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Copyrighted 1898. by Emma AND ADAMS.

52$; 7; -— . A
   i-‘ I‘r ‘al In Hand   ‘ ‘ 1
Entered as Second Clan Matter at the New York, N. Y . Post Office.

NO  PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS.
‘ ' No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK.

Price.

$2.50
5 cents.

a Year.

 The Doctor

BY LIEUT.
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THE COMMANDER REELED BACKWARD INTO THE ARMS 0F DAYLIGIIT; AND THE PRISONER, LEAPING TO A C
HURLED HIMSELF LIKE A CANNON-SHOT THROUGH THE WINDOW. '

 

   
 

 

The Doctor Detective in Texas.

 

 

The Doctor Detective in Texas ;
Jack Karbun and the Cowboys.

A Romance of the Mystery of the
Golden Coffin.

 

 

BY LIEU’I‘. A. K. SIMS,

AUTHOR on f‘waunLING WILLIAM,”
“ TEXAS . Tmrca'r ” NOVELS, " ETC.

CHAPTER I.
DEATH AND DIAMONDS.

Tun sun of the great desert land of the
Southwest shone down on a scene that,
strange and terrible as'it was, has had many
counterparts.

A firing squad of a dozen men, wearing
the garb of the U. S. Army, was drawn up
in line with military precision, with guns

2 held in readiness to belch forth their con-
tents of death.

Before them, with hands behind and with
bandaged eyes upturned in prayer, knelt one,
dressed as themselves;.and whose life, by the

THE

 

stern etmunand of a hastily—called military.

tribunal, they werefabout to take. ’

A niournful wind, finding its way down
from the mountain, whistlcd through the
scanty leaves of the parched cottonwoods in
the sandy array/a, as if it piped a solemn rei-
quiem. All else was silent in presence of
the dread specter hovering with sablewings
above the head of the condemned. '

This unfortunate One. branded asa‘desert‘
er, knelt before an open grave, which had
been hastily, prepared toreceive him when
the ‘kdcadly rifles should have done their
wor . ~  " ' ‘

Notwithstanding this, many men had
thought well of Jason Kinglake; had Eber-
ishcd him as,a comrade and friend; had loved
him as a brother. And there were pained
and quivering hearts in, the bosoms hidden
behind the blue .jacketszof tlmt dozen men of
the tiring squad, and tearsblinded some of
the eyes that glanced over the death-dealing
tubes. ’More than one of those linemen, held
there by the unflinching obedience'which the
trained soldier always pays‘toihis superiors,
prayed in his inmost soul that" his weapon
might not hold one of the sldying bulletsi

let Jason Kinglake had been condemned ‘

fora crime the most heinous known to the
military: He had desert-ed in'the face of the
enemy. At least, that was theverdict of the
tribunal trying him; and from that verdict,
in that far land, no appeal was possible. ,

In the minds of a fewthere weredoubts/of
the {ustness of the decision that was hurry-
ing rim into eternity; but‘thouo‘h doubting,
the‘soldiers lifted their rifles and awaited the
word of command. -

i‘ Theirs not to make reply;
-- Theirs not‘to reason why!" '

Only a. few .miles away, Victorio’ ,v slaugh-
tering band of Chirlcehua Apac were
known to be lying like wolves among the
mountain crass in the volcanic pits of the
high meme. ‘0 desert in the face of such

. fees would indeed beadreadful crime; one

  perhapsevcn deserving officathfind cer. 

tainly punishable with death at that time.
And this was what Jason; Kinglake was said
. _ to have done. . It was what, the commander
of the expedition, Colonel Armiston, accused
him of doing. and it was what messes had

' come forward to verify. | » t.
In spite of this testimon , Kinglake 
, declared himself innocent 0 any such inten-
_ . tion, and had claimed that he only absented
 himself from the command for a legitimate

' ‘ and necessary reason.

v and a shudder passed through his frame.

Ithem? Stole them. I’ll warrant!

'looked it ‘over. It had

The clicking of the rifle-locks aroused mm,

soldiers, he cried, extending his bound hands
heavenward:

“Tell m wife that I die asserting my in-
nocence! Icn, if you are men! for the love
of Heaven, deliver this message!”

The troopers who, further away, were
standing at the heads of their horses, turned
aside.

When they looked again, the deed had
been done. The rifles were empty; the de-
tail was filing away; and Jason Kinglake,
with that appeal on his lips, had passed from
the power of erring mortal tribunals to the
throne of the GreatJudge who can make no
mistakes.

Throughout the whole of this dreadful
scene, Colonel Armiston had stood before the
door of his tent, his alert eyes watchful and
observant, There had been on his lips a
cynical smile, which vanished, to be replaced
by an ashy pallor, as Kinglake’s words
reached him.

When he saw that the commands of the
tribunal had been obeyed, he stepped back
into the tent, that tremulous pallor still rest-
ing on his lips. .

Walking to a little chest, which stood on
the ground amid \a pile of blankets and
accouterments, he took up 'a small box of
strange design, casting from it the folds of
cloth that had concealed it.

It was in shape a coffin, but seemed to be
Inade of pure gold. Intricate and delicate
traccries were wrought into the lid and
around the sides and corners, and there were
raised outlines of men, of queer beasts, and
of hydra-headed ragons. Its length,
breadth and depth could- have been com-
passed by a very few inches of measurement,
and its weight, in spite of its solidity, was
not great. 7 .

Colonel Armiston glanced at it ‘eovetously,
as he threw aside the concealing cloth.
Then he touched a hidden spring, and, the
lid of the golden coffin flying back in re-
sponse, there lay revealed a. handful of the
most precious gems. There were diamonds,
flawless, like great crystals, and of immense

and a necklace of shimmering pearls. ‘

The pallor fa’ded frOm his face, as he surv
veyed these treasures, and into his eyes came
a look hard to define. It held the essence of;
covetousness, and revealed likewise the craft
of the thief and the recklessness of, the .
murderer! , ' g  - .

“ It wasa great risk !” he whispered, a1:
most pantin the lowly-breathed words.
“ A. great ris , and‘few would have! taken
it. Yet it was wgorth it all. These jewels
are fit for a king’s ransom. I wonder where
that scoundrel, Kinglake, could have got
He was
:too poor, and not the sort of man to have
come by them rightfully. Well, the poor.
devilhas no use for them, now; and—and—J”

'He did not audiny end the sentence. but.

‘ closed the lid with asnap; and, movin to’

the chest ont e 'ound; placed the gel en
coffin in it, a er ving roe-enveloped it in
the folds of cloth. Then he took a key from
a pocket, and securely locked the chest.
Havin done this, he drew from an inner
recess 0 his coat a letter, and sneeringllny
been written y
Kinglake to hiswife, when he knew he was
to be shot; and had been given to. Colonel
ArmistOn by the condemned man, with an
injunction. to see that Mrs. Kinglake re:
ceived it. The letter spoke of the coffin,
which it declared to be mysteriously missing.
breathed the fondest love, and was filled
with‘many protestations of innocence, ‘
:Thi‘s messa e from the now. dead manta

\to the deer‘of thetent.

 

_' Turning his bandaged face, toward the '

 

An ofllCerhapproaching, saluted and 

i

worth, andthere were rubiels‘of equal value,“  _ W 7  ,,_ I
‘With‘Bhvy: ‘ v

the living, d lated women, Armiston tore,-
 stri s, and consumed them oneby one
in  v tune of s lantern, which he lighted -f

,or purpose. , 7 . , . v, ieommander oft
 When this had been performed, he turned

 

awaiting orders; and this ofliccr, noting the
change observable in the colonel’s face, won-
dered that the death of the deserter should
have so touched and moved him.

The tents were being packed in readiness
for the march which was to begin at once;'
and Armiston saw that the grave of the un-
fortunate Jason Kinglakc was being filled
m.

“ Hurry up your men
what curtly. “I am in haste to get away
from here! What has happened makes me
nervous; and besides, we must tr to strike
the camp of the Apaches by night all. Then,
there will likely’be some more dead men!”

When the preparations were going forward
in a manner to please him, he began his own;
and a half-hour later, the entire command dis-
appeared ovcr a knollvin the direction of the
mountains. - ' ‘ ,

And that yellow mound, marking a bloody
grave, alone remained as a witness to attest
the dark deed on that day committed.

CHAPTER II.
AN ODD STEED.

“Ho, Jupiter!” ,

A oung woman, slight asa girl, stopped
her d steed with these _."words of command,
and sat in listening attentionmear amesquite
growth on the: plains of western Texas.

The branching, scrubby mesquite trees,
from among which she had just emerged,
stretched far away on either hand, looking
not unlike an immense, fruitless old peach

Y”

be ordered, some-

 

’ orchard.

She was of comely appearance, with a fair
ace that was burned and tanned by the
t1 rce sunsand tr 'ing winds. A neat-fitting
dr of dark, ca ico, cut afterthe most ap-
prov d fashionl, lent grace to her person, and
on her head was perched a wide-rimmed,
flaring hat of brown straw.

But the beholder, had there been one,
would have perchance given more attention
to the steed than to the rider;lfor she was
hose wings and

     

Jupiter, the, big Ostrich, upheld her with
eesmlthough finst'at that moment he was
trembling as if in fear, and more than once
evinced a desire to.break away at reckless

speed over the smooth swaid that lay in

front ofhim.  A": “.1: . a , .
A dullsboomiu' ‘i‘roar, that grew every 111
stant in solemn; , llit "seemedtofill earth and

sky, rumbled'toriiardithem frown the far dis--

nee. It ‘was‘likb, 'the reverberation of

heavy thunder or the shock of a fierce can

‘nbnade: and it had‘hardly ceased to shake

and. agitate the air, before a. second explosion
fonnwed’,flharing ten-fold more'._yohme than

" the first. -‘

’- Jupiter leaped under the": sound; but. the
girl restrained his ‘ frantic desire to rush
awn , by repeating';.§h_e command grven, ,-
and jerking ratheiiencnget all ata light
cord old in her hand, which, n about the
neck of the hu e bird, served as a rein;

She pushed 6 but back from her eyes,
and permitted the wind to play ‘with her
curls of brown hair that shone on her fore-
head; and at the same moment opened her
lips in s sneezing smile. ,

“The fools! Those. oflicersf'st Fort
Mesquite, havellfi’t“fbalf as much: s‘epse as}
’ithmflilgft, The Ideaof mannerisms “1111
n "Wfly ' 7  ‘ radix-v 

Shéf'well 1ka he  'g of that
sit  mebsrdmentj.  *
. 'I'e: .Gomment, 

"thee: ',  fiprod‘  raininrainless
 ,ythefingxngfg‘fififexfiosive“materials ‘
 j~ biwhhdiwesparty.‘iw Western

Wt'ful e'uip‘ ’ ’ for-thew; and the
fly q ‘ party "‘hpfi‘delegated a
portion of the work to the  andmcn
of Fort Mesquite, one of the few remaining

 

military posts on the Texas plains. n' ’

 

decided‘to try . '

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‘ ,dmt up? Where is father?”1
. .- He-leaped friskin about and

 whose kicks he had learned to fear.

' The Docto Detective, in

,- -a..-—~ 

‘ Texas.

a ' '. 

 

The coming experiment had been the talk
of the ranches for weeks; and when that
thunderous roar bellowed over the wide
reaches, she recognized it at once and under-
stood its meaning. She knew that the poo-
plc at Fort Mesquite were sending up bal-
loons loaded with the terrible explosive
known as “ rackOrock.”

Again that cannon-like roar boomed over

‘ the plains, seeming to make the very earth

reel; and again Jupiter leaped and danced
about, as if he were treading on hot coals.

“Ho, there! you silly thing! Nobody’s
shooting at you. I’ll begin to think you
haven’t any more sense in your little head
than have the men at the fort. Ho, there!”

no vigorously did she jerk on the rein that
Jupiter’s neck was pulled far backward, and
his head twisted about until his 0 'es seemed
to be staring into her own. lIis ( aucin g an-
tics had been of so energetic a character that
she h been almost hurled from her! seat.

Reae ing out her hand, she snapped a twig
from a thorny mesquite; and, giving the
ostrich a cut with it, started him in a spin-
ning gait in the direction of home.

V Being now further out in the open, she
could see the smoky haze that hung above
the distant fort, the result of the “ rack-
rock ” bombardment, and again that cynical
smile curled her lips. ‘_

This young wonmn, Crystal Karbun,
dau rrhter of old Jack Karbun, the ranchman,
it Will be seen had ideas of her own; and,
like many. of ‘ her sisters, whether they were
Jight or wrong, she clung tenaciously to
them. - ‘

Although the daughter of a half-educated
ranchman, and reared chiefly on the plains,
she had been given many ad vantages, and
had even spent some time ata famous female
academ in California. There she had ob-
tained upiter, and had brought him home
when he was a fluff , downy thing about the
Size of a goose. ow, she declared she pre-
ferred him as a steed to any horse on the
place; though therewcre smiling cowboys
who believed the declaration only an” ecbcn-
tricity.

At any rate, he was odd enough to attract,
attention, and he was speedy. This was
shown by the way he now raced across the

crisp, dry grass. There were very few of '

Jack Karbun's “cow-ponies” that could

,have equaled his‘ pace. ‘

A pairof jack-rabbits springing up, stared
at the big bird before hopping away, as if
they fancred he must be tin author of those
thunderous crashes that came constantly
from the direction of the fort; and a spiral of
dust, waltzing along like a miniature torna-
do, seemed bent on a race with the ostrich.

It was a novel and delightful ride, and the
girl’s cheeks glowed an her eyes shone as
she drew in near the ranch-house, leaped
dow‘n, and removed the cord from J upiter’s
nec . '

There was a strange stillness about the
place, which almost immediately made itself
felt. - No human form was in sight,. and
Crystal Karbun looked somewhat anxiously
toward the closed door. .

A dog skulked from under a stable and
ran timidly toward .her, but only to be as
ssulted by a series of kicks from the ostrich,
Vone of which sent him howling and sprawl-

m .' .
I‘g‘ What is it, Shep?” shesin aired, patting
“him to soothe hishurts. " Wghy is the house

licked her
hand, ,but kept one eye over on the ostrich,
There
WM'some in hismanner as well ssin
the Ominous stillness that frightened her."

Hun'yineg up to the door, she Opened it,
and enter " the house. —

Then her cheeks blandled under their tan

' ’ ‘ l and her eyes, took on a look of terror.

The room was in the greatest confusion.

. A table had beenikoyer‘tprned, a chair lay, w

 

broken on the floor, and there were every
where signs of a recent conflict.

Cr stal could not understand the meaning
of al this, and her heart turned sick with
fear.

“ Oh, what has happened!” she cried,
wringing her hands in a very agony.

Then she hastened to the back door and
looked out on, the buildings and the big
corrals. . -

With the exception of that ominous quiet
and absence of human life, there was nothin
to mark any change. She had not cxpecte
any of the cowboys tobe at home that morn-
ing, but her father had been there when she
left for that spin on the ostrich, and she had
thought to find him still there when she re-
turned.

There had been for some time growing
signs of trouble among certain of the cattle-
men, who were dividing into factions,.and
taking sides for and against the boomers and
settlers who had lately begun to invade that
region. Already there had been an outbreak
or two and a semblance of a skirmish, and
the soldiers of the fort had been sent out to
quell the disturbance. '

IIer mind reverted to these things, as she
hastened toward the corrals, loudly calling
her father’s name. No response came, and
her fears grew stronger.

So far, Jack Kai-bun had not been mixed

up in any of the troubles; but on one. or two
occasions he had freely expressed his sym-
pathies and preferences, and she now feared
that the combat in the ranch-house, whose
evidences had been so many and certain, was

t esult.

correct in this surmise, there was no
etermining what had happened him.: Many
of the cattlemen and cowboys wcre'known
to be of a vengeful disposition, and some of
them had on too many occasions shown that
the held human life very li htly. -
rom the corrals, Crystzd- proceeded to
the big stables, still calling herfather’s name,
and still possessed by that crushing, indeflna-

blc fear. ’

There came no answer to her calls. The
horses and ponies whinnied at her from their
stalls, and the faithful Shep, apparently
Equlally crushed, walked dejectedly at her

ee 3. '

“Father has been killed! 'I know he has
been killed!” she moaned, laying her head
against a postof the corral gate and giving
way to her terror and grief ini‘c. flood of sob-
bing tears.

 

CHAPTER IIL
MAme INTO BECKLESSNESS. ;

ON the. same morning in the-year 1892,
near the time of the occurrence of the events
just related, several excitedx men were
grouped in the room of General Philip Ar-
miston' in Fort Mesquite.

There was a temporary lull in the explo-i
sions of “ rack-rock,” though one of the rain

balloons was anchored in the parade grounds,
in readiness to be sentgskywsrd and blown
into fragments, in the hopcof assisting in
bringing the much-needed rain. -

"Near it, ' with its silken cnvclo
but with the basket resting on t e ground,
was another balloon. This second, however,
was not a rain balloon; but an ordinary as
balloon, in which Lieutenant Arthur t-
well intended soon to makean ascent, with
instruments, for the purpose of measuring
the air pressure and determining other mete-
orologiml facts concerning the condition of
the upper atmosphere. '

The balloon was what is termed a “ cap-
tive” balloon.

by means of ropes fastened to the earth;
whereas, the bomb balloons, when cast
adrift, were permitted to ascend .to' great
heights, and Were then" fired by electric
es. r- . . - ‘

inflated, .

' honorable ,man.

_ That is, it was so arranged
that its ascent could be guided and restrained

 

To return, hocher, to General Armiston’s
rooms, located at one side of the square,
wherein, from a high pole, an American flag
was flying.

The general was not in the mosta rreeable
of tempers. 110 was seated at a ta lo, and
looking harshly at a roughly-dressed man,
whose weatherbeaten face was quite as
angry and fiery as his ‘own.

This man was Jack Karbun, the ranch-
man, whose absence from the ranch-house,
distant a number of miles from Fort Mes-
quite, had so alarmed his daughter.

Karbun had been rudely dragged from
his house, an hour or {more before, by a
detachment of troopers, sent thither for the
purpose, by General Ariniston, and now
stood, or rather sat, before the general, ne-
cused of theft !

: Kai-bun was nota man of prepossessing
appearance, and his negligent attire did not '
add to his good looks. A rough “round-

about,” buttoned elose up to the neck, and a " ‘

pair of trowsers that seemed to be the cast-
off
distinguishing features of his dress.

But he was, however, a man of spirit, and
loudly donouneed what he termed the out-
rage perpetrated on him. .

“Call me a thief, Gin’ral Armiston?” he
growled. “ You’d better look to your own
men. I’ve an idee that the ain’t over and
above what they ought to e. Better look
to your own men!” g A g

“The evidence against you is, I take it,
pretty conclusive!” the general returned.
“There is a gold coflin issing from this
room, and Lieutenant A thur Cutwcll dc.-
clares that he saw you come from this room
yesterday afternoon with something under
your coat." on .

Jack Karbun returned his intent gaze with
a defiant sneer. ' ’ ' "

“ That there youn jackdaw accusin’ of‘

' me .9 ' I was in that th e room, gin’ralg- "an’ I
But' I 

was in there yisterday afternoon.
never took out of it any more’nl took in.
That there was these ’ere duds of mine.
what I’ve got on my back this "blessid
minute.
to ’em!”

There was another in the room, whose face
worked strangely, as‘he looked from the gen-
eral to the accused, and back again. .

If you want ’cm, you're welcome'

arments of some soldier, were the most ._

\That one was a man of about‘thirty, in tth l ’

garb of a frontier scout, with long hair fall— , 

in g to his shoulders, and a head that, uncov-

ered by hat or cap, was lion-like in itspoise.

He was known at the fort as Doctor Day-‘

he was a physician b profession.

real name,'Dalite, ha the samo‘sound as the, 3

word daylight; and on one occasion,:hc had , 

light. Not (that that was his name, or that' ,5;
But the. ‘ ’

shown considerable skill in bandaging and v. - ‘

the soldiers. Hence

web on the plains, and was new Doctor Day-

light, the friend of every man at the fort.
CroftOn ~Dalite, or as

these pages, Doctor Daylight, seemed keenly

\ in sympathy with ‘the- accused ranchman,L 7.}.

am even ventured a few words in his be—  

e shall be callcd'i‘n, If?-

dressing a gunshot wound received by one of 
e title, which seemed ~‘ 
destined to stick. He ad come there simply 

as Crofton Dalite, detailed for scouting ser- ,,

 

 

“I think there surely mustbe a mistake 

interruption. I have known Mr. Karbun al-

most from the moment I set foot in Fort 5' 
Mesquite, and have ever regarded him as an i '-

P!

The. general
did not relish the interruption.

“ You say that the thing stole was a cofini'f“:
“What in “181181119;

Jack Karbun queried. I
of the great Sam Bass would I want with a;
‘wjfin, even if it was a gold one? I ain’t-readyi'

uite yit to turn up my tees to the daisies. '

ad a coffin? Why I couldnft carry a coffin ‘.

under m ’ coat l”

4, He en ed the speech with a lighthughj,”

 

frowned, plainly showing ‘ he 

.5,“
somewhere, general, begging pardon for the ’ 

 
 

MHAp-omn—u roman... rot-draw. Am'l‘

Hflfiflfifir‘y—gfi—lH-fi dfifin

Hie-on -e H

v insult me? Do

- Jack
:» thief: an’ you bet he ain’t no coward!
, ‘fetch' that skunk of a' lieutenant up hycr,

. and I’ll make 'him chow his words so quick

5;, I this show, of force. ’

4.-

 

The Doctor Detective in Texas.

