Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 1081) (1926 06 18)
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NEW YORK, JUNE 18, 1926 A a, i i Us y : erst Uf Aa : | yo Yy Bi Wey y “Ye have done me up, Batt Kattcher---ye and Peter Fawls; but it won't do ye no good,” cried the dying sailor. “The dockyment ye sold yer souls for is now the property of that boy. He is my heir.”
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“FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY “desved- weekly—Subscription price, $4.00 per spray Canada, $4.50: Foreign, $5.00. Harry E. Wo We pas red as Seebnd-Class Matter, October 4, Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. est 23d Strect, New York, N the Post- Office at New yo AN. “No. 1081 NEW YORK, JUNE 18, 1926 Publisher, ine., hy 2 11, at Price 8 Cents. A: WAIF’S LEGACY OR, HOW IT MADE A POOR BOY RICH ' CHAPTER L—A Bully and His Victim. land?” demanded Moses Kattcher in an ugly me, his little feret-like eyes glaring suspi- ciously upon a poorly dressed but lovely little ir-haired girl of fifteen years, whose sunbonnet hung carelessly from her well-rounded shoulders. “Moses was a low-browed, surly-looking boy, ith sunburned features that showed a low type intelligence. He was a bully by nature, an ough stout and husky, was, like most of his ind, a rank coward at heart. He was never so “happy as when bulldozing those weaket, than him- eG If, particularly little Ruby Rand, who was d-of-all-work and general housekeeper for his her, Batt Kattcher, a fisherman of Gosport - village on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. a) as an independent little maid, but for all + she stood somewhat in fear of Moses, who sed and ill-treated her whenever he felt so disposed. “Ym taking a walk,” replied the girl, edging awayefrom Moses, who had suddenly come upon er from behind a boulder. “Hold on, there! Don’t yer dare run away or lay this strap on yer back,” cried the boy threateningly. “So ye’re takin’ a walk, are ye?” he added sareastically. - ‘Yes.” FS “Where yer walkin’ to?” Out this way.” Then I'll go with yer.” *T don’t want you to,” replied the little maid in ne thet showed that his company was not de- by her. x Saint, keer what yer want. What yer got in Nothing,” replied Ruby, holding up her right “J mean yer other hand, de snarled Moses. “A paper package.” “What’s in it?” _ “Nothing that: concerns you, Moses Kattcher,” wered the girl with a flash of spunk. - at so?” sheered Moses. “Well, I reckon it s concern me. You took it from.the house, for “What yer doin’ out here on the rocks, Ruby © By A SELF- “MADE MAN “Well, yer ain’t got no right t take nothin’ out of the house.” “Why haven't I if it belongs to me?” “Does that belong to you?” “Yes.” “T don’t believe it. what’s in it.” “I won't,” behind her. “You won’t?” “No,” answered Ruby detindtly: “Then V’ll make yer,” said Moses angrily, flour-— ishing the strap he held in his right hand. “Don’t you dare touch me, Moses Kattcher; if you do [li tell your father,” returned Ruby, back- ing away. “Tell him; I don’t keer. I know why yer come out here. It ain’t the fizst time yer’ve come, nor the second or third time, either. I’ve been watch- in’ yer. Yer come: out to see that measly Tom _ ee ee s Son, as they call him in the ~ village.” “What if Ihave? T’ve a right to see him if I want.” “Well, I-don’t want yer comin’ here to see him, and what’s more I won’t have it. Hegpain’t no. good for nothin’. He lives all alone in that cabin « — yonder, and fishes for a livin’. There’s somethin’ in that: package ye’re bringin’ him, I reckon he’s not goin’ to get it. Hand it over.’ “No, I won’t hand it over,” replied Ruby indig-_ nantly. “Yes, yer will,’ cried Moses, advancing on’ her with the strap uplifted. “Gimme that package or it'll be wuss for yer.” Ruby turned around and darted off over the> rocks. With a howl of anger Moses started after her. He caught her by the shoulder after a run of a hundred yards. : “Gimme that package,” he’ demanded. a “T- won't,” She answered. . “You will!’ “You coward!” she cried, struggling to free herself. “Gimme the package!” “No!” she replied with flashing eyes. Moses raised the strap aloft to hit her when an ill-clad boy, with bare head and bare feet, dertey oat ee a line of rock and sprang right a e bully. Open it and Jet me see replied Ruby, holding the package — a rs
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2 : A WAIF’S LEGACY . : Geetce Biff! His arm shot out and his hard fist landed on Moses’ nose with a force that sent the young ruffian reeling b from Ruby and started the blood flowing. The newcomer followed up his at- tack with a hook in the bully’s jaw that made his teeth rattlé like castanets. Then a third blow straight from the shoulder caught young Kattcher on the mouth, cutting his lip and sending him down on his back on the rocks. “Had enough, you coward?” demanded the pugi- listic young chap, standing over Moses with flam- ing eyes and heaving chest. Evidently Moses had had all he wanted of that kind of exercise, though he didn’t say so, for he made no attempt to get up and get back at his ag- gressor, nothwithstanding that he had the advan- tage in physique. Seeing that he had conquered the coward the newcomer turned to the girl. “Tom Rockwood,” she exclaimed, her eyes danc- ing with satisfaction, “I’m so glad you came up to stop him.” ; “T’'m glad myself. I was just pulling my boat into the cove below when I heard your first scream. I knew something was the matter, so I hurried up to see what was going on. I’ve been itching for a chance to put it over Moses Kattcher ' for the way he treats you. Now he’s got a taste of what’s coming to him if he doesn’t keep his hands off you in the future.” “T’ll git square with yer, Tom Rockwood,” snarl- ed Moses, as he picked himself up. 7 “Will you? Well, now is as good as any time for you to do it,” replied Tom defiantly. “Yah! I hate yer. I’d jest as lief kill yer if I ‘got the chance,” replied the bully vindictively. “TJ dare say you’d like to, but you hayen’t the courage to try it on.” : “T’ll fix yer yet, see if I don’t,” growled Moses with a vicious glare at Tom. “Bah! A barking cur never bites,” retorted Rockwood. “Better go home. You’re not wanted here.. If I hear of you touching Ruby Rand again Vll give you a whaling you’ll remember for a month.” “Wait till my old man ketches yer. He’ll knock the stuffin’ out of yer.” : “I know you’re coward enough to want him to fight your battles for you; but I bet he isn’t such a fool.” Moses scowled and moved away a short dis- tance. Then he stooped, picked up a stone and shied at Tom’s head. It whizzed within an inch*of ‘Rockwood’s ear. Tom immediately sprang after the bully. Moses took to his heels at once and - flew over the rocks as fast as he could go. Tom chased him some distance, and seeing that he couldn’t overtake him he returned to Ruby and . the two walked down the rocks to where Tom had drawn his boat up in the cove. “You've been lucky to-day, Tom,” said Ruby, looking at the big load of fish in the bottom of the boat. : “Yes, the fish ran good this morning.” “Wow are you going to get them all to market?” “Nat Wills is going to help carry them to town. — pay him a quarter of what they fee 8 Nat was the son of the keeper of the lighthouse ; on Bird Point, a, promontory that jutted out into ~* the lake close by, and he and Tom Rockwood were ~- ehums. The lighthouse was situated on the end of the point, which formed-one of the ends of the horseshoe-like indentation called Gosport Bay, on + a +e re ee Se the low, sandy shore of which stood the sloping~° roof houses of Gosport: village, where dwelt a — colony of hardy fisherman who plied their voca= — tion on the lake. ae The town Tom referred to was called Eastlake, — and lay three miles inland from Gosport. It was* not a large place, but it had a fish-curing estab- ~ lishment and some other industries, and was the terminus of a branch line of railroad. “See what I brought you; Tom,” said the little maid, unwrapping her package and exposing ‘a small fruit pie. “I made that expressly for you, — and I bought the fruit with some of the money you — gave me the other day.” : “Thanks, Ruby, you’re real good. I like first-rate, but I don’t get it very often.” “That’s why I made it for you.” ze; “You deserve a kiss for that, if you'll let me — have one,” EES 5 Ruby blushed a little, but she made-no objection _ to Tom helping himself to a smack. Sats “There’s two while I’m about it,” Jaughed the — boy. “Now, though I’m glad to get the pie, which will top off my dinner in great shape, I think I ought to scold you for spending uny of that money — on me. I gave it to you to buy yourself a new gown, as Batt Kattcher doesn’t seem disposed to ~ give you one, though you need it badly.” Se “T bought it, all ready made, in town, and I~ had a little money left over, so I spent it on that — pie.” etree “Oh, all right, then I forgive you.” : % - At that moment a dark object came flying down | from the rocks above, alighting almost at their — feet. It was Nat Wills, whom Tom had been ex- — pecting. at ped pie CHAPTER Il.-Batt Kattcher and. Peter Fawls. 2 Z “’m on time, ain’t I?” said Nat, with a grin- at Ruby, whom he knew. ps “Yes. I only just got in. I lost a few minutes on the top of the bluff giving Moses Kattcher a ~ bit of a whaling.” el ee “What did you lick him for?” asked Nat with - some interest, for he was down on Moses., ie “For attempting to hit Ruby with a strap.” “T hope you gave it to him good.” “I gave him a sample of what he’ll get if h pile in_and help me un- 4% JEN hurts Ruby. Come, now, load the fish.” ee . Tom pulled a couple of tubs from the shelter of — the bushes and they filled them with the silvery — denizens of the lake. They carried their loads up ~ to the little cabin where Tom lived all by Hinaseld s and dumped them into an old clothes basket. to return home. i “Well, come out and see me soon again,” said Tom, assisting her to the top of the bluff, whe he bade her good-by. i The boys left the boat secured to a stout tree by means of a chain and padlock and returned to— the cabin. Then with the big basketful of fish’ Fs tween them they started for Eastlake. When they — got back to the cabin a couple of hours later the bright morning had changed to an overcast s with a threatening look to. the windward; whi
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Pe the blue water had changed to.a leaden hue, and beat in a sulky way upon the rocks and shore. The boys had brought some supplies back with them, and as it was after twelve o’ciock .Tom _ started a fire in his stove and put on a panful of ~afish, and made a pot of coffee for dinner. Nat set the little table, washed up the few dishes ‘Tom had used for an early breakfast before starting - for the fishing ground, cut up some bread, and otherwise made himself useful while Tom was busy at the stove. Nat ate at the cabin more than - half the time, which fact was so well known to his father that his absence from the lighthouse dur- ing meal times never occasioned any remark. _ “Looks pretty squally to the windward, doesn’t it?” remarked Nat as they sat down to the meal. “Tt does that. Strikes me there’s something heavier than a squall brewing yonder.” “Think there’s a storm coming?” ¥ wT do. I can see all the earmarks of it out to the ‘: -sou’east.” d o “Let ig come. It doesn’t make any difference to While Tom and Nat were eating their dinner “and talking about the threatening storm that seemed to be gathering in the southeast, two men were standing on ‘the shore below the bluffs talk- __ ing together. The tall, brawny chap, clad in a pea jacket, a sou’wester hat, and sea boots that came over his knees, was Batt Kattcher, owner of a fishing smack called the “Pandora,” which at that - moment was riding at her anchor in Gosport Inlet. _ His companion, a Shorter and thinner man, with - a-smoothly-shaven face and shifty gray eyes, was _ Peter Fawls, lawyer and general man of business to the Eastlake Fish Curing Paes 2 of the town of Eastlake. “You are sure it’s going to be what you call a "dirty night?” said Fawls. _ “T wish I was as sure of makin’ a hundred dol- ars,” replied Kattcher, lighting his pipe. “Do you think the wind will blow dead on shore?” _ Nothin’ surer. * “Tf a vessel trex on those reefs yondér she — wouldn’t stand much chance, would she?” went on Peter Fawls. :. “9 “Not the ghost of a chance; but a vessel isn’t ithe to go’ on-’em unless the ‘skipper is blind or drunk, and the crew dopy. That there lighthouse wa S built on purpose ito keep ’em off. On such a, night as this is goin’ to be every sailor on the e is goin’ to keep plenty sea room betweéh his ssel and thedight.” Suppose something happened “to the t and it failed to shine to-night, what might the consequence?” -“Not much danger of the light not shin’, Mr. awls. Old man Wills will see to that.. It "ain't ed to shine one night since it went into com- ion. If it did I reckon that Obadiah: Wills Fee lose his job if he didn’t have a mighty trong excuse to account for it.” “Hum! Suppose, now, that the light didn’t icago to Katahdin, due off Bird Point about ght, was to go on the reef, she’d nepree a oss, don’t you think?” reckon she would.” : ould ‘become of passengers and crew?” y ea taketh a. ae eee nee Re és ' “her goin’ on the reef,” e to-night and the steamer ‘Windy City,’ from . ; put ours together.” ‘A WAIF’S LEGACY Bea - “And the rest?” “They'd be drowned.” “And their bodies?” . “Would probably come ashore.” mts who got into the boats would exeane) eh? “They might, and ag’in they mightn’t. I wouldn’t care to take theiy chances.” “Hum! If you saw your way to making a thousand dollars, maybe twe thousand, if Bird Point Light didn’t shine to-night between: the hours of ten and two. what would you.do, Batt Kattcher?” asked Peter Fawls, eying his com- panion closely. “Y dunno that I could do anythin’,” replied the fisherman. “It’s the wise man who grasps his Fo dei ties. Kattcher.” “That’s right,” nodded Batt. any I see around.” “JT see a fine chance now for you to make two thousand dollars.” i ane pint it out, will you, and I'll give you a ” “You ieedittt give me anything, Batt.. I'l] do’ the giving. myself. If you’re willing to take a bit of a risk [ll show you how you can make the two thousand.” ~ “Y’m willin’ to take considerable risk to mitke that much. Just tell me what’s to be done and Ti tell you if I kin do it.” “You needn’t take all the risk yourself. ri “T: always grasp help you.” “You will, eh?” “I will. I never shirk a- responsibility when there’s considerable at stake.” “Say what are you drivin’ at, Mr. Saber ask- ed Kattcher inquisitively. “We know each other pretty well, so 7 guess I can trust you, Kattcher. In fact, considering the hold I have over you in relation to the French cog- nac that you are in the habit of smuggling into the State from Canada, it wouldn’t pay you to betray me.’ Kattcher glared at the lawyer, but. said mths ing. He knew that he was in Peter Fawl’s power, although the legal individual profited through the © smuggled brandy. ; “To get down to business, Kattcher, I will say that it would *be greatly to my interest if the steamer “Windy. City’ went ashore on the reef to- night in the storm that appears to be coming on. If she reaches Katahdin to-morrow morning: safe and sound I will have lost a fine chance to feather my nest, which I am always on the lodkout for.” “Well, there ain’t one chance ina hundred of replied the fisherman with an emphatic nod of his head, “storm or no storm.” “The chances would be much better if the light failed to shine, ’m thinking. an “That’s true; but—— “Never mind the buts, Kattcher. Let’s consider hen and I can manage to put a snuffer on the i 1g. “Put a snuffer on the light! Why, ‘that’s a felony. If we were caught——” “We mustn’t get caught. We must figure the: e2 matter out so that not the slightest Skene bas point at.us.” § - dy “But I don’t see how J “Two heads are better dias one, Kattcher We’ ; ; B= hs, ey ‘oy oe es A Pa emt ee
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4 = A WAIF’S LEGACY “But the risk ie - “Risk! Why, man, you take a greater one every time you run a small cargo of cognac into Gos- port. No, no; the risk will be nothing to speak of. A cool head and a steady hand will make a com- plete success of the job.” “And if I go into this thing with you I am to receive $2,000?” = : “Provided the steamer is wrecked; otherwise you get—well, you'll -get $100. To that extent you’ll have the advantage of me. Come, now, it’s a bargain, isn’t it?” There was that in Peter Fawls’ attitude and’ tone -of voice that gave Kattcher to understand that it wouldn’t be well for him to refuse. Batt knew that Fawls could ruin him easily, and there- fore it was to his interest to keep in with the ras- cally lawyer, so he said: : “Yes. I’m with you. Now tell me how you think we kin squelch the light.” “In a moment or two. We’ll move up the shore further. There’s a couple of boys coming down the rocks.” Batt Kattcher turned around and looked. “T know them. One is Nat Wills, the light- keeper’s son; the other is Tom Rockwood, a young fisherman. That’s his boat tied to the tree in the cove.” “Well, follow me. We'll make our plans as we walk along,” said Peter Fawls. The two men left the spot and continued leisurely up the shore, while Tom and Nat, who had spied them, looked after them and wondered what they were doing in that neighborhood. — o CHAPTER Ul.—In the Night and Storm. During the afternoon the weather grew more threatening. The wind piped up from the south- east and blew clear and cold into the Gosport In- let, flatening out the smoke from the chimneys of the houses and sending the waves rolling in | between Bird Point and Sea Gull Point, forming ; the outer ends of the horseshoe indentation. The fishing boats pulled at their anchors like restive colts at their halters, bobbing up and down on the troubled water. At dark it was blowing a gale from the southeast, and Tom Rockwood, who cooked and ate his supper alone, could hear the monotonous roll of the surf along the shore, not a hundred feet away. Looking from his doorway, which faced seaward, he could see the long shaft of light from the lantern of the lighthouse il- ~ juminating a pathway across. the white-capped waves. : ; “I guess Nat wort stir out tonight,” he said to himself, “and I don’t blame him. It’s dark as pitch, and the weather is getting worse every minute.” ; , As the moments passed the wind seemed to pounce fiercer and fiercer on the little cabin, shaking it to its very foundations. Tom was not nervous about its staying qualities, for he knew it was strongly braced by great boulders that no _ wind, however fierce, could uproot. By the time Tom had washed up the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, which was the main room of the cabin, the rain came swooping in from the lake. ? came down in great bucketfuls and was swept. against the seaward side of the building with a rattle like a continuous roar of musketry. iis “Gee! It’s a fierce night, all right,” muttered Tom, placing his lamp on the table, and getting an instructive book he was studying from the shelf he settled down to make good use of his leisure moments before turning in for the night. ~ The cheap clock on the shelf struck eight. The wind howled louder than ever around the cabin, and the rain beat harder if anything upon the front of the house. The uproar was so tremen- dous that after a while Tom‘had to close his book and call study off for the night. He turned the — light down and went to the one window. that over- — looked the lake, All he-could see was the path of light flashing across the angry waves from the lighthouse lantern. In the white gleam he could see the billows leaping and tumbling in great confusion, while the rest-of the lake was lost in obscurity. The reef known as the Shark’s Teeth, half a mile out from Bird Point, was like a foam- ing caldron, the waves striking on the partly sub- merged black rocks, sending spurts of foam fifty feet into the air. : While Tom looked on the weird scene of storm and darkness the clock struck nine. As the lust. >_ stroke of the hour sounded Tom gaye a gasp o astonishment. Right under his gaze the brillian rays of the lighthouse vanished as suddenly as if — the tower with its great argand lamps and re-— flectors had been swallowed up by some titanic monster* from the lake. ° ee “My gracious!” exclaimed the boy. “What does that mean? The light is out, and it went as quickly as if a gigantic snuffer had put it out o business. Something is wrong in the lantern, but they’ll have it going again in a few minutes.”: — Five—ten—fifteen minutes elapsed and still the lantern remained dark. The roar of the tempes seemed to increase as the moments went by. Novy that the light was out Tom couldn’t see a thi but the huge drops of rain dashing against ¢ outside of the ebony panes in which his face was reflected. The darkness was so intense that the boy mechanically craned his neck in the direction of Gosport village; but though the lights we twinkling at that moment in the windows of half~ the cottages, Tom couldn’t see, one of them, for they were below his line of vision, hidden by the heel of the headland. Bates “What in thunder is the matter with the lamp that they don’t start the light up again?” m tered the boy. “One would think they were asleep or dead over there. I never knew the ligh to be out before, even on the finest of nigh But of all nights for the lamps to be out, this i the worst. There may be a score of vessels ou yonder depending on that light for the knowledg: of their whereabouts. Then there’s the steamer ‘Windy City,’ that passes this way sometime t night. Without the light to guide her in th blackness she might run in too close to the sho and get wrecked on the Shark’s Teeth. Why the dickens don’t they start the light?” Woes Tom fumed impatiently as he waited, with hi eyes glued to the glass, for the lantern to b up again, but the moments went by and it mained as dark as ever. ee “Nat’s father is liable to get into a wh of trouble with the inspector of the distri: this thing is reported. If a vessel sh
