JULY 12, 1913 ye Reg 23 { ] Ee t ; An Ideal Publication For The American Youth Issued Weekly. Entered as Second-class Matter at the New York Post Office according to an act of Congress, March 8,1879. Published by — _ STREET & SMITH, 79-89 Seventh Ave., New York. Copyright, 1913, bys STREET & SMITH. O. G. Smith and G. C. Smith, Proprietors. Terms to NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY Mail Subscribers. f (Postage Free.) — Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Bach. POUT 5 is i weta'cs ha ince dees GbC.” ONG FEAT veces cos etc idsewccdens $2.50 BOE aad bacsce sseuotaeé 85c. 2 COPICS ONO VEAL «.-rceecveesers 4.00 GB MOTE - ashe spocwecccansecd $1.25 1 COPY CWO YEATS..-cccessseeeees 4.00 How to Send Money—By post-office or express money order, regis- tered letter, bank check or draft, at our risk. At your own risk if sent by currency, coin, or postage stamps in ordinary letter. Receipts—Receipt of your remittance is acknowledged by proper change of number on your label. If not correct you have not been properly credited, and should let us know at once, No. 50. NEW YORK, July 12, 1913. Price Five Cents. Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Weird Adventure; Or, THE ATHLETES ADRIFT. By BURT L. STANDISH. ,- 3 ~ ee CHAPTER I.” THE LOST CAR. What happened to the private car occupied by Merri- -well’s Athletes that night was one of the strangest things imaginable. For several hours one complete division of a Western railroad was in a state of mind that bordered upon panic, and staid old veterans of the rails rubbed their eyes, blinked, and wondered if there really could be such a thing as witchcraft. When the witchcraft theory had been exploded, and the tangle straightened out, for weeks that weird affair was a staple topic for ‘failroaders all over the Pacific slope. , It began when Extra 25, a fast freight westbound, picked up the private car Cleansport and hurried it toward Cam- , berwell, where the Athletes were due for three days of baseball with the Camberwell Mavericks. Perhaps it might be said to have begun in the lookout of the way car at the tail of 25 when the extra was still half an hour to the east 6f Whipsaw. Conductor Blake, of the extra, was perched in a chair po at one side of the lookout, while Evans, rear-end brake- man, was across from him on the other side. For a long _ distance, on that particular part of the division, there _ were no humps in the track, and brakemen had a chance to'take things easy, and to gossip a little; if so disposed. The hour was eleven in the evening. There was no moon, and clouds raced across the sky, obscuring the stars. There was also a high wind, which whistled among . the telegraph wires and made it hard for the trainmen to keep to the toepath. | _ Now and again a glow flashed out over the tops of the bobbing loads as the fireman opened the door of his fur- nace and chucked in the fuel. Fighting a head wind all the way, Extra 25 was doing well to stick so pete to. her petied ote. \ ; “Tf it wasn’t for orders,” remarked Blake to Evans, “we'd go through Whipsaw just a-smokin’.’ ‘ “What orders we got for Whipsaw?” inquired Evans. oe “Hook onto a private car and tote it to Camberwell.” “Then that must be the private car with Merriwell’s Athletes,” said Evans, displaying considerable interest. “You've nicked it,” said Blake, “I don’t know why that— private car has to be tailed onto this freight when regular ” passenger ruins are supposed to do business with that kind | of rolling stock, but that’s how it is with us to-night.” “More’n likely,’ returned the. brakeman, “the passenger trains aren’t running conveniently for Merriwell over the loop branch. The Athletes, I see by the Albuquerque pa- pers, are scheduled for three games with Camberwell, be- ginning to-morrow afternoon. The morining pases on the branch doesn’t go through——” “I savvy that, all right,” cut in Blake. “We'll tian te bunch of amateur sports to Camberwell, all right, and J’ give a month’s pay if I could stay over there and see these games. While we were kicked back on a siding at Tam; waiting for twenty-seven to go by, I had a talk with’ a man who came down from Whipsaw and was waiting ” board twenty-seven for the East. \ Take it from me, Evans, there have been doings in Whipsaw to-day.” “Game there, wasn’t there?” “No ball game—that was canceled. Daddy Spingarn, of Whipsaw?” “Everybody on the branch savvies that old sour dough: “Well, Spingarn got it into his head that Merriwell his crowd were a lot of stuck-up dudes, and were playing the young miners at Whipsaw for a joke. idea got under ‘Spin’s. hide, and he called off the ga “That was a fool notion,’ peers, Evans eee edl You - know old ne Se: | oN RW TIP TOP WEEKLY. that part of it straight. So Spingarn canceled the ball game because he thought Merriwell’s Athletes were a lot of cads, eh?) Humph!’ “Spin batted up some other games, and the Merriwell crowd saw them through, and, incidentally, came out ahead of the Warriors. The town of:Whipsaw, though, had fallen for Spingarn’s mistake and were roughing things up for the Athletes, threatening to mob them, wreck their private car, and I don’t know what all. You know what a mining damp can be when it goes wild and becomes unreasonable. I guess that Whipsaw outfit went the limit, all right. Spin got huffy because he was trying to break down the door of the Athletes’ car with a stick of wood, and was thrown into the cinders of the right of way. He went over to the Whipsaw Mine and was gathering a bunch of rough-necks to help the townspeople wreck the Ath- letes’ car when——” Blake paused, looked sober, leaned far out of the open window beside him, and then drew back with a slow grin. \ “Well,” urged Evans eagerly, “what happened, Blake?” “Why, a little girl, a relative of Spin’s, was down in the workings of the mine. The blasts had-been set off for the five-o’clock firing, and the gang below tumbled out of the shaft, leaving the girl behind. All a mistake, of course, but Spin’s mind turned from notions of vengeance and immediately loaded up with the blackest kind of worry. He started for the shaft, but was held back when the blasts began to go off.) All let go but one. That hung fire, but it didn’t faze young Merriwell, He had his team- mates let him down in an ore bucket, then haul him back with the girl. Just as they reached the platform at the suirface the other charge concluded to explode. But young Merriwell had done the trick. This fellow from Whip- saw, who told me all about it, says that for pure, un-* adulterated grit that stunt of Chip Merriwell’s took the banner. Of course, Spingarn, after that, fell over him- self to be decent to the Merriwell crowd.” “What do you think of that!” exclaimed the brakeman enthusiastically. “But I’m not surprised, Blake, for that’s the kind of stock young Merriwell comes from. Hope I'll get a chance to talk with that chap!” “You won't, though.. When we pick up the private car, Merriwell and all the rest will be in bed and asleep.” At that moment Evans had to get out on top of the loads. He loved good work of every sort, and the feat thus briefly narrated by Blake had set his nerves atingle. In due course, the extra reached Whipsaw and backed down on the siding to gather in the private car. Blake was correct, for every window of the car was dark, and not even the jar when the caboose. nosed into the Clean- sport seemed to arouse anybody. The tail lamps were switched from the caboose to brackets at the rear of the private car, but this was done by Evans, who climbed to the observation platform of the Cleansport for the purpose. Every soul in Whipsaw, from appearances, was also _ steeped in slumber—the night man at the station alone ex- cepted. “You're picking up a load of mighty fine youngsters,” re- marked the night man to Blake, within the hearing of Evans. “T bet you!” agreed Blake. “Daddy Spingarn tried to get the crowd to stay over for a game to-morrow, but the Athletes had to move on to Camberwell. The whole town made a mistake, and then Ps “We heard about it,’ cut in Blake, and gave the engineer the “high ball” with his lantern. Extra 25 pulled out, and the operator watched the tail lamps of the Cleansport wink out in the blustering night around a curve. When the fast freight passed Barville, the first station west of Whipsaw, a smother of rain struck the loads. Evans dodged into the way car for his oilskins. “I'd like to visit with some of those chaps in the car behind,” said he, “but they’re all sound asleep. They didn’t even wake up when we bumped into them.” He pulled another set of oilskins from a locker to take over the loads to the man on the front end. “We're in for a nasty. night, Blake,” he added, as he left the car. At three a. m. Extra 25 rolled into Corduroy, on the main line and at the end of the division. Then the as- _tounding discovery was made that the private car was missing from the tail of the string. Eyans, so amazed he could hardly talk, annotinced the fact to Blake. The conductor, with wild thoughts of being called up on the carpet and given a layoff, or worse, for carelessness, rushed to the rear of the way car to look for himself, Evans was right. The Cleansport had disappeared. “What the blazes do you make of that?” cried the rear- end brakeman, “When did you see the car last?” demanded Blake. “Hanged if I know! Fighting this wind and rain for three hours didn’t leave me much of a chance to watch the rear load.” “The cat broke away from us!” and Blake, fearing wreck and disaster by a loose car on the rails, swung down and rushed for the telegraph office. The man who had the night trick at the train dhent was notified. Messages began to fly over the wires, Slow or- ders’ and warnings were given to other trains on the branch, all operators were told to keep their eyes open for the missing car, and track walkers were sent put from every station. Extra 25 changed crews at Cartainey, and then went booming westward, but she left behind her a mystery that continued to. grow with the passing hours. No trains be- tween Whipsaw and Corduroy had anything to report regarding the Cleansport. Track walkers and men on speeders covered every foot of the rails, main track and sidings, and found no trace of the private car. When daylight «came, section gangs made a more thorough search; but neither on the rails nor in the ditch was the car to be found. Then it was that every employee on the division began ‘to gasp and to rub his eyes, and to think of witchcraft. What on earth had become of Merriwell’s Athletes and the Cleansport? The only logical explanation of the affair was that the car had slipped its coupling, in some way, and so had parted company with Extra 25. But that ini no wise ac- counted for the car’s astounding disappearance. If on the rails it would have been found, or if it had left the rails and gone into the ditch that fact would have been re- vealed to those whose eyesight had combed the right of way. The division superintendent took the problem person- ally in charge. But he frankly admitted that he was “up Se, ree Se eetuignd ie tinate ai a DTI Fi mir Re ae ane im a NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. ~ in the air.” Queer things had happened to the super dur- ing his long years of railroading, but this mystery that had to do with the Cleansport and young Frank Merriwell and his Athletes was one of the queerest. _ Everybody on the division was wondering, and, spurred on by the division superintendent, was doing his utmost to _ probe the amazing affair, to the bottom. CHAPTER II. THE OTHER END OF THE MYSTERY. The Athletes, while digappointed in not having) a ball game with the Whipsaw Warriors, had had far more ex- citement in the mining camp than a set-to on the diamond _ could have afforded them. They had come into Whipsaw, only to find every native of the place on the warpath, and aiming hostilities at them and their private car. They were at a loss to understand this rancor until they dis- covered that two enemies of theirs, Lucius Lattimer and Chester Brezee, had paid a visit to Whipsaw and had started scandalous stories regarding the Athletes: and their ~ designs on the Warriors. Explanations by Rufus Horton and Chip Merriwell - availed nothing. The town had been set by the ears, and even Daddy Spingarn had refused ‘to listen to reason. Then, making the most of an unpleasant situation, the : Athletes had curbed their indignation and had dedicated themselves to the task of making friends out of their un- _ reasoning enemies. Jn the exciting events that followed, the young ama- - teurs showed that they were capable and courageous and _ that they lived up to their slogan of “clean sport.” Frank’s _ daring work in rescuing little Nita Spingarn from the _ mine had turned the tide of hostility. From, that moment on, until the hour when the Athletes retired to the bunks in their private car, the miners and townspeople could - not do enough to show the high regard in which they held - Merriwell and his teammates. _ Spingarn had been the last to leave the Cleansport. At _Horton’s solicitation, he had stayed in the car and taken supper with the boys, and, following the meal, he had _fraternized with the youngsters until nine o’clock. At that hour he had, left for his’ adobe at the mine, declaring that ‘sooner or later he would do something for the Athletes _by way of manifesting his regrets for the mistake that had been made. _ Mose, the dusky chef, factotum, and mascot, wagged his kinky os map icantly, and showed the ae of his eyes. to Se Mistirer blessed day Ah been mascottin’ lak de. ~ Band,” he declared solemnly, “but Ah done pulled you-all out ob your obnoxious trib’lations. Yassuh, Ah done it.” . “Tf it hadn't been for Mose, we would still be full of ee shinks,” put in 8 Villum Kess, ian’ mit a masgot- t . don'd nee us oudt. "mine, oe Ah pi had a rabbit’s foot. in h a mah pockets, and Ah’ meeet over dem all de ts ‘Mascottes i ‘no helpee Chi-Melly,” P serueks in’ eo Wah; ‘aps Mey: tly, one pieces, Jack iy makee look closs= boys. with respect.” By vas Merrivell vat dit ns eye, makee cally labbit foot, makee do plenty things—how: — him helpee Chi-Melly? Whoosh! Allee same tom foolee!” : ey “Say,” rasped out Mose, pulling back his shoulders and. shoving forward his chin, “Ah doan’ allow no Chinése trash é to make commentations on mah ’bilities as a,mascot. Who is you-all, anyways, dat you drap sich rema’ks ’bout some-— thin’ you-all ain’t got de brains to savvy, huh? Looky — heah, chile, Ah’s a heap oldah dan you, and Ah kin fo’get — mo’ in a minute *bout dishyer luck business dan you-all can l’arn in a yeah. Go on wif your ’sasperatin’ talk! Ah nevah did have a mite ob use fo’ de Chinese and de Dutch, and dat’s a fact.” . “T don’d tell you!” exploded Villum. “Der more vat you talk, Mose, der more you make'a comic oudt oof your- selluf. HOR: d se someding else, for pooty soon ve laugh : _by you.” All the boys in eiiai part of the car had halted their dis- robing to enjoy the three-cornered squabble. As Villum — stopped talking, he fired a pillow at Mose. The darky, who had just. finished making up the section for.Dart Keenan — and John Glory, was hit amidships with considerable force. — Losing his balance, he toppled backward into Hop Wah, who was bent over and pulling his pajamas out of his ‘ satchel. Not understanding the drift of events, the China- man supposed he had been set upon purposely, and as he. fell his yellow hands closed about the mascot’s throat. ts The racket brought Merry and Horton out of the state- room, where they had been in conference regarding the Pe forthcoming games at Camberwell. “My givee black boy hail Columby!” screeched. “Hop Wah. “Bymby, you makee say enough!” ‘ “Ah ain’t et a Chinaman fd’ a hull week!” yelled Mose. “Ah reckons dat now Ah’ve got mah chance!” oes “Break away!” cried Merry sternly, grabbing Vilas aad the collar of his white jacket and pulling him clear of the Chinaman. “Hop,” he went on, “the trouble we had in Whipsaw seems to have had a bad effect on you and Mose. This is a nice way for the Athletes to get along!” “Mose. makee slam at China boy, Chi- -Melly,” explained Hop. | ‘“Ah doan’ make no slam at nobody,” panted ‘Mase: “Villum done hit me wif a pillah and Ah lose mah bal- ance, Dass de truf.” “I don’d like his insuldings,” sputtered Viltim. “He iss a false alarm mit himselluf, und his masgotting amounts to no more as nodding.” “Never «mind that, Villum,” said Rise looking ee at his Dutch outfielder, but winking at the rest of the “Mose is our official mascot and must be trea “Bet your spurson that, pard!” spoke up Pesicirieapite “Mose is all to the mustard!” said Rodno, laughing. ~ “He cooks our chuck, ” chanted Dill, “and when» v stuck he brings us luck. said Glory, powers,” “Dat’s right,” “just for making \ fun of oe ee breathed. Mose, icbking” it at | and then shif ng-his gaze to Hop.. “Ah done puts de ba on you twoj” he declared solemnly. “Jest for your « streporousness in allowin’ Ah ain’t no good as a masec Ah puts de spell. ob de evil eye on Villum and Hop. ae de sign ‘ob de : dink, lak dat, and ‘hit » Gay 4 4 -.-* NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. Dramatically the darky raised a hand and made an “X” in the air. He did this. twice, while Villum wriggled un- comfortably and Hop showed symptoms of panic. “Now,” remarked Horton, “let’s stop this | foolishness. Boys, a westbound freight is to pick us up to-night,. and we ought to be eating breakfast in Camberwell. We are to remain in that town for three days, and have a game each afternoon with the Camberwell Mavericks. They’re a fast crowd, and we'll have to play ball. Don’t forget that.” “Mavericks, eh?” said Pennyworth. “That sounds a heap as though they might be a team of cowboys,” “T believe they are most of them from the range, Penn,” returned Horton. “We'll take ’em into.camp,” declared Dart Keenan, with confidence. “That’s an easy gtiess, cull,” chirped Baltimore Jae, the hobo twirler, looking out from between the curtains of his bunk, “We may not find them so easy, Joe,” said Frank seri- ously. “Hope to blazes they don’t cancel the game before we get there,” chimed in Glory, “and then invite us to play ‘London Bridge is Falling Down,’ or leapfrog, or follow my leader.” The Texas lad was thinking of the experience the team had had at Whipsaw. _ “Don’t fret about that, Glory,” came from Penn. “The Mavericks are cowboys, not miners. They got some sense.” “You're a cowboy yourself, Penn,’ commented Keenan, “and you ought to know.” “IT sure do. Buenas noches, compadres!” and dived through the curtains and into his blankets. , One by one the lads took to their bunks and Merriwell and Horton retired to the stateroom, where they had their own sleeping quarters. Mose was the last to disrobe, and when he was ready for bed he locked the doors, put out the lights, and soon there was darkness in the car—and silence. ’ 3ut there were two restless and troubled occupants in Hop slept in an upper berth and Vil- Penn one of the sections. lum below him. “Villum,” breathed Hop, in a strident whisper, makee sleep, huh?” “T don’d vas asleep, Hop,” answered Villum. “My no ketchee sleep, too. Villum, blackee boy makee tlouble sign. You ’flaid?” “I don’d vas afraidt oof nodding somedimes,” answered ‘Villum, in a shaking voice, “aber I don’d like vat Mose dit by us alretty. He vasn’t able mit himselluf to make goot lucks oder bad lucks, only I vish me he hadn't gone droo der motions.” “My no likee,” chattered Hop Wah. “Ve vas. part oof der deam, und his pitzness ain’d to make drouples for us. I like it no bedder as you, Hop. Oof dere iss anyding I hate——” “Oh, dry up!” came the voice of Keenan, through the gloom. “That’s what I say,” put in the voice of Pennyworth. “Quit palavering, you two, and let the rest of us sleep.” Villum and Hop would have liked to talk longer and do everything possible to reassure cach other, but they smothered their conversation and tried hard to smother their superstitious fears. After a time they both fell asleep. “you Through all the mischances of that momentous night, not one of the fads awoke to realize that anything unusual was taking place. The wind blew the rain against the car windows, and the splash of water must have acted as a lullaby and calmed them into sound slumber. All the Athletes were wearied with the events of a strenuous day, and tired nature claimed its full tribute. Rufus Horton stirred uneasily in his berth, once or twice, but only roused enough to turn into a fresh posi- tion dnd drop into deep sleep again. When he and Merry were finally aroused, it was by some one pounding on the stateroom door. Merry sat erect, and he could hear Horton swinging to the edge of his bed underneath, “What is it?” inquired Horton. “When are we due in Camberwell, Rufus?” came the voice of Neil Rodno. “Somewhere around six o'clock.” “Well, it’s six-thirty now. We ought to be there, hadn't we?” “Certainly.” Daylight was flooding the stateroom. down from his berth to the floor. “What sort of a place does Camberwell look like, Rod?” he called. “Can’t see the town for the country,” answered Rodno. “Here we are, Chip, but where are we? Look out, and see if you can tell. Both sides of the track look the same.” Merry and Horton peered from the stateroom windows. All they could see was a ragged landscape—bleak hills covered with stunted brush. “Jupiter!” exclaimed Horton, astonished. wrong here, and no mistake.” “Perhaps the station is a mile or two from the town,” Merry swung “Something suggested Merry. “Well,” called Rod, “there’s no station in sight, and nothing that resembles a building. You fellows better come on out to the rear platform where you can get a good view.” Merriwell and Horton, somewhat excited, pulled open the stateroom door and hurried ott into the car. CHAPTER III. WHERE IS