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DAN AMD HIS DOUBLE.
| By FRANK FORREST,
_ CHAPTER I,
THE FATE OF THE TWILIGHT,
you, Dan! Hey! Say! Are ye
“Ley you,
Dan!
eame the answer out of the
Dant , Satan seize
Hel
"agrowled Mr. Handy.
don't yer come on?
saing!”
.
Christmas. “Hey yer lost ther
‘2 got the hog all right.”
come on’with him. We'll be
in the dark ef yer don’t take care.”
the wes* eavy. I’m coming as
I ca:
. 1 im er goin’ to start acrost. You
1 to ther boat with one hawg, I
f want ter get home.”
Mr Handy, who was reckoned the
of a long, slab-sided wild hog and
i. to across the Mississippi
rT, leaving the invisible Dan to follow
& the other ‘
Now all this happened late « one December
e banks of the lower Mis-
a few “miles from the town of
which stands on the edge of the
‘amps of Southern Louisiana, some
iniles below the city of New Or-
the eyes of some Hezekiah Handy
is known in the South as a
isil!.”°a man too poor to own a planta-
1 too lazy to work one if he had it,
his living up along the river the
Ta
of what
. he can.
ifandy was worse than a mudsi iH,
2 mudsills are honest and liberal
heir way, and he was neither.
Then again he could hardly have been
tertned a toudsill, because he was known
to own inany buildings in Romer of which
catle he rent, living himself in a
Mr.
r
one
lire since his earliest childhood.
f wlo Dan was or what relation he
ser andy, as his neighbors al-
dd the old man, nobody knew nor
now himself.
the boy knew little or nothing
what he had taught himself by
thing about Mr. Handy to be said in
syor was that he usually treated Dan
2% such kindness as he was capable of. He
ekt him to read and had provided him
h quite a little brary, which was cer-
a strange thing for such a man to
nus Dan’s life was not altogether an un-
ifortable one, but he knew absolutely
i ot the outside worl
Hey hunting in the swamp is a favorite
ert in Southern Louisiana, and as all the
. Fresh meat Miser Handy ever put on his
\ Mable was obtained in this way, he and
Dan often found occasion to indulge in it.
hod been across the river on a hog
this particular afternoon, which
C¢stined to become ever memorable in
“Dan Deun's history, for on that day began
ef strange adventures which In the
he whole current of the boy’s
anticipate.’
our heroistill invisible in the
. “we must follow Miser Handy, who
‘ling his boat across the river,
swing that Dan could be trusted to
eg the other “hawg.”
t thing Miser Handy saw when
ave el out into the turbid current of
si was a small steamer in the
making her way up stream.
tar what boat that is?” he thought.
-locked back to see if Dan had
7€ and a boat was just pushing out
peng the bushes pulled by a ragged
Why, that ar’s Dan!” gasped
“Da pant How in dang-
i 7 git thar?”
i in the boat, heard the shout and
vd UO oguiek look arou!
3 wr aaay didn’t feel so sure then.
rmediately the boy whipped the boat
{ and drove her in among the bushes,
caring instantly.
+ back Miser Hiangy’ then saw Dan
‘iag off from the sh
, Lswan! Somet thing, ‘must ail my
ttered the miser, “Thought that
i in, but it couldn't er ben. Wonder
“Why
| HAPPY. DAYS
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.
?
es. pulled on across the river with his
nOF eanwhile the steamboat came on up
stream.
It was loaded with passengers taken
from an ocean steamer stuck on the: bar
1
low.
This is a common occurrence at the
mouth of the Mississippi, and the “Twi-
light,” as the steamer was called, often
took off passengers anxious to hasten their
arrival at New Orleans.
Dan came on, too, with his hog.
He was watching the Twilight, which
was pretty close to the island. There was
another and smaller boat behind her—a
mere tug—and Dan thought it must be
the Hercules, a tugboat belonging at
I wish I could go up to Or-
muttered
ifr
mer.
“Gracious!
leans on the Twilight just once,”
Dan. “I’m tired of this kind of life.
had a cent to my name I’d run a
But money was something Dan knew
nothing about. “There was no chance to
earn any down there in the swamp and
any that Mr. Handy might have he took
precious good care to keep out of sight.
Dan pulled on, still watching the steam-
er. The cabin was ablaze with light, for it
was now getting toward dusk, and the boat
presented | a fine sight to Dan’s inexperi-
enced eye
In fact She thought the Twilight one of
the trimmest little craft afloat on the river,
so when she suddénly stopped right abreast
the island, and he could see the passengers
and crew running around excitedly, Dan
feit curious to know what the matter was,
e shane ed his course and pulled to-
ward hi
The excitement on boara increased.
