Beadle's Dime Library No. 412 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

a i ee om . ~ a”. +6 ae A = -- ~ “ * ~ - =~ & . he zt r 2 eee a . . » . » * -— a’ ay, ded an a » SS serie a, ee 2 ee oat Ee he ER . a ~ - ray) j —_—s eae ie area ew SSS I did right. Ain’t you afraid—when I’m going highway, while Terror Jim, seeing onl _ man, with a smooth, ' cursing just as he had done six years before till | without work?” Molly tossed her head. ‘* Afraid? Don’t I know you can take care of baby and me? Of course / don't worry aboutit, at him. It’s a lock-out for you, is it?” ‘*That’s just what itis, Moll; and the bosses have madea black list among themselves, [ can’ td any work in Holesburg at m y trade.” ** What of that?” answered Molly, c eerfully. | -_— -- = — - . - : eee ew me ee mw we - | age than ever, and called to his friend: oi Ss. & £2... 5 ee oe Larry Locke, the Man of Iron. a little | boyish face, ran after him, | he discovered that Larry was actually laughing Then he stopped short, amazed and more sav- ‘‘Hit him with a stone, Snoopey! Hit him , ' with a stone!” | But Snoopey, as the sneaking tramp had been | “lLain’tafraid. Let’s move to Cincinnati. [ve | nicknamed, was already moving away down got money saved, Larry, boy,” Larry looked surprised. ‘**Where? I didn’t know—” Molly laughed and said, quite low: ** Hush! t didn’t want any one to know it. I | j saved it for the last payment on the house to sur- | prise you. away.” ‘* But where?” asked Larry, impatiently. and took a look up and down the road; then went all round the outside of the house, and not till then did she come in and say quietly: [ve got within ten dollars of it hid | he snatched the stick. | Clear out, and I won’t hit you.” Before his wife answered she went to the door | | *Gimme that stick, or [ll baste the life outer | | you in a shake of a lamb’s tail.” ‘You ain’t got no prudence, you ain’t. Don’t | you know we’re on the main road, with tramps | the road, repeating: | passing all the time? I see two of ’em coming | now.” Larry shrugged his shoulders. ** Well, have scared about nothing.” **T ain’t scared about nothing,” retorted Mrs, Locke, ‘“‘but I don’t want all the tramps in Pennsylvany to know where I keep my money. It’s safe.” Then she lowered her voice, as two figures slouched past the doorway in the dust of the highway, murmuring: ‘Here they be’s, now.” Mrs. Locke, like her husband, talked the most grammar-defiant English at ordinary times, though both knew better, having been at night school three years. recognized the figure of one of the tramps. It was the same man he bad knocked stiff with a stone, six years before—a little older, his dusty hair getting grizzled, but the same man, beyond a p An a As the tramp and his companion passed the door, they looked in, and Larry saw them stop and consult together. Larry looked up from his supper, and at once your own way. You're always | more hesitation than he had hitherto shown, for | He knew that the sun was shining in their | eyes and he in the shadow; and realized that | out, Mr. Larry Lock they did not see him, so he quietly eer be- hind the door of an inner room to see what they would do, As he anticipated, they had caught sight of the white cloth of the supper table only, and came slouching to the door. The man he remembered had a deep red scar across his forehead between the eyes, where the stone had marked him. He was a big, raw- boned fellow, and Larry remembered that his name had been ‘‘ Terror Jim,” on account of his reputation as a fighter. Terror Jim was accompanied by a little weazened man, witha cringing submissive air, who slunk by bis side as a dog might beside his master. They came up to the door where they saw Molly standing, Terror Jim with a bold leer on his face, his friend bowing and scraping all the way. It was the little man who spoke first. ‘* Please, missus, won't ye give two poor men a bite o’ victuals, for the love 0’ God?” His voice was whining and piteous, and Molly immediately answered: ‘Why certainly. Sit down on the stone be- fore the door, and T’ll give ye some bread and coffee.” Terror Jim, who had been staring rudely at her, broke out: _ ** Bread and coffee, indeed! Blazes! is that all a handsome piece like you kin give a man like me? Ain’t ye got nopie?” , Molly shrunk slightly back, for he was coming so close she thought he meant to lay hands on her, and called out: “Larry! Larry!” Instantly the face of the little man changed - and he ran back into the road, crying: Sve Ff _ “Skip, cully, skip. Main guy’scomin’.” _ Terror Jim, on