Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 776) (1920 08 13)

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No. 776. : pie ta YW F 23 gh hi | 7 os c i. , f\ g F IRONDRE RVE: ES ry wi ee NM, ee WMT sais \ “ep Be NUN The door was suddenly blocked - several masked men, one of whom seized Little Joe and started to drag him into the ruins. The boy struggled desperately. Finding escape impossible, he flung the bag of gold toward Tom and Madge.

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY Issued Weekly— Sabecrptien price, $3.50 r; Cana 00; Foreign, est 234 Street. ey Bhtored ae % d Con Y., under the Act of March 3, NEW YORK, AUGUST 13, 1920. New York, the Post-Office at New York, N. No. 776. A Or, $4.50. Harr, B, Wol Matter, Octo a Eablicher. 168 nd- er 4, 1911, at 1879. Price 7 Cents LAD OF IRON NERVE LITTLE JOE’S BIG BONANZA by — BY A SELF-MADE MAN CHAPTER I.—Madge Mason and Others. “Jt’s no use of you following me about, Noah Wood. I won't have anything to say to you,” j Mason, to @ surly-looking seni “Well, I want to talk about it.” “Then talk to _ “That was before I knew You as well as I dov now.” “What do you mean by that?” osc amd Seem for five ever since me for ie mae to live, “You're talking nonsense,” said Madge, with a sy_fiush. . ; ; “No, I ain’t talking nonsense. I’ve got eyes oT ate Pad ; eee res. le 7 - ES ok he, anyway? Nothing but a common inter,” went on Nozh with a snear. “A common printer!” flashed Madge, indignant- - I don’t wonder, either, because you're so lazy and shiftless that you won't take the trouble to learn anything. Why don’t you help your father, and learn his business? My uncle says he’s a first- class carpenter.” “Ho! _ What do you think I am? to learn to be a lawyer.” “A pretty wed Ae you'd make. You haven't got education enough.” - “Is that so? I’ve been at school as long as and you think you know a whole lot. Mr. rangle is going to take me into his office next week. He’s one of the best lawyers in town. I won't have to take my coat off there, and roll u my sleeves to the elbow like Joe Hooker a er common laborers. ‘A lawyer is a gentle- man, and his clerks are gentlemen. They amount to something, and that’s more than printers and * carpenters ever do.” “T’ve said all I care to and more than I in- tend@d-to you. After this I want you to attend to your own affairs and not annoy me with your rable attentions. I don’t like you, and when I don’t like a person I don’t want to be bothered by them. With those words Madge Mason turned and walked away, leaving Noah Wood looking after her as mad as a hornet. Madge was one of the prettiest and, most spirited girls in the town of Corinth. She lived on the outskirts of the town, in a pretentious old mansion, standing on the banks of a tributary of the Missouri River, with her uncle, David Peck, a well-to-do retired steam- boat captain. Everybody, so to speak, knew Cap- tain Peck. He was short, stout,.and somewhat I’m going : Es “You ought to be ashamed of yourself to talk _ that way. I think a printer isn't a8 good as a carpenter, or any other skilled work- < "7 dition. He was a widower, and as Madge was the only relative he had, he was very fond of her. As she was beginning to bloom into young woman-* ood, the possibility of her falling in love with some young fellow, and leaving him alone in- his old age, bathered him not a little; in fact it was the real cause cf his temper being so sour. To protect himself against such a contingency? — he took worst course, and that was te deny her the privilege of receiving male visitors, and to e her with a maid who was in structed to report to him if she carried on any correspondence with boys or young men, The 4

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ae A LAD OF IRON. - NERVE maid, whose name was Kittie Drew, proved re- creant to the trust which the captain reposed in her, for she soon grew to like her mistress a lot better than the master of the house, whom she regarded as an old ogre, whose whiskers she declared to be positively terrifying when he was angry. Whenever Madge went out, Kittie had orders to accompany her. Mistress and maid got on so well together that Madge was well pleased to have Kittie with her. Frequently Kittie took advantage of these outings to visit her mother at the other side of town, with Madge’s permission, but the two girls always arranged a rendezvous where they met and returned to the “castle” to- gether, so that Captain Peck, up to the present time, had no suspicion that his orders were not fully carried out. Before her distasteful: meeting with Noah Wood, Madge had called at the office of the tri- weekly Record and had a brief talk with Joe Hooker, who, owing to his somewhat abreviated stature was facetiously called “Little Joe” by his associates. Joe didn’t care for that, for he recol- lected that many of the greatest men of the world’s history—Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bona- parte, Ulysses Grant, for instance—were men of small size. Madge liked Joe, and Joe was sweet on Madge. We may remark here that Joe’s par- ticular friend, Tom Bland, who had aequired the habit of declaring that everything that didn’t jibe with his views would “end in a blow a was sweet on Kittie Drew, Madge’s sprightly and good leoking maid. . Madge.sympathized with Joe because he was an orphan and had to hustle for his living; while Joe sympathized with Madge because she was. un- der the thumb of a crusty old guardi overlooking the fact that the captain didn’t mean to be hard on his niece, but was merely carrying out his ideas of what he thought was best for her own good. After leaving the Record office, and while on her way to the rendezyous where she expected to rejoin Kittie, who had gone to see her mother, she encountered Noah Wood. CHAPTER II.—In the Job Rgom of the Record.” While Madge was trying to rid herself of Noah’s company, Little Joe was busily employed in the job room of the Record Publishing Co. He quite ~ the job form was in one of them, it collided with an eight-page book form standing ready to be lifted on a pony cylinder, and there was a crash —the big form going to pi and Tom rolling over on the floor; but managing to save his own form from participating in the general wreckage. The guilty youth, though startled by the damage he had unintentionally caused, had the wit to quick- ly draw back his foot and assume a very inno- cent look. The smash-up attracted general at- tention, and drew forth many grins from the typos and feeders, who, in such cases, seem to forget the sympathy due an unfortunate com- rade. The foreman appeared with the quickness” of a person on roller skates, and the first thing he saw was Tom picking himself up. “Hello, what’s happened?” he demanded. “That eight-page form I was getting the ‘pony’ ready for has gone to pi,” said the press- man. As job room foremen are never known to swear or lose their temper under the most trying con- ditions, the ejaculation the boss of the room let out couldn’t have been an oath, though it was hot enough to melt all the type in the office accord- ing to Little Joe, who heard it easily enough. Did you do that, Bland?” roared the fore- man, his eyes snapping like live coals. “Well I couldn’t help it if I did,” replied Tom, doggedly, weli aware of the enormity of the’ offence. : “Couldn’t help it!” “No. I was carrying this form to the lye pot when that funny guy,” pointing at the joker, “put out one of his flatboats and tripped me up.” —- “Don’t you know ary better than to butt into a live form, confound you?” said the foreman. “Yes, but how was I to help it? I saved this “form at any rate.” “That form be blessed! What does it amount to alongside the other job that had to be run off this afternoon? It’s Likely to be run off now, isn’t it? When I report the matter in the office there’ll be something doing I fancy.” “What are you jawing me for when I tell you that Duncan is to blame,” growled Tom. ~ “Because this wouldn’t have happened if you | had not been so careless,” said the foreman. — "> Then he turned to haul Duncan over the coals, but that lad had sneaked behind the double cylin- der on which the aes was printed. _ Not seeing the boy the foreman shouted fi him. Duncan deemed it prudent to make his vad PecWhy did you trip Bland d e “Why you trip Bland up and make hi ie BP EES : @, S off his base. I didn’ him ap He fell over his own feet sod isin them or mine,” said Duncan. of “You Biand Stay here a Say ses till you ve up every poof dat pi. - morrow t hid eee ght you will tribute, “I guess not,” muttered Tom, who heard ¢ order plain enough. “I’m not: to blame ple don’t intend to be made a goat of. If ' vipat, fire me he can do it, but I won’t let ¥ aed neck. I can get a job at the The foreman then got the revised proof of the oe

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE 2 2 destroyed form, and set four hands at work set- ting it up again. The foreman reported the dis- aster to one of the proprietors, and said that the delivery of the job would be delayed twenty- four houys unless the compositors worked over- time. As that would cost the office more money, and there was no great rush in the job room, he was told to get the work out in the regular hours. Tom washed his form and shoved it into the job rack. He made up his mind to have it out with Duncan just the same. He knew he could whip the other feeder if he tried hard enough, and he intended to put it over for keeps. ; Duncan had played him a low-down trick, and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Besides, he and Joe had to call on Madge and Kittie _that night at the “castle,” as they called the captain’s fortified residence, and Joe had made the date when she called to see him that after- moon. There was only one way by which they cbuld get into the grounds without having a strenuous discussion with the bulldog, 2nd that Was by taking a boat and rowing up to the northwest corner of the river wall, throwing a ope over one of the spikes, climbing up and then connecting with a rope ladder which the girls would let down fron an unfurnished cor- nér room which was known as the haunted cham- ber, though no ghost had been seen on the prem- ises during the five years the captain had oc- cupied the house. The rope ladder been su plied by the boys, and they had used this pri- vate route on several occasions with success. Tom knew Joe wouldn’t keep the date without ices, seu af De lind so stay and sort: halt fhat.type out why the girls would be disappointed, and could almost what Kittie would say about him. However, there seemed to be no help for _ it, and Tom started feeding his press in a grouch frame of mind. The whistle blew at five and ail hands knocked off work. Tom went up to the foreman. fa “I suppose I can eat before I tackle that job,” he said. tx - “Get back at half-past and sail in. The quicker ~you work the sooner you'll be through,” said the foreman, shortly. : “J ain't a Seat so you can’t expect me to stick 4 “It’s only pi. You slap it up any way, leaving “out space , but see that you keep : me . ro t can be distributed without “All right. It’s a shame though, for I wasn’t to blame. “2 were half to blame. At any rate you’ve got to stand for your share. If you'd looked where “you were falling the thing wouldn’t have hap- —"*} didn't busting my brains out anyway,” then he walked over. to the T came near said Tom, and share up in time for us to keep our date, thou we'll be a little late; but the girls will be on the lookout for us.” : “Thanks, Joe; you're a good fellow. “I’ve got to put a few wallops over Duncan before we start — I wouldn’t feel I had done justice to my- self. “Let him slide. He'll have to stay at the job three times as long as you. That will punish him, for he’ll have only the watchman for cum- pany,” said Joe. It took some persuasion on Joe’s part to make Tom forego his vengeance, but he finally con- sented to do so. The boys hurried through their meal and hustled back to the office. It was sum- mer time so they had a couple of hours of day- light before them before it would be necessary te light up the stone on which lay the two big bunches of pi. “Gee!” exclaimed Joe, “that looks like forty pages instead of eight.” At the moment Duncan came in the door and stopped. “Come on in and get busy, Duncan,” said Joe. “I don’t want to get into a scrap with Bland,” said the other. “There won’t be. any scrap,” said Joe. has called the blow up off.” ~ “All right,” said the feeder, shedding his jacket and approaching the stone. “Where do I get a stick ?” ‘ “I'll get youSone,” said Joe, and he did. “Aw, this ain’t fair,” said Duncan. “You're pee Bland and I ain’t got no one to help me. It'll take me all night to get away with that mountain.” Z “J hope it will, you blamed lobster,” growled Tom. “You ought to set up the whole business, - for the whole thing was your fault. And you ought to be made to pay for the resetting of the job, and the time it will take to make it up and ock it up again.” “1 didn’t mean nothing. “Tom “a didn’t expect you'd fall over my foot.” _ “Of course, you didn’t. What did you shove it in front of me for then? If I hadn’t promised Joe I'd let it RO I'd knock seven kinds ef tar out of you,” and Tom looked as if he meant it. shut up and went to work in a listless way, which promised to keep him at work all night. Joe and Tom, on the contrary, worked like a house afire, and Tom’s mountain of pi melted rapidly down. Just as the clock struck aigys, Joe dumped the last stickful on the second ley. He gathered up the quads and distributed them in the cases where they belonged and then brushed the spaces off into a paper. “How are you coming on, you slow poke?” grinned Tom, willing to forgive Duncan now that the os had been oz out on his side. “How do you s’pose with only me a-doing it?” said the feeder. “I ain’t quate ‘erough : “wish you luck. I suppose we’ll find youhere Seach come to work in the morning?” chuckled zt * mad é “Do you think I’m to stay here al 2 “The wa , will’ be here.” anes : “Rats. | If you tthaps ‘are done I'm going ta “If that pi ain’t all up when the foreman’ come fe :

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door of the alleged a — in the morning you'll hear from him, and I hope you will, good and proper,” said Tom. “Tll tell him Joe helped you out.” x “Tell him. What do I care. If Joe felt like doing it that’s his business.” Joe and his friend put on their jackets, walked out and laid their course for a boat-house half a mile below the Peck residence. CHAPTER III.—The Lovers Meet. “It’s ten minutes of eight, Miss Madge,” said Kittie Drew, looking at tle gilt cloek which stood on a bracket shelf in the corner of Miss’ Mason’s boudoir. “The boys are due in a few minutes, and we must put the light in the win- dow of the vacant room to let them know that everything is serene.” ate “Well, light your own lamp and take it in there. I can’t spare mine yet, for I haven’t quite finished my toilet,” replied Madge. ee “What me to go alone into the haunted room ? exclaimed Kittie, with a little shudder. “Oh, dear, no. I wouldn’t dare.” : a “Why, you goose, what are you afraid of? lai Madge. 3 ee afraid the spook might catch me. : “You know there isn’t any such thing. + I know there is. My granny used to tell me stories about them that made the chills run up and down my back. Why, once upon a time—” “Never mind, Kittie, I don’t want to hear any of. your ghost stories. If you're afraid to go alone into that room, we’ll both go in together, then, for the boys won’t come up unless they see the light. Besides, we’ve got to put the lad- r out. Light your lamp.” ; ie Ba al own room across the corri- dor and presently returned with her lamp. Al- though there was both gas and electric light in- stalled clear out to the suburbs of Corinth, neither had been in into Captain Peck’s -resi- dence. Madge took the rope ladder out of the closet and the girls started for the unoccupied chamber, which was used by the four young people for. their clandestine meetings. Two old trunks filled with clothes, which Madge and her uncle had found in the room when they took possession of the peer, —— eg by oe boys to sit on, while the girls brought a cou rockers for SS raiiaaives. The light of small light _was Fe to remain in the window after the boys climbed in because there was no other place for it. Kittie had her hand on the knob of the =a an of uiiacy ‘nd to was lit by a flash of lightning an e distant gota Fe By r struck upon their ears. “Oh, dear, how that startled me!” exc Kittie. “Aren’t you the nervous thing!” laughed : nepal help it. I’m always expecting some- en ngs eons one — & - + "4 A LAD OF IRON NERVE we've never been disturbed by such foolishness.) Go ahead.” : They entered the room. Kittie ran to the win dow, opened it and looked out on the river. “All’s quiet. I don’t hear their boat,” sh said. “Oh, dear, there’s another flash. I veril believe a thunderstorm is coming up. I don’ think the boys will come to-night.” “Joe will come,” said Madge, putting the ligh in the window. : After dropping the ladder out the girls waited for their beaus to appear, but owing to the in cident at the printing-office that afternoon, J and Tom were behindhand. In the meantim the thunderstorm came on apace. The boys wera” in the boat on the river rowing toward th “castle.” “Say, Joe, hadn’t we better put back?” said Tom, “Put back! What for?” “We're liable to be caught by ‘the storm that’ coming up.” : “We'll get up to the vacant room before tha’ hits’ this vicinity.” “And then we'll be stuck there. Suppose thé: old grampus were to get on to us being there i would be no silly thing to slide down the ladie and then down the rope into the boat, in the wind: and rain. The boat might upset and dump ul’ into the river,” said Tom. ; Ss a! “Haven't you got the nerve to face a little thi like that for the sake of your best girl? Well. I have. I’d hang under that window on the der all through the storm rather than break m date with Madge.” a4 “I guess you would. You’ve got an iron ne , but some day you may end in a blow-up.” « “As the balloon said when they started to i The boat glided in close to the wall and Tol neatly flung the looped end of the rope over o of the spikes. The slack was taken in and cured through a ring in the bows. Joe scramb up first, and was followed by Tom as soon as started up the ladder. Tlie lightning lighted” u their ascending figures. Joe tap on the wi dow three times—the usual signa “There’s the boys,” cried Kittie. “Open the window and let them in.~ Aren’t th the dear fellows to come in spite of the thunde storm?” said Madge. Kittie flung the window, which was. made | colored glass, and worked on hinges, wide open: “Hello, Kittie, here we are,” said Little scrambling into the room. rw In a few moments Tom followed, and then ladder was pulled in to keep it from getting \ by the rain that was coming. - “Run and get the rockers, Kittie,” sai Kittie got them. , . = 2 ie dear, I don’t like a thunderstorm,” sai = “Don’t worry,” said Tom. “I'll protect you.” | At that moment the storm terra ope ieee i scape with a tremendous rush of wind, panied by a vivid flash of lightning a

