Part 53 (1/2)
Five minutes more went by--to poor Ralph they seemed an age. Then the boy fancied he heard a light footstep without.
”Hullo! where are yer?” came in a clear but subdued voice, which Ralph was sure he had heard before.
The cry was repeated several times. In the meanwhile Ralph changed his position and began to kick upon the door.
”In the kitchen closet, dat's where he is!” exclaimed the voice, and the patter of bare feet came toward Ralph's prison.
A second later the bolt on the door was shot back. A flood of light came into the place and Ralph beheld the face and form of the bootblack he had become acquainted with at the entrance to the post office.
”I t'ought so!” exclaimed the bootblack. ”Say, he's a corker ter treat yer dis way, ain't he?”
Then he saw how Ralph was gagged and bound, and he gave a low whistle of surprise.
”Gee! What's dis, highway robbery?” he cried.
In a trice he had out his pocketknife and with it he cut Ralph's bonds.
Ralph himself removed the gag.
”Thank you, Mickety!” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, as he sprang to his feet. ”You are the friend in need!”
”I seen him leadin' yer up here, an' I t'ought it was mighty queer,” said the bootblack. ”Wot's de game?”
”I am as much in the dark as you, Mickety. That man has tried twice before to take my life.”
”Gee! yer don't say!”
”It is true.”
”Maybe he wants ter git a fortune away from yer, like der villain in der play.”
”There is no fortune to get away--at least none that I ever heard of. But where has he gone?”
”He went down der street. I watched him around der corner before I came up, so as ter make sure I wouldn't be collared.”
”We had best get out of here before he comes back,” went on Ralph, after a moment's thought. ”I do not wish to meet him again,” and he shuddered.
”All right, come on.”
”What brought you here?”
”I live across der street, an' I just come home fer me grub. I kin take yer ter our rooms if yer want ter come.”
”I will tell you what I would like to do, Mickety. I would like to stay here until he comes back, and then follow him.”
”Gee! dat's der ticket. Come on right over.”
The bootblack led the way across the dirty and crowded street, and into an alleyway.
”Me home is back dere,” he said, pointing to a rear tenement. ”I don't suppose yer want ter come in, if yer goin' ter watch fer dat man.”