Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 938 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ik P ————— gr a Memes nee time had come for hi 14 | “T agree that it was near by.” “Then what was it?” There was no reply, but the men moved about somewhat, as if trying to solve the question. “By gum! They will look inter this box, sure as guns,” muttered Jim. “Wal, ef they come, I won't surrender. Ill fight them an’ then run, that’s w’ot I'll do?’ And he hugged the saddle all the closer. Presently the men gathered again near his hiding-place. Perhaps they believed they had solved the mysterious noise; it was not mentioned further. “JT wish Stanford would hurry up,” re marked Nat. “So do I. I feel nervous, an’ the sooner we get away the better it will suit me.” “When it is over I shall serve him no more. I had rather be an honest boatman. Here Al Lee is in the same ecallin’.as we be, yet we do him dirt jest because Stan- ford pays us for it.” * Oheese it, old man. bargain you make,”’ “ Right, Nat,’ assented the third man, ‘Well, I don’t want ter land in Sing Sing,” persisted the, kicker. “There lays eur vessel, an’ in her cabin is Al Lee an’ the girl Kate. Suppuse the police descend on us an’ rescue them?” ' * Bah! Pat, you lack nerve!” “That’s a lie, Nat Jones, an’ you know it; but Pat Flynn never showed up as a Villain before, an’ I don’t like it.” ‘Do you mean ter play Stanford false?’ {NOE am in fer this cruise ter Staten Island, an’ I'll stick to it; but one o’ the prisoners in that vessel is a feller boatman of ours, an’ it sort o’ hurts me ter use him so mean. I wouldn’t care much ef he es- caped from the vessel before we get away fer Staten Island.” ‘Now, see here, Pat; this won’t do!” de- clared Nat. “Kick on Stanford all you see fit, but when you talk that way it looks as ef you was liable ter do us all dirt. You can’t go back on Stanford without goin’ back on us, too. Would you betray us?” Nat’s manner had grown belligerent, and Pat hastened to reply: “Not a bit of it. Even ef it wasn’t fer you I shouldn’ t back out; I am in fer this thing, an’ I’m goin’ through withit. Don’ t tbe afraid o’ my backin’ out.” Peace was restored between the boat- men, but they had put Jingo Jim into a state of mind. “Say,” he muttered, “but they hey’ got Al Lee shut up in that measly old boat, an’ they’re goin’ ter take him off. Great guns! but ain’ t that bad!’ It was bad, and it worried the peddle greatly. He had his beloved saddle, but this did not make him wholly happy. He was loyal to his friends, and did not think of deserting Lee, now the latter was in trouble. “Ef they let me leave this box I’ll make A wy ter look inter the vessel an’ see ef Al is ter be found—if I can hide this saddle any wheres.” He looked lovingly at his trophy, and began to turn it over and sean its various parts. “Hey! he suddenly added, “this has been monkeyed with. Been cut open in places, sure as you live. Jest malicious mutilation, that’s w’ot it is. Hold on, James! Doe Walker thought there was valuables inside of it. The gang has ripped Never kick on a her open an’ took out the boodle, sure as | 1" This was an unpleasant discovery, but he did not let his mind dwell upon it. Nat and his fellows moved back a little, and the spy became Pe to the fact that the to get out of his _ place of practical capt wily. He thrust his head out and looked. “tT kin make $i.” The Sport of Two Cities. With this terse decision he gathered u he saddle and flashed out of the box. headlong dive for a few yards took him to another and larger box, near the extremity of the pier, and there he was safe He proceeded to do some quick thinking, and the result was that he concealed the saddle and moyed again. He was resolved to make prompt effort to see Aldrick Lee, and as he could see no way of reaching the vessel by the pier, he was going to try the only other way open to him. He cast off his coat and shoes, and then quietly lowered himself into the water. Silent as a fish he swam toward the craft, but the members .of the gang were so close to the edge of the pier that he had to move slowly. Finally he touched the hull, grasped a dangling chain and began to raise himself. He rose suecessfully, and, at last, was near the rail. He had for the time being lost sight of Nat and the rest, so he raised his head to take a survey of the scene as it was then. The result was startling. He found himself almost face to face with Ruthven Stanford! CHAPTER XY. THE NIGHT TRAGEDY, Jingo Jim dodged down behind the rail with celerity. “ Crickey! who would hey’ thought of seein’ him!’ was his muttered comment. Certainly the spy had not expected to see Stanford. True, he had lost sight of pier and deek for a while, but no sounds had told that the sport had arrived on the field of action. He was there, however, as Jim learned to his alarm, and, as the spy had nisen within twenty feet of Stanford, it was only the fact that the latter was look- ing the other