“There's something wrong!” thought
Lan, forgetting all about the “ ‘hawg” and
the blessing he was sure to get from Mr.
Handy if he did not make haste home.
As he drew nearer the steamer he saw a
well dressed young man come hurriedly for-
yard and say something to the officer at the
Hello the boat!”
ing a speaking
onTello! Boat ahoy!
shouted the officer,
trumpet of his hands,
“Hello!” called Dan, pulling vigorously.
“Can you put this gent on board t
Hercules?” came the call. “It’s twenty-
five dollars in your pocket if you will?”
“Twenty-five dollars!”
In Dan’s eyes this was a fortune.
“The hog can go to thunder. I’m going
for that money and when I get it I’m going
to run away!” nstantly resolved.
“TIL do it, cap!” he called out.
“All right, ” replied the officer. “Come
alongside and‘one of the deck hands will
throw you a line!”
“What's the matter?” shouted Dan.
“Don't know. Something wrong in the
engine room,” was the rep’ “We are
liable to be stuck here for an hour or two
and this gent is in a hurry to get to
e
o
omer,
“Well, I’ll take him off,” replied Dan, and
he pulled up alongside the Twilight full
of enthusiasm over his unexpected job.
Meanwhile the gentleman had gone be-
nm Dan next saw him he was
standing in the lower gangway with a
small black trunk by his side talking to a
young girl, who Dan instantly decided
was extremely beautiful, but then it must
be remembered that Dan’: 'S experience with
prett 'Y.girls was very slig!
“It's impossible to take you with me,
Miss Nettie,” he was saying. “You see
what the boat is and there’s that dead hog
in it. There’s barely room for me and the
trunk.
“As though I would go with you now,
Mr. Pullham!” cried the girl, drawing her-
self up proudly. “No, sir! Don't distress
yourself. If my father had not put me in
your charge—which I want you to under-
was entirely against my wishes—
“No explanation is necessary, Mr. Full-
1
ham. Don’t let me detain you, sir.”
“But do det me explain, - This trunk
ontain:
“I. do not care what it contains!” broke
in the girf, turning away. “Good-day, Mr.
Fullham. Hereafter we are strangers.”
With these words she passed out of
sight.
“Come, boss, if you are going!” cried one
of the colored deck hands. “De boy is hyar
itin’.!
“Can you t me on board the Hercules,
young man?” Semanded Mr. Fullham, look-
ing down at
“Yes, I can ot you will come aboard,”
responded Dan. “It’s mighty hard work
holding the boat in here against the
stream.”
Mr. Fullham looked very much annoyed.
He bit his lips, made one or two false
starts, as though he was going to follow
the girl, and then ordered the trunk low-
ered into the
The colored deck hands flew around and
Jet the trunk down. Dan received it and
stowed it carefully forward on top of the
0g.
It seemed to be pretty heavy and forced
the bow of the boat well down into the.
water, but matters were evened up when
Mr. Fullham dropped upon the stern seat.
an let go of the rope, seized the oars and
pulled awa:
“Can't we throw off that hog?” demanded
Mr. Fullham, crossly. “My trunk stands so
high that the least lurch of the boat is
lable to throw it overboard.”
“T can’t very well do that, sir,” replied
pan “The old man would go for me if I
ry
dil
pe father?”
He’s not my father. He's Mr, Handy.’
“What Handy?. Do you mean Hezekiah
aa ot of Plaquemine Parish
“You're “his boy?”
“T live with him,”
“Humph! I know Mr.. Handy, Mind
you go around the bows there or the
current will carry you Ssalnst, the steamer,
Merciful heaven! ¥
Suddenly a thunderous Noort rang out
upon the stillness of the lonely swamp and
a bright tongue of flame shot up from the
Twilight amidships.
L “The boiler’s bursted!” eried Dan. “Look?
00]
The steamer seemed to rise in two sec-
tions in the middle, instantly settling
down again and sinking at the bows, while
the air fairly rang with piercing seems,
mingled with the loud hissing of steam.
CHAPTER II.
THE MAN WITH THE TRUNK,
An explosion it certainly was and.a very
serious one,
Inside of a few minutes the Twilight
had sunk in the Mississippi and the river
was strewn with wreckage and alive with
passengers struggling for their yes.
“Pull away! Pullaway! Put m
anywhere:” cried Mr, Fullham,
any of them get aboard this boat!