 

 

but the general did, not. seem sufficiently
amused to join him in it.

“It was a gold coflin, not of great size,
but of immense value. I have had it in my
possession seVeral years, and would not have
parted with it for worlds. I cannot tell you
how greatly I valued it. And Lieutenant
Cutwell, a man I neuer knewfo lie, says he
saw you come from the room with something
under your coat. You were in the room, as
you acknowledge, and the coffin is missing.

Ir. Karbun, you must excuse me, if I refuse
to believe what you say on the subject.”

There was something more than an or now
to be seen in Jack Karbun’s face. t was a
look of deep inward questioning; and might
have meant that he believed he had found a
clue that would lead to the conviction of the
real thief.

He gave a glance of thanks to Dr. Day—
light, cast down his eyes for a moment, and
then again looked intently at the accusing
officer.

“ What is it you want me to do?"

There was a deep undercurrent of bitter-
ness in the slowly-spoken and sternly-em-
phasized words. -

,“ Restore what you have taken! Bring
back the gold coffin; and I will drop the en-
tire matter, and proceed no further against

ou.” ' ‘
‘ ‘Gin'ral Armiston, do you know that you’re
talkin’ to a ranchman of Texas? Do you
know that I’ve got enou h steers and ponies
on that there grass out t ere to bu you an’

or measly little fort h er, with al that's'in
t. coflln throwed in? f you don’t know it,
I’ll take pleasure in tellin’ it to you. Do
you know furder, that that manly-mouthed,
stunted little lieutenant you’re talkin’about
couldn‘t tell what the truth is if" he’d run
ag’in it, on the plainest kind of stroll? And
as for you. Gin’ral—"

"Enough of this, sir! Do you mean to
ou mean to brand me as a
liar and a this i" and General Armiston
whitened with a. rage which so convulsed
hiilmirthat he rose hastily, overturning his
0 a . ‘ r

“I mean that I'm a free. American citizen,
an’ I don’t propose to be drug about by no
blue-coated soldiers of Uncle Sam; and I
don't propose to be called a. thief by nobody!
You hear me!”- ' '

Theodlcer drew back, as if be half ex-
pected the angry cattleman to fly like a tiger
at his throat. ‘ i

.‘i This to me, sir? This to m)",

" A i to you, Gin' l Armiston! 01d
arbun may be a. fool, but he  a

st

that he'll swaller his ton ue.” . r
Karbun’s wrath, so ong with difficult

‘Iilv‘v'lheld. in‘bonds,‘ was getting be and contro;
' and those who had

seen Jack rbun’s rage.
were compelled to liken. it to a loosch tori-
nude ‘ ' *

Three soldiers. One bearing handcufis, had

; I' stepped 'quietly into the room as if in answer

to a summons, and now stood regarding! the
scene in route amazement. . .
This seemed a menace which Jack Karbun

’ could not endure. .He had too long roamed

the plains “free and unmolested, his own
master and the master of other men, to relish

"‘And’mcre!” he.roared, ving his ex.

 :5 ploding‘wrath free vent. 4“ don’t 10" 3°-

man, be he gin’rai, commodore, high~muck-

 a-muck.‘er what not, to come it over me!
' ,: I'm Jack Karbun of the.“ K. O.” ranch, an’
t Q, I’m my
" ; man’s :slavcl

own boss, an‘ I ain't a thief ner no
If them ,jumpinfijacks, o’
' what dances whenever , on sneeze,

L.._§o’urn,
 n , ys their hands on me, they wish they
-- hadn'tm 

I

y. . m. violent, rage  to communicate

“Iron him!" he ordered, his eyes blazing
excitedly. “ Iron the scoundrel!”

The words had no sooner left his lips than
Jack Karbun, maddened beyond measure,
dealt General Armiston a stinging blow.

Under its force, the commander reeled
backward into the arms of Daylight; and
the prisoner leaping to a chair, hurled
(lliimself like a cannon-shot through the win-

ow.

The wildest excitement
vailed. '

Searcely had the crash of breaking wood
and the jingle of! falling glass subsided,
when Armiston, recovering himself, shout-

instantly pro.

ed.

“After him, men! Don’t let him get
away! Shoot him down, if necessary!”

T e words penetrated beyond the room,
and the stunning report of a. revolver came
as a response.

The soldiers within poured pell-mell
through the doorway, and the commander
and Doctor Daylight followed them in ex—
cited haste.

 

CHAPTER IV.
A WILD AND NOVEL RACE.

WHETHER right or wron . Jack Karbun
felt at that moment, that, i caught by the
soldiers, his life would not be worth an in-
stant’s purchase.

He would never have dealt that blow had
he not been maddened beyond all bounds.
Still, as he raced away, with those loud com-
mands ringing in his ears, he could not
wholly regret it; for the sti ma that the
general thou ht to put 'on h m by ironing
him was am: as he could never endure.
Never had the'manacles of a felon clas ed
his wrists; and he was resolved that, w rile
life remained, they never should. ‘ ,

He heard the report of the revolver and
caught the “firing ” of the bullet as it sped
by his ear. e expected other 'shots to fol.
low instantl . and ran like a deer. .

It requi ' but, a glance to show him he
could never escape from the (grounds of the
fort by ordinary methods, an the sight of
the captive as balloon gave the reckless
rancher an i ea, which (he was quick to put
into eflect.

He saw the anchoring rope which held it;
and, as he ran, he drew from its sheath the
big knife which he usually carried for the
pur ass of cutting mesquite.”

‘ e did not turn to glance back,'but he
heard the (flick patter of feet behind him
and knew t tthe soldiers were pressing him

closely. . .

- .The hated. voice of Lieutenant Cutwell
“rung out from their midst; urging them to
renewed effort. Karbun set his teeth hard
fish‘s «heard it, and took a firmer clasp of the

n e. . ‘ ' ‘ .

‘ Only a fewbounds were required tobrin
himto the balloon, and a slashin cut wi
that keen blade parted the rope.
shot up instantl . with Kai-bun clinging to
the basket and c imbing‘ into it, as it rose!

It had Ion been tugging at tne anchor
rope that he d it to the earth. and now
ascended like a bird freed froma prison cage,
shooting. skyward with phenomenal. buoy-
anc .. a . . . .

Igstantly there came a fusilade of pistol
shots, but the“ were fired wildly and hastily,
and not one 0 them' touched the silken en'-
velo nor the amateur aeronaut.

‘f hoot away, there!” Jack Karbun growl-
ed, his features relaxing into a grim smile as
he began to feelcon‘fldent of escaping. " I’d
like to plug back at you, an’ Imight. if I
had my shootin’ irons with me: But I cal:
.c'late you'll not do much harm with them
. 8 ,kahe was V
point he ond the reach of their revolvers;
and he uckled as he looked down: into the

'

 

' itself oGeneral Armiston, w o was’usaall
hie Al‘oontro‘ihis temper-y   . y‘i

square and beheld the groups of excited,

 

, me. : It. might.

be balloon ‘

rapidly [ascending to a,

 

men staring up at him. He felt that he had
outwitth them all, and was correspondingly
jubilant.

From the multitude he could even distin-
guish the faces of General Armiston: and

ieutenant Cutwell, and their astonished
gaze filled him with a degree of suppressed
merriment.

“ I-Iyer I am on a v’yage o’ discovery
wuss’n any ever tuck by Columbus! Where
it'll end no man can say. All I know is,
I’m bound‘to strike the ground again some-
where an’ some time.”

His face sobered at the thou ht. Balloon~
ing was not a thing he woulc have chosen
as a recreation; and, though there were times
when he was exceedingly bold and reckless,
now that he began to think of it, be rather
recoiled from the results of his hasty ven-
ture. The going up had been easy enough,
and the coming down might be even more
exciting and very much more perilous.

An exclamation of astonishment and
alarm broke from his lips, almost as soon as
he had completed the sentence.

What he beheld was calculated to fill him
with dismay.

Another alloon shot up from the s uare,
swinging quickly beyond the top 0 the
flagstafl, and floating higher and yet hi her,
as if it meant speedily to overtake im.
And the startling thing about it was that it
was the rain balloon, laden with “ rack~
rock,” which had also been anchored there.

Although Jack Karbun did not know it,
this balloon had been released by Lieutenant
Cutwell, who, growing desperate at the es-
cape of the prisoner. had severed the anchor
re s and the wire that held it.

here could be no doubt of the object!
He hoped that it might explode with wreck-
in force, and destroymhe gas balloon in
wgich Jack Karbun was sailin away!

” Now if I on’y had a rifle I d be tempted
to try my aim on that there!" and the ranch-
man parsed his lips thoughtfully. “ I don’t
fancy the idee 0’ that thing a. ittin' too near
03 like a h r fire-cracker,

an’ returns, y erflummix the atmospheric

an’ blow this hyer sky-traveler into Kingdom ‘

Come 1” .

But, Jack Karbun had no rifle with which
to stop the progress of the bomb balloon,
and so was compelled to match its rapid
a cut, with feelings far from pleasant.

or some reason. whether'because it was
naturally more buoyant, or because its
basket eld less weight, ‘ it ascended more
rapidly than did the gas balloon, and it be-
came quickly apparent to the perturbed
ranchman that it was destined to overtake

him. '
The-wind settingbwesterly, he had already
been carried far

was hopeful; but he saw that the same cur-
rent that whirled him”on, was sending his
odd pursuer alon in the same track.

‘ A number of: gs of sand lay in the bot-

tom of the basket, placed there for ballast; ._
and when he observed them, he be an to ,
heave them over the basket’s sides to ghten.

the weight. , , ,
The great gas‘balloon arose immediately,
in response to this, shooting up several hun-
dred feet with a velocity that almost filled
him with fear. r . - ..
v He was pleased, though,lwith the'thought
that this meant greater safety,‘be1ieving it

would carry him into a current show that in ‘

which the bomb-carrier was floating,
“As he hurled out'one of the bags of bal-

f last near the bottom of the basket, a cry of

wondering surprise escaped him.

i ' Fitting beneath-the bag as snugly as if in

a nest, was' a glittering 801d, object, which

when he had picked it up, he saw to be the

missing coffin, which he had been accusodot

stealing! ‘ ’ ‘ I
How come it there?

eyond the fort, and was-
not directly over' the bombt‘float.” This .

His brain reeled under the  of conflict- V

 

i
'\ v

 

  

' The oeto I etedti'v'e'in’ Texas.

  

 

 

 

5:", ~ m; ,’

'ing thoughts and emotions that poured
throu h it.

He old the coffin in his knotted hand, and
closely scrutinized it, noting the queer
tracery on the lid and around the edges,
, with the odd figures of men, beasts, and
' '3’“ dragons. He recalled the fact that this was
Lieutenant Cutwell’s balloon, in which that
V oflicer, since the commencement of the rain-
, g making experiments. had been accustomed

to ma e daily ascents for the purpose of
studying the condition of the upper atmos-
phere, to ascertain what effects, if any, the‘
. terrific bombardments produced.
. . Had Lieutenant Cutwell ‘ concealed the
 " golden coilin beneath the ballast?
' It was too deep 8. question for sturd r
Jack Karbun to enter into at that time. A
glance at the pursuing demon that held the
“ rack-rock ” drew him from his cogitations.
It was rising higher and still higher, and
was already almost into the current in which
his own air-ship was upborne. '

With a sinking of the heart he recognized
"‘ the fact that he had been too hasty in hurl-
! ing out the ballast. Had he allowed itto re-

; 'main,his balloon would have been in the lower
current and the anger of, a disastrous
collision been infinitely 1088.

He saw, too, witha thrill of fear, that his
balloon was being gained on—éslowly, it is
; true, but sufficiently to bring the two to-
. gether aftera time.

Old Jack Karbun was not given to fits or
. terror, but the heady sweat came out on his
brow ashe took in the full perils of his

"  situa ion. ‘ ‘

-“ Better ’a’ had steel bracelets put onto
my wrists than to be blowed up by that dad-
ga‘sted dynamite! A feller never knows
when he’s rich till he gets pore. Handcuffs
would feel real comfortable jist at this
 minit, if a feller could wear them with his
; feet touchin’ the round. I never did
1 , banker after flyin’!‘ ’Druther a hen sight
been: the deck 0’ wild broncho. could

y * manage-to steer. it. I Butyou,can~'t.-change
thercou‘rse 0' this‘ thing any“?more’n yo'u'c‘a‘h‘

a prairie fire. It’s bound to b’ile right ahead
ontel somethin’ breaks!"

From his elevated position the ranchman

hadan extended view of the country in all

. directions. _ ' Mesquite grove ' and prairie,

. hills and valleys, lay spread out below him

like an- unfolded map. Far behind was

‘7‘!
,n

1 .

rim... ..;(..,-‘ syn-w? «no... , ‘  . , ..
. ' F ‘

had swarmed out into the '0 en, seeming no
larger than ants; and direct y ahead lay his
own" ranch.  1; >
. He saw that he would » ass almost directly
. over it,‘an_d theknowle ge came? as"), com.
. ,_ forting sensation, ’He began to think that his
3 days on earth were numbered, forbehind him
: drove the boom balloon like a runaway
 :h’Orse. It would_tbe.a.pleasure, if' this wild
‘ - ride was to end his life, to get one last look
at his home, and perchance rat-his girl.
, , " ‘ Straining his eyes, he 1? 1 cied he couldrse’e
 ' choir. It was only a farm , for the distance
' ‘was still considerable. "‘ ’  ‘

v.

. ._I... ...:\., 5..
l

r

._.- ... J:

  

" ' Her:
.  things ‘ t seemed to hang with such dogged

" mg; creeping up, th aslow pertinacity'
 thatwas more trying c‘on, his, nerves than
' would have been-.‘a wilder and speedier
 sin. w -*

,  he glanced down at the's‘ edin earth;
 "that Seemedxreelin‘g under him kea. runk'en
yr  _ slémgxa thought came- that: he;proceeded to

 755mintocxecution. _ ' 4  - *
He would write to his delight”; lien he?

 
 
 
  
 
 

. a  :_wm had hefauen him and of. what he stood'

  
 
 
  

8 ' {mand‘dro tlfe note to h r with the
littlségomnrg p " f

1' Halter-ea .
'_ bookpl-that..,he always carried 111 one of his
"; POCket‘ii and with its- pencil in the loop be.

5811 to when feverish haste. * '

- -. ‘There Wag;

' "13mg? air!

   
      
    
   

no perceptible swaying of the

   

 

Fort Mesquite. it's excited occupants, who.

lancedback at the dreadful. horrible ‘
.._:,"nwmncyathis;heels.” It was still: gain,

deathly plaidn

page, froman entryfand account «I

 

"-no noticeable rising and fall'£~

ing, no motion to jar his hand .or distract
him from his task, and he wrote with furious
and almost illegible speed.

He rccotmted the events of the day, up to
the time of pcnciling the note; then he spoke
of the coffin, of how he had found it, and
of what he believed concerning it.

Only a few minutes were occupied in the
writing, but so swiftly had the two air shi )s
driven along, that when he looked again, he
was alrwdy over the grounds that hemmed
in his lonely ranch-house. These were so
extensive, however, that he still had time to
twist a cord from one of the remaining bags
of ballast, and withit tie the note to the box
of gold. ‘

He leaned far overthe side of the basket,
and strained his eyes, to get a glimpse of
Crystal, his daughter!

0 his infinite joy, he saw her come out
of the ranch-house, presumably drawn by
the barkln of the dog that had caught sight
of the scu ding objects in the sky and was
haying furiously at them.

He saw her ook upward, and then step’
back as in amazement. ,

He took off his battered hat and waved it
wildly, shouting at the same time, although
llile was convinced his words could not reach

er.

Again and again he swung his hat and
whoopcd! ,

He could not make out her features, but
he knew she was looking straight at him,
and trusted she recognized him. At all
events, he felt sure she would know every-
thing, when she dpicked up the coffin he
meant to drop, an read the letter he had
written. .

I-Ie waited until the racing balloon was al-
most above hor; then he waved his hat once
more, and gave a wild outward fling to the
coffin. -

e saw it drop downward like a lump of
lea ; but, just when he was beginning to

congratulate himself on the'brillianc of the,

performance,a.counter current, whir 'ng up-v
ward, caught the paper, tore itloose, and
here it away into space! ,
And the golden collie fell to the earth, un-
accompanied by a word of explanation!
Before he could recover himself, the bal-

loon had swept ’over and beyond the ranch-

house, and it was too late to attempt to rec-
tifflthe ' matter. '

‘ke ameteor the coflin had dropped out
of the sky, and like a meteor it could bring
scant knowledge “of itself. ‘

CHAPTER v.“ ' .
A mar-or ms'rnnr. ,
Tun astonishment of ‘ Cr stal'Karbun was

 

beyond expression, when 5 e hurried out of'

the ranch-hopse, in answer to the baying of
Shep, and saw those two ‘balloons speeding
toward her along the highway of the sk .
Her common sense toldher they were rem
Fort Mesquite; but for al that, the fact of

their being there was ju as incomprehensi-
‘bl  ' ' ‘ ‘ -

e. ., , v .
As she stared and wandered. he beheld ‘a'

manleaning from thebasket-of the foremost,

He seemed to be frantically" waving, some;
thing, though she could not tell what it was,
nor could she recognize him. . ' ‘ .’
, She never dreamed that it was her father,
'who was so mysteriously missmg from the
ranch-house. , 'Her heart was filled with a
' because of this unexplained ab-
ch even her present surprise could

Sence, w

‘ not drive away.

z'Tho waving figure in the balloon seemed
no bigger than a toy man. * l

., ' Unable to guess what his motions meant
‘Bhecarefullyscannod the balloon thatfollow.

,his and we. more puzzled than eye'r.
Though she ha heard theexplosions of 'the
rain balloons she had never seen one,

suer.

and”
therefore d'd not reccgnize the deadly 'char-' '

 
   
   
  
 
   
 
    
   
   
  
    
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
   
 
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
  
    
 
  
  
   
   
  
  
 
   
    
    
   
  
  
   
  
 
   
     
  
    
 
  
    
     
     
    
 
 

Like a pair of birds, or twin thistle-downs .
sailing before the wind, they came swiftly
on. '
She obserVed the frantic wavings of the
lone voyatrcr in the foremost, but she heard
not a wort of his calls.

Then she saw something bright flash ‘high
up in the sunlight.

A little later it flashed again. Then a
whizzing object seemed to drop out of the
sky and half bury itself only a few yards
away.

She ran to the spot where she had seen it
fall, and with her fingers dug 'it out of its ,
bed. When she saw what it was, her suro
prise was even greater than when she had
discovered the balloons. '

What did it all mean? she asked herself.

For answer she looked again at the sky
and at the twin balloons sailing away toward
the Western horizon. No explanation could
come from them; and she turned again to
the odd box of gold, scraping away tin-,earth
which adhered to its edges, and examiningit

The scrutiny left her as much in the dark
as before. She took it up, again looked it
over, as if she feared she had missed some-
thing of its details, gave a last glance at the
recc ing' balloons, and walked thoughtfully
with it toward the house. '

Carrying it within, she placed it on a
table, and endeavored to find some spring or , .
hinge that would open it and-"reveal its inw ~ '
terior, for she was convincedit‘was hollow.

When she could not do_-this she set it
down avainaud went out to look at the sky.
A elpu had floated across its face, and the
balloons, hidden behind it, were no longer .
‘visiblc. .

A feeling that was tinged with awe and
superstition, took possession of her. Of‘ all
her strange experiences, this was decidedly .
the strangest. It seemed absolute] unex-
plainable. It was apparently a ridd c with:
out akeg. . ‘ g ' . ' ‘

It ha been a day‘of surprises; and this,  
coming so. swiftly onxthe heels‘of that other e '
which she could not comprehend, the disap~ a
pearance of her father, sent an indefinablcw '
chill through her veins.

She stared at the monsters depicted on the -
gold lid of the box, in asort of spellbound 
fascination. Their eyes seemed to look into 1:;
hers with a baleful glitter. The engraved  
lines were equally perplexing, and as darkin * 
uncertain as the answers of a Sphinx.  r'=

She knitted her brows in thought, as she“ 
tried again and again \to find some meanin , ‘ '
some hint of word or‘ letter; in these mar -‘
ings; but she might as well have essayed to‘ I 
decipher the - hieroglyphs on a Chinese tea;  

chest. " i , . _ , 
Finall a :light flashed intolher pe lexedf 
face. S e studied the gold eoflinr'c osely; v.’ 

 
 

thenslowly and almost superstitiously drew it,“
up the sleeve of her dress, displaying [they ,
white, rounded outline of her .ri ht arm. ' ‘g , 
' On its satinyisurfacepnear t e shoulderprq;
was the branded figure of a coffin—a brow-n, 
horribly-Suggestive shape against the marble-p
like skin! '.  ‘ ' ,, , . , ‘Q  
Until that moment_she hadlnotconnected'

this brand with the gold box that had dropgad I

:1 , l“

   

        
    
  

    

  
     
    
  
    

so strangely. to her? out or the sky.
there any relatt'onaht' betwomtham'} ' ,.

