w - -
s ‘ s i ‘ '* . ,Afli him,
Copyrlghlnd. 1891, by BIADLI AID ADA)“, Enwred as Second Class Matter as the New York. N. Y.. POI! Office. Sept. 93,1891

No  $2.50 Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams, Prk‘e, V0] 

‘ ‘9’" No. 99% WHJJAM ST. NEW YORK “V” cent"

Flatboat Fred, on the Mississippi.

70*0A 7—— —————

BY EDWARD WILLETT.

 

ST’DDENLY, AND WITHUK'T THE SIJGIITEST WARNING, THE MONSTER ROSE UNDER THE fiKXH‘X l'l‘h‘ET'l‘lNG IT
AND THROWING FRED AND HIS CUMMDE INTO THE RIVER, ONE OF EACH SIDE OF ITS HACK‘ '

 

 

 

 

 

‘horn, nor was it one of a coal fleet.

' 2 Platboat Fred.

Flatboat Fred '
ON THE MISSISSIPPI;

on,
e The Voyage of the “ Experiment.”

 

BY EDWARD WILLETT,

AUTHOR or " TIP TRESSELL,” “ smear sm,”
“WIDE-AWAKE omoaoa,” are, are.

 

CHAPTER I.
A smasmo MATCH.

ON the muddy waters of the lower Mississippi
a flatboat floated under the summer sun. This
flatboat was not of the class that is styled broad-
It was not
loaded with hay, with hoop-poles, with staves,
with earthenware, or with the bled: diamonds
of the upper Ohio. It was much too small to
take rauk' with such monsters of the flatboat

tribe.

In length it was about thirty i'eet, and in
breadth a third as much.
four small windows, and was adorned with a
coat of whitewash.

On each side was painted in large black let-

 

mau, climbed up on the root at the forward
end of the flatboat.

Although hardly nineteen years old, he was
tall for his age, and his lithe but sinewy form
told of strength and agility. His handsome
face, though sunbrowued, was fresh and
healthy' his blue eyes were bright and clear,
and his iight hair clustered in crisp curls close
tohis head. He was neatl dressed, and his
well-fitting summer suit did not conceal the
faultless symmetry of his form.

“Dis vas a lifel?V ragget, mine poy,” said
Herman Schweitop el. as Fred Light up reached
the steering-bench. “Mat Marsh says 9 would
like to put on dose glofes mit you, ooud hat a
leedle round.”

“ That’s 50,” said Marsh, “ I would like to tr
a hit of a sparring-match with you, Mr. Light. ’

“ Please don’t mister me, friend Marsh," re-
plied Fred. “It would_be nearer right if I
should call you Mr. Marsh.”

“Well, but what do you say to putting on
the gloves with me?"

“ All right, I will be glad to get a little ex-
ercise in that way. You are a bigger man than I

i am, Mat, but I think you will have to handle
‘ yourself pretty well if you hit me.”

It was dignified by ,

tore the word “Expefiment,” which may be ;

considered the name of the cr ft.

This box on a float had no firopelling power,
other than the current of the ississippi; but it
was not allowed to drift at the mercy of the
current, its course being controlled by along
steering-oar, the handle of which projectedovcr
the slightly-rounded roof, and was managed
from a straight plank across the roof that was
known a the steering-bench.

The steering—bench, at the time when we over-

take the flatboat, was occupied by two persons.
One of them—a large man, somewhat fleshy,
and with a decidedly German cast of counte-
Dance—was seated on the bench, placidly and
silently smoking a long pipe.
. The man at the car was tall and strongly
built and had arrived at that uncertain period
of file which is known as middle age. There
were streaks of gray in his heavy brown beard,
his abundant hair was worn rather long, and
his eyes were blue, bright and restlese. His
head was covered with a dark felt hat, and he
,was clothed coarsely. but not shabbily.

“As I tell you, Herman Schweitopfel,” the
steersmau was saying, “that Fred Light the
boss of this craft, is a fine young fellow; but I
would like to know where he comes from."

“ He cooms for by dot Muskingum walley in
Ohio.” said the other.

“ He must be a good boxer, from what I have
seen of him.‘ I used to know how to use my
hands pretty well myself, and I would like to
have a round with him for fun."

“You vents dot, Mat Marsh! Dot would be
peanuts for Fred Light. Ober here he cooms,
00nd he talks mit you about dot besser as I. ”

\ As the German spoke, a young fellow who

, might be regarded either as ahd or as a young

 

“ Oh, I don’t expect to get the better of you,
if you are reall a scientific boxer. as I have
had no practice in a long time; but I hope to be
able to touch you at least once.”

“You shall have a fair chance. I will bring

‘ up the gloves in a minute."

The young fellow descended into the interior
of the ark, and soon returned with two pairs of
boxing gloves.

“Take the steering-oar, Herman,” he said,
“ and you must act as referee and see fair play.’

Mat Marsh and his young opponent laid aside
their coats, and put on the gloves.

“if either of us happens to get knocked over-
board,” said Fred, “the others must fish him
out. Now come on! I see that you have a
good guar .”

They faced each other, and sparred for an
opening, Fred being less cautious than his
larger antagonist, whose evident want of prac-
tice caused him to confine his first efforts to
self-defense. But he soon warmed up to his
work, and made some rattling play, that caused
his young antagonist to open his eyes as he
danced about, as lively as a cricket.

Watching his chance, the youth retaliated by
getting in a bed blow that taught his opponent
to be more care ul in his attacks.

“Look out, nowI" said Fred. “1 am going
to give you a sockdolager right under your
left eye, and I mean to strike under your arm
to do it. That‘s the point for you to watch.”

As this warning was evidently given in good
faith, Marsh directed all his efforts to guardin
against that mode of attack, with the view 0
preventing the threatened hit. _

. But the lad, after a little preliminary spar-
ring, rushed in as if he meant to break down
his adversary’s guard, feiuted heavily with his
left hand, and suddenly shot out the right,

striking his antagonist on the left cheek-bone.

with a force that nearly tumbled him over on
the duck.

» ..«,-rfi\,=,.5q.r..i... ,A. ,..

., . .1: .-_....4

 

 

“Heaven mm: A

. r -W; an “IMAG... ..

 

 

 

“ That will do,” said Marsh, as he pulled 0!
his loves. “ I have the most muscle, but you
are way ahead of me in science.”

“ Su pose we practice now and then," sug-
gested <red Light. “ It will be ood exercise
for us, and help to pass the timer crman ain’t
a bad hand With his fists, though he is getting
to be so big and clumsy.”

“ I don’t suppose we will have much time for
that sort of thing. We will be likely to reach
your landing-place before tomorrow night.”

“ What do you know about my landing-
place?” quickly asked Fred.

“Why, it seems to me that I shipped as asort
of a ilot.”

“ es; you said that you knew the river;
but I have never told you where I expect to
brin up.”

“ erhaps I may know a thing or two, Fred
Light, that you haven’t told me. I know, for
instance, that the expense of fitting up this boat
and putting a stock of goods aboard never came
out of your ocket. You were sent on this ex-
pedition by harles Searcty of St. Louis.”

“ That’s a fact, though don’t know how you
found it out. Do you know Mr. Searcyi”

h “ 4}, little. How did you get acquainted with
iin?

“ I took a letter to him from a friend of mine.
I suppose be praised me up right sharp, as the
old entlenian cottoned to me, and seemed to
thin that I was just the chap to attend tosome
matters for him down this way.”

"So be fitted out this craft," said Marsh,
“ and named her the ‘ Experiment,’ and sent you
down here to try an experiment for him.”

“Do_ on know what sort of an experiment

_ that is?’ asked Fred.

“I havea sort of an idea about it. I know
that Charles Searcy was broken up by the war,
and that he lost his old homestead, which is
kn0wn as the Searcy plantation, and that it is
in the hands of strangers, and that he wants to
know somethin about them, and to find out
what chance he as to get it back. But 1 con-
fessl flint I don’t know just what he expects you
to o.

“ No more do I,” replied Fred. “ He said that
I was to land at or near the Searcy plantation
and that Iwouid know more in good time. I
say, Mat Marsh, as on are so well up in this
business, I would ike to know whether you
mean to stick to us, and whether we can rely on
you to help us if we get into trouble.”

“You may just bet our last dollar on that,
my young friend,” rep ied Marsh, as be steppai
to the bench and took the steering-oar from the
hands of Herman.

After this little sparring-match Fred Light
and Herman Schweitopfel put their headsto-
gether in a Egvate discussion of the strange
pilot of the ” ‘ periment.”

“Queer chap, ain’t he, Herman?" remarked
the lad.

“Queer? Vol], I don’t know about ueer. He
is a schmart feller. Aber how he nows so
mooch by dose bceziness, dot is yet gets me avay
mit minesellef.”

“ Perhaps Mr. Searcy gave him a hint,” suf-
gestcd Fred. “Marsh says that he knows thee d
zeu’ieman a little.”

Platboat Fred. 8

 

“ Mebbe dot yes so."

“But if Mr. Scare has let him into the
thing, Herman, he oug t to have told us, so that
we might know what to expect.”

“ Dot vos so, too.”

“That Marsh knows a heap of thin 8, Her-
man, more than we have any notion of, reckon.
He knows the river, and he talks like I. colle e-
taught man and he ain’t a bad hand with t e
gloves, and he speaks German, don’t he?"

Herman nodded.

“And t’other da he hauled out of that old
iron-bound trunk 0 his r. book that was printed
with queer letters and read somethin’ that I
couldn t make head or tail of.”

“ Dot vas Greek, mine poy." ‘

“Greek. was it? It sounded mighty grand.
Strange that a man who knows Greek should
be hired out to me, on this flatboat, for twenty
dollars a month and his board." , ‘

“ Fred Light! your landing is in sight."

The lad started, for this announcement was
made by the man of whom he was speaking.

 

CHAPTER II.
A WARM RECEPTION.

FRED LIGHT hastily climbed up on the roof of
the flaiboat, follon ed more slowly by Herman.

Both were anxious to see the place which was
to be the termination of their Voyage, and
where they might expect to remain for some
time. The landing was especially attractive to
Fred, whose duties had been vaguely described
by his employer, and who was eager to enter
upon tasks and adventures whose nature and ex-
tent he did not yet comprehend.

Mat Marsh had turned the head of the flat-
boat toward the shore when at some distance
above the point at which he was aiming. The
current had carried it in the right direction,
and when he was joined b his companions the
ark was not far from the ank.

As soon as he reached the roof Fred Light
looked down the river and toward the shore.
He saw nothing but a low bank, covered by a
profusion of trees and bushes.

“ Where is the landing?” he asked. “ I don’t
see any sign of a landing.” I

-“ Right below us,” replied Marsh, “ where
you see a sort of a clearin . The usual landin
is around the bend; but doubt if you would
be allowed to land there, or if you would care
to.“ This clearing is near the limit of the old
Scary plantation, if not beyond the line.”

“ ou seem to know a heap about the place
and I guess we will have to use you for a pilo
on the land, as well as on the water. But why
couldn’t we land further up, in the shade?”

“ It the business you are on should bring you
into any sort of trouble, I thou ht you might
like to have an open space near t a boat.”

“ That’s a fact."

,In a few minutes the steersman had brought
the flatboat to the shore at the clearing of which
. he had spoken. Fred Light jumped ashore at
‘ the stern with a line, and soon the “Experi-

ment ” was moored, and a plank connected her ,
‘1 with the land.

Marsh and Herman Schweitoptel followed the

 

 

 

I

\

 

lad ashore, glad to feel the ground under their
feet again.

A survey of the locality showed them a
cleared space of not more than two acres,
which was then overgrown with low bushes and
weeds. Beyond the clearing stretched a dense
forest, the only opening through which was a
narrow road, that seemed to be seldom if ever
used. At the shore, the ground, covered with
grass and weeds, sloped gradually to the water’s

. edge—nu unusual thing on the Mississippi—so

that the “ llkperiment,7 as she in at the bank,
commanded a good view of the c eermg.
“ It ain’t. murh of a place,” remarked Fred]?

r , “ and it is likely to be lonely enough, but
' reckon we can stand it.”

 

 

 

 

  
  

“We shall see what we shall see,” replied
Marsh.
we want, before the day is done.”

To relieve the loneliness of the place, and to
advance the supposed objects of the expedition,

it was necessary to advertise the arrival of the

“ Experiment”and her cargo, and for this the
party were prepared.
Mat Mars want ashore, and s' or: succeeded

in capturing a young native of the African per- ‘

suesion, who was easily induced, under promise

' V. of pay, to take a quantity of printed announco— ,
" ments and distribute them among the- inhaiu- 1

nts.
As Fred Light and his companions were or-

, ranging matters tor the reception of possible.
_' ‘ customers, the lad shook his head sadly.

The “Experiment” was a store-boat, the

greater part of the space under her roof being -

occuoied for that purpose, and the shelves were
filled with a. bl‘ullddlew assortment of dry

goods and notions, various articles of hardware -
g and crockery being added for the purpose of
‘ com leting the stock.

“ varybody will set me down as a green-
horn,” said Fred. “I have tried to get the

' names and the prices of these things into my ;

head; but they won’t stick there worth a cent.
I am afraid that I wasn’t built up for a trader.”
“Don’t worry about that,” replied Marsh.
“I know the marks and the articles pretty
.Well, and Herman is no slouch at selling goods.
You can look on and boss the job. and l have
no doubt; that We will get along very well.”
“It is a good thing that you know so much

" labout: this business. Mr. Marsh. But I wonder

how you got hold of it. Did the old gentleman
put on up to it?”
“ lmt old gentleman?” asked Marsh.
“Mr. Searcy." \
“ He is not what I call an old man—not older

' lvthan I am, I judge.”

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  

“Do you mean that? The man I were had a
gray beard, and the few hairs that were left on
is and were white.”
“That must have been the managing clerk.
Mr. Searcy seldom attends to business of late,
at leaves mast of his affairs in the charge of

“ Why don’t he

that old man.”

“ Thesis queer,” said Fred.
Ihow up, himself?"

“ He isahsent a. great deal, much of the time
in E'll'npo. He is a. rich man, you See, and can

r. afln'ii [u enjoy himself.”

Platboat 'Pred. ’

“We may have more company than ;

a

 

 

“It I have never seen him, how am I to lmow
that I am all right in going into this thing?”

“Have you nothing to which his signature is
attached? I think you spoke of a bill of sale of
this craft and its contents.”

“ Yes, I’ve got that.”

Fred produced the document, and showed it
to Marsh, who assured him that it was signed
with Mr. Searcy’s name and by his own hand.

“I am glad to be sure of that, ” said the lad.
“ Now I am ready for business, and I wish I knew
for certain what sort of business it is that I am
to do.” .

“You must have patience. and wait for
something to turn up,’ re lied Marsh. ,

“Here’s your little dar y turnin’ up, and he
will want his pay. ”

I The small African crossed the clearing and

. entered the boat. He said that he had duly

, distributed all the handbills that had been

t given him, and had mentioned the arrival and
the business of the “Ex eriment,” among the
scattered inhabitants of t at region.

é “Here come some customers already,” said

, Fred, as he descended from the roof of the ark.

“ Day is a hard kind ob customers, boss,” re—
marked the boy.

“Who are they?”

“De Bingley gang. Dar’s Mart an’ Sile an’
, B ‘n Bingley, nn’ do two 'l‘orbert boys. Golly!
, I want to git away from yar.”

“You want your money, them? Here it is,
bub. ” Scamper off, and come back to us tomor-
row.

“All right, boss. ' Ise come bark, l'f thar’s
anyfin let]? to come back to,” said the small
African, as he hurried ashore and sneaked
away.

This ominous remark caused Fred and his
companions to look more closely at the ap-
proaching party.

They were five in number. and all were yonn
men, the eldest not more than thirt yearso
ago. They were suobrowned andy roughly
(lrexsed, and all had the appearance of being, as
the boy had said they were, hard customers.
Having ridden through the woods, ‘hey had
left their horses at the edge of the timber, and
Wore walking across the clearing.

“ I reckon we had better he sure that we are
well heeled,” said Fred Light, as he led the way
back into the ark.

When the five men crowded in Marsh was
, leaning against the counter, Herman was seat-
I ed, stolidly smoking his pipe. and Fred, with
'1 his hands in his pockets, confronted the new-
? comers.

‘ “Good evening, gentlemen,” said the youn
proprietor of the establishment. “What can
do for you?”

1 “ You k’in trot out some whisky, and be sud-
dont about it,” replied the spokesman of the
par .y.

“Sorry I can’t accommodate you; but I
don’t. keep whisky.”

“Do you hear that, Silel He says he don’t
keep whisky.”

“That cock won’t fight, Mart,” replied the
man who was addressed.

] “Mr. Mart Biugley,” said the lad. nodding

«

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

4 ~- Platboat Fred. 5

his head. “Glad tomeet you. Hope youdon’t whispered, and Mart and Silo Bingley drew

doubt my word." pistols from their hip pockets.

“You seem to hev got hold of my name," Instantly they found themselves covered by
said the spokesman, “but I’ll be shot of 1 over three rifles, cooked. and leveled at their heads.
saw you anywhar. Inever heerd tell of a store- The pistols were returned to the hip pockets,

boat that didn’t keep whisky. and you can’t and they quietly moved away.

stuff that talk down me. Thar’s whisky in this “Make the most of that, you dod-rotted

boat, and we mean to hev it, or thar’ll be hounds!" shouted Mart Bingley, as he turned

trouble.” and shook his fist at the flutbnnt. “You gave
Fred Light seemed to be looking out at the use rough deal this time, but we mean to git

shadows cast by the setting sun, but in fact he even with you yet.”

was observing the men before him, and was “ We let you 01? easy this time,” replied

measuring them. Two of them u ere tall and Marsh. “ If you try that game again, you may

strong, two were men of medium size, and the count on getting hurt.”

fifth was a lean, loose-jointed fellow, who would 1 When the Bingley gang had mounted their

not count for much in a tussle. horses and passed out of sight, the interior of
“ Sort (you doubt in word, Mr. Bingley,” the flatboat was straightened up. and seemed to

said the i; . “ I would be happy to supply you . be none the worse for the recent encounter".

with whisky, or nquafortis, or strychnine, or ; “That’s the first round for the‘ Experiment.”

anythin’ that would suit your case, but we re- said Fred Light. “I hope we will have as good

all don’t keep an sort of p’ison on this craft.” luck in the rest of ’em.”
fiart Bi‘ngley’s ace turned purple. The tone ‘

angered him, even more than the words. 1 CHAPTER. Hi.
“You are too cussed sassy, young chap,” he ‘ A MAIDEN AND A MONSTER.

said. “I reckon you need to he took down a  BUSINESS failed to open briskly on board the

peg or two. Just trot out that whisky now, , “Experiment ” the next niorning;hut the pros-

mlghgy sudden, or we’ll bu’st this shebang wide 1 pects were not discouraging to the amateur

o n. - 1 traders. I
Herman Schweito tel laid his pipe on the ' A sun—burned young woman from the inte- ‘ '

fl00r and granted. at MUTSh W85 SUN leanlng rior, accompanied by her brother, rode down to

against the counter, but there was the light of ' the boat, purchased some gaudy calico and

battle in his 0 es other articles, and rode away. i
“ Can’t you avealittle patience?” asked Fred. The next arrival was a young man, who

“ It seems to me that “5 is ‘1 fightyou are 1Oflkm’ hitched his horse to the edge of the timber.

for. If that is what the matter is, just let any He was a tall, young fellow, not ill—looking,

one of you step outside and I'll give hlm the best but awkward, sandy-haired, and somewhat 3;.-

I’v? at in the shop.” freckled, and the stylish cut and quality of his "
‘ gmack him in the mouth, Mart!” shouted garments could not conceal his rural breeding.

 

Silo Bingley. “ Happy 'to see you, sir,” said Fred Light. ,
“Break his blasted head!” urged another. “l/Vhat can I do for on this morning?”
The lad’s hands were still in his pockets; but. “ Well, I would lie to look about a little,

his teeth were clinched, and his look meant mis— and maybe I may buy something, though. I 
chief. Herman had risen to his feet. and Marsh don’t think of anything just. now. Hope you '
had turned so that he faced the intruders. don’t object to loafing. If you do, say the word'
“ Pitch into ’em, boysl” exclaimed Mart and I wxll light out. It is powerful lonesome
Bin ley. “ Clean out the cussed sneaksl’f about here, and I am keen for Company.” , ;
8 led the nttaok: bill? his pitcbillg 117' W88 “You are quite welcome,’?_ replied the lad, '
suddenly stop ed by a stunning blow between “ provided that you are not hunting a fight,
the eyes. as ‘red‘s left fist shot out like a bolt like some chaps who called on us last night. "
from a. rifled Cannon. , . “I heard that you had a rumpus with the
The lad followed up his advantage in the live- Bing]ey gang, and that you cleaned them out.
liest style, and Herman’s ponderous weight and . They’ve got enough to last them for a. while, I
Marshs natural strength Were immediately I hope; but there’s no telling. They are a hard
thrown into the contest. 5 set. There ain’t a bit of light in me unlessI -
. So efl'ective was the concerted action of the am nailed down to it. My name is fiicksey~
three defenders of the flathoat, that the struggle Aaron Hicksey—and I own the old Hicksey
was over in a few minutes. The brawny but place back here. Dad was killed in the war,
clumsy force of the intruders was at best hardly and mammy died, and left the whole plantation  .
a match for thetrained muscles of their ants 0- on my hands. Well, I don’t bother about it;
nists, and they were so surprisad Lind dazed y but just let the nigger-s run itbthe old hands...,,
the ra idity with which the tables were turned you know—and they do mi hty well, it seems .
upon t em, that their eflEorts were much weaker to me. Reckon they could c at me out of my
than they otherwise might have been. ‘ eye—teeth if they wanted to; but I ‘don’t be-
The scene was a lively one while itlested. At lieve they want to.”
its close Marsh and Herman picked up two of Fred Light introduced Aaron Hicksey to his
the assailants bodily, carried them out at the companions, and the young man sat down and
door. and flun them pu the bank: _The others, made himself at home. But his eyes were con‘
Whose faces a owed marks 0f szry m the tinually wandering outside, and the others, fol~
encounter. gathered themselves together, and lowing his glances, soon saw somebody worth
lilently sneaked ashore. looking at.
0n the bank they looked at each other. and I This somebody was a, young lady, who rode,

 

  
     

 

B flatboat Fred.

directly down to the shore, accompanied by a
negro. .