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ashore in the meanwhile he might lost his job, and that would mean the parting of Nat and me. JT wouldn’t like that at all, for Nat is the only + veal friend I have outside of Ruby, and she’s only *“a_girl.” ~~ ‘Tom felt as much interest in the reappearance of the light ag the keeper could have himself. He paced up and down the room, nervous and im- patient, returning to the window every few min- utes, but a whole hour went by, and ten o’clock - struck, with the lighthouse as black as ever. -“T can’t stand this,” he ejaculated at last. “I’m going over to see what’s the matter, and lend a hand if they need help.” : - He rushed into the little room where his bunk was, at the back of the kitchen, and taking a well- worn suit of oilskins from ‘a peg, put them on, with a round- tight-fitting hat. ‘Then lighting a jantern, he blew out his lamp, and waiting for a jull in the gale, opened the door and drew it _ quickly to after him, locking it and dropping the _ key in his pocket. The rain eased up a bit, but a the wind nearly took him off his feet the moment ye-he stepped clear of the shelter of his cabin. the rain-soaked ground, to save himself from be- ing literally blown away. si The lights of the village gradually came into view, but there were only a few of them to be ‘seen at that hour, as the fishermen and _ their _» families retired early to rest on such a-night. The avern, near the waterside, was about the only building that threw off any refulgence, and that shone like a glow-worm in the darkness. . Tom was a boy of pluck and endurance, and he kept straight on toward the dark lighthouse in spite of the difficulties that beset him from the cai torm. He actually crawled about half the dis- x: ance on his hands and knees, and it was close on to eleven when he began to draw near it. Still, as close as he was to the white shaft, he couldn’t see t. Then rain came on again with fresh fury, and _ fused. Then his lantern went out, leaving him completely in the dark. At length, more by good luck than anything else, he stumbled against the side of the lighthouse. : “T’ve reached it at last, thank goodness! bout played out. Now to get inside.” : He felt his way to the door and found it fast- ed. Picking up a stone, he pounded vigorously on it. No one came to let him in. He pounded again, to no purpose. “They must be up in the lantern, working at e apparatus,” he freathes t tiny gleam of light shone through the key- e. Tom applied his eye to the aperture. He w two men, one of whom greatly resembled + Kattcher, sitting at a table, drinking and smoking, with their backs to him. Vm a: = and the other chap must have heard rade se I A WAIF’S LEGACY 5 between that and the wind he became much con- ~ ’s Batt Katcher or his double,” muttered — de, Why don’t they let me in?” = He pounded more insistently on the door than before. When he put his eye to the keyhole again all was dark inaide: The candle which stood on the table between the men had been put out. “Who’s there?” Tom heard a hoarse voice say. “It’s me—Tom._ Rockwood,” the boy roared through the keyhole. There was a short pause. “Are you alone?” asked the voice again. — “Vos,” 3 “What do you want?” “T want to come in.” “What for?” “Ym about done up by the storm.” “Why did you come out here?” “Because the light is out in the lantern, and I wanted to see what was the matter,” cried Tom, wondering why they had so many questions to him and kept him standing outside all the time. Suddenly the door opened, an arm_ stretched forth, seized and dragged him into the room, then, before he could make a move he received a’ blow on the head that stretched him senseless on the floor of the lighthouse. 3 ? CHAPTER IV.—In the Lighthouse. Batt Kattcher closed and bolted the door again, and the two men stood for some moments in the darkness listening for sounds that would indicate that their victim was recovering his senses. No such sound reached their ear—nothing but the © howling of the tempest outside. “He’s safe enough,” said Kattcher, striking a match and lighting the lamp. The boy lay perfectly motionless, with his eyes closed, just as he had fallen, : .“That’s what he gets for butting in,” said Fawls. “Who is this chap, anyway?” “Who is he?” replied Batt. “I couldn’t tell you who he is. I reckon that he doesn’t know himself. His name is Tom Rockwood, and he’s what they call a waif. The fishermen call him Nobody’s _ Son. Old Dan Rockwood, a fisherman, dead and gone these three years, picked him up along the 3 shore here one morning after a terrible’ storm on the lake. That was before the lighthouse was built, and he was only about knee-high to a grass- hopper—too young to know anythin’ about where he came from, or who he belonged to.” . “Hum! Then Tom Rockwood isn’t his real name?” said the lawyer. “No. Dan named him after his younger brother, who he said ran away from home when he was a young chap and was never heard of afterward by the family.” “Where does he live?” a “Where he’s always lived since he was washed - ashore—in Dan’s cabin on the bluff, which- the old man left him when he died. He makes his livin’ fishin’ on the lake in Dan’s old sloop.” : “The less he learns about what’s been taking place here the better for us. He looks like a shrewd sort of boy. Get a piece of rope and tie him to the iron stanchion under the stairway. He’ll be out of sight there, and helpless when he comes to his senses. He'll never know who. _ knocked him out, for he couldn’t recognize us in the dark when you pulled him in. Don’t fail " ral Sher ee
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3 A WAIE’S tie something across his mouth so he can’t ery out if he took a notion to do so.” Peter Fawls’ suggestion was carried out, and the unconscious Tom was triced up by Kattcher in a dark hole under the circular iron. stairease. The two men resumed their drinking, smoking and conversation at the table, while the gale shrieked without like a myrid of lost souls from _ the infernal regions.” At length Fawls, after a glance at the clock on a shelf in the room, got up and said: . “It wants a quarter of.twelve. The ‘Windy City’ is due off this vicinity inside of half an hour if the storm hasn’t delayed her. If it was elear weather she’d be in sight now, I should judge. The officers are, no doubt, keeping a sharp lookout for the light, and not seeing it, they will suppose that the steamer is still miles to the south of the Shark’s Teeth. If they manage? to keep a good offing in the dark we’ll lose her, in spite of the fact that the light is out; but if the captain thinks he’s still somewhere in the neigh- - borhooi of the South Shoals, and hugs the inner - passage, wich is his regular course, he’ll,stand a good chance of going slap on the reefs out yonder. Then the vessel will be our meat. We'd bettér get up on the gallery now, and you must keep a sharp lookout with the night-glass. You ought to be able to tell if she goes on the rocks.” “They'll send up rockets, if they do, as signals to the coast-guard.” ““But it will be too late to save the steamer, then, eh?” “Nothin’ under heaven can save her if she rests her ribs on the Shark’s Teeth,” replied Kattcher emphatically. “Good!” chuckled the lawyer. “The boats of the coast-guard will take the passengers off, and that’s the bedt they can do, eh?” “Tf they save a third of them in such a sea as is frothin’ around the Teeth tonight, if the steamer goes on the reefs, they’ll be doin’ well.” “Well, we’ve all got to die some time—even you and I, Kattcher, when our time comes. They say drowning ‘is an easy death.” “That’s a matter of taste,” growled the fisher- man. “Hum—yes! Get the night-glass and follow me up to the lantern. Is the door fast?” “Yes, both bolts are shot.” “Good. Then nobody else who domes. around here trying to butt in can enter. Turn the lamp very low. That’s right. /Now for the lantern.” The two villainous plotters started up the stair- way, their boots echoing on the iron steps; but this sound was soon swallowed up in the uproar of the tempest. Hardly had they left the lower room before Tom Rockwood regained his senses. He found himself gagged and bound to the iron support of the first round of the staircase. At first he was puzzled to account for the strange- ness of his situation, but memory soon came to his aid insofar that he remembered ‘what had oecurred before the lighthouse door was opened, and what had happened to him immediately after. - “T begin to understand now that there has been foul play going on,” he breathed. “That would account for the dousing of the light-in the lan- tern; and its failure to shine forth again. Who is at the bottom of this pee of villainy? Can it be that Batt Kattcher has anything to do with it? I saw him seated.in a chair in the room LEGACY yonder, as plain as could be, talking to another _ man. There is something crooked in the wind, — I’d give something to find out what it is.” —- 4 Tom listened for some sound that would tell — him that the two men he had seen at the table ~ were still in the ground-floor room. The lamp was turned so low that the place was only faintly _ illuminated. ) = “There seems to be nobody in the room now,” — he thought. “All I can hear is the uproar of the storm without. : eee At that moment he heard a finocking somewhere — on the floor. The thumping continued and then — several muffled shouts came to his. ears. Ga “Blessed if that doesn’t sound like Nat’s voice! Where can he be? I have it—he’s locked in the — cellar. Those rascals have put him there to keep — him a prisoner. Probably his father and the — assistant keeper are down there, too. If I could only free myself from these ropes I’d soon open the trap and let them out.” ; _ The thumping on the floor and the shouting con- tinued at intervals. Tom began a desperate at- tempt to get clear of his bonds. He soon suc- — ceeded in freeing one of his hands. The other followed, and then he tore the handkerchief fro his mouth. To get his jackknife out and cu the rest of the strands that bound his chest an + lower limbs to the post was but the work of a few moments. je “Free!” he cried exultantly as he shook off the last rope. ‘‘Now to release Nat and the others, — and set the light going again.” Cas More thumps and shouts from under the floor. Tom rushed over to the trap, drew the bolt and pulled it open. Up popped Nat’s head and part. of his body like-a released pack-in-the-box. “Is that you, Nat?” asked Tom, though he kn that it was even as he spoke. ‘ , 4 “Tom Rockwood! You here!” cried Nat in astonishment, as he stepped out.on the floor. ~~ “Yes, I’m here.” : _ “I suppose you’re surprised to find me locke in the cellar. I can’t understand the matter my- self. JI went down there as good as three hou ago to get a bit of rope for dad, leaving the tra) open. Somebody was knocking at the door < the time, and after dad gave me the order S: went to let the party in. I waited to see who* /it was, for this ain’t a night when we ex ed visitors. Two men came in muffled up in blanke and dripping with rain. I couldn’t tell who the were, but supposed they came from the villag They walked straight to the stove without sayin a word or removing their blankets. I kept o down, intending to hurry back, as I was curiow as to the reason that fetched them out here such a fierce night. While below I thought heard a scuffle, and I started to come up. Just then the trap was flung down and I caugh crack on the head that sent him flying back down the steps. I pulled myself together and tried to open the trap, but it was fast. I thum against it and yelled loud enough to wake dead, but it didn’t do me any good. I’ve bee doing that at intervals ever since. Say, the must be something wrong, Tom. What do 4 suppose it is?” , ; “There is something wrong, Nat, for a fact.”! “Tell me, if you know. Did you come over to — see me?” : Sa ri
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ae “No, I came over to see what was the matter ‘with the light.” eee ‘ eThe light! What could be the matter with ite” “That’s what I want to discover. It’s out.’ “Go on! You’re joking.” : ‘“ “No, I’m not joking. I was looking out of my cabin window at nine o’clock and I saw the light disappear like magic.” “Great jibbooms!” : “y doaldart understand what the trouble was, so I came over here to see.” “Well, what did you find out?” “Nothing about the light, but I found out that there was villainy at work.” “Villainy at work!” “Yes. Listen and I’ll tell you what happened ~ to me when I reached the lighthouse door.” _ Nat listened with bated breath and not a little excitement to Tom’s brief story of the reception he had received at the hands of the two men, one -of whom he was ready ‘to swear was Batt _ Kattcher. : ae “They knocked you out and tied you to the post under the stairs, did they?” said Nat. P “J judge that is what they did, for I received a -. blow in the dark and when I came to my senses a little while ago I found myself bound and agged.,”’ ; wand where did the men go?” “Blessed if I know what became of them. They may be in the lighthouse at this minute.” “But where is Dad and Jud Wicker? ~ “F eouldn’t tell you ph) Fis. are. Pa *ye prisoners somewhere. : er eau release them and start the light : again if it’s still out,” said Nat. : ae “That’s my idea exactly. ; _. “J can’t believe that Batt Katcher was one of ‘those men. He wouldn’t be such a fool as to engage in such a villainous enterprise,” said Nat Mi he turned up the light and looked around the yoom. The blankets the visitors had worn when they entered the lighthouse lay on the floor close by I judge erg it wasn’t his—hist! I hear steps on the . stairs. I'll bet it’s the two rascals coming down “from the lantern. We must hide from them” » The only place available, unless they went out in the storm, was the spot under the stairs where - Tom had been bound. They rushed in there, for- getting to turn down the light, as the footsteps eee plainer. e = | CHAPTER V.—A Waif’s Legacy. = Down the stairs came Batt Kattcher and Peter ‘awls at a rapid rate, and evidently much excited. They stopped in surprise and fear on the last ight and looked about the ground floor of the ighthouse. Kattcher had turned the light low ‘en they went up to the lantern, now on their return below they found it going at full blast. hey didn’t see anyone or hear a_ suspicious ound. 5 ‘Jt must have lighted up of itself,” said Batt doubtfully. Bea ; -never heard of a lamp turning its own wick ” said the lawyer. ‘“Let’s look about.” _ They finished their descent. . of iybe th =~ 3 eet 3 A WAIF’S LEGACY _by surprise. e young fisherman worked himself 7 loose after coming to his senses,’ said Peter Fawls. “That can soon be proved,” said Kattchevr. Tom and Nat heard every word they said. Both recognized Batt’s voice, and had no doubts about his identity. . “They'll look in here in -a moment,” whispered Tom. “We must rush on them and take them by surprise. Strike out with your fists as hard as you can, andethen we'll make for the door and gets out. : Tom and Nat crouched down and the moment Kattcher appeared in the opening they sprang at him like a couple of cats. ‘The young fisherman landed a heavy blow on his mouth, while Nat punched him in the stomach with all his strength. | Big and strong as Kattcher was, he went down under the suddenness and impetus of the attack, uttering a loud imprecation. The boys rushed out and encountered the lawyer. They bowled him over with little difficulty, for he, too, was taken Then they darted for the door. Nat drew the bolts in a twinkling. “Stop them!” roared Batt, springing to his feet and making a rush for the boys. He was just a moment too late to stop them. They dashed out into the storm. The ‘boys dis- appeared in the darkness, with Kattcher and Peter Fawls close at their heels. The lantern o the light was still dark, but the Shark’s Teet veef was lit up with a dazzling bluish light, burn- ~ ing on the forecastle of the wrecked steamer, “Windy City,” which layin the midst of the boil- ing caldron of seething water. At intervals rockets were discharged from the bridge of the ill-fated craft to attract the life-saving crew to the spot. Kattcher and Fawls occasionally caught sight of the fleeing lads and were thus able to keep on their track, but the boys reached Tom’s cabin ahead of them and locked themselves in. : The two rascals sat down under the lee of the building and watched the wreck whenever a red light or a blue one was set off. Tom and Nat watched the wreck, too, from the window over- looking the sea. . a ' “There’ll be trouble to burn over this night’s work,” said Tom. P “Ym thinking there will,” replied Nat in an- anxious tone. “Dad will be up against it hard.” “Tt isn’t his fault. Batt Kattcher and the other chap are responsible for the wreck of the steamer. Our evidence will count in your father’s favor,” said Tom. “What could be their object in putting out. the light?” asked Nat. “To lure some vessel on the Shark’s Teeth, I suppose.” “And what good will that do them?” “That’s as much of a conundrum to me as it is to you, Nat.” » “The storm isn’t as heavy as it was,” said Nat. “No, it’s blowing itself out. So niuch the better for the imperiled people on yonder wreck. If the steamer holds together the lifeboats will be able to take them all off.” Half an hour later a big lifeboat was seen close to the wreck in the glare of a red fire. { this time Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls, seei there was small chance of catching the boys, an believing they would remain in the cabin till About *
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aa ~~ ‘ Ae: eT A WAIF'’S morning, left their shelter under dite lee of the building and went down to the beach. Ag they stood looking seaward a piece of wreck- age, to which clung a man in pants and shirt only, came ashore at their feet. Batt dashed into_the surf and hauled the flotsam up on the beach be it got into the grasp of the undertow. Striking a match inside his tarpoulin hat, he illuminated the man’s face. - “Jack Tobin!” he exclaimed in asto ishment. @ The lawyer also uttered an exclam#@tion of rec- ognition. The man, who was apparently a sailor, rose on his arm and looked at them. “Hal” he eried in a weak voice. “So it’s Batt Kattcher, and you too, Peter Fawls. thought to see either of ye ag’in.”’ “Didn’t you?” sneered Batt. “And we thought you’d give Us the slip with that document you stole from us.’ “Stole! I thrust the lie back in your teeth. The dockyment is mine—mine. It was ye who stole it from me and I jest managed to get it back by good luck.” “Well, I s’pose it’s lost now for good,” lawyer in a spiteful tone. - “Then ye s’pose wrong, ye old shark.” “Where is it? Tellus and you shall be well paid, and have a share in the treasure as well,” said Fawls eagerly. “Do ye see any green in my eye, you old hippo- potamus? Ye’ll never see the color of that docky- ment ag’in as long as ye live. The treasure is mine by every right under the sun. I diskivered the paper, and ye hain’t no claim upon it.” “Say. you so, Jack Tobin? You forget that ~ you’re in our power,” said Peter Fawls menacing- ly, “What to prevent us throwing you back into the waves from which you have just come, eh?” “Ye wouldn’t dare!” cried the sailor. “We wouldn’t dare?” replied the lawyer. “Kattcher and’ I would dare a good deal to get possession of that paper; which points the way - toa big fortune. Come, now, tell us where it cep ‘do you understand?” “Ye’ll never know: from me,” replied the parlor - pluckily. “Then: you’ll never live to benefit by it your- self,” said the lawyer darkly. “I said you were in our power, and so you are. We’ve got you where we want you at this moment. There isn’t a soul anywhere along this shore but ourselves. Tell us where thay document fs, or “Would ye murder me?” gasped fle sailor, clearly startled by their menacing attitude. . “Murder you!” laughed .Kattcher harshly. “Why, man, you’re half dead now. We’d only be puttin’ you out of your misery by throwin’ you + back into the sea.” * —“T’m not half dead. . I’m only a bit exhausted. Yl get over this duckin’ in ‘an hour or so,” an- swerved Tobin. “You mean if we let you,” replied Kattcher. “There’s two of us ag’in you, both strong and hearty. Why, I could handle you myself, for that matter. Open yotr jaw and tell us where that paper is or I'll throttle you first and toss you to the fishes afterward. Open your mouth, d’ye hear?” \ you, I never said the and a struggle emsued between them. ‘obin’s shirt was torn asunder, revealing a black belt The fisherman seized the sailor by the throat. LEGACY ‘straped about his body. Reter Fawls saw ‘it, dark though it was, an made a grab for it: “Hold him. down, Kattcher. I believe he’s fe the paper in this belt of his. Hold him tight tall, I take it off.” y “Would ye rob me, villains?” tried Tobin, ey struggling with all the strength left in him after his fight with the waves. “Shut up!” eried Kattcher, striking him a blow in the face with his fist. “Lie still! Oh, you won’t, eh? Take that, and that, and that!” mee The fisherman hit him three vicious blows over his heart. With a groan Jack Tobin fell back, gasping feebly. “Quick! ‘Tear the belt off him, Fawls,” cried Kattcher. “Somebody might come this way at - any moment from the village. It’s a jwonder Die. crowd of ’em haven’t got here already.” ; “Ym getting it off as quick as I can,” replied: the lawyer, working at the water-soaked clasp. — “Well, hurry. We musn’t be seen here. We — must get away from this neighborhood as soon as possible. I’m afraid those boys reeognized me — at the lighthouse in the lamplight. You see, ’m ‘well-known around here, while’ you’re a stranger. : The chances are ag’in me, and I must look to m own safety. Haven’t you got it off yet?” The rascals were so busily engaged at their villainous work ‘that they did not notice the oe j proach of Tom Rockwood and Nat Wills, with a_ lantern and a stout stick apiece. " “T’ve got it loosened at last,” cried Powis - “Raise him up till I draw it from under him.” j ' As Kattcher was about to obey Tom and Nat — rushed upon them with a shout. They looked- ee in consternation, only in time to get a crack on each of their heads. Springing to their feet, and — forgetting the belt for the moment, they vanished. up the beach at a run. “The rascals are off,” said Tom, them go. Looks as if the fellow, who was pridenis the wreck of the steamer. Flash the light on bieie Nat. He looks more than half dead.” Nat held the light to the sailor’s face. Truly the poor fellow looked like death : “We must try and save him, Nat,” said Tom, “Take hold and chafe his hands while { rub his head.” os They dashed salt water in his face and finally revived him. He looked wildly at the boys, and then clapped his hands to his chest. ; “My belt! -My belt!” he cried. “It is ‘gone. Those rascals have succeeded in robbin’ me sien? all,’ ” he added with a groan. “Ts this your belt?” asked Tom, picking it u from the sand where the lawyer had dvopped Tf “Yes, yes; give it to me.’ He clutched it as though it was made of dia-_ monds, then fell back with his hand to his heart. — “They’ve finished me. They’ve put the marks death on me, but they shan’t gain by it. No, n bee shan’t gain by it.. Open that belt, my la 1 find a paper in it.” Tom opened the belt and took out which he offered to the sailor. “Keep it, my lad. That paper wil guide to the spot where a treasure in gold is hiddé The treasure belongs to me through that pa 3 “Well, let.” were robbing this poor y washed ashore from — the paper, a u but it shall be yours, for I canuvot live m longer, and I have no kith nor 2 to le
