Joe's Luck; Or, Always Wide Awake

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. Excerpt: ...to discover where Joe lay, wake him up, and force him, by threats of instant death as the penalty for non-compliance, to deliver up all the money he had in the restaurant. Now, it happened that Joe and his guest slept in opposite corners of the room. Rafferty discovered Joe, but was entirely ignorant of the presence of another person in the apartment. Joe waked on being rudely shaken. "Who is it?" he muttered drowsily. "Never mind who it is!" growled Jack in his ear. "It\'s a man that\'ll kill you if you don\'t give up all the money you\'ve got about you!" Joe was fully awake now, and realized the situation. He felt thankful that he was not alone, and it instantly flashed upon him that Watson had a revolver. But Watson was asleep. To obtain time to form a plan, he parleyed a little. "You want my money?" he asked, appearing to be confused. "Yes--and at once! Refuse, and I will kill you!" I won\'t pretend to deny that Joe\'s heart beat a little quicker than its wont. He was thinking busily. How could he attract Watson\'s attention? "It\'s pretty hard, but I suppose I must," he answered. "That\'s the way to talk." "Let me get up and I\'ll get it." Joe spoke so naturally that Rafferty suspected nothing. He permitted our hero to rise, supposing that he was going for the money he demanded. Joe knew exactly where Watson lay and went over to him. He knelt down and drew out the revolver from beneath his head, at the same time pushing him, in the hope of arousing him. The push was effectual. Watson was a man whose experience at the mines had taught him to rouse at once. He just heard Joe say: "Hush!" "What are you so long about?" demanded Rafferty suspiciously. "I\'ve.got a revolver," said Joe unexpectedly; "and, if you don\'t leave the room, I\'ll fire!" With an oath,...