CAMBERWELL? Some of the Athletes were scrambling into their clothes. Others had not waited to dress, but had hurried to the rear platform in their pajamas. Frank and Rufus pushed through the open car door and found Owen Clancy, Arlo Pennyworth, and John Glory leaning against the platform railing and studying the uninhabited surroundings with wondering eyes. “What the mischief do you suppose has happened, Chip?” queried «Clancy. “Give it up,” answered Frank, bewildered. “We go to sleep in Whipsaw,” remarked Glory, “and we wake up in this out-of-the-way corner of nowhere.” “Where in Sam Hill is Camberwell?” demanded Penn, “This is the most astounding thing I ever heard of!” averred Horton. The Cleansport had not left the rails. Surrounded as they were with so much baffling mystery, the Athletes were glad to make at least one discovery which they could com- prehend. But the track upon which the car was standing was ES right side up. ». into communication with and be rescued from this dilemma. “that we can yet reach Camberwell in time for | Fy the. athacnode game. NEW TIP TOP WE EFKLY. certainly not the main track. It was poorly ballasted, the . ties were half decayed, and both rails and ties were al- most hidden from sight by a rank growth of brush “The old Cleansport has wandered out into the country ‘somewhere,’ red-headead chum quizzi- cally. “T don’t see how she was able to do much wandering,” returned Glory, “if she was fastened to the end of a freight train.” “Strikes me,” said Penn, “that we’re on an old siding, oC that the freight créw mttst have set us out here by istake.” . T Hteipcaatble !” exclaimed Horton. “No freight crew could make such a mistake as that, Penn. We're on an old siding, all right, but we got here in some other way.” “Tust now, Rufus,’ observed Frank, “the question is not so much how we got here as where we are.” - “That's right, Chip,” agreed Horton; “but it seems to me that it’s about as difficult to find an answer for one of those questions as for the other.” The spur track appeared to follow a long depression between the hills. There had not been any grading to speak of, but the bottom of the valley was fairly level and the rough track building had no doubt answered well some temporary purpose. On each side of the track, where the Cleansport had » come to a halt, ‘were the long, easy slopes of ridgelike hills. . The uplifts were dotted with patches of cactus and little clumps of greasewood, but there was absolutely no sign of human habitation anywhere to be seen. “Glory is right,” said Clancy, “this is about as near an out-of-the-way corner of nowhere as any place I ever saw.” “This car got here,” remarked Merry, “and it got here There’s a way out of the mystery. It ought to be easy for a party of us to foot it back over suggested Frank’s the siding to the main track, and so get somewhere near the place where we came from.” “Certainly it had, Chip,” said Horton, his face clearing. “We can be comfortable enough until we're able to get the railroad officials and they send an engine after us. If we were marooned here for several days, we have water and food enough to stave off a famine.” “But we're due in Camberwell for a gate this after- noon !” said Frank. “If we drop out of! sight and are ~ not heard from for several days, what will the Mavericks think of us?” A faint smile of resignation crossed the Vale man’s } ‘It's: a situation we can’t help,” he answered, - t6 us to make the hest of it. ot can’t think that we’re a great way from the main track, and more than likely we'll be able to communicate with the railroad officials before many hours have passed, It is even possible,” lips. “so it's up he added, i _ That Sent of course, on where awe are.” " rk laugh broke from Penn, » “This takes the bun!” he ‘sputtered. “A butch of thir- een, locked up ina private car, go gallywhooping into | iby unknown parts during the night, and not one of the cere dozen wakes up or ae ‘wise ae itt, way to the On the other hand, Chip; Say; ; pards, those on the reat platform, and Penn’s laugh was echoed i by the others. ee “There’s nothing to worry about, boys, “Get back into the car and ell have breakfast, and then we'll lay our plans for foie a way out of this bit of trouble.” All the Athletes were speculating and making wild — guesses as to what particular part of the country they . were in and how the Cleanusport had come there. Mose’s theory, was the wildest. “We all done been picked out ob dat Whipsaw place,” said Mose, “and disported into de backwoods. Yassuh. — Dat Dutch kid and de Chinee boy dey frows scan’lous talk » at mah mascottin’, so de jinx he jess nach'ly picks up de Cleanspo’t bodily and slams hit into dis unknown kentry, | whar we-all is lost fo’ And dis ain’t a marker to whut’s gwine to happen to dem two bekase: ob deir fool talk. Jinxes won’t stand fo’ no triflin’, le’me tell you.” proceeded to get breakfast, shaking his woolly while and prophesying dire things. When. the — for their morning meal, the darky had — them; and the breakfast, thoroughly en-_ joyed, caused the: Athletes more than ever to consider . their situation a joke. Tumbling out of the car, they began circling around it and up over the hill slopes in a mood for exploration. From the top of the highest ridgelike hill an cetes view was to be had of the surrounding country, but noth- has happened,” . said I seat put on your clothes. suah. Mose head the boys were ready a good one for jing could be seen of the telegraph poles that marked the main line of the railroad. Nor was there anything else to be discovered which pointed to a source of information regarding their whereabouts. Horton went into consultation with Merriwell on the cat from the hilltop. S9 far as the Yale man was concerned, the affair was appearing less and less like a mere humorous incident in the team’s travels. “We may not be here entirely by chanee, air gested Horton darkly. Race “Hanged if I can figure the thing out in any tbe way, : Frank returned. “The railroad company wouldn't dump us bodily into a region like this.” “Don’t forget Lattimer and Brezee.. They're sctalee of ours, you know, and are clearly trying to make us all the trouble they can. They are resourceful soup tan: too, W bat} ne apyentee at gee ees aoe that.” oe “Rufus.” “Our: information is to that effect, but it may not Oe reliable,” 1a You don’t suppose Lattimer and Brézée. bould’ br crew of; the freight to mix up a batch of trouble lik for ust” no matter what ~~ or mischance. ‘NEW TIP TOP, WEEKLY, Abbess He Gallet Lattimer and_ ‘Brezee had a thing to do with : the present situation. At the side of the Cleansport, in a cleared spot among the bushes that overgrew the old siding, Horton rounded -up the Athletes. ‘He had formed some definite plans and - was’ now to give instructions as to carrying them out. “Boys,” said he, “we have been the victims of treachery It’s all a guess as to where we are or how - we come to be here, but we must take immediate measures to locate ourselves and to apprise the railroad officials of our predicament. If possible to reach Camberwell in time for the afternoon game, we must do so. If that is not possible, then we must discover some means of communi- cating with the Mavericks by telegraph and telling them the cause of our delay. If we can’t get to our destination to-day, certainly we should be able to reach there to- morrow. In that event, we could play a double-header, and follow it the day following with the third game of the series. I think, from this, you see the necessity of ; taking active measures at once. ~ “Now, it’s a logical inference that this old siding is a lead off the main track. By, following the spur, sooner or “fater, the main track must be reached. That accomplished, it is only a matter of getting to the first station in order to secute telegraphic communication with Camberwell. “On the other hand, railroads are not building spur tracks into a country where there is no use for them. The fact that this branch is here, proves that there must be people somewhere in this region, or that people have been here some time or other. It, is possible that, by following the spur farther into the hills, our difficulties may be solved _ more quickly than by sending an exploring party in search| of. the main track. That is a question, of course, and re have decided to work it out both ways. Merriwell and Clancy are the two I have selected to hu t for the main track, find the nearest telegraph office, and get into communication with the railroad company and ‘Camberwell. If the railroad people can get us out of here and to Camberwell in time for the afternoon game, _ then Chip will notify the Mavericks that we’re coming ; if the railroad officials can’t do that, then Chip will wire the Mavericks that we'll be with them to- -morrow, and to nge for a double-header. . They will try to find some set- eS ‘some mining “ee off the main line. If they suc- in finding a camp, very likely they will discover that Bae communication ee the outside world. to find themselves chosen, and the others were a down by haying to remain with the car when ex-— tement and adventure were promised, in other direc~ D ‘ipline was good among the Athletes, however, : ti on were hastily made by the two parties for a oi were no anilroufings by those who ae 3 observation platform _place where she now stands. At can remember there was rain w Kess, and Hop laid their course and began foliation if, Merry and Clancy set their faces in the opposite direction — ‘ and began forcing their way through the praise that cov- ered the old spur. ; / CHAPTER IV. THE MAN IN THE TRAIL. For their exploring work, Frank and Owen had put on suits of serviceable khaki. Each carried a canteen of water swinging over his shoulder by a strap. tion to his own canteen, Clancy carried a haversack with a day's rations for himself and Merry, while Merry’s added burden consisted of a pair of k’noculars in'a leather case. The lads were in light marching order, and perhaps the rations were superfluous, but it was deemed wise to rea take them. f From the fact that the main line of the railroad had not been visible from the highest hilltop near the Cleansport, Frank knew that he and his chum had quite a distance to travel. In addi- And, after they reached the main track, the ties were still to be counted to a station where they could use — the telegraph. That’ station might be miles from the point *| where the spur joined the main track—on this point, of course, the boys could have no definite knowledge. The valley followed by the spur twisted through soe hills in sinuous fashion, and in a few minutes Merry and Clancy had rounded a bend and dropped the private car 7 from view. Just here, Frank made a discovery. “Clan,” said he, “the spur, where the Cleansport is stands: ing, runs,on a level, but from this bend toward the main. track. the road has a pitch to it.” ee “What of that, Chip?” returned Clancy. “The Cleansport must have come down the spur some- — how. Haven’t you wondered about that part of it?” — “I’ve wondered about a heap of things since I woke up this morning, old man. In fact, I’ve been guessi g 80: hard, and without getting head or tail to anything, that — my wits are just taking things for granted, without. try-_ ing to account for a good many things that. have hap- pened.” se ' “Well, cut that, Red, And put your brains on the job. Listen: f If this grade, as I think will prove the case, keeps — an upward pitch all the way to the main line, then the Cleansport’s momentum carried her down the spur to the | where the car stopped; that’s where she lost her momen- tum and/had to come to a halt.” ; But how did the Cleansport get off the. “That’s right! main line and cut loose from the freight? Momentum doesn’t account for that, does it?” “Hanged if I know what accounts for the rest ae it, We've got to take this queer business a little at a time, and figure it dut as we go. along. Supposing the @ now know how she slid into the hills.” . iad pone “For the matter of that,” hazarded Cilla “we ores ‘even know that the car was picked up by ree 1 night, and taken out of Whipsaw.” “That's so,” agreed Merry, a little baad? “ “The wind blew great guns last night, and seems % ne: it. There are sig where the hot sun hasn of. moisture in this valley, but that th at it and dried it ay Wi knows, The track is a long level NEW TIP TOP the: Whipsaw siding? If that’s what happened, then when the freight came along we couldn’t be found and picked up. See? I shouldn’t wonder, old man,” finished Clancy, with a short laugh, “if we walked right into Whipsaw when we got to the end of this little pasear.” “Hardly that, Red. Your theory takes too much for granted. In the first place, spur tracks don’t lead off of sidings, but they’re generally an offshoot of the main line. In the next place, it would take a small-sized tornado to start the Cleansport on a level track.” “Now you've got me to guessing again,” complained the red-headed chap, “and it’s like:pounding your wits against a stone wall. How far do you think we'll have to travel before we reach the main track?” _ “Give it up. The main line is not very near us, though. Rufus and I couldn't see anything of it from the top of the hill.” The boys were walking briskly on. The siding was not overgrown with bushes for its entire length, and occa- sionally they came to places where the rusty rails and the rotting ties trailed across the bare sand, _ “From the looks of things,” remarked Clancy, “this spur ‘isn’t used at all. ‘The track itself shows that. If the spur was of any account, the section men would take care of I'll bet this piece of track was built a good many years ago.” “No doubt of that.” “Why was it built? Any idea?” “It certainly was useful once on a time. Maybe it reached some gravel pit, or a stone quarry, and the road used it to bring out material for ballast.” “That's something we don’t know, so we might as well Jet it go at that. I'll be hanged, though, if I can under- ” ~~ staid how we all slept so soundly last night, and never | woke up to realize what was happening to us. We——” - “Look there, Red!” Frank interrupted excitedly. They had come to a point where the hills, bordering the — spur on each side, broke away in a sort of gap. A trail | - eould be seen coming through the gap on one side, crossing the spur, and then vanishing into the opening in the up- lifts opposite. Frank had halted, and was pointing at some- ane in the trail on the left of the track. . “Jupiter!” exclaimed Clancy. “There's something in the 5s trail, Chip, sure as you’re a fae high.” “There is, and it’s a man.” “Not” “Yes, it is. Wa it a minute!” _ Frank unbuckled the binocular case and took out the For a moment he studied the dark object in the ff “It’s a man, all right,” he went on, dropping a binocu- > ov back into, the case, “and he’s lying. all sptaw ed out in 3 “With ies, Peasie. started on again at a flitel ania “There wouldn’t be a eople around here.” “That man is one of the people, and he’s had trouble. “ gutess that here’s ee we're going to ots up a little in-_ the, man in the evil presented eaehar a gruesome sight | hen the boys left the spur and gained his side. He wore pigean blue shirt, uae cor tu trousers tucked into - which. indicated that --stranger’s ee a. little. forty years old. trail,” said Clancy, “if there weren't WEEKLY. he had been mounted. His horse, however, was not in evidence. on the man’s ran down, over his grizzled cheek. aghast. “T should say he was in trouble!” murmured Clancy, as soon as he could find his voice. ' “Who do you suppose did ~ that, Chip?” “Perhaps the man’s horse threw him,” “He might have got hurt in that way, you know. no use in jumping at conclusions.” The shock of the gruesome discovery having passed, Merry knelt down at the stranger’s side and laid a hand oe his breast. “Is he a—alive, Chip?” whispered Clancy, horrified to think that the man could possibly be anything else. Frank nodded. “Open your canteen, Red,” said he, lift- ing the man’s head with one arm, “and get a little watet down him. That ought to bring him around.” Clancy bent over to manipulate the canteen and a few swallows were forced down the man’s throat. no immediate effect, and Frank laid the man down again to wait for signs of returning consciousness, While waiting, he used a little water on the stranger’ face, then took a red cotton handkerchief from his throa folded it into a bandage, and bound it around his templ “That was a bad crack,” said Clancy. “What's mor Chip, I don’t see how he could have hurt himself by fall ing from his:horse. He'd have to strike on a stoné to get all bruised up like that, and there’s nothing ut ‘san around here.” “What's the trailside. At a distance of a dozen feet lay a sharp stone wis thes size of a man’s fist. Clancy went over and picked it up. econ “He couldn't have fallen on this,” far away.” \ “Maybe the horse kicked him. There are lots ae wae he could be hurt like that, just in tumbling out “of saddle,” “Sure, but where’s the horse?” “Probably the brute ran away. man will tell us all about it.” “He’s slow in corralling his wits, strikes me.” : The man was On in reviving, that was. 3 true. His mie answered Frank. said ne, ‘for it's ‘too Whea he coher to the Tie ‘he was Shy His hands were rough and callo and oe face was tanned A: altnist a pLbGeee yy: a! no doubt he ianhd be das as goon _speak, to give the boys information of value, Presently, Frank lifted the man’s head again, a the baits was blank and sonpuijoteateg “How do you feel?” asked ee ey There's 3 There was that, over there?” queried Frank, pointing. to . There was an ugly bruise . forehead, and from it a little trickle of red The boys started Big 2 : "gold. Where is i Clancy looked around, but Ne see nothing of the buck- skin bag. oe “I/euess the gold is gone,” he reported. “Robbed!” groaned ,the stranger. “Knocked off my cayuse and held up by.a measley juniper that I hardly got a look at.” - He sat up unsteadily on the sand and caused about him -. angrily. . “Horse gone, too!” he went on. “Reg’lar clean-up, I swear. Say, if——” He broke off abruptly, one hand pass- ing quickly behind him. The hand reappearéd with a re- volver which it had plucked from his belt—a weapon the boys had not seen before. “Where’s that buckskin bag and that horse, hey?” he demanded, fanning the weapon back and forth between Merry and Clancy. “You had something to do with it, I’ll bet a pay streak! Out with it, y?? / now, and be muy pronto! kad CHAPTER V. A CHANGE OF PLANS. The eyes of the man glimmered resolutely. Perhaps he was still dazed and unable to adjust his mind properly to circumstances. He was laboring under a false impression, but that did not make the danger of Merriwell and Clancy any the less. “Put away that gun!” ordered Frank sternly. “That’s a nice way to treat us, after we have taken the trouble to do what we could for you. We don’t know anything about your. buckskin bag of gold, or your lost horse. We just happened to find you here, that’s all.” _ “Where'd you come from?” demanded the other, still “keeping the weapon leveled. “From down the spur track.” “Likely yarn, that!” was the sneering response. “There ain’t_a soul lives at tother end of that spur track but me. You belong to the gang that held me up for that bag of gold. I can savvy that, all right enough.” _ The man struggled to his feet and stood erect, swaying dizzily. Frank leaped at him suddenly, and, in a flash, erked away the revolver. The man threw himself for- ward i in an effort to Pepys, it, but fell weakly to his, idoier at the man. eve? re sits ath yours, but you don’t to know it.” : Be hanged to you!” was the fierce Sakon es around these parts but me, and I’m the caretaker at Little Wonder. You didn’t come here for any good, Pil et.” hat’s 6 your name?” Ja Se I reckon you know it, fast enough.” . But what's all this : { 7 fagbetiatian, Overton. ‘Sas, a we. look “No one Owen. His 1 brain hececed to be ae fries ae “Well, no,” he admitted, “I can’t say as you do. ae then, kid, you can’t always tell what a fellow is by what — he looks like.” Clancy laughed. “That rap on the head, Overton,” said he, “was about as good as taking a funny powder. If you ask anybody that knows I guess you'll be told that Chip Merriwell is. as straight as he looks.” “No, you don’t!” growled Overton. “Don’t what?” inquired Clancy. “Why, cram anything like that down my throat. I know better. They’re beginning the ball games in Camber- well to-day, and I was*hiking to Bunkerville to cash in my dust and take the train. I’m bug on this baseball proposition. Chip Merriwell and his Athletes are to play the Mavericks, and I allow that Merriwell can’t be in two _ places at once. Camberwell, too. You'll have ,to tell some other yarn, Reddy, and maybe you'll have to postpone even that, cause I got to hunt up my bag o’ dust and my horse. Gi’me that gun,” he added, reaching out his hand toward Frank. “I don't reckon you two had anything to. do with the steal- — ing.” “Just a minute,” demutred Frank. “Overton, what my chum tells you is a fact. Somehow or other, our private car got loose from the freight that was hauling it to Cam- — berwell last night, and when we woke up this morning we found ourselves tucked away among these hills. Just how we got there we don’t know, and Clancy and I hadn't the least notion where we were until you just passed out ~ the. information. It hadn’t ought to be such a jolt for’ you to think I’m young Merriwell.” Overton’s eyes widened. His head was paining him, as could easily be seen, but that did not prevent him from faking the deepest interest in Frank. “It’s a queer thing to go some place on a railroad car, and not to sabe where you're at when you arrive,” he re- marked. “But I’m going to take your word for it that you are really Chip Merriwell, captain of the Athletes. Your private