Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 976) (1924 06 13)

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a —t—“‘CSé™~™*#W BOYS, READ THE RADIO ARTICLES IN THIS NUMBER No. 976 JUNE 13, 1924 Price 8 Cents joa sTORIES OF BOYS THAT MAKE MONEY. AFTER A FORTUNE; OR, THE PLUCKIEST. BOY INTHE VA ESL By A ESELS MALLMEW RE Ano OTHER STORIES , g : me J eT a. = ~. nel Z a 4 ° Ms 5 , *, : fe lesy eS Se gs. ee) Me | (ek As the two ruffians forced him toward the pit, Paul recoiled from the horrible fate ‘designed for bim “Dead boys tell no tales!” exclaimed Gonzalez, with an exultant laugh, as he cast the torch into the dark hole.

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— no Nes seas 3 ~ Are You A Radio Fan? Issued weekly—Subecription price, $4.00 per year; Canada, $4.50; Foreigi 45.0845 FAME AND FORTUNE: FEB 20 1925: = Read Pages 24 and 25 : EKLY EZ olff, Publisher, Inc., 166~ Z 4, AY, * .f , 1 a +, ae a = Hntered as Second-Class ar <OGtebevA) 1911, at = West 234 Street, New York, N. Y. A 7; = the Post-Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act o Teh F ist : ; = - No. 976 NEW YORK, JUNE 13, 1924 Bp, “%, "% “Bice 8 Cents. E "GB om : AFTER A FORTUNE 2 | 4 * CHAPTER I.—Job Robinson. He was an old maf and very feeble, and his mame was Job Robinson. He carried a heavy _ Malacea cane to support his drooping figure, and was often seen leaning upon it with both hands __ erossed, gazing out toward the setting sun, as if his thoughts lay in that direction. Looking neither to the right nor left, nor accosting a soul, old man moved about the immediate neighbor- of the shabby little house in which he lived all alone near the blacksmith’s shop. - Once a week he visited the general store and purchased the few necessaries he needed, gener- ally pointing out what he wanted, and uttering as sw words as possible, though his bright eyes ften rested with a look of some interest on the manly lad who usually waited on him, Paul Clif- ‘ord a. name, whose widowed mother carried on the store and post-office. His advent in Harley’s ‘Corners, which consisted of a few houses, a gen- al store and a blacksmith’s shop, created a good “deal of speculation; but curiosity remained un- ‘satisfied, for the stranger wgs as uncommunica- tive as a clam, and nobody even knew his name until Paul Clifford found a letter in the mail one morning addressed to Job Robinson, Harley’s oe Minn., and, knowing nobody by that mame in the place, he carried it out to the strang- ’s habitation. _. The old man claimed the letter, thanked the boy for bringing it out to him, and from that mo- nt a kind of friendship sprang up between “== two. The old fellow came oftener to the _ store after that, and seemed contented to sit out on the veranda in the sunshine and smoke a curi- v-shaped pipe that afforded him much com- ul Clifford was a bright and ambitious boy. father, who had followed the carpentering A, OR, THE PLUCKIEST BOY IN THE WEST® ,“%, oF By A SELF-MADE MAN good-hearted lad, who worked for a miserly old farmer in the vicinity. Andy had all sorts of grievances against his employer, the principal one of which was the foolish contract he had made with the man to work for six months at $10 a month, the money to be only paid in a lump sum at that end of that time, and to be forfeited if Andy left before the expiration of his term of servitude. It was now drawing close to the end of the six months, and the farmer was exercising all his ingenuity to try and make things so hot for Any that he would run away, in which event he would save the $60. One dark, blustering spring night Paul closed up the store at a little before the usual hour, and told his mother that he was going down the road to call on Job Rob- inson, “T haven’t seen him in a couple of days, mother. I’m afraid he’s sick.” “Very well, Paul. Don’t stay away too long.” “No, mother, I won’t.” After splitting some kindling wood for the stove in the morning Paul put on his hat and thick pea-jacket and left the house. With his hands stuck in his jacket poelets, he trudged along, whistling cheerily, and wondering how long it would be before he would have the chance to get out into the big bustling world and carve a future for himself. “Mother and I are only just vegetating here in Harley’s Corners. We are makmg a bare liv- ing. I wish she’d give up the store and move to some good-sized city where I could find a job that would give me a foothold in life. I’m only going to seed in this place. “Hello, what’s that?” Something that sounded like a dismal groan had struck upon the boy’s ears, and he stopped short and listened. The sound was vresently re- peated. It came from the side of the road, ap- parently from under the scarred oak, whose blast- ed trunk shone white and spectral through the gloom. “Could that have been the wind?” he muttered. “It sounded rather human to it. T’ll——” : For the third time the sepulchral sound was -borne to his ears. At that moment he noticed a moving object coming toward him up the road. “I wonder who that is abroad at this time of night?” Paul asked himself, watching the ap- ‘

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4 proaching figure. “He couldn’t have made that noise, for it sounded close by, and the wind is not blowing from that direction.” He stood and waited for the newcomer to reach him. He was-not kept long in suspense as to the person’s identity, for he recognized his friend Andy Blake by the peculiar battered white hat the boy was accustomed to wear. “What the dickens brings him out to-night? He seems to be heading for the store. I wonder if old Tartar has sent him after something ?” : Andy didn’t notice Pau! standing in the road until our hero hailed him. “Oh, Lor’!” exclaimed the farm boy, coming to a dead stop. “Who’s there?” He looked as if he was on the point of taking to his heels by the way he had come. “Don’t you know me, Andy? I’m Paul,” said Clifford cheerfully. “Is that really you, Paul?” asked Andy doubt- fully. : “Sure it’s me.” “What are you doing out here?” asked Blake, coming cautiously forward. e “What are you doing out here yourself, Andy?”. “I was coming to see you, Paul.” “Rather a late hour for you to get away from the farm, isn’t it?” “l’vye shook the farm,” replied Blake, in a tone as gloomy as the night. “You’ve what?” ejaculated Paul, hardly believ-’ ing the evidence of his ears. “T’ve run away from the measly old place,” answered Andy. “You don’t mean it.” *“T do mean it.” “How came you to do that?” “IT couldn’t stand it no longer. I’m only flesh and blood. I believe a wooden image would rebel at the tyranny of Simon Tartar.” _ “So he’s done you up at last, has he?” said Paul. “Well, it’s a shame. It’s an old trick of his. I was hoping you'd be able to hold out long enough to get your money. You’ve worked for him five months so far, haven’t you?” “Five months and three days. Do you think I could get a lawyer to make him-give up the $60 ~~ he owes me?” 7 “You might; but it would cost you half of it for his services, and maybe something more for court fees, though I suppose he’d have to pay that if the case went against him.” “I wouldn’t care what it cost if I only could get back at him. He’s the worst old screw I ever met in my life, and his wife ain’t much better. _-Why, I haven’t had a square meal since I went to work for him. Mrs. Tartar weighs out the r, and measures the butter at every meal.” gt id they skimp themselves as well as you?” _ Sure they did; but they’re used to do that, I FORTUNE -“I don’t know what it is,” replied Paul; “but — I’m going to see.” is “T wouldn’t if I was you,” said Andy, with a fearful glance at the lightning-blasted oak. : Paul, however, had already started for the oak, and Andy followed him at a safe distance. Again that disquieting groan sounded upon the air. — There was no doubt now that it came from the foot of the scarred oak. Paul marched straight up to it, and soon made out the figure of a man crouched among the gnarled roots of the dead tree. It wasn’t necessary for the boy to see his face, which was buried in his arm, to recognize him—the stout Malacca cane lying across his knees showed who it was. é “Job Robinson!” exclaimed Paul, staring down in astonishment. CHAPTER II.—The Hunted Man. Yes, it was Job Robinson, and he looked to be in a pretty bad way. =e “What’s the matter, Mr. Robinson?” asked Paul with some concern. “Are you ill?” =e A hollow groan was the only response. ae “Look here, Andy. We’ll have to get him up to —— the store. He seems to be a sick man.” teat “Who is he?” asked Blake. F “You’ve heard me speak of Job Robinson, t old man who lives up near the blacksmith shop’ “Yes. I heard you say something about him.’ “Well, this is the name. Something has hay pened to him. I was on my way to see him to- — night, that’s how you happened to meet me _ = on the road. He’s been calling at the store pret regularly for the last month until this week. Not seeing him for three days, I started to call on him to-night to see if there was anything.wrong with him. I can’t imagine what brought hi out here, unless he started for the store and was taken ill on the way. Get hold of his other ai and we'll raise him up.” =i Robinson made a feeble resistance and then lapsed. It was easy to see that he could not wa in his present condition. z= “We must carry him, Andy. Take charge his legs, Vll hold up his body.” Paul picked up the Malacca cane and, p it across the old man’s body, the two boys star to carry their burden to the store. It was easy job, for Job Robinson, in spite of his and general weakness, was tolerably heavy. groaned repeatedly during the journey, took time, as the boy had to pause at inte to rest. They reached the store at last, and Clifford was greatly survrised to see not Andy but the burden the lads carried into house and laid upon the sitting-room lounge. | was a sympathetic little woman, and | busied herself to see what she could do fo! poor old man. P ; . “T’d better go for the doctor, hadn’t I, mo asked Paul. AS “I think you had.” Fess So Paul started for Doctor who | ;

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AFTER A. FORTUNE 8 “Do you think he is seriously injured?” asked Paul anxiously. “I am afraid he is,” solemnly. “Js there any danger that he may die?” “T don’t think he will live through the night.” That was quite a shock to Paul. "What shall we dé?” “There is nothing that you can do, unless you remove him to a bed, where he would be more comfortable than on this lounge. I will give him something to revive him, and we may be able to find out who was his asSailant.” “We have a small spare room upstairs,” said Paul. “We might carry him up there first.” “I think you had better,” answered Doctor replied Doctor Handy ndy. Paul and Andy took hold of the injured man, and, as gently as possible, conveyed him upstairs to the spare room, where they placed him on the bed. Doctor Handy then poured a preparation » down Robinson’s throat. In a few moments he _ opened his eyes and gazed wildly around the - room. He tried to raise himself up, but with a ' groan sank back. “I’m afraid I’m done for,” ht muttered dis- mally. “What happened to you, Mr. Robinson?” Paul asked him. “Ts that you, trembling tones. es, sir.” “Who are these persons?” “This is Doctor Handy, whom I called .in to attend to you, and the other is Andy Blake, a friend of mine.” Robinson groaned and lay quiet for a moment or two. Suddenly he started up in an excited way. “Where is my cane?” he asked wildly. have it. He must never get it.” “Your cane is downstairs.” “Bring it to me,” he demanded insistently. ; “Go down and get it, Andy,” said Paul, wonder- ‘ ing why the old man was so anxious to get hold of it, for it was certainly of no use to him in his present state., : Andy fetched the Malacca.cane up in a few Moments. Robinson seized it as if it was worth _ its weight in gold, and made an effort to ex- - amine it. He seemed'satisfied that the cane was ' all right and then laid it close beside him on the "i re het maintained a grip upon the carved head. ~ “T can do v “T must . little for him,” Doctor Handy said to Paul. “We ought to take his ante-mortem statement, for he can’t live many hours.” “That is tough,” said the boy sadly. “Now get me some warm water, a sponge, a a4 of scissors, and some linen rags. He has a cut on his head which I must attend to right away.” '- Paul got the articles called for and the doctor did the rest. Robinson never made a move while i was working over him. T'll give him another drink of this prepa- i “It will revive him, must try and get his statement. draught down the old man’s It an immediate effect. Robinson his eyes again and looked intently at the / Paul?” said the old man, in “You seem to have been attacked by some one,” said Paul. Robinson nodded his head. “Who was it? A tramp?” The man shook his Head and then rolled his eyes around fearfully, as though he expected to firid the person who had struck him down close at hand. “Andy and 1 found vou stretched out at the foot of a tree along the road,” said Paul. “Were you coming te the store?” Robinson nodded. “And some one struck you down in the road?” Rebinson shook his head. “Where were vou attacked?” “In the house,” replied the old man, with an effort. “In your house?” Robinson nodded again. “Would you know the man if you saw him again?” The old man closed his eyes and seemed to shudder. t “Could you describe him? If you ean I’ll send Andy for the constable and put him on the ras- eal’s track.” Robinson made no answer to this. ed to be growing weaker again. “When I am dead,” he whispered, “don’t- let him get this cane.” “Him? Who do you mean? some surprise. ‘ “The—man—who—hit—me.” “Of course the rascal shan’t have it,” replied Paul soothingly, thinking that Robinson was wan- dering in his head.. “But I’d give something to know what he looks like.” The old man lay a little while without. speak- ing; then he whispered: “T want te—to talk—to you—alone, Paul.” Paul looked at Doctor Handy. “You had better humor him,” said the phy- sician. “Take notice of all he says.” The doctor and Andy then went downstairs, the former taking his leave. “Are we—alone?” asked Robinson eagerly. “Yes,” answered Paul. “Give me another drink of that stuff.” _. Paul poured out another dose and let him drink it. His eyes grew brighter and-his voice stronger. “I’m going to die, Paul,” he said earnestly. “I hope not,” replied the boy. “Yes, yes; I’m done up for good, but before I die I’m going to make you my heir. You're a good boy. I like you. You're the only friend I’ve made in years.” He paused and steadfastly regarded Paul for a moment or two. 4 “T never told you why I came to this place.” That was a fact, and Paul was somewhat eager to know the reason. “I haven’t had an easy hour for years,” went on Robinson. “I’ve been a hunted man. There’s been some one on my track at all times whom I’ve tried in vain to shake off. ¥ settled here because it was an out-of-the-way place, and I thought I might end my last few years in peace. I thought maybe he’d never track me to such a lonesome section. But I was wrong. No bloodhound has a keener scént than he. He never gave up the He appear- ” asked Paul, in hunt, and to-night he found me, w

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eit find. -_zalez and two companions. — Mine. “e “e Pay - 4 . AFTER A FORTUNE ’ Robinson shivered and glanced nervously around the room. “You are sure we’re alone?” “Certainly,” replied Paul. “Go to the window and look out. He might even now be hovering about this house, eager for some chance to get at me and tear the secret from me. But I mean to get the best of him. Yes, yes; he must never know it. No one must hear it but you, Paul. You are my heir. You shall reap the reward of your kindness to me.” He lay back and breathed heavily, much ex- hausted. CHAPTER Iil.—The Secret of the Malacca Mine. “What is this secret you want to tell me, Mr. Robinson?” asked Paul, after a short silence. Job made an effort to speak. Paul bent down and caught the word “drink.” The boy saw that the old man was too weak to go on without a stimulant, so he gave him some more of the cor- dial. Job Robinson brightened up at once, and began the following story, which was frequently interrupted by his growing weakness, but which Paul managed to stave off by occasional doses of the doctor’s powerful nreparation: “IJ was a prospector by occupation. I have had my ups and downs. Sometimes I’ve had money to burn: again I have been very poor. Hard luck and drink have been my ruin. Five years ago. while prospecting in the valley of the Rio ~ Santa Cruz, in Southwestern Arizona, I discover- ed an old-fashioned gold and silver’*mine. “I made ‘severa! torches of dried brushwood and penetrated the. place. I carefully threaded my way and followed a gallery right into the heart of the “mountain. At the extreme end I found auartz- bearing rock, rich with gold and silver, and. havine spent some time in the examination of the plece, I realized that I had mads a wonderful I took the bearings of the mine as well as T could in the dark and started for Tucson. Reach- ing that town. I made preparations to return to the mine and stake it out properly so as to estab- ‘lish my right to ownership. I was so tickled with my great luck that I. got drunk, and in some manner I must have let slip information of my find. for when I set out for Skull Mountain I was followed by a Greaser named Manuel Gon- I paid no attention to this until I reached the neighborhood of the I found the hole and passed it without making any sign; but, coming to a big rock, I suddenly struck the Mexican to the ground and ran for my life. I spent two years in various parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska, but was always _ sure to find him sooner or later on my trail. Fin- ally Gonzalez ran me down in Cheyenne, and nearly killed me in a desperate attempt to wring _my secret from me. I was laid up in the hospital for See neths, and when I was discharged I ‘fave him the slip and came to this place, a wreck my former self. I gave up all thoughts of any advantage from my great discovery. my days in peace, and if I found I meant to leave him. ¢ genuineness, how take- z purchased a heavy cane made of Malacca wood, and had the handle remodeled with a secret re- cess in it. I placed inside of this the directions and landmarks that would enable my successor to find the hidden opening to the mine. This — cane I leave to you, Paul. Take it. Unserew the handle—not now, but after I am dead—ande the secret.of the mine at Skull Mountain will be — yours. - pe “There is gold and silver quartz enough there to make you a wealthy man—probably a million- — aire many times over if you can take full ad- — vantage of the property, which you must acquire” — according to law. Above all things watch out for this Mexican. He is a persevering rascal. ~ He never -let up on me, though how he trailed me to this place is beyond me. That he didisa — sign of his determined will. He came upon me to-night unawares, and demanded a half-interest in the mine, threatening me with death if I re- — fused. I did refuse. mae _“He then beat me nearly to death. To sayemy life I resorted -to a ruse. I pretended I had ~ buried the written directions of the mine’s loca- — While he — was engaged thus I seized my cane and slipped than the old scarred oak where vou found me. He has got his revenge at any rate, for I can li but a little while longer; but the secret is yours, not his, and it is up to you to see that he is foiled for good and all. He will hardly ouapeue you unless——” = A noise at the window at that moment attract- ed the dying man’s attention, which was Scan = on the alert. He sprang up with a gurgling ery and pointed feverishly at the panes. Paul, gre: ly startled, turned around and looked in the di tion of the window. He was just in time to a face, swarthy in color and diabolical in ex sion, press against the glass. Then it vanish like the fading of a dream, and when Paul rush to the window to look out there was We arig oe sight. Evidently it was the face of Manual Gon- — zalez, The Mexican had climbed upon the roo’ of the kitchen extension, and was thus able — look in at the window of the spare room. — _“He’s gone,” said Paul to himself, after a vain look into the gloomy night. He turned away and returned to the bed. a shock awaited him. Job Robinson’s tribulations were over—he was dead. t ~ CHAPTER IV.—Paul and Andy Talk It Over Paul and Andy watched that night over body of the old man. .The former was rath silent and thoughtful, for he had much to over in’ Robinson’s story of the deserted under Skull Mountain in far-far Arizona. he was heir to all that wealth, which amount to millions. The next question was was he going to prove the truth of- Ro! strange and wonderful story, and, adr possession ©