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Ye done your best, boy, to save my life, and Jack Tobin is jest as grateful to ye as if ye’d done it. I leave ye that dockyment as a legacy, and may it bring ye better luck than it’s done me. Beware of them two men, Batt Kattcher and a eer Fawls, the lawyer. Théy’ll try to git it away from ye if they learn ye have it. They wont’ stop even at murder to git hold of it. So Jook out for them. They are two of the biggest : _ villains under the sun, and my death lieseat their door.” ; He sank back quite exhausted, and lay pbreath- ing heavily. Suddenly he started up in fresh excitement. 3 ; “Fide that dockyment, boy. Put it back in the belt and never let it git out of your possession till ye have found the treasure. Quick—quick! "| kin feel them villains comin’ back. They'll tear it from—ah!” $ ; ; - a4 The last exclamation was drawn from him by : the sudden reappearance of Kattcher and Fawls, _ who, having recovered from their scare, decided i to return for the belt at all_hazards. They ared savagely at Tom Rockwood, in whose hands they saw the paper they coveted. Before : they could make a move Jack Tobin raised him- self on one arm and pointed the other -at them «im an accusing manner. ee an have ie me up, Batt Kattcher—ye and Peter Fawls; but it won’t do ye no good,” cried the dying sailor. “The dockyment ye sold your souls for is now the property of that boy. He heir.” ~ ae the disconcerted rascals glared down at him, Jack Tobin threw up his arms wildly, a few yattling sounds came from his throat, and then he fell back dead. CHAPTER VI.—After the Storm and Wreck. “Poor fellow, he’s dead,” said Tom in a sympa- thetic tone. oes “Dead, js he?” sneered Kattcher.. “And he gave you that paper. What d’ye s’pose it’s : worth?” ~~ “flow can I tell what it’s worth? I haven’t _ Yooked at it yet.” “Well, that document belongs .» me and my friend here. That rascal, Tobin, stole it from ‘us and ran away with it. You'll have to hand it over.” E _- “’]] hand’ nothing over. - The man gave it to me with his dying breath, and I’m going to keep _ whether it’s worth anything or not.” “Hand it over,” said Kattcher, stepping for- ard in a menacing way. “I tell you it belongs to us.” 4 2 *You’ve got to prove that before you get it from me,” replied Tom stoutly. | “Prove nothin’. The paper is ours, and we're goin’ to have it.” “Stand back, Batt Kattcher! You’ve done enough mischief tonight—you and your friend ; ‘1 have to answer for putting at’s that? We put out the lighthouse You must be crazy, Tom Rockwood. believe such rot as that?” ae . A WAIF’S LEGACY ae ee in a menacing attitude before the group. and gl 2 “Nat and I believe it, for we saw you in the lighthouse. I also saw you and your friend, smoking and drinking at the table before you doused the lamp, let me in and then knocked me out in the dark. We shall give our evidence when the time comes, and we'll see whether you can prove your innocence or not.” Paid young liar!” roared the fisherman. . As he started*to sprin caught him by the arm and said: “There’s a crowd of men coming with lanterns. _ We'll have to get away if we want to avoid trouble.” Kattcher turned around and looked back. Quite a number of men from the village, with lights, were coming down the rocks a few hun- dred yards away. With an imprecation he made a dash at Tom«and tried to snatch the belt, to which the boy had returned the paper, out of His hands. The young fisherman met him with a swing of is stick, and the blow landed on Kattcher’s shoulder. ° He was about.to attack Tom _ again when Fawls dragged him away. “Don’t act the fool,” whispered the lawyer. “Come away. We know: this boy has the paper. We'll watch him and get it from him when he’s off his guard.” Reluctantly the fisherman gave up further efforts to get hold of the important paper, and, following his companion, both hurried away in the gloom of the night. : The party of fishermen whom the report of the wreck on the Shark’s Teeth had brought from the village divided at the headland when it was seen that the lantern in the lighthouse was dark, part going to the tower to find out why the light was not burning, while the others continued on to the beach. It was the Jatter bunch that had frightened off Kattcher and the rascally lawyer. When they came up to where Tom and Nat were standing near the dead sailor they stopped to look at the corpse, and to ask if the man had come ashore alive and died afterward. As soon as the fishermen recognized Nat they began ply- ing him with questions about the light. a, “How came the light to go out, Nat?” asked one. “It was burnin’ all right when I turned in.” “The lamps were put out by a couple of villains who entered the lighthouse early tonight, sur- prised ei dad, and done him and Jud Wicker up, after locking me up in the cellar. I’d have been there yet if it hadn’t been for Tom Rockwood, who came over to the lighthouse to see what was the matter with the light and let me out.” “The lamps put out by a couple of villains!” exclaimed the crowd in astonishment. “Who were they?” Nee “One was Batt Kattcher, and the other was a man named Peter Fawls,” said Tom. “Do you. mean to say that Batt Kattcher helped to put the lamps out?” asked one of the fishermen. “J do. Nat and me both saw him in the light- house, where he had light was out.” : A murmur of surprise and anger rose from the bunch of fishermen. Batt Kattcher, for vari- ous reasons, was not popular in Gosport, and sus- picion wag easily turned against him. Tom and Nat both told their stories of the night’s event to the crowd, ahd when they fin- pie at Tom the lawyer : no right to be, after the ’
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10 ished; no one had any doubt of Kattcher’s guilt. While the foregoing events were happening on the beach the coast-guard lifeboat had been res- cuing the crew and passengers of the steamer “Windy City” and taking them into Gosport Inlet, where they were landed at the solitary wharf and taken charge of by the villagers, who did all that was in their power for the unfortunates. By the time the last man had been taken. off the wreck, day was breaking .The gale had blown itself out, but left a heavy sea running that promised to leave little of the steamer before the day was over. Everybody knew by this time that the loss of the steamer was due to the fact that Bird Point Light had not shone for hours during the worst of the storm. The fact had also been circulated that the failure of the light was due to the villainy of two rascals—one of whim was Batt Kattcher, of the village, while the other was said to be Peter Fawls, a lawyer of Eastlake, connected with the fish-curing establishment of that town. The only witnesses implicating the two men in the rascally job were Tom Rockwood and Nat wills, but their word was considered good under the circumstances. The fact that Batt Kattcher was missing from the village was ac- cepted as conclusive evidence of his guilt. No one could understand what the villains ex- pected to gain by their rascality, unless they had a personal spite against the lightkeeper, and hoped to ruin him by keeping the light out during the fierce gale. A dozen lives had been lost through the wreck, but the only one who had come ashore was the sailor, Jack Tobin, and Tom and Nat asserted that he had been as good as murdered on the beach by Batt Kattcher and his associate, Peter Fawls. Neither of the boys said anything about the paper which the dying sailor had given as a legacy to Tom. Tom had not as yet examined it, ag both he and Nat had been pretty well done up by their night’s strenuous work. After the sailor’s body had been taken to the village, Tom went to bed in his cabin, while Nat return to the lighthouse. As Tom knew that Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls wanted the docu- ment in the water-tight belt the worst way, and judged. that they would employ every unfair means within their power to get possession of it, he, as a matter of precaution, hid the belt under a loose board in the cabin before he turned in. » For all he know to the contrary, the villains might be still hiding in the vicinity, looking for an opportunitw to pounce upon him unawares and take the belt away from him. Tom slept till two in the afternoon, and was then awakened by hearing a knock at the door of the cabin. He. hopped out of bed, ran to the window and peered out. Ruby Rand was. stand- ‘ing outside, her golden hair glistening in the sun- light. Tom opened the window. “Hello, Ruby, you there?” “Yes, Tom.” “Well, wait; I’ll be out in a minute.” He hurried on his clothes, opened the door and stepped outside. : - “7 s’pose you’ve heard all about what happened during the night,” said the boy. “Yes, Tom,” replied Ruby with an anxious air. “And the people are saying awful things about Mr. Kattcher.” A WAIF'’S LEGACY Pee ae “They’re not saying anything: more than he de- serves, I guess,” answered Tom. tf “Oh, Tom, is it really true what the people sa —that he and a man named Fawls put the — lighthouse lamps out last night?” wns « “There isn’t any doubt about it in my mind, ~ though nobody actually saw them do it.” tl “They say that you and Nat accused Mr. Kattcher and the other man of murdering a sailor — named Jack Tobin, who came ashore from the — wreck.” see: “Well, we saw them holding the poor fellow — down on the sand, and I saw Kattcher strike him - several blows. We rushed up and sent them fly- — ing. Afterward when they had the nerve to | return, the sailor, with his ying breath, accused them of doing him up. That’s all Nat and I know about it.” eee “It’s terrible, Tom,” said the girl. “If Mr. — Kattcher is sent to prison I don’t know what I shall do. I won’t stay at the cottage with Moses, — “No, I wouldn’t if I were you. You'll be able to find a home in the family of some other fisher- man. Kattcher has no claim on you, anyway.” “T’ve always lived with him sincé I can re- — member, and he’s treated me pretty well, especial- - ly since Mrs. Kattcher died.” ae moe no relation of his, I understand.” rl 10 yee 4, “And he’s never told member of his family?” “No. Moses says I’m a foundling, and teases me about it, as if it were something disgraceful.” — “T’ve told yow not to mind what Moses says. — He'll say anything except his prayers, and Vl warrant he’s never said them in hig life.” =. “What is a foundling, Tom?” Epa “A child that’s found somewhere and whose — parents are not known, like myself.” Ta _ “Are you a foundling, too, Tom?” asked Ruby, in surprise. “Moses always calls: you a waif, He says you came out of the lake and that you~ ought to go back into it again.” tae “Very kind of him to say so,” smiled Tom, “I did come out of the lake. Everybody around here knows I was pickel up on the shore after a storm by old Dan, my foster father. As he found me, — and never discovered who my parents were, why, of course I’m a foundling like yourself. The only difference between us is that I know how I came to Dan, but you don’t know how you came to the — Kattchers.” é ¢ “I wish I hadn’t come to them. I think V’d— been happier if somebody else had found me,” re-_ plied the girl. : : Pies. “Well, don’t worry, Ruby. You’re none the — worse for being a foundling. Neither am I though I often wish I knew who my parent: weiso d I,” said th : “So do I,” said the girl, tears springin her eyes. “Do you think I'll Sree ane “Tver what?” 2 ein “Find my father and mother,” she said ‘wis fully. 4 af “You may, but I don’t think I-ever will. you going over to the village? I was told to o over to the inquest the coroner from Eastlaké'i going to hold this afternoon on the body of Jac Tobin. I’ve got to get my breakfast first. Cém in and help me cook it.” Sahez As they entered the cabin the sallow, ill-nati ed - ‘ you how you became a_
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t-te +>“ Fe. iretecitely from behind a near-by boulder. something not strictly regular. - What was his little game? - CHAPTER eas self Without Knowing It. _ day previous. started to eat. since Mrs. Kattcher died?’ she answered. Wyott a ops, some of the cooking when she was alive.” eA Yes. _I wasn’t at school.” " “This is better coffee than I make. Prout another cup.” Fe ’ Ruby helped. him to a second cup and then went into the little back room and made up Yom’s bed. When Tom had finished his meal she insisted on washing up the,dishes and sweeping the cabin out. Tom then locked the door and he and Ruby _ started for the village. boulders. into the house. He was inside a lon the sailor’s belt out of his pocket. » asked -himself. ne shrewd grin. say about him. I’m goin’ to look in it. to Chicago and have a good time. know where I’ve gone. ie must have been a fool. for it that’s his funeral, not mix». don’t go to jail I don’t care.” aper. He was intensely disappointed. must go back to the cabin and hunt for it.” - A WAIF’S LEGACY ~~ eounten nce of Moses Kattcher peered at them had been hanging around the cabin for more than two hours, keeping under cover as if he feared _ to be seen. Evidently the little rascal was up to He shook his fist after Tom and Ruby_and thereafter kept a steady watch on the open doorway of the cabin. VIl.—How Moses Overreaches Him- ~ "Tom built a fire of driftwood in the stove and Ruby made the coffee and fried Lim some bacon ~ and eggs, which he brought from Eastlake the “You’re a tip-top cook, Ruby,” said Tom as he “I've cooked for Mr. Kattcher and Moses ever “And I suppose Mrs. Kattcher made you do I always worked about the house when Pour me _ Hardly:were they out of sight before Moses . Kattcher came from his concealment among the He went to the side window of the cabin and tried it. Finding it, was secure he picked up a stone and smashed in one of the “panes. edching his arm through the fracture he released “the catch, pushed up the lower sash and scrambled time, but finally--his head appeared at the window and he got out. Satisfied that there was no one in sight he sat down behind a near-by boulder and pulled ~ “I wonder what dad wants with this?” he “There must be somethin’ val- -uable in it, maybe money,’ he added with a Bal “My old man said he’d give me _ ten dollars if I brought it to him at the old mill« - down the road where he’s hidin’, ’cause he don’t dare come back home on agcount of what. people If it’s - full of money dad’ll never see it. *I’ll run away ) He’ll never Tl bet he’ll be arrested nyway and put in prison for puttin’ out the lamps last night. I wonder what he did that for? If he goes to jail As long as While Moses was speaking he was slowly open- ing 'the belt. All he found in it was a folded piece ‘Only a bit of paper,” he said in disgust. “What Te is that? I'll bet that ain’t what my old man Vl bet the belt was full of money and Rockwood has taken it out and hidden it. ; _ in a furious tone. “What have you done with it?” old He opened the paper and looked at it. One side was filled with writing and figures, jumbled together. «Moses was not a very good scholar, having neglected his studies as much as he could, so he found such difficulty in trying to decipher the contents of the per that he gave it up, shoved it back into the belt and tossed the belt on the rocks. “If I take that to dad he’ll swear I’ve taken the money, just as if I’d steal anythin’, He’ll probably wallop*me instead of givin’ me ten dollars. Ill tell him I couldn’t find the blamed old belt. It ain’t no good, anyway, for there ain’t nothin’ in it but the paper.” Moses took another look around, and finding that the coast was still clear, he ventured to enter Tom’s cabin again through the window. Then he proceeded to look the place all over again, though he had done that pretty thoroughly before he lighted on the loose board underneath ewhich he found Jack Tobin’s belt. He was not success- a.wreck of the inside of the cabin. “Mebbe he’s taken it with him,” thought t young rascal, “What a shame, after all the trouble I’ve had lookin’ for it!” At that moment a key was thrust into the lock and the door opened. Moses was taken by sur- prise, and tried to escape by the window. Tom and Nat saw him as they were entering, and the former gave a gasp. He rushed forward, caught Moses by the leg and pulled him back into the” room. 3 “What are you doing in my cabin, Moses Kattcher?” Tom demanded man “Nothin’,” answered Moses sulkily. “Nothing!” cried Nat. “Just look at the room, Tom. He’s been turning everything topsy-turvy.” “What in thunder have you been up to?” roared Tom, aghast by the scene of confusion. Moses said nothing. He .was shaking in his shoes, for fear that Tom would give him a terrible lambasting. 4 . mae been hunting for your valuables,” said at. 5 bs ‘a “What have you got in your pockets?” asked om. > + “Nothin’,” replied Moses. “I didn’t take a thing.” ; \; “Search him, Nat.” : Nat went through young KattcHer’s pockets, but found nothing that belonged to Rockwood. Tom was puzzled. “So you smashed my window to get in, did you?” said Tom, seeing the splinters of glass on the fioor. “You committed house-breaking, and I can have you sent to prison for it.” That frightened Moses and he wéakened. — “Let me off and I'l) tell yer why I come here,” he whined. “Why did you come?” asked Tom: “Will yer let me go if I-do?” , ‘ paises will depend on whether I believe you or not. “Dad sent me here to find an old belt yer got » ful in finding any money, though he almost made - from the sailor chap who was washed ashore this mornin’ from the wreck.” Tom. looked over in the corner where the belt was hidden and saw that the loose board was lying beside the hole in which it fitted.”© “You’ve found it, you little rascal!” cried Tom ae = Ab a 4 ae 2
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12 | A WAIF’S LEGACY se “Tt’s out on the rocks. There wasn’t nothin’ in it but » piece of paper.’ “What did you do.with the paper?” “Nothin’. Put it’ back in the belt ag’in.’ “Hold him, Nat, till I see if he’s lying.” Tom went outside and hunted among the boul- ’ ders. He spied the belt, opened it and found the per safe, to his great relief. He returned with the belt. to the cabin. “So this was what you were hunting for?” he said to Moses, “Yes. ” “Why did you leave it on the rocks after you got hold of it?” demanded Tom, wondering why the fisherman’s son had not skipped with it in- stead of coming back to the cabin. “Because it wasn’t worth nothin’. I thought there was money in Feo “You did, eh? You say your father told you to come here and hunt for it?” ex.”’ ¢ “Did he tell you there was money in the belt?” “Naw. He ain’t sich a fool.” “Where did he tell you?” “He told me to hunt for the belt and bring it to him.” ; “Well, you found the belt, why didn’t you take it to him right away?” “When I found there wasn’t nothin’ in it but that piece of paper I guessed you’d taken the money out, so I come back to hunt for it.” “Then you thought there ought to be money in the belt?” “Sure. My old man wouldn’t have offered me - ten dollars jest to bring him that belt with only a piece of paper in it. He’d have said I stole the money, and given me a lickin’.” “What are you going to tell him now when you see him?” “P]] tell him that you and Nat Wills caught me in the cabin and knocked the stuftin’ out of me before I could find the belt.” “Well, we ought to knock the stuffing out of you. Look at the trouble you’ve made for me." “T ain’t took nothin’,” growled Moses. “That isn’t the thing. ‘You’ve upset my. house. It’ll take me an hour to put things to rights. Well, you can go. If I catch anything disturbed here again during my absence I’ll suspect you’ve been here again, and I’ll have you arrested and sent to prison for what you did this afternoon. Nat Wills is witness that I caught you here red- handed.” “Pm not comin’ here no more, don’t yer worry. You don’t keep nothin’ in the old place worth shucks.” ‘Tom let him loose and Moses got out as quick as he could and hastened to the old mill to tell his father that his mission had been a failure, never dreaming that he had really found what his _ father wanted so badly, and might easily have got E clean off with it before Tom and Nat: turned up. — CHAPTER VIII.—Tom and Nat Fall Into the ; Clutches of the Enemy. f Well, what do you think of Moses Kattcher now?” laughed Tom.* “He found the very thing his father sent him for. but he failed to take ad- = Yanlag: of the fact because he thought the. belt -Ruby had made the bed up so nicely. I’d like to— . ought to have contained a wad of money. If that” isn’t lucky for me, supposing this dopuaierts means all that Jack Tobin said it does, i dona z know what is luck.” “Let’s examine the paper and see what’s in’ “it, ” said Nat eagerly. ey “Not until we’ve repaired damages. While LA am picking my traps up you’d better get a piece of wood and nail it over that hole in the window.” “All right,” replied Nat, and he got busy. After Tom had cleaned up the kitchen he — looked into his bedroom. The clothes had been all — pulled off the bed, and the mattress was phe 2 “After aS up Pephe little villain!” muttered Tom. well, what’s the use? purse out of a sow’s ear.’ Ags soon as everything had eae put to right again Tom lit the fire and the boys cooked supper for themselves: After they had eaten it Na brought up the subect of the paper in the belt = again. » “Lock the door, Nat, and we’ll take a look at-4 it,” said Tom, producing the belt. ; “What did the dead sailor say about it?” said er Nat. “Something about a treasure, wasn’t it?” , “Yes. He said the paper would guide me to *. spot where a treasure in gold is hidden.” : “A treasure in gold! That will make you rich: ; if you find it.’’- “Probably, if I find it.” “The paper ought to tell yow where to find i Tom opened the belt, took the paper from i unfolded it and spread it out carefully on the table. E- eee s a lot of writing ood figures on it, » he sai 4 ; “Well, read it,” said Nat eagerly. So Tom began as follows: “Seventeen miles W. N. W. of Gross villa Emmet County, Michigan, and almost direct] - bee the Strait of peg eS isa nating called——’ A loud rap on the door deieceanie Tom. “Go to the door, Nat, and see who’s there,” h said. “Better look out of the window first.” “It’s Jud Wicker,” said Nat, and he opened thi door. “Hello, Jud! What’s wanted now?” — “Your dad wants you to take an important. letter to town and put it in the post- op Si the assistant lighthouse keeper. “All right. Where’s the letter?” ; “Here it is,” said Wicker, handing it to Nat “Tell dad that I'll start at once. You'll come — with me, won’t you, Tom?” ~ “Sure, I will,” replied the young fisherman; re folding the document he had started to read ani replacing it in the belt. “I don’t like to lea this belt in the house,” he said to his chum afte Wicker had gone. “No telling but Batt Katte! and his friend Fawls might take a notion to com over here, break in and search for it while I’m away. I guess I’ll hide it under one of the Pont ders outside.” “Tf I were you I'd strap the belt. Scie m1 waist under my shirt, same as Jack Tobin 4 ee you'll always’ know where it is,” sugges re j 5 “That isn’t a bad idea,” said Tom. “T g FNS t ee : You can‘t make a ees Ba
