Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 970 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

. A _" ; f oo i Nt Os dana: stethh " iF Ne . } bo ; CMe RT, be i > yh it bey OWEVTE PGE Tt 14 e. mere words implied; the tout’s manner con- veyed so much of dark and ominous threat that Abe did not see fit to chaff or irritate him further, The carpentering was not done, but work was suspended, and the men again went out. Tim’s face expressed no sympathy for the boy he bad brought into such danger, but from the way he avoided Abe’s gaze, the latter suspected he was not wholly satisfied with his share in the work, Although they left the room, the prisoner had no means of knowing whether they were gone from the premises. After their footsteps ceased to sound he beard no more in the house to indi- cate human occupancy. Hours passed, uncil the rays of the sun, dimly seen, led Abe to believe it was noon, ‘* Wal, l’min fer it,” he commented, in dis- gust. ‘‘ There is a crawlin’ sensation in my stomach that is suggestive of the joy~ of sirloin steak an’ hot biscuits, but even a file, ter eat, would be welcome now, Jim-crackey! but ain’t a starvin’ man a movin’ objick of com- passion!” He sighed dismally, though in serio-comic mood, ‘*‘ Here’s this prison-room ter mock me, At first | was mighty anxious ter know who was ter occupy ii. Llain’t so greedy on that head now. But who was it built fer? Sence P te Glass, horse tout, come inter the game, I can’t help wonderin’ ef the mysterious prisoner in the West street ranch was ter be moved here, Hope he won’t kick ’cause I’m warmin’ his quarters!” Abe moved restlessly and sighed again. All his efforts to be cheerful amounted to but little. Acecustomed as he had been to active life, cap- tivity was hard. The afternoon dragged away and evening shadows began to fall. Again footsteps sounded in the hall. Glass entered, He set down an unlighted lantern, and then turned his gaze upon Abe, ** Boy, [ havecome to free you!” heannounced, in a slow, deep voice, “*That’s good news,” ‘We will see. You have made yourself ob- noxious and dangerous to me. I gave you no provocation, but you meddled with my affairs and placed me in seoperay. I dare not have you at liberty, and I have no place to hold you captive. There is but one thing to do!” His voice took on a strange inflection, and Ahoy Abe felt a thrill of vague alarm new to him. When Glass paused he did not answer, and the tout, after a pause, added: ** You must die!” ‘* I object!” cried the prisoner, ** You have no Voice in the matter.” Glass drew a knife and rolled back his sleeve. ‘*T give you two minutes for preparation,” he went on, ina steady voice, ‘* D’ye mean you are goin’ ter set yerself up as master o’ my destiny ?”’ The visitor pointed to the knife, ** With this I shall settle all, My own safety demands a move, and it shall be made. You are doomed, Prepare for death!” CHAPTER IX, NEAR TO DEATH! Ir, at any time, Ahoy Abe had doubted that his captor meant all he said he doubted no longer, The face of Peter Glass told the same story as histongue. Bad as the man was he never before bad ventured upon a step so radi- cal as that he now contemplated. He had nerved himself up to it, not only by mental effort but by means of whisky, but even the latter had not been able to dull his mind or the reproaches of, not his conscience, perhaps, but his fears. Horror was pictured in his own face, and that expression made it all the harder for Ahoy Abe, t emphasized hisown danger, and served to upset bis nerves, He gazed silently at the horse tout. ‘* You wouldn’t be satisfied to mind your own business,” Glass continued, after a pause, ‘t Dor- cas warned me fully enough that you had played the spy in West street, but I was reluctant to show the heavy band against a boy. I let you go when my judgment told me Dorcas’s warn- ngs were well founded, and if you had kept to are you would have been all right. You d not; you followed me further, and now you must taka the consequences, **f{ ain’t follered you,” Abe protested. ‘* Your presence, here, speaks for itself.” : 7 . sit - » % ha re. r ° * ' , h } } ‘ . ‘ . . a . ~ — © on : ORD (eae ‘et . 