Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 949 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

7 ; <d <“. — | —_ ‘ 9g ——— _ of “4 = - . ae ae ee, ae ee ee ee en ai aaa ** Who are you? Do you speak French?” ‘* Yes,” replied Laurie, in a low tone, and step ping to the foot of the stairs, saw a figure clad in white standing above. Here Decatur joined him and took up the con- versation. “You were crying a little while ago?” he asked, ‘* Ye-es,” was the hesitating reply, and under- ae the cause, he ascended a few steps, and said: ‘* Never mind our appearance, We are American officers, and have a boat near here, To-night, at twelve o’clock, we will come for you—is your door locked!” ‘* No, but the front—the street door is.” ** Well, we'll manage that—” ‘Hush! Somebody’s coming in!” interrupt- ed Laurie, and, witi a warning gesture to the figure, dragged Decatur back into their room, By the heavy footfall they guessed it was the Arab returning, and, although he did not come up, further conversation with the captive would be dangerous, so they contented themselves with talking of her. ** By George! claimed Decatur. 8 fi didn’t get a chance to see,” said Laurie ryly. ‘** Well, she is—and not over sixteen, either.” “I didn’t say she was ugly, and | don’t care if she’s sixty,” retorted Laurie, ‘* The thing is, how are we to get heraway? You may rely on it, if she’s such a prize, it won’t be easy work.” ** You’re right, Laurie, we must think about that street door, for one thing, Suppose we B° down to supper—we can take a look at it on the way. ** No, we'll go without supper to-night,” said Laurie. ‘I don’t think they know we have re- turned, and that will be in our favor.” Decatur agreed to the truth of this, and they sat planning and talking until nearly midnight, and then it occurred to them that there were three rooms on the floor above, but which was occupied by the captive they did not know, “*It must be at the top of the stairs, or she would not have heard me so quick,” said Laurie. ‘*That sounds reasonable—but you know it’s only an hour since we heard that fellow go up. However, let’s go ahead—it’s time, now, Look to your knife—no pistols.” ith the last words, Decatur left the room, followed by Laurie, and cautiously began ascending the stairs. When half-way up a door creaked above, and a key rattled in the lock of the street door. A muttered curse had followed the opening of the door above, and Decatur whispered: ‘** Laurie, old boy, we’re trapped! Ben Ali is coming up—hear him bolt and chain the door! and the other is coming down, Do your best!” CHAPTER XIII, ESCAPE—ORDEFRED TO DEATH, * Take him hence! The whole world shall not save him,”’ CYMBELINE. **ComME back! Down to the room, quick!” hissed Laurie. ‘' Ben Alisleeps below; he won't come up.” He was pulling Decatur as he spoke, and they managed, by crouching against the wall in the narrow hallway, to escape the sleepy Abdel Raza, who almost touched them as he passed a moment after, dressed for the start. They heard him unfastening the door, and then it was opened and closed as he passed out. “* Now’s our time—the door is unfastened!” exclaimed Laurie. ‘“‘Lo you go up, and Lil keep guard here,” | Before Decatur could reply, there came the sound from above of a door being opened, and then the dim figure of a woman could be dis- tinguished at the top of the stairs, It might be Abdel Raza’s wife, but there was no time for hesitation, and Decatur called to her in a low tone to ‘‘come down,” which she did at once. | ‘“‘Hush! We must get out first and talk after,” said Decatur, as the captive began to thank him, and stealing down with the utmost caution, they reached the lower hall without accident. They were congratulating themselves on this, and were moving cautiously toward the door, when Laurie stumbled over a mat, coming down with a crash on the bare floor. Ben Ali slept in the large room just off the entrance, and Decatur sprung forward to await . A full minute ela before the Arub epened his door and stepped into the hallway, How beautiful she is!” ex- a aa LO et ee ate Fee ~ The Three Lieutenants. and then down came the butt of Decatur’s pistol on his bare skull. The lieutenant caught him as he fell, thus preventing another crash, and then with Lau- rie’s assistance carried him into the room, Laurie, and Decatur deciding that the advan- return, ben Ali was bound and zagged. Luckily the girl had followed them into the room, for while her rescuers were engaged with Ben Ali, she caught the sound of fumbling at the outer door-knob, ‘* Abdel!” she said, and quickly and quietly closed and locked the door, Abdel it was, and more than half drunk. He stopped ai the door, kicked it several times, but getting no answer, cursed his brother-in-law, and staggered up-stairs, ‘Out now, quick!” exclaimed Decatur, and exercising every care to avoid observation, they took the road to the point where the speronare was lying. ‘* We shall have to swim to the boat, and if possible surprise those two fellows,’ said Deca- tur, after they were outside the city. ‘* Yes, 1 suppose so—if we don’t, they’re Maltese and will be glad of the chance to get home, and at the same time earn the money Ben Ali would have received,” Laurie said this confidently enough, but he had an ugly suspicion that the Maltese sailors had already gone home, and further that the speronare would not be found where it was left. Even if Ben Ali meant to act fair by them, he would not be apt to keep his boat lying idle for a week, So reasoned Layrie, and his reasoning was roved only too correct when they reached the ttle cove where they had disembarked. There was no boat of any kind in sight, ‘*Good heavens!” cried Decatur. ‘‘ Can we have come to the wrong place? But no—I re- member it distinctly.” ‘‘ft’?s the place sure enough,” said Laurie quickly, ‘‘and now, what’s the next move? Our escape may be discovered at any moment, es- pecially as Abdel’s drunk, and may desire com- ? one, we'll try to hire it—if we can’t, we must seize it.” Up and down they tramped until daylight found them some ten miles from the city, but still without a boat, and soon the situation would be decidedly dangerous, Alone, they might escape