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE 5 mendous peal of thunder. The girls screamed’ and bed each other. “See! This storm is a fine background for a haunted chamber, ain’t it, Joe?” said Tom. _ ““Surest thing you know, old chap. Say, Miss Madge, tell us how this room came to get its reputation,” said Joe. : 2 “Yq rather tell you some other time,” said ‘ Ze. “Some other time! Why this is just the night for it,” said Joe. : . “Go on and let us hear about it,” said Tom. ~ After much persuasion she reluctantly began: “This house was built for an eld man who came from the West. He was a prospector, what- ever that is. It is said that he had lots of money, but ae day he ee : “Disappeared!” cried Joe. “Yes and nob ever heard where he went for he never came back.” *- “What, after building this house?” “Yes. It was shut up for years waiting for -him, and then the county officers took charge of dt and it was rented to Miss Madge’s uncle.” -© “Where does the haunted business come in?” asked Joe. = “Shortly after the old man disappeared, and when the place was known to he deserted, lights ‘Were seen in this room.” _ “That’s nothing. Might have been tramps who er og in,” said Tom. 2 -“No, for ghostly faces were seen at the win- dows.” - ? “Since the house has been oceupied by you and ur- uncle, Miss Madge, nothing like that has 2 “Nothing at all,” replied the girl. ; . “Then you can gamble on it that this room is ‘no more haunted than any other room in thé “house, or any other house in town,” said Joe. “A blinding fiash of 1 followed his words, succeeded almost instantly by a crash that Seemed to stagger the building from roof to cellar. The rear wall of room opened up a - fissure from the ceiling to below the floor. ‘The shock stunned the four young people. Prapewt CHAPTER IV.—Investigations. Re *= “Who's there?” he asked. : _ “Me, sir,” said the voice of Hiram Sprague, ardenér and eral factotem. : z “Was the tome struck that time, Hiram? i the : way _through the storeroom and sittin’-room on thie floor. I reckon the break must go all the way up t roof.” — : , adm his “My niece y frightened, for the _ he started for the door. Joe and the top floor got it harder than any other part of the house. I must go up there, and-you’d better come with me. “ Wait till I put on some of my things.” ~ In a few minutes the captain was ready to ge up stairs and he started, accompanied by Sprague. By that time Joe, Tom ne the girls had recovered from the-concussion, but they were all considerably shaken up. The storm was pass- ing away, taking the wind and rain with it. It was one of those short, but terrific electrical dis- turbances, that always seem to reserve a thunder-. bolt for its finish, then it fades away, like an exhausted athlete at the end ofa gruelling race. The girls were almost wrecks, and the boys judged they had better bring their visit to a close. They were saying good-bys to their trem- bling sweethearts when steps were heard in the corridor outside and then came a knocking at Madge’s door. “Madge! Madge! It is I, your uncle!” ex- claimed a foghorn voice. “Good gracious!” exclaimed the girl, catching Joe, by arm. “My uncle is outside. You boys must not be discovered here. Quick! throw out the ladder and—” Bang, bang, bang! went the pes ae huge fist on the door again. The girls looked terribly rat- tied, for they knew that Captain Peck, receiving no answer, would make an investigation to learn why they were deaf to his summons. Tom threw the window open, tossed out the ladder, followed himself, but with a certain amount of care, for the descent was risky, and a misstep might prove fatal. Joe had to wait his turn, and while he stood there, Hiram Sprague called the captain’s attention to the light that. shone under the door of the unoccupied room. - “My goodness! The room must have caught fire so from the lightning. Come with me,” and irls heard him coming. It was clearly impossible for the boy to make his exit window before Captain Peck got into the room and caught a glimpse of him. - an instant he made up his mind what he would 0. i “Blow out the light,” he whispered, and darted for the back of the room. Madge obeyed, in a flutter of. apprehension. Kittie, with great presence of mind, closed the w. Captain Peck burst into the room. “Why, why; there’s no fire here, and yet.I can swear I saw a light,” he exclaimed, clearly much mystified. “There was a light,” asserted Sprague. 7 “Tt was our lamp, uncle, which went out,” said Madge. ; ‘ The captain jumped nearly a foot at hearing @ voice, and his niece’s at that, coming out of the darkness. “You here, Madge!” he ejaculated, in astonish- ment. “How came you in this room-alone?” ~ “T’m not alone. Kittie is with me.” - “Where are you *voth?” . . PR here,” and the girls advanced toward m. ; : be <A gael » “What brought you here?” . “Did you hear that. dreadful crash; uncle? We were frightened to death.”- “This corner of the house was hit by a bolt, £ '~ : = oe ‘ a a

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‘SS 8 “A LAD. OF IRON NERVE Sprague says. You both came in to see if-any damage had been done, I suppose. Well, what did you find?” : “Nothing, uncle. We didn’t—” “Well, well, give me the lamp and return to your rooms. t a match, Sprague?” Madge’s heart jumped into her throat, for a light would reveal the presence of Little Joe, and then a serious explanation would be in order. “Here you are, sir,” said the gardener. _ “Strike it, my hands are full,” said the cap- tain. Sprague struck the match on his trousers. The gleam showed the captain with the lamp in one hand and the chimney in the other, as well as the outlines of the two trembling girls. Madge gripped Kittie by the hand to nerve herself for the explosion that was certain to follow the dis- ity th Rae mg ee oe oe isa) : rls gas knew the two trunks weit ocked, whieh blocked any possibility of his having crawled into o ney He pane have slipped out by the door, for the captain and his man stood close to it. Where then could he have gone? Surely not through the ing hole made by the lightning, for that would mean a sixty-foot fall to the yard below. “My gracious!” exclaimed Captain Peck, as his eyes took in the fissure in the wall. “The light- ing certainly cut things up here. Look at that seal Sprague. A long jagged fissure, with a hole big enough to crawl through on the level of the floor. If that goes all the way down, as you said it did, [-guess it will require considerable repair- ing.” They walked over and inspected the wreck with the light of the lamp. While they stood there looking it over, the girls were thinking about Joe. “Where could Joe have hidden. himself?” asked Madge. “T haven’t any idea, miss,” whispered back Kittie. “Do you think he fell out through that hole?” “Don’t mention such a thing. It would be ‘too dreadful.” “Are you girls there yet?” snapped the cap- tain, turning around. “Go to your rooms at once and turn in. Madge and Kittie had.no alternative except to obey, but their minds were much disturbed about Little Joe. captain and the gardener slam the door of the unoccupied room, and come through the corridor. Captain Peck knocked at Kittie’s door. “Here’s your lamp,” he said. : Kittie opened the door and took it. The mogul of the house and his man then went on down- stairs. Kittie softly on Madge’s door, and when her mistress opened it, she said: “Shall we go back to the room and see what has happened to Joe?” ; “Yes,” said Madge. “I couldn’t sleep a wink to-night if I didn’t w he was safe, Come.” They went fo the head of the stairs and lis- _ tened. All was silent, below, and, taking cour- & os ‘to the unoceupied room. » Kittie Poised e lamp on higis ae Antes ent abead, Rtendhily haskie the’ wtidew, in the-act. of per: ing it, was Little Joe. <a w: =~ ra A few minutes later they heard the. eon Te ing th eS Fi eel ie pe dl es on eed ee “Joe!” exclaimed Madge joyfully, feeling as i it would be a peat sere 4 her to throw fey arms arqund his neck and kiss him. Where were you? “Where?” he grinned. “I couldn’t.” “IT was just practicing a bit of gymnastics.” “Why, what do you mean?” “Guess.” “All the time your uncle and his man were in this room I was hanging within a yard of them.” “Hanging! You don’t mean outside—that you it 4 through that hole?” gasped Madge incredu- Oo 5 “Where else? You didn’t see mé in this room.” “Why, how did you ever do it?” _ “Easily enough, though it took some nerve. If I’d lost my grip, the dog would have had my bones to play with.” A “Well, Tom Bland didn’t say more than the truth when he told us you had an iron nerve. It —— incredible that you would have dared to io it.” : “Now I must rejoin Tom,” said Joe; “but hold the light a moment. I want to see what came out of the wall into my hand.” f He held up a paper which was crumpled and soiled. Opening it out, it appeared to be a kind of diagram of some locality, with sundry descrip- tive words, such as “wall,”, “tree,” “gully,” ete, At the bottom were some consecutive words, sey- eral lines of them, probably explanatory of the whole, but Joe did not bother reading them. “I'll look this over at my leisure and see what it refers to. It hardly belongs to your uncle, for it came out of the wall. it to be,” said Joe, thrusting it into his pocket. Rather an odd place for — Removing the noose from the spike, and telling Tom to let out some slack, he slid down the dou- bled rope into the boat and then pulled it clear of . th® spike. “The old grampus nabbed you, I suppose, and has been reading you the riot act ever since, eh?” said Tom, as they pushed off from the wall. “Not on your life! cent,” replied Joe. He didn’t get me worth a “Where did you hide—behind one of the ee 2s “No. I crawled out through the hol ad the thunderbolt, and clung rc the wall like etd ‘man fly.” wd Joe then mentioned the paper he found in the wall, and said it looked like a diagram of a piece of property. “We'll look it over to-morrow, and see what = can mae out of or said. n a few minutes they ran alongside boathouse landing, made the boat fast, aud dae ed for the cottage where they both boarded. »~ CHAPTER V.—Joe’s Iron Nerve. At five minutes of eight next morni ae Tom entered the Record job ‘oom, poked on ‘ane jackets, rolled up their sleeves, put on their rons - whistl @ and were ready to start to w hen sounded. The foréman ane a ve and as ho passed the stone where the three boys had worked — the evening re he noti considerable pile of pi Feta : — = =

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE 7 ' “Is that as far as you got last night, Bland?” he asked. : : _ “No, sir; I finished up my half, with Joe’s help,” replied Tom. “Hooker helped you out, eh?” — “Yes, sir. Kind of him, wasn’t it? didn’t deserve the deal I got.” “That bunch is Duncan’s, then?” “Tt must be, for it isn’t mine.” J “What did you do with the spaces and quads? “The spaces are in a paper and the quads are the cases.” At that point Duncan sneaked in and took off his jacket. The foreman’s eyes were on him. “Come here, Duncan,” he said sharply. “You're in for a blow-up,” grinned Tom. “Why didn’t you clean up that pi?” asked Buck- ws He knew I “ did as much as I could,” said the feeder. “When CS bg leave ?” “After eight. _ “When did you get through, Bland?” “About eight o'clock.” As “He had Joe Hooker to help him, and they went through his half in no time. I ain’t no type- sticker. 1 couldn’t have finished that all night. _ “You'll stay to-night and finish, then. If I find a letter left on the stone when I come in the Morning you'll hear from me. Understand? = 68,. si” : aS “And don’t you put any of it in a paper and hide it away. If I catch you doing that trick, ll discharge you. Now get to work. Joe finished his tabular corrections and was put to work correcting a restaurant daily bill-of-fare, aper advertise- their noonday “He completed the job with wooden furniture and patent quoins. ~awas waiting for it. The afternoon passed Peas te oh a il 2at8 anf so they went up to their room. Joe had as follows: ze : °¢ fi miles _ketville, a village on the Missouri River. One iene Depend woods igs. xin. Pass in through door, follow measurements on diagram, you Will land a big bonanza.” _ “Land a big bi . Joe. “That sounds Bood. What do gou ion of i Tom?” __ “I don’t know,” Tom, rather dubiously. ~ i iF oe 5 E of the gold cache in Blank southwest of Plun- the Peck castle. Kittie said he had a lot of mon- ey, so he must have found the gold cache.” The supper call sounded at that moment and the boys went down to the little dining-room, af- ter Joe had put the diagram away in his trunk. Stolen pleasures are always the sweetest, so be- fore the week was out the boys made another date with Madge and Kittie to visit the unoecu- pied room, the wall of which had not yet been repaired. Unfortunately for them, Noah Wood was down at the river bank for some reason or another when they left the boathouse and began rowing up the river. He recognized them and wondered where they were bound in the boat. Curiosity induced him to follow them along the bank, and he saw them steer in for the Peck “castle.” He went as far as the wall would al- low him to, and then crouching down in the gloom of the. evening he saw them make fast to the spike, climb the wall, and finally clamber up the rope ladder to the window and disappear. “Ho! I wonder what’s their game?” he mut- tered. “Here’s a chance to get the Indian sign on that lobster, Little Joe. I'll call around to the front door, ask for Captain Peck, and tell him what’s going on in the rear. I wish I could send their boat adrift, but I can’t get to it. Never mind. The captain will cook their goose for them.” The young spy rubbed his hands together and chuckled with satisfaction. Then he started for the front gate. The gate was always kept locked at night, but there was a bell handle which a visitor could ring ‘at any time. Noah rang it, and presently Hiram. Sprague came out to see who was there. ; “Hello! Who’s there?” asked the gardener. “Me,” said the youth, as if that one word was sufficient to establish his identity. “Who are you? Let’s hear your name,” said Sprague, “Noah Wood.” Noah was not known to either the gardener or the captain. “What do you want?” asked Sprague. “T want to see Captain Peck.” “What do you-want to see him about? « The captain doesn’t often receive visitors at night. He goes to bed early, and doesn’t want to be disturbed.” x sore got something important to tell him,” said The gardener thought he had been sent by so) y in the neighborhood with a message to the captain, so he opened the gate and let him ‘in. Noah followed him up to the front door and into the house. He was left in the hall to cool his heels until Sprague went to see Captain Peck. The ex-river skipper was reading a paper in his room. S @ was directed to bring Noah up to a small ante-room. ed “Well,” said the captain, when Noah appeared, “you have a message for me, young man. I will se 3 ant ‘ ost no time in acquainting Captain Peck with the state of affairs at the back of his” house. ~ “Eh? What’s that? You say you saw a cou- ple of thieves enter my premises from the rear?” exclaimed the choleric old gentleman, bristling _ “I dunno as they are thieves, sir, for somebody

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threw a rope ladder to them from the window above.” : “Confound your impertinence! Do you dare hint that my niece would do such a thing?” Noah was somewhat cowed by Captain Peck’s inflammatory language and actions, but, never- theless, he stuck to his story. He added that he guessed the boys had come to visit Miss Mason on the quiet and he had reason to believe that the young lady thought considerably of the small- er of the two lads, whose name he said was Little Joe Hooker, and who worked at the printing business in the Record office. The captain flew into a rage on hearing that. He rang for Sprague and when that worthy appeared he told him to look out of.the sitting-room window and see if there was a rowboat tied to one of the wall spikes and also directed him to look-and see if there was a rope laddér hanging from the window of the unoccupied room. While the gardener was away on his errand Captain Peck paced the room like an angry lion in a circus me’ rie. Sprague returned in a few minutes and reported the pres- ence of a boat, tied as described, but said he could see no rope ladder. : E “Stay here till I return,” said the captain to Noah. ’ “If I find your news to be correct, I shall reward you.” Ee=t 3 “T’ll stay,” said Noah, with a satisfied grin. Directing the gardener to keep him company, the old man statted upStairs with fire in his eyes, for the idea that’his niece received visitors clan- destinely at night in the unoccupied room made him furious. - e CHAPTER VI.—The Girls Caught. In the excess of his rage the captain forgot that it is necessary to use caution in order to catch people off their guard. The noise he made in stumping up the stairs easily reached the ears of Joe, Tom and the girls while they were chat- ting familiarly together. My gracious! My uncle!” cried Madge, quite panic-stri cken. “Out with the ligh ay Sg ge of you!” or cried foe, = tet a godt dee rou, Tom Tle b i) ‘om fo ing them with the rockers, which he dropped in the corridor and returned to the uneccupied room, ly in the boat, and Tom hurried him. It took but a moment to, open window and ver it and went sprawling on the sthet tin wunde THOUGHT Van ghia ts Madge’s room. ’s there?” asked Madge, just as if ‘she ~did not know, r eee ceein bak beset Eis shine, 29) he Se ound t. Y put that chair there for ma ver?” “gir,” said Kittle. “It belongs in my was go. to take it back in a moment, : See erat A LAD OF IRON NERVE I had‘no idea anybody was coming up here. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself, sir.” “Fire and fury! I’ve torn all the skin off my shins. How dare you lay such a trap for me? Don’t you know any better, you—you——” He was going to use some strong expression, but recollected in time that he was,not addressing his old deckhands. Kittle protested that she was dreadfully sorry, and that she hoped the captain would excuse her. , “Give me your lamp,” he cried to Madge. “My lamp, uncle?” “Yes; hurry up, do you hear!” he snapped, rub- bing ‘his shins tenderly. ‘ adge delayed as much as possible, and was so long in bringing it that the-captain lost what lit- tle patience he had left, rushed in and snatched it out of her hand. Then he limped along the cor- ridor and entered the unoccupied room. It was dark there, and without the sign of an occupant. The captain glared around the apartment, looked behind the trunks, in the four corners, and find- ing nothing in the shape of a pair of youthful intruders, he went to the window and opened it, flashing the lam a. on the bricks. Of course he saw the rope ladder hanging down, which, un- der the hurried circumstances, the girls had had no chance to remove. What the captain said when he saw this proof of Noah Wood’s state- ment almost set the woodwork on fire. he was mad before he was boiling now. He yanked the ladder into the room .and detached it from the stout hooks Kittie had driven into the wall to hold the upper end. Detaching it from the hooks, and being unable to make out anything on the river at the base of the wall, he shut the window and, with the ladder over his arm, he returned to the entrance of Madge’s room where she and Kittie stood in some a ension as to what results were to follow the captain’s unexpected visit to that part of the house. That he had pone wind of the visit of the boys seemed clear, en they saw Captain Peck approaching with the ladder on his arm their hearts began beat like a trip-hammer, for they knew they were in for it, “Oh, Kittle, he’s got the ladder!” whispered Madge, “Tt can’t ba helped. Keep wu ur cour We've got to face ea I stand 1 by Fay pee turned Kittle, rattahitoe oomgeny on tae Ut bbe peas atest” e g company on 3 he leoked daggers _ and he | al “Rn company on the sly! Why, un- 1 Don't try to deny it!” roared the old « u ° man, hig yours b out like the -~_ af porcupine, “Look at this,” hol up “I’m Jooking, uncle,” “What do you call it, miss?” ladder.” an an _ #4 xo 5 2 “Pxactly. That's Just what it ta, How camo it te be hanging outside the dow of the vacant a Answer me that, { “ y- ” — bs and marlingspikes! Why don’t you so, gegen % ‘ad can she, ca 3 en w ve her a chance?” put in Kittie, a ae

