ar

  

ee
 

 
 

studied his face long and earnestly.
as he returned the searching stare.

 

 

 

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No. 69.

NEW YORK, November 22,

1913. Price Five Cents.

Frank Merriwell, Jr., and the “Spell;”
Or, A FARDALE MYSTERY.

By BURT L. STANDISH.

CHAPTER I.
CLANCY’S PECULIAR ACTIONS.

“Say, old man, what are you doing with my belt ?”
“Your belt, Chip?”

“Yes, my belt. Don’t you know you've got it on? You

have a perfectly good belt of your own, Clan, and you

‘don’t need mine. And I'll be hanged if you~haven’t taken
my gun out of the rack! Not only that, but you're off
for inspection with your coat unbuttoned! What's the
_ matter with you, anyway?” :
: Chip Merriwell came close to his red-headed chum and
- roommate, Owen Clancy, caught him by the shoulders, and
Owen laughed slightly
“Nothing the matter with me, Chip,’ he answered, a
bit uneasily.

_ “Yes, there is,” insisted Frank. “You haven’t been your-
self for two days. You fessed out in math yesterday,
when I know you should have maxed it cold. And last
night, Owen, I found you wandering around the riding hall
looking for barracks. At reveille roll call this morning you
forgot to answer when your name was called. Guess you
didn’t know you were in ranks, or where you were. And
“now youre trying to get away with some of my equip-
ment. What the mischief ails you?”

“Nothing,” returned Clancy, blinking his eyes.

“Sure there is,” Merriwell insisted. “Are you going

_ “You had town leave Thursday night.

“Your hat?” said Merriwell, with a queer grin. “It’s
mine, by thunder!”

He snatched the hat from Clancy’s head and ceboeid it
with the headgear that belonged there. After that, he
buttoned up Clancy’s coat, turned him around and around
to make certain he would pass inspection, and then handed
him his gun.

“Geel” murmured Owen,
after you.”

“You need a keeper,”
Are you sick?”

“If I felt any better, Chip, I'd have to take something
for it.”

““t’s fine to have some one look

said Frank, “and that’s a cinch. ;

Where did ve:
gor”

An odd secretiveness took possession of Owen suddenly.
It was unusual for os to act in any such way /with his,
chum.

“Oh, just rammed ada? c

“You ast have rammed your head into something hard,
I guess,” growled Frank, “for it hasn’t been right since.”

The drums rolled out assembly for inspection just at ~
that moment, and Frank started for the door. Owen.
seated himself comfortably in a chair. Apparently he had
not the least notion he-was to line up in front of bar-
tacks. ee

“Come on, Clan!” cotta! Merry impatiently.

“Where?”

“Well, suffering cats!’ .

Frank went over to his chum, pulled him out of the cha
and into ae hall.

 
( rived ; “Pm not deaf.”

“No, ‘but ae wits are Swholwetheving: Red. I've got to
look into your case, just as soon as I get time. Now, brace
up. See if you can get through inspection without making
a break.”

Clancy, to all appearances, had got the whip hand of him-
self. As usual, he took his place in ranks and marched
across the parade ground with his company. The bell
buttons glistened brightly in the thin afternoon sunshine,
and the crisp air sent the blood tingling clear to the finger
tips of each cadet. No brain could stay long befoggetl in
such an atmosphere.

One by one the companies took their places in the bril-
liant line. Column of companies was formed by the com-
‘mandant, and the ranks were opened by the cadet cap-
tains.

As Lieutenant Finley, tactical head of the military acad-
emy, approached Merriwell’s and Clancy’s company, Pres-
bery saluted with the sword and gave the order, “Inspec-
tion arms!”

- Bayonets were fixed, cartridge boxes opened, and each

plebe stood ready to undergo the critical scrutiny of the
commandant. Merete! was in the front rank, and tossed
his gun to “port arms.’

Finley passed on to Clancy. Then, to Merry’s horror
and consternation, the red-headed chap went into a trance
again. He stood with blank eyes fixed on the stern face
of the commandant, and made not the slightest move
with his rifle.

*W ell, Mr. Clancy,” said Finley sharply, “what are you
here for?”

“Hanged if I know!” mumbled Clancy. ,

A red color dyed the commandant’s cheeks. His eyes
snapped, and he stared at the red-headed plebe angrily.

“Port arms, Clan!” whispered Merry.

“Mr. Merriwell, ” said Finley crisply, “you will keep your
_ suggestions to yourself.”

- He caught Clancy’s gun, lifted it to a position across his
breast, and thrust it into his hands.

“You will report to me after inspection,”

: said ie, and
walked on.

Merriwell was thunderstruck by his chum’s queer ac-—

tions. »What had got into him, anyhow? While the com-
: _mandant passed up and down the lines, and the rifles rang
in. the white-gloved hands that manipulated them, Merry
watched Owen out of the tails of his eyes, fearing that
he would commit some other breach of discipline.

But Owen managed to acquit himself tolerably well.
Finally came the command to close ranks, to right-shoulder
arms, and the column marched away.

In front of barracks the company was dismissed, and
wen, heedless of Finley’s orders, was climbing the bar-
racks steps, when Frank laid hold of him.

“Where are you going, Clancy?” he demanded.

“Quarters,” was the serene reply. ;

“You are to report to Finley. Don’t you understand

hat? You made a show of yourself at inspection.” -

/

ow did I make a show of myself?”
rank explained wonderingly.
othe on,” said he, “I'll take you to talk arith Finley.”
guess I can go alone,” protested Clancy.
t's too much of a guess. You might wander around

; or go to AWD, or do some See Fook ee ce :

t's the matter with you.”

Owen kept insisting that rs was all right. ' 4
“Maybe I’m absent-minded, a little,” said he, “but I know,
blamed well what I’m doing.”
‘Finley was disposed to be harsh with Clancy.
“You were not attentive,” he declared sternly,
were disrespectful.”
“Sir,” spoke up Frank,
“What about?”
“About Clancy, sir.
days. I don’t think he’s well.”
“[T’m just as well as I ever was,” asserted Owen. cae
“He keeps saying that, Lieutenant Finley,” went on —
Frank, “but I know there’s something wrong with him.” —
Sdéme of the sternness faded out of Finley’s face. He ~
turned his eyes on Clancy. The latter began removing his
belt. When he had taken it off, he laid it on Finley’s
desk. After that he laid his gun beside the belt and
started to unbutton his coat.
There could not be’the slightest doubt, in view of what”
Clancy was doing, that he was “wrong” somehow.
“Clancy !” exploded the lieutenant.
Owen gave a startled jump, and looked wildly atouild: otic:
Seeming to recognize the lieutenant for the first time, he _
clicked his heels together, straightened erect, and brought
up his hand in salute.
“What are you trying
curiously. SS Me
“Got to get into my football togs,” was the answer, _
“Practice this afternoon. We’re playing. White before
long, sir.” i
“Where do you think you are?”

“and you
“may I say a few words?”

He hasn’t been himself for two.

,

”

to do, Clancy?

went on Finlgy. ei

}

Clancy looked around blankly, and then a eens look 18

crossed his face.

“Beg pardon, sir,
ting it around his waist.
back in quarters.” ras

Finley turned a pair of. startled eyes on Merriwell. at ee

“How long has he been like that?” he queried. _

“Since Thursday night, sir. He had town leave. Thur
day night. When he got back from town he he seem
to know. me.’ =

“What did you do in Fardale Thursday night, Clancy?"

” he said, picking up his belt ah PH i
“I thought for a moment I was

inquited Finley.

The same secretiveness which Merry had before note!
again took possession of Rlaney.
“Just loafed around, sir.” 9.
“Did you go any plate: in particular?”
“Not in particular, sir.”
“Who was with you?” , he
“Villum Kess was with me fora while, but we got ‘se a-
rated, sir. When I was ready to return to the eee M
couldn’t find Villum, so I came back alone.” | cs
“This is rather remarkable,” muttered Finley. “Tt
be looked into. Possibly it’s a case for a doctor.
your eye on him, Merriwell,” he added, in an sneha
to Frank. “If he doesn't improve by to-morrow . Ae the
fact to me.”

“Very. well, sir. Conk on, Owen,” “i Pen ‘turning

to his chum.

 

Com ing?
    

CHAPTER II.

A MERRIWELL

   

IS WORRIED.

  
  

Clancy appeared to be half asleep. A sudden shock
would cause him to wake up for a few minutes, and then
he would drift off into a semidrowse once more. And
_ there were times when he would come to himself without

experiencing a shock, and for an hour or more he would

be his natural self.
Merry, as he conducted his chum back toward barracks,
recalled that the lucid intervals were more frequent and
of longer duration than they had been on the preceding
day. Clancy’s queer mental state had begun with his town
leave Thursday evening. He had been absolutely normal
on leaving the academy, but on returning he had gone
into half a dozen rooms in plebe quarters before finding
his own proper place; and he had stared at Merry and
2 _ treated him as an utter stranger.

~~ Since that night he had come to recognize his chum,
cae. and it seemed that the fog was lifting from his faculties

by degrees. Yes, there was no doubt but that Clancy was

slowly but surely recovering the full use of his faculties.

This was reassuring to Merriwell, and yet he continued

to worry. Clancy was keeping something back. He was

_ not as frank as he should have been with his chum. It

was impossible to pin him down to anything that hap-

pened in the village on Thursday evening. Why did he
dodge and squirm out of questions on that point?

 
 
    
  

 

   

Claney came around to a normal attitude of mind as
-soon as Merry had got him into their room. He laughed
as Merry took his gun away from him and pushed him.
into a chair.

“These little excursioris to the sections and to drill are
all personally conducted, eh, Chip? You ought to get a

_ rope and lead me around.”
“How does your head feel?” Frank asked.

 

 

“Tiptop! I’m Class A_and top of the column in every
respect.” \
“Why did you begin to strip in Finley’s office?”
\ “What?”

 
   

“We just came from Finley. While you were with him
you began to take off your uniform and look around for
your football clothes.” —

- Clancy stared at his chum in amazement.
“You're joking, aren’t you, old man?” he asked.
; really do anything like that, did I?”

} “You really did,” returned Frank grimly.
_remember ?” Caw

eg . If I’m getting so Hiietctatn ta that ‘ do things
ike ‘that I ought to be put ih a padded cell.”

“What did you do in town Thursday evening?” ee
‘Frank. “Where did you go?”

He thought he would see a Owen had to say about

   
  
 
 

“T didn’t

 

 

 
 

“Can’t you

  
  
  
 

 

  

 
 
 
 

nt to ‘town ai Kess, but after we got separated my
ee is a blank.”

  

  
  
 

 

nae as a sting.” less the thier vehemently.
ay in blazes should I want to keep anything from you,
eee 1 just can’t remember where I was or what I did

  

seems to date from Thursday night, in Fardale..

out from anybody else.”

 

thing ae I woke up here F riday morning.” ime

“Well,” said Frank, “it’s too late for any- football now.
You stay here till supper formation, understand ?”

“All right, your royal muchness,” grinned Owen. “You’re
the original He-that-must-be-obeyed, and I’m knuckling
under.. But where’ are you off for?”

“Just a little visit down the hall,” Frank answered, and
left the room.

He opened Kess’ door and stepped inside.
sitting in a chair polishing a belt buckle.

“Oof it ain’d my olt chump, Merrivell!” cried Villum de-
lightedly. “Nahmen sie platz, Chip. Make yourselluf at
home alretty“ By der look .in your face I see you haf
someding your mind on. Vat it iss, eh?”

“Villum,” said Frank, “you went to Fardale with Clancy
Thursday. evening, didn’t you?”

aN 60b.

“Do you know what Clancy did in the town?”

“Ve no more as got by der town, Chip, ven Glancy gets
avay from me. I look aroundt for him und I don’d findt
him no blace. I see Presbery, und some more oof der
fellers, and I ask vere iss Glancy, und dey don’d know
nodding.” A look of profound interest came into the
Dutch boy’s eyes as he inquired: “Vat der tickens iss der
madder mit dot ret-headt chum oof ours, anyvay?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find’ out, Villum.”

“Heiss his base off pooty bad, by shinks! I don’d like
it oof dot feller goes grazy mit himselluf.”

Villum was

“He’s not going crazy. In fact, he’s getting better, right
along, and by to-morrow I’m pretty sure he’ll be himself
again. But I’m bothered to know what started all this
hocus-pocus. It began in town Thursday evening.” :

“Vy don’d you ask Glancy how it shdarted?”

“I have, but I can’t get anything out of him.”

“Maype,” said Villum, in an awesome whispeg “some-
pody has put der drouble sign on him?”

“Bosh !” :

“Or looked at him mit der evil eye!”

“ROUT :

“Dere iss tings like dose, you bet my life.
some laughs aboudt it, Chip. Ve can’t be so vise all. der
time as ve are chust some oof der time, und vat ve don’d
know makes a larger book as vat ve do.”

There was a streak of superstition in Villum, and eas
sionally he carried it to wild extremes. Frank had no

patience. with his Dutch chum when he got started in —

that strain, and so he left him rather suddenly. On the
way back to his own room he suddenly encountered Cadet
Captain Presbery, just'coming up the stairs. .
Frank drew up promptly and saluted. a
“Never mind the formality, Merriwell,” said Presbery, —
reaching the top of the stairs and leaning against the rail-

ing. “I want to talk with you a moment about Clancy. ae

Presbery was an upper classman and one of the best —
friends Merriwell had. He was always ready to go out
of his way to do Merry a service, or, out of hig longer
experience in the school, to tender him a bit of advice.
Frank.

is trouble

He won't
tell me what he did in town that evening, and Tr can’t find :

“This is mighty good of you, Presbery,”
“Clancy has got me going, and that’s a fact.

 

eS was in town Thursday night,” remarked - 5 er

  

Mey Sout biti a e

 

Don’d make

 
  
    
 

         
     
 
 
 
    
 
    
  
   
 
   
   

4 « NE W.

“and I saw Clancy whem he Was with’ Kessand -after lic
and Kess had separated.”

“Where was Clancy the last time you saw him?”

“He was near the hotel, with one of the profs.”

“One of the profs?”

“Yes. Garner was in town that night.”

Garner was' instructor in literature and history.
that, he was an Egyptologist of note, and his monograph
on “Mummies and Message Gems” had won him an ex-
alted place among the highbrows who pierce the mists of
antiquity along the Nile.

“Clancy was with Professor Garner?” queried Merry.

“Yes,” went on Presbery. “I came to tell you to call on
Garner and see if he can’t let *in a little light on what
ails Clancy.”

“It beats all,” mused Merry, “that Clan wouldn't tell me
about being with Garner.”

“Did you ask him where he was?”

“T’ve asked him that a dozen times. When he’s mud-
dled he dodges the question, and when he has his wits he
says he can’t remember.”

“Dafned queer, I must say,” murmured Presbery. “He
acts as though he had been doped. Finley ought not to
come down hard on him for what happened at inspection.
I’m positive Clancy didn’t know what he was doing.”

“T took Clan over to see Finley,” explained Merry, “and
told the lieutenant how he had been ‘off’ for a couple of
days. I guess that helped Clancy out. But there’s no dope
about it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I’m no doctor, Presbery, but if Clancy had been doped
the pupils of his eyes would narrow down to pinpoints.
Well, his eyes are all right. What’s more, he’ll have lucid
intervals, right when his wits are most out of balance.
That wouldn’t be the case if he’d taken anything.”

Presbery frowned thoughtfully.

“Shouldn’t wonder if you're right, Merriwell,” said he;
“but how do you account for it?”

“Can’t account for it. I’m badly puzzled and a whole
Jot. worried. In all the time I’ve known Clancy he has
never acted like this before.”

“There must be some reasonable explanation. If I can
help you get to the bottom of it, let me know. But see
Garner at the first opportunity. Right after supper and
before call to quarters would be a good time.”

“Much obliged, Presbery. I’ll see the prof this even-
ing.”

The drums began sounding assembly for supper forma-
tion, and the plebe and the upper classman hastily sepa-
rated. Frank hurried to help Owen, but found that Owen
was taking care of himself in a manner that left nothing
to be desired.

“Chip,” said ‘Owen, “don’t you do any fretting about
me. I’ve had a spell of—er—forgetfulness, but I’m all
over it. That ‘break’ at inspection and the one in Fin-
ley’s office were the last. I feel it in my bones.”

“Hope you're right,” said Frank briefly.

Owen’s actions in the mess hall and on the way back
to barracks bore out his confident statement that he was
“all right” again. After ranks had been broken, however,
he disappeared. Frank found Villum and asked him to
look up Owen and keep an eye on him; and then Frank
made his way quickly in the direction of Professor Gar-
ner’s house,

Besides

,

TIP TOP WERE, :

Ii Owen was himself again then it was a matter for —

 
 

oe:

4
*

ue ;

congratulation. .Nevertheless, the cause of his peculiar be-
havior remained as much a mystery as ever. And Prank
felt that the cause must be probed to the bottom to-pre-
vent a possible recurrence of the weird conditions.

Professor Garner’s study was on the first floor and at
the end of the house. The bay window, jutting out from
the study, was aglow with light. The curtain was not
drawn, and Frank could look into the room and see the
professor bending over a table.

Ascending the steps to the front door, he pressed the
push button and heard the muffled ring of a béll in the
depths of the house.

CHAPTER III.
THE RUBY FROM KARNAK.

A maid answered Frank’s ring. She informed the plebe
that the professor was very busy, and she did not know
whether he would care to be disturbed, but she would
tell him that Frank wanted a brief interview. Frank
waited in the hall, and presently the maid came back and
asked him to follow her.

The professor was a thin, dried-up little man, with a
hook nose and deep-set black eyes.
of hair as a billiard ball, and when indoors he always
wore a black skullcap.

The maid drew aside a curtain and motioned the caller
into the study. The professor, absorbed in his work, re-
mained bowed over his table. For several moments he took
no notice of Frank’s presence.

His long, lean fingers were holding a blood-red stone,
which he was examining by means of a magnifying glass.
He talked to himself as the examination proceeded. What
he said was a mete mumble.

Frank coughed. The professor looked around in sur-
prise, and then, apparently, remembered that he had told
the maid to show Frank into the room,

“Ah, ha, Merriwell!” Regretfully he laid aside the red
stone and the magnifying glass. ‘What can I do for you,
Merriwell ?”

“T want to ask you something about my roommate, Owen
Clancy, professor,” Frank answered. “He has been acting
queerly for the past two days, and 33

 

“Finley was telling us about that,” cut in Garner. “Very’

strange, most remarkable, but not, I should say, incom-
prehensible. Hardly rare, even. People quite often enter
such conditions of mental occultation. The human brain,
Merriwell, is a wonderful bit of mechanism. Its delicate

operations are peculiarly subject to interruptions—tem-

porary or long continued. Really, I don’t think you need
distress’ yourself about your friend. The symptoms are
not alarming.”

“But there must be a cause for such things, don’t you
think, professor?” Frank asked.

“Undoubtedly.”

“Well, I’m trying to find the cause in Clancy’s case.
Something happened to him Thursday night in Fardale.
He can’t seem to remember where he went or what he
did that evening. I hear that you were in the village at
the same time and that you saw Clancy.”

“So I did.
man who—gave me that.” The professor touched the small
red stone which lay on a white blotter like a drop of
blood. “A ruby, Merriwell, but so veined with flaws that
it is not of much intrinsic value; yet, as an antique mes-

CS a ame ena ee —

His head was as bare.

I went over to the hotel to meet a gentle-

    
 

     
   
  
  

,
'

 

eee

acer

 

 

int is
~~ gage gem it is beyond price. It—— But we were speak.
ing of your friend, Clancy.
_ as I came away from the hotel. He was normal, perfectly
' normal. I was coming back to the academy and invited
him to walk with me, but he said he had lost his com-
panion—Kess, I believe—and would try and find him.
That is all. I don’t think we exchanged half a dozen
words.” ;

Frank was disappointed. It seemed impossible for him
to discover anything at all about Clancy’s doings that night
in Fardale.

The professor’s mind was absorbed with the matter of
the ruby. He picked the stone off the blotter and turned
it around and around in his fingers, his face glowing with
interest. ,

“Did you ever see a real message gem, Merriwell?” he
asked.

Frank had no idea what a
"said so.

“It is a gem,” expatiated the professor, “handed down
to us from antiquity, and bearing a message as clear as
the characters on the Rosetta Stone, or as the hieroglyphs
on the obelisks and rock cuttings along the Nilus. This
stone,” and his eyes fondly dropped to the little red object.
“has a most romantic history. It was found among the
ruins at Karnak, was placed in the museum at Cairo, and
finally found its way into a mosque, where it was revered
as ae ‘Ruby of Allah.’

American gentleman, with a passion for antiques,
was ‘epaveling in Egypt. In some manner he secured pos-
session of this Ruby of Allah.” The professor smiled.
“How he secured possession of it I did not inquire. He
ey was reticent about that part of it. Being a man of wealth,

_ however, I assume that he paid liberally for the stone.
- He tried in Cairo and in Rome to have its message de-

_ciphered, but to no purpose. Finally some one sent him
to me. And it was td meet him and get the stone for

study that I went to Fardale last Thursday evening. My
He : investigations are—er—proving most delightful.”

“message gem” was, and

“How can you get a message out of a thing like that,
professor?” asked Frank.

“From the cutting, Merriwell, from the shape and loca-
tion of. the facets. There is a group of nine significants,
and these, when properly considered, establish a basis for
the interpretation of the message. I am arriving at con-
_ clusions, most remarkable conclusions. In fact, 1 shall
probably publish a brochure on this particular stone—The
Message of the Ruby of Allah” Of course,” he added
grimly, “the ruby has nothing at all to do with Moham-
‘medanism, but is concerned entirely with the rites and cus-
toms of the ancient Egyptians. It is no more entitled to

a place in a mosque than any other gem, and, from a

. entimental viewpoint, the title, ‘Ruby of Allah,’ is a mis-
nomer. It is the Karnak ruby, that is all—merely a mes-
sage gem of the time of Thotmes.”
67 ‘This was all interesting, no doubt, but it was mostly
Greek to Merriwell. He had other things besides message
s on his mind that evening. He arose to go.

“Glad you called, Merriwell,” said Professor Garner, al-

though i it was plain that he was not eager to detain his

show signs. 0
1 saw him for only a moment

to a normal status it might be .

”

When f en

Feturn Be
well, as a prec caution, to have.a doctor see him.

“He seems to be coming around all right.
him, a while ago, he was entirely himself.”

“That is proof that his faculties are readjusting them-—
selves, and that—— Well, well! What is the matter?”

The professor was standing with his back to the uncur-
tained bay window. Merfiwell, facing the window, had
suddenly seen something which had caused him to jump
excitedly and stare wildly.

A face had been pressed against the glass—a face whose
wild, staring eyes were fixed on the message gem, gleam-
ing ruddily in the lamplight. And it was the face of Owen
Clancy!

