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“TY HAPPY
DAYS
“The wild, meaningless expression of the
countenance was remarkably
Ilis yacant eyes flashed
his lips were set in a determined
line, while his whole expression was fierce
and
As ‘t ‘he spoke unconsciously the boys
heard old Sneath mutter
“If they do come, they'll find Job ready
for ’em I'll swear.”
But the old man gently led the excited
youth, who offered no resistance, out o
the room, and when he presently came
back alone he said
“I suppose you’ re tired with your long
journey and so I'll show you to ye room,
if you please.
e lads assented and they presently
found themselves in a comfortable cham-
ber that was provided with two neat cot
beds. Sneath put down the lamp, bade
them good night and then withdrew. Lis
heavy footsteps had died away along the
passage when Jack said
“There surely is a mystery here and
old Sneath knows there is something in
Job's fears of what he calls the shadows,"
Yes,” assented Ralph. “I wonder if
we ought to tell the old man of the warn-
ing pretty Mattie Meredeth gave us—ac-
quaint him with the news that’ two strange
men are in hiding at the inn and that they
meditate some “evil project concerning
Black Dale, she suspects.
wwe. must not risk getting the girl into
_ The landlord and Sneath seemed
_ latter might tell
re make Sneath’s
acquaintance better before we en hyn of
_the two strangers,” replied
Then he secured the Poe ack means of
a bolt and saw that as the room was on
the second floor there was evidently no
danger of any one getting in by the win-
low.
~The lads talked for some little time, but
finally both laid down without undress-
ing, oppressed by a vague sense of danger.
Ere long, despite the undefined apprehen-
_ sion in their minds, they fell asleep.
The storm continued and in a little
room on the ground Hoor, which was his
sleeping chamber, Job sat on bis couch,
alone in the darkness cave for an animal
that crouched at his feet. This creature
was not a dog, but it somewhat resembled
one. In his hand Job clutched his great
knife and kept his lonely vigil, always
listening intently, and the fierce eyes 0!
his animal companion gleamed up at him
through the darkness. And so the hour:
wore on, and while Jack and Lalph slept
the strange Jad never once closed his eyes.
hour of midnight had come and
passed when the two lads were suddenly
awakened at the same time by a terrible
ery of human agony which echoed through
the silent house. They
immediately heard some one in the pas:
sage. A rap sounded on the door and a
yoice said hoarse
1 ants 's Sneath. For God's sake let me in,
a
Jack sprang across the room and opened
the portal.
Tostantiy a blinding light flashed in his
eyes and two men closely masked dashed
into the room, One carried a dark lan-
tern and both held revolvers in their
hands. Those weapons were pointed at
the t tro boys and one of the intruders said
AV ere going to bind and gag you and
if you make any fuss about it we'll do
for you offhand. We're desperate and we
won't stand any nonsense, I warn you.”
[To BE CONTINUED.]
re mn
NEXT, WEEK! ** THE WHITE NINE}; Or,
THE RACE FOR THE OAKVILLE PEN=
NANT.’ By ALBERT J. BOOTH.
me
“Be careful how you use blotting pa-
per,” said an official at the general writing
counter in a big post office. ye have
many inquisitive visitors who drop in here
purposely to examine the blotting pads.
Noe that the examination is profitable to
the examiners in the general sense, but
look there—you observe the old gentleman
in the blue pilot coat, at the central coun-
ter? His hobby is to busy himself with
other people’s concerns. have seen him
take up pad after pad, place a small band
glass over them, and read what impression
late writers have left on the absorbent
ile is a pest, but we cannot ex-
pose him. More than one woman finds
amusement in nilatly treating the blot-
ters,” says VPearson’s Weekly. “One in
particular lingers Iong in the vicinity of
the writing counters. Carrying a sma
folding glass, she seems to delight i in read-
ing snatches of communications whic!
the pads have mirrored on their sheets.
When disturbed she pretends to be
terested in writing, or filling a telegraph
warn you not to use the
The Other Fellow,
A little dog barked at the big, round moon
at smiled in the evening sl
And the neighbors smote him with rocks
But still he. continued his rageful tune
And he barked till his throat was dry.
The little dog bounced like a rubber ball,
For his anger quite drove him wild;
And he said: “I'm a terror although I'am
And I ‘tare you, you impudent fellow, to
But the moon _only smiled and smiled.
Then the little dog barked at a terrible
But he challenged the moon in vain,
For as calmly and slow as the workings
of fa e.
The moon moved along in a manner
seda
And smiled at the dog in disdain.
But soon "heath a hill that obstructed
The moon sank out of his sight,
And it gmiled as it slowly dropped under
the crest,
But the slice dog said, as he Jay down to
“Well! T scared it away, all right!”
TT
[This .story commenced in No, 245.)
FAST MAIL FRED:
The Smartust: Engineer on
the Road.
y ALBERT J. BOOTH,
Author of “The Silver Wheel,” yr ee ete
Boys Fro owhere,” ** Alwe
ime.” Tai alf Bae eke Harr”
“ On Mant,
vette, etc., ete,
CHAPTER XXII.