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“ you,” she replied indignantly. A LAD OF IRON NERVE ar. “Shut up; don’t you put your oar in!” cried “I've got nothing to say.” Captain Peck, glaring at the maid, whem he evi- “No, of course not. Who is this chap that dently believed to be guilty of connivance in the Noah Wood says is a printer at the Record of- affair. fice? Gh, yes, his name is Joe Hooker. How “You don’t peeve to shout at me: I can hear came you to know him?” “ft met him at Sunday-school.” “You needn’t answer, miss,” said the captain to’ “And you encouraged him to call on you?” Madge, “for*I know all about the matter. You “He asked to call on me and I told him he theught, your old fool of an uncle and guardian could.” was asleep, eh? Fire and fury! What wind will “Stuff and nonsense! I am surprised that you blow next, I wonder?” should care to associate with a working boy. You “Why, ‘uncle, hew agitated you are!” said ought to look higher.” “Madge. “Joe isn’t very tall, I'l admit; but he’s as © to be.” bRitated! Who says I am? . Sheet anchors smart as any six-footer in shoe leather,” said oes wee, I’m as cool as an iceberg! Do Madge, with some spirit. you hear “Bah! Suppose he is smart, he’s only a work- “Yes, uncle.” ing boy. You. must give up his companionship. “Yes, uncle,” sarcastically. “Think you can He isn’t worth thinking about. In fact, there is en oe wool over my eyes, eh? But I’ve caught nobody in this vicinity who is good enough for aa ‘ou, too, you traitoress!” glaring at the you.” : at did I hire you for?” “Give up Joe? No; that I never will do.” re maid to Miss Madge,” replied Kittie. * “But I say you must. Do you understand me?” “Yes, but what = the understanding between said her tncle, waxing wroth again. “I’l) set a us? Why do I twice as much as you watch, and if he comes around again I'll have asked? Wasn't t to eep an eye on your young him arrested for trespass. _Who is the other mistress and report to us if she encouraged the boy? Another working boy, I'll be bound, since zttentions of any young fellows in the neighbor- a oe tegether.” hood? And this is the way you are doing it— “He’s Kittie’s friend.” helping your mistress to deceive me. Ayen’t you “Your maid’s friend, eh? So, that accounts ashamed of yourself? If you aren’t, you ought for her faithlessness to my interests. She sold me out in order to enjoy the society of her friend ate remained silent, but she didn’t Jook as ~ on the sly, too. Well, I won't have this sort of if her conscience disturbed her very much. thing any more. And to begin with I’!l get you “Who were the boys who had the nerve to en- a new maid.” ter rad beg? without my knowledge?” he said, “I won’t have a new one,” said Madge decid- : to Madge. edly. “Kittie is cood enough for me.” se don't know what makes you think that any _~“She isn’t good enough for me, and I’m paying _ Boys were in the house,” she said. her her wages. You'll pack up to-morrow, young “Oh, you don’t, miss? Isn't this ladder evi- lady, and leave the house,” he said, turning te dence enough? And if it isn’t, I’ve got a witness Kittie. saw ~ downstairs who two boys climb up into the Re ek you do any such thing, Kittie,” said vacant room, and saw the ladder thrown down Mad x so they could up. In the face of that evi- hat’s that? How dare you interfere with that the fact isn’t true?” my arrangements, Madge? I am your legal do you deny “this witness?” asked Madge guardian, and you = no right to question my “Who * he? very proper young fellow. authority!” roared the captain. “J don’t care if no are my guardian. You bamed pe te Wood.” ~ “Noah Wood!” exclaimed Madge. = ee right to make me unhappy!” cried the “Yes. Noah oo eed" ay, beginning to “Noah! What a name!” tittered an ai ears A a —— n’s Nar always Pos the cap- ~ “Wha that? to you, woman t isn’ n’s goat, an particularly w e eyes hap- t's i lh le pened to be his niece’s. The last thing he thought “I should hope not. It’s a good name“for tale- of was to make her unhappy, and so he began te “ ae and sneaks. take water. “Eh? How dare you call him a talebearer? “Well, well, don’t cry, Madge. You know 1] _ He very properly brought me the information, and can’t stand that. I know I’m an old fool, and Ym goi to reward him for it.” that 1 don’t always do the right thing, My one _. “I would; then he'll be more like Judas and his desire is to make you , My dear, so we Re an _ won't say anything more about your maid : “You're impertinent, Miss Drew.” Hered She. shall stay 7 you want her to; gE nh Sent “I guess tongue is my own,” mu wan cA more of these goings on. on now, you'll do as I wish, hn cet on Boa 3 ia did 3 you say?” asked the captain suspi- — interest, and—and I don’t want to*lose you don’t want an "gl the ony’ sol be he rich or poor, to “] only thinking, deprive me ofthe only solace I have in my ut _cSIai Pine ap Noah Weed ang let him tol St age,” said the captain, his voice shaking. hig story 7° said the captain to shan’t live long, anyway, and when I am fey " ee ed ade “] ye will be your own mistress and can do as you te him! nee the — please, and ea whom oF poke rpc 4 Madge was had an affection- / N ate disposition, eS og yee very i a - A ‘ or tes = > . =X

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Ate en pate aa.” 4 Pe hatha Fl - _ “No, six. 10 A LAD OF cible old uncle, and when he showed the tender part of his nature it got her goat, too. She threw her arms around his neck and asked him to forgive her, and promised to be good hence- forth, and do all he wanted her to; but, with a little sob, she didn’t want to give Joe up. He was the finest (sob) boy in the world, and it really wasn’t fnir (sob) to deprive her of his friendship. She would send him word that he mustn’t call at the house again without her uncle’s permis- sion, so there wasn’t any reason why any watch should be set to try and catch him. “Well, we'll see,” said the captain soothingly, as he patted her head. “You'll let me see him once in a while, won’t you, uncle?” said Madge coaxingly. “T’ll think about it,” said the old man, not car- ing to commit himself to the proposition. : Say yes, you good-tempered old dear,” said Madge, patting his cheek. “Now you're trying to wheedle me. wheedled. I’m not good tempered, either. very ill-tempered.” ‘ “Now, my dear uncle——” “Marlingspikes and jibbooms! I don’t wonder they say that a pretty woman can turn a man around his finger, for you do about as you please with me. Go to bed now. I’m going downstairs, for I left that young man, Noah Wood, in the ante-room, and I promised to reward him for his information. There, good night,” and the old skip- per hurried away. I won’t be I'm CHAPTER VII.—Capt. Peck Makes a Discovery. “We had another close call that time, Joe,” said Tom, as they rowed down the river to the boat- house. “You’re right, we did? I wonder how the girls made out?” replied Little Joe. “J couldn’t guess, but I guess there’s no evi- dence against them,” ike 2h The boys went home and turned in. About eleven next morning the foreman came over to where Joe was correcting a form for the jobber presided over by Tom told him that a gentle- man wanted to see him out in the counting-room. Pe: Bentleman!” said Joe. “What does he look e “I didn’t see him. The boy brought the message Joe wondered who the visitor could be, but eouldn’t guess. When he went out he nearly had a fit when he recognized Captain Peck. e Lord!” he ejaculated, “The fat is in the fire, afraid.” : “Are you Joe Hooker?” asked the captain y- ; _. “Yes, sir,” replied Joe, with the utmost polite-~ ness. “You called at my house last evening and saw - my niece, didn’t you? nner ofa beak aad ladd > a 1 aro 9” "Yes, sit.” hie atagar _. “Ig it your customary way to meet young ladies on the sly?” . Se I prefer the front door; but when the main entrance is interdicted, I generally stay rope ladder on his arm,” that Kittie and I were in for a hot time. IRON NERVE away. In the case to which you refer, I took the liberty, with Miss Madge’s permission, to effect an entrance on the quiet. That method was not without risk, but I never figure on that. I sup- pose you have come to pull me over the coals. Well, I plead guilty and tender you an apology for acting.contrary to your wishes. I admit that © I had no right to intrude on your premises, even to keep faith with so charming a girl as your niece, for you are her guardian, and have a right to bar me out if you choose to do so. I hope you won't blame Miss Madge, for I put the idea in her head and furnished the rope ladder. If you think I ought to be punished for. my conduct, I will submit to any reasonable penalty you choose to inflict. I think that is fair, Captain Peck.” The captain had not come there to get Joe’s sealp, though he intended to hand him a good talking to, but Joe’s open and manly way of ad- mitting his guilt, and taking all the blame on his own shoulders, quite mollified the skipper. He expected that the boy would try to lie out of the matter, or at least take shelter behind any kind of an excuse that promised to help him out. The captain was a curious combination of contrary sentiments. It was the hardest thing in the world to know how to take him. When he came to the Record office he was dead sore on Joe. When he left ten minutes later he thought the lad was the only boy in the town worth shucks. And won- derful to relate he voluntarily gave Joe permis- sion to call on Madge by way of the front door. How did Joe accomplish such a miracle? By his personal magnetism. He unconsciously hypno- tized the captain. That is really the secret of © success in life, if you add a few other necessary qualities such as determination, ambition and en- ergy. When Joe told Tom at noon about Cap- tain Peck’s visit and its happy results, his friend could hardly believe his ears. “Do you mean to say he told you you could call and see his niece?” he said. “He certainly did, and he was very nice about it, too,” replied Joe. “Well, if that doesn’t get my goat! And he didn’t give you a wigging about last night?” “Nary wigging. He was mildly sarcastic at first and then became positively friendly. He shook hands with me when he left.” “J don’t see how you did it. Why, you know Kittie says he’s a regular fire-eater when things don’t jibe with him, and certainly the way we called on the girls last night was not calculated to sweeten his disposition. Something must have been wrong with him. His liver must have taken a day off. Such a miracle can’t possibly hold out, When you do call, tugged out in your glad he might set the dogs on you. If I were you, slow, and wait you saw your “tm willing to take the ch laughed Joo; _ 'm willing e chances,” Joe, - On the followin, 4 afternoon Joe got a note md e had ever received fons eat unoccupied room. “TI thought I should have died whe vy uncle returning from the ; ty gt es wrote. “I knew

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A LAD was hot, believe me, for a while. My gracious, monkey was mad enough to make the sparks fiy! J pretended to be brave, but I was just shaking im my shoes. And Kittie got hers, too. But after all the explosion no damage was done. Nun- key and I kissed and made it all up again. He’s a dear old darling in spite of his temper, and I jeve him very dearly. Now who do you suppese was the cause of all the trouble? Why, that hateful Noah Wood! He saw you and Tom row- ing the river, watched you climb up the wall into the room, and then went and told my uncle ali the facts. Isn’t he the tell-tale and sneak? Uncle handed him a $5 bill, but I don’t believe he has any great opinion of him. Uncle wanted me to give you up, and promise to have nothing to Go_with you any more; but I just wouldn’t agree to such a thing. He said you were only a work- ing boy, and that I ought to look higher. Now, efter ail that, the strangest thing has happened. Really I’m so surprised that I can’t make up my Mind whether it really is true or not. What do “you think? He says he’s going”to let you call on Mme by way of the front door. I nearly had a fit when he told me that. I couldn’t believe it until he assured me that our friendship had his O. K. Now what do you think of that? Such a change -~ef heart doesnt seem natural, but he’s passed his Word and that’s something he never breaks. Un- der these delightful circumstances I shall expect to see you here on Sunday evening. Kittie wants You ta bring Tom, but I'm afraid that would be Pushing a good thing too far. We'll try and make them happy later. That’s all now. “MADGE.” had placed’ the time limit at ten_o’clock. She “said he would be welcome every Sunday evening CHAPTER VHI.—The Cache of Gold. _ The’ rd was issued on Tuesday, Thursday y mornin When the hands knock- for dinner on those ed ed when his arrested by. ies a St. Louis daily pa Cache of Gold.” - nab OF IRON NERYV2 11 den by a Frenchman who had set out from the East with it, intending to cross the plains with ‘one of the wagon trains that periodically left St. Jeseph for the land of the Golden West. His urpese was to start a bank in the young and ustling city of San Francisco. His steps were dogged by an enemy whose object was to murder him and steal the fortune in gold. Becoming aware of the plan of his pursuer, he endeavored to threw him off the scent by taking an unfre- quented route across Missouri. . In this he suceeeded, but his success proved fatal to him. He lest his way in the wilds, and his pack mules died one by one until he was stranded many miles from the nearest village. Unabie to carry his gold further, he made a cache of it, a prevailing custom at that time, and then, with the last of his provisions, struck out for the Missouri River: After incredible hardships. he finally reached the village of Plunketville more dead than alive. Three days later the féver that was on him carried him to his grave, but before he died he told the man who attended him about the cache of gold, and gave him directions how to find it, all of which the man took down on a piece of paper. It was someatime before the lucky possessor of the paper found the chance to leok up the cache. He never reached it, for he was overhauled by some ruffians:on the way, who shot him and took his: mules and what money he had. They over- looked, or paid'no attention to, the paper, which was found on the skeleton many years after by a prospector on his way to the Colorado mining district. The prospector found the cache, but be- cause the locality was infested by a gang of ban- dits, he did not deem it prudent to carry off at the time more than a smal! part of the gold. He located in Corinth, built himself a substantial house on the suburbs, and proceeded to enjoy life. One day a letter came to him which greatly upset him. Immediately afterward he hired a gang of men and surrounded his house with a high brick wall, the top,of whieh bristled with spikes, Several months passed away and then it became generally known around town that the prospector had shut the house ap and had gone away. He never returned, and after many years the county authorities took possession of the building and it was sold to a well-known politi-_ cian for a mere fraction of its value, owing, it was said, to the fact that the house had acquired os ghostly reputation, curious sights and sounds - _ having been seen and heard there. ; ; The fate of the prospector, however, was re- vealed the other day by a man who was brought in a dying condition to one of the St. Louis hos- pitals, said the paper, and when informed that he had no chance to recager, he told the nurse © the story of the ort cache. He said he was one of a gang which had been searching for the mon- ey for years, but though they were sure they had hit upon the locality, they had failed to dis- cover the cache. Having found out that the pros- - pector was possessed of the they had used many devices to get it from him, but failed. Fi- nally he ran out of money and he started for the ‘to secure some-more of the gold, and they him on the way. On searching him, they — ' failed: to-find the paper containing the'vdirec- tions, but judging he knew the way by heart, they ~ =

