Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 1187) (1928 06 29)
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No. 1187 NEW YORK, JUNE 29, 1928 ike Price 8 Cents =e im \ ce Wes JUNTERS TREAS ~ Jack, bound and helpless, was pulled by the brawny native to the edge of the bluff. As an Hh ENS _ other savage menaced him with a stick, Sam and Mike rose from their place L pt concralment. “Stop, ye villains!” shouted Mike. arerassivalv. =
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY =o saneh Wicekty a price, a cages No. 1187 NEW YORK, JUNE 29, 1928 $4.00 ear Canadian, 50; Forei $5.00. . Copyri mie a b wublighing Co. Inc. Tap PUsdal wisest ae York, < ae mae Hes Dans 1911, at the Post-Uftice at New’ York, N X. Entered as Second Class . ander the Act of March 3, iwi Price 8 Cents. CHAPTER I.—In an African Jungle. - “Where are we at all at all?” exclaimed Mike Murphy, lugubriously, as he and his two com- fepanions, Jack Jordan and Sam Singer, both _ Americans by birth, came to a stop in the midst of an African jungle that was a perfect maze of trees, with interlaced creepers, rank vegeta- tion, and brilliantly-colored tropical flowers. “Where are we?” ethoed Jack. “I wish I knew.” “Then it’s lost we are,” helplessly around. “I’m afraid we are, Mike.” “Oh, wurra, wurra; we'll never see Ameriky any more. Bad luck to the storm that drove us ashore on this haythenish coast! We ought to have stuck to the shore, where we could see the say at any rate, instead of comin’ into this wild _ | region where there’s niver a road or even a path - to shape our course by.” The three boys were dressed in natty sailor ‘ rigs, for they had belonged to an American gentle- man’s yacht that was sailing down the African coast when a sudden storm drove her ashore, a paycoplete wreck, on a desolate and uninhabited stretch of peach, bristling with rocks. That event happened several days before, and the three boys were the only survivors of the catastrophe, For- tunately the cabin portion of the yacht lodged be- tween two big rocks, and did not immediately go ieces. hen the storm had somewhat abated, a few hours after the disaster, and the sun had warmed he half dead lads back to life and a realization f their helplessness, they examined the remains ‘the wreck, and found in the demoralized pantry a small breaker of fresh water and a limited - quantity of provisions—enough to last them on half rations several days. This was extremely fortunate, else they must ave perished of hunger and thirst, since there fas nothing in the shape of food in sight. The oys also secured three rifles and three belts full of ball cartridges from the wreck of the captain’s stateroom. Each was also provided with a sailor’s ith-knife fastened to a belt around their aist. Jack also found the captain’s revolver, y loaded, and a small box of cartridges. The apon was not a ie one, and easily went into ‘hip pocket. Jack, by virtue of his seniority i if sumed the leader: replied Mike, looking - to. By A SELF-MADE MAN the monkey tribe, but a young gorilla—the- most ship and his- ferocious and A Favorite of Fate OR, AFTER THE HEAD HUNTERS’ TREASURE two companions, who felt all at sea on the strange shore upon which they had been cast, offered no objection to his suggestion that they strike into the interior and try to find their way to some native village where they might find a missionary — who would be able to advise them how to reach © civilization. After cutting across a bare country for many miles they struck a tropical wood, the grateful shade of which they duly appreciated, and pushed forward with fresh hope and animation. At first they followed what seemed to be a beaten track, but after a while they lost this — and went ahead at random. As a result, after pursuing their way through it for the best part of the day they woke up to the fact that the wood ~~ was an endless stretch of trees and thick vegeta- tion, and they had completely lost all track of the direction they had come, and they knew no more what was before them than if they had dropped out of the moon. : “Tm afraid we’re in a rather serious pradies: A ment,” said Sam Singer. “Our provisions won’t — last long even if we eat as little as possible; while, as. for water there is hardly any left— mot much more than a decent drink all around. The question is what are we going to do when — our supplies give out?” “T couldn’t tell you, Sam. I:shaven’t the faculty of looking into the future,” replied Jack, in as 5 cheerful a tone as he could command, for as the admitted leader of the little party he felt that the responsibility of keeping up the courage of all hands rested on him. “Don’t talk about atin’ and drinkin’ or’ ye’ll give me a fit. Faith, I’m that hungry TI could — ate a what’s that? Begorry, it’s alive. Bras Lord, it’s one of thim native nagures lookin’ at us out, of the bushes.” Jack looked and then burst into a laugh. “What, it’s only a monkey,” he»said. “4 monkey, is it? Look at the size of him | He must be the father of all the monkeys in the op country,” said Mike. “Sure I’ve seen monkeys ies the cage at Central Park, so I have, but niver ; one of thim was near the size of him.” The animal in question was standing upri on the ground with one long hairy arm pe ee toward a tree, upon which his hand rested. He se was not really a monkey, thoug% he belonged too se dangerous of all the species,
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cy & a Wry 2 - A FAVORITE attitude was very human as he stood and blinked at the three invaders of the primitive wood. Doubtless he had never seen three white boys rigged out in white sailor attire before, and to his unsophisticated vision they looked decidedly out of place. He made an odd figure in the cool, green light of the arching trees and festooned vines. Had he been of full size, Mike would cer- tainly have regarded him as the great-grand-. father of all the monkeys in creation. Jack made a demonstration at the gorilla with his rifle, but the animal never made a move. He favored the boys with a succession of grimaces, which meant something, no doubt, but which they couldn’t understand. “JT suppose you don’t know that monkey meat is considered a great delicacy in ‘this country,” said Jack. “Monkey mate, is it!” ejaculated Mike, with a Jook ‘of disgust. “The saints preserve me from bein’ reduced to the necessity of atin’ it. Sure Yd feel like a cannibal, so I would.” “Say, what’s that yonder?” asked Sam. “Looks like some kind of fruit.” They walked toward it and found that it was a kind of wild pineapple. : “J wonder if it would be safe to tackle it?” said Sam, looking at the fruit with a longing eye. “We'll cut one down and taste it,” said Jack. “A fellow might as well take some risk when grub is as scarce as it is with us.” So the pineapple was sampled and found to be quite palatable. The boys were so hungry that they chanced the consequences and each helped himself to one, cut it open with their knives and began eating it. The young gorilla watched them with a fresh interest, and moved his jaws in sym- pathy with theirs. i : “Will ye’z watch that monkey,” said Mike. “T pelave he would like a pineapple himself.” “Then he shall have one,” replied Jack, who eut down another, sliced it open and then tossed it to the animal. The gorilla picked it up and was soon chewing it with great relish. “If the monkey will ate it I guess it’s all right,” ~ gaid Mike. - “J thought you said it was a monkey. Sure what else is it?” “Tt’s a young gorilla. I recognize the species by the long arms and its size. I hope we don’t meet a full-grown one or there’s likely to be trouble.” . “What, are there bigger ones than that?” “Are they? I should say so. That’s only a baby one.” ; : “for Hivin’s sake! And what is the size of a full-grown one?” asked the astonished Mike. “Over six feet,” replied Jack, who had an idea they grew as tall as eight feet, but this was not a fact, as a full-developed gorilla is not, as a rule, over five feet and a half high. It inhabits exclusively the densest tropical forests, and is only found in regions where fresh water is abundant, so that the boys had a good _ chance of running across a stream at which to slake their thirst and lay in a new supply of that necessary liquid. The pineapples, however, tem- ; _porarily relieved their thirst, and now that there appeared to be a chance of finding food on their route, they sttated on with a fresh heart; but ry? OF FATE they took the precaution to add a few of the pine- apples to the bag in which they carried their food supply for fear they might not find the fruit* when they wanted it. The young gorilla followed them at a short distance. . “Why is that monkev followin’ us?” asked Mike, : ee he’s taken a fancy to you,” chuckled ack. “To me? Maybe its’ yourself, begorry. You gave him the pineapple.” “That doesn’t make any difference. He seems to look at you more than at either Sam or me. — Maybe he thinks you’re a relative of his in dis- guise.” : nee “T suppose you think that’s witty?” said Mike, with a growl. Bor At the moment they plunged in among a lot pf gigantic ferns and lost sight of the gorilla. The rainbow-tinted birds grew. more numerous as they advanced, and they soon. came upon a small’army of monkeys that leaped chattering on their march from bough to bough. Mike recognized these familiar animals at once, but they acted a whole lot different from those he had seen in a circus, © or caged at Central Park in New York. The Irish lad was carrying the bag with the provi- sions, while Sam carried his rifle with his own. Suddenly one of the monkeys leaped on the bag and began digging in it. In a moment several others followed suit and down went Mike on the ground with a howl of consternation. For a moment it looked as if all the monkeys in the immediate vicinity contemplated piling on top of the boy. Jack interfered in time to save him. He attacked the bunch with the butt of his rifle and they drew off, some of them with sore limbs. “May the saints defend me; sure it’s kilt I am,” groaned Mike dismally. “Get up, they’re gone now,” said Sam. The Irish lad got on his knees and looked fear- fully around. “Gone, is it? There’s the whole caboodle of ’em grinnin’ at me from the trees. They’re only waitin’ for me to get up. Bad luck to ye all,” he cried, shaking his fist at the nearest lot. “Why don’t ye shute some of thim and tache them manners?” . Z “Come on, we can’t stay here all day,” sai Jack. “You go ahead and lll see that they don’t monkey with you any more.” Mike got up, yanked the bag on his back again, and proceeded, but it was,clear that he was ill at ease after his experience. The monkeys fol- lowed them up close, apparently meditating an- other attack on Mike, for the contents of the bag appeared to interest them. Things got so strenu- ous that Jack finally fired into a thick bunch of them, killing one and wounding another. The crowd set up a tremendous chattering, and then. disappeared like magic. : “Faith, ye ought to have done that before,” said. Mike. ; “What a blessed relief to get rid of thim divils.” In the course of twenty minutes, during which. Ax. they, encountered another troupe of monkeys, who, however, did not offer to molest them, they — reached the bank of a stream of fresh water, The three boys drank heartily, and then Jack filled the small breaker he had slung to his back The bushes were loaded vith a kind of luscious
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berry which they ate greedily without consider- ing whether they were poisonous or not. They were tired. out and hot, ever under. the shelter of wee 'the green canopy above them, and, stretching out at the foot of a big tree, they closed their eyes ‘and very soon were sound asleep. CHAPTER II.—Danger. ‘ Jack was the first to awake. It was close on to sundown, and as it was a tropical region dark- ness would fall without intervention of twilight as soon as the sun disappeared. The young leader determined to take advantage of the brief interval of daylight to reconnoiter the stream for a short _ distance to see whether, in his judgment, he and his. companions had better follow it.. He did not thtend to go far, and did not fear that as long as hé kept beside the stream he would miss, the spot where his friends lay asleep. Accordingly, with- out burdening himself with his rifle, he started ahead. — | fr “He had been gone perhaps a quarter of an hour when Mike awakened. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Where am I, I dunno,” he exclaimed, in some bewilderment, looking around. “Oh, I remimber mow. In this blessed Afriky jungle, may Ould Nick shute it for a monkey’s paradise. When will be after gettin’ out of it, I’d like to know? It’s enough I’ve had of Afriky to last me for the rist of me days. Hullo, where’s Jack? It’s gone he is. Faith, he can’t have gone far, for there’s his rifle and thé breaker of water. Maybe he’s takin’ a bath. Sure that’s just what I’d like to ' take mesilf. The water looks fine, so it does. That’s an invitation for me to go in. Begorry, jt won’t have to ask me twice. I suppose Jack has gone behind thim bushes. Thin I'll folly him and take a swim.” : Mike went to the water’s edge, looked up and down the stream, but saw nothing of Jack. . “Where the dickens has he gone to?” he said. “The stream isn’t swift enough to carry him off. - “®- Oh, well, he’s somewhere around, I suppose. Pri * take me bath without botherin’ meself about him.” : He removed his clothes under the shelter of a bush and waded into the water. “ “Baith this is fine, so it is. Sam doesn’t know what he’s missin’. Sure it would be a charitable act on me part to cal: his attention to a luxury ‘we haven’t enj’yed since we left the sayshore. Well, Pll do it ina minute. I hate to lave a good thing whin I’m over head and ears in hs” -- So Mike continued in the water, loath to leave it even to call Sam. In the meantime Sam slept on serenely, And while he slept there came a rustle in the bushes, and presently a black head, and then a nearly naked body, pushed through the vegetation and came out into the little clearing. - The intruder was a native African of sinewy build and rather repellant face: His entire rai- ~ mient consisted of sas a breech-cloth, at the side of which was slung a knife of European manufac- %ure. His sharp, glittering black eyes rested on ‘the sleeper, and he stopped in surprise, though this face betrayed no emotion of any kind. Glid- ing up to the boy he looked down at him, and he ; the three rifles standing against the tree, and = a ee = ase Ape A FAVORITE OF FATE oS g he counted them with his finger. That impressed ees him.with the fact thatthe lad'was not alone, and he looked around ..with. crafty caution. Slipping — to the ground he: examined the contents of the bag. He uttered a grunt of ‘satisfaction. Then —j he turned his attention to the breaker, removing the cork and smelling of what was in it. With a grunt of disapproval he laid it down without taking the trouble to replace the cork. He reached for. the bag again, and in doing so dis- lodged one of the guns which fell across Sam’s chest and awoke him. He started up and found himself looking into the negro’s ugly countenance. ‘Hello, who are you?” ejaculated the boy. ~ The native uttered a gutteral exclamation and whisked out his knife, which he brandished. be- a fore Sam’s face.. Sam was a bit frightened, for he saw that his companions were not in sight. ey “What do you want?” he asked the black. . The native did not understand him, but he i: knew what he wanted. That was the bag with ¥ the provisions, and he intended to:take it. He — ~ flourished his knife again so close to Sam’s. nose - that the lad drew back in dismay. At that junc- ture the crack of-a revolver sounded close at hand. The native uttered a screech, dropped his knife and fled through the bushes in a panic, the blood running down his glossy black skin from a bullet wound in the shoulder. Sam sprang on his feet and saw Jack advancing toward him. Mike’s * scared face also appeared in the bushes near the stream. ~ : = j ess did that rascal come from?” asked ack. e . “Blessed if I know,” replied Sam. “I was asleep. Something awoke me and I, found the © fellow almost on top of me. He yanked out his knife and threatened me with it. I thought he = going pees pork ore “T guess idn’t get here any too quick to save ~ you,” replied Jack. ‘We'll have to took out, yy wick there’s oe ion Fes 3 likely to be more.” — en you:think we etter no oe erate ie DaPeas ve found a better vlace up the stream. , go there. Where’s Mike?” Z mee. “Here I am,” cried the Irish lad, showing him- self in undress attire. “It’s a swim I’ve been takin’. When I heard the shot I thought some. baste was attackin’ yez, and as I had nothin’ to defind mesilf with, I got into the @ushes.” Bit “Get into your clothes. We’re going to move up the stream.” , tebe Pts Sand whee did yez shute at?” “2 ne 0 e inhabitants of the country,” re- plied Jack. pete: ““Tyo yez mane a lion, or a tiger, or } thim full-grown gorillas?” eee ete “No, I mean a man—a native—who was going to carve Sam up.” : “Carve him up—what do yez mane?” nea Sam explained his brief experience with ‘the — black. ia ‘ “The saints protect us! Let’s get away from ere. ) my Mike hurried his clothes on, ard the party started for the place. Jack had selevted for their night encampment. It proved to be a small cave. in a rocky mound. It offered protection on all . sides excevt the front from wild beasts. A fire, . outside would do the rest, but the boys dobatad, = f
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4 "A FAVORITE OF FATE whether to light one or not lest it attract the | attention of any hostile natives who might be in the vicinitv. They gathered the material for it, and by the time it was ready for a match night was upon them. They ate their supper and then sat down inside the entrance to talk and watch. Strange, weird noises now filled the air, and beasts of prey came forth from their lairs to prowl about in search of food. They saw. glowing eyes staring in their direction from the other side of the stream. Howls and blood-curdling yelps resounded all around. “Begorry, this is pleasant, I don’t think,” said Mike. “We’d better light the fire or thim wild bastes mav spring in at us before we could shute one of thim.” So the fire was lighted, and its blaze made things more cheerful. “We'll have to take turns standine watch— about three hours apiece. We'll toss up to see who takes the first spell, and who relieves him.” “Sure I’ll never be able to tell whin three hours have gone by,” said Mike. “You'll have to guess at it if you get the first or second watch,” said Jack, picking up three small twigs of unequal lengths. “I’ll drop these in my cap. Whoever gets the shortest twig stands first watch. The next shortest marks the second watcher. That leaves the last watch to the remaining member of our party.” The lots were drawn, and Jack found he was to watch first, Sam to follow. “You won’t have any guessing to do, Mike. You’ll remain on duty till sunrise, and then we'll wake up,” said Jack. The boys did not, feel particularly sleepy, as they had enjoyed a good afternoon nap, but for all that Jack told his friends to turn in, and they did. Soon silence reigned in the little encamp- ment, but the noises of the night seemed to grow. louder every moment. “T never thought when I shipped aboard that yacht at New York that I’d run up against such experience as this,” thought Jack, when his com- panions had fallen asleep. “I looked for noth- ing but a pleasant cruise in foreign waters with good pay nd first-class rrub. Well, things turned out all right until that storm came up and dumped Sam, Mike and myself on this beastly coast. An old fortune-teller told me once, after looking at mv hand, that I was a favorite of fate. She said I’d travel to a foreign land and ' get rich there. Well, I’ve got to the foreign land, all right, but there’s precious little chance of me getting rich there. I shall be perfectly sat- isfied if I reach some port where I can ship for - thome. The prospect of doing that is not over bright at present.” ; ‘An hour passed away and the solitude and Tonesomeness of his surroundings began to have a lulling effect on the watcher, and he caught himself dozing. “This won’t do. I mustn’t go to sleep, I must. brace up. Time enough to think of sleeping when Sam comes on duty,” he said. Suddynty Jack thought he saw a succession of _ shadows seme eut of the bushes on the opposite side of the stream and line up there. Not a sound came from that direction, and the boy was almost persuaded his eyes had deceived him. He watched intently, however, for he was taking ad > They tossed the body into the steam and the 7 no chances with any prowlers of the night, — whether they walked on four legs or on two. The fact that they had encountered one native he took as a sign that there were others in the | neighborhood. As that black’s actions had been ..» far from friendly, it was necessary to guard” against surprise on the part of his friends. ~ The-glare of the fire lying between him and the stream made it difficult for him to see thé shadowy forms that seemed to be standing’ mo- tionless on the oppesite of the water. The quan- tity of reserve fuel piled around the entrance to the little cave prevented the fire light from ex- po.ing the interior of the boys’ refuge, and a projecting stone partially screened Jack’s. re~ clining body also. His rifle lav across his legs in such a waw that he could easily bring it to bear on an intruder ,by merely liftiny it. The main piece of fuel on the fire was a short, ae log, the remains of the trunk of a tree which had fallen months since. While Jack was peering into the gloom the lo shifted its position, falling over on the bed o: live embers. A momentary blaze shot up, illum- inating the vicinity, and then Jack distinctly saw four natives standing like black statues on .the opposite bank. As the fire died down again the natives, with one accord, started to wade across the shallow stream. They reached the bank near the cave, divided in twos, and circled around the fire in both directions. Each native carried a glittering knife in his’ hand, similar to the one the chap had menaced Sam with. Jack took that as an indication of an unfriendly purpose, and as he didn’t propose to be set upon and overpowered if he could help it, he raised his magazine rifle and fired at the nearest native. CHAPTER III.—Mike’s Two Lucky Shots, The report of the weapon aroused Sam and Mike at once. The natives were taken by sur- prise, for they had counted on completely sur- prising the boys, when they heard no sound com- ing from the cave. Before Jack could bring his gun to bear on the other brave they disappeared into the bushes near the cave. : “What’s the matter?” asked Sam. “Been shoot- ing at some animal?” | : “No. Four natives with drawn knives tried to surprise us, and I’ve shot one of them. Come outside and let’s take a look at him,” replied. Jack. They found the fellow quite dead. > “You-must have hit another, too,” said Sam. “There’s blood along the ground where he crawled away into the shrubbery.” ; Two knives lay near the body of the dead man. Mike picked them up. vie “Begorry, P wouldn’t like to have one of thim stuck into me,” he said. Ae water carried it away. Then after replenishing — the fire they re-entered the cave. : : “Turn in, you chaps, my watch isn’t out yet,” said Jack. , , ““T don’t. want any more sleep,” said Sam, “Turn in yourself, and T’ll watch.” See a Ka Pt
