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'“lummu”

 

 

 

Fireside Ballads.

«.0.-

THE RETURN VOYAGE.

BY W. F. AARON.

 

 

Watt. oh, winds. our Evening song
Softly o‘er the shadowy seas,

Bear our hold fleet craft along
Tow‘rd the dis ant Antilles!

High sails Hesper. Night comes on.
Phantoms o‘er the sea arise:

Long the wild Sea-bird hath flown
From the cloud-swept threat’ning skies.

Many a league this wild. wild night
O‘er the leaping, fretting foam
We must drive, by lantern‘s light,
Safe to reach ourcavern—home.

Speed. good ship, my Ocean Bird!
Pilot 0ft tried,thou art brave:

There! Methinks] faittly heard
Thunders booming o’er the wave.

Oh, that fair Lacasta’s isle.
La; '0 leeward. nearer now!
Vain the hope: for many a mile
Prone must sweep the schooner‘s bow.

Ah, another peal! and there
Faintly gleams a jr-t of flame!

Lads. d st deacly canger fear
By fa r Lena‘s honorzd name?

Ho! but that hot hissing shell
Barely miss'd our howsprit aft.

Another. but not aimed so well.
Safely speeds our gallant craft!

a a a: a: a I: a

See. Lucien, yonder narrow isle,

Where waifs and wreckers dwell alone,
Ahead it lieth scarce a mile;

From danger there We’ve often flown;

But leave astern its shores to-night—
DIive straight the ship thro‘ gloom and
wave:
See! far away you twinkling light
Doth welcome back again the brave!
# it i * II! * It

Swiftly, league by league behind
Dropp‘d the pirate chief his foe;

Dampeu‘d by the cold sea~wirld
Burned his battle-lantern low.

In its flaring. waning glare
I Flush‘d each bronzed cheek with joy,
When upon the midnight air
Came the challenge, “ Ship ahoy !"

Slowly sped the good ship on,
\Velcomed by that ringing hail;

And the sheltering harbor won,
Soon was furled each dripping sail.

I’ou“ed in torrents then the rain;
Angry leap’d the ocean foam;
But the corsairs rest again
Safe within their cavern home.

 

Richard, the King.

A RONIANCE 0F ANTELOPE GAP.

 

BY JOHN H. \VHITSON.

" HERE we are, ladies and gentlemen, with
the grandest combination on the road. Magni-
ficent revival of the classic dramas of Shakes-
pcarc!“

A snicker ran through the crowd, not so much
at the attitude and appearance of the speaker—
though both were sufficiently ludicrous—as at
his addressing this body of rough, red—shirted
miners as “ ladies and gentlemen.”

He had mounted a box before “The Placer
Saloon” and held in his hand a greasy play-

.bill, which he unfolded alluringly.

9‘ So far from a lithographin establishment
that we have run ‘out of bills,’ he said, apolo-
getically. “ Used up the last we had In Chey-
enne, where we played forty nights to the élite.
of that cit . I should like very much to bill
Antel p and place lithographs in the win—
dows 0 its palatial business houses, but circum—
stances over which I have no coma-01¢ " \,

Here he paused and coughed afl'ectedly.

The “ palatial” reference won the crowd.
There wasn‘t a house in the mining-town that
had a respectable window in it, and they tossed
their hats and howled till they were hoarse.

The play-bill fluttered out in the breeze, and
the large letters, printed in the blackest of ink,
could be seen all over the street:

GREAT Snassspsaux REvIVAL.
Renaissance of the Classic Drama—
.‘Iagniflcent Scenery! Glittering Costumes!
The World-Renowned Tragedinn,
RICHARD BANNISTER,
in his (treat Characterization of

RICHARD 111.,

as played by him for over
0m TIIDII"tlll(l Nag/IA: in New York}

Leading critics have pronounced him The Great-
est Shakesperian Actor of the Age and by universal
conSent have conferred on him the title of

"RICHARD, rm: KING."

The speaker bowed to the bowling mob, as if
he had received an encore.

