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A PATRIOTIC WEEKLY STORY PAPER.

 
 

 

   

Mssued Weekly—By Subscription $2.60 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter at the N. Y. Post Ofice. STREET & Sgronbiigy Rose &., N. ¥
Entered Aceording to Act of Congress, in the Year 1897, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.

 

NEW YORK, September 25, 1897.

Price Five Cents.

 

No. 47.

TABLE OF aS

 

PHIL TO THE RESCUE: or, The Free Star’s Daring Cruise © (Complete Stor ry) i

ANNOUNCEMENT “GOLD WATCH” CONTEST
BRIEF TALKS WITH READERS .
THE ENGLISH RECRUIT - - - - -
CAPTURED THROUGH INSTINCT - a .
WIT AND HUMOR - Sec

_ MY ADVENTURES WITH A TARANTULA -

Page.

a
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‘
Ce ot

 

  

0TH € RESCUE

 

The Free Star’s Daring Craise.

 

CHAPTER I.
A CRY IN THE NIGHT.

Clang, clang, from a loud-toned bell
until it struck eight times; then a
long drawn cry of ‘‘AIl’s well.”

It was midnight at sea and the Confed-
erate privateer Free Star was plowing

along as steadily as if she were upon the

waters of an inland lake or river.

Not a breath of air was stirring.

Lee Radcliffe, better known as Raddy,
the officer of the watch, stood at the ex-
treme end of the bridge so that his face
might be fanned by the apparent breeze
caused by the motion of the vessel.

The night was insufferably hot. It
seemed as if the clouds that had hidden
every star since early evening were press-

| ing the air down upon the water and

 

: making it too thick to breathe.

 

By BEVERLEY KENNON.

Such weather conditions upon the tropi-
cal sea often precede a storm of great
fury. Raddy wished that the storm would.
break.

Not even on the hottest of nights
ashore had he ever known the air to be so
stifling.

‘There was a little stir on the decks be-
low as the watch changed. Sailors
straggled from the forecastle to take the

places of those who had -been on duty

during the past four hours, and the re-
tiring watch has slowly gs to their
bunks.

Likely enough if the sailors had had
any choice about it every one would have
been as willing to be on duty as to try to
sleep on such a night.

Raddy would have been glad of any
change, although he would not have

cared to try to find comfort in his room,

  
 

2 . RED, WHI’E AND BLUE WEEKLY,

~ but there could be no relief for him for
two hours yet.

It was only on the day before that the
privateer had captured a big Yankee ship
called the Eastern Eagle, and Ralph
Stirling, the daring young commander of
the Free Star, had determined to save the
ship if possible for the Confederacy.

- Instead of blowing her up or setting
her on fire, he had told off enough of his

crew to sail her, and putting her in com- -

mand of Bruce with Chip as an assistant,
had dispatched her with orders to run
into Mobile, if possible. —

As this course reduced the number of
officers on the Free Star, Ralph and
Raddy had decided to lengthen their
petiods of duty to six instead of four
hours each.

The long-drawn cry of the forward
lookout had hardly ceased and the shift-
ing of the watch had not been completed
when the privateer shivered slightly from
stem to stern.

Raddy was on the alert instantly. He
knew the meaning of the faint shock.
The Free Star had run into something;
it night be nothing more than.a log, but
it was more likely an ocean derelict, in

which case the steamer might be in seri-
_ ous danger.

The sailors forward ran to the port rail
and looked over, shouting words of warn-
ing that came tuo late. Above the clamor
of their voices there came a faint, despair-
ing cry from the sea itself.

‘*Man overboard here!’ yelled one of
the sailors.

‘“Throw over a life buoy !’’ cried Raddy,
with his hand upon the signal that com-
municated with the engineers’ room.

Even while he was speaking the throb-
bing of the engine suddenly ceased for an
instant and next moment the steamer
vibrated more than ever as the machin-
ery was started backward at full speed.

‘‘Away second cutter,’’ shouted Raddy.
“Tively, there, men, lively!’

 

The bos’n’s shrill whistle immediately

shrieked out upon the night and there

was a hurried trampling of feet as the
sailors rushed to their posts.

Again that wailing, despairing ery came
from the sea. ‘This time it was astern of

_the Free Star.

Even with her engines reversed at full
speed it takes a long time for a vessel to
overcome its headway.

The men, or man, in the water had
been passed almost before the presence of
human beings there was suspected.

Having signalled to the engineer and
given his orders to lower the boat, Raddy
hurried down from the bridge and ran to
the hatch amidships that led down to the
engine rooin.

He reached his hand into a locker just
within the doorway and pulled out a great

quantity of tow. This he fastened quick-_

ly to a life buoy, touched a match to it,

and dropped it over the side.

It fell upon the water, tow uppermost,
and this burning and remaining of course
in the same spot, gave a sign to show
about wher® the drowning man’s voice
had been heard. : :

By the time it had been dropped over
the man was considerably astern to be
sure, but without the light a boat’s crew
might have gone far astray in its search,

As soon as he saw that his signal was
likely to burn steadily fofsome iminutes,
Raddy returned to the bridgeand had the
steamer put about.

Meantime a crew was swinging a_ boat
out from the davits and lowering it into
the water.

Such work is done at all possible speed
and yet it is an operation that takes time,
aud fully two minutes had passed before
the crew were at their oars and pulling
away from the steamer. _

At this time the Free Star had over-
come her headway and was beginning to

back, but the burning tow seemed to be

a lone distance astern.

   

  
 
 

 

 

  
  
 

    
i
'

 

 

 

ae then had fee engines stopped so

that their noise should not prevent the

nen in the small boat from hearing any
ery that might be sent up by the man or
men in the water.

The coxswain sat in the stern of the
small beat and directed her course toward
the burning tow. 4t went out just as they
came toit, but it had served its purpose.
_ They were on the right co urse, a fact
that was inade known immediately after-
ward by another cry at a little distance.
This time it seemed
stead of one.

‘TY thought there’d be more than one
muttered ne coxswain. ‘‘Bend to your
oars, men.’

The only motion of the sea was caused
by the light swell of the steamer, so, as
the men pulled hard, the boat shot rapid-
ly through the darkness.

The cries continued and grew louder as
the boat proceeded and presently by the
light of a lantern, which the coxswain
held in his hand, he distinguished two

men clinging to.a piece o® sureckag It

seemed to be part of an ea “Boat
uf small size.

Aithough the cries had eed growing
louder as the men from the Free Star ap-
proached, it was evident that the two in
the water ‘were exhausted for
when near to, their voices sounded weak.

It was the work of but a moment to
pull the two wrecked men aboard. ‘They
fell into the bottom of the boat and lay
there panting.

“Thank God!’ eroaned one of them.
‘fT thought it was the last of us.”’

**Are there any more of you,

greatly

mate ?”?

asked the bos’n

‘Ves, one somewhere,”?

The coxswain stood up and gave a
long cry.

_ ‘Man ahoy!?’

He waited for a response, but none
Cie.

‘lm afeerd he’s gone down,” sighed

-slowly, and

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. 3

the rescued man in the bottom of the

- boat.

‘Well look for him,’’ responded the
coxswain. ‘‘Did he have anything to
hang on to???

‘F duniio,;” ‘“We were

all three clinging to our capsized boat
when yecutus intwo. We managed to
hang on to the larger part, but what luck
Tom had I dunno.”’

There was nothing
around the spot on the chance of coming
across the other castaway, if he had not
already gone to the bottom.

For a minute or two the men pulled
gently at their oars while the coxswain
turned the boat this way and that without
result; then suddenly his lantern showed
him a face in the water just beside him.

It was evidently that of a drowning
man who was coming to the surface pos-
sibly for the last time.

The coxswain dropped his lantern,
leaned over the gunwhale and caught the
drowning man by the hair. The sailors.
backed water without waiting for com-

said the other.

to do but to cruise

mand, for they saw what was needed.

One of them shipped his oar and went
to the coxswain’s assistance. Between
them they pulled the man on board.

He was unconscious, but probably alive
and the next thing to do was to return to
the Free Star with all possible speed.

The return was accomplished quickly,
for having put the steamer about, Raddy
had signalled the engineer to go forward
she was, therefore, within
short distance when the bwat’s crew set
out to return.

The shipwrecked men were taken on
board with considerable difficulty and it
was as hard to take up the two who were
plainly alive as it was the one who might
be dead, for the two were so exhausted
that he could hardly stir.

This was all accomplished, however,
and then while some of the sailors looked
after the two who had strength enough

 
4 : RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

to speak, others proceeded to restore the
third.

It proved that they were just in time
_ with their efforts, for after a quantity of
salt water had been emptied from the

man’s mouth by rolling him over a bar-

rel, he gasped and gave other signs that
he did not like the treatment.

The sailors laughed cheerfully, for then
they knew that he was saved.

Stimulants and food were given to the
three men and they revived rapidly.

The Free Star had been put upom her
course again and Raddy went down from
the bridge for a moment to speak to the
men.

‘Well, mates,’ he said, cheerily, ‘
off your log.”?

“Huh!? returned the elder of the
three, ‘‘we hain’t taken no reckoning for
some days, but I kin give ye the record
of our voyage just as plain as if ye’d the
log all writ out and signed.”’

“Go ahead, then. What was your
port, and name of your vessel, and so
Ot rs

‘Our port is Clixta——’’

Cartas?

“Fim, h’m, it ain’t much of a port so
far as its size goes, an’ the number of its
population, but it’s where we live.’’

arecet Scott

Ie?

“Nothing. Go on.”

‘‘Our boat was the schooner Nancy,
named after ny wife, who’s been dead
these four years.

‘*We’ve been to Nassau, tradin’ an’ on
the way back we fell in with a hurricane.

““The Nancy was a good boat. She
had stood many a hard blow but that one
was too much for her. She capsized and
we’ve been a hangin’ on to her bottom
tee ave how long it is - can’t rightly
say.’ :
eG didn’t you yell when you heard

reel

the steamer coming, or saw her lights?’’

‘“‘Didn’t hear nor see nothin’, cap-

-about dyin’, bereckon,

‘“We was just
when you brought _.
us to life by cuttin’ us in two, which is
a queer way of restorin’a man, ain’tit?”?

‘The speaker smiled dismally at this,

tain,’? was the reply.

but Raddy was serious.

“Ralph must know about this at

once,’’ he said.

CHAPTER II.
NEWS OF BRUCE.

‘Here I am, Raddy,’’ said Ralph,
coming up at the moment. ‘‘I waked up

when the engine stopped and you began

to back. J knew that if there was any-
thing important you’d send for me and so
I tried to drop off to sleep again.

‘It was so confounded hot that. I
couldn’t doit, so I decided to come on
deck and find out what was going on —
and to get some fresh air if possible.’’-

‘There isn’t any fresh air to spare,”’
responded Raddy, ‘‘but there’s something
here that willinterest you just as much.”’

“Wiat ts 307"

AVE Ve Bicked up three men.”’

 Vankecs?

Raddy chuckled.

“Not everybody at sea isan enemy,
Ralph,’ he answered. ‘‘These men say
that they come from Calixta.”’

‘*You don’t say so!’’

Ralph’s tone showed the greatest sur-
prise.

The three rescued men were seated
upon a coil of ropein front of him. He

looked at them sharply and then address-

ing. the elder, asked:

‘*Is vour name Payne?”

‘“That’s what it is, captain,’? was the
reply, and the rescued man seemed as —
greatly surprised as Ralph.

Save you eet 4 cael natned —
Tess ?’’? Ralph continued.

‘Indeed I have, captain, and it was~
her that made death seem so horrible;
I’ve been used to the sea all my life, more

 

 
 

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. 6

, or less, an’ I can take my fate with it if
I’ve got to drown, as well as any other
man, but when I thought of poor little
Tess, all alone on that island a wonder-
in’ why we didn’t come back an’ frettin’
of herself from day to day——’’

-Payne’s voice trembled and he could
go no further. 2

~kreckcon Tess is all rieht. dad,’ said
one of the youngermen. ‘‘Sheain’t goin’
to starve to death on Calixta, an’ like
enough we'll be able to put in there be-
fore many days.’’

‘‘Yes, she won’t. statve,’’ said the
father, ‘‘but she’ll worry herself..dread-
bale?

‘‘No, Tess isn’t worrying,’’ remarked
Ralph, quietly.

(Ch ?))

‘“Tess probably thinks that you’re at
home and I happen to know that if she
worries at all it is because she thinks that
you’re wotrying about her.”’

Payne scratched his head and looked
doubtfully at Ralph.

“You seem to know a geod deal about
he remarked.

sys

me an’ .my... family,
‘Like enough you put into Calixta some
ime |

‘We've been there,’’ Ralph replied,
‘‘and more than that, we’re going there
LOW.” :

iim tiont olad: to Hear it {°?

‘“Would you like to see your daughter
before you get there ?”’

“Ofcourse 1 would, but——””

‘She's on board.”

Eless here?!

CON ee »?

‘‘ Alive, captain? Don’t say she’s——_”’
“She’s a good deal more alive than you
are.”

‘Land of promise! did you pick her

up, too???

‘We did, but not from an open boat.
- We cartied her away from Calixta by ac-
eident, but Vil let her explain it.”

Having said this-Ralph went himself

and knocked upon the door of the room
occupied by Tess. She wakened at once
and he told her briefly what had hap-
pened...

The girl dressed in a hurry and shortly
afterward joined her father and brothers
on deck. It was a happy meeting and
they sat there for more than an hour giv-
ing each their accounts of their exper-
ences.

Tess told her wondering father about

‘the way the Free Star had fled before

three Northern gunboats into the cove at
Calixta, and how a fierce battle had been
fought, the Confederates defending them-
selves by means of a battery that they
built at the entrance to the cove.

“Captain Ralph,’’ she said, ‘Shad me
come on board the steamer during the
fight because he thought I would be safer,
and when it was all over and he had to
get away ina hurry he forgot I was on
board until we were a long way from the
island. An awful hurricane was blowing
just then——”’

‘Probably the same one that upset
us,’’ remarked her father.

