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Goop NEWS.
1764
THE GIPSY PLOTTERS . faction of observing signs of returning very aero the tent was watching him yurm, and. before be knew it it, the tired
nsclousness, ‘S ice mi ast asleep,
' After a little, fhe ° boy was fully recov- ‘What have we struck?” asked the When he awoke in the orn ing, the
on, ered and able to swaggering young Bip, pointing to the} party whose hospitality they had nie
“I'm each Pobliged,” said he, | steaming pot and snu the air as if to| were gone. Their tents a
The Owner of No Man’s Land
By CAPT, CASTLETON.
Beet Be + PLotrers’ was commenced in No, 102
uubers can be obtained of all News Agents. }
CHAPTER XXVIII.—(Coxrmxven.)"
ED ARTHUR seized a stone and
unched it against the side of
S| Tay
N& the Boat with all the strength he
comman
But it CBboused like hail from the roof.
He repeated the experiment with no bet
ter results,
In the meantime the flames were roar-
ing above b him and the smoke becoming
more
He thought of leaping through the roof,
despite the Hames,
to m nis idea was abandoned as soon as
ot then “another plan suggested itself. tt
was desperate in the re but
realized that it was his only
With all the speed he could. he crept
forward and seized the canister.
It contained, he judzed, several pounds
of the deady black grain:
To open it here Right" be to court in-
stant deat
Yet the hands of the intrepid boy did
not tremble as he twisted the large metal
screw which closed the opening.
Then h mn its side, silowing a
Taking from his pocket a e of cot-
ton string, he withdrew a little distance
and lighted one end of it.
‘Then creeping back, he inserted it in
the pile of gunpowder.
In a moment he had
roaring flames and gained
farther end of the hold.
-erouched behind an upright post, which
promised some High t protection, and
awaited the dreadfa catastrophe.
The heat had now become almost un-
bearable, and the smoke so dense that
Ned believed himself to be suffocating.
Seconds seemed minutes tothe unhappy
assed under the
the extreme
®
joy.
Te believed that his improvised fuse
had ge gone out, and thought to return and
relight
But he ‘realized that this was now im-
possible. and fell forward upon his face,
oping to find the air purer nearer to the
bottom.
Then there came a blinding flash, an
awful deionation, a nd of crashing
timbers, and Ned ‘arthur lost conscious-
ness.
For a moment only did’ this condition
continue, Again the blood started into
activity, and he realized that he liyed,
and, stranger still, seemed unhurt
He found himself in the water, just
, he was unabe to determine by
reason of the cloud of smoke which hung
m.
He was an excellent swimmer, and at
once struck out, not doubting but what
he* would be able to reach one bank or
the other.
He had swam buta little ways when
he was seized with a sharp pain, and
seemed incapable of further dnotion.
His self-possession di even now
desert him, and he realized that he had
been seized by a severe cramp.
Tiwice he sank, and as often rose to the
surfay
At this dreadful juncture, when all
ope of succor had abandoned him, he
yas se seized by the collar of his coat and
ifte
nt more and he felt himself
drawn over the side cf a boat, and realized
tbat he war save
Looking up, he ree ognized his rescuer,
and i, thrill shot through his frame.
-“Hang me!" cried the oecupant of the
boat, ont he hasn't swam right into my
bands!”
Ned thought of the old saying about the
frying pan and the
man was bis enemy, Black Henry
Magoun, tht gipsy
CHAPTER - XXIX.
,ON THE ROAD.
ED ARTHUR heard the’ words of
aN Black Henry, realized that he was
we a Prisoner, and then fainted dead
In vain the gips chafed the hands of
the unconscious hoy, reat exertion,
smoke, fire, water, and wnaee excitement
had thrown him into a state from which
he did not seem likely to speedily rally.
The man hastened to bring his boat to
the shore, and lift out the inanimate
form.
Then he began a more systematic rub-
_bing ‘and chafing, and soon had the satis-
thankfulness for his preservation first as-
serting itself.
“Don't mention it, I’m ery, glad that
I chanced to come in your way.”
“I guess I'm well enongh to go now.
My friends will be anxious about me."
rself! On no pecount | I
ermit such a thin,
eel all right, now.”
‘Te not.
wouldn® "
“But
“ Perhaps: but you
our friends?
“Farther town the rive
Where are
“T'll see that you reach. them a little
later, Wait a moment.”
The gipsy drew the boat out of the
water, and concealed it among the bushes
which bordered the river.
u're not going to take me away?”
half-pleaded the boy.
“Only fora short, distance, and for your
own good. You be sick after this,
and will need vate,’
“Look here, you have saved my life,
and I don’t want to appear ungrateful,
but I know, that you propose to make me
risoner.”
«Nonsense.”
a
to have shown me to this
{William Wilson at six o’clock last even-
ing, and upon my proper identification
was to get me out of the wa
“Whoever told you that
“Stop! I heard’ you make t the arrange-
ment myself.’
roma place of concealment?”