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sO Ke Sie ee ee de ec eee 239 got “ANl right; but you want to keep your weather » eye lifting. Those fellows may- come back with reinforcement to avenge the death of their com- rade,” said Jack. ‘ _ “Pll keep my eye out for them,” replied Sam. Accordingly, Jack and Mike lay down and were goon asleep. Sam found that a lone watch was not the pleasantest thing in the world. | There was no danger of him going to sleep with the noises of the night all around ‘him, but it was a tiresome job to sit there and just look out into the darkness. Half an hour elapsed and ’ then he heard a splash in the stream, and pres- ently a ghastly-ookine jackal came close to the outer fringe of the fire light. ; He was hungry and savage. and displayed two horrible rows of teeth. He started to follow the trail of blood that led into the bushes. He had gone maybe five minutes when a shriek was wafted to Sam’s ears from a short distance away. More cries followed, “What in thunder does that mean?” the watcher \ asked himself. f It didn’t occur to, him that the jackal had tracked down the wounded native and attacked him. As the black had nothing with which to defend himself, and was, moreover, weak, he soon fell a victim to the savage brute, and his cries ceased. “Sam replenished the dying flames sev- eral times, and finally concluded 1t was time for Mike to get on the job. He aroused the Irish lad, and Mike took his place near the entrance. “If anything comes too close, I’m to shute, I suppose?” said Mike. 3 us es, if you think it looks dangerous,” replied . ‘Here they stopped to eat and ta he they were tire ot. Jae A FAVORITE OF FATE | 5 racket he’s makin’ outside? He’s knocked the fire to smithereens, so he has. Loak out, if yez go outside he’ll ate ye up. Holy St. Patrick, but he is a monster. His head is as big around as a keg, and his body as thick as a barrel.” “Get out; what are you giving us,” replied ack. “It’s the truth I’m tellin’ yez. here we’re goners.” “You shot him, didn’t you?” “T won’t swear that I hit him. He wouldn’t kape still long enough for me to aim straight.” They could still hear the folds of the snake’s body pounding the earth outside, though the rep- tile was as dead as a door nail. Jack struck a match and set fire to the last of the fuel near the entrance. As the flames sprang up and lighted the ground in front, the boys saw the’ outline of the still moving snake, dragging its shattered head this way and that. “My gracicus!” exclaimed Sam. “He’s a big one. You nearJ~ blew his head to pieces, Mike.” “Begorry, is tht a fact? Thin it’s a fine marksman I am, after all,” said Mike, feeling quite proud over his achievement: Seeing that the reptile was done for, the boys ventured out and took a closer view of the boa. “Was he coming in on you, Mike?” asked Jack. “Was he? Ye can gamble on it he was. Sure the ugly look in his eyes gave me the cold shivers.” Mike proceeded to tell how he had first seen the snake coming down from the outside of the roof, and how it lengthened out by degrees and shot its head inside, when he shoved his rifle forward and fired. > “You did well, Mike. It’s not an easy thing to hit a snake’s head,” said Jack. “If you’d hit. him anywhere else, unless in the spine, a matter of luck under the circumstances, your shot would. have been wasted, and he might have got you.” ‘By this time the reptile had ceased to move, and after gathering the remains of the fire to- gether, they returned to the cave again. “Tt ought to be near morning,” said Jack. “Ill stand the rest of the watch if you fellows want If he comes in -to turn in.” “T’ve had all the sleep I want,” said Sam. i Mike, however, concluded to take forty winks, as he called it. Jack and Sam watched together and nothing transpired to disturb them. The fire went out, but daybreak came on shortly, - and morning bioke as suddenly as night fell. Mike was aroused, and leaving him on guard with his rifle, Jack and Sam took a bath in the _ stream. When they came out Mike went in, and — soon afterward they had breakfast and resumed their way throuch the jungle. They traveled steadily for several hours with- out meeting anything but birds and troops of — monkeys. There were snakes of all sizes upon — every hand, but fortunately none of the reptiles — crossed their path. After a rest they resumed . their way. They followed the stream so as to be. — within reach of water, and they were trusting. — to luck to come out all right. is = About noon they struck another inviting clear. ing where thev found a large supply, of haces e a sleep, fo; by _ and ‘ho Hs *
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=e dee ein EE Sai ee : ; dent that one of them should ‘stand watch.’ ‘The ~ Jot fell to Mike, much’to‘his’ disgust. ©‘ at -_ :#Niow don’t+fall asleep, Mike, or we might be - surprised by some of those blacks we ran against yesterday. It wouldn’t be cheerful to be taken ae rene or be stabbed to déath by the sharp knives those fellows carry,” said Jack. : EG Telling Mike to awaken him when he thought -- am hour had elapsed, Jack, after cocking” his ee oe down and followed Sam into the land Nod... fans eens 2 _ “Begorry, but it’s hot,’ mused Mike. “Sure I ‘wish I was safe out of this. haythenish land, where they have monkeys as big as gints, so Jack says, and snakes as long as a ship’s hawser, and as big around almost as a capstan. I wonder how big this jungle is, anyway? Here we've been travelin’ through it for two whole days, and there seems to be no end to it. Afriky is a - big country on the map, so it is. I hope we’re travelin’ in the right direction, and that we'll come across a village soon where we’ll find a missionary.” Mike held his cocked rifle across his knees ready to blaze away at the first sign of danger. He was glad there were no monkeys around, for since his adventure of the day previous he dreaded them as much as any other species of beast or reptile they were liable to encounter. He meant to keep awake, but little by little he grew drowsy, as he sat with his back against a tree, and finally he dropped off to sleep. : Nearly an hour passed away and nothing hap- pened. Then there came a rustling among the - tuees and several large monkeys and a number ~ of small ones, probably their progeny, came into sight. They spied the sleepers and set up a - great chattering among themselves.. By degrees ‘they approached nearer, and perched in ‘the branches above, seemingly greatly interested in the humans below. From the limb of a tree over ' Jack there dropped a small green snake. It was only two feet lone, but very venemous. . Its bite was sure death unless suitable anti- dotes were at hand. It lay motionless for a time, but when Jack stirred in his sleep, and hrew one of his hands out toward it, it raised ‘its head, coiled up and prepared to strike. At that critical juncture one of the large monkeys “leaped to the ground, clutched the snake by the neck, and held it tight, despite its efforts to get free, ‘strange chance. Monkeys have a great antipathy to. snakes, because they bite their young, they fi an In the present instance Jocko evinced his hatred in a curious fashion. With the fingers of his disengaged hand he gouged out the snake’s eyes, slapped its head ‘and chattered away at it as if taunting it, at being unable to free itself, and finally flung it “far as he could into the shrubbery. While this monkey was dealing with the snake, one of ae oe pimapions dropped down and squatted be- ‘side Mike. Another followed, and soon the whole Jot were seated on the ground around the snoring a4 and h a > 8 ge , shoe _- When the snake had been disposed of, the mon- Ly ep ERE LAT eye op ‘A FAVORITE OF FAT Thus was Jack’s life saved through a. chap. A shot, too; right between the eyes. We’re in luck, for we'll be able to have some roasted meat now for.a change.. Mike, you de- — serve a gold medal.” ; <,, The Irish lad rubbed his eyes and gazed in — great astonishment at the animal his, rifle had executed, <— “Upon me word, that bates the Dutch; so it) does. So I shot that, did I?” : bse “Of course you shot it. Didn’t you know what you were shooting at?” said Jack in some sur-" prise. : : Mike looked at the antelope and then at the — gun in great ~erplexity. : * ewe “Faith, it’s bewitched, it is,” he said. a _ “Bewitched! What do you mean by that?” “Begorry,” said Mike, not wishine to admit he had been asleep. “I was wonderin’ how the, — — got here when I shot him about a mile off.” . Satie “Shot _him a mile off, eh? That’s a hot one, Mike, . The truth of the matter is the poor an-. — telope walked in here without noticing us, and you took advantage of the chance to lay him — out. Isn’t that the truth?” =. =" “Have it your. own way. mit I shot him?” : “There’s no doubt about that, is there, Sam?” “No, for ’m willing to swear I didn’t shoot him.” : feet In “Instead of proceeding on our way we’ll stay here awhile longer and prepare some cooked veni- son for ourselves. It will be a weleome change in our bill-of-fare,” said Jack. ies Jack and Sam hauled the dead antelope into the center of the clearing. They skinned one si of the animal and cut off such parts as the thought were best to eat. While hes were busy Mike started a fire, and when it was reduced to a mass of glowing embers, the antelope meat, wrapped up in large, wet leaves, was buri them and left to bake or roast, as the case be, until they figured it was done. They no great cooks, these boys, but trusted to luc in lieu of skill. ; As luck was running their way, their cu efforts turned out a Pisin snd befor At any rate, ye ad- F: ;
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-A PAVORITE OF FATE TM EES AS aa iy . CHAPTER-IV.—Out of the Jungle at Last. _..- They kept on after night had fallen, and in spite of the growing sounds of fierce animal] life | around them, until they reached another clear- ing. Here they camped and built two fires, be- _ tween which they took refuge. Mike drew the short twig that made him stand the first watch. He kept wide awake till he calculated it was time to call Jack. “Nothing turned up, eh?” said Jack when he relieved him. “Nothin’, thank the saints, but a number of pastes came around and looked as if nothin’ would have suited thim better than to make a male' of us.” “What kind of beasts?” asked Jack. “Faith, it’s not a naturalist I am, so I can’t tell yez.” : “You never saw their counterpart in a menag- erie, then?” “Niver, to me knowledge.” “All right. Turn in.” ‘The night passed without anything unusual transpiring, and the boys resumed their journey after breakfast. Early that afternoon they emerged from the jungle into a sparsely wooded country. “Hiven be nraised!” ejaculated Mike. “We’re out of that place at last. Sure I thought there was no ind to it.” “There’s an end to everything in this world, Mike,” replicd Jack. “Tt’s hopin’ there won’t be an ind to us be- fore we get out of this haythen land,” retorted the Irish boy. A short distance further on they came across a plain trail. “Begorry. this must lade somewhere. We can’t do better than to folly it.” “Of course we will follow it. shall fetch up at a village.” “But suppose the village is inhabited with thim qm fellers in s\.immin’ trunks and sharp knives, —“ -what?ll we do at all thin?” “That’s a chance we'll have to take. Maybe we can make friends with them.” “How can we whin we can’t spake their ling6?” “We can make signs. That’s a language, if limited, that is recognized all the world over.” “You're the leader. We'll let you make the signs.” “All right. Step out.” 5 The sun was just setting when they came in Sight of a ood-sized river. / “Sure if we had a boat now it would be easier to travel. That river probably lades to the say, and I’d sooner be at say than on dry land at -. prisint,” said Mike. 4 Fifteen minutes later thev came suddenly upon a small hut from the roof of which smoke was issuing. ‘It was a welcome sight to the boys, as it seemed to solve the problem of shelter for @the night. The door stood open and they walked in. An ancient-looking native was bending over a fire cooking something. He looked at the boys with an expression of surprise, Jack proceeded to make use of the sign language. He pointed in the direction of the jungle to intimate that they had come from there, and was about to ask - I dare say we the old man interrupted him. . “You English bov?” he said. : f “No, American,” replied the somewhat sur- prised lad. got + “Me talk Engleesh.” “Oh, you do? Then we'll get along better.” “Come from coast—sailor?” for the privilege of stopping at the hut when Jack nodded, “We were shipwrecked,” he said. “Sheepwreck. Where ’bout?” Jack pointed in the direction he supposed the coast lay. The old man shook his head. ‘ “Coast dere,” he said, pointing in a different direction. “Ts that so? We’re mixed up, then. Where is there a village?” The old man pointed, saying: “Six mile.” “There’s a village six miles away?” The native nodded. “Where does this river run to?” The old man said it ran to the coast. “Can we stop here to-night?” A nod from the old party gave them the de- sired permission. “No bed.” he said: “Sleep on floor?’ “All right,” replied Jack. “We'll sleep any- where.” “Me *pose you want somet’?ing eat eh?” “We've got some grub with us.” “Berry nice delicacy dis,” said their host, pointing to the pot that was simmering over the fire. “Me spare vou little bit.” “What is it—soup?” asked Jack, looking into the pot and observing that it looked like dish water with a lot of black things floating in it. The old man gave it some name that the boys did not understand. He put in a spoon and tasted it with the air of a chef. Apparently sat- isfied that it was just right to be partaken of, he got three large nut shells, and as fast as he ladled a portion out of the pot he handed one to each cf the boys. As he offered them no spoons, they were evidently expected to drink the concoction out of the shells. “What are thim black things floatin’ around?” asked Mike, regarding the objects with suspicion. “Dem snail. Berry fae dalicwes replied the old man, proceeding to crunch one of the black things between his almost toothless gums. “Snails, is it?” cried Mike, with a look of dis- gust. “Begorry that settles it. None of that for me. I don’t mind pay soup, nor oyster soup, - nor what the French call consommv, but snail soup gets me goat. Yez can have my share, Jack, with all the pleasure in the world.” “You don’t know what you are missing,” laughed Jack as he bit into a snail. “I’ve eaten - roasted snails. in their shells at a French res- taurant, and I’m bound to say they’re all right when you get used to them.” = Sam drank a little water, but he couldn’t go the snails. “What’s in the bag is good enough for me,” said Mike, pulling out a chunk of the venison and a couple of crackers. Jack wasn’t stuck ona snail diet, but he stood — it lest the old man should feel offended, and he declared the soup first class. Their host pre- sented them with some rice cakes, and they made the rest of their meal out of the econtenta \
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- of the bag. _ were white people. oy s "4 FAVORITE OF FATE By questioning the ancient native Jack found out that if they followed the river they would reach a town on the coast where there In a direct line the coast was sixty miles away, but to reach the town in ques- tion by way of the river the distance to be trav- eled would be more than twice that. The advan- tage gained by following the river was that they couldn’t miss their way, and that was everything under the circumstances the boys were placed in. The old man took a great fancy to Jack, and he told him a great deal about the country around about which interested the boy very much. Amon _ other things he told him about the country _o -the head hunters which was situated many miles away to the north. He said these people were a very savage na- tion, and had conquered all the small surround- ing tribes, who were compelled to pay a certain tribute twice a year. They also had to furnish a number of victims for the annual sacrificial festival of the head hunters, who worshiped hide- ous idols, to whom they lcoked for protection and favors. If the harvest was poor, or any- thing else thev were interested in went wrong, they held a special sacrifice to propitiate their deities. Jack was informed that the annual cere- monies and sacrifice was only a few weeks off, and as it would mark the one thousandth anni- - -versary of the birth of their chief god, it was im _ Jar See ‘going to be celebrated with uncommon eclat, ~ An unusual number of victims were to be of- fered up to the gods, and predatary bands were out. skirmishing for prisoners to be disposed of in various ways during the initial days of the festival, which would last a week or ten days. Jack was advised, therefore, to keev a sharp lookout against surprise on the part of these wandering parties of head hunters, since a white ~ ‘man or woman was regarded as a find of special ortance, and as a sacrifice would be particu- a relished by the chief deity. The old man said he bed once been captured by the head hun- ters and had had a narrow escape. He described the appearance of the big town, as he called it, and narrated how he had been kept a prisoner for many weeks in a room of the temple of the ds. e made his escape by bribing one of the priests with a valuable ruby he had picked up in the woods the day before his capture. -He said the priests wete great rascals, who flourished on the credulity of the people from the King down, and that they would do anything for a suitable bribe. During the many centuries of their existence, under one name or another, the present head hunters had accumulated a great treasure of gold, jewels, ivory and other articles value, which was stored in a cavern in the mountain range surrounding their town. Only the priests and the King knew where this cavern was. ‘The old man said that a very small part of his reasure would make a foreigner rich for life, while the whole treasure would, in his opinion, buy up an empire. When the old fellow retired, Jack rejoined his companions outside and related ‘to them all their host had told him. The treasure f the head hunters interested them greatly. -“Begorry, what a fine thing it would be if we ould carry back to Ameriky some of that same “treasure,” said Mike. “It would be the makin’ us. We'd all three be big bugs, and we * wouldn’t need to work any more. I’d go back to old Ireland, buy up the country I was born © in, and let all me tinants live rint free. It’s a 2” great man I’d be, with a castle to live in, and the prettiest colleen for me wife. I say, Jack, — ain’t there some way we can get hold of a slice of that ‘treasure? Sure it’s only goin’ to waste among these nagurs. It’s a sin and a shame that it shouldn’t be put to some good use.” au “Do you want to run the risk of being served up as a sacrifice to the gods of the head hunters?” laughed Jack. And what would they “As a sacrifice, is it? do to me?” “I suppose they’d lay you like a bound calf | on a stone altar, and then one of the priests would cut vour hair with a sharp knife and drop it into the chief god’s mouth as a delicate mor- sel for him to chew on in place of plug tobacco.” “Sure I wouldn’t like that at all at all. And would they dare to do that to a white man?” “The old man told me that they preferred a white person to a native, and reserved such a rarity for the boss deity.” ee. “Ts that a fact?” = _“That’s what he said, and I’m willing to take his word for it rather than ‘investigate the mat- ter. He told me that a white prisoner is treated” with the greatest consideration on account of the honor his color gives him of being served ~ up only to the head idol.” “But maybe we could find the treasure with- out gettin’ caught by them villains. Such a lot of gold, jewels and other things is worth takin’ a risk for. Yez can’t get somethin’ for nothin’ — in this world,” Gr: “That's all right, Mike; but a fellow’s life is worth more than all the gold and treasure in ~ the world.” ‘ : “Bet your life it is,’ nodded Sam. “If Mike wants a look in at the head hunters’ treasure, let him start off on his own hook.” “It’s kind yez are to suggest it; but I wouldn’t ; want to rob yez two of your share.” ‘3 “Well, let’s turn in, for we want to make an early start down the river. We have over a —— hundred-mile tramp before us, and that’s no silly ~~ walk in a tropical country,” said Jack. ee His companions agreed to that. so they entered _ the hut and lay*down on the hard floor, with — sone straw for a pillow, and ere long were sound — asleep. f : CHAPTER V.—Captured. When the boys awoke they found the old man- up eating his breakfast. They went to the river and had a bath the first thing, and shortly after- — ward partook of their own morning meal. They. — then made preparations for their journey back — to the coast, though the point they proposed to oH reach was all of fiftv miles north of the place where they were wrecked. It wa. a town with a strange name situated at the mouth of the river, and they would be able to find some small native =| craft to take them to some larger port on the African coast where they would run across Euro- __ pean vessels. ° : = The old man gave them two small iL for their large one, so that they could divide the weight of their food supply. He also ; os ty OOk 5 +f;