‘‘Undoubtedly, for there’s been no se-
vere storm ever since. Anyhow, we
couldn’t go back then, but the captain is
on his way now to put me ashore and
also to see 1f he can’t recover a cannon
that he left at his little fort.

“*It belongs on board, you know, and
he may want to use it again in fighting
the Northerners.”’ ; |

“ehoo!” Said ber
fully.
‘‘He’s an awfully brave fellow, pop.”’

‘*He looks it, but he don’t seem noth-
in’ more than a boy.”

‘‘He’s only four years older than I
ain,’’ answered ‘T'ess, ‘‘but he’s the bray-
est officer in the Confederate service.’’ .

‘‘Hump!’’ said her father.

Then after a little silence he advised
Tess to return to her room. His sons
turned into bunks offered to them by

father, thought-

 
 

so : __- RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

sailors in the forecastle and the old man
climbed part way up the ladder to the
bridge where Ralph and Raddy were
then on duty together.

‘“‘Captain,’’ said Payne, ‘‘my
girl’s told me all about it——”’

“‘T hope you understand that we had
no intention of carrying her away,”’
terrupted Ralph. :

“Tis all right, six,’’-exclaimed Payne,

little

if-

emphatically ‘‘if I wake up in the morn-:

in’ an’ find that this isn’t a fairy ship
an’ that you’re really bound for Calixta
I'll say it’s all right as long as I live and
wish you good luck.”’

Then Payne turned in, too, and the rest
of the night passed without incident.
“About noon the next day the Free
Star had glided through the crooked
channel leading to the cove at Calixta,
and had come to. anchor near the en-
trance where the battle had been fought
against the three Northern gunboats.

Ralph’s little fort was just as he had
left it. It showed plenty of signs of the
fierce conflict that had razed there, but
the gun was as sound as ever.

The raft that had heen used to convey
it from the steamer to the shore was still
afloat in the cove and now it was used
again to transfer the gun back to the
steamer.

‘This was accomplished without serious
difficulty and by nightfall the privateer
was ready to proceed on her way.

Tess parted from Ralph with evident
regret.
the island would be all the more lone-

~some because of the glimpse,she had had
of other people besides her father and
brothers.

Ralph felt sorry to part with her, too,

for she had been not only a pleasant
‘companion considering the little time he
had had to talk with her, but more than
once she had performed very serious set-
vices for him.

He promised her that when the war

She seemed to feel that life on

eG

was over he Some return and pa) the isl-
and of Calixta a visit.

So the privateer sailed away, leaving
Tess almost crying with grief and old
man Payne and his sons looking after the
steamer in a way that showed that they -
had hardly recovered from their surprise
at being rescued.

Then for many days the Free Star con-
tinued her course as a ‘‘scourge of the
sea.’ Northern commerce continued to
suffer from the daring attacks and raids
by the men under Ralph’s command.

Luck and skill together combined to
keep them out of the way.of Northern
gunboats and they had no conflicts ofa
serious nature. | ay

Ralph often wondered ono ale about
the fate of the Eastern Eagle, but there
was no way of learning anything about
her.

At last a time came when. they were
short of coal and water and were obliged
to put into some port for a fresh supply.

They were.then not far, from the Ber-
mudas, and,- accordingly they went to
Hamilton, the chief port there, for this
purpose.

Arrangements for taking on the needed
supply was quickly made and: Ralph ob-
served from the remarks of men with
whom he dealt that the fame of the Free
Star had preceded him.

As soon as possible, therefore, he sent
a man on shore to get newspapers in the
hope that he might learn of something to-
his advantage. 7

The man returned with a large Snide
of New York and other papers, and for a
half hour Ralph and Raddy read about
the progress of the war before they came
to any information that interested them-
selves particularly.

Then they came to a paper of recent
date’in which there was an article whose
head lines caused thei to open their eyes
in astonishment. ‘The first line read:

eat

 

 
x
Ab
Aish
aS
aS,
a
he
ee

 

 

 

3 Soe

 

 

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. q

“Capture of a Notorious Privateers- I think it will be seen that the first ac-

man.’?

Following this were the words:
“Ralph Stirling Taken at Last by the
Bellmar.’’

‘*Well,’’? exclaimed Ralph, ‘‘am I still
in command of the Free Star, or am I
locked up in some Northern fort ?’’

‘*You can’t always believe what you
see in the newspapers,’’ remarked Raddy,
who was looking over his shoulder, ‘‘but
you might read the rest of the article and
get some idea of the truth.”’

The article itself was hardly as long as
the headlines. It was avery brief tele-
graphic dispatch announcing that the
Bellmar had captured a merchant vessel
having on board Ralph Stirling and sey-
eral Confederate sailors.

“Tt is believed,’’ the article concluded,
“that Stirling, who is a netorious priva-
teersman, was attempting to take this
merchant vessel asa prize to Pensacola
or Mobile. ' Great satisfaction is felt that
the career of this bold Confederate has
been brought to an end.’’ /

“By gum! that’s riclt,’’ exclaimed
Raddy. ‘‘What will they say when they
know the facts.’

Ralph was very grave.

‘Don't you see any-fun in it??’. cried
Raddy.

‘‘Oh, I suppose it’s amusing enongh,’?
returned Ralph, ‘‘that the Northerners
suppose Iam captured, and they make
me outa bigger sort of fellow than I-am,
but [’m thinking that there’s something
in this dispatech——’’

‘You hayen’t any doubt that you’re
still at liberty and on the Free Star, have
you ?”’ asked Raddy, jokingly.

‘‘No, but I’m thinking of the EKastern
Eagle and Bruce.”’

“Oh, do you suppose it’s the Eagle

| they’ve got ?”’

“Dm affaid so. This paper is the last
one that we’ve got; go on shore, Raddy,
and see if you can find any of later date.

count is mixed up. In the
paper they’ll probably have the thing

straight,”

Raddy immediately went on shore. A
steamer from New York was just enter-
ing port, and knowing that it would
bring a fresh lot of papers, Raddy waited
until it was made fast to the dock. ©

Then, when a man came off with a big
bundle of papers on his back, he hur-
riedly bought copies of all and returned
with them to the Free Star.

‘The boys soon found
wanted. ,

In the next day’s issue of the paper in
which they had read the surprising dis-
patch they found a corrected version of
the affairin a dispatch dated Washing-
ton, with this paragraph:

‘Great disappointment is felt here over
the corrected news concerning the sup-
posed capture of Ralph Stirling.

‘*It seems that Stirling had taken the
full rigged ship Eastern Eagle, and had
sent her with one of his companions as
commander and some of his crew, to run
the blockade into some Southern port.-

‘The Bellmar, which was cruising for
the Free Star, came upon ‘the Eastern
Eagle while it was becalmed. The Con-
federates on board made a: stubborn but
hopeless resistance.

‘The commander, who was supposed
to be Stirling on account of the desperate
fight he made, is Claymore Bruce, a Con-
federate midshipman. Young as he is his
capture is an important matter, for it has
proved that he is capable of hard fighting
and much mischief against the north.

‘“The Bellmar has been ordered to pro-
ceed to Boston, where young Bruce will
be handed over to the commander of Fort
Warren. What the Bellmar will do after
that is known only to the authorities of
the Naval Department, for her orders are

what they

sealed.’

Ralph read this with a heavy heart.

next day’s

 
RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

_ ‘We've lost the best prize we took,”’
he said, soberly, ‘‘and Bruce is a pris-
oner. Poor little Chip is probably with
epin.”?

“It?s too bad,’? admitted Raddy, ‘‘but
it’s the fortune of war, Ralph

Ralph struck the table in front of him
with his fist.

"*So it is,”’? he eried, “‘and it is some-
times the fortune of war that prisoners
escape. : Bruce is reckoned an important
capture, is he? Well, then I’ll be hanged
if I don’t release him.”

“You don’t mean,’? exclaimed Raddy.

‘‘that you’re going to try to get Bruce
away from Fort Warren ?”’ 2

_“T don’t mean anything else. The next
port that the Free Star sails for will be
Boston !”?

CHAPTER IH,
DISGUISING HIS PRIVATEER.

Raddy was serious enough after this
for a moment.

Such a scheme was carrying the war
into the enemy’s country with a venge-
ance, and he immediately thought of how
slim the chances were that they could
come out of the enterprise successfully.

It was much more likely that they
would all be captured. Presently, how-
ever, he imitated Ralph by bringing his
own fist down upon the table.

“It’s the most desperate kind of an
idea, Ralph,’ he exclaimed, ‘‘but if
there’s anybody in the Confederacy able
to accomplish it, you’re the one.’?

‘“We are the ones, you mean, Raddy,’’
responded Ralph, ‘‘don’t be forever giv-
ing all the credit of the work to me.”’

‘‘We won’t dispute about that, Ralph,
for I expect that we’ll work together
whether we succeed or fail.’’

Ralph took down a book of charts a

turned to the page that showed Boston
harbor. . He looked at it attentively fora

few minutes.and then remarked:

“It wouldn’t surprise me if something
could be done before we leave this port.”
What, for instance?’ asked Raddy.

“T haven’t the faintest idea,’? Ralph
replied, ‘‘for I have never been in Boston
harbor. Riggs has, though, and I'll ask
him a few questions.’’

John Riggs was a pilot who had— been
with the Free Star since the Confeder-

ates took possession of her.

He had sailed all seas and knew every
part of the American coast well. If it
had not been for his familiarity with the
channels, shoals and islands in the
neighborhood of the Bahama Islands the
boys never could have accomplished as
much as they did. 3

They appreciated that fully and re-
garded Riggs as the most important mem-
ber of their expedition. =

The pilot himself was a good-natured
man, devoted to the Se cause and
to i young commander. His eyes
opened wide when Ralph told him that
he wanted to know sores about Bos-
ton harbor. \

“Vouwre not going to bombard the
Hub, are you?’ asked Riggs. oS

‘*Hardly, but I’m going to try'to_ get :
into Fort Warren and bring a “couple of
men out with me.”’ U

‘*You’ve cut out a hard task fis your-

self, Ralph. Not but that it may be easy
enough to get into the fort, but the
bringing of somebody out is quite another
matter, and what will ron do- with the
Hree Star?)

‘“We’ve hidden the Free Star onee and
probably we can do it eee We oCan
try, anyhow.”’ :

The two boys then called ni Riggs
fora long time, Ralph asking a great
many questions, some of which seemed
perfectly absurd to the pilot.

He wanted to know particularly about
all the islands lying at the mouth of the
harbor and about the pons if any, who
lived upon them.

 
 

 

 

ee

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY, * 9

“T see by the chart,’ said Ralph, ‘‘that
there is a bug light very near Fort War-
ren, and that the fort itself covers the
whole of an island.’’

‘*Yes,’’ Riggs replied, ‘‘I know bug-
light well. It is kept, or was'a couple of
yeats ago, by a man named Fernald.
He’s probably there still, unless he’s
dead. He was quite an old man when I
saw him last.’’

‘Does he live at the light all alone?’
“No, he has a young daughter who
lives there with him.’’

_ “hope he’s still the keeper’of that
light,’’ said Ralph.

‘“SSomebody keeps it, of course,’ re-
sponded Riggs, ‘‘and you can count
pretty certainly on its being Fernald if
you are anxious to meet him, but E fell
_you right now that Fernald will be a hot

Northern man, although there’s nothing
in the world that he thinks so miuch of
as his Hont.2?
“Proud of is job, is he?”
“I should say so! He thinks his post
is‘a most important one, and he’s forever
fretting lest ee should happen to
the light.
‘‘For that reason he’s taught his
daughter to look after it in case of emer-

gency; but the old man takes good care

that no emergency will happen, and
doesn’t let her have anything to do with
it whenever he’s around, which is pretty
much all the time.’?

“What sort of a looking man is Fern-
-ald-?”?

_ Riggs decribed the old light keeper as
wellas he could. ‘The pilot was not the
best kind of observer in this matter, but
he remembered that Fernald had long,
white hair and full beard. Whether he
was tall or short Riggs could not remem-
ber, but he had an idea that he was about
‘medium.

Ralph then went on to ask about other
matters, and when the conversation was

 

finished he paced up and down the quar-.

ter deck alone for a full half hour.

He was thinking over all the informa-
tion he had received, and trying to see
how he might use any of it to advantage.

At length he left the steamer and spent
some time on shore, going from shop to
shop and occasionally making purchases.
All his purchases, amounting to several
bundles, were sent to the steamer and
stowed in Ralph’s room.

Raddy’s curiosity was greatly aroused,
but Ralph did not seem to be in a mood
for explaining his plans. Accordingly
Raddy asked no questions, knowing well
that in due time Ralph would make
everything clear.

The work of supplying the Free Star
with coal and water was completed before
the day was over and she immediately left
port.

The young commander cautioned —
Raddy and Riggs not to let their desti- -
nation be known to the crew generally,
and it was supposed, therefore, by the
men that they were once more going to
get on the track of merchant vessels and
continue their work of destruction.

They were considerably strprised,

therefore, when after they were a day out

from Bermuda the announcement that a
sail had been sighted aroused no interest
in Ralph.

He turned his glass upon her idly and
was quite as sure as the members of the
crew that she was a Northern vessel, but
he let her pass without interference.
More than that he set the crew to work
with paint pots.

This is a job that is common enough to
sailors on passenger steamers, but it was
not usual on a privateer.

The steamer had seen so much service
that she was wellin need of paint, but
to the surprise of everybody except
Raddy and Riggs, orders were given to
completely change the color of the hull
so far as could be done while at sea.

 

 

 
         

    

10 .

Everything that rose above the level of

the bulwarks was made to look different-
ly. Ifit had been possible Ralph would
have had swinging platforms rigged so
that men could go over the side and
change the color of her hull.

As it was he had a _ yellow stripe
_ painted from stem to stern about a foot
below the top of the bulwarks. The men
did their work without question, for they
had such faith in Ralph that they be-
lieved. there was powerful reason for
this attempt to disguise the Free Star.