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-. -“T can’t understand how the old man allowed himself to be frightened out of his rights by that _ Yascal of a Mexican. Why didn’t he have him _ arrested? Or why didn’t he get up a company _ to work the mine? Or sell his discovery to one or more capitalists? If it wasn’t for that villain- _ ous face I saw at the window—the face of Manuel = Gonzalez, I suppose—I should almost fee) inclined to put the whole yarn down as a figment of the old man’s distorted brain.” ___Paul’s eyes fell on the Malacca cane. He _ picked it up and examined the head carefully. ie It was carved in the shape of a dog's head and was almost a work of art. He tried to unscrew it. It took a good bit of muscle to start it, but - it finally yielded, and Paul began to unscrew as — eager anticipations of what he expected to “Hello,” chipped in” Andy, who was feeling somewhat sleepy, “what are you doing to the old man’s cane?” - _ “Robinson made me a present of it before he _ “What are you taking the head off for?” “To see what’s inside?” Andy wanted to see, too, so he moved his chair closer. When the h was removed a hollow presented itself in which Paul found a $100 “bill, a $50, a $20, two $10’s and a $5 bill; also : Re of well-thumbed paper. ya “Gee! You’ve made quite a haul,” said Andy, regarding the money with great interest. “How much have you got?” -*One hundred and ninety-five dollars,” replied ul, after he had counted it up. - t’s that piece of paper?” asked Andy. aa? | wat answer that question until I have looked at it.” . Paul unfolded it and found a rude drawing of what purported to be the foot of Skull Moun- in. A cross marked the entrance to the mine, various landmarks and figures indicating dis- ices were grouped about it. “What do you suppose that is?” asked Andy, was looking over Paul’s shoulder. “That,” replied Paul, “is supposed to be a very :: rtant document.” _ “Ts that so? What does it refer to?” 2 regarded his friend for a moment and 3 ! Is that so?” ejaculated Andy. “Does his paper show where the mine is?” _ “Tt shows how to find the entrance to the mine ifter you get upon the ground.” “But if you don’t know what part of the coun- try _ mine-is situated what good is this paper?” “Tt would be no good to me in that case. Rob- : tad told me just where the mine lies.” ul nodded. Then all you have to do is to go there and this paper you'll be able to find it?” Phat’s right, if everything is as the old man stated to me.” ‘gold and silver mine is worth trying for, “you think?” . pose it’s out West,-ain’t it?” think of going out there?” t present. How could 1? 1 must 4 AFTER A FORTUNE . 5 “If you don’t go soon somebody else might find the mine just as Robinson did, and then you'll be dished out of the chance of your life.” “That’s right, too; but I don’t see how I can help. myself.” “I wish you could go in search of that mine, for I'd like to go with you,” said Andy, eagerly. “I'd like to take you, Andy. I wouldn’t care e go out into the wilds of the Great Southwest alone.” - “How would you locate it?” “It’s under Skull Mountain. Anybody down in that part of the country should be able to tell an inquirer where Skull Mountain is. It must be a well-known landmark. I should expect te have no trouble finding it.” “How are you going to tell on which side of the mountain the mine lies?” “The points of the compass are marked here in the corner. The mine is on the northeast side of the mountain. The Mexican has a general idea of the position of the mine; but without an exact description he is all at sea. He has found it impossible to discover the entrance to the aban- doned galleries. This paper is supposed to solve that difficulty.” “You want.to be careful that you don’t lose that paper,” said Andy. “Tl take the same care that Robinson took. I'll return it to the handle of the Malacca cane. The cane will be easy to keep track of, and as long as J don’t mislay it the paper will be at my service.” “That’s a good idea,” admitted Andy. “I'd like to help you find that mine.” “Well, if things could only be arranged se that I could leave mother for two or three months we'd go out to Arizona right away.” “That would suit me immensely.” “We might manage it. I’d be willing to give you a quarter interest in the mine just to have you along.” “I wouldn’t ask you for a quarter interest, Paul. I'd be willing to go with you for nothing. It’s your mine if you find it, and I don’t want te rob you of a cent. If you should be so lucky as to find the mine with that paper, and it turns out to be valuable, you can give me any old thing you choose.” “Thanks for your offer, Andy; but I wouldnt offer you less than a quarter of what I made We're chums, old chap. I know you’d stick me through thick and thin, and that’s wo something handsome if I should be so fortunate as to strike it rich.” “Fix it any way you want. But what’s the use of talking about it unless you can see your way of getting out there.” “Well, I’m going to give the matter my earn- est consideration. You mustn’t overlook one thing, Andy, and that is we may expect to rum foul of the Mexican, if we should go out there. He will probably guess that the old man passed his secret over to me. I can tell you one thing, however; he’ll find that he can’t scare me o like he did Job Robinson: The old man must have had a timid streak in him somewhere. I - don’t think one man in a thousand would have acted like he did. The stake was worth fighting for. . Gonzalez found he had Robjnson ttled; "a. why -he-dollowed ‘him sp -eleesty, “thi oe we 4 x aes rd oh ers

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PN neg ee ae FO PP ee OT ae ee ee ee Se Sk a ~ at: Se tes Bi Scheel - Per. + co = af hunting in Arizona,” _“I’m afraid that’s a fact. 6 AFTER A The boys continued to talk upon the interest- ing subject of the gold and silver mine until morning dawned, when Andy set out for the Village, a mile away, to notify the undertaker, who was also the county coroner and the ‘head constable. These functionaries accompanied him in a wagon back fo Harley’s Corners. CHAPTER V.—Where Was Manued Gonzalez? Robinson received a respectable burial under the directions of Paul Clifford, his remains be- ing deposited in the village churchyard. After paying all the necessary expenses, the boy found he had $100 of the old man’s money left. Paul ‘advised Andy to see a lawyer about prosecuting Simon Tartar for the wages due him. The law- yer said that Andy being a minor the contract would not hold water, and that consequently he was legally entitled to his $10 a month for ser- Vices rendered to date. For a small fee he under- took to collect it for him. Farmer Tartar endeavored to wriggle out of the matter, but the village lawyer threatened him with a suit. Tartar than consulted a lawyer himself and was advised to settle. He offered Andy’s legal representative $25, but it was not accepted. In the end he had to come up with the full amount, and “Andy got $40 of it. It took nearly a month to accomplish this happy result, during which time Andy stayed with Paul and helped work around the place. The boys had talked about the Arizona mine nearly every day since the death of Job Robinson. The more they thought about the unclaimed wealth - to which Paul had'the “open seSame”-in the directions in- seribed on the piece of paper concealed in the head of the Malacea cane, the more eager they grew to investigate the matter. “You’ve got: $100,’ haven’t you, Paul?” said Andy, the day he received the money his lawyer had forced from the unwilling farmer. “Well, I’ve got $40 now. That makes $140 be- tween us. That ought to take us down to Arizona and keep us while we’re looking into this mine if we’re willing to rough it. I’m willing to work my way in order to save the price of transportation.” “So am I, Andy; but you see I can’t leave © mother alone. That's the difficulty. If it wasn’t for that I’d be ready to start for the Southwest to-morrow.” Andy scratched his head and admitted that their chances of going on the projected trip were rather small-as things stood. “Now, Andy, what are you going to do? You can’t afford to waste your time at the store. You ought to find employment on one of tle farms hereabout. It’s the beginning of May and there is lots of plowing and sowing to be done. You ought to be able to pick up $10 or $12 a month.” “I guess I could; but I’d much rather go mine grinned the stout .boy. “There’s small chance’ that you and I will get the opportunity for some time yet,” replied Paul. “Mexican ‘went back, there wi se Ter ay tht wen t cet when he learn / ‘s a Bd 7 . immediate neighborhood of Harley’s hypen FORTUNE ee a clue to his presence in this neighbor- — ood.” ‘ “I thought maybe the rascal would hang around — and keep a watch on you on the chance that Rob- — inson had told you his secret. You said that you — saw his face at the window of the spare room that night, the old man died.” : “T did, though not very distinctly. Still I have no doubt that it was Gonzalez, for it was a swarthy. evil-looking countenance which well fitted Robinson’s description of him.” “Would you know him if you saw him again?” “T guess I would. It was a face not easily for- gotten.” “He must have seen the old man talking to you.” “T am ae he did.” : “Then I should think ai would suspect that 4 Robinson had transferred the secret to you.” 4 “That is not impossible.” “Under such circumstances it would be natural” for him to follow you up as he did the old man, — more especially as you’re only a boy whom she : might think he could easily intimidate.” 4 “You take a reasonable view of the matéer, 3 Andy,” replied Paul, thotghtfully; “but as a whole month has gone. by\since Robinson died, and neither the constable nér anybody else, for that matter, has seen a suspicious-looking strang-_ er in these parts, it looks very much as if the Mexican had decamped for parts unknown.” = “It is to be hoped that he has,” answered Andy. — “He isn’t the kind of person you or I would care ~ to meet of a dark night.” To say the truth, Paul had beer! ‘poeptiar a wary lookout for the Mexican ever since the death of | the old man, though he said nothing about it to — Andy. The fact that Gonzalez had been looking into the room at him and Robinson that night was enough to put him on his guard. For fear Mexican might have acquired some knowledge the Malacca cane as the secret repository of information he so eagerly desired to obtain, would make an effort to steal it, Paul had hid in a safe place. As the days went by and the rascal gave no signs of his existence in the borhood, the boy gradually came to the co sion that Gonzalez had abandoned his efforts in that direction and had returned to Arizona. his conversation with Paul, Andy left the sto! in search of a temporary job on one of the i farms. At the first place he applied for work | was engaged. “I’ve got work for several months if I want to stay,” he said to Paul that evening when he re = turned for supper. : “I thought you’d have no trouble catching on,” — replied his chum. “You must come in ‘and me as often as you can.” “Bet your life I will. have $100 to match your little pile. Then I ona there’ll be a chance for us to set off for Arizona. Paul laughed. He had very little expectation of seeing Arizona, or any other place outside #] If I work six months ¥ year. But then it is the unexpected “that happens. sé CHAPTER Vi—*The Paper or volt Lif One evening a few days later

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AFTER A neighbor who lived a short distance down the : , came in and said that his mother was sick ' and wanted Mrs. Clifford to go around to her - house and stay a little while. Paul took the mes- _ Sage in to the sitting-room, where his mother was __ -S€wing, and she came out and spoke to the boy. “Tell your mother that I'll be right over,” she said, whereupon the boy left the store. . “I’m going over to Mrs. Parker’s, Paul,” she - said, turning to her son. “I may not return be- fore ten.” “Very well, mother,” he answered. -eut for you.” > Mrs. Clifford went upstairs to get her things and then departed for the home of Mrs. Parker, -__ while Paul closed up the store, barred the door and windows as usual, and then went into the _sitting-room to read until his mother came back. ere were not many books in the little wall bookease, but there was one Paul had read and _ ¥e-read many times since he was nine years of age. That was the “Adventures of Robinson _ Crusoe,” and the boy mechanically took it down, and opening it at random began to read. He _ Was soon interested again in the rescue of Friday oe, and did not hear a creaking sound in ie kitchen beyond. This noise went on for a ‘little while in a cautious. way and finally it . After a moment it was resumed and end- ed with a sharp snap which attracted the boy’s at- on. _ “What’s that?” he said, partly closing the looking up and listening. _ Creak—creak—creak! Just as if somebody was _ Moving softly across the kitchen floor. Paul was - now certain that an intruder had effected an en- trance into the house. As we have said before, he was a plucky lad and not easily frightened. He F to his feet and started for the door of the <a entry between the two rooms. As he did so the sitting-100m door, which was slightly ajar, opened slowly inward, and there before his eyes stood a fierce-eyed, dark-featured man, with fings in his ears and a broad-rimmed, soft hat pulled well down upon his forehead; whom he instinct- : : recognized as Manuel :onzalez. Paul stopped spellbound, for the appearance of this man in his own home at this hour of the night, : and when he was supposed to be many hundreds of miles away, was a surprise and a shock to im. As the Mexican’s eyes encountered the boy crafty, sardonic expression flitted across his nburned features. He entered the room and “T'll watch ‘So, young senor, we meet at last, eh?” he d, in sibilant tones. “Who are you, and what do you want here in “this house?” demanded Paul, resolutely. “Ts it necessary that I introduce myself? Have ot you seen my face before? Did not Senor binson speak to you of me?” ‘You are Manuel Gonzalez.” nee Mexican grinned. senor. You have it quite right. I am ell, what is your business here ?” ; business!” with an evil smile. “Do you ss it?” wered Paul, desperately. foci shot an unpleasant. look at the fool me, young senor?” fiercely. FORTUNE 7 “Tt shall be a waste of time. I am here for a purpose. Why did I follow Senor Robinson from Arizona five years ago to Santa Fe, to Denver, to —pshaw! wherever he went to escape me, who was always upon his heels, like his shadow, till I tracked him at last to this spot, where he did fancy himself safe? Is it necessary that I tell you? Did not the senor tell you everything that night he passed in his chips? I am not asleep, young senor, that I cannot guess all that passed between Senor Robinson and you that night. I was some time at the window before my pres- ence there was discovered. My ears are sharp. Who shall say that I did not hear much of what was said?” “You are responsible for Robinson’s death,” said Paul, fearlessly. “Not so. It was his own fault that he got hurt. He was stubborn. I wanted something which he refuseo me. I had, shall I say, the whip hand of hi... Yet he would not do as I wished. So I teach him a lesson—it was the second, and it shall be the last, as the case stands. He is dead, but that shall not -matter, since he has passed to you the secret I have watched and waited five years to get. You will give it to me and we shall part as friends,” with a malicious grin. “Should it happen that you, too, are stab- born—caramba!” fiercely, “I teach you a lesson you will not soon forget, I promise you.” “Do you also know that there f&a warrant out for your arrest on the charge of murderous as- sault against Robinson?” “TI care nothing for that. .What are your con- stables to me? I snap my fingers at them. They are as nothing,” and the Mexican grinned con- temptuously. “Where is that paper Senor Robin- son gave you?” “Where you are not likely to find it,” replied Paul, curtly. a “Caramba! You defy me?” exclaimed Gon- zalez, fiercely, advancing a step or twe toward the boy, his eyes snapping like coals of fire. “I want, you to get out of this house, Manuel Gonzalez.” “Are you mad, that you speak to me in that wsy?” hissed the Mexican. “Produce the paper or I shall kill you as I would a horse that was balky.” With a quick movement the rascal drew a wicked-looking knife from one of his boots and advanced upon Paul. The boy grabbed up a chair to defend himself. ; “That is for you to say,” responded the Mexi- can, with a nasty gleam in his eyes. “Your life is of no importance to me—the paper is every- thing. To you the case is the reverse—the paper nothing, your life everything. Give me the paper and I go. I will also a promise make to you. I will send to you $1,000 out of what I get for the mine. You see-that I am liberal,” with a grin. “I will make no bargain with you whatever,” retorted Paul, sturdily. “The paper you cannot have. Robinson gave me the mine, and the paper is the only guide by which it mav be found. U’m not to be bulldozed like the old man. If you - should kill me it will not de you any good. I have hidden the paper where no one but myself can find it. Now you have my answer, and if hte try to injure me I will defend myself to the —

