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4 YOUNG JACK HARKAWAY FIGHTING THE SLAVE TRADERS OF THE SOUDAN.
“ Just gone out with Monday in ii rick-shaw to view our camp out-
side the town."
" Is Inganii with them?”
“ He and Monday draw the rick-shaw, which, as you doubtless know,
is a kind of oriental Sedan cliair."
“ Yes, a bearer at each end; it used to be called a palunquin, I
think.”
“ Something of that sort," replied Mole. “ The motion is easy and
ladies like thiit way of 'r-avoliiig in warm climates.”
Harry Girdwood tiow made his appoaraiice.
He had in his haiitl a box of cigars which he placed on the table.
“ Where did you get those weeds i‘roin?" Jack asked.
" I found them on this desk of the hotel, addressed to you; a pres-
ent, I suppose,” said llarry.
“ Mr. Peal, Mole, Itliraiida, help yourselves!” exclaimed Jack; "I
can’t smoke any more now, and wish to converse with (iirdwood on
some iratters of pressing nioment."
" Don't allow us to Cetain you," replied Professor Peal.
Jack and Harry left the tent and walked up and down a shaded
path, on one side of the cactus covered lawn.
In a few words Jack explained the situation to his friend, telling
him that the guide, liigtiitii, was false, and that he iiiteiided to attack
llassaii, the famous slave-trader, in his own fortress of Watly
Haifa.
The flap door of the tent was lifted.
They paused and looked inside.
It was easy enough to see what was goiiig on from the distance.
Mole was sitting comfortably in a rocker, with his wooden leg prop-
ped up on atiotlier chair.
There was a sleepy sort of it look about l.itii, as if he had got into
the " don’t care" state.
No matter where he was, Mole was always happy.
He had lived long enough amongst vicissitudes and trials to becoine
a philosopher.
Miranda was opening the box of cigars with a knife, and l’i'ofessor
Peal was bending over him.
“ Mole set-ins c0nLeinplati've," remarked Jack.
he‘s thinking off"
“ Where the next bottle is coming frotii,” replied llarry; “or he’s
had an idea and dropped it like a lost cliord."
Suddenly there was a loud explosion.
Miranda hail lifted the litl of the citar box.
A spring caused sortie hidden machinery to work, and a volley of
bullets was tired out.
It was simply an internal machine.
As it was aildressed to llarkawiiy, there was little doubt that it had
been sent to him by llassan.
The slave trader had cause to fear atid hate him.
llnnston, too, would put him tip to any scheme of this sort.
Most terrible was the effect of the explosion.
Professor Poul and the faithful Miranda were killed on the spot.
Their bodies were fearftilly inutilated.
Mole was sent tlying out into the air, and fell on the tlireshohl of
the tent.
The only damage he sustained, however, was the loss of his artificial
litnb.
His cork leg parted company with his body.
The straps that kept i: in position were broken, and the leg rolled
some yards away.
“ This is awful," cried Jack.
“What a narrow escape," said Harry Girdwood.
stopped there we should have gone to glory too.“
“ It was l’rovidentiaI."
“The infernal machine was meant for you."
“ L'inloubtedly."
“ Who do you suspect?" continued Harry.
"There are only two people in the world to be suspicious of," re-
plied Jack.
“ Huiiston and Ilassan.”
"Those are the two."
It was indeed it marvelous escape for them.
The tent was blown to shrntls ainl tatters.
Professor l‘eal atid Miranda were dead beyond recall, anti it looked
as if Mnlo was too.
Itotisetl by the detonation, the proprietor, guests and servants of the
hotel mine out.
All were greatly shocked at the havoc, devastation and loss of life-.
It was known that young Jack llur ‘
" I wonder what
“If we had
' k. way had conic otit wit.ti his
friends to light the slave l,I‘Illl6'r.-1 of tho Sottilrin.
I-lvnryone wanted the vilw traffic p'it a stop to.
He had the syiiipathy of all the reaps-ctabl--, people in the town.
The bndit-I-1 of Prrife-ssor Peal and the Cuban, Miiaiiilii, were prompt-
ly l‘(‘fi)0VHl to the inoriuary.
Jack and Ilarry stood by the side of Mole, who was as still and
IIi0[lf‘Ilil6!‘4S its a log.
“ Poor old inaii," intitlererl Jack.
“ lle's goiio at lll.<‘l," said lliirry.
“ I B‘iouI4l lik-' to liavo bad Iiiiii pass. away in bed."
“ It was alwiiy-i itiy idea thiit. he wotihl die with lIl4 boots on."
“(hie boot, inn nit-iiii. Pick tip hI4 W()(14lt,’ll log; we will bury it.
with liitn." adth-d Jack.
llarry Giriltvootl did as he was rnipii-steal.
At, this inoniviit Mole inovod uiicasily. He raised
bow and sat up.
lilliistill on his el-
He had only been temporarily stunned.
Not the slightest injury had he sustained save a rather rough shak-
tug.
when he saw Harry with his cork leg in his hand he became highly
itidigntiiit.
"1 will thank you for my leg, Girdivood," he exclaiined.
over, please.”
Both Jack and Harry were extreniely astonished.
