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32.50 a you. Entered at the Post Ofllce at New York, N. Y., at Second Class Mail Rates. Copyright. 1883, by Bunuz AND Anus. November 6. L883.

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Sin le PUBLISHED \VEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price,

VOL  Nun er- No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents- NO' 

 

 

-_. V -,_._.

THE SKY DETEGTIVES; or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honor.

BY MAJOR MICKEY FREE.

 

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JACK HAfiS AND HIS MEN, SEEING THEIR VICTIM THUS ESCAPING, ROBE FORWARD AT A FURIOUS SPEED, FIRING AS THEY RAN.

 

 
  
 

,1

' [The Sky Detactivesi

' of‘l‘lg’e; pushed his way to the front.

" , a neighbor who saw

g body else, and as I’m

 

 

 

 

, ,.——_. ,.__.~_._.__'.._._

.A Boy’s Fight forLife and Honor.

‘ BY MAJOR_'MICKEY FREE.

 

.‘-’ '

I 'r  CHAPTER I.

v THE ACCUSATION.
‘Tm: “ Di get! Delight,” the largest, flashiest
saloon in t e minin town of Golden Gulch,
was crowded with minors and gamblers whena
man walked in and sho ted: -

“ There’s a thief in fill)?!"
o more startlin ouncement than this

id have been ma e.

ad the man announced the killing of some-
body, he would not have made much of a scene.
the were common, but thefts were very
:rare. A murderer might easily escape the con-
:56 uences of his deed, alleging a quarrel, or self-
de ense, but a thief detected was sure of being

‘ strung. up. TherefOre, the miners at once start-
le t

ed up, the bar and their games of cards,
and crowded around the man Who had mad
the startling statement.

The machinery in the principal mine of Gold-
en Gulch was being re ired, and the large
force of miners were hay ng a holiday.

“‘ What's the matter, Simpson?”

“ Who‘s the thief?”

“What have you lost?”

“ Have you caught him ?”

Simpson'held up his hand to on 'oin silence.

“ Let me tell you,” he said. “ ’d got a nicg
lot 0’ nuggets and dust, and a week ago I 801
’em to one of the men at Wells, Far 0 & 00’s. I
got the cash fur the stud, five hun red dollars
an gold, and that same amount, in a canvas bag,
has been took from my cabin this mornin’.” ‘

The intelligence was received with very
gloofiiy countenances by the men about the
s a er. ‘

peA. thief was much dreaded. They had no
banks and no detectives. They were thus forced
to depend upon the mntua honesty of the
dwellers in the camp for the security of their
hard-earned savings.

‘“ Who do yer suspect?” was the cry.

Simpson was silent.

There was a movement in the crowd, and 1
tall man, who seemed'to be about thirty years

I ” he said, ‘f you know me. I’m Dick
Crown 1, and I’m the man thatshares Simpson’s
cabin. Naturally I’m the man to be suspected.
Now. here is what I’ve to say: \

“ A hundred to one t at money, is still in the
tow, stowed away in some snug corner of a
cabin. I'm going to search the town andtry to
find that money. It must have been taken by
Sim hiding it away,
and a hundred to one we find it in the house
ofua nei labor. Who’ll help me in this search?"

w .

“ And I.” .
“ Let’s all help,” suggested somebody. andthe
cry‘was taken I: : .

‘ Yes' let’s al go.” . ‘

With ick Crowell and Si at their head’;
the aroused miners left the We Delight.

To their way of thinkin ,the t was the worst
crime in the calendar, an the one meriting the
quickest punishment. '

‘. “ Where shall we begin?” asked Simpson.

“Next to our own shanty,” returned Dick
Crowell. “ e’ll visit all your neighbors the
first thing.” ‘

“ Here we are. then,” said one. pausin be-
fore the door of an humble cottage. “ t‘s
rep at the door.” ,

‘Hold on i” cried a miner.

s “ Why!” demanded Crowell

“Because there’s only Ben'Bradley and his

. sister there."

“What of it? The he ’s no better than any-
ug to search every—”

At that moment the door was flung open and
Beh‘Bradley appeared. He was seventeen, and

actual, broadzshouldered, and string as most of

men who stood at his door. ' g »
Behind him in the :doorway stood his sister,
hie a most charming girl of sixteen.
Ben’iooked astonished when houses the crowd
' of men at his door, and his wonder was turned
to alarm when he noted their stern looks.

a With the (prom tness acquired by life in. the

mines. Ben row is revolver and cocked it.
“Whatare you doing here with such black
looksi”'he demanded.

. “Well er see,” he up Sim 11,3“I’ve
' 'lostubaggi'moneyfl’spo p30 ’

5

s .3;
:7 tn

1 The Sky ' Detectives? ' "

“Curse your‘tongue!” cried the hot-blooded
boy. “ Do you dare secure me I" and he drew
I: head upon Simpson, his eyes'flashing. wrath-

full . . . .
“hold on, Ben; don’t do nothing yer might be
sorry for,” interposed Jim’ lston, a miner,
who was a warm friend to the‘boy and his sis-
ter. “ Yer see, a bag 0" money has been stolen,

see if we can get hold of it, and‘equare Dick
Crowell’s character, seein’ as how he thinks that
’spiciou points tohim.” ~ '

“ All right, then; go ahead,” assented the boy.
“I’m suref can stand all the searching. Only
be careful not to break anything, and remember
that a lady is present.” , ,

Ben was regarded as powerful, quick as a cat,
and as ood a shot as there was in'tbe mines, so
all ban s paid respectful attention to his admo—
nition.

Half a dozen of them entered the cabin, and
began searching in all likely and. unlikely places
for the stolen treasure. 4

Meanwhile the balance of the curious lot of
men stood around, waiting for the result of the
search. ‘

A yell from one of the men made them all
crowd into the doorway.

The man who had uttered the cry was bend-
ing over the fireplace. He had removed three
loose bricks, and was now holding up a bag made
of canvas! ' ‘ r .

“ Is this iti” he asked. ' '

“ Yes,” shrieked Simpson, sw00ping down up-
on the rize like a haw , and snatching'it from
the fin er’s hands. “ I‘kin swear to it!”

A hoarse growl, an ominous murmur arose
from the miners. . '

“ The thief!”

“The sly dog l”

“ We’re none of us safe, now.”

“ We will. be, though,” cried another, “for
we’ll hang him!” '

A murmur of approbation went up from the
ma rity.

hey made a united movement toward Ben,
who sprung back and placed his shoulders against
the rear wall of the cabin.

r In an instant a revolver gleamed in either
'hand, and the boy’s resolute tones rung through
the cabin like the notes of a bugle-blast:

“Stand back! Iam as inn'ooent of theft as
any of you. I know nothin .whatever of this
char l There is-some devi ish trick in this, or
that could never have been where it was.
I am innocent, and you shall not hold me re-
apofinigibup ' fixed to 1 his

e es were s rn y upon
 yhands. armed in so deadly a
manner, were half raised, ready » to deal out
death if thzgoung here was assailed. I

“There ’t no lan nor trick about this,”
cried Simpson. “th that I come to think of
it, yer’ve been hanging about my shanty ever
since I sold the nuggets and dust.’

A that hearse, angry murmur went up.

“ t’s a lie!” savagely cried Ben. “I have not
been near your shanty.” « a

“ String the yme * .whelp up, and so protect
your property ss' Crowell.

. That was the great appeal to make to men
when confronted with a person who seemed con-
victed of theft.

“Yes, string him up!”

“ All ether!”

“Upon im!”

“Stand back!” cried Ben.
life dearly!"

But they k ton their way.

Crack! one i rung out the sharp reports of
She revolvers, and two of his assailants went.

own.

Again, the weapons peeled forth and two
more were wounded. .

But, of ?urs§,03%: boy could not 
own agains sue as were opposed I .

A dozen stron hands seized him and bore him
down to the ' cor, where his weapons were
. rudely torn from his clinging grasp. _

Unobserved by the others, Annie stole out of
the cabin, her beautiful eyes blazing like twin
stars. ~ I v . . ' v

“Away with' him!” said Crowell, who had
made himself leader, “away with the thief to
the valley and hang him to the big trees.”

The bound and ed boy—for some cruel
hand had gagged h m y forcing a large cork
into his month—was hurried away.

“Get a horse and a rope,” suggested some-

bod . '

“JAN right,” was the cry, and half a dozen
started OR for the required things. “ We’ll be
there lively." _ -
, Benwas rushed‘out of town to the valley that

“Iwill sell my

 



p

and we’re going to search everybody’s cabin, to ‘

Iand prisoner were gone, leaving

 

..s..... - ._..,

bordered it, and brought to a halt under a clus-
tenof trees. . , ,,

Here the few hangings that had fallen to the
lot of Golden Gulch in the few years of its ex-
istence had taken place. '

.A tall tree was the favored gallows, and un-
der win the party halted. ,

“ p with the young thief!” was the cry.

“ Let him talk if he wants,” suggested one of
the more humane. ‘

“ Yes, you thief, confbss your guilt before
you die.” . .

But poor Ben couldn’t speak because of the
gag in is-mouth. v

‘ ‘ He’s obstinate.” .

" Yes, he’s hardened.”

_ {)‘gtring him up and let’s be done with the
o .

They had to wait but a short time for the
horse and therrope they needed. .The line was
brought, the noose Was made and slipped ovor
the head of the doomed b0 . Then he was
placed on the horse, the anima situated directly
beneath the lowest overhanging branch. The
noose was drawn uite ti ht, and the slack end
was made fast to t e trim of the tree.

When the.horse moved away from the tree
Ben Bradley would be left in the air suspended
by his neck!

“ All ready i” asked Dick Crowell,lwho held a

‘whin in his hand. ' y ‘

"Yes; all ready!” ,_

“Then here goes!" . ' ’. .

Crowell was about to raise the whip and
strike the home when something fell from the
tree and alighted fairly on the haunches of the
animal. _

At once a lightning-like change took place in
the lawless scene.

CHAPTER II.
. DOUBLY anscunn!

IT 'was Annie Bradley who had dropped from
the tree.

The shrewd girl had left the cabin in advance
of the mob, and knowin where the ban 'ngs
all took lace, had secre herself ami the
very amp 9 foliage of the tree.

She had dropped first from an branch
to the one over which the rope had n thrown.
When she dropped down from the lower branch
she had the rope grasped in her left hand.

In her right hand leamed a long, sharp
knife, and ere her feet iriy struck the back of
the horse, she had cut the line with one swift
sWeep of the shini blade.

When her feet 5. ck the horse she did not
try to cling to the animal, but dropped in safety
to the ground, while the stood, in great alarm,
bounded away at his top speed,.bearing Ben
with him.

The boy’s hands were bound, and he was not
able to speak, but that did not prevent him
from kee ing a firm seat upon the back of the
frighten brute, who tore over the plain as
onl fr ht could have made him do.

The w ole aflair had been such an utter sur-
prise to the bystanders, and had been so uickly
executed, that for a minute not one 0 them
moved or s .

They con d scarcely realize that both horso
behind only
the nearly cut rope to show that a hanging had
been interru ted by the courageous act of the
beautiful 1r who now stood watching her
loved brot er’s escape. .

But when the first shock of so rise was over,
a storm of curses were level at the 8m
and any number of orders were shouted
forth: ,

“ Stop him!”

“ After himl”

“ Shoot him down!”

But it was neither very 088? *0 “100$ him
down nor to stop him, and as for KO after
Eggsiinfoogt that paet‘ramsned to hold out bu a slim

t , reca ‘ '

Mimi moment, when the fugitive on horse-
back bade fair to leave his enemies on foot, for
in the rear, the thundering p of many
hoofs was heard and a score of mounted men.
all resolute-looking fellows. came into vieW.

A shout went up from a dozen or m01'e

throats:

“ That’s Jack Hays!” . '

And, indeed. the fill strongly-built man
who rode at the head the troop, was the
celebrated sheriff, one of the pluckiest men who
ever kept order among the mines, a man whose
deeds of daring and cool courage in the dis-
charge Of his dUtY is still warmly spoken of by
the pioneers. _ ~

The little sharia dashed upto the gallows-tree,
and drew rein.

H; i. "

 

 

 

 

 

-4.

The Sky Detectives.

\ 3

 

 

 

“ Is that man a prisoner?” he asked pointing
rafter Ben, who was fast receding in the dis.
tancn.

“ He was,” said somebody. “Stole a bag of
money. After him!"

“ I will. Follow!”

The last words were addressed to his men,
and away dashed the sheriff and his posse.

The horse on which Ben was mounted was a
Very ordinary sort of a nag, and the sheriff and
his men were supplied with the best of stock;
hence they naturally ained rapidly upon the
inferior nag, and soon essened t e istance be-
tween them and the object of their pursuit.

“Langley,” said Hays to One of his expert
marksman: “shoot that horse!”

Langley produced an immense revolver that
Carriec a bullet large enough for a gun, took a
careful aim, and fired.

He succeeded, for the fugitive steed fell to the
plain, his rider rolling off without injury.

In a moment Ben was on his feet, and run-
ning for dear life; but, how could he hope to
escape the mounted men?

These latter, now assured of their prey, Set up
a loud shout.

“ My God,” panted the boy, as be dashed on,
“am I to be killed by these roughs fora crime I
irlpow nothing of? Is this the justice of Heaven

at—‘

He had involuntarily cast his eyes aloft, and
the sight that met his eye stopped the impious
words on his 1i 3. '

A large bal oon, a monster ship of the air,
was descending swiftly toward the earth and
seemed to be about to strike the plain a few
hundred yards in advance of the bewildered

en.

In the ample car of the balloon stood two
people, a boy of about Ben Bradley’s age, and a

i Irishman with a head of fiery red hair.

be young balloonist had his hand on the

valve hal ard, while the big man from the
Emerald sle had a coil of cord in his hands,
and as Ben looked up the Irishman uttered a
loud shout and threw down the slender strand.

It was made of silk, a mere string it looked,
but it would easily bear the weight of a heavy

man.

At the lower end was a noose or loop, large
enough to encircle a barrel of ordinary size.
This noose just swept the ground as it hung
pendent from the bands of the Irishman. .

The balloon, under the skillful hand of the
boy in the car, was held almost at a standstill.

Realizi that this movement meant attempt--
ed rescue, n’s hopes revived and he dashed on
toward the hanging cord of silk.

At the same moment his pursuers caught sight
of the balloon, and the majority of them drew
rein in utter astonishment.

Ben’s hands were tied, but he thrust his head
through the noose, allowed it to fall nearly to
his waist, and then ran backward.

This tightened the slipknot, and brought
him in full view of the man and boy in the
car.

The next instant be was pulled from the
ground. The Irishman was drawing him up
to the car.

Jack Hayes and his men, seeing their victim
thus escaping, rode forward at furious speed,
firing as they ran with revolver and rifle.

But the young aeronaut, with a sin le move-
ment of his hand, sent the big air-s ip flying
swiftly upward until, catching in a westerly
current, it dashed away with more than race-
horse speed.

With a hand-over-hand movement the wer-
ful Irishman drew Ben up to the side of t e car,
the youthful aeronaut hangiiig far out on the
other side in order to maintain some degree of
balance.

It was a queer journey for. Ben, and created
strange sensations in his mind: and he was
heartily glad when a big band clutched him and
drew him into the car.

“ There ye are and it’s a solid lump of a gos-
soon ye are, too,’ averred the athletic Irishman,
as he dropped the rescued lad on the floor of the
car and took 03 the noose. “Be Heavens, ye
weigh more nor sixteen ounces to the pound,
I’m thinking.”

The balloonist came forward, and with a keen
knife severed the cords that bound Ben‘s
wrists.

Then Ben plucked the ga from his mouth,
sat upright, and. looked grate ully at his deliv-

erers.
_ Ben, as the Irishman had said, was a solid
:pnip, and was indeed heavily and strongly
ui t. '
But the youn balloonist was of such an un-
usually fine bu’ that Ben could hardly repress

 

his admiration. The lad was apparently about
eighteen, tail. light in weight, with a swelling
chest that denoted amgle wind and his arms,
which were bare, seeme covered with muscles
that glided up and down under the smooth skin
with every movement.

His sleeveless shirt was open at the throat,
and exposed a chest supplied with a regular net-
work of muscles. Altogether the young fellow
presented the appearance of a slender but won-
derfully strong athlete, with the muscles of a
gladiator, and the wind of a champion run-

car.

The bright blue eyes of the youn air-traveler
frankly met the admiring gaze of t 6 boy he had
rescued.

“ Who are on?” asked the aeronaut.

“ Ben Brad 6y.” '

“ And what are on?”

“ A miner. I ive in the mining-town of
Golden Gulch with my sister. Our parents are
dead. Some enemy of mine ut up a job on me,
and had me arrested for the t. I was escaping
from a mob of lynchers when you came to my
rescue.”

“ And you swear that you are innocent of the
char e?” searchineg inquired the balloonist.

“ innocent as ou are.”

“ I believe on. ’ warmly said the other.
“ Here is my and. My name is Harley Wil-

s.” ,

li

Their hands met in a friendly grasp, and
thus began a. warm bond of mutual attach~
ment.

“ Permit Denny Malone to introjuce himself,”
said the jovial Irishman.

“ I owe my life to both of you,” gratefully
said Ben and shook the big Irishman heartily
by the hand. Then turning to the boy, he
asked:

“ Is this balloon yours?”

“ Yes,” proudly answered Harley; “ my own
property. I am the son of a wealthy New
Yorker, who permits me to do just as I please.
My taste runs in science, and I have devoted
the past three years to study and experiment.
I had this balloon constructed after a long and
careful study of the science of air navigation,
and now I can roam thousands of miles at will,
overland and sea, without a dollar for travel-
ing expenses and asking nobody’s leave to
come or go when and where I Will. We a rand
life! I can travel hundreds of miles in a ay l”

Ben’s e es sparkled. The Words Of the young

aeronat t rilled him.

“ But you encounter storms?” _

“ I rise above them, and and along in the
bright sunlight while the storm rages and rains
below.”

“ But our sup ly of gas cannot last long,”
ersist Ben, who had read some facts on bal-

ooning. “ You soon lose it by descending sev.
eral times.”

“ I don’t lose any,” answered Willis. “ B
the aid of a small battery and various chem -
cals I expand or contract the gas in the bag at
a moment’s notice. Thus I can ascend or de-
scend without losinga anyrof the original sup-
ply. The invention a ench one.”

‘ But where are you taking me now?” asked
Ben Bradley.

“ Nowhere in particular.”

“ Will you take me back to Golden Gulch?”

“ Certainly. All places are alike to Denny
and me. By the way, when I caught the first
view of you, you were mounted on horseback,
and the animal was shot down by one of your
pursuers.”

“I’ll explain,” said Ben. “They placed me
on the horse with the noose of a rope about my
neck, intending to whip the horse from under
me and leave me high in the air.”

“Oh, ou were nearer death than I thought.
How di you escape them?” .

“My brave sister Annie, sixteen ears old,
rescued me,” said Ben, and then told ow hero-
ically the irl had executed the daring deed.

Harley illis’s eyes flashed fire at the mere
narration.

“I want to see that girl,” he said, his face
flushed with admiration of this unknown hero-
ine. “ Denny, send her along toward Golden
Gulch as soon as you Can find a current.” ,

“ I will, sor,” said Denny, who assisted in
handlin the balloon. “ Be Heavens! and it’s
zines?“ t at wants to see this brave colleen, so I

o.

“ What are you goin to do when you get to
Golden Gulch?” asked arch.

“Try to see in sister: an get her to remain
where she is un ' I can clear up this blot on my
honor, or else establish a home elsewhere,” an~
swered Ben. “ To tell you the truth, I’ve lately
found a bonanza.”

 

“ A bonanza?”

“ Yes, the richest kind of a mine, but difficult
to get at and work. I think I’m the only one
that knows anything about it.”

“ What sort of a mine is it?”

“ A stream that runs through a narrow
canyon of rock. The bed of the stream is one
mass of 1d dust, the deposit of thousands of

ears. I I can reach it, and get it away, then

shall be rich enough to hunt down the cruel
wretch who murdered my father and mother,
and also the cowardly brute who tried to have
me I nched today."

“ his gold-bedded stream is at the bottom of
a rock pass?” said Harley.

H Yes."

“ How wide is the pass?”

“ About sixty feet.” .

“Then the Sky Traveler—that’s the name of
the balloon—could easily descend between the
cliffs, anchor at the side of the stream, and
carry away a load of ure golddust.”

“ Why not?” cried , his eyes snapping at
the proposition. “ It’s just exactly the th ng.
But ,ow much gold could you carry away i"

“ In addition to the passengers up to the
number of five, and my ordinar amount of
stores, I could cnrry at least ve hundred
pounds of old. That Would make half a dozen
persons in ependeiitéy wealthy for life."

“ And you ll do it asked Ben. ,

“ You bet!” answered Hurley Willis. “1
have no objection to etting rich.”

“ Be heavens, and i ‘s meself that don‘t despise
gould,” said Denny Malone. “ Och but I’ll
drink and dance wid the best in the. land whin
I’m rich. 1’“ marr Biddy Maguire, and have
fouirte’en small chil ers, and a horse, and dogs,
an —

“All ri ht, Denny,” laughing] interrupted
the young alloonist. “You can ave all t ese
things in your mind; but we bav’eu’t got our
hands on the old yet. Don’t count your
chickens before t 9 ‘re hatched.” .

Then Harley Wil 8 turned to Ben: _

“ You don’t look like a native of these parts.
I should say that you came from somewhere in

the North. I dare say, you have a histor .”
“And you are right, ’ returned Ben. “ ould
you like to hear the story of my life?”
“Indeed, I would,” was the answer. “ While

we are bowling along nothing would please me
better.”

“My history is a brief, but bitter one,” began
Ben. “Like yourself, I am a New York boy,
and grew up to the age of thirteen in the heart
of the great city.

“My father, Mark Bradley, was a man of
considerable means. He had an excellent busi-
ne when I was a little boy; but, somehow,
before I was ten syfiears of a e he suddenly
became poor. My ter and I id not know the
reason of his sudden fall, and as we were little
children, we were kept ignorant of the cause.

“ I can remember that my father was in two
or three different businesses after he lost his
fine store, but that we still kegto poor and luck,
evidently, was a ainst him. hin eat on
until I was near 3/ fourteen years old.

“Then father etermined to emigvrate to the
mines, intending to start a store. e came on
the railroads as far as they went and then
joined a wagon-train. We were fourin number
my father, my mother, my sister Annie, and
men‘s Esther was hopeful, and we were all very
happy together.

“ e had gone some distance on our wagon-
route, and one evenin were going into camp at
a small grove, when im Tree, our guide, ad
his suspicions aroused by the queer actions of his
horse. The animal threw up its head, snuffed
the air in a )eculiar manner, and then neighed.

“‘Jumpin snakesi’ said Tree, who was a
very ex rienced guide, ‘thar hain’t been no
sign of njuns about—yes, by crikey, thar is
some around yere. Attention! Every man

rip his gun. Form a Circle of the wagons.
omen and children fiat down in the middle.
Livelvl’

“We all sprung to obey his orders, and in
very short order the circle was formed, the
frightened women and children lying flat on
the grass, and the men, ale but de ermined,
standing erect behind the arricade, their load~
ed weapons in their hands.

“I was only a boy, but I insisted on being
allowed to fight, and a loaded revolver was
placed in my hands.

“Sim Tree was looking out over the plain in
all directions, while we stood there in silence, -
hoping the alarm might prove a false one.
Suddenly the old aide threw up his rifle, took
a nick aim, and ed. At the same instant a

, painted Indian leaped up from the tall

 

 

 
   

 ..

. ,AThe Sky :rlJetectiVGs.

i r ‘\

 

grass a hundred yards away, and then fell dead
upon the plain. '

“ That shot, and the death of ‘the Indian, was ~

a signal for the attack. A moment later our
fees sprung up on all sides, and rushed toward
the wagons, yelling and screaming. I could see
that they outnumbered our party, and so could

the guide.

“ They’re two to one'!’ he yelled. ‘Int
eye blow tell. Use pistols, knives. and
glib! d guns after you fire: All together now.

we ’

“Then we stout-eds volley into them as they
came on an with good effect, but we did not
succeed in stOpping them. In an instant they
were ing to break through the irregular
barri e, and the fight became hand to hand.

“Three diflerent Indians tried to cut me
down, and each time I dropped my op onent
with a bullet from my revolver. On a 1 sides
the scene now'defled description, and blood was
flowing like water. I turned to look after my
mother and sister.

.“ I was just in time to see a murderous fellow
rush upon 11: mother seine her by the hair,
raise a long nife on high, and sta her to the
heart! I raised my revolver to shoot him down,
when I was knocked over by a chance blow,
some flvin object hitting me on the head.
Before I to , however, I had taken note of the

. fact that under the red war-paint on the cheeks

‘ v’iihle, and

pm

so fill up the

of the murderer tchee of white skin were
Irealingdiuamoment that hewas
I white man in disguise!
“,Wheu ,I got u n my feet again, I looked
'iboutfor him, but nvain. I ran to my mother
lat, alas! she was dead. with rage and
grief I clutched my pistol firmly and darted in
out , , the'enmhatante, looking for the
0“ mother. It amend that he
 for my fa r, and when I
is htaight of he was just crossing blades
hit my parent. I shall never forget my fath-
r’s words, thelest I ever heard him utter.
-‘ "‘Mon'ster,’ he cried, ‘ I know you! Unnatu-

'lalj demon you are false to yourown blood, and
good knife—’

if this
“I heard no more. An Indian attacked me.
As Ishot my assailant in the neck, I saw m
father fallin under the knife of my moths a
murderer. e right sleeve of the renegade
had been ri pad. open, and on his white arm.
nly mar ed‘on the skin, I saw a black dress!
y that mark. should I ever meet him, I shall
be able widentify the slayer of mg graphic
‘9 It is needless to annoy you wi 9 further
details of that battle which made Annie and 'me
orphans. . The emigrants triumphed at len h,
and the Indians were driven oi! with great oss.
The whites‘ had many killed and wounded, and
the Indians left a score of dead upon the field.
“ “I found in sister hidden in one of the wag-
ons, and tags or we helped to bury our parents

'in one grave." The next day the train went on

its we and possessed m father’s little store
of When we got toyGolden Gulch Annie
an I left the train,‘and as I was too young for
business, I sold oi! the goods and bought a little

' f‘fiere we have been‘living for three years,

Annie keeping house for me while I’ve' been
making a living for both, working in the

house to lire in.‘

‘ "mines.  I told you, I had fonnda bonanza,

and prosperity seemed to be within reach, when
suddenly this trumped-up char of theft was
made‘aga'inst me. want to go ck there and
clear m name, and then with wealth toaid

\  I’ll Byearch for the murderer of my parents,

if‘I find him—” -

 

“Dan ri” suddenly broke in Harley, aeizlng
al _riiie. “Loo ahead!” . '
. 0
CHAPTER. Ill.

caowsLL’s LITTLE PLAN.

FILLED with astonishment, and unable to
talk of anythm else but the'wonderful double
rescue, the lync era returned to thetown and
 the Diggers’ Delight again, the one
marvelous occurrence the theme of every

ten .
1 “Rgé’dbaever got away from the sheriff only
or loan.
“Sure no't; and now you bet we’ll never see

a in. >
So it: talk went on, with whisky and tobacco
cos.

, Dick Crows l was there, gnawing moodin at
.his mustache, and evidently much outof tem-
per. Hewaa glaring around when he can t
sight of 'a short, thickest man, whose use
eyes never met anybody’s gave in an honest
manner.

"voice in' here”, ‘

Crowell crossed the room to where this ‘vsry
treacherous fellow was sitting.

“ Johnson.” ' -- .

u Ya.” ‘

“ We missed on the boy, ust through that
cursed balloon. and we mustn’ take any chances
with the girl.”

“ I can get her to the right spot without any
trouble,” said‘Johnsou.

“ Sure?"

“ Yes. sure. I’ll wager she’ll be at the old
ipotnwithiu half an hour from now if you want

er.

“ You can just bet that I do,” said Dick
Crowell, his eves sparkling. “I don’t think
we’ll be troubled with that boy around here any
more' and if we get the girl away clean I abs 1
consider it a pretty decent job after all. Where
is she?”

‘,"I followed her to the cabin, and saw her go

“Then carry out your plan. whatever it is
and I'll be waiting for you. Go out first an
I’ll leavo in a minute or two. it’s just as well
not to attract attention if it can be avoided.”

Awa went Johnson, and in a short time
therea ter Dick Crowell also left the smoky et-
mosphere of the Diggers’ Delight.

Pretty Annie Bra ley. feeling quite happy at
her brother’s escape from hanging, was bustling
about her cabin-home, and wondering when she
would see Ben again, when there oamea light
ra at the door.

unis was far from he timid ' or nervous
as city 'rls are. Her dance in the camp
had her as pluck and self-reliant as any
girl in the West. W thout hesitation she at
once opened the door.
he'l'he man who stood

r. '

FE; looked cautiously around before he opened
is ps. .
“ Are you Annie Bradley?” he asked in a low

M. .

“ Yes .I am Annie Bradley." ‘

“Bend your headdown. don’t want any-
body’to hear me. The balloon has come down,
miss. ‘

Annie’se sn

“ Where {saitl’fpped' ' v

“Outside the town about halfamile from
here. I’ve got-a cabin there.”

“And he’s safe?” eagerly asked Annie.

“ Yes’m, and he wants you to 'come to him
because he’s afraid to come to you)? said the
mien. "“Put on your hat and I’ll take you

“ Oh thank you, thank you i” gratefully said

the gr _

“ ou needn’t thank me,” said the other. “ I

am paid'for my work.”

And had ,Annie been the least bit on her
ua‘rd she would have detected the evil sneer in
is tones. * .

On went her hat, and out of the house she

werétg following a short distance behmd her

i . 4 I . .5
3“Every body was at the Diggers’ Delight. talk-'
ing over the news, and there was not a soul to
note the irl’s departure. '

there was a stranger to

A bris walk Alston minutes brou ht the
guide, who was 3mm Johnson, to a c amp of

“Right in hard,” said Johnson, and Annie
strode in amo ‘ trees. '

“Why,.the- nisn’t here!” she said. “Did
the say—” _- r' m. I

“ They  would be right here,” said a

and here they are, my pretty
darling.” :hwr-

And as theiwords were
in the embrace of Dick
triumphantly.

“One kiss from those cpretty red lips, and
then awa we go.” said rowell, and tried to
press hie 'agains‘ hers.

Takean‘o. etel'y by surprise, Annie was al-
most imapab e of resustance at first, but when
she-savnthe lips of the scheming rascal ap-
p hers, she twisted about in a violent
masseryand succeeded in escaping from Dick’s

. “ .her, Johnson!” cried Crowell. “ Tie

ken she was caught
rowel], who laughed

‘ h ' nd and foot, and away with her!”

neon made a forward movement to obey
t 'brderh,

, ‘ fi 9,.”
"z ‘ earns abugle note rungout Weider, reso-
‘ , imperative. ' w ‘. . t
' FA’nd when Johnson saw that thelglrl had
wn a short, broad-bladed knife from secret
r. packet, he oonsiderately did halt. ‘ . .
“ I warn you not to approach me,” said. the

  
 
   
   
  

 

girl. ~-“I was taught by a Spaniard how to

. I. {-

 

throw the knife. I never miss m aim. If
on come One step nearer you’ll get this knife
n our body.”
niident in her skill, the border heroine
stood coolly on guard. ' -
V -Dick Crowells taunting laugh rung out in
loud. sneerin tones;

“ Afraid o a girl, Johnson!” he said. ,

The brute seemed stung to madness by the
taunt. Heleeped forward.

The broad-bladed knife lay in Annie’s right
palm, point reversed.

With a lightning like half sweep of . her arm,
Annie threw the knife.

Like a blue streak it went throu h the air,
and lodged in the breast of the brute and fool-
hardy Johnson!

Down he went on the greensward, the blood
staining the grass.

“ CurSe you!” cried Crowell, his face ablaze
with passion; “ I’ll teach you, you young she
devil!”

And he darted forward to gras Annie, be—
lievin her to be defenseless, ut he was
brou t up short by another ringing order:

“ alt! for your life!”

And then he beheld, to his intense chagrin, a
small, Well-made revolver shining in the girl’s
extended right hand.

“You would not dare shoot!” muttered the
villain.

“ I’d shoot you quicker than I would a dog,”
was the cool reply.

The rascal stood undecided, and the brave
girl settled the matter for him. ,

“ Dick Crowell,” she said, “ you are the man
who pestered me with your attentions until I
told you I hated you. Then you loited m
brother into trouble, and very near y succeed.-
ed in hanging him. If on are taking all this
trouble on my account can tell on that you
are wasting ur time. for yon’l never do as
youplease- [h me you cowardly villain!

“ m only a. sixteen-yearn] girl, Crowell,
but l’ve got just such accomplishments as agirl
should have who lives in a camp of miners. My
skill with the knife you have seen, and to show
you that I am not less ex rt with the revol-
ver, I’ll give you a sampe with powder and
ball. This wil not hurt you, but it will serve
toremind you of this day for some time to

Almost before she ceased speaking the little
beauty raised her revolver slightly. and with a
remarkably rapid-aim, pulled the trig er.

Simultaneously with the report of t e pistol,
Dick Crowell‘s hat was thrown from his head
by the flying bullet.

The beauty of Golden Gulch smiled while
the astonished rascal nervously felt of the top
of his head presumably to see if it had not been
winged' th t I. ’t t th best i

‘ on see a can go ' e 0 me'
so you’d better tam some other girl,” advise

. come.”

Annie Bradley. “Now an attempt to follow
,me, and my next bullet s all split your coward-
] heart? ’

yAnd the hemed villain was forced to let her
deps rt, with the taunting adVice:

“Tackle some other girl, Dick—tackle some
other girl.” i

—

CHAPTER IV.

memo IN run CLOUDS!

THE cry 0 . “danger ” that peeled from the
lips of Harley Willis cause Ben Bradley to look
up in alarm. ,

Three large eagles, with broad wings, long,
wicked hen s, and cruel-lookin claws, were
sweeping down upon the be! 0013, uttering
harsh screams that seemed to be inspired by
an er. .
he, immense birds aggroached to within a
certain distance of the y Traveler, and then
wheeled about, still uttering their angle-y shrieks.

“Are .they..dangerousl’ asked n, as he
picked up a rifle from the socket in which it
re

“eds ' ‘ .'.

“Yes, Oman: solid earth they would not
annoy us: here. bpwevfiro they seem to look
upon the 8k Traveler as an intruder, and I am
constantly Kitten that they’ll tackle the bal-

’9

loan. ‘ .r , .
“ Could they injure it? .
“Why. filth Mrsharp claws, and their in).
men r038,ng they could make ribbon.
of the ‘ Traveler. ‘
~‘2‘ Id own we’d l” ,. _
“' es, and probeby never know. where we
landed. Oh, here they come again, the scream-

il .
1  birds seemed
ta‘elrthe balloon.

 

O
i

angry, and yet loth to at

4..

 

 

The Sky Detectives.

5

 

 

Shrieking out their hoarse cries, the big kings
of the air rushed hither and thither, keeping the
voyagers in constant alarm.

“ Be heavens ” said Malone “ and it’s not me
that loikes the look 0' them. 'Worra, but they’d
tear me eyes out, the haythens.”

Just at that moment one of the birds made
a straight dive toward the travelers in the car,
artild the alarmed Irishman hastily fired his
ri e.

It was a hast , and rha unnecessary shot,
but the lrishmayn was glearmgsl, and did not stop
to think that shooting one of the number might
incense the other two to revsngeful acts.

Such, however, was the result.

Dennis Malone’s shot was a fair one, and
badly wounded the eagle, who uttered a suc-
cession of short, piercing cries. and then slow-
ly whirled over and over and began to descend
toward the far-distant earth.

“ Now we’re in for it,” declared Harley.

And he was right.

The other two eagles seemed maddened by
the fato of their companion, and with shril
screams they darted upon the occupants of the

car.

So swift were the huge birds in their circling
movements, that the marksman within the car
were unable to take a good aim, and their shots
went wide of the mark.

An instant later, and like a dark cloud the
eagles were upon them!

At short ran ,and in a blind fashion, for
they could har ly see, both Ben and Harley
discharged their heav revolvers.

The bullets both too eflect in one bird, only
wounding him, however, but causing him to fly
away again with screams of pain.

The other bird flung his immense wings about
Ben Bradley’s form, and tried to pull him from
the cage.

He succeeded in lifting Ben to the rail of the

car.

Then the lad succeeded in bringing his revol-
ver into use.

With great difliculty, smothered and blinded
as he was by those massive wings, and hurt by
the iron rasp of those huge claws, he managed
to raise e hammer of his pistol.

It was all he could do to use his right arm, so
firmly did the wings of the eagle pin his arms to
his body, but with a great effort Ben brought
the revolver up, pressed the muzzle against the
bird, and fired. .
h The shot took effect, and the eagle let go his

old.

This dropped Ben Bradley fairly upon the
rail of the car, and he was slipping over the
iide when the boy balloonist caught sight of

im.

Harle caught Ben’s leg with a firm grip of
his left and. _

It was done just in time to prevent Ben from
journeying down to the earth with more speed
than enjoyment.

Giving a violent pull at the leg, Harley
brpught Ben down to the bottom of he car in
ea et .

“ hanks.” said Ben. “That was a mighty
close shave.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Harley. “ When
we et to your gold mine and gather up-— My
God we’re falling!”

The startling announcement was made as the
Sky Traveler began to slowly but vary per-
ceptiny descend.

‘The eagles," cried Ben, who, in company
with Harley and the Irishman was much start-

led.

“What about them?” demanded the young
balloonist.

“ Where are they?”

“They flew away.”

“ But they may be on top of the bag, sinking
was by their weight.” '

Harley felt that Ben was correct in his con-
jecture.

“ You're right,” he cried. “ That is why we
are Sinking. Great heavens, if those birds tear
the bag W th their claws and beaks, we shall be
dashed upon the earth 1”

“ Then try to reach there in safety,” said Ben.
“ Go down as livel as possible.”

“ BerOrra. and t at’s sinsible,” put in the big
Irishman. “ A ab. and be the smoke 0’ Kate
Kelley’s pipe (be the same token it wasa rale
black dudeen:J it’s not Dinny Malone that wants
'to be kilt by aythenish aygles, so I don’t.”

Harley at ones shut 03 the current from his
battery, thus cooling and at once contracting
the gas within the bag, and they began to de-
scend rapidly. ‘

Harsh cries ted this movement. and the

alarmed eagles, who really were perched above.

 

at once deserted the top of the balloon, and re-
turned to the attack, more enraged than ever.

But our friends were now ready for them,
and met them with a prompt an rapid fire
that was deadly and decisive.

Hit in vital parts by the bullets the bi
eagles careened over, and began to fail tower
the earth.

Harley at once restored the proper heat to
the.gas in the bag, and they began to rise

sin.

“Search above and below, Dennis,” he said
to Malone, “ until you find a current that will
carry us close to Golden Gulch. I want to see
Ben’s plucky sister, and also get a peep at the
gold-bedded stream."

CHAPTER V.
carcnmo A TARTAB.

“SAY, Bill, what is that thing walking up
the street?”

“Ha! ha! give it up, Jim.”

“ Oh. that’s something that blew in with the
wind.”

“ But it's alive.”

“Oh yes; I guess it can talk too."

“But you can’t call it a man.’

 

“ Oh no, pard; that 'ere thing hain’t no man;
it’s a piece 0’ machinery. When it runs down
it’ll sto .”

“ Ha? ha! ha!”

And a loud chorus of laughter greeted the
last pleasantry.

There was cause for the mirth of the several
speakers who formed part of a big crowd of
miners who sat in front of the Diggers’ De-
light.

Along the street—the only street of Golden
Gulch—came a figure that would have been all
right on Broadway, New York, but certainly
was remarkable in that rough mining-town,
where a white shirt, a collar or cuff, or a plug
hat had probably never been seen. ,

The stranger who had excited the mirth of
the miners was a young man of twenty-five or
thirty years, of medium hight. fine form, and
graceful movement. He was clothed in a dell-
cate, cream-colored suit, with tight-flttin , bell-
bottom pants, single-breasted coat, wh tie,
and white plug hat. His snowy shirt-front was
adorned With adiamond stud. his hands were
covered with cream colored gloves, he carried a
slender cane, and he was constantly twisting
his pret brown mustache as he gracefully
saunter along the irregular street.

There probably wasn’t such another fop-
pishly-dressed man within fiva hundred miles
of Golden Gulch. and it was not at all to be
wondered at that the rough-and. ready miners
greeted the appearance of this remarkable
stranger with good-natured chaff and lau hter.

The young man, however, took no not cc of
their derision.

He walked slowly and gracefully along, and
was ssing the Diggers" Delight, when one of
the i lers called out:

“Say, sonny, wnere’d yer come from i”

The top took no notion of the speaker, who
was a great, broad-shouldered, hard-listed fel-
low, known as Jack Slashei, the acknowledged
“ cock 0’ the walk” in Golden Gulch.

This seemed to anger Slasher, and with a
snort of rage he yelled out'

“ Say. you white-shirted skunk with the
white tie, I'm talking to you.”

Then the stranger stopped, turned about,
drew forth an eye-glass, stuck it in his e e, and
gravely regarded Slasher from head to out.

The crowd roared at the odd manner of the
fop, and Slasher felt Vexed at the peculiar
treatment. With an expression of contempt,
he sp'it fairly upon the highly-polished right
shoe of the stranger.

“There, you fiyaway,” he said, “that’s my
opinion of you I”

“ Really, that’s too had.” said the youn top,
in a drawling manner. looking at his t.
“ Was that an accident?”

“ Why, of course.” grinned Slasher. “I was
spitting at a man’s foot down in Yuba Dam.”

The crowd roared.

The fop drew forth a snowy linen handker-
chief from his pocket.

“ As it was an accident,” he said, in that mild
manner of his, “ of course you will wipe it off.”

“ Me wipe it 03? Me, Jack Slasher, the bully
0f Golden Gulch?” cried the other, and then he‘
suddenly added, with a wink at his comrades:
“Why, of course l’ll wipe it ofl. Boys, just
see me wipe it off!"

He took the handkerchief from the hands of
the stranger. .

The crewd grinned broadly in high antici’
pation, for they knew that the bully meant

 

to “wipe” the stranger instead of the soiled
boo

t.

With a grin that threatened to break into a
laugh every second, Jack Slasher appr
the top, handkerchief in hand.

When close to him the bully drew back his
hand, and made a quick, 0 ii-handed slap at
the stran r, with the av dent intention of
knockin im over with the heavy stroke.

Everyiody expected to see the dand sprawl
in the dust, but they were very muc disap-
pointed.

Up went the fop‘s hands with the speed of a
rocket. One long arm blooked the sweegigr
slap, and the other, the fist lightly clinc ,
shot out with immense force. catching Slasher
under the chin, raising him from his feet. and
knocking him over two chairs and their startled
occupants, before he fell wvith'a crash upon the
groan .

The spectators were struck dumb with aston-
ishment.

That this fo plsh stranger who “ blew in
with the wind,’ should thwart and knock down
Jack Slasher. the terror of the town, was a
matter wonderful enough to deprive them of
utterance for some secon s.

Then, when they saw the fop standing still in
his tracks, with the same off-hand. easy expres-
sion on his face, their admiration overcame
every other sentiment, and their cries of ap-
proval rung out:

“ Hurrah for the swell!”

“ Ain’t he immense?”

“Bully for the bant l"

“ He’s a plucky one, e is.”

“ He’s a cool card, that fellow is.” .

Jack Slasher, who was only a trifle bewil-
dered by his fall, got u n his feet, drew a
knife, and rushed furious y at his fOe.

ike a flash, a small revolver appeared in the
stranger’s hand. lookin very much as thou h
it he slip ed from h a sleeve, and beforet e
infuriated lasher had taken three steps with
the upraise knife in his hand, the young fop
took a hasty aim and fired.

T ,e miners gave a groan. for the all thought
the the bullet had been aimed at lasher, who,
despite his fightilzg Proclivities, was good-na-
tured and we] lik .

The next instant they burst into a hearty
cheer!

With a cool nerve that would have done
credit to one of the most noted marksmenin
the land, the stranger had fired at the uplifted
blade, and his bullet had knocked the bowie
from Slasher’s hand!

It was an act of cool bravery; just such a
one as the miners could appreciate.

“ He’s a trump!"

“Give me your fist, little one.”

“ Plucky as a wild-cat.”

And then they crowded around him with ex-
presslons of regard, fully a score of them press-
ing him to enter the Diggers‘ Delight and “ try
something,” an invitation which was smilingly
declined.

Jack Slasher’s hand and arm had been quite
paralyzed when the bu let struck the bowie,
and he seemed dazed for a moment and unable
to realize what had taken lace. .

When, however, he saw is friends tr in to
shake hands with the stranger, he felt ha he
had been disgraced in their eyes and his eyes.

He blazed up again with anger and made a
rush at his quiet enemy. ‘

"Let me at the sneak!” he roared. “Give a

me"? fair chance at the whelp, and I’ll chaw him
u .
And he dashed furiously toward the little f0p
who had displayed so much grit. The miners
did not think that the dandy ought to be
bothered again, and some of them seized upon
Slasher.

“Let the boy alone.”

“Yes, Slasher, you‘ve got no right to tackle
him a sin.”

“ 1’! show you i” roared Slasher, and he
struggled furiously to break loose from his
friends.

The calm. even tones of the stranger put an
end to the struggle.

“Gentlemen,’ he said, “ please don’t hold
hilrpnon my amount. I can take care of my-
se .

There was so much confidencs in the voice
of the s eaker that the miners let Slasher go.

But lasher, although angry. began to feel
some respect for his undersized enemy, and did
not rush wildly upon him.

He gazed for a brief i- stant upon the fop, and
the latter smilinglv said:

“See here, Mr. BullIy. you insulted me and I
knocked you down. am of the opinion that I

 
   

6

s uared matters with you. If you are not sat-
iiiiied why just pile in and I’ll give you all the
satisfaction you want. I warn you, however,
that I can whip two such men as you before
breakfast.”

The miners laughed, and some cheered the
plucky stranger.

“ Bra ’s a good dog, but braggin’ won’t down
me,” sad Slasher. and went at his foe in a
sledge-hammer style, striking terrific blows with
right and left hand.

But his sledge-hammer blows were neatly
blocked by the long, sinewy arms of the youn
stranger, and a straight hit on the rice
knocked Jack Slasher down again.

“’Rahl” yelled the crowd.

Up jumped Slasher and made for his foe
age 1) and once more a clever right-bender sent
him flat on his back, this time with a dam-
aged nose, from which the blood flowed.

Twice more the hard headed bully toed the
mark, and twice more he was neatly knocked
down again by the long-armed, foppish stran-
ger. who was smiling confidently and still
twisting his brown mustache.

Then Jack Slasher got up again, cast one
glance at his smiling, confi ent opponent, and
sadl said:

“ cave i”

After which he walked oil‘ for repairs.

“ ’Rah l” yelled the miners again, and almost
carried the victor into the bar-room of the Dig-
gers’ Deli ht.

The big ly-amused crowd ordered whiskyby
the quart, and began to indulge in the biggest
kind of celebration.

“Whav’s your handle, pardi” demanded a
score of Voices.

“ Har Brown,” said the stranger; “ and as
you‘re a] so friendly, let me begin our acquaint-
ance in proper style, Gents, al have something
with me.”

And he threw down a twenty-dollar gold-piece
on the bar.’

With another cheer for Harr Brown the
crowd began ordering their drin s; and mean-
while the victorious stranger, who had accom-
plished such wonders with muscle, science and
nerve, glanced about him.

He saw the landlord of the lace at one
end of the bar keenly overlook ng his busi-

ness.

Harry Brown walked up to him.

“giandlord, can I hava a private word in your
ear
, “Stranger,” said the delighted owner of the
saloon, “any man that can do what you have
done can have anything I’ve got and not pay a
cent.”

Brown smiled.

“Thank you.” he said; “I can pay for all I
get. I wanted to ask you if there was a family
named Bradley livin§ n the town?”

“ You mean the radley children, as most
folks call ’em. The father and mother got
their; hair lifted by red-skins, about three years

all, the boy and the gal lived ri ht down
street Just a few hours ago, but t 9 boy—-
“Ben—n” arrowly escaped hanging this very morn-
77ml"
“Sartin sure; stole a bag of money. Let me
tell you the yarn.”
And the landlord of the Diggers’ Delight told
him the stor of the mornin . windin up with
a glowingn escri tion of t e doub e rescue,
first by nie radley and then by the Sky
Traveler.

Harry Brown listened attentively, and thank-
ed the landlord. Then, without asking any
more estions, he requested a private room,
and as ed that his sun r be sent there.

“ Anythin , everything in the house for you,”
aid the lan lord, and he had the hero of the
hour shown to the best room in the house.

There, within an hour, a very good supper
was sent to him; and Harry Brown had suc-
ceeded in putting away an exccllent meal,
when a knock sounded upon the door of the

room.

“ Come in l” Brown called out.

“ g gardon,” said a voice at the open door,
and as rown looked up he saw the damaged
countenance of his late antagonist. “ I thought
this was somebody else’s room.”

“ Never mind,” cheerily responded Brown.
“ Come in and have a drink."

And jam in up, he held out his hand to the
man be h (is eated. '

s y ”
I: guess they re the folks.
the

With an odd expression on his face, the big
fellow gras
Ing way sai :

d Brown's hand, and in a doubt-

 

l

The Sky Detectives.

“ No hard feelings, pard 1”
“Not a bit,” cor ial , and taking 11 a flask
of whisky, the young man gave itto lasher,

sayin : “ Drink to our better acquaintance.”
‘ e11, you are a screamerl” declared Slash-
er, and took a deep draught.
“ Here’s ho ing we’ll be ood friends in the
future!” and rown also too a drink from the

s .

“Pard,” said Slasher, “you’re the bulliest
man I ever met. You licked me, fair and
square, and n0w you shake paws and ask me to
liquor with yer. I say you re a screamer, and
I’l fight for er any time.”

“ nd I t ink that you’re a good-hearted,
powerful chap, with lots of strength and a
quick temper; but myo inion of you is that
you’re a square man,’ sa (1 Harry Brown.

"‘Pard, you tickle my heart—yes, sir. I’m
a friend to you, through thick or thin—and
don’t let anybody forgit it. Roll up yer sleeve,
pard, and give me yer bare arm.”

Wonderingly Harry Brown rolled up his
shirt-sleevs, and exposed a white arm that was
knotted and corded with immense muscles.

“ Do yer happen to notice how black my
peepers are i” asked Slasher.

“ Yes; I notice that your eyes are quite as
black as Spanish or Italian eyes generally
are.

“ Pard, you’re right. I’ve got Spanish blood
in my veins, and I reckon that makes me kinder
hasty. But look.”

He took Harry Brown’s arm in his left hand,
drew a knife with his right and made a small
cut in the white flesh.

The blood instantly started forth from the
all ht wound.

ending down Jack Slasher placed his
lips to the cut and drank the red life-current.

Harry Brown watched the act with consider-
able curiosity. ' ‘

“There,” said Jack, “ that settles it. Now
I’ve our blood in my veins, and among the
Span sh people they say that when one turns
ag’in’ his blood it turns to fire in his veins. So,
pard, if I was to betray Iyer, or go back on yer
ii any way, the blood drank would turn to
fire and drive-me mad. Take me for a pard, and
trust me, I’ll die for yel”

Feelin that he had gained evaluable and

werfu friend in this Hercules of the min-
ng-camp, Harry Brown very readily accepted
the offer. '

“Slasher,” he said, “I take you for a pard;
and as I’ve a purpose in coming to Golden
Gulch, and a dangerous one, too, you may have
man chances of proving your faithfulness.”

“ ’ll be there, pard, every time. But tell
me your name and what brings yer to Golden
Gulch.”

“I am Harr Brown, a detective; I’ve come
here to establis the Bradley children in their
rights, and to hunt down secure and bring to
justice the murderer of their father and
mother.”

 

CHAPTER VI.
THE STREAM OF GOLD.

OWING to contrar currents, Harley Willis
was unable to reach t e vicinity of Golden Gulch
before dark. .

Then he allowed the balloon to come down in
a. little valley, where he was completely shut

in.

Here the anchored and assed the night,
awaking th the first Ipeep o dawn.

“ By Jove, we’re on y a short distance from
my bonanza,” answered Ben, when he gs
around him. “Do you see those little rock
ridges running to the east, about half a mi 6
awa i”

“ es.” responded the balloonist.

“ Well, between those ridges of rock you will
find the goldsbedded stream 1”

After an ample breakfast the young aeronauts
released the Sky Traveler, and away they
gracefully moved to the cliffs.

By dexterous management, and, also,_ by
favor of a light current moving in the re uired
direction, Harley was enabled to hover airly
between the walls of the canyon, and then
dropped slewly down until the car of the big
balloon rested on the south bank of the stream.

The drag-rcpe was made fast, and out they

ith all the eager interest and excitement
that gold can produce, Harley Willis ran to the
stream, plunged his hand into the clear depths,
and scooped up a handfull of the dull, red par-
ticles that formed its bed. ‘
Examining the pieces with the eye of an ex-
pert, be drew along breath and grew red and
white by turns.

 

“ Well i” demanded Ben.

Harle uttered a cry of delight.

“ G01 i” asked Ben.

“ Why it’s perfectly pure," cried the young
balloonist, trembling With excitement as he
drew up handful after handful of the little red
lumps. “l sup thesc particles have been
washing down into this stream from high lands
for hundreds of years, until the water flows.
over a complete bed of pure gold. Dennisl"

“Be Heavens, I’m here, and purty near as
cracked as yerself,” said Malone, whose eyes
were bulging. .

“We can take awa enough of this gold in
the car of the Sky raveler to make us all
wealthy for life.”

“ Arrah, and is that thruel”

“ True as gospel.”

“ Be Heavens, thin, and it’s meself that’li
have me hair dyed,” triumphantly cried Malone.
“ I’ll go back to the county Tyrone, and buy an
ilegant farm wid Eggs and everything, and whim
me hair is black, Heavens, I ll coort the pur-
tiest girrul in the land. Hoorool
Malone, E uire, wid black hair.”

And the elighted Irishman danced a reel on
the golden shore until his shock of fiery-red
hair was tumbled about his good-natured

face.

“Well, we’ll not take our load of the stuff
now,” said Harley. beginning to recover a little
from his first wild transport of  “ We
must see about Ben’s sister, first. e can al-
ways come here and get our 1gold. Nobody is
like] to run away With it. o loads could be
can ed up those walls.”

And he looked confidently up the steep face
of the rock.

Here and there were footholds—at long inter-
vals there were also ledges or natural shelves,
and an occasional sprinkl ng of hardy mountain
bushes that sprouted forth rom creVices. None
but hardy and fearless climbers would attempt
such an ascent. . _

“By the way,” said Harley, regarding the
rock attentively, “ how did you find your way
here to this stream?”

“ By climbing. I have been up and down that
wall of rock perhaps half a dozen times.

“ If you can scale it, I’m sure that I can,”
cried the adventurous young voyager, and
with alight spring he lea d up, clutched a stout
bush with one hand, an began the somewhat
perilous ascent. _

“I’ll with you, and show you the different
laces made use of.” said Ben Bradley, and up
he face of the rock he also sprung.

With painful toiling they made their way up
foot by foot for about twenty ards, and then
came to rest where a broad sheif of rock‘jutted
out fully four feet from the wall. _

On this led e rested a smile weighing hun-
dreds of poun s, lookin as though it had been
placed there by the hen s of giants. _

“ Wh , look, Ben,” excited y exclaimed Har-
le Wil is, peering around this immeniie rock,
“ his big stone covers up a hole in thewall. In
fact it is {net like a locked door, opening into a
passage t rough the clifl.” .

“ Right,” cried Ben, narrowly examining the
back of the big stone. “ There is a passage be-
hind this stone, leading right Into the rock-
And perha a mine of gold inside.”

The two ads looked excitedly at one another.

Harley placed his hand upon the big stone.
exerted :11 his strength, and made it roe ’.

“Hurrah l” he cried. “ The Stone 13 merely
balanged, and together we can hurl it from the

Dinnis

zed ' shelf.

“ Then let’s do it,” said Ben, “and we can ex-
plore the interior." '

“ Denny i” roared Harley.

“Yes.”

“We’re going to throw this big stone down
upon the bank. See that you stand clear.”

“ All right!” ,

“And go to the car and bring me one of my
torches,” ordered Harley.

“ I will.” I . .

“ New,” said Harley, bracing himself as best
he could. “ Plant your feet in a solid manner,

“I’m all right.” returned Ben, who got a
firm hold on a tough bush that/grew near at
hand.

“Ready!”

H Read '7’

“ Down with it!” _

Together the two boys applied the united
strength of their arms and legs, and With a re-
luctant smaping sound the massive stone tum-
bled from its restin 1-place, boomed through the
air, and imbedded itself deeply in the yielding
bank of the stream.

 

 

"'

 

- The Sky Detectives.

 

___....-_..__ .— ._.. .___..

A dark, tunnel-like opening was exposed to
View.

“Lively with the torch, Denny,” elled out
the owner of the Sky Traveler. “ "c it to a
light line, and sling it up.”

I “ Be ais ,” said Denny, and tied an odd-look-
Iing contrivance on the end of a light strong
me. '

This liar-looking machine be whirled
around a the air.a score of times, and then
hurled it upward with all the strength of his
massive rightlarm. -

With a true aim it was cast above the boys’
heads, and Harley caught it with a. dexterous
twist of his hand.

“What do you call it!” asked Ben, looking
curiously at the oddvshaped affair, which was
about three feet long, and looked likea thick
metal rod with a steam go 6 at the bottOm, and
a large bull’s-eye lantern a the top.

“I call it a magnesium torch,” replied the
young scientist. “ It is my own invention, and
works to perfection. This round. part'at the
bottom contains the coils of magnesium wire
and the clockowork machinery that feeds the
wire through the pipe to the lamp. The lamp
itself is an ordinary oil lantern of the bull’s-eye
pattern, with a contrivance for feeding the Wire
to the flame. The torch will burn for over two
hours, and gives a light powerful enough to al-
most blinda rson at the distance of two or
three hundredpfeet.”

“That’s great,” said Ben; “Set the thing
going.” . ‘ . '

,Harley set light to the wick of the oil-lamp,
and when it burned up clear he started the
machine at the bottom of the invention.

With a uzzing sound the wire began- to feed

to the flame of the lamp, and a blinding glare
V issued from the bull’s-eye. . *

Harley closed the door of the lantern, and the
werful light was intensified when it streamed
firth from the lens. - _

“ That’s grand,” said Ben. “Now to explore
the interior of the rock. ” . .

They were about to enter, when, luckily as it
afterward proved Harley. called out to the
Irishman and told him to bring the balloon up
to the opening and wait there for them to come
back. - .' ' .

“And wh l” asked Ben Bradley. .

“Because prefer it to the slow Job of. 0mg
down the cliff the way we came up,” said liar-
lev. “ Come on.” .

They. walked into the tunnel, took half ‘a
donen steps, and suddenly found themselves in
a large vaulted cavern. ' ~ . '

Overhead the gleaming stalactites flashed
back the light of the torch in a thousand bril-
liant colors.

“Diamonds,” shouted Ben.

“ Where?” asked the balloonist. ‘

“Wh , look at them,” said Ben, pointing to
the van ted roof. -

Harley laughed. ’ .

" There are no diamonds there, Ben,” he said.
“Those thousands of glittering points you see

' are nothing more than a compound ofcarbonate

of lime.”
“ And of no value?” -

of.”

t they were all diamonds,”- said
Ben. regretfusflyl. - . . ‘.

“ Hush!” Barley, and he held up his
hand to en oin silence.

Ben Bdre ey listened intently, but could hear
no  e '

“I bear nothing.” he said. -

“I thought I heard the muffled sound of
voices.” ‘, , ' *

“ roin what direction?”

“I can’t say, but _I feel quite punitive that
my ears did not deceive me.” , .

‘ Then we’d better. move cautiously," said
Ben. “ Let us listen again for a minute.”

They listened for a full minute, durin which
time nothing reached their ears hpt the am of
the clock-work machinery of the torch.

Come on,” said Harley. “I guessit was
only imagination, after all. 0b, are, Ben, there
are two passagesyonder.” . r

The cavern was full y fifty feet in length, and

perhaps two-thirds as wide. At the_ extreme
end appeared two wide-mouthed openings lead-
ing on to unknown parts of the interior.

‘ Which shall we take?” asked Harley.

“ It’s a blind choice,” said Ben, “ but let us
take the one to the right. After that is ex-
plored we can take a trip through the others,

an . .
‘ He did not conclude the sentence, for it re-
ceived a startlin interruption. ~
A shrill cry, t shriek of a female in terror
anddistress. reached their ears, striking from

 

side to side of the tunnel, and losing some of
its volume by the distance, but none of its ac-
cent of fear.

“A woman in peril!” shouted Ben.

“ To the rescue!” yelled Harley.

One glance the brave lads bestowed u n
their weapons, and then, side by side das ed
forward through the right hand tunnel to the
rescue of her who had uttered the piercing cry!

CHAPTER VII.
THE MIDNIGHT VISIT.

WHEN Annie Bradley returned to Golden
Gulch after defeating iok Crowell and his
man Johnson, she made no com mum to any-
bod about the affair because 3 e knew that
Dic would get out of the difficulty by some
means, and perhaps injure her in the eyes of
the rough and ready miners. -

She was very self-reliant, too, this prett
girl who could hurl a knife and shoot a revo -
ver in so deadl a fashion, and felt perfectly
competent .to'ta 6 care of herself. -

So with a rayer toGod for the sefet of her
brother an herself, lonely Annie radley
threw herself on her rude bed without remov-
ing her clothing, for she had an idea that Ben
might return in the night and ask her to go
away with him, and she wanted to be ready to
start at once. -

She had fallen into an uneas slumber about
the hour of midni ht, when is e was suddenly
awakened b a lig t, timid tapping on the sole
window of t a cabin. ' '
t.hShe jumped up at once, thinking of her bro-

er

“Who is it?” she said, coming close to the
window and trying to see through the dark-
ness of the night. ‘ '

“It is 1, Ben,” answered a smothered voice
from without, and she could dimly discern a
form. “ Speaklow and move softly, Annie, or
those men may hear you, and if they catch me
again it is good-13y.”

“Come to the cor,” whispered Annie in re-
turn, and then glided across the floor and re-
movred the bar. . v

She Opened the door, saying: .

“ Are we going to go away together, Ben, or

“ Oh, we!“ go together, my darling ” said the
mocking~voice of Dick Crowell, and the next
minute the astonished girl was in his arms, her
mouth covered with his band. Annie was, of
course, taken utterly by surprise, and unable to
free herself from the rascal’s gre . . -

“At last,” cried Crowell. “At last I have
you safe and sound. Simpson!”

The man who had proclaimed the loss of a bag
of mone and had nearly efleoted the hanging
of Ben adle , made his appearance,

“ Get behiu her, and tie her u? tight as you
like, hand and foot,” said Crowe I, who all the
time held Annie close to his breast, ode-ring the
brave girl not the slightest chance to use her

ban 9. .

“ All ri ht,” said Simpson, and with a rope he
got behind the captive to obey his leader’s com.
mands. '

Brave Annie Bradley._determined to struggle
to the last, kicked out in a vicious and mu -
like manner, and caught the unfortunate Simp-
son fairly in the it o the stomach.

or course the ick knocked all the wind out
of the rascal, and he fell in a heap on the floor.

“You’ll have no more chances to cutyonr
capers,” savagely said Crowell. and quickly p-

ing the girl by the thth he knocked her and
orciblg against the side of the doorway. ‘

One low was enough t50 deprive poor Annie
of sensibility. and she fell back limp and
breathless in his arms.

“ Sim u,” said Crowell.

“ I’ll B20 all right in a minute,” penned the
rascal. “That kick came mighty near to kill-
ing me, though.”

Simpson finally got upon his feet and got to
breathing correctly. Then. he found the rapes
and securely bound the insensible object of
Dick Crowell’s cruelty. '

After which a gas was thrust into her mouth
to revent her making any outcry, and then
the‘l’ielpless girl was swiftly home away from
her home. '

"9“
The unfortunate girl did not come back to.

sensibility until her captors had her safely
under cover. ,
When Annie opened her eyes she was puzzled
for some time *to account for her where-
abouts. .
' The gag had been removed from her mouth,
and the bonds from her hands and feet. Annie
sat up. and looked about her with interest.
She sat on a town!!! pelts at the Side 'of a

“i

 

rocky cave. a natural room big enough to turn
a coach and team around in with ease. .

About the cave, which was lit up by both
lamps and torches, sat, reclined, or lay a down
men, playing cards, smoking pipes, drinking
whisky, and talking. The. appearance of the
men, their lawless conversatidn, their occupa-
tions at the time, and, above
roundings, made the truth known Annie.

She was in a den of outlaws! i

1,. their sur- .

For months past, pilfering large and small ,

had been goin on, and more thanv’one miner
had been robb of his hard earnings by thieves ,
who wore masks. ‘

Annie did not doubt fora moment that she ‘

was in the den of these identical law-breakers.

One of the men saw her looking about, and
jumping up, he at once brought her some food,
which seemed clean and likewise well-cooked.

Annie was at first tempted to reject it, but.
she really lelt hungry. and she also reasoned.
that she needed strength of both body and mind
to alttempt to escape, and she accepted tho
mea .

“ Who are you, and where am 1?” she said to-
the man who brought the dishes. '

“ Ask me no questions, and
lies,” bluntly said the fellow, and walkedl
awa . ‘ '

y _
And then this hearty heroine of Goldeni\~

Gulch, with the kind of appetite that is gathered:
from exercise in the pure, open air, nt away so
meal that would have made a city r1 open or"
eyes in wonder. ' ' »
But, evidently, a drug had been at info the
food, for'within ten minutes after 3 hadcome
leted her meal, Annie felt an uncontrollablo'

I’ll-tell you no- ‘

rowsiness steal over her,  asleep she ,. ‘ 

went. v -

I How long she slept she could not tell, but
when she awoke she became aware of the fact
that she had been removed since her repast, and
now occupied aucther room. . ’

This cave was smaller, and was nice] '

furnished with skins. On a pile of these 3
furs the captiVe lay. ' ’

The light of-a lam that stood on a rude table ‘ i

was shed about the p ace. Annie lacked around 9
her, and saw Crowell near at hand, looking at
her with a very satisfied n. ‘

Annie gave him a de nt look
limbs were all free, she got upon her feet, and
walked bravely uptoihim. ,

“Dick Crowell,” she said, “ what do you
mean by this outra e?" ' '

“ What do you ca it?” - .

“ An outrage.” ‘ ‘

“They didn’t call it by that name in olden
times w en a knight ran away with his lady
love.” nned Crowell. - 4

Ann 9 Bradley re rded him with undis-
guised contempt and i ust. ' ’

“ You brute,” she exc aimed, “you heartlesp ,
wretch, who could dash a flrl’s head ainst a
door, let me go, before I low your end to
atoms.” ‘ . ~

She was unarmed when she began her tirade,
but when she uttered the threat the aspect of
affairs had changed. '

and as her l

‘

Dick Crowell, as was common with men of his V

class, were a belt about his waist, and this belt
contained a brace of good-sized revolvers. . '
While speaking to him Annie had suddenly
bent forward clutched the butt of one of the
relzolvers, and wrenched it from its. resting-

oe. . ,
p ,In an instant the hemi “r was raised with the
practiced motion of an (urfifli, and the gleam.
infiweapon was staring D ck right in the eye.

e was considerably startled,’and fell back a _

step or two. - g

“Put that dowel” he commanded l
authoritative manner.

Annie laughed at him. - - ‘

“ Do dyou think you are talking to some baby!"
she sai “Put your hands up, you villain.‘ or
off cos the top 0 your head i” "

e deadly tube was on a level with his fere~ ‘
head lbdibe Birl’s bright eye looked just ex-
actly as deadly as the istol. Dick Cr!)on bad
alread been treated a satisfactor exhibiv
tion 0 the girl's skill with the revo ver, and ‘
so he reluctantly at up his hands. ‘

Annie cast a sw ft glance about her, and saw
that there were five passages leading out from .
the rocky room, three before her. and two he-
hind her. She decided to back into one of the,
passages at‘the rear. .

“ Stand perfectly still,” she said “ or as sure
as I’m a living girl I’ll drill a hole through your
skull. I’ve never yet missed in aim, and you
may be sure that I ll not fail wit your hateful
face for a targe ” ~

‘n .

t. . _. _. (
Slowly she backed toward one of the rocky. '.-’\ . f i

- ",c' .

i
u

' v

».\

 

 
 

'8

The Sky Detectives.

 

 

 

gassages, keeping her bright eye fixed on
rowell.

On his part Crowell seemed to watch her re-
treat with an expression on his face that seemed
to indicate expectation of some sudden change.

And. sure enough, a sudden change did take
laCe.

:p As Annie neared the rock passages her ears
were saluted with a shrill hiss and something
twined about her neck with a slimy touch.

It was a snake!

Then this Western heroine proved that she
was a girl. She screamed aloud in terror, and
turned around to clutch at the serpent.

In an instant Dick Crowell leaped upon her,
threw one arm about her, and then caught the
snake, a small one of a harmless species, about
the body.

He hurled the reptile away and then made a
clutch at the pistol.

He wrenched it from her hand.

“ Now, you troublesome cat,” he snarled in a
rent rage, “ I’ll put an end to all this nonsense.
’ll fool with you not one minute longer. You

have defied me and laughed at me and now
you shall be—”

At that instant a blinding glare of light was
cast into his face, making is eyes useless, and
filling him with surprise and alarm.

Then came a sound of quick footsteps on the
hard stone floor and a ringing voice cried:

“ That’s my a ster!”

While another voice shouted out:

“Drop that lady, you infernal rascal, or I’ll
drop you i”

And into the rocky chamber rushed Ben
Bradley and Harley Willis, the latter bearing
his ma esium torch.

Not iking to see a pretty girl in the rude
grasp of a vindictive looking fellow, the youn
aeronaut banged away at him as he s ke, an
only a sudden twist on the part of Crowell
saved his life.

He immediately dropped Annie, not liking to
be shot at by a fee who was invisible, for so
powerful was the glare of the magnesium torch
that the lads behind it could not be seen, and
turned to run out of the chamber by one of the
opposite es, when a number of his men,
attract by t e shot, rushed in.

They, however. were likewise blinded by the
brillianc of the torch, but Crowell, who did
not feel ike losin his risoner, yelled out:

“Fire at the lig t! re at the light, and you
may hit somebody.”

This was good advice, and was dangerous in
the extreme to our young friends. Not caring
to serve as a tar et for the bullets of the
yruflisns. Harley illis very prudentl dropped
the torch and Jumped aside, giving en a dex-
terous twist that flattened him up against the
wall of the assage.

The dnub e movement was executed just in
time. Half a dozen shots rang out, and half a
dozen bullets whistled t the two lads.

But although they ad esca ed a robable
dan er by throwing down the ight. t ey had
also ost a great advanta e by the same act, for,
relieved from the blind ng effect of the mag-
nesium torch, the outlaws were now enabled to
see their fees.

“ Only boys!”

“Two lads!”

“ Knock ’em down i”

l “ Yes; don’t waste bullets on ’em!”

These and similar cries rung out, and then
,the rascals rushed forward with the evident in-
tention of knocking over the enemies they
deemed too youthfu for istol-work.

“ Crack away." cried arley.

“Never an die,” said Ben.

“Oh, if only had a revolver, or even a
knife,” groaned t e female expert.

Ben and Harley banged away with their re-
volvers, wounding two of their fees, but before
either of them could fire another shot they
were borne to the rock floor by force of num-
bers.

Annie Bradley had turned to make her es-
cape during this exciting scene with the idea of
summoning assistance to the spot, but Dick
Crowell sprung before her.

“No you don’t, my benuty.” he cried, and
caught her in his arms. “ You’ll not leave this
place till I’m done with you.”

Holdin the struggling girl fast in his arms.
he turn his head in time to see the lads hurled
to the ground.

“Don’t waste any time on ’em,” he shouted
to his men. ," I don t want any more prisoners.
Knife the young fools.”

The big brutes who were ressing down the
forms of the struggling lads id not wait for a
Second order.

 

Their knives were raised to carry out the
cruel command of the heartless leader when a
clear voiCe rung like a bell through the cave:

“ Hold. for your lives!”

And into the rocky chamber leaped the pon-
derous Jack Slasher, the onetime bully of
Golden Gulch, with Harry Brown, thedetective,
at his side.

But the mere order might have failed to save
the lives of the two boys, had not the new-
comers been equally prompt with their
weapons.

A bullet from Slasher caught one of the
knifers in the back and tumbled him to the
floor of the cave, while Brown, with his mar-
velous aim, broke the wrist of the other stab-

r.

Then the detective leaped like a tiger toward
Dick Crowell.

“Dro her, you fiend!” he shouted, and
(irowel didn’t havo to be told to do it a second
t me.

He dropped Annie like a hot potato, and
started for the passage from which Brown and
Slasher had made t eir appearance, with the
evident idea of getting away.

“ After me,” he yelled. to his followers, “ back
to the big room. We’ll get help, and clean these
fellows out.”

Away they all rushed, just as Harley and
Ben ot upon their feet.

“ fter ’em!” shouted Ben, and would have
pursued the retreating rascals had not Brown
caught him by the arm.

“ Let them go,” said the detective, “and let
us trv to get away from here before they re-
turn' n force.”

“Yes, let me get out of this terrible place,”
said Annie, throwing her arms lovingly about
her brother. “Thank God, Ben, we’re united
once more.”

“ Follow me,” spoke up Harley Willis, “and.
I’ll take you to safety before those ruflians can
return.”

“Do it” said Brown, “and at some future
time, wit more men, we can clean out this den
of thieves."

Harley caught up his magnesium torch from
the floor. It was Hiill burnin , and when turned
in the right direction, lit up t e return pathway
with a brilliancy almost equal to daylight.

Through the passage the went, and found
the balloon in charge of M one at the end of

it.

“All aboard,” cried Harley, and the much
astonished people behind him hastily got into
the s acious car attached to the Sky Traveler.

“ ast oil!" was the next order.

Malone unwound the drag-rope from the
ledge of rock, and with a majestic leap the
great airs-hip shot up into the air, bearing aloft
its half-dozen passengers with ease.

CHAPTER VIII.
DANGER ALOFT.

WHEN the balloon had gone up some hun-
dreds of feet, it suddenly ceased to ascend, and
shot along at great speed toward the west.

So fast did the Sky Traveler move, that more
than one of the passengers in the car felt a
strange sensation at their hearts. ~

“ Are we not traveling at an unusual rate of
speed. Harley i” said Ben.

“Yes, we are, but we can’t help ourselves,
just now. You see, we left our last stopping-
place in a hurry, and did not have time to
shape our course in a proper manner.”

“ Is there any danger in this?”

“Not much. The Sky Traveler is astanch
craft, and can weather rougher passages than
this. -

In and out among the clouds they went, now
in the sunshine. now in the shadow, now catch-
ing glimpses 0f hill and plain and shining stream
below, and new, again surrounded by an al-
most inky darkness, an all the time whirling
along at a rate that drove the blood back from
every cheek.

“Can’t we get out of this?” whispered Ben
Bradley to Harley.

“No,” was the whispered reply. “ Without
a bit of gas in the ba . this mighty current
would keep us from fal ing to the earth. We
can neither ascend nor descend until the force
of this current is somewhat spent. But I don’t
think we are in danger.”

“ But we may be swept out over the ocean,”
said Ben.

“ That is so.” gravely returned Harley.

“ How fast are we going?”

“It’s impossible for me to say, but I think
{hisf gurrent runs eighty miles an hour at

eas ..

“Why,” cried the astonished Ben, “forty

 

 

miles an hour on land will knock a man down
and take his breath away.”

“Yes, but We move with this wind," smiled
Harley. “ If we resisted it, we could not live
five minutes."

“ 1 see," said Ben. “ So if this current holds
us for a couple of hours, we’ll be out over the
ocmn.”

“ Less than that. It will not take an hour
from the start to bring us many miles out over
the Pacific ocean.

Delighted with the grand nature of this air
travelin , Annie Bradley leaned against the
side of t e car, and gazed upon the magic pano-
rama beneath. '

Harry Brown, the detective. was watching
the girl with a strange expression on his reso-
lute face, when a hand was placed on his arm.

He turned and smiled kindly upon Ben Brad-

ley.

“ Well, my boy?” he said, and his voice was
as soft as a woman’s.

“ You saved my life,” earnestly said the lad,
“ and I’m sure I’m very gratefulto you and Jack
Slasher. But l’m also a little—a little—”

“ Inquisitive,” smiled Brown.

“ Yes,” admitted Ben. “I would like to
know how and wh it was that on turned up
in that cave just in time to be p meand my
sister.”

“Well, my name is Harry Brown. I am a
detective fro" New York, and I am here in
search of the Bradley children 1”

Ben regarded him with surprise.

“ Well, you’ve found ’em,” he said.

“ I know it,” was the quiet regly.

“And what do on want wit us?"

“I want to flu out from you the cause of
your father’s emi ration from New York. I
want to find out al you know about the murder
of your rents also.”

‘ Wel ,” said Ben “in regard to father’s com.
ing to California, I can only say that he was
rich, and suddenly became poor. I was only
thirteen when this happened, and of course
father did not explain affairs to me. I only
know that we came down from wealth to
goveriiy, and that after battling against it in

,ew ork for about a ear, he started for the
mines. In regard to t e murder, I’ll tell you
the story.”

And then, in a graphic style, Ben repeated the
story of the battle on the plains, as told by him
in the second chapter of this tale.

“ The scoundrel, the villain, the base, un-
natural bound l” warmly clied Harry Brown,
who seemed terribly excited by the story.
“ And you distinctly saw the mark of the black
crpss on his bare arm ’9”

“ I’ll hunt him down, the d i” Fritted the
detective through his teeth, disp a ng an un-
usual amount of feeling. ‘ l’ll g p his throat
and make him confess is crimes, and then I’ll
cut his black heart from his body! Oh, that I
had him here at this moment!”

His eyes blazed, his face flushed with passion
his powerful hands clinched in a transporto
rage, and his teeth ground together.

Ben Bradley was astonished at this exhibition
of intense fee ing in one who only claimed to be
a id detectiVe, sent from the orth to ascer-
tain certain facts and do certain things, and he
couldn’t help saying:

“ What makes you feel so deep an interest in
this matter?”

Brown seemed to recollect himself, and in an
evasiVe manner answered: -

“Oh, if 1 carry out this case too successful
end, I shall rec':ive great praise from my su-

more.

But Ben Bradley’s suspicions had been aroused,
and the answer was not enough to satisfy him.
However, he did not question Brown further,
but to himself the boy said:

“There is a mystery about this. That man
has more inte t in this matter than an ordinary
detective wou d have. Well, I suppose I’ll know
his secret one of these days.”_

After a moment the detective turned to him,
as calm and as collected as ever:

“ HOW many are there of you i” he asked.

“Only the two of us: Annie and I are the
only children.”

“ Oh, then there never was an

“Yes, I had a brother, but
was a baby,” answered Ben.

A strange expression crossed the face of the
detective as he said:

“Trust me, Ben, before I get through with
this matter I’ll clear up a good deal of mystery,
punish a villain, and restore you and your sister
to a decant station in life."

With immense Velocity the Sky Traveler had

more?”
e died when I

 

 

‘f‘

The sky Detectives.

. t I 

 

y..__.... .. H.-. ._. _.. .-..,

 

bowled along for the last hour, held in the grip
of the air current.

For some ten minutes past they had been
among dark clouds, and the blackness of night
reigned about them. a

“ Where are we, captain i” asked Brown.

“I really don’t know, because I cannot see
any more than you can. I don’t know whether
we to above land or see, but by my estimate of
the force of this wind we should be over the
ocean.”

“ Ah,” cried Ben “ light at last!”

“ Arrah, and w‘u‘d ye look at the ilegant
landsca below?" and Malone pointed down,
where t 0 ocean lay smiling in peace.

At that moment the got into a more mild
stratum of air, and Ear ey Willis at once began
operating with his apparatus, trying to find an-
gshir current that would hear them back to

n .

While the ma 'ority of them were laughing at
Maloue’s “ bull, ’ a startling cry rung out from
Annie's lips: _

“ Merciful God!” ejaculated the startled girl.

inting straight ahead with a trembling finger,

‘look at that. ’

And when they followed the direction of
Annie’s forefln er, and saw a rent, dark-
colored, funnel-s aped cloud rising mm the sea,
they knew what it was even before the calm,
even tones of Harry Brown said:

“ That is a water-s ut.” .

“ And bearing rigBe down upon us With ter-

n

rible speed,” said Bradley. “Can’t we
esca it, Harle l”

“ don’t thin 30. This current holdsuswith
a terrible grip.”

“That's a terrible thing to run afoul of,”
broke in Jack Slasher. “ Pards, we’re booked,
l’m afeard.”

“1 don’t think so,” decided Harry Brown in
his resolute manner. “All hands give me their
attention." '

They turned to this cool leader.

“Ryer body take a rifle or a revolver, cock
‘1: and exactly wheu‘you hear the word.
We may tweak that spout at a sufficient distance
toesoapeallinjur . There are tons of water
in that cloud, a if we fail we are doomed.

Ready?"
“Read 1” came from all, and there they

' stood wit cocked weapons in hand waiting for

the leader of the hour to utter the word of com-
mand.

The. gigantic water-spout, seemingly about
twenty yards in diameter and reaching from
sea to sky, was catching up the spray. from the
waves w th an awful roaring sound as it whirled
around and around with fri htful speed, bear-
in down upon the course of t a Sky Traveler.

t was a terrible situation!

Every body in the car knew that if the mi hty
wonder of the air collided With the be oon,
1they would all be dashed to death in less than a
minute. There was no earthly hope of escap-
ing the fatal conseailiences of a collision.
in 3v; and calm ey all stood With weapons

0 .

Cool as ever Harry Brown noted the approach
and carefully calculated the distance,

Every shot must tell.

“ Aim!" he said.

Every weapon was pointed toward the roar-
ing whirlwind, their fingers pressing the wit

“9mm”

‘ ——J—.

CHAPTER IX.
A NOVEL BOAT.

SIMULTANEOUSLY the reports blended.

Then ensued a single second of the most
awful sus use.

The wagr- out had not been more than one
hundred feet istant from the balloon when the
order was given by Brawn t0 -
mighty change took place, _
f The enormous whirlwind, With its masses of

water, burst with a noise like the roar of ten

cataracts, making the air shake with tremen-
dous vibrations.

Great jets of water struck the Sky Traveler
with immense force, deluging its occupants and
sending the air-craft down toward the ocean as
though pressed by the hand of a at.

With great speed the bulletin ascended, and
the halifh-drowned voyager-s could do nothing to
arrest progress . .

They were stunned and blinded, as well as

nearly strangled by the jets of water that had.

knocked them all prostrate, to the floor of the
Crushed down by the sudden change in the

N

 

air currents. the Sky Traveler bowled down
toward the waves.

It really seemed as though the lucky occu-
pants of the car had only seen one threat-
aned death-blow for a fatal plunge into the

cop.
One by one they strufigled to their feet, wet
and bewildered, but sti thankful for their es-
cape from one danger even though threatened
with another. , '

“ Can‘t we stop?" gasped Brown.

“ We’ll all be in the big drink in less nor no
time,” said Jack Slasher. “ Good folks, if
ye] kin pray, here‘s the time to put it in power-

u . ’

“ I can do nothing,” groaned Harley, “ with
this immense—”

At that moment, when within about a bun-
dred feet of the waves, the balloon suddenly
ceased to move.

The sudden stop was the same in effect as the
quick application of a brake to a car—the voy-
agers were all thrown ofl their balance.

So violently was Annie upset that she flew
,toward the rail, and seemed about to topple
ovor when Harle Willis clutched her.

The young bal conist succeeded by a violent
jerk in drawing the girl back in safety, but
he, himself lost his balance and fell over the
81 e.

For a brief instant he' hovered there, and
Ben Bradley and Herr Brown both made a
clutch for him; but the istance was too great
for them to reach, and they failed.

With an ineffectual attem t to clutch the
rail of the car, Harley Will s fell, and as he
found himself descending, he cried as loudly as

possib e:

“Malone, the box 1” ‘

Then he swiftly descended toward the sea
while Denny Malone, with one sw ft movemen
caught up a box that rested on th floor of the
car and buried it out after his young master.

Relieved from the wei ht of the outhful
aeronaut and that of the x which t 9 Irish-
man had thrown after him, the Sky Traveler
gays an immense lea from its stationary posi-
tion and’went up hig into the air.

d Everybody in the car was again thrown

own.

' Up fully a thousand feet the balloon bore its
occupants, and then Malone, on his hands and
knees, began operating with the electric up -
ratus. -

The balloon was got under control in less
than two minutes, the volume of gas was de«
creased by the reduction of heat, and the air-
ship began todescend. ‘ '

n a minute or two thereafter, while the rest
were wondering what had been the fate of
Barley Willis, Maloue found a very favorable
and mild current that swe t the balloon along
about a quarter of a mile a vs the ocean.

“ Now all hands kspe a lookout for the young
masther,” said Malone. _

“ Do you think he’s alive?” asked Brown.

“He’s as well and hearty as ye are yerself,
sor,”coufldently said Denny. ‘ K1pe all yer
eyes skinned, and be Heavens! ye’ll be aston-
isliificzinwhin ye see the wonderful gossoon, so ye
w

And trul , could the. voya ers. have seen
Harley Wil is at that moment t ey would have
been astonished.

When Harley fell from the car of the Sky
Traveler, some thirty or‘ thirty-five yards in-
tervened between him and the surface of the
water, and falling this distance throu h the
air was nearlyenough to deprive him of reath
without speaking of the force with which he
struck the water. , '

He descended into the ocean feet first, and
went down many, many feet before the ferce
of his long dive was all s in.

Then up be bounded li e a rocket to the sur-
face, where he gasped for breath and looked
around him. _

A most remarkable change had taken lace in
Harley’s appearance. His jacket. whic was a
loose one, had swelled out to an enormous sine,

.aud made him look like a fat man.

The truth of the matter was the whole lining
of the loose coat was an entire oil-skin sack, in-
side of which were seVeral powders done up in

aper, and when the powders became wet t ev
nstantly turned into gas and'swelled the oil-
skiu cover u like a small balloon, the action of
the gas at he same time closing the valves
where the water had entered in, and making the
8“ reliable.

~ nowing that' his life-saving gecket would
keep him afloat for at least twen -four hours.
Harley Willis floated

‘Harley began to pro

 

at ease upon the water,
, regained his breath, and looked above. _

Not a trace of the Sky Traveler could he 

and after looking long and very anxiously for

his noble air-ship, he turned away with a sigh.

“Lord only nows where they have been
blown to.” he muttered, with a rather heavy
heart. “ I may never see that pretty girl
a aiu.”

e was worrying a
probability of not see ng Annie Bradle again,
than he was for the possible loss of hisia can.

The fact was that he had been very much
smitten with brave Annie, and on her part the
girl had looked with \enoouragement on the

ashing balloonist.

Floating at ease upon the surface of the sunlit
waves, Harley Willis cast a keen lance ‘ on all
sides, evident y seeking for someth ng.

At length his glances rested on the objectho
thought to discover. It was the box thrown by
Dennis from the balloon.

It floated lightly on the water ahoutone thou-
sand yards away, and turnin over on his back
. p81 himse toward it.

He was very light with his inflated bag, and
made 103d time over the rippling waters.

In a at fifteen minutes he reached the box,

it, and took breath again while bobbing
up and down. . \

Secured to one side of the box, which resem-
bled an ordinary soapvbox in its general smar-
ance, was a small, but 'very strong and rp-
edged chisel of chilled steel, held in place by
leather straps. - .

hElnxi'astieitilingfl the strapshfiarley salad m
e 8%: wt a rmgrp,an beganprying
covsr from the box. 7

In a few minutes the lid was pried of, and the

contents of the box were, partly exPossd to

View.

Harley Willis drew forth some sheets or slabs
of cork, about an inch in thickness, the edges
rovided with tenon and mortise, sothat they

tted snugly together. \ _

Piece after piece of cork was drawn forth and
fitted together and when the lastslab had been
oined on, Her e had a cork boat about seven
eat 10:: and th y inches wide. -

Then mm the box the brainy young inventor
drew forth an oil-skin cover of strength
and elasticity, made specially for the

and which he drew completely over ti,
the‘gun-_

buttoning it on the inside.

At about the central parts cove
wales, there were two uprights m e of gutta-
percha. which would serve as row-locks.

The young genius then took from the box
sections of ash-wood, which, when joined to-
ggzher by means of snap fastenia 'at once
bk“gins good oars, five feet lon'g, w t a spoon

e. I

The oars were placed in the boat, and than
thetbox was put in also, to serve the place of a

The novel craft was dancing as lightlyasa
bubble upon the water when Harley placed
his hands on the stern and leaped little t.

A more buoyant boat than this. cannot be L

ima ined.

T ng off his immense jacket and‘throwing
it dowu, Harley took his seat upon the box.

Then he sat still fora moment, and'iiaid to
himself: '

“Where am I?” - , ' .

He tried to estimate the distance from the
gold~bedded stream to the cont, and'the'n tried
to calculate how far the Bk Trawler hfirfione
before meeting with the gantic and one
water-spout. ’ ;.

Try as he would to locate himself, be mild
Only come to the corclusion that he was some
miles out at sea, but how far he oculd not
to . ‘ ‘

hHe  one glare 1fat 3116 sun, and then
s a course We e e pnllingfor
thfimre hefcoultd riot seat th 1:“, f

is’ werusroossen e taraftalon
at meg-(horse speed. and almost  it fusing
the waves. -

Harley could see that it was not yet noon, ac-
cowiing to the sun. -

He pulled away for about an hour and the
tired with his exertions, united to 0 trials 0
ttflhe the, morning, lay down in the boat to

cop.

He slept for a con is of hours, “Id W8! very
rudaly awakened by) being dumped into the
we r.

The sudden contact with the cool oceanhad
the eflect of making him wide awake on the‘ln-

stant.
With the instinct Of a swimmer, Harley took

a stroke the instant he came to the surface, and i ' ‘. t."

then looked about him.

deal more about the-

0'.

His boat had been run- down and upset by a "

‘ Q

 

 

 

 

.\ ‘\‘

, in

' the glass
Ca

   

1c

The Sky Detectives.

 

 

large, elegant steam-yacht, which was even

’ now pufllng lazily away toward the north-

east.

“Ahoy!” elled Harley. ‘

But they idn't hear him on board the vessel,
and _lIarley made up his mind to after them.

His boat, too light to be inj by the force
of the collision, was floating on the water near
at hand, and in a short time Harley had col-
lected his seat and the ears, and was once more
seated in his fleet craft.

Bendin to his work with a will he chased the
yacht wit such good succcss that within ten
minutes he had overhauled it, and was regarded
with astonishment by a. young man who stood
at the stem of the vessel, who, a parently,
was amazed at the 0Tent speed 0 Harley’s

at.
“ Ahoy l” yelled Harley, again.

. “ Ahoy,” anst the young man, who was
1110th dressed in a fancy costume and wore eye.-
g a
, “ Thro'w me a rope.”

“ I will.”

. Andihen he yelled for one of his lazy crew,
and a rope was thrown to Harley, who made
his boat ast and clambered on board.

. . “ Good-afternoon.” said the young man with
the style-glasses. “ I’m Captain . Bernon Dyer,
and is is my yacht, the Corrigan, from San
Francisco.”

“ Glad to meet you,” said the aeronaut. “ I’m
CeptainBarley Willis of the Skflraveler.”

" 1% an odd. name for a t,” rejoined
Captai yer.

..‘ It would be an odd name, indeed, for a

boat,”sald'Harley, f‘but it happens to be the '

name" of a balloon.”
. ,“ Oh, a balloon!”
“ Exactly.” ,
"  have you got one?”
“ I had one a few hours ago, and fell out of

' it, leaving five friends behind me, including a

most beauqu young lady.” .
“ Obgl then it was our balloon that I saw.”
“Ah, did you see it When?” excitedly asked

Harley£3 ,
~ “A ut half an hour ago, and then it wag
passing along about on our esent course.
course, it went out of sight in a few minutes.”
“Then, Captain Dyer,” earnest] said the
oung aeronaut, “I beg of you to ta e me with
. to the coast on this present course. I
sh vprohahl find the balloon somewhere near
the shore, an be united to m . friends again. If

- you are not bound elsewhere beg that you‘will

do me this favor. What do you say, captain l"

“Why,” laid gallant Captain Dyer, “ l’d do
it if only for the sake of the pretty girl you left
behind cu.”

 e ave orders to put on a full head of
steam, amigway they went at a rate that
proved the rrifian fast.

“The distance I about thirty miles to the
coast on this course,” said Ce tain Dyer, “ and
withintwo hours from now I l lend you.”

Merrily onward bowled the Corrigan, and

lay improved the time h accepting Captain

Bar
'Dyer’s imitation to have a ite.

After a lendid dinner with the captain the

sailing- : and one of the e rs of. the

yaeh Earl came on deck again and had a
la talk w th the oung owner, who roved
bepwarm~hear . liberal young gent man,
with all the wealth he could spend, and nothing
.to do but amuse himself.

"We me be able to see something of the
Sky Trays r,” said Captain D er, ic ing ugh
lpng’gleseopeandfocusing for e ore. . “ y

070

" Is it there!” cried Harle .

“Yes,”.said Ddyer. ' “ J us look fair over our
port’quarter an you’ll see it on the beach.”

lad the have come out of the
scrape 1“ t.” Iai Barley, and then he took
po uted it in the direction named by
sin Dyer and brought his eye into range.
moment ater be dropped the glass, an ex-

on of dismay on his noble face. .

“Haste, captain l” said, “ the balloon is
there, but deserted] but can be the matterl’

’. i ' . CHAPTER X.
' ‘ " - mamas. p
v Um the really competent hand] of
Dennlrme e s y vpler bovm‘ggom
the ocean, ’making short trips to the north,
east and west, searching for Harley

illle. .
~ "The" air-ship was cleverly kept at about a
r of a mile above the water, and alleyes
eagerly scanned the surface of the ocean.

 

The telescope, too, was constantly in the
hands of some one member of the little com-
pany in the car, and the ocean was swept under
the powerful lens with no better result than had
been achieved by the naked eye.

“Poor Harley,” said Ben. “I wonder if he
has been drowned l”

“ It was a terrible fall,” remarked Brown.

“And he may have flopped on his back and
had the wind knocked clean out 0’ him, you
know,” at in Slasher.

“Be eavens, an’ ye’re all wrong,” averred
Malone. , “The gossoon axed me to throw the
box. didn’t be?”

it Yes.”

“Thin, be Heavens, he knew he was oing so
he did; and it’s not Masther Har ey that
wouldn t be landin’ in the wather in proper
sthyle. And thin, do ye moind, he can’t sink.”

And he told them all about the wonders of
the oil-skin jacket, and the sectional boat in the

X.

f‘ We’re OR the 'coorse,” said Malone, “ and
that’s the throuble. It don’t nade more nor a
few minutes for a balloon to thravel a dozen
miles away.” ‘

“Then you think that we may be many nules
from the spot where he fell?”

The detective asked the question.

“Very loikely,” said Denny.

" Then we may hunt all day and not find
him,” said Brown. “ Now we certainly were a
number of miles out from land when we saw
that water-spout. Harley was dropped at that
point. It is probable, according o Malone,
that the lad has now got a boat, and one re-
markable for lightness and speed. I think the
boy will make for the shore, guiding himself by
the sun and that is about the best thinghwe can
do. We shall both strike the coast wit some
miles of one another, probably, and he certainly
couldnsee the Sky Traveler at anchor, and come
to t. . .

The proposition seemed so sensible to all that
they begged of Denny to follow it, so the brave
Irishman, not without a regretful look at the
ocean, sought a current to the east and bore
away for the coast. , , '

The balloon descended upon a broad strip of
fibblybeach, back of which was a belt of wood-

d and a range of pretty hills.

The country looked as wild and natural as
could be. '

“ Do you know what part of the coast this is,
Denny i" asked Brown.

“ Indade I do not,” said Malone. ‘

“ I see no signs of life,” remarked Annie.
“This (part of the country must be perfectly
deserts .” .

.“Yes, I’ll wager there’s not a house or a cabin
within ten miles, at least,” said Ben.

“It certainly looks wild,” added Brown.
“Guess I’ll take a stroll in the woods.” ,

Of course, six or Seven people in the car of the
balloon had made rather crowded quarters for
all hands, and they were now averse to stretch-
in their limbs.

ey had nothing to do but wait for the
possib e arrival of Barley Willis, so they
scattered about.

At first Annie Bradley walked along the
beach, pickle up some rare and pretty shells,
blaster on s e strolled off to .the cool-looking
w 3.

They had not seen a sign or trace of human
beings since the Sky Traveler was made fast,
therefore it was wit a careless step that Annie
entered the woods, and began searching for
fruits and flowers. ‘ ‘

At first she kept near the edge of the woods,

but gradually penetrated deeper and dee r.

Then shadow forms be an to rise beh nd the
unsus ing $1, flitting rom tree to tree, and
from h to nab, all t s time keeping out of

6w. ‘

So long as the irl wandered away from the
coast. the hiding orms followed without molest-
ing her. but the instant she turned to go back,
they acted. . ‘ , '

A score of save es closed .in about her, and
the astonished girl ound herself in the center of
a human ring. ,

She screamed lustil , drew her revolver with
a swift motion, and w thout at all being articu-

in her aim, fired at one part of the r ng.

A tall savage caught her wrist at the
moment, and the bullet flew harmlesle awa .

Then a number of hands grasped find old t e

rl. ‘ -
8iShe uttered shriek after shriek. with the sole,

view of attracting her friends to her rescue, and
ru led furious y with her captors.

' B what‘oould even a robust and plucky girl

do against twenty mean In a moment she was

l

captive, the

 

hurled to the grass, her hands were tied to her
body, her ankles lashed together, and then poor
Annie was helpless. '

Then one of her red captors placed her on his
back, and the. whole lot started off at a brisk
pace. ,

While journe ing on the back of the man

who had shoul ered her, Annie had time to
think and compare matters.
' At the first moment of her surprise she
thought she had been attacked by some Digger
Indians, natives of California, and the lowest,
meanest wretches of their race.

Now that she had time to think over it, she
recalled to mind that her foes were more olive
than red, that they had both chins and fore-
heads that receded; that they bore themselves
nobly, and very much diflerent in mien to the
degraded “ Digger,” and additionally, they wore
gold and silver ornaments, and bore spears in
their hands that were tipped with gold, and
ornamented with jewels.

Reviewing all thesc facts in her mind, Annie
Bradley soon made a‘guess at the identity of
her captors. ‘

She was in the power of a remnant of the
once powerful Aztecs, once the rulers of Mexico,
the worshipers of the {Egan god Huitzilo—
gochtli, to whom for cent es past they had

am making human sacrifices.

Formerly they had occupied towns and cities
in Mexico only, but since they had been con-
quered by the invaders of theiand they had be.
come scattered, and had sought some remote
and wild corners, where they could live as their
shoestors livsd for centuries before them.

Annie knew that there were some few Aztecs ,
in California, and heard strange stories, conv
coming their .wonderful temples,.their gods,
and their sacrifices.

Therefore, it is not. to be wondered atthat
Annie Bradle , bravo as she naturally was, felt
a cold shive run throu h her young-bones
when she thought of be ng sacrificed by her
idolatrous captors.

“ My brave’ brother and his friends will not
desert me,” she said to herself morethan once,
but for all that she felt chilled with horro ,
now that she was satisfied that her foes Werh,
indeed, members of the Aztec race.

There were twenty-two members in the band i
that had captured‘Annie, and they were all
fine-lookin and intelligent in (heir way." One
after anot er took turns in can- drag the cap-

-tive,'and so the band was enabed to travel

with considerable speed. 1

Fully five miles into the interior the pene-
trated, and at length reached their vi legs, a
group of twenty odd houses] ing inavelley
surrounded by a high range of ills. ’

When the hand was seen a preaching with a
opl’e, men an women, old and

oung, rush out into the sole street of the

037:, and at their head came a man with along
to O ‘

This was a priest, and in the original language
of the race he shouted:

“Asac'l {,k th i t
peope 00 up .ecry,ap arn , o 0
almost wild with joy. I p9 8‘ g

A small body of soldiers come forth from a
temple; they were well - drilled, splendidly
dressed, bore shields and spears, and also short
swords. ~ . I

The captIVe’s feet and hands were then re-
leased, and she was placed before the doors of
the temple.

’ Bax-barons instruments were pla ed. and 3
procession was formed of the villagers, Who
greed slowly before Annie and made a low

w, uttering words which were unintelligible
to the3t girl, and Seeming to treat her with great
re .
shes of solid gold and silver were then
placed before her, containing foodthat GPPPaI‘EG
good and well cooked.

The whole thing seemed like a dream ic.tho
girl, who could scarcely helicvo that she was
awake. _ A ~

But when she saw the long robed old priest
draw a keen, glittering knife from beneath his
dress .and hold it aloft, she shuddcred, for she
felt that the knife was intended for her. ,

“M ople,” cried the priest. “once more
shall e blood of a beautiful sacrifice purify the
floor of the temple and make gladthe heart of
the mighty, gracious god, Hnitziiopochtli. _

“Pr 1-! will once more smile on us in
this retreat, far from the land of the 81‘?“
Montezuma. ‘ I

“ Let all prepare for the hour of sacrifice, for
it comes with the setting of the sun.” -

A number of women came forward at the

conclusion of his remarks, took up the captive

 

 

 

 

 

The Sky Detectives.

   

11

 

 

in their armsand bore her away, followed by
- the trained and armed band of soldiers.

Annie saw that it was useless to attempt es-
cape from such a crowd. She could only ,hope
for rescue'from her friends.

She was taken into a house b the women,
her garments were stripped from er, and then
she was clothed in robes of fine cloth, heavy
with gold and thickly ornamented with jewels.

A sort of crown was then laced on her head,
and she was seated outside t e house where this
had taken place, to be admired and compli-
mented by the people.

The foodku again placed before her, and as
she really felt hungry, and had not yet lost all
hope of rescue, the sensible girl partook of it,
finding it very good.

So the afternoon passed away, Annie being
worshiped and admired, women and men chant-
iu and girls performing a strange dance.

hen she was led back to the door of the tem-
ple and placed upon a sort of altar, richly orna-
mented, while half a dozen priests gathered
about her and held her down with a strong

rip.

8 Then the high priest, brandishing aloft the
Ion knife of sacrifice, chanted a sort of dirge
an enumerated the many virtues of the god
Hgiitzilopochtli, to whom the sacrifice was
m e. . ,

At the end of the chant a shout went up, and
the bright blade was lifted above the girl-cap-
tive’s heart!

 

' ' CHAPTER x1.
SEARCHING FOR ANNIE.

07 course the shot fired by Annie Bradle
and her loud screams were heard by the sea
tered passengers of the balloon, who were all
amusing themselves along shore or in the
woods.

Harry Brown, who was in a remote part of
the woods at the time, ran with all speed to-
ward the balloon.

The others all ran toward the same s t for
the reason that they we're unable to tel from
what quarter the alarming sounds came.

They met at the car of the Sky Traveler and
all exclaimed:

“ What’s the matter?” '

“ Where did Annie go?” demanded Brown.

“ To the woods,” said Ben. “She uttered the
screams, I’m sure.”

He darted away for the woods, and they all
put after him, leaving the balloon deserted up-
onsthe bdgch" t, 'th ready ' h d

pros in on W: weapons in an ,
they scour the woods for a considerable dis-
tance, but saw no-signs of Annie. .

The shouted the girl’s name albud, but re-
ceive no response, and were about to return to
the shore to see if Annie had returned there
when Jack Slasher saw a handsome spear halt
concealed in some long mas and picked it up.

“ Stand still a minute, ’ he said, with his eyes
on the ground.

He studied the appearance 0‘ the spot for a
few minute and as he was uite a fair woods-
Imm. babe ly made this sta ment: ~
“ Bight here the girl was captered by a lot of
men v

“ White men?” asked Ben.

“No‘nor exactl red one. nuther,” replied
the ex-hullyor Go in Gulch. “Accordin’ to
this here spear. she was on tered by them ’ere
fellem what lived in Mex co afore white men
come along.” ;

“ Aztecs?” said Brown.

a you‘ve hit it. They must have one 0’
their towns in this part of the country. I’m
advisin’ that we t back to the balloon,
and use the s  ass to locate the town.’

“ Bu ” “It? en, exertedly, “ if you’ve ot
the skil to read all this by Sig", can’t you 01-
low in the trail, and let us rescue Annie?" ,

“Kg use boy,” said Slasher. “Jest look at

thet gall. 0 less than twenty 131:3, ,gfld they're

no ger Indians, nu 9r, 80 n yer or 't

it. These here chaps kin fight. BeBides, t e
gal’s in no danger, now.” .

“ How so?” demanded Brown. .

“They either kill ’em at sunrise or sunset,”
replied Slasher.

‘ on, as sacrificesi” _

“Correct.” ‘ , ‘ .

“ Then,” said the detective, “Jack’s advice is

good. Come on.’.’. .

Back they went to the bore, to find to their
astonishment that a handsome steam-yacht lay

a few hundred yards off-shore, and that ahan -

some cutter V was approaching the beach.
. manned b a full crew, and bearing Harley

Willis in t e stern. .

 

The boat grated on the sands, and out leaped
the young balloonist and Captain Bernon D er.
' In a few minutes Harley was told all that ad
hap nod and made acquainted with Jack
Sla‘slfir’s igea. ” ‘d H _ I in i

‘ te vervsoon,sa are, me
into the car. “Let go the anchor, island? g

Two minutes later he was high up in thank,
and brought the Sky Traveler to an almost
stationary ‘tion. ‘

Within ve minutes he was upon the solid
earth aggin.

“ Slas er is right,” he announced, as Malone
made the balloon fast. “ She has been carried
off by just such a band as Slasher mentions;
they are ca‘rr ing her upon their backs, secure-
ly bound. ith my glass I made out their vil-
la e, toward which they are travelin . I should
ju go that it is five m les away, an they are
more than half-way home.” .

“How many in the band, do you say?” aske
Captain Dyer. '

“ About twenty.”

“ And how many people are we to look for in
the village?”

“The place looked ve small to me; andI
shouldn’t look for every urge fighting force,”
Said Harley.

“But much larger than your numbers can
successfully tackle _

“We must tackle them, though,” said Har-
ley. “ I’d save that girl, or try to, if I had to
do it alone.”

“ Your numbers would fail against the Aztec
village,” said Captain Dyer. “ I know some-
thing of them. They have a. trained body of
soldiers. Suppose I lend you my blue jackets?”

“ Will you " cried all. ’

t f‘ You bet I will,” said the gallant 'young cap-
am.
tion on board the Corngan, and I’ll lead every
volunteer in my crew to the rescue.”
He turned to the boat’s crew:
“ Will you volunteer to rescue this pretty
lass from the heathen i” he asked.
A cheer was the answer, and
tossedrup their caps.
“Brave lads,” cried Harley.
“ I’ll take the boat back to the Corri an and
t the rest of the crew,” said Captan Dyer.
‘We can also bring the arms and ammunition
for all. I’ll stand at the head of twenty-five
brave and well-armed men. By the way, how
will on go?” ‘
“ n the balloon, with Melon , my man.”
“Then I’ll bring you a sma cannon, and a
suit of armor I bought in France. The cannon
will be loaded with small stuff that will scatter
broadly. The armor you can wear and fear
neither sword, knife, or bullet if you have to at-
tern t the rescue alone.”
“ I’ll take both

“ hanks!” said Harley.
along with pleasure.”

_W th two oarsmen back went Captain Dyer
to the Corrigan. Ever sailor on board re-
spOnded to his call for v0 unteers, and the pre—
parations went on actively. '

In less than fifteen minutes from the time
that the men volunteered, the expedition under
the lead of Ca tain Dyer was on its way, ac-
com nied by an Bradley, Herr Brown and
the ormer bully of Golden Gulc , while Bar-
lay and Malone, in the Sky Traveler With “16
small cannon and the suit of armor along, were
bearing away through thin air.

Crossing some rock ridges the all of the
Aztecs was lost by he party an or Captain
Dyer, and they were forced to come‘to a halt
anfi search for it.

t was not easy to find where the earth could
not receive impressions.

“ Don‘t lose time hunting for it,” spoke up
Jack Slasher. “ We know about the waymto go
to the town, so what’s the use of losing t e as
ma be valuable?”

‘ That’s so,” said Brown. “Harley gave us
our bearings. Lat’s move on; the girl may be
in ‘great danger.” '

All right,” said Captain Dyer, and on they

went.

The result of this was that the passed b the
little range of hills that shut in t e town 0 the
Aztecs, and went a trifle of! to the north With-
out seein a sign of the settlement.

Fortun telv, for it was now growing late,
Earle Willis, aloft in the car of the Sky
_ rave er, caught sight of them and saw that
thou? had missed the point they aimed to reach.

e managed to lower his balloon in- advance
0‘ “19m and waited for them to come up when
be 9,0141. hem of their error, much to the sur-

‘Thh time'thus lost brought them dan erously
near to sunset, and Ben was in a ever of

the men .all

\

' l

“I’ve got plant of arms and ammuniv

 

anxiety lest they should be too late to recue
his sister.

Back went the command under the your! .

and Barley, clad in his suit'o

yachtsman
h the assistance of, Males: dragged

armor, wit

the loaded cannon on its low wheels' 0 a pass «

not more thanfive feet wide, which led' in be.
tween two bills to the Aztec town. ' a

The arrangement had been made that be we
to enter the town at this point, aim his cannon
if he saw a crowd, and fire it among the‘crowd.

When Harley opened attack at this end of
the town in the manner mentibnod,‘ the party
under Captain Dyer was to rush in tram an
o ite entrance and fell upon the astonished
v i agers. ‘

Harley saw the crowd about the tern le, saw
the raised altar upon which he believe Annie
lay, and saw a long-robed Aztec standing over
the altar, around which stood half a dozen more
lorég—rohed men.

arefully training his cannon upon the idola-
trous crowd and aiming low, the young aero-
naut fired the piece. , ‘ ‘

With aloud roar it went ed, and the hail of

lead and iron with which it was loadedsw r ,

among the Aztecs, just as the priest raised
glitterin knife above Annie: prostrate form.

In an nstant the scene changed.

The cannon, aimed so as to be‘ on a range
with the lower limbs of the villagers, cut them
down as a scythe mews down the tall ’ a.

The high priest’s arm fell by his e,‘ and an
expression of terror crept over his stern feate

ures.

The priests who were holding on to Annie let:
go of her with a dismal bowl and fled with
precipitate haste into the sacred temple prob—
abl with the idea that they would safe
wit in its walls. ' ‘ ‘

8‘

The wounded fell in a shrieking mass few-the ,,

street, while the others stood bewildered dud
unable to turn one way or another. , ' .
And at that moment of extreme confusiOn,
with Ca tain Dyer, Ben Bradley Ha' Brown
and Jacg Slasher at their head, the an orsfrom
the Corrigan made their charge. ‘ - ‘

CHAPTER XlI. ' " ,
IN anion. . _

Wm! a cheer 'as loud as the report "of the-
cannon that had served sea signal,.the hardy
blue—jackets charged into the town ‘at h double-
quick pace. ' g

The common people fled, but :the’trai‘ned l-
diers of the Aztecs turped‘to meet them wit a
bold front. , ’ ' ‘

In a moment they met with a crash, and hen.
it Was cutlass against sword and revolver age net:
spear and shiel . ' _ ‘ _

Clad from head to foot in arnfor that set‘
snugly on his athletic form, and with a revolver

 

in each hand, Harley Willis madea dash for they ,

temple. , .
He was just in time. - v.
The hi h priest had recovered _ in his

terror, an was about to retreat into edem—

is.
p It seems that he had made up his mind to
out the sacrifice at all'odds, for he raised

w l
thelzlade once more just as Annie, hearing the .

shouts and feeling that her Mendngcre Ithand,
tried to get up from thaaltar. _ t ,

The priest pushed her rudely back, and were
about to stab her with the long, sacrificial
Blade, when Harley Willis drew a  on

m.
The aim was a hasty one but it wastrne, and
with arblfillet through his left lung the pagan
riest e . ’ '
p Up the slope to the temple dashed the young
balloonist, cryin : ‘ ' ,
“ Annie—Ann s, it is I i” ‘ ' ,
Annie’s eyes opened wide with wonder lather
leaped down from the altar and beheld dais fig.-
ure clad in armor rushing up to her. but she"
recognized the voice with a feelin of joy.
“Oh, Harley! is it cui.” she ed. , " .
And then,'as thou she had known him for-
I{learnI sshe rushed to his arms,. um, , , and

Throwin

‘ v

her away mm the spot to the pass by which ‘

he had entered, and told her to, run along it.
until she met Malone with the balloon. . .
Then he returned to the vicinit of the temple-
and dashed into the thickest of t 0 fight, laugh.
ing to himself when blows were ‘ra had upon:
him, and turned aside by the solid amen: '

He caught a cuties: from the hands of a |

fallen sailor, and ‘ slashed about him right ands
left like a hero, notattemptin to defend him-v
self in the least, so securefidd he feel in his
dress of steel. , - a

one arm around her, Harley led. ,

I

s

t

of

t.’:.
. a.

.4._

  

‘\

 

12

The  Detectives.

 

 

Jack Slasher f ht with all the vim and
relish of a man who oves fighting as well as he
down: eating, and disdaining either revolver or
knife, used a big club with terrible eflect, strik-
nnk terrific blows with his lou , powerful arms.

Ben Bradley was doing h s share,'_and had
already tum
tr ing to evade a thrust of a spear, he fell.

nsteutl the Aztec who had thrust at him
was upon he boy, and once again the deadly
was raised aloft, to be sunk into brave

’s heart.

.But Brown, whose eyes seemed to be
all over, an whose aim was sure sent a bullet
crashing through the barbarian’s brain, just.”
Captain Dyer made a brave but unnecessary
dash to the rescue.

The Aztecs certain] Aware good soldiers, and
fought along with t cool and determined
courage of trained Ofoope.

But they could not hold out against the su-
perior arms of the attacking party, and were
noon forced to succumb.

A peculiar order rung out from one who ap-
peared to , the leader, and they mide a
_ ited dash or the temple in which the priests
had taken re

So sudden was the movement made, and with
such unity of action, that they were half-way
to the edifice before the astonished Americans
“gar Wmmlrlgdtgz “3% d led

‘ tor a in r an
the “not. y p ye ’

The entire body'of mendashed after him with
'a cheer followin the iiash of his sword but
the were’too is to cut ad the retreat of the

'1!!! ns Wop-

The last man t into the temple, and the
door, constructs of iron, and fitted into solid
stone. was closed.

Time as the Americans halted they saw that

the temple was solidly constructed of stone.
, “ They're solidly fixed in there," said Captain
Dyer. ‘Boys, I guess we’ll have to let the
rascals alone for the simple reason that we
, can’t get at than.” -
. “So it seems,” said Brown. “We can’t
batter down that door, and the building looks
ilk: a big lump of stone, the way they’ve built
a

"f Jack Slasher stood by and looked at the
'tem saith lon geyes. '
r shame ” he declared.

“What isi" asked rown.

“ we can’t git in."
“.013, it doesn’t really matter ” said the de-
tective. “ We’ve rescued the girl and punished
her abductors.” '

"_‘ Pard, yer talkin’, but yer not on the tack I
am.‘ Yer see, pard, I knows something about
them 'ere Aztecs-seen ’em in Mexico more’n a
hundred times, an’ I kin bet on as how there’s
lots 3' plunder to be skinn out 0’ them tem-‘

:P So .
- “ Plunder?”

l p Y I
“ W‘th kind?"
“Wh gold and silver gods, some of the crit-

xters wit iamonde as b enou h to make or
heedswim.” y i‘ g y

“iii” ’0?” hi ’ Wh d ’dfl d
“ e as me n . r on n a
fortune in tget temple, or Jill?“ ’ayihgger, by

‘ ecan’t leave all this treasure behind us,
a Dyer.” said rown. “We are the

Vic rs, and to us belong the spoils. Your
men will not object to a share of the prize

m“)‘n'gat’s true,” Dyer exclaimed.

“But hnware we to get in?” said Ben Brad-
1e . “We might stay here and starve the
V e’s’ts out, but that would be a mighty long

“This temple is built as a place of retreat

‘ and refuge in time of danger,” spoke u Harley
Willie, “and the work has been soli ly done,

, but if on will all wait here until I can goto

' the bal con and return, I think I shall be able to

‘ - open that iron door for you.”

“ Go it,” said Captain Dyer. “ We’ll stand
guardnntil you return.”

Away went the scientific lad toward the Sky
Traveler, and then Ca tain Dyer im roved the
chance to look after h s men, some 0 whom had
fallen fit the re ttling fight.

He found one of is men killed, pierced
througbthe heart by the long spear of an‘ Aztec
warrior.

‘ Six more were wounded, two of them quite
seriously, while Mother four were wounded in
ameuuer that was painful. yet not sufficiently

{bed to prevant them from fighting. '
- Half a dozen Aztecs, pierced by the bullets of

over two of his foes, when, in.

 

the attacking t is dead upon the and,
while nearly pgguhle {but number hagimbeen
wounded, and were now crawling away to a
place of safety.

In a short time Harlgg Willis, divested of
his armor, returned to e spot, and brought
the'small cannou with him.

Behind him came Annie Bradley, carrying a
can is of packages.

ith great care Annie placed the parcels on
the round, and then shook hands with her
frien and kissed her brother Ben.

Then all hands watched Harley with con-
Sld'fiirble curiosity. ed f h k

a young us open one o t epac ages,
and brought gfgrth a can of wder. He took
the tissue paper surrounding t e can, and looked
about him.

. “ Who can make a slow fuse?” he asked, and
one of the sailors touched his hat and stepped
forward. . ,

“ I can make a time fuse,” he said, confident-
ly. “How long does your honor want it to
burni”

“ Three minutes. at least.”

‘I‘iMhok h “In” d d d be-

et t a ran some pow er, an
gen manufactupigigeg the fuse Harley needed.

Then theyounglgenius took the bulk of the

wder and care ly loaded the cannon, plac-
ing three or four large stones on top of the pew-
dertoservethe laceof a l.

Then he meneghtlhe other package and ex-

posed some ing t looked like a can of can-
ned fruit.

“ What is it?” asked Brown

“0h,a trifiln thing," smiled Harley. “I

held here a pow er great enough to blow us all
to eternity).

“ Nitro-glycerine‘i”

it Yes.” '

They all began to move off, while the young
balloonist laug ed heartily at their uneasiness.

“ Don’t tear,”.he said. “ I’m in no hurry to
dig: I’ll be careful.”

he can was placed against the door of the
tem la and the mouth 0 the cannon directed
aga nst it at a distance of two feet. _ _

“ Now, my man, how about the fuse?” said
Harley to the sailor.

“ Done. ur honor,” answered the sailor,
giving it a est twist. “ I’ll warrant it burns
no less than three minutes.”

“ That will give me all the time I want,” said
Harley. “ My friends, I advise you all to take
a walk. I can assure you that it will be for the
benefit of iyour health to do so.”

They d dn’t need a second request but got
away at a lively pace; nor did they pause until
they had put a safe distance between them-
selves and the dreaded explosiVe.

Very quietly Harley completed all his ar-
ran ements.

e kept talking in a loud tone all the time, in
order that the imprisoned folks within the tem-
ple mi ht not think the spot was deserted and
some orth.

The long fuse was securely attached to the

cannon, the end was set light to, and then Har-

ley started away from the dangerous locality
on a very livel run.

He reached t e'safe location where his friends
had taken up their stand, and then all with
eager interest awaited the result of the experi-
ment. ‘

With a uniform action the fuse burned down
to the cannon.

The heavily-loaded cannon went 08 within
three minutes after Harley reached his friends,
but its report was drowned in the mighty roar
that seemed to shake heaven and earth.

A cloud of dust, a shower of stones, and a
series of startled cries followed, but for a few
minutes our friends were unable to 'see the re-
sult of the tremendous explosion.

Then the smoke and dust cleared away and
they saw that half of the massive temple had
been shattered to fragments,/while the other
half was demolished in a degree that told how
far-reaching had been the effects of the nitro-
glvcerine.

ot a soul was to be seen.

“Come cnl” said Harley. “The temple is
ours!”

With a cheer they dashed down upon the
ruined temple.

r dead men within the ruins was all that
could be seen of the man who had taken
iv‘eiefuge there. The rest ha disappeared from

W. s .

“ Where are the all?” asked Captain Dyer.
.“ Blown to the our winds, as such inhuman
hrutes deserved to be,” said Hsrle . “Had

they been like other members of t shaman

 

family I could not have done it, but heartless
brutes who could make a sacrifice of a beautiful
girl—ob, 1 could blow them all into etermty
and laugh at it.”

“ Yes, they are no more than the brutes of
the field,” said Barry Brown. _

A about from Jack Slasher at this moment at.
tracted attention.

The former bully of Golden Gulch had icked
up {an overthrown image, and was hol ing it
etc .

It was about the size of a ten-pound baby, and
{liatgtdiamond eyes that gave forth a bewildering

g .

“ There’s a prize,” cried Captain Dyer.

“ Hurrah!" elled the crew of the Oorrigan,
and u went t eir hats.

“ hat’s that worth?” asked Ben, turning to
Harry Brown.

“ On a rough estimate,” said the detective,
taking the ims in his hands, “1 should any
that’it was wo‘ h at least fifty thousand do -

“ Hurrah l” a in yelled the crew.

Then a half ozen made a dive among the
debris of the ruined temple. Several more
images of bronze brass, and iron were found
some of them gilded in parts exposed, and all
an plied with es of diamonds.

t length t a patron god of the Aztecs
Huiizilo htli, was found. He had a
face, wi a mouth, and terrible eyes. He was
covered with gold, pearls, and precious stones,
and was girt about with golden serpents. On
his neck were the faces of men wrought in all.
ver, and their hearts in gold.

Everything in gold, silver, or precious stones
was hacked ( ff or ried out by the lootingcgart ,
and an immense eap was made outs e
ruined temple. . -

Then Captain Dyer, Ha Brown, and the
young balloonist were elects to act asacom-
mittee for dividin the spoils of war, and so
fairly was the div sion made that evfibodIy
was satisfied, and it was estimated that t so a
of the stufl under fair circumstances would
make all hands the possessor of quite a snug
little fortune.

. Then, with many handshaking'sa and hgies to
meet again, Captain Dyer bade a ien to arley
Willis and his party, and with his wounded
borne on litters. marched of! at the head of his
victorious crew, while Barley and his friends,
bearing their share of the booty, regained the
Sky Traveler. ‘

The prizes were safely stowed away in the
bottom of the car, the reunited rty ggt
aboard the drag-rope was cast ofl,t egas -
tinted by heat, and up into the thin air they
arose.

“ Once more afloat,” said Harley, with an ad-
miring glance at Annie Bradley, who looked
very charming in the costume the Aztec women
had put upon her. “And now, the question
of the moment is: where do you want to go?”

“Back to Golden Gulc ,” spoke up Ben, in
his resolute manner. “ With what we all know
Ican expose Dick Crowell and Simpson. I’ll
show up their guilt, even if I don’t prove m
own innocence. I am determined to 1.0.1380
there with my head erect, and if they plot
against me again I can do what I’ve done
fore: fight for life and honor!” .

CHAPTER XIII.
AN ARREST.

LATE the next day after the fight of the
Americans with the Aztecs quite an exciting
scene took place in Golden Gulch.

Findm , bv careful inquir , that no news of
his villa ny had been spree about the town,

'Dick Crowell unhesitatingly left his haunt.

He and a number of his men were seated in
the Diggers’ Delight. in com by with a mis-
cellaneous crowd of miners, radespeople, pros~
Bectors and others, when the” thunder of many

oofs was heard, and a body of mounted men
dashed u to the door.

They ismounted and passed into the bar-
room just as the occupants sprung to their feet
to see what was afoot. .

A score of people recognized Sherifl Hays,
and a number shouted:

“ What’s up, Jacki” '

The eagle e e of the little sheriff ranged over
the room, an be advanced upon Crows 1.

“Dick Crowell,” he said, “I want you.
arrest you as an outlaw, a robber, and the
leads}; of robbers. Cave in, or you’ll never

But what he was never going, to see remained
a m ry, for at that very instant Crowell

acts upon the defenive aith lightning-like
rapidity. -

 

 

The Sky-Detectives. '

13

 

A revolver gleamed ,in the hand of the little
sheriff, and it was known that no man in the
mines looked more truly over the barrel of a
weapon than did Jack Hays, so Crewell, who
was really a shrewd fellow, was not foolish
enough to invite a shot from the sheriff by
drawing a weapon.

No, he waited until the sheriff was close to
him, and then made a swift, hard kick at
him.

He came at him in the stomach, and little
flick Hays doubled up like a ball and fell tothe

mr.

Then, with a signal-cry to his men, the leader
of the outlaw gang bounded like a flash through
an o n window and disappeared from view.

“ fter him i" cried one.

"Stop him!” said another.

“ Five hundred dollars for him, dead or
alive l” yelled one of the sheriff’s posse, and the
reward caused nearly all in the saloon to rush
out and hunt for the fugitive.

But almost as soon as he was out of the saloon
Dick Crowell had twent choice spirits about
him, and when the man- unters, eager for the
reward ofllered, made a. rush for the defiant
outlaw. his men met them with a hasty volley
that killed one, wounded half a dozen more,
and made the rest rush for cover.

Jack Hays’s men were busy trying to get him
in breathing condition again, and the unorgan-
ized loungers did not attemgt to further pursue
the compact and well-arm gan .

The consequence was that when Jack Hays
came back to a natural condition Dick Crowell
and hi. men were out of si ht.

“Where is he?" reared t e sheriff. “Where
is that Dick Crowell?”

“Gone!”

“ Where?”

None of his men knew.

A voice from the doorway said:

“ I know i”

They all looked up.

Ben Bradley stood in the doorway, with

' Harry Brown, Jack Slasher, and Harley Willis

at big back.
18“; Aha!” roared a dozen men, recognizing the
“ That’s Ben Bradley!”

“ He‘s a thief l”

“ Secure himl”

“We’ll strin him up!"

Pistol in han Ben advanced into the room.

“ If the man who called me a thief will stand
out from the rest,” he said, “ I’ll put a bullet in
his heart.”

“ And if the man will follow who proposes to
string him up,” announced Harry Brown, in
 c301 style, “I’ll try to do just as much for

m. ' '

“And if any galoot in the shebang, or any
half-dozen wants me to jump clean down their
throats just let ’em ut a paw on the kid,”
growled out Jack Slas er.

Harley Willis didn’t say anything, but he
grjlpped his pistols with a resolute expression.

his determined exhibition had the effect of
quellingany intended movement, and then Ben
spoke‘again: I ‘

“Where are. your brains, my old-time friends? .
Hasn’t the sherifl tried to arrest Dick Crowell. 1

Simpson and the rest of the gang of outlaws
and robbers? Can’t you see that Simpson and
Crowell put u that job on me? Capture the
villains. and‘ ii make them own up at the
point of the knife.”

“ Guess the boy's right.”

“It looks like it.”

,“ Sure.”

And in a momtnt his old enemies, who a mo-
ment before had been ready to string Ben Brad.
ley u , underwent a change of feeling, and
crow ed around the boy with outstretched
hands. '

“Sheriff,” said Harry Brown, “I know the
retreat of this robber and his men, and if you
will follow me we will make them prisoners,
or else wipe them from the face of the earth.”

"‘ Who are you i”

‘ Ha Brown, a New York detective.”

szeéud what is your business here?” the sherifl
a l

“ I hold a’ warrant of arrest from the Gov-
ernor of the State of New York for a party

. named Walter Storm.”

“ And do Iyou know where he is?”

“I think shall find him when on find Dick
Crowell,” was the repl . “ aste. sheriff,
and let us get on after the rascals before they
have time to mount horses anegdget away.”

“ Bow man men do we 11 9”

“Your pa and mine will serve the pur-
pose. We have no horses. You are a sherifl

' .

 

in pursuit of fugitive prisoners. Levy on the
town for horses.

“I will.”

Within ten minutes after that the sherifl' and
his posse, numbering fifteen men besides him-
self, and accompanied by our four friends, rode
out of Golden Gulch, well-mounted and well-
armed. At a swinging gallop they swept
away from the t0wn, Harry Brown leading the

way.

(in they dashed at a rapid rate, and to Ben
who was riding at his side, Harry Brown sai
in a stern tone:

“ I feel that the end is near at hand.”

“ The end of what‘l” asked Ben.

“ Of my search; my mission."

“ Why, do ’you expect to find the murderer of
my arentsl’

“ o, I don’t say that, but I do expect to find
the man who ruined your father and sent him
out here to the West, where he met an untimely
death, and when I find him 1 may learn some-
thin about the murderer.”

“ nevar saw the man’s face,” said Ben, “ but
the mark on his arm may yet bring him to jus-
tice. I can always swear to the black cross.”

“This man who ruined your father, holds or
did hold a fortune, a stolen one, which belonged
of right to you and your sister Annie,” said
Brown. “ I id intend to try and make him re-
store that ill-gotten wealth, but now that neither
of you need it I shall say nothing about the
money, which probably went long a .

“I only want revenge ” exclaimed Ben, with
flashing eyes. “ I’m ric ,already, without tak-
inithe gold from the stream.”

H t that instanta shout rung out from Jack
a

“There they come!”

He pointed to the bottom of a little valley,
along which were walking Dick Crowell and his
men, burdened with packs of plunder that they
were rem‘ovin from their one.

Like tigers t e mounted men swept down up-
on them.

 

Gunman XIV.
“sun, ran BLACK cnossl”

WHEN the outlaws saw the sherifl’s band
sweeping down upon them, they were consider—
ably,“ surprised, but, nevertheless, turned to

Their bundles of plunder were cast aside, and
they) stood upon the defensive.

e rties were about equally matched in,

oint 0 numbers, the only advantage sessed
y the attacking party consisting being
mounted, while the outlaws were on foot.

“Heres a bullet to wing. the leader,” cried
the sheriff.

He took aim at Dick Crowell’s right arm, and
as the sheriff was a. crack shot the outlaw leader
would have been rendered useless at the begin-
ning of the fight, had not one of his men. hap-
pened to move in front of him.

The fellow was pierced through the body bv
the bullet intended for Crowell s arm, and fa

dead.

With an imprecation on his bad luck, Jack
Hays gave the order to fire.

A volley from his party) rung out, and was
almost instantly returned y Crowell’s men.

Then the two parties met.

The horses were abandoned, and the dis-

mounted men fou ht on foot and hand to hand

with their eager oes. 3

In a moment the Euro air of the' little valley
was thick With smo e and dust, while the dis-
charges of weapons the clash of steel, the
shrieks of the woun ed, and the groans of the
dying, made up a series of sounds and sights not
to be costly described.

A gi ntic outlaw, armed with a rifle which
be h clubbed after first discharging it, was
raging around like a fury, and nobody seemed
anxious to tackle him until Jack Slasher
caught a glimpse of him.

“ Ohol” cried the former bully of Golden
Gulch. “Come here, you big buck, and hit a
teller yer own size.”

A moment later they closed in with a shock.
Slasher had picked up a gun from the field of
battle, and with it met the sweeping blow aimed
at him by his op nent. '

The force of t a blow and the parry knocked
the guns from the hands of both combatants. .

With a common instinct they grinped their
tnives, and backed away at one another like

win

Just at that momentthe Sky Traveler cam
31:; ehiew, moving majestically toward the bat-

Hali a dozen rapid parries, a few severe cuts

 . V, «." I '

 

on either side, and then Slasher knocked 
opponent’s blade flying from his hand, and
drove his bowie throu h the outlaw’s heart.

Ben had dashed fear essly into the fight, Ear-
le Willis at his side. ., ~

fi‘he New York detective seemed to be
prompted by a desire to .protect the young
miner, and wherever Ben Bradley went the
keen eye of Harry Brawn followed im.

A revolver was grasped in either hand by the
cool detective, and his aim on all occasions was
sure.

An outlaw leaped with an upraised knife
upon Ben. _

The boy turned pluckil to meet him, but.
before he could close in wi h the man, Harry
Brown had m-awn a bead upon the fellow
and drilled a hole through the rascal’s hes
wi‘thNa bullet. h I ”

‘ ow, ou youu w e p!

It was Dick Crovgell’s voice.

Ben heard him, and turned to meet the eye.
of the outlaw chief turned upon him with an
exoression of hate.

Crowell’s sleeves were rolled up, just as a
butcher might do when about slaughterin oat-
tle, and a long knife was fiercely gripped his
right hand. '

The once bright blade was now red, with
blood, and Crowell himself was covered with
the crimson stains.

He looked very ferocious as he stood there.
but Ben didn‘t hesitate a minute about meeting

him. .

“You d l” he cried, while his trusty bowie.
knife flash in the air. “You thief, who tried
to rob me of my good name. You’re a man. and
I’m only a boy, tin flghtirif you I am 
ing for lie and honor, and I’ cut your
heart out i"

The boy was flushed with a , st ragoas ho «4

uttered the ringin words. is powerfully-

made form seemed grow strouger and

as he spoke, and his tone and manna almost

made Crowell quail. - .. i ._
Then the outlaw chief, who had solong de-

ceived the unsuspecting miners of Golden

- Gulch, laughed in his well known mooring

style and made a slash at Ben’s throat.

The boy parried with great strength, and the
blow was turned aside.

A moment later the fire flashed from their

blades as they met with a succession of ti) 3mg «

sounds in the air. . .

Harry Brown had been tackled by two of tho
outlaws, and had his hands as full as pessiblo,
otherwise he mi ht have picked ofl Ben’s oppo-
nent with one 0 his cool shots.

The Sky Traveler had now arrived within a
short distance of the battle-field, and wa. resta-
ing motionless a few feet up in the almond
perhaps three hundred yards away. ,

The jovial face of Dennis Malone peered over-
the side of the car, and behind the jolly'lriah-
man was to be seen pretty Annie Brodie . " x

The balloon was maintained at about he one

osition, and the occupants of the car had a

rst~class view of theexciiing butt

tacked one another. .
The boy was strong, and, skillful in tho use of
the knife, and desperate fighter as Dick Crowell
was, he had his hands ll when be tackled
brave Ben in mortal combat. . ’ '
Suddenly Ben dcdged down to evade a

arm of his foe went up in the air. '

The boy’s eyes, glancing upward at the very
instant, caught eight of the peculiar mark that
a red upon the white skin of the robhe
c eftain’s arm. .

His eyes biased, his form expanded, and in.
piercing shriek, he cried: -

“ S e. the black cross I”

A' d be pointed an unerrln

the murderer of'his parents!

So loud and piercing, so peculiar was Ibo cry. , I, 5‘

that almost all the combatants heard it.

Harry Brown heard it, struck down the man
who opposed him with a swift blow, and turned
to look at Bm.

He saw the boy- he saw the outstretched, in:
dicating finger: 0 saw the black ones on
Crowell’s arm, and than, his voice ringing out

pron: I
liar thrust. and at the same time the here right ,

\ l

. J

finger at the , ' \.
mark which at once branded. ick Crowellae ’; , 

in _a tigerish cry, be rushed toward the outlaw ‘ "

chf

reach him.

{From the very second when Ben uttered the x
astonished accusation, a‘sortnf terror had soiled '
upon him, and without waiting to strike again
at Ben he turned, and fled from the spot. "

Be happened to go in the direction of the Sky

t

    

10‘ do ‘.
With great fury Ben and Dick Crowell atm 13:, V

l rd
a .

gut Dick Crowell didn’t wait for Brown to- -_

l.”

 

   

‘i‘raveler, and a gleam of be lit up his face as

he c htsi ht of thebigbalcon.
He un ed toward t,and he ran fieetly,

too.
After him came Ben Bradley and Harry
I Brown, both pale with excitement.

With immense bounds Dick Crowell leaped
toward the car. .

Dennis saw him coming, and drawmg a knife
from his huntingsbirt, stood in readiness to
m t the des rate-looking man.

ut Crown: 1, who had drawn a revolver, was
too quick for the brave Irishman.

He took a hasty aim, firing as he ran and
Dennis Malone uttered a cry, reeled, and fell
heavily to the ground.

Plucky Annie Bradley, seeing Malone fall
drew her small but serviceable revolver, an

- would have rendered a good account of herself
had not her foot slipped in the haste of her
movement, throwin her to the floor of the car
and dislodging the pistol from her grasp.

Lightened by one’s heavy form falling to
the ground, the ky Traveler would have shot
up into the air at once had it not been for the
fact that CrOWell grasped the-car on one side
just as Harley Willis, who, seeing that his air-

:ship was me ced, had fleetly bounded after

.  villain, clu bed the basket on the opposite
_ 6

Both Crowell and Harley bounded into the
car just as the balloon be an to rise. In falling
Annie Bradley had touc ed with some weight
against the crank controlling the heating ap-
" paratus, and the heated gas speedily asserted its
l ‘ . ascensional qualities.

f . The battle, commenced late in the day, had
been prolonged until nearly seven o’clock, and
the shades 0 night were beginning to fall when
the balloon ascended with its three occupants.

Actuated by a common 'impulse, Her ey and

‘meell leaped toward one another, both armed

with knives. As frequently happens in knife
, combats, both combatants made a quick clutch
 for the right wrist. and, as luck would have it

 both succeeded in obtaining the desire

Then, in the gathering darkness, and while
the balloon was sailing along to unknown
guts, the mortal foes struggled for the mas-

r ..

al’t’ was a full-grqwn man against a boy of
eighteen, but the youngster possessed muscles
and sinews of steel, and the battle was an even

om.
' In the gatherin darkness they fou ht on,
wistin here and t ere over the floor of e car,

while Sky Traveler continued on its way.
In twisting hither and thither the strugg in

opponents suddenly collided with the electrica

apparatus that served to expand or contract the
s.

8“The connectin tubes were broken and in an
‘iriilsktant a flash ed from the bottom of the

en 
e .“  .

It was Annie who uttered the cry.

The lower part of the immense silken globe
Was in fiames. was acommon enemy, a
terrible foe to all three, and asif by mutual
consent Harley Willis and Dick Crowell let 0
their hold upon one another and turned to fig t
the fast-increesin flames.

But there was ttle that they could do, now
 that the fire was started. The hot tongues of
f; ' flame came down toward them with scorching
.. . afloat, and Barley realized that their situation
. »wasoneof extreme  ~
 . " Hedid not know how ighupintheairthey
g - ' were, nor what sort of landing-place stretched
 , -. . below. There was one means of obtaining in-
.er formation, and Harley adopted it.

 “The balloon is losing a rapidly and de-
; ,acending,” he muttered. “ be great danger is
,. p a. that we shall be searched by the fire long before
5 ~ we”touch the earth. I must see what is below

U "o
v, He caught up a torch, lit it, and with a gentle
.‘ » toss threw it over the side of the car. He

 
 

 

. . ... «1...... A... ....
~

watched it until it disap very suddenly
‘ from his sight, and then turned to the girl.
. “ Annie.’
“ 

“Willuyou trustyour fate tome?”
“lw Dons outhinkbest,Iamsure

L; ' that we are if we- stay much longer in

2.  thismrfl- I . ' ,

g, ‘ “ Then come.” . v

‘r -{ He ogned his arms, and with perfect confi-
' ‘(lenee nie crept within his strong embrace.

7 Crowell as thou h paralyzed with fear, had
been nag?»- w the fia but when
E1 l ‘ hesaw leymakeamovementastho hto
..  .leave the car, he bounded upon him th a

The Sky'Detectives.
savage exclamation. He was too late, how~
ever, to arrest the progress of the young aero-

naut.

With Annie Bradley clasped firmly in his
arms, Harley Willis leaped from the balloon.

Swiftly they descended through the air, and
after Elunging throu h perhaps sixt feet of
thin a , they broke t ugh the sur ace of a
cool body of water, and darted quite a number
of feet beneath the surface. They came up to-
gether, clasped in a close embrace and like the
expert swimmer that he was, Harley shook the
water from his head and face and struck out
with his ht hand, keeping his left arm clasped
about the waist of his adored companion.

“ Let me go,” said Annie.

“ Why, we’re in the water,” returned Har-

ley.

“I know that.”

“ You’ll drown.” .

“As I am able to swim a mile or two with
ease,” exclaimed Annie,“‘ I don’t think I’m in
much danger of drowning.”

Thereupon Harley Wil is let go of her and
she began swimming by his side with the, ng,

ful strokes of a racticed swimmer. ’ .

“Annie,” said Her ey, “ we are in a bod of
water, some miles, I don’t .know really ow
many, from the valley where the battle took
place. Can you, remember any body of water
within a few miles of Golden Gulch?”

.“ Wlh‘y, yes,” returned Annie. “We are in
Dead an’s Lake. That’s the only body of water
in this vicinitfi” .v

“ And how g is it?”

“ Well, it’s a good many miles long, and
from shore to shore at some points is fifteen to
twenty miles.”

“ Then,” rejoined Harley, “ there is really no
telling what sort of a swim we are in for, my
dear girl. Look at the balloon.”

They gazed up in admiration at the huge air-
ship. now a mass of flames that was fast receding
in the distance, yet still showing brightly in the
darkness of night. .

“Tell me, Harley,” spoke up Annie as she
swam by his side, ‘ how you knew that.water
was below us when you took that leap With me
in your arms.” 7

“ The torch told me,” was the answer. “Had
it fallen upon earth, it would have been broken
and scattered in s rks, but its sudden disap-

rance told ms t at it had been extinguished

y water.”

“Sup it had been a mere pool that the
torch to i into, perhaps a foot or two of water,
yet sufficient to suddenly put out the flame?”

“Had that been the case ” laughingly said
Harley in answer. “ I don’t think you would

be putting questions to me or anybody» else,

nie.

“ We would have died together, Harley,” she
exclaimed.

“ True. Now let us swim carefully, without
exhausting mirselveewand try our best to live
to ther,’ returned illis. '

hey had not taken more than half a dozen
strokes are a familiar sound came to their ears.

“Hist!” warning) ejaculated Harley.

The both stop swimmin , and then lis-
tened ntently for a repetition o the sounds that
had struck upon their ears.

Again they came, the sounds made by cars
wor n in rowlocks, and not very far distant.

“ H them I” ted Annie.

Harley 11de up his voice in a stentorian
about that could have been heard half a mile
over the water:

“ Hello!” -

There was no answer, but the noise made by
the cars at once ceased. Harley took in a deep
breath and again sent forth a loud hail:

“ Hellooo-ol

No answer, and not a sound came to their
ears. Annie, with the quick wits belonging to
her sex, guessed at the reasou of this unnatural
was » ..

“ygl’ey, e whispered.

‘ “ That must beone of the outlaws.”

“ And he’s afraid to answer, because of any

chance ofurec’apturel”

ac y.
l “You must be right,” decided Harley. “I
am sure the outlaws were routed, and they
must all be fugitives. Annie, I’m gong to
have that boat.’

“I’ll help you.”

“Plle Come on.” -

They dimly discern the shade
lines of therboat. manyfeet away, soon,
swimming with sofhnoiseless strokes, theflémade

out-

 

 

out the form of a man sitting bolt up ht in
the craft. 1

Harley whispered in Annie’ ear, and then
they swam away to either end of the boat, try-
inito keep under water most of the time.

moment later the boat rocked with a vio-
lent motion. The man in it dropped his cars
and tried to save himselfb madly clutching at
the gunwales, but he was 00 completely over-
balanced to save himself from falling.

Out of the boat he went with a heavy splash
and Harley, clutching one of the cars, lea
into the boat with it in a style possible only to
a nimble and skillful athlete.

“Oh-h-hl” spluttered the man who had so
unCeremoniously been dumped into the water,
“Hgld on, curse you, and I’ll cut your heart
out. -

. Harley would have willingly declined the
offer, but Annie was swimming of! after the
other oar, and he could not leave her. The
manwith a bowl of rage made for the boat,
and without waiting to draw a weapon, Har-
ley lifted the car, intending to use the weapon
club fashion. .

“Keep out of danger, Annie,” he shouted,
and then turned to meet his foe.

- The fellow had drawn a knife, and was
holding it in his teeth while swimming with
rapid strokes toward the drifting boat. Harley
waited for a good 0 portunity, and then
cracked the fellow over a head With the blade
of the car. a
. The rascal, one of Dick Crowell’s men, gave
a bowl of pain, and then, with a sudden resolve,
darted through the water toward the girl. . He
caught Annie about the body, and in a trium-
phant manner said:

a “I guess ou’ll take me aboard now.
don’t ’11 id 1 the girl.”

That seemed to arouse all the tiger in the
young balloonist’s nature, and with a cry of
re e e leaped erect in the boat, with his knife
in is hand.

With an accurate eye be. measured the dis-
tance, and made the leap, alightlng fairly upon
the villain’s shoulders. He struck with the
knife as he descended, and plunged the long
blade deep into the man’s bac .

That ended the matter. The fellow gasped,
let go his hold on Annie, and rolled over like a
log, while side by side, takin the car with
them, the young couple warn the boat.

They clambered in, and Harley seized the
oars, just as Annie, pointing away to the east,
exclaimed:

If you

“Look! the Ski Traveler is comin down,
and by the light 0 tire flames I think can see
the tops of trees.” ~

“Then,” returned Harley, as be bent to the
oars,-“ land cannot be far away. I’ll pull with
might and main and try to reach the shore be-
fore the balloon comes down. If Crewell isn’t
killed by the fall, I want a shot at him.”

CHAPTER XV.
ooucnvszox. ‘

WHEN one is in a balloon, the loss of even an
ordinary silver or copper com, thrown over the
side, is ap reciably marked by the risin of the
air-ship. he reader can, therefore, ju ge how
goat a bound the Sky Traveler must have

ken when Harley leaped from the carnith
Annie Bradley in his arms.

The burnin balloon made an immense leap
when reliev of this weight, and Crowell felt
his heart fall as the conveyance ascended. He
knew nothing about the management of a
balloon, and even had he been an expert aero—
naut, the knowledge would not have availed
him now.

“ goGodl” he muttered. shrinking back in
fear m the tengues of bright flame that
leaped from the bottom of the silken bag, and
seemed to dart at him. “I shall be roasted
alive in this infernal tra . Why did I ever
trust myself in it? Fool t t I was to be so
fri htened. merely because that boy caught
sig t of the black cross on my arm. I would

have been better 011’ had Istuck' to my‘men, I

taking all the chances.”

Too late the villain repented the terrible con-
se uences of his sudden fright upon the field of
bacttle. The fie , long tongues of flame hissed
about him, striking terror to his soul. and caus-
3118 him to crouch trembling upon the floor of

e car.

Several hundred feet the balloon shot up;
then the esca of the gas overcame the loss of
weight, and 0 Sky Traveler beganto ascend,
moving along with a slow current at the same

e. v .
mamidenly the trembling villain’s ears were se-
luted with a loud report. Auction of the silkenx
bag had been split by the action of the burnjzs g

’1

 

The Sky Detectives.

.15

 

 

The escape was now enormous, and the Sky
Traveler be an to rush down toward the earth
with fright ul speed the velocity 'of the descent
blanching the chee s of the occupant of the

car.

“ Doomed! doomed l” groaned this cruel. mer-
ciless fleud, who could murder in cold blood,
but who had not the courage to meet death in
any form. “I shall be dashed to pieces. Oh!
what am I todol Ah! I can arrest the speed
of the descent by reducing the weight in the
car. That’s right! I must not lose my head.
Presence of mind may save me yet. If I
touch the earth without a great shock, I shall
notbeat all injured. Hal ha! I may escape
and triumph ovor all my enemies yet, curse
them 1”

He crawled about the floor of the car on his
hands and knees and picked up a heav book, a.
telescope, a small compass in a metal ex, and
several other articles. These he hurled over the
side, and was gratified to note that the violent
and dangerous descandiii speed of the balloon
was considerably checker by the loss of weight.

“ Hurrah!" shouted Crowell, his spirits begin-
nin to rise again. “Keep cool, ax lad. keel)
coo , and we’l beat them all yet. bl here is
a heavy box. This will help.” ,

He seized the box and hurled it over the aide.
Again there was an abatement of the descend-
ing speed. .

A tongue of flame lap ed at the rail of the
the car and set it on re. With desperate
energy Crowell seized the section of rail, and
tore it away: Then he hurled the burning
wood from him, and actuated by a sudden idea,
eagerly watched it as it fell.

Over and over whirled the burning stick, and
at length, as Harley Willis’s torch had done,
disappeared in a very sudden manner, without
making a spark.

“ I’m over the lake,” muttered Crowell. “ Oh,
how high am I, I wonder? This car is getting
unbearable. If I only dared to jump down.”

He made a movement to leap over the side,-

but his cowardly soul was not equal to the unA

known peril of the fall. As he drew back‘
irresolute, a long tongue of flame darted toward
him and scorched his cheek. Still he dared not
make the leap.

Something brushed against the side of the
car, and startled him. He looked up and
shouted with ,joy.

“Treetopsl’ he screamed. “‘Iam ver near
the earth, and descendin slowly, too. al ha!
ha! I am saved, saved curse my foes! I’ll
outwit them all!”

As a matter of fact. the battle between the
outlaws and the sheriff‘s command was at an
end as soon as the forma- bod lost its leader.
When Dick Crowell in his sud en fright dashed
awa and disc peared With the Sky velar,
his ollowers s emed to lose all heart, and in
less than two minutes they had ceased fighting
and were trying their has to run away.

' The sheriff ordered his men to pursue the
W818. end the order was eagerly carried out.
The majority of the fugitives, when hard
grassed, threw down their arms and surren-
ered, while some few desperate and hardened
rufiians, when brought to bay, fought hke tigers
:iulrlieciln some instances killed before they were

The .battle was over, however, and victor
was With the sheriff’s party, Jack Ha 3 ga -
leped over the field to where Ben Brad ey and
Ha Brown were standing, looking up in the
air a ter the fast receding Sky Travel”;

“ And after all,” exclaimed Hays, u that v11-
lain has escaped l” _ '

“Yes,” returned Ben, in a troubled tone of
voice, “and hats gone on With 11) sister, tom
0! course, he an Harley will fl t, and if he
gets the best of the battle, what w 11 become of
my r sister?”

“mt Willis is a match for him.” confidently
asserted Brown. “ How dark it is growin _ In
alfcw minutes the balloon will be out of sig t,”

“ 3 Door cha tried to save Our? sister,
didn’t he?” asked ays, touchin t e prostrate
form of Dennis Malone with his cot.

“Yes,” answered Ben. “Poor Malone! he
was a brave fellow, and bad he not been killed
' by Crowell’s bullet he would have made.short_—”

“Tare an' ouns," . in up a familiar veice
from the ground, “ I ave such a uare head-
ache, so Ihave. “wens an! it don’t get
sorfie,wh1fliy, sure the bean win sphlit, so It
wi .

And tothe surprise of ‘11, Malone 80:; upon
his feet, declaring that he was am right, and
Oolv wanted “ 3 W99 dhro o’ whisky.”

Before they could look nto the cause or the

 

brave feilow's escape a about from Harry
Brown caused all to loo up.

“ Great Scotti the balloon is on fire!”

From that time on they did nothing but watch
the eccentric movements of the Sky Traveler,
as it ascended and descended and moved hither
and thither.

They saw it hovering in one particular spot
for some time, and rode toward that po nt,
anxiously awaiting some result that would ter-
minate t eir really terrible suspense.

Thus it happened that when the balloon de-
scended to t e earth, quite near to the shore of
the lake, all our friends were near at hand.

“ Crowell!” cried Hays.

“ And alone i" exclaimed Brown.

“ He is the murderer of my parents, and his
life belon s to me!” gritted Ben, his eyes snap-
pin . “ his for the blood of my father and

met er!"
And as Crowoll leaped from the car when
abou a --

rom the ground, and tried to
ulled the trigger and sent a bul-
T edrascal’s beart‘that he fell, dy-
. I] .
‘ oment, to Ben’s great joy, ‘ the
t and Annie rushed within the
bed around by the burning bal-

  
 
  
  
  
 
 

tf
u

loon.

“ Saved l” cried Ben and Harry Brown, while
Harley \Villis was seized upon by Denny Ma-
lone and treated to a bear-like hug from the
aflectionate fellow, who shed tears of joy.

The balloonist was delighted to find that his
faithful com anion had only been slightly
wounded. he bullet which was meant to
split his skull, had, fortunately, onl grazed his
hard head, and stunned him for a ew minutes.

Harry Brown and Ben Bradley ap reached,

the spot where Dick Crowell lay welter ng in his
bloo .

The dyin outlaw looked up, and glanced
keenl at ry Brown.
“ I ow you now,” he said. “ You were my

little chum.”

“ Right,” said Brown, “ and I 'would have
either hung you accordin to law or put a bullet
in your heart had not th brave boy avenged
himself and me.”

“ Avenged you?” cried Ben.
shot avenge you ?”

“Because, Ben, I am your brother!”

There was no doubting the affectionate and
solemn words, and Ben eagerly seized his hand,
while Annie, with a cry 0 joy, rushed into the
outstretched arms of the New York detective.

“Yes, it’s all right ” 3 he u Crowell. “I
am dying, and I’ll tell t e trut . He is your
elder brother, and I am your uncle.

“Give me one good drink of whisky, and I’ll
tell you the whole story.”

The dying villain, who seemed to have the
pride common to doomed criminals in relating
their misdeeds, was given a big drink of whisky,
his head was prode “111? on a saddle. and e
began his story, w ile , with a morbid inter-
gefit, stood grouped about the expiring outlaw in

once.

“My name is Walter Storm. I belong in the
city of New York. My sister was courted by
Mark Bradley, a widower; who had one son a
be , my own age. There he stands now—t e
de ctive.

“ I was not more than fourteen, but I had the
spirit and brains of a. man. I had a row with
Mark Bradley and he whipped me with a lash.
He said that f insulted him and my sister, and
he made my back red with stripes.

“With my flesh bleeding and my heart on
fire with rage, I swore to have his heart’s blood
for the insu t, and as my sister sided with Mark,
I swore to kill her, too. '

“ I was a long-headed boy, and hiding my
time I appeared to forget all about the matter.
Harry, there, who wasmy pla mate, heard me
take that oath and it frighten him. He spoke
to me about it, and was going to tell his father
but I laughed at the matter, and told him I had
forgotten all about it. Harry left home,
thinking all was rigdht, and his folks never heard
from im afterwal‘ -

“1 gunned well. boy that I was, and a few

ears after Mark Bradleyeznarried my sister he

ooked upon me as his tfriend, and did not
hesitate to take me into business With him.

“ Then my chance came. He was a very
wealthy man doing a large trade, and I man'-
8 matters so well that in less than two years

ad ruined him, With all_ his money in my
possession I made 01!, leaving him he lessly
avodlved, and withoutda single dollar meet

6 amends of his ere itors.

“ While leading a gay life in the West I kept
Paid spies in the North to keep me posted in re-

“How did my

 

Esra to Mark Bradley’s. actions. For some time '
e struggled on in the city, but at last made up
his mind to try his luck in the mining

“He emigrated with his family, and. knew
ever bit of their route. With in mono I
hire a hand of Indians, met the“ they

traveled with, and killed them both.

“That man struck me when I was a boy: I
swore to be revenged, and I kept in word. No
main i3 this worldever striped my ack,.and-
an —- l

The blood welled up from ,the wound in his
breast and gushed in a bright red stream from .
his mouth. l‘

With an ineffectual attempt to speak he
ga d for breath, shivered from head to foot,
an died.

“ So may all villains die,” steme said ,
Brown. “Ben, it was my father as well as
yours that he killed, although your mother was
no kin of mine, and I look 11 n you as a hero.
It was just that he should all by the handpf
gne 31;, the three children of the man bemnr-

ere .

“ 1 would have killed him for our sake," said
Harley Willis, carried away by admiration,
and then both he and Annie blushed crimson.

There was a growing feeling of love creeping
up between these two young people, and, they
could not disguise it from one another. ”

The battle-field was cleared, three of the
sheriff’s men bein buried on the spot and a
half-dozen wounde carried away.

All of the outlaw band were either dead or
prisoners, and the organization that had proved
such a Scourge to honest miners and travelers,
was broken up forever. - ‘.

Two years later we bring some of the charac-
ters of this life-drama before the reader. f

Ben Bradley, Harley Willis andfhis wife—
who was once known as Annie Bradley—Jack '
Slasher and Dennis Malone, live in sty in the
finest houses in Golden Gulch. and to pass their
time agreeably, operate some flrstclass mines in
the vicmity. '

Harry rown, whose real name, as the
reader now knows, was Harry Bradley.
and whose restless spirit would, not rmit
him to settle down,
the count , and from his past record the
readers 0 this true tale will willin ly be-
lieve that he was a terror to allxlaw- err.
Of course, as the reader very naturallysuspects,
they were all made wealt y by the fabulous
resources of the gold-bedded stream, which
yielded enough particle to make every one of
our old friends a millionaire, even to honest
Dennis Malone, who, true to his ideas, dyed his
hair black, curled his whiskers, and put one
heap of style which resulted n ,winning for
him a pretty American wife. / v

And so, with virtue and good deeds rewarded '
by the power of an all-seeing Providence, and
v on and crime punished as the most ancient‘
laws aver they shall be, we bid a friendly adieu ,
to .the patient reader and to the story 6! the
Black Cross.

THE END.

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% wood Dick. the Prince of the Road. By E. L. Wheeler.
o omkoue Jack. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

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4 o Wild-l one liuntero. By Captain Mayne Reid and

Captain leuriek “'illilnhla-P.
5 Vagabond Joe llu- Ynuug Wandering Jew. By Oil Coomea.
number 0 manta.
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lio ova. By Frank S. Finn.
den Lod o. By T. C. Harblm h.
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110" it‘ll“ or, he Undermund Camp. By A. C. Iron.
w ii. 11 an. By (7. E. Lunalie.
ill'd'i” 13' ii” any “3%., J F c a
no , l. rapper. y t. . . . damn.
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Zip’l Cabin. { antain J. F113. Adama.
wore Dielolhe ’onn Ranger Spy. By Oil Gnome!-
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dwood Dick on'neok. In Edward L. Wheel".
k-cye flurry. By Oll Comm.
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sol elm $3”? Mm" limit». n in. '
r 0 ant ra r. rt '. n.
limbo ob. By. Edwin: l.. “lime er. '
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53!

icon-lamina ‘déQld
ananaa>a e

gggnuu—uuuuu any-an:
3-1

an
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4
t‘

Yr-nng Mustanzer. By Oil Coomea.

 

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359?:

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are
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iléir‘aigg
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=>|i
rirr:

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awarssaazasagmaessgzzatmscreams:
6

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.3-

HO Danni Rock, the Man from Tenn. By G. Waldo Brown.
S? The d Plrltoa. B Ca talu Mayne Reid. ,
83 Pm apt Pill, tho y . iauth. By E. L. Wheeler. '

89 1 Jill.
90 ' a: Dread Rider. By George Waldo Browne.
91 '1' Captain of the C lab. 93' Bum-abridge Ham mg.
99 Canada Chet. the Counterfeiter Chief. By E
Kim-n. By Edward S. Ellie.
1. Jack. lilo Road-Agent. By T. C. llurbaugh.
iVIl Revere. By Llefll. Col. lluultllle.
96 Watch-Eye. the Shadow. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.
91' ‘I'Io Outlaw Brother». By Juhn J. Manhall.
'98 Robin flood, the Outlawed Earl. By Prof. Glider-sleeve.
99 The Titer of Taco. Ry Georza Waldo Browne.
100 Deadwood Dick in Leadvllle. By E. L. Whealer'.
101 Jaoit llurknw-y in New York. Brucohridgu llamyng.
108111111 Dead-Eye. By Colonel [’renllaa lngrnham.
108 The Lion alike flea. By Colonel Dulie Sara.
1“ Deadwood Dick'a Device. By Edward L. Wheeler.
108 Old Rube, the Hunter. By Captain ll. Holmes.
106 Old Franny, the Guido. By T. C'. Harbaugh.
101' Ono-Eyed Sim. By Jamea 1.. Bowen.
108 During Davy, the Young Bear-Kilian By H. St. George.
109 DeudVood Dink no Detective. By E. L. Wheeler.
110 Tho Block steed ofthe Prairie-J By J. L. Bowm-
111 Tile Son-Devil. 9y Colour-l l’rantiaa lngraham.
- m The Maui llunter. By am... 5....
118 Jack Hoyle, the Young Speculum. By E. 1.. “color.
114 The Blot-R Hohooner. lly Runr Starburk.j
115 The lied Miner. By George Waldo Browne.
110 The Ilnunr Captain. By Col. Pun-tia- lngraham.
117 Gilt-Fm Dick. By Edward L. Wheeler.
1111 Will Donia-rag lilo Bar Dr-terlivo. By Charla! Mania.
119 Hanan. Sun; or, The King of the Plain. By J. E. Badger.
190 The Branded "and. By Frank Dammit. L
In (‘inna-ol Chip, on Girl 3pm. By E. 1.. Whaler.
18. Phil Hardy, the Bus- Boy. 9y Chariot Mania. .
128" Kiowa Charley, the White Mnatanger. By T. C. Rarbaugh.
1“ Tiny. the Texan. By George Glaaaon. '
Ina Bonanza 8111, Minor. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.
“6 Picayune Pete. By Charlea Mania
1'? Wild-Fire. the Boa: a! the Road. By Frank Domai-
IBO-The Young Privateer. By H. Cavendlall.
199 Wood Diel’a Double. 3’ Edward 1.. Wheeler.

180 Dotottive Dick. 3:- 

':_f.; r A

By the author oi “ Joell Hark-way."

. L. healer.

.1

 

.181 The Golden "and. By George Waldo Browne. ‘
183 The “IIIth “Moor. By Edwurd S. Ellia.

188 “on llob, the King of the Boothlarka. By E. L. Wheeler.
19-1 Sure Shot'fleth. By Oil Comm.

185 (‘uptuin Paul. By C. Dunning Clark.

186 NIuht-lluwk Kit. By Joseph E. Budgur, Jr.

187 The lleipleu "and. By Captain Mayne Reid.

18!! Blonde Bill. By Edward L. “'heeier.

189 Judge Lynch, Jr. By T. C. lilrilaufi'ii.

1-10 Blue Lilian-a. By Frank Dumont.

1-11 Solid Burn, the Boy Bond-Agent. By Ed. 1.. Wheeler.
142 liaudaome flurry. By Charles Morris. '
148 Scar-Face Saul. By OIl Comma.

144 Dainty Lam-e, the Buy Sport. By Jnarph E. Badger, Jr.
145 Cuptulu Ferret. UH: Now Yurit Drtm'tiv’e. By Vr‘llveiur.
1-10 Filvcr Star. the Boy Knight. By (Jll (Runner.

147 ‘1'"! Wildfire, the Thormuzllhrad. By Ciluriva Morris.
148 Sharp Stun By J. Alexander l'nlhell.

149 A Game of Gold. 15y Edwurd l.. Wheeler.

1150 Lance and Luann. By Captain Frederick “'hiitukrr.
151 Panther Paul, the Prairie l’lrale. liy’Joa. E. Badger, Jr.
162 Black Bear. Will Wildfire‘a Ram-r. By Churlei Murria.
158 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. By 0“ COOHH'I.

164 The Sword Hunters. By Capt. Frederick Whittaker.
155 Gold Trigger, tho Sport. By T. C. linrhnugll.

156 Deadwood Dick 0 Deadwood. By E. L. Wh

157 Mike Merry, lho Harbor Police Boy. By Churlea Morris.
158 Fancy Frank of Colorado. By Bumslo Bill.

159 The boot. i‘uptaiu. By Captain Frederick Whittaker.
160 The Black Giant. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

161 New York Nell. By Edward I. Wheeler.

169 Will “'iidflre in the Woods. By Chnrlca Monia.
168 Little Texas, the Young hiuatanger. liy Oil Coomu.
164 Dandy Roek'e Pledge. By George Waldo Browne.
165 Billy Baggage, the Railroad Buy. By Charles Morria.
168 Hickory llurry. By Harry St. George.

16? A“ Scott, the Steamboat Boy. By Edward Willatt.

168 Deadly Dania. By Jflwph ELBudgar, Jr.

169 Tornado Tom. By T. C. Harhaug-h.

170 A Trump Card. By Charles Morria.

171 Ebony Dan. By Frank Dumout.

172 Thunderbolt Tom. By Harry St. George.

128 Dandy Rock's Rival. By Guam Waldo Browne.
174 Bob Rockott, the Boy Dodger. By Chariea Morris.
175 Captain Arizona. By Philip S. Wane.

176 The Boy Runaway. By Lieutenant H. D. Perry, U.S.N.
177 Nobby Niek ofNevuda. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.
178 Old Solitary, thu Hermit Trapper. By Oil Coomea.

179 Bob Roche", the Bank Runner. By Chm-lea Morris.
180 The Sea Trailer. By Lieutenant H. 11. Perry, U.i~‘.. .
181 ‘i'iid Frank of Montana. By Edward L. Wheeler.
182 Little llurrimne, th l Boy Captain. By Oil Comma.
198 The Hidden llund. By Cbarlea Morris.

134 The Boy Trailer-a. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

135 Evil Eye. King uftilo Cattle Thieves. By ank burnout.
186 Cool Deamond. By Colonel Delio Sara;

18‘? Fred llulyurd, the Life Boat Boy. By Charlér Morria.
188 Ned Temple, the Border Boy. By T. (I. liarhnugh.

189 Bob Roekett, Ilia Crucksmnn. By Charles Morria.

190 Dandy Darke. By William R. Eymr.

191 Bull'an Billy. the Boy Bullwhacker. By Capt. A. J. Taylor.

‘99 Captain Klt, the Wi l-o’-tlle-V\'lsp. By Lieut. Perry.
198 The Lady Road-Agent. By Philip S. Warns.

194 Buii'alo Bill’s Bet. By Captain Taylor. \
195 Deadwood Dick‘s Dream. By Edward'L. \Vheeifl.
4196 shadowed. By Chm-lea Morris.

19? Little Grit, the Wild Rider. By Col. Prentlu lngraham.
198 AHaam-aw, tins Man with the Knife. By T. C. ilhrbangh.
199 Featherweight. By Edward Willeti.

900 The Boy Bedouina. By Cum. Frederirk Whittaker.
201 The Black liilla Jezebel. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.
.08 Proapect Pete, ofthe Boyllrlgode. By OIiCoomea.
208 The Boy Parda. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

904 Gold Plume, the Boy Bandit. By Col. Prentiss lngrahann.
905 Deadwood Diuk'a Doom. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.
808 Dark Paul. the Tiger King. By Charlea Morrla.

nor Navajo Kick, the Bo Gold Hunter. By 1'. c. liarbangh.
208 The‘Boy llereulea. By Oll 000mm.

909 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective. By Edward L. Wheeler.
810 Fuel Frank of High Pine. By William R. Eyawr.
.11 Crooked Cale. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr. '

912 Dualling Dave. the. Dandy Detective. By Cliariea MorriI.
918 Friil to the Front. By Edward L. Whaa‘er.

314 Wolfgang, the Robber onlu Rhine. By ('npl. Whittaker.
215 Captain Bullet, the Raider King. By T. C. Harbaugh.
816 Blur: Bill. this Prince of the Reina. By Col. P. Ingruharn.
91'? Captain Crack-Shot. By Edward L. Wheeler.

818 Tiger Tom. the Tuan Torrnr. By Oil Contact.

919 Deopard, the Dueliat. By Philip S. Warne.

890 Tom Tanner. Scaiawag and Scapagrare. By Ch“. Morris.
221 Sugar-Coated Sam. By Edward L. Whaler.

m Grit, the Bravo Sport. 133‘ Col. Prantlaa Ingraham. ‘
as Ozark Air, King ottho Mountain. By Edward wmm-
994 DuhiuDiek. By Oil Co mu.

995 Sun Charcoal, tlla Pmalnm Darky. By Charle- Morrla.
920 Saoooer. tho Buy Sharp. By Edward 1.. Wheeler.

882’ Dusky Darrell, Trapper. By E. Emeraon.

998 Little Wildfire. By Oil Coomea.

229 Crim- Kato. By Colonel Prentiaa Ingraham.

m The Yankee Rd“. By C. Dunning Clark. ‘

981 Pluck: Phil. of the Mountain Trail. By T. C. Harbng
989 Gold-Dull. Dick. By Edward L. Wheeler.

m ’06 Back “Angola. .By Albert W. Alkali.

986 Old Rock ’a “Boyeea.” By Bucklkin 3am. ' _°
:86 Shadow gun, the Manager Buy. By Charl'u Norris.

. ,

302 The Mountain Detective.
.308 ’leo June, the Girl Miner. By E. L.-Whoaler.

 

  

230 Apollo Bill. By Edward L. Wh’m‘sler.
981’ Lone lh‘tur. the (‘owboy Captain. By Col. lngraham.
288 The Pun-on Donn-the. By Ull Coon-lea.

289 The. Gold-writer Guide. By Calvinin Mayne Raid.
M0 (‘yt-ione Kit. By Edward L. Whoa)".

241 Bill Bravo and Ilia Bear l’urdn. By T. C- iiurbaugh.
942 The Two “ lilooda.” By Charles Norm.

248 The Dir-cuiaod Guide. fly on Coomeu.

244 Sierra Sana. By Edward L. Wheeler.

“5 Merle, the Midd)’. By Colonel l‘rentisa lngmham.
2.46 Giant. (it-urge. Hy Buckakin Sam.

2-17 01d Grizzly und Ilia Puts. By Capt. “ Bruin " Allan“.
2.18 filerra Bum’a Net-rot. By Edward L. Wheel-r.

2-19 .\illo Roma-r, the Animal King. By Capt. Fnrni.‘ “'hitixkrr.
250 The Midlhipmun Mutineor. By Col. 1‘. lugrahalh.
251 Light-house nge. By Cllptain J. F. C. Adm"...

252 Dick Duahuu uy. By Charles Morris.

258 Hot-rat Sum‘a I'm-d. By Edward L. Wheeler.

254 The Half-Blood. By Edward S. Ellis.

255 Captain Apolln. By T. C. llnrhnugh.

966 Young Krntuok. liy Captain Mark Wilton.

26? The Lost. linnta-rn. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams.

268 Sierra Sum‘a M-ven. lly Edward L. Wheeler.

259 The Golden llurpoon. By Roger Starbuck.

260 Dare-Devil Dun. By Oil Coomue.

261 Fer-gun Foul-naught. By George L. Aiken.

262 The Young h’leulhl. By Charla. Morris.

263 Deadwood Diok‘a Divide. By Edward L. Wheeler.
26-1 The Floating Feather. By Col. P. Ingraluun.

265 The; Tiger Tumor. Hy Captain Fwd. Whittaker.

968 Kilib’ur, the Guide. By i‘lunign Warren.

26? The But-thra Detective. By T. C. llarbaugh.

268 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. By E. L. Wheeler.
$69 The Gold thp. By Col. Prentiss lngmham. '
ETD Blizzard Ben. By Captain Mark Wiltun.

271 The lingo lluntcr. By Edward S. liiila.

2T2 Minkfikin Mike. By Oil Coomes.

978 Junibo Joe. Hy Edwnrd L. Wheeler.

1374 Jolly Jim. By Charla Mon-la.

275 Arizona Jack. By Buckskin Sam.

276 Merle Montc’a Cruise. By Colonel Prentlu ingraharn.
277 Denver Doll. By Edwnrd L. W'heoier.

278 The Three Troopers. By Major Lewia W. Canon.
979 Old Winch, tin: Rifle King. By T. C. liarbaugh.

280 Merle Monte‘a Fate. By Col. Prentiaa Ingraliam.

881 Denver Doll‘a Victory. By Edward L. Wheel».

282 The Typo Detective. By Edward Wiliett.

288 Indian 300. By Major Lowia W. Carson.

284 The Sea Marauder. By Colanei Prentiaa Ingrallam.
285 Denver Doll’a Decoy. By Edward L. Wheeler.

286 Jmh, the Boy Tenderfoot. By Capt Mark Wilton.
287 Billy Dine-Eyed By Coiomii Prenllaa lngrnhm.

288 The Seulp King. By Cnptaln J. F. C. Adama.

889 Jolly 'Jlm’l Job. By Cimrlea Morria.

290 Little Foxfire. By Oil Coomen.

291 Turk. the Ferret. By Edward L. Wheeler.

292 Sancho Pedro. By Major R. L. St. V'min. ‘
293 Red (.‘luw, the One-Eyed Trapper. By Captain Comatock.
294 Dynamite Dun. lly '1'. C. liarlnmgh.

295 Fourier-a l’llil. By Edward W'lnett.

296 Denver Doll‘a Drill. By Edward L. Wheeler.

29‘? The Tarantula of Tuoa. By nckakin Sun.

298 The Water-Hound. By Charl xvi-min

299 A No. 1, the Duahlng Toll-Taker. By Edward L Wheeler.
800 The Sir! Demon. By Oil Conmga.

801 L' odville Nick. By’hitdar E: L. St. Vrnln.

By T. C. “mull.

 

804 The Dead flhot Dandy. By Colonel Prentiaa lngraham
805 Duhuwuy, oi’ Dakota. By Cliarlra Morrla.

806 Neck-Tie Ned. Ry Mujor H. B. Stoddard.

30'? The Strum Para. By Buckskin Sum.

808 Ken. Kit, tile. Boy Bugler's l’urd. By Col. P. lngrohun. ’
809 Deadwood Dink'a Big Deal. By E. L. Wheeler.
810'Tlao Barranea Wolf. By Joseph E. lladgerydr-

911 The Roving Sport. By Edward Willultn

812 Redmp Ruin, the Vigilante Prince. By Maj. E. 1.. 8t. Vralfl.
818 Cimarron Jack. By Fredavirk Dewey. ‘

81-1 The Myata-rioua Marauder. By Col. P. lngrahun.
815 Ned. the Cabin Boy. ByJack Farragut.

816 Old Et-lipne, Trump Card 0! Ariwna. By T. C. llnrtraugh.
8|? Peacock Pete. By Lieutenant Alfred Thoma.

818 Ker-whoop, Ker-whoa»! By linchkln Sam.

319 Tim Black Rider. By Joaeph E..Badgar, Jr.

890 The Heat Sol-cereal. By Jack Farragut.

821 Deadwood Diok’a Dozen. By Edward L. Wheeler.

89% Keane, the Detective. By, Edward Wlllatt.

828» Arkunauw Jack. By Barry Hazard.

1194 Ralph Ready, the Hot-l Boy Detociiva. B) Lug. 11min.

895 Hello “take A: Coupon the Sleuth {P
By Edvard L. W «in. h . o “Wipuh

323 The Ten pun” gnu. Terror or Take-Notice. By '1'. a.
liarbnngh. '

837 Creeping Cat. the Guido. By Burklkin Sam.

888 The Sky Detectives By Major Mickey Free.

929 Red-Skin Tom. 33' Harry lluurd.

880 Little Quick-Slot. By Edward L. Whoolrr.

881 Black Nick, the Demon Rider. By Capt. Fred. WNW.
888 Frio Prod. By Bnrhkin Sam.

A New lune Every Week. " I
The Half-Diane Library ia for aala by all nmdulemh

 

7 mm per copy; or unit by mail on mipi otalx and each.

BEADLE‘AND ADAMS. Pubiiahera.
98 Willi-I- Street. New Yong

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