THE PERIL OF THE FUGITIVES—THE VEN-
GEANCE OF HEAVEN—DALE'S RESOLVE,
Dale Underwood, escaping from the
house in Isrock street, ignorant of the
fact that Fred had arrived, started to
cross the tracks and get to the entrance
with Goldie before his absence should
have been discoyere
At that moment there was a great glare
of light and a train swept arourd a curve
in the tunnel, rushing toward him at full
&
eed.
Blinded by the ‘light, confused: as to
getting for a moment the proper direc-
tion to take, Dale could only seize Goldie
around {he waist and hurry backward out
of dang
The al screamed, but fortunately Dale
had reached a point between two of the
tracks and the train passed by wi
roar, leaving him uninjured, but confused
and tremblin
“ is a. horrible place,” he mut-
tered in frightened tones. “It’s death on
every side. We must get away from it as
quickly as possible,”
“There.may not be other trains,” said
Goldie, “It is likely there are no more
just now. Do you know the way out?”
“I think so,” said Dale, starting for-
ward, taking the wrong direction in his
confusion and going not toward the town
end of the tunnel, but toward the outer
end, which was farther off.
another train came through and
they had just time to get between two
tracks before it rushe
way,” said
)
3
°
5
3.
=
2
“
ne,
a
a
“or
S
5
S
232
°
end, in
must take the other direction and go to-
ward the station.”
“Are you sure?” asked Goldie.
“Yes. I recognized the engineer on that
train and know that he goes north at this
hour, Come, it is not so far the other
3
"The en they turned and, keeping between
the north and the sout th’ bound tracks, so
as to be in no danger from trains on
either, made their way toward the sta-
tion end of the tunnel, being obliged to go
slow on_ account of the (nee and be-
cause of the danger of falli
There were lights in the Funnel, but
they were far away and were somewhat
obscured by the smoke, so‘that the fugi-
tives had to feel their way rather thon be
sujded by, light:
e will be Rll right when we get out
of eee,” said Dale, “and | then I will see
you home in safety. I never knew what
it was to be so afraid bern Fand it is be-
cause n evil e
official pads too liberaily.” -
im a
out of this alive I'N Tead a Y different lifes”
which track the train was upon and for-]W4
WN “Go you in the plot to carry me off?”
but I was in one just as bad, or
Watkins had me under his thumb,
but I won’t do his bidding any longer, no
he is my father, he is a villain and I
mean to defy him.
“But if he is your father, you are n
my brother, for 1 have no blood of his in
my veins.”
“T fear that it is too true, but you are
good, while he is a monster. I will save
you from him and then go away, far
away, and try to live a better life.”
“What is that?’ whispered the girl,
suddenly, clinging to her companion and
speaking in an awed tone.
A light suddenly flashed upon them
from somewhere in the tunnel, *not far
away, and then they heard voices.
“We've missed the express, but there’s
another in a short tim
“Man, man, what would you do?”
“Throw him on the track and Jet the
train crush out his miserable life.”
“No, no, that would be murder and I
cannot do it. Send him away, don’t kill
The speakers were Watkins and Walter
Miller.
“You are too squeamish,” said Watkins.
“If you don’t want to see it, go away.
shall carry out my plan, all the same.
hate the b boy 8 and mean to kill him.
mee
“Because his mother refused to marr.
me. I swore then that I would strike at
her heart through the one she loved best
and he is t I only
i That
Would, be the sweetest part of my re-
en
You" re & bloodthirsty villain and I’ve
done with you,” said Mil “T am will-
ing to ruin the road and destroy prop-
erty for my own game, even to blacken
the boy’s character and send him away in
disgrace, but to murder him in thisReold
blooded way is more than I ¢
“Then go away and let us do see said
another, and Dale, standing motionless
between the tracks, saw that there were
three men, and that Fred was held be-
tween them, bound ‘helpless and gagged
so that he might make no outcry.
‘No, no, I won’t permit it. I would
know of it, whether I saw it or not, and
the thought of it would haynt me all my
life. No, I won’t allow
“You can’t help yourself,” said Wat-
kins. oegmes Bill, help me get him to the
up trac
“1 say | you shall not!” cried Miller,
Watkins seemed about to strike the
man, Dale seeing the movement by the
aid of the dark lantern which the third
man carried.
wee? * he suddenly cried, dashing for-
“Who i is that?”.
“Tlelp
“Hy red, we have come to save you.”
Dale leaped upon Watkins and struck
him in the face, while Goldie dashed the
lantern from the hand of the
e mischief are ou doi
boy?” growled Watkins, are to escape
from Dale’s vigorous assault. “I'll kill
you for this. Don’t you know that I am
your 9 father and can do with you as I
cl
wef said Dale, strikin fierce).
the outlaw. “You are a scotndeel and’ T
will have nothing to do with
shall not succeed in your base lots 1
will denounce you to all the wo!
“Loo! ‘or the train!” andde nly
screamed the man who had held the lan-
ern.