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~ -- He went into his bedroom and strapped the belt on in the manner described. — All ready to go now?” asked Nat. Se “Yes,” replied Tom. ; "He locked up and the boys started for Eastlake, _ which was ‘not much more than three miles dis- _. tant. They had to cross a rocky and sloping tract of ground for nearly half a mile before they struck the road leading from Gosport village to the town. The road was a fairly good one, and they expected to reach the post-office in an hour. ‘By that time it would be dark, and they would - have to come back in the gloom. That fact, how- ~ ever, didn’t bother them any. They had proceeded about half a mile along the road when they met Moses Kattcher on his way back to Gosport from the old mill where he had carried to his father his unsatisfactory report of his failure to secure - the belt. Batt had believed him, and was much disappointed over the result of his son’s mission. ag “Hello, Moses! Been to see your father?” Sr Nos Tom. “None of yer business where I’ve been,” rowled. Moses. ". “Better be civil of Nat and me might take it _ inte our heads to repay a few old scores we owe wou.’ ... “What ver want to know where I’ve been for?” - yetorted Moses, hanging back. ; “Qh, I just asked you. I don’t expect you to tell ‘me where your father is hiding, for it’s nothing o me. The government detectives will soon be Jooking for him, and I guess they’ll nab him all ight—he and his friend Fawls.” id Ew here ave you two goin’?” asked Moses with some curiosity. . “We're ust taking ~ Moses,” chuckled Tom. ae e’ve goin’ to town, I'll bet.” 3 “ote ink we are, eh?” ~ “¥ know yer are, or else “Well, why don’t you finish?” Moses wouldn’t finish what he started to say, so the boys passed him and walked on. The fish- yman’s son watched them till they vanished yound a turn in the road, then, instead of con- ‘tinuing on his way he began to retrace his steps. When Tom and Nat were within a mile of the wn they passed the old mill where, unknown to : m, Batt Kattcher was hiding from publie ob- servation. Peter Fawls didn’t consider it neces- sary to get under cover himself, but for all that ‘did. not make himself very prominent. He spent a large part of the day at the old mili, con- Be with Kattcher about getting possession of a walk for our health, 3”? é@ paper that Jack Tobin had turned over to Bik Rockwood. The wreck of the “Windy City” ould put a large sum of insurance money in the jly lawyer’s pocket if all went well, for he had ipped twenty cases of waste paper from Chicago itahdin under the name of silks and velvets, ‘Thad them insured as such. He had_ not ourited on a storm to aid him, but on the dark- i0onless nights at that part of the month, and the temporary dousing of the light on Bird Point. foxes Kattcher shadowed Tom and Nat until passed the mill, then he ran over to the old d told his father that the two boys A WAIF’S LEGACY in the dark. After closing the trap above 4 18 Batt growled out some reply and told Moses to get home right away, but to be sure and fetch a supply of eatables in the morning. Shortly after Moses departed again for the village Peter Fawls appeared at the mill. He had seen Tom and Nat entering the suburbs of Eastlake, and feeling satisfied they would return to Gosport later on, and that most of the back journey would be made in the dark, it struck him as a good idea for him and Batt to waylay and capture them. He sug- gested the matter to his confederate as soon as he reached the mill. “Tf this Tom Rockwood hasn’t hidden the paper somewhere in his cabin he may have it on his per- son. It’s worth the trouble of catching and bringing them here to get Rockwood at least in our power. Maybe we can make terms with him for the paper. If we can’t, and he hasn’t the’ document about him, we can keep them prisoners until we have made an exhaustive search’ of his cabin for it.” : Kattcher was willing to be guided by any prom- ising proposition advanced by the lawyer, and so he agreed, with Fawls’ assistance, to ambush the two boys on their way home. After depositing the letter in the post-office Tom and Nat spent an hour around town and then started for the shore of the lake. While passing a clump of bushes not far from the mill Kattcher and Fawls rushed upon them with sticks and felled them to the ground unconscious. CHAPTER IX.—In the Cellar of the Old Mill. “That was very neatly done,” said Peter Fawls, looking down at the motionless boys. “Now we must carry them to the mill.” Suiting the action to the word he raised Nat Wills m his arms and started for the ancient — building, leaving Kattcher to follow with Tom Rockwood® In a few moments they had the boys inside the gloomy old structure. The lamp they they had left turned low was turned up and they took a better look at their prisoners. Porn: “J raised quite a lump on this chap’s head,” said the lawyer, alluding to Nat. ; “And I laid Rockwood out as flat as a pancake,” said Kattcher. “Now go through his pockets and see if yeu can find the paper.” _ ‘ ; Batt did_so, but the important document was not in his clothes. ; “It’s still in the belt and hidden somewhere in > his cabin. We'll tie these two lads to a couple of the supports of the cellar and then we’ll go over to Rockwood’s cabin: and search it thoroughly,” said Fawls. Accordingly they ‘carried the boys down into the musty-smelling cellar of the old mill in the dark, Then the lawyer went back for the lamp and several pieces of thin rope, of which there was a lot in the upper back room. They tied Tom and Nat in sitting positions to separate posts. “Tf they can get out of this cellar now they’re weleome to their freedom,” said Fawls, after in- specting the work. i The two men then returned above, taking the. lamp with them and leaving the unconscious boys : the
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“ ONE NRO | Peay Te -” the mill. {4 A WAIF’S stairs ‘they laid a couple of heavy stones on. top of it to hold it down. “yen if they did succeed in freeing themselves they can’t get out of the cellar to save . their lives,” said the lawyer. “Now we'll go to the cabin and hunt for that belt.” Kattcher blew out the light, put the lamp into a small cupboard, and then the pair. of rascals started for the bluff near the hghthouse. Al- though the crack Tom received on the head from the stick wielded by Batt Kattcher was sulcus hard to deprive him of consciousness for the ti being, he had not received the full force of the blow. He recovered his senses half an hour after the men left the mill. His first sensation was that of wonder at finding himself tied and help- less in some place that was as dark as the ace of spades. In a moment or two he began to under- stand the situation, for before he was struck _ down he caught a glimpse of the two men, whom he recognized as his enemies, rushing upon him- self and Nat with uplifted sticks, that descended _ on their heads before either could dodge the blows. “J see through the matter now,” he muttered. “The rascals waylaid us on our way back to the shore. They must have seen us on the road and laid their plans to do us up. The question is, where are we and what are they going to do with us? - Tom thought of the belt around his waist at once. Of course Kattcher and Fawls had searched him while he was unconscious and found it on his person. That was what they were after. Then _ they had tied and left him helpless in some place that appeared to be a room. He did not know of any building in the. neighborhood of the spot where he and Nat had been assaulted except the old mill. He therefore naturally concluded that _ he was in the mill. “If they’ve gone on and left me here in this state I’ll starve to death, for nobody eyer visits I wonder what they did with Nat? Maybe he’s here, too. I don’t hear a_ sound, though, to indicate that anybody besides myself is in the room.’ Tom shouted Nat’s name several times, and re- ceiving no reply he struggled a bit with his bonds, but they held him almost as if he were in a vise. “This is fierce,” he grumbled. “Nat and I ought to have been on our guard against a possible sur- prise; but the last thing we thought of was the possibility of an attack from Kattcher and his . friend. That’s where we were foolish. We ought™ _to have suspected that the rascals might be hang- ing around the neighborhood, watching for a chance to secure that paper. The fact that Batt Kattcher sent his son to my cabin to search for it was proof of his presence in this vicinity, and - wherever he was one might cba has conclude that Fawls was with him.” Tom metaphorically kicked himself ti being so stupid.as not to guard against all possible contin- gencies, “P’m not half as clever as I thought I was,’’ he _ muttered in disgust. “Kattcher and his friend are now on top while I’m in the soup.’ He passed an unpleasant hour thinkiag how ane ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Then ue heard a Fig ies sound close by. “place?” LEGACY “What’s that?” he asked himself while fhe’ lis- tened for a repetition of the noise. ‘ He heard it again. ¢ a) p “I guess there are rats in this building. This j seems to be the cellar of the old mill. If they’re — hungry they might take a notion to nibble at “Rigy: and I couldn’t drive them 6ff.” That reflection was not a comfortable one ey 4 Tom, for he had a horror of rats, and shivered at — the very idea of being at the mercy of a swarm of — rodents. The sound heghad been listening to reached him again, but this time it was accom panied by a subdued human voice. “T believe that’s Nat,” thought Tom with thrill of hope, for misery always craves compan and no one relishes the idea of being absolutely alone under the circumstances the young fisher- 4 ae was in. “Hi, is that you, Nat?” he called — ou “Hello, Tom; you here, too?” “T should say I am here. How is it you've begs so quiet?” - F “T just woke up.” eee “You mean that you just came to your senses “T s’pose so. Where are we at?’ “In the cellar of the’ old mill, I’ve figured,” Mr “How did we get here?” f “We were brought here by Kattcher and Fawls after they knocked us out in the road. You Te=, a member we were attacked by them, don’t you, on — our way. back from town?” “Yes, I remember two men rushing at us with clubs, but I didn’t recognize them. as it was Batt — Kattcher and Fawls?” . “Ves. ” “And they brought us here and tied us in ‘this “Looks as if they did, doesn’t it?” “Where are they now?” “Gone off and left us here, I guess.” “What are we going to do?” “If we can’t, manage to free ourselves I ‘don know what we’re going to do.” A few moments of silence followed. “Say, Tom, did they take the belt away from you?” “T couldn’t tell you. I should i imagine they body.’ somehow I feel as if it were still around my iy.” : aybe they didn’t find it on you. ” hope they didn’t.” ; “rae see if we can work loose,” said Nat. “T’ve been trying, but I couldn’t ‘make any fen way. However, I’m going to try again. Nov then, all together,” if Both prisoners made a big effort to get fr but it amounted to nothing. S em. “We seem to be tied to remain 8; said To at length. “This is Kattcher’s work. Hes’ a “sailor Kn = ole how to fix a knot so it won’t slip,” re a During the two hours that followed the b made repeated efforts to slip their bonds, ‘but they were unsuccessful. They were beginning fou: feel greatly discouraged over the situatio they heard footsteps on the bodrds overhead “Pll bet the rascals have come back,” sai “Probably we’ ve a visit fr
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CHAPTER X.—Turning the Tables on the Z Enemy. .~» If Nat had been a wizard he couldn’t have made better guess. Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls * intended to pay them a visit without delay. The boys heard the rumble of the two heavy stones as - they were rolled off the trap, which was then opened and the men appeared with the ng it ~ was the lawyer who carried the lamp, and by its - light the rascals surveyed their prisoners. ~ “So you chaps have come to your senses, eh?” fi - been over ~-couldn’t find it. : paper is that you got from Jack Tobin. Je’re goin’ to find out.” - Peter Fawls placed the lamp on a box near at -*hand and the two men unloosened Tom from the _. post. Kattcher pulled Tom’s jacket off and began ' the slip, for his ankles remained tied to the other post. Kattcher pulled Tom’s jacekt off and began feeling it carefully over. Had the paper been Eee - gewn into the lining he would have found it out. “Maybe he’s got the belt strapped around his waist,” said Fawls when the fisherman dropped he jacket. The suggestion was not lost on the fisherman. He commenced feeling of Tom’s body. oes a moment he uttered an exclamation of tri- “umph, and pulling up the boy’s shirt,showed the 4 covéted belt in the lamplight. te “We might have saved ourselves a lot of use- ~~ less trouble if we’d thought of that before,” said the lawyer. “Take it off him and tie him up » Kattcher soon got the belt off Tom and tossed it to Fawls, who, while the fisherman was re- tying the boy, opened the belt and found the ' paper. : oe -“7+¢?s here,” said the lawyer. ‘now as good as ours.” ->Kattcher was so excited by the knowledge that they had got hold of the paper they wanted so badly, and he was so eager to get a look at its contents, that he bungled the job of securing Tom - to the post once more. “Tf you’d acted right by us you might have made somethin’ out of this thing,” he said to Tom with a chuckle of satisfaction, “Now you won’t get even a look-in. The next time somebody ed aves you a legacy I advise you to hold on to it.’ --Kattcher punctuated the remark with a sar- denic laugh, and picking up the lamp the twe men jJeft the cellar. They did not take the time, or think it necessary to replace the stones on the ‘trap, but hurried to the box which answered for a table and placing the Jamp in the centre of it, ‘awls spread out the paper and began to read oud its contents. 2 “Gee! That’s hard luck! per at last,” said closed again, leaving them in darkness. Tom made no reply. He was as mad as a hor- “The treasure is They've got the pa- ont EST : | oO WRIPS BEGACT = é at, after the trap had been’ 15 net to think the rascals had triumphed over him. ° He yanked savagely at his bonds and they began to’ yield. Another effort enabled him to release one of his arms, and the other followed easily. “I’m nearly free, Nat,” he said in a tone of satisfaction. ‘“Kattcher made a bad job of re- tying me.” : Nat felt like shouting, but he didn’t, and wait- ed for his companion to complete his way to lib- erty of action. Tom lost no time in pulling out his jackknife and cutting his ankles loose. Then he crawled over to Nat and released him in afew | moments. “Now,” said Tom in a determined tone, “if we can get out of this cellar I am going to make a strenuous effort to recover that paper.” “T’ll back you up,” replied Nat. “Pollow me and see that you don’t make any noise. The stairway is over yonder.” Tom led the way. Ascending the short but- stout flight of steps he put his hands against the bottom of the trap and pushed on it. It rose | slowly- without noise, and Tom saw Kattcher and the lawyer, with their backs to him, poring over the paper which was his legacy. Tom let the trap fall back again. Then he turned to Nat and told him what he had seen. me “Go down and see if you can find a couple of sticks. We couldn’t have a better chance to get back at those: rascals than we have now,” whis- pered Tom. , “What’s the matter with getting the lines with which we were tied, make a couple of nooses, and after slipping up behind them, drop them over their heads and arms and haul them taut? Then they’d be almost as helpless as we were a little while ago,” suggested Nat. “All right,” agreed Tom. “They’re both in a ~ fine position to be caught off their guard. _Hurry up and get the ropes.” Nat got the ropes, and as both were experts in making all kinds of sailor knots they soon made a couple of nooses that would fill the bill. Tém then raised the trap again with great caution. The two rascals were in the same positions, study- ing the directions on the paper. Tom stepped en the floor and held the trap for Nat to come up, then he let it down softly into its place. Like shadows they advanced on the men, with nooses ready for action, Tom taking Kattcher for his _ victim, leaving the lawyer to Nat. At.the proper : moment the nooses were dropped over the heads of the two rascals and hauled taut around their arms. Kattcher and Fawls were taken com- pletely by surprise, and before they realized what had happened to them the boys had the ends of the lines knotted so that the nooses wouldn’t slip. Tom. then grabbed the paper off the box. . ‘We have turned the tables on you and your friend, Batt Kattcher,” chuckled Tom. “How do you like the situation now?” The men glared at the two boys in a dazed way. They could not understand how they came to be at liberty. It did not seem at all natural to the rascals. They sprang to their feet and tried to ~~ use their pinioned arms, but the effort was quite > useless. Then Kattcher began to swear like a trooper. “Let us loose, you young monkeys!” he roared. “Not on your life, Batt Kattcher,” replied Tom. “You tied us up pretty tight, and now we’re giy- ing you a taste of the same medicine.” the
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16 A WAIF’S The fisherman hurled all kinds of threats at Tom, but they made no impression on the boy. He quietly folded up the Pe relating to the al- leged treasure, replace in the belt, and strapped the belt about his waist again. The next - thing was what were they to do with the men? They were both wanted to answer for the crime of putting out the lighthouse lamps and thereby causing the loss of the steamer “Windy City.” Tom considered it his duty to hand them over to the authorities. To accomplish this it would be necessary to get more complete control of the rascals than they had, especially of Batt Kattch- er, who wag strong enough to be almost unman- ageable even with his arms tied to his sides, “Get a couple pieces of that rope off the wall . yonder, Nat,” Tom said. The lighthouse keepér’s son brought the line. “We must trip Kattcher up and tie his legs,” said Tom in a low tone. The fisherman, suspecting their purpose, made a desperate effort to get free. The boys jumped on him, tripped him up, and after a big fight succeeded in securing his legs together. Tom then lifted the trap and they shoved the man down iato the cellar. R “Now for Fawls,” said Tom. ‘He'll be easy.” The lawyer, however, had disappeared. He had taken advantage of the fact that the boys had their hands full with Kattcher, and left both the room and the mill. CHAPTER XI—A Night Visit. “We've lost him,” said Tom after they had hunted around the immediate neighborhood with- out success. advantage.” “Looks like it. I s’pose he’s run up the road to- ward town,” said Nat. “He’ll have to get some- body to take that noose off his arms before he can enter Eastlake. Then he’ll have to be careful that the town police don’t run him in, for they must be lodking for him as well as Batt » Kattcher.” “Come, we must put those stones over the trap to hold it down, and blow the lamp out before we ' leave here,” said Tom. “Then we'll return to town and notify the police that they will find Kattcher in the cellar, tied hand and foot.” Inside of half an hour the boys entered the Hastlake police station and told their story to the officer in charge. Three policemen were de- spatched to the old mill in a light wagon to take charge of the fisherman. Tom and Nat accom- panied them. When the lamp was lighted the - ala door was discovered to be open, and the bird flow ; oT mM bet Fawls is responsible for this,” said Tom in a tone of disgust. “He must have ‘man- aged to get rid of the noose somehow, and then he came back and set his friend, the fisherman, free. It’s too bad after we had ‘them both dead -_ to rights.” The officers were not pleased at*having come on a wild-goose chase, and they returned to town much disgruntled, while Tom and Nat returned. to the shore, keeping their eyes wide open lest Kattcher and Fawls be on the watch for them. Nat went with Tom to the. cabin where they - found plenty evidences of the visit made by the “He must have used his legs to good - “in rushed a big man, followed by a, smaller one. is had-made their entrance through the same win-— dow used by Moses, and Nat had another job re pairing it. It took some time to put things to — rights, and then Nat agreed to remain all fee 2 with Tom, to help him in case the enemy made _ another descent on the cabin. The clock had j “ struck two when Tom awakened from a disquiet- — ing dream. Im his vision Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls had broken into the cabin, and while _ one was holding him helpless the other was re- we lieving him of his belt with the paper. — - “That was a mighty realistic dream, all right,” eh said to himself as he sat up in bed. “I’m glad it wasn’t true.” At that momerit he heard sounds at the door. — He listened intently, his nerves all of a tingle. He was soon satisfied that somebody was trying | a to force the door with some kind of an imple- ment. He jumped pe of bed and slipped over to the front window. was a dark night, the only — : light coming from F e stars which shone rather dimly, still Tom could see the indistinct outlines — of two figures outside, one of whom was bent over, working at the door. Nobody but Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls would have any ob- ject in trying to enter his cabin in such an under-— hand way. He rushed back to the little bedroom — q and awakened Nat. — Z “What's the trouble?” asked the Hivhtheeperl : ages h d Fawl | a attcher an awls are trying to into the cabin,” replied Tom. _ get a “You don’t mean it!” cried Nat, startled into — wakefulness. “T do mean it. Listen and syou'll ‘hear one of them trying to force the door.” 2 Nat listened and was convinced. “What have you got here to lay them out with?” he asked. °. : “ve a stout cudgel for one thing,” replied ‘Tom. fe “That’s first-rate.” - “I’ve also a loaded revolver that belonged to old Dan.” “That’s better. You take the revolver and give me the stick. We'll give them a warm reception.” Nat took’ up his position near the door and waited, while Tom crouched not far away. A mo- © ment later the door yielded with a crash. Then vy Nat swung the cudgel and it fell. with a thud — upon the back of the first man, who fell f ward on the floor with a roar of pain mingled with im- precations. At the same time Tom fired. The flash lighted up the room for a moment and re- vealed the faces of Kattcher and Fawls. The lawyer, startled by the report, and the hum of a bullet close to his ear, turned and"fled from the building, and up the shore at full speed, leaving his companion to take his own chances. : Bs “Throw up your hands, Kattcher, or ll 7 you full of holes!” cried Tom in rh ging tote “Show a light, Nat.” Nat hurriedly lighted the lamp, an man was discovered leaning agains’ ( half dazed by the blow he had received from. t cudgel. ‘ + “Get a piece.of line and tie his 7 at him,” directed Tom. “If you make at Kattcher, I’ll be obliged to sheot y one to take chances with a man, er.” ; ;