car is down. the spur. «Well, if that’s so,. what’re you doing here?” “We're hustling for the main line to find a telegraph office. If we can get on to Camberwell for to-day’s game, © we're going to do so; if we can’t, we'll reach that town for a double-header to-morrow. In any event, you see, it’s — HD to us to let the Mavericks know our plans, and why we're delayed.” os fo “That sounds reasonable,” rtineee Overton, getting to his feet again and picking up his hat. “I ain’t none too ~ ‘ brilliant with my headwork, just at present, but see how / this reasoning strikes you. About a mile and a half from © here is the Little Wonder. I’ve got an extra horse at the mine, see. Now, it’s all of eight miles from here to Bunker- ville. Couldn’t you make better time by going with me to the Little Wonder and getting that horse than ae care Pile by. walking to where you want to go?” . “Tt’s a cinch that we could,” said’ Frank. ‘ Then let’s be trailing along. I got an ax to grind Merriwell. You see, when you get to Bunkerville yo can have the deputy sheriff get. a posse and go to combing the hills. W hile you're up to that, Tt be doing whae Ic "3 around ' here.” Jack Gvestag was an odd stile “He bad acted =: In other words, he can’t be here and in — ys ought to be riled at a little thing like that. "job, but I don’t have to give my hull time to it. off and on, to work at a placer I’ve got over on Placitas _ “Nary I didn’t. when I saw something stir among the bushes at the side of the trail. came at me, straight as a die and swift as a bullet. eyes ly; but s some Micwande had to be made for a man who wounded, and, no doubt, suffering a great deal of pain. He started off, but Merry and Clancy exchanged glances and hesitated about following him. He turned “pack. : “T don’t blame you a lot for feeling leery of me,” he said, “after the way I acted; but what can you expect of a man that’s just lost twelve hundred dollars’ worth of gold dust and a good cayuse with riding gear, say nothing of getting his head cracked, into the, bargain? I went wide of my trail when I first came to, but you kids, hadn’t Keep the six- gun, son, but you and your pard trail along with me, I’m helping you to make a quick trip to a telegraph office, so’s you can do a little something for me as well as for your- selves.” Overton had hardly finished before heey and Clancy moved off after him. “I guess you're all right, Overton,” said Frank, “but when you drew the gun on us and treated us as though we - were a couple of robbers, we sort of-lost confidence in you. I guess there was some excuse, though, for the way you acted.” “Never had anything unsettle me Jike that business this morning! And [I want to tell you that, man and boy, I’ve put in my hull life in these deserts and mountains.” “You say you are caretaker at a mine?” asked Frank, as they walked along the trail. “Yes,” said Overton, “I been looking after the Little Wonder for a good many years. There’s not much in the I’m able, Creek. That’s where the ‘gold come from I was totin’ to town this morning.” “You say you didn’t see the man that knocked you out of your saddle?” I was lopin’ along, easy as you please, Before I could figure out what it was, a rock Why, I didn’t even have time to dodge! That rock must have lifted me plumb out of my saddle, for after it struck I can’t remember a thing. First I knew was opening my and seeing you two kids standing over me.” “Have you any idea who the fellow could be that _ knocked you off your horse and robbed you?” ~"T haven’t got the least idee. As I said before, I’m -. about the only juniper that hangs out in these ‘parts, and rH there isn’t hardly any one to suspect.” “Well,” put in Clancy, “you’ve had a run of hard luck, _ Overton, and I hope we can do something in Bunkerville to help you get back your lost property.” “IT hope you can, sure. I been six months ahitine that twelve hundred washed out of the placer, and it got away from me in less than six minutes, Wow, how this head of ; “mine thumps !” ( The jar caused by walking was not\doing his head any good, but if Overton got back to the mine he would have - to use his feet. Frank and Owen, ranging themselves on either side of him, contrived to support him and lp 2 him along. “As Frank walked one his eyes apprised a of ‘something which he considered of importance. — re do you think the robber would go, after ee a, Overton?” he an ; é _ NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY: “Hard to tell,” replied the caretaker. - “He wouldn’t go this way, would he?” : “More likely he’d go t’other way, hoping to get out of * Bunkerville by train before I was able to get after him.” “Well,” said Frank, “I can see the tracks of your horse going west——” “Those are the tracks left as I was riding from the mine toward town.” “And I can see the same tracks going east,” went on Frank, ; “Great stingin’ scorpions!” gasped Overton. “I wonder — if that holdup chap had the nerve to ride back this way? a Sure the tracks are the same, Merriwell ?” “It’s a cinch they are,” said Clancy. “Look for yourself, Overton,” added Frank: The caretaker’s vision was none too clear, but, after a brief examination of the hoofmarks, he believed that the tracks, coming and going, had been made by the same. horse. rs : “I can’t indetstand this noways!” he muttered. “In- stead of trying to get out of the country, after making © that raise, the measly yap is going right back into it. If he fools around that way, I shouldn’t wonder if we'd gets him.” The country through which the trail ran was hilly and? rough. After crossing the railroad track, it had curved . to the south, so that Frank judged it almost paralleled the spur, at a distance from it of perhaps a quarter of a mile. Overton, Merry, and Clancy climbed a low rise: over which the trail led them, and here, abruptly, the caretaker came to an excited pause. His eyes were fixed | straight ahead of him, and were wide with amazement. am “By thunder!” he muttered. “I wonder if I’m dale seeing things as they are, or if my eyes have gone back on me? Look straight ahead, Merriwell. That opening in _ the hillside is the tunnel leading to the old workings of the Little Wonder. Tell me if you can see a man sittin. on a bowlder on the ore dump.” “There’s a man there, Overton,” no mistake.” “T can see him, too,” said Clancy. answered F sale “and ; CHAPTER VIL. SPRINGING A TRAP. quite a long distance away. There was a black openit some twenty or thirty feet up from the base of the sl with a mass of loose rock forming a ledge in front of This ledge was the ore dump, and on the surface of: { eyed boys were able to get more aciaits rtring - - Overton could make out. eagerly. . 2 , “TI can just see that he’s a man,” said Frank, “but he’ too far away for me to tell what he Jocks like. Ju minute, though, and I'll show him to you.” Merry unlimbered the binoculars, but. before he could focus them on the ore dump the dark figure is ow sight into the depths of the tunnel. “Too late, Chip !” exclaimed Clancy. — gue what that se looks like, Oreron NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. he’s the juniper who lifted my bag of dust and ran off with my cayuse. Couldn’t be any one else, by gorry!” “Strikes me,” commented Merry, “that it would be rather foolish of the fellow to run right to the mine that you’re taking care of, Overton. Why the mischief should he go there, when he must know that such a move would get _ him into trouble?” “Probably he thinks I’ve got some more dust stored away in my shack. He’s gone there to look for it,” A _rasping chuckle escaped the caretaker. ‘While he’s look- ing, Merriwell, we'll lay our plans and nab him.” "How om ; “Well, while he’s in — mine we'll a . on bp ore we can jump him.” _ “That part of it is all right,” said Clancy, “but while we're delaying at the mine we're losing time between here and ee lf we get to Spare ves in ee for ” oh 1 sie pe you tne! y ae returned Ovetion: “but this is a good chance for me to get back my lost prop- erty. Maybe I could do it alone, but there’s a chance that Td fall down if I went at the Job singlehanded,” ‘We'll help you, Overton,” said Frank. “But let’s wind ‘the affair as Bey as we can. Red and I have got aiche i Hiehodh, game.” They proceeded on along the trail.at a redoubled pace. _ prospect of recovering his lost property seemed to r and x vere a the caretaker. For the _time, mene ” ex- ! “The corral where I keep the other cayu ‘is ‘there, too, We don’t have to go around the ‘tidg now, though, for our yok is cut out for us on the als ihe idea when, we get to the Ati of the dump?” 1 Frank. “You're engineering” aia ee Overton, and fie ot of eke ‘st the sith 4 the tunnel. There’s not a b a] ssed thing in the old mine to. keep the varmint we're after, and he’s liable to come out any minute. When 4 pk 1 was ‘eilaesuals ‘iii andl Mate was of the, at it ought to work oo eucdesshully., eer st it rite oo a ee, of the bore in, the oe ioe ey “What's the matter with your pard, Merriwell?” whis- pered Overton. ; “He’s getting anxious for something to happen,” Frank answered, in a low tone. “We can’t hang out here indefi- nitely, you know. We were sent from the private car on a hurry-up mission to the nearest telegraph office, and this is a plain waste of time.” “Blamed if I can savvy why that feller is so long coming out,” grumbled the caretaker. “Suppose we go in after him?” *We'd lose him among the levels and crosscuts. Chances are, Merriwell, he’d fool us, and get past us and out of the mine before we knew what he was up to.” “Clancy and I could go in and run him out, and you could stay here and wait till he comes,” Frank suggested. “T know a scheme that. beats that,’ said Overton, — “There’s a shaft leading down into the mine from the top — of the hill. Give me the revolver. I’ll go up.on the bill, and shoot down the shaft. That ought to scare the thief and drive him out.” | “Anything to hurry the business along,” giving up the six-shooter. Overton tucked the weapon into his belt and immedi- ately began making the ascent of the hill. Eagerness and excitement continued to strengthen him for the work, and he climbed rapidly. He had a long way to go, however, and Frank) noted his progress impatiently. Clancy, bis had no idea what this new move might mean, jumped across the mouth of the tunnel and came to a halt at Frank’s side. “What's he up to, Chip r? the red-headed chap mur- . mured. “A shaft leads from the top of the hill into the mine, Clan,” was the answer, “and Overton’s gone up there to shoot into it and see if he can’t scare the robber out’ of the tunnel.” “Hanged if I like this delay!” growled Clancy. We. fs came back here to get a horse so as to cut down our fime= along the main line to Bunkerville, but if we’d let Overton | and his affairs go to pot we’d have reached the telegraph te office a lot quicker on foot” “That's the deuce of it,” said Frank. in trouble, and we couldn’t cut loose from him. We're in duty bound to do what we can to help him recover his horse and his gold dust.” ¢ “And meanwhile dur own affairs are suffering!” “Our own affairs are not so important as Overton’s. It’s only a matter of time until the Cleansport, with its load of Athletes, gets to Camberwell, and if we're too late for to-. day’s game, then we'll have the double-header to-morrow.” “But what are those Mavericks thinking of WP 8h “That doesn’t cut any ice; they'll! do another kind ; thinking as.soon as the matter is explained. Ah!” Mérry finished, his eyes on the crest of the hill, * ‘Overton’ 's a the top at last. begin to expect santa’ ‘Overton had vanished from the sight of ak: ‘boys, a they. settled down to watch the mouth of the tunnel anc _ be ready td set upon the robber whee me. ame > running to the ore dump.. “That thief is a bigger foo! than I think, ” raur _ Clancy, “if he lets himself get scared. out by a fey volver shots.” ens he has an ide returned Frank, “The feibow’ was. be r NEW shots from the shaft will get him on a run. He has a guilty conscience, and he’ll want to save that twelve hun- dred in dust.” “Tf he thinks so much of that twelve hundred in dust, he was a fool ever to come to the Little Wonder.” “That part of it rather gets my goat; still, the thief may have some scheme or other that we don’t know any- *thing about. He——” -Merry’s whispered words died on his lips, At that mo- ment, Overton fired his first bullet into the shaft. _ A sodden report, which seemed miles away, came from the depths of the tunnel. Through the rock galleries the echoes rumbled, slowly diminishing and dying into silence. For a few moments the boys watched and listened, with bated breath. No running feet were heard approaching the ore dump, and no flying figure emerged from the - blackness. “That chap with the gold is standing pat,” grunted Clancy disgustedly. _“He’s got sense enough to know that he’s safe, so long as he lays low and keeps quiet.” Another dull note was heard, rumbling and reverberat- ing through the levels and crosscuts. It was no more suc- _ cessful than the first shot had been. - “The fellow is in there, laughing and enjoying the joke,” - averred Clancy. “Why doesn’t Overton climb down the _-shaft and make his fight at closer quarters? That’s the ’ only way he can hope to stir up anything.” _ “T suggested that you and I go in and see if we couldn’t find the fellow, but he thought this other move would be better. I don’t know but he was right. You see, Clan, in trying to locate the man in the darkness, he could get past us and come through the tunnel or else climb out of the shaft to the top of the hill.” “Well, Overton is at the top of the hill. Suppose you stay here and watch the mouth of the tunnel, Chip, while I go in? In that way we ought to bag the fellow. If he tries to climb out of the shaft, Overton will nab him; and if he comes this way, you'll be' right where you can stop Paar _ “Wait a little, old man,” urged Merry. ‘Overton a little more time to work this. game of his. - Something may happen. yet.” : _ “While we're waiting ere,” protested Clancy, to be on the way to Bunkerville.” “we ought ‘Again and again the caretaker’s tevolver tcc the echoes in the old mine. ee counted the reports. te “There are six bullets gone,” he remarked. with a sigh - of relief, “and I guess that about ends Overton’s scheme. He'll do noj more shooting, and it’s yp to me to go into ~ Claricy’s words faded on his lips. Running feet were heard in the tunnel, mS rapidly closer to the ore ' The boys crouched, every muscle strained for the taste that confronted them, A form flashed through the open- _ ing. * Merriwell and Clancy leaped. There was a shock of ollision, and three writhing forms fell sprawling ‘on the surface of the ore dump. The) followed an amazed si- ce, broRen finally by a voice bs gone with wonder : ‘Chip and Clancy! Well, I’ll be hanged? i “Penn!” "gasped Frank. cy, i Ree * laugh. is in for trouble. “We'll give - . mia oop sat down on me! SLE DOP WERT, CHAPTER VII. HOODOOED. Pennyworth, Kess, and Hop, it will be remembered, had been sent the other way along the spur. their expedition was to locate any settlers who might be living in that benighted section, or possibly to discover some mining camp that had\telephone connection with a town on the main line of the railroad. Just why the Dutch boy and the Chinaman had been selected by Horton for this exploring party was a mystery to Frank. Possibly. Frank had reasoned it was to get them away from the car and keep them from wrangling with Mose. Ever since Villum and Hop had made each other’s ac- quaintance, their friendship had been alloyed with the base metal of jealousy. Frank had found it necessary to keep their bickerings in check with a strong hand. But when Mose had taken his place as chef and porter in the private car, and as “official mascot” for the team, Germany and China had formed an alliance for mutal protection against Africa. Mose, in the role of mascot, was particularly haughty agd overbearing. He was a dealer in charms and spells, and there was an undercurrent of superstition in Villum~ and Hop which forced them to respect Mose’s so-called supernatural talents even while they disliked Mose most: 3 ana The darky had put the jinx mark on the Dutch bdy aan the Chinaman. the forces of luck and ill luck than a rabbit. they were fearful. labeled with the “trouble sign,” the winds of mischance that blow. Villum and Hop were delighted to get away on the ex- ploring expedition, but they had secret qualms regarding They were expecting Johnny Hard-— luck to meet them, and Johnny is the sort of fellow who Mose and his evil eye. makes it a point to disappoint as few people as possible. The course taken by Penn, Villum, and Hop led them south along the valley and the brush-covered track. A turn very soon carried them out of sight of the Clean- sport, and then the harpoons of trouble began to fly. a Villum, leaving the track to explore the adjoining land- scape, stumbled over a bowlder. squarely into a-nest of cholla cactus. He got up with a yell, and with about a bushel of cactus hanging to him. — “Hellup, somepody !”” he wailed. Take it avay, oder I faint fits mit der pain! I been all ofer mit prickles! Ach, du lieber, vat a drouble I don’d know! I make a massacre mit dot Mose ven I get by der car back.” : Villum - -pranced around, howling with pain send d ging a yard or two of cactus after him. Penn was sorr for him, but the comical side of the situation called for a aoe ding dent cactus don’d scaly you -dex | same as me. Ye vas more like nal mans as 2. eeAT: Don'd you gif m In his twisting to save himself, he turned half around. He couldn’t keep his ‘feet, however, and he sat down. He fell hard, too, and “A pincushion mit der The object’ oft Of course, Mose had no more power over — Villum and — Hop tried to convince themselves that this was so, but Each believed that he had been hoo- dooed, and when a chap really believes that he has been make no mistake that-he - His thoughts lay him wide open to “ ‘ ay. NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY, * it, Villum,”’ and. -[. will “You needn't be so darned stuck up about Ease Penn. “Lay over that rock and Hop scrape the fishhooks out of you.” vi ‘Villum, with much groaning, dropped across the ‘bowlder, and Penn and Hop each took a couple of sticks and freed him of the stickers. “Why in Sam Hill have you got a grouch against Mose?” inquired Penn, as Villum straightened up slowly. _ “He iss der vone vat has a responsibility for der cac- > tus," glowered Villum. “He make der jinx sign by me, und now der droubles iss beginning.” “My no likee tlouble sign,” said Hop forebodingly. “Forget +f ceeclaiiag? Penn. “Moge had no more to a man in ithe moon,’ “T know vat i know,” answered Villum darkly. ea same,’ ’ assented on ’ He was slightly in advance, ee he gave a Eee went cau- Lightning struck Hop next. ee. his way eek the pene ‘ td iki some six feet ‘dha a cleared stretch of seaiite, Hop was on ae 7 ae and in front of him, coiled “Der By und by Sag vill bite na e ‘iss Mi ieliase mit hint Macht schnell, Penn! shnake, und den all iss ofer! Penn had bighed. up a rock, ‘With sure aim he flung it; 1 cigs rattler at once lost all interest in’ ay ie ‘Wah and shin, gottee Plenty bad a Shin & ajted the Celestial’s back ahd iptiguchized with ‘Penn nyt ~ “See here, you two!” he called. aT T’ve got to put in Wad e Beeaistny iss part oof us, find \ ve shtay by: e don'd ro sooch low-down. as eerie Ve us scare t swered Penn, kicked the énake into the brush and turned & Sere ees out of trouble, you'd better hike right on around the foot of a hill and came, suddennegs, upon a small adobe cabin. “Well, what do you think of this!’ he cried exultantly. “Blunder right into a shack, first crack out of the box. ‘There are settlers on this part of the range, after all.” A dim path led the cowboy toward the adobe. He passed a spring, seeping out of the hillside rocks, and paused’to take a drink. When he went on, he discovered on his right a little corral constructed of wire and okatea stakes, and inside the corral was a white horse. “Better and better,” Penn ruminated. “Now, I reckon, rn annex a little information about this part of the Re country.” He was doomed to disappointment, however. was no one at home, as he quickly found when he reached the adobe. The door was locked, and a glance through _ a window showed him that the one room the dwelling — contained was empty. ies “Funny place for a house,’ Penn muttered. hang-out, I opine; but where are the diggings?” While he was staring about him to find some excuse for a cabin in that particular place, Villum and Hop appeared of rock. with startling “Miner’s — around a shoulder Villum occupied the Both were thing in the shape of riding gear. saddle, while Hop was just back of the cantle. _ smiling broadly and enjoying Penn’s amazement. “Where did you get that horse?” demanded Penn. “Der horse find us by der odder side oof der ridge, vere ‘iss a ming,” chuckled Villum. “Where's the man who owns the horse?” “He don’d vas aroundt any blace, so Hop und me ve c get der horse on to make our explorings. Ve been sorry as anyding, Penn, dere don’d yas room for you, und———" At that moment the roan cayuse elevated himself in the air, and Villum and Hop somersaulted over his head, oe lads struck the ground in a tangle, and began. making’ a few more slighting remarks about Mose, While they were chattering, Penn grabbed the roan’s bridle and led him to the corral. After he had placed the animal in th inclosure, he returned to the boys, “You say there’s a mine on the other side of the ridge? he asked. “Yah, so,’ replied Villum. “Hop “tind’ ihe ‘vill snake some explorations mit it. Maybe ve findt someding, eh?” “Tf you can find the owner of that horse, Villum,” an: “or the man who lives in this wickiup, it will be a good thing. For all [ know, they’ré one and the same. Go-on with your hunting, Tl look around ete for a while and then I’ll join you.” | t Villum and Hop cast looks of violent disapproval to: ward the corral as they madeé their way around the end o the ridge. When they were gone, Penn raised a window and got into the adobe. ae found a candle Hw ome overeat tp Once around the ridge, he’ discovered the ore. eae au the tunnel of the Little Wonder Mine. \ Climbing to the mye of fs tunnel, he seated himself ae a _bowlder There To Penn’s surprise, ‘the two boys were mounted on’a roan cayuse, equipped with every- NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY and made as thorough search of the unfamiliar work- ings as he could. The search was in vain. While he was _ about it, the report of a revolver echoed through the place. This startled him, for he knew that neither Villum nor Hop was armed. Again and again the rumbling echoes disturbed the silence, and Penn made up his mind that - he would hunt another opening into the mine and make an exploration from that direction. He was greatly wor- ried about his companions, and vastly puzzled to account for the shooting. Excitedly he raced for the mouth of the tunnel. He stumbled over a rock and dropped his candle, but did not stop to recover it. As he flung through the opening and into the light of day, he was suddenly seized and thrown | roughly from his feet; then, when he discovered who his captors were, astonishment held him motionless and tongue- tied. CHAPTER VIII. A CLEW. \ By Jove!” muttered Merriwell. “Penn, is that really _ you? How the deuce do you happen to be here?” _ “That's easy, Chip,” replied the cowboy. “Our explor- _ ing party was sent out in this direction. You and Clancy went the other way, so what in Sam Hill brings you here?” _ “This is funnier than a box of monkeys,” guffawed Clancy, leaning back against the tocks and fairly shaking with mirth. “Chip and I hide out here on the ore dump, _ waiting for a robber; I climb his neck, and find he’s you! This is sure the limit!” and Clancy gurgled and wiped his eyes. “Shut up, you crazy old lobster,’ cried Penn, “and put me wise to what’s been going on. What in blazes made you think I was a robber?” “You tell’ him, Chip,” stuttered the red-headed chap. “Ym so full of shakes I’ve about lost my voice.” _ Frank, smothering his own merriment, dusted himself off and sat down on a rock, Then he began telling Penn of the finding of Jack Overton in the trail, and how Over- ton had persuaded him and Clancy to come to the Little q ae Wonder Mine and get a horse to take them to Bunker- ville, thereby saving time. “Fine chance we have of saving time,” remarked Clancy, when Merriwell was done, “with all these things happen- ing to delay us. We'll get into Camberwell in time for hat afternoon game—I don’t think!’ You ‘Say this Overton was knocked off his bronk by some ‘one in the bushes—a chap he didn’t see?” raining Penn, in ‘some excitement. “Yes,” Frank nodded. “And the fellow took a bag of gold dust from him and “annexed his horse?” “Yes” . #And you stint tracks in the trail pointing this way?” ” the size of it, Petia. What's biting you, any-. “What color was ‘that stolen horse’ feed Sey Praake nor Owen could answer that question. It ed, however, by Overton, who had slipped down hill nd now appeared suddenly on the ore dump. ' cuted sie we Oise that hose was!” hee ared an nen +i and when the robber comes, we ' Frank. ‘something to keep Villum and Hop from coming “You're wide of your trail,” snapped Penn. “I’m not the thief.” “You got “No, I didn’t get scared out. my mind.” “Overton,” catcher on our nine. scared out of the mine, didn’t you?” I had something else on — Merry, “this is Arlo Pennyworth, He had no more to do with taking We've treed the wrong put in that money of yours than we did. fellow.” “Maybe you’ve treed the right one, too,” went on Penn. “Just keep your shirt on a minute, Overton. I’ve got a few words to slip in here, and then I'll see if I can’t give —~ you a pretty good clew.” % The cowboy hastily sketched the expetiences that had — befallen him and Villum and Hop. He called particular — attention to the horse which the Dutch boy and the China- man had found, saddled and bridled, close to the ofa cotp. “Beats the deuce what’s become of Villum and Hop,” — muttered Merry, more concerned about the troubles ‘of his two teammates than he was about Overton’s affairs. “Tf they went into the mine,” he added, “it’s mighty strange you couldn’t find them, Penn.” de Nn “They'll find themselves, I reckon, if we leave ‘em alone,” said the cowboy. “Anyway, before we bother any with Villum and Hop, suppose we run out this trail of ; Overton’s? Was that horse of yours a roan, Overton?” — he asked, he “That’s what!” answered the caretaker. “Copper rosettes on the bridle?” “You’ve nicked it!” “Then that’s the very animal Villum and Hop Youna’ by this ore dump.” “Thunder!” exclaimed Overton. now ?” 6 “T turned him into the corral with the white horse. But wait a minute. See where the finding of that roan horse leads us? The fellow that knocked you. off your bronk and took your gold dust, rode here to the Little Wonder mine. He left the horse by the dump and went some- where. Where could he go if it wasn’t into the mine? And if he went into the mine, fellows, he must be in th now, along with Villum and Hop. He hasn’t had a chance to get out—unless he went up through the shaft to a top of the hill.” : “He didn’t do that,” returned Oiitcn. “Where’s the cayuse “Couldn't. ‘ ‘Jadders in the old shaft.” “Then,” declared. Penn, “we ve got him bottled | up in the old workings. Is there any other hole he can, sq irm through besides this one, Overton?” “Nary a place he can get out, except this tunnel ra “That yneans, then, that we’ve got him.” -“Villum and Hop are in there with him,” sug “How do we know that the skunk hasn’t ¢ “We don’t know, Chip,” said Penn seriously, “ enough, that’s exactly what the juniper has dot | seems to be Villum’s and Hop’s Jonah. day, so almost: any thing can be expected, to happen to ae how are we going to get at. the fellow?” “That’s Overton’s job,” spoke up Clancy. | 7 ee to be areiine. it eet as hills towal ae NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. Pe ‘the high ee between here and Bunkerville.” Merry shook his head. - “T’ll not leave here untit I know that Villum and Hop are all right,” said he. “You can take one of the horses, Clan, and hustle to the telegraph office. You know what “You've got a picture of me leaving this. patch of trouble without taking you along, I guess!” demurred Clancy. “If you stay, Chip, then here’s where I camp. We can rush things, though. Anybody got a scheme for running the thief out of the mine?” “I’m all out of ca’tridges,” said Overton. “I'll go to the hack and get some more, then I’ll walk into the tunnel and yell for the juniper to come out. If he don’t come, ‘Tl fill the place plumb full of lead.” “Fine!” jeered Penn. probably fill a couple of our pards full of lead, too.” gant hat scheme won’t work, Overton,” said Frank. “You and I will go into the mine and get the fellow out and find Kess and Hop Wah. We'll leave Clancy and Penn to guard the mouth of the tunnel. You-——” - “Why not let me trail along with you, Chip?” rupted Clancy. “Three searchers can do more work than two.” “T think two of us ought to as here, old man,” Frank answered. “You know the old workings, Overton?” he asked of the caretaker. : ‘What I don’t know about ’em,” was the reply, ‘ sepdity don’t know. Pll go to tie shack and get some candles and——" ‘I borrowed one of your Saapiltas Overton,” ‘put in Penn, and when I hurried out of the tunnel a few minutes o 1 dropped it. You'll find it about twenty feet back, ‘so don’t waste time going to the adobe.” _ “We don’t want any candles,” interposed Frank. ek Oo erton knows the mine as sit as he says he does, we'll Said ifs caretaker, “A man with a : fat better cas I have for quite a spell, seeing as w there’s a chance of getting back that dust. € an get along without any shooting.” ; ‘ guess a ee a us ought to fe able to take care of let me get too fat ahead of you. Those ere kids were ‘all Ae go ramming around in this dark hole without a c: dasa ‘Overton. yushed softly eich the siesta Chae The i) of th t hands | on the sagt wall and the smothered” “Do that, Ceerian and you'll inter- * Ca’tridges: ht come handy, but we’re two to one, and I reckon fall of their feet were the only sounds that broke the tomblike silence. The tunnel did not run straight into the breast of ae hill, but had many curves. About thirty feet back, from — the entrance there was a turn which shut off the ragged patch of daylight where Penn and Clancy were watching. Frank followed Overton carefully, keeping so close to him that occasionally he stepped on his heels. ee Presently Frank’s groping hand slid into space. “Cross- — cut there,” explained Overton, in a low tone, “but we'll keep on to the end of the main tunnel. Then——” — “Listen!” hissed Frank. They both halted, and the sound that had attracted Merry’s attention came clearly to the ears of Overton. , It was a slow, regular ae as of stones striking to- gether. “What in blazes can you make out of that?” muttered the caretaker. “Nothing, as yet,” to follow up. Seems to come from the crosscut. better turn here, Overton.” The other moved to the right, and they began éaligan ing the crosscut just as they had been following the tun- nel. Again and again they paused to listen. The queer ‘ f said Frank, “but it’s a sound we ought We'd " beating noise grew louder, proving that they ‘were asawie 3 nearer to the source of it. In a few moments, Overton stumbled over Something. He halted, and Frank stepped to his side. ¢“What is it?” he whispered. — “An old ladder on the floor of the crosscut,” was the re- ; sponse, “We're right’onto a winze, and the ladder must have been pul led out of it and laid where it tripped me. By thunder, Merriwell, that noise seems to come from the e bottem-of the winze!” a “Well,” urged Frank. impatiently, ‘ ‘slip the ladder over, ; and we'll go down into the hole and investigate.” _ bai To get the short ladder into, the winze was only he Overton descended to investigate. work of a moment. ee he called up presently. vay : * “Come down here, Merriwell, reckon we’ve landed our fish.” Frank, groping his way cautiously, lowered himself to the rungs of the shaking ladder, and was soon standing at Overton’s side. CHAPTER IX. THE TWO CAPTIVES. “Here’s where that noise came from, by gorry y saa Overton. “Reach down and you ean. feel with your nea and find out what we've struck. Merry bent over, and his groping fingers encountered Ces human form, bass “Strike a match, Overton,” what we've got here.” ‘Just what I was aiming to do” Frank heard the rasp of the match as Overton drew it along his sleeve. When the flame had burned - to its” brightest a faint. glow was cast over the bottom a ee winze, Ye said he, “so we can see had twisted handkerchiefs tied between their jaws! ad A thrill of astonishment ran through Merriwell could scarcely believe the evidence of his eyes. ee aw E ne Se NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. “These mtist be the junipers that stole my hoss and that bag of dust,” said Overton savagely, flipping away the ~ burned match. “Not at all, twerion,” teturned Frank. “These are my two missing teammates—the ones Pennyworth told us about.” “This -here thing’s getting monotonous,” growled Over- ton, “Every time we happen to find anybody that might be the thief, it alae turns out that he’s one of your pards.” “Use a little common sense, can’t you? These fellows are bound and gagged and——” . _ “How’d they get that way?” demanded Overton, ‘potted to lose his temper becatise of continued disappointment. “We'll free them of the ropes and the gags,” answered Frank, “and then they can tell us.’ It did not take long for Merriwell and Overton to re- store freedom to Villum and Hop. As soon as the two _lads were able to talk they began to make up for lost qs time. _ “Ven der car gets to me, by shinks: e Kiraelt Villum, “T vill make dot Mose look like a thirty-cent biece. Yah, ‘so hellup me!” - “My sendee blakee boy topside, by jee-klismus!” ‘cia! tered Hop. “Mose plays some low-down pitzness on us for der tabitt time, you bed my life! selluf dot I can’t see shtraight.” “Me allee same plenty mad, too.” “This here Mose must be the feller we want,” struck i in in iran, . _ “Wrong again, Overton,” said Frank. oi darky cook, at the car.” j “But these junipers just said he was the one cioseiitihe i for the way they was tied up!” “What do you mean bby talking like that, Villum?” asked Frank. rs IE mean vat I mean, und I put you vise to my meanness oof you vait,” said the Dutch boy. “Dot Mose put der jinx mark on Hop und me! He make der drouple sign over us alretty, und ve don’d haf nodding. but drouples since it vas.” - “Whoosh!” sniffed Hop Wah. “How we come to be mit you here, Chip?” asked Vil- lun, Lilies “That's too long a yarn to tell you now. It will be more oof rcckiok ds sits down on me; ee ry eet der aile ad off und iss fascinated mit a schnake; den ve find der hole. ‘in der hill mit a horse by it, aid ve ged der horse on Pe yoap ‘g0 und discofer Penn} and chust ven Ne oop, und gags us, ‘and takes us Se by dis ‘hole, ‘Den comes Penn 1d ve don’d can yell. back ; den comes noises oof und ve oad van run Pe) oot den comes Me on’d see nodding who it iss. I been so mad mit mein-— “Mose ie our | “You say you was nabbed by some one and put down in this winze?” asked Overton. “It’s some hard to savvy that lingo o’ yours, but that’s what I manage to get out, of it.” ; “Yah, in der dark it: vas.’ “And you haven’t a notion who did it?” “How could ve, ven ve don’d see nodding?” “It. must have been more’n one man, I reckon,” mused Overton. “You're two pretty busicy lads, and no one man could have put you in that fix.” ‘“Dere vas more as vone, und more as two, deelgnad Villum; “yah, by shinks, dere vas more as halt a tozen gies 7 oe “Steady, Villum!” cautioned Frank. oe “Vell, anyvay, dere vas more as vone,” said the Dutch boy. “Hop und me vas some fine fighters, und ve don’d gif oop mitoudt, being safage mit der resistance. I don’d | know how many ve knocked down, because it vas dark. und ve couldn’t see, but it vas a lot.” “Villum,” remarked Frank, “those fellows who ‘tested é you and Hop so roughly must still be in this mine. We're looking for them. One of thém, you see, stole some gold dust and a horse from Overton, here. We've recovered the horse, and now we want to get back the gold. Yc and Hop can help us.” __ “Hoop-en-de-doo!” crowed Villum. to hellup, Chip, so as ve get efen.” Teen a -la!” ae tape the. Chinaman. “Show us der "We 5 makee— selves oh grunted — Guaiton. He began ctisbink a ladder, talking as he went. “I don’t see how there can be ine ohe robber. It was one man who Riera me I don’t reckon noways that two men ro that Only one hoss was found at the mine, or there we’ more robbers than one in the mine there auERC! ‘to’y been more hosses waiting outside.” While Overton continued to express his views all ha climbed the short ladder and gained the bottom of th crosscut: ; “T don’t know as it makes very ea difference how sige, robbers there are,” amish Frank. “The Tone th ng of systern.: Line up aa follow me eldae.” Overton started -along the wail, Frank at his heel Villum and Hop behind. Villum continued talkati “You hear der noise vat I make, Chip?” he said. my hands tied, I ale. it. en pick me a shtone up Neh; es iss der vay——” Re he “Shut up, back there!” ordered Over by surprise, oe can we do ‘hat ie a ‘Ssacket Qe NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. . tunnel. As they turned to proceed along the main passage, a sibilant and warning hiss broke from Overton’s lips. What he heard, and what came faintly to the ears of _ the others, was the sound of a human voice. The voice had spoken guardedly, so that the words could not be ‘distinguished, but it had spoken and Frank, Oyerton, Vil- lum/and Hop had heard it. “These walls,” whispered Overton, “carry a sound like that a long ways. I reckon, though, that I can walk right to the point where that other chap was doing his _ palavering.” ‘ 2 “Then go ahead,” returned Frank. _ Overton crossed the tunnel to the opposite wall. After - following the wall for a distance of fifteen or twenty feet, he turned into a lateral passage. Just as this maneuver as accomplished, a sound of running was heard in the distance. More than one pair of feet was. making the noise, that was evident. “Hustle!” called Overton, “their approach. “There they go! heels, Merriwell!” _ : “Cut loose, then!” called Frank. overhaul the scoundrels.” Overton and Frank began running through the dark. m Villum and F4Op, stumbling and barking their shins, made trying no longer to guard We're right at their “Here’s our chance runted Villum. “My no likee, too,” answered Hop. “Aber ve don’d vant to let Chip und Overton get avay x from us. Oof ve do, maype ve vill get tied oop some more put down some odder holes. How you like dot, - “Plenty bad pidgin.” Sure, I bed you. Now are ve der wrong. drack on, I don’d hear pier oof Chip und Over- i ae. ot don’d aboow vere dey are any more as nod- ding. Dot Mose iss making us some more droubles.” eer him big high tlouble boy,” said Hop. “We fixee savvy, neider, Now——” athe ahead, it Seemed to come from a passage g off to the right. te ve got ’em, Hop!” cried Villum. “ello, dere!” “Vait 2 bsgiens Chip! It iss ee und Hop!” “Take my handt, ) 8 adek a Vihun's gcteuded’ hia and. they” natbled : ie pansage: in the direction of the: sounds ce had ofa broke out ae ne shan ; Tes was (A roar of icine, jeapons stirred R | Frank. ‘of sharp corners. the echoes of the old mine, and bits of lead buzzed down — the gallery like so many angry bees. oe The uproar lasted only a moment, then died out as sodas rs déenly.as it had started. Villum and Hop had fallen flat on the rock floor. Amazement had caused their knees to_ crumple beneath them—which was a very good thing for Villum and Hop. CHAPTER X. FRANK IS ASTOUNDED. Merriwell and Overton did not overhaul the fellows whose running feet they had heard. And, about the same — time they found that their quarry had escaped them, Oe realized that Villum and Hop had been lost in the gloomy — passages behind. ig “This is the blamedest situation I ever butted into!” exclaimed Overton disgustedly. “I reckon I ain’t. never \ going to lay hands on that buckskin bag again.” ie “The robbers are playing with us through these levels — and crosscuts,” said Frank, “We’re between them and the, mouth of the tunnel, and I suppose they’re doing their best to get around us,” lhl “I guess, by thunder, they’ve made it out. We're in a part of the Little Wonder right now, where those other — chaps can get ae the tunnel and have a clear track plumb _ to the entrance.” “Penn and Clancy will be waiting for them. Woriders what the deuce has become of Villum and Hop?” : “Oh, be hanged to Villum and Hop! If they haven't | got sense enough to stay with us, let ’em look ont for. themselves. We can’t be expected——” _ Then came the roar of the weapons. The sound broke: with startling suddenness from the gloom, well to the right of where Merry and Overton were standing. “Great Scott!” gasped Frank. a AS “Thunder and carry one!” cried Overton. pierclats ends = hot clew for us, Merriwell! Now, I reckon, we can do, # something if we hurry,” 3 The words were scarcely out of the cafetahont soaitl before he was hurrying. The passages had fallen into silence again, and now the stillness was broken by a rush © of feet and a sound of conflict. Voices rang wildly be-_ tween the rock walls. Through this hubbub of sound the — familiar tones of Villum and Hop could be heard. “The boys.are mixing it with the robbers!” exclaimed “We must help them, Overton!” — ; “Surest thing you know!” flung back the other uohaty: There was a rush down black galleries and a turning Presently Merry and Overton were in the thick of the set-to. Fighting in the dark is most unsatisfactory. | Fighting itself is a poor excuse for the hands, unless a worthy — cause is to gain; and when even a worthy cause swings in the balance, steeped in blankest gloom, the forces ‘of evil have more than an equal chance. No one could see his antagonist. Hrisad came to hand grips with friend, and valuable moments were lost before the error was. discovered and they could cone away and turn their attention elsewhere. Merry found himself fiercely clutching Vitlurn, ded then Ssctangig blows with Overton, and, finally, crushing Ho: ) against the rough stone wall. Dazed and bewilder oe e t last came into contact. with one whom he knew a sin, although the fellow’ ‘sv voi ice oe ane saliah . NEW “It’s Chip Merriwell and his teammates!” roared the fellow to whom Frank was clinging. “Break for the out- side! Run for- it!” : The fellow was doing his utmost to get away from Frank, but the latter clung to him like a leech. The con- fusion was great, but over it all could be heard the sound of running feet rapidly dying out along the passages. “They're making for the ore dump!” shouted Overton. “After ‘em! We've got ’em on the run, and if we press them close they can’t escape!” “Hoop-en-de-do!” came exultantly from Villum. “Oof Mose vill led us alone, here iss vere ve durn der tables, py shinks !” “Makee fast lun!” chattered Hop Wah. “Chi-Melly, you _ makee fast’“lun! China boy helpee catch Melican thief! -Hoop-a-la!” Every one tore away toward the tunnel entrance, leav- ing Merry alone with the fellow he had captured. The chap was putting up a desperate battle for his freedom. The struggle threw both combatants to the rocky floor, where they rolled over and over until finally they struck the wall... Merriwell was on top, and he grabbed the paw- ing hands of his antagonist and held