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—Y HAPPY
DAYS e
hope you'll find the rich bed of diamonds,
havi ‘ou rather overlooked
one important | thing? Don't you suppose
the mysterious agency that has heretofore
caused the violent death of everyone who
has attempted to work the haunted claim
will strike at
“T haven't
weight, my lad, and I mean that we shall
be so constantly on our guard, and take
so many precautions that while we are
working the claim our deaths cannot be
caused by seeming accidents,” answered
James Boster.
“Then, too, I hope we shall be able to
discover the villains who have caused t
fatalities that have already occurred : in
the claim. Once we have succeeded in do-
ing that there will be an pnd of all fear of
them, The regulators of the mines will
make a short shift of the murderers at the
aided. of a rope,” the veteran fortune hunter
a
speaker folded up the ancient chart
raced it in his bosom, as Tom said:
it you have not begun works in
the haunted claim
“No, I only got t! ne deed of it this morn-
ant rep
ing. To-morrow we'll begin operations.’
ust then there came a ta the
door, and Maki, the Zulu,
was
mitted, Tom had to id him to follow him
from the. coach station. But Maki had
lingered to view the town, fromm intro-
duced Maki to his uncle, and the latter
agreed that the Zulu should work for him
in the haunted min
After that the | trio ate supper, which the
old miner prep.
Maki slept on ms blanket spread upon the
cabin floor that night, and Tom and his
uncle occupied comfortable couches. In
the morning all were up at dawn, Break-
fast was quickly disposed of. Then James
Foster produced some mining implements,
and taking the tools with them, the trio
claim, over which i
peared there rested the shadow of a tan
and fatal mystery, The haunted claim
was some distance north of the town, and
beyond the other workings,
passed the mines near the town, he saw
the men at work in them. The diggings
consisted of numerous great pits and tun-
fine sieve, Then it was ina proper condition
for being carefully picked over, and onée
more it was spread on tables, and men arm-
ed with scrapers made out of steel carefully
examined it, handful after handful,
throwing the refuse under the table from
whence it was carte
At Jength Tom and his two companions
arrived at the haunted claim, It was du,
in a mound of some size, and it consiste
of alarge central pit about twenty feet
deep, from which several tunnels extended | yo!
under . means of a ladder
the trio descended into the central pit.
“We will now explore the workings and
decide where to begin to dig,” said James
, Foster, and lighting a mine lamp which
he carried, he led the way into one of the
tunnels, ithe roof of which was held up by
wooden Tops.
Tom and {aki followed the lead of the
fortune hunter,-an ey had’advanced
perhaps forty feet, when Maki suddenly
said, in low tones:
“ Saki hear steps! Some man be there !”
and he pointed in the
Tom and his uncle paused and listened,
but they heard nothing, They were about
to proceed, thinking The Zulu was mis-
taken, when su ddeniy a crashing sound
emanated from behind them, and in a mo-
ment they knew the roof of the tunnel had
fallen in their rear, and that they were en-
tombed in the haunted claim,
[to BE CONTINUED.)
ee
ARE YOU TRYING FOR A BICYCLE?
SEE OUR CRAND OFFER ON PACE 16,
0 os
Undoubtedly the moat marvelous tree in the
ad atfor
Btrong, lig! @ beautiful
uster, and serve also for folate? rafters an
other build ding materials, as w for stakes
the. tree wines ani
B paccbarine
The pulp has
which 130! cari:
and sive, is sometimes used ai
substitute for cotfec. Of the wood of the stem
al instruments, water tubes and pu mps
are made, The pithis an excellent substitute
for cork. From the stem a white liquid similar
to the milk of the c cocoanut, and a flour resein-
blin; ng maizena may ‘acted. wet thes straw,
hata, bas! brooms and mata are ma
pat iderabie: quantity of hs Straw is ‘shipped
rope, and @ par! ms to Brazil
man’ ofa & Bray is also used
for thatching houses, Moreover, salt is ex-
i ise an alkali used in
the manufacture of common soap,
iaite to give that point due
i hate Mulger, white with rage,
What Makes a Man, ‘
Nor numerous years nor ermeenet life,
Nor pretty children and a
Nor pins and chains and fane
or master rev werent, sir, nor squire,
Wi ith titles that the memory tire ;
anes ae back Fok me
il
A truthful soul, a loving mind,
Full of affection for its kind
A helper of the human race,”
6
f slavery’s chain for gmall or feats ;
That firmly speaks of God within
A
- That snaps the fetters despots make,
That ioves the truth foy its own sake ;
That worships God, ‘and o mnt
That trembles at no tyrant’s nod—
And thus can smile in curse and ban—
That is the soul that makes the man,
—_—_—_—l}
**WORK AND WIN”? No, 25 1S OUT TO=
DAY, AND CONTAINS A SPLENDID
STORY ABOUT FRED FEARNOT.