Then Watkins suddenly broke
from Dale’ and dashed actoss the tracks
toward the other side of the tunnel.
here was a sudden glare of light, a
roar and a shriek and the man was seen
to trip over a rail and fall directly in the
track of an oncoming tra
Goldie screamed ‘and. ‘put her hands
over her face to shut out the awful sight,
while Dale, feeling faint and sick, turned
his hea head.
n trying to escape from the t -
ened danzer, the outlaw had run dines
wpe alone, of all those in the tunnel,
oT me at f ees
e had fallen against the wal
tunnel, unable to help himself, wad we cue
the train sweep down, lift the body of the
outlaw, toss it forward, pick it up again
and then hurl it against the wall beyond
where it lay by the side of the track.
n the train passed and Dales swift-
ly cutting Fred's bonds and removing the
gag, said:
‘ake her away, Fred.
haye tried to ruin your | but I shall never
injure you more. m going away and
you shall never see me again. Think as
well of me as you can for her sake, for
I am sorry I
get |we are brother and sister, and forget that
I have done my best to ruin your life,”
“Stop, Dale,” cried Fred. “What you
have done to-night is enough to secure
forgiveness. I hold no malice against
”
t not stay,” said Dale.
de cep oa trouble for that.
Miller and Wetherbee in their schemes to
wreck your road and they will sacrifice
me in order to save themselves and then,
after what I bave just seen, I would not
are remain. It would haunt me for-
ever.”
Then he hurried away and was quickly
lost in the darkness and Fred, clasping
Goldie in his arms, sai
“At last I have you, my own love, and
nothing shall ever separate u:
“Make haste,” eried Goldie. * “The very
air “of the place breathes death and dan-
ger. I dare not stay here another in-
stant.”
“Come, then,” cried Fred, and leading
the girl by the hand he hurried toward the
mouth of the tunnel.
CHAPTER XXIII.
WHAT OLD SALLY FOUND—THE MYSTERY
PARTLY CLEARED UP.
The party, headed by Clinton, Putnam
and Dave, hurried into the tunnel bearing
lights and_at ence began to look up and
lown for Watki
A train had just gone through and the
place was full of smoke, but this soon
cleared away and the searchers
crossed the tracks and. began searching
here and and | there for a hidden way out of
the tun
old Sally suddenly uttered a shrill cry
gnd Be others, attracted by it, hurried to
ecu are too late!” she cried, kneeling
beside the track and holding her lantern
so that its rays fell-upon the upturned
face of a man lyi ing. close beside the wall.
‘he man was Tom Watkins and he
was asad. the ody being already rigid
an
“Te 4 is W: atkins,” s said Clint, “but he can
no
tell us nothing
“Ile w: my son,” said Sally. “I
thought to make much of him, but he was
self-willed and evil-minded and went his
own way. e is dead, cut down in
the midst of his | evil life and no one will
mourn his end.”
“Come,” said Clint, “we must look for
Fred. He may be in the tunnel and in
danger.”
Brad_and one of the officers lifted the
body of the dead outlaw and carried it
away between them
,Dave, Clinton and old Sally looked up
and down, but saw no sign of Fred and
were in doubt what course to pursue,
when some one from the station came
along and sai
“Is that you, “Mr. Putnam? Fred F
man is all right and so is the girl. Wer ve
got one of the fellers that was with
Watkins, and he says Walter Miller was
in the game, too, but we haven't seen
him.
“And where is Fred?”
“Gone home with the girl. ”
“Then it’s time we went, Dave,” said
Clint, and he and Dave left the place,
losing sight of old Sally, who had once
more disappeared most mysteriously.
When Clint and Dave reached the sta-
tion they Zound Brad waiting for them.
“He got hit on the head and must have
been killed instantly,” ‘said the fireman.
Ie couldn’t tell us anything, of course,
but we found this on him,” and Brad
handed to Clint a very much soiled and
decidedly rumpled postal card bearing a
rather unintelligible message.
“Thanks, I think I understand this,”
said Clint, “That card has a history and
now that it has turned up again, T think
we will be able to learn much from it.”
here doesn’t appear to me to va any
sense in it,” said Brad, “but it was curi-
ous and I heard Fred say something about
a card once and I thought maybe this
was the one and that he'd like to get it.”
“Yes, he would, indeed. You did not
see pin, the n?”?
“No, had gone home with that yel-
low-headed girl what he’s sweet on and
didn’t see him. We got one of the fellers
that was with. Watkins, though. He
idn’t know Tom was dead ana when we
told him he said he wasn’t sorry.”
‘Did he tell you what the plot against
Fred was?”
“Te, said Watkins, meant to put him on
the track and let him get run over, but
that Miller Wwouldn’ t have it and that
they had a fight and that Dale Underwood
came up and joined it, striking Watkins
again and agai
“Dale Underwood? why, I thought he
was in the plot with Wat
“So he was, but he turned against him
for some reason. Then, when they were
fighting, along came a train and the man
ran away and didn’t know “what else hap-
pened after that.”
‘Ae ace