“Dms anybody ever walk, in these parts?”
asked Fred. ‘

“Sk'lil’Ci'ly," replied Marsh.
some of tlli‘ people would chase a horse about a

' ten-acre lot for an hour, and tire themselves out
in catching him, rather than go half a mile
afoot.”

Aaron Hicksey reticed into a corner when. the
young lady entered the boat, but Fred Light
and his friends gazed at her with admiring e es.

She V as very young, probably not more t an
sixteen, and somewhat undersized, With re-
markably small hands and feet, jet‘bla‘ck hair
and eyes, I: clear olive complexion, pouting lips,
and as bright, merry and saucy an ex ressmn
of countenance as Could he imagined. he was
very neatly dressed, and her garments were
highly becoming to her in cut and color and
quality.

She skip ed into the store-room of the “ Ex»

rinicnt,’ nodding and smiling, and at once

astenrd on Fred us a salesman, asking him for
some article of dry goods whose name quite
bewildered him.

Mat Marsh came to the rescue of the lad, and
explained to her that they did not have the ar-
ticle for which she inquired. Then she looked
around at the establishment, and her gaze
lighted on the young man in the corner.

“ Why, Aaron!” she exclaimed. “ You there?
Who’d have thought it?”

, She turned to the colored servant, who was
standing outside.

“Jr-ll’, I have lost my bracelet on the road.
GO and look for it.”

V “ I didn’t see you have no bracelet, Miss Eva,”
replied the man. .
‘ No matter what you saw or didn’t see. Go
and look for my bracelet." .

TLe negro started across the clearing, and she
turned to the others, with a bright smile.

“That’s only a. gag to get rid of him,” she
said. “Hope you don’t mind. You see, I want
to so aword or two to Aaron here, and my
guar' won’t let- AarOn come to his house. My
name is Eva Summers, and my guardy is Judge
Searle—Judge Madison Searle—who owns t 6
big luntation around the bend."

“ sit the place that is known as the Searcy
plantation t” asked Marsh.

“I believe it used to go by that mime.”

“And Madison Sesrle is your guardian?”

“Yes: but—” she added, with u gush of frank-

. ness-“I don’t take much stock in him. Some-

times I feel as it I wouldn’t give a cent for *

him.”

“ Is he a judge of any court about here!”

“Not that I know of. Ho don’t seem to be a
judge of anything but something good to eat
and drink. We are rich as mud over there, but
sorter crank-sided somehow. Oh, it’s a queer
ahebang; but I get plenty of ever thing exce 0;
Aaron. Run along now, please. want to ta 1:
to Aaron.”

“ I will go and help J or! look for your brace-
let.”

The conversation that ensued between Eva.
Summers and Aaron Hicksey was quite ani-
mated on the part9! the young lady. but rather

e
I

 

“I fancy that 4

v said Marsh.

 

 

bashful on the part or the young man, and was
regarded with no favorable eye by Fred Light.
It lasted until the return of Marsh with the
colored servant.

“I couldn’t find no bracelet nowhar, Miss
Eva," said the latter.

“ Well, never mind, Jefl'; there’s plenty more
where that came from. Gracious mel I forgot
about the things I wanted to buy.”

She hurriedly bought a few articles, without
seeming to care what she got, or the prices
she paid, and was assisted to mount her horse.

“Farewell, folks,” she said, with her bright-
est smile. ” I mean to look in on you again, if
you don’t mind. So-long, then 1"

She was hardly out of sight when Aaron
Hicksey, after making a few purchases, and
thanking his new friends for their kindness, also
left the boat.

“What do you think of that?” asked Fred
Light, turning to his companions.

“Dot leedle girrel is yoost so lofely like an
anshol,” replied Herman.

“She is very pretty, indeed,” said Marsh,
“and very eculiar.”

F“dWhat 0 you mean by peculiar?” asked
re .

“Did not her style of talking strike you as
being somewhat peculiar? For a girl of her
position she is very slangy. She lives on the
old Searcy plantation, the very oint at which
we are aiming, and she says that adison Scarle
is her guardian. He must be wealthy, if she is
not, and it is to be supposed that she has been
well eduCated and cared for. But what sort of
compan must she keep, to ick up such slang?
She sell that she ‘don’t ta e much stock’ in
Searle, that the ple at the plantatiomare
‘sorter cranhside ,’ and that it is ‘a queer she-
ban .’ Her style of speaking shows that it must
be ecidedly ueer.”

“She is a ittle off in her chin music,” re-
marked Fred; “but, goodness gracious! ain’t
she a stunner for pretty? Bright as a new dol-
lar, too. It’s a thunderm’ shame that she should
take” up with such a call as that Aaron Hick-
se .

“Don’t make any mistake about Hicksey,”
“ He may not be such a fool as he
looks to be. I am inclined to believe that there
is good stuff in him.” _

The remainder of the day was uneventful;
but the experimenters on board of the “ Experi-
ment” were not to go to bed without learning
something more of the wonders of the region
which they had visited.

After dark the three comrades were seated
on the roof of the boat. The night was clear
and the moon, though near its settin , silvers
the-muddy waters of the Mississippi. Marsh
was smoking a cigar. Herman was smoking
his u<ual pi e, and Fred was doing nothing
but gaze at t 0 river. Perhaps he found there
a. reflection of the pretty face of saucy Eva
Summers.

Suddenly the attention of the three was at-
tracted by a noise in the water near them. It
was a BEbdued, hollow, regular sound, some-
what lik the escaping steam of a distant high-
~Bgzssure steamboat. But there was no steam-

t in sight, nor any kind or craft, except a

v

 

 

IE

in

Flathead Prod. 7

broudhm‘n which was slowly moving down the
middle of the river.

This noise, although it was indistinct, clearly
proceeded from the water, and a slight commo-
tion of the surface could be seen, at a little dis-
tance below the flatboat, as if directly over
some marine monster that was slowly making
its way upstream.

“ Do you hear that!" asked Fred.

Yes, they all heard it.

“What is it?”

That was a question which neither of his com-
rades was prepared to answer.

“I have heard strange stories about catfish,"
he said. “Some folks say that they can sing
and an old flatboatman told me that he he
been kept awake at night by the grantin’ and
howlin’ of the big ones. Perhaps he didn’t tell
such a big lie, after all.”

“ I don t believe that thing is any kind of a
catfish," said Marsh, almost in a whisper.

The strange noise and the accompanying rip-
ples had been slowly advancing up—stroam,
until they were nearly opposite the “Experi~
merit.”

Just as Marsh spoke, something came to the
surface of the water at the distance of some
thirty yards from the flatboat. It was black,
rounded, and highest at the middle, tapering
down to the water at each end. From the posi-
tion of the gators it looked like the back of a
very large fish.

But it was a queer fish. At the upper end,
near the surface of the water, was something
like a horn, short and broad at the base, and
from this horn came a gleam of light.

As the gleam shot out, a stream of water rose
just before it, a short distance into the air, with
a noise like that of escaping steam.

The gazers were silent. Perhaps it was the
moonlight that made them look so pale; perhaps
the sight of that mysterious river monster bud
paralde their nerves. A man who is brave
enough before an enemy whom he knows and
understands may shrink with terror from that
which is unknown and indescribable.

Fred was the first, not to break the silence,
but to act.

_ Remembering the Bingley raid, and consider—
ing it possible that he might see a. duck, he had
brought up his rifle, and it lay at his side.

Raising it to his shoulder, he took a quick aim
before his comrades could interfere, and fired at
the supposed back of the monster, which was

. then at about the same distance from the flat-

boat as when it was first seen.

The. bullet fairly struck the target at which it
was aimed, glanced ed with a metallic rin , and
dropped into the water at a considerab e dis-
tance from the shore.

_ Suddenly and silently the monster sunk out of
SI ht leavmg nothing but bubbles to show where
'it ad gone down.

Each of the three watchers drew a long
breath of relief. But for a few moments they
did nothing but gaze in silence at the water.

Would the monster come up again? Would

it flip? tight! What kind of a creature wal; it? ,

u h was the flra‘to speak.
That was no fish," he slid.
“ What was it. then?” asked Fred Lizht.

all

. that the water here is

“That is more than I can tell you; but it can-
not bo a fish. Would a rifle bullet have bounded
of! from a fish’s back as that did?”

“Some fishes have might tough hides,” re-
plied Fred. “ The alligator 1s a sort of fish, and
a bullet has to hit just so to fetch him.”

“ Did you ever see an alligator so far up the
river?”

“Don’t know that I did. But perhaps the
great grandaddy of all the alligators has come
up on a voyage of discovery, startin’ what they
call an exodus nowadays.”

“ It is no jokin matter, Fred. Would an al-
ligator, or any sh that swims, have shown
such a 1i ht?’

The 1 did not attempt to answer that quee-

on.

“ I can’t guess what the thing was," continued
Marsh; “ but I do not believe it was a fish."

“ Dot vns der tyfel,” said Herman—“ netting:
but der tyfel. Aber I hope he feels himsellef
besser foradot schwim.”

Nearly an hour longer the three watchers sat
on the roof of the flatboat, discussing the
strange appearance, and looking for its return;

and finally they went to bed.

CHAPTER IV.
'rmt MONSTER AT WORK.

THE watchers on the “ Ex riment " were
not the only people who were isturbed by the
river monster that night.

It has been said that a large broadhorn was
seen slowly floating down the Mississippi.

The man who stood on the steering-bench,
managing the long car that was used as a rud-
der, heard a stran noise in the water, and
called to a man w 0 was at the other end of
the boat.

Before his comrade could reach him, a slight
shock was heard, as if the side or bottom of the
flatboat had struck something. '

“ Did you hear that queer noise in the water,
J i m?” be asked.

“ Yes. What was it?"

“ Durned at I know. Thnnderntionl what’s
the matter with this tamal flat,- anyhow?”

The ungainly craft was not only going down-
stream, but was also sensibly approaching the
shore though there was no known reason why
she should take that direction. At the same
time the peculiar noise in the water was heard,
though less plainly than before.

“It seemed like we struck a snag,” said the
steersman, “ though I would bet my last dollar
deep for that. And
now we’re goin’ in to’ shore, though the cur-
rent is as straight as a shingle. Bear a ban
Jim, and let‘s try to lift her out 0‘ this.” "

The two men tugged at the steerin car, but
their utmost efforts did not serve to c ange the
course of the big craft.

 

 

All hands were called, and the sweeps were
manned and worked with the full strength of
the crew' but, in spite of evegthln the flat-
boat still held her course town the s ore.

As soon as she touched the bank, about a.
i dozen men suddenly came out from behind the

trees, and leveled as many rifles at the heads of
the five flatboatmen.

u:

but they neither saw nor heard anything more,

 

 

 

  
 

. sion on the‘Searc plantation.

 by men' but only one of its many inhabitants

r man, stout and full-bodied, with a purple i’ace.

« manner that spoke of rich living and heavy

7. ‘.‘Wh don’t you help yourself and be soci-
ablel'y ,

(when he has got enough, and I think it would

‘atick to my re

3 Platboat Fred.

The latter perceived at once that they were ‘
overpowered, and made no attempt at resist- .
anoe. Being ordered to throw up their hands ‘
and surrender, they obeyed at once, and one of
the men on shore took a line from the flat- ‘
boat, which he made fast to a tree.

While a portion of the nocturnal plunderers l
guarded the prisoners, the others searched-their
persons and the boat, carrying of! everything of ‘
value except the cargo of ay. .

While the victims were helplessly watching -
these operations, they saw something round an
dark, like the back of a. hu 8 fish, rise tothe
surface of the water at a litt 6 distance above
the flatboat. But it could not be a fish, asthere
was a strange hump or horn on its back, from
which a gleam of light shot out on the river. ‘

As they watched it, shivering with fear, it
sunk, and was seen no more.

The work of plunder was soon finished, the
prize was cast loose, and the marauders disap-
pesredin the gloom.

The flatboatmen Wearin navigated their awk-
ward craft back into the channel, and went -
their way, poorer in pocket, but richer in a story
which was so incredible that. they doubted
whether they would dare to tell it.

Shortly after this event two men were seated
in a large room in the old but still stately man-

The room had ormerly been the main parlor
oi the old house, but then had little of the ap-
pearance of aparlor, being, like the rest 0! the
estate, quite untidy and dila idated.

A stran e thing about the oarcy mansion was
the scarcty of female occu ants. There was
plenty of men, and the coo ing was done by
men, and the house was cared for after a fashion

was of the softer sex.
One of the two persons was Madison Searie,
commonly known as Judge Searle—an elderly

His rosy complexion was scarcely suggestive of
good health, as it was seamed and Veined in a

drinking. A bottle and glasses, on the table by
which he was seated, gave point to this impres-

n. .
The other man, who was considerably ounger

than Madison Searle, was swarthy, blac beard—

ed, and coarsely dressed.

‘Here’s the bottle, Tyson,” said the elder.

“Thanky, Cap, but I’m a man who knows

he better for you it you didn’t help yourself
quite so often.’ '

“That’s nonsense, Tyson. I know what 1
need, and what I’ve 0t to have. As long as I
lar a owance I am all right. If
anything shou d happen to shut it off, I would
drop into my ‘grave soquick that it would make
your head sw m.” A

“ Somethin’ like eatin’ arsenic, hey! That’s a
had state of things, Cap. As you are likely to
dro oi! 'most any day, don’t you think we
oug tto take account of stock, and know just

 

how we standi”

 

 

" I hope you don’t think, Tyson thatI would
try to take an advantage of any 0 on."
“ Of course not; but some of the hays have a
notion_that the profits of the business have
been bigger than the returns; and you ought to
satisfy em that everything is all right.”

‘_‘ The expenses have, been heavier than they
think. Well, I will get Harry and on to-
gether, rnd try to foot up the thing. Hello,
missyl What do you. want?” ‘

This question was addressed to the only fe-
male occupant of the mansion, no other than
black-eyed Eva Summers.

“You may bet your bottom dollar that I
don’t want any brandy ” she answered. “But
I do want something e se, guardy, and you’ve
got to give it to me. You know that there is a
trading-boat lying at the river, up around the
bend.”

“ I have heard that some such thieving mud-
turtle has landed hereabout.”

“It ain’t a thieving mud‘turtle. I went there
-with J 91!, of course—and boughta. few things,
and they are just the nicest kind of people; and
I want you to ask them here to dinner.’

" Ask them to dinner? Ii Child, you are
crazy 1”

“Now, guardy, that’s played out. I’ve got
heaps of patience, but I ain’t old man Job. I
mean to have my we once in a while, or there’s
going to be a row. want you to ask Aaron
Hicksey, too.”

“ I tell on, Eva, if that fellow ever puts his
foot in this house, I will break his headl”

“ Bet you won’t. You don‘t sup ose, guardy
that I have trained so Ion wit this crowd.
without~knowing what’s gomg on. I’ve got a
tongue, too, as well as eyes and ears, and
wouldn't it raise a merry hallelujah, if I should
turn that tongue loose?

 You don’t mean to say that you would

“ Wouldn’t I, though? There’s no sayin’
what I might do, ii! on should make me mad.
Is it all right, guar y?”

“ I will think about it.”

“That means that you will keep on the safe
side of me2 and will consent. Day—dayi”

She whisked out of the room, and Madison
Searle sWallowed a glass of brandy.

“That’s a little too much i” he said, with an

oath.

“ I would like to know who is the boss on this
plantation?” said Tyson. “ Who is that girl,
any how! Where did you ick herup?"

“ I didn’t pick her up. he was left to me—
a sort of a legacy, and my conscience‘wou’t let

“ That’ll do, Capl”interrupted Tyson. “ When
it comes to questions of conscience, don’t argy
them More me.”

“The fact is, Tyson, that I’ve ot a tender
side to me, and she sticks there. 1 she would
marry my son, it would be all ri ht. She could
raise the deuce with us, if she a ould ever turn
her tongue loose." -

“ But it would be easy enough to tie that
tongue of hers. What are you going to do
about it, Cap?” ,

- “ 01, course it won't do to have those folks

 

 :‘v ..:. ' -:._ ~.,:.I/ . . 

here. I have never allowed any company on
this place yet. and I can’t make an exception in
their favor. Besides. I have my suspicions about
that confounded flatboat.”

“From what I have heard of the men who
are on her,” suggested Tyson, “ they don’t seem
to be the common sort of traders.”

“Just so. Who knows what cussed spies and
intruders ma come dovm here, pretending to
be traders? don’t want them around. in any
shape. As soon as that flatboat came in sight,
I tol l the Bingley boys to lay for her and clean
her out. ”

“ That game didn’t work, Cap.”

“ Not worth a cent. These folks seem to be
willing and able to fight. But I know what I
can do."

“ What’s that?”

“That flatboat will sink right soon, so easy .
and so sudden that those folks won’t know what
hurt them.”

"Albell that hung against the wall began to
Jim; e.

“ The Devilflsh is in," said Senrle. “I will
see Harry and fix it up with him. In the mean- ,
time I Wlll give the girl tafl’ y and put her off.”

CHAPTER V.
SEEKING AND FINDING. 1

THROUGH the 'wood and across the clearing, 1
down to the bank where the “ Experiment ” lay, i
came men piloted by the small African who .
had distributed the advertising circulars. ‘

One was a smoothrfaccd young fellow, with a. ,
bright, intelligent countenance, who had a sort
of haversack slung under his left arm. The other .
was middle-aged, bearded, with a carpet bag in
his hand. Both carried rifles. E

The three traders and. Aaron Hicksey were}
seated 0n the bank and the younger of the two ‘
visitors at once pic ed out Fred. !

“This is Fred Light I suppose,” he said. “I '
have a letter of introduction to you, from Mr. ‘
Searcy of St. Louis; or rather from his man-
aging clerk, who is well acquainted with you. 3
My name is Bradley, generally called Billy ,
Bradley. and I am a newspaper reporter.” '

“ Glad to see you,” said Fred. “ We are get- i
tin’ lonesome down here. By the way, what is ‘
this that Mr. Dalby says you have come to look
after?” -

“ It may sound rather ridiculous,” replied the
reporter; “ but the fact is that we are hunting
a river dra on. The St. Louis papers have had 5
reports late y of some frightful sort of a mon- i
star—either a beast or a fish, or a seaserpent— I
that has been seen in the river near this place. l
People have laughed at the stories and have no-
cused us of manufacturing them, ut they were
told by men from down the river, who evident. l
ly believed them, and whom we had good rea-
son to believe. As I was going to have a vaca-
tion I got permission to come down here and
look into the thing.”

“ Is your friend a reporter too?" asked Fred. 1

“0h, nol I will introduce him. This is Mr.
Harvey Storms, a man about town, with plenty
of money and plenty of time, who is fond of
adventure, and who kindly consented to come
and 11er me hunt the monster." I

 

Flathead; mg. " l ' ' 9

“Well. Mr. Bradley. that is the very thing
we m 10 speaking about as you came down to
the river.”

“ What, the dragon? Have you seen it?"

“YZ’es. We have all seen it, and I have shot
at it.

“ What did it look like? Did you hit it?”

The youth told the story of the adventure
with the river monster.

“ I thought it might be a big alligator. or per-
haps an escaped sea-lion,” said Harvey Storms,
who spoke in a slow and drawling tone; “but
it seems to be something worse than that.”

“Our friend Aaron Hicksey lives here, and
has known of it for some time," suggested Mat
Marsh.

The reporter hastened to pump Aaron for
further information.

“I never saw it,” replied the young man,
“but I have heard of it often enough. It has
nearly scared the life out of some of the nig—
gore, and I don’t know one of them who is now

. willing to go near the river after dark.”

“ i am of Mr. Marsh’s opinion,” said Storms.
“I don’t think it can be a fish.” I

“It is more likely to be some piece of human
deviliry,” said Marsh.

“Dot vas nottings but der tyfel," said Her-
man.

“ I have heard old boatmen say that the {rout
door of hell is right undir New Madrid,” re-
marked Fred Light. “Like enough there is a
back door down this way, and the Old Boy
comes up now and then, as Herman says, to
take a swim.”

“I am glad I came down here,” said Billy
Bradley, “ and I am oing to find out what the
thing is if it takes a eg.”

“ We will help you as much as we can,” said
Fred, “ and Mr. Hicksey and I are goin’ toscout
around and look for the critter to-night. I don’t
suppose you gentleman have found any/place to
stay; but we will be glad to have you bun]:
with us, if you can stand our style.”