Owen vanished from the glass as intidedly as he had
appeared. Professor Garner, turning to follow the direc-
tion of Frank’s gaze, saw nothing but darkness.

' “What has comme over you, Merriwell?” repeated the
professor curiously.

“II thought I saw a face outside the window,”
mured Frank. ;
“Tut, tut! Your friend’s troubles are weighing on you

too heavily. Your imagination is playing you pranks.”

The professor passed around the table and drew the
shades.

“Maybe you are right, sir,” said Frank.
But he knew very well that the professor was not cor-
rect in his surmise. Clancy had really been looking into —
the study, and the ruby from Karnak had been the one

thing that caught and held his attention.

Mystified and apprehensive, Frank bade the professor

good night, and left the house. The moment he was out-
a he dashed around to the bay window. He could see ~
nothing of Owen. Some bushes grew near that end of —
the house, and he prowled through them, but his search _
was fruitless. : >

“This gets my goat and no mistake,” he said to himself —
as he took his way back across the parade ground. “What
the deuce has Clan got to do with that Ruby of Allah? ©
Why is he snooping around and looking at it through the
professor’s window? Is it possible that the stone has
anything to do with his queer state of mind? Bosh!”
Frank grunted disgustedly. “I guess Garner is right, 8
that my imagination ‘ig playing hob with me.’

As he was about to enter barracks he met Villum Kess.

“Did you find Clancy, Villum?” he asked.

“T couldn’t findt dot feller no blace, by shinks!” oe
swered Kess. “Vere he vent to mit himselluf iss more
as I knew. I haf looked eferyvere, Chip, und I don’d ee :
no luck at all.”

nt guess he’s all right, Villum. You needn’t bother any
more.”

Call to quarters sounded just then, ‘aad cadets beast
hurrying into barracks. Not many had lingered on the S
grounds, for the air was chill and the warm quarters in-

mur-

‘yiting. Frank waited as the crowd surged past him, hoping ©

to catch a-glimpse of Clancy. The red-headed. chap was
not among the jostling students.

“Tl go up and get my overcoat,” thought Franc, “and
then I’ll make a still hunt for Owen. Another one of
‘spells’ must have come on him—perhaps he isn’t dk
with them vie he ought to be pea and looked

after.” : ~

- As Frank we into his room se was sic
e find tiles —— at a table and busy with

 
you skip. to ne after broke ranks on the face
~ from supper? Couldn’t find you anywhere.”
' Merriwell looked at him speculatively.
“Cut it out, Clan!” he growled. “You are the one who
_ vanished. I was hunting for you, and you seemed to have
gone up in smoke. Kess was looking for you, too, and
didn’t have any luck. But I know where you were.”

“What?” Clancy’s face twisted queerly. “You were
hunting for me, you knew where I was, and yet you
couldn’t find me. What’s the answer, Chip?”

“T have been trying to find out what you did Thursday
evening,” went on Frank, “and I went over to see Pro-
fessor Garner. While I was in’-his study, talking with
him, I saw you look in at the bay window.”

Clancy’s face went white.

-“Chip,” he gulped, “are you giving it to me ¢ straight 2”

“Ves,” Frank answered, all at sea. “Don’t you know
you were there? If you do, can you tell me what you

_were there for?”

“T didn’t know I was there, so I can’t have any idea
what I was there for. I guess you’re mistaken about it.
You must have seen somebody else.”

“Splash! Do you think I wouldn’t recognize that ate
of yours? I know it too well to be fooled.. Look here,
chum,” and Merry went over and stood beside Clancy’s
chair, “why not tell. me “en this business? You know
you can trust me.’

A harassed expression came to the homely face of
Owen Clancy.

“Honest to goodness, old man,” he declated’ “Sf I went
to Garner’s and looked through the window, then I must
have done it in my sleep. I can't remember anything
about it. Darnyit, Chip, don’t you suppose I'd tell you
if the case was different?” /

Frank drew a long breath, and fell back a step.

“Where were you before call to quarters, Owen?” ie
- demanded.
“Looking for you,” was the reply, “and that’s all I can
remember.” ye :

CHAPTER IV.
THE MAN IN THE RED FEZ.

Frank’s brain was in a whirl. But there was no use
trying to get anything out of Owen.
were full of blanks, and it was plain that he was per-
-fectly sincere in stating that he could not fill them out..

“Don’t you know, haven’t you any idea, what’s the matter
. with you?” asked Frank, in desperation.
“No,” was the reply.
my life, so the trouble, whatever it is, can’t be very serious.
After we marched back from supper, and broke ranks, I
had it in mind to look for you. So far as I know I did
look for you. If you went to Garner's and saw me look-
‘ing through the ‘prof’s’ study window, then probably I
was still on your track, Chip—although I don’t know any-
thing about it.”

“You -weren’t jooking’ at me.

All your attention was
‘iven to something :

His waking hours —

“T feel as well as I ever did iu:

+ dale

s when you can't oa,

recite ent 1S more than 3 can fi; gure out.’ :
Clancy boned away, and Merry made an effort to do the
same, But he could not concentrate on his books. . That
‘crimson gen danced in front of his eyes and obscured the
text he was trying to read. He was glad when tattoo
sounded and he could make down his bed and get ready
to roll in. With the first. stroke of taps he was under
covers, leaving Clancy to hoist the window and put out
the light.

“All in, sir,’ Frank reported, when the inspector’s dark
lantern flashed through the room.

For an hour or more Frank’s thoughts pestered him, |
and he could not sleep. -From the other side of the par-
tition his chum’s even, regular breathing came to his ears.

“Red isn’t bothered ‘a particle,’ thought Frank, “and
hanged if I know why I should be! I’ve got a hunch,
though, that we haven't got to thd bottom of. this queer
business; and that we won’t get to the bottom until it’s
known what Clan did in Fardale Thursday night.” f

He kept thinking about that message gem; and when
he finally went to sleep he dreamed about it) A man in
a solar hat was walking through a lot of ruins. He .
stopped, kicked up something with his foot, then bent down
and lifted a red stone as big as his fist. Then the man
in the solar hat laughed like the villain in a melodrama—
laughed so fiendishly and so loud that Frank woke up.

All was quiet Sn peaceful; yet so real had been that
dream that the mocking, villainous laugh still seem@@ to’
be echoing in the room. What sounded like an echo, how-
ever, presently resolved itself into the regular breathing
of Clancy on the other side of the board wall.

“V’ll be worse than Clancy if this keeps up,” thought
Merry. :

He finally dropped into dreamless slumber, from which
he was aroused by the reveille gun. .

“Top o’ the morning to you, old scout,”
cheerily. “How’d you sleep?”

“I had a rotten night,” Frank answered. “Are you re-
membering things any better to- day than you did yes-
terday?” ;

“Little Owy has got over being locoed. You don’t have
to worry about me any more, Chip.” :

“That's what you said last evening, just nerete ag ne
looked through Garner’s window.”

“Well, I mean it this time.” Clancy slipped a card iene
ing } Merriwell’s name out of the little frame between the
two alcoves and replaced it with one bearing his own name.

“Here begins my week as room orderly.
Heaven’s sake, don’t aaive things lying around. This 18.»
Sunday morning, old man.’ ‘ iy:

called Owen

After roll call the cadets marched to breakfast; then they

marched back again to spend an hour or two before as-
sembly for chapel. Frank watched Owen closely, and _
was pleased to observe that his bearing showed no signs
of relapse. — seit
At chapel, and again at dinner, Owen was the same old |
Owen. Fos
“He has come out of it for good,” thought Frank, “but.
I’d give a lot to know what was the matter with him.
If it’s contagious, like mumps and measles, I’d thin
had caught it from hin, I don’t seem to know what I’
doing half the time.” ;
fter dinner, Owen asked Frank to bakces a hike
Frank, however, begged off. He had some

 

Now, for
    

to write, and: Sinaia afternoon was always his time for
that sort of work. Owen went off by himself.
_ Frank had got about halfway through a long letter to
his father when some one knocked at the door. At
Frank’s call to “Come in!” Presbery showed himself.
“What’s Clancy up to this afternoon, Merriwell?” in-
quired the upper classman.
, “Said he was going to take a hike to Fardale,” answered
Frank, all worked up on the instant by Presbery’s words
and manner. “He wanted me to go along, but I had some
letters to write.”
“Get into your. hat and coat,” said ect “and come
with me.”

Frank dropped his half-written letter into a drawer, hur-
riedly made himself feany. and left barracks. with the upper
classman.

“What's the matter, Posibenr >?” Frank asked.

“Maybe everything is as it should be, Chip,” said Pres-
bery, “but I don’t like the looks of things. I was close
to the road when Clancy started toward Fardale. Just as
he reached the turn I saw.a man step out of the brush.
Clancy whirled and started to run back toward the acad-
emy; then he turned toward the man, and from where I

 
  

 

 

 

 

to be a fight. But there wasn’t. A little later the man

walked back into the brush—and Clancy. followed him like

_ a hound pup. What do you make of that?”

“I’m. by,” answered Frank, bewildered. “Who was the

mai a

"So. far as I could tell—I was watching from quite a

_ distarice, you understand—the man was no one I had ever

- seen before. He wasn’t very. big, and he had a shi ters

; face, and wore a red fez.”

ca Ne LOS”

“Yes; one of those round, brimless hats you find on the

ao Turks.”

“Jupiter!” muttered Frank. “There are Turks in Egypt,

and Turks are Mohammedans, and—and He paused

abruptly, wondering where his thoughts were carrying him.

| He and Presbery were striding along the. Fardale road.

: Presbery turned to give his companion a sharp look..
“What.have Egypt and the Turks got to do with it?”

ay he asked.

“Nothing, or everything, or—I don’t know, Presbery,”

- Frank answered confusedly.

_ “What. brought Egypt into your mind when . mentioned

the fez?”

“Something Garner told me.” .

“Has it anything to do with. Clancy: ea

Briefly, Frank explained about the Ruby of Allah, and

how he had seen Clancy looking at the ruby through the

professor's study window. He added, also, that Clancy:

could. remember pein about looking OREN the ny

indow. 8

Presbery, wearing a thoughtful frown, halted at the

turn in the road.

zo whole affair of oe s

 

 

xe ‘

     
   
  

 
 

  
   
    
  

 
 

 
 
    
     
 
 

  

he remarked, “Js one

ni - complicated to me. This is the way the fellow in
> fez went, with Clancy tight at his heels. Think we'd

 
 
    
    

 

H Frank sieticed “T’m glad ihe saw them ad

  

  

. fez were not in evidence.

‘| Nad stood it looked for a second as though there was going’

jumped to the right about.

to Clancy, and then leaped away in er
Ereebery- Like oe Saat Fa is pe key 3

“the: @datis and proceeded canes:
Clancy and the stranger in the red”

      
       
      
   
  
   
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
  

for some distance.

“Where the deuce do you think they went?” queried ©
Presbery, perplexed.

“This timber is a good place for them to hide out,”
suggested Merriwell. “We couldn’t see them if they were
within fifty feet of us. I wish to thunder I’d come with
Clancy and let the letters go hang,” he added, in a burst of
self-reproach. “Clancy couldn’t have been expecting to
meet the fellow, or he wouldn’t have asked me to come with
him.” ;

“We'll move on, Merriwell, and keep our eyes and ears
open,” said -Presbery. “And it will be just as well not to
make any more noise than we can help.”

They proceeded onward silently, stopping now and then
to listen and to search the surroundings with keen eyes.
Those chill November woods were not at all comfortable
as a place for a chat between friends, and it was certainly
no friendly talk that had brought Clancy and the stranger
into them,

Suddenly Presbery, who was a few paces in the lead,
turned to his companion and lifted a finger to. his lips. .
At the same time he waved his hand ahead, and-to the
right. ‘
Merry, peering in the direction indicated, saw a figure
some twenty or thirty feet away. It was the form ‘of a
man of medium size wearing an overcoat with a fur collar —
and a red fez with a dangling tassel. The man’s back was
toward the two cadets. He was talking, and gesticulating
with his arms, but only the drone of his voice reached the
ears of the two youths.

“There he is!” whispered - Presbery.

“And he must be talking to Clancy,” returned Merriwell..

“Let’s shift our position a little, so we can get a better —
view.”

Merry nodded assent, and Presbery, crouching low, —
moved carefully to a point a little farther along. Pres-
ently, from behind a tree, they were able to see Clancy.
The plebe was sifting on a log, staring up into the ee
the man in front of him.

There was a strange look on Clancy’s face—rapt, in-
tense, but utterly lacking in initiative. The man in the
fez gestured and droned on, and the red-headed chap sat
like a statue and never moved.

2 TS we get rouch | closer,”
hear us’

“Let’s catch the fellow,” whispered. iMaeeg
him tell us what he’s doing.”

“T -was going to suggest that.
run of it.”

“If he tries to run we'll overhaul = a believe. ‘hat
fellow, eos is eee for all o: ere: Ae
actions.”

“Maybe you are sete Merriwell, Shenae . haves fhe
slightest idea) how he’s Teeponsible. lf a re ae re
make a break.” ; Se, Cen eae

“Away we go, then!” foe

They started at speed through the timber. The- man ;
the red fez heard them before they. had gone far, and
He was very much. surprise
that was plain, but he kept his head. He said somet

>

   

   
  

wh ispered Paes

 
 

“and make

    

 

We' i have to make 2

  

      
 
     
 
  
  

   
 
    
       
 

3 » “Stop ” vali eyes

 
  

  
      
    
   
   
   
     
     
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
   
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
     
     
     
    
 
    
     
   

straight behind. °F ampered though he was with his heavy
coat, the fellow was running like a deer.

CHAPTER V.
AN EVIL POWER.

The pace was altogether too swift for Presbery, and he
fell farther and farther behind. Merriwell was a crack
sprinter, however, and he stripped off his heavy coat and
dropped it as he ran.

“T’ll get him, Pres!” he shouted.
coat, will you?”

The upper classman returned a eunsenié response, and
Merriwell darted on. Thus cleared for action, Merry had
much the advantage of the fugitive. His overcoat flapped
and fluttered and interfered with the movements of his
legs, but he had no intention of casting it aside.

Deeper and deeper into the woods he ran, with Merriwell
gaining at every stride. The two were alone, for Pres-
bery was practically out of the running, and had been left
far in the rear,

The stranger looked backward over his shoulder, then
turned squarely to the left and went on at a right angle
to his previous course. Frank, watchful and alert, cut the
corner, thereby gaining several yards. He came, in a few
moments, to the bank of a small ravine.
in the bottom of the ravine, bobbing a trifle wearily now
and getting ahead at a much slower pace.

“Halt!” cried Frank. “Halt, or I'll fire!”

This, in Western parlance, was a “bluff.” Frank had
nothing to fire with, but it occurred to hirh to use the
threat, and note the result.

Again the stranger looked around. Frank saw the move-
ment, and flung up his right hand. Then a log got in the
stranger’s way, and he stumbled and went over it flat.
Before he could get up and resume his flight, Frank was

upon him. .

“What you want, eh?” asked the man, with a queer,
foreign accent, sitting up among the dry leaves.

That was a question which the plebe found it hard to
-answer. Now that he had overtaken the fellow, what was
he going to do with him?

~The stranger's fez had jolted down over one of his wing-
like ears, and the tassel gyrated in front of his face and

eyes. To say the least of it, he was an odd-looking

person.

_ His face was almost a chocolate color, his lips were

_ thick and his cheekbones were high. He ‘had beetling
brows, and under them were two eyes that gleamed like
fire in pools of midnight. .

As he lifted his hands to readjust his fez, Frank saw

that he had rings on the fingers of both gy Eig

rings of queer design.

“What you want, eh?”

_ The voice was smooth and almost musical, but touched
with the singular foreign inflection already noted.

“Get up!” ordered Frank sternly, pushing a hand under

his coat and toward the hip.

The “pistol pocket” was supposed to be at the hip.

Frank hoped the stranger knew enough of American ways

to understand that, and to be properly impressed.

_ “You look at me, onnerstand?” purred the man, coming

an erect posture. “Here, in the eye, you look!”

“Take care of my

 
 

  

  

  

The red fez was.

“Instead, there was a long, flexible cord, looped at each

The: idan pret brought F rank's gaze to the man’ a,

    

 

€ ye vish, but chatiged rar |
tawny brown. There was a weird sparkle in them, aid 0
an uncanny tingling ran through Frank’s werves.

« “Keep on. and look,” whispered the man, “look straight. 1
You not draw a gun and shoot; eh? You not shoot Malim ot
Bey if you try, eh? Sure not, ha, ha, ha!”

A chill crept’ up Merriwell’s back. He felt his wits t
growing confused, and all power of self-control falling i
from him. In a flash he realized that the mysterious
stranger had hypnotic eyes—was gifted with a power which ie A
he exercised for evil. Nate mete gs

“Ah, you wish not now to shoot Malim Bey, priest of = | j
the Mosque of Ali! You are friends with him! Nice little 1

‘Merican yoong man is friends with Malim Bey... So keep '
on with the looking. You cannot turn the eye away if
you try. See; I come close, close. Listen while I spik:
Allah il’ Allah, Mohammed resoul Allah. You "Merican
yoong man not onnerstand, eh?”

A horrible feeling of weakness was stealing through
Merriwell’s limbs. He knew a little about the wonderful
power this foreigner was exercising. His own father, the
older Frank Merriwell, had the gift in a marked degree,
and had exercised it in the interests of right and a good
cause; but here was a man who, plainly enough, invoked
the power for nothing but evil.

And Frank knew something else, and that was that a
determined effort of the will would sometimes baffle the
plans of the most adept hypnotist. He called desperately
upon his waning powers «and broke the chain MalitnBey
was so craftily forging.

“Cut that out!” cried Frank angrily. “None of your
tricks with me! What have you done to my chum, Clancy?
I believe: you’re Ee for what has been happening
to him.” y

“Look !” commanded the other.
here!” *

A sort of magnetic. attraction seemed to draw Merri-
well’s gaze to the sparkling orbs of the Turk. Unable to ©
withhold his gaze, he gave vent to a oo of anger, and
threw himself at the man. a

There followed.a clash, brief but exciting. Malim Bey |
tried to get at something under his coat, panting out ex-
clamations in a strange tongue as he struggled. Theheavy _ 4 Bd
coat. continued to hamper his movements, and thus to help :
Merriwell. '

The Turk had muscles of steel, ahd his hands could grip —
like the jaws of a vise. With his left hand clinging to —
Merriwell’s right wrist, he worked his right beneath the ©
coat. .
Frank struck him fiercely in the face with his free fits ees
but the swarthy chap took the punishment without a mur-
mur—twisting, groping, and Erbin, the while, with ws
unseen right hand. . oe

Finally the hand came forth, Frank expected. to see 3 ‘
knife or a revolver, but such. a weapon was not revealed. a

 

 

 

“Look in the eyé—

 
      
    
     
     
   
   
   
   
    
   
      
    
 
 
    
    
    

 

end. zs
The Turk caught both loops in his fingers, degen
twirled the cord in a circle, and dropped the oval arent
Frank’s throat. :
“You know the bowstring, ha?” breathed Malim Bey. be-
tween his teeth. “ “Now you see it work!”

Still keeping Merry’s right arm in chancery, an
suffering punishment from Merry’s left, the Turk

  
  
  
      

   

of the hand the bowstring was twisted.

It was a barbarous weapon, that cord. Frank felt the
loop narrowing and narrowing about his throat. Not until
that moment did it occur to him to shout for Presbery.
His voice was a choking, ineffectual instrument just
. then. The closing loop restricted his breathing, and a feel-

ing of weakness stole over him.

With a mustering of all his strength, he suddenly at-
tempted other tactics. He pulled back on the cord, and
the body of the wiry Turk lurched forward; then Frank

Pak - put out a foot, tripping the scoundrel as ae sought to
) f}  __ regain his balance.

-@ The maneuver was effective. Malim Bey lost his footing
completely, and one hand left the cord while the other
dropped from Frank’s wrist. Frank, breathing with diffi-
culty, jumped backward and fell to untwisting the cord.

‘He was vaguely conscious of a shout from the bank \of
the ravine. It was an encouraging yell from Presbery,
but in Frank’s throbbing ears. it sounded as though miles
‘away.

“Where’s the fellow in the fez, Merriwell?”

Merry looked at the upper classman, standing in _ front
of him with the overcoat across his arm.

“Fe—was here—a minute ago,” he answered breathlessly,
pulling away the cord.

Looking around, he saw that the Turk had made the
@ most of the time Presbery had used in reaching the ravine,
+ and had made good his escape.

“He’s a slick scoundrel,” muttered Frank.
villain, Pres. He tried to hypnotize me.”

Presbery looked incredulous.
ze “Hypnotism is mostly—er—gammon, isn’t it?” he queried.
~ e. a “Not with that Turk!” declared Merry. “Great snakes,
| Pres, but you should have seen his eyes!” Chip shivered.
| @ *They—they were horrible.”

7 -Presbery had too high.a regard for Merriwell to treat

any of his convictions lightly; and yet it was plain that he
took no stock in the hypnotic theory. :

 

 

“An unusual

 

 

up'the cord with the looped ends.
“ “Malim Bey tried to strangle me with it—when the
| __ hypnotism failed to work.”
: ~“T can understand that, anyhow. That fellow is a scoun-
_ drel, and no mistake. I wish I’d got here in time to help
you capture him. You are ‘pretty sure he’s the one who
has been making trouble for Clancy?”
_ “No doubt of it,” said Frank emphatically.
“By looking at him?’ questioned Pres skeptically.
“Yes, Presbery, just by looking at him!”
“But what’s his game? He’s going to a lot of trouble
to show off his evil powers, seems to me, and with no
greater reward in sight than getting himself tucked neatly
- away in an American calaboose.”

“T wish I knew what he’s up to,” mused Frank, rubbing
his throat. “Perhaps we can get Clancy to talk. Let’s go
back and see.”

- “That’s the ticket!”

ing their course in the direction of the road. On the way,
Presbery inquired minutely into the details of Merry’s
encounter’ with the Turk.

t rsely and concisely Frank went over the whole affair.
e has worked some sort of a heathen hocus-pocus

ncy, ee Presbery | setae: “T don’t see how

 
 

 
 
 

Fens

* loops slipped around on his fingers, and with every whirl |
planation more simple, and, if you will excuse my saying
“so, more convincing. The fact that he couldn’t exert his

' wonted sternness creeping into his voice.

“Where did this string come from?” he asked, picking ~

Frank got into his overcoat, and the two began retrac-

these diggings.”
‘it me?”

; re oe and oun the | room, ae ee cash a dy

There is an a

   

look your chum out of his wits.

      
 

uncanny influence over you, knocks that theory, to my no-
tion.”

Frank saw there was no use arguing the case. As a
matter of fact, the logic might, after all, be on Presbery’s
side.

When they reached the place where they had seen Clancy
in company with the Turk, Clancy had disappeared. He
was nowhere to be seen.

