Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 439 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

tary wa =. — =e" ——_— =—— = ee -- .~ ~ . . . ° - e > = - = - —— - — « ~~e-™ a = ~<= _ a a ee eS A eS ere I oe eee ~ ° & _ oe” 4. . a - + - ae a a, =. — e. or * - ~ é ~~ | - of - ‘ » > 12 Salamander sam. father’s wishes even after his death; but he was not deterred by any, such scruples now, . ' “He speedily perceived that somebody had been less scrupulous than. himself, as the lock had been forced, and the chest opened easily. Even then, as far as the lad was able to judgé, there was no inside evidence of disturbance or interference, except.that there was not a scrap per left in the chest. am Startle was sure that his father had kept a bundle of letters in there, as he had seen him occasionally take them out and read them, and he had always supposed them fo be his mother’s letters. Above all things he was positive that a photo- graph of bis mother had been in the chest, as it ad sometimes been shown to him when he had begged to be allowed to see it, and had then been carefully returned to its place. But there was no photograph there then, nor any bundle of letters, nor any papers of any kind from which the slightest information could be gleaned. ‘* That settles it,” said Powell. ‘‘ Somebody has been here since we went away, and has gone through the establishment from end toend. He was no ordinary thief, either, and did not come here for plunder, but for just what he got, and that was the very papers that we have been looking for.” ‘Tf reckon you’re right about that,” assented the lad. ** T have no doubt of it, and I have no doubt that the person who didthat jobof rummagin was Morley Plympton, , Perhaps he came to loo for you, Sam, and it may have been a lucky thing for you that he did not find you here. Anyhow, he has gone through the chest and the lockers eneronwely and has found and carried away everything he wanted. That proves that he is your mother’s cousin, as no other person could have any interest in getting hold of papers that might help you to prave who you are.” ‘*T e’ena’most wish I’d shot him when I had. a good chance,” said Sam. . “Tt is a wonder that he did not shoot you or make way with you somehow. Well, Sam, I am now fully convinced that you are Benjamin Plympton’s grandson and his heir, and that Morley Plympton knows it; but the chance of proving the fact seems to be further off than ever, and I am afraid that. we will havea great deal of difficulty in getting at the truth.”, ‘Will we have to give if up, then?” “ We will have to take hold of the hard end. I will go to Coahoula and see Judge Wilshire, who is a good friend of mine, and will get his advice. But there is nothing more for us to do hére, and we had better be getting back to the shore.” wr They had step out of the hut for this pur- pose, and Powell had. begun to get the horse ready, when Sam was seized by an idea, ‘hough it struck him suddenly, it did not take hold upon him immediately. Indeed, he debated it mentally a few moments before he was will- ing to give it utterance, : Of course it had nothing to do with the busi- ness that had breught them to Danger Point, and it was a secret of his own; but Rush Powell had proved himself a good friend, true in action and intention, and why should not that friend share all his secrets? Doubtless it was such a train of reasoning that caused him to speak as he did speak, ‘Say, Mr. Powell, thar’s somethin’ else here.” “Something of your father’s?” inquired the engineer. ‘Well, no. I reckon it’s as much mine as anybody’s. Dad, saw it, though, and he was fetchin’ it ashore when he got his knock-~lown blow from the spar I told you about, He didn’t see nothin’ more of it, though, and I hived it, and it’s here yet.” ‘* What is it, Sam?” ‘Some so. t of a box.” ; ‘Perhaps we may as well take a look at U it, though we have really no time to spare if we ‘mean to get anywhere near our friends before Sam Jed his friend near to the pile of rock, eedily unearthed the box which his father , Foxtaet, from the waves and he had buried in the sand. owell examined it with interest. ‘Tt looks,” said be, as if it pulght be a valu- able box, a me that. wight bold valuables, I think, Sam, that we would be justified in tana get. inside of it and see what it con- --. 