2 P . 5 ' * ee Ahoy Abe, the Dock Sharp. ** No; it don’t. was goin', or why, or who hired him. He got me out fer the sail, an’ went ez I've gone sail- in’ with others a hundred times before. Never knew anything special was in the wind until we got here, an’ then be explained he had car- penter work ter do, an’ was s» lazy be wanted ter shirk his duties an’ make me help him.” ‘That sounds all right, but 1 don’t believe if. Even if I knew it was true, if would make no difference, By design or chance you have learned too much for my safety.” ‘Pl forgit it.” ‘* Words are vain and useless, die!” The t.ut took a step toward the prisoner and hen paused, Tbe hand which held the knife trembie!. He looked at it in anger, as if dis- gusted with bisown weakvess. He was‘anxious to proceed with the work, but lacked the neces- sary nerve, ‘* Would that Twiss was heré to do his own work!” So he spoke, but he did not intend to give utterance to the words; he had mechanically voiced the thought that was in his mind. ‘*So et is Twiss?” returned Abe. ‘‘ Now, be Bae goin’ ter let that critter mix you up in sech iz? You don’t know what you’re a-doin’ of. He is a long-headed villain who is ropin’ you in. Et ain’t your way ter be a rascal, Peter, an’ you hadn't ought ter be so led astray,” was the strategic addition, ‘* What do you know of Twiss?” **Oh! you an’ me know him.” ** As I thought, you know too much.” ‘Yes, we know him; a cold, cunnin’ repro- bate who sees only his own selfish ends, an’ is willin’ ter sacrifice you, or me, or anybody else, ter git hisown nest feathered. That's his game, but among men o’ brains he can’t work his riffle. ? You must ee ‘“* You talk well, but I am not to be turned from my.purpose,” ‘¢ Want ter be a murderer, do ye?” ‘Tf you want to put it that way, yes.” ‘* Want ter hev yer sleep broke up by night- mares an’ horrors, do ye? Want ter skulk like a wolf fer fear o’ bein’ gobbled up bya perleece- man, eh? Want ter feel when a man looks at Ma that he kin see inter yer heart, an’ see how lack et is, hey? Want ter hear even the winds shriekin’in yer ears: ‘ Murderer / MURDERER!’ That's w’ot yer hanker fer, is it?” Ahoy Abe spoke with dramatic force, and Glass was vot proof against the speech, ‘* You put it strongly,” he muttered, **T put et true.” st Bah }” ** You see, no rest.” “ec Bah tad Peter uttered the exclamation again, but with- out any show of genuine confidence, or contempt for the prisoner’s predictions. He took a flusk from his pocket and drank deeply. A few more such drinks would make him valiant or put him to sleep. *“*There ain’t any rush about this,” he re- marked, ‘and I will give you half an hour to make your preparations for the next world.” Then he sat down and lighted the lantern, As far as outward appearances went, he was more relieved by the postponement than Abe, but the latter was not deceived into the belief that he had grounds for hope. Glass fully intended to carry out his threat. The latter soon took another drink, and then he fell to stropping the knife on his shoe. The weapon did not need sharpening, nor was he trying to torture Abe; it was simply to work up his own courage, The Dock Sharp renewed his efforts. to per- suade his captor to abandon his intention,though without much hope, If the horse-tout was not accustomed to do murder, he did have a long criminal career back of him; a career which bristled with evil deeds with all that was mean and contemptible; and he would sacrifice his best friend to further his own interests, . At another time, perhaps, he would have done the present work without hesitation. Finding that his words were thrown away, Ahoy Abe ceased to speak. The scene was apomy and impressive, The y no means clean lantern sent out a dim, uncertain light which quivered on the bare walls and ceiling in a ghostly way, and Abe would have been a marvel had be been at ease then, He was not at ease, Menaced by violent death, he was downcast, nervous and hope- I tell yer, the murderer don’t know ess. | Glass grew more befuddled mentally, and when * ’ . 