way that saved him from discovery. - James Clung to the chains and became very still. “Sporty Stanford has beat me out,” he thought. “He has got a lap ahead o’ me, an’ now how be I ‘goin’ ter ketch up? I can’t go through the side o’ this blamed old schooner, an’ Sporty will get his peepers onter me ef I try ter cross the deck.” It was an annoying situation, but James was a good deal of a philosopher, and, when the first flush of his disappointment had passed, he brightened up perceptibly. Anxious to see all that was transpiring, his head was again raised above the rail. “ Stanford consults with Nat. The sport seems a bit worried, Now what has gone wrong with the dear boy?” Several minutes passed before he found out, but Ruthven suddenly took a quick turn across the deck and came closer to the spy. Tho sport looked toward the street. “No sign of them yet,”’ he grumbled. “They may be along any minute,” re- plied Nat. “ But they are half an hour late already, and my orders were that they should not fail to be prompt.” ‘““T guess they will come.” “ But, man, we can’t wait. am nervous over this matter, and I dare not delay here. I fear our extra men have succumbed to love of whisky and filled up on that stuff, so they are out of the farsa Nat, can we sail her alone?’’ ur “ Bless me, no.” e are four.” “ But only two practical seamen.” “True.” “Tt never would do. The harbor we make at Staten Island is a tough one to ‘pull into, and two men never could make t.”? “ All depends on ‘our aids. However, I don’t think they are coming, and, if they don’t show up soon I shall change the programme,” . fl : / ah ue .I ) "; esis Js vrs BAY pL 4 . + *. earn Vr - y I confess I | ce Stee =e a4 Si tie iS ¥ Ue eee : 7 sy 4hee ay os ~ bit x ‘ ' " Pa) Shae ‘ <> , .< aa “Tn what way?” = * Get out the wagon again, and take ota prisoners off to another might use.”’ *T would not risk taking them into tha streets—’’ “We must get them away from here,” declared the sport. The speaker was nervous, and he began to walk the deck with quick steps, both he and Nat in the meanwhile watching the shore closely. Jingo Jim hung to his place and watched them, hoping for some turn in his favor. Minutes passed, and then there was an excited conversation at the further side of the deck. It was followed by the hasty departure of Pat, and Jim knew something had been decided upon. What it was hé saw when the old familiar ex-delivery wagon came rolling down on the pier. “Go below and bring them up,’”’ ordered Stanford, Jingo Jim chuckled. ' * Going ter try the street game again, be they?” he wurmured: “Ef they succeed jest let ye’r uncle know, Ef they drive off of this pier I will leg it after them an’ hail the first cop I see, Oh! won’t I do them up the worst way! Ha, ha, ha!” . He was very merry over the situation, but he forgot it all when there was a stir by the companionway and a group emerged from that vicinity. The spy quickly discovered that the prisoners had been brought up—heecould see a man and a girl, and it needed little survey to tell that they were Aldrick Lee and Kate Floyd. The sport confronted them, and seemed to gloat over their misfortunes, whereupon Aldrick broke forth explosively “Well, knave, what new scheme have you afoot 2” ; Pat will learn later,” responded Stan- ord. “ There is no limit to your villainy, I am aware, but one thing I ask of you if you have a grain of manhood left. This girl— I know. not how she has incurred your hatred, but she is a mere child. Set her free, and then I will fight it out with you.” “ Fight it out?’ “If you prefer the term, I will accept what fate has in store for me.”’ “I rather think you will accept it; I don’t see how you are to help yourself. ” “Let us not argue that. hatred of me. I ask you to free the. girl.’? “T will not!” | ‘What harm has she done to you?” | “That is my business.” | “ She is young—” “What sharp eyes you have! Young! I suppose you judge by her size, face, teeth and temper. Wonderful perceptions you have. You know a good deal!’ | “You don’t talk like a man of sense,” * retorted Lee. “You are turning from vil- lainy to folly. Still; I ask no favors of you. Will you favor another person—an Riemer person—this young girl?” 0!” “ Then, by Jupiter! I will use the little power that is left in me!” The boatman spoke with sudden vehe- © menece, and, as he did so, he threw off ~ Nat’s grasp and leaped upon Stanford. It was an impetuous attack, and the apest Ae reeled back from it, crying out for help. His followers rushed to his aid, exclaimed the young peddler. Just as his feet touched the deck he saw ) ee Aldrick bad forced Aa that he was too late. Stanford back close to the rail, and ve other members of the gang ‘had piled u the single man so that it was hard for im, 4 to detect the exact situation, but one wing ut ' soon came in a decisive manner. prison that Bae be I know your. Jingo Jim hastily scrambled up to the deck. _ “By gum! I want a hand in this sight ie}