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4 12 threatened to kill him unless he led them to the treasure. This he promised to do, but during the night he made his escape. They started in pursuit, and next day found his lifeless body at the bottom of “a deep, rocky gully into which he had fallen. They left him there, and several of them paid a secret visit to his house in Corinth and stayed there a week, searching it from cellar to roof for the paper, but failed to find it. And so, as far as he knew, the cache of gold still remained in its original hiding-place, only a portion of it. having been taken away by the prospector at the time of his first and only visit. When Joe reached the last word the whistle blew for the resumption of work, .so with his mind in a tumult of excitement over the knowl- edge that he held the paper that pointed the way to the cache of gold, the existence of which now appeared to be positively assured, he hurried into the job-room of the Record office. We venture to say that he thought more about the buried gold than he did about the work he was engaged on, with the result that he made a number of blun- ders which got upon the foreman’s nerves. “What’s the matter with you this afternoon, Hooker?” growled Buckley, when Joe handed him the stone proof of a four-page cover he had lock- ed up for a quarto-medium jobber, and the fore- man saw that the first page was imposed where the fourth pare should have been. “Nothing, sir,” replied Joe. “What’s the trou- ble? Anything the matter with that job?” ~ “Oh, no, there’s nothing at all the matter with it,” said Buckley sarcastically. “Look at it.” Joe looked the proof over and saw where the trouble was. . 2 “T don’t see how I came to do that,” he said. “You must have been dreaming about that pret- ty girl who called on you last week. Just fix that over and charge the time to distribution. This is the fourth mistake you’ve made this aft- ernoon—more than you’ve made in two months. Aren’t you well?” “I’m all right. The trouble is, I’ve got some- thing on my mind and I can’t help thinking abovt it. “Something os eh?” : “No, it’s something quite the opposite.” The foreman stared at him. “Well, get busy,” he said, walking to his desk. Joe fixed the form and carried another proof to the foreman, who, after looking it over, hand- ed it to the proof-reader for final revision. The foreman ed Joe a card to set up, the first line of which re, Joe f read ( Sto handed the proof to the reader, the first line read “The Cache of Gold.” _~ The reader corrected the job and brought it to the boy. : 2 “What were you thinking about when et that first lime, Hooker?” he said. “Been Saaitie a dime novel at dinner hour?” plied Joe, when he noted his bl A LAD OF IRON NERVE “Read it when we get home, and then you'll see.” “Can't you tell me about it? It’ll save time.” “I'd rather you’d read it first.” , “Cache of Gold—did somebody find a treas- ure? “Never mind. You read the story.” : “T will, bet your boots. It must be something <eusnet for you to put it to me this way,” said om. No sooner had the boys reached their cottage : home than Tom pulled his copy of the Record — from his pocket. “What page is the story on?” he asked, “The first,” replied Joe, as he started to change — his clothes. Tom found it right away and began to read it. — Before he got half through it he began to see what it referred to. “Say, that must be the cache you've got the paper about,” he said. “Tt is,” said Joe. “Some chap found it, I suppose, and that’s how the St. Louis newspaper got hold of the story.” — “You read on and you'll see.” Tom read on to the end. “According to this, the gold is there yet, be- _ cause nobody could find it without the paper you discovered in the prospector’s house,” he said. “If I were you, I’d take that paper-and-go and — search for it.” ; | “That’s just what I intend to do. There seems — to be a fortune awaiting the discoverer of the — eache. I ought to stand the best show of finding — it, as I have a line on its locality, and full direc- tions to pick the exact spot out when I get on the ground.” : “That’s right,” nodded Tom. think of starting on the job?” nes away, and I want you to go with me.” “ e ” “Sure. I don’t care to go alone, and I wouldn’t™ want to take any stranger with me, for he’d want half, probably, and then might do me up to get the whole.» Now if you will go, I'll give you a. third of the treasure if we find it.” “A third! Gee!” “Will you go?” é", “Like a bird. I’m sick of feeding presses.” — “All right. We'll throw up our jobs on Satur- “When do 70m ‘ a ee eer 6k ee ‘day, and start Monday.” CHAPTER IX.—Planning Their Trip. “Madge will be surprised Sunday night when I tell her that we’re going to leave town,” said Joe, after supper. atts On wen ee a Fihg Bg : Jet “oO es, she will; for if we find the gold TI’ stand a better show with the captain.” s 12 “We'll be swell guys then. No more typestick- ing or pressfeeding for us. We can open a bank.” ‘ 5 ing oe “You can open a bank if you want to, and loan . money without security to tramp printers, but — out on bonds and mortgages.” rae “And marry Miss Mason, I suppose,” grinned I’m going to be a capitalist, and loan my money ‘Tom.

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE “I wouldn’t mind if the captain let me, but I lon’t imagine he will, even if I was worth.a mil- lion. He anes to her getting married at all till he hops the twig.” “I’m glad Kittie hasn’t any strings on her. If I come back with og or sixty thousand, all I'll have to do will be to hold up my finger and she'll become Mrs. Tom Bland right off the reel.” A knock at the door interrupted them. “Here is a note for you from Miss Mason, Joe. “Come in,” said Joe. ag lady of the house opened the door and Said: “A boy just left it.” Bee “Thank you, Mrs. Foster,” said Joe, taking it. He tore the envelope open and began to read The news it contained rather jiggered him. “Tl be ji !” he exclaimed. _ “What's the matter?” asked Tom. “Captain Peck is going on a trip to see an old . friend, and he intends to take Madge and Kittie With him.” “The dickens!” exclaimed Tom, much aston- ished. 3 “They'll be gone may be a month. Madge says "re going right away, and that she will call at the office and see me to-morrow for a few ' “This is sudden.” “I should say so. Madge hopes we won't be me while she and Kittie are away.” “I don’t think we will, if we’re going to start after that treasure on Monday.” “That will be a little surprise I'll have to on her to-morrow when she calls at the fe: “One good turn deserves another,” grinned Tom. considerable.” . Pata hone WW h and wagon, I imagine, ce anes carry us to the rain, and we'll load the gold on that.” “Maybe we wouldn't be able to get throug Te woods with it,” said Tom. “The paper sa got oon « wood before we get to the _- “That’ guess it will be safer to hire a x3 me kien ee mules, with an extra one to Pp €ailed at the office next isn’t it just prov day. » _ting time. that Pve got to go with - 13 my uncle on that trip?” she said, when Joe came out from the job-room. “It will be a nice trip for you. kicking about?” replied Joe. “Why, aren’t you sorry to lose me?” she said, with a pout. “Sure, I am, but seeing as Tom and I are go- ing on a trip ourselves, we’d have to part for a while, anyway.” “Why, where are you two going?” asked the girl, in surprise. “We're going on a hunting expedition.” “Hunting expedition—in summer?” “Surest thing you know.” “What can you hunt at this’ season of the year?” “Some people hunt for jobs at this season be- cause work is so dull, but that isn’t what we're going after.” “What, then?” “Do you know what a cache is?” “Gash is money, of course.” “I don’t mean that kind of cash, though the one we’re after has money in it. I mean a c-a-c-h-e,” said Joe, spelling the word. “Gener- ally speaking, a hole in the ground or place for hiding provisions and keeping them fresh, Old- time hunters and Arctic explorers adopted it for the purpose named. The cache Tom and I are going to look for is a buried treasure.”- “How foolish! Where do you expect to find such a thing?” : : “You leave that to us. Re got a dead line om “I don’t believe you’re going away,” said . “You're just trying te fool me.” “All. right, then we'll say no more about it When do you start on your trip?” . “Saturday morning.” Ec “Where are you going?” -“Somewhere out in the western part of this State, near a small town called Plunketville.” -“Plunketville!” exclaimed Joe. What are you it. “Qh, nothing,” said Joe; recovering himself and i of the surprise he and Tom would treat the girls to if they met out there. “You're go- ing to take Kittie with you?” “ a for company, and because a maid is use ‘ul. “Your uncle is going to visit an old friend of his, I think you wrote me?” __ ; “Yes. He’s fot a ranch about twenty miles from Plunketville.” “You'll have all the horseback riding you want out there.” “Yes, that’s the delightful part of it.” “Well, good-by, Madge. I've got to get back to work. Sorry I can’t give you a kiss, but it will keep till we meet again.” ; ““Haven’t you got a.cheek!” blushed the girl. Joe lau and “rg Sg hands and_ parted. _ “What do you think, Tom,” said Joe, as he and his friend were washing up at the trough at quif- “Madge and Kittie are going to a ranch near Plunketville.” : “Get out! You don’t mean it.” _ “That's what ‘Madge told me to-day when she.

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u called to say good-by. Wouldn’t it be great if we met them out there?” “What’s to prevent us ealling on them? Whose = ranch is it?” “I didn’t think to ask her.” “Then you ought to be kicked., However, I 38 We will be able to find out. They t astonished to see us; of course not. Did you tell Miss Mason that we were going on a trip, too?” “I did, but she didn’t take me seriously.” “So much the better. We'll give the girls a surprise.” . On Saturday when the foreman handed the boys their pay envelopes they astonished him by t saying tha ey were going off for a week or onger. : “How do you know I can spare you?” said Buckley to J oe. “I’m afraid you'll have to, as the trip is an im- portant one for me.” : “Is Bland going with you?” “He is.” “Well, don’t stay longer than a week.” “I can’t guarantee that. It will depend on circumstances.” back a week from M y.” : ~~ ~~ Joe and Tom spent the afternoon making their final preparations for their trip, and on Monday morning they took’a train that would land them at Plunk ille. CHAPTER X.—The Boys Meet Madge. The boys reached Plunketville Monday night and ut up.at the cheaper of the two hotels. They were in time to get supper, and after eat- “ ing it they sallied forth to look the town over. vo It had expanded considerably since the French- man who made the cache of his gold died there. standing in lonesome | on the banks o ‘the muddy Missouri, and having little communi- cation with the rest of the world. Now it was a i town, with two , a semi-weekly Saaleatacphicn ior aponien ot th ware store, no of numerous other impro t vi ~ towns had = sprung near it, and a trunk had a 2 small station on the or . any round Si about which had been a wilderness in the French- J man’s time was now cut up into farms and ad = country as a ole was now well ese facts learned from the ane re of ‘the hotel. “There’s an old ruin, isn’t there, about thirty west” said Jon . “Yes,” said the landlord. “It it re- sa "mains of a church and other bulldlitee crested ty settled inthe State, which was not a State, or even a part of Y Lo. : ; ee ec Pe ~ < = .- _. 8 . ie ne - ee, _ journey, h following morning they secured a Pa xe ae _ = nn be as F- Leones Et SR LG Oe Fastin paieay Cuesta s eee “A LAD OF .IRON NERVE but just an untrodden ‘wilderness, for the pur- pose of converting the Indian nation which lived within the precinct of what is now Missouri: The venture was probably not a great success. At any rate, the ruins have been therefor sixty or more years.” : “Who does the property belong to now?” “The Catholic Church claims it. It includes several square miles, covering the whole of a large wood on this side of the ruins, and a mile of woods beyond it. It is the one patch of wil- derness in the State.” “It’s a wonder it hasn’t been sold to settlers.” “The Church is at loggerheads with the Stats over the title. Time and again the matter has been brought up in the courts, but no settlement has ever been reached. A year or two the Legislature took up the matter and it in favor of the Chi which has a big influence ia litics, but the Governor vetoed the bill, whieh eft matters as they were before. It is said that the difficulty is going to be compromised so that the land can be sold to farmers.” “We would like to go to those ruins. What is the easiest way of getting there?” asked Joe. — “The easiest way would be for you to go to Chester Village, twelve miles from here, and from by another road to Blackville, ten miles further on. From there a road » will take you to the wood, where it b off.” that A_ bridle path goes will bring you close to the ruins. It’s a fair day’s — have to camp out there or ride back to lackville after a short stay, and you couldn’t make the vill till after da’ The better way is to stop at B ackville over night and start from tion a good one and de- it. ext mo he and Tom hired. two le horses, the one to be se- Blackvill from the ruins. e fact Joe thought the su cided to ado had ity of tnety eee es any with them except for the last ang = of carry them over in case they found the cache. The boys had s with a small revolver each before leaving Corinth, but it seemed doubtful now if they would need any such qecterten. Wita i E E the guns very useful. 2 ‘The boys left Plunketville about ten next morn- ing and reached Chester Picgt affer noon. They pat up for the night at the village ; horse and. a pair of panniers, Providing themselves with a 4 , 73

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE 15 ~ stock of ham and tongue sandwiches, two pies -. and a half dozen bottles of soda water, they started for the woods, which they could see in the distance. . The road was good and they went along at a swinging gait. They had covered half the distance to the wood when from a branch road a girl dashed toward them on horseback. ; ie wore a rough-and-ready costume, the skirt being of ordinary length, and a kind of cowboy _ hat -with a turkey feather in it. She could cer- tainly ride like a house afire. She rapidly over- _ hauled the boys. - “By George!” exclaimed Joe. “If that isn’t Madge!” “Hanged if it isn’t,” said Tom. — They reined in and waited for her to come up. When she got near she recognized them, and ut- tered a little scream of surprise. “Why, boys,” she cried, “what brings you _ here?” '. “Didn’t I tell you we were going on a hunting expedition?” said Joe. “T thought you were fooling,” she said. “I’m awfully glad to see you both. Kittie will have a fit when = learns you are here. Where are you “We're not stopping anywhere,” replied Joe. _ “We've been on the move ever since we left ~ Corinth.” : “Where are you bound for now?” “For an old deserted fuin on the other side of the wood yonder, about seven miles from here.” ~ “Do you mean the church-ruin? Mr. Morgan, at whose ranch we are visiting, was telling us about it last night. 1 should love to go there. ~- Won’t you take me with you?” “T should be glad to do so, but we don’t expect to come back t away.” “You mean that you’re going further on?” “No. We are going to do our hunting there, _ and there is no telling how long it will take us to find what we’re after.” _ “Why, what are you going to hunt for?” “T told you at the office that we were going to look for a cache.” “So you did, but I thought you were talking aye »— “No, there’s no nonsense about it. We expect to find a baried treasure. Didn’t you see that story in the Record about the Cache of Gold?” “Yes, yes. It referred to the man who built house we are occupying at Corinth.” -_ “Exactly; and it spoke about a paper that gave _ the clue to it.” ; _ . “You remember the paper I found the night I hung outside the wall?” oe ee ee “side ta Wis eels, gad e 's it. It was hidden in the wall, and the - thunderbolt dislodged it from its hiding-place.” chareoal burners living in it, and they might hold you up.” “They wouldn’t attack a girl like me,” said Madge. “T wouldn’t trust them, for I dare say they are rough men. If you insist on going with us, we'll take you, but we’ll see you through the wood if we fail to find the cache within a reasonable time.” The matter being arranged, the three rode for- ward in high spirits. Madge told them about Mr. Morgan’s ranch, which was of considerable ex- tent. - ‘ “Tf Kittie was able to ride, I’d have had her with me,” she said. “When you don’t turn up for dinner, what will your uncle do?” asked Joe. “He will think some good-looking fellow has run off with you.” “What nonsense! He'll think I’ve lost my way, and will get Mr. Morgan to send one of his men after me.” “That won’t do a whole lot of , for he won’t have any idea where you really are. He’d never think you went into the woods.” “Never mind, I’m bound to get back to the ranch some time,” said Madge. . By this time they reached the edge of the woods where the road branched off. path the boys had been told about was plain enough, and taking it, they rode into the big stretch of woods which had been there for hun- dreds of years. It proved to bea perfect wil- derness of trees, two or three miles across, the sunlight penetrated it only in spots. Not a sound, other than that made by the feet of the four horses, broke the stillness of the place. Not a bird fluttered from branch to branch, nor an insect hummed in the warm summer air. Aside from the charcoal burners, whose proxim- ity they had no knowledge of, there appeared to be no life, other than themselves, in that great wood. There was hardly any verdure on the ground, which, excepting the path, was thickly covered with dry leaves. The gloom and the si- lence somewhat affected the spirits of the young people. “J don’t think I’d care to pass through this lace alone, after all,” said the girl. “It’s ‘too Seana: I’d imagine there was a tramp hid- den behind every tree.” ; - : “You. needn’t be afraid while we're with you. Tom and I each have a revolver,” said Joe reas- suringly. - / “You might need them to protect the gold if you find it,” said Madge. “That’s why we bought them in Corinth before we set out.” ‘ They passed through several clearings on their way, in one of which stood the remains of a de- serted hut. At length they came to a spot where another path, eg had been following, rae it. They came to a halt while the boys deliberated as to which they ought to take. It was impossible to solve the problem, so Joe tossed a penny. “Heads, we'll go to the right; tails, to the left,” he said. : The coin turned.up heads, and to the right they went. Fifteen minutes later they rode into a s half a dozen kilns considerable clearing where ie bridle. ually as clear as the one they - - ¢ a ee ‘a je