They said among themselves that as
she was heading Northward it was seme-
what likely that she might come into
view of men who would recognize her,
for she was a Northern built boat, and
that the commander had some design
which would make this an unfortunate
occurrence. |

They were quite right in this, although
none of them dreamed “ the bold plan
that Ralph had formed. —

The climax of the eae came when
Ralph had one of the men Jower himself
from astay by means of a boatswain’s
_ chair attached to a pulley, and paint a
broad red stripe around the funnel.

This was anything but an easy task,
for the funnel was hot and it poured out
smoke and cinders continually; but the
sailor to whom the work was given stuck
to it manfully, while a half dozen others
on the deck kept him clear of the funnel
all the time by pulling at a rope attached
to the chair.

In addition to such changes Ralph also
had all the cannon carried by the steamer
covered with canvas, and concealed in
other ways.

He was tempted to unlimber them and

stow them below somewhere, because he
did not want any observer at a distance
to so much as suspect that the steamer
carried arms of any kind; but he reflected
that trouble might come when they

would need the guns for purposes of de-

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

fence; so he let them stay where they
wete, content to conceal them as thor-
oughly as possible.

A part of the name on the pilot house
was erased and another word substituted
so that the privateer became apparently
the Northstar.

Among the supplies that were on board
when the steamer was captured by the

Confederates was a United States flag.

This was brought out and made ready to
be hoisted in case of necessity.

‘‘T-hope we won’t have to do this,’’
said Ralph to Raddy, “‘because I don’t
like sailing under false colors, but if
everything is fair in love and war it will
certainly be justifiable to fool the enemy
for the sake of rescuing our comrades.”’

‘*You bet!*’ returned Raddy, emphati-
cally. ‘‘I’d paint the whole steamer red

- white and blue if that would help to get

Bruce and Chip away.’? . a

‘'Perhaps Chip isn’t there?) said
Ral, 6 eee |

‘‘Perhaps not, but if they put Bruce
there, it seems likely that they’d take
his assistant along, doesn’t it?”

es yes, but Chip js such .a little
chap

Ralph did not finish. He had made up
his mind that he would not speculate
upon what might be found at Fort War-
ren, but would limit his thought to plans
for bringing about the release of Bruce.

lf Chip was in the fort also, he could
be .rescued at the same time without
doubt.

The great problem was, how should he
manage to get into the fort without arous-
ing suspicion?

He believed he knew just how it could
be done, but it was such a desperate plan
that there was no-use in thinking of de-
tails until he was on the spot; then his
methods would have to be thought out
quickly. :

Acting on Ralph’s instructions, Riggs
had kept the course of the vessel so far to

 

   

   
   
  
   
   
 
   
    
   
 
   
  
    
  
   
   
 
  
  
  
  
  
  

 
 

 

 

 

‘the northeastward that they were always
far from land. 4

At length just as evening was approach-
ing one day, Riggs told Ralph that they
were then due east from Boston.

The steamer’s engines were stopped and
while she surged slowly along under her
headway, one of the small boats was made
ready for lowering. This boat had been
wholly repainted and fitted with a mast
and bowsprit which could be set up at
short notice.

These were now put into position and
sails bent on. Ralph was then ready for
the first serious step in his bold enterprise.

CHAPTER IV.

A POOLS KNOT,

‘It was here that Ralph made the first
use of the articles he had bought in Ham-
ilton.. He opened one of the bundles and
produced two yachting suits, one of which
he gave to Raddy with orders to put it
on, the other he put on himself.

All the other bundles were taken on
deck and stowed in the small boat.

Evening was coming on when Ralph
had all the members of the crew sum-
moned to the quartet-deck.

He said a few words to them then, but
without explaining the exact nature of
his undertaking, he told them that he
was going to,be absent from the steamer
for two or three days, and perhaps longer.

Meantime it was to be left in charge of
Bos’n Fuller; it was to do no cruising
and hail no vessel.

“Ii there should be a storm,’’ he said,
you il keep the Hree Gtar in, the open
sea and bring her always to as near this
place as you can.

‘‘In case you are attacked I don’t need
to say that you are to defend yourselves
to the best of your ability, but I don’t
think that you’ll be molested.

“Tf T succeed in what I am going to try

   

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY, — 1i

to do we shall again change the name of
the boat and the Free Star will proceed
under its own flag once more to destroy
the commerce of the Northern states.’
ie mew cave a cheer at this and
every one of them looked eager to be
called on to accompany Ralph upon his
expedition. ~ .
He chose to go with as few as possible.
He took Raddy with him, as a matter
of course, and Riggs because of the lat-
ter’s familiairty with th and its
channels; besides thes€ two there were

harbor

only two others from among the common
sailors.

A fresh breeze was blowing at the time
and the small boat’s sails worked so well
they saw the
daybreak they
Brewster Isl-
of Massachusetts

that before morning came
gleam of Boston light. By
were cruising among the
ands at the very mouth
Bay.

Boston lighthouse was im plain sight
and beyond it they could just make out
the outline of Fort Warren.

The Brewsters are most of them noth-
ing but ragged masses of bare rock. They
stand high out of the water and are in-
habited by nothing except sea fowl.

In rough weather it would be difficult
to make a landing on any of them. On
this day, however, the quiet
enough to make it possible for Ralph to
land almost in any spot he might choose.

Apparently he was in no hurry to
land. He directed the course of the boat
in and out among the islands. and at
length brought her close to the shore of
one of them where there was a narrow
crevice in the rock just about wide
enough to take in his boat lengthwise.

This crevice was on the eastern

sea was

side

of the island,-and once within it the boat
could not possibly be seen from anywhere
on the mainland or from any of the isl-
ands in the harbor.

Ralph landed there long enough to un-.
load his bundles from the boat and place

  
12 RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

them in a safe spot on the shore. Among
the bundles was a quantity of provisions.

He then told Riggs and the two sailors
to remain there and make themselves as
comfortable as possible until he should
return.

With Raddy as his only
pushed off and having
Brewsters started straight
toward the fort.

‘Great Scott!?* exclaimed Raddy,
‘but it seems kin&of exciting to be sail-
ing right into the enemy’s jaws like
Hig.

“T don’t see ea
coolly. ‘*We’re simply a couple of yachts-
men out for a pleastire cruise. We'll
stop at the lighthouse and ask for per-
mission to inspect it. According to cus-
tom we shall be allowed to do so.’’

“And what will happen then?’ asked
Raddy.

Ralph smiled a little.

s Can't be qnite ceftain,’’ he said,
‘“‘until I actually see what sort of people
I’ve got to deal with. The tide’s begin-
ning to run out, isn’t it???

Raddy glanced at a buoy not far away
and observing its slant replied that it
looked to him as-if the tide was running
out rapidly.

“*T looked up the matter of tides,’’ said
Ralph, ‘‘before we left the Free Star, and
according to my reckoning it will be run-
ning out for three hours yet.
doesn’t die down so that we can reach
bug-light before that time we _ shall be-
gin to scheme in earnest.”’ ee

The wind did not die down. It held
well in their favor, took them flying past
- Boston light, and so steadily on up the

‘companion he
rounded the

up the harbor

returned | Ralph,

harbor, until they were under the very

walls of Fort Warren. |
To Raddy it looked like a hopeless task
to think of entering that fort and rescuing

a prisoner, but Ralph, who had been

thinking over his plan of operation stead-__

d

If the wind

ily ever since leaving the Bermudas, saw
nothing discouraging in the prospect. _

The fort was like any other fort. He
judged from a critical glance at it that it
would stand a heavy bombardment, and
that it might be able to keep away any ~
fleet that should attempt to approach ©
Boston.

“You know,’’ said Ralph oud. but
as if speaking to himself, ‘‘an ant would
thake a pretty poor show of it in trying
to tumble over a grain elevator,

way in through the walls.’
“In this case,’ responded Raddy,
‘we’re the ants, I suppose?’

‘‘That’s about it. I was:just dtinking é
how helpless we are in this little boat,
and
steamer miles and miles behind us, and
yet..we are better — off, Wiehowt othe.
steainer.’? To

‘*I’m just crazy to see what you te Zor
ing to-do, Ralph. -

‘*fm going to, call at bug- Fa ht now,”

As he spoke he turned the boat’s prow —

in the direction of the odd-looking light- ..

house that looked then more like -a bug
than ever, for as the tide was running.
out it stood high out of the water on top.

of a number of bare poles,

One rowboat was made fast to the stains .

that led from the surface of the water up.

to the little platform that ran around the
house, & Si
As they approached it the door of ae .
house opened and a very old man came
out, leaned upon the rail of the platform:
and watched them.
‘“That must be
Raddy. a
‘‘May we take a look at your light?”
shouted Ralph, addressing the old man. __
At that moment a girl appeared in the =
door of the house. She looked down, too, —
and saw the young men in the boat, and
hearing the question hastily” Teturned
within. :

Pee fe remarked P

 

but the ©
ant gets there just the same by boring its a

how we have left a Se

 
 

 

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

“lL. hain t no objection,” replied the |

old light keeper, without moving.
“(Make your boat fast to ‘the stairs there
ean SCONE: Up.”

Ralph steered the boat toward the
stairs while Raddy lowered the sails. A
moment later Raddy reached out and
caught hold of one of the posts support-
ing the light house to prevent the boat
from gliding under it.

‘‘Climb up the stairs,
Ralph.
self”

‘What shall I say to him?’ whispered
Raddy.

‘‘Anything you: like;

Raddy,’’ said

tell him we’ve

been coasting down from Gloucester if
you want to, I'll be up there soon
enough.’?

Raddy stepped off and mounted the
stairs while Ralph went to the forward
end of the boat and then stepped onto the
stairs with a line in his hands.

He did not hurry about making the
boat fast; he looked up and saw that the
old light keeper was still leaning on 1 the
rail above him.

Ralph knelt upon the stairs and very
slowly twisted his line as if making a
knot; then he heard Raddy addressing
the light keeper and looked up again.
The old man had turned away from the
rail and was talking with his visitor.

Very quickly then Ralph formed his
line into what Sailors call.a fool’s knot,

and having pretended to make it fast to

the stairway he climbed up also.
“Vou re Mr. Fernald, are you not?”
he asked.
“That's what I’m called, responded
the old keeper.
ie supposed so, sir, for your name is
known wherever light houses are spoken
of. LE
“‘Ouite likely, quite likely!’ The old
man appeared gratified at this flattery and
Ralph added:

13

“(Byerybody has heard of yout faithful
attentiom to bug-light, Mr. Fernald.”
- “Well,” said the old man, ‘‘it’s pleas-
ant to be well spoken of. °T'ain’t much
of a light to show, I suppose, but it’s an
important light, sir, ’cause it kin be seen
seven miles, an’ there’s plenty of rocks

_an’ bad spots in this crooked channel

ME anake the. boat fast my-.

here to make a light needed.”’
‘Yes indeed! It isn’t always the larg-
est light that’s the most important. I’ve

"always been very much interested in this

particular light, sir.’’

‘We'll go right in, then,’ said Fern-
ald. ‘‘My gal, Lucy, is always a little
upset when visitors come, but I guess
she’s ready enotgh for us now.”’

He laid his hand on the door of the
house and called:

‘Lucy, Lucy, have ye got youself fixed
up???

‘‘My stars, father,’’ responded a voice
from within, ‘‘what do you want to talk
that way for? ‘The gentlemen haven't
come to see me!’’

The old man winked solemnly at

_ Ralph and Raddy.

‘‘Girls always have to give their hair a
tuck,’’ he said, ‘‘when any young fel-
lows come around, but then as she said,
it ’tain’t her that you’ve come to see but
the light. Come along. 2

With this he opened the door, and
obeying a nod from Ralph, Raddy entered
immediately after the old keeper. Ralph
lingered long enough to look over the rail
at the bottom of the stairs and he was
highly satisfied to notice that the tide
having carried the boat the length of her
line had then unloosened the fool’s knot. '

Ralph, therefore, entered the light-
house, knowing that his boat was floating
every second further away from him.

 
    
  
  
   
   
   
   
  
    
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
 
   
  
  
   
   
   
   
    
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
   
      
     
         

~home.

CHAPTER V.
FERNALD'S UNEXPKCTED VOYAGE

Ralph had no sooner set foot in the
little cheese box ofa house than he ex-
claimed enthusiastically :

““What acosy, dainty home you have _
here, Mr. Fernald!’

Then he suddenly seemed to become
aware of the presence of a young girl at
the further side of the little room.

“Ah! he added, gallantly, ‘‘and this
is the skilful housekeeper, I suppose?
Really, Miss Fernald, I must compliment
vou on the attractive appearance of your
There’s nothing a ashore or
afloat. ’?

The girl blushed and tried to look as if
she resented the easy, familiar tone with

which the stranger spoke, but her eves

glowed with pleasure in spite of herself,

a point that Ralph was not slow to no-

tice.

“Ves,” responded old Fernald,
‘‘Tucy’s tight slick in ’tendin’ to the
house an’ I guess there hain’t nobody
that keeps his lamp any better than I do,
an’ so between us we’ve got as decent a
place as there is in the government ser-

vice.’

‘*Land sakes! pa, youshouldu’t boast,’
said Lucy, blushing again as Ral Iph kept
his eyes upon her admiringly.

ola sno boasting, Miss Fernald,”
he said, ‘‘in mentioning what is perfectly
plain to the eye.”’

With this he looked- the room over,
nodding from time to time as if to say
that everything in it wads just as it should
be. :

‘“There isn’t anything here to make so

much of,’? remarked Lucy, following his

glances with interest. ‘‘The place is little

Se

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

enough, land knows, and a young lady
would be pretty stupid if she couldn’t
keep it in order.™

There were two things in this little

_ speech that struck Ralph as odd, One

was the tone and the other t#e fact that
Lucy referred to herself as a young lady.
Neither seemed quite natural.

‘There’s some kind of trouble here,”’
he reflected. “‘It looks te me as 1? Lucy
was just a little discontented with her lot;
tha at ought to make it all the easier for
me to get her on my side.”