“Exac
“Ul tell you the truth. I do want to
make something out of you, but not by
getting rhe ar of the way.
“How
“ nging ‘you forward and estab-
lishing wae rights to certain property.”
“But ked——"
“Tut, tut! One has to talk in this
world. I was merely pumping» Wilson.”
“But you were not successful
“Not then; but I was lateron. I have
no wish to harm you in the least, or de-
fraud you of your own. On the contrary,
I propose to make you rich.”
“That can’ *t be.
“Yes, it can, and I’ll do it,
is one- “tenth of what you, get.”
“I’m afraid I can’t——"
“Look, fare 1 Do you SUPPOSE, Ido wrong
for the mere sake of doi
“No; I don’t think that of Epon
“T can make money out 0} Wilson by
keeping you out of his way, or out of you
by wou you in possession of your ow!
Why} would I not prefer. the latter course?”
t know,” replied Ned, to whom
this ant not seem at all ynreasonable.
“Of course not. Come with me! I have
friends in this section where you can be
ared for. Inthe morning we will find
your friends. I will make my peace with
them, and we will all work together to
accomplish good, instead of ”
Although Ned ‘knew Black. Henry fo be
treacherous, still he was inclined
lieve that he would do as he had ‘aid
not, indeed, because he placed any reli-
ance upon t e gipsy’s word, but because
he thought self-interest would impel him
to adopt that cor
Circamstanced a3, “he was, and power-
less to offer any adequate resistance to
the muscular gipsy, Ned consented to ac-
company him.
A firet he walked with difficulty, but
after a little bis ill-feeling disappeared,
and he had no trouble in keeping u pit with
his guide, or captor; be ase itt
certain which to call
After a walk of a mething like an hour
they sighted the farther edge of the
All Task
As they approached, Ned saw, a little
to wie right of their course, a bright
ie
ign ‘oward this they directed, their steps,
the Jcad bein taken by
d found that the light ‘Hrocecded from
a x oN “ which, on a crooked iron
crane, hung a pot from which clouds of
steam were ascendin,
and a wwoman—the former with
a dog between his legs anda short pipe
n his mouth—were seated at the entrance
clined upon the ground, casting wistful
glances at the iron pot, the contents of
wbich 3 second woman was industriously
stirr’
“Slalloo, there!” called out Magoun, as,
after a brief pause, be led our hero for-
ward to the group about the fire
You’re welcome,” said the woman
who was cooking, while the man con-
tented himself with removing his pipe
and uttering what seemed tobe a grunt
of approval of her words,
The children,- more demonstrative,
sprang to their feet, and ran forward to
welcome the new-com
This action of theirs, “In @ manner reas-
sured the boy, for he concluded from it
that Black Henty could not be quite so
bad as he had 8
med.
Ned noticed “that the woman in the
determine its contents on his own ac-
conchicken stew with rice,” returned the
‘ook.
wees very thing. I was afraid it was
Ned, who had not been introduced nor
alluded toin any way, now seated him-
self upon a rock and held up his palms to
eateh the grateful heat
“Don ut sit there with your wet coat on,
een
dearie, seed the yyroman, who
be Sfarjo hose name appeared to
s farjorie. nd You'll take your death of
co.
Ske rose as she spoke, and began re-
moving our hero’s coat, to which opera-
tion he made no objectio in.
In doing this she unfastened the wrist-
pand of of his s shirt, exposing his bare arm
0 the e
This disclosed a peculiar mark tattooed
upon his fore-arm,
The woman at once supplied him with
a tie coat, and the action passed un-
noticed. .
Supper was now handed around, and
our hero, being urged, managed to eat
quite a Renerous por on.
Soon after this Tarjorie prepared a bowl
tea from some erbs, which she in-
sisted on Ned’s drinking, faving that it
would prevent his taking co
He complied, though it had anything
but an agreeable taste, and Jay down in
the tent near the fire, which was made to
burn more fiercely,
ashenried out as he was, Ned soon fell
When he awoke, he heard voices ina
bigh key, and, peering under the canvas,
w the men and women seated in a half-
circle about the fire drinking from a large
black bottle, which was being circulated
quite freely,
The children had disappeared, and
were, no doubt, asleep in another tent
which stood near by.
on’t you answer, me? What are you
going to do with him
jorie, and drove all thought of eeD from
the eyelids of the recumbent
“Nothing,” replied Magoun. aot sa’
him from drowning, and will take bim
phere he can join his friends in the morn-
me don’t like you to do that.”
The e woman, spoke almost ercely.
“Intimate that Ihave no wit, by ex-
pecting me me to believe such a falsehood.”
tru:
“Then you know less about it than I
0.”
“You don’t mean——
“I mean that that boy was stolen when
a wt child.”
“By
“No} put fora time I cared for him.”
