Pluck And Luck (no. 205) (1902 05 07)
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4 ON PANE TIE TICES OE ADVENTURTE: Issued HeeklyBy Subscription $2.50 per year. fntered ax Second Clauss Matter at the New York Post. Office, November %, 1898, by Frank Tousey. No, 205. NEW YORK, MAY 7. 1902. Price 5 Cents. “What do you see, Jim?” called Ben Bluff. “Nothing at all, sor,” answered Brophy, waving the two lanterns back and forth. There came a sudden flash of lightning, and in his fright he let one of the lanterns fall.
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These Books Tell You Everythin ‘A-COMPLETE SET IS A REGULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA] =— 2 Bach book consists of sixty-four pages, printed on good paper, in clear type and neatly bound in an attractive, illustrated cover. Most of the books are also profusely illustrated, and all of the subjects treated upon are explained in such a simple manner that any _ child can thoroughly understand them. Look over the list as classified and see if you want to know anything about the subjects mentioned, THESE BOOKS ARE FOR SALE BY ALL NEWSDEALERS OR WILL BE SENT BY MAIL TO ANY ADDRESS. ¥ROM THIS OFFICE ON RECHIPT OF PRICE, TEN CENTS EACH, OR ANY THREE BOOKS FOR TWENTY-FIVD CENTS. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THD SAME AS MONEY. Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, N. Y. SPORTING. No. 21. HOW. TO HUNT AND FISH.—The most complete hunting and fishing guide ever published. It contains full in- atructions about guns, hunting dogs, traps, trapping and fishing, together with descriptions of game and fish. _ No. 26. HOW TO ROW, SAIL AND BUILD A BOAT.—Fully illustrated. Every boy should know how to row and sail a boat. Pull instructions are given in this little book, together with in- atructions on swimming and riding, companion sports to boating. No. 47. HOW TO BREAK, RIDE, AND DRIVE A HORSH.— A complete treatise on the horse. Describing the most useful horses for business, the best horses for the road; also valuable recipes for ‘diseases peculiar to the horse. No. 48. HOW TO BUILD AND SAIL CANOES.—A handy boek for boys, containing full directions for constructing canoes and the most popular manner of sailing them. Frily illustrated. By C. Stansfield Hicks. ” ; FORTUNE TELLING. No. 1. NAPOLEON’S ORACULUM AND DREAM BOOK.— Containing the great oracle of human destiny ;:algyo the true mean- ing of almost any Kind of dreams, together with charms, ceremonies, and curious games of cards. A complete book. No. 28. HOW TO EXPLAIN DRHAMS.—Everybody dreams, from the little child to the aged man and woman. ‘This little book gives the explanation to all kinds of dreams, together with lucky. ud unlucky days, and ‘Napoleon’s Oraculum;” the book of fate. No. 28. HOw TO TELL FORTUNDS.—Everyone is desirous of knowing what his future life will bring forth, whether happiness or misery, wealth or poverty. You can tell by a glance at this little book. Buy - cae be ih ecenat Tell your own fortune. Tell the fortune of your friends. ; No. 76. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY THE HAND.— Containing rules for telling fortunes ‘by the aid of the lines of the tand. or the secret of. palmistry. Also the secret df telling future svernts by aid of moles, marks, scars, ete. Illustrated. By A. Anderson. ATHLETIC. No. 6 HOW TO BECOME AN ATHLETE.—Giving full ing wtraction for the use- of dumb bells, Indian clubs, parallel bars, horizontal bars and various other methods of developing a good, inealthy muscle; containing over sixty illustrations. Every boy can become strong and healthy by following the instructions contained tn this little book. No. 10. HOW TO BOX.—The art of self-defense made easy, Containing over thirty illustrations of guards, blows, and the differ- ent positions of a good boxer. Every boy should obtain one of ' »these useful and instructive books, as it will teach you how to. box ithout an instructor. ay 3, 3 No. 25. HOW TO BECOME A GYMNAST.—Containing full instructions for all kinds of gymnastic sports and athletic exercises, Hmbracing thirty-five illustrations. By Professor W. Macdonald, A handy and useful book, pay : pane No. 84. HOW TO FENCE.—Containing full instruction for fencing and the use ofthe broadsword; also instruction in archery. Described with twenty-one practical illustrations, giving the best positions in fencing. A complete book. No. 61. HOW TO BECOMB A BOWLER.—A complete manual of bowling. ard iter ee and German games; together with rules and systems pf sporting in use by the principal bowling clubs in the United _ States. By Bartholomew Batterson. TR.CKS WITH CARDS. es No. 51. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Containing explanations of the general principles of sleight-of-hand applicable to card tricks; of card tricks with ordinary cards, and not requiring sleight-of-hand; of tricks involving sleight-of-hand, or the use of specially prepared cards.. By Professor Haffner. With illustra- tions. i No. 72. HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Em- bracing all of the latest and most deceptive card tricks, with il- fustrations. By A. Anderson. : np. 71. HOW TO DO FORTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.— ©ontaining deceptive Card Tricks as performed by leading conjurers and magicians. Arranged for home amusement, Fully illustrated. AR ea Na as iy 9s ‘ * r , Containing full instructions for playing all the stand- |- (Continued on page 3 of cover.) MAGIC. se No. 2. HOW TO DO TRICKS.—The great book of magic andi ' card tricks, containing full instruction of all the leading card tricks of the day, also the most popular magical illusions as pertormed by our leading magicians ; every boy should obtain a copy of this book as it will both amuse and instruct. : 2 No, 22. HOW TO DO SECOND SIGHT.—Heller’s second sight ‘ explained by his former assistant, Fred Hunt, Jr. Explaining how — the secret dialogues were carried on between the magician and the boy on the stage; also giving all the codes and signals. The only authentic explanation of second sight. : No, 43. LOW TO BECOME A .MAGICIAN.—Containing the — grandest assartment of magical illusions ever placed before the public. Also tricks with cards, incantations, ete. No. 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.—Containing over one hundred highly amusing and instructive tricks with chemicals By_A. Anderson. Handsomely illustrated. No. 69. HOW TO DO SLEIGHT OF HAND.—Containing over 5 fifty of the latest and best tricks used by magicians. Also contain é ing the secret of second sight. Fully illustrated, By A. Anderson _No. 70. HOW TO MAKH MAGIC TOYS.—Containing fuli directions for making Magic Toys and devices of many kinds. By A. Andersbn. Fully illustrated. - No. 73. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH NUMBERS.—Showing many curious tricks with figures and the magic of numbers. By A Anderson, Fully illustrated. . No. 75. HOW TO BECOME A_ CONJURER.—Containing tricks with Dominoes, Dice, ae aad Balls, Hats, ete. HWmbracing J nderson. rus thirty-six illustrations. By A. a No. 78. HOW TO DO THE BLACK ART.—Containing a com if plete description of the mysteries of Magic and Sleight of Hand. together ‘vith many wonderful experiments. By A. Anderson Iilustrated. 3 : MECHANICAL. RE No. 29. HOW TO BECOME AN INVYENTOR.—Byery boy should know how inyentions originated. This book explains then all, giving examples in electricity, hydraulics, magnetism, optics ~~ Pes mechanics, ete. etc. The most instructive book pub 4 ished, 4 _ No. 56. HOW TO BECOME AN ENGINEER.—Containing fulr : instructions how to proceed in order to become a locomotive en gineer; also directions for building a model locomotive; together __ with a full description of everything an engineer should know. th _No. 57. HOW TO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.—Fuli directions how to make a Banjo, Violin, Zither, Aeolian Harp, Xylo phone and other rhusical instruments; together with a brief de ; scription of nearly every musical instrument used in ancient or & modern times. Profusely illustrated. By Algernon S. Fitzgerald ; for twenty years bandmaster of the Royal Bengal Marines. No. 59. HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC LANTERN.—Containing — a description of the lantern, together with its history and invention, Also full directions for its use and for painting slides. Handsomely illustrated, by John Allen. Sr No. 71. HOW TO DO MECHANICAL TRICKS.—Containing complete instructions for performing over sixty Mechanical Tricks By A, Anderson. Fully illustrated. LETTER WRITING. : te No. 11. HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LETTERS.—A most com plete little book, containing full directions for writing love-letters, raise Ni ae to use them; also giving specimen letters for both young and old. No. 12. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO LADIES.—Giving complete instructions for writing letters to ladies on all subjects - also letters of introduction, notes and requests. yy is! No. 24. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO GENTLEMEN. Containing full directions for writing to gentlemen on all subjects ; also giving sample letters for instruction. ¥ ‘No. 58. HOW TO WRITH LETTERS.—A wonderful little book, telling you how to write to your sweetheart, your father, mother, sister, brother, employer; and, in fact, everybody and any — body you wish to write to.» Every young man and every young lady in the land should have this book. No. 74. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS CORRECTLY.—Con taining full instructions for writing letters on almost any subject ; pees rules for punctuation ard composition; together with specimen letters. ; ae La a 2 if; $ [RAP s)
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PLUCK AND LUCK. Complete Stories of Adventure. Fssued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter at the New York, N. Y., Post Office, November 7, 1898. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1902, in the office of 4: e Lib rarian of Congress, Washington, D. C., No. 205. CHAPTER If. BEN BLUFF AND ‘HIS SHIP ON SHORE Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong! It was eight bells, and as the last stroke sounded, sharp and clear, a gr uff voice was heard exclaiming: “Bight bells! Now, then, where’s the ‘eaten? there, you lubbers, or somebody’ll be put in irons!” ‘The scene was not the deck of some trim ship, as one would naturally suppose, but the sitting-room of a neat cottage on the New England coast, whose front windows looked out upon a snug harbor, where, among other craft, a trim yacht lay at anchor. Ben Bluff was the owner of the cottage and also of the yacht, ' a goodly sum in the bank, and a strip of land behind the house. He did not call it ‘a cottage, however, for that would not have been nautical enough to Bays a grizzled old sea dog like Ben Bluff. The house was his ship, and everything about it was ship- shape, from the figurehead over the door to the rudder post at the back gate, and he was mightily offended if any but nau- tical terms were used in his presence. The windows were ports, and they were always battened -. down in time of storms, the table was lashed to the floor to prevent its sliding about, the glassware and crockery rested in racks to keep from fetching away, and, in short, everything was the.same as though the cottage were afloat on the ocean. _ All the beds were built against the walls, like a ship’s bunks, _ the kitchen was the galley and the parlor was the cabin. The _ floors were decks and the stairs were companions, the cellar was the hold, and the roof the hurricane deck; cand so it went all about the house. . The servants were divided ce watches and were obliged to serve their regular four hours, on and off, just as if they had been at sea, and for any breach of discipline, any sleeping during the watch on deck, the skipper of this stationary ship always meted out a severe punishment.) Ben Bluff was as peculiar in appearance as he 1 was in his manner, and, once seen, he could never be forgotten. i He had lost the lower half of his right leg, having left it in the jaws of a monster shark in the South Seas, replacing it _ with one of oak, while his left arm was only a stump, the greater part of it having been shot away during an encounter with Malay pirates, the sleeve of his coat being doubled over upon his. shoulder, for wooden arms were useless, and cork senlee too expensive to suit Ben Bluff. - These curtailments of these most useful members gave Ben Bluff rather a one-sided, or rather lopsided, look, for his good leg had a tendency to swerve him to the left, while his whole arm would naturally steer him to. the right, so that in the end he never went in a straight line in reaching anything, ‘put arrived at his destination by a series of tacks, first to port, ; Ea then to starboard. | His way, his looks and his walk were tiienetore:gednilat to himself, and no one in the town where he lived could take an oath that they had ever seen dust such another as oe Ben Turn up 4 + i by Frank Tousey, 24 Union Square, New Yor NEW YORK, MAY 7, 1902. Price 5 Cents. _ his yacht, and in her he would make voyages of greater or less length, up and down the coast, and sometimes well out to sea, his usual companions being his two nephews, bright fellows of seventeen and eigliteen, with an extra man or so by way ofa erew, the negro cook, and sometimes the Irish maid-of-all- work as steward. The yacht was a thoroughly sea-worthy craft, for Ben Bluff would have sailed in no other, and was perfectly capable of going-around the world if her skipper had so desired, being ninety feet long, high and dry forward and well shaped aft, | with everything, alow and aloft, that could induce to one’s comfort and safety. As eight bells struck on this bright June morning, Ben Bluff sidled into the sitting-room from his own cabin at one side, and, in stentorian tones, demanded to know why the watch did not turn out. d A weather-beaten tar, not quite so old as Ben Bluff, and having all his limbs, entered the front door, touched ss cap and said: r “Hight bells is struck, sir, but I don’t see no sign of the watch.” hi “Whose turn is it on deck, 'Mr. Wattles?” growled Ben Bluff. “Your two nevvies, sir; but they’re cruising around town and haven’t come aboard.” “Where’s that black swabb, Joe, Mr. Wattles? It’s his watch on deck, isn’t it?” Th “Yas’r, an’ here I is; sah,” said a voice at the front gate,and a very black and extremely fat negro walked up the trim gravel walk a moment later, af “Where’s your manners, you lubber?” roared Ben Bluff, tak-. . ing the starboard tack and rushing at the negro. “Salute your — captain, you black rascal, or I’ll order you put in irons!” se “Yas’r, suttinly, sah; blessed ef I didn’t clean fo’git it,” andi, Black Joe touched his hat in true man-of-war style and stood on one side. i “It’s your business not to forget it, you lubberly son of Cage yt laying pin!” roared the skipper. “Now, then, Mr. Wattles, - [fie all hands.” The thate blew a shrill blast on a whistle or pipe, which ‘he: carried on the end of a cord around his neck, and then stood | near the gate opposite the skipper. ; : In a moment two men dressed as sailors ohihe mney around the side of the house from the garden, and ranged — themselves alongside the mate between that functionary and | the negro. 3 “Aye, aye, sir, we're coming!” cried: a merry voice from the road, and then, with a bound that cleared the fence, the skip- per’s two nephews, Jack and Dick HOES, entered the yard and took their places on the line. “What do you mean by coming on deck in that fashion, you young mutineers?” bellowed Ben Bluff.. “You’ll come in at the gangway the next time, or lose your’ ie tae on Beets for wg week.” SeeMann Fe “ Aye, aye, sit; we'll do better next time, sir,” said Dick Port, > the younger ‘of the two is eae with a pine ies ah in his brown eyes. Ke th He was a born ‘dolex jeud could Dick out the fun in a siti ation as readily as a. cat can see a mouse in
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° 2 LOST ON. THE OCHAN. He was the only one in the assemblage that did not treat Ben Bluff’s eccentricities in a serious light; ‘all the rest, even to Joe, wearing the most solemn looks. The two sailors who stood alongside the mate were nearly as comical in appearance as Ben Bluff himself, one being a short, fat, red-headed, cross-eyed, bow-legged Irishman, and * the other a lean, lank, sandy-haired, knock-kneed German, the two being as illy assorted a pair as would be a sail needle and a marlin spike. Ben Bluff stood in the walk, after having saae a tack to port, glanced along tlfe line, and said: “Ther’s a hand missing. Mr. Wattles, it’s one of your watch. What does this mean?” “It’s the cook, sir, ” replied the miaté, just now.” “Don't make no difference,” stormed Ben Bluff. *All hands means all hands, and not all hands except the cook.” “Then what makes people say ‘all hands and the cook,’ Un- cle Ben?” asked Dick Port. “You never heard me say it, you sea dandy,” Bluff. “Mr. Wattles?” Wes Sir.” “Send some one for that mutinous cook.” “Aye, aye, sir. Joe, go fetch the cook.” “Golly, I reckon she be pretty mad,” said the negro, while a grin overspread his dusky countenance. Away he went, however, and in a few moments he returned, dragging an Irish woman by the arm, the latter protesting and cuffing him soundly with her free hand. “Dere ain’t no use ob you makin’ a fuss, cook,” said Joe. “Tt am: de cap’in’s orders, an’ I gotter “bey them, ev’ry time.” “Cook,” said Ben Bluff, sternly, “take your place by the star- ‘board rail. What do you mean by disobeying orders?” “Sure, captain dear, the dinner will be spoiled intirely av yez take me away from me range at this time,” ee the woman, very red in the face. “Salute your captain, you raw recruit, or you'll get in irons,” roared the strict disciplinarian. “Begob! it’s a shame to take me away, just whin I’m broil- in’ the mackerel,” muttered the cook, saluting, “but av it’s burned up it’ll be no fault av mine, remimber that.” “Mr. Wattles,” sear pie Ben Bluff. é “Aye, aye, sir.’ “All hands below, and come in to dinner.” “All hands below!” cried out the red-faced mate, and the Ship's company dismissed itself. - *Troth, it’s all humbug, so it is,” muttered Honora, the cook, as she returned:to the kitchen. “The masther is goin’ crazy ' wid his thryin’ to turn the cottage into q ship, and’ making us all turn out ivery four hours, night and day, rain or shine. Tl not do it meself, and if it, wasn’t for the good wages and it - bein’ hard to git a’ place’ ivery day in ‘the ‘week, I wouldn’t , stay wid him. Wait till he gits married, though, and we'll see . if his wife will stand all his whims. I’m thinking there'll be mutiny the first thing.” “Reckon she’s on duty retorted Ben . - CHAPTER I. a 4 MUTINY AND HOW IT WAS QUELLED. . 2 : “T ‘say, Unele Ben,” said Dick Port, as they sat down to din- ner, the company being the two brothers, Ben Bluff, and Mr. Wattles, with Joe to wait upon them, “theré’s no reason why we shouldn’ t sail out of here to- “morrow or to-day, in fact.” i : don’t see any use rapt oaie added Jack... all summer before us, and we cate Neve as much fun in a lot >| make longer voyages, across the ocean, if necessary. ‘Ben Bluff alarm, for he had heard something of the same sort seaport, Jack had given a of his time to his _ “We've got = of short cruises as in one long one.’ “Oh, yes; I understand you well enough, Jack,” laughed | Dick, taking a bit of white, nicely broiled fish upon his fork, “You want to stay and flirt with those city girls, the Misses Waters; that’s why you prefer to stay on shore.” “Well, what’s the harm?” replied Jack, with a blush. might take them with us on a short eruise.” “Well, we ain’t going on a short cruise,” interposed Ben Bluff, “and we don’t want no petticoats aboard. Honora will do, of course, for she’s one of the crew.” - “It’s too bad to leave the girls behind, isn’t it, Jack?” said Dick, with a grin; “particularly as Bob Clifford is going to be » with ‘em. He’ll make it interesting, I don’t——” “Deuce take Bob Clifford,” muttered Jack Port, angrily. like to break——-” “Avast there, messmates!” roared Ben Bluff. “We don’t allow no cuss words on this craft, especially in the cabin. It ain’t good luck. ‘Never mind Bob Clifford, or the gals, nuther. They ain’t a-going on the cruise, and we’ll Set early in the a morning, Mr. Wattles.” “Yes, cap’n?”: “The stores is om board the Sprite?” “Yes, sir.” “And the clearance papers made out?” “All correct, sir.” “And everything ready?” “Hverything, sir.” “Nothing to prevent going out with the afternoon tide?” “No, sir.” : ; Fahy “Very well. Stand by to take orders at any moment, Mr. Wattles. I ain’t going to have no névvy of mine run away with “We Fe ld no petticoat, I ain’t, and I’ll keep him clear o’ them reefs,” with» strong emphasis, “if I have to cross the ocean:to do it.” ‘ Jack and Dick were sons of Ben Bluff’s sister, who had died ~ when the boys were mere babies, leaving them in charge of her brother, whom she implored to watch over them. Their father had died when Jack was fourteen and Dick a year younger, and since that time Ben Bluff had attended to _ their bringing up, paying liberally for their education, and at the same time endeavoring to make fine, manly fellows of them. y The old sea dog had alee loved his sister’ devotedly, but she was the only woman in his own station with whom he had any patience, and against the rest of the sex he was almost bitter. He had had a Hite affair of his own pefore the time’ that — his sister had married; but after putting all his. trust in one woman, giving all his love and confidence, and in the ‘end having her coldly reject him for a wealthier man almost upon the eve of his marriage, he had sworn an enmity against all women, his sister alone excepted. BaD ae Every summer, since having had entire charge of ee boys, : 4 he had taken them upon short cruises in:a small yacht he owned, but, during the winter that had lately passed, he had — purchased and fitted up the Sprite, which would enable him to He had not at first felt any apprehension on the score — of either of the boys marrying, but Jack was now past nineteoh and a favorite among the ladies, and it was about time that he was put at something which would leave him no hace t devote to the opposite sex. s Dick’s jesting remarks concerning the Misses Waters gay before, and remembered that since their hes val in the little 4 uncle anes re to the village. bs ‘Ben Bluff was PESTS in not. a sapiens to marry i Jt
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LOST ON THE OCEAN. meth ial Mies 1a deceived as he had been, and he thought that every ‘woman | ously, at which Jack uttered an angry exclamation and went who saw them would have an eye to the money they would be down to his cabin to see if he had everything he wanted. sure to inherit from their eccentric old uncle, caring nothing» for the young fellows themselves. He had, therefore, determined to sail at once, and not post- pone their departure a single day, for fear that one of his be- loved nephews might be lured away in spite of all his well laid plans, They had expected to sail the next day, and it therefore did not make any material difference, everything on board the Sprite being in readiness, and nothing to do but call all hands, go on board, weigh anchor, and go out with the tide, After the officers and the starboard watch had eaten dinner, | the others were served, the cook eating with the rest, although it was greatly against her dignity that she consented to set at the same table with Joe the black, and only did so because Ben Bluff threatened to put her in irons if she did not. After dinner Jack and. Dick went aboard the Sprite, by order | of the captain, while the latter, the mate: after their departure, said to “Better make ready to get away on the first of the ebb, Mr. | Wattles. The men don’t need no getting ready, and the boys, don’t want more’n half an hour, I reckon.” “Weather looks kind o’ squally, cap’n,” said Mr. Wattles, “and we'll be going out in the face of a storm, I’m afeared. | There ain’t no special hurry, is there?” The skipper swung his good leg to port, gav4 his arm stump ' a shake so as to throw it up into the wind, came about, faced | the mate, and with a coe = black as a thundercloud, Hoare out: ; “If I say go out in a gale of. wind, it don’t mean to drop an- chor, does it, Mr. Wattles?” “No, sir; I reckon not.” _ : “And so do I reckon not, Mr. Wattles,” growled the skipper. “My orders is to ggt out oe arternoon, and that don’t mean to-morrer morning.” “Aye, aye, sir; no more it don’t,» muttered the mate, while the skipper stumped across the room and back, came to anchor near the table, and said: “When is the fust of the ebb, Mr. Wattles?” . “A little ‘arter four, sir—say six minutes.” “Then we leave here a little afore four—say seven inbhates: 34 grumbled Ben’ Bluff, “so’s to get well out o’ the bay ‘the time the ebb sets the strongest. Them’s your orders, Mp. Wattles, and I want you to see ’em carried out.” Then the skipper stumped out into'the garden, where Jim Brophy, the red-headed Irishman, iki sitting on a bench smoking a short pipe. “Your watch below, Jim?” he grunted. } “Tt is, sor,” returned the sailor, without removing his pipe from his mouth. _ “Strike two bells,” muttered Ben Bluff, looking at a big sil- ver watch he carried in his fob. Jim arose, walked leisurely forwara and struck the bell twice. “Be on board the Sprite at six bells, Jim, you and the Dutch- man. Your dunnage is on board?’ “Tt is, sor.” ; “All right,” and the skipper stumped back to the Hons: “Go aboard, Mr. Wattles,” he growled, “and see that every- thing is all right. I’ll be aboard myself by seven bells.” “Aye, aye, sir,” muttered the mate, as he took his glazed hat from a peg and left the house. The boys were somewhat surprised when the mate catic _ aboard, to learn that the Sprite was to sail that afternoon, : and Jack seemed somewhat chagrined.\ \ “T had promised to take the Waters girls out sailing this afternoon,” he muttered to Dick. “It’s too. provoking. as : cree they can _ get orpedits cavemereg) Di k, Seed f =h At three o’clock al] hands were aboard except the skipper and black Joe, and preparations for departure were going on all around. » At a few minutes before seven bells the captain came harioe: looked all around and said: | ~All ready, Mr. Wattles?” “All except Joe, sir.” The skipper was about to make use of some strong language when Joe was seen hurrying along the little wharf, evidently | in a state of great excitement. He came quickly aboard and said hurriedly: “Cap'n, sah, dat Irish woman up to de ho’se done mutinied. She say, she won’t come abo’ da till mo’nin’, an’ dat if. yo’ wan’ her yo’ gotter come fetch her. Wha’ yo’ do, SA n? Sail wifout yo’ stewart?” “Sail without her, you lubber?” thundered Ben Bluff, swing- ing his wooden leg around and catching Joe in the shin. “Not a bit of it. Mr. Wattles!” —. J “Aye,” cried the mate. ; “Send two men ashore and have that Irish woman brought on board, dead or alive.” “T'll go,” laughed Dick, springing forward, for he antici- pated some fun in the approaching adventure. “Come on, Dutch.” * Dick and Yacob Snitz were soon at the house, for it was only a walk of a few minutes, and there they found Honora sitting on the front a Joe having locked all the doors’ and win- dows. “Honora,” Hats Dick, aboard.” “Indeed, and I'll not doit. There’s a storm coming up. I’m sailor enough to see that.” “But he says we are to fetch you, dead or alive.” “The triangular ould heathen! * cried the woman. and tell him I’m not going.” 1 “the skipper says you must come ¢ “Go back wheelbarrow?” “Ya; I see me dot,” anawered the phlegmatie German. “Bring it here and help me get Honora in it. You heard “Ya; I tink so,” answered Yacob, bringing the wheelbarrow. Between them and despite her strugggles, Dick and Yacob put Honora into the barrow, and while Dick held her in, Yacob wheeled her out of the gate. “Well, I said I wouldn’t go,” muttered the cook, after vainly. trying to get away from Dick, “and neither have I; things, me bye.” “Tf we wasn’t just going ‘out, I’d put you in irons, you muti- ' nous lubber,” muttered the skipper, as the refractory cook was brought on board; “but you’ll get it, my hearty. All hands stand by. Get her out as soon as you can, Mr. Wattles. | It only bi era a, minute or two of our time!” bee i CHAPTER III. “THE VOYAGE BEGUN UNDER PECULIAR AUSPICES / The Sprite sailed out of the harbor with a good breeze, but re Wim and the tidy little erat skimmed over the waves ike a bird. ' “Oh, no; we must obey orders. Yacob, do you see tat for go- — |ing wid yer osvn free w Ht and being taken is two eh : our orders, didn’t you? We want to bring her, dead or alive.” — " In the pantry Hondra ‘began the preparations for ‘ainner, pe grumbling to herself, and making dt. uncomfortable fe Joe Kwieperen. he Bong k in. f ; = eit) Ste Sy j