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fr & young people depart. companion gone bly cabling, notes. of 16 were smoldering in charge of a dark-featured, hang-dog-looking man. CHAPTER XI.—Captured by Masked Men. The charcoal burner eyed the three young peo- ple curiously. He did not offer to approach them, however. Joe decided to ask him for informa- tion. “Say, mister, where does this path lead to?” he inquired. : att — further into the woods,” replied the man grimly. 7 “Then ae can’t reach the old church ruin by following it?” 2 “Is that where you’re bound?” “Yes.” “You should have kept to the main path, then.” “We didn’t see any difference between this and - the age all aS : : e man made no y- s : “We'll have to ines back,” said Joe, guiding his horse around, : The other two followed his example. = “So you are goin’ to the church ruin, are you: said the charcoal burner. “We are,” rod gna eee bs: t do you ex see there? * “Worve caer a good deal about the ruins so me over to see them.” weWhat have you got that other hoss for?” “We're carrying our lunch on that.” : : “Qh, you are?” said the man, scratching his stubby chin and eyeing the pick and spade at- tached to the animal. “Got any whisky in them panniers ?” “No,” replied Joe. aren't you?” Y = like it, sonny, doesn’t it?” : “How many charcoal burners are there in these woods?” i “Thar might be more or less,” replied the man, with a solemn wi ae The fellow’s ruamet indicated that he didn’t feel like statin ; : ie Leng these fires burning all the time?” “J reckon, except when they’re out.” \ “You send your charcoa) to Plunketville, I sup- +72 The man nodded. — ae get on,” said ' fe ’s a quarter, mis Jos, Soheing the san the coin. > A Pg ag ee iit i ; then e gee The boys and their fair a yards “You’re a charcoal burner, ? for setting us right,” the . “What’s that?” ejaculated Tom. : “A whistle. The fellow we just left made it, “T hope we’re not going to be molested.” “Why ¢ should we be?” “That ‘i may find them at the ruins waiting for us.” when 4 LAD OF IRON NERVE -“Oh, I guess not, [ don’t think they’d dare attack us, for when we got back to the village we could make trouble for them. It wouldn’t pay them to have their business interfered with or broken up.” They rode forward at a quick pace and by and by reached the junction of the two paths. “They took the other one, and in the course of minutes came out of the wood into a the size of a city block, ——- covered with brush and tangled vegetation, with a solitary trea here and there. “That looks like the ruins yonder,” said Joe, pointing straight ahead. ; “I guess you’re right,” said Tom; “but from here it doesn’t seem to amount to much.” : They dashed forward and soon halted close to the onl opening the straggling wall had in sight. _ “We'll tie the horses here, and then we'll go in through that doorway. It is the one mentioned in the paper,” said Joe. The three horses were tethered to a tree and then they entered the ruin. There was very lit- tle of the original structure left. The stones la about in all directions, singly and in piles, L the rest of the space, which had once been the interior of the building, was thickly obstructed with tall and grass “I’m afraid we're —e © have something of a job making out the marks that we need to take the measurements,” said Joe. “There’s the tree which is the first one, and the point from which we must start. You’ve got the tape measure, Tom, get it out. Here is the pocket compass, which the man [ bought it from guaranteed to work as exactly as a large’ instrument, Fetch that stone yonder while I beat.down this grass.” Tom brought the fiat stone and drop it at. the foot of the tree on the spot indica’ by Joe. Little Joe laid the compass on it. “Here, take the end of the tape and walk slow- ly off in that direction,” said Joe, pointing. Tom obeyed orders. “Halt!” cried Joe. “Do you see a stake near you? Look down in the grass. It may only be a few inches above the ground.” . Tom looked around, pushing the grass aside, _ didn’t seem to find what was supposed to be ere. eS “Hold“the tape here, will you, Madge, while [ go and help Tom?” said Joe. ne gitl, willing to make herself useful, took the boy’s place Joe hurried forward to whera his friend was engaged. “Don’t seem to be any stake here,” said Tom. ‘Joe pulled the grass up in chunks and tossed it aside, and crawled around on the over the space of a couple of square s. It began to look as if ‘they were stumped at the start, when Joe found the stake. It was almost rotted away. However, that didn’t matter since they had found it, and proved to some extent that the directions on the eo foundation in fact. Having ac- complished the first lap, the second was to find another stake in another point of the compass. Another flat stone was procured and be- side the rotten stake, and Tom sta: ahead ‘again with the end of the ‘tape. When Joe stop- ped him, he began the search for’ the second stake, and presently found it, and in much better

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE 17 ‘ _ ondition than the other. The third measurement was taken to a third stake, and that led them slap against a wall. The directions said follow wall to door on right and then measure to fourth 1 ke. 2 and get the spade, Tom, and we'll soon see if the gold is‘still there. At any rate, the ound doesn’t look as if it had been disturbed spot savers the digging an stop! and stared at the sight that Sy 3 agen hly attired men, in their faces, with “inside doorway, with the bag of gold Ba nag rou ; _ unexpectedly treated to quite staggered them. _ Joe appeared at the entrance, flushed and ex- cited, “Something is up!” exclaimed Tom. surely - The boy struggled desperately. Finding escape _itnpossible, he flung the bag of gold toward Tom and Madge. CHAPTER XII.—Our Friends Nearly Escape. ‘time for that money without: success. downed one of the rascals with his spade, but the other fellow jumped in and laid hold of him. He put up such a fight that the leader of the bunch ,ordered two more of the masked rascals to take a hand in the capture, and in a minute or two Tom was helpless in the grip of two, while a third took Madge by the arm. The-bag of gold lay unnoticed on the ground, having been forgot- ten in the fight. Tom and Madge were marched inside the ruins and taken into the inner of it, where they found Little Joe guard couple of men, while a third one was tying his hands behind his back. Tom was treated in the Same way, and then the three were lined up be- fore the man who appeared to be the leader of the pane: ‘ - “What brings you people to these ruins?” he demanded roughly. igi our business,” replied Little Joe defi- antly. “It’s our business, too, for we are the boss of We've been watching you since you came, and the measurements have en clearly show that you have a clue to the French- man’s gold. in fact, you have the long-missing paper which shows the exact spot in which it is buried. That paper I now have, and we will take - care to make use of it. We have hunted me “ e not think it was in such an open spot. At last, thanks to your coming, we shall be successful.” “Who are you chaps, anyway? You have no right to the contents of the cache. It belongs to me. If you rob me of the money, I'll see that you are hunted down and put in jail,” said Jom. “We shall take care to keep you close prison- ers until we have secured the gold and are out- side of the State with it. Then it will matter little to us what you may do. We are masked, as you see, and consequently it will be impossible . for you ever to eee one of us, ‘even if we were followed and caught, which is not likely to happen. We will let you have the pleasure of witnessing the digging up of the gold,” said the leader. He consulted the paper, and then gave orders for two of the men to fetch spades and dig at the indicated spot. The digging began at once, and the two rascals who took hold of the job made the dirt fly. At the end of fifteen minutes they were relieved by two others, and so the work went on.with unflagging zeal and good speed.’ The chief watched the work with eyes that spar- kled through his mask. The required depth was reached hut with no results. “Keep on,” he cried impatiently. $ Four feet downward was excavated and yet there was no sign of the buried gold. The leader then ordered the hole to be enlarged. This was done, but the result was the same. “Dig a trench up to that stake,” he ordered. The trench was dug to the depth of over four . feet, yet nothing turned up. “Blame it! t does this mean? Can it be that the prospector carried away all of the gold?” he cried. “Yet that cannot be, for he came back for more. Some mistake has been made in the measurements.” The leader picked up the tape measure used by Joe and Tom and, taking one of the men outside with him, began the measuring all over again,

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18 following the paper directions carefully. Joe, and incidentally Tom as well, were surprised that the rascally bunch failed to find the cache at the indicated spot. Apparently, had they not been interfered with, they would have vhad a lot of trouble without finding the object of their search. Joe began to think now that the prospector had got away with all the money. And yet if he had, why should he return to the ruins, as he evident- ly was doing at the time he was captured by what seemed to be the same gang as now held the upper hand of the young treasure seekers? That was something which could not be explained. The results of the leader’s measurements tal- lied with that made by the boys. The hole was still further enlarged, but with ‘no success. “I’m mighty glad that you fellows have done all that digging and saved us a lot of Sate vag are ing work,” said Joe. “We both seém to be left on the treasure, and it’s some satisfaction to know that we’re not the only disappointed ones.” The leader glared at the boy. “Take them to the vault and tie them to the rings in the walls,” he ordered, fiercely. The young people were walked into another section of the ruins, a trap door was opened and they were forced down a flight of stone steps into a gloomy underground room lighted by a lantern standing on a stone block. e roof was sup- ported by pillars of some thickness. An iron ring was imbedded in several of them, for what pur- pose it was impossible to say, but possibly the missionaries who built the church found it neces- sary to imprison one or more Indians at times. Joe, Tom and Madge were tied each to a ring and left to their own reflections, which were not at all pleasant, as the reader will agree. “This is mighty rough on us,” said Little Joe, “and particularly on you, Madge. It is too bad that you insisted on coming with us.” - “Well, we've got the revolvers yet, for they didn’t search us,” said Tom. “What good are og to us in our present shape? Say, Madge, they didn’t tie you very tight. See if you can’t free yourself from that ring. If you ean do it you could set us free, for I’ve a knife-in my pocket with which you could cut the cords,” said Joe. Madge, who was keeping up bravely under the serious cireumstances she found herself in, start- ed to make an effort. She had not more than be- n before the trap was lifted and a couple of e masked men came down. They brought a = apiece forward, and seated themselves on _ either side of the stone block. One of them pro- duced a pack of cards and they engaged in a game of poker. They played for the best part of _ an hour, and then they were u the leader. Gnce aia die aallaw an the.gicl to ory ‘and free herself. “T sup] those chaps got that bag of gold I tossed to you?” said Joe to Tom. : : “T couldn’t tell you; but where did you find 4t?” asked his friend. nee ~ Joe lained how he got ‘of it. “There, must be four or five thousand dollars of ten dollar gold pieces. Since we’ve missed the treasure t would come in very for us; but I s it’s lost to us now.” ‘ow are you coming out, Madge?” asked Joe. A LAD OF IRON NERVE “Not very well,” she replidd. “The knot won’t come untied.” “Keep at it. Everything depends on you.” 5 The boys talked while Madge worked at the not. “It’s beginning to give,” she said at last. In a little while Madge triumphed over the knot, and freed herself from the ring. “Now, then, put your hand in my right pocket and you'll find my knife,” said Joe. It only took the girl a moment to pull out the knife, With it she speedily cut the boys free, not only from the rings but from the bonds which held their hands behind them. “Now, how are we going to escape from this place?” asked Tom. “Through the trap, of course,” said Joe. - He led the way up the steps, but just as he raised his arm to push up the trap it was opened » his face and a masked man started to come own. - CHAPTER XIII.—The Explosion. The fellow saw the prisoners who had freed themselves and uttered a shout. Then he drew a revolver, but before he could point it at the boy Joe fired at him. He staggered back and fell into the grass. The man’s shouts, coupled with the report of the revolver, brought a bunch of the men to the spot and Joe saw that it would be im- pererd for them to make their eseape, so he acked down the steps, and with Tom, prepared to keep the ruffians at bay. The -rascals were surprised to find the boys armed, and blamed their stupidity in not search- ing them. They slammed the trap-door down and rolled a stone on it. “What are we going to do now?” asked Tom. “Look around and see if there’s any other way out,” said Joe. They discovered a tunnel leading off some- where and Joe, who felt it necessary to watch the trap-door, told Tom to investigate it. Tom did so, but had not proceeded far into it before he heard voices of men approaching and he judged _that the rascals intended to attack them that way. He ran back and warned Joe. Joe seized the lamp to place it where its light would-shine on opening of. the tunnel. As he did so he saw a small barrel standing against the wall marked “Powder—dangerous.” To lay hold of it and roll it toward the en- trance of the tunnel was the work of a moment. Joe, with his iron nerve, battered the head in with the butt of his revolver. Then he rolled the keg into the tunnel and hastily laid a train from it into the yault. Not hearing any further sounds - ~ from the rascals, Joe crept forward to investi- . He ran against one of the men who was in advance. The fellow grabbed Joe, but the boy managed to wriggle free. He darted back into the vault, struck a match and ignited the - powder train. _ The fire darted along the ground like a sputter- ing serpent. Before the rascals could surmise what was coming a tremendous explosion shook the ruins and the earth around it. The whole bunch were blown out of existence, and the — » @. . ¢

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A LAD OF IRON NERVE young people in the vault stunned into uncon- sciousness. The tunnel was completely blocked up with fallen earth and stones, and a great hole was made in the ground above. Only four cf the gang had been sent in through the tunnel to capture the girl and the two boys. The rest, with the eater, were in the open air. The ex- plosion took them by surprise, and they were thrown into a kind of panic. The leader, how- ever, remembered about the keg of powder which had been stowed away in the vault, and he be- lieved that in some way thet had exploded. Cail- ing one of his companicne he yan to the trap door and threw it oper. The and smoke of burnt powder came rolizg cut. “I don’t understand this,” he said to his men, who had come up and were gathered around the trap-door. “That was evidently the powder ker that went off. But why sh it blow a hole yonder instead of in the vaul# where it was stan 2? The whole roof of the vault ought natu ~ y to have fallen in, instead of whicn it to be injured: at all. That hole is in the tunnel.” _ The men stared at him but said nothing, while they watched the ing smoke as it rose out of a trap. They waited till the worst of the had.dispersed and then the leader, ac- companied by several of his men, went down. They found the two s and the girl stretched out just as they had fallen. ~ one of the rascals. Son leaticn exanstand supposed corpses but und that acd were not dead by a good deal. ordered to be removed to the outer air, carried up into the afternoon sun- laid on the The leader then examination the vault and ‘tunnel. It itself a red to have suffered no ar injury. Phe leader saw that the pow- moved from the place where it placed in the tunnel. As his dn’t do that, he judged that the prison- it in a desperate attempt to open a route to freedom. While the young peo- pie lay unconscious in the open air one of the rascals took possession of the revolvers on the boys, and also the $100 that Little Joe had on his person. Joe looked as if he had caught the worst of the explosion, for his face was much black- ened by powder smoke, and so the leader guessed he was the one who set the powder off. “That chap must have an iron nerve to do such “ ue cee z é Poke ss i ae ad a thing,” the leader, as he looked at Joe. “And he’s a little fellow, too. I. don’t see how he esca! at all. The other two were pr at the extreme back of the vault, and shocked so much. If we hadn’t been on trap and let the powder fumes ‘three would have been suffocat- were no <3 A he lapse hour Tom and Madge we tee —— ae found themselves sur- .. The leader questioned Tom but little satisfaction Rally admitted that Joe had into the tunnel when they ge ee yault through the ial into means of a train _vault. He said - 19 he remembered nothing except seeing a bright flash and feeling as if he had been hurled into space. The men were hungry, having missed their dinners, and so the chief ordered Joe to ba carried down into the vault and left there. Madge and Tom were ordered to go down themselves. Tom walked down much against his will, but there was no help for it, and Madge followed him. The trap was closed upon them and a heavy stone placed upon it. Satisfied that their prison- ers were secure the gang removed their masks, hid them in a certain spot, and then started for the woods. ' CHAPTER XIV.—Little Joe’s Big Bonanza. Madge was much concerned over Little Joe. His continued unconsciousness alarmed her, and she was afraid he might die without regaining his senses. Tom looked around, and found a jar _ of water with a cup in a corner. He also found “part of a bottle of whisky. Madge bathed. Joe’s face with the water, and Tom poured some of the whisky down his throat. Their ministrations proved efficacious, and Joe opened his eyes and saw Madge bending over him. : . “How do feel, Joe?” she asked anxiously. “Feel! at’s the matter with me?” . “Why, don’t you remember about tthe explo- _ sion?” asked Tom. “What explosion?” : “The keg of powder you set off in the tunnel.” “So, the explosion knocked me out, eh?” “Yes, and it knocked Madge and me silly, too,” said Tom. ° “Did it?” “Yes. When we came to we found ourselves out in the open air, and you lying on the grass beside us.” “How did we get there?” “Those rascals came down here after the ‘ex- plosion and carried us out.” “They did; but we’re in the vault now.” “They put us back here.” “Well, they seem to have us dead to rights, and blowing up the tunnel didn’t do us an Some of those rascals must have been killed or badly hurt,” said Joe. . “Four of them are buried in the dirt of the tunnel.” : , “By George!” exclaimed Joe, feeling in his pockets, “those rascals have got away with our money, Tom. That puts us in a hole.” “Tl get my uncle to lend you enough money to take you back to Corinth,” said Madge. “{ wonder what they’re doing now.” “Heard them talking about being hungry. And .™ that reminds me that I’m hungry as thunder.” “So am I, and Madge must be also. None of us has had anything to eat since breakfast, That ee .. we bepeeet oo noe ol would mighty good now. suppose t gang has got aa we it all.”~ : Tom. and i They didn’t=have far to go before they found -evidences of the blow up. himself near the of the tunnel, as close to the roof as he could go, and spreading his legs apart. throwing the loose dirt between them, the stuff falling behind him in a shower, ge followed him into the tunnel, (§ — ttle Joe planked ”