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fancy to the water breaker, for which he offered them three earthen bottles which they could sling ‘around their shoulders. Jack accented the ex- ' change as a great advantage to them. He pre- ~gented their host with the three sharp knives ' they secured from the natives who attacked them and the old fellow was tickled to death. _ He gave them nearly all the cooked rice he had on hand, and a quantity of dried fruit. Al- together, they felt in nretty good shape to under- ee the tramp before them. ; -“Begorry, we landed on our fate whin we struck that house,” said Mike after they had started di e bank of the river. : eove did that,” said Sam. “On the whole, I ‘think we’ve been pretty lucky to get through that jungle without meeting with an accident. We know where we are going now, and that’s ‘something we didn’t know before. If we meet with no unfriendly natives, or savage animals, ‘Il be all right.” ae the sun yrs higher in the heavens the boys suffered greatly from the heat, for there was little shelter on the route they were now follow- ing. Whenever they came across a tree they stopped for some time to rest, but there was no such thing as getting cooled off. There was no wind that morning, and Mike declared it was than blazes. ; notrhis is a whole lot different from traveling through the jungle,” remarked Sam, mopping his ce, oy fern say so,” admitted Jack. “It was hot - there, but not a circumstance to what we’re up against now. If there was only a breeze it would eat relief. @ sae cead gradually rose as they advanced till their course was along the top of a bluff _ about twenty feet above the river. Finally, they ‘spied a wood ahead, and that promised to shelter thei from’ the sun’s rays. As soon as they reached it they threw themselves on the dry grass and panted like animals at their last gasp. Not a word passed between them for a good fifteen wwe am <p minutes then Mike et up. and took a drink his earthen bottle. : ; ecrccry, it’s almost hot enough to boil an egg,” he said. “A lump of ice is what I nade to <i it palatable.” ; Se ae = “Tee! Don’t mention it, Mike, said Sam. “I wish I were at the North Pole now.’ “The North Pole, is it? Ye’d wish yourself ack in about five minutes. Sure that’s the other extreme. Faith I think half way between would better.” after a long rest Jack proposed that they start : ‘ain. - 3 “We're not getting on very fast,” he said. “I think it would be better to sleep in the daytime d travel at night. We can’t miss our way as as we keep to the river.” ieee "Your suggestion is a gooa one, Jack,” said eee’ “ S497 am. “I vote we-adopt it. es ‘Sure I couldn’t slape now to save me soul,’ d Mike. : : : ‘We'll defer sleeping till to-morrow if you chaps can stand it,” said Jack. “During the rest the day we'll take it easy. When the sun es down we'll push on all night, By morning be sleepy enough, I dare say.” = , A FAVORITE OF FATE | 9 é is it now, do you think?” asked “About noon in this latitude for the sun is directly overhead. Are you hungry?” “Not in the least; but I could get away with — about a quart of ice water.” They procezded ahead for an hour through the wood. The trees were not close enough to give them continuous shade. In fact, it was about even shade and sunshine, but as they took fre- quent rests they got on verv well indeed. At length they reached the edge of the wood, and saw a long stretch of bare ground before=them ~ which did not look inviting, so they agreed to halt there till sundown. They ate a light lunch and then lay down to try and take a siesta or afternson nap. The sun was low in the heavens— when Jack awoke. Without disturbing his com- panions he got up and took a stroll around. Com- ing out of the wood at the top of the bluff near the river, he was surprised to, see a large, coni- ~ cal hut before him. Tt was very like the huts of the Hottentots he had seen in pictures. However, they were far north of the country of that race. It looked to. be an abandoned habitation, for there wasn’t the slightest. sien of life about it. After looking’ at it for some time, Jack marched toward it. Had he glanced down at the river where it kissed _ the foot of the bluff he would have hesitated leaving the shelter of the wood, for drawn up on the shore he would have seen two big native boats. ; Although not a native was in sight, the pres- ence of the boats indicated that a party of blacks had landed at that spot, gone off somewhere, and = might reasonably be expected to return at any ~ moment. When Jack reached the hut he looked inside and saw that the place v 1s deserted. He entered and looked at a number of earthen ves- sels that were standing about. They were empty. “Yhere’s nothine here that would be of any _ use to us,” he said. “It’s rather odd that there 4 should be only one house. Natives, as a rule, don’t live off bv themselves in hermit style. The old man we met last night was one of the ex- ceptions. This would be a fine place to roost in’ if we were going to stay all night. If we could meet with a similar hut along towards morning T’ll call it luck.” : At that moment he thought he heard the tramp- ing of feet outside. He rushed to the door and looked out. He was staggered to see a score or more of wild looking natives, armed with spears — and sticks, approaching, and only a short dis tance away. It was impossible for him to regain the wood without them seeing him, so he dodged back into the hut. He had been seen, however, by several of the blacks. who communicated the fact to their companions, and a rush was made for the hut. aay A minute later they blocked up the entrance, and spying the boy, crowded inside and sur- rounded him. They wore only a breech-cloth, with
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ie : { 10 A FAVORITE OF FATE he now was. A particularly ugly rascal with a topknot stepped forward and looked Jack over from head to foot. He lost no time in exchang- ing words with the boy, for he seemed to under- stand that such a proceeding would be useless. He believed Jack was not alone so far from the coast in that barren district, and considered it advisable to hurry matters. He uttered a gut- tural command to the rank and file—the fellows who had no topknots—and two of them laid hold . of tbe lad. Another, who carried a rope around his body, “unwound it, stepped forward and threw the noose end over Jack’s head. The leader seized the rope, cut off a piece from the end with the knife he earried, and ordered one of the bunch to bind - the boy’s hands behind his back. Jack was not secured without a desperate struggle on his: part - to. escape. His efforts were of no avail against such numbers, and he was dragged outside and _ +» ‘hurried toward a ravine leading down to. the — shore. F This ravine was close to the edge of the wood where Jack had left Sam and Mike sleeping. Those lads had woke up a few minutes before, and noticing’ their leader’s absence, had started to look for him. Thev heard the hubbub of the natives in some surprise and uneasiness, Crawl- ing through the bushes they veered out into the open space in front of the conical hut. To their consternation they discovered Jack a prisoner in .the hands of a small crowd of savage looking natives. “Murder and turf!” exclaimed Mike, aghast. x “Thim nagurs have captured Jack. What shall we do at all at all?” “To,” replied Sam, with compressed lips, “why rescue him, of course.” “Rescue him! From that bunch! to one ag’in us.” “That makes no difference. If you or I were in Jack’s vlace he wouldn’t desert us if there were twenty to one against him.” “Begorry, you’re, right. We can’t die but once, and we might better do that in a good cause than live to feel that we hadn’t done our duty Faith, I’d blush to call mesilf an Irishman if I <3 deserted a frind in distress.” Jack, bound and helpless, was pulled ‘by the brawny native to the edge of the bluff. Another savage menaced him with his stick. Mike rose from their place of concealment. “Stop, ye villains!” shouted Mike, aggressively. The bunch stopped and stared at the two plucky boys, but only for a moment, then one of the chaps with the topknot waved his stick _in the air and uttered a guttural command to the others. The whole crowd at once made a charge on Sam and Mike. There’s tin ~ CHAPTER VI.—To the Rescue. “We're in for it, begorry,” said Mike. “We must shute like blazes.” wy . The two boys brought their rifles to their shoul- _ . .ders and began to blaze away. 4 . At such close range they could hardly miss _ their marks, and the natives began to fall like ‘wheat before the reaper. In a moment the na- Sam and. -will carry us back,” said Sam. tives were thrown into great confusion, and their s attack stonved. Just before the firing commenced © _ the two chaps with the topknots dragged Jack~ ~ to the head of the ravine, and forced him down toward the shore. The rest of the now demor- | alized bunch came pellmell after them, leaving , their dead and wounded comrades behind. Reloading the magazines of their rifles, Sam and Mike followed in hot pursuit. The natives hurriedly nushed one of their boats into the water, Jack was thrown into her, and the blacks piled in after them. Getting out their paddles they. made for the opposite side of the river - as fast as they could go. The boys opened fire on them again, but had to be careful in their shooting for fear of hitting Jack. They potted several of the blacks and then had to stop firin because the boat swung into a line so that J atk would be as likely hit as one of his captors. ° “We'll have to folly thim in the’ other boat,” said Mike, dropping his rifle and making: a dash for the stranded craft. : But they found the boat too heavy to move in — a hurry, and before they got it into the water —. the natives had reached the other shore, and disappeared up a small stream: that flowed int the river. ; “The villains will get away from us,” cried Mike, shoving with all his might. “Why shouldn’t they when there’s half a dozen of them paddling?” replied Sam. ‘We'll never . be able to overtake them.” “Do yez mane to let thim carry Jack off with- out makin’ another effort?” said Mike. “Begorry, it’s mesilf will folly him alone thin.” “Hold orf, I don’t intend to desert him,’ said _ Sam, “but as this chase mav be a long one, we had better get our provisions, and Jack’s rifle. No use of going off half cocked: We want to be in shape to follow him as far as they intend to take him. . We can’t do that without provi- sions.” “But they'll cet away with him while we’re — gettin’ ready,” said Mike. “They'll get away anyhow. If we’re goin’ to — chase them in a proper wav we must go pre- 4 pared to stay out awhile. That boat will be hard for us two alone to paddle, and we’re bound to— go slow, no matter how you figure it.” There was good sense to Sam’s argument, and Mike yielded to his judgment. : They rushed back to the wood, passing six dead and wounded natives lving on the top of the bluff. The wounded ones were as good as dead, for no one would come to their relief, and those that lived till morning were bound to be finished by the scorching sun. The boys paid no — attention to them, but hastened to carry their — food supplies and Jack’s weapon down to the shore. Everything was packed into the boat and then they pushed off. $e : The river was quite rapid, and thev had a lot of difficulty fetching the stream on the opposite side. They got into it at last and found they had to make their way against the current. aie “Begorry, this is no fool job,” said Mike. “Thim nagurs must be a mile ahead of us by this time.” “We've got to keep on paddling or the stream “When we're — tired out we’ll have to pull in shore and rest there.” : , =
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“Sure it’s not used to this kind of rowin’ I -pm,” complained Mike. “It’s like diggin’ a trench _ i in'the water on one side of the boat. . If I only mad a pair of dacint oars now I could do some- wes, ebin’.” ~~" “This is the native style of propelling a boat, and they’re so accustomed to it that they can “make their craft spin as fast as sailors could with regular oars.” _ ** 4Well, we must do the best we can, since we -@an’t help ourselves; but sure it’s worried I am ‘*about Jack. ‘ Suppose thim fellers’ are the head “hunters, and sacrifice him to their haythenish “gods before we can rescue him, what’ll we do “at all at all?” NS ; «They won’t kill him right away. Jack said _ the old man told him the festival was two or > three weeks off yet. We'll have plenty of time - to’ save him if we are able to keep track of that ‘Bunch that has him in tow.” “And suppose they catch us, what thin?” “Then the three of us will be in the same boat.” “J’d rather the three of us were in this boat rowin’ down the river for the coast.” a They had gone about a mile up the branch “stream when it fell dark. Although up to that moment they were able to see some distance -“-ghead, they saw no signs of the craft they were chasing. They became so tired with their exer- tions that they were obliged to haul in to the shore, moor the boat and rest. Half an hour “later they were paddling ahead again. “The sky was bright and unclouded, and the stream so narrow that they could easily see both banks. They kept steadily down to business until they gave out again, when they made another -. stop for rest. In this way hours passed and they -- put a number of miles behind them. Feeling ; iacaty after their exertions, they made a lunch - on rice cakes, some dried fruit and water. . _ * €Now you see it was . good thing we brought our provisions along,” said Sam. - “Faith it was. Atin’ is one of the great draw- backs we have to contind with in this world. feller gets hungry whether he’s got the price of a male or not. Sure it’s too bad in a case like Br oursilves that we can’t carr water at least in our chists like a camel, and then the food ques- tion wouldn’t bother us so much.” “Well, let’s get on again,” said Sam, and they a ' The boys put in the whole night on the river, and when morning dawned they were pretty well exhausted. / - “We'll have to quit and take a sleep,” said am. ~ _ Mike felt like a wreck, and agreed that with- out a good rest they couldn’t go on. In their present shape it was out of the question to think of paddling under the burning rays of the sun, for they would have no shelter at all on the stream. They hauled the boat close to the shore - and tied it to a tree. Then they partook of a _ light breakfast, and crawling into a thick bunch g of bushes, were soon asleep. They slept well into the afternoon. ~=~,,Thim nagurs must be miles ahead by this = ‘t ime,” said Mike, as the two boys tackled their _ provision bags. “It’s afeard I am we'll niver catch up with thim.” ‘ - “We'll hope for the best. We're doing all we A FAVORITE =. ee OF FATE ioe can do to rescue Jack, and that is as much as can be expected of us,” replied Sam. “Begorry, we must be some distance from’ the river we left. This must be a river, too, for it sames long enough.” 4 : “Probably it is. A Small tributary of the other. We may have to go clear to its source” “Tt sames to me we are followin’ a blind trail for water leaves no tracks. How can we tell if thim nagurs have come as far as this?” “We'd have seen their boat if they’d left it anywhere below.” : “Thim fellows may have taken their boat out of the water and carried it off with them. They wouldn’t lave it behind thim for somebody else to stale.” - ee “That’s so. I never thought of that. Tf they have gone ashore and ‘carried’ their boat with — them it will be impossible for us to trace Jack.” “Well, we mustn’t give up till we go as far as we can. We must do our full duty by Jack, T couldn’t rist satisfied to let thim fellers get the best of us. The only satisfaction I have at prisent is that we done uv more than half of the bunch. We lift six of thim on the bluff, and we killed or wounded at least two more in the boat. “If | we could only pet another crack at the remainder we'd finish thim in no time at all,” said Mike. te . “We won’t give up as long as there’s the faint- est chance to find Jack,” said Sam, resolutely. “We may lose our lives in this hunt, but that’s a_ chance we have to take.” When they had finished eating they started on again. Night found them on the river. They were making much better progress now, for they had got accustomed to using the paddles. They. were gradually workins the soreness out of their muscles, and rested less frequently than-during the preceding night. They kept their eyes con- tinually on both shores of the stream, but saw __ no signs indicating that the natives had left the water. When morning came once more they landed and sought shelter from the heat of the sun. “Begorry, if we stay long in Afriky we'll be — as black as nagurs oursilves,” said Mike, when they resumed their trip again that afternoon. “That needn’t worry us any,” said Sam. “It’s a healthy color.” : ; “We must have come more than twinty miles up this stream. There seems to be no end to it. like the jungle. 2 a Suppose we stop awhile and gather some. look like thim r me pineapples we found in the — jungle.” } They landed and found that the fruit was the - same variety of pineapple. They gathered two — armfuls which they dumped into the boat, and — went back for more. ; ; aa Suddenly Mike cried out in some excitement. — “What’s the matter?” asked Sam. & “Come here, will yez. Look at thim tracks—~ they’re fate—naked fate, for yez can see the toes as plain as the nose on your face. Begorry, thim — ES nagurs came ashore here.” akg = ‘Then they’ve carried their boat with them, for there’s no sign of it around,” said Sam. “TLet’s see where thim fate lade to.” said Mike. following the tracks into the thick shrubbery, In a moment he uttered another shout,