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4 LOST ON. THE OCEAN, eet “Sure, it wor a wild scheme for the skipper to take me along the waves rose higher, and in a few minutes nothing could be she muttered, “whin no wan knows ; how long it may last. What’s the use av a stewardess on poord whin there are no ladies?. Troth! it’s all well enough at home in the cottage he do cal] his ship, but this is the real thing, and I don’t like it, and av the walkin’ wasn’t so bad I'd turn about now and go home, so I would.” : After leaving the bay and the town, the Sprite kept on down the coast, which tended tc the south and east, there being another and larger town about ten miles to the south, whither _ boating parties often went, as there was a large hotel near the shore where many fashionable people stayed during the sum- mer, and this was, of course, an attraction for the people of the smaller towns. \ _ The Sprite had arrived nearly abreast of the hotel, keeping well out from shore, however, when Mr. Wattles, who was on deck, hurried into the cabin and said: “There’s a squall coming up, sir, and a nasty one at that. Will you keep on or make a harbor?” “Keep on, of course,” growled Ben Bluff, waving the stump of his left arm at the mate. “The Sprite can stand any sort 0” breeze that blows around these parts.” The mate went on deck with a grunt of disapproval, and as he started forward a cry from one of the men attracted his at- tention. “Begorry, that feller’ll go over as sure as guns.” “What's that?” asked the mate, “That feller out there in the sailboat, sir,” answered Jim. “Faix, be the lucks av him he’s clean lost his head, and if he’s not careful he’ll be upset in a minute.” ‘Hven as the man spoke the wind freshened visibly, white ' caps began to appear out at sea, and in the east a small cloud now arose which increased in size every instant. A squall was certainly coming up, but Ben Bluff had said he would keep on, and there was no use trying to prevent him now. The attention of all hands was now called to the man in the sailboat, now not far distant. He seemed to have lost control of his craft or else to be ig- norant of the proper way to handle her, for instead of drawing ‘nearer to shore, he was constantly getting further away, the - boat not being sich as to stand much of a blow. Suddenly there was a cry from. Jack Port, dnd the boat was geen to go over, the sail resting on the water. ./ *Run down and pick her up, Mr. Wattles,” eried the young ca some “I’m afraid there are ladies on board.” _ The storm was rapidly approaching, and ity was necessary tb do something at ‘once. i _ Without consulting the skipper the mate ran he once for the capsized boat, now fully three miles from shore, Jack and Dick standing well up forward ready to throw the line. _. As they came nearer they could sée three figures upon the half exposed bottom of the boat, the sail both preventing her from overturning compjetely and from righting herself. ‘Two of the party were ladies, the third being a young man of about twenty-five. “Luff a bit!” cried Jack. “Up a little more. Let her shake; that’s it. Ahoy there! Can you catch a line?” The ladies were clinging desperately to the gunwale of the ne ‘poat, and seemed catbicaieie to feladse their hold, the man call- ing out: f wid him on this cruise,” ie fe, "fine sailor, he is.” AN “Stand by to make a line fast!” cHbataok: seizing one end of a coil of rope and securing it around his body as the Sprite hovered within a ‘fathom or two of the sailboat. — the gale, whi¢h blew as though all, the portals of the pea’ : “You'll have to ina us a Boat. or else run alongside. The, ladies dare not let go.” ime “Dhat’s Bob Clifford,” said Dick, under his breath. “He’s a ‘was an anxious moment, Haphaws sky rig 7 steadily blacker, 33 done. : ; “All fast?” cried Jack. ; “Aye, aye!” In an instant the brave young fellow had leaped overboard, and was swimming toward the boat. At the same moment a line thrown by Dick was Belded by Clifford, who immediately made it fast around his waist, sige then dropped into the water. A few steady strokes brought Jack to the capsized boat, and in an instant he had clambered up the side. “Haul away!” he shouted. “Now, young ladies, keep as cool as possible; don’t shriek, and don’t throw your arms about me, or we will all go down.” In another moment the bowsprit of the Sprite was right over their heads... Dick was already out upon the guys. Brophy was at the knightheads and Mr. Wattles was half over the port rail. “Now, then, all together! ” Dick seized one of the young ladies, Brophy took the other, and Jack leaped into the forechains, and so on deck with the help of the mate, while in another moment the Sprite passed directly over the luckless boat and sent her to the bottom. | “Let her go off!” roared the skipper, who now appeared LODE the first time to take any interest in the matter. “Steady! Keep her at that. In with your topsail there. We're going to have something’ of a breeze, I reckon.” “Reckon we are,” muttered the mate, “and J reckon, too, the skipper hasn’t mended matters any by having his own way.” » } : The sky was now as black as ink, the sea was one mass of foam, and the wind made all the ropes and shrouds fairly sing, i as it went howling through them. : Jack Port went aft, escorting the two young ladies, and was met at the cabin gangway by the skipper, who swung himself ‘ around on his good leg, so as to allow him to pass, but, besides — a surly grunt and a frown, gave no other indication that he ° knew of their presence. ; After Jack had gone below and turned over his charges to the care of Honora, the skipper roared at Dick: Bis “This here’s a pretty mess! Now we'll have t&go ashore — and lose all this fine breeze. Where’s the feller that upset the boat?” BE a 9 “In the forecastle, sir,” answered | Dick. “Well, let him stay there,” growled Ben Bluff. no room for such lubbers as him in the cabin.” Dick said nothing. but went below to get on an oilecin 0a’ a’ : the spray dashing over the deck in a manner to wet oa through in a short time. ’ i He stopped in thé main cabin long enough to see that there barometer had fallen greatly and was still falling, while, look- Sane irig out at one of’ the ports, he saw that the sky grew blacker every instant. “Not much chance of voing ashore now, I think,” he Be tered, as he went to his own room, 2 BOS all night, either, iy signs count for anything. bee ; Seige Indeed, the little schooner was. obliged to run for it, as any ttempt to make the shore now would have been madness, the. ky growing blacker, the sea rising higher, and the wind in- creasing in energy with each succeeding moment, geese is Night came on, and there appeared to be no’ abatement of HY “There ain’t of the winds were opened at once and all. the blasts ‘ blew were let loose at once. } Tea alt s There was nothing to do but to keep well out to sea a d' ne ’ of the, coast pas then run for it, and this was done. ;
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LOST ON: THE OCEAN. better have stayed to hum another day, but ’twon’t do to say . 80; no, sir!” CHAPTER IV. AN IRREPARABLE LOSS. sailboat party to town, and the young ladies were ‘made as comfortable as they could be, Honora taking them in charge and finding dry clothes for them. The storm was as fierce as ever, and the Sprite was obliged to run before it, while Ben Bluff growled and grumbled at the weather, and proceeded to make himself as uncomfortable as possible. / nis “We’re bound to have a reg’lar old hurricane of it,” he said to the mate. “I never knowed it to fail when you pick up folks at sea. I reckon old Davy Jones is mad ’cause of bein’ cheated out’n his reg’lar victims, and is bound ter make it nasty-for the fellers as cheats him.” “Wall, it do look a bit blusterin’, sir,” asserted Mr. Wat- ties; “but like enough it'll blow itself out afore mornin’, and we'll have it fine arter that.” The skipper would not accept this view of the matter, how- ‘ever, and giving himself a turn with his good leg, he returned: “No, sir; there ain’t such luck. This.’ere wind is sure to blow us clear away from where we want to go. We're bound for the West Ingies, ain’t we? Well, we'll fetch up in the Canaries or the Cape o’ Good Hope, as sure as you’re born; you see if we don’t.” ; The young ladies were given the state-room occupied by Jack and Dick, who took a smaller room, one of them bunking with the mate, as both would not be asleep at the same time, an arrangement: which suited all hands except the skipper. His new guests appeared at dinner that evening, and really graced the table by their faces and neat appearance, but the old sea dog was in a bad humor, and scarcely uttered a word during the meal. When it was over, he took himself/off to his own room, light- - ed his pipe and smoked in solemn silence and in solitude, re- appearing in an hour in oilskins and sou’wester and taking his watch on deck. Far from blowing itself out before morning, as Mr. Wattles had predicted, the storm increased in violence, and the Sprite, under double reefs and topsails sig swept on before it. It was useless to attempt to put about and sail adasuin such - a wind and in such a sea, and the young ladies were soon con- vinced that their stay upon, the Sprite was to be longer than they had apprehended. Jack Port was secretly glad of it, for it gave him an oppor- tunity to be with Kitty Waters, whose avowed admirer he was, although the presence of Clifford greatly interfered with his - enjoyment. Ben Bluff remained on deck until midnight, when Mr. Wat- tles took his place, with the two young fellows as his crew, _ Brophy and Snitz having turned in. Y At four o’clock the skipper turned out again, | Dick Port re- maining on watch, being joined by Clifford, much to the young fellow’s surprise. “You aren’t obliged to stand watch, you know,” said Dick; - “Joe can be called well enough.” _ “Oh, I don’t mind,” was the answer. “I’m not such a bad sailor. That squall took ‘me unawares and then, having ladies with me rather. made me nervous.” i sh ‘That’s atime a fellow ought to be cool, I should think,” re- ton ed Dick. oe Moneretal you want to ay x. Waters, and to try to make her more comfortable. too busy to carry on more than a few moments” conversa~ . 43 Pabandpnat for the wind suddenly veered and they had a ‘reg M4 ve no objection, | i “How long; do you think this blow will last?” asked Clifford, presently. “T’m sure I don’t know. A week or so, perhaps.” “Where are you bound?” “Down among the islands.” “You are provisioned for a long cruise, I suppose?” — “Oh, yes,” was the careless answer, for Dick did not like this fellow overmuch, and did not care to give him any more information than necessary. Nothing, could be done that night toward returning the |- “I suppose you will land the young ladies as soon as you can?” . “Yes; as soon as we can get back.” “Oh, you don’t need to do that,” said Clifford, quickly. “You can land us anywhere along the coast, and I can see them home.” Dick said nothing; but presently, taking a leather case from his pocket, Clifford said, carelessly: “Do you smoke? I suppose it’s not against the rules?” “Cigar8?” asked Dick. “No;* cigarettes.” “T prefer a pipe myself, ‘but I don’t care to smoke now. Aye, aye, sir; I’ll see to it,” he suddenly added, starting forward, as if to carry out some order. None had been given, but Clifford did not know this, and he waited for Dick to return, sta ding against the rail and looking out across the foaming ig “Confouna his impudence,” muttered Dick, seating himself on a bitt forward. “Hé will see the girls home, will he? Well, I guess not. Ha! if it wasn’t for having him aboard, I,wouldn’t care if the gale did last a week, or even two.” Matters had not mended any by the morning, and the gale kept up all that day and all the following night, and on the morning of the second day there appeared to be no prospect of the weather becoming any more favorable for at least an- other day.. ‘ In. fact, the gale lasted for fully forty-eight hours, during, which the Sprite had been driven ahead at frantic speed, even "1 with shortened sail, and now, even that the worst of it was i: over, there was no chance of turning back, as that would only ay | be to face strong head winds, which would greatly delay ite ae ae progress. ; “Just our luck!” growled Ben Bluff. “It’s all on account of. if the gals bein’ on board, and I shouldn’t be surprised if we was to have more on it, too.” : On the morning of the third day the wind subsided to a con- siderable degree, and the sun appeared for ‘an instant, not Jong enough for an observation to be taken, however. ‘During the forenoon-it remained hidden, although its loca- St tion could be told, but later in the day the sky grew so dark | 2 and the clouds so thick that, without a compass, no one could ae have told where it was. There had been little time va social intercourse on odie since the arrival of the young ladies, the weather being so bad and owing to the utter impossibility of going on deck, and to the discomfort of the cabins, but now there was some little Te- spite, and Jack Port began to make himself agreeable to Kitty a Dick ‘would haye devoted himself to Ida, the younger sister, but he happened to have a watch on deck at that time, and was tion at a time, when the young girl passed him in her walk uD. : and down the deck. ta ee _ When the dog watches were set, hetaves: even fhis had to be- HK ular hurricane, and were forced to run before it with nothing iis up but a shortened foresail and one jib. iy : ‘This state of things lasted during the entire night ‘and well ASR into the, next day, ‘without any visible change. - i Sa ea x
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6 LOSP ON THE OCGHAN. |: ; ; A ‘i 2 black as ink, and nothing visible a few fathoms beyond the ~ rail. By morning the wind had blown itself he: ay Mine the forenoon a calm sueceeded, the sun appearing once more in Ci its glory. / There was no way of ascertaining their position, however, even with the sun shining, and they could only guess in what general direction the land lay from being able to see the sun. How far they had traveled, or where they weré at that mo- ment, however, there was no possibility. of ascertaining, and ~ they were practically lost, as Ben Bluff had said. . The skipper came stumping up the cabin companion during the forenoon, brought himself to anchor on his “wooden leg; squinted around the horizon, and muttered: iY ies “Wull, I reckon we’re sort o’ evenin’ things up now. Fust at we go like the very mischief, and then we don’t 80 at.all. is.’ the glass risin’, Mr. Wattles?” * _ “No, sir; “I reckon not,” answered the: mate; “that last fall it got knocked all the risin’ out of it, like slammin’ a lump 0’ dough agin the wall. Reckén we have to go by sight igh days,, skipper.” “Wall, git a telescope and see if there’s any chance of pay wind in any quarter whatsoever, Mr. Wattles. 1S) 2 “The spy-glasses are just Iie blind men, sir; they aot, no sight in’em. Lookin’ through a stove pipe is just as. ‘00d as - é squintin’ through them nowadays. Bene ete “Wull, can’t you take the sun and see where we are, Mr. 2 Wattles?” : He “Reckon we're here, sir; and that’s about all, and as for takin’ the sun, there it is, and there she'll stick for all of us. i “What's come to my sextant, Mr. Wattles? Here, you, Joe,” to the black cook who was crossing the deck, “go and baka up pe my sextant.” “Dere am no sexton abo’d dis neat, aan iH iid Sea, “Sex. tons ain’t de kind o’ passengers I like ter see nowhar. : a} “I said sextant, you lubber,” roared the captain; ‘swinging oft on his wooden leg and taking a stride with his good one. f et instrument, you blockhead.” - ‘ “Does yo’ mean dat face covered ting wha’ “ya! shoots at de f sun wif, cap’n?” asked Joe, dodging the angry skipper. Ae “Yes, you black son of a pudding bag; of course.” i “Wiull, sah, it am down in de cabin, but it am so ‘twisted a1 an’ a, broken dat yo’ tink yo’ am cross-eyed when yo’ look froo it, All dem tings hangs in de same place, or sat on. de table when de watah come in, and ie am wuff nuffin’ now eat fo’ Sead pe brass an‘ jron.” > / . The ‘skipper tacked to port’ went’ about aa headed toward , the cabin, remarking to the mate, as he had his Hans: on a “he companion raving: ‘ “Wall, Mr. Wattles; when you think it’s eight. bells, you can on déck, and the two young fellows in the waist, looking anx- iously out across the heaving waste of waters. “I don’t like this sort of business at all,” muttered \ Dick. “Do-you see how those waves are chasing us up? The sea trav- els faster than we do.” “It’s not very fine; that’s a—— Ha! here we have it. Look out for yourself, Dick.” \ Both men sprang into the rigging as a huge wave broke over the poop and deluged the man at the wheel. In a few moments a second wave followed, arfd then a “third, -making things very uncomfortable for the helmsman. However, there seemed to be no chance of any more seas coming over astern, and for half“an hour the little’ vessel dashed on, keeping ahead of the sea, and appearing to hold her own. Suddenly, however, with scarcely an instant’s warning, a sec- ond series of three great waves rushed up astern, the first flooding the cockpit, dashing across the quarter-deck and ‘sweeping well forward. The second wave followed peford the effects of the first had passed off, and the result was most damaging. An immense mass of water came over the stern, washing the helmsman from his post,.and carrying him beyond the foremast, which he luckily missed striking. Tons of water fell upoy the binnacle, and in a moment it was torn from its fastenings and swept away. ’ An enormous mass of water was then hurled upon the sky- light, which was smashed in and the cabin deluged. The vessel was pooped, and unless something were done at once she would founder. , “Call all hands! Cut away the fore peak and throat hal- _ yards! Down she comes!” Dick and Jack obeyed the order in a trice, while Mr. Wat- tles, hurrying upon ‘deck, took charge of the wheel. Down came the foresail on the run, the men quickly gather- - )ing in the wet canvas to prevent the wind from catching it. + “Cut away the gaskets of the mainsail! Hoist up your - peak!,” In a few moments the peak was hoisted about ten feet, the wind caught it, the wheel was reversed, and around swung the _ little vessel, heading to the sea at the moment that the third “great wave swept over her bows. I ‘Enough sail to keep her steady was then hoisted, and she ce with her héad to the wind. Rs ‘Mighty narrer Spans that,” muttered Ben Bluff. “Another one of them big uns would ha’ sent us to the bottom. Now ; she’s head on, Mr. Wattles?” f \ “Can't tell, sir. The binnacle was smashed, and that sec- ‘ ond wave broke’ in the skylight, carried away the tell- tale, ij and there isn’t a compass on board.” It was speedily ascertained that that was not the, penis ex- oh I * ; call the watch, and we'll have dinner.” ae ve tent of the damage, for the-barometer and chronometer, which} “Why, there’s my watch!” cried Dick. “I forgot all about th hung just under the skylight, had also been carried away by} it, ll tell you what time it is in a jiffy.” * Ds The young fellow hurried below, and the captain sat down = on a tool chest alongside the cabin door, and filled his pipe. Presently Dick returned, and the skipper, who had scratched a match on his wooden ion, and was now lighting aint pipe, looked inquiringly at him. : ra “It’s now just”—and Dick stopped and put his. ecias to wis ear—“just ten minutes past“—another pause to give the wateh A a shake—“ten minutes past—oh, bother, aks thing has eee : the force of the water falling upon them, and they were now - The captain’s instruments, which lay upon a table in the if qmain cabin, were not to be found, and it was presumed that} they had been washed iflto som’ corner by the Water, which : for a time had invaded nearly the entire vessel. _ “What!” muttered Ben Bluff, when the loss was reported, “we haven’t a single compass or anything else on board? Well, if we ain’t lost, clean- lost on the ocean! ” ‘ Wrondee) one’ so suddenly that toe; who was nee coming up | of the cabin, ran against it, tripped, and fell on the deck. |. “What's the use of haying a mae on fe a apr gee Ay: f 9 aes CHAPTER V.; so) ek "An Tam stopa’s arzncy._ ig ne came on, and the Sprite lay to in a pee the A
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LOST ON THE OOHAN. \ it in his pocket and walked forward to where Ida Waters was , leaning on the rail and looking idly out upon the ocean. Jack Port had now plenty of time to devote to Kitty, and he was constantly at her side, to the very evident disgust of Clif- ford, who had come out with his mustache newly curled and in a suit of white duck which he had borrowed from Joe until his own clothes could be washed and pressed. : There was a multitude just now, for Jack and Kitty were seated on the heel of the bowsprit, engaged. in an animated conversqtion, and evidently not desiring that it should become general. : : : “The young upstart!” muttered Clifford. “T suppose he thinks that he saved her life, and that she owes him an ever- lasting debt of sratitude. I'd like to wring his neck for his impudence! ” Seeing that he was not wanted by either Jack or Dick, he joined the mate, who was strolling to and fro aft, and smoked and chatted with him for an hour, inwardly chaffing at being forced to fall back upon such company. Jim Brophy, the bow-legged Irishman, who had been consid- erably bruised by his rapid transit across the hurricane deck on the previous night, came limping aft from the forecastle, while the mate and Clifford were talking, and said: : “Pxcuse me, sor; but it’s eight bells, and time,for dinner.” “How d’ye know that, Brophy?” asked Mr. Wattles. “Well, sor, me stomach tells me so in the forst place,” an- gwered the Irishman, ‘and the sun is right overhead in the next, and finally I see Honora luckin’ out the panthry windy, and she do niver do that, sor, till it’s time for grub.” “Sound eight bells, Brophy,” said the mate. “There ain't no goin’ agin such evidence as that.” The sound of the bell broke up the little interviews ‘between the captain’s nephews and the young lady passengers, and soon afterward Joe, with all the dignity of a butler in high life, announced that dinner was served. ~ 1 The calm lasted till nearly daybreak of the following day, when another hurricane struck the vessel, eas she scudded be- fore it like a bird. The gale lasted for several hours, and then suddenly died - out, being succeeded by a dead calm of about ten minutes’ dur- ation, when a cyclone burst forth with .the suddenness of a_| ' thunder clap. ; Ben Bluff had taken’ the precaution to put the Sprite upon the opposite tack before the second burst of the storm, and this saved the vessel, as otherwise she would have been swamped. She lay to with her head to the wind, while the fierce gusts swept over her and the foaming waves dashed along her sides, now breaking in spray over her bow, and then lifting her high in air as though they meant to hurl her into the very depths. Although it was now day, the sky grew so black that it was impossible to see across the deck, an almost inconceivable darkness settling over the ocean, while in the midst of it all a thousand terrifying sounds could be heard, torturing the im- - agination with the thought of nameless dangers against which there could be no possiblbe safeguard. For hours this state of things continued, and the suspense was maddening. ‘Lost on the ocean, at the mercy of wind, knowing neither their position nor destination, fearing everything and know- ing nothing, it would have been small wonder if the luckless company of the Sprite had lost their wits in such a ¢risis. Despite the fact that they were headed to the wind, the skip- per knew that they were drifting with some, powerful cur rent, ee put “what it’ was, or whither it was taking thém, he had not 7 _ the least means of knowing. susten Rava ; ‘The sun was. blotted ee day was Lite night; all feceasicae of. they were | } i possi enon di ne ye | unknown coast at any instant, or to be avers ieimed by some giant wave, and then to be no more. _ Tiere was not a man that did not remain on deck during ‘all this time, and no one‘thought of rest or food while the sus- pense lasted. At last, although it Sa pitch Bask Ben Bluff, who was lashed to the mainmast, said: f “The wind is coming from aft. We ain’t drifting; we are scudding. Can’t you see nothing, Mr. Wattles?” “No, sir, I can’t see:you, even, but——” “Breakers ahead!” suddenly screamed Dick Port, in a voice heard above the roar of the storm. “Then the Lord have merey on us!” gasped the skipper; “for we are lost!” Louder grew the roar of the breakers, aad then, as though seized by some giant hand, the vessel was lifted up high in the — air and thrown violently -forward, creaking and groaning in every part. ; : Then there was a shock, accompanied by a ‘grating sound, a sudden uplifting as a huge wave’struck her on the quarter, a dash forward, another shock which threw every one down, and then the vessel suddenly stopped and remained motionless. t i) CHAPTER avi, UNCERTAINTY: > “What has happened? Where are we?” asked Kitty Waters, coming up out of the cabin. “Are we at anchor?” “Yes’m, we are,” answered the gruff voice of the captain, “and anchored so tight that we'll never get loose again. I reckon we've struck on a coral, beach, and wen once them rocks gets hold of a ship’s bottom, she’s ina _ vise, and there’s. no getting her out of it.” , f “Then we have reached land, and aya safe?” ; 5 “Well, we’ve.reached land, such as it is, young lady, but whether we're safe or not is more’n I can say. Hello, there, fetch a lantern, somebody, and hang it over the bow, so’s we - can see where we are.” “| re : It was pitchy dark on all sides, oohees now and again a phos- a9 phorescent gleam could be seen as a wave mashed past ane “ yessel, no other light being visible. } The sky was black, but presently a Giatsnt flash of lightning _ could be seen, not brilliant enough to show them their posi- | tion, however, and only adding to the terror of the hour, as ty predicted a storm more or less near. = i “The vessel was now as immovable as the rock itself, and bas being on an even keel, there was .no trouble in walking the a deck, which was as level as the sea in a calm. ‘ Brophy and Snitz brought lanterns, and the skipper Sau! one’ of them in his hand and walked forward, calling to the» i men to follow. . f “Lay out there on the boom and’ lower that light a bit, sim. We may be able to see suthin’,” he “i ies as he paused the bow. flashed the light below him. es “There’s wather below us, sor,” he chee out, “but I d ies cB think it ean be very deep, and ‘whin- the tide Soe8 out ther ft be none at all.” / “Never mind what’ s below, a sn ‘sealed the LO, * "| us what’s ahead. Is it: eae ‘or land?” A {5 ther ‘do stop somewhere woe , shtrik and ti wouldn't
