Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 970 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

S a ight sight of Longley, but Joe moved forward and felt of his pulse and heart. **Not dead,” he amended, ‘‘ but in a swoon. He isin a very feeble condition, but I think— { hope be will not die without regaining con- sciousness. Bring me water, quickly!” The sport hung over the wreck of tho old pirate with as much solicitude as if he were the dearest of kin, and when the water was brought, proceeded to use it skillfully. In every way he showed that he was deeply concerned in Long- ley’s future. or the old man of crime Abe cared nothing except that he was eager to see Parson Joe win, but the thought of Old Grasshopper in active pursuit of Twiss was fascinating, He went to the window and looked out, and fin-'!y re- marked: ‘*Say, ef you kin spare me, mebbe I'd better go an’ see ef I kin give our pard a lift.” “Go, by all means. [ don’t need you here. See to it that no trick is worked upon the *longshoreman.” No second bidding was necessary, and the Dock Sharp was soon outsides the house, He could not see any one, but it seemed natural for Twiss to head for Old Duffy's, where Glass was supposed to be, so the young investigator went that way. On his arrival in the vicinity he saw two dark figures close together, but, speedily recog- nizing them as Isaac and young Shea, he joined them, ** Anything goin’ on?” ho asked. ne At I met Parson Joe down by the ferry, with Old Grassho per, and when I began ter tell them, Joe said as how they was goin’ on that very errant,” explained Isaac, hurriedly; ‘“‘an’ they went, An’ now Shea, here, has ‘sneaked inter Duffy’s, an’ he says the thing w’ot_ was in the bag was a man!” ‘Yes, siree!” declared Shea. ‘I seen him. Now, you give me seven cigs fer dat, ’cause et’s worth it. You kin go in de same way I did, an’ git all de primers you want. He's a pris’ner, an’—” ‘*Show me the way,” the Dock Sharp in- terrupted, ‘“‘an’ [ll go in like a cyclone, Hustle!” CHAPTER XVIII. FINAL SURPRISES. THE tough small boy did not need any urging, and their movements screened by the darkness, he led the way to the rear of the Duffy house. ‘*‘Guess Pete Glass an’de rest o’de gang is out,” he explained, ‘‘so0 you’s don’t need ter be very careful. Well, you kin climb up on dat shed, an’ den go right in de windy. See?” Ahoy Abe ‘‘saw,” and he proceeded to act, The climbing was easy, and he soon arrived at the window. The apology for a curtain was down, but the sash was up, and he easily moved theformer. In the darkness he could see noth- ing, buta@ voice sounded at his elbow. ‘* Here’s a blinker!” and young Shea put for- ward a lighted lantern, ** Dat will be ten more cigs,” he explained. Abe seized the lantern and held it boldly for- ward in the room, anxious to work while he could. First of all he saw a long, bag-like af- fair on the floor, but it held his attention only a moment. Beyond was a blanket spread on the floor, and on this lay a man, He was bound and tied to a post, and a cloth covered his mouth, but Abe saw his gaze turned upon them. Acting on a sudden impulse the Dock Sharp entered the room and went to the man’s side. ‘Quickly he tore off the bandage on the captive’s ace, ‘‘ General, be as mum as a mice!” he caution- ed. ‘‘One squeal from you will put ye in a con- demn’d fix.” He looked anxiously at the man as he spoke, for he was not yet sure;whether he was in his right mind or insane, but the question was set- tled quickly. ‘‘In Heaven’s name, free me from my bonds!” the unknown urged, eagerly. ‘* Mister, who be you, anyhow?” “ My name is Hiram Bentley!” ba, at?” . A nervous start accompanied the question, Abe reco the name of a man said to be dead, the victim of John Twiss and his knife, Was this a false claimant? **Cut my bonds!” added the prisoner, hurried- ly. ‘*The enemy are liable to come at any mo- ment. me, and you shall be well re- warded,” it was the voice and manner of a sane man, and the Dock Sharp hesitated nolonger. With & few movements of his knife he cut the re- et cords, and the stranger leaped to his eet. ‘*Thank Heaven!” he exclaimed. ‘ Now, let us get away.” e turned toward the window, but at that mo- mentthe door abruptly opened. A man