2 4 ~ ap t's why I spoke to you about it.” - The box was locked, and with a style of lock that could not be easily picked; but this did not bettier the investigators when they had decided upon opening it. . Sam brought out from the hut some of his father’s tools, and his friend set at work to pry off the lid of the box. ; He succeeded in gett:ng it open without doing any particular damage to the article, and it roved to be a writing-desk, one of the old- ishioned kind, with a green cover on the writing-slope. The inside arrangements were also locked, - but these locks were easily and quickly forced. In the main apartment, besides some letter a paper with envelopes,and other writing utensils, was found a small bundle of letters. , , Attached to the bundle was a document com- posed of heavy paper, folded legal fashion, and indorsed in thehand of a law copyist, _, This document at once attracted the attention of Rush Powell, who fairly grabbed it, his eyes almost starting from, his head with eagerness and amazement. , "F ‘‘Heavens and earth, Sam!” he exclaimed. ‘* Here’s a find! Why, this is just wonderful!” ** What's the paper?” inquired Sam. ‘* Your grandfather’s will. Here it is as plain as the eyes in your head— ‘ The Will of Benja- min Plympton.’ Hold your horses, now, till I take a squint at it. I only hope that he roc gy left his property to that sneaking scoun- rel,’ Sam almost held his breath as the engineer hurriedly unfolded the paper and glanced over its contents. As he read, he could hardly contain bimself, a 1g last his astonishment and delight burst orth, ‘‘ Why, Sam, this is great! Itis glorious! It is immense! That property is all yours, and you are as rich as swamp mud. You are not only the heir at law, but the heir by the will. Yo ur grandfather has given you everything he had,’ ) Sam Startle thrust his hands into his pockets, spread out his legs, and iy his eyes to their fullest extent; but he could not do justice to the sub lect. hiadia, ‘* Jewhillikens!” he exclaimed. ‘ Why that’s jest old pie! I don’t take it in yet; but I reckou it’s a big thing.”, “Tt’s the biggest kind of a thing, my boy, and one of the pr | chat it knocks Morley Plympton higher, than a ite, ” ‘‘ T hope thar ain’t no mistake about that.” ‘*T don’t see how there can be any mistake about it, Sam. The whole business is plain to me now, That rascal must have known that this will was.aboard the vessel that was wrecked off here, and he laid his plans to make an end of the craft and all on board just for the sake of destroying that paper. It is strange that the brig, or whatever it was, should have been off the eoast bere just when that storm came along; but it. seems that the devil helps his own,”» ‘* Sometimes the Lord takes a hand in the game, though,” suggested Sam. | ‘‘ That is what happened in this case. Morley Plympton supposed that the will had been de- stroyed, that you would never get oY knowledge of your rights, and that he would havea sur thing on coming in for the property as the nex of kin. But that box came ashore, though your father lost his life in trying to save it, and now we’ve got it and the box,” ‘* What’ll we do with ’em?” inquired Sam, ‘* We will mount this horse and ride to where we can get a team, and then we will go to Coa- houla and put the will in charge of Judge Wil- shire and tell him the whole story.” CHAPTER XIII, SPOILING A SCHEMER, Rusu POWELL replaced the will where he had found it, secured the precious box with cords, and mounted the horse with Sam Startle behind him. Of course their progress was slow when they were riding double with the added weight of the box, and they could not hope to reach before night any place where they could get a team, unless they should possibly find one at Cator’s tavern, a rude hostelry in the woods which drew a scanty custom from hunters and ’gator men and rough characters generally. As it was dark when they reached Cator’s they decided that they had better stop there and get some ee and pass the night. The place had a bad enough reputation; but there was nothing in their appearance to invite robbery, unless the box should prove an attrac- tion,to predatory characters, and they believed, as they were both arnted, that they were pretty well able to take care of themselves, _ Fortunately they found nobody at the house but Andy Cator aud his wife—the former a rough customer, who was always soaked with his own whisky, and the latter a frowsy, wild- eyed woman who looked asif she had a hard «ne in the world and never expected anything ese, a 4 5 The absence of other guests was pleasing to Rush Powell and his young companion, as it was likely that they would have a safeand quiet night of it. After attending to their horse they were pro- vided with such a supper as the place could fur- nish, and they made a_ hearty meal, though the venison was fried and the corn-dodgers were nearly as hard as brickbats. Powell kept the mahogany box_near him, never getting out of sight of it, and Sam Startle also watched it closely. , Though they tried to make their carefu!ness in this matter