them firmly. “Who are you?” he’ panted. “That’s nothing to you!” was the snarling response. “Let me go, or it will be the worse for you.” “Guess again,” said Frank quietly. “I’ve got the upper hand of you, and I’m going to keep it.” The other’s voice took on’a begging note. “Tt won’t do you any good to hang on to me, Merriwell,” said. he. “You_won’t lose anything by letting me get away and follow the others.” “Til be the judge of that after I find out who you are. What became of Overton’s gold dust?” “How do I know?? _ , “I'll bet you know, all right.” ~~ “TI can tell you where the dust is, Merriwell. : % _and I'll give. it to you.” “You'll give it to me whether I let you up or not.” Just here a glow of. light came from farther along the Bs passage. Clancy, anxious about Merriwell, was coming hurriedly along the tunnel shielding a lighted candle with his hand. _ “Chip!” he was shouting. Let me up “I say, Chip! Where are “This way, Red!” cried Frank. With an exclamation of profound relief, the red-headed me stumbled on to Merry’s side. _ “Are you all right, Chip?” queried Clancy. ze “Sure.” “You gave me a scare when the rest showed up and you - a light engine and got a clear track. At Bunkérville I picked up Rhodes, Gardner, and the others. When we reached the spiked switch we saw that some of the spikes had become. loosened, and that it was possible, barely pos-_ sible, your car had jumped and taken the spur. We got the engine on the spur-and dropped down until we struck } the Cleansport. And so,” finished Lee genially, “a big mys- tery was cleared up. And, as it chanced, there was a very matter-of-fact explanation back of your disappearance, after all. But the puzzle sure had us going, I’ll say that. * “There'll be no game in Camberwell to-day,” said Hor ton. “It’s too late for us to get there.” © £ “I regret the incorivenience you have been fuaoder rex turned Lee, “but you. understand, I trust, that it was some- e thing that could not be helped. a ena G8 F ie ; “Certainly I. understand that, cand I’m not ae at Camberwell. There'll be a double-header on for to- morrow.” “And this experience of yours,” laughed Lee, ‘will be good advertising. If I’m any prophet, you will have a record-breaking crowd to see the Camberwell games. I expect——” “Marse Ho’ton,” said Mose, appearing in the doorway, “de dinnah am on de tables, and hit’s ’way after dinnah, time, at dat.” Mose winked and dropped his voice. “De only two what slammed: mah mascottin’ powahs is done acknowledged dey’s wrong, and dat I’m de king-bee ob de luck bringers. I ‘low, Marse Ho’ton, dat from now on dere’s gwine to be peace between me an’ dem two scoffers. By golly, { brung dem to time!” A loud laugh followed this glorying of Mose’s, and the Athletes and their guests swarmed to the tables for their belated dinner, THE END. “Frank Merriwell, Junior’s, Double-header; or, An Even Break With the Mavericks,” is the title of the story that will be found in the next issue of this weekly, No. 51, out July 1oth. From ‘the title, you readers who are baseball fans—and it is a safe guess that there are mighty few of you who cannot be placed under that head—will sur- mise that there are two ball games played, as had been planned for in the story you have just read, and that this story tells about them. In this you will be right, but while there is a mighty lot about baseball in the story, ‘you will find that there are several other matters which will help to keep your nerves at an even greater tension pitch till you finish the last few lines of the story. THE SUNSET EXPRESS. By FRANCIS MARLOWE, CHAPTER I. AN UNEXPECTED CHANCE. The Sunset Express had completed its run into Montreal, and ‘now stood on a siding. Tom Sullivan, the compatiy’s crack driver, was still in the cabin of the great hump- backed engine, and had just pulled a lever to rtin his machine into the roundhouse. As the wheels began to re- volve he heard a light movement behind him, and knew that an intruder had entered the cab. He remembered that his fireman had gone home some little time before, and he turned his head with swift im- patience to see who it was that had the temerity to step on the footplate of his engine without his permission. At the sight that met his eyes he stifled the angry words that were in his throat, and hid a smile of amusement in his bushy, black beard. Less than two feet from him, but seemingly . uncon- scious of his presence, a slight, fair-haired young man stood peering at the dials and handles of the engine; so completely absorbed in them that he did not notice Sulli- van’s movement or the fact that the locomotive was al- ready traveling quickly toward the roundhouse. The last vestige of Sullivan’s anger was dispelled, and friendly good humor sparkled from his eyes as he noticed how completely the young man was wrapped up in the NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. engine’s mechanism. His professional pride was gratified by such enthusiasm, and he stroked his beard complacently. The young man’s eyes at last rested on the lever which the engineer’s hand still clutched, and traveled from it to Sullivan’s face. He realized now that he was trespassing, and his upward glance vividly expressed his trepidation at the prospect of a wrathful outburst from the big Irish- man. : “Well, young fellow,” said Sullivan, regarding him with mock severity, “don’t you think you’ve got a pretty stiff nerve to come climbing onto my engine?” “T didn’t mean any harm,” the trespasser answered, con- fused. “Honest, I only wanted to see how you worked her.” ) “That’s all right,” replied Sullivan good-naturedly. “Don’t get rattled. I won’t hurt you, but you had better make yourself scarce right away; you are on Murray’s ground now, and he’s death on trespassers.” “Who’s Murray?” asked the young man. “If he’s the roundhouse boss, I’d like to ask him for a job; | want to be a railroad man.” Sullivan chuckled heartily. “Take a hint, and get away while you’re safe, me lad,” he advised. “Murray don’t use kid gloves in his busi- ness.” Just then the engine came to a stop, and Sullivan stepped down from it first, with the good-natured intention of covering the other’s retreat; but the vigilant Murray was on the spot, and cut short his greeting of the engineer to glare angrily at the young stranger. “What in thunder are you doing in the yards?” he roared. Undaunted by the anger of the tall figure of the round- house foreman, the young chap walked boldly up to him. “Are you looking for any men?” he asked earnestly ° and respectfully. The irate Murray saw red for a moment, and visibly swelled with rage; but, luckily for the stranger, he caught sueh a humorous wink from Sullivan just as he was about to let loose his wrath, that his mood changed, and when he spoke it was in the most formal and serious manner. “Well, I’m not sure that I want any men just now,” he said; “but, still, I’ve always got room for a good man. What experience have you got, and how about your char- acter?” The other’s face fell. The irony had not wounded him, for it had slipped harmlessly over his youthful confidence; but the question as to experience had touched his weak point. “T don’t know much,” he said@-tegretfully, “but I learn things quickly. I could begit: at the bottom, and work up. I don’t know about giving youla character, either. You see, I have no acquaintance. The only friend I have here put me to work in a store, but there’s no chance for a man to get on there, and I want to leave it to get into the railroad busifiess.” | “Are you stife you're not looking for a softer job. with better pay?” asked Murray. “I'm not afraid of work,” replied the young man, flush- ing up. “I believe you're fooling me,” he/ added, as he caught the glimmer of a smile on Murray’s face. “Look here, Murray,” broke in Sullivan, before the roundhouse foreman could reply, “give the youngster a start, and I’ll be sponsor for him. He’s got it in him to be a good railroad man,”* ia: IEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. Murray pondered silently for a moment while he stared at the applicant. _ “Right!” he said suddenly. “Come jin to-morrow, iy i ‘put you on as a helper and wiper. What’s your name?” _ “Jim Harvey,” was the reply, “and thank you for the chance you're giving me.” . The young fellow’s face glowed as he spoke, and there were tears of joyous excitement glistening in his Sullivan patted him encouragingly on the back. “It’s all right, now, Jim,” he cried, “and mind you keep time at your work.” and eyes. CHAPTER IT. THE FIRST STEP UPWARD. tan Harvey hailed fiom a small town in hotthern New York, His father had been unfortunate in business, and at his death had little to leave his son. On his deathbed, however, he had dictated a letter of introduction to an old and valued friend, a school chum, who. was now general “manager of the Sunset Railroad ee. whose line ran out of Montreal. _ With this letter and the few dollars in cash his father’s estate yielded, Jim had come to Canada full of determina- tion to become a railroad man. Mr, Fletcher, the general manager, had received him kindly, but fearing that rail- road work would prove too rough for the «slightly built _city young man, had secured him a position in a store. This, however, though he appreciated the kindness, did 10t. suit Jim Harvey at all, and he devoted all his spare ‘ime to an effort to get work on the railroad, with what uccess we have seen, — For a month he worked with unwearying eittistatin 1 the Sunset yards. ihe ia and Wee became nee Bt iadess To is great Sibetifisation, ‘this pele P hike a moment when a less-discerning foreman might have sed him of shirking his work; but the roundhouse had kept Harvey under. observation, and, though | | strict Bee ae — had a reputdtion for exposed to an ordeal that ‘prominence, and nearly brought his career as a railway man After this Jim Harvey handled his waste and Tags with but within a very few days he was thrust him into unwelcome greater vigor than ever, to an untimely end He was thrust before the roundhouse foreman as spokes- man for twoscore discontented helpers and wipers. an honor that he would have gladly avoided; but it was hinted in the yards that he was a favorite with the hot- ‘tempered Murray, and, therefore, the most likely person ~ to obtain a favorabl fellow workers. There were rumors of strikes in the railway world, and Murray’s men thought it a favorable opportunity for de- manding an increase of pay. Jim Harvey, at least, was satisfied, but he felt that loyalty to his comrades demanded that he should throw in his lot. with them; he put forward many objections, he finally agreed to speak for a deputation if he were allowed a day to prepare his speech. ' The next day the deputation marched to Murray’s office, and Jim Harvey stepped out from the ruck. He was white-- faced and what he had set his hand to. faced the stern-looking foreman, and it was in a very weak voice that he began: “We want more money——” He was denied the opportunity of figuring as an orator, e hearing for the grievances of his nervous, for Murray made the only speech that day, ever expressed such great anger in so few words. The wipers and helpers broke rank and melted away; and it was afterward told in the yards that when they stopped — running they passed a-resolution to the effect that though they had lost their jobs, they were glad to have escaped — with their lives. fd Jim Harvey stood his aie neatly scorched his soul with a look. “A mighty fine railroad man you'll make if this is howe you begin,’ he said grimly. “I can’t have you round the ; yards no more.” He patised here while ean stood silent and with downcast head, then he added: “Come down to my Office in the morning, and I’ll give you a letter to the foreman at Franklin. He'll put you to work, and rd advise you to keep away from the grumblers if ee want to hold your job this. time,” a Jim Harvey received his sentence with puted com: posure, but actually he was hard pressed to conceal is heartfelt distress at this knockdown blow to his ambitions. He knew that Franklin was a backwater in the Tai business, and that there was small chance of promot from there. He could not afford to reject Murray's « fer, however; it was the best way out .of a bad busi so. with a very subdued manner he ee ae forem The angry foreman ;. and wae away. shunting * He was raiiiy railing at a “ gauint, aged engineer, who uttered not a word in ing him the more by his impetturbable. silence.) + > _ “That's s four firemen, have bd you in six ‘months. Vy It was and though | but determined to. go through with — His lips quivered as he — and no man _ “NEW TIP TOR WEEKLY. P “Think you can a an efigine?” i. abruptly. _ Jim’s heart leaped, and his limbs trembled with the wild ~ hopes the question sates “T am sure | can,” he answered, with steady confi- dence. “Right, then,” cried Murray. “I said I wouldn’t have you about the yards after yesterday’s business, and [ won't; but I’ll put you on Holt’s engine to fire for him. If you don’t hold down the job [’m done with you.” Stes, oe ye gaunt. engineer turned to leave the office, and i _ beckoned to Jim Harvey, who followed him, and as soon as they were outside the office asked many eager ques- ‘tions; the man answered none of them, however, but walked silently to a locomotive that, within half an hour, hauled out a passenger train from Montreal. Jim was considerably bothered by the manner in which his advances were rebuffed by his superior, but he handled shovel and rake with care and discretion, and did not let the steam drop during the whole run. CHAPTER III, A “HOLDUP.” _ Holt, the gaunt, middle-aged engineer for whom Jim Hiacvey now fired, was a first-class driver, but unpopular among the firemen because ‘of the obstinate silence he’ preserved toward them. Whether it was that he con- sidered it beneath his dignity to hold intercourse with them, none could tell; but it-was a fact that he was gen- erally disliked because of this unsociable characteristic, and the fireman whom Jim Harvey replaced deserted the company’s service rather than work with him. It was his habit to resort to pantomime, and nods and glances, when he wanted to direct his fireman’s attention to. the engine’s needs. Jim Harvey had heard nothing of lis peculiar twist in Holt’s nature, but before he had_ been a fireman half an hour he had cheerfully accommo- dated himself to it, and performed his new duties with such good will pe intelligence that at the end of the first - : ely acoke ‘ie him. The news that Holt was “talking” was still the gossip of io started Jim Harvey was rests absorbing all the, _ he. ear get about. the air brakes of Holt’s 4 frag? 4 ed the air brakes all at once, full force?” th: this train on we'd stop in our own length, with hot in 1 heaps in front of the €ars; but without he poeepee out to retain his liberty, The noises of the train made a continued conversation : almost impossible except at stopping places, so: the young. fireman’s interest was, to a great extent, limited to thé performance of his own duties and watching how Holt — handled his engine. Just after they left Carbridge, their : second stop, he crawled forward along the side of the engine to light the headlight. Dusk was falling rapidly by the time he had done eiges but he was in no hurry to get back, for he had got his fire in splendid condition. He lingered by the headlight _ a while, and watched the track ahead as it spun Boe glistening threads toward him. ; , They were nearing the most desolate spot on the road, a bridge that spanned a ravine, and he knew that in a few a minutes they would make a turn that would bring them — in sight of the cutting that opened onto this, bridge. He waited till’ the engine swept round this. turn, and then began to crawl back. As he got within range of Holt’s face and stared at him through the lookout glass, he saw that the engineer was moved to unusual activity. A sudden quiver of the engine told him that Holt had hurriedly shut off steam and set the air-brakes, and a mo- ment later he saw him reach for the whistle cord and. give two sharp shrieks of warning. ft aby ees Jim Harvey clung to the handrail of the engine, and turned his head in the direction of the cutting to try and find the reason for Holt’s strange behavior. As he peered | forward he saw that a red light was swinging horizontally across the track, and almost at the same instant two tor. - pedoes exploded under the wheels of the engine, oe his heart jumping with alarm. Before he could get back to his hee & in the ‘Gb the: train stopped. He moved swiftly now to join Holt, bu as he drew himself erect he saw something that causec him to duck down again. After a sharp intake of breath’ he lifted his head stealthily until he could look into the cab again, and now he saw Holt descending from the en gine at the menace of the shining barrel of a revolver. 3 i the hand of a masked man on the footplate. It was no impulse of cowardice, but a common-sense di termination to prevent himself, from being captured, th made Jim Harvey stoop again and hide himself. H knew now that the train had been stopped by robbers, had taken this desperate means of possessing themselve of the hundred thousand dollars in the safe of the (ex press car. yer oe He realized that if Holt, nei, was a brave man, ‘a thrown up his hands and admitted himself beaten, could do nothing more than submit to capture also ithe showed himself. He was moved merely by the instinct — and had formed’ no plan of what h should do if he remained undetected. As he crouched at the side of the engine fig tho moved swiftly, and he soon came to the conclusion that he must’ presently be discovered, for he judged that th robbers would quickly~notice that the fireman was miss- ‘ing, and immediately make search for him, But as the minutes passed, and there was no indicatio: of a search, he besa to think that his absence had pa . cellent chance of fot being discovered at all. Presently he regained sufficient confidence to take a into the cab: As he expected, “it ‘was empty ;\bt t 7 ‘stant. later he found aa he had been almost 00 vi a: — — f» escape discovery by another masked man, NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. who was just climbing up to Holt’s place. Jim Harvey felt that the critical moment had arrived, and for a brief space his heart fluttered wildly, and he pressed close against the side of the engine under the lookout glass, just out of range of the eyes of any one who might look through. He was beginning to feel cramped in his uncomfortable position, when he heard a voice behind. “All right, Sam!” it called out. At the cry, the engine moved forward with a jerk, and then it plunged onward so easily that he realized that it had been uncoupled from the train, and, for some reason that he could not understand, was being driven through the cutting by the masked man in the cab, who was eyi- dently an expert engine driver. CHAPTER IV. WHAT JIM DID. Fearful of being dislodged and jerked into sight of the man in the cab, Jim clung desperately to his risky perch. Soon the engine was enveloped in the denser gloom of the cutting, and he felt safer. Before the end of the cutting was reached the air brake was used, and eventually the engine was brought to a standstill a few yards from the bridge that crossed the ravine. He thought now that it Would be wise to leave his awk- ward hiding place, and he dropped silently to the side of the line, and concealed himself against the truck of the engine. From there he saw that the expréss car was coupled to the tender, and understood that the thieves ' had taken it away from the rest of the train, so as to work on the safe without fear of being disturbed by an outbreak among the passengers, or perhaps an attack by the discomfited express messengers. With all-his senses alert, he waited for what was to ,tollow. He heard the man in the engine cab descend on the side of the line opposite to where he was hiding; and ‘then, from the sound of voices, he made out that two other men had emerged from the express car. In the consultation that followed he heard them dis- cussirig means of opening the safe, and he gathered that two of the gang of robbers had been left with the train to prevent the passengers from leaying the cars, and to hold the engineer and express messengers in check. ; ' His own disappearance was not referred to, therefore he concluded that the thieves believed that the fireman had been frightened away by their attack. When the men had decided on their method of forcing the safe, all three of them clambered into the express ear, growling fiercely at’ the railway company’s precatttion in allowing the combination of the safe to be known only - at the point of dispatch and at headquarters. The first sound of the assault on the safe thrilled Jim ‘Harvey like an electric shock, and he realized that in a very short time, unless something could be done to balk the train robbers, the company that employed him would be a hundred thousand dollars poorer. He ground his teeth savagely at the thought of his own impotence. Five minutes passed, and he still stood in miserable help- _ Tessness, listening to the blows that were being showered On the safe. Suddenly he quivered from head to | foot, ee ee I ae 23 for a wonderful inspiration had flashed into his brain. It had occurred to him that if he could drive the engine he might run the express car to the next town before the robbers had opened the safe. Would he dare? He did not waste time in debating these thoughts, but promptly de- cided to try. He moved forward silently as a cat until he came to the footplate of the engine. He paused there, and listened while he made a wary survey of all points of the compass. Satisfied at last that all the robbers were busy in the express car, entirely unsuspicious of inter- ruption, he