“What do you know about that!” exclaimed the dazed
upper classman. '

“Did Clan go off to rejoin. the Turk somewhere,” said
Merry excitedly, “or has he returned to the academy?”

“Let’s go to the academy,” suggested Presbery, an un-
, “Tf Clancy is
not there we'll make things particularly warm for this
Malim Bey!”

      
     
         
     
     
  
   
   
   
  
  
 
   
   
  
   
  
  
  
    
   
  
    
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
 

CHAPTER VI.
A STAGGERING SURPRISE.

Imagining all sorts of dire things, the upper classman
and the plebe set-off hurriedly on their return to barracks.
Both of them were practically of one mind regarding
Clancy. They had not the slightest idea that they would
find him at the academy.

Presbery’s plan, as soon as they became absolutely cer-
tain of Clancy’s absence, was to lay the whole matter be-
fore Colonel Gunn, the principal of the school, and Lieu-’
tenant Finley. Then those two officials could notify law
officers in Fardale and have them send out searching
parties—with bloodhounds, if necessary.
we'll trap this Turk!” asserted Presbery. “He'll
not be able to escape if we start the hunt in a rush. Once
he’s caught, he can be forced to tell what his business is.”

Presbery accompanied Merriwell to plebe quarters on
the top floor of barracks. When they burst into Frank’s
room, a surprise greeted them. Clancy sat comfortably
in a chair by the window, reading a book!

“Hello, fellows!” he called, grinning. “You're a nice
one, Chip! Didn’t have time to take a hike with me, but
you moseyed off with Presbery as soon as he came ,along.
What’s the matter with you two? Can’t you talk?”

Merriwell and Presbery were staring at each other.

“When did you get back, Clancy?” asked the upper class-
man, in a strained vene. ;

“Half an hour ago,” was the nonchalant reply.

“Didn’t you see the Turk after =e and T chased him
away?” ’

The red-headed plebe opened a eyes very wide, at
that. sae

“What Turk?” he inquired. : ra e

Presbery looked hard at Clancy. x ma

“See here,” he went on sharply, “you don’t mean to say
that you didn’t meet a man in a red fez at the turn of ©
the road? Or that you didn’t have a talk with him i in ae
woods?”

“That’s another of the many things I seem to have Paes
gotten,” said Clancy. “Somebody’s going crazy around
He slammed his book on the eee: cn

“ec

    
       
     
       
       
     
     
     
         
       
       
     
    
 

    
 

  
 
 

Presbery pushed his hands into his nadlintt and ae

    
       
   

was. used. to. this sort of forgetfulnes s
yet, nevertheless, this last surprise was as stone 1g to
him as it was to the upper classman. He took his over-
coat and hung it carefully in its proper place along his
_. side of the partition.

Presently Presbery stopped his whistling and his walk-
ing and posted himself in ‘front of the red- headed mystery
_ in the chair by the window.

“Listen, Clancy,” said he patiently. “I saw you when
you left the academy to take your hike toward Fardale.
I saw you go down the road. At the turn a little man in

red fez with a tassel—the fez had a tassel, didn’t it,
Merry?” he appealed to Frank. .,

Frank nodded gravely.

“That man,” proceeded Presbery, keen for all the slight
details, “stepped out of the bushes at the roadside and
planted ‘himself in front of you. You turned to run——”

“Red fez with the tassel must have scared me,” cut in
Clancy, grinning.

“This is too darned serious to joke about. You turned
to run; then you changed your mind, whirled around, and
acted as though you were going to fight. But——’
“Bully! Here’s where we get action.” ‘

“But you didn’t fight. Vouriee::

> “Aw; shucks !”

“You just followed that Turk into the woods. I came
for Merriwell and we followed you. We found you, too,
and you were sitting on a log and the Turk was talking
“to you. Merry ahd I made a rush to get hold of the
- man——”

“Why did you want to butt into a private conversa-
tion?” chuckled Clancy. “It’s not often I have a chance
to talk with a real Turk.”

“The fellow ran,” went on Presbery, still patiently. “He
-outran me,, but Merriwell came up with him in a ravine.
Merry says the fellow tried to hypnotize him. No matter
about that, but he certainly did try to strangle him with
acord. Then I came up, and—and the heathen got away.”
ae Presbery paused, gnly to add deliberately and with em-

phasis:

“Now, Clancy, this all happened. It ee a matter of
fact. and not of guesswork. Merriwell and I saw it with
our, own. eyes. Yet you declare you never. met this Turk
and don’t know anything about him. Is there anything
reasonable about. that ?” ey 4

; Clancy dropped some of his flippancy And jamped out
f his chair. |

“Maybe jit isn’t sisal but, by thunder, it’s the
truth!” he answered. “T can’t remember anything about
” he asked plaintively, “how far it is to the

    
 
 

  

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 
   

 
 

  

  

hath to be. thete, right this siteite?

said Frank, “you’re locoed.”

: ’ agreed Owen, “but there are no pains or
er r alarming symptoms connected with it. I feel fine.
isn’t the Turk, but you fellows, who are making me
mfortable. Darn it! W oe can’t you let me. x locoed
ace?”

   

he -aring: alotig ¢ the hai.
-proachfully, and dropped into a chair.

_and magazines and others giving their attention to bound

suggestion | in.the waking state, for suggestion is a great

  
 

person, when impressed with a suggestic
Ng tier, will follow: it out unwittingly: in a

        

    

 Mapekeett looked at his chum re~

    

‘What’s the odds, Chip?” asked Owen. “No use fret- —
ting over something that can’t be helped. If I’m doing
all these things, and then forgetting about them, better
watch me and see what happens. Maybe that’s the quick-
est way to get to the bottom of this thing. It's the
easiest, anyhow.” oa
Frank, impelled by a sudden idea, got out of his chair
and made for the door. Taking the key out of the inside
he put it in the outside of the lock. oo
“T’ll be gone for maybe an hour, Clan,” said ne “and ek
in order to make sure that you don’t forget to stay here, fe %
I’m going to lock you in.” . ey
“All right,” assented Chip. “I’m willing to submit to
anything that you think right and proper, Chip.” ite
Frank closed the door, locked it, and then left barracks
and walked to the library. A number of students sat in —
the big reading room, some of them poring over newspapers

 
   
     
   
         
   
   
  
   
   
  
     
  
   
 
 
 
 

volumes. One of the first fellows Frank’s eyes fell upon ~
was Presbery. Their glances crossed, and a tinge of red
showed in thé upper classman’s face. Then he smntled Pe
and beckoned. — :
Frank walked over to him.
thick ‘volume he was reading, and, with a finger,
cated the title of the article that was engaging him.
read the word, “Hypnotism.” oe
“I was coming here to look up that identical article”
said Frank. sf
“T beat you to it,” returned Pradbery; with a faint sities
“On the authority of this encyclopedia, what's happening
to Clancy might easily happen—through one phase of |
hypnosis. Sit down here, Merriwell, and listen.”
Frank drew a chair to the table and took his place feck
side the upper classman. The latter, in a lowered voice, — ee
read the following: . be

 

Presbery pushed out the
indi-
Frank

 

 

     
  

       
    
       
   
 

“‘The words hypotism is generally and largely misun-
derstood and misused. For example, if/a person seems to
be wholly influenced by another, it is commonly said he
has been hypnotized. This is a great error, The word,
hypnotism means putting a person to sleep, and means i
nothing else. If an individual seems to be subjected to
another in a waking state, it should be said that he is.
unduly influenced. He is not hypnotized. That would
mean that he is asleep. The means by which bysnciaaele
is used is ‘suggestion.’ A person may be influenced by

     
      
  
    
      
   
  

  
 
  

 
 
 
 

force in:daily life. ‘As connected with hypnotism, however,
suggestion is the expression of an idea or combination
of ideas which becomes impressed upon the mind of the
somnolent subject to whom it is addressed, Conssioy, oO
unconscious results are sure to fol— cs

 

     
 
   
 
     
     
 
 
 

  
  

“Help ” murmured Frank despairingly. What ds you
make. out of all that, Pres—in your own words?”
“Well,” smiled the upper classman, “it is pretty ‘dry
and pretty deep.” He pushed the book away. a
make out of | it is this: Clancy is Secor

  
 
    
 
      

  
 
  

 
 
  

 

“im ” said Frank nay)
“He vs hypnotized oh told what the:

 
   
   
  
   

he will forget—his mind on the subject will be a perfect
blank.”

“That's coming close to Clancy’s case.”

“That’s the way it strikes me. When hypnotized, sug-
gestions can be made to a patient and will be carried out
in the course of days, weeks, or even months, And the
- patient will not know what he is doing, and will not
have the slightest recollection of it afterward. Take
| -Claney’s case when he came back from town Thursday

is 5 night. He didn’t seem to know you. That means the
/. hypnosis was wearing off, and he was half awake and
er. & half asleep. Later, he would be wholly awake, and then
ee just drowsy enough so he had no idea what was taking
-place around him. A shout or a push would bring him
to his senses, but he couldn’t remember what he had done,
any more than a sleepwalker.”

“But he wasn’t asleep when we found him in quarters a
little while ago!”

“No, he was wide awake. But he had been hynotized,
Merriwell, and the suggestion made to him that he had
not met the Turk and had not seen him; in fact, did not
know anything about him. So Clancy, in his talk, is per-
fectly sincere. He believes exactly what he says. First,
he must have been hypnotized in Fardale by Malim Bey.
When the first influence began to wear off, the Turk laid
for him again and once more turned on the evil power.
With a quick word he awoke Clancy when he saw us com-
ing, out there in the woods, and he not only told Clancy
to forget all about him—the Turk—but to return to the
academy.” /

Merriwell rubbed a dazed want across his forehead.

“I knew there was something in hynotism,” said he, “but
I had no idea the subject was so deep, or so complicated.
-You’ve changed your mind about it, have you, Pres?”

“A smarter man than I wrote that article for the en-

 eyclopzdia,” returned the upper classman, “and I don’t see

_ what right I have to dispute the statements. Out of all

the queer happenings the one question that bobs to the
surface is, ‘What’s Malim Bey’s purpose?’ He isn’t doing
all this for the mere fun of the thing.”
“fT guess the only way to settle that peiat will be to
lie low and keep a keen watch on Clancy.”
“That’s the idea.” Presbery closed the book and got
cup from the table. “Will you do-that, Merriwell?”
“T’l1 do the best I can,” said Frank,

   

<2

 

CHAPTER VII.
THE ROBBERY.

Merriwell had no further conversation with Presbery
on the subject of hypnotism. The upper classman’s half
_ hour of reading, and of likening his reading to the details
of Clancy’s case, had made a believer out of a skeptic.
_ This was more than enough to satisfy Merry, whose faith
in the phenomena was fixed, even while Presbery had still
been a doubter.

_ Frank returned to barracks and unlocked the door of his
Z "room. He would not have been unduly surprised had he
found his chum missing from quarters. So many odd and
hard-to-be-explained things had happened that Frank was
becoming calloused to the shocks.

ae lancy had not vanished, however. He was cae tertaeil
seated near the window and was busy with his book.

_ “If you haven’t any objection, Chip,” said he, “I’d like

   

NEW. TIP TOP WEEKLY.

to read up on hypnotism.”

. sponge.

-job. ”

    

 

  

”

“Over at the library,” replied Frank. “I went over there |

      
 

Clancy’s homely face brightened.

“Learn anything worth while?”

“I should say so! Presbery had got there and grabbed
the book ahead of me, so we chewed the subject over

      
         
     
    

        
 

together. You are not really hypnotized, Clan. It is a
great mistake to think so. If you were hypnotized, you’ (ee
be asleep.” Te

 
  
   
   
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
     
   
  
 
 

“That so? “Well, I don’t know, but I think I’m awake.
If I’m not in a hypnotic condition, Chip, then what sort
of a condition am I in?”

“You’re being influenced by suggestion impressed on
you during a state of hypnesis.”

“If all that has bap.

“Much obliged,” grinned Clancy. Ss
Why do I do ’

pened to me it’s a wonder I’m not dead.
things and then forget all about them?”

“You were told to forget all about them.”

“Eh? Oh, come off! If somebody told you you hadn’t
eaten breakfast this morning would you forget about it?
Say, Chip, it takes more than just somebody’s suggestion
to make us forget things, or to do things we never thought
of doing.”

“That’s where the hypnotism comes in.”

“Why don’t I know I saw this Turk this afternoon?”

“He hypnotized you and told you to forget about it, then
woke you. up.”

Clancy reflected for a few moments.

“Well,” he remarked presently, “if I’m as easy as that
I ought to have a little sense pounded into me. It all
sounds very foolish. If the Turk tells me to eat my usual
allotment of meals, and then forget about it, I’m liable
to starve to death! I’ll have to have proof before a theory _
of that kind sticks in my crop.” si

 

“Presbery is satisfied the theory is correct, Clancy. And
so am I.” A
“You and Pres aren’t in this as deep as I am,” said ;

Clancy rebukingly. “There’s no Turk impressing you
with his heathen notions, making you walk chalk to carry —
them out, and then rubbing them off the board with a wet _
You can go as far as you like with your theories,
for they’re not making a fool of you, but of me.” .

Merriwell laughed at the long face drawn by his chum.

“You're not to blame, anyhow, Clan,” said he sooth-
ingly. “That ought to be some comfort. From now on
I’m going to watch you closely. You can help, if et a
want to.” °

“How ?”

“Why, whenever you feel one of the Turk’s suggestions —
about to take hold, tip me off so I can get gue on the

    
       
         
     
     
    

e's
o

  
      
    

“That’s the deuce of it—I never know when they’ re
going to take hold.”

     
    
 

The two chums, in their discussions, got a lot of quiet —
fun out of the situation. And yet it was distinctly not
a situation to be taken lightly. Science had stepped in and
defined Clancy’s affliction, but science had nothing to say
about where the affliction would lead, or how serious ue
result might be for the red-headed plebe.

Overshadowing the whole affair was the forbidding figure
of the Turk. He was not demonstrating his powers
through Clancy for the love of it. There was a sinister a
design, of some kind, back of his peculiar labors,

Frank wondered what his game was. Later on, he \

  
       
   
  

 
 
 
 
 

   
   
  

  
   
  

      
     
   
NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY.

dived that he. could have been so dense as not to see
through it.

‘Sunday afternoon passed tike most of the other Sunday
© gtiventans at the academy. Toward evening the bars of
discipline were_let down and the students went visiting in
ie quarters.

- Claney’s behavior had been paraded before the school
at inspection in such a manner as to impress all the
cadets. These observers had questioned others, and ‘little
by little a great deal became known as to Clancy’s weird
actions.

So, when the visiting commenced; the room occupied by
Frank and Owen received rather more than its share
of the general attention. Clancy’s supposed condition
of mind elicited remarks both grave and gay.

_ How long had he been crazy, and managed to keep it
quiet? Was Finley going to put him in a strait-jacket?
What was his recipe for forgetting things? There were
others who could use the recipe with profit.

Clancy took the joshing good-naturedly. In fact, his
_ mental condition would have been a rare joke had Malim
Bey not been mixed up in it,

Frank kept close tab on his chum. He couldn’t lock
their room door at night, for it had to be left open for
the convenience of the subdivision inspector. It. would

have been next to impossible for Clancy to leave barracks,

_ however, without the connivance and help of some of the

- other students. Knowing the state of affairs, none of

_ the other cadets would have been guilty of extending
such aid. So: Clancy was \about as safe with. the room
door open as he would have been with it locked.

- Merry kept awake. as long as he could that night, listen-
ing to the quiet, regular breathing of his chum. He went
to sleep, of course, but he had impressed his mind with
he importance of watching Clancy and was awake betimés
_ during the dark hours. Always, when he opened his eyes,
He the peaceful breathing of Clancy was to be heard on

_ the other side of the partition.

i “What did I do last night, Chip?” Clancy inquired, the

first thing in the morning,

_ “Nothing but sleep, so far as I know,” Mérry answered.
_ “Didn't try to pull off any of the Turk’s suggestions, eh?”
Der :

“Then I guess I'm getting bombproof, so far as Malim
_ Bey’s suggestions are concerned.”

- Preceding morning roll call there was tremendous ex-

haps among the students. It began with a view of

sie the news got deal Professor aces
an robbed during the night! Thieves had smashed

‘rank was startled . all this. So was Owen.
‘Here’s 2 go! !” exclaimed Owen. | “Why the deuce did
Garne r want to have such a Saduahie: ‘ruby lying loose
d his study? He never looked to me like a man
wi b bobby for precious: stones, or ene indulge one

- any undue. crashing.

looked out of the night, through the professor's Window,
and seen that red stone on the professor’s table! Now,
for the first time, he was apparently hearing about the

‘Ruby of Allah,”

Presbery, so full of excitement that his dignity as a
cadet captain was sorely threatened, moved over in Merri-
well’s direction.

“What do you think of this new development, Merry?”
Presbery asked.

“I think,” was the reply, “that we’re just getting a clew
as to why Malim Bey is in this neck of the woods.”
“Just the way it strikes me. He’s the one who broke into
Garner’s study and took the ruby. To my notion, he has

. been hanging around here just with that object in view.”

“No doubt about it.”

The two had no time for further conversation. Rolls
were called, and the companies, to the stirring strains of _—
fife and drum, marched away to the mess hall. fas

During breakfast the burglary was still one topic of —
discussion. More details of the robbery had been secured urd
from somewhere and were brought out in the spirited —
talk,

A red cotton handkerchief had been coated with molasses a MEE

by the thief or thieves, and pasted to the study window
in Garner’s house. The window had been broken without —
The fragments of glass had stuck —
to the handkerchief, and the handkerchief had been cast _
aside. Through the hole in the window a hand had been
thrust and the sash lock pushed back.

The ruby was locked in a\drawer of Professor Garner’ hike
study table. The thief or thieves had known just where —
to go for it, and the drawer had been broken open and ia)
the: ruby extracted. _ mie

Garner, it was said, was in a state of collapse. The
ruby was an antique, and: was more valuable as a mes-
sage gem than as a precious stone. In fact, it was said
that the New Yorker who owned the ruby had been offered
an immense sum for the stone by the British Museum—
$50,000, or some such fancy figure. No wonder poor old
Garner was having an attack of nerves! :

After return to barracks from mess _ hall Frank had Beis
a chance for a little further conversation with Presbery. '

“I’ve been thinking over what you told me regarding 5

that ruby, Merry,” said the upper classman, “and it seems
mighty strange we didn’t guess what the Turk was up to. tg
long before this robbery happened.” hy
“The thing hits me in about the same way, Ena said “e
Pratik. 39 ih
“The fellow told you he was a priest in one of the en é
ish mosques. Now, according to Garner, this Ruby | of
Allah belonged in an Egyptian mosque and the New —
Yorker got hold of it in some way or other—presumably
by the extravagant use of money. The ruby is a religious
institution, and the Egyptian Turks are not intending to
let it get out of their hands, so easily, In some manner
they learned that the stone was in Garner’s hands an
Malim Bey was sent to this country to get hold of
and return it to the mosque. Well, he has got hold |
it, and I’ll bet something handsome that he’s streaking. it
for Egypt till you can’t see him for dust.”

“That’s the size of it, Presbery!” ; sie Merriwell.

» “But why in Sam Hill was the Turk preeting:

Clancy y”

ph The upper classman’ s fave went t bl ;

 
 

ae please!”

NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY. Riese oe ae ise

i eft this part of the country, though, then he's
through suggesting things hypnotically to Clancy, and
everybody is out of the woods but poor old Garner. I’m
sorry for the dried-up little fossil!”

CHAPTER VIII.
A BLOW BETWEEN THE EYES.

About the middle of the afternoon Merriwell was called
from recitations by a cadet orderly.
 *Youw’re wanted at Professor Garner’s,” announced the

orderly. “Colonel Gunn’s orders, Merriwell.”

_ Frank wondered what was wanted of him at Garner’s.
He hurried over to the professor’s house, was met at the
door and shown immediately into the’ study.

_ Garner, in a faded smoking jacket and his customary
skullcap, was walking nervously up and down the room
with his hands behind him. Colonel Gunn, pompous and
important, was leaning back in a chair and watching two
_ strangers—at least, they were strangers to Frank.

_ They were both youngish men, shrewd-faced and very
businesslike in their movements. One was examining the
broken window of the study and the other was giving at-
tention to the broken drawer of the table.

“Ah, here is Merriwell!” exclaimed Colonel Gunn, as
Frank entered the room.

The two strangers whirled around at once and their
steady eyes gave Frank an uncomfortable sizing. Garner
halted his nervous pacing, ran to Frank, and dence bat
; canght him by the arm.

“Merriwell, ” he piped frenziedly,
who——”

- One of the strangers came brusquely forward and
- cut in sharply:
“Not so fast, protesagr!

“will ‘you tell me

1’ll do the talking, if you
_ Garner muttered a humble apology and retired to the
background and resumed his walking. :

- *Merriwell,” said Colonel Gunn, floundering to his feet,
“allow me to introduce to you Mr. Jackson Sprague, New
York detective, and Mr. Rogers, his assistant. They are
here to get back the ruby for Garner.”

The detective bowed stiffly.

_ “We understand, Merriwell,” said Sprague,
called on Professor Garner the other evening,
- ¢orrect?”

“Tt is eorrect,” said Frank.

“And while you were in this room the Ruby of Allah
was mentioned—perhaps, discussed at some length?”
- on Nes.”

‘ “And, as you were abaut to leave, you suddenly saw a
face. at the window yonder?”

“The professor said it was my imagination,” answered
Prank, feeling that he was running into dangerous waters.
_ We will’ not discuss the professor’s theories,” said
Jackson Sprague dryly. “We will assume that you really

ate a face at that window. Were the eyes of the face

fe

“that you
Is that

“At the Ruby of Allah which was lying on a’ blotter on

the professor’s table.”

“Ah!” said Sprague, who looked at Rogers. Rogers said
“Ah!” in his turn, and both detectives looked very wise.

“Are you acquainted with the owner of that face, which
looked through the professor’s window, at the Ruby of
Allah, Merriwell?” asked Jackson Sprague.

Frank went hot and cold, at that. Was it necessary for
him to betray Clancy, when Clancy had had nothing to do
with the robbery?

“I—I thought I récognized the face,” said Frank,

“Exactly! You thought. Weren’t you sure?”

“Yes,” slowly, “I was sure.” }

“Was it the face of a student?”

veer

“Name, please?”

Frank did not answer that question. He suddenly shifted
the subject and exploded a lighted bomb in front of the
two detectives, and even Garner and Gunn felt the shock,

“The man you want to find,” said Frank, “is an Egyptian, ~
an Egyptian Turk, medium size, swarthy face, wears red
fez and overcoat with a fur collar, and answers to the
name of Malim Bey. He is a priest in the temple from
which the Ruby of Allah was taken. He came to this
country to steal the stone, and he is the one who has

‘taken it.”

Sprague and Rogers jumped and looked dazed. Garner
grabbed at the back of a chair to support himself. Colonel
Gunn got up and breathed hard, Merriwell was the cyng-
sure of all eyes.

