Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 869) (1922 05 26)

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MAY 26, 1922 No. 869 7 Cents He felt the chute bend more and more alles his weight, then, with a setting sound, it suddenly parted under him. He jell forward and instinctively caught the two sides of the end held by Sam and Billy.

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY Issued Weekly—Subscription price, $3.50 per year; Canad a Went 284 Strect, Rew ‘York, N. £ Entered No. 869 Post-Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March NEW. YORK, MAY 26, a, $4.00; Foreign, $4.50. Harry E. Wolff. Publisher, Iac., 166 as Second-Class Matter, ‘ew 4, 1911, at 1922 Price 7 Cents in the Newspaper Game OR, THE RISE OF A CUB REPORTER \ ’ Joho CHAPTER 1I.—The Great Jewel Robbery. “Not a regular in the room,” said City Editor Brown, as he hung up the_receiver of his desk telephone and looked around the room; “only that cub reporter, and Jackson wants me to rush him a first-class man.» He’s on an im- _ portant case and expects to cop a beat. What ' the dickens shall I do? As time is everything I'll have to take a chance on the kid. Chester!” “Yes, sir,” replied a bright-looking lad of eigh- teen who was seated at the reporter’s reading a copy of the morning paper, springin up and hurrying to the city editor’s desk. , He was a new hand in the office of the Morn- ing Planet, of Rushville—more of a hanger-on than anything else, for during his three weeks connections with the paper he had only occasion- ally been called on to do work, and the assign- ments he got were comparatively unimportant. The amount of money he had so far collected from the cashier did not pay for his feed. He was paid at the paper’s ordinary space rate, $5 a column, and the total amount his work that had passed into circulation amounted to half acolumn. This was rather discouraging to even an enthusiastic tyro in the newspaper game who had no great amount of funds to live on while he was struggling for recognition, but Tom Chester was not easily discouraged. He had made up his mind to be a reporter, a suc 1 one, for he believed he had the germ in him, and he possessed the “sand” to hang up till he got the chance to show that he could make good. There were two or three other extra men on the paper who came in ahead of him because they had been there longer. Each one of these had had at least one chance to show what he could do, but had not made a particularly bril- liant showing. One of them, a college graduate named Otis Cobb, son of a well-to-do merchant __ im town, who owned a few shares of stock in the newspaper, essayed to be a sporting reporter, and was occasionally used by the sporting editor. He was a good dresser, as he could afford to _ be without reference to what he made, and car- ied himself with a swing that was in to say “I’m the cheese,” but he did not set the office on fire cither by his manners or news- _ paper ability. He was “hail-fellow-well-met” _ with the regulars because he had money to spend and spent it freely, but he had no use for the . third-raters, though he was one himself, and 2 ” f- = By A SELF-MADE MAN likely to stay so as long as he remained with well. facts that every newspaper wants, and slipped up in so many ways that his story, after pass- got in consequence. Since then Otis Cobb had been more ornamental than useful, but he held his head just as high as ever. ° For some reason he took a special dislike to Tom Chester,,and sneered at the lad’s efforts as a cub repdrter. But to return to the city editor’s desk. ’ “Chester, take a cab and go out to the corner of Webster avenue and Linden street. In the saloon you will meet Jackson. Take your orders from him. MHere’s an order on the cashier for your expenses. Any excess you can return * when you get back. Now off with you, and get out there as quick as you can,” said Brown, in sharp, incisive accents. ‘ Tom had his hat in his hand so he didn’t have to return to the table for #t. He hustled out through a corridor into “the reception- where a small boy sat at a table and attended to visitors, thence out intu the main corridor of the building, caught a down elevator and was soon standing in front of the cashier’s pen, wait- ing for the bil’ that was shoved out to him. One could generally find an unemployed cab in the vicinity of the Planet office. Tom found one, gave the driver his directions, told him to rush, and was presently speeding toward his destina- tion. In due time the cub reporter reached the corner he avas sent to, told the cabman to wait and, starting “What the dickens brought-you out here?” . said the star ~eporter of the Planet, staring at Tom, whom “e recognized.

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2 IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME “Mr. Brown sent me. out. Said I’d get my orders from you,” replied the boy. _ Jackson uttered a mild imprecation. “Confound it, I want an experienced man. You’re only a cub. Brown must have been off to send you here. He knows how important the ease is I’m on.” ? : “It’s the Anderson diamond robbery, isn’t it?” “Yes, and I think I’ve spotted the rascals. There’s three in the game, and I can’t handle the case without help. That’s why I sent for a man to help me out, and here Brown sends me an inexperienced kid. Wasn’t there any one else in the office?” “Not a soul.” “But it’s time some of the boys were coming in with their afternoon work.” “None had come in. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll take hold.” “You may have to shadow a man. Think you can do it without giving yourself away?” “Tl do my best, Mr. Jackson. I’m in the newspaper game to make good, and I don’t propose to miss any chance that comes my way.” Jackson had been alternately keeping his eye on the front door of a house a short distance away, and studying the deportment of the cub reporter, whom he regarded as a most unsatis- factory assistant in this emergency. He realized that he had to use him or send him back and goit alone. He decided to use him, for he wanted somebody to watch the rear of the house and follow any one that came out that way. He had ascertained the position of the back door, and from where he had been watching for half an hour he could tell if any one left the house that way; but if it wasn’t the particular person he was especially interested in he could not af- ford to leave the neighborhood and follow him. As the case stood he would have to depend on the cub reporter to do that. Having no great opinion of cub reporters in general he was not pleased to be obliged to depend on one. He gave Tom his orders and told him to dismiss the cab. Instead of dismissing the cab on the corner as he had been told to do. Tom told the driver to take him to the corner below, where he paid the man and let him go. Jackson, not divining the boy’s purpose, swore under his breath at the lad’s stupidity, and looked after the cab till he saw it stop, Tom get out and hand the driver something, after which the vehicle continued on. “Why in thunder did he go down there to dismiss the cab when he could have saved time by shaking it here?” he growled. “He'll make a nice mess of this thing. Darn Brown for send- ing him. He might just as well have sent me a wooden indian.” - Then Jackson returned to his post. Tom walked up the back street toward the house, keeping his eyes wide open for some spot where _ he could enseconce himself and command an un- obstructed view of the rear of the premises he had to watch. Nearly opposite the back of the os Was a vacant lot which was several feet below the street level. _A wooden sidewalk six feet wide ran in front of the lot. The sidewalk was supported by posts driven into the ground, _ and the entire space under it up to the curb __ Tine was hollow. Tom cut across to the lot and ae 5 We eS at a airs - s "jumped down into it. He walked along under the sidewalk to a point where he saw the light shining through from the street, and found it proceeded from a break in the curb stones. Look- ing through the hole he found himself facing the house he had to shadow. “This is a great piece of luck,” he thought. “I can see without being seen.” He congratuiated himself on his good fortune, and kept one of his sharp eyes-alternately on the grim, unpainted building. “Jackson is one of the best reporters in the business,” he said to himself. “If any man, outside a regular detective, can get a line on the Anderson robbers he can. It’s something of an honor to work with him on so important a case. I don’t blame him for not wanting a beginner like me to help him out, but maybe he’ll find I’m some use after all. If I make good, Jackson is just the man to give me Credit, and help me up a round in the ladder. This is the first real chance I’ve had with the paper, and it’s up to me to do something. Anderson, ~t- who is next door to a millionaire, says that his wife’s new diamond tiara, which cost him $60,000, is among the jewelry lifted by the crooks, who entered his house early yesterday morning, blew open the wall safe and got away with loot esti- mated at $100,000. He has offered a reward of $20,000 for the arrest of the thieves and the recovery of his property. The police are hot after the reward, but if Jackson, with such help as I can give him, runs the rascals to cover and finds the plunder, he’ll be entitled to the reward, and in that case the paper will secure a beat. Perhaps he’ll give me a small rake-off.” An hour passed and nothing happened in which Tom was interested. Then he saw a man come to one of the windows of the house, and look around the neighborhood as well as he was able to do. That was the first sign of life he had. seen at the house. The man disappeared and Tom looked for some developments, bnt none came. It was tiresome work, particularly wearying on his eyes, to keep up a constant watch through the hole in the disjointed curb; but it was business,-and the boy did not complain at the unfruitfulness of his task. Another hour passed slowly away. He wondered if Jackson was having better luck. The fact that he had established himself where he could watch the front of the house indicated that the looked-for developments to come from that direction. The men to be shadowed might all have left the house by the front way at the time he had seen the man look out of the back window. In such a case his services were going to waste. Hokever, he had his instructions and had to fol- low them. The third hour elapsed and evening was coming on. Tom had only had a light lunch, ~ and not over-hearty breakfast, owing to his crippled finances, and his stomach began to bother him now. ‘ “It seems to me that the people with the least money have the healthiest appetites,” he said to himself. “I don’t a when I éouldn‘t sit down to the table and hold my end up with anybody. Since my father and mot died, and I was thrown out on the world to hoe my own row, square meals have been getting

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Pair, like a vacant house. _ porter was interested in was a vacant lot. soles IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME 3 to be the exception with me. Well, what’s the odds? Better rough it while you’re young, and perhaps when you get old things will run smooth- er. Hello, there’s that chap at the window again. He looks like the short, thick-set chap, with the striped vest, Jackson called my particular attention. The alleged crooks are presumedly still in the house, and my time is not being wasted after all.” Dusk began creeping over the face of the bustling city. As it gradually became darker a lamplighter came up the street, on his zigzag course, and lit the street lamps. Lights had already appeared in the houses in the neighbor- hood. Not a gleam was to be seen in the house Tom was watching. It wore a dark and silent There was oF — lamp opposite the house next door on the left. Setween the street and the house the tee u for that fact he would have been unable ta keep tab on the house. A yard fence divided off the building in question from the lot. En- trance to the exit from the house was by way of the front, though the fence was no great ob- stacle to an active man who wished to take his departure that way. Jackson had sent the cub reporter around to the rear to guard against such a_ possibility. For reasons of his own he suspected that when the men he had shadowed to the house, under the firm impression that they were connected with the great jewel rob’ , left that one of them at any rate would take the rear route. He believed that the leader of the trio would come out of the front door, and he did not want to miss him. With an experienced assistant at the back his mind would have been easy, but he had no great confidence in Tom, because he was new and young, though personally he rather liked the boy as far as he knew him, which wasn’t much. ‘The street lamp next to the t lot enablec Tom to cover the width of the , and he kept his tired eyes glued in that direction. Suddenly a dark shadow emerged from the depths of the lot. ‘As he came within the scope of the rays of the lamp Tom saw it was the short, heavy-set chap, in the striped vest and soft crowned hat, had been told about.. In his hand was a small suitcase, and he started toward the nearest cornor. Tom awoke to the necessity for imme- diate action. \ CHAPTER Il.—What Tom Hears On the Sloop. ae The man, who had paused for a brief interval look up and down the street, was already g half way to the corner when Tom, getting out of his concealment, hurried after him, keeping close in the shadow of the houses on his side of the street. The boy’s shoes being old, and the thin, made hardly any noise on the side- he slipped after ; Reaching the corner, the man rly 3 as if he was waiting for a car. Tom vantage of his head being turned away w around the corner and slip up the street way. A car came in.sight and he saw “ f his quarry like a . the man board it. Tom walked out to the track and jumped on the same car as it bowled along. The man with the suitcase was inside, at the far end of the car. The young reporter remained outside on the platform. Through the rear window he could keep the fellow in sight without showing any interest in him. There were half a dozen pas- sengers on board. Tom hadn’t taken notice of the names on the car, showing what line it be- longed to, so he didn’t know where he was bound for. Even had he acquired that information he wouldn’t have been much wiser. He was new to Rushville, and there was much connected with the town that he wasn’t familiar with yet. It was situated on the south shore of a big lake, and was the junction point of two great railroad systems. It was one of the largest manufactur- ing cities of the middle West, and thousands of men, and wonien, too, plodded in its great fac- tories. Its street car system ran in all direc- tions, and the car Tom and the thick-set man were aboard of ran between the big Union Depot and the northern end of the lake. It was now headed for the lake. It made no difference to Tom where it was going as long as it carried the man he had directions to shadow. The town thinned out in that direc- tion, and the passengers dropped off one by one until no one was left inside but the man with the suitcase, who appeared to be half asleep in ° his corner. After the last of six passengers got off the car didn’t stop again. The conductor went inside and sat down, as though he did not consider his presence necessary on the back plat- form. Tom was not surprised, for the houses along the route had dwindled down to a few, though they saw indications of buildin tions here and there. The landscape looked dark and lonesome, and would have had a dreary appearance but for the mass of lights stretch- ing about in the rear. The sky was bright with stars, hidden at intervals by light clouds, _ this light rendered objects around fairly visible. The car bounded along at a rapid pace. Tom was looking off into the night toward a great shimmering space, but not a light was to be seen, and which marked the waters of the lake, when the car began slowing down with quick jolts. He looked inside and missed his man. Leaning out on one side of the platform, the side that people got off at, he saw a figur? spring off. As the brakes were released and the car started to. regain its speed, Tom made a quick spring over the gate at the other side of the platform and landed. in a heap in some bushes. Picking him- self up he saw the thick-set man making of toward the lake. The car rapidly point only a short after his man, and opera- ided away to its terminal istance away. Tom started ound considerable difficulty . in keeping track m,.for he had to use some caution lest the fellow should discover. he was being followed. The route followed by the man. was directly toward the lake but diagonally, in the same direction taken by the car. Tom im- mediately judged that he left the car as a blind. In this way a quarter of a mile was passed over and then Tom caught sight of the car stand- ing still in front of a lighted building. The man

