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BRAVE AND BOLD. wo oe 25 eri
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ee but, anvhow, five 1 minutes later Van Vincent. was, sleeping were fr cely exchanged, thus making everything of value
y ourdly upon the soft divan. | ~ equal to money.
‘The sun was shining brightly when he awoke, which When a man became too lazy to work ‘for his living:
i nformed. him ‘that. another. day had arrived, and also he was thrown to a hungry:lion as a warning to any. who
“| that the storm had cleared. ~~ might chance to follow in his footsteps. :
j He was in the same. room he had fallen asleep in, and, The people governed the beautiful place by electing a
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ising from the divan, Van went: to the window.
oh As he looked out. and saw that he was in a little city,
a ree of surprise came from his lips.
“So this is the African Utopia,” he mused. “Well, it
looles like a place where naught but enjoyment could’ ‘be
found. I never saw-such a beautiful spot in my life.”
{ Our hero’s meditations were cut rather short, for. at
that moment a door opened and a. number ‘of people
entered.
A To his great. joy, he beheld his friends standing before
him.
Yes, they were there in reality Jack, Lank Edwards,
Ns and the professor and doctor. .
Van did not utter a word till he had shook the hand
of each. :
“Where did you stay all night?’ ?” he then asked.
“In this house,” replied Jack. -
4“Vou did?”
“Sure!” “exclaimed Lank Edwards.
tired lookin’. for you in ther old building, we went down-
stairs by ther horses. “About half.an hour after that along
comes two men, who said as how you sent for us. When
we got here ther boss of ther house explained things to
“.
2S, an’ said as how. you were asleep, so we concluded to
ic till morning afore we seed you.”
. That’s about all there is of it,” said Jack, with a laugh.
But come! our host is waiting for us to come, to break-
_ fait A _deuced fine place we have struck, I can tell you!”
1 an followed his companions from the room. and then
all hands entered an elegant dining room, where the man
-jhe had met the night before was awaiting them. |
; ‘A few minutes later they were seated at a table, enjoy-
ing a sumptuous .repast.
_the-little city they were in.
ute hundred years before, a band of Egyptians had
‘Gt covered it almost the same as it now was, only that. it
aw as deserted. © )
enourh were the little band to take it as their future home.
a4 jOne hundred years after the band of ‘Egy ptians—num-
thee less than fifty—took possession of the city within
; We with ae wall, it had over five hundred inhabitants,
nd with the growth of its people many improvements
Were made, ;
T what was left of the origi1al party—had reached
ment found it a veritable have 1 of rest and content-
As yet, no man who had eve reached, the city had
ut marle the attempt to leave it, and thus it was that its
inhabitants numbered over two thousand, néarly all mod-
nguares being spoken by them.
Vy Ati a thing as money was not used in African Utopia.
ands worked, and the results of their different labors
“After we got
iDuring the meal our friends learned considerable about »
|The race who had built it had j in some way become
extinct, but their handiwork still remained, and glad ©
’ the throes of death.
_ Paring the last century more than one exploring party °
Hitt:
set df officers every year, and everything went..on like
‘clockwork.
The: finest of silks and morocco were produced here,
and the architects and. builders were equal to any in the
world. .- i
Of course, our friends were much astonished when they
learned all this, but they were forced to believe it when
they looked at their surroundings.
They were at the breakfast, table nearly. two hours,
and when they at length arose their host, who gave his
name as Poppet, told them to follow him and they would
see something worth looking at.
They were all glad to get outside, and when they did
so they could no longer wonder why it was that none.
who. came to the place ever left.
- ‘The air was balmy and soft, and as our friends breathed
if they felt exhilarated and refreshed.
“By Jove!” exclaimed Dr. Pestle, “I’ll bet that such a
thing as lung troubles are unknown here. Never in my
life before have I breathed such pure aif.’
After ten minutes’ walk their host fitted before.a. pit,
which had a strong iron railing around it.
“Look down there!” said he.
CHAPTER XIX,
DOC CLANCY'S CONFESSION.
“When Van saw that ‘it was Doc Clancy who had been
thrown in to the lion, he could scarcely believe his senses.
Like his companions, he was spellbound for a moment, ~
_ As the wretched man cowered close to the side of the
pit, the lion halted in front of him, as if to gloat over his
victim’s misery and terror. .
“By Jove!” exclaimed our hero.
die that way. "When he leaves this world, he shall: die
with a rope about his neck.”
Quick as a flash he leveled his rifle at the lion and
: pulled the trigger.
Crack! As the report rang out on the still, morning
air, the:king of beasts’ rolled over upon the, ground in
The bullet from Vincent’s rifle struck the creature just
behind the left fore-shoulder, entering the heart.
It, all happened so quickly that none of the inhabitants
of the wonderful city could make a move to stop the boy -
from killing the lion; and as soon as they saw what he
had done, a hoarse cry of anger went up from their fips.
“You've played ther part of a fool, Van!” exclaimed
Lank Edwards, with a look of disgust. “By saving the
life of the murderer of your uncle, you have placed yer
own in great danger.”
“You are right,”
answerable for your safety.”
“It matters not,” returned Van.
my uncle, and I have chased him too far to see him die
before I have a written confession from him. And then,
“Doe Clancy shall not -
put in Poppet, who heard the ‘words. -
“Young fellow, though you are my guest, ‘T cannot be
“That man murdered .