She. had never an crstood the meaningof .
that- coflln lbrandyand whenever she had
questioned her father concerning it, heha"
answered, .as/she' fancied. ~(wasi-vely, that. ii
was merely a birthmark. ‘ :1! "
, She carefully examined it now tode, tr-
any possrhle resemblance that itrmightbea
2 to the golden box befOrc her; onuthe- table
There wasvlittle enough aux-em Each‘h

the well-known .cofliln s pef iAsidh,,\firmh,
this, there, was nothing in either,” suggesti,
the other.  She would neVer'haye-‘thoug'hfi
of the:.«two in the. same conned f n, but-ton.
the. guest, circumstances of the pr ' ‘t i
men. ~ ~ ' a  ‘ '

 
   

 
 

     
    

  
 

  
 

   
  
  

 

actor of. thisqsingular and’_‘demOn-like pur-j I . t ,_ . .3  ,j
‘ _  *  ,  ‘ ., ‘ p'.f.‘Apa1r:of coffins‘laren’gpleagant‘thlmw .

v

       

 

’

' arm?

    

The Doctor Detective in Terms.

 

 

she mused. “ One ought to be enough! I
wish I knew more of the history of this."
She drew down her sleeve, as she spoke,
and again turned her gaze on the gold box.
” What did the balloonist mean by drop-
ping it down to me? Did he intend me to
gave it? And why me? ‘It couldn't have
een—”
She blushed a little under the thought that
had come to her.
“No; he has had nothing to do With the
V balloon experiments at the fort. The bal-
loonist must have been one of the officers. I
declare, I can’t understand it at all. I
haven’t any more ideas on the subject than
Jupiter would have.” '
She picked it up with a motion of impa-
tience, and returned to the grass-plot in

front of the door, from whence she had las 1

seen the speeding balloons.

They had entirely vanished.

“I wish I could make out the meaning
of this!” she muttered, going nervously back
into the house. “But I mustn't let it take
_up ll’l ’ time in this way. I think I’d better
get . upitcr and ride over to the fort, asI
meant to do. Likely I can get a explanation
there. There they will know something
about the balloons, and perhaps they can tell
me what I want to know about father!”

Her anxieties concerning his strange (lis-
appearance were ' returnin in full force.
They had been partiallyihe d in check for a

mic.

“ That coffin! That cOffinl” she exclaim-
ed, her thoughts recurring to the puzzle.
“ What does it mean? And the one on my
How did it get there? I'm sure it’s
not a birth-mark!”

:HAPTER IVI.
THE FATE OF THE AIR-SHIPS.
t

errr an anguish that was unutterable,
Jack Karbun saw his letter whipped away
by the wind,:and watched it drift on and on
out into the airy spaces of the sky. He knew

' ‘ that it would never be found by Crystal, and

, the law allows, anywayl

he blamed himself for not fastening it more
securely, ' ‘ ,
' “I guess I hain’t got any more sense, than
' Seems to me I’ve
got into the worst snarl of my life.
chances look about ten to one as if I would-
n’t git out of it alchl And then, that coffin;
and me a-chuckin’ it at her in that way! I
reckon I have made a mighty bad matter a
si ht wuss!”
at he was not given much time to reflect
on these things. Under the influence of that

. , westward-setting breeze. the balloons were

2‘ * Idcr this lightening
. high enough to bring a sense of security to.
' Jack Karbun.

flying through space like runawny horses.
g They ‘
'ranchman saw that a collision must sooner
or later occur, if he could do nothing to pre-
vent it. - . ' ‘

He Signed to the few small bags of ballast
still 1' aining in .the basket and, heaved
' them out. The ba loon arose a few feet un-
its load; but did not rise

He saw that the top of, the

 1. whirling envelope of the bomb balloon was
about on a level with the basket in which he

{,was clinging. It'the chasing balloon came

Tstraight on. this envelope. would become:

 

 whirling round and round like a'lazy topa'

entangled Shortly with the liasket;,and_ What
the result might, be he feared to contemplate.

The freshening breeze had given a gyratory
motion to both balloons;,and each was slowly

 or a big bumblebee over-laden with honey

5... .

\

and sick with sweets.
There was nothing more to throwout, and

r ’- Jack Karbun watched the slow approach of
' . the “rack-rock” terror with spell-bound
fascination. ‘I-Ic could scarcely draw his eyes;

' away from it.

Inch by inch it lessened the

 space between itself and the gas balloon.
- ,Inch by inch it crept up, with" what seemed .

    

The '

were nearer together now; and the"

 

atigerish ferocity, and as if determined to
seize its enemy and drag it to death in a
whirlwind of fire and ruin.

If Jack Karbun had been a seamen, or
had the perceptions of a seamen, he would
have been compelled to liken this stern and
long chase to a merchantman cndeavoring
to escape from a swift-sailing clipper with
piratical tendencies.

But being a ranchman, he likened it to a
cowspony chasing a steer; and never yet had
he seen a steer that was ultimately success-
ful in suclra chase.

He glued his eyes to that whirling envelope,
and afear as chilling as death came over
him; and when at last, by a strong effort of
will, he drew his gaze away, he was startled
into a quickening terror by the knowledge
that the balloons were rapidly driving into a
range of rocky hills V .

If they should strike at any mm in those
hills nothing could save him. ‘he dynamite
balloons would be exploded, and he and the
balloon that upheld him would be utterly an-
nihilated. It required no special reasoning
to show him that.

Every moment the hills loomed higher and
higher, and he saw but a short time would

elapse until the balloons would be in their

midst and grazing their granite slopes.

The fear and terror that had possessed
him gave way to a wild desperation.

He looked again at the bomb balloon. Not
over three yards now separated the top of
its envelope from the basket in which he
crouched. '

This was speedily reduced to two yards.
Inch by inch. it came on, until on] one yard
intervened.“ He felt asif he could, reach out

' his band and take hold of the swaying thing.

His frame shock with the excess of his emo-
tions; but he nerved himself for the not he
had determined on. ‘

He drew out his knife, the one with which
he had slashed in two the anchor rope. Then,
holding on tightly with his left hand, he
reached out with his right, and struck des-
perately with the knife. I

But the bebbin g, terrible . thing seemed as
elusive as an eel. Once, the knife-point

seemed to touclnit, but slipped off the strong

meshes without effecting an~entrancc. Then
he struck again and a ain, but the dipping,
swaying motion baflle him.

Whenever he gave one of those vicious
cuts with the knife, he closed his eyes in
horrible anticipation. Ile'was not acquaint-
ed with the construction of balloons, and
iess with the make-up of these exploding
demons. He was not at all sure that the
knife-point might not take hold of some
spring, or scratch some fiery preparation,
that would bring on the dreadpd explosion;
but ,he struck, nevertheless, firmly and
savagely.‘.. , ‘

The envelope of the terrible thing passed
juSt beneath his basket, almost scraping it;
and once he succeeded in planting the knife
blade fairly against it. But it sprung inward
under the force of the blow, and no rent
resulted. .

Then it, passed on, seeming to shake itself
free,-and floated now just in front of him,
but out of reach of his hand. .

“It’s no usel” he gasped, the old fear

paralyzing .him. “The cards is a-‘runnin’
ag’in’ me to-day. It’s no use!” _
. Just before were the approaching, rocky
hills.vseeming to rise out of the whirling
plain like hungry, pointed teeth.
. ‘Strong .. and :courageous as he was, Jack
Karbun sunk down almost as weak asa child,
and covered his face with his hands to -. shut
‘out the suggestive sight. *

,He could have fought cattle thieves and
rustlers without a thought of fear; could
have held at‘bay a band of Indians 'thirsting
for his blood; but these new and untried
forces'and -foés banished 'his bravery and

 

filled-himvwith an unreasoning despair.
Whenhe drew away his hands, he saw that ,

a \ 
'3

l 1-)

the bomb balloon was increasing its distance,
though the discovery did not materially rc-
assure him. It would have broughtafcel-
ing of relief, if those hills had not stood
there as if beckoning him on to death.

But a new hope sprung in his breast, even
as he looked. He saw that the bomb balloon.
was slowly sinking earthward. The descent
was not yet great, but it promised to be con-
siderable by the time the bills were gained.

“ I’m afeared it won’t make much difl'cr-
once, though," he mused, striving to weigh.
the chances. “When that there thing does
go off, it’ll so eternally rack the sky that the
stars will ’mcst fall down. Ireekon whether
I’m one yard from it er a hundred won‘t
count. It'll teetetally tear this thing into
carpet-rags; an’ 1 ’low if I’m lucky enough
to strike terry firmy, there won‘t be enough
of me left to hold an inquest over!” ,

Still, his hopes grew, as the distance be-
tWeen the balloons continued to increase.

He had not given any thought to the
means of his descent, so occupied had he
been with the terrors growing out of the-
ncarncss of. the “rack-rock” monster that
had-for so long chased lmn.

Now he began to think of that, as the hills
approached, and some of . the lower and
outer ones swept beneath him.

He knew that he was more than forty
miles from home; but so speedily had he
Come, that it seemed only a few moments
since he had seen (‘rystal at the ranclrhouse,
and had hurled toher the golden coilin.

A glance off to one side showed hima
bunch of ,his ranch horses grazing in a
grassy canyon. Then they were hidden by
an intervening crest: and he swept On.

A gusty wind seemed to blow from the
direction of the canyon, which can ht the
foremost balloon, already dipping an sway-
ing because of its collapsing envelope, and
swept it (nrthward at frightful speed.

Jack Karbun clung in renewed terror to
the ropes, as he saw this,

He anticipated an explosion; and it was
not long in coming. v »

The bomb-bearer swung near an arching

“ledge, against which it struck.

Immediately the dull roar of the rending
“rack-rock” bellowed across the ravines;
the air became first tremuloue, then con--
vulsed; and what seemed a cyclonic gale

struck the balloon that held Jack Karbun,

The basket crashed upward against the en-
velope, which appeared suddenly to invert

1

itself, and then all shot downward in a con-.3

fused and tangled mass!

Karbun clung with the blind instinct ‘of ,

self-preservation, scarcely knowing what he
did or what had occurred. He felt himself
dropping blindly through space, and be
ilicved that the hour of death had come.

But, Jack Karbun Was not to be dashed
to pieces on that rocky slope. _ The balloon
slowly lighted, and the basket agaln hung,

swaying and bobbing, in its accustomed ‘

place. a
From the envelope there came the loud,

hissing sound of escaping, gas; and, look- '

ing upward, Karbun saw that a rent had
been torn in the great silk bag. But, it was

not large enough to cause the balloon to '

fall immediately. ' It swung round and.
round like a crippled bird, and , descendml
with a rocking motion in the direction of the
point that had been so torn ._ by the explosron
of the “ rack-rock.” , ‘

Hope returned once more to the breast of
the ranchinan, from whence it had so often
fled that day.

A little later the balloon dropped grace-
fully on the apex of a stony knoll; and then
the huge envelope careened, collapsed, and
that was its end: it lay flattened on the knoll.
'I‘he basket had been dragged but a short
distance; and old Jack, scrambling out, with
‘only a few bruises to show "and no broken
bones, thanked his lucky stars that his feet
were again pressing the fixed and solid earth.

 

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CHAPTER VII.
A RANCHMAN’s INGENUI’I‘Y. r

WITH a feeling of mingled awe and grati-
tude, he walked to the spot where the “ rack-
rock ” had spent its exploding force.

There was not a shred visible of the bal-
loon that had given him so stern and thrill-
ing a chase. It had been blown into frag-
ments, and these fragments had been so scat-
tered that a close search would scarcely have
revealed one of them.

Not only that: The g ‘anite of the hillside
was plowed and torn in a manner almost be-

ond description, and a great section of the
edge against which the bomb balloorn had
Struck had been blown down and lay in a
pulverized heap at the base of the hill. Such
devastation, such a complete work of de-
struction, Jack Karbun had never seen, and
an inward shudder shook him, when he con-
templated what would have been his fate if
the “ rack-rock ” had exploded when his bal-
loon was near it. _

IIis anxieties concerning his daughter, who
was no doubt worrying over his peril and
puzzling her head about the ' mystery of the
coffin that had been thrown to her, would not
permit him to long engage in 1m ititless
speculation. That he was safe, that he had
collie through the dangerous race unharmed,
‘was a thing to be grateful for; but it was
useless to dwell on it.

The question now, was: how could he re-
turn to the ranch?

He recalled the horses he had seen in the
canyon. He had many such bands on the
range; and he knew they were one and all as
wild and unbroken as if they were genuine
wild mustangs that had never felt the hand
of man. All he had ever done to these, was
to have each roped at the proper age and
branded on, the hip with a big “K C"; a
thing, not of itself calculated to tame them or
make them think kindly of the biped, man.

Nevertheless, Jack Karbun saw that if he
would return speedily to the ranch, he- must

manage in someway to catch one of these -

horses, and so set his wits to work to devise
a feasible plan.

He. had neither bridle nor rope; but he
saw the raw materials for both in the netting.
that Covered the envelope of the gas balloon.

Alas! that gas balloon. How was it to be

got back to the point from which it, had
flown? Jack 'Karbun didrnot know; and at
that moment he little cared.
. Out of the ropes that formed the netting,
he made a halter, and-two or three bo-
lases, such as the Indians of, certain por-
tions of South America use for ghe cap-
ture of game. He would infinite y have
preferred a good lasso, but the material
was too much knotted for the purpose; and
so he had to content himself with the bolascs;
each of which consisted of three strong cords,
tied to ether at one end, andwith the three
free en 3 weighted eaclrflvith a bit of stone.
It is an uncommon weapon‘ in this country,
but nevertheless a. very effective one in the
handsof a skillful thrOWer. '

Jack Karbu‘n had been ,taught the bolas
trick by'a Mexican cowboy, who had once

, been a chttle-herder in the countries‘far to

the southward of the connecting panama
Isthmus. ’and he had never forgotten it; but
had utilized it on more than one occasion,
and had thanked his lucky stars for the

“happy chance that brought» him the knowi-

,edo'e.
v ,' {With the halter andthe carefully-prepared.

bolases, he walked from the: hillside that had

. come so near witnessing his death; and, after-
:a last backward glance at the wrecked gas

whorl and the furrowed bill. be disappear:
ed over the rise. and descended toward the
canyon whet-ain‘the ponies were feeding.
lack, rbun had lived tpo long on the
plalilS, and had passed through too many

\ perils ofthc sort common to the plains re.

,gion, no"; lIOL'h'ave become an adept in the art :

20f cmWhlig and creeping. And when the
. l ‘4 .

head of the canyon was gained, and a look
told him the ponies were still peacefully
feeding in its depths, he got down on his
hands and knees and stole forward with all
the circumspectness of an indian trailer.

So softly did he move that not a stone was
turned, not a twig of mesquite or ehaparral
displaced. - lle passed over the earth, in that
recumbent attitude, with the lithcness of a
panther, and the stillness of a breathless
wind.

Down into the :anyon's hollow, and along
the rocky slope, be pressed, in that slow
and laborious fashion, picking up and putting
down his hands and feet with a care im-
possible to the ordinary untrained white
lllilll.

if he had been mounted, and had been
possessed of a lasso, he would have made a
bold dash into the midst of the herd and
taken his chances of roping the pony he
wanted. Now he knew he must accomplish
’his purpose by stealth and cunning, if he
would accomplish it at all.

Once or twice he peered from a rise, to
correct the line of his advance, and to re-
assure himself that he was proceeding in the
proper direction; but as a rule, he kept
Well out of sight, knowing that these ponies,
schooled to the perils of the plains, were
likely to be quiet as wary and watchful as a
baud of antelopcs. .

Taking advantage of a clump of mosquito
which grew quite up to the point where the
ponies wore grazingihc succeeded in making
his way into this; and then crawling, through
it with infinite pains, he found himself with-
in casting distanw. ' '

There were a half-dozen of the ponies
within less than a dozen. yards of where he
lay; and, peering out from his leafy covert,
be fixed his eyes on the one he thought
would best answer his purpose, -'

. He did not immediately rush out, how-
ever, but lay there quietly until he had
partially recovered from the fatigue of his
advance. 4 -

Then he sprungto his feet, leaping clear of
the mesquite at a bound, and, as the ponies
turned to ace away, frightened at sight of
him, he hurled a bolas with all his skill into
the midst of the mass of twinkling legs.

One of the ponies went. down in a tangled
heap, struggling and kicking in vain, its
feet tightly knotted together bythe strands
of the bolas; and before it could kick itsrdt‘
free, old Jack Karliun was at its side, and
his woolen jacket was over its head.

The halter, with a compressing slip-noose
for the nose, was with difficulty placed in
position. Then the blinding jacket was re-
moved; and, as the bewildered pony stag-
gered to its feet, Karbun leaped to its back,
exhibiting remarkable cease” and lightness
for a man of his years. ‘ ~ ~

The fierce struggle that ensued almost
bailies de.-‘cription. The captured animal
reared and plunged; danced eccentric horn-
pipes; and finding those of no avail, threw
itself on its back. Not only once 'did it do
this. but a half-dozen times in succession.

Finding it could not rid itself of its to-r4
,mentorjn this way, it bounded from the
canyon and headed straight out into the open
plains.

This was exactly what the ranehman de-
sired; and by jerking at the halter and pres-
sing with his knees, he mannged to shift it in
its course until the line of its flight took it
directly toward the distant ranch-house.

Mad with terror it flew onimiie aftchmile,
exhibiting the remarkable endurance so
characteristic of the plains ponies bred after
its fashion. They seem absolutely tireless,
endure apparently nerved with steel.

Two-thirds of the distance was passed
oyer before any exhaustion became manifest.
1'1 hen, streaming with sweat and panting like

 

"a. furnace, its wild spirit conquered and sub-

dued. it fell into a gentle fanter. and finally .

into a walk; and thereafter the chairman

 

' found no ditlieulty in guiding it whitherso-

ever he would have it go.

it was after dark when the ranch—house
was gained—the end of an eventful day!—
and Jack .Karhuu, riding up to the door, be-
came conscious of the same chill of desertion
and absence. that had oppressed his daugho
ter on her return that morning from the ride
on the ostrich. ' ‘

No welcome light gleamcd from the win—
dow. No sound came to greet him. EVcn
Shep, the faithful watch-dog, was silent and
evidently gone.

Jack Karliun could not understand it.
lle swung himself from the back of the pony,
tied the animal to a conVenien-t post, and
strode up to the door.

No response came to his call; and when
hehml entered, and had lighted a lamp, he
found the house absolutely deserted.

The meaning of it he could not fathom.

CHAPTER VIII.
curs’rm. KARBUN AT THE Fon'r.

IN spite of her anxiety over the fate of
her father, the mystery clinging about the
golden coflin so strongly worked on her.
fancy, that (‘rystal Karbun turned to it
again; and, placing the coffin on the table,
re-ethined it, and studied the enigmatical
figures on its lid.

So interested did she become in this, that
she remained thus engaged for many min-
utes; and not until a form darktL-ned the door
did she come out of the rCVerie into which she

‘ had fallen. -

Lieutenant (lutwell stoodin the doorway,
a look of surprise on his face;‘ and behind him
crowded a half-doch troopers.

A flaming red that might have been con-
strued into an acknowledgment of guilt,
burned suddenly in the girl's face. -

Cutwell and the troopers saw it, and they
saw also the golden eotiin resting *on the
table in front of her.  -

She. arose quickly, invited. them within, "

and marshaled in order a number of chairs 

for their use. i , ,
“ Play be s :atcd, gentlemen,” she invited,
cmicawu'ing to suppress her‘agitag n.
She was not wholly successful ir his; and
was half angered because her elieeks-fl‘fiamed
and her heart hammered so furiously...

It must he confessed.  ,ghatlbeen'startledr
not only by the comingu'of JK‘rutwell and the .

troopers. but be 'ause they had caught her 
poring in that rapt and abstracted fashion 

over the mysterious markings on the Collin.- ‘ ‘

She had not attempted to remove or can‘- ; '

coal the box of gold; and it remained on the
table in full view of all. ‘ " . ~
‘In spite of the easy jauntincss of his man

nor, a feeling of restraint fell on Cutwcil,‘

who was the. acknowledng spokesman of

the party. _ The lieutenant had‘called at the .‘ 
ranch-house for the purpose of ascertaining: ,;

if Jack Karbun had escaped death and re»

turned home. ‘ .

The last thing he had expected to see “asp, 

the golden coffin; and his face showed it.

“You—you must excuse me, Miss Kan'

bun. for speaking of it," he began, apologet-

ically, " but that gold box you have‘there on '
the table looks to-be'the very one whose}

.ahScnec from the fort has caused scrunch
You will pardon me if I venture _

trouble.
to ask where you gotlt?” * ;,
She flashed him a look of wonder. '

“I’m perfectly willing to answer,’f and“
she passed him the coffin for his inspection. '

“It’s a most won-—mysterious thing. The,
most mysterious that ever happencdgfnea:
.Two balloons that I suppose came from Ion

 

hiliesquite, passed over here some time hgo‘; .

a d that coffin was dropped from one of

them." ' v

 

' The troopers exehangcd knowing glances.-

‘Ht-‘l' story. remarkable as it Was, came use 1‘3

proof ‘of the things they believed. 'Jficg
Karhun. whom they thought ‘guilty of th
crime charged against him, had beenjthe.

.__:..’

 

t

kg,

 

  

 man

L  rsdé only stew minutes before.

- 1&8.

