to a boiling pitch, and he pursued with equal speed. Flip no longer had any fear of personal violence, but certain other things occurred to him, Though he could keep out of Moon’s reach he could not reach the street in time to get out of sight, and as day still lingered there he judged he would be recognized by the thug. ‘‘T’ve got ter prevent thator my usefulness at Ad Oates’s dive is gone,” thought the boy. ‘“*I must use strategy.” He passed the outer door and then ex- ecuted his device. Instead of running along the street he took a few steps to one side and dodged into another doorway—one which, as "7 . retorted he had expected, proved to be another en- trance to the building, and, consequently, Just the place for his scheme. é “Ef Mooney wants me he'll hev ter rikker- Shay up skyward,” was his muttered com- ment, ‘LT ain't ter be— Eh?—what?” ya - 4B ra" Pm oe . \ . % de -~ ot 7 + * > ; 4 >» * oh oJ yl ik a : A al es = ie ws. baad — He hada surprise, When he dashed oui } lay, but he was well aware that the gathering | : . as - 9 v4 ¥ 7e. it a ; rag, : MM. fa~ bs / . at tte e—— of the building he was dimly conscious that somebody else was near the door, but not until now had he looked fully, The look brought dismay. Shoestrings was there on the sidewalk, and standing with a bewildered air which told that he had recognized his friend and could not understand the situation. And he was directly in Moon’s path. CHAPTER X. MOON MARTIN’S MISHAPS. ALARMED for his ally's safety Flip had opened his lips to warn him, but at that mo- ment Moon Martin shot out of thedoor. The latter had met with a tumble when coming down, and he Jooked dusty and bruised, but the mishap had only rendered him the more ugly. He was frantic with rage, and eager to get his hands on the author of all this trouble. Unluckily for Shoestrings he was the only person near the door, and while the meek vender of shoe-laces stared Moon pounced upon him, ‘*T’ve got you!” cried the tough. Ee had, beyond doubt, but Shoestrings did not understand, ‘“ Wh—wh—what?” he stammered. ‘* No use o’ your tryin’ ter git away, you brat!” ‘‘T ain’t a brat, sir.” ‘You're a thief!” “Wot?” ‘* You've stole from me,”’ ‘¢ Oh, oh!” cried Shoestrings, horrified. **Give me that watch back,” ‘* W'ot watch?” ‘The one you stole from me,” Moon had decided on a plan of action. It would never do to confess that a boy had come in and stopped him while he was seek- ing to whip a woman. More, the intruder ought to be silenced, if possible, If he could be locked up as a thief his counter charges would not go for much, ‘The mean skunk!” catching the scheme. Shoestrings was not so quick-witted, and he simply stared at his accuser in blank dis may. ‘* T_T don’t understand,” he replied. ‘* You will hev time ter do that when you git to the Tombs. Youshall be shut up an’ made ter sweat fer this. Where's that watch, you thief?” ‘‘Tain’t got yer darned old watch!” cried Shoestrings, with a sudden rush of pluck. ‘* Let me go, you old crook!” “ Out with it. Where’s that watch, I Qt say ?” | Moon saw people looking from adjacent windows, and some pedestrians were begin- ning to gather. He Iect.all hear what he said, and his hands clawed over Shoestrings in search of the alleged missing article. , Now, under an exterior of meekness Shoe strings hid plenty of courage, and bewilder- * ment was beginning to give place to anger. i He did not like to be called a thief, nor did he like to have Moon so free with his per- son, ‘*Lemme go!” he bravely. Moon held on, “* Take that, then!” Shoestrings’s patience was gone, and he } shot out his small fist, and took his enemy a ie sharp tap in the nose. It made Moon’s head Fi. fly back ,and it made him utter a cry of pain, = muttered Flip, repeated, struggling and then came a little rivulet of red from cam Moon’s nose. eee Flip Fairly danced with joy. i Be 4 ‘* Oh, ain’t that kid a peach!” he exclaim- ed, exultantly. | The victim of this blow was now more en- raged thanever. 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