Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 970 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

there, and sailors were lounging on her deck, Twiss, then, so he wandered on northward. More than once, in days past, he had seen Parson Joe in that vicinity, and he had a vague hope that he might happen upon the sport, then, and be informed that he was wanted by the lat- ter as an active ally. This did not come to pass, but he did meet some one he knew. His name was called, and he look- ed around and saw a man named Tim Rogers. He was a ’longshoreman, but not a steady worker. In fact Tim had periods when he was the drunkest man in New York, but was now sober. ‘* Want ter go fer a sail?’ he asked, ** Nope,” Abe returned, ‘*1'd hike yer company. [’m goin’ up the river a few miles, to the Jersey shore, ter meet Old Grasshopper. He’s got some business in view—I don’t know what—an’ I’m ter help him, Come along!” Ahoy Abe was bold, but he was wary. This invitation sounded all right, but was it so? Things were not always what they seemed; perhaps a plot lurked back of it. Yet the Dock Sharp hesitated for only a mo- ment, ‘| had an appointment with the maycr, ter £0 fishin’ off yender pier,” he coolly observed, ‘but he may be detained by small politicians, I shake off sech roosters, but the mayor ain’t got my nerve. Why, yes; I’ll go!” ** Come on, then!” The ‘longshoreman led the way, and they were soon ina trim sail-boat and speeding up the North River. ‘* Didn’t know you owned a boat, Tim,” re- marked Abraham. ** I borrered this,” ** Was the owner lookin’? ** Come! don’t be ‘ funny ’.” ‘Your repertation ain’t A 1, Timothy, an’ J wouldn’t loan ye the wake o’ the boat, but some folks is born foolish, an’ others acquire folly. Of course you don’t mind hearin’ the truth.” ** You dry up!” Tim was vexed, but be soon forgot it. He took great pride in the boat, which fact tended to increase Abe’s suspicions, It was a novelty for the man to have a decent boat, and a novelty no one who knew him well was likely to put in his way, as far as an ordinary loan was con- cerned, ‘*f wonder,” meditated Abe, ‘“‘ef Twiss an’ Glass hev got their heads tergether, sized me up as a gent gy ve Sg ter their schemes, an’ hired Timothy ter decoy me away an’ wipe me out? Et would surprise me more ef Tim succeeded than et would ef he tried.” Without betra his suspicions, the Sharp continued to chat with his companion. On the New York shore the buildings stretched away as if there was no end to the great city, but on the Jersey side they finally rew scattering. Ina lonely place Tim finally anded, **Now, Abey,” he said, amiably, ‘‘I’d just like to git you ter help mea bit,” s About w’ot?’ ‘ r ae carpenter work, *“i’ve been hired ter do a job, an’ you can help me a good bit. Dll give you some candy, ef you will.” ‘* Candy !” echoed the Sharp, disdainfully. “Say! w’ot fer do youtake me? Do I look hke a ten-year-old Ward McAllister kid? Will be wantin’ ter dress me in them blamed fool- clothes they call Lord Fauntileroys, next, won't yer? Oandy! Tim, I’vea good mind ter lick Fon, see ter show youl ain’t no kid, Candy! h! P And Abe expressed his disgust witha shud- er, ‘Never mind, Abe; never mind,” Tim re- quested. ‘‘Of course you don’t use candy; I > er absent-minded-like. By you’ll go, won't ou?’ me Why, cert!” Abe wag just as Fev as if he felt no doubts of the giver of the invitation, He wish- ed to test the matter, He was aware that, ina struggle, he would not be a match for Tim, but he did not intend to have any struggle while his legs remained in good condition. he ’lo oreman secured the boat, and then they ascended the bank, A rather wild, but interesting area lay before them; one which looked like a neglected country home. After advancing among the sparse trees and zaore numerous bushes for two hundred yards - : Ps) - ee but he saw neither the captain or bis niece. He did not think it prudent to present himself to Ahoy Abe, the Dock Sharp. they reached a house. All the window-shades were lowered, and it needed no prolonged sur- bt to see it was not tenanted., im brought a key out of his pocket and un- locked the door, ‘**Come in!” he directed, **'W here’s Old Grasshopper? -You said we wuz ter meet him,” ‘* He may be in the house, now, though I guess he ain’t got here, yet. Comeright in; he will be along.” *‘ All right, Timothy.” The Dock Sharp accepted the situation cooliy and they entered. A part of the furniture of the house remained, but dust and dirt lay every- where, and bore further witness to the fact that the former occupants had gone, Tim went up- stairs, and Abe followed, constantly on the alert for danger. All might be well, but he did not want to be entrapped. With the air.of one who had been there before the leader went to a certain room. It was wholly unfurnished and bare; the only objects therein being a box of carpenter’s tools and sey- eral iron objects, ‘**Here’s where we begin!” announced Tim, very cheerfully. ‘** W’ot yer goin’ ter do?” **T’ll show you.” The speaker began by tearing away a long board which formed a part of the wall. Then from anotber room he brought ina heavy plank. He bored a hole through the latter, and then from the pile of iron took an object which was a ring and a staple, combined. The latter he put through the hole in the plank and bolted on the opposite side, Next, he had Abe assist him in lifting the plank up and fitting it in where the board had come off, It had been proportioned previous- ly, and was a good fit. He spiked it to the timbers, and then, of all the iron, only the dangling ring was to be seen—a stout ring in an ually strong plank, ‘* Tim,” spoke the Dock Sharp, ‘‘ I ain’t nat’ral- ly devoured with undue curiosity, but I be jest now. W’ot does all this business mean?” CHAPTER VIII. THE MAN WITH THE KNIFE, THE ’longshoreman had been expecting the question, ** Abey,” he replied, in his most plausible way, ‘* et ain’t fer poor people ter mix in with the af- fairs o’ the rich, but, as I know you are a shrewd an’ sensible boy, I'll tell ve w’ot i do know,” ‘“‘That’s the figger,” Abe answered, ‘Jog along!” ‘**A rich man has gone crazy,” continued Tim. ‘* Now, ef he wuz poor, he would be taken to an asylum, fer he is dangerous mad—see?