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. this spring,” said the seafarin 4 IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME with the suitcase was now close to the lake shore and aiming for a wharf at which lay a large sloop. Tom fell behind a little, owing to the open space he had to cross and watched the man go out on the wharf and step aboard the sloop, where he was met by another man. The young reporter got down on his hands _and knees and crawled out alongside the string- piece. He went as far as he dared and watched the two men seated together in the standing room abaft the cabin: In a few minutes they entered the cabin, which was lighted and closed the door. Tom took advantage of his ckance to crawl close up to the vessel. Not a soul was in sight. There was a hatch midway between the cabin and the bows, which the boy judged communi- cated with the hold. It was closed and covered with a piece of tarpaulin. Farther forward, close to the bows, was a small hatch, usually culled a scuttle, which was open. Tom stepped lightly aboard the sloop, dropped on his hands and knees, and made his way cautiously aft to the skylight in the roof of the cabin. : A couple of small sections of it, on the side toward the lake, were open, and looking down into the reom Tom saw the man he had followed and a roughly attired seafaring chap, seated at the small table directly under the skylight, hob- nobbing over a bottle of liquor. : “I’m ready to put off for the other side of the lake the moment your friends arrive,” said the sailér chap. “Isn’t it about time they were here?” “Pretty near. They were to follow me on the next car. The cars run under fifteen min- ute headway after six. It is possible they missed the following car and took the second one, which would make some difference in the time of their arrival. They'll get off at the cross road, same _-as I did, so that no one at the junction will see them. Although we are ‘looking for no de- tectives over here, the sleuths are bound to come this way some time, and we don’t care to give them a clew to follow,” said the man who had brought the suitcase. E “Everybody is talking about the great diamond robbery. The papers are full of it, and lay it to the crooks who have been rather busy in town man. “The police have already arrested half a dozen on suspicion.” : “Our safety lies in the fact that the police are on the wrong scent. Who would suspect that the old man’s nephew was the moving spirit of __ the enterprise?” “No one. He’s a society gent of the first water. Is he Short of money that he takes such des- perate chances to raise it?” “He's the treasurer of the Rushville Vacuum ‘Tire Works, and he’s been helping himself so _ freely to the funds of the company to keep up - the aX he is leading that he’s deeply involved— is over his head and shoulders. He needs close on to $30,000 to square himself. A temporary drop in the company’s business scared him, be- -- eause the president told him that at the semi- _ tors would require - pany’s financial standing. _ right. for he has them se cleverly de ing next month the board of direc- a full statement of the com- ing. His books are all doctored that =. - = - r — bs = | * ry = ot “4 only an expert accountant could detect the cheat, and if he only had to show them, with his own statement, as he did at the last meeting, he’d be all right probably. This time he will be re- quired to show how the company stands with the bank—the amount of cash on deposit, time notes, and so forth. The cash balance~is -all right. There are six of them that bear a forged signa- ture.of the president, and if that came out, it would place’ Mr. Horace Chiswell in a bad box. He’d be arrested at once and put through: unless his wealthy uncle, Joseph Anderson, came to his rescue and made good. Even*in that case he’d lose his- fine job as treasurer of the com- pany, and the probability is his uncle would cast him off and cut him out of his will. That would spell ruin to him.” s3 “And to save himself all this unpleasant trouble he got up this diamond robbery, hoping to make enough out of it to save his bacon?” “Exactly, and provide him with enough extra cash to last him for a while.” “Couldn’t he have robbed the safe himself with- ~ calling on you and Frisbie to help him do 1 i” “He sure could, for he knew where his uncle kept the combination and the key of the inner steel. door; but that wouldn’t have done at all.” “You mean it would have drawn suspicion upon him?” “Not necessarily; but he wanted to give the matter the appearance of a regular burglary. So many houses and safes have been looted in Rushville within the last three months by an organized gang, which has defied the police with success, that it struck him the robbery of the safe would at once be laid to the same bunch.” “A clever idea.” “Yes. Then the safe disposition of the plunder was an even more important consideration. One | hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds, - particularly when one piece, the tiara of Mrs. Anderson, is worth $60,000 alone, cannot be easily turned into cash within the short time he requires the money.” “How is it going to be managed?” “Leave that to Jim Frisbie and me. On our way across the lake and up the river we'll re- move every diamond from the tiara, and all the stones from the other bits of jewelry. That will destroy their identity. Then we'll put the settings in the melting pot and reduce them to a mass of unrecognizable metal. This will be subsequently refined and sold for its weight in guia The diamonds and other stones will be isposed of as unset gems in Chic that is, enough of them to provide Chiswell with the funds he has to have at once. The rest will go — to New York and be got rid of there among certain jewelers; who are not squeamish when they can drive a fair bargain. None of the plunder will ever pass through the usually used by crooks, and therefore all the ef- forts of the police to track it will be in vain.” “T hope the thing goes through without a hitch for I don’t want to get into trouble over it,” said the sailor man, whose name was Ben Bunker, © and who was the owner of the sloop. “Don’t worry, Bunker. You’re not supposed to know anything about the matter. You and ,< ‘7

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“When do I get it?” / - “The $20 a day you'll — as soon as we part company with you. The bonus say in a month— as soon as Frisbie and me-are ready to make a settlement with Chiswell.” “You and Frisbie are going to get rid of the diamonds, then?” “Yes; that’s part of our work.” “Chiswell must have a good deal of confidence in you.” 32 “He has, and we'll treat him white. In the long run it will mean mace in our pocket. We'll never need a dollar as long as*he lives,” grinned the speaker, who was known to Bunker 7 as Bud Whipple, an ex-crook, but now employed by the Rushville Vacuum Tire Works as special Office messenger. P= Jim Frisbie was also an ex-crook, a former pal ef Whipple’s. Whipple had procured him the __-: position of office porter with the company. At that moment, Tom, the reporter, who was deeply ed in the revelation he was listening to, disclosure of which imprint he knew would create a sensation in Rushville, and give his paper a beat on the great diamond robbery, heard Sounds on the wharf. He glanced over the top _ ©f the skylight and saw two men approaching _ the sloop. They were already so close to the __- Vessel that’ the boy couldn’t leave his place of 3 jal conceaiment without his presence being = so he bobbed down again and lay quiet. _ The newcomers stepped aboard, each carrying a small suitcase. The one in the lead had the air of a gentleman though his appearance was * a bit rough. He was dressed in a pilot coat _-~ with a soft dark hat pulled down above his eyes, while a heavy short beard fringed his jaw from 3 man was Horace Chiswell in Se ded on the cabin door. Whip- ple sprang from his seat, pulled the bolt and Opened the door. Gs -- “You two have come at last,” he said. “Then We'll be off at once. This is Bunker, the owner and he will take us wherever we _ Of the vessel, OW: I will guarantee that he can be to go. on this trip. Jim and about boats to give him all the > “I thought I saw the legs of a man stretched t alongside of the skylight, as though asleep. mse he was one of a! , 1e dickens!” = ’ we 5 < Faeled=); tee} ee, es fae Ww. yi ejaculated Whipple, with a look IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME 5 of consternation. “I hope you were mistaken. I'll have to investigate.” The cub reporter heard what he said and realized that he must effect a rapid change of pose if he hoped to avoid discovery. CHAPTER III.—Caught. He was not quick enough to escape the notice of Whipple and Frisbie, who ran out of the cabin, both of them alive to the possibility that the legs mentioned by Chiswell belonged to a detective, who must be summarily dealt with, or the game was up accordingly to the préarranged programme. Tom was gliding forward toward the open scuttle when the two men saw him. Had he darted for the wharf he could have made his escape in the darkness, but he felt that Fee his Cuty to stick to the hot scent he had “Hey, you, what are you doing aboard _this sloop?” demanded Whipple, springing up on the deck, followed by Frisbie, and — after him. Tom stopped and turned around, feeling he was up against it, and wondering what excuse he could offer. “Looking for something to eat,” he replied, his stomach suggesting that reply. “Looking for something to eat?” repeated Whipple, grabbing him by the arm roughly. “That will do to tell. Come now, give an account of yourself. Who are you?” “Tom Jones, eh? What brought you snooping around this vessel?” “T’ve told you. I’m hungry. I haven’t had anything but a sandwich and a cup of coffee since breakfast, and then I only had coffee and two. rolls.” Tom was telling the exact truth. It was going on nine oxlock and he was desperately hungry. His words had the ring of truth, and the hungry © look in his countenance bore him out. Still Whip- ple was not satisfied. “You were lying down alongside the skylight listening to what was going on in the cabin. Don’t try to deny it, for you were seen there. That isn’t the way to look for something to eat. Come now, own up that you’re a spy.” “I know I was lying beside the skylight. I guess I must have falle asleep there. If you'll give me somethin ~ to eat I’ll go away.” “No, I don’t think you'll go away yet awhile. As for giving you something to eat, what -do you-take this vessel for—a restaurant?” : “But I’m awfully hungry, truly I am. If you'll give me a feed I’r: willing to pay for it in work, if you have anything you want done.” Chiswell and Bunker now came up. “Is he a——” began Chiswell, when he was choked off by Whipple. _ ; “I don’t kicw what he is, but he has no busi- ness aboard the craft. He ciaims he’s hungry, but that’s ali poppycock in, my opinion,” said Whipple. _ “Tf your stcmach felt like mine you couldn’t call it poppy-cock,” said Tom. “ “Better search him,” suggested Frisbie. — - «Whipple acted’ on the suggestion at once. AY

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6 IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME Shoving his hznd into Tom’s side pocket he pulled eut a reporter’s notebook and a pencil. Tom had filled a couple of pages with notes concern- ing the facts he had overheard through the open skylight. They were in shorthand and clumsily executed, for they had been written in the dark by starlight. = a a match, Frisbie?” asked Whipple. “Yes.” “Strike it.” . 4 The match fla.ed up and Whipple examined the lines and potkooks in the book, which covered a score of pages, and besides Tom’s night’s work consisted of notes taken during previous assign- ments. “Shorthand!” ejaculated Whipple. “This chap is evidently a spy.” “Those are my notes. I’m learning shorthand, said Tom. ; Under different circumstances his words might have had some effect, for the potbooks he had slapped down beside the skylight were pretty raw, and far from the performance of even: an ordinary stenographer. Whipple was no judge of shorthand from an expert point of view. As long as it was shorthand it was suffi- ciently suspicious to criminate the young skulker. The rascal believed Tom was an ally of the police. He looked too young to be a regular de- tective, but the man knew that regular sleuths often employed assistants not on the force to help them out. He judged that Tom was one. Whether he was or not they could not afford to let him get away. ipp e shoved the note- book in his pocket and continued his search. He found a quarter in Tom’s vest pocket. “Hungry, are you, with a arter in your pocket, and a free lunch to be had for a drink at the saloon yonder!” he said, grimly. “I thought you were lying and now I know it.” - “Ym not lying. I’m as hun as thunder,” insisted Tom, wit: a ravenous look. _ to save that quarter to pay for a bed.” “We'll give you a bed free. Here, Bunker, get a rope and tie this chap’s arms. We've got to take him with us, and the hold is the only place bei = ean apn ag 7 = ion’t care w you put me if you'll give me something to eat,” said Tom. “You ought to starve for putting your nose where it isn’t wanted. If you’re hungry you'll stay so, and serve you right.” Tom had nothing more to say. He saw that it would do him no good. So be gritted his teeth and made up his mind to and bear it. Bunker brought the rope and tied the boy’s arms behind his back. He accomplished the job by taking two turns of the rope around Tom’s body and tying a knot behind. The tarpaulin was cscs the hatch, the hatch lifted and the y was put down into the dark and fish-smell- ing hold. The hatch was then replaced. “Tm afraid he’s in the employ of the police,” said Whipple. “We must make sure of it for it’s @ serious matter.” “And if we finc he is, what then?” said Chis- “He'll have to be kept out of the way, o bought off.” m4 ay re vad “If a whisper of my connection with this affair got out I’d be ruined,” said Chiswell. “You certairly would,” agreed Whipple. “And the rest of us would Lave to get under cover and stay there. One thing is certain he must be kept under close watch till the job is wound up ac- cording to programme. ‘Then we'll see what can be done with him. It would pay us, you par- ticularly, to give him two or three thousand to close his mouth, anc it would pay_him to ac- cept. He couldn’t make money any“éasier. Two or three thousand would be a fortune to him. Well, it is time we got under way. Come on, Bunker, Jam and I’ll lend you a hand.” The mainsail was hoisted part way, the jibs ditto, the lines cast off and the sloop slowly left her moorings and slipped out into the lake. Just as she was disappearing in the gloom of the night < well built young man came gliding out on the wharf. a “Too late!” he muttered. “Hang the luck!” This individual was Jackson, the Planet’s star reporter. And for the twelfth time he swore at the stupidity of City Editor Brown for send-~ ing him a ra-7 cub reporter instead of an ex- perienced man. If he had only dreamed that the cub reporter was aboard the disappearing sloop and had acquired information which he hardly even suspected, his thoughts would have been different. Left to himself in the darkness of the small hiold, with his arms bound, Tom was ~ not beg d to be envied, particularly as he was tortured by an empty stomach. While he was considering his position the sloop got under way. Tom wondered if there was anything in the hold besides himself. The smell of stale fish that predominated arose from the fact that the vessel had carried a load of salt fish across the lake from Rushville a few days previous. The fish were boxed, but for all that the odor emanating from the cases re- mained behind as a gentle remainder of the nature of the cargo. As it is not a pleasant thing to be in the dark with one’s arms confined by a rope Tom started in to see if he couldn’t free himself. He found the job easier than he anticipated. Bunker had failed to tie him as tight as might have done, and so Tom, by ‘some manipulation of his hands, got his right arm partly free. This enabled him to shove his hand into his pocket where his clasp knife was. To pass it behind his back and open the big blade with the fingers of his other hand was not such a diffcult operation. The knife being sharp he soon severed the rope and the rest was easy. Freeing himself of the line he pulled out a match and lit it. Looking around he saw that the only things in the hold were a number of boxes and a hamper. The hamper suggested provisions. Such a prepeetion in the famished state Tom was in induced him to rly investi- gate the contents of the hamper. He found a dozen loaves of fresh bread to begin with half a cooked ham, such as is to found in delicatessen stores. Tom did not look further. He seized a loaf with his knife and cut off several slices. Then he struck another match and be- gan slicing the ham. In a trice he had twe sandwiches prep » his mouth watering dur- ing the pease, Laying down his knife he 4

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began to eat with an avidity that almost choked = w } " ' chewed away. : E ; Those two sandwiches disappeared in no time, and he fixed up a third, which followed the same Toad. : : “Tf I only had something to drink now,” he thought. meri : He made further examination of the hamper and discovered a quart bottle of milk. He drank half of it before his thirst was appeased. Then he got busy with a fourth sandwich, and between that and a fifth he finished the milk. “Gosh! I feel bang-up now,” he told himself. Then he sat down and reflected on what he had overheard. The loss of his notebook meant little to him, for he recalled every important par- " ~~wieular of the conversations he had overheard. - Tom was too recent an addition to the popula- tion of Rushville to know much about the town and its inhabitants. Joseph Anderson, the rich manufacturer whose house had been robbed of a fortune in diamonds and other jewelry, was one of the leading citizens and consequently well known to the newspaper men. Tom might have seen his name mentioned in the papers, but took _ no notice of it until the diamond robbery brought it into prominence. Horace Chiswell was a leader in swell society and a man about town. Every newspaper man knew him by sight or in some way. Otis Cobb boasted of being on terms of intimacy with him. "fom had heard his name referred to so often by the other reporters, and had also seen it in print in connection with tho first night of a new show, a cotillion dance, a reception given by one of Rushville’s 400, or in other way, that he had come to regard Horace Chiswell as a very important and fortunate person. As he was a bachelor, and was believed to stand high in his wealthy uncle’s favor, he was much angled for ; ‘by ambitious mothers who were anxious to unload - @ marriageable daughter upon him. --» Having all this in his mind’s eye, the revela- tion that came te Tom’s ears through the cabin skylight quite staggered the young reporter. | Apparently Horace Chiswell was not what fancy painted him. High rolling habits’ had run him into debt. To secure the wherewith to hold his end up he had forged the name of the president of his company to several notes, aggregating $30,- _ 000, and had discounted them at the company’s bank, which his position as treasurer enabled him to do. And now, with the certainty of exposure dogging his steps, he had gone more deeply into crime, in order to save himself. And this crime was a pretty mean one. He had robbed his uncle and aunt of their -™M™ost cherished possessions, expecting that the “blame would fall on the crooks that infested the “¢ity, and while the police was following a false - Scent he planned to turn his plunder into cash, With the assistance of his two experienced con- ae . Tom went over all this as he sat there in the dark hold and reflected that he alone asks was aware of the truth. What a ‘Story ; te aa well be _ Proud of. Perhaps on the strength of it he would = — > : : ~ “Mercy, how good it tastes!” he thought, as he ‘would have to turn into the Planet office. . IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME 7 become a regular, young as he was. And then he would get work enough to pay his way, and the nightmare of a lodging-house misses pound- ing impatiently on his hail room door for her rent, and the substantial breakfast of coffee and rolls, not to speak of a meager supper of hash, would become phantasies of the past. All this im- proved condition of things he pictured to him- self as the result of the beat he felt he had secured for his paper. His castle building, however, tumbled when he got down to the hard fact that two important things had to be done before he realized on his advantage. He must escape from his captors, and he must be able to substantiate his story. His mere statement alone of what he had learned concerning the truth of the diamond robbery, while it might be credited by the editor of his paper could not be printed without reasonable evi- dence to back it up. The most important thing expected of ‘a reporter is truthfulness, and in the ordinary run uf the newspaper game, owing to the rush with which the paper is gotten out, which prevents, as a rule, verification, it is taken for grarted. Should a reporter fail in this es- sential particular he is. discharged in short order, and the brand is apt toe spoil his career. For that reason reports, for their own inter- ests, are careful to stick to the facts—for it is facts that the .ewspapers want and print. Tom, though merely a cub reporter, came under the same iron-clad rvle, but while his story might be accepted at its valce in the office, it was of too serious a nature to be printed offhand. Ex- perienced reporters would be sent to investigate along the lines furnished by himself, and doubt- less they’d pick tp enough evidence to warrant publication. Of course he would receive due credit for his part in the ultimate story, but Tom figured that half the glory would be lost to him. So he resolved at all hazards to run his quarry down and get his own story into the paper. Then he would know that he had made good on his first real attempt. Tom noticed a small crevice in the bulkhead. He applied his eye to it and saw Chiswell, Whipple and Frisbee sitting around a table. On the table lay a glittering mass of diamond jew- elry, with Mrs. Anderson’s tiara in the center. The men were talking, but Tom could not dis- tinguish the words. Just then Bunker came into the cabin for orders. “Go straight on. Anything on the lake?” asked Whipple. “Nothing.” 4 Chiswell then went out on deck. = The others set about taking the jewels from their settings, when Chiswell poked his head in the door and reported a fast launch coming up. Whipple told Frisbie to put the tools in a locker, put the tiara into the suitcase and bring it on deck. Tom resolved to make his escape if he could. So he darted to the hatch, which Whipple had. left open; he caught the combing and swung himself on deck. As Tom reached the bow the craft fetched up against the shcre bank with a shock which sent him flying ashore. Whipple grabbed the suitcase and sprang ashore, followed by Frisbee, : Tom had been seen by the two crooks and they

