‘

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  Published Every Ton Cent: 3. Copy.
- - Two Weeks- 98 WILLIAM STREET, N. Y., July 2d, 1879. $2.50 a- Year-

CAPTAIN “will—EDEN, THE MAN-SHARK 0F HEAMISSISS

BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, J r.,
AUTHOR or “ mam-mom» JACK,” “ GOSPEL GEORGE," “ um BOY mom,” no, mo.

 

 

 

 

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“run on s-nm mnwVAnn, JACQUES BOUCHIER, AND, BY TEI‘Z “09.x mr (mun,ou I‘LL SCATTEB. YOUR mums TO THE mUn WIND”!

 

2

Captain 09on Blade.

 

 

Captain Cool Blade;
The Man-Shark of the Mississippi.

. BY JOS. E. BADGER, JR.,
smell. or “ rsnlcn-riscnmo JACK," “ oosrni.
GEORGE,” “ THE BOY JOCKEY," no, no.

 

CHAPTER I.
AN nccnumm PASSENGER.

“CAPTAm, can you tell me the nature of that
smoke rising up yonder?”

These words were uttered in a peculiar, h
voice, and with a manner so respec ful as to be -
most timid. They were addressed to Henry Blunt
captain of the " Water Witch," then acknowledged
queen of the lower Mississippi.

Blunt by name and blunt by nature was the sturdy
captain, and his mail de nicque of “ Old Rough and
Ready,“ a My described his bluff, straight—forward
nature. ct he was a gentleman to the core, and
had almost any other one of his present passegigcrs
asked him that ucstion, a prompt and cordi an-
swer would have can given. Instead, there came a
short, explosive grunt. that shadowed forth the
strong aversion with which the Rover nd Jabez
Hawkins had inspired him. from the moment that
goptleman stepped aboard the steamboat at New

r cans.

“ t wolf in sheep’s clothing—a. p'izen hawk on the
109 -out for stray pigeons!” was his mental summing
up after one keen glance at the clerical passen er.
and few men could read human nature better t

Captain Blunt.
‘ I beg {our pardon, captain,” added the n-
ger, “ but am rather hard of hearing, and d not

exactly catch your meaning. If you would kindly
repeat your answer, a trifle louder?"
‘ What is it you want?" sharply.

“ That smoke, onder—"

“ Yes. it is smo 'c, and it comes from a fire." .

“Smoke generally does. I believe " said the -
senger. dizyly; “ but whatI wished to earn was, digs
that smoke come from a steamboat ahead of us, or
froma fire on land?”

“Boat, of course; a blind man could tell that, from
the way it moves," sna pod the captain. _

“Do you think it is t 1e ‘ War Eagle?’ “ askedthe
Rev. Jabez Hawkins, with poorly concealed eager-
ness.

“It may be from her pipes, or from any one of a
dozen other boats. If you wait long enough, maybe
you’ll find out for yourself."

More to escape from the pmenger to whom he had
taken such a strong dishke, than au ht else, Captain
Blunt turned away and entered e glass-incased
pilotehouse.

One cause of his unusnal accrbity may be mention-
en here. since it had an influence upon the events
which were to follow. These were the “ flush times “
of the Mississi pi, particularly for the river captains
and pilots. T eir wages ran from five hundred to
one thousand dollars a month. and Captain Blunt
was one of the few who “salted down’ the larger
portion of his salary, until he had a comfortable
competence drawing interest in a bank of New 0r-
leans. Then. as now, though fortunately more rare-
lfy. there were defaulti cashiers and two day: be-

ore the Water Witch 1e t New Orleans for St. uis,
Captain Blunt’s money. together with the all of
many another unfortunate, took to itself wings and
flew away to parts unknown, in the custody of an
able financier. The machinery of justice was put in
motion, but the ca tain could not wait to observe the
results. The boat commanded must run on time
the more articularly that the sickly season was just
opening— cllow Jack having already claimed its
first victims. All but the poorest of the poor, and
the members of the “ Can t-get-away Club," were
hastening to flee from the fever-lands. and the Water
Witch must reap a portion of the rich harvest.

This loss. to ether With his instinctive dislike for
the clerical lo ‘ g passenger, must account for his
rudeness. ,

The Reverend Jabez Hawkins did not ap ear to
know that he had been snubbed, but continue watch-
ing the line of black smoke that lay upon the tree-
tops far ahead. With a strange intentness. Though
mu goggles concealed his eyes. there was some-

gof e wolf or hawk in appearance, just
then, as Captain Blunt called attention of the pilot
to the passen er.

“I've seen im before but not in that rig. Ills
eyes are as sound and keen as my own, and that
hair upon his face was never put t ere by nature.
Some p‘izen gambler or runaway cutthroat! ‘growled
Blunt, sourly.

“If it was only Jamison, nowi” uttered the pilot,
alluding to the defaulting cashier, for he, too, was
asufferer from the same cause. ‘ I never saw the
Scoundrel but a few tunes. He was about the same
build—are you sure it isn’t him?"

The ca tain was not sure, as his actions clearly
endenc Not pausing to make a reply to the

ilot's startling su :estion, he pushed back the slid-

ow, and eaped upon the hurricane deck

hou‘t making use of the steps. He approached

HaWklns as eager to cultivate hisacgiaintance now

as he had been desirous of aimlde m but a min-
ute prewously.

Though not intimate] uainted with the run-
away cashier. Captain B unt new him well by Sig-lg;
and an accident in the days gone by had given
a clew by which he felt sure he could recognize J ami-
son thro h any and all 

From t a first he had believed this man Hawkins
was very different from what his registered name
and title would indicate. He felt sure that he was
disguised; that his beard was false, that the got: les
were worn for concealment rather than necessgty
that the forward stoop of the am, 1mm form, and
the bus , guavenng voice were only assumed for
the time mg. But until the pilot uttered those
wards, he never even thought of Hawkins and
Jamison in connection. Now. he half-believed that
it was the truth—that the queer-looking and acting
preacher was ind the runawa cashier; and ap-

roached him with the purpose 0 settling the ques-

o“ of identity.

his accent assen er, but be resisted the tempta-
tion. Ho co d y strike aman because he chose
to laugh aloud.

 

Dee ly absorbed though the passenger was in ’
watc g the smoke line ahead. he cast a quick,
sidelong glance to the captain as he sprung
from the pilot-house, and one hand was slip in-
tothe breast of his tight-fitting black froc -coat. .
Captain Blunt saw this significant motion, and read ‘
it aright. Reverend Jabez Hawkins did not seem
wholly inclined to trust to his cloth for protection. .
The action was that of a man who carried hislife
in his hand, and one who was no stranger to sudden.
deadly assaults. ‘

Ca tain Blunt aid no attention tothis silent hint
but, etermined osoivethemyster of thedisguise ‘

assenger, if possiblei he resume the subject he

ad so unceremonio terminated a few moments

before.
“I asked Sam Ellis, the pilot. what he thought of
onder smoke and it is h 5 opinion that it comes
om the War E le's furnace. You seemed soanx-
ious to find out t at I thought it no more than fair
to come and tell you."

“ But you are not certain?"

“ No; I didn‘t even know that the War Eagle was
ahead of us. I've had much to trouble me. and did
not pa much attention to what was going on around
me. on know about Jamison?"

This uestion was sha, l enunciated. and as he
spoke, aptain Blunt vyed 5 passenger veryclosely,
feeling sure that if his suspicions were correct _the
criminal would betra himself. There wasas lght
start at the words, bu that might be accounted or
on the core of nervousness, the query was so sharp-

u .

‘ The defaulting cashier? yes," slowly responded
the Reverend Jabe Hawkins. ‘ Am I to understand
that you are one 0 his victims 1’"

“To. the tune of thirty thousand dollars—that‘s
all,” bitterly muttered the river captain. “ Of course
you have no idea where he has one?"

“ The eneral belief is that he left aboard one of
the coas rs stowed away in the hold, by a confed-
erate, most likely.”

“I believe he played a bolder role—that be dis-
guised himself and took passage up the river. on
some one of the steaniboats."

Once more the passenger gave a start, and the
goon goggles turned full upon the face of the cap-

in, but a low lau h came rom the bearded lips as .
if in mocking derl on of the suspicion which was so
Blainly imprinted upon the countenance of Henry

lunt. So the latter into reted the cachinnation
and his flnggrs itched to on it short in the throat of

“ It may be so—indeed I believe that is exactly
the course a smart man like Jamison would be most
likely to ursue, simp because suspicion would be
apt to o t strongly t e other way. But, to return
to who is of far more interest to me, do you think
that there is any chance of our overtaking the boat
that sends up yonder smoke, before she can make
an land“; y" peech C ta' Bl thadbe t yin

n s , tip in un en r g
to devisge some plan by which he might discover
whether or no the speaker was the defaulting cash-
ier. If the wind would only blow aside those long
locks of black hair, ‘ust back of the fellow‘s ngh
earl He had noti that Jamison bore a blood-red
triangular scar, small but indelible. just back of
that organ. It was while waitilggsgn a barber-shop
that he noticed this man; as Ja n lay under the
hands of a tonsorlal artis .

Chance favored him than and now. The river
was high and still rising. Its surface was covered
with driftwood, foam and floating debris. The cur-
rent was stro and dimcult to stem. The engines
of the Water itch were workin under a heavy
head of steam. and the strong dr t carried cinders
and burning flakes of cottonwood and pine up and
out of the huge smoke-stacks. One of these cinders
settled down u on Henry Blunt's hand. and the
scorching sense. on ve him a truly brilliant idea. »

“ Look out!" he c ed, brushing the long hair aside
with his hand. “ A cinder—" _

The sentence was left unfinished and an expres-
sion of blank disappointment settled over the cap-
tain‘s face. This man was not J amison. whoever
else he might be, for the scar was not to be seen.

Once more the strange passenger mugged mock-
irtigly, andtin 5. £83.}? musical vglicemt t 1Evashiun
srongconras edisagreea e nes e
hitherto used. said:

“ The scar is lackin , captain. I am not the man
you took me to be. at, when you have had a little
more experience in man-hunting, on will not be so
easily thrown off your balance. amison will never
be found by means of that scar unless he is a great-
er fool than I take him to be. A little paint, and the
mark is gone."

“ Who the devil are you, anyhow?"

” An'unworthy follower in the footsteps of John
the Ba tlst—a poor shepherd whose mission it is to

bring stta sheep to the fold," droned the
queer passen er, ough his nose. on with a
hollow an hat evident] was drawn up in the
very ha in of his stomac .

“ For the sake of their fleece, no doubt," muttered
2:111“, though not fully recovered from his discom-

ure.

“I’ma prince in disguise travelin in . if on
like that better," laughed the Regverefig’Jalzez.
“ But jesting aside do you think we will overtake
ghat steamboat! We appear to be gaining upon

er 1‘

“ If it is the War Eagle, no- not before she has

a. Jan . We stop at Brown’s Landing, but

she does not. he is two miles ahead; the Landing
not more than ten."

“ This boat is too slow to overtake her, then 7"

“ No, sir; we can give her two miles in ten, and
beat her easily enough. B as her are, the |
War Eagle can‘t fl awa rom the Wtch,“ said ;
Blunt, his pride in t e boa he commanded showing ‘
forth in every word.

“ I once heard Ca taln Craven say the same thing,
only be reversed t 6 order; not is he the only one
that rates the War Eagle as the head of the river.
You’ll never have a. better chance of settling the
question. Put on steam and overhaul her."

“ There is no question about it," said Blunt, sharp-
ly. “ This boat is acknowled ed the queen of the

ver while the War Eagle i_ ‘y a second rater.“

. irritating laugh.

 

s o
“ on why are you afraid—‘

“ Easy. there! Don‘t presume too far on the black
coat and white choker which you have donned. for
no good purpose. I‘ll lay._ It is none of *our busi-
ness. wa ,but Ill satisfy ou. The itch has
beaten the gle too often for er to sin any credit
by doing the same now. I have a va uable freight.
and my cahin's full of passengers. The river is up a-
booming, and in no fit condition for racing. There‘s
reasons ‘enough for satisfying a greater fool than
you are. -

“ And the most convincing one of all is held in
reserve—fear of failure," said Hawkins. with i. l
“I don’t blame you for inlkim:
111p your boat, captain. but I still pin my faith l »
t e old Eagle—proud bird of freedom! More thal
that,) I am ready to )ut up money to back my opin—
ion.‘ .he added, pro ucing a plump wallet and ex-
tracting therefrom a large l'Ol of notes. “Two to
one that on can‘t overtake that boat—providing
it is the ar Eagle—before she reaches her next
Kort. Name our figures; let the pilot be stake-

older—and I 1 cover the money."

Captain Blunt was not what is called a betting
man but here he was (oubl tempted. The spec
of his boat—loved quite as d’éarly as wife and chil-
dren could have'been—was questioned. He knew
that he could Win the money and the wager was
almost forced upon him; that, loo, by a man whom
he instinctively disliked.

“Why are you so anxious to catch the Eagle?
If it was running away from the boat, I could un-
derstand that readily enough. by supposing a sheriff
aboard her. "

“Sharp, if not complimentary, hut words break
no bones. And yet I don‘t see why I should keep
it a secret. Know. then. that I have spent a moder-
ate fortune every year in traveling back and forth
upon this river, for the express purpose of witness-
ing—(l steamboat explode n.”

This startling revelation was ‘ven in a tone of
such gator-natural gravity that or a moment Cap-
tain lunt stared at the speaker in open-eyed
amazement almost doubting the evidence of his
ears. But then he saw the point, and was rather
amused than otherwise by the cool impudence of
mg fie If?“ h to tify

n you ope gra our curiosit b b -
ering me into racing with {hat boat—toyhgveagfe
Wifch burst her boilers by fighting against distance
and the current?"

“ l’d refer to have the Eagle do the bursting, be-
cause (1 have a better chance to witness the re-
sults but rather than miss experiencing that for
which I have sought so long, 1 (1 like to have the
Water Witch expiode.if you've no objections," quiet-
ly added the passengfir.

During this time, t e Water Witch, nob uphold-
ing her reputation. had been steadily gain g upon
the boat ahead, and now roundm a bend in the
river a glimpse could be caught of t e leadin boat,
near two miles away. Asingle lanes of apiain
Blun ‘s rlencede e told him t it wasindeed
the War gle, and e intimated as much to the
Reverend Ja ez Hawkins.

“Take 01? those barnacles, and you can see the
spread eagle between her smoke-stacks.”

“ My eyes are too weak to bear the light of the sun
—-the direful effects of over-study," laughed the
other. “But to business. You sa you can over-
take yonder boat. I doubt it—five undred dollars‘
worth. Two to one on my opinion," and as has else
he shook out five crisp one-hundred-dollar ank
notes temptineg before the face of the annoyed
captain. Or if you have any conscientious scruples
against betting, I’ll make on a present of the
amount if you can run alon do that steamer before
she makes a landing. Sharp’s the word 1"

“If I on] knew what game you were up to!" mut-
tered Blun , hesitatin ly.

“ You can guess. ere’s a man aboard that boat
that I wont to see. He absconded from New Orleans
—and the man that takes him back will make ten
thonsand dollars by the operation.” -

“ You mean Alfred Jamison?"

“Play fair—the game is mine." sharply muttered
the other.

“Done! let Ellis hold the stakes. I‘ll catch the
Eagle, or take a trip to the clouds on theriiins of the
Water Witch!" cried Blunt, his eyes glowing.

The. Box erend Jabez Hawkins 'd not give the cap-
tain time to alter his mind and as the £iiot pocket-
ed the money. the whistle of the star Witch
:firelageld out shrilly, a prompt response coming from

e 9.

“She? knows we’re after her, now," laughed the
pilot. " That’s our rule of honor—a fair warning.”

But as the Reverend Jabez Hawkins realized what
the pilot meant, a very unclerical oath broke grating-
ly from his bearded lips.

 

CHAPTER II.
HOT mos AND W rm.
Ar the same moment when Captain Hang Blunt
ve’the word to signal the War Eagle at the
ater Witch was about to chose her there were
e or eyes watching for the first-named boat, from
Co by’s Landing, at goodly number of miles up the
river. Only one pair use the dozen, that were ea-
ger. impatient, Inning to the first smoke-
wreath above and eyond the res-tops that border-
ed the turbid stream. Others were frequently turned
down-stream, but as often returned to the owner of
those glowing, restless orbs—a far pleasanter and
more satisfying ob ect. -
Onlyabackw sefiirl—child of rude, rnlcitered
rents who had liv in the lowlands will they
ad grown almost as grizzled as .the mossy trees
around them; with little book-learning and still less
of what is comp in the V3806 term. accomplish-
ments—Dorinda Colby was a sight good for sore
eyes' a child of nature. With all?“ enough of Mother
Fae in her compostion to m e her genuinely lov-
a e.
For weeks she had been making :9 mfions for
a rare holiday—a visit to her at erPs sister, who
lived upon a farm not many miles out from St.
Louis—mid was now in readiness, watching for the
steamer War Eagle, which had been expected since

' do. break

mariah Colby. father to Dorinda, was a well-to-
do man after his own fashion. He owned a saw-mill,
a, small grocery, a blacksmith-shop and a. wood-
yard. HIS. own dwelhn . with three smaller 1
cabins, which were occuo ed by his hired hands an

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Captain 0001 Blade.

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their families, with the other structures, comprised
all there was of Colby’s Landing.

The War Eagle was one of the boats that always
took on wood at his yard, and for this reason it
had been chosen to convey Dorinda up the river to
her destination.

The day was the Sabbath, the ocery was closed
the saw-mill Silent. Amariah olby would not sell
even whisky or tobacco—those two great staples of
such acommunity—on Suuda . By such a course
he gained great credit with is rough customers,
and was looked upon with no httle respect as a
“ ‘ligious sort 0‘ cuss."

“How well that respect was deserved, let the sequel
ow.

Among the half—score of men resent, there were
at least three who, as the rea er who follows the
course of this narrative to its end will meet with
them more or less fre uently, require a particular
notice; Abner Clark, ean Ashley and Big Jim
Adams.

The lll‘St named was the acknowledged lover of
Dorinda Colby, an honest young farmer, whose love
for the rural co uette often 1e him to neglect his
work for the sa 6 of enjoying her society. That
enjoyment had been rather mixed of late, and poor
Abner at last he ,an to realize the truth of the
axiom that true ove never did run smooth. The
lad was too straightforward to make any attempt
to conceal his growing jealousy and so gave Do-
rinda an unfair advantage over him. This she was

not slow to improve, and for a week past Abner .

had uncle one the torments of the damne
seemed to ' .

The two had been enga ed for several months

t, and Abner had foo imagined that his
rials and tribulations were a behind him, when

he gained the fair one’s consent to be his wife at
some future time. And all did go smoothly be-
tween them until Dean Ashley made his appear-
ance.

The new—comer was handsome enough to turn
the brain of a wiser, more sedate girl than Dorinda.
Tall, slender, lithe-built and active as a panther,
with features of classic re larity and eminine
beauty; with sldn and comp exion as soft and fair
as that of an infant, though with a faint, olive
tinge that betrayed his creole desceut' with silken
mustaches and imperial, jetty black like the hair
that fell in soft, glossy curls to his s oulders, w-iih

arments that would not have been out of place on
firoadway; with jewelry that was no sham; With
amellow voice of remarkable com ass and algood
command of language—little won er that Do nda
shou}d be strongly im ressed and almost fascinated,
(less) tei the fact the her love4vows were already

le e .

p Agarlah Colb seemed full as much pleased with
the dandifled fe ow, and on more than one occasion,
even suffered a little self-inconvenience, rather than
interrupt their teta—a-lete. This consideration was
all the more remarkable when taken in connection
with the off-hand, cavalier manner in which Dean
Ashlc treated the swam ma to. The stran or
must be a great man, or— Be uows more of ‘Riah
Colby then ’Rlah Colby is willin’ he should tell.” So
fltedei Jim Afiiangg, wslio made ad colnfiforggble
' llin' ga ' a 'innin an se 'n eir
hidlelgtoybe convertegd ing}:y leather.g g

With all the impatient anticl ation of a child,
Dorinda Colby could not content erself with await-
ing the comic of a steamboat, inside the house, as
pr riety we (1 suggest, but had been flitting back
an forth from the dwelling to the rude landing-
plaoe vainly looking for some sign of the exmed
vessel. The blacksmiths and the saw-mill (is
were waitingkto wish her good-speed, and see her
safely embar ed.

Poor Abner had vainly maneuvered to draw the
girl aside, where the might converse unseen and
unheard by others. hose rueful doubts were tor-
turln him afresh, as he saw how Dorinda cleverly
avoi ed falling in with his desire. Nor were they
lessened when he caught a glimpse of his audacious
rival in apparently earnest iscourse with the father
of his lov one.

As he turned from the ungrateful ight to Dorlnda,
he surprised her stolen glance _in the same direction,
and she, detected, blushed divmely.

“ He was a stranger to you one week ago, Dora,
and yet he has more influence over you than I who
have known and loved you for years," said A her,
with a sorrowful reproach in his tones. “ You
would not refuse him a few words in private, yet I
have asked you that favor, a dozen times." -

It was a rather blundering speech and Dorlnda
was not slow in taking advantage of it,

“ That may be the very reason, Abner,“ she said,
with a roguish side-glance in the direction of the
handsome stranger. “We have known each other
so long that you cannot have anything new or in-
teresting to say. Itlis altogether ifferent with Mr.
Ashley. He has traveled so much, and knows so
well how to talk about such interesting things that it
is a ositive pleasure just to listen—”

“ ” interposed Clark, bitter . “1 ca. 111; a.
few words yesterday, by accident. on accus me
of being rude to , afterward, but how could I
help it? To know that an impudent upstart like that
was talking or making love to the girl who had
promised to become my Wife! I only wonder that I
did not knock him down—" " _

“ Hush! he is coming here, whispered the girl in
a confused flutter, drawing a little aside from or

irritated lover. I

Whatever he ht be, it was lain that Dean
Ashley did not 1 assurance. oitifih perfectly
understanding the relations between e lovers he
evinced no hesitation in breaking up their tete-a-lete
though he was insolentlg pohte n his manner 0
doing so. His bow to bner Clark was doc and
profound, though there was something in his a that
:,tung the {pung farmer, as though he had been
slap edint eface. ' _ n

‘ gory so to interrupt you, my friend he' said,

on , in a eep mellow voice “ but r. Colby
irislgs to speak with his daughter, and requested mp
' ' Dora] This

“Allow me, Miss

uliarly his own, Dean

to bring her to him. ‘
we if you please."
With a cool assurance

' Ashley took the girl’s ban and drew it through his

arm still retaining it in his soft yet firm grasp, then
niov'ed slowly toward the house, talking earnestly
as they walked.

 

 

This was done so coolly yetgaromptly, that Abner
Clark did not think of inte ering until too late.
Then Dorlnda was quietly walking away under care
of another escort. His first impulse was to follow
and separate them, but he heard a low, meanin
laugh come I from where Amariah Colhy's hire
hands were sitting upon a pile of saw-logs. He knew
that they were enjoying the impudent manner in
which Dean Ashley had “ cut him out " and he
would not gratify them b a further exhibition of
fealous'y, jllllst then. Those aughed best who laughed

ast. it Dorlnda fairly started on her journey
the qtuestion should be settled between himself an
the s ranger.

Choking down his anger as best he could, Abner
crossed over to where the big alligator-hunter was
seated alone, and settled (it .\\'n beside him in the
shadow cast by the bugle wood ile.

“You’ll have to cut is com , Ab.," lazily uttered
Adams, blowin a stream of smoke toward the
young couple. ‘ But you want to keep one eye 0 on

or his s urs. Sech roosters gen’ally travel ull
heeled, an strike sharp at the net crow. He’s a
bad man, d’ye mind."

“ Colby sent for her; of course I couldn‘t object.”

Clark strove to speak unconcerned , but only
with poor success, and his face flushed otly as the
alli ator-hunter laughed softly.

“ ebbe he did, but the young rooster ain't in no
hurry to take the gal to the old man.” -

Abner‘s teeth grated and his hands clenched until
the finger-nails brought blood from his palms, for
he began to believe hat he had been made a fool of
by Dean Ashley. Well for him if Dorinda was not
a arty to the deception, tool

or a few moments Dean Ashley had led the meld-
eu toward the house, but then he turned gently
aside, and was moving toward the shady woods,
talking so earnestly that Dorinda appeared uncon-
scxous of their change of course.
' “ Take it cool, lad,” said Adams, warnineg, -
mg the arm of the young farmer as he sprung to h 5
feet. “ I knowed you two must have it out, sooner
or later, but don’t ‘ve him too much the advantage
of ye at the start. e’s a tough chicken fora young
one, fer all helooks so soft an' gal-like. G0 at him
with both e as open, an' you’ll come out on top."

The warn ng was a wise one and so Abner real-
ized. It served to cool his boil ng blood, and instead
of rushing headlong into the difficult that had be-
come ineVitable, he acted with a de beration that
boded 111 for the dashing stran er.

He knew that Amariah Co by had not left the
house since he saw him enter it, and at once hasten-
ed there, opening the door and enter-in without
knocking, long acquaintance having ren ered such
ceremony nugato .

As long famil a1515* told him he would, Abner found
Amariah Colby re ing his Bible. Tall, stout built,
with a harsh, morose and forbidding cast 0 coun-
tenance, the old man did not look much like the
Christian he professed to be despite the nature of
the task he was then engaged upon. And there were
not wanting those who openly declared that Amari-
ah Colby onl donned his Sunday religion as a con-
venient clo to conceal his week-da rascalities.
Thus far Abner had been willfully blln and deaf to
the floating rumors that, if founded upon fact, would
prove the old man to be a rascal in more wags than
one. This, because of his ardent love for orlnda.
which naturally inclined him to think the best of all
those who were in any degree connected with her.
But now he was too thoroughly aroused to pick and
choose his words.

“ Mr. Colby, did on send for Dora to come to you i"
he asked almost emanded.

The old man looked up in surprise at the stmrggely
quiet tone, and without taking time to think, tol the
truth. He had not sent for Dorlnda, because he had
already given her all the instructions and 'counsel
necessa . But the words had hard] crossed the
threshol of his lips, than he wishe they had re-
mained unuttered. He felt that he had made some
kind ofa mistake ashe saw how the e as of the
young farmer flamed up, and red ips curled
awa'yhfrom his strongi white teeth.

“ en that fellow ed to me. I knew ltl"

“ Who—who do you mean?" asked Colby, anx-

ionsl .

“The prince in disguise whom you and Dora have
made so much of, the last few days. Call her over
here—call her away from him, or she may see more
than may please her."

“ You mean to quarrel with him—all for a foolish
jokel—" but Abner broke in:

“ A joke that will end in sore bones for one or both
of us. I'll thrash him or he’ll thrash me, before the
day’s an hour older.“

‘ Let it pass lad—he meant no harm—“

“ See here, r. Colby. Peo le around here begin
to behave that yonder fellow s an outlaw—a horse-
thief counterfeiter and even worse. They even hint
at other names in the same connection. Better go
slow; better not be too fast in your defense of him,
or they may speak ,still plalner when they mention
your name."

“ Do you dare to hint that I am—"

“ I hint no hints. I simply tell you to call your
daughter aside or, by the horn of Gabriel lI'll
thrash the dandlfled fe ow before her very eyes."

Amarlah Colby knew that the young farmer meant
ever word that he said, and for reasons of his own
he d not care about crossing his angry mood just
then. He knew that a collision between the two
men was inevitable now, and stepping to the door,
he called aloud to his daughter.

Abner turned a shade aler as he saw how Do-
rinda started as she hen the call. It showed how
wholly absorbed she had been in the conversation,
totally forgetting time and direction.

Dean As ey saw that his little ‘rWhad been un-
masked, but apparently had no intention of show-
ing the white feather to on still further the simile
started by the big alligator unter. He turned as
though to accompan the girl, but she jerked her
hand free and almos ran away from him. Abner
averted his face as she passed him by, and strode on
to meet Ashley.

The workmen had closely watched these little bits
of by-play, confident that there was ome congenial
amusement in store i or them. Now, led by Big Jim
Adams, the hastened toward the rival suitors.

Abner st erd off his coat and vest, tossing them
aside, toget er With his hat, rolling up his shirt.

 

sleevesashe approached Dean Ashle . The latter
appeared to fancy .an such preparat on useless 0x:
his part, cooil awa ' the onset of his rival.
This seeming se -reliance was ve pleasing to all hi 1
one of the men drawing near. hey felt that they
were about to witness a battle ro a1, and though
their sfim athies were naturally wi .h Abner, who} r
they a 1i ed and esteemed, the prospect of an eve .
struggle was very welcome.

Tha single exception was Bi Jim Adams. B
had no fai in the stranger. e believed him it
be more like a snake in the grass and keenly watch
ed his eve motion, drawing s ' nearer.

Irritated Pr the insolent smile that curled the full
red lips of h s antagonist, Abner Clark called to hh
to guard himself, and leaping forward, hot out botE.
fists at the mocking visage. But the force of thosr
fierce blows was spent on empty air, Ashley sprln .-

g swiftly aside and before Abner could fair ;'
recover himself, t e black muzzle of a revolver sin -
ed him full in the face. Still smiling Ashley pull.
trigger and the hammer fell; but then a gratin,
curse hissed through his teeth as an explosion failc.‘
to follow. Onl for that, Abner Clark would haw»
died almost be ore he could have realized the deadly
peril that threatened. As it was, a second and ml .
ably fatal attempt would have been made, 0 y f(.
the prompt ac ion of the old alligator-hunter
Thou h on the look-out for treachery, he would box-v
been 00 late to have saved hisegoung friend bi '.
for the failin cap; now he wrest the weapon 11..
Ashley's ban and buried him heavil to the ground.
Lithe and active as a ti ervcat, t e 0 man
rebounded to his feet, 0 to conme the eveled
rifle of Jim Adams.

‘fU han’s, ye sli pery skunk!" thundered the
alliga r-hunter. “ to fetch a weepon, an‘ down
ye go with daylight shlnin‘ through your brain-pan l“

Angry though he was, Dean shle saw that the
veteran was not to he trified with—that he meant
ever-Ay word of his resounding threat. ,

“ dozen on one—that is your idea of fair play,
is it? Shoot you old fool—shootl but if you miss,
I’ll cut your heart out the next moment i"

“ It’d sarve you on] right ef I should shoot,“ was
the cool response. “ on tried to do bloody murder
an‘ deserve death for that. But I know a. good
licklu’ would hurt you wuss then sudden death, and
a good lickin’ you shell have, ef I hev to give it to
you m own selfl"

“ No until I‘m through with him,” said Abner,
whose narrow escape from death had only served to
cool and steady his nerves. instead of lntimldatin
him. “If the coward prefers pistols to fists, afi
right; I hold myself man enough for him in any and
eve way.

“ thar's any shootin‘ to be done, I'll do it my
own self," ltively asserted Adams. “Any critter
as ’d take t e ’vantage of a man like he tried, ain‘t
wuth the powder it’d take to blowhlm to never~con1e~
back-ag’in. You shall settle it byafa‘r fist fi ht,
rough an’ tumble, an’ the one that tries to inter ere
afore one o' e hollers ‘nough hes got to dance to
my music. he old man is ’, now, an’ what 110
says he 'gen‘ally backs up. Strip ourself, dandy“
cook, or your fine feathers ’ll git sp" ed ast washii. ’.
You’ve t atou h colt to curry an’ greatly mis-
doubt w other it E: in our boots to do it.”

“ What securi ve that when you see your
favorite getting e Worst of it, you will not one or
all pile upon me, to save him 1'” muttered Ashley, with
an a scowl of suspicion.

“ e word of a white man: I won’t gentleman,
fer I mlsdoubt you wouldn‘t know svfl'vhat I meant. v
You shell hev fa r lay, but fight you must or take
a llckin’ on your like a ho -thief. do make
{rpm 'lcction,” coolly responded A still kee ing

e young man covered with his shortfheavy rifle. .

Dean Ashley, when he saw that there was only one
course left open to him, showed no further hesita-
tion. Feeling that he had a tough task before him,
he removed his outer garments, and submitted to be
searched for concealed weapons. Then the rivals
confronted each other, with hands in position.

What they lacked in science, they made up in mu-
tual hatred, and for once the spectators were satis-
fied with the brutal sport. The two men fought like
bulldogs. Clark was the heavier and stro er but
this was about balanced by the superior aggvlt of
his antagonist. There was no sparringl for nd.
Each man was too eager to injure the ot or to think
of guarding himself, or of parryi blows. They
clenched and after a fierce wrestle, 351 to the ground
side by side, strugglingelike wild beasts.

Here Abner‘s grea r stren h came into 0d
play, and he was uickly astrl e his an onls ,re-

eatedly dashing h s fist into the upturned ace, with
rrible force. here could be but one ending, now,
and ere long Dean Ashlc snarled cho :

“Enough—curse you, et up! I’ve got enough i"

CHAPTER III.
A swans csnsl.

Tnoms Canvas, master and part owner of the
good boat War Eagle, was taking his ease in the
railed-off ace that was thus separated from the
bar with is littering arm of cut glass, lated-
ware and spot ess mirrors. 9 trip bade fall) to be
a profitable one, both in frel ht and passenger list,
and he was in especial humor his morning.
The sable Gaggmede in attendance upon the bar,
was seldom i . A dozen tables beyond were oc-
cu led by cud-guys]?! for, though acknowledged
on asecond- r, so or as d was concerned.
the War Eagle was a part! favorite with the
gambltimniglfraternlty.

Cap Craven was a man wise in his own nem-
tion. He welcomed the “card sharps " to boat,
for a consideration. He was paid a re per-
centage on their , or char edt em treble
far? t d, to 1t $.33“th '
poc e e as e e
regularity with which his bankgccounttgg'velled, told
how advantageous he found the arrangement“.

In some cases he was obliged to act as “stool-
pigeon” when business on board was dull. and not
unfrequently was called u n to defend some black-
193 from the retribution ey both ustly deserved.
Nor was he the only on tain that us abused his
ofilce, as the records p inly show; nor were pro-
fessional amblers his only clients. More than one
planter w 0 was generally considered an honorable
gentleman, sought Craven‘s aid and secret influ-
ence. Even now, one of that number, who hashls

 

4

Captain 0001 Blade.

 

 

own art to play in this eventful record of wild
river- 'fe, was skillfully fleecing three other plan-
ters, and the captain was already estimating the
amount of percentage he would receive from that
little game.

His calculations were interrupted by the far-
away sound of a steam whistle, and a few moments
later aslirill scream come from the deck above.
Captain Craven frowned as ho sprung to his feet.
Knowing that they were near no regular landing,
that the first whistle came from down the river, he
had no difficulty in divining the meaning of the
sounds; he was too familiar With the etiquette of
the river to make any mistake, but he inwardly
cursed tho promptucss of his pilot in acce ting the
challenge. Under the ensuing m'rangemen , aslow
tri would pay him better than a. fast one.

here were others aboard who understood the
meaning conveyed by those ‘two whistles quite as
well as he, and scores of cxcxted passengers flocked
around him as he emerged from t 10 cabm.

“It’s no use, gentlemen," he said, after a. keen,
steady look down the river at the oncoming steam-
boat. “That’s the Water Witch, and we have
double her load of freight aboard. The odds are
dead against us!" _

An almost menacing outcry arose at this decision.
Excitement is like breath in the nostrils of the ma-
éorit of Americans, nor were the passengers aboard
he or Eagle exceptions to the general rule. J ulcb
Beaufort, the planter alluded to as having a secret
nntLenstanding with the captain, cried aloud with an
out :

“If you show the white feather now, captain,
never a pounrl of freight do you get from my plant-
ation, though you offer to carry it for love."

This struck the key-note, and was only the first of
two score similar asseverations. There were no
dissenting voices; all were loud in their demands for
the captain to make good his ilot‘s prompt accept-
ance of the bold challengegan maintain the repu-
tation of the gallant War hagle.

He knew what they did not, that even now they
were risking their live over defective and neagy
worn-out boilers, but he dare not tell them this. e
would have been mobbed ere the words were cold
uponhislips. Neither did he dare refuse such a
unanimous demand. To forfeit their patronage
and freight bills, would be almost equivalent to ruin,
and so he yielded to the inevitable and assed the
word for t e engineers to make steam: e_ behaved
he could pursue a. middle course, but in this he was
mistaken. Those who had been loudest in their
demands, for the most art “hot-bloods," yo

lanters who had imbibe the racmg instinct wit

heir mother’s milk, were far too deeply interested
in the matter for that.

The flocked to the boiler deck, and under their
eyes, here could be no dece tion practiced. They
knew that wood alone co not eneratc steam
enou h to hold their own a ainst esw1ft Water
Wi , and with reckless p. igality. they pressed
the more inflammable portion of their own freight
u n the nowise reluctant firemen.

ams and sides of bacon; tierces of lard and tal-
low; heads of turpentine casks were knocked in,
and bales of cotton were cut open, rolls of which
were dipped into the fluid and cast into the roaring
furnaces.

The huge boat uivered with every stroke of the
flashing pistons. he side-wheels lashed and pound-
ed the brown waters into foam and spra . As the
bluff bows pressed more and more sw1ft y throu h
the rapid current, a stream of water rose before t e
grow to the height of a man‘s head. Volumes of

lack smoke rolled out from the mighty stacks,
while the tall ‘scape ipes puffed and anted, labor-
ing like miniature vo canoes. And wil With del ht,
{he excitable planters yelled and shouted themse ves

oarse.

By this time all on board the rival steamboats
knew that the “ stern chase " was fairl begun, and
none save those who willfull bhnded t emselves _to
the records of the boats, b any doubts as to which
one would eventually prove the victor. Yet, as the

ht fabric of wood and iron clove its way faster
an 5 ill faster through the rushingl flood, one by
one the more phle atic among t e Passengers
caught the s irit o enthusiasm that an mated the
more excitab e of their fellows. Wogers were freely
bandied back and forth—not that the War is
would win, for the wildest partisan was too sane or
that—and bets were made as to the len h of time
the Water Witch would be in overtaking hem.

Amid the uproar and confusion, hearing all, yet
plainly more deeply interested in each other, a
young couple stoo side b side upon the hurricane
deck, near the after-guar 3. That they were lovers,
was plain to the e es of all who might choose to note
them. The trut stood revealed in their every
word and glance, in their very attitude. Not that they
were of the “ gushing " order, or made a. dis lay of
their infatuation, but he was so tenderly to and
thoughtful of her comfort in trifles, whie she ac-
cepted his attention so gratefullye and with such a.
hug? smile that the most inve rate misognmist
00 (iv hardly have blamed them.

Marie Beaufort was the only daughter—on] child
and heiress of Jules Beaufort the gambhng p anter
who was generally considered one of the wealthiest
men of the South. She was as lovely in form and
feature as she was in heart. A column of descrip-
tion could not an more.

Percy Talfo was a fltti mate for her in per-
son and mind—a. gfintleman rn, and n_gentleman
by nature—tall, at etic, fairly good-looking; young,
intelli out and wealthy.

Gr ually they grew more intemstod in the con-
test, and began to moderately share in the intense
excitement which reigned n n board the War Eagle.
Like the rest, their sympat ies were with the boat
whose deck they trod, and they be an to ow un-
comfortable as they saw'that the Wgater itch was
surely if slowly overhauling them.

The hot-blooded planters were not satisfied to re-
main long upon the boxlerdeck, where the were cut
off from all view of the chase, but giving t e firemen
full permission to use an orall of then- freight as
fuel, they flocked to the urricane deck.

But before another half-hour had elapsed, the most
obtuse among them became aware that there was
something wrong. The Water Witch was coming up
with them hand over hand. The War Eagle 39px“-
cd to be slackening its pace. The huge side-wh re-

 

volved more moderately. The hea clank of the
nderous machinery sun a slower une, while the
imbers no longer tremble and quivered as they had
at the commencement.
As before Jules Beaufort took the lead.
“ Craven is throwing off 2 Down to the boiler-deck

and we’ll lay firemen ourselves!” he shouted, half ‘

crazed wit liquor and excitement.

As before, he did not lack for followers, but as 'he
reached the head of the wide flight of ste s leading
from the cabin—deck below, he was con routed b
Captain Craven and his three mates, istols in han .

‘ Sto gentlemenl" he cried, stern y, barring the
way. am captain of this boat, and any man
that attempts to interfere with its management,
does so at his own peril. Stand bank! you arc cabin
passen ers, and have no right on the boiler deck
while i; e boat is under way."

“You are slacking the fires and slowing the en-

‘nes," cried Beaufort, angrily. “ You are crawl-
ing out of the race, for fear of defeat, like the craven
you are named! Give way—we will run the en-
gines ourselves and pay yourown price for the privi-
ege.“

“ And land us all in heaven—or the other place,"
retorted Craven, with a harsh laugh. “ You may

count yourselves lucky that you still have a plank un- 1

der your foot, gentlemen—and that would not be
the case in ten minutes from now, if we kept up
that racing pressure. We found a. flaw inone of the

boilers that would have given way under another ‘

ounce of steam, and only prompt action averted a.
disastrous explosion."

“You deserve lynching for pretendln to run a
sound boat instead of a rotten tub like sl” growl-
ed one of the planters, turning pals.

“The boat nosed a thorough inspection asmy
papers will s ow," imperturbably responded the
ca tain. “,The boilers are sound enou h for any
or inary service, and if I had not wea yallowed
you to influence me against my better judgment,
iygou would have been spared this scare. The river

in no flt condition for racing, and—"

Captain Craven did not complete his sentence, for

his audience turned and left him in disgust. prefer- :

rin the card-tables to witnessing the ignommious
do eat of the War Ea le.

Percy Talfourd an his fair companion, though
less interested in the matter than the planters, had
passed around the pilot-house, and leaning over the

orwu-d guards, caught enough of the conversa-

tion recorded above to understand that the race
was given us, but failed to catch the reason given
by Captain raven. With a little laugh at the an-
gry disappointment of the planters, the lovers tum-
ed 35:11.11 and sought their former position, watch—
in 3 rapid approach of the River Queen, but
in . rested far more in their own conversation.
This can find no record here. Those who “have
been thro h the mill," can readily imagine it, while
those who ve not, must wait until their own turn
comes

But for one man at least the interest of the chase
was steadily increasing with every passin moment.
He seemed strangely exultant for one w 0 was on
the point of losinga five-hundred-dollar bet. Only
an accident could save his mone now, and yet as
the Water Witch steadily drew c oser to the other
boat, his 6 es burned and flashed until the green
glasses cou d no longer disguise them.

With a. sudden imtplulse he pushed aside the glass
door at the rear of 5 pilot, and entered, despite the
frown that darkened the brow of that personage.

_“Don’t mind me," he uttered in the old, husky,
d1 able voice. “l’ll keep out of your way.
You re bound to win that bet for the captain!"

The pilot did not deem this observation worthy a
response, but kept his eyes u n the brown waters,
now disturbed by the waves oft aster-n by the War
Eagle. But the eccentric gasseiéger had a point to
gain, and was not to be bln ed 0 .

“ master of his rofession, as I lalnly see you
are, sir, could run to erably close to at boot, eh?"

“Close enough to crush a fly between our wheel-
house and hers, without so much as rubbing of! an
inch of aint ” was the prompt response.

“ Tha ’s a ieetle closer shave than desire.” laughed
the passen r, “but I‘ll give you fifty dollars if on
will pass c ose eno h for me to jump on board t at
boat. Will you do t?"

“Count out (your money and t ready to ump,"
briefly respon ed the pilot, utt g the whee over.

The Reverend Jabez Haw roduced the sum
oflered, and left the hpilot-house, uttoning his vest
Eightly around him, 5 eyes gleaming more vividly

an ever.

Sam Ellis fairly earned his moneg, runnin the
Water Witch dangerously close to t e other at,
and the near passenger would have easily made the
leap. he not his foot sli pad a. moment too soon as
he stood upon the guar 3. To avoid a fall between
the huge wheels, he was forced to lea too soon, and
a cry of horror went up as the man ung hovering
over almost certain dea h!

CHAPTER IV.
A was maximum.

Tan least trace of hesitation would have been
fatal to the man who had paid so liberally for the
privilege of risking his life. A moment of indecision,
and he must have fallen headlong down into the
water between the rushing boats, and either have
been drowned or have been sucked under the swift
ly pounding wheel that would have broken eve
bone In his body. But hesitate he did not. a
cast his whole power into the eflort, and shot
through the air like a black-coated missile hurled
from a. catapult.

For an instant it seemed as though he would be
dashed against the guards just shaft the wheel-
house of e War Eagle, but the spell-bound e e-
witnesses did not know what the man was caps. 15
of accom lishing. While in mid-air, he drew up his
knees un ' the almost touched his chin, and thrust
his feet forwa , hoping thus to clear the low guards
and alight {you the hurricane deck.