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ie A FAVORITE OF FATE | ce : _ “Now what have you discovered?” asked Sam, eagerly. “The boat. It’s here in the bushes.” : Sam came up and saw it partly hidden in the vegetation. '“Hurroo! We’ve got on the track of thim vil- lains at last,” said Mike. ‘We’ll save Jack yet.” ’ They saw the direction in which the tracks led, and they easily made out the marks of Jack’s shoes. mee let’s get our guns and folly thim,” said ike. They rushed back to the boat, drew it as far ip on the shore as they could, and secured it. Then thev got their rifles and provision bags. They decided to take turns carrying Jack’s ‘weapon. | - “We'll take a couple of these pineapples apiece, for fear we’d run short of grub,” said Sam, pop- ping a pair into his bag. Mike thourht it a good idea, and followed suit: Refilling their water bottles, and taking note of the landmarks in the neighborhood. they started off. in the track made by the natives not in the least deterred by thoughts of the perils that lay before them. a CHAPTER VII.—En Route. Let us return to Jack. When his two friends suddenly opened fire on his captors on the bluff the boy entertained a hope of rescue; but this was speedily dissipated by the swiftness with which the men with the topknots acted. pene jerked him toward the ravine, and before he coul * say Jack Robinson the natives had him in the ‘boat, and were paddling across. the river. The bullets from the rifles of Sam and Mike wounded three of the blacks, but the boat kept on and entered the tributary stream. Poor Jack believed that all was up with him now, and that he had seen the last of his two friends in this life. ‘The skulls at the hins of the two chaps with the topknots convinced him that he was In the hands of a scouting party of head hunters, and after what he had learned from the old man the night before, the prospect ahead was not \very encouraging. ‘With his hands bound behind his back, and a rope noosed around his neck, he had not the faintest chance of giving his captors the slip. If only his right hand was free he could have drawn - the revolver from his hip pocket and made things hot for the fellows. Now that he had. time to think, he wondered why he had not done that in the hut before the rascals reached him. How- ever, there was no use crying over spilled milk. He would doubtless get a chance yet to use his” revolver, if thev didn’t go through his clothes and teke it from him. They continued on up the river hour after hour, the natives showing no signs of weariness. That Sam and Mike would follow in the other boat never occurred to Jack. at He would not have believed it nossible for them to do it anvway. He could not help wondering _ what they would do. t ) he was satisfied would avail him nothing. Night fell and still the boat kept on its way. Finally one of the chaps with the topknot called ~ ghalt. The boat was turned in on the left shore Whatever they tried to do . SbF tae. and, all hands debarked. Jack was secured to a tree and the others began preparations for a meal. Several of them scattered into the shrub- bery, and ere long returned with an abundance ~— of wild fruit. This, with some rice’ cakes they ~~ had in the boat, composed their meal. Jack’s right hand was released, and he was given two ; small rice cakes to eat, and some.of the fruit, one of the blacks standing close to him and hand- ing him the: articles one by one. As he was hungry he did not refuse being fed, and then his hand was tied again. The natives rested two hours altogether and then resumed their way. They did not stop again till morn- ing, though they paddled slower. Apparently they no loner feared pursuit. On the mornin; of the second day on the stream the boat lande = at the spot where Sam and Mike later on found that the blacks had come ashore. The boat. was thrust into the shrubbery and, after a meal all around, the party took up its line of march toward the north. Wy They pushed on at a rapid pace all day through — the woods that sheltered them, in a great meas- ure, from the sun. Long\ before the natives showed any fatigue Jack gave out under the forced march, and two of his captors carried him for a considerable distance. Late in the after- noon, about the time that Sam and Mike struck the trail of the blacks, a halt was called and supper partaken of, of which Jack got his share. For two hours the bunch rested, and then the - march was resumed with the same speed as be- fore. The natives could certainly cover ground — at a great rate, and Jack was kept on the trot, not daring to pause on account of the noose which was around his neck. He felt for all the world like an animal that was being dragged to. the slaughter-house. When he finally pitched forward, utterly exhausted, they carried him again. Another halt was called about midnight, and after an hour’s rest they went on again. When morning broke the wood was thinner and through the trees Jack caught an occasional: view of a distant mountain range. The party was all day tio | the foothills, and during: the night their way led through a wild pass in — the range. As morning drew near again, Jack * heard a succession of screams in the distance. The voice did not sound like a woman’s, but he could not doubt that some one was in great dis- tress. i His captors heard it, too, but the only impres-. sion it made upon them was that of satisfac- tion; at least, Jack judged so from their actions — and jabbering. The shrieks continued and grew _ louder as they approached a turn in the moun- — tain side. Presently the boy was treated to a sight that chilled his blood with horror, and gave him a foretaste of the savage cruelties practiced by the head hunters. ; Against a bare, upright post, fixed firmly inthe ground, a naked black man was bound, and — making the early morning hideous with his — i screeches. Why he gave utterance to such heart-. rending cries wag. soon made apparent, for as the little party drew near, a couple of h enag” slunk. off at a run. On reaching him Jack, found.«~ that these creatures had been snapping at his’ legs. Jack hoped one of his captors would drive his spear into the unfortunate man’s.body and put the poor wretch out of his misery. reece
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nite fp AF ALA A FAVORITE OF FATE > But that was the last thing that would have _* suggested itself to the rascals. They passed him by with the utmost indifference, leaving the’ hyenas to return and finish their work of killing him. As Jack subsequently learned. to have put the man prematurely out of his pain would, in the eyes of the head hunters, have destroyed his value as a fetish, and have insulted the gods to whom he was offered as a living sacrifice. So the victim of African superstition was left be- hind, and the party proceeded as swiftly as ever. An hour after sunrise a halt was made in a wild fastness of the mountains, and food was pro- duced from a hole under a rock. After a short rest the march was resumed. ~The chaps with the topknots were anxious to reach their destination. Although the original object of their exnedition was a failure, which was to round up a few victims for the prelim- inary) sacrifices leading up to the great festal day of their chief god, they had captured a white . prisoner, which was a matter of such importance that the fellows with the topknots expected to be praised and rewarded with gold ornaments and promotion. J Therefore were they in a great hurry to de- liver the white boy into the hands of the chief priest, who, with his assistants, took charge of the more important’ prisoners intended for the -erowning ceremonies of the festival. The grand- eur of the mountain scenery would have appealed to Jack under more favorable circumstances, but now its wild beauty was lost on him, for his thoughts were busy with the future, and the hor- rors it probably held for him. Around noon an- other halt was called for dinner, and food was ' found, as before, in a hidden recess. The sun was descending in the west when the pass they were now traversing ended abruptly, and a glori- ous valley, green as the emerald, came into view. It looked like a great shallow bowl scooped out of the range itself, for it was completely sur- rounded on all sides with mountain peaks that PP shiat it in completely from the outside world. ‘Hundreds of yellow bamboo-walled huts, with green thatched roofs, dotted the valley without any semblan.e of order. Not a tenth of them - were visible to the eye from the mouth of the pass on account of the shrubbery. : 3 ‘Where onlv the roofs were in sight, their green ~ eolor mingled with the trees and concealed their identity. Jack saw enough huts, however, to con- vince him that the valley was well populated, as, indeed, it was, for the head hunters were a powerful tribe. Close to the southern border of the valley stood a large, two-story structure, forming one side of a square, open space. This - was the idol house. It was flanked on one side by the residence of the King and his numerous family, and on the other by the building occupied by the high court officers. “The fourth or north side, was open, and faced >the valley and dwellings of the common herd. The idol house was considered of more importance an the King’s palace. It was believed to_be the roosting-place of the dread god who watched ; ver the welfare of the tribe, as well as the lesser “gods, who were supposed to dance attendance ‘upon the big fellow. A dozen yards in front of * Mam oe fteen fee’ ay aT entrance wees ty solid earthen On this stood a stone slab, raised on four boul- ders to a height of perhaps four feet. gutter was cut along the four edges of the slab, and at each corner was a hole. This piece of stone was the great altar where the chief victimg were sacrificed. No common person ever suffered death on it. In some cases a victim was tor- - tured there, but not often. Death on the altar was generally swift. Sebo As the party came down the slope from the pass they began uttering shouts and brandishing, their spears. As this was only done when a scouting party had met with uncommon success, it speedily attracted attention. Men, women an children came running out from among the trees, and soon a considerable crowd gathered around the little band and the prisoner, and with shouts~ of joy accompanied the line of march toward the open end of the square. The crowd and con- fusion grew as they advanced. ; Gongs, horns, rattles and drums were presently added to the din. Such barbarous music Jack had never imagined before. He was almost stunned by the volume of sound. At length they reached the square, and as they advanced across it they were relieved of the common populace, who knew better than to intrude beyond a certain invisible line. They lined up all the way across” that end of the square, however, forming a solid living wall of yelling and singing humanity, the color of ebony. : Half way across the eae the majority of the scouting narty stopped, the two chaps with the topknots alone completing the distance with the prisoner. The head priest of the temple came out to meet them. To him one of the fellows explained how they had captured Jack, and how they had lost’ nearly half their party doing it. — The priest complimented him and his companion, and said they should both be rewarded in a suit- able manner. He then struck a gong hanging from a corner of the mound. The other priests appeared, and to them the head individual con- signed Jack. The boy was led into the temple, up a flight of steps and into a room, furnished with a couch, a bamboo chair and table to match. The rope was removed from his neck and his hands were unbound. The priests then retired, securing the door after them. ; CHAPTER VIII.—The Girl Captive. Jack sank into the chair, for he was completely. : ig fagged out after the forced overland journey he had been compelled to take. He was utterly de- jected, too, for his future prospects looked very. black, indeed. Ordinarily he was not easily dis- couraged by adversity, but the bodily strain he — had undergone had taken all the starch out of him for the time being, and he could scarcely have lifted a hand to defend himself had he been ‘ attacked at that moment. ; ‘He sat for an hour staring blankly at the floor. His thoughts were blurred and amounted-~ to nothing, for his brain was in a kind of tor- — pid state. The door opened and two priests ap- peared. One, bearing a flat basket containing — earthen plates of choice food, including a sto f bottle filled with a species of sweet wine into the room while the other remained at: th Daye A. 80rb-08 eae ;
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-a lk, pate RS ~ door, Jack’ did-not~appear to-notice. their pres- ence. we The priest spread the dishes on-.the table and put the-bottle in their midst, . Then he retired with the basket, closing the door after him. At length Jack pulled himself together and looked around the room. He saw the layout.on. the table. Mechanically he. got up and went toward was strong upon him, he smelt of it, then tasted it, and then took a long drink. It refreshed him -gomewhat, and he ate a little of two or three of the dishes without any special relish. faking another drink, he was about to return to the chair when his eyes rested on the couch. ‘It appealed to him, and he stretched himself upon it in a weary way. Five minutes later he was sound asleep. When stone lamp, filled with mustard oil, was burning jn a niche in the wall. He rose greatly re- - freshed with his wits about him once more. profound silence rested all around. Walking to the one narrow window he looked out. The “young moon was hanging like a silver crescent ‘in the western sky. The arching firmament was unclouded and prilliant with stars. Before him lay the square, silent and deserted, with the trees and houses eyond, while the mountain reared itself in the ‘extreme perspective. Am I dreaming or am I really a prisoner in the hands of the head hunters, with the pros- ~ pect of becoming a sacrifice to their gods?” he _ asked himself. “Need I ask myself that question “after what I’ve gone through? Where are Sam and Mike, and what are they doing now? Have they given me un for lost, and are making their sway toward the coast as fast as they can? If they are I can hardly blame them, for how could they save me from the fate which has overtaken “me? They are but two opposed to a multitude, and their lives would surely be sacrificed. Be- ‘sides, how could they trace me here? W ell, these rascals shall never: make a living sacrifice of me.’ I have my revolver. still with six cartridges in it, besides a box full in my pocket. When hey come to lead me forth there will be some- hing doing, and the last shot Yl reserve for myself.” Feeling hungry, Jack went to the table and - cleaned up most of the food, finishing the wine. “That?s a good lay-out for a savage bill-of- are. I suppose these are the rations that the ig bugs live on. The old man told me that they ed him well while he was a prisoner. I won- “der if he was in this room? He said those who re to be sacrificed to the chief deity are always They are allowed everything but treated fine. ibérty. ~ of that sort of thing before me. be able to make my escape in‘ that time, who knows?” - Then Jack got thinking about the great treas- ire the old man had told him about—a treasure g enough to pav a large part of the national AUG. A FAVORITE OF FATE - won’t.do me any good. T’d like to see it, thoug’ -. for its.must be a. tremendous accumulation o , sample it. - it. Picking up the bottle, for the. sense of thirst: he awoke hours afterward it was night and a I suppose there are-two or three weeks _ Maybe I may ~ bt of some nations in the ancient native’s esti- | Pe eee . Wreees wealth. . I wish I were free and had a,chance ; I could carry off ,enough preci stones to make me rich in America. From pre ent indications I’ve seen my last of America, so what’s the use of—what’s’ that?” ec ce Suddenly upon the still’ early morning air™ floated the sound of a girlish voice singing in™ a low, sweet tone a song that thrilled Face to. the core and sent the blood in excited pulsations’ through his veins. It was*not a native girl, nor a native song. It was'a song familiar to the boy—a song that had aroused the enthusiasm of: thousands of Southern hearts during the war Of Secession—“Maryland, My Maryland.” No one: — but an American, and a Southern girl, at that, | was likely to sing it under the circumstances. _ . “My heavens!” breathed Jack. ‘There is an-). — other prisoner in this building—in the next room..; — —an American girl. “And she, like myself, is. slated for the sacrifice. Great Scott! To think ~ that a girl, and one of my own countrywomen, . should be up against such a fate! I must try and communicate with her. If I needed a y- thing to spur me into action it is this girl. “ho save her I will take any risk—more even than — to save myself.” See oe As the chorus of the second verse trilled softly through the wall or partition intersecting. the two rooms, Jack crossed the floor. He reached the wall as the words “Maryland, my Maryland!” ended in a choking sob. ; ; “How shall I attract her attention?” he-ask himself. “By pounding on the wall or address- ing her in English? My voice may arouse the priests and bring one of them here. Perhaps if I sing they will not notice it.” " Jack thought a moment, and then sang, in a clear tenor tone, a few bars of the Southern. song, with words of his own: Se et 4 5 “Who are you, lady, may I ask, From Maryland, sweet Maryland. To save you it shall be my task, Soe. Maryland, my di sree ’ a ¥. A low, girlish scream interrupted him, and he heard a movement in the adjoining room. ee “Who are vou?” came through the partition. — ‘An American boy, miss. My name is Jack Jordan. Tell me who you are.” ‘ “Virginia Rainsford, an American girl: Tam + a prisoner in this room. I was captured by the natives two weeks ago and brought here. Can you save me?” ; ‘ “J don’t know, miss, for I’m a prisoner like’ yourself, but I intend to try hard to make m escape and take you with me.” ; “Tf you only could I should be grateful to yo as long as I live.” re to say t
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Bees A FAVORITE OF FATE Rabel At AC ee “Thank you for saying so. I wish I could see a8 you.” ‘ ~ “®-“perhaps you'll have the chance in’ a little “while. I see morning is dawning, so perhaps -. we had better not converse any longer for the “present. Be on the watch, for I may call to you at any time.” ee ““] will, You don’t know what a comfort it is to me to know that I have a friend near at hand one I can talk to’ sometimes. Your voice 1s the first familiar one I’ve heard since I was taken prisoner.” ; “J’m glad my presence here cheers you. Don’t forget my services, and even my life, are devoted to you from this moment. I meant to. make my escape if I could, but now I shall not stir a step “unless I can'take you with me. Good-by for the present. I hear some one coming. ‘Jack left the vartition and threw himself on the bed. Footsteps sounded in the corridor out- side the door, but they passed on without paus- ing, and again there was silence. Morning had yxoken, however. and sounds came to Jack’s ears from a distance. He went to the window and looked out. Scores of the natives were going about their daily occupations. Nothing was doing as yet about the square. The King and his ‘household were not yet awake, neither were the court officers on the opposite side. - ‘The mountain range locked cold and forbidding at that hour, like the walls and battlements of a huge fortress. They were not as impregnable as they looked, for there were many passes and ' rugged ravines through which a resolute enemy could have found entrance into the valley. The valley of the head hunters, however, had. not been threatened by a foe strong enough to force a -. gerious issue for a very long: time. They h-4 - eonquered all the surrounding tribes in detail. Had those natives combined against them the re- sult might have been different. — Jack remained at the window till the door was opened and his morning meal was brought to him. | After eating it he went to the wall and got irito communication again with the fair prisoner in the next room. With his case knife he cut a good-sized hole in the partition, and through this Gach was enabled to view the other. Jack found that Virginia Rainsford was.a very pretty girl of rather small stature. e > ‘He learned from her that she had accompanied ‘Sy her uncle and guardian to the town of Asaba, on the Niger River, Africa, to visit another uncle who was a missionary at that place. They had spent a pleasant month with the Rev. Mr. Rains- ber! ford, and were preparing to leave on a sailing vessel bound for Cape Town, to connect there - with a steamer for New York, when an invita- tion arrived from a missionary about a hundred miles further in the interior for her two uncles and herself to visit him and his family. The invitation was accepted and they went to the _ town in question. One day it was arranged to visit some ancient -.Yuins in the neighborhood. They went, and while strolling around were suddenly attacked by a party of strange natives. During. the confusion that ensued Virginia said. she became separated from her party and fell into the hers of the : S hostile blacks, who retreated with her in their - hands. After a long, forced march she was finally brought to the valley where she now was, and turned over to the priests of the idol house. She had since been treated with the utmost’ consideration, but was not allowed to leave the © room where she was confined. She was. waited on by a maid from the palace who could speak a little English, but the native girl could not be induced to make any disclosures regarding her | z The chief priest, she said, seemed | ultimate fate. to be a very intelligent native. He was able to speak English with great fluencv. He had visited +: her several times, and had on his last visit the day before intimated that her fate rested wholly with him. She said that she greatly distrusted this man on account of his sinister looks, and suspected he had some design upon her. Jack listened to her with interest. He did not care to tell her that she was designed, like himself, as a sacrifice to the head god at the annual festivities which were soon to take place, for such intelligence was likely to throw her into a fit of despair. As he intended to save her and himself if he could, he wanted her to be in a condition to second his efforts. He\told her how he and his two com- panions had sailed from New York as part of the crew of a pleasure yacht, the owner of which expected to make an extended cruise around the — world. After stopping at the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands, they had sailed down the coast of Africa, intending to round the Cape of - Good Hope and shape their course for the Indian Ocean. “We put in at St. Louis in Senegal, and then © stopped at Free Town in Sierra Leone,” he went. on. “Leaving there, our next stop was at Mon- rovia, in Liberia. Then we skirted the Ivory and Gold coasts, always keeping within sight of the African continent. Had we kept further out to sea matters would have fared better with us. The owner of the yacht,-however, wanted to dro in at many of the larger native towns and vie lages along the entire coast. He was curious, I suppose, to observe the manners and customs of the different native tribes. As he could afford to do as he chose, why, of course, -he had his way. When we reached the Bight of Biafra, north of Cape Campo, we were struck by a sudden and fierce storm from the westward. We were driven © ashore on the desolate coast and the yacht | wrecked. . All hands, including the owner, were — lost except myself and my two friends of whom I have not seen or heard for three days.” | Jack then described their adventures from that point to the time he was captured by the scout- ing party of natives, and separated from his - companions. He told her of the terrible march from the river to the valley where he now was, and said he was only recovering from its effects. He said he had a revolver and a knife on his person, and expected those weapons would be - of service in helping him to escape, and again . assured her that he would not desert her if he found a way to give their captors the slip. It was mid-dav by the time he finished his nar- ration, and as he expected his dinner would soon be forthcoming, and she herself. looking for the coming of the maid, they postponed further talk till later on.