"Our unrivaled company, ladies and gentle-
mcn. consists of the leading actors of England
and America. Every one is a star of the first
magnitude! Every one is unapproachablc in his
specialty I “'e have spared no pains to gIve the
play a propersetting! The dazzlmg pageantry
and the glittering armor of the daysof chivalry,
the pomp and splendor of royalty and the grue-
some details of conflict. battle and murderous as-
sassination all have their proper representation.
The falsencss. bnscness and wicked scheming of
that inhuman monstrosity, Gl0ster, afterward
King lichard 111., will be delineated in a man—
ncr not witnessed since the days of Elizabeth.

“ Remember that this is the opportunity of a
lifetime! There is great demand for us else-
where. and we can give you only one night.
This is our farewell tour of the leading mining-
towns. Do not forget the day and datcz—to—
night, at the Rink ( )pcrn House. Admission
one dollar. Positively no free tickets, except to
the clergy and the press !”

He waved his hand blandly, stepped down
from the high box and entered tile‘SRIOOD, where
he treated himself at the expcnsc of “Judge”
Tracy, the squat little justice. and then began
to regalc a group of admirers WIth marvelous
stories of himself and his “troupe;

Sclden L‘aIdWcll winked slyly to a number of
his companions. beckoned them to follow, and
left the room.

Once on the outside he said:

“That fellow’s a fraud. as any one can see.
He‘s got Jim Ashley to take one of the leadmg
parts. and Jim don‘t know any more about
Shakespeare than he does about the Bible. I
doubt if he ever heard of him before. Come
over to mv shanty: I’ve thought of a scheme by
which we'can have some fun and at the same
time net even with this chap.”

He‘lcd the way to his shanty, extracted .a
tattered copy of Shakespeare from'among hIs
effects and turned to the play of RIclIard 111.,
act \'., scene “1., in which the king, the night
before the battle, has his prophetic dream on
Bosworth field. _

“ It‘s lucky I had this,” he remarked, turnmg
to his companion. “I haven‘t looked at It for
a long time. It’s torn some now, too, but wtll
serve our purpose. Let’s see. there’s a half dozen
of us! Thcold liunchbnck killcd Inorc men than
that and all their ghosts paid him a visrt, but
that will do.

“ Convcr. d‘ye think you could learn a’sliort
verse, between now and dark, if 1 erte It out
in a plain hand 5“ _

“ ’M ‘fcured not." answered Conver, pulllng at
his grizzled fore—top. “Never was good a
learnin’, nohow.” _ _

“ “'ell, we'll get along. You can rig up In a
sheet and l‘IollcrwthI the others do.” _
“'hile this was occurring the loud—talkIng

actor was makin himself comfortable in the
bar~room of the lacer and rubbing his hands
to ether in anticipation of a golden harvest.
e was destined not to be disappointed.
When night came. almost the entire “camp”
turned out to witness the “ great Shakespearian
revival.”
The actor sat in the little box—office of the
rink and smiled more blandly than ever, as the
gold dollars and dust began to pour in on him.
He remained there until it seemed no more
were coming and then, putting the gold in a
bIg\,_buckskin pouch, entered the main room.
histling, cat—calls, and the stamping of feet
indicated that the miners were becoming rest-
ess.
As he passed up the aisle, leading to the little
stage. with its improvised curtain of red calico,
some one shouted:
“ Trot out yer blasted monarch. “'e want to
see him."
_ “Allin good time, ladies and gentlemen. all
In gOod time.” replied the actor, deprecatingly.
He disappeared through the door. A few
minutes later the curtains were drawn aside,
revealing Ashley’s heels, as he sped across the
stage. and Bannister appeared, in swallow-tail
coat. plug hat and polished boots, and WIth a
monstrous bump on his back. that resembled
nothing so much as an inverted basket.
And this was a sample of the magnificent cos-
tumes and glittering scenery! The audience
howled in derision. There were no gallerygods
to add to the clamor, and it was well there were
not, or it is doubtful if he ever could have pro-
ceeded.
When the tumult had somewhat subsided,
with eyes cast down and hands clasped. be com-
menced reciting, in a high, nasal voice:
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Blade glorIous summer by this sun of York.”
The miners at once became quiet and remain-
ed so until a pallid young man, known to be his
assistant, entered, as Clarence, guarded by Jim
Ashley. Then they rose to their feet, swung
their hats and whooped.
Bannister assumed every character. male and
female, which it was possible for him to assume,
and the pallid young man tOok the remainder.
Ashley acted as “dummy,” where he could be
worked in. and scenes they could not get through
in this way were skipped.
The miners. seeing they had been sold, howled
at everything. apparently determined to get
their money’s worth in that way. if no other.