Instead sfeet struck upon the broad cap-rail,
while the force of his lglap lenlablebd  to (linraw his
bodyupnear perpen cuary; ut t are ’spow-
ers ceased. 6 terrible strain completely exhaust-
ed him. He could do no more. He hung hoverin
over almost certain death, slowly sinking hackwar ,
his great strength and wonderful elasticity of body

’ :Jtnly enabling him to delay his fall, not wholly avert

Among many others, the lovers had watched the
desperate leap and reahzing the danger of the man,
‘ Pei-c Talfour leaped fOrward to lend him ahel ing
han . Prompt as was his action, it would ave
availed nothing, on] for the quick wit and ready
hand of the pilot, w o threw the wheel over with nll
possnble force and swxftness, giving the bow an
abrupt sheer to port, while, as a natural conse-
quence, the stern swung to starboard. This admit
maneuver served to restore the stranger's hnlmu-o,
and gave Talfourd time to grasp him by the hand,
One tremendous jerk, and they both went down
upon the deck together, amid " chorus of wild, ou-
thusiasric cheers from both boats.

Now that the emergency was i' t, the crowd upon
the War Eagle‘s hurricane dock, rushed toward the
prostrate figures, ready with assistance when none
was needold, true to human nature. But they met
a sudden check, and while all ceased to advance, a
few even retreated us though suddenly brought face
to face with the evil one himself.

The Reverend Jabez Hawkins had fallen upon the
deck of the War Eagle, but an altogether ifferent
‘ appearing man arose in his place. His hat and
con 0 gles la beside» a Wig and false heard at his
. set, w i e a. qui l, wrapped around with cotton, had

fallen from one of his nostrils, taking with it that
l .
strange look of ufflness from one side of his face.

“ Captain Coo Blade, by the eternall” exclaimed
one of the passengers, falling back as he spoke the
odd name, as though there was contagion in the

 

air.

The stranger cast one swift, burning glance to-
, ward the speaker, then turned to Faro Talfourd.
, A frank, winning smile pla ed around h lips as be

extended his hand, and spo e:

“ I owe my life to you, sir, and though it may not
I be worth much to any person, save myself, my grati-
| tude is none the less dee on that account.”
! He paused, his pale ace flushing doe 1y, for in-
stead of grasgin the proffered hand, be young
: planter drew ac apace saying, coldly:

“What I did, was on t e impulse of the moment,
and deserves no thanks. Perhaps, if I had known—
Did that gentleman name you correctly? Are you
‘ Captain Cool Blade ‘3"

‘ And if he did? Bah! what matter? Yes, sir, I
am Captain 0001 Blade," with a short, hard laugh.

“Then, sir, I consider your offering me your
hand, a bitter insult. Had I known who you were,
(nit t3? time, I would have left you to meet a dog‘s

ea .’

Those who knew the man best to whom this cut-
ting speech was addressed, held their breath with
amazement at the cool tennerlty of the dyoung
, 1planter. But an even greater surprise awalte them

the manner of the insulted. His hotly flushed
ale, and his syes filled With a
3 voice was low and steady as

4
i
I

face turned ashen
blue, steely fire, but
he re lied:

“ T at cancels the debt. You saved my life, and
I have spared yours. The next time we Will meet on
even footing.’

“Tgkes water, by Moses!" came a. voice from the
crow .

Captain Cool Blade turned swiftly one hand hid-
den In his bosom his white teeth visible.

“Will the gentleman please rarest those words!
I ask it as a articular favor." I -

But he as ’ed in vain. He did not look much like
a man who would “take water " ust then, and the
modest speaker wisely conclu e not to repeat the
obnoxious words; nor was there any response when
Captain Cool Blade added:

' I will ive any gentleman fifty dollars if he will
kindly po nt out the coward who crowed so loud be-
hind my hack. Ahi water seems to be a favorite
beverage, just at present."

A 10W. mocking laugh fell from the man's lips as
he surve ed the crowd, with cool insolence in his
glance. e terrible reputation be had won in many
a deadly stru’lggle along the river stood bun In good
stead now. hough few of those present could ust-
ly be termed cowards, not one 0 their number was
bold or foolhard enough to confront the speaker.

Percy Talfoui was nrar enough to overhear the
words, but Marie Beaufort was now clinging to his
am, even had he been one who loved abrawl for
a brawl's sake, which he was not. He had done
and said enough to show his utter detestation of the
class of men—sharks at the head of which stood the

erson known for and wide as Captain Cool Blade.

0 believed the fellow had committed crimes
enou h to deserve death, a thousand times over
and the occasion served, would have felt sl ht
remorse or compunction in shooting him down 1ke
a wild beast, but he did not feel called upon togo
out of his way to create such an opémrtuni y.

Captain Cool Blade seemed satis ed with the sen-
sation his words and manner had created, and al-
though he knew that the success of the plans he had
in view would be endangered by the accident which
had disarranged his cunnin disguise, be was too
thoroughly used to making 9 best of a had her.

sin, to be (haunted now. Stoopin be picked up

e wig, beard, goggles, hat and qu , thrust the
latter up his nost l, and adjusting the other a iclcs
in their ro or places, once more was the Reverend
Jabez awfins, shepherd on the look-out for stray

shee . .

Ting Water Witch had slowed her engines for a
few moments, for Captain Blunt, believing his
stran e passen r to be a detective in chase of the
defau ting caslfigr, intended boarding the War Eagle
in person. But he was an eye-witness to the fool-
hnrdy leap, and the unmbsking which followed. He
was a. bitter and uncompromlsmg em m to all gam-
blers, and had once landed this very n )lain Cool
Blade upon a barren sand-bar in the m1 die of the
Mississippi river, for plying his skill in defiance of
the rules and re tions of the boat. He mos.
‘ nized the unmasked face, Imd knOWlng how he had
been deceived, ave orders to go ahead, consoling
himself that he made five hundred dollars very
easily, after all.

A assago was opened through the crowd as
tho ii the disguised gambler carried theseeds of
the p e in lusgarmeuts, the moment he made a.
step forward, on he descended to the cabin deck,
; earn the ofilce and pausing in front of the desk
where s ood both the captain and clerk. There was
astart of astonishment on the part of the former

 

\

. l) ut

Captain Coo-1 Blade.

5

 

 

 

 

ofllciai as .h Ii“.Z::iJ-".c1'if:l~lool:ing personage address
ed him.

“You have reserved my state-room, I presume,
Captain Craven, seeing it was )aid for in advance,
and my baggage sent aboard? was unexpectedly
11,13yUd, and so followed on the \Villi‘l‘ Witch. Here
is my card—you will find it recorded on your books,
I think. Am I not right?"

The captain muttered sometbi inarticulate as he
g1 tllc id at the printed card in his and. Either the
(11336330? who had so dramatically made his debut
0.1 board the War Eagle, understood him, or did. not
feel inclined to ask a repetition of his words, for he
faced around toward a number of planters who had ‘
just descended from the hurricane deck, saying:

“ Now, gentlemen, as I do not feel at ease in tra-
veling mi: er borrowed umage, you must allow me
to correc the mistake hlch was made on decks
few mom nits since. There, nettled by the peculiar
m inner of some among you, I assumed the name 1
and responsibility of a man whom I am proud to call I
my friend, and a gentlcman who has been much |
man ned by enemies who dare not repeat their
WOI‘tfi before his face. I mean Captain 0001 Blade."

The s caker smiled as he noted the blank manner
in whic his denial was received.

“ Understand me; I am ready to take the place
and res onsibility of my friend, if any gentleman
present eels himself aggrieved or holds any grud e
against him; but I thought it only right tome. e
this explanation. Captain Craven, here, can vouch
for me. ‘

Whether this statement was believed or not, no !
one asked the captain any questions, and the man in 1
dis ise see'ncd satisfie . Turning to the bar he
pohtely invited the gentlemen present to imbibe,
and as the captain me forward among the first,
addressing the stranger as Mr. Hawkins, there was
little hesitation among the others.

In ten minutes more, the Reverend J abez Hawkins
had completely removed the evil impression made
by his first appearance, and was looked upon as not
such a bad-hearted fellow, after all.

“I don‘t blame on for looking at me a little
askant, :utlemen ' he said, with a enial laugh,
as he set led his false bearl in lace. ‘ Pee le gen-
erally have good reason; for raveling in guise
before they attempt such a masquerade, nor am I
an exception to the rule. Onl for these handy de-
vices, I would, most likely, at t s moment be keep
ing the fishes company, or be a fit subject for a
coroner’s inquest, on board the Water Witch.

“As Captain Craven can tell you, I intended to
take passage for my plantation on board this boat,
but was behind time, delayed in getting together
some ‘ properties ’ for a projected amateur theat-
rical entertainment. Losxn this boat, I took the
Water Witch, and there fe among thieves. Iun-
wittingl mentioned to a friend the fact of my
having rawn a bee. amount from the bank, and a
gnaw of gamblers pic ed me up for a proper subject

eece.

“ I was always fond of cards—and that passion,

. added, perhaps to an unlucky habit of crooking my
elbow rather oftener than my 3 lritual superiors
deemed advisable—wave me a spec y discharge from
my pastoral situat on. I make this confession
that no scandal may be cast upon the church by

m stor .

x I togk the wolves for simple shee ._ like myself,
and consented to take a hand in a neudiy game.
For a time, all went merry as a marriage bell,
but then—we were play-i draw poker—as we be an
to pie. for hi her stakes, noticed that when I
good ands, Izhad to do all the betting. This, occur-
ring so often, led to me look a little beneath the sur- ,
face, and I soon discovered that we were playing 1
with marked cards. Like the. in orit of men who (
handle the pasteboards occasxgma , may be a ht- I
tie inclined to over-rate my skill, but I believed that ,
I could fight five without scorching my fingers, and .
I did, thanks to the lessons given me at odd times by
my articular friend, Captain 0001 Blade.

‘ Buckin the cards we played with were the com-
mon ‘ steamboat cards,‘ with stars on the backs, so,
when it came my turn to deal, I rung in a cold deck
on them, of my own. These were marked, but after
a different plan, and I took care to let them see the
backs of my hand lai Of course they didn‘t
take the trouble to 00k a the backs of their own,
while the could see the faces.

" I belt; four aces, and discarded the seven of
s ades, which was marked the same as the ace of
ci’ubs was in the other deck. I gave them four kings
queens and knaves, respectively, and as they believ
1 had thrown out an ace, they felt sure I was draw-
ing to fill a flush, nor did the grin I donned asI raised
my hand, tend to tell them any better.

1 ‘With one hacg a: thetthii.li;d—an:¢li1 zve $18611 Bug:

a n str' t uses— ey new a a
Pheiyr hindsigon beat mine, and as I saw and raised

 

their bets, they went in for a clean swee . They
got it, but not exactl as they had fancie . When
all was up, they calleti and I s owed them four aces.

Then there was music in the air, sure one hl

“As I drew down the pot, the claimed oul play
and faced the discards to show he ace of clubs—bu
it wasn’t there. The crowd knew them for profes-
sl mal gamblers and sustained to claims. The
could not den having furnished t e cards, the
the markings ad been so strangely changed. e
were laying ‘ freeze-out,’ andas heyhad no money
L-ft, t ey could not require me to Stacy any longer, So
i pocketed over twenty thousan ollars in notes,
and the biters were bit.

“But a friend soon warned me that my life and
money were in danger, and slipping into my state-
ioom, I donned this (1 . ust hen we came in
: .ght of this boat, and bet the captain five hundred
dollars that he couldn’t overtake”you. Ilost—but

I mnunt myself the winner, after all. ’

At this juncture, the game in the gentlemen s
cabin beyond came to an end, and Jules Beaufort,
-.= ished with wine and victory, _entered the bar, fol-
lowed b hits gfisfiel‘ and serious (gm giggles. as

A s a e came 0v

his eI‘ested Upon the ace of the excited planter,
fig strong agitation was unnoticed. A latten-
tion was absorbed by Beaufort, who boasted of his i
successful skill wit the wonderful vivacity of a ,
half-drunken creo e.
“ Only for the name of the thing, I’d tun}
(tonal gambler,“ he declare , with a shrill

 

rofes- ,

u 11.1 findoutwho is kl

 

sun rose! I could play for the world, today, and
never fear losi . Yet, the money burns in my
ockets. and I he d it a free gift for the man who is
old enough to play me for t. Gentlemen, I chal-
len e you, one and all—"
“ on need seek no further—I am ready to play
you, at any and every game you may name."
The acceptor of the bold challenge was the Rev-
erend Hawkins.

 

CHAPTER V.
A Burns noun.

Tan half-drunken planter turned quickl at the
sound of these words, for the first time not cing the
Reverend J abez Hawkins. His first impression was
not a very favorable one, and his thin lips curled
scornfully as he made reply:

“My remark was not addressed to you, sir. I
never (play cards for money with str ers."

“In eedl then you should have qualified your
sweepin challenge, and barred strangers and sober
men. 0 one would dispute your wisdom. Such
men have an inconvenient ha it of watching the
game, with a due a preciation of any fine poin "

“Do you dare to nsinuate—"

“I am simply stating a fact, my good sir," coolly
interposed the man in disguise. ‘ I it cuts unpleas-
antly near the quick, blame the fact, not me. But
this is wandering from the question. You issued a
challeu e; Iaccepted it. I will play you any nine
of car s you ma name, for any stake you ease,
from a picayune o a life. If you are afraid E) lay
me, say so at once, and that will end the ma ter.

‘ But, in that case, let me give you a word of advice.

Crow a little more modestly, next time, or some
other man may mistake your idle boasting for a
genuine defiance."

“I have the spurs to back up my crowing, if ne-
cessary," retorted the plantbr, and those who knew
him best, saw his face assume what past experience
had told them was his dan erous exgression, a
cold, icy smile. “ But a gent eman of onor does
not care to imperil his reputation by playing with
every stranger whom he may chance to encounter.
There are such things known along this river as
men-sharks—"

“ I ulled the teeth of three of them this morning "
uiet y interposed the stranger, “and have no air
actions to make the number even."

” Who the devh are you, anyhow?“

“ Captain Craven, will you be so kind as to en-

lighten this gentleman f"

‘ Mr. J ones," said the captain, in the hurried tone
of one who was anXious to preserve peace between
two fflendfi‘anow me to introduce you to my
friend, the verend Jabez Hawkins, once a Baptist
minister, but now a wealthy and honored planter of
N orth-western Louisiana.”

“That is aheufflcient-and, my dear sir," cried
the planter, extending his hand, “1 free apolo
glze for my suspicions. Not that you can b ame me
so much, since saw at the first glance that you

were en masquerade, and there are so many disre-

putable characters afloat, now, that you can hardly
wonder at my sus icions. '

“Say no more r. Jones. Perhaps we were both
a little too hasty. As for the disguise I wear, it
was the means of saving my life and some forty
thousand dollars to-day. Remembe ,Iwould
be un ateful to cast it aside now. sides, I be-
lieve would throw away m luck with it. After
ougsgttle game is ended, will time enough to un-
m .

red-
as a

As nearly every gambler is more or less an
tious, this explanation answered quite new
more plausible one.

“ M luck lies hi my fingers and my brains," said
Beau ort, who chose to travel under the more lebeian
name of Jones. “We will see which is t e most
influential. .But first—let us drink to our better ac-
quaintance, Mr. Hawkins. Gentlemen, you will
please join us?”

There were no refusals. All present were inter-
ested in the match of skill hat had been so queerly
brought about. Beaufort was known as one of the
most skillful her-players in the South, while won-
derful tales been told of Captain Cool Blade,
whom this ex-preacher so strong resembled. A
contest between those two champ one would be a
battle royal, indeed Nor was this all. Some of the
closer observers believed that there was somethl
more below the s than had been shadow
forth by the interchang’eeof comgiments, sharp as
that had been. They lieved ey scented sport
ahiead, eyen more interesting than a heavy game of
“ raw.

In some manner Percy Talfourd gained an inkling
of what was going on below, and descended from the
hurricane-deck, sending Marie Beaufort in to her
mother, who was resting upon a couch in the ladies’

cabin, while he at once sought out the lanter in or-
der to warn him ainst p ng with t e disguised
assenger. Unluc y for s p , the more

eaufort drank, the star became his obstinac ,
which strongly resem led that of a pig, sure to ta 6
shhim 1&3 the ection opposite to the one in which 'he

0 go.

“ I am fully ca able of judging for myself. Mr.
Talfourd,‘" he said, icily, turning aside impatiently.

“ But as a gentleman you can not play with that
fellow " urged the oung man. “ He admitted to me
that his name was ptain Cool Blade—"

“ y dear sir," interposed the harsh, husky voice
of the Reverend J abez Hawkins, “ I have already
explained my assumption of that name and title.
Captain Craven can to i you who and what I am; if his
report fans to satisfy Iyou, have t1patience for a brief
time, and as soon as have set ed my little match
with my friend, Mr. Jones, I will cheerfully put you
out of your misery."

“ Let the matter drop, Tnlfourd,“ sharply uttered
the planter. “ It is no business of yours, anyway, and
were he the old boy himself I would play him now."

Talfourd saw that he could do not log under the

resent circumstances, and was wise enou h 0 know
hat any further remonstrnnces would on erve to
make a bad matter worse. But, though e lapsed
into silence, he resolved to keep his eyes open and
watch every movement of the man whom he so
stron y sus ected.

“ T e quic er we get to work, the sooner we will
of the pasteboards," laughed

ng
“Twenty thousand dollars have I cleared sincet e i Beaufort, allttle nervously, setting down his glass

 

and turnin away from the bar. “Come, Brother
Hawkins, t e money i have won this morning is
already burning a hole in my pocket."

“ I'll lure it away before it has time to scorch your
skin, never fear,” reverted the other, with 0. disagree-
able smile. “Captaih, please favor us with some
fresh cards—not marked ones, for this is to be a
pure trial of skill, rather than for money alone. Am

not right, Mr. Jones?“

“I am a gentleman, sir, and know nothing about
marked cards," a little stiflly respouded the planter
to this question.

“Yet these cards are all marked," and the ex-
minister carelessl spread out the cards which had
been abandoned y Beaufort and his losing com-
panions. “Luckily on were all gentlemen, or

here might be some ‘spute about that money. Ah,

captain many thanks—charge them to me, if you
please,’ he added blandly as the captain came up
with a halfsdozen decks 0 new cards.

Despite his assertion that he was wholly ignorant
of marked cards, Beaufort closely inspected one of
the acks before seating himself.

“ no word before we begin," said Hawkins. “ It
may, possibly, save a dispute before the end. shall
iv: p?l‘ay ‘straights‘? If so, what value shall they

ve

“Beat two air—and a ‘royal flush’ rakes the
board," promp ly responded Beaufort.

“Ve well; it is best to fully understand these
little disputed points beforehand. Yet a man is
quite as apt to be struck by lightning as he is to hold
a sequence flush, though it he‘s been done."

To the uninitiated, it may not be amiss to state that
a“royal flush" is composed of five cards of one
suit, runni in consecutive order, as ace to four
spot, both nclusive or ace, king, queen, knave and
ten. Whenthis hen is played in the game of draw-
poker it ranks all others, beating four aces. How-
ever it is never played save b special a ,remnant.

“ ow much ante)" asked eaufort, s uflling the
cards. “Don’t put it too low. I dislike pinyin
light at any time, and more especially when my neg
is in the ascendancy, as it is to-da .'

“ Fifty dollars ante, and as muc
will that be too high for you i“

“Not if it were a thousand—but that will do to
commence upon. No limit in betting, though i"

“Your pile will hardly last until dinner time, at
that rate, laughed Hawkins, winning the deal and
puttigfi up his ante, which Beaufort, a little nettled,

mm ately covered with a note for the same
amount, b way of a “ blind.“

This bol opening pleased all of the crowd gath-
ered around, with the exception of Percy Talfourd.
His suspicions were, if anything, strengthened by
the manner and words of Haw , and he knew
that Beaufort was not then in a fit condition for the
contest of skill which he had invited.

There was nahing he could do but watch, unless
his vigilance could detect some foul pla ' on the
part 0 the lanter’s antagonist. Altbou he was

he afflance lover of Beaufort‘s only chilfi, he was
no favorite with the father. He did not drink or
gamble, and had more than once respectfully en-
cavored to wean Beaufort from those fascinating
evils. The only thing he accom lished was win-
ning the ill-w' oi' the irritable punter, who even
went so far as to try to break the engagement be-
tween the youi’ig couple but vainly. Under these
circumstances alfourd knew that any further in-
terference on his part would be reductive of more
harm than ood, unless he coul show better cause
than suspic ons alone.

However interesting a game of cards, where high
stakes are depending u n the result, maybe to
the spectators, articular y if the amblers are both
bold andskillf ,abaldrecordof evarlouschanges
and fluctuations makes but dull reading in print.

For a time fortune seemed undecided, now favor-
ing one, now another, the only material result he
that Beaufort grew intensely interested, and wager
heavier sums on ' hter hands than at first.

Then the fickle e appeared to desert the lan-
ter and settleupon the ex-minister, who won and
after hand with a truly remarkable regglnrity when
the former fluctuations were rememe red. It was
just as though Hawkins had thus far been amusing
himself with the planter, and now went in to clean
him outin sober earnest. But watch as closely as
he might Talfourd could detect nothinghthat even
suggested foul play in the actions of 9 winner.
{33%| appearance everything was fair and above

Jules Beaufort grew hot and flushed as stake after
stake was swept across the table, and just when he
most needed his cool and steady nerve, it deserted
him. He tried “bl ” on a poor hand, but his
changing features betrayed him, and Hawkins won
a bee stake with one small pair that, ordinarily,
not a ollar would have been risked upon. He him-
self, though lainly very deeply interested in the
play, was coo as a frosty morning, and his face was
ut rly expressionless; a Sphinx was not more dim-
cult to read.

Thus the ame ran on foran hour or more by
which time ules Beaufort had lost the larger moiety
of his morning‘s winnings. It was the turn of the
Reverend Jabez Hawkins to deal. '1 he cards assed
slowlflv one by one through his long fin ers, until each
had ve before him. There was a an den closi of
Beaufort‘s lips, ands. quick ht inhis eyes t at
told the close observer he he d a good hand. His

ers trembled a little, as he covered the dealer‘s
a . and discarded two cards Hawkins uickly
ran over his hand, then repeated the act on, as
though doubtful what course to pursue, but finally
threw out a magic He dealt two cards to Beau-
fort, then new one to himself, glancing keenly“?
the fighter beneath his eyebrows before again
in own cards.

owly the color faded out of the planters red
face and hlsflngers trembled so that hey. made a
rustling sound among the crisp bank notes as he se-
lected a few bills, saying as he placed them on the

stakes.

“ Five hundred dollars, for luckl”

Hawkins slowly ran over his cards, as though men-
tally debating With himself whether they were worth
meeting such a bold stake. Evident] he conciudcd
that they were, for one by one he lai out bills to t‘ e
amount, and dropped them um the do. Then in:

lanced once more at his . d, w e Beaufort
tabled in every nerve as he feared and expected

to come in: or

an-..”

6

\

Cap tain Cool Blade.

 

 

to hear a “ call.” But such was not the case. Haw-
kins “ralsed ” him a thousand.

Beaufort with a shrill laugh, cried:

“I glory in your e unk, partner, but you could
make a better use 0 the money. Better draw it
down; I ve you permission to do so.”

“Than s," was the cool response, “but I can of-
ford to lose the sum, it my hand isn’t as good as I
thinknit. I’ve seen men try the bluff game before
now.

“Well, don’t 'say I didn’t warn you,” retorted
Beaufort, with a repetition of his nervous laugh.
" If you know bluff so well when you see it I’ll ive
you a trifle more of it. I see your thousand, an go
you five thousand better!” .

The Reverend Jabez Hawkins seemed the only
cool an 1 unexcited person at or around the table, as
Jules Beaufort counted out the sum he had named.
Not a. little to the surprise of those around, he no
sooner saw the amount staked than he proceeded to
cover it, than saying:

“I am not going to call you, just yet, Mr. Jones,
but, in order to save breath and time, please tell me
the exact amount of niche you have with on, only
saving out a sum for trave g expenses. here are
twenty-five thousand dollars in this wallet. I cover
your live, and go twenty thousand better, unless
that is overslzing your pile. If so, I'll give you a
s ht for your money."

is hands trembling1 more than ever, the planter
covered the amount, t on gasped:

“I call you—what have you got?" at the same
time throwin down his hand containing four aces.”
l “% mul ash sfi'iiddfifiviklilninwith a tauititing
aug,sowing san; e s,runningrom
six to ten both inclusive.

For a ew moments Beaufort stared as thou h
turned to a statue of ice, but as Hawkins swept t ie
lar 0 sum toward him, he sprung to his feet, crying:

‘ Foul ~play! Two such hands never came together
fairly! on have cheated ine—"

Swift as a bolt of lightning, the lanter was
knocked heels over head by the st of t e Reverend
Jabez Hawkins!

CHAPTER VI.
“CAPTAIN coon nuns."

Insumv all was confusion the most profound.
The crowd of spectators fairly tumbled over each
other in their haste to get out of the we of the bul-‘
lets which experience told them woul almost cer-
tainly follow swift upon the heels of that knock-
down argument. Of them all, onl one man strove
to reach the table, rather than ee from it, but
despite his most strenuous eflorts, Percy Talfoui-d
was swept away by that headlo rush of excited
humanity. But he was a man w 9 did not hesitate
to use heroic measures when nothing milder would
suffice, and squarin himself as well as he was able,
he struck out straig t from the shoulder, repeatedly
and in swift succession, each stroke dropp’ a man
inastyle that would have brought tears o exqui-
site dellght to the eyes of his old boxing-master,
Frank Ambrose, alias “ Yankee Sullivan.”

This Emerald-Islander-like mode of reasoning did
not tend to lessen the confusion. Those who fell
beneath the stout blows of the young planter, no
lo r thought of bullets from the rear, but as soon
as t ty cou d recover their footing. struck out man-
fully or satisfaction, not pausing to in uire whose
hea fist had felled them, but up arent y willing to
goat} oter what was owing to Pa . However, Percy

ourd gained his object.

After delivering that swift, sure blow that cut
short the excited charge of foul play, knocking
Jules Beaufort end over end across the cabin floor,
the Reverend Jabez Hawkins swiftly gathered u
the pile of bank-notes that lay upon the table, an
crammed them into his breast pockets. But only
one hand was thus occupied. The other held a re-
volver cocked and ready for use in case of need.

Heavy and une ected though the blow had been,
Jules Beaufort h scarcely ceased rolling over ere
he was upon his feet ain. One V hand brushed the
blood from his eyes, while the other was thrust down
the back of his neck, plucking from thence a long,
broad-bladed “ tooth- ick.“ A fierce, gratin curse
hissed from between ‘ closely clenched teet as he
crouched down for a panther-like leap upon his
adversary, who appeared nothing loth, though he
cried aloud as he raised his pistol:

“ Take one are forward, Jacques Bouchier and,
by the horn of Ga riel! I’ll scatter your brains to the
four winds!"

The man of many names did not heed if he heard
this warning cry, and had the antagonists been
left to themselves, at least one dead man would
have cumbered the floor ere another breath could
have been drawn; but the end was not to come then
nor thus.

Perc Talfourd, freed from the crowd by his sturdy
blows, eaped to the sidehof his pros ctive father-
in-law, wrested the glittering wea on om his hand,
and holding him he pless as a c d with one strong
arm, drew a revolver and confronted the Reveren
J abez Hawkins, sternly crying:

“ Put up your wea on, sir! Refuse, and I’ll shoot
you down with as lit le mere as I would show to a
mad-dog that crossed my at l"

A mocking laugh par-to the disguised man’s lips!

“You crow loud for a youngster, but, so be it!
My queue! is not with ou. I am content to wait.
Ianswereda foul lie Wlth an honest blow. If the
noble and ntlemanly planter can swallow that,
tolgienthpr w th his losses, I have no cause to com-

“ Hands off, Talfourd!” snarled Beaufort, by 8:
desperate effort almost wresting himself free from

the iii-m as of the oun lanter. “Curse you
~ hangs 01$: Ign not a zhildfiopbe treated thus! Let
up say ’

a Not until you are cooler than you are now," was
theflrm res use. “You are half-mad, and no fit-
ting match or yonder scoundrel—"

‘ Choose your wordswith a little more judgment,
young man ". sh I lyintarrupted the man sti a.-
tized with this epi het. “loan make large a ow-
ance for you, since I owe you my life, but there is
reasonlnall things. Even you can go too farand
say too muc .”

‘What I say, I am readyto back up—provided
you can show_ yourselfna man whom a gen

 

can have dealinng With.
"Not until I ave had satisfaction—not untilhe .

has answered to me for that cowardly blow!" cried
Beaufort, almost frotliing at the mouth, so intense
was his rage and excitement.

“ I’ll notbalk you there—never fear!" quicklyut-
tered the successful gamester. “Name your time
and 1place; the sooner the better, say I l“

“ ot here—let the matter rest until we reach a
osed Captain Craven, onl to be
thrust ack by e strong hand of the gamb er.

“Keep your fingers out of the pie, riend, unless
you want to get them burnt. This matter has pass-
cd beyond your control. Unless yonder entleman
makes 'me an abject apology, and swa ows the
words he uttered a minute since, he shall give me
satisfaction, thou h I have to lend him the necessary
pluck with a cow idc!“

If the ob ect of the s eaker was to still further en-
rage the p anter then 6 was fully gratified. Howl-
ing and cursing he a veritable madman Jules Beau-
fort struggled so furiously to free himself from that
restraining grasp, .that Talfourd was obliged to drop
his weapon and make stout use of both arms.

“Brown—Kingsley, lend me a hand here,” panted
the young lanter, calling upon two of his brother

lanters. Some one open the door of a state-room.

an’t you see that the man is mad with excitement
and liquor?"

His words were promptly obeyed, and Jules Beau-
fort was forced into one o the adjacent staterooms,
and the door closed behind him and his guardian.

“ A genuine case of ‘ two of you hold him, one can
hold me!’ " uttered the gambler, with a disagreeable
laugh, as he coolI ran his eyes around over the still
excited crowd. ’ Pity that the poor old boy is er-
mitted to run around loose, if he is not to he hel ac-
countable for his words or actions."

“ Guard your tongue, old man,” muttered Captain
Craven, in a low tone as he drew near the angry

ambler and picked u the cards from off the table.

‘ There’s a strong fee against you already, and
the sooner you leave this boat, the healthier it will
be for you. Slip out of the way, and watch our
ciliance; I’ll give the signal for the pilot to edge in to
s ore. '

“What do you take me for, anyhow? I’ve done
nothing to be ashamed of. I won that foolish brag-
gart‘s money on the s uare, and now ou advise me
to sneak away like at flat in the nig 1;. You may
mean well enough Captain Craven, but you give
rely'unpalatable advice for an honest man to swal-

ow.
The ca taln fell back, covered with confusion, for
the am ler had lfigoken loudl , so that all around
coul_ hear his wo . Craven ew that the cards
in his pocket were marked, on a plan known only
to the gambler and himself, and he knew just as
well that Jules Beaufort had been systematically
fieeced by foul playing. Knowing this, but ignorant
of the reasons t e gambler had for acting as he did,
he naturallfiaslupposed the man in di 'se would be
glad ofa c cc of getting away With his plunder
without an further trouble.

The lan rs around began to sue ect something
of the mth, and gave v. nt to their eelings in mut-
te ' s that gradually became outs oken words,
oulm hating in a demand that the car played with
should be submitted to them for a close inspection.

“ Measure your words, gentlemen!” cried the
gambler as he caught the meaning underlying this
Erowmg demand. " I am 1playing a ‘lone hand ’

ere, but you will find that am sufficiently numer—
ous to answer to each and every man who hint :
anything against the fairness of my me,” and as
he spoke he tore the wig false bear and go 1es
from their positions and flu them upon the ta e.

“ Captain Cool Blade—or e the devil!” cried one
of the planters in the rear.

“ Captain 0001 Blade, and wholly at our service,
gentlemen, after I have settled our ittle dispute
over the cards. Some among you have indirectly
hinted at foul {Lay on my part, by aski that the
cards we used anded over for inspection, and in
doin so, you have insulted me. The moment my
han are at libert , I will call on to account;
and, by the horn of abricl! you s all prove our
hints or eat them! To save time you can draw ots,
to decide which comes first, for I mean pure busi-
nose!”

It was a strange si ht, thou h one readily account-
ed for; a single man _raving all two score, uttering
his bitter defiance With a. mocking politeness that
out like the stroke of a rawhide. But the man was
one among ten thousand. Utterly devoid of erson-
al fear, a fire-eater almost from his cra e up,
master of all weapons, with nerves like steel and the
muscles of a gladiator, his utter disregard of life
served him better than a coat of strongest mail.

Perc Talfourd, emerging from the state-room in
which e had left Jules Beaufort under care of the
two lanters, overheard this defiance, and despite
his a horrence of the evil class represented by the
speaker, his tone was more respectful than he in-

landingg" inte

i

 

tended it should be, as he s ke: .

“Sir you seem very touc on the mat of honor. .
Dpubtless you are right in so caret y gfiiarding the ;
slight remnant; you know best. I am ere on the
part of Mr. Jones—”

“He means business, then?" eagerly inte osed ;
the man who called hinself Captain Cool lade.
“ When, where and how? time, place and weapons?" ,

“ You misunderstand me,” was the cool response. ‘
“The gentleman is in no at condition to fight a duel ‘
now, but I am ready to take his place. I repeat his
charge of foul play—I believe you a wolf in sheep’s
clothing—a common swindler, if that suits you
better, and if nothin but blood-letting will suit your «
{lastelhl am willing 0 act as a surgeon, now and I

ere

0mm Cool Blade laughed softly;l .

“ Jones should be proud of 5 man friends
who are so eager to take his responsibilities upon
their own shoulders. But age before beauty, 111:1}; *
dear sir. After I am through with Mr. Jones, s i
be only too hapfiy to 11 W a lesson.” '

“113‘ Jones wi have noth n more to do with you.”

“Did be send that message me? Is he a coward, .
then?” sharplydemanded Captain Cool Blade, his
eyes aglow with a venomous fire. “ Bring him out 1
from his hiding- lace, and let him make an “£3010 , l
then,or,b the ones of Abraham! I'll te _ c
title upon ’s back with a do -whip!”

Before Talfourd could irep to this hot speech, ‘
the sounds of a co 3 gle came from the '
state-room. and then the door was forcibly flung

 

open. Jules BeaufOrt rushed forth and as his gaze
fell upon Captain Cool Blade, he choked down his
ra e y a violent exertion of will, as. ing:
I overheard your words. I will ght you sir."
“ Across a handkerchief, if you choose,” laughed
the gambler.

 

CHAPTER VII.
A DUEL T0 rim DEATH.

Tun bitter emphasis with which Captain Cool Blade
uttered these words, caused more than one of those
who heard them believe that this quarrel was rather
the continuation of an old and deadly feud, than a
snuple outgrowth of the dispute over the card-table.
But, however that might be, it was clear to all that
bloodshed must follow, an with breathless interest
they watched the progress f the affair, 10th to lose
a single omt.

Thong Jules Beaufort was an thing but a eneral
favorite among those who knew him best, for e was
quarrelsome in hispups, and a good deal of a bully,
presuming not a little upon the fact of his having

cen “ out ‘1 some half~score times, he certainly bore
the good-Wishes of the majority on this occasion.
The were disagreeably conscious of having offend-
edt e doughty Captam Cool Bla'de, and if the san-
guinary stories told. of the man-shark were true, he
would hardly be satisfied with erforating or carv-
ing up one mortal, but might calPu n them to take
their turns, as indeed he had threa ened.

It is no less strange than true that a s’ 1e man
should be able to thus rule it over a multitu e, each
one of whom, perhaps, was uite that man’s e ual
in everything save reckless isregard of life. is
the reputation, not the man alone. A notable in-
stance was that where the notorious pugilist, Yankee
Sullivan, became engaged in a fight With a stran er,
who was clearly getting the better of the professmm
a! bruiser, when a friend asked him if he knew whom
he was fighting. As he heard the name of his noted
adversary, the man seemed quite unnerved, and
coming up again, Yankee Sullivan won the victo in
that same round, thanks to his terrible reputat on,
that was then in everybody‘s mouth.

It was fear, then, rather than friendship that influ-
enced the popular sentiment. The planters hoped
rather than believed that their re resentative would
come through the impending due with flying colors.

Percy Ta! ourd vainly endeavored to induce Jules
Beaufort to retract his determination to fight the

ambler. Though the wine-heated planter grew a
ittle quieter when he understood who his adversary
really was, he was still resolved to encounter him.
The bitter taunts of the adventurer, followin so
closely u on the heavy losses he had sustaineda the
card-tab e, rendered him desperate.

Though somewhat of a bull , and addicted to boast~
in there was no coward’s b ood in his veins.

ven Talfourd saw at length that matters had gone
too far to be settled. otherwise than by an ap
“ the code," and was reluctantly obli ed to old.

The instant this result was conc ed, all eplfarties
concerned grew almost painfully polite. T ourd
gpproached Captain Coo Blade, with a dignified

w

o .
“I have the honor to represent Mr. Jones in this
afi’air' perhaps you will favor me with the name of
yqfllll‘ fiéiendheénd sectg'ilid?" d t l t
e 0 ca ‘napeare a aoss oramo-
nlent. as isydarfi eyesproved swiftly around the
crowded cabin. A man with such a reputationas
his, has few friends upon whom he could rely in
such an emergency as the present. There were
many around him whom he know well b sight and
reputation but they were far more lik tobe the
friends of ules Beaufort than his. He could scarce-
select one of the planters, since the majority of
t em hated and feared him as the Evil One is said
to dread and detest hol water. There was only
fine oth‘er whom he felt 9 could trust, and to him
e s o e:

“ erhaps you will favor me, Ca tain Craven?"

“No, sir, I will not,” was the s ort and sullen re-
sponse. “It would be utter ruin to me, and you
know it. I’ll have nothing more to do with the dis-
graceful aifair. ”

" A friend in need is a friend indeed!“ uttered
Captain Coo! Blade, with a short, bitter laugh. "I
must throw myself on our mercy, sir, I’m “mid.
Perhaps you will be kin enough to act for us both.
I have implicit confidence in your honor—"

“ You must excuse me, sir," coldly interposed the
young planter. “I refer not having any more in-

imate dealings wit you than I can possiny help.
If you desire a reason I have one ready. f on
live through this duel, I mean to 11 ht you myse .

“You do me much honor!" wit anironical bow
of exag erated politeness. “Well, I don’t see but
what I Eall have to hire one of the negio waiters to
act for me, since you insist on proceeding in accord-
ance with the code.” _

“That would hardly suit the dainty bloods, cap-
tain,” uttered a clear, winian-like voice, and a slen-
der, neatl dressed form eased its way through
the eager y listening crowd. “I would rather you
had a rlend of more ex erience, but if you wll'l’ae-
ce t of my services, I’ll o the best I know how.

n age and figure the speaker seemed but a boy,
thou there was something indefinable in his baby-
like eatures and bi blue e es that told he was by
nq‘lfea'llls a ldo‘lice 11’ wndriilially uttered the gambler

Wi an a ’ co I
as he extended higyhaud, then turning tpward Percy
El‘alfodurd: “ Excusggs ante mgmesnt, While I give my

rich and second ins me on ."

Talfourd bowed sligh and turned to the state
room into which Jules eaufort had retired as soon
as he became convinced that he was not to be cheat.
ed out of the satisfaction he demanded. _

“Is it all settled? how and when? he cried, eagen
1y, as the young planter entered. .

‘The matter shall be arranged to your satis-
faction, never fear The fellow is now consul
with his second. Now you must be guided by my
advice, since I am to act for you. on know the
re utation that fellow has earned as a fli‘e-eater‘”

‘Iknow—and I’ll make him eat his last dose of
fire before another hour passes by!"

“ I hope and believe you Will; but that is no reason
why you should throw away any chances. It we
be an eternal di_ race for a gentleman to sumera
rufflanly brute_ h e that to pink him. You must
strip to the waist, and take a cold both. That will

Captain 0001 Blade.

'7

 

 

steady you m-rvcs, and counteract the wine you
have drank so freely. Come, to workl" .

Leaving Beaufort to follow the wise advice of his
young but experienced second we will take a glance
at his adversary, who, with his volunteer second,
withd ~ r into a state-room nearly opposxte.

“ I’v‘: :wcn ou before—but where? ’ were the first
Words of Ca rain Cool Blade, as he locked the door.

“ At the It etairie race course, last spring."

“ I remember, now; then you are Steel pring?"

“ My u-une is Arthur Spring, but men sometimes
call me b that nickname," laughed the youth, who
certainly ooked little like the esperado he really
was, his hand stained with the heart‘s blood of near-
ly a half-score men. “ But to business. Unless I
am greatly mistaken, you mean to kill that lantcr.“

“ do, most assuredly," was the quiet bu resolute
response. “ All you need tohdo Is to see that I have
a fair chance, istol or home-knife. Coincide with
any pro osal t 1e me make that will give me that
show F’ll nttcm to t e rest.”

After a few more words Captain Cool Blade open-
ed the door, and they both emerged. Talfourd was
awaiting them, havmg intrusted the case of Beau-
fort to some of his friends, who were superintenan
the coldwatercure. Spring immediately asse
over to him while his principal sauntered le rely
toward the ar.

Arthur Spring did not cut any time to waste.

“1 am read to hear whatever you may have to
suggest, Mr. alfourd," he said, politel , after hav-
ing presented his card to the youn p anter. “As
there may be some doubt as to whic of the gentle-
men is the challenger, and which the challenged I
am instructed by my principal to an that he is ready
to weep? any weapon or weapons hat your friend
ma re or.

“y e is very considerate," returned Talfourd. with

a slight sneer. “ The wea us will be revolvers, each
man to be armed with a s ngle pistol. The place on
the hurricane-deck, the parties to stand back to back
in the center, advance each twenty paces and halt
for the word to turn. At that word they may turn,
advance and fire at will. The one who turns or fires
before the reed upon word is given, wdl be shot
down in his racks.’
V “Admirably put, and perfectly satisfactory to my
side. It is understood, of course that there shall he
no outside interference until all the chambers of
both weapons are emptied, or one or both of the
prlnci s are killed?“ -

T ourd nodded coldly. The cool, almost filEpKant
manner in which S ring treated the serious air,
nettled him not a h tle. '

“ And the time? you have omitted that important
particular," added Steel Spring. .

“ In ten minutes from now. _I beheve there is noth-
ing more to discuss? Then I bid you ood-da ."

teel Spring nodded carelessly and

astene tore~
orttohis princi who was leaning ainst the
Bar, glass in han . He listened intently the ar-

rangements that had been made, and nodded his ap—
proval, then raised the glass, saying: -

“A short and speedy journelyeto the worthy Mr.
Jones, and me. his reception so warm that he
will never miss ' overcoatl"

Utter silence followed this sneerlng toast, and
even the captain looked Fraver than ever as he
turned aside. Ca mm 000 Blade laughed reckless-
] , and as he saw is antagonist preparing to go on
eck, he turned away from the bar.

Much time has been consumed in relating the
various preliminsri but the duel itself was over
almost are it began. verythinglhad

so well that there were no mm as or delays. e
principals were warned as to the conditions, and
then put in position, waiting for the word, pistol in

All approaches to the hurricane-deck were guard-
ed, lest some of the lady passengers should attempt
to 0 up. The spec ators were standing upon the
raifing of the cabin-deck, their heads just a ove the
upper guards, in readiness to do 9 a bullet, if need
be. tSrt‘lxolzen men were upon the urrlcane-deck, to
see a .

The war was given, and the two duelists_strode
away from each other, their feet keeping time as
Percy Talfourd counted one by one u to twent .
Then there was a breathless pause, to owed by t e

nal.
S“Both men turned at the same instant and ad-
vanced, but their demeanor was widely different.
Beaufort was stro ly'excited, and be an firing
while they were st' thirty es s . Not so
Captain Cool Blade. Outwar y as ea In as though
he borne":d ibarmed life, he strode steadily on, his
istol ‘ ree.

p A bullet cut t Gigi] his shirt-collar, fairly razing
the sldn, but he never filnched an inch.

Beaufort stop d short and raisin his leftsrm,
leveled his istofiver it, ' . berate aim at
his cool an onist. Captain ool Blade suddenly
crouched low down and then leapec. forward like a
panther, the bullet of his foe whistling harmlessly
over his head.

As be straightened up,
disch ed twice in swx succession.

JulgggBeaufort reeled and fa his pistol explod-
ing as it struck the deck. one of he spectators fall-
ing w th a sharp scream of agony as the bullet struck

him.
Captain Cool Blade sprung to the side of Beaufort,
‘m‘t‘l cued. Henry Paton, Jacques m1"
cmfifibvm.

KAROONED.

As these words were hissed into his ears, the fallen
jlanter opened his eyes, into which came a look of
vuutterable horror as he at last the man
whose hand had laid him low. A aint, quavering
cry parted his lips, andas hishead fell back once
more, he closed his lids tightly as though to shut out
some terrible, loathsome sight.

Ca tain Cool Blade had only time to utter the few
would recorded, and to note that his aim had not
failed him. As the planter lay upon. his back, the
successful duelist could see tha his bullets had
struck just over the heart of his an onist, and
within a ' 1e inch of each other. Bl was rapid-
staining 9 garments around the twin erfom-
30m, and trickhng down to form a little p00 at the
feet of the gambler.