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8 IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME were now afraid of his bringing the ice down on them. They had scarcely been to escape. before the police launch ran up to the sloop. The vessel was searched by the officers, but nothing was discovered of a suspicious character. They saw Chiswell, but did not suspect him. Meanwhile Whipple and Frisbie had headed up the river bank followed by the young reporter. After going about half a mile Whipple and Fris- bie waited for the sloop, which was, Tom thought, to meet them there. Whipple set the suitcase be- side a thick patch of bushes. Then he walked over to the river bank. Frisbie waited for him to come back. Tom, who was behind the bushes, ut his arm through and pulled the suitcase to im, making off with it without being discovered. When the crooks came back for the suitcase it had disappeared. - “The boy has followed us and taken it,” said Whipple. The sloop came up to the bank just then and was made fast. Chiswell was in the cabin asleep. Whipple now acquainted Bunker with the loss of the suitcase and his suspicions as to who took The three men immediately set out to find Tom. By this time Tom was well away with his suit- case. Entering an old farmyard he stopped be- side a well to get a drink when his feet suddenly shot through a hole in the ground and he brought up at the bottom of the well with the suitcase beside him. It happened by Iuck, to be a dry well. He was not —_ eon —_ ro re While waiting for dayli om eep. en he awoke up it was daylight and Tom perceived a sort of tunnel leading from one side of the well. Leaving his suitcase behind him he followed the tunnel and came out in a dense mass of bushes. Tom was made a prisoner in the meantime. CHAPTER IV.—Back to the Sloop. “I say, what have you done with that suit- case?” repeated Whipple. “What suit-case?” replied Tom, recovering from his surprise, and ha’ no intention of revealing the whereabouts of the article in ques- tion. “We see you haven’t. You've hid it in the wood Show us where.” : ae haven’t hid it in the wood. I haven’t P : eoeThat won't do. We know you have it.” “Then you know a whole lot more than I do ~~ Maysel£?. on bie artet ; —S “Own up, now, that you’re working for the Rushville police.” “I am not working for the Rushville police. I don’t know a single officer. In fact, I’m almost a stranger in the city. I wasn’t there three weeks when you made a prisoner of me last night and brought me over here, where I’ve been trying ever since I got away from you last night to find my way out of this confounded wilderness.” “Your yarn may be true in some respects, but we know you got away with the suit-case last night in the dark.” said,Whipple. “You think there’s something in it worth while stealing, that’s why you are keeping it in the background. Now if you’re hard up, and feel the need of stealing a suitcase to replenish your resources, we'll give you a $5 bill and let you go if you give up the case.” * “I'd like to make your $5 Bill, for I need the money, but I can’t give up what I haven’t got,” said Tom. The boy’s persistency in denying any knowledge of the suit-case forced the rascals into a corner. It even gave rise to some doubts in their minds, particularly in Bunker’s, as to whether they hadn’t made a mistake in the matter after all. It was not impossible that in the darkness and excitement of the occasion Whipple and Frisbie had overlooked the suitcase, and if they returned to the spot, and_made a careful search, they would find it. Bunker offered the suggestion. Whipple was sure that he couldn’t have over- looked it. He remember just where he had laid it down, close to the bushes, while he went over to the bank to hail the sloop. When he returned in less than five minutes the suit-case was not there. - “Anyway, Jim and me looked all around the spot, and we couldn’t have failed to see it if it was there,” said Whipple. “Well, if the boy knows where it is he won’t tell,” said Bunker. “We must make him te!l.” Ym blamed hungry. yet, and it’s close on to noon,” said Frisbie. a is So the party started had followed «he ni oj soe 7H H ieee Hee 2 ittmdlil

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. an explosion of fireworks, so to speak, from Mr. Chiswell. He had been walking the sloop’s deck, smoking cigars and drinking whisky since he woke up and turned out at nine o’clock, three hours before, and found himself the only occu- Eapent of the vessel, much to his surprise and _ somewhat to his displeasure. Being ignorant of the cause of the absence of the three men, he - fumed over it with the impatience of a man of his social standing accustomed to have things ; his way. As time passed a suspicion began to __ take shape in his mind that his confederates had played him false and made off with the diamonds, ving him in the lurch. _. “Where in thunder have you people been?” he - Yeared, angrily, as they stepped on board with _ their prisoner, “and who have you got with you?” _ The relief he felt at seeing his confederates back enabled him to give rein to his displeasure at having been deserted. Rags “We've been off on an important expedition, said Whipple. _ **Portant expedition! (hic) What do you mean by that? What pe Have you to go away and leave me alone? hy is the sloop tied up here along the river instead of being tied up at a wharf in Glendale? Do you know you have _ €aused me to miss the moring express for Chi- _ tago? Do you know you have caused me to - Miss my breakfast, too? I want an explanation _—an explanation!” (hic) - “Certainly, sir. You know our prisoner es- - caped from us last night and it was necessary for the good of all concerned that he be recap- _ tured,” said Whipple. ‘ __ “What prisoner?” said Mr. Chiswell, who had en about ee and did not remember anything concerning him? = aThis’ boy, suspected of being a spy in the _ Service of the police.” ___. Chiswell looked hard at Tom. ~~ ”? he hiccoughed, “are you a polite spy?” “No, sir,” answered Tom. X “Whipple, you hear that? Boy says he isn’t Police spy. How do you (hic) make out that ae: hy ‘ “I am surprised that you seem to have for- en what happened last night at the wharf we sailed, sir. You yourself were the | Betton who detected him in the act of listening the cabir skylight.” ; ar here, Whipple, am I drunk?” said the am of the tire works. : “You are nt sober,” replied Whipple, frankly. He was disgustod with the attitude and con- of his employer. ; meee pave reason to Delieve that the boy is a — 5 What for? What does he know? Who is he?” nhs § can’t answer any of your questions, sir.” Vhat’s | name, boy?” . - Jones,” replied the young reporter. do you live?” le”. are you doing out here?” : geuie, brought -me here on these) sloop.” te hadn't been nosing around the sloop dn’t have brought you,” said Whipple. ‘been ta a great deal about IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME 9 me nosing around this vessel, and you have re- peatedly charged me with being connected with the police. Why have you done so? What’s go- ing on aboard this sloop that you are afraid of leaking out?” “Nothing is going on that we’re afraid of leak- ing out,” replied Whipple, with a scowl. “Then what difference did it make to I was nosing around, or if I was connect the police, which, however, isn’t the fact?” “The differc.ice is we don’t want strangers hanging around.” “Let me go, then, and I'll get away fast enough. i “We'll let you go when you’ve confessed what you have done with that suit-case,” said Whipple. “What suit-cas. are you talking about, Whip- ple?” blinked Chiswell. “One of our suit-cases is missing and we sus- pect he took i:.” “Boy is « thief, then?” “Never mind what he is. You’d better turn in and sleep off the whisky you’ve been drinking. Bunker will start in and cook breakfast, or rather dinner, and we’ll call you when it’s ready.” Whipple’s object was to get Chiswell out of the way below, The gentleman didn’t want to go below. He was up for the day and intended to stay up. Tom noticed one. think in con- nection with him—that was he had no beard on this morning. The boy for the first time saw Chiswell’s natural face. Whipple took Frisbie aside and whispered something in a low tone to him. Then he took Chiswell by the arm and told him to com?2'below, as he wanted to talk to him. Chiswell was willing to go into the cabin to talk _business, and Whipple got him there. “Now, young fellow, either own up about the suitcase or you'll have to take another spell of it in the hold, and this time, I think, we'll fix ‘ou if with you so that you won’t be able to go free,” said Frisbee.” y “T’ve told you I haven’t got the suit-case.” “But you know where it is hidden.” Of course Tom did, and he didn’t care to lie about it, he kept silent. “Your silence convicts you.” “T’ve said all I’m going to about that suit-case.” “You refuse to give me a definite answer?” “T refuse to give you any answer all.” “Very well. Down into the hold you go.” Once more Bunker put a rope around Tom’s arms and body, and this time jt was noosed. * The nose was drawn fairly tight and knotted. Thus he was put into the hold and tied ts 4 to the mast. But the hatch was left partly off to give him air and light. CHAPTER V.—Tom Refuses To Give In. Tom wondered what would be the end of this second experience in the hola. He did not be- lieve his captors would gain much by it. Cer- tainly they wouldn’t learn from him, the hiding place of the diamonds. Through the forward bulkhead he heard Bunker busy in the little galley. There was a door in the bulkhead -through which the boatman came into the hold . s eee fae By

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10 with a lighted candle. He held it over the hamper and saw that it had been tampered with. “So, you young rascal, you’ve helped yourself to some of our provisions, I see,” he said, angrily. “I told you people I was awfully hungry last night,” replied Tom? I didn’t rob you of much— a few slices of bread and ham and a bottle of milk. The milk probably would have been sour by this time, and useless to you, anyway, if I hadn’t drank it.” Bunker saw that the boy hadn’t taken so much, and as for the milk, he guessed it would have been unfit to use by that time. He let the matter go at that and carried away some of the things in the hamper. Then he returned and opened a box lined with zine which contained meat pack- ed in small chunks of ice. Out of another box he tock some potatoes. He sat down and peeled a dozen of them. “Feel hungry again?” prisoner. “I do. Are you going to give me a bite when you chaps get through?” asked Tom. “If you tell us where the suitcase is we will, otherwise you’ll go hungry,” said Bunker. “That suit-case must be awfully important from the way you people harp about it.” “It’s important enough for us to want to get it back. I guess if you had a suit-case filled with your personal property stolen you’d try hard to get it back again. Wouldn’t you?” “Of course I would.” “Very good, that’s why we are digging at you to e that case up.” can’t give up what I haven’t got.” “But you stole it from us and have hidden it so as to go through it as soon as you get the chance.” “Say, you chaps came upon me unawares on the edge of the woods.” “If we hadn’t we would have nabbed you.” “You may gamble on that, for you’d win. I had no wish to run across you again after the way you treated me. Now, look here, you didn’t find that suit-case in my hand, did you?” “You hid it in the woods before you came out.” “Why should I have done that when I wasn’t ing io meet you people? I’d have had it with me if it was in my possession.” The apparent logic of Tom’s remark caused Bunker to scratch his head. His mind couldn’t suggest any reason why the boy, if he had the he grinned at the suit-case, should have hidden it in the wood if - he did not expect to meet his late captors. “Well, I don’t know much about the matter,” he said. “Bud Whipple says he knows you are the only one who could have taken it, and Jim Frisbie agrees with him. Whipple is running things and what he says goes with me, because he’s the chap I look to for the hire of the boat. If you didn’t take it, of course you didn’t, but it’s such an important matter that you won’t get out of this scrap very easy, I can tell you that.” : r was rather incautious.in his remarks, for he let out the full names of Whipple and Frisbie, and the young reporter made a mental note of them. . _ “What do you do for a living? Take parties IN THE. NEWSPAPER GAME “Yes, and sometimes I go fishing on my own hook.” : “What do you do in cold weather?” ; “Nothing much. Pick up odd jobs here and there ashore.” “You furnish the meals when you take parties out, I suppose?” “The people furnish the grub and I cook it.” Bunker got up and carried his potatoes into the galley. Presently there came a sizzling sound, and a smell that made Tom’s mouth water. He was a hungry boy, and Bunker’s intimation that he would not get anything to eat unless he told about the suit-case was not a pleasant re- flection to him. Bunker didn’t return to the — hold. The appetizing odor of beefsteak done to a turn floated to Tom’s. nose and made him still - more ravenous for food. He hadn’t lived very high since he came to Rushville, but still he had not actually gone hungry. Even a cup of coffee and a plate of doughnuts will stay the stomach when one cannot afford to buy steak and fried potatoes. Tom would have given a great deal | for that meager lay-out now, but he was afraid that the smell of well-cooked victuals was all he could hope for under the present strenuous cir- cumstances. While Bunker was acting as cook, Frisbie was laying the table in the cabin. Whipple and Chiswell were seated in the stand-room outside talking. The former had not as yet dared ‘con- fess to his principal that the diamonds had van- ished. He knew such a communication would produce an awful eruption. He hoped it would- n’t come to that point, and yet, rack his brains — as he might, he could think of no plan that would make their prisoner confess unless starva- tion. would do it, and that would take more time than he could afford to give to it, if the boy had the pluck to stand out to the limit. Bunker finished his cooking and, assisted by Fris- bie, carried the dishes into the cabin and placed them on the table. The board was set of for three, as Bunker was expected to eat in the galleq, or on deck, for Mr. Chiswell wouldn’t stand for him at the same table with himself. — It was only the necessity of the occasion that made the society leader and treasurer consent — to eat with his accomplices. As a matter of facts when Chiswell employed them to help him | commit the crime on his uncle, he practically lowered himself to their level. They were wise enough not to seek to press such an advantage, at least at that stage of the game. They knew | what kind of man they had to deal with, and they did not consider it prudent to act toward — Chiswell with any more familiarity than the cir- cumstances called for. Between themselves — Whipple and Frisbie counted Chiswell as the goose that might be counted on to lay many golden eggs in the future, when they needed those kinds of es: , for companionship in crime — ve them a hold upon him which he forgot to gure on when he went into the enterprise. Chiswell and his two associates went into the cabin and ate like the hungry men they were, while Bunker lost no time in ing outside of his own meal in the galley. Tom knew that all hands were enjoying their dinner, and his stomach felt emptier than ever. He tried to free