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8 LOST, ON THE’ OCEAN. Sac “Shin out to the end of the fiying jibboom and show your light, Jim, and, Jacob, hand him this here one. Maybe two lights will be better than one.” Brophy took the extra lantern, the ring of which he held in his teeth, and made his way to the end of the fiying jibboom, where he stood upright, holding on by the foretopmast stay and peering into the darkness. . "What do you see, Jim?” called out Ben Bluff. “Nothing at all, sor,” answered Brophy, waving the two lan- terns back and forth. “Ts it land or just reefs?” ‘ “T’ll never tell ye in this light, sor.-. It’s as dark as the mouth of——” There came a sudden flash of lightning, which fairly blinded the man, and in the start that he gave he let one of the lan- terns fall. ‘i The light could be seen on the water for a moment, and then it went out without revealing anything. A terrific crash of thunder followed the lightning, and Bro- phy serambled in upon the deck as rapidly as possible, for his position out there upon the boom with so much metal about him was not a safe one in a thunder storm. The fiash had come upon them all so suddenly that, not- withstanding its vividness, no one had been able to see what lay beyond, but all had involuntarily closed” their eyes. or turned away, and the opportunity was lost. “Did you see anything, Jim?” asked Ben Bluff, when Brophy reached the deck. Fah “No, sir; it came so suddenly that I was blinded ‘and saw . nothing.” “Watch when, the next flash comes. nearer, I take it.” There was no other flash for saree minutes, however, any | and when it ¢ame no one was prepared for it, and the-light only blinded them without enabling them to see what lay ‘beyond the ship’s head. _ The clap of thunder which follewed close upon the lightning, 5 being almost simultaneous with it, in fact, waS'so loud that it fairly shook the vessel, and put all hands into such an alarm _ that there was no thought for anything else. _ A few minutes passed, and then a rain storm suddenly Broke upon the vessel and the crew was forced to seek shelter from the pelting floods which descended upon them. -The rain came down in solid masses, and in a few seconds _the scuppers were choked, and the deck was fairly afloat with ‘the accumulated water which could not run off fast enough. For fully five minutes it came down with the greatest vio- ' lence and without cessation, and those who ventured forth _ without. oilskin jackets or trousers were wet to the skin in an instant. After the first violent downpour, the rain fell steadily, but with less force, altnough it continued for fully an hour. The natural effect of this rain was to take down the sea, and et it was speedily noticed that the waves were not so high as be- The storm is getting 4] fore, although being fixed solidly upon the coral rocks, the ves- sel was not affected by the waves, small or large. _ At the end of an hour and thirty minutes the rain fell with ‘more gentleness, and finally ceased altogether, althongh the: sky still remained overcast, and it-was impossible to ascertain their position. ) ' They might have struck upon an isolated reef, far, far from land; they may have run upon some desolate island, or they might be upon the mainland, but none of these theories eooln pee determined upon as ane CopreRt one until morning.” At last, when the rain had long ceased and the heavens began to show faint signs of clearing, the skipper said: ‘ “Wall, we’re here, anyhow, and safe enough for the present, and I reckon all hands had better turn in, leaving an anchor watch on deck. Mr. Wattles, you can call me at sunrise. I think I’ll take a few hours’ sleep.” “How can he sleep when all is so uncertain?” whispered Kitty Waters to Jack Port. “There is no uncertainty about it if Uncle Ben turns in, but he doesn’t care to tell everybody what he knows, I presume,” answered’ the young fellow. “The skipper would not leave the deck if he did not think we were perfectly safe.” . Thus assured, the young ladies went below, and were fol- lowed by all except Dick Port, who remained on watch. He was joined in about ten minutes by Clifford, who came from the cabin smoking a cigarette. “Smoke?” he asked. “No, thanks; I am on duty.” “Where are we? Have you any idea?” “No.” “Is that land over there, think?” “Where you are pointing?’ I should say not; or at least not fer 4 thousand miles or so.” : “Oh, well, you know what I mean. Do you think we are on land or only on a lonely rock?” Dick made no reply, and Clifford, after puffing impatiently | for two or three minutes, said brusquely: “You don’t like me, Port, and you are bound not to treat an decent.” ' : “It isn’t a question of like or dislike, whatever,” answered Dick, carelessly. “It’s simply indifference, and as for my way of treating you, if you don’t like it—well, there’s a remedy at hand.” “You mean that.I can clear out, I supposé?” snarled Clifford, savagely biting his cigarette in two. “Well, I’m on duty, and you’re not,” all.” “You may be sorry some day that you have ee an 1, SHER of me,” hissed Clifford, walking aft. ) Wag “T didn’t know I had.” said Dick, “and I don’ te care much, @ I can’t see how it affects me any in either case. i . An hour later a thin, gray line appeared on the horizon, Bi ea gentle breeze was felt, and the approach of a new day was her- _ alded by the singing of birds. : “Birds!” muttered Dick, walking forward; “then we must be near some habitable land, and not on a mere isolated reef.” The light in the east grew stronger, and soon, beyond the vessel, and distant only a few fathoms, appeared a grove jof trees, promising both rest and repose to the castaways, while beyond, and rising above the land, was a lofty Ns whose top was lost in the clonds. 4 The Sprite had grounded upon the coral beach of, some ee away land, where, no one knew, but they were safe at all events, and in this alone there was great cause for rejoicing. — j ape me ae said Dick, auietly, “that’s CHAPTER VIL. | a THE SKIPPER ISSUES HIS ORDERS. "ate : } 1 > ¥ he a -“All hands on deck! Ahoy there!” shouted Dick, in ringing © a tones, the cry ahi aiaeear He cabin and anouelts opt sleepers. 4 The mate was the first to appear, and as he came stumblin up on deck, he asked hurriedly “What’s the matter, boy? What’s up?” __ “Well, the sun is up for one. thing, or wil be ; miabe a
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ra _ denily called out: Lost ON ‘THE OCEAN. a bates = ig eae “Land!” gasped the mate. “No reefs, nor nothing, but 00d, solid land, with trees and water and food and shelter and— hooray, boy! that’s the best sight I’ve seen for many a day, and I ain’t mad for being waked up so sudden. Go below and call the skipper. I wouldn’t let any one but you have the fun of it, though, indeed I wouldn’t.” “What's the matter here?” growled the voice of Ben Bluff, and a moment later his shaggy head, surmounted by a sega lin hat, was seen coming up the companion. In a few moments he reached tHe deck, struck off on the starboard tack, looked toward the shore, and said: “Ahoy, there, Mr. Wattles! ” “Aye, aye, sir.” “Do you know what place this is?” “Not me, cap’n.” “What is it, island or main?” “Couldn’t tell, cap’n. I only just raised it myself, and I haven’t had no time to explore it.” “Suppose we sail around it, Mr. Wattles, and see.” “Aye, ayé, sir; but I reckon you'll have to get the schooner off of them coral rocks fust. They’re holding her like a vise, and I reckon if her timbers are not busted that she’ll have to stay till the day when Davy Jones sets free the many poor sailormen that he’s got in his locker below there,” ‘““Awast, you lubber,” growled Ben ‘Bluff, standing on his good left leg and swinging his wooden right around so as to catch the mate on the shins. “I didn’t intend to go around in the schooner, of course. Ain’t we got boats, Mr. Wattles?” “We've got our boat,, skipper, and it ain’t any too!good for wear, but I reckon we might take it around the island, if this | here is an island. # “That’s the wust of it,” growled the skipper, swinging {round | so as to reach the cabin door on one tack. “We don’t know . where we are, and we ain’t got no way of findin’ out. do you reckon we be, Mr. Wattles?” “Stuck on shore somewhere, I reckon, skipper,” mate, dryly. : “H’m! made a bee line for the cabin and reached the companion by one tack, when he stumped his way down and disappeared. The two girls now came on deck, and as they saw the land,’ uttered exclamations of surprise and delight. “Land!” cried Kitty. “Oh, I’m so glad. Where are we, Mr. Port?” a “That is more than I know,” safely say that we are somewhere in the tropics, those yonder don’t grow north, except in conservatori ies.” “Have you seen any of the inhabitants?” asked Ida. must be savages.” : f “I would not be surprised,” said Dick; none.” ! Just then Jack came on deck, followed by Clifford, the latter glancing at the shore and muttering to himself: “What place is this? Looks like an island. At any rate we’re stranded here, and replied Diek; “though I can “but I have, seen _ not likely to get away soon. It will be strange if I don’t win Kitty yet, in spite of that impudent young sailor. Then he joined the others and attempted to make himself regard as under his protection. pa Ah Cree ees PTE SE “In the cabin, of course,” said the mate. shore without leave, you lubber. Don’t you know that?” ley. Although the Sprite had run well upon shore\there was a foot or so of water where she lay, and this extended to a few yards beyond the end of the jibboom, the tide being high at this time. The vessel was perfectly motionless, and the longer she re- mained upon the bed of coral the more firmly would she be held, so that umless the tide rose high enough to, float her, the chances of her ever leaving her present position were small indeed. After breakfast Ben Bluff came upon deck, stumped forward, looked over the bow, thought deeply for a few minutes, and then muttered: \ “Hm! It’s been high as itll get to-day, and the highest | won’t do us much good, I reckon, even if we. was lighter. I cale’late this is my last v’y’ge.” ‘Then he stumped aft, wiped his forehead with a red hand- kerchief, and called out: “Call all hands, Mr. Wattles, and stand ’em in a line along the starboard rail.” ’ “All hands!” cried the mate, and the bow-legged Irishman, the knock-kneed German, and black Joe obeyed the call. “That ain’t all,” roared the skipper. “I want all hands, I say. ” “I say, that means us,” laughed Dick Port, who was standing by the port-rail, forward, talking with the two girls. Come on; you’re counted in’ as well as the rest of us.” * “But we are not sailors,” said Ida, with a pretty pout. “You go in with all hands, though,” said. Dick; “so come on,” ‘and taking the girls’ hands, he hurried over to the shit Where | 2nd took his place on the end of the line. Jack Port now came up from the cabin and joined the line, said the | along which Ben Bluff swept his eye. “No one goes on | “Yas’r, all right, sah!” said Joe, and disappeared in the gal- Clifford was seated forward, smoking a cigarette, evidently Any fool can see that,” retorted Ben Bluff, as he 20t aware that he was included in-the muster. “Mr. Wattles,” said Ben Bluff with a frown, “will you bring that ’ere feller for’ard up here at once? I said all hands, and ~ I meant all hands.” Clifford, hearing the command, came forward, still smoking, looked carelessly at the line, took a place next to Kitty Waters, ten | and said: if ne “Didn't know you wanted me, captain. I’m only a passenger, , lrees like | you know.” “You’re one of the crew, that’s what you are,” retorted Ben “They | Bluff, standing on his left leg, “and when you’re called you want to come. Now, then, attention.” The skipper glanced along the line, and then ae severely: “Mr. Wattles, I said all hands.’ ih “Aye, aye, sir,” grunted the mate. “Where's that red-headed Trishwoman, then? She's some- It must be a long way from home. | body, ain’t she?” Pend “She thinks she is,” chuckled Dick, Raed “Yes, sir; of course.” ; Ne “Then bring her up.” De tains “Ahoy, there!” roared the mate at ie cabin door. “ ser ony at agreeable, particularly to the girls, wrnonn: he still seemed to | deck, below there!” j . “Indeed an’ I won't!” retorted Honora, from this pantry / All hands were on deck by this time, Bakara black Joe, the} “It’s busy Iam.” ~ i} two sailors. and all, and there was not one who did not have bs something to say about the land they had run upon, and no one would have had any breakfast if Mr. Wattles” had not. sud- } a ‘ He “Yessir, ea sah,” ‘if said Sika, (demic! ae | “Come up!” called Mr. Wattles, “Ah, go about your business, ye ould say porcupine, % return- ed the mutinous woman. Bemis Ss no storrum and no phates
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10 ‘ LOST ON THE OCEAN. BS — —— takes all hands.‘ Who's skipper o’ this here craft, if I ain’t? Here, Brophy, you and the Dutchman go down and fetch her up, and if you'‘want help, get the cook.” “Ya; I bate you I bring dot Irishvomans up once,” Snitz. “Valk dis vay, Irish.” ; “He can’t walk that way,” laughed Dick. “He couldn’t get his knees together like that to save his neck. He looks as if # tunnel ran under him and he was always sitting on it.” “Come on"up eout of that, Honora,” cried Brophy, descending the steps. “The captain wants yez.” I “Let him fetch me, thin!” cried. the Amazon stewardess, brandishing a rolling pin. “Come out once und don’t hab some more foolish business,” said Yacob. “Who was you, anyway?” “Tl’m Honora Branagan, that’s who I am, and I'll not /ave me pantry Wwhin I’m makin’ a foine mate poy. not for nobody, “so go an eout a me sight ‘or I'll brain yez.* Joe, the cook,’ was called, but the three could not have taken the contrary-minded woman on deck, had not young. Dick come below and called out suddenly: “Hi—hi, Norah, come on deck. We've discovered Ireland. I know it by the green.” The big stewardess rushed up the companion instantly, and, ', once on deck, it was eaSy enough to put her on the line. “E’?m!” said Ben Bluff, when the whole ship's company was now assembled, “what I want ter say is this. Here we are, stuck fast on the rocks and no chance o’ gettin’ off, but this -. here Jand, whatever it is’ is under my orders just as much as the wessel was, and I’m cap’n, and all hands is bound to do just as I safs, and if he don’t he gets put in irons. Crew’s dis- _« missed. Mr. Wattles, set the watches. Port watch va the deck.” 8 “Sure, if that war all ye had to say, yez might have called it down to me troo the skylight,” said ‘Honora, with a snort and - toss of her head. “That much for yer orders,” and with a if snap of her fingers the impulsive creature ret below, while the sailors resumed their various occupations, regarding the ' whole affair as perfectly. regular and shipshape. said Me + CHAPTER VIIL. ? THE ESPEORDRS “MAKE, SEVERAL DISCOVERIES. » ~ The work of exploring the land where the vessel had NaS x a was at once began, Mr. Wattles going ashore with Dick and Jack Port, the skipper superintending the wer to be done on boar the Sprite. NU en me _ The shore party struck inland, heading for the hill, and after an hour's tramp, réached the highest elevation, from which a view could be had in all directions. Z ie “We are on-an island, "said Dick; “and a solitary one. at _ that. ‘I can’t see the least bit of land in any direction.” “There’ s land over there to the nor’ward, for all ye can’t see | it,” muttered the mate. “But ‘nobody knows whether it’s an- ‘ ther island or not.” “How do you know there is?” dgkea Dick. the least bit of land to the north.” 5 “No, sir; but I can see land clouds, and them’ s different from p sea spin and I know the land is there, maybe fifty, maybe a “You can’t see es “That's too “bad, h asic Clifford, “for they might ‘be. able to ell us where we are. Its: a chance if they’ d know theirselves, the natives of these ae ees mostly, savages,” Sane: the mate, “and to t/other side, and then make our way around. ce appears tc be a good beach over yonder to the west’ard.” , The mate took the lead, Dick and Clifford following ead Jack bringjng up the rear, the path being steep but posi danger- . ous. At the end of.ten minutes they halted on a leyel platform to take breath, the path below: them being strewn, with great bowlders, among which they would be forced to pick their way. , “The other side was easiér than this,” and the mate resumed the march. “T can't go down there without something to help me,” mut- tered Dick, and taking his knife he cut and trimmed a stout stick to assist him in making his way down the path. The delay caused him to fall back so that he was now in the rear instead of Jack Port. Suddenly, as they were right among the bowlders, the arch- ing branches overhead shutting out the view of the path above them, a wild shout was heard, followed by a rushing, crashing a sound. Clifford was seen hurrying down toward ‘them, his hat off, his face pale with excitement; then he suddenly fell and rolled over a low bank at the side of the path, while down the slope — crashed a giant bowlder, rushing ira at toward the ex- plorers. Jack was in the greatest danger, for the mate was below and off to one side of the course of the rock, while Dick had time to wi spring out of the way. ’ For an instant Jack ‘era as pale and faint as death, his breath and strength seemed to leave him, and he stood directly in the path of the descending bowlder without the power to help himself. a For an instant only, however, for the rock suddenly struck a sapling in its course, snapped it asunder and plunged for- ward. a bias The interruption, slight as it was, saved. jean life, It gave him a chance to recover himself, and; seizing an overhanging branch, he swung himself across the path and out of danger, while the mass of rock, swerving from its former — course, passed considerably to one side of both Dick and the mate, and went crashing down the hillside until its speed was suddenly checked by re against another mass larger than itself. . “Are you all right, Jack? ai ened Dick, aiter the ‘powder had plunged on. Wee “Yes,” shotited hace swinging to the ground. “But it was a fi: close shave.” t rit “Next time you won’t: ‘be: so “ihieey. * hissed ciittord, as he arose and limped down the path,’ leaning on his stick. Sean “I hope no one is hurt,” he said, as he joined the others. “I carelessly dislodged that bowlder with my stick, never dream- a ing that I could move it, and eee escaped beige ormahied ’ myself.” i That much of the man’s story was true, for he, had edeaped: as by a miracle, but he had deliberately dislodged the bowlder which he‘saw was kept from falling by a mere sliver of rock, fe muttered Dick, as he * 2% ° 4 ‘with the direct intention of ridding himself of Jack Port. 'The act was not premeditated; the temptation swept across him in a moment, but it was as deliberate a as though planned and thought out for days. “Some of them rocks is just balanced on. aes: and fie least tilt sends ’em rollin’, and nothin’ can stop, ’em,” observed the | ee mate. “Ye Red to be cateaty keerful wee ye mow | you young fellers.” “Tt certainly will be to me,” , said that I ever had a closer
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LOST ON. ‘THE OCEAN. nn the attempt upon his life; “and we'll be all the more careful a shtick: so wilds and anaes that with one accord the three. after this.” “T will, at any, rate,” thought Clifford. are clear of this island.” The level was reached without further accident, and passing through a small piece of woodland, the party came out upon a grassy plain sloping gently down to the sea. “This here is better than t’other side,” said the mate. “’Cause there’s a good, handy beach Tight here, and none 0’ yer sharp coral rocks to grind a boat’s bottom to pieces. This here is the place we’d orter have beached on.” “We did not have any choice,” laughed Dick. you'do now, Mr. Wattles?” “Go around to the nor’ward till we come to the wessel. can’t be more’n an hour or two’s walk.” “AY right; but we ought to have something to eat first. There’s a grove of banana trees over there. Suppose we help ourselves.” The grove was not more than six or eight rods distant, and Dick wan ahead and had climbed the nearest tree by the time the others “came up. “Oh, I say,” he called out, half‘a banana in one hand, and his sheath knife in the other, “ this is a fine way of living, this is—nothing to do but cut your breakfast off a tree,sno cook- ing, no washing dishes or anything of that sort, but only—— Hallo! I didri’t seé that before!” } “Didn't see what?” asked Jack. “What is it?” “Why, over there, on the other side of this grove. never believe what it is.” “A ship!” cried Jack. — “No.” “What is it, you young monkey, then?” cried-the mate. “How dare you keep us in suspension like this? What do you see, anyhow?” ; “A house; or, at any rate, a part of one.” “A house!” cried Clifford. “Then the island is inhabited.” “Can't tell,” muttered Dick; “but the house is there sure enough. There it, is» right on the other side of the banana grove, straight over in. that direction,” and Dick pointed in an easterly direction. ' The mate skirted the grove for a short didlanve: and sudden- ly exclaimed: ' “Great guns! the boy’must be right, for here’s a reg’lar path, hard and solid. Some BreeA on it, to be sure, but a plain path for all that.* Leading the way along the éyath. rollowed, by Jack Port and Clifford, the mate, after a walk of an eighth of a mile, came _upon a small stone house standing in what had once been a clearing, but ‘which Was now so thickly overgrown with tan- gled vines and shrubs as to be well-nigh impassable. The roof of the house, or rather a tower built at one side of “What will tt You'd it, stood above the trees, and it was this that Dick had seen : from his perch in the banana tree. : | “Well,” muttered the mate, slashing at the vines and under- growth with his knife, “somebody lived here once, I reckon, but it can’t have been very. dately. SunDRes we take a look at the place?” The house was only a story i in height, and had a frontage of about thirty feet; there being three or four doorways and as} many windows, the place having evidently been used as a general abode for several people. The center doorway. was the one most ait approached, oe to the floox. : path and ran into the Ocean. tis count of the huge masses pe rock which pr eqaiied at this pe _ but the mate, on reaching it, was onllete to cut away a° vine maa which half concealed it. ; grate, was a gay of aust from Siti, and then ore cane explorers rushed from the spot in terror, and did not pause un- 7 “He suspects nothing | til they were. once more upon open ground. as yet; but we will see if I do not win the girl I love before we] CHAPTER IX. BEN BLUBY.S ADVENTURE. After the departure of the inners 8 party, Brophy brought fas f boat back, and the skipper was lowered over the sidejand taken . ashore, his wooden leg preventing him from see: in as lightly as Dick or Jack would have done. The negro cook and Yacob let themselves over the side on i a rope, and dropped into the weir, when they easily waded _ ashore. | Brophy first rowed all around the vessel, there being water enough to float the small boat, and then, having inspected the position of the Sprite, Ben Bluff weut on land. being obliged to wade a few yards through the surf. “It’s plain to be seen that we can’t get off them rocks with- / out lightenin’ her a good bit,” mused the skipper, standing on a ledge of rock beyond reach of the water and surveying the vessel critically. “You didn’t notice anything that looked like holes, did you, Jim?” “No, sir,” said the’ Irishman, “T have not been down in the hold yet, sor. That’s the place to look.” ; \ “The fust thing to see about is whether she can be got off,” ieittered Ben Bluff, “and then we'll examine into the p’int whether she’ll be any good when she are up, you lubber.” '“Yis, sor,” said Brophy. “Ye have it right ivery time.” “You and the Dutchman go and see what size of timber grows hereabouts,” muttered the skipper, “and me and Joe’ll go and ‘§ look for water. You’d better lift the boat across them sharp = rocks. I don’t want the planks sawed in two.” . a - Then the captain stumped along shore with Joe, keeping his eyes on the various prominent points of the island as he walked on, as though trying to fix them in his mind. { “I don’t remember to’ve seen this here particular place be- fore,” he muttered. “Do you, Joe?. ‘Course you don’t; you ; never traveled none, ’cept ‘long. the coast a bit. By the looks o sf vif things, we ought to be in the West Ingies, somewhares, though the Bermudas looks just the same, for that matter, It'd be kind o’ fynny to find-we’d run on the coast of Florida some- | where, wouldn’t it? Wall, I don’t see how we can be any fur-. 55 ther’n that. Hallo, what’s this? Stream o’ water, hey? ite 3 Taste it, Joe, ard see if it’s salt.” 2 2s z “No, sah, it am fresh,” said Joe, stooping down and taking * up some of the water from ‘the little stream that crossed their “Fresh, is it?” _ “Yas'r, fresh.” i “H’m!” said the skipper, suddenly going off on a fresh tack, er which took him alongside the stream. He followed it up till he entered a wood, and presently. came. upon a ledge of rock, down which the water fell with gent] murmur, catching the sunlight in its descent and ah like Bo in the warm glow from above. ree to strike. farther in at the end of half an hour on’ te
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12 LOST ON THE OCEAN. *a’ done it, cap’n,” muttered Joe, as he ascended a alee slope which took them away from the rocks. They kept on until they reached the top of the point of '. rocks where there was a cliff nearly a hundred feet high, the waves forever boiling and seething at its base. Here the skipper paused, and, leaning on Joe’s shoulder, gazed long and earnestly over the strange land spread out be- fore them. . “It ain’t Cuba, Joe, nor yet it don’t appear to he Florida,” he murmured; ,“but furdermore’n dat I don’t know what it is, but I reckon it’s an island.” “Quess it is, cap’n,” assented Joe, wife never disputed the skipper. “Looks kinder like one, anyhow, as far as I c’n see, and—— Lawd o’ mercy!’ What am dat?” With a startled exclamation Joe suddenly sprang back, with neyer a thought of the skipper, who, losing his support thus abrupily, was thrown upon his back, his wooden leg in the air and his good one kicking out right and left in the most Vigorous fashion. i “Avast there, you lubber!” he roared. “Come here and pick me up. What do you mean by reachin’ away like that and let- tin’ a body fall? Come here, you black rascal, and pick me—— Hallo! What’s that?” His left foot had suddenly struck upon something which gave forth a ringing sound, and, contriving to bring himself to a sitting posture by means of his good limb, he gazed earnestly in front of him, where, in the midst of the rank grass that grew in the crevices of the rock, he saw a heavy iron ring nearly a foot in diameter, and against which his foot had struck. “Wull, I never did!” he muttered, hitching himself nearer | the strange object. “What’s that ring bolt doin’ up here on the cliff. This ain’t no place to tie a boat to.” “Look out dar, cap’n!” cried Joe, coming up with a stone as Jarge as his head in his hand. “Dere am snakes ‘bout yer. Dat’s what I seen when I gib dat yell. I seed one on ’em comin’ out ob de rocks and——. Yah! dere he am now!” The frightened cook suddenly dashed the stone upon the ground as the glittering serpent glided out from a rift in the tock not two feet from where the captain was sitting. The stone frightened but did not kill the serpent, which quickly slipped away, while the huge negro suddenly seized the captain, lifted him to his feet, and started down the cliff with him at full speed. es Ben Bluff blustered and stormed, and commanded “fae to stop, but the cook never paused until he had reached the foot of the slope, where he sat down upon a bowlder and began to _. fan himself with his straw hat. -. “Gonsarn you! ‘What did you want to make me run like that iY ‘for, you black scorpion?” gasped thé skipper. “I’ve a mind to split yer thick skull open wi’ my stump. Haven’t you got no _ manners to lug your commander off like that? If I’d two good legs, you Siege’ yh wouldn't ha’ done it.” ; “Bress yo’ haht, cap’n, yo’ didn’ wan’ me to leabe yo’ dere in ; a nes’ful o’ snakes, did yo’?” cried Joe. “Dat place mus’ ha’ i been stacked wi’ ’em. I seed as much as two orful big ones “Hi m’se’f, reg’lar pison fellows dey was, too, an’ yo’ don’ spec I - was gwine fo’ te leabe a unarmed man dere to be bitten to _ deff, does yo’ cap’n? No, sah, I knows my duty by yo’ better’n \ dat,’sah.” i “Hm! Well, you meant it all, right, Joe,” panted the skip- per, “but I wasn’t so one armed as you think, unarmed, I mean, you sculpin, for I could ha’ killed the snakes easy - enough, and more’n = my yer stopped me from makin’ a discov- ery.” : +3 “Nuffin’ to diskiver five eap’n, ‘less ‘twar mo’ snakes,” mut- red Joe, “an’ dey was ‘nuff o’ dem a’ready.” or don’t mean snakes,” growled the skipper, aiming a blow Joe with his NSpeaE “There jens a big iron. ign set in ‘where treasure’s buried, Cap’n Kidd’s, or something like that, ° and now you’ve— Hallo! What’s that?” The report of a gun was heard at that moment, ata Ben Bluff started up and hurried toward the grove where he had discovered the rill, the sound having come from that direction. Just before he reached the grove, Dick Port came out, fol- lowed a few moments later by the mate, Jack and Clifford. “What was the shootin’?” asked the skipper. “Tt was I bringing down this fine bird,” said Dick, holding up what looked like a young pig. “That'll give us a welcome change of diet.” “H’m! , Nobody’d think we’d been out only about a week, and have been eatin’ fresh stuff most o’ the time,” grunted the skipper. “That there bird o’ yourn is a pig, bi i Dick. Folks has lived on this here island onct.” “That’s what. 1 was going to say to you, cap’n,” interposed the mate. “So you’ve found it’s an island, have you, sir? Se’ve we, and we’ve made a great discovery what’l]-——” “No greater’n mine, Mr. Wattles, I Ireckon,” interposed Ben Bluff, “but the sooner we get back to the schooner the better. [ don’t like the look o’ them clouds rollin’ up there fo the soutn’ard, and the quicker we look arter the vessel the better it vi for her.” CHAPTER X. LIGHTENING THE VESSEL—-A MUTINY. skipper returned to the Sprite, and he determined to make use of this in carrying the stores ashore. It was necessary to do this if the vessel was to be lightened, and, besides, if a storm were to arise, and any injury befall the Sprite, it was absolutely imperative that as much as possi- ble be saved. “All hands on deck!” shouted Ben Bluff. “Rig up the falls there, off with the fore and main hatehes; look lively there, my bullies!” ‘ } Blocks were brought out, and a hoisting apparatus Hage’ amidships, the hatches were taken off, and while one party un- der the mate broke out the hold, the skipper superintended — the lowering of the stores into the boat or upon the rocks, saat tide being well out forward of the vessel. Barrels of beef, cases of canned goods and things ‘ot that de- 4 scription were left on the rocks, while flour and goods packed — in glass which would either break or be injured by the water, were taken in the boat and carried as far forward as possible. Old Ben Bluff stumped up and down the deck, now on one tack, now on another, and occasionally coming to anchor along- side the rail and oe himself on his wooden leg to rest the good one. Brophy and Snitz were below with Mr. Waitles, Jack Port was in the boat, Clifford was on the rocks and Dick Port man- aged the guy when the goods were sent across deck to the boat — or the rocks, the men remaining below hauling on the rope. : ’ Up came a barrel of flour, and Dick was steering it toward. the rail, when out of the galley came black Joe, Simi more important than ever. ' He was the only man beside the captain who was not work-_ ofa ing, and perhaps he felt more dignified on this account. | fs “Ei! you black lubber!” shouted the skipper, swinging off upon his good leg. “Why ain’t you doin’ something?” Joe paused and turned to look at the skipper, | and at that moment along came the barrel of flour. af ‘ ee “Hallo, there! get out of the ik ” shouted Dick, ‘gving . the guy rope. ete ae barrel had Cie started, however, add its There was still considerable time before nightfall when the ) 4