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Is. . CHAPTER IX.—The Temple of the Gods. While waiting for his dinner Jack made a care- ful examination of his prison room. It was built of the same material as the partition, namely osier twigs and a kind of plaster made of mud mixed with some tenacious stuff. The twigs were interlaced with upright tree limbs of various ~~ thicknesses, carefully trimmed of their branches. These facts Jack had learned when he. carved the opening with his sharp knife into the next room. He had been careful to make the hole close to the end of the partition furthest from the win- + dow, where it was likely to attract notice. Neifher room was very deep, being wide along /the front of the building, more like a spacious corridor intersected with walls. Jack judged there were ‘other rooms behind his. This, how- ever, was not a fact, as he afterward discovered. The idol room, which rose to a height of two stories and something over, was at the rear of his room and Virginia’s. The window of Jack’s room, as well as that of the adjoming apart- ment, was, as we have already stated, very nar- row; but what it lacked in width it made up in height. Jt was impossible to push one’s head through it, let alone the body. The door was made of hard wood. It swung on hinges made of a kind of hide that’ time rendered as hard as flint with- out destroying its elasticity. How it was se- cured on the outside Jack could not guess. He knew, from trying it, that it wouldn’t budge a ‘bit. The ceiling itself was tall and impossible to reach without a ladder. The result of the boy’s investigations was that the weak point of the room lay in its walls. Time and a sharp knife would reduce them to frag- ments. Jack was the first prisoner who had ever entered one of those rooms with a knife in his possession, not speaking of the revolver. Why - he had not been searched and the weapons taken from him was a problem to the boy. The under priests either overlooked the knife, the handle of which was visible in its sheath, or had not re- garded it as a matter of consequence. - As the sequel will show, the knife was worth ‘more to Jack than the shooter, though had he been compelled to choose between them he would have discarded the former. “To-night, when all is still, I must devote my energies to cutting an opening through the wall -_ Jarge enough to pass through,” thought Jack. “A : similar opening I must make in the partition so as to get Miss Rainsford out. Then we'll make a break together.” An hour later, while Jack and Virginia were talking through the hole, a sound at each of their doors warned ‘them to call it off. Jack sneaked over to the window and was looking out when the two priests who had charge of him entered. Sa ade made pe for him to follow them, and he felt compelled to obey. One went before and the other came behind him, Each held a short spear in his hands. Jack was marched down- -_ gtairs and led into the idol room. Virginia was “marched in from an opposite door, attended by two other priests. Both were lined up before the monster idol in at A FAVORITE OF FATE the center of the room, The four priests retired, leaving them quite alone. The girl was terrified by the horrible grotesque figures of the idols ~~ that filled up one side of the room, which was og covered with a peaked roof made of green thatch, pe through which the light but dimly filtered. The Ee main idol, before which they stood, was an im- mense image, squatting tailor fashion on a ped- estal, apvarently of solid ebony, though that wasn’t what it was really made of. : It was human in all respects, though not well proportioned—the legs being small, the trunk ; large and massive, the four arms long and of powerful build, while the head, but we won't — describe that, since the horror was typified in — the malevolent expression of its countenance, was small in comparison with the body. The whole — thing was fashioned out of dried mud and plaster, and the artist who executed it must have done so while laboring under a condition similar to the delirium tremens. : It would have looked repulsive enough in the — full glare of daylight, but here, in the semi- — gloom of the temple, it gave one the shivers to contemplate it. Jack stood the ordeal well, for an . he was a boy of nerve, and he knew it was but ~~ a senseless, inanimate object, like the others. Two much smaller idols flanked the big one on either — side, One with eight arms had the head of an elephant. ; a Another possessed the body of a lion and the head of a python, with a neck yards long. The 3 third had a rotund figure with a male face in its stemach, and two necks to which were at- tached female heads. The fourth was the most — hideous of the quartette, and had neither body, — arms, nor legs, representing a central gleaming oe sun, with long feelers like those of the devil-fish, radiating from and swaying around in every direction. ie The sun-face gleamed like molten brass, and the fleshy-looking feelers seemed to gion ae 2g a phosphorescent light, as sometimes do half pu- trid fish. Around the necks of those idols that hae them were hung necklaces of human —_ skulls. < Pyramids of the same hideous trophies were ~ piled at their feet. The main idol ie arnished , with skulls. Skulls festooned the walls of the room and peered out at every corner. Altogether ae there were hundreds of them. For ten minutes the prisoners stood where they had been placed. ~ Not a sound broke the silence. Jack was afraid to speak lest it bring trouble on them, but see- ing that his fair companion was terribly fright- ened, he ventured to place his arm around Tee ee a A sign that he would protect her at all haz ards. His touch seemed to reassure her, and she smiled pitifully in his face. To her dying day — the girl never forgot the horror she faced in the idol house, and many a time afterward the scene was reproduced in her dreams. : The worst was yet to come, and the seeming ~ naturalness of it almost staggered even Jack’s nerves. A strange, weird sound, gradually grow- ing louder, issued from the head of the chief deity. As it flooded the room the four minor . images seem to awaken into life and motion, The — eyes of the elephant head began to roll and its trunk wayed in the most natural manner in the 407. Pen
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‘world. The neck of the python imitated the “movements of that reptile to a nicety. Its mouth opened, and its red forked tongue began to play in and out in a most unpleasant and suggestive way. The female heads nodded toward the prisoners, while the central face seemed to grin horribly as it opened and shut its wide mouth. Last of all the feelers around the -gun’s face squirmed and reached out like me things. Virginia uttered a shrill scream an fainted, Jack catching her in his arms. Instantly all sound ceased and the four small idols became - motionless as at first. This is most extraordinary,” gasped Jack. “How in thunder are these things worked? I : Peering through the hole as soon as he was left alone, he saw ; the unconscious girl to her senses. succeeded Virginia nearly relapsed into a fit. _ The scoundrels,” muttered Jack, who was now greatly interested in the fair Southern girl, “to subject her to such a terrible ordeal. Why it gave me the shivers myself, and I can stand a whole lot more than she. The whole performance was nothing but a kind of hocus-pocus worked by those priests inside of the idols, but it was awfully real just the same.” aes When the native maid succeeded in quieting q ia, after administering a strong stimulat- dng wine, she retired and was immediately suc- ceeded by the head priest, who regarded the poor vl with malicious triumph. He was a tall, stal- art man, with a handsome face, but his natural eauty was spoiled by the evil look in his eyes, nd the wicked, sensuous expression about his mouth. He stood and looked at her with folded rms. eae ee “Girl,” he said, in excellent English, “you have heen permitted to visit the temple of our gods. ~ They have gazed upon you and declared you the fairest of the beauties that come out of the West. What think you of them?” agg ‘Virginia shuddered and hid her face in her ands. , Beers abivow you shall visit them again—but alone,” he said, with an evil look. “No, no, no!” she moaned. “The gods have willed it, and I dare not thwart their wishes.” ; 3 “Anything but that. I shall die if I am taken there again.” ; : ; “Anything, say you?” and his face lighted up with an unholy smile. “Girl, do you wish to Tearn the fate that has been allotted to you? You have been selected as the new bride of the great idol.” “Oh!” fluttered Virginia. » “Ten days hence, bedecked with the fairest flowers of our valley in a robe, you will be led forth to the altar outside, and in the presence e people your spirit will separate itself from body 2 become the property of your lord master of the temple. ‘ Then your beautiful ad will take > A FAVORITE OF FATE _ will return this evening for your answer. - between you and that rascally priest. » its: place upon the pedestaf of 17 your husband, there to remain as long as he wishes. Such, girl, is your fate, as decreed by the deity himself.” ; “Mercy, mercy!” cried Virginia, in a paroxysm of terror. “Girl, there is one chance for you to escape this fate. This is the thousandth annual festival of our great deity, and in an unguarded moment, as a favor to one who has served him long and~ faithfully, he offered to grant any wish, without reserve, that I should ask of him. I will ask your life of him, on one condition, and that is that you become my wife with your own free will. Consent, and not only shall you escape your fate, but, loaded with part of the treasure of the moun- tain, we will flee to Europe, and thenceforth eu- joy life in'the great capitals of the world. I leave you now to consider my offer. It is the only chance you have to escape your fate on the altar. I am the only person who can save you. Think well before you refuse. Consent, and you will be the only one who has cheated the god in one thousand years of his anticipated vic- tim.” 5 “Have pity on me,” cried the girl. ; “Am I not showing you pity when I offer you a life of luxurious ease in the great ~world in place of a painful death on the altar? one ‘0 prove to you that I can do all I say, I will take _ you by a secret tunnel to the treasure chamber, where you can pick your choice of gems worth a king’s ransom, You shall have jewels worth a million, and I will.take as many more to turn into cash. The maid who attended you shall ac- company us to wait on your slightest wish. In four days we shall reach Cabul, on the coast. Thence we sail for Cape Town, where we will take a steamer for the Mediterranean by way of the Red Sea. The chance I. offer you is one you ought to jump at. Adieu now till this eve- mS ith those words the rascal retired by way of the door, and Virginia was left alone. CHAPTER X.—A Woman’s Promise. The departure of the high priest left Virginia almost in a state of collapse. Jack felt dead sorry for her, byt even as he sympathized with — her feelings a wild scheme flashed through his brain. It occurred to him that if the girl was willing to co-operate with him their escape might be greatly simplified and made surer. Finally he spoke to her through the hole, but he had to call several times before she heeded his voice and came to him. - “Oh, Mr. Jordan,” she said in a broken, tear- ful voice, “you don’t know what I haye——” “Yes, I do. I know all that has just passed But don’t call me Mr. Jordan. Call me Jack. Our situa- tion is too desperate for us to stand on cere- mony. I’ll call you Virginia. If we are fortunate enough to make our escape we can be less familiar in our intercourse. Remember I am the only friend you have to call on now. I will stand by you to the last. “So for the time oe at least we must act like old friends,” he said.
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jewels. ingly.” 18. . "71 do anything you want, but you can’t save me now,” she said, mournfully. ; “Why not now?” he asked, almost sharply. “Because I shall be murdered unless I marry that man who was in here.” “Nonsense! be murdered if I can help it.” “How can you prevent it? evening for my answer. I must say yes or “The ladies. don’t always say yes right away to a proposal. They like to keep a man on a - string, when they’re sure of him. Well, you’re sure of that villain, so you want to play him for all he’s worth.” “How can I if he insists on an immediate an- swer?” “Let him insist. Put him off, but do it in a way that will encourage him to believe that you'll yield in the end. Take it from me he’s dead set on getting you, and won’t let you be sacrificed to those senseless gods as long as there’s a chance (f bringing you to terms. He and the rest of the priestly gang are all in cahoots. ‘They know - that there isn’t anything in those idols than in any other kind of inanimate object. They are fooling the people, from the King down, and are laughing in their sleeves at the easy way in which the game works.” “Oh, but those awful things move and seem to have life,” said the girl, with a shudder at the recollection of what. she had experienced in the ido] room. ; “All fake, Virginia. They are rigged up with strings and springs, or some other kind of mech- enism, and the priests hide themselves inside and pull the wires that make them wiggle.” _ They are horribly life-like.” “That’s right, they are for fair. I'll admit that they gave me a turn, though I knew there was nothing real about them, and I don’t won- der that they paralyzed you. But what’s the use of talking about them? Only a waste of ‘time, and time is precious to us just now. Do you know what I want you to do?” ‘ > He is coming this ” “Well, listen. I think vou can do more for eur escape than I can.” “How?” she asked in surprise. “By using that high priest for our benefit.” “J -don’t understand.’ “He told you that he would take you to-night to the treasure room in the mountains in order to prove to you that he could load you with Now I want you to go with him will- - “Oh, Mr.—Jack.” ‘ -“J)on’t scream out. I don’t want any of the priests to hear us. I'll tell you why I want you to go. It’s because I want vou to learn the secret road to the treasure cave. I’m after that treas- nre—the treasure of these head hunters. Now “hat we’re on the ground we might just as well carry some of it away with us. A few hand- fuls of the precious stones—the rubies, diamonds nnd such, would make us wealthy in America. At any rate, it would make me rich, and I need the money. You may be rich yourself—that is, -our people, I mean; but it’s different with me. tf I get half a chance I’m not going back to the coast empty handed. You accompany that - rascal this evening and keep your eyes open A. FAVORITE OF FATE = *. a You shall neither marry him nor while “pretending to ‘notice nothing. See. what - I’m getting at? the mountains from the. place. you. You ought to be smart enough to fool him: — You’re an awfully pretty girl, and he’s stuck on you. You find out the lay of the land and then. Part When you reach the cave, try) — to find out-from. him if there’s a way out into = — t ‘ If he says there is, and I'll bet there is, persuade him to show :. a T’ll get busy and we'll make use of the informa- - ni tion you secure, and we’ll fiy together either to- ~~ nitht or to-morrow. Now will you do that?” =~ “Yes, Jack, I will. I will do anything you say, : for I feel you are my true friend and will save me if you can.” “That's right. If you and I can slip away by * the secret exit from this temple building it will — help us greatly. We won’t be missed till morn- ” ing, and then we’ll be far on our way in a direc- tion not suspected. You must try and find out - where we can get some provisions to carry us over, though we’ll probably be able to pick up — fruit en route; but that will depend of the route we take.” Virginia was greatly encouraged by Jack’s pro- gram, and by his bold and self-assertive man- ner. Like the majority of her sex, she admired . a strong, masculine will—a real man. It is true, Jack was not a man, but he had the making of ‘ the real article, and that fact was so self-evident . that Virginia yielded at once to his wishes. Jack talked with her some time longer, explaining his idea in detail until she herself became quite en- ~ thusiastic over it. situation in the excitement of their anticipated ~ escape. At length\they broke away as the time ap- ~ proached when they expected their suppers to ; served to them. They cleaned up the dishes, and then Virginia awaited the appearance of the chief priest. Jack had warned her that he had ~ sized the chan up as a pretty slick article, and therefore hard to fool. “But,” he had added, “‘the sharpest man in the world can be fooled by the woman he’s sweet — on, so play your cards well, little girl, and you’ll win out.” » okt The high priest came at last for his answer, and was pleasantly surprised to find the girl in Both forgot the peril of their — oe} better spirits than he expected. Jack, listening _ at the hole, heard all that passed between them. Virginia told him that she didn’t want to marry him, but would rather do it than lose her life. The rascal grinned complacently. Then she said ; that she would want him to give her some proof that he could do all he said he could before she would finally make her decision. “I am the head man here and can do anything ~ I want,” he replied. “Are you telling me the truth about that treas- ; ure?” she asked. “You shall see for yourself. and I will.let your eyes gaze on more wealth than most people dream of,” he said. Come with me — + ay “But can vou, dare you, take any of it away?” : “Nothing will be easier. Long ago I ay? my vlans to that effect when the right moment *~ came.”’ “We would not travel without provisions,” she said. ‘ “Leave that to me. I have provisions in ple in the treasure cave ready to take along.” — 4 nty
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sk? Ns ase Seon Se Shed Be ae se id A FAVORITE OF FATE . Carry. ‘provisions foul a ellen. “And give iiss shee “ehuses to’ Saaled “you eee nee two of treasure as well?”?. .. your word, which’ you don’t-want to do? “Not ~ jasily. .I have the, most. valuable genie ‘al . much. If you’re so eaters he get married; “TD ; _ picked, out. They. will take up. but little,. marry you myself.”:- One diamond. alone is worth. $25,000. “Oh, Jack aren’t a a ruby worth $20,000. Those two stones, Qh’ I’m nervy enough to do anything. T° oe e representa small fortune. A handful of ming admitting: I’m gone on Sotho A pretty — Tee I have selected will sell for over -$250,-. girl like you is not.to be resisted. You'd make 000. Think, then, of .a dozen handfuls. .We can monkey of any fellow. I hope I haven't made - carry that much. You shall have your choice you mad.” or, yourself, and we will live on the rest and “Oh, no, Jack; of course not. But you mia my ae Come, “re es Se oe talk that way.” is o Virginia went wi im, and Jack im- « F iently awaited her return. They came back et ig set Yu ee ae a ‘ked me a ee will give me my answer,” ‘he said. wil aot maine 16: ” ait—that boy who was with me in the idol Were We youhe to oe lebe Bie og om. Is he to be sacrificed to your gods?” she “Not to think of it, but perhaps ere t d. 2 ; into effect, But there, a won't say ates more ~ ae ae si Meieet Witon: ma fea is he to on the subject: After I’ve saved you, we'll part, r “He i is a countryman of mine and I would save i “Porget Sas Sade cedar he seplics ae. estl : ao cannot pave tity “Nou ate ees Ae ere “Thank you for that assurance. I won't forget “Then I refuse your offer, and will share his doa; Bf any rate. Now tell me, what have you te, unless he goes with us far enough to insure ‘“C4™ne : aes s safety. What do you care? You are leay- “Everything you wanted to know.” ae. ing these people forever. Agree to help him to_ Good. You can lead the way to the secret : esca} ye and I will accept your offer.” passage connecting with the cave?” ra: ery well. He shall come if I can manage “T ean, it,” assented the high priest. _ “Cap ital.” : aka “You said you could do anything. Let me see. “ie a tunnel under. the ground, and runs quite i ma prove it. 3 a distance.” as -. “Tl prove it. ~ We will start to-morrow a “Direct to the cave where the treasure it, ee Here is a ring I brought to bind our troth. _ Suppose?” eee? -worth’ $5,000. Let me put it on your finger.” “Yes. And oh, Jack, such wealth I never have ae ‘offered her hand, and he put it on conceived of. It is mostly in bars of gold and finger it fitted. silver, and great ivory tusks—there are hun- _ “Now you are mine,” he said, triumphantly. | dreds of them. Then the jewels! They are lovely. Yes, if that boy escapes,” she revlied, quietly. We. couldn't earry off half of- them.” ns “He shall escape. Be satisfied. We are now “Never mind. The priest has put aside the. eae man arid wife.” choicest ones and you know where they are.” _ “Not so,” she said, drawing back. “Our union “Yes, in a kind of leather bag with a strap te ~ etust be blessed by a minister of my own church.” jt.” Be “Very well,” he said, reluctantly. ‘‘We'll find “And the provisions?” ree ety ‘at Cabul. Now adieu till tomorrow “There are baskets of dried fruits and smoked meat, with rice cakes and hottles of wine, not ta— ‘Good-night. Keep your word and Vil keep speak: of other things.” i a? She said; “but if you are not good to “All in the treasure caye?” ay "Yes, in an alcove off of it.” ave no fear. Were I not already your slave “And the exit from the cave—what about r fate would be certain, as certain as the sun that?” = ill rise to-morrow.” “T know where it is. It runs under a water-: O He carried her hand to her lips and withdrew. g)).” ; “Does vit. Well I don’t mind-a bath in this hot : oa Nec i t out hout oe e can get out withou getting es The CHAPTER XI. cue of the Head fall acts as a screen, that’s all.” “So much the better. He has arranged to de- part to-morrow night.” oe 1 . “We w will get ahead of him and go to-night.” ace here,” ” = senieas Ese “But how-will we get out of our rooms?” | i heard “what he said?” Sia “T have a knife. That shall carve our wore Now. go and lie down and I’ll get busy on this” partition. No one will visit us to-night, L Pes ithe so eagpes’: fear no interruption.” He git pe! a few minutes Virginia ran to the hole in
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20 ‘space large enough to permit him to squeeze ‘through into the girl’s room. “Now, Virginia, lead the way,” he said, when they stood outside, the girl carrying the lamp in her hand. She did, with due caution, and he followed with his revolver cocked in his hand, fully determined to. make things hum if their escape was discov- ered. Their way led through the dreaded idol » room, but the girl never faltered, to a flight of » stone steps that went down into the ground some little depth. They entered at the mouth of a tunnel. Through the tunnel they walked, the lamp throwing weird. shadows about them. It was quite long, but seemed to be only artificial or . made by the hand of man, The greater part _ proved to be a subterranean water course, long _ sinee dried up. It carried them under the moun- ~ tain range to a point where they struck another flight of stone steps, cut out of solid rock. Up these they went to a passage along which they traveled for a hundred feet or so, when they came out into a cave. It was not the treasure cave, but an ante-chamber to it. A great slab of stone _ stood against the wall close to the entrance, rest- -ing.on a wooden base, slanting across the opening. Evidently this was intended to close the en- - trance up, but it would take more muscle than _. one strong man possessed to slide it into place. - Moving across this cave they entered the treas- "are cavern and then Jack saw enough wealth to - make his mouth water. It would have filled more than one modern freight car—the gold and ‘silver wedges and the ivory tusks, and logs of valuable wood that were piled round about. The --most valuable part of the treasure, the precious Ss stones, occupied a comparatively insignificant _ .space—a small bag, which had been prepared by _. the high priests, and a larger one beside it. : Virginia pointed to the small bag. Jack j shoved his hands into it and pulled out a score er more of diamonds and rubies of the first water, not to mention other stones, all ready for the market. : With the bag over one hip, a provision bag -. on his back, and another in Virginia’s arms, the giv’ led the way to the exit, before which poured down a great sheet of water with a dull roar. Underneath this fall, along a ledge that was slippery with moisture, they threaded their way a short distance until they came out into a wild and romantic gorge. Whether to go up or down the gorge was the problem that presented itself. To take the wrong way might prove fatal to their hopes, for it might lead right back to the valley. As Jack stood debating the matter he heard a voice close at hand around an adjacent ' rock. The tones were so familiar that he thought he must be dreaming. “Begorry,” said the voice, “where have we got ; to at all at all? Sure it’s lost we are in these _ plessed mountains, and poor Jack a prisoner in some dungeon and falin’ that we’ve deserted him entirely.” “This looks: as if we had, doesn’t it,” replied Sam’s voice. “We followed the tracks of those rascals till we lost them in the foothills, and it isn’t our fault if we fail to save him.” or i bs ane beaut is heavy ack feller, it pani * just the PPA TA MIAO AR A ‘A FAVORITE OF FATE ee _Jack, with Virginia by his side, fairly paralyz de sand pities it is he was kidnaped by thim nagur : 2 the Ould Nick shute ’em. I belave I could die” happy if I-could finish a few of thim this mine | ute.” aa 4 “That wouldn’t do Jack any good,” replied 4 am. raped “No, I suppose not, but it would make me fale — better. Ah, Jack, me b’y, if I could only catch _ a glimpse of yez now how happy I’d be, so fies would.” : Thos “Your wish is granted, Mike, for here I am,” — said Jack, stepping forward with Virginia, — CHAPTER XII.—Pursued. The sudden and unexpected appearance Sam and Mike. The latter gazed at our hero with open mouth and a dazed expression: on. his oy inaESs yes ae ord, ’m-glad to see you again, Jack,” said™ Sam, stepping forward. ! ae ; “And Y’m mighty glad to see you chaps. Let me introduce you to Miss Virginia Rainsford, Baltimore girl. She was a fellow prisoner, b we’ve managed to escape together. So you’ been following me up, hoping to rescue me. “I no idea you would be able to do such a thi said Jack. Faron “We couldn’t go to the coast without you, long as there was the ghost of a show to save you,” said Sam. ee “Sure that’s right,” interjected Mike. ~ ; “You jiads are built of the right stuff. You © are friends to be depended on, and I appreciate your endeavors in my behalf. But we mustn’t stop here chinning. Since you’ve made your w into this range, probably you know the way ou again.” “Begorry, I don’t know about that. These mountains are like a mouse-trap—aisy enough to get in, but not so aisy to get out. It’s nixt dun to lost we are; and it’s little to ate we have lift.” “We have a supply of provisions. You ¢ relieve the young lady of that bag, Mike. Bu hold, there are more provisions close at hand . which you can easily.get. And you can also feast your eyes on and take a whack at the head hunt- ~ ers’ treasure the old man told me about.” : “What! Yez don’t mane that!” cried Mike. “I do. The treasure cave is close at hand—in, fact, right behind that waterfall you see yonder,” replied Jack. is “Behind that waterfall!” exclaimed Sam. “Ves,” . ; ? f r “But how can we reach it through that? Sure it’s drowned we'd be,” said Mike. “Not at all. Follow me and I’ll show you how to get in there.” ‘ “Did-yez fetch some of the gold away with y' “Not a bit; but in this bag I have a hund or more precious stones that are worth a fort The gold is too heavy to carry.” ces: “What a pity that is. And is there lots of it?” “You shall see for yourself. Come.” = _Jack led the way, followed by Virginia ar two friends. He found getting in was easy as getting out. It was a diffic
