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HAPPY DAYS
| + The Conceited Coins.
“I’m just as good as silver!”
The Nickel proudly cried;
“The head of Madam Liberty
Is stamped upon my side.
I am as white and shining
As any dime can be—
He needn’t put on any airs,
I’m twice as thick as he!”
“V’m every bit as good as gold!”
e Penny blustered loud; -
“That tiny, thin gold dollar—
needn’t feel 50 proud;
For all hia airs and reees
io not give
I’m burnished ‘yast ‘ts bright as he,
And half again as big’
And when the Cent and wugkel
ent out upon their
‘Alast the world still held them cheap,
ay. .
“You'll find,”
jut what you really are!
“
{This story commenced in No. 278.]
NED, BESS AND MYSELF
OR,
THE SEARCH FOR THE KING'S
LOST GOLD MINES.
A Stony or STRANGE HAPPENINGS.
By J. G. BRADLEY, |
Author of “Dr. Dick,” “Captain Thunder,”
.e Hero of the Maine,” “
“Lose Schoolship,” ete.
CHAPTER XXII.
. ON THE TRACK.
Ned went without delay to my uncle’s
office and asked to see Mr. Weatherford on
important business.
“What name?” asked the clerk.
“Downes, Ned Downes. I am looking for
Arthur Wardell, Mr. rWeatherford's nephew,
He has been here, has he not?”
“No, he has not, though we have been ex:
pecting him. Won't you take a seat? Mr.
Weatherford will be glad to see you, I’m
The man presently came out, was told
who Ned was and said niost pleasantly:
“Ab, yes, you are Arthur’s friend. What
a wonderful experience you have had. Two,
I might say, for, besides your recent evyent-
ful voyage, you were on that far away isl-
and so long given up for dead. Why hasn’t
Arthur been to see me? I expected that he
would bring Bess here at once.”
‘Then you have not seen him?” asked
Ned, eyeing -the man closely, yet without
“Ele has not been here?”
I was
surprised, too, hearing of his remarkable
escape from death and of his unexpected ar-
rival. It is in all the afternoon papers.”
“Art left the hotel to come here three
hours "0," said Ned. “You say he has not
been her
‘He has been detained, no doubt, and will
be here shortly. Won't you go into the
private office and wait? It'll be better than
waiting out here. He certainly can’t be
long now and you can amuse yourself with
the papers till he comes.”
. He was very glib, very affable and most
anxious to please, but Ned detected a cer-
tain look in his eye and caught a rapid
telegraphing between him and the clerk
which at ones aroused his suspicions.
n’t think I will,” he said, dart-
comes in tell him I have gone back to the
otel.”
“You'd better wait,” said Weatherford,
politely, while Ned noticed that he and the
clerk again exchanged glances and were
drawing closer to him, one on each side.
Fearing treachery, but not knowing what
form it might take, Ned sprang back quick-
ly, put himself between the door and the
two men and said:
“No, thanks, I think I'd better not. I'd
now _what I mean, I guess. Good morn-
"On the street he collided with a man he
wanted to see and yet had not altogether
expected to do so.
ast there, captain!” he said, seizing
they man by his neckerchief and taking a
twist about his hand with it. “I want to
see you bad and I prefer to see you before
our friend Cyrus does,” and he led the
eaptain away.
“Why, bless my stars, if it ain’t Ned
Downes, who I allus thought was killed
my boy,
to see you. What'll you have?”
“A few important words with you, Cap-
I'm glad
| tool, Mullins, and have just left him half
tain Brockton,” said Ned. “I've seen your
we
paralyzed in one of his places of reso:
Frould ke to have you explain a few things
het
“What's
now?” blustered Brockton.
“that drunken fool been saying
“He’s allus got
Here, cast off that neckercher, boy.
Do you want to choke me?”
“I will, sure enough, if you don’t answer
my questions,” said Ned, who was still pi-
loting the man down the street: “I want to
see you alone, You were going to Weather-
ford’s, but I want to have a few minutes’
tal with you before you see him.