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from below. LOST ON THE OCBAN. It struck the big cook on the quarter, and sprawled him out on the deck in an instant. Young Dick had to laugh, of course, and let go of the guy rope. The barrel settled upon the small of Joe’s back, and there he was, pinned to the deck. “Hi-hi! go’ff o’ me!” he howled, kicking out like a turtle, and looking not unlike one with the cask of flour on top of him. “There you are!” laughed Dick. “Flour is down, and Joe is erushed under a falling market.” “Took dat t'ing off’n me. I tol’ yo’ took it off!” roared Joe, kicking and squirming. “Wha’ fo’ yo’ wan’ to frow it on me, anyhow?” “Knocked out by a mean corn flower,” chuckled Dick. thought you had more weight, Joe.” “Don’ care if it am co’n flour or wheat flour, or Injun. I don’t wan’ it on me. Took it off.” “Haul up a bit below there,” cried Ben Bluff. tened a nigger. Hoist away! Steady, that'll do; avast heav- ing.” : “There you are, saved, ha, ha!” laughed Dick, steering the cask of flour toward the gangway. “How thin you look, Joe. That flour has made a pancake of you, I do believe.” “H’m! Can't yo‘ see whar yo’ am steerin’ tings?” blustered Joe. “Reckon yo’ knock me down a puppus.” “Here, you black lubber, no back talk,” cried Ben Bluff. ' “Stand by to take the things off the hooks. That'll do. We'll get a deck load now while the other folks is taking that stuff ashore.” “Don’ yo’ suppose I better get supper, cap 2” asked Joe, in- dignant at being put to work on deck. \ He was still mad saa being knocked down, and wanted re- venge. Ben Bluff tacked, ae a belaying pin from the rail and shied it at the rebellious cook by way of answer. Joe dodged and the pin struck the mast, ethene and fell down the main hatch. Instantly a roar ascended, and Brophy, sticking his red head above the combings, demanded: “Phwat the divil air ye doin’ up there on deck at all, ye lubbers, trowin’ iron belayin’ pins down at a man? Wor that ye, nagur? Troth, I knew ye niver had much sinse.” “Don’ yo’ go ter gibin’ me no sass, I’ish,” retorted Joe. “I isn’ no niggah, an’ yo’ knows um. I’se a high-toned, ’spectable col’d ge’man, I is, an’ if I wan’ ter frow pins at yo’ I’se goin’ ter.” ? “Begorry, thin, ye’re not,” retorted Brophy, beginning to _ clamber out upon deck, “and av yez give me any more Jip “Tu” “Belay there!” dried Ben Bluff, getting up nay: and bearing down upon the belligerant Irishman and with a deft stroke of his wooden leg sending him back into the hold. “Och chiminies! why don’d you look out once?” cried Fritz, “Did you vant to broke my neck, mit falling down dot hold? For why you was not been more careless al- ready?” : 44 “Come, come; get to work there!” bawled the captain, “or T’ll put you all in irons. Send up that stuff fast as you ea Mr. Wattles.” “ Aye, aye, sir,” roared the mate, and the work proceeded. Honora Branagan came up from the cabin half an hour later in search of Joe, who should have come to the DBRIEY: long be- fore this. “Now, then, ye lazy nagur,” ’ she began, ‘ ‘what in the thunder “Ty _ do yez mane be loungin’ abeout the deck and ‘Aapin’ ‘mé waitin’ NY. whin there’s the supper to get?” Ne “Ahoy, there, Trish! ” eried Ben Bio, * “go. ashore and sna ay “We've flat-- vance of the vessel. sf y e _ ‘The young ladies. had been sent. on | shore at nightfall, an 1 “Deed an’ I won’t, then,” could be taught to pay proper respect to the skipper. “Go ashore as I tell you,” roared Ben Bluff, looking around for a belaying pin. “I have more trouble with you than any ene aboard the hooker.” “Small blame to me for it, then, captain, for yez know well enough that I niver wanted to come on this trip at all. There's no luck in sailing on a Friday, and ye know it.” “Go ashore and stow them stores!” rodred the skipper. “I won't. I have the supper to get, and I have no time to ‘| fool wid. yez.” “Below there! Come on deck!" commanded the skipper. Up came the mate and the two sailors. “Seize that mutineer!” cried Ben Bluff, and Brophy and Snitz laid forcible hands on the Amazon, both getting boxed on the ear before they succeeded in holding her still. “T ain’t got time to put ye in irons,” said the skipper, “or I would. I’m captain o’ this wessel, and when I says for a thing to be done, it’s gotter be. Fetch owt a bos’n’s chair, there.” > Dick brought out the boatswain’s chair, which is nothing more than a piece of plank swung on ropes, and the mutinous Honora was forced to sit in it, although she had first to be tied in. j The sling was then made fast to the falls, the, men laid hoid upon the ropes,.Dick took the guy, and the rebellious Irish-— woman was hoisted up, strung out across the water and landed . ' upon the rocks, out of the reach of the tide. “There! ” called out Ben Bluff from the bow, “I reckon Bitaaa. I sets out to do a thing, it’s goin’ to be done.” “Well, yer done it, captain; ye sint me ashore,” retorted Honora; “but it took yer whole crew to do it, begorry! Wan woman aquil to four min! Faix, I wouldn’t let a mon say that av me sex,” and Honora tossed her head as if she, and se the skipper, had won the battle. ‘ CHAPTER XI. ie: TREACHERY. Night came on dark and threatening, a luminous streak of — sulphur-colored sky on the horizon, a mass of black clouds’ to the southwest, and a hot, stifling feeling ‘in the air ane promise of bad weather to come. The work ‘of getting the stores out of the vessel went on without cessation, for in case of a break up it was absolutely — necessary that the greatest amount should be saved. 13. replied the stewardess, who never Considerable had been taken well up on shore and stored 1 yA in the grove near the spring, and all hands worked with a will to get the rest out of the hold and overboard. j When it became too dark to see to work, lanterns wer brought out and strung along the deck that pare might be all % the light obtainable. ot The sulphurous light upon the horizon was visible long atte A the sun had set, but the sky overhead and the bank of clouds: in the southwest became blacker and blacker, while the light ning became more frequent and increased in brightness, the thunder, low at first, growing louder with each succeeding peal. The air was still heavy and stifling, and what wind there was seemed to come from some ery vate sas it was #0 hot and scorching. The tide had arisen, and the suit was higher than ators! the water being white with | ‘foam all around and far in. ad. -
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14 LOST ON THE OCEAN. ete : ee ‘Honora to help them, fitted up temporary quarters for them- , selyes, making them as comfortable as possible in the limited time allowed. Clifford had returned to the vessel, and was working dili- gently getting out the stores, assisting at securing sail cloth, bedding, supplies, cooking utensils and anything else that might be needed. The sky grew blacker; the lurid light on the horizon began to fade; the lightning was constantly growing more frequent and the thunder louder, although as yet the storm had not broken upon the island. i] h All the most necessary and most easily handled stores had ,been gotten out of the vessel, the heavier stuff remaining, when the breeze did completely die out, the air became stiflingly hot und sulphurous, and the sky was as black as ink. “All hands ashore!’ said the skipper. “There’ll be a change presently. Mr. Wattles, take the boat and your watch and go ashore and then send it back to me.” 4 “Aye, aye,” answered the mate, and he, with the two sailors |. and Joe, went ashore. ; “Where is Clifford?” asked Jack: 7 ashore by this time.” ““T saw him a minute ago,” said Dick; below.” , Clifford was in the shadow of the house on deck, not far from the cabin companion, but he said nothing, an evil smile passing across his face. * ” - At that moment a roar was heard far out at sea, and a strong breath of salt-laden air fell upon the faces of those on, deck. " “furry up with that boat!” roared the skipper. ’“'The storm is coming!” “Aye, aye, sir,” came the voice of the mate from the side of the vessel. 2 “In with you, boys!” cried Ben Bluff, hurrying to the gang- way. “Where is Clifford?” cried Jack, as the roar of the approach- ing wave grew louder. “He can’t be below at this time.” “In with you all!” cried the captain from the boat, and Dick followed. Stags At that moment Jack hurried down the cabin steps calling aloud for Clifford. : The man stepped hurriedly out from his place of conceal- ment, seized a cask standing on end near the cabin and hurled it down the companion. It struck the door, closed it, and held it firmly in place, wedged in between the sill and the bottom step. At that instant a line of foam extending a long way in either direction could be seen rushing towatd the doomed vessel; the ‘noise becoming almost deafening. Clifford dropped over the side of the vessel into the water “He ought to have gone “he must have gone ers striking the stérn a few moments later. - Jack Port, calling for Clifford, felt a sudden shock, heard a dull sound, and stopped as"if deprived of motion. “What is fhat?” he gasped, darting a hasty glance over his shoulder. { Then the roar without grew louder, and as he hurried toward the companion, he felt a shock which seemed to make every timbe r of the little vessel quake. Then followed the sound of a heavy body falling upon deck, and in an instant a shower of water came down the skylight, rushing in all directions. Jack leaped toward the cabin gangway, but when he reached ; ‘the door he found it fast. y, h ‘My God! Tam caught ina trap! my he gasped. “The storm a prisoner. What. shall I do? “What can I do?” ; There was another shock, and the doors at the foot of the} camp union were pugdenty forced open ad a flood of water | } riedly. ‘and struck out vigorously for the shore, the first line of break- which dashed the young fellow along the passage and into the main cabin, just as the vessel received another shock which made all her timbers creak and quiver. Then there came a blinding flash of lightning which illu- mined all the cabin, and revealed a door ee to the steering place aft. In an instant Jack had thrown this door opén and rushed up the steps to the cockpit, reaching the wheel at the very in- stant that a huge wave struck the stern and deluged the vessel. ; The young fellow was swept off his feet and borne across the deck, and out into the yeast of waters beyond as inieovs he had been a cork, a mere plaything. As he was swept forward by the resistless force of the waves, a flash of lightning lighted up the vessel, and he saw the masts come crashing down as though they were twigs. Then he was dashed onward, lifted up and flung upon the shore, stunned and unconscious, while the wave retreated, all white and seething. As that giant wave dashed upon the level erouna beyond the rocky beach, a man fled before it and hurried to the ‘Shelter of the grove. 4 “The Sprite is breaking up,” he muttered, looking out to sea when out of danger. “I won't have any more trouble from ‘ Mr. Jack Port. How fortunate that Dick said I was below. It was the merest accident, but it rids me of my rival forever.” Reaching the grove, Clifford turned and hurried toward the point where the boat had landed a moment before, meeting Ben Bluff, the mate and Dick Port hurrying up the slope. “Have you seen him?” he asked. “ Where is Jack?” “T don’t know,” said Dick. “Didn’t you meet him? He went below for you, didn’t he? ” ei “No; I met him at the head of the companion. You had fast gone; we could not make you hear; the breakers were almost upon us; we leaped into the sea and struck out boldly for the shore; then a huge wave struck us and—oh, I cannot bear to think of it—I never saw him again; he must be—haven’t yon seen him?” “No,” said Dick, with a Veen: “put let us search for him; perhaps he was thrown on shore. Whereabouts did you land?” — “Almost at.this very spot,” said Clifford. “I heard you com- — ing and thought that Jack might be with you.” eles “Y’ve got a light,” said the mate, who carried a lantern. at “Let's look along shore and maybe we'll find him.” : “Yes, we must save the poor fellow,” exclaimed Clifford, hur- “He may have been thrown ashore unconscious, and _ the next wave will carry him back again, if we do not hasten. — Come, it cannot be far from here where he came ashore.” ‘The hypocrite, pretending a grief that he did not feel, led the way along the coast in a direction which took him — away from the spot where he had come ashore, not that he feared to come upon the dead body of his companion, but in or- is der to more completely deceive the others. it, “Up and down they searched, but found no trace of poor Jack, . until at last those who did not know the truth were forced to we believe him dead. ; ; ¥ QHAPTER XII. aE ee THE MISSING FOUND—CLIFFORD’S SURPRISR. When the sun arose the next morning nothing was seen of — the Sprite but scattered fragments strewn along the shore, here a spar,’ there a ae of ante pirat yonder a Sere of the “wave. ; For some distance th
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LOST ON or boxes, some close vat hand, some far away, as though the sea had meant to make the work of destruption. as complete as possible. The vessel had been entirely destroyed, the huge waves which broke over her as she lay exposed to their fury, held fast by sharp coral, having soon rent her timbers asunder ‘and scattered them broadcast. As soon as the first streak of gray light sat in the east, old Ben Bluff stumped down to the shore where the surf was still rushing up the beach in tumultuous billows, and gazed sadly at the wreck of his beloved vessel. “Not so much 4s a stick left standing; not a plank left to stand on,” he muttered. '® Cast away, nobody knows where, perhaps never to see the old home again. Well, I never thought that the last v’y’ge of old Ben Bluff would end like this.” As soon as the sun had arisen all hands assembled on the shore, and efforts made to save whatever could be saved, bar- rels and boxes placed together, timbers dragged from the water or drawn out of the sand, and everything that could be of any use secured at once. Two chests of tools had been saved, and there were, besides, doors, the timbers of the house on deck, several coil of rope, a large quantity of sail cloth, and many other things that could ae = use in building a house. . Wattles thought of the stone house discovered the day Soar on the opposite side of the island, but the strange ex-} perience he had there deterred him from suggesting that they make the place their future residence. ; “Like as not the place is haunted,” he muttered, “and no- body knows what nests of snakes and spiders and all them pison things there mayn’t be in the place. No; I reckon we’re safer where we be.” « There being all the materials for a house at hand, as well as the tools with which to build it, the work was begun at once, the site selected being the little grove where the shelter had _ been erected the previous night. While the men were at work clearing the ground, cutting down trees, sawimg timbers, and otherwise getting ready for the building of the house, Kitty took a small pail and went to ‘the spring for water, while Ida assisted Honora in preparing dinner. = Having filled her pail, the young girl; went out into the open, intending to return that way instead of through the grove. She had taken a few steps only when, to her intense surprise, she saw a man lying stretched out beside a bush, half buried in sand, his arms stretched out to their full extent, and his face turned toward the sky. ' With a stifled cry upon her lips she sprang forward, iktlelt at the man’s side, and gazed wildly upon his pale, bloodless face. Dipping both her hands into the pail, she scattered the con- tents over ‘the white face, and then put her ear close to the _ man’s breast. It was Jack, but whether he was alive or dead was some- - thing that as yet she could not determine, She smoothed away the tangled hair from the pale forehead, bathed the face tenderly, and raising one of the outstretched hands, felt of the pulse to see if her darling still lived. In that moment she felt that she loved the man more than she had dreamed, would be willing to aa up everything that he might live, even her own life. Presently she felt a glad thrill sweep ‘through her, and the tears welled from her eyes as her ears caught a faint sigh, a slight breath fell upon her cheek, = the eyes of her lover, slowly opened. “Thank God!” she murmured, overjoyed, ‘as she raised Jack’s head and held him in her arms. —thank God! you live!” lance ail around, while a outs look same Guat uns THE OCEAN. ‘seizing the young fellow’s hand. “You are not dead; you live | iced the increased tenderness between! ‘ lovers, Mad ve Tack looked at the young girl, and then. cast an ead thes “Where is the yacht?” he asked, faintly. srateSy (ec ' “vhis is the island; don’t you remember the place we came to after the storm?” “The island—the storm?” apeatalt Jack, passing his hand wearily across his forehead. caught by a cyclone; we lost all our instruments; we were driy- en we knew not’ where, and then--we were wrecked here, cast upon this island, last night. Were any others saved besides ourselyes?” “Yes; we were all saved, Gack, all of: us.”, “Does the skipper know where we are?” asked Jack, ‘growing stronger. “Oh, yes; we are on an island, ” said ‘Kitty, who saw that Jack had evidently forgotten about their arrival at the island and only remembered the storm. He presently arose, and leaning on her arm, went with her to the camp, Kitty giving the skipper, whom she first met, a warning giance, as she said: “Here is another, captain; and now we are all are “Aha, Jack, my boy, glad to see you,” said honest Ben Bluff, “Sit down, lad, ye must be worn out with fighting the waves; but we’re all safe now, and not a man missing.” ’ Dick Port came up at that moment, and Kitty, darting . quickly to his side, said: “Jack has been found, but his’ memory seems. affected. He thinks that we came here last night for the first time; he only remembers the tornado. We had best humor him.” “Alive!” gasped Dick. must have been carried to a greater distance than we thought.” The young fellow went to his brother at once, and found that he had received a bad woundgon the head, and this it was, no doubt, that caused him to forget what had recently happened, and remember sax hy those events which had taken place pre-: viously. ‘ : Dick bathed his brother’s wound, and gave him some light a Lg “Oh, yes; I remember; we were - “T had scarcely dared hope that. He — but nourishing-food and drink, and at last saw with gratitude that he seemed to be greatly improved and to be on the way to. recovery. Clifford did not know of Javk’s ‘being, alive until noon, and when he came in to dinner with which time Jack had just awakened greatly refreshed. “How are you, Clifford?” he said, cordially. pieces so soon. fused. What sort of a place is it we've found? They tell me. it’s an island, but J suppose nobody knows whereabouts it is?” ea “When Jack began to speak, Clifford was in terror lest the i young man would accuse him of having sought his life; that, more than the fact of finding him still alive when he believed ‘him dead, causing him fear, but, as he went on, it was plain e rest of the workers, by “Glad to see ch you. We have found land at last, I see, The poor Sprite is no more, though. We must have struck heavily to have her go to iy I remember being thrown into the water the i moment we grounded, but after that things seem a bit con- n that Jack’s memory was at fault, and the treacherous rival breathed more freely. = “He remembers nothing,” he thought, with a feeling of ex- ultation. “He cannot aceuse me; my story Will never be doubt- ed, and I am safe; yes, and more than that, he shall never possess the girl I love. His memory is gone, his brain is affect- ed, he is a wreck of his old self, he will excig# only pity, while —I—will make her love me, and she shall be my wife. Things have turned out well, and the prize is mine. ikvet } _ As the day passed, however, and. Jack did his share of the ane as ever, with ‘senply: that one lapse of memory as io what happened that second night at the island, and as Cliflord not- aS is ase he hissed:
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16 have sworn to possess her and I will, in spite of all. So havea care, Jack, how you thwart me!” CHAPTER XIIl. AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER. _ At the end of a week there was a comfortable house on the island, large enough to hold all the castaways, all hands hav- ing assisted in its erection. A flagstaff, from which floated the Stars and Stripes, had been placed in front, and inside everything was ship shape, according to the ideas of old Ben Bluff, who determined -to have the place as much like a ship as possible. Over the front entrance was a porch, and surmounting this was a frame supporting the ship’s bell, which was reached by a stationary ladder, the hours and half hours being told off, day and night, as though the crew were still afloat. The beds were bunks, the kitchen was the galley, the sitting- room was the cabin, and, in short, all the rules and regulations that had obtained in Ben Bluff’s cottage in the auiet New Eng- land village, were in force on the island. The house was built of the timbers of the yacht, helped out ‘by trees which the castaways had felled, the doors and windows doing service for the new home, as well as the furniture, nearly all of which had been saved in more or less good condition. As regarded the question of living on the island, there was no fear on that score, as they hdd stores enough to last all hands a year; and, besides this, the island was well stocked with fruit and vegetables, to say nothing of pigs, poultry, goats, birds, and other food animals. « There was no question that the island had been inhabited , at one time, and that the sheep, pigs, goats and fowl to be found upon it had descended from the original stock placed there, and increasing until there was no danger of the supply of food giving out, even had the number of the castaways been twice as great. : There was powder and ball in the cabin of the yacht sufficient to last a considerable time, ‘put there was little occasion for using ammunition, as traps were easily made, and the crew were adept pig-stickers, and could bring in a fine fat shoat or _lamb or brace of fowl whenever they were required. ,“Now,” said Ben Bluff, when the house was furnished, and all hands were living at their ease, “here we are anchored on Fy _ shore, and I want ye all to understand that ’'m just as much 4 “the skipper here as if we was floatin’ on the briny deep, and any one what mutinies will ‘get in irons. Stop laughin’ ; you _red-headed she-dragon. What do you meaneby it?” “Nothing at all, captain dear,” answered Honora, who had bi offended on this particular occasion, the skipper making his speech at the dinner table, “only as we have no irons, it’ll be _ hard to put anny wan in them, I reckon.” _. “Don’t you fret about that, cook,” growled the skipper. “If | you do anythin’ agin the rules, you'll find the irons fast enough.” _ | “Is it flat irons ye mane, captain?” asked the incorrigible cook. “If that’s it, we have them; but they're a bit rusty, : and I’ ‘ean’t find anny wax, for the reason that the nagur do be takin’ = to pif the inds ay his sansa ee bad’ manners to r4 im,” “Don’ yo’ utes dat, eap’n,” retested Joe, who waddled in ' with the dessert. “Dat 1y “shwoman’ ’s all de time sayin’ suthin’ - “bout me. Jes, yo’ gib “de odah fo’ she to be put in irons, ” “Belay thar, you lubber! ” roared the skipper, looking around or something eo Cah at ane ‘gone! negro, and Joe became tiently. - “Good Heaven! what has, i 3 ; aK LOST ON THE OCEAN. Now that the discipline was once more restored, Ben Bluff : thought it proper to improve the island as much as possible, and with this end in view, various public works were begun and carried on by the men during the day watches. ‘ First, a stone wharf was to be built, then a stockade around the house, and stone walks laid from the house to the wharf, and along shore as far as the cliffs in one direction; and to the mouth of a deep creek in another, it being proposed, in time, to put the entire island under cultivation, to build houses, lay roads, and, in short, lay the foundation of a great republic in this unknown land. “Nobody knows where we are, and how long we are got to stay,” explained the skipper, “and they ain’t no harm in layin’ out work to do even supposing it ain’t all finished.” “Tm for exploring that old house again,” suggested Dick. “We were frightened away for nothing that day, and we ought to go back and see what there is there.” “You can take a cruise there some day when it’s your watch below,” grunted the skipper, who would allow no change to be made in his man-of-war regulations, even although they . were now settled on land. ; Honora made the most objection to this way of living, and it had its disadvantages as far as she was concerned, although the others might put up with it. “The idee av rousing a girl up in the \middle av the night afther a short four hours sleep just for the whim av that ould lunatic,’ she would protest, when called in the middle watch. “Go an wid yez and don’t bother me. I'll not get up for ye,” | and more than half the time she would not. Dick made up his mind to make a thorough examination of the oid stone house, as he was sure that some record of the former inhabitants of the island would be found there. The strange noises that had frightened them upon their first . visit were due to some natural cause, Dick persisted, and were not uttered by ghosts, evil spirits, or anything of the kind, as the sailors insisted. ea } “TI don’t believe in such nonsense,” declared Dick, “and I’m going to give the old place a thorough overhauling, sg “Tll go with you, Dick,” added Clifford, “for I don’t take any more stock in_these ghost stories than you do. ut Ait “I’m with you, too, Dick,” said Jack, “and I propose that we visit the place at once.” j 4 f The three young men, armed with guns and an ax for clear- ing away the underbrush, started early one morning, before sunrise, in fact, and took the most direct way to the. old stone house. ti They. reached the grove in which it ‘stood after something | / more than an hour's tramp, and pausing a few minutes to clear — Me a better pathway, boldly advanced. ~* t The door they had pushed open upon their first visit was now closed, and they looked at each other in surprise. “Didn’t we leave it open-when we went away?” asked Dick. “We certainly did,” assented Clifford. “This seems very strange.” } “Oh, bother, some of the men have been here since, and have t ‘ elosed it to keep the pigs and goats out,” said eset TUG: “Come on; we can easily open it.” — ; st “I wouldn’t, Jack!” cried Clifford, hastily, as Tack’ sprang forward. ‘Perhaps, after all, there are others as the island Buy besides ourselves, and——” na .Unheeding the warning, Jack dashed forward, threw himself Si : against the door and forced it in. } As he did so there was a puff of smoke, a loud report, and | then the whizzing of a bullet through the leaves beyond. fi » Jack fell to his knees in front of the door, his face as wh: as ashes, and a red line on one. ne, as though a knife had been passed across ity c