mounted into the cab of the engine. Luckily the fire was stil! sufficient to give a good head of steam. Goldstone, the nearest town, was only ten miles away; if he could get safely started he could reach there without replenishing the fire. He grasped the throttle, and opened it a notch or two, while his heart beat wildly with the fear that he might. be caught before he could start the engine. To his terrible The Could he run the engine? dismay, there was only a slight jar of the machine. brakes were set. He looked round fearfully, and again listened anxiously. But the’ jar had passed unnoticed by the busy thieves. Confidence returned to him after a moment, and he raised his hand to the air, cock, He turned it slightly from him, as he had seen Holt do, and was gratified to hear the peculiar moaning, whistling sound that told him that the brakes were released. Swiftly he tried the throttle again, this time four notches, and he thrilled with frightful excitement as the engine started forward. Instantly he heard a terrific outcry be- hind him; but at her first leap forward the engine was on the bridge, and the man who plunged out from the express car with the intention of jumping on the engine went hurtling from the bridge timbers into the depths of ‘the ravine. When the bridge was crossed the great locomotive was traveling at such speed that it was suicide to jump from the express car, and the two robbers hung out from the door, shrieking vain curses at the mysterious engineer who had so neatly trapped them. In the cab of the engine Jim Harvey had almost for- gotten the robbers in the exhilaration at the fact that the monster engine was moving by the direction of his brain and hands. But suddenly the crack of a revolver shot re- minded him of the enemies which were behind him, and as the shot whizzed past he crouched low for fear another shot might prove more successful. Gradually, a notch at a time, he increased the speed; but; now, when he had time to give it attention, he no- ticed that the engine labored and shook in a way that he knew was not right. He shut off steam for a moment, and the terrible puffing and vibration ceased; but as he opened the throttle again he found that matters were just . as bad as before. ; In the midst of his difficulties his eye rested on the re- versing quadrant. He had the lever all the way over, and was feeding enough steam into the cylinders to pull a train of lodded freight cars. He pulled it back slowly until the vibrations toned down to the sounds with which he had grown familiar when Holt was,at his post. Then he knew that he was all right and in control. Presently the distance signals’ of Goldstone hoye. in sight. Jim Harvey, at the welcome sight, stretched ont NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY, his hand to the whistle cord, and set the whistle scream- ing fiercely and persistently. A little later he set the air brakes, but slowly and cautiously, so that when he passed the station platform the engine was still moving at a fair speed. The warning scream of Jim Harvey’s whistle proved an effective alarm. As the engine and express car swept through the station a crowd of officials scented the trouble that was afoot, and when the locomotive stopped about fifty yards beyond the platform they were ‘already in hot pursuit of it. Jim Harvey’s story was short and quickly told, but he was still answering questions when the two train robbers were found cowering in a corner of the ex- press car, and hauled out to meet their fate. In the natural course of affairs the general manager learned the name of the fireman who had saved the ex- press car from the train robbers. “Jim Harvey!” he muttered, as he read the name on the _ report that had been forwarded to him. He had seen little of his old friend’s son since he had sent him to Wilson’s store, and, in fact, had been latterly so greatly occupied with business matters that he had almost forgotten him. Now he was reminded of the young chap, and it oc- curred to him that he would like to hear how he was 2 ae He telephoned to Wilson. “How is that young man I sent you getting along, Wil- son?” he asked. _ “What do you mean?” demanded Wilson; there, was a ¥ note of astonishment in his voice. “Surely you dow he left. me about six weeks ago. He told me he had got a job on your railway.” John Fletcher rang off sharply and looked thoughtfully a ae the report that was still before him. “Sim Harvey!’ he repeated; “I wonder if—~” ’ He picked up the telephone again and rang up the round- heced foreman. ; j “Send up that fireman, Harvey, who is mentioned in the attack on the express car,” he directed. Reluctant to admit that his judgment had been at fault, yet he accepted the situation philosophically when, later in the day, Jim Harvey presented himself apprehensively. “Well, Jim,” he said, smiling grimly at the young man’s ‘workmanlike garb, “you seem to have taken the bit be- tween your teeth. Now you have made a start in the rail- road business, I’m willing to let. you stay. You've got more grit than I gave you credit for, and perhaps I made a mistake in not giving you a job on the line at first. _ From what I hear of you, you have begun very well, but you must not forget that you must fight your own way and not expect to be favored because you are the son of an old friend of mine’ Jim breathed more freely, now that ‘he new he was . Sk be retained in the eappreens of the Sunset Com- “7 am glad you are not angry about my ehitae his job you were so kind as to get me.” he said cheerfully. “I would have let you know that I had left the store only ‘th t I was afraid you'd send me back to it. I have not any one that I even know you. q don’t want any- more than the chance you have given me in letting stay with the line.” res - ii CHAPFER V. a 4 SULLIVAN GETS ANEW FIREMAN, , Tom Sullivan, the crack engineer of the Sunset Ex- seeks was not a quarrelsome man. % He had a quick, hot temper that flamed out Seristie ats any slur on his nationality or affront to his self-respect; he never looked for trouble, but he dealt promptly with” any that happened his way. The case of his fireman, San-— ders, will serve as an excellent illustration of his methods. Sanders was a good enough fireman on an average engine; but he did not reach the high standard of efficiency — that Sullivan had always maintained, and he was stupid — enough to resent Sullivan’s well-meant efforts to improve — him. ae The trouble came to a head at the end of a certain run when the express was three minutes behind scheduled time. Sullivan blamed Sanders’ slackness for this,’ and expressed his opinion of his fireman in a few stinging a words. “ea Sanders attempted repartee. He called Sullivan “a thick- headed Irishman.” Sullivan retorted by knocking Sanders from the olin to the platform, and while the unlucky man was picking himself up he walked straight to the roundhouse and asked the foreman for a new fireman. ‘i His request in this matter was practically a command, for firemen were many, but engineers of ‘Sullivan’s mettle — were so remarkably few that the roundhouse foreman did not know where he could lay his hand: on one. He pon- dered a little, scratched his head in a worried fashion, and looked thoughtfully at Sullivan. Fess _ “What’s the matter with Sanders, wp rl he ask Sullivan’s eyes glittered angrily. Eee “Sanders and me don’t ‘ride on the same engine again. That’s enough about him,” he answered curtly. Then the foreman understood that there was trouble the air, and, though he was well- -disposed toward Sand he knew that it would be useless to" play the peacemal:er. In the matter of giving Sullivan another man, however, he found ‘himself in a difficulty; the line just then was the throes of a strike of freight hands, and to cope this every available hand had been £ sect ret de- partment. ages : he is growing out of every day.” Sullivan had his way in this, and on the next trip the Sunset Express Jim Harvey replaced Bandeds soatplake ie ae: engine. — ae "of a fireman’s job, but. at his | ‘unexpecte He he worked with 2 ‘unflagging zeal rp cx telligent advantage of Sullivan’s expert suggestions that he soon thoroughly deserved the good opinion the engineer had expressed of his capacity. And he loved the work, too. Loved to feed the glow- ing fires; to groom and tend: his engine till it shone; but most of all he loved to lean far out from the footplate, the wind roaring by His ears, and with crooked arm re- ceive from the station master of some wayside town through which the great express cannon-balled at undim- ished speed, the child’s hoople to which special orders would be securely bound. Jim had resolutely made up his mind to be a first-class railway man, and now that he had his foot firmly on the first step of the ladder, he was determined that it would be through no fault of his if he did not reach the top. TO BE CONTINUED, ey INSECTS AT SEA. Birds of passage make their way across wide stretches of water with instinct, not only in regard to their course, but in regard to the proper season as well. The finding of flies and butterflies a long way out at sea is, perhaps, hardly more wondetful, but to most readers the fact is not so well known. What the writer found to be the habit of such insects in Chinese waters, may be observed over large areas of tropic seas. When we had stood out some thirty miles from the land, says he, a plague of flies Overtook us. The cabin was so full of them that the beams were blackened. Common black house flies they were, for the most part, with, how- ever, a good sprinkling of large green flies. Where they could have come from was a mystery, but they were a terrible nuisance, and although we swept off hundreds in a net, their numbers were not sensibly diminished. Another singular circumstance was that, although no * land was in sight, large dragon flies repeatedly flew across the ship, and I observed a large dark butterfly flit across ‘in the direction of the land, without stopping to rest on the ship. At this time the nearest land was the Chusan Islands, fully thirty miles off. It is by no means an uncommon circumstance to see but- ~ terflies launch themselves off one shore for a short aérial excursion to the opposite shore, half a mile or a mile dis- tant, hae the least hesitation, and when we were anchored the harbor, as at Ke-lung, they were con- stantly flying through the rigging so rapidly that it was impossible to catch them, for they never rested upon the ship. Under these circumstances they usually fly low, in a straight line, and near the water. > +104 HIGHEST RAILWAYS IN THE WORLD. The highest railway in the world is the Transandine and i Oroya line, which connects the port of Callao, in Peru, via » Lucia, with Oroya on the east side of the Andes. In pass- Ing over the Andes range of mountains, this railway reaches at one point the extraordinary height of seventeen | thorsand seven hundred and fifty-four feet above the - sea eyel, or two thousand feet higher than Mont Blanc. A railwdy from Mainton Springs to the saa Peak, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, ascends to a height of over fourteen thousand feet. i ‘the Andes Mountains spans sheer precipices of two thou- it of Pike’s The liné running through 1 NEW: TIP TOP WEEKLY. 25 sand or more feet by viaducts, emerging from a tunnel on one side, and straightway plunging into another. In making these tunnels no foothold could be obtained, the men had to be lowered from above, and sailors alone had thé necessary nerve. In consequence of this and the high pay given, men deserted in large numbers from ves- sels when the line was in progress. —————- ++ @+«-¢ _____ HOW COAL WAS DISCOVERED. Ask almost anybody up in the Pennsylvania, coal re- gions who first discovered the commodity, and the answer will quickly come, “Phil Ginter.” The story is an interesting one. What Rip van Winkle was to our grandfathers along the Hudson, Phil Ginter was to the hills forming the French roof of the Lehigh Valley. He was a tramp of the Mauch Chunk region—a lazy old Dutchman—who would rather loaf than work, and who was fonder of his gun and dog than of cleanliness and sobriety. He de- spised city ways and society, and had built for himself, . away back in the mountains, a rough old cabin, where he resided with his family, whom he supported by the fruits of his unerring aim. Game was plentiful in the Mauch Chunk Mountains in those days, but occasionally old Phil would get tired, and sometimes his family got tired also. One day, in the year 1791, Phil had been out on one of his hunting expeditions and was returning home. | As usual most of his hunting had been dore under a tree, where he had gone to sleep and endeavored to dream of choice coverts. He had lain there until it began to rain, and, as the rain awakened him, he rubbed his eyes, swore at his ill luck and meandered homeward. That rainstorm in the mountains that woke the old Pennsylvania Dutchman proved.a godsend to him and to the world at large. As he ambled homeward the rain became more furious, and washed away large portions of earth. Picking his way through the mud and over fallen trees, Phil suddenly stumbled on some roots, and, as he did so, he displaced a number of “black stones” that had become uncovered by the washout. : Old Phil had heard the legends of the existence of “black stones that would burn” in the mountains, but he had never seen ahy of them, and he and the older moun- taineers looked upon it as a fairy story. He was of an inquisitive turn of mind, however, and when he unearthed the stones he searched for more. Beneath the root of a fallen tree he dug up many of them, and he filled his pockets with them and lugged them home. 3 Colonel Jacob Weiss was the oracle of that bailiwick at that time. On the following day Ginter took his find to the colonel. The colonel saw at a glance that Ginter had made a valuable and wonderful discovery, but he ob- tained Phil’s permission to have the “black stones” ex- amined by somebody who knew more about such matters than he did. Philadelphia then, as now, was the home of learned scientists, mineralogists, and savants. To them Colonel Weiss went, taking with him several specimens of Ginter’s find. Among the savants was Charles Cist, a printer, who at once pronounced it “stone coal,” and who told Colonel Weiss that there was a fortune in it. They at once determined to buy Ginter off, upon his ‘showing them the place where he had found the specimens. But Ginter was coy. He reasoned with himself that if 26 NEW TIP the find was worth the sum they offered him it was worth more, and he held back. He told them, in Pennsylvania Dutch, that they might hurt until doomsday and they'd never find it. Then they agreed to Ginter’s proposal that they give him title to a tract of land in the locality upon which he could and afterward did build a small mill. He had scarcely built the mill, however, when he ascertained that it was owned by somebody. else, and that his. title was worthless. In the following year, 1792, Weiss, Cist, and a man named Hillgate formed themselves into the Lehigh Coal Mine Company. They had no charter of incorporation, but they took up eight thousand acres of land in the locality and began to work the mine in a rude way. They sent small quantities of coal to Philadalphia, but it proved next to worthless, and, in a number of instances, instead of burning, put the fire out. This disheartened the company, and for a while nothing was done to develop the mines. These mines now give employment to hundreds of miners, who work them in, “shifts.” The miners, for the most part, dwell at Summit Hill, or about the sur- rounding country, and they are a quiet, peaceable body of men, and since the abandonment of the “company stores” have in a majority of cases accumulated sufficient money to purchase their own homes and live lives of happiness. There are hundreds of miles of these coal lands, and all the result of poor old Phil Ginter’s find, for which he was given a tract of land, from which he was after- ward ejected, and for which the rental of one ear of corn per year was afterward paid. a GAMBLERS’ SUPERSTITIONS. Gainblers are generally superstitious with regard to num- bers. At Monte Carlo many players lay their stake on the number of their cloakroom tickets. The date of a birth- day, the sum total of the number on a watch, and the figures on the top coin of a pile are also said to be con- sidered lucky by many players, and the clergymen of the English church at Monte Carlo at one time never gave out any hymn under No. 36, as he discovered that some of his congregation had made a practice of noting down the numbers with a view of backing them at roulette. 4 4 ODDITIES OF THE ARABS. ' An Arab on entering a house removes his shoes, but not his hat. He mounts his horse upon the right side, while his wife milks the cow on the left side. In writ- ing a letter he puts nearly all the compliments on the outside. His head must be wrapped up warm, even in the summer, while his feet may well enough go naked in winter. ‘ Every article of merchandise which is liquid he weighs, but he measures wheat, barley, and a few other articles. He reads and writes from right to left. He eats scarcely anything for breakfast, about as much for din- ner; but, after the work of the day is done, he sits down to a hot meal swimming in oil, or, better yet, boiled but- ter. His sbns eat with him, but the females of his house wait till his lordship is done. He /rides a donkey when traveling, his wife walking behind.. He laughs at the idea of walking in the street with his wife, or of ever vacating his seat for a woman. | wor He knows: no use for chairs, | tables, knives, forks, or even spoons, unless they are WEEKLY. wooden. ones, If he be an artisan, he does work sitting, perhaps using his feet to hold what his hands are engaged upon. He drinks cold water with a sponge, but never bathes in it unless his home be on the seashore. He is rately seen drunk, is deficient in affection for his kindred, has. little curiosity and no imitation, no wish to — improve his mind, no desire to surround himself with the comforts of life. on et a COMBINATION LOCKS IN EARLY HISTORY. We are acctistomed to think of the “combination lock” and the “time lock” as inventions of modern date, but the peculiar principle of secrecy involved in that species of lock is really very old. As far back as the sixteenth cen- tury we read of “puzzle locks,” as they were called at that time. These locks always had certain movable parts, the move- ment, of which constituted the enigma. Some were called dial locks, but the largest number. were known as fing locks. They were made in the form of a barrel, with movable rings containing the letters of the alphabet, so that any word might be spelled. The rings were moved around and the letters contained in the word were brought to coincide with certain marks at the end of the apparatus and then the lock would open; says the Cosmopolitan. In “The Noble Gentleman,” one of the plays of the old dramatists, Beaumont and Fletcher, these lines appear : “A case for your linen, and your plate, With a strange lock that opens with A-M-E-N,” In the verses addressed to May by Carew in the comedy of “The Heir” is the following passage: “As doth a lock That goes with letters; for till every one be known, The lock’s as fast as if you had found none.” A story is told of a well-known New York banker whe used a letter lock of modern invention. He was confined to his home by illness and it became necessary to un- | He gave the word “boot” as the combina- ” lock his safe. tion. The cashier tried without success to unlock on the letters b-o-o-t, and he finally sent for the maker, but the expert failed to open the safe, Returning to his employer’s home, the cashier asserted that it was impossible to unlock the safe, and, knowing that the banker’s early education had been neglected, asked him how he spelled boot. “Why,” deuce would you spell it?” TO MAKE SPORT WITH AN EGG. Provide some quicksilver in a quill sealed at both ends with good hard wax; cause an egg to be roasted or boiled, | and take off a small bit of the shell of the oe end; then thrust in your quill of quicksilver, and lay in it. about for a long time.” Bedsteads, bureaus, and fireplaces may be placed in the same category. replied the banker, “b-u-t-e, of course; how the | the rae on the ground; you shall have sport enough, for it will ae So, likewise, if you put quicksilver into a sheep’s | bladder, and fling it on the ground, it will jay and ship a ; he’made his first trip on a motor cycle. For four hours re vhe whirled through the streets, entertaining the entire pop- ~ ulation as well as a large number of visitors. - For months Daggert had been reading of the automo- Determined to be on a par with the Western farmers, he bought a motor cycle a started to learn how to operate it on the smooth- _ Surfaced roadway that encircles Lake Assawampsett. The engine snorted, and Daggert jumped astride, with + “nearly three galions of regulation gasoline bouncing up etd ORE jo and down «in the tank. When he had made the circuit kindly ‘neighbors. A few who knew where the lever was situated shouted advice to him as he whirled by on each lap, but Daggert was chugging away each time before the words could be hurled from his friends’ mouths. The news spread around Lakeville, and by 3 o'clock, after Daggert had been around about twenty times, the townspeople had gathered round the motordrome to see the novice speedster in his continuous performance. Peo- ple also came on electric cars from Middleboro and other surrounding towns to see Daggert. One bright neighbor painted a big sign which told Dag- gert how to stop his motor cycle, but he went by so fast that he couldn’t read it. As the inevitable shades of night began to fall, the