Aloud he said: oo oe

‘‘T was remarking to my friend as we
were sailing up the channel that life in a

lighthouse like this must be rather lonely, -
but with a convenient pair of stairs to ©

your house and such attractions here I
should think you would be fairly overrun
with pleasant company.’’

He said this with a quick glance-at the
old man and a much longer one at the
girl. Her face flushed .even, deeper and
she turned her. eyes toward. the floor.

‘““Huh!? responded the old light keeper
with a tone of disgust and iinpatience,
let's go and see the lauips. 7

‘““There’s something wrong here, sure
as a gun,’’ reflected Ralph, as he smiled
in the pleasantest way he knew how at
the girl and started across the room after
the old man.

Raddy had taken no part in the con-
versation, but he had done his best to
help Ralph along by bestdéWing a steady
fire of admiring glances upon Lucy.

The old man opened a door upon a
very steep and very narrow stairway ; be-
fore mounting he took from a little shelf
just within the stairway a big pair of
white, thick woolen mittens which he
put on; then he handed pairs of similar
mittens to Ralph and Raddy. oe

‘I'd rather ye’d wear ’em,’’ he said,
“while we’re ’round the lamp, for I
wouldn’t risk the least speck of dust or
sweat gettin’ on the glass or fixtures.”

 

 
: == ?

 

 

seen

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. 15

Then he started up the stairs.

The boys drew on the inittens and tak-
ing his cue from a glance by Ralph,
Raddy went up the stairs after the old
man. .

‘‘Are you going with us, Miss Fern-
ald?’ asked Ralph.

‘7 might,’ she answered, doubtfully.

‘(Permit me to help you,’’? he added,
taking her hand.

‘“Ican help myself,’? she retorted,
drawing her hand away and turning her
back upon him.

‘““There’s a regular power magazine of
trouble under this box of a lighthouse,”’
thought Ralph, smiling.
look sharp I shall light the fuse and
there’ll be an explosion. I reckon I'd
better go slow until I understand a little
more about the situation.”’

He added. lightly:

‘The lamp won’t be half as interest-
ing unless it is reflected in your bright
eyes, Miss Fernald,’’ and then went up-
stairs.

The girl did not follow him.

Raddy and the old man were at the
top when Ralph arrived and the light
keeper was removing the cloth with
which the lamp was covered in the day-
time.

He worked as carefully and tenderly as
if he were caring for a sick.baby, and
both the boys were greatly interested in
observing his devotion to the lamp.

Then he began to explain its working,
telling now much oil was burned in it,

and liow he had to measure the quantity ©

so that it should last until exactly. day-
light and no longer, and how he spent so
much time every day in polishing the
windows and the brass work, and how
proud he was of the complimentary re-

- ports of the government inspector who

visited his place occasionally.
During this talk, Raddy happened to
glance out of the window toward the

Ito y Sdont

east; he gave a great start of surprise and
his lips parted to say something.

Ralph, knowing that he had seen the
boat floating away, stepped hard on his
toe and shook his head.

For just an instant Raddy looked as if
he thought Ralph was crazy, but he shut
his mouth ard pretended to listen to old
Fernald while his mind was really upon
the boat. :

Presently the old man began to explain
the value of the light as a guide to the
channel andin so doing he began to point
to the islands lying further out in the
harbor.

‘“As soon as an incoming vessel sights
this light,’’ he said, ‘‘she lays her course
—Hello!”’

He interrupted himself and went closer
to the window, looking down the chan-
nel.
 “There’s a boat adrift down there,”’
he said, ‘‘and blame me, if I don’t think
1s yourn!

Ralph stepped hastily beside him.

By eat. as
mine.’’

‘‘How did she get adrift??? demanded
Fernald.

‘*How
Ralph.
Raddy ?’

“Well,” said Raddy, who was all at
sea so far as understanding Ralph’s pur-
pose, but who knew by this time that.
Ralph had purposely let the boat go
adrift, ‘‘she won’t come back by whist-
ling to Her.”’

““That’s so,’? cried Ralph, and turning
about he clattered downstairs with a
ereat show of excitement.

Lucy was sitting by a western window
of the lighthouse, looking dreamily out
toward one of the islands further up the
harbor.

“(What's the matter??? she asked.

‘My boat is gone adrift,’ replied
Ralph, making for the door.

um!’ he exclaimed
’

should I know”? retorted
‘What shall we do about 11,

 
 

16 RED, WHITE AND BLUE. WEEKLY.

‘*A good sailor,’’ she remarked, sarcas-
tically, ‘‘would have known how to make
her fast.’?’

‘“That’s a good shot,’’ thought Ralph,
but he made no retort.

Raddy and the old man followed him
and found him standing on the circular
platform with a look of deep despair at
the boat which the tide had carried more
‘than a quarter of a mile away. —

As luck would have it, no other boat
was ctuising within miles of it at the
time.

‘What in the world will we do?” ex-
claimed Ralph, dismally.

Fernald looked up the harbor toward
Boston.

‘“There’s a tug down there,’’ he said,
““towing a schooner out of port, but she
won’t be up here inside of haif an hour
an’ by that ‘time your boat will be far

away.”’
7 We could eat her by hard rowing
if we had another  boat,’’ remarked
Raddy, doubtfully.

He was not quite sure whether this was
the right thing to say or not, but it seemed
that he had hit the mark, for Ralph re-
sponded earnestly:

‘“That’s just the idea; when we were
coming up I thought I saw arow boat
made fast to your stairs, Mr. Fernald.”’

Saying this, he leaned over the rail
and looked at the water.

“| vee, 2 tesponded” Fernald,
‘Ive got a boat there.”’

“‘But can’t we take it???

Fernald hesitated. Lucy had come to
the door and was now looking eagerly
from one to another.

“T don’t dare to let the boat go, re-
marked Fernald.

“I don’t mind paying a good bit for
the use of her,’’ urged Ralph.

Well, “taint so inuch that,’ +e:
sponded the light keeper, and Ralph
could see that the prospect of making a
little extra money tempted him, ‘‘but

slowly,

how do I know that the boat cs get
back? Not that I think you’d steal her,
young men,’’? he added hastily, ‘‘but
don’t-ye see I might have to use the boat
almost any minute.

“TI might be signalled to go over to
the fort, for instance. ’’

““Well,’?’ said Ralph, aes. Gg
you weren’t here you couldn’t answer the
signal, could you ?”’

“No, of course not.’” .

‘Well, then, why not jump into your
boat with us? We'll do the rowing until
we catch up with our boat and then bring
you back, if you like.. That will make
sure that you won’t lose your boat and
you can get your pay, too.’’

Saying this Ralph jingled a lot = coins
that were in his pocket.

The old man glanced at his ees
There was an eager look in her eyes, but
she pressed her lips together and said
nothing.

‘“There isn’t a minute to lose,’’ urged
Ralph. “‘My boat is: getting further :
away all the time——”’ :

“Pll go with you,’’ interrupted Fern- —
ald, starting down the stairs,

Part way down he halted and turned
to his daughter.

‘You see that you behave yourself
while I’m gone,’’ he said sharply.

Lucy went into_the little lighthouse
and slammed the door.

““She’sa most. skittish critter, that
gal,’’ muttered old Fernald, as he con-
tinued down the stairs.

‘*We’ll do all the work, Mr. Fernald,’’
said Ralph, as they got down into the
boat. ‘‘You sit in the stern and wel
take the oars.”?

The old man complied, and as ae ois
took their places Ralph whispered:

‘Make a big bluff at pulling, Raddy,
but don’t pull for a cent.” _

It was easy enough work pulling a
boat along with the tide and— both. boys

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. = 17

made a great pretense of strugg
with the oars.

Somehow, however, the boat merely
crawled across the water. Fernald appar-
ently did not notice this, for with his
eyes constantly on the drifting boat for-
ward, he could see that they were gain-
ing on her.

ling hard

The drifting boat was going simply
with the tide and with the weakest kind
of rowing his own boat could -not have
helped gaining.

They had got about hundred yards
away from the lighthouse when Ralph,
who of course sat facing it, saw a hand-

kerchief fluttering from one of the south-_

ern windows.
‘“When the cat’s away the mice will

play,’’? he said to himself, ‘‘and I’d like

to bet all I’m possessed of that that sig-
nal is seen by some interested young man
on a neighboring island.”’

Occasionally as he rowed, Ralph turned

about to look at his own boat; they were
nearing Boston light now.’

- You boys have got to pull harder,”’
remarked Fernald, ‘‘or we’ll never catch
up to your boat in time for me to get
back and light the lamp.”’ :

‘Why there’s three or four hours be-
fore sundown,’’ Ralph responded. —

‘*T know, but you boys are slower than
chained oxen.’’

“Wouldn’t Lucy light the lamp if au

didn’t get back in time ?”’

“‘Of course she would, but it’s my busi-
ness to be there and I’ve got to be there
whether we catch your boat or not.”’

CAM right; pull harder, Raddy...’

The boys then laid to their oars in ear-
nest. If they were once well past the big
lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor
.Ralph did not care how soon they over-
took his boat... A little later, therefore,
they were alongside.

“Now, Mr. Fernald,’’? said Ralph, in
a business-like tone, ‘‘get into my boat.

a
: oo

pleasantly.

We shall go faster with the wind and tide
than with the best rowing in the world.’’
‘‘t dunno ’bout thet,’’ responded Fern-
ald, “ihe wind and Hee are both agin’
ye!?? s

“T'll show you that you’re mistaken
about that. Come, tumble in!’’

Ralph was making the row boat fast.
to the stern of his own boat.

Old Fernald climbed aboard and obey-
ing a command from Ralph Raddy ran
up the sails in a hurry.

‘‘Now, then,. Raddy,’’ said Ralph,
grasping the tiller of his boat with one
hand and the main sheet with the other,
“vou may entertain Mr. Fernald with
your pop gun whileI do the sailing.’’

Raddy grinned and old Fernald stared.

“ain tye pom’ ter put. “bot? im-
quired the old man, anxiously. ‘

“JY don’t know exactly what the cap-
tain’s going to do,’’? Raddy answered,
taking a seat in front of Fernald, ‘‘but
I’m certain that he wants me to keep
you quiet until we’ve made a landing.”

With this Raddy drew his revolver,
cocked it and held it carelessly upon his
knee.

CHAPTER VI.

AON (ened, OE AE NS ES

The old man was just about par-
alyzed with fear. His jaw dropped
and his eyes bulged. For a moment there
was a chattering sound in his throat;
then he stamimered :

‘*What do you boys mean ?”’

‘‘We’re just going to give you a little
vacation, Mr. Fernald,’’ Ralph answered
“Don’t you be at all anxious
for we shan’t harm you if you behave
yourself.’’

‘‘But the light!’’ cried the old man,
“it’s my business to také care of tae
light!”

“‘Tucy will take care of the light.’’

‘*But it’s my business to be _ there.

 
 

18 RED, WHITE. AND BLUE WEEKLY.

You must take me back! I belong to the
United States government, young fel-
lows, and you mustn’t keep me from do-
ing my- duty. The light can’t burn
without me!”? 2

He started from his seat as if he would
somehow get into his own boat that was
dragging astern. Raddy reached out and
pushed him gently.

“Sit. quiet. there,’’ he said, sternly,
“for I shall be obliged to put a bullet in-
to you.’”’ ;

‘QO Lérd!: O Lord)” eroaned the un-
happy old man. ‘‘What will become of
me for being away from my post like
this! Ve don’t know what ye’r doin’,
boys, ye’re robbin’ the United States
government!’ |

This struck Ralph as so comically
near the mark that he laughed in spite of
his pity for the old man’s distress.

‘The light will be all right, Mr. Fern-
ald,’ he said earnestly, ‘‘and like enough
the United States government will never
know that you took a vacation.’’

Fernald groaned and looked wildly
around, hoping doubtless that he would
see some boat that he could hail. There
was none neat.

Sailing before an off-shore breeze,
Ralph’s boat made good progress and
before long it had rounded the greater
Brewster. A little later she had come to
the crevice in one of the other islands
where he had left Riggs and the sailors.

They climbed down the rocks to make
the boat fast.

“Vou will spend your vacation here,
Mr. Fernald,’’ said Ralph.

The old man was now very quiet. He
seemed to feel that it was useless for him
to resist and that the only thing to do
was to obey the commands of his captors
without question.

_ “What shall I do now?’’ he said feebly
after he had climbed out of the boat
and sat down upon a rock near bv.

Before answering Ralph opened the

2

various bundles that he had brought aie
him from Hamilton. From one he took
a suit of clothes that he gave to Fernald
and said:

‘“Take off your clothes and put these _

on!’ om
~ “What fora! asked Fernald.

‘‘Don’t ask questions but oe iy res
torted Ralph, sharply.

‘The old man immediately complied
with the command. The clothes that
Ralph gave him were of much better qual-
ity than he had ever worn before in his
life, and they fitted remarkably well con-
sidering that they -were bought at a
guess. :

Nevértheless the aged light keeper did
not seem to be entirely happy in them.

‘‘I don’t want to wear these things!”
he complained.

‘You'll have to for a day or two,’’ was
Ralph’s response. .

Meantime Ralph was also making a
change in clothing. Having laid aside
his owh suit‘he got into the one that
Fernald had taken off; then he went to
another of his bundles and produced a
wig and a set of false whiskers as well as
a hand mirror,

He leaned the latter against the edge of
arock near Fernald and then sitting
down in front of him where he could
study Fernald’s face and the reflection of
his own in the mirror, he began to work
with a pair of scissors to trim the beard
and wig in exact- imitation of the old
light keeper’s. 3

Raddy and the others watched Ae the
greatest interest; they were beginning to
see a little way into Ralph’s bold plans.

In the same bundle with the wig and
beard were paints and powders such as
actors dse. “

Ralph was not familiar with the use of
them, but he was patient, and after cor-

recting some mistakes that he made in-
laying on the colors, he at last stood up ©

2
ame

 

SS
 

_well taken care of and well fed.

 

confident that-he could pass for the light_

keeper with most people.