This invitation was cordially accepted, and
the traders and Aaron Hicksey were soon an
excellent terms with their new friends.

“ B the way,” suggested Featherweighg‘if
the ingley gang should come for our lpe
aigain,”couldn t we give ’em a sharp old lettin'
(own.

As Fred Light and Aaron Hicksey had agreed
to cruise in search of the monster that ni ht,

they prepared for the expedition shortly a ter V

dark, each buckling u on his person a belt con-
taining a revolver an a knif . ‘

“I shouldn’t wonder if this is oin’ tobea I

ticklile kind of a scout,” observe Fred. “ I
hope you ain’t afraid, Aaron.”

‘I don’t believe I am,” replied Aaron.
“Some folks are in the habit of saying that I
haven’t got sense enough to get scared, and I
don't know but they are about right. I am glad
that you are willing to let me o with you.

“ But if you shou d get WipP out in this buli-
ness, my, friend, don t you suppose that Mi.
Eva Summers might miss you right badl I"

“ I am afraid she wouldn’t, Fred. 1 have
been hoping that she might care as much “that
for me, but it don’t look like it. She only taken

 

 

 

12" IO

’ mu...“ Fred.

 

up with me because company is scarce, and be-
cause she wants to have some fun and bother
her guardian."

V The two youn men got into the small skifl.’ be~
longing to the ‘ E eriment.” and shoved 01!,
followed by the goo wishes of their friends. 1

Fred took the oars, and Aaron sat in the stern ‘
to direct the course of the little craft.

They went down the river, and rounded file ‘
bend, rowing easily and with little noise, and
keeping near the shore. Aaron constantly ‘
looked over the water, ahead and at the side of 1
the skiflf, and Fred was not so busy with his cars ‘
as to be unable to glance around occasionally.

About a quarter of. a mile below the bend

. . Aaron ointed outalurge house, dimly visible

‘11 . ’ in the arkness through the trees.

‘ “That ls the old Searcy house " he said,

“ where Jud e Searie and Eva live.’
Fred reste his oars, and inspected the house
and the surroundings as well as he could.

 “B the way, Aaron," he asked, “why is it

» ' that udge Searle, as they call him, won’t allow

you to come on his place ”

“Because he thinks I want to marry Eva.
That’s one reason, I suppose. Then, again, he
knows that I have suspicions about the way he
got hold of the Searcy pro crty, and about his
goings on generally. Any ow, he don’t encour—
, ; age company.”

j ~ ‘ “Perhaps you will tell me more about these

 matters some time."

, i “ Yes, I’ve no objection.”

“ r Just below the mansion a small inlet or bayou
ran into the land. It was heavily timbered on

. each side, and terminated, at the distance of
some sixty yards from the river, in a dense mass

‘ of foliage.

After the skid? had passed the inlet, Aaron

. Hicksey proposed that they should turn and go
back, steering a course for her from shore than

 ghat which they had taken when they came

, own.

2 The boat was turned, Aaron takin the cars,
and he pulled leisurely up—stream, red Light

- , keepin a sharp lookout ahead and on both

 , sides the shift.

Thefihad just passed the Searcy mansion,

ed, with a sudden cry, hal rose from

 

 

 

  
  
 
 
 
   
   

seat.
“Hold hard!” he exclaimed. “Back water,
ron. There itis!”
. , Right before, the skit! rose the dark, round
vform cf the river monster, and from the short
horn on its back came'a gleam of light, that
shone on Aaron Hicksey’s back and in Fred
Li vht’s face.
aron backed water with all his might, and

then turned to geta look at the wonder. He was
net in time to see it sink beneath the surface of
, .- he river. ‘

‘ ' Fred had drawn his late] from his belt, and
“he fired at the light as t went down, but missed

 

 

‘ it.- I

r‘ The two youths looked at each other. Both
were pale, and their lips were closed tightly, ‘
.and for awhile neither or them spoke.
, “That was it,” said Fred at last. i
, . “ I didn’t get a squint at it,” replied Aaron. "
' By/tbis time the skin had drifted down until

  
  
 

 

‘ it was below the Seircy mansion, and Aaron

took the cars to pull up—stream again.

“ I wish I could have hit it,”said Fred. “I
fired at the light but I guess I must have been
a little flustered."

“It don’t seem to be inclined to bite any-
body,” romarked Aaron.

Suddenly, and without the slightest warning,
the monster rose under the skid, u setting it,
and throwing Fred and his comra 0 into the
river, one on each side of its back.

Fred Light was so astonished, not to say
frightened, by this sudden disaster, that he

! sunk as soon as he went into the water: but the
: instinct of self—preservation caused him to strike
’ out, and he came immediately to the surface.

He looked around. The monster had
down, the skifl was bottom upward, an
oars were floating near him.

Aaron Hicksey was there, too; but what was
the matter with him?

He had told Fred that he was a good swimmer;
but he was throwing his hands helplessly about.
and he uttered a cry as his head went under the
water.

one
the

The thought that Aaron had been seized and .

carried down by the monster struck a chill to
the heart of Fred.

Without stopping to reflect, the brave lad
drew a knife from his belt, and followed his
friend into the depths.

As he blindly moved about in the muddy
water, his feet struck something hard, and his
left hand came in contact with a woolen gar-
ment that seemed, to be attached to the hard
substance.

Believing that it was Aaron’s coat that was
fastened to the monster, be cut it loose by a
vigorous slash with his knife.

Although he had been under the water but a.
very short time, he had held his breath as long
as was possible, and with a kick he sent himself

up. ~
When he reached the surface, Aaron Hichse
gas there, exhausted and gasping, but still ab 9
swun. ,

CHAPTER VI.
rim run or ran “ EXPERIMENT.”
FRED LIGHT swam to the boat, which was
still floating near them, righted 1t, and pushed
it to Aaron. He bailed out a ortion of the

 

water with his hat, and both of t em got in and

bailed out the rest. The oars were easily picked
up, and Fred Light seated himself to row, while
his friend took a position in the stern.

“The thing did seem to be inclined to bite,
Aaron,” observed Fred. . r

“ I ain’t sure about that,” replied Aaron. “ It
upset us, but it may not have meant to do so.
Likely as' not my coat caught on that born or
something else, and I Was pulled down with it.”

“That was what I cut loose, and I owe you a
coat.” .
“I owe am my life you had better say, and
you may is your last dollar that I will never

[ for at the debt."
“ e both owe that critter somethin’ for giv-
am halt

in’ns a duckln’, and for my part, I
crazy to get even.”

V. .

 

 

 

 

 

 

H.“ .w~ m

i, M. a...“ “Ween”... H. . .

 

.m.

“80 am I; but we don’t seem tohave any
Ihow. What are you going to do now, Fred?”
“I am rowing up the river, as you see. I
gppo’se we may as well get back to the flat-
at

The skiff at this time was nearly opposite the
inlet 'ust below the Searcy mansion.

“ hat’s that, Fred?” exclaimed Aaron, in a
stage whisper. “ There it is again I”

Fred turned quickly, and saw the dark, round

back of the monster lying above the surface of 1

the water, between the skiff and the shore. But
the horn that seemed to indicate its head was
not turned toward the boat, and the light that
streamed from it pointed directly into the
bayou '

The next moment it sunk, but the bubbles
that rose to the surface, and the strange,
churning noise under the water told of its
whereabouts. .

“Now we can follow it,” said Fred in a reso-
lute tone, though his face was pale. ‘ The hub-
bles are going straight into the bayou. Watch
them. Aaron, and guide me as I row.”

“Our pistols are spoiled by the water, and we
can’t fight anything.”

“Never mind that. They wouldn‘t help us,
anyhow. I mean to see What becomes of that
crittur’ if I never see anythin’ else in this
world. ’ '

Aaron made no further objection, but directed
the course of the skiff by motionng with his
hands, while Fred rowed slowly and as silently
as ossible into the bayou.

nto the smooth, dark inlet they went into
the shadow of the tall trees that lined the
banks, and Aaron was obliged to keep his eyes
strained to watch the bubbles that occasionally
rose to the surface. But it was clear that the
monster under the water was steering a straight
course to the head of the inlet, and in that di-
rection Fred rowed the skifll.

As they went on the channel narrowed, the
shadows grew heavier, and they could see that
the head ofithe inlet was closed by a mass of
foliage that rested on the surface of the water.

Right into the mass of leaves the youth sent
the skiff with a strong pull, shipping the oars as
it entered the gloom. When its course was
stopped b the overhangin vines and bushes
he pushe them aside an forced his way
through, until he met an unexpected obstruction.

This was a strong and heavy iron door or
gate, which was evidently so arranged that it
could be raised and lowered with the rise and
fall of the river, as it then extended a short dis-
tance below the surface of the water.

He listened at thi; gate, but heard nothing.
He felt of it as high as he could reach, and
drew the skifl to each side as far as it could be
made to go, but found only the same iron ob-
stacle. [I

Convinced that there was nothing more to be
discovered, he drew the skiff back out of the
mass of bushes, took up the cars and silently

rowed out of the inlet. Then, as he pulled up '
the river, he gave an account of his explora- ,

tion to Aaron Hicksey, who had remained
seated in the stern while his companion prose-
outed his discovaries.

(

‘Platboat Fred. ‘ 1 l

“ Queer sort of a den, that, Aaron," he said.
“ I don’t know what it can be.” .

“ Nor I. unless itis about-house.”

“ Nobody would have any call to build such
a. boat-house. We have found the home of that
confounded crittur anyhow, and I wish I knew
a we to et intoi .”

“ can’ think of any way, unless a fellow
should dive under the gate. I reckon you
. wouldn’tlike to try that plan, Fred.”

“ You may bet I wouldn’t. unless I was sure
of coming up on the other side.”

“It has just occurred to me, Fred, that there
me. be another way of getting in there.”

‘ What is that?” .

“The ate, or whatever you call it, must be-
long to 5 me sort of a. building, and the building
is on the Searcy place, near the house.”

“That’s a fact, Aaron. We must get around
that house, and into it, in spite of anybody and
everybody.”

the “ Experiment,” but' they found their friends
sitting on the roof, waiting and watching for
them, uneasy at their long absence.

They related their adventures in search of
the monster, to the delight of Billy Bradley, who
got an exciting story for his newspaper: to the
great wonderment of Herman Sch weilopfel,
who congratulated Fred on his escape from the

enlightenment of Mat Marsh and Harvey
Storms.

matter ” said Marsh. “It is not to be sup-
posed that the thing you were after could have
its quarters in Madison Searle’s boathouse, or
whatever it is, without his knowing that it was
there and what it is.”

The others agreed that this suggestion was
sound.

“Another point relates to what kind of a
creature it is that you have been dealirg w ith.
When you fired at it and struck it the other
night, Fred. your bullet glanced 011’ with a
sound as if it had struck some metallic substance.
When you had your feet on it to-night, what
did it feel like?” "

member that I ever felt anything like it be
fore, and I was sorter off my balance. It
felt, perhaps, like an alligator’s back; perhaps
like a steamboat boiler.”

catfish; was it?”
“ Not a hit.”

my mind what sort of a thing it is.”
“ I think so, too,” drawled Harvey Storms.
“ What is it that you think?” asked Bradley,
“I think just as he thinks,” replied Storms
nodding his head at Marsh. 1
“How do you know what he thinks?”
“ Oh I can guess.” i
Bradley then applied to Mat Marsh for I
statement of his real opinion.
, “I can only say that it is no kind of a fish,"
replied Marsh.
“ No kind of a fish "echoed Storms.

 

“And I have sent'to St. Louis.” said Marsh. . '1

It was late at night when they got back to 

clutches of “ der ty fel," and somewhat to ,the _

 

“There are a. few points to be noted in this ' ’ '1

“That Would be hard ‘to say, as I don’t re- ¥

“Just so. It Wasn’t soft and slippery, like-a I

“Well, for my part I have nearly made up

 

 

 

Plath out Prod.

 

  
 

. l

" for something that I think will enable us to
settle the question before long.”
As nothing more satisfactory could be got
out of those two knowing" ones, the entire
' party sought their bunks, Aaron Hicksey being
‘ easily persuaded to remain on board the “ EL
periment "’until morning.

In spite of the exciting events of the earlier
._ .part of the night, and in spite of the strange-
", fess of their situation, all slept well and sound-

But all were awakened at the same moment,
during the small hours of the night, by :1 heavy ;
blow that shook the heat, followed by the crash ,

_ of breaking and splitting timbers. ‘
A They ti‘mhled out of their berths, or were I
V. - shaken out, and some of them hastily began to l
 , dress themselves; but a regard for the salety of ‘
their precious persons soon compelled them to
abandon that intention.
‘ The blow had knrcked the contents of the
' ,ark. as Fred Light oxprcsscd it, “ all of a heap,”
overthrowing the stove, scattering iron utensils
about, smashing CWCkC‘l'y, emptying a portion
of the shelves, extinguishing the light, and up»
setting things generally. I

At the same time the water began to pour ‘
into the craft through a. large and rugged hole
in her side, and it was as much as the traders
could do to find their way out at the door,
an i to climb up come bank. before the river

' took entire possession of the “ Experiment.”
_ As the nrk had no heavy loading, it could
3 not have sunk out of sight, even if it had not
been securely made fast to the shore: but- the
outer side settled down in the water until the
“Experiment” made a very sorry show.
Although not a total wreck. it was doubtful
.whether it would be worth while to raise and
I repair her.

Quite as sorry a. sight were the recent occu-
pants of the flqthont, who had Collected on the
river bank, with scarcely any clothes to cover
,them, and with no means of making a fire or
starting a light. Fortunately the night was
twtgu‘lm, and the mosquitoes were not very plen-
l u .
> i ‘8’Was it a stroke of lightning, or an earth-

quake?” asked Billy Bradley.

' “Dot vas nottings but oer tyfel,” remarked
Herman.

“It was the confounded crittur that Aaron
.and I got after.” said Fred Light. “ After the
damage was done, I heard the some queer noise
that we heard the other night, when we first
saw it.”

‘ “I heard it, too." said Aaron. “Just such a
noise as it made, Fred, when we followed it into
the bayou.”

"' That was the thing,”suid Marsh. “ It went
l for us with apurpose, and stove a hole in the
.flntboat with the intention of sinking her. What-
ever it may be I am convinced that it has hu-
man brains to hack it.”

-' “Human brains to back it!” echoed Storms.
' “ What are we going to do now?" asked
Bradley, as he slapped 31; an oceasionul mos-
uito. ‘ ‘
, It was agreed that they could do nothing un-

 

 
   
  
  
  
   
   
 
  
  
  
   
  
   
 
  
  
  
   
   
  

    
 
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
 
   
   

 

 

jilgdavyh'ght; but they had not long to wait, as I hm

day soon broke, and then they set at work to
recover from the wrecked boat such articles an
they absolutely needed.
wading and rummaging they succeeded

in fishing out their clothes, baggage and rifles,
all more or less damaged by the water, and
were fortunate in securing a quantity of ammu-
nition that had not been injured.

“ We have been hit pretty hard ” said Marsh.
“ As it may be our turn to strike the second
blow, we are lucky in having tools to work
with.”

The question then arose of the future move-
ments of the traders and their friends, and it

, was speedily settled by Aaron Hicksey, who

cordially invited them to vi~it his plantation
and make his house their home.

“There is lots of room,” he said, “and plenty
to eat and drink, and I will be right glad to have
yell; there, and to have you stay as long as you
w: .

This offer was accepted as freely as it was
made, and Aaron promised that he would send
some men to the river with a team, to recover
and bring ashore every thing that could be saved
from the wreck of the “ Experiment.”

The skiff was hauled ashore and concealed in
a, clump of bushes, and the party, with such of
their bugga e as they could carry, took up the
line of more for Aaron Hicksey’s plantation.

CHAPTER VII.
PLOTTING AGAINST THE TRADEns.

AT an early hour in the morning Madison
Scarle was in his bed—room; but he was not
asleep, nor was he in bed. '

He had passed a restless night. After vain
endeavors to sleep, resulting only in fitful dozes
from which he awoke with a start and a snort,
he had finally risen, nervously lighted a lamp,
and partially dressed himself.

There was a bottle of brandy on the table,
with glasses, sugar, and sprigs of mint. and to
the mixing and absorbing of these articles he
applied himself, in the intervals of. his unquiet
“lei-king, occasionally stopping to rest in a
c iair.

The windows were wide open, exr'ept for the
mosquito guards: but the night was close, and
liquor an impatience made the old man hot
and uncomfortable.

There was a knock at the door, and the man
knon n as Tyson entered.

 

“1 heard you stirrin’ about, Cap,” he said, ,

“and l lookedin to ask if there is anythin’ the
matter.” ’

“ I couldn’t sleep,” replied Searle. “ I was
worried and restless. Have a drink this morn,-
in', ’l‘ysonl” ,4 '

“ Thank ye. Don’t care if I do.”

While the old man'was pressing the liquor on
his visitor, he did not forget to mix a fresh por-
tion for himself and send it down his throat.

“ I suppose Harry has not got in,” he said, a!
he set down his glass,

“Not yet,” replied Tyson.

“ I hope he has settled them.”

“ Oh, you can bet on that. He never misses."

In a few minutes the jingle of a bell was

 
 

- «is...

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

...kxh.St-

 

 

 

 

 

Flathead: Bed.

 
  

 

' “There he is " said the old man. “Run
down and meet him, Tyson, and bring him up
here as soon as you can.” ’

Tyson hastily left the room, but soon returned
with a tall young man, dark of complexion,
with black hair and eyes, and with a broad,
square brow. In spite of his rather ungainly
figure, this young man would have been paSsa- '

.bly good-looking, had it not been for a purple

blotch that covered the greater part of the left
side of his face, completely spoiling his appear-
once.

Madison Searle cordially greeted the new‘
comer, and what passed for a smile spread over
his rosy countenance.

“ I am tremendously glad to see you, Harry,” ‘
he said. “Will you take mint and sugar in
yours?” "

“ I don’t mind if I do, as I feel a little shady
this momin . Have ou been sitting up all
night with t 8 bottle, 0 d gent?”

“l have been wakeful, my son, and have been
up of! and on; but I am as near right as I ever
am. If there should be an end of the bottle,
there would be an end of me——that’s all.”

Madison Searle joined his son in a drum, as he
had joined Tyson, and there was an expectant
look on his face when he finished his glass.

“ Well, Harry,” he said, somewhat impatient-
ly, “ have you succeeded, or not?”

"or course I have succeeded. Did you ever
know me to fail? My calculations are ull made
with scientific accuracy, and they ns‘vz‘r miss.”

“You have wiped out that concern, then?”

“ I should say so. There is a hole knocked in
that mud-turtle which it would puzzle the car-
penters to repair, and she must be in the Mis-
s‘iissippi now, considerably more than out of
i .

“ But the people—what has become of them?”

“ Of course I can’t know anything about them
for certain; but it is likelfy enough that they
were drowned. If any 0 them escaped, their
trading business is sure to be broken up, and
they can’t be expected to hang around these
parts much lon er." -
I“ Good boy, arr . You are the smartest
one of the crowd. here’s nothing like science,
after all." .

Several hours after this interview Madison
Scarle was seated at dinner, with his son and
Tyson. To speak more accurately, they had
finished their dinner, and were sampling some
of the wines and liquors with which the cellar
of the mansion was well supplied.

3 the kind, came spinning down the river last

 

Without warning, Eva Summers rushed into
the room, flushed and excited. y
“ What do you want now, Miss Impudencei”
asked Madison Scarle, rather angrily.

“Oh guardy. I have just heard the worst l
grad?! news. It takes the rag off the bush, for I

' “ What is it, little one?” ,
~ “You know the nice people I spoke to you '
Ibout, who have a t-radmgoboat on the river, up 3'
around the bend?” l

“ I believe you did say something tome about ‘
some trash of that sort,” replied the old man,
who did not like to have that subject brought
mend yet was curious to know what the girl

heard.

I search us out and break us up. It is to the in-

“They ain’t trash at all, gnardy—not hya
'ug—i‘ull—but a decent, square crowd. They
aveu’t got a trading—hoot any more. She 1Q“ ,
smashed.’

“Indeed!”

“Yes—gone under. A log, or something of

   
 
  
   
   
  
     
   
  
   
   
    
  
  
   
 
 
   
    
 
   
   
    
   
   
   
  
  
  
      
    
    
  
  
  
   
  
   
    
   
   
  
     
  
   

night, and waltzed right into their boat, and -
stove a hole in it as big as a. hoopskirt, and it- ' .,
well, guardy, to cut the story short, the com ~_ -
cern kerflummixed.” ' ' '

“The people were drowned, I suppose,”sug-
gested Madison Scarles.

“Why, seems to me you speak as if you wish
they were drowned. No; they were too smart x
for that. They got ashore all safe and sound, ,
and now they are staying at Aaron Hicksey’s
place. But the boat is a dead duck. and all. ,
their nice dry goods and things are soaked with r _ ’
Water and everlastingly ruined.”

“ I suppose they had swindled the people out
of more than their loss would amount to?” ,.

“ Swindled the people!” exclaimed Eva. “I
don’t believe a Word of it. That ain’t their
style. Butit wasa rou h deal for them, guardy .
—now, wasn’t iL2—nn it seems to me, more 
than ever, that you ought to ask them here to .
dinner, and that we ought to try, among us, to‘
do something for them.” ,

“Very well, child. I will think about it.
IEaton away, now, and don’t bother us. We are j
usy.