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half an hour they succeeded in getting in, and Jack led the way to the treasure cave, where the “Mamp had been left burning.’ The boys left their #ifles’ and bags outside in charge of Virginia. Whén they reached the cave, Sam and Mike were mazed at what they saw there. _ * “Sure there’s wealth enough here to buy old - Treland and tow it over to New York,” said ae h, get hold of f ” “If you’ve seen enough, get hold of some. o those Pn clons and we'll leave,” said Jack; “but first fill your pockets with the precious stones - from that bag on the shelf. You can easily carry off enough to make you wealthy for life. But don’t be too greedy. Enough is as good as a feast, and time is precious.” Z The boys filled their pockets with the gems, - which were not near as valuable as the choice ones the high priest had picked out for himself, and which Jack now had in his possession, but none of the stones were worth less than $50. _..When Jack thought they had enough he called a halt and told them to secure a bag of provi- ions each. Sam and Mike had just lifted a ~ loaded bag each on their backs when a shadow _ appeared at the entrance of the rave, coming _ from the direction of the tunnel. With a cry of rage the shadow sprang forward, and behind it came other shadows. The boys turned in con- sternation. Jack recognized the intruder as the high priest. The four behind him were his as- -sistants. '. One of them had discovered the broken wall through which Jack and Virginia made their es- cape from their rooms, and immediately notified _ the chief priest. A hurried investigation showed the rascal that the fugitives must have gone by way of the tunnel leading to the treasure cave. - Blaming the faithless girl, and swearing to have no mercy on her, he called his four people to- _ gether, and armed with spears and knives, they started at once in pursuit. . “Quick! ‘The waterfall, fellows!” cried Jack. *T’ll cover your escape.” Bs » The three began their retreat. The chief paused a moment in surprise at seeing three boys instead of one and the girl. He could not understand it, especially as there was no sign of the girl. His momentary indecision gave Jack time to hurry his comrades on ahead and draw his re- volver in defense. When the head priest saw that they were making for the exit behind the waterfall, he saw they would escape unless they “were stopped. He issued a command to his as- ike a young Leonidas, stood.at the mouth o the exit to hold the fort. Crack! The revolver spoke, and the high priest clapped his hand to his breast and fell backward. Crack! Crack! - Two other bullets hit their marks, and two of the assistants staggered around wounded. _. The other brave stopped in consternation, and ck took advantage of the chance to follow his ani The three were soon outside of Grab your rifles and come on,” said Jack, g Virginia by the arm. : : ur rifle is around the rock,” said Sam. ‘We 4 S «4A FAVORITE OF FATE | : and the girl had made their exit. After wasting sistants, and all five dashed upon Jack, le + - 21 “Good,” said Jack, “I'll get it.” be “What's the matter?” asked the girl, alarmed at their hurry and excitement. “Our escape hasbeen discovered, and *the priests are after us,” he replied - pnt” screamed Virginia. “What shall we 0? “T’ve shot the head chap and wounded: two of the others. We’re safe enough for the present. I fear, however the alarm will soon be given in the village, and the natives will come swarming after us. We have to hustle.” He snatched up his rifle and the bag of pro- visions he had brought from the cave. a “Which way did you chaps come?” Jack asked. am. “From that direction,” replied Sam, pointing. “We'll retreat that way, then. Come on.” he little party got a move on and made.as fast progress as they could through the wild gorge. It was rough traveling, but their lives depended on their haste. Morning finally broke and found them several miles away from the waterfall. They kept on until Virginia was thor- oughly exhausted, and then they sought shelter in a little cave on the mountain side. : Here they rested and ate their morning meal, washing it down with pure water from a nearby torrent, for Jack had only two small’ jugs of wine in his bag, and he judged that it would be well to hold them in reserve. They were thinkine about resuming their flight in spite of the heat of the morning, when Jack, who was looking in the direction they had come, saw black figures hurrying forward in the distance. He knew at once that a strong party of the head hunters were in pursuit. “The rascals are coming,” he said. keep out of sight.” Virginia and his two companions looked in the ~ direction he pointed. The girl gave evidence of fear, but Sam and Mike never turned a hair. They, with Jack, were game for any encounter, though they were not looking for trouble where the odds were against them. On came the blacks, ~ armed with spears and knives, at great speed. They were accustomed to the mountains, and their strength and tireless energy enabled them to cover the rough ground at a swift rate. The young people had left no tracks for the rascals to follow, but the chaps knew that the fugitives ‘had fled in that direction, and expected to come up with them at any moment: They were led by one of the assistant priests, but he was not as spry as the others, his oecu- pation being a sendentary one, so he would have hindered the pursuit had he not been helped along. He had sharp eyes, however, and was. the first to single out the cave, though the fugi- tives themselves were not visible. He called a halt and sent the natives up to it. “We've got to fight, fellows,” said Jack. “Hera they come.” “We must CHAPTER XIII—The Back Door: _ As the blacks came dashing up to the mouth of the cave with great agility, not aware as yet) that they were right upon the fugitives. tha =
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22 boys began blazing away at them. They fired slowly and carefully, and as a consequence. every shot‘ told. In a” brace of shakes half a dozen of the pursuing party lay dead or wounded on the rocks, and:the advance was-halted. The assistant priest urged the remainder on from behind a rock where he had prudently taken shelter. He cared nothing for the lives of the common peo- ple, but had a great respect for his own. . One of the natives, however, had been with the party which captured Jack, and the execu- tion done by the rifles on that occasion had duly impressed him, He called out to.his friends to take refuge behind the. rocks. This they did, and presently not a black was in sight. “They’ve got us caged,” said Jack; “but as wé have provisions, and there is plenty of water within our reach, we can. stand a siege. They can’t rout us out unless they boldly attack us, and I guess’ our guns will keep them at bay. The worst of it is that they are sure to send for reinforcements, and that means they will over- power us in the end through force of numbers.” “Then why stay here till they bring up more of their people?” said Sam. “Tf we try to get away they'll bring us down with their spears,” answered Jack. “Our only chance is to hold out here till night, and then try and slip away.” “Sure, can’t we do somethin’ to make thim nagurs show thimselves so we can shute thim?” asked Mike. Jack said he didn’t know anything they could do. Mike stood up and looked around to see if he couldn’t get a shot. Hardly had he showed himself when a native sprang from a rock and fired his spear at him. As it whirled through the air, barely missing the Irish boy’s head, Jack raised his rifle and fired. The native uttered a yell and fell badly wounded in full view. A few minutes later Sam called attention to a black object creeping away from rock to rock. “T’}] bet he’s going to bring the reinforcement you spoke about, Jack,” he said. “T’l] keep my eye on him, and if I get a fair chance Ill bring him down,” replied Jack. ; When the fellow got about sixty yards away he concluded he was out of sight. He left shelter and started off on a run. however, for Jack’s rifle blazed away, and, throw- ing up his arms with a cry, the native fell flat on his face and lay still. “Tt guess I’ve cooked his goose,” said Jack, grimly. “Tooks as if you had,’ said Sam. good shot.” : ~ Not another move was made by their enemies for half an hour. Leaving Sam and Mike to watch the natives, Jack joined Virginia at the baek of the cave. While he was talking with ‘the girl and trying to reassure her, he noticed that there appeared to be a break in the back opal. Examining the place, he saw there was a big hole there which had been stuffed up with dried brush, which through time had acquired the same color as the interior of the cave. He i “You're a - away in chunks, eg ‘A FAVORITE OF FATE He didn’t run far, got out his knife and cut‘ into the filling. It fell Inside of fifteen minutes Jack had cleared the e hole and found that it led out into .a, deep and ‘narrow ravine out of sight of the spot where the — natives were hiding. Virginia had watched his ~~ efforts with deep interest, and she was ovyer- joyed when he told her that they could leave — the cave that way and their pursuers in the lurch, He called Sam‘and Mike back and showed them the exit had had unexpectedly opened'up, “Begorry, we can stale off that.way as nate as a pin,” said Mike, in a tone of great satisfaction. “We must make some kind of a demonstration at the entrance to keep those rascals quiet awhile — mM ) 3 ° ie) i) El os i Q 7 i) 8 a kas 5 ct sf B c) co ° c) te > On uo} bs. oO: he f=) 3 ® o ® o, Ss for 4 ed 3H Q > at = ° o rh od fa > oO > le] b) a jo = i oe oO Le nm ‘3 g a Eg oe pain. Bai ‘ “That will convince them we are not asleep, — and they'll not take any more chances than they, pan ane for awhile,” said Sam, when he came — ack. : “Then we'll beat a retreat and leave them: to watch the empty cave,” said Jack. : They all passed through into the ravine, and — then Sam suggested that the hole had better be stuffed up with stones and brush. Jack thought — his suggestion was a good one, and it was car- ried out. The party then started down into the — ravine. Reaching the. bottom they found a nar- — row water course, which they followed. The ravine was obstructed by rocks and brush, ant their headway was slow in consequence, but: they ; were well shaded from the sun, which did not — penetrate down there. : fal They had no idea of the direction they were — going, nor where they would fetch up at. For — all they knew they might be getting further and — further into the range. They kept on steadily, — Jack helping Virginia along as best he could until they grew tired and hungry, when they stopped to rest and eat. They spent an hour lying about after their meal, and then resumed — their way. 7 “Faith, this is worse than the jungle,” said — Mike, “and that’s sayin’ a good deal. Begorry it may be a wake or two before we get out of these mountains.” : ps “Nonsense!” replied Jack. “If we don’t run — across any of the natives we'll get clear of these — wilds in a day or two.” Re Jack spoke cheerfully, for his object was to — keep up the spirits of his companions, but to hime — self he had to admit that things looked rough, and that it might be days before they made their way out of the range. And even when they — had extricated themselves from. the, mountains they might be no better off. Beat He figured that they must be at least a hu dred and fifty miles from the town of Cabul ia the most direct line, and that in all probability — they would have to travel two hundred before they reached that town. His chief hope was ~ that they would reach the shallow river up which pantie’ i x is ao
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aTAT AO A FAVORITE OF FATE «the head hunters had carried him and find the boat in which Sam and Mike had come. Then - “they would easily be able to make their way - down to the big river, and so on to the coast. "He calculated that they would have two or three _ days’ travel across the country after leaving the range before they would reach the stream where the boat was moored, and then they would doubt- less have a lot of trouble trying to find the boat. ~The ravine wound around in a sinuous fashion, . first one way and then the other, as though some gigantic snake had formed it by pushing its way . through the range. . Probably it had been the bed of a narrow but rapid stream a long time since, and the water course was all that now remained of it. When night overtook them they were still in the same -ravine, and as they were too tired to go any . further they camped in a little nook, ate their ~ supper, and drew lots to see who should stand . the first watch. This duty fell to Sam, and the others went to-sleep. Nothing happened to dis- ‘turb them during the night, and: when morn- “ing came they had their breakfast and went on again, putting their trust in Providence, and hoping: for a speedy release from their ,difficul- _ ties. 3 j ; ¥ : CHAPTER XIV.—Conclusion. : During the morning the ravine widened out, a -.mountain stream joined the water-course. and transformed it into quite a flow of water. “I feel sure that we are on the right route to get out of the range,” said Jack, “for this -stream has an outlet somewhere, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ultimately connected with the stream we are looking for, or the-big river on the bank of which I was captured.” = “Begorry, there’s sinse in what yez say,” said Mike. “Sure if we had a small raft now, we could float along on this strame, which would cee us the trouble of walkin’ so it would.” “I suppose those blacks have discovered long ago that we’ve left the cave,” said Sam. “Probably they have,” replied Jack. =» _ 3 “JT hope they won’t track us along this ravine.” . “Sure yez ain’t the only one who hopes that, sinterjected Mike. ‘The words were hardly out of his mouth be- _ fore: Virginia, who had turned around, uttered a suppressed scream and seized Jack by the arm. + *What’s the matter?” he asked her. : “Took! Look!” she cried, pointing up the ravine. All hands stopped and looked. ye , Coming down the ravine, brandishing their Bpears and knives, was a strong party of the renemy, led by a chap with a topknof, and skulls at his hips. - *Tet’s get behind these rocks,” said Sam. They'll shelter us from their spears.” * “Yes, but they’ll climb all around us and out- ~~ flank us,” said Jack. “It can’t be helped. We’ll have to make the t we can.” aaa here’s a boat in the bushes,” cried ke, with a wild shout. “Quick, pull it out and 1 give thim nagurs the slip.” HSA AR Fe 23 “You don’t mean it, Mike,” cried Jack, almost incredulously. “I do mane it. Look and say for yoursilf.” A native boat with four paddles in it was there, sure enough, and it was a god-send to them. Providence had come to their aid in an almost miraculous manner. They lost no time in get- ting the boat afloat. Jack hustled Virginia into . it. The bags of provisions followed, and. then they pushed off into the stream. The head hun- ters uttered wild shouts of excitement when they saw what the fugitives were about, and pushed on faster, hoping to overtake them before they could get very far. , - “Kape thim off with your paddle away,” said Mike. Jack began to blaze away at once. He was a first-class shot, and every bullet found a mark. ‘The rascals came’ on, nevertheless, urged by the -chap in the topknot. Spears’ were hurled after - the fugitives, and one or two fell unpleasantly near the boat. ; “T must vlug their leader.” thought Jack, tak- ing aim at the man with the topknot. His rifle cracked again, and the fellow went, down in a heap. His followers immediately -stopped and gathered around him. : “Paddle like fun,’’ eried Jack. chance to get away.” Mike and Sam did so, and the experience they _had acquired a few days before stood them in good stead now. They never missed a stroke, and the shallow boat spun over the surface of the little stream like a streak of light. ‘ Indeed, the natives themselves could scarcely have done better. In a few minutes a turn in the ravine took them out of sight of their pur- suers, but the boys never let up in their exer- tions, while Jack kept a bright lookout all around, lest other parties of the enemy should appear in © _a different quarter and try to head them off. Sam was the first to begin to lag, and Jack took his place. Mike had to slow down to ac- commoedate his stroke to Jack’s unpracticed ef- forts. “Begorry, didn’t I tell yez this was better than walkin’?” said Mike. It certainly was, and Jack concede the fact. They kept straieht on for a couple of hours, the stream growing wider as they proceeded, for mountain rivulets and falls were continually’ cropping up, adding their water to the general flow. Suddenly they ran into a small lake, and cutting across it found themselves in a river, ‘bordered on both sides by the rising mountain side. The sun was high about them now, and beat down upon them so strongly that they were glad to seek the shade of a bunch of overhanging tall grass, which completely hid and sheltered them. : They ate their dinner and went to sleep in re- clining attitudes in the boat, Jack supporting Virginia in his arms. They did not resume their trip until the sun had dropped behind the distant peaks, then they pushed out into the middle of the river and paddled leisurely on-— ward, now buoyed up with the expectation of ultimate escape from the perils by which they gun, Jack, while we “Now is our
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24 were surrounded. All night long they kept on their way, alternately paddling and resting. Virginia insisted: on taking a turn with Jack when Sam and Mike got tired. About midnight the moon, in its broad quarter, came up above the peaks and shone down on them. As morning dawned the range broke away before them and showed an open country beyond, covered with trees and vegetation. They made a landing at the point where the range ended, and stayed there all day, resting and sleeping. Late in the afternoon they resumed their way upon the current of the river that grew wider and deeper as they proceeded. During the next three days they added wild pineapples and other fruit to their bill of fare, and found plenty of fresh water, for the river they were on was formed from fresh mountain streams and by- streams that had their origin many miles away. On‘ the afternoon of the third daw Jack spied a hut in the distance that looked kind of familiar to him, as did the landscape around. When they drew near to it, he said: “Say, fellows, isn’t that the old man’s hut where we stopped over a week ago?” ° “Begorry, it is,” replied Mike. Sam also said he recognized it. . Anes we'll stop and see the old chap,” said a When they came opposite the hut they landed and secured their boat. Then they visited the but, and found the old recluse cooking his sup- per. as before. He certainly was astonished to _ gee them, particularly when he observed that a female had been added to their party. He wel- comed them cordially, and offered them another dose of snail soup, which Jack alone partook of. Jack told him the story of their strenuous ex- perience with the head hunters, and exhibited nd him the gems they had brought away with em. Jack presented him with several of the smaller gems, which zee the old fellow greatly, though he had no use for them. Then they took their leave and continued on their way. It was near morning when they reached the spot - where Jack was captured, and he proposed they _ ghould land there and pass the day in the large hut. At that moment two boats filled with head - hunters, who had been lying in wait for them, 4 suddenly shot out from the tributary stream, The boys were taken by surprise for they thought they had given the enemy the slip for good. “We must land and fight it out on short range,” said Jack, ‘“'They’d have us at a great disadvan- _ tage on the river.” The natives tried to head them off but failed, losing several lives in the attempt. The young people ran up to the top of the bluff and opened : fre on the head hunters. The rascals landed in _. gpite of the fusilade. Then the boys stationed themselves at the head of the ravine, resolved . to fight it out there. The head hunters made a ‘desperate rush, but the repeating rifles mowed them down right and left; and they were unable to make any headway. 2 : Finding themselves beaten they —retreated, Jeaving three-quarters of their companions on the y hustled across the river and disa ‘A FAVORITE OF FATE peared up the other stream, and that was the last the young people saw of the savage natives. In due time they reached Cabul, and got a passage to the town where Virginia’s relative, — the Rev. Mr. Rainsford, lived. Her other uncle was away with a party hunting the country for her. Of course, she received a great welcome, and so did the boys, Jack particularly. When the other uncle returned, two weeks later, to organize a fresh expedition, he was astonished and delighted to find the girl safe, and he lis- — tened in wonder to the story she had to tell. : Shortly afterward the whole party sailed for — Cape Town. Here the diamonds, rubies and other gems were disposed of. Jack found him: self worth half a million, while Sam and Mik realized over $50,000 apiece. Before selling his stones, Jack presented about $50,000 worth to Virginia, but it would be all in the family, any- way, for by this time they were so much in lov with each other that they were engaged to be married. - After a month’s stay in Cape Town they took a steamer for New York. sou “Well, dear” said Jack to Viroinia on the wa home, “that gypsy who told me I would visit. ; foreign land and get rich there didn’t miss th truth.” ; “She certainly did not, and she hit the mark betas’ she told you that you were a favorite of ate.’ 2. Next week’s issue will contain “MASTER OF THE MARKET: OR, THE BOY WHO COR- NERED THE STOCK.” Teas —oo ae © i CONCERNING PINK HEADS Theophilus was sent to college. f= At the end of the first month his father wrot him a letter. Boiled down, it said: “What hay you learned at college so far?” = Theophilus wrote back, “Nothing.” At the end of two months his father writey “What have you learned by this time?” Theophilus again made answer: “Nothing.” Once more Theophilus received a letter. “Y must have learned something by now?” z Theophilus sent back a special delivery: — My Father: er Only this: Blondes are tractable. Brunette can be persuaded. But redheads do your th ing for you. ay pa Your dear son, Theophilus—Green Goat. — LOVE LURE DARING. This mysterious perfume attracts and fascinates. Its rare and exotic fragrance surrounds you charm and enticement that Tantalin-~ few are able to resist.