“Tell me tl” cried Magoun
eagerly, at the same. time thrusting the
bottle into the woman’s han
ood many years ago, more than
twelve. We had been long encamped be-
side aledge of rocks. One day a picnic
party came there. As I stood by a rock
olding my babe in my arms, a man and
two women approached. It was_begin-
ning torain, and they remained there, it
being I protected from the sto:
e man stared almost impudently, I
thought. After the storm they went
away, but be soon returned, and alone.
“He addressed me by name, and asked
me if I would care for and help dispose of
a child, which would be brought to the
camp that nig
“To njected. but he gave me a good sum
of mon nd I agreed to care for the
child, vand ¢ claim it as my own until other-
wise ‘dispose
And you think that child was this
box ” demanded Henry, excitedly.
I know it, I suspected it when I first
saw him, for he’s not changed much in
looks since a child. I saw, a mark on his
arm which convinced me.”
“What was his fathers 3 name?”
“T haven't the least idea.”
“And the man who approached you the
day. of the storm
T never knew his name.”
“And what
can in this business?”
vr
“Don't you know?”
Weds do; but Iwill never tell, not while I
ve.
“More of a mystery than I thought,”
jaughed the man. “What became of the
oH don’t know. The
the great reward for t business, after-
ward sent him away, With he t Thad
nothing todo. I know no mo
Ned felt rather “drawn toward this
seemed to have a kindly
party who received
oman,
feeling for him, » though atone time she
had wronged
he conversation now took another
This question was in the voice of Mar- | #2
one of our people was the]-
disappeared with them, ang no ene ia
mained but Black Henry, who was shak-
ig him to rouse him from his heavy
slee}
He told the boy that the other party
had departed at daybreak, and led hima
little farther on, where another family
were encam
Here they procured some breakfast,
after prhich Ned complained of feeling
unwe
One the women prepared him a
draught ‘ot some kind, which he reluct-
antly drank.
oon afterward he felt drowsy, and, de-
spite all his efforts to the contrary, fell
fast asleep.
When he awoke, he knew from the jolt-
ing that be was on a wagon of some kind.
king*aroand, he discovered it to bea
covered van, similar to that of Queen
Valentia, though smaller and not so com-
ete in its internal appointments.
With difficulty he rose to his feet, and,
through a rear window, saw a
girl following on foot, the later leading a
cow.
In | the door-way stood a woman with a
child in ber arms,
Ne d was tortured bea bursting head-
ache, and did not doubt but he had been
aru rugge ed.
a prisoner again,” moaned he as,
too ill to stand upon his feet, he was ob-
liged to resume his former position.
CHAPTER XXX.
AN ANXIOUS NIGHT.
ni the meantime, what of Ben Rat-
ameo
‘I cliffe and Jean
|" For an hour or more after they had
passed the place where the canal-boa'
lay concealed they did not experience the
slightest uneasiness as to their young
rien
Then Jean remarked that he thought it
strange that they caught no sight of his
oahat's nothing,” Ben replied. -“ We've
been delayed a Bo0d deal, while he’s had
a clear run 0}
“Hadn ’t we Setter fire the guns for a
sign,
Not now. The four men, who deserted
the raft to go for liquor, may be running
after us on shor ‘o let them Jocate us
might lead to serious trouble—even blood-
shed, vit may be.
t I wonder he don’t signal
“Hee will soon, I think, Belawe the
woods a wa 3 the river makes a turn, and
then runs due south fora long distance.
We can see the light there.
Half an hour later they | Zeached the
point of which Ben had spok
he moon had risen now, and the river,
like a thread of silveron a dark back-
ground, was visible for a long distance,
But the wandering man and boy looked
in vain for any sign of the Erie.
Then they broduced their guns, and be-
gan firing si,
But to all their ‘efforts they received no
answer other than mocking echoes from
the hills to the eastward.
Yhat do you make of it?” quavered
oT give itu I'm completely beat.”
“He couldn't have gone beyond the dis-
tance we can see?”
“I'm pretty sure—of course be couldn’t.
Besides, he never would have gone on
that far t without signaling us.”
“We must have passed him.”
“Inpesibie ” hat’s h d.”
“ ell you what's ha| ened.
“What?” x Pp
“This Henry Magoun has passed us——”
“But he couldn't have done that.”
He and the two boys man-
aged to get ahead of us, and in some way
Pon the boa
“I don’t see how they could have done
You, gon’ t know Black Henry. Gipsys
—I don’t call myself one any more—are
all crafty, jbut this one beats all that I’ve
ever seen.
“They may have done ft.”
“I'm sure of it, Then they ran the boat
up some sort of a creek or inlet, and left
with Ned a prisoner.”
“It may be. It was stupid of me to let
him go onalone. If evil comes to him
tbhrongh it, I'll never 1 for ive myself,”
“What will we do we myself
“Row back and try nom find him, or, at
least, learn exactly what has happened. ”
This plan was instantly acted upon.
The raft was made fast to the bank, the
boat Jaunched, the guns and a hatchet
aving been Placed in its bottom, and
they began pulling up the stream,
ere was quite a strong current here,
and their progress was necessarily slow.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
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