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iy Sane himself, but with no success. Bunker had tied _~him in good shape this time. Half an hour _ @lapsed and then Whipple came to the galley. _ There was enough food for one person left _ ver. Whipple had it fixed up temptingly on a tray by Bunker, and, flanked by a hot cup of atte, he entered the hold with it. “I guess you’re hungry, kid,” he said, holding the tray under the boy’s nose. “This is your dinner, but there’s a string attached to it. You _ Must tell where the suit-case is. If you do » that you eat, if you won't do it it you don’t eat. _ What’s your answer?” *I don’t eat, I suppose,” replied Tom. Whipple looked disappointed. “Better think it over. We're going to unmoor ~ and go on up the river. You won’t get a thing ~ to eat, if you drop down, till you give in.” - “I’m in your power and will have to stand for anything you do to me,” said the cub reporter. “Inste: of harassing me, why don’t you "ashore and take another look for the suitcase?” _. “Because it would only be a waste of time. _ Now look here, young man, we have got to have _ that case. We know you have a line on its “present whereabouts. What you expect to make out of it I don’t know, but it contains p rty _ I don’t want to lose. We might take you to Glen- dale and hand you over to the police on the cha of theft. Sooner than go to all that trouble, Tl give you $100 if you'll lead us to the hiding-place of the case, and then we'll let _ you your wa * ES: Sipe . “Why couldn’t you?” ~ . “For the reason I have already stated.” a Sl persist in denying that you know where 3 ” “I have nothing further to say about it.” Whipple carried the tray of food back to the “No go, eh?” asked Bunker. : “Even $100 won’t tempt him, I don’t know _ What to make out of him. He’s put up in a bad box. The boss has ordered me to proceed to _ Glendale, and I don’t know how to get out of _ it. T hate to leave this neighborhood, for the _ Stit-case is somewhere around. Suppose he _ Should ask to see the diamonds before he starts _ for Chicago, what am I going to do? The truth will have to come out then; and there'll be the to pay. - « dickens as “Wa better go on to Glendale, land Chiswell, Ba / ee, come back here after he’s started for Chi- Sad “We'll have to keep the boy well under cover is _ While we’re at the town.” __ “That can be done by keeping the hatch on _ 8nd the tarpaulin cloth over it.” “He won’t smother?” “There's. air enough for a day or two in the ‘hold, but as: we don’t want te make him -suffer *e can leave the scuttle partly open and the or in the bulkhead ajar. Then he'll be. all ‘f reen minutes later the sloop was unmoored ‘esumed her way up the river under a light Piet. 3° Ts "A pe .- d * _ a es r= - ‘ “If you offered ‘nie $1,000 I couldn’t do as you’ ” IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME ll didn’t worry Tom greatly. The only thing that worried him was his stomach. Bunker came in to see him. “Why don’t you buy yourself off?” he asked. “A $100 and a nice meal—I’ll warm it up for you—isn’t to be sneezed at,” he said. “I’m tired of your argument. Let me alone,” replied Tom. “Losing your temper, are you. You're either a fool, or. 2 “I’m not half the fool you people are. If you do me up you'll have to answer for it. If you don’t fed me I’m bound to go under. That won’t bring you the suit-case any sooner. I tell you right now. Sink or swim, that you’ll never find it out through me. That’s my last word on the subject, and you can c it to the man higher up,”-said Tom, d - Bunker looked at him, shook his head and went on deck, where he communicated the brief inter- view to Whipple. That worthy ripped out an imprecation and returned to his seat astern where Frisbie was steering, a feat that required no particular ability in that breeze. Toot—toot—toot! Up the river came a swift launch, whirling suddenly into sight around a bend. Those aboard the sloop were not a little startled. CHAPTER VI.—Free Again. A guilty conscience always fears the worst, that’s why Chiswell and his two confederates jumped to the conclusion that the launch was a police boat. A visit from the police boat now was sure to lead to unpleasant explanations, for they would find a half starved prisoner on who might let out information that would cause their arrest. If he knew where the suitcase containing the stolen diamonds was, as Whipple and Frisbie were confident he did, he would lead the authorities to it and then claim the $20,000 reward. Up to that moment Whipple had for- gotten the reward, and he now understood, or thought he did, the real reason of the prisoner's dogged conduct. On came the launch, dashing the water from her bows. Whipple*and Fris- bie held their breath, and Chiswell looked wor- ried, for he was fairly sober now, his dinner dtr ig drawn the fumes of the whisky from his ead. : The launch came up hand-over-hand. Instead of the police, it contained a bunch of young men, and those aboard the sloop drew a free breath of relief. “Hi, there, get a gait on, you ice wagon!” shouted one of the young men, standing up im the stern and looking toward the sloop. Chis- | well recognized the speaker as Otis Cobb. Ordinarily he would hardly have noticed the young man, though they were on speaking terms, Le Para he waved his hands and shouted: “Hello, ‘obb. Cobb stared and then recognized Chiswell. “Run alongside the sloop and stop,” he said te the man fo~ward who was running the boat. Power was shut off and engine reversed when it was seen that the launch would shoot by the slow-going craft. >

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12 “Glad to see you, Mr. Chiswell,” said Cobb, doffing his hat politely. “Didn’t expect to meet you up this way.” “Where are you going in that launch?” asked the society man. “To Glendale to report a college baseball game for my paper,” said Cobb, consequentially: “You know I’m a sporting writer on the Planet.” If Chiswell knew it his memory was at fault. Anyway, the fact didn’t interest him. Neither did Otis Cobb. Cobb had got the assignment through the city editor, who wishing to oblige Mr. Cobb, Sr., had asked the sporting editor to give the young man another chance to spread himself. As the sporting editor did not regard the game in question as deta res important, he consented to send Cobb to do the game. He was provided with his railroad fare and a badge, but Cobb decided to go in. what he considered style and take a couple of friends with him, so he hired the launch at his own expense, for money was no great object to him, and started across the lake at a hot clip, and thence up the river. “Ym going fishing over at Clear Lake, and I may wind up in Chicago,” replied Chiswell. After a short conversation the launch started on again, as Cobb said he had no time to lose, for the game started at half-past three. “How lucky that wasn’t a police launch!” said Whipple. “That's right,” nodded Frisbie. “With the prisoner on board, had we been boarded by officers we would have been up against it.” An hour wore slowly away and Tom began to gtow weak. His legs trembled under him, his face looked drawn, and he leaned heavily on the ropes that held him. Bunker, making another visit, reported his condition to Whipple. That individual visited him. Z “Ready to give in?” he asked. aan Cothiog to say,” replied the boy, gamely. “Loosen the rope and let him sit down,” said Whipple. 4 P Bunker loosened up his bonds, Tom slid to the floor and fell over, looking white and ex- hausted. : “Feed him,” said Whipple. “We must try some other method with him.’ He returned to the standing-room and had a private talk with Frisbie. Bunker warmed the coffee and the rest of the food and brought it to Tom. The boy accepted it and at. ravenously. Then he sat back against. the mast and closed his eyes. After releasing his arms so he could eat, Bunker had tied him not over tight to the mast in his sitting posture. He intended to tie his arms again later, when he looked better. He forgot or neglected carrying this purpose out. The knot had held Tom’s bonds was a pecaliss sailor one not easy to untie when it’s ehind one. Maybe Bunker counted on that knot to do it’s full duty. We will give the knot the credit of being able to do its full duty., Tom couldn’t. have untied it if he had tried. He didn’t try when later on, realizing that his hands were free, he decided to make his escape if he could. Why should he go to all that trouble when he had a knife in his pocket—the knife which had freed him before? Tom reached his ‘other side. IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME resolution about the time the sloop was drawing into a small wharf at Glendale at about four. o’clock. He felt fully recovered now, the meal having put fresh vigor into him. No one had come near him since he was fed, and that was over an hour since. It was lucky that he started to get away at that moment, for Whipple was about to order the hatch closed upon him now that the sloop was presently to be tied up to the wharf. Tom, however, didn’t know they were so near Glendale. He expected to jump into the river, swim ashore and dig out as fast as he could travel. He whipped out his knife and cut himself free, Then he tried to get out through the galley, - but could not fird the door. It was not dark — in the hold with the hatch Kalf off, but still the door was not visible to him. The hinges were not exposed and the handle was on the t opened into the hold, but fitted so closely that Tom was unable to get it open even with the point of his knife. There was nothing for him to do but to spring out through the hatchway as he had done before. As it was broad daylight he was certain to be seen. Still he figured that all hands were fin the standing-room, and they would not be able to cut him off. He jumped up, caught the combing, or raised border ‘of the hatch in which the cover fits, and raised himself up. Then he saw a large town before his eyes, stretching away to the right and the left along the river. He judged it was Glendale. The sloop was gliding up to a wharf, and Bunker, forward, and Frisbie, aft, were standing ready to spring ashore and tie the craft to spile heads. Tom dropped back in the hold and waited until he felt the sloop bump against the wharf. Once more he jum up and caught the combing. Bunker and Frisbie were both on the wharf tying the lines. “Now is my chance,” thought the cub reporter. He scrambled out on deck, sprang for the wharf as Whipple, who saw him, uttered a warn- ing shout, and ran like a deer up the wharf. Turning his head he saw Frisbie in full chase. Loungers at the head of the wharf wondered — what was the cause of the chase. To enlist their _ aid Frisbie shouted “Stop thief!” a ; Nobody interfered, and Tom darted across the street and up the street ahead. He soon left Frisbie far behind, and when that rascal reached — the corner of the next street the boy was out of his sight. He gave up the chase and refrrned to the sloop. Tom pushed on ‘till he believed he had outwitted his pursuer, and then he stopped to consider what he would do. He found him-~ self facing the office of the Gendale Evening News. Entering the counting-room on the ground floor, he asked to be directed to the edi- torial roms. “Fourth floor—take the elevator,” said the cashier. ; : SS Tom took the elevator and went up to the fourth floor. The sign on the door facing him — read “Evening News. Editorial Rooms.” ; He opened the door and walked in. He found _ a small youth on guard in the cuter space, and — x ss = < 25

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_. “I’m a reporter on the Rushville Daily Planet, 4 would like to see the city editor of the News. _ The boy entered the news room, came back in _ & minute and told Tom to follow him. He was taken to the city editor’s desk. The Evening News had just gone to press, and the editor was through for the day. He was still in his shirt ves, with a copy of the News before him, “Well, what can I do for you?” he said, look- mg the cub reporter over curiously. : _ “You can do a lot for me if you will,” replied ‘Tom, whose personal appearance, so far as his thes went, was very much against him. “My ne is Tom Chester. I was sent out on an * important case by Mr. Brown, city editor of the - Planet, yesterday afternoon, and owing to the - Strenuous conditions I’ve been up again, I haven’t _ been able to get back to the office. I want to _ Use your ‘phone to communicate with my paper. Ym strapped, got only a quarter in my clothes, and so I can’t go to a public ‘phone. Whatever _ pau you are put to the Planet will stand me for” > “Where’s ycur credentials?” _ “Haven’t any. I’m a new hand, and Ir was t out in a hurry to help the man assigned “thes ' t ] foparter?* ey u’re not a regular 2 “No, rm an extra, but that doesn’t make any difference in this case.” : . _ “Sit down and I'll call up your paper. It took a few minutes to reach the Planet office _ Over the long-distance wire. ' “This is the Glendale News office. Connect me with the city editor. Hello, is this the city ; r?” “Yes,” answered Brown. “Pm City Editor Smith, of the Evening News, _ zlendale.” “Well?” ; “A young fellow about nineteen is here who Says he’s an extra on your paper. Calls himself Tom Chester. Says he’s been out on seme story i yésterday and has been unable to get back. Ts he ail right?” : uttered an exclamation. “Is he in your room?” “Call him to the wire.” or pt ath Tom to take the receiver. = Mr. Brown,” said the boy. £ _ “Where in thunder have you een all this time? What have you been doing? Jackson says pu Jeft him in the lurch.. What are you doing In Glendale?” ~ fe pa “I didn’t leave Mr. Jackson in the lurch. He Posted me at the back of a house on Webster e that he was watching from the front told me to follow any one I saw leave the by the back way. One of the man he ibed left the house just after dark, and owed him “a car goats ng Rene gan of the lake. He went a’ a sloop at a there, I followed him aboard on the sly, icke a story that will make your hair The other tw men I suppose Mr. Jackson i came a , and I was " nabbed I have learned the iden- . IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME ‘13 tity of the three men, and one of them is a very important person in Rushville. I was carried ‘across the lake and up the river a little way when I made my escape with a certain suit-case which contains what Mr. Jackson was out to locate if he could. You understand. I was re- captured by the men in the job this. morning, but they did not get the suit-case. . I’m the only person who knows where it is. They brought me to Glendale in the sloop, and I have just escaped from them again. As soon as I can get the suit-case I'll be back. But I must have money. I’ve only a quarter in my clothes. Can’t you arrange with this paper to advance me $5 or $10. I must hire a rig to go down the river for the $Suit-case, and as it’s after five now, I have no time to lose so as to get the story in the morning paper.” Tom rattled the above off as fast as he could talk, and some of it escaped Brown’s ears, sharp as they were. The boy gave no hint of the nature of his story, for the city editor of the Evening News was within hearing, and he wanted his paper to score a beat. Had he mentioned the Anderson diamonds, Smith would have been right on, and doubtless he would have ‘phoned later to the Planet’s rival that a reporter from that paper had run down the Anderson diamond robbery crooks, and recovered the plunder, and probably a sharp reporter would have been sent to Glendale to waylay him and try to get enough facts to make a story for his paper. Tom be- lieved that the mention. of Jackson’s name, and the fact that he (Tom) was working with Jack- son on the Anderson robbery, would answer all purposes, and it did, though Brown was thor- oughly astonished by the = reporter’s communi- ‘ation. As Jackson had failed to make any great headway in the case up to that point, the city editor was certainly surprised at the facts Tom sent over the wire—facts indicating that he had secured a story himself. The mention of the suit-case which Tom said contained what Jackson was trying to locate sug- gested the diamonds. The very idea that the young extra 1eporter had discovered the jewels gave Brown-a shock of excitement. He readily understood that Tom had a good reason for not being “more explicit. He mentally praised the boy’s sharpness, for the telephone often has other ears than those for whom a communica- tion are intended. These thoughts flashed rapidly through Brown’s brain, so rapidly, in fact, that Tom had hardly ceased, whenjhe said: “Ask the News editor to take the wire.” The result of the brief confab was that Smith took Tom downstairs and got him $10 from the cashier, the same to be charged against the Rush- ville Planet. Tom then inquired for a livery- stable, as he intended to hire a horse and buggy and make his way to the lone farm down the river where the suit-case lay at the bottom of the dry. well. As soon as he recovered it and got — a Me i he. would take the first train for ushville. Chapter VII—A Tumble In Space. Tom left the Evening News Office in a state of great exhilaration. He believed that -his way ._¥ ac

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14 was clear now to success, and that his trouble were practically over. He pictured to himsel the reception he would get from his city editor, and he judged that they, would get all the space necessary to detail the facts. He would have a respectable bill against the paper on the fol- lowing Monday, and he hoped to get steady work hereafter. on the strength of his present efforts. Strange to say Tom never once thought about the $20,000 reward offered by Anderson for the recovery of the diamonds. All he thought about was making a record in the office that - would advance him in his chosen profession. Tom, however, was counting his chicken before they were hatched. The way to success was not clear yet. Whip- ple, Frisbie and Bunker were out hunting for him. They regarded his recapture as a very important matter to themselves. Although they did not know how much he knew, nor whether he actually knew where the suit-case containing the diamonds was, nor what he intended doing now he was free, yet the fact that he was at large worried the first two greatly. Being still of the opinion that he had hidden the suit-case, they figured that he would lose no time in getting back to the place where he had left it. “We must cut him off,” said Whipple to Fris- bie. “You and I will hire a rig and lie in wait for him down the road he must take if he starts for that farm. In the meantime, Bunker can try to catch him before he gets out of town.” So Whipple and Frisbie went to the same stable Tom had been directed to, and hired a horse and buggy for a short trip into the country, Whipple said. They started off in the rig about the time Tom finished his business at the Evening News. office. Bunker, in the meanwhile, was walkin around the business section, n the neighborh of the Evening News office, in the hope of run- ning across the boy. As luck would have it he spied him coming out of the newspaper office. “T’ve got him now,” he thought. He hurried forward and grabbed Tom by ‘the arm just as he was turning the next corner. “Now, then, you must return to the sloop with me,” he seid. : “Never!” answered Tom, jerking himself free and taking to his heels. f “Stop thief!” cried Bunker, seeing that the boy was fleeter-footed than himself, and would surely awy. ef was about half-past five and the street was alive with people going home from their » work. The cry “Stop thief!” arrested their at- tention, and they looked around on the oncoming boy. There is a certain magic in those two words. It will start a pursuit sooner than any other kind of a cry. Several people tried to head the _ boy off. He dodged their grasp and took to the middle of the road in which there were many vehicles. Two or. three persons joined Bunker in the chase, and “Stop thief!” was raised by them in their excitement. The eries and the sight of the flying boy induced others to take part in the pursuit, and soon a small crowd was following at the cub reporter’s heels. Find- ing that he was likely to be headed off, Tom darted into the entrance of a six-story buildin and rushed up the stairs. The pursuers Deel 7 IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME at the entrance and waited for Bunker to come up. “What has he stolen?” somebody inquired. Bunker did not stop to answer, but after learn- ing that Tom had gone up the stairs, he fol- lowed. The young reporter, expecting to be fol- - lowed, ay or straight on to the top story, where he saw a ladder leading to an open scuttle. Pretty well winded by this time. Tom ran up the ladder, closed the scuttle and sat upon it. Then he looked around. The building stood on the corner of the street. Between it and the adjoining building, which was three or four feet higher, was an open space about twelve feet wide, the depth of which Tom could not judge from where he sat. This oper. space cut off his escape from the roof, for each end of the building faced on a street, as did also the opposite side. While Tom was recovering his breath, he spied a couple of boys playing at see-saw on the roof of the next house. They straddled the ends of a long, wide board that rested across the center fire- wall. The sight gave Tom an idea. He rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down. The space between the buildings was only about a story in depth, and a big feather — mattress lay spread out on the roof below, where it had evidently been put to air. Several win- dows looked out into the space. “Hello, boys!” shouted Tom. The lads stopped see-sawing and looked at him inquiringly. é “Say, I want ‘to cross over. Will you run ~ board across here so I can get over?” asked ‘om. “What do you want to get across for?” asked one of the youths. “There’s a man. after me.” “What's he after you for?” “T ran away from his sloop.” “Are you a sailor?” “No. the roof here, and I expect to see him poke his head through the scuttle at any moment. “Shall we do it, Sam?” asked the boy who had talked to Tom. f “Yes,” said the other, whose name was Bill The boys lifted the plank off the fire se and shoved it across the space between the build- ings toward the young reporter. At that moment the scuttle was banged open and Bunker stuck his head out. He saw Tom, and he also saw what the two boys were doing. He easily divined the purpose the board was intended to fill. Feari the boy would escape him, he jumped out rushed to grab him. Tom saw him coming, and as the end.of the board, which was raised on the two sides like’ a chute, touched the raised wall of the building, he sprang upon it and began to — ey felt oe peg he “ and more under his weight, then, with a i sound, it suddenly parted under him. Fe tel forward and instinctively caught at the sides of the end held by Sam and Billy. is weight, together with the tilting of the chute, tore the board out of the youths’ hands, and both he and the broken board disappeared downward. Bunker uttered an exclamation of consterna- tion, for he believed Tom had gone to his death. He ran to the parapet of the building and looked © \ Hurry up. He knows I have come up to 4,

