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TWO_F_LIRTS.

BY AL. W. CROVVELL.

'riiii: HEROINE.
Miss Edith Van wm
Was a terrible flirt—-
Made mashes by dozens, and treated as dirt
The hearts of the men
She had conquered, and then
Thrown aside as she would discard a glove which h ad
proven on tl‘lltl to be ill-iltting and not worthy of
Being tried on again.

She had lovers a score -~
' ’l‘liat. at least, may be more!
Ive been told toverdrawnJ iiiink), thirty-and fcur!
None did but High for her -
None but would lie for her—

And many a giddy cavalier, driven distracted by her
beauty and lai- ( of a preciation of himself has
thrown him dramatica ly upon his cunculo dea" and
begged as a priceless favor ’

That he might die for her!

THE Illflltl).

Mr Arthur Vim Stan
Was as handsome a man
As o’er buttoni d a glove or took charge of a fan.
lie, too, was a masher,
A lady-heart crusher.

And vowed the aforementioned Edith Should fall
fatally in love with him, his heart remaining free!
For had she not a reputation equal to his in that
line? And had she not boasted of it to a friend ?—~
and was it not a religious duty to bring her down

A peg or two—dash her?

Then this “iiyest” of'girls
_ Rearranged all her curls
And displayed a small mouth full of glittering
pearls;
She tried every wile,
I And after awhile,

Their intimacy being the common talk of the neigh-
borliqod, tfelt léerselif i'oxiéscientiouslfiyly justified in
repy ng o a men ‘s “ ou h
sucker, Edith?" ave OOked your

“ I siiiiper to smile!”

THE PLOT.

So the plot was begun,
And each newer sun

, Saw the finish of one act, a new act begun;

Till Cupid one day
Made a j at of their play
By suddenly opening their eyes to the fact that they
loved each other madly, each discovering that in
trying to win the other’s affections she ' had lost

. he {
gt,er heart. Arthur sinks gracefully upon one

pale lo and exclainis:
“ Will you have me, dear, say I"

THE DRAMATIC CLIMAX .

And Edith Van Wirt,
_ This accomplished young flirt,
Replies: “Will I have you? Why shouldn’t I? CERT!"

” Birdie.”

BY TOM P. MORGAN.

 

 

AT fourteen minutes past two o’clock, day be-
fore yesterday, a slab-sided, storm-beaten-look-
ing erson, with a face of the meat-ax st le of
architecture, and feet on him too big to fa 1 into
the post-holes that had been bored in the street

' to catch the Salvation Army, tracked into town

and announced his coming by crying in a loud
and resonant voice that he was a red—eyed and
ravening hyena.

He added that be weighed a ton and that he
was recently from Bitter Creek, that historic
stream the residents along Whose banks are
found to be worse and worse the higher up the
rill you investigate. As this gentleman,if he
was to be judged out of his own mouth, had
perched his cot awa up at the head—waters
among the Alkali ills, it could readily be
imagined that he was distressing] de raded.

Fill‘tlleI'nlOl‘e, he announced t at e was a
horse—a rhinocerhorse—«with the bit chronically
clinched in his teeth and his tail continual] over
tbodashboard. In addition to this, he was abor—
ing under no obli- by gosh-gations to anybody
now on the map.

His contempt for the town was so strong that
he declared his intention of widening the main
street as be tracked along up it, and his con-
tempt for our citizens was still more cepious.
In fact, he was well-nigh as abusive as is little
Rudyard Kipling in his articles on Hamerica.

[Speaking of Rudyard—he is more to be pitied
than condemned. N o wonder he is prematurely
soured. Think of having to pac around a
name like that for years and years! Whata
name to go to bed in the dark with !]

The terror from upstream made such a tumult
as he came up the street that Schwindlebaum,
the clothiei', who was telling a victim that if
that suit was not all wool he hoped to drop stone
dead on t’e spot, leaped off from the spot to be
on the safe side, and fell in a fit direct y under
his sign announcmg, “ Perfect Fits Guaran—
teed.”

But, he recovered almost immediately as he
saw out of the tail of his eye that his innocent
little son, Ikey, had in his fright swallowed slick
and clean a five-dollar old-piece which he had
been placidly sucking— key having begged for
candy had been pacified by being permitted to
suck so much money.

“ Ar-r—r-r! Ikey, you liddle schnaglebummer,’
you doan go owit oaf der house vor a. veekl’
cried his fond papa, almost frozen with horror.
“I vould kill you vere you stand oaf it vasn’t
vor der oxpense oaf der funeral! Veepin’ Ra-
chel! I shall fall deal: oaf der heart disease!
Ar-r-r-r!”

But, fortunately, Ikey savod his father’s
life by rattling oil' and getting his little tin
bank.

“ Here ish fife dollar, fadder,” he said, count-
ing out the nickels and kevarters.

“ No, you doan, Ikey!” cried the old gentle-
man, reproachfully. “ You can’t schwmdle
your poor fadder dat vayi Gif me fife dollar
unt a kevarter—gold ish a dollar-fife, to—day.”

And so poor Ikey scratched around and yield-
ed up $5.35, and kept the gold-piece that was in
his midst. . _

Meanwhile, the terror had sailed by, crying
as he went:

“ Gimme room! Gimme room!” _

He also further disparaged himself by heaping
on his own head sundry lurid denunCiations
even worse than he had previously uttered.

We did not all of us notice his approach, as
several prominent citizens, including. myself,
were congregated in the Rosebud, dlSCUSBlllg
the free»lunch of fried liver, and nicely-browne
flop-overs with sugar sprinkled on their roofs,
which Curly Corkright, the gentlenia_nly tom-
cologist, was setting out with litVish liberality,
now that he had become a candidate for the of-
flcc of mayor. By rights, we were not'due to
pasture out on the liver and flop-over till eve-
ning—but the early bird catches the worm.

We heard the terror draw near, but, suppos-
ing that the rumpus was being made by some
citizen casually moving a claim-jumper through
town after having jumped him Off from his
claim. we did not give ear to any great extent
till the new-comer kicked an inofi’enSiye dog in
through the front window. At this critical mo-
ment we were all eating but \Villiam Dickery
and Judge Begad. The atter, havmg been un-
der the weather for a few davs, was packing up
several slabs of liver dto Saks home and make in;
to a liver— ad, an 10 ery was Singing
roundelay egtitled, “ Somebody Tell Me Where
Lulu’s Gone!” _ .

The abrupt arrival of the canine Jarred all
this harmony. One of his feet went into Alkali
Ike’s mouth along with a flop-over. _ Incidental-
ly, the body of the dog swxped Dickery over
with his brow in a spittoon, breaking the tail
off from his la .

“ Curly,” as’ked Alkali Ike, reproachfiilly, at
the same time ejecting the canine’s foot, am I
orderin’ flyin’ dog any?”

“To date,” returned Curly,
lacks that.” ,

Before Isaac couldlretort, the terror burst in,

'n tom tuous . .
maria? mug? is slim” he said. “Birdie
Blair-r-r-r 1”

Blair is a common name enough, but never be-

“ your record

fore  I heard any one get as much out of it
as Birdie did. It was like the hilarious blare of
a full—blown trombone. And, then, “ Birdie!”
Lawzy me! The combination reminded me of
the crime of a Dutch butcher I once knew who
fondly'called his sausage-chopper “ Lily.”

_Birdie, in addition to his other charms, bran-
dished a glittering knife half as long as a broom
handle.

“ Waugh 1” he exploded. “ I’m r’iled l”

“Have some of the liver, pardner,” urged
Curly, hospitably, “or a gargle of eiderberry
Wine.”

“ Yaump!” snorted Birdie. “ Do I look like a
man who yearns for liver and elderberry wine?
N0 .’ I want BLOOD!”

“ Sorry, pardner,” returned Curly, regret-
fully, “ but we’re out of blood to-day.”

'Atthis disappointment, the intruder cliamped
his bit fiercely. He waved his stabbei' on high
and disfiaraged himself and his record shame-
fully. e was not only a gaunt wolf with li-
cense to howl continuously, but there were
spiders in his hair and he habitually shaved
with a rip—saW.

“The gentleman ’pcars to be p’izonous,” com-
mented Alkali Ike.

Birdie then cut a figure 8 in the atmosphere
With his dagger and demanded to be presented
to the chief man of the settlement that he might
rend him limb from limb. Alkali Ike was; for
shoving me forward, but I declined with my
usual modesty.

Seeing that he could not have much fun with
us, Birdie demanded two cigars, both of which
he lit and smoked at the same time, snorting
Wildly between pufls. He then adjourned to
the outSide and tracked up and down in front
of the building crying for blood.

“ Bring on any six men that ever wore hairl”
he sung. “ Bring ’em on! I’m able for ’em! I
hain’t skeered uv anything now on earth! I——”

In the mean time a weather-worn wagon,
drawn by a pair of uncultivated mules and
driven by a grim-looking lady with boots on,
was approaching at a rapid rate, considering
that a rail with its trailing end scratching the
ground was doing duty in the place of the off
hind wheel.

When he began his address in front of the
Rosebud, Birdie had thoughtfully placed one of
the cigars in his coat-pocket for future refer-
ence, and it was now cheerfully smoking with-
out the aid of his mouth.

“ Your coat is afire',” said some one.

“ Let it burn !”cried Birdie, heroically.
too brave to put it out! I—”

And then Birdie came down ofi? from his ele-
vated arch. The uncombed mules whirled up,
the la y sailed out of the wagon and leaped fOr
Birdie. The latter dro ped his stabber and
leaped for dear life. at the lady caught a
claw in his collar and spun him half-way
around, tangling up his legs in such a manner
that he sailed over and dove down to his shoul-
ders into one of the said Salvation Army post-
holes into which his foot would not go.

Alkali Ike has it that the lady kicked Birdie

with her left boot as he flew, thus inserting him
deeper into the hole.
' “Ar-bar!” she cried. “You reckoned you
could slip of! to the city an’ indulge in riotous
livin’ an’ leave y0ur poor meek wife to nurse the
broken axle, did ye? “7811—”

And as sbeconversed, she extracted Birdie
from the post—hole, jerked him to the rear of the
wagon and bound him fast to the tail-gate with
a handy piece of fence wire which looked as if
it had been used before for a like purpose.

The wagon was pretty well stuffed with chil-
dren who, with but a single exce tion, seemed
filled with leeful anticipations. he exception
was the 01 est son, who was carefully splitting
a six-foot inch—thick hickory gad into four
gieces down to within about a foot of the butt.

y the time that Birdie was wired fast to the

wagon, the gad was split, converting it into as
pretty a cat—o’-four-tai'ls as you could wish to
see.
Then the children hopped out of the wagon,
cackling in innocent glee, and took turns at lar-
rupin Birdie amid the applause of all behold—
ers. is burning coat smoked for a little
while, but the four—tailed gad soon put the
conflagrati'on out.

As the children flailed him in rotation, the
lady addressed sundry pithy remarks to Birdie,
prominent among which was a question as to
whether or no he would in the future dig and
pare the potatocs without carping. j

“ Yes, ma’am,” answered Birdie, meekly.

“There!” cried the lady, grimly, after the
gad had been larruped till it looked like a bunch
of four corkscrews. “ I reckon two lickin’s in
one day will teach you not to fritter away your
time an’ talents!”

Then she slung the smaller children into the
chariot, unloosened birdie and kicked him over
the wheel after them, mounted the seat and
gathered up the reins.

“ Gentlemen,” said she, by way of explan-
ation, “ this yere-is my second husband, an’ he’s
a viper!” .

I judge that the children were the offsprings
of her first husband.

A little later the chariot was rolling away.
\Ve watched the rail jag up the soil till it passed
out of sight over the rise. Somebody picked up
the glittering knife that Birdie had dropped—it
was of pine neatly pasted over with tinfoil.

We then returned to our liver and flop-overs.

(I I’m

 

 

Being Too Honest.

“ SEVEN years ago,” he said, as he entered a
crockery-store on Sixth avenue the other day,
“ seven years ago I came in here and bought six
plates of you, and handed you—”

He knocked a thirty-cent pitcher off a shelf as
he waved his arm about, and after the pieces
Were gathered up he continued:

“ I handed you a five-dollar bill. You war-
ranted them plates to be all-wool and a yard
wide, and— Excuse me.”

He knocked a couple of lamp-chimneys off a
rack with his coat-tails, and it was with a shade
of asperity in his tones that the crockery-man
asked his errand.

“ Why, I bought six plates of you.”

“ Well?”

“ It was seven years ago.”

“ Well 1’”

“ Them plates come to sixty cents, and I
handed you a $5 bill. When I come to count
my change I was half-way home, and I found
you had given me ’leven cents too much. I was
calculatin’ to come to town ag’in the next week,
but-— What’s that?” _

In moving about in the narrow space his foot
hit a four—gallon crock, and upset it and brokea
liberal piece out of one side.

“ Did you want anything?” asked the grocer,
in an acid voice. . _

" Certainly I do. Kinder risky movmg around
in here, I see. Yes, I found you had overpaid
me by ’leven cents, and though I meant to come
in and return it, I’ve had a fever sore on my leg,
and I had to go out to Elmira to see my daugh-
ter, and the old woman has bin ailing more or
less. Being as I was in town .to-day I thought
I’d step in and clear my conscience. I’ve come
to pay back them ’leven cents. Here’s aquarth
which has been plugged, I guess, and I’ll call it
23 cents.

“ Sir, the man who was here seven years ago
is dead.”

“ Gosh l”

“ And I want you to go out of that door, and
take a walk. Keep right on walking until you
fetch up in the river. You are too blamed
honest! Walk!”

The old man stepped out, and when the door
closed after him he turned and regarded the
crockery man looking at him through the glass.
It was a long minute before he got it all straight.
Then he spit on the palm of his left hand, made
a fist of his ri ht, and, bringing it down Wlth a
great “ spat!” e shouted:

“ Hanged if this hain’t an everlasting lesson
to me! From this minit to the day of my death
every durned wallet I find in the road I’ll put
right down in my breaches-pocket an’ say nuth-
in to nobody!”

 

YOUR ROSES.

’Tis true that the heart’s warmth we often disclose

Through the gift of a blossom, a bud or a rose,

But love has a language that speaks from the. eyes

And the things that they utter are silently wise.

When this cares of the day are put by with the
nig t,

Your roses shall tinge all my dreams with delight—

Thtll‘ perfume, an incense of love shall arise

To blend with the thoughts that are voiced but in

Sighs,
And tlfie Eight will seem brief, and the daylight un-
ID

Of Duty’s 'dull mansion that rolls up the blind!
March 23d, 1891. AUGUSTA CHAMBERS.

‘Flash Lightning,

THE MOUNTAIN MASCOT;
OR,
Old Dug-Out’s Double Trouble.
A Romance of Payrock.

BY CHARLES MORRIS.

CHAPTER VII.
AT A ROPE‘S END.

WE introduce the reader to the interior of a
strongly-built log~dwelling at a considerable
distance from Payrock, and so cunnineg con-
cealed in a tree-lined cavity of the mountain-
side as to render it very difficult to discover.

This dwelling is two stories in height, and
with several rooms on each floor. The only
room which gives signs of being Occupied is a
large one on the second floor, a room whose
ceiling is crossed by a strong, broad-faced beam,
that: seems the main support of the peaked
roo .

The group collected here is one in which
we have just now great interest. In the fore-
ground stands Abel Griscom and Flash Light-
ning.

Arranged around the room are the half-dozen
of road-agents, each well—armed.

The prisoner is not confined in any way. His
limbs are free and he stands erect and heedful,
his alert eyes taking in the features of the situ-
ation. It is evident that escape is impomible. A
movement toward door or window would bring
him under the fire of six revolvers, held in sure
hands.

Flash shrugged his shoulders carelessly. He
was in for it, that was clear, and it was neces—
sail-i7 to adapt himself to the situation.

6 turned to Griscom,who was surveying him
with a cold, significant look.

“ Well, what can I do for you ?” asked Flash,
in his most ofi-hand manner. “ I got your
invitation,and you See I’m here. I’m always on
hand when I’m sent for.” -

“ Yes, it appears so,” rejoined Griscom, dryly.
“ You are a highly -accommodating young
man.”

“ You turned up the trump card—the six of
clubs," replied Flash, pointing to the road-
agents, “and took my ace with it. But look
out, Mr. Griscom. I’m one of the sort that’s
hard to take, and harder to keep.”

“ I fancy you’re safe enough,” remarked
Griscom. “ The six- of clubs is a good holding
card.” ‘

Flash looked at him from head to foot, as if
trying to take in his measure. Then be fixed his
eyes on one after the other of his guards, with a
fiery glance that made some of them quail.

“ A pretty half-dozen of cut-throats,” he re-
marked, contemptuously. “ And a fitting lead-
tan—Wellz I’m here now; what do you want
with me?’

“ In the first place I want that paper which

on took from my pocket in Dungut s cottage.

e left it in your care. You were a fool to take

charge of anything quite so dangerous.”
“ I was, eh! And you’ve brought me here on
account of that paper? Well, you haven’t got
it and I’ll bet you high you don’t get it. What
0 ds will you give?”

“ Ten to one. I fancy that‘s a safe bet as the
thing stands,” answered Griscom, with a sur-
donic laugh.

“ I’ll take that bet,” rejoined Flash, coolly.
“ And make it dimes, dollars, or eagles, as you
please. Let’s have a smoke on it. I never can
do business without a cigar. You don’t object
to smoke in your parlor?” ‘

“ I fancy we can stand it.”

“Then s’pose you join me in a weed. They
are the best to be had in these diggin’s.”

He took a brace of cigars from his pocket as
he spoke and handed one to Griscom.

The latter, who was evidently trying to be as
cool as his prisoner, accepted the cigar with an
air of carelessness.

“ About that bet,” resumed Flash, as he took
a match from his pocket and struck it on his
boot; “shall it be dollars or eaglesl—Drat that
match! the brimstone’s wet,” he cried, as the
match went out.

“ Eagles, if you’ve got so much money to
lose,” said Griscom.

“ Ea les be it, then, since I’ve so much money
to win, ’ laughed Flash.

As he spoke he was carelessly twisting some-
thing in his pocket. He now drew another
match and struck it.

“ I’m in sound earnest,” he remarked.
“ Which of these good fellows shall we make
stake-holder?”

Griscom turned to the party of guards and
surveyed them with a dubious eye.

As he did so, Flash drew a crumpled and
twisted paper from his pocket, lit it with the
match, and held its blazing end to his cigar.

“ I wouldn’t care to trust any of them with a
big stake,” remarked Griscom, turning back.

Flash laughed heartily, as he handed the blaz-
ing paper to Griscom, to light his cigar.

“ Why, if it comes to that question, Iw0uldn’t
like to trust master or men too far,” he said.

“ You carry it oil? with a bold hand, young
man,” rejoined Griscom, angrily. “ I fancy
you hardly know the kind of man you are dea -
ing with.”

“ I could make a shrewd guess,” answrared
Flash, quietly. “ You’re not the first cut-throat
I’ve seen. That kind sometimes get into Pay-
rock—and they generally go out at the end of a

 

 

 

rope” . . .

‘ What, you young deVil’s cub!" cried Gris-
com,in a passion. “ That to me? By the Lord,
you want taming, and I’lthame you before I’ve
done with you.”

At this moment the blazing paper which he
held burnt his fingers, and he threw it hastily
to the floor.

“ You won’t find it so easy to tame the wild-
cat of the Rockies,” retorted Flash, defiantly.
“ Flash Lightning is the worst thing in the world
to hold, and I reckon you’ll find that out before
you’re done with me. I fancy you hardly know
the kind of man you are dealing with.”

“ There is enough of this,” retorted Griscom,
with growing anger. “ Pass me over that pa-
per instantly, or I’ll take rougher means to get
It 3)

“ I’ll change the bet, and make it ten to one
on the other side that you don’t get it,” returned
Flash with the same easy manner.

“ This has gone far enough,” exclaimed Gris-
com. “ I didn’t bring you here to play the cir-
cus clown. Search him," he said in a tone of
authority to two of the men. “ He has it about
him.”

Flash made no resistance, but stood with the
same mocking smile on his lips as the men made
a thorough investigation of his pockets and
clothing.

“ He must ha.’ flung it away, ’cause it ain’t no-
where ’bout him,” said one of the searchers.

“ Or eat it,” owled the other.

“ Or burnt it, maybe,” retorted Flash. “ I
judge if you’ve lost it, you’ve got nobody but
yourself to blame,” he remarked to Griscom.
“ I did not burn a half-inch of it. You settled
the balance, except that little scrap on the
floor.” .

Griscom gazed down in amaze and growmg
alarm to where Flasli’s hand was pointing.

 

“ I calculate I’ve won that bet,” continued
Flash. f‘ I handed you the paper. If you chose
to burn it, that was your lookout; not mine.”

With a deep oath of rage Griscom hastily
stooped and picked up the blackened scrap of
paper. He quickly opened it, and caSt his eyes
over the few words that were still legible.

As he did so his face grew purple with rage,
and an exclamation of fury came from his lips.
_ “ You imp of Satan!” he yelled. “ You want
it then! By all that’s good you shall have it!
I’ll show you if Abel Griscom is the man to play
0d your tricks on.”

“ That’s not the only trick I know,” retorted
Flash. “ I’ll show you another yet.”

The enraged villain turned and spoke a few
words to his ruffianl y companions.

In response they seized Flash and bound him
hand and foot, his wrists being tied with a small
but strong cord in front of him, which was
drawn so tightly that it cut deep into the flesh.

More ominous proceedings followed. One of
the men produced a long rope, in the end of
which was a running noose. This was placed
around the neck of the captive, while the other
end of the rope was thrown over the beam that
ran across the room several feet over their
heads.

Flash turned a shade pale at these ominous
preparations. But beyond this natural show of
feeling he gave no sign of fear and flinching.

f “Up with him!” cried Griscom, in a tone of
ury. -

“ N ary time, boss,” replied one of the men.
“ We never scrag nobody without having a con-
fab over it fu’st. That’s one of our rules.”

Griscom looked at him threateningly, but the
man stood firm.

“ Ver well, if you want to talk',” he remark-
ed. “ asten the end of the rope, so that the
fool will throttle himself if he tries to get away.
Now, young gentleman, if you want to play
flash lightning it’s your chance while we're
away. When we come back you will likely have
a chance to dance in the air.”

“ What‘s to come will come,” answered Flash
defiantly. “ I never go to meet trouble.”

“ I should advise you to say your prayers, at
any rate. If you’ve got any last wish now’s the
time to speak it out.”

“Nothing except to finish my cigar, if ou’ll
be sociable enough to give me a light. t has
gone out, and I never like to leave a. job half
done, or a cigar half-smoked.”

Griscom stared.

“ \Vell, you’re a cool one,” he muttered. “ But
you may have that much satisfaction, if it will
be any good to you.”

He struck a match, and held it to Flash’s
cigar. A few puffs and the tobacco was burning
a am.

“ That’s prime. Good-day,” he said. “ Come
back soon, or I won’t promiSe to wait for you.”

Griscom looked at his cool prisoner again, and
muttered an oath. Flash was a little too much
for him. He led the way to an adjoining room.

“ You can have five minutes to finish your
smoke,” he said, as he closed the door.

“ That’ll be plenty,” answered Flash. “ And
if you find me here when you come back you
can hang me for a fool,” he added.

Listening a moment to make sure that no one
had stayed within hearing, he began to twist
his arms, and after a few seconds succeeded in
getting his bound wrists in front of his face.

Then puffing furiously on his cigar he quickly
had the burning and of it in a red coal of fire.

A minute more sufficed to bring the slender
but strong cord that confined his wrists in con-
tact with the glowing end of the cigar.

It smoked an instant, and then burst into a
blaze. Only a few seconds were needed to burn
through its strands; the cord parted, and Flash’s
hands were again free.

“ The blind fools!” he ejaculated, as he threw
the noose from his neck. “I told them they
did not know the man they were dealing with,
but they would not believe me.”

In another instant he had drawn a knife from
his pocket and severed the cords that bound his
ankles. He was a free man again.

With light but rapid steps Flash made his
way to the window. Here he paused and
thought.

“ N 0,” he said, “ they are trained bloodhounds.
They know the ground and I don’t. They will
run me down in ten minutes. It is better to
trick them than to run from them.”

He looked inquiringly around the room. A
flash of intelligence came into his eye.

“ I have it,” he said.

He raised the window and threw the shutter
wide open. Then turning he grasped the rope
that lay over the beam, and climbed it hand
over hand.

This brought him quickly to the level of the
beam. It was,-as we have said, very wide, and
when he had stretched himself out flat on it he
was quite concealed from below.

“ One thing more,” he muttered.

He took a bit of paper from his pocket, wrote
on it hastily with a pencil, aild then let it flut-
ter down to the floor.

This was hardly done before a sound at the
door showed that the rufiians were returning,

Flash sunk down and lay quiet. The door
opened. ‘

“ Now, my brave fellow,” said Griscom as he
entered, “ are you ready for your dance— Hi1-
lo! The deuce! what does this mean?”

“ He is gone!” cried the man behind him.

The others sprung into the room. They were
all stupefied with surprise.

“ The window!” exclaimed one. “ He has
gone that way 1”

At this instant Griscom perceived the scrap
of paper on the floor. He snatched it up and
ran his eye hastily over it.

“I’m 06 for Payrock,” he read. “ I’ll see that
there are ropes enough ready for the whole gang
when you come there to call on me.”

“ See here,” cried one of the party, picking
up the burnt twine. “ He has burnt himself
loose with the cigar you lit for him.”

A fierce oath broke from Griscom’s lips. He
had been utterly fooled, and by a boy at that.

“ After him!” he shouted. “You are all old
scouts. You can run him down. After him!
Don’t lose a second. And when we catch him,
we’ll hang him on the spot. He shall see if he
can play with Abel Griscom.”

He then s rung to the door and rushed
through it. be others followed with equal
haste. In a moment they were all gone, and no
one remained in the room but the silent figure
on the beam.

Flash had protruded his head, and was looking
after them with laughing eyes and a gesture of
contempt. __

CHAPTER VIII.

TAKEN BY SURPRISE.

FLASH remained in his covert until the sound
of voices outside had died away in the dis-
tance.

Then he half-rose on the beam, and was on the
point of letting himself down by the aid of the
rope to the floor, when sounds in the other part
of the house made him pause.

Footsteps were evidently approaching. _ He
dropped down on the beam again and waited.
In a moment more these ste s entered the room.
He had crouched down so 0 osely that he could
see nothing, and had to trust to his hearing.

But the quick, light tread of one pair of feet
gave him a start.

He was sure he had heard that step before.
He received a greater start from the first words
that met his ears.

“ What did you bring me here for, you mean,
low-lived atom of a man?”

The voice was that of Bess Martin, raised to
tones of fiery indignation.

“ Now, see here, gal, don’t you
me worked up. I’m a terror when

1’
pIi: was Jerry Jacobs that spoke.

“ A terror to mice, ma be; but not to men.
You had to get a gang of loodhounds to carry
off one poor girl! You ought to call yourself a
man oughtn’t you, now?”

“I wouldn’t like to carry you off alone,” re-
torted Jacobs, with a provoking laugh. “ It

0 and get
’m worked

 

would be worse than carrying a wildcat.”

“ I’d scratch your eyes out, you sneak, if you
tried it!” exclaimed Bess, in a white heat of
rage.

Flash now had his face over the beam, look-
ing down on the indignant girl with eyes that
beamed with admiration.

When they fell on Jacobs this look changed to
an ominous threat. Flash caught hold of the
hanging rope, and began cautiously to draw it

p.

“Go on, my little beauty!” said Jacobs, ap-
provingly. “ I like that. You are never so
pretty as when you are mad.”

“ 1 wish Flash was only here!” cried Bess. “ If
he’d only show his face you’d Wilt like a dead
leaf, you cowardl”

“ Him! That rock-hopper! That blowin
baby! Why, gal, the last time I saw him
knocked him out cold, and he never lifted a fin-
ger. That’s what I care for him!”

He snapped his fingers defiantly.

If he had seen the look that was fixed on
him from above he would not have been so
brave.

“ You knock him i” she ejaculated, contempt-
uously. “ You must have done it with a club
from behind.”

Jacobs winced at this. She had stumbled too
near the truth for his liking.

“ Your Flash!” he continued, with a look of
assumed scorn. “ Why doesn’t he come to help
you if he is so brave? He is a good deal nearer
you now than you think. ,Why, gal, he could
a’most touch you."

“That’s a lie. If he were that near, he’d be
on you like a catamount. Where is he?”

Flash had drawn his head hastily back, fear-
ing he was discovered.

“ Near enough to hear every word we’re sa '-
ing. We’ll see now if he comes to your be p
while I’m taking that kiss you owe me.”

He failed to see the threatening dumb play
that was going on over his head. Flash looked
down again at these words, and shook his fist
furiously as he opened a larger noose in the
rope.

“ You lie l” exclaimed Bess, passionately. “ If
Flash heard you now, there’s not a lock in the
house would hold him.”

“ I tell you he isn’t ten feet away. Now let us
see if he robs me of my kiss again. I only wish
he was right here to see me take it.”

He caught Bess in his arms and attemde to
press his lips on hers. She pushed his head
away and fought him fiercely, but after a mo-
ment’s struggle he caught and pinioned both her
arms in a strong grasp.

Exhausted with the fierce struggle, she lay for
the moment listless in his power.

A laugh of triumph broke from his lips.

“ So-ho, my lively beauty!” he exclaimed.
“ Where’s your Flash now? W'hy don’t he come
when he’s wanted?” -

Their struggle had brought them directly be-

 

low the point Where Flash lay on the beam with
the r0 9 in his hands.

As acobs advanced his head to snatch the
desired kiss there came a sudden drop of the
open noose. It fell over his head and down
around his body. The next moment it was
drawn tight and Jacobs was a prisoner, to his
utter surprise and consternation.

“ You called for me. Here I am. Anything
more you want done?” queried Flash, as he
dropped nimbly to the floor.