In addition to “dummy,” the part of Queen
Elizabeth was invariably aSSigned to Ashley.
Of course he said nothing, for he knew nothing
to say: but it pleased the audience, and kept it
in a continual good-humor.

Seated in a stiff. high—backed chair, with cot—
ton dress and gilt crown, and his straggling
beard, which for years had not known a razor,
reaching almost to his waist, he was a sight
wonder III to behold, and his appearance was
invariably greeted with yells and screams of
laughter.

All went well until the tower scene, when the
murderers had entered to kill Clarence.

Ashley here assumed the réle of Clarence,
while Bannister and assistant were the mur—
derers.

As they proceeded with their talking and
questioning it became plain that Ashley was
growing nervous. He kept his eyes fixed on
Bannister, as the latter toyed with his dagger,
and evidently feared some trick.

" Stand by ’em, Jim!” shouted some one from
the crowd.

At this the others yelled, and Ashley became
more disconcerted than ever.

Then, as the first murderer leaped forward to
stab him. he jumped to his feet and whipped
out his revolver.

“ None 0’ that, now,” he cried to the startled
Bannister. “ I’ve got the drop on ye. A play’s
a play, but I don’t ’low no man to come foolin’
’round me with a knife.” ,

Bannister tried to pacify him, and the crowd
got on its feet and roared. Ashle , however,
wOuld not resume the part and-the p yprooeed-
ed without the stabbing of Clarence. ~.

Ashley,,in the character of a umb Prince of
Wales, greeted With the honey words:

“ Welgom'e. sweet Prince, to London. to your cham-
er V,

“ Sweet Prince, the untainted virtue of your years.”
was exceedingly funny, but not more so than
the conceited strut and swagger of the pallid
young man. as he bawled:

“ Tut. I can counterfeit the deep tragedian
Speak and look back and pry on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Intending deep suspicion!"

“'hen impossIble to fill some necessary part,’
Bannister would address the table and then walk
over to it and brazenly turn and talk back to his
imaginary self.

In spite of all devices, and the unremitting
good humor of the miners. the play dragged.
The curtain would not work smoothly, and as
there were no wings it had to be drawn at every
change, or else the transformation from one
character to another had to be made in the pres—
ence of the audience.

In this manner the actors were skimming
through the scene on Bosworth field, leaving
out the greater part of it, when a trap—door on
the stage was seen to move and a white-robed
figure ascended.

It was Caldwell. wrapped in a sheet. Another
and another appeared. Five had come through
thc opening before Bannister saw them.

It was a. part he, had not intended to play,
and he stared as if his eyes would start from
their sockets.

Ashley gave a yell and leaped across the foot-
lights, and the pallid young man ran howling
out at the rear en trance.

CaIdWell advanced toward Bannister, with a
cocked revolver, and tlInndcrc d out the words:
“ Think how thou stalfdst me. in my prime of youth

At 'l‘ewksbury! Despair, therefore, and die!"

Bannister screamed and fled under a table.

The miners. recognizing Caldwell‘s voice,
tossed their hats and shouted: -

“ (live it: to him. ghosty! Down with his
tabernacle I"

Then the remaining white—clad figures ranged
tlremsr-lvcs by Caldwell’s side and pointed their
rcVolvers at the cowering king.

~‘ ( )h, gentlemonmhosts. or whatever you are,
please don‘t hurt me !” whined Bannister.

It was better than any acting he had done
that ovcning.

“ Do you think you deserve to live?” demand—
cd Caldwell, in undo—dramatic. tones.

Bannister started to crawl from under the
table,witlI the cvidcnt intention of clasping him
about the body and begging for life, when the
white—robed figures shouted, “ Despair and die,"
and he shrunk back into his former position. _

“ Seeing how badly you needed help," said
Caldwell,“ we thought we would come to your
rescue. Owing to a lack of assistance your per—
formance does not come up to your prormses.
“'e concluded to aid you in the ghost scene.
Now. get out from under that table and pro-
ceed.”

The trembling actor obeyed. ‘

“ What would you have me do, gentlemen ?"
he asked.

