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Read Ebook: Billy Bounce by Bragdon Dudley A Denslow W W William Wallace
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Ebook has 422 lines and 13113 words, and 9 pages
ht after night, but now we have to scratch pretty hard for a living."
"But where have you met me?" asked Billy.
"On your way to bed when the nurse had been telling you silly tales--come, we're old friends, let's shake hands."
"Can--can you shake hands?" said Billy, putting his own behind him.
"Certainly. Of course I can't shake your hand, but I can shake my own," and with that the Ghost held two long white arms in front of him, joined the ends and waved them up and down.
Much relieved, Billy clasped his own two hands and feebly shook them--and my, how cold and clammy they felt!
"Well, good-by, I must be going," said Billy nervously.
"Don't go yet--let's talk over old times. And by the way, you don't happen to know a quiet family, keeping two servants, no children preferred, who wants to hire a respectable ghost. Thoroughly tame--will eat out of the hand--terms reasonable and references exchanged. Guaranteed to give satisfaction or money returned. If desired can take the shape of an old ancestor. Guarding buried treasure extra." And the Ghost rattled this off as if he had learned it by heart.
"No," said Billy, "I really do not--in fact, I'm sure I don't."
"Now that's too bad--but perhaps you would hire me--I'll make it cheap for old acquaintance' sake," said the Ghost wistfully.
"No," said Billy quickly, "I don't think I care to be haunted."
"If the price is all that stands in the way I'll work for my keep just to keep in practice."
"No," said Billy, "I'm--," he was going to say "afraid," but remembered Mr. Gas's advice and said, "I'm sure I don't need you."
"Well, I suppose if you won't, you won't--but anyway come up to the house and spend an unpleasant evening. I'd like you to meet the wife and children--my wife is a little high-spirited--the ghost of a lighthouse-keeper's daughter, but she will thaw out after a while, and I'm sure she can fix up a nice little supper for us."
"I really have not time," said Billy, backing off.
"Not if I tell you that we have some cold fear pie and a roast of imagination, a neat little salad of blood-curdling screams topped off with groan pudding--come, that ought to tempt you--and I'll get the children to do the shadow dance for you after supper."
"You are very kind, I'm sure," said Billy, "but I have a message I must deliver to Bogie Man."
"You don't mean to tell me that you're Billy Bounce?" exclaimed the Ghost.
"Yes!" said Billy.
"What have I done? Oh! me! that's what comes of getting old and near-sighted--I took you for little Tommy Jones."
"No, I'm Billy Bounce."
With a rattle of chains, screams, groans, and a thousand odd and terrible sounds, the inhabitants of the village swooped down on them.
For a few moments Billy was absolutely frozen stiff with fear, and when he looked around him at the horrible shapes and faces that surrounded him he was worse frightened than ever. Some of them breathed fire and steam while their eyes glowed like red-hot coals. Others had old, crafty and wicked faces with huge snaggle teeth. Some looked like fierce and bloodthirsty pirates--all sorts and conditions of ghosts were there, and all seemingly intent on tearing Billy limb from limb.
"See him tremble!" called one old Pirate. "Ah! this reminds me of old times on the Spanish Main--make him walk the plank!"
"Scream into his ear until he is deaf!" cried a Banshee.
"Put a ball and chain on him and throw him in a cell!" suggested the ghost of a convict.
"He's the boy who discovered Shamville--he will tell on all of us if we let him live!" said a crafty-looking old merchant.
"Make him eat his own head!" cried a headless horseman.
"Get away!" cried Billy; "you are a host of delusions! I don't believe in ghosts anyway, and I'm not afraid of you," for he had just remembered what Mr. Gas said about being afraid. He took a step forward, and in doing so walked through five or six ghosts who were crowding him closely.
And with that he planted the Singing Tree, curled up beneath it, and in a minute was sound asleep.
IN THE VOLCANO OF VOCIFEROUS.
When Billy awoke the next morning and saw the dear old sun grinning down at him, and looked about at the green meadow dotted with Black-eyed Susans and Dandelions, he could hardly realize that his adventures of the night before were real. But there on the edge of the open space stood the trees that had creaked so dismally; while even then among its trunks lingered some of the mist that had made the walls of Spookville.
"What did you think of it, dogibus?" he said to Barker. But that merry little chap looked so happy and contented, and his eyes seemed so clear of unpleasant memories, that Billy decided that dogs don't see ghosts--perhaps because they are not afraid in the dark, and anyway haven't any nurses to tell them things that are not true.
"Half past eight--time we were off!" said Billy, looking at his Waterbury. And so off they flew into space.
"I doubt if I can float over that high mountain," he said presently. "What a queer-looking thing it is, too." And no wonder it was queer looking, for it was the Volcano of Vociferous with just a little thin white vapor rising from its crater. "Oh, me! oh, my! I'm falling right into the hole," he cried, "I wonder if I will fetch up in China?" And sure enough, when he got right over the crater he began to fall, fall, fall, through the opening and way down towards the centre of the earth. And just about the time he had given up hopes of ever landing in any place, he hit plump on a floor of lava. Right in front of him was a door bearing this sign: "The Coal Man. Best Anthracite and Soft Coal. New Gold and Silver bought and sold. Nickel-plating a specialty. For admission to works apply at Office. Walk in." Turning the handle Billy walked in.
"Well," said a smutty-faced old man who was bustling about the office and whom Billy rightly took for the Coal Man.
"How do you do?" said Billy.
"Tired, very tired," answered the Coal Man. "Worked to death. I have a rush order for an eruption of Vociferous and it's keeping my alchemist and myself busy day and night, while the coal stokers and furnace tenders threaten to strike for lower wages."
"That's too bad," said Billy sympathetically.
"Not a bit of it. I like the work. I suppose you want to go through the works."
"If it's not too much trouble."
"I don't know whether you will find it too much trouble or not; you will have to decide that for yourself."
"I mean for you."
"It can't be for me, because I'm not going. What's your name?"
"Billy Bounce."
"Billy Bounce? Glad to know you, Billy. I've heard a great deal of you from a customer of min."
"A customer! Who is he?"
"Nickel Plate the Polished Villain. He comes down here every once in a while to be plated."
"Nickel Plate!" cried Billy in alarm. "Why, he is my enemy."
"I know it," said the Coal Man; "but don't mind that; he's his own best friend."
"But if that's the case, aren't you going to harm me?"
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