“A Turk!
in a gasp.

“Merriwell! Are you—ah—sure of what you say?” This |
from Gunn excitedly.

“The source of: your
Sprague.

Frank’s reply was carefully framed to keep Owen out
of the complication entirely. He told how he had seen
Malim Bey in the woods, how the fellow had run and he
had given pursuit. Then he went on to speak of the
clash between them, and described how the Turk had tried
to hypnotize him and then to strangle him. He finished —
with a\recital of the few remarks made by the Turk, and
gave them verbatim. As he had ignored Clancy’s part in |
what had taken place, so he carefully kept Presbery in the
background. It was Frank’s earnest desire to see justice —
done, but without having his innocent chum suffer in any —
way.

“This is remarkable!” said Sprague.

“Most remarkable!” agreed Rogers.

information, please!’ put in|

“And yet it all fits in ey nicely with the ers his- : 3

tory.”

“Very nicely indeed.”

The detectives, much to Frank’s relief,- had forgotten all
about the face at the window. :

“Tf we get the Turk we'll get the ruby,”
Sprague.

“That’s a cinch,” agreed Rogers.

“Such a man should be easily traced,” o

“No trouble at all.”

“Come on, Rogers !”

“After you, Jackson!”

They left the house hurriedly, climbed into a bueey a
the road, and drove away: in the direction oF + Eatdals. ete

, saan

 

A Mohammedan sear !” This from Garner ee
me ew ee to “WEFELY.

so downcast. Those two—ah—fellows know their business.
 They’ll capture this Turk, ‘my word for it. And when
 they—ah—get him, they’ll recover the Ruby of Allah.”

“I wish I were sure of that fortunate termination of
the affair, colonel,” sighed Professor Garner. “I see how
it is, though, and the plot runs so deep I have my forebod-
ings. There was sorne trickery in the way Leonard
Pryme got that message gem out of the mosque. Moham-
medans are fanatics. They'll fight like fiends for their
religion. This Malim Bey was commissioned to follow
the ruby to America and recover it; and if he doesn’t re-
cover it, and take it back to that Egyptian mosque, his
head will probably pay the forfeit. He is desperate, and
cunning, and I’ll wager that he is sharper than Sprague and
Rogers put together !”

“T shall hope not, Garner,”
ah—wait and see.”

Merriwell was dismissed. The bugle was just sounding
the close of recitations, so instead of returning to the
academic building he went across the parade ground to
barracks.

There was no one in his room when he reached it—it
would be some little time, yet, before Clancy marched
back from the classrooms with the rest of the plebes. Mer-
riwell was greatly exercised. He had saved Clancy from
any suspicion in the matter of the stolen ruby, but he
was afraid Presbery might say something to give the
red-headed ‘chap away. The thing for Frank to do was
to. have a talk with Presbery and tell him of recent de-
velopments—and that talk must be had as soon as pos-
sible.

There was no use trying to get at Presbery until after-
noon,
then.
“Oh, hang it!” exclaimed the exasperated Merriwell.
“One thing leads on to another, in this business, and a
- fellow never knows what’s going to happen next.”

said Gunn; “but let us—

Actuated by a sudden impulse, he jerked off his hat.

and fired it across the room. , The hat curved eccentri-
cally and darted into Clancy’s sleeping alcove.

“That won’t do,” muttered Frank. “Clan is room or-
. derly this week, and I can’t afford to let him get any
demerits.”

He hurrjed into the alcove and stooped to pick up the
hat. 'Then, if a rattlesnake. had been coiled in front of
him and making ready to strike, he could not haye jumped
backward in greater consternation. v

- On the uncarpeted floor in front of him, gleaming like
a huge drop of blood, lay the Ruby of Allah!

Oh, yes, there was no doubt of it. Frank had inspected

hat ruby very closely, while in artes pene and he
could not be mistaken.

The stolen ruby was there, in that room. Brick straight-
ened up, gasped, and looked around in trepidation.

_ The ruby was in Clancy’s room! It was, to make the
case more binding, on Clancy’s side of the sleeping wall.

_ Where had it come from? Merry, stifling his fierce
motions, began a hurried investigation.

_ His hat, flying through the opening into the alcove,
had touched the floor at a point where a pair of canvas
gym shoes stood against the baseboard. The hat had
urned one of the shoes over upon its side! The ruby
must have been concealed in the shoe, and have been

Irown out on the floor when the shoé rolled over.

ry, semen the: shoe and picked up the ruby and

The important matter would have to wait until

of importance to tell the other.

sere to have ‘Gea all about Rogers.

his hat. He was not a moment too soon in dropping the
Ruby of Allah into his pocket and in getting back into the
front room.

Clancy opened the door and came hurrying in,

“Where did you go, Chip?” he inquired. “If there are
any recitations to be skipped you always get the soft end
of it. Was it anything connected with the robbery?”

“Yes,” answered Frank uneasily. “There were detectives
at Garner’s house. The detectives wanted to know whose
face it was I saw looking through Garner’s study window,
the other night.” 4

Clancy jumped, and a wild look crossed his face.

“What did you tell them?” he demanded hoarsely.

CHAPTER IX,

PRESBERY’S PLAN.

“Keep your shirt on, Clan,” said Merry. “I didn’t give
you away. You might know I wouldn’t do that.”

“If you said I was the one who looked in through the
window, Chip,” returned Clancy, brushing the sweat from
his forehead, “they couldn’t help thinking I had something
to do with taking that ruby.”

“Well, 4 didn’t tell them who it was looked in at the |
window.”

“How did you get out of it?” en

“Why, by sending the detectives after Malim Bey. Don’t |
worry. He’s the real thief.”

“How did you tell them about the Turk without Sracuins

me into the talk?”
_ “Tf did it, all right. Just sit back and keep Sit: Clancy,
and this queer business will work itself out in the right
way.”
For the first time Clancy became nervous and worried.
All the humor had gone out of the situation when the pos-
sibility that he might be suspetced of the theft came
into it.

It was about half past three that afternoon when Frank —
got his first chance for a talk with Presbery. The upper
classman was looking for the plebe, just as the plebe —
was hunting for the upper classman. Each had something

“Here’s the richest thing you ever heard of, Merry,”
chuckled Presbery. “Those two detectives, Sprague and
Rogers, got back. Gunn and the rest are keeping it quiet,
but Finley let out the whole thing to me. I ge testi
I nearly threw a fit.”

" “Did they find the Turk?” asked Frank cigarly:

“Well, I guess!”

“And cdpture him?” R:

“Hardly.” Presbery laughed for a moment and then >
explained. “It was about two o’clock this afternoon when —
Sprague drove the buggy up to the office. se was
at his side, wearing a pair of handcuffs, and——"*

“Rogers! Handeuffed?” Area

“Yes. Sprague thought Rogers was the “Turk, and

thought he had him a prisonen My, but Sprague was

chesty! There was a stony glare in his eyes, and he paid |

no attention whatever to the appeals of Rogers.”
“You mean to say,” gasped Merriwell, “that Jack n

Sprague had been hypnotized?” — ig |
“Yes, and a whole lot of wild suggestions tarows }

him! He really thought he was bringing i in the Tur!
As soo:

 
Stee, xe = a

ess

pe pe a

ee

eg es

%

NEW ‘TIP. TOP “WEEKLY. Cae Soe 15

, they zor ‘the two detectives out of the buggy Rogers ex-

plained what had happened.

“It seems that the detectives hitched their rig at the
roadside, separated, and went prowling through the wodds.
First thing Rogers knew Sprague jumped him suddenly
and snapped the cuffs about his wrists. Sprague insisted
on calling Rogers Malim Bey. Rogers tried to convince
Sprague that he was making a mistake, but couldn’t.
Sprague acted like a crazy man, took Rogers back to the

buggy at the point of a gun, and drove to the academy.
You can guess what happened, can’t you?

Sprague ran
onto Malim Bey in the woods, and the Turk fixed things
to suit himself.”

Frank did not enjoy the joke on Sprague as much as
he might have done had Clancy’s affairs not been weighing
so heavily on his mind.

“Sprague,” Presbery finished, “has come out of his trance
and can’t remember the first thing about it. All same
Clancy, see?”

“Look at this, Pres.”

Frank held his hand in front of the upper classman’s
face and opened the fingers. The ruby lay in Frank’s

_palm.

‘ wondered what the Turk was doing around here.
the ruby turned up missing we guessed that he had come
to recover it and take it back to Egypt.
om, ae to have the ruby, another point is cleared up.

has got into this business pretty deep.

committed that robbery, Chip! He watched the professor’s

window, saw where he kept the ruby, them he broke into
the study and got away with the stone.
~ as’ print,”

is a thief?”

-Presbery, naturally, was dumfounded. For a moment

she could not speak.

“Chip,” he whispered huskily, at last, “is that the Ruby

of Allah?”

“Ves,
“Where, in the name of all that’s good and bad, did you

find it?”

om one of Clancy’s gym shoes, in his sleeping alcove.”

Frank’s fingers closed down over the red stone and he
‘returned it cautiously to his pocket. He and Presbery

looked significantly at each other.

“By Jupiter!” breathed the upper classman. “Clancy

He must have

It’s all as: clear

_ “Pres,” returned Merry, “you don’t really think Clan

“Unconsciously, Merriwell! Not knowingly. Your chum
is as straight as a string, but he’s under the evil influence

opiot Malim: Bey. Can’t you see how all the kinks in this

We
When

queer situation are straightening themselves out?

Now that Clancy

“He's a a fiend,” growled Merriwell, “and he’s got Clan
nto trouble up to his eyes. I’ve got to take this ruby
ck to Garner and tell exactly where I found it. Clancy
Il be implicated i in spite of fate. Maybe the colonel and
the rest of faculty won’t take any stock in the hypnotic

ry—maybe they'll fire Clancy from school, or turn him

r to the law to be dealt with,” Mery, groaned, “It’s

se of a tangle,” he finished. . (
“Tt won't do to take the ruby back. to aa and tell

m that yarn about Clancy. He might think it a cock-

and-bull story. We've got to aire out some way a gave

' Clancy and put the burden of guilt where it belongs.”

“How can that be done?” asked
tion.

Presbery bowed his head reflectively.
an inspiration and his face lighted up.

“We've got to take a chance,” said he; “but,
careful, it won’t be so much of a chance, after all.
take the ruby back and put it where you found it.”

“What!” exclaimed Frank incredulously.

Presbery repeated his words.

“That would be like inviting hard luck,” said Frank,
“just after the ruby has come into our hands.”

“T know it looks that way, but it’s a’ chance we've got
to make., The idea is to catch Malim Bey with the goods.
That would let Clancy out. See?” 7

“No, Pres, I'll be hanged if I do!”

“You're bright enough to take this in, Chip, with no
more than half a hint from me. You don’t suppose that
the Turk intends to let Clancy keep the ruby, do. you?”

“Certainly not.”

“He'll have Clancy bring it to him. Undoubtedly the
wily Turk suggested that to him at the same time he
suggested the robbery. Clancy, I’m. free to say, doesn’t
know he has had anything to do with taking the stone,
doesn’t know he has it now, and won't have the slightest
idea what he’s going to do with it until the right time
comes. At the right moment, Malim Bey’s suggestions will
get in their work. Presumably that will be at night—and,
most likely, to-night. You will have to stay awake, Merri-—
well.”

“Tl do that, fast enough. You think Clancy will take
the ruby and go out somewhere to meet the Turk?”

“Yes.”

“And we're to follow Clancy, capture Malim Bey after
Clancy. delivers the ruby to him, and bring the fellow to
Colonel Gunn, with the ‘goods’ in his clothes?” oF

“That’s the idea!” exclaimed Presbery triumphantly,
“We're taking a slight risk with the ruby in order: to
help Clancy out of a bad hole. See that, don’t you?”

“Yes.” rae

“Now, listen. I'll go to bed to-night with my clothes |
on, You know where my room is on the lower floor. lf
Clancy really gets up and slips out of barracks, you trail
after. Rap on my door as you go past. I'll be waiting
for the signal and will join you. I guess the two of ‘us
can take care of Malim Bey.”

Presbery’s plan was not so complicated as it might seem
at first blush. In framing it, the upper classman was —
simply banking on the greed and cunning of Malim |

The Turk was using Clancy as. the cat’ s-paw
his chestnuts out of ee fire. Malim Bey was ne
to entangle himself with American law if he ¢o
it. Clancy, at his suggestion, was taking th
Clancy was the one who would suffer in the eve
complications, =| Ze

By this plan of Presbery’s, however, thé guilt might pos- —
sibly be brought home to Malim Bey, where it belonged.
At the same time, Clancy would be freed of every sus-
picion. Catching the Turk “with the goods” = Prove
BENS that BS was me thief.

Merry, in despera-.

Suddenly he had
if we'te
Merry,

is going to pan out. If soins allow. that iby: get away
from me, after eens it, I seers r¢ a Sad i in for
little Seaubte sae 2 3

 
    
  
  
 
   
  
 
 
 
   
    
   
  
 
    
  
   
   
    
    
  
   
    
  
  
  
   
  
       

NEW

  

“We must keep our eyes open,” “and
not let it get away from us.”

With that understanding, they parted. During the after-
noon Frank was nervous and apprenhensive. He had the
ruby in his pocket, and the talk about the missing gem
which was proceeding on dll sides, had a tendency: to put
his nerves on edge.

“Tf those who were guessing and wondering about the
Ruby of Allah only knew he had it in his possession at
that moment, what would they have thought? It was a
mightily disquieting question for an honest young chap
who was about to play tag with his duty in order to save
a chum from the terrible effects of circurnstantial evidence.

When call to quarters sounded, that evening, Merriwell
raced up the stairs to plebe barracks, got to the room well
ahead of Clancy, and stuffed the Karnak gem in the toe
of the gymnasium shoe. He was out in the other room
again before Clancy presented himself.

“T’ve been trying to get a word with you all afternoon,”
complained Clancy, “but you seemed to keep dodging away
from me all the time. You rushed for barracks like a
cyclone. Didn’t you hear me yell at you?”

“No, chum,” replied Frank. “If I’d heard you yell I
might not have stopped, but I’d surely have yelled back
at you. What is on your chest, Red?”

“’ve been thinking,’ and a livid pallor rushed - into
Owen’s face, “that maybe I am guilty of taking that ruby
out of Garner’s study. If I could do other things, and
forget about them, why mightn’t I, do that, and forget
about it? It’s a horrible thing, Chip, to feel that you
have been made the helpless, unconscious tool of a heathen
scoundrel. My nerves are buckling under the strain and
act as though they were going to pieces. Suppose I had
been caught robbing Garner’s study? What under heaven
could I have said? That hypnotic idea would have been
laughed at. Wouldn’t it? Why, any sensible person would
laugh at it. And—and yet, it would have been my—my only

_ defense!”
} ; e

CHAPTER X.

MOONLIGHT’ TRAVELING,

returned Presbery,

'“Don’t borrow trouble, old man,” urged Frank.

“How can I| help it?” came wildly from Owen. “I.
-haven’t the slightest notion what I’m doing! Anythipg
is possible.”

“You're overlooking a bet, Red. Pres and I are stand-

ing by you.” .

~ “You aren’t watching: me very well or you might have

proreseed this robbery.” ‘

er ‘You don’t really think you committed’ that robbery, do

our?

ali’ keen eyes were on Owen’s face as he put the

question.

“1 don’t think anything about it—I don't know what
to think. You say I was looking through Garner’s win-

dow at the ruby. I can’t remember doing that. But if I

was there it looks as though I was there for a purpose;

and that purpose may have been to—to plan the robbery.”

- Horror rose in Clancy’s eyes. Dropping down in a

chait he rested his elbow on a table, and his chin in his

hand? He was badly broken up, that was more than evi-

dent.

“I’ve heard,” said Frank, “that no hypnotist can make

an honest man commit a crime.”

  

  

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

somewhat Sth ecg se

“Well,” was the a nazing | rejoinder, :
robbery may not be a crime.” fe
\ “What's. that? Come again with it, Clan.”
“T say this robbery may not be a real crime. Of course,

‘Garner and the rest will consider it in that light, but

how did Leonard Pryme get hold of the Ruby of Allah

in the first place? Was it by treachery and fraud? Did

he bribe some mosque attendant to betray a trust? Is it ©

a crime to take loot from a thief and return it to the place z, -

where it rightfully belongs?” fee
To state the case mildly, this talk of Clancy’s had Mer-

riwell “going.” Where did ‘the red-headed plebe gather

up that line of argument? Was it an echo of something

that had come to him from the Turk? Did it prove that

Malim Bey had smoothed the way for the robbery by first

quieting Clancy’s fears regarding the criminal nature of

the proceeding?
These questions flashed through Merry’s brain, but there .

could be no answer to them. *
“The robbery may not be a crime, just so,”

 

eet

remarked

vw

Frank, “but the case is different, here in America, from ei
what it might be in Egypt. It doesn’t make any differ- 7
ence how Pryme got hold of the Ruby of Allah; if he e

has it/in his peaceable possession, here in this country,
then ‘the fellow who gets it away from him by stealth is
legally liable.”

“There's. a difference, then, between being legally liable
and morally liable.

“Sure,

“And a hypnotized subject might commit a deed and
become legally liable, if there is no moral liability con-—
nected with it. In other words, honest though I am, I
might, have been prevailed upon to steal the Karnak gem.
Chip, V’ll be hanged if I’m not afraid that is just what
has happened !”

“You haven’t the slightest voheniisden of doing such
a thing?”

“Not the slightest.”

“You would have to get out of barracks—and some one
must have helped you. That’s hardly possible, is it?”

“T could have run the guard in the lower hall,” suggested:
Clancy. “No other cadet pS am have had to help me if —

I had done that.”
“Then you would have to be cleverer while carrying |
out one of Malim Bey’s suggested stunts than when your _
natural self. Running the guard is next to impossible.”

“Lots of things that are next to impossible seem Lt be
happening right along,” said Clancy. .

“No dream about that, Clan,” agreed Merriwell.

“What I want you to do, old chap,” said Owen earnestly, Si
“is to keep a close watch on me. Don’t let me go off and)
do something that is—is going to cover me with humilia-
tion and disgrace and force me to leave oy That’s
what I want of -you, old friend.” ; et

Clancy’s voice shook with earnestness and emotion. rhe
Merriwell got up, went over to him and laid an arm a A
fectionately across his shoulders. ier

“Owen,” said he, “all I’m tangled up in this queer Biel
ness for is to keep you out of ee You can bet Pi
watch you closely.” na

They shook hands cordially dad. got busy with teir
lessons. It was hard to apply themselves to study, in view
of the tense nature of the situation in the matter of :
me it ee succeded in. oe at their books:

i fap
ee

 

 

      
       
     
         
         
       
     
      
      
    
       
     
      
   
 

Ty Aen

 

 

 

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“Just ran the guard and got out of barracks,”

get out of barracks?”

 

RR

“Beaakc, instead of icon sist had merely exchan
shoes for rubber-soled gymnasium” footgear. Tossing” 0
his coat, and laying it handily by with his hat, he had got
into bed.

After the visit of the inspector, and Clancy’s report that
all was well, silence settled down over the two plebes.
Brilliant moonlight flooded the room, making the surround-

‘ings almost as light as day.

Frank, in order to make sure he did not go to sleep,
arose and sat on thé edge of the bed. Then he went out
and took a chair in the room. The chair was~-placed
so that he had a good view of Clancy’s form, ridged under
the blankets in the moonbeams.

Perhaps Frank sat in the chair for half an hour, wonder-
ing whether his chum would make a move or not. At last,
Owen himself answered the question. Tossing the blankets
aside, he quietly got out of bed and began dressing.

He moved around mechanicalW, like a sleepwalker. His
eyes were blank and lusterless, and it was perfectly evi-
dent that he had not the slightest idea what he was
doing.

Picking up the gymnasium shoe he shook the ruby into
his hand, and, in a prosy, matter-of-fact style, dropped it’

into a trouser pocket. Then he put on the gym shoes,
got into coat and hat and _noiselessly crossed the room to
ihe hall door.

“He passed so Close to the watchful Frank that he al-
most touched him in passing. But his eyes were straight

ahead, and even if he saw his chum he took no heed.

Frank grabbed up his own coat and hat and slipped into
them on the way down the hall in Clancy’s wake. The
stairs were descended without sound, almost, and from
the middle of the flight leading down to the first floor
Frank watched a pretty play of ingenuity and quickness on
the part of the somnambulist.

Owen watched the tramping sentry. When the guard
started toward the farther end of the hall, Owen glided
like a specter to the foot of the stairs and then ran into
the entryway. ;

Frank could not follow the same plan. Very likely his
success would not have equaled Clancy’s if he had. Clancy

himself could not have accomplished the guard-running so

skillfully if he had been awake and using only his normal
faculties. |

Frank had to arouse Presbery; and he had to do it

‘quickly so they could overhaul Owen before he had got

out of sight.

Paying no attention to the guard, Frank ran down the
’ stairs and tapped on Presbery’s door. Almost instantly
the door*opened and Presbery, fully dressed, stepped into

the hall.

-“He’s gone?” queried the upper classman.

Frank
answered. -“We'll have to hustle or he’ll give us the slip.”
They started for the door only. to find their way barred
by. the sentry.

_!What’s this?” the guard demanded. “Have you leave to

“No, ‘Dollinger,” answered Presbefy, “but we will have

os ‘the morning. We've got to go—and we're in \a hurry.”

» Presbery was a cadet captain and a chap of authority.
The guard could not stop him. ;

rl have ‘to report this to Lieutenant Finley, ” said the

    

“Very well, captain,” acquiesced the guard, drawing back
and saluting. “Pass on.”

By the time-the two trailers got outside, Clancy had
vanished.

“You go to one end of barracks, Pres,” suggested Frank
hastily, “and I’ll go to the other. If I: see Clan, I’ll whistle;
if you see him, you give the signal.”

“Right-o,” said Presbery, and the two ‘separated and
hurried off.

i: Presbery who- did the whistling. When Merry
joined him, he waved his hand toward the road.

“He’s started along the same old course, Merry,” said
he. “He took the road to Fardale, you remember, Sunday —
afternoon. Now he’s heading for the village again.”

“Wonder if Malim Bey will meet him in the same old
place?”

“He’ll meet him somewhere, and that’s a cinch. » Did
Clancy take the ruby?”

“Yes. Knocked it out of the gym shoe, calm as you
please, and pushed it into his pocket.”

“Wouldn’t that get you?” breathed the amazed upper
classman. “When this game is all over it would make
a good study for a psychologist. Did Clancy appear. to
know what he was doing?”

“He was all wrapped up in his work, and in oie of
his fussing around he didn’t make any noise. 1 watched
him dress—the room was filled with moonlight and I could
see him plainly. His eyes were on me a dozen times,
but he didn’t seem to see me.”