“ Proceed with the play," answered Cald-
well.

“ I—I—really I have forgotten where I was!”

“Allow me to prompt yo:1,”returned Cald—
well.

" Give me another horse—bind up my wounds—J’

“ Oh, yes !” exclaimed Bannister, turning
again to the audience.

“ Give me another horse—bind up my wounds——

Have mercy, Jesu f—Soft. I did but dream.

on. coward conscience, how dost thou afiiicl me 3—

The lights burn blue—It is now dead midnight. n

Cold. fearful drops stand on my trembling flush !"

“ That will do,” said Caldwell. “ Now git!"

The wliiite—robed figures again leveled their re-
volvcrs and shouted,“ Despair and die!’ the red-
shirted miners screamed with delight, and Ban-
nister, with a bound, grabbed his pouch of gold
and fled from the stage.

And that was the last that Antelope Gap ever
saw of Richard, the King.

 

LOVE‘S FIRST KISS.

BY MARK WILTON LARKINS.

 

 

All quivering like the tender leaf
When storms around prevail—

Mv frame sh00k like an anxious thief
Who nears disclosed his tale

Yet in the trembling of my heart
I felt unwonted bliss;

And through the. fears that inward start,
The joy of Love’s first kiss.

Though kisses fanned my cheek before,
And fond caresses warmed.

To that they no resemblance bore
Which all my soul alarmed;

’TIs true they stirred my nature oft,
But nothing like to this!

They were nor half as warm and soft—
So sweet as Love’s first kiss.

Ah, then the rapture lingered long,
And lulleu my heart to rest

As doth the melody of song
When tunefully expressed.

MId earthly hopes, and fears, and strife
My heart had taught me this—

That nothing clings so long to life
As our true Love’s first kiss.

The WatRer Ghoul;

THE SUBMARINI: DE I‘EG l'lVES.

BY LEON LEWIS,
AUTHOR or "W'ATER WOLF,” “RED KNIFE,”
ETC., ETC.

CHAPTER XVI.
A DEN OF CRIME.

THE consternation of the young detectives
and the ex—smuggler reached its culmination at
the discovery that they were prisoners in the
“ death—Era )”—— as Ally had called it—into
which old unnel had been shown by his per-
fidious host.

“‘1‘ Can the villain have seen us?” demanded
- y.

“ Or even suspected anything?” supplemented
Mark.

“ Neither, I think,” declared Runnel.

“ Then Why are we locked up in this fashion?”
was the further problem advanced by Ally.

“ So that we may never get out,” returned
Mark, with desperate voice and mien. “ “7e
might have foreseen. after seeing those sharks
in the hold of the Alaska, that this man would
be repared for all Intruders!”

lly tried the door again.

“ It’s fast, there’s no doubt about that,” he
muttered, “ but if we all throw ourselves
against it—”

He was about to suit his action to the word,
when the 01d tax-smuggler restrained him.

“ That’ll not do,” said the old man, earnestly.
“ Let’s realize just how the case stands. I am
supposed to be alone, so far as we know.”

The young detectives assented.

“ I am also sup osed to be tired and unsus—
picious,” pursued unnel. “ If we keep quiet,
it will be taken for granted that I have retired
to ‘bed without discovering the nature of the
trap I am in, and a reasonable time Will be al-
lowed me to get aslee .”

“ Agreed,” said Ally.

This View of the case was only too probable.

“ There is accordingly half an hour or an
hour in which to take action,” continued the old
exsmuggler. “In the time thus allowed us we
must make good our escape.”

The suggestion was well received, as it do.
served to be.

“ But how ?” asked Ally.

“ Suppose we were to ring the bell?” su gest~
ed Mark. “ If it were answered, we con] seize
the answerer as soon as the door opened—”

Runnel shook his head emphatically.

4 “ It is‘donbtful if there is any bell ” he said,
as he Wood to the head of the bed, and held
up his candleto the bell-pull. “ That may be a
sham,- likc the windows and that inner door.”

“ Or, if it's not a sham, and there is really a
bell,” suggested Ally, “it ma be that it would
be instantly fatal to ring it. o ring it, would
be as much as to say that the occupant of the
room had made some discovery, and the natural
response would be to plunge the whole thing
into the water beneath, with as little ceremony
as on would use in drowning a rat in a trap!”