Eva opened the door, but turned and gave a. .,
suspicious glance at the table before she went ,
out. ‘

“I want you to think about it right soon,

ardy," she said. “And don’t forget toask

own, too.” ‘

With this she vanished, leaving the two young .r
men staring at the old one.

“That beats my time,” said Tyson. “For
a chicken, she is the coolest head I ever met.” ~ ‘

“Are you going to give in to her, father?” '
asked'Harry Searles.  A

“ Of course T um not,” impatiently replied the ,
old man. “ But what can I do? ,don’t want.
to be cross with her, or pull her down allfat _
once. So those sneaking cusses are sate and
sound, in spite of science, and have settled at
Hickscy’s, and I don’t believe they have the
least idea of getting away from these parts. .
There is just one thing about it—they must be
cleaned out.” -

The old man enforced this opinion by striking ,
the table with his hand, and washed it down ’
with a. rousing glass of brandy. " V

gglhat is the matter with them?” Harry
as e . r 

“Matter enough. They are spies, and per
haps they are State cflicers in disguise. Was a ~
trading-boat ever known to land here before?
No. Is there any business about here to justify
a trading-boat in coming here and stay ingi Of
course there isn’t. Are those scnmps anything -
like the traders we know of? Not a bit. I!
am rightly informed, any man can tell at a]
glance that they new to the business. Who
are they, then, a what are they here for?
They are spies, or worse, and have come here to

     

l4

 

terest of every one of us that they shall be put
out of the way.” i

The others assented to the conclusion of this ‘
oration, and Harry Scar-1e wanted to know
what his father proposed to do about it.

- water, though we struck them a rd blow,” re-
: plied the old man. “ Now that they are on shore
we will have a better chance at them. That
Hicksey place needs a lesson too, and there are
ood pickings there. I mean to turn the Bing-
cyl‘ boys loose on them.”
yson suggested that the Bingley gang had
tried that game once, and the strangers had
been too much for them. i
“The Bingley boys must have help ” replied ‘
the old man—“all the help they need); i
' “ When i this raid to comeofi’r’askcd Harry. ‘
“One of t iese nights. I can’t say just when.
Come, let us see if Mart Bingley is anywhere .
about the place.” I
_ As the three men went out at one door Eva
 ' Summers thrust her head in at the other door. .
 , “You mean old thin 1” she exclaimed, as
4; soon as they were out 0% her sight. “So that r
. is the job you have put u on me? It is lucky ,‘
‘3‘ that I tum led to your rac 'et, and kept my ear
:' ' r~ at the crack. You mean to clean out those nice '

, folks, and r ise a rumpus at Aaron Hickse ’s
.1 - house. We] , you won’t win at that game, i; I
". = am the gr] I take myself to be. I will send 1
- A word to Iron, so that he can be ready to put

1; a s ider in our dumpling.”
' he hasti y left the house by the back way,

 

,, l
'y “ “What shall I do?” she said, musin ly. “I i
' mustn’t go too fast. Theywon’tlet me eave the ,
place anymore and I wouldn’t bet a cent on ,
eff, though he does talk as soft as mush. How ,
can I send word to Aaron, anyhow! Ah! 1
there’s his dog. Here, Carlo! Carlo!” ‘
A handsome pointer came running to her,
and plainly expressed his joy at meeting her.
.It was Aaron Hicksey’s dog, and he was so i
. fond of her that he often came without leave ;
,_ , to visit her.
 _ “ Good Carlo!” she said, as she patted him.
.1 Come, Carlo!” and the dog gladly followed I
 , her up-stairs to her own room.

' There she speedil wrote a brief note, which
she folded careful y sewed it in a little bag,
1 and secure] fastened it to Carlo’s neck. Then
‘ she went own-stairs with the dog, and took
him beyond the shrubbery.

 , “Go home, Carlo!” she commanded. “Go

. j, gouge, sir, I lay!" with an angry stamp of her ,

oo

 

 

 

. The do understood what he was expected ‘
We do. e leaped a high fence, and pointed his

 
  
 
   
    
   
  

- none toward home.
CHAPTER VIII.

AN UNDERGROUND PASSAGE.
Tm! wrecked crew of the “ Experiment,” and
, their guests agreed that the change from the
», flatboat to Aaron Hicksey’s house was a pleasant
one, and that their situati furnished no cause”
'for grumbling. ? '
, It was strange when" red Light reflected
'vupon it, what a hold Mat Marsh had gained
an the . His superior education. his evi- ,

.y

" .’I' f 2: "wr', : v" "

en..."-

Platboat Fred.

dent experience in many of the afi'airs of
life, his ndoubted acquaintance with the pur-
poses of t 9 Charles Senroy who had fitted out
the party, and the faculty of leadership which he

 

. . _ ‘Eossessed in an unusual degree, had brought
“We didn‘t succeed in cleaning them out on ,_
a

im to the front. Although but a hired hand,
he was looked upon as the chief of the party,
and his advice was respected, and his opinions
were deferred to, accordingly.

He said that although something in money
value had been lost by the sinking of the “Ex-
periment,” they had improved their position,
and were probably better situated for the prose-
cution of the ends at which they were supposed
to aim, than they would have been if they had
stuck to the flatbout.

Fred Light, who was not at all worried by
the loss of the boat and her stock, was quite of
the same opinion, and Herman Schweitopfel
was always pleased with what suited his young
friend. ‘

Aaron Hicksey’s house was large and commo-
dious; the provisions were plentiful, thchoolr-
ing was good, and “the niggers,” as he called
the colored people who “ran” his plantation,
seemed to be really fond of him, and were very
attentive to his guests.

As soon as they were settled, Aaron sent
some of his people to the river with two teams,
accompanied by Mat Marsh and Herman, to
recover from the wreck of the “Experiment”
whatever was worth saving.

Fred Light did not acoompany them, as he
had another object in View, in which ~Aaron

but stopped when she reached the shruhbery. ; H k

ic sey was alsointerested.

Aaron had suggested that there must be a
building of some kind at the place where the
marine monster seemed to have taken up its
film-tors, and that the building must be near

adison Searle's house. Fred Light had then
said that they must get into that placa, in spite
of everybody.

They had mutually agreed to scout around
and ovar the Searcy lantation, and to go as
far as they could go Without being discovered.

This was the object which they had in view,
and which they explained to the others.

Billy Bradley, who had the dash and enter-
prise of an ambitious reporter, desired to accom-
pany them, but Fred declined this proposition
u‘politely as he could.

‘ We wouldbe right led to have you go with
ul,Mr. Bradley,” he sai ,“ butIyou would be just
one too many. Two are company, but three
would be a crowd.”

Directly after dinner they set out on this ex-

dition.

“ If we should happen to at shot,” suggested

Fred, “it would be a go thing not to die
hungry."
Aaron smiled at this grim jest and tool: the
lead ashe was thorough y acquainted with the
neighborhood and more es ccielly so with the
routes that led toward Eva ummers’s home.

As long as they were on Aaron Hicksey’sland
the fields looked clean and neat and the cotton
and other crops appeared to he in good con-
dition; but they easily knew when they had
crossed into the old Searcy plantation, which
ad 'oined his ground.

’l‘here the evidences of neglect were sadly

4.1;

 

 

 

 

 

 

visible in rich fields that were overgrown by
bushes and brambles. 0111 small portions of
that plantation were in on tivation and those
had been leased to “croppers,” and carelessly
tended.

Soon they found themselves in a. tangle of
trees and undergrowth. '

“There is a. path here that leads to the
house,” said Aaron, “ but somebody might
happen to come along, and we don’t care to be
seen. So we may as well kee to the brush."

“All ri ht,” answered Fr . “The brush is
the place or me.”

As they pushed on into the thicket, making
their way slowly through the vines and bushes,
Aaron, who was in the advance, suddenly dis-
appeared.

As he did not reappear, Fred called him, but
got no answer. He went a little further on, and
called a in.

This time he got an answer, which seemed to
come from the earth beneath him: ,

“Be careful where on ste , Fred. I have
tumbled into a deep ho e here.

Fred looked about him carefully, and soon
discovered that he was standing near the edge
of the hole into which his friend had fallen, a d
which was com letely concealed by tangled vings
and other on ergrowth. He looked over, and
asked Aaron if he was hurt.

"Not a bit," was the reply. “There were
some rotten planks over this hole, and they gave
way when I stepped on them; but the fall was
soft enough. I say, Fred, 1 wish you would
come down here. There’s something queer in
this lace.”

“ omething queer ” had a strong attraction
for Fred, who picked up a vine and swung him-
solf down into the opening, alighting at the side
of his friend, who was rather dirty, but not
otherwise damaged.

“What is queer, Aaro 9" he asked.

“Till! hole. 1 would like to know where it
leads to.”

:: Leads to! What do you mean?”
alt a bit, until your 9 es get used to the
darkness, and then you wil see what I mean.”

. red was able to perceive, after a few
minutes, that the hole in the ground was merely
the entrance to another hole, which led out

from it horizontally in the direction in which
they had been traveling—that is to say, toward
the old Searcy mansion which he had seen
{11250 h the trees before he descended into the
e.

This underground passage was not merely a
bob 1n the ground, but was a com lete tunnel,
l‘mng “Chad with brick, and big enough to
aligw a man to walk in a steeping posture.

“ Your head is level, Aaron,” said Fred.

LYngéogoas that thing mean, and where does

a an

“ When on ask me what it means, I give it
up,” repli Aaron. “ But I judge that it leads
direct to the house, and it would be worth

a while to follow it up. ” ‘
ants-hath so; but the hole is so oontonndedly

Mon had in his pockets a cigar fuse and
Dome wax matches. and it was thought that

.413 ,

Platboat Prod.

 

15

with these sufficient light mi ht be secured to
enable them to make the seam .

They started in, occasionally lighting one of
she matches, but generally groping their way
through the darknem. The tunnel was strai ht,
there was no obstruction in the way. and t eir
own voices and the occasional scamper of a rat
were the only sounds that disturbed the silence.

They soon reached a laoehwhere the tunnel
seemed to come to an en . .Lighting 9. match,
moi saw that it was partially choked up by
rub ish.

Clearing away enough of this to enable them
to t through, they found themselves in a
snail underground apartment, from which
a narrow flight of crooked stairs led up-

ward.

“ We must be under the house now,” remark-

"duAlim' that th 1 h 1'

oyousu pose epeopewoaro iv-.
ing here now now anythin about the hole we
have come through?” asked red.

“I am retty sure they don‘t. The lace
where I [e in was covered and hid, an you
saw that this and of the hole was stopped
up, as it it hadn’t been used for ever so

.on .”

‘gl‘hen We can sneak about here as we lease,
ind they will be none the wiser for it. ow we
‘oust see where these steps lead to.”

\ ,

‘ .

Aaron lighted his fuse, and the two young “

men began to ascend the narrow steps. These
7ere slimy and damp, rickety and rotten,
threatening in places o fall from under their
Test; but they moved cautiously, and made
heir way upward as quietly as they could.

They Passed up what would amount to two
flights 0 stairs, winding through a sort or box, .
and end’mg at a narrow landing.

At this oint there seemed to be a door in the
box, and red Light placed his ear against it
and listened for several minutes, but heard
nothing.

" We have got to see the and of this thing’.’
he said. “ There don’t seem to be any knob to
this door, if it is a door, but there must be some
mg of getting thro .”

e fumbled about t o supposed doorpbut did
not succeed in inducing it to yield.

Aaron blew his fuse into a. flame, and they
found a bolt which flew aside after they had
fingered it for a while, and the door opened
from them.

They looked through the opening and saw a.
narrow, high-ceilinged room, which was evi»
dently used but seldom. It was uncarp’eted, and
the only furniture was a desk, a ta lei, a few
chairs, and a number of empty book-shelves. At
-th<‘ right were two tall windows, covered with
dust and with the blinds closed.

cys lived here," said Aaron.
remember bein
chap; but it di n’t look a bit then as it looks \‘
now.” i r

Fred '5

“I know it, for I

‘, th  softly info the roo
raised one of the, wndows, and looked on

{bro h the hiltiind. The vizw coxrellieda far;
esst- 9 tga en,a uantiyo ng s ru “
hem and a neflwm‘lawflc Qt the 100% 01 which.

in there when I was a little <

r

“'l‘his used to be the library when the Bean", .'

 

 

  

f

 

'  in the house. it was already under-
:  . g . l

  

16

 

nearly surrounded by trees, was a windowless
brick-building. beyond which could be seen the
water of the Mississippi.

Fred Light called his companions, who has-

hned to his side, and together they looked out.

the lawn, near the closed brick building,
were an old man and two younnr men, who were
talking to ether, but nothing of what the said
could be eard at the distance of the li rary
window.

“I think that is what we are looking for,”
said Fred. “ That brick buildin must be at the
head of the piece of water up w ich we rowed
alter that confounded crittur.”

Aaron was of the same opinion.

“ I see Mart Bingley down there talking with
two other men," continued Fred. “1 have
good cause to know him. Do you know the
others?”

Aaron replied that the elderly man was Mad-

. isOn Sear-1e, and one of the young men was his
son, Harry Searle. Fred took a good look at

am.

“I will know them if I ever see them again,"
he said. “ Now, Aaron, I think we have done
all we can do today. The sun will soon go
down, and we must get back to your house, or
our friends will be uneasy about us. We have
made a big thin out of our scout, and we ought
to be satisfied. [live know that we can get inside
of this house whenever we want to, and that
ma be worth a heap to us."

‘ That’s so, Fred. I could come here and see
Eva. as often as I want to if she really cared to
have me come.”

“That is for you to find out, my boy. The
way is clear, anyhow. Come along now, Aaron.
We will have to tackle that brick building some
dark night, and we had better be well fixed for
the job, as the chances are that We will find that
strange crittur inside of it."

Before they left the room the young fellows
examined the door by which they bud entered.

‘ It was faced with a high mirror, which com—

. pletely covered the Opening. Bid among the
ornaments at the left of the mirror, tiny found
I small knob or button, by which the spring
that held the bolt was released.

Satisfied that they knew how to get out as
well as to get in, they closed the dew behind

, them, retraced their ste 5 down tl~e stairs and
through the tunnel, and estened homo.

It was nearly dark when they reached Aaron
Hicksey‘s house. and the first to meet and greet
them was Aamn'i pointer.

“Bo quiet, old fellow,” said Aaron, as he
bent dewn and caressed the dog. “ Why,
what’s this, Carlo? What have you got on
your neck?” ,
7 With his knife he cut from the dog’s neck a

*small package, covered with silk, and held it

‘I‘Hcre is something else that is queer,” he
“I wonder whas it means? Let us take

. ‘1 it into the light and examine it.”

w
CHAPTER 1X.
_ Eva’s waanrno.
. Farm and Aaron were gladly greeted by their

O
. I

 

‘ /

Platboat Prod.

stood among them that Fred never went any-
where without making some surprisin discov-
ery, or meeting with some exciting a venture,
and they pressed him for an account of what he
had seen and done. ’

He related their adventures in the discovery
and search of the underground passage. While
he was thus engaged, Aaron Hicksey opened
the packet that he had taken from the dog,
and found'in it a. note, which he read.

“Vtht is it, Aaron?” asked Fred.
thingr the matter?”

“ I will tell you when you get through,” re-
plied Aaron. “Go on with your story.”

Fred’s account of the discover of the tunnel,
and of its connection with the o d Searcy man‘
sion, were highly interesting to all, but particu-
larly so to Mat arsh, who was Visiny excited
by the description.

“ I can’t guess what that hole was ever made
for,” he sold: “ but it is easy to see that it will
be very useful to us, if we want to get inside of
that house.”

“ I don’t really know why weoshould want to
get in there,” remarked Fred; “ but it does give
us a big chance.”

“It would be a splendid thin for me, it I
thought that Eva Summers care for me,” said
Aaron. with a sigh. “That brings us to the
note that my dog brought home on his neck.
It is from her.”

" Is it private?” asked Fred.

“Not a bit. It is a business note, and con-
cerns all of us. Listen, now.”

He read these words to his companions:

“ Any-

“ DEAR AAnosz—Thore is going to be a raid and a.

rumpus at your lace before long, by the Blngley
boys and some at ich. i don’t know when it is to
be, but it will come off at night. I only got this
much by chance, and send it to you, so that you can
keep your eyes pooled for them, and put a. spider in
their dumpling. Yours, in hope of ulcer H‘I‘DECS, '
VA. ’

“That is plain enough as far as it goes,” said
Mat Marsh. " She don’t say how she got her
news; but she must have heard it at the house,
and probably it came from Madison Searle him-
self. We can judge, then, who it was that sent
the Bingley gang to clean us out when weland~
ed. We can judge, too, whose were the human
Brain’s behind the contrivance that wrecked our

0a . '

“Anron and I saw Madison Searle and his
son talking to Mart Bingley this afternoon.” said
Fred Light. “So I reckon that we may set it
down as a fact that he is behind this business.
But why should he be so hot against us? IWe
haven’t done him any harm.”

“ It is not “but we have done, Fred, but what
he is afraid we may do, that Worries him. If he
is a man who has done something wrong in the
past, or who is doing something wrong now—end
either supposition is 1 kely enough to be true—-
be naturally don’t want to be 'found out.
Therefore he is suspicious of strangers, and I
believe that he thinks he has good reason to be
suspicious of us.”

“ Why so?” asked Fred.

“Because anybody could see with half an
eye that we were not what we pretended to be
-—that we were only amateur traders. Do you

 

 

   

“WM. mas ._._.n_,M...i

 

 

riv-‘ww < e V -

.u.‘

’ work,” observed Aaron.
iv come to see us tic-night, and how shall we pro-

 

 

mathoat ma. ‘ ' I

7 v V r i
remember a dai'ky who came down to the lent
the second day, who brought a lot of coon-skins ‘

and chickens and eggs and lint-cotton, which he
wanted to trade with us for goods!”

“Yes, I remember him well enough, and I
remember that not one of us was up to the
notch of that sort of trading.”

“Just so. We were not equal to the emer-
gency, and he saw through us easily enough.
Well, I inquired about that man, and learned
that he was from Madison Searle’s place, and
then I could guess his object. It is plain enough
now, I think, in the light of recont. events.
Madison Searle wants to get us our. of his way.”

“So that the devil-fish can have full play,”
suggested Fred. “What kind of a critter do
you take that to be, anyhow?” ' _

“I believe that we will know what it is, be-
fore we get through with this business,” replied
Marsh. “ I am convinced that it is no fish. ’

“ It is no fish,” echoed Harvey storms.

“We had better quit talking and go to
“Those raiders may

pare to meet them?” . -

This question was easier to ask than to an-
swer, as it was clear that Aaron Hicksey’s house
was a difllcult positinn to defend. It was a large
and irre ular frame building, a part of it being
two stories in hight, and a part tut one story.
The one—storied portions were mostly small
wings and additions that had grown up about
the main building, offering to an enemy a
large extent of surface from which to select a

int of attack, and the defense of the entire

uilding would require a considerable force.

“We might call on the niggers,” suggested
Aaron.

“Some of them have arms. and I don’t doubt
that they would be willing to help me. But
this is none of their fight.”

“That’s a fact, Aaron," said Fred. “ There
are six of us, all well armed, and if we can't
beat ofl' any crowd they are likely to send, we
deserve to be cleaned out.”

It was agreed that their numbers were suf—
ficient, but the position needed improving. It
was clear that their expected assailants. would
not only have the advantage of choosmg the
point of attack, but would have a further
advantage at night that might prove fatal to
those inside of the house. The latter would
necessarily require more or less light, which
would render them easy marks when they took
their positions to fire from the WindOWS; while
the outsiders, sheltered by the trees and shrub-
ber and the darkness, would be comparatively
invisible. .

Various lens for overcoming these advan-
tages were Erought forward; but noneof them
struck the sense of the majOrity as being alto-
gether feasible.

Billy Bradley suggested that they should
vacate the house on the approach of the raiders,
allow them to enter, and so gain for themselves
the advantage which the enemy would otherwise
have; but this plan would leave Aaron Hickscy’s
property at the mercy of the Bingley gang.

Aaron proposed that they should pre re an
ambush and attack their assailants on t 9 way

totho house; but to this it was objected that ,

 

 

 

17

 

it was not known what route they'would take, or
when they would come.

Fred Light was for carrying the war into
Africa, and anticipating their foes by an at—
tack on Madison Seai‘le’s place; but this prop-
osition was set aside as rash and unjustifiable.

At this time of doubt and perplexity Herman
Schweitopfel came forward as the Napoleon of
the occasion.

“ I dells you vot ve sall do,” said the sturdy
Teuton. “ I'was been a solclier in dot var mit
dose Vrenchinens. Some ofen us Uhlans vas by
a vnrm-house, ven dose Vrench soldiers come
to cotch us. Dot vas night times and ye knew
day vas comin’. So ve fixes t‘ings, oond ve
shoots dem down so easy like netarvas, oond
dev comes not near dot house.”

I‘ Give us the racket, old boy,” said Fred.
“ How did you do the trick?"

“ Vas you got any slitraw!” asked Herman,
turning to Aaron Hiclisey.

“Plenty of straw,” replied Aaron.

“ Any tar, or any goal-Oil?”

“ Plenty of tar, and plenty oi! coal»oil.”