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY 85 TRUTHFUL AMES “You may well be, my boy. Now tell mo, how J is that girl of yours and the other couple?” or “All well and happy,” said Jimmy. > “Glad to hear it. George and Emma gaye us The Boy Who Would Not Drink all a great surprise. I wasn’t out on the day that seagrass for I ye ae suffering the pangs of death almost with the rheumatism, tak- By GASTON GARNE ing a sun bath and savings things I hadn’t learn- ed in Sunday-school. hen I sent for Doctor Bloom, and he heard’ me say what I thought about (A Serial Story.) rheumatism, he laughed and said I ought to go - to church a little more regularly. You know CHAPTER XXIV. Bloom is no temperance man. Neither is he-a drinking man. He takes a drink of whisky just Conclusion. when he feels like it. I never saw him drunk j in my life; but he appreciates a drink of good ‘Well, I’ve never tried the rheumatism, Mr. whisky about as well as any man I know of. own, but I’ve heard people say it was a He said that it wasn’t necessary for me to abstain tty bad thing to have. I have never drunk from expressing my opinion of the disease, for ; any liquors in my life, either, so I can’t pro- his medicine would take away from me all desire ounce either for or against it; but I’ve seen to say anything about rheumatism, and with that heumatics hobbling around on crutches and oc- he gave me a large bottle of the medicine, with casionally groaning when they felt twinges of instructions as to how to take itr it-wag de Pain. I have seen the effect of intoxicants on he nearly died with laughter when he heard my oe pe eee ici ee it ae ie fens, expressions of both him and his medicine.” mor: and physically, an e Bible says tha T oe 5 ‘ ( aichkerd can enter the kingdom of heaven; at tne fempoetinn Metin ee cee ee so if I had to choose between the two, the suf- following Sunday, and Jimmy created : erings of rheumatism and the final end of the yoars of laughter by telling of his meshing ain 4 drunkard, I would rather have the rheumatism. conversation with him at his barn. The people “Well, a man is not oblived to be a drunkard, looked at the old farmer, and many knew that ox even if he is cured of rheumatism by Doctor he was improving fast. They had known his 2 loom’s remedy.” case of rheumatism a long time, and Jimmy ~ .“No, but the chances are that he will become praised him for his nerve in keeping up the a drunkard from the use of it.” nauseous medicine. Doctor Bloom himself was in “Yes; but not necessarily so,” replied Brown, the audience, and while Jimmy was telling of “i “Pm a pretty hard-headed man, you know, and Brown’s case, he looked the doctor full in the » when the doctor pronounces me cured I will stop face and said he was thankful that rheumatism — ‘right there and never take another dose of it.” didn’t run in his family and hoped he would © “what is it made of?” Jimmy-asked. : pee have need to call in the doctor to attend ‘Hanged if I know. The doctor won’t tell.” yn : Fe Well, how do you know that it’s doing you Said he: = y good?” “If I were a member of the legislature I would “Oh, there’s no question about that. I’m get- tty to have a law passed to make the doctor's ‘ng well and expect to be able within another medicine a panacea for drunkardness.” a fortnight to get along entirely without it. The James Watson is living to this day in tke good doctor knows that I have a little money laid up, old Nutmeg State with a family of boys and girls, ‘and he has notified me that when he pronounces and is still a near neighbor to George Williams, me cured I must pay him one hundred dollars who has never broken his pledge which he made ¢ down. ‘All right,’ said I. ‘If you cure me _ to his friend. anently of rheumatism I’ll pay you one hun-- - d dollars down with pleasure; but if it leaves _ confirmed drunkard Ill beat you to death, if the rheumatism comes my again Ill Ces a thrashing every time I see you, even i 2 “inside the church.’ ‘The dectar, sa0 on A New Serial Starts wouldn’t have a return of it, as the rheumatism d his medicine as much as I do, and hanged NEXT WEEK ie didn’t wots hie & the eter y nage of ine, that the more efficacious it is the more ; : 2 Shia: it is considered; if you can stand the It is a great baseball story. The title {s train that the medicine calls for in your system uccessfully, you will never have a return of the = p paar and he said that one ought to be SHORT STOP SAM when his constitution is strong to stand it, ae | told him I was, as it seemed to be saving Gis, ander. ae sings ae he went. The Boss of the Baseball Boys me 3 ell,” said Jimmy, “I’m thankful that I’m ~ sp kao “ atic subject.” — z ee ee THE END we By GASTON GARNE sj. ayn Be ae
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26 ITEMS OF FIRST ARMY HOME IS STILL RUNNING © Of the eleven Soldiers’ Homes in the United States that at Togus, Me., was the first to be opened. The first veteran was admitted Oct. 6, 1866. . Before the World War it was thought that eventually the Togus Home might have to be abandoned, but with the constant arrival of vet- erans from that conflict. and from the earlier Spanish War, the home seems likely to be a per- manent institution. At the present time there are about 25,000 veterans in the Soldiers’ Homes of the country; at Togus there are 1,000. Disbursements are $800,000 annually. Governor Keith Ryan of the Togus Home is appealing for half rates on the railroads for veterans and for a new hospital. MARCONI TO TRY OUT RADIO OF WORLD RANGE Experiments to develop the new beam wireless system so that the “beam” at any station may be switched around at will and focused at any other station in any part of thé world are to begin within ten days, Senatore Marconi, its inventor, announced lately. “At present,”* Marconi said, “the beam sta- tions are fixed. America cannot be turned on Japan. India cannot be utilized for Russia or the North Pole. Now I’m going to try a new type of station that has a reflector and aerial which can turned around by a machine in the same way as a searchlight. The results will be very impor- tant if the tests are successful.” NOSE COLLECTOR’S FAD LANDS HIM IN PRISON Andrea Caponi for years has been gathering one of the world’s finest collections of human noses, and he takes the prizes himself. He has just been arrested for applying his sharpest veythe to the nose of his one-time friend Giuseppe Moratto. ; ; Caproni explained to the Magistrate that he was just seeking to add a nose to his collection. He explained that when Istria, in which his farm is situated, was under Austrian rule he managed to collect eight noses and suffered imprisonment for only four of them. He said he hopes to con- tinue his collecting when he has finished serving the sentence he received for his latest. A QUAINT AUCTION IN OLD ENGLAND A curious auction is held in the village of Up- wey, Weymouth, England, every Spring when the parish meadow is rented for the year not to the highest bidder, but to the one who bids last when the light from a bit of candle, expires. The auctioneer lights an inch of candle on his desk and the bidding begins. Every eye is fixed ov the ijickering flame, and every rustic brain’is tryimg to judge the length of time it will take for ¢ .. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY + soe em enpmoio AMR INTEREST it to burn down to the end. As the flame turns blue the bidding becomes fast and furious, but no man is allowed’ to speak out of his turn. To the one who bids last at the moment the flame expires the meadow is let. es The auction by candle is primitive but fair, for the meadow often goes to a poor man who can afford tojpay but little, where an auction con- ducted in the usual way would give him no chance’ against his richer neighbors. 755,923 VEHICLES USED HOLLAND TUBES: IN MAY $ A total of 755,923 vehilles passed through the Holland tunnels under the Hudson in May, ac- cording to figures made public by the joint com- mission representing New York and New Jersey. Of these 581,726 were passenger automobilesjx and they represented 76.9 per cent. of the total — traffic. There were 23,754 busses and 144,485 trucks up to and including ten tons capacity. Trucks of greater than ten tons, including semi- trailers and special vehicles, numbered 3,617, and there were 2,391 motorcycles. : From the time the tunnel opened last November up to last Friday its gross receipts totaled $2,351,- — 547. In the same period the tunnel had been — used by 4,334,295 vehicles of all classes. This includes 3,401,596 passenger automobiles, 85,362 ° busses 835,998 commercial vehicles, and 9,351 motorcycles, PEKING IS ONE OF WORLD’S CHEAPEST CITIES TO LIVE IN a Peking lives up to its reputation of being one of the cheapest cities in the world to live in and. Tokio ranks about as high as New York, accord- ing to a New Yorker who returned recently from. a year’s residence in the Far East. “Two people can live comfortably on $200 a month in Peking,” he said. “I know a man there who has an eight-room brick house, surrounded. _ by a high wall, that costs $40 a month. It is near the center of the city, has 4 modern bath- — room, fireplaces and almost every modern con- venience and advantage. In addition there are - rooms for five or six servants. The servants, two of whom. are rickshaw coolies for the man and his — wife, cost another $40 a month. Add $100 a month for food and incidentals and $20 for light and heat and the total makes $200. “A greatly inferior house costs $90 in Tokio and two servants must be paid at least $40. Food amounts to about $200, heat and light $2 and taxis and incidentals another $25. This- makes a total of $380, which is just about what it cost us in New York. We had a small fours. room apartment for which we paid $135, a part®” time maid for $15 and spent $200 on food and laundry, and $30 on incidentals. That made the totals for New York and Tokio the same. : “In Tokio we had one more servant and a of Mount Fuji.” wi view . x: S. _
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Spe tat Let bj FA Fame and Fortune Weekly. ~NEW YORK, JUNE 29, 1928 __ i © SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. 0. Cites Order, Check or Registered Letter; remittances $m any other wav are at your risk. We accept Postage Stamps the same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Moin in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting: e envelope. rite your name and address plainly. Bes Copy entoo’ ito e Copy Six Months: tacaa at: ery mee ery $4.50; “Foreign, $6.00 a3 Address letters to e - WESTBURY PUBLISHING CO., In 140 Cedar Street, New York City. D KNIGHT, Pres. and Treas. . MARR, Vieo-Pres. and Ses. INTERESTING ARTICLES - ENGINEERS Pe eee TOWER IS fter a long and minute examination by the Comision of Engineers delegated by the City of Paris to examine the Hiffel Tower for signs of ssration, the commission has pronounced the sound and not dangerous to surrounding Qocently there were many reports that the world’s highest building was beginning to suffer from wear and tear and was getting too old at forty. The effects of rust and long exposure to wind, it was stated, had ‘begun to tell, and e who live within its long shadow began to eel that they were under a constant menace, “Now they are reassured. The foundations of the great tower are pronounced as sound as ever the huge steel framework has been so care- lly watched and painted that it has suffered arcely at all from rust, the inspecting engineers is ‘40-year-old world’s wonder looks as if it ould stand for another forty years, the commis- on. Says. IN PARTS OF GEORGIA — ‘In different parts of Georgia officials who want keep the State as dry as prohibition laws re- re are making an attack upon canned heat. jd by hardware, drug and 10-cent stores E AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NNED HEAT AS INTOXICANT BANNED - rom the use of canned heat. Thereupon - eapiad an ordinance forbidding its sale . CRP bere A Risetices {, } - ashe 27 “We learn from some of the druggists that when canned heat was first put upon the market it was made of wood alcohol only, and that when the: manufacturers later-substituted grain alcohol for wood alcohol the manufacturers actually: sent. agents into the field to show liquor users how. to convert it rapidly into the kind of beverage they desired. . Z : ata “The evidence before this body satisfies us that. the daily sales of canned heat in. this county. alone now average several hundred per day, and: that at least 95 per cent. of it is purchased for’ the sole purpose of converting it into a ‘drunk» producing’ beverage.” ees: HONOR IS. PAID “LITTLE JOHN,” THE HENCHMAN OF ROBIN HOOD 8 Little John, famous henchman of Robin Hood, - will be honored on June 24 by the Ancient Ordeér of Foresters at Hathersage, a little village in Derbyshire, England, where he is thought to have been born and buried. Thousands of people visit his supposed grave. In all histo more romantic characters than Little John.’ Whether they really lived or were wholly legendary is not. known, ough some not. too skeptical persons have been convinced by the discovery of some huge bones in Little John’s grave. History’s first mention of Robin Hood: was in “Peter Plowman,” which appeared in the latter half of the fourteenth century. - : The most popular account of the meeting’ be-~ tween Little John, whose right name is said to have been either John Little or John Nailor, and’ Robin Hood runs roughly as follows: While walking through Sherwood. Forest, the scene of most of the later activities of the pair, they. met at a stream bridged merely by a single log, Neither was willing to let the other cross first and decided to fight it out, the loser paying the penalty of carrying the victor across. Little John, so this story says, thrashed Robin Hood, who, after carrying him across the stream, nick- named the winner Little John. ? Another version runs much the same except that in it Robin Hood was victorious. Little John then carried Robin Hood to the middle of the log and there dumped him into the stream, upon — which they once more fought, this time Little John winning. As a result of this fight each became a great admirer of the other and Little John joined forces with Robin Hood, whose band then; consisted mainly of Friar Tuck, Alan-a-Dale and the Maid Marian. SRS oe oe] oe ba — 2 AND AT ITS BEST? At its worst, a fraternity house is congenial— as poor farms go.—Wash. Cougar’s Paw. there are tom obin Hood an AIN’T IT AWFUL, MABEL? “Mabel says she thinks I’m a wit.” a See “Well, she’s half right.”—Boston Beanpot. ~ FEA A DISTINGUISHED TITLE Qsishynsier th
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The Attic Lodger : Rint By Horace Appleton Mrs. Oakes kept a boarding-house, and one quite respectable. All her boarders felt at home, and the cheery face of the landlady was quite as pleasant to them as the bounteous repast always on her table. . Not only did Mrs. Oakes keep boarders, but there were lodgers as well, who occupied some of her rooms. Among the latter was a young man named Harry Burns, who had secured the attic chamber ag his sleeping-room. . “Where Harry took his meals no one knew. : His business was equally a mystery, and, in fact, he was seldom or never seen, save of a morning or evening, going to and returning from his room. . - Miss Grace Harvey, a music teacher at the house, had met a pale face on the stairway one night, and was almost frightened out of her wits - ’ by it. The person merely nodded, and glided swiftly by, disappearing down the stairway. "tt was late in the evening, though the gas had not been lighted, and the stairway was dark. All Miss Harvey knew was that the face was white and ghostlike. “The eyes were large, and burning like living --eoals, and the mustache was handsome and black as jet. \ Only for a moment did she catch a glimpse of the attic lodger, and he was gone, vanishing sud- denly around the stairway, as if he wished to avoid being seen. Miss Harvey only knew that it was the garret lodger, and she did not attempt to address him. No one did. : Once a week he regularly appeared before Mrs. Oakes and paid his rent, then disappeared again, or was only seen flitting up and down the four flights of stairs. F pees t Various were the conjectures among the boar- ders and lodgers at Mrs. Oakes’ house as to what ee occupation the attic lodger was following. « Some said he must be an actor, as he was usually out late. Others that he must be a gambler. Some avowed he was a counterfeiter, or burglar, while one determinedly persisted in the theory of his being a detective. : Mrs. Oakes gave herself no uneasiness about the matter until one evening, returning from shopping rather late, she was startled by seeing a tall man, with short brown whiskers, watching her house from the street corner. Three or four times she observed the same man in the neighborhood, his eyes usually toward her louse. —~ { FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY -Yet she never for a moment thought of con-— necting the stranger in any way with her atti lodger, until Grimshaw suggested they might be pals planning to burglarize the house. ‘ Mrs. Oakes then suffered untold agony. eee _ “J will'see that fellow, and see what his business is,” she said to herself. “If he is some horrible burglar he shall not remain an hour in my house: That very night she caught a glimpse of th attie lodger, as he flitted by up the stairway to his dismal room. ae Mrs. Oakes called after him, but he either did not hear or did not care to answer. Rae: He kept on until he reached his attic chamber, and, entering it, closed the door. Siar The troubled lady chanced a moment later to look down upon the alley from the rear garden, and discovered the same tall man, with sho cropped whiskers, standing as if he had been placed: there on guard. os “I wonder what he wants,” she said to herselfg as she watched him from a rear window. ‘ 2 - The man was possessed of a frank, open coun-) — tenance, and did not have the appearance of being a burglar or a thief. F : “T will speak to him,” the landlady finally s to herself, “and unless he can give some favorable. ts Sa of sig inte I se call a policeman, and see if he cannot induce the stranger to quit the neigh-. — borhood.” = : = She passed out at a small door into the all and came upon the stranger without being se by him until she was almost at his side. .“What do you want here?” she asked. The man started, and gazed a moment in~ face of the woman. ; uh Then, in a voice somewhat confused, he sai “T will go, madam. I will leave you now.” — Before the astonished woman could make reply, he had turned about on his heels and d peared down the alley. “ie Mrs. Oakes stood looking after the man. The affair was now a greater mystery than ever. Could the stranger in the alley have any co nection whatever with her attic lodger? Mrs. Oakes returned to her house, and held long interview with her confidential- adviser, Grimshaw. Mr. G. adhered strictly to the burglary theory. That night, after all had retired, the neighbor- hood was aroused by the sharp report of a pistol aeee eae bas alley. iz r. Grimshaw was buried in slumber, but shot brought him to his feet. ~e Mrs. Oakes, in night clothes, sprang from bed, and ran to the door of her room to just ¢ a glimpse of a dark form as it flitted up the s way. > oa Mrs. Oakes was half dead with fright. She screamed murder, and Mr. Grimshaw, heard the cry, and supposed she was really murdered, buried his head in the bed-clothes remained there shivering until the entire hi was alarmed. 3 as . Then he got up, dressed himself, and cam into the hall. : The hall clock pointed to two. iat is it?” as kect Mr.
