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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
"But if that's the case, aren't you going to harm me?"
"Certainly not. You can't do me any harm by telling the truth about my work. You will find that your only enemies are the people who know you will expose them as imitations."
"I hadn't thought of that before," said Billy, greatly relieved.
"Of course you hadn't. They wouldn't either if they hadn't felt so guilty themselves. Well, here's your card of admission, and don't pick up any hot lava."
"Thank you," said Billy. "I won't."
The Coal Man opened the door leading into the works.
Such a wonderful sight as met Billy's gaze! A deep red glow was over everything, growing lighter and duller every few moments as the stokers would open a furnace door, shovel in some coal, and slam the door to again.
And the stokers--they were indeed sights. Black as coal and as shiny as patent-leather boots, which, with their fiery red hair, made them look like chimney-pots on fire.
Here and there among them wandered an old, old man with a very wise face and long white hair. In one hand he carried a pair of scales and with the other he was putting into them first some of this and then some of that, which he weighed carefully and deposited in what looked like a great big cartridge shell.
"How do you do, sir?" said Billy.
"Sir," said Billy, "I understood the last part of your sentence, but I don't think I heard the first part very well."
"A little sulphur--now I wonder if I'd better put any safety-matches in it this time--what do you think, boy?" And he looked at Billy as if he were a thousand miles off.
"I don't know, sir."
"But I said I didn't know," said Billy.
"True, you did; I had forgotten. If that's the case, I'd better use sulphur-matches."
"Are you the Alchemist?"
"Let's see, am I? I've really forgotten. Ace of Spades," calling to the blackest stoker of them all, "come here."
"Yes, sir," said Ace, running up to them.
"Well, what do you want?" asked the old man, looking at Ace in surprise.
"You called me, sir," said Ace.
"Did I--what for? Do you know?"
"No, sir," said Ace.
"Excuse me," said Billy, "but I think it was to ask him if you were the Alchemist."
"No, sir," said Ace.
"Then don't interrupt me again with your foolish questions, Ace; you know it bothers me when I'm making up a sample eruption."
Ace bowed gravely, as if he were used to such things, and ran back to his work.
"That's the trouble with these men," said the Alchemist; "they are all so absent-minded. If I were not here to think for them, I don't know what would become of the business."
"Certainly," interrupted the Alchemist, absent-mindedly putting some gun-cotton in his ears.
"I was going to say--did you say you were making a sample eruption?"
"Did you speak to me? I seem to have heard you speak."
"Yes, sir."
"I can't hear a word you say--I'm afraid I'm growing deaf. Now what did I do with that gun-cotton I had a moment ago?" and the Alchemist looked for it in every place but in his ears. But Billy, by making motions, showed him where it was, and he pulled it out in great surprise. "You shouldn't do that," said he severely, "it's a very dangerous thing."
"But I didn't," said Billy; "you did it yourself."
"Tut-tut--why should I put gun-cotton in my own ears? I never listen to evil reports."
Billy was just about to make further denial when the Coal Man put his head through the door and beckoned to him. "Nickel Plate is coming down in the elevator," said he, as soon as Billy reached his side.
"Nickel Plate--down here!" exclaimed Billy.
"Yes, he is coming for a re-plating, and Bumbus and Drone are with him."
"They mustn't see me."
"That's the reason I called you. I suppose you don't mind hiding."
"Not at all."
"Then come along," and he led Billy into the works and to a dark, heavily barred vault marked "Gold." Throwing open the door, he invited Billy to enter. "This is where we keep the gold supply of the earth," he said. "Pick out a soft nugget to sit on, and make yourself at home--you had better lock yourself in."
"Thank you," said Billy, locking the door and pocketing the key. And as it was dark as pitch in the vault and light in the works, no one on the outside could well see through the bars of the door.
"This is fine, but I don't think I shall sit down, I want to see what they do."
He hadn't finished saying this when in walked Nickel Plate, Bumbus, and Drone, followed by the Coal Man.
"Yes," Nickel Plate was saying, as they entered, "I'm getting terribly rusty, and I need a new plating."
"In other words, he wants you to make a shining example of him," said Bumbus.
"Lost sleep," exclaimed Nickel Plate in disgust.
"Yes, I have not had more than twenty hours sleep in the last twenty-four; they've kept me busy looking for Billy Bounce."
At mention of his name Billy drew back into the shadow.
"And Honey Girl, too," said Bumbus, "I can't guess what has become of her."
"Ay! we are foiled at every turn, but wait, wait, our day is coming--let me but get rid of these rust spots and restore my polish, and they cannot escape us."
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