“Dead to the world,” muttered Presbery, “dead, to every-.
thing but that suggestion Malim Bey left in his head when
he hypnotized him. Queer, by thunder! This will be a
lesson to me not to feel prejudiced against a little-known
science merely because | don’t happen to have had any
experience with it.”

They had been following Clancy cautiously along the
road. The night was almost as brilliant as day, and they
were careful to keep to the brush at the roadside. They
did not fear discovery by Clancy, of course, but by the

crafty foreigner he was going to meet.

bb

“We'd better halt here, Merry,” Presbery whispered,
when they were close to the turn. “If the Turk shows
up where he did before, and leads Clancy in the same
direction, we can cut across through the woods and over-
haul them.”

Crouching side by side,.the two cadets kept their sharp
eyes riveted upon Clancy. The wandering, irresponsible
plebe had the Ruby of Allah in his pocket, and it must
not be allowed to get away again.

Fully realizing their responsibility, the ghadowele: aces
with all attention on Clancy’s every movement, Clancy —
halted at the turn and gave a whistle. The whistle was
answered and a figure in a fez stepped into the road.

 

““Hoop-a-la!” whispered Presbery enthusiastically, “I
guess that about here is where we'll ds business, Merri-~
well.” ied

“They're not going into the woods!” returned Frank. ;

“Looks that way from here. What’s the odds? We'll -
sneak up on them where they stand in the road. Come %
this way—and cat-footed.”

Presbery led the creeping advance, Merry coming slong
SO close Seine he almost aeaetied his heels. *

   

  

   

 

 

      
   
   
       
   
       
      
     
 
    
   
    
 
 
road.

_ ward, calling

CAUGHT WITH THE GOODS.

Merriwell and Presbery came within a few yards of
the spot where Clancy and Malim Bey were standing in the
They were near enough so they could hear the words
the Turk was speaking.

“Yoong ’Merican boy, when you get back to ‘cademy
school you come awake and stay awake, onnerstand? No
more you haye something to do for Allah. You haye been
splandid help. For that I much obliged. You bring the
Drop of Allah’s Blood, eh?”

. Clancy reached a hand into his “packet, and mutely ee
feaih the ruby and handed it to Malim Bey, With a cry
of delight the Turk caught it in his hand, pressed it to
his brow, his breast, his lips; then lifted the hand sky-
softly, “Allah il? Allah!” This demonstra-

tion finished, very carefully he slipped the stone into
an inside pocket of his coat,

“Yoong ’Merican boy,” went on the Turk, his voice
trembling, “you help me mooch and you not know. Some
day you want friend, Malim Bey come. He be great
friend to you and give mooch help. Now, please, go
back to ’cademy school. G6 to bed, sleep till morning,
_ then wake and be yourself. Go!”
Clancy turned mechanically to an
- started back toward the school.
_ the road watching him.
Presbery touched Merriwell’s arm.

“Now is our time,” he whispered. “Get close.
catch him before he commences to run.
us, jump for him.”

They crawled nearer and nearer. Softly as was their
approach it came presently to the keen ears of the man in
the fez. He uttered a sharp exclamation, but before he

could take to his heels both Merry and Presbery had
- bounded into the road.

“Stand away!” ordered the Turk commandingly.
here in my eye. See Y

Frank laughed.

“You can’t hypnotize either of us!” said Presbery, “Don’t
ianke a fuss, Malim Bey. You're our prisoner.”

The upper classman grabbed the Turk’s hands to keep —
him from making any secret disposal of the Ruby of Allah.
Malim Bey began to fight like a wildcat, so that Pres-
-bery had a little more than he could attend to.

_. Frank had brought him with the cord. that had figured.in
his own clash with the Turk. He went to his companion’s
aid, and, between them, they brought his hands to his back
and made them fast with the SH string.”

“Ah, yoong ’Merican mens,” panted the Turk, “you nat
‘onnerstand what you do. Please, you let_me explain.
Look in my eye while I talk.” ‘

_ Presbery looked into the eyes of the man.
bright as stars in the silvery half gloom.
“Careful, Presbery!? warned Frank.

ie ‘Presbery moved restlessly, yet never swerved his glance
from the face of the Turk.

“Keep looking,” come the musical tones of the Turk’s
voice, tinged with the odd accent, “Keep looking close...
By arid by you go sleep. Sure you go sleep. Oo, such

about face and
Malim Bey remained in

We must

When he hears

“Look

_ They were

'

happy sleep! Now. soe feel the ne eh? eae eyes

‘on my feet.

g » upper classman, “he abe chad
me bin TM swear, Merry, I almost went to sleep
He——”’ y

“He’s on the run himself,” cut in Frank.

Malim Bey had indeed turned and started to flee. Mer- ,
riwell overhauled him in two jumps and caught him by!
the bound arms. Then, between them, they conducted
him down the road and toward the academy buildings.

“Tt doesn’t pay to trifle with a chap like this Turk,” re-
marked Presbery, shivering. “| can understand now,
Chip, how you felt when he tried his powers on you in
the ravine.”

“Please,” murmured the prisoner, “] am not bad mans.

I am good mans; not Christian, but Mussulman.  [
priest ip Cairo temple. Why you make such trouble for
me, eh?” es

“Why did you make trouble for my friend?” demanded
Frank. “You made him rob one of our professors.”

“That was not bad work, that was good work. It was
not robbery. To take ruby from thief and give back to

gome one to whdm it belongs, is that robbery? No!”

“Not ta you, maybe,” said F “rank, remembering that he
had heard this argument before, “but it is to everybody at
Fardale Academy. That chap you hypnotized would have
been disgraced, sent away from school, branded with | a
crime he would never get over. And all on your account.”

“Ts it true?” inquired the Turk.

“Yes, it is true.” ; t,

“Then, yoong ’Merican, I take your word. I go to place
where you conduct me with willingness, and I say nothing —
"bout other yoong ’Metican. I have honor same as you. |
have been to Mecca and I have kissed the Kaaba. T have
read my Koran.”

“Tt’s blamed hard to understand this chap,” said Preshery. |

“He seems to be a bundle of contradictions. On my
soul, I believe he thought. he was doing the right thing
in making Clancy do his stealing. Where did 08 meet
Clancy for the first time, eh?”

“In hotel in town,” replied the Turk. “I see he is good
hypnotic subject. I tell him to meet me on road to “Gadenay
school that night. That is what he do. Then I hypnotize,
I make the suggestions, and I tell him to forget me at all.
times, to forget what happen in village. I meet him again —
as the influence grew weak, and then was when you
come for first time. Yoong ’Mericans, I very sad. yout not:
onnerstand this matter.”

That Turk was a riddle to ‘Merry and Presbery. — Ben
eyer, they were bent on freeing Clancy of avery pone
suspicion that might be leveled at him.
was een to Colonel Gunn’s house.

short order the professor and the sididlitce pacha
“Who's this?” inquired Garner excitedly. sb
“He is the man who has the ruby,” said ‘Frank;
one who engineered the robbery.” _
“Tt is all et said -Malim Pet:
a crime.” ia ;

“But r think it not

“In the inside ‘pocket. of te: coat,” * -answere
ee will find it, ety, if aoe 7 Took. a

 

 
  

 

  

 

 

 

 
    
  
   
  
  
  
   
 
    
 
  
 
  
  
   
   
   
   
  
 
   
  
   
  

  
  

chuckled Clancy.
you were gone, Chip.

just as I left them!

~ Gunn monte ée the ‘Hentenatit to make the

The latter ¥ so and stepped back with the red stone in

his ‘hand,,. Garner gave vent to a cry of relief and joy and-
caught the gem out of the lieutenant’s fingers. There was
sadness in the swarthy face of the Turk, but no vindictive-
ness.

“How did you commit the robbery?” asked Finley.

“That is my secret, please,” returned the Turk.

“How did you happen to find the fellow, Presbery, you
and Merriwell?” went on the lieutenant.

“We went looking for him along the road,” was the
somewhat indefinite response, “and happened to catch him.”

“A very good night’s work, young gentlemen,’ spoke
yp Colonel Gunn. “I’m beginning to expect things—ah—
like this from you and Merriwell, Presbery. You had
now better—ah—go back to quarters. We will deal with
the prisoner.”

The cadets saluted and withdrew.

“Clancy is all O. K., now, Chip,” said Presbery, as they
parted in the lower hall at barracks. “We have saved
his bacon for him. I think it would be just as well not
to let him know,he committed the robbery. It would only
fill him with regrets for something he couldn’t help.”

“Right you are, Pres,” agreed Merry. “I'll keep the
thing away from him, -Malim Bey was the author of
the crime, anyhow. Now that he has been caught with
the goods, there will not be the least doubt on that score.”

,

CHAPTER XII.
CLANCY SAVED.

As quietly as possible Merriwell let himself into his
room. Clancy, however, heard him while he was getting
ready for bed and came around to the other alcove.
“Where have you been, Chip?” the red-headed chap
asked,

“Out hunting,’ Frank laughed.

“Hunting ?”

— “Yes, hunting Turks with Presbery.”

“And you were going to stay right here and watch me,”
“But I have been good and quiet while
Never budged.”

“How do you know that, old man?” asked Frank curi-
ously. ;

“Why, the way I placed my shoes. You see, I set one”
-across the other so I could tell if they were disturbed.”
-Clancy’s voice grew triumphant as he finished, “and they’re

?

Owen had fooled himself. He had fixed his shoes,

| but he had not done anything with his gymnasium foot-
gear. And, of course, the gym shoes were the ones he
had last worn,

“By Jove !” exclaimed Merry, pretending to be surprised,
“that was deuced clever, old man.”

myself when I’m hypnotized,” averred Owen.

Asa matter of fact, it had been the other way around.

ancy, hypnotized, had fooled his normal, waking self.
Bully!” said Frank.

“Thought we'd just, take a moonlight stroll and look
for Malim Bey, that’s all’ .
Have ney luck ?”

  
 
 

“Oh, I can be foxy enough, in my sober senses, to oa:

_ “How did you and Presbery happen to go out?” asked
Owen. |

couraue in every line, ane ae don't want to miss it.

  
    

“Pact, Clan. Not only caught him, but oa him wi ne
the goods. He’s now in the hands of Colonel Gunn,
Liéutenant Finley, and Professor Garner.”

Clancy’s face cleared happily. :

“By George, old man, that’s great!” he exclaimed. “You
caught him with the ruby in his pocket and that lets
me out. .I never had such relief: Do you know, I was
worrying like the deuce about that robbery at Garner’s,
It seemed like a clear case against me. I was looking in
Gaifger’s: study window. Why did I do that if it was not
to locate the Ruby of Allah? If you: had told Garner
and the detectives that you saw my face at the study win-
dow, I’d be in jail about now. But this work of yours
to-night lets me out with a clean bili. By thunder, old
chap, I feel so good over it that I’d like to yell.”

3?

“Don’t yell, you crazy lobster,” grinned Frank. “You
don’t want the inspector bobbing in here and reporting you
for making a disturbance in quarters.”

By then it was very clear to Frank that Presbery’s
reasoning in the matter of keeping the real work of the

robbery from Clancy was good. Owen didn’t even know

he had left barracks. What would he have said if his
chum had told him the true course of events that night?

“I suppose,” went on Owen, “that they'll give Malim
Bey the limit. That’s what he ought to get. These for-
eigners, who come over to this land of the free and try
to run in a hocus-pocus on law and order ought to. be
shown where they get off. I hope they’ll crack it to him.”

“T’ll bet he gets all he deserves,” said Frank, with rather
a queer hope in his heart that the Turk might not be found
to deserve so very much punishment. “I’m going to bed,
Owen, and you’d better do the same. Had a rotten night,
last night, and about half of this night is gone and I
haven’t had a wink of sleep yet.” .

“T’d like to sit up and jabber till sunrise!”

“Then you'll jabber to yourself. Here’s where I hit the
hay.” ;

Frank ducked into bed.

“I guess, if the Turk’s captured and headed for jail, ’'m
saved, eh?” Clancy queried.

“T hope so,” was the drowsy answer. “If I had to do
anything more in order to save you, Red, I’d be in néed —
of attention myself.”

“You've done a dandy job for me. Much obliged. Good
night, Nick Carter.”

- Clancy went to bed chuckling, and Merry went to sleep
chuckling. They were both enjoying the same thing, eat 4
from different angles. e

“Oh, well,” was Merry’s last conscious chountie “ais :
well that ends well, and what Clancy doesn’t know isn’t —
going to worry him any more.” -

THE END. i

In the next issue of this weekly you will find a rousing —
good football story, entitled “Frank Merriwell, Junior’s,
Gridiron Honors; or, Snatching Victory from Defeat.” It
tells how a badly demoralized team was pulled into shape
and how Fardale won the big Thanksgiving game from
White. It is a story that fairly breathes snap, dash, and

        
     
    
   

 
 

    
  
   
 
 

 

THE FOREST RIDDLE

CHAPTER XVIII.
PETE J EN NINGS.,

- Painfully Hollister opened his jeyes; but there was no
light... The thick darkness, that ‘seemed to cling like a
blanket, pressing down upon him with actual weight,
was everywhere.

He struggled to a sitting position with a moan, ®orn
partly of the torturing pains that shot through his head,
partly of anguish of mind that his desperate attempt to
free himself had been unsuccessful.

And Jennings? What of him? Hollister shuddered;
that agonized shriek still rang in his ears. This man had
discovered in some way what Edwards had done, and
had come to undo the fiendish work. He must have been
just outside the cave when the explosion occurred. What
a terrible fate!

Sick at heart, he pressed his hands over his throbbing
eyeballs. There was no longer any hope; he must make up
his mind to die—die“here in the darkness. Never again
would he see the dawn break over the eastern hills.

“Oh, God!” he cried sharply, raising his eyes to the
place where heaven should be, but was not.

And then—fearfully, wonderingly, scarcely daring to be-
lieve, he crept forward on his hands and knees, What
was that faint spark of pale, golden light that glimmered
afar off?

A star! Just one tiny star, but infinitely more precious
to Hollister in that moment than if it had been a jewel
beyond price.

For it told him that he was free! Told him that the
surrounding darkness was the darkness of the night, and
not the intolerable blackness of the cave alone! He was
free—free to breathe the fresh air, free to see the sky
once more!

His first thought was for Jennings. Had he been blown
to atoms by the explosion, ‘flung into the creek and
drowned, or was he lying, maimed and helpless, perhaps
dying, somewhere among the scattered bowlders? The

man might be a scoundrel, but his errand had been one .

of mercy, and Hollister felt in duty bound to render what
aid he, could.

The moon was just rising over the mountains, touch-
ing with fingers of light the frost-filmed landscape. In

front of the cave a great hole had been torn in the earth;

the rock which had blocked the entrance had been lifted
bodily and hurled into the rushing water, which now
foamed and dashed around it, sending up showers of fly-
ing spray.

On the top of a huge, flat stone Hollister discerned a
dark mass—the huddled figure of a man who neither spoke
nor moved as he hurried to him, Lifting the insensible
form as gently as possible, Hollister carried him back
and laid him tenderly down inside the cave, making a
pillow of his coat and using the blanket as a covering.

Hastily unscrewing the cap of his flask, he poured a
few drops of brandy between the set teeth, and then fell
to chafing the numb hands. Lying there all night in the
chill air, Jennings was stiff with cold, Hollister could not
tell how badly injured he might be; but he searched for

 

NEW TIP TOP WEEK

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Lyrae

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i

and found the little electrie torch, which had remained
unbroken, and by jts light’made a hasty examination.

Apparently there were no bones broken; but the man’s
left ankle was so swollen that he was obliged to cut away
the shoe, and was, without doubt, badly sprained. There
was a purple bruise just back of the temple, another, as
large as the top of a teacup, on one shoulder, and a great
gash on the back of the head.

It seemed miraculous that no worse injuries had re-
sulted; but even with the comparatively slight damage
he had sustained, Jennings was likely to be a patient for
some, time. -

Exposure to the cold and lack of attention for so long
would probably aggravate the case; and Hollister debated
whether he ought to try to secure a physician or dd the
best he could by himself. For the present the latter
course seemed wiser; and he bent his energies toward
cleansing the wounds with water, restoring warmth to the
chilled body, and in endeavoring to bring the man back
to consciousness.

Toward morning, almost worn out by his exertions,
and by the pain in his own head, which had been fright-
fully bruised, he stepped to the mouth of the cave for a
breath of fresh air.

Day was just breaking, dull and gray. A smoky haze
hung over the mountains, draping the distances in an im-
penetrable veil. The atmosphere was cold, but lifeless,
although the low-hanging clouds portended rain or wind.

The vegetation looked withered and sere; the ‘summer
had been hot and dry, and the usual autumn rains had not
come at all.

Hollister took in long breaths, wondering at the smoky
tang, and longing for the wirid to rise and freshen the
air. When he turned back into the cave, Jennings had
opened his eyes, and was watching him gravely.

“Better?” asked Hollister. ‘“I thought you were never
coming around,”

“T guess T’ll do. What happened? I heard you yell,
and then something hit me like a sledge hammer, and the
next thing I know, I’m here. My head feels like some one
had been poundin’ it with an ax, and there’s a darned queer
pain in my foot.” .

As briefly as possible, Hollister described what had
occurred. When he had finished, Jennings nodded.

“I warned you, didn’t I?” said he. “Told you to duck.
Thought you had. This mornin’ I seen Jake lockin’ up
Nell in the house, and I thought somethin’ was afoot.
He wouldn’t ’a’ done that if he hadn’t been up to some
skulduggery. I seen him hangin’ ’round last night; it
looked as if he was goin’ off somewheres, but I called
him and he come back to the house.

“So I lay low, and when I seen him a-sneakin’ off to-
day, I just toddled along after him. He went a bit too
fast for me, and when I. got here the deviltry was done.
He thinks he’s done for you for keeps; but when I don’t
show up, he’ll come snoopin’ ’round, and you'd better be
somewhere else.

“I’m tellin’ you this because I don’t want no man’s blood
on my head, and I ain’t goin’ to stand for no murder bein’
done. But your kind does need killin’ sometimes !”

Hollister sat down on the ground beside Jennings, and
looked at him steadily. .

“See here,” said he, “you seem a rather decent sort—
in spots. What you've got against me, I don’t know;

I don’t know who you are, but you've tried to warn me
1

  

    

SS aaanEEE EES PEEReRRGEEEEERTEINE” coe
 

game you're trying to work with Miss Edwards.

“Hold on!” interrupted Jennings, frowning darkly.
“Don’t you talk about no underhand games! I know all
about you, young feller! And I ain't goin’ to see that
girl taken in by you, neither! She’s too good for you,
and J’m——’”

It was Hollister’s turn to interrupt.

-*T know I’m not good enough for her,” he cried. “But
for that matter no man is, and I’m as good as the next
one—as you, for instance! She loves me, and J love her
—and I’m going to marry her in spite of you and Jake
Edwards and the whole gang! You can put that in your
pipe and smoke it!”

Jennings’ jaw dropped.

- “The dirty varmint!” he muttered. “He told me you
was only flirtin’ with Nell—makin’ her care for you and
‘not carin’ none for her! You just wait till I get my
flippers on him!”

He looked, and his eyes met Hollister’s.
stretched out his hand, si
- *T guess you and me has been in bad,” he remarked.

“T just didn’t understand. I oughter ’a’ knowed better
than to believe anything Jake said. I know a lot about
him—too much for his comfort—and he ain’t fit to have
charge of no girl, let alone one like Nell. But what I
_ know I can’t prove, though he thinks I can, and he dasn’t
Te do me up, for he thinks if he does I’ve fixed things so’s
folks will know.

; "So I pertended I wanted to marry her, so’s I'd get a
chance to get her away from him. It wasn’t all per-
-tendin’, neither,” he added thoughtfully. “I’d like to marry
her right enough, but what'd she do with a feller like me?
I’m rough and I ain’t got no eddication; and she—she’s
a lady, bless her sweet héart!

_ “But if you’re honest—and I believe you are, or you

-— wouldn’t have stuck around after what Jake done to you
_ and she loves you,-that’s all there is to it.’ Jake ain’t
got nothin’ to say about her. He——”

_ “Ain’t he?” said a mocking voice.

_ In the narrow doorway of the cave stood the giant form
of Jake Edwards, the muzzle of the gun in his hand point-
ing straight at Hollister’s heart.

Then he

CHAPTER XIX.
THE RED DESTROYER.

) ” continued Edwards coolly. “I got
covered, and your first move’ll be your last. It looks.

> you got nine lives, like a, cat; but you’ve got pretty
‘the end of the ninth and last.”

0? Wis T reckon I'll just nat’chally wee to shoot

a you oy said Jennings weakly, “here's: that letter

Oh, ou ain't got no ‘letter !” &: preg “T found tie:

e yo was sayin’ you had. You had me eee for ei
ut ‘to the doorway.
‘The haze had deepened ett the ac was invisible

. - fresh wind had sprung ‘up. tip the north and fanned hi

‘this up right now.

wis, and there are quite a few people
know that you’ve threatened to do for me.

“Tf you kill us, you'll swing for it. You can’t.
a business of shooting men—and burying their bodi
the woods, you know——”

The giant went suddenly pale, and then became livid with
rage, eo

“You've split on me, you——” he roared at Jennings,
raising his gun with a threatening gesture. -

“Hold on!”. cried Hollister, seeing that his words had
found a chink in Edwards’ armor, but not .understanding
how or why. “He has told me nothing. .What I know,
{ have found out for myself. Tl make a bargain with
you. I know this—that you are not what you pretend
to be, and that you have been hiding from the law for
years. I don’t care abgut that.

“T also know that you have been trespassing on my
property and stealing my timber, and that you have
been using a process which: rightfully belonged to my
father, and to me as his heir.

“But so far as I am concerned, you can keep your
money and your process, and you can steal all the rest
of the timber on my land, if you want it. I’ve got enough
money, and I don’t need any more, But I want Nell!
How you've ever managéd to ‘impose on her all these
years, I don’t know. But I’m going to have her now. ~
She”

“You won’t get her!” shouted Edwards.
He stole her mother from me! And I’m goin’ to keep
the daughter! There won’t be enough left of you by to-
morrow to want or have anythin’!

“T’ve been too squeamish, I guess, and I’m goin’ to finish
I got a little surprise party a-comin’,
and there won’t be no evidence this time!” His little black
eyes gleamed viciously.

“You can’t prove what you say, I know; but I ain’t
goin’ to take no more chances. You don’t want nothin’
at all, do you? You want to take my daughter away
from me and turn her against her father-——” a

“You are not my father!” The girlish voice rang

“She’s mine!

clear and loud, as Nell darted through the doorway and 2

stood panting. “You stole all his papers and left him
dead there in the woods, and——” Or
Edwards wheeled upon her with an oath, raising his’
huge fist as if to strike. Not that he would really have —
struck her; he held her too dear for that; but no sooner
was his back turned than Jennings seized Hollister’s vite, ix
took quick aim, and fired. By
The cave was filled with the acrid smell of powder, and
Jake, with a bellow of rage and pain, crashed to the fies :
with a bullet in his thigh.
His gun rattled to the ground at Hollister’s feet, and
the young man picked it up in a trice. =
“T guess your innin’s is about over, Jake,” jamin
Jennings equably, laying down the still smoking rifle. “I’d
a-done this long ago, if I'd a-knowed the pizen snake you
was!” .
“Jack! Pete!” broke in Nell, drawing her breath in long
gasps. “We must get away from here at once! sem
not a minute to’ be lost. The woods are all on fire!”