“Den ve fixes 7em, pooty quick.”

Under the directions of Herman tour stakes
were sharpened, and were driven into the
ground at the distance of some fifty feet from
the house, on each of the four sides of the
building—though it was so irregular in form
thftdit might in fact have been called many
81 e .

Around each of these stakes a layer of straw
was tied, and saturated with coal oil. Other
similar layers were added, until the bundles
were nearly as big as beehives, and over the
wholea qiiantit of melted tar was poured.

Then a [use 0 lint cotton, loosely rolled, and
well filled with gunpowder, was laid from each
of these structures to the house, and Herman .
granted his a prove] of the entire arrangement.

“ Now let oes peoples come.” he said, “ oond '
pooty quick vs sees dem so vell like dey sees us,
oond inebbe some besser as dot.”

“ We Will have some jolly bonfires, anyhow,”
remarked Fred Light. ~ ,

 

CHAPTER X. ,
THE rion'r .u THE nrossnv PLACE.

THOUGH all had assisted in carrying out Her.
man’s idea, and had worked with ii will, the
construction of the lighthouses. as Fred called

‘them, had taken considerable time, and it was

more than an hour after midnight when the
preparations were completed.

The lamps that had been lighted were turned
down low and the occupants of the house—the ‘
servants aving long since retired to their
cabins outside—repaired to the stations which
they had agreed to take. Mat Marsh and Her-
man guarded the front entrance, Fred Light
and Aaron Hicksey took care of the rear, and j
Harvey Storms and Billy Bradley watched at
the east and west sides. , .

Each detachment was protected by mattresses
or feather-beds piled at he doors and windows,
and all the interior doors were wide open, so
that they could hear each other’s voices, and
could easily bring their whole force to any oint ‘
upon which there should be immoral attach.

A 3

 

 

 

   

18

    

4/ ley “and the sensational report that I can
' ‘ ' make of it Will be well worth a month’s salary.”
“ It is vastly better than loafing around St.
Louis and playing billiards,” drawled Harvey ‘
Storms, as he sighted over his rifle—barrel at
some imaginary object in the darkness.”
“ I am glad that they are going to attack us,"
said Marsh,” because that will give us a good
V excuse for any move we care to make against
*‘ them. But Iho e that our friend Hicksey’s
property will an er no damage.”

“Don’t worry about that,” shouted Aaron
from the rear. “Some of them have s. grud 9
against me, anyhow, and they are bound
take it out sooner or later. ”

“If they’re coming. why don‘t they come
along?” impatiently asked Fred Light.

If the raiders had timed their operations with
the purpose of allowing their adversaries to
comglete their preparations for defense, they 4
con] not have favored them more than they
did.
Hard];7 had Fred asked his impatient ues— ,
tion, when a warning whistle from Mat arsh
sounded through the house.

“ Be quiet!” he said. “They are coming l”

His quick eyes had caught Sightrof some dark
figures down the broad graveled‘ walk, which
immediately disappeared in the shrubbery at
each side.

Shortly afterward he saw them slinking about
among the trees near the house, and one of

them came out and advanced in the direction
of the front door.

“Who goes there?” and his clear and com—
mandng tones fairly startled his friends inside.

There was no answer to this challenge, and ,
the man continued to advance slowly. l

“Kee away from here,” ordered Marsh, “or i
you wi get hurt I” l

The man suddenly sunk to the ground, and
fore. minute or so nothing could be seen or i
heard from the house.

Then came the sharp reports of three
with three bright flashes in the darkness 0 the y
foliage, and bullets and buckshot struck about l
the front door, but without harming the two
guards, who were crouched behind a sofa and a
mattress.

“Livht up, Herman I” whispered Marsh.

Theyl‘

    
 
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
 

l

    
  
   
 
  
  
    
 
  

uns, l

   
   
   
 

- euton scratched a. match on the sole of

a his boot, and touched it to his fuse. l

“ .\ A line of fire ran fizzing and sparkling down 1
the steps of the veranda and across the green- ‘
award. Then a pile of powder under the straw
flashed up, and the next instant the mass of
combustibles burst into a bright blaze.

This sudden Ii ht was so vivid that a large

3. area in front of t 9 house was illuminated, and
the forms of the trees and shrubs were brought
out with startling distinctness.

’ Its effect upon the raiders was tossurprise
them so that they scarcely knew what hey
were about' but they quickly perceived the
necessity of gettin into the shadow, and
hastened to cover be ind the trees and bushes.

As the man on the ground he n to crawl
away, Marsh’s rifle cracked, an the fellow
gumped up with’ e bowl, and limped to the l

   
  
   
   
 
   
   
  
  
   
 

 

Plutbont Fred.

“This is better than a ploy," said Billy Brad~ l

keeri

, u

E as he saw them scurry away from the light that
shone upon them so suddenly.

‘ applied a lighted match to his fuse. “I

 
    

7 ,

 

“Vy vou not kills him?” growled Herman,
who had picked up his rifle, and was watching
for a chance to take aim.

” I think it would be better to scare them of!
if we can ” replied Marsh. “Look out, Mr.
Bradley! They are going around your way.”

He had seen the dark forms skulking across
the graveled walk and toward the west, and he
hastened to reinforce the reporter.

Billy Bradley was wide awake, and, before
the bellied raiders could make a rush at his po-
sition, his bonfire was lighted, and the sharp
crack of a. rifle told them that they had better
away from that locality. ,

t is your turn now, Fred l” shouted Marsh

Fred and Aaron waited and watched, peer-
ing into the darkness to get si ht of their toes;
but they neither saw nor heard anything.

An oppressive silence ensued, which was
bit-10km by two quick reports at Harvey Storms’s
si e.

Marsh, who seemed to be everywhere at once,
hastened to the St. Louis mun. '

“You needn’t mind," drawled Storms, as he
can
take care of them here, and I think that one of ,
them has got a pill from my istol.”

His bonfire burst into a laze, but no men
could be seen near it living or dead.

“That is strange, ’ he muttered. “I could
have sworn that 1 hit one of them.”

Marsh returned to his own position, and an-
other period of silence ensued. The three fires
that had been lighted were burning brightly,
and seemed likely to last for some time; but no
person could be seen near them, and beyond
their range was the deepest gloom.

“I wonder what has become of them now,”
said Marsh.”

“ Dot light vas vot gets um,” re lied Herman.
“Dey vos all runned ave. alrea y, oond dot’s
a pity. Ve shoots not a p endy.” »

‘I hardly believe they can have been fright-

, ened off so easily,” said Marsh.

“ Here they are!” shouted Aaron, who was
all excitement at discoVering some of the enemy

‘ in the rear.

“Light 11 , Aaron, and don’t raise such a
raw,” remar ed Fred as he handled his rifle.

Aaron lighted his fuse. The line of fire ran
out into the grass briskly enough, but suddenly
stopged, sputtered and expired.

“ ome confounded cat or dog has run across
it and broken it,” said Aaron. “I will sneak
out and give it a start.”

“Don’t you do it!" said Fred. “They may
snap you n , and it ain’t worth while to run
such a risk. "

But Aaron, on the impulse of the moment
jumped over the barricade of feather-beds an
quilts, and crouched down in the darkness.

In another moment a faint light was seen as
he struck a match, at a. distance of some ten
steps from the house.

Then came a rush from the bushes, followed
by blows and oaths, and several dark forml
were visible, huddled gather on the gran. .

With a sharp cry _F Light sprung over the

.mne.‘ . , ‘

  

   

L‘vS

. 1,v;‘>)mgwnt:uh}.-’\Wa_
. a. .41an ..,, 1..

a.

l

V  Mesa}, 9; r

 

ycome upon him unawares. When Marsh saw

.band struggle for any two of their antagonists.

l

\.u

t
breastwork and ran to the assistance of his
friend.

He found Aaron down on his back and two
men were dragging him away, while a third
was looking for a. chance to take hold.

The third man was instantly knocked down
by one of Fred Light’s scientific left-handers,
and another he saluted with a vigorous kick
that doubled him up. The remaining man
loosed his hold of Aaron, and at the same mo-
ment there was a pistol report, and Fred felt
a sharp twinge in is left arm near the shoul-
der.

With his right hand he struck the man be-
fore him savagel in the face, anger and pain
aiding,r him to pu all his force into the blow.

The next minute the two youths were safe
and breathless behind their barricade.

Mat Marsh had hastened to the rear position;
but he had hardly seen what was taking place
there when his attention was attracted to the
west by the reports of firearms, the crashing of
glass, and the sound of voices and trampling of
feet inside of the house.

Billy Bradley was stationed at a window at
the west end of the building, and a. number of
the assailants. crawling around the wing, had

them they were pouring into the broad-hall,
which was nearly as arge as an ordinary

room.

“All here!” he.shouted, as he fired into the
thick of the gang. Then he clubbed his rifle
and charged upon them.

orman Schweitopfel hurried in from the
front door, and Harvey Storms’s lon strides
brought him quickly from the east end, ut Fred
and Aaron had a contract on their hands that
did not permit them to join their friends.

Hardly had the retreated behind their breast-
work, when a c arge was made upon them,
which brought their istols into play.

For a. few seconds he reports of the firearms
were sharp and rapid; but the youths, owing to
the security of their position, were the victors
in the brief struggle, and. soon they had, as
far as they oeuld see, a clear field before them.

Then they hastened to the relief of their
friends. but stopped and stared in amazement at
the sight that met their eyes. '

Marsh and Herman were powerful men, and
either of them was fairly a match in a hand-to—

Few shots were fired. even with pistols, as the
contest was too quick and close for the effective
use of weapons, and Marsh and Herman had
pressed the raiders with such hard and tellin
bloWs that they huddled together and hampers
each other. _

But the most wonderful figure in this strug-
gle was Harvey Storms.

When Fred and Aaron appeared on the scene
he had picked up one of the intruders. and the
next instant he threw him bodily out of the
open door. Another quickly met the samcfate,
and then the St. Louis man dashed into the
huddle, felling them on the right and the
1 ft

 

e1323mm Fred and Aaron could see a chance
to at their work in, the fight/lag was finished,
Ills Stem! was amusing him

with flinging

\

Platboat Prod.

out of the door such of the assailants as had not
been able to get away.

“That beats my time,” was all Fred Li ht
could say, as he stepped up to Storms and elt
his muscles.

“ I wouldn’t have missed this bit of fun for a
fifty-dollar bill,” drawled the athlete.

Aaron Hicksey ran outside to set fire to Billy
Bradley’s beacon, which had been extinguished
by the raiders, and to his own, which had not
been lighted. The others were still burning
brightly, illuminating a large area around the
house; at no person was visrble outside.

When he returned, his friends were grouped
around the reporter, who had been found lyin
near the window where the raiders had cifecte
an entrance. He was badly wounded in one of
his legs and in his left side, but had not called
attention to his condition until the fight was
over.

His clothes were stripped off, and Mat Marsh
hastean to bandage his wounds so as to stop
the flow of blood.

“Why didn’t you call to us sooner!” asked
Marsh.

“ I did not want to bother you and spoil the
fun,” he feebly replied.

Fred Light, when the exoitement was over, .1

found a flesh wound in his arm, by which he
had lost considerable blood, and it needed to
be bound up. The others, with the exception
of Harvey Storms, could show various cuts and
contusiuns: but none of them were seriously in:
jured.

While Marsh and Fred were doing what they
could to make the reporter comfortable, the
rest sallied out to inspect the grounds.

They found no living enemies, but near the
west end of the building they discovsred a dead
[111111,

“ I knew that I had hit one of those fellows,”
plaid §torms, “ and now I am glad that I settled

llll. v

At the rear of the house they found another
body, which was recognized as that of Mart
Bingley. Those of the raiders who had merely
been wounded had doubtless been assisted by
their companions to leave the premises.

The negroes on the plantation had been
aroused by the firing and the bonfires, and had
approachedwhe scene of excitement; but it
was not until it was clear that the danger
was at an end that one of them ventured to
comp to the house and ask what waeLthe matter.

“ We have had a. bit of a ikrimmage,” replied
Aaron, “and one of us is badly hurt. Get on
the best horse Eight away, Sam, and hurry after
Dr. Wilkins. on you may ride on to uire
Norvell’s, and tell him that there is a case are
for a coroner.” ‘

.——__-_-

CHAPTER XI.‘

MADISON smann‘s 8101!.
MADISON SEARLE had taken a strange fancy

to the room in the old Searcy mansion that had '

in former times been the library.

He had caused it to be cleaned and carpeted,
and had added to its furniture a sideboard, a
lounge, and an easy-chair. fl‘he sidebdard held
the stimulants which he conszdered  w

~ ‘-—_<A»



l

i

    

  

 

 

  

 

his existence, and the lounge and easy-chair
F'ere necessary for his convenience and com-
ort.

As he was seated in his easy-chair with his
bottle and glass at his side, not forgetting his
mint and sugar, Eva Summers entered without
knocking.

At Once she began to npbraid him.

“You are a sweet crowd, you are, if a feller ,

don’t believe what he says,” was her uncompli-
mentary remark.

“ What’s the matter with you new, little one?"
asked the old man. “Has your temper got the

best of you again? Better take a little some- 1'

thing to soften it.”

He cured some of that liquid from the bottle
into t 18 glass.

“ I wouldn’t touch the stuff with a forty-foot
pole," she said. “ You know well enough what’s
the matter. You promised to invite Aaron
Hicksey here to dinner, with those nice folks

have a little company outside of your gang of
scalawags, and you haven’t done it.”

“ Couldn’t do it, Eva. They had got into
some sort of trouble, and I had to wait until it
got settled down, you see. You mustn’t be in
such a hurry.”

“ How did they get into trouble?” she angrily
demanded. “ Who sent the Bingley’boys and
the rest of that crowd to raise a rumpus with
them? W are any of your friends in the party?
You are a sly old seed, guardy, but I can see
through your little game. When are you going
to do whut I told you to do?"

“You must wait a while, Eva.”

“Oh, yes, I'll wait—until I get ready to turn
myself loose. I ain’t all made up of patience,
not by an ounce or two. I don’t keep my eyes
and ears open for nothinr, and there’s more
than one way to get news out of this house.”

“.'1‘hnndr=rntion!” exclaimed the old man.
“You mus’n’t talk like that, child. You might
make me angry, and I am furious when I am
riled.”

“I ain’t to be sneezed at, either; mind that.
I say, gunrlly, I want to know who 1 am, and
where I came from, and-what I am here for." -

Madison Searle’s purple l’ace turned darker, ’

and he looked as if he was about to choke. But
be revived himself with the liquor he had poured
out for Eva.

“ Don’t shoot 01! your tongue in the air, little
one," he said. “ I am afraid your head is get-
ting out of shape.”

‘ My head is level as a board,” she replied.
“and you can bet all your money on that.

haven’t said all I have got to say; but I reckon =

this is enough for one dose.”

She left the room as hastily as she had en-
tered it, nearly running against Harry Searle,
who was coming in as she went out.

“ What‘s the matter with that little vixen?" .

asked the young man.

“ J ust one of her tantrums,” replied his father.
“ She is wrathy about that fuss at the Hicksey
place, and wants to lay the blame on me. She
threatened to blow on us again.”

“ If I thought she would doit, father. I would
look her up tight, or do something that would

Itoo her mouth.”

Plathoat Prod.

"Oh, it is only talk, Harry. She is always
talking, but don’t mean what she says.”

“But that Hicksey business, old man, is no
joking matter,” said Ilnrry, as he helped himself
to a chair.

about that night 5 work.”

“ Let them talk, Harry. The
and me. We have been caref
gers out of the fire.”

“ But that is not all, sir. Our men want to
know how the thing leaked out. Those folks at
I-licksey’s were all ready to receive us, and they
must have known that we were coming. Who
is the traitor in the camp?"

“,That is more than I can tell you,” answered
the old man, as he fidgeted in his chair. “ I am
only sorry that the raid turned out so badly,
‘ and I would give considerable to be abletoclean

can’t hurt you
to keep our fin:

1‘ th f 1k out. Whatdo en su 059 the have .
who are stopping at his house, so that I might ‘ 089 O S y pp y

been doing lately?”
I Harry did not attempt to guess. .
“There is one of them named Marsh, who
went to Mimmsvillo latel ,and there he tele-
, graphed to St. Louis, and have seen the dis-
. patch. It was directed to Searcy 6; 00., and
~ was in these words: -

“ ‘ Send down the skylark as soon as possible l’

“Now, who are Searcy & Co., and what did
he mean by ‘the skylark?’ ”

‘ “ That is too much for me,” replied the yonn
man. “Searc 85 Co. sounds suspicious, an
, I have no don t that those people mean mis—

: chief.”

“You are right, Harry. Searcy & Co. door
sound suspicious, and that brings me to a mat.
ter that 1 want to speak to you about. What
I broke me up, as Eva Went out of here, was a
i remark she made. She wanted to know who
i she is, where she had come from, and what she

is here £01. . ,
} “That is what I want to know, too. You

have had a secret about that girl for a long
; time; but I don’t know why you should have

secrets from me.”
I “ That’s a fact, and the time has come when I
must tell it. I believe that I am not long for
, this world, anyhow. I was afraid that ifI let it
out she would hear of it, and I hoped that thin a
would straighten themselves, so that I won d
not have to tell it. But they have not. Lock
the door, Harry.”

Harry Searle rose and locked the door, and
his father revived himself with a mixture of
whisky and sugar and “ eons.”

“ You must have won ered,” he said “ about
the girl, and how I g1t possession of this‘prop-
erty. I will tell you the whole story.

“ I became acquainted with Francis Saucy,
the owner of this place, in the Southern army,
in the first year of the war. I knew him than
1 as a rich dyoung widower, with no relatives in
i the worl but an only brother and a. baby
_’ daughter.

“ He was angry with his brother, who did not

i s nipathize with the South. That brother,
3 harles Searcy, had been living in St. 'Louis

[ but had gone to Europe to get out of the way of

the war. Frank Seal-0y had Sent hi- child away.

9

“Two of our best men are dead, ,‘
another is badly hurt, and I hear that the poo- '
ple of the country are talking of making 8. 1118555

 

 

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where it would be well cared for and out of .
danger, and had thrown himself into the
war, as he went into everything, headlong and ‘
all over.

“ It was then that I met him. He was adju-

‘ taut of the regiment in which I was a captain,

Vand we became fast friends. He was a hot 1
headed and reckless fellow, and I, although I
was considerably older than he, was just as bad. i
After awhile I saved his life, by carrying him i
backto the ranks when he had been wounded ;
in a charge. We both got promotion out of ‘
that and were closer friends than ever.

“ t was near the end of ‘63 that he was badly
wounded, and at last he was discharged as in-
curable. I got away on sick leave and brought
him home to this place, and here he died, after

Before he died he made a
wil in my favor, leaving me this property.”

“ That is all straight enough,” said the young
man, “There is nothing in that to make a so- ‘
cret of.”

“ It is not as straight as I wish it was, Harry. ‘
The fact is that he left me the property in trust ‘

for his child. I was to bring the girl home and
to live on this place, and to take care of her
until she is twenty-one, and then I am bound to
turn evervthing over to her. I brought her
here, and Eva Summers is Ella Searcy. ’
The old man mixed another julep, and looked
at his son asif he wanted a suggestion.

" How is it that she don’t know who she is?”

r .

“Oh, I flied up a story for her, about her
father getting into trouble and sending her
away under a false name, and she has been
satisfied until lately.” _ 1

Harry Searle was silent for a few moments,
thinking of the facts that had been presented

1m.
“ I wish I had known of this before,” he then
said. “Is thereno way to get round that will?”
“ Not a sign of a chance, Barr .”
“But nobody knows who the girl is, and that
is the same as if she was dead.”
“ If she was dead, Harry, the property would
0 to his next of kin, and that is his brother
harles who has been in Europe for 9. long time,
but has lately returned to 8*. Louis. My only
,hope, you see, is in Eva. If Charles Searcy uts
in a claim, I shall have to spring the gir on ,
him. Now you know why I was worried by the
words ‘Boercy & Co.’ in that telegram. I ,
have been hoping that the girl, when she grew 3
up, would marry you, and settle the business for
’l '

 

“ I would be glad enough to marry her,” said
the young man; “ but you can See that she has I.
not the least notion of taking up with me.” ‘

“ That is so, Harry, and I am sorry that it is
so. But you have been so busy with your -;
science, and building and tinkering, and with ;
our business on the water. that you haven’t’
paid her proper attention. Something must be '
done before long, or we will all go to everlast- ,
lug smash.” [

‘What is the matter with you, old man? You r
are mightin in the dumps nowadays.”

"I am afraid that something is going to
happen—something that will put an end to busi-
ness and everything else. Before I go of! the

 

   

Platboat Prod. . at

hooks I would like to see you married to Eva,
and on must make a push, my boy.”

“ will do what I can,” said Harry.

At this moment a bell jingled.

“ They want me down there,” said the young
man.

His father said that he would go with him,
and they left the room together.

CHAPTER XII.
SURPRISES.

SCARCELY had the door closed behind Madison
Searle and his son, when the tall mirror at the
other end of the library swung inward, and
Fred Light and Aaron Hicksey stepped into the
room.

“ What do you think of that?” asked Fred.

“ It is a big thing,” replied'Aaron. “ I reckon
we have heard the whole story.”

“ Yes; we know a good deal more than we
knew awhile ago, and now I begin to see what
I came down here for. I say, Aaron, we must
stop that thing.” "

‘ What thing, Fred?” ,

"‘ We mustn’t let them marry Eva to that
blaze-faced Harry Searle.”