' All thll in a breath. as it were. It took a few mo-

in
‘2'

 

his revolver rose and was

 

l men‘s for tho onlookers to full realize what had oc- l

 

curred, for the unexpected fa of one of their own ‘
number had thrown them into confusion. lut then, i
with loud' excited cries, they pressed forward, clos-
in inu on the gambler.

et or they meant him harm just then, can only
be surmised, but Captain Cool Blade believed they
did, and he was not a man to yield so tamely, or be
taken at a disadvantage under even less favorable
circumstances.

With two swift, backward leaps, he brought them
all before him, standing at bay with his revolver
cooked and half Episcd, his eyes  ow, his lips curled
back from his w to, firm-set teet 1.

Despite his plain, close-fitting black garb, he look-
ed every inch a man as he stood defiant] confront-
ing the three score men who had fiocke upon the
hurricane—deck the moment they behaved the danger
was pas .

The foremost recoiled a little as the observed his
defiant attitude, and Captain Cool lads was not
slow to improve his advantage. In a clear,
voice he called aloud:

“ You saw that he had more than fair slay gentle-
men. He fired four shots before I pulle trig or at
all. It was a fair, stand-up fl ht, and I won. ow I
am going down below, peacea 1 if I can, but if any
person attemps to barmy path shall clear it as best

may. And when I shoot, I shoot to kill 1"

Wi a firm and deliberate ste he crossed the
deck, the crowd falling back on e ther side and 'v-
lng him a free and unobstructed sage. 6
reached the port ladder and only pausing to salute
the company with an ironical how, he disappeared
from their view.

Percy Talfourd was busled with the fallen planter,
else the gambler might not have escaged so easily.

Jules eaufort lay like one already and, only for
the faint almost imperceptible breath that came
from his lungs at regular intervals. Talfourd opened
his coat and vest then cut away his linen and under-
shirt from aroun the double wound. His heart sunk
heavil as be brushed away the clots of coagula-
ting b ood. The bullets had entered just below the
lef nipple, and could hardly have escaped piercin
the heart. It was little less than a miracle tba
Jules Beaufort still drew the breath of life.

Others were gathered around the young man who
had fallen a victim to Jules Beaufort‘s last shot.
The ball had struck and shattered his left knee-cap
in a frightful manner. Even if the limb could be
guest, which was doubtful, he would be a cripple

or c.

There was only one medical man on board the
boat, and he was still in his berth. sleeping ed a
heavy debauch. It was a poor chance. ut better
than none, and Per Tatfourd, leaving the wounded
man in charge of h fliends, hastened below. He
found the steward, and directed him to sober off the
drunken surgeon as speedily as ossible.

He was about to return to e hurricane dock,
when he cau ht a signal from the agitated daughter
of the man w o lay at death‘s door over their heads,
and fearing lest she should learn the sad truth too
soon, he hastened to meet and reassure her. _

The occu ants of the ladies‘ cabin had caught an
inkling of e fracas forward, though they were as
yet ignorant of the parties engaged. Then followed
the piercing scream from abovef receded by istol
sh ts and ollowed by a heavy a They be evod
that some rage was beln enacted, nor
were their fears lessened by the slg t of the {our}
planter, whose hands were smeared with fresh 100d.

Perciy Talfourd did not deem it criminal to tell a

ions e, than or rather to conceal a portion of the
ruth, and ma 6 response.

“ Calm your fears, ladies. There has been an ac-
cident, bu the man who was injured has no rela-
tives among you. Mr. Brown was accidentally shot
through the right knee, but I do not think there is
anyg‘artlcular danger with pro r care.”

‘ (1 pa a—whcre is he?” i‘ tered Marlo.

“ 0n the unicane-deck—you shall see him soc
but not just now. You known Brown was one 0
his most intimate friends. You must wait patient-
ly. Marie. Ladies, on will spare yourselves a pain-

ul sight if you con 9 yourselves to this cabin, and
make no attempt to go on deck.”

With a few whis red words to his betrothed,
Percy Talfourd left e ladies’ cabin and returned to
the hurricane-deck, where Jules Beaufort lay, still

 

breathing but loo ‘ like one hoverinngnon the very
verge of the ve. A tempo aw g had been
erected over head to ward o the burning rays

of the sun, for it was the opinion of all that any at-
tempt to move him would be the signal for his in-
stan dissolution.

The ured young planter had been carried below
by his 1' endi after a rude tourni net had been ap-
pied to his 'mb, and now the erent avenues
of approach from below were guarded b
men. directed b the foretho ht of Percy_ alfour .
He was fear-f lest the trut should escape. If
Mrs. Beaufort or Marie should make the discovery,
not short of actual force could kee them from
the si e of the dying husband and fat or and this
he wished to postfimne as long as possible, for Beau-
foi‘t’stslake, as weim as thetitre own. 1 W

n emeanw e,ma rswere oo sually
(1an betweentdfilckls. d fled fl qo
oramano ongan va e ence, a -
taln Cool Blade was mak' very mm“: wor
of this stroke of business. 9 acted more like a
novice than a veteran. His blood seemed boiling.
His spirits were so high that they fairly bubbled
over. He was not content to let well enough alone,
and b his offensive efiusiveness he drew upon
himse more attention than was either wise or
firudent. He drank repeatedly and though the
quor affected him no more than if it had been pure
water, his actions and s ech were those of one
who was rapidly becom ng intoxicated. His de-
meanor was msolent and overheating, and it is not
to be wondered at that those among the planters
who believed theth ven the dfiersdo cause
for oflense banded toget er for mut defense, not
knowing at what moment some one of their number

‘ ht be assailed.

aptaln Craven saw this, and for obvious reasons
wished to avoid any further trouble aboard his boat.
Watching his ogpoflmnity he drew the excited gam-
bler aside and umedly pointed out the danger he

was curring.
“ The sooner you get out of this, the better for all A

trust

 

, the

of us " he urged. “I‘ll pull in to shore, and let you
off. It is not so far to u. landing. ch'r n tramp
through the swamps than a 2.1 n t ‘vll‘d neck."

“Sol you think that Llwio is (ungvrif my being
lynched by those honorahlo gmit'onn-n, do you ‘2” and
as he spoke, Ca tain Cool Blade ulll'fltyl'tl the knots

of whispering p anters with a sn~cring snu'lc.

“It Will come to that, sure! You have been rub-
bing salt into their sores ever since you knocked over
Jones. You act more like a crazy school-boy than
yourself. Get ready for a quick jump into the brush
—or salt won‘t save you I"

The warning of the captain produced an effect di-
rectl opposite to the one he had hoped for. The
gum ler was cooled down, but it was a coolness even
more dangerous than had boon tho feverish heat of
a short time before. In a clear, distinct voicu Cap—
tain Cool Blade spoke:

“ I have paid my gassage on this boat, and I will
leave it at no man s iddiu until I have reached my
destination. As for what ias just occurred, no one
can justly blame me. I accepted a sweeping chal-
lenge to play cards. Iput up good monoy against

ood money. I played a square game, and won. As

or the rest, that was forced upon me. I replied to
a lie with a blow, and then granted the hot-headed
fool the satisfaction he demanded. It was life
against life. He had four shots to my t. 0, and I
bear the mark of one of them on my neck now.
killed him—just 1151 will kill any man or men that
dares to raise a finger against me now.”

These words were directed toward the consultln
planters, and were uttered with a significance tha
could not be mistaken. The one man had cast his
gauntlet of defiance at the foot of full llu'ee score
and for very shame they could not refuse to pick it

up.

Captain 0001 Blade read aright the meaning of the
qui glances that they interchanged, and lea ed a

one backward as he drew a revolver in each and.

his move was in order to keep all his enemies in
front, and to protect his rear; but unfortunately for
his hopes, the action brought him within arm‘s-length
of the bar, and the keeper, grasping a heavy cut-
glass decanter half-full of whisky, dealt him atcr—
rible blow u on the head, from behind, felling him
to the floor e a log.

Steel Spring, who had been an interested witness
of all that had transpired, darted forward with a
warning cry, but too late to avert the blow. The
next moment he was crushed down and trampled
over as the excited planters rushed forward to secure
their game before he could regain his foot.

t was uite ten minutes before Captain Cool
Blade cou d recall what had happened, and realize
that he was bound and helpless in the hands of his
enemies. And the first words he overheard Were
those of Per Talfourd, who was rotesting against

roposedcl’ynnchiug of the mur crer.

o doubt e deserves such a fate, but not for
this. It was a fair duel, though I believe there was
fraud used in the game of can s. Take the sum he
won, and then put him ashore."

This was the decision finnll arrived at, and the
boat was started toward the nd. As soon as the
head was made fast, the risoncr was rou hi bun-
dled ashore; but his enem es were not con on with

n

this punishment alone. The were determined that
the ambler should suffer the disgrace of hang-
not the actual pangs.

‘

mi noose was formed in a ro brought along for
thatpu so, and fitted aroun his throat in ortho-
dox sty s. with the knot under his left ear. The
loose end was flung over a limb, and drawn tight,
then tiedto imaging befyond his reach. His hands
were bound in out 0 him so that, with atience
and perseverance, h_e con] i free himself. T 10 loads
were fired from his revolvers, and the weapons
laced at his feet. Then, with taunts and moo 'ing
aughter the reckless planters left him. sprung
aboard the steamer, little dreaming where and un-
der what strange circumstances their next meeting
with the marooued gambler would take lace.

The tests were cast off, and the War «aglo began
moving away from the bank. As she did so, the
marooned gambler heard a piercing scream, and
saw a young woman s irlng upon the hurricane-
deck, sinking upon her uses by the side of Jules
Beaufort.

He for at his own danger and di ace in that
sight. 3 eyes filled with an unholy rht as they
greedily drank in the ale beaut of t c a itated
maiden, watching her l 'e the fab ed basili until
several men came between and shut out the vision.

“Some one who loves him—she shall feel my
ven enuce, too 1" Le cried. aloud, his voice that of a
vs table fiend.

CHAPTER IX.
“wno 1s CAPTAIN coon nuns?"

Tan efforts of the steward, who was not at all
averse to a jest at another‘s expense. were quickly
rewarded With at least a partial success. and the
bibulous surgeon awoke from his drunken stupor,
to find himself and berth flooded with ice-waver.
With a sounding im recation he rolled to the floor,
makin an ineffec a1 asp at a chair, but the
stew , did not wait to ave that article shattered
over his woolly cranium, but settled down astrlde
the irate disciple of Moulnp’ius, giving his head a
vigorous shampooing with a lg s onge from anoih«
er pail of ice-water. Nor did he esust until his vic-
tim beg ed lustin for mercy.

How e matter was finally adjusted, de nent
saith not, but sure itis that a few minutes efore
the ca ture of Captain Cool Blade, as already de
scribed? the sur eon made his appearance on the
hurricanedeck, coking a little damp, but much the
better for his unceremomous awakemng.

Fearful lest Marlo or her mother shonld learn
from 'careless lips what had really occurred, Percy
Talfourd resigned his charge to the surggon, and de-
scended to t e cabin-deck,lntendlng guard his
friends from the terrible tidings as long as possible.
It was while on his way to the ladies’ cabin that he
with the capture of Captain Cool Blade. and by
his to plea m his defense, prevented another
tr edy rom taking place.

e found Mane not a little excited, and somewhat
re machful. She had overheard some of the men
talking about a duel, but fortunate did not ess
how nearly those words concern her and are,
andgently reproved her lover for the white 116 he
bad old her. '

q umkmw.wwww

. ‘4‘”...

an

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8

Captain 0001 Blade.

 

 

Percy Talfourd, as many another had before him,
discovered how sure] ne falsehood begets another,
but he was e uai to t e occasion. There had been a
duel, arising3 mm a disfigte over altgame of cards,
and youn rown had on the s erer, while the
gin who at him was even now about to be put

ore.

Like many another Southern girl, Marie Beaufort
had been reared in the belief that the “ code " was
an honor instead of a dis ace to a civilized com-
munity, and expressed a gfi'llish curiosity to witness
the landing of the successful duelist. Fearful of
arousing her suspicions, Percy led her through her
state-room and out upon the uards. From this
point they witnessed the landing, arie, as she recog~
iiized the man who had made such a daring leap
from the deck of the Water Witch being a little in-
clined to sym thize with him. Talfourd was not
satisfied that s e should take this view of the mat-
ter, and was proceeding to tell her who and what the
man really was when they clearly overheard one
man say to anot er:

“We should have hung him, by rights, in good
earnest. He killed poor Beaufort—"

Marie Beaufort, realizing the truth as by instinct,
darted awa from her lover’s side, and reaching the
narrow flig tof steps before he could arrest her
rushed u to the hurricane-deck. The first object
that met or distracted gaze was the prostrate form
of her father over whom the surgeon bent with
blood-stained hands, and an agonlzed shriek broke
{ginger lips as she flew to his side and sunk upon

r ees.

Talfourd was quickly beside her but she resisted
his efforts to remove her until he bade her remem-
ber that such a distplay of her grief would but in-
crease the danger 0 her parent. Then she yielded,
and half-leading, half-carrying her nerveless form,
he descended from the hurricane—deck, knowing that
another painful task awaited him; that of breaking
the news to the planter’s wife.

Though a drunkard, Dr. Metcalf was a skillful sur-
geon, enthusiastic in the exercise of his profession,

when he unders the urgent need there was

of his services, he freely forgave the steward the lie-

roic treatment he had been subjected to. Only

Reusing to assure himself that Brown could wait a

ttle longer, the flow of blood having been so prompt;

lystanched by the im romptu tourniquet, a host-
ened to the side of J es Beaufort.

At the first glance he believed there was no earth-
] ho , and he, like Talfourd, wondered tly that
t e p anter had lived even thus long. or was his
surprise any the less great, though owing to another
cause, when he came to examine the double wound.
Then came the interru tion from Marie, but the mo-
ment she was remove , he looked around him for
the solution, He found it in the coat worn by the
planter. Whether by chanceorforetho ht,when the
coat was buttoned u , a thick note-boo and pack-
age of pa rs res directly over the heart of the
wearer. ese, an inch thickness of hea paper,

had been penetrated by the twin bullets, t e force
of which had been so deadened that they had both
been stop by a rib-bone, though this was frac-
tured by t e heavy shock. And as the surgeon dex-
trously mani ulated his probe, he found that the
battered b ets lay there side by side among the
bits of splintered bone._

He was just extracting the second bullet, when
Percy Talfourd returned from taki Marie to her
mother. His object was to learn the _whole truth,
and to make preparations for a final interview be-
tween the planter and his famil . What then was
his joyful surprise at the favora le report made by
the surgeon! It seemed incredible, and he could
hardly trust the evidence of his own eyes as the sur-
geon exhibited the bits of battered lead and the per-
orated note-book.

“ The shock must have been a terribly severe one,
or Mr. Beaufort would have been upon his feet ere
now," uttered Metcalf. “A slight and temporary
paralysis of the heart, that will gradually _wear
awe. . By this time to-morrow the patient Will be
near as well as ever "

While delivering this oracular opinion, the sur-

n was neatly solving and bandagirlilg the wounds,
E32 Talfourd ‘d not wait to hear . m to anend.
He hastened below with the glad tidings, and with-
inhalf an hour Jules Beaufort was removed and
l inginhis own state—room. Yet there was some-
thiniin his case that the doctor could not under-
stan He knew that the wound, though severe
was not dangerous, yet the planter lay ke one at
death’s door, a strange, hunted look in his restless

e es.
yPerhaps, could be have known of the words that
Ca tain Cool Blade hissed into theearof his fallen
an nist, or have taken one glance through the
fog at hung over the past, t e worth surgeon
would have understood the case of Jules ufort a
little more thoroughly.

By the time the eg of young Brown was am u-
tated, just above the knee, dinner was over and be
male passengers, according to custom, congregated
around the bar forw for their hitters.

as a matter 0 course, the startling events
of that forenoon formed the topic of conversation.
Fromthisto discussing the reputation of Captain
0001 Blade was a natural transition, and hardly a
man present but had some bold, reckless or san-
guinary exploit to tell about the ambler. If the
incidents related were one-half of t em true, then a
more audacious, dare-devil desperado never drew
the breath of life.

“As on know in brother is chief of police at
New Or ,” said t e one of the planters who a
peared to be the most intimately acquainted wr
the inside history of Captain Cool Blade. “From
himI have learned some points about the fellow
that the public in general do not know. Though on—
ly rumors, they came from a reliable source. and I
have no doubt there is truth at the bottom.

“Weallknow tbattherei and hasbeenfor ears,
avast criminal league exisiszing throughout t e en-
tire South and South-west, co prising murderers,
hiil‘igay robbers, horse-thieves and counterfeiters.
It been hinted that this Captain Cool Blade is
one of the most influential leaders, if not the actual
chief of this criminal association. A number of
others have been inted out as ofiioers, and the in-
formant, some ungown and mysterious personage,
has almost completed a bargain with the Governor
dwmmmmztoglveowaytbeenflre

 

ie e, to reveal their secret rendezvous, their signs
an passwords, in consideration of a free pardon for
all past offenses and a large sum of money. If the
bargain is completed, as there is ood reason to be
lieve will be the case, we may yet ave the pleasure
of witnessing the gallant captain erform an airy
dance upon nothing—and here is oping that glad
day may speedil dawn upon usl”

‘ Does any y know when and under what cir-
cumstances he first assumed the name he now
bears?“ inquired one of the party. “Of course it
is 8. nom de Magus—he was never christened thus,

surely}:

“I ve never heard that it came from any parti-
cular exploit," res ended the first speaker. “I
fancy he assumed t e name and title simply because
it sounded oddly, and well suited his character—for
a cooler blade in situations of peculiar dan er never
walked the earth. He is utter devoid of ear, and
the greater the risk there is to e run, the better he
likes it. Only it seems as thou h be was beginning
to lose his iron nerve iludging roni his strange ex-
citement today: and t was well for some of us that
such was the case. If he had been himself, there
would have been more than one dead man aboard
121111312?“ Eagle before we could have overpowered

“ It was a foolish deed to make him our bitter
enemy. and then turn him loose. We haven’t heard
the last of him," loomily uttered one of the party.

“ And if we h ‘t put him ashore, the dare-devil
would have icked another quarrel, sure," laughed
Kingsley. ‘ That was all we could do. He shot
Beaufort fairly enough. We couldn't hang him for
that. It was life against life, and he came out

Winner.”

“ What was it be said to Jules, u there, after he
shot him? I failed to catch the wor 5."

“You can‘t prove it by me. I think, after weigh-
ing the whole matter, that there was some old
grudge at the bottom of this aflair. It must have

een something serious, though, judging from the
startling change it made in the gambler.’

“ Beaufort used to be a pretty wild blade before
he changed his name. If the rumor you mentioned
is foun ed on truth, the solution may possibly be
found there. It is not im ossible—”

“You mean that Bea ort may be the informer,
and that Captain Cool Blade shot him on that ac-
count?” slowly uttered Kingsley.

“ I onl s3 that such a su position would explain
the who e air—but I don’ say that I believe such
is really the case."

Before any res use could be made, a terrible
shock shook the ar Eagle from tern to stem,
knocking half of the arty rom their feet upsetting
chairs and omce furniture, breaking off c eliers,
and creating a frightful panic among the passengs.
Instanetéy t e cry arose that the boat had 11
snagg and was sinking rapidly!

CHAPTER X.

m home or A wvnn.

Damv ed though Abner Clark was, the mo-
ment that his val in love cried out in token of de-
feat, he arose w his feet and suffered Dean Ashley
to follow his example. Though short, the fight had
been fierce and desperate. Both men were severely
bruised, and each had received marks that would be
worn for many a long day, but the condition of Dean
Ashley was decidedly the worse. The heavy fist of
the an lover had utterly destroyed the dandified
stranger 5 beauty for some time to come. His own
hurts were severe, but he felt them not then; he had
paid Dean Ashle in full for the mental tortures
which that wort y, in conjunction with Dorinda
Colby, the rural ,coquette, had inflicted upon him
during the past week.

“ Now you two want to shake hands over this lit-
tle skrlmmage and ou’llbe better fri‘nds then ever,"
8 gated the big ligator—hunter.

en I offer my hand, ’twill he with a knife
or istoi in it,” huskin muttered Ashley, brushing
the lood from his eyes. “ Give me my weapons an
let me go—curse ye, one and all!“

“ I don’t reckon you got (film lickin’ enough, a‘ter
all, of you did squeal out e a pig under a gate,"
growled Adams. “ But I reckon you t enough for
once. Take your weepons, but min el I don’t
trust ye no furder then a mud-turkle kin t ow a bull-
’gator by the tail, an’ ef you try any 0‘ your slippery
tricks, I ll go through ye like soft soap through a tin
homl Take your weepons, straddle your crl ter an’
li ht out 0’ this quicker then thunder kin sour fresh
 We don’t like the smell 0’ your comp‘ny.

“A dozen to one—you can afford to talk bold,"
muttered the young man, with a painful sneer.
“ Big as on are, if we were only man to man, with
no outsi ers to interfere, you wouldn’t dare crow so
loud. But the time will come—Y

“Sooner then you think fer, ef ou don‘t button
u your lip an’ git u an‘ git. ou kin hev the

since at me, ef you ' e, fer I’m goin‘ to see you
safe away from this. You‘ve at too much of the
copperhead in you, to be turn loose with weeporis
in your hands when kiver is so handy. Fu’st we
knew, ou‘d take a coward‘s shot from ambush.
Strad e your critter an' skin out; an‘ don’t fergit
that I’m on your trail, sarplntl"

Dean Ash ey was more completely used u than
he had reahzed, and the feeling of deathly fa tness
and (Aualmishness grew upon him so ra idly that he
foun himself obliged to call to Amarl Colby who
stood eyilng him with poorl concealed uneasiness,
to lend m a hand in mount ng his horse.

Big Jim Adams watched the two closely, his sus~
plcions being stren thened with each 3 mo-
ment. Amariah Co y was too obseq ous for one
of his naturauyhblunt, crabbed disposition. His at—
titude toward e battered stranger was not unhke
that of an humble servant wlio fears the lash. The

 

 

few words that assed between them were not s -
ken loud enoug for the alligator-hunter to ca h V
their 3 11:, but that the  B was not the most 5
men y, he clenched fist w ch can Ashley shook
at the swamp magnate as he rode unsteadily away,
was am is roof.

True threats, Adams followed close upon
the heels of the discomfited stranger, and was quick-
ly swallowed up by the gmmg forat.

The first action of A er k was to wash the ‘

blood and dirt at his hands, and then don his outer
garments, his next to look around in quest of Dorin-

da. .He had formed a manly resolution, which he
was in haste to put into execution. He knew his
own weakness, and knew that if he gave himself
time to debate the question his courage would sure-
ly fail him in the time of need.

The maiden was Sitting in the same spot she had
occu ied when Dean Ashle came u . It may be
said ere that Dorinda had een a Witness of the
fight from first to last, and could Abner have ess-
e the hopes and fears that agitated her roast
during the struggle, he would not have considered
his cause quite so doubtful.

.Dorinda saw him coming although her gaze was
directed down the river as though her only interest
was in detecting the first Sign of the ex
steamboat. She saw too, that Abner had ucked
ulp his courage, and had little difl‘lculty in 8i
t epurpose with which he was seeking her. True
to her sex, she was resolved not to surrender until
the time of her own choice came, and as Abner
drew near, she abruptly turned upon him and car-
ried the war into the enemy’s country, without wait-
ing to be attacked first.

‘I should think you would be ashamed to come
here so soon after your ruffianl conduct," she said,
severely. “ Fighting like a wil beast-and makoigg
me the laughing-stock of the whole neighborh
thanks to your ridiculous jealous . Lucky that i
am going away so soon! I couldn’t old up my head
or dare look anbe in the face if I had tostay here
—ain’t you ashame of yourself, now?"

The attack was a sharp one, and had not Abner
Clark been so thoroughly aroused, it would doubt
less have been suocessfu . As it was he believed
her admirably feigned anger was real, ut not even
that could divert im from his purpose.

“If gou mean am I ashamed of thrashing that
dandi ed scoundrel Ashley, as he calls himself, I
can tell you no, I am not," he said, with a dogged
resolution that told Dorinda her cause was in far
greater danger than she had imagined. “What!
E vs him then is only an earnest of what he will get

.I ever catch him fooling around my promised
wrfe again. And that is what I want to s eak to you
about, Dora. You can‘t have him an me for fol-
lowers, at the same time. If you like him best,
so in as many words, and I’ll pull up stakes for gone-l
I‘ll never filay second fiddle to any man in such a
matter. I can‘t be first, then I‘ll be nothing.”

Dorinda saw that her tactics would not answer in
this case. Abner was in too deep earnest for that,
but she was not ready to yield yet nor to come to a
final understanding, and turning her head uickly
she responded to an imaginary call from the ones,
arisin and beating a swift retreat before Abner
could tercept her.

With the proverbial blindness of a man who is over
head and ears in love, the young farmer put an un-
favorable construction upon this action, and withhis
heart feeling as hea as a chunk of lead in his bo-
som, he dro to 6 ground beneath a tree, and
stared moo down the river.

Here Big Jim Adams found him an hour later, on
his return from his scout after Dean Ashley. Whom
he followed only long enough to satisfy himself that
the beaten man‘s retreat was a genuine one.

“ Well, lad " seating himself with a careless force
that shook tjr’ie groun , “of I do as it to your face.
you walked mto that p‘lzen critter s meat-house in
rust-class style. He’s got a dose that’ll keep him out
o’ mischief for a month to come. But {Ion don‘t
want to o toslee over it, nuther. He 1110 his
teeth an‘ resh g‘in his s urs, an' come ag’ln all ye-
Then the man t at gits a drop on the other M,
’11 come out atop the hea .”

“He's welcome toall ecan make out of me."
was the brief and moody response.

“ They‘s another thing I wanted to tell you. Which
you mustn‘t take it amiss. I know how matters
stand atween you and Dory. It’ll come out all H8“
elfmvou only put the cairb on. She‘s oung 111'!
t e skittish, but she on] needs to fee a master 8r
hold of the reins, an’ she‘ settle down quiet in the
traces. ‘Taiii’t no iiestion of her that troubles me
the most, though; i ‘s the old man, an’ the ’fiuence
he holds over you ‘lo 0’ Do ’5 bein’ his d508th-

“You‘ve seen how hick h an’ the feiler you
licked was together; looked like they was pmemi
but that the young feller bed the big est say-Em The
old man ’peared afraid of him. Wefi, ou ve beam
tell of Cap’n Cool Blade an’ his cusse ans 0' a“?
throats which some so hes a nest 110% fur from
here? New 1 kin prove hat young Ashley is a side-
gardner of the cap‘n’s. Then it stan's to reason that

olby knows more about the rascals than an hone“
man should, an’ tbarfo’ will bear watchin’.

“ What I‘m drivin‘ at is this; don‘t let the old nil-II
draw you into an scrape through your likin‘ fer
Dory. I don’t say e’ll try it, but e may."

Further speech was cut short by the appearance
of a smoke down the river and believing that the
approachi boat was the ’War Eagle, Dorinda was
summoned o be in readiness.

It was no lo 1' the capricious coquette butthe
true and loving- carted woman that stole towbero
Abner Clark was moodily watching the line of black
smoke. He started up at her a preps/ch. but 9'0“
yet he did not read the truth tha amed from the
softened eyes. He only felt that there must be a
final understanding between them before the rapid.
lya preaching boat should reach the landing. I-fld

her hand he drew her unresistingly aside,
where’they could converse without being seen or
owihmgi i t with t givin
can e on 0|! your 8 me "I
answer, once foiallfiggg, " be said, speaking rapid-
l{. “I wouldn’t live t ugh another week such as
t 9 last one, for all the money in the State. It must
be Don‘t speak before you
t There’s one life, and it may be two, that's
depending on your words You must KIVB up all
at ers for me, or else tell me that you cannot. In
that case I’ll tell you good-by now, for ou’ll not
find me ere when you return. Ill so out and
Stlilgfilgr California, and WW forget you in the
g - .

“ Abner— vowed I would never confess it but I
can’t he] myself when you talk like that," impul-
sively u tered the maiden, dra closer to his
side. “I have been a silly fool for t e past week.
I was dazzled bv_that—that fellow’s dashing man-
ner, but through it all, I knew that you were worth
a thousand such as he-and I was praying all the
time that you might whip him—and wanted to tell

i

all or nothing, now.

 

'- r 'r

9

 

Captain Creel Blade.

 

you how sorry I was for my flirting, but I didn‘t
“9;.

As there were no witnesses to the scene which fol-
lowed, a literal description cannot be expected. Cer-
tain it is that Dorinda looked even more lovely than
usual when the reconciled lovers came out from the
friendly covert as the steamer hove in si ht, while
Abner trod as though “Eon air, and felt _ severe
bruises no more than e did the old' gain at his
heart, now that the dark clouds had ppeared
from Love‘s horizon.

Neither he nor Dorinda were disappointed when
they found that the steamboat was the Water Witch
instead of the lo docked-for War Eagle. It would
give them so muc more time to spend in arting
words, and now that the black clouds h fairly
blown away, they found so much to so. , to plan, to
promise, that a. whole week would have een all too
short for the business.

Dinner was eaten, and then the reconciled lovers
resumed their painfully-pleasant communion. Not
a moment was wasted, and for the first time Dora
began to regret the visit she had looked forward to
with so many delightful anticipations. It would not
have taken much persuasion on Abner‘s part to
have made her unpack and give over the trip, but
be, simple fellow! did not even suspect this. He
knew how long she had been anticipating the jour-
ney and though it seemed like taking the heart out
of his bosom to part with her, now that all was
made clear between them, would not try to spoil her
pleasure by idle repinings.

So the afternoon wore away, and still the. War
Eagle did not make her a earance. Not until the
sun was setting; then the me of black smoke from
her stacks became visible. All had been made
ready, and side by side the lovers sat watching the
smoke. Then the steamer came into View around
the bend a mile below, and keen-eyed Jim Adams
declared that he recognized the spread-eagle be-
tween her huge smoke-stacks.

0n came the steamer, all too swiftly for the lovers,
whose hearts sunk strangely as the moment of part-
ing drew nearer. Ten minutes more, and they must
no good-by, perhaps forever!

ut before one-half of that time had expired, Do-
rlnda sfii‘ung to her feet with a loud cry of horror,
as she id her face in her lover’s bosom!

CHAPTER XI.
A nurse u'naovan m FOG.

er'a fierce intentness Capltnin Cool Blade watched
the maiden kneeling beside or wounded father un-
til Percy Talfourd interfered and led her down from
the hurricane-deck, and he registered a bitter 0am
that she, too, should suffer for the wrongs done him
ion years ago.
“ t ma be his daughter," dro ped almost uncon-
sciously rom his lips as the ar Eagle gathered
headway and breasted the strong current. “ I re-

 

‘ that they two should rob a bank. The attem t was

made, but foiled thou h in the fight which to owed
one man was killed an another seriously wounded.
On! for the double treachery of his friend, so-call-
ed, eyton would have escaped; but a traitor’s blow
from behind knocked him senseless. and he awoke
to consciousness only to find himself a handcuffed
prisoner on the way to jail, while Jacques Bouchier
acted as one of his guards!

Not even yet did Peyton realize how terribly he
had been betrayed, how thoroughly duped. He
wondered at the fact of his companion in crime be-
in permitted to 0 free, or at least unbound, but
w th stubborn fide 'ty he said not a. word that could
implicate Bouchier. From that night they did not
meet ain until Henry Peyton appeared before the
bar of ustice to answer for his crimes; but the pri-
soner had received a message from his friend, and
felt at ease. A noted criminal ia er—so at least
he was introduced by the note from ouchier—came
to him with cheering news. There would be no
trial, because there would be no prisoner when the
hour for the trial drew near. Their plans were all
perfected. He, Peyton, was only to keep a. guard
upon his tongue, and patiently wait for the right
moment.

This he did, though there was much in the aflair
that sorely troubled him whenever he assayed to
panic it all out. But the hour of trial came, and
still the rescue had not taken  And then, bit
by bit, his eyes were opened an he slowly began to
finalize tile truth—to see how damnably he had been

e raye .

From the witness-stand Jacques Bouchier told the
story of the plot to rob the bank, but he made the
grlsoner out to be the tempter. He said that at

rst he believed it was all an empty jest, and as
they both had been drinking frecl , he fell in with
the humorous conceit, and the dc ils were all ar-
ranged. But the next day the prisoner convinced
him that he was in sober earnest. The witness re-

: monstrated, hilt in vain. The prisoner said that the

job should be done, even if he had to look up an-
other partner. Finally the witness agreed to play
his art, which he did as follows:

e ave information to the bank officials of the
inten ed job. They thought it best to take the rob—

. bur in the act, and stationed a force of policemen in

i the vault.

member that his wife was expecting her confinement i

when—when he, whom I loved and trusted .as a bro—
ther rather than a friend alone, turned upon me like
a snake in ambush, and struck his poison fan deep
down in my heart. Curse him and his! I wi never
know rest while a single root or branch of the treach-
erous stock is living! I swear the death-hunt against
them, old and young!”

His mutterings became inarticulat
motionless as a statue until the War
ed so far up the river that those mock n
u n her deck could no longer spy upon actions.

en he set to work earnestly, soon succeeding in
freeing his hands, and cast the ignominlous noose
from around his neck. Picking up his knife and
brace of revolvers, he quick] reloaded the latter,
and then strode swiftly away rom the spot, heading
u the river bank.

s brain was busied with the dark and bitter past.
Step b sto he recalled the events which had made
him what fie was now, a blood-stained and crime-
hardened outcast. Right or wrongly, be attributed
all this to the treachery of one main—of him whom
he had hot down upon the hurricane-deck Jules
Beaufort, or, to give him the name which he bore in
the days gone by, Jacques Bouchier.

That was more than a score years ago. Jacques
Bouchier and ‘Henry Peyton were sons of bosom
friends and neighboring planters. The were inse )-
arable comtpanions from early childhoo particular y
in mischie . Scarcer were they out 0 one scrape
before they were over head and ears in another.
Some of their pranks would have been serious mis-
demeanors in any other lads than the res '
\h‘eirs of the two most extensive plantations n Mis-
s ssippi. But it was noticeable even thus early, that

a le had pass-

whatever blame or unishment followed
capades, by far the on's share was besto ed 11 on
Henry Peyton. And so it was as the att ed t en-
majority and striking out in life for t emselves, they
enlarged their operations. Hen
most, while Jacques Bouchier ro ted the most. It
was all so clear now, but then e bolder spirit of the
two never for a moment suspected that he was being
used as a cat’s-paw by the man whom he loved more
than a brother. _

They were wedded on the same day, and to cousins.
They settled down upon adjoming lantations, and
when at home, were highly repute 1e citizens. It
was often remarked that m age' had wrought a
wonderftu beneficial alteration in them both.

But this was only outw y. They were fre-
quently absent from home, and then their real char-
acters shone forth. They were twin birds of prey,
travelingin cunning disguise, and plucked mauya
verdant pigeon between them. They bad man an
exciting adventure, many a narrow escape in
justice, and finally, what must surely come sooner
or later between men whom crime ll together,
they quarreled between themselves. With such
men, i is generally a word and a blow, and though
the bond between them was still so strong that nei-
ther drew a deadly won 11, Jacques Bouchier was
most unmercifully thras ed. This defeat he never

and he stood .

enemies i

tive ‘

these es- ‘

Peyton did the .

for ot or forgave though he took the hand and blunt ‘

a ogy whi e victor offered him, in apparent
oen

riend. B da .
his toils, myin w an all was ripe he fired the tram he
had so patiently and surely laid.

Through his tempting, mainly, the h Peyton on-
ly too readily fell in with the plan, i

l
.
l
l

i after the trial, tindin

5 , , ‘ —lind died on the night of his condemnat

From that moment Jacques Bouchier secretly and 7
lei-sistently plotted the min of his one-time dearest :
and by night he cunnineg wove -

ambush for that pu ose. Bouchier acted as decoy
and gave the signal hat brought the police out o
It was his hand that felled the prisoner,
and thus averted further bloodshed and loss of life.
Like one in a dream Henry Peyton listened to the
evidence of his faithless friend. He knew then that
he was lost beyond all hope, but even that knowl-
edge was less bitter than was the discovery of how
he had been duped and betrayed by the iaymate
gt hés youth, the friend and confidant of is man-

00 .

The “ noted criminal lawyer " betrayed him, too.
His pretended defense only served to clinch each
and every point made against his client, and, seeing
how thoroughly his work had been done for him
the State attorney contented himself With a brief
summary of the case, and submitted it to the jury.
The judge followed with a ch e that was stro
against the prisoner, and thou the ‘ury wen
through the form of retiring or cons tation, no
one was surprised at their return almost immediate-
ly with a. verdict of guilty.

Henry Peyton, found guilty of murder in the first
de e, was sentenced to death by hanging.

y the prom t and uutiring exertions of his rela-
tives and the fr ends of the family, the Governor was
prevailed upon to commute the sentence to one of
imprisonment for life at hard labor. This much
they did, to save the name from worse disgrace, but

then they vowed to forget that such a erson as
Bong Peyton had ever lived. The menu gate
clos1d upon him, and he was as one end to the
wor .

He was not dead. He swore to live until he had
drank deep of revenge. His every thought was de-
voted to that one end, until he became a mono-
maniac. He knew now why Jacqlutes Bouchier had
kept him quiet with promises. he had known
the truth in time, he could have told some awkward
stories, and caused undoubted proofs of their truth
to be procured. But after the trial and condemna-
tion, even if he should speak, who would believe
him? It would all be set down as the false ravings
of one who sought revenge upon the man whose
cunning had brought him to justice.

With all his ma lust for revenge, Henry Peyton
ran no foolish risks, and it was nearly three years
before he found the right material to work upon.
He found it in one of the assistant doctors, at young
man, strongly addicted to drink and cards.

Peyton‘worked upon these two f ilings, and finally
convinced.the man that he was promising no more
than he could perform when he swore that he would
liméake his deliverer from prison comfortably rich for

e

The oung doctor formed a bold and hazardous
plan, w ich called for a wonderful amount of nerve
on Peyton's part, but which promised succws. And
that plan was carried out.

Peytonwas taken ill, and removed to the sick ward.
He steadily grew worse, thanks to the dru s admin-
istered by the physician. And then he di .

The doctor produced a written agreement, signed
by the deadman, that gave him the body for dissec-
t on after death. The prisoner was examined b the
head surgeon, and pronounced a corpse. The ody
was nailed up in a rude coilln, and conveyed to the
doctor‘s rooms. There it remained until he had
drawn the money from the bank where it had been
de osited by Peyton under an assumed name, long
be orc his trial and condemnation.

The doctor was true to his bargain. He resuscitat-
ed the seemingly dead man, and after he had in a
degree recovered his strength, ‘Henry Peyton dis-
guised himself and entere the living world once
more, in quest of vengeance upon his false friend.

A terrib e shock awaited him at the very outset.
His wife, whom he had loved passionately was dead

ion. Grief
had brought on a premature confinement, and both
mother and child were buried in the same grave.
‘ One more count against Jacques Bouchier!

That worthy hail left the countig immediately

himself in ad odor even

among the most l'il'i adherents of justice. The

was mood treacherous part he had played was condemned by

 

all, and amid ugly threats of lynching, he fled thv
State. His wife and child followed him a row montlr.
later, and then he had sold his plantation. One 1?,
one his few relatives had died, and search never i -
closely, Henry Peyton could find no trace of his hate
enemy.

The years rolled on, and still Henri; Peyton—no
known far and wide as Captain Cool ladn, the mo:
skillful ambler on the rum, one who married h.
life at t 6 tips of his fingers—was still a winders!
seeking Jac ues Bouchier. He was somethng mor
—the head 0 a owerful and wide-spread organizi‘
tion, to which re be in every shape was a regula.
business, and bloods ed a pastime.

Jacques Bouchier, under the name he l‘nd bec ’
known by ever since his flight from M .‘sisaippj
Jules llcani‘ort, became a niclnhcr of tilt, lea 'lli'.
but one of his naturally treacherous ilfspo tic!
could not longi resist the heavy rewards that wen
oflered for eflnite information concerning 0
criminal band, and he entered into a correspondem .
with the government officials. He hung or! for .
higher remium, and before the negotiations We}!
conclu ed, the ellow fever broke out in its usua.
virulence, and le took passage for St. Louis 03-
board the War Eagle, with his wife and daughter
accompanied by Pvrcy Talfourd.

Through one of his spies, Captain Cool Blade \vn ,
informed of the pending negotiations, and at on
visited New Orleans in order to silence the treacl »
erous member of the league, in cnso the re or
proved to be founded on fact. An hour too at:

e was informed of the departure of his game, and
followed upon the Water Witch, which proved to
be the next boat to take her de arture.

How he made the transfer rom one boat to the
other, has already been explained but Captain Cool
Blade never dreamed of w at really awaited him on
board the War Eagle.

He recognized Jacques Bouchier the moment he
saw his ace, but he never imagined that he was
Jules Beaufort, as well. That ObJGOt all lm rtant
before, had been wholly lost sight of in the 00d of
hatred :and reven e that filled his heart and brain
as he reco ized ‘ faithlcss friend of ion ago.

the ousting challenge of the ho drunken
planter, he saw an open road to vengeance, and 1:0
ollowed ittothe em. A covert signal to Ca inin
Craven told that wonhy what marked cards to fgtch,
and cool audacity accomplished the rest.

“ He knew who killed him and so shall she!” mut-
tered Captain 0001 Blade, as he pushed rapidli up;
the river bank , after havili cut across a broad en
made by the stream. “ ut she shall not die so
easily—she is too lovely for that! She shall ay
backaportion of the torments I suflered in t at
accursed risonl She and all others who ma ca
anyof his lood in their veins— Hal” he exc aime ,
stopping short. “ By —! the War Eagle has run on
a snag!

 

CHAPTER XII.
THE WAR mom’s LAST mom.

BUT Captain 0091 Blade_was wrong in his sudden
conclusion, as his experienced eye told him the
moment after his sharp exclamation. The War
Eagle had not run against a snag, but instead had
grounded u n a sandbar that the rapidi shiflin
waters had ormed within a few hours. e whir -
ing waters covered with foam, driftwood and float-
inig debris, ad hidden the peril from the eyes of the
p at who, if the truth must be told had swallowed
a lit e moregfifiiior than was prudent when the river
was at the n .

The assengers aboard the War Eagle were a
great eal longer in arriving at the truth. The
alarm of “a sun ” is to voyagers upon the great
rivers much who the cry of fire is to those on t 6
ocean. As a general thing steamboats are poor y
provided with boats, and w on a. steamer is badly
snagged, the wreck is frequently terribly sudden
and complete. It is far easier ‘to keep afloat in salt
water than it is in the whirling eddies and swift
currents of the rivers and the terrified .asseilgcrs
on board the War Eagle appeared to be ully aware
of the fact.

For a few minutes the confusion was intense.
Men cursed and blasphemed as they recovered their
feet and ran confuscdly to and fro. Women shriek-
ed, some fainted, others lost their presence of mind
and would have Jumped overboard in their mad
terror, had they not been forcibly prevented. There
wasa fierce rush for the yawl which hung at the
stern, and the other boat which lay bottom up on
the hurricane-(lull. But haste makes waste, and
before either could be lowered into the water, the
captain and the other officers of the War Eagle-
succeeded, by (lint of shouting at the top of their
voices, and even using force, in convincing the
panic-stricken passengers that there was no danger
whatever, that the boat had simply run aground on
a sand-bar.

The revulsion was as comical as it was profound.
Not one aboard would admit that he or she had
been terrified and the most coward] nmo the
lot were now the loudest in talkin of t eir coo ness,
and of the number of poor, fool creatures .hey '
had saved from leaping overboard to, meet with cer-
tain death.

The 8 es were set to work, the action of the
mammot wheels reversed, and a strong effort
made to back of! from the bed of sand. The broad:
buckets churned the muddy water into froth and
s ray, sending the curling waves in swift succession

own the river in diverging lines until they broke
against the b on either side, eaiing away the
unstable soil at the water-line until the heavy
splashes of caving banks grew more frequent than
ever. The boat quivered and trembled from stem to
stern, but made no backward motion. 11: had run
aground while under a full head of steam;I the
moist sand had yielded before the stroke, on.y to
settle again around the hull, holding the vessel like
so much glue.

The exgerlenced mate soon realized that the pad-
dle-whee would not extricate the War E}: 10 im-
aided, and gave the word for the fre ht whic (lim-
bered the forward deck to be mov further back,
both to lighten the bows and to give room for Work-
in the huge spars b the aid of the ca stan.

nder the eye of he stern, deep-v0 ced. mate, all
the necessary arrangements were speedily made.
The butts of the great June s are were swung clear
of the deck, and pushe all of the bows, on each

 

!

~. 4'. .mi‘g‘.‘ ‘7

2‘31“.

 

.19

Captain Cool Blade.

 

 

 

side, then lowered until they rested on bottom. The
pulleys and tackle were already properly adjusted,
and the machiner was put in motion. 6
s are slowly sunk eepcr into the soft sand until
t ey could find firmer holding. The re es moved
through the blocks and ulleys, while 1; e engines
kept up a loud and discor ant clanking.