 

 

man in the balloon; and, if he had thrown
that coilin down to his daughter, what fur-
ther was necessary to establish the fact that
he was the thief? To their minds, nothing.

Hence, their significant glances!

Crystal Karlmn, studying the features of
the young lieutenant, did not notice this ex-
change of looks; but if she had, she would
not have been able to understand it, being so
utterly ignorant of all that had gone before.

“You know who was in that balloon?”
Cutwell questioned, retaining the collin in
his possession.

“I do not!” she frankly avowed. “lle
waved at me, or made. motions as if to at-
tract my attention; and that queer thing then
fell. I presume he tossed it out, through I
can't say that I saw the act.” _

Whatever the troopers believed of Jack
Karbun, her innocent ingenuousncss told
them she knew nothing of the theft, if one
had been committed by him.

" I regret to say,” Cutwcll hesitatingly
stammered, “that the man in the balloon
was your father: and that he came to be in

' the balloon because of some trouble occurring
at the fort.”

She stared at him in disbelief and amaze-
ment.

' “Impossible!” was the immediate ejacu-
lation. \

“I tell you but the truth, Miss Karbunl”
and the lieutenant assumed his most impres-
sive tones. “I presume you do not know
what preceded his coming to the fort. You
'did not know of his—of his—”

' He stopped again, in the most aggravating-
Way, disliking to form the words; and Crys-
tal Karbun, her fears excited, became wild,
with impatience. _ , -'
, “What is it you were about to say? Do
not spa-re me; for whatever it ishl would
rather hear the worst you have to tell, than
to be held in sus case!” i
. “Well, Miss, 'arbun, since you insist on
it, I'will tell on all. Your father was ar-
rested here, in this house, this morning,
' charged with stealing the identical gold coflin
' youhave ‘ven me. And which you frank-
. acknow edge was dropped to you out of
t e balloon.

“ He was taken to Fort Mesquite by the
troopers who effected his arrest; and there,
getting into an altercation with. the general,
~ about the~the affair, he struck the general a
v . blow, and escaped from the place in the bal-

, ’ 10011, which was anchored in the drill

:“You have insisted that I should not
' spare 'oui That is as much as I know. The
I the balioon, who. threw you the
coffin, was none other than your father!" \
Crystal gave a. gasp of surprise and d' -‘
,may. She wgs shrewd enough to see hov
damaging to her father’s cause was the confes- ’
 sion she had made. She was puzzled, too;
-:‘ ‘if possible more puzzled now than she had
-’ _. been before. What was her father doing-
with the coffin in his possession, and why
Should he have dropped it to her out of the

,‘ 5 . grounds.

'  balloon? ‘ How did" he obtain it?‘ . .
j )1. Then came thefear that he might even at
 that moment be lying dead somewhere,

 dashed- to pieces in the attempt to descend.

;.  Altogether it was a horrible picture that
 framed itself so suddenly before the mental
 ,«,eye of this girl. .. ,
1‘. ‘-""If‘ryou will - send a body of men to
‘ search for; my father, who may be lying'
.dead somewhere, I will willingéy accompany
you to the fort, Lieutenant utwell! she
said, her face new as white as it had been
, “ N o mat?
r what others mafiosay about him, I know
'he is not a thief- _ wcvcrvthat cotiin came
- «into his possession, he did not steal it! You
may rest assured of that; and that the ex»
location will be found sooner. or later.
‘i'I'will go With you,and will appeal to

s

   

she passed through the big

am as sure on
net-cl Armiston to withhold even a mental ~

   

 

may do no good; but I will go! No; you
may retain the coffin! I do not want to see
it again.” - ,

She said this last, as Cutwell gallantly
made a motion to return it to her.

“I am extremely sorry to have so dis-
turbed you!" he apologized. “Extremely
s'orry indeed. And I beg that you will not
give undue weight to what has occurred.
As you say, a little investigation may set
everything right.” ,

He did not believe this, but felt he ought
to say something to lessen the shock of the
surprise.

“ I shall send the men to make the search,
as you request; and I can promise youa
loyal eSCort to the fort, if you choose to go
there.”

He had arisen, and his shapely hand was
now lair politely on the neat blue jacket,
just above his wart, not varying an inch
from the correct position; for Lieutenant
Arthur Cutwell had many times studied this
attitude before his dresser in his room at. the
fort.

Bewildered, confused, heart-crushed as
she was, Crystal Kai-bun felt grateful for
this attention; and inwardly thought the
lieutenant a gallant and most excellent gen-
tleman. '

None of the cowboys had returned, and
she disliked to leave the ranch-house without
an occupant. She excused herself and
withdrew from the room, however, and
while the troopers were getting ready for
their departure, she took a fruitless survey
of the plains. . a .

She was about to go, to the stable for her
favorite riding-horse, when one of the troop-

ers advanced and politely offered to perform

the servicejor her.‘

Almostat the same moment Cutwcll came
up with some. of" his men; and, thrusting the
gold coffin into her hand, insisted that, inas-
much as it had“ been found in her possession,
she should take charge of it and, personally
surrender it to General Armiston. ,

The squad detailed to follow in the direc-
tion taken by the balloons, for the purpose
of finding and assisting Jack Karbun, was
already prepaiin to move away. I

Jupiter, the b g ostrich, came out of lus
shed and xplainly showed by his actions that

he meant'to accompany his young mistress; '

and the shepherd dog evinced the same dc-
sirc. Both followed in the'wake of Cutwell’s
party and Cr stal Karbun, as they rode away
toward Fort iIesquite. . . a
One of the very first to greet Crystal, as
gates into the
arade ground, was Doctor Daylight. His
ace Showed sympathy and wonder; and
something much stronger than either, which
was love. .
He was evidentl ' confused and anxious,
as he came forwar and asked to be permit-
tedto assist her to alight; and she, consent-
ing, and blushing strangely, seemed equally
confused and anxious. , ,
‘.,Cutwell had sprang from his saddle and
was now also at her side; and accompanied
bgi-thc two_,she walked to General Armiston’s
0 cc. -

-"‘,’I‘his,gwhioh came to me so strangely, I.

have brought to you,” she said, placing the
gold coffin in his hands, after the formality
of, an introduction.‘ " ' ‘

General Armiston o ened his eyes in'wide
surprise. and his ban 3 closed on the coffin
in an ea or clutch.

He he d it‘ thus, looking inquiringlv from
one to another; and Crystal falterineg told

Thor-story, assisted how and then by the gall

lant Cutwell. - ~
- ‘.‘ I begof you, General Armiéton to with—

.hold'all judgment in this matter until more

of the facts are .known,”'she implored. .“'I
. ,my father did not steal it as
thatyoudid not “3 ;- . w ‘
There-was so 'cthing‘lso earnest and im-
pressiv'e, such ancvidence'of fond belief in

a

   

    

 

the innocence of her father, that General
Armiston was visibly touched.

“ I will endeavor to do so Fill your request,”
he said, bowing politely; for General Armis-
ton was ever the gallant gentleman in his
treatment of women. “ I thank you for
bringing it to me. I cannot tell you how
highly I value it. It contains jewels of great.
worth; though not for them alone do I so
greatly esteem it. There are few such jewels
in this country."

As he made the declaration, he touched
the spring, which Crystal had sought for
all in vain, and the strangely—wrought lid
flew open,

A cry of amazement and anger broke from
his lips,

The golden cqflin was seen to be empty!

The members of the little party seemed
scarcely able to believe their eyes!

“ What is the meaning of this 1'” the general
asked, in a hoarse, choked voice.

“I do not know 1” Crystal stammercd, be-
coming iirst white and then red. “ The box
seems to be just as it was when it came into
my hands. I assure you I have not opened
it. I tried to, but could not; I could not
find the sprin ” ‘

She was slnfiring like a leaf. .

“ Has it been out of your hands since you
have had It?” Daylight questioned, coming
to the rescue.

She gave him a grateful look.

“The contents cannot have been taken

out since the box came into my possession," .

was her statement,'after a moment’,s thought.
“ Lieutenant Cutwell had it a few minutes
While we were at' the ranch-house, but he
gaveit back to me almost immediately, in-

sisting that I should deliver it myself to"

General Armiston.” '-
-A gleam of comprehension came into the
eyes of Doctor Daylight. .
Having gone so far. Crystal proceeded to

explain hastily all that had occurred at the

ranch-house, and to reveal in quick detail
the strange incidents that had placed the box
in her care. '-
Cutwell, though, he ,hadheard thereto y
before, up cared to boas much interested as
the genera , and permittedwnoword, of it to
escape him. . '
What General Armiston thought was plain-
ly apparent, though he did not put it into
words. He Was more certain than ever that

Jack Karbun had stolen the coffin, and had!

filched from it the jewels before tossing it to
his daughter. ‘ - . . '
That one last act was the only t ing mysl
terious in the entire chain of eirc stances.
Even the general was puzzled by it, con-
vinced though he was of Karbun’s guilt. -
Crystal Karbun, weighted by the knowl:

ed e that General Armiston believed her

fat er a thief, stood there withxdowncast
eyes. thrilling under the strauga'degrada-
tion and terror. Only the.,presence 0; D3)"
light, whom she felt tabs the one friend in
the room, sustained her.

The case against her
black, In shakin the box, when she had
tried to open it,

tle about. ' She saW; tho“ .1). by looking into.

the open coffin, which sti l rested in the-gem - I

eral’s trembling hand, that it was lined with
the softest. 10f satin pads; so it"was, possible

the gems might have given out. no sounds’

even when they were in the box. w y
“ I cannot: understand. it I” ishe declared at
lensgth; breakingthe oppresswe Sllence.

o. shaky and unnatural was-the voice,
shat General Armiston forgottor a moment
his own deep sense of lpss andglanced at the ‘ -
trembling" girl. ~ Her ,ashenlpallor and her

. lady to thefj'
house.”-he commande . turning to Cutwen ‘~ ’ .
her. to Mrs, Ann. :~ “
ton and explain that it is 11.15? wishjshe ='
shall lie-Well cared for.‘ '_Poor child! ,I have _

evident pain startled him. ‘ "

“ Accompany, ' tho" . oung
and Daylight: ‘1‘ Present
mis

        

father looked very '

. had noted the fact that
its contents, if there were any, did not rat-"



 

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been selfish in forgetting how this must
affect you!”

'. He closed the box with a snap, and put it
in one of his pockets.

“ It is useless to longer discuss the mys-
tery. Time alone can solve it. Stay! I will
go myself with you to my wife, and place
I you in her hands. You are very pale and
 weak, and must be illl"

He took up his hat, and walked across
the parade-grounds with Cr'stal and the
two men; and, knocking at t e door of the
house occupied by himself and family as a
home, he presented Crystal, with a few ex-
planatory words, and left her in the care
of the kind-hearted woman who was his
Wife.

 

CHAPTER IX.
a 'rrmrnanG RIDE. wmcn ENDS IN
MYSTERY.

Tmn kindness of Mrs. Armiston was genu- I
. inc and of the wholesome sort.‘ She caused
Crystal to acquaint her with the details of
the startling story, and then soothed her as a
mother might soothe a frightened child. '

“ I shall insist on your making this place
your home for awhile!” she declared. "‘I
cannot believe that your father is uilty of
any such crime. The father of sue a girl
is not likely to be the kind to do an act like
that. I shall not believe it. And now
make yourself as comfortable as you can,
and remember all the time that I am your

, friend.” '

But, there was one in the house who did
not look so kindly on the ranchrnan’s daugh-
ter. '

'This was a Miss Alice Bretherten, a young
lady from the East, on a visit to the Armis-
tons, who were family friends. She had
given Crystal a sharp look when she beheld
her coming across the parade-grounds. The
cause of her dislike, we may sa ,was that she
herself had fallen. in, love wit the dadhing
postscout, Doctor Dogfight, and 'Suddenly
Was convinced that int c ranehm'an's beaut .-'

- fuladaughters‘he body-unveil 7- : i.   .t 
' Crystal 'paid scant attention to the dis-
’ courtesies of Miss Bretherton. Her mind
was engrossed with more serious things.
, The startling events of the day clung to her
like a-nightmare:-and, besides, there was the
 -. deep anxiety concerning the fate of her
3 ‘: " ffa‘theanw, .‘ ' . r -
‘ When the little detachment that had gene
in search of him returned about nine o’clock
that night .mth '.the'» report that they had
 I_ been ab e_ to discover nothing, her suspense
-_  becamesimply unendurable. She resolved
 -,.to;makelasearch herself; J. _' ‘
'~ r The bi _-ostr1ch_tha had fqllowcd the
‘ , party 11% been given, he freedom of the
parade ground. and Crystal had seen him
stalking discensolately-abeut. shortly before
dark, like a homelessbird of, the wilderness.
- She resolved to take J uplter and return with
1 him to the ranch-house. ,,  __ ;
, :gShe'knew she would be e posed infinis
 resolution, and thcrcfore. to] no one of her
' intention. but slipped qmetly *outzplao'ed a
 string on Jupiter‘s neck. and led  to the
 a 'gatethat opened out toward theplains.
r ' {j'z- Asentinel steedjthere {on duty;butwwhen
he saw her he step ed  and politely
' ,‘saluted: for Gen‘era'lArmiston had issued
' orders that her sievements‘ were to be placed
, ' der no restrictions. . - ‘ . g y.
‘. 3,“ng any one inquires. you may tell them
.- ",zaxzthatlhave returned 1101108,.th will try to.
":fl.‘jeome back tomorrow!” ,and‘ ‘sheypassed
._-;throu h the gate, leading the ostrich- 
 .35; “Viry ‘well, miss!” touchingz'h'is cap» . .
‘ . When .She heard the 8393 01°59 ’Pehjnd her.
 shaggafleggiow command to Jupiter at the
. samjegge. filling gent] onthe co . -..The
wen-on , a pad obeys instantlfi actuating
. on the'g‘fiqd like, a. chicken. -'.T en'she1
lit to her accustomed place on
him, rise.

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turn home, for he stepped out lightly in that
direction. evidently glad of the freedom of
the wide reaches about him.

With encouraging words she sent him
spinning on, her anxiety outrunning even
his phenomenal speed.

“ On, Jupiter!” she urged.
reach home just as soon as we can.
That is a good fellow!”

Thus spoken to, be stretched out his neck
and began rapidly to cover the intervening
iiistance with those' long, swiftly~moving
egs.

But the ride home was not destined to pass
without its disagreeable incident.

When about half the way had been passed
over, there came to the startled cars of the
girl, the long, meurnful howl of wolf; which
was quickly taken up by another and an-
other, until at last a score of these animals
were l‘eprcscntcd by those long-drawn, blood~
curdling notes. .

Ordinarily Crystal Karbun was not afraid
of wolves. Of the ‘ common coyotes she
had never had any fear. But she knew
from the sounds that these were the large,

“ We must
On!

wolves, builalo wolves, ctc., according to
the locality in which they are found.

There had been reports of their 'rccent in-
vasion ofthe country, and the cattlemen were
already beginning to suffer from their dep-
redations; and now, as she listened to them,
and knew that her presence there was the.
cause of the outcrics, she trembled a little
and a chill of fear crept through her.

But, she had faith in the running pewers of
Jupiter, and in the kicking powers, too, of
those wonderful legs. Speedy indeed must
be the wolf that could overhaul him ina
fair race. ‘

“ New show them how you can run!” she
commanded, at the same time tapping his
sides with one of her hands. V .
 And Jupiter, as if ‘ comprehending her
word‘s, leaped ' away in, a renewed burst Jef
see.. ,  -
: gButrthoserhowl-s'continued to float ever the
wild expanse, coming, as it seemed, from all
directions; from front as well as rear. .

This caused her to doubt the ability of the
biliostrich to escape them. J upitcr was not
to e given a fair race. From, those behind
he\had nothing to fear, but what of those in
front, and hastening toward him?
~ Seen the dark outlines of the forms of
these could be seen, and their daring auda-
city made Crystal tremble. They' dashed at.
the ostrich, snapping‘their distended, foam-
ing jaws. and striving to leap up to where
she sat on the bird’s back. i '

Jupiter halted an instant,‘as if ’ he contems
plated fight, and sent. the nearest howling
over bac' ward with a. well directed kick.
Then, as if knowin he was unequal to such
a contest, he leape on again, increasing his
already great speed. , -. t .V

The howling pack; disconcerted only for
an instant, swung in behind him and gave
chase, yelping fiendishly. - . 

Crystal Kai-bun, half-stupefled with fear, I
yet 'was able, to appreciate the splendid run-
ning qualities now,exhibited by-the bird.
She had thought she knew something" ‘of,;_
Jupiter‘s capabilities; but she wascgmpclled.
tocenfess she had never seen him’try his

'. full speed until that moment.

j {His legs moved with the rapidit of the
spokes of a'm'hirling carriage w eel: 'so,
swiftly that had there been a spectator-oaths
ground, aided by the full light or day, he

‘ '. “could hardly have distinguished one le from

the. other. .They: . Were blent intqa bonny
mesh, by the quick, shuttle-like motion.

' «It, was with the utmost diliicultythat the
"gil'l....half'terrorized by this 'wild s urt‘. ‘kept
the!" place, on .the bird‘s back. he, wind,
Whistled by her with a. shrill sound, and she
felt forced to" twine her'arms' about the_ OS"
151‘1‘311’aineck to su portherself from falling.

 

  

. new that she ,rmeant to re-_

fierce gray creatures, variously called timber '

‘ .A11 deal

the farm of a man: and 'in that ‘ an . ,
excitement _she_ believedlhismnntgjbe‘ "‘l- '

 She gavea loud scream  rush.

immediately fell hopelessly to the rear; and,
as there were no more of them in front, bar-
ring the way, the yells grew fainter and
fainter.

“ Steady, J upitcr!” Crystal urged, anxious
for the Welfare of the noble bird. “ Don't
run yourself to dcat 1! You, have distanced
them beautifully. ’l hcy’ll not be able to get
near us again. You’re worth a dozen ponies,
an time. Steady there. Jupiter!” .

The. ostrich’s fears somewhat abated uni,
der these coaxing admonitions, and he fell in—k
to a gentler gait; one not so trying on the ’
clinging abilities of his fair rider.

The howls of the chasing wolves had, too,
fallen on other ears.

Doctor Daylight, going to the home of
General Armiston, shortly after the return
of the Searching )arty, for the purpose of
saying some we of comfort to the distract-
ed girl, was astonished beyond measure to
discover that she was not'therc. ‘

When she did not respond to the calls of
Mrs. Armiston, a search Was instituted, ,
which revealed that she had departed from ‘
the fort with the ostrich. ‘

“ Did she leave no message?” Daylight-
anxiously inquired of the sentry. '

“ Yes, sir,” was the reply; “ she said she;
was going home, and would be back to-
morrow.” ‘ .

It was while these words were being
spoken that the quavering, startling, distant ”
cries of the fierce boasts were heard, borne
to the fort on the sighingwind. .

“ Bring my horse at once, will ~you 1'" Day-

li ht requested, turning to one of the men“
wghom he knew as a friend. ‘.‘ This girl has a
got herself into trouble. .I am going to her ; .
assistancel” ; ' ] ' '

Five minutes later he was mounted, and
rode through the gate in the direction taken“
by Crystal. " ‘ ' -

N GVcr dreaming of what was takin lace
at the fort, Crystal Karbun sped rapid y en.
toward the ranch-house, which she reached
inidue time. g . . ‘ -
5 Shefclt that if. herlfa'thcr were alive he
would returmthere as quickly as possible;
and a sense (if disappointment smote her v ,
when no welcoming light twinkled from the l 
windows. ‘ ‘

“ He has not come!” she thought.
afraid he has been killedl” r y, ,

She full ' understood the nature of the den» ,
ger to wh ch ho had been subjected inthat: 
wild balloon race. ‘ The fact that she I;
heard‘no report, such as she fanciedweuld 
be made by the explosion of the "rack- r .12:
rock," hard comforted her. A mufilcd, fare ., 
awa boom had. been heard by some of the f 
soldiers, but she had not been toldeflt. , '

There were a thousand perils- attending
the descent. any one of which might. have
caused the death or ramming-of her father;
and now- she began to feel that even the
worst of her fears must-be true. ‘ “ ‘_  

She dismounted from the ostrich near the
corral; an walked heavily towardthe house.
for haste had forsaken her. .. v- r ; 3

~ ‘But . when near, the window she gave. a
tremulous starts, A'uscuflilng sound...i~from'
within the building reached her. , It. was fol
lowed almost immediately byafall.  

 {the moon, new shinin r-‘b «ightly, pour

flood "of light through the window, butfsho
could see nothing. mShe ran to'the door; an
without waiting to knock, pushed it open...

Dashing breathlessly into the recur from
whence the sounds seemed to have come, she“.
wasjust in time to see a man dressed . ‘
army .ofiicer. stagger through . the o' ypqgfm
doorwavywei'ghted with a‘ heavy bu an: " "

fine-did not get to, See the officefis'face:
‘but she was sure that the object her-bore we!

     
  
  
    
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  
  
   
 
   
    
 
  
   
    
     
  
  
    
  
  
   
   
  
 
   
   

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“doorway, throughwhieh‘lthe edieer'had

 

- " lThe feateet of t e pursuing wolvet alt-moist, ,,

ished.

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' had leaped up eagerlyl at the sound of his

   

1.0 ,,

The Doctor Detective in TeXas.

 

Nothing was to be seen.

A one end of the house a grove of big
mesquite trees came close up to the door;
and it was evident that the fugitive—~if
he were a fugitive—had hurried into its
shelter. .

With another scream, that was heart-
rt-nding in it despair, the girl rushed in-
to the grove. But though she searched
everywhere, stumbling blindly about and
frenziedly wringing her hands, she could dis-
cover nothing.

The oiliccr and his limp and apparently

inanimate burden had completely disap-
pintrcd.
’ A little later she fancied she heard the
ringing of hoof—beats on the tough sod
beyond the corrals; but when she had
dashed in that direction, and had scanned
the plains, faintly illumined by the pale
light of the moon, there was nothing visi~
blc. The ringing hoof-beats, too, had died
away.

She rushed far out on the plains in a vain
search, returning after a. time almost crazed
by the weight of her grief and despair.
Then she walked again and again through
the mesquite growth, scratching her hands
and tearing her clothing.

The stables and corrals were also sau‘ched.
There was nothing anywhere to aid her in
unraveling this new mystery. She was sure,
though, that the limp form she had seen
borne through the doorway was that of her
father; and she was almost equally sure that
he was dead, and had been slain by the un-
known ofiicer. . , '

CHAPTER X.
THE STORY WRITTEN IN THE EARTH.
Docron ’lnvnicn'r, reaching the ranch-
house on an almost exhausted horse, found
Cr st'al Kai-bun on the verge of hysteria.
With difficulty could she make known what
she had seen.

It was not long. after the mesquite grove
had been entered by them, until he came on
signs that wore significant, and, to his
schooled eyes, almost as plain as written
words.

In the soil near the corner of the house,
which had been rendered wet and soft by
water led there from a waste pipe, Were the
clearly-defined imprints of a pair of cavalry
boots, that Were of small size and tine finish.

The boots had had high heels, as was
shown by the depth to which they had
penetrated.

“ You were not mistaken, you see, in
thinking the man a soldier and an oilicer.
None but an officer would haVc worn boots
of that shape and make.”

Other boot-marks were found further on
beneath the inesqite-trees; and again in the
dust around the corrals. All talliediwith
those first seen at tlie'corncr of the house.

The matter of the boots had been hurry-
ing on at considerable speed, too, as evi—
denced by the way in which the toes cut in-
to the dust.

At one point, where the prints were full
and broadly perfect, Daylight took a small
tape measure from his pecket and applied
it to the outlines, noting carefully the
incasur aneuts.

“ 'l‘hc fellow wore a number seven boot!”
he alllrmcd, rising from the task; “and it
. was a boot that was nearly if not quite new.
You have the evenness of the heels, and the
clear-cut impression they make. The boots
would not make such an impression, if they
had been much worn.” '

He said this aloud.

His added thought, was: ' '

“ That fellow must have been from Fort
MeSQiiitc;———could have been from no other
place! I shall find out who it is there wears
a brand new No seven cavalry boot. I
half think’I could already give a. shrewd

 

Daylight was very much shaken by her in-
coherent account. He was afraid that
bloody work had been done there.

Finding a lantern in the house, he accom-

gucssl” ,

Beyond tlie,corral, at the place from
whence the patter of boots had seemed to
Come, they came on the tracks of a horse
that plainly could not have been one of the

 

panied herin another search of the premises,
flashing the light into all the dark recesses
that might in any possibility hide a secret f
in their gloomy depths.

ranch horses.
Daylight followed it some distance out
the prairie, noting every peculiarity.
What he discerned was this:

011

 

The search revealed many things; many r

things that Daylight could have wished
might-be kept from her knowledge. He had i
tried, indeed, to induce her to remain within [
doors and permit him to prosecute the !
searchelone; but this was a thing she would 3
not do. ' .

» “ i want to know the worst!” she had de- i
'clnred. “ I will know all! It cannot be any ?
worse to know that father is dead, than to 
feel the crushing weight of this uncertainty. ;
It is killing me!” 5

Thus adjurcd, Daylight perforce allowed §
her to accompany him. . t ‘ 1

,His great love for her. plainly apparent f
in all he said and did, made him wish he i
might take her in his stroiig arms and soothe 
her as he would have soothed a little child. !
His words of consolation seemed feeble and 9
cold; they appeared to him to lack fervor;
and warmth. ,

,Yet, it was plain, even to his low-intoxi»
cated senses. that his coming had been hail- 3
ed as a blessing by the sorely-tried girl. She '

voice and had grecte iim with words of de- '
lirious joy. She had clasped his hands

’ feverishly and nerVoiisl ' and clung to him

as if he were her only riend. He ought to

' have been satisfied with that; and would

have been, bad he not reflected that she pro- 3

bably would have treated any other friend
pin the- same way at that time and under:

1 those circumstances. 5
Oftenin that search did he find it difficult ;

 

'fto restrain the words that leaped‘up for;
lignorance and crowded 'chokingly‘ to his ,
. 2. p8,. ’ , ' 3 

f perceptible blood-stain.

The horse was doiible-burdened, as {vas
shown by the way the hoofs had cut into
the sod. It was a large cavalry horse, not a
ranch pony, as was proven by the size of
the hoof-prints. It was also a shed horse;
and very few, if any of the” raneln ponies,

i had ever had shoes on their feet.

There was even more to be learned of this
story written in the earth: The “cork,” as it
is called, was absent from the right frpnt
shoe; and the left hind shoe had a peculiar
saw-like shape on its outer edge, where it
had ilieen hammered roughly by the smith
who had set the shoe. This“ saw edge ”
was plainly apparent, whenever the shoe was
set ( own in a compact dusthca'p. There
were man of these in the neighborhood of
the corra ; and, as yet undisturbed .by the
wind, they held the impression of the shoe
with almost the fidelity of wax.

Returning to the house, Daylight made a
communicate tolCrystal. ,

At one side of the room there wash very
He wondered how
she could have missed seeing it; and to keep
her from seeing it now, he purposely pushed
a chair to that side of the roomjso placing it
that the stain was concealed by its shadow.

" If yen are not afraid to stay here a little
while?”’hnd he looked Questionineg at her.

. “What is it?” she asked. '

Upheld and sustained by the strength of
his presence, ghe was regaining her normal
mental state. 3 ‘She had in a measure recov-
ered from the physical shock, and her nerves
had ceased to q‘niverin that disagreeable and
frightening way. ' -.

; further discovery, which he did not dare to

“ If you are willing to remain here awhile
—-—only a few minutes—I will ride out on the
prairie beyond the corrals and See if there is
anything further to be learned there!"

“ Why cannot I go with you? Iam not
afraid to stay; but I prefer to see whatever
you see.”

He could not tell his reasons for making
the request. He half-expectml he would.
find the dead body, of Jack Karbun some»
where out there under the glistening inoon-
light.

“ I‘d rather make the search alone,” he
answered. -' v

A look of comprehension came into her
face.

“ Very well!” she replied, with Sill weari-
ness.

She had already lighted the lamp; and
sat down by the table on which it rested, as
she saw him walk out into the semi—gloom,

It was a loin.r half-hour before-he returned;
but when he did Come back, she saw that
he had found nothing—had seen nothing

“ it‘s no use looking further tonight!” he
declared, setting down the lantern. “I’ll
come back again in the morning hnd make
as thorough a hunt as any man possibly can.
And I‘ll find some of those cowboys and
place them in charge here until you choose
to come again, or until some trace of your
father has been found. ,

“ Now, I think we’d better start for
fort.” a '

She got up rcsignedly, suffering him to
command her actions as" he would. Only
on one point didjsheexpress a preference.

“I shall ride the ostrich!” she said. “I
came away from the fort on his back, and
prefer to return that way.”

“ Very Well !’ was the reply.

And in that odd fashion they rode away
together across the shimmering plains to—
ward Fort Mesquite.

the

 

CHAPTER XI. “
DAi‘Liciir’s DETECTIVE wonK.

DAYLIGII'I‘ did not think otl sleepJ’that
night, after his return to the fort. ’He had
work to do. For one thing, he desired to
make a special study of the movements of
Lieutenant Arthur Cutwcll.

-()nc of his first'ncts was to ascertain if »,
Cutwell was in the fort; and if so if he had.
been absent at any time durin g the night.

For this purpose be visited
guard at the gate. ,

Cutwell had been away for several hours,
the sentry informed him, but had returned
some time before.

“ Did Lieutenant Cutwell go out on horse-
back-01' on foot ‘1” Daylight questioned.

“ On horseback.” _ I
_ .“ Do you know what horse he rode?”

“His own horse; the one with the white
fetlocks and a heavy black mane.”

Doctor Daylight was well satisfied with
the result of his'querics. Hehad seen the
horse frequently; and he believed an exam- ‘
ination of its shoes would reveal the peculiar
markings seen in the dust-heaps near the
corral. He resolved to have a look at it at
the first opportunity. _

Doctor Daylight, as he had universally
come to be known, had visited the fort on a
special mission; and the eyents of. the day
just passed and the proofs connected there-
with, were leading him along a trail that
seemed destined to bring him into the one he-
had already been following.

As a special detective; whose work lay
ameng army posts and military commands,
he had been sent to Fort Mesquite, by the.
general in charge of that department, to fer-
ret out. a case of. mysteriousstealing.

A considerable sum of money had strange-
ly vanished from the possession of the psy-
master stationed there. and no clue to its'
whereabouts or the manner, of its disappear-

 

ance could be found. 'Absolutelyno one was

the sentry on .

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guilty

.‘€p

» casefrom the ,general’s room, and had :1

him; and he

I

suspected; it could not be positively stated
even, that a theft had been committed. The
money might have been lost.

These were all the facts known, when
Daylight was summoned to Fort Mesquite to
look into the matter.

He did not come there avowedly as a de-
tective. That might have been to defeat the
very object of his mission. It was said that
he had been detailed to make investlgations
concerning the threatened trouble among the
cattlemen, and to do certain other work in
that line.

He had commenced on his task in earnest,
almost as soon as he set foot in the fort; and
the result of his work so far indicated
pretty clearly that Lieutenant Cutwell was
the thief.

On top of the evidence laboriously col-
lected, came the events, and incidents, and
the proofs of the day so lately ended; and all
these pointed likewise to Cutwell as the
man.

Daylight hastily ran over the facts that
were known to him.

A golden coflin containing jewels had
been missed from General Armiston’s room.
Clitwcll, who had frequent access to that
room and probably knew of the existence
and presence there of that odd jewel case,
had accused Jack Karbun of stealing it and
caused his arrest.

That was fact number one.

Jack‘Karbun having escaped in Cutwell‘s
balloon,:had tossed the coilin in question out
of the balloon to his daughter Crystal. It
had been found in her possession, and had
been confided by her for a few moments to
Cutwell. When she returned it .to the gen-
eral, the jewels which it had contained Were
gone.

That was fact number two.

Crystal Karbun, anxious about her father,-

had ridden to the ranch-house that night.
No light was to be seen; and when she had
opened the door, a man dressed in offiter’s
clothes had Staggered out of the opposite
door bearing a limp form. The footprints
and the hoof-marks, indicated to the mind of
the detective that that officer had been
Arthur Cutwell. .

That was fact number three. I.

Here was a chain of circumstantial evi-

dence reasonablymomplete; and these are

the conclusions which the army-post detec-
tive drew from it.

Lieutenant Cutw‘ell had'stolen the jeweg
cused Karbun, who chanced to be in the
room at .8 tune ,to draw suspicion toward
‘ had done this that no one might
think of him as the thief. Cutwell had

.placed the jewel-case in the balloon, and

that was how Jack Karbun came to have
it in his possession. Why the ranChmau had
tossed it to his daughter, Daylight was not
yet prepared to say. _ , ,

Cutwell had abstracted the jewels, when
the case had been given him __b Crysml;
and afterward, fearing that Jac' 'Karbun
was still alive and would, by his account of
where he got the jewel-case, turn suspicion
in the rightdirection, he had ndden' "m the

ranehman’s home, and. finding'h‘im there,-

had murdered him toseal his lips.. I,

In placing the jewel-case in the .balloon,
Cutwell had probably thought to loose the

balloon from the tethering rope, ,while itwas ‘
‘- high in air; which he could probably '1)ch
’ attributed to an aeelclent. _ /
‘ borne far away, he could haveeoncealod the

coffin and its jewels, to be recovered at some
convenient time, and no one would eycr‘have
dwemed or the trick thus played.

It was all so plain to the ermy post detec 'V . ‘

tive. that he smiled at the ideavthat there

could. be any/other reasonable theory, or»

that any. one would think of Jack Karbun
as the thief‘.  ,
Havmg" reached these

garment, ant _ _
it, selecting the stall as the-best place for his

Then, When - V OHAPI‘FR 1,

conclusions, 
, light pOSth himself at‘a point in the parade-

 

The’ Doctor Deteetivebin Texas.

grounds where he could command a good
view of Cutwell’s room.

He believed that more evidence would be
forthcoming that night; and he was not to
be doomed to disappointment. .

He had not stood in that shadowy angle
many minutes when he saw a figure steal
away from the lieutenant’s apartment and
hurry toward the horse-stables.

Daylight was sure it was Cutwell; and he

followed in the same stealthy manner, keep-

in}.r himself well out of sight.

lie behold the man enter one 'of the stalls
in a creeping posture, and then stoop down
as if digging in the new straw-bedding that.
covered the earthen floor. He even fancied
he saw a dull gleam, as if a knife or some
similar instrument were being wielded.

By the exercise of some ingenuity and
much caution he contrived to crawl to with-
in a few feet of the steeping figure. I Then
he became satisfied that the 'man was Cut-
well and that he was exeavatinga hole of
considerable size in the hard floor of the
stall. -

The. dctectivc’s curiosity increased great
ly. llc knew he was on the verge of an im-
portant discovery.

Lieutenant (Iutwell—for it was he—all
unaware that he was bein}.r so closely watch~
ed, continued silently and energetically at
his work. With a large, keen-pointed hunt-
ing knife he loosened the hard soil, and
drew it out with his hands, sinking and
widening the hole until it finally resembled
a miniature gmve.

There was a herse in the wide stall. This
horse-he had crowded to one side; and now,
with turned head and staring eyes, it gazed
at him in mute and wondering surprise.

(lutwell paid, no heed to the horse, but
stabbed furiously at the soil until the cavity
was large enough to answer his purpose. ‘

~Then he took up a bundle, lying by his,
side, deposited it in the hole; and carefully
drew the displaced soil on topof it, covering

all with: the loose ‘hay "and bed‘dingz’aftcr

which he arose antistramped the place with
his feet until it had resumed its natural ap-
pea rancc. ’ ‘

lie had accomplished his task, and now
stole back to his quarters well satisfied.

But he 'was no sooner out of ,sight than the
army-post detective crept into the stall with
the same caution, and proceeded to resurrect
what Cutwell had there buried. '

He drew the object out‘a't length and un-
folded it, with a sigh oi” relief. It was an

~oliicer’s coat.

Having refilled the hole and arranged the
bedding just as Cutwell had left'it, Daylight
tucked the coat under his arm and‘ went
straight to his own room.

There, by the light of a dimly-burning
lamp, he examined-the coat; It was one
Cutwell had worn that day“ and there were
unmistakable blood-stains on it. . .»

Daylight knew asw'ell as if he had been
told it all. that Cutwell had found it impos- I
sible to‘ safe] rburn. or otherwise destroy the

i so had felt compelled to bury

purpose. . ' v . y 
. “This furnishes a bit of evrdence, worth.
having!" and smiling serenely Daylight dc-
posited the coat in his trunk.

» .v'rmc Mys'rnnroos iurnnimn. '  »
“IN accordance'with his promise. 'Dflyllght.

' after seeing. ,Crystal Karbun the next morn-v

mg» I‘Ode away toward the lonely ,ranch-
house- ' - - M. ' '

He was feeling easier after thatintefl'ViCW
with Crystal. Her Words and Inlanner had
shown him that she Was bearing up W011 'un-
der her troubles; that she wants girl 91’ spirit,
and fortitude who was not likely to give way
toa preying grief,-. ' - - ' » - '

."‘I think the ‘
time is not far when this will be of service? ,

 

" The ranch-house ‘was his first.-’Ohjective

\

us;

point; and when he had reached it he was."

pleased to observe that it was not desartcd, _

as on the previous day. Jack Karbun had
not returned, but two of the cowboys were
there. They had been absent with a brand.
ing outfit, and knew absolutely nothing of
what had taken place.

Daylight made it his duty to acquaint
them with many of the-facts, and then gave

them the commands he had received from .-

Crystal.

“ ()ne of '011 must stay here and look
after the stoe and keep the house in readi-
ness for the return of Mr. Karbun, should he
chance to come back. I should like to have

the other accompany me in the search'I in- y ‘

tend to make.” v
The oldest of the cowboys said he would.
remain on the place. ‘

Both were immensely astonished on hear~ _

ing Daylight’s story. They were not on]
astonished; they were indignant that Jae
Karbun should have been thought a thief.
They had worked many months for Karbun
and knew him to be an honest man.

“ Aside from an accident, can you think ‘-

of anything that would detain‘ Karbun and

-.prevent him from coming home?”- the detec-

tive questioned, having Said nothing to them
of his belief in Karbun’s death. ~

Before advancing a theory of hisown, he '

was anxious to ascertain if there were any
facts that might bear against it. ‘ 1

“ There’s jist one thing,” said the oldest
cowboy, aftera moment’s thought. “You
kin take it for what it’s wu’th. You’ve
heered‘about this here cattle trouble?”

Da light nodded assent. I

“ here was purty big signs of a muss
brewin’ yisterday; an’ there’s a chance that
Jack’s get mixed up in it, fer some 0’ the
men don’t like ’im a little bit. That might

keep ‘im frum gittin’ back on time, though . V
I don’t ’low it’d be apt to hold ’im fer ion , _ .v
’specially after what you say has happcne . ‘
-l-Ie‘d know ’at. his ,ga‘l was. in a peck o" -_
trouble; and he’d break a halter ’l‘ore he’d stay '* ”

away long, under them circumstances !”
What the cowboy said did not in the least

change Daylight’sopinions on the subject. 5'
It might have done so, if lie had not seen and .
He knew Jack ' "

handled that bloody coat.
Karbun was dead; and was now anxious to
begin a search for the body. ‘

When that ‘\had been found, 110 W 0150s“: 
to arrest Arthur Cutwell without further de_ 1.

0.5
SE

liceninStruniental in securing his appoint.-
mcnt to West Point. -

However that might be, the detectiveldidi

not mean to 'spa're Cutwell. He thought

highly of the general, but would not Shield"
It was even themore *J‘?~

the g‘eneral’s relative.

. t ‘
bile realized that this act would tell heavily] -
on the general, who had/shown _ the. most: 
implicit confidence in the young lieutenant. 
Cutwell was distantly related to General» 
.Armiston, and it wassaid Armiston, had-

*L

his duty, he thought, to expose the dis-
honesty and the pretensions; of Cutwell be- i,

cause of the confidence that Armistou had-in
the youn rascal. , , -

Sothin 'ing, Daylight rode aw‘ay withthéigs .l

cowboy who had volunteered toaccompany 

him.‘

 

Jack Karbun’s deathto this cowboy; and to
gather they commenced the work of trailing
the.horse,across the grass; - g ' 

They found it easy work for a time,bu‘t
there came a limit to its (successful prosecu~

'tion. .The ,soil became hard and comth

.an‘rl'finally a series of. rocky slopes were
gained Where trailingcould nothodmofj

' They rode around this—thoughits‘exteh
Was vast—hoping to "strikc'th'c track'siofi‘t'h
big horse on the other side; ,but theyf‘eould
not, find the trail again. thoughath'ey? p8
several hours in theses-rah. * ,' .' 1 ‘"

When beyond the corrals and atthe point  L
wherehthe tracks of the big army horse were
' to be. looked for, he confided his belief in

 

 

  

 

’ ' . some wild burst from its lair.

' ‘ - A better hiding place could scarcely have

.' _~‘ biped with its mysterious character and the
« deadly accuracy of the rifleman’s aim-

 
 
 

I through his flesh.-

" 7-,'...'egtly endeavor d, to discover the lurking,

 ‘ f

‘ when he had partec from Daylight; and had

‘ that a body of troopers was beating the mes-

" the searching party, and was evidently con-

 ? one'of the bullets had been aime
 and gone through his coat. ‘

 

“.5 ',d-ista‘nces; ' and the closeness with which they.
; had come to thetarg'ets was demoralizing in
a  the extreme.
  not be the recipient of the next favor and

“ 7 it with vi'gouia spite of their fears. '

  

~ . .

 

   ' '  ' ‘ The‘Dlo'étoriDetective'm 'L'exas.  

 

 

Finally, when they felt forced to give it '
up, they beat evcgi gulch and canyon in the
rocky district; explored every ravine and
draw; thinking that by a chance they might.
come on Karbun’s body, cast away there. '

But all their efforts proved unavailing.

There were now two other lines of investi-
gation to be pursued. '

To ride in the westerly direction taken by
the balloons, and seek for information in that
section; and to make inquiries among the
factions of cattlcmen.

The remainder of the day was spent in the
first; which proved in the end a mere waste
of time. They lost the true course; and,
though the struck the rock hills that had
witnessed isaster to the bal eons, it was at
a point too far south to yield any informa-
'tion.

On his weary return toward the fort that
night, Daylight still clung to his first idea;
having seen nothing so far to induce him to
Chan 0. ‘That was, that Kai-bun had been
kille by Cutwell. The fact that the body
had not been found did not at all invalidate
the conclusion.

The cowboy kc t on to the ranch-house

agreed to make the necessary inquiries of the
warring cattlemen as soon as it could be

.- one.

Daylight did not gain the vicinity of the
fort until nearly noon of the next (In ,for
the spent condition of his horse force him
to pass the night on the open prairie, with
no other shelter than his blanket. ‘

When heapproached the poSt, and while
yet a mile or two from it, he became aware

quite at that point, as if they hoped to rent

. The detective spurred up his horse, and
"was seen near enough tomake inquiries.

What he then learned filled him with anx-
ious questions and doubts. .

A number of troopers-had been shot at that
morning from various points of ambush, and
the mysterious rifleman was believed to have
taken refuge in that vast grove of mesquite.

Its extent, furnished ample opportunities
for concealment. It reached over many.
leagues; and about its borders there were
some craggy points and high, rocky knolls.

been found in the region. .
. Lieutenant1 Cutwcli was in command of

siderably annoyed, not to say, fril htened.
at him,

.. A trooper had'had his horse wounded, and
another had received a ball through his hat.
'The entire causelessncss of the shooting
was what most unnerved the men; this. ’com-

.All of the shots had been lflred from great

No man could say he might
feel the bullet from the ‘ concealed rifle bite

' ' Nevertheless. they went about the search
bravely and systematically, and prosecuted

, Such a, bushwhacker, they felt, must be
.routedat'all Iamrds. or’not a man ‘at' the
post could-fa that his life was his own'for
a moment. when he ventured abroad. <
' pDaylight joix rd in the man-hunt, and hour

wouldbe aesassin.

JBut their best efforts were all in vain. 

Though they plowed through the mesquite
in all directions." and ventured into every
‘disca‘evemble recessu‘the *vrifleman could not
be He had vanished assingularly as
 theeartb had swallowed him. -- - ‘

 

 

 

 than fifty yards from the outskirts

’ woman,

But, as they were riding away, and}.when ‘

of the grove, there came again the “ spang ”
of that hidden rille.

Cutwell’s horse, the one Daylight believed
he had vainly trailed, reared, and fell dead
with a bullet in its brain.

A wreath of white powder smoke was seen
to hover. for an instant about the top of a
high crag, distant about two hundred yards;
then the wind caught and whirled it away.

Instantly, the troopers wheeled about and
raced toward the spot whence that smoke
had curled. But on reaching it, nothing was
discoverable. The l'iileman had slipped
away through the trees. or had crawled into
some hole, and could, not be found.

It was an incomprehensible enigma.

“ I wonder if that can be Jack Karbun?”
Daylight asked himself, as he rode thought-
fully toward the fort with the troopers.
“ Who else is there that would be likely to
have a grudge against the men here? No
one!” ‘

There were a hundred speculations as to
the cause of the shooting, none of themsat—
isfactory to Daylight. i

There was one thing, though, that Day-
light did learn:

He saw that the shoes on the dead horse
corresponded exactly with the prints in the
dust-heaps near Jack Karbun's corrals.

That was a point worth settling!

CHAPTER XIII.
DAYLIGII’I‘ as A Lovnn. .

DAYLIGIIT, the'detective, coming on Crys-
tal Karbun, in the shadow of a tree near the

eneral’s home, was touched as he had hard-
y been since coming to Fort Mesquite. A
great . wave of :commiscration, and love
swept over him.

 

He walked softly  behind her. and low-ii

1y addressed her, fearing to startle her.

4What~distressedwhim was that he saw she
had been, and still was, crying bitterly.

The lack of knowledge concerning the
fate of her father, and the growing certainty
in her mind that he was dead, had given her
no rest or peace. f. V

In addition, her stay‘t the fort had not.
been pleasant, i‘ns to .of thekindnqu ,of
Mrs. Armiston. The True], cutting words
occasionally uttered by Miss Brotherton; the
innuendoes that stabbed more mercilessly
than sword-points. the acts and» attitudes
that that oun'g woman had employed to
wound and? humiliate the girl she felt to be
her'rival,~’had be many. ' .

They hurt Crystal Karbun [almost beyond
endurance;.and one final, cruel stab that day

was what had‘sent her crying to her present

position beneath the concealing shadows of.
the tree. . , ‘ ,‘. ,

Though the sun was .still touching the
grassy rim' of the horizon, giving a last peep
over the plains before bowing from sight for

the night, thesnadows of night had already

invaded the parade grounds and the build-
ings that constituted FortMesquite. .
This growing darkness she had ivsought to
shield her from the .Penemy‘who would be
only, too pleased, she fancied, to see her
tears.-'-; I.  g
- As a refinement 'of cruelty, Miss Brother-
ton had made a covert and sneering allusion
to the airs whichthe daughters of thieves
sometimes assumed; and had accompanied
theallusien'; by so direct a look that Crystal

could not be leftin doubt as to her meaning.

\ Notwithstanding” her great‘desire to escape

from the presen‘ceof this unamiable young .

1

Crystal would not have sought that

secluded spot had she fancied that Daylight

might seek'hcr there. - '.  . .
Therefore, she "was astonished beyond

‘ measure, when . she -‘ heard his, low-spoken

w  I“, ' , , ‘ ' K ( ‘ 2.
‘EYou have . 'en crying,” he said.‘
She could.- n , but, notice. the strange

Ttenderness'in'his tones.‘ . ._ ‘ . v » .
2‘ And ought tube ashamed, of myself for >
p . a, "f w  ,g V. ‘  , I ‘ v. _ I.

it

..a,ray of hope for ma,

 

‘

She got up hastily, her face aflame.

She turned toward the house, and he )ut
out a hand as if to stay her; but he as quic 'ly
drew it back.

“ Yes;,it is best for you to go in.
me to accompany you.”

She dashed away her tears and tried to
laugh, but failed miserably in the latter.

“ It is not womanly to cry,” she apologized.
“ But, oh! Mr. Daylight, you don’t know
how I have been tried here!”

“ It is not strange. You have had trouble
enough, in all conscience!”

“ It is not wholly that,” she corrected.

When he pressed her for further explana-
tions, she evaded an ansm-r; and, thinking
he could ail'ord to .wait for it, he walked on
quietly with her into the holise.

lie had been afraid she would not extend
the invitation to enter; but Daylight, shrewd
as he was in many things, and unsurpassable
as he was in the line of work to which he
had given so much study, was not an adept
in affairs of the heart; and, in a case where

Permit

he was himself concerned, was as hopelessly

ignorant as a prattiing babe.

The agreeable knowledge that the great
quiet sitting-room was unoccupied, pressed
itself on Daylight’s attention, as they stepped
into it. If now he could but “screw his
courage to the sticking place ” he might ac-
complish the thing of which he had so long
dreamed. Did he have the courage?

The blare of a bugle in the parade-ground
fell like an irritating blow on his senses:
His mind was in a whirl. He began to feel
that he was clumsily awkward and hopeless-
ly tongue-tied.

“‘ You haven’t informed, me yet what you
werelcrying about ‘2" he at last stammcred.
“ You must consider that I am your guard-
ian, now, and tell me what distresses you ‘3”

, “Not my father confessor,- thought”. she
said, shyly.
Santa Barbara I saw the girls and women
going every day to confession. You . do not
mean I shall do anything of that kind?"

“ Do not tantalize me,” he urged.
have been trying for a long time .to speak to
you of something that ‘I have 'very'much
wanted to talk about. When I saw you
crying that way, the desire became uncon
trollable.
speak?” , 9

She avoided his glance..and looked down
at the carpet. l. , ‘ .

“ I don't know what you mean ‘2”.

v, Crystal Karbun was not an untruthful

girl, but she-certainly missed the truth in

that statement. She may/have, made her-'

“When I was at school in‘

Have- 1 your permission to

“I,

self think she did notknow what he'me‘ant. '

but in. her secret heart she knew well
enough. ' ’ ' ‘

Women are naturally keener " in. (such H

thin s than are men. .
“ see  ,

you must a ready knowit! I love you. .Crys:

tall I have, loved you'almost from 1th hour

of our acquaintance. ‘I have have? ceased to

hope, since ,the moment: I ~ saw you standing

‘in the door of your home that bright even- ;'

ing, looking sweeter than any flower of the
prairie,' that you. might some day be my
wife.” 1

"Now the i he had broken the icc,and was-
head over ears in the ic waters, Daylight

plun ge'dvalon g, determine tosavehimself'iif -
he eould; but to make a brave ‘dashfg'of it, .

anyhow,,-and drown if he'must. I. : . p
.A hot'flush burned in the girl’s cheek.

Almost before he knew, what he was doing,‘ .. :
nearer and V his arm was. , .

Daylight had drawn
about er waist. f g , . ‘ -
“Tellme that, I. havenotmade a fool of
myself?” he‘begged, - “‘ Tell me that there is

«father to you; a‘brothér to on; a husband .
57011. .if you will .let ‘me!
doyounotw’ ,. ‘ .  _ ,. 
She had upturned her face toward'his, and:
those Welling tears-

! .

again" he 'saws_in:her eyes

shall have to tell, yum-thought

crystal! 1 I will beaks.- “

'ou do, love me;-

.~é~

. .~ 5,. ,1


 

 

in.

 

z
,.
1

 

 

 

. him to gaze on the queer, brown brand, that
seemed so .like'a scar. '

 I OXthe afternoon recedin the evenin in
which occurred this interview, vLieuteEant

,' from his men, entered a mesquite thicket

“ the contrary, he was almost recklessly brave

 hidden, foe that'irathor unnerved him; and

i 'v ’ Daylight, the detective, had, therefore, not
' ,- throushrths doorway
rms '

,  .. 'den away with that, bu
.  .horsein.
  pedit at ‘9 obeyenient place in the rocky,

Q

n

, “ You don't know how much 1 love you,
Croftou!” she whispered, almost too softly
to be heard.

Then, as he rapturously snatched love's
first sweet kiss, the heaven of all happiness
seemed suddenly enthroncd in the detectives
heart.

What further they said it boots not to dis-

close. They were for the moment supreme-
ly happy. And for such happiness the
world was built and Eden planted as a gar-
den. i .
When the first intoxication of love’s de-
light had passed, they talked lowly of the
events of the past few days; for this lovers’
interview occurred two do s after Daylight’s
return from his unsuccesstul search with the
cowboy. ' _

“ I have not yet given up all hopes!” the
detective averred, though his words express-i
ed more than he really believed.

He knew there was a chance, but he had
little faith in that one chance.

f‘ I shall continue the search for your fath-
er. But if he is not found, if his fate remains
a mystery, you will let me be to you more
than even he could be?” '

She had already given him this promise,
but she repeated it; knowing, with womanly.
intuition, that the bi , hulking fellow sought 2
every chance to ma e her say it over and
over. I

But she was not prepared for- the request
that quickly followed this. She was in fact
never more surprised in her life:

“'I trust on will not refuse, and will not
think harsh y of me for asking, (for I do it
with a ood reason.) that you will show me
the co n brand on your arm!”

She fairly reeled from him, so great was
her astonishment. '
ed“ What do you know about it?” she gasp-

' ;‘ Ah! you have confessed that there is such' ,

a brand. Perhaps I know a great dealmore,
about it than you would think,po_ssible.1You.
will allowmé to see 'it,‘ will‘you not; As I'
said, I have the best reason in the world for
making the request.” .
She hesitated for a moment, blushing
painfully; then she uickly sli ped up the"
sleeve,.baring the wh te arm an permitting

 

onar'rnn .XIV.
CUTWELL  a snow,

‘Arthur Cutwell, having become separated

that lay some ten miles south of the fort,

He was greatly disturbed over the many
shots fired that day b the, concealed marks.
man from various am ushe's. , Y  " ‘

Cutwell was far from being a cowai-d, on

tat times“ and was accounted by his mum.
.riors,,a"most. gallant ofiicer. But there was
something iii-the mysterious conduct ’of, this

he eculd not .but reflect that two or three 'of-'
the shots had undoubtedly'heen aimed, at
himself.‘ ' . .
He could have formed a most, reasOn‘able
thebry, but for one circumstance: a dream.
stance that rose like a black wall. ; If‘Jaek'
Karbun had been livmg. Jack Karbun would
be the very man, to do that-shooting; but
j there was nothin more certain in Cutwell's
\mind than that rbun was dead. ‘ ,

beeltlilmistaken in his slyewd gpdssg. e(13111::-
Weic'dasthemanseen ' as s gg g
' wet'hcgat limp‘form in
 8 , .I. _ i ‘ ‘ '

v Cutwellgre'caned‘ vivid] ,how- he had rid-
en held across the

how‘ot him, and how he had drop-

 

.,t

The Doctor Detective in Texas.

hills. The muscles of his face worked
strangely, showing the twinges at his heart:
for such a deed could not rest on any mind
as a pleasant contemplation.

He now cautiously advanced, keeping a
wary watch ahead, and half—expecting to
hear at any moment the report of that hid-
den gun.

lie was annoyed, tOo, at having 'become
separated from his men. A foolish chase
after an antelope had been the cause of it.

Riding to the top of a considerable knoll,
which was comparatively free from the en-
croaching mesquite, be surveyed the sur-
rounding landscape. .

A distant dust-cloud attracted him; and,
sitting there astridc his horse, he drew out
of its case a handsome field- glass and fitted
it to his eyes.

The dust-cloud resolved itself into the
bod of troo ers he was seeking.

I ith a Sig of relief he lowered the glass
and replace( it in its ease.

“Five miles away, if they’re a foot! I
never was worse out of my reckoning. That
antelope led me a longer race than I
thought.” '

Thus soliloquizing, be permitted his gaze
to wander idly over the intervening dis-
tance. ' =

Something moved near the base of the hill
and drew his attention.

' He could not have given a more sudden
start, if the long-expected- bullet had at that
moment cut through his hat. I

A man, or something in the form of a
man, had risen out of a clump of: trees; and
new advanced staggeringly, With waving
hands.

“ Jack Karbun I”

The name broke quaveringly from his lips
that would be no more pallid in the icy grasp
of death. ',

Outwell could see the face and form
gllainly, for the atmosphere was marvelously

' There seemed to be a streaking of blood on
the features, and to Cutwell’s distended eyes
the entire appearance of the man was haggard
and woe-begone.

But Cutwell did not believe that what he
saw was a man. He could not believe it.
He had but recently been thinking of Jack
Karbun, whom he had left lying dead in the
rocky hills, so many miles away. ' If this
were not Karbun’s ghost, then be felt that
an unhealthy fancy had con‘ured the form
out of the depths of a fevere imagination.

When the form continued to advance,

waving its hands in that hostly way, Cut-
well wheeled his horse arply about-and
plunged blindly and headlong down from the
hill and out through the trees. 2
When he looked back, having gained a
position that would give him a fair view
of the spot whereon the ghostly figure had
stood, he could see nothing; and was more

than ever convinced that what he had be.

held was not a creature of real flesh and
blood.

“I don’t think I can ever sleep after
that!” he acted, profound terror seizing
on him.
craz "

=Soydiscomforting was the sug estion, that
the sweat oozed in great drops om his icy
forehead» ‘ 2 '

. CHAPTER XV.
“m'niivnnurroxs or AN onn wi'rnn.

Two much astonished eople were General
and Mrs. Armiston, as Il)aylight advanced
into the sitting-room where they were,-draw-
in? Crystal Karbun after him by her clasped
ballast Daylight looked'smiling and trium-

hfint; and Crystal, confused and I blushing,
allowed him gmostunwililin . - ' s
‘ r on announc n
"lent. hg’rremgsted sta to exbi to
me“ People the cofin‘. rand on herarrn,

 

“ rest God! I hope I’m not going.

t ir on go?

 

    

fl
is:

scarcely waiting long enough before doing "

so for the customary congmtulatimis. .

Ci’ystal, with a face that was uncomfor-
tably red, complied; and then, in explanation,
Daylight produced and handed to the general
a letter.

“ Read it aloud,” he requested. “ It will
explain some things you have been long
waiting to know.”

The general was even more. astonished,
when he had glanced through its contents.
His face palcd and his hands shook.

“ Where did you get this?" he asked, the
paper rattling in his tremulous fingers.

It was evidently a letter and was yellow
with age.

“ You remember that I went to the ranch,

the other day, at Miss Karbun's reequest, to

place one of the. cowboys in charge there
and to make what search I could for her
father.
her the papers that were to be found there
in a small tin box, as they were her father’s
papers, and she did not want them dis—
turbed.

“I did not know at the time, though she"
has since told me, that she had never exam-
ined the papers, sup osing theih to be mere~
ly deeds and legal ocuments'of no interest
to her. ' ’ .

“When I brought them here, she request-
ed me to look them over at the first op ortu—

nity, and give to her any that I thoug t she .

ought to. see. She did this because she

‘ could not hear at ,that time to look them

over herself.
b “I obeyed; and that letter came out of the
OX. ’1

“Miss Karbun knows its contents?” the I

general questioned, as if 10th to begin.
" Yes; we read it over together a little
while ago; and, after discussing the subject,

decided we would give it to youiat once to , 

read.
“ ’Ou recall what you told me at the tim
the gold coffin was found missing?
” Perfectly!" the generalreplied. '
Then he read the letter aloud, though his
voice was shak and broke more th‘a'norme
during the rca ing. ' a

Space will not permit the iving-pf the i 

contents in all their detail; nor sit necessary.»'

The facts stated in ,"the letter can-‘be more 

clearly presented, perhaps, in narrative‘forn‘i,
su pl‘ementcd b some words of explanation.‘ ,
he letter ha been written by Lucy King-‘

Jason Kinglake, the .tsoldier, who, itwiil be
remembered, was shot as a deserter. The-

facts concerning that shooting are fully set... 
forth in the o ening pages of this story. , .3 _ 
Mrs. Kingla e,,writing afterher husband’s .

death, made the declaration that when her»
husband was killed he had in his possession
a olden coflin containing jewels of

West. _ . -
This oldenx cotlin with its! preciourcons
tents ha become main 3 stranficway. ‘
In his early manhood he had. n a sailor,
having entered .the service at Portland;
Maine, when a mere .boy, he being of NEW
England birth. ‘At the age of twent 6‘
ha sailed in a merchantinan from
York for India.

\

cw,
The merchantman had

. been wrecked ln‘the Indian Ocean, and only"

he and another sailor had escaped. a -.

After clinging two da 3 to a piece of tim.‘ 7,
her, they were picked u ‘b a passing‘ships."
andtahe finally succeeded In leaching CA 4‘“
cu . ‘ ‘

He Was here a stranger in a strange Ian
knowiu nothing of the language. ~ 1131‘": av
spirit 0 adventure seizing him he‘madeihib
way into' the interior of ,the "country,

em“ .
plpyed himself to an Englishman who 118(17'8‘ .T‘

plantation on the borders of the hill.va "

try, and remained there nearly three years.
It was a region of jungles andwild‘bes'its;

and on one occasion, w is hunting with‘a

. v“

On leaving, she told me to bringto ' I

'lake, Crystal’s mother, and the wife of  "

i1.

eat-v ,‘4'31‘
va us, which he was bringing from the rold’ 
home in the East‘to their new home in the“ “ “

    

  

   
  

«p

.f‘
I .
KH-v 

   



x.

Warri- . "4" ‘

—-toa home they had purchased

‘andp

 

"‘14

, The Docto

- «v... « n..-

r Detective in Texas.

 

large company, he was fortunate enough to
save the life of a Rajah from the teeth of a
ti er.

he potentate, in gratitude for the service
rendered, had given him the golden coffin
filled with gems and pearls.

When he at last succeeded in making his
way back to his native country, he brought
the coffin and its contents with him. He ex-
pected to sell the gems, and did sell one dia-
mond for a fabulous price.

About this time he became acquainted
with the lady who afterward became his wife
and the mother of his child. But when this
acquaintance occurred he had already enlist—
ed for a term of five years in the regular
army, being led to this act by his insatiable
desire for adventure.

He confided the box with its contents to
his wife, soon after they were married, and
when he knew he would shortly be ordered
into the Southwest to quell the Indian inva-
sions.

But he came safely back from this cam-

paign; and for a time they lived a very happy
life together at one of the forts within the
borders of civilization.
}- Four years later, and when his term of scr-
vicc lacked but a year of expiration, the
trouble began with Victorio’s Chiricahua
Apaches.

Knowing his company would again be sent
to the front, and desiring his wife to be near
him, so that he could see her in the, intervals
between active campaigning, he 'had sent
her, with their child—then two years of age
car the
scene of expected operations, but w ieh was
sufficiently! removed from it to afiord her
safety. ' .

His company being ordered to take part in
the movements against Victorio, 'he had
brought the coffin and jewels West on his
own'fifrson, thinking to be able to see her

(:0 them in her hands; preferring this
to leaving them in charge of a banking insti-
tution. = ,

His expectations of her were not realized,
so active was the campaigning. But he
wrote her that he had the box and the
jewels, and would bring them to her at the
first opportunity. . ’

That opportunity never came.

Instead, he was charged with desertion in,

the face of the enemy, and was shot for the

A l‘ v offense, after a hasty, and, as he believed,

most partial and unjust trial.