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LOST ON THE OCEAN. forward and seizing his brother in his arms, - are you hurt?” Jack arose to his feet with Dick’s help, for he seemed too weak to stand alone, and said faintly: “Who fired that shot, Dick? Was it an accident, or what?” The door was now lying flat on the ground, and from the darkness of the old house came a wreath of gunpowder smoke showing that the shot, whoever had fired it, came from within. “Are you hit, Jack?” asked Dick, anxiously. “No, I think not, or at least not more than a scratch. I stood sideways to the door and threw my shoulder against it. Otherwise I should have received that shot full in the breast.” “Come away,” said Clifford. “We shall only be exposing our- selves needlessly in trying to enter the place. Some one is within, and they have us at a disadvantage.” “Yes; we shall gain nothing,” said Jack. “We'd better give it up.” \ _ “Not a bit of it,” said Dick, boldly, unslinging his rifle. “TI am going in. Ahoy there! I am going in, and if you don’t _ like it, say so at, once,” Then, with his rifie at ful] cock, and ready to throw to his shoulder in an instant, the daring young fellow entered the mysterious house, “Speak, Jack, CHAPTER XIV. " THE MYSTERY OF THE STONE HOUSE. * Advancing two or three paces into the room, casting. quick _ glances on either side, and listening for the slightest sound, ' Dick called out resolutely: “Who is there? Let him come out, whether friend or enemy, and not skulk in the dark like a coward.” — There was no answer, and Clifford and Jack followed the brave lad, Jack exclaiming: “Come away, Dick, come away. You can hanaiy i hi an enemy to show himself.” “He must,” muttered Dick, resolutely, advancing another step, “or I shall——” At that instant the same blood-curdling shriek that had before alarmed them echoed through the place. Dick threw his gun to his shoulder and fired in the direction _ of the sound, the report echoing like a thunder-clap from the stone walls. _ The terrible shriek was repeated, and Dick, brave as he was, and fully determined to fathom this mystery, was forced to retreat. 4 _ The three young men halted a few paces from the house, and Dick, reloading, said firmly: ] ; “T’d like to pound myself for getting so scared.| I didn’t sup- z pose that mere screams would frighten me. I.know what it hs Let,” “What is it?” asked Clifford and Jack in a breath. “It’s some crazy fellow who has been cast away on the island % like ourselves, and having no companions he has gone mad. _ He can’t hurt any one.” © "He ts armed, at all events, ” said Clifford, “and you can’t tell what mad fancies he may take. I think we had better leave him alone for the present.” ~ “Glifford is quite right,” added Jack, “and I. don’t like to have you expose yourself needlessly, Dick.” “Perhaps I have already finished him,” replied the younger brother. “That shot of mine must haye——” “Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!” sounded that terrible ugh from within the old house. ‘h three pace took to their heels and eee only when AAR “What's the matter, “It’s no use at all;” cried Dick impatiently. “A fellow can’t get accustomed to a sound like that. Maybe if I hadn’t been - brought up in a mad-house, I wouldn’t mind it, but it takes the - starch out of me in spite of myself.” “T. think we are wise in giving the place a wide berth,” aad Clifford. “You are certainly right about the house béing oceu- pied by some poor, mad sailor, but madmen are not always harmless, and the less we meddle with this one the better.” “Yes,” said Jack, with a tremor in his voice. “I had a nar- row escape of it myself. That bullet just grazed my temple, and——” “What's this on your shoulder?” interposed Dick. “There is a hole right through your shirt, and, see, there is blood!” The young fellow turned back the collar of his brother's shirt, and there, on the left shoulder, was a lump of clotted blood, showing where the fiesh had been plowed by a bullet. “The fellow must have a regular battery with him,” mut- tered Dick. I know that it seemed to me that. a dozen bullets cut through the iéaves, and here are two, certainly, that———” “Yes, and here is another,” said Jack, showing a hole in his sleeve. “That one went through without doing any damage.” “I wish now I’d hit the fellow,” said Dick, doggedly. “He certainly meaut to kill you, and it wasn’t his fault that he did not. Come, I don’t seem to care so much about going through the place as I did. We'll have to get the madman out of that, however, one of these days.” The party now went down to the beach, and Jack’s wounds, which now began to smart, were attended to. Dick found a spring of water not far away, and tearing his handkerchief in strips, he crushed the leaves of a plant which he found growing in the wood, made a poultiée, and bound it upon the wound upon his brother’s shoulder, fastening a wet bandage about his head, the simple treatment bringing consid-: erable relief. “What's the use of studying medicine if you don’t put what you learn to some use?” remarked Dick, when he had finished. “It’s lucky that I knew that that plant was a healing one.” “We shali have to appoint you the physician to the yacht’s company, Master Dick,’ iy said Clifford. “You are really quite in- dispensable.” “TI accept the position,” said Dick, smiling, “although I hae I shall not be called upon to give my valuable services often.” “Shall we make any more explorations?” asked Clifford, “or had we better return to the camp? There is no danger of our meeting the crazy man, I suppose?” “T would not mind if I did,” said. Dick, “provided it was in the open ground where I would have the same advantages he 17. has; but I don’t like this fighting in the dark, where you never | know when you may get shot in the head. it “Tt is just as well to keep clear of the place until all diana) can be present,” added Clifford, who seemed desirous of avoid- ing the old house. “Come,” said Dick, “suppose we follow the shore and ‘go home by wiy of the cliffs. Do you know, I am quite anxious to see what that iron ring that Uncle Ben found in the rock may mean. There must be some secret cave in the cliff.” The three set out along the shore, but were, presently forced to leave it, as the road was impassable. They struck through the wood, where the path was SO well defined, and after an hour’s tramp, came out in sight of the sea at a point considerably to the south of the cliff. asl By this time it was well on toward noon, and Jack suggested that they return to camp, as they still had a Ma) walk be- fore them. When they reached the house they found Ben Bluff tshaleg at his sidesand a brace of pistols in his belt, Bans Ben?” cond s Dick. “Do ix % |in front of the house in full” captain’s uniform, with a Soom of:
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18 esses ON \THE OCEAN. The mate came hurrying out of the house, Yacob and Brophy were already % their places near the door, Joe came - puffing from the kitchen, arrayed in white jacket and cap, while Jack, Dick and Clifford éame running from the shore where they had been engaged in getting out stones for the pier. : “Inspection, you lubbers!” roared Ben Bluff, a big, brass trumpet in his hand. “What sort of show do you suppose i you make? Where’s your togs, you swabs?” » “This isn’t Sunday, uncle Ben,” said Dick. “You don’t have inspection every day in the week.” f “Belay that, you pirate!” growled the captain. “Let me tell ye, sir, that I have inspection on this ship whenever I think proper.” : j “Yes,’ sir, but in the navy——* “Belay it, I say!” came the bellowed interruption. “I’m admiral and commodore and cap’n and the whole fleet in — these here waters and they ain’t nobody to give me orders. © Brophy!” - } SH “Vis, sor!” promptly answered the bowlegged Irishman, touching -his cap. 5 pect a visit from the admiral of the fleet, or has a hostile ves- sel appeared in the offing?” “What does this mean, you young rascal?” demanded the skipper, gruffly, swinging around so as to face Dick. “Where have you three mutinous young pirates been all morning?” *Pxploring the island,” answered Dick. “It was our watch below, and you said we could do what we liked then.” “Yes, you saucy lubber, but- not without lettin’ the skipper or Mr. Wattles know where you was!” roared the old disci- plinarian. “You left the ship eae permission, and I’ve a mind to put you in irons for it.’ “Well, but you weren’t up when we went ashore, sir, Dick, with a laugh, “and we didn’t want to disturb you.” The skipper hopped upon his good leg and swung around with his peg at right angles to it, intending to catch Dick a blow with it in the shins,‘a favorite practice of his. Dick jumped aside nimbly, however, and the result was that the skipper spun around and sat down somewhat heavily ppon a bench alongside the door of the house. “Avast there! What do you mean by that, you young-mon- key?” he roared. “You'll stay on deck this afternoon for that, do you mind?” “Run up the colors, you flery-headed son of a carrot!” “T expected to,” chuckled Dee, as he ran off, seeing the two} » “Yis, sor!” and up went the good old flag, fluttering in girls approaching. the breeze as it.reached the top of the pole ne was unfurled. “Been in an engagement, have you, Jack?” asked the skip- “Mr. Wattles! ” cried Ben Bluff. : er “What have you got your head triced up for like that?” Aye; aye, sir.7 / t “We had a little adventure at the old stone house *on. the “Let the band play Hail Columby or suthin’, sir.” other side of the island, sir,” ahswered Jack. “It seems that “Yes, sir,” said the mate, with great promptness, while Dick we have a companion on the island, Sir.” : } grinned. : * “Yes; and a peor, mad sailor,” added Clifford, “and he does The two girls now came up, having been for a Walk, ne not seem to like our intruding upon his quarters.” the skipper hailed them. iets Me! “A crazy man upon the island?” muttered the skipper. “Young ladies, attention! ” oe “What does he look like? Maybe he can tell us where this “Aye, aye, captain,” cried Ida, coming -to a halt, and stand- : blessed lost land is. Did ye ask him?” - |ing as rigid as any soldier. Rthaat _ . “We did not see him, sir,” said Jack. “He kept ott of sight,| “This is inspection. Take your places for’ard of the ‘main but we heard him, and he fired on us. and I got hit.” mast.” , % -“H’m! Tell me about it, my boy,” muttered the captain, anx-| Aji hands were now drawn up in neler and the skipper _ iously, who forgot all about his iron-clad rules and regulations | marched out in front and surveyed them critically: ny now that he knew that his nephew had been in danger. “Byes right, chests out, shoulders back, attention! M The girls and Dick now came up, and Clifford noticed with Wattles! ” x jealous hate that Kitty was all concern, all attention to} “yeg sir,” Jack, and scarcely noticed himself. “One 0’ your watch is issn? 2 _ “You are not badly hurt?” she asked as Jack began his story,| «“T] think not, sir.” her face paling, her voice assuming a tender tone, and her en- “Yes, there is!” with a roar. “Don’t you think I know ever » tire manner showing the alarm she felt. mdthents son of my crew, sir?” is _.. “No, no, it is only a scratch,” said Jack; “it is nothing; it “There ain’t none of em missin’, sir,” replied the mate. | ~~ will not amount to anything; “tes must not alarm yourself “Yes, there is. Where's that’ red-headed dragon of a eae needlessly.” “She ain’t a mother's son, sir, * chuckled Dick, who. never “But you will not risk your life again; you will not go near! would remember naval discipline when he scented a joke. > that. dreadful creature?” she asked in a tone of entreaty. “Silence, you young stowaway! * cried the captain, «NG “No,” said Jack, while Clifford muttered to himself: body told you to speak. Mr. Wattles! | ‘» ; Teeny aay “Another miss; ’ but next time I shall not fail, you may be| “yes sir. pe’ sure.” y i ’ “Send for ‘the cook.” rae j “She am in de kitchen, I specs,” said black Joe, and I don’t blebe she wan’s to be boddered.” ” j “Go fetch her here, you plack son of a "ad setae: com: manded the skipper, in his most thunderous tones. — vies Away went Joe to the kitchen, where Honora was up to hi elbows in flour, preparing ‘a lot of dumplings for dinner. — ae “De cap’n he wan’ yo’ fo’ inspekshun, I’ish,” he anno oud “Go on wid yez, don’t ye see I’m busy? Go tell the old that I can’t UTaE: 4 ” said CHAPTER XV. \ 3 MORE TROUBLE WITH THE CREW. ' “Look alive there now, my bullies! Stir your stumps, all hands! Don’t you know it’s eight bells? Where’s the watch there?) Turn out, everybody, for drill and inspection. Look | - sharp ere, I ‘say!” wm porary ; Sey ea Brophy had just struck ,the bell for eight’ bells, or four _ o'clock: in Laihe ge neere and oa the kana now eka: returned Joe. “Deed thin it che and Pm ‘not goin, an’; in yer, pole eae euicke it, Bsrgeiriht zu
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Py eta Dee tehs Honora raised her big white hand full of flour and smote him in the face, while with her left she fetched him such a buffet on the ear as made it ring. Joe beat a retreat at once, and dashed out of the house and in the presence of the crew, looking like another man. His black face was white, but it was not the whiteness of the proud Caucasion, but more like the graveyard pallor of a sheeted ghost, while here and there the original Ham shone 3 through the veneering of flour. “She done say she wouldn’t come, cap’n,” said Joe, unaware of the comical appearance he made. The girls giggled, Dick howled, Mr. Wattles guffawed, Bro- phy roared, Yacob opened, his mouth so wide that the top of his head appeared in danger of coming off, and all hands ex-= cept the captain made some demonstration of mirth. “Och, chiminies, yust look off dat plack mans once,” cried . Snitz. “He has been white already by a minute)” “Wud yez luck at de nagur?” asked Jim Brophy. _ skinned, or phat’s the matter wid um?” “Attention!” bellowed Ben Bluff. “What do you mean by coming out here in that fashion, ye black ruffian.” Joe put his hand to his face and wiped off several ounces of flour, thus discovering why ajl the rest of the crew laughed. “Reckon dat I’ish gal do dat, cap’n,” he explained. “She am a terror, she am. She say she wouldn’ come, an’ I jes’ blebe she mean it.” ‘ “Brophy! “xis, ssor,* “Ya, cabdin.” ; “Go and bring that mutinous Irish cook out here, and don’t take no for an answer.” “You was want me to bring dot vomans, deat or alife, cab- din?” “No, you son of a Dutch cabbage; bring her alive.” ‘The ill-assorted pair went into the house and proceeded to deliver the captain’s orders to Honora. They fared no better than black Joe had, for in a few minutes they. both came running out, Brophy with a flour sieve on his head, and Snitz with a rolling pin flying about his ears. “Mein soul, cabdin,” said Yacob, “dot vomans was a gaution. ‘You don’d can do noddings mit her.” : “Begorry. she aquils a throop av sojers for gettin’ rid av her inimies,” added Brophy. “Hadn’t yez betther go afther her yersilf, cap’n dear?” 5 “Dick!” cried the skipper, with never a nantes on his weath- er-beaten visage, “go bring that troublesome Inishwoman ~~ out here, or I’ll bfve to put all hands in irons.” “Aye, aye, » cried Dick, picking up a bit of rope which lay near the door and going in. “See here, Honora,” he said, as he went into the kitchen, “why don’t you come when the captain sends for you? Here you are, keeping all hands waiting just for your obstinacy.” -“Yis; and av I go the dumplin’s will be sp’iled, and all for _ that ould woman ‘of a skipper wid ‘his ordhers and his dhrills ‘and his inspections and all that, and not a ship in sight. Faix, if I could get away from the place I’d give up me sittiwation _ to-morrer.” “Well, the. skipper says you must come,” said Dick, with one hand behind his back. - “Phat’s that yez have behind yer back, Masther Dick?” : asked Honora suspiciously. “It’s not the irons, is it?” ’ “No, ” said Dick; “but it’s a great) big: snake, and I’m going to thrash you with it if—” : _ Honora uttered a as bene as Dick suddenly produced the “Was he Ts Yacob!” cried the skipper. A. oe eee ge ee ee Se ee ee eee ee ee a oH ee Sal ‘ eisure, and with a Broad grinxon his ross face. an LOST ON THE OCEAN. curdling laugh of a madman. is ishgiec 19° remarked, as he took his pines in line, and the inspection Fe proceeded. Z aia CHAPTER XVI. | DICK'S DISCOVERY. ’ The work on the pier went along rapidly, and little time was left for the exploration of the island, the skipper believing that it was better to make their home comfortable and to com- plete the necessary improvements ea: to spend their time running about ‘the island. : The sailors had a superstitious rae: of visiting ‘ite old stone house on the other side of the island, and Clifford took care to fasten this and to excite their imagination by tales of what he had heard and seen there. Dick Port, merry and -mischief-loving though he was, ‘at times had nevertheless a grain of seriousness\in his composi- tion, and he was not satisfied to let the mystery of the old house go unsolved. He thought it strange that no one had seen the maniac, ans was determined to find out who and what wy was, Sapa all risks. Three or four days after the last visit © the. old ongs) he set out one Sunday morning, when no one was at work, for Ben Pluff was a good old Methodist, and always kept the Sab- bath, and took his way to the other sid¢ of the wens without telling any one where he was going. — In fact, he was at some pains to conceal his departure, and slipped off without being noticed or even missed until he was” well on his way. ° He was provided with a rifle, and had a Beintnl swung at his belt, for if he happened to come to close range with the mys- terious madman, the latter would be a more effective weapon than a rifle. He reached the house in about an hour sie a half, and to his surprise he found the door open instead of shut as he ex- pected. ; All was quiet about the old house, and there was such a rest- ful atmosphere over all that one could scarcely believe it to be the abode of such a terrible creature as the madman was thought to be. The young fellow determined to be cautious, and, pe there. fore made his way along the front of the house, in order to see if there were not some means of reaching the rear. Upon coming to the corner, he found a wall inclosing a small track of ground; but it was impossiblbe to follow this, as the trees had grown so thickly about it that in beast it could hardly be seen. He managed to make out whére the angle was, paeees =i and followed‘the turn for about twenty feet, although he could — get no nearer than three or four feet. : Retracing his steps, he was within a few yards at the door when that awful laugh rang out upon the air, and he stopped, . nearly petrified with . “T won’t stop,” he Said, in a tone of determination. “] must learn what this means.” And then, rifle in hand, he advanced boldly and entered the door. - “Who is bere?” he Bes in a loud tone. here, I say?” ; irs “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” was the answer, as though sonie one — a had been seized with an uncontrollable fit of laughter, ~ i There was something uncanny in the laugh, although it was — not so terrifying as the other outburst had been, being rather the mirth of some good-natured, jolly fellow, than: the blood- “Speak! Who is : gone. Taughing,” commanded Dik Ne
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20 LOST ON THE OCEAN. . fled with. Who is here, I say?” and he advanced resolutely, although the place was as dark as a tomb. Then, for the first time, he saw two gleaming balls of fire shining in the darkness, and a strange thrill came over him. “The place is the lair of some wild beast,” he muttered, “and it is that which has uttered this strange laughing sound. What can it be?” “Ha, ha, ha!” came the sound again, and, aiming at the two balis of:fire, which he took to be the eyes of the ‘animal, Dick fired. ‘There was a shriek, a whirring sound, and some large ob- ject dashed past his head, knocking off his hat and whizzing out at the door. . Alarmed, but with his wits still about him, Dick turned and rushed out of the house, being just in time to see a large bird, greatly resembling an owl, fly clumsily into a tree near by, where it disappeared among the branches, at the same time uttering the same laughing sound that had so alarmed him upon previous occasions. The mystery was explained, and the madman of the old stone house was nothing but a strange bird after all. “Well, of all things!” laughed Dick. “So it is that thing that has frightened us, is jt? An owl or some such thing, and we thought it a madman.” Another thought presently crossed his mind, however, and the mystery was still unsolved. Who had fired the shot when Jack had tried to force open the door upon their last visit to the stone house? The owl had not, certainly, and perhaps, after all, there was still a madman, and the owl was his companion. “T can’t understand it,” mused Dick. “The laugh is all right, but who fired the shot that nearly finished poor Jack? It seems to me that the mystery is as deep as ever.” Having come here to solve the problem, however, Dick was not going away until he had done so, and he now gathered a quantity of dry wood, carried it to the entrance of the house and set fire to it. \ ; A ruddy blaze soon sprang up and Dick added to the pile, so that in a few moments the whole interior of the house was lighted up. A room fifteen feet square appeared, and on the side opposite the door were windows, boarded up, and excluding all light, _two doors appearing in one of the angles. The branch of a tree, had made its way through the roof at one point, and it was on this that the owl had its perch, as could be seen by the worn appearance of the bark, the limb being nearly dead. Hurriedly crossing the space before him, Dick hurled all his weight upon one of the window shutters and i ei it from its place, letting in considerable light. The removal of a second shutter made the place lighter still, and when Dick had cut away the branches that hung across the openings, there was scarcely any need of the fire, the place being now light enough to make things plain. _ No one appeared in all this time, and Dick saw no evidences of human occupancy about the place, for although in an inner room to which he presently penetrated he found a solid oaken table thickly “coated with dust and hung about with spiders’ webs, he saw no food, no remains of a fire, no footprints nor "any other sign of life. ; He had taken a torch with him into the inner room, and so was able to see without difficulty, and breaking down a door which he discovered, he found that it led to the front of the ‘house, and was one of those already seen, but not opened. “It's my opinion that there is no madman at all,” the young fellow muttered, as he came out, “and ane we were fright- ened for nothing.” This penenals left. the mystery of ‘the etn fired at. Jack ‘A . y r pal one, of course, being Dick’s strange basi in the old | said Dick, frankly. start and tell how I found out about it.” ‘covered the mage author of that wei rd lay still a mystery, however, for there was no other way of ex- plaining it. \ “At all events, if there is a madman, he is not here now,” | observed Dick; “and when he returns he will find his house — in better condition than when he left it.” Returning, to the interior and cutting away more branches, Dick now turned his attention to the second of the two doors in the angle in the wall. It appeared to be locked, but a few blows of the hatchet re- moved one of the panels, and inserting both hands in the gap, Dick tore it from its hinges, which were nearly rusted through. A deep closet with shelves appeared, and on one of the shelves was a dust-covered volume, with ee brass clasps and corners. Opening the book,. Dick found that it was a Bible, but the fly-leaf at the front was covered. with fine writing in some for- eign language, with this line in English at the bottom: “And this strange secret . buried treasure - pirate.” F “Buried treasure!” cried Dick. “Then, after all, I have dis- covered the key to one mystery, even if the other still baffles me. » CHAPTER XVII. WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON THE FLY LEAF. The Sunday dinner’ at the “Ship,” as the cottage on. the island was called, was an affair of considerable state as “well as renown, for all hands were present, no one having to stand a watch on deck on that day. It was more like a family dinner at home than a meal on ship, for on Sunday the skipper’s rules and regulations and | nautical discipline seemed to be done away with, and he was more like the jolly father of a large family than the com- mander. At the midday meal on this particular Sunday there were matters of more than usual interest to talk about, the princi- house. “You wasn’t present to prayers this mornin’, young feller, eer), the skipper said, when Dick returned shortly atone dinner was, i served. “What’s your excuse? Don’t ye know that we allus has ’em, and that nobody stays away ‘less they’re sick?” _ “You didn’t say anything about them this morning, Uncle | Ben, and the fact of the matter is I did ndét think of them,” | “But I’ve made a great discovery, sir, and — { know you'll be glad to hear of it. There is a buried treasure — on the island, and I can tell you all——” ae , “Belay there!” growled Ben Bluff. keep it to yourself ‘till after dinner.” Nothing more was said, therefore, but when dessert was ia brought in, and all hands were present, the skipper seine: jin the company by saying: fy “Now, then, Dick, what about that treasure of yours’ what 4 you've discovered on this here island?” : “Well, it’s a long story, sir, ue said Dick, while all the baat: é looked on in surprise, “and perhaps I had better make a clean t “Whatever ye know ‘The young fellow then proceeded to relate his adventur at the old stone house, the discovery of the Aenret of th brass-bound Bible ‘and the strange inte which it cont All of his. listeners paid the most rapt attention, : pecially Clifford, who did not take his eyes frora the whole time that. the. latter was explain ee
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e ~ LOST ON THE 3 OCEAN. 21 _ “He has not discovered as much as I feared,” thought Clif- ford. “He does not know the whole truth, I can see; he has only learned a part of it, and my secret is safe. It is a good thing I removed the evidences of my part in the matter.” . “This ‘ere is all wery interestin’, sir,” said the captain. “The writin’ is in Spanish, ye say? Have ye got the book with ye?” “Yes, sir,” said Dick, leaving the table for a moment and bringing the book from his locker where he had placed it. “I think it is Spanish, but it may be Italian or French. I am not very strong on foreign languages, I must confess.” The book was placed upon the table, and the two girls, Clif- ford and Jack Port looked attentively at it. “Tt looks like French,” said Kitty. “T see some Spanish words,” added Ida. _ mixture of both.” “You used to know a smatterin’ of them lingoes, didn’t ye, Mr. Wattles?” asked Ben Bluff, turning to the mate. “T did, sir, to speak ’em, but not to see ’em writ out. Mr. Dick or the young lady say ’em over and perhaps I mought get a reckonin’ o’ some kind.” “Here is a sentence,” said Clifford, “which means, ‘search for the hidden treasure in the blue cave,’ whatever that means, It is in Spanish; but very old Spanish, I would think.” “Here is something about the blue chamber in French,” cried Kitty. “It say ‘the blue chamber is the lowest of ail, and to reach it one must encounter great,’ I don’t know what— danger, I suppose.” “Perhaps it is a 2 oat “Well, we're beginning to get at it,” muttered Ben Bluff, “an’ now suppose we begin at the top and read it down, fust one, and then another, till we get the whole log.” E -. In this manner they managed to make sensé out of nearly the whole page, which, when put into good English by Dick, read as follows: , i ; ; & “In the year 1729, the first of the great treasure placed upon this island was hidden in the blue;chamber, which is the low- est of all in the great cavern, and to reach it one must en- counter great perils, the green staircase which leads to noth- ing, the lair of the serpents, and the death chamber which no one dare enter. The cave is reached from the cliff where the iron ring must be turned to the east when the stone can be lifted. The whole of the treasure in gold, jewels and precious _ stones was left here by Sanche the pirate. Doomed to die on _ the island I have discovered the hiding place, and to any one who comes here after me I leave’the secret, hoping it may _ benefit sae more than me, who shall lay my poor bones on this lonely spot to be forgotten.” ae /. “That's plain eibdeh; F said Ben Bluff, “as fur as the treas- ure is consarned; but it ‘don’t throw much light on the feller who writ this, nor ow he got here. I reckon he wasn’t a : Pirate, ‘cause such villains never trouble themselves with Bi- bles.” Betas 9 : “You were close upon inks ahoilye of the cave the other day,” said Jack, “but 1t may be as well that you did not find j it, for this letter speaks of dangers which you might’ have - Stumbled into without knowing the risks you ran.” a “T reckon them’ snakes was enough to startle any one,” de- clared Ben Bluff, “and then we might ha’ pulled at that iron Ying all day, and never thought o’ giving it a turn. I wish the ‘feller had said where the island is, though. That’s what [ care fur more’n to find a lot o’ gold an’ di’ monds what we ain’t got no use for.” Et “No use for, captain?” cried Kitty. “I'd like to have a few _ rings, a ea a ay and a pair of pickes eoe I think I could find _ause for them a “You ‘egutan’ t get off the island any sooner if you ae (a could ye, missy?” queried Ben Bluff. ) j ieee Let} : “No; of minis cS ROR: but net, i Pyve ai off va have ee ml “Very true, missy; but this here feller what writ this piece in his Bible, he didn’t get off, it seems, and maybe it’s him as goes wanderin’ around, as crazy as a loon, and a-scarin’ an’ frightenin’ of honest folks with his laughin’ and such.” “Its the owl that does that, sir,” said Dick. “He didn’t write in the Bible, I don’t suppose.” : “Very likely the madman may be found in the caverns,” said Clifford. “He claims to have found the secret of the treas- ure, and without doubt he visits the place often.” “He certainly has not been in the house for some time,” re- plied Dick, “for I found no traces of any one, and the dust was an inch thick on the table in the inner room, and as for the Bible, it looked as if it had not been disturbed for years.” “Maybe there was no crazy man at all,” suggested Mr. Wat- tles, “and we only thought there was, ’cause we heard the owl screechin’. I reckon the man what wrote in, the book is dead long ago, and they ain’t nobody on the island ‘cept ourselves.” “That’s about the way I work it, Mr. Wattles,” said Ben Bluff. “They ain’t no crazy pusson on the island, “less - the Datchman or that red-headed cook of ourn.” There was a laugh at this, and then Dick broke in with: “But who could have fired that shot, Uncle Ben? There was no imagination about that.” “Of course there’s a crazy man on the island,” interjected Clifford: Me iceapane I‘may say that I saw him this very, morn- ing.” “You did?” ejaculated several of the party. “What was he like?” asked Jack. ” } “He was tall and thin, with a quantity of hair on his bodr. which was nearly naked,” answered Clifford, glibly, “and he carried a huge club in his hand. He was at some distance from me, and I caught only a mere glimpse of him, and was so surprised that I did not think of following him until he had disappeared.” “Where did he go?” asked Ben Bluff. “He disappeared in the grove at the foot of the cliff.” “Then he must have gone to the cave,” said Jack. “We ought to search for him, for when we find him we shall find the treasure as well.” “Yes!” thought Clifford, “and if you ds go tg the cave I will make certain that you never leave it alive.” S } CHAPTER XVIII. A MOST REMARKABLE ADVENTURE. ; Dick, Jack and Clifford were anxious to find the secret caves and explore them in search of the b.dden treasure that very afternoon, but Ben Bluff interposed an objection. : a {t’s Sunday,” he ‘said, “and I won’t have any going arter pirate’s gold and di’monds on such a day. We've had enough scurryin’ around for one day, and I don’t want no more.” “But, Uncle Ben,” lea Dick; “I oon see what particu- lar——” “Them’s my orders, young feller!” roared the skipper, get- ting red in the face, “and there ain’t goin’ to be no goin’ ‘ua ; *em, sO keep quiet or I’ll put ye in irons.” “Very well, then,” said Dick, and, leaving the table, he beck- oned to Ida Waters, and the two strolled down to the water where they examined the horizon in search of a sail. Jack and Kitty went off in the opposite direction, while Clif- ford, rolling himself a cigarette, sat on the porch and idly smoked, addressing an’ “occasional remark to the mate, who ‘took up a ‘a position near him. “This tere reminds me,” presently remarked Mr.: Wattles, | | who was given to telling remarkable stories on occasion, | “of aouet what pares to me aires. ee TL was a youn,
