Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 941 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

—~ — Little was said, and after a time Bran- nagan became a little more accustomed to it, and his fears began. to subside; and when, at length, they came to where the river was wider, and the motion of the boat was less, he ventured to look around, and discovered a lantern just under the seat. He said nothing, but, opening it as soon as he had discovered the combination, he lighted it. “What are you doing?’ Brady, when he saw the light. ‘I found this lantern, and I lighted it.’ ‘Well, dowse it, mighty quick!” “Tll do as I please about that,’ an- swered Brannagan. “Row for your life, or 1 will put a bullet into you!’ He was master of the situation, so far as the lantern was concerned, and: he was a man used to being obeyed, so the lan- tern remained, and the boat went on with all the speed possible., It was about this time that Larry came to his senses. For a moment he could not grasp the Situation, but it soon came to him, and he thought hard. He did not move, thinking that perhaps it would be better not to do so, for, find- Ing that he was free, he might get a chance to jump overboard and thus make his escape. : Once in the water he could defy them, for he was an excellent swimmer. ‘He had done many a long-distance swim in Limer- ick waters. The tide with them, the boat had gone at a swift rate, and in a short time the lights of the city were behind. They had kept to the east shore, and still kept to it as they went further along. Two or three times the moon had broken through, and each time they had-looked to see if they were pursued, but had failed to discover any boat near enough to them to prove that such was the case. Tlinally Brady rested on his oars. “IT am about winded, Hogan,” he de- clared. “You will have to take hold and try a pull.” “I was goin’ to ask ye,” said Dunn, “if I shouldn’t do that, but I knowed that every, minute meant one, so I waited for you. Give me your place.” They rose to change places, and that was Larry’s chance. demanded _ With a wild Irish yell he jumped up and made a leap for the side of the boat, but Brady turned and caught him just in time. In turning, however, he had - tripped Dunn, who came down into the bottom of the dory with a crash, and Brannagan, vising up in alarm, lost his balance and went overboard. He, too, gave a yell as that accident be- fell him. | ¥ | AS it happened, they were right over a ‘cae place, and Brannagan went in nly to his middle, and with one hand on the boat he held up the lantern and told Brady to kill the boy there and then. * Beat his brains out!’ Brannagan cried, “and fling him to the fishes!” * And serve you the same, curse you!” roared Dunn, ‘Why didn't you stay in your place?” Larry had turned, and was grappling with Brady, and in that moment the moon came out from under a dark mass of cloud and rendered the scene almost as light as day. 3 Close in to shore, under the dark shad- OWS, was another boat, which they had not discovered. This one now put out straight toward mre ot “Curse ye, let go!” cried Brady. “Dhat same Oi will, >, _&t | but lave go ay me,” retorted the stout lad. | 7, The Bowling Green Detective’s Drop. “T will murder you, that is what I will do with you, curse you! You are the—” He loosened one hand to take a better hold, but, in that instant, Larry freed him- self from his grasp, and turned a_ back- ward summerset overboard into the water and disappeared. By this time Dunn was righting himself, and he struck Brannagan a. blow in the face that made him let go his hold of the boat, and, seizing an oar, Dunn put it into the stern notch and sculled the boat out of reach, when he took the seat and looked for the other oars. As it happened, dropped overboard! ‘Help! help! Don’t leave me here!” cried Brannagan. “Help yourself!” retorted Brady, with an execration. Seizing the one oar out of Dunn’s hand, he seulled off with it as fast as’ possible, for just then he caught sight of the ship’s launch, and hoped to get far enough away to escape when darkness once more fay- ored them. Brannagan was yelling at the top of his voice, forgetting everything else save his immediate danger. “Phwy don’t ye swim fur it, Mister Brannagan?” asked Larry. “Av ye can’t do dhat it is lost ye are fur certain. Sure dhere is no bottom ten feet from phwere ye are standin’, and if ye move ye are a goner!”’ This added to the raseal’s alarm tenfold. He bellowed in his terror, calling upon all the saints he had not forgotten to come to his aid. The saints came not, however, but the pursuing boat did, and it had the lantern, which Brannagan was waving furiously, to guide it to the spot, for the moon was again disappearing. : When the boat came near enough, Larry sang out: * Ahoy! the boat?!’ “Where away?” came the return. “Starboard quarter, begorra, and good for an hour!” A laugh was heard, and the boat pulled in his direction, and in a few moments Limerick Larry was safe on board. No stop was made, but the launch pulled straight to where Brannagan was standing, a heipless prisoner to his fears, and he was seized and lifted on board and made a prisoner in fact. “Why, how do you do, uncle?’ spoke young Brannagan, who had taken the lan- tern from his hand, now holding it close, to the rascal’s face. ‘‘We meet at last, and in the most unexpected manner, though it is no fault of yours; you did what you could to dispose of me.” ‘*T never did!” cried Brannagan. ‘“T have been doing all in my power to find ye, my boy, and have just-got on track of you at last!” The others laughed heartily at that. It was too plain a case now, The light was put out, and the boat pulled on out into the bay for some dis- tance, when a stop was called and all lis- tened sharply to catch a sound from the other boat. But no sound came. They rowed about for a long time, wait- ing for the moon to reappear, and when at last it did favor them, the dory was no- where in sight. For the time being the rascals had made good their escape, it seemed, but the Bowling Green Detective by no means gave them up. He asked the others to put him ashore on Staten Island and leave him there. This was done, with a final understand- ing among them all, and the launch pulled back to the city without the detective. By midnight Michael Brannagan was an all save one had » ; . — - —— ———_—$—$_ $e unwilling guest on board the Victoria Royal, where Limerick Larry was shown all the honors of a royal. visitor. The game had been well won, so far. CHAPTER XVII. A STRANGE STREET-WOOING., Larry was astir early the next morning and trying to do ‘something with his clothes to make himself half presentable. Mueh worn before, his night’s adven- tures had about put the finishing touch to his garments, so now they ‘were hardly fit to wear longer, At thought of Nitty, his heart failed him, “Sure, me name is Dinnis now!’ he complained to himself, as he took his clothes down from the rigging, where they had been hung to dry. “‘Isitty will turn up her putty nose at me, in such rags as dhese, and maybe dhere will be a chance fur Nelson, aven ay he is a Hoge.” While thus lamenting, Lawrence Bran- nagan came on deck. He asked what was the matter, and, seeing the situation, he bade Larry put on his old clothes just as they were and come on shore with him. : Larry obeyed, and in less than an hour he had undergone a remarkable transform- ation, for the lad had been fitted out anew from crown to soles, and made by far a finer-looking young man than Nelson Hogg. : And, besides that, he had money in his pocket. “You have done much for me, my lad,’’ said Lawrence; “let me begin by doing this much for you in return now.” ‘** Begorra, Oi thank ye with all me heart,” responded Larry. ‘‘Dhey say dhat clothes don’t make the man, but, be Hivvins, dhey go about ninety-foive per cint. in dat di- rection, Oi'm bettin’!”’ Soon after that he was proceeding in the > direction of Broadway, a smile on his face and feeling a lightness of hcart that made him seem as if walking on air. He strolled along, hands deep in his pockets and his head high, at peace with himself and the whole world, apparently, and as he went along he sang softly: “Swate Kitty Callaway, Sure Oi know you'll not say nay Whin O1 pop dhe vital quistion Dhat is burnin’ on me tongue; Fur yure Nelson is not in it, Wid his name he’d never win it; Let him thry, and in wan minute He will get it in dhe lung!’’ When he came in sight of the flower- stand, however, his heart stood still be- cause of what he saw there. It was the conductor’s day off, as it hap- pened, and there was Nelson, in his best attire, smiling upon Kitty and whispering simple nothings into her evidently willing ears. | : And, in appearance, the conductor was no mean rival. He was dressed in fashion and in the buttonhole of his coat he wore one of the handsomest boutonnieres of Kit- ty’s handsome morning stock. He had on an “out-of-sight’” hat, and carried a neat cane. , “Now Oi am in fur it,” muttered the Limerick lover. “It will be him and me, and dhe best man will win. Kitty will have to make her choice, and dhere will be no more hakf-way business about iti Begorra, but he is a sparkler, sure as me name is Larry O’Keen! But, he is a Hogg all dhe same, and dhere is phwere Oi will have him by dhe snout!” He went forward, softly humming: | ‘‘Swate Kitty Callaway, Dhere’s dhe divil now to pay, Wi'd me and Nelson fur it, And dhe best man for to win; Sure me Oirish blood is boilin’, Fur a foight Oi am just spoilin’, \ Me tin fingers Oi’d be coilin’ Undernayth dhe bla’guard’s chin!” rid A icb we . 2 * are o af tt — Lisa > . ay 7 ; . 4 ne me - jt ih | : as ¥ : “ +. - a ah hh 73 4 7 iF : - > i O | 4 ~~ ‘wy art ) el C v* —— a s.com