—_——ler8
(This story commenced in No. 241.)
THE BOY SHERIFF :
The House That Sod on the Line
By JAS. D. . MONTAGUE,
Author of * Hustling Har “ The
Star A filetio Club,” “Vb all Whi.
“Neck and “Neck,” “Seven
fiamond Skulls,” ete, etc,
CHAPTER VII.
THE BREAK DOWN IN THE WOODs,
Wuoa ! Whoa!” cried the boy sheriff,
Pulling: in the horses. ‘* Whoa, ‘anuary |
There was nota little humor about Nelse
Archer ; if there was any fun hidden inany
situation into which he happened to be
thrown, Nelse was the boy to get it out.
It struck him as 80 comical that Sheriff
Mulger should all of a sudden be seized
with such a tierce desire to do his duty
that he burst out into a hearty laugh,
“What's the matter az with you now, J:
ung rapscallion !” growle: the, sberitt,
“Who are you laughing at—he:
“ ood-evening, ‘Mr, Milger! Is
that your” cried Nelse. “By | gracious, the
light got in my eyes so that I couldn't see
you. Aypat st started you out here this time
of nig!
“ Well, I guess I'm tending to my busi-
ness,” growled the sheriff. ‘* No nonsense
now, young man! Get off that there
wagon, you're under arrest for smuggling
goods from Canada into the States.”
“Who says am
“Tosa You hain’t sheriff yet, not
y a long “chalk k, an’I dunno ez you ever
will be after I report this here business to
the collector down to Malone, eZ eeu can
Just bet your sweet life I‘ er going to do,”
cried Nelse. ‘What do -you
say
“ What's the matter with you? Be you
deef?” demanded Mul,
“What's the matter’ ‘with my teeth?
Why, nothing,” retorted Nelse, whose
hearing was as sharp as that of any boy in
Eastville. ‘I've got a cold in my head. I
can’t hear what you say, that’ .
oa didn’ t say anything about, your teeth,
“ “What's that? What's that? You sa
I’m a thief? Say it again, and Til break | i
your nose for you—yes
“ You will, Rey? We'll see about thaet r
“ t
ain't t your team, Get off! You're under
aren, Mr, Mulger, it will take two men
as good as you are to arrest me, and maybe
three!” cried Nelse, ‘Better go in and
tell your frieud Ralph Ramsay to come out.
and bh Ip you, I saw him sneak behind
the
Then. ‘Martin Mulger drew a pistol.
was an antiquated affair of the old pepper
box pattern. It wasn't loaded, either, and
if it pad been he would have been afraid
to shoot.
of your head off !” he sho
“What! What!" cried Nelse, tossing
the reins to Ted and making a spring off
the seat. He had calculated his distance,
and he landed with both hands against
“Get off that seat, or Til blow the top ic a
Sheriff Mulger’s shoulders with such force
as to tumble him over on the grass,
“Help! Help! He’s murdering me!”
bawled the sheri
Nelse je erked the pistol away and tossed
it over the fence among the lilac bushes
just as Mr, Dusnap came running out with
a horsewhip and Mrs, Dusnap with the
poker. Ralph Ramsay, however, did not
ap
ia Sacre b lew Vy you come to my house
to make trouble?” bellowed Dusnap, be-
inning to lay the whip over Nelse’s shoul-
‘The first cuf was enou;
Nelse made a rush tor "ine Canuck and
got the whip.