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downward, as the two lads were also doing from _ the opposite roof. The broken chute, both pieces of which had gcne down, made a tremendous clatter when they struck the roof below. Tom lay on the feather bed, badly shaken up, but Sathstwise unhurt. Fortunately neither piece of _ board fell under or on top of him. He pulled himself together and stood erect. Then he looked - up at the discomfited owner of the sloop, and “‘Waved his hands at the boys who had tried to : him. ; vou didn’t get me that time, Mr. Bunker,” _ he said. "i wish you a good-afternoon.” _ Thus. speaking, he stepped in at the open win- dow facing him and disappeared. — A == $5 CHAPTER VIII.—After the Suit-Case. - Tom found himself in a furnished suite of _ apartments, the occupants of which appeared to be away at the moment. As all the doors were he was cooped in. Had Bunker been able to descend into the open space where the feather bed and the wreck of the chute lay, he ‘could have found little difficulty in laying his ds on the cub reporter once more; or had understood the situation and lay in wait at = street door for the boy to come out, he _ ‘Would have nabbed him. His inability to crawl _ down a twenty-foot wall shut off the first chance, ‘and his ignorance of the boy’s situation prevented him from adopting the second. He did the best thing he could think of under _ the circumstances—he hurried back to the street, Tan around to the other street, and after watch- ing in vain for a few minutes for Tom to appear ~ at the door, naturally concluded that he had got ‘Safely off. Tom waited half an hour in the _greatest impatience for the tenant of the apart- - Ment to return and let him out. At the end of _ that time a woman appeared, and she was not a little alarmed o:. seeing him in her rooms. “Don’t be frightened, madam,” said Tom. - “I’m not a thief, or a bad character of any kind. I got here by accident by falling to the roof _ Outside from the top of the next building.” - He explained what had happened and said he. ould prove it by the remains of the plank out- _ Side, and by the testimony of the two boys if they could be tound. The woman accepted his explanation and told him she thought he had had a narrow escape. “TI guess I did, ma’am. And now I must go, s I have important business to transact, and get back to Ruslville before midnight if I can. I have already lost an hour, and that is more than I co = He hurr:ed to the stable. he had been directed D, and asked for a rig. = have on buggy, and that I hired out man an hour ago,” said the stable- a saddle horse would do you, I can ” @ saddle horse would be better than a*bi . He Z doubtless be able to make better and lat was RLS schol to him, since the o¢cu- of e farm might be calculated on early, and he required their help, with =, a = ? \ IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME 15 a rope, to get to get the suit-case out of the dry well. While the horse was being saddled he stepped into a small restaurant next door and had a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He also bought two sandwiches to take with him. Return- ing to the stable, he asked the proprietor how far it was to the lake. “Are you going there?” asked the man, in some surprise. “Ym going to a small farm that’s a mile or’ two this side of it.” - “The lake is all of ten or eleven miles in an air line,” but it’s nearer fifteen by the nearest route you could follow even on foot. If the farm you mention is two miles this side of it, you can calculate it’s all of twelve miles from here. When do you expect to return the horse— some time to-morrow?” “No. I expect to get back here by half-past ten to-night. If I don’t I shall miss the last train to Rushville that is likely to do me any good, and it is a matter of great importance that I reach Rushville before midnight.” “As you don’t seem to know your way tothe farm, I don’t see how you’re going to make time in the dark. You won’t find a good road much over half the way to the lake. The rest of the way will be rough going. As a light is likely to help you, I'll lend you a pocket flash-light, such as up-to-date burglars use these days.” The stableman got the apparatus from his office. It consisted of a cylinder six inches long, with a small bull’s-eye at one end. It was operated by a battery, and to flash a light one had to press the button. He showed Tom how to use it, and the boy thanked him for the loan of it. He was sure it would prove useful to him. Getting the bearings of the road leading southward, and a general idea of the course of the river, Tom started on what he hoped would be the last lap of his present newspaper ex- perience. He hit the road all right and put the horse to its ‘pest speed, for he was accustomed to horseback riding. Glendale with its lights vanished behind him, and he pushed ahead into the dark country. The road was bordered by cultivated farms’ and trees were plenty alon his route. He reeled off the first six miles wit no trouble, and then he came to a place where the road swerved abruptly to the left and ap- peared to be right straight ahead in that direc- tion. To the right ran a through road that looked like a Western trail. : “V’ll have to take this,” thought Tom, “for it sweeps around in the direction I am bound.” Flashing’ his bull’s-eye he saw shat it offered fair traveling for a team and easy for a horse alone. So he pressed on, flashing his light ahead frequently to see that he didn’t leave the trail. Half a mile from the regular road the one he was following took him through a wood that was dark and solemn in its isolation. The path was easy to follow. for the trees had been cut away to enable a wagon to get through without diffi- culty. Coming out of the wood, the rude road swerved toward «he river and ran for a mile within a- quarter of a smile of it. Then he turned to the ieft to avoid a hill of rock, and sc-went on.~ It was about nine as Tom approach-_ ed the farm-house. He was still half a mile

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16 from it. Suddenly he saw a dark object ahead, drawn up on one side of the road. It looked like a vehicle of some kind. He flashed his bull’s-eye upon it and saw it was a horse and buggy. The bright disk of light also revealed two men standing beside it. One of them looked familiar to the boy. To make sure of the man’s identity, he flashed the light again. The men were no longer where he had seen _them. They had jumped behind the vehicle. Sus- pecting a hold-up, Tom gave his horse the rein and dashed past. No effort was made to stop him, and he went on till he finally saw the farm- house ahead. He rode as far as the gate, dis- mounted and tied his horse. A light shone through one of the lower windows which showed that the occupants had not gone to bed, at least not all of chem. Tom walked up to the door and knocked. Then the door was opened by a rough-looking man, who asked him what he wanted. “I want you to help nie recover a suit-case that fell into the dry well near the road,” said Tom. The man looked surprised. “The dry well,” he said. the well?” “It fell in.” “How could it do that? with boards.” “The boards were rotten and the suit-case went through them as though they were made of paper.” The man seemed to think the boy’s story some- what fishy. “What were you doing near the well?” “I came into your to get a drink at your well. On my way back to the road the accident na hen: es did it happen? A few minutes ago!” “No. Early this morning, before daylight.” “What were you doing around here at that hour?” asked the man, szspiciously. Glendale.” “How did it get into The well is covered “Trying to find my way to “That town is ten miles north of here. Where did come from?” : “From a sloop that brought me from Rush- ville.” “How came you to leave the sloop way down in this neighborhood?” j ~ _ it et the hase my health.” “The good of your ae “There were ter rascals, aboard of her, one of them being her owner. They were keeping me aboard against my will, so as soon as the chance presented itself made my escape, and was passing this farm when the suit-case got into the dry well.” Behind the speaker Tom saw the shadow of a woran li ; Aabey nad. thr" redecns. But I say, I’m in a hurry to recover that suit-case. ill you * fetch a rope and give me a hand? I'll give you Steins are’ yon heal tines th The men caught back.” : didn’t call here before about IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME “you get it back?” “Yes.” “Where is the sloop now?” “T left her at. Glendale.” - i “And have you walked back here from town?” — “No; I rode here.” : : “Where’s your horse?” asked the man, look- ing around. “Tied to the fence near the gate.” “This is a late hour to look for a suit-case in the dry well. ” : q “T know it, but I couldn’t get here any earlier.” — “You say you'll give me a dollar~-to help “Yes,” . : “All right. Tl help you. Wait here til] I get a rope and a lantern.” Tom waited and the man got the articles. “You'll have to go down into the well, as you’re lighter than me. You can climb a rope, I sup- pose? The'hole is less than twenty feet deep,” said the man. “Oh, yes,” answered Tom. “You'd better come, old woman, and hold the lantern,” The woman offered no objection, and the three proceeded to the dry well. The man parted the bushes and flashed the lantern-at the mouth of the well. A great, gaping hole presented itself instead of the board he had last seen there. “How came you to drop the suitcase? It must have been heavy to demolish the boards that were across the well.” ? “It was quite heavy, but the boards were rotten — or they wouldn’t have given away.” o “I told you them boards were rotten, Jim, and that one of our animals was likely to fall through any time,” said the woman. ; The man scowled unpleasantly. “Never mind what you told me. The boards are gone now and I'll have to put others across it to-morrow.” : He tied a stone to the end of the rope and lowered it in the well, after which he secured the other end to a tree close by. Yi haul it up and then drop it down again so you can climb up afterwards.” : Tom the rope and slid down to the the woman. y a “Hi, there!- W don’t throw the rope down; I’m in a a cried Tom. er He received no 5

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IN result. Then the fact dawned upon him that the man and woman had gone away with the suit- case and left him to his fate. CHAPTER IX.—Faced By A Great Temptation. “Well, if they aren’t a nice rascally pair I’m no judge of the breed,” said Tom to himself. “They suspect that the suitcase contains some- thing of value, and they’ve got away to break open and find out. How lucky it is that when I was here before I discovered a way out! I'll astonish them. I'll give them the surprise of their lives.” Ga Tom flashed his bull’s-eye. around till it rested on the hole. Getting down on his hands-and knees he started, for the second time, to make his way - through the subterranean tunnel. Knowing that _ the way was clear, from his former experience, Tom only used his, flashlight occasionally to assure himself that no obstruction, such’ as a falling in of the earth, had come into the tun- nel since he was there last. Nothing like that had happened, and in due time he came out through the bushes in the little dell of the wood. Then he made a bee-line for the lone farm- _ -house. His course took him past the dry well, 5 - and he saw the rope, still tied to the tree, lying on the ground. ~ “Some people only need the opportunity to show their real natures,” thought the young re- gh A ry aie ? i HWA heh ey etal xe porter. “I'll take that rope along. I might find = ; it useful.” = He made a slip noose at one end of it and coiled the rest up. The light still burned in WY the window. Pressing his face against the pane, = he looked into the room. It was the living-room of the dwelling. On one side was a cooking * stove, flanked on either side with pots and pans. - On the other side was an old-time dresser on which dishes were slouchily arranged. In the center was a good-sized table. On the table stood the. suit-case, which the man was trying to pry open with the point of a stout knife, the Wo! standing opposite him and watching his exertions with covetous interest. Tom glided to the door and softly tried it. He found it fast. ‘He went to the front door and tried that, but it, too, was locked. He tried the two front windows _ without result. One of the second story windows Was open. he thought. é The kitchen chimney rose between that window “Eureka!” eried Tom, in great satisfaction. i climbed up to the level = ai = ee, od THE NEWSPAPER GAME “If E could reach that I could get in all right,” _ He immediately of the two windows. Both, however, were out of his : 17 reach. He had calculated on that, and went on till the gutter was within his reach. Grabbing the gutter, he made his way to a point above the open window. His dangling legs tapped against. the glass. With the toes of his shoes he pushed down the upper sash, and the lower one went with it. After resting a few moments on the top of both sashes, he shoved one leg inte the room behind the side of the open space occu- pied by the upper sash. With this grip to steady himself he let go of the gutter, and, holding on to the rope, sank gradually down to a squatting position on the two sashes. Throwing the slack of the rope into the room, he straddled the sashes. Taking out his knife, he cut the rope as high as he could reach, and then swung himself into the room, alighting noiselessly on the rag carpet. He coiled the remnant of the rope around his arm and took a rapid survey of the apartment. It was a bedroom furnished with common furni- ture, the walls papered with a cheap print. Alongside the head of the bed hung a navy re- volver in a holster. : “T’ll take that,” said Tom. “There are two of them, and I need a persuader of that kind to win out.” The door was not locked, and Tom walked out on to the landing. Flashing his electric light, he saw the carpeted stairway before him. He slipped down to the little hall below and saw the front door ahead. To provide for a rapid retreat, if that should. prove necessary, Tom de- cided to open the door. He found it was locked, bolted, and further secured by a stout chain. He let down the chain, drew tke bolt, turned the key and opened the door wide. “Now to face the music,” he said, starting for the back of the house where the living-room was. ~~ The rear door of the hall opened directly into it without any intervening entry. This showed that there was only one stairs to the second floor. Opening the door cautiously, Tom looked -in. The man had by this time broken the lock of the suit-case, opened it and had discovered the nature of its contents, which naturally staggered him and his wife. They decided, as most any one would under the circumstances, that the bo who was after the suit-case was a young thief, who had stolen the display of diamonds. No wonder he had skipped from the sloop, if it was a sloop, and had been, as they figured, skulking around that loriesone wilgietned since he com- mitted the crime. And now they had come into E ion of his plunder, the richness of which airly took away breaths. On the table lay the diamond tiara, sparkling in the lamplight like the waters of the lake in the moonshine. Pepa rid was ee ey as oug grasp magnificent object, and yet half afraid to touch it. The man held a ted pont of a rings and other jewelry he — taken from case, and appeated ha stupefied at their evident = oe “To think that boy was a thief!” said-the diy thin lips the tip of her tongue over her That’s what he the young villain!” sai a ee aes are we © with all this diamond jewelry. It represents a fortune. It would make