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Vachon + '¢ ate » he fisherman saw that he was up against it, - and he sullenly submitted to be bound. : “You thought to ‘steal a march on®* me, Kattcher, but your scheme didn’t work,” said Tom. “When I am looking for trouble I sleep ~ with one eye open. You escaped from the old mill, but I guess you won’t escapé us this time.” “What are you goin’ to do with me?” growled the fisherman. ° - Turn you over to the authorities.” “T’l] give you $100 to let me go.” “No, I wouldn’t take a thousand.” “You'll regret it if you don’t.” “J don’t think I'll regret doing my duty. Nat, get your clothes on, run over to the lighthouse and tell your father that we’ve captured Batt Kattcher. Tell him to send Wicker over with you -to escort Kattcher to the lighthouse where he can be locked up in the oil-room for the rest of the ight.” “All right,” replied Nat, who, five minutes later, was on his way. a “Took here, Rockwood,” said the fisherma when they were alone, “can’t I make a deal wit you? You’ll never be able to find that treasure ~ without assistance. If you’ll let me go, and stand in with Fawls and me, you shall have a fair half, » and we'll be satisfied with a quarter apiece.” \ “T wouldn’t make a deal with such men as you if I never got the treasure left me by Tobin,” re- plied Tom firmly. 5 . “It would be money in your pocket to do it,” said Kattcher. “You are only wasting your breath. I won’t _ have anything to do with either-of you. You'll be in jail, anyway, a few hours from now, and so will Fawls, as soon as he is caught.” _ The fisherman tried to continue the argument, but Tom wouldn’t listen to him. Then Nat re- - turned with Jud Wicker, and Kattcher, against his will, was compelled to aceompany them to the lighthouse. Afterward Nat came back and spent the remainder of the night at the cabin. wvillage lock-up, a small building used to confine an occasional fisherman when he became unmanage- ‘able in his cups, and word was sent to the town police. When it became known that Kattcher had been caught half the village went to the lock-up to try and get a view of the man charged with putting out the lighthouse lamps and incidentally bringing about the wreck of the steamer “Windy Cit ”» When the fisherman appeared at the barred window and looked at the crowd he was. saluted with all kinds of uncomplimentary remarks, chiefly hurled at him by those members of the — little community who had been sore on him for ‘a long time., Kattcher denied his guilt to the few - eronies he had, and asserted that Tom Rockwood -*- and Nat Wills lied when they said they had seen him and his friend Fawls in the lighthouse on - the night of the gale. When asked why he had been keeping under cover since the charge was -. made against him he claimed that he had good * reasons for it which were nobody’s business but his own. In due time a wagon and several police- men arrived from Eastlake and transferred him to the town jail, where he was held to await the action of the United States authorities. That afternoon a couple of government detec- tives, with the inspector of the district, arrived A WAIF’S LEGACY oe much — Next morning Kattcher was taken to the 17 at the Bird Point Light and began an investiga- tion of the circumstances attending the loss of the steamer “Windy City” on the Shark’s Teeth reef. Tom and Nat were both called on to tes- tify, and their stories went a long way to estab- lish the guilt of Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls. The inspector told them that they would be called on to testify at the trial of the accused, no doubt being entertained but that the lawyer would soon be taken into custody. When the inspéctor and the detectives returned to Eastlake they learned that Peter Fawls had given himself up, and asked for an immediate examination for himself and Kattcher. This examination was set for the fol- lowing morning, and a messenger was sent to — Gosport to notify Obadiah Wills, his son and Tom Rockwood to be present at it. CHAPTER XII.—What the Document . Contained. Tom had been pretty well occupied all day and neither he nor Nat thought about the document in the belt until they were eating supper that eve- ning. ; “We'll read it after we get through eating,” — said Tom; “that is, if we are not interrupted again.” a“ ‘je That suited Nat, who was extremely eager to learn about the alleged treasure that his friend was heir to. When the dishes were washed up and the kitchen put to rights, Tom got the paper out of the belt, and the second attempt to master its contents was begun. This is what he read: “Seventeen miles W. N. W. of Cross village, — Emmet County, Michigan, and almost directly in — line with the Strait of Mackinac, is a small island called Hog Island. . Here in the year 1862 came: one Jean Frontenac, a French Canadian, to live. — He dwelt on the island eighteen years, living a hermit’s existence, in a small hovel pear the shore. He supported himself by fishing and rais- ing certain garden truck on a small patch of; — ground ‘behind his-hut. He died a month ago, — just one week after I, Jack Tobin, was marooned” on this island by Capt. Batt Kattcher, of the fishing sloop ‘Pandora,’ hailing from Gosport vil- lage, Mich., because I had threatened to expose certain smuggling operations of Kattcher and his _ confederate, Peter Fawls, a lawyer of Eastlake, a town near Gosport. These two were hand-in- glove in the business of running cases of French cognac from the villag@of Putney, on the Ca- nadian shore, to Gosport in the sloop ‘Pandora.’ — Jean Frontenac was ill in bed when I came across him, and I did my best to fetch him around, but he died. Before his death he confided to me that — he had buried the sum of $100,000 in French gold FURY Aloe: foot of an old oak tree 30 paces due east from N. E. corner of cabin, dig 4 feet. This money he — bequeathed to me in gratitude for my services to © him in his last days of life. After I had buried him I hunted for the money and found a forei, looking brass-bound chest at the spot named. was too heavy for me to lift out of the hole, I could’ not break the cover open. So I recove: it, making the ground look as I found it, and there
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18 e: A WAIF’S it must lie till I am so fortunate as to be taken off _ this island, and can come back later prepared to _ take the money away with me. I have noted these facts down because it suited my fancy to do so, as well as to keep the matter fresh in my mind. “Writ by Jack Tobin, on Hog Island, April 16, 3 eR ha Then immediately under the above appeared the following in different ink: “Chicago, May 8.—I never expected to meet Capt. Kattcher again on the deck of the ‘Pandora’ sloop, and yet that has happened. A week after Y had jotted down the words written above the captain put in at Hog Island to see if I was alive. - Finding that I was he agregd to take me off and land me at Gosport if I would swear never to reveal what I knew about his smuggling opera- tions. Being eager to get away from the island that I might make arrangements for getting hold of the dead Frenchman’s money, I consented. He had a Testament on the sloop, and so I took the oath. After that his attitude toward me was ’ friendly. Unfortunately, the day before we ar- rived at Gosport he saw me reading what I had written above on the island, and his curiosity -. being aroused, he stole the paper from me that - night, and after reading it. hid it in a corner of - his bunk, intending to use the information for his own profit. When I missed the paper I suspected that he had taken it, and watching my chance I entered his berth and hunted around until I ‘found it in his bunk. Soon after we came to - anchor he found the paper gone and accused me ~ of stealing it from him, asserting that it be- ~— jJonged to him. I admitted having recovered it, and told him what I thought of him for taking it from my jacket while I slept. He swore that _he’d have me searched and the paper taken from me by force unless I agreed to divide the treasure ~ with him. I pretended to agree, and while ‘we were talking the matter over Lawyer Fawls came - aboard and took him below. I took advantage of the chance to get ashore, and started for Chi- * cago to take an old friend into my confidence, in- tending to allow him a liberal portion of the treas- re if he would help me carry it away from the island. An hour ago I learned that my friend was dead, so that now I will haye to try and bring away the treasure by my own exertions. I have decided to take the steamer ‘Windy City’ to Ka- - tahdin, and make my way to Cross village as best ~~ Tean. Then I will have to hire a small sailboat, -. purchase such tools as ave necessary for breaking ”» open the chest, and then _ At that point the writer had evidently been in- terrupted, for the manuscript stopped abruptly “and was not resumed. The reader must not im- --agine that the writing on the paper was as clear and well written as we have given it. On the contrary, the chirography was so bad that Tom had considerable diff.culty in making it out, while the spelling: was pretty rocky. Jack had not been an educated man to any great extent, but he was a man who, nevertheless, liked to commit his thoughts to paper. ‘For years he had kept a dis- connected sort of diary on separate sheets of paper, jotting down his impressions about any anusual occurrence or adventure that happened _ tohim. He kept them-in his well-worn sea-chest, ‘fatal trip on the steamer ‘Windy City.” LEGACY which reposed in the attic room in a Gosport cot- tage he occupied when ashore. He had_ sailed with Batt Kattcher for several years, and only ~ for Batt’s smuggling proclivities, which he strongly disapproved, might have sailed with him many more. The break in their relations led, as the paper showed, to Tobin’s diseovery of the treasure; and the discovery of the treasure led to the sailor’s Yet he would have survived that, and in all probability have ultimately secured the treasure, but for his unfortunate meeting with Bait Kattcher and Peter Fawls when he was cast in a weakened state on the shore. The three blows the fisher- man gave him over the heart finished him, and Batt was as much his murderer as if he had knifed or shot him. After Tom Rockwood had waded through the writing he paused and looked at Nat. * : : é “Well, what do you think of it?” he asked. “What do I think? on Hog Island, all right. Tobin dug down to a brass-bound box, and though he did not actually see the money there seems no doubt in my mind that it’s there. If there’s really $100,000 in French gold coin in that box, you’ll be a rich boy when you get hold of it.” ; “It seems too good to be true, Nat. 000 is more money than most men make in the whole course of their lives.” “You can bet your life it is. What will you do with so much coin when it comes into your pos- session?” “T never count my chickens before they’re hatched, Nat. “It’s a bad practice. When I get that money in my hands, if I ever do, I’ll begin to think what use I'll put it to.” “Well, now you*know where it is, and just where to look for it, if I were you I’d lose no time going straight to Hog Island. Vl] go with you. of the hole. At any rate, we can take something with us that will smash open the box, and we can then fill some bags with the money,” ¥ think there’s a treasure Why, $100,-. byes’ I guess the two of us can get that box out “T suppose the best way to go to Hog Island : would be to take a train to Mackinac and hire a small sloop there and sail due west to the island.” “That isn’t the way I’d go if I were in your shoes.” “What would you do? Leave the railroad at ‘the nearest point to Cross village and hire a boat at that place?” “No, I'd sail up the coast in your sloop as far as Cross village, and then steer from there to Hog Island, which, according to the paper, is 17 miles W. N: W. from that point.” “That would take time.” “What of it? If the $100,000 is there you could He bring it back here in your own craft, and no- nOgE need know what kind of a cargo you car- ried. village, and hired a sloop at either place, you’d have to transship your treasure on your return, — and that might lead to trouble one way or an- other, and would be more expensive, not speaki g of the chance of some of the money, which would haye to be boxed, being lost or going astray through an error or the carelessness of an ex- press employee.” - “Your argument seems to be pretty good, Nat. I shall consider it. I guess I have funds enough If you went to Mackinac by rail, or Cross.
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A WAIF’S LEGACY . to ance the trip, but Hog Island is a long dis- — for us to make for in my little old sloop, which wasn’t new even when it first came into old ’s possession.” panes good, stanch Bett yet. I wouldn’t be id to go to Canada in her.” erat Fa ‘tired and sleepy. My rest was broken last night,.and I didn’t sleep anything to -speak of the night before. I should think you d . feel done up, too, for you’re in the same boat. - “J don’t feel any too bright.” “Going to stay with me, or will you return to i use?” aS er dust as soon stay here if it’s all the same to you.” Pen “Qure. I’d be glad to have you stay. After we See trom the examination of those two rascals . tomorrow we'll make our plans about going to fter the treasure.” 4 : Feocd” replied Nat in a tone of satisfaction. “J think we'll have a bang-up time going there in your sleop if you decide to adopt my sugges- tion.” BEE ae ~ Feeling quite safe against intruders now tha : Sapeher end Fawls were in the county jail, Tom and Nat turned in and slept like a top until long “after sunrise. + . CHAPTER XIIIl.—Starting After His Legacy. '_/- mination of Kattcher and Fawls next ane the prisoners were held on the evidence of Tom Rockwood and Nat Wills. The ee _. ‘of the fish-curing establishment bailed the awyer out, and subsequently Peter Fawls secured bail for Batt Kattcher. Thus both rascals obtained their freedom pending their trial, the date of » which was not as yet set. Tom having decided to make the trip -in his little sloop to Hog Island, he and Nat, after their return from town, pro- ceeded to make their preparations for immediate departure. Tom bought his supplies in Eastlake, and had them delivered at his cabin. He secured tools for breaking open the brass-bound chest de- seribed by Tobin, and purchased a dozen stout bags in which to put the money. While they were putting their stuff aboard the sloop Ruby Rand appeared on the beach. eae Ruby! om. | + > SN Ce tain Kattcher is back.” : * “Tg he? I wets ne he was released on bail— r Fawls. : ne the ‘Pandora’ is going to sail tomorrow morn- alee : ms she?” said Tom indifferently. “Yes; and what = you think? a. re going in her. _— Seer the Eaves going, too?” asked the young fisherman in surprise. a oN eR?” ~.. What do you think of that, Nat?” : -. “J think there’s something in the wind. . ‘Kattcher is not going on a fishing trip this time. >. T'll bet he intends to go to’ Hog Island and try ~~ and find the treasure. on. us.’’ Expects to steal a march é : e— % “Vl bet you’re right,” replied Tom with an anx- ious look. “Looks as if we’re going to be up against it. Kattcher carries a crew of four. "Il be himself, Fawls and Moses. . That “§ 9 How’s things at the cottage? Moses and Mr. 19 will be seven against us two. Pretty big odds.” “What are you talking about, Tom?” asked Ruby, rather puzzled. : Ze; “T’'ll tell you,” he replied, and then he told her all about. the treasure supposed to be buried on Hog Island at the northern end of the lake; how Jack Tobin, the sailor who had been washed ashore from the wreck of the “Windy City,” had possessed the knowledge of its whereabouts, and had committed the information to paper, the better to remember it; how Kattcher and Fawls knew about the paper and had practically mur- dered Tobin on the shore in order to get posses- ~ sion of it; how he and Nat had reached the spot in time to prevent them from succeeding; how the dying sailor had given it to him as a legacy; = how the two rascals had subsequently made several attempts to get the paper away from him, and had sueeceeded once, and how by good — luck he had recovered it from them. Ruby listened in great astonishment to his story. : “Now, Ruby, Nat and I are preparing to go to Hog Island in my sloop to dig up this treasure. if it is really there. According to the informa- tion you have just brought us Kattcher and Fawls are evidently about to. set out for the ee same place on a similar mission: Since they have not been able to secure the paper, and having — some idea of its contents from having had it — awhile in their possession, they intend to try and get ahead of me by going to ioe Island at once and hunting for the money box. So you see, — little girl, there’s-going to be trouble over that — treasure.” : ie “Oh, Tom, I hope not,” replied Ruby axiously. “There’s bound to be. “Katteher and Fawls) — are determined to get ‘hold of that money, for there is supposed to be $100,000 in French gold coin in the box, and that’s a big fortune. Now — I’m equally determined to prevent them from* +4 robbing me of my legacy, and Nat is ready to stand by me to the last gasp, aren’t you Nat?” “Bet your life I am,” replied the lightkeeper’s — son in a determined tone. (ceaeoeoe “That means that we will fight Kattcher and Fawls to the limit if we have ‘to,” = “Oh, Tom,” she cried tearfully, “you must not 5 put your life in danger.” : } “Danger or no danger, Kattecher and Fawls 1 are not going to get away with the treasure ins we can prevent it in any way whatever, -you may depend on that.” : : “Are you going to sail for the island today?” Ruby asked earnestly. : “We are. Just as soon as we can get away, I hope that Kattcher won’t suspect that we’ve gone on the treasure hunt, for in that case he’d be- on the lookout for us... If we can get there ahead of him it would-please me immensely; but Im afraid we'll not be able to beat him, for the ‘Pandora’ is said to be a right smart sailer. If he does beat-us it may amount to nothing in the end, if he can’t remember the directions given — on the paper for the finding of the money-bo If we can land on the istand without Kattche or Fawls finding the fact out, it may give us the — chance to surprise them in the act of lifting the treasure. A great deal will depend on lue far as we are concerned, for the ‘Pandora’ iy will have the advantage of numbers. Th x
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“20 is well worth fighting for, and both sides mean business.” “You will take good care of yourself, won’t you, Tom?” begged Ruby. : : “Sure. I’d be a fool if I didn’t. Are you off?” “Yes. I’ve got lots to do at the cottage be- fore 1 go aboard the sloop.” “Do you know what time in the morning the ‘Pandora’ is going to leave?” “Nine or ten o’clock, I thinl:.” “We'll be off inside of an hour. That will give us a good start. I don’t believe Kattcher ean reach the island before us. If we could only have two or three hours to work in before the ‘Pandora’ gets there I’ll bet we'd get the money all right.” Ruby hurried away as she was afraid that Moses would miss her and come looking for her, and the boys were left to complete: their preparations. “Kattcher and Fawles aren't letting any grass grow under their feet in their efforts to secure the treasure, are they, Nat?” said Tom. “T should say not. It’s a good thing that Ruby came over and let us know that the ‘Pan- dora’ is about to sail. Otherwise we would be in danger of getting trapped. Now we know what we have to expect, so we can be on our ‘guard. I’m going to borrow Jud Wicker’s revolver and a box of cartridges to make this warm for the “Pandora’ crowd,” said Nat. “With the start we'll have we should easily reach Hog Island ahead of the big sloop, that is, if we have Juck. Kattcher will have one great advantage over us—he knows just where the island is and can lay his course direct, while we'll have to hug the coast up to Cross village, in- quiring our way, before we can use the course _ to the island mentioned by Tobin, which is W. N. W. from the village, a distance of seventeen miles,” * Knowing that every moment*was precious in this race for the treasure, Tom and Nat rushed _ their departure. Everything was ready by four clock, and they set sail from the cove, heading out into the bay to get a good offing before pass- ing the entrance to Gosport Inlet. They had a good breeze in their favor and the little sloop _ bowled along with a bone in her teeth, as sailors | say in referring to the foam when it dashes from the cutwater of any craft. Ten miles north was the small town of Frank- lin, and here Tom. proposed: to put in and ask for information about Cross village and Hog Ysland, which he didn’t care to do in Gosport, lest his inquiries reach the ears of Kattcher. The sloop made the run to Franklin in a little over an hour, and at half-past five she was alongside a big schooner and Tom was talking to her mate. Yom learned that Hog Island was about 100 miles from Franklin as the crow flies. The mate took ‘him down into the cabin and produced a chart of tne lake. . “The shortest course you can take to yeach Hog Island is to follow. the shore to Clark’s Point, ‘five mi.es north, then lay- your course N. N. E. till you sight the southern point of South Mani- tou Island,” said the mate of the schooner, point- ing the island out on the chart. “That’s a run f about twenty miles. ‘Then after -your course o EB. N..E. till you bring North Manitou, this island, on your port quarter. When you are foes ¥ A WAIF’S LEGACY clear of North Manitou change your course to N. N. E. again. A straight run of forty milés will bring you within sight of Beaver Island. With the southern shore of Beaver Island bear- ing due west about three miles distant turn your sloop’s head to the north and Hog Island is straight ahead about fifteen miles away. There itis. Take a good look at the map and note down what I have told you, and you ought to reach your destination without any great trouble.” “It will be dark before we can sight South Manitou. How will I recognize the island?” ask- ed Tom. ; “You' don’t need to if you have an aceurate idea of your craft’s speed with the present wind abeam, provided it holds.” “About ten miles an hour,” “Very good. Then you'll be safe to change your course at the end of two hours after leaving Clark’s point. Half an hour later you should see the North Manitou Light bearing on your port bow. After you have brought it well abeam you will be in a position to run for Beaver Island.” Tom studied the matter out as well as he could, asked a number of more questions which the mate answeded good naturedly, hoted down everything so that he would make no mistake, and then, after thanking the schooner’s officer, returned aboard the sloop, where he found that Nat had employed the time in preparing supper. Tom headed the sloop up the shore for Clark’s Point, eating his supper while he sat at the helm. It. took forty minutes to come abreast ofthe point, and then Tom altered his course for South Mani- tou Island. They passed the Manitous and set off for Hog Island, forty miles away. It was now about ten | o’clock and the two boys took turns at the helm during the night and at nine o’clock next. day came close to Hog Island. The boys scanned the shore of the island for the Frenchman’s shanty, — but saw nothing of it. “allo, isn’t that a house yonder?” exclaimed Nat, pointing towards the shore of the bay. “T pelieve it is,” answered Tom, turning the sloop’s head straight for the beach, where they could now distinguish a hut down by the shore. . CHAPTER XIV.-Finding the treasure. As the sloop neared the beach they could see the building quite plain. Tom spied a little creek oe into the shore and guided the boat into it. is “Take in the jib and drop the mainsail,” he said, and Nat hastened to do it. The sloop ran right into a mass of everhanging prass and vegetation where the bank rose several feet on either side, and with the sails down she lay in the creek as snug as a bug in a rug, as the ex- pression is, and with only her bare mast and scant rigging showing, was not likely to be — noticed many yards from her anchorage. The boys jumped ashore, Nat with the painter, which — - he made fast to a tree. “Now we'll investigate the hut,” said Tom. The. uilding was less than a quarter of a mile from the creek, and toward it they at once directed their steps. It was a small, roughly constructed dwelling, built of planed boards, the roof, whi