Among those who watched the various maneuvers
below, ,. 1-,; Marie Beaufort and Percy Talfourd.
They stood upon the burriéane-deck, forward of the
pilot-hour: », the cool breeze which swept down the
river tempering the heat of the sun until the tem-
perature was quile agreeable.

Marie, on learning that the wounds of her father
were by no means dangerous, had rallied from the
dreadful shock she had received, and leavin her
mother watching beside the patient, she gla y ac-
cepted the invitation of her lover to join him in
watching the. sparring process. She was far less
serious than Talfourd, and finally she playfully
rallied him on his moody abstraction.

“I shall believe you are regretting havi broken
your allegiance to the ‘ Can’t-Get-Away ‘ clu , Percy,
unless you return to earth and poor me, pretty soon.
Here I have been asking you que stion after question,
and though you did manage to answer them by yes
or no, I don‘t believe you can tell me one thing I
was asking about. t is fortunate we are both
pretty well known to the passengers aboard, or they
would be reply to i:l"(' oath that we were a married
con 16 of twenty yea ., standing!"

“ wish we were—not the twenty years, but the
married part," impulqu ly uttered Talfourd, an
eager fire replacing the moody light in his fine eyes.
“If I could only p». . .1: you to reconsider, Marie,
and abridge the tlillC—H

“ It is not so long to wait—only a few months—only
until the frost comes and renders it safe to return
home," softly and shyly murmured the maiden.

“ Etch day a art from you is an age, darling—"

“ But we nee not be apart—need we? We will see
each other every day, for you promised to wait for
and return with us rom St. Louis.”

“But how much pleasantcr it would be—darling,
please say that you will marry me as soon as we ar-
rive in St. Louis. It would make our holida sum-
mer erfect, and it will be the best for us
confl cut. So that you will."

But the mai en did not 5 oak the words he plead-
ed for. Though she loved im dearly with her en-
tire soul, as be fully deserved to be loved, she had
set her mind on being married in the old house not
many miles from the Cresent City, which had been
her home since early childhood—Since birth, as she
erroneously believed. Not even her lover’s ardent
pleading could shake her determination on this point,
the h she kept her main reason in the background,
pie ing her father’s accident as an all-sufficient
excuse. Neither did the young planter put forward
all of the reasons which had induced him to urge an
anticipation of the wedding-day

Though there was no great riendshi , nor even a
close intimacy between his prospective ather~in-law
and himself, Percy Talfourd knew Jules Beaufort
much more thoroughly than did either the Wife or
daughter. He knewt at tho planter was fast killing
himself with drink and excitement. Within the past
month there had been many ugly minors afloat con-
cerning Beaufort, some of which Talfourd under-
took to trace home, only to find them the oflspring
of truth. He believed t at there was still worse he-
hind, and the words which Ca itaiu Cool Blade hissed
into Beaufin‘t’s ear and whie 1 Pure caught, went
far to confirm this elief. If Jules eaufort was in-
deed Jacques Bouchier, as those words indicated,
then his belief was confirmed beyond a doubt.

He felt sitive that Beaufort was the one who
had ofl'eredm to sell the secrets of the t criminal
16 e and knew that if others shou :1 ans ct the
fafiuhis life would hang upon a. thread 1; at was
liable to be severed at any moment.

Even if left to his own courses, he doubted whe-
ther the planter would live to see the coming of the
frost.

Such, in'outline, were the reasons why Percy Tal-
fourd so urgently pressed his suit. _Apaljt from his

assionate longing to possess the fair maiden whol-

y, solely, entirely, he wished to rotect and guard
her as much as possible against t 1e dreadful shock
which he foresaw could not be very iar distant in
the future. But his arguments were in vain, since
he dared not tell her the whole truth.

The spars were ke t steadily at work for hours
and though success nally crowned their efforts, it
was late in the afternoon before the War Eagle was
afloat once more. Then it was found necessain
stop at the first wood-de, not more than half a mile
above, for fuel.

This occasioned another delay, and it was evident
that the sun would set before the War E le could
make her next stopping place, Colby's Lan 1113.

It has already been mentioned that the pilot had
been drinking rather more than was prudent fora
man occupying such a. responsible osxtion, and, al-
thou h it was really through no fan t of his that the
vesse rounded, that _acc1d_ent, by unsettling his
nerv god to his imbibing still more freely.

The ar Eagle had rounded the last bend in the
river and was in plain View of Colby's Landing; but
she was destined never to reach that haven.

The pilot saw, or fancied he saw, indications ht
ahead of another freshly-made bar, and threw he
wheel over with all his speed and strength. The
vessel obeyed the wheel promptly, and was shooting
swiftly in a. diagonal course across the current, when
it struck a snag with terrible force.

The hull was pierced as though composed of tissue-

aper, but that was not the worst. The snag tore
through the engine-room and almost ere an one
aboard could realize the fearful peril, its wor was
done.

The defective boiler e loded, shattering the yes-
sel in a fearful manner, ing the wreck with blind-
ing steam. And almost simultaneously the second
boner burst, completing the ruin, fairly rocking the
wreck in live, near the middle.

The scene was one that nopen could even faintly
outline. Many were killed instantaneous] by
flying debris, and those were the more ortunate
ones. Others were pinned fast under falling timbers,
only to be scolded to death by the hissing steam.
The air was rent with piercing shrieks of bitter
agony and horrible ain, of terror and at! ' lit. The
swift current was t 'ckly strewn with , d

 

 

   

,Iam

 

and alive. With every moment came the drowning,
gurgling of some unfortunate as the waters
closed over '5 or her head.

It was a. scene of unspeakable horrorl

CHAPTER XIII.
more IN mm nouns.

Soon was the sight, though greatly modifiedvby
the intervening s e, that caused Dorlnda. Colby to
utter a scream 0 horror and hide her paling face in
the broad bosom of her sturdy lover, Abner Clark.
The steamboat War Ea le, for which they had been
so long waiting and wa hing, had exploded before
their very eyes, and was now an utter wreck. But
though ladly would Abner Clark have afforded
Dora she ter in his arms at any other time, he put
her quickly, almost rudely away from him now, and
his mum rung out like a trumpet call:

“ Take to the boats, boys and do what we can for
those poor unfortunatesl i ‘s for life or death, and
if we fail ‘em now, maythe Lord have mercy on
their souls l"

The words had not fairly cleared his li before
Abner Clark was at the water’s edge, besi e a lo ,
narrow skiff which was fastened to a log with ch n
and padlock. The key was in his pockets, some-
where, but he did not lose time in searching for it.
Graspn the chain in both hands, he gave it 5
might erk and wrench that tore the staple from
its no (1 in the bow of the skid then gave the l ht
craft a fierce shove as he leaped into it, that can it
out into and down the swift current.

He dropped upon the thwart, and with rs. id dex-
terity fitted the care to the mole— ns, wbir the
boat around so its tgrow pointed Own-stream. As
he did so, he saw e men n on_the bank in appar-
ent confusion, and lainlyl g invaluable time for
lack of a com ten leader.

“ One man each of the two skills, and the rest
follow with the flat-boat!” he shouted at the top of
his voice, not dari to pause for a moment in his
loiag, swinging stro as to give them more definite
or ers.

But he caught a. glimpse of the big alligator-
hunter rushing to the spot from the woods, and
knew that there would be no further delay.

After warning Abner Clark and put ' him on his
guard against Amariah Colby Jim dams had
strolled away from the river-side satisfied that he
had done his  He had been up near] all the

e
a

 

night before, for no hbors had gathe to bid
Dorlnda farewell nd speed. and tho hAma-
riah Colby put a stop to the dancing as t o clock
struck twelve, the roosters were saluting the dawn-
inflgy as the part finally broke up.

, together wit the warmth o the afternoon,
will account for the tor-hunter’s fallin asleeg
in the shade of the tree neath which he haiseate
himself. He was awakened by the sound of the
explosion, and as he started to hisfeet, he caught
the words shouted bmbner Clark as the young
farmer sp to his 5 .

He knew t en that somethin terrible had oc-
curred, and that there was work or men to do.

He heard the terse directions of Abner. but they
were not necessary to show him what was to be
done. He was as ready to plan as he was to execute,
and possessed the facility of making others obey
without pausingrkitif)f ask questions.

Bestdes the in which Abner Clark was so
swiftly speeding down-stream, there were two other
almost similar ones fastened near by, in addition to
a. huge flat-boat that belonged to Amarish Colby,
and was used for cordwood and sand hauling.

Jim Adams singled out two men who he knew
were skillful with the oars, and hustled them into
the skifl snagging the stout iron chains that secur-
ed them mm on. ng away, with as much apparent
ease as the b they were made of straw, then
shoved the boa away from land with All the power
of his mighty arm.

“ The rest 0’ you pile into the flat—livelyl and grup
the sw . Lord above! we ain‘t goin' out ter fls
fer mud- urklesl That’s men an‘ women an' chil-
dren a-dyin' afore our V6? eyes an’ you armovln’
like on war goin’ to thar unerail Bend to it, now!
break your backs! pull like the devil was guppln’
atyour coat-tailsljump her out o‘ the wa r 011
thunder an’ gunsl of you was runnin‘ a race with a
snail you’d git heat so bad you wouldn’t know
gin? and your head was on! Look what a man

n o. . -

The men, three at each broad and long sweep,
were doing all they knew how making the clumsy
“broad-horn" move rapidly through the water
despite the dis ng comments of the excited
iI!.1lkitten-limiter, wlfio adt flrgtegaélhmtakendupfichfnsteer-
ng-oar. u now e rop an p one
hand t each of the swee added his gnar-
mous strength to their ei’fortsci an With such effect
that their speed was almost oubled. The clumsy
craft skimmed over rather than through the water
each stroke causing her to leap convulsiver half
her length ahead.

It was fortunate that, since the terrible accident
could not be averted, the War Eagle struck and
exploded so near Colby‘s Landinfihin si ht of men
w1 h willing hearts and stro nds execute
what the prom tinge of hum directed. Fortu-
nate, too, that hese men, heroes the rough, were
well rovided with the means to carry out their
mere wishes. Only for that, the tragedy would
have been even more dreadful than it was.

Swift almost as a. swallow, the strong and. skillful
arms of Abner Clark sent his skit! dancing over the
tuégzdi vtvgters to the scsoine of thmxplosiéin. 135 be

e snag now an as s raig up,
its pointed head raised higtliixggove the water, Abner
abandoned the thwart upon which he had been sit~
ting, and knelt down on the bottom of the boat
facing the bow and pushing on the oars instead of
pulling. By this means he could see all before him,
and run direct for any object without a moment‘s

dela .

1339! as had been the interval since the explosion
of the War Eagle, the ranks of the victims‘ Strfifilgglgf
in the water had already been fright.qu t ,
and as Abner Clark {peered breathl thro h the
thickening shades o evening, his bl turn cold
With horror, for he began to fear that all on board
the ill-fated steamer had perished.

But then he was seen, and from all around him
came cries and appeals for help. And down the

river came the deep-toned response of the big Illl"
gatorvhunter in the roomy flat— cat.

Abner sent his boat flying hither and. thither with
arms the muscles of which seemed insensible to
fat e, and picked up one after another of those
c ng for help. He knew that the skifl was so
crank that any attempt at entering by climbing
over the side would surely end in on u set, but he

arded against this by encouraging eac one whom

e rescue to simply hang on to the side of the skiff
until he could transfer them tothe flat.

3 the time he had secured his first load, the other
ski s and the “broadborn “ had reached the scene.
Before ten minutes more had elapsed, uim two
dozen drowning wretches had been snat ed from
i, the huvpiggy we of death. Then the work becanm

less 5 , or lack of material. The shifts rowed
swiftly to and fro over the water, while the men
littered their encouraging shouts at brief intervals
but the answers that came back were very few on
far between.

The flat-boat was allowed to drift with the current,
as those aboard knew that an survivors of the dis-
aster must be floatnig near at and and at the same
rate with themselves.

One or two more rescues were made of persons
who had been injuredeither by the f , by steam,
. or hurt by falling debiia. They hml been fortunate
enough to secure themselves to a cotton bale or
some fragment of the wreck before insensibility
ove wered them, rendering them deaf to the
alien of those who were working hard to cheat
grim old Death. _

But at length even the most sanflune among the
rescuing party began to feel that t ere was no fur-
ther hope of savuig life, and as they had already
flwoafltled several miles down the river, they pulled in

ore.

All of the rescued passengers who were able to
walk, were helped from the flat-boat up the steep
bank and ropes were pre ed for the heavy task
of ulling or “trackiglg” e “broadhorn” and its
h pless contents up ong the shore to the Landing.
This was a work of time and difficulty, for the cur-
rent ran close to shore and very swiftly, while the
bank aho ve was thickly covered with undergrowth.

Just as the preparations were about completed,
Abner Clark cried out excitedly:

“ Hush! I heaid a voice out yonder faintly call.
in for help—a woman‘s voice, I am almost sure!"

t nothing more was heard, though all stood
with bated breath and painfully strained hearing.
hr did any answer come to the loud calls of the

oung farmer, and those about him were inclined to

have his fancy had misled him.

“It may be; but I am golng out once more for
luck," he muttered, doggedly. “ You can strike
out.” I'll catch you up ore you get to the Land-

he ceased speaking, he shot his skiff swiftly
out in the direction from whence the faint ap cal
had up ntly emanated, kneeling low in his
the bet rto swee the surface of the river. But
the shadows of nig t had deepened so rapidly that
he knew there was little chance of finding any float—
ing being unless he could hear~ the cry am an
be ween every stroke of his cars, he utters a long.
shrill cry that he knew would reach a mile or more
alon the water.
an hour was spentin the way without suc-
cess. and Abner, though reluctantly, was on the
point of relin uishlng t e vain search turning the
row of the toward shore, when from direct
front arose the same faint cry that had
caught his ear before.
‘ ed to his ve core by the sound Abner
his boat forward wl b all his force, at the same
uttering a lad, encouragin shout. The next ino~
mg“: liege} a. shagp shop}: tt at diioeyie him fmflig
u n ace,an as esrug u as
heard a gasping. gurgling cry anfii a fagit 5pm
sound in the we er.

As by instinct he knew that he had run ainst the
object upon which was the being whomnfie was so
anxious to save, knockinfilhim or her into the water.

Without a. moment’s esitation, he arose to
feet and leaped over the side of the boat. Hi! Oflt‘
stretched hand struck a. floatingwcotton bale. but
there was no one clingin to it. lth swift, strollB
strokes he swam aroun , seeking in vain for the
green whom he had so unluckily preci itated into

ewater. His heart grew cold with car and ‘-
most frantic, he dove beneath the surface time and
again, in the faint hope of thus coming in contact
w th the drowning man or woman.

h Theii,hguidei;}i by Pliovicgnce, be sound tihe ob cot
eeo t as wusow sinkin eeper own

the tr‘gcfirous depths, and he Enew that, dead or

living, be was graspin the form ofa woman.

As ulckly as possib e be arose to the surface with
his hapless burden, holdin her head above water
as he swam toward his boa , putting her in over the
stern, then fou0wing after, himself. But he felt that
he ! onlyrescucd a dead bodyfrom a. watery
mve

 

PLAYING Tu .

Tuna was one other witness of the expllosion
and destruction of the War Eagle; one who ardly
know whether to be glad or soer he saw the
percud steamer, its passen an contents Scat

redfar and wide over a bosom of the river.
Cool Blade, who, like the boat, was
making all speed to reach Colby‘s Landing.

He had used only a few moments to watch the
gnvotions crumbs on board whoa: ace :ahvzs Ehagd the

anaglehndon runagroun en on
his way. Now (.113 he had. as he behaved, killed
his treacherous friend of former day he could re.
magiber tin;n object of his The fit 9 :meer in
an a one manner. a e,
Bouchier‘hfiid driven all else from b s mind, mum
had not even thought of asking whether Jules Beau-
fort, the false member of the League, was am
the War Eagle or not. The remembrance soon
came back to him, though, and he made an hm
toward Colby’s Landing, where he hoped to find
Dean Ashley, whom he meant to put upon the track
of the traitor. I .

He saw fresh be e in the grounding of the boat.
It might be pose-lb e for him to reach the
and post. [faulty in his duty before the War
. could spar Off of the bar. If so, Dean could

 

mssage on the boat, ferret out the traitor and either
laill him then. or elsc lay a trap for him at his desti—
nation, besides working down the other ame.

But, thanks to the difficult travelin . aptalu Cool
Blade would have reached the Land u too late. if
the accident had not. occurred, when t e War Eagle
was nearly abreast his ositiou.

A remarkabl skille swimmer, he might possibly
have saved a Ii e. if not more. b hastening to the
rescue, but this venture he dl not make. The
treatment he had received on board the War Eagle
hurl by no means tended to awaken his better feel-
ings and he stood leaning against a tree-trunk,
coolly watchln the desmirlng struggles of the
drowni wretc as before im.

"It wi save trouble,“ he muttered. beneath his
breath. “ The will die. though not b my hand. as
[intended—an would prefer. Still. can look on
and laugh at their vain. idle fighting against fate.
That is a poor revenge, but better than nothing 1"

Ho ceased mutterin With a sharp hissing oath.
The skill! pulled by bner Clark jus then came in
sight and as he mechanically started forward with
clenched fists. he saw the other boats hastening
down the river to the rescue.

“Well, let them save and I will sla l" he said.
witha sha laugh, as he sunk down 11 the dense
undergrowt . ‘Flt would be a pity for that lovely;
creature to die such a death, soearlyinlifel I’
forgive them if they only rescue her—for me! Be-
tween us, Hortense and I can soon break her in.
When she has aided to pay the debt her father—
curse him l—owes me. the river can claim her again,
for aught I care."

From first to last, Captain Cool Blade ke t close
watch of the rescuers as they pursued th noble
work. moving down the river bank and keeping
abreast the party until the flatboat was finally
brought to land. Then he flung away his hat and
ctrsw nearer as the uninjured men began scaling
the bank. The darkness had deepened so much that
{1: lmgwl he was running little or no risk of discovery

so 0 ng.

He passed through the wet. forlorn and shivering
crew covertl though keenly scrutinizing each face
and figure as 6 passed. though the gloom rendered
this any but a satisfactory inspection. One or two
of the men he behaved he could recognize, but
neither of them were the ones he was esirous of

He 3soon learned that there were two or three
women in the boat below. and'he he that the fair
maiden he alrcagy hated for her fa her‘s sake. was
among them. e did not care to run the risk of
asking any questions, for he knew that all would be
made clear when the Landing above was reached.
and until then he could wait.

Indolence was not one of his failings and when
the on tracking-rope was in readiness. he was one
of the first to grasp it, and put forth his strength
with a will on the long, weary pull which ensued.

He felt a grim pleasure in picturing the surprise
and consternation which the two planters, one be-

:fore and the other just behind him. would feel if
they could only know who was walking, tween
them. They had been among the foremost in de-
manding that he should be lynched after the fall of
the planter in the dual, and one of them had fitted
the regs around his neck with an insulting speech,
when e was marooned. The would leap aside
as swiftly as though they 1: trod u n a ven-
omous serpent. should he make himse known to
thgm, or even address one of them in his natural
vo co.

But Captain Cool Blade rosistedthe powerful temp-
tation and bore st upon the rope as he walked
along in the midst 0 ha enemies. They should
make the discovery of his resence in good time, but
not just yet. They shoul pa heavily for the honor
of his company. too. Bit by it he was working out
and putting into shape the details of a bold and
brilliant scheme that bade fair to give him his sworn
revenge in a substantial form.

Though the task was difficult and wearying, there
was no flagging. A steady strain was kept upon the
tracking-rope, and the men trampled down the brush
and vines t at impeded theirp . eager to reach
Colby‘s Landing, where the woun ed and helpless
ones who were nowl on the bottom of the flat-
ooat could have their urles attended to. A min-
ute’s unn dela might cost a life.

The moment t e dat- was fastened to its rude
moorings Captain Cool Blade uietiy withdrew
from his fellow-workers. and stun 11 close against
one of the lonv wooden piles he watc ed the scene
which followed and put he tin alias to the
daring scheme he had concocted.

The scene which followed the arrival of the flat-
boat at the Landing was a peculiarly painful one.
Until the lanterns and. the huge fire which was
( uickly kindled, told the too plain story. many of
i. erescued men who had relatives aboard the ill-
fated War le, had ho against he
loved ones in ght be a living,*thoug injured. in
the fiat-boat. In only two instances were these
hopes rewarded. The other wounded were still

further tortured by the know 9 that all those

near and dearto them had gone own in a watery

grave.

The wounded and the women—strange to say that
notva single child had been saved from the wreck—
were taken to the houses and there cared for as well
as possible under the circumstances. whil
passengers who were not disabled. gathered around
the enerous fire that was kindled of eordwood, to
dryiheir gamuts and discuss the sad, and bitter
t y,

a tain Cool Blade knewfithat the party would
takop assage on the first boat that came along.
though this might be delayed for one or two da 8,
so it might occur within an hour in which case a
bu‘lt'li rejoin he hadtforgggd would be {211383113 «1.1m

an mpatien ting puISO, sw y

here and the see for Amaliah Colby. Suc-

edrehis search at last, and slow, pecu-

liarwhistlo arrested the swam magnate and drew
him with goody

circle of lig t into the deep, gloomy shad .

“I’ve been looking for at! this half-hour." uttered
Captain 0001 Blade, in the sharp, overbearing tone
ofamaster addressin a slave. “Is Dean Ashley,
or others of the ‘ amily ’ at the Landing?“

“ 0; Dean left this afternoon; none of the others

been hero-since the iii-stat the week."respond-

 

Captain Cool Blade. 

L1

 

ed Colby in a low, nervous voice, so unlike his cus-
tomary mode of speaking that the captain bent for-
wiard and peered into his face with growing sus-
p own.

But whatever his doubts, he did not deem it wise
to give them utterance 'ust then. He had work for
the man to do. After t at was accomplished, then
he would probe the mystery to the bottom.

“ Colb . there is work for you to do, in the inter-
ests of t 6 Family. The first thing is for you to find
out whether any uperson or persons by the name of
Bouchier or Bea art are among those saved from
the wreck. Use all possible haste, consistent with
prudence, in findi out, then return to me here
with your re ort, or further orders. Mind: Bou-
chier or Beau ort. '

Amariah Colby repeated the two names then
turned and hastened away from the spot 1i eoue
who is glad to esca from a disagreeable ordeal.
Once more Ca tain 00] Blade contracted his brows
and frowned b kly. He knew Amnriah Colby too
thoroughly to attribute his strange nervousness
wholly to the tragledy that had occurred. His heart
was too cold for t at, too utterly selfish. The fellow
must be plotting some treachery against his hard
taskmaster, else why his strange perturbation at the
11110 encounter?"

“ e fool had better blow his own brains out—-
that would be no surer mode of committing suicide,“
he muttered through his tightclenched teeth, as he
waited impatiently for the return of his suspected
emissary.

From his position he could see Amariah Colby
movi among the men who were grouped around
theb n fire in their st aming clothes, but keenly
as he wa bed, he could detect nothing more to
'ustify his suspicions. In a few minutes he saw

olb move away from the fire. and cut across to-
war the dwelling-houses. He strode forward and
interce ted the man. demanding:

“ We what success? Speak out, quickly!“

“ There were none amon that tgarty named either
Beaufort or Bouchier. I' try ose in the houses,
now. There‘s two men there. besides the women.
I‘ll be back in five minutes.“

Captain Cool Blade uietly stood aside and let the
man pass; but his susp cions were still active. There
must be some good reason for the unusual nervous-
ness displayed by Colb .

For several minutes e paused in doubt, then with
a sudden resolution he glided softlyh toward the
nearest house, which chanced to be t at belonging
to and occupied by Amariah himself. There was a
light shiuin brightly through the 0 on window, and
he did not reapproach t e ape ure too closely
lest his espial should be observed by some one on
oft doors. and he wasnot quite ready to court recog-
m ion.

Keeping beyond the circle of l ht. he moved
slowly along until he could sin a air view of the
interior at length panel a ruptlyas he ca ht
sight ofDorinda Co by an a young man beu infi
over the form of a woman who lay at full len
upon the 10 8. Her face was turned toward hfin,
but the man s od in such a position that his form
shut off the view, thou h Captain Cool Blade glided
back and forth with be quick tread of a hu

anther. Then—the man moved aside, and the e

a'ce was full revealed.

The gsmb er pressed both hands over his lips in
grdgrtto choke back the exultant cry that rose in his

8 .

 

XV.
arm. n wean.

In that one swift glance Captain 0001 Blade 
nized the woman who is upon the bung: sos
and motionless her eyes 0 osed as though death,
her face as white and g as a corpse. So unex-
pected was the discove , espite the fact of his
playing the spy for tha veryp ,that it was
wit the greatest diflculty he smo ered the wild,
fierce cry of vindictive triumph that leaped up in
his throat. But smother it he did, and turned away

from the o n window. retracing his steps to the
spot where e had dismissed Amariah Colby upon
h a mission of espial.

He was not kept long in waiting. Colby had seen
enough to know that his superior was not in the
most_angelic humor. To others the swamp mag~
note was ind ndent enozfih, even dommee ,

as a general th . but Cap 11 Cool Blade was h 3
master. He c and trembled to his very core
whenever he was his presence, and had the faint—

est doubt of the reception he was to receive. It was
a purely natural phenomenon but Colb could not
understand it, and attributed the w ass to a.
su matural influence. He believed that the cap-

n had put a spell u u him.

“Well, muttered afitain Cool Blade.as Amariah
Colby paused before In, “what success? What
have you discovered l"

Tho h so greatly excited but a few moments
before. ere was not a trace of eagerness or agita-
tion in his voice as the adventurer propounded
these uestions. Yet, somehow, the vars filletness
with w chhe s 6 served to render o more
nervous and ill a. ease. It was with an evi ent of-
fort that he res nded:

“Ibave searc edthe housesns ou bade me, begin-
ning with my own, but failed 0 find any person
named either Bouchier or Beaufort."

As these words were uttered, roving to him so
plainly that the or was s riving to deceive

im bya barofac falsehood, Ca tain Cool Blade
frowned deeply. and one hand sto e into his bosom
until is fingers closed around the silver haft of a
long and heavy bowie-knife. At that moment Ama-
riah Colby stood closer to death‘s door than ever be
fore in the course of his checkered life.

But then the furtive grasp was relaxed, and Cap-
tain Cool e gave the unconscious man a respite.
There was still work for him to be doing while the
darkness lasted. After that was accomplished—a
cold pitiless smile filled up the hiatus.

“ ery well," he said in a low, smooth voice. “ No
doubt you are t. and the geisons I was search-
ing for are food or the fishes y this time. Let the
matter rest for the present.

“You that Dean Ashley was here this week?
How long 00 he left?"
“This Don," was the nervous

“‘Then of course the boys have not $551356 their
oldquartcrs. You-will make'all pose is hastoto

 

, in the stron

 

the rendezvous, and tell Ashley that there is work
for him and the boys. Bid him come here us quickly
as possible. but to weep out of sight. Let him give
the old signal—the cry of the scrunch-owl twice
repeated. with an interval between—and 1 Will meet
him. Go, now, and don't let the grass grow under
your feet. You sliouldamust—have them here in-
side of two hours."

Despite the peremptory conclusion of this chapter
of instructions. Amer-lab Colby hesitated, like one
who desired to say or ask somethingr while fearing
to speak out. Ca tain Cool Blade noticed this vacilla-
tion on the pa of his emissary, and sharply de-
manded:

“Well, what are you waiting for? Take care. old
maul I‘m not in the mood for nonsense. If you have
an thing to say, out with it in one mouthful; if not.
ge you gone at once!“

Colb muttered a few inarticulato words, then
turn and strode swiftly awa amid the shadows
Captain Cool Blade stared a tor him with a dark
frogn, 3nd hissuspicions were unconsciously breath-

ou .
“He dare not attempt to play me false—rand yet—
it looks like it] The woman is in his own house—and
his actions are so strange. But if he is meditating
treachery, he had better take his last leave of all he
loves upon earth, for by the knife of Abraham! I‘ll
kill him—"
The sound of his own voice caused Captain Cool
Blade to leave his threat unfinished. Yet the vow
was none the less registered, The life of Amariah
Colby hung suspended by a very frail thread.
The swamp magnate was no traitor, for all appear-
ances and his own confused. agitated manner were
against him. He stood in too great dread of Captain
(£01 Blade to ever deliberately betray or plot against
m.
He was not ignorant of the strong affection—n1-
most passionate love—which the gmnblcr entertain-
ed for Dean Ashley. Thou h be had no proofs of
the fact. be firm] believed t at the two were father
and son. He stood by and seen the youth most
sound] thrashed without raising a finger to help
him. 9 believe that Ashley had been seriousl
figured in his fight with Abner Clark, and he droa -

the anger of Captain Cool Blade when he should
learn the truth.

This is what he tried to tell his master, but failed
through lack of courage and this was the sole cause
of his strange erturbation. Nor had his report of a
failure to find he parties he had been sent in quest
of been intentionally false. He did his work in good
faith, and when he entered his own house on that
errand. the woman whom Captain Cool Blade dis-
covered and recognized a few minutes later was at
that moment being lifted from Abner Clark’s skiff
arms of the young farmer who had
rescued her rom a watery grave at the peril of his
own lllife after all the others had abandoned the

scare .

Fearful that his labor had been in vain, for the
woman had not moved a limb or uttered a sound
since he placed her in the boat, Abner hastened to
glass her under the tender care of Dorinda. enter.

the house only a few moments after Amariah
le t it to com lete his search. He had just deposi-
t6d his dripp lag and insensible burden upon the
lounge when aptain Cool Blade peered in upon
them through the 0 en window.

Had Captain Coo Blade only known all this, he
would have been spared much hard feeling and posi-
tive anxiety of mind. Until this night, he had never
been given the slightest cause for suspecting the
fidelity of Colb , whom be regarded as true as steel
to the interes of the Famil . And being thus
trusted, none of the secrets of t e League had been
concealed from him. Wore he to prove false, he
could work the League enormous harm, unless his
ton e was silenced b the linger of death.

ith a powerful e ort Captain Cool Blade cast
aside his hauntln sus icions. and pre ured himself
for the work be ad a ready laid out o be done be-
fore his men could arrive. There was more to be
accomplished than he had at first estimated. Since
—-as he believed—Amariah Colby had attempted to
deceive him in the matter of the woman in his
house, 'it was possible that he had done the same
with rreefiard to the search among the men who were
gathe around the fire.
It has been mentioned that Co. lain Cool Blade
was in ignorance of the fact that acques Bouchier
was Jules Beaufort, the faithless member of the
League who was in correspondence with the enemy.
The h he was 'llle head of the Southern division of
the w de-spreodin organization, it chanced that he
had never met Wit 1 Beaufort in person, until aboard
the War Eagle. He had come well recommended by
several trusted members of the Family, and so had
been admitted. This will serve to explain why Cap-
tain Cool Blade was in ignorance of the fact that the
traitor had already been punished.

He threw aside is loug~skirted, lit-fitting black
coat, lest it should lead to his recogn tion, and bound
a handkerchief around his head and part of his face.

thou h he had been in ured in the explosion, then
ad drew nearer t e crowd around the fire.
his h been built a few rods from the river bank,

beneath several large trees. _ f the parties who
kindled it had been interested in the success of the
little drama which was soon to be performed, they
could not have chosen a more convenient stage.

The appearance of the disgluised gambler excited
no remark. Full half of t 6 men were gloomin
brooding over the loss of their dear ones, while the
rest who were more fortunate in that one respect.
hav g no one to care for save themselves, could
think of nothing else ave the terrible tragedy and
their own narrow escape from death.

Though he knew that he was runnin the risk of
discovery and recognition, Captain Coo Blade soon
found out that 1here was no man present by the
name of Beaufort, through cautiously ut (Luestions.
All seemed to agree that Jules Beau ort ad gone
down with the boat.

Then for the first time, the gambler discovered
that his bullets had not proved fatal, but not a
changing muscle told how strong Was hi“ agitation
when the planters. their current of thought turned
by the questions, unconsciously revealed the truth
be had never sus ted—that Jacques Bouchier was
none other than ules Beaufort!

In this they went on to talk about Captain
Cool Blade, little dreammg that their every word

 

. men arrived before the small hours or not. There

Captain 0601 Blade.

 

12

 

was heard by that worthy, who, fearful of betraying
himself by his excitement over the strange dis-
covery, had withdrawn a little from the flrelight.

He earned much aboui" himself then that he had
never even suspected before. If one-half of the
stories were true that were told around the crack-
iln fire them he must havu been a. fiend incarnate.

salted in the shadows cast by one of the great
trees, the subject of all this talk took out a. note-
book and cncil, writing down the name of each
can who at. dcd his mile to the wonderful biography,
2nd op site each name he set a number, greater or
fess as e deemed wise.

Acynical smile curled his lips as he worked on,
making a. mental note of each atrocity related. He
sat quietly until he had written down the names of
an even dozen men, adding descriptions of two
others who were personal strangers to him. Then
he arose and stealthin glided still further away from
the flreliglit, n'iuttering softly:

“Fools! oor, pitiful fools! if you could only know
what tron )19 your nimble tongues are braving for
you, you would have bitten them off for very iite
rather than suffer them to utter those words. on
laugh now, but my turn will come next—and soon!
Hal can it be possible?" he breathed sharply as a
shrill, unearthly sound came from the darkness be-
yon . .

He recognized the cry as that made b the dimin-
utive screech-owl—Ihe signal by which can Ashley
was to announce his coming. And he breathlessly
listened for a repetition of the sound.

 

CHAPTER XVI.
A FRESH ALLY.

WITH bated breath Captain Cool Blade listened for
the expected repetition of the signal cry, even while
he wondered at the extraordinarily fast time Am-
arlah Colby must have made to have returned with
his men so soon. The cry was repeated ere long,
but this time it came from the true-top above his
head, and beyond all doubt was uttered byagen-
nine screech-owl.

“Ishould have known better,” the ca tain mut-
tered inatone of self-reproof. “Colb as barely
had time to reach the rendezvous, an it will take
near-l as long for the boys to reach this spot. An
hour ouger, at the very least.”

Barring his natural anxiety lest the arrival of a.
steamboat from either up or down the river, which
would assuredly be induced to land by the signals of
the wrecked arty, should interfere with his deep-
laid plans be are they could be carried out, Captain
0001 Blade would have cared but little whether his

was one point that troubled him not a little.

The better to play the part assigned him, Amariah
Colb had assumed the role of a religious man, and
all t e men he employed borcagood character in
general, not one of them havin the slightest con-
nection with the Family. By is means, though
the to e of rumor had begun to taint the good
name 0 the swamp magnate, he had escaped any
positive suspicion.

These employees, ei ht in number, had been so
excited and thorough worked up by the thrilling
events of the evening, but they were one and all as
wide awake as if the knew not the meaning of the
word sleep. They dil not mingle with the party of
planters, however but were gathered around a
small fire near the saw-mill,.eagcrly conversing

more. Another short inclination of the grizzled
head gave him to understand that his wish would
be gratified.

Colby suffered in the comparison which Captain
Cool Blade mentally drew bctu ccn him and his wife.
-Of the twain, she would have made by far the better
man.

“ Follow—where there is no risk of our words
being overheard,” he muttered, as the woman stood
before him a few moments later. '

She obeyed in silence, apparently incapable of
feeling surprise at anything e might sa or 0

He led the way around to the rear ol’y the house,

they would be observed by an outsider, while the
nature of the ground was suc
draw near to them without their approach being no-
ticcd in time to avoid all danger.

“We can talk here in erfect safety,” b
tain Cool Blade. " Mar
is no time to waste in useless repetition.
some laudanum in the house?"

The woman nodded abruptly by way of answer.

“ Good! you will get it and give it to me. You
have the key to the grocei ?"

“ No; Amariali carries t at.” terscl .

“ Have on any liquor in the house, then?”

t. A ain t e woman shook her head, this time nega-
ivc .

I“ 'Igiere was a little, but it was all used up on or
given to the in 'ured strangers."

Captain Coo B ade gave vent to an impatient oath.

“ I know a way to get into the store without a.
key if there is any real necessity for so doing.”

‘llihy the devil didn’t you say so before, then?”
angri y.

“ Because you only asked about the key," was the
cool response, and the woman laughed softlly.

“ There is no time to waste in nonsense, tell you
once more. Go get the laudanum and give it to me.
Then fill a gallon jug with whisky, as speedily as
you can. Livel i"

“ Not until I understand a little more clearly what
game you are up to, captain,” was the quiet but
resolute response. “ Or go find my husband. If he
is satisfied to do what you ask, I have nothing more

You have

to sa .”

“ El; is doingl his share of the work now,” said the
captain, smot ering his impatience as well as he
was able. “I have sent him after the boys. This
night’s work will bring us all in a pretty penny, un-
less ou spoil all by your cursed obstinac .”

“ ‘air words, captain. A woman is like a. pigin
one respect: you may_coax, but you can‘t drive her,
against her will. I Will not go blindfold into any
crooked work. I must see my way clearly.”

The very .quietness with which the woman spoke
told Captain Cool Blade that he must humor herif

to accept the situation.

“ Listen, then, and don’t make me waste any more
time. I am one of the passengers who was rescued
from a. watery grave by those noble fellows over b
the saw-mill. have a warm heart and, though
lost nearly_all my money when the ar Eagle ex-
ploded, I Wish to prove to them that I am not alto-
gether ungrateful for the service they rendered me,
among ot ers. I have just money enough to buy a.

allon of whisky,

I do so, and entreat them to
rink my health—”

 

ator-hunter was one of the number.

aptain Cool Blade knew that these honest fel-
lows would be like] to give him trouble in the
carrying out of his p ans, unless he could manage to
dis ose of them in some manner.

' brain was a fertile one, and a plausible scheme
was not long in bcin r concocted. But he needed aid
in carryin it out. Ie was‘Sure of a trusty ally, in
the wife 0 Amarlah Colby, if he could only obtain a.
private interview with her. And tlus he set about
securing at once.

He hastened along until at a point from whence
he could once more look in at the open Window of
Colby’s house. His blood thrilled strangely as he
saw the face that had so deeply interested him on a.
prior occasion. Thc woman was still lying upon
the lounge, but her eyes Wore open, and she appear-
ed to be in full possession of her natural senses.

Fortune favored him still further as he moved
slow] along in order to scan the interior of the room ‘
as f as ible, for he saw that there was only
one oi; or person in the awnient—and that was a
woman, none other than . Colby.

Hlseagcrness to improve the golden opportunit
did not cause him to forget his rudence, and thoug
he rapidl approached the wim ow, he kept as much
as possib e in the shadow. Pausing when only a few
feet distant, he thrust a bended finger into his mouth
and made a peculiar hissing sound which he believed
would answer his purpose.

His glowing gaze was fixed upon the form of the
woman within. Though gaunt and angular, with
harsh and strongly-marked features, his iron-gray
hair looking as though it had been a stranger to
either comb or brush for a week past an angel of
light could not have given more .8 feet satisfac-
tion to the plottin gambler than ' id Mrs. Amariah
Colby as she slow K turned her hard-featured coun-
tenance toward t e open window. For he knew
that she had caught and understood .the Signal. ,
Her nerves were good, for not the faintest start
accompanied the movement, nor was there any .
trace of emotion allowed to show itself through the ‘
blank stolid mask which she could and did assume
at w‘ .

Reason told her that the signal could only have ,
come through the window, and her gage was now
keenly bent in that direction as she, With careless
com ore, moved forward a step or two, thus ren-
dering it impossible for the woman upon the lounge
go see the Window or anything that might pass be

ore it.

Captain Cool Blade allowed nothing to escage
him, and seeing lns chance, stepped close up to t. e
window, making a sw1ft sign with one hand while

together over the explosion and rescue. The big

with the other he momentarily lifted the bandage .

from his face. A slight, barely erce tible nod
from the iron-nervefi woman told tion) t cilia was
recogniz‘ ed and 'in- dug a )eremp. ry oning
motiontoihdicate his wish or a. private interview,
the gambler drew back mto the darkness once

: the

, then there can

‘ to the fire near th

“You mean to poison them?" interrupted the
woman, _

“ By no means—only to ut them to sleep so that
the may not interfere wit our work."

“ at work—tell me all, or I won’t lift a finger
to aid you," uttered Mrs. Colby, positively.

Captain Cool Blade drew closer to her and stifling
the stro temptation he felt to catch her by the
throat an shake the obstinacy out of her, he hur-

.riedly whispered a few sentences into her ear.
3 Whatever the nature of this communication, it ap-
‘ peared to remove all doubts from the womans

mind, and she a eed to do what he required.

“ Only I must able to show that my hands are

‘ clear when the rick is discovered. Iwill et you

‘ laudanum, and then send Parker at r the

whisky. You must man someway to mix in the

drug Iyourself. Or sta. l will empty the laudanum

intot e jug m self—t era is one mthe house—and
no suspicion.”

This was deemed the wisest inn and Captain
Cool Blade blade the woman me c all haste. Her
feminine curios1ty satisfied, she made no further de-
lay. soon emerging frpm the house with a allon jug
in her hand, and calling aloud to Parker, atle him

fill the with whisky' .
“ Thlgiugentleman has id me for it,” she added.
“And ho e on wi help me do justice to the

liquor," cor ' y said the disguised gambler, as
they proceeded toward the store. “It 8 little I am
able to do to prove my gratitude to you and your
mates for saving my life, but, the time may come
when I can show you that I am not an ingrate.”

The jug was soon filled, and allowing Parker to re- r proved. You cannot blame in

tain possessxon of it, Captain Cool Blade led the way
e saw-mill.

“ Gentlemen," he said, 5 eakin in the high treble
which he had assumed w e ad essing Parker, “I
only Wish I could thank you as ou deserve, for all
Iv;ou have done this evening, but 9 good lady of the

ouse yonder has kingl given me your names, and
I will communicate Wit you as soon as I can reach
home. Unluckily I lost all of my money with my
baggage, except enough change to pay for this jug

andall join with me in drinking
quaintance."

This afl’able s ech_ was well received b all save
the one whom ‘aptain Cool Blademost esired to
‘ impress favorabl . Big Jim Adams eyed the dis-

guised gambler eenly, with a vague suspicionof

some
he could not even conjecture. -

“ r (you is manners," he muttered, as the one
uncovers eye of the gambler rested u on his face.

Captain 0001 Blade stretched out his and for the
jug With a pleasant laugh.

‘ I am never baz'kwaul in comin forward on such
an occasion. Your healths, gen men! May you
hvea thousand ems, and never commit a. Worse
crime than you ve this evening, in ' your
_lives to save those of others—myself among the

to our better ac-

he expected to obtain her aid. He was wise enough '

wron thou hwhatthat somet ' was ;
g’ g lung ' i had been one of the reigning belles

He was not kept long in waiting, and Amariah i

I
l

, in less than
plausng midway between that and the small barn. ,‘
ere the gloom was such that it was far from likcly ’

that no one could ‘

an Cap- ‘,
my words well, or there ‘

 

‘ to take his place.

i

r voice was strangely soft and tender as he at

l

l
l
l

i

, and the equal of stout men. The

j their ancestors an

‘ an its contents. I hope and begthat you will one I not countin in

number. May Heaven reward you as you so richly
deserve l"

He liltcd tho ju}: across his arm and to all appear-
one“ drunk licartily. This, with the earnest manner
in \lllicll he spoke, disarmed the suspicions of even
Jim Adams, and the Jug was passed around. the
circle, each man doing ample justice to the toast of
the disguised gambler.

Not once but thrice the jug made its circuit, and
0:11 paused then because it was emptied.

rs. Colby had not stinted the dose of laudanum,
and the drugvspeedily took effect. The gambler was
the first to yield, the alligator~hunter the last, but
alf an hour from first tasting the liquor,

he was soundly sleeping.

No sooner was Captain Cool Blade convinced of
this fact, than he cautiously arose to his feet and
left the Circle of flrelight, triumph written upon his
features. So far his plans had worked admirably;
if the rest would do—

At that moment the cry of the screech-owl came
to his ears.

 

CHAPTER XVII.
A BEAUTIFUL AMAZON.

A Low, vindictive laugh parted the lips of Ca tain
Cool Blade, as, after a few moments of breat less
listening, the c of the screech-owl was repeated,
from the same ocation. He knew, without waiti
for the second repetition, that the sound found birt
in no feathered throat, admirable as the imitation

was.
“ Good! the worst part of the work is done," he
muttered with a final glance toward the drugged
men. “ "hose dullards will not wake of their own
accord before noon to-morrow. There's nothing
more to be felareiilf £3211; hthemrfiasnd I forttlilue will not
wear mourning 0 er 0 ya 800 mg sti-u
proves strong enough to kee their e as coseg
until the crack of doom. The. infern alli stor-
hunter has been rowing far too inquisitive or his
own good. For lit is I‘d—"
The sentence died swagv in an ugly mutter, as the
ambler frowned upon I; e unconscious giant. The
' d cry of the night-bird warned Ca tain Cool
Blade that time was passin fa and that hehad
more im ortant business on and ban mathematic-
inifiBiE un Adams. I
e 'new that a certain amount of time mustbe
consumed in cart mg out the bold plan he had
formed, and was so aware that a steamboat mi ht
make its appearance at almost an moment, w ch
would almostassuredly be fatal to is hopes.
.Passing rapidly along he soon reached the line of
timber and under rowth from whence the signal
cry had emanate only pausing to utter a ow.
guarded whistle. He was speedly confronted by I.
slender, lithe figure whom he at first mistook for
Dean Ashley, in the bafiling shadows.
“ You are here in good time, Dean. There's big
peg in this night’s work—”
soft, muSical voice interru ted him.
“ Dean was unable to come, enry, but I am here
Give me your orders, and they

. shall be carried out to the very letter, never fear."