 

 

 

to take, and all idea of ringing the bell was dis-
missed on the instant.

The on] way out of the strange chamber was
to get on quietly and in silence before Riloff
could know or even suspect the actual state of
affairs.

“ Fortunately we came here prepared to laugh
at locks and partition walls,”said Ally, as he
proceeded to open a parcel Mark had laid on the
table at the moment of entering the apartment.
“Here are angers and saws, and all the other
tools necessary for the work in hand. The only
question is, Where shall we begin?”

He resumed his survey of the strange and sin-
ister apartment.

“ Evidently we cannot work downward,” said
Runnel, thoughtfully. “ There is of course a
passage to the sea from the terrible well beneath
us, but we cannot for a moment think of an at-
tempt to traverse it. No, we must cut through
into some of the adjacent rooms!”

Ally ta psd lightly on one of the walls of the
strange c amber and listened.

“ We appear to be in a sort of wellbuilt up in
brick or stone,” he declared. “ Figure to your-
self an immense well, with an immense bucket
in it, and suspended midway between the top
and bottom, and you will have an idea of our
situation !”

His companions shuddcred.

“ It’s a regular death’s hole,” declared Mark.
“In all the tales I’ve read of robbers’ castles
and murderous innkeepers, I have never read of
a situation more horrible. But if there are
walls of stone or brick around us,” he added,
“ our only way out is at the top.”

“ Yes. that’s the only way out,” confirmed the
ex-smug lcr, as he shot a swift glance at the
ceiling 0 the strange apartment. “ Mount upon
my shoulders, one of you, and see if there’s not
an empty space above us. A few taps on the
ceiling will tell you.”

The suggestion was quickly acted upon, and
the result was all that could have been hoped
for. the sound from the tapping being singularly
hollow.

“ You hear?” queried Ally, with an air of the
keenest relief. “ There is not only an empty
space above us as I supposed, but the ceiling is
thin. “'e can cut our way through it with the
tools we brought to give ourselves free access
throughout the manor. Let us have that bureau
or chest of drawers—Whatever it is—to stand
upon. and I’ll soon make an opening!”

The article of furniture in question was placed
in the deSIred situation, and Ally hastened to
mount, upon it. an ger in hand, but he found his
position one in which rapid progress was impos-
sible.

“ I‘ll tell you what to do,”he said. “ I’ll lie
down on my back on the bureau. and you must
lift it as high as you can. 111 this way we shall
just hit it.”

The suggestion having been duly acted upon,
the young detective set to work rapidly.

At the end of half a minute a joyful exclama-
tion escaped him.

“ I have got a couple of holes through,” he an-
nounced. “ The ceiling is boards, and not more
than an inch thick.”

He continued his task with feverish energy
and impatience, and for two or three minutes
nothing was heard save the movements of the
auger.

“ There! Hand me the medium saw, Mark !"
then said the voung detective.

Receiving t e instrument in silence, he hasten-
ed to join in one circle all the auger holes he had
made, and had soon opened a passage large
enough to give egress to the largest member of

 

the party.

his view was indeed the only rational view,

“There!” he ejaculated again. “The thing
is done! Hand me one of those bull’s-eyes.”

Gathering himself up into a sitting posture,
Ally gained his feet and thrust his headthrough
the hole he had made.

A lantern having been handed him, he made
a survey of his surrounflings. .

“ It Is as we supposed,” he communicated, in
a whisper. “ We are suspended in a sortof well.
The machinery by which this infernal elevator
is lowered and raised is some twenty feet above
us. The only way out is to climb the cable by
which the cage is suspended.”

“ Can t at be done?” asked Runnel.

“ Readily.”

“ And what then?”

“ It remains to be seen how we shall get out
of the room above. All [can see at present is
the Windlass and the cable pendent from it. Let
me. climb through this hole, and I will then help
you up, one after the other."

He climbed through the aperture, resuming :

“ TIe up the tools and hitch a cord to them, so
that I can draw them up tome. Even if we do
not need them elsewhere, we will not let them
fall into the hands of Rilofl’.”

The hint was actec’upon, and then Ally assist—
ed his companions to take footing beside him.