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hd i en Se - * one olutely. He meant what he said, and the Mexi- can saw that he did. It was a new sensation for Gonzalez to be bearded to his face by a stripling, and it made him furious. “You are a fool!” he ejaculated angrily. “You talk loud, but we shall see if you talk the same when I prick the skin over your heart with my knife. If I get not the paper, at least I shall make sure that you do not benefit by it yourself.” He_ rushed upon Paul and grabbed the rungs of the chair as the boy lunged it at him. Then he made a sweep with his knife that cut a long gash in Clifford’s jacket. Paul was a stout boy for his years, and as he felt that he was fighting for his life he gave the Mexican all he could do to hold his own. He pushed the rascal into a - corner of the room and held him there, avoiding the glittering knife by dexterous dodging. “T will kilt you!” hissed Gonzalez, furiously, making another ineffectual jab. Placing the knife between his teeth, he grabbed. the chair with both hands and with a sudden twist tore it from Paul’s hands. -“I have you now!” he cried, springing at the y- Paul tried to avoid the clutch of his sinewy arms, but failed, and was seized and borne to the floor, where the Mexican held him powerless. “Now you will agree to give me that paper or it will be the last of you,” he said, triumphantly, taking the knife from his teeth and poising it above the lad’s heart. “You have one minute to decide. Which shall it be? Death or the paper?” “Neither!” exclaimed a boyish voice behind him, and the rascal felt a-vise-like grip close upon the wrist of the hand that held the knife. \ CHAPTER VII.—Leaying Harley’s Corners. The newcomer on the scene was Andy Blake, and he had arrived at a most opportune moment for his chum, Paul Clifford. “Caramba! What is this?” hissed Gonzalez, endeavoring to release his wrist. “No, you don’t, you bloodthirsty villain!” re- turned Andy, holding on with a grip of steel, for his muscles were in fine shape from months of hard training at farm work.’ “Drop that knife or I'll choke the life out of you,” and the speaker threw his other arm about the Mexican’s neck and bent his head backward. Andy had the man practically at his mercy, and the rascal, recognizing the fact, let go of the knife with a volley of foreign oaths. Blake then pulled him back off his intended victim, and Paul -serambled to his feet. “Thanks; Andy,” said Clifford, gratefully. “You came at the right moment. The scoundrel meant to kill me.” “Caramba! You will let me go,” cried the _ Mexican, struggling to free himself. When TIT let you go “Not on your life I won't. Who is it will be to march you to the lock-up. _. this man, Paul?” ~ “Manuel Gonzalez, the murderer of Job Robin- son.” _. “Then he did not cut stick, after all. He has been hiding somewhere in the neixhborhood while the co es were hunting for him. Well, we’ve £0 him now, and he will go to jail, for his crime.” sh ‘AFTER A FORTUNE ~ we *Hal “Yes, we’ll see that you get there. piece of rope to tie him with, Paul. grip on him that he can’t break.” Paul rushed into the store and presently re- turned with a stout piece of soft Manilla rope. While Andy held him tight Paul tied his arms and legs, and when, he was secure they left him ‘to himself, cursing and scowling horribly. “This is a nasty weapon,” said Andy, picking up the knife. “It looked pretty fierce to me when he had me down on the floor. But how is it that you so providentially arrived when I most needed you?” __ “Mrs. Baxter wanted a yard of a certain goods she bought of your mother a few days ago and she sent me here to get it for her, as the horses will all be employed to-morrow and for the rest of the week, and she wouldn’t be able to come in here herself. Where is your mother?” ; “Gone to visit a sick neighbor. I expect her back soon now.” “You ought to keep your kitchen door locked. I s’pose that’s the way the rascal got in here. guess he must have surprised you.” “The door was locked and bolted. He evident- ly forced the door.” ; i “Td. better walk to the village, hadn’t I, and bring the head constable back with me?” said Andy, “You don’t want this fellow in your house any longer than you can help.” “I wish.you would, Andy. I'll keep guard over him while you’re gone.” So Andy started for the village without delay. “You think you have me on the hip, eh?” sneered the Mexican, when he and Paul were — alone in the kitchen. “He laughs best who laughs lest, young senor.” : “I agree with you, Mister Gonzalez,” replied the boy, cheerfully. “You had the first laugh, now it is my turn.” ae “I will yet the laugh have on you, I promise _ you. » You are not out of the woods so long as. you hold that paper. It shall yet bring you to grief. I will not lose sight of you until I get it.” “You are talkjng through your hat, Gonzalez, for you'll soon * the county jail at Bakers- = where you will stay until you are brought to rial.” ; a The Mexican made no reply, but his wicked lit- tle eyes seemed to speak volumes that meant no good to Paul Clifford. Mrs. Clifford returned home before Andy got back with the constable, and she was unpleasantly surprised to find her son standing guard over the hard-looking Greaser, | Paul explained matters to her, ‘repressing worst part of it in order not to alarm her too much. She did not feel easy, however, until the — rattle of wheels outside announced the arriyal of the village officer. The Mexican was speedily pee +. <2 You send me to jail? You boys! Pah!” Hunt upa I’ve got a rast ¥ with little ceremony bundled into the wagon carried off to the village lock-up. “It’s to be hoped he'll get his just deserts,” said _ Paul to his mother and Andy as the wagon dis- __ appeared into the darkness. “He ought to swing for causing the death of Job Robinson.” 2 = Mrs. Clifford went into the store and got the yard of dress material that Mrs. Baxter s eee, for and eens Cae, the bundle. “It was a mighty lucky thing for me that Baxter sent you over to-night?” said Pa walked down as far as the lane with And:

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AFTER A FORTUNE 9 “I guess it was. Do you think he.really meant te stab vou?” “It looked like it. He seemed determined to get hold of that paper Robinson gave me. I was surprised to think he knew of its existence.” “He’s a pretty hard customer to head off. Now that he’s behind bolts and. bars there’s some hope that he won’t bother us in the future.” The two boys parted at the lane,*Paul returning home. He said his prayers that night with un- usual earnestness, for he was deeply grateful to Heaven for preserving his life. Next morning Paul and Andy went to the village to appear at the examination of the Mexican. He was held on the charge of murderous assault against Paul and was sent to the jail at Bakersfield, the county seat, to await trial’ That af*>rnoon Mrs. ‘Clifford received a letter from her only sister, who was living in Chicago, announcing the sudden death ef her husband. She begged Mrs. Clifford to sell out her store’at Harley’s Corners and come to the Windy City and live with her. 5 “Well, mether, why don’t you do it?” said Paul. “We've only been living from hand _ to mouth in this place. I, for one, am heartily sick of it.” “JT agree with you, Paul,” replied his mother, thoughtfully. “The change would be greatly to our advantage. Lucy has*a very comfortable home in Chicago, and her husband has left her pretty well provided for. I shall write her that we will come on as soon as I can dispose of the store.” 23 » *Write her that you will come, mother. Leave Me out of it for the present.” “Why, Paul, I couldn’t leave you out here.” “Oh, I’m not going to remain in Minnesota.” “Why, what do you mean?” Paul repeated, as well as he could remember, all that Robinson told him just before his death. The story astonished Mrs. Clifford. Paul got the Malacca cane from its hiding-place, and, unscrew- ing the handle, showed -his mother the paper which contained the secret directions to find the old abandoned mine. balance ongings his mother was to car- ry <3 her to Chicago. As it was necessary that coming trial of Manuel Gonzalez to secure his conviction, it was arranged between the boys that the former should stay in Bakersfield dpxing the intervening time, while Andy retained his jo on the Baxter farm until the time arrived when they could start upon their journey to the South- west. Ten before the date set for the trial ter’s home in Chicago, after taking a fond fare- well of her son. She made Paul promise that he ~ would not remain a day longer in Arizona than was necessary for him to carry out the object of his trip. “And write me as often as you can, dear,” she said. “You know that I shall not feel easy in my mind unless I know that everything is going well with you.” “All right, mother. I'll keep you posted about my movements, But you muSt not expect to hear regularly from me after I leave Tucson for Skull Mountain. It’s a kind of wilderness where the. mine is, and it may be - week before I can get back to the capital and send you the important news that I have found the mine.” With that Mrs. Clifford had to be content, oven naturally she was not thoroughly satis- ed. - : CHAPTER VIII.—On Board the City of Duluth. In due time Manuel Gonzalez was brought be- fore the Circuit Court of Blank County, Minne- sota, and pleaded not guilty of the crime he was charged with. A lawyer was appointed by the court to defend him and the trial proceeded. It did not.take long to bring all the evidence there was against him before the jury, as Paul and Andy were the only witnesses called. As the Mex- ican refused to go on the stznd in his own be- half, the lawyer did the best he could with a rocky case. The jury promptly found him guilty and he was sentenced to ten years in the peni- tentiary. The rascal, however, never put on the prison stripes, as he managed to escape from the deputy sheriff who was taking him to the State prison, jumping from the moving train and eluding every effort made to effect his recapture. Paul and Andy, however, did not hear of this, because before the intelligence of the Mexican’s escape reached Bakersfield they had already be- gun their journey toward Arizona by taking a train to St. Paul, where they expected to ship on a steamboat down the Mississippi as far as St. Louis at least. They had $150 in money between them, but they intended to save as much of this as possible by working their way as far as they could toward their destination. On reaching St. Paul the boys, after getting their dinner at a restaurant, started for the river front. They found several steamers loading freight for different points down the big river, and they made application at three of the boats unsuccess- fully for the chance to work their way to the steamboat’s destination. At the fourth, however, they caught on, much to their satisfaction, and, donning a pair of blue overalls apiece, they pitch- ed in and hustled as well as any of the regular hands. The name of the, boat was the City of Duluth, and she started down the river at five o’clock. A solitary passenger walked aboard at Davenport. He wore a soft-crowned hat, puille down over his eyes, and his jaws were bound up as if he had a big boil on his face or a toothache. This passenger didn’t go to the cabin, but hung around the lower deck watching the deckhands loading and discharging freight. Suddenly he gave a perceptible start and cast a penetrating look at Paul Clifford as that lad wheeled a truck load of small boxes up the gangway. After that he selowed the boy’s movements wherever he wen

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a AFTER A FORTUNE | 4 “Ha!” he muttered. “If I mistake not, this boy is on his way to locate the mine. He is working his way down the river, which is a sign that he shall not be flush. Good. It is great luck that I meet him by the way. Caramba! I shall not lose sight of him until I get that paper.” After the steamer left Davenport the passen- ger, whom the reader has recognized as the es- caped Manuel Gonzalez, wandered stealthily around the freight deck until he noticed that the hands had gone to their bunks below. Then he went forward and sat for an hour looking out on the dark river, turning over various plans in his scheming brain for getting possession of the im- portant paper he wanted so badly. At length he got up and made his way cautiously to the open- ing which led to the deckhands’ sleeping quarters. An upright iron ladder afforded him the means of descent, and soon he was standing, like a shadow, in the narrow compartment the sides of which were lined with rude bunks in tiers of two. A dul! l'ght was diffused through the place from a lantern suspended aloft. All the occupants of the place were asleep, as was attested by their deep and regular breathing. After assuring him- slf that he was unobserved, the Mexican began a tour of the bunks, narrowly examining each sleeper. At last he paused before one with a ehuckle of satisfaction. Paul Clifford lay stretched there in blissful unconsciousness that his enemy was so close at hand. His. last thoughts of Gonzalez were that the rascal had already begun his ten-year sentence in the Minnesota State prison. He did not dream that the villain had escaped from the grasp of the authorities, and was now at large to inter- fere with his search for the Arizona mine. If such a hint had reached him he- would have been much disturbed, for he had abundant evidence that the Mexican was a subtle and dangerous factor to cope against. Bending down to make certain that Paul was asleep, Gonzalez lifted his jacket from the peg by which it was suspended, and deftly searched every pocket. He found sev- eral folded papers, but none saw what he wanted. Then he examined the boy's pocketbook, without success, though he appropriated the six dollars in bills he found in it. Finally he carefully felt the lining all over. “Ha! What’s this?” he breathed, as his fingers encountered something that felt suspiciously like a flat wad of paper. Sinking down beside the bunk he tore the lining loose, and took out the $150 in big bills Paul had sewed up there. For a moment the Mexican’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as he thrust the money into his pocket; but it was followed by a low oath of disappointment, for though the balla were welcome to him, they cut but a small figure beside the important paper. He searched every fazh of the lining for that, but was disappointed. “Where can he have hidden it?” muttered Gon- zalez, angrily. “One would think he would have carried it with the money.” He went through Paul’s trousers next, though without any great hopes of finding the paper there. Next he felt under the pillow on which the boy’s head rested. There was en there as far as he could discover. Then his eyes lighted on Paul’s grips, thrust under the bunk in com- pany with Andy’s valise. He vulled them one by oe. nant iia their eerie SSeS in turn with the blade of a sharp pocket-knife. . He pulled everything out of them, and examined each article carefully without result. The Mexi- ; can was now at his wit’s end, and he glared in — ferocious disappointment at the sleeping boy. He rolled -back the blanket, and with a light touch _ felt all over Paul’s shirt. There was not the slightest indication of a paper anywhere. At that moment his sharp eyes noticed the Malacca cane once the property of Job Robinson. “Ha! What shail he want to carry that with him for? Of what use is a cane to a boy? It was Robinson’s.” He picked it from its resting spot at the back of the bunk, and began to look it over with criti- cal attention. As far as he could make out it was merely a stout cane with a thick head carved to resemble a mastiff’s face. “Bah!” he muttered, impatiently, returning ‘it to its former position, never dreaming that his fin- gers had been within a quarter of an inch of the paper he was so eager to obtain. He stood in impotent perplexity before the bunk, racking his fertile brain for some clew that would suggest ~ another spot to search. It was at that moment Andy rolled over and opened his eyes. He occu- pied the bunk above Paul's. The Mexican drew back, but the movement did not escape Andy. — He raised himself on his elbow and looked straight at the intruder. “Who’s there?” he demanded. c Gonzalez squeezed against the adjoining bunk and held his breath. Andy, however, was wide awake now, and saw the figure. He reached out — eet and grasped the Mexican by the shoul- — er : “Why don’t you answer?” he asked, suspi- ” ciously. - The intruder shook off the boy’s hand, and in doing so his hat fell off. He stooped, picked it~ up, and started for the iron ladder. The light from the swinging lantern fell full upon his face. — Andy thought he must be dreaming, for the sin- ister countenance his eyes rested on was the face of Manuel Gonzalez. CHAPTER IX.—Stranded. It was a suspicious circumstance, anyway, that — the intruder had refused to make any answer te — his hail, and was now hustling up the ladder aa fast as he could. So Andy reached down Sa ; shook Paul into wakefulness. ‘= “Wake up, Paul; there’s something wrong.” “What’s the matter, Andy? What are you talking about?” asked Paul, springing from his bunk in a bewildered kind of way. : “Get on your clothes,” said Andy, jumping to the deck and hurriedly getting into his pants, “Who do you suppose I saw just now?” “How should I know?” “Well, I saw either Manuel Gonzalez—on board this steamer!” gasped, with a short laugh. mean you dreamed that you saw him.” “No, I didn't ‘dream it at all. I saw bie” somebody that looked exactly like him, right here a moment ago. He was flattened up against th foot of the adjoining bunk when I woke up denly. I didn’t know who the man was Se es ee ind

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half a mind to sew the of AFTER A a to him. Receiving. no answer, I reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. He wrenched him- self free, dropped his hat, stooped to pick it up, and then I saw his face in the light. Well, say, you could have knocked me over with a feather, for I could have sworn it was the Mexican.” “Nonsense! Gonzalez is in the Minnesota State prison,” . a “T hope he is; but I have my doubts after what I saw just now.” Paul. saw that his companion was not jesting, but thoroughly in earnest. , “I’m going-on deck,” said Andy, “though I s’pose by this time it will be something of a fool’s er- rand. Whoever that chap was, and whatever his mission down here, he has had time enough to conceal himself among the freight, or if he-has a stateroom, has stolen back to it.” - Paul sat down on the edge of his bunk half dressed, and waited for Andy to come back. The thump of the engine and the jarring of the boat rose above the breathing of the sleepers. He had not noticed those sounds so plainly as he did now-in the silence of the early morning hours. “Andy, of course, was mistaken in thinking that he actually saw Gonzalez on this boat. That rascal is safe enough in his cell in the State prison, and there is as much chance of his making his escape from there before his term is up as his sprouting wings and flying. Andy saw somebody that may have looked like him in the poor light down here.” At that moment Paul saw his jacket lying on the deck. He picked it up and was about to hang it on the peg again when he noticed a sec- tion of the lining hanging down. “My goodness!” he exdfaimed, with a sudden sinking of the heart, as he hastily examined the inside of the jacket. “Every cent of our $150 gone! How careless I was to leave my jacket hang on that peg. The fellow Andy saw must have been the thief. Yet how could he ever sus- pect that that money was in the lining? This is hard luck for fair. Andy and I are now prac- tieally stranded. Let me see how much I have left in my pocketbook.” When Paul opened that he found that the few small bills he remembered placing in it to meet Tunning expenses were also gone. He stared at the empty compartment in utter dismay. What were they to do now? Cleaned out of all but fifty or sixty cents, they ‘were in .a pretty bad wav indeed. “Andy will have a fit,” groaned Paul, discon- Solately. “What ever was it that caused me to Sew that money into my jacket when I might - have left it in the handle of the cane, where Robinson carried it.” - t reflection caused him to look in almost a of apprehension for the cane itself. Per- haps that had also vanished. No; it was safe » enough where he had left it at the back of the bunk. $ “Tf that was gone I’d throw up my hands, for there wouldn’t be a particle of good going to Arizona without that paper. I remember I had pecser, $0 yep intd a sone with money ° inging the heavy, cane along. Had I done so it would have disappeared With the money; and our name would have been : The loss of our money will make consider- able difference with us, I’m thinking. We'll have FORTUNE 11 to work our way the entire distance, as well as put .in time as we go on in order to accumulate a few dollars for extra expenses.” There was a-noise on the iron ladder, and down came Andy. : “T couldn’t see any sign of the fellow,” he said, pausing before Paul. “Then we must notify the mate the first thing in the morning, because whoever the rascal was, he’s a thief.” “A thief!” exclaimed Andy. “Yes. Heripped the lining of my jacket open, and stole our $150.” ; : “Paul Clifford, you don’t. mean it!” gasped Andy in a blue funk. ? “Just look at my jacket, then. tale.” ; Andy almost collapsed- as he noted the torn lining. “The villain has robbed us!” he groaned.. “Has he taken your pocket book, too?” “ “No; but he captured the six dollars I had in it. “And we’re busted?” “Our entire capital is reduced to 67 cents.” Andy looked the picture of misery. “How are we going to get to Arizona now? He didn’t carry the cane off, too, did he?” he asked, turning almost pale. “No. If he saw it it did not interest him.” “Thank goodness for that! That would have been the last straw.” “That’s what it would.” “Say,” said Andy, pointing under Paul’s bunk, “those ain’t your socks, are they?” “Sure they are. How came they there? I haven’t opened either of my grips since we left Bakersfield.” He hurriedly pulled out his grips. and then the damage done by the Mexican was fully revealed. The grips were ruined, and the majer part of their contents thrust under the bunks. “Well, if that isn’t enough to make a saint swear,” cried Paul, angrily. : He pinned up the rents in the lining of -his jacket as well as he could, then he and Andy ran up the ladder to the main deck. They quiet- ly searched through the freight piled all about the deck, but they did not come across any signs of the rascal who had been in the sleeping berth. It tells its own CHAPTER-X.—Paul and Andy Reach Vicksburg. All hands were astir around six o’leock. As soon as the mate appeared Paul and Andy pre- sented themselves before him and told their story. The mate looked at Paul’s torn vest, and then went down into the deck-hands’ sleeping quarters and saw the evidence presented by the ruined grips. There was.no doubting the story that the lads told. “T’ll report the matter to the captain,” said the mate. “He will probably take some means to capture the rascal.” - At half-past seven Paul and Andy were sum- mened to the captain’s office, and repeated their story to the commander of the City of Duluth. The purser was sent for, and i concern- ing the passengers who had got aboard at Daven-

