Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 176) (1880 12 07)
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The Boy Runaway. - ———————————— : - ee but I'll stop your little game ht here, if you ““ Ay, if I have to fight the guards, for I work don’t take bo with you.” ** ? for you, Kate, and for our future—now, be off!” ‘*T tell “ I cannot; if it were possible, glad- She kissed her hand to him, and dashed off in ly would I free you from these walls; but were | the direction of the lane, while Alston Brooks my own freedom to depend on it, I could not | sprung into the skiff, and said sternly: climb ten feet on this cord.” ** Give way, men!” “Tl give the alarm, and hold you until the Out from the shadows of the tree-lined bank come,” said the man threate ly. darted the skiff, and a moment after was speed- “ And if you do, I will kill you,” came the de | ing toward the brave swimmer, who, with termined reply. tremendous strokes was making for the other “No, you've got nothing to kill with; will you | shore, while the crews of the prison boats were help me out?” springing in and seizing their oars. * No, for I cannot.” “Hold sir! you are my prisoner!” cried * {ben here help! help! help!” Alston Brooks as he drew near. Loud and ae the convict’s voice rung But Carl was not to be taken easily, and dove out into the night air, just as the voice of the | out of sight. sentinel had rung out in drawling tones: _ When he reappeared, Alston said quickly: Ten o'clock, and all’s well!” *T am your Pend, not your foe; swim here!” Hurrying feet were heard, loud voices rung As Carl saw that the boat was almost upon through the corridor, and Carl Manners knew | him, he said gloomily, for be knew that escape that he had but one chance for freedom, for the | was impossibie, and did not believe that Alston man’s arms were locked around his legs with a | was his friend: strength be could not shake off, | *‘* Kill me, but do not send me back to yonder ‘*Unhand me, or I will kill you! I swear it!” | prison.” he said in suppressed tones. “Tam your friend, I say, and disguised as a The convict gave a derisive laugh, and in- | detective,” and he calied out aloud. stantly, swinging by one hand, Carl drew from **Drag him in boys!” his waist-pocket a pistol with the other and| ‘Now I will hail the guard-boats, and he shoved it into the man’s face. cried: ‘“* Will you release me now?” ‘Ho the prison boats!” “No! I will die first!” ** Ay, ay.” “ Then die !” te law one of them safe: the others have | There followed a flash and ringing report, a | reached the shore, so row there after them.” | shriek and a heavy fall, and the fugitive prisoner “Were there more than one?” asl.ea u voice swung himself downward with a rapidity that | from the boat. | blistered his cramped hands. ‘*Oh yes: two reached the river before the | But unmindful of the pain he dashed across | alarm: See, they are landing yoncer; if you the garden, in which he had landed, bounded a | pull fast you can catch them. fence, and struck across a low meadow for the ** And who are you, sir?’ river. ‘* Halt!” cried the ringing voice of a followed by the report on tanees and 2 pallet’ whistled by Carl’s ear. ‘A convict is escaping! To the boats!” call- ed out another seniinel, and then the line of guards opened fire upon the flying youth, who was now plainly visible in the moonlight, run- ning like a frightened deer for his life, for free- «tom lay before him and death behind. CHAPTER XI. ALSTON BROOKS’S CLEVER RUSE. Wirx beating hearts Alston Brooks and his ".ld you do, Alston?” discuss her now, but yourself, for I have orders “Tcannot.. ‘-l you, but I will save him, | to take you to the home of Captain Abram while you mou... ¢-y horse and ride him back | Ferris.” to town; I wil] return by the boat, and we will | “At Perth Amboy?” meet toaznorrow.” : ‘Yes: we'll geta yacht, belonging to a friend .. The man gave a low whistle, and the well- | of mine, when we strike the city, and we can trained animal trotted up to the riverbank, | ran you down before daylight, for the wind is pone he Brooxs raised Kate lightly to the | fair: now let me congratula’ e. te you, for you are in 4 safe now, and in this bundle you'll find a new . You know where he is to g0, Alston?" rig, for that suit you have on isn’t becoming.” Yes, T will ran him there myself in Bolton’s | 1 grasped “the outstretched band, but yacht. Now, be eff.” : uttered no word, as he dare not trust himself to And you will save him, Alston? speak, and in a few moments be had discarded ed “T am Gil Wright, the detective,” answered | ed in half an hour more, the ran alongsic of atrim little sloop yacht, which ee ene standing down the harbor, and her was the home of the Fair Maid of Perth. CHAPTER XII. THE HAUNTED MANSION. THOUGH the night had begun in calm ®eanty, it was not long after Alston Brooks had weneied the little sloop yacht, with the youth he had se daringly released from prison lis, befar- e pare light of the moon was shut out by Flaltig storm. With the increased wind the Httle exait bounded along in her flight, Alston Brockshas— ing given the helm to Carl Manners, whodmew- every foot of the harbor of New York and the surrounding waters. ‘Weare going to have a severe storm, sir, and we could not beat down to it before day; in fact, if it comes on to it threatens we dare not run,” said Carl, ing anxiously around him at the rloom. & | ‘* What is to be done then, for I te carry you down to tke home of Perrin!” answered rect ene coins pinalivats * I will tell you; do you see y : wooded Jand on Staten Island?” “Yes, we have to stand in pretty elese te <0 abe ‘Ah, yes, L have heard of it; and in fact seem it, in passing by; they call it the Hannted Mazm- S0n. “That's the place; well, if you are L can land there, tor no one will ever come to look for me,and you can return to Mew: York and reach the ttery before the sternx geo “You area plucky youngstes, to ge to that place; I wouldn’t do it for a fortune—that is, alone, for I don’t like the dead,” said Alstox Brooks, with a shudder. **It isthe living, not the dead, I fear; bet I will be safe there, and to-morrow ht { will. go on to Amboy, for I must not stay New eee just now.’ **That you must not, for the escape marke to-night will arouse the city, peer rt Ne you: killed that convict.” “] killed him; it was his life, or geome” back into the prison for life; I warned ane eats | I would kill bim, and I had to doit Mow will lund there,” and Carl ran the yacht. close in under the land. “J hate to see you go to that. house, yet ity. the best you can do, I guess; but here are a com ple of pistols and a knife for you, and this littl: purse may come in handy.” *] can never repay you, 1 fear, sir, for ak you have done for me; but thank Kate for ine, and tell ber I — the future will brig her the happiness her noble heart deserves.” “It shall, if man’s devotion will bring Ber joy. Now here is a little bag of provisions that: may come useful. Good-by, and may duck at- tend you.” Carl ran the yacht close inshore, seized the» hand of Alston Brooks, and with a word each te the other men, took up his belt of arms audi. provisions and sprung on shore. With a pleasant good-by the men shoved the: yacht off, and away she darted before the rage idly rising wind, while Carl Manners stood on the bank gazing after it and i more anxious about those who had proven his friemds than regarding his own safety. “They'll reach New York before the storm: catches them,” he said, after w: the craft until the gloom hid it from sight, then be turned and slowly ascended the hill by @ road that had long been weed-grown and untred. A thick undergrowth of trees was up among the forest trees, that had once beem a:- park, and the darkness, when in the timber,wan . intense: but Carl seemed to know the way, amd after a few minutes’ walk, came out in front ef an old brick mansion, where once had dwelé ax English lord, ‘twas said; but who had, a seere of years before, been found dead ome morning: in his bed, along with two servants who slept im the house with bim. ‘ Who were the murderers none ever kneav, aan no heir claiming the place, it bad ¢ratme™y iit, 2atid. the ving gone to ruil, % wowed i * ome | |
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