as unobtrusive as possible, the box naturally attracted the attention of Cator and bis wife, both of whom eyed it curiously. “Wot you got in that box?’ demanded Cator ettiest points about it is the fact |- when he was no longer able to restrain his curi- Reb cleceyls, hettery, ” answered Powell, ‘* 1Lectric batt’ry? Wot’s that?” Powell explained as simply as he could the: nature of electricity,.and described, an electric shock by comparing it with a stroke of light~ ning. ‘*Suthin’ like bottled lightnin’ you’ve got shut up in thar, then?” ‘ That is it exactly.” ‘* Costly sort o’ stuff, hey?” , ‘* Oh, no, not what you might call costly; but I have to be very careful of it, because it is dan-- gerous.” ‘* Hope the durned stuff won’t go fur to blow us all up to-night.” ‘*‘ No danger of that, while I watch it, and no- body but me touches it.” ‘*And how is yom god gittin’ on these days?” inquired the landlord, who was well acquainted with Absalom Startle’s boy, baving seen him at Danger Point and when he was sent to the tavern by his father for whisky. ‘*He is in the surveying business with me,” answered Powell, ‘* and is getting on nicely,” ‘*Sh’d say that you don’t starve him, jedgin’ by his looks.. Well, I reckon he’s better off sence his daddy shippec his moorin’s, though I must say that they’s wuss folks in this world than Ab. Startle was.” When the guests were ready to retire, and they were ready soon after supper, they were not ushered by an officious waiter and by way of an elevator to number 999 on the tenth floor of the hotel, but were pointed to their dormi- tory on the second floor, which was reached by a crazy and creaking flight of steps. The Hotel Cator, in fact, was composed of one story and an attic, the two guest chambers being in the attic, and the lower floor was occu- pied by the bar-room, the kitchen, and the sleeping apartment of, the proprietor, and . his. wife. dae io biog gs «tt Rush Poweli and Sam Startle had no lamp or candle to go to bed by, such a luxury being quite beyond the comprehension of Andy Cator. ‘Any durned fool,” he was wont to say, ‘‘wot hain’t got sense enough to git into bed without, a light, hain’t got no call to go to sleep, nohow. Py As the bed did not need much getting into, being of a very primitive construction, and re- quiring no sort of skill to make it up, the land- _ lord was more than half right in his opinion, Tbe two travelers did not care for a light, as they only wanted to get out of sigbt with their treasure and keep quiet until morning. | There was a moon, that luminary being then in its second quarter; but the moonlight was fit- ful and uncertain, breaking infrequently and for brief intervals through heavy masses of clouds, Sam Startle squatted at the little window of the garret-like apartment, which was in the able end of the building, not far from the front oor. He had been there but a little while when his quick ears caught the sound of a low whistle near by, ana shortly afterward be uttered a sup- pressed exclamation that attracted the attention of his companion. Powell was about to leave the box and go to see what was the matter; but a warning gesture from Sam admonished him to remain where he was and keep quiet. Directly the lad stole silently back to where his friend was seated, and whispered to him. ‘*] saw out, thar the man who paid dad for wreckin’ the brig.” ‘** Morley Plympton?” ** Just that same sneakin’ cuss.” ** Are you sure it was he?” “ Assart’inasI am that you’re you. Andy Cator gave a whistle, and that man came out of the timber; and I saw him plain enough in the moonlight. After a bit he crossed the road and came into the house bere,” ‘‘ What does that mean, do you suppose?” ‘Some devilment, it’s safe to bet. I’m goin? to find out.” ‘‘ How will you do it?” ry Sneak down. below and listen to what they’re he lad slipped off his shoes, left the room and disappeared in the darkness, Rush Powell took off his boots and imitated Saui’s example, but followed him no further than the bead of the stairs, where he stood witb a cocked revolver, ready to go to the boy’s rescue in case he should be discovered, oe Sam was too sharp to be caught at his spying. . e stole down the creaking stairway as sile ly as a cat might have done, and ok - self in the passage down there at the bar-room door, where a, light. from within shone out through a crack. Sounds came out to him also, and this is what he beard as he listened: te “They are both here, then?” was said by the voice which he remembered so well as that of ‘*Mr. Morley.” ‘“‘ They’s here all right,” answered Cator. ‘Ab, Startle’s boy and the ingineer. They’s gone up- sta’rs to bed.” ‘** Have they gone to sleep yet?” o ~Ecomicboo cS.