The news had come to her like a blow,
crushing out of her all energy and ambition.
She did not even desire to live, ’except for

.the purpose of bringing up her little daugh-

ter, Or stal.
She ad made what search she could for

- the mising gems, and had written about it

' in despair.

to the commander of the expedition, Colonel
Armiston. His reply had been that no such
box had been in the possession of. Jason
Kinglake -

fiShe was oor;,too poor to em loy help to
tracethe air; and had at len given up
She might-have been rich, had
her husband'chosen to sell the ems; but he

 lanned to hold them unti his term of
‘ ser ce expired, when he meant to sell them

7 and purchase a home in the East, anticipa-

 ' sale.
4 land feeling that she [had not ion to live, she?

man of the little

tin that they could live in affluence the re-
minder of their days on the proceeds of the

f Mrs. Kinglake failed rapidly, after this;

hit on a device for conveying 's informa-~

- tionto those who might some day take an -'
"interest in it and see that justice was done
to the memory of her husband, and toher

child if the latter survived.
i-She wrote this letter, and- branded on the
girl a rude copy of the

Lima ecofiin-box in which the jewels had

-‘~been ‘ '
 The letter ended with a ’grayer that the
{ time might come when t e

 

old.

would be righted, and the name of Jason
Kinglake be cleared of its foul stain.

There was silence for a moment, when the
general's trembling voice ceased. All were
visible touched; and Mrs. Armiston and
Crystal were crying like two children.

“ I am glad, now, that I confided to you
the meager facts in my knowledge!” the
general said, earnestly. looking at Daylight.
“ My poor, crring brother! It wasa terrible
crime.”

The Colonel Armiston, who had brought
about the death of an innocent man that he
might obtain possession of this great wealth,
was ’a brother of the General Armiston
‘known so well to the reader.

He had never profited by his crime. It
had hung as a millstone about his neck.
He had not parted with the jewels, though
continually desiring to do so; and when he
died, a few years later, he had made a full
confession on his death-bed, to his brother;
and, placing the queer coffin in that bro
ther’s hands, had bcsought him to do what
he could to find the wife of Jason Kinglakc
and right the terrible wrong.

General Armiston, hurt immeasurabl
by the knowledge of the great guilt of his
brother, had endeavored to fulfill theprom-
ise. He had instituted an elaborate Search;
but nothing had come of it, and he had ceased
to expect that anything ever would come of
it.

Nevertheless he had kept the jewels and
their queer case, holding his trust inviolate.
1 “"And now that the owner has been found,
and the opportunity has come, the jewels are
gone ..” _

As he said it, a sob, that he strove vainly
to repress, shook his strong frame.

CHAPTER XVI. _
THE DETECTIVE smokes A BLOW.

A DAY later, having carried his investiga-
tions to a conclusion, the army-post detee-'
tive placed Lieutenant Arthur Catwell un-
der arrest.

The charges against the dashing lieuten-
ant Were three; and, as will be seen, they
were of a most serious character. ,

He was charged with having, abstracted
the money that was known to be missing
from/ the paymaster’s safe; with, having

 

time it was handed him b Crystal, and of
having first stolen the co from the gen-
eral’s room and placed it in the balloon; and
with the murder of Tom Crawford, one of
Jack Karbun’s cowboys. ;

Lieutenant Cutwell turned pale, when he
was taken in custod on these charges; but
'he' turned a great cal paler when, a few
minutes later, Jack Karbun was ushered
into the room. '

General Armiston was present and wit-
nessed his relative’s downfall; the coming
arrest having been made known to him some
time before, ’ ,

At first Armiston would not believe in the
guilt of: the lieutenant; but when he was
shown the bloody coat and informed how
and underwhat circumstances it had come
into the detective’s possession, and had been
shown other indubitable proofs, he withdrew
all ob 'eetions.

" c has sinned!” he said. “Lethim suf-
fer 1' . Does treachery run in the blood of the
Armistons and their kinsmen? Those jewels!
How they have cursedhthe family! First
my brother commits m rder to gain them.
And now Arthur—~" ‘

The eneml, who was really a fine gentle-
man an a man of irreproachable life in most
reapects, bowed like a- stricken oak under
this sense of misfortune and disgrace.

‘ ” Arrest him!” be repeated.
sinned; and he _ must suffer.

only is the way of the transgressor hard,
but he makesbitter the path of all those of

 

great wrong~

 blood! .I had nevers thou ht of it
beforelff, ‘ n 7.  1 a g - 

l

stolen the jewels out of the coffin, at the;

the rain of [questions

‘f He has
Surely, not

 

L

When Jack Karbun walked into the
apartment, looking not unlike the ghost
Cutwell thought he had seen, the prisoner
drew back in fear and trembling.”

“ You l” he gasped. “ You here!”

“A:y!” and the sturdy ranchman lifted a
hand as if he wanted to take Cutwell by the
throat. “ Old Jack Karbun lacks a good
’cal of bein’ dead. You done up Tom Craw-
ford, though, I reckon, when you thought
you was a-doin’ up me! An’ Tom was a
gran as was wu‘th a ’good dozen of ye, any

ay!”

Karbun meant no violence by his gestures,
but Cutwell drew wildly back, imploring
protection.

“These charges are all lies!” he asserted,
with brazen effrontcry. “I have killed no
one; and I have stolen nothing. \Vhere is
the proof ‘2, What have you to bring against
me but the senseless mouthings of this
ranchman, and the word of this fellow who
calls himself a detective? What have you to
bring?” ‘

“This, for one thing!” and Daylight took
from a package and held up a bloody coat.

“ Will you be kind enough, lieutenant, to
tell us when and. where you saw that last? It
is your coat, is it not?”

The crushed man could make no reply,
except to break into blasphemous ravings.
He was, for the time, half insane with fear
and because of the great disgrace that had so
suddenly come on him.

“You might as w._ell make a clean breast
of it!" Daylight commanded. "You can’t
lie out of it. I’ve, been on your trail too
hotly: and have too many facts to bring
against you. It may go easier with on, if

on make a confession of your guilt. ' f you
fight the thing and are found guilty, as you
surelywill be, on can eXpect no mercy.
Having begun, have no intention of turning
back, now!” I l .

Thus driven, Cutwell, after requesting to
be left alone with Daylight and the general,
broke into a pitiful appeal and told every
thing,«outlining the Stealing 0f the jewel~
case from the moment of its conception.

He 'had indeed hidden it. in the balloon,
beneath the ballast, intending to slip the
anchor rope and get out of the fort safel
with it; and, failing in this,.and seeing it
in Crystal’s hands, he had, when the oppor-
tunity came, abstracted the jewels; beheving
the blame would be laid at the door of the

‘ ranchman. ‘

To avoid all danger of discovery, he had
surreptitiously visited the ranch-house and

sought to kill the ranchman, and h‘ad’thought -

he had been successful in the attempt.

“ You will see that I am not punished too
severely!” he beg ed, clinging penitent
and almost fremicd‘ly to the eneral’sham .
“ Now that I have conf , you Will try
to protect me i” . .

“ Your case will rest with the Civil judge
of the district!” .said‘ General Armiston.
“ Your appeal must be made to him. Yoa

have my pity, but I rinust not deceive you

into thinking I can aid you. He that sins
must suffer! It is an irrevocable law l”

CHAPTER XVII:
JACK manna “ner .”

“ I ounss I’d better explanif a hit,” said
Jack Karbun, shertly afterwar . in reply to
gamed on him.
“ are have I been? here dld I git
the hurts? W-hat‘have I been a-doin’?
Where’s them balloons? It’d take a man
with ten heads and forty tongues ,to sli’ng
out answers fast enough to satisfy ye!”

 

He did not “ sling out ” any of them just i
then; but opened‘his arms to receive Crystal.

who had come running. to greet him.

“'Thil hyer girl haln’t my daughter, as
you’ve been tdld; though I wish to goodness
that she was. "I’ve never had chick nerchild
myself; and for that same reason I’ve clung

, to per and thought more of her: than all the

 

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world besides. And she's never been asham-
(lild of the old bear that _shc thought her dadl

cry!

“The only thing that I’m sorry about is
that I let Daylight hyer git ahead 0’ me in
tellin’ her the story. I’d had it all flgger-
ed out how I’d su'prise her some day, and
I’d even scratched down in my no rgin some
of the most beautiful of the words meant to
say. But I ’low they wouldn‘t come in
handy, now, seein‘ how things have turned
out. They wouldn’t be what the gin’ral
calls ‘ apripo.’ ”

They were in the general’s apartments,
and were as merry a company as could be
expected, in view of the general’s grief over
the fall of his relative.

- “Mr. Daylight hyer,” Kai-bun continued,
resting histongue by seating himself, “ says
that Tom Crawford was the man killed that
night at the ranch. Leastways Tom has

lturned up rmssin’, and it seems plll'ty clear
‘that somebody was done up that night!

“As for me, when I got there, after m
escape from the balloons, which I’ll tell ye
all about after while, I didn’t find no one to

home, and started acrost the prairie torst the ’

fort. V

“Some of the cattlemen had it in fer me,
it seems; and so they waylaid me when I was
about half-way hyer, give me these hyer
beaut marks of wounds, and kerried me off
into t e hills, where they helt me till last
night. '

“ When they seen that the soldiers'would
be liable to do ’em up if they didn’t disband
and 0 home. they let me loose; and it‘s tuck
me t 10' blessed day to git hyer.

“ I seen Cutwell out in the hills, an went
torst him, determined to ask him to help me,

' even though I knowed he wasn’t a friend;
for I was that near beat out. But he wheel-

- ed his horse and galloped away‘, leaving me‘

to come .on as best I. could.

“ I got hyer jist after dark, about an hour
ago, and Daylight, has  me cornered a-
talkin’ my head off for the" best part 0' the

~ time sence.”

Ile stopped, as if he thought he had said
enough to satisfy the most exacting,

“ But on haven’t told Where or how you

found 7 rystal, and the letter which the
general wrote last night. You haven’t told
as half the thingswe wanted to know!”
\ Da light, in making this further de-
man on old Jack Karbun, said nothing of
the jewels, nor of the. history of the eoflin
during its stay in the balloon. Lieutenant
Cutwell had surrendered the jeWels, and
hadconfessed to concealing the coilin be-
neath the ballast; so that very little explana-
tion was necessary on these points.

Karbun shifted in his chair and rubbed his
forehead thou ghtfull with his rough fingers.

“All that there appencda, ood While
ago," he avowed, “ but I guess, can string

‘ it straight yit.

. “ I was over in the Arizony country some
time late in the seventies, doin’ a little pro-
spectingfer I hadn’t gone into the ranchin’
bizness yit. . I t. , “ r

“ It was ., while 1,,was a;makin’ V m way
acrost the country, an' when not fur om a
little town, that I corn [onto the girl.

“ I was tired and beat out;‘ and hadn’t had
no worter fer a goodish spell. It was dryer
do urn there in that Arizony region than it is

. hyer in West Texas in spite of the. bom-

bardin? and dynamitin’ and rain .balloonin’.
It was jist so awful dry that mflhair fairly
curled up like burnt grass. (1 seein’ a
house—I naturally moseyed m‘that directi n.

".I calculate I never was so su’prised in

‘ my lifeas Iwaswhen I got to that house.

They Wa’n’t only two people in it; a woman

and a baby. And the woman was dead. and.

the baby a-travelin’ the same trail nigh-

aboult' 38 f as a rain balloon. , That letter
' was on the ble; the Iet\ter which you say
the eneral has read.~ '

“ took the baby into town and’put her

   

 

in good hands; and then hustled out the
people to go and look after the woman.
They didn’t know much about her, and that
little wa’n’t of much consequence.

“ Well, we buried her; and when the baby
was well and strong ag‘in I left the country,
takin’ her with me. The letter said her name
was Crystal Kinglake; but inasmuch as I
had adopted her as my daughter, I called
her Crystal Karbun. 'l'he ’nitials air the
same, you see: so the change wasn't as great
as it might ‘a’ been.

“ I made what search I could for her folks,
but it didn‘t do no good; and finally I settled
out hyer and went to rauchin'.

“ I had a Mexican cowboy a—workin‘ for
me, who was married, and his wife took
jist as good care of the girl as if she had
been her own child.

“I had one o’ the cowboys, who’d been
educated at some way-u eastern college,
give Cr stal the benefito what hq‘kuowed.
She tuc to learnin’,. and she tuck to this
hyer college cowboy; and for a long time
we had a regular school down there at tho
ranch-house.

“Finally, when she was old enough an’a
had avanced enough, I sent her to a slap-
up, high-toned boardiu’ school in Californy,
where I ordered ’cm to give her the polishin’s
of an education, megardless of expense.

“An’ you bet they done it! And if 01d
Jack Karbun does say it, what hadn't ort to,
there ain’t today a finer lady in the land!” -

The love that was in the look he gave
Crystal, with this fervent declaration, was
incxpressible. It told that he did indeed
love her as a daughter.

“There’s jist one p’int more!” Karbun
averrcd, looking toward the general. “I
don’t hold no ill feelin’s for Gin’ral Armiston
there; an’ shall try to fergit everything that
happened hyer at the fort the other day.
He made me p’izen mad, an’ I struck him;
fer which I begs his pardon. It ain’t often
that I lifts my hand ag’in’ any man; an’ I
never do, onless my temper jist naterally
b’iles over so that I can’t help it; which was
the case in that there instance!

“ But 1 want to say that when I went into
that room, I was directed to do it by Lieu-
tenant Cutwell hisself. I was a-wantin’ to
see the gi‘n'ral on the subjec’ 0’ this hyer
cattle trouble, havin’ rid over to the fort for
that very purpose.

“ He wasn’t to. be seen,-an’ I found out a
few minutes later that he wasn’t in the fort.
But Cutwell said he thought Gin’ral Armiston
was in that room; an’ me,” not knowin’ much
about military etyket, walked in there; an’,
in doin’ of it, I walked into the trap.” -

The explanation was so satisfactor that
General Armiston arose, and, taking 0 old:
ranchman by the hand, beggedhis forgive-
ness for the harsh manner in which he had
been treated.

“It’s all right, gin’ral!" ,eame the warm
response. “ You was gist drivin' along a
wrong trail, that was a l. I never holdsla
thing of that kind ag’in’ a feller human cree-
ter', When I see there’s been a mistake. I
allus lets by-gones be by-gonesl‘.’ ,

CHAPTER XVIII.
concwsron. ‘

ONE of the first tasks to which General
Armiston applied himself was the righting,
so far‘as it lay in his power, of the Erect
wrong done to the memory of Jason, ing
lake. By means of proper affidavits. the
damaging charge which stood, against King—
lake in the military records was erased, and

 

the known facts set forth‘thcre in their two

light. ' .

A teat sensation was created at the fort a
few ays later, by the capture of the myste-
£10158 rifleman, who proved, to be Tom Craw-

or . ' -

The poor fellow was insane, and fought as
only a madman can, when the two rs sur-

rounded him and forced his‘rsurren er. -He 

   

guilty of its actual commission.

 

would not have been taken so easily, only
that he had exhausted his ammunition.

He was suffering from a severe wound on ,
the head, which had brought on this tem-
porary insanity; for it proved but tem-
porary; be recovering in the course of a few
days thereafter under proper treatment.

'l‘om Crawford had been the man found
by Lieutenant UutWell at the ranch-house
that night and assaulted there by him.
Crawford had just come in off the range,
and had not yet lighteda lamp or started a
lire. He did not know that Cutwell was on
the place, and suspected no danger. Clltr’
Well, who had got there in advance of him,
and was concealed in the room, rushed on
him, engaged him in a struggle, and dealt
him the blow that stretched him limp and
senseless on the floor.

This was the struggle and fall heard by
Crystal; and Cutwell, hearing her at the
door and fearing discovery, had lifted his
victim, carried, him from the house, and

had thrown him across his horse and ridden

awa '.

Thinking him Jack Karbun, and .that‘he;
was dead, he had freed himself of the bur:
den in the rocky hills.

But Tom Crawford was not dead. He re-
gained consciousness in the course of a few
hours, returned tothe ranch, and armed him-
self. ‘

Crazed by the blow and conceiving an in-
sane hatred for all soldiers—in the dim light
just befbre the falling of the blow he had
recognized Cutwell's uniform—he had lain
out in the mesquite, seeking to slay all that
came his way.

Thus it was shown that Lieutenant Cut-
well, although attempting murder, wastnot
But the at-
tempted murdcr, with the robberies, was
sufficient to give him a long term of I impris-
onment; a thing he very justly deserved, and
from which the eneml did not in the least
attempt to shiel him. - ~.

 

Ono bright autumn evening, a few months
later, a scene of live] commotion mi ht
have been witnessed at I‘ort Mesquite. he,»
buildings constituting that military post on-
the Texas plains were brilliantly illuminated, ,
and men were grouped in the rooms and on
the parade grounds in various garrulous
knots, discussing an event in which all seem-
ed much interested. ,. '

The occasion of all this, was the coming,
wedding of Crofton Dalite, the army-post de-
tective, to Crystal, the adopted daughter of
Jack Karbun, the ranchman- ‘ 1.

The band, having caught the infection,
had played their best airs 1n the grOunrls,
under the shadow of .the waving Ameriam '
flag. The music was stilled now, however,
and tongues waggui, where, a short‘while
before, had been heard the strainsof “ Little r

’ Annie Rooney.”

The post chaplain perfonned the marriage
Ceremony with appropriate and becoming
solemnity, in the presence of a vast concourse :
of friends and we l-wishers. a ,

It was said the bride had never lookqtl so
beautiful, nor Dalite so manly and 'hand- 
some; and in this estimate the general rjudg- , ._ . ~
ment was correct. Crystal was fairer than I
any flower that bloomed on the prairies over
which she had so often reamed; and the ef- . ,
feet of her charms Was not lessened the ,
costly pearls that shimmeringly adorn her ‘ 
person, and which had come out of the
golden coflin of memorable hisin . ,  

After manyeongratulations, eneral Ar-  .
nnston approached; and, bendin low even ‘
the..handof the bride, said, with his wen.j«,-;,g

bred grace: -- u _ I .  
" Permit me to Wish you a Ion and .hap‘fig ‘ 
wedded life, with all the ‘10 that she  -'-,
come from a union of wedd, heartsl”, “
Let us wish them the same; and say, ‘ '
V) f “Good Night!” _‘ - '
THE END. ' ' 

  

Published Every Tuesday.

BEADLE’SnHALF-DIMEnLIBRARY. ‘ '

Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents, by all Newsdealei's”

 

 

BY EIHVARD L. “'IIEELER.

Deadwood Dick Novels.
Wood Dick, the Prince oi the anl.
wood Dick'n Dcilance; or, Double Dangers.
wood Dick in liiuglllnc; or, iiuii'ub lira
wood Dick in "is Cautlc.

  
  
 
  
  
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
  

42 wood Dick‘s Bonanza; or, The Phantom Miner.
49 wood Dick in Danger; or.0mlmt0ll.
57 wood Dick‘s Englen; or, The l’fll’lit oi Flood Bar.
78 wood Dick on Deck; or. Cnimuitv . Inmtim Heroine
77 wood Illck’u Lav-t Act: or. Corduroy Charlie.
100 w Dick in Leadville.
104 Dick's- Device: or. The Double Crou Sign.
109 Dick as Detective.
139 Dick’s: Double: or, The Gorgon’s Gulch Ghost.
18!" Dick’s Home Base; or. Blonde Bill.
149 Dick’n Big Strike or, A Game of Gold.
156 Dick 01' Deadwoo i or. The Picked Party.
195 Dick’s Dream; or The RiVlllll oi'tllo Road.
201 Dick’s “'urd; nigh... Black Hlll’aJl-zvhel.
905 Dick'a Doom; or. Calamity Juno’s Adventure.
217 w Dick’s Dcud Deal.
28‘. Dick‘s Death-Plant.

u
d-Dant Dick. A Roulancu oi' Rough- and Toughs.

wood Dick’s Divide or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake.

 

 

I68 wood Dick’a Death ‘rail.
809 wood Dick’a Deal; or, The Gold Brick oiOrcgon.
821 wood chk’u Dozen; or, The Fakir oI'Phantom Flats
.47 Dick’s Ducats; or, Dsys in the Digging.
 :l’i‘clli‘,8li:llt¢‘llil'edi or, The Terribls 'ondettn.
c s a m.
405 Dick in Dead City.
410 Dick’s Diamonds.
431 Dick in hcw York; or. A " Cute Csss.”
480 Dick'a Dust; or, The Chained Hand.
‘46 D ck, Jr-z or, The Crimson Crescent Sign.
44!! D ck, Jr.‘s, Defiance.
458 D c ', Jr.’s Full "and.
459 D c , Jr.‘s, lllg Round-Up.
465 D ck, Jr.'s. Racket at Claim 10.
471 Dick, Jr.’s, Corral; or, Boumsn Bill.
476 Die ', Jr.’s, Dog Detective.
 Bic-E. Jr.: inwlleadugod.
c ' r. s .omuac .
    ’r'nheritance.
c r. s ngs.
cos  ct: Jr.:s,’ lief verance.
gill 1.31.2124: "333%
599 D ck, Jr.’s, Danger Ducks.
 R of, air. s', l uth liuat.
c ' r n rxas.
544 o ck: hi: the Wild mums...
  ell? gr" in: alichliettle.
. c r. n 0 am
so: Dick: Jr.,’ i am '
  Jr., in {mindelphim
c r. n ‘ cago.
578 Dick: gin: A out-
584 Dick, r., in Denver.
590 Dick. J r.'s, llecree.
595 Die Jr., in Becllebub’s Basin.
  gr? aiCoJIe 'Isiand.
c r. s. ea v e a .
«m Dick; Jr., in Detroit. ’
0118 Dick. Jr., in Cincinnati.