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22 —— feller, an’ was on my fust v’yage in the bark Lyddy Maria, out o’ Boston.” } ; “Being cast away upon an unknown island, you mean, of course?” said Clifford. “Wall, no; not exactly that, cause we wasn’t cast away, and the place Was knowed well enough, but this here wild man business and snakes and all that.” “You would not mind telling it, I suppose?” said Clifford, who had his reasons for keeping alive the discussion concern- ing and the belief in the madman of the island, “Why, I’d like nuthin better’n tellin’ ye the story,” muttered the mate, filling and lighting, his pipe. “It was the bark Lyddy Maria as I told ye, and we was bound from Boston to Rio, but, meetin’ a storm and bein’ a bit shook up, we put in at the West Injy Islands to, straighten things.” Brophy and Snitz appeared on the scene at this moment, and " perceiving that a’story was being told, sat down on the grass to listen. Brophy smoked a short clay pipe, while Yacob ent a square inch of tobacco from the plug, put it in his mouth and began chewing on it in-a most vigorous fashion. “Wall, as I said, we was struck by a gale o’ wind,” continued the mate, “and got pretty well shook up, an’ three of. our sticks being tore out, the bowsprit broke clean off, and the rudder post pulled out of the socket, but we managed to get ‘up a trysail, and stood for the nearest port.” Black Joe, who had been to the spring for water, now joined the group, piacing his pail on the platform before the door and standing with his hands on his hip listening. “Well, we managed to meen one of the islands in a.day or so, and “put in for repairs.” ’ “Begorry, yez needed thim,” said Brophy, “wid all yer masts gon’ and the bowsprit and rudder done away wid. It’s a won- dher how yer iver rached land at all.” “Wall, we did,” grumbled Mr. Wattles, “and don’t you go to stickin’ in your jaw agin, fur [ won’t have it. Wall, as I said, we reached the island and began to fix up a. bit. “There wasn’t much for me to do, and I got leave to go ashore and have a run around, the old man tellin’ me to be sure and come back by evenin’, for he expected to sail by thé! time the moon came up. : that if I meant, to get thick to the old bark afore she sailed, “Off I sot, and, not carin’ much fur the town, I struck out into the country and tramped about forty miles afore I begun to think about gettin’ back to the wessel. : “They ‘wasn’t more’n an hour or so left to the time I was to get back, and I knowed I’d have to hustle, but just as I started, up there riz out o’ the ground a great, hairy man nine foot high, with a club twice as big as himself in hie fist, and made a grab at me. “I got so scared that I up and run with ail my might, but I never looked ‘which way I was going, and, ‘stead o’ takin’ the road back to the bark, I ran just t’other way, and never not- iced it till I’d gone twenty miles, and run clean slap up again the side of a mountain what I knowed I hadn’t seen afore. “Wall, I was so astonished that I just stood there for ten minutes in surprise, when the big man came up and grabbed hold of me, stickin’ me in his pocket like I was a plug o’ ter- backer, and rushin’ up the mountain with me. “He took steps forty foot long, and went up like greased lightning, for, if he. wasn’t much on the level, he could beat the pigs at climbin’ hills, you’d better believe.” “We got to the top of that there mountain, about ten miles high, in about five minutes, for the big man was a clipper for climbing, he was, and then he sot down on a big, flat rock. at » the top of the hill, took me out of his pocket, sat me down alongside him, and went to winkin’ at me most awful. ea fl have on stir. my see putty IVOLY. ue LOST ON THE OOBAN, e e : ; a a a ea “Begorry, I think yez would,” mptterpa Brophy. *A comet wouldn’t take ye there too soon.’ Yacob was chewing away at his plug, but his eyes were very much larger than when the story began, and seemed in danger of popping out of their sockets. 2 “Wall, the big feller he grinned at me, and then took out a knife about four foot long from the very pocket I had been in myself, opened thea big blade, and begun sharpening it on his boot, “I thought what a fool I was not to ave knowed the knife was there, for I might haye stuck him with it just as well as" not when we were running up hill. ; “Wall, when he had got the knife sharp enough, and had tried it on one 0’ the hairs of his beard and split it\clean in two — at the fust slash, and it was at least an inch thick, he looked at me agin and grinned most turrible. “Then, he took a handkercher out of his pocket, about twenty © foot square and as thick as sail cloth, $pread it out on the rock 4 and chucked me in the middle of it. ; o “I noticed that there was a tear in one corner of it and an- other in the other one, catecornerywise, but I hever guessed — how it was going to sete me JURY, then, for I was saci scared to death. ' be “The sun was most down, /but it shone | in my eyes as I lay. on. my back, and I snoze most terrific, giving ihe man sucha baa q that he jumped back thirty foot. ‘ “T jumped up, but got my heel fast in the tear e, e comers of the handkacher and rushed forward just as I felt a batt, om wind come down from t’other side of the island. “Wall, the sun had went down, and I knowed that somethin had to be done putty sudden if I wanted to catch the bark afore she sailed; so I jumped up, caught t’other hole in the 5 handkacher, stuck my head through and giye another be jist as it began to blow a living gale: ) A “well, sir, that handkacher just swelled out and made tues % puttiest sail ye ever see, and away'I went afore the wind, fairly — kitin’ and dropped on the deck of the old bark just as she was. : leaving the harbor.” At the conclusion of this wonderful tale Snitz swallowed his quid, choked and made a terrible time, Brophy slapped him on | the back, while Joe, jumping aside. to escape the Trishman’s ; fist, fel] into the pail of water, upset it, and rolled | ReLeae the platform. onora, hearing the disturbance, came running out, broom in hand, and began to belabor all hands, sparing none, but giy- 4 ing every one a buffet. ‘s Clifford escaped in one direction and Mr. Wattles in sidihene and at last poor Yacob, having caught his breath, straightened 3 up, shook himself, and muttered: “Py chiminies, off you told some more big lies ae dot a ready, I.should die once.” } “T believe yez,” said Brophy, dodging: a blow ‘boom Honora’s broom. “They’re too strong = yez, intirely!”, ee] , ees ; any : AIH CHAPTER XIX. ’ i ON THE VERGE 3 ee work to do.on the piers, the stockade, and ater improve which had been projected. : | “What's the good o’ this money to us, ‘anyway, Billy W: aie he said to the mate one hpi as they all sat ar The ae me Mr. ae Wide ‘Gis
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LOST ON. THE OCEAN. | eae 23 ~ much chance o’ makin’-one on this island. We might build a boat, but a boat ain’t going to be big enough to take away all ; that treasure, and I wouldn’t be bothered earryin’ off a little bit and leavin’ the biggest part behind.” “Couldn’t we come back for it, cap’n?” suggested the mate. “Yes, we might, if we knowed where to come; but we don’t - even know which way to go to get away from this here blessed island. Nobody knows whether we're in the Canaries or the Bermudas, or where we is, or if we ain’t somewhere in the Pa- cific. We're lost, that’s what we are.” “I don’t think it’s as bad as that, Uncle Ben,” said Dick; “and I think I zan locate our present whereabouts.” “You do, hey, you young upstart?” roared the skipper. “teachin’ yer elders their business, are ye? Well, you've got - more cheek nor a little. I don’t know where we are, and what business are you got tellin’ us the place?” “Perhaps he does know,” said Ida Waters, coaingly; “and anyhow, it won't do any harm for him to ‘tell us what he - thinks. He can’t prove it, you know.” a “Well, go on, you young scamp,” growled the skipper, “and _ give an old salt a lesson in navigation, but if ye don’t make out a clear case I’ll put ye in irons, just bear that in mind,” : Dick cleared the table, took a piete of white clay and marked - out. a rough chart of the lower Atlantic eoast of the United States to start with. “Here is where we sailed,” he began, making a round mark, _ “and our course was about south-south-east. Then the gale ~ caught us and drove us ahead for more than two days. By that time we were, say, well below Hatteras. Then we drifted, k being outside of the gulf stream, and on the fourth day a cy- clone from the south-west struck us and we headed to the wind and drifted against it with the current down among the West - India Islands.” ; “Well, and gn a then?” asked the mate. clear enough.” — Geo a “Does it?” grunted Ben Bluff. “Cuba and Domingo and them is such little em that we wouldn’t be likely to see "em, hey?” * “My opinion is,” said Dick, drawing a line on his extempo- rized chart, “that we drifted through the windward passage between Cuba and Hayti in the darkness, and you know how black it was, and that then some current bore us tor the east- ward past Jamaica, and that then the wind changing, we were - driven upon this island, which lies, I should think, off the coast - of Venezuela, just about here,” and Dick made a small circle to - indicate the island. - “EPm!” muttered Ben Blluff, not looking at the chart, “there i is islands off the coast of Venzuely, there’s Curcoa and Mar- jarita and Tortuga and Buen Ayre, and there’s others, but it is a good four hundred miles acrost the Caribee ocean’ to any one en ’em, and do you mean to tell me we could drift that fur in the time we had?” “Wall, I don’t know about that, sir,” said the mate. “I’ve - heerd tell he ‘some wonderful dr bt myself, and I was in a ship onee 4“vhat——” 5 “Never mind any of your yawns, Billy’ Wattles,” titi bupiBa - Ben Bluff, with a grunt and a growl. “We never know where uyer a-goin’ ter fetch up when ye get spinnin’ them sea-tales 0’ your’n. There ain't no end on ’em,” and the skipper gave a hitch and a spring which brought him on his feet, and then umped out of the house. > Dick and Ida Waters followed; Tack aa Kitty sat in a cor- ner by themselves, and the mate and Clifford entered into a - discussion of the situation over in another corner. “That much, looks “As how, Mr. Wattles? We ain’t got a ship, and I don’t see | ‘le “int and. Snitz Sent outside to have a quiet mk and untidy vilyans,” and with a damp cloth the tidy stewardess erased the chart which Dick had been at such pains to make. “I dunno but what he’s right,”. said the mate at that mo- ment, arising from his seat, “and the island ought to be ac- cordin’ to his reckonin’—— And here he broke off short: “What’s the matter with yez?” asked Honora. “Where's the chart?” ; “Sure, [saw none.” “It was marked on the table with a lump o’ chalk.” “Waix, thin, it’s rubbed out. Av yez.want to make charts, don’t go dirtyin’ up me clane tables wid ’em.” “H’m! Ye blunderin’ Irish lunatic,” growled the mate, “that there chart give the position of this here island, and now you've went and——” j “What! ” ” eried the skipper, who came stumping back into the room at this moment, “has that there stupid Trish girl rubbed it out? ” “That's just what she have, Sih yaiae “H’m!. And I was just making up my mind that Dick was right, and was comin’ in to locate his island. I know the hull of that South American coast.” “That for yer chairts and yer chalk mesh sith all yer musses,” snapped the incorrigible Trish girl, snapping her fin- gers. “Nobody knows where we are, and it wouldn’t do thim any good ay they did,” and Honora went away to her own quarters in triumph. Dick could not fix the matter in his mind after that, and all his sueceeding attempts at chart making vay, resulted in fail- ures. “Tt’s a great ay I didn’t’see the fust.one,” sighed the skip- per. “I reckon I could ha’ located the island from the mark that Dick made. but now there ain’t no guessin’ it. Reckon now we must be in the Canaries arter all.” . ! “Then where’s the peak of Teneriffy?” asked Mr. Wattles. “T dunno, I’m sure, Billy,” answered Ben Bluff, dejectedly. “Maybe it’s been blowed down just to bother us.” ecas Two days after this the skipper gave his consent to the ex- ploration of the caves, and Mr. Wattles, Dick, Jack, Clifford, and Brophy set out on the expedition, being supplied with ropes, torches, and other things needed, the skipper and the rest of the crew remaining behind. “One-legged men is no good in a place like that, ” declared the skipper, “and this thing can go’on without me. T’ve had one experience at the cave, and I don’t want another.” ; - The explorers took the path along shore, ascended the cliffs, and at last stood before the iron ring set in the rock, where the skipper had formerly been so alarmed by’ the serpents. None were seen now, and Brophy, who was provided with a _ short iron bar, inserted it in the ring, which he and Mr. Wat- tles then turned toward the east. ; The movement caused the large slab of stone. to revolve, leaving an opening a foot square on one side of the slab which’ contained the iron ring. - ' THe latter stone could now be pushed aside with little dif- ficulty, and an opening three feet square’ was made, sate) a flight of stone ‘steps leading below. “Here we are!” cried Dick, lighting a torch, “and now to bere opulent the pirates’ treasure ‘house!” tery ic See i CHAPTER XX. “IN igen: OF aman FE Ae aids a Bes s t 4 : | Mr, Wattles | Jed ‘the: way down the steps, followed by | Jack | and Clifford, in the omer named, ‘the little
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ad LOST ON THE OCEAN. The steps went straight down till twenty-four had been pass- ae Don’t pick it up!” cried Dick, in alarm, dashing forward ed, and then they took a sharp turn to the right and wound in|and seizing Brophy. a spiral for eight or ten more, when they continued in a “Why not, then?” asked ‘the man. straight line again in the same direction as the first section. “Because the air of this place is death.” cried Dick. “Look!” At the end of a dozen steps a platform was reached, and here | and he held the end of his own torch to the ground, where the three or four passages led off in as many directions at the end | flame was extinguished as suddenly as though it had been of a few yards. plunged in water. : “Here’s a flight o’ steps, and good ones; reckon we’d better] «The place is full of deadly gases, which at this point lie take these,” said the mate, entering a passage on the left and | close to the ground, but which, as you advance and descend descending a flight of well made stone steps. lower, fill up the cave. This is the death chamber against He had not descended more than seven or eight of them, | which we were warned.” Bee ie oo Dick, who was close behind him, with a torch, “Another thing worth knowing,” mused Clifford. “If one erled, excitedly: 2 f plan does not carry, the other may.” “Come back; come back; don’t you see that we are going down the green steps? No one knows how soon they may end .and we will go plunging down into the abyss.” Those behind hurried back, and Mr. Wattles, pausing, looked -around and said: “You’re right, Dick; the walls and steps are as green as grass. Wonder what makes it?” ~ j “Mold, I suppose,” said Dick. “It’s a mercy that I noticed the color in time and remembered what the paper said About them.” ‘““What did it say?” asked the mate. “To beware of the green stairs which end in nothing.” “Oh, that only means that we will find nothing after we get to the. bottom,” observed Clifford, with a slight sneer. “I don’t Suppose there is any real danger in going down. Suppose we follow them and see what really is at the bottom?” i “T don’t see no use in that if there ain’t nothin’ there,” re- turned the mate. “Come on, We don’t want to lose no time.” z The party retraced its steps and entered a passage on the right, Clifford hanging back unobserved. . | When the last man had entered he stole back to the green stairs, and cautiously descended a dozen of them, when he paused, struck a match, lighted a‘small bull’s-eye lantern which he took from his pocket and threw the light below him. “The steps seem all right so far,” he mused, as he began slowly descending, feeling his way with the utmost caution, At the end of five or six more steps he paused, arnts the light downwards and directly in front of him. The steps had taken a turn at this point, and ata point a yard or two in advance, the light did not make a bright spot on the wall, but seemed to go on and on until it was lost. Clifford took another step and held the light close to the - stone. : _ At this point the steps took a sharp turn, and then suddenly ended at the verge of a precipice, the height of which could not be ‘determined, as the light of the lantern failed to pene- trate to the bottom. ~ “Good!” muttered Clifford, as he retraced his steps.: “Once let me lure Jack Port to this spot and his life won’t be worth a rush. I’m glad Dick made this discovery, for no one puts '. much faith in what that rattle-head says, and it will be easy - enough to make Jack think that the treasure is down there.” ‘Reaching the top of the flight, the man extinguished and se- -_ereted his lantern, entered the right-hand passage and soon‘ caught up with the rest of the party, who stood at the entrance of a chamber whose walls were blood red. ' “This one is red,” said Dick, at that moment, “and the blue "one is the one where the treasure is.” “And that’ is the lowest of all; so the record in the fly-leat fd says,” answered Clifford. ce must find another flight of steps somewhere.” ' an ‘see wan beyant,” said Brophy, entering ‘the red chamber. “Suppose we follow it. Oh, murther! phwat is that?” _ The man, torch in Bands had fanee sha a few steps, when he “Troth, I think ye are a wise young man,” said Brophy, as they retreated from the red cave. “Yez do remember every- ; thing. I wondher howiver we reach ‘the blue cave, anyhow?” “Here’s another passage,” said Mr. Wattles, when they had — traversed the main corridor a few yards. “Maybe this is the one we ought to take.” ‘a & a ‘ 7 4 He pointed to an arched passage, very little higher than his head, leading down a gradual incline and turning at a dis- tance of ten or twelve feet. = Jack Port, who carried a coil of rope slung over oné shoulder, | and across his chest, advanced a vew steps, held up his torch — and said: 4 “This looks more like it than any ther we have yet tried. ; Suppose we follow it.” He led the way, the others following, turning every three or :; four yards, and still going down, not step by step, but by a 3 gradual incline. y € They had turned fully ‘a dozen times, when they came ‘upon a level platform, eight or ten feet in length, at the end of which © was a flight of three wide stone steps. a At the bottom of these was an archway, over which was a. 2 whitened skull fastened to the wall by a huge spike driven into the forehead. - ; / ; tie 4 The archway was barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and just the height of an ordinary sized man, the sides being formed of rough, jagged crystals, which emitted a i blue glitter in the light of the torches. — i: “The blue cave!” cried Dick. “This is the treasure room. at last.” ° y ( seen at the entrance, As the party entered, a auitating of wings “was. acces and a number of bats began flying wildly about, uttering shril oF cries and emitting a sickening stench when they eae too closely. ee SANA or igs Dick knocked down a score of tied while e Brophy uttered a startled cry and exclaimed: Me haa “Be the mimory av St. Patrick, this must be the place where all the toads and snakes wor sint Ss a they ‘wor r dry out a Terland. The place is full av thim.” Jack Port uitered an exclamation of disgust as he tape great, fat, dull- -eyed toad out of his path, and slimy sna ie ‘and quick-moving lizards darted’ away on every side. — i se heap of skulls and bones could be seen in’ one ‘corner; eon far away and placed close against the opposite. wall were af le a score of big iron-bound chests, covered with dust and fes tooned with thick webs, woven by fat, evil-looking spiders 5 ran into thele holes as the light of the ieee see fell upon t ¥ touch a penny. av the treasur fine 8 the jaws av h
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LOST ON THE. OCEAN. CHAPTER XXI, POWN THE GREEN STAIRS. “Nonsense, man, don’t be afraid of a few spiders,” said Dick, 3) When at the top of the spiral path Jack Port stumbled and dropped his torch as Clifford suddenly exclaimed: **“Look out! Here’s two of the horrible creatures right be- hind us!” Jack’s torch went out, ae as he scrambled to his feet Clif- _ striking his torch in front of one of the chests and destroying ; ford said: in a moment the work of many long, patient months. The webs caught fire and blazed up like so much tow, while the spiders scurried away into dark corners, the bats darted ; ' “This way, Jack, this way; I know the way out.” The others were considerably in advance, and Clifford, mith an evil light in his eyes, hurried Jack toward the left-hand away screaming, and the snakes hissed and squirmed away, | Opening in the passage, and which led to the green stairway. finding a refuge among the skulls and bones tossed carelessly on the floor. “It ain't a very nice place,” muttered the mate, “but gold is gold an’ di’mon’s is di’mon’s, no matter where ye find ’em. Try if ye can bust open one o’ them chists with the crowbar, Jims 2409 “Tt’s not me that’ll. touch a finger to it,” answered the Irish- man. “I’m not afeared av pirates or lions or tigers, but thim snakes an’ toads an’ spidhers has a curse an thim, an’ I’ll not ’ go near thim.” ; “Here, give me the bar, you chattering idiot,” cried Clifford, snatching it from Brophy’s hand. “Hold your torch closer, - Dick. There, that’s it.” There was a sort of iron \strap around one of the chests, and Clifford inserted the bar between this and the chest itself, and pried vigorously, snapping the iron band in two. : In another moment he had‘ pried open the lid of the chest a and had thrown it back, disclosing a mass of gold coin, jewels ’ and gold plate thrown loosely into the chest, and half filling it. _“There, that’s a good start,” he exclaimed, taking out half a - dozen gold pieces and putting them in his pocket. “This chest i, ‘alone ought to make us all. vies, and there are ten of them in pally” At that moment a wild cry was heard from ‘Brophy, who was ! seen staring fixedly at the pile of skulls on the floor. - *Oh, murther! Look at that!” he gasped. They all turned and saw, coming from the pile, the head of Yan immense serpent with glistening eyes and swiftly darting - tongue, glancing this way and that as it turned its head and hissing in an angry fashion. _ More and more of its body appeared, and, as it! finally freed _ itself and glided toward the intruders, two more, as large, if : “not larger, came from the game uncanny hiding place. os “Down with em!” cried Dick, striking the first monster on the head with his torch. : Clifford fired a shot from his pistol at the second, and Jack _ struck down the third and trod on its venomous head with his _ heel as it lay writhing and hissing on the floor. The blue crystals began to emit a ghastly light, and to send aia eRe aes Sti 3 as though the poison it contained had created a chemical a change; the crystals béing formed IpEgely, of copper, which is - most easily affected by acids. . - The sight alarmed Brophy, and he fled a terror; Jack, al- though he could guess the explanation of the phenomenon, being greatly startled. -- Although the first of the monsters had been dispatched, there “Were others, for, as Brophy in his mad haste tripped and, fell. over the pile of skulls, six more of the terrible creatures ap- peared and rushed, hissing and writhing, upon their common enemy. “Better retreat, boys,” cried the mate. f, “The torches is most give out, and there’s too many of these critters.” Q There was a scramble for the opening, and they rushed out one ata time and hurried up the steps and up the incline lead- eo ‘to the main passage. ¥ oe a i rophy was, first, then ‘the mate and Blok, igeh Port next, out thick vapors as the python’s mangled head struck them, ; those monstrous serpents rushed upon us. “This way!” he hissed, dashing his torch to the floor as he espied the opening into which he hurried Jack, the other be- ing powerless to resist. , “Stop! Where are we going? This is not right—we are go- ing down again!” cried Jack, as he stumbled down three or four steps. 4 “It’s where I want you 6 go—where you’ll never trouble me again, Jack Port!” hissed Clifford. time I have tried to put you out of the way of troubling me, but it will be thé last, for now I shall succeed.” “This is not the first’ “My God! What would you do?” gasped Jack, trying in vain to hold back. “What piace is this where you are sending me?” | “Down the green stairs, which end in nothing—which end in death! “ hissed Ciford, as he suddenly hurled himself upon his rival. _ Jack plunged forward, uttered a wild cry and felt himself falling into space. The cry was repeated, there (was a rush of air, a heavy body went plunging downward, and then, at the end of several sec- onds, a faint sound as of a weight falling into a body of water. Clifford lighted his lantern in feverish a shot its rays down into the darkness, and hissed: “Lie there, you miserable upstart and pretender, lie there and rot, for you will never trouble me again. I failed when I tried to throw the bowlder on you going down the mountain. | You escaped when 1 locked you in the cabin of the yacht, the- bullet wént wide of its‘mark when I set the trap for you at the ‘old stone house and frightened you all by the story of the sup- | posed madman, but this time I have not failed.” by “Hallo, Clifford! Jack, where are you?” cried the voice of Dick in the passage outside. : Rar ee Clifford's lantern’ was extinguished in an instant. “Ahdy! Is that you, Dick?” he cried, hurrying: 4 the steps. : “Yes: where are you?” Clifford reached the passage as he saw the light of Dick's torch enter the red chamber. “Here I am!” he cried; seen him?” “No: but I found his torch. He fell, and it went out when a We were both in “but 1 can’t find, Jack. Have you arkness, and I am afraid—you have not, really seen him; you _ are not joking with me?” “Joking?” cried Dick. afraid of?” “That Jack has lost his way and perished in the ae: cham ber. The.air there is fatal. Have you looked?” i “Yes: and I can see no trace of him.” } “Let us look again,” ‘whispered Clifford, a dreadful thought entering his brain. “We may yet save him. We must not let. him die without trying to save him.” Mi At that moment the mate camie hurrying down ‘the steps ats leading to. the cliff. “Have you found them? oH asked My. Wattles, “Clifford, butndt Jack. 1 am afraid that. he has fallen down +: 7 the pit at the end of the green stairs.” * “The spit,” repeated the mate. “Who seid there was a pit?” “There must hele ried. be : Hat This - ithe: 01 ening Poe Sei: yi bs ralbag te Pte § 9 indeed. Tuer is it that Bou are |