“The deuce you say!” ejaculated Hollister. is sprang

 
   

meet heavy, smoke-laden puffs. Perhaps ami
Meee semicircle of dull light brightened and grew with.
Berstant.

feady the fire had cut off escape from above on one
© of the créek, and, even as he looked, a tall pine on
the opposite bank burst into flames. In a moment the con-
‘fagtation was spreading on both sides of the water.

Cut off on three sides, there was only one way open—
downstream. But the rocky wall that rose sheer and pre-
cipitous made it impossible to go except on the water.
And there was no boat! z

If they could only get to the lake ahead of the fire,
they might stand a chance.. There was a small island in
the center which would afford a temporary refuge, and
on it they would be comparatively safe.

Hollister could swim, and so could Nell, but there were
the rapids to be passed! Jennings was in no condition
to battle with the water, and Jake Edwards, or whoever
he was, probably would be unable even to stand alone.
They were caught like rats in a trap!

CHAPTER XX.
THE FLIGHT.

Jake had raised himself on one elbow and was staring
at Hollister with wide, bloodshot eyes.

“You won't leave me?” he whined.
do that, would you?”

Contemptuously the young man turned his back, and
spoke quickly to Jennings.

“The fire isn’t a mile away and the wind is bringing it
straight down upon us,” he said. “Our only chance is to
get to the lake. [I’ve got a canoe here, but there are two
holes in it. We may be able to make it serve some way;
there’s no time to fix it,

“Can you hop along on one foot if I help you?”

“T can try,” said Jennings grimly. Hollister caught up
a few small articles, and then helped him to his feet, sup-
porting the weight of the left side of the man’s body on
his shoulders.

Slipping one arm around the young man’s neck, Jen-
nings hobbled to the entrance of *the cave and out to the
edge of the cliff, where he sat down to rest on a rock.

“Now, Nell!” called Hollister; but she was already at
his side.

“Are—are you going to leave him?” she asked haltingly.

“No; but he deserves to be left. This is all his doing,”
Hollister returned briefly. He drew from his pocket the
noose he had cut from the top of the sapling in the clear-
ing on that memorable morning, and passed it under her
arms.

“I’m going to let you down,”

“You wouldn’t

He said. “You'll find

the canoe in a cleft of the rock. Pull it out and get it °

ready.” .

He led her to the lowest point and lifted her over. In
a moment she was safe on the narrow strip of earth that
bordered the water, and had flung the noose back to
him.

Inside the cave, Jake was yelling and cursing. He had
managed to crawl to the doorway, and now swayed un-
steadily on his hands and knees, pleading and threatening
by turns.

Hollister brushed angrily past him.

“Silence!” he commanded, “or we'll leave you here! If
we did, you’d get no more than your just deserts!”

NEW TIP TOP WEEKIY. -
Bi

e : ;
PMt was a0 easy task’to. lower Jennings over the cliff;
but-it was accomplished in time. Hollistér paid-out the
rope from above, and Nell helped the injured man from
below, easing the weight frdm his sprained ankle.

Jake was ‘in a state bordering on collapse, more from
fear than from the wound inflicted by Jennings’ bullet,
which had passed through the fleshy part of his thigh.

Hollister stanched the flow of blood as best he could, and :

then started to climb down the rocks.

“Come back! Come back!” screamed the giant.
walk! Help me, help me!”

“Help yourself!” Hollister ordered curtly; “or stay up
there, if you like. I’ve done all ’'m going to do!”

He sprang lightly to the ground and pushed the canoe
into the water. It tipped perilously as Jennings crawled
into it, and water immediately began to trickle through
the bullet holes in the stern.

Jake had succeeded in scrambling dgwn to them, and
was wildly urging Hollister to make haste.

“There isn’t room for all!” exclaimed Nell.

Without speaking, Hollister took her in his arms and
lifted her in, handing her the dipper with which to bail.

There was no room for him; three people were as
many -as could embark with safety. He thrust the paddle
into Pete’s hands, and pushing the canoe out intd the

“TL cant

stream, hastily discarded his heavy coat and boots and,

plunged in after it.

The fire was by this time perilously near. Clouds of
dense smoke swirled along, borne by the freshening wind.
A dull glow was visible but a short distance upstream.

In the cafion formed by the cliffs, the air was. still
breathable; but the flames were traveling with great speed,
and every instant increased the menace.

Half stupefied by fright, Jake huddled in the bottom of
the boat and muttered to himself. Pete plied the paddle
vigorously, but his strength had been sapped by his wounds,
and it was only a question ofa short time when it would
give out.

To add to the danger, the canoe was taking in water
more rapidly than Nell could bail it out. Hollister real-
ized that he must do something, or it would sink. Swim-
ming in close behind the stern, he seized the canoe, plac-
ing his hands over the tiny holes, effectually stopping them
up. Kicking out with vigor, he accelerated their progress
as much as possible. ‘

Behind raced the flames, licking up the dried grass and
leaves greedily. The air was hot: with their breath.

The affrighted denizens of the woods, instinctively mak-
ing for the water, tore madly along throtigh the under-
growth. Here a deer, its red tongue lolling out, ran side
by side with its natural enemy, the timber wolf. Rabbits
scuttled along beside foxes; squirrels, chattering and scold-
ing, forsook the trees and leaped awkwardly along the
ground. Ancient feuds and enmities were forgotten in
the common danger. All fled together from the red ter-
ror that stalked unchecked through the forest.

“Hold hard!” yelled Pete. The speed of the canoe in-
creased, as they neared the rapids.
hands more firmly. He knew that without the support af-
forded by the,canoe he would be drowned, expert swim-
mer though he was. Another instant and they were in
the foaming, dashing water, that swirled and eddied about
jagged black rocks,

Pete plied the paddle with lightning rapidity, but the
heavily laden canoe responded but ‘slowly to his efforts. In

Hollister twisted his |

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“We're done!” yelled Take suddenly ee ee to his
knees. His Nittle” black eyes seemed starting from his
head; his jaw worked convulsively. It was as if he had
beidlenty lost control of himself.

- “We can’t pass it! Let go!
frenzy, beating at Hollister’s hands.
down! Let go, curse you!”

A cry of terror broke from Nell’s pale lips, and Pete
shouted out an unheeded order.

‘From his knees; the madman rose to his feet, unmind-
ful of warnings, objurgations. The bow of the canoe
grazed the rock, and, with a wild scream, he pitched for-
ward into the black water, striking his head against a
‘projecting stone and sinking instantly from sight.

The canoe tipped violently; Hollister felt an agonizing
pain shoot through his hands, as he was jerked haliway
out of the water. Then the craft righted again and was
swept onward.

It would have been impossible to save Jake, even had
they been able to stop; to pause for a moment might mean

the sacrifice of three lives.

Nell was sobbing softly to herself, from sheer. terror.

The canoe had passed the most darigerous point of the
rapids and was approaching smooth water; but the fire

‘was gaining upon them constantly, traveling three feet
to their one.

- Showers of sparks flew overhead. ‘ The air was filled
with blinding, choking smoke that parched the throat and
_ scorched the lungs. Could they reach the lake before
the raging fiend behind overtook them? The glare was
terrible now.

- “Faster, Pete! Faster!” gasped Hollister,
_ The game little man ttied to respond; but although the
will was there, the sai er was gone. He reeled and swayed

Let go!” he screamed, in a
“You'll drag us

Pian his hand, aie he toppled back unconscious inte the
bottom of the canoe. é

CHAPTER XXI.
THROUGH THE FIRE,

A blading ‘issu struck the water and a flying frag-
ment | fell into the boat directly beside Nell. Before she
could move, Hollister had wrenched one arm free and

E a handful of water over the gunwale. With a hiss,

e\ cee he dared take ‘the nak of cvetsing: it. Sec-
: onds: might mean life or death to them.
a ey: free of water now; it might remain afloat,
th the holes open. It was just a bare chance, but

He braced his shoulder against the

Swimming as

*

“ira of him.

~

The canoe was .

lister said gravely.
-, when I think how nearly he succeeded—of "what he mete

blinded by the thick smoke, ‘stifled by the terrific
On, on! He heard Nell. cry out in vain as the.

. neces ated it on. one tremendous push on

of the canoe. ,
The craft shot ahead, drawing him. after it, and
out into the open water, just as the flames, with a dé
ing roar, swept around, from both sides of the
spread in a great semicircle along the banks of
Almost spent, Hollister swam mechanically forwi
presently the bow of the canoe grounded on the mudd
peach of the islet, the young man’s feet touched bot om
and he staggered ashore, more dead than alive. a
Nell crawled out of the canoe, and by their united ef-.
forts they succeeded in carrying the sti insensible Jen-
nings up into the shelter of a pile of rocks. Then they
crouched down beside him, too utterly exhausted to speak
a word,

a furnace; all around them the conflagration was raging,
but there were no trees on the island, and for the present
they were safe. :

A deer lay panting within a dozen yards of them, its
rolling eyeballs. gleaming red with fear; but it made no
attempt to move; nor did the other animals, which had
crowded to this refuge from the flames, evince the least
terror of the three human beings.

“Thank God, that’s over!” Hollister said, in a tone of
heartfelt gratitude. “What a terrible calamity! 1 wonder
how the fire started?”

“He did it,’ answered the girl.
to have a ‘surprise party.”

“Jake did it, you say?” cried Hollister, in amazement.

The girl nodded.

“Yes. He did not think it would cross the ceigils Some-
how: he. found out that he failed in his attempt to ve
you up in the cave, and he told me this morning that
was going to shoot you and Pete = let the fire destroy
your bodies. ’

“Oh, it was horrible! I nearly went mad.”
dered and clung to his arm.
promised that, if he would spare you, I would do any-—
thing in the world. But he only laughed and went away.

“He said he was going

She sind

“He said that the fire would not do him any harm, bee

cause he would swim across the creek and come up on
the other side above the burning woods.”

“He didn’t reckon with the wind,” said Hollister.
he quite sane, do you think, Nell?” /

She shook her head.

“1 don’t think so; he couldn’t have been.
before this I* have thought that he
think he must have been crazy. His
and he kept laughing all the time, as
niest thing in the world.” —

“Well, that is for a higher power to understand, Hol
“It is not for us to judge him. But _

Sometimes

eyes were so queer

you suffer——’ He drew her closer to him.

It was hours before they could think of leaving te?
island. Even _after the worst of the fire had passed, the

ground: made walking impossible.

acted. strangely. IT

The blistering wind swept over them like a blast from

1e

“IT begged him not to go—

“Was. :

i

if “¢ were the tna i

woods .were still burning in places, and the hot, smoking —
The canoe was so badly —

scorched that it would not serve to carry them very far, .

but the next’ morning Hollister decided that it would be 3

safe to venture upstream a little way, at least.

He ‘was worried about Jennings, who, although he hea. ;
im

= a regained his senses, was too weak to ‘move or to hel

 
4 r » ;
lown fora
3 \

voc and ruin in its silks The Pas ta
that had taken refuge on the island; the birds

e the canoe as best he could, Hollister lifted
into it; then Nell took ‘her seat in the bot-
tr, as before, swam behind the craft, for the paddle

had been lost when Jennings had given out.
Hollister dared not attempt to reach the Hammel place;
he well knew he could not pass the rapids again, and he
od dno means of knowing whether or not the homestead
had been destroyed by the forest fire. But they could prob-
ably turn up the branch of the creek that led to the Ed-
wards homestead, and this seemed the most feasible plan.
Accordingly, he followed the directions issued by Nell;
but it was nearly dark when, tired, cold, and nearly starved,
they reached the deserted house. It was too late to attempt
to get help ‘that night, but Hollister immediately began
to make Jennings as comfortable as possible in the room
that had been Jake’s, while Nell busied herself in the

eeeeretion of some food.

CHAPTER XXII.
ee : EXPLANATIONS,

As soon as hé was assured that Pete was all right Hol-
jister followed the girl into the shed which served for a
-kichen, after Jennings had declared that he should go to
sleep at once.

“Nell,” said the young man, “how did you know that
Jake was not your father? I had my suspicions, but I
had only a hypothesis to work on, and it was incom-
plete.”
ee “There are lots of letters and papers hidden away in
an old chest,” replied the girl. “I.was locked up here all
_day, you know; Jake was in the bushes outside when I
_ was talking to you, and overheard our plans. He would

have followed you then, but Pete saw and-called to him, —

and he didn’t dare. So yesterday morning he shut me in
the house to prevent my going to you; and after I had
tried to get out and failed, I got to looking around and
found the chest.”
“Yes, that’s ie He clear,”

said Hollister. “But als was

he, if not your father, and why should he wish to put me

I

out of the way? I had done nothing td him.”
“His name was Alling—Jake Alling, and he——”

“T know now!” cried Hollister, a sudden light break-—

ing upon his mind. “He was the man who went with
_ your father into the north Jersey woods to try out the
process!”

“You are right.”

“But what of your father?”
_ Tears rose to the girl’s eyes.)

“Poor father!” she said softly.

1

“I suppose we shall

‘never know the real truth. But this Alling claimed that

father was shot in the back by some careless sportsman,
who did not wait to see what terrible damage he had done.
It seems that Alling and father had quarreled one morn-

ing, in ‘the presence of several rane and Alling was, | fac

ne weld bé a h ne

“So he buried the body inthe woods, took all father’s
papers and things, and just disappeared. He arranged to
have any letters forwarded, and that is how he got mine.
He didn’t want me to come on to see him, because he
knew I would expose him at once. And even if he did
not actually. shoot father, if his story of the shooting
is really true, he at least deceived me all these years, and
kept the truth from me. He tobbed me and you.” _

“But I don’t understand his reference to your mother,”
suggested Hollister.

“That is the strangest part of all. Alling loved mother
before father met and married her, and he was always
jealous of father: on that account. And he loved me be-
cause | was my mother’s daughter. It was a sens wild —

. sort of love, but I really believe he was fond of me.’

“As if any one could help being,” Hollister told her.
“But we won't talk any more about this now. You can
show me the papers some time, and we'll work it out
together.”

Nell smiled, a wan little smile.

“We'll look at them again after supper,” she said.

In spite of their fatigue, the two pored over the vari-
ous documents until late that night. There was a map of
the land around Millford, showing the exact location of-

the Hollister property, a number of letters written by

Nell to the man she supposed to be her father, invoices
of the lumber sent to the city, and a copy of the formula
for making paper pulp. Bieae

There were also some letters from the real Edwards *
to Alling, and several newspaper clippings, relating how
the body of a man had been found, with a bullet hole in the
back, in the woods. Ki

From the information contained in these papers, it was |
easy to piece together a fairly accurate story of the mo-
tives which had led Alling to commit his original crime—
that df usurping the name and identity of J. H. ae
—and the other villanies into which he had see ge
the hope of concealing the first.

Whether or not the story that Edwards had ‘ica shot’
in, the back by a sportsman was true, they were unable
to ascertain.
consequences ‘if the truth should come out, and had taken
himself out of the country and gone to Milford. Here |
he hoped to use the Edwards formula, stealing the timber
from the land belonging to Henry Hollister. Woe

Therefore when Nell wrote to him, Alling had eae to.
invent the story of a wounded hand, to account for the
difference between his handwriting rand that of Edwards. s
His persistent refusals to allow Nell to come to him, or
to go to her, had, of course, prevented her from identifying
him as an impostor; and when she ee took matters

of her father.
f Alling’s enmity toward Hollister, the explanation
simple. He believed that the young man suspected |

from the Hollister land; and he ‘determined to be 1 d
the son before the latter could verify the beliefs whi he
been, no doubt, suggested to him by the father. wig

oat had been 2: bold game, and ad it not be

 

But it was evident that Alling had feared the
 

 

svard,

 

Nie Tie: TOP WEEKLY.

days, and had again recognized him when they met at Mill-
ford, it might have succeeded. Jennings had shrewdly
guessed a: the main facts, and had pretended to be in
possession’ of evidence which would lead to Alling’s con-
viction for the crime of shooting Edwards, using the
knowledge as a lever to force the giant to give up Ed-
wards’ daughter.

Early next morning, Hollister saddled one of the horses
and rode to the lumber camp after help for Jennings. He
was fortunate enough to find a man there who had some
knowledge of medicine, and the latter returned to the
house, while Hollister continued on through the woods
to secure the services of Mrs. Hammel.

That good lady was unfeignedly glad to see him; her
home had been out of the radius of the fire. And she
was only too willing to go back with him to take care
of Jennings until he should be able to go about again.
She was installed as nurse and genetal housekeeper, and
as soon as Jennings, who improved rapidly under her
ministrations, was on the highroad to recovery, Hollister
and: Nell Edwards were quietly married at Valley Station,
and left immediately for the city.

They agreed to put the memory of that terrible experi-
ence at Millford behind them, and to try to forget it as
soon as possible.

The name of Alling was never mentioned between
them, and Nell could never think of him without a shud-
der. It was years before she could bring herself to visit
the flourishing lumber camp which Hollister immediately
established at Millford, with Pete Jennings as foreman,
and which, by the aid of the Edwards process, now the
property of Nell, was proving an unqualified success.

THE END,

THE FROZEN WATCHER.

By ROGER STARBUCK.

From the deck of the whaling bark Centerville the morn- .

ing watch beheld the fog, which for a week had shrouded
the ice-covered waters of the Arctic Ocean, roll heaven-
ward in thin, fleecy clouds, pierced by the rays of the rising
sun. Far and near, first revealing their dim outlines, and
gradually becoming more clearly defined, the huge floating

bergs were seen like phantoms, tossing their restless sum-.

mits as their bases were washed by contending tides.

“Man the mastheads!” shouted the captain, as he emerged
from the cabin; “and keep a sharp lookout for the lost
boat!”

The boat to which he alluded was the second mate’s,
which had now been absent from the bark eight days.
_“It’s my opinion,” remarked an old gray-haired tar for-
“that we'll never see that boat again. This is the
third time that the second mate has been lost sight of, and
it’s the third time that always brings noe S to a Crisis,
accordin’ to the song, which says:

“Twice lost, twice found;
The third time dead and drowned!”

“Aye, aye, Ben,” answered his chum, Ned Brunt. “I’m
afraid you’re right, though I can’t help hoping that we'll
see the boat again.
boat.”

““So there was, lad, so there was,” replied Ben, “and it’s
sad to think that they've all perished. The second mate was

“~~

‘into the water.

There were some good men in that

  

never a careful officer. He always had a fancy ¥
off on his own course—for getting separated ‘
when we lowered for whales—and now you see what
of it. His boat is lost, and with it his good men.” es

“P’raps they’ve been picked up by some other craft;
Ned.

“That may have been,” replied his chum, “but I’m cae
that no such good luck has happened; for the craft het
about ain’t very plenty. We're as high up as seventyst
degrees north latitude, and there’re few whalers that come
so far.” . ;

By this time, the fog having almost ‘entirely cleared,
the greater part of the Centerville’s crew had posted them-
selves in such parts of the vessel as afforded the most ex-
tensive view of the sea. The tops, the topgallant yards,
and the flying jibboom, were blackened by the forms of the
men, who, leaning sideways, forward and backward,
scanned the vast waters with keen and anxious glances.

The first officer, who had climbed to the main topgallant
crosstrees, with a good spyglass, pointed the instrument
toward a large floe to windward, and for a full quarter of
an hour continued to scrutinize the floating masses.

“Do you see anything, sir?” inquired one of his com-
panions—the fourth mate, whose brother was among the
crew of the lost boat-“do you see anything? If so, tell
me, and——”

“Aye, aye,” interrupted the mate. “I do see something,
but I can’t exactly make it out. Your eyes are keener than
mine, and perhaps you will be able to tell what it is.”

The fourth mate took the proffered glass.

“Where is it, sir?” he inquired, after a moment’s survey.
“T see nothing.”

“Look a little more to the left—there—where that berg
looms up near the farthest edge of the floe.”

The fourth mate obeyed, and the next moment uttered
a joyful exclamation.

“It is a man—a man standing on the summit of the
berg!” he shouted. “Tell the captain, and have a boat low-
ered at once!”

“Are you sure it’s a man?” inquired the maté.
to me more like a seal or a large bird.”

“No, sir—I am positive it is a human being!” cried the
other. “I could swear to it; and there can be no doubt
it is one of the boat’s crew—perhaps my brother.”

“All right—we’ll lower,” cried the mate, and quickly de-
scending to the deck he ordered his crew to clear away the
larboard boat.

The men obeyed, and the little vessel dropped splashing

   
  
   
   
 
 
   
    
   
    
  
  
 
 
   
  
  
  
   
   
 
   
  
  
   
   
   
   
  
   

”

“Tt looks

A moment later, manned by good oarsmen, it was speed-
ing swiftly toward the floe.

The latter on one side was walled by, frowning ramparts
and precipices of ice, that lifted their jagged, rifted sum-
mits high in air, and flashed with dazzling brightness in
the rays of the rising sun.

“Do you see the—the object now, Mr. Reynolds?” in-
quired the mate, turning to the fourth officer, who was
stationed by his side.

“The man? Yes,”
are, sir!” he added.
he stands.” 4

answered Reynolds. “Steady as you
“We'll soon reach the berg on which

As he spoke, a huge sea bird, that for some time had
been wheeling in. circles above his head; screamed omi-
nously, and flapped its broad wings with a noise like the
“shivering” of a topsail.
   
  

t to be a sij d..hack yebY
the fourth mate, through.his clenched

presentiment tells me that

” gritted
‘No croaking now!. A
gure perched - on the berg is th at Me ee, penet:

 

 
 
 
 

     
 
   
  
    
  
   
  
 
    
    
  
   
   
  
   
 
    
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
  
 
    
    
   
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
   
   
 
  
  
   

; fe uld fike to baa tt

* We Hee-noo-hee!” muttered’ a dark-skinned Kanaka in
di how. “Get into de boat! Me hab dream last night—
Gad dream—and me think dis dream come true.”

* The boat was now so near the berg alluded to that the
form upon its summit showed to all who glanced toward
it the unmistakable proportions of a tall man. He was
seaied upon a projecting shelf of the ice, lashed with a
rope to a crystal column behind him. His. face, being
turned away from the approaching boat, could not be seen,
but the fourth mate declared that he recognized the form
and dress of his brother.

“That may soon be provéd,” answered the first officer.
“He will probably turn his face toward us if we hail
him,”

The hail was thrice repeated, with no better result. The
man remained as motionless as a statue, his head still
turned away from the approaching boat.

