Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 961 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

sehind a large rock*they saw a pursy fig- ure crawl, writhing along like a horned toad. “It’s Bazoo Smith, the tramp,’ Al ex- plained. Bazoo Smith, who possibly expected safety by reason of his trampish and non- combative character, had, with a strange accession of courage, insinuated himself through the lines of the besiegers, even venturing to a point very near the walls. He had been able to do this because of the assault on the gate, which had so drawn attention from the western side. As they looked, a weazened little Mexi- can, belonging within the town, dropped down from the wall, and, running quickly and forward, confronted the itinerant. The tramp shrank and cowered, as the Mexican’s pistol flashed before his eyes. He seemed literally to hug the ground and to grow smaller and smaller, and there could be no doubt he was badly fright- ened. Then, to the disgust of Israel Isett and the amazement of Al, he was seen to crawl to the Mexican’s feet and endeavor to kiss the Mexican’s hand, for which ex- hibition of craven fear he was promptly and energetically kicked in the stomach. “Served him right!’ was the almost in- yoluntary ejaculation of Isett. However, all this eating of humble pie ‘availed the tramp nothing. The gate was suddenly flung open a foot or two, and others rushed out to the little Mexican’s assistance, and the fellow was dragged ignominiously within the walls. Five minutes later the watchers in the prison saw him being driven along the street in that direction, Then he was lost to view, only to reap- pear with his captors before the prison. When next seen, he was in the interior of the jail, and was being pushed toward the cell occupied by the Isetts. * Senors,’’ he was pleading, “I am your friend! I was trying to get in to help you! Tama juggler. If I can amuse you —get me a hall, anything—I’m at your service! Would you like to see an exhibi- tion of magic?’ Turning, when he knew his appeal would not avail, he saw the barred door of the cell into which he was to be thrust, and the face of Aztec Al. His own face underwent an instant transformation. ** 1 was) jist foolin’ them chaps fer a pur- pose!” he avowed, when the door clanged behind him, and the guard had gone. “I done the whole thing—let ’em bring me bere and all—so that I might be able to help you people!” By an instinct he knew that this bearded man was Al’s father, even before a word of introduction had been uttered. He stretched out a hand, which Isett took, with some hesitation. ““T rescued your son there, as no doubt he’s told you! And, now, I’m here to git you out of this scrape!” Words of scorn were about to fall from Isett’s lips, but they were stayed, as the tramp removed his battered hat, turned the leather band (which was like the heavy leather band of a cowboy hat), and from it began to draw a little spring-steel saw. The hat-band was double, and the two parts were joined together in a way to make of it a thin pocket. With the saw, there also came out a quantity of cord, of firm, fine texture. | “You look as if you don’t believe tnat I come here to help you, but here’s the proof! The proof of the puddin’, gents, is in chewin’ the bag! With this here little saw, and this string backed by some acid I’ve got, we three ought to be able to walk through any jail that was ever got up: . The Tramp’s Trump-Trick. $$$ a a CHAPTER YV. A DASH FOR LIBERTY. Israel Isett placed a hand on the tramp’s arm and nodded toward the adjoining cells, “ Better be a little quiet. Some other fellows in here may hear you. I’m afraid they’ve heard you already!” ; The itinerant stared dumbly in_the direc- tion indicated. “T reckon Ill never git old enough to learn good hoss sense!” he whispered, re- treating to a corner and sitting flat down on the floor. ‘This is a little business in which three’s company and more is a crowd!” He passed over the saw and the cord for inspection, and, when Al and his father were examining the articles, he began to twist at one of the big buttons on his ragged coat, holding it alk the while very carefully. The top of the button came off, revealing a liquid with which the hollow button was filled. The button was, in truth, a sort of phial, “ That’s a stuff that’s got to be handled mighty ticklish. It’s an acid that'll eat holes in a man’s fingers afore he kin wink twice. I handle it precious careful, I tell you. Put a little on that string and rub the string over an iron bar, and it'll walk through the bar as if the string was a saw and the bar nothin’ but wood. As fer the real wood, that litue saw will do the busi- ness fer it!’ He screwed the top of the button into place with a quick twist, and replaced the saw and string in his hat-band, *T jist wanted to prove to you that I ain’t altogether a fraud, whatever else you may think; and I'll say to ye that if we want to, bad enough, we kin walk out o’ this jail, to-night!” * But the guards?’ The tramp winked owlishly and fished a dollar from some place in. his ragged clothing. * Them Greasers searched me, but they didn’t find this! I think I kin fix the guards!” Muskets were again popping, and the trio hurried to the barred window. Another assault had been undertaken, but, even as they looked, they saw it result in failure. They went back to the corner and earn- estly discussed the situation. All were undeniably anxious to get. out of the prison, and it began to seem to the Isetts that the capture: and imprisonment of Smith was a providential interposition in their behalf. Israel Isett told of the sentenee of death passed on him. * We'll git out o’ here to-night!” the wan- derer promised. ‘‘We've jist got to.” The day passed, with constant alarms to the garrison, and the night came, prom- ising nothing better. A soldier brought them a _ half-cooked supper on a wooden tray, and, as he turned to go, Smith slipped a shining sil- ver dollar into his hand and whispered to him, in bad Mexican: “ Bring us a bottle of aguardiente! We would drink your health with you, and the health of the prisoners in these other cells!” The soldier looked sharply at the money, then moved away, with a sly wink. “T was sure it would fetch him,’’ The tramp was unscrewing another but- ton, which revealed, when the top had been removed, a small quantity of white powder. ‘A little of that will make them slum- ber like the seven sleepers!’ and he ut- tered a light laugh. . Removing a pinch of the white powder, he held it cautiously between thumb and finger, and replaced the top of the button. All was in readiness, and the darkness ras increasing before the soldier came back. The bottle he brought was not large, and it was evident he had kept part of the money. - Smith uncorked the bottle, smelt of the liquor, and contrived to slip into it the powder. ‘* How many are in the other cells?” ‘Just two,” replied the soldier, greedily smacking his lips. ‘Then there’s the guard. Shall I not get another bottle, senor?’ “Ay, the guard must have some of this! It would not do to neglect him. Come, it is my treat. Take this to the other prisoners. And, look you! Tell them to touch it light, so that you and the guard may have an abundance. If I had another dollar I’d send for another bottle. But, alas!” The soldier hastened obediently away. When he came back a third of the aguardiente had disappeared, and the jug- gler knew that the soldier had taken a pull at the bottle in the darkness of the pas- sage. ‘Drink our healths, senor! We would be merry to-night, for to-morrow we may die! How goes the fighting?” “Ah, bad enough! The troops have got us hemmed in like rats in a cage. How- ever, here is to your health, senors, and to the health of Juan» Romero!” He tipped the bottle to his lips, held it on high, and allowed the aguardiente to slip with a gurgle down his capacious throat. The contents of the bottle were sadly lowered when the bottle was with- drawn from his lips. ‘Ay, but these liquor seHers are ras- cals, senor! For a bright dollar like the one you gave me one should have gotten a gallon of the stuff! Ho, there!’ He shouted to the guard, who, knowing what was in store, came hurriedly, and drauk as greedily. When the occupants of the cell had each taken a pull, which they did by pretending to drink and pouring some of the stuff over their clothing, there was a small quantity left, which the soldier and the guard di- vided between them. The soldier carried away the bottle, that no visible evidence might be left, and the guard returned to his post at the outer door. Though their plan had worked to per- fection, nearly an hour was permitted to pass before the little saw and the string with the acid were brought into play on the bars that fenced them in. It was close and careful work, this cut- ting out of the cell, and another hour passed before it was accomplished. Then, in shoeless feet, they crept along the mud floor and descended to the gate, where, as they expected, they found the guard sound asleep at his post. The drugged liquor had done its work. Al bent over the guard, took the musket out of his nerveless fingers, and the jail keys from his pocket. Over the wall they could see the refiec- tion of the lights of the town, and could hear the sound of voices in the streets. Ever and anon came the cfash of a musket shot, as some guard fired from the wall at. a skulking figure. ‘It would have been better if we had waited until later,” said Isett, as they turned toward the gate. They had been afraid to risk that. The danger of discovery in the jail had seemed greater than that which now confronted them. Hanging on the wall near the gate were some ropes, and Aztec Al appropriated one | SS er ay — * - hd v aad ~ “_