Ca tain Cool Blade breathed an oath of mi led
vexa ion and surprise. It was plain to be seen at
he was not pleased at the substitution though his

enzth
made a reply:

“It is you, Hortense? You should not have come.
though, of course I_ am glad to see ou—or would be
under any other circumstances. here is Dean—-
and what has happened to him? Nothing serious, I
ho 7" and there was a. cadence of genuine anxiety
in he man’s voice as he spoke.

“More shame and humiliation than aught else, I
dare sa ," was the prompt and slightly contem tu—
ous rep y. “He came k from this lace, Mt
evening, in a sorry ickle. He would tell‘me noth-
inlig, but Aimed-lab olby told me all as we come
a ong—an
from him, thong I_ don’t see how he was to lame."

“Come to the omtl" impatientl uttered Captain
Cool Blade. “ athappened? w ohurt him? '

“He had a. fist—fight with young Clark, Ibelieve,
and was soundly thrashed. A narrel over Colby’s
daughter, if I understood the 013 man night. He is
not much hurt. A week, and he will be as sound as
ever, I have no doubt. Still, he was in a. hi h fever,
and unable to answer your call. Colby sa dlt was
ur cut, and so I led the men here."

You should have left it with Stephens—"

f‘He was awa —a.nd all but six of the men were
With him," was 6 prompt rosponsa.

A fierce imprecation esca the adventurer.

“Then we are dishedl x men a ainst twenty!
What the devil took Stephens at at t is moment, of
all others? Who ave him permission?"

“ I suppose he t oug t none was necessary. You
left him in common. , under Ashley. Dean was
never at his post. His time was all spent here, run-
ning after Donnda. Colby. Word came from up
country of a. good stroke in our line, and Stephen:
was not the man to let the o portunity pass unim-

, , in justice, since he
was workin for the good of all.’

“ No—an yet his services here, to-night, would be
worth fifty times what he will earn on his entire
trip. A. ‘ Cher haul—a, finer plan—by the rod of
Moses! its enough to make a man curse the devil
that puts such a glorious chance before his eyes,
only 0 deny him the grivilege of im ro itl‘
growled Captain 0001 lade, grating s tee and

reathing heavily.
“ 0d men; you and I make eight,
olby, who will be e nal to at least
two, in his esire to propitiatc you. t must be an
unusually heav piece of work that we cannot man-
age,” quietly u tered Hortense. .
It was noidle boast, her counting herself among
‘ _ _ past had proven
théiltl beyond the possibility of a. dogibt.
e was a creo e an once, no many ears ago,
and the mos
Her parents

We have six

popular toast of the Crescent City.

‘ were very wealthghand highly connected, groud of
ortense

aughty to a degree.

was an 0 child and pampered as on] such
! cuts can gt and indulge a. favorite dang ter. oth-

ing was too good or costly for her, and thousands
were gladly spent to gratify any whim she might
form. But the time came when they were forced,
by their pride and almost idolatroul love for“

ed me to avert your dis leasure ‘

(on,

,9“

. was not one to lightly abandon

Captain Cool Blade.

13

 

 

 

 

tense, in cross the first ardent, genuine lon ng she
had ever experienced. That was her mad ove for
the dashing adventurer whom the public knew only
as Captain 0001 Blade. _

It was a case of love at first sight With them both.
To do the gambler ustice, he never once gave her

ros ective riches a t ou ht. For the first—despite
llis ormer marriage—an last time in .1113 life he
realized what it was to love with his entn'e soul and
bei . And so it was with the _assmnate creole.
She new that he was a man who ived by his wits——
who was a professional gambler, and generally be—
lieved to be even worse than that—but that made
no diflerence in her feelings. She loved, and was
beloved in turn. That was enough—until her alarm—
ed parents attempted to reason her out of her mad
fancy, and even went so far as to place her in tem-
porary confin .-ment.

That same ’ ht she escaped from her chamber,
through the win ow and sought out Captain Cool
Blade. She found hlm at the gambling tables, and
unlieedin r the amazement of t 10 spectators, many
of whom ew her by sight, a few even more inti-
matel , she drew the. adventurer aside and told him
all. or were her words wasted upon one who was
unable to a preciate the enormous sacrifice she was
making. e gent majority of men would have
hesitated, have ecu 001 use by such a responsibil-
ity thrust uion them so unexpectedly, but not so
Ca tain Coo Blade.

e drew her hand through his arm and led her
down-stabs and out into the open air. Entering a
carriage, they were driven to the house of a minister,
and there made man and wife.

The stormy days which followed, can find no
record here. Enough that the half-crazed arents
and other relatives did all they could to ta 'e IIor-
tense from her husband, but they failed. There
were several street encounters, in which the usual
good fortune of the gambler stood b him, and
once he would have een assassmate as he en-~
tered his hotel with Hortense, only for her devotion
and steady hand. She received the knife that was
meant for his heart, in her own arm and the next
instant shot the assassin dead, though he was her
own cousin.

More than once since then she had stood between
him and almost certain death, and at other times
lent him her aid in carrying out his bold and daring
schemes. _ .

Unlike the enerality of his class Captain Cool
Blade was no fickle and it was we for him that
such was the case. There had always been a spice
of the ti ress in the young creole‘s composition,
and this had stre thened with the Wild, exciting
life she led since t ey joined their fortunes. Her
love was too fiery to be shared With another, and

eat as was her passion for him, Captain Cool

lade knew that she Would drive her dagger through
his heart without flinchin , if ever 6 gave her
cause to suspect his fldel'i y. This he had never
done, never would do. His love for her was almost
the only redeeming trait of his character, and it

,seemed to grow stronger, purer, with each passing

that .

'Fbough greatly annoyedby this unlocked-for weak-

ness in he force he had sent fo Captain 0001 Blade

ll project once form-
ed. He stood for a few moments in deep thought,
then flung back his head with an air of resolute de-
cision that Hortense readily interpreted.

"The stake is too bi for me to throw u ) my
hand, even if it is less s ro than I calculate ," he
said, with a short, sharp ugh. “We‘ll try if a
little bold blufllng wonlt carry off the pot. Where
are the boys 1’" . u _

“ A few rods over onder. Comeh said Hortense,

He followed her sad and was quickly amon the
men. Though Stephens had culled the best 0 the
lot, the captain knew that he could trust those be-
fore him, and he began to feel more confident of
succ .

In ezsfeiv, well-chosen words. he told them the na-
ture of the work on hand, ad ; .

“It looks harder than it_ r ly is, and if we all
' lay our parts well. there Will be ittle or no trouble.

don‘t su pose there is a pistol among the fellows
over-yon or that would explode, even if they were
tobe tried, which is by no means likely, if you an
play your part well.‘ The pay will be more than
worth the risk. 1 Will guarantee each one of you
five hundred dollars for your share of the work, and
it ma amount to ten times as much.

“ Listen, now, and rgakfe sure that you fully under.
8 nd what is re uire 0 you.

n‘“ You are to cigeep u ) as near the edge of the fire.
light as you can, wit out beiu r discovered. You
must remove your boots. When call upon you the
one whom I am facing most nearly, will answer by a,
short whistle, then move around t is cu‘clc as Silently
as possible, in the same way in which I turn, utter-
ing a whistle at every step, until he reaches the next
man who will pursue the same tactics until the. sig-
nal has passed entirely around. If you are careful,
and do your work well these fine fellows over
yonder will behave that they are surrounded by full

fifty men.- _ _
‘ Colby will get a coxl of small rope and cut it up
in nieces about three feet long. Brown and James
will take cha e of these, and after the round has
been made w' hold themselves in readiness to use
than as the occasion may require.

“This is all I need say at present, for much will
have to depend upon circumstances. Colby, you
can procure the rope.”

The man addressed gave an ea or assent, and at
once started 03 tower the store, w 116 the other men
began removiii their boots and looking to their
weapons with afi the deliberation of men who were
well used to such events. Hortense gently touched
the captain on the shoulder, and as he turned
toward her, 5 nod for him to follow her.

“Your P1811 agood one, save in one respect,"
she said, as soon asthey were beyond earshot of the
men. “some one among these planters would cer—
tainly recognize ou, and make you trouble here-
after. Theydwo (1 again and all join together in
him ‘ you own, an ow you no mercy.

“Whom that was why I was rovoked when I
found you in place of Ashley. meant that he
should play the part I am forced to take now. It
over, he could keep shad until the worst of the
storm blew over, which cannot 'l ). There are

complications forming in the Family that I alone 1 sensible and quietly submit

 

can arrange satisfactoril , and to do so, I must work
night and day. It is un ’ortunate, but it cannot be
he d. I must run the risk."

“ 0, you need nob—you shall not, while I am here
to take your place," earnestly cried Hortense. “I
can do the work required as well as Dean Ashley
could. Nay. I will hear no ruinoustmucc, I-Ieiiry.
You owe a duty to the Family that you must pity.
In order to do it, you must be free and unincumbered.
To face those men openly, would be ruin to your
plans. You must let me take your place."

“ If I helluvcd there would be any d-angcr—"

“ There will not be; and even if any should threat-
en. would you not be close at hand to prevent it?
Let me have my own way in this, Henry,” she
fiddcd', coaxingly. “Believe me it is all for the

est.

The on tain said no more. He saw that Hortense
was reso ved on carrying her point, and time was
too valuable to be waste . In a few words he com-
municated the chance to the men. and accompanied
them to the scene of, their future action.

Havin placed them to his liking, unsuspected by
any of t e lantcrs who were seated around the fire,
he returne( to where Hortense was awaiting him.

He found her with a close-flttin mask of black
velvet over her face. This she l' ted long enough
to press her ll 5 to his for a moment, then said:

‘ Go now. feel quite safe, so long as you are
standing guard over me."

He bore her company to near the circle of light,
then they parted. With a light, sprin y step she
glided forward and stood revealed in t e fire-glow,
01"111 :

‘y‘ G5 ~d-evening, gentlemen!

I hope I don’t in-
trudel“

 

CHAPTER XVIII.
A DECIDEDLY COOL rnocnsnmc.

THE salutation was all very well, and taken by
themselves, no possible objections could have been
attached to the words. But when spoken through a
narrow slit in a black mask, by—to all seeming—a
young man who held in each hand a cocked and
leveled revolver the muzzles of which were gradu-
ally shifted until each man around the fire found
himself covered in turn, then the softly polite salu-
tation became a ghastly mockery.

Never were men taken more thoroughly by sur-
prise, and for a few moments they stared in open-
mouthed amazement at the speaker. It might be
only a joke, but if so it was a very foolish and un-
timely one. Yet—Iie did not have the appearance of
one who was carrying out an idle iiest.

A soft felt hat was upon the b0 (1 intruder’s head,
the broad brim pushed up and back from his brow—
for that the seeming man was in reality a woman,
not one of the planters even sus ected. J cit black
ringlets fell to the shoulder an over the col at of a
black cloak which, confined at the throat While its
folds were cast back beyond the extended arms, in
a degree prevented the actual outhue of the intruder
from being noted. Black from crown to sole, save
for the small hands and throat that shone in daz-
zling contrast. -

This much the startled lunters saw, but they
were not given time to ma e any closer scrutiny.
Clear and shar as the notes of a bell the black
mask spoke rig in _

“You are rather backwaid in responding to my
salutation, gentlemen, but I am quite willing to dis-
pense with ceremony. as a prelude, 'let me tell you
that I never miss my aim, or waste two bullets on
one target—that I hold the hves of one-half your
number at m finger-ends—and that the man who
attempts to raw a weapon or arise from his seat
without first obtaining my permission, will die with
his boots on, or there’s no virtue in powder and
lead.

“Drop that nonsense," sternly cried one of the
planters, but despite the manner of his speech, he
made no effort to arise or inoveahand toward a
wee. on. “ We are not in the humor for any such
foolish mummcry, just now.”

“I am glad to hearglou so so, Walter Campbell,
for then you will not e so d flicult to convince that
I mean pure business. But let us start right.

“You are surrounded by more than two score
men, who are lying just beyond the circle of light
cast out by your fire. Every man of you is covered
by at least one revolver. single word from my
lips—one geture with my hand or a nod of my head
in command, would be your death-signal. Does this
sound like an idle jest? Listen 1”

As she uttered these words, Hortense gave the
signal formerly agreed upon, and from directly in
front of her, a short, sharp whistle came from out of
the darkness, taken up a pace to the left, and re-
peated until the echo ran completely around the
circle. And so admirably were he precautions ub-
scrved that not one amonflthe ~arty ol’ planters
even suspected that each wlnstle (id not represent
a so arate and distinct enemy.

“ have given you this proof gentlemen, of the
correctness of my words. not by wa' of an idle
threat, but simply to convince you hat you are
wholly in my power. I know there are some brave
men among you, and I should deepl regret being
obliged to utter their death-warren . The worst
use you can put a man to is to kill him, and then it
makes such a disagreeable meSsl"

" You are wonderfully consrderate, Mr.—”

“You may call me the eutleman in black, for
lack of amore distinctive tit e,” laughed Hortense.

“A blood relation of his, I have, no doubt," re-
torted Camplbell, the man who fitted the noose
around the t
hours previously.
want anyhow?" _

“ Blunt and to the poml-I" laughed the black
mask. “ To be equally plain, I want money. I am
a special tax-gathered and am making my rounds."

‘ You ill'e wasting your time on a fool’s errand,
then. Our money Went down with the War Eagle.
Go collect it from the fishes l” _

“Man thanks, but i prefer followmg a drier
course 11 that. Have atience, and I will show
you how we can draw bloo out of a turni .”

Hortense uttered a. sharp whistle. and rown and
James the two men designated by Captain Cool
Blade *or that duty, udvanc ed toward her.

"Rniicuiber, gentlemen, and you. Mr. Campbell,

"‘v lat the foul fiend do you

rest of Ca italn Cool Blade, some ten I lVIV h d
. e a

 

in particular, the warning I gaiquu. .Iélylou are
0‘ e mevx a, you.

will not be banned nor ill treated in the slightest
degree. But true as there is heat in that first an“
attempt at resistance on your llll't‘ will result in
your instant deaih. I am in den y earnest. I have
set out to accomplish it certain object, and accom-
pliin it 1 will, even ill. the cost of twenty lives. This
warning is uttered solely for your own good. Neg~
Ectdit, and the consequences must rest on your

so .

“Walter Campbell, your name stands first upon
my list of delin uent tax-payers. Bearin my warn-
ing in mind, um remembering that the faintest stub-
bornness upon your part Will result in a bullet
through your brain, you will please advance and
surrender yourself to my two deputies, here."

The man addressed rose promptly to his feet. He
could not doubt the earnestness with which the
black mask had spoken. Though as brave a man as
ever lived, be was not reckless enough to throw
away his life without seeing a chance of striking a
return blow.

“.If I submit, sir blackmnoor, it is onl that I hope
to live long enough to hold another ingerview with

on,” he said, coolly, as he passed over to where
be two outlaws stood.

“May your wish he gratified—when my funds
have again run low," with a taunting laugh. “Take
him away, but treat him respectfully. If a delin-
quent, he is still a hold one."

Brown and James each took an arm of the unre-
sistin planter, and marched him away from the fire
into t 1e gloom beyond.

Captain 0001 Blade had been anxiously watchin
the pro ress of ihc little drama he had improviseifi
his rcvo ver cooked and held in readiness for instant
use in case any dab or should threaten his wife.
His chief cause of oubt was this same Walter
Campbell. He knew that the lantei' was absolutely
devoid of personal fear, coo and quickwitted, a.
dangerous adversary for any man. He hardly dared
hope that his capture would be effected without
bloodshed, and he could scarcely realize the fact
when he saw Campb ll yield himself so quietly to
the grasp of the two outl ws.

He was still sus . icious as he hastened around to
the point where t e lengths of rope had been left,
and toward which the outlaws were lending their
captive, and be summoned two more of his men to
accompany him, giving them their orders in a low.
hasty whis er.

They eac secured a couple of the bits of rope,
and when they were joined by Brown and Jones
With Campbell the former was hidden to return,
while Jones and the two other men were to take care
of the prisoner.

' As it proved, these precautions were unnecessary
for Campbell made not the slightest resistance, but
knowing the fem-less character of the man so well,

Captain 0001 Blade thought it best to be on the safe
side. He was playing an extremely hazardous

sine, considering t e heavy odds there was against

im, and none knew better than be how a t a. small
spark is to kindle a great fire—that if a s ngle blow
was struck by the enemy bloodshed must certainly
follow. In that case, t e weakness of his force
would be apt to be icvealed, when, not only would
his carefully formed plans be ruined but only extra~
ordinarily good luck could ave him and his from
death or captivity.

' The three men hurried Walter Cam bell into the
line of timber.where the ' had left the 1' horses. and
there two of them held iim firm] r, while the third
bound him hand and foot with e pieces of rope
brought along for that urpose. This accomplished
to their liking, one of t e trio 5 uatted down beside
the bound planter, with a gent e hint that at the
first sound from his lips he would have to “chew
lief: ," while the other twain hastened back to tho

Hortense was taking matters coolly while the
outlaws were occupied with Walter Campbell.
Though not knowing at what minute their plain.
might be ruined byt e sounds of an approaching
steamboat, she knew that only one man could bl‘
secured at a time as it was necessary several of the
outlaws should be occupied in giving seemihgb‘
unintentional signs and evidences of their presence
around the circle, lcst the planters should suspect
the truth and grow troublesome.

She had a ready flow of words, and reco izin '
several among the party, she amused horse and
kept them in a state of wondering suspense by her
more or less veiled hints at rominent events in their
East career until more t an one of the planters

elf-doubted whether she was not actually the “gen—
tleman in black." But after Campbell was secured,
the work proceeded with more I'll lidity.

0ne_by one the names upon t e list prepared by
Captain Cool Blade were read off, and t e men who
answered to them, led away in the darkness to be
secured as the otbcis had been. As those whom be
deemed the most dangerous had been put down
first, and the larger progomion of them being made

I'lsoxlel‘s Without an istnrbance or trouble, Cap

am Cool Blade gave ortense asignal to hasten the

end. This was done by sending out the captives
guarded each by two n en, as before, but instead of
waiting for the return of the guards, another lplan-
ter was sent out under charge of a second deta'

All went off smoothly 11!) ll Hortense had callrd
forth the twelve named men, leaving only two others
upon the list whom she roadig recognized by the
description w ch Captain Cool lade had agpcnded.

The first of these was a young man. tall, ark and
handsome, who had been one o the foremost in the

. frustrated atfipt to WHO}! the gambler aboard the

m- 13, m the first appearance of Hortense,
en closely observing her. What conch;
sions he arrived .at, can only be surmised.

orant of his name. Hortense indicated him b
the bat he wore, and requested him to arise and 

vance.

Such unbroken success had rendered hcralittlc
careless, and she did not notice the fact that as the

0 ’man slewly arose, one hand was slipped be
find in. But Coy rain Cool Blade was never ctr
his guard a moment, and the significant action did
not escape his watchful eye.

The young man advanced several paces thtl.‘
made a sWift bound and ulighted within arm‘s len in
of the led woman, his intention doubtless e-
},n ta) hold hel‘ life ushis ransom; but in this be we:

01 c .
The revolver of the captain rose :c u. lcvel am

.mo. immcmtflvryxk_ .

- nun. .~ g 1:». w..->.-.=;;zz~;.

EL

with a nick, steady aim, was discharged. Without
:hsognai tlhe man fell to the ground, shot through
e r n

 

 

CHAPTER XIX.
SURROUN"ED av DEATH.

Warm the ill-fated War Eagle ran u on the so
(tn-.1 burst her boiler, the lovers, Marie eaufort an
l’crc Talfourd, were still upon the hurricane'deck.
The, atter could not bring himself to relin uish the
hopes he had formed of a speedy union, an as they
{lowly paced arm in arm along the tarred and
I we -covered lengt he plead his cause more ar-
(1;: :t1 than at first. t was an une ual contest, for
poor arle had to do battle with her ove and strong
Inclination to ield to the sweet ersuasion of the
being whom s e loved above all t ngs earthly, be-
sides but before she was reduced to the last ex-
tremity the accident occurred, and the steamer was
wz‘cc e .

Thanks to their position, on deck and near the
stern of the vessel at the moment of explosion, the
,\ mg couple were almost the first ones hrown into
thc water, and thus wholly escaped the volumes of
terrible steam that almost instantly flooded the en-
tire wreck, adding one more horror to the sickening
scene of death and devastation.

Taken com letely by surprise, and cast headlon
from such 9. gm, the lovers were torn a art an
struck the water separately, both sinking eep be-
neath the surface. 11 one sense this was fortunate,
since they thus escaped any serious injury from the
falling deb/is that pounded the muddy waters into
spray.

Though a strong and practiced swimmer, Percy

'l‘alfourd was almost suffocated when he came to
the surface of the water after that involuntary dive.
He had struck the water almost flat upon his
stomach, and the heavy shock nearly drove the
breath of life out of his bod . Only the instinctive
knowledge that if he failed er, his loved one must
die, kept him from succumbing at once to the horri-
bllle titausca that assailed him from that sickening
s oc .
Dashing the dripping hair from his eves, be cast a.
wildl mixious gance around him. he stern of
the ar Eagle was ust sinking—the forward half,
\‘rci hted down by he engines and hu 9 smoke-
stac 3 had already disa cared beneath t e surface.
The river was strewn t ckly with fr cuts of the
wreck, with barrels, casks, bales of cot n and other
portions of the boat‘s lading. Men women_and
children were struggling desperately for their hves;
but nowhere could the agonized lover distinguish the
one who was all in all to him.

The gathering gloom was against him as he swam
desperately to and fro, and more than once he was
deceived by a fancied resemblance, only to turn
aside and resume his killing search, with sickening
despair compressing his heart more and more tight-
ly with each moment of unavailing exertion.

But then he was rewarded. He heard a faint cry
Lf terror, and instantly recognized the voice of
Marie Bzaufort coming from the gloom directly
ahead of him. He saw her form clinging to one end
of a cotton—bale—saw that a man was striving to
tear her hold away, in his insane terror not realiz-
ing that the support would be sufiicient to save them
both from drowning.

The young lanter fairly shot thro h.the water
and reache e terror-stricken wrote Just as he
had succeeded in pushing the maiden away from the
float. It was a fatal action for him. As Percy
Talfourd realized what had occurred, his outstretch-
ed hand struck against and instinctive] closed upon
a short, heavy splinter of wood. en, without
pausing to utter a word or to calculate the conse-
quence, be dealt the cowardly wretch a terrific blow
over the head with the piece of timber, throwing'all
the power of his nervous arm into the blow. ith
a gasping gurgling groan the man flung up his arms
and sunk beneath the s ace.

Percy Talfourd did not ause to note the result of
his averaging stroke, but ooked eager” around for
his betrothed. He fancied he caught aghmpse of
her uplifted arms as she disappeared amid the agi-
tated waters and with awild c he swam in that
direction. His foot was brushe by some obJect as
he trod water in order to glance around him, and
turning nimbly over, he dove into the muddy de ths.

Provxdence guided him and his arms c osed
around a feminine form that heinstinctiveiy knew
was that of Marie Beaufort. Quickly rlsin tothe
surface, the young planter raised the hea of the
maiden above water, but the eager look that told
him he had found his loved one, also told him her
senses had fled. ‘ _

He had drawn heavxly upon his wars though in
the water for but a comparatively nef time, and in
addition he began to feel the eflects of his fall from
the hu rricstne-deck of the War Eagle.

He fought stoutly against his rapidly growing
weakness and nausea but it was fortunate for hot
himself and helpless burden that they had drifted
but a few feet from the floating cot ton-bale that had
already cost one human life.

He managed to reach this, and with his handker-
chief to fasten Mario to the ropes which crossed the
top, by her hands. Then he assed around tothe
opposite side and kept the ha. e from being turned
over by the dead weight of the maiden, and obtain-
infia much needed so port for hlmself.

e felt himself rapi y weakening with a strange,
deathly sickness, and instinctively thrust his left
hand to the wrist under one of t the roples. Then his
senses fled and the lovers hu to t ecotton-bale
as it steadily and rapidly floa down the river, all
unconscious of the fact that there were stro.
bands and bold hearts within call, ready to risk 1 e
for life. But they were unseen in the deepe
gloom, though more than once the long oars of the
swiftly movm skiffs almost cast drops of water
from their b es upon those two 11 turned faces. ‘

And then as no answering soun came to their
oft-re ted shouts. the rescuers abandoned the

and the lovers, both apparently dead, floated
silently down with the smft current.

How lo he remained in this state of uncon-
sciousness, ercy Talfourd never knew, but he was
not long in realizing1 . ‘ . occurred, and the
imminent peril of t eir Situation after thefirstray

 

 

of dawning recollection penetrated the darkness
that had enshrouded his brain.
He called aloud to Marie, but without any answer. 5

Captain Cool Blade.

 

With a horrible fear in his heart, he tore his left
hand from under the rope. It fell into the water as
helpless as though petrified, but he heeded not that.
He assed around the cotton-bale, and found that
Mario Beaufort was still in the same position, sus-
pended by her hands but either dead or uncou-
scious—«he feared the ormer.

He straightened 11 her painfully drooping head,
and hoping against 0 e, used every means in his
power 0 restore her 0 life and sensibility. For
what seemed an age, but was in reality onl a. few
minutes, his utmost efforts were in vain. at then
a faint, spasmodic sigh rewarded him, and a cry of
flay, that was painful in its ecstasy, broke from his

ps.

The sound of his voice more than anything else,
dissipated the maiden‘s stupor, and ere long Percy
made her comprehend what had happened.

“We must get out of the water as soon as pos-
sible," he ad ed, making an important discovery
even as he spoke. “The current has drifted us
closer to the shore, and if you will be a brave little
woman, and trust to me, we will soon be upon dry
land again."

Though the surface of the water around them was
black as ink, and the lovers could hardly distinguish
the outlines of each other though side by side, Tal-
fourd could make out the line of treetops on the
right bank of the stream showing darkly against
the less opaque sky beyond wherever occurred a rift
in the masses of storm- lou s.

The black line seemed almost overhead and he
knew that the river bank could be onl a few rods
distant, at most. There was a bend in t e river and
the change of the current, which followed the deep-
est channel, had carried them thus near. But the
blind attem t must be made at once, otherwise the
would run t e risk of being carried out into the mi -
die of the stream again.

Marie uttered not a word of doubt or lemon-
strance, though she trembled like a, leaf in every
fiber as her lover released her hands and bade her
hold firmly on the collar of his coat. She knew that
he was domg all for the best, but it seemed to her
like voluntary suicide to abandon the cotton-bale
that had (preserved their lives so long. But Percy
Talfourd id not hesitate. Though feeling far from
well or possessed of his usual strength, he struck
out into the in blackness, sup rting his precious
burden, swimm ng low and ste ' y in order to have
a reserve of strength in case an unforeseen emerg-
ency should arise.

It was well that the distance was short, else,
weighed down by his boots and clothes, the young

lanter would never have made the shore, still less
633? surmounted the difficulties that then confront-

1m.

The bank was unexpectedly high, and perpendicu-
lar as the wall of a house, while the current ran
swiftly at its base. He failed to find a foothold, for
the water was over his head, and once when his
fingers closed up‘on a pendent root, the heavy strain
u on it caused t e unstable earth around it to crum-
b e and fall all around them.

Fearful of beinghgufied beneath the caving bank,
Talfourd relaxed ‘ gras and allowed the root to
sli through his fingers. or an instant he felt des-

a ring but then came a violent shock, and he

ound their rapid progress abruptly checked.

Like a drowning man grasping at the roverbial
straw, he flung one arm around t e obstac 6 against
which the current had driven them, and a faint cry
of thankfulness broke from his lips as he divined
the truth. A huge tree had fallen artly into the
water, its roots and the eater po ion of its trunk
remaini on land, while ts top was firmly fixed in
the river ottom.

A few words made Marie comprehend what was
expected of her, and trusting wholly in the man she
loved, she followed his directions without a word.

Placing her arm over his shoulders in such a man-
ner as to leave his arms unhampered, the maiden
was thus brought directly behind him. Ashe started
to climb up the large limb, she was raised from the
water upon his back. Thus, inch by inch he worked
his way upward, nor was the feat ulte so difficult as
may be imagined, for, thou h a ' dead-wood," the
tree-trunk and branches st retained the rough
bar thus obviating the danger of slipping back.

St' 1, it was all that the young planter could do, nor
was the mental strain less exhausting to the maiden.
And when the land was at last reached they both
sunk down helpless, and lay in a stupor that closely
resembled death, for man minutes.

The heard not the w istle of an ap roaching
steamboat, an hour later, nor did they 5 ir as the
boa, passed them by, her crew all afoot, her huge
firecrates making the surface of the river clear as
the noonday sun.

A sin that whistle, and Talfourd roused up, all too
late The boat had passed them _by, and though he
shouted aloud at the top of his voxce only the heavy
puffing of the ‘scape-pipe answered him back.

CHAPTER XX.
uosr moan“ FLEECED.

Dunn, sudden and all unexpected is awesome
to even those most hardened by a wil and reckless
course of living, nor was the present case an excep-
tion to the general rule. Had the dark-faced
stranger succeeded in his bold reckless attempt,
there is little doubt but what the spell would have
been broken, and the tables quickly turned upon the
outlaws by the planters. But when the pistol ex-

loded from out the darkness, and the young man

ell to the ground a lifeless corpse, a few dro of

black blood distilling from the small round ho e in
his forehead, the planters moved not a hmb unless
it mi ht be m trembling, lest the same dread and
sp y doom should overtake them. The one stern
lesson proved all-sufficient.

Hortense alone seemed wholly unmoved by the
tragedy, though she knew the. she had escaped
death as by a miracle. Instead, a. low, pleasant
laugh parted her lips, and she uttered:

“ owns a bold follow, but a fool, for all that.
Had he aid heed to my warning, he would still
be alive, teed of a senseless bit of carnon. You
can take the warning unto yourselves ge tlemen.
Be sensible and your lives are safe; but the next
man who hesitates to obey my orders, or who dares
to raise a hand t me or mine, shall share the
fat - of this headstrong fellow."

There was only one more nun down upon her list,

 

 

and as she called to him, he arose and put himself
under charge of the two out-laws without a moment's
hesnatlon. Hortense smiled ironically as she
noticed thisalacrity, but made no remark.

A low whistle came from the darkness behind her,
and she nodded her head in understandin . Ca ~
tain Cool Blade was in a burr to com lete t e tas —,
and be off with his rizes begore anyt ' g could in-
terfere to spoil his ans.

“Gentlemen, as mentioned at first, we are tax-
gathers, and have been simply performing our duty

n bringing these delinquent tax-payers to book. I
have arrested all whose names are put down in my
hst, though I doubt not that the great majority of
you are equally guilty with those whom justice has
at length overta en. 1 don’t blame you, either. It
Is no crime or disgrace to cheat the government out
of its dues, unless you get caught in the not

“But let that ass. As tax-payers you are free,
for the resent ut I have the honor to be the trea-
surer o . the ‘ agnanimous Society for Furnishln
the Benl hted Hottentots with Red Flannel PettE
coats an Silver-plated Tooth- icks,‘ and on their
behalf I make a Eiteous a pee. , which I am uite
sure you will not s ght. A treasurers love a c eer-
ful giver—and I am no exception to the general rule.
Deacons Jones and Smithers will please pass around
the plate, taking care to slight no person, but giving
the'generous brethren an opportunity to contribute
their mite toward the glorious cause—chem l"

Hortense was speaking against time her object
being to occup t e enemy's mind and keep them
from thoughts hat might be dangerous. But now
she knew that all was in readiness for the second
act of the little melodrama, and uttered the words
that called forth two of the outlaws from the dark-
ness.

“ ember, gentlemen," she said with a signifi-
cant intonation that defled misinterpretation, “if
any one in his eagerness to contribute to the cause
of which I am the humble advocate should create
an disturbance or confusion, he will be called to
or er in the same manner as was your friend who
lies at my feet. A word to the wisel"

The warning was an unnecessa waste of words.
however. 'The lanters had rece ved a lesson they
were not likely .o for et in a. hurry, and submitted
to the ministrations o the rough outlaws as meekly
as so many lambs. It was equally evident that the
“ deacons " had “ passed around the hat" on m0re
than one previous occa sion,else they could never have
attained heir present proficienc . Each pounced
upon a victim, and in an incredibly short of
time “ went through ” his clothes, handing t e vari-
ous articles when found to Hortense, and then,
when their victims were thoroughly fieeced. forcing
them to assume a recumbent position. Close upon
their heels followed two other men bearing leu ha
of small but stout ro , with which they boun the
luckiess fellows ban and foot, finally inserting a
corn-cob between each Ipair of jaws, binding the un-
savory gag in place w th 9. handkerchief or other
parts of the victim’s own apparel.

Hortense secured the various sums of money
found, together with the watches, rings and other
articles of jewelry upon her own person, casting
the wee. ons as far into the river as her arm coul
throw t iem.

At length the enforced contributions were all col-
lected and the men lay around the fire like the
radia ng s okes of a mighty wheel. Then Hortense
addressed hem with mocking politeness: "

“A thousand thanks for your generosity Ime-
men! Your names shall be forever honor y and
remembered in the prayers of scores of the be-
n hted Hottentots whom your liberal donations

have made happy and comfortable. And your
names shallbe recorded in the columns of the So-
fiety’s Organ as an example for all otheis to fol-
ow

“Now, one Parting word. We have taken these
little precaut ons to save on from future trouble.
If you lie here quietlgounti da -dawn, you sh
released trom your ads, wit out any further in-
ury. But if you are contrary—if you attempt el-
herto release yourselves or one another or make
the faintest onto —that will be the signal for your
death. There w 1 be six men left on watch, with
strict orders to shoot down the refractory-men
who have no thought beyond the obeying my com-
mands. Unless you are weary of life, you will do
well to bear this warnin in mind. Show ourselves
true philosophers. Go sleep and wai for rosy-
flngered Aurora to give the signal for your freedom.
Un ll our next meeting, entlemen, farewell i"

In the meantime Capta 11 Cool Blade had not been
idle. Until he was convinced that the one stern
lesson was quite sufficient to overawe the planters,
he stood guard over his idolized wife, revolver in
hand; but when he saw that this was a needless
waste of time, he made his preparations for striking
one more blow for revenge.

He silently passed around to where Axum-lab
Colby was moodily watching the fleecin process,
and touching him upon the shoulder, gned for
the swamp ma late to follow him.

In fear and rembling Amariah Colby obeyed the
will of the master whom he mortally feared. When
at a safe distance and beyond the earshot of all
others Captain 0001 Blade lpoke:

“What was your reason for lying to me about
that woman in your house, Colby? Are you tired of
11er Have you forgotten your oath so soon? ’

“ If any one lied, it was not me, captain,” replied
Colby, the sharpness of the accusation lending him a,
momentary cou e. “ There was only one woman
in my house, and s e said her name was Heywood.
I could find no one to answer to either Beaufort or
Bouchier."

“ I followed after you within five minutes, and I
saw with my own eyes the woman I s eak of,
Jules Beaufort," sternly added the cap am.

“ Was she an old woman, With white hair?"

“ N o—not et forty, and hefihair as black as mine."

“Then I ’d not see her. She must have come
there after I lef_ " Bald Colby, positively. “Who
was with her? Did you notice 7‘

“ Your wife and a oung man—"

“That must have can Abner Clark! You know
he staid behind the rest. He must have found the
woman you speak of, and carried her to my house
directly after I left it." eagerly said Colby.

“It was Clar'~'. now I come to think,’

ed
Captain Cool blade, beginning to believe t he

Captain Cool Blade.

15

 

 

m ht have ly suspected his tool of treachery.
“ lgis barel wplglsfible that it may have happened as
you say, bu when you acted so strangely— ‘

“That was because Dean Ashley got hurt, here,
and I was afraid you would blame me for it, or
rather for not lgroventing the flgh ,” replied Ama-
riah Colby, a tie dubiously.

“If it was done in a fair fight, I have nothing to
say about it. Ashley is old enough to hoe his own
row. If he is fool eno h to run after a girl whose
hand is pledged to ano er he must expect some
trouble; But that was all that made you act so
queer?

“lUpon my oath it was, captain," was the earnest
[‘5‘ V.

"l‘iin more fool 011111, thenl Remember, I only

unish a man for a¥a t or crime willfully commit-

d. So ion as your own ds are clean, ou can
face me bold y and openly. But let that ma tor rest
for the resent. I have a. little job for ou, and if it
is faithFuliy performed I will acknow edge that I
ma ted you wrongfu ly.”

“ it is not beyond the power of one man to do,

u can degend upon me,” was the reply, in a. tone
get told aptaln Opol Blade the speaker meant
even more than he said.

“ Any child able to speak could do what is re uir-
ed of you. But first, let me tell you how impor ant
the business is. This woman‘s husband Jules Beau-
fort, belo ed to the Family, but yielde to tempta-
tion, and o ered to sell our secrets and our lives, for
a heavy reward and immunity for himself. I learned
this, and followed him, picked a uarrel and shot
him throu h the heart, as I firm believed. But
somehow e was not killed and was put ashore
hem the War Eagle before ’I found it out. Now
the odds are that he was either killed by the explo-
sion, or drowned afterward, seeing that e was not
among the ones rescued and brought here but he
may have escaped. I happen to know that 'he idol-
izes hiswife, and if she s once in our ower, we
will have a hold over him that will keep is ton 0

let until we can silence it still more elfectua ly.

ou understand?"

“ So far, es,” was the hesitatin response.

“ The res is even more simple. ou must go to
Mrs. Beaufort, and tell her that some men from
below have just come in, bearing her husband, who
is ng; that he wishes to see her at once—”

“ on can trust me, captain," into sed Colby.
“ Tell me where I must bri her and I do it."

“ Just get her outside of e door, and I‘ll attend
to the rest. But do you lead the way, and bring a
shawl or blanket with you. Band that to me and
I’ll answer for the rest," said Captain Cool Blade.

Amariah Colby, glad that the duty demanded of
him was so easy of execution, lost no time but
hastened at once to his house. Captain Cool blade
followed close upon his heels, and 00k up his posi-
tion near the side of the door.

He was not ke tlong in suspense. Amarlah Col-

by uickly told s cunning sto , and led the on-
mail woman into the tra set for er. Captain ool
Blade flu the blanke over her head, stifled her

cries, and en bore her swiftly away in Ms arms.
CHAPTER XXI.

prams or m monr.

Tun loud shouting of her lover amused Mary
Beaufort from the half-slee , half-stupor into wide I
she had fallen when she elt the firm earth once
more under her feet, and realized that they had
fair escaped from the terrible perils of the swiftly
owl; river. She started to her feet with a cry of

eminent instantly brought Percy Talfourd to her

“6‘ There is nothingto be alarmed at, dearest " he
said one arm encircling her waist and strl hard
toohoke down the chagrin he felt. “I am ailing
the boat that has ust Egfised us, but failed to make
my voice eard. I roused up a little earlier,
there might have been a chance."

“There—you shall not blame yourself without

me also," and with poor counterfeited

payrilii Marie pressed her han upon his lips.

‘ I slept— sleep it Was—longer than on did, while

u it was that should be tired out. was only an

mbrmce, while you was forced to do the work
1’

 

two. .
her s cc]: was cut short in a truly lover-
theefashifmon, which should greatly raise Percy T9,!—
fourd in the estimation of my fair readeis. A man
who could think of such tender endearments after
all he had gone through, horribly sick at the stomach,
wet to the skin, in a musketo-infected wilderness,
goodness knew how many miles from anywhere,
wthout a weapon to defend himself, a. match to
kindle a fire, a bite to eat, a cigar or a pinch of
tobacco to smokg—was l{me among a thousand, a,
o tent ousan .

lwiBuel-ta‘tmhle lygoung gianter knew that neither kissing
nor 1: glng woul carry them out of the Wilderness
withou the aid of more substantial efforts. He
knew, too that their lives werein positive 91-11 50
lo as they remained in the swampy w11 omega,
He ew that poisonous serpents abounded, while
wild beats were by no means uncommon in those
tangledrecesees, at that day, nearly three decades

0.
the hts flashed through his mind with
$333111 rap dity, and after a moment‘s considera
tion he concluded to place the situation falrl before
e. He knew that there was true me in her,
and if not exactiya heroine, that she would show no
foolish timidit when she once realized the nature of
the work that lay before them.

“ There is no use 1iln fbrgttlng over the and

n in darli ’ 6 gal! eaklng 81‘ more.
gohilg'sophlcally ’ he felt. h'lgiat boat has pass.
ed beyond hearin , and another one may not come
along for days, or fit does, we may miss it in much
the same way. Granting this it would be rank folly
for us to remain idle here. We must work for our
own salvation."

A paper heroine at this uncture would have be-
wailed the fact of his hav been so foolish as _to
incumber himself with her w en he could so easily
have allowed her to sink into a damp, watery grave
and would have implored him upon her bended
knees to leave her todie alone, the more surel and
easily to preserve his own life. But Marie 'u-
fort was no such dismally herdio phenomenon. Like
a true woman, she ciun to him still more closely,
mutely yielding her will his guidance.

.

 

 

“I don‘t know how far down the river we may
have drifted," added Talfourd, feelin no disap-
gointment in that his beloved acted e an every-

ay girl instead of the abnormal monstrosity so
much in favor with the et-suckers of the present
age. “But I believe the. we are nearer the settle-
ments above than below. We were in sight of
Colby’s Landing when the War Eagle burst her
boilers. We are on the opposite side of the river,
unfortunately, but we can get across, no doubt, by
hailing them for a boat."

“Then you think we had better try to make our
wn up the river-bank in the darkness?“ asked the
in den, drawing still closer to him with an invol-
uiitury shudder, as though she felt a premonition
of the deadly rils they_were fated to encounter be-
fore unother ay-dawn.

“It will be hard work, and I am very sorry for
your sake, darling," uttered Percy, with an oscula-
tory unctuation. “But I know you are brave
enoug to look the situation fairly in the face. We
are without food, or anfiumeans of procuring it.
The longer we remain in s wilderness, the greater
will be our eril. Doubtless there are bears and
panthers in t ese brakes, to say nothing of snakes."

The young Planter regretted having made this ad-
dition, as he elt Marie tremble u n his arm. But
the harm was done, and he coul not swallow his
words, though he endeavored to soften them.

“Those are the risks we must run, and I thought
it no more than ht that you should understand
the very worst. n the other hand, we might
wander through these recesses without encounter-
ing anything more terrible than. a lizard or a toad."

‘ Let us start at once," said 6 in a low voice.
“If I could only be sure that poor mother and
father had escaped with life, I could bear up so
much better against whatever trials may be in
store for niel"

And now Percy Talfourd told the truth while
under the impression that he was telling a pious

e.

“I think there is little doubt, darling, but what
we will meet them. both in good time, alive and
well. You know how near we were to Colby's
Landing when the explosion took place. Even if
the a roach of the boat had not been noticed be-
fore,  o peo lo livi there must have heard the
explosion. ey wo d not be human beings if
they had lost a moment in putting OR in boats to
the rescue."

“ Did they? you saw them, then?" eagerly demand-
ed Marie pausing in their toilsome tramp in fear
lest she should lose a word of the answer.

“Yes,” despera re nded her lover, resolved
tobalk at not if 0 yhe could encourage the
maiden thereb , ‘ they ut ed in boats at once, and
the h I coul n‘t see t em vex clearly, I have no
doub that they rescued nearly of the passengers,
your mother and father among the rest.’

“ Then how did they happen to overlook us?" ask-I
ed Marie doubtineg because the picture he drew
was] flost too bright for belief, dearly though she
w e .

“ You know it was re idly growin dar ," said
Talfourd, secretly at the facili by with which
the lies—as he believed—rolled off his ongue‘ end.
” Then you were unconscious—”

“I was not much hurt until that dreadful man
struck me on the temple and pushed me away from
the cotton-bale I was mstinctivel clinging to. Then

it all turned black to me, and I elieved that I was
dyin l" with a nervous pressure I: n his arm.

“ Igsaw that," and Percy with culty swallowed
a strong word that led to find utterance. “ It
was the cry on uttered 1'. en that ided me. I had
been swim ng all around in sea of ou "

y .

“I can remember crying out, and then the water
choked me as it closed over my head."

“ I dove after you,” said Talfourd, shudde as
he thought of how narrowly his loved one h es-
caped death. “You were insensible, but I made out
to fasten you to the cottonrbale—”

“The same one the man pushed me from?“

“ Yes. He sunk almost immediately after he
struck you. I don‘t believe he ever rose again."