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rae ae PO NN he “There was only one, sir.. His face was bandaged up as if he had a toothache. He had a _ through ticket to St. Louis.” “Did he have a dark complexion?” asked Paul. “Yes. He looked something like a Mexican.” “That’s the man,” cried Andy. “We ought to be able to find him on board, even if he removes the bandage,” remarked the captain. “He didn’t have any bandage on his face when I saw him in our sleeping quarters,” asserted Andy. . “Well, purser, keep your eyes open as you pass _ through the boat, and when you see the man with ~s St. Louis ticket, ask him'to walk into my office.” “Very well, sir.” The captain then directed the mate to allow : Andy to watch the passenger gangway while the beat remained at Burlington, and to take such other measures for the capture of the thief as his judgment dictated. The steamer reached her landing about nine o'clock, and some forty people marched on shore. Andy scrutinized every one of them, but the dark- featured man was not among the crowd. The Mexican concluded not to risk going ashore here, for after some cautious observations, he returned to hiding, and in due time the boat left ‘her wharf. Her next landing was at Hannibal, Missouri, sixty miles or so below Keokuk, and her time-table announced her to be due there at. six p.m. She arrived on time. Gonzalez resolved to leave the steamer at this city at all hazards, as he was famished. He watched his chance after the gang-plank was put out, and mingled in with a bunch of passengers. Andy was there on the watch, but he failed after all in singling out the Mexican, and so Gonzalez made his escape undetected from the steamer. The result was that the boys reached St. Louis on the following afternoon without having ré- covered their money. A collection was taken up for them, and the captain also paid them the jae mad wages for the down-trip, though they had agreed to work for their passage and food alone. They were allowed to pass the night on board and have breakfast in the morning, then bidding good-by to the mate and the regular hak Sahin, they left the wharf with $16 in Paul’s pocketbook. _ That afternoon they got a job on a schooner loaded with flour which was bound do -: to Cairo. As they had a spanking breeze ali the way, they reached Cairo at two o’clock next day, when _ they put in the rest of the day and the greater of the following morning unloading the cargo. This left them about 200 miles south- west of St. Louis, with something over $20 in ath to earry them further on their journey. ‘From Cairo they got a chance on a sloop as far $ as Memphis, and from that city they succeeded in getting free transportation down the river to ‘icksburg. _ “This ends our cruise on the Mississippi,” said on shore at Vicksburg. orth Worth by rail, even the’ Vide 7 AFTER A sd under it. anit this is a cheap tor ’n FORTUNE “So you’re . strapped and ‘want to reach Fort Worth?” grinned the man. : “That’s about the size of it.” ee “I might manage to help you a bit. You see — that freight on yonder track that is being made : up now?” % The boys said they saw it. “That will pull out for Shreveport in about an hour. I’ll smuggle you aboard one of the empty _ box-cars, and some time to-morrow morning you'll” is find yourselves at the other side of the State.” Thus speaking, he led the way across the tracks, and presently the two boys were stowed — in an empty box-car that was to carry them al- _ most clear across the State of Louisiana. CHAPTER XI.—Tucson at Last. Three weeks later two dusty-looking, travel- stained boys alighted from an empty freight car — at Tucson, Arizona, on the line of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Their names were Paul Clif- — ford and Andy Blake, and they looked as if they — had received a good many hard bumps since © they left the banks of the Mississippi River. Paul — carried a disreputable grip in one hand and Job — Robinson’s dog-faced Malacta cane in the other, while Andy lugged the same valise he =e brought all the way from Harley’s Corners. — “Tucson at last!” exclaimed Paul, with a aie of satisfaction in his eyes. “It’s about time,” Brinned Andy. we'd never get here.” “After what we’ve been through tryin here the hundred miles between this ing a Skull Mountain won’t seem anything,” said Paul. “That's right; it won’t. If we haven’t roug E it ever since we left Shreveport to beat the I don’t know what yow call it.” “You're right, Andy, we’ve had a fierce ti “Fierce! Well, say, I thought my time nad — come more than once. We've been up aga it hard. I feel as if I can stand anything no That last jolt we got in New Mexico from train was something to make the angels v I thought I was a gone goose for fair. must have taken us for the india-rubber tw The boys inquired the way to a cheap h and were directed to the Canyon House, Phoenix street, not far from the post-office. registered, and were shown to a plainly fu square room in the end of the house. “Supper will be ready in an hour, young ¢ said“the proprietor, who was also his own part of the time, when Paul and Andy returm downstairs after having gotten rid.of some of the grime accumulated during their rough e across the continent from Shreveport, Andy licked his chops on hearing: this” news, for neither had enjoyed a square n nearly a month. the table is goifig to suffer as soon as I I’m so hun Teco beefsteak with all the wig me

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AFTER A “Oh, my! Don’t say that,” replied Andy, dole- fully. __ “Well, we’ll see what we'll see when we reach the dininy-room,” replied Paul, encouragingly. = The landlord was curious to learn where his - visitors had come from, where they were going, ‘and how long they expected to remain at his _ “We're going over to Skull Mountain,” replied “Skull Mountain!” ejaculated the hotel man, in astonishment. “Why there? Do you know the character of the country between here and the ‘Ajo range? It is the same as a desert. You won’t find a dozen houses south of the railroad between here and Skull Mountain, which is the advance peak of the Ajo range. No one but prospectors go out there, and not many of them. ou look too young and inexperienced for that business. So far I have not heard that any gold or silver has been found in that district.” _ “How far is. Skull Mountain from Tucson FS ‘aul. “How far? All of 100 miles.” “How far from the railroad?” “The nearest town on the railroad is, I should think, forty miles from the mountain, but the -Yange itself runs up to the, track.” _ Paul conversed with the landlord of the Can- yon Howse until the bell rang for supper, which was a signal for both of the boys to make a break for the dining-room. They were the first the table, and their appetites astonished the girl who waited on. them. Supper was only a year dd meal at the hotel, so Paul had to tip waitress off as an inducement to stretch the Dill-of-fare for their especial benefit. Even at t Andy declared when they came away that re had only had half enough to eat. After supper Paul and Andy wandered around town and took in the sights. They met a number of rough characters, many of them Mexicans on a with Manual Gonzalez. + y boys did not attract any special attention, “gs they would had they looked prosperous. When “night descended on the town the liquor saloons, always open, blossomed out into light and revelry, ‘while the gambling dens began to come vo life, and fill up with patrons, largely from the rough nt, which formed the floating population of m. Any one could enter these vlaces and y as long as ‘he pleased. Tables were provided for private ‘games of chance, the revenues to he house coniing in the shape of frequent orders the bar. When intoxicated customers got too isy and belligerent; they were ejected by the yuncers, who. carried revolvers at their hips. method of maintaining a semblance of order on led té impromptu shooting scraps, in which vody as a rule got hurt, even if one or more s were not furnished for an inquest next “This is a pretty hot old town, isn’t it?” said Andy, after they had taken in all they cared to and were on their way back to the Canyon *s what it is,” replied Paul. “I'd rather J from living here as a steady thing.” short of a gold or silver mine would around these diggings, you can eon oom 4 the heat of the day. When the FORTUNE 18 followed by a dark-skinned man whose soft- crowned hat was pulled down well above a pair of sinister eyes. This shadower was none other than Manuel Gonzalez, who had been several weeks in Tucson on the watch for their appear- ance. Not having been able to get possession of the paper which contained the directions for finding the entrance to the disused galleries of the Skull Mountain mine, the Mexican had laid other plans for accomplishing his purpose. Now that the boys had really showed up in Tucson, he was certain that Paul Clifford had brought with him the knowledge that would disclose the _ way to the mine, and he determined to follow the lads to the Ajo range, capture Paul on the ground, and then having the boy completely x his power, force him to give up the secret. © had arranged with a number of desperadoes of his own brand to assist him in the affair, prom- ising to divide a certain percentage of his eventual winnings amongst them. Consequently the out- look aliead of the two boys were exceedingly dubious. Gonzalez traced them to the Canyon House. - When he saw his chance he walked to the desk and examined the register. He noted - the fact that Paul and Andy had arrived there some time that afternoon. “Good. They will not stay in town long, but head for the range as soon as they can make their arrangements for the trip. When they reach Skull Mountain I shall treat them to a nice little surprise. Caramba! This time I shall not fail.” Stroking his jet-black mustache in a satisfied way, the Mexican turned on his heel and left . the Canyon House. CHAPTER XII.—Phineas Quill. Paul and Andy spent the greater part of the next day there, and prepared for this trip to the southwestern section of Arizona. They hired a couple of stout ponies to carry them there, and laid out nearly all of their little capital in blankets, provisions for a week or ten days’ stay, and certain mining implements that they thought they might need. They also took with them a steel measuring tape and a small compass for the purpose of laying out the claim if they were successful in finding the exact position of the mine. “I guess we've got about everything we need, haven’t we?” asked Andy, when they were sitting in the public room of the hotel -waiting for the supper bell : 4 “We've got about everything we've the funds to pay for,” replied Paul. “Then we'll start for the range in the morn- ing,” said Andy. Paul shook his head. - : “We'll start after supper. The landlord has advised me to do our traveling at night, when the air is a great deal cooler than after the sun comes up. He said the best plan for us is te make straight across the plain for the Qui range, sixty miles distant, which we ought te reach by sunrise if we maintain a good pace There we on find shady spots to sleep during _ f re sun is well down can resume our journey in a northwesterly, ee > ;

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14 ‘direction along the foot-hills of the range, for say twenty miles—that is, if we strike the range about the center, which we should do if we travel due west from this town. Then we'll come to the end of the range with a twenty-mile strip of. plain between us and Skull Mountain, which we cannot miss, owing to its height and peculiar skull-like formation. It lies north by west from the end of the Quijotoa Mountains.” Andy offered no objection to this arrangement, for he regarded Paul as the leader of the enter- prise, and whatever he said was all right. So after supper the boys, with all their property strapped to the backs and sides of their ani- mals, departed from Tucson for the Quijotoa range. Unconsciously they had stolen a march on Manual Gonzalez, for that rascal had no sus- picion they would start at night. He ‘expected them to leave Tucson on the following morning, and had notified his crowd of desperadoes to be prepared to start out at a moment’s notice. He visited the Canyon House early in the morning for the purpose of keeping an eye on his victims. After hanging around for an hour he learned to his anger and chagrin that the boys had left town at dark the evening before. He hurried to the place where his crowd was stop- ping, and ordered them to mount their horses, and start at once, as their qua: had left Tucson house before, and were probably already half-way to Skull Mountain. The Mexican and his gang did not lay their course for the Quijotoa range, but made a bee-line for Skull Mountain, Paul and Andy rode-through the night at a “smart pace across the plain, and at dawn saw Hee “Yes. Tt’s quite a pile.” the. mountains rising straight before them. They reached the foot-hills at sunrise, and kept on to the northwest until they. came to a densely wooded ravine which Paul decided would. make a first-class camping spot, as there was not only plenty of shade, but a stream of pure water flow- ing through it. So they hobbled their horses where there was plenty of grass, ate their break- fast of cold meat and bread, washed down with a cup of cold bottled coffee, and then turned in under the trees for a good sleep. They judged that it was three o’clock by the position of the declining sun when they awoke thoroughly re- freshed. It didn’t take them long to eat their supper, reload their animals, and resume their journey along the foothills. By followmg a course indicated by the com- pass, they saved much time that they otherwise would have used up in winding in and out through the lower mountain reaches. It was eight o’clock when they began to leave the Quijotoa range be- hind them. “Skull Mountain is about twenty miles dis- tant,” said Paul. “By keeping close to our pres- ent course, which we can easily do by occasionally watching the compass, we should be able to sight the peak in this clear air before midnight. So you see, Andy, before many hours we'll be right on the ground where the deserted mine is.” “Then we'll be able to see what that document you have amounts to.” “Pm in hopes. it will amount to a million at least.”.. - My right leg is either sprained or” I'm not quite sure which,” was the re _ ply, “though I think it’s the former.” ; > “How did it happen?” 1S Se “I was thrown by my nag about an hour ago,” answered the stranger, making a wry face as he moved his injured leg. : “That was hard luck,” replied Paul. ce “T should say it was. If you chaps hadn’t come _ along I don’t. know what would have become of me. “Where were you bound for?” _ “The mountains yonder. I’m on a prospectin’ jaunt. I left Tucson a couple of days ago well fixed for a month’s trip in the Ajo range, and now look at me. My horse has gone the deuce knows where with my traps. I’m stranded for — a fact, not counting my injured limb.” _ x “I’m glad we came across you,” said Paul, “for you might have died here all alone.” F te “That ain’t any lie, my young friend. I'm mighty thankful you came along. I’d be glad to know who you are and where you’re headin’ for, My name is Phineas Quill. What’s yours?” “Paul Clifford is my name. My companion is sag Blake. We’re bound for Skull Mountain.” “Skull Mountain, eh? What’s takin’ you - that Lord-forsaken spot?” asked the injured pros- pector in surprise. = ie “A little matter of business,” replied Paul evasively, not caring to impart the nature their journey to a complete stranger. rh “Well, pards;“I was goin’ to Skull Mow myself, so if you'll give me a lift on oz yours eon Vl gnome % a ee re you ain en out here before, 4 “No,” answered-Paul,

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_ “Then maybe I can be of some use to you, if _you’re goin’ to stay a while. I can point out a first-rate campin’ spot.” A ‘ > “Then ee, “sea Skull Mountain before? __ “Yes, several times. The fact of the matter is Pm huntin’ for an old mine that was worked ‘and then abandoned by the Mexicans more than : tury ago.” “4 “You Yion't say!” ejaculated Paul, somewhat ; startled. “How did you hear about it? “J jJearned about it while I was prospectin’ - - along the State line six months ago. An old _ peon gave me the story, and assured me that it _ was true; but he couldn’t. say just what part ~~ of the mountain it’s located in. I’ve been out here twice on a-still hunt, but J couldn’t find no sign of payin’ dirt. I shan’t give it up, though, for I reckon if it’s there I may come across it in time, especiallw as the old Mexican said the - mouth to the main shaft is somewhere along the - foothills.” > Paul looked thoughtfully at the man. “Are you an experienced miner?” he asked. “Yes, siree; that’s just What I am. : “Then you could size up the value of a mine an inspection of the ore you found in it, ~ could you?” i = es luckier than me in their finds. wer uc seal wight said Paul. “Now, I’d like to make u roposition.” j oet'm a-listenin’. I’m open for anythin’ there’s money in.” é “You say you haven’t the least idea where Skull Mountain mine is?” ; “Nary idea; but I’m hopin’ to find it.” - | “S’pose I tell you that we’re bound straight - that same mine, what would you say to going with us on a quarter share of what we get af it?” I’ve done that many a time for other What’s that? You are bound straight for that mine?” exclaimed the man. _ *That’s what I said.” - _ “How did you hear about it?” prat capeom ald prospector named Job Robinson. _ “Job Robinson! Why, I had an old partner that name some years ago. What did he look described the man. y thunder! The very chap! Where did you him? I ain’t seen him for six years. He s the squarest man I ever met. Where is-he tow?” oat) an Ade eR say! I’m sorry to hear that. Job discover this mine?” xican named Manuel Gonzalez.” claimed Paul, astonished. “You eid Gecunics = Tucson within a few id. I know the scoundrel well. Ste ought | jail.” . % y, he convicted of murderous assault fi , Minnesota, the day before Andy there, and sent to the State prison AFTER A “He did, and was scared off by a villainous ~ FORTUNE 15 him in Tucson three days ago. That Ill swear to,” said the prospector emphatica!ly. Paul was simply amazed. CHAPTER XIII.—At Skull Mountain. “Well, I'm going to tell you the whole story of the Skull Mountain mine.” “Td like to hear it, pard. I spose you ain’t got a drop of whisky in your outfit, have you?” Paul shook his head. “That isn’t in our line, Mr. Quill.” So Paul commenced at the beginning ard told Phineas Quill how Job Robinson had come to live at Harley’s Corners, an obscure little hamlet in® Minnesota; hcw he had made the old man’s ac- quaintance, how he and Andy had found him knocked out under an old oak tree by the roadside; how they had carried him to the store, where he died that night from the injuries he had sus- tained at the hands of Manuel Gonzalez, who had followed him through many States to wring from him the secret of the Skull Mountain mine. Then Paul repeated to their new acquaintance the story ® Robinson had told him before he died. “So Job Robinson made you his heir, eh?” said Phineas Quill. “He did. He gave me the paper which he said contained exact directions locating the entr-nce tc the abandoned mine.” The prospector uttered a whistle. “If you’ve got that, » You may consider your fortune made if Robinson said he found indieations of rich ore in sight.” “He said so. In fact, he said in his opinion the mine as it stood was easily worth a million.“ “And Job. allowed himself to be euchred out of that by that measly Mexican? I can’t under- - stand for the life of me why he got so faint- hearted all of a sudden.” “That rascal is a mighty tough proposition,” ‘ replied Paul. “I was up against him myself one night. He found out some way that Robinson had put his secret on paper and gave it to m . and he tried to get me to give it up. Andy ternal up at the right moment to save me. I’m afraid we'll have more trouble from him if he’s in Tucson, as you say he is.” . “He was there three days ago as certain as death,” asserted Phineas Quill positively. “Then you can bet your life that was the ras- cal who came aboard the Gity of Duluth at Daven- ‘ port that night and robbed you of our money, <4 Paul,” said Andy, chipping in for the first time. “He was hunting for that paper as sure as you live. k how he went through your grips.” “As things look now I wouldn’t be at ail surprised but you are ri ht,” said Paul. ever, we have the isfaction of knowing that he didn’t find the paper. It’s a wonder we didn’t hear from him in Tucson. It must be that he didn’t learn of our arrival in town.” , “Gee! I hope not,” replied Andy. “If he saw us he'd be sure and follow us out here.” _ 3 “Well, he’s better not,” said Phineas Quill, in significant tone, as he tapped his hip-pocket. =. as soon shoot him as I would a snake, and g@ deal sight sooner now that I know he caused i € = ifs old pard Robinson’s death. Are you boys heeled aon: “You mean are we armed?” asked Paul = e SS