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18 ‘IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME us wealthy. We need never do another stroke of work again as long as we live. It would make a lady of me and a gentleman of you.” “Do with it? Why, keep it, of course, and sell it little by little in Chicago and other big cities,” replied her husband, in a voice husky with sup- presed execitement. “But the risk!” “Risk be hanged! go it.” : “The boy knows.” “Supose he does? He’s at the bottom of the dry well, and he couldn’t get out without help to save his life. I’il put fresh boards over the mouth in the morning and cover them with stones. No fear but he’ll stay there and never bother us.” “He’d starve to death, then.” “Let him. He deserves to.” “But that would be murder,” said the woman in an awed tone. “Murder! Well, suppose it is? Who cares— I don’t. Murder has been done a thousand times for a dollar or two. Shall we hesitate when it means a fortune to us? Look at these diamonds, old woman. Feast your eyes on them. Have you any idea what they’re worth? That crown there must be werth a mint. It’s covered with diamonds. See how they glisten. The. very sight maddens me. Think how we have slaved for a pittance on this miserable farm. Then think of the people whc can afford to own such stuff as this living on the fat of the land, in luxury and ease, riding in automobiles, with serv- ants at their beck and call, and a fine house. We can have all that, do you hear? We can have a fine house, servants, good food, an automobile, fine clothes and all that. Don’t you want to dress in silks and satins? Don’t you want to sit around and be waited on?” ~ “Yes, yes!” breathed the woman, in a sobbing tone. “I do—I do! I’ve been a drudge since 1 was born, and I yearn for the grand things of life. Oh, if I only could have them!” and she clasped her hands with pathetic eagerness. “You shall have them. What’s to prevent you now? Here are the glittering geese that shall lay them for you. We'll go away in the morning and never return. We'll sell this stuff cautiously. No one shall ever know we have it. We'll get rich little by little. We won’t take any chances— not a chance. We'll keep moving about. Chi- cago first, then maybe New York. Ah, New York is the place where one can lose themselves easily in the crowd, and there one can sell any- bar and no questions are asked.” “How I’d like to wear that crown!” cried the woman, taking it up and gazing on it with the look of a mother at her first born. “Isn’t it a beauty? It’s fit for a queen. The woman who lost it must be the wife of a millionaire. Some in this world < fortunate, while others“ -. She was in the act of lifting the tiara to place it on her head when her eyes suddenly rested on Tom, who had softly entered the room ~ with inaticn written on his face. With ed with eyes distended by terror at Se boy. No one will ever know we i the mean. “Look! look! It’s the boy! Oh, heavens!” The mar swung around and confronted the cub reporter. W-th an imprecation he reached for the knife that lay on the table. “Drop. it! Drop everything, or, by jingo, Pll drop you!” As Tom spoke, in ringing tones, he raised his revolver anc covered the ‘armer. He was clearly boss of the situation. : CHAPTER X.—Catching A Tartar. “Now, then, put everything Sack into that suit- case—everything, do you understand? If you try to hold out a single gem I’li shoot you,” said Tom. “Blame “you!” cried the man. escape from the well?” “That needn’t worry you. I got out just in time to block your rascally plans.” “You’re a rascal yourself. You stole all this stuff and then tried to work off a cock-and-bull story on us to get the suitcase, which you prob- ably dropped into the well on purpose to hide it for the time being,” said the man. “You’re wrong. Had you read the papers lately you would know that these diamonds were stolen from the home of Joseph Anderson; of Rushville. I’ve been following the thieves, and escaped from them with the suit-case last night a mile from here along the river. I’m going to take them back to their owner.” “You lie!” hissed the man. “You are trying to deceive us again in order to get away with your plunder; but I’ll prevent you. I'll ” “You'll do nothing. I’ve got you dead to rights. Back against that wall, both of you, or, by heaven, I’ll lay you out stiff. Back, I say! I can put the gems in the bag myself, than I'll be sure that none of them escape.”: The man hesitated and made another reach for the knife. Tom pulled the trigger! There was a flash and a stunning report, and the man’s arm fell to his <‘des, broken by the ball, and he uttered a hoarse cry of agony. The woman uttered a scroam of fear and cowered down. Tom stepped forward, menacing them with the smoking weapon, and they retreated against the “How did you wall. Laying the revolver on the table, but keen- ing his eye on the pair, the boy returned the diamonds and the tiara to the suit-case. After making sure that none had escaped his notice, as far as he could tell, he found that the lock ‘was out of business, so he proceeded to tie the - case with a piece of rope. This done, he backed out of the room with the gun in his hand, and left the house by the ront door, shutting it after him. He reached his horse and tied the case to the back of his saddle. As he was in the act of mounting, a man rushed out of the shrubbery, and grabbed him, pulling him back. The horse, startled by the action, galioped off up the road in the direc- tion of Glendale, passing another man and’a horse and buggy standing by the roadside. — “So you had the suit-case at that house, did you?” said the voice of Whipple in Tom’s ear. “I knew you were lying when you said you didn’t know anything about it.” Ce ear ry ene yee ee

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“Let me go or it will be worse for you,” cried - Tom, struggling desperately to release himself. ‘ “Tet you. dor Not. on your life. You're too - dangerous to our interests to be allowed at large = wan we have made some definite arrangement with you. Come along with me. I’ve a buggy elose by, and back to Glendale you'll go in it.” _ “You'll never take me back to Glendale, Mr. - Whipple. If you don’t unhand me, I'll shoot Pe - you.” ~~ “¥You’li do what? Shoot me!” ‘ “Yes, I'll shoot you.” Tom swung half around and shoved the muzzle the navy revolver in Whipple’s face. With exclamation of consternation the man let go him and stepped back. zs “That’s right,” said Tom. “Now let’s talk. * “Confound you!” hissed Whipple. “Don’t lose your temper, Mr. Whipple. Al- ways be cool under adverse circumstances. You _. have laid claim to that suit-case. Do you assert that the diamonds and other gems, including the tiara, belong to you?” “So you know what is in it?” “J do. I know that it represents the loot of _ the Anderson diamond robbery that is the sensa- q tion of the week in Rushville.” s- 5 a = of f an of “I was right in suspecting that you are con- nected with the Rushville polices We ought to _ have thrown you into the lake when we had-you in our power.” ) ; 2 -“You were not in the right in connecting me with the police. I told you I had nothing to do with them.” “Then who are you?” “A reporter of the Daily Planet.” “Ha! Is that true?” \ “It is true.” “What have you learned about the case?” “T have learned enough to send all concerned _ im the robbery to jail.” ‘ “But you haven’t caught us yet.” “T seem to have you in a tight fix.” : “Don’t be too sure of it. You have given ees » A ey eee yourself away, and now we'll know what to - expect from you. We shail deal with you ac- . 7 nle S n” yh > re n” 7 _ “Tf am not likely to do that.” - “PTl guarantee you $10,000 in cash if you _ Will join us.” Y 5 “Pm not for sale, Mr, Whipple.” “Don’t be a fool. What will you make by _ turning in your story to the paper? The xepu- : eee at heving deme clever Shing, aod preb- < g- ably a small raise in salary. What’s that side of $10,007" | “You forget ? there is a $20;000 reward offered _ for the capture of the thieves and the recovery diamonds.” # SS "4 “I am not telling you what I know.” P= in with us?” ‘ IN THE NEWSPAPER think I will come pretty close to doing it.”, GAME 19 “ Absoliitely.” “Grab him, Jim.” Tom wheeled around suddenly, expecting to find Frisbie close. behind him, but saw no one. When he turned back Whipple had disappeared in the darkness. “That’s one on me,” thought Tom. “The fel- lew fooled me nicely. However, I don’t care, I couldn’t have secured him anyway. It will be the business of the police to capture the thieves. But I must follow up my horse and get possession of the suit-ease again. I don’t believe he ran far. I ought to come up with him somewhere along the road. But what if Whipple and Frisbie find the horse first. They have a buggy, for I’m sure that buggy I passed on the road was thefrs, and that they were the two men my flashlight caught. I must get a move on. I am having a strenuous time of it to-night, and I- thought when I left Glendale that I should have smooth sailing. If I ~fail to. recover the diamonds I will lese my chance of getting the reward, and that would be hard -luck after having twice had the plunder in my possession. Well, we shall see how I come out.” When he was communing with him, Tom was hurrying forward on a line with the road, keep- ing out of sight lest he should be surprised by the two rascals who he believed were lying in wait for him. He was not wrong in his surmise. Whipple had rejoined. his associate, and they were waiting for him to come along in pursuit of his horse; on whose back was strapped the suit-case containing the diamonds. So while they lay in wait near their buggy for Tom to come along the road, the boy passed their am- bush out of their sight and hurried forward, keeping a sharp eye out for his runaway horse. CHAPTER XI.—Conclusion. The horse had run considerably further than Tom supposed, and then he eased up and began nibbling the grass by the roadside. The. boy overtook hm at last, to his great satisfaction, and found that the suit-case had not become dislodged. At that moment Tom heard the sound . of buggy wheels coming along the road at a rapid rate. “Those raseals are after this horse and the diamonds. They hope to overtake the animal before I do. They might have done so had they not delayed matters. were looking for me, I'll bet. Now they won’t get either me or seg mee’ us ht the cub reporter as he sprang into the saddle and gave his horse the rein. The buggy swung around the bend in the and the men in it saw the hocse and its rider. They easily guessed that Tom had march on them, and they whi up perate effort to overtake him. The boy saw‘that ing to be a race ind the hopeless. He reached Glendale without adventure and took the horse to its stable. blac he found that it wanted but a few minutes

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20 ~ “bea: the. n. He could not possibly get the train. with the suit-case in his hand he left the station and found his way to a pay telephone booth. He called up the Planet office and had to wait five minutes before the connection was made. : “Give me Mr. Brown,” he asked the night switch-board operator. = : “Hello,” came a voice he recognized as Brown’s. «This is Tom Chester.” : “Well, why haven’t you got here with your story? Are you still in Glendale?” “Yes, Dve missed the train. I’ve recovered the suit-case, however, but I had the time of my life doing it. You'll have to take my story over the wire.” : Pk “tyhat are the main featyres of it? : “The recovery of the stolen Anderson — dia- monds. I have them now in my possession— and the identity of the men who engineered the burglary.” : : “What! Have you really discovered all that? cried Brown, in some excitement, for he saw in Tom’s statement a news beat for the Planet. “Yes, The man who got up the btrglary is Horace Chiswell, treasurer of the Rushville Vacuum Tire Works, and Mr. Anderson’s nep- hew. He is now in Chicago, waiting for his confederates to bring 5n the diamonds.” Brown jum nearly a foot. “Are si of that fact? Chiswell has the reputation of being one of the biggest guns in Rushville. This is a serious charge you are making against. him.” “J don’t. care how big a ; telling you is the truth, and I can swear to it. The proof lie in the fact that he is deeply involved, financially, owing to thc pace he has going. He has raised $30,000 on six notes ring the forged signature of the president of Tire Works, and these notes are held by the company’s bank, the name of which I haven’t found out. At ths next semi-annual meeting of the directors he has been instructed to furnish* a complete statement of the company’s obliga- ‘tions as well as resources, and unless he can take up those six notes he’s bound to face ex- posure and all the consequences it implies. He planned the robbery, expecting to raise the neces- sary funds as well as a surplus by the sale of the diamonds. That, of course, is out of the estion now, for I have the diamonds and will tx them to the office first thing in the morn- 1g and tuyn them over to the cashier for safe keeping until they are handed over to their own- er,” said Tom: . “Where did you obtain all these facts?” asked n he is, what I’m _ the astonished city editor. + and the owner of ~ Ba cong - “J overheard a conversation which was being carried on in the cavin of the sloop between one of Chiswell’s confederates named Whipple the sioop, am old pal of his, ‘named Bunker. Chiswell came aboard later, disguised by a heavy beard, accompanied by his other a man named Jim Frisbie. Both of these men are employed by the Vacuum ieee and helped Chiswell blow open his safe. Chiswell saw me listening and I t and confined in the hold. While : | a chance to look into the cabin a break in the bulkhead, and I saw the ¥ IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME stolen tiara and other diamond jewelry spread out on the table. The sudden appearance of a police launch coming up the river frightened the men. They put the diamonds back in a suit-ease and ran close to the bank. They ex- pected the sloop would be overhauled, and they felt the necessity of getting me and the dia- monds ‘out of her before the officers came up. In the excitement I made my escape and got away with the diamonds. There is a lot more to the story. You’d better have a man take it down for publication in ship-shape style.” Brown thought so, too, and told Tom he would be switched to one of the expert. typewriters, and the boy was directed to dictate his story in regular form. It took the cub reporter some time to tell his story from beginning to end. Another reporter was sent to the house of the president of the Vacuum Tire Works with a confidential communication saying that the Planet had received informatiun from a reliable source that Horace Chiswell had raised $30,000 on six notes deposited with the Rushville Na- tional Bank, bearing the forged endorsement of the president of his company, and asking if the said official know anything about it, and if he didn’t it would be advisable for him to com- municate with the cashier of the bank at once. Brown also called up the bank cashier at his home and, after stating the facts, asked him if it were true that Chiswell had cashed six or more notes for $5,0000 each. The cashier declined to answer the question, as Brown e¢ he would, but the city editor accomplished his ob- ject when he told him that word had come to the office that six of the notes were forgeries. The police had been communicated with, and orders for the arrest of Whipple, Frisbie and Bunker were wired to the Glendale police. The sloop had left her moorings and gone up the river, but somebody who saw her leave told the police the direction she took, and she was over- hauled by a launch and the three men were arrested. _ By that time Horace Chiswell had been ar- rested in Chicago at one of the big hotels, and was later brought back to Rushville. Whipple and Frisbie denied the whole story under police fire, but Bunker gave in and confirmed every- thing Tom had sent in. The extra issued by the Planet gave the full facts, for the six forged notes had been brought to light and repudiated. by the president of the Tire Works. Tom Ches- ter was complimented by the managing editor and’ promoted to be a regular, with steady work. He also received the $20,000 reward from Mr. Anderson. - Chiswell, Whipple and Frisbie were tried in due course. They were convi and got what was coming to them. By that time Tom had proved that his efforts in the Anderson Dia- mond Robbery was no flash in the pan, but that he had the» real stuff in him, and he continued to do better right along until he came to be recognized as one of the stars in the newspaper game. ‘ Next week’s issue will contain “UP TO THE MINUTE; or, FROM OFFICE BOY TO BROKER.” = :

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CURRENT SHEEPMAN STRANGLED COYOTE -. Grappling with a coyote that attacked him while he was alone with a band of sheep, Michael Tellechea, sheepherder of Amadee, Cal., strangled the animal with his bare hands. In the struggle ~ Tellechea was bitten on the hand. ELEPHANTS RIP UP PIPES Wild elephants have caused considerable diffi- culty on the Island of Sumatra during oil de- velopment work, as these animals seem to have _ taken a special dislike to the pipe lines laid above ground through the jungles, and have repeatedly _ torn them up, so that gangs of men are kept busy repairing the damage. ; re WILL SEEK PIRATE GOLD * A syndicate to recover “pirate gold” is being formed in Cape May, N. J., according to Jay E. Mecay, Cape May business man, its organizer, There are thousands of dollars’ worth of gold in the hulk of a Spanish vessel which sank off Tur- - tle Cut Inlet a century ago, according to Mr. Mecay. The vessel, the Matizaneros, was manned _ by pirates en route from southern waters to New . = ie Mr. Mecay said, and a gale drove the ship on the shoal, about seven miles north of Cape _ May. Z “MYSTERY e quality and quantity with any other x for Ten Cents. such experts as: Octavius Roy Cohen, a — See D> RE > aes a ae 2 a FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NEWS hly are as good as those you get in higher priced periodicals, John Hebberton, Harold Steele MacKaye, ; ; ore. equally hand- ing them a $20 bill. As a result twenty pages went to the game. When the circus comes to town Senator Elkins of West Virginia will be host to the pages. In this kindly office he succeeds Senator Phelan of California, who always took the boys with him to the circus. SEE WHAT YOU'RE MISSING! 3 | Are You Reading MAGAZINE" NOT hy don’t you get one of the current numbers from your newsdealer and compare publication you may be reading? You will be agreeably surprised to see what a large number of truly great stories we are giv- The stories of mystery and detective exploits in this semi- and were written William Hamilton Osborne, Crittenden Marriott, George Gil- . Beulah Poynter, Jack Bechdolt, Hamilton Craigie, Julian Darrow, Laura Reid ry, Edith Sessions Tupper, Cleveland Moffett, Julian Hawthorne, Edgar Faw- Edward W. Townsend, and hundreds | ! NOW!! NOW!! . ) : - os ES = *- w=