It proved n0 difficult matter, not even for
Runnel, to squirm u the stout three-inch cable,
and at the end of a ew additional moments they
all found themselves upon a sort of landing from
which the machinery of the terrible “ death-
trap ” was habitually put in motion.

“ Good. Here’s adoor,” whispered Ally, as he
gathered under his arm the parcel of tools he
had drawn up from below, while Mark and Run-
nel were. climbing the cable. "Let’s see where
it leads to.”

The door proved to be locked, not greatly to
the surprise of the trio.

“ It could not be otherwise,” added Ally.
“Such secrets as these,” and he nodded toward
the Windlass and cable, “ would not be left at
the mercy of the first man who Inight chance to
appear here.”

He examined the door carefully.

It was of oak panels, firmly secured to a stout
frame of the same material. and was strength-
ened by hundreds of wrought—iron nails, with
immense heads on one side, and corresponding
clinches on the other.

The lock was as massive as the door.

“It is well that we came prepared for busi-
ness,” said Ally, as he opened his parcel of tools
again. “ As stout as the door is, it Will not long
bar our way.”

“ Shall I not take the auger?” asked Mark.
” You must be tired.”

“ No. You may hold the light. ll'e must
avoid these nails.”

He set to work again, making rapid progress.

“ As to you,” he added, turning to Runnel,
“ you must listen and keep your hand near your
revolver. It is about time for Riloflf to appear
here to let the cage down.”

He bored 8. number of holes near the bottom
of the door. precisely as he had done with the
ceiling below. and then resorted to his saw, soon
completing his task.

Looking through the aperture thus made, he
saw WIth the aid of his bull’s-eye, a long and
narrow staircase in stone.

The silence around the trio still remained un-
broken.

“We’re all right, it seems,” continued Ally,
after he had briefly announced What he saw.
“ I’ll lead the way as before.” -

He crawled t‘ rough the opening he had made,
and was quickly followed by his companions, the
trio finding themselves upon a sort of wide land-
ing, from which opened a small apartment used
as a tool-room.

“ I’ll plug the hole in the door with the piece
I sawed out.” said Ally. “ Two or three tacks
will hold it in place, and Riloff Will have to look
sharp to detect what has been done!”

He suited the action to the word, and then
flashed his light into the tool-room mentioned.

“Suppose you remain here a few moments,”

'he suggested, “ while I step down alone to inves—

tigate the best route by which to take our de-
arture?” ‘

“ All right,” answered Mark. “ Push on.”

Ally be an descending the long stairs, light-
ing himse f guardedly with his bull’s-eye. -

As he reached the ottom, he heard a step at
the end of a long corridor connecting with the
staircase. and suppressed his light alto ether. '

Perhaps Rilofl‘ was coming, or possi 1y Olga
might be stirring about the house restlessly, as
late as was the hour.

The step havin been repeated, Ally glanced
cautiously in the irection from which the sound
came.

As faint as was the light vouchsafed him from
Without, he was able to make out the outlines of
a man who had placed a ladder against the
house at the end of the corridor, raised a win-
dow, and effected an entrance.

Ally could even make out the man, who was
no other than Major Becker.

“ Yes. her room is hereabouts,” muttered the
intruder. “ I’ll chloroform her as she sleeps and
carry her off.”

 

CHAPTER XVII.
TERRIBLE DISCOVERIES.

THE watcher comprehended.

Despairing to win the hand of Olga by fair
means, the desperate suitor had decided to re—
sort to violence.

“ This must be the spot,” muttered Becker, as
he came to a halt in front of a door and drew
his figure erect. “ Doubtless—ah !"

The door opened abruptly, and Olga appear-
ed, with a lighted candle in her hand, her gaze
falling full upon Becker.

“ I was sure I heard something,” was her
greeting. “ “’hat are you doing, major?”

Becker looked at her with a stupefaction
which held him speechless.

She was fully dressed showing that she had not
yet retired. and her manner was perfectly cool
and collected. ' .

“ I~—I am here to ask you to step down to your
father’s library a moment,” was the stammering
and treacherous response.

“ Indeed!” retorted Olga sarcastically. “ Then
why did you ascend on a ladder and force a
window?”

“ Well, I admit it,” said Becker. “ I have
come here to have a talk with you at an hour
when there is no danger of interruption.”