“ Flash 1” screamed Bess, in a tone of delight,
rushing into his arms. “ Oh, Flash! Is it you,
indeed?” '

“ Pinch me, and see, Bess. It feels like me,
don’t it? I’m always on hand when I’m wanted.
—-So, my jolly blade, what have you got to say
for yourself now ?”

Jacobs had crouched down as far as the rope
would let him, while his face was a picture of
astonishment and dread.

Flash walked around him, surveying him as
one would a menagerie specimen.

“ What shall we do with him, Bess?”

“ He ought to have the rope around his neck
instead of his arms.”

“ Good! He knocked me down with a club.
I’ll hang him up like a smoked ham.”

“ Oh, good Mr. Flash! Oh, kind Mr. Light—
ning!” cried Jerry, wringing his hands in dis-
may. “ Don’t hang me, please don’t! I was
only in fun. I only wanted a little fun.”

“Oh, then we’ll hang you only a little—only
for fun. You’re so fond of fun that you won’t
mind five minutes of it, I know.”

“ Mercy, dear Mr. Lightning!
know how it'll hurt. Five minutes!
let me go I”

“ Then s’pose we say three.
swing, you know; only for fun.”

“ You wouldn’t hang me only ’cause I wanted
a kiss?” pleaded Jacobs.

“ What do you say, Bess?”

“ Make him get down on his knees and beg
pardon and say that he’s a sneaking coward.”

“ I’m a sneaking coward; everybody knows
that,” pleaded Jacobs, pitifully.

“And deserve a good kicking.”

“I deserve a good kicking,” rejoined the mis-
erable captive.

“ GOOrl! But he tried to kiss you,” declared
Flash. “ He’s got to be punished for that.”

“ But I didn’t kiss her. She wouldn’t let me.
Oh, don’t hang me, Mr. Flash!”

“ All right. I’ll only truss you up a little, and
leave you to your medita tiOns. There’s many a
slip ’twixt kiss and lip. You can study that out,
Mr. Jacobs.”

He caught the other end of the rope, and with
Bess's help drew Jacobs up until his feet were
clear of the floor, the rope tightening around his
body and arms. He hung dangling in the air,
pitifully groaning and lamenting.

Jacobs continued his prayers and groans, but
no attention was paid to them. Flash fastened
the end of the rope again and left him swinging
under the beam.

“ Now we’ve got to glide, Bess, before that
other gang comes back."

Bess was dancing with something of her old
wild humor round the swinging captive and
snapping her fingers in his face.

“So, Mr. Girl-stealer, you want a kiss from
Bess Martin! and don’t care one bit for Flash
Lightning! How do you like it now? Don’t
you find it splendid taking a swing?”

“ Let me go! I’ll never do it again!” pleaded
the captive, in a. tone of supplication.

“ Why, it’s too.1ovely. I wouldn’t for any-
thing rob you of your swing. lt’s ever so much
nicer than kissing.”

“ Come, Bess, we must make time,” called
Flash. _

“ Gracious! There they come now!” exclaim
ed Bess, looking from the window.

“ By Heaven, you’re right!” cried Flash
8 ringing to her side. “ It’s too late to run

'e’ve got to fight.”

He sprung hastily to the door, closed it and
shot the bolt into its socket. Meanwhile, Bess,
who wasaready hand in an emergency, was
searching the room. I

“Here’s a lot of guns!” she cried, throwmg
open a closet. “ A half-dozen of them! And
loaded, too.”

“Good for you, Bess. You’re worth your
weight in gold. Hand them out.—Here come
the rascals.” _

Some one without tried to open the door, jerk-
ing at it furiously when it failed to yield.

“ Who the deuce is in there?” came an angry
v01ce.

“Your prisoners!” yelled back Flash. “ Ain’t
you glad you’ve got ’em?"

“ Open, or we’ll break the door down i” . '

“ Ain’t this splendid!” cried Bess, dancmg in
her excitement. “ Shall I shoot him ?”

“ No. Wait till I give the word.”

“Then I’ll fasten the shutter.”

“Don’t go near it,” cried Flash, in
“ They might shoot through it.”

“ They’ll climb into it,” declared Bess. “ It’s
got to be shut.” _

“Wait. I have it. We’ll close up the Win-
dow and give them a target.”

He loosened the rope and lowered Jacobs to
the floor.

“ I’m ever so much obliged, Mr. Flash. You’re
going to let me go, ain’t you?” asked the half-
strangled captive.

You don’t
Oh, please

Just a little

alarm.

 

l