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ri f ee who until now had never harbored a suspicion of the ' and search for him.” ‘schemed to be cheated in the end, when I have succeeded in re- “her how Jack had lost his life. 26 LOST ON THE OCEAN. ; = ee) “Take care, my lad; you mustn’t go down there,’ ” cried the} that, and yet, well, I don’t see why he need go on the way he you ‘mate, warningly, did. He and Jack were neyer such sworn friends as he made At that moment Brophy came hurrying out of the passagé.| out. There was a little too much of that, as though he were enh “Misther Jack has gone down the green stairs,” he cried., “I | trying to make Kitty think more of him for being: such a good ‘ found his hat at the place where they break off.” friend to Jack.” , ; “Down the green stairs!” cried Dick. “Then he is lost, lost!” There was no time to follow out this line of reasoning, how- “Yes,” thought Clifford; “and now the prize is mine.” ever, aS they soon arrived at the house, where dinner was ;~ “t 2 ; awaiting them, and the sad story had to be repeated to the iy captain and to Ida, who did all she could to comfort her bro- ken-hearted sister. 5 When Ben Bluff heard what had happened, he brushed away _ a tear which ran down his bronzed cheek and muttered: ; “It’s all my fault for letting him go. If I’d ’ve stuck to my fust notions this wouldn’t ha’ happened. -There never was " any luck in them pirates’ caves, and the money what you do “a find there brings, no good with it. That's the last time that 4 any -one goes to that place. There’s bad luck in it, and we ‘Ss don't want no more lives lost in the wicked place.” The more. Dick thought ‘over the matter the more? he was convinced that Clifford was in some way connected with his brother's death, and he determined to settle the question one way or the other, and either prove the man innocent, or confront him with the full evidence of his guilt. He said nothing concerning his intentions, but shortly after dark that evening he quietly left the house, having made his — preparations during the afternoon ‘for a further exploration 3 of the cave. s “We all accepted the theory of poor Jack’s death too eae denly,” he mused, “and made no attempt to discover if he might not perhaps be still alive, and if I find that the poor fel- © low might have been saved, I shall never cease to blame mypelf, hy for not having gone sooner to his assistance.” 5 He leit the house very quietly, so as not to attract atl tion, and he had already passed through - the grove and was well on his way to'the foot of the cliff, congratulating himself upon having escaped without being seen, when he heard h own name’pronounced in a whisper ems a little clump ¢ trees on the left. Zz f “"St! Masther Dick Is it ye that it abla ifs ee “Yes: is that you, Jim?” asked Dick, in a low tone, as he ‘ hurried forward. “What are you doing out here?” “Nothing at all, Masther Ditk; the same‘as you. be no harm in goin’ wid yez, I suppose?” “Did Uncle Ben send you out here vs any upon me?” as da: Dick, suddenly. “Indeed he did not,” answered Boop with. great ee ness. “I’ve had, stratige notions, Masther Dick, and I'd crazy if I didn't tell them to pengtiody I do believe rm h fake ed.” A * ‘tdtiaenae: Jim,” said Dick, as the pte, walked along. ehanically. “What makes you say that?” .“I do be hearing Masther Jack’s voice all the Wk the as I h’ard it in the Sars) at the bottom av thim pocirecd sti 7 CHAPTER XXII. DICK’S SUSPICIONS. VERIFIED. _ The exploring party returned to the house with sad hearts, the appalling accident to Jack Port being the one theme of conversation. , Kitty saw them coming, and ran to meet them, supposing, of course, that Jack was with them, but bee tek Se his absence as soon as she reached the party. “Where is. Jack?” she asked at once, addressing Dick. “(Don’t ask me, Kitty,” the young fellow sobbed. “You won't see him no more, miss,” said Mr. Wattles, “Something terrible has happened.” “Dead!” gasped Kitty, turning i and falling half con- scious into Sige $s arms. “T fear so,” said Dick; “but do not be disheartened. We may find him yet. He fell down a precipice, and we could-not see’ him; but he may be alive for: all that. Wewill procure ropes “No, no; he is dead, and you are only deceiving me so that it will be the easier for me to bear it,” sobbed Kitty. “Oh, my: , poor Jack, my poor Jack, and I loved you so!.” Her grief filled Clifford with jealous rage, for. he felt that her love for the dead man would be a continual barrier to the love which he hoped to inspire,in her for himself, and that she would never consent to let another take the place which Jack would have taken had he lived. Tie _ “PH win hex yet in spite of all,” he murmured. “She shall, she must be my wife, come what may. I have not toiled and moving my rival, and I am determined that she shall be mine.” By degrees the young girl grew calmer and made Dick tell Dick could not supply. all the details, but Clifford had pre- pared a plausible story which he related, stopping now and then as though so deeply affected that he could not proceed, and seeming to be overcome with grief at the loss of his com- panion, whom he repeatedly alluded to as his best friend, the dearest fellow on ear th, the closest chum he eyer had, and by other tender epithets. * “Tf he was such a good friend to you, it was your duty to keep closer to him and prevent this awful accident,” said Kitty, who distrusted the mah, without knowing why she did so. ' “That reproach will go with me to the grave, Miss Waters,” ‘replied the arch hypocrite. “I know I did wrong. in not keep- ing nearer the poor SAMO but the place was so strange -to me, and——”~ * “Neyer mind, Mr. Clifford,” said the good-hearted mate, who lacked the perception of his companions, “you did all you could, and Miss Kitty will tell you so one of these days when she gets over this thing a little, my lad.” _ Kitty said no more, but walked back to the cottage with _ Dick, ‘Clifford being left to himself. - Ved wonder if ‘everything was as he said it happened? ‘iisaed the steps?” ‘ “It was.” » io ie “What did he say, Jim?” : “He called ay me | from the fettora, av that ay ful pit, Lo. apes an’ save him, and thin he laughed and- cried, : 00k on so dreadtal that I eee it wor sk ghost j eying le WS ? “He was peed attentive ig Seek but I never Anew he
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LOST ON. PELE OCBHAN> 27 wor only ghosts and spirits that were trying to draw me over the brink av the preshipish so that the poor bye might not be lonely on his journey to Purgatory, Heaven rest him, but it’s not Jim Brophy as wud be a fit companion to um, the fine, brave lad he was, and so‘l got frightened and run away.” “T tell you, Brophy, that was Jack’s own voice you heard, and got a spirit. The place is not as deep as we thought, and he s lying, crushed and bleeding—dying, perhaps—and we left him to his fate. Why didn’t you tell me this before, man?” and Dick seized Brophy’s arm with a grip that made him wince. © - ; “Aisy, aisy, Masther Dick; don’t be crushing me bones in- tirely!” cried Brophy. “Sure, how could I suppose the poor bye wud be alive afther falling down a place there was no ind to? It wasn’t reasonable at all.” “Stop!” cried Dick, after hurrying on for several rods. “Did he say anything else; mention any of our party? ” “He did that,” said the other; “he spoke the hame ay Clif- ford, and said the man had him pushed over, isha I hardly be- lieved it, he said so many wild things.” “Then I do believe it!” cried Dick, “for it is the truth. Rob- ert Clifford is a murderer, in heart, if not in deed. I know it, I feel it, and now I have the proofs! ” 5 ‘CHAPTER XXIIl. IN THE PIT. When Jack Port felt himself falling into the abyss at the foot of the green stairs, a startled ery arose to his lips, for he thought that death was close at hand. Everything that had happened to him in all his life seemed to pass before him in those few swift seconds, and the events of years were lived over again in a tenth as many momenis. A second cry broke from his lips as he felt himself suddenly arrested in his mad flight, and found that he was swinging _. from some fixed point above his head. ‘ _ » He threw up his hands and grasped a hard substance like a rock, and clutched it with a despairing grip. It was a projecting ledge in the wall of the chasm down which he had fallen, and might yet be the means of saving his - life. The coil of rope over his shoulder had caught upon this and had sustained him long enough to enable him to grasp it with, both hands, slipping off a moment later as he drew himself up out of the abyss and rested upon the ledge. _. Then he saw a flash of light through the darkness, and heard * the voice of Clifford, uttering words of triumph. : - In an instant he realized that the man had long. aoakht his life, and had attempted’it upon more than one Scariene and had at last, as he believed, succeeded. The truth, bursting upon him so suddenly, was more than gh aies overstratned nerves could bear, and his consciousness left | him. ie ‘Some time later, how long he knew not, he heard some one calling him, and he shouted back: “T am here, down the chasm. Save me if you can. Clifford be hurled me down, that he might——. Save me, save me; ha, ha! in the chasm, at the foot of the green stairs, ha, ha, ha, ha!” and a wild laugh succeeded his appeal for help, and then all, was darkness and oblivion. Tt was this cry that had so frightened Brophy, and ha caused him to think that ghosts and holgoblins were trying to ure him to his death, and he fled in terror. hen Jack again roused its | tmaselt all was still in the cavern, ’ dietodget a | loose sto , remember where he\was, and sent it rushing through space, a distant splash a few sec- onds later telling that it had fallen into the water. He remembered then where he was, and drops of cold sweat, stood upon his forehead as he realized his peril. He reached out cautiously, first with one hand, and then e other, and discovered that the ledge upon which he rested was abofit three feet in width and Beeler ies twice that dis- tance from the wall of rock. By degrees his strength increased, and he felt in his pocket for some matches, lighting three or four at once and looking ‘around him while the light lasted. F . Far above his head he could see the broken stairway, the green rocks shining in the light of the matches. He let his light fall, and watched them as they ee hur- rying down, going out before they reached the water. Cutting off a foot or two from his coil of rope, he unlaid the strands, pulled the yarns apart, and lighted the tow with a match, being thus provided with a very serviceable torch. With this he examined the ledge and the wall above and around him, and then, making a large bunch of raVeled yarns from his foot of rope, he allowed the entire mass to blaze up, and then cast it from him into the abyss. It went whirling downward, lighting up the gloom of this awful space, and fell hissing into a lake of water at the bot- tom, remaining alight for several seconds, till at last it went out, and he was again in darkness. ce ee is no use trying to get back to the green orp again,” he mused, “and Clifford. has doubtless reported that ys am dead, and there will be no search made for me. The only way of escape is by trying to reach the bottom of the pit, and even then I may not succeed in finding a way out.” He waited’ for some time in the hope that some of his com- panions might return, but at the end-of two hours, as he judged it to be, hearing nothing, he determined to make the effort to reach the bottom of the pit. 3 - Uncoiling the rope, he found that he had fully one hundred feet of it, which would enable him to descend to some lower ledge, if there were any, and thence to some other until he reached the bottom. “Tf there are no ledges large enough to stand on,” he mused, “the rope will take me a hundred fost: nearer to the water, and ‘I can drop into it.” Making another torch he let it fall, a ascertained that there was a ledge somewhat larger than that on which he rested, forty, or fifty feet. below him,. but consigers bly, to the | right. ‘ { Doubling his rope, he passed the loop over the spur of the ledge, putting his coat under it to prevent its chaffing, and then, grasping both ropes firmly, began to descend, hand under hand, keeping the part of the ropes which were below him wrapped once around his right leg. With an end of blazing rope in ‘his teeth» to. show him the way, he descended till he reached the level of the lower ledge, having still four or five feet of rope to spare. Swinging his body to the right and then. to the left, he grad- ually increased the length of his swing till at last he Sprang upon the ledge and loosened one end of the rope. It rapidly paid out, and in a few moments the whole coil feil about him and hung over the brink. The light showed him that there was another ledge, babes large enough to stand upon, at a considerable distance beter probably fully one hundred feet down. Making a loop in the end of the rope, he secured it to a spur ‘ of rock rising from ‘the ledge, drew it tight, as once more lowered himself into the abyss. bari, _ “Down, down, down he went into the. darkness, the vail ét the pit closing in about him till he seemed to be in a ‘shaft, of a mine; down, down, down, till the end of the rope ee stone reached, and. the ledge was still aaah him. a nae A r i
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28 ‘LOST ON THE OCEAN. Glancing below him, he saw that he would have to drop at|a gun or pistol inside the house in such a way that when the . feast six feet, with the chance of being unable to maintain | door was pushed open the weapon would be discharged. He. his hold upon the ledge, and a fall of unknown height beneath then made his way out by another door, which he took care to him. fasten securely, and then his trap was set. He probably went He was about to release Ais hold, having decided to make the | there just after our first visit, discovered the secret of that attempt, when there came a sudden startling sound from above, | mysterious voice, and made his preparations, knowing that we and rope, support and all were released, and Jack was suddenly | would return. He it was, too, you may remember, wh@ kept swung out into space’ and then hurled downward. alive the notion that the old house was the home of a madman. He struck the water with a splash that sent the spray fly-| He was constantly telling the men about it.” , ing far up into the shaft, and then sank far below the surface, “T have escaped from all his snares,” added Jack, after a’ his feet striking a sandy bottom two fathoms or more below pause; “but what is to be done with so persistent an enemy? the surface. : . | It will lead to a duel to the death between us.” When he arose he rested for a few moments, and then, being] “No, not now,” said Dick; “for we know him and can prepare ‘unable to see anything, swam slowly forward, until his hands | ourselves.” touched a wall of rock. “Waix, if I’had my way,” acataiee. Brophy; “Td take him He followed this along for a considerable distance, and was] back to thim green stairs and trow him down thim, takin’ the beginning to fear that there was no outlet large enough to ad-| precaution to put a bullet into his wicked brain in the forst — mit of his passing when he felt a-cold current strike his} place, to make sure that he’d niver throuble us again.” ’ knees. “No, we. can’t do that,” said Dick, “but we will find a way Folding his arms he sank below the surface until he felt the | to make him powerless to harm us.” _ older water on his face, when, feeling up and down the wall| “Some one must prepare Kitty for the good news,” said Jack. 4 with his hands, he found an opening three feet wide through | “She must not learn too suddenly that I am alive, for the reac- which the colder water entered. \ tion might kill her. Will you tell her, Dick?” Here was a passage to the sea, no doubt, and rising to the} “Yes; but we are not near enough yet. She may be ae bys 2 “gurface, ‘he filled his lungs with air, and then, diving, entered | the time we reach the house, and if so I will not awaken her. : the passage, and struck out boldly and vigorously. Poor girl, she was thoroughly wort out when I went away, and The current was against him, and he did not know how long|! do not doubt that she is now quietly resting after the terrible — the passage through the cliff, might be, but it was his only | Shock she received.” a chance of escape, and he determined to make the most of it. The three friends proceeded on their way, when, just before ‘The passage was barely wide enough to swim in, but Jack | reaching the house, the moon came up from behind the grove pushed on, now and then sending himself forward by a vigor-| and shed its full radiance over the scene. ie ‘ous shove against the rock with his feet, which saved his arms. “Wait a minute,” said Dick, pausing at the sage of the wood. ip * On and on he swam, but still the passage was filled with} “I will go ahead and see that the coast is clear.” ¥} water, and even grew narrower as he advanced, till at last At that instant a man sprang out from among the trees and he had barely room to pass even with his arms at his side. confronted them. His.head was beginning’ to swim, and he saw strange lights] It was Robert Clifford, his face pale and haggard, his eyes. dancing before his eyes, and felt that he was drowning when, | bloodshot, his limbs trembling. ap: . “ all of a sudden, he shot out into the open air, and in a few mo-| Remorse had prayed upon him now that he thought his hour” 4 ments felt his feet strike against the stones on the bottom. of triumph had come. Sleep was denied him, and for hours he He looked up, saw the starlit sky above his head, and great| had fought against the tortures of an Wssokers cas conscience black rocks all around him, and knew that be was in some se-| until he was well-nigh mad. eret nook at the hase of the cliff which none of his companions| He'saw Jack standing in the inooaltghst — the Suan sdembdl had yet discovered. to root him to the ground, | ~ i Following the course of the current, which was caused by “Go back!” he hissed; “go back to- the grave sae the foot. of / the rising tide, he presently passed around a great jagged rock | the green stairway where I hurled you; go back to the pit an i and out into a little bay at the foot of the cliff, across which he} leave me in peace; go back to your grave, I say; go back!” — et swam till he reached the sands, where he sat down bese ex-| “Clifford,” said Jack, advancing a step or two, “I am not hausted. ~ iy dead, as you think'me, but alive. Your schemes nate nie _ “Who's that?” he suddenly heard a voice cry out of the dark-| but do not think that I mean’ to take——” oy ‘Ress. “Tt ig a lie, a lie, a lie!” screamed Clifford. “You are not a “Jack,” he answered, and then there came an answering, cry, alive; you are dead, dead, and I have killed you; I lied to you, like a great soh, and in another moment a was clasped in his} led you to the fatal chamber, and hurled you to your death. “ ii as s arms. i You are dead, I say, dead. Go back to your grave, go back, and \ 4 do not seek to drag me with you; go back; go back; you ar : / \ Dante dead! ” j ce Y . The man was clearly insane, for he raved and shrieked CHAPTER XXLY. i ‘ made wild gestures, waving them back with his ‘hands and i . , hibiting the greatest,terror. ’ BEN BLUFF ENDS HIS LAST VOYAGE, “Stop!” said Dick; “Jack is not dead, Clifford. He e c iS t i death as by a miracle, and is still alive. You have——” | Jack’s story was soon told, and then Dick related how his] As Jack stepped forward, Clifford uttered a piereing s ' suspicions had been aroused, and how hé and Brophy had set and fled toward the pier which Captain Ben had been cons rue out to return to the cave and search for the missing man, when at the foot of the cliff they had come upon him. ; F “Then Clifford is responsible for all I have suffered,” sald Jack; “put there. ig still one mystery unsolved, and that con- cerns those mysterious shots which were fired at me from the e in the woods.’ Ps i, y a a
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LOST’ ON THE OCEAN. x 29 _ ee! F one sone intention to swim to another part of the island, fearing to remain near those who would be his natural enemies now that his crimes were known. The next day, when the tide came in, his body was thrown upon the beach not far from the cliffs, a wound in the head showing that the plunge from the pier must have been fatal, He had struck his head upon a rock on the bottom, had been rendered insensible, and had drowned, his body being carried out by the undercurrent, and afterward, when it came to the surface, cast upon the shore by the next tide. His crimes had been most terribly punished, and a just retri- bution had fallen upon one. who had misused his abilities, and had allowed hate and jealousy to rule him instead of tram- pling the base passions under his feet and striving to be a man. Kitty Waters did not learn of Jack’s escape until the next day, and not until several days, although she suspected that Clifford had sought Jack’s life, did she know of the terrible ' end of the man. None of the castaways ever again entered the cave where the treasure of Sanchez, the pirate, lay hidden, and it may be there to this day, forall that we know. For a year longer Ben Bluff and his crew remained upon the island, and then, one bright morning, after a terrible storm at sea, a ship came into the’ bay and dropped anchor. Ben Bluff himself ran up the signal flag from the pole at the shore end of the new pier. A boat put off, and the skipper and five jolly tars came ashore. “Welcome to this island, sir,” said the skipper. “i am Cap’n Bluff, of the Sprite, wrecked on this coast over a year ago, but before you tell me who you are, have the goodness to tell me where you are, for I’m blessed if I know. I’m reg- ularly lost.” “Wall, Cap’n Bluff,” answered the other skipper, “I reckon you’re on an island somewhere about seventy-five miles off the nor’ west coast of Venezuela. I was druv out o’ my course by last night’s storm, or I reckon I wouldn’t ha’ been here my- self.” “Then Dick was right arter all,” said the skipper, with a grunt; “and I never give him credit for knowin’ much. Reckon we must ha’ come just the way he said, and here we stuck, just too far away from anywhere so’s not to see nothing and no way o’ findin’ it out.” The party left the island that very day, things being left just as they’ were for the benefit of any shipwrecked. sailors who might at some time be cast upon it, and all hands sailed with Captain Wilkins for Demerara, whence they took a’ ship for Boston, and thus ended Ben Bluff’s last voyage, for he never went to sea again, having enough to do in looking after a lot of young grand nephews and nieces, the children of Jack and Dick. Port, for, of course, the two lively young fellows married Kitty and Ida Waters, and are as happy as the day is long. [tHE END.] Read “JACK WRIGHT AND HIS ELECTRIC CANOE; OR, WORKING IN THE REVENUE .SERVICH,” by “Noname,” which will be the next number (206) of “Pluck and Luck.” SPECIAL NOTICE: All back numbers of this weekly are always in print. If you cannot obtain them from any newsdealer, send the price in money or postage stamps by mail to FRANK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER, 24 UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK, and you will receive the copies you order by return mail. Sample Copies Sent Free!! “HAPPY DAYS.” The It contains 16 Large Pages. Largest and Best Weekly Story Paper Published. ; It is Handsomely ec alaudicbantotes | if 5 has Good Stories of Every Kind. \ It Gives Away Valuable Premiums. Tt Answers all sorts of Questions in its Correspondence lee ois Send « us i eu Name and Address ic a Spa Copy Free. ¢
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Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year Intered as Second Class Matter at the New York Post Office, February 4, 1901, by Frank Tousey No. VL NEW YORK, MAY 9, 1902.° Price 5 Cents, [ie in Bove [URED i . y rae SNARE THE ENEMY SET. —
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THE LIBERTY BOYS OF “76. _ A Weekly Magazine containing Stories of the American Revolution. { By HARRY MOORE. > These stories are based on actual facts and give a faithful account of the exciting adventures of a brave band of American youths who were always ready and willing to imperil their lives for the sake of helping along the gallant cause of Independence. Every number will consist of 32 large pages of reading matter, bound in a beautiful colored cover. The Liberty Boys of ‘76; or, Fighting for Wreedom. 36 The Liberty Boys’ Daring Work; or, Risking Life for Liberty's . The Liberty Boys’ Oath; or, Settling With the British and Tories. Cause. é The Liberty Boys’ Good Work; or, Helping General Washington. | 87 The Liberty Boys’ Prize, and How They Won It. The Liberty Boys on Hand; or, Always in the Right Place. 88 The Liberty Boys’ Plot; or, The Plan That Won, A The Liberty Boys’ Nerve; or, Not Afraid of the King’s Minions. | 89 The Liberty Boys’ Great Haul; or, Taking Eyerything in Sight. Liberty Boys’ Defiance; or, “Catch and Hang Us if You Can.’ | 49 The Liberty Boys’ Flush Times; or, Revyeling in British Gold. The Liberty Boys in Demand; or, The Champion Spies of the| 41 The Liberty Boys in a Snare; or, Almost eens Revolution. 42 The Liberty Boys’ Brave Rescue; or, In the Nick of Time. The Liberty Boys’ Hard Fight; or, Beset_by British and Tories.| 43 The Liberty Boys’ Big Day ; or, Doing Business by Wholesale. The Liberty Boys to the Rescue; or, A Host Within Themselves. | 44 The Liberty Boys’ Net; or, Catching the Redcoats and Tories, The Liberty Boys’ Narrow Hscape; or, A Neck-and-Neck Race|45 The Liberty Boys Worried; or, The Disappearance of Dick Slater. “ a Son AIQCR Ot =| ig Oo With Death. ey ane ede Bye) pion Grip; aR Sao me agers eae ; : e Liberty Boys’ Success; or, Doin at They Set Out to Do. ~ oo Tipe Boye Be FOr Eanes hice. or aided 48 ‘The Liberty Boys’ Setback | of, Defeated, But Not Disgraced. 13 The Liberty Boys’ Luck: or, Fortwne Favors. the Brave. 49 The Liberty Boys in Toryville; or, Dick Slater's Fearful Risk. 14 The Liberty Boys’ Ruse: or, Fooling the British. 50 The Liberty Boys ‘Avotiaed : or, Striking - Strong Blows for Liberty. Ae mee pee Bere ens fl ge Se Ne chen ie it. B} peel BPG fe Triumph; or, Beating the Redcoats at Their C} erty Boys Puzzled; or, The Tories’ ver Scheme. : % GiB ‘ 17 The Liberty Boys’ Great Stroke; or, Capturing a British Man-ot- Lr ane Lees Boe eee te See a Mile. ar. oe 3 ; or, 28 E ‘ ; 54 The Liberty Boys’ Flight; or, A Very Narrow Escape. se el Lasers Sore chatentes i, ely Meare Be ns ibe “Rote Beaiebe ot: Cob gia aig ae Rnady > » 4 > . . > o . g 20 The Likerty Boys’ Mistake; or, ‘What Might Have Been.” 5 mere end Boys’ Warm, Work; or, Showing the Redcoats How ot mee ee oe Ney on the pone tenes il Brown. 57 The Liberty Boys’ “Push”; or, Bound to Get There. - ; i e Liberty Boys a ; OF, e Closest. Call o ‘ 5 Bows’ i ; “ ” (ise 5) The, Liberty Boys on’ Their Mettle; or, Making It Warm for the ee Nn Vd Bey ilgpickc worse berg Oh Ee ms coats. 59 The T; 3 ; tee , ; 24 The Liberty Boys’ Double Victory; or, Downing the Redcoats and | @n The Lipo ad Bombarded aera Very) Warm, Sime Tortes. ' , 61 The Liberty Boys’ Sealed Orders; or, Going it Blind. ae 25 The Liberty Boys Suspected; or, Taken for British Spies. 62 The Liberty Boys’ Daring Stroke; or, With ‘Light-Horse Harry” — 26 he betty hes Clever Trick; or, Teaching the Redcoats a at Paulus Elook.° ng or Two. 27 Seen ack ere Good Spy Work; or, With the Redcoats in| 64 py ead Boys’ “Lone Hand”; or, Fighting Against Great a adelphia. y 8. 28 The hos ph Boys’ Battle Cry ; or, With Washington .at the Brandy- | 65 The Liberty Boys’ Mascot; or, The Idol of the Company. q wine. © ‘ 29 The Liberty Boys’ Wild Ride; or, A Dash to Save a Fort. : 67 The Liberty Boys’ Battle for Life; or, The Hardest Struggle of 80 The Liberty Boys in a Fix; or, Threatened by Reds and Whites. All. : ‘ 81 The Liberty Boys’ Big Contract; -or, Holding Arnold in Check. | 68 The lLaberty Boys’ Lost; or, The Trap That Did Not Work. 82 The Liberty Boys Shadowed; or, After Dick Slater for Revenge. |69 The Liberty Boys’ “Jonah’’; or, The Youth Who “Queered”’ Hyerything, 83 The Liberty Boys Duped; or, The Friend, Who Was an Bnemy, 70 The Liberty Boys’ pened or, Baiting the British. 84 The Liberty Boys’ Fake Surrender; or, The Ruse That Succeeded. |71 The Liberty Boys Lured; ; ‘85 The Liberty Boys’ Signal; or, ‘At the Clang of the Bell.” 72 The Liberty Boys Ransom; or, In the Hands of the Tory Outlaws. For sale by all newsdealers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, by — _ FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. <r | IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS . of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by re turn mail. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. | iat PRANK TOUSBY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. ret ae alae ip ible lg gogihe e doe ge Re Dear Str—Enclosed find.....cents for which please send me: tists. copies of WORK AND. WIN, NOB evi rus -cipjeusta be Soe teresa do Ale ea nea eal ela alate satan. PUUIOR: AND DUCK 920.505 TAs s,s soe omar em ae ea eae i Ge ee “BECKET SHE VIOB. S Valter ue pi cses wid Chiads StonOh ape OVE han Eigse Mateo team plete p a THE LEBERTY BOYS OW (26, Noss. Wilas We acts darn de canine as tea Mince a peat Co alae Ten-Cent Hand Books, Nos......... 1s utes alo See ean aca and No. +... Town, . ais Sa waglg/ Syaletm tas eeecnve , Street h " Sart roi Re, =e! 7 aim, iv Be ety, Sn ae ae Be aL £ VAP Ses ecooroee i eee State. sate i ‘aie ‘ 2 ai r eee sere esne way : ia ‘et ee iP NN Sch of.