the other hand, stood his und, and shifted a great club he carried into sright band as he looked into the cabin, ob- serving grimly: ‘*So ye want to bounce Terror Jim, do ye? Bring on your Larry; why don’t he come?” For no Larry made his appearance and Molly, now really alarmed, backed into the house, call- ing: a Larry, Larry! Help!” Terror Jim followed her, and had just laid his nent on her arm, when he heard a step behind ri. CHAPTER XI THE ARREST. THE me heard the step just half a second too late, forit was Larry Lock who was behind bim, and he had grasped the club held by Terror Jim and wrenched it from his hands before the man was aware of bis proximity. Then Larry ran bac | the time, out of the door to the the road toward Holesburg, with a limp in bis | | gait, and he only looked back to call ost: He’s a-coddin’ yer. ‘* Leave him alone, cully. I seen him afore.” ‘* Ay, ay,” interposed Larry, with the same careless, laughing manner he bad shown since ‘* You’d better leave me I don’t want to hurt you. | | " | alone, Terror Jim. | I | ‘Hurt me/” echoed Terror Jim, scornfully, | Larry’s answer was to send the stick flying | over the fence intoa field on the other side of ** You bad better leave me alone, Terror Jim. | I know you, but you don’t know me,” | ‘* Why, who are ye, then?” asked Jim, with | he had had time to notive the unusual breadth of am» shoulders, ‘* Well, my name’s Larry Locke,” said Larry, quietly. ‘‘ Maybe you’ve heard it before, Um | the same boy marked you six years ago.” | Terror Jim’s face changed instantly, but it wat to an expression of grim resolve, as he | said: | ‘* Yes, [have heard your name, and remem- | ber it. You’re the boy marked me for life, are ye? I've come back here to get even with you. | Pm a-goin’ to do it, too, and don’t you furget it!’ So saying he turned away and slouched off down the road toward Holesburg, while Larry, who had expected a fight, called out after him: | ‘** You're a great terror, aren’t you! Why don’t | you turn and take it out of me? I’m the boy | whipped you, and 1 can whip you again, if you | want to try it on.” Terror Jim made no answer till he was a good fifty yards off, when he shouted back: ‘**T'll be even with you et Don’t ye rub that e. Lill be even yet!” Larry uttered a contemptuous laugh. ‘*Do your worst. I can take care of myself.” Then became back tothe door, where he found | Molly rather pale, and she said hurriedly: ‘* Larry, boy,them tramps sticks together, all He’s gone to get his gang, I think.” | Larry looked down the road angrily. | “‘Let him get his gang, It’s too bad, Molly, that in this aouniey where every man has a chance to work if he’s willing, a lot of laz cusses should go loafing round like that, steal- ing oe begging! I wonder where he’s going now?’ They watched him down the dusty road into Holesburg, and saw him join the brave Snoopey, | who came up cringingly, and was greeted with a blow that sent him running away howling | from Terror Jim, They saw Terror Jim stop, and from his atti- tude and gesture he was evidently ordering Snoopey to come back, which the little man Cae crouching and trembling, till Jim clutched im. Then they saw the big man shake the little one violently, and cuff him several times, after which the pair resumed their way to the city, Snoopey limping along like a whipped dog beside his master. Larry and his wife could not help laughing at the idea of a tramp having a servant, but it was clear that Snoopey was a regular slave to Terror Jim, who kept him orderly by thrashing, in true slavery style, The two tramps finally disappeared in the dust, and Larry returned to his house, while Molly cleared away the table. The little episode of the tramps had almost put the strike out of their heads, but they resumed it when Larry was sitting on the stone bench at the ones door in the twilight, smoking his evening pe. Then Molly came to sit beside him, and _ whis- pered softly: ‘* What ails ye, Larry, boy? You're so still.” ‘‘ I’m thinking,” he said, “ that to win in this | strike something has got to be done, Molly.” ‘* What’s to be done?” ‘¢ J don’t know. The bosses have taken the men by surprise, and we ain’t organized.” ‘* Then why not organize? Whatdo you have Larry puffed thoughtfully at his pipe. ‘*T’ve heard there’s a new society that ar | call the Friends of Labor, but I don’t know muc ‘for it, I reckon,” said Larry, soberly. to do to organize?” | ‘**Mebbe I’ll wish I hadn’t,” said ,ina sober, thoughtful tone, ‘‘ He hit me first, to be sure, but then he’s a rich man and | ain’t. He may have me