gasoline began to give out, and Daggert came to a full stop at 5:07, having traveled many miles and without having learned how to stop a motor cycle in the most ap- proved and generally adopted manner. After Nine-year Hunt, Relatives Find Will Disinheriting ‘Them, Relatives of Charles Taegee, of Aurora, Ill, who died nine years ago, recently found the key to a safety-deposit box which had not been opened for twenty-nine years. In the recess they discovered a will which deprived them of the $50,000 estate which they had expected to in- herit. Taegee left his property to his widow, who died in March, and his relatives will get nothing. Boy Scouts Clean Babylon. Led by three prominent suffragettes and a clergyman in khaki, the Boy Scouts, of Babylon, L. L, gave the town a thorough spring cleaning recently. Babylon was a spot- less town by sunset. Miss Lillian Henrietta Fishel, the recognized leader of the suffragettes; Miss Dorothy Nicoll, daughter of Sur- rogate Nicoll, and Miss Dorothy Danwehr, superintended the work of the-brown-clad youngsters.. They were armed with shovels and brooms. Quickly they filled wagons and carted away refuse and mud. The Reverend Edward Jones Burlinghame, rector of Christ Episcopal Church, appeared after the morning church services. He was clad in the khaki uniform of a colonel of Boy Scouts. He seized a big broom and got tight in the thick of the cleaning. Man and Wife Kill Five. John Walker, a British mine owner, and his wife, fight- ing shoulder to shoulder, recently killed five and wounded three men out of a band of eleven employees at the mine near Villa Garcia, Zacatecas,, Mexico. The employees attacked Mr. Walker in the office of the mine because of his inability to raise money with which to pay their wages. They used knives and clubs. Mr. Walker had been severely cut and beaten when he opened fired on them with an automatic pistol. with a rifle, reénforced_her husband. After the battle, Mr. and Mrs. Walker escaped from the building. They were befriended by a Spanish priest, who Mrs. Walker, x Jey 28 hid them until he could procure the aid of the American consular agents. When the agent was informed of the trouble, he obtained the services of a squad of troops to escort Mr. and Mrs. Walker to a place of safety. Cornell Men’s Earnings. It is found that 1,069 Cornell undergraduates are par- tially self-supporting, and their combined éarnings a year atnount to $184,906, or $173 per capita, by figures com- piled by the Scroll and Spade, an organization of work- ing students. % This sum represents 32 per cent of their college ex- penses, which amounted to $573,794. Only 123 students are earning their room and board. Of individual earnings, 380 men made between $160 and $200, 218 between $200 and $300, 51 from $300 to $400, 31 between $400 and $500, and 42 more than $500. Scott Flags in Cathedtal. The two Union Jacks that swathed the body of Doctor Wilson, Captain Scott’s comrade, when he was found by the searching party in the antarctic, have been presented by his widow to Gloucester Cathedral. They will be hung in the Lady il there among other historic memorials. New Army Shoe a Wonder, The army has a perambulating experiment station for the purpose of testing army shoes. He is Sergeant John Walsh, who is back at Washington, D. C., from an 8,000- mile walk which he started on July 27 last. He is now on the last leg of his journey, which will end in Colum- bus, Ohio. Walsh says that the new style of shoes are a success. He still has the pair with which\ he started from Wash- ington, and they are in a fair condition, Nature Forms Fort for United States, Uncle Sam has discovered another Corregidor for the defense of his island possessions in the form of a saucer- shaped crater near Diamond Head, in the Hawaiian Is- lands, according to advices received from Honolulu. novel fortress, constructed centuries ago by the’ forces of nature, is being utilized as a link in the chain of defenses surrounding Honolulu. A powerful mortar battery has been installed in the crater, whose walls are of flintlike lava that would resist the most powerful projectiles. Century Old, He Plays Ball With Schoolboys. Any pleasant day one can see “Cap” Britton, of Dun- ellen, N. J., running ‘from his tobacco ‘shop-—Cap, who on June 16 was 100 years—on his way to play ball with the boys. . Not only does Cap ‘bat, but he gets out in the field and catches, and if he misses he chases the ball like any schoolboy. “Ball playing is the best exercise in the world,” says Cap Britton. “Girls should learn it’ same as boys—good for them as it is for the lads. After | came home from the war | used to play the game—old-style fashion. Never stopped since then, Better than taking medicine, It gin- gers up the entire body—keeps the whole system in repair. Me and the kids play every day. Wouldn't know what to do without it.. Does me bunches of good. “I walk, too-four or five miles every decent day. That This” NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. Ex- helps. But playing:ball! Say, kid, that’s the: stuff: cuse me now—school’s out, and I got a game on.” He was born in Paterson June 16, 1813, of Holland stock ; was a hotel proprietor; served throughout the Civil War, was a volunteer fireman of New. York, and settled in Dunellen thirty-three years ago. Cap says he sees no teason for quitting baseball under 200 years of age. Sleeper in Vise of Cement. Anthony Rodowski, of Rochester, Pa., will always re- member the day that he fell asleep on his neighbor’s freshly cemented steps. Anthony came home heavily burdened. -Thinking he had reached the threshold of his own door, he sat down and fell He slept there until daylight, and would still be there had it not been for the assistance of his neighbors, who hurried in response to his cries when he found that the cement had hardened overnight. Picks and chisels were brought, and Anthony was liberated, but not before the steps were ruined. The neighbor wants dam- ages for the injury to his property. asleep. Orville Wright Flying Again, His first flights since the death of his brother, Wilbur, nearly a year ago, are now being made by Orville Wright, the noted inventor, in a new type of hydroaéroplane, which he is perfecting. It is the machine upon which the brothers were working when. Wilbur Wright was fatally stricken with typhoid fever. The experiments are being conducted on the Great Miami River, near Dayton, Ohio, where thorough tests are pos- Under the control of Wright, the combination water air machine skims lightly over the surface of the sible. and stream and then suddenly shoots to heights of 400 feet and more above the water. For days Dayton was cut off from the rest of the world by the recent flood. Hydroaéroplanes would have been of great value for messenger work. When the flood swept Dayton, the Wrights were marooned in their home. Big-league Stars from All Nations, Baseball has for years been called the’ national pastime of the United States, It is an international affair. played a ball game in France. hold on the natives of the Philippines. College teams in the middle West are now engaged in playing an all-Chi- Only recently picked teams nese organization which shipped from Honolulu, and only . a few seasons ago invading athletes from Japan treated but it has become more than that. | 4 : 3 4 a ai Bs 5 Bd } ee soe > ae a The game has taken a firm hy the’ Americanos to some first-class surprises, Big-league ~}) baseball does not boast a Chinese topliner, the Nippon na- 9" a tepresentative in the American or 7? tion is yet, to enter National circuit, and the Filipinos have not produced a ree- ognized marvel for organized ball, the daily line-up, we note the major circuits ate. well fortified with full-fledged stars from all nations. champion Boston Red. Sox. His right name is Carlos Clolo, and he was born of Mexican parents at Kerrville, Texas. His backstopper in this case would be John (Tor- tes) Meyers, a Mission Indian, fram California, now &tar- ring for the New York Giants. hemian, of the St, Louis Cardinals, has been assigned to first base, with Napoleon Lajoie, a Frenchman, of Cleve-— land, and cottsiderable swatter, on second; Honus Wag. Edward Konetchy, a Bo-- However, by perusing Mexico {, is represented by Charley Hall, slab artist of the world’s _ a tt T A ie b bi G fees tt Ak } th Bi be: Ir 2 7 OO Be Ot Ryo P gr "ve te: Ch an mM It ii By es ‘ yt ie itt! - Toa ner, Pittsburgh’s great warrior, representing Germany, on short, and a Scot, Bobby Byrne, also of the Pittsburgh x- { : \ Pirates, on third. Put Ping Bodie (Frank Pizzola), nd 4 Italian, of the Chicago White Sox, in center field; Ar- vil i mando Marsans, Cuban, of the Cincinnati Reds, in left ed | field, and Olak Hendriksen, a Boston Red Sock, calling SS ) “Denmark his native land, in right field, and you have the outfield. With John J. McGraw, a Celt, for boss and ' manager, this troupe should show some speed. | Eddie Collins, of the Philadelphia Athletics, still heads 6 the list of American League batters, with an average of Ma 400. Joe Jackson, of the Cleveland Naps, and Tris Speaker, of the Boston Red Sox, are next in line, with he 389 and .388 respectively, and Lajoie, of Cleveland, is pip ' near them with .384. ud Viox, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, with an average of st + 305, and Tommy Leach, of the Chicago Cubs, with .380, i are leaders in the National League list. 10t “Long Time Sleep” Owns Auto. ee Montana is the home of an Indian who has so mtch money and leisure that he devotes both to motoring. Long Time Sleep is his name. He has joined the American Automobile Association to become eligible for the relia- at bility run for motors from Minneapolis to his home jn the ht, Glacier National Park, July 11. He is one of the Piegan ch | tribe, oft i Our Railways and Othets. The United States has 52,000 more miles of railway mi than all Europe. This excess would reach twice about 5s- | the world. ter | Our railroads carry a little less freight than those of the ia Europe, but roll up more than twice as many ton miles. nd 4% e In 1912 the ton-mile record of America was 267,288,000,- ‘1 000; of all Europe, 117,347,000,000. rid American railroads receive 20 per cent more freight rev- en | enue than European, the ton-mile rate being much’ lower. ept Passenger revenue is 20 per cent less; the total slightly greater. % = The railroad property of the world as a whole is not } very profitable. Much of it was built for political or mili- mie qi tary reasons. The United States, Germany, Canada, Japan, at. | and British India have the most profitable railways. In_ a Italy the net revenue is only 1.77 per cent of the capital; rm 4 im Denmark 1.33. The average for the world is less than in | 4 per cent. hi- au The costliest railways are the British, capitalized at about ily, | $275,000 a mile. The cheapest in Europe are those of ted | Russia, about $80,000, and Hungary, about $69,000; those sic | Of the United States are about $79,000—or $60,043 a mile, 1a “according to Professor Adams, who deducts railway stock on mee bonds owned by roads from total capitalization. American tailways killed in 1912 270 passengers, 3,553 ing | tfain hands, and 6,541 others. European railways killed ell. 554 passengers, following figures in some cases much less ico. oe Tecent, or more than twice as many per mile; 2,607 em- d’s loyees, and 4,465 others. Tramps and trespassers bring los} Our total per mile rather higher. Russia, with similar lie, -} tYamp conditions, has much the highest European death or- list. ‘ % are Gitl Earns Living Driving Stage. 30- ‘A pretty, ambitious girl is earning her living in this ae ittle mountain town (Meeker, Colo.), miles from a rail- > oad. Miss May Robertson was not willing to follow the wi NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. ae time-honored custom of taking summer boarders, and be- sides, she wanted work which would give her an income the year around. One day she had an inspiration—she would drive a stage. No one had ever heard of a woman stage driver, but she knew she ¢ould do it, for she could manage the ‘wildest horse, and she loved outdoor life, and she was young and strong. Best of all, she had pluck - and, a will of her own. The traveling man who climbed up on the stage the first day of Miss Robertson’s run felt rather dubious when he saw a slender, girlish figure up on the high driver’s seat, holding the reins over four horses, for he had heen over that road many times before and knew what a rough one it was. However, that seemed to be the only way of getting from Rifle to Meeker, so he gave himself and his baggage to the care of the new driver, trusting to luck for a safe trip. Miss Robertson not only takes care of passengers, but their baggage as well. It is a long, danger- ous trip, but the traveling man was forced to admire the girl’s driving ability. Only once has she had trouble, and that was during the latter part of the summer when she had a party of tourists aboard the stage. A passing auto- mobile frightened the horses and they bolted. With her woman passengers all screaming and the stage swaying from side to side as the horses plunged over the rough mountain trail, Miss Robertson calmly wound the reins around her wrists, braced her feet against the dashboard, and made every effort to stop the frightened animals. After a run of a mile or more she succeeded in quieting the bronchos just before reaching one of the worst turns in the road. Miss Robertson’s stage route winds through a history- making country. The town of Meeker was named for N. C. Meeker, who was in charge of the White River Indian Agency in 1879, during which year an uprising of the Indians resulted in the massacre of Mr. Meeker and the capture of his wife, son, and two daughters by the Utes. .A company of soldiers, under the command of Major Thornburg, marched to the relief of the agency, but were surprised by the bloodthirsty red men and either killed or captured. A monument has been erected to the memory of these soldiers near the scene of their death. The daring escape of a courier, who carried a message to General Wesley Merritt at Fort Steele, brought about the release of the captives, and the Indians were soon after removed to the Uncompahgre Ute reservation, in Utah, All this and surrounding country is now a big cattle range, where cowboys of the real sort abound, and the girl stage driver is held in high esteem by these light- hearted riders of the range. Facts You May Not Know. The United States navy, according to official reports, last year continued to occupy third rank among the greatest navies of the world, being outranked only by those of Great Britain and Germany. é - Wool not the product of sheep is being utilized abroad for men’s clothing. This is known as “limestone wool,” and is made in an electric furnace. Bermuda is the original home of the “white house.” The simplest bungalow is built of the same material as the most pretentious villa, in almost precisely the same way. An important improvement has been recently made by a German inventor which makes it possible for the diver to 30 remain several hours under water without any connection with the upper world. The earth’s fertile area is estimated at 28,260,200 square miles. | An Australian artesian well reaches a depth of more than 5,000 feet. Taking the whole of Europe into consideration, there are 107 inhabitants to the square mile. An Oregon inventor has patented a machine for quickly mending broken motion-picture films. A Western railroad lends stump pullers to farmers at a nominal rental as one way of encouraging business. California vegetable growing is on a big scale. From one place this season twenty-two carloads of rhubarb and from another thirty-four carloads of fresh asparagus went East. One association cannery packed 4,500,000 pounds of berries in 1912. An abattoir for dogs has been ordered in Berlin, Ger- many, to provide for the increasing popularity of dog meat | as a table delicacy. Escape Death When Train Hits Theit Car. His automobile hit by a Northern Pacific passenger train, and hurled from beneath him, Norman McNeil, of Rice, Minn., landed squarely upon his feet uninjured. Mrs. McNeil jumped from the car and also escaped injury. W. S. McNeil, fireman on the engine that struck the car, is a brother of Norman McNeil, the driver. When the fireman recognized his brother in the automobile and feal- ized the accident could not be avoided, he shouted a warn- ing to the éngineer, and then shielded his eyes from the scene with his hands. ‘ The car was demolished. Weighted Down With Coins, Man is Drowned. ‘Weighted down with coins which he had taken in at his saloon, at Evansville, Ind., Edward Ruckmar was drowned in the Ohio River when his launch upset. Ruckmar, with Frank Yeager, was running a trot-line, and when both leaned over the same side of the launch to pull in a large fish the boat upset. Yeager was rescued. Ruckmar had about $150,’ mostly coins, in his pocket, and this caused him to sink. . Brief Sporting News. Frank Chance, who became famous. as manager of the Chicago Cubs, took charge of the New York American League team this year under terrible handicaps. The Yankees were about as badly disorganized and demoralized a team as ever represented a major-league town. Because of his record as a player and leader, and because of his $25,000 salary New York fans expected to see Chance jump to the front with his team. Now they are criticizing him. Fair-minded men will give him a chance. A pen- nant-winning team cannot be built in a year—not on such material as Chance found in New York. Connie Mack, of the Philadelphia Athletics, is the old- est big-league leader. He is fifty. Joe Birmingham, man-: ager of the Cleveland Naps, is the youngest. He is twenty- eight. Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh manager, has led the Pirates for thirteen years. Géorge Stovall, manager of the St. Louis Browns, will not be so quick -to lose his temper the next time anything goes wrong. For insulting an umpire, Stovall was de- posed from the management of the Browns and indefinitely NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. suspended as a player. This sentence, imposed by Presi- dent Johnson, of the American League, stands as one of the most drastic in the history of baseball. Stovall was angered by one of the umpire’s decisions. He grabbed the official’s cap and threw it on the ground, then spat on the umpire’s uniform. Stovall chews tobacco. Walter Johnson’s three-year contract expires this sea- son, and Manager Griffith, of the Washington Senators, faces a hard task. It will not be an easy matter signing the marvelous pitcher for the 1914 season. Cy Seymour, who has been playing ball since 1893, is trying to come back as a pitcher. Cy is now playing with the Boston Nationals. George Suggs, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, had to pay $10 for ten minutes’ sleep. Suggs was ten minutes late in appearing at the park. “Time is valuable,” said Manager Joe Tinker, as he slapped the fine on Suggs. With his Murphys, Walsh, Daley, Barry, and McInnis, Connie Mack continues his valiant fight for the glory of Ireland, Philadelphia, and the American League. Hugh Bedient is the only pitcher on the world cham- pion Boston Red Sox team who has won more than half of his games. “Dare-devil Dave” Altizer, of the Minneapolis Club in the American Association, is a great run-getter these times. Dave has scored sixteen runs in seventeen games, Condemns Prison Management. Sensational revelations and charges are made in the re- port of George W. Blake, special commissioner appointed by Governor Sulzer to investigate conditions in Sing Sing prison, one of the most famous, or notorious, of the penal institutions of the United States. Commissioner Blake declares’ that the prison cells are dark, small, damp, filthy, and infested with vermin. In them men contract rheumatism and go out crippled for life. Into none of the cells on the lower tiers has a ray of sunshine entered for eighty ‘years. \ Certain prisoners, Blake asserts, through political in- fluence or by the payment of money, receive favors. He has evidence, he says, showing that because of influence exerted by men well known in various walks of life, money —}~ has been wrung from persons seeking clemency for pris- oners. “If the communications;and pardons bought were al- ways delivered,” he adds, “there would have been a glint of fairness in the transactions, but in some cases ‘the goods were not delivered.’” ; Blake says the industrial conditions in. the prison are bad; that in many cases no effort has been made to get competitive bids for goods about to be purchased, and that ~ in other instances, where bids were submitted, the highest bidders got the orders. Cook Asks for an Investigation. Charging ‘government officials with/a “propaganda of character assassination” and ridiculing the National Geo- graphic Society, Doctor Frederick A, Cook, who claims to have been the first to discover the north pole, has written wen TRH ea * FS Fe ss President Wilson, asking that a commission of polar ex ag plorers be appointed to investigate his claim and that of ~ Admiral Peary to the discovery of the north pole. “The future of my children demands an exposition of Nid the unfair methods of the armchair geographers in Wash- ‘ ington,” says Doctor Cook'in his letter. “However, I do mab Rat not ask the administration to defend me or my posterity, but I do ask that the men who draw a salary from the national treasury be made answerable for a propaganda of character assassination. Among these are Professor Willis Moore and others of the so-called National Geographic Society. “This society is a private organization, used mostly for political purposes. For two dollars a year a college