“ The old itiaii isn't dead after all,” said Jack.
" Why, no,” replied llarry; " it does not look like it.”
“He has been playitig it low down on us; he is fond of foxing.
Never mind, 1 am glad he's alive, for I shall not have to write this
obituary."
“ My leg!" cried Mole. " My leg! My kiiigdoni for a leg!"
llarry helped him to rise and assisted hint to put on his artificial
limb.
L Allele, with all his Sagacity, did not really know what had happened
0 ill”.
“ Harry,” he said, “ what was it-a whirlwinti, an earthquake, or
one of the walls of the house falling down?”
“ Neither, sir," answered Jack.
“ Kiiitlly explain. There is no effect without a cause.”
” The cigar box was an infernal niachine. I am sorry to say that
I’r0lvS:‘()!‘ Peal and Miranda, the Cuban, have been blown to stnitlier-
waits, and the cleverest doctors could not mend or put them together
any iiiore."
Mole's angular countenance becainc elongated.
lie was surprised at his own iiiiiituiiity frotti injury, when the two
men he had been talking to almost at the moment, were carried off to
faco their Creator.
“ There’s a sweet little cherub that sits tip aloft to watch over the
fate of old Mole," said Harry.
“ He'll get liI'9tl UT 81111“: if you keep on taking me about from one
country to the other." replied Mole.
“ 'l‘hat’s wlint the cliortibiiis are made for."
“ I tloii’t tiiiderstatid.“
" To look after one-legged tnoii."
If it had not benii for the disinal surroundings, the onlookers would
have lniiglieil at llllS jocose sally.
As it was, they subdued a smile and went away.
'1'heaitoinlaiits threw sawdust on the blood stained grass, and soon
erected another‘ tent.
Mole went inside and produced a flask of brandv.
As he drew the cork and put the neck of the bottle to his lips, he
SlL(ill’tl iimftitiiidly.
After he bail poiideri.-d to his vicious appetite, he clasped the bottle
to his breast.
“ Those in our arms we love in otir hearts," he excliiimed.
will drink that toast?"
It was receivetl with iicclamation by Jack and Harry.
Ttiey were rather apt to eticoitrage the old ;;aut]emfm Lo lgi mmgelf
loose when he felt inclined to goon a spree.
This wits only natural.
'i‘hi>re wits always soine amttsenteiit to be had out of the semi-senile
edition of the once vigorous and active Mole.
More wine was brought by a waiter, whicli was excusable under the
circtimstatices.
Mole wits elated at his almost miraculous escape fiom it rum-fail fate,
and, being a little selfish in his old age, forgot all about Proit-SEO!‘
Peal and the iinfortuniite Mirantlii.
" Let us celebrate the occasion," he excli1iin.,-ti,
l‘(l.gg5t’,4i edge and lo! I llllVl‘ been saved."
“ Excuse me, sir,” replierl Jack; “ it is not an occasion for convivi-
ality. I would rather talk with Harry (z‘.irdwood on business."
" Butl must join the expetliiioii.”
“ To that I have no obj:-ciioti."
“ it is arranged that Moiitlay and Itake coinmaiid of the commis-
sariut. depnriinent. We shall be a credit to the force."
" l Rlli(‘.Pl‘(’l)' hope you will."
lie was left alotio.
flurry anti Jack walked up and down iilongsitle the roadway.
“ The plot is tliicko-nitig." observed lliirry. “ This dynamite affair
shows that otir lives are not safe."
" We have taken otir own piirt so far," replied Jack, “ atid we can
do it tlgniii."
“ I hope so."
" lluvts no four. W0 are'nien and will hold ottr owti (l"’DlllSl. Arabs,
Kaliylus or llatleinlowal.s." 5
"Tlie litter tribe are l'4'(,'I)',’lilZ0,tl as the brave-at in the >‘niid:in."
All at once .ilond:iy was Ht‘l‘l] rmmm: “I, H”, m.,.,,,,,, “R “M as hf!
(‘.t'illl<l. llis gray hair was flying in the wind and his lint had dropped
oil in his hurry.
1'-Wlll “'1” l'”'”‘l"‘-Cllllwll his face from a woiiiid in his head, ninl his
(')'l':4 were l)tilv,:iiiL:.
titl llarty sit-pgwil through the ;;':ilf‘W.'l),' and iiiut hint on the
sitli-walk.
lI-- stoppi-<l, p.'inliii;: for brnath.
“ H”-“ -"-".‘lllllM lliippt-tit-tl’."‘ doiiiniidod .l.i(:k, it'l‘,illl',: that a new
lroiibio lint] ovt-i'tsikeii liiiii.
" (iii! if:i<I‘ .litt‘.k," rvplii-d ifoinlay, “utiintin‘ is-rrible."
" Sp:-iik out,“
“ Wiiil, Hflll, till I L(l‘l xiii’ bi'i-ll; fl is is the flttiHl stirprisiti' thing that
nvor coiin: oll. hits.-I) (‘taro sit in the l'lCi-i'-:‘.‘lfLW lllliiI'l‘ it tree. I -1o to
“Hand it
“ Who
“ I was oti the