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was somewhat peaked, being well protected from the weather by asphaltum cloth, strips of which were tacked over the cracks between all the boards forming the front, back and sides. The framework of the doorway was made in regular _ earpenterd style, which could also be said of two small windows on either side 6f it, both the door and window sashes being regulation ones, and working on hinges. Apparently the house had been built, without having been put together, by. a master carpenter, ‘and had then been brought to the island by the Frenchman and by him erected where it stood. There was no lock on the door; a simple latch holding it shut. In the inside were two stout bolts, and each window had a small bolt. The house consisted of only one room, floored with boards, raised a few inches from the ground, and a trench was dug all around the building to keep the rain from making its way under the flooring. The furniture consisted of a small iron bed with a mattress and bedclothes, a small cook stove, a rocking-chair and a plain chair, a deal table equipped with a drawer in which the boys found a small collection of knives, forks and spoons. A good-sized cupboard fastened to the wall held all the necessary crockery that the occupant was likely to use in many years. A good assortment of agateware pots and pans was suspended in the corner where the stove stood, together with _ other articles essential to housekeeping, including ~ a couple of flatirons. ; There were several tin pans, one large enough for a person to wash clothes in, and in fact no convenience that a man would need in that out- of-the-way place had been omitted. A thick rug “that fitted the floor exactly covered the boards, and a wide piece of zine stood under the stove and kept the ashes and sparks from the rug. A clock that had run down stood -on one of the shelves, » flanked by ‘the photographs of an elderly man and woman. Another pair of shelves were filled with standard and scientific works, in the French language mostly. A double-barreled shotgun hung over the head of the bed, and underneath it was pa: crucifix, “This old chap had quite a comfortable den, : all right,” said Nat after they had inspecteed the cabin both inside and out. “I guess he enjoyed himself after his own fashion, and didn’t care for company. The disadvantage of his location when he got seriously, sick was that he couldn't end for a physician to treat him, and that’s why e turned up his toes before he expected to do “ “Well, we can’t waste any more time here,” said Tom, getting the paper out of his pocket. “We want to look the treasure up right away.” “That's right,” admitted Nat, following his ~ companion outside. : “The money-box is buried.at the foot of an old oak tree, thirty paces due east from the north- east corner of the cabin. It is four feet below the surface. That’s the northeast, corner. You'll have to run back to the sloop and get. the com- pass so we can get the direction exactly.” s’pose Tobin got it. without a =i “How do you compass ?” 3 “By the help of the sun when it was rising, _ Issuppose; but if there’s more than one oak tree thirty paces away he probably had to dig more A WAIF’S LEGACY said which brought them close to several oak trees Biles than once before he struck the right spot. He had plenty of time to investigate, while time is precious with us.” Nat hurried back to the sloop and brought the compass. * When they started to measure off thirty paces due east they found the job out of the question, as the ground in that direction was thickly cov- ered with trees. They made several trials, but couldn’t possibly keep to their course and at the same time get the measurement any where exact. “Looks as if we’re up against a big difficulty,” Nat. Tom stopped and considered the matter. “ll tell you how we'll do it, and it must be the way Jack. Tobin got around it. J’ll measure off thirty paces on the level ground in front of the ~ house. Then we will take a rope and measure ~ off the space on it: We'll anchor one end at the corner of the house and with the compass to guide us we'll carry the rope between the trees, — making allowance for any space lost, which won’t be much,” said Tom. “That’s just the thing. You’vye got a great head, Tom. We'll do it. I saw a coil of line in the cabin that I guess will answer the purpose,” said Nat. Tom drove a stake at a certain spot, — walked thirty paces and drove another. hen while Nat held one end of the line he found in the cabin, Tom measured it off. ! ny When he reached the second stake he found _ to his surprise that the rope just fitted. ‘Then: . it struck him that this was the line used by Jack Tobin, possibly also by the dead Frenchman when ~~ he buried his treasure. He called Nat’s attention to the fact and his companion agreed with him. — There was a loop in one end of the line, and the — boys found a stake driven into the earth on the edge of the trench at the northeast corner of — the cabin. : Be “That stake was put there to hold the rope,’’ said Tom, dropping the loop over it and laying the compass down. “It strikes me that Kattcher — and Fawls would have some difficulty in finding the money-box if they had got here ahead of us, even if they remembered the directions on the paper.” as “Bet your life they would. What time do you — s’pose it is now?” ‘It’s after twelve o’clock:’ e “That's what I thought, f6 I’m feeling pesky hungry.” 5 : “We will omit dinner until we get hold of the —— treasure,” said Tom. “We have no time to spare. ~ The ‘Pandora’ is already several hours on her way, and we want to get away from this island, if we can, before she gets here.” They proceeded to carry the line in an easterly direction through the wood, and finally reached the end of the line, ae bunched together. “Now, which of these trees is the right one?” asked ‘Nat. 5 3 “Go back tothe sloop and bring the shovel and the implements, for breaking open the box, and while you're gone J’ll examine the groyn and see if I can tell where it has been lately dis-— turbed—that is, within a month or so,” said Tom. Nat rushed off, and Tom, picking up a piece of wood, began punching it into the earth in front — of the trees. While he was doing this he noticed that one of the oaks had a gash in it. Believing
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i Bo 2 “A that was significant he prodded the earth around this one and noticed that the stick entered. the earth more easily there than at any other spot. “This is the tree, I’ll bet a hat,” -he said, and he sat down to await Nat’s return. His com- panion wasn’t long, and Tom, seizing the shovel from his hand, began to dig like a good fellow. “Think that’s the spot, do you?” said Nat. “Yes. See how easy the earth turns up. Then do. you notice that gash in the trunk of the oak? Tl bet Jack -Tobin made that so he’d recognize the tree when he came.back here prepared to carry the money away,” replied Tom. After ‘working away for about a quarter of an hour Tom turned the job over to Nat for a spell. Al- ternately they worked away, sweating like coal heavers, for the deep they went into the ground the more excited they became at the prospect of striking the box. “We're down nearly four feet'now,” said Tom ag he took Nat’s place and shoved his shovel deep into the earth. It struck against something that resisted the edge. In a few minutes he uncovered ~ a bit of weed, and as soon as he threw more of the earth out more of the wood showed ‘with a part of a brass band. Tom worked away rapidly wntil he had exposed the whole of the top*of a brass-bound chest, then he let Nat dig the earth from around the sides and ends, which took time. “Go back to the house and unloosen that line. Maybe we can lift the box out of the-hole.\ If ‘it’s too heavy we’ll have to dig a lot of the eart * away from the front of it before we'll be able to break open the top.” Nat went back and re- leased the loop from the stake. Then they ran the line through one of the handles and tried to lift it, but they couldn't budge it a bit. “How the dickens did that Frenchman bring it here and bury it?. It’s heavy enough for at least four men to lift,” said Nat “He must have brought his gold in small boxes, and the brass-bound box empty or filled with clothes. After he dug the hole and buried the box he put the gold into it, locked it and covered it up with earth.” They had to spend another, half-hour digging the earth away from in front of the box, and then there was a space enough - for one person to get at the chest freely. It took half an hour to break open the lid of the hox with tools adapted for the purpose, and then Tom threw up the cgyer, revealing the treasure— ten. fat-looking. ba®S, evidently full of coined - money, for the round impressions of the coin could. be seen against the cloth of the bags. + CHAPTER XV.—Conclusion. Nat gave a wild yell on seeing the bags of ~ money, while Tom felt like whooping things up himself. ; “Catch,” he said, grabbing a bag and tossing it up to Nat. . “Gee! But those bags are heavy,” said Nat. w much gold do you suppose is in them?” é ‘How should I know? Wait till we count one.” “How are we going to count it? We don’t know the value of “French money.” 4 -“TI] bet we'll be able to make a good guess at. it” Tom threw out the bags one by one until ‘A WAIF’S .LEGACY _—t ten rested on the turf and the chest was empty. “Ten bags,” he said. “That means that there’s the equivalent of $10,000 in each bag, if there is $100,000 altogether.” “That’s right,” replied Nat. Ae “Two is about all we can carry at a time,” said Tom. “Pick up a cguple and follow me.” He led the way to the sldop and they stowed the bags in a locker under one of the-berths. On the third trip Tom fetched the last two bags while Nat brought the compass, shovel and other tools... *“Tt’s about four o’clock now,” said Tom. “I don’t believe the ‘Pandora’ will get here before dark. We'll get, our dinner and after that start for home.” “Tl do the cooking,” volunteered Nat. While Nat was busy about the little stove in the fore- peak Tom revisited the Frenchman’s cabin. . “I guees I’ll take possession of that shotgun. If I don’t somebody aboard the ‘Pandora’ will get away with it.” Ona shelf close by he found a box full of loaded cartridges, probably filled with buckshot, and behind it a loaded revolver and cartridges to fit it. He carried both the weapons and all the cartridges back to the sloop, where he found a meal of bacon and eggs nearly ready for consumption. The boys ate leisurely and talked about the treasure. “One of those bags is yours, Nat,” said Tom. “If that isn’t enough you can have two. chums and nothing is too good for you.” “Thanks, Tom. I’m more than satisfied with one bag. Why, that’s $10,000! I don’t know what Ill do with so much money. I don’t believe dad ever owned half of $10,000 in all his life. I guess I can consider myself rich. Now that you own $90,000 I suppose you’ll quit Gosport and go to | some big place like Chicago. I should like to go with you, for I’d feel lonesome at the lighthouse after you went aWay.” ; “Oh, I don’t know what T’ll do. T’ll have to consider that after we get back. Come, now, we'll wash the dishes up and then haul the sloop out of the creek. It is getting on to sundown.” “Gee! There’ll be something doing whén Katt- cher and Fawls get here and discover that the treasure has been lifted,” grinned Nat, as they ‘were washing up the dinner things. “Captain Kattcher can swear some when he gets going.” “The ‘Pandora’ is not likely to get here till aft- er dark, so that Kattcher and the lawyer will . hardly find out what has happened until tomor- - row morning. By that time we ought to be back _ at Gosport,” said Tom. In+a few minutes Tom stepped ashore to untie the sloop’s painter from the tree. Happening to glance out over the water he saw something that made him gasp. There” We're ~ = he a * ‘ ole "a2 p- a was the “Pandora,” under full sail, coming into ’ the wide bay. Tom jumped aboard and carried the news to Nat. The lightkeeper’s son nearly had a fit when he heard that the “Pandora” was close at hand. The boys watched the “Pandora” come to anchor in about the center of the bay, half a mile from _ shore.. After her sails were lowered a boat was © dropped into the water and Kattcher, accompanied only by Peter Fawls and Moses, put for the beach, at a point opposite the house, which Kattcher had, no doubt, made out through his telescope, if he- was not already acquainted with its situation.” - Tom N and Nat lined the high bank of the little. ae <iie a ars m5 zt ry ze
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triggers in. rapid succession. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY creek, After beaching the rowboat the two men, followed by Moses, went directly toward the Frenchman’s cabin. Tom and Nat saw them enter the building and after remaining a few min- utes come out again and go around to the rear. “Vl bet they’re going to look up that oak tree where they suppose the money-box is buried,” said Tom. “They’re almost swre to find the hole with the empty box beside it, and then there’ll be @ rumpus.” “We'd better get our guns out and be prepared for trouble,” replied Nat. They loaded the shot- gun, and with the three revolvers had quite an arsenal for defensive purposes, “Say, Tom,” said Nat, “I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pull out of the creek while Kattecher is ashore, There is no one to notice us but the fishermen on board the ‘Pandora,’ and they won’t do anything but look at us. The sloop is anchor- ed, and before Kattcher gets wise to the situation we'll be able to get a good start. Even if he starts in chase as soon as he returns aboard the sloop. he won’t be able to overhaul us before _ dark, and we ought to be able to give him the slip in the gloom of night.” Tom considered Nat’s suggestion a few mo- ments and agreed to put it in. foree. So the painter was cast off and the two boys pushed the boat down the creek to the bay and then rushed the jib and mainsail up. The wind caught the eanvas and with Tom at the helm the little sloop started out into the lake. The fishermen loung- ing on the “Pandora’s” deck of course saw Tom’s craft, but its presence there had no significance to them. The little sloop was out of the bay and headed south toward home before Kattcher, Fawls and Moses reappeared on the beach. The had «discovered that the treasure had been dug up, and the two rascals were wild with rage -and disappointment. When they returned to the “Pandora” one of the men told the skipper about the small sloop that had just: sailed away from the shore. Kattcher’s suspicions were instantly aroused. He judged that Tom Rockwood and the treasure were aboard the little evaft, and he ordered the anchor hauled up at once. : -Tom’s’ boat was still in full view when the “Pandora,” under full sail, gave chase. Tom and Nat watched «the oncoming “Pandova’ with anxious eves. Darkness still seemed a Jong way off, and only under the cover of darkness could they expect to escape. without a scrap of some kind. As darkness was shrouding the face of the ' lake the “Pandora” crawled up within easy speaking distance. “eave to, Tom Rockwood!” roared Batt Katt- ‘cher, standing forward near the heel of the bow- sprit. “Heave to, or (ll fire on you!” He raised: a navy revolver as he spoke and covered Tom. Nat, who had gone into the little cabin, appeared at the door, raised the shotgun and pulled both The skipper of the “Pandora” threw up his’ hands with a hoarse * ery and fell to the deck. Three of the fishermen ‘crew rushed forward, and picking him up bore ~ him aft to the cabin, “You'll pay for that, you young villains!” shouted Peter Fawls, shaking his fist at the two boys. The “Pandora” was head straight for the little sloop. “They mean to run us down!” cried Tom, alter- -and disappeared in the darkness. 23 ing his course so as to come around on the other — tack. Nat, whose blood was up, thrust two more buckshot cartridges into the shotgun and aimed at the helmsman as the swung: around, “Keep away or I'll fill you full of holes!” he shouted. The startled fisherman obeyed, for hs © saw that’ Nat meant business. The lawyer yelled at him to come around and follow Tom’s boat, but the steersman refused to take orders from him. As the only man in authority lay wounded in the ‘cabin, and- was not in condition to give orders just then, the “Pandora” kept straight on, Tom then re- sumed his. course: southward, and the boys con- — gratulated themselves on having eluded the enemy. . When the sun rose they were many miles south of the Manitou Islands and off the fishing grounds Tom was accustomed to visit. Knowing exactly where he was Tom ran at once for Gosport and arrived about nine o’clock. The money-bags were __ yemoved to the lighthouse, and the boys told their story to Obadiah Wills. After dinner the light-. keeper sent to the village for a horse and wagon, and drove Tom, Nat and the. money to Eastlake, where the coin avas deposited with the bank at its. proper valuation in American money. After deducting the bag he had given Nat, Tom’s fortune footed up $90,250. A month later, he left the village, after presenting his boat to— Nat, and went to Chicago, where he entered a_ big business college. He was called back to Eastlake a few weeks afterward fo testify at the trial of Batt Kattcher and Peter Fawls. Both men were convicted on the evidence given by Tom and Nat, and were sent to the penitentiary — for twenty years. Tom then returned to Chicago and in the course of a year went into business for himself, Ruby Rand, at his request, came to Chicago, and he sent her to school. Afterward he sent her to a girl’s college where she remained four years, and graduated a very accomplished young lady. She was now twenty and Tom twenty- three, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that soon after her graduation Tom married her and installed her as mistress of a very comfort- able home in Englewood, in the suburbs. Tom’s business thrived and he is now worth twice the sum of money that came to him through Jack Tobin’s death. But neither he nor his pretty wife can ever forget how his start in life was made through a waif’s legacy, which made a poor boy rich. Next week’s issue will contain “FIGHTING THE MONEY KINGS; OR THE LITTLE SPEC- ULATOR OF WALL STREET.” SOLDIERS’ UMBRELLAS About 8,500 Chinese umbrellas were shipped from, Peking for the use of the Kiangsu soldiers in the fighting in the Shanghai district. Wit- “nesses say that one soldier digs trenches while — another holds an umbrella over him, and march- ing soldiers, in couples, take turns at carrying umbrellas. r
