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BRAVE AND BOLD. 29
“You think there will be a fight, t then pe.
“Tt is liable to happen at: any time.” ,
“Well, let it happen.
dred of two.” .- :
_ “I suppose you favor the president,” said Poppet.
“I should say so, He is my father.”
“What!” . gasped the astonished Utopian:
father?” - / /
“Yes, sir, he is.’ :
“Come off, Van. What do you mean?” spoke up J ack
Howard, who was. listening to the conversation. |
Van then related the result of “his interview with the
president. —
Of course all hands were more than 2 astonished. Their
whole trip had been a regular romance, but ‘Van: finding
his father topped it off completely.
“Your
nothing more was said on the subject.
That evening. Van was more than particular in making
_ his toilet.
He was going to call 1 upon the pretty girl as he had
promised,
He learned that her name was Metha Arundel before he
_ Set out.
He intended to make his call but a short one, as he had
promised his father’ to be at the council meeting. which
was to die:
Van had scarcely rapped upon the door of the house
where the fair one lived when it was opened. i
A’ servant ushered him into a brilliantly lighted room,
where the girl and her father were awaiting him:
Both’ had learned by this time that Van was the son
_ of the president, and ‘they greeted him accordingly.
The old gentleman could conyerse very well in Eng-
lish, and when half. an -hour had: been pleasantly spent
he arose and took his departitre for the council meeting
. Stating. that he was going: to make a charge against the
man who had insulted his daughter. 4
Van soon forgot. all about the fact that J he intended
to go to the council meeting.
Metha’s company was so charming. that it was’ quite
late when he arose to go.
badly smitten.
and found his father in such an unexpected manner, he
felt ‘that he could ttirn a little of his attention to. love.
and vice versa.
It was too late to go_to the council meeting - when he
left the girl, so he went direct to his father’s “house.
He found his friends all there with very ample acconi-
» modations assigned to them.
From them he learned that Doc Clancy | was ‘to be hanged
“4 the next morning at sunrise.
We will take a hand in it. I
guess we have enough cartridges left. to kill off a -hun-. -
But they had arrived at the house by this time, and
was called-to determine the manner of death Doc Clancy:
Though the couple had but met that day, both were.
Now that Van had chased Doc Clancy to his: doom, |
From the little he knew of Metha she just suited him; ~
Ny CHAPTER XXII.
THE EXECUTION AND WHAT FOLLOWED.
next morning.
A vast crowd had already assembled about ‘the: spot
where the execution of Doc Clancy was to take place.
Van and his companions took yp a position in the. rear
of the crowd.
Though none of them were desirous of seeing the exe-
~cution, they could not resist the temptation to. be present.
‘It was now generally known throughout the city that
Van was the son of the president of the board of officers,
and many were the looks that were cast upon the boy
by the city’s inhabitants.
Just as the sun arose, Doc Clancy was led to the rudely
constructed gallows that had been erected solely” for his
execution.
Before he stepped upon the drop, Van's s father came
forward and faced him. »
When the villain saw the man he had abandoned in
the African wilds to die, a look of terror came’ over
his face.
4'Wha-a-t!” he gasped. “Are you alive? ?”
_ “I guess Iam, John Moreland. So you were not satis-
fied when you thought you had left me to die; you made
up your mind ta ‘find your way. back home; after a number.
of years of your villainy, and murder my brother! But a
Nemesis got upon your track, John Moreland! My son,
Van, had pluck enough’ to chase you clear to this ‘spot,
“which is entirely unknown to the outside world, Now,
you vile hound! you have but a few minutes to live!
Have you got anything to say?”
During the recital of the president’s words the face
of Doc Clancy turned the color of ashes, and when he
had finished, the w retch uttered a horror-stricken groan
and fell to the ground i in a faint,
~
Van's father then spoke a few words to the executioner,
and then walked to the spot where our friends were . -
standing. ;
“Come,” said he. ‘When I let. my handkerchief fall
the drop will go down, I have no desire to see the exe-
cution.”
Together the party walked slowly. from the place.
A few yards from the crowd the “handkerchief was.
. dropped.
The next instant a dull thud was heard, follawed by
a howl from the excited crowd.
Van. glanced back for an instant, and saw the form
of Doc Clancy dangling in the air.
The career of the villain who had been chaséd to the
heart of the Dark Continent was ended.
A sigh of relief escaped the lips of our, hero.
“Now, if it is possible for.us to get back home again,
and take father along with us, I will-consider my journey
to Central Africa the most important event of my whole
life,” he thought.,
As his father was compelled to use a crutch on account
of his missing leg, the walk to their headquarters was”
a slow one.
On the way Van met Metha Arundel, ‘who invited him
to call again that evening. ©
“Our friends’ were - up and on hand before sunrise, the