— but, ez he is rich, his folks are goin’ ter keep him here, where he kin hev more luxuries; but ~ be chained ter that ring fer safety. ee The Dock Sharp closed one eye sagaciously. ** Yep,” he returned. ** 1’m ter fix the room ter order, an’ git paid for it, but there will be a heap o’ hard liftin’, an’ my back is weak, an’ I thought ef you come er- long with melcould divvy with you, ef you helped me in the work, “ ‘** Who's the crazy man?” ‘**T don’t know his name,” ** Who's his friends?” ** Don’t know that,” ** Who hired you?” ‘* A feller who gave his name as Smith.” **But where does Old Grasshopper come in? You said he was ter be here.” ‘* Wal, that was only a general statement o’ mine,’ Tim confessed. ‘I spoke kinder off- hand, ye see, Old Grasshopper I don’t know nothin’ erbout. But we don’t need him, any- how. See?” Abe was not satisfied with this explanation, but he did not see fit to say so. He had aban- doned the suspicion that he had been led into a trap, and had acquired too much curiosity in regard to their work to quarrel with Tim over a& small matter. He wanted to see more of operations in the old house, Who was to be confined there? Certainly it was not the rich man of whom the ‘longshoreman-carpenter had told. Thatperson was purely imaginary. Moreover, friendship was not at the bottom of the scheme for confin- ing any one there, t was to be a living prison for some one, Ahoy Abe longed to ask more questions, but he marked his course with prudence and deter- mined to fall to and help Tim so faithfully that he would win further favor. | The work went on, and the place grew more and more like a prison, Without overdoing the matter, Abe now be- gan to talk in such a way as to give Tim the impression that he was a lawless youth, or will- ing to be, and, letting these ideas grow duly, he was getting ready for further questioning, when there was a new and highly-interesting change in the situation. Footsteps sounded in the hall, and the door opened, A man walkedin, Tim looked uneasy, for he saw his employer, and he had reason to believe the latter would not be pleased when he saw the young assistant, But to Ahoy Abe the new arrival meant even more, It was Peter Glass! Abe stood in the shadow, and the horse-tout did not at first recognize him, but, nevertheless, his face assumed a scowl. ‘**'Who in perdition have you here?” he de- manded, ** My ’prentice, boss; my ’prentice,” Tim re- turned, hurriedly. ‘* He’s a kid I hev ter help me on odd jobs, w’en I leave ‘longshore work fer carpentering.” ** Didn’t I tell you this job was to be done se- cretly?” ** Yes; an’ the kid won’t give nothin’ away.” Peter’s expression continued dark and hostile, but something worse was in store, The sun, which had been behind a cloud, came out brightly, and the result was quickly seen in the room. It made Ahoy Abe’s face more distinct to the vision, and Peter Glass opened his eyes wider, ** W hat Satan’s cub is this?’ he demanded. Tim began to answer, but Glass saw only the Dock Sharp. ** So you ve shown up again!” he exclaimed. ‘1’ Timothy’s ‘prentice,” replied Abe, mildly. ‘Yes, you are—not/ You're a spy; that’s what you are! You came to my house on a sneak, last night, and now you're still atit. B the flends! it’s lucky I suddenly decided to ca around here, to-day. l’ve fallen onto you, and you mg bet your life you don’t escape me, this time!’ Tim looked in open-eyed dismay, but the Dock sera met the danger with his usual] noncha- nce, ** Now, mister, don’t tear all the trimmin’ off of yer night-gown,” he advised, ‘‘I ain’t secha boodoo an’ vampire ez you think—” ‘* You are a spy, and that is enough. Tim, how came you by this young hound?” The carpenter was alarmed, and he truthfully told how Abe happened to be along. ** ‘You put your foot in your mouth,” angrily commented Glass; *‘and now the kid is here we have got to hold him, It never would do to let him go free; he would ruinme, Take him, and tie him to that ring!” The Sharp remonstrated. Hemade a claim to innocence, though he did not have much hope of convincing Glass; and when that failed he grew defiant and tried to enlist Tim on his side, but the carpenter was wholly under Peter’s influ- ence, Abe was bound to the ring. ‘* And,” remarked the plotter, ‘‘ before you get out of this you will wish you bad minded your own business,” ** You ain’t goin’ ter leave me here?” sé I am.” ** Say, ef you do that I'll fall all over you, by jim-hickey! It was not exactly clear how Abe was to do this, while so securely tied up, but the threat did not have effect, emphasized though it was by such a novel addition, He was ignored, Glass took Tim into the next room, no doubt for consultation, and the Sharp ruefully contem- plated his surroundings. He had helped put up the plank with the ring, and he knew five times his own strength would not stir it. He wasa fast prisoner, sure enough. After a while the men returned. ‘‘ We are going to leave you, boy,” observed Glass, ‘‘and you will have ample chance for meditation. One thing I wish to say to you: your future—ay, even your life, perhaps—de- pends upon pour keeping silent. Dow’t dare to ell, to call for help, This is a deserted house in a lonely place, and it is not likely any one would hear you, but I will not have you yelling. Understand?” **T ain’t deef,” growled Abraham. ** Anyhow, be dumb,” ‘““My tongue will wobble w’en it gits a chance,” | ** The chance never will come!” There was more in this remark than the , at! * ee ibooks.co ‘ty i 9 m