“It was a jmnwt upon him for his cowardly

den uttered, solemnly.
lit—it was a ju ent on him “ and
the darkness 6. from view a m smile. “hut let
him go. I fastened you to the cotton-bale, and
swam around to the other side in order to kee it
from being overturned by our lifeless weight. (1
in that wa we floated on own the river.‘

“ But if he boats came to the rescue, why didn’t
you call to the brave men? Surely they would not

ave deserted us?"

“ That is what I would have done but I had hard-

time to slip my hand under one of the ro before

lost all consciousness. You see I struck 6 water
flat upon my stomach, and the heavy shock made
me most fem-fully sick. That, and the darkness will
account for our being here. But we should be
thankful that matters are no worse."

“ If I only felt sure that they were saved." I

“ This;a were, almost certainly. a few hours
from t on will be laughing with them both over

lvilur idle car‘s," said T ourd with outward cheer-
ness.

For an hour or more he continued his efforts to
banish the fears of the maiden, and by his per-
sistenc finally succeeded in do so.

The they had set themse ves was a dificult
one indeed. the more especiall since they had to
contend against almost utter arkness. A virgin
forest where the soil is rich, is no easy task to tra-
verse, even with the broad light of da to lessen the
difficulties, and none are more difilc t than the low
bottom lands that skirt the Missouri and Mississippi
rivers.

For ages the dead trees have fallen one above an-
other, and over their decaying bodies and limbs
wild vines and brambles grow rankly, affo a
congenial harbor for venomous serpents and 1
place for wild beasts. The soil is soft, and the l -
mold doe . At times one sinks above the knees.
Vines an creepers hang from overhead, and form
an impenetrable wall between the tree—trunks. The
undergrowth is thick and stubborn.

All these natural difficulties the loveis had to con-
tend with. Though forced to make occasional slight
demure, they knew the risk of wandering far from
the river-bank, since that was their only sure guide.
Nor would it do to venture too close to the verge.

 

A less experienced traveler than the youngepzlanter
could have told that, for every few minu they
could hear the sullen splash as a rtion of the un‘
demiined earth fell into the swii' ing waters, intens~
ified now and then b the crackling roar and might
concussion as some uge tree bore the caving bank
company.

Foraweek past the river had been almost sta-
tioggfiy at its highest point, but for two (lags as!
it en falli During the rise nlrd igfiest
flood the da er a ove noted is not nearly so great
as it is when t e flood is subsiding. Then the swift-'
{ff-flowing waters rapidly undermine the loose-lying

Art, and acre after acre is thus eaten away. 0m
instance, which I can vouch for, will illustrate the
point most clearly.

At daydawn a farm-house stood 307 yards from the
river-bank. At noon the occupants began moving
the buildin away from the rapidly encroaching
river. At o'clock, the house was floating down
the river.

This occurred on the Kansas side of the Missouri
river, and was an extreme crse, but even alon
some portions of the Mississipfii river the peril a
great, as our friends realized a too soon.

They were then walking with difficulty along a
few yards from the river-bank, when Percy felt the
fiund beneath his feet trembling and yielding.

' first thought was of Mime, and he flung her
away from him with all his strength, hfiping to thus
remove her from the caving port on. e had time
for no more. There was a sudden downward rush,
and he was reci itated into the water, an ava-
lanche of eart an trees falling around him.

CHAPTER XXII.
COLLECTING 'rsn runs.

Time far the bold plans of Captain Cool Blade had
worked to a charm. with the one trifling exception
of the dark-faced man whom he had been ob to
shoot down without a moment‘s warning. e fat
pigeons whom he had selected from the flock were
ready to be plucked. Jac ues Bonchier alias Jules
Beaufort was almost cox-ta nly dead, while his wife
was now lying half-smothered in the tight Tgrasp of
the bitterest eiiein lie or she ever had. aking it
all in all, the amh er felt that he had good grounds

for feeling ela d.

He h given his men their orders and felt no
anxiet about their bring neglected. lie knew just
where e would find the risoners with their guardfi
and a parently feeling e wei ht of Mrs. Beaufo
as litt e as though she were,an nfant, Captain 0001
Blade struck out direct for that spot, eager to wind
u the little melodrama.

ick Brown, in the absence of both Captain Cool
Blade and Hortense, acted as master of ceremonies.
He’was no fool, and soon saw that it was goin to be
no easy job to conduct a dozen or more. 31 soners
throng the ta led cover in almost utter arkness.
Of course their ower limbs must be unbound, since
there were no spare horses. As soon as the prison-
ers began to realize how completely they had been
du ed, they would grow restless, and an sudden
on break on their part could hardlylhelp ut result
in the escape of some of their numbe .

But Dick was a bit of a genius in a small way, and
though he knew nothin of the “blackbh-d trade,“
be resolved to fetter h captivesin a somewhat
similar way to the plan followed by the slave-deal-
ers—which goes to prove that great minds often run
in the same groove. ,

Making use of the extra coil of small ro which
the provident swam magnate had furnis ed the
i enious rascal ti loose knots in it at short inter-
va , one of which was put over the head of each
castive, and drawn so as to fit the throat.

ick chuckled with grim satisfaction as he saw
how admirabl his invention worked. Any unusual
tension upon e rope would draw the loose loops
tight, resulting in the severe choki not only of
the refractory person, but of each an every one of
his companions in misfortune as well.

“The ‘3 many a bigger fool thing then that idea
bin tuc out a patent on," he gunned, as be ex-
plained the manner in which it worked to Hortense.

With thar hands tied the can’t none on ‘em slip
out thar heads, an‘ as don t reckon ary one on ‘em
is ‘ticklar anxious to be choked, why each man 'll
be a sort 0 ard over all the rest. I could take the
hull string in here to monkey-heaven, and never
need a smitch 0' help."

It was an ingenious idea, and Hortense acknowl-
edged as much. She gave the word to slip the bonds
from the feet of the prisoners, which was quickly
done. Then she said to them:

“You have a little ;ourney to make, gentlemen
but if you are patient, t will speedin be over. Bu
only i you are quiet and tractable. If any man
attem ts to escape, or creates any disturbance
along he road, his or their journey will and only in
eternity. You understand me, boys? Shoot down
whoever makes any effort to escape.”

There was no occasion for a second warnin‘fi.
That one sudden death told them that they had f
len into the hands of men who would hesitate at
no crime in order to gain their desired ends. ,
although they could not help suspectingO that they
had been most scandaloust eccived as the num-
ber of the enemy, the prisoners marched along at
the heels of Dick Brown in single file, making no
protest or attempt to escape. '

The Journey was one that not a single link of the
human chain ever forgot while life lasted. Bound
like convicts, with an un leasantly suggestive chok-
ing at every other step, nee it was in: ssible for
them to keep time in such darkness an over such
a tangled trail, marching on to they knew not what
doom; one such experience was more than enough
for a lifetime.

Hortense Brown and two others kept lguard over
the 11 chain, while the rest of the pa y brought
on the arses. Am Colby remained at the

, on neral duty.

It was near an hour after leavin the Landin
when Hortense finally called a halt. aving reache
the point selected by Captain Cool Blane as the
most convenient spot for carrying out the next act
upon the programme.

“ James, kindle a small fire as uickly ES P08811316
near the base of this tree,” she s d leaning t
the trunk of the forest monarch indicated. “ ere
sitiall beg'io excuse for mistakes on the score of light
a least.

 

16

Captain 0001 Blade.

 

There was an unwonted nervousness in her tone
as niii‘ cast a swift glance around and slightly in-
clinlrd her car as if in listening. su- was listening
and for Captain Cool Blade. ‘1 “ "new that he had
other Work on hand, but ("rut
tom he had not confided in n.
instinct that told her there was a woman mixednp
in the case? Be that as it may, she was beginning
to experience the pangs of a Jealousy that, With but
little to feed upon, would quickly become like a
mountain torrent that had burst its barriers-a
deathvdealing avalanche, leaving naught in its path
but ruin and desolation.

The outlaw named set briskly to work, but before

' the fire was fairly burning, a low whisile came to
the ears of the beautiful Amazon, and knowing well
from what lips it roceedcd, she hastened in that
direction, meetingl a tain Cool Blade in a few m0-
ments. An icy an seemed closm around her
heartas she divined the nature of tie burden he
was bearing, and though she said nothing, the gam-
bler readily interprete her doubts.

“I will expldn all to you when'we have more
spare time, Hortense,” he said, rapidly. “Enough
for the present that this woman is the wife of our
bitterest foe, Jacques Bouchier, alias Jules Beaufort.
Her caSe will keep, but on must finish with the
others as quickly as possi Is. Here is pen and ink
and a blank check-book. The list I gave on will
furnish all the information necessary. 0; the
fire burns bright enough now for your purpose.
As soon as I can fix this woman. I will come."

Her vaguely jealous fears removed, for she felt
sure that the gambler would never he to her, the
beautiful Amazon took the articles named and re-
traced her steps to the flre, Where the prisoners
were, in no env1able condition of mind, awaiting the
next act on the mysterious programme.

They were not kept long in Bus . e.

“ Dick, you can relieve our friend, Mr. Campbell,
of his patent necktie, and conduct him hither.‘

Brown, hugely enjoying his importance as master
of ceremonies, enlarged the noose sufiicientl for
Campbell to withdraw his head then marche the
prisoner up to the fire where flortense stood wait-

mfiMr. Campbell understand me. You are a bold
man, and as such I respect you. I should mightily
hate to injure you much less blow your brains out;
but unless you su mit gracefully to the inevitable,
that is exactly what the end will be."

“Now you have sugar-coated your ill, come
down to business. What is it you want 0 me?” the
prls xner interposed, with sullen bluntncss.

“ Your signature to this little scrap of paper, noth-
ing more," was the prompt reply; and while 5 k-
ing, Hortense was rapidly filling out one of the lam;
forms in the book ven her by Ca tain Cool Blade.
“As before men oned, I am co ecting overdue
taxes. The sum standin against your name is a.
mere trifle—only twenty t ousand dollars."

“And you expect me to pay it? I’ll see youin
perdition first 1" Campbell angrily exclaimed. .

“Doubtle we will meet each other there in due
course of time “ was the cool response. “But you
will get tired of waiting for me, if you refuse to sign
this check. It is either that or death. James, cock
your revolver and cover this gentleman while Dick
unloosens his hands. If he makes any attempt to
escape blow his brains out. Now, Mr. Campbell,”
she added, as the rope was removed, “I give you
gust twent secon s in which to si that check. At

he and 0 that time, unless an ave obeyed, I will
put a bullet through our ah i“
No one who heard er ak could doubt the truth

     
  

or earnestness of her t reat, and as she be an
counting in a clear sharp tone, Walter Cam ell
thought better of his vow, and sullenly signe his

name to the bit of paper that called for every dollar
he had deposited in bank.

“I thou ht you would recons the matter “
said the b k mask with a low, mocking laug .
“Money is good, but life is better. Dick, return
the gentleman to his place of honor, and bring forth
the next in order, Thomas Warren."

All of the prisoners had been eye and ear-witnesses
of the foregoin , and the lesson read Walter Camp-
bell served wel for the rest. They knew that this
wasno idle farce, but terrible earnest, and though
they were, in the ma‘ority of cases, forced to sign
away almost their
being shot down like a mad-dog.

There was no 100 hole for esca

mask filled out each lank from ormation given

her by Caiptain Cool Blade and when the prisoners.
were ed orward to sign, they found the bank with

which they did business correctly written down in

the ro er lace.
Gifm  who stood with his neck in the noose, ‘

moodi watching his fellows in misfortune follow-
ing his example, at length addressed Hortense:

‘ What are you going to do with us after this farce
is over? You have robbed us of everything, so I
suppose you will let us go then?"

All in good time Mr. Campbell. I fear you would
repent having settled these dues, and would try to
stop the payment of your check, if we set you at
liberty too soon. You shall be treated as leniently
as the case will permit, and be ven your freedom
as soon as the drafts are honore —not before.“

“ If there should be any mistake—if the bank should
refuse to pay—what then?" asked Warren.

“The motto of all true men should be.‘deatn be.
fore dishonor!” ” was the prompt res onse.
if an check is refused payment t e man who
s it shall never live to hear of his disgrace.”

‘Let_me see my check—I fear I have forgotten
something." falter-ed Warren, licking his parched

li .

§ortense la bed mocking] as the man affixed
his private mar ' to the chec , but her mirth was
abruptly checked by the appearance of a man, pant-
ing and almost breathl who muttered a few
words in her ear that drove all trace of triumph
from her lips. '

The man was Amamh Colgy, and the tidings he
brought bade fair to undo 1 that had been so
patientl and cunningly wrought, even if it did not
and in death of the daring tax-collectors.

CHAPTER XXIII.
A MIRACI‘LOUS sscun.
Down amid the crumbling earth the toppling
tries, the rushing undergrowth—down into the

 

, to his usual cus- ‘
:1 its nature. Was it ‘

I greater portion of the landslide.
stood out of the watt r, leaning at a sharp angle, the ‘

 

even this was preferable to ‘
The black ‘

“ And ‘

their sullen roar—down from what seemed an incal-
culable hivht. Percy Talfourd was cast, for the mo-
incnt unub e [0 move a muscle to save himself. He
had lost his balance through the sudden sinking of
the apparently firm ground, added to the desperate

effort which he instinctively made to prevent Marie .

Beaufort from sharing his ate, and the catastrophe
followed too suddenly to give him time to recover
himself.

The waters momentarily retreated from before
the avalanche, only to return swiftl and cover the
T in tree-tops still

enormous quantity of dirt .u'oiuul their roots hold-

ing them stationary for tho Linn, despite the hungry ,

gnawing of the angry waters.

Down with this mingled mass the young planter
had fallen to what seemed inevitable death.

But not even in that dire extremity did he lose his
presence of mind. As his body struck the water, he

ung out his arms and hurriedly inflated his lungs.
He used every art in his power to prevent his sink-
ing vcr far beneath the surface, and probably
would lave succeeded but for one fact. Some

heavy object settled down upon his right foot .
and leg to the knee, pinning him firmly to the i

graplnd, the swirling waters rolling far above his
,3 i

It was a truly terrible situation, and when Percy
Talfourd realized the truth. 13.: Fol: that he was
doomed to death beyond ti. 1
And had it not been for his pix-Jul. love—had his
alone been at stake, there is little doubt, humanly
speaking, but that he would have drowned there like
a beaver in a traép.

The thou ht 0 Marie, his beloved who might even
then be 'ng upon him for help 11 the extremity
of her peril gave him strength and told him how
best to use t t power.

He was lyin upon his back. By a desperate
effort be raise the 11 per ortion of his b0 yand
endeavored to learn ow e was secured, by the
sense of touch. That was not difficult. A hugh
slice of earth had slipped down, catching his leg and
pinning it between its 1f and the river bottom.

With frantic euerg , Percy Talfourd tore away

 

the crumbling dirt Wit his fingers, greatly aided by ;

the dissolving action of the eddying water. But
almost as fast as he tore awlsiy one handful another
settled down in its ilace. is brain was throbbing
as though it would urst. He knew that unless he
could gain a breath of fresh air in a ver few
seconds, he must perish. He drew 11 his 1e t foot
and ut it against the gradually so tening mass,
and ung his whole strength into one desperate

effort—and succeeded!

He shot swiftly through the water and drew in a
long glorious breath of the cool night air" as he
reac ed the surface. The one swift breath, then his
entire powers of bod and mind were devoted to the
rescue of his belove .

Where was she? Even as he asked himself the
question, a low, choking cry came to his rin ing ears
——a cry that he believed came from Marie‘s lips.
He sent up a swift, eager response, and an instant
later, apparently from the bank above, there came
packfiiis own name, coupled with a quavering appeal

or an .

It was plain that the maiden had not been hurled
into the water, since the sound of her voice came
from above the~.surface, and apparently near the
spot where Tnlfourd had flung her. But he did not
pause to wonder or reason. She was alive, and
stood in need of his help; that was quite sufficient
to restore all his strengt .

A few stout strokes carried him to land, but at
first he was unable to scale the perpendicular bank.
He floated a few yards further down-stream, and
finally succeeded in his pur ose, thanks to the aid
hinge by two or three roots w ‘ch projected over the
wa r.

Utter-lug Marie‘s name with eager encour ment
he hastened up the bank toward the spott at had
so well-nigh proved fatal to them both. The maiden
replied, and' now, to his amazement, her voice
sounded from below the level of the bank upon
which he stoodl

Incredible though it seemed, such was the fact;
the maiden was suspended in mid-air, above the
odd 'ing waters, as her nch words roved.

“ Iclp, Percy! I am suspended y my skirt—and
I can hear it rip even now! Help me-for the love of
Heaveni do not delay l"

The night was so dark that Talfourd, strain his
eyes as he might, could not catch even a glimpse
of his betrothed; but the sound of her voice told him
only too plainly that she was beyond his reach from
above, if not from below. He dare not attempt to
descend the bank. The loose earth was even now
crumbling beneath his weight. There was not time
to spendI‘in hunting up a grape-vine lo and flexible

enough for the purpose, even if Marie ad stre h -

sufficient left her to hold on to it while he pulled or
up. There was only one hope.

“ l can‘t'reach you from here,” he cried, hastily.
“ I wrl‘lfip into the water and be ready to break your
fall. en I call, try to break yourself loose, and
trust the rest to me."

He did not pause for a replfie nor was there any

made. The maiden was ca upon a stout root.
near the hem of her skirt an hangin head—down- ‘
ward, a rush of blood to the brain had finally robbed

her of the apfower of speech.

Percy 'I‘ ourd ran a few yards up the river, then
took the blind leap without a moment‘s hesitation.
Quickly arising to the surface, he swept along close
to the steep bank—onl  be abru tly checked.

To his great joy he ouncl that t e land-slide was
nearly level with the surface of the water, and as
he scrambled upon it, almost the first grope of
his uplifted arms came in contact with the bod of

his betrothed, who was hanging so low that on y a ,
row inches of space were between her dangling hands .

and the water.h ight d

Sup rting or we upon his breast an one
arni,_h)greached u and grasping her sldrt, quickly
tore it loose. Sink ng down upon his knees be then
bathed her head and face, w ich soon revived her,
and lucky that this was the case.

All this time the sweeping current had been at
work upon the huge obstruction, eating away the
shaken dirt rapidly, and now one of the leanin
trees—that which stood nearest the outer edge 0

ability of csca )e. :
life

 

. closed

—1

' swirling waters that seemed to welcome him with the land-slide—toppled' over with a loud crash,“

fall seriouslv shaking the stability of the rest“

Fearful ofbeing caught among the branches or
network of roots and Vines, Percy encouraged Marie
fvl’llllpnd him her aid, when they would soon be out of
a (angler. ,

. A bri: f examination convinced him that it was
impossible for ihmn to scale the bank at this point
and so, bidding- Marie hold fast to him as she ha

done on a former similar occasion he groped his
way along the bank until he reache the lower ex

tremity of the land-slip. Entering the deep water
they floated along until at the point where he had
sca ed me bank a few minutes previously.

Here, though the task was a severe one and by no
means devoid of danger, he succeeded in carryi
the almost hel loss maiden to the level groun
above. Then t 0y sunk down, breathless and ex-
hausted, but devoutly grateful for their almost
miraculous escape from death.

In a few minutes Marie recovered sufficiently to
explain what had happened. The self devotion and
presence of mind displayed by Percy Talfourd had
almost certainly saved her life, for if she had borne
him company in that terrible fell upon the land-
slide, she could hardly have escaped drowning be-
fore he succeeded in releasing himself. But he had
flun her quite across the widening crack in the
cart , and though the crumbling edge gave w
beneath her weight as she strove to regain her fee ,
she did not fall until after the huge mass had plung-
ed into the river. As it was she aglraspeii a dangli
root that partially broke her 1 , and when thfi
frail support parted, her dress upheld her, as sl-
read de ailed

“ e must wait here until daydawn " said the
young lanter, after sundry little chee g actions
which 0 not directly concern the reader. “Even
if the need of haste was double what it i I could
not think of exposing you to any more suc dread-
fullurisks.” d hm

arie sai not g in reply. She had and one
so much, both bodil and mentally since theegolnfi
down of the sun, 1; at she had scarce spirit enoug
left to breathe or much less to resume their
difficult and tangled trail.

Talfourd divmed this with a true lover’s instinct,
and raistng her gentl in his arms, he bore her away
tom the river-bank, est it again prove treacherous.
only pausing when at a safe distance. Then, seat-
ing himself With his back supported b the trunk of
atree, he_ drew Marie into a (39me. able position
against his breast.

Strange as it would seem under other circum-
stances, but a few minutes elapsed before both
were soundl sleeping. Their double struggle for life
had comple e exhausted them both, nor did they
awake until t e ale li ht shimrn through the
foliage above me e the dawning y.

Though fee 'ng stiff and sore, the young couple
arose and resumed their tollsome Journe . Even
with the aid of daylight it was no slight?v task to
push their wa t ough the matted vines and
creepers, the st shrubbery and occasional patches
of brambles, to cross over or pass around the fallen
and decaying trees. The vegetation was so rank
that not a breath of Wind could be felt below the‘
bushy tree-tops and even this early in .the day it
was oppressweiy sultry. It was hot, fatigui
work, nor did they have the remote satisfaction 0
knowmg when the labor was come to an end. for
they could only guess at the distance they mint
traverse before reaching their goal.

This was _nearer than they had dared to how.
even in their most san ine moments, and as the
came to a bend in the river, Talfourd uttered a s

c .
Ivat last! and a steamboat there too!"
“ But it’s on the wro side of the river!" exclaim-

ed Marie, dolefully, for s e was near worn out.

“ That can be easily remedied," hed Percy,
cheerfully. "We can hail a boat snug make our
entreeinstyle. Comel courage little ll It is not

morelthan one short mile further, an then we
be fairly out of the erness."

“ If father and mother are only there," wis -

“ They are sure to be," promptly responded 6
young lanter, and for the moment he did feels“
be con dence he expressed, so elated was he at the
pros ect of a. speedy escape from that truly 56‘
testah le Wilderness wherein they had suffered 3°
muc .

With renewed strength the ressed forward. 11W
dreaming of what was still inysgore for them.

CHAPTER XXIV.
“THERE'S were In ran: an."

THE man who had so unceremoniously cut short
the mocking laugh of the black mask, by his agita-
ted appearance, was not allowed to impart the
startling tidings lie brought, to her, at least just
then: A sharp whistle‘came from the darknessa to
the right, and recognizing the si nal as one which he
dared not disobey, Amariah Co by—for be it was—
fsllfiwcd tthe soun like a bound running on a. breast-

r scen . .

‘f‘You are losin what little wits you ever had,"
said Ca taiu Coo Blade, stern] as his strong band

rml upon the shoulder of the swamp
magnate. “ on would blurt out the bad news you
bear before those men, and thus render them harder
to handle. They are difficult enough to manage as it
is. ‘ Well, speak out! what’s the matter?"

‘ steamboat’s come— olia,“ gasped Colby.
"‘Suplpose it has? how oes that concern us? ' 1m
patien y demanded Captain Cool Blade. though the
answer burst u on his mind before the exhausted
messenger could) utter the words.

“ The round the men you left tied up, and listen.
ed to t e whole story. here were friends of these
men you have here amon the passengers of the
Magnolia, and the were ta a out making up a
party to come a _r you—to rescue them, and
Amariah Colby nodded toward the fire.

A fierce, grating curse parted the lips of the cap-
tain but when he spoke, 1 was in a quiet tone.

“ on (1 right in hastening to bring me warning.
but on can do us more good there than here. You
mus not arouse suspicions ainst yourself, if it
can be avoided. You heard 1: em talk. Do you
believe it Will amount to anything more than talk?
Do on think they will make up a rescuing party!"

“ es: they were very bitter against you. heard
some swear that they would give no quarter—that

R

_~_’.~,_._V_)

Captain 0001 Blade.

17.

 

 

they would serve you one and all as you served ‘

unds—the young follow you shot."

“They must find us,
Blade with a grim laugh. that spoke louder than
mere words. ‘ Well, I won‘t keep on here much
longer, for I need your help at the ver. You must
hasten back there, and watch your chance to drop
down the river unseen in one of the skiffs. Take the
swiftest and easiest pulling. Put in some whiskz
and somethi to eat. Take the chain and padloc
along. Drop own the river to the broken-top
sycamore, and fasten the boatto its root. Lo it
firmly, and put the key in the notch somebody cutin
the north—east side of the tree. Make all the speed
you can, consistent with prudence and safety. I
need that boat, and will not be long behind you.
N oven understand what you are to do?"

“ es," and Amarlah Colh ra idly ave a sum-
mary of his instructions. “ e at all be there
before you are ready for it, never fear."

“You shall lose nothing by it, my friend. Go
now, delay the pursuit as much as you can without
showing your hand too laiigy."

The swamp-magnate urn away without another
word. and quickly faded from sight amid the wood-
land shadows.

Captain 0001 Blade put his fingers to his lips and
uttered a low. quaveri whist e, which Hortense
well knew was intended or herself. Until now she
had waited with outward calmness and patience for
some such summons, though her blood was boiling
and her heart beat with unusual rapidity. She knew
that there was some imminent danger threatening
her and hers. and each moment that assed inig-
norance was one of painful ense, most of tor-
ture. But as the anticipated nal floated to her
ears upon the night air, she exhibited no undue
haste in responding to the call.

base gentlemen closely, ho “she said
with an admirably assumed unconcern. “ ey have
paid their footing, but must bear patien with
heir bonds for a few minutes longer. If ey at-
tempt to gilay any tricks, quiet them, even though
you are 0 liged to use your weapons. ’

She said no more, for a second whistle cnme from
out the darkness as thong}: the ca tain was grow-
ing impatient. and leaving th gauge and i'isoners
wondering what fresh com lien on was in e wind,
she hastened to the side of er husband.

“ You are slow w there is no time to lose, Hor-
tense," uttered Captain Cool Blade, a little im-
patiently, as the fair Amazon reached his side.

“ I thought it best not to show too much haste be
fore our risoners, Henry. They are enough to give
us troub e, if the are allowed to know what Isus-

t_has‘9ccurr A steamboat has stopped at the

“Yg, and there is talk of forming a party'to
follow us for the ‘purpose of rescuing our game.
Colgy geemed confi eat that the attempt would be
ma e

“We can lead them a Pretty dance through the
swamp. There is little ear of their catching us,
unless the prisoners suspect the truth and turn

stubborn."

“ If they do, th will cut their own throats.
There is too much a stake for us to be squeamish,
now. In three days at the outside, 1 can have those
checks cashed, and put over a hundred thousand
dollars in my pockets' but if a single man of them
escapes, ougflplans will be knocked higher than a
kite, and I l run the riskof be nabbed. You
must hold them for that length of t me, at any and
all hazards. If that rty does follow, and press

ou too closel ve tB: boys their orders to make
5’ Y. 8‘
sure of the prisoners. Remember not one must
escape, even the b you have to shoot him down
with our own ban 1"

“I it becomes necessary that shall be done,"
was the low response “ but ftrust we can do better
than that. M aversion to bloodshed rows stron er
as I grow oi er and I should co er event t

sum very ear urchased at the cost of thir-
teen lives-and they in cold blood."

“What I have said must be done," nded
Captain Cool Blade, with an em basis that could not
be mistaken. “If you are unab e or dislike the task,
re t my orders to Dick Brown."

‘While I draw the breath of life, I will never
falter or hesitate to obey your commands, Henry,"
said Hortense with an earnest devotion that, in a
better cause or for a more wort objectl would
have been almost sublime. “But w t about the—
the woman? For, from your words, I judge you are
about to leave us. ’

“I must leave her in your care. Hortense. She is
here. at the foot of this tree. You must ind her
even more carefully than the men. As told you,
she is the wife of our deadliest enemy, Jules Beau-
fort, as he now himself. and I mean that she

repa me for all I have suflered through
the treachery 0 her husband. Keep her safe, if
you but rather than suirer her to escape, you

3331 1' into her beam"

the faint shudder which ran
thro h the form of the fair Amazon at this fierce
speegg, but her voice was steady as she signified her
readiness to out the will of her husband.

“ You must 6 out at once for the den. Break
your trail as thoroughly as possmle, _and have out a
scout or two to give you timely warning, in case the
hounds come too close for comfort; f so, take to
the swamps again, and bid the men stand ready to
finish the me if they cannot save it. Only for
that alligator-hunter, Jim Adams, I wouldn't
Ifie so unfiy; but he ‘knows the swamp better than

e does own face. I

There was not much more said—nothing that need
find a placein this record—forif the information
brought by Amariah Colby had any foundation in
truth, there was no time to waste. With a warm
embrace and a fervid kiss, Ca tam Cool Blade bade
Hortense adieu, and vanish from her sight amid
the darkness.

With the skill of an old and e rlenced wood-
ranger, Captain Cool Blade made is wayathrough
the darkneutI seeming to avoid all obs cles y
instinct, and yingan almost direct course for the
point 11 n the river bank where he had directed
AmariaBOColl) to have a boatinreadiness for his
use. And with an hour from the time of his part-
infiwith his wife, he reached the huge sycamore.

eeling in the shallow notch indicated, his fingers
closed upon a key, and he know thatthe swamp-aug-

first," said Captain Cool >

l

 

nate had not deceived him. Descending the bank,
which was here quite slopin , he unlocked the boat,
enteredand ushedoffintot ecurrent. Gra‘sifigag the
oars, which ung upon the thole-pins, be p vig-
orously with a strength and dexterity that sent the
l ht craft shooting swiftly down the river.

,e was working for an enormous stake and was
resolved to fall through no fault of '15 own.
Through the remaining portion of that m ht and
nearl all of the next day he kept pll‘ i‘ng e oars
with hardly a. minute’s intermission. on he ceased
pulling, sufferin the skiff to drift with the current.

He ate heart' y, and lit a c‘ or, leaning back in
as comfortable 8. position as his ' 'ted accommoda-
tions would adm1t. He glanced over the check-
book which he had received from Hortense then
tore out the baker’s-dozen of drafts rolling them up
and stowing them away in a metallic tobacco-box
where they would not get wet, no matter if he should
ha pen to be upset.

or nearly a week his rest had been ve much
broken, nor had he closed his eyes in seep for
fifty-odd hours. It is not to be wondered at, hen,
that, as he lay there musing and smokin , he
should fall into a deep and heavy sleep that d
for hours, nor that a new day was dawning when he

awoke.

A bitter curse was u n his lips as he realized how
much time he had was in slumber, but the impre-
cation was changed to an exclamation of pleasure
as he heard the pulling of a steamboat coming down
the river not far behind him.

“Ther'll be no time lost, after all, if I cane
board her. If? By heavensl I can and will !" '

Perhaps if Ca tain Cool Blade could have known
who was to be e first rson he would meet, he
might not have been qui so determined to board
that craft!

 

CHAPTER XXV.
ammo ma ACTION.

Arms. the storm came a calm, so far as Abner
Clark was concerned. The day had opened an -
thi but auspsiciousiy for him, but the closing in _ e
gimp (131 amen , and never a man who was happier

an e.

The bruises he had received in the stubborn fight
with Dean Ashley were forgotten, as were the fati e
and weariness t at followed his desperate exe on
in behalf of the unfortunatepasse ers of the War
Ea is. Love was the tent medic e, and Dorinda
00 y the practicing E yslcian.

As Amariah Colby ad reasoned, Mrs. Jules Beau-
fort had been rescued from the river by Abner
Clark after the main party of rescuers hadaban-
doned the search as useless. The manner in which
he did so, has aheady been described. She was still
insensible when he reached the Landing, and not
knowing how seriousl she might be injured, his
first thought was to ta e her at once to Dorinda and
her mother. both of whom he felt would gladly lend
their assistance. _

Nor was he mistaken in this supposition. That
Abner Clark asked the favor, would at any time be
reason sufiicient, but just now Dorinda was as
cially anxious to please timoung farmer, while
Colby was proud of her s ‘ as a nurse.

Thus Mrs. Beaufort met With a cordial welcome,
and was quickly restored to consciousness.

The lovers found Mrs. Colh unusualnly consider-
ate that evening. She re the pro ered aid of
her da hter, and laiiifhingly bade them and
amuse emselves unt she called them. was
all the more remarkable that, until now, she had
rather seemed inclined to frown u n the suit of
the youn farmer, but it can easily explained.

Amati Colby had told her, as soon as he re-
turned with the rest from down the river that Cap-
tain Cool Blade was at hand, and that he fancied
there would be work for them to do before the lapse
of man hours.

For t is reason she preferred keeping upon the
alert, and knowing that Abner Clark was as honest
as the daynwas long, besides being nobody's fool,
she called the aid of the unsuspectin Dorinda to
kee him out of the way of making trou is.

either of the lovers had any suspicions of the
truth, and with hearts as light as love could make
them they improved the Eresent golden opportunity
by t possession of t e “ best room,” which was
at the o posite end of the house from that room in
which Beaufort was .

A love scene, where both parties are in accord
and truly desirous of pleasing each other, as in the
present case, would possess but little interest for the
general reader, nor would it have been alluded to at
all, only for the urpose of explaining why the one
honest man of e settlement who retained his sober

sense had made no 0 gosition to the bold plans of
08g) 11 Cool Blade an is outlaws.
bner did hear the re rt of the pistol which car-

ried death to the bold p enter, and half-started from
his seat with the intention of investi atlng the
cause, but Dorinda coquettishly restrain him. He
was not dimcult to convmce that he had heard noth-
ing out of the way, even if a istol had been dis
charged. There could be no uble brewing, else
there would have been an outcry either before or
after the re ort. They neither of them had the
faintest susp cion of what was really going on about
t em.

The took no note of time, and they sat in dark-
ness or there were no screens at the windows, and
alight would only serve to attract the moths and
bugs. Besides, any person who has been thro h
the mill can tell you that after a certain stage n
courtship. lovers have very little need of a candle,
lamp or gas-light to enable themto do their “ spark-

ough no coward, in ordinary matters. Abner
found himself much more courageous in the dark.
and from regretting that Dorinda was about to be
absent for so long a time, he soon began to persuade
her that she won d enjoy herself much better if she
would change her mind and stay at home. Her
home, he meant at first, but as his cour 8 increased
this was changed to their home, and hen— But
why ring the c anges? Dorinda’s heart was heartily
agreeing with every word he kc, and it was not
long be ore her to e began timidly answer his
su tions With 0 er onesl gradually allo her-
se to beconvinced, and veering around unti they
were in rfect accord upon eve point.
Eve-783w was planned to the r 30.3.11 .tzon save

 

the one all-important point of the weddin -day.
when a deep melodious whistle came to thefi ears
from down the river, announcing the approach of a
steamboat and its purpose of landing at that point.

The lovers forgot for the moment the interesting
sub ect they were discussing, and Abner ca ht up
his t and left the house, followed by Dorinldga.

To his no little amazement they two appeared to
be the only persons afoot. The men whom he had
helped to save from a watery grave. were ly
around the smoldering embers of the fire, apparen
ly fast locked in slumber. And still nearer to him
he saw Big Jim Adams and the employés of Amariah
Colby, lost- to consciousness and snoring in most un-
melodious concert.

He paused beside the last named, and called to
them, even using his boot upon the man nearest
him but all to no pu ose. His shouts brought
forth Amarlah Colby an his wife, the first of whom
hastened over to where he stood yawning sleepily.

“ They’re clean worn out. I reckon," he said
sleepily. “You go and wake up the stran ers. I‘ll
rout up the boys. That‘s the Ma nolia, rom the
sound of her ’scape-pipes and she“ want wood."

Thus it was that to Abner Clark fell the lot of
discoverin the tragedy that had taken place.

When calls were unanswered by those who
he behaved were sleeping, he stirred u the fire
and the red light fell upon the ghastly ace of the
dead man.

A cry of wondering horror parted his lips. for he
believed that the others were dead, also. Only for
an instant, and when Amariah Colby came running
up, in admirably enacted surprise and horror, Abner
was rapid! freeing the half-suffocated planters
from their nds and gags.

The steamboat, which proved to be the Mignolia,
was at the‘landing'before any of the releas cap-
tives could tell their strange story, and then a scene
of the wildest excitement ensued. Among the
sengers of the Magnolia were many friends and
acquaintances of the men carried awayto an un-
known fate, and ere long some (pie proposed mak-
ing up a party for the purpose of foliowmg the trail
and rescuin their friends, at the same time punish-
ing the an acious criminals. The captain of the
Magnolia was one of the foremost in this demon-
stration, and asked Amariah Colby which one of his
men was most thoroughly acquainted with the
country around them.

“Most any one of them would do," the swamp-
magnate responded, slowly “but there has been
strange do a all around. he men are over yon-
der, so noun asleep I can’t wake ‘em u ."

“Jim Adams is our man," cried C ark. “He'll
be worth all the res put to ether. I’ll fetch him."

Thenyoung farmer kept ' word, but not so eas-
ily. e saw the empty jug that had evidently con-
tained whisky, but he knew that this sleep was not
altogether a drunken one as shouting and unchin
failed to arouse the big alli ator-hun er. e foun
a bucket and repeatedly ti ing it from the river, as
often dashed its contents into the face of the heav-
ily-breathing hunter, finally arousing him sufficient-
ly to walk.

Meanwhile, it was made known that those on
board the Magnolia had heard the sound of the War
Eagle's explosion though many miles down the
river. The fears thus aroused were confirmed when
they stop d at a wood-yard, and the men there told
them tha it must have been the War Eagle. since
she was the last boat to pass up the river.

The Magnolia put on an extra head of steam. and
lit her tire-crater u n the hows, keepin the crew
on watch, and bo boats in readiness, oping to
rescue some of the unfortunates, if their fears 0 an
accident proved founded on fact.

In due course of time they began to notice the
floating debits of the wreck, and at once sent out
the two boats. A number of dead bodies were re-
covered, but only two were rescued with the breath
of life still in their nostrils; Jules Beaufort and a
roustabout who was too badly injured to be able to
give his name.

A surgeon who was among the passengers of the
Magnolia, created a fresh sensation b declaring
that Jim Adams and his friends we re su cring from
the efi'ectsof some pineparation of opium, and volun-
teered to ut them working'order.

Amarl Colby lin ei-ed around the edge of the
excited crowd, glean ng all he could of their inten-
tions, and when fulli satisfied that they really in-
tended to attempt t e rescue of their friends he
gals away and made all haste to warn Captain Cool

e.

CHAPTER XXVI.
A nasranarn nan. '

Wanna Camus. was a shrewd, quick-witted‘
man, who had little difficulty in divinin the pur-
port of the tidi brought by Aman'ah olby. 0n-
y the arrival o a boat, which meanta discovery
of all that had trans ired (Cl‘ld have so startled
the outlaws. He had n aildilioii, a shrewd suspi-
cion that there would be an attcm at rescue,
though he could not feel very saiigu e of its suc-
cess. He was no stranger to the swamp country,
and knew how much easier it was for men to lose
themselves amid its tangled recesses, than it would
be to find others who were desirous of lying in con-
cealment.

.He was a stranger to the word fear, as applied to
himself, but he was no rash fool to.court certain
death. He had submitted thus far, simpl because
he could do no less and live. But he ha resolved
from the first to make his escape at the first oppor-
tunity that oifered, and thou h be had thus far been
baffle he was more determme then ever.

His hands had been firmly rebound after his sig-
nature was obtained and ever since then he had
been cautio working to loosen the cords. In
this, he so ed even beyond his hopes, for though
Dicl: Brown had not slighted the job, the rope fur»
hi: i ' bly Amariah Colby was new, and the knots did
110‘ .0 1': 058

lum i-«iiately after the departure of Captain Cool
Blade. Hortense returned and gave her men orders
to start at once for ” the den, " adding: _

“Gentlemen, circumstances have arisen which
make it necessary for us to make a forced march.
Thus far you have been treated leniently and with
no little consideration but the time for mere polite-
nefli I so emnly warn you, one and all,
that. it any men among you gives us any tmuble, or

 

i
4

‘t irough bogs that threatened to ingulf him f

18

Captain Cool Blade.

 

 

tries to delay our advance, that man or men shall
die in his tracks. Please bear this in mind, for it is
the only warning you will receive. Neglect it at
your peril i"

There was no room for doubt left b her words or
the tone in which she spoke. All co d see that she

ms in sober, deadly earnest.

No questions were asked. though the outlaws
knew that Ainariah Colby had brought an thing
but agreeable tidings. They set their living c sin in
motion without delay, and urged it on through the
his. a]: night with a rapidity that s oke well for their
1-.ii..wledge of the country throng 1 which they were
liaising. and their proficienc as slave—drivers.

As before, Walter Campbe was at the head of the
human chain, and now that he was awa from the

glare of the tire, he worked more boldl .a the bit of '

rope which bound his hands behind , and in a
very few minutes succeeded in slipping first one
hand and then the other out of the loop.

Two of the outlaws were close by him. Brown lead-
ing the way, while James was almost alongside,
holding the end of the ion rope which held the
liii.nan chain together. But ampbell did not falter
no .v that the crisis was fairly at hand.

With one hand grasping the rope, he held it in
such a manner that James could not detect any dif-
ference in the tension, then ently cast off the noose
from around his throat. iis done, he dropped the
rope and dashed out both his clenched fists at the
shadow outline of the outlaw's head. His distance
was we 1 calculated, and the burly outlaw was
knocked end over end into the darkness, too thor-
voughl surprised to make any outcry.

Wit out an instant’s 1pause, Campbell leaped for-
ward and assaulted Dic Brown, With almost equal
success. That worthy was turning around to inves-
tigate the cause of the sudden disturbance, and so
escaped one of the sledge-hammer fists, but the

' power of the other was quite sufficient to knock him

landwag: into the bushes, seeing more stars than
would ve been visible to other eyes on the most
‘cloudless night.

A more generous men might have endeavored to
follow up this good he 'nning, and set his comrades
.at liberty, but Campbe l was satisfied to leave well
enough alone. He was fighting his own battle, and
.others might do the same.

Without pausing to note the effect of his last blow,
he turned and fled at break-neck speed throu h the
darkness. There was no time for any disp y of
cunning or strategy for he knew that speedy if not
instant pursuit would he made, and a few rods ad-
vantage gained at the start might make all the dif-
ference between escape and recapture.

He had not run a hundred yards before he heard
the sounds of pursuit, and bent to his work as one
who knew that not only his worldly all but life itself
rested on the result. 1’ overtaken now, he would be
put to death without mercy.

The odds were terribly against him. Those in pur-
suit were reared if not born in the swamps, and
were as much at home there as the bear or the alli-

gator. They knew the la. of the ground thorou h~
1 g

l', which he did not. e was blindly flound'fill'ling

“3
over roots and prostrate tree-trunks or runn 11 into
vines and brambles through which he conl not
force his way: All seem conspiring ainst his
escape, and in his desperation he sud enly lay
down beside a huge log that was half submer ed in
the mingled mud and water stilling his eavy
breathing as best he could and holding himself in
readiness to do stout battle for his life in casehe
was discovered, as seemed almost inevitable.

Here the darkness stood his friend, and though
three of his enemies paused almost within arm’s
length of his refuge, they were pinniiy ignorant of his
proximity, for one, Hortense said:

He must not be allowed to esca e and tell his
story. He will make the best of is way to the
Landing. hoping to get away on the boat. We
haven’t time to search for him iere. You two must
"at to the river ahead of him and cut him off.
bon’t try to reca ture him. boot him down at

ht, no matter w at the risk to yourselves. G01"

othe did, without a word or reply. and Hortense
hastene back to where the remainderof the cap-
tives were uarded by the other four men.

Campbe lay still until fully convinced that his
enemies had ,really de arted then arose from his
sli resting-place an struck out for the river, in-
ten ing to reach it at a point above the Landing,
and thus escape the snare that was set for him.

The distance in a straight line was not more than
three miles, but that was e ual to a dozen on an
open course, so tangled was t e swamp and so diffi-
cult the traveling in the dark. Despite his exertions,
the gray light in the cast was dawning when Camp-
bell neared the river.

Confused b the many little deioms he had been
forced to m e, the fugitive struck the river a few
rods below where the steamboat was moored, in-
stead of above as he intended. He saw an exuted
crowd gathered near the end of the gang-plank, and
feeling that the outlaws would not dare make any
demonstration in the face of such a strong force, lie
hastened toward them. _ .

But before he quite gained the point, a sharp
crack came from the line of bushes, and he felt a
burning mi shoot throu "ll his side. He believed
that he received his cam-wound, and longing
for revenge, he staggered forward, shouting for the
armed party to avenge him. ' _

His appeal was unnecessary. Big Jim Adams saw
him stagger heard the iifle-crack_and turned in time
to catcha glimpse of the flame-tinged smoke. The
next instant his huge form was in motion and fl ing
toward the ambush. The assassin, behaving his uty
accomplished, arose and fled at top speed for the
swamp. But the avenger of blood was upon his
track. Before he had taken a dozen strides, the big
alligator-hunter caught sight of the assassin, an
pausingI leveled his heavy rifle. The report followed
almost instantaneously, and Dick Brown plun ed
headlonghto the earti, dead, a half-ounce bu et
passing rough his body. ,

Campbell was surrounded by sym pathizi friends,
but almost immediately recovered from t e shock
of the outlaw's bullet, which had inflicted a trifling
deli-i] viiouni‘ t id th t fh and

e astiy o esoryo isesca gave
as clear iiioections as he could for the  of the
enemy, but apparently dcculed to accompany the

rescuin party, when it was learned how trifling a
wound e had received. He did set out with the
party, which had been on the point of taking the

rail under guidance of Jim Adams, when he made
his appearance, but he watched his opportunity and
stole away from them before they lost sight of the
clearings. Hastenin back to the river, he unfasten-
ed one of the two sk' s and entering it, pulled smft-
ly down the river. _

CHAPTER XXVII.
WAR To run mm. .