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pie OA WILL, THE WAGON BOY . or, The Diamonds that Came by Express By GASTON GARNE (A Serial Story.) CHAPTER IX.—(Continued) Doctor Pajaro must have known of this, and counted upon it, for he dodged in through the basement door of the first of the row. : _ “Look out for the beams that you don’t slip between them,” he breathed, for there was no floor. Here they stood huddled together in the. shad- ows. In a minute the man with the slouch hat hur- ried past the door, peering right and left. E “We've got him if we are quick,” whispered _ the doctor. “You will have to walk the beams, + though.” ; ; : He pushed through to the rear, Will following. i There was no fence—the vacant lots stretched ee ough to Jersey avenue. ; a Sins like a deer, the doctor gained the . . street he had left. . : A car going downtown was just approaching and he and Will sprang upon it and were hurried back in the direction from which they had come. Looking back, they saw the tall man running across lots. : = He waved his hand and whistled shrilly for the car to stop. The conductor raised his hand to pull the bell- cord when the aaa seized his arm, saying: “My friend, will be worth just five dollars for you not to pull that bell!” “None!”? said the conductor. ; - Reaching ‘the station, Doctor Pajaro bought tickets for New York via the New Jersey Central, as there was a train due in less than three min- utes. It came, and Will and his strange companion ‘were whirled away without seeing anything more of the big man with the slouch hat. : a, In due time they reached the foot of Liberty- : street. , Doctor Pajaro turned down West street, and turned up Albany.. : They were now close to Allen’s Express stable, / end in the notorious Syrian quartef™ of New eYork; “Toctor,” whispered Will, “everyone knows me here. See, there’s my old stable where I kept the ‘ “wagon. Can’t we’go through some other street?” “No,” said the doctor, “because this is the street - wé want. The house we are going to is the one next to your old stable, Will.” Jt began to grow plain. Will knew the house well. It was a resort for sailors who were cer- tainly not white. “Kept by an old Lascar, here the Lascars and ‘Hindus coming to New York from the East on _ English tramp steamers were in the. habit of _ Staying while in port. ; Will had seen them going in and out many a time, and he had often spoken to the man who “T don’t pull.” FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY . swered him with equal brevity. : kept the place, who was known to thé boys in the neighborhood as “Mr. Bum,”: “Doctor, it won’t do,” he whispered. “That man knows me well.” : “Tt must do,” replied the doctor, hurrying on. “All you have got to do is to keep’ your mouth shut. Remember, Will, you can’t speak my lan- guage. You will have to be deaf and dumb. Mind | now that your face don’t betray you. Remember - that, no matter what happens, you are to give no” sign of being able to hear.” They had reached “Mr. Bum’s” now, and the. doctor, opening the door of the dirty saloon which occupied the ground floor of the old building, drew Will inside. The place was so filled with-smoke that for the moment Will could discern nothing. Then he saw- that a number of coffee-colored seamen were sit- _ ting at a table and standing around, and there - was “Mr. Bum” himself behind. the bar. : The moment he caught sight of the doctor he threw up his hands and called out some unin- telligible words. ) Instantly every man in the place, including “Mr. Bum” himself, turned and bowed low to Doctor Pajaro and Will. - er = 3 CHAPTER X. Mr. Bum, the Fakir. Will had now entered upon’ as strange an ex- perience as ever befell a boy in, New York, it is safe’ to say; and perhaps the strangest part of it was the fact that he was at the time destined te understand little of what it all meant. _As has been stated, the first thing that struck him was the intense respect shown to Dr. Pa-. jaro by all the Hindu sailors. _Evidently Mr. Bum had been informed them of his rank, and to Will it was equally evident that the doctor’s claim that he was one of the heredit- ory pees of India was quite true. , hee Javing bowed to the doctor, the sailors re- mained standing while he spoke a few hurried words in his own language to Mr. Bum, who an > ott Will now began to feel more secure, for nobody paid particular attention to him. In fact, Mr. Bum scarcely glanced at him as he hurriedly left the ei saloon, and Will began to feel more respect for his disguise than he had at the outset. The doctor now moved about among the sailors, speaking to each one in turn. His remarks, Wwhat- ever they may have been, were received with the most profound respect. it was perfectly evident that all felt highly honored by his presence. In a moment Mr. Bum appeared, accompanied by a young man whom Will had always taken to be a colored person, and whom he had often spoken with. ' The young man scarcely looked at“ him as he took his place behind the bar. ME Mr. Bum then motioned to the doctor, and they were led to the top floor of the old house, and ushered into a room which was a surprise to Will, ~ He had never dreamed that such elegance could be we hidden behind those shabby old walis. ite The room, which was in the back of the house,; was hung with heavy curtains of real Eastern | make; a soft Persian rug covered the floor, and F %
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the place was lighted by a large -gilded lamp, studded with glittering gems of various colors. At - one side of the room, near a low, inlaid table, _ gaily colored silk cushions were arranged in the » form of a sort of divan, and here the doctor seated >) himself, crossing his legs in Oriental style. Now began a pantomine which was kept up to the end. The doctor had posted Will in regard to it just before they entered the saloon. He made signs to Will to sit beside him, and _ then pretended to talk with his fingers, and Will went through the pretence of answeging him. It appeared to deceive Mr. ‘Bum complctaly ; the gestures of course, meant nothing at all. The doctor kept this up for a minute, and then Mr. Bum left the room. ; : - “You are doing first-rate,” whispered the doctor. _ “Now, Will, listen to me. I must speak quick, be- fore that man returns. You have heard of the - fakirs of India and their wonderful doings, of * course?” boo : Unfortunately, Will had never heard of them. His idea of a fakir was a man who peddled worth- “<less goods on Fulton street. “Never mind,” said the doctor. “You will find _ put what I mean before we get through, and I will Nekplain later. Now I want you to take off all your clothes and tie-the white cloth which old Bumjado will bring you around your waist. Do not - hesitate. There are reasons for this which I can- not explain. No harm shall come to you. All that is to be done here to-night is absolutely necessary in order that we may get a clue to the diamonds and incidentally to the murder of Karl Kutter, which, if. we are successful, may help you out. - Watch the pictures, and remember what you see, “ for it may prove of the highest importance. One thing above all others, do no be afraid. Strange as ™ these things may appear to you, they are only a species of mind-reading—thought transference, so to speak; hypnotism, if you like the word better, - ‘and—but here he comes! Now you are- dumb again, and must remain so until we have finished _ with Bumjado, the fakir. It won't take very long. “Now you can begin t8 undress, and now you un- your body the same color as your face.” A pattering of bare feet had been heard in the hall outside, and now Mr.,Bum entered and locked ‘the door behind him. _ He had_removed all his clothes, and was entirely * pared except for a snow-white cloth tied about his oins. 4 “In one hand he carried a small basket; in the ‘other a sort of tripod of brass. : This he placed near the divan bowing low be- fore the doctor as he did so. st ‘Then, squatting down before it, he proceeded to open the. basket, taking out first a bronze bowl, ‘which he placed in the ring of the tripod, which it 3 erfectly fitted; next came a strip of white cloth, ‘which he handed to Will. : The doctor then did more fake finger talk. Will nodded and, haying removed his clothes, tied this ~ ‘about his waist. : He was beginning to grow intensely interested the whole affair. bably to a certain extent the wagon boy pnotized by Doctor Pajaro: at all events FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY » derstand why I went to so much trouble to stain 25 from. that time forward he had no other idea ~ than to do just as he was told. : The fakir then proceeded to business, Taking a curiously earved bamboo flask from the basket, he shook a quantity of white powder into the bronze dish and then poured a greenish - liquid upon it. e Immediately flames shot up of a deep lurid red; they flickered, rose and fell for a few mo- ments and then settled down into a steady light. Will standing on one side of the tripod*and ~ the fakir on the other, both watthed. the light,, while Doctor Pajaro, rolling a cigarette into- which he sprinkled a grayish powder, began to smoke. A delicious odor soon filled the room, but whether it came from the smoke or the flame in the dish Will could not tell. j Many moments passed and profound silenc reigned. 2 At last the fakir, turning to his basket again, produced three tiny bronze. boxes, which opened in turn, taking from eath a pinch of some kind of powder, which he dropped into the blazing dish. 5 At the first application the flame turned a vivid green, at the sencond it assumed a purplish hue; but when the third pinch of powder drop- ped into the dish it became white and. remainded so. p It was almost as white as the electric are light, and yet there was no glare, and Will could look at it with the greatest ease. The fakir now began to talk, and Doctor Pajaro followed suit. . it was like responses in church. First Mr. Bum. muttered a few words, then the doctor an- swered with others. This lasted nearly a quarter of an hour, during which time Will never re- moved his eyes from that soft, white light, which | ahd come to have a peculiar fascination for him. It just seemed as if he could not look away from it no matter how hard he tried. é The responsés having ended at last, music added to the solemnity of the scene. The fakir, again applying himself to his basket, produced a little flageolet, and squatting down before the tripod began to play. The musie was soft and weird, and as it rose and fell Will found — himself growing sleepy. 3 It grew harder and harder to watch the flame, but he did his best to keep his eyes. open, and after it was all over he felt sure that he had .succeeded. Whether he did or not was a question. The — probhbilities are that he slept, and that avhat- he thought he saw—in fact, most of what hap- — pened after that sense of drowsiness came creep- — ing over him— all a dream. y Be this as it may, however, we can oniy de- seribe these strange pictures which appeared in the light just as Will remembered them after- ward. : = aes Such doings as we are describing are “termed “White Magic’? in India. Actually they are nothing but hypnotism, mind- — reading, thought ‘transfer, all of which so long misunderstood by science, is now beginning to be — better. comprehended. \ That such things are actux‘ly done -in India and with wonderful results no intelligent person can deny. oe (To he continued)
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Fame and Fortune Weekly NEW YORK, JUNE 18, 1926 Es TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Single Copies...........+0- ..Postage Free - Scents - One Copy Three Months yey “$1.00 ~ One Copy Six Months ..... artery es 2.00 One Copy One “Year ..,..:-+s05. 2 x 4.00 Canada, $4.50; Foreign, $5.00. HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. 0, Money Order, Check or Registered Letter; remittances in any other way are at your risk. We accept Postage Stamps the same as cash. When sending silver: wrap the Coin in a separate piece of paper to ayoid cutting the envelope. Write your name and address plainly. Address letters to HARRY E. WOLFF, Harry E. Wolff, Pres, Charies BH. Nylander, see L. BF. Wilzin, Treas. * Publisher, Ine., 166 W. 28d St., N. Y. ITEMS OF INTEREST POST OFFICE PER SQUARE MILE According to a compilation just completed by the Post Office Department, every fifty-eight square miles of area in the United States has a — Post Office. - IN SIAM’S JUNGLE : The Diard fire-backed pheasant is largely gray, varied with black, white and chestnut, with a shining gold back and bronze red rump, says Na- ture Magazine. The bird inhabits Siam and French Indo-China. Here it lives in bamboo «thickets and jungles. PORT OF SHANGHAI Shanghai, in point of arrivals and clearances of ships, has become the second greatest port of the world, declares Captain Robert Dollar, Presi- dent of the Dollar Steamship Company, who re- cently completed a 30,000 mile trip around the globe. New York, of course, is the world’s first port. ; BANK DEPOSITS . New York banks hold more than $5,000,000 in _ deposits for which there are no claimants. The - deposits run from a few thousand dollars in small -. banks to several hundreds of thousands in large savings institutions. : zs DETECTIVE 28 YEARS vas Mrs. Oscar Seaholm, the only woman to become a first-grade detective in the New York Police ' Department, has asked permission to go on the retired list, after serving twenty-eight years in - the department. : RESOURCEFUL COP THROWS .12-FOOT SNAKE FROM “L” STATION IN LONG ISLAND CITY Now, if you were a cop, cold sober, and some one told you that there was a burlap bag wrig- -gling around the platform of the Washington Ave- nue I. R. T. eles ated station in Long Island City, N. Y., and pws went there and opened it and 26 "FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY esas found a snake with a head as big as a cat’s, what would you do? Patrolman Clarence Weaver of the Astoria Pre-. cinct answered that problem recently, First, he tied ap the sack again and; secondly he heaved it into the street, thirty-five feet below. What a ¥ thirty-five foot drop does to a snake is just what Weaver expected. It kills the snake. A police flivver then took the snake, still in its burlap shroud, to the station house, where a dozen cops, with a foot rule, found it to be twelve feet long. They decided it was a boa constrictor and _ sat it by thgstail from a tree in the station house yard. y The agent at the Washington Avenue station had been told by outgoing passengers of the sack’s strange movements on the platform and he decided _ it was a case for a policeman to use his horse sense. : # Weaver poked it with his night stick when he _ arrived and then cautiously peeked inside. What. he thought when he saw the beady eyes and the sinuous tan and black checkered body is not re- 9 — corded, but what he did establish was a police pre- cedent for snake killing. LAUGHS | = in Crawford—How is it you let your wife have Se: own way? Crabshaw—I once tried to stop’ — her. ray _“How are you feeling today?” asked the phy- sician. And the man with the. gout murmured, painfully: “I can’t kick, doctor.” : “Didn’t you see me wave at you?” asked the e traffic cop. “I sure did,” said the lady from the © country, “and if my husband had been with me you’d have had him to lick, you fresh thing!” : “What does ‘silent partner? mean?” asked young Harold. “Don’t ask me,” replied his father. “T’ve been married twenty-two years, and I don’t know.” = Zi & Bill Suggs will smoke no more, nor yet Feel nicotine’s temptation; He lit his final cigarette; While in a filling station. Teacher—What did Sir Walter Raleigh. say when he placed his cloak on the muddy raed Jar his beautiful queen to walk over? Willie (whose pak brother owns a sport roadster)—Step on it, ‘dt it * “Mary, will ye look across th’ airshaft now at the pitcher of ice water the Hanrahans have in ~~ the windy?” “It ain’t ice at all. It’s nothing but a chunk of glass. Oh, the hypockresy of some people that wants to put on style when they got the price!” east es stir oa
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY ~ RORY REDMOND’S PRIZE jee By Alexander Armstrong » “Surely, Rory, ye are not. going to cross the mountain way this ugly night?” “Why not, man?” : “Why, man alive, sure the mountain has a bad name of late, and you will have to pass the lonely graveyard besides.” : ~ 7 don’#know anything about the bad name it has, and I don’t care much, either, but I do know that it is five or six miles nearer to my home, and I am going to take it. As for the graveyard, I never harmed any of the dead there, and I am gure they won’t hurt me.” 2 4s, Thus spoke Rory Redmond, as fine a young fel- low as you could see in the county of Wexford, 4 where the bravest of the Irish patriots fought and fell in the dark days of 98. ; : The first speaker was the landlord of the vil- © lage tavern at the foot of a dark mountain, and Rory had stopped there for supper at a late hour yon 4 certain night. ‘ . ~The young man was in the act of mounting a jarge, powerful farm horse standing outside the $ door, and the man of the house was bidding him od-night. . tiie Redrioné pushed on fearlessly up the mountain side as he said to himself: “J wonder if Jerry Murphy could have any spe- cial reason for warning me not to come this way tonight? I did hear that some of the boys from the village came up here to drill at night, but sure they would not offer to touch one who is ~ heart and soul. with them, like me. Take it easy, Tidy, up the are and I will let you go faster ae we get to the top. Wiehe igeEpavevand of the mountain stood about half a mile beyond them, at the left side of the path, and Rory could a eady perceive the head- _ ‘stones in the distance. : @- The young man was peering forward at the \ moment, when he suddenly drew his horse up a -jittle as he exclaimed: ; 4 = “By all that’s wonderful, there is something wrong going on over there, and I'll see what it is.” ‘Striking his horse with the whip, the brave young fellow urged the animal on as fearlessly as his fathers before him charged against the _ English bayonets on that same hill. ~ Still keeping his eyes fixed on the graveyard, - Rory could perceive three dark forms moving around in a corner, while a cry fell on his ears. Into the graveyard he dashed, and then an- other cry fell on his ears, but it was far more subdued than those he had heard before. Rory could then clearly perceive three men standing over a grave, and another form stretched on the ground near them. Grasping his whip all the tighter, the brave young fellow forced his horse over some graves directly at the _~three men, as he yelled aloud: 2 ““~ «What ‘are you up to there, you rascals? . The men appeared to notice the horseman for the first time, and they all turned on the instant, e of them raising a spade as if to defend him- . "Ti e man with the spade aimed a blow at Rory, tive young fellow warded it off with his ‘she as inspector of police, and there they found the o 27 hee whip, and then let fly at the fellow, as he cried: : “Take that, and there is plenty more for the others.” = The blows struck by Rory staggered the man who held the spade, and he fell over a small tomb- stone, only to spring to his feet again and dart away after the others as he cried: “Tt is the. black horseman himself.” oe * Rory was about to gallop after the three men, when a groan fell on his ears, and on turning his eyes on the ground he perceived a female form. close to his horse’s feet. 5 “Gracious goodness! it is a young girl, and is it possible that the villains were going>to bury her alive?” Dropping his whip in the excitement of the mo- ment, the young man raised the girl in his arms, oe a her hands and cheeks as he muttered aloud: “She has fainted now in earnest, and no won- der! If she had a shroud on I would say that they dug her out of the grave, and that she woke up out of a trance, but that can’t be! Oh, isn’t pretty as ever I laid my eyes on in my life!” ; ‘ There was light enough at the time for Rory to observe the pale, delicate features of the beau- tiful girl, whose.long dark hair fell in ringlets | over her shoulders. : Without hesitating a moment, the young man cast his eyes around him, and then gained the saddle, still clasping the girl with one arm, as he muttered aloud: Seiten : “Whoever she is, this is no place for her on such a wild night, and I’ll take her home what- ever happens.” Rory Redmond then turned the horse out to- ward the mountain path. 2 “This is a queer adventure entirely, and I hopa in goodness the poor thing won’t die before I get ‘her to the house, for she’s awfully pale and still now.” On gaining the valley below the young horse- man pushed straight across the country, facing the powerful horse over the ditches and fences that came in their way. The young girl was still insensible when they reached hig mother’s comfortable farmhouse, where the kind old ‘lady was sititng Wp for her only son. z . Great was Mrs. Redmond’s surprise on behold- ing the fair young girl in her son’s arms, but Rory stopped all her exclamations by crying: — “Tend to her at once, mother, as she is in a — faint or a swoon, and I will tell all about her — after. I'll ride to the village for the doctor.” a It was quite late on the following mornin 1 when the fair creature awoke from that eroteusin : sleep, when she stared around for a moment, and then burst out into wild ravings. A burning fever followed, during which the ‘ strange girl continued to rave and moan, but those who watched her with the greatest care could not comprehend a sentence uttered by her. For nine days and nights Rory Redmond and his good mother watched over the beautiful stranger, — the doctor of ‘the village waiting on her in the meantime. f He On the day after that eventful night the young man rode up to the mountain graveyard with the = one ~"