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20 A LAD OF Suddenly a part of the wall gave way beside him, and buried him up to the middle,-and a heavy round object rolled out in front of him. Joe pushed it away, thinking it was a stone, and it rolled down in front of Madge, who saw it was a bag full of something. Madge stooped and picked it up. “My, but it’s heavy. Joe, look, this is a bag of money,” she said. Madge reached it to him. He held it in the hole from which the earth had caved, and there he beheld a score of similar bags stacked up in the excavation. “Hurrah! The cache of gold at last. found a big bonanza!” he cried, exultantly. I've CHAPTER XV.—Conclusion. Tom clambered beside him to take a look. He speedily saw that Joe had made no mistake about it—the gold was there. It took about fifteen minutes to free Little Joe. “We must cover the bags up till we get out,” faid Joe. “Hand up the one you have, Madge.” He replaced it in the spot from which it had failen, but in doing so he dislodged more dirt and another cave-in took place higher up, dis- closing the light of day. e second dirt slide nearly hid the bags of gold. “We'll be out of “There’s a hole,”. cried Joe. , this prison in fifteen minutes.” He began clearing the dirt away as fast as he could work, and soon widened the opening so that he could thrust his head ~? through it. Not s# soul was in sight. He pulled himself out. “Wait down there, you folks, til] I investigate “the situation,” he said. He walked into the third section where the trap-door was, rolled the stone off it and opened it. Then he shouted for Tom and Madge to come up that way. They lost no time in doing so. Joe led the way into the second section where the i had been done in vain for the treasure, and from there into the first one where the outer door was. . Looking out they saw no one in Bi 7 “The ght. TRON NERVE from the cache of gold—Little Joe’s big bonanza —in their possession. Every moment while they were in the woods passed in a fever of apprehension lest they might encounter the masked ruffians. Nothing like that shappened, and in due time they issued from the woods on to the road and with a feeling of in- tense relief turned their faces toward Blackville. “I guess we’re pretty safe now,” said Joe. “Yes. I’m willing to gamble on that,” replied Tom. “We'll stop at the inn to-night and go to Plunketville in the morning,” said Joe. “Why not come with me to Mr. Morgan’s ranch?” said Madge. “I'll guarantee you will be welcomed. He will furnish you with better means for carrying the money to Planketville.” “All right,” said Joe. “We'll go. With so much money in our possession J dare say we would be welcome anywhere.” So when they reached the branch road, where they met Madge that morning, they turned into it, and after a ride of a little over a mile reached the ranch. Madge’s all day absence had thrown Captain Peck into a fever of anxiety. Captain Peck rushed over and grabbed his niece in his arms, asking her where she\had been so long. “I’ve been with Joe Hooker and-Tom Bland,” she replied. _Then the captain took notice of the boys and his surprise was complete, Kittie was tickled to death to see Tom, and the feeling was reciprocat- ed. The boys were introduced to the ranch own- er, and he extended the hospitality of the ranch to them. When they showed the twenty-five bags of gold coin, the contents of the cache of gold, which everybody in that vicinity had heard about, both the ranch owner and Captain Peck were paralyzed with astonishment. Joe told the story of their strenuous experi- ence with the masked band, and all agreed that - the adventure was a rough one, though it had turned out most satisfactory in the end. The cap- tain thought that Joe had taken the most desper- ate kind of chances in exploding the keg of gun- powder in such a and said it was a-mira- cle they had not three lost their lives. The boys remained several days at the ranch, having ~ a good time with the girls, and then Mr. Morgan took them and the treasure to Plunketville in his . light wagon. The money had been box by express to Corinth, and train that carried it also took the boys, too, so that both reached ready to be shipped | the town at the same time. The money was de-. posited in the head bank and after it was counted the cashier paid Joe over the sum of $125,000 in bills. One-third of that Joe presented to his friend Tom, according to his agreement. Neither of the boys returned to the job room of the Record office, but under the guidance of Captain Peck loaned their money on bond and ss Big with a part of their capital went into s together. Eventually Joe married Madge and fom made Kittie his wife, and both became successful business men on the fruits of little Joe’s big bonanza. Cen ee “Next week’s issue will contain “TOO LUCK TO LOSE OR, A BOY WITH A WINNIN ~ . -

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY CURRENT NEWS SHE DID NOT SPIT OUT MOTH BALLS ; Fearing she might be arrested for spitting on 3 the street, Mrs. Agnes Gibson of Kalamazoo, S Mich., walked all the way home, suffering great pain, with moth balls, which she had mistakenly urchased for candy, in her mouth. The woman eceme violently ill from the poison she had swallowed, but physicians announced she will re- cover. NEGRO WOMAN MADE RICH BY FINDING OF OLD DEED To be raised from comparative poverty to sud- den wealth is the experience of Mrs. Mary A. Barney, colored, of No. 3 Jaggar avenue, Flush- ing, N. Y. She has just obtained possession of valuable property through the discovery of a deed dated Nov. 21, 1848, which had been mis- eee ney’s _ Sree of the disa rance a the deed at the time, the ownership or tal acres of it rs. Barne L : ee perty at O Bay overlooking the Sound. The present valuation of run well into five figures ‘A LIZARD AS BIG AS A - A very interesting of Africa, sometimes called which grows to a length of = Its appearance is that of a slender! aie ve i fal tail “hich pene = a weapon °S its i}, which it u pon. 3 Wik * Sigs of his tail it will instantly kill a full-grown chicken, and it occasionally strikes a human being: tile is an inveterate chick- CROCODILE the giant lizard the monitor lizard, This rep ; en thief, and has a method of waylaying fowls in the woods and grass. where they always manage to get a little more than their share. | With such hon vivant habits, the flesh of this lizard is na- © turally very good eating, and I myself have par- -- taken of it-—R. L. Garner, in the Century Maga- - zine. a an es HONOR FOR A DOG A silver collar for “Hero,” the dog which made “possible the rescue of 92 survivors of a ship “wrecked off the Newfoundland coast last De- - cember, was sent recently by the staff of The ‘Starry Cross, the o of a number of humane societies of Buitadelphia, Pa. The collar.will be on exhibit in the town hall of Bonne Bay, New- - foundland, the home of Reuben Decker, “Hero’s . he presentation will be made by Rev. a missionary, who certified the ae 1919, in the heavy sea. Efforts to > shore failed, and no boat nor f Make headway in the raging sea. The shore was ——— ~ a lined with residents of Bonne Bay, who realized their helplessness. As night grew near, Mr. Decker summoned his dog and ordered him to take a rope in his mouth and swim to the wrecked ship to establish com- munication. The dog plunged into the heavy waves, his teeth clenched on the cable, and after more than an hour’s swim reached the stricken steamer. The dog and line were hauled aboard, the cable was attached to. a mast, a breeches buoy was hung on the cable and every passenger Was saved. e new infant was sent shoreward in a mail bag. MAKES FAST TIME ACROSS CONTINENT The world’s record for a coast-to-coast trip by motor truck was established on Sunday, June 20, _at 11.15 p. m., when a three ton truck equipped with pneumatic tires arrived in New York from Los Angeles, Cal., having made the entire dis- tance (of 3,451 miles) in 18 days, 13 hoyrs and 15 minutes. This remarkable trip demonstrates the long dis- tance hauling possibilities of motor trucks equipped with pneumatic tires. The previous rec- ord made in 1918 for a coast-to-coast trip stood at _ 17 dgys and 3 hours. The entire trip was made on one set of pneumatic tires without change. One of the most interesting things about the record is the fact that it was made by a truck which was not especially constructed for the test. This truck already had rolled up a mileage of over 120,000 miles. It was originally planned to make the trip from Los Angeles to Akron, Ohio, but when the truck reached Akron, it had made such good time that it was decided to send it on to New York for a coast-to-coast record. Even with the low time made, smooth running was not experienced all the way. At Seligman, Ariz., nearly four hours were lost while a tunnel was made about 30 feet long and 1 foot deep in hard pan to enable the truck to go under the Santa Fe railway. This was necessary on at- count of the extreme height of the body, which made it impossible to go under the tracks with- out digging a trench for the tires to run in. - Outside of Albuquerque, N. M., high water of the Rio Grande necessitated considerable detour- ing, culminating in the breaking of a bridge over an irrigation ditch, which made it necessary to use 32 hours of time to travel 84 miles. In New Mexico almost impassable roads were — encountered near Wagon Mound, where tourists advised the truck drivers not to attempt to get — through. This condition of roads was brought about by continuous rain, which made a very muddy and slippery driving surface. _ The truck was equipped with 44x10 pneumatie —- on the-rear and 88x7 pneumatic tires in ront. were carried, but were not needed. Other equip- ment included 150 gallons of gasoline, 30 gallons of oil, log chains, planks, axes, shovels, etc.. The truck left Los Angeles, Cal., on June 7 at 10 a. ma. and wached New York,.June 20, 11.15 We Bes se oT ee Sa An extra set of tires both front and rear —T~ —* a % Sc

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22 FAME AND Lost On Mt. Erebus = = -A Boy Explorer At the South Pole By GASTON GARNE "(A Serial Story) CHAPTER X (continued) At the same instant their feet touched a shelf beneath. Joe hung to the rope, the _half- fainting girl inward, and followed himself as the rope grew taut about his waist. : “Hold to the rock,” he her. “I don’t know what we have struck but I want to i tward, saw below asm 8 Pat hundred yards deep and more than half At times ee above would sweep away the pga ae © tent and depth of fearful abyss. OES The fumes almost choked her to insensibility, but Hawley held her firmly. She felt that he was erawling—not up—but inward, under the over- ing lip. Once he put her down. ped. “I think I’m dying. “Don’t mind me——” an “At least it is warm un- here, and when you’ve revived a bit we'll S"atge felt his warm, strong, clasp, and every you see a chance now. er a 7a seam where the very stones were unbear- EH as r) ace at 4 RS 8 ue i lie z : E F Z ‘ i g i : we FORTUNE: WEEKLY this again bring them out upon some shelf fur- ther along but overhanging that dreadful abyss, which they now both knew for the active crater of Erebus? a “In this zone of cold we ought to be grateful for some Sign of heat, eh, Madge?” This he pro- pounded jokingly. “Ye-yes, I suppose sa But everything runs to extremes here. For weeks we almost freeze; then. suddenly we almost drop into a pit where our- roasting would hardly be noticed, except by us. Where are we now, Joe?” “We're coming out all right, I think. Lucky I took our time and altitude when we first got here. Hulle! Here is where our light came from. Isn’t that snow out there?” “I do believe it is. Look down, Joe. What is that red streak yonder in the floor of this sage? It was well that the fir], mostly looking down- ward, saw a réddish strip that crossed the seam directly ahead. The dead lava about them was black; but Joe, stepping cautiously on, suddenly drew back, press- ing the girl backward also. “It’s a gap in the strata. Phew! hot sulphur!” Beyond this they could see a wide opening, through which came unmistakable glimpses of ice and snow beyond. “Well, it is not that old crater,” sighed Madge, in relief. “I really begin to feel as if I liked the sight and feel of a glacier, after all this under- ground flight with suffocation and heat.” “Right you are, Madge. And if I am right with my compass, this opening is on the south side of the mountain. We ascended on the opposite side. Stay here while I crawl up and look inte this red gap that bars us from yonder outlet into the open world.” He laid down his pack and crawled cautiously toward the “Do be careful, Joe. That edge may give way. Here! I’m going to hold your foot.” While’ Hawley wriggled along, Madge seized one foot and held determinedly, despite Joe’s urg- — to give him more freedom. o, I won’t. What would become of me if you did tumble down into that crevice? I'll hold on, if I go with you—so there!” = The fumes aang up were more and more stifl- ing as Joe finally looked over. Madge heard him Se es td we aoe eat en y main s 3 He was half insensible, and for a moment could be? speak. * “It’s—it’s all on fire underneath here,” he wheezed forth at length. “But as you pulled me back I saw a lead to the left. we can walk that way, we may go round this gap, which is a heat crack in the wall of the crater. On the other side we can reach the open air.” “Must we try it?” she asked nervously. “Can’t o back and find some other way out?” e is a ledge a foot or two wide to the left. After that, I saw that it widened out in a shelf that surrounds the head of this gap. Ne: we can’t go back—safely. Trust me, Madge. J] Smell the _ will find our way out, See if I don’t.” . (To be continued) - 5 ag ca ated

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FAME AND FORTUNE THE NEWS IN WEEKLY SHORT ARTICLES. x HIGH COST OF WAR : The cost of war has gone up even more rapid- ly than the cost of living. To win our inde- pendence cost us $18.88 per capita. The War of 1812 took only $14.64 from the pocket of each citizen. The scrap with Mexico cost a mere $2.48 per capita; the Civil War raised it to $81.58 r capita, while the World War, though the nited States was in it a shorter time than its Participation in previous wars, cost us $286 per capita. The cost of war for the United States rose from $76,000,000 for the Revolution to $18,- 000,000,000 for the World War. SHIRT NEARLY FATAL NOOSE Wright Robinson, high school student, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Robinson of Seaford, Del., had a narrow escape from strangling to death while performing on the horizontal bars in the gymnasium of the Seaford school. He was practising the muscle grinding feat on the bars and in making the revolutions his shirt became caught in the bars and wound around his neck. He was making “the revolutions so fast that it was impossible for him to stop himself and was slowly strangling to death, when Wil- ‘liam C. Moore happened to be passing the school and saw the unfortunate boy’s perilous condition. He ran to his assistance and succeeded in releas- ing him from the bars, saving the boy’s life. © ee > Se BABOONS AND AN AIRPLANE Writing of the passing of an Aero biplane over Uitenhage en route to Port Elizabeth, a South African newspaper has the following to say: “Mr. Norman Chase relates a peculiar experience he had in connection with the ’plane. He was - bathing ‘at Kamaehs, when he noticed a number of baboons which were in the vicinity showing unmistakable signs of fear. They crowded to- gether and whimpered, giving every indication ’ that something unusual had disturbed them. Mr. os dog, a-well-bred Airedale, and known to be pluc fearless, also became uneasy, and food in dread of something. On look- around for the cause of all the trouble, Mr. es observed the airplane flying overhead at a comparatively low altitude. e sound of the - engine and ‘the huge birdlike appearance of the | ‘plane no doubt upset the equilibrium of the baboons.” GIRL ‘STUDENTS LS ae é “Women students in the home economics, dey eas Te at the University of Texas are learn- ing how to cut the cost of feeding a family. At rime but toward eg hes of the course the young Ve half the cost its off oO and © fa biscuits. ; after college menus: a * For 45 cents a plate of four persons: Salmon croquettes, mashed potatoes, iced tea, tomate salad, biscuit, strawberries and ice cream. For 24 cents a plate for four persons, toward the end of the course: Creamed tuna fish on toast, French fried potatoes, apple and cellery salad, hot tea, lemon pie. THRIFTY CHINESE TURN PEACHSTONES INTO FUEL Numerous things which peoples of other na- tions do not hold as worthy of consideration are being turned into good use by the Chinese. For instance, their. ingeniousness in utilizing things of no value whatsoever is shown by scavengers who collect peach stones in the street. Children and women are to be seen in the markets pick- ing up and treasuring the peach stones. In the months of May, June and July the women and children of the poorer class appear in groups carrying baskets home when filled. These peach stones have several uses. Broken into pieces and dried in the sun they furnish good fuel. The kernel, which has a good market value, is sold to the druggists for making medi- cine. Another profitable use of the peach stones is to sell them to native artists.or engravers who carve them into different forms of animals. Some of the larger stones, however, if round enough, are carved into the fine finger rings, which cost be- tween 20 and 30 cents each. Out of. one full basket of peach stones ten or fifteen can be selected as suitable for engravers and they will be sold at a cent each, thus turning the waste ma- terials into a good_profit. ; During the season one may see in tne interior of Sottth China the hut-yards of poor people full of peach stones drying in the sun. After havin cleaned them groups of small girls and boys pic out the big stones.. The smaller ones are broken up and used for fuel when the kernel has been taken out. Sometimes the kernels are sold to chemists or druggists. They are preserved in bottles and used as a cough medicine after the ‘kernels are turned into white. powder. In many small villages this white powder is a very cheap cough remedy. ° Another waste material put to use by Chinese in different towns of each province are oyster shells. They are in great demand for the manu- . facture of Chinese lime. One “picul” of such shells (about 133 pounds) costs about 60 cents. In many towns where there are many Chinese restaurants scavengers pack oyster shells in bam- boo cases. In a front corner of Chinese houses —jn yillages, especially those near coast cities, big baskets are put by scavengers as refuse boxes. When full, they pick out shells and even broken pottery ware, for everything has a market value in China. ne The broken bowls and cracked pottery ware are broken into small particles and afterward sold to masons for making foundations of strong walls,

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THE INDIAN RAID By Paul Braddon. In 1867 the Kansas Pacific Railroad cane to an abrupt ending near Fort Wallace, Kansas, in the midst of an arid desert, barren of trees, ut- terly hopeless as an agricultural proposition, and the most disheartening terminus to a great rail- road imaginable. ‘ The sporadic eruption of shanties, “dug-outs,” canvas and “balloon homes,” which broke out in the immediate vicinity we dignified by the title of Phil Sheridan. =a Murders were frequent, and the traditional for ast” was car- ; which ies Bill, Texas J: or any of the numerous des- oes who talon us with their presence, felt called upon to “whoop up the town. The V. ’ leader was very decidedly in " ts; therefore “a notice ly ended beg Sanaa for F 2 : death any unfortunate stragglers they could lay their hands on. less citizens the FAME AND FORTUNE * WEEKLY Jake’s saloon was immediately in the rear of the shanty, which was at once my office and my- residence, and fearful that a stray bullet might deprive the company. of a Saiuabis employee, I hurried on my clothes and lost no time in getting out of range. Day was beginning to break as I stepped out of the shanty, and the cold gray light made the shabby collection of shanties and dirty tents even more shabby, and Feoing disheartened and gen- erally very blue, I walked down the hill to a small trestlework bridge spanning a deep gulf a few hundred feet from the freight office. Below me I could see Plasquito’s mules, some nibbling at the sparse grass, others lying down,, and upon a small bluff above them the smolder- ing “buffalo-chip” fire of the solitary herder. The undulating lines of the barren prairie and dreary expanse of the “alkali flat” had gradually become clearer, the prairie owls piped their plaintive minor notes less frequently, and the coyotes had howled their last day break chorus when I caught sight of three men leisurely riding up from the creek towards the struggling herd of mules. Supposing them to be some of Plasquito’s Mex- icans coming‘ out to relieve guard, I did not at first pay any attention to them, further than to notice that all three wore army overcoats. as these were often worn by the “bull and mule w ers;” my suspicions were not aroused. But as they approached the mules a series of quick, ° 2. shorts told of something wrong. Instantly the herder sprang to his feet, crying: “Los Indios—los Indios!” and started at the top of his speed toward the wagons. The foremost horseman wheeled his mustang short round, rushed him at the ten-foot-wide ly which seamed the earth between him and e flying Mexican, cleared it like a steeple- chaser, and before the unfortunate peon could reach the front of the bluff; fired one quick But - + shot, at which the man fell, apparently lifeless. — Then, without checking his wiry littlé mus- tang, an ec over anes dashed past prostrate man, g him a few' quate by his hair, and then, a yell, dropped galloped on after the other two, who, swinging their blankets over their heads, screeching in harsh, broken falsetto voices, stam- peded the mules up the gulch. The whole affair was done so quickly that I had not time to off the bridge before the terror-stricken mules came rushing up the em- bankment me, not more then sixty yards distant, and following the old bell-mule, raced off up the line, with the three men whom I could now plainly see were Indians in full war-paint close_at their heels. Having nothing more g- erous than an expired railroad pass in my I took to my heels and ran, yelling— Indians—Indians!” at every step. The inhabitants of a crowded house turn out with astonishing promptness at the alarm of fire, but their movements are slow in compari- son of those of Sheridan’s population upon this particular occasion, and within a very few mo- ments a strong party was ready for pursuit. Not having “a horse, I ran with other horse- the summit of a high bluff near town, and watched the chase. As we breath- a

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~ manship » FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY lessly reached the top, the stampeding mules could plainly seen going at a racing gait, like a herd of rabbits, -but instead of three In- dians, fully two hundred mounted warriors were now leisurely following them. : ? Undeniably the opportunity to distinguish my- self was one that might never occur again. ~ But as I looked at the body of the herder, in- Stantly killed by a ugh the head ‘realized the _ the shot, and remembered the dexterous horse- which its “owner had displayed in pick- ing up and scalping the unfortunate peon with- out checking the gallop of his swift mustang, and having no ambition to _as a scout or Indian-slayer, the peaceful termination of the affair, as far as I was concerned, was entirely Satisfactory. DIES SHOOTING NIAGARA FALLS IN BIG ‘ BARREL Charles G. Stephens, of Bristol, England, was killed at Niagara Falls, N. Y-, July 11, when he Went over the Horseshoe Falls in a barrel. The cask in which he made the trip, though built of ’ stout Russian oak staves and bound with steel hoops, smashed like an eggshéll on the jagged rocks, but Stephens’s bod . Covered. River men say t it may not come to the surface for a week or ten days. ~ ~ Leac’ s Falls in 1911, told Stephens before has started barrel would ithstand the drop of : 183 fet, but Stephens refused to be cannes rom the venture. Leach Was amo es tators =P watched the start of, Stephen’s fatal Few knew that Stephens was to make the trip ‘to-day, and when the barrel was towed out into . the river on the u ide, two miles above falls, there were only a watch, “tt ae 8:10 o’clock when Stephens was adrift, Early si barrel bobbing _ Members of Stephens’s - down stream in automobiles. ; : 5 z z frist has not been re-- Edison Taylor made the falls trip in former years had been recovered. A quarter of an hour passed, then a half hour, and an hour. Field glasses trained on the boil- ing waters at the base of the cataract revealed no sign of the cask. When the hour had passed the old rivermen in the little os of watchers began to shake their heads dubiously, They re- membered that Mrs. Taylor had made the trip in forty-nine minutes and that Bobby Leach was on his way to the loop of the bank in thirty-nine minutes after his had been ‘sent adrift above the falls. Word that Stephens had tried and failed spread quickly through the two falls cities and great crowds congregated on the banks of the river. Men ard women stood packed on the upper steel arch bridge, at Prospect Point and along the Canadian and American shores. It was shortly after noon, four hours after Stephens began his trip, when some one caught sight of a black ob- ject in the river near the base of the falls. “There he is!” a watcher cried, and there was a brief interval of hope that Stephens might have survived the trip. The barrel designed by Stephens for the trip was six feet three inches high. It had strap ar- rangements inside and an electric light system. An oxygen tank was carried, which, Stephens said, would keep him alive for several hours if \ Fe Pa became caught in a back eddy under s. Stephens is the third to attempt the barrel trip over the falls. Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor went over in October, 1900, in an oak barrel, and Bobby Leach made the trip in July, 1911, in a steel barrel. Both are still living. { TABLETS IN WASHINGTON MONUMEN1 Few of the thousands of visitors to the Wash- ington Monument have the disposition to climb its nine hundred steps. It is much easier to ride , on the elevator, which makes the ascent-of ‘the tall column in about eight minutes. But visitors who, walk one way, either up or down, are well rewarded by a near view of the inscriptions on © the memoria] tablets. The Association of Journeymen Stone Cutters of Philadelphia, under the emblems of their trade, inscribed on their tablet, “United We Stand.” eland county, Virginia, describes itself simply as “The Birthplace of Washington. Greece, the “Mother of Ancient Liberty,” sends from the Parthenon “This Ancient Stone as a Testimony of Honor and Admiration.” : The Turkish inscription, it is said, was written by the court poet, and bears a date in a “year of the Hegira.” One of the longest inscriptions ap- pears on a stone presented by some Chi Christians of Che Heang, China, in 1853. It de- clares George Washington to have been braver than Tsau-Tsau or Lin-Pi. ‘ -A likeness of Shakespeare stands out on a stone at the twenty-sixth landing, as the short level spaces between the flights of stairs are called, bearing these words above: “All That Live Must Die,” and below: “A Tribute of Re- spect From the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Dramatic Profession of America.”

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26 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NEW YORK, AUGUST 138, 1920. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Bingle Copies.....-.-------- Postage Free.... .07 Cents One Copy Three Months... = = ars 90 Cents One Copy Six Months.....- a “see. —— HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. O. Money Order, Check or Registered Letter; remittances in any other way are at your risk. We accept Tparege Stamps the same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Coin in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting ores , envelope. Write your name and address plainly. - dress letters to HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher 166 West 23d St., New York ITEMS OF INTEREST SUGAR SOLD FOR FIVE CENTS A POUND. . Sugar sold for five cents a pound, eggs = five cents a dozen, butter for eight cents a pound, ties, according dent of Sprin: Graham was esate Rh ieee parents. He is the father of 15 children. Mrs. Graham died in 118. At the age of 92, Graham is still active and recalls in inter- J of Bad Axe County, CAPTURED GOLDEN EAGLE . A full-grown golden eagle was captured in Rosshire, Scotland, recently, under peculiar cir- “cumstances. Three surfacemen were employed at a section of a new portion of the Highland line when they were attracted by the appearance of an eagle in a field three miles from Ardgay. On being i REMOVING STUBBORN NUT ‘While a stubborn stud or sheared bolt is diffi- guilt. to remove, one can without much ‘vy unscrew a nut ible, even if it has become more . FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY adjustable member as it may be rendered unfit for use. The blow lamp flame should not be ap- plied to the nut direct because the bolt will be heated and will expand as well as the nut. Kero- sene may be poured around the threads with good results, especially if the nut has rusted in place. Several alternate heatings and applications of kerosene oil may be needed before the nut is loosened and if it still resists, a light tapping with a hammer on all the facets while it is hot may assist in having it become looser on the threads. © LAUGHS “Is this the Union Dime Savings Bank?” “Yc.” “Well, I want to know if a nonunion man can de- posit in your bank?” noise at two a, m.)— f that there is a m-man in the Wife (scornfully)—Not in this room. Mr. Timid (hearing a I th-think, dear, house. _An Irishman aimed at a bird and hit a frog. Picking it up, he looked surprised, and said: “Well, anyhow, I knocked the feathers off it.” Bride (putting on traveling-dress—Did I look pet a during the ceremony, Kate? Kate (bride’s eldest sister)—A little at first, but not after Alfred had said “Yes.” Teacher—If a bricklayer gets four dollars for working eight hours a day, what would he get if he worked ten hours a day? Bright Pupil—He’d get a call-down from the union. “Can you gimme a bite, ma’am?” said the ragged hobo. “I’m hungry enuff ter eat a hoss.” “T re-. gret to say,” replied the kind lady, “that we are just out of horses, but I'll call the dog.” ia RET Eee _ Burglar Bill—Got any children? Slippery Sam (moodily)—I had a son onct. I trained him up to snatch pocketbooks from ladies out shopping. Burglar Bill—Wot became of ’im? Slippery Sam —He starved ter death. Buyer—I want to buy a dog: I don’t know what they call the breed, but it is something the shape of a greyhound; with a short, curly tail and rough hair. Do you keep dogs like that? Fancier—No, I drown ’em! : “There is a new song I want,” remarked the. customer, “but I can’t think of its name—some- thing about a riot and fight in Sing Sing or some such place.” “I ess this must be it,” ven- tured the new clerk, as he handed forth a copy of “The Village Church Choir.” “Jimmy,” said the teacher, “what is the shape — of the earth?” “I dunno, teacher.” “Well, what is the shape of the cuff-buttons your father wears to church on Sundays?” “Dey are square, teach- er.” “How about the ones he wears on week ea “Dey = we pninrat “Well, then, hat the shape e earth?” “Square on — Sundays and round on week days.” ; =

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> eivilization. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY £1 A FEW GOOD ITEMS WHAT A FROG CAN DO A frog weighing a pound can make his voice , heard on a still night a distance of a mile. If a man weighing 150 pounds could do as well in proportion there would hardly be any need of telephones. He could converse in an ordinary tone with a person fifty miles away. Naturalists are not agreed as to why the bullfrog will sit on a log at night and send his bellow far around, but it is quite likely that he loves the sound of it himself. There is no other reason for the owl to hoot except to hear how it sounds. In the bayous and swamps of the South they have caught bullfrogs weighing five pounds, and their bellowing was like that of a steamer. A STRANGE BIRD - A fina] attempt is being made by the New Zealand Government to obtain specimens of the huia, a bird which has been practically exter- minated by the vogue for its feathers, which ob- tains among the ris. The huia is a jet black bird with a white band at the extreme end of its tail feathers. The birds’ are hatched in pairs. The male has a short, strong beak and the fe- male a long, slender, incurved beak; the male breaks the k off dead trees and the female - dips her beak into the holes of the big grubs which attack dead timber. She presents one grab to her spouse and then has one herself, alternating most conscientiously. Maoris say that when one dies the other must necessarily die of: starvation because nature has so arranged that each is dependent on the other. RICH OSAGE INDIANS SQUANDER THEIR $10,000 A YEAR Because each adult Osage Indian in Oklahoma ets between $9,000 and $10,000 income a year m his share in oil lands, Uncle Sam is ng the prospect that they will become publie charges in a comparatively short timey This latest Indian problem has been discovered by members of a sub-committee of the House In- dian Affairs Committee, the members of which have just returned from a visit to the Indian feservations. They say they found many prob- lems the next Congress must work out, but that the problem of the wealthy Osages is the most difficult. : _. “Many of these Indian tribes,” declared: Repre- sentative Rhodes (Rep., Mo.), a member of the " ittee, “have shown marked progress in education and in their roa aS we but i . itv of cases the Indian is slow to respond to sltcaton I fear the Indian problem will be 7 us many years. Fp ie “The most remarkable situation is that of the Osages\in Oklahoma. As a tribe they are the richest per capita people in the world. Last year their per capita income was $8,000. A family ‘of five, therefore, » ot $40,000. In 1920 the per - eapita income will be between $9,000 and $10,000. “This money comes from oil and gas leases. y “sft was no uncommon. thing to find a family in which there are half a dozen adult members in which each member owned from one to thre@ automobiles, and Super-Sixes at that. They are throwing their money away. In 1931 the trust period in which these lands are held for the In- dians will have expired, and then, unless. the Government begins soon to withhold some of tha Indians, 75 per cent. of the Osages will be charges upon the State of Oklahoma.” Mr. Rhodes is in favor of the Government with- holding half the monéy from this time forward for the benefit of the Indians and in order that the State of Oklahoma will not have to assume responsibility for them. “White traders,” Mr. Rhodes added, “are very much against this rec- ommendation. They are prospering in and near the Indian reservation. “We found the Indian warehouses practically empty. There is no justification for their further maintenance. I am in favor of abolishing them. In every case we found the Government-owned tribal herd for the Indians has not been a suc- cess, and the big irrigation projects have not’ yet demonstrated that the Government was justified in instituting them at the expense of the Indians. The Indians do not use them.” “THE WAY TO BECOME A MOVING PIc- TURE ACTRESS” is in “Moving Picture Stories,” No. 326. Get a.copy. Price 7 cents; postage free. HARRY E. WOLFF, 166 W. 23rd St., N. Y. “MYSTERY MAGAZINE” SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A COPY —— LATEST ISSUES — 56 THR SECRET OF THE SEAIND BOOK, by Bthat osemon, 57 THE CLUE OF STEEL, by Willis Lathrbp. 38 ALIAS LOUIS VARDON, by William Hamilton Osborne. 59 Sy heat OF THE OLD TIME CLUB, by Caroling Ingold. ; co CAUGHT WITH THE EVIDENCE, by Rthel Rose- mon, 61 A LITTLE GOLD SPIDER, by Cecll Burleigh. 62 THE VELVET TOUCH, by Julian Darrow, 63 THE —— A THE RED LAMP, )y Charles Pul- nursler. 4 64 THE SCHEME OF SOLOMON SNARE, by Witliam Hamilton Osborne. « The Famous Detective Story Out To-day in No. 65 ix “QUICKER THAN THE EYE,” - By Ralph Cummins, FRANK TOUSEY, Pub. 168 W. 23d St, N. Y, _ “MOVING PICTURE STORIES” __4 Weekly Magazine Devoted to Photoplays anu Players PRICE SEVEN CENTS PER COPy Each number contains Four Stories of the Best Fitms on the Screens—Elegant Half-tone Scenes from tita Plays—Interesting Articles About Prominent People %®@ - the Films—Doings of Actors and Actresses in ths Studios and Lessons in Scenario Writing. < HARRY E. WOLFF, Pub., 166 W, 234 St.oN. ¥,

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28 FAME AND FORTUNE . WEEKLY GOOD READING TAME YOUR DOLLARS—BAG ’EM : In spite of many academic discussions, nobody really cares what makes the wild cat wild be- cause the wild cat is no good even when he is tame. But it makes all the difference in the world whether useful livestock is trained or wild. The finest colt in the world, product of the best draft stock, is of little use to a farmer unless he has been broken to harness, is bridle wise and tractable. A cow may be a champion milk producer but She is of comparatively little value if nobody can milk her. A setter may carry the blue blood of Count Gladstone and have a nose for birds that are unequalled, but nobody wants to hunt behind _him unless he has felt the jerk of the trainer’s choke line and learned not only to find birds but to give his owner an opportunity to bag them. It is exactly the same way with dollars. The “He must have been a fair jumper,” answered Dan. But think of the start he had.” In this day of economic disturbance and in- flated prices, every American must “get a start” if he is to get across the obstacles that separate him from fmancial freedom, safety and success. If they are not able to make the jump the canni- bals of misfortune, illness, old age or disaster will leave nothing but their bare bones. Krantz- lein had a double kick in the air which landed him feet and inches beyond his competitors but he couldn’t use it unless he hit the takeoff fast. - Every young fellow in America can get the start and the speed that will carry him over his jumps by systematic saving and safe investment in government securities, Government Savin, Stamps, Treasury Savings Certificates and Lib- erty Bonds at present market prices. They de “not require a ten mile run, either. country to-day is overrun with wild dollars. They . are-as numerous as the herds of wild herses and buffalo that used to roam the plains of the west and just about as useful. If you capture them, all you can do with them is lock them up in a cage to keep them from getting out, destroying your financial fences and trampling your garden plots. You cannot even handle them without their getting away or doing you some harm. But if you tame them and train them by con- tinued and patient and regular investment in safe securities such _ Sa ~ $tamps, Treasury Savings Certificates or Liberty -- Bonds at present advantageous market prices you -ean make them work for you faithfully and well. Investment is the only known method of sub- duing wild dollars, but it must be safe invest- tent. Like every other animal trainer you must _ have patience and the lesson must be repeated . - until it is thoroughly learned. GET A START NOW part of the century. : “Sure ’tis only the lads from the Aul Sod that io be the leppers,” finally declared one of the rr . “Hasn’t the 24 foot 11 and three- jump of Paddy O’Connér made in Dub- o County Limerick and O’Con- him. -Killduff went out hunt- :, "3 Killduff from ‘was nauthin’ to. as Government Savings. Zs iin in 41901 stood till now? But Il knew of a lad _ CHURCH RUNS A GARAGE One church has solved part of its financial - problems by using the unoccupied part of its lot as a garage. On Sundays the church parking space is filled with cars driven by weaeen of its congregation and of a church near by. The charge of each car is small, but it assures the owner that a trustworthy person will keep his eye on it, so robes and other things may be left in it safely. And as a means of income to the church the addition of these small sums makes a tidy amount. : It is a long time since each church had a shed back of it, as a matter of course, for the hitching of the horse that drew the family surrey or. phaeton. Many churches are so built as to have no extra space for this purpose. But it is quite a common thing nowadays for a church to buy a building lot suitable for the large church of the future, and to erect for present purposes a small building which may later be moved to the rear and serve. for Sunday school, community rooms and offices. This leaves a large yard, much of which might very well be set aside for the park- ing of vehicles during service hours. = A church. anywhere near the center of commu- nity life would undoubtedly find its “garage” a paying business during the week as well as on Sunday. In all but the smallest of rural vi parking space is difficult to find whenever there is anything to draw people to town. Shoppe: business men, farmers, would be glad to avail themselves of the privilege. One person in charge to check the cars and see that unauthorized per- sons had no access to them would suffice to run it. , - The church bazaar, the church benefit of any * poe is always a — sie = ae cprierd The abor used in getting it up far offse rhoney raised. Such methods as this of the utilizing the church’s resources in a busi ke manner to bring in-a definite, businesslike inm- - come, will do much to make the church. by people who now have no patience with its— chteaiienes futile. financing.