Nor onl Jim Adams, but every one of Amariah
Colby‘s ed hands who had succumbed .to the
power of the drugged whisky were burning for
satisfaction, and gladl joined he rescumg party.
It was plain that they ad been drugged in order to
guard against their interfering with the bold game
of the robbers, and the knew that the generous
stranger who so feeling expressed his gratitude
for their having rescued him from a waterg girave.
must have belonged to the gang. How he a con-
trived to administer the obnoxious drug, passed
their powers of understanding, since Parker, the
man who had drawn the liquor from the cask, sol-
emnly swore that the stranger never so much as
touched the jug until he drank their healths in the
presence of them all. Still, drugged they had been,
and they swore to have satisfaction.

The desertion of Walter Campbell was not noticed
for nearly an hour. and but little attention was aid
to the fact then. The were in force enoug to
make short work of t e five or six men who he
declared formed the whole of the outlaw force in
charge of the risoners, and the big alli ator-hunter
declared that e could take them to t eenemy as
true as a hound on a fresh trail. Nor was the boast
an idle one, as after events proved.

There may be a few among my Northern readers
to whom the statement will rove a surprise, but the
Lower Mississippi. practically speaking, rum claim
a ridge. Of course the shores, or “coasts” as they
are called by the natives, are higher than the river,
but this is onlya mere strip 0 land, of varying
width, and be 'oud it, the country isponsiderably
below the leve of the river. This strip of elevated

und varies from a hundred rods to several miles
11 width, and is pretty much all under cultivation.
It slopes gradually away from the river until it
reaches the “ swamp country,” which also varies in
width, being sometimes a score of miles in extent.
This again is divided into the swamp regular, which
is a never drained morass, consisting of marshes
and lagoons, covered with reeds and coarse miss,
and that portion where the inundation is on y an-
nual. This last tract is covered with a luxuriant
vegetable growth forming a dark, gloom and almost
impenetra lo forest, composed rincipa yof cypress
trees though several species 0 oaks are to be found,
together uith the water-locust, the cotton-wood,
tu elo, sweet- um and magnolia. .

uch was the nature of the country in which the
outlaws commanded by the wife of Captain 0001
Blade were seeking safet with their prisoners. .

Through the forest difi cult as the majority of his
followers found it, t e big alligator-hunter ressed
along the trail rapidl ', finding nothing to alk his
grogress. He knew, hough, that there was more

iificult work ahead, and did not indulge in any pre-
mature exultation. He saw that their anie was
making direct for an awkward portion 0 the regu-
lar swamp, and though he felt confident of running
them down eventually, he knew that it would con-
sume much time and require skill and (logged perse-
verance.

The emergency which he foresaw, was not long in
comin . Before long the trail they were followi‘rlig
divid into four sections, each one pursuing a ' -
ferent direction.

By eneral consent the party evidently looked
upon t e big alligator-hunter as their leader, for no
one uttered a suggestion as they came to a bait,
and every eye was turned expectantly upon him.
The old man was flattered nota little, though he
gave no outward evidence of the fact.

“They’s fo‘trails now, as ye kin see fer yourself,"
be muttered, in an oracular tone, “ but afo’ we
reach the end, thar’ll be only one a ’in. The var-
miuts hev divided u , hopin’ we as is ollerin’ of ’em
will do the same. ‘ ’Twouldn‘t be likely thar’d be
fo’ men among us with knowledgeable judgment
enough to Sick up a trail that lays under two feet
0' mud an water. One, two, or mebbe three out
0‘ the fo’, ’d lose a trail an‘ git lost themselves in
the swamp which is just what them p’izen critters
count on. They scatter, break thar trails the best
way they kin, an” then strike all hands for the randy-
voo they agreed on afore the s ht up. Thar they-
‘ll lay low, in readiness to am u the fust party as
comes along. Countin‘ the “vantage 0' gittin in the
fust blow, they could easy flax out ary (uarter of
our party which is jest what i] iey ’low to o."

“ ou think, then, that all these trails will come
ltioi‘gether again?" asked the captain of the Magno-

 

“Sartain sure to,” was the prompt res onse.
“ Thar’s a dozen prisoners, an' no more ’n ha 1’ tha‘
many men to guard them ’Tain’t reasonable one
man ‘s goin' to take charge of two or three cap-
tyves fer any len tb 0’ time what the gittin’ alon
is as difficult as is ahead 0‘ us. It ‘d be too mac
like tryin’ to thaw out a keg 0’ unpowder by stir-
rin’ it u 'witha red-hot iron. sgooner or later the
men in s keer would ketch him foul, an’ then it
would be good-b —Johni ,

“No, those fo trails will come together an‘ jine
into one, the same size as this we‘ve bin follerin’
sence daylight. All we‘ve ot to do is to take one
of 'em and stick to it ontel t e end.”

There was sound sense in the reasoning of the
alligator-hunter, and as there was no man among
the party save himself who felt capable of lifting
a trail successfully through that dreary waste, it
3:21 finally agreed to act just as Jim Adams believed

s .

There was no time lost by this discussion, or
rather statement of the case. for. afh r_ three hours
of steady pro 3 through that dim: nit raxgmn, tl e
volunteersf t the need of a brcail incspcll. The
ardor of the majority was not a little cooled by the

 

natural difficulties they had encountered, though
they were ke t from saying as much by a feehng
of shame. i would be disgraceful to retreat so

soon. after the loud vauntings with which they set >

 

forth upon the trail, but the unlucky prisoners came
in fig; quite as many unspoken curses as did their
ca rs.

im Adams struck out along one of the four trails,
but had not followed it for more than a mile, before
he began to realize that he had underrated the skill
of his enemy. At the end of an hour, he was ob-
liged to admit that he had lost the trail. calling a
halt and selectin several of Amariah Colb ’s
bands, including A ner Clark, all of whom he is-
patched in different directions to aid in recovering
the lost trail.

All of an hour was spent in this manner, then
Adams summoned the party to follow him. They’
could see nothing, but defernn to his su Jerior skil ,
believed that he was 11 on t e trail. stead, he
was using head-work. e believed he knew the
pomt for which the enem was heading, and was
now leadin his men direc y thither.

More to is satisfaction than surprise, he came
upon a trail before journeying a mile, and though it
was larger than an one of the four, he believed
that it had been ma e by the reunited party.

“We’ll ‘most likely find them on that island, yon-
der." he said, indicating 9. ion , low patch of trees
and dense undergrowth that ay before them, and
which was reall ‘ the den " alluded to b Captain
Cool Blade. “ he trail leads strai ht t . Git
ready for hot work. We must run ght in on ’em,
or they’ll pick us of! one by one from that close
kiver. Don’t let any one git away. Now~chargel“

There was no lesitation or holding back as the
big alligator-hunter led the way at a rapid trot
through the knee-deep water and mud. A fight,
however deadly, was far preferable to a longer
toiling through such a disgusting region.

But the expected volley did not come, and the
island was reached without any opposition. Not
a sound came from the dense covert, and Adams be-
gan to suspect that he had made a mistake.

At that instant a wild cry came from a smaller
island some two hundred yards to the right.

‘ This way—help! for the love of Heaven, rescue
me!"

The last words were blended with the sharp explo-
sion of a pistol or gun, closely followed by a blood-
curdling scream of bitter a ony.

There could be no don t as to the spot from
whence roceeded these sounds, for a wreath of
blue smo e arose and hun over the small island.
The rescuing party saw t is. and only too easily
divined its meaning. The risoner who had called
aloud to them a moment be ore, had been ruthlesst
murdered.

There was no need for Big Jim Adams to bid them
charge. The volunteers were no cowards. They
knew that their enemy was before them and be~
lieved that one of their abducted friends had been
shot down like a wild beast.

With an yells the plunged through the mud
and water award the is an .

They were not destined to reap a bloodless victo .
A cornered foe is proverbially dangerous and t e
outlaws were men who had long carried their lives
in their hands, and who knew that they fought with
a halter around their necks.

Before one-half the intervening distance had been
covered, a sheet of flame-tinged smoke shot out
from the dense covert, and two of the charging
volunteers plunged head-first into the mire shot
dead. Others were sharply stung, and thong they
had expgcted some sue reception, the party was
s ggere .

Adams noted this, and springing to the front, he
shouted in a stentorian voice:

“Scatter out so they can’t take a pot-shot, an‘»
charge home i" but there came an appeal even more
potent than any he could utter: _ r

“Hel 1 they are murderin us!” anagomzed voice
shrieke from the little islan .

And close following the ap eal came the discharge
of half a dozen revolvers— ut none of the bullets
whistled around the volunteers. Be and a doubt
the outlaws were murdering their capt vesl

CHAPTER XXVIII.
A FATAL sno'r.

Tm; mate of the Magnolia heard the call which
Percy Talfourd cut across the river for a boat, and
having satisfied himself that there was a woman in
the case, at once jum ed to the conclusion that
those who appealed to for the means of cross-
ing the river. were survivors of the recent explosion.
Outside of his everyday occupation, the worthy
mate prided himself on being something of a ladies’
man, and was in no Wise 10th to display his gallant,-
ry in behalf of one of the fair sex.

Calling out four of the deck hands, he bade them
man the smallest yawl, taking the steering-oar him-
self. The force of the current was such that they
were obliged to pull _a few rods up the river in order
to strike the opposne shore at or near the point
where the young couple were awaiting their arrival,
and even t ion it “as no eas task to efl'ect a cross
ing. But the rowers bad p enty of muscle andno
man knew better than the mate how to call it into
full play. So well did he exercise this power, that
ten minutes later, the yawl reached the opposite
side of the river.

In accordance with the mate’s orders, the stern of
the awl was held against the land, and he received
the arm of Marie Beaufort in strong arms as
Percy Tnlfourd handed her down the steep, muddy
b . The young planter quickly followed, and
was recognized h r the mate, who also. knew the
maiden by sight, 1 ough he could not claim a speak.
in acquaintance with either of them.

This ut an end to the little romance which he had
anoweifms mind to half-shape, but the recognition
gave him ample food for his ton ue.

By his orders the men Dune lgisurely up along
the shore, to lessen their struggle With the current in
crossing over. He knew that Jules Beaufort was
this fair creature’s father, and he endeavored to
break tho tri thvto her gently and by degrees. Mane
would not have il‘. so, however. She grew so serious-
ly agiiaied that the tender-hearted mate foundhis
considerate programme all knocked endways.

He told of the rescue of Jules Beaufort, and ad-
mitted that the surgeon in attendance considered
the case a critical one. Apart from the gunshot
wounds upon hit-t person. il.e 3 isru‘r had been quite
serenely scolded, and had broken seven-d 01 his ribs.

 

 

l
robably when the wreck of the War Eagle went ‘

own. . ,

“But he will soon recover and be himself
Miss Beaufort," added the mate, polite] .
anxiety on your account once set at rest— ’

“And my mother—she was aboard the boat—can
you tell me anything of her?" faltered Marie.

“ Nothing of my own knowledge, but I overheard
a young man, named Clark, when the captain was
making out a list of those rescued, say that Mrs.
Beaufort was alive and uiihurt, at one of the houses
—Amariah Colby‘s, I believe." ‘

A sob of tliaiikfulness broke from the reheved
heart of the maiden. Both of her parents were
alive, and although one of them was injured, inat-
ters might have been so much worse. So many had
died—scores and scores of unfortunatcs—that she
could not be sufilcientl thankful that not one of her
near and dear ones ha been of the number.

The crossing was effected in safety, and the youn
couple made all haste throu h the inquisitive crow¢
boarding the Magnolia, un or escort of the mate,
who led them direct to the state-room where Jules
Beaufort was lying in a heavy, unnatural sleep, pro-
duced by otent drugs administered by the surgeon.

Marie g anced around her uneasily, after the first
silent greeting which she imprinted u on the damp
brow of the unconscious lauter. Ta fourd. readily
interpreted her look am he, too, felt no little sur—
prise at not finding rs. Beaufort in attendance up-
on her husband. Could it be that the mate wasmis-
taken in supposing she had been rescued, or, if so,
was she more seriously injured than he believed?

Percy iiestioned the stewardess, whom the doc-
tor had oft in charge of the planter, himself ac-
companying the rescuing party, where he beheved
his semces would be needed in a profeSSional way,
but the woman could give them no satisfaction, fur-
ther than to comfirm the mate’s report. She, too,
had heard that a Mrs. Beaufort was among the res-
cued, but supposed there must be some mistake 3
about her being this man’s wife, else she would ‘
naturally have hastened at once to his Side.

Talfourd knew that no other ersons of that name 1
had been passen ers aboard he War Ea 1e, and
though he ccncea ed his uneasiness from arie, he
felt a strange anxiety as he left the boat and iii-

uired which one of the houses was occupied .by
gmariah Colby. The mate volunteered to show him,
as he knew the family, that being one of the places
where the Magnolia regularly wooded up. ‘

Mrs. Colby was not taken by surprise. Amariah
had been present when Abner Clark spoke of Mrs.
Beaufort, and he knew that her name had been put
down upon the list of those rescued from the riVer.
Sooner or later there would be inquiries made con-
cerning her, and the worth couple haddecided to
tell at least a. portion of t e truth. This disagree-
able dut Amariah Colby delegated to his Wife, and
it was rs. Colby that answered Talfourd’s inqui-
l‘leS. .

“ Yes, a lady whom Abner Clark rescued from the
river, and who gave her name as Mrs. Beaufort, had
been an inmate of her house, up to midnigh or a
little later. At that time a stran er, one of the
rescued party, as he said and as she iad no common
to doubt at t e time, came to the house and asked to
See Mrs. Beaufort. She admitted him, and over-
heard him tell the ladythat her husband had just
been brought up the river, badly _hijured—that if
she wished to see him in hfe again, there was no
time to lose. The lady immediately arose and fol-
lowed the stranger, and she, Mrs. Colby, had bare-
ly time to fling a shawl over the lady s shoulders,
cre she was gone. N 0, she didn’t notice which way
the went. She had her hands full in caring for the
unfgrtunate wounded. She could tell them nothing
more; nor did she.

The young planter was sadly puzzled, and knew
not what to do, until he overheard a chance remark
that the bold robbery and abduction savored some-
what of Caitain Cool Blade—and then he remem-
bered the fiendish look that distorted the adventur-
er’s countenance as lieliissed.those bittei-.w01-ds in
the ear of Jules Beaufort as he laibleeding at his
feet. Could it be that the man‘s atred extended
even to the innocent and helpless? It might be, and
at least there could be no harm done in acting upon
the su ositlon. What would be eaSIer than to re-
maiiiid’lg? ‘

Percy Talfom-d had an abundance of money nor
was he afraid to spend it With a free hand. his,
added to his personal magnetism soon enabled him
to enlist a dozen stout men all well armed, and at the
head of whom, as soon as he could procure weapons
for himself, he enter-id the forest u on the‘broad
trail left by the party led by the alliga or-hunier.

I Pressing on at full speed they reached the spot
where the risoners had been forced to Slan the
checks fille out b the wife of captain Cool I Iade,
and there one of t 9 men made a discovery which ap-
peared to be roof positive that they were upon the
right scent. g‘liis was the heav shawl-which Lap-
tain Cool Blade had used to sti o the cries of terror
that Ml‘S. Beaufort tried to utterhwhen she realized
the nature of the snare into which she had so cun-
ningly been lured. It lay where Hortense took
charge of the woman, after the burned retreat of
itain Cool Blade.
ca ncouraged by this discovery, Perc Talfourd led
the way at a ace that severely 1295 ed the breath
and bottom of  followeis, and, as the party under
Jim Adams had no occasion to avonl leaving a broad
trail, his pro ress was far more rapid than that of
either of thegiends which had passed over the same
ground before him, since he was not obliged to lose
any time in either searching for or obliterating his
'ail

Thus it chanced that when the first shot was fired l
by the outlaws, the report was into plainl heard
by our friends, and as they pressc forward thout a.

ausc, they soon came in sight of a doubly burdened

orse, crossing an open space almost directly before
them.
Talfourd uttered an involuntary cry and flung
forward his rifle as he recognized the pale, terror-
stricken face of Mrs. Beaufort—a. cry that caused
the mad rider to abruptly rein in his horse. That

rain, ,
‘ His [

 

 

involuntary action was a fatal mistake, for the ride
of the young
both riders ro _
The black rider partia y
could reach them, struck

a long, glittering daggerl

lanter exploded with a sure aim and ,
ed sidewa s ed the home’s back.

arose and, before Perc
Mrs. aufort. tWice wu ‘

But that was the end. I

1 up the fatal trail.

 

Captain 0001 Blade.

dWhen Talfourd reached them, the black rider was

ead.

Even in that moment of intenso excitement the
youii planter could not mistake the truth.

“ll erciful heavens!” he cried, “I have shot a
woman!”

 

CHAPTER XXIX.
' AFTER THE BATTLE.

FOR an instant Big Jim Adams and his volunteers
stood as though petrified, when the fearful truth
burst upon them; that the enemy were fiendisth
murdeiiug their helpless prisoners. Such barbarity
scrined utterly incredible, yet nevertheless it was the
truth. The orders given by Ca mm 0001 Blade had
been positive and admitted o no alternative, and
his word was aw to Hortense.

Though her prisoners had not dared to show 0 en
insubordination, after her stern warning yet t icy
had mana'rcd to retard the flight not a litt e. Still it
was proba is that the outlaws would have succeed-
ed in throwing the volunteers off the scent, despite
the skill of Jim Adams, only for one fact.

It has been mentioned that the larger )ortion of
that particular hand, under command 0 one Sto-
p‘hens, was off on a (gray, or niarauding expedition.

his proved to be a failure, and the party returned to
their customary rendezvous much earlier than anti-
cipated. Suspecling nothing of what was in the wind

‘ they took no precautions to conceal their trail, an

it was their Spoor that J iiii Adams hit, after his vain
search for the other.

Hortense fully realized the peril, but she knew that
there was no time to rectify the mistake. It had
taken so long to carry out her own precautions, that
she knew the chem were close at hand. following
be prisoners were too tired to
flee at any rapid pace, and as the best that offered,
slio bade her party leave the den as cautiously as

’ possible, and take refuge upon the lower and smaller

island.
This was done, and even now they might have es-

] caped discovery had not one of the prisoners, catch-

ing a glimpse of his friends, forgot the warning he
had received and raised his voice in a startling ap-
peal for help. .

So unexpected was this, that James, who was near-
est the man, sent a bullet throu h his skull before he
rcglizcd how surely the soun would betray their
re iige.

Hortense saw that a conflict was inevitable, and
believed that it must end disastrously to her party.
Though they held the advani age of position, they
were outnumbered two to one.

Fully ac uaintcd with the story of her husband’s
past life, s e realized the importance of retaining
possession of Mrs. Beaufort, and after bidding the
outlaws fight to the bitter end, and to make sure
that none of the prisoners were rescued alive, she
mounted her horse, takin Mrs. Beaufort u before
her, and fled from the is and, kec )ing it etween
her and the enemy until out of Sight. Fled only
to meet death at the hands of Percy Talfour , who
little thought at the time that he was firing upon a
woman.

But a single instant did the volunteers hesitate.
Then, their ra e and ardor redoubled b the knowl-
edge that their helpless friends were ing foully
assassinated before their vei- faces, theycharged
ii) on the island with a blind ury that was irresist-
i c.

There was a fight, for the outlaws had not antici-
pated such a swift and deadly onset after the
severe lesson they had already taught the volun-
teers, but it was as brief as it was deadly. There
was no thought of givin quarter and though in
one or two cases, wounde outlaws egged for their
lives, their appeals were fiercely answered by a
pistolshot or a knife-thrust. They had been arrest-
ed in the very act of assassinating a dozen bound
and helpless captives. Mercy was not for such dia-
bolical ends. .

Abner Clark had the grim satisfaction of gaining
a second victory over the handsome adventurer who
had striven so assiduously to wreck his love-life, but
this time Dean Ashley 10X still when the young
farmer arose to his feet. long knife was thrust
to the hilt in his bosom.

The strife ceased only when the last outlaw fell
dead. The onset was so swift, that only two or
three of the party had time to flee, and they were
shot down in smft succession.

The victors had suffered. Five of their number
had fallen dead, while as many more bore the deep
hand-writing of their desperate foes, and seven of
the prisoners had been murdered.

These losses were being summed up, when the
party or anized by Percy Talfourd came up, and
related t eir strange storyi. The young planter had
remained behind with rs. Beaufort, to whose
assistance the gallant surgeon at once hastened.

He found her wounds were by no means danger-
ous though painful, and quickly stanched the flow
of load temporarily baiidaging the cuts. The
will of Iiortense had been good, but the 5\\lft up-

roach of death so weakened her arm that she
ailed to carry out her deadly purpose. She struck
blindly and With but little force.
IRude and hastily constructed but comfortable
litters were repared ii on which Mrs. Beaufort
and such of; e wounde as were unable to make
the return Journey on foot, were placed, and the
united forces set out for Colby’s Landing.

Percy Talfourd suptported one end of a litter on
which rested a sleii or figure clad in block-all
that remained of the one-time belle of tho Crescent
City, Hortense, Wife of Captain Cool Blade. No
matter what the crimes of her life mi ht have been,
she was a woman, and he could not cave hcr l,()(ly
there in the swamp for foul birds or beasts to feed
upon. If not in co: secrated ground, at least ilie
body should have a decent burial.

Great was the excitement when the victorious

arty returned to Colby‘s Landing, and the story of
{heir adventures made known. A curious crowd

flocked to gaze upon the remainsof the woman rob- -,

her, and, though Percy Talfourd put a step to the
scene as quickly as possible, by conveying the body
into Amariah Colby 5 house, more than one among
the Southern passengers rcco iiized the dead
woman. This fact by no means essened the fever-
ish interest. The romnatic weddin and honeymoon
of years ago was remembered an discussed and it
became the generalbelief of all aboard the Magno-

77 “"1 9

Ila that Captain Cool Blade was at the bottom of
the affair.

Percy Talfourd made arran ements with Amariah
Colby for the burial of thel -fated woman, for the
captain of the Ma nolia, now that their main obiect
was acconiplishc ,wus eager to make up for est
time, and gave the signal for resuming their oumey.

Nor were the men who had been rescu any the
less anxious to be off. Now that their lives were
safe, they could think of their money. It might be
possible to stop payment of the checks, even yet,
and perhaps to effect the arrest of the one who at-
tempted to cash them. This could be done by tele-
graphiiig from the city above, unless there was some
unusual dela in getting there.

Mrs. Beau ort was carried on board the steam-
boat, and there met her daughter. This, with the
knowledge that her husband was still alive, seemed
to siren then the lady wonderfully, and when the
surgeon ad pro erly dressed her wounds, he ave
it as hislopinion iat his patient would be quite or-
self again in the course of a week or so.

But misfortune still pursued the passengers of the

War Ea do. The Magnolia had not made ten miles
from Co by's Landin ' before she ran aground upon
a iiowly-foriiied cam bar. The paddle-wheels were
reversed and churned the turbid waters into a mud-
dy spray, but without stirring the steamer an inch
from her sandy bed. The spars were brought into
use, and worked for hour after hour, without pro-
ducing the desired effect. And as the river was
falling rapidly their situation grew more hopeless
with every minute. Though the work was still
persisted in, it was evident to all that the Magnolia
could never back off of that bar unaided. Fate
seemed against Warren and his brother planters.
' But then, as the afternoon sun was growing low
in the West, the smoke of a descending steamboat
was seen u the river and from the captain down,
all aboard t ie Magnolia felt like sending up a prayer
of thanksgiving.

The signal 0 distress was made, and the descend-
ing vessel at once made its arrangements for aidin
the iiiifortunates. Turning acefully as it asses
by, it held its own against tie current unti stout
hawsers were secured to each boat, then the wheels
of both vessels turned more and more rapidly, until
the Magnolia slipped backward from the saudbar,
chat]: more free to pursue its watery, dangerous
pa .

The various dispatches had alread been written,
and the moment the Magnolia reac ed the wharf,
Thomas Warren 51 rung ashore and made all haste
to the telegraphofilce. The messages were sent,
but by some oversi ht, nothing was said about the
check signed by W ter Campbell.

CHAPTER XXX.
A CURIOUS CATASTROPBE.

CAPTAIN Coon BLADE doubted greatly whether the
oncoming steamboat would make any effort to pick
him up, even if he should hail her, and resolved to
help himself, thcreb running no risk of being left
behind. His Ian 0 procedure was almost instantly
arranged an the cool daiin with which he carried
out the. ea, spoke well for is nerve and self-reli-
ance.

Still heading the prow of his frail skiff down-
stream, so he could watch the progress of the boat,
he floated along almost directly in the course of the
steamer. This apparently foolhard conduct was
noticed by the crew and a few of 6 passengers,
and that peculiar excitement which attends an
anticipated tragedy reigned on board.

It was almost a certainty that the crank skifl
would be filled and u not by the short, curling waves
that flowed from un er the huge, swiftly-revolving
wheels. And from each of the three decks, excited
witnesses were shouting hasty and conflicting direc-
tions to the man who appeared so frightens by the
impending danger as to be paralyzed beyond the
powor of using is oars.

But Captain Cool Blade knew what he was about,
and n_s'the pilot of the steamboat veered a little to
one sule he followed b a short strokeihat carried
his skiff to within tw ce its length of the wheel-
house, rendering swamp‘ing almost certain.

The boat swept on—t 9 first of the a
tossed the frail skiff, and then Captain
bent stoutlylto his oars, seemingly intent ii on run-
ning into t a after quarter of t e huge ull. In-
stead, he passed behind, fairly grazing the rudder
nearest him, then dropped the oars and s rung out
u on the rudder, ras iig the iron bar tba connect-
ei the two, and c imb ngbfrom it into the yawl that
swung from the davits a ove.

The skifl! he had deserted was almost instantly
overturned by the short, chopping waves, and an
excited cry went up from those aboard who believ-
eddthat the anticipated tragedy had actually occur-
re .

Several men sprung to the stern, meaning to lower
the yawl, but Captain Cool Blade was before them,
and nimhly crossed over the uards. As he did so,
he stood face to face With W ter Campbell!

The surprise was mutual, and both men instinc-
tively recoiled, each mechanically feeling for a
weapon as their gaze met.

0 the two, Ca tain Cool Blade was undoubtedly
the most thorong ly astounded, yet he was the first
to recover his wonted composure in outward seem-
ing, at least. He did not believe that Campbell could
connect him with the robbery at Colby’s Landing,
since he had worked behin the scenes entirely.
'l‘houghhe burned to put abullet through the man
who had so bitterly insulted hini when he was bound
and helpless, be resolved to hide his time unless a
fight was absolutely forced upon him He was play.
in for an enormous stake, and could not run the
gig .of figuring asa principal in another lynching

air.
“Wait until we get upon d land a sin, Mr.
Campbell,” he said, coolly, bfingng his egpty and
open hands before him. “Then wecan settle our
little dispute as gentlemen should, with pleasant de-
liberation, and wuhont the victor being lynched Cl“
lirmllod ashore a thousand miles from anywhere.
How is it? A truce or ii fight?" '

-Walfcr Cmnyln-ll was not anxious to precipitate
matters. Thou; f; unioubtedly a. bold man, he did
not_burn to sacrifice his own hfe merel to ratif a
proJudice, and he knew that, evenif liS Ist- S at
should prove fatal, Captain Cool Blade could still
. slay him. He did not even suspect that the adven-

y waves
ool Blade

 

 

‘20

Captain 0001 Blade.

 

turer whom he had assisted to put ashore from the
War Eagle, was at all connected with the events
which had transpired at Colliy's Landing and iii the
swamp adjacent. It will be remembered that Hor-
tense preserved the secreth her sex and identity
until long after Campbell had escaped, only being
rcco 'zed after death.

‘* on will find me ready for you at all times, and
ii any way, shape or manner," he said, stiffly, thrust-
ing back his half-drawn pistol. but not removing his
hand. “If you wish, we will call ita truce until

, . r we reach Orleans."

" fact will suit me best. I‘ll not offer you my
1. -. l l, for I mean to kill you. some day, and whatever
my faults, I am no 11 pocrite."

Campbell bowed s iortly, and turned away.

These words had been spoken (fillckl and in low
tones, so that their purpose had een 0st upon all
save the two more immediately concerned.

Captain Cool Blade knew the officers of the steam-
boit intimate] , and felt no hesitation in telling a.
portion of the ruth by we. of explaining his stmnge
entree. He told them of his quarrel with Jules Beau-
fort over the card-table, and of the duel which en-
sued. Also of how he had been “marooned,” but
there the truthful story ended. He said that he
concluded to return to his old stamping-grounds,
despite the yellow fever, and growing tired of wait-
ing for a descendin steamer, bought a skiff, provi-
sioned it and struc out down-river. Wea ing of
this working his own passage. he took the c ances
and boarded the Netawaka.

He found several of his friends aboard, and in a
short time succeeded in obtaining a suit of tolera-
bly-fltting garments, to replace those he wore, which
were a good deal soiled b all he had undergone.

He made good use of is time, and learned that
Walter Campbell had come on board at a wood-
yard, the night before. He also learned the story
of the slanter‘s escape, and found out that Camp-
Eill‘iliiaxtlg made known all that occurred at Colby s

n .

It was all-important for him to learn what plans
Campbell had formed, and this work be delegated
tothe friend who furnished him with the clothes.
He ran no risk in doin so, for the man was a. mem-
ber of the Family, an bound to obey the orders of
his chief. He was of good address, cool and quick-
witted, and possessed the advantage of being an
ac uaintance of the dplanter he was to spy upon.

ampbell was red y enough to talk, and nowing
no reason why he should keep his own counsel, only
afew minutes ela sed before the s y was in f l

possession of the p ans he had forme .

These were simple enough. The boat was draw-
ing near to one of the river cities where telegraphic
connections were made, and, though the boat had
neither freight nor Eassengcrs to land there, Camp-
bell had induced t e captain to change his mind,
fora consideration. and consent to land there long
enough for Campbell to send off a dispatch stop-
ping the payment of the check he had been forced
to Sign. ' '

At the. date treated of, the countrywas not, as
;now, a perfect network of railroads and telegraph

wires, nor could an office be found at every little
hamlet and village, these being confined to the larger
towns and cities. Hence it was that Campbell had
traveled so far without being able to send off a. mes-
sage to his bankers.

aptain Cool Blade and his ally discussed the
question of what must be done, in all its bearin s,
but could discover no more feasible plan than t e
following: when Campbell landed, they were to do
the same, and prevent his sending the message or
returning to the boat at all hazards. Just how this
should be done, must be left to the decision of the
moment, since it was im ossible to look far enough
ahead to form a more de nite plan.

As the boat came in sight of the city, the two con-
sgirators made their preparations to land, though
t e captain warned them that they would run 1: e

risk of being left.

‘ Campbell was too excited to notice them, or to

. think of anything save the dispatchin his message.

The landing was a work of time an no little diffi-
.culty, for the current of the river had suddenly
.changed with the formation of a bar opposite the
.city, and the insidious waters had washed away the
; eater ortion of the wharf and levee, running
. ke a mi -ra.ce at the foot of the ruins.

The captain growled not a little, but he had passed
his word. and would not go back on his bargain.

Several of the hands scrambled ashore as best
they could, when the boat swung around and puffed
alongside the bank, now a dozen feet hi h. The
boat was made fast, and the narrow gang-p nk run
out. At this instant the huge cable began to slip,
not having been fastened properly, an the swift
current to carry the boat down t e stream. The
pilot rung for the engines to go ahead, and the huge
wheels began once more to revolve.

The three men who were to land, ap arently did
pot notice this fact—Campbell certainydid not—
and started upothe stee) plank just as it began to
all and the boat's he to move away from shore
Wlfil the loosening of the hawser.

Under the circumstances, it was nowise strange
that an accident should ocuur—and that is precisely
what did happen.

.Cam bell was in advance, and'one of his feet
.511? —uot enough to endanger himself alone, but
it appeared to throw Captain Cool Blade who was
close behind the planter, wholly OE his balance, and
then—just how it hap enerl no one could explain
clearly—all three of the men fell from the gang-

_ p‘fink down into the agitated waters between the

l..L ii: and the hull of the boat! ‘

The wildest excitement ensued. It was almost
certain that tho unfortu ate wretches would be
swept under the revolving wheel, where they would
be ounded into a shapeless mass by the heavy
buc ets. The chances were a thousand to one

. flgflinSt their escape alive. though the wheels were
stopped as soon as possible, and the yawl at the
- stern dropped into the water.

Then a loud yell _roclaimed the fact of a single

body being seen floa ing down the current!

CHAPTER XXXI.
mine rm; nmvns'r.
Ilium-a dozen men hastily tumbled into the boat
r‘ l pulled after the floating body, almost running

 

 

 

such occasions, but the seemingly drowned rson
was finally dra ged into the boat, when t e dis-
covery was ma 9 that it was Captain Cool Blade.
And, though an hour was s wot u searching for the
two other unfortunates neither of the bodies were
over recovered. Doubtless they had been instantly
killed by the revolvin wheel, and never rose to the
surface. Such was t e general belief, and there is
no doubt but what one—half of it was truth.

When the se; T-~;rly lifeless body of Captain Cool
Blade was can run. on board the steamboat, those.
who undertook to restore him, noticed the livid
traces of flnger-grints upon his throat, that spoke
plainly of a terri 1e struggle under water.

In a few minutes Captain Cool Blade recovered
his senses S'lfflcieiltly to show that his life was in no
immediate danger, and then was called upon to ex
plain the meaning of those tell-tale marks.

“ I am but little wiser than the rest of you on that
score,” he said, tenderly fingering his scarred throat.
“All I can sa is that when Mr. Campbell slipped.
his foot struc ' my ankle, and made me lose my bi'i’
ance. As I fell into the water, one of the two men
grap led with me, and before I knew it, had me by
the t iroat. Even in that moment, I thought of the
wheel, and knew that unless we sunk deep enough,
we would be crushed by the buckets.

“In such situations, men are afit to think quick, if
they think at all, and will fight ard for their own
lives. I had no grudge a ainst either of the inen~
indeed, Harvey was one o my best friends—nor do
I know which one of them it was that had me by the

throat. However, it would have been the same if it ‘

had been my own father—for life is sweet.

“I was underneath, and doubled up in feet until
the rested ainst the man’s breast. hen Iflung
all he force could into the effort and kicked him
loose, though it seemed as though he had taken my
throat and windpi e with ' .

“ The effort pus ed me down until Istruck bottom
and that is the last I can remember until I awoke and
found myself here, on board.”

There was some truth in this explanation, but a
few words will serve to make it still clearer.

Until he saw the foot of his enemy slip, Captain
Cool Blade had formed no other plan than that al-
ready detailed, but now, without pausing to consider
the risk he, himself, would be running. he saw his
opportunity and promptly seized it. His .fall had
been intentional, not accidental, and he took care
that Walter Campbell should fall with him. Being
ina measure grepnred, the fall did not materiallfi
shock him, an he gra pied with Walter Cainpbe
the moment they struc the water, at the same time
sinking down as deep as possible in order to avoid
the paddle-wheel.

Tho h severely throttled himself, he did not relax
his gr‘ until assured that his enemy was put beyond
the ower of injurin him any further, then he arose
to t e surface. is insensibility was cunningl
feigned, and while being conveyed to the steamboa ,
be arranged his story so that no blame could be cast
11 on him, even if the body of the planter should be
discovered. The finger-marks upon his own throat,
would be his justification.

The result proved how well he had reasoned. Even
those who liked him least, fully acquitted him of all
blame in the matter. It had been an unfortunate
accident, nothing more.

Captain Cool Blade felt reaonably safe, now that
Walter Campbell was out of the way, and took mat-
ters easily during the remainder of the voyage to
the Crescent City. He did not believe that another
one of tiielFrisoners could have effected an escaagf,
and even ‘ the passengers aboard the Netaw a
should repeat the strange story toldb WalterCam -
bell, he would take care that the c ecks were al
presented for payment before the bank officials
could possibly suspect anything was wron .

He was the first passenger to spring as ore when
the Netawaka reached her destination, and though
he avoided the appearance of undue haste, he an-
tered the first back that resented itself and bade
the negro driver convey im to the omce of Levi
Sharg,  the street and number, promising
him ou le fare if the trip was made in ten min-
utes.

It was nearly three o‘clock in the afternoon, when
Captain 0001 Blade stood before Levi Sharp, 9.
short, but handsome Jew, who he decided should
be his a ent in this matter. Though he felt tolera-
bly con dent that there would be no trouble about
cashing the checks. the adventurer was too wise
to run unnecessary risks, or do an ht that might
make New Orleans, where he was ob iged to pass so
much of his time in the interests of the League, too
hot for him.

Levi Sharp was known to almost evcig financier
in the city, doing heavy husmess as a b l discoun-
ter and usurer in eneral to the lanters who need-
ed advances on ticir cm s. A etter man to pre-
sent such large drafts cou (I not well he found.

Thou ha member of ihc League, and therefore
undert e orders of the captain, chi Sharp would
enter no job blindfolded, and knowing this well
from past .experlcnce, Captain Cool Blade game a.
rapid sketch of the manner in which he became
possessed of the checks, though time was passing
rapidly, and the hour was at hand for the closing of
the ban ks.

The little Jew was fully able to appreciate any
stroke of positive genius, and went into ecstasies
over the bold and telli stroke dealt his enemies
by Captain Cool Blade. 5 accepted the cominis—
sion without a moment’s hesitation, feeling confl-
dent that no rumor of the “ financial 6M! 2 ” at Colby’s
Landing had ained circulation in the c ty as yet. _
“Stop at t c Planters’ Bank, first and cash this
check si ned by Walter Campbell. ake a back-—
there is t e one I used still waiting at the door.—
and don’t spare horse-flesh. Take the amount in
bills. Gold will he too bulky to handle, and we
may have to light out of this in a hurry. Cash that
check first, then go and do the same with this one
signed Thomas Warren. Here are two others on
the same bank, and if there is time, you can take
them out, also. Now go—and don’t go to sleep on
the road. Cash these four, and we will be sure of
fift thousand, at any rate.”

e little Jew nodded, and hastened away. No
fearhbut what he would do his best, since he was to
receive five per cent on all the checks ed. '

A film r. «infill drive. took him tothe corner above

 

i. “can is that ill-regulated ardor wconnuou upon , the l’auiers‘bankmnu biddingthc hack-driverau'ait .

his return he hastened into the bank. With a nod
to the cas ier, whom he knew intimately, Mr. Sharp
passedthe check across the counter.

Despite the risk he was running, he betrayed no
outward evidence of agitation, and not a muscle
chan ed as he saw the cashier start, as though sur-
prise_ at something. Levi Sharp hail concocted a
plausible story in case sus icion should be aroused,

ut he was too wary to vo unteer any information,
nor did the cashier ask any questions. The signa~
ture was a difficult one to counterfeit, and was
undoubtedly genuine. Satisfied on this point, he
Simply asked which Mr. Sharp would prefer, gold
or notes, and on being informed, rapidly counted
out the amount.

Levi Sharp crammed the bundle of notes into his
sachel and left the bank, only the bright gleam in
his black eyes betraying his deli ht.

He hastened to the other ban , left the back at a
short distance as before, and feclin quite confident

- that there was no danger of etection, assed -

nee. checks, that signed by Thomas arren
 ‘ on top, over the counter.

Litre from habit than from suspicion, he eyed the
cashier keenly, thouglh covertly, as the latter rapid-
l y glanced over the s 'ps of plaper. But the official
smiled cheerfully at him as e blundly asked which
he preferred, notes or gold, adding:

‘ You are harelyin time, Mr. Sharp \and only
that you are such a good customer, we 5 ould have
to request you to call in the morning. Our rules
are very stringent, but are elastic enough to stretch
:2 point in favor of our friends."

“The drafts were left with me for collection,"

glibly responded the Jew. “My client prefers
notes, as he is about to bu 11E cotton through the
interior, where he will nee t 3 ready money and
thirty thousand dollars in gold would be rather hard
on a man’s suspenders."
_ The cashier laughed softly at Mr. Sharp’s little
Joke, and dextrously ran over the pile of bank-
notes for the second time before nshini them
across .the counter. Plain] enoug be ad no
suspicions of the truth, and . Sharp laughed in
his sleeve-as be counted the notes.

His feelings might have been less delightful had
be known that the cashier, on first catching sliht of
the signature of Thomas Warren, had touu ed a
hidden wire that rung a small bell in the directors‘
room, telling the two detectives in plain clothes who
waited there, that the bird of prey had fluttered
into the snare.

Mr. Sharp stowed away the money and left the
bank, entering the hack in waiting and bidding the
sable Jehu drive back to his ofiice, where. ten min-
utes later he was telling Captain Cool Blade the
story of his complete success.

It was known at the bank that Mr. Sharp must be
acting as the agent of some one else, since he had
not been absent from the city, and in hopes of catch-
ing the real criminal the money was aid and the
detectives followed the back. As a eady seen.
Shar made no efforts to double, and the officers
foun no difficulty to enter the office, where they
leveled their cocked revolvers at the heads of the
two astonished men.

CHAPTER XXXII.
A cool. BLADE.

“ You are our risoners, gentlemen. dead or alivel"
quietly uttered a detective who entered the little
room first. and his words were emphasized by a
cooked and leveled revolver.

Two criminals were never more thoroughly con-
founded thaii were Captain Cool Blade an Levi
Sharp. Nothin had occurred to arouse their sus-
picions. They adbeen paid fifty thousand dollars
Without a word of protest or question asked. They
believed themselves so perfect y secure that this un-
expected move literally paralyzed them both for the
time being.

Captain Cool Blade was the first to recover him-
self, and his first impulse was to leap upon, not the
omcer, but Levi Sharp, who he believed had be-
trayed him, and led the detectives to where he was
awaiting the result. But this impulse was only mo
mentary, for the first glance showed him that he had
wronglfii suspected the little Jew. No living actor
could ave counterfeited that expression of utter
amazement and consternation.

“It‘s .no use, captain,” quickly added the detect
ive, mismterpreting the lance. “We have got you
foul this time and any a tempt at cutting up rusty,
can only result in your own hurt. Our orders are to
take you, dead or alive, and though I should mighti-
1 hate to do it, I will put a blue pill through you at
t s first ugl motion.‘

Ca tain ool Blade saw that the man meant every
wor he uttered, and from past experience he knew
that any attempt at escape on his part would be re-
warded by instant death. With the air of one who
has concluded to make the best of a bad bargain, he
said, almost cheerfully:

“Those are hard words, Jamison. but I know on
would not utter them unless on believed you ad

ood cause. Of course it is all7 a ridiculous mistake;
ut you may as well tell what it is about. On what
charge do you arrest us?"

The officer nodded significantly toward the pile of
bank-notes which lay upon the ofl‘lce table.

“They were honest come by," laughed Captain
Cool B ode. “ A pac of cards is more rofltable
than a policeman‘s club, Jamison. I m e a short
but Keying trip, this time." .

“ trip that will end in the ug, I‘m afraid. The
whole story is out, captain. 0rd was sent down by
telegraph concerning all that occurred at Colby‘s
Landing, and though we didn’t ex ect to catch you,
we have been on the look-out for I use checks these
two days past. It’s a worse ending than Icould wish
you, captain but we must niii you in."

This speech told the adventurer that all was known
and that his grand c-fup l'ad utterly failed. Still he
was determined to esca before he could be brought
to trial. He thought 0. attempting to bribe the om-
cers, but only for an instant. He knew them too
well for that. They were incorruptible.

Des ite the advantage the ' had, and their own
tes courage, bothpf the etectives were alittle
anxious. The captain was no ordin man, and
the ' would not feel comfortable until 9 was safe
cm or if"? N‘ - “9’-

“I but“. Lu ‘QU it, ka;)i-J~,' aided Jugkfllu. “but

 

5i

 

w......,. ..

-«m. A

 

   

Captain 0001 Blade.

21

 

 

our orders are very strict. I‘m afraid we'll have to
put the bracelets on chu."

“Not unless you '11 me first!" im ulsively cried
Ca min 0001 Blade. an ugl Ii ht in h 5 eyes and a
re spot burning upon eac c eek. “I am willing
logo with you peaceably, for I can easily prove that
this chargeisa put up job but I’ll not be taken
llirou h the streets li’ea elon, untilI have been
move one. Unless," he added, as though on second
“Wight, “you will call a close carriage. In that, I
Wont mind so much.“

“ Iintended to repose the same thing," promptly
rxspondcd the o cer, plainly relieved more than he.
-. ill’l have cared to express in words. “ Our orders
. i l our running the slightest unnecessary risk
h at you must don the darbies, but you shall have all

Hz" scc‘i'ucy you wish."

