The shoemaker : $b A powerful picture of nature, adapted from Hal Reid's famous drama of the same nameHarper, Olive
General
The shoemaker : $b A powerful picture of nature, adapted from Hal Reid's famous drama of the same name
Harper, Olive
Abduction -- Fiction; Fathers and daughters -- Fiction; Shoemakers -- Fiction; West (U.S.) -- Fiction
Shoshone would have known John, had he not taken off the very perfect
false beard he had worn, although he had not seen very much of him
during their short stay at the hotel.
“I have a friend coming along behind, and she is a famous nurse. Our
poor friend here will need good care if he is to live.”
Saying this, Shoshone went to the door, as if going out, while the
wounded man, by a supreme effort, reached his hand out to the table,
and then, thinking that unsafe, began to tap the Morse telegraphic call
on a board of the bed:
(. : . : .)
“What’s that?” asked John, startled, in spite of himself, and not
understanding the tapping. Shoshone returned from the door, saying to
himself, “The telegraphic call.” Then the wounded man again tapped, and
this time it came
--. : . .. .... ..
“Why, what does this mean?”
Again the raps sounded out, loud and distinct, as Morris struck his
hardened knuckles against the board, making these sounds:
.. ::: ..--.: .... .. ... .. ..
Shoshone read “These are the men who tried to rob and murder me!”
As Shoshone read these signs aloud, John saw that the game was up and
he must save himself as best he could, and sprang to reach his pistol,
but Shoshone was too quick for him and pulled him to the floor, while
Dopey came from the shadow where he had kept himself purposely and fell
upon Shoshone, and the three went struggling to the floor. Morris had
by now completely regained his consciousness, though not his strength,
and, finding himself unable to rise, he reached out and managed, by a
super-human effort, to reach the pistol on the table and fire it just
as John had seized the heavy lamp to brain Shoshone with it, as Dopey
held him down, and although Morris fired at random almost, he was
fortunate enough to hit John in the arm, while the lamp dropped to the
floor, just as Helen and Loney came panting in.
John and Dopey made their escape in the confusion, and there was
nothing left to do but to prepare and eat a good supper, which helped
materially in restoring Morris, who told them of having seen his
daughter, and that she did not know him.
Helen felt sure that her captors were holding her for a ransom, wishing
to get the mine into their control. They discussed the question awhile,
and then Loney said:
“Why, Mr. Goldberg, those two men were the very same that killed the
man in the shop. And when they struck you to-day they were not shaved.
To-night they are shaved, and I know them. They are awful bad men. They
took Dora, and they hit me. Oh, dear! it makes my head hurt to think
about it!”
CHAPTER XIV.
It was several weeks after the events narrated in the last chapter, and
there was quite an excitement at a place which, though not yet born,
was named Boomtown. There was to be a portion of the Reservation to
be given over to settlers, and many women were among the men who were
ready to cross the line at the signal and take up their section of
ground, and thus establish a home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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