A terrible fear crept into the hearts of the officers.
turned pale and exchanged uneasy glances.

“Something’s wrong,” whispered Ben to the man behind
him. “I knowed that there was no good luck in store
for us.”

At that moment the mate descried the fragments of a
boat near the edge of the floe. One of the pieces of wood
was pickéd up soon after, and found to bear the name
“Maria,” painted in. large red letters.

“Aye, aye,” said the mate, with a heavy sigh; “there can
be no doubt now about the fate of the second officer and
his crew. Here are the fragments of the stoven boat. The

' rest can’ be easily imagined. The men, with the exception
of the one upon the ice cliff have all gone down in their
watery grave.”

As he spoke the boat. struck the base of the berg, and
headed by the fourth mate, several men scaled the rugged
ice wall and sprang to’ the side of the motionless figure.

“Brother! my dear brother | !” cried Reynolds. “We have
come to———~”

He paused abruptly. The face into which hé peered
was rigid and expressionless; the fixed, staring eyes were
partially veiled by a thin glaze of ice.

“Dead! frozen to death!” cried Ben. “A sad fatef I
knowed we'd have no good luck. Poor lad! poor lad! The
only one left of that unfortunate crew, he probably came
up here, the better to keep a lookout for the bark, a-lashin’
himself with a rope that he mightn’t be tossed off; Well,
mates, it’s easy to see what was the result: He fell
asleep never to wake up.”

We have only to add that the lifeless form, being con-
veyed to the batk, was buried at sunset, and from that

  

They

became one of the most reserved and melancholy,

 

ESKIMO CUSTOMS.

The native Greenlander has a remarkable partiality for
a stooping position. The family food is usually served
in a dish which is set upon the floor, while the partakers

,
4

hour the fourth mate, formerly the merriest man aboard, |

sit round upon a great bench, and dive into it with their

seems rarely to strike

thenmthat the dish might be set upon a chest, or anything
it into a conventent pos ition,

story is told of a young European lady’s

housekeeping experience on the island.

She had one day some Eskimo girls to do her wash-
ing, and when she went into their room to see how things
were going on, she noticed that her handmaidens were all
stooping over the tub, which stood on the floor. Naturally
thinking this an awkward position, she had some stools
brought in and placed together, so that they might serve
as a support for the tub.

She then left the girls to their own devices, but, enter-
ing the room an hour later, was astonished to find that
the tub was still upon the floor, while the washerwomen
stood upon the stools, and bent down to their work from
that elevation.

that would bring
An amusing

HINTS TO ANGLERS.

According to the statement of a veteran angler, fish bite
more freely during the four or five days after the first
quarter, while from the third day after the last quarter
to the second day before the new moon the sport is at its
worst. It is strange under the circumstances, that al-
though we have a sunfish, there is no fish named after
the moon.

JEWELERS’ WASTE MATERIAL.

.Every precaution is taken in the establishment of a
jeweler who knows his business for the preservation of
all material thought to contain the slightest suspicion of
gold or silver that may have fallen from the worktable

The bulk of the filings are caught on a tin tray fixed
on the workman’s knees, and held by means of a “skin.”

Both the worktables and the floor of the shop are swept
carefully every morning, and the dirt gathered up and
placed in a box. The water in which the workmen wash
before leaving the place is poured into a barrel and al-
lowed to settle, and the more scrupulous employers have
their men’s aprons cleaned, and the water kept in the
same way.

The following morning the clear water is drawn off
by a tap halfway up the tub, and the sediment allowed to
remain at the bottom.
’ All old brushes, leathers, cloths, et cetera, used for pol-
ishing, aré burned after being used a certain time, and
the ashes are added to the “sweep” or litter.

After a few weeks the valuable dirt is packed in a box,
and either forwarded to the center of the jewelers’ waste
smelting trade, or taken by the tradesman himself to cer-
tain houses in the town where he may live, which con-
tain the furnaces and mufflers required for the purpose.

By means of powerful magnets, all iron and steel is first
extracted from the “sweep,” which is then placed in
crucibles and thrust inté furnaces of intense heat.

Everything is burned with the exception of the metal,
which remains in a lump at the bottom of the crucible.

This lump is then passed on to the refiner, who sepa-
rates the metals and makes a return of their value to be
forwarded to the customer, who either, has the gold, silver,
and copper sent back to him, and pays a small amount for
the cost of smelting, or sells it at market prices to ‘the
smelters.

f
j

   
     
  
   

 

 

 

sti ES i ln

 

aL *{ pee ace

  
NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY.

NEWS ITEMS OF INTEREST.

 

Only Survivor of the Custer: Massacre is 72.

“Curley the Crow,” the half-blood Sioux scout, now in
his seventy-second year, is the only survivor of the Custer
massacre. He says that the famous painting, ‘“Custer’s
Last Stand,” does not represent the scene truly, because it
shows scalped and mutilated American soldiers on the field
of battle at Little Big Horn, where, on June 24, 1876,
Custer and practically all of his command perished,

“There was no scalping and no mutilation,” Curley said
recently. “Four hundred and seventy-three soldiers were
killed, and not a mark was found on them that was not
made by bullets.

“J was General Custer’s scout, and he had sent me for
reénforcements the night before the battle. I was return-
ing with Captain Bentline and his command. While I was
still a long way off, my horse was shot under me, and I
got down and ran until I came into the thick of the
fighting.

_ “As I got there I saw the soldiers were lying ta right
id left. Those four hundred and seventy-three had been
surrounded by six thousand Sioux. I saw Custer fighting
with his saber, and I thought he was the last man alive
_ there, but I soon saw that his brother, Lieutenant Tom

Custer, was fighting beside him. He fell, and General
Custer stood alone.

“The Indians could have killed him easily before that,

‘but the purpose was to take him alive. Fourteen Indians
- whom he had slashed and gashed with his saber lay near
him, most of them dead or dying.

_ “T. called to General Custer, meaning to tell him of

Colonel Reno’s refusal to come, and he said, =on here,

Curley? We'll fight to the end.’

“Those were his last words.
arm and Custer turned on him and dealt a terrible saber

stroke that half cut his head off. As he did this the son
of the Sioux fired his rifle at Custer and the bullet went
through his heart. I pushed through toward Custer as
he fell. I held his head as he sank back dead.”

Electricity Spanks Pupils.

a Phe sight of two electric “spankers” being installed in
; two of the city’s schools, at Htintington, W. Va., has been
‘the cause of a transformation in the deportment of the
unruly pupils in both institutions, according to Wilson M.
-Foulk, superintendent.

The spankers work on the plan of a vibratory massage
machine. Mr. Foulk expects the two schools in which they
were installed to have the best average in deportment' of

ll schools in the city for the month of September. In
yoth schools in the past discipline has been maintained

nly by teachers who ete | ae ee aoe of atm

Inguity into Slavery Ordered.
n investigation of the alleged practice of slavery and

nage in the Philippines has been directed by Secretary |

of War Garrison as a result of the reports made by Dean
Vorcester, former secretary of the interior of the Philip!
and Auditor Phipps. The secretary said recently
had instructed Francis Burton Harrison, now on

A big Sioux is his ,

his way to Manila as the governor-general of the islands, —
to look into the entire matter and report to the war de-

partment. ee

Secretary Garrison feels that the question is one which

must be dealt with primarily by the Philippine government,

and he has, therefore, directed that the first thing to be

done is to ascertain catefully the facts of the situation.

He will not take any further action until he has received

from Governor Harrison a report giving the results of
his investigations.

“Big Tim” Sullivan,

By the merest chance, the body of “Big Tim” Sullivan,
who rose from newsboy to congressman, was identified —
after it had been for thirteen days in a morgue and was
on its way to a pauper’s burial. A policeman going
through the morgue saw the body, and recognized it as
being that of Sullivan.

Sullivan had been ill. He eluded his nurses, and a few
hours later was killed by a train. He left an estate esti-
mated at $5,000,000. Big Tim was a child of the Bowery,
having lived there all his life. When eleven years old he
was selling papers on the streets. He was a political
power in a small way before he was of age. He gave a
great deal of money to charity, maintaining a “bread line”
for the Bowery unfortunates.

Germans Show Five Miles of Films Daily.

The “movies” have become so popular and extensive a
feature of amusement and business in Berlin, Germany,
that the film censorship department at police headquarters -
is arranging a vastly more elaborate quarters.

The department henceforth will possess three fully
equipped cinematograph theaters, the apparatus of which
will be kept working continuously six hours a day, show-
ing the pictures submitted for the police approval.

’ Every film publicly exhibited must undergo official scru-
tiny. Herr von Glasenauu, the theatrical censor, now
gives up most of his time to the “movies.” On the average, —
five miles of films are unreeled daily at police headquarters.

The “movies” have now enlisted such well-known lit-
erary men as Gerhart Hauptmann and Hugo von Hoff- —
mannstapl as writers of film drama.

Sees Train on Trackless Desert.

A passenger. train running along on the prairie many

miles from the nearest railroad track was the “sight” wit-

nessed by John Boyle, a Hutchinson traveling man, in~
Stanton County, Kansas, recently. Stanton County bor-

ders Colorado on the east, and is the only one of the © i

105 subdivisions of the State without a railroad. The
vision reported by Boyle is the strangest of the many
mirages seen in western Kansas recently, due to the dry
weather. That must be the right explanation, as this is a
prohibition State.
The illusions ordinarily picture beautiful lakes in the dis-
tance, and have many times caused travelers to veer from |
the main trail in the plains country, only to find them-

selves lost in a wilderness of sagebrush and sand.
_ “I was driving from Ulysses over to Johnson City,

 
28

Boyle said. “Away off in the west I saw a train moving
along. I knéw there wasn’t a railroad in that direction for
two hundred miles, at Trinidad, Colorado.

“T called’ the driver’s attention to it, and remarked that
I didn’t know any road had been built down there. He
laughed at me, but I pointed it out to him. We stopped
out there on the prairie and. viewed this most wonderful
phenomenon. We finally figured it out; it was a mirage.

“Tt isn’t often that a train is seen in a mirage like that,
but this was as plain as could be. The Santa Fe main
line is thirty miles north of there. I suppose a mirage
of some train on the main line showed its reflection in the
west. It appeared to be running through water, and great
lakes were shown in the beautiful picture.”

Will Make Lake Fishless.

The record contract for seining fish has been awarded
by the State to August Bisting, of New Albany, Iowa, who
has contracted to clear Lake Winnebago, forty miles long
and ten miles wide, of carp and other rough fish.

Carp were placed in the lake in the hope of providing
food for the poor, but the fish have become a pest, and
are killing the game fish.

John Larsen Some Eater.

John Larsen, of South Brooklyn, recently was awarded
a $25 prize for eating eight dozen fried eggs, four dozen
boiled eggs, three dozen scrambled eggs, twelve slices of
toast, one bunch of celery, eight portions of French fried
potatoes, and two pounds of sliced bacon, which he washed
down with ten cups of coffee.

Louis Johnson, of West New York, N. J., quit the con-
test after consuming fourteen dozen fried eggs.

1

Greek King Gives Nine-cent Tip,

The King of Greece, who aroused French antagonism
whet he was quoted as attributing Greék success in the
Balkan wars to German military instruction, may be for-
given for that, but he will never gain a Parisian reputa-
tion as a spender. »

Recently. the incognito visitor rode the length of the
Bois de Boulogne, in Paris in a taxicab. When he returned
to his hotel a bystander asked the chauffeur if he knew that
his fare was King Constantine.

“Well, I'll be blowed!” he said, shaking his head in a
negative. “He gave me only a nine-cent tip.”

Mice Cut Off City’s Power.

Two mice climbed into the switch of the Memphis Con-
solidated Gas & Electric Company lines at the Union ele-
vator, Memphis, Tenn., created a short circuit, and shut
off all power for forty-five minutes. More than five hun-
dred offices of the Postal Telegraph Company between
Nashville, Memphis, Texarkana, Ark., Cairo, and New Or-
leans were out of commission. Elevators were dead, and
business halted while men were seeking the trouble.

Big Dipper Falling to Pieces,

The “Big Dipper,’ most familiar of all constellations,
the one by which the North Star is located, is slowly fall-
ing to pieces. In 200,000 yéars the great configuration
will not exist, and, in fact, it did not exist 200,000 years
ago.

Such is the announcement by Professor Heber D. Cur-
tis, of the University of California, astronomer at Lick

NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY.

Observatory. Study of the motions of stars and compari-
son with records for 150 years prove this,

“Stars,” Professor Curtis explains, “have two*motions—
that in orbits and a path through the sky, known as the
proper motion. The proper motion of the stars in the Big
Dipper is not in the same direction. Five are going in one
general direction, two others’in another.”

Names Child for Pulmotor,

So grateful was Mrs. Ada Bradshaw, of Leavenworth,
Kan., when a pulmotor, recently purchased by the city, re-
stored to life her new-born baby, that she at once named
the child Pulmotor Bradshaw. The pulmotor is the prop-
erty of the police department, and was sent for when the
physician discovered that the child had quit breathing. It
was applied for about half an hour, and the child is now
in a healthy condition.

Boy Finds Strange Stone.

While at play in the hills, near Wing, N. D., Paul Yeater,

little son of A. R. Yeater, found a translucent milky agate
with a nearly perfect picture of an Indian woman in the
center. The coloring of the face and nude bust of the
picture is a red brown and the hair is black. The stone
is one and one-half inches ‘thick.

Falls into Barrel of Pitch.

Several barrels of pitch had been unloaded in a vacant
lot, in Hopkinsville, Ky., and Inez Moore, 12 years old,
was playing on top of them. She did not notice that the
head of one barrel was off, and stepped into the sticky
mass, which had been heated by the sun. She sank to
her knees, and all efforts to extricate her failed for over
an hour.

Finally she was worked out of the pitch, until her shoe
laces could be cut, and she could pull her feet out. The
shoes were never recovered, and a garden fork and ax
that were used in trying to chop her out are also still
firmly fastened in the pitch.

/ Edison Batted by His Office Boy.

A bright office boy recently kept Thomas A. Edison, in-
ventor, cooling his heels for five minutes outside his own
office. Mr, Edison, who has been taking an enforced va-
cation of two weeks in his home, in West Orange, on ac-
count of a cold, was permitted to go to his laboratory on
condition that he remain only a few minutes. The boy,
who had been engaged since Mr. Edison became ill, met
him at the office door.

“You can’t see Mr. Edison without an appointment,” he
said firmly.

“But this is most important,’ remonstrated the inventor,
who wanted to prolong the joke.

“Nothin’ doing, and, anyway, you'll have to see the sec-
retary,” the boy added. Mr. Edison said very well, he
would see the secretary.

After about five minutes the secretary came out and

greeted Mr. Edison by name.
“That’s all right,” said the inventor, patting the boy on
the head, “I like to see my own rules obeyed.”

Invents a Kidney.
Doctor John J. Abel, head of the pharmacology depart-
ment of the Johns Hopkins University, of Baltimore, has
invented an “artificial kidney,” which when applied to

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human beings will make it possible to determine whether”

a patient suffering from the effects of a poison is really
under the influence of drugs and to ascertain at the same
time just what poison the patient has taken.

The invention, according to leading surgeons here, is
invaluable to the medical and scientific world. The kid-
ney, made partly of rubber and partly of another sub-
stance, also has a network of glass tubes surrounding it,
through which a study of blood and other fluids can be
made. The organ is submerged in a saline solution of
the same temperature and consistency as the lymph of
human blood.

The blood stream flows through the tubes, and in this
way is studied by the specialists. The contrivance has been
used successfully on animals,

Submarine’s Fine Record.

Two center hits, made with Whitehead torpedoes at
3,000 yards, while running twelve feet under the surface
of the sea, was the record of the United States submarine
E-1 during the target practice in Gardiner’s Bay recently.

During the practice the E-1, under command of Lieu-
tenant Lewis D. Causey, while running submerged at full
speed, discharged both her eighteen-inch torpedoes at a
ten-foot moving target. Both of the hits were bull’s-eyes.

Seek Wooden-leg Material. °

Makers of wooden legs have appealed to the forest serv-
ice to find for them a substitute for English willow, which
in the past has been used almost exclusively, because of its
lightness and strength, in the manufacture of artificial
limbs.

English willow is growing scarce, however. Forest serv-
ice officials are now experimenting with Port Orford cedar
of the Pacific coast.

Facts You May Not Know,

Before a fire brigade can start for a ‘fire in Berlin,
Germany, the members must all fall in line in military
fashion and salute their captain.

Almost 1,000,000 tourists visit the Alps each year, of
whom about twenty-five meet with fatal accidents.

Two parts of ammonia to one of turpentine will soften
old paint or varnish and make its removal easy.

Sapphires comprised nearly two-thirds of the value of
gem materials produced in the United States last year.

A German aviator with a gigantic monoplane plans to
attempt a transatlantic flight this year from Spain to Hali-
fax with a stop at the Azores.

In the United States, in every business day in the
year, $1,000,000 worth of property is destroyed, three lives
are lost, and seventeen persons seriously injured by fire. —

Hollow concrete tile blocks will be made at Panama, and
the canal commission has arranged for the erection of a
plant for their manufacture. Most of the buildings in
the new town of Balboa will probably be constructed of
these blocks.

Construction of the Peter-the-Great Fortress, the great-
est in the world, designed for the protection of St.
Petersburg, Russia, has begun. This fortress will consist
of a chain of island forts extending across the Gulf of
Finldnd, a distance of thirty-eight miles.

Never before since the day of Jackson has the president’s
cabinet been without a representative from New England.
Five of the members were born in the South, two on

British soil, one in the Middle West, two in the East.
oldest man in the group is 53 years of age.

The steel railroad tie, which has made very litile head-
way in the United States, is extensively used abroad, and
particularly in Germany, where two years ago the Prus-
sian state railways alone bought more than 150,000 tons
of ties of this character.

By means of balloons the upper air has been tested to
a height of nearly nineteen miles in this country by the
weather observers. During a recent remarkable flight the
instruments used recorded a temperature of 70.4 degrees
below zero at a distance of twelve and one-half miles above
the earth. Wherever the sounding balloons have been used,
whether near the equator or in northern latitudes, the
tecords have shown that after six miles above the earth
the temperature no longer drops rapidly as the instruments
ascend, but at times becomes stationary.

The

World’s Greatest Amateur Golfer.

That Jerry Travers, of the Upper Monclair (N. J.) Golf
Club, is the world’s greatest amateur golfer is conceded by

the severest critics of the game since his sensational win-

ning of the championship title at Garden City, N. Y., for
the fourth time.

Travers is the first-man that ever won the title four
times, and some experts aver that he stands a chance of
capturing the honor four times more.

Travers studies golf. He studies the game just as a
scientist examines specimens under a microscope, and
therein is found the reason for his wonderful exploits
on the links.

Dog Afoot 1,000 Miles.

Last spring a traveling cigar salesman purchased a
Scotch collie from Cleve Adams, of Monmouth, Ill. It was
shipped to the home of the new owner in Pittsburgh, Pa. .
Recently Mr. Adams heard a noise at the door. On open-
ing it, he was greeted by his old pet, wagging his tail.

The dog had traveled more than one thousand miles.
He appeared tired and his feet showed signs of hardship.

Vagrants to Farm for Poor.

The establishment of a municipal truck garden is an-
nounced by Poor Commissioner Powers, of Marquette,
Mich, Twenty acres of land, owned by the city, will be
farmed by vagrants and others, and what is left of the
crop not consumed by the workers will be turned over
to the city’s poor. . By this plan the commissioner ex-
pects to greatly reduce the expense of caring for the needy.

Wins Jig Prize at 70.

The rhythmic tattoo of clogging feet beating out the
steps of an old-fashioned Irish jig at the thirty-eighth
annual picnic of the United Irish Societies at Brand Park,
Chicago, recently smote upon the eager ears of Mrs. Mary
O’Hara, No. 1711 Crilly Court, who is 70 years old.

“Listen,” she whispered to herself, “I can do that jig
just as well to-day as I could when I was a colleen back
on the old sod.”

With a sparkle in her eye, the aged woman edged
nearer the platform where the jigging contest was being
held. The music swelled and softened and the latent
spirit in the old woman’s breast began to glow. Finally,
with a sprightly jump which landed her in the midst of
the dancers, she proceeded to show the younger genera-

i

 
NEW TIP TOP WEEKLY.

‘aster and faster wert

‘tion the true spirit of Ireland.
faster twinkled the old

the musicians and faster and
woman’s feet.

And Mary O’Hara danced her way back into the vision-
ary days of her girlhood, and also danced her way into the

‘first prize for the contest—and she wasn’t even on the

program.

“Sure, I didn’t intend to dance at all,” she said. “And
me with my grandchildren on the stage, but when I heard
the music I couldn’t keep my feet still. I think I showed
them a thing or two in the way of old-time steps, if I do
say it myself.”

International Sport for Next Year.

We are certainly going to get our fill of international
sporting treats next, year. In addition to the Davis Cup
games and the yacht races for the America’s Cup, it is
now almost certain that England will send over a team to
try once again to “lift the Westchester, Polo Cup. . While
no formal challenge has yet been received, William A.
Hazard, secretary of the polo association, says there is
no doubt that America and England will meet on the

polo field next year. This is how Mr. Hazard puts it:

“While we have not yet received a formal challenge
from the Hurlingham Club—England has until. the last
day of the year to send one in—we are unofficially in-

_ formed that a challenge will be sent over before the end
of the year.” .

Cannibals Don’t Like White Meat.

That cannibals seldom eat white captives, and then with-
out particular zest, is the gist of a scientific report on the
subject made by Doctor Hofman, formerly. a German
consul in Africa and an authority on the panics of tribal
customs.

_ Writing of the recent murder of the Bi Amehae
-mineralogist, John Henry Warner, by natives of New
Guinea, Doctor Hofman asserts that the abstention of
cannibals in Africa and of Guinea from the flesh of white
men is not because they fear the spirit of the white vic-
tim or his powers of magic, as has sometimes been as-
sumed, but because they consider that it has an unpleas-
ant taste, due to the use of sharp spices and condiments,
and of salted dishes in the diet of the European.

Doctor Hofman cites an article printed several years
ago in a journal of Liberia, in which it was said that the
cannibals in the Liberian territory eat a white man only
when he has fallen into their hands alive. Then the vic-
‘tim is immersed to the neck in a running brook and held
_ there by bonds for two or three days, on much the same

principle that an oyster is “floated” in fresh water after
being taken from the beds. Doctor Hofman had con-
_firmation of this from a former cannibal. .

‘The reported killing and eating of Mr. Warner, in
Papua, by the natives, has called attention to the fact that
- cannibalism is by no means stamped out in New Guinea.

Warner believed that radium could be found in Papua,
and fell a victim to his own zeal. It is reported that his
two native companions escaped his horrible fate, the news

of which they brought to the coast.