pro- fessor or a street sweeper becomes, with equal facility, a ‘} hational geographer.” Cook has been making considerable money on the stage and on Chautauqua platforms. Hotse Wins the Ball Game. ” A home run batted out by a high-school boy in a vacant lot, at Paterson, N. J., won the game for his team in the ninth inning. The ball caromed off the head of Andrew van Ninwegan, } a baker, who was passing, and landed on the back of his horse, which ran away. The baker, partly stunned by ' the blow on the head, tumbled off his wagon as it ran _ into a telegraph pole. The horse continued at a gallop 1 until the wagon was wrecked. The baker, a baseball fan, decided to make no com- plaint when he heard the ball that hit him had brought in the run that won the game. Seeks to Regain $3,000,000 “Farm,” Far up in Harlem, New York, in a vacant lot a littlé to the east of Broadway, there stands a canvas-topped } shack occupied by a squatter, who has thus pitched his } camp as one step in his fight to regain possession of his } grandfather’s farm lands. When old William M. Molenaor died in 1812 the seventy-one acres were worth something like $20,000, but his ‘grandson roughly places theif present value between $300,000,000 and $500,000,000. They are cov- 4} ered with tall apartment houses owned by 100 persons, y among them C. K. G. Billings, Vincent Astor, and James , Gordon Bennett. cei er Simple Salesman Sharp Detective. ‘}) Charles Gys, of Paris, France, a youth who had just >} completed his military service, was employed by a friend 1) of the family to sell jewelry on commission. His employer, } who had great faith in his promising ability and the wealth poof his acquaintance, gave him three pearl necklaces, worth ™ $10,000 to dispose of. ) (The young man received a proposal from a traveling } agent in jewels, whom he had also known for a long time. 4} The traveling agent said he could dispose of at least one }0f the necklaces. They would have a handsome commis- 7 sion. 4 Charles Gys hesitated at first, but finally trusted the a } man. The traveling agent disappeared with all the jewels. -) Gys decided to trace him. He called on the missing man’s 4 Wife, and her replies made him suspicious. He felt that she _{ knew where her husband was. If so, it would not be long, } he thought, before the two would try to meet. 7 Charles Gys resorted to a trick worthy of one of Victor Hugo’s characters. He had his hair eut and dyed, got a false beard and mustache, and, stood guard as a beggar in front of her house. After a few days he saw that the Woman was Preparing to leave Paris. She left her house M the’ evening with her children, and drove to the sta- Fae: NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. . "The disguised beggar was close at her heels, and' “ when she had taken a seat in the train for Vienna, he was in a compartment alongside. At Vienna, as he had expected, the husband turned up. There was an effusive greeting between husband and wife, and whispers passed between them. Gys followed them to the house where the husband had rooms, and after watching them for a few days he learned that the man was also a deserter from military service in Austria, of which country he was a native. He denounced him to the Austrian police and had him arrested. The jewels had been sold to two men in Paris, whose names he obtained, and who have now been ar- rested by the Paris police for illegal dealing. Gys recovered two of the necklaces, and he has good hopes of ‘also recovering the third. The money obtained by the thief was deposited in a bank at Munich. ‘Gys went to Munich and obtained an order from the courts to seize the money pending the inquiry. If Gys was not successful as a salesman, he proved a clever de- tective. Still in Debt. Nine French hamlets on the German frontier are still engaged in paying off their respective shares of the indem- nity of the Franco-Prussian .War of 1870. When the French government was called upon to pay the indemnity it was arranged that every town in the country should pay its share, varying anywhere from £500 to £250,000, At the end of forty-three years the nine villages are still in ar- rears. Tells How to Live to be a Hundred, Sir Walter Gilbey, of Elsenham, England, celebrated his eighty-second birthday. Knowing that in his buoyant moods he has often said that he would live to be a cen- tenarian, a reporter asked Sir Walter to tell how that might be done. “Live by a rule,” he said. “Be moderate in everything, eat and drink wisely, work hard, take all the fresh air you can, and cultivate quiet pleasures.” As for food, for long past the principal items in Sir Walter’s dietary have been bread and milk, fish and stewed onions. Flesh, fowl, and pastry of all kinds he eschews. He is a cigarette smoker, and enjoys his smoke thor- oughly. The rule of his life to-day is that of every day—down to breakfast at 8:30 a. m.; letters, newspapers, and books until his morning motor drive; lunch; more motoring; afternoon tea; two hours’ play at bridge; dinner; cribbage or some other card game until 10 p. m.; bed. Sir Walter was always a hard worker. For the first 15 years of his working life he never took a holiday. Then he gave himself one day a week and later two, the latter tule continuing until he left business altogether. His principal pleasures have been concerned with the cultivation of animals and in writing about them. The squire has just finished his last book—on old English hounds, Jailed for Sketch of New Naval Compass. The zeal of the German courts in trying to prevent the disclosure of military secrets is illustrated anew by a case that has just been decided at Cassel. A court there sen- tenced a draftsman; formerly employed in an optical goods factory that made an improved compass for use on the government’s submarine vessels, to two months’ imprisonment for having used in a catalogue some draw- . Uf 32 NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. ings of this compass which he had made from memory. There was no charge that he had communicated them to any foreign power. Fitst Big Electric Line, The first large-scale application of electric’ power to the handling of traffic on a transcontinental line is to be instituted on 450 miles of the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway. Passenger trains between Harlow- ton, Mont., and Avery, Idaho, will be hauled by electric tractors, replacing steam locomotives. Stefansson Gets Peary’s Captain, Villjaimur Stefansson, the discoverer of the so-called “White Eskimos,” announced recently that he had engaged Captain Robert Bartlett, Peary’s captain of the north pole ship Roosevelt, to command his ship, the Karluk, with which he is to make the most elaborately equipped arctic expedition that has yet put North for scientific research and the quest of a vast possible arctic continent of 1,000,- 000 square miles, in the existence of which arctic explorers have time and again declared their belief, and which Ad- miral Peary thought he had at one time seen. “Cap’n Bob,” as Peary’s and Stefansson’s skipper is known throughout the frozen, not to mention all the milder, seas, left New York immediately after the announcement of his command was made. He said ‘that he had grown lonesome and homesick for the silences of the frozen North, weary of civilization, and eager to be off again and guiding his ship through the ice of the arctic seas. So he hurried away to Ottawa, thence to go west to Es- quimault,’ British Columbia, where the 247-ton barkentine Karluk is now in dry dock, preparatory to the start of the expedition from Esquimault about June 5. } With Captain Bartlett went also two other members of the expedition, Henry Beuchat, of Paris, anthropologist, and Fritz Johansen, the Norwegian zodlogist of Stefans- son’s expedition. Two other members of the company are already at Esquimault. Stefansson himself will soon follow them. So large has his expedition grown, he said, that original arrangements have been quite outgrown, and instead of taking one party in one ship he will have to take two parties and two ves- sels. The second ship, he said would be selected from three now in Northern waters. : Stefansson explained that while he would make every effort to find the vast hypothetic arctic continent which he believes to lie-north of Western Canada, north of Alaska, and northwest of Siberia, his chief object would be to gather comprehensive scientific data about the vast unexplored area thereabout, whether he finds land or not. He expects to be gone until the fall of 1916 at the very least. During his stay in the arctic he or his expedition will be for a long time in touch by wireless telegraph with the two most valuable meteorological stations in the Northern Hemisphere, at Iceland and on the Aleutian Islands, to which he hopes to furnish daily messages, thus providing, among other things, a means of predicting storms from the North, a matter of utmost importance to navigation in the Northern oceans and in the Great Lakes. According to the final plans outlined by Stefansson, it is not unlikely that his expedition and that of Captain Roald Amundsen, discoverer of the south pole, who will _ f ‘ to sail north from the mouth of the Mackenzie as far ‘back. It may well be, however, that on returning, if we © 4 4 wb set out a year later with a similar object in view, may meet in the midst of the arctic night. Stefansson plans ai = a ache as possible and establish a base on any land that may be discovered. Failing to discover such land, the vessel will head east toward known islands—Banks Island or Prince Patrick Island—and establish a winter base as far as pos- sible to the north along their western coasts. In the following winter he plans to explore the ice-cov- ered ocean to the west and northwest for a study of ocean "5 depths, ocean currents, and the like." In the spring there- | P: after he plans to carry on geological and zoélogical and 4 : % archeological work in the interior of those islands. A sec- |" ond base is to be established, if possible, on the southwest 4 " of Victoria Island. r t si ai pit does a “If this expedition is successful,” said Stefansson, “it will close forever the geographical chapter of discoveries f on this earth, which was begun by Columbus, I am going ¥ ? to try to wipe a vast area of 1,000,000 square miles off the ) @& face of the unexplored map. § & “We shall sail north along the r41st meridian to find ‘ (9 the hypothetical land. Tf we do not find it, we shall turn |) miscalculate at all, we shal] be caught in the ice, frozen in’ for the winter, and drift involuntarily wherever that dense © area of ice packed tightly about our ship happens to take © us. Probably we shall drift northwest in a circle between Asia and the north pole, thus doing involuntarily what 7 Amundsen intends to do purposely a year after we start. § {= It ‘may well be that in that drifting in the northern ice, the i men of his and our expedition will meet. 7 h “If the world does not hear from us in all that time, 7 it will mean that we have miscalculated in the manner 13 4 have mentioned, and are. caught in the pack ice on our way +. back. - 4 ut t “T do not anticipate any great danger in such a case. It was in view of such a contingency that I was anxious to hoo get a man like Captain Bartlett to take command of our | /o™ ship. He is-a man who is not afraid of hurting his ‘ship, ip. and not eager to save it at the expense of the expedition. ” a He goes cheerfully into such a hazard, risking the crush- is ing of his stout vessel in the gigantic tightening grasp © >. of the ice that will freeze for miles and miles around it. If | sa ee the worst came to the worst and the ship were crushed | to bits, we could still walk or sledge across the ice to” safety. ; “Nor do I fear the danger of shortage of supplies in such | a case, for there is plenty of game in the arctic on which | we can live.” Stefansson was not certain whether his ship, the Karluk, or the second shp would return to a port on the Pa- cific each summer or not. That, he said, would ‘eon se upon conditions as they found themy after getting into: the Far North. Pile Up Your $$, They’te Healthy. ' Those who, have hesitated to amass wealth because of the warning to “beware the billions of bacteria that lurk 4) in every bill” need hesitate no longer, according to Doc- 4 4 tor W. C. Rucker, assistant surgeon general of the public) health service. He declared recently that tests and ex-% amination of currency, both washed and unwashed bills” showed them to be singularly free from germs. He at# tributed this to the ink used in printing the bills’ which, he said, had proved to, be almost a perfect germicide. “a lg iy : ae vy : : “a * 4 SOME OF THE BACK NUMBERS OF WEEK a SUPPLIED LEE 656—Frank Merriwell’s Red Visitor. 657—F rank Merriwell’s Rope. 658—Frank Merriwell’s Lesson. 659—F rank Merriwell’s Protection. 660—Dick Merriwell’s Reputation. 661—Dick Merriwell’s Motto, 662—Dick Merriwell’s Restraint. 663—Dick Merriwell’s Ginger. 664—Dick Merriwell’s Driving. 666—F rank Merriwell’s Theory. 668—Frank Merriwell’s Encouragement. 669—Frank Merriwell’s Great Work 670—Dick Merriwell’s Mind. 671—Dick Merriwell’s ‘Dip.’ 672—Dick Merriwell’s Rally. 673—Dick Merriwell’s Flier. 674—F rank Merriwell’s Bullets. 675—F rank Merriwell's Cut Off. 676—Frank Merriwell’s Ranch Boss. 677—Dick Merriwell’s Equal. 678—Dick Merriwell’s Development. 679—Dick Merriwell’s Kye. 650—Frank Merriwell’s Zest. 681—F rank Merriwell’s Patience. 683—F rank Merriwell’s Fighters. 684—Dick Merriwell at the “Meet.” 685—Dick Merriwell’s Protest. 686—Dick Merriwell in the Marathon. 687—Dick Merriwell’s Colors. 688—Dick Merriwell, Driver. 689—Dick Merriwell on the Deep. 690—Dick Merriwell in the North Woods. 691—Dick Merriwell’s Dandies. 692—Dick Merriwell’s Skyscooter. 693—Dick Merriwell in the Elk Moun- : tains. 694—Dick Merriwell in Utah. 695—Dick Merriwell’s Bluff. 696—Dick Merriwell in the Saddle. 697—Dick Merriwell’s Ranch Friends. 698—Dick Merriwell at Phantom Lake, 699— Frank Merriwell’s Hold-back. 700—Frank Merriwell’s Lively Lads. 701—Frank Merriwell as Instructor. 702—Dick Merriwell’s Cayuse. 703—Dick Merriwell’s Quirt. 704—-Dick Merriwell’s Freshman Friend. 705—Dick Merriwell’s Best Form. 706—Dick Merriwell’s Prank, 707—Dick Merriwell’s Gambol. 7O8—Dick Merriwell’s Gun. 709 —- Dick Merriwell at His Best. 710—Dick Merriwell’s Master Mind. 11—Dick Merriwell’s Dander. 12—Dick Merriwell’s Hope. 13—Dick’s Merriwell’s Standard. 14—Dick Merriwell's Sympathy. 15—Dick Merriwell in Lumber Land. 16—F rank Merriwell’s Fairness. 17—F rank Merriwell’s Pledge, 18—F rank Merriwell, the Man of Grit. 19—F rank Merriwell’s Return Blow, 20—Frank Merriwell’s Quest. 721—Frank Merriwell's Ingots. 722—F rank Merriwell’s Assistance. 723—Frank Merriwell at the Throttle. 724—-Frank Merriwell, the Always Ready. 731 5—Frank Merriwell in Diamond Land. 726—Frank Merriwell’s Desperate Chance, 727—Frank Merriwell’s Black Terror. 728—Frank Merriwell Again on the Slab. ot ank Merriwell’s Hard Game. 30—F rank Merriwell’s Six-in-hand. 731—_F rank Merriwell’s Duplicate. 732—Frank Merriwell on Rattlesnake Ranch. 733 —Frank Merriwell’s Sure Hand. 734—Frank Merriwell’s Treasure Map. 735—F rank Merriwell, Prince of the Rope. Ti rene Merriwell, Captain of the Var- s 737—Dick Moss riwell’s Control. 7 $8—Dick Merriwell’s Back Stop. 739—Dick Merriwell’s Masked Enemy. 740—Dick Merriwell’s Motor Car. 741—Dick Merriwell’s Hot Pursuit, 742—Dick Merriwell at Forest Lake. WeeIn3 3-99-3118 PRICE, FIVE CENTS PER COPY. » news sager, they can be obtained direct from this office. 762—Dick Merriwell on the 3—Diek Merriwell in Court. 4—Dick Merriwell’s Silence. 5—Dick Merriwell’s Dog. 6—Dick Merriwell’s Subterfuge. 7—Dick Merriwell’s Enigma. 8—Dick Merriwell Defeate d. 9—Dick Merriwell’s ‘‘Wing.” 0—Dick Merriwell’s Sky C ‘hase. 1—Dick Merriwell’s Pick-ups. 2—Dick Merriwell on the Rocking R. 3—Dick Merriwell’s Penetration. 4—Dick Merriwell’s Intuition. 5—Dick Merriwell’s Vantage. 6—Dic k Merriwell’s Advice. 7J—Dick Merriwell’s Rescue. 58—Dick Merriwell, American. 4: 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 0 oo Be wo ” ” 5 759—Dick Merriwell’s Understanding. 760—Dick Merriwell, Tutor. 761—Dick Merriwell’s Quandary. 3oards, 763—Dick Mertiwell, Peacemaker. 764—FIrank Merriwell’s Sway. 765—Frank Merriwell’s Comprehension. 766—Frank Merriwell’s Young Acrobat. 767—Frank Merriwell’s Tact. 768—Frank Merriwell’s Unknown. 769 — Frank Merriwell’s Acuteness, 770—Frank Merriwell’s Young Canadian. 71—F rank Merriwell’s Coward. 2—F rank Merriwell’s Perplexity. 3—Frank Merriwell’s Interve ntion. 74—F rank Merriwell’s Daring Deed. 5—Frank Merriwell’s Succor. 6—Frank Merriwell’s Wit. 7—Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty. 78—Frank Merriwell’s Bold Play. or rank Merriwell’s Insight. i—F rank Merriwell’s Guile. 1—Frank Merriwell’s Campaign. 2—Frank Merriwell in the Forest. 3—Frank Merriwell’s Tenacity. 84—Dick Merriwell’s Self-sacrifice. 85—Dick Merriwell’s Close Shave. 86 87 7 te 1 ‘4 it i oa 77E 8 8 8 National Qs —Dick Merriwell’s Perception. —Dick Merriwell’'s Mysterious Disap- pearance, 7T88—Dick Merriwell’s Detective Work. 789— Dick Merriwell’s Proof. 790—Dick Marnie ll’s Brain Work. 791—Dick riwell’s Queer Case, 792 J —Dic k Me rriwe ll, Navigator. 793—Dick Merriwell's Good Fellowship. 794—Dick Merriwell’s Fun. 795—-Dick Merriwell’'s Commencement. 796—Dick Merriwell at Montauk Point. 797—Dick Merriwell, Mediator. 798—Dick Merriwell's Decision. 799—Dick Merriwell on the Great Lakes. 800—Dick Merriwell Caught Napping. 801—Dick Merriwell in the Copper Coun- try. 802—Dick Merriwell Strapped. 803—Dick Merriwell’s Coolness. &804—Dick Merriwell’s Reliance. 805—Dick Merriwell’s College Mate. 806—Dick Merriwell’s Young Pitcher. 807—Dick Merriwell’s Prodding. ; 808—Frank Merriwell’s Boy. 809—Frank Merriwell’s Interference, 810—Frank Merriwell’s Young Warriors. 811—F rank Merriwell’s Appraisal. 812—F rank Merriwell’s Forgiveness. 813—F rank Merriwell’s Lads. 814—F rank Merriwell’s Young Aviators. 815—F rank Merriwell’s Hot-head. 816—Dick Merriwell, Diplomat. 817—Dick Merriwell in Panama. 818—Dick Merriwell’s Perseverance, 819—Dick Merriwell Triumphant. 820—Dick Merriwell’s Betrayal. 821—Dick Merriwell, Revolutionist. &§22-——Dick Merriwell’s Fortitude. 92 28—Dick Merriwell’s Undoing. 824—Dick Merriwell, Univer nal Coach. oe 5—Dick Merriwell’s Snare. 826—Dick Merriwell’s Star Pupil. 827—Dick Merriwell’s Astiiienalle §28—Dic Merriwell’s keleoareee: a 29—Dick Merriwell’s Plan. 8$30—Dick Merriwell’s Warning. 831—Dick Merriwell’s Counsel. si 32—Dick Merriwell’s Champions. §33—Dick Merriwell’s Marksnten. 834—Dick Merriwell’s Enthusiasm. 835—Dick Merriwell’s Solution. 836—Dick Merriwell’s Foreign Foe. , :37—Dick Merriwell and the, Carlisle Warriors. 888—Dick Merriwell’s Battle for* ‘the Blue. 39—Dick Merriwell’s Evidence. _ $40—Dick Merriwell’s Device. _ 841—Dick Merriwell’s Princeton Oppo- nents. 842—Dick Merriwell’s Sixth Sens $43—Dick Mefriwell’s Strange Clew. 844—Dick Merriwell Comes Back. 845—Dick Merriwell’s Heroie Crew. 846—Dick Merriwell Looks Ahead. 847—Dick Merriwell at the Olympics 848—Dick Merriwell in Stock Beane ; 849—Dick Merriwell in th Stadium. aa 850—Dick Merriwell’s } Marathon. cee NEW SERIES. Aap rank Merriwell, Jr. 2—F rank Merriwell, Jr., i 3—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s —Frank Mer riwell. JT.'S, 5—Frank Merriwell, Jr., in ‘sms % rank Merriwell, Jr.'s, —Frank Merrie Jr., 0! dey ae a beak ‘Merrie Jr.’ 8, 9—Frank Merri Jr.’ 8, the 10—F oct” "Merriwalie car., at Ranch. 11—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Go! 12—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Comp 13—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Gui i 14—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Scrimmage. 15—Frank Merriwell, Jr., Misjudge 16—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Star 17—Frank Merriwell, Jr.'s, Blind Chase, 18—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, SapeHel 19—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Subs 20—Frank Merriwell, Jr., Justified 21—F rank Merriwell, Jr., Incog 22—F rank Merriwell, Jr., Meet 23—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’ S, Xm 2°4—Frank Merriwell. Jr.’s, Fearle: 25—Frank Merriwell, Jr., on Skis 26—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Ice- 27—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, — Foes. . 28—Frank Merriwell, Jr., and the Totem. 29—Frank Merriwell, any 's, Hockey Game 30—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Clew. 81—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Adver 32—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Timely Aid. 33—Fr ank Merriwell, Jr., in the esert. 84—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Grueling Te 85—Frank Merriwell, Jr.'s, Special Miss 36—Frank Mer riwell, Jr.’s, Red Bowman, 387—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Task. ~ 388—F oe Merriwell, Jr.’s, face. 89—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Four Mile 40—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Umpire. 41—Frank Merriwell, Jr., Sidetracke 42—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Teamwork 83—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Step-Over, 44—Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Montere 45—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Athletes. — 46—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Outfielder, 47—F rank Merriwell, Jr.'s, ‘‘Hundre 48—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Hobo 49—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Canceled Cr Oss-C ou If you want any back numbers of our weeklies and cannot procure them fro a Postage stamps taken the same aS money. | Street & Smith, ‘Publishers, 79-89 Seventh Ave., New York