“ You ma be sure she will never marry him,
unless they ake her.”

“ They maymnke her, or try to. But we will
have a finger 1n that pie, and when they cut it
they w111 find a nest of hornets. ‘Oh, beeswam I”

 

This exclamation was provoked by the sudden »

appearance _of the young lady of whom they
were speaking, who opened the library door,
and stepped into the room. ‘ She was quite as
much startled as the young men were, and
could only stand and stare, while Fred put his
hand on is lips, and Aaron beckoned to “her
Vigorously.

‘What are you doing here, and how did you
get into the house?” was her first question.

“Hush, Eva!” answered Aaron.
door, and come here. We’ve got a big secret to
tell you.” '

The mention of a big secret made her obedient
at once. She shut the door, and advanced to

where they were standing, but passed beyond.

them, and looked into the dark hole that was
still open behind the mirror. ,

“By the big horn spoons!” she exclaimed.
“ What sort of a place is that? Where does it
lead to, and how did you find it? Ain’t you
ashamed of ourselves, to sneak into my guar-
diau's house ike a air of thieves?" *'

“No, Eva,” replied Aaron. “We are not a
bit ashamed of ourselves, because we did it for
your good, and we have found out the biggest

kind of a secret about ou—bi e th '
‘ could think of guessing.”y gg r an y?“

“ About me? What is it?” she eagerly asked.

“ 1 Wlil tell you, if you will promise not to tell
anybody that we have been here, and not to say
a word about that hole in the well.”

She promised, and demanded that the secret

should be surrendered into her keeping without -

a minute’s delay.
“ Your real name is not Eva Summers,” said
Aaron.

" Well, I have had my doubts on that point ,

for some time. Is that all? Who am I, then?”
“ Your name is Ella Searcy. and you are the

I

“ Shut the '

  

 

. and “scooted” away, just in time to miss

 

Platboat Fret,

 

rightful owner or this house and the whole
plantation.“

Her eyes fairly danced in her head, and her
feet seemed to be ready to strike up a. dance on
their own account.

“Jimminettil” she exclaimed.
sure thing, Aaron?”

“True as gos 1, unless Madison Searle lies.
We heard him to ling the whole sto to Harry,
a little while ago, in this room. e wants to
marry you to his son, so as to keep the property
in his family.”

“Let him want! I wouldn’t have Harry
Searle for a husband, if he was the last man in
the‘ gorldfi” k i ’

ut t eymay try to me 9 you me. h m.’

“ Let them try! They will be apriyto get
tired. 0h, Aaron! if I am Ella Searcy, and the
owner of this place, I will have to launch out
and learn to be a lady.”

“ You don’t have much chance for that sort of
thin here,” suggested Fred Light. “ Hadn’t
you etter leave this place? If you will go with
us to apron Hicksey’s house, you will find
friends are who will take the best of care of
you.

“No you don’t!” sharply replied the young
lad . “I’m not the sort that runs’away, my-
sel . I’m a stickin’-plastor, I am. I mean to
stay right here and watch my guardy’s little

ame.

“ Will on be sure. then, to keep quiet about
I us and w at we have told you?”

“ Oh, I’m fly. Bet your ears. I’ll be mum as
a'mouse. Hark! I hear somebody, coming up-
stfi’irs. Skedaddle, now, and be quick about
It

_The oung men obeyed this rather nnlady-
, like or er at once, and the mirrorswun to its
place behind them as they disappeare inthe
hole in the wall.

Eva Summers slipped out of the library £03:

a _
ison Seurle and his son, who stepped into the
room and locked the door behind them.

The old man looked weary and worried, and
he mixed 9. stifl’er julep than usual when be
seated himself at the table. 1

“If what Jeff tells us is true,” he said. “ it
does look as if Eva had had something to do
with giving information to those interlopers."

“i don’t believe that Jeflf would lie to us,”
‘ replied Harry. “We know that those folks got

news of our coming in some way, as the were
ready to receive us, and Jeff is sure that is saw
Eva tie on Hicksey’s dog’s neck something that
looked like a letter, and send him away.”

“ It does look as if she has been the spyin the
cam , thou h I don’t know how she could have
got old 0 our lans. She said to me a little
while ago that t ere is more than one way to
get news out of this house.”

“If I thought she had done that trick, old
man, I would—~”

. Harry paussd as though meditatinga terri.
ble punishment for the traitor.

“ What would you do, Harry!”

“ I’ would marry her anyhow, in spite of her-

self. .
The old man brought his fist down on the to-

o

“Is that a i

I ble with a bang, and finished his julep with an

p .
“That’s the ticket!” he exclaimed. “You
have hit center this time, Harry. That is the
1 very thing to do, and we must do it at once."
“ It is easy enough to say so,” replied Harry,
3 “ but I don’t see how it is to be done.”
l “Easy as rolling off a log, my boy."
1 “ Whatl to marry her without her consent, or
. against her will?”
“Certainly. I wouldn‘t give an empty bottle
1 for what she says or don’t say. You know Sam
'Mimms, the man I got elected justice of the
.peace in my place. He will do anything we
! want, no matter what it is, and do it cheap.
I We will have him here to-morrow night, and he
‘ shall marry you and Eve in this room."
“ But he will have to ask her questions,”
1 urged Harry, “and she will say no in the
‘ strongest style.”
“That don’t count. I tell you, Harry, there
was never a man who can be so hard of hear-
] ing when he wants to as that man Mimms. He
; Wlll swear to anything, too, if that should ever
happen to be necessary. Oh. you needn’t wor-
ry, my boy. The thing is settled. I will send
1‘ for Illtli’mms, and you shall marry her to-morrow
ni . ’ » ‘
‘his conversation had been overheard by
i Fred Light and Aaron Hickey, who were listen-
iniintently at the door of the secret entrance.
1 W on the plot against Eva was fully developed,
i they stole c%uietly down the rickety staircase,
an assed hrough the tunnel to the open air.

“ ‘hat is what you may call a mu h deal ”

. said Fred, when they had emerged rom t

1 well-hole.

“ It is the meanest game I ever heard of,” re-
‘ lied Aaron.

1 “ It might win though, if we hadn’t got hold
lot the points. But we will break it up,‘ old
‘ chug;

“ hat will we do, Fred?”

“1 don’t know just yet. If it wasn’t for my
lame arm, I would be tempted to punch some-
! body’s head and raise a. merry row in that
1 house. But can’t fly high with one wing, and
‘ will have to playr roots on them, as we used to

say  the Ohio. ’ i

‘ an’t you ive me a notion of the roots?”

“Not yet. have an idea. but want to turn
‘, it over before I talk about it."

“ All right, Fred. ‘I trust in you as I nevar

‘ trusted in anybody before. You have saved

‘ my life twice, and have proved yourself a bet-
ter friend than I had ever hoped to strike. I

" think more of you than of any lfiber person in‘
the world, except little Eva, a wish I could
do something to show you how much I believe
in on. ‘

“I don’t deserve half of that, old chap,” said
Fred, “and I wish you would stow it, and step
along live] , as we have some big news for our
friends at he house.”

Before they could tell their news they had to
visit Bill}: Bradley, and satisfy themselves con-
cerning is condition. They found him. uite
comfortable, though he was very weak ‘ rom
loss at blood, and he couldpot help fretting
aboat the exciting opportunities he was miss—

‘ air of trium h

 

  

 

 
   

 

 

. 1

“is,

 

 

   
   
  
   
 

 

      
  

Hatboat Fred. v 33

Ing. The physician had renounced him out of
danger, and hadsaid the with good nursing he
would soon be able to get about.

All were anxious to hear the sto
fellows had brought home, as somet in adven-
turous was always expected from F'r Light’s
expeditions; but none listened so eager-lg and
with such a lively interest as Mat Marsh, t ough
he only spoke with the pur ose of bringing out
more strongl the points 0 the narrative.

“ That sett as it,’ he said, when the story had
been entirely told. “We now understand the
precise position of affairs, and after this we
will have plain sailing. Speakin emphaticall ,
Fred Light, you are a brick, an Aaron Hie -
say is another. The luck and the pluck of you
two fellows have brought light out of darkness
and have straightene out a snarl that it would
have bothered the best detectives to unravel. I
must now let you into a secret of my own
which I would have intrusted to you sooner if I
had known you as thoroughly as I now know

the young

you.

“ I must introduce m self as Charles Searcy,
the onl brother of rank Searcy, and the
uncle o the girl who has been known to us as
Eva Summers. Your interviews in St. Louis
were with my confidential clerk, and I shipped
on the ‘Ex eriment’ for the purpose of satis-
fying mysef of your fitness for the work I
wanted you to do, and of cutting out that work
as the case should seem to r uire.

“As Madison Searle said, have been resid-
ing in Europe for a number of years, and only
lately have returned to this country. I had
heard rumors of a mystery in connection with
my dead brother’s goperty and the disappear-
ance of his dau h r, and as soon as ssible
after my return began to investigate t em. I
soon discovered that there was no open and
straightforward way of getting at the truth
and decided u on t 9 plan which I employed
Fred Light an Herman to car out for me. I
am now convinced that it is t 9 best method
I could have adopted.

“I had also found reason to believe that
Madison Searle was at the, head of a gang who
were extensively engaged in criminal opera-
tions about here—in fact, irating on the com-
merce of the river, thou it seemed impossi-
ble to find out just what t ey were doing. My
friend Harve Storms, who is a. valuable mem-
ber of the 0 ice force in St. Louis, was inter-
ested in t at line of investigation, and I en-
gaged him to meet me here, and he brought his
young friend Bradley, whose pursuit of excite-
ment, I am sorry to say, has rought him into
trouble.

“I had suspected that Eva Summers might
possibly prove to be Ella Searcy, but had not
the slightest roof to support my sus icions.
Now that the acts have been discovare ,I be—
lieve that we will soon be able to settle with
Madison Searle and his gang of river pirates.

“ The first thing necessary will be to protect
the young lady from their plots, and Fred tells
me that he has an idea, which we will take into
consideration before attempting to do anythin .
Of course we want to carry our work throug
without any more fighting, it we can."

CHAPTER XIII.
m'rnom mum’s “mun.”

FRED LIGHT did have an “ idea ” in his head,
which was usually well supplied with such com—
modities. He sle t u on it, matured it, was
suited with it, an in t 0 morning, with the ap-
probation of Charles Searcy, he went to work
upon it.

The develo ment of this “idea” required con-
sultation wit several young persons among the
colored population, and the payment to them
of various small sums of money. The young
Africans, being thus excited to activity, be-
stirred themselves in searching certain portions
of the Hicksey plantation, and the result of
their labors was brought to Fred in a small
wooden box, with a sliding lid, which neither
he nor his friends cared to open, and which was
placed out of doors until it should he wanted,
as if its presence in the house was decidedly ob-
jectiona 18.

The next evening Fred and Aaron set out to
visit the Searcy mansion, by way of the under-
ground passage, Fred carrying the box, and
both wearing their pistols in their belts.

They did not lack for compan on this occa—
sion, as they were backed by harles Searcy
and Harve Storms, both well armed, Herman
Schweito e1 being left behind to guard the
house an take care of the wounded reporter.

When the had reached the little cellar under
the house, ey took ofl.’ their shoes, and quietly
ascended the rickety staircase, Fred and Aaron
in the lead, until they came to the secret door
that had been so useful to them in their spying
e ditione.

t this door Fred listened intently, while the
others kept strict silence.

Hearing no sound, and becoming satisfied
that no person was within, he cautiously opened
the door, and peered into the room. A light
was burning dimly, but nobody was visible.

He quickly opened his box by pulling the lid,
and poured out its contents upon the floor.

The contents were three young black snakes,
two garter snakes, and a chicken snake.

Fred hastil withdrew the box from the
opening and c osed the door.

“ Is it all right, Fred?” whispered Mr. Searcy.

“ As right as I could make it,” he answered.

“Very well. Watch the performances as
closely as you can. If 'our little scheme should
fail to work, we wil run in and surprise
them.”

Fred fastened his 9 e to ahole that he had
bored in the wall, and ooked and listened.

Madison Searle, in the mean time, was in a
lower room, consulting with Sam Mimms, the
{patios of the'peace whom he had mentioned to

arry as being under his influence. Mimms
. was a. fat low- rowed man, with a greasy face
[and small eyes, whose countenance stamped

him as not only a brute himself, but a fit instru-
i went for the brutality of others.

“Now, Sam.” said Madison Searle, “I sup-
pose you know what you are wanted to do, and 
what you are to get for it, and that you are
ready to go to work.”

“That’s all right,” replied Mimms, with a
wink. “It is easy enough to do. and I will

 

 

   

 

mstboat Fred. ‘

 

guarantee to put that littlejob through so quick
that it would make your head sw1m.’

“Come upstairs, then, and we will get
at it.”

As they passed into the hallway, Madison
Searle opened the door of another room, in
which were Eva Summers and his son, the girl
seated at a table, and the young man standing
near her.

“ I wish you would step up into the library a.
few minutes, Eva,” he said. “I have some-
thing, to show you, and a big secret to tell

on

It was natural that she should associate the
“big secret ” with the revelation made to he:
by Aaron Hicksey, and she jumped at the prop-
osition.

“ All right, gum-3y,” she answered. “ I’ll be I

 

up there in u jiily. _
“Bring her up, Harry, if you don’t mind,”

said the old man, and he led “Judge ” Mimmi v
‘ Harry?”

up—stairs. _ A
He 0 ened the librar door, and closed it be- 1’
hind his companion. hen he stepped to the
table and turned up the light, which had been '
burning dimly. I
“This ain’t much of a place, Sam, though I|
have fixed it up a. little,” he said; “but I have 1
taken a fancy to it lately, and attend to most ,
of my business here. Oh, good Heavensl what’s :
that?”
, He stopped suddenly, pointing at a corner of I
the room, and his purple face turned ashy pale, l
and his outstretched arm shook, and his whole
frame trembled.
“I've got ’eml” exclaimed the old man,

’ clutchng his eom union’s arm. “Oh, I’ve got 
'em at astl Loo there, Mimmsl Do you see 3
that? Do you see anything?”

Mimms looked in the direction pointed out,

’ and saw a snake in the corner, partly coiled and
Barfly erect. with its heady eyes fastened upon ‘

im, and its tongue in rapid motion. 1
. “It’s a—a—snakel” he answered, in a hoarse ,

_whis r, as 9, also trembled liken leaf.

“‘Pgn so it? Then you’vo got ’em, too. ;
Mercy on us! there’s anotherl—and another] 1
, The room is full of snakes. Help! Help!” 

 

‘VHun-y Scarle, who was coming up the stairs,
followed by Eva. Summers, heard this cry, and 
ran in.

“ What’s the matter, father?" he asked.

“I’ve got ’em l” shrieked the old man. “ Oh,
Harry, 1 ve got ’em badl”

“Got what?” ,

l‘ The horrors. I see snakes. The room is full
of them. Look there! Look I”

Hurry did look, and he saw them.

“There’s nothing the matter with you,” he
said. “ Those are real snakes; but how the dogs
did they ever get in here?” l

His father did not reply. He had fallen on
the floor in a fit.

Harry opened the door, and called:

“ Tyson! come up here quick. Go back, Eve.
The old man is sick."

' Tyson came running up, and with his assist-
ance and that of Mimms. who had partially re-
covered from his fit, Madison Seerle was carried.
into another room. Fred Light, who was look-
‘ . ins and listening at the secret door. communi-

it,
.\

l just heard.

outed the result of the experiment to his com-
panions.

“ So your trick has worked finely,” said Mr.
Searcy.

“ Yes, sir; the snakes have played their game
well so far. But I reckon we had better wait
here a. while, and see if anything else turns up.”

Nearly half an hour passed before the library
door was opened again. Then Harry Searle and
Tyson came in with sticks, and hastened to kill
the snakes. ‘

“This is the strangest thing I ever saw or
heard of,” said the young man. “The room is
as tight as a drum, and I would like to know
how thoso cussod snakes got in here.”

“ It is the devil’s doin’s, ’ replied T son. “ This
is a near old house, anyhow, and sometimes
thin it is haunted.’

“ The devil or the ghosts have spoiled a nice
piece of work for me. ’ v ,

“ Is the old man going to give up the job,

“ I hope not. When he came out of the fit he
told Mimms to callhere tomorrow or next day.
But he won’t get over this shock very soon, I am
afraid."

The two men poked the dead snakes out of the
door With their sticks and left the library.

“That settles it,” said Mr. Searcy, when Fred
Light reported to him the conversation he bad
“They will not be likely to play
that game again very soon, and in the meantime
something may happen to them that will aston-
ish them.” ' ,

The part quietly left the house and went
home, high v eluted with the successful carry-
ingr out of Fred Light’s “idee.”

he next morning the occupants of Aaron
Hirlrsey’s house were aroused at daybreak. and
Mr. Searcy caused a pair of horses to be hitched
to a farm wagon, and set off for the railroad
station at Mimmsville, accompanied by Harvey
Storms, Herman Schweitopfel, Fred Light and a
colored man to drive, Aaron Hicksey being left
ft home to take care of the house and Billy Brad-
e .
¥‘ I am going after ‘ the skylark.’ ” was the
only information the leader would give his com-

. Famous in answer to their questions, and this

el’t upon their minds the imprr ssion that the ex-
pedition was likely to b: a dangerous one.

“ The name of MlnlmSVlMe is suspicious
enough,” said Fred, “ and PW a notion that ‘ the
sk lurk ’ is something that may go up.”

hen Mimmsville was reached there was
nothing formidable in its appearance. There

I; were but half a dozen houses in the settlement,

and one of those was the small building that
served us the railroad, passenger and freight de-
pot, ahd telegraph oflice.

Mr. Searcy and Harvey Storms alighted and
went into the station-house, returnin soon
with a square box, which they Carri by a
handle between them, though it seemed to be
an easy load for one. They placed this box on
a bundle of straw in the wagon and wrapped
about it some quilts, which they had brought
from the Hicksey place.

“Hope it won’t freeze,” muttered Fred, '
wiping the perspiration from his brow as he
eyed this prooee in; suspiciously.

,I

 

 
   

 

 

 

 

Flathead Fred.

|

 

 

£5

 

A colored man who was hanging about the  Moving more swiftly and less carefully than

depot came and spoke to Mr. Searoy as that
gentleman took his seat in the wagon.

“ Dar’s been a lot 0’ men sp 'ng’ about yer,”
he said, “an’ (icy went up 9 road ’arly_dis
mawnin’.”

Searcy and Herman, they had passed beyond
those two, and had suddenly stumbled upon an

_ umbuscade where their enemies outnumbered

Searcy gave the man some money, and the ‘

wagon started on its retuin trip.
“ It don’t look as if all four of us were need-

ed to bring that little box,” remarked Fred, 5
3 enough, when they slipped through some bushes

whose curiosity kept cropping out.

“But all four of us may be needed to guard
it,” replied Mr. Searcy. “The fact is, my
friend, I have reason to expect an attack on
the way home, and we may be put to our
trumps to save ‘ the skylark' and ourselves.”

This statement caused the others to o 11
their eyes and examine their weapons; but t ey
rode on in silence, trusting in the sagacity and
skill of their leader.

All was plain sailing while the road ran
through the open country, but when it de-
scended a hill and entered a. dense forest the
wagon was halted. '

All but the driver alighted, and Mr. Searcy
divided his command into two squads. Ho and
Herman Schweitopfel took the left—hand side of
the road, sending Harvey Storms and Fred
Light to the right. Each squad was to scout
through the wood near the road and the driver
was to follow slowly.

Searcy and his heavy companion moved for-
ward slowly and as cautiously as possible. The
heavy timber and the thick undergroth made
their progress difiicult, and the were obliged
to keep a'sharp lookout ahead or fear of run-
ning into an ambuscade, their object being to
surprise their possible enemies instead of being
surprised by them.

In this undertaking they were more success—
ful than they had hoped to be.

They had ot about half-way through the
wood, when r. Searcy suddenly came to a
halt, seized his companion by the arm, and
pointed ahead. ‘

Herman looked, and saw two men lying b
the side of a log near the road, on which their
two rifles were resting. The were evidently
too intent upon watching t e road to take
notice of anything in their rear or on their
flanks.

The two scouts whispered together, and
stealthil approached the umbuscaders.

“ Goo dimming,” said Searcy, quietly.

The men looked up. and stared into the muz-
zles of two revolvers, which decidedly “ had the
dro ” on them.

“pDrop these guns, and throw up your hands!”
ordered Searcy.

They obeyed, and Herman stepped up and
‘disarmed them.

“Now scatter into the woods, and be quick
about itl” was the next order.

two men sneaked away into the forest
pretty rapid rate. Searcy and Herman
picks up the abandoned weapons. and ran
across the road, where the noise of a scuffle
told them that their friends had got into
trouble.
tu'l‘lie other squad, in fact, had “ caught a Tax--

at a

I“ i 

 

them.

The encounter was so sudden and unexpected
that neither side had a chance to use any other
weapOns than those with which nature had pro-
v1ded them.

Storms and Fred were going ahead silently

down the side of a little ravine near a brook,
falling u on four men who were doubtless waitr
ing for t 6 Wagon that carried “the Skylark,”
and immediately they were engaged in a hand—
to-hand struggle.