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16 AFTER A FORTUNE $ “That’s just what I do mean.” “No. We didn’t have the price. It took all the funds we saved to fit us out half-way decent for this trip. We had to hire the horses at that-” “We had $150 when we left Minnesota, but that Mexican stole every dollar of it one night on the boat we were working our way down the Mississippi on,” said Andy. “I almost caught the villain, but we managed to get away and hide somewhere on the boat, and he got ashore at one of the landings in spite of the fact that Paul and I were on the lookout for him. Paul didn’t believe it was Gonzalez, because the rascal was supposed to be in prison at that time; but I had a good view of ‘him when he was down in our sleeping quarters, and I thought it must be him or his ghost.” “Well, it’s too bad you haven’t guns, then we could give that chap and any pals he might bring with him a warm reception if he comes aut here. However, we can keep our eyes skin- ned and not let him get the drop on us. I can hit the ace of clubs five times out of six at fifteen yards, so it wouldn’t be healthy for him to get too gay with me.” “Jf you’re ready, Mr. Quill, we'll give you a lift on my horse as far as our destination.” “All right. +I shan’t forget it, pard. As to that proposition of yours, I’ll take you up and see you through with the mime if you can hit it with that paper you have. I'll help you stake the claim out in proper fashion, so you can have it registered accordin’ to law. If it pans out well it will be a good thing for me.” Andy dismounted and helped Paul assist the prospector ‘to mount the horse, then they con- tinued their journey at a walk, the boys taking turns riding the other horse. Gonzalez and his associates had already reached Skull Mountain, and were lying in wait for the boys. They had expected to find them there ahead of them, and the Mexican was somewhat surprised because they found no trace of them on the ‘ground; but came to the conclusion that as the lads were unfamiliar with that part of the country they had probably gone astray, and would turn up later on. But for the fact that Paul and Andy had met with Phineas Quill they would have run right into the trap prepared to receive them. Quill, however, induced them to diverge from the straight line they had intended following, and work around the foothills to the southeast, in order to reach the camping ground he had spoken to them about. Thus they passed within half a mile of the spot where the Mexican and his followers were waiting for them without the rascals being aware that they were in the vicinity. The camping-place selected by the prospector was a secluded nook at the base of Skull Mountain, several miles from the place indicated on the paper as the spot where the abandoned mine was situated. It was an ideal camping ground from many points of view, hav- A by the entrance to the mine,” remarked ‘aul, “That’s where you would have béen foolish,” said the prospector, “for you couldn’t tell when some rascal might come that way and get away with your things while you were both in the underground galleries of the mine, looking the place over. Now all you have to do is to start out from here with your compass and whatever you need to make your observations and meas- urements with, and leave the balance of your traps in my care till you return. When you have found the entrance to the mine perhaps I'll be able to use my pins and go along with you to explore it, and see what the prospects are.” “That’s right, Mr. Quill. You have simplified matters a good bit for us. We are pretty green at this business, so I guess it was rather lucky that we came across you.” “It was lucky for me at any rate, pard, that you did, and I’m goin’ to do the right thing by you for it.” “That’s all right, Mr. Quill. You’re welcome. I’m glad to find that you were an old friend of Job Robinson’s. I dare say if he was alive he’d be happy to put sométhing in your way. If the mine should turn out to be worth a mil- lion, why, you will make a quarter of it, and pare ought to satisfy;you for the rest of your ays. ; “I reckon it would, pard, I think I’d go back East where I came from, and cut a wide swath. I’m a hummer from hummerville when I get started. ¥ The boys laughed at the quaint way the pros- pector made the remark. we “A man can hum pretty loud on a quarter of a million, but he sometimes lands in the poor- house in the end,” said Paul. “If this mine turns up trumps I'd advise you to soak your share where it will do you the most good for the rest of yours days.” “Your advice is good, pard, and I’ll consider it when the occasion arises. In the meantime I’m going to turn over for a snooze, and advise you chaps to do the same so you'll be in shape for business in the mornin’.” Paul and Andy agreed with him, and im fifteen minutes peace and comparative silence reigned in the little camp. \ CHAPTER XIV.—The Mexican’s Revenge. Paul awoke at sunrise, but his two companions~ - still slept on. and unwilling to disturb them, the boy got up, ate a meat sandwich, and drank some of the bottled -coffee. The cool morning air inducements for a stroll, and Paul decided to take advantage of it. He had bought a small “leather prospecting bag in Tucson to hold the < Not caring to sleep any longer, Pare See TT OD a. ene ae a PE, Ly) A NN ae a ee 4 cs * Cae, 7 compass, a geologist’s hammer, and a few other things., He strung this over his arm, and alse took the precious paper from its hiding-place in the head of the cane, for he had some idea — of walking over to the northeast corner of the ing shade and a plentiful supply of running water at hand. It also offered complete concealment, both from the plain around and the elevated points behind. “Here you are as snug as a bug in a rug,” = laughed Quill. “No fear of any one stealin’ the mountain and taking a few preliminary iz horses or your traps, unless he knew the place or tions from the measurements written do ~ , stumbled on it by accident.” Job Robinson. = “We expected to pitch our camp in the open, Z iz « He did not dream of what awaited him in - ¥ i <q : : ~ = Tes

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_ the ‘in miles of that spot. AFTER A FORTUNE direction. The entire landscape looked so lone- some and deserted to his eye when he left the eamp, after taking careful note of its location so that he could be sure of finding it again, that he did not suspect there were any strangers with- But we all live and learn new facts from experience, which sometimes is a dear-teacher. At any rate, Paul received a rude jolt before he was more than an hour older. As *he stopped to consult the paper for the purpase of making his first observation, Manuel. Gonzalez caught sight of him, and uttered a chuckle of joy at seeing that he, was not only alone, but that he held a paper, presumably the documents he wanted, in his hand. As luck would * have it Paul put it in his leather bag and com- menced operations near the very holé Job Robin- son had tumbled into, and which mishap had led to his discovery of the mine. Gonzalez crept back to the little cave in the rocks where his brother ruffians were asleep, awoke them, and pointing out the busy lad to them, told them to creep around in his rear, come*upon him suddenly and capture him. There were five besides the Mexi- ean in the-party, and they lost no time in obeying the order of their leader. - At the moment Paul took up his bag to get the compass he suddenly found himself seized from behind, and looking up saw that he was a prisoner in the hands of as fine a set of villains as one would hate to meet at a disadvantage. To com- plete his misery, up stepped the Mexican himself, and Paul had no reason to doubt that he was face to face once more with Manual Gonzalez. » “Well, Senor Clifford, we meet again,” he said with a diabolical grin. “The last time it was in the court at Bakersfield, Minnesota, a month ago, when you thought you had the whip hand you had of me. Caramba! The tables now are what you call turned. Is it not so? You are silent, young senor. You do not relish that I am on top of the heap. That I have you where I want you. That, I suppose, is the paper which you so cunningly have hidden from my eyes. Ah, Senor Clifford, you are, shall I say, a clever boy; but you are not the match for me. You have led me long dance. Now it is that you pay the oie snatched the paper from the boy’s fingers and looked it over eagerly. : “Aha! This is what Senor Robinson would not that I should see. “At last it is mine. It will be as the key, to open to us the long-deserted mine. I thank you, young senor, for coming so ‘far to present this to me in my hands,” mock- ingly. “It is but fair that we repay you for this service. What shall we do with him, com- rades?” he asked appealing to his desperadoes. “Shall we let him return to Tucson to say that we have robbed him, or shall we sew up his toneue that he be forever silent on the matter?” “Sew up his tongue!” roared one of the husky ruffians who had hold of the boy’s arm. - *¥ou hear, Senor Clifford,” leered the Mexican. “It would not be safe for us that we let you go now that we have the paper. You will remember I told@you that night you had me on the ship “that I yet would have the laugh on you. You in + The . ¥ © gee it all come true. You thought your big prison North would hold me tight. Caramba! prison is not yet built that can hold Manuel But this is waste time. Your com- 17 panion may come this wav, and we would have to deal’ with him the same as with you if he saw what would make trouble for us. It is bet- ter for him that he see nothing. Get a lariat and tie the youn* senor.” One of the villains hurried away, and presently returned with a long rope. With one end Paul’s arms were bound securely behind his back, leav- ing the other end trailing behind. The Mexican walked away, and Paul saw him gathering dry strips of brush which he fashioned in the form of a torch. The gang waited for him to come back, two of them perched upon a big boulder, two holding the boy by the arms, while the fifth stood back holding the loose end of the rope, as though he was a wild steer they were trying to manage. The ruffians amused themselves tan- talizing the lad, and making various mean sug- gestions as to his ultimate fate. _ Gonzalez came back slowly, as.if he was con- sidering something. Finally he paused on the edge of the brush-lined hole and peered down into it. He could not see down to the bottom, though he parted the brush at the mouth, so he drew a silver match-safe from his pocket, took out a lucifer, ignited it on his trouser leg and applied the flame to the end of the impromptu torch. The dry twigs caught fire readily enough, and the Mexican waved it around in the air until it blazed up freely. He thrust it into the mouth of the hole, and the glare it afforded showed him the depth of the opening in the ground. He saw there was water at the bottom, and he smiled grimly. “The sun is beginning to grow*hot, Senor Clif- ford,” he said, with a malicious chuckle. “This hole will be as a cool spot for you where you - shall not get sun-burned. When you get thirsty there is water to drink below. If that satisfy you not—caramba!—you shall be hard to please. Come, Martin, you and Dalton will drop him down now, for we have no more time to waste on him.” - The five ruffians seemed to enjoy the plan hit upon by their leader for the lingering extermina- tion of the lad. “You're a pack of cowards!” cried the brave boy, breaking his-dogged silence for the first time. “Six against one! If you had a spark of manli- ness in you you would give me a chance for my life; but it isn’t in-you. You are curs, every one of you!” ‘ : _The gang uttered a roar of coarse laughter at his words. As the two ruffians forced him to- ward the pit, Paul recoiled from the horrible fate , designed for him. ; “Dead boys tell no tales!” exclaimed Gonzalez, with an exultant laugh, as he cast the torch into the dark hole. : In spite of his struggles, the plucky lad was forced to the edge of the pit. “There is water at the bottom to break your fall, Senor Clifford. Perhaps it is better that you say your prayers now, in case it shall be of such depth that you get not the chance after you are down there.” — Paul was hed over the edge of the space for a single minute, then at a sign from the Mexican the two scoundrels who had hold of him pushed him in. He went down like a stane, a loud splash followed, and then—silence.

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18 AFTER A FORTUNE CHAPTER XV.—In the Skull Mountain Mine. The water at the bottom of the hole was not as deep as Gonzalez had believed it was, not much over four feet, so that it did not rise above the armpits after he struck the bottom. The shock of the fall, however, stunned Paul, and but for the fact that the end of the trailing rope caught on a projecting rock and thus held him upright he would undoubtedly have been drowned in a few minutes. As it was, he lay unconscious and bleeding from a cut in his head. -Not hearing any sound from him, the Mexican judged that he had gone under the surface of the water and lay there drowning. He and his ruffians listened for several minutes and, silence continuing, it was their unanimous opinion that Paul Clifford was done for. “Come,” said Gonzalez at last, “we will do the business of finding this mine. The boy shall rot where he lies and no one will be the wiser.” The Mexican picked up the leather bag and started off for the cave where they had slept, in order to study the paper, while his associates followed at his heels. At the camp, Andy woke up half an hour after Paul left the place on his early jaunt. He got up, looked around, and was surprised to see no sign of his companion. “Where has he gone?” he asked himself. While he was trying to figure the matter out Phineas Quill opened his eyes and sat up. “I don’t know where Paul has got to,” Andy ‘ked. “Oh, he’s somewhere around. Get up on that rock and take a squint around the plain.” Andy did so. “T don’t see anything of him,” he shouted down. “But I tell you what I. do see—a horse with a eouple of packs on his back grazing close by.” “That’s my nag,” exclaimed the prospector, : standing up and limping to a place whence he could get a view of the spot indicated by Andy. “That’s the rascal, all right,” he added. “I wish you'd go down and catch him. You'll have no trouble, I think. Then you can lead Jum here and picket him with the others.” Andy cheerfully carried out Quill’s directions. The stout anima! allowed himself to be captured without the slightest opposition, and followed Andy to the camp. “I’m as pleased as a hog on ice to get my traps again,” said the prospector, with a satisfied grin. “My leg seems to be comin’ around all right, too.” As Paul did not show up in -fifteen minutes, Quill told Andy -to build a fire and hed cook some coffee and fry some bacon for breakfast. The fire was started. “Now hand me that fryin’ pan and coffee-pot, and them packages, and I'll start the grub under way.” In twenty minutes breakfast was waiting for the absent one. “I'd give something to know where he went off to,” said Andy, anxiously. eee. he can’t find the camp again.” “Well, take a look along the ‘foothills and_see if there’s any sign of him,” said the prospector, helping himself to a share of the bacon, bread and ceffes. u# Andy returned shortly to say that Paul wasn’t anywhere in sight. “Then eat your breakfast. warm on the embers.” So Andy, who was pretty hungry, appropriated his share of the grub and soon disposed of it. Having finished his meal, the prospector took his pipe from his pocket, filled it and commenced to smoke, while Andy mounted the rock once more on the lookout for his chum. After Manuel Gonzalez had gone over the paper containing the directions for locating the mouth of the tunnel communicationg with the under- ground galleries of the mine he was satisfied that he would be able to find it. While he was thus employed one of the gang had prepared” breakfast. ~ As soon as it was ready all hands squatted around the cave and helped themselves without ceremony to whatever they saw. The meal over, the Mexican called on three of his followers to help him in the search. They left the cave and, with Gonzalez bossing the job, got down to business. Gonzalez soon ran against a snag. One of the marks left by Robinson te identify a certain spot had disappeared. “As it was the most important one, it threw all the other calculations out so that after an hour’s work the Mexican woke ‘up to the unpleasant fact that the paper was absolutely of no use to him, and that he was just as much at sea as he ever had been. Time and changes made by nature had rendered all his cheming and maneuvering of years abor- tive. Even Job Robinson himself, had he been — on the ground, could not have discovered the | opening to the underground passages by means of his own document. He could have -_ = way into the mine through the original h course. And it was this very hole that Paul ford had been thrown into by his malignant - enemy. Manue: Gonza'ez, however, knew nothing about xe the secret passage which opened into the side o that hole. If he had he surely never would have cast the boy down there. Gonzalez and his dis- appointed crowd could only commence a close~ search along the base of the foothills on the chance of discovering the mouth of the tunnel by sheer good luck, and so we will leave them to that laborious occupation under the bo rays of the sun, while we descend into the where Paul has been left to his fate, and see how the boy was getting on. Paul remained uncon- scious the best part of an hour. When he came to his senses he saw he was standing in about four feet of water, thirty odd feet below the sur- face of the ground. There was as much chance _ for him to crawl up the perpendicular sides of the hole as there was for an elephant to fly. — Apparently he was down there for good and ail, face to face with a slow death. “Neither Andy nor Mr. Quill would ever think of looking for me down here,” murmured the boy >> in an almost disheartened tone. “I must remain — here unti! I die from sheer exhaustion. Then 3 some day my skeleton will be found and people will wonder just how I came to my end. It was while Paul was a prey to these dismal thoughts “that the experience of Job Robinson in just such a hole, resulting in the , =~ .of the Skull Mountain mine, occurred to him. “It was Ineky Taker Set te Role into which We'll keep his share . 3 es a