stood on the threshold—Peter Glass! The tout paused and looked in amazement and consternation, With his captive free and Ahoy Abe there he was not slow to surmise the truth, and a desperate resolve was expressed in his face. His hand moved back to his hip-pocket. ‘*Run!” Abe cried, addressing the rescued man, But the latter had the memory of many wrongs to fire his blood, and he saw a better way than to ilee in the face of a revolver. Grasping a chair he swung it up, and, with one swinging stroke, brought it down on Glass’s head. ‘Tho latter did not succeed in interposing so much as a hand; he received the full forcc of the blow, and sunk senseless to tho floor. Once more the way of retreat was open, and the chance was not neglected. Using the win- dow, Abe and the rescued man were soon on the ground. As they reached that point, Bartholomew Shea uttered a warning cry as another figure appeared ? but Abe cried out in relief: ‘* Old Grasshopper!” The ‘longthoreman came up, but he looked only at the late captive. His gaze was most in- tense. ‘“*Who are you?” he asked, deeply. ‘* My name is Hiram Bentley— ** Don’t you know me ?” ** You? ‘*Go back te the ship where a certain man was stabbed in the back. Remember a deformed person on board who—” ‘‘Great heavens! can it be Hugh Flood?” cried Bentley. ‘* Ay, and no one else!” The reputed stern ‘longshoreman fell upon his knees and pressed Bentley’s hands to his lips—an example of old-time homage to be ex- ee in later days only from a man as peculiar as he, ‘*] thought you dead,” murmured Bentley, almost incredulous still. ‘**] was thrown overboard at sea by the arch- villain who won the ship, but I was not to die thus. I clung toa plank which Providence put in my way, and was finally picked up by an- other vessel. But you, master—I thought you dead until lately.” ‘*Our enemy put me ashore on a lonely island. I found there one man, a sailor who had been wrecked a month before; and his com- pany kept me from going mad in the dreary years that followed. We found enough to eat. Finally we were rescued, but I came home only to fall into the hands of Peter Glass. He has held me prisoner, bound, and with a bandage always Over my mouth, so that when I tried to call for help I produced only discordant cries, unlike a human being. But our enemy—what of him?” *‘Dead! Dead to-night, by my hand, He tried to escape; I pursued him; we fought, and he was slain,” “Do yer mean Captain Twiss?’ asked Abe, eagerly. ‘So he has called himself, of late. His real name was John Damon, Nearly twenty years ago he turned pirate on board a ship command- ed by the real Captain Twiss, and he stabbed the latter in the back as Twiss was playing cards with one Robert Longley, the second man, {t was a genuine act of mutiny. Onl Master Bentley and I refused to swear allegi- ance to the pirates, and you have heard what Damon did with us, Then he, Damon, assumed the name of John Twiss, and has ever since one by it. Orusilla, only sister of the: real ohn Twiss, had married Hiram Bentley, and, though she was deceased, Bentley, of course, was true to Twiss. So was I, Bentley’s ser- vant, ‘“‘And my children, Hugh—my children?” questioned Bentley, eagerly. ** You shall see Joseph, your son, this hour.” “‘Thank Heaven! But my baby girl?” ** Damon, as Captain Twiss, has reared her to womanhood, As she was too young to remem- ber anything, he changed her name from Mary Bentley to Elise Allen!” ** But, where is she?” “Safe in New York. Only last night Twiss sent his present vessel, the Brown Bet, away in charge of his mate, but the crew, knowing some- thing was wrong, rebelled. They put back to New York. Your son, Joseph and I saw them, and put Mary where she would be safe; then I, Ahoy Abe, the Dock Sharp. 