The lad struck out finely, considering his lame
arm, and put all his science into the encounter.
Storms also did wonders with his trained and
hardened muscles; but he had hurt his ankle in
the fall, and the superior numbers and weight
of their antagonists were telling against them,
when Charles Seurcy and Herman came run-
ning to their assistance. and the ambuscadcrs
were speedily put to flight.

The captured weapons were placed in the
wagon when it came up, and the party reached
home without any further adventure.

Mr. Searcy and Herman drovs on to the river,
where they buried “the Skylark ” near the bank,
and carefully concealed the spot. ’

CHAPTER XIV.
A TBAGIC EVENT.

CHARLES Snnncr had said that before long
something might happen that would astonisb
Madison Searle and his comrades, and be in-
tended that somothmg of the sort should hep. .
pen.

 

against the man whom he believed to be wrong-
fully ln .ossession of his brother‘s property, and
prepare to commence operations the day after

9 had safely brought “ the skylark’ from
Mimmsville.

0n the afternoon of that day he started from
Aaron Hicksey’s house for the river, taking
Harvey Storms as his only companion, and tell-
ing the others to amuse themselves as they
pleased during his abs-once.

“ We will find enough to do,” said Fred Light.
“Aaron wants to try to get" an interview with
the young lady at the Searcy house, and I reck-
on he will be safe enLugh if he goes alone. I
have a little scheme on hand, too. If Herman
will go with me, I want to scout around that
cucer building at the head of the bayou, and
find out what it is made of.”

“ I am not sure that it is a good scheme,” said
Mr. Searcy. “ I would advise you not to go too
near that buildin this evening." . .

“Oh, we will ook out for snags and cross-
currents.”

Mr. Searcy and Harvey Storms went to the
river, carrying their pistols and a hand-drill for
working in iron. The St. Louis athlete limped

' a little on the way, though he declared that his

in ured ankle did not trouble him an more.

hey launched the skiff that had een saved _
from the wreck of the “Experiment,” and
which had been concealed in the Lushes since

 

He proposed to begin an active campaign ‘ I:

 

 

26

+1," , ’v ‘.

Hatboat Fred.

 

the disaster to the flatboat. Then they dug up I
“the skylnrk,” lifted it out of the hole in which '
it had been buried, and carefully placed it in ‘
the boat. Mr. Searcy sat in the stern of the
skifl', with the box between his legs, and Storms
took the oars.

“Pratt ticklish piece of property, that,” re-
marked t e latter, as he eyed the nest box.

“Perfectly harmless exce it when irritated,
as the showman said (f llS tiger,” replied
Searc . “ The safety or danger of such an ar-
ticlenepends upon the style in which it is bad
dled.

“ I hope you know how to handle it. Where
did the name of ‘ skylark’ come from?”

“ It just happened. It was agreed u on as a
cipher, before left St. Louis, in case should
want to send for it.”

“ What made you think that you might want
to use anything of that sort?” I

“I had In. theory of what was going on here
pretty definxlel formed, aided by your experi-
ence, and had aid my plans accordingly. It
seemed to me that if that water-devil was such
as I supposed it to be, and such as I believe
it has turned out to be, an instrument of this
kind would be just the thing to make an end of
it. So I had ‘ the skylark rigged up to suit my
ideas, and I think we will have a good chance to
test its ability as a pirate—catcher. ’

. “ For my part," said Storms, “ I will be glad
to get rid of the thing, and I hope it will do its
work well.” ‘

Storms pulled softly down the river with the
current, rounded the bend, passed the Searcy
mansion, and turned u the bayou which Fred
Light had described to is friends. It was then
twilight on the river, and nearly dark under the
sblade of the great trees that overhung the quiet
in at.

The skiff was rowed up the bayou as silently
as possible, and into the mass of foliage that
closed the upper end.

“Be careful of your bird of paradise, and
don‘t let it flop over," said Storms, as he a
the branches and made way for the 3 if! to
reach the iron gate or door of which Fred had
spoken.

It was there, as the lad had described it. with
its lower edge reaching just under the surface of
the water.

Storms held his ear against the iron for a few
minutes, but heard nothing.

Then he took up his drill, and in a little while,
working under the directions of his com anion,

 

bored two holes through the iron plate. 9 then
changed places with Searcy, who transferred
himself and his be; from the stern of the skiff
to the bow. '

Searcy’s first move was to sound the depth of
the water with a lamb line. Having satisfied
himself on this point, he turned his attention to
the box.

This was a neat case of oak, having a hinged
lid, which was fastened with a padlock.

Searcy opened the padlock With a key of his

. own, raise the lid, took out a quantity of cot-

ton, and carefully brou ht forth something that
looked like a tin can. 9 set this down in the
bottom of the boat, while Storms shrunk back‘
in his seat. and proceeded to fasten to each'side

l.
,OI

a wire, measuring the length. To each wire be
attached a hook.

Then he took from the box two larger pieces
of wire and screwed them into two sides of the
can—an operation which caused Storms to shut
his eyes and grit his teeth.

Having cleared away the foliage for a con-
siderable space near the holes that Storms had
bored, he let the can over the bow of the boat
into the water, gradually sinking it until it
111qu by the books which a fastened in the two

0 as.
“ All right now, Harvey,” he said. “ You
can get out of this as soon as you want to.”

Storms gave an audible sigh of relief, caught
a branch that hung behind the stern, and with
a vigorous pull sent the skiff out into the open
water._ Then he took his seat at the oars, beg-
gm his companion to getinto the’stern at once,
an w1th swift ~~trokes rowed for the river.

“ I declare to you, Searc ,” he said, “ never
in my life have I felt mysel so near eternity as
during the past fifteen minutes."

Aaron Hicksey set out on his expedition
shortly after Mr. Searcy and Harvey Storms
had left the house. He was accompanied by
Fred Light and Herman Schweitopfel. who
went with him as far as the well-hole, and then,
wishing him good luck, prepared to make a.
scout in the vicinity of the Searcy mansion.

As the underground passage had come to be
re ded as a sure and safe way of getting in-
Iii e of the Searcy house, Aaron carried a small
lantern, which he lighted at the bottom of the
well—hole. Then he had no difficulty in making
his way to the little cellar and up the rickety
stairs to the secret door.

He knew that the success of his undertaking
depended mainly upon luck, and that the
chances were largely against him. There was
a. possibility that he might see Eva in the
library, and this was all he had to bank upon.
She had come in there once before, and she
mi ht come again. He would wait and see.

odid wait a lon time, with his ey'e at the
hole that his friend red had made in the door;

but be neither saw nor heard anything. The. a
room was dark and silent, and Aaron began to ‘

believe that it was shunned by all the household
since the snakes had been discovered in it.

At last, as he was about to turn away, sadly
disuyflmintod, the library door opened quickly,
and 4 vs stepped in, carrying a light.

More than that—she set the light on the table,
walked to the secret door, and, reatly to the
surprise of the young man, tame at the side of
the mirror.

He quickly opened the door, and greeted her
as warmly as his bashfulness would allow.

“ I have .been waiting here a. long time,” he
said, “hoggig to get a chance to s ak to you,
but we a ut to give it up as a job.”

“ You wouldn’t ave seen me here m a month
of Sundays," she answered, “if I hadn’t known
that you were waiting."

“ How did you find that out!”

“ I saw your friend outside—that nice youn
fellow wztlat‘l: curly hairs—aim he told me the
you wan e see me. 0 ran u thou h
am deathly afraid of snakes.” p»’ g I

Mr: sf, 

1

 

  
 

 

~<~ has i «ragga. A

 

 

 

3: its?  .-

\_._ ,___. .,-.._..__._ ....._.a_ m~.__.a__.._7.., __

"There will be no snakes here to hurt you,
Eva. We put those snakes in the room. Do you
know why we did it?"

" I couldn‘t begin to think of guessing.”

“ It was to give the old man, Madison Searle,

agood scare. He was going to marry on to
his son that night, whether you were wil ing or
not, and had brought Squire_Mimms here to do
the 'ob.”

“ imminy crackyl” exclaimed the young
lady. “ Was that his little game! And was
that the big secret he wanted to tell me? He
would have had a gay old time getting ahead of
this girl; but I am much obliged to you for
starting the snake racket, all the same.”

“ As you must see that you are not safe here,"

' urged Aaron, “and as you know that you are

really Ella Searcy—l’

She broke in with the remark that she be-
lieved it, anyhow.

“And as your uncle, Mr. Charles Searc , is
with us, I think you ought to leave this p ace
and go over to my house, where your uncle will
take good care of you, and will see that you get
your rights.”

“ I don’t know but you are right, Aaron,” she
replied; “ but these folks can’t hurt me, and I
would rather think over the matter a little be-
fore I chan e in base.”

“ I wish, ’ said Aaron, with a deep blush,
“that I had the right to take care of you as my
wife.”

“ Now please, Aaron, don’t shoot 03 your
tongue like that. We are such ood friends that
you oughtn’t to e, il it. I on’t want to be
anybody’s wife, on I don’t care for anybody in
that way.”

“Not even for my friend, the nice young man
with the curly hair?”

“Just for nobody at all,” she replied; but it
was then her turn to blush.

A slight noise causzd Aaron to look up, and
he saw Harry Searlo standing in the doorway
his blotched face dark with anger, and a cocked
revolver in his right hand.

Eva begged her young friend to run; but 1p

did not stir, though the secret door was open
behind him.
‘ “ So I have found out your secret,” said
youn Searle. “It is you who have been
sneaking into this house and spying around, and
it was you who turned loose the snakes in this
room.”

Aaron make no answor, and Harry addressed
himself to Eva.

“And this is the way, miss, that you disobey
our guardian’s orders, and meet your lover
ere in his own house.”

“I have no loverl" indignantly replied Eva.

“You shall have one no longer,” retorted
Harry Bearle.

He raised his revolver uickly and fired.

Aaron Hicksey fell bac ward on the floor with
a bullet through his brain.

Eva cast herself down by the side of her mur-
dered friend and burst into tears.

Harry Searle stood silent for a moment, as if
appalled by what he had done. Then he ap-
proached Eva and took her by the arm.

" Come.” he said. “ Thisis no place for you.”

 

l

Platboat Fred.

    

27

‘ She shook herself loose and started up and
‘ faced him.

“It is no place for youl" she exclaimed.
“Hell is the only place that is fit for you, you
‘ cowardly murderer!” .

“ You had better be careful, you young vixen,”
said he, “ or I may serve you the some way."
“ Do it!” she shouted. “ Shootme if you dare,
! you cowardly dog, you bloody—minded mur-
dererl”
‘ The jingling of a bell was heard, and Harry
Searle hastily left the room.

CHAPTER XV.
m SKYLABK AT WORK.

Arman parting from Aaron Hicksey, Fred and
Herman wandered about the grounds attached
to the Searcy mansion.

As the day was not yet done, although the sun
was near its setting they moved cautiously,
keeping among the trees and shrubbery, and at
a considerable distance from the house.

The grounds had been so long neglected, and
the bushes and weeds were so dense and rank,
that after a while they lost their way, and there
was nothing but the setting sun to give them an
indication of their whereabouts.

Taking their bearings as well as they could,
they worked their way in what they supposed
to be the direction of the house, and soon came
in sight of ashabby 51nd ill-kc 11 garden.

“ Dere vas somepodv,” said erman.

“Who is it?” asked Fred.

“ A beddigood.”

“ What in thunder is a beddigood?”

“Dot girrel.”
fired looked as his friend pointed, and saw
Eva Summers leaning on an old fence, gazing
abstractedly at things in general. He hastened
toher, and was welcomed with a. smile 11116,,
blush.

“ I wish you would run up to the room where

on saw us the other duy,”he said. “Aaron
has gone up there, by the way you know of, and
he wants to see you.” ,»

“I don’t know as I would give a cent to see
Aaron Hickse ,” replied the youn lady, and her
look indicate that she was not ispleased with
her resent company.

“ at he has some news to tell yous—some-
thin you ought to know.”

“ suppose I must go, then.
doin here?”

“ o harm. We are all right."

She turned away rather reluctantly, and Fred
and Herman took up their scout again.

As they then knew where they were, they had
no difficulty in finding their way to the “ queer
building " at the head of the bayou.

Concealing themselves behind a clump of
bushes they looked across a small piece of
ground from which the trees and brush had
been removed and saw the structure which
. Fred Light had for some time been longing to
‘ examine more closely. _ . .

It was a low and narrow brick budding,
seeming to be solidly built, and covered with a
rounded iron roof. There were no. windows in
it, but a narrow iron door was Visible on the

1 east side.

 

What are you

 

 

  

88

Platboat Prod.

. . _ t 7
“There is the Shebfing," said Fred, “in Wth are clear of mosquitoes, which is quite a com-

that devil—fish, or whatever it is, makes its
home."

“Dot vas a mighty queer place, anyhow,”
replied Herman. ‘ ,

“We will wait here a little while, and then
we will cross over and take a closer look at it.”

“ Aher I likes not to fool mit dot t id," re-
marked Herman. “Dere vas some der man
who goes by dot house."

Looking toward the east, Fred saw an old
man and a younger one walking toward the
building, and then uito near it. In the elderly
man he recognized adison Searle.

Those two stopped and exchangwl a. few
words, and the younger man hastened away.
Madison Searle walked quickly to the brick
building, opened the door, and went in.

“ Let us get behind that big tree,“ said Fred
Light, “and wait until the old man comes
out.

The two scouts concealed themselves behind a
large oak. It was then quite dark, but the sky
was clear, and the stars were coming out.

Shortly another man came running down
from the house, and Fred believed him to be
Harry Seurle, though it was too dark to dis-
tinguish his features. He, also, entered the
“ queer building.”

“There is some sort of deviltry going on in
there,” said Fred, “and I am crazy to get a
sight of it.” ‘

“Yoost you vait,” replied Hermann “ It
don“t been safe to fool mit dot tyiel."

In a few minutes the old man came out, and
walked toward the house.

Hardly had he passed beyond the ran 9 of
vision of the scouts behind the tree, when here
came.a rumbling sound, followed by a dull,
heavy explosion.

Herman quickly put his arm around his young
companion and drew him close against the
broad trunl; of the oak.

The next moment the air was filled with flying

'bricks and fragments of iron and wood, that

fell thickly around them, and man of the
missiles came crashing through the branches
of the tree that sheltered them.

When Charles Searcy and Harvey Storms
had got clear of the bayou and into the swift
current of the Mississippi, Storms headed the
skiff up-stream, rowing only sufliciently to keep
it in position opposite the inlet from which they
had emerged.

“ Did you really feel as if you were in a tight
place?” asked Searcy.

“I did, indeed. I confess that a cold sweat
came out all over me, and I actually shiversd.

“I thought you had more nerve, Harvey
Storms.”

“ I believe I have

‘plenty of nerve when I am
doing a ticklish jo

m self; but when some

other fellow is handling ottled lightning, 1 am .

afraid that he may happen to break the glass."
“I was as careful as a man could be, and we
are safe now, whoever else may be in danger.”
“ That suits me; but is it worth while to wait
here any longer?" ‘
“This is not a bad place to stay,” replied
Bearer. " The‘mr is cool on the water. and we

 

tort. Let us wait here half an hour or so, and
it is just possible that something may happen.
I would give a good pile if ‘ the skylark’ would

‘ catch on to something, and show us how it does

its work.”
“That would be worth waiting for, surely.”

Hardly had these words escaped the lips of g

Storms, when the two men suddenly looked
at each other, and then at the bayou. The
water quivered under the skiflL', and a. dark
Inass shot up into the air at the head of the inlet.

The next moment the boat was rocking on
the waves, and the fragments of the explosion

began to rain down about them. Fortunately "

they were not struck, and directly all was quiet
a am.

g“ Pull in, Stormsl Pull in quick I" excitedly
exclaimed Searcy.

Harvey Storms settled back to his oars, and
rowed with strong and swift strokes up the
bayou.

Madison Searle was pacing the graveled walk
in front of his house, just before dark, when a
young man came running toward him from the
direction of the river. .

“What is it?” he impatiently asked, as the
runner waited to recover his breath. _ r.

“ A big broadhorn, and you will have to "
hurry, as she is right near.”

“ Where is she?’ asked the old man, quicken-
ing his steps in the direction of the house at the
head of the inlet.

“Not more’n a mile above the bend. The
island hid her from me.”

“ All right. We won’t be likely to miss her.
Hurry up and get the boys ready, andI will
attend to the rest of the business.”

The man hastened away, and Madison Searle
walked rapidly down to the brick building.

Takin a heavy key from his pocket, he un-
locked tfie iron door and went in, removin the
key, closing the door behind him, and b0 ting
it on the inside.

. He turned up the light of a. hanging lam at

the north end, and the interior of the estah ish—
mcnt was retty plainly visible.

It was 1i 9 a. bath-house, more than anything
else—walls of plain brick, with an arched iron
roof, inclosing a mass of dark and quiet water,
which reached nearly u to a narrow wooden
platform that ran aroun three of the sides. In
one corner there was a wooden closet on the
platform, but no other furniture or impedi,
merits. ‘

Just over the water, hanging by chains from '
heavy beams under the root, was a strange
obiiect.

t was a cigar-shaped vessel of iron, about
twenty-five feet in length, with a three-bladed
screw at the north end, and similar but smaller
screws on each side near the bottom, in the
position of the ventral fins of a fish. 0n the
top, near the south end, was a sort of short
horn, some two feet high, in the forward face of
which was set an oval piece of thick glass.

Madison Searle stepped to one side of the
building, and jerked shell-pull. Then he paced
excitedly up and down the platform. /

“Whatis the matter wth Eamr'hemnt- ’

 

ill:

a
be
be

m-

‘tered, as he looked at his watch. “I never i
~ knew him to wait so long. He is always crazy i

I ‘ them when Fred Light and Herman Schweitop—
‘ 1 fel darted out from behind t'.e big oak tree, and

'carry awa ; but a portion of the north wall

Platboat ‘rrea. ‘ es

 

to start.” ,
Directly there was a knock at the iron door, ,
and he opened it, admitting his son, who was
breathless from running. ,

“ What kept you, Harry 7" asked the old man.
“ I was never in such a hurry before, and you ;
were never so late.”

, “ I will tell {on directly. What’s up?”

“ There is 3 lg prize in sight, just above the
bend, and not a minute to lose."

“ I will get 03 at once, then, though I feel
mi hty queer.” ,

be young man stepped to the cigar—shaped l
craft. and turned a screw in the side. A small i
door flew open, revealing a lighted interior and '
some brigh machinery.

“ Are on all right in there, Stew?” he asked,
as he loo ed in.

“ All right!" replied a hoarse voice.

‘ “ Shut off the air valve, then X”

“1 say, old man, continued Harry, turning to
his father “you must be sure to get the boys
dowu to the point in time.”

h “I will attend to that. I wish you would
urrv.

“ All right. I say, old man, I have shot Aaron
Hicksey.’

“ Shot Aaron Hicksey l”

“ Yes; he is dead, 3) at the house.”

With these words arry Searle crawled in at
tllie little door, and it closed behind him with a
c ang.
The old man turned a screw in the side of the
building, and the chains automatically descen-
ded and nnhooked themselves from the monster,
which then lay motionless, its back just show-
in above the water.

sort of churning noise followed. and. Mad-
ison Searle left the building, locking the door
behind him.

“Shot Aaron Hickseyl” he muttered, as he
ste pod pretty rapidly up the graveled walk.
“ wonder what that means. It is a good thing
if the youn imp is dead; but it is horrible to
think that arry has killed him.”

He had gone but a few stcps further, when
the ground trembled under his feet, and a. heavy
explosion shook the air. He turned at once,
and saw the utter destruction of thebuilding he
had just left. .

Regardless of the flying and falling frag-
ments, he ran with tottering steps back to the
ruins.

CHAPTER XVI.
FRED user’s FORTUNE.
HABDLY had the missiles ceased to rain around

ran toward the ruined building.
The ex lesion had mainly spent its force up-
ward an downward, shattering what it did not

 

had been ett, and against this the hanging
1am , still burning brightly, dangled from its
1

boo .
At the foot of this wall the greater part of
the narrow platform also reiuamel. and on the

platform was Madison Searle, bareheaded and
wild—eyed, walking excitedly to and fro, and

‘ talking to himself.

“ Oh, Harry! my poor Harry!” he exclaimed,
in a. broken voice, lull of agony and despair.

‘v “ Oh, Harryl my poor Harry! Allis lost! All

is one!”
t that moment a skifl, propelled by the
stron arms of Harvey Storms, shot into the

i open asinl, and Charles Searcy, standingr up in

the stern ooked Madison Searle in the face.

“ Frank Score 1” screamed the distracted
old man. “ Fran Searcyl The dead has come
back!”

With the quickness of thought he drew a pis~
tol, pressed the muzzle against his right temple,
and fired. As the report broke the oppressive
silence, he fell forward into the water, and sunk
without a struggle.

Fred and Herman ran down on the platform,
and Harvey Storms landed the skilf there, and

“ That is

' he and Mr. Scarcy came ashore.

“That settles it,” said the latter.
the end of it all.”

“It is a sad end,” replied Storms, " but no
doxlilbt, a just one. ‘ The skylark’ did its work
we .

“A dynamite torpedo, my boy, and it has
blown up the thing that wrecked the ‘ Experi-
ment.’ ” ‘

“ What sort of a thing was it?”