*'The only trouble will be with Lucy,’’
‘It’s more than likely that
she’ll see the difference and I shall prob-

he thought.

ably have a hard time in persuading her
tHatitvs all tight and ‘in keeping her
quiet.

“T think I made a friendly impression
upon her, but if | didn™% I can Jock her
up in her rooin anyway until I’ve made
my attempt at rescuing Bruce.”’

“T-Know what ye’re goin’, too!’’ ex-
claimed old Fernald, suddenly, who had
been staring at Ralph in ainazement
while the process of making up was go-
ing om, ‘‘you’re going to rob me of my
light, but, by gracious! the government
will catch you, young man, you’ll never

be able to keep the light as clean as I do

and the inspector will know the -differ-_

ence.

“The worst of it is. he’ll think that
ye’re ine.an’ believe that I’ve got too old
to be fit:for duty.’ :

The old man’s voice trembled and he
alinost broke down.

‘Now, see here, Mr. HFernald,’’ said
Ralph, kindly, ‘‘no pessible harm can
ecme to the light and I shan’t keep you
away from it for more than two days at
the longest.

‘;¥ou rest perfectly easy; you'll be
If any-
thing should go wrong with the light it
will be the worst thing possible for me,
so you may be sure I'll take care of it.”’

**Ve'd better!’ returned Fernald.

Ralph told Riggs to treat the old man
kindly, but to make certain that he
should not signal to any passing vessel.

‘You'll find a ready made tent in that
bundle that I haven’t opened,’’ he con-
cluded, | “with plenty .of blankets for
sleeping on and if you look around this
island you can probably find a place
where you can set up the tent where it
‘won’t be seen from sea.

    

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. — 12

‘Youll have to sleep here two nights.

- If I don’t return by the third‘you’d bet-

ter send Fernald to his light as secretly
as possible and then wnake for the Free
Star” ;

After giving a few more instructions to
the men Ralph got into Fernald’s boat
and taking Raddy with him, started back
toward bug light.

“Pull syour ~hardest, Raddy,” said
Ralph, when they were once away from
the island.

‘“That I will if you say so!’’ responded
Raddy, ‘‘but if Lucy eam be depended
upon to light the lamp I should think it
would be safer for you not to arrive there
until after dark, for then she will be less
likely to see through your dis

“Tm afraid,’ said Ralph,
can’t be depended onto light the lamp
to-night !”’

‘Why not?”

‘(We hadn’t more than got started away
with her father before she signalled to
somebody.,”’

‘‘Aha! You think she may take a little
vacation herself, do you ?”’

‘‘1’m afraid so, and it will be death to

my planif the light shouldn’t be burn-
ing at the usual time to-night.”’
_ It was a long; hard pull, for the s
was already farin the west, but before
they had made half the distance the tide
had turned and that helped their prog-
ress.

The sun was beginning to set and they
were still at a considerable distance froin
bug light, when Ralph turned about to
take a look at it.”

‘“See here, Raddy,’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘it
looks to me as if the light was already
bt

‘“Isn’t it the reflection of the sun ?’’

“How could it be with the sun almost
behind it?”?

‘“That’s so, the light is lit, isn’t it ?”’

Te looks so. =.

“Let's hurry up, then.”

Suis
1
i

nr

UL

=

(dD

 
RED,

They pulled all the harder and as they
approached the light Ralph turned fre-
quently, expecting every time to see
Lucy standiug in the doorway waiting
for them. The door remained closed. .

At last they made the boat fast to the
stairs and climbed up. Ralph opened the
door of the house and entered at once
with his mind quite made up to having
a fine row with Lucy, who he presumed
would detect his disguise instantly.

The dainty living room of the light-

house was silent and empty.

He closed the door behind him oe
called loudly to Lucy.
answer.

Then he went up the stairs to the
lamp; it was burning brightly. On the

last step of the stairway was a folded pa-—

per. He opened it and read as follows:

‘Dear Father: I am truly sorry to
hurt your feelings, but I can’t stand this
lonesome life any longer. You’ve tried
to keep me from seeing Joe, but he has
coine for me and we are going to Boston
to be married. We shall be back in two
or three days and I hope you wiil forgive
me,

“Toe says that I may take care of the
lighthouse for you as long as you keep
tlie job, but that he would-be very glad
if you would give it up and come to live
with him on Long Island. I hate to run
away like this, but you have made it 1m-
possible for me to do anything else.
Good-by, Lucy.”

‘‘Long Island,’’ thought Ralph, with
a glance up the harbor. He knew from
his study of the chart that that was the
name of one of the largest islands be-
tween bug light and Boston.

‘That tells the whole story,’’ he said
- to Hitisell, “fof ‘the. trouble I felt: here,
and it explains the signal from the win-
dow. Well, I congratulate Lucy in hav-
ing such a devoted lover, and I’m mighty
glad she’s just jumped at this opportunity
to elope. It’l] make my work easier.’?

He showed the note to Raddy, who

There was no >

Raddy, “

WHITE AND BLUE ‘WEEKLY.

cried, ‘‘hurrah,’’ as soon as he had od
it, fot he saw, too, that Lucy’s absence |
woud be a great help to Ralph. |

**She lit the lamp,’’ he said, ‘‘as a last
act of kindness to her father. She may.
have watched ys take him into the boat
through a giass and so have come to the
conclusion that he wouldn’t have got .

back in time; and, Ralph, do tell me
what you’re going to do next?”

‘The next thing,’’ responded Ralph.
‘for us two loyal Confederates to do is
to keep Uncle Sam’s lamp. burning
through the night.’? .

“Tt will burn of itself, won’t it?” -
‘“Maybe, but one of us had better be
on duty all the time. In the morning
I’m going over to the fort.”’ es

‘‘T supposed that must be in your
mind when I saw you making the idis-
guise.’

‘‘Ves,’’? , said Ralph,.‘at . struck ; me
when we were way down in: Bermuda :
that some such scheme as this. would be
the best ¢ vetting inside the fort.”’

‘It’s scheme,??;.
vut wuat in the world will you .
do after you once get inside ?”? as

“I shall borrow a soldier,’ geclica o
Ralph.

et

CHAPTER VII.

BORROWING A oR

Raddy stared in wonder, ie Ralph ie
did not keep him long in suspense as to —
the details of his bold plan.

eT ae t care to say much. oe it, ” 4
he said, ‘‘until I was certain that it could 2
be put tireuek. Now, although there’s _

plenty of doubt about its success, 'm
sure that I can at least make a try at it.
and so I'll tell you exactly what Tin Sey a.

ing to try to do.”’

Raddy listened with great ee ae ee - :
He felt, 4 >.
that the pe was about @ as good as could |.

made one or two suggestions.

 

responded  __
  

be invented, but he foresaw any number
of difficulties.
Ralph admitted them all fvankly.

“But. he. said. ‘'Pll cross each
bridge when I come to it. I’ve never
been inside of Fort Warren, and al-

though I suppose it’s like most forts, I
expect when I get there to see something
ot other that will give me a sugges-
tien.”

The night passed without incident to
the two Confederates in the lighthouse.
They took turns in watching the lamp
much as if they were taking tricks on

the bridge of the Free Star.

At sunrise Raddy cooked a_ breakfast
jn Fernald’s little kitchen and shortly
afterward Ralph went down the stairs
and got into Fernald’s boat for the pur-

-pose of making his dangerous trip to the
fort.

He had gone over his face again with
make-up inaterials so as to make all the
lines and colors seein natural.

He cautioned Raddy not to‘show him-
~ self on the platform around the house,
for he presumed that the presence of a
stranger there would be noticed by some-
body in the fort.

How will you know who you ac-

Giamtances are over there?’ ‘asked
Raddy, before Ralph started.
‘Trust. to. luck, was the — teply,

“though I take it for granted that old
Fernald is known to everybody in Fort
Warren.”

As Ralph rowed away he saw that a
tug was steaming toward the fort dock.
Four long blasts sounded from its
whistle.

‘(What sort of a signal is that, I won-
der??? he thought.

The tug got to the dock somewhat
ahead of him and when Ralph arrived a
man stood there with a newspaper in his
hand.

Fernald,’’ he
‘*No. let-

“Here? $ your paper,
_ said, ‘tossing it into the boat.

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

 

21

ters this morning. J signalled to you just
as usual, though Isaw you’d got started.’?

‘Thankee,’? Ralph responded, tuck-
“ing the paper under a seat.

“Going to land?’ asked the man.

Rm them |?

The man accordingly held out His
hand for a line which Ralph tossed him.
It was made fast and then: Ralph climbed
upon the dock. Half a dozen persons who
had cone down on the tug were going
up the footway into the fort.

‘It’s a pleasant morning,’’ remarked
the man who had brought the newspaper.
‘‘T hope everything’s all right at the
light???

‘Right enough,’?
shortly.

He started up the entrance to the fort
but halted when a man called after him.

‘Say,’ the man said, with a queer
smile. ‘‘Haven’t you got any letter or
message to send up to the city ?”’

‘‘No, I hain’t!’? answered Ee and
he started on again.

‘tl wonder,”’ he thought, “if the cap-
tain of the tug knows about the elope-
ment? Perhaps he’s trying to guy me;
anyhow the disguise seemis to be working
all right and that’s a satisfaction.”’

Ralph would have liked to catch up ©
with the party of persons entering the
fort, so as to pass the sentry with them.
He did not dare toattract attention, how-
evr, by hurrying; therefore he was en-
tirely alone when he-came to the place
where a sentry was pacing up and down.

The latter glanced at him with a gruff
good morning, to which Ralph responded
in the same way.

A moment more and he was well with-
in the Northern stronghold. ‘The sentry
had passed him as a matter of course,
recognizing him as_a man who was in the
habit of going in and out of the place
without question.

Ralph took the greatest . to act as
if he were perfectly familiar with the

returned Ralph,

  
  

 

22

 

place and as if he had‘come in on some

errand. :

At a glance he took in a row of enh
stantial houses that he knew must be the
quarters of the officers,
of buildings that were evidently barracks,
and still other buildings that might be

store houses, or quarters for prisoners, or
both.

He turned toward the officers’ quarters
as being the place where old Fernald
would most likely go, and strode along
slowly with his head bent down.

He was looking out from under his hat
all the time and he had gone but a few
paces when he saw something that caused
his heart to beat fast.

_ Across the parade grotnd in front of a
brick building he saw a young man in
Confederate uniform pacing up and down.
It was Bruce. The distance was too great
for Ralph to recognize him by his feat-
ures, but he knew hischum’s gait and
manner.

How Ralph would have liked to run
across the parade ground and grasp his
friend by the hand! How he would have
liked to cheer hiin up and give him hope
that before long he might be pacing the
deck of the Free Star again! ,

It doesn’t need saying that Ralph did
nothing of this kind. Instead he hastened
his steps a little in the direction of the
officers’ quarters,—feeling that fortune
had done him a good turn in proving to
him so early that Bruce really was in

- Fort Warren and in showing him the
building in which he was confined.

It was evident enough that the pris-
oner was tegatded as of some conse-
quence, for the building before which he
was walking was substantial and appar-

ently well kept.

The prisoner was now out for exercise,
being allowed probably a limited space
for this purpose. ; | ,

The commander of Fort Warren never

_ dreamed, of course, that this place could

    
 
   
    
 
   
 
   
  
 
  
  
   
  
   
    
   
   
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
   
   
  

  

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. .

 

and another lot |

 

      
  

be entered by a Confederate, for it was far
from the scenes of conflict, surrounded
entirely by sympathizers with the North,
and it was regarded as one of the very
strongest forts upon the coast.

It was, therefore, to be expected that a
prisoner of importance would be allowed
some little freedom for exercise, for no
prisoner,
make an effort to escape.

Bruce could not have started across the
parade ground or toward one of the walls
without being halted by one of the many
sentries on duty.

Ralph kept studying the situation and
observing the officers and soldiers who
were scattered about within the fort.

Presently he noticed approaching him
slowly’an officer who was evidently ac-
quainted with Fernald, and who was
watching the supposed old man now
with a queer smile upon his face.

“This man is one of my friends,’
thourht Ralnh “and Dll take the chance
of sp im frst.?”

A as the two drew near

Ralph stopped and said —
ing,’ rather shortly.
"Good morning, Mr. Hoi:
sponded the officer, in a friendly way.
‘‘How are things at the light? -
‘All wrong, all wrong,’’ answered

“good morn-

Ralph, discontentedly.

The officer, who was evidently a cap-
tain, smiled queerly for just an instant,
and es looked sympathetic.

“Dm sorry you’re feeling . badly, Mr.
Fernald,’’ he said.
to trouble you ?”’

Without appearing to do so Ralph was
eying him sharply. He saw that the cap-
tain was struggling to repress a smile.

‘““f want somebody to help me,’? said
Ralph, gloomily, ‘‘an’ I’ve come over

to see if the commander can't oe a

man for a day or two.’
The captain hastily took his handker-

chief from his pocket to blow his nose.,

unless he were insane, would.

“What's happened

   
   

oP Cr ket

   
 

 

 

  

This movement was undoubtedly done
for the purpose of concealing a laugh.
“I guess there’ll be no trouble about
that, Mr. Fernald; he said presently.
eA supppose it’s housework that is
needed over at the light?’ -
eYVesit ise teturned Ralph, crossly.

_ This question and the captain’s ill con-
-cealed smiles showed him that the elop-
ment of Lucy was suspected, if . not

.. known at the fort.

It was entirely probable that some of
the soldiers had seen Lucy’s lover row up
to the light after her father’s departure
on the preceding afternoon and take her
away with him.

In all probability the officers of the

garrison knew how strict -a watch the
old man kept upon his daughter and sym-
pathized with her.
-- Vhe captain. seemed to think it a
pretty good joke upon the aged light
keeper that his daughter should have
managed to’slip away from him.

Ralphy never knew the exact truth
about this, but he could not think of any
other explanation for the conduct of the
captain.and others with whom he came
in contact at the fort before his adventure
was over.

‘I suppose you know the old saying
about young blood, Mr. Fernald?’ re-
marked the captain, jokingly.