At the instant of the occurre:
accident Dan had seen pat, mate
ashore
“Don't let
, and th :
that attracted his attention te hoe
piece of the boiler which flew
wreck, nds ans boat, shivering it to
pieces and sendin
Pee aead g& the boy who pulled it
The next “thing he saw was th
the young girl who had spoken wi ee
Fullham on board the aecamer strugglin:
in the water close beside t 5
Instantly the incident
was forgotten.
Dan conld sea fothing
ot the other boat
but the nloadine
dart
not Lave comn forward to say weod-
. 4
face of the eink heave
for :
iich yous out I'll take her ia
started to turn the boat tow: ard the “drown
inj
“No you don’t!” ‘shouted Fulham, spring-
ing up and trying to seize the oars,
Dan was furious. If he stopped to fight
that ended the girl’s chances.
Looking off on the water he saw her
sin!
“Take that!” he shouted, striking at Full-
ham with the right oar—the left had gone
overboard in the strugg.
The oar game down, upon Mr. Fullham’ S
head with a force which broke the crown
of his new derby and tumbled him over
half senseless in the stern of the boat.
Dropping the oar then,
headlong into the water
boldly toward the place where the drown-
ing girl had disappeared.
By this time it was dark, and, as may be
supposed, the greatest confusion reigned -
at the scene of the wreck.
~ We do not propose to enlarge upon the
stirring scene.
Many lives were sacrificed that night
through the carelessness of a drunken en-
gineer.
All we are concerned with is Dan Dean,
the girl Nettie and the man with the
trunk.
Dan caught the girl as she rose for the
second time.
He was a splendid swimmer “and had
saved more than one life in his time; he
knew just how to handle himself to keep
the girl from dragging him under.
ourage, miss!” -he cried. “Don’t
throw your arms about me. Let-me sup
ort you so. There! Grab that settee.
I can easily get you to that island. We
are sure to be picked up by the Hercules.
Don’t be scared.”
Dan rattled on and swam on. va
trying to keep the girl from fainting by
talking, but he did not succeed.
In a moment her head, with its wealth of
golden hair, fell over upon Dan’s shoulder
and the boy knew that he had a dead
weight to carry.
He bore his burden bravely, using his
disengaged arm and his legs for all they.
were worth, every moment bringing him
nearer to the. wooded shore of one of the
numerous low islands which are to be
found everywhere in this part of the river.
He never doubted that he would reach it,
but he had grave Goubts whether or no the
girl was still al
Meanwhile ar ‘Pullham had experienced
a surprise.
He thought as he tumbled back in the
boat that_he saw Dan go overboard; when
he recovered his wits an instant later there
ie the boy just climbing into the boat at
“Look out!
You'll swamp us!
he yelled.
“No I won’t lose the trunk either,” re-
pied one boy, tossing a pair of oars into '. -
the b I s’pose you want to get ashore,
don’t “you? Well, I’m here to do the job." ”
oune dudish Mr, Fullham was as big
ward as could be found in the entire
State of Louisiana.
e had ‘been through one experience
with Dan and he did not care for another,
so he concluded that the best thing for
hin. to do was to speak the boy fi
“ So you gave it up, did you?” he “asked.
pe I gave it up,” was the brief re-
“Did—did the girl drown?”
“What girl?”
“What earl! Why, the girl you—good
gracious! Put it down! Don’t shoot!
Wha-wha-what do you mean?”
Suddenly shipping one oar the boy pulled
out a revolver and pointed it at’Mr. Full-
ham’s hea
“Hold your tongue!” he hiss
bossing this job. You've got nothing to
do but to sit still!”
Mr, Fullham was overcome with fear.
“For heaven’s sake spare my life!” he
groaned. “Put me on board of the Her-
cules and I'll give you a bundred dollars
instead of twenty-five.”
“Shut up!” cried the boy. “You're going
with me-—understand. There, I’ve put uD
the gun but it will come ont again if you |
make any talk and it will be used, too!”
He pocketed the pistol, picked up the
oar and pulled vigorously toward the isl-
ands, carefully avoiding the wreckage and i
Paying not the least attention to the maby
erles for help all around him.
o say that Mr. Fullham was frightened
but half tells the story.
He stared at his companion with eyes
half dropping out of his head.
It certainly appeared to be the same boy.
was clothed simply in shirt and
anes which clung to him, all wet and
drippin.
The only difference was that he had lost ;
his hat, which was easily accounted for by
is plunge into the river.
Jt
Yes, Mr. Fullham was frightened and he < ;:
pad Sood reason to be, forthe trunk | was
"and he «
Confound you, look out!
You'll Jose the trunk!”
“Tm .: