Chapter XIX.An Attempt To Escape.
While Dodger had no discomfort to complain of, it occurred to him thatFlorence would be alarmed by his long absence, for now it seemedcertain that he would have to remain overnight.
If only he could escape he would take care not to fall into such atrap again.
He went to the window and looked out, but the distance to the groundwas so great--for the room was on the third floor--that he did notdare to imperil his life by attempting a descent.
If there had been a rope at hand he would not have felt afraid to makethe attempt.
He examined the bed to see if it rested upon cords, but there wereslats instead.
As has already been said, there were no houses near by.
That part of the city had not been much settled, and it was assolitary as it is in the outskirts of a country village.
If he could only reveal his position to some person outside, so as toinsure interference, he might yet obtain his freedom.
With this thought he tore a blank leaf from one of the books in theroom, and hastily penciled the following lines:
"I am kept a prisoner in this house. I was induced to come here by a trick. Please get some one to join you, and come and demand my release."
Some weeks before Dodger could not have written so creditable a note,but he had greatly improved since he had been under the influence andinstruction of Florence.
Dodger now posted himself at the window and waited anxiously for someone to pass, so that he might attract his attention and throw down thepaper.
He had to wait for fifteen minutes. Then he saw approaching a youngman, not far from twenty-one, who looked like a young mechanic,returning from his daily work.
Now was Dodger's opportunity. He put his head out of the window andcalled out:
"Hello, there!"
The young man looked and saw him at the window.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Catch this paper, and read what there is on it." He threw down theleaf, which, after fluttering in the gentle evening breeze, found itsway to the ground and was picked up.
After reading it, the young man looked up and said: "I'll go around tothe door and inquire."
He was as good as his word. He went to the outer door and rang thebell.
Julius came to the door.
"What's wanted, boss?" he said.
"You've got a boy locked up in a room."
"Who told you, boss?"
"He threw down a paper to me, telling me he was kept a prisoner."
"What did he say?" asked Julius.
The young man read the note aloud.
"What have to say to that, you black imp?" he demanded, sternly.
The ready wit of Julius served him in this emergency.
"Dat boy is crazy as a loon, boss!" he answered, readily. "We have tokeep him shut up for fear he'll kill some of us."
"You don't say!" ejaculated the young mechanic. "He don't look likeit."
"No, he don't; dat's a fact, boss. Fact is, dat boy is the artfullestlunytick you ever seed. He tried to kill his mother last week."
"Is that true?"
"Dat's so, boss. And all de while he looks as innocent as a baby. If Iwas to let him out he'd kill somebody, sure."
"I never would have believed it," said the young man.
"If you want to take the risk, boss, you might go up and see him. Ibelieve he's got a carvin'-knife about him, but I don't dare to go upand get it away. It would be as much as this niggah's life is worth."
"No," answered the young man, hastily. "I don't want to see him. Inever did like crazy folks. I'm sorry I gave you the trouble to cometo the door."
"Oh, no trouble, boss."
"I guess I've fixed dat boy!" chuckled Julius. "Ho, ho! he can't getahead of old Julius! Crazy as a loon, ho, ho!"
Dodger waited anxiously for the young man to get through hisinterview. He hoped that he would force his way up to the third floor,draw the bolt, and release him from his imprisonment.
He kept watch at the window, and when the young man reappeared, helooked at him eagerly. "Did you ask them to let me out?" he shouted.The other looked up at him with an odd expression of suspicion andrepulsion.
"You're better off where you are," he said, rather impatiently.
"But they have locked me up here."
"And reason enough, too!"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because you're crazy as a loon."
"Did the black man say that?" inquired Dodger, indignantly.
"Yes, he did--said you tried to kill your mother, and had acarving-knife hidden in the room."
"It's a lie--an outrageous lie!" exclaimed Dodger, his eyes flashing.
"Don't go into one of your tantrums," said the man, rather alarmed;"it won't do any good."
"But I want you to understand that I am no more crazy than you are."
"Sho? I know better. Where's your carving-knife?"
"I haven't got any; I never had any. That negro has been telling youlies. Just go to the door again, and insist on seeing me."
"I wouldn't dast to. You'd stab me," said the man, fearfully.
"Listen to me!" said Dodger, getting out of patience. "I'm not crazy.I'm a newsboy and baggage-smasher. An old man got me to bring hisvalise here, and then locked me up. Won't you go around to thestation-house and send a policeman here?"
"I'll see about it," said the young man, who did not believe a wordthat Dodger had said to him.
"He won't do it!" said Dodger to himself, in a tone of discouragement."That miserable nigger has made him believe I am a lunatic. I'll havehim up, anyway."
Forthwith he began to pound and kick so forcibly, that Julius cameupstairs on a run, half inclined to believe that Dodger had reallybecome insane.
"What do you want, boy?" he inquired from outside the door.
"I want you to unbolt the door and let me out."
"I couldn't do it, nohow," said Julius. "It would be as much as myplace is worth."
"I will give you a dollar--five dollars--if you will only let me out.The man who brought me here is a bad man, who is trying to cheat hiscousin--a young lady--out of a fortune."
"Don't know nothin' 'bout that," said Julius.
"He has no right to keep me here."
"Don't know nothin' 'bout that, either. I'm actin' accordin' toorders."
"Look here," said Dodger, bethinking himself of what had justhappened. "Did you tell that young man who called here just now that Iwas crazy?"
Julius burst into a loud guffaw.
"I expect I did," he laughed. "Said you'd got a long carvin'-knife hidin de room."
"What made you lie so?" demanded Dodger, sternly.
"Couldn't get rid of him no other way. Oh, how scared he looked when Itold him you tried to kill your mother."
And the negro burst into another hearty laugh which exasperated Dodgerexceedingly.
"How long is Mr. Waring going to keep me here? Did he tell you?"Dodger asked, after a pause.
"No; he didn't say."
"When is he coming here again?"
"Said he'd come to-morrow most likely."
"Will you bring me a light?"
"Couldn't do it. You'd set the house on fire."
It seemed useless to prolong the conversation.
Dodger threw himself on the bed at an early hour, but he did notundress, thinking there might possibly be a chance to escape duringthe night.
But the morning came and found him still a prisoner, but not in thesolitary dwelling.
Adrift in New York: Tom and Florence Braving the World Page 19