“Idunno as I do,’’ returned Ralph,
with some show of temper. ‘I only
know I need somebody to help me!’’’

“T suppose you’re prepared to pay good
wages for general housework, eh?”’
ebay notin v- returned. Ralph. ‘I
guess the garrison can afford to help a
neighbor out of a difficulty as a matter of

kindness when a mnetghbor’s i
trouble———” :
_ “Oh, well, say no ntore about it, Mr.
Fernald. I'll find aman for you my-
Soi.

~ 1 Vankes.”? 4

“Did you want him at once?”

morning.

  

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY. 23

‘“The sooner the better.”?

‘‘Breakfast dishes need washing, I sup-
pese, ol?”

‘‘That’s none of your business, cap-
fain 0?

The captain smiled good humoredly.

“You mustn’t take it too hard, Mr.
Fernald,’’ he said, ‘‘and, by the way,
you haven’t come over for those dande-
lions that we were speaking of yesterday
I expected you in the after-
noon.’?

‘‘T was busy,’’ responded Ralph, great-.

ly interested at once, for the remark sug-
gested another step in his plan that per-
haps might be helped by what was in
the captain’s mind.

‘*Well, they’re still here,’’ the captain
went on with a glance across the parade
ground, ‘‘but if I were you I’d dig them
up to-day, because they’re not likely to
improve by growing older. Greens are
greens, you know, Mr. Fernald, and
when they get as far as flowering they’re
not good to eat.”?

“T know,’? answered Ralph, hastily.
“Pll dig them up to-day. Where did you
say they were ?”’

‘“Why, over back of the prisoriers’
quarters there. Itold you all about it
yesterday.’

“Yes, yes, | torgot.”| -

‘*Poor old man, you’re a good deal up-
set,’? remarked the officer, with a smile.
‘‘Come along with me and I’ll detaila
man to help you. Come. over as soon as
you like and dig up the dandelions,”

Ralph turned about and went with the
officer toward the barracks.
vate was summoned by the captain and
told to go with Mr. Fernald to bug light
and lend him a hand about the house un-
til he should be sent for.

‘fAt once, sir?’’ asked the private.

‘“*Certainly,’’ replied the captain.

‘*Come along,’’ said Ralph.

The private accompanied him back to
the entrance of the fort asking questions

There a pri--

  

  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
   
    
  
 
 
 
 
   
   
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
       
 
 

 

24
as he went as to what was a of
him.

Ralph replied shortly that he was alone
over there and had more than he could
attend to.

The private evidently suspected noth-
ing of the elopement and he seemed glad
enough to go for the sake of variety, for
life in Fort Warren was monotonous com-
pared with life in forts nearer the scene
of war.

The private offered to row the boat
across the channel and Ralph let him do
so, but when they had come to the light-
house stairway Ralph went up first.

At the top he opened the door and
stood aside to let thé private enter;
that the private ‘did without a ee
and Ralph, entering after, quickly closed
the door.

The instant he did so.-Raddy sprang
from where he had been standing beside
the wall, grappled with the private and
placing his hand over his mouth threw
him heavily to the floor.

SCHAP TER VIE:
. DIGGING: GREENS

Taken so completely by surprise and
in the grasp of such a powerful fellow as
Raddy, the soldier could make but little
resistance.

The boys gave him no opportunity to
do so, for the instant he was down Ralph
seized a cord that had been placed upon
a chair handy and bound the man’s legs
together. Then while Raddy still held
him from struggling, Ralph tied a hand-
kerchief across his mouth.

‘‘Now then,’’ said Ralph, when this
job was done,
two Confederates who know as well as
you do that they are taking desperate
chances. We shan’t let the life of any

Yankee soldier stand in our way—do yon
catch on?’
The soldier nodded.

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

‘‘you’re in the hands of.

but if you should, tell them that old

   
     

io hea Sar CERRY Sh

‘*You’re going to do us a good aes ”
continued Ralph, ‘‘and on that account
we’re going to let you live, and you
won’t be disgraced, either, but don’t for-
get that the very first sign of trouble that
you make will be ae signal for your
death... "- .

The soldier’s eyes blinked as if he un-
derstood the threat.

‘“Take off his uniform,’’ said Ralph. '

Raddy thereupon pulled the man’s.
coat off; the soldier made no resistance
and after the coat was removed: the cord

around his legs was loosened so that he

could remove his trousers. |
Ralph hunted up a suit of clothes be-
longing to Fernald and gave them to the
soldier to wear until he should have a
chance to get into his uniform again.
The soldier put them on, then for better
security his legs were Baud | again” oe
his hands were tied behind his back. —
vhat next ?” asked Ratan
over there,’ “answered

i ng the night I wrote a

note to hand to him if I got the chance;
I didn’t get the chance on this’ trip, but
I°l] just add a line to it now, for I know
exactly what we shall do. While Tin
writing it see-if you can find a big cov-

ered basket anywhere. ??

‘‘I know there’s one here,’’ Raddy ‘re-
sponded, ‘‘for I saw it in a closet when I
was getting breakfast.’

‘Bring it up here, then, and pack the
uniform in it; wrap the uniform up in
paper.”

Raddy complied and whi he was at
work Ralph finished his note to Bruce.

“Now, get*me an ordinary table
knife,” he said, ‘‘and I'll go over to the
fort again and dig some greens for din-
ner. You'll have to stay here to. keep
visitors away from the light and to see
that this man doesn’t get into mischief.

“I don’t think you?ll have visitors,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 

  

Poa is away and that he ordered you
not to let anybody in.’’

“Al tight,’’ said Raddy.

It was still early in the day when
Ralph made his second entrance to the
fort.
- He carried the covered market basket
on his arm and the table knife in his
hand so that there could be no question
as to what he was going to do.

He went straight across the parade

ground toward the building where he
‘had seen Bruce; he was disappointed in
‘noticing that Bruce was no longer exer-
‘cising there but he made up his mind
that ke would dig dandelions until Bruce
appeared again if it took all day.
-. He found.a good many of the green
vegetables growing near the place where
Bruce had been pacing, and he knelt
down there and began to dig them up.

He had been working but a moment or
- two when the captain to whom he had
spoken before, strolled up.

““T guess your memory -has suffered
from the shock, Mr. Fernald,’’ remarked
the captain, pleasantly. ‘‘I told you that
the best ones would be found back of the
house you know.”’ .

Wes,e yes,”’. responded. Ralph, ‘‘I
clean forgot.”? _

_ ‘How is the new housemaid??’’ called
the captain, jocosely, as Ralph started
away with his basket on his arm.

“*Doin’ as well as coula be expected,”’
responded Ralph, sourly.

_ ‘The captain laughed and went on.

Ralph proceeded around to the back of
the building where grass was thick and
dandelions plentiful.

His heart gave a great bound for there
; not twenty feet from him was Bruce sit-
__ ting in a window, his head on his hands,

his eyés dreamily turned toward the

= SOUL. =.
Ralph was so excited that he dared
_ not look again in that direction until he
had had time to control himself.

He

 

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

  

26

knelt upon the ground and-began to dig
dandelions with great vigor. Presently he -
ventured to glance up and saw that Bruce
was watching him curiously.

‘Poor fellow!” thought. Ralph, ‘‘this
must be quite a circus for him; it’s the
only variety he’s got.’?

He edged along on his knees closer to
Bruce’s window. All the time he had his
eyes out to make certain that his move-
ments were not observed.

The building itself concealed him from
the entire parade ground, but not far
away asentry was pacing up and down
upon the parapet of the fort.

Ralph had almost made up his mind
that he would risk speaking to Bruce
when this sentry’s back was turned,
when a couple of young officers came
around the corner of ‘the building and
looked at him with an amused smile.

‘Ah, there! Fernald,” said one of
them, ‘‘going. to have greens for dinner,
are you?’’

‘eves, I be,’ responded Ralph:

‘“Think your new housemaid can cook
them ?”?

Ralph raised his heed and shook his
fist at them. :

‘You mind your own business,’’ he
snarled.

The officers laughed turned on their
heels and went along.

Ralph immediately fell to digging
dandelions again but he muttered to him-
self as if discussing the situation an-
grily. :

He had been imitating old Fernald’s
voice but now he spoke in something
like his own tone and this was what he
said:
‘‘Tf those soldiers keep bothering me I
shall never set foot on the a Star
again.’’

There was a sudden movement at the
window. Ralph glanced slightly up ua- —
der his hat. oe
Bruce was sitting bolt upright with an

 

  
       

26

expression of the greatest amazement on

_his face; he was staring hard at the grey

bearded old light keeper who at that in-
stant was digging dandelions as if his life
depended on it.

Bruce had heard the word ‘Free
star;’’ he could not believe his ears; it
seemed to him as if he must have oat
dreaming while half awake.

The old man digging greens crept
closer. Again he began to mutter.
Bruce listened intently and heard: _

‘‘The Free Star isn’t so far away that

she can’t be boarded if a man will jump

for it.7’

A moment later Ralph heard the low
tones of Bruce’s voice responding:

‘‘T know a man who will take the
leap.’

Ralph half rose as if to rest his arms
and back from the strain of stooping; he
looked Bruce in the eyes and winked.

Bruce’s face flushed and paled alter-
natively but he said nothing and he had
resumed his careless attitude.

‘‘That’s right,’’ muttered
he edged still claser pushing
along the ground as he went.

He glanced back at the sentry. At
this moment the sentry was pacing to-
ward him; a half minute later he came
to the end of his beat and wheeled about.

On the instant Ralph pulled away the
greens upon the top of his basket, took
out the bundle containing the private’s
uniform, and tossed it into the window.
Stuck in a fold of the bundle was the
note he had written.

Bruce drew aside to let the bundle fall
in and then resumed his former attitude.
Ralph went to digging greens again.

After a moment or two Bruce yawned,
stretched his arms and disappeared from
the window. Just then the sentry was
pacing toward them and if he saw the

Ralph and
the basket

prisoner he must have supposed that he’

had grown weary of watching the old
light keeper.

from the neighboring fort.

   

    
  

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

   

Ralph dug away awd after a few min-
utes-a wad of paper fell. upon the grass
in front of him. He unrolled it and read
the answer to his note. :

‘“Ves, Chip is here. We're expecting
orders to be transferred from Fort War-
ren. With this uniform I can get at him.
We’ll start at tattoo and by taps we’ll be
in the easternmost casemate if it can be ©
done, Bruce. ’’

CHAPTER IX.
A SHOT WITH A ROWLOCK.

Not long after that the supposed light
keeper had dug all the greens he wanted.
He went across the parade ground, re-
sponding in surly tones to the jocose re-

marks addressed to him by the officers he S

met and rowed over to bug light.
Matters there were as he left them.
Then there was nothing to do but let the |

long day pass as fast or as slow as it _ ve

would. :

It seemed intoleabie long to the anxi-
ous Nothing whatever
happ ed the monotony.

-hemselves dinner and
supper and fed their prisoner,. filled the

They CVV RLU

‘lamp with o11 and at sundown lighted it.

Then they waited for the sound of: tattoo
It came at
last and they knew that fifteen minutes

later would come the sound of taps, which

is the order to put out lights in soldiers’
quarters. eo

After that any soldier moving about
within the fort would be ae to. be
questioned.

Now was the time he De in “ue
ptivate’s uniform could drop) from ‘the
window of his prison house with the best
possible chance of being unobserved.

The night was very dark, for there
were clouds in the sky. Ralph was not
certain whether this was in their favor or
not. 2 oe a
He had taken his bearings of the fort

 

 

 
RED, WHITE AND BLUE

so carefully that he knew he could row
directly to the eastern casemate by night
or day, but there was the dreadful chance
that Bruce might not be familiar enough
with the interior of the fort to come to
the right spot.

Fort Warren has undergone
changes since those days, but in war time
its eastern wall or escarpment, as it is
called, was of solid masonry that went
straight down into the water.

Chambers were dug below the level of
the parade ground for the setting up of
great cannon which were fired through
openings in the wall called embrasures.

The plan of escape was for Bruce, and
-Chip if he could be found, to ¢o to the
easternmost of these chambers, pass
_ through the embrasure and drop down in-

to the water, Ralph intending to have
his boat near by.

many

_It was'an easy matter to row the boat
across the comparatively narrow channel
to the neighborhood of the casemate with-
in the fifteen minutes between tattoo and
taps.

He rowed as noiselessly as possible, for
there were sentries upon the parapet

whose suspicions might be aroused by

the movement of a boat around the fort
at such an hour. :

When he arrived opposite the case-
mate he saw that directly above it a sen-
try was standing’ motionless.

His form was dimly outlined against
the black sky, but it was unmistakably
a soldier. Raddy saw him too, and gave
a groan of despair.

It seemed as if the brilliant plan was
bound to fail at the last moment.

‘*Row uutil I tell you to stop,’’ whisp-
ered Ralph, noiselessly shipping his oars.

Then he pulled out the iron rowlock
from the gunwale and withdrew to the
stern of the boat; presently he whispered
a command to Raddy to stop rowing.

_ The boat then floated motionless upon

WEEELY. 27

the still water drifting slowly with the

tide.

The sentry above had not stirred from
his place, although an occasional move-
ment of his arms made it perfectly cer-
tain that it was a man who stood there.

Kvidently he had not yet noticed the

presence of the rowboat below him, but
the clouds threatened to break at every
moment and as there was a full moon, he
could not then fail to see it.
_ The two Confederates waited anxious-
ly until, after what seemed a fearfully
long time, they heard the familiar taps
within the fort.

The sound had hardly ceased when
there was a low hiss from the dark wall
in front of them,

Ralph knew that Bruce had come
through the casemate and embrasure and
was now at the edge of the wall ready to
jump into the -water.

The splash of his falling: body would
surely attract the attention of the sentry
and ashot from his rifle might ‘settle
everything.

At the sound of the hiss Ralph rose in
the stern of the boat, poised himself care-
fully for an instant, and then hurled the
rowlock with all his force upward.