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SECRET SERVICE > 3 OLD AND YOUNG KING BRADY, DETECTIVES. PRICE 5 CTS. 32 PAGES. COLORED COVERS. ISSUED WEEKLY PEST . : 128 The Bradys and Bad Man Smith; or, The Gang of Black Bar. g , diakaagie hice sai oh a 129 The Bradys and the Veiled Girl; or, Piping the Tombs Mystery. 72 The Bradys in a Trap; or, Working Against a Hard Gang. 130 The Bradys and the Deadshot Gang; or, Lively Work on the 73 Over the Line; or, The Bradys’ Chase Through Canada. Frontier ; 74 The Bradys in Society; or, ‘Phe Case of Mr. Barlow. 131 The Bradys with a Circus; or, On the Road with the Wild Beast 75 The Bradys in the\Slums; or, Trapping the Crooks of the ‘Red "Tamers, + ‘ Light District.” ats : 5 132 The Bradys in Wyoming; or, Tracking the Mountain Men. i 76 Found in the River; or, The Bradys and the Brooklyn Bridge |133 The Bradys at Coney Island; or, Trapping the Sea-sideCrooks. Mystety. 3 ‘ 3 ‘ 134 The Bradys and the Road Agents; or, The Great Deadwood Case. V7 ae tag and the Missing Box; or, Running Down the Railroad | 135 The Bradys and the Bank Clerk; or, Tracing a Lost Money / ‘Thieves. ; -ackuge. 78 The Queen of Chinatown. or, The Bradys Among the “Hop” Fiends. aes ; i? ) ey) be, Mrsays and the Girl Smuggler; or, Working. for the Custom ae ne Brags ott he Bate Teack Ot eae aaa eee fe Oplurh ouse. 45 t s ‘ a : es 80 aigea oe eA and ‘thé Runaway Boys; or, Shadowing the Circus 138 The Beadys and the Counterfeiters; or, Wild Adventures in the Sharps. ‘3 oe : ba 81 Ed og stares tae ane the Ghosts; or, Solving the Mystery of the Old} 499 The Benin i che Dene: of New York; or, Working on the John hureh Yard. ; \ 4 vee The Bradys and the Brokers: or, A Desperate Game in Wall Street. | 449 The Bendys and the Rail Road Thieves; or, The Mystery of the 82 88 The Bradys’ Fight to a Kinish; or, Winning a Desperate Case. Midnight Train 84 The Bradys’ Race for Life; or, Rounding Up a Tough Trio. The B he I a 85 The Bradys’ Last Chance; or, The Case in the Dark. ses ini ras Aer the Pickpockets; or, Keen Work In the Shop { 86 ; The Bradys on the Road; or, The Strange Case of a Drummer. 142 The Bradys and the Broker; or, The Plot to Steal a Fortune. 87 The Girl in Black: or, The Bradys Trapping a Confidence Queen. | 148 The Bradys as Reporters; or, Working for a Newspaper. 88 The Bradys in Mulbérry Bend; or, The Boy Slaves of “Little Italy.” | 144 The Bradys and the Lost Ranche; on, tie Stran nebo in Texas. 89 The Bradys’ Battle for Life; or, The Keen Detectives’ Greatest | 145 The Bradys and the Signal Boy; or, the Great Train sagen © ew Peril. |146 The Bradys and Bunco Bill; or, The Cleverest Crook in 90 ee ect and the Mad Doctor; or, The Haunted Mill in the York. arsh, ‘ i 91 The Bradys on the Rail; or, A Mystery of the Lightning Express. 147 PES Gts tn ecoeinen Female Detective’ or, Leagued with the 92 The Bradys and the Spy; or, Working Against the Police Depart-| 44g the Bradys and the Bank Mystery; or, The Search for a Stolen — ei Million. 93 The Bradys’ Deep Deal; or, Hand-in-Glove with Crime. 149 The Bradys at Cripple Creek; or, Knocking out the “Bad Men.” 94 The Bradys in a, Snare; or, The Worst Case of All. 150 The Bradys and the Harbor Ganj 3 Ory Sharp Work after Dark. 95 ‘the Bradys Beyond Their Depth; or, The Great Swamp Mystery. |151 The Bradys in Five Points; or, The Skeleton in the Cellar, 96 ‘The Bradys’ Hopeless-Case; or, Against Plain Byidence. 152 Fan Toy, the Opium Queen; or, The Bradys and the Chinese” 97 The Bradys at the Helm; or, the Mystery of the River Steamer. Smugglers. ; 98 The Bradys in Washington; or, Working for the President. ( 153 The Bradys’ Boy Pupil; or, Sifting Strange Mvidence 99 The Jiradys Duped; or, The Cunning Work of Clever Crooks. 100 The Bradys in Maine; or, Solving the Great Camp Mystery. a mee cod ou the Great Lakes; or, args aT rere Gang. The Itradys in Mont ; or, The Great C er ne Case. ; : ano Freviied! Th oe ‘their haa fake edal 156 The Bradys and the Bandit King; or, Chasing the Mountain — 154 The Bradys in the Jaws of Death; or, Trapping the Wire Tap: pers. f 155 The Bradys and the Typewriter; or, The Office Boy's Secret. 108 ‘The Brady 104 The Bradys at Sea:.or, A Hot Chase Over the Ocean. a Thieves. ; Be a The Git cron London! or, The Bradys After a Confidence Queen. | 157 Be ia and the Drug Slaves; or, The Yellow Demons of The Bradys / ‘hi an. , T 7 Mi 08 0; a , : cS pithy ee pie, .Chingmens ary Phe. Melow: anda, ohthe 158 peas Be et and the Anarchist Queen; or, Running Down the : “Reds.” me ; The radys ¢ re s trl; y . + sk hn ckbeae andthe Pretty Shop Girl; or, The) Grand ‘Street 159 The Bradys and the Hotel Crooks; or, The Mystery of Room 44. — ane me Pye dys and the, Gypsies ; or, Chasing the Child Stealers. 160 be a and the Wharf Rats; or, Lively Work in the Har- 196 cava y heb and the Wrong Man; or, ‘The Story of a Strange 161 The, Bradys and the House of Mystery; or, A Dark Night's — 110 The Pradys Petrayed ; or, In the Hands of a Traitor. QrKy PEN Sid 411 The Uradys and Their Doubles; or, A Strange Tangle of Crime. ey fas one ube ig! haces Ses Flasiag 4 Pee le ihe es : ‘adys i o ; or, 2S B > OF, . bye 112 he Sree n the Everglades; or, The Strange Case of a Summer 164 The Bradys and the Boatmen; ‘or, The Clew Found in the . ver. ‘ 113 The Bradys Defled; or, The Hardest Gang in New York. rs . \ 414 The Bradys in High Lite; or, The Great Society Mystery. 165 The Bradys after the Grafters; or, The Mystery in the Cab. is 115 The lradys Amon Thieves ; or, Hot Work in as Bowery. 166 Tee ee s and the Cross-Roads Gang; or, the Great Case in. 116 The Bradys and the Sharpers; or, In Darkest New York. vihip. ou i f Seo 117 The Bradys and the Bandits; or, Hunting for a Lost Boy. 167 The Bradys and Miss Brown; or, The Mysterious Case in So-— 418 The Bradys in Central Park; or, The Mystery of the Mall. clety. Pet fea 119 ‘The Bradys on their Musele; or, Shadowing the Red Hook Gang. 168 The Bradys and the Factory Girl; or, The Secret of the Poisoned 120 The Bradys’ Opium Joint Case; or, Exposing the Chinese Crooks. rae tae vis Paes 121 The Bradys’ Girl Decoy; or, Rounding Up the Bast-Side Crooks. 169 The Bradys and Blonde Bill; or, The Diamond ieves of Maiden 122 The Bradys Under Fire; or, Tracking a Gang of Outlaws. Lane. : jak 123 The Bradys at the Beach; or, The Mystery of the Bath House. 170 The eae and the Opium Ring; or, The Clew in Chinatown. vs 124 iho sors. and the Lost Gold Mine; or, Hot Work Among the} 171 i Bra ve, on’ the Grand Circuit; or, Tracking the Light- is ‘owboys. arness Gang. } 125 The Br tne and the Missing Girl; or, A Clew Found in the Dark. 172 The Bradys and the Black Doctor; or, The Sécret of ‘the old 26 The Bradys and the Banker; or, The Mystery of a Treasure Vault. Vault ea 12 ult. ; i /. 4127 The Bradys and the Boy Acrobat; or, Tracing up a Theatrical | 178 The Bradys and the Girl in Grey; or, The antes of the Crooks. Case. { 174 The Bradys and the Juggler; or, Out with a) Variety Show. ws For sale by all newsdealers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, by _ FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 2 24 Union Square, New York IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and; ¥ in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we/will send them to you by turn mail. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. ree _ FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. pi SWRE OA Ce saan ON te Conan ee "1 '. Dear Strr—Enclosed find... .. cents for which please send me: Bate none 4+. copies of WORK AND WIN, 1h UE? PRR Ae HE aT Camere oni re vee PTI aE rel ga ec Mee MT TON ANTI TEL OWe 1 i ik 5 aco ecaiweask alata sists alors, bare goal Wa eee Sunes Male cia aaah aed healt arg outs eee ORT SMR VEG Eh are jake. LLG aag ae ch ea haath ell atin oy Eda aha aati OE trate this THE LIBERTY. BOYS. OF 0B. NGS! 2 Siu ole a ela Yd hewie’ salu Raine yilig a sna dnl o Roleee aan Pega, * Den-Coant Hand Books, Nos... <5 cmse theres os nelalel a dee tol bore ssgcapets oon aks cea ane eens ADUNG:, dino |! cari) fs ida;
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Fa a earn SSS THE STAGE. No. 41. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK END MEN’S JOKE BOOK.—Containing a great variety of the latest jokes used by the most famous end men. No amateur minstrels is complete without this wonderful little book. No. 42, THE BOYS OF NEW YORK STUMP SPEAKER.— Containing a varied assortment of stump speeches, Negro, Dutch and Irish. Also end men’s jokes. Just the thing for home amuse- ment and amateur shows. No. 45, THE BOYS OF NEW YORK MINSTREL GUIDE AND JOKE BOOK.—Something new and yery instructive. Hvery boy should obtain this book, as it contains full instructions for or- ganizing an amateur minstrel troupe. abi vil No. 65. MULDOON’S JOKES.—This is one of the most original joke books ever published, and it is brimful of wit and humor. It contains a large collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, ete., of Terrence Muldoon, the great wit, humorist and practical joker of the day. Every boy who can enjoy a good substantial joke should obtain a copy immediately. i) No. 79. HOW TO BECOME AN ACTOR.—Containing com- plete instructions how to make up for various characters on the stage; together with the duties of the Stage melt ieht Prompter, Scenic Artist and Property Man, By a prominent Stage Manager. No. 80. GUS WILLIAMS’ JOKH B OK.—Containing the lat- est jokes, anecdotes and funny stories of this world-renowned and ever popular German comedian. Sixty-four pages; handsome colored cover containing a half-tone photo of the author. HOUSEKEEPING. No. 16. HOW TO KHEP A WINDOW GARDEN.—Containing full instructions for constructing a window garden either in town or country, and the most approved methods for raising beautiful es at home. The most complete book of the kind ever pub- ished. No. 30. HOW TO COOK.—One of the most instructive books on cooking ever published. It contains recipes for cooking meat fish, game and oysters; also pies, puddings, cakes and all kinds o enti and a grand collection of recipes by one of our most popular cooks. No. 37. HOW TO KEEP HOUSH.—It contains information for everybody, boys, girls, men and women; it will teach you how to make almost anything around the house, such as parlor ornaments, brackets, cements, Aeolian harps, and bird lime for catching birds. ELECTRICAL. No. 46. HOW TO MAKE AND USE ELECTRICITY.—A de- scription of the wonderful uses of electricity and electro magnetism ; together with full instructions for making Electric Toys, Batteries, etc. By George Trebel, A. M., M. D. Containing over fifty il- lustrations. ’ No, 64. HOW TO MAKH HLECTRICAL MACHINES.—Con- taining full directions for making electrical machines, induction coils, dynamos, and many noyel toys to be worked by electricity. y R. A. R. Bennett. Fully illustrated. No. 67. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL TRICKS.—Containing a large collection of instructive and highly amusing electrical tricks, together with illustrations. By A. Anderson, ENTERTAINMENT. No. 9. HOW TO BECOME A VENTRILOQUIST. By Harry Kennedy. The Secret given away. Lvery intelligent boy reading this book of instructions, by a practical professor (delighting multi- tudes every night with his wonderful imitations), can master the art, and create any amount of fun for himself and friends. It is the greatest book ever published, and’there’s millions (of fun) in it. No. 20. HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN EVENING PARTY.—A very valuable little book just published. A complete compendium of games, sports, card diversions, comic recitations, ete., suitable for parlor or drawing-room entertainment. It contains more for the money than any book published. No, 35. HOW TO PLAY GAMES.—A complete and useful little book, containing the rules and regulations of billiards, bagatelle, backgammon, croquet, dominoes, ete. No. 36. HOW TO SOLVE CONUNDRUMS.—Containing all the leading conundrums of the day, amusing riddles, curious catches and witty sayings. No. 52. HOW TO PLAY CARDS.—A complete and handy little book, giving the rules and ful) directions for playing Euchre, Crib- bage, Casino, ES ge Rounce, Pedro Sancho, Draw Poker, Auction Pitch, All Fours and many other popular games of cards. No. 66. HOW TO DO PUZZLWS.—Containing over three hun. dred interesting puzzles and conundrums with key to same. A ‘-complete book. Fully illustrated. By A. Anderson. ETIQUETTE. No. 18. HOW TO DO IT; OR, BOOK OF HTIQUETTH.—It. is a great life secret, and one that every young man desires to know all about. There’s happiness in it. No. 33. HOW TO BEHAVE.—Containing the rules and eti- quette of good society and the easiest and most approved methods of appearing to good advantage at parties, balls, the theatre, church and in the drawing-room. DECLAMATION. No. 27. HOW TO RECITE AND BOOK OF RECITATIONS. ~—Containing the most popular selections in use, comprising Dutch dialect, French dialect, Yankee and Irish dialect pieces, together i witb many standard readings. ; : , PRICE 10 CENTS EACH, ran Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. No, 31. HOW TO BECOME.A SPHAKER.—Containing four- teen illustrations, giving the different positions requisite to become a good speaker, reader and ‘elocutionist. Also containing gems: from _ all the popular authors of prose and poetry, arranged in the most simple and concise manner possible. | i No. 49. HOW TO DEBATE.—Giving rules for conducting de. bates, outlines for debates, questions for discussion, and the best sources for procuring information on the questions given. SOCIETY. ' No, 3. HOW TO FLIRT.—The arts and wiles of flirtation are fully explained by this little book. Besides the various methods of handkerchief, fan, glove, parasol; window and hat flirtation, it con- tains a full list of the language and sentiment of flowers, which is interesting to everybody, both old and young. You cannot be happy without one. : No. 4. HOW TO DANCE is the title of a new and handsome little book just issued by Frank Tousey. It contains full instrue- tions in the art of dancing, etiquette in the ballroom and at parties, ant to dress, and full directions for calling off in all popular square lances. . No. 5. HOW TO MAKE LOVE.—A complete guide to love, courtship and marriage, giving sensible advice, rules and etiquette to be observed, with many curious and interesting things not gen- erally known. i ‘ No. 17. HOW. TO DRESS.—Containing full instruction the art of dressing and appearing well at home and abroad, giving the selections of colors, material, and how to have them made up. No. 18. HOW TO B ME BHAUTIFUL.—One of the brightest and most valuable little books ever given to the world. Everybody wishes to know how to become beautiful, both male and female. ‘The secret is oh and almost costless. Read this book and be convinced how to become beautiful. BIRDS AND ANIMALS. No, 7. HOW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Handsomely illustrated and containing full instructions for the management and training of the canary, mockingbird, bobolink, blackbird, paroquet, parrot, etc. No. 39. HOW TO RAISE DOGS, POULTR , PIGHONS AND RABBITS.—A useful and instructive book. Handsomely illus- trated. By Ira Drofraw, _. ; ; No. 40. HOW TO MAKE AND SET TRAPS.—Including hints on how to catch moles, weasels, otter, rats, squirrels and birds. hee how to cure skins. Copiously illustrated. By J. Harrington eene. : No. 50. HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS.—A valu. able book, giving instructions in collecting, preparing, mounting and preserving birds, animals and insects. No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETS.—Giving com plete information as to the manner and method of raising, ene taming, breeding and managing all kinds of pets; also giving full instructions for making cages, etc, Fully explained b: twenty eight illustrations, making it the most complete book of the kind ever published. MISCELLANEOUS. No. 8. HOW TO BECOME A SCIENTIST.—A useful and in structive book, giving a complete treatise on chemistry; also ex- periments in acoustics, mechanics, mathematics, chemistry, and directions for making fireworks, colored fires and gas balloons This book cannot be equaled No. 14. HOW TO MAKE CANDY.—A complete handbook for making all kinds of candy, ice cream, Syrups, essences, etc. etc. No. 19. FRANK TOUSEY’S UNITED STATHS DISTANCE TABLES, POCKET COMPANION AND GUIDE.—Giving the official distances on all the railroads of the United States and Canada. Also table of distances by water to foreign ports, hack fares in the principal cities, reports of the census, ete., etc., making it one of the most complete and handy books published. No. 38. HOW TO BECOME YOUR OWN DOCTOR.—A won- derful book, containing useful and practical information in the treatment of ordinary diseases and ailments common to every nek Abounding in useful and effective recipes for general com- plaints. ; No. 55. HOW, TO COLLECT STAMPS AND COINS.—Con- taining valuable information regarding the collecting and arranging of stamps and coins. Handsomely illustrated. No. 58. HOW TO BE A DETECTIVE.—By 1d rapt stats ( the world-known detective. In which he lays down some valuable and sensible rules for beginners, and also relates some adventures and experiences of well-known detectives. , No. 60. HOW TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER.—Contain- Ing useful information regarding the Camera and how to work its also how to make Photographic Magic Lantern Slides and other. Transparencies. Handsomely illustrated. By Captain W. De W. ney. No. 62, HOW TO BECOME A WEST POINT MILITARY CADET.—Containing full explanations how to gain admittance, course of Study, Examinations, Duties, Staff of Officers, Post Guard, Police Regulations, Fire Department, and all a boy should know to be a Cadet. Compiled and written by Lu Senarens, author of “How to Become a Naval Cadet.” No. 63. HOW TO BECOME A NAVAL CADET.—Complete in- structions of how to gain admission to the Annapolis Naval Academy. Also containing the course of instruction, description of grounds and buildings, historical sketch, and eve should know to become an officer in the United States Navy. Com- iled and written by Lu Senarens, author of “How to ae est Point Military Cadet.” : OR 3 FOR 2 CENTS. thing a’ boy . men
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PrvoTCHKe AN PD imwUOUCEKE. CONTAINS ALL SORTS OF STORIES. 32 PAGES. 166 2 In the Frozen North ; 5 The Black Diver; 5 Water-logged; or, Lost in the Sea of Grass. LATEST ISSUES: The Boy Courier of Siberia: or, The League of the Russian Prison Mines. By Allan Arnold. The Secret of Page 99; or, An Old Book Cover. Resolute No. 10; or, The Loy ivire Company of Fulton. Wire Chief Warden. The Poy Scouts of the Susyuehbanna; or, the Wyoming Valley. By an Old Scout. By Allyn Draper. By lx- The Young Heroes of The Boy Banker; or, From a Cent to a Million. By H. K. Shackleford. Shore Line Sam, the Young Southern Engineer; or, Railroading in War Times. By Jas. C. Merritt. On the Brink: or. The lerils of Social Drinking. By Juo. B. Dowd. The 13th of October, 1863. By Allyn Draper. Through an Unknown Land; or, The Boy Canoeist of the Quanza. By Allan Arnold. The Blue Door. A Romance of Mystery. By Richard R. Mont- gomery. Running with No. 6: Fire Chief Warden. or, The Bo, Firemen of Franklin. By Ex- Little Red Cloud, The Boy India: Chief. By an Old Scout. Safety-Valve Steve; or, The Boy [Engineer of the R. H. & W. By Jas. C. Merritt. The Drunkard’s Victim. By Jno. B. Dowd. Be eae or, The Wolf Man of the Island. By Capt. Thos. H. Vilson ! The Two Schools at Oakdale; or, The Rival Students of Corrina Lake. By Allyn Draper. The Farmer's Son; or, A Young Clerk’s Downfall. A Story of Country and City Life. By Howard Austin. The Old Stone Jug; or, Wine, Cards and Ruin. By Jno. B. Dowd. Jack Wright and His Deep Sea Monitor; or, Searching for a Ton of Gold. By ‘Noname.” The Richest Boy in the World: or, The Wonderful Adventures: of a Young American. By Allyn Draper. The Haunted Lake. A Strange Story. By Allyn Draper. or, Ten Years in the [ce. By Howard Austin. Around the World on a Bicycle. A Story of Adventures in Many Lands. By Jas. C. Merritt. bra Captain Rock; or, The First of the White Boys. raper. A Sheet of Blotting Paper; or, The Adventures of a Young Inventor. By Richard R. Montgomery. The Diamond Island; or, Astray in a Balloon. By Allan Arnold. In the Saddle from New York to San Francisco. By Allyn Draper. The Haunted Mill on the Marsh. By Howard Austin. The Young Crusader. A True Temperance Story. By Jno. B. owd. The oe of Fire; or, The Fate of a Missing Ship. By Allan The Witch Hunter's Ward; or, The Hunted Orphans of Salem By Richard R. Montgomery The Castaway’s Kingdom; or, A Yankee Sailor Boy’s Pluck. By ot. Thos. H. Wilson. Ww orth a Million; or, A Boy's Fight for Justice. By Allyn Draper. The Drunkard’s Warning; or, The Fruits of the Wine Cup. By Jno. B. Dowd. Dick Sherman in the Gulf. By Allan Arnold. or, the Mystery of the Old Church Tower. By Floward Austin. The House with Three Windows. By Richard R. Montgomery. Three Old Men of the Spies or, The Boys of Grey Rock Beach. ty Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. 3,000 Years Old; or, The Lost Gold Mine of the Hatchepee Hills. By Allyn Draper. Lost in the Ice. By Howard Austin. The Yellow Diamond; or, Groping in the Dark. By Jas. C. Merritt. The Land of Gold; or, Yankee Jack’s Adventures in 1s arly Aus- tralia. By Richard’ R. Montgomery. On the Plains with Buffalo Bill; or, Two Years in the Wild West. By an Old Scout. The Cavern of Fire; Hardcastle and Jack Merton. or, The Haunted Belfry: or, The Thrilling Adventures of Professor By Allyn Draper. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. Jack Wright, the. Boy Inventor; or, Exploring Central Asia in His Magnetic “Hurricane.” By | ‘Noname.” By Allyn ; i 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 296 BEAUTIFULLY COLORED COVERS. EVERY STORY COMPLETE PRICE 5 CENTS. Lot 77; or, Sold to the Highest Bidder. By Richard R. Mont- . gomery. The Boy Canoeist ; or, 1,000 Miles in a Canoe. By Jas. C. Merritt. Captain Kidd, Jr.; or, The Treasure Hunters of Long Island. By Allan Arnold. The Red Leather Bag. A Weird Story of Land and Sea. By - Howard Austin. eens Lone Star’; or, The Masked Riders of ‘Texas. By Allyn raper. A New York Boy out With Stanley; or, A Journey Through Africa. By Jas. C. Merritt Afloat With Captain inka: or, The Mystery of Whirlpool Island. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. ees Boys’ Trip to an Unknown Planet. By Richard R. Mont. gomery. The Two Diamonds; or, A Mystery of the South African Mines By Howard Austin. By Allap Joe, the Gymnast; or, Three Years Among the Japs. Jack Hawtborne, of No Man’s Land; or, An Uncrowned King. Arnold. By_‘‘Noname.” Gun-Boat Dick; or, Death Before Dishonor. By Jas. C. Merritt. A Wizard of Wall Street; or. The Career of Henry Carew, Boy — Banker. By H. K. Shackleford. Fifty Riders in Black; or, The Ravens of Raven Forest, By Howard Austin. The Boy .Rifle Rangers; or, Kit Carson’s Three Young Scouts. By An Old Scout. Where? or, Washed into an Unknown World. By ‘‘Noname.” Fred Fearnaught, the Boy Commander; or, The Wolves of the Sea. By’ Capt. ‘Thos. H. Wilson. From Cowboy to Congressman; or, The Rise of a Young Ranch- man. By H. K. Shackleford. Sam Spark, the Brave Young Fireman; or, Always the First . on Hand. By Ex-Fire Chief Warden. The Poorest Boy in New York, and How He Became Rich, By N. S. Wood, the Young American Actor. Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor; or, Hunting for a Sunken Treasure. By “Noname.” or, of Railroading in the Northwest. By Jas. C. Merritt. True Temperance Story. By Jno. B Montgomery y. By H. K. Shackleford. Draper. or, The Secret of a Lost Race. By Richard. R. Montgomery. On Time; or, The Young Engineer Rivals. An Wxeiting Story sei Jacket; or, The Boys of the Farmhouse Fort. By An Ola Scout. His First Glass of Wine; or, The Paneer cee of City Life. A The Coral City; or, The Wonderful Cruise of the Yacht Vesta. 3y Richard R. Making a Million; or, A Smart Boy’s Career in Wall Street. Jack Wright and His Blectric Turtle; or, Chasing the Pirates of the Spanish Main. By. “Noname.” Flyer Dave, the Boy Jockey; or, Riding the Winner. By Allyn The Twenty Gray Wolves; Fighting A Crafty King. By Howard Austin. The Palace of Gold; Jack Wright's Submarine Catamaran ; or, The Phantom Ship of — the Yellow Sea. By ‘Noname.” A Monte Cristo at 18; or, From Slave to Avenger. By Allyn Draper. The Floating Gold Mine; or, Adrift in an Unknown Sea. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. Moll Pitcher’s, Boy; or, As Brave as His Mother. By Gen'l Jas. A. Gordon. “We. By Richard R. Montgomery. i Jack Wright and His Ocean Racer ; Around the World in 20 Days. By ‘“‘Noname.” The Boy Pioneers; or, Tracking an Indian Treasure. By Allyn Draper. Still Alarm Sam, the Daring Boy Fireman; or, Sure to Be On Hand, By Ex-Fire Chief Warden. Lost on the Ocean; or, Ben Bluff’s Last Voyage. By Capt. Thos. - Working or, Hl. Wilson. Jack Wright and Revenue Service. His Electric Canoe; in the By “Noname.” or, For sale by all newsdealers. or sent postpaid on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, by FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, ' 24 Union Square, New York. of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. —_—— IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS Cut out and fill -in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by re turn mail. MPS TAKEN POSTAGE STA © wlele of 6 ele ee die! 6 OS ole ee whe ee ee ee Ce 0 THE FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, Nee York. Dear Str—Enclosed find.....cents for which please send me: oe ERED bi ect bia cack aceon store UAE athe gue uate UN GBs. oath seid wees dn races EOE MENU OO NING) tla UNG ee Pe ta aie ae at a Beet ere Se EO TMBEL ELEY VOR Mingihe WAY. ranc 8 alk hire lens Peo ee PELE ul BRD Y BO YS: OB)276,Nosvihs. “ ““ai@ensCent Band “pooks, INOS. fsite-..dee ss Seems ae treetcande NOs fos. 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