arrested yet.” olly started and clutched his arm. ‘You never told me of that. Do you think you will be?” Larry looked down the road toward the city in the same thoughtful way. ‘*T’ve been watching for a wagon ever since I came here,” he said. ‘‘ It would be just like a rich man’s spite to lock me up when I couldn’t get bail.” ‘* But they couldn’t— What could they do to ye, Larry?” ‘*They could fine me and send me to prison gl Paul, you know, he studied to be a lawyer, and I asked him.” ‘* Would he defend you?” asked Molly. ‘*T suppose he would; but it’s no use to bor- row trouble— Ah! what's that?” The young fellow rose from his seat to peer down the road in the gloom. A dark object was moving along the center of the yellow road and coming toward them. Larry looked at it for some minutes, and then knocked theashes out of bis pipe, to say to Molly in a low tone: ‘It’s what I expected. They’re coming for me. When I’m gone, lock up the house and don’t let no one in. Ill be back to-morrow. It can’t be much of atime. I only hit him with my fist, after he hit at me.” Molly’s voice trembled as she answered: ‘* P}I—T'1l do the best I can, Larry. Hadn’t I better take baby and go with you? It will be so lonesome bere.” Larry shook his head. ‘* They won’t let you, ’m afraid. It’s only for one night, Molly; and no one ever comes round here.” ‘* Except tramps,” said Molly, with a shudder. ‘* Suppose that man comes back to-night?” Larry started as the idea struck him. ‘*That’s true. See here. Take baby and go over to John Maguire’s. He'll let you stay all night, [ reckon. His wife’s a good woman.” Molly nodded and said with some relief: ‘*That’s the best thing to do. Here they come, Larry. Maybe it’s not what you think.” The dark object in the road had come so near that they distinguished the outline of a wagon with two horses and three men in it, as it halted before the door. Two of the men got out, and came up to Lar- ry, when one said: ‘* You’re Laurence Locke, ain’t “Yes,” said Larry, quietly. ‘“ want?” ‘“Tve got a warrant for you,” was the an- swer. ‘‘ You'll come along peaceable, won’t 1, Poe ized th i reco e voice, “Is that vais Jenk Davis? Of course I will. You know that. What's the charge?” ‘* Felonious assault,” returned the constable, ina oar manner, ‘‘ Mr, Skinner’s hurt bad, and I jest got the warrant.” “Then Pll go with you at once,” said Larry, ‘though you might have waited till the morn- ing. I’m not going to run away.” ‘IT dunno ’bout that,’’ returned Davis, dryly. ** The affidavy says vou was,” ‘* Whose affidavit?” asked Larry, surprised. “You'll find out to-morrow,” said Davis evasively. ‘‘ Now, then, if you’re ready, hold out your hands.” ‘** What for?’ asked Larry, angrily. ‘‘ You’re not going to iron me, surely?’ | ‘*That’s jest what we're going to do,” an- swered Davis lercnl cee and as he spoke Larry heard the “ click, c ick,” of a pistol lock, while the other man got to the other side. _ ‘‘Now don’t give us any trouble. We're offi- cers with a warrant. Hold out your hands.” For one instant Larry hesitated, and then he held out bis hands, saying: ‘* All right, Jack Davis. Put on the irons. It’s a shame, and you know it.” Jack Davis made no answer but a sign to the other man, who snap the irons in a moment cn Larry’s strong wrists. Then the constable said in a tone of relief: ‘“That’s all right. It ain’t my fault. I’ve rot to obey my orders. Now git into the wagon.” “Can't I go with him?’ asked Molly, who had been standing by them, too stunned to in- terfere before this. The constable took hold of Larry’s arm. ° ‘* There ain’t no room in the wagon,” he said. ‘* You'd better look after your house. You can see him to-morrow. It ain’t a hangin’ matter, an’ he can get bail, 1 reckon.” ‘.Do what I told you,” said Larry to his wife. ‘*Go to Jobn Maguire’s, and I’ll come home to- morrow if they'll let me. Keep up your heart, ou?” W hat do you about them. I wish we had some of them bere | Molly. This is nothing.” to show us what todo. In the mean time |’ve_ Then they took him to the wagon and left poor got to look out for work somewhere else, me and | Molly standing alone by her own house, not all the cranemen.” ‘*] wish the rest of the hands had struck,” said Molly, resentrully. ‘‘ They hain’t got spirit. I’m to rou Whipped old Skinner, way, the old hunks.” ‘ ’ any : any- | knowing what to do and too bewildered even to cry. “She watched the wagon go down the road to Holesburg till it vanished in the darkness, and then only she uttered a sob and turned to re- Eomichbooks Rie ge. ee | al €O = i. . * o¥ 7 es