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AFTER A FORTUNE he tumbled had an outlet on its side. If this Was only the same hole I’d have some chance of——_” As he spoke he looked up and around the nar- Tow sides of the hole in a desperate hope that a slice of the same kind of blind luck might hap- pen to him. His eyes were now accustomed to the gloom down there, which was scarcely pene- trated by the light above that filtered ‘through the brush obstructing the mouth of the hole. “The place that Robinson tumbled into had several feet of water at the bottom, just as this has. Suppose this was the very same hole?” he exclaimed, with a thrill of hope. “There’s a dark patch right above my head. [I'll climb up this rope and see what it is.” The shock of his descent into the hole being suddenly arrested by the catching of the long piece of rope on the rock had loosened the bonds that had bound his arms, and he easily ‘drew them free. He drew himself up a yard and discovered, to his great delight, that the black patch in question was indeed an. opening into the solid rock. Without losing a moment he climbed head- first into it and found himself in complete dark- ness. It was narrow and almost round, just as Robinson had described the tunnel through which be had made his escape from the perpendicular ole. " *] believe this is the identical place the old man was in, and that it leads straight to the mine gallery,” breathed Paul, excitedly. “At any rate, I’m going to follow it up and see where I come-out. 1 couldn’t be in a worse scrape than at the bottom of the hole I’ve just left.” So the brave lad, buoyed’ up with renewed hope, ¢rawled slowly along the narrow tunnel, feeling his Way as he went. After traversing what seem- ed to him in his unpleasant situation an endless distance, he suddenly became aware that the sides and roof had fallen away, and that there was now room to stand up. He got on his feet and found that he could not reach the rock above his head. - The sides of his new prison he could bare- ly touch with both of his arms extended. “Robinson said that he turned on a chance to his right,” thought Paul. “I’ll do the same. I’m almost certain now that I’m actually in the old deserted mine. If so I ought to come out into the brush-covered opening in the same way he T'll ‘see if the matches in my safe are dry. CHAPTER XVI.—The Fortune Won. one The boy was now in exuberant spirits. But now 19 a — serious problem occurred to the boy’s mind. “That Mexican is probably already trying to locate- the entrance to this place, and as he has the paper to direct his movements he ought to be able to do it without much trouble. I must look out that they do not come upon me before I can get outside. That would be hard luck in- deed!” Paul saw there wasn’t a nook or corner where he could conceal himself if the rascals did come upon him suddenly with the torches they would of course provide themselves with to light their way underground. 5 He struck one of his last matches and saw a thick growth of brush straight ahead. It was so dense that not a glimmer of the light of day penetrated through it. “I guess this is the outlet; but how the dickens I am to force my way through all that stuff is a puzzler. However, I s’pose it’s got to be done. It must have grown a good bit since poor Robin- son was here five years ago.” As a matter of fact, it was owing to this dense covering that the opening into the mine had never been discovered. The brush was éx- traordinarily dense, and extended like a wall for a great many yards. No one not obliged to pass through it would have thought of making the’ attempt. “Gonzalez will have the. job of his life trying to get in here,” thought Paul, as he bored. his way through the brush. . “This is the worst thing I’ve ever tackled in my life.” But he never thought of getting discouraged, for was not he on the road to freedom and the outer air. At last glimmerings of daylight came to him through the brush. ; “I’m getting there by degrees,” he murmured. “I guess Andy is wondering by this time where I have gone to. I'll have quite a story to tell him and Mr. Quinn when I get back to the camp.” The light grew brighter as he advanced. Flashes of sunshine glistened here and there. Finally he reached the. end of the obstruction and thrust his head outside into the open air. The air was hot and close, for it was well along in the morning, and the sun quite high in the sky, but for all that Paul drew the atmosphere into his lungs with a sensat 1 of delight. He was practically free at last.” After a few mo- ments he recovered his usual composure, and began to look for signs of Manuel Gonzalez and his villainous gang. Not a human being was to be seen anywhere around. “Where can they be?” he asked himself. “Sure- ly if they were hunting for the mine they ought to be right in this neighborhood.” The rascals were in that neighborhood, but Paul could not see them. “Well, I can’t stay here all day. I’m going to make a break for the camp at all hazards.” He forced his way out’of the brush and then turned and looked at it. “I don’t wonder nobody could find the mouth of the mine, for there seems to be a mile of this brush, every bit of it exactly alike. It would be as easy to find a needle in a haystack as to find the mine, unless you knew exactly where it is. It’s a great sight easier to enter it through that hole I was pitched into. All this stuff will have to be clared away before anything can be done os 4

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20 with the mine, and it will be no fool of a job, I can tell you.” Paul wondered how Job Robinson had been able to mark the spot, and at night, too, with the expectation of finding it again. “It is hard enough making your way out, but to make your way in and hit the exact spot where the entrance is—well, I doubt if it can be done with anything like immediate success. I shan’t try it, at any_rate. The side entrance, by the way of the perpendicular hole, is good enough for me. One can easily get down there with the help of a rope, though a long ladder would be better.” 5 - Paul therefore made no effort to mark the spot or take note of the surroundings, but started along the foothills toward the camp. He kept a bright lookout for Gonzalez and his crowd, and for a while saw nothing of them; neither did any one of them observe the boy, on account of the thick brush which concealed him from their eyes. When Paul began to leave the brush behind and come out into the unsheltered open space the Mexican saw. him. He naturally sup- posed it was Andy Blake who was hunting for his companion, and was not disposed to bother his head about him. One of his gang happened to be sharper eyed, and besides, was nearer Paul’s line of retreat. He uttered a shout of amazement and( running up to the Mexican, told him that the boy they had cast into the hole had in some manner made his escape. Gonzalez at first insisted that he was dreaming, but the ruffian swore he had recog- nized the lad’s face. So the Mexican, while not by any means convinced, concludéd to stop the youth. Paul saw Gonzalez and two of his gang coming after him, so he took to his heels, the Mexican: firing, after him. He set a hot pace for his foes, and consequently the chase became a lively one. One thing now began to give Paul eonsiderable uneasiness—he was afraid that he would not be able to find the camp under any sueh strenuous conditions. The firing, however, attracted the attention of both Andy, who had just returned from an unsuccessful hunt after his chum, and Phineas Quill. “There’s somethin’ doin’ yonder,” said Quill, limping to a spot where he could command a view of the situation. “I’ll bet that’s your pard in trouble.” i The prospector drew his unfailing six-shooter and prepared for action. In. another moment Paul _ came fiying irto sight, with the three men after him as hard as they could put, and firing as rapidly as. possible. : “Hi, hi, Paul, this way!” cried Andy, spring- ing on the big rock and waving his hat at his chum. Paul saw him and changed his course. Gon- zalez, now certain that the boy he had doomed to death had in some unaccountable manner made his escape, iad determined to recapture him at all hazard. Phineas Quill grimly waited for him to come within easy range. Paul dashed through the bushes into the camp and fell down, thor- oughly. exhausted, just as Quill’s revolver rang out on the still air. The bullet found its way i to Manuel Gonzalez’s heart, and the w up his arms with a sharp cry and his own tracks. The other rascals The prospector ; put a ball AFTER A FORTUNE through the ear of one of them, and that was enough to send them back kiting the way they had come. Paul had a wonderful .story to tell of his morning’s adventures. “You had a pretty narrew escape, pard,” said the prospector, “and you ought to be thankful that you’re alive.” - “T am,” replied Paul. Later on, with the aid of a rope, the three descended the perpendicular hole and entered the Skull Mountain mine through the narrow passage originally discovered by Job Robinson. With torches, which Quill showed them how to make, they explored the mine just as Robinson had, and the prospector’s knowledge and experience of ore bodies demonstrated that the mine was a : regular bonanza. Before they returned to Tucson, £ Phineas Quill staked off as many claims in the immediate vicinity of the mine as the law allowed the three to take up, and the same were duly registered, and then the prospector undertook to dispose of the mine just as it stood to a syn- dicate. . _ Eventually a number of capitalists took things ~ in hand, formed the Skull Mountain Gold and Silver Mining’Company of Arizona, and paid Paul Clifford and his associates $600,000 in cash, and gave them 40,0000 shares of stock of a par value of $10 each. Of course. Paul got half of the ~ cash and half of the shares for himself, while — the other half was divided between Andy and Phineas Quinn, To-day the stock is worth $25 a share, and is mighty hard to get at that figure. : The company to date has divided $5,000,000 in dividends among its share-holders, some of which has been paid to Paul Clifford, while Andy and Mr. Quill have each received a quarter of a ; million. As the prospect of getting as much more out of the’mine is very bright, Paul may be consider- 4 ed one of the luckiest young men in America. He is worth about $,000,000—the bulk of it in cash, the market value of his mining stock half a million. He is married and resides in a very swell Chicago home on the lake. Andy — also lives in good style in the Windy City, while Phineas Quill has a more modest home in the East. Once a year, at Christmas, they invariably = meet together in Paul’s big house, and at these s joyous reunions they always have something to recall about the time when they were after a’ - fortune. as Next week’s issue will contain “WINNING THE DOLLARS; or, THE YOUNG WONDER OF WALL STREET.” If there is one thing more than another that Brown hated it was to be “caught.” As a con- sequence he was very suspicious of any deed or word the meaning of which he could not im- mediately understand. Once when he visited a menagerie he had an interesting chat with one of the keepers, and as he was about to leave the man asked, “By the way, sir, have you seen our — black-faced antelope?” “No,” he replied stiffly. _ “May I ask with whom your f eloped?” eo ; E

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HUNTING THE HOATZIN = William Beebe, the zoologist, is directing an ex- = qeciden to British Guiana which hopes to bring : ck, among other specimens,. a living hoatzin. This is a strange bird whose young have claws on their wings, with which they climb through - the foliage of mangrove trees in which they live. Attempts have been made before to bring these birds to this country, but their diet apparently - is limited to one kind of tropical plant, without | which they die. . _ AMERICANS TEACH CHINESE TO CHEW ' Napoleon used to look regretfully at China’s Ss man power and wish there were some way of util- izing it to his profit. Mr. Wrigley, American _— chewing gum manufacture, has also considered _ the millions in China, and found a way of em- = ploying them to his advantage. If China’s 400,- ,000 could only be induced to chew gum! thought Mr. Wrigley, who is known to be enter- prising. Missionaries were despatched.to China —gum missionaries, who demonstrated the pleas- _ ures-of chewing Mr. Wrigley’s gum to the curious Chinese. The latter learned rapidly, thanks to grip you like COME LESSON,” “Won from FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY 3 3 CURRENT NEWS the end of each yarn. No. 158 is out! “THE MYSTERY AT ROARING WATERS” By HARRY ADLER It’s a corker! Then a new two-part serial by JOE BURKE begins, called “BEATING THE BURGLAR ALARM” The short stories are “THE RENT “THE GIRL IN THE CASE,” “THE INEVITABLE,” “THE BREATH OF SUSPICION,” “THE MUTILATED CLUE.” LOUISE RICE, the famous reader of handwriting, has a department in _ which she will tell you, from studying your writing, all you wish to know _ | about yourself, and she doesn’t charge a cent. “1 __ Besides all this, there’s no end of interesting short articles, such as “Dap- } per Don Facing Prison,” “An Automatic Burglar Gun,” “Pink Candle Thieves,” 3 an Old Prison Pal” and “A French Crime Museum.” Buy a Copy and Read It — You Will Be Pleased! 21 the carefully prepared educational campaigning which is now a recognized part of American ad- vertising the world over. Many millions of Chinese are now chewing gum, to Mr. Wrigley’s profit. It is said that their technique rivals that even of the originators of gum chewing. MENDICANT BANKS $4,100 Another mendicant with a healthy bank re- serve appeared before Magistrate Joseph E. Cor- rigan in West Side court. He is David Cohen, seventy-two years old, of 69 East 125th street, and his bank book shows that since February of this year he has saved from what he begged from hard-hearted New Yorkers more than $4,100. In his pockets when he was arrested in the Times Square subway station were coins total- ing $95. His case could not be tried because the old man can speak only the Hebrew of the Near East. Yiddish is as Greek to him. It was his second appearance in court in three weeks. On his first visit he received a suspended sentence because no one to interpret his Hewbrew could be found. BOYS, READ THIS DO YOU KNOW THERE’S A DANDY DETECTIVE-STORY PUB- ” LICATION ON THE NEWSSTANDS EVERY TWO. WEEKS, ENTITLED “MYSTERY MAGAZINE?” 2 It contains 64 pages of good solid reading matter — the kind of stories that a vise and hold your eyes on the type from the beginning to Why don’t you get a copy and read IN THE WARP,” “THE UNWEL-

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p= Bwalt his Rob and the Reporters = ie Hustling for War News by Wireless By GASTON GARNE (A Serial Story.) CHAPTER VI.—(Continued). “We can do just as well by taking in the other Durelle as any’ other way,” declared Rob, “and I think we better plan to stay there to-night: I see there is a hotel in the place. I don’t think it will be safe to attempt td run the car after dark.” “Then we can make sure about Doctor Papi- neau,” said Edith. “After all, there is the possi- bility that the auto man made a mistake. I ap- prove of that plan.” It was so decided, and at the appointed time Rob drove the car away from the hotel. He knew his business. For a time he had acted as chauffeur for a gen- tleman at St. Johns. There was no trouble while they remained with- in the borders of HoHand. Rob. chose the least-frequented roads, hoping to slip over the Belgian line unobserved, if pos- sible. Of course all three had taken the precaution to provide themselves with passports, but it was an open question how much good these were likely to do them. The quaint Dutch scenery and the picturesque cosctumes of the people interested both Rob and Walter anes. hese things were not new to Edith, however. She had been in Holland before. Shortly after dark they found themselves ap- tanbiting the frontier. “Now, then, for our first hold-up, ” said Rob. ‘T am afraid it is bound to come.’ It was. Soon they saw ahead of them a gate built across the road, while an electric light upon a pole showed them the Belgian flag — from a long, low~ building near by. CHAPTER VII. Captured By Germans. “Halt!” A sentry said it. He darted out of the house as the car approached the gate. “You do the talking, Walt.” said Rob, as he - brought the car to a standstill. “There is no passing here,” said the soldier, in French. “You will have to turn back.” IS oni me fo have a word with the officer in cha athe is on me You cannot see him.” s present him with my master’s card. It is a that we, should see him. We can : This sort of ua ia pin oe Rob had procured ee v~ FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY ing England, carrying his full name and a Lon- don address. The sentry took the card and vanished inside the house; as the gate was padlocked, it was im- possible to. proceed. The wait which followed was not as long as Rob feared it was going to be. A young officer appeared, who politely removed his hat when he saw Edith. Rob bowed and asked if he spoke English, which proved to be the case. _ He then exhibited the passport, which stated that he had been dispatched upon a special mis- sion. by the war office to General Taylor, while in Edith’s case the true object of her journey was given. “I shall permit you to pass, of course,” said the officer, “but I want you to distinctly under- stand that you are running a terrible risk in at- tempting to take this lady to Durelle, which is directly in the war zone and may already have been destroyed for all I know.” “It 4s up to me to obey my instructions,” plied Rob. “I can do no more.’ “There isn’t a chance in a hundred that be will ever sane tiide. Wandering companies of 2 Germans are scouring the country for foraging ~~ purposes, and bands of Belgians are opposing them. These are.commanded in many instances — by men who may or may not respect your pass- ports. You are almost certain to lose your car. Then what will you do?” . “The best we can. The lady is determined. Ae. eo (To be continued.) ae Fame re- ee Sante .m ee i

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— oe PLAGUE OF PRAIRIE DOGS IN KANSAS ' ‘There is a total of 800 acres of land in Reno - County infested with prairie dogs, according to - Gounty Agent V. S. Crippen, who has just com- pleted a éompaign to exterminate them. The prairie dogs have gotten their strongest hold in ‘this county in Clay township, where 290 acres of land has been infested with the rodents. - REINDEER MEAT FOR DINNER TABLES Reindeer meat is becoming an increasingly fre- “quent item on the pill-of-fdre in the larger cities of the United States. Last autumn marked the pa appearance of reindeer meat in the Ameri- markets. At the close of the trans rtition on the Bering Sea coast in October, over 1,400 reindeer carcasses were shipped from Alas- a to the United States. The carcasses were with the hides on, and frozen lid. To preserve the juices and flavor, the meat is cut up and sold without thawing. “Reindeer meat is fine-grained, contains a ~ood ytable fat, and is not “amy” in flavor when proper! produced and handled, but compares avorably with beef. The liver is not unlike calves’ liver and, as it is of large size, makes important item of food. The tongue and are both of good flavor and quality. Does are not slaughtered. A certain number 7 bucks are set aside for breeding purposes, and the rest are raised as steers, to be butchered when about three years old. The dressed weight "a three-year-old steer averages about 150 ands. By cross-breeding with caribou and fol- ing a process of selection and grading up of yck in the herds the weight. will eventually be ch increased. At the present time, a little re than thirty years after the first importa- of reindeer into Alaska from Eastern Si- a. the number of living reindeer in Alaska ‘ig estimated to be about 200,000. In addition half is many more .have been slaughtered for food clothing. Begun as an experiment, reindeer fing in Alaska has amply proved its practi- lity and demonstrated its importance as one the great future industries of the Territory. RGINIA COUNTY RETAINS BELIEFS IN WITCHCRAFT & in Princess Anne County, Va., just a few < from Norfolk, several hundred negroes and 1é superstitious white people have just dem- ed that they still” believe in witcheraft, S the Philadelphia Inquirer... - Annie’ Taylor, several years old, so bent by in- nities that she was obliged to use a cane to rt her, is the cause of one of the greatest ns of hysteria that Princess Anne, noted for surches and well educated people, has wit- essed in 300 years. - It has that long since Grace Sherwood, a beautiful | a professed to be able to good to those who believed in her and bad who doubted her boasted powers. 3 well educated and she se pod was not an ordinary woman. ind © duped her vic- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY 23 GOOD READING tims with well-sounding words until she had scores of men and women believing that she could sprinkle the blood of a dead animal on their front doorstep, thus bringing to those who dwelt within the home so sprinkled either the blessings _of heaven or the curse of hell. Grace Sherwood sat on her throne of power eee ven ek and in Ee time she filled her coffers wi e money of her dupes i nepated to be wealthy. oo a ee was not until the authorities of Pri Anne saw that the entire county, or age of it, was being stirred to a pitch of hysteria never dreamed of that they decided to banish Grace but in this decision they did not know with whom they were dealing. Instead of submitting grace- fully to the order of banishment Grace Sherwood gna ee be given a trial that all might 7 W. she was no si si Prince's x ae t a desirable resident of he court named a jury of twelve women’ search Grace before she was brought tefece be bar of justice to answer the charge of witchery. Grace was brought before the court, and after a day devoted to the hearing of evidence she was found guilty. The sheriff of the covnty was ordered to take Grace to a spot in Yynn- haven River and duck her three ‘times. Then she was to be driven out of the county. The sheriff carried out his ducking order, and from that day the spot where Grace Sherwood was forced under the water three times.has been called “White Duck” and is recorded in the records of Princess — Anne County. “Mystery Magazine” SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A COPY —— LATEST ISSUES — 152 WEAPONS OF HATE, by Fric How 158 IN RESERVE, by Frank ioighten : 154 THE HOUSE ON THE ROCKS, by Jack Beehdotr The following and future numbers of thi i Price 15 Cents a eee 155 LAUGHING DEATH'S TRAIL, by Nels LeRoy Jor gensen, 156 THE MEDICINE DROPPER. by G. P. W 157 A QUESTION OF KICK. by Engene Jones. pez THE MYSTERY AT ROARING WATERS By HARRY ADLER Out Today in No. 158 HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc. 166 West 23d Street New York City “Moving Picture Stories” A Weekly Magazine Devoted to Photoplays and Players PRICE EIGHT CENTS PER COPY Each number contains Three Stories of t , on the Secreen—Elegart Haif-tone Secnes a, Plays Fe bi — About Prominent People in the ms--Doings © ctors and Actresses I and Lessons in Scenario Writing. © = eee HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc. 166 West 23d Street <