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- "Some one has been murdered,” replied Mrs. Oakes, who had partially dressed herself. - “Who was killed?” asked another. ; “No one knows.” “Did you not hear a noise?” ees.” / “What was it?” -- *€& pistol fired.” _~ A ery for help.” _. “A ery- of murder.” _ ~ “Oh, pshaw, it was Mrs. Oakes who cried mur- der,” whose teeth were actually chattering with _ fear. Ya : “Who 'saw anything?” asked Mr. Grimshaw. - “E did,’ replied Mrs. Oakes. - “What was it?” » “A dark form flying up the stairway.” “Who was it?” _ “A man or demon.” _ Mrs. Oakes immediately ran to her room, com- pleted her dress, put on her hat and shawl, de- claring she would go to the police headquarters, late as it was. “We’re all going to be murdered, that is one thing sure and certain,” she cried. “I’m goin’ to Wave an army of police about the house.” - A wild, unearthly shriek came from the attic chamber. _ “My goodness! What is that?” gasped Mr. _ Grimshaw, his teeth chattering with cold, of course. Then came a wild; fierce peal at the door-bell. _ Mrs. Oakes, with an energy of despair, sum- - moning Mr. Grimshaw, who was a brave man and had been in thirteen battles, to escort her, she went down to the front door. - Mrs. Oakes reached the door, and, casting a backward look up the stairway, found that Mr. _ Grimshaw had suddenly been seized with a tem- ‘porary paralytic stroke, and was helplessly clinging to the stairway above. “Open the door quickly!” A human voice from without gave utterance to the above. Who is there?” answered Mrs. Oakes. Who ‘ever knew a woman that was afraid to speak? “An officer of the law,’ replied the same voice ‘trom without. _ An officer of the law. _ That personage, above all others, was just the Mrs. Oakes wished to see. he surely need have no fears of a policeman or officer, as she was on the point of going out to see one herself. ~ Quickly she unbolted and unlocked the door. As she did so the light from the street lamp fell upon the form of the very man she had noticed watching her house, and whom she had e was bareheaded, and his hair and clothes omewhat disheveled and torn. _. He looked as though he had been engaged in terrific struggle. “Goodness gracious! you here?” gasped Mrs. , madam. I am an officer of the law after ninal whom I have traced to your house.” ho are you?” ‘Robert Jennings, the detective.” “(AME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ho are you after?” demanded Mrs. Oakes, 29 “Harry Barnes, alias Richard Schooling, which is his true name.” : ‘Mrs. Oakes ‘was: thunderstruck. bare She opened the door and the detective entered. He was a gentlemanly-looking man, yet there was a look.of determination on his face. They passed up the first flight of stairs, and Mr. Grimshaw, who had sufliciently ‘recovered aes his momentary attack of paralysis, followed them. ‘ When they reached the first landing, Mr. Jen- nings, the detective, demanded a light. . : Mrs. Oakes went in her room, and brought out a handlamp. ji As soon as the rays of the lamp fell upon the hall floor it displayed great red spots of blood. “They are goin’ to fight upstairs there,” whispered Mr. Grimshaw, hoarsely, retiring to his room with a sudden fit of the ague. fs The other lodgers and boarders remained be hind, but Mrs. Oakes accompanied the detective ‘to the room of Harry Burns, the attic lodger. When the door was reached it was found bolted. The detective rapped, and demanded admit- tance. It not being opened, he place his shoulders pepinet it and pushed it open, bursting in the oor. Holding the lamp above his head with one hand, and the other near a pistol butt, he stepped inside the room. Upon the bed, with his clothes on, yet par- tially beneath the bed covers, lay the attic lodger. His face was ghastly, and there was a Stony, fixed gaze in his eyes. AV Sam “T am too late,” said the detective quietly. “The work is done.” ‘ Mrs. Oakes, with hands clasped and eyes dis- tended with horror, followed closely behind the detective, who, with the lamp in his right hand, approached the bed and lifted the quilt. “He is dead.” ; Mrs. Oakes uttered a shriek which soon brought several others to the room. Upon the bed they saw a handsome face, cold and staring in death. : An examination revealed the fact that the shot fired by the detective had passed in below the left shoulder-blade, near the heart, and had proved fatal. ‘ “This young man,” said the detective, “has for two years been escaping justice. He murdered his uncle in Philadelphia by means of poison. His uncle was wealthy, and he his only heir. His real name is Richard Schooling, and the uncle whom he murdered had reared him. His name was Thomas Schooling, and .he was very wealthy and a childless widower. Richard’s uncle was about to marty a young woman, and, it seems, the nephew, to prevent what might place a dan- gerous heir between himself and the fortune he _had always considered his own, committed mur- der. Now you have the whole mystery. I have been on his trail for two years, and have traced him to this houses In a personal encounter to- night I fired the shot which deprived him of his life.” . ; The body was removed to police headquarters after the imquest, and then sent to Philadelphia — to a sister of the deceased. Mrs. Oakes and her boarders have not, and_ Nee never will forget, the Attic Lodger. % ct 5 isn 2 ofan 1 ies eke eae
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80 FREEDOM OF THE TOES Maurice de Waleffe, one of the best. known French writers on feminine fashions, is urging French women to wear sandals instead of shoes. He says the time has come, now that women have eniancipated other parts of their anatomy, to give their toes rightful freedom. : “Toes, if ‘free, he says, would not only be an additional feminine charm but would improve 4 = carriage by making her step more astic, LION AND CAMEL UP AT AUCTION OF PARK ZOO.ANIMALS HERE ‘Want. a lion, baby camel, hyena, puma or zebu bull for a house pet? Henry Brady will auction + the Sheepfold, Sixty-sixth street and Central Park West, the following animals, surplus live stock owned by the Park Department: ‘Five Old Dorset ewes, twelve ram lambs, one lioness with two cubs, one lion, one baby ‘camel, one hyena, one puma, one zebu bull, one fat-tail rani and one pair of red deer. There will also be placed on the block 224 pounds of sheep wool. CONGRESSMAN OFFERS AVIATION FLAG DESIGN A design for an aviation flag for the United reali es been proposed by Representative Crail , Cal.). “The sky blue field of the flag would bear a bronze American eagle with wings extended, hold- ing in its talons an airplane propeller and an ‘olive branch. On the breast of the eagle would be’an American shield in red, white and blue, and above its head a white star. A blue star, a purple star, and two gold palm branches also would be imprinted upon the flag. STONES FOR WAR GRAVES REPLACE WOOD CROSSES The wooden crosses used to mark the graves of '- World War dead in American cemeteries in Eu- -rope are being replaced with marble head-stones -and will be destroyed. Secretary of War Davis has decided that this is the one certain way to avoid the possibility of the wooden crosses falling into the hands of those who might exploit them. - Marble markers already replace the crosses in Brookwood, Aisne-Marne, anders Field, St. Mihiel and Suresnes National Cemeteries. COLOMBIA 66% DRY, SAYE FOR VIOLATIONS After receiving reports of unusual mirth and hilarity in cafes and other public places recently, the newspaper Emptiempo LEspectador to-day calls attention to the fact that provisions of the new Dry Law in Colombia fix the hours for sale’ of liquor between 8 A. M. and 4 P. M., not 4 P. M. to 8 A. M., as some _ patrons evidently thought. dispensers and FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY BRIEF BUT POINTED ‘so: mistreated ‘on his ‘vacation. ee lacious beliefs are seldom held today. The Dry Law, which became effective June i, ; makes Colombia dry for sixteen hours out, of — every twenty-four and altogether on Sundays and holidays. a gate MOSQUITOES MANEATERS AT COOLIDGE — CAMP, IF LOGGER KNOWS THE BUG ~~ The selection of Brule, Wis., for the summer White House has so aroused Allan D, McDonald — that .he is considering a march on Washington, — a. petition—anything to.prevent the, President — making what he fears will be a big mistake. McDonald, a retired logger, is angry to thin the Nation would stand by and see the Presiden “Vacation,” -McDonaid laughed. “It will kill — the President to spend the summer there. I ran logs on Brule Creek. I see by the papers they eall it Brule River now. = ee “Let me tell you something, and this, is the. solemn truth, so help me Jasper. The mosquitoes — are so bad there I’ve seen them blind men. We — used to hang pieces of pork on our suspenders for them to feed on. They buzz around like a bunch of tractors so you can’t sleep.” saa a bets HEN CLAM OF NEW ENGLAND LITTL KNOWN TO SCIENCE Se Occasionally visitors to the New England shore notice piles of what look like super-clam-shelis, — which is precisely what ‘they are. They are ~ washed up by very heavy easterlies. Fishermen — know them as hen clams and when eaten fres they are found to possess a delicious flavor and are not at all tough despite their size. There seems to be little authentic information about this species of bivalve, its habits and habitats. Lewis Radcliffe, Acting Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, says: “The hen clam of the New England coast is also known — in other localities as the surf clam. It is taken — in moderate numbers in the mud flats between the tidal limits. It is believed to occur in greate number in deep water, in places not-reached the average clam fisherman. After great storms they are sometimes washed ashore in large num pers. The biology of this clam has not beem — studied to any extent, and very little is kno’ regarding its habits.” gigs A study of early records, however, indica that there was a time when the hen-¢ shell was considered a necessary article nearly every buttery located near the New land shore line. The natives visited the bea after storms and gathered great numbers of shell-fish. Only a part of the contents was eat and there was a general belief that certain pé were poisonous. : ir No further back than fifty years few fish men would eat. any clam in Summer. They garded clams like 6ysters—as unpalatable in month that had not the letter “R.” Those
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rea iW SEAL FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY CURRENT NEWS ste, <a * HOHENZOLLERN PRINCE TRIES BEE - RAISING IN GUATEMALA Prince Sigismund of Prussia, second son of the _ former Kaiser’s brother, Prince Henry, is deter- - mined to be master of his own fate in Guatemala. . According to letters received by the Hohenzol- lern family, Sigismund has decided to raise bees, and hopes to export honey to the Fatherland. _on his father’s estate at Hemmelmark after the revolution, Sigismund cast about for an occupa- tion. He first became manager of an importing - firm in Guatemala. a it. Now he has changed his occupation again. - SCIENCE FINDS REMEDY AGAINST SHIP ote . . BORERS : : A defense against terrors of the seas, which are claimed to have destroyed more wooden ships - than all naval wars in history and to have brought equally heavy destruction on wooden - dikes and wharf foundations, was announced * recently as° having developed by the Chemical - Warfare Service of the War Department. Experiments against these sea terrors, which are small pests bearing the names Teredo, _ Bankia, Mantessa and Limnoria, have been going on some time. A derivative of Lewisite—chlor- _-vinylarsenious oxide—has performed the trick with its high toxic properties. The borers riddled bait strips, but were stopped upon reaching the piling treated with the newly developed solution. SKELETON IN COURT _ The headless skeleton of a man, used to sup- rt the testimony of expert witnesses, was ngled before the jury yesterday in Wederal ourt, Brooklyn, in the suit of Nathan J. Moore, ‘ty-three, of No. 2020 Grand Avenue, the Bronx, uing the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for 75,000 damages. The jury, which retired at 11 A. M., was called ck by Judge Moscowitz shortly before 6 o’clock and instructed to return a sealed verdict, to be opened Monday. e - Moore, a clerk in the Railway Mail Service, eged that Jan. 4, 1927, the train going at a h rate of speed, stopped without warning, ocking him against a pouch rack, injuring him, d he alleged he had not been able to work since. EN FROM eae THERE” BOLT PARADE S. OF V. Indignant because they were alloted a position the line of march of the Memorial Day parade ind the Sons of Veterans, members of Walker young men were in knee pants. — Later he bought land and tried to cultiyate | BOW TAS. HA. is, “Well, you didn’t precede us to France,” was Conine’s retort at a meeting of the parade com- mittee called to patch up matters. Representatives of the post went to Haddon Heights, where a Legion rally was held, and got about fifty. members of South Jersey neighbor- ing posts to assist them inga parade. The gen- . eral parade was held without the Legionnaires. _ While his older brother was content to remain : HEAD. OF FLYING SCHOOL, LACKING PILOT’S LICENSE, HAS TO STAY ON GROUND Henry B. Clark, manager of the Roosevelt Field School, has been forbidden by the Department of Commerce to fly his own airplanes. Clark, who received considerable publicity over his alleged threat to “use revolvers if necessary” to, keep Charles A, Levine’s Bellanca monoplane Columbia from “trespassing” on Roosevelt Field during Miss Mabel Boll’s preparations for a trans-Atlantic take-off, is said to have failed to — provide for himself a pilot’s license. All the planes used by Roosevelt Field Flying — School are duly licensed, hence Clark may not use them. He could fly an unlicensed plane- without violating the law, but he contented himself with staying on the ground and directing the work of his instructors. “Buddy,” who is army trained and holds a commission in the reserve, will sit down at Curtiss Field with pencil and paper to answer written questions of his “flying exams.” Then he will go up with an inspector to show Lee his airmanship merits a transport pilot’s icense. HISTORY BY OSGOOD WINS LOUBAT PRIZE “American Colonies in the Eighteenth Cen- tury,” the posthumous work of Prof. Herbert L. Osgood of Columbia University, has won the. Loubat Prize of $1,000, awarded every five years for the best book in English language on the his- tory, geography, archaeology, ethnology, philology or numismatics of North America, it was an- nounced at Columbia University. Second prize of $400 went to Dr. Herbert J. Spinden, curator of Mexican archaeology and ethnology at the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, for his “The Reduction of Maya _ Dates.” : ‘ Dr. Osgood was a member of the Faculty of Columbia from 1890 until his death in 1918. The prize winning book, a continuation of “American Colonies in the Seventeenth Century,” which won the Loubat Prize in 1908, was published by the Columbia University Press in 1924. The manu- script was prepared for printing by Prof. Dixon Ryan Fox of the History Department of Colum- bia, a son-in-law of Dr. Osgood. The competition, established by J. F. Loubat in’ 1893, is open to all. Judges this year were Prof. Evarts B. Greene, Frederic L. Paxson and Alfred M. Tozzer.
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> 1187 The pe Ice King; or, Coining Money From the River. 1188 Four of a Kind; or, The Combination that Made Wall Street Hum. 1189 Bob Brandon, Contractor; or The Treasure That Led To Fame, 1140 A Boy From the South; or, Cleaning Out a Wall Street Crowd. 1141 Hal, the Hustler; or, The Feat That Made Him Famous. 1142 A Mad Broker’s Scheme; or, The Corner that Couldn’t Be Worked. 1148 Dollars From Dust; or, The Boys Who- Worked a Silver Mine. 1144 Billy Black, the Broker’s Son; or, The Worst Boy in Wall Street. 1145 Adrift In the Sea; or, The Treasure of Lone Reef. 1146 The Young Wall Street Jonah; or, The Boy Who Puzzled the Brokers. 1147 Wireless Will; or, The Success of a Young Telegraph Operator. 1148 Wall Street Jones; or Trimming the Tricky : Traders. 1149 Fred the Faker; or, The Success of a Young Street Merchant. 1150 The Lad From , Frisco; or, Pushing the “Big Bonanza.” 1151 The Lure of Gold; or, The Treasure of Coffin Rock. 1152 Money Maker Mack; or, The Boy Who : \ Smashed a Wall Street “Ring.” 1158 Missing For a Year; or, Making a Fortune in Diamonds. 1154 Phil, the Plunger, or; A Nervy Boy’s Game of Chance. 1155 Samson, the Boy Blacksmith; or, From the _ Anvil to Fortune. 1156 Bob’s Big Risk; or, The Chance That Came But Once. ~ 4157 Stranded in the Gold Fields; or, The Treas- ure of Van Dieman’s Land, - 1158 “Old Mystery,” the Broker; or, Playing a Daring Game. 4159 Capital, One Dime; or, Boring His Way to Fortune. 1160 Up Against a Hot Caves or, Two Collegé Chums in Yall Street. ‘For sale by all newsdealers, or will ie sent to any money or postage stamps. Fame and Fortune Weekly : — Latest Issues — address on receipt of price, 8 cents per copy, WESTBURY PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 1161 A Big Contract; or, The Poor Boy Who Won. ~ : 1162 Benson’s New Boy; or, Whooping up the ae Wall Street Market. pis 1163 Driven to Work; or, A Fortune From a , : Shoestring. aa 1164 The \/ay to Make Money; or, Takin 2258 Chances in Wall Street. a2 Ze 1165 Making His Fortune; Papo 131 a ae Ee or, e Deal of — 1166 The Stock Exchange Boys; or, The Youn Speculators of Wall Street. ‘ 1167 Seven Bags of Gold; or, How a Pl Got Rich. Se : 1167 Dick, The Wall Street Waif; or, re Newsboy to Stockbroker. E 1169 Adrift on the Orinoco; or, The T ; rin the Desert. Sonny me. 1170. Silent Sam of Wall Street; or, A Wonderful : Run of Luck. 1171 Always on the Move; or, The Luck of Mes: senger 99. 1172 as eee Jack; or, The Boy Wh led the Wall Street Brokers. ; 1173 Teaming a Trade; or, On the Road to: For- 1174 Buying on Margin; or, The Boy Who Wor the Money. 1175 Joe Darey’s Treasure Hunt; or, The Se ret 4 of the Island Cave. 1176 A “Live” Boy; or, Quick to Get the Dolla 1177 “A Barrel of Coin; or, The L=ck of a Trader.” 1178 “Driven to the Wall; or, The Nerve Wall Street Boy.” 1179 “Johnny the Parcel Boy; or, The Lad | Saved the Firm.” ; 1180 Going to the Limit; or, A Big Risk For Money. : 1181 Up To Him; or, Running His Pathe’ Business. 1182 “Back-Number Bixby”; or, The Who Was Up to the Minute. ¢ 1183 A Young Barnum; or, Striking It Rich : the Show Business. 1184 The Brotherhgod of Gold; or, A Da . Wall Street Game. 1185 Ed, the Express Boy; or, His Own Rot to Fortune. 1186 The Stolen Bonds; or, How Wall Str. Will Made His Mark. i