- At one time official circles believed that cannibalism

was a thing of the past in British New Guinea, but clear
evidence that it has persisted into the present decade has
been provided by unimpeachable witnesses. In a book

vublis. ed last year, J H. oR ey Beetint governor d

and chief judicial officer of Papua, has much to say about’
the practice of cannibalism among the natives in the island.
He writes about boiling springs which not many years
ago were made use of for cooking any prisoners captured
in the village warfare. j

Describing the northeastern division of the island Mur-
ray quotes a native witness, who, telling of the eating of
human bodies, said: “We boil them; we cut them up and
boil them in a pot. We boil babies, too; we cut them up
like a pig.

“We eat them cold or hot; we eat the legs first. We
eat them because they are like fish. We have fish in the
creeks and kangaroos in the grass—but men are our real
food.”

Murray tells of the remark of a Fergusson Islander
to a stranger who wanted to buy betel nuts from him:
“Why should I sell you betel nut; I am going to eat.
you.” Which he promptly did.

He also writes of a crew of shipwrecked Chinese, who
were eaten one by one, until the captors, surfeited with
the diet, peddled those who were left around the coast
selling them to the highest bidders. Wives who ventured
to look around during the-funerals of their husbands were
killed and eaten. One native who was concerned in the
killing of a neighboring chief and his two wives told of
the subsequent eating of the victims with the utmost un-
concérn.

He told of eating the hand of one wife, but cefteed:
to touch the other, as he had killed her, and it was —
not the custom of his tribe to eat one’s own victim. The —
two women were singed first, then cut up into small pieces,
mixed, with sago, cooked, wrapped up in leaves, and dis-
tributed to the victors, including their women and chil-
dren.

Blind Man Rides to Hounds.

Walker King, of Exeter, England, blind from birth, not .
only takes an ardent interest in all outdoor sports, but
rides regularly to hounds.

Very recently he rode at the meeting of the Dever and
Somerset staghounds on Exmoor. ae

So infinitely delicate is Mr. King’s sense of touch that
he is an admirable judge of horses and cattle. By run- ,
ning his hand over a horse Mr. ‘King can detect all, its
points and faults.

Besides, he is a keen politician, and Sia thrice stood
for Parliament; as a Liberal, but unsuccessfully. .

Recotd of Heart Action. ne

A wonderful heart barometer is being used SUCCESS
fully in a London hospital. It is technically known as an_
“electro cardiograph” and automatically measures and re-
cords waves set up by each heartbeat. It is useful in diag-
nosing diseases of the heart and aes in ie othe
effect on the heart of different drugs.

The cardiograph is electrically connected with two bath
filled with salt water, in which the Patient places, his
right foot and left hand.

“Rooke” Follows Orders,

The Ohio National Guard and the Federal army clash ‘
for a brief period in Columbus one afternoon re:
—that is, the head of the former and the tail oF th

‘says the Columbus Dispatch.

Adjutant Seon agi H. I. Wood motored, t

 
 

 

_ and is being added to daily.

LIP

NEW

of the Olentangy sham battle with his family in response
to a special invitation from Colonel Barger. When he ar-
rived at the High Street entrance to the battlefield, where
a line of United States soldiers held back the crowd, he
was halted by a “rookie.”

“But, my good man, I’m the adjutant general of Ohio,”
explained General Wood, presenting his card.

“Sorry, sir; orders are that no one passes,”
recruit,

“But, my good man, I—~”

“Orders is orders; no one passes,”
cruit.

“How long have you been in the service?” the general
asked, after arguing for a time.

“The rookie said ten days.

“Well,” General Wood answered, “you’re going to make
a blamed good soldier in time. Tl say that for you.”

Only he didn’t say “blamed.”

said the

interrupted the re-

Cures Vian Who Robbed Him.

Private Thomas Byers, Company A, United States In-
fantry, is awaiting his discharge from Speers Hospital.
Byers was indicted on a charge of stealing from a New-
port physician’s residence.

The doctor, learning that the man had been suffering
from brain trouble, examined him. He found that a blood
clot had formed on the brain and caused Byers to take
property of others. The clot was removed.

The Meat Shortage.

Danger of a world shortage in meat products and a
world famine in beef is imminent, according to the pack-
ing barons. Delegates from all the important cities of this
country, from Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, representing an
annual volume of production of more than $1,300,000,000,
heard the warning and not a voice sounded in dissent.

Soon porterhouse steak at a dollar a pound will be con-
sidered cheap,-unless there is an increase in the stock-
raising industry, according to the packers.

They say they are seeking the answer to “What are we
going to do about it?”

If any mistaken statements were made at the convention,
there was nobody present to question or dispute them.
Only packers were there. Rumors that have been in
circulation for several weeks, to the effect that agents of
the government have been at work gathering evidence
which will be used to break up an alleged monopoly of
meat and other foodstuffs, were not discussed—at least they
were not discussed publicly. It is rumored that govern-
ment agents who worked for the big Chicago packers as
laborers, discovered that the packers have between three
and five million pounds of meat and a countless supply of
vegetables, stored on ice, and that the grater part of the
vast quantity of meat has been in storage for five years
It has been charged that
the packers have been buying the live stock as fast as
the ranchers of the West offered it, but have not been put-
ting it on the market. In any event, the cattle supply has
been diminishing.

The chief subject in the convention discussion was the

_ ptoblem of increasing the ptoduction of live stock and

the packers spoke about it with apparent sincerity. High
prices of meat, they asserted, do not mean large profits
for them.

Also, half a million dollars was voted by the packers’

TOP

 

WEEKLY. 31

association to stimulate cattle raising in the United States.
Not all of the $500,000 is to be raised in one year. The
plan suggested by President Bischoff was that $100,000 a
year be spent during each of the next five years. The
fund is to be used in teaching the advantages of cattle
raising and how to take care of the animals. The details
of the plan have not been announced.

The government was blamed for high meat. prices in a
report made by a committee. Too much science and too
little’ practical knowledge of the packing industry were
declared to be the basis for the government’s responsibility.
Frequent changes of labels and other forms of regulation
were criticized.

“Six years ago,” said President Bischoff, “there was
one head of cattle for each man, woman, and child in the
United States, whereas this year there is only six- eens
of one head of cattle per capita.

“There is a world’s shortage of meat, good animals and
meat food products. We are just about at the point where
we are feeding ourselves and no more. Other countries
are not so fortunate and must buy their food supplies in
the markets of the world.”

“The farmers feel that they cannot compete with the
cattlemen, who have the larger ranges,” said C. F. Kam-
rath, of Spokane, Wash. “That is why they are not rais-
ing beef steers. They remain in the dairy business, and
cannot be blamed for it. But if every farmer in the coun-
try raised one or two steers the problem would almost
be solved. However, I do not think we will have the low-
priced beef we once had.”

“There are a number of reasons for the decrease .in
live-stock production,” said M. A. Taylor. “Our popula-
tion is increasing at a much. greater ratio than our pro-
duction of live stock. The censts of 1910 shows a popula-
tion increase of 21 per cent. Our live stock has increased
but 8 per cent. To assure the future producer of beef
cattle that conditions are changing and that in the future
the demand for his surplus product shall not come ex-
clusively from the cities, I might mention that in some of
out more progressive States, especially in lowa, what is
known as ‘beef rings’ are being formed, consisting of
twelve to twenty families, who on the codperative plan
are slaughtering for their own consumption many beef
animals every year. This system of encouraging produc-
tion by increasing the demand. in the rural communities
is being virogously advocated by experts in that State, and
in the not far distant future will mean a tremendous ad-
dition té the annual beef consumption.”

Austtalian Justice.

Recently after hearing his first case an Australian jus-
tice of the peace delivered himself thus: “There's been a

‘lot of lies told in this case, and I don’t know who’s been

tellin’ °em. So I’m going to fine you ten dollars. If yer
guilty yer gettin’ off very light, an’ if yer not guilty it'll
teach yer to be more pertickler about the company yeh
keep.”

British Admiral Lost Race.

A sprint of 100 yards was run recently by Rear Ad-
miral Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot and Captain Eric Back,
of the British navy, in fulfillment of a bet made by them
twenty years ago, and the captain won by a_ yard in
12 seconds.

Both officers were serving in the Pacific Ocean on

 
board the Warspite in

NEW

1893, when a challenge was givert
and accepted for a race to be run on the same date twenty
years later. Arbuthnot is ee nine years cf age and
Back forty-eight.

Bagon’s Son in Our Army.

Corporal Ernst Sedlacek, a son of Baron Sedlacek, of
Vienna, Austria, who for the last two years has. served
in the coast artillery at Fort Hamilton, has gone to Fort
Leavenworth, Kan., to take the examination for promotion
to a second lieutenant in the army. Six years ago
Sedlacek was graduated from the Royal Technical School,
in Berlin.’ He decided that this was a good country in
which to start an engineering career.

After his arrival in New York he met many coast
artillerymen, and when he twas told that every man who
enlists in our army was in line for a commission, provided
he behaved .himself, studied hard, and was an American
citizen, Sedlacek decided to become a citizen and to join
the army. He took out his first papers, and a week later
donned the uniform of the coast artillery.

Sedlacek is now serving his second enlistment, and the
officers at Fort Hamilton say that he is one of the best
men in that branch of the service. He is a citizen now.
His army friends are confident that he will win his com-
mission. . '

Motgan Heir Lives as Poor Boy at Harvard.

In a little room, which but rarely greets the sun, Julius
S. Morgan, the future head of the family of Morgan, is
rounding out his Harvard career as a senior. Morgan
is living in, Hollis Hall, the old-fashioned, one-hundred-
year-old dormitory.

He has no bath, no elevator, no personal attendants
as he had in Beck Hall, the fashionable building he has
just vacated.

Boys Save New Haven Train. i

Quick action and cool wits averted a serious wreck on
the New Haven road, at Hartford, recently, when six boys
ran to the flagman at the Sigourney Street crossing and
shouted that one of the rails on the inbound tracks of
the Midland division was broken.

The flagman rushed down the tracks suid stopped a

train from New Britain. within thirty feet of the broken
“rail,

The train was sent to a crossover and the boys, pro-
vided with a red flag, stood guard until arrangements were
_made for rerouting all trains coming into Hartford and for
repairing the rail.

The boys are Matthew Despard, John and Thomas Wil-
son, George Fagan, Charles Zilch, and Martin Shea, who
were on their way home from school. Their names will
be sent to the company’s office at New Haven with the

_ recommendation that they be rewarded.

Trio Saved Eleven Lives, but Are Not “Heroes.”
Be@ause they saved lives as a recreation three Milwaukee

us _ young men with a record of eleven lives saved this summer,

cannot claim Carnegie hero medals. They are Matthew and
_ Frank Surges and Nicholas Schila
about twenty-one, has saved five from drowning this year,
and had a record of seven lives last year.

Matthew, who is

Schilz has
saved four this year, and Frank Surges two.
The young men work at ae and spend their recrea-

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

is patronized by an average of 400 swimmers daily for three
months there is no regularly authorized life-saver on duty. —

The government breakwater is a dangerous spot for
the uninitiated, for the sea outside the breakwater causes —
a dangerous undertow and the young men spent most of
each afternoon swimming in this vicinity, ready to rescue.

Their most notable achievement this year was when a
woman in street clothes fell from the breakwater and her’ :
escort dived for her though he, like the woman, could — ‘
not swim. The life-saving trio rescued the two, though
Frank Surges was choked unconscious, and was in turn —
rescued by his brother, when the woman clutched his
neck,

Swotd Vanishing in Getman Army.

The sword, the soldier’s proverbial weapon since the ©
early days of history, seems on the way to disappearance
in the German army. The six cavalry regiments pro- —
vided for by the army-increase law passed this year will —
be without sabers, being armed instead with carbines
equipped with the short, infantry bayonet. Ce A

The change is made experimentally, but causes much
headshaking among old-line cavalrymen, for it is recog- ;
nized that the experiment, if successful, may lead to its
general adoption in the cavalry. With infantry officers
now dispensing with the sword in actual warfare, to make

. themselves less conspicuous to opposing sharpshooters, and

cavalry going into action with rifle and bayonet, poetical
references to the sword of battle may have to be re-
vised.

Two Pitchers Gain Beides by Prowess.

game at Swayne Field, Toledo, Ohio, Pitcher Allan Colla-
more won a bride. The girl was Miss Mary Colburn, of
Toledo. Miss Colburn witnessed Collamore’s great work.
The next day Collamore and Miss Colburn applied for a
marriage license and were married in the afternoon. |
Another baseball romance culminated in Toledo wh
Ralph Comstock, 4 Toledo boy, now a member of the De-

troit’ Tigers’ pitching staff, secured a marriage license to

wed Miss Florence la France, of Duluth, Minn. —
marriage is the culmination of a baseball romance whi
originated two years ago on the baseball ane at Du
luth.

Saves a Civil War Pike.
“Made in Mobile, 1861,” could appropriately be p ic
on ptobably the only pike now in existence which
devised for use in the war between the States. The Dp

Mobile Museum and is on exhibition in a shop w
The blade was devised by Percy Walker, in Mobile
1861. The wooden handles were poles six feet 1
butt end fitted into a strap attached to a saddle,
pike was used in repelling attacks.
The pike was made by W. A. Alexander, w
on Catherine Street now, and the company which
the pikes was sometimes called the Mobile, Pike a:

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WOODS, 634 Sixth Av.230 C, NewYork

 
 
SOME OF THE

BACK

W TIP TOP

THAT CAN
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SUPPLIED

 

 

i—Dick Merriwell in the Marathon.
Dick Merriwell’s Colors.

§3—Dick Merriwell, Driver.

Dick Merriwell on the Deep.
~Dick Merriwell in the North

Dick Merriwell’s Dandies.

Dick Merriwell’s Skyscooter.
—Dick Merriwell in the Elk

tains.

-Dick Mérriwell in Utah.
—Dick Merriwell’s Bluff.
~Dick Merriwell in the
~Dick Merriwell’s Ranch

Dick Merriwell at Phantom

Frank Merriwell’s Hold-back.
—Frank Merriwell’s Lively Lads.
—Frank Merriwell as Instructor.
—Dick Merriwell’s Cayuse,
—Dick Merriwell’s Quirt.

Dick Merriwell’s Freshman

Dick Merriwell’s Best Form.

Dick Merriwell’s Prank.

Dick Merriwell’s Gambol.

Dick Merriwell’s Gun.

Dick Merriwell at His Best.

Dick Merriwell’s Master Mind.

Dick Merriwell’s Dander.

Dick Merriwell’s Hope.

Dick’s Merriwell’s Standard.

Dick Merriwell’s Sympathy.
~Dick Merriwell in Lumber Land.

rank Merriwell’s Fairness.

Frank Merriwell’s Pledge,

Frank Merriwell, the Man of Grit.

Frank Merriwell’s Return Blow.
‘Frank Merriwell’s Quest.

Frank Merriwell’s Ingots.

Frank Merriwell’s Assistance,
Frank Merriwell at the Throttle.
Frank Merriwell, the Always Ready.
Frank Merriwell in Diamond Land.
r
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Woods.

Moun-

Saddle.
I'riends,
Lake,

Friend.

ShoObobol
So St Cobo

Frank Merriwell’s Desperate Chance,

Frank Merriwell’s Black Terror.

rrank Merriwell Again on the Slab.

Frank Merriwell’s Hard Game.

Frank Merriwell’s Six-in-hand.

Frank Merriwell’s Duplicate.

Frank Merriwell on Rattlesnake

Ranch.

Frank Merriwell’s Sure Hand.

frank Merriwell’s Treasure Map.

Frank Merriwell, Prince of the Rope.
—Dick Merriwell, Captain of the Var-

sity.

—Dick Merriwell’s Control.

Dick Merriwell’s Back Stop.

Dick Merriwell’s Masked Enemy.

Dick Merriwell’s Motor Car.

Dick Merriwell’s Hot Pursuit.

Dick Merriwell at Forest Lake.

Dick Merriwell in Court.

Dick Merriwell's Silence.

Dick Merriwell’s Dog.

Dick Merriwell’s Subterfuge.

Dick Merriwell’s Enigma.

Dick Merriwell Defeated.

Dick Merriwell’s “Wing.”

Dick Merriwell’s Sky Chase.

Dick Merriwell’s Pick-ups.

Dick Merriwell on the Rocking R.
-Dick Merriwell’s Penetration.

Dick Merriwell’s Intuition:

Dick Merriwell’s Vantage.

Dick Merriwell’s Advice.

Dick Merriwell’s Rescue.

Dick Merriwell, American.

Dick Merriwell’s Understanding.

Dick Merriwell, Tutor.

Dick Merriwell’s Quandary.

Dick Merriwell on the Boards,
—Dick Merriwell, Peacemaker.

Frank Merriwell’s Sway.

-Frank Merriwell’s Comprehension.
-Frank Merriwell’s Young Acrobat.

Frank Merriwell’s Tact.
768—Frank Merriwell’s Unknown.
769—Frank Merriwell’s Acuteness,

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Frank Merriwell’s Young Canadian.

Frank Merriwell’s Coward.

Frank Merriwell’s Perplexity.

rank Merriwell’s Intervention.

Frank Merriwell’s Daring Deed.

rank Merriwell’s Succor,

Frank Merriwell’s Wit.
Krank Merriwell’s Loyalty.

Frank Merriwe ll's Bold Play.
-Krank Merriwell’s Insight.

Frank Merriwell’s Guile.

Frank Merriwell’s Campaign.
2—Frank Merriwell in the

Forest.
7838—Frank Merriwell’s Tenacity.
784—Dick Merriwell’s Self-sacrifice.
785—Dick Merriwell’s Close Shave.
786—Dick Merriwell’s Perception.
787—Dick Merriwell’s Mysterious
pearance.
7T88—Dick Merriwell’s Detective Work.
789—Dick Merriwell’s Proof.
790—Dick Merriwell’s Brain Work.
791—Dick Merriwell's Queer Case.
792—Dick Merriwell, Navigator.
798—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.
s00—Dick Merriwell Caught Napping
$01—Dick Merriwell in the Copper
try.

Dick Merriwell Strapped.

Dick Merriwell’s Coolness.

Dick Merriwell’s Reliance.

Dick Merriwell’s College Mate.

Dick Merriwell’s Young Pitcher
—Dick Merriwell’s Prodding.

Frank Merriwell’s Boy.

Frank Merriwell’s Interference.
810—F rank Merriwell’s Young Warriors.
811—Frank Merriwell’s Appraisal.
§12—F rank Merriwell’s Forgivene SS.
813—Frank Merriwell’s Lads.
814—-Frank Merriwell’s Young Aviators.
815—Frank Merriwell’s Hot-head.
816—Dick Merriwell, Diplomat.
817—Dick Merriwell in Panama. @
&818—Dick Merriwell’s Perseverance,
819—Dick Merriwell Triumphant.
20—Dick Merriwell’s Betrayal.

Dick Merriwell, Revolutionist.
Dick Merriwell’s Fortitude.

Dick Merriwell’s Undoing.

Dick Merriwell, Universal Coach,
Dick Merriwell’s Snare.

Dick Merriwell’s Star Pupil.

Dick Merriwell’s Astuteness.

Dic Merriwell’s Responsibility.

Dick Merriwell’s Plan.

Dick Merriwell’s Warning.

Dick Merriwell’s Counsel.
Dick Merriwell’s Champions.
Dick Merriwell’s Marksmen.

Dick Merriwell’s Enthusiasm,
Dick Merriwell’s Solution.
Dick Merriwell’s Foreign Foe.
Dick Merriwell and_ the

Warriors.

Dick Merriwell’s Battle for the Blue.
Dick Merriwell’s Evidence.

Dick Merriwell’s Device,

Dick Merriwell’s Princeton

nents.

Dick Merriwell’s Sixth Sense.
Dick Merriwell’s Strange Clew.
Dick Merriwell Comes Back.
Dick Merriwell’s Heroic Crew.
Dick Merriwell Looks Ahead.
-Dick Merriwell at the Olympics.
8—Dick Merriwell in Stockholm,
9—Dick Merriwell in the

Stadium.
$50—Dick Merriwell’s Marathon.

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If you want any back numbers of our weeklies
Postage stamps taken the

office.

NEW SERIES.
New Tip Top Weekly

1-—Frank Merriwell, J1
2—F rank Merriwell, Jr., in the Box.
‘rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Struggle.
4—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Skill.
5—Frank Merriwell, Jr., in Idaho.
6—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Close Shave.
¢—Frank Merriwell, Jr., on Waiting
ders.
8—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Danger.
9—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Relay
thon.
10—Frank Merriwell,
Ranch.
—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Golden Trail.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Competitor.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Guidance,
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Scrimmage.
Frank Merriwell, Jr., Misjudged.
rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Star Play.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Blind Chase,
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Discretion.
rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Substitute,
I
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j
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J
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Mara

Jr., at the Bar

“rank Merriwell, Jr., Justified,
‘rank Merriwell, Jr., Incog.
“rank Merriwell, rai Meets the Issug
“rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Xmas Eve.
‘rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Fearless Risk
‘rank Merriwell, 4 oe Skis. ~F
‘rank Merriwell, J Ice-boat Chae,
‘rank Merriwalt, dE B Ambusig “i
Foes, ,
28—Frank Merriwell, Jr., and the Tote m4
29—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Hockey Game
80—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Clew.
rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Adversary.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Timely Aid.
-Frank Merriwell, Jr., in the Desert.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Grueling Ty
Frank Merriwell, J ri Special Miss
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Red Bowman
Frank Merriwell, Thy. Task.
—FPrank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Cross-Coun
Race.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Four Miles.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Umpire.
Frank Merriwell, Jr., Sidetracked.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Teamwork.
—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Step-Over.
frank Merriwell, Jr., in ee OMeetey
Frank Merriwell, J r.’ s, Athletes.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Out fielder.
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, ‘‘Tundred.’
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Hobo Twi irlewm
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Canceled Gai
Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s,*¥ Weird Adv
ture.
rank Merriwell, J
-Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s,
ble.
53—Frank Merriwell, Jr.,
Doctor.
‘rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Sportsmansl@
rank Merriwell, Jr.'s, Ten-Innings,
rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Ordeal.
Yr
ri
r

r.’s, Double Head
Peck of Tr@
the

and Spot

+

ank Merriwell, Jr., on: the Wing.
ank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Cross-Fire.”’
ank Merriwell, Jr.'s, Lost Tes
mate.
60—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Daring Fligh
61—F rank Merriwell, Jr., at Fardale.
62—Frank Merriwell, Jr., Plebe.
63—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Quarter-Back
64—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Touchdown.
Dated October 25th.
65—Frank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Night Off.
Dated November Ist.
66—Frank Merriwell, Jr., and
Black Box.
Dated November 8th.
67—F rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Classmates.
Dated November 15th.
rank Merriwell, Jr.’s, Repentant IH
emy.

‘

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the Li

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and cannot procure them from youm”

same as money.

Street & Smith, Publishers, 79.89 Seventh Ave., New York chil