Ned to the captain into “the room
where he had left Mullins, the man being
but utterly unconscious, re
id on his scarf, motioned to
him to sit down and sail
“You got away from ‘us in Melbourne,
but we’d have been in ahead of you here if
we had not met with such bad luck. [ sup-
pose you have prepared your pal to expect
trouble from me and Art? What was your
To deny us as you did in Mel-
“What are you going to do, Ned?” asked
the.captain. “What’s your plan? The old
man is rich and you ain’t and that makes
a big difference. You won’t stand any show
at all with him. was you I’d tell
Arthur wae a a off a bit till he can
see me. I’ve
“What is i asked Ned, suddenly, “Is
it telling him that I am the son of Mrs.
Wardell’s sister and that if he does not
pay you well you will reveal it?”
The captain stared hard at Ned, gasped
and then muttere
“How in the name o” sin did you find that
gut? Hm, from Mullins? Well, it’s true
ugh. You’re the missing boy and if I'd
suspected it afore, you'd never been left on
the island. been a handle to
pump money out’n the old man with right
along, and, say, it can be done y:
“Yes?” ” said Ned. “What do you mean?”
“Why, if you want to get rid o’ Arthur
and Bess you can come in for the hull busi-
’cause if one of you is alive Cyrus
don’ t get nothing.
“You old villain!” cried Ned, seizing the
captain’s neckerchief again and giving it a
twist, “if you dare make such a proposi-
tion to me I'll twist your miserable neck
off. Now answer me a few questions.”
“Go on,” said Brockton, getting red | in the
face and trying to pull Ned’s hand a
“Have you seen Ned this morning?”
“No.”
“Hasn’t he been to his uncle’s?”
“I dunno. I didn’t know he was back till
just a little while B80.
“ lyi aptain?”
twis
you ng, asked Ned,
giving the neckerchief a
“In course I ain't, ye young mp.”
“You're used to it.
“Well, I couldn't let on in Melbourne
*cause you wasn’t alone, but if you had ha’
been, I’d told you who you was and we
managed to bleed the old scamp.”
“Then there was a plan to get rid of
Arthur and Bess?"
“Yes, of course.
young villain.
“T will if you don’t tell me the truth,”
said Ned, giving the neckerchief another
twist and then suddenly drawing a pistol
from his hip pocket. “Keep still, you old
villain. Put down your hands or I’ll shoot
ou.”
Don’t choke me, you
“But you’re—choking me—Ned—I can't
searcely—-breathe,” and it was quite -evi-
dent that he could not stand many more
twists on his throat.
“Tell the truth, then,” said Ned. “You
saw Art this morning, I Know you did, and
you've done something to him and were go-
ing back to tell Weatherford about it when
I met you. What hi ave you done with him,
you old wretch
He was about to give another twist when
the captain gasped, quite blue in the face:
“St op, Ned, stop, and I’ll tell you every-
8.”
o
Ned released his eagti=. who gasped for
breath and finally said:
“You're the wast. I ever see. Why, I
D’lieve yous, ha’ choked me if I Niednt
stopped you.
“I most certainly would,” said the boy,
determinedly, “and I’m not going to let up
on you till you tell me all I want to know.
If you shout, Tu shoot you. Now what have
Art?”
hurt him, Ned, honest I ain't,”
said the wn scoundrel. “We seen him this
morning, me and Cyrus. He come to the
ce.”
2
32
“Well, go on, you old win. There’s
more of ie What did you
“We purtended we awe Snow him and
that he was a cheat coming to get money
out o’ Cyrus and we kep’ him a-talkin’ till
we could get hold—look here, Ned, if I tell
you the hull story, will you let up on me?
I’m puttin’ my neck in a rope, tellin’ you
all this, or, anyhow, I’m openin’ the jail
ory ou'll get the jail and the rope, too, if
you don’t tell me everything,” said Ned,
sternly. “You old scoundrel, don't you
know you deserve anything for what you
did? You left. three persons on
island peopled by savage tribes, a thousan
to one, without the least pity, for the sake
2
ae
of gain. It is no fault of yours that we
were not murdered. Now, do you think I
am going to let up on you? No
what about Art? You got the Meat oe Sim
you three? That sneaking clerk was in it,
of course.”
“Yes, we stopped his callin’ out an’ tied
him up and then I took him in a carriage
and locked him up somewheres. He ain’t
hurt, Ned. Say, boy, go slow on this and I
kin prove that you're Mary’s son and get
ou your share of the mone’
“Bal I’m not looking for money!” said
Ned, in “disgust. “We three, myself, Art and
Bess, are worth a million together