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28 grave with the spade and Rory’s whip lying near it. Search was then made for the three meh, ad- vertisements were inserted in the city papers, and handbills were also issued, yet no trace could be found of the strangers who appeared on the mountain, and no ¢lue could be discovered as to the identity of the handsome girl. Seven nights after the crisis had passed the young gril looked up at Mrs. Redmond, and in- quired, in gentle tones: : “Where am I, good woman?” “You are with friends,’ was the quiet answer. “Didn’t I see a young man about here lately?” “You did; my dear, and you will see him again, but don’t»talk too much now.” At that moment loud voices were heard in the outside room, and a look of terror appeared on the girl’s face as she gasped forth: “Mercy on me, that is my wicked uncle. For goodness’ sake don’t let him come near me, as he will try to kill me again,” The door was bust open at the instant, and a: tall, elderly man, with a soldierly bearing, strode into the bedroom, crying: “And so I have found you at last, Blanche. Woman, this givl is my niece and ward, and I will take charge of her hereafter.” “No, no,” screamed the girl. Rory Redmond strode into the room after the soldier, and the young man then placed his hand on the intruder’s shoulder and pointed to the door, saying: “You will leave this house, sir.” “But I say I won’t until my niece there comes with me.” An angry flash appeared in the young man’s eyes on the instant, and grasping the intruder around the arms, he lifted him from the ground and bore him out of the bedroom, crying: : “You are a wicked monster to trouble the poor girl while she is sick, and out you must go if you were her own father. If you have any right over the young lady come here when she is well, but if you cross the threshold again tonight I’ll have your life.” : The young man then entered the house again, closing and bolting the door after him, and the stranger sprang in the carriage waiting him, ut- tering fearful threats. Her uncle ordered the driver to hasten with all speed to the nearest magistrate, and the man lashed up his horses. As the vehicle was turning out of the farm- yard it struck against a small gate, and over it ; went on the instant, the driver being flung, out into the ditch. - . Then away dashed the excited horses, dragging the coach after them. The driver sprang to his _ feet as soon as possible, yelling for help, and Rory Redmond and two of his men dashed out .with him after the runaways. The shattered carriage was found on the side ef the road about a mile away, and in it was’ the dead body of her uncle, Captain Walcot. Phe police officers took charge of the body, _ when-they discovered by papers found in his pocket that he was an English’ officer who had »recently returned from India to take charge of - the daughter and estate of a brother who had died in England some six months before. : - Blanche Walcot rebelled against her uncle on rm from India, as he desired her to become | FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY — the wife of his own son, who was a young officer bearing a very bad reputation. : When Blanche positively refused to wed the young man her uncle had her removed to an old — casde in Ireland, which belonged to her father’s — estate. The old castle was not very far from the — mountain graveyard where Rory Redmond had his adventure. On the night of her arrival in the old castle in Ireland, Captain Walcot told the young girl that he would confine’ her there for- ever if she still persisted in refusing his son, _Blanche Walcot then declared that she would die before accepting the young wretch, and the passionate old soldier struck her on the head in his indignant rage. The young girl then fell into a trance that had — all the appearance of death, and the terrified offi- cer believed that he was her murderer. The young girl still remained in the fearful trance _ until the following night, when Captain Walcot bribed three rascals, who lived near the old castle, to take her up to the old graveyard and secretly bury her there. The persecuted girl recovered — her senses as the rascals were in the act of lower- — ing her in the grave, and then it was that Rory’. Redmond heard her terrified screams and carried her home. gies When the three rogues reached the castle on the > following morning Captain Walcot had hastened _ away to England under the belif that he had — killed his niece. It was fully two weeks after that he picked up a Dublin paper in London | which contained an account of the affair in Ire- land. He then hastened over to claim his niece, only to meet with a violent death. z a _ Some six months after the night of that thrill- — ing adventure in the mountain graveyard Blanche _ ee eee young, Perrin de wife, and Rory often declared thereafter that it was a lue cf night for him. ; : 1 —— eS a Pies SEARCH FOR BURIED GOLD _ Recent reports from Wueysville, in the moun- tains of this county, say that’ a search will be re- sumed at once for a golden horde, believed for fifty years to have been buried in that vicinity by Jack Neal, a wealthy man, who died many years ago. ‘ When Jack Neal, owner of approximately 20,-_ 000 acres of land in this section with virgin forest and undeveloped mineral resources, turned in December, 1881, from Cincinnati, whither he had gone to buy merchandise for his — store, he brought with him a plague. On Christ-— mas Day of that year he died from a malady of which the hill folks knew nothinng. The whole countryside attended the burial and with the new year the most deadly epidemic that -ever struck the hills swept this vicinity. : t “The black smallpox,” as the inountain people termed the disease, killed fifty-two persons; ex- actly half as many as were stricken with it. After the plague had subsided the old man’s personal property was divided promiscuously, it is”
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hp ead, ' DISCOVERY OF PHOSPHORUS k What we now call phosphorus was discovered by a chemist called Brand in 1670, who prepared it in small quantities from bones. In those days of mysticism a substances that burned and emit- ted light without being ignited was hailed as a discovery of the principle of life. The sensation was just like what was made 250 years later by the discovery of radium. : NEW GRID TOGS * On a field running with mud, like so many other gridirons of last fall, Juniata College play- ers introduced an innovation in the second half of: their game with Pennsylvania Military Col- lege by appearing on the field in bathing trunks, said trunks being worn to avoid the caking of mud on the regulation football trousers, which had been discarded. For the first two minutes of play the bare legs gleamed whitely and then © <they became black with the soft ooze of the field. a » MAN FOUND SHAVING IN PARK SAYS HE ae CAN’T AFFORD RENT Found shaving himself under a tree in. River- side Park near 100th Street, John Smith, 74 years old, who said he refused to pay “the ex- . orbitant rent” charged for rooms in New York, - was arrested on a charge of vagrancy. ; Smith said he came here last Fall from Pitts- E burgh and during the Winter had slept in parks. “No honest man can afford a room in New “What have I done to am. 3 York,” he told the police. be arrested for?” ; nore Arraigned before Magistrate Douras in Night ~™Court, Smith was sent to the Home for the Aged - and Infirm on Welfare Island. He pleaded guilty to the vagrancy charge. Bt “WHY PROLONG LIFE?” ASKS PARIS i ae ‘3 fa @— “Why should a man wish to prolong: his life?” ewe eentpesoy Charles Richet, a member of the - French Academy of Sciences, when asked his “% opinion regarding the new stage success, “Dr. Miracle’—a sort of French counterpart to G. B. Shaw’s “Back to Methuselah.” _ “Doctor Miracle prolonged life by injecting a certain serum,” said the physiologist, ‘but it is a pity that the authors do not tell us what this serum is. When I created seropathy in 1887 I admit I did not dare to believe that it would be rried so far. ee rate, the mysterious Doctor Miracle is not the first to dream about prolonging the life of man. Frouens declared, without proofs, that the normal span of life of man was 100 years and etchnikoff, also without proofs, supported this opinion. Both recommended moderation in_ the easures, according to the dogmas of Epicurus. “These scientists reasoned that if a,man died efore the age of 100 it was because of trauma- ism oy disease. Because there are centenarians, van must live at least 100 years, they say. _ ‘But when our organs grow old their resist- e to the pathologic agent lessens. This, Hetch- Off thoueht he could encounter hv a formidabla 3 * e a Ee FAME AND FORTUNE. WEEKLY GOOD READING ge _ it and threw it to Fulwiler, but before he could 29 array of offensive bacteria.injected into the hu- man system. No practical result-in this direction has been obtained. ; “Tt'is not the prolongation of life that is desir- able, however, because the older we get the less we enjoy life. Even with permanent youth, who can say whether life would be any happier? “Perhaps it would be nicer to stay young a lit- tle longer than jealous nature allows us. But 6ur mother cares nothing for old people, and her voice is heard everywhere on this little planet shouting her fateful and imperious cry: ‘Room for the young!’ ”’ ; CAUGHT BY A TARPON Probably the most exciting adventure which a fishing party has experienced this season oc- curred the other night off the Gulf coast to two prominent citizens of San Antonio, Texas, and that it resulted without accident is pleasing news to their friends. Messrs. Fulwiler, station agent for the ArkanSas Pass road, and Joseph MeMil- lan, commercial agent of the Southern Pacific, were members of a party of five who went to Rockport Saturday to fish. They went out into Corpus Christie Bay in a yacht to which was at- tached a small boat. They sailed through Ar- kansas Pass, and camped on Mustang Island, where the waters of the Gulf rush into the pass. Here they caught red fish in quantities. After supper the two railroad men took advan- tage of the moonlight to fish for big prowlers of the deep. They used the little skiff and rowed out into deep water. Mr. Fulwiler sat in the bow of the boat and cast a very heavy line, while Mr. McMillan occupied the stern end and fished for trout. The former tied his line to the forward seat of the boat, although the latter remarked that this was dangerous, since a larger fish than could be handled might be hooked. The mullets could be seen jumping and scurrying through the water, and an occasional tarpon as it pursued them. After a time Mr. MeMillan,. who was watching his line, was almost thrown into the wa- ter by a heavy lurch of the boat. An enormous fish sprang from the water from underneath the skiff, almost upsetting it and whizzing past Me- Millan’s face. Both men had scarcely recovered their balance when Fulwiler cried: ke ave “T’ve hooked something and can’t hold him!” a The line was drawn taut in his hand, end finally pulled away. Then the boat moved forward with. a lurch, burying the bow in the waves. The ling was tied to a seat, and a tarpon, which again leaped into the air, began to propel the boat. Both men recognized their peril, as at each jerk the boat was almost swamped. : “For heaven’s sake cut the line!” Sipe A knife lay in the bottom of the boat, but it was desperate work reaching it, with the rocking and pitching of the craft. McMillan finally reached — use it an extra effort on the part of the monster fish broke the line. The fishermen heaved sighs of relief, and with a boat half filled with water pulled for the shore. Saari -
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30 OLDEST LOCOMOTIVE The record for long life among railway loco- motives is probably held by some of those run- ning in Spain, where engines built in 1849 may still be seen at work. LONGEST-LIVED ANIMAL ay It is generally agreed among naturalists that | the tortoise is longest-lived of all animals. There are many instances of their attaining the ex- traordinary age of two hundred and fifty years, while one is actually mentioned as reaching the unparalleled age of four hundred and five years. DIVING PRACTICE ‘In an out-of-the-way corner of the Yost Field House at the University of Michigan would-be varsity swimmers hold diving practice. - But in- stead of hitting cold and refreshing water the divers enter a bin of sawdust and shavings. Headfirst work is not attempted except at times by the most ambitious. the men how to handle themselves in the air rather ‘than how to hit the water. + PRISONERS WAIT TURN That “guest prisoner” system whereby boot- leggers convicted in Minneapolis are sentenced to rural jails, is beginning to evoke protests from the home folk. The Sheriff of Todd County stated that his jail at Long Prairie was full and requested that no more “guest prisoners” be sent there for some time to come. “I have several local parties who ought to be in jail,” the Sheriff ex- plained, “but they will have to wait their turns.” WOMAN TONGUE-TIED ONLY WITH ag : STRANGERS Among the passengers arriving from South - American on the Lamport and Holt liner Vestris which docked in Brooklyn recently was Miss Elka Greenspun, 31 years old, a Polish resident of Argentina, who was refused admission to this country three years ago on the ground that she - was a deaf mute. When she was questioned, by immigration offi- _cials she was able to utter only incomprehensible sounds. As soon, however, as she saw her brother, John Greenspun, a fur merchant of Toronto, Can- ada, who met her at the pier, she burst into voluble conversation. : He explained. that. she had never been a deaf mute, adding that she suffered from a nervous affliction which rendered her tongue-tied in_the presence of strangers. She was taken to Ellis - Island. When her brother offered proof that she would be admitted to Canada, the board of exam- ination agreed to allow her to land. THE INDIA RUBBER TREE A corréspondent of an American paper, writing _ from the Brazils, gives the following interesting The training is to teach ; _ pouring on the milk until it is covered, sets the FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY INTERESTING ARTICLES particulars of the process of tapping the India rubber or caoutchouc tree, and of manufactur- ~ ing the gum into shoes and other things:> “SS “The caoutchouc tree grows, in general, to the _ height of forty or fifty feet without branches— — then branching runs up fifteen feet higher. “The leaf is about six inches long, thin and shaped like that of a peach tree. The trees show their working by the number of knots, or bunches made by tapping; and a singular fact is, that, like a cow, when most tapped they give most milk or sap. z “As the time of operating is early day, before sunrise we were at hand. “The blacks are first sent through the forest, armed with a quantity of soft clay and a small pick-ax. On coming to one of the trees a portion of the soft clay is formed into a cup and stuck to the trunk. ~ : “The black then striking his pick over the’ cup, the ee oozes out slowly. A tree gives daily about a gill. a5 = “The tapper continues in this way tapping per- haps fifty trees, when he returns with a jar, — passing over the same ground, empties his cups. — So by seven o’clock the blacks come in with jars” ready for working. : : “The sap at this stage resembles milk in ap- pearance, and somewhat in taste. It is also fre- ~~ quently drank with perfect safety. If now left standing, it will curdle like milk, disengaging a watery substance like whey. a “Shoemakers now arrange themselves to form _ the gum. 7 oe “Seated in the shade, with a large pan of milk on_one side, and on the other a flagon, in wich is burned a nut peculiar to this country, emitting a dense smoke, the operator having his last, or form, held by a long tick or handle, previously — besmeared with soft clay, in order to slip. off, the shoe when finished, holds it over the pan, and P \ ? a jcoating in the smoke, then giving it a second ~ coat, repeats the smoking, and so on with a third and fourth, until the shoe is of the required thickness, averaging from six to twelve inches. ~ “When finished, the shoes on the forms are vieced in the sun the remainder of the day to rip. ; i “Next day, if required, they may be figured, bats so soft that any impression will be in- — delibly received. The natives are very dexterous eh.) in this work. ; “With .a quill and a sharp-pointed stick they — os . ri © will produce finely lined leaves and flowers, suc : .a8 you may have seen on the shoes, in.an incred- __ ibly short space of time. 1 eerie “After remaining on the forms two or three By days, the shoes are cut open on the top, allowing the last to slip out. They are then tied together and slung on poles, ready for the market. : iF at . “There peddlers and Jews trade for them with the country people, and in lots of one thousand or more they are again sold to the merchants, = who have them stuffed with straw and packed in boxes to export, in which state they are recei in the United Statey Fie pene die
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* ‘FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY FROM EVERYWHERE + AUTOS MEASURE FIELDS ~~ An automobile attachment by which the linear “measurement of fields of various crops bordering on highways ¢an be easily and quickly made has been devised by the United States Department of Agriculture. HOMING PIGEON PESTS Two pigeons which Frank Peterson of Kan- sis City, Kan., had boarded fer about a year were no longer desired, so he motored with them five miles out in the country and turned them loose. When Peterson arrived home the pigons were _ there clamoring: for food. FATHER’S RADIO APPEAL FINDS LOST BABY GROWN UP AND WED ; Within a few days, Earl B. Beers, of 368 Clin- ton Street, Newark, will see his daughter Mar- ~~ paret for the first time in eighteen years, His ap- peal over the radio for assistance in finding her owas heard by the girl’s aunt in Rochester, N. Y. ~ Margaret is now Mrs. Howard J. Bowan of De- -troit. Her father and mother separated a year after she was born, and Margaret was taken by her mother, who died some years afterward. Beers had for years been trying to locate the girl he _ knew only as a twelve-months-old baby. On April - 15, he broadcast his appeal over Station WGCP in -Newark. Mrs. Bertha Scheideman of Rochester, Margaret’s aunt, heard the message and wrote to Beers giving his daughter’; new name and her Siig apg Sldress. vi a RATION OF THE HIGHER LAYERS # agate ~ OF THE AIR ae : Exploration of the upper air made in Java, where the metcorologic conditions are very favor- able for this purpose, were described recently in <= re by the distinguished Dutch professor ys cles made before the ‘Gesellschaft fur .” Erdkunde” at Berlin. Recording balloons were employed and in the clear air the bursting of these balloons could be. observed through the tele- Be: scope at heights of 22,000 meters, whereupon the recording instruments came down unhurt attach- ed to the parachute. The temperature of air sank to 55 degrees below zero, Centigrade at a height of 11,000 meters and to 85 degrees below zero at 17,000 meters. measured was 91 degrees below zero, Centigrade. In still higher regions the temperature of air in- ereases again, the temperature at 26,000 meters height having been found to be 55 degrees below zero. Balloons of two to three meters diameter - earried the recorders up to the height of 32,000 _ meters, more than had ever been obtained before. - PIGEONS SNARED BY THOUSANDS The pioneers of Michigan and other States of he Gone Lakes recall sadly the days when wild pigeons were so plentiful in this region that they were killed by men with clubs as they swept in great flocks over the sand hills. In many of the The coldest temperature _ pioneer localities twenty-one meals of wiid pigeon in a week were not unusual, and much of the great State of Michigan was hewed out of the forest on a pigeon diet. A party would often go into the hills and kill thousands of the birds without a gun, slaughtering thousands only to wa8te them. = After the first railroads were built, the pigeon crop of several Michigan counties was worth more than their wheat crop. Few people of to-day realize or can imagine the magnitude of these mighty nestings of the birds. e pigeon nesting would often extend for many miles north, east, south and west. Hundreds of nests would adorn every tree and the noise from the home-coming and departing birds would be so great that it was often impossible to carry on an ordinary conver- sation in the woods. Pigeon catching and killing became an industry. Carload after carload was shipped to New York and Eastern cities and dead pigeons were often piled up until they ap- peared like small hay stacks. Trappers from all parts of the country jour- neyed to the Michigan eldorado for the purpose of catching the birds. They did it, when a large catch was desired, with a net, 16 to 18 feet wide and 30 to 40 feet long. -This was arranged witn ropes and spring poles, so that when a number of the birds had alighted in the particular spot to which they had been lured by means of the stool- pigeon, the spring poles were released and the — net pulled over the spot where the birds had settled, covering the whole number. m Few people who see the expression “stool- pigeon” realize how closely its commonly accepted meaning follows the truth. After the spring poles -had been bent back and the net covered with light grass so it would not be visible to the birds, a wild pigeon which had been kept alive to act as stool-pigeon was brought into service. A leather string was put with a half tie about each leg of the bird. Then with a small cambric needle a white silk thread was passed Big the pigeon’s eyelid on each side of the head, the ends of the thread were twisted together on top of the bird’s head and the Ai Yee was blindfolded for-use. The bird was held by the boots, as the strings were called, and set on the forefinger. It was raised up and then the hand brought down quickly to see whether the bird would hover prop- erly. When one was found that would suit, it was fastened by the boots to a stick about as large as the hand near the centre of the bed to which the birds in trees within sight were attracted to’ _ the bed, which had been scattered with wheat or buckwheat. When the bed had become filled with pigeons the spring pole was pulled and the net carried over, there being sufficient spring in the poles to spread it fully. Es Most trappers bit the birds’ necks to kill them. Some used a pair of pincers for the same pur- pose. It was not uncommon to take from 500 to 1,000 birds at a‘single haul, and the sport, with a good stool-pigeon, was considered enchanting. _The greatest enemy of the pigeon trapper was the hawk, which often caught and killed his fa- vorite stool-pigeon, just when if was most need. do
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TO DO PALMISTRY.—Containing the most approved methods of. reading the lines on the hand, together with a full explan&tion of their meaning. Also explaining Renae deal FE and the key for telling ‘character hy the bumps on the head. By Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.S. Fully illustrated. For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 10c. per copy, ' in money or stamps, by - _ HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc. (166 West 23d Street ~ New York City Fame and Fortune Weekly Z —— LATEST IssvEe — ; He 1033 ‘The Roy Gold Hunters; or, After A Piraté's _ Treasure. - << 1034 Tricking the Traders; or, A Wall Street Boy's — spans Palau of poate ar 35 Tac erry’s Grit; or, Making a Man Of lees 1036 A eoaee Shower: or, The Boy Banker or wai ee Street. a 1027 Making a Record: or, The Luck of a Workin Baas 1038 A Fight aor Money; or, From School to Wai Srrect. % 1039 Stranded Out West; or, The Boy Who Found a Poatman, 1046 Ben Bassford’s Luck; or, Working on Wall Street ‘Tips 1041 A Young Gold King; or, The Treasure of the Secret _ pee ve. i 1042 Bound To Get Rich: or. How A Wall § em Made Money. all. See eae 1043 Friendless Frank; The Boy who. 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What It Did for Jack Rand. ~ 1054 Nat Noble, the Little Broker; or, The Boy Who ~~ Started a Wall Street Panic. 7 ¥ 1055 a peale for Fame; or, The Gamest Boy in the A orld. 1056 The Young Money Magnate; or, The Wall Street Roy who Broke the Market. = 1057 A Lucky Contract; or, The Boy Who Made a Raft © of Money. : = 1058 A Big Risk; or» The Game That Won. 1059 On Pirate’s Isle; or, The Treasure of the Seven Craters. yok 1060 A Wall Street Mystery: or, The Boy Who Beat the Syndicate. ; ey 1061 Dick Hadley’s Mine; or, The Boy Gold Diggers of Mexico. 1062 A Boy Stock Broker; Millionaire. 1063 Facing the World: Fortune. rahi 1064 A Tin Worth a Million; or, How a Boy Worked ~ It In Wall Street. if 1065 Billy. the eS Boy: or, The Treasure of Skeleton sland. 1066 Just His Luck: or, Climbing the Ladder of Fame — and Fortune. ate: 1067 Out With His Own Circus; or, The Success of a. 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OTe BhtEe SEG Big Blue Stone; or, The Treasure of the ungle. “ 1076 Little Jay Perkins. the-Broker; or, Shearing the ” Wall Street “Lambs.” - "1077 The Young Coal Baron; or, Five Years With ‘The — Miners. peer oc. 1078 Coining Moneys or, The Boy Plunger of Wall street. hs, 1079 Among the-Tusk Hunters; or, The Boy Who Foun a Diamond Mine. i 1080 A Game Boy; or, From the Slums to Wall Str For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any = | address on receipt of price, 8c. per copy, Bc Fp in money or stamps, by ; - HARRY K. WOLFE, Fublisher, Inc. 166 West 28d Street ew |