“ You forget. sir. Mr. Rilolf’s below 1”

“ No, he’s not. He went away half an hour
since on one of his usual nocturnal expeditions,
taking Quigley With him. Y‘Ve are utterly alone
here—alone .'”

He smiled like a demon—with a smile that
blanched the girl’s features.

“You forget Mrs. Arbuckle, Major Becker!”
she said, summoning all her courage to her
aid.

“ Not at all,” he replied, grimly. “ Mrs. Ar-
buckle is not here. If you will step to the door
of her room,” and he led the. way in that direc-
tion, “ you Will see that she is passing the night
elsewhere.”

In the terror now overshadowin her, Olga
could do no less than verify the vi] ain’s asser-
tion, and a single glance into the room of the
housekeeper told her, as a similar glance had
told Rilofl“, previously, that it was unoccupied.

“ You see. therefore, that I am telling you the
exact truth," resumed Becker, his mien becom-
ing more menacing every moment. “ There’s
not a soul in the house save ourselves! I have
watched and waited for this opportunity. I
have a boat in waiting at the pier in front of
the house, and have come here to ask you—to
compel on, if necessary—to take a voyage with
me. I ill you come quietly and peacefully,
without noise or resistance?”

“ Never, sir! Not a step, Major Becker!”

“ Think twice. if you please i” and Beckr r pro-
duced a bottle of chloroform and a sponge. “ 1f
you'do not go with me peacefully, I will take
you drugged and senseless.” '

At this instant Olga gave such a great start
that Becker could not help smiling. jubilantly.
He thought his threats had frightened her.

He was little aware that she had caught a

 

glimpse of Ally W'ebber, who, leaving his con-

cealment, had advanced along the corridor to
the maiden’s protection.

“ You may well weaken in your attempt to
defy me,” added Becker, triumphantly. “ Let
us have no more nonsense. Come along, on the
instant, or I’ll take you .'”

“ No on won’t, major!” and the stout hands
of Ally ebber closed upon him.

A brief struggle succeeded, but the major was
no match for his assailant, and soon found him-
self prone upon the floor of the corridor, with
his active adversary astride of him.

“Not a word—not the least cry, major!” en-
joined Ally, as his grasp tightened upon the
throat of his prisoner.

“I—I surrender!” gasped the half-strangled
man.

“ Then allow me to bind you !”

The measure was quickly taken.

“ And now to give you a dose of your own
medicine,” pro%osed Ally, as be seized the bot-
tle and sponge ecker had dropped.

“ Oh, no—no!”

The protest was unheeded.
At the end of a brief interval the villain lay
upon the floor as motionless and helpless as if
dead.

“ Oh, Ally!”
.It was all Olga could say, as she flung herself
into Ally’s arms, sobbing with joy. .

“The peril is past, dear Olga,” assured our
hero, as he soothed her with caresses. “ Think
no more about it! This reptile is powerless to
harm you !”

“ How did you come here?” resumed the
maiden, with tremulous accents. “ By what
miracle are you here at such a critical mo-
ment?”

_“ I will soon tell you.” replied Ally. “But
first let me mention that I have two friends
with me, at the head of the staircase. The first
thing I want you to do is to take a look at the
room from which we have escaped, after being
shut up therein by Rilofl‘, under circumstances I
shall presently relate.”

He led the way to the room in question, open-
ing the. door and flashing his light within.

“ Do you know this place?" he asked.

“Certainly. It is a fish-well that Mr. Rilofl!
had built when he took possession of the manor.”

“ A-a fish—well l”

“ Yes. Mr. Rilofl’s idea was to have fish
handy at any moment, either for himself, or for
guests arrivmg unexpectedly.” ex lained Olga,
with a countenance attestive 0 her perfect
good faith and candor. ” He’s very fond of
fish, and for several months after we came here
he kept this place full of them. It was found,
however, that they did not. do well. They seem-
ed to miss the sunshine. Their flesh was found
to be flabby, and, in some cases, to have a bad
flavor.”

“ I should think as much,” muttered Ally.
“But come upstairs, Where the Windlass is, and
show me how the thing is put in motion.”

He drew the girl‘s arm within his own, and
conducted her to the presence of his compan-
ions, presenting them to her.