He got the poker, too—over the head and
shoulders, Mrs, Dusnap yelling in French
all the while,
‘Keep back, now! Keep back and let
me alone, or Til lay everyone of you out!”
cried the boy, flourishing the whip and J li
mse!
backing toward the wagon him
Dusnap got it in the face, and the missis
got a taste of it, too, over the wrist, whic
made her drop the heavy poker on her
husband's gouty toe,
“Oh! Oh! Ob t "groaned the Canuck,
“Catchee him, sheriff! Parbi gut but il"
vill keel him eef you bring him bere !”
Nelse laughed until the woods fairly
we Tossing the whip over the fence after the
pepper box, he sprang upon the wagon and
started the horses down the road on the
run.
“Do you defy the law, Nelse Archer?”
bawled the sheriff, ‘This wi
you'r
over your heads it you don’t get off that
wagon right away.’
“Try itt" ‘Nelse shouted back, ‘“ Martin
sale believe .these goods belong to
m going to take them into East-
Rite. If Fou wa want them you know-where
the ey | can
vidently Nelse had the big end of the
stick, He had succeeded in working up
the horses into something like a run and
the sheriff did not try to follow,
Soon a turn in the road put the house out
of sight and the eries behind them were
ard no mo
Ted Simpkins, who had been pretty well
scared, now broke out for the first time,
“By gracious,” Nelse, pint ve done it,” he
exclaimed, “ but big con tract. I
don’t exactly see what the end of this is
going to be,”
“Well, I can tell you what it would
have been, Ted, if we hadn't happened to
ervhare replied Nelse, coolly,
“These goods would have been taken
into Dusnap’s, received by Ralph Ramsay
on his father’s account, and turned over to
the teamster that I am expecting to meet
every moment, would have driven
ghem t 0 Malone sind Mas them safely in
r. Ramsay’s store, I was ant I:
Mulger whe I said what ” ie yng
ee, Nel ou've at tie ri
all I figuted out fa areaete P ogramme
you think I'm abet right?”
“Shouldn't wonder, But where does
old man Mulger come in?"
** Where he always comes in, h’
fat, bribe ‘in his pocket—that's hat abig
“7 his fat is in the fre.”
“ You b bet it is; but, see here, Te d, I
shan't, say anything about meeting him
«You'd be a fool. if you didn’t.”
“T'd be a fool f Laid, Let,
Brst move if he dares, Let him pe wane
of smuggling, and then it’s tim
for me to strike bai ck. You are @ enough
- ght, , Ted, pet neem
0 £0 right
just as though Mu alger "& Co. ae "6 et
in “il bet you will,” said Ted, “but what
r are you ti
the food road “ter, Ne ere off here Into
* Because it’s the shortest a
fone turn ike, qnd "m roi ing to Me
“ Thunder 6 will t r
of ithe night to roe th take us the best part
“I mean it shall take all night, I'm go.
to drive through th ae
in'bread daylight Seb eet e iis of Malone
“ «Ne Tee you’ ure, going a a ie far.”
“e As old old man Mulger said, you are not
eI
“No, eat I've
either make or Kz ed Se
mackerel | ay nats the trouble now?” ad
& good deal the t;
the forward wheels of the wagon see
such force as to badly shift
wo
x
begun | business.
and his heels in the air, held bravely on to
‘elns, .
CHAPTER. VIII. ~
ONE BOY WHOM MONEY CANNOT Bi
Ir took just about all the strength ‘Nelse
could muster to pull the horses i in, but he
held on like a Trojan and naged to
bring them to a standstill, tumbling out
of the qragon the best way he co
“Are you hurt, Tede e cried, looking
argund for his fri
“Not a bit,” replie ied Ted, coming for-
ward. ‘Here's a pretty kettle of fish,
What are you going to do now, Nelse?”