" (food enough; I’ll not forget your censidemuon,
Jamison, or ceney. Theres a hack at the door
that will do. I pledge you my word that I will m: ke
no attempt to escape while going from here to the
gangs e. You can put on the bracelets after we get
ins: e. ’

The officers plainly would have preferred to
handcuff their prisoners before leavin the room, but
heSitated to insist uéion doing so, a ter the volun-
tary pledge given by aptain Cool Blade. That would
show they were afraid of the redoubted adventurer,
and though they inwardly acknowled ed the fact,
thgy were ashamed to openly confess t at fear.

a tain Cool Blade appeared to take their con-
sent or granted, and turning to the table, crowded
the bundle of bank-notes into the hand-bag, locking
it and liandin the kc and sachel to Jamison.

“I’ll take t 6 key ut on may carry the p-
sack," said the officer, smiling grimly. ‘Not t at I
doubt our word in the least, but or are are orders.
You, eeney, go out and see that the hack-driver
is on the s uare. You, entlemen, will please fol-
low him whi e I bring up t e rear."

This programme was dnl carried out, and the
ofiiceis were already secret y congratulating them-
selves on the success which had attended 'their
venture. Had they known who they were gomg to
arrest, bold as they were, they would not hav_e_made
the atte pt without a strong force in waiting to
back them. . .

Had they caught the brief sentence which Captain
Cool Blade whispered into the ear of his companion
as they entered the hack, their feehngs might have
nude no a change. Those words were:

“ utch me, and take care 0 Keeney."

Captain Cool Blade and evi Sharp entered the
hack first, cl sely followed b the detectives, Jami-
can only pausing to bid the river take them to the
station-house. . .

“ Pull down the blinds, Jamison," said the captain,
the moment the door was closed and the hack start-
ed ofl. “We might as well have walked, as travel
in this style. I don’t want to be made a show of."

The detective obeyed, but it proved an unlucky
move for him. Captain 0001 Blade dealt him a ter-
rific blow with his clenched fist under the ear, that
knocked him back into the seat, senseless. At the
same time the adventurer grasped his revolver and
turned its muzzle toward the second officer. .But
Lovi had obeyed orders, and wrestinfi the pistol
from Keeney‘s hand, caught him byt 6 hair. and
doubled his head down between the seats With a
force that would not be denied. The man was un-
able to utter a sound above his breath, much less to
struggle eflectuallly. .

Ca tain Cool B ade saw that the little Jew was

11 to the occasion, and as the carria e rolled
a ong without cessation he knew that tie driver
had not caught the sound of the brief stru le.

Imitatin the voice of Jamison, he call? to the

E bade him drive out of the_city to the
shell-road. The negro, supectin nothing, obeyed
without a question, and satisfle With his success
tlfius far, Captain 0001 Blade proceeded to make sure
0 hisca tives.

He sligped a pair of handcufls which he found in
J mison‘s ckets around that worthy’s wrists, and
then bade harp allow his prisoner to arise.

Stran led beyond the power of speech. Keene
painfullgy straightened up, and Levi held the officer 3
Own pistol under his nose while Captain CoolBlnde
“dusted the handcuffs. Not satisfied with this rc-
caution be tied a large, hard knot in a handkerc icf
and effectusz gagged the detective, then served
Jamison in the same manner.

“That was a tight box, but I reckon we areout
of it, nicely," he said, with a low mocking lapgh.

“I don‘t see much to be tha ul about, grum-
bled Sha . “The city will be too hot for"us after
this and will lose every cent Lam worth!

“ you would be worse ofi in the Ju", rctorted the
captain. “Iwill give you fifteen thousand dollars
to start with, and you will never look for fresh
Pigeons to pluck. But I don‘t want to be taken too

in from the city. I must tell the man to drive more
a owl ."

This he did, in the voice of Jamison, and the order
was obeyed.

By this time the detective had recovered suffi-
cientl from the stunning blow to comprehend how
com finely the tables had been turned. But the
go ted handkerchief in htiss mouth prevented. him

0m utterin his sentimen .

As they rage slow -on, Captain 0001 Blade warn-
lfidthein to be care ul wiggttifiipfigt they made at

ead uarters. and swore a name was even
hinted1 at in connection with the Man; their hves
would not be worth a day‘s ransom.

He caused the negro to drive bee]: and forth along
the shell-road until the sun went down and it grew
dusk, then he told Levi Sharp the_plans he had
formed. The mone was diwded in the propor-
tion ed u on am? then the feet of the detectwes
were ound ly together in such a manner that
they could not kick. ,

Stopping the hack the two men blighted. and to

e sure that the driver's suspicions should notbe
aroused, they put the plan Captain 0001 Blade had
arranged into execution.

After a few moments’ absence, he returned and
told the driver that they had determined to drive
out to Pinger‘s, a then noted house of entenamment
far out on the shell-road. While givi these direc-

 

driver an

firms. Levi Sharp pretended to enter t e hack but
instead, slipped ground t: the rear and crouched
n e an .

l 9, still personating the omoer,

low down u

 

repeated his instructions, addln that as they were
in no hurry, he the driver, in ht take his time,
then bore himself heavily upon he step as though
entering Instead of doi so he slammed the door
heavily, slipped under the ack, and had the satis-
faction of seeing the driver move on with his captive
passengers.

 

CHAPTER XXXIIL
A cm snino snow.

CAPTAIN COOL Bi.- :2 apparently accepted this re-
markable escape as quite a matter of course, nor
did his companion appear at all elated—if anvthin
the contrary. Thus though from very di eren
u. uses, the two men lost no time in sclf—gratulution.
Captain Cool Blade was so used to success where he
once made up his mind to conquer—had fought
death and captivity so often hand to hand—that ho
dismissed the matter from his mind without an
e 01 .

LeviShar was different] constituted. He thought
for more 0 what he had ost than of what he had

aiiied. He knew that his lucrative business in the

‘rescent City was forever ruined. However carn-

ful the two detectives mi ht keep their tongues
from implicatingOCaptain 00] Blade, they would
spare no pains hunt him down, and would be
doubly vindictive because their personal sense of
safety would not allow them to wreak their, ven-
geance upon the first-named.

The little ch felt that his master had injured
him, and therefore was in no wise loth to accept
the proposal made b Captain Cool Blade the mo-
men‘t the sound of w eels died away along the shell-
I'OEM .

“We‘ll walk back until we come to a light; then
I'll give you fifteen thousand dollais. It will be best
for us to separate, and each go our own way. There
may be no danger until Jamison 'and Keeney can
return to town—which will not be much before da '-
dawn—or there may be other traps set for us.
fiou take my advice, you will not lose much time.

etter lose some of your Iproperty than to lose the
whole, in addition to your ibcrty.'

Levx Sharp made no reply. He was not fool
enough to utter all that washt his ton e's end.
While he felt as he did, utter Silence was 1e best.

Captain Cool Blade strode rafiiidiy along the road,
Buying little attention to his an en companion. His

rain was busied with matters of far more impor-
tance. He was thinkin of the trap that had been
set for him into which c had so easily fallen. He
knew that the revelation had not come from the lips
of Walter Campbell. Was there another traitor
among his band, or had Hortense failed in the dut
he had assigned her? A suspicion of the trut
flashed across his mind, but he quickly banished it.
He would not even think of such a calamity.

The money was divided, and the two men ed.
Captain Cool Blade hastened into the city, an made
the best of his way to the shop of a costumer, with
whom he had more than once had dealings.

The little Frenchman recognized his signal, and
silently conducted the captain into a private room,
where there was no fear of interruption or eaves-
dropping. Here the adventurer made known his
wants with the full assurance that they would be
promptly supplied. Nor was his confidence mis-
place . The ittle costumer was an artist in his
peculiar line, and knownig from East ex crience
that the captain had a liberal hand. e exce ed him-
self on this occasion.

Instead of the dashing gambler, a tall, round-
shouldered. mallow-faced, hay-color haired old man
came forth from the private room, th .- very picture
of an uiipolished planter from the “ clay-eating "
districts of Georg-la, from his slouchcd hat down tq
his alligator-hide oots. His own wife, had she been
living would hardly have known him, so complete
was the metamorphosis. '

Feeling proof against reco nltion, Captain Cool
Blade paid a visit to the steam oat offices and learn-
ed that the Glasgow was to pull out at early dawn,
the next morning, and at once secured a berth
aboard. This settled, he went to a hotel and (uictly
slept away the hours until it was time to take the
boat.

Despite the soundness with which he had repct'ctl
through the night just past. Ca tain Cool Blade \\ ~..;.
extremely ill at case not on in s own account—but
because of his wife. That she must have proved un-
able to carry out his instructions, the fact that the
payment of the checks had been stopped by tele-
graph was ample proof. But had there been any-
thing more than ailure? Ho feared there must
have been, for neither Hortense nor the men under
her command were likely to yield tamely, without a
stout fight. ' _ '

Yet even his worst forebodings did not go as far as
the whole truth.

As the disguised gambler passed over the gang-

lauk and stepped aboardthe steamer Glas ow, be
airly brushed shoulders With Jamison and echo ,
the police officers whom he had so dexterousy
tude the tables upon a few hours before.

The negro driver had leisurely roceeded to Pin -
er’s’ as directed, and. drew up be cm the door, wit
his customary flourish. [Delighted with the rich
fare that had fallen to his lot, he jumped nimth
down from his seat and opened the door. His
amazement may be better imagined than described
when he ,saw t at his four passengers had dwindled
down to two, and they both bound, gagged and
handcuffed.

There is no occasion to dwell upon the scene that
followed. “The army in Flanders " would have
hung its united head in s eechless des air, and the
time-honored proverb won d have been lotted from
their tattered banners by tears of envy at hearing
the ragi flood of sulphureous elo uence that pour-
cd forth ‘rom the unlocked jaws of he two outwitted
detectives. As there was no one else whom they
could possibly blame. the pitched upon the dumb-
founded n , accusing im of being in the plot-
biit flnallyt ey re-entered the hack and made
possible 5 ed to the cit . Here they told the whole
sto , an had the cut police force on the alert
insi e of an hour. Thev caught Levi Shag), whose
cu idity would not s er him 0 flee wl out one
effgrt to save at least a portion of he propertg.
The steamboats were closely watched. bu t e
Glasgow ulled_ out on time, without the detectives
catching The bird the sought though Ca tain Cool
Blade stoodclosebem e them f half

 

or nearly a -hour.

 

On that trip u the river, Ca min Cool Blade was
fated to suffer t e tortures of t e damned.

The sior of tho robbery at Colby's Landing, the
pursuit an defeat of the bold criminals, the rescue
of aportion of the prisoners. and above all the death
of a woman in the guise of a man, who was believed
to be the leader of the outlaws—all this had been
telegraphed to the “Picnyuiic,” and.iiow formed
the general topic of discussxon aboard the Glasgow.
It was rumored that the body of the (load woman
had been recognized, and the almost forgotten story‘
of her romantic hone moon as the bride of the
notorious Captain Cool lado was revived and plenti-
fully embellished. It was also dcclzircd that tin
ca tain was the real author of the ortt'mqand the
o ccrs of the law were called upon to spcedily bring
the minimal to the bar of justice.

A thousand times during the journey, C’hptain
Cool Blade was tempted to throw oti his disguise
and punish some ribald speaker who was airing his
eloquence on the subject of tho outluw's wife but
one thought as often rrstraiucd him. His ii e, if
this-terrible story was a true one, no longcr lielo ed
to himself. He must aven e her—must find out he
man whose. huud lilti lui her low; and until then
he could only wait, marking down each man whose
tongue was pointed by niulice', for a future object of
attention.

.Yet, despite his enforced calmness, and the per-
Sistence With which he strove to believe that the re-
port had no foundation in truth, Ca tain Cool Blade
was fully ten years older when he eft the Glasgow
at the. wood-yard a .cw niilrs below Colby’s Land—
ing. He did not dorm it prudent to proceed direct
to the latter place, lost a trap should have been set
for him, but pressed on and closely inspected the
premises first.

A familiar signal soon i relight out Aniariah Colby,
who, though in fear and ti-ciubling, told his master
everything that had occiirii-d during his absence.

How Hortense had met her death at the hand of
Percy Talfourd' how she lad failed to slay Mrs.
Beaufort; how 1: e party had deraitcd on board the
Magnolia, with Jules Beaufort s‘ill livii: ; and how
he and his men had given the body of t e ill-fated
woman a decent burial.

Through it all Captain Cool Blade listened in stony
silence. Not a sound came from his lips until Ama~
riah Colby concluded, though the sweat of bitter
a 'ouy stood in great drops upon his brow. Then, in
a ow, strained voice that made the swamp-magnate
tremble as though he heard the dead 5 eaking to
him, the captain bade him lead the way 0 the spot
where his wife was buried.

Colby obeyed, but as Captain Cool Blade sunk u
on his knees beside the oblor mound, he fled n
haste from the spot to shut on from his ears the
fearful curse that poured from the bereaved gam-
bler’s lips!

 

CHAPTER XXXIV.
nmnnmo nvro inn sums.

NEARLY six weeks had elapsed since the tragic
scenes which occurred at Colby‘s Landing.

The Magnolia made the trip to St. Louis in safety.‘
without an event worthy of record, at least to those'
who had p (yeti a rart in this chroniile. Both Jules.
Beaufort an his wife had survived the pass; e, and
were now living in acomfortable house on ‘aliiut
St., in St. Louis. They were neither of them in fit
condition to endure the unavoido le bi tile and noise
which reigns in a hotel, and Per'c Talfourd had at
their request, rented the building they now occupied,
for the summer.

The surgeon’s prediction in the case of Mrs. Beau»
fort, had been fulfilled. Though still somewhat
feeble she had almost cntirrly rccovcred from the
valoun s inflicted by the dying wife of Captain Cool

e.

, Not so with Jules Beaufort. The double wound he
had received from l.is bitter eiicniy, refused to heal.
He had been severely injured in the explosion, and,
though he did not appear to grow any “0188, neither
did he improve. His constitution had been so terri-
bly shattered by the hard drinking and other exces-
ses of the ast, that he was unable to rally. Though
the physic ans in attendance uttered the usual for-
11111118. they well know that the broken-down planter
would never be a well man again, even if he ever
arose. from his bed.

Percy suspected this, though he kept it from Marie,
and encouraged her liopcs us iiiudi as possible. He
had so far prevailed. upon her to name a not veiy
dista t day for their wedding, and in the mean-
time he was doing all that lay in his power to make
her life pleasant, fore-seeing the time when sorrow
must crush her spirits.

On the evtniiig when we take ip the thread of
our story once more, the young couple were goin
to the theater, lor the first line since their arrival
in St. Louis. Au apparent iniprm einent in the con-
dition of her fuller, mick d to the peruasions rf
her lover, had induced Marie to ive her consert.
This was the first time they ha either of ii cm
felt justified in spending an evening away fir-m
home, since their at rival, and their spiiits weic very
light for they little ti ought of all the pain and non-
bie that night was fatal to bilng forth. I
As they alighted from the carriage and entered tl e
vestibule of the il'eater Mane uttered a little u y
of fear, and clung tumblineg to Percy‘s arm.

“I saw a face—the face of the man who shot poor
fatherl" she nuimniicd, in flJ’IK-m‘il‘ to his solicitous
in iiiries. “There by the lamp-post—“

alfourd glanced :ecnly around, but could dis-
cover nothing to cause 11mm, and reassured Marie
an best he could” fliimly convincing her that she
must have been misled by her fancy. It was not at
all likely that Ca .tain (‘ool Blane was in St. l oriii,
but even if he s ould be, tlx-y had no cause tobe
alarmed. _

It is easy to be convmced even against our own
senses, where one truly loves, and in a trief space
of time Marie hgd quite recovered from her scare.

During this httle bit of b -play, Peicy Talfourd
had diverted attention from {no fair chaige, by pre-
tending to be arranging her opera cloak. while re-
assuring her, thus avoiding 311th like a scene.
And now the ascended the broad ht of 81:21:
that carried em to the entrance of e dress

cle.

Had Taifourd been a little less confident in his be-
lief that their enemy was far away from that spot,
perhaps the current of after-events might have been

 

  

 

9.2

931???? 99,01 Bled”-

 

 

wholly changed. For the face that had so startled
Marie Beaufort, was indeed that of Captain Cool
Blade, who drew back into the shadows as he saw
that he was recognized, though maintaining a osi-
tion from whence he could note the further ac ions
of the young cou 1e.

He saw the fruitless glance of the planter, and as
they proceeded up the stairs, he hastily urchaserl a
ticket and followed them, keeping his soft but
slouched over his face in order to guard against re-
cognition in case Talfourd should glance behind
him. But this precaution proved unnecessary.
Percy had already forgotten the matter, and leisure-
lyl proceeded to their seats, in blissful ignorance of
t c fact that the bitterest enemy they either of
them had on earth, was keepin it close watch upon
them from the door, and care ully noting the posi-
tion they occupied.

A few minutes later, Percy did glance around, but
then the dark flgure had vanished.

The orchestra played an overture, then the cur-
tain slowly arose, and the play he an. It was a
new one to them both, an emotiona drama of ab-
sorbing interest. and for the time being all else was
forgotten as they watched the Bro§ress of the pierc.
Then the curtain fell upon t e rst act, and the
lovers, with a long breath, returned to real life once
more.

The scarce had time to exchan e a few remarks
on w at the had witnessed, w en a hand was

laced u on alfourd’s shoulder. He recognized a

ederic Fulton, whom he was slightly acquainted
with, and marveled at the gravity upon the young
plant‘er’s face as he requested a word with him in
priva 8.

“It‘s of the utmost importance, and I trust Miss
Beaufort will accept that fact as a valid excuse ful‘
my seeming rudeness," Fulton said, in a low tone,
by way of explanation.

Talfourd excused himself. and followed Fulton
away from the crowd, near the entrance.

“What is the matter?”he demanded, strivin
vain against a premonition of coming evil. “ he
would think you had come from a graveyard—~”

“I came mm a death-bed, which is almost as
had,” was the sober response. “It was a lucky
chance that led me past your house, on Walnut
street this evenin , for a servant who used to be in
my employ, rush out in great haste and recogniz-
ing me, told me that he was goin for the doctor
that hismaster, Mr. Beaufort was 'ng. He adde
that after he had found the doctor, e was to hasten
for you to the theater. Just then Mrs. Beaufort
came to the door, and recognized me. I volunteered
to fetch you, and she accepted, but begged me to
kee the fact a. secret from her daughter—that it
mig t possibly be a false alarm, and at all events,
her resence could only add to the trouble and grief.

“ lost no time in coming here, and have engaged
a hack for you. It stands right in front of t e en-
trance, with a man at the door. You cannot miss it.
You will gain time b taking it. If you will allow
me, I will see after iss Beaufort until the play is
over, or until you can return for her.”

The young planter was almost stunned b this re-
velation, coming when he was so perfect y happy,
and saw nothing suspicious in the story.

Fulton had been remarkably considerate, and had
arranged for everything. He thanked him hurried-
li an begged him.to ollow, and he would place
t 6 young lady in his charge.

This Percy did, controlling his voice and features
as perfectly as possible under such a sudden call.

‘ Iwill soon return, Marie," he whispered: “un-
til then Mr. Fulton Will remain with you. I am sure
you will neither of you regret the substztution."

Then he was gone, but in his endeavor to be care-
less and natural, he had rather overdone the matter,
and as Marie collected her scattered faculties, she
felt sure that something was wrong.

Those seated near by, had noticed the little epi-
sode, but as the orchestra begian another tune, their
attention was quickly diverte .

Under cover of the music Marie began to question
Mr. Fulton as to what evil tidin 3 he had brought.
For a. few minutes he parried er queries, but so
clumsily that her fears grew greater with the pas-
sage of each moment.

hen he changed suddenly, saying:

“I do not think it is right that you should be kept
In ignorance of the truth through mistaken kindness,
Miss Beaufort. If you will permit me, I will escort
you home. Your father is (lying 1"

Then the power of true blood showed itself. Not
a sound escaped the maiden‘s lips, and she drew the
Vail over her face to conceal her deathly paleness as
she arose, and gasfped:

“ For the love 0 Heaven take me home!"

In silence Frederick Fulton drew her trembling
hand through his arm and led her toward the door.
The motion a peared to restore her strength. and
she hastened own the stairs and through t e vesti-
bule. A close carri e was in waitin before the
entrance, and Fulton. anded her in, f0 owing after
giving thxe driver a direction—not to Walnut street,

owever

The fair bird had fluttered into the fowler’s snare!

CHAPTER XXXV.
norm SURPRISES THAN ONE.

0mm Coon Buns, over the grave of his dead
wife, swore a fearful oath of ven§eance upon her
destroyer, in connection with the eaufort family,
old and oung—an oath so terrible that Amariah
Colby d from the spot with hands on his ears.
Nor did the ca tain allow any grass to grow under
his feet. He bought onl of revenge, and paid no
attention to the fact that e was now an outlaw in
reality, a heavy reward being oflered for his cap-

He followed his intended victims to St. Louis, but
there he lost track or them for nearlya month,
finally discovering their place ot‘ residence not quite
two weeks before the night in question. Though
his heart was so filled With hatred the most intense,
Ca tain 0001 Blade lost none of his usual coolness
an forethought. _He would not strike the blow un-
tilall was in readiness and utter success assured.
There were times during those two weeks, when he
could have struck down the unsus cting young

ter with little or no rsonnl rig: but as often
withheld his hand. e would not et Percy Tal-

toui-d atone so casilyfor the blood he had shed.

 

He should die, but not until he had fasted of the
ltlittetzlr draught which was being so carefully prepared
or 1m.

Through lavish bribing, he corrupted one of the
servants, and through him learned that the young
couple were intending to spend the evening at the
theater. This was the opportunity for which he had
been patient] waiting, and lie resolved to strike his
contemplatel blow th. 1; same evening.

Here, as frequently before, Captain Cool Bind e
made use of his high office in the League, to 8.000121-

lish his private ends. He found plenty of thorncm-
ers of the Famil in town. and had only to tell them
What portion of t 0 work full to their lot.

The captain dogged the lovers to the theater, nar-
rowly escaping discovery at the entrance, as already
recorded, and wci'chrd them settle down in their
seats. Then he sought out Frederick Fulton, one of
his coadjutors, whose speaking acquaintance with
those Whom he intended to entrnp, rendered him
peculiarly fitted for the task assxii'nod him. The
young planter dared not refuse, antf the reader has
already seen how adroitly he carried out his part of
the programme.

Percy Taliourd had not the faintest suspicion of
the snare that was set for him. He had expected
that such would be the end—that the life would go
out of Jules Beaufort after a sudden flicker. He was
only anxious to spare hi . loved one as long as possi-
ble, and gladly accepted the pro osal of Fulton,
then hastened down the stairs an out of the the-
ater.

As Fulton said he would, Talfourd found a hack'

waiting before the entrance, the driver standing be-
side it, holding open the door. Without the faintest
suspicion of what awaited him, Percy; hastil entered
the carriagle, onl to receive a crus ing b ow u on
his bowed ead t iat doubch him up in a sense ess
heap upon the lap of the man who had dealt the
treacherous stroke. The driver slammed the door
sharply, the noise deadening the gasping groan that
escaped from the stricken man’s lips, then mounted
the driver‘s seat and the mottled horses trotted
swiftly awa through the gloom.

Captain 00] Blade was not idle while his assist-
ants we 2 so busily employed. His arraingements
had all been made during the day, so there was no
time wasted now that it was precious.

The servant in his ay had also Bperformed his
duty well, for when aptain Cool ade gave the
agreed-upon signal the fellow opened the door with

rom t silence. He was eager to finger the addi-

iona reward romised him, and said:

“All is re y for you. The other servants are
asleep, and it would take an earthquake to awaken
them. Madame is in her room, resting, asleep, as I
believe. Master is alone in his chamber.”

“ Good! here is your money, double what I prom-
ised y in. Go and take a dose of the soothing-syrup
§oumelf, as soon as you haw pointed out his room.

on must not be sus ected, as you would he, were
you the only one line fected by t 6 drug.”

The covetous rascal could scarcely refrain from
kickin up his heels in delight as he stowed away
the re “J bank-notes, but he managed to sup rcss
his excitement until after he had conducts the
captain to the door of the room occupied by Jules
Beaufort.

Captain 0001 Blade noiselessly turned the knob
and entered the chamber, as silent closing the
door behind him. He did not turn t 6 key in the
lock, because he did not feel the necessity of takino
such a precaution. The one servant who remainec
unstupeflcd was faithful to him—or rather h s money
~and he cared not how soon Mrs. Beaufort should
enter.

The wounded man stirred uneasily as the outlaw
glided to his bedside and stood gazing down upon
iim with an evil light in his eyes, stern, unrelenting
hatred imprinted u on every feature—a. look such as
a fallen angel mig it wear. It seemed as though
that basilisk gaze was too powerful for slumber to
resist, for Jules Beaufort suddenly opened his eyes
with a low gasp of terror as he saw the stranger
bending over him.

“Yes, it is I—Henry Peyton, the man whom 'ou
bounded to his death—tale, living grave—for a crime
that your hand coinmiticdl"hissed the outlaw, his
strong hand pressing the to rifled wretch back upon
his pillow. ‘I have waited ion for my revenge
but it has come to me at last. at only will I kill
you, but I will deal out even worse than death to
your wife and your daughter. I will drag them
down to the mire—will make them the scorn and
loathing of all honest people; and then I will tell
1then; that they owe it all to their father and bus-

an . ’

Still holding the wounded man downwith a force
that he was unconscious of exerting, Captain Cool
Blade 5 oke rapidly, reviving all the bitterness of
the pas y, for the time being a blind, unreasoning
maniac. This he surely must have been, else he
would have relaxed that deadly pressure~would
have seen that he was cheating his own revenge.
For Jules Beaufort, or J acqucs Bouchier, as he was
christened, was dying!

Mrs. Beaufort saw this at the first glance as she
opened the door, having been started5 from an un-
easy doze by the sound of voices just below her.
She thought that her husband had awakened and
was again delirious. She hastened down to his
assistance, and now stood for amoment in s ech-
less amazement as she saw the form of a man aside
the bed,  rapidly, menacinfglty. But only
for an instant. he saw more than i the madden-
ed outlaw—saw that her husband was in the agonies
of deathl

With a piercin scream vlic sprinig forward and
caught the man y the arm. tearing away his suffo—
cating hand with a. strength lent by the dire emer-
gency—then shrunk awa with a low cry of horror
as she recognized the bus and of her dead cousin—
the man who she believed had died in a felon‘s
cell, many lon years ago!

Ca itain Coo Blade grasped her by the shoulder
and eld a long knife menacingly 'o her bosom.
Bfiit tthe threat that quivered upon his lips was cut
5 or .

With a asping, urgiin; cry, Jules Beaufort
rolled out o bed andfiav at their feet a. dead manl

The outlaw spurned‘the corpse with his hoot, then
turned once more to the terror-stricken woman,
overwhelmi her with a flood. of fiery worm, tear-
ing the mil in the misty past, and showing her

-wasl

.A
__‘
‘—1

how foully he had been dealt with by the false friend
who had just died a dog‘s death. _
“ I swore to have vengeance upon him and

lie hid himself under a false name, but I foun

him at last. He is dead—he is spared the tortures
I meant to inflict upon him—but you are living—you,
and his daughter and her lover—curse himl He
murdered my wife—my brave, faithful, loving Hor-
tense! shot‘hcr down as though she were a mad-

 
   
   
 
  
  

 

(Iosr! Hp, 1:31] die ten thousand deaths in one for
i'.: (l: , ' rlemll He shall weep tears of blood—
foi I nu: lure him first in the erson of those

 

whom l : as ("-vrly as I love her.’ He sl.all
be fl!lO;.'l' . of iiu whome—
Uutil now, . Beaufort had been as one para-

1, hilt a g . mer of the truth pierced her be-
.3' d hrs in, and she tromblingly asked him whom
10 invent—who was the man he threatened?

‘l’o'i-y Talfourd—the lover of your—and hie——
daugln rl" was the fierce res onse. “ He killed in
wifH—shot her down like a wi d beast! But he sha l
Suffer a frightful death for every hair of her head!
He is in my power—lie and your daughter, the fair
young girl whom he loves—”

A wailing cry burst from the tortured woman ..

  

l
i
l

   

Irr- .
Spare herl BEFORE HEAVEN .snn IS YOUR. own
CEILDl"

 

CHAPTER XXXVI.
'rrra BLADE Is BROKEN.

Tnonoir knocked down and rendered senseless b
the swift, stron: blow delivered by the man who
had been lying in wait for him inside the close car-l
ridge, Percy Talfourd did not long remain thus. As
often is the case, his reasoning faculties returned to
him a few seconds before his purely physical quali-
ties recovered from the shock, and he realized what
had befallen him—though the object tobe ained
by his assailant was still a mystery to him— eforo
the faintest movement on his part could give the
stranger any intimation of his revival.

He could tell that he was being driven swiftly
through the streets, and that there was only one
man in the carriage besides himself. Robbery might
be the motive—he could not tell, nor did he use
to consider that point. There could be no oubt
that evil was intended him and with a man of his
stout courage, that was sufficient incentive for him
to fight against the outrage. No doubt the driver
was in the plot, but even then the odds were but
two against one.

Thus far the young lanter had reasoned before
his power of motion re urned to him, and in accord-
ance with the desperate resolve he had taken, he
controlled his muscles. lying as heavily as though
he was still senseless.

It was plain that the man u on whose knees he
'ng, suspected nothing 0 the truth, else he
won] have been more circumspect in his actions.
The lifeless weight soon appeared to discommode
him and he raised the hmp form in his arms, try-
ing) to prop it up in the corner of the seat opposite.

ercy saw his opportunity, and dashing 0 en the
door with one furious kick, .he Eras ed the lie ow l'};
the shoulders and hurled him ea ong through the

openin ,_following after the next instant. .

The ver drew rein abruptly at the sudden coni-
motion, but Talfourd did not care to pause to chas~
tise him, just then. He saw that the man he had
flung from the carriage was lyin still in a heap,
as though stunned, and he ma e assurance dou~
bly sure b dealing the fellow a has kick upon
the side 0 the head as he passed him y, then ran
ra idly down the street.

nder any other circumstances he would not have
abandoned the half-won field so abripigtly, but he be-
gan to fear that the cunninlguplot b not been con-
cocted for himself alone. ton had lainiy acted
as a decoy, since he was so particular describin
the carriage he was to take. After all,mi ht no
Marie have been 11 ht in declaring she saw t e face
of Captain Cool B e at the door? The old-time
enem of Jules Beaufort m ht be dealing hima
fresh low, through his daugh rl

That was as far as he could reason. He forgot
that his hand had slain the wife of the daring out-
law. He could only think of the possible danger
that threatened his betrothed, and ran at top speed
hack to the theater—only to find that Fulton and
Marie had gonel

An acqfifiintance who chanced to be seated near
lfiy, to 'm what had occurred: that Frederick

ulton escorted Miss Beaumont from the hall within
flvse miniites agitéeiiéifi'l‘alfourdh—left. t P Tn]

tron a a , caring e wors ei- ~
fourd 15ft, the theater and hastened at tile tog: his
speed to the house occupied by the Beaufort family,
on Walnut street. As e drew near, he found the
usually quiet neiglIiborhood in a state of the at-
cst excitement. e paused not to ask any ques ions.
He. heard more than enough as he ran along to tell
him that there had been a tragedy enacted inthe
Beaufort manswn.

He dashed through the open door an paused
Eli‘pon the threshol of Ju es Beaufort's room.

ruly it was a terrible sight that met his bewildered
gaze

There was one man who witnessed the entrance of
Captain Cool Blade, besides the treacherous servant.
This was a police officer-in the pay .of Jules Beau-
fort who, unknown to any of his family, had_had his
dwelling-place arded night and day, feelin cer-
tain that his bitter enemy would. sooner or ter,
find him out. It was this fear that, more than his
wounds, he 1: him so low:

The watchman recognized the outlaw, on whose
head a price was set, but he was too prudent to at
tempt the capture alone. He had too eat a re
spect for the prowess of Captain Cool B ade. Still
he was resolved not to lose Sight of the house,
though he made all haste to the'iiext building and
sent a note to head-quarters by tone of the servants,
then returned to his post, awaiting reinforcements.

Thus it was that Captain Cool Blade was suffered
totaste his on of vengeance, and even to extract
from the H s 0 Mrs. Beaufort full confirmation of
her truly s rtling anouncement that the da liter
whom she had so tenderly reared was indee the
child of the outlaw‘s first wife.

It will be remembered that Harry Peyton and Jan.

ues Bouchier married cousins, on the same da, . At

 

t e time of the bank robbery, planned by the Jitter.
for the express purpose of betraying his comrade,

“ A; 

 

l.

 

 

'%T

'deh

Captain Cool Blade.

23

 

 

both wives were shortly exgecting their first com‘ine-
ment. Both were resid g upon their hiisbaiids'
plantations, over ahundred miles from where the
robbe and trial took place.

Mrs. ouchler was confined first, but her child only
lived a few days. She wrote to her husband, 11]me-
ing him of the sad fact, but the letter was never re-
ceived. Mrs. Peyton’s child was born on the very
night that her husband was brought to trial, and two
do s later she expired on being told, incautiously,
of ier husband’s conviction.

The cousins had been mom like sisters, and were
reared together from earl childhood. Mrs,Bouchier
gladly took the or hane child, thus hoping to fill

he aching void in her own heart.

J ac ues Boucliier was never undeceived.
came Die so bitter a ainst his one-time friend
that his wife dared not ell him the truth. Their
hasty flight from the State helped to keep him in the
dark, and he never knew that the den hter he learn-

' ed to love so passionately, was the 0 '1d of Henry

Peyton: Nor did Marie ever dream that she was
really other than she seemed. _

Such was the story that Ca tain Cool Blade lis-
tened to with the body of his on -hated enemy ly-
ing dea at his feet. And scarce had the woman
ceased in her startling revelation t n the door was
again flung hastily open, and half a dozen aimed
policemen entered the room.

Captain Cool Blade heard the stern command to
surrender, but though he knew that it would be
almost impossible to escape alive he drew a pistol
In each hand and leaped forward, firing as he did so.

The stru gle was brief but deadly invthe extreme.
Four more odies cumbered the floor when all was
over and one of them was Captain Cool Blade—
not ead, but d ‘ng. ' ,

His last breat was 5 out in telling Mrs. Bouchier
where Marie might be ound, and the best means of
rescuing her unharmed, adding, in a husky whis-

p(filrlever tell her what you told me; let her live on
in ignorance of who her tparents really were. And
—don't let her— keep her ram—cursing me 1"

Such was the tableau that met the gaze of Percy
Talfourd as he entered the room.

But little more need be added.

The information imparted by the dying outlaw

roved correct in all particulars, and long before
gaylight Marie was returned to her sorrow-stricken
mother’s arms, unhurt and well. by her devoted
over. ' ‘ -

F bvious reasons the whole story was never
di or $31. It was generally believed that Captain
0001 lade had been killed while attempting to bur-

lari e eBeaufort'mansion.

3 F0: t e same reasons, Frederick Fulton and all of
the others, save one, who were concerned in the dar-
ing‘lplot, iverenllowed to go unpunishcd.

e morning apers contained the account of a
well-known Sout ern lanterbeing found dead upon
the street being bad% bruised around the head.
Percy Talfourd could ave explained the mystery,
but he held his peace. _

That .fall he and Marie were married, but not be-
fore Mrs. Beaufort told him her real arentage. . ,

There was another wedding, sever months earli-
er, and though less lished, it was uite as happy
and tar more uproar ous. The big a1 ator-hunter
Jim Adams, was there, iiiSisting upon being ‘best
man," which wish was dulégatifled.

THE .

 

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BEADLE&AD

 

 

 

 

B

LIBRARY.

 

 

 

32 Large Three-Column Pages.

1. A Hard Crowd: OR, GENTLEMAN
SAM’s SISTER. By Philip S. Wame.

2. The Dare-Devil: OR, THE WINGED
WITCH or THE SEA. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.

3. Kit Carson, J r., THE CRACK SHOT or
THE WEST. By Buckskin Sam.

4. The Kidnapper: OR, THE GREAT
SHANGHAI or THE NORTHWEST. By Philip S. “71171 a

5. The Fire-Piends: OR, HERCULES, Til},
.HUNCHEACK. By A. P. Morris.

6. Wildcat Bob, THE Boss BRUIsEu:

OR, THE BORDER BLOODHOUNDS. By Edward L. Whe -
ler, author of “ Deadwood Dick,“ “ Double Daggers. '

'7. Death-Notch, THE DESTROYER: on,
THE SPIRIT LAKE AVENOERs. By 011 Coomes.

8. The Headless Horseman. A strange
story of Texas. By Capt. Mayne Reid.

9. Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover.

10. Vidocq, THE FRENCH POLICE SPY. 
Written by himself.

1 1. Midshipman Easy.
ryat. I

12. The Death-Shot: OR, TRACKED To
DEATH. By Capt. Mayne Reid.

13. Pathawa : OR, NICK WHIErLEs, THE
31:3 TRAer or THE ORTB'WEST. By Dr. J. H. Rob-
II.

By Capt. Mar— 

l4. Tha endanegea, THE ScovRoE ;
OR, THE WAR- AGLE or THE MoHAWKs. By Ned Bunt-
ino, author of “ The White Wizard."

15. The Tiger-Slayer:
HEAD TO THE REsCUE. By Gustave

16. The White Wizard: OR, THE GREAT
PROPHET or THE SEMINOLES. By Ned Buntline.

17. Nightshade, THE ROBRER PRINCE
or 301721st HEATH. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.

18. The Sea Bandit: OR, THE QUEEN
in THE ISLE. By Ned Buntline.

19. Red Cedar, THE PRAIRIE OUTLAW.
By Gustave Ainmrd.

20. The Bandit at Bay: OR, THE PP
RATES or THE PRAIRIEs. By Gustave Aimard.

21. The Trapper’s Dan hter: OR,
THE OUTLAW’s FATE. By Gustave .

22. Whitelaw: OR, NATTIE OF THE LAKE.
SHORE. By Dr. J. H. Robinson,

23. The Red Warrior: 0R, STELLA
DELORHE‘S COEANCHE LOVER. By Ned Buntline.

24. Prairie Plower. By Gustave Ai-
mard, author of “Tiger-Slayer." etc.

25. The Gold-Guide: 0R, STEEL ARE,
THE REGULATOR. By Francis Johnson.

26. The Death-ka: on, THE OUT-
LAws or THE MOUNTAIN. By Francis Johnson.

27. The §potter-Detective: OR. THE
GIRLs on NEW ORK. By Albert W. Aiken.

28. Three-Fingered J ack, THE ROAD-
AGENT on THE ROCKIES; OR, THE BoYMINEr. or HARD
LUCK. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

29. Tiger Dick, THE FARO KING; or,
THE CASHIER‘s CRIME. By Philip S. Warne, author
of "A Hard Crowd," etc.

30. Gospel Geor e; or, FIERY FRED,
THE OUTLAW. By Josep E. Badger, Jr.

31. The New York ‘5 ;' OR, THE
FLASH or LIGHTNING. By Albert W. iken,

32. B’hoys of Yale; OR, THE SCRAPEs
or A HARD SET or COLLEGIANS. By John D. Vose.

33. Overland Kit. By Albert W.
Aiken.

34. Rocky Mountain Rob.
bert W. Aiken.

35. Kentuck. the Sport.
W. Aileen.

36. Injun Dink. By Albert W. Aiken.

OR, EAGLE-

BY A1-

By Albert

 

 

 

 

KIT CARsON, JR—No. 8.

37. Hit-l, the Hunchback; OR, THE

SWORDMAKEE or THE SANTEE. By Dr. J. H. Robinson

38. Velvet Hand; OR, THE IRON GRIP or
IBM DICK. By Albert W. Aiken.

39. The Russian 513%,: OR, THE BROTH-
ERS or THE STAERY CRoss. By ederlck Whittaker.

40. The Long Haired ‘ Pards ;' OR,
THE TAETAEs or THE '5. By J 03. E. Badger, Jr.

41. Gold Dan: on, THE WHITE SAVAGE :

or THE GREAT SALT LAKE. By Albert W. Aiken.

42. The California Detective : OR,
THE WITCHEs or NEW YORK. By Albert W. Aiken.

43. Dakota Dan, THE REOKLEss RANGER;
or. THE BEE-HUNTEEs Excrmson. By Oil Coomes.

44. Old Dan Rackback. THE GREAT '

ExTARHINAmR; 01-, THE TRIANGLE‘s LAsT TEAn.
By 011 Coomes.

45. Old Bull’s Eye. THE LIGHTNING‘

SHOT or THE PLAINs. By Joseph E. Badger. JR.,
48. Bowie-Knife Ben, THE LITTLE

HUNTER OF THE NOR‘-WEsT. By 011 Coomes.

47. Pacific Pete, THE PRINCE or THE 1

REVOLVER. By Joe. E. Badger.
48. Idaho Tom,

or SILVERLAND. By 0]] ('nmst.

InnsHIrMAN EASY.—-N0. 11.

THE YOUNG OUTLAW ‘

 

Each Number Complete. Price 10 ets.

I 49. The Wolf Demon, or, THE Gm: on
THE KANAWHA. By Albert W. Aiken.

50. Jack Rabbit, THE PRAIRIE SPORT,
or, THE CHILDREN or THE LLANO EsTACAno. By Jon
E. Badger. Jr.

51. Red Rob, THE BOY ROAD-AGENT
By 011 Coomes.

52. Death Trailer, THE Cum 0:
‘ Scours' or Life and 'Love in a Frontier Fort. B)
Hon. Wm. 5?. Cody, (ammo Bill.)

53. Silver Sam; or, THE MYSTERY or
Deadwoon CITY, By Col. Delle Sara.

54. Always on Hand; or, THE Bron-rm
SPORT on THE FOOT HILLS. By Phillip S. Warno.
author of “ A Hard Crowd.” “Patent Leather Joe

55. The Scalp Hunters. A ROMANCE or
THE PLAms. By Capt. Mayne Reid.

56. The Indian Mazes , or,
MADMANOETHEPLAINs. By rtW.Aiken.

57. The Silent Hunter; or, THE Scowr.
HALL MYSTERY. By Percy B. St. John.

58. Silver Knife : or, WICKLIEEE, TH)
RocKY MOUNTAIN RANGER. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.

59. The Man Prom Texas: or, THE
OUTLAW or ARKANSAS. By Albert W. Aiken.

60. Wide Awake; or, THE IDIOT or
THE BLACK Hans. By Frank Dumont.

61. Captain Seawaif. THE PRIVATEER.
By Ned Buntline.

i 62. Loyal Heart; 01', THE Tnmnns or
AqusAS. By Gustave Aimard.

g 63. The Winged Whale. By Albert
W. Aiken.

 

64. Double-Sight, the Death Shot.
1 By Joseph E. Badger, .

1 35. The Red Rajah:
l on THE INDIEs. By Captain Frederick Whittaker.

or, THE BCOUROE

1' 66. The Specter Barqne. A TALE
or THE PACIFIC. By Captain Mayne Reid.

67. The Boy Jockey: or, HONEST!
1 VERsus CROOKEDNEss. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

68. The Fighting Trapper: or, KIT
CAnsos To THE REscuE. By Capt. J. F. C. Adams.

69. The Irish Ca tain: A TALE or
; FoNTENOY. By Captain erick Whittaker.

70. Hydrabad, THE STRANGLER; or,
ALETHE, THE CHILD or THE CORD. By Dr. J.H.
9 Robinson.

71. Captain Cool-Blade, or, THEMAN-
SHARK or THE MISSISSIPPI. By Joe. E. Badger, Jr.

'72. The Phantom Hand. A STORY or
‘  YORK HEARTHs Am: Hons. By Albert W.
= en.

73. The Knight ofthe Red Cross;

or, THE MAaIcus or GRANADA. A Tale of the Al-
hambra. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.

74. Captain of the Rifles. A ROMANCE
or THE Mmch VALLEY. By Captain Mayne Reid.

75. Gentleman George, or, PARLOR,
‘ PRIson, STAGE AND 8mm. By Albert W. Aiken.

76. The Queen’s Musketeer, or,
Tamar, THE Pamcrss PAIAnsT. By George Albony.

77. The Fresh of Frisco. or, Tr l
‘ limes or BUENAVENTURA. By Albert W. Aiken.

78. The Mysterious Spy: or, GOLD)":
Tm, TEE BUCCANm'S DAUGHTER. By A. Mr
Grainger. Ready October 8th.

79. Joe Phenix. THE POLICE SPY. 175
Albert W. Aiken. Ready October Rd.

Amismwm/twowuh.

Beadle’s Dime Library is for ssh by a]!

NeWsdealeI-s, ten cents per copy, or sent by mail or:

| receipt of twelve cents each. BEADLE & ADAMS.
I Publishers. 98 Whitman-net. New York.