“ As I will explain later, Olga, we are having
a little exploration of our own,” observed Ally,
as he removed the circular piece plugging the
hole in the door and crawled through. “ Can
you manage to follow me—with my assistance?”

“ Oh, easily enough,”and she suited her action
to the word. “ You cut your way out, it
seems!”

“ Naturally enough, since there was no other
way of getting out,” responded Ally.

“And how did you get out of the room be-
‘low?”

“ I cut out of that through the ceiling,” ex»
plained Ally, leading the way to the machinery
he had come to examine. “ To climb up the
cable to this spot was no difficult matter."

“ But what gave you the idea of being in dan-
ger?” ursued Olga.

“ Al the surroundings. To begin with, the
door closed with a. snap-lock.”

“There are others in the manor, and I have
seen them elsewhere.”

“ And then those false Windows and that false
inner door—” \

“ They were not on] my suggestions, Ally,
but they were the wor of my hands. I fan-
cied. after we gave up using the well for fish,
that it would be better to make it look like a
room. It was not my intention, however, that
the room should ever be used.”

“ Then why is the bed there?”

“ That was Mr. Riloff’s idea,”continued Olga,
with the same frankness as before. “ He thought
he might like to lie down there occasionally,
near the water. during the hottest days in the
summer!”

Ally scanned the lovely face beside him.

It was impossible to ignore the perfect candor
with which Olga had spoken.

But the young detective readily divined how
Rilofl' had turned to a terrible account the in—
nocent simplicity of his reputed daughter.

“ I should have thought Mr. Riloff would
have been afraid of being carried down into the
water by some accident," he suggested.

“ Oh, there’s no danger of that. The ma-
chinery has long been out of order!”

“Then the room, fish—crate, or whatever we
may call it, has not been let dOWn into the wa-
ter lately?”

“ Not for years.”

“But you must have noticed that the walls
are very (lamp 3"

“ Yes, I did. But that is because of the water
below !”

“ How deceived you are. Olga!” our hero
could not help saying. “ Listen, child! It has
not been a week—not one week even—since that
room was under water !”

The girl started at his earnestness, but shook
her head.

“ Impossible!” she responded. “ You forget,
Ally. the machinery is out of order!”

“ Out of order! tho said so 9”

“ Mr. Rilofl’. He mentioned the fact years
ago. and told me not to go near it.”

“ Do you remember how that traveling room
was )ut in motion. Olga !”

“ 11, yes. You see this large wheel on the
right at the end of the Windlass?”

Ally assented.

It was a large and solid Wheel. at least six or
seven feet in diameter. with a circle of stout
cogs upon the rims which dovetailed into those
of a smaller Wheel. which was in its turn moved
by a second large one.

“ It seems simple enough,” said Ally. “ ll'ill
you show me how the fish-crate was lowered
into the water 3"

“ Yes. You take hold of the rim of this outer
larger wheel—so,” and she showed him. “ You
then draw out this bolt or peg by which the
wheel is secured in its place—so! All that now
remains is to turn the wheel, and the cage—as
we call it—descends slowly toward the water!”

“ I see! Permit me!”

Ally took the wheel from her.

“ How easily it is handled,” he ejaculated, as
he began turning the wheel rapidly. “ How si—
lently, too! I do not hear the least squeak. As
you can see for yourself, Olga, all the bearings
of these wheels have been recently oiled !”

The girl bent nearer, advancing her lamp
from one bearing to another.

“ So they have,” she acknowledged, a look of
dismay passing over her face.

“And who says the machinery is out of or-
der?” continued the young detective, as he whirl-
ed the whecl more and more rapidly. “ You see
how gently and noiselessly the cage is descend-
ing into the water! There would not be the least
danger of awakening the sleeper. if there was
one in the cage at this moment. ‘ Not in order,’
Olga? Why, a child could turn the wheel! In
what respect could it work better?”

He continued to turn the wheel, the dismay of
Olga speedily giving place to anguish, and her
anguish to horror.

“It is as you say,” she at length exclaimed.
“ The machinery was never in better order than
it is now!”

“ No, never," aflirrned Ally. “ The cage must
now be near the water! A poor show for any
man who should happen to be in it at this mo-
ment!’

 

Olga shuddcred, becoming deathly pale, as

   

 

   

 

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