“I suppose it must have been an iron boat
of some kind, that run under the water. It
will run no more now, as it lies at the bottom
of the bayou. I mean to fish it up before long,
if there is anything left of it, and find out what
it was made of. Come, my friends; as there is
nothing more for us to do here, we had better
go up to the house and ex lain matters to my
niece, who must have hear the explosion.”

They found that young lady wandering down
the walk, evidently in great distress. As soon I
as she saw them she ran to them and seized
the arm of Fred Light.

“ What is the mstteri” she asked.

“The fact is,” answered Fred, “that there
has Been a big blow-up, and Madison Searle and
his son are dead.”

“Dead? Mercy on usl How sudden! But I
don’t mind much about th t, as they were aw-
fully mean. Somebody etter than they is
dead, and I have been nearly frightened out of
my wits. "

" Who else is dead?”

“ Aaron Hickse , poor fellow."

“ Aaron dead? ow did it happen, and where,
and when?”

“ Tonight—up in the library. Harry Sear-lo
found him talking there with me, and shot him
dead, and he is lying there on the floor.”

They hastened to the house. and found no
one to dispute their entrance but the man
named Tyson, who demanded to be informed
who they were and what they wanted.

“ My name is Charles Searcy,” replied that
gentleman, “ and I take possession of those
>remises in behalf of this young lady, Miss Ella

earcy, who is my niece and the owner of the

‘ plantation. As for you, sir, I have to inform
. you that your infernal machine is blown up,
. that Harry Searle has gone to the bottom wrth

 

80

it, that Mndison Senrle has killed himself, that
all your ruscally work is known, and that if you
want to escupo the law you had better get out
of the way as fast as you can.”

Tyson said nothing, but sneaked away, and
was not seen about the place again.

“Are you really in uncle, mister?" asked
Ella Searcy, convincet at last that she was no
lon er Eva Summers.

“ es, my dear, I am your dead father’s only
brother, and I mean to take the best care I can
of you and your property.”

‘ That will be readfully nice; but I am
afraid you will find me a bad egg.”

“Not a bit of it. You have sutfcred by being
kept in bad company; but we will soon remedy
all that.”

They went up-stairs to the library, where the
Secret door was still standing open, and Aaron
IIicksey was lying on the floor as he had fallen.

There was genuine grief in their hearts and
their eyes as they looked at his dead body; for,
during their brief acquaintance with him, they
had grown tolove the open-hearted young fol
low, and to respect him for his generous and
manly qualities.

Some of A :ron’s servants were sent for, and
were directed to convey his body to his own
house, and prepare it for burial.

The funeral took place on the second day
after his death, and at his grave there were no
truer mourners than “the Diggers," who had
been permitted to manage his plantation to suit
themselves.

After the funeral Mr. Searcy took Fred Light
aside, and made an important communication
to him.

“Our young friend who is dead was very
fond of you, my boy,” he said.

“ I liked him right well, too,” re lied Fred.
“Though I laughed at him when first saw
him, I took quite a fancy to him after I had
found him out.” '

“ He roved his liking for you by something
that wil surprise you. A few days before his
death he came to me, and said that he was
alone in the world, with no living relative that
he knew of. If he should die, be supposed thul
his property would go to the State, unless he
should leave it to ‘the niggers.’ He told me
that he had formed a. strong liking for you.

Platboat Fred.

 

ll who hgd twice saved his life at the risk of your

wn—-

“ That was nothing,” interrupted Fred.

“ He thought it was something, and said that
he would like to make such a will as would
secure his {property to you, in case he should
happen to ie suddenly. I favored the idea, and
drew the will, which he signed, and it was wit—

, nessed by Harvey Storms and myself. I said

; nothing to on about it, as his death was far
from my t oughts; but he has been called
away, and you are now the owner of this fine

i plantation.”

l “ I would rather have Aaron alive again than

,1 to own the plantation,” said Fred.

l “ I believe you, my boy; but at the same time
it is a piece of property that is well worth
owning. Aaron told me that under the man—
agement of the hands it brought him in as much

i as three thousand dollars a year, and I believe

'3 that would bring five thousand with bettrr
cnre.

, ‘Mr.Searcy sent for his family, which con-

, rusted of his wife and two children, who were to

. stay with Ella in the old Searcy mansion, until

he could straighten up the plantation and her .

affairs general y.

_Madison Searle’s body was recovered and
given proper burial, as was also the body of his
son Harry, as soon ns'the Devilfish could be
raised. That infernal machine had been so badlv
torn to pieces that its exact construction could
never be ascertained, and it is certain that the
commerce of- the river was no longer molested
in the vicinit of the Searcy plantation.

Billy Brad ey was soon strong enough to be
taken to his home in St. Louis, whither he was
accom anied by Harvey Storms, and he wrote
a_thril ing account of his adventures down the
river.

Aaron Hicksey’s will was proved, and Fred
Light settled down on his plantation, with
Herman Schweito fel as his constant com-
panion and aid. T 9 position of a land-owner,
with an independent fortune was quite pleasing
to him while the novelty lasted; but it was not
long before his roving disposition led him away,
and the hands who had “ run” the place in
Aaron‘s time had no reason to regret the change
of owners.

 

THE END.

 

. _

BEADLB'S POCKET LIBRARY.

 

252 Denver Doll‘s Device; or, The Detective Queen,
By Edward L. Wheeler.
25‘) The Boy Tenderfoot: or. Roaring Ben Bundy of
Colorado. By Capt. Mark Wilton.
254 Black Hills Ben; or, Duvch Jan on the War-
Path. By Maj. Lewis W. Carson,
255 Jolly Jim, Detective; or, The Young Protege’s
V ctory. By Charles Morris.
256 Merle Monte’s Last Cruise; or, The Sea Robber
at Buy. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.
‘257 The Boy Chief of Rocky Pass; or, The Young
California Paras. By Maj. E. L. St. Vrain.
2.38 Denver Doll as Detective. By E. L. Wheeler.
:59 Little Foxeye, the Colorado Spy. B Oil Coomes.
260 Skit. the Cabin Boy. Ry Edward ‘ ’illett.
261 Blade, the S ort- or, the Giant of Clear Grit
Camp. By . C. harbaugh. .
262 Billy, the 30y Rover. By Col. P. In raham.
263 Buster Bob‘s Buoy' or, Lige. the ight-House
Keeper. By Capt.  F 0. Adams. ‘
264 Denver Doll's Farmer; or, Big Buckskin the
' Sport. By E. L. Wheeler.
265 Billy, the Baggage Boy: or, The Young Railroad
Detective. Charles Morris.
266 Guy‘s Boy 0 um; 'or, The Forest Waif’s Mask.
By Capt. Comstock.
267 Giant Geotge‘si-Revenge; or, The Boys of “ Slip-
upl Mine.” By Buckskin Sam.
268 T e Deadshot Dund ; or, The Rio Grande
Marauders. By Col. entiss Ingraham.
269 The guartzville Boss; or, Daring David Darke.
ByE wardWilIett. .
270 Denver Doll‘s Mine: or, Little Bill’s Big Loss.
’By E L. Wheeler.
271 E ory Jim’s Terror; or. Ranger Rainbows Ruse.
By Oil Coomes.
272 Kit. the Girl Detective. By T. C. Harbaugh.
273 The Girl Rider; or, Nimble Ned’s Surprise.
Jos. E. Bad er, Jr.
274 Dead Shot amly’s Double; or, Benito, the Boy
Purd. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham.
275 Fred, the Ocean Wait; or, The Old Sailor’s
Protege. B Charles Morris. J
276 Deadwood )ick Trapped. By Ed L. Wheeler.
27? The I iiot Boy Avenger: or, Captain Wild-Cat‘s
Big Game. By Albert W. Aiken.
278 Arizona Alf, the Miner; or, Little Snap Shot's
Luck. By T. C. Harbaugh.
279 Colorado Jack. the Tiger; or, The Ghost of the
' Trailer. By Frederick Dewey.
280 Dead Shot Dandy’s Last Deal, or, Keno Kit’s
New Role. Bv Col. Prentiss Inzraham.
281 Ned, the Boy ‘Pilot; or, The Pirate Lieutenant‘s
Doom. By Jack Farragut.
282 Buck Hawk, Detective' or. the Messenger Boy’s
Fortune. By Edward . Wheeler.
283 Roving Sport Kh; or, 'llhe Ghost of Chuckaluck
Camp. By Edward Willett.
284 The Showman’s Best Card; or. The Mod Animal
Tamer. By Capt. Fred. Whittaker.
285 Old Rocky’s Par-d; or, Little Ben’s Chase. By
Buckskin Sam.
’ W» Dick, the Dakota Sport. By Charles Morris.
287 Ned, the Boy Ski per; or, The Sea Sorceress’
Cruise. By Jack zirragut.
2% Deadwood Dick‘s Disguise; or, Wild Wait, the
Sport. By Edward L. Wheeler.
289 Colorado Nick, tho Lassoist; or, Old Si‘s Protege.
3y Major H. B. Stoddard.
290 Rube. the Tenderfoot: or. the Boys or Torpedo
' Gulch. By Major E. L. St. Vrain.
991 Peacock Pete, the Lmdville Sport; or, Hawk, the
Bass Miner. By Albert W. Aiken. '
292 Joe Morey, the Night-Hawk; or, the Black Rider.
j By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. I y
‘298 Dwarf Jake. the, Drtcctive; or. Kit Kenyoh‘s
Man-Hunt. By Edward Willett.
294 Duinh Dick‘s Pard; or. Eliza Jane, the Gold
Miner. By Ed. L. Wiwohu‘.
295 White Wing, the Ferret Flyer. By Chas. Morris.
296 (invindu, the Tigcrv'l‘amer; or, The American
Horseman Abroad. By Captain F. Whittaker. 4

BY

 

29'? Arizona Giant George; or The Boyccs of Sardine-
Box City. By Buckskin am.

298 Daisy Doll's Dash; or, The Ten Colorado Pards.
By ’1. C. Harbaugh.

299 T 1e Balloon Detectives; or, Jack Slasher's Young
Pard. By Harry Enton.

300 Deadwood Dick’s Mission. By E. L. Wheeler.

301 Dandy Duke. the Cowboy. By Major E. L. St.

ram.

302 Big Benson’s Bet. By T. C. Harbaugh.

303 The Hotel Boy Detective; or. The Grand Central
Robbery. By Charles Morris.

304 Bald Head's Ford; or, Creeping Cat’s Cunning.
By Buckskin San]. .

305 Dusky Dick’s Duel; or, The Demon's Trail. By
Harry Hazard.

306 Spotter Friz; or, The Siore-Detective’s Decoy.
By E. L. Wheeler.

307 Nick the B0 Sport; or, Three Plucky Pards.
By ajor E. . SLVrai-n.

308 Double-Fisted Mat: or, The Mystic California
Giant. By Joe. E. Badger, J

309 0 d Grayhcard’s Boy; or. The Girl’s Ruse. By
C. Dunning Clark.

310 Kit, the Girl Ca tain; or. The Mad Sailor’s
Legac . By Col. rentiss In raham.

311 Frio .14 red in Texas. By Buc skin Sam.

312 The Detective Road-Agent; or, The Miners 0:
Sassafras City. By Edward L. Wheeler.

31:: Honest Jack's Protege: or, The Dwarfs Scheme.
By Philip S. Warne.

314 Clip the Boy Sheriff; 0‘, The Two Crooks of
Montana. By Edward Willett.

315 Tom the Arizona Sport; or, Howling Hank from
Har Luck. By Major E. L. St. Vra in.

816 The Street Arab Detective; or, Dick Dorgan’s
Double Dealing. By Charles Morris.

317 Buckskin Ben of Texas; or, Single Eye's Plucky
Pards. By Buckskin Sam.

318 Colorado Char‘ie’s Detective. Dash; The
Cattle Kings. By Edward L. Wheeler.

319 Frisky Fran‘: in Idaho: or. Old Skmflint the
Shadower. By Roger Starbuck.

320 Cool Sam‘s Girl Pard; or. Captain Dick and His
T- xans. By T. C. Harbaugh.

321 Billy, the Kid from Frisco; or. Silver Mask's
Ciew. By J. O. Cowdrick.

322 Fred Flynr, Detective; or, Abe Blizzard on Deck.
By C inrlrs Morris. -

323 Dead Sl‘ot Ike in Montana; or, Hez Helper, the
Yankee Pard. By Roger Starbuck.

324 Kit, the Denver Sport: or. The Bonanza. Miner
King. By Edward L. Wheeler.

325 Dusky Darrell the Camp Detective; or, The
Danny‘s Daring Dash. By Edwin Emerson.

3215 Roy. the Boy Cruiser: or, The Water Wolf
VVrockt-‘rs. By Colonel Prentiss Ingraham.

327 Ned, the Roving Miner; or, Arkansaw Jack’s
Match. By Harry Hazard.

828 Rocky Ben's Band; or, Big Pete‘s Big Haul. By
W. J. Hamilton.

329 gave, the Colorado Wrestler. By Maj. E. L. St.

ram.

330 The Denver Sport’s Racket; or, Kit’s Big Boom.
By Edward L. Whei ler.

331 The Coast Detective; or, The Smugglur Shadow-
er. By Roger Strtmuck.

832 Dakota. Dan in Canyon City: or, Colorado Kate‘s
Check. By Philip S. Warne.

33“] Boothlack Ben, the Detective; or. Pooler Jim
and His Pnrd. By Anthon P. Morris.

3‘34 Frisco Tom on Deck; or. '1‘ 1e Golden Gate Smug-
glers. iy George Henry Morse.

3 :5 Ben Bandy. the Boss Pard; or, The Plucky
’Pm‘son. By J. Stunlev Henderson.

330 Fred. the S rt. in Brimstone Bar Cam : or.
The Boston _ restlor’s Confederate. By “d. L,
Wheeler. .

337 Daisy Dave the Colorado Galoot; or, ‘The Boss
of Dead Line Cit . By T. C. Harhaugh.

3‘38 The Gold Bar De ective; or, iron Ike, the Solid
-Mun. By Major E. L. St. Vrain.

or,

 

Blinfiiirs

‘ CPOO‘II-{ET KLIBRY. 

 

 

-9. £19. .9

O Q Q
..\\\ ’

 

33f) Rardo, tho Boy Gypsy; or, Reckless Rolf's Re-
volt. ly Wm. G. Pnttcn.
310 Bill ' Bubbln’s Big Score; or, Tim, the Tramp.
Bv lharlos Morris.
341 Colorado Steve’s Dash; or, Old Buncomb’s Sure
Shot. vlly Philip S. \Vnrno.
312 Snapshot Sam; or. Ned Norris‘s Nettle,
Bucksin Sum.
3473 Mike. the Bowery Detective; or, P018}; Pruneor
ol‘ Vurinont. By Edward L. Whoolor.
314 The Drunmwr bpnl‘l}; or. Captain Dushcr’s Droll
Dilemma. By Edward Willott.
315 anuos. tho I lnrdpan .llotouiivo; or, Captain
Frism tho. R wad—Agent. By J. C. Cowdrick.
346 Joe. the Chicago Arab; or, A Boy of the Times.
By Charles Morris. '
iii? Middy IIerln-rt's Prize; or, The Girl Captain‘s
Rovvngo. ,Ily Col. l’rontiss lnzmlinm.
348 Slinrp—Slioo’or Frank; or, The Young Texan
Yards. By lluckskin Sam.
, 349 lluok'tlm Minor: or, All", the Colorado Guide.
By Maj. E. L. StfiVruin.
850 Ned the Slsil) (‘iiy Sport; or,
“ii! Scoop. By E. L. \\'hvolor.
d5] Rocky Mountain Jun; or. Dvaoon Simplicity on
tho Wnr- nth. By Col. T. II. Monstvry.
 Now Yor c 'l‘im; or, The Boss of [tho Boulevard.
RV ()‘lmrlos Morris.
3525 The (lirl Pilot" or, ISL-n. the RooLRunnur. By
Roger Stitrbuc :.
Slit Joe, tho Boy Stage-Driver; or, Nick Hickon’s
Cunning: ly Mo,’ E. L.'St. Vrain.
355 Texas Frank’s (.rony; or, The Girl Mustang
Rider. Ry Buckskin Sum.
3356 Idaho Nod, Detective: or, The Miners of Tarpot
, City. By Edward L. Whoelor.
857 Guy. the Boy lllim-r; or, Rocky Mountain Bill.
By Colonel Prontiss lngmhnm.
858 Jersey Joe, the Old Tax; or, the Wrccker‘s
Protege. By Mrs. Orin Jalllth.
359 Dandy Dick’s Dash; or, The Boy Cuttle~King.
By Oll Comes.
360 Jim's Big Bonanza: or, Jake Dodd and His
* Gang. l V W. J. Hamilton. < -
36! Oregon Phi], the Sport; or, The Marshal o£,Two
Bits; By Philip S. Wm no.
862 Kit, the Bootlylaok Dethtivr; or. From Phila-
delphia. to the Rockivs. By Edward L. Wheeler.
863 Th0 Occan Racer; or, Trusty Tom, the Tar. By
T. C. Ilurlinugh. ; _
864 Fritz‘s Old Score; or, Sih Cone‘s Right Bower.
7, By Ned Buniline, .
365 Crack Shot llarry; or, The Masked Rider. By
Colonnl Prentiss Ingraham.
. 866 Gold Dust Rock. the Whirlwind of the Mines.
By G. Waldo Browne.
367’ Fred’s Bold Gama; or, The Cave Treasure. By
Paul Bibbs. ~
368 Jim. the Sport in \Vnke-up: or, Foghorn Fan to
r ' tho Front. By Edward L. Wluwler.
369 Captain Blake’s Jonah; or, Harry, the Cabin
Buy. By Roger Starbuck.
370 Denver Ki t's Double; or, The Giant Miner of the
Gulch. By Major H; J}. Stoddard.
> 7’1 Blue Blazes Dick; 01'. Danger Doll of Dynamite.
’ By '1‘. C. Harhnngh. '
372 The Sea Cat’s I’rlze' or, The Flair of the Red
Hands. 2y Colonel l’rentiss Ingra mm.
87%) Larry O’Lynn‘s Dash; or, Kyle, the Renegade.
' By Joseph 11‘. Henderson.
374 Jim, [he Sport’s Big Room: or, The Bonanza

By

Tho Dctoctive‘s

QQOQOOOOQQQQQVO
/

 

King’s Rival. By Edward L. Wheeler.

,—/

375 Bowery Bob, Detective; or. Bianca, the Tom-
bourine~GirL By J 0 Pierce.

3’76 Buckskin Dick’s Clean Swee : or, Jonathan
Jenks‘ Still Hunt. By Col. Art 1111‘ F. Holt._

377 The Deadwood Sports. By Liout. S. G. Lansing.

37% Bronco Billy, the Saddle Prince. By Colonel
Prentiss Ingralmm. '

379 Dick. the Stowaway; or, A'Yankec Boy's Strange
Cruise. By Charles Morris.

330 Young Dick Talbot: or. A Boy’s Rough and
Tumble Fight from l‘lew York to California. By
Albert W. Aiken.

381 Dandy Bill’s Doom; or, Deerhuntcr, the Boy
Scout. By 011 Cooms.

 Wide—Awake George. the Boy- Pioneer. By Ed.
VVillet.

383 Wild Bill, the Pistol Prince. By Colonel Prentiss
Ingraliam.

381 Brimstone Bill's Booty: m‘, Mariposn Marsh at
Dead Man’s Gulch. Byflosoph E. Badger, Jr.

385 The. Boy "l‘rmnps; or. The Roughs of Demon
.l‘lollow. ByJ. M. Hoffman. ‘

386 The Montana. Kid; or) Little Dem Rock‘s Mis»
sion. 1y Morris Redwxng.

387 Tim Boy Detectives; or. Brokor Blondin‘s Big
Reward. By T. L. Harbouxh.

388 The Pony Express Rider; or, Bufiulo Bill‘s
Frontier Feats. By 001. Prentiss Ingraham. _

389 New York Bill, the Dodger; or, Two Boys Who
Were “Bounced.” By Edward Willett.

390 The Ticket-of—Leave‘s Trick; or, Spring Steel,
King of the Bush. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.

391 Charle Sk lurk the Sport. By Major Henry
B. Stoddard}: 1

392 Texas Jack, the Mustang King. By Colonel
Prentiss Ingraham. '
393 Peter, the Dandy Greenhom. By Noah Nuft.
874 Tom Temple’s Big Strike. By Barry Ringgold.
395 Harr , the Country Boy, in New York. By
Char es Morris.
396 Detective Paul's Right Bower. By C. D. Clark.
397 Tip Tressell, the Flatboat Boy. By Ed. Willett.
398 Captain Jack in Rocky Roost. By Col. Prentiss
lngmham. '

399 Harry Somers, the Magician. By S. 'W. Pierce. '
400 Black Horse Bill, the Bandit Wrecker. By
Roger Starbuck. I
401 Tim, the Mule Boy of the Mines. By Chas. Morris.
402 Flatboat Fred on the Mississippi. By E.Willett.

1 Ready September 23.
403 Jake, the Colorado Circus Boy.
Bninbridge.
Ready beptember 30.
A New lime Every Wednesday.

Burma’s Pocxnr LIBRARY is for sale by all’Neway.
dealers, live cents per copy, or sent by mail on‘ m

By Bryant

coipt of six cents each.
.

Bnnnm ANT) Amns. Publishers, .
98 William Street, New York.