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SNAKE CHARMING SECRETS. The secret of snake - charming are much simpler than most people imagine. The snakes to be han- dled are gorged with food so ‘that they become drowsy, or else they are drugged so that their sen- ses are dazed. Sometimes are kept in ice boxes, and the cold puts them in a semitorpid con- dition. In either case the snakes are only half alive. In han- dling the reptile, the hand must al- Ways grasp it at certain places where the head can be guided and held from the body. This is the hardest thing to learn, but, like everything — else, it comes with practise. By dint of dexterity arid strength, the snake is easily from one nd to the other, and is allowed to coil about the body. The snake charmer, how- ever, must. al- ways be on the alert. When the snake becomes box. In han- “dling a_ reptile with the fangs in in one requires great strength, as the strain on the system dur- ing the perform- ance is very con- siderate. The grasp and move- ments must very precise and accurate. There is no room for they ; Topacoor BUT tte Diont ed uce ong A&o Taking off surplus weight is a mild and pleasant process by the Korein system. Almost day by day you notice your figure growing more lithe and graceful, your features becoming more youthful, your vitality increas- ing. Being fat is so unnecessary when you can reduce to your normal weignt without discom- fort or denying yourself the in- dulgences that make life pleasant Y for you. You will soon wonder why you did not reduce long ago. Vile Kerein The Gentle Way To ‘Reduce Famous actresses on the stage and in moving pictures use Oil of Korein and follow the easy directions of Korein system, thereby keep- ing their figures attractive and their vitality normal. No matter what your age may be or how stout you are, you should get the benefit of this wonderful system of beautifying the body by becoming slender, graceful, agile and vivacious, Go to any busy drug store and get'a small box of Oil of Korein, in capsules, Or if you prefer, you may buy direct from headquarters by first writing for-our booklet, entitled “Reduce Weight Happily,”* which will come to you in plain wrapper, postpaid, free. With every box of Oil of Korein a $100 Guarantee is given; if you do not reduce” your weight, it costs you nothing! Many reports of pleasing reduction of waistline, double chin, obese hips, enlarged bust, over-fat limbs, etc., by Korein system. Held in» high esteem by readers of “Mystery Magazine’—men and women. Our address is: KOREIN CO., NP-103, Station F, NEW YORK CITY iat MAKELOVE Pf Bic) Fats bey. te Set certainty. of the _ snakes handled, how- are harm- { i too lively, it is t back in the hesitancy or un- ieas.

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Joseph L. Devere, 123 West Madison Street. Chicago. RAILWAY TRAFFIC tapenses Trae ~e- from $116 to $200 per month and expenses. | if desired. = Umited advancement. Sar ase ‘We train Positions furnished a guarantee. Write for Booklet gs Standard Business Trataing Institute, Buffalo, SALESMEN—CITY OF Big ih es Expariance ux: and , 4307 PR ng A Send for list 7 of ge full particulars, | Jefferson. pO anaes City, Mo. Apartment 73. a geternon, Kaas _ (hy. 2. 2 Na a ooy. Mateos, arta amie oe SONGWRITERS - Pee asoat Snesmea Trating Association, Dept. E WORDS FOR A SONG. We revise poem: a en's 1 3 s, : i and guarantee to secure publication. Sub-~ 166K. Chicago, pent: Travel mit poems subject. Broadway Studios, 165C, Onan ie = how. Fitzgerald Building. New York. pertun! fetnot — Citanesaaghe) Dept. _M. Detroit. mane you te Lit Sil WORDS FOR A SONG, we'll com- ete free and ish the song complete. MISC EOUS ‘The Lenox Company, 125th gr and 8th Ave., Bishop WRITE THE WORDS FOR A SONG: We revise poems, | Bide.. New York. a ees guarantee to secure publication. Sub- es 2 ny Aggy 2 ‘Fac aghsag ; rote cae any Se Studios, 1esc, 4040"Dickens , Ave.. Chicago. STAMMERING ELECTRICAL rétrooing: Machine, $3, - Jogue. for stamp. ne Machine $y, Peak Gin: is TU-T-T- IN ering” cured at home. cinpati. O.. = ee ee ‘een Walters McDonnell, 15 BCYS. get this: “Our latest talog. of new novel new -seeting: Send x cents Eepire - woemat ‘Bank Bidg.. Washingt for your copy. wee, sas Scie a con Fen te TOBACCO HABIT see Se eae ae $1_if = Remedy sent on Superba "Ge., PC. ieee | manimere. Ma en For: Oy =: KILLS MANE: vieor. “Quit habit easily. vie any Coe to watu Rely Hee] Any cna at gir ner 3 - se pony, Wired oF 0 ge ee Sa. trial.” Peitina Co, Sat “Bastioes ‘oor, 7 arc TO Pages cpt Oe Re ee — ee SU BT E R- RANEAN BED OF POTASH. The potas potash in- dustry of Ne- braska may be revolutionized as a result of the accidental discov- ery through the sinking of a well for domestic pur- poses some dis- tance from one of the brine lakes, that the water therein contained a larger per- centage of po- tash than the lakes themselves. This tends to sustain the theory’ some of producers held that the impregnated lake water comes through under- ground sourees from some great bed of potash. Work will be begun immediate- Iy to trace the flow of brine from a_ source outside the lake, This will be done by experimental wells costing but a small sum. If otash _ exists in ds instead of pein confined to lakes whe re ashes from ancient forest fires have been leached and car- ried by surface water flow, as hitherto held, it West_Madizon_ Street. Chicago. 2 Y—STARS TELL LIFE’s STORY. Send | will m a ASTROLOG yeu Boys ean, a big thing for the in- dustry, the prin- er expense of now is in the_ evaporation of the brine. the application of heat. The resultant solids contain 18_ to 38 per.. cent. potash. — A combined electric and sand for treating certain ills-is the idea of a. New. York inventor. |

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AN OLD FIRE Down in the Spavanaug Hills, near the little’ hamlet of Murphy, Olka., there burns an Indian camp fire that has not been quenched for fif- ty years. It is the watch fire of the Cherokees, a fire that is kept urning asa memento to the Great Spirit that the Indians re- member his good- ness to them and that their hearts are true. No one knows when the fire was kindled, not even Chief Char- lie Tee Hee, but B. F. Abernathy, a white man who lives in Murphy, Says it was burn- ing thirty-three ears ago when e took up _ his residence there. It er not al- ways show signs of life, but no in the eone of ashes that has accumulated un- til it is three feet high, are embers that are kept alive by _intro- duction of a gum thatistaken rom aé- tree. Many of the In- dians believe the fire cannot die on account of it be- ing a symbol! of & covenant be- tween God and man. On special oc- casions, such as Stomp dances, one of which is ‘oing on now, the is allowed to me a good- sized camp fire then the braves sit around it and smoke a r pipe, an act that renews the indivual cov- enant of each. ‘Free Book on Drink Habit | ‘A well-known New Yorker, addicted to utting him in the human scrap-hea ~<A Yow he is completely free from the habit and tells about a quick and lasting remedy in a book that he has published. This book contains information of vital interest to drinkers, their wives and others who have tried in vain to conqucr the habit by persuasion, pledges or :ned- icines. The author, Edward J. Wx ds, RC-601, a F, ‘New York City, = Bend it free, in plain wrapper, postpald t TOBACCO Or SNUFF HABIT Cured or NO PAY No matter whether used in pipe, unretint: cigars, chewed, or used in the form of snuff. Superba Tobacco Remedy contains nothing| injurious, no dope, poisons, or habit form- ing drugs. Guaranteed. Sent on trial. If it cures costs you ons dollar. If it fails, or if you are not perfectly satisfied, costs you nothing. Write for full remedy today. SUPERBA COMPANY, M21, Baltimore, Md. NOW, JAZZ ‘EM UP, BOYS! - A NEW AND WIFTY gesicar slide Flate-Ptedola?pVayed ioxlaathy”a 5a" AGENTS WANTED BSTEWART OO., 321K W. 48th St.. N. ¥. G Baldness onquered RECIPE MAILED FREE A veteran business man, almost com- pletely bald, who had tried numerous tonics, lotions, shampoos, ete., without benefit, came across an Indians’ recipe by which he grew a complete crop of luxur- jant hair that he now possesses. Others—men and women—have reported remarkable hair growth by the same method. Whoever wishes the recipe may obtain it free by writing to John Hart Brittain, BF-103 Station F, New York, N. Y. Or the recipe with a testing box of the preparation, postpaid, for 10 cents, stamps or silver. This is a genuine offer and - will prove to be just what you have been seeking. Show others this advertisement. HORS eee srcnmerrteretann ae ‘iow a oot ste pus usar oa ve Wintee WARD PUB. co., o bevers. 23.C POSTPAID TILTON, N. #. drink habit for 16 years, found it was} Sold Goia ¥ end Your Name and We'll j Send You a kackente: aes pond a penny. 7 Just Pit pend your name and $ nite mor id Se ring on ey me as, i iPeend i it Dee rig: onl for 1b fail dave. tye = adia ) Write Today tii Mas Cadies’ or men's). Be sure to sen M Hareid Lachman Ce., 123 N. Michigan Av. vent (246 Coens t to your home. Q Months to » Pay on our liberal Easy Monthly Payment Man: Parents advance the yr" Das oe FACTORY TOR RIDER: pricessave you money, We make our bicycles jf in our own three model factories. |] 44 STYLES, colors and sizes to 0086 from in our RANGER line. DELIVERED FREE onapproval Brey 30 DAYS TRIAL. Select the cle and one that suit you— but wel: ite foday for the big R catalo, You /oupt, NEW DOUBLE ACTION BABY HAMMERLESS REVOLVER Smallest, Noatest, Practi- Aceidental discharge inaes. eal Revolver made, De- sible, and saves signed ¢ bring. on you for Seouts and é att roq Automo billets. quick, ry every Also {deal home Svcon cogats ean) ~22 call- de food — ey amb ors, shou are Best steel, Nickel plated. there inne bel Bvery one Seated at factory. Price by Insured mall $4.50. Big Catelog Free, BatesCunCompany, Dept. & Melrose, Masa, GET ON THE rA p VAUDEVILLE STA te E tell youbow! Fascinati fensl. — = xperience ary, Bploud ee on rays wall portunity for val. ents endorse my methods, nivty ’ © Hutewisdbont iit Abeat Vaedenile. Pit a FREDERIC LADELLE, fis 214, JACKSON, “Micis. OLD COINS WANTED $2 to $500 RACH paid for Hundreds of Coins dated before 1895, Keep ALL ola Money. You may have Cuins werth @ Large Premium. ‘Send 10c. for new Illustrated Coin Value Book, size 4x& Get Posted at Once, CLARKE _CLARKE COIN © co., Bex 36, Le Rey, N. ¥. BIG VALUE for.10 Cts. Songs, words and music; 25 Pic sac Pretty a 40 wa sto Make Money; 1 Joke Book Book on ‘Love; “Magic Book; 1 ‘Book Letter Writing; 1 Dream Book and For- tune Teller; 1 Cook Book; 1 Base Ball Book, gives rules for games; 5 Toy Maker Book; my Flowers; 1 Morse Telegraph Alp ne 12° Chemical periments gicA ao Table;Great Genet Conundrums: 3 pansies 12 Gaiaes; 80 Verses for Autograph Albums., All the above e by mail for 10 cts, aud 2 cts, tage. ROYAL BALES CO., Bex to , South Norwalk, SORENESS ar ttEALED Sore or aantek scsema healed pa lene you work. Write for tree book and describe your own case. A. C. Liepe, 1451 Green Bay Av., Milwaukee, WI

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BREEDING FROGS. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY William Waddi +9-the — LATEST ISSUES — Pago aie 2 2 the Tt Stockbeoker Dick; or. The Boy Who Broke the Wall Street Tilinois bottoms on the Mississippi} 752 On the Job;\or, Tom Taylor's Lucky Venture. a River, a li south of St. Louis, and | 753 The Lucky Seven; or, The Boys Who Won the Money. ? ttle » and | 754 Will. the Waif; or, From Bootblack to Merchant. has dealt extensively in the frog busi- 755 Prince of the Curb; or, A College Boy in Wall Street. ness. Much of those bottom lands are | 756 Wrecked in the Guif; or, The Gold of the old Gustaneant marshy and swampy and unfitted for|757 The Riyal Boy Brokers; or, Out for Every Deal in Sight. - 758 Under the Big Tent; or, From Acrobat to Manager. “SMlany years ago Mz. Waddington fap foics"sing ‘iad’ or Hustig Uy Musing” "ST yn < ° ; , a Business, conceived the-idea of “frog farming,” | 761 Taking a Big Risk; or, The Dime That Led To Riches. og g leaning the swamp | 762 Clear Grit; or, The Office Boy Who Made Good. and after cl be P 763 a ee! in’ Stocks; or, Saved by a Wall Street Ticker. lands with the improved scrapers and 764 Thé Sailor’s Secret; or, The Treasure of Dead Man’s Rock. inclosing several hundred acres with} 765 Capturing the Coin; or, The Deals of a Boy Broker. stro i and otherwise | 766 On His Own Hook; or, Making a Losing Business Pay. = <. fence 4. rer Lucky Jim; or, $100,000 From Stocks. beautifying the grounds surrounding | 735 <Ayinions In It’: or, A Boy With Ideas. these marshy places, he soon became | 7¢9 The Mystery of a Mining Chart; and, The Wall Street Boy Who the possessor of a huge frog farm. Solved It. ee 770 Grasping His Chance; or, The Boy Merchant of Melrose. Convinced that he had the grounds 71 Winning By Pluck; or, The Deals That Made the Dollars. and the fresh spring water, he was} 772 The Crimson Mask; or, The Treasure of San Pedro. determined to 773 Frank Fisk, the Boy Broker; or, Working the Wal) Street Steck Market. 774 Playing a Lone Hand; or, The Boy Who Got the Gold. 775 Will Fox of Wall Street; or, The Success of a Boy Broker. . For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address vestigated receipt of price, 7 cents per copy, in money or postage stamps, Aaa handling of this HARRY E. WOLFF, Pub., 166 West 23d St.. New York. OUR TEN-CENT HAND BOOKS Ne. 65. MULDOON’s JOKES.—The most original joke book published, and it is brimful of wit and humor. Kh deutaias a ingens collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, etc., of Terrence Muldoon, the great wit, humorist, and practical joker of the day No. 66. *“HOW TO DO PUZZLES.—Containing over three bundred interesting puzzles and conundrums, with key to same. A complete In less than : book. Fully illustrated. é No. 67. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL TRICKS.—Containing a large collection of instructive and highly amusing electrical tricks together with illustrations. By A. Anderson. . No. 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.—Containing over one hundred highly amusing and instructive tricks with chemicals. By A. Anderson. Handsomely illustrated. . No. 70. HOW TO MAKE MAGIC TOYS.—Containing full diree- bread and crackers were z tions for making Magie Toys and devices of many kinds. Fully ~ ble i illustrated. - ‘ - : Ne, 71 HOW TO DO MEOHANIOAL TRICKS.—Containin ter wiggins abound plete i for performing over sixty Mechanical ‘Tricks. Fully Ne. 7%. HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Embrae- sight to jumping ing all of the latest and most deceptive card tricks, with illustra. agree No. 78. HOW TO Do TRICKS WITH NUMBERS.—Showing J « curious trieks magic nw ‘8. market they Rg ag era = Petar: dozen, but the For sale by ali newsdealers, or will be sent to any address om ing to the receipt of price, 10c. per copy, or 3 for 25¢., in money or postage average FRANK TOUSEY, Pub.. 168 West 23d St.,.New York. — son. a wou - — selves HOW TO By JAMES P. COGAN Price 35 Cents Per Copy

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