“Tll be blest if] know, The wagon’s a
ho eless wreck, I s uppose: e,””
“Of course it is, What in the world did
you want to turn into this roadfor? Why
didn’ t you go the regular way?”
“Why -the fact is,” said Nelse, rather
chagrined, “I figured it out that we'd be
.
best way to avoi
cut. I’ve been over this road before, but I
didn’t know it was:quite so bad. Of
course I see now that I’ve made a big mis-
ae Well, I should say you had. Holy
smoke! We are up against a snag for
fair, i Gon see what's to be done,’
there’s only one thing to do, and
that ‘3 a take the horses out and ride them
“Tt would be a dead give away for who-
ever aid claim
“Of course, but ‘we'd better unharness,
Ted, We’ 've landed the load herein the
woods, and here it. will have to stay until
wecan get a team to haul it off. Come,
let’s get to work.”
The boys had just succeeded in freeing
the horses, when the creaking of wagon
wheels was heard in the distance, and it
soon became evident that a team was com-
ing toward them along the lonely road.
“Some one coming, Nelse,” breathed
‘ed.
“That’s what's the matter,” replied:
Nelse. “It can’t be anything else but the
other team, Get the horses under cover
here, quic
“ What do you Propose to do?”
shall be guided b circumstances,
Probatly nothing, for mele
getinto a fight over these goods, The!
may be some interesting listening coma of
it, though, before we get through.”
“its ‘getting awful dark, ” said Ted,
“The moon seems to have gone behind
those clouds | to stay. Feels just like a
thunder stor
Nelse, who * was heading the horses into
the woods, made no reply, although
agreed with Ted that a storm was comin
As soon as he had secured the horses | he
rejoined Ted at the edge of the woods and
they remained listen ning,
‘The wagon was evidently close at hand.
The boys could hear two men talking and
laughing, and every now and then a whip
tracked andadeep voice shouted to the
Orses,
“‘Slow and easy there! Now, then,
Billy, look out for stumps ! By gaul, this
is a beast of.a road; ef we don’t break a
ex before we get out onter the pike, my
name hain’'t Mose Taylor, that’s all !"
‘Thank you, for te ling me your name,
my friend,” muttered Nelse. * I shall re-
it traces it after I get to be sheriff, you see
‘ There was no time to maka 2 further
observations, for a Ta
wagon came into view, that i is ie anything
Could be said to be in view in the darkness
whieh had by this time settled over the
Se
As it drew nearer the boys were able to |
see thatit wasa Jarge farm wagon drawn
by two stout horses, and just at that
moment the Sriver perceived tbe obstruc-
tions in the ,
“Great scissors | What's all this?” he ,
cried. ate opon broke down ?”
That’ at,” replied another voice,
and | then the boys perceived that there
ou. en on the wagon, big stra
Ping fellows, all of them Ron, big”
don’t tackle that crowd,” whis:
pered. Nelson ** Lay low, Ted! Th hey have
0 do whatever they want to
tone t they did first was to light | lanterns,
get at ont of their wagon and examine the ,
By ge aul, it’s the old man’s goods!”
cried Mose "Taylor. “Looker here, boys,
here's the secret. mark onto thecases, How
in thunder did they ever come here?” _ |
hind spring is might ve be
3 en al It was | 7
pghe it ae eering around the stump Nelse minutes, and a tening about the ovne!
ai aot allowed t ieo hind wheel to strike ship of the goods was elled. r
fate sett, the tate of the heaiy [foe Naseer tees Go eae
loaded wagon, ‘Theva ie ay! or state that the goods belonged
ng sound, and down went Heber, sracks to Bam & Gon of Malone, | Ralph's
sprawling
on topof them, v
with his head jammed against a Lin oe
ls
name was. mentioned also. The teamstors
it seemed, expected to meet him at
sna; ap’s house, They were entirely at a loss
agine how the broken wagon. and its
load came to be in the woods,
ter the |