The bit of iron went straight to its
mark; it struck the unsuspecting soldier
apparently full upon the head for the
dark form wavered an instant and then
disappeared. He had stumbled over the
wall and fallen to the interior of the fort.

‘‘Jump, Bruce!”’ exclaimed Ralph, in
a low voice.

He had hardly spoken when there was
a big splash in the water. Imuinediately
after it there was another splash.

Raddy rowed the boat toward the wall
and the next instant Bruce and Chip were
climbing on board.

As one of the rowlocks was gone only

one man could row, but Bruce took one
car and Ralph another and each paddled

O
FX

 
38

while Chip took his place in the stern and
obeying Ralph’s orders steered the boat.

In a moment they were beyond the -

shadow of the fort’s walls and in full
view of bug light, but it’s rays didn’t

light the waters sufficiently to make their

presence visible from the fort if anybody
was watching.

It seemed that the séntty must have
been stunned by the blow from the row-
lock, for no sound of warning or alarm
came from that direction.

Never did men in a boat work harder

than those young Confederates during

the next hour, but without mishap they

passed Boston light, rounded the greater

Brewster and came at length to the crev-
ice in the smaller island where they had
left their companions. i
_Old Fernald wasasleep, exhausted with
anxiety and grief. Ralph roused him at
once and finding by asking a few ques-
tions that the old man’s mind had not

beer unsettled by his abduction, he put

him into his:boat and advised him to start
at once for the light.

“Vou’ve done a good thing for the
Southern Confederacy, Mr. Fernald,”
said Ralph, ‘‘and if money is of any use
to you, you'll find that your vacation has
paid you well. Look in the drawer of
your kitchen table.’?

“Ts the light all right?’ asked the old
man, anxiously.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

‘‘Burning as true as ever. Come along
now.”’ :

With this ae shoved Hemaid’s Boat
out a little and ordered his own men to
get into the Free Star’s boat as fast as
possible.

Weather favored ‘the daring Confeder-
ates so that they came up to the Free
Star shortly after sunrise the next morn-
ing.

Meantime Bruce had told his end of
the escape. It was very simple though
exciting enough for him and Chip. :

With the private’s uniform on him he
had dropped out of his window and made
his way without question to the building
where Confederate privates were con-
fined.

There he had boldly presented an order
he had forged during the afternoon
which stated that Chip was wanted by
the commander of the fort.

As the officer knew that Chip was to
be transferred the lad was handed over
to Bru little question; then they
had pr mg in the shadow of the
inner Vv ‘he casemate and waited
there si ..tinutes for some sound of
Ralph’s presence.

It was a joyous meeting for all on board
the Free Star, which headed southward>
at once under full steam, prepared far

further efforts in- behalf of the cause so.

dear to all on board.

[THE END. |

Cee)

 
ReG AVIOUENS Mele Ge ek

 

Co
te RED

a a &
a k PATRIOTIC Ww

 

 

 

IN THIS PUBLICATION THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE BANNERS
FLY SIDE BY SIDE—BOTH RED, WHITE AND BLUE.

 

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 25, 1897.

 

Terms to Red, White and Blue Mail Subscribers.
i i (POSTAGE FREE.) :

BLIMONENS 08) rea ee BOC ONG VOak sacs m4

4months - - - - - - 85¢.}2 copies one year - -
- $1.25 | 1 copy two years. - -

How To SEND MonrEY.—By post-office or express money order,
registered letter, bank check or draft, at our risk. At your own
risk ifsent by postal note, currency, coin or postage stamps in
ordinary letter. :

All letters should be addressed to

STREET & SMITH
232 William Street, N. ¥.

FOURTH SERIES.

 

 

Gold Watch Contest!

On Monday, August 30th, we wound up a watch and placed
it in a safe. It was wound up somewhere between the
hours of three and five in the afternoon. If you want this
watch, which is a handsome article, manufactured by one
of the largest firins in the country, guaranteed for fifteen
years, and retailed at a high price, all you have to do is to
mark the time at which you think it wil! stop on the clock
face printed below aud on the line for that purpose. The
- watch is supposed to run down in about: thirty-six hours,
You may make any number of attempts for this prize, but
each one must be on a separate clock face. The prize will
be given to the competitor who draws the hands pointing
most nearly to the hour-and minute at which it is found
the watch in our safe has stopped. To prevens mistakes put
the time also on the space provided. In the unlilrely event
of two competitors being correct, the watch will be for-
warded to the competitor whose attempt first reaches this
~ office.

“Competition closes SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9th.
Address attempts to Red, White and Blue *‘Gold Watch
Contest.’ Street & Smith, New York

-Y RED, WHITE
AND BLUE. =

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE WEEKLY.

Brief Calks
With Readers,

‘*Trooper Phil’s Risk; or, From Defeat to Victory,’’
is the title of Mr. Beverley Kennon’s next ‘‘Phil and
Ralph”? story. It is a stirring tale of actual experience
in a great battle and describes in fascinating detail the
pomp and strife of war at that momentous period when
the great forces of America—the armies of the North
and the South—were arrayed against each other.

Red, White and Blue readers who have a ‘‘turn’’ for
writing poetry will certainly sympathize with tbis lad
whose father was deaf to the pleading of the ‘‘divine
muse.’’? Young aspirants for literary honors in rural
districts sometimes fail to meet with favor and sym-
pathy from their parents, or from their less aspiring
rural neighbors, and young poets are often particularly
unfortunate in this respect. A desire to write poetry is
looked upon as evidence of a ‘‘screw loose’’ in a boy’s
mental organization. The master of a rural school gives
the following account of a private interview he had
with the father of one of his pupils. He was going
home at the close of his second day with his new school,
when he was accosted by a tall, gaunt man, plowing
in a cornfield.

‘*Be you the new teacher?’’ asked the man.

CT am,’?

‘Well, now, I want to speak to you about that boy
of mine. He come to school to-day, didn’t he?”’

‘*What is his name???”

‘*George Sparks.’’

‘*Oh, yes; I remember him,’’ said the master.

‘*Well, now, mister, what’s your candid out an’ out
opinion of that boy? Why Il ask is that there’s some
folks round here that thinks be ain’t much better than
an ejet, an’ me and- his moother have felt uncomfort-
able over it; you see he’s our only Jad. I’m afraid
there ain’t no denying that George baint ’zactly right
in the upper story.”’

‘¢‘What makes you think so?’’

‘¢Cause he do be writin’ po’try at the awfulest rate.
He talks in po’try! Why, mister, that: boy dreanis in
po’try! An’ as though that wasn’t bad enough, he
slops the pigs in po’try! Only last night he ketches up
a pail of swill, an’ he sez—let me see—he sez——

‘¢ ‘Of this here pail o’ swill,
Them peegs shell have their fill,
Into it their snouts shell go,
Because them peegs do love swill so.’ ”’

‘¢Well, it certainly looks like an alarming case,’’ said
the schoolmaster, laughing heartily.

‘(Do ye think so?’’ asked the father, anxiously. ‘‘I
really thought of seein’ the doctor about it, an’ havin’
the boy done up some way or tuther so he wouldn’t go
on like that. He says he can’t help it. He don’t git his
poeticky failin’ from me or his\moother nuther. We’ve
got more sense than to talk in po’try.’’

‘He'll outgrow it in time, I’ve no doubt,’’ said the
master, soothingly.

‘*] do hope so. Mean’ his moother wouldn’t feel alto-
gether right if he was to turn out a poet. He’s awful
bad on moonlight nights an’ in the spring of the year.
There’s-no stoppin’ him then. He’ll talk right out in
po’try f’ore strange folks even, till his moother an’ me
are so ashamed of him we don’t know what todo. I’d
be-willin’ to give the best cow I’ve got on this farm to
anybody that’d git him out of them poeticky ways of
his’n.’?

€

Correspondence.

H. P. F., Sunbury, Pa.—The governor to an engine
is an apparatus for regulating the supply of steam.
When a machine is going too fast the balls fiy out by
centrifugal force, and sbut off a portion of the steam;
when too slowly they fell back, and, opening the valve,
let on the steam again.

Dixey, Atlanta, Ga.—It is not. the general physical

-make-up that constitutes the true actor, that being

merely a secondary consideration. He must have the
innate talent avd capability for depicting various char-
acters, and unless nature has bountifully endowed him
with these attributes he will never be successful.

 
»

RED,

The English Recruit.

What boy worth his salt has not had dreams of being

a soldier . Hardly one, we honestly believe. And most

‘of us ate ‘not CCURGES ‘with.the prospect of the infantry

. ,.—we aspire to the splendid horses

and the brilliant uniforms of the
life guards, lancers or hussars.

But do we realize what life in
the ranks is like? Probably not.

‘Not long ago the, writer spent a
week among the hussars at Alder shot—living among the
privates, sharing their rations, and sleeping.in a regu-
lation bed cot. Here:is a brief outline of a cavalry-

“man’s every= day life, and you can judge for Foursel ves
how you would like it. 4

To begin with, the bugles sound the reveillé ata
painfully early hour—five-thirty in six
o’cloek in winter, :

The ‘‘raw recruit’’ opens his eyes to find himself ly-
ing on a narrow iron bed cot, furnished with a straw
mattress and pillow, two coarse gray sheets anda
rough warm blanket. He is in a square, high- -pitched
room with bare white walls,
table and forms, and fifteen hed cots like his own
ranged round the walls,

Hanging from hooks and packed upon the shelf at
each bed head are the blue and goid uniform, knap-
sack, overcoat, boots, sword, busby, etc., which com-
prise a hussar’s outfit. The rifles of the room are
ranged in a stack near the door.

Everybody tumbles out of bed and dons a suit of
dirty white overalls, packs the bedding into a neat pile,
snatches up a ‘‘riftin’’ (cleaning) bag--containing
sponge, rags, pipeclay, and. so on—and clatters noisily
out in stable-boots.

The rooms open upon a long baleony with a stairway
at each end leading to the stables, which are below the
balcony. The soldiers, after answering roll-call, begin
cleaning out the horses’ quarters—clearing out old bed-
ding and refuse, bringing fodder and water, polishing
the metal-parts of the harness, and grooming the
horses’ coats; and genuine hard work it is, though the

“men whistle and sing at it as cheerily asif it were
play.

Then ‘‘rations’’ sounds, and breakfast appears. A
basin of hot tea for every one, together with the day’s
allowance of bread—half a half-quatern loaf. Many of

A Peep at

Life in Barracks.

supimer,

the hungry men invest in a bloater, a lettuce, or some-

cheese or brawn.
Next comes the pretty call of ‘‘boot and saddle.’’
. Tke men appear ou parade in undress tunics and for-

age caps, and are car efully scutinized before being led
out for the morning’s operations. Recruits are dis-
patched to marching drill, rifle practice, or riding
school, and are kept hard at it all the mor ning.

Meanwhile the others are being exercised in the open
plain. ‘‘Charging guns,’’ ‘‘opening to ee fire,’
wheeling at the gallop, hurdle leaping, and water
jumping are all practiced in turn. Or per haps the
troop is taking ‘‘vidette’’ or scouting duty in the day’s
sham fight, and often aparty is told off for firing prac-
tice at the ranges.

in any case, the morning’s work is a hard one, and
horses and men are pretty well tired vut when dinner-
time comes.

The midday. meal comprises hot meat, vegetables,
and sometimes pudding—always well cooked and smok-
ing hot, but the meat is often poor and tough.

Cleaning up accoutrements follows dinner, and after
a muddy or dusty morning this is no joke. Then comes
a lazy smoke in bed; evening roli-cal! ends the soldier’s
‘happiest hour in the day;’’ and after a tea like the

a

WHITE AND BLUE WE

boarded floors, a narrow

. plied the detective.

oKLY.

breakfast, all but the defaulters are free for the e evens
in

ne canteen is quickly thronged, and huge quantities
of beer are consumed before ‘‘lights out’’ at a quarter
past ten. There is a free ‘‘gaff,’’ where music-hall
songs are sung, and a co: nfortable reading-room for
those who want quiet; while outside the barracks is a
comfortable ‘Soldiers? Institute,’’ fitted up with bil-
liard room, library, and temperance bar. But the can-
teen is first favorite by far. :

So passes each day of a trooper’s life—with many -
changes, of course, such as camping ‘out under canvas,
annual ‘tr aining, ‘and special reviews. It is a hard,
rough life, but a healthy one. The men seem gener ally
happy enough; but a nervous constitution or a spiteful
sergeant can make a man utterly miserable for a month
ata stretch. And, among the privates at least, intel-
lectual life is almost at stagnation point.

One last word: there is no escape for the discontented
cavalryman—unless he canbuy his discharge—for seven
years; and seven years is a terribly od term some-
times.

——- -—_ 0 —_+_ —

Captured Through Instinct.

Not many years ago a detective had a long chase
after an accomplished swindler, The ‘fugitive had es-
caped before his crime was known. He had sailed for
the Isthmus of Panama under an assumed name, and
established himself in business in Lima, where he nu
many friends by his handsome. face and pleasing man-
ners.

The detective followed him to Peru after several
months, As soon as he arrived at Lima, and before he
was able to identify the man under a new, name, the
fugitive learned who he was, and immediately took

‘passage for Valparaiso.

The detec+i<e nursued him after
and discovi
a second asi
ing busines
~ After a

a fortnight’s delay,
| had reigstered at a hotel under
3, and had made pr etense of Bay
erior.

pent in trying to anrayel the
skein, the ¢. ‘sertained that his man had sailed
under a thi r Buenos Ayres.

The detective arrived at Buenos Ayres a month be-
hind time. He learned at once that the fugitive had
boldly taken passage on an. Italian steamer for Hurope
under his real name. The detective embarked for Eu-
rope by a steamer of the same line.

The steamer anchored at Montevideo at the mouth of
the River Plate, and the passengers went ashore for a
few hours. The detective suddenly changed-his plans.
Instead of returning to the steamer and continuing his
voyage to Italy, he sailed for Rio de Janeiré a an-
other vessel.