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miracles _ “Just body induction,” replied Mr. Palmer, 24 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY INTERESTING RADIO NEWS AND HINTS PANELS MADE OF GLASS Bullet-proof glass and transparent bakelite are now being used by builders of radio sets for the panels so that the interior of the receiver can be seen. Black bakelite has been used in thousands of sets and now the amber-like material is becom- ing popular. It is made of pure synthetic resin. The black bakelite is much stronger, although both can be drilled and sawed equally weN., MAKE YOUR SET BEHAVE Stick to your old set and try to make it as near perfect as possible before experimenting with a new hookup, is the advice given by ex- perts at the Bureau of Standards. Here is what one expert said: “Go over the old set carefully for wire spac- ing, eliminate capacity effects by changing the wires to run at right angles, check up and fasten every connection and test each instrument. ‘This perfecting process will teach lessons never to be forgotten. When the next set is undertaken, a better set will be the result.” > GERMAN RADIO “EAVESDROPPERS” PAY Forty-five thousand radio broadcasting spong- ers and eavesdroppers found to have been evad- ing the German Government tax, have been brought to time by drastic measures taken by the authorities and compelled to pay the license fee of 50 cents each per month which will be added to the reparation payment, funds. The Government campaign against radio “boot- leggers” and the like was begun several weeks ago, the authorities appealing to the loyality of individuals and at the same time enlisting the aid of chimney sweeps, roof repairers, goocery delivery boys, the radio dealers themselves and others. to locate violators. RADIO WAVES THROUGH HIS BODY Hearing his wife’s voice over the radio by the amplification of waves picked up through his own body, was the unusual experience of the Rev. Claude E. Morris, pastor of the Prospect Park Baptist Church, Brooklyn. Mrs. Irva Marshall Morris, his wife, was among those who furnished entertainment for the mem- bers of the American Expeditionary Force in France, and was one of those on the Federation of Church program broadcast by Station WEAF. Mr. Morris went to the home of Eric H. Palmer, ' 805 Avenue C, Brooklyn, who has a receiving set with a loop antenna. Mrs. Morris’s voice was heard clearly through the loud speaker, and Mr. Palmer then asked Mr. Morris how he would like to hear his wife’s voice through his own . With incredulity, the clergyman grasped the antenna and ground posts with his hands after the loop had been lifted out, and heard _ Mrs. Morris’s voice with undiminished volume. “And still some persons say there are no longer .” was the comment of Mr. Morris. RADIO WAVE SLOWER THAN LIGHT The discovery that the radio wave travels slower than light was announced in San Fran- cisco by Captain T. J. J. See, Professor of Mathematics in the United States Navy, Goy- ernment astronomer at the Mare Island Navy — and well-known authority on the theory of ether. . According to Captain See, the radio wave travels around the globe with a velocity of 165,000 miles a second, while light travels 186,000 miles a second. Captain See considers that his discovery of the velocity of the propagation of the radio wave about the earth may prove the most notable step in the development of the wave theory since Roemer’s original discovery of the philosophy of light in 1675. - _In an outline of his discovery, Captain See said since the wave is propagated in the ether it is remarkable that there should be the long recog- nized velocity for light in free space; and a smaller velocity for the radio wave as it bends around the globe. \ pn In the year 1914 there was an official inter- a change of signals between the naval observatory __ at Washington, and the national observatory at Paris. The mean velocity of the wireless wave was found to be about 173,000 miles per second. Early in March of the present year, a wire- less signal was sent from the sending station near New York to Warsaw, Poland, and reflected back in 0.054 of a second of time. The double distance is 8,500 miles and the speed of the trans- mission comes out about 158,000 miles per second, — ot pet 15 per cent» less than the i fee ¢ ight. ! _ “The mean of the two independent determina- _ tions of the wireless wave is 165,500 miles per _ second, or 20,500 miles per second less than the eps te ye Bet Pe Aiea) <x

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er ae ee a ® . ’ sy ay a FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY uses all of ‘these things but also WEAF, WOR, WJZ, WHN and other such formulas—something which, he says, has not yet been attempted by any other dentist.to his knowledge. _ Like all dentists he applies his cocaine or novo- cane to the gums and the gas to the nose and mouth. But this WEAF, WOR, WJZ, WHN, etc., he applies through the patient’s ears, the process is not only simple but has proved to be a great Success both as a pain-chaser and a tear dis- peller. Nor is this process confined to the extrac- tion of teeth. He uses it with equal success in every kind of dental work. - The extraction room and each of the eight operating rooms in his dental establishment are equipped with a set of head-phones which are placed over the patient’s ears as soon as he enters the chair. Nor are those patients forgotten who are waiting in the reception room for their turn. It is in this room that doctor’s five-tube Tadio set of a well-known make is located and a loud speaker provides entertainment. While the five dentists are at work with the patients his secretary manipulates the radio selections. Should the air contain a talk such as.“Methods of Torture” it would be wise to shift to another station at once, in the opinion of the young lady. In the installation of the radio set a system Was worked out whereby, with the one set, it is ' possible to have both the loud speaker and the mes in operation at the same time. Also it was found possible to tune down these head- phones without robbing the loud speaker in the reception room of its clearness. Several of the patients who had work done on their teeth while listening to a dance program that was being broadcast were asked how the idea of using radio with dentistry appealed to them. Their opinions were summed up in the following statement which was made by one of ' their number: “It’s great! It surely takes away the old pain.” “While listening-in,” the dentist said, “the patient’s mind is so occupied that his fear of nervousness is allayed and the dentist is able to * do more efficient work. There are many persons who show signs of nervousness the minute the dentist commences to drill and their minds are concentrated on the pain they expect to come. The Yadio not only cut out the sound of the drill but switches the patient’s thoughts to more pleas- ant matters.” E THE WAVE TRAP \ With an increasing number of broad-casting ~ stations in operation, it becomes difficult for a large number of radio fans living within a few Miles distance to choose what they wish to listen te. Without the aid of selective tuners and the Most careful handling it is necessary’ for the Owners of a set near a broadcasting station to listen to the local program. Por a great many of us the fun of radio is not so much what we hear but. the sport of hunting down new and distant signals. We would rather listen to a harmonica solo» being played a station 1,000 miles away than listen to epera from a station 10 miles away. overcome this difficulty a remedy is to re- of your aerial or to use an indoor This will reduce atmospheric -\ disturbances a great deal and at the same time sharpen tuning considerably. Most of the aerials in use are too large. A wave trap or filter can be very easily con- structed that will, very often, enable you to tune out local stations and listen to out-of-town con- certs. You can incorporate one into your present radio set. Two different methods of constructing a wave trap are here given. Both are of the same type, yet use slightly different coils. Both are ar- ranged for mounting in a small cabinet to be placed at the end of the receiver where the aerial is connected. Both types are provided with two binding posts, one for the aerial, and the other for the con- nection to the aerial binding post of the receiving set. In other words, the filter is placed in series with the antenna and the receiver. One filter is built on the absorption principle, having two coils. One coil consists of 45 turns of number 22 cotton-covered wire wound on a 8 1-2-inch tube. This specification does not need to be adhered to exactly as you can use a tube of different diameter and can wind on more or less turns according to whether the station you desire -to eliminate is on a high or low wave length. The ends of the 45-turn coil are connected to the two connections on a 23-plate variable con- denser. The coil may be mounted on the in- sulating frame of the condenser or may be mount- ed separately. On top of the 45-turn winding is wound 10 . turns of the same size wire, one end being connected to each binding post. This coil is not connected directly to the 45-turn coil but works by induction. The second filter is easier to construct as it has only one winding on it. This consists of 75 turns of number 22 double covered magnet wire wound in a single layer. : _The two ends of this coil are connected to two binding posts and to the two sides of 23-plate variable condenser. An additional feature is added, namely that of a shorting switch placed across the two bind- ing posts. This switch is made by means of a switch lever and two switch contacts. One bind- ing post is connected to one contact, the other - is left open. The switch lever is connected to the other binding post. This permits the shortening out of the wave trap when it is not required, a valuable feature as the filter introduces some losses into the an- tenna circuit. The shorting switch would also be an excellent thing to incorporate on the first filter. A wave trap, no matter how well constructed, introduces resistance into the circuit and will reduce the volume slightly. If you intend to place a wave trap in the cabinet of the receiver arrange it so that the coil is placed ‘at right angles to the inductance units of the receiver of energy between the coil of the filter and the inductance of the filter. Do not use smaller than number 22 wire Number 20 or even 18 wil! be better still. The condenser should be one of the best obtainable, preferably of the straight line type.

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oi _ the envelope. 26 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY Fame and Fortune Weekly NEW YORK, JUNE 13, 1924 TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Single Copies........-..sse00 Postage Free 8 Cents One Copy Three’Months...... “ ¢ $1.00 One Copy Six Months......... “ - 2.00 One Copy One Year.........- - ~ 4.00 Canada, $4.50; Foreign, $5.00. HOW TO SEND MONEY — At our risk send P. O. Money Order, Check or Kegistered Letter; remittances in any other way are al your risk. We accept Postage Stamps the same as cash. When sending Silver wrap the Coin in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting rite your name and address plainly. Address letters to HARRY E. WOLFF, jena BE. Wolff, Pres. Publisher, Inc., Charles E. Nylander, Sec. 166 W. 23d St., N. Y.J L. F. Wilzin, Treas. ITEMS OF INTEREST FROST HAD TAKEN ALL HIS BURIED WINE It is being told of a prominent Chace Canty, Kansas, man that during. the last severe cold weather of the winter, just at the time when County and State officers were putting on booze raids in this county at frequent intervals, he de- cided it was time to put his house in order. | A glass jug with some exceptionally good wine, which he kept on hand most of the time, was aceordingly buried in the back yard. The treas- ure wasn’t sunk below the frost line, however, and recently when the weather warmed up and the prohibition excitement cooled off, he dug it up to find that the wine had frozen, the jar had burst and he was minus the liquor. TREE’S HARD FIGHT FOR LIFE There is an ancient evergreen tree upon the rocky mountainside in Gracier National Park, Montana, which say shows evidence of having battled for its existence with the elements for three centuries. Huge snowdrifts heaped. from the mountain tops each winter crush it to earth and there it lies, growing along the ground. The trunk is 12 inches in diameter. Each spring it tries to rise, but it can never grow up like other trees because every winter there is a hundred-foot drift in this particular spot in Cracker Canyon, where nature gave it rvot. The Glacier Park foresters regard this tree as one of tle queerest freaks of nature they ever saw. ELEPHANTS COST $1,800 TO $5,000. — because of the cost involved. nquiries made of animal trainers since Mary the front gate reading: “Untenanted. Elephant house may be used as an aviary in the summer.” A perfectly good hippotamus in the European market to-day is worth between $2,000 and $4,- — 000. Indian rhinoceros may be had for approx-_ - imately $3,000, f.o.b., at the animal farm. All wild animal buyers take into careful considera- tion the question of freight rates, because of the weight and investment involved. A splendid tiger may be bought these days for from $1,000 to $1,500, according to the sup- ply and demand, while lions, fresh from South Africa juugles, may be had singly or by the dozen for from $550 to $900 each, according toe size, disposition and appetite. Wildcats are ~ cheaper, but the wilder they are the more they cost. Snakes are the cheapest things on the zoo price list, and are sold generally by the running foot, for the little fellows, and by the yard for the big ones. “Na,” said Clarence, “what’s a foregone con- - clusion?” “That even when the bride promises . to obey, she never will,” replied his dad. “Is that little boy I saw you playing with this afternoon a good boy, Willie?” asked his mother. “No,” replied Willie, “he’s not much good, but he’s the only kid on the block that I can lick.” _Little Ned—Don’t~take away the Mamma—I want you to learn to sleep without — a light. Little Ned—Must I sleep in the dark? Mamma—Yes. Little Ned—Well, then, wait a minute. I guess I'll get up and say my prayers a little more carefully. a Car Driver—-Me and that off horse has been working for the company for twelve years now. Passenger—That so? The company must think a — great deal of you both. Car Driver—Well, I — re ae dunno. Last week the two of us were taken sick, and they got a doctor for the horse and decked me. Git up there now, Betsy! spinster The crabbed bachelor and the aged sat suffering in the concert hall. The selectior were apparently unfamiliar to the bachelor, when the “Wedding March” was played he prick- ed up his ears. “That sounds familiar,” he ex- claimed. “I’m not strong on these classica pieces, but that’s a good one. What is it spinster cast down her eyes. “That,” him, demurely, “is “The Maiden’s enue. -

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A eee <A oe Ie ee + Ad Lad pirsicons telling of the become real pets, but are best kept in FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY BRIEF BUT POINTED OLD NEWSPAPERS GIVE NEWS OF BYGONE DAYS Members of local Odd Fellows lodges in clean- * ing the attic of their home in South street, Pitts- field, Mass., recently, came across several edi- tions of the Connecticut Cowrant dated 1792. The pers are believed to be relics of the Pingee ily whose homestead has been converted into the Odd Fellows Home. The printing is legible and a number of rare news items are contained in the numerous pages. Included in the paper are advertisements by benefits to be derived m being inoculated against smallpox. _Crim- jnal records are also listen and_a number of proc- lamations signed’ by George Washington, Presi- dent of the United States; John Adams, Vice President, and Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of te - Statistics contained in one of the editions show that there were at the time 107,094 slaves in the State of South Carolina. : TAMING THE COYOTE We have in Minnesota, Dakota and Canada the coyote or prairie wolf, a cunning animal on which there is a Government bounty of from $3 to $5. the writer, who likes to experiment, often crosses these with a collie or shepherd dog.- When a litter is born they may all turn out like the wolf in disposition, and in this case these hybrids are of no use more than to keep caged as curios. On the other hand, if the whelps show a kind disposition, they can be reared and become as affectionate as dogs. There can also be one or more in the litter that will make good dogs or crosses, or even the whole lot. The writer has one pair at this writing, a male and female. The male, which is a large fellow, is as tame and, in fact, more affectionate than the collie itself, while his mate is kept in a cage and cannot be handled. The same can be said of the wolves. Often one or miore in the litter may show a kind ition while the others remain in their nat- state. Such are then separated from the others, and yards or on chains. Some years ago the writer sent one - of these et wolves to New York State, where he Was put harness on a sleigh with other dogs. _ He was very tame, and any child could lead him about.) Crosses from these make good watch , and can be depended on. ‘They are very h,*and if of solid color resemble the wolf. r as it may seem dogs with wolf blood are Rot cared for by other dogs, and are not mixers; while the wolf himself is given a wide berth by all, but if attacked by dogs he generally comes _ out ahead, for one snap at each fills the bill. on the east bank of Crooked Creek seven miles southwest of Meade. Fifty years ago next August a party of Gov- ernment surveyors, surveying Meade county ter- ritory, encamp@ under the branches of the tree, then some six inches in dianieter. The party consisted of Capt. Francis Oliver Short and his son and four other civil engineers. During the night Indians crept up on the camp of the surveyors arid wiped them out. They were buried a hundred yards southwest of the tree, but later their bodies were disinterred and removed to their homes in the East. Near the tree there is still visible the depression in the sod where the six men lay buried after the massacre. Ever since that tragic day weird tales are told of spectral manifestations in this particular sec- tion of Meade county. It is related that a party of landseekers a few. years after the surveying party had been murdered camped near the tree and were startled from sleep during the night by dismal cries and decla they beheld shad- owy forms lurking in the gloom and lost no time in making a hasty exit from that place. In the om of the night the leaves and branches of the lone tree are said to assume grotesque shapes and appear as though electri- fied, while tongues of flame flash incessantly. The lone tree is one of the old landmarks of Meade county, and is being carefully preserved, standing as a silent sentry over the~ hallowed y d where once echoed the savage warcry of the Indians in their vain attempt to push the white man from the plains. NEW ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN HAS BIG RANGE Enemy airplanes in the next war will do well to keep out of reach of Uncle Sam’s newest arm. The air is going to be untenable for borfbing sane ghee at os —— of 20,00 t or less. ombat and scou ines to keep out of will have to climb 30,000 feet. re “a The new anti-aircraft weapon was demon-- strated at Fort Totten, N..Y., when the 63d Coast Artillery held the first of a series of four anti-aircraft days. The weapon indicated to ord- nance who watched it rake the sky above the fort, that it will provide greater range and more destructive power than ever before obtained from this type of gun. : When five bombing planes from Mitchell Field participated in a sham attack on the fort four of these guns blazed away at the machines until they were beaten off, and those in charge of the demonstration said they were marks for Uncle pms latest defense. * e new weapon is a three-inch gun, with a shell three feet long and p Sekt recee op a one-foot Sarge te a post-war development. It can hurl fteen shots a minute more than 30,000 feet. An oa agg can be brought down easily at 6,00¢ yards. : The gun is on a mobile mount, but when in- stalled on battleships will be placed in a differ- ent manner. It is manned by 2 crew of ten, who can prepare it for firing in five minutes after their arrival in position.