7 fr ~ - oe ms ; "wes, 9 - 2 aeeh hy 50 ig Ms ~ Tim never told me where be | he finally tried to rise, his legs proved to be & the sume condition. He managed to get his balance, however, and then he secured alump of coal which had caught his attention and given him an idea, Holding this, be went to the painted wall and | began to draw lines and figures. <<< sss eee eee eee X cy Pee aig, +f eit 3 j “$ 4 ed ~ y iS The Sharp watched him mechanically. First of all, Peter formed what might have been a box, and the fact that it wes oblong was unpleasantly suggestive of a coffin. But the artist did not pause there—he drew a grotesque female figure within the lines and then proceed- ed to make another object like it. Fve figures he drew, but in the last he placed, not the image of a woman, but lines forming a flattened diamond. Next, he added a few touches to the former works, and what he intended to do became lain. ‘ 5 Ho had drawn the likeness of five playing- cards—four queens and the ace of diamonds, | It was precisely the same ‘‘hand” which Ahoy Abe had seen in the possession of the skel- eton player in the cabin of the Brown Bet! ‘‘ Gee-hoss- fly!” muttered the Sharp. Perhaps Peter Glass heard him; anyhow, the tout laughed loudly. ‘Them are the winning cards!” be declared. Abe said nothing. “Till back that ‘hand’ against all that won’t beat it, and,” Peter added, with a cunning leer, ‘there are few that can beat it, unless a knife is rung in!” It was a significant remark when the tableau in the cabin was considered. Per Peter seemed to find something amusing in the case, for he threw off his depression and laughed long and loudly, There was no real mirth in the demonstration, however, and it brought no & relief to the prisoner. It simply showed that the tout was in a mood where he was ‘dy ponte for anything, and that, too, meant that con- science and fear would play no part in the case. He finally ceased laughing and turned up on Abe again. } s There is no use of delaying this job,” he an- nounced. ‘I have given you time for prepara- tion. Are you ready to die?” ‘© No, Lain’t!” the Sharp declared. “Then it is your fault. I’m not to blame, and I will now finish the job, Pleasant journey to voa, old boy!” : Glass swung the lantern upon his left arm like a railroad conductor, and advanced with the knife in his right hand. Now, there was no fal- tering in as nal, ery, even if his legs wobbled somewhat, is eyes had a glassy aspect, and he was ripe for mischief. ‘« Keep off!” Abe ordered, in a startled way. ‘** It’s no use, boy.” “Say, do you want ter swing fer this? ‘¢)ll take my chances. Here goes! He swung up the knife with reckless uncon- cern, but the stroke was delayed. Another voice broke the silence, ** Hold on!” The order came from near the door, and Glass turned as quickly as his condition would permit, Ahoy Abe looked, too, and his spirits suddenly took a jump. Tim Rogers was there. é ‘“T won't see violence done here!” Tim ex- claimed, ‘“ Let the boy alone!” He stretched one hand, out toward Abe, but bis manner was not so bold as his words, ‘“ You fool!” eried Glass, “‘ didn’t I tell you to go home?” ‘*T didn’t go.” ‘ ‘' You want to, atonce, Get out of here! ‘‘T won’t see harm done the boy,” Tim persist- ed, though his voice quavered, ‘‘He sha’n’t die, Let him alone!” “That's right, mister!” Ahoy Abe cried. ‘font let this assassin git at me with his knife!” T won't.” ‘Tim Rogers,” grated the tout, ‘‘ do you dare to set your will up eb, wear mine? Don’t you know I could take you by the heels and hammer our weak brains out? And see this knife; and his revolver! Do you dare go against me? Do you dare?” | aH Hehad drawn a glittering revolveg, and Tim’s face paled. He was a coward; he stood in awe of Glass, anyhow; and his knees shook as he made answer: “Tm goin’ ter stand by the boy.” ‘‘ Where are your weapons? “T ain’t got none.” ‘‘ Then,” cried Glass, ‘‘ you must ba anxious to die. Fool! will you throw your own life away? You are but a child in my hands. Get out of here, or die!” Te - Sy Ut mee Ps ° ' of 1 i} nt ae ne iG ite a \ f Pai { . i? ee! ¥ a 3 fel a = wf he comic olele S ace Aes SE er : i A, . . } : , * > bole, eo oe Tor * » , at?’ GB ole ’ $ eo. ’ ‘ 4] é wy be at 4 ru ys 7 pomp: a Sa i Fr & Ai: s i” : “~ 7 : _ a