There he found his man. The fugitive, atter taking
passage for Naples under his own: name, had gone
ashore the next morning at Montevideo, and, after
changing his dress and shaving off his whiskers, had
sailed for Rio de Janeiro under a fourth assumed name,

With the connivance of the Brazilian officials he was
arrested while playing a game of whist at the consul
general’s house, and taken on board a steamer.

He offered no resistance. He seemed contented when
the long chase had ended, and he was heading north-
ward to be tried for his crime.-

“‘Tmprisonment,’’ hesaid, ‘cannot be worse than the ©
suspense of feeling that a detective is constantly dog-
ging your steps and hunting you down.’

‘But why,’? he asked, ‘“were you not thrown off
the scent when you found me booked for Italy under
my own name?’’

“That was the first honest thing you had done,” re-_
“<Tt looked like a mask. - detective
has to put himself in the rogue’s place. Buenos
Ayres I was convinced that you had coed = ‘Italy,
but I could not understand why you had resumed your
own name. At Montevideo it came to me like a-flash.

I knew that you must have left your ship, disguised —
vere and gone to Rio de Janeiro.’ :

 
RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

l My Adventures With a Tarantula.

Have you ever seen a tarantula? It is like a horrible
dream—a dream which can be felt, for its presence is
maguetic. I live in an old house at one end of a beau-
» tiful lake in Ceylon—a fairy land. An old Dutch fort,
abandoned when the English conquered the island,
_frowns majestically on the opposite shore. Beyond, as
far as the eye can see, the lake stretches away among
enormous fields of rice of a lovely green, in bright con-
trast with the dark foliage of the jungle, and the wav-
ing cocoanut topes beyond.

A paradise in fact, but, alas, a haunted one. Iam
haunted, my house is haunted. I see it crawling along
the roof, again under my chair, then it glares at me
from the top of my bed, and I lie awake all night.

It is called by the natives ‘‘the tiger-faced spider.’
Its legs are long and hairy and strong. It can jump

like a kangaroo, and its venomous bite, from which I

have, however, escaped so far, is frequently fatal; but
its horrible look is almost as bad as its bite.

I saw him once on the ceiling of my drawing-room,
and softly bringing my sword—for I am an officer of
volunteers—I crept beneath him and triumphantly
' struck. How or where he disappeared I cannot think,
but no sign of the dead body could be found. The ceil-
ing was cut through on the exact spot where he was
seen, but nothing but lime and plaster could be found
among the debris on the floor.

One night I woke, feeling nervous and uneasy, So,
lighting a lantern, I crept softly about the house. The
servants all slept like logs, and, feeling ashamed and
foolish, I returned to my bedroom. As I was stepping

into bed I saw a horrible sight—the tarantula, waiting ©

A wild

its, but
‘e taken

with an eager, fiendish look, 19> on mv nites
yell and spring brought in f]

though the bed was surround

to secure the creature, he as ‘oringing
on to the heads of the serv... ' died of
fright. ,

A short time after this I was fortunate enough to
find his nest. It contained five eggs, like very small
birds’ eggs, white and clear as pearls, a curious con-
trast to himself and his mate. The eggs I triumphantly
destroyed, but watched in vain for the hideous pair,
who apparently did not revisit their eggs when laid
and covered up.

A day or two after this, going out in theearly morn-
ing to visit one of my -assistants, I snatched my sun
hat from it peg,.and hastily placing it on my head, I
suddenly felt my hair begin to rise. Instantly I knew
it was my foe, and wildly dashing away my hat,
shrieked-for help. As the hat flew through the air I
caught a glimpse of his tiger-striped body, and my flesh
crept at the thought of my narrofv escape. Fortunately
the hat fell brim down, and being a flat one, inclosed
the creature in a trap. Determined there should be no
failure this time, we carefully surrounded the impris-

‘oned animal, and slightly lifting one side of the hat, a
dozen clubs smashed his hideous body to pulp as he
emerged. He measured ten inches from end to end,
and | rejoiced with great delight at my narrow escape
—but, alas, too soon—for picture nity horror and dis-
may on seeing bis mate next day glaring at me from
the top of my bed! :

} can see ghastly dreams of vengeance in her great,
staring eyes. In fear and trembling, I open my um-
brella, or put on my hat and coat.

She seems invulnerable, and though constantly Iseem
to have her in my trap, a ruthless feud goes on from
day to day, for I feel she is only playing with me as a
cat plays with a mouse—and in my dreams I see her
mocking grin, as she again escapes my toils, and my
creeping flesh seems to feel that her time will come.
If by any; happy chance | am able to thwart her evil
designs, you will hear from me again. If otherwise,
you will know by my long silence the dread results of
our fearful duel.

Wit and Rumor,

PROMOTING HIM, ve

fimployer—‘‘ William, you..have ‘now worked}for ime. .
three years.’? ‘ EE ex

** Ves. sin.??

‘‘And [ have always found you industrious, pains-
taking and honest.’’ - :

“*T have tried to be, sir.’’
~‘‘Now I desire. to show that I appreciate your
fidelity.’’ Ge

“‘Thank you, sir.’

‘‘For the next two weeks you will be allowed to work
on the books by yourself until ten o’clock every night.
I do not fear to leave you in the office alone at all, I
have a great deal of confidence in you, William.’’

FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS,

‘*T was never rebuffed in so pleasant a way as ou my
last journey,’’ said a commercial traveler, lately. ‘‘I
was just about to enter an ,office when I saw a stair-
ease with a sign, ‘This way for commercial travelers.’

**T supposed the stairs led to the counting-house, so I
went up and found myself in a long hall, with walls
where pointing boards directed the way. I passed
through the hall and came to a staircase leading’ down
as another board pointed. I descended, and opening the
door at the lowest step, I found I was—in the street
again !”? :

‘*ATEING THE BOKAY.’’

Ata hotel a couple from the country, of Milesian
extraction, took seats at the dinner table. Directly
after a young couple seated themselves opposite, and
the young man took a stalk of celery from the dish and
commenced eating it. :

The old lady, opposite looked at him a moment with
an air of disgust, and then nudged her husband and
said, in a stage whisper: =

“See the scoundrel ateing the bokay?’’

THEN HE WENT,

‘‘Tt’s curious,’’ said the irrrepressible joker, ‘‘how
coming events cast their shadows before them. I'll
wager that none of you gentlemen can guess what was
the last*thing playedon the church organ at the time of
the fire last week.’’

‘‘The Lost Chord,’’ suggested some one,

The joker shook his head.

‘«'*Dies Irae,’ ’’ said the classical gentleman.

The joker shook his head again.

‘‘What was it, then,’’ asked the practical member, .

The funny man got up, reached for his. hat, and went
to the door. Then he replied:

““The hose !’’

NO YELL AT VASSAR,

First Vassar Student—‘‘Say, girls, there’s one thing
we’ve forgotten. We haven’t any college yell. All col-
leges have yells, you know.’’

Second Student—‘'Why, of course.
never thought of it. Let’s have one.’’

Third Student—‘‘But I don’t see how we can yell
without taking the gum out of our mouths.’?

Fourth Student—‘‘ Let’s let the yell go. It isn’t very
lady-like, anyhow.’’ m

THE OTHER WAY ABOUT.

Strange we

A short time ago a boy ran away from home, and his
parents, being too poor to go after him, asked the rec-
tor’s assistance, who, after considerable trouble, found
him, and in his efforts to persuade him to return
quoted the parable of the Prodigal Son—how his father
fell on bis neck and wept, and afterwards killed the
fatted calf. ;

‘“*Do you think my father will kill the fatted calf for
me?’’ asked the boy.

‘*Of course he will, if you will but go home,’’ an-
swered the rector.

The lad thereupon decided-to. return,
afterward the two met.

‘*Well,’? said the rector, ‘‘did your father fall on your
neck and weep?’’

‘No, I don’t think he wept,’’ answered the boy.

‘‘Did he kill the fatted calf???

‘*No, he didn’t,’ was the reply, ‘‘but he very nearly
killed the prodigal son.”’

A few days

 
 

38 x RED, WHITE AND BLUE WEEKLY.

DING!

EADERS of RED, WHITE AND BLUE, who like tales of school,

fun, travel and adventure, should not fail to buy the TIP TOP
‘WEEKLY, containing the famous ‘‘ FRANK MERRIWELL” Series. All
back numbers are constantly on hand, and will be mailed to any address
on receipt of price, Five Cents each. Write for Sample Copy.

 

<2

oe RMN OOY Bo:
% Yar eee

| eS ~~ aio’
LIST OF TITLES.
. 1. Frank Merriwell; or, First Days at Fardale. 38. Frank Merriwell in the South Sea; or, The Cast for
2. Frank Merriwell’s Foe; or, ‘‘Plebe”’ Life in Barracks. Life.
3. Frank Merriwell's Medal; or, ‘‘Plebe” Life in Camp. 39. Frank Merriwell Home Again; or, The My stery of
4. Frank Merriwell’s Rival; or; By Fair Play or Foul. Ethel Driscoll.
6. Frank -Merriwell’s Fault; or, False Steps and Foul | 40, Frank Merriwell at Yale; or, Freshman Against Fresh-
Snares. man
6. Frank Merriwell’s Frolics; or, Fun and Rivalry at | 41. Frank Merriwell’s Match; or, The King of the Soph-
Fardale. mores.
7. Frank Merriwell’s Mysterious Ring; or, The Man in | 42. Frank Merriwell’s Victory; or, The Winning Oar.
Blaek. 43, Frank Merriwell’s Finish; or, Blue Against “Crimson.
8. Frank Merriwell's Fag; or, Fighting for the Weak. 44, Frank Merriwell’s Game; or, ‘Snar ing ‘the Sharper.
9, Frank Merriwell’s Furlough; or, The Mystery of the | 45. Frank Merriwell’s Great Run; or, Trouncing the
Old Mansion,, Tigers.
10. Fr a Merriwell on His Mettle; or, Field Day at | 46. Frank Merriwell’s Even Up; or, Squaring the Seore,
Fardale. 47. Frank Merriwell’s Queen; or, Blow for Blow.
11. Frank Merriwell’s Fate; or, The Old Sailor’s Legacy. 48. Frank Merriwell’s Find; or, The Wait of the Train.
12. Frank Merriwell’s Motto; or, The Young Life Savers. 49. Frank Merriwell’s Racer; or, Birds of a Feather.
13. Frank Merriwell in New York; or, Fighting an Un- | 50, Frank Merriwell’s Nerve; or, Game to the End.
known Foe. 51. Frank Merriwell’s Shadow; or, The Mysterious
14. Frank Merriwell in Chicago; or, Meshed by Mysteries. Stranger.
15. Frank Merriwellin Colorado; or, Trapping The Train | 52. Frank Merriwell 8 Dash;, or, Yale Against the Field.
Wreckers. 53, Frank ne ® Bicycle Boys; or, The Start Across
16. Frank Merriwell in Arizona; or, The Mysteries of the the Continent.
Mine. ; 54, Frank Merriwell’s Ride for Life; or, Foiling the Train
17, Frank Merriwell-in Mexico; or, The Search for the Destroyers.
Silver Palace. 55. Frank Merriwell’s Great Capture; or; Bicycle Against
18: Frank Merriwell in New Orleans; or, The Queen of Horse.
_ Flowers. 56. Frank Merriwell to the Rescue; or, Through Fire and
19. Frank “Merriwell’s Mercy; or, The Phantom of the Water.
Everglades. 57. Frank Merriwell’s Close Call; or, The Tramp’s Token.
20. Frank Merriwell’s Friend; or, Muriel the Moonshiner. 58. Frank Merriwell’s Unknown Friend; or, Old Friends in
21. Frank Merriwell’s Double; or, Fighting for Life and New Places.
Honor. = 59. Frank Merriwell Among the Rustlers; or, The Cattle.
22. Frank Merriwell Meshed; or, The Last of the Danites. King’s Daughter,
23. Frank Merriwell’s Fairy; or, The Hermit of Yeilow- | 60. Frank Merriwell’ s Desperate Drop; or, Wild Adven-
stone Park. tures in the Rockies.
24. Frank Merriwell’s Money; or, The Queen of the | 61. Frank Merriwellin the Mines; or, The Blind Singer of
“Queer” Makers. A Silver Bluff.
25. Frank Merriwell’s Mission; or, The Mystic Valley of | 62. Frank Merriwell Among the Mormons; or, The Lost
the Andes. Tribe of Israel.
26. Frank Merriwell’s Mysterious Foe; or, Wild Life on | 63

 

. Frank Merriwell on the Desert; or, The Mystery of
the Skeleton. f

. Frank Merriwell’s Underground Search; or, Saving
the Buried Heiress. -

. Frank Merriwell in California; or, The End of. the
Great Tonr. .

66. Prize Plot Story; Frank Merriwell as the Star,

. Frank Merriwell’s Yacht; or, The Chase Down the

the Pampas.

oi: eae ee See a Monareh; or, The King of Phantom | 64
slan¢(

28. Frank Merriwell in Gorilla Land; or, The Search for the | 6
Missing Link.

29. Frank Merriwell’s Magic.

30. Frank Merriwell in France; or, The Mystery of the
Masked Unknown,

oy

oO
=a

Coast. :
31. eee Eee Feat; or; The Queen of the Bull | 68. Frank Merriwell’s Combination; or, The All Round
ighters. | : Athletes.
32, Frank Merriwell in London; or, The Grip of Doom. 69. Frank Merriwell’s Red Rival.
33, Frank Merriwell’s Venture; or, Driven From Armenia. | 70. Frank Merriwell’s Texas Tournament: or, Sport Among
34. Frank Merriwell in India; or, Hunting Human the Cowboys.
Leopards. 71. Frank Merriwell’s Nine; or, Surprising the Southern

35, Frank Merriwell’s Vow; or, After Big Game in Ceylon. League.

36. Frank Merriwell in Japan; or, The Sign of the Avenger. | 72. Frank Merriwell’s 8} r, Ont with the Guthrie
37. Frank Merriwell’s Death Shot; or, Roughing it in Gun Club. ae

Australia. 73. Frank Merriwell’s Flyer; or, Tie Winning Wheel.

STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK.

 

 

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