unnoticed, but with the girl, there was not the slightest hope that they could do so. Abdel and Ben Ali would be certain to pursue—had probably started already —and every passer-by would be able to inform him of their whereabouts, ‘‘It’s a poor service we have rendered you, Eugenie,” said Decatur (he had already learned part of her story, as well as her name). “It looks as though all our trouble must end in re- capture,” ‘Oh, I would die rather than go back!” cried the girl. clasping her hands. ‘* Well, you can rest assured some one will die before they take you,” replied Decatur, with a grim smile, ; Meantime Laurie, aS usual, was doing the thinking forthe party. He now turned to De- catur, saying: “Steve, we’ve got just one chance and that is to divide. You and Miss W hatever-her-name-is must go up among the hills, and when you find a safe hiding-place for her you can easily pro- cure food. ‘* I will stay along the shore and try to hire a boat. © can meet ber again to-night—you ea I. I mean, for it may be impossible to get a at. ‘*That’sa good idea, Laurie. Even if we are noticed they will not think we are the ones they’ll describe us pretty closely.” ** Don’t fret about me,” replied Laurie. So saying they shook hauds, and now ‘‘ the three inseparables” were separated. Laurie watched his late companions until they disappeared among the hills, and then he made ready to meet Abdel and Ben Ali. First, he tore his neat-looking clothes until they barely clung yopstne, and then lay down anil rolled an over over the dry, vest road. When he seeing him ten minutes paised without r izing him, *6 Now I’ll be and dymb—until I find a pine ‘*Hadn’t we better bind him?” suggested | boat,” muttered Laurie, with a grin at what he could see of himself, and then started back to- ward the city as his chances of finding a boat’ were greater in that direction. He was getting hungry now, and seeing a house just off the road about a half-mile abead, determined to beg a meal there, for he had no tage of the start they would gain by doing so | more than counterbalanced the risk of Abdel’s | | | | o { hardly know. A boat we must get, so we | oat: had better tramp along the shore. If we find | young tree growing iu front of the house. wanted, for there will be only two instead of | three. But look out for yourself, my boy, for | / ' ; ; : got up his disguise was Sy: pion who, | it is a dangerous matter to engage in. fore, would have are mony prying eyes, and if Abdel discovers I small money and his appearance certainly did not warrant the possession of gold. Arrived at the house, Laurie made signs toa kindly-faced woman that he was deaf and dumb and hungry, at the same time turning out a previously-prepared pocket to signify he had no money. ‘ The lad’s tattered condition, and supposed in- firmities, appealed to the woman’s sympathies, and she invited bim in toa very good meal of ‘* :adeed "—(dried and salted mutton), and ‘* boseen ’—(a& preparation of flour and water made into a paste, which, being half-baked, is kneaded over again with milk, oil and salt). He was enjoying this to the fullest, when he saw a party of horsemen, tearing along the road toward the house, At the head of the party was Abdel Raza, and when they reached the house he called a halt. The woman of the house went to the door, and in response to his inquiry, replied that she had seen no one *‘ except this oy wside,” ‘* Call him ont!” ordered Abdel, é The conversation was carried on in French, and, as Abdel had seen him but once, Laurie only waited for the signal to march boldly to the door. Something about him seemed to strike the keen-eyed Arab as familiar, and he leaped from his horse. ‘* Who are you?” he demanded, striding up to Laurie. The latter never flinched for an instant, Ap- parently he only saw the question, and kept staring from thespeaker to the horseman—which showed him that Ben Ali was not among them, ** Answer me!” cried Abdel angrily. ‘* He cannot—he can neither speak nor hear,” interposed the woman, as the Arab raised his yataghaw threateningly. ‘* \Vewill see,” replied Abdel. ‘‘ He looks like one I am looking for,” and he ordered half-a- dozen horsemen tv dismount with their guns. ‘‘Tie him to that!” he ordered, pointing toa ‘‘IF you do not speak before I count three, I shall say ‘ Fire!’” said Abdel, when Laurie was tied to the tree, and the horsemen ranged before him with their guns ready to obey the order, Abdel repeated his words, spoken in French, in Arabic and English, but Laurie preserved his calmness, and the Arab began counting: ‘*One! Two! Three! Ready!—” CHAPTER XIV, REPRIEVED—FOR DEAR LIFE—RESCUED., ** Look Unon this child—I saved her, must not leave Her life to chance; bul point me out some nook Of safety, where she may shrink and grieve.” . BYRON. AT the word “‘ Ready!” the firing party raised their guns and awaited the order to fire, but something in Laurte’s unflinching behayior and calm, impassive countenance seemed to con- vinee Abdel Kaza that the woman spoke the truth, and the expected order was not given. ‘‘ Never mind that foel!” be said. ‘* Mount and away. We have no time to lose with mn |? The order was instantly obeyed, and the part whirled away in a cloud of dust, leaving Laurie still bound to the tree; but he was quickly re- leased by the woman, who exhibited great joy over his escn pe, ‘* ff I could only trust her, what a blessing it would be to that girl and Steve!” thought the prisoner, as he watched the woman’s face while she was engaged in the quiet, apparently happy task of releasing him, and before she was finished he had resolved to do 80. The woman started back in alarmed surprise when Laurie addressed her, but, without giving her an opportunity to speak, he told bis story ending it by placing a doubloon on the table and craving shelter for the girl and his comrade, At first the women refused point-blank, for Abdel R.za, who was nothing more or less than a pirate, was feared by all who knew him, but finaily yielded to Laurie’s solicitations, and posure: to care for Engenie until he secured a oat, ‘‘ Bot it must not be for long, she said, “for in. There have sheltered you, J] as well as you and your friends will be killed.” | "2 > (ar