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ITEMS OF INSECT SOUNDS Sean? BY “ELECTRIC Sounds made by small insects generally be- lieved to be absolutely mute may be heard by a microphone reported to have been completed re- cently by scientists of an Eastern electrical con- cern, according to Popular Mechanics. Sounds heretofore too faint to be caught by the human ear are said to be recorded by the decive, which registers the waves as they disturb a delicate- current passing between contacts in an insu- lated ring. Experts claim that the apparatus mig be of great advantage in the study of insect ife. THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TUNNEL The English Channel tunnel project is kept ‘alive by its promoters, although the British gov- ernment persists in refusing to grant the neces- sary authority, largely for national and ‘strategic reasons. The material to be encountered for the entire distance is very favorable, being a deep bed of chalk marl, or chalk infiltered with clay. That this material does not swell on exposure and is impervious is shown by the tria] heading built in 1880-1881 and extending about a mile under the sea. With the boring machine de- signed for this work, and used experimentally, a heading twelve feet in diameter can be driven at the rate of 120 feet per day, and two machines started at opposite ends should meet in less than three years. It is proposed to complete this pilot tunnel or heading and then its enlargement to full section could be started at various points, so that the time for the completion of the concrete- lined tunnel is estimated at 442 years. Instead of the usual mucking operations, the excavated material would be mixed with water to form a front and then pumped to the surface. With | apa pri®es the cost is estimated at $145,000,- ESKIMOS REINDEER WORTH MILLIONS Thirty years ago the Eskimos of Alaska had nothing, but now they control aenry $5,000,000 worth of stock and property, according to Wil- liam T. Lopp, superintendent of the Alaska di- vision of the United States Bureau of Educa- tion. He has been inspecting reindeer herds _ grazing in the plateau of Broad Pass, Alaska. » Because of the encroachment of privately owned herds of reindeer on the Seward peninsula and Point Barrow section of the territory, it is lanned eventually to remove the Eskimo herds to oad Pass, with Cantwell as the directing base. The first herd of 5,000 animals will be driven from the Seward paninsula to Iditarod next fall, allowed to recuperate, and started again in time to cross the big rivers before the break up. in spring. Ne eee “Particular care must be exercised,” said Mr. Opp, handling the reindeer fawns. On 2 ; d touches a fawn its rd : vr FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY Foe) lo ie INTEREST — wear gauntlet reinaeer-skin gloves and a rein- "7 until the herd rounds up for the night and they =: can be delivered to their mothers. i In bringing over the herds from the Point Barrow region it will be necessary to drive them to the Yukon River, there to load them on spe- cially constructed barges, on which they will be s a by the Alaska Railroad to Cant- well. = _ It is estimated there is a strip 100 miles square E in this vicinity suitable to reindeer grazing. ith rail transportation at hand, those interested in the industry predict that some day before long __ reindeer meat will be as common as mutton in the markets of the States. a LOOK, BOYS! The Acrobatic Wonder Toy - ALMOST HUMAN IN ITS 2 ACTIONS! ; gh _ It consists of a handsome parallel — iron frame on which the little yellow man accurately performs like an ath- | lete. = Five Different Stunts — THE FLYING TRAPEZE — Release the trigger-pin and the figure swings for- ward, gripping the brass trapeze-bar, turns a somersault in the air and catches : a cross-bar by his heels. att : THROUGH THE LOOP—A swift swing and : he goes- through a wire loop, makes a Edis turn and, catching by his heels, swings rE SR es fo i NG—He goes forward ~ witha rush, releases the RR aoa Gua a horizontal-bar with his heels, makes two swift somersaults in the air and catches by his heels again. arr = He performs two more .horizontal-bar acts with the grace and agility of a cir- | cus star, and many new ones can bel ine vented, : fi The Most Wonderful Toy in ~ the World! oe PRICE $1.50 The collapsible stand and the littie kin are neatly packed in a handsome Delivered anywhere in the United Stat. receipt of price. Ad Wi ite

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lt “QEE that coupon? Remember the day you urged me to send it to Scranton? Mary, that was a red letter day for us. “Mr. Carter called me in to-day, and said he had been watching my work ever since he had learned that I was studying with the - International Correspondence Schools. _ “Thén he asked me if I thought I could take -- ever George Stevens’ job. I told him I was sure that I could—that I had had that goal in ‘view ever since I began studying with the — ‘. “T start to-morrow, Mary, at an increase . ”» of $60 a month. JOW about you? Are you always going A. to work for a small salary? Are you ing to waste your natural ability all your ? Or are you going to get ahead in a big way? It all depends on what you do with spare time. Opportunity is here—this time in the form of that familiar I. C. S..coupon. It may seem ea little thing, but it has been the means bringing better jobs and bigger salariec to ousands of men and women. “You can have the position you want in the ork you like best, a salary that will give you d your family the home, the comforts, the luxuries ries you would like them to have, es — = i ; 5 - : “m Making Real Money Now!” No matter what your age, your occupation, your education, or your means—you can do it! All we ask is the chance to prove it. That’s fair, isn’t it?) Then mark and mail this cou-_ pon. There’s no obligation and not a penny of cost. It’s a little thing that takes but a moment, but it’s the most important thing you can do to-day, Do it now! INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS Box 4488-C, Penna. Without cost or obligation, please tell _me how I ean quality for the position or in the subject defore which I bave marked aa KX: BUSINESS TRAINING COURSES ment Salesmansh: , Advertising . Snow Card Lat Traffic Manacement how Card Lettering Business Law nography and Banking and Banking Law Business English A (including C.P,A.) Civil Service Nicholson Cost Accounting Bookkeeping Private Secretary Spanish O French Tilustrating (© Cartooning . TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL COURSES Electrical Engineering Architect Electric Lighting Mechanical Engineer Mechanical Draftsman Machine Shop Practica Blue Print Reading Contractor and Builder Architectural Draftsman Conerete Builder Railroad Positions Structural neer Gas Engine Operating Chemistry [5 Pharmacy Civil Engineer utomobils Work Surveying and Mapping Airplane Engines Metallurey Navigation Steam Engineering Agriculture end Poultry Radio Mathematics Name.......0<00-00 Street ‘ CIRY.......:nereceeererseseroneee i a ee I | eae TS en Ree aa Persons residing im Canada should send this coupon to the Inter i Correspondence Schools Canadian, Limited, “Montreal. ion

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b : 4 eR ee Follow this Man! Secret Service Operator 38 Is on the Job Follow him through all the excitement of his chase of the counterfeit gang. See how a crafty operator works. Telltale finger prints on the lamp stand>’ in the murdered girl’s room! The detective’s cigarette case is handled by the unsuspecting gangster, and a great mystery is solved. Better than fiction. It’s true, every word of it. No obligation. Just send the coupon. ~ i FRE The Confidential Reports No. 38 Made to His Chief And the best part of it all is this. It may open your eyes to the great a future for YOU as a highly paid Finger Print Expert. More men are needed right now. This school has taken men just like you and trained them for high official positions. This is the kind of work you would like. Days full of excitement. Big salaries. Rewards. Earn $2500 to $10000 a Year You study at home in spare time No’advance education is needed. Any man who can read and write, and think can make good. A won- derful book tells all about what others have done. - Sore ictures of real crimes _and the men who sol them. We'll send you a FREE copy with the “ts free reports. Get the special offer now being made. SUVECUUEEGUSUSSEEOEOLOUSSESONSECE SRST SSORSOGRERUSESDEECE OUEST FESO EE ES: UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE 1920 Sunnyside Ave., Dept. A-109 Chicago, Illinois Gentlemen:—Without any obligation whatever, send me~ your new, fully illustrated Free book on Finger Prints and your offer of a FREE course in Secret Service Intelligence and the Free Professional Finger Print he ail the coupon. Name..... sete eeeneeeeencarecsweses eececesevces sees eeeeeeee & __UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE AREMOB Sigevssegzeceawests veceser needs Se Bo ts 1920 Sunnyside Ave., Dept.A-109 Chicago, Dlinois a

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” THE COWRY The cowry or cowrie is a spe- cies of mollusk, some of which are very familiar as degorative ob- jects and as fur- nishing a medi- um of exchange with uncivilized peoples. The shell is more or less of an oval form, and is us- ually thick, ished and beauti- fully colored. The young shells are '" more typically z gsnaillike, but in +a "the adults the Z ‘ = ae » mn rocks and cor- large last whorl more or less con- ceals others and has its outer lip in toward the in- ner. The animal © has a broad head, end _ protrusible Proboscis, eyes as- Sociated with the long horns, and a broad feot pro- truded through the elongated The or skin fold which forms e shell, as in other mollusks, extends over the Whole or most of surface, and us conceals during life what Bives the dead Shells half their tharm. The cowry is a slug- fish creature, al reefs. A cow- found in the dive Islands ~ Was long used as Africa. In Siam Over 6,000 cow- —s requir- pol- slowly | OBACCO Habit Cured or No Pay .pipe, chewiagorsnuff | Complete trea’ poone } - | 4t cures. Nothing if i SUPERBA CO. iit 6 OLD MONEY WANTED s $2 to $500 EACH paid for hundreds of ela | eoins. Keep ALL = or odd money, it may Posted. We pa CLARKE COL $1000 Cash ‘an clear your skin of the above biemishes. — E.S.GIVENS, Ty) Chemical Bidg., Kansas City, Mo. TOBACCO, LIQUOR and MORPHINE Habits can be overcome with the aid of HILL’S CHLORIDE OF GOLD PREPARA-| TIONS. Liquor remedy can be given secret- ly. Particulars Free. OHIO CHEMICAL WORKS, Dept. 6, Westfield, N. Y. A PERFECT. LOOKING NOSE | : Can Easily Be Yours Trados Model No. : | 25 corrects now all ili shaped noses quickly, painlessly, = | permanently, and =} comfortably at: home, It ig the only = safe and guaran- :| teed patent device :| that will actually = give you a perfect i looking nose. Over = 37,000 satisfied = users. For years = recommended py physicians. 16 years of = experience in manufacturing Nose Shapers : is at your service. Model 25 junior for = children, Z Write for free booklet, which tells you 4 how to obtain a perfect looking nose. M. TRILETY, SPECIALIST neta sanane ste oe nr env ersnacsbsoee mud ated odnegn ote) s44t2 ibis 1 N01 LaNLaREME Dept. 2083 Binghamton. N. Y¥ When it comes to real music this harmonica band of ours has the pro- fessionals backed off the boards. We | Gott want any complicated notes to read—we don’t need any fancy stage | elacen to put this act across. One | man’s as good as another in this | show, so long as he blows a Hohner | Harmonica— The World’s Best There’s nothing like good music for enter- tainment and fun; and there’s nothing like a Hohner for good music. If you want to make a hit with the kids in your neighborhood, get busy and organize a harmonica band. Get a Hohner Harmonica today and play it tonight. 50¢ up at all dealers. Ask for the Free Instruction Book. If your dealer is out of copies, write M. Hohner, Inc., Dept. 156, New York City. OHNER ARMONICAS 3022 from 44 set hia ; Dativareg fren oe soorove. ceally Seve Sid to $25, MAY esasanes if, desired. Parents often sdvance first eposit. Noys can small payments. Tires mio! a Le } Useful and Enrerta | Big 3-Ft. "Felescope tn eve mameteen See people and objects.miles away, on land —— a re re Be ost ad -— 2 b farm, ns out over 3 feet ‘Jong; measures inches closed. PE ieee OFFER! e of a fortunate Seinatantorer wecan ag a abig barvain rhood; entertain FERRY | & CO., 630 Jackson Bivd., Dept. A246, Chicago, IL,

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY LATEST ISSUES — 932 Always Lucky; or, Winning on His Merits. $34 Out for a Corner: or, A Smart Chicago Boy. 935 The Winning Trick; or, How a Boy Made His Mark. 936 The Young Editor; or, Running a Country News- Tr. 937 A Bie Stroke: or, The Lad Who Made a Record. 9388 In the Copper Fields; or, The Mine That Made the Money. 3 939 From a Cent to Fortune; or, A Chicago Boy's Great . Scoop.~ A Start in Life; or, A Poor Boy’s Rise to Fame. A Wide-Awake Boy; or, Born With a Winning Streak. Capturing the Money; or, How Ben Bailey Made His Mark. Digging for Gold; or, The Luck of a Boy Miner. A Boy with Grit; or, Earning an Honest Living. Andy the Mill Boy; or, Rising to the Top. Fame Before the Footlights; or, The Boy Who Bossed the Theatre. 7 Lucky Lee the Office Boy; or, The Nerviest Lad in New York Sure to Get Rich; or, A Smart Young Messenger. Pushing It Through; or. The Fate of a. Lucky Day. A Born Speculator; or, The Young Sphinx of Wall Street. g The Way to Success; or, The Boy Who Got. There. Struck Ol: or. The Bov Who Made a Million. A Golden Risk: or, The Young Miners of Della Cruz. 54 A Sure Winner; or, The Boy Who Went Out With a Circus. For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any ad- dress on receipt of price, 7c. per copy, in money or pos- tage stamps- THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS PRICE 8 CENTS 955 Golden Fleece; or, The Boy Brokers of Wall Street. 056 A Mad Cap Scheme; or, ‘The Boy Treasure Hunters ‘of Cocos Isiand. 957 Adrift On the World; or, Working His Way to For- tune. Playing to Win; or, The Foxiest Boy in Wall Street Tatters; or, a Boy From the Siums. A tae | Monte sto; or, The Richest Boy in the World. Won by Pluck; or, The Boys Who Ran a Railroad. “62 “ Beating the Brokers; or, The Boy Who Couldn’t : Be Done. A Rolling Stone; or, The Brightest Boy on Record. q Never Say Die; or, The Young Surveyor of Happy Ney. Lng The Greatest Boy in Wall Boss of the Market; or, Street. The ag peed His Life; or, The Young Pilot of Crytal Lake. . Striving for Fortune; or, From Bell-Boy to Million- aire. Out for Business; or, The Smartest Boy in Town. A Favorite of Fortune; or, Striking It Rich in Wall Street. Through Thick and Thin; or, The Adventures of a Smart += 971 Doing His vel Best; or, Working His Way iS 972 Always on Deck; or, The Boy Who Made Mark. 973° A Mint of Money; or, The Young Wall Street Broker. : 974 The Ladder of Fame; or, From Office Boy to Senator. 975 On the Square; or, The Success of an Honest Boy. HARRY K. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc., 166 West 23d Street New York City Price 35 Cents Per Copy “ae 4 book tains all the most reeent nges : a of construction and submission bed OUR ‘TEN-CENT HAND BOOKS — Useful, Instructive, and Amusing. They contain Valuable Information on Almost. Every Subject. No. 37. HOW TO KEEP HOUSE.—it contains info! tion for everybody, boys, girls, men and women; teach you how to make almost ever. around house, such as parlor ornaments, bi @ Aeolian harps, and bird lime for catching i a No. 38. HOW TO BECOME YOUR @ TOR,— A wonderful book, containing useful 7" practical in- formation in the treatment of ordinary and ail- iments common to every family. Abounding in : and effective recipes for general complaints. No. 40. HOW TO MAKE AND SET TRAPS.—Includ- ing hints on how to catch moles, weasels, otter, rats, squirrels and birds. Also bow to cure skins. Copiously illustrated. No. 41. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK END MEN’S JOKE BOOK. —Containiag a great variety of the latest jokes used by the most famous end men. No amateur minstrel is complete without this wonderful little book. No. 42. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK STUMP SPEAKER.—Containing @ varied assortment of stump Speeches, Negro, Dutch—-and Irish. Also end men’s Jake. Just the thing for home amusement and amateur shows, No. 45. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK MINSTREL GUIDE AND JOKE BOOK.—Something new and very instructive. Every boy should obtain this book, as it contains full instructions for organizing amateur min- — strel, troupes. No. 52. HOW TO PLAY CARDS.—Giving the rules and full directions for playing Euchre, Cribbage, Casino, Forty-Five, Rounce, Pedro Sancho, Draw Poker, Aue- tion Piteb, All Fours, and many other popular games of ecards. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS.—A wonderfal No, 53. little book, telling you how to write to your sweetheart, your father, mother, sister, brother, employer: and, in - fact, everybody and anybody you wish to write to. No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETS.— Giving complete information as to the manner and method of raising, keeping, taming, breeding, and man- aging all kinds of pets; also giving full instructions for making cages, etc. Fully explained by twenty-eight illustrations. No. 55. HOW TO COLLECT STAMPS AND coIns— Lyahaiiios varenine aptexmasions rowaring Bs collect- ng and arranging of stamps and coins. andsomely illustrated. : No. 57. HOW TO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRU —Full directions how to make a Banjo, Violin, Aeolian Harp, Xylophone and other musical’ instru- ments; together with a brief description of nearly every musical instrument used in ancient or modern twenty years bandmaster of the Royal _No. 58. HOW TO BECOME A DET IVE.—By Old King Brady, the world-known detective. In which he lays down some valuable and sensible rules for and also relates some adventures and experiences - well-known detectives. } ngal Marines. Containing useful information regarding the Camera and how to work it; also how to make Photographic | Magic Lantern Slides and other Transparencies. Hand- somely illustrated. No. 4. HOW TO MAKE ELECTRICAL MACHINES. Containing full directions for making electrical ma- chines, inductions coils, dynamos, and many novel to be worked by electricity. By R. A. R. Bennett. hy illustrated ; 7; No. 65. MULDOON’sS JOKES.—The most original £ book ever published, and it is brimful of wit humorist, and practical joker of the day. 0. 67 W TO DO EL ay. : N HO ECTRICAL TRI z : taining a large collection of instructive and ghi amusing electrical tricks, together with fllu i By A. Anderson. No. 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.—Con- taining over one hundred highly amusing and al tive tricks with chemicals. By A. Anderson. ; somely illustrated. awe For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any of copy, address on , 10¢. per in money or stamps, by HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher, Inc. — 166 West 23d Street . = New York | >F Profusely illustrated. By Algernon S. Fitzgerald, for — No. 60. HOW TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER— _ Le humor. It contains a large collection of song: cnet conundrums, etc., of Terrence Muldoon, the rE 4 7 = = i 7 — at

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