      
     
  
     
       
 

604 Dic . r., in Nevada
680 Dick, Jr., in No Man's Land.
686 Dick, Jr., Alter the Queer.
648 Dick. .lr., in Buil'alo.
648 Dick, J r.’s, Chase Across the Continent
6154 Dick, Jr., Among the Smugglers.
660 Dick, Jr.‘ Insurance Care.
666 Dick, Jr., ack in the Mines.
672 Dick, Jr.. in Durango; or, “ Gsthsrcd in."
 Rich, grin, it'lscolvery; or,FonndsFortuue.
. c , r. s. as: e.
690 Dick, Jr.’s. Dollars.
 nigh. gr?- Danger Divide.
o - s
704 Dick, Jr., ~Pot.
710 Dick Jr?
716 Dick, Jr. s, ant.
7“ lck, Jr.‘s,
7'8 Dick, Jr.‘s,
764 Dick, Jr. a,
740 ick, Jr. s,
747 Dick, Jr. s,
7153 Dick, Jr.’s, .
758 Dick, Jr. , Strait.
764 ick, Jr.’s.
770 Dick, Jr.’s.
776 Dick, Jr.’s. rrection.
789 Dick, Jr. Days.
787 Dick, Jr..
792 Dick, Jr.‘s,
797 Dick, J r’.s. entare.
809 Dick, Jr.’s,
807 Dick, Jr.‘s,
812 Dick,'J r. ’s,
816 Dick, Jr.’s,

BY W31. 0. PATTEN.

629 Violet Vane, the Velvet Sport: or, The Jubilee o! Jacktown.
668 Violet Vane A Victory; or. The Jasper City Clean Out.
693 Violet and Da sy, the PM Psrds.

705 Violet Vanc‘s ow; or. T e Craity Detoctivc’s Crait.

M Violet Vane’s Yen once; 0r.'l‘he Wipe-Out.

80 Violet. Vanefs Ver lot; or, The Game at Coffin City.
741 Violet Vane, the Ventriioqnlnt Vldocq: or, S iOi’i vs. Sport.
750 Violet Vane. the Vanuishud; or. The Lila music.

768 Violet Yane‘u Vision; or. The Firry Hand of Fate.

4K9 'l‘ho Diamond Sport; or, The Doubts has other! Rock.
519 Ca tssn sin-(erg; or.l"ive in Ono.

531 Dal-y "are tho port from Denver.

687 Did Bombshell, thu Ranch Deioctlve.

604 Iron Fern, the lion at Fire: or, Among the Vultures.

619 The Boy Tram; Detective; or. Tho Doubly liviletnus
641 Dismal Davc‘u )andy l’ard; or,ThoClnetoCapt. Claw
651 Bound Boy Frank. t a Young Amateur Demtivu

“39 Wild Vulcan, the Lone-Rania Rider.

714 Did Misery tiir Man from Missouri.

77‘ Clear-Grit Cal, the New-r Saw-Die Demtive.

7N9 Sam Sheridan, tn.- Scrrut Sorva Special.

806 Cowboy Steve the Ranch Mascot.

BY C01. A. P. “0LT.

811 "end" lit 'llnrry's Flycr; or. Duke Derby.
678 geead‘light liarry’s Hazard; or. The Lightning Bxprus
tort v0.
691 Headlight llarry’s llaul; or.1'hs Railroad Pads.
.7 Headlight Harry’s Siren; or, Mud Madge.
59 Headlight liarry‘s Heritage. ~
94 liessdi ht llarry’s Baa or, The Cachsoiaold.
99 Black ackskln; or.1‘ho askod Mon ochstthayoa.
1’ Kenneth, the Kaila-Kin : or, The Doomsd Six.
[Mlfi’mktfooh tbs lot of the Woods.
The y Sport; or, Ths King Pin mm.

other Novclfl by E. L. “’heclcr.

80 lion-bud Rob; or, Noam-t Ned, iii-a Knight.

8’4 llo-elrud Rob on Ilaud; or. Iiiyl. ilir Girl Miner.

8N llonelmd lioil'n licarzwarnnce: or, l‘lmtogriuill Phil.
121 Rout-bud liob'rA (‘lla lcuge; or, Cliilllillliiil (hip.
27? Denver Doll. illo “vi-“i.in th‘ril: or, The Yisiikru‘s Surround
281 Dem er Doll’s Victory; or, Shull nnii Cruaniwllcfl.
3H5 Denver Doll’s Decoy ; or. Little Bill‘s Bouanzn.
396 Denver Doll's Drift; or. 'l‘hu Road Queen.

86H Yreku Jim. tlu- Gold-Gulllu‘rer: or,Th» Lil's Lottery.
87$ Yrreka Jim‘s Prize; or. The won... of \Vnkap.

885 \‘rekss Jim’s Joker: or, The Rivals oi Red Nose.

3H9 \vrcka Jim's New (ole; or, Bicycle Bell.

894 1 reka Jim oi‘ Yuba Duos.

209 Fritz, the Bounni-iioy Detective: or. Dot Lertle Game.
213 Fritz to the Front; UP, The \‘ruirilnquiui Hunter

24-1 Sierra Sam, ihv Fromm Forum or. A Sister's Devoiion,
94" Ricrra Sam's Secret; or, The Bloody Footprints.

258 Sierra Sam's Paul; or. The Angel oi ng Viola.

258 Sierra Sam’s Seven; or. The Stolen Bride,

834 Kangaroo Kit; or. The Mysterious Minor.
.89 Kangaroo kit's Racket; or, Thr Pride of Played-Out.

89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York.
69 The llo Detective; or. “Hill lililr, the Slinipi-hootor.
96 “’atch- 2370 the Dsterziver or, Arabs and Angela.
117 Gilt-Edged Dick, the S in Detective
145 Captain Ferret, the ew York Dctectivo.
1i“ New York Nell. the Boy-Girl Detective.
220 The Arab Detective; or, Snoozur, the Boy Sharp.
391 Turk, tho Boy Ferret.
635 kcllcy, Iiicke .L' 00., illr Dctei-tivmi ofPhilodelphis.
848 Manhattan M kc, the Bowery Dru-Clive.
.400 ernkles, the Night-Watch Detcctlve.
416 High liat llarry. [he Bus. Bull Detoctlvo.
436 Sam Slabsidca. the Beggar-Boy Detective.
484 Jim Beak and Pa], rivato Detectlva.

26 Cloven "00!, the Buil‘nlo Demon: or. The Border Vulturss.

82 Bob Woolf; or, The Girl Desd‘Shot.

45 0ch Avalanche or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand.

58 Jim llludsoe, r., tho Boy Phenix.

61 Buckhorn Bill; or. The Red Rifle Team.

92 Canada Chet; or. Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camv.
113 Jack Hoyle the Young Simulator.
1.5 nougnzg lull Miner; or .‘lalinlli Mystery, ths Forger.
138 Ilosa Bob the lilng of Booth Min.
141 Solid Sam, the Box- Road-Ageut: or, Tho Branded Brows.
177 Nobl) Nick 01’ Nevada; or, The Sierras Scamps.
181 Wild rank the Buckskin Bravo; or. Lady Lily’s Love.
'36 Apollo Bill, the Trail Tornado; or. Rowdy Kate.
240 Cyclone K“, the Young Gladiator; or, The Locked Valloy.
278 Jumbo Joe, the hay Patrol: or. The Rival Heirs.
.99 A No. 1, tbs Dnshin Toll-Taker.
808 ’lea Jan the Gir Miner; or. ths Iron-Nerved Sport.
.80 Little uic -Slsot; or Tho Dead Fucs oi Dsggcnvills.
858 First-O ass Fred tho Cent iroln Go her.
378 Nabob Nod; or he Srcrct of Slab C ty.
88. Cool K t, the Kinx of Kids; or, A Villsin's Vengeance.

8 Santa e Sal, the Slasher; or, A Son’s Vengeance.
6 Deals Sam. the Sparklsr; or The Tribunal 0! Ton.

BY J. C. CliWDRICK.
Broadway Billy Novels.

   
 
 
 
 
 

490 Billy. tho Bootblscli Bravo.

514 Bill ’s Boodle; or, Cloning sfitrsnge Case.
586 [iii y's ‘Dliilkllty.”

557 Bill ’s Death Racket.

579 Bil y s Surprise arty. .
605 Billy} or, The Boy Detsctive's Bizlnniar.
688 Billy a Dead Act; or, The Leszue of Seven.
669 Billy Abroad; or, The Boothinck In Frisco.
675 Billy’s Best; ohm-sting San Francisco's Finest.
6137 Billy in Clover.

690 Billy in Texas; or, The River Rustlers.
708 way Billy’s Brand.

711 way Billy at Santa Fe; or, The Clever Deal.
7930 Billy’s Full "and; or, The Gamin Detective.
785 Billy‘s Baldness.

783 Billy’n Cut-loan Case.

758 way Billy in Denver.

762 Billy‘s Bargain; or, The Three Detectives.
769 Billy, the Retriever Detective.

775 Billy's flhadow Chase.

788 Billy’n Beagles; or, The Trlo’s Quest.

786 way Blily’a Team; or, The Combine’s Bill Pull.
790 way Billy’s Brigade; or. The Dead Alive.

796 way Billy's Queer Bequest.

800 way Billy Baillc

way Billy‘s Si no! Scoop.

way Billy'u pe Out.

8.0 Silver-Muk the “an of Mystsry; or, The Golden Keys.

869 Shasta, the (told king; or, For Sovsu You! Dad.

480 The Detectivo's Algnrcntice; or, A Boy Without a Nana.
that. John; ol‘. sd-Hot Tunas st Auto Bsr.

489 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout.

467 Disco Dan. the Drill ' Dude.

506 Red ht Ralph t 0 Prince of the Road.

584 The nglnecr Detective; or, Redlight Rslph’s Resolve.

548 Mart, the Night Express Detective.

571 Air-Line Lake the Young Engineer: or, The Double Case.-

59! The Boy Pinkerton; or, Running the Rascals Out.

615 Fighting Harry the Chief of Chained Cyclone.

040 Bareback Bet , the Centaur of the rule.

647 Tnypewrlter Tilly. the Marrhnnl's \Vard.

659 oonlight Morgan, the “ Piuncst "Man 0! Ante Bu.

BY IJECT. A. K. SIMS.

539 Tom-Cat and Ford; or. The Dead flat at Silver City.
622 Tor-Ini‘at’s Triad; hr. Th. Afl‘nir m Tombstone.
681 Tom Cat’n Tcrriblc Tank: or. The Cowboy Detective.
683 Tom-Cat’s Triumoh or. Black Dan's arc-st Comhiuo.
546 Captain (‘actun the liaparvai r‘nrir; or. Josh’s Ten Strike.
5633 The. Dandy of Dodge; or. Rmillnz for Millions.
576 The Silver finori; or. Josh Peppermint‘s Jubilee.
538 fiafl'ron Sol. the Man With a Rhsdow
601 llappv "ans, the Dutch Vidocq; or, Hot Times at Round-Up
6| 1 Bildnd Barnacle, in. mono. Hercules.
646 Cowboy Gid, the Cattle-Rance Detective.
657 Warbiing William, the Mountain .‘iiountebank.
665 Jolly Jeremiah the Plains Detective.
676 fllpnnl Earn the lookout Scout.

the your Spy; or. The Mvutarv of Two Lives.
699 Rimp e film, the liroucho Bustvr: or. For it Stakes.
719 The Men-meri-t Sport; or, The Mystificd Detective.
788 Toltec Tom, the Mud Prospector.
45 Kansas Jim. the (‘roas-Cut Detective.
61 . armaduke, the .Mustsnger Dehctivo.
78 he Rnstlcr of Rolling Stone. -
“5 Lone "and Joe, tho Commitios oi One.
01 Kent Kirby, the High-Kicker from Killbuck.

BY BUFFAIA) BILL (Boa. Wu. F. God!)-
8 Kansas King; or. Tho Red Right Hand.

7
7
7
7
8

 

lit 'sho Phantom 88y: or,’l'ho Pilot of tho Prsirio.
‘5 Melly-Eye. the nknown Surat: or. The nded WM
.3 order Rois a flood; or Tho Prairie Rovor.

158 any PI of Color 0; or. The Trappsr's Trust.

 

BY CDLONEL I’RENTISS INGRAIIAM.

Dick Doom’n Death-Grip: or, The Dt‘ivl'Cileli by Du-
Dick Doom's Destiny; or, Tin: River Blacklay’u Term
. > Dick Doom; or, The Sharps and Sharks oi New York.
KN Dick Doom In Boston; or, A Mun oi Iilnny Musk».
793 Dick Doom in Chicago.

798 Dick Doom in the “'ild “'cst.

1508 Dick Doom'u (‘lean Sweep; or, Five Links in o Clm
MN Dick Door-I’M Death ('lnc.

818 Dick Doom’n Diamond Deal.

7-39 Dashing Charlie; or, The Kentucky Tenderioot’s Firat’l
706 Din-hing (‘ilnrlic‘u Dentin)"; “r. The Renegndc’s Cap
760 Dav-hing Charlie‘s l’awnce l‘ard.

766 Danlling Charlie, the licncucr.

497 Dan Taylor, King oi the Cowboys.

737 lillck ’I‘slylor, tlw (onmnrhe’u in tire.

748 Back 'l‘aylor‘a Boy in; or, The minim. orthe Rio Grn
560 Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadowor.

71:5 I’uwncc Dill: or, Curl, the Mad Cowboy.

719 Pawnee Dill’u I’ll-due; or. The Cowboy's Doom.

725 Pawnee Bill; or, During Dick.

692 Redfern’u (‘urlous Case; or. The Rival Sharpe.
697 liedi‘crn at Devil’u Ranch; or, The Sharp from Tax
702 Rcdi’crn’n High "and; or. iiluo Jacket.

707 licdi‘ern’s Last Trail; or, The Red Somhrcro Ranger:
66!‘ Red Ralph‘s Rune; 0r,Tho Buccaneer Mldulil mum.
074 Red Ralph‘s Bold Game; or,’l'|m Wizard ailur.
679 Red Ralph, the b‘liiulowcr‘. or, The Freehootur'l Legacy.

64-i- Butterily Billy’l Dluguiac.

650 Butterfly Billy, the Pom~ Express Rider.
656 Butterfly liilly’a Man lunt.

868 Butterfly Billy’s Bonanza.

565 Kent Kingdon; or The Owls or the Overlsnd.

570 invent Kingc-on’s éhadoweri 07-9“! Card Qumv
575 Bent Klngdon’a Dncl ; or. The Sorkeon Scout.

586 [seat Kingd-ou’s Doom; or,'l‘he Buckskin Avenger.
545 Lafitte Run Down 3 or, The Buccanrcrs oiBnrratarin.
550 Ladtte‘s Legacy; or. The Avenzluz Son.

555 Lafitte’s Confession; or, The Creole Cir-air.

520 Buckskin Bill, the Comanche Shadow.

525 The Buckskin Brothers in Texan.

580 The Buckskin Bowen; or. The (‘owhoy Pirates.
585 The liuckakln llovern; or. The Prairie Fugitive.
540 The Buckskin Pards‘ Queat; or, Captain Ku-Kia:

503 The Royal Middy; or. The Shark and im- Sen Cut.
507 The Royal Mlddy's Lack; or,The Hunted Mldshlpl
511 The Royal Middy’s Foe.

450 “'Izard Will : or. The Boy Ferret on New York.

45-1» “'lzard “'ill’s Street Scouts.

474 “'izard “'lll‘s l’ard; or. Flcrn the Flower Girl.
488 “'izard “'lll’a Last Case; or, The Ferret: Afloat.
429 our-can Dare. tha Boy Reinsu-

488 ‘ lam-an Darc’s Plot; or. A Cabin Boy’s Luck.

487 lam-an Darc’s Prize; or, TheScn alder.

441 Juneau Dare’s Secret; or. Tbs Ocean Firoiiv.

409 Isodor, the Young Conspirator; or. The Fatal La
40? lsodor’s Double hone; onThc Bov insurrent.
412 Inodor’a War-Cloud Cruise; or, The Wild chhtsu

916 Bison Bill. the Prince of the Rains.

22$ Biron Bill’a Clue; or, Grit, the Bravo Sport.

804 Dead Shot Dandy’a Dilemma.

808 Dead i-‘hot Dandy’s Double; 01', Krnfi Kit.

814 Dead Shot Dandy‘s Defiance; or. The Boy Bvizler.
607 Dead Shot Dandy’s Chief; or, The River thoctivs.
M5 Merle Monte’s Loan for Life. ‘ I
250 Merle Moutc‘o Mutiny; or. Bundt, tho Buccaneer. I -
264 Merle Moate’s Treanuro Is an . _

269 Merle Monte the Condemned.

E76 Merle Monte's Cruise; on "The Gold Ship " Chase.

230 Merle Monte’s Fate; or, The Pirate’s Pride.

384 Merle Monte’n Pledge; or, The Sea Marauder.

197 The Kid Glove liport; or. Little Grit, the Wild Ride: I .

204 The Kid Glow Sport’a Doom; or, Builnlo Bill, “
Pony Exprosi Rider.

761 Bath Redmond, the Girl Shadow".

6M! lirlando. the can Free lag.

617 Ralph, tho Dead-Elliot Scout.

602 The V agabond oftbo Mines.

597 The Texan Detective; or, The Black Bravos.

591 Delmonte, ths Young Sea-Rover; or The Aveuging Sail

580 The (latent-t Cadet or The Pain Detective.

495 Arizona Joe; or.'i‘he y l‘srd of Texas Jock.

487 Nevada N ed, the Revolvu ionizer.

468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Cosster; or, Pirate in Spite.

469 The Sailor Boy Wanderer; or. The Born Guide.

446 llaphazard "array; or. The Ses Sea arses.

898 The Bed Clasnc "ands; or,’l‘he y Lieutenant.

387 “'11? Itile Will. the Trailer Guide.

mill The ndian Film; or, The Search for Pirate island. I

877 Ballade], the Boy over or. The Flsgloss Schoousr

937 Billy Blue-Eyes, of the io Grande-

BB7 Lone Star. the Cowboy Cs tsln.

Ell (‘rirm-on Rate, the Girl roller: or. The Cowboy's Nu:

Hi The llns-ar Captain; or. The Hermit of Hell Cats.

1

 

 

The Sea-Devil ; or. The Midrhipmsu’s Lonny.

i2 Dick Dead-Eye, the Smuzglor; or, The Cru:so oi the V
75 The Boy Dueliutg or, Tho Cruiu of tho Sea-“oil.

or, The Rivnlfld‘eut‘oim'lnluts.

24 Diamond Dirk OUT," MFINWO “0 0 “Nume-
17 Ralph Rov, tholBAy Buccnn or; or. The Fugitive Yadll
7 The Fun," Yankee; or, The Ocmn Outcnsi.

LATEST AND NEW ISSUES.

9314 Ace High, tin- Frisco Detective. By C. E. Tripp.
815 Broadway Billy’n Dank Racket; or.’ he Cityl:

tlve’s lilg Haul. y . (7. Cowririck. ‘
i316 Deadwood Dick, .1r.’u, Rival. By Edward L. Win,
5‘17 “'ideawakc. the Train-boy Detective. l’iy Col. A. FJ‘ .
$18 The Hustler Rogue.Caicher. By 1‘ m. it. Eysu-I ',
$19 Dick Doom’s Girl Mascot. By Col. Prentiss! Inmr . -
S20 Robb; Not the Tendrrioot Dcioctlvo. By “’m.G. PI .
i321 Bron way lllly’a Bluif. By .1. C. Cowdrlck.
822 Deadwood Dick. Jr.’s, Room. By Ed. 1.. Wheel,
828 Poker Jack the Domiivs Sport. By 011 Comics.
£24 Bowery Billy, the Roma DOIIHMI‘. Dy Jo Pierre. ;-
H25 Marlo. the Cowboy Coasts-r. Cy (‘01. P. lngrahll 1 .-
826 Broadway Billy Among Janey Thugs. By ._-

(IV

C a
R? The Bantam B rt. 3 T. C. Harbauzh,
i328 Deadwood Die , Jr.'s. ySooo . By Ed. L. Whale;
829 The Gentleman Crook in icago; or. Did! Di
Shadow Hunt. Bv Col. P. infllhlim.
880 The Grim L rs in Ila: Alley; 0', Clam ' I
n! Numbsr Seven. By Ron D. Hullldov. ' - . '
1381 The Chicago Drummer’l Deal. By J. 0. Boil-uh . V ‘ ' ' ;;
880 The Doctor Detective n Texas. Bv Lleut. A. K.‘ ,"  -  -
883 Broadwa‘y Billy’s Raid. By J. C. owdrick. .   I.
884 Dcadwoo Dick, Jr.’s, Proxy. By Ed. L. Win ‘
Rudy July 18. ' L . _.l
A How [one Every Tuesday. ' y Y .- i
The flaif- Dirac Library is for MI. by sil nous-laden  ,. -' j
osnls pot to", or suit by mail on mint at six coats oath. I
‘ BEADLE AND “All, Panniers.
ill Willia- ltreot, New Yos