15 having got a clew to your whereabouts, brought Joseph here, You must see him. But, Master Bentley, he does not yet know you are alive. He bas always thought you dead, and he wrongly believes it was ou who was stabbed in the back by bg oldenemy. All this must be explained im. “*B’jinks! et looks ter me as ef this tangle is ce pian out,” commented Ahoy Abe, with relief, ‘* Victory is surely ours,” Old Grasshopper agreed. ‘* Now, Master Bentley, let us go to your son.” ‘* key, you an’ me will stay here, While the rest are jubilatin’, let us stand on guard.” And Ahoy Abe turned a hand-spring. Longley recovered from his swoon, but died two days later. Before the end he made a full confession of the old-time crime. The false Captain Twiss was buried where he cied. Glass died of a fractured skull and shock, the result of Bentley’s blow, but the death of both men was deemed justifiable, and their slay- ers never were brought to trial. It was learned that Glass’s release from the old house had been made by Twiss, The Bentley family, reunited, were happy. It was hard for Mary, or Elise, to realize that she owned another name, but for Bentley and Jo- seph—‘* Parson Joe” no longer—her father and “aang, she soon conceived admiration and ove. Old Grasshopper assumed his real name, went with the Bentleys to live in Brooklyn, and was seen along the docks no more. Ahoy Abe and Isaac were duly rewarded, and the reward of the water-front walker was no trivial one. He had been brave, faithful, and of great service, and Joseph was not the man to neglect such a helper; so the Dock Sharp, too, had cause to rejoice. THE END, Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 Will Somers, the Boy Detective, 26 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective. 80 Detective Dick 3; or, The Hero in Rags. 42 Wandsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, 47 Will Wildfire, the Thoroughbred. 52 Black Bessa, Wil) Wildfire’s Racer. 57 Mike Merry the Harbor Police Boy. 2 Will Wildfire tn the W ooda, > Billy Baggage, the Railroad Boy.’ > A Trump Card; or, W1l!) Wildfire Wins and Losea. Bob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner, & The Hidden Hand; or, Wi!! Wildfire’s Revenge. 187.Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smuggiers, 189 Bob Reckett; or, Driven to the Wall. 196 Shadowed ; or, Bob Kockett’s Fight for Life. 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective, 220 ‘Tom Tanner; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock. 225 Sam Charcoal the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two ** Bloods”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang. 252 Dick Dashaway: or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago. 262 The Young Sharps: or, Rollicking Mike's Hot Trail, 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’s Job; or, The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Hound; or, The Young Thoroughbred. 805 Dashaway, of Dakota: or, A Western Lad in Quaker C 824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective. 84? Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 858 The Reporter-Detectives or, Fred Flyer’s Blizzard, 867 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times. 879 Larry, the Leveler; or. The Bloods ot the Boulevard, 408 Firefly Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier. 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagapond.* ; 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive, ATY Detective Dodge; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty, 488 Wild Dick Racket. 501 Boots, the Boy Fireman: or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, b66 The Secret Service Boy Detective. 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Wolves. 627 Tom Bruce of Arkansas; or, The Wolf in the Fold, 655 Plucky Paul, the Boy Speculator. 667 Bob and Sam, the Daisy Detectives. 709 The Curbstone Detective; or, Harry Hale’s Big Beat, 57 Detective Frank’s Sweep-stakes. - OR » ‘ ‘ - 6 6 re a ek ek et ee aa BY ARTHUR C. GRISSOM. 440 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowle Kid. 558 The Sure-Shot Parda. 621 Truthful Jamea, the “ Pecooliar’”? Man. BY J. W. OSBON, 469 The Rival Glant« of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Lack. 587 Old Buckeye, the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner. Sno Listie Cinbtilinn's hecanonee ihe upc e ning’s or, The M of tne Island 688 Plucky Paul, the Boy Srampcates 751 Gold-Dust Dan, the Trail Patrol. 755 Gold Dust Dan’s Gath; or, Keckless Roy, the Regulator. A New issue Every Tuesday- The Half-Dime Library i» for sale by ail newsdealers, fiver cen te per copy, or sent by maf! on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Yorks . o (Ele)