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Daring Dan Dobson On THE BOY WHO BEAT THE ’ . MOONSHINERS By GASTON GARNE (A Serial Story.) CHAPTER XVI.—(Continued.) “ Down the road, with a revolver ready in his hand, our hero slowly advanced. : He wus prepared, for an attack of some hid- den foe. He knew that they were near enough to the region of Jake Neweastle’s influence to be im danger. But no one leaped at him, and he walked stum- bling over the muddy ruts, and once tripping for a disagreeable fall, over a piece of fallen branch, when he went too near the side of the rough road. At last after traveling’in this unsatisfactory way for what seemed fifteen minutes or so, Dan began to feel that he was making a dunce out of himself. Nothing happened. ‘ There was no sound of any one ahead of him. Perhaps he had taken the wrong road. The man. must have turned the other way— it might have been a trick to entice him away and leave the horses unguarded. : A thousand such thoughts flitted through his mind, = But just at this instant Dan saw a light flash a little to the left of him. He was attentive, and he stood stock still to await developments. 4 : There was 2 low spoken word, and the voice of a woman made reply. : It was so very stil] that Dan could hear the click of a latch as the door was pulled open wider, showing the interior of a rough farmhouse, as well as he could see. Dan hesitated to listen to the words of Mat- thews and the woman, whose voice was answer- ing the fellow’s own, but he heard his own name “Tell him it is Dobson, all right,” were Mat- thews’ words. ‘“There’s no mistake. They’re coming with the revenoos!” These words were enough to conyince Dan that the man was no less than a spy for Jake New- eastle, and he determined that if possible he would thwart the scheming rogue. . “Qld Zachary said this man was as faithful ; the stars. Well, the best of men will judge. ss wrongly, and this is where my good fe areet ko peated “alon ‘tha 308d _ flickering lights - 22 FAME AND FORTUNE. WEEKLY As he went along, he heard the words of Mat- thews in further orders: -“Now, tell him that I’m going to hamstring the horses before they leave, and put some pizen in the oats so that they won’t be able to do much speedin’—so it’ll be easy fer him ter lay a trap for this gang o’ men.” *“T'l] do it; I'll tell it,” replied the woman, and then Dan heard the sound of. Matthews’ footsteps along the roadway toward the farmhouse once more. The door shut. But, in a little bit, it opened, and»this time the woman hurried forth with a lantern, as she walked around toward a small barn. She passed within ten feet of where Dan was watching, and he saw, to his surprise, that she was young and very beautiful, even in those dnd shadows. “T wonder how I can stop her?” theught Dan. He heard her open the door of the barn and there came the thud of a horse’s nervous hoof- beats on the hard ground of the stall. “Whoa, Nancy,” was her soft admonition to the animal. Her voice seemed doubly pretty to Dan,_now that he remembered her handsome fea- tures. “I'll be a-ridin’ ye, mare—we’ve got a long race to win.” : The girl saddled her horse rapidly, and then the steed was led to the door of the barn. She blew out the lantern, and hung it on a hook by the portal, 7 There was the sound of her swinging into the saddle, and Dan knew he was to make his last attempt. He would not have injured her fer the world, . but he did intend to frighten her for the cause of law and order. “Click!” He purposely pulled back the hammer on the fine automatic revolver, in order to make a sus- picious noise. The girl breathed hard, for she had heard it. “What’s that? Who's thar?” : She barely whispered the words. But Dan caught them. “Stop where you are, or I’ll shoot your horse first and then you.” These words naturally held her, for Dan; could judge of her love for the animal by the way he felt toward his own “Starlight.” He would have risked much to prevent that beloved steed from being hurt. M The girl reined in her animal, and asked, in a low voice: “What you want, stranger?” - “Get off that horse!” was Dan’s reply. “You back to your cabin, or you’ll never get past re alive!” “What zoe pick on me for?” she drawled, plain- tively. “I ain’t a-hurtin’ nobody. I’m jest a pore country girl, and I’ve got to go on an errand for the doctor, stranger.” The sly minx was playing for time. (To be continued.) SeT”.l

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ITEMS PEARLS FROM FISH SCALES : In Fleeton, Va., they have employed a French woman, who i§ engaged in making imitation "pearls from the essence of fish scales. She is said _ to have made some fine specimens of “pearls.” > This new and novel enterprise is attracting - eonsiderable attention. The fishermen are being paid 10 cents a pound for the fish scales. * The scales of only certain species of fish are - good for this purpose, such as shad, river herring and sea herring having'value. The last year, it is said, six tons of alewife scales alone were col- lected and sold. = ; LARGEST NUT CROP ' _ The largest nut crop Asia Minor has produced in eight years is harvested and readv for ship- -ment from Constantinople. Fully a third of the erop, which is chiefly filberts, will go to America, _ while the balance will remain in Turkey. Much of the crop is grown in the interior and brought to Trebizend by nomad camel trains. ' Shelled filberts are sold here at about 3 cents a pound, competing successfully with all other _ food products. The nuts are used as both vege- _ table and dessert. 2 300 MILES ON 5-CENT FUEL _ Three hundred miles by an automobile on a — gallon of fuel costing 5% cents. That is the claim H. H. Elmer, treasurer and general man- ager of the Globe Malleable Iron and Steel Com- pany of Syracuse, N. Y., makes for an engine de- _ signed by himself, revealed to the directorate of the company at its annual meeting recently. In- ___ ternationally known engineering experts, includ- ing Arthur West, chief engineer of the Bethle- hem Steel Corporation, have inspected Mr. El- -mer’s engine and are said to have pronounced it _ hundreds of years ahead of the times. __ The fuel used is oil, either mineral, animal or _ ‘vegetable. No ignition or carbureter is used. _ The principle of the ping is based on the chemistry of oil, according to Mr. Elmer. “ MICHIGAN MAN’S BEARD NINE . FEET “ LONG The long whiskered championship of the world is claimed by John J. Tanner, 84, for more than half a century a resident of Brighton, Mich. | _ His beard measures exactly nine feet from chin to tip. Ordinarily Mr. Tanner controls it by _ thrusting the end inside the band of his trousers. More than fifty years ago, when Mr. Tanner’s ; beard was only two or three feet in length, he sided to seek the championship. To this end . braided his beard and tucked it inside his vest. - The whiskers soon attained proportions making _ the braiding impracticable. . : ‘Ten years ago Mr. Tanner’s beard was six feet Five years ago two feet more had been and now it measures nine. The owner to-attain e growth of twelve feet. ee ™* re er a ee Ce FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY OF INTEREST _Pleys — Interesting Articles About Prominent Peop peer ete os Sst See ES STUNG BY BEE, DIES IN HOUR Stung on the right temple hy a honey bee the other morning Harry Collerd, a farmer living four miles from Caldwell,-N. J., died half an hour later. After returning from town, where several of his friends remarked that he seemed in perfect health, Mr. Collerd began chopping wood. A few minutes later he hurried to the house, tell- ing his wife that he had been stung by a bee. Mrs. Collerd discovered the stinger and ex- tracted it. As her husband’s pain seemed to in- crease she set out for the nearest house to tele- phone for a physician while his sister, Miss Ma- tilda Collerd, applied first aid. The sick man’s neck began to swell. He soon lapsed into unconsciousness and died before a physician arrived, Coroner Thomas J. Lewis said death was due to a stroke of apoplexy caused by the shock of'the insect’s sting and a weak heart. —_ a —— stamp to cever postage, and we will mail yon a co of “Movi Seca py oving Picture =———— SSS “Mystery Magazine” N, SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A COPY LATEST ISSUES 95 THE TRICK OF THE GRE 98 A = anes: OE TER BOW, tg T MORIARITY’S, by Fred FB. Shuey THE by 97 7 LOST STAR OF THE FILMS, by Jack Bech. * COUNTERFFIT CLUES, by Ch 99, THE CROSS, br W. 8. loti 1 ee SECRE' SERVICE MYSTERY, 1 caida tamer T *, by Elliott Lester. THE INSPECTOR’S STRANGE CASE. by Gottlieb A MCSEUM 'SEUM MYSTERY. by Jack B THE LITTLE RED ROOK. by Alene: Tétne A MAN FROM SIAM, by Charles Fulton Oursler. The Clue of the Emerald Ring, hy Beulah Poynter. _ HFLU’S HINGES. by Hamilton’ Craigie. 7 TTTE WOLF, by Katherine Stage. 109 THE BRASS BUTTON, by Jack Bechdolt. The Famous Detective Story Out Today In No. 110 Ts A WHISPERING .MUMMY By CHAS. FULTON OURSLER HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc., 166 West 234 Street, New York City “Moving Picture Stories” A Weekly Magazine Devoted to Phetopiays and Players PRICE SEVEN CENTS PER COPY | ; Each number contains Fou _ on the ‘sareess < Elegant ish its tee i 5 in the Fil — Dot Acto: Tesses - Studios ner Lanta: 2 p Fan Wating. : = me : HAERY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc., 1 M66 West 23d Street, New York Oity ,

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24 THE MIDSHIPMAN’S PERIL By PAUL BRADDON The Wildcat had been on a long and adventur- ous cruise, when she dropped anchor off one of the many uninhabited island of the Archipelago. A party was sent ashore to seek for water. They were commanded by a midshipman, and . consisted of six whites and two negro sailors. One of the latter—the crew’s cook—accom- panied the party with much evident reluctance. “Now, then, you lazy skunk, jump out and roll up that water cask!” said the middy, accompany- ing his orders with a kick on the cook’s shins. “What fo’ you do dat, Massa Hardy? Sun- beam no skunk.” “Don’t answer me; be off.” “Luff, ye swab!” growled the quartermaster, helping Sunbeam out of the boat. Sunbeam’s eyes rolled and his teeth shone, but he said never a word then. The party drew up the boat and at once moved inland. The island was a little land of luxury and beau- ty, and the men were nothing loath to idle a few hours away, and so looked very indifferently for the water they had been sent for. “We must separate,” said Midshipman Hardy; “go in pairs, you, and make a circle of four miles, returning here if \you do not discover water. If you do, the first man who has the luck must fire his pistol. Sunbeam, you keep with the quartermaster.” The day was closing in, and Mr. Hardy was afraid of having to return without the precious fluid, or make a night of it on the island. He, at least, was zealous in prosecuting his search. ' But the dim dusk had come on before he had made any discovery, and then he found himself on the edge of a ravine, and alone. His companion had lagged behind, or purposely sli away. ‘ “Confound him!” he muttered, and then charm- ed with the glorious view before him, stood in charmed reverie until darkness shut out the view _,. from his gaze. Drawing his pistol he fired in the air, and replaced the weapon in his belt. Some startled birds flew past him, creating a loud noise among the trees. Then again the place was still as a churchyard. “Two to one,” he said, inwardly, “I shall not — find my way back—what’s that? Surely there are no wild animals here?” He was turning around, when something struck _ against his ankles, or his feet got entangled in _ He was too bewildered to know which, and his Siecle beta Coteren, violet! hekaet ites in . ‘frogered. of the chasm on whose brink he had pect?” heveriea. “Tt is death: oa + y eS ee i +~ =

believe he’s knocked Hardy on the head.” “How shall we seare him?” “Dig a hole and bury him,” suggested one. The quartermaster turned, to Sunbeam. “Look here, you black cuss, jest pay out, and tell us what you done with, Mr. Hardy, or I'll be derned if we won’t bury yer alive.” Sunbeam still swore solemnly that he knew nothing of Mr. Hardy, and the more he swore to it the more the men doubted him. “Dig the hole, mates,” said the quartermaster. The men set to work, while the quartermaster stood over Sunbeam with drawn cutlass. The negro never believed for an instant that these men would dare to put their threat into execution. s ; Half an hour of quaking and shaking, during which he was repeatedly asked to confess. The hole was deep enough, the men thought, and he was dragged toward it. His howls rang out so loudly that one of the -men effectually gagged him. His | were bound, his hands lashed to his sides, and they shoved him into the hole and filled it in. ; His head and shoulders were above the level, but this did not matter much. ‘ “It'll give him a chance to see around, it will, an’ watch for the wolves an’ the like,” said the quartermaster. “Good-night, an’ we hopes you'll eee ee a a enjoy it.” sabre Then the gag was removed, the ends of his pre- posterously huge collar ed up over his ears, an old felt 1 = ? ee Se” 24 ee, Oe - \ t—the pride of his heart—jammed.

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‘on the a of his woolly head, and the party 4 While they were in hailing distance the quar- Ttermaster continued to ask: peo here's Mr. Hardy? Are ye goin’ ter tell __ But Sunbeam, with the cunning of his race, re- “Mained silent. He fondly expected that they Would oe come back, believing his assertion and 4 ase him. But they did not. They put off and rowed back _ ‘to the ship, and reported. - “Mr. Hardy missing, sir; an’ we! can’t make Sut what’s come o’ Sunbeam.” — “Very well, we must wait till morning, and Send a party to look for them.” _ Thus Sunbeam was left in the darkness and ‘Solitude of that deserted island. __ They had buried him where the soil was sandy “8nd soft, with nothing to obstruct his view of the shore, a prey to the most awful and heart- Sickening terror. _ He cried aloud to them to, come back, but when by the flashing of lights on the distant vessel’s deck he knew the boat had returned, his ineessant howls were simply inhuman. His terrified imagination conjured up all kinds °f horrible shapes and aiqures, among them the dowy form of young Hardy. ed I didn’t do it; go ’way! Oh, gor’amighty, go way!” he screeched, shutting his eyes and sob- bing till the glands of his t grew parched md swelled so that he lost his voice, and his head fell forward in unconsciousness. The light of day brought with it some sense of _ ef from the horrors of the night, but a rag- ‘Ig thirst seized him, and to his dismay he beheld he Wildcat sailing away round the island. ibe * * * * * Mr. Gary,” said the captain of the Wildcat, as the sun arose, “go ashore, and look for Mr. Hardy and that thieving scamp, Sunbeam.” “Y¥es, sir,” said the youthful officer, Mr. Gary. “Scour the island; he must be found, dead or Gary saluted, and the boat pushed off. When y landed he divided his party, taking Charley far when his ears were . He had not ‘aluted with a series of dreadful yells, Charley became all eyes, and his teeth chat ~ “What dat, Massa Gary?” : ] 2 erat soce find out—sounds like a human voice Reni agit ae center gl Nonsense,” smiled Gary; walked on direction where the sounds came. ood heavens, why, ‘it’s Sunbeam, buried ~ FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY 25 “By heavens, I'll leave you here to die unless you tell me what you did with Mr. Hardy.” Unable to bear the sufferings any longer, Sun- beam said he would tell him if he had a drink of water. He had water,.and was dragged out of the hole, but could not stand. a He told them where the ravine was, and said they would find Mr. Hardy down there. Gary hastened away with a beating heart; the lad, Hardy, was his dearest friend, and his heart bled at the thought of possibly finding him dead. Arriving at the ravine, what was his joy to see Hardy sitting by the stream, pale and hag- gered from pain, and bandaging his leg. Maimed, but not killed, after all. He was car- ried tenderly on board and the story told, but the fearful night of being buried alive so preyed upon Sunbeam that young Hardy begged the captain not to punish him any fd®ther. “Besides,” he added, “it taught me a lesson, sir, to be a little more forbearing with thase beneath me,” as it did; while Sunbeam eschewed not only stealing but lying; thus was it a wholesome lesson after all, and he never forgot being buried alive. _ or BLACK-HEADED SEA BIRD’S LONG FLIGHT Starting from a small solitary island near Japan, a black-headed albatross followed the steamship Wenatchee across the north Pacifie for six days and seven nights, until it became an object of unusual interest amiong both passengers and crew and several big wagers as to its length of flight and duration of strength. A too hearty breakfast tossed to it, by a pas- senger at the big odds end of a wager, caused the albatross to turn back on the seventh morn- The Wenatchee is a new boat and in the open sea averaged seventeen knots per hour, but the storm bird did not tire. At times it freshened up somewhat and flew in great circles around the steamer. Because of its peculiar black head, in contrast to the natural silver-white plumage, the albatross was es ished from others also in the wake of big day the wind roared in a gale beating the ship with snow, hail and rain, but through the troubled ide of the Wen- they observed the albatross filitti the rays of the cabin’s lights.

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26 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NEW YORK, MAY 26, 1922 TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Bingle Postage ....-.........+ Postage Free 7 Cents One Three Months...... * a 90 Cents One Copy Six Months........ “ “ $1.75 One Copy One Year.......... - s 3.50 envelope. Write your pame and address plainiy. Ad- dress Teite rs to HARRY E. WOLFF, Wolf, , ~q- she a } Publisher, Inc, Cc. W. Hastings, Treas. _ Charles E. Nylander, Sec. @ 166 W. 23d St., N. Y. INTERESTING ARTICLES MOUSE TRACKS IN SNOW | z Prince William of Sweden obtained during his African hunting trip a fine zoological collection for the Royal Museum of Stockholm. In climb- inz great volcanoes to an altitude of 13,000 feet, says the Scientific American, he found snow on which were tracks of mice, although intense cold prevailed there. 80 PER CENT. OF WORLD’S AUTOS IN ; UNITED STATES There are 12,588,949 automobiles in the world, - according to the most reliable statistics obtaina- _ ble, and with 463,448 Canada takes third place in possession among all countries, following the United States and Great Britain. : The United States is estimated as having 10,- 505,660 and Great Britain 497,582. THE WORLD’S RICHEST GOLD REEF Now that attention is being called to the Trans- vaal gold industry by the strike of the white miners on the Rand, it may be interesting to deseribe what the Johannesburg gold reef is real- ly like. "its developed area stretches from Johannes- to Heidelberg, a distance of about forty miles, and from the top of some high building you may trace it clearly by the enormous mounds of white tailings, up to 3,000,000 tons in weight, that are dotted along its length. — ; They lie bleached and glaring in the sun, the fine dust of their surface blowing in the wind, -and though attempts to grass upon them have been made, all have failed through the action of the cyanide with which they are impregnated. “The battery “stamps” are never silent. Night and day they are pounding up the rock, and there are certain spots in Johannesburg where you can hear them as you lie in bed in the stillness of the early hours like the regular beat of distant waves. : : = s , ‘amble of = nd curiously resembles a genuine earthquake. , the mines in Johannesburg itself are now 7¢ too, you will hear the muf- aloe — ‘ i = . painfully: rock that shakes the houses © FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY mostly used up, and year by year the industry shifts farther to the east. The mines themselves are like so many .self- contained towns. A large mine, for instance, will employ 20,000 men and have a completeness of equipment both above and below the surface that is astonishing. I have traveled 3,000 vertical feet into the earth at forty miles an hour in one of these mines and have found down there elaborate pumping ma- chinery, electric trains, a crowd of men going about their business as if on the surface. _ And above the hoisted rock is being pounded into powder, is passing over the mercury-eoated slime-boards, is gradually being made to give up its treasure, ; And then, of course, there is the social side of the mine, the trim quarters for the whites, the native compound with its up-to-date kitchens and bakehouse, the hospital accommodation. Yes, — mine is, as far as possible, complete in it- self. The final thing they show you when you visit a mine is the finished article. That is to say, when you have observed the whole vast complex energy of the machine they point out the results in a few bars of dull yellow metal. I had heard some vague rumor that if you could lift one of them and carry it away you get it as a present, but I was hastily disallus-~ ioned before I could make the attempt. Perhaps — they saw the look of desperate determination in ~ my eyes. LAUGHS Willie—Paw, what is the age of discretion? Paw—That’s when a man is too old to have any fun, my son. “How are you feeling to-day?” asked the phy- sician. And the man with the gout murmured, “T can’t kick, doctor.” _ Employee—I would like more salary. I am going to get married! Employer—Sorry, but I'll wg to reduce it. I am going to get married my- self, He—Do you think kissing is as dangerous as the doctors say? She—Well, it has certainly put — an end to a good many confirmed bachelors, at — any rate. : “My husband had to wait nearly an hour while I got ready, but he never complained a bit. “Then _ he’s different from mine. Where were you go- — ng?” “Shopping.” Gibbs—So your wife quarreled with you. I thought you said she was blind to your faults? — Dibbs—She was blind to them, all right, but she wasn’t deaf, and the neighbors posted her. Send us a one-cent stamp to cover postage, and we will mail you a copy of “Moving Picture — Stories.” ot

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- FAME CHICKENS IN MAIL -» None the worse for thirty-six hours of travel in disagreeable weather, 1,200 baby chicks were ‘Teceived at the Sioux City, Iowa, post-office the _ ether morning from Central Hall, Pa. The chicks Were delivered to C. Roma, No. 3501 Pear! street. _ According to Postmaster W. H. Jones, this is the largest single consignment of chicks ever sent through the post-office here. The chicks were in “& pasteboard box containing many small perfo- _ ¥ations for air. _ © FIVE HUGE GORILLAS BAGGED _ After six months of tracking gorillas through the jungles of equatorial Africa, Dr. Carl e. _ Akeley is back in New York, not a member of his _Party missing. On board a freighter following him from the Belgian Congo is his, baggage—the shaggy hides of five monstrous gorillas. Besides the coats of his victims, the big game a is bringing back a number of extraordi- “Nary photographs and some precious data for the American Museum of Natural History. Be- ing also a taxidermist, he expects to mount the Seen until Dr. Akeley’s party entered. The gorillas were not savage, reports Dr. Ake- ~ It was rather poor sport shooting them. The explorer got far more joy out of clicking a movie amera at them. The beasts often ran into hiding When the camera clicked, never threatening to at- ‘tack him with any of that savage ferocity usually attributed to gorillas. ln Dr. Akeley’s party, which ‘returned on the White Star liner Baltic, was little Alice Hastings , & years old, d of Mr. and Mrs. E. Bradley, of icago. She was the t white child the natives of the Congo belt had seen. They especially fancied her long 2 curls, which—much to the surprise of one chief—didn’t come off. He thought that coiffure, like that of his women, was detach- _ . The women in Dr. Akeley’s Miss Martha Mrs. Bradley and Mi iscila Hall— shirts, trousers and puttees. -They not suffer from the heat, since e gorilla land far back into is is legendary, in u reules, Pelops and other i games took their from Olympia, the place where they were > nature of a modern world’s fair; AND FORTUNE WEEKLY \ FROM ALL POINTS envoys were sent throughout the kingdom to in- vite the States to send contestants and do hener to the god Zeus. People gathered from all quar- ters, bringing with them sacrifices for the gods, and vying with one another in the splendor and munificence -of their offerings. Merchants and traders from far and-near took advantage of the oecasion to reap a harvest; even poets, orators and artists, who were held in greater reverence thai ‘they are to-day, were there to sell their works and to advertise themselves to the world. It is interesting to compare the modern: athletic field and its crowd of “rooters” with the sacred surroundings of the ancient Green contests, which were started off with a sacrifice to the idol gods. The centuries seem to shrink, the lapse of time becomes less overpowering, and the dim past -is brought nearer to us, when we realize that in the year 1920 A. D. there is being continued in Ant- werp an institution that originated more than 2,100 years ago. The qualifications for entrants tin the Olympic games required them to be of Green descent and free from “taint of impiety, blood guiltiness, or grave breach of the laws.” All contestants were required to train faithfully fer ten months pre- ceding the games, the last month being on the grounds under the supervision of the officials. The first day of the “meet” was taken up with sacrifices to the various gods and to taking the oaths; the officials swore to judge fairly and the contestants swore that they had observed the rules for training and would compete fairly. The rules in the various contests were not the same 2,000 years ago as they are to-day; in wrestling, for example, all that was required for a decision was to throw the opponent to the ground three times. Boxing was no ping-pong party; at one stage of its development the contestants wore leather thongs weighted with chunks of metal; this “boxing«glove” was called the cestus; the contest, however, seems to have been one of ex- haustion rather than of slugging. The pentath- lon (“penta” meaning five) consisted of running, jumping, wrestling, throwing the discus and the javelin ; the run was one stadion in length; the jumping was for distance, probably a hop, step and jump, as one of the ancients cleared - five feet; the javelin was a light spear thrown by means of a strap attached to it; the discus was likely heavier than at present, the ancient Green record being about 100 feet. The victors in the ancient Olympic games re- ceived only a crown of wild olive leaves; their true reward came when they returned to their™ ing heroes, driven into the town in triumph ine chariot a: Sisegalt-in- the abi Cte ordinary gate not being good enough for them), with pretty maidens strewing flowers in their path, women songs of praise and body in general giving them welcome. —_- Send us a one-cent stamp to cover postage, and . - will mail you a copy of “Moving Picture

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“ 200 feet and the old Brooklyn Bridge is 6,537 ° FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY GOOD READING GOLD BARS FOR POLAND Gold bars, diamonds and other precious stones valued at 10,000,000 gold rubles, dr approximately $5,000,000, have been received by the Polish Gov- ernment from Soviet Russia in lieu of rolling stock due Poland by virtue of the Riga peace treaty of 1921. This is the second, installment, the first payment of gold and precious stones having been made last December. The shipment came in special cars convoyed by armed guards and upon its arrival in Warsaw the gold and stones were placed in vaults of the Polish Gov- ernment bank. ODD FACTS ABOUT NEW YORK The amount of water used daily by the people of the greater city would make a lake which would be exactly one mile long, half a mile wide and seven feet deep. In other words, it is 740,000,000 gallons. The number of persons walking up and down Fifth avenue at Forty-second street in the day- time averages about 13,000 to the hour. The of- ficial figures are, 129,930 for the ten hours be- tween 8:30 a. m. and 6:30 p. m. The vehicles passing at the same time number 14,182. The pedestrians passing up and down Broadway at Forty-second street during the same ten hours averages 111,306, and the vehicles number 16,280. On Fifth avenue, at Thirty-fourth street, the pe- sae number 71,500 and the vehicles 16,- * 2 The total length of Manhattan Bridge is two miles less 1,230 feet. Williamsburg Bridge is 7,- feet. 7 The wharves and docks of New York, not in- » rg ag those on the New Jersey side, number Place all the streets of the greater city end to end and it is safe to say you would have a street that would reach across the continent. The streets of Manhattan, a borough which is more “con- fined” than some of the others, have an aggre- gate length of 186.5 miles. The number of dead bodies found in the city in 1920 was 554, of which 470 were males. All of these were unknown when found, but nearly all were later identified. The persons reported missing in the year were 6,670, nearly all of whom were traced by the police. Inquiries for many others were made, but the number stated are regarded as the actual missing. The deepest part of New York Bay is at the southern end of the Narrows. The depth there is 109 feet. In some places out some distance from shore it- becomes as shallow as fifteen feet. The greatest depth of the Hudson opposite the Battery is fifty-two feet. It is from fifty-two to * _. of mud and silt lie on this bedrock under the fifty-seven feet deep opposite ‘Central Park. Op- te Ffty-ninth street in the river the depth to is 125 feet, but about seventy-five feet round figures and allowing for the changes bee er wrought by tides the width of the Hudson oppo- site the Battery is 1,500 yards; at Fifty-ninth street it is 1,200 yards, and at Fortieth street 1,- . 400’ yards. The city government owns or leases 2,900 build- ings, whose annual lighting bill amounts of $918,- 916. The electric bulbs for these buildings alone cost about $100,000 annually, according to the officials of the Lighting Department. ORIGIN OF SEA TERMS The origin of many nautical terms undoubtedly will surprise many of us. Take the word Admifal. How many* people think of it, except as a thor- oughly English word; yet its origin is Emir le Bagh, Arabic for “Lord of the Sea.” Captain comes direct from the Latin caput, a head; but the word mate owes nothing to any dead lan- guage, being almost identical with the Icelandic mati, which means a companion or equal. Originally coxswain was the man who pulled the after oar of the captain’s boat, then known as a cock boat. “Cock boat” is a corruption of the word coracle, and the coracle is a small round boat used for fishing. So coxswain comes to us from the Welsh. Commodore is the Italian Com- mendatore, or commander, and naval cadet was originally the French capdet, which, going a step further back, has the same origin as the word captain. We frequently hear of “Davy Jones.” There never was such a person; but speak of “Duffy Jonah’s locker” and you have the original term. “Duffy” is the West Indian negro term for spirit or ghost, while “Jonah” refers to the prophet of that name. “Dog watch” comes from “Dodge” watch. - This “Dodge” is to enable the men to “dodge” being on duty every day at the same ~ hours. Three thousand years ago rope was made from bulrushes, the Latin name for which is juneus, so we have the nautical term “junk” for a rope’s end, and the sailors carry the word a step fur- ther, and call their meat “junk.” The words starboard and larboard (the latter known as port to-day) have developed in an interesting man- ner. Starboard has nothing whatever to do with stars, but really is steoar board, Anglo-Saxon for steer side, because when the old galleys were used they were steered by an oar fixed to the right hand side of the stern, and the inboard portion was held by the helmsman in his right hand. Larboard is probably a corruption of lower board or side, as it originally was considered inferior to the starboard. “Jury mast,” which sounds as if it had some-_ thing to do with a law court jury, is quite in- nocent, although both words come from the same jour, the French for “day.” Jury mast thus means a mast that is put up temporarily—for a day—just as jury in the legal term implies a tribunal summoned for a short period only - Send us a one-cent stamp to cover postage, and we will mail you a copy of “Mystery Magazine.” Bi vide nok ave by ee a ee ee ee ee

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OUR TEN-CENT HAND BOOKS a Useful, Instructive and Amusing. They Contain Valuable Information on Almost “very Subject No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETS.— Giving complete information as to the manner and Method of raising, keeping, taming, breeding and man- @ging all kinds of pets; also giving full instructions for ng cages, ete. Fully explained by twenty-eight ~ Mustrations. No. 56. HOW TO BECOME AN ENGINEER.—Con- taining full instructions how to become a-locomotive @ngineer; also directions for building a model locomo- tive; together with a full description of everything an z eer should know. o. 58. HOW TO BE A DETECTIVE.—Py Old King Brady, the well-known cetective. In which he lays down _ 80me valuable rules for beginners, and also relates some idventures of well-known detectives. No. 60—HOW TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER.— Containing useful informetion regarding the Camera and q te work it;-also how to make Photographic Magic sae tern Slides and other Transparencies. 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HOW TO DO SLEIGHT-OF-HAND. — Con- taining over fifty of the latest and best tricks used by lagicians. Also containing the secret of second sight. Olly illustrated. . No. 70. HOW TO MAKE MAGIC TOYS.—Containing directions for making Magic Toys and devices of y kinds. Fully illustrated. . HOW TO DO MECHANICAL TRICKS. — complete instructions for performing over Sixty Mechanical Tricks. Fully illustrated. - No. 72—HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS. _ >Embracing all o fthe latest and most deceptive card with illustrations. ™ HOW TO WRITE LETTERS CORRECTLY. -—Containing full instructions far writing letters on al- _ Mest any subject; also rules for punctuation and com- a ition, with specimen letters. ef 76. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY THE HAND. Containing rules for telling fortunes by the aid of Mmes of the hand, or the secret of palmistry. Also the - of telling future events*by aid of moles, marks, Tilustrated. FORTY TRICKS WITH CARDS Tricks as performed by Arranged for home Tai ecdotes and aepeauss “Gacoan. comedian. PALMISTRY.—Containing the of reading e lines on the a SE OB rag ag ecing char: i 2 ey for te - a = on a head, By Leo Hugo Koch. strated ind instructive informati notism. explaining h are emploved bv the id. By Leo Hugo Koch, on SS “ HARRY E. Fame and Fortune Weekly — LATEST ISSUES — Bought at Auction; or, The Bid that Led to Riches. The Young Copper King; or, The Boy Who Went the Limit. Ralph, the Keporter; @r, The Mystery of Assign- No. 10. The Nerve of a Wall 829 830 or, Street nipped To Win, or, The Wall Vho Made a Fortune. The Boy Salesman; or, Out On the Road For Suc- cess. ee Money Broker; or, Striking Luck In Wall treet. The Way To Fame; or, The Success of a Young Dramatist. 838 In the Money Game; or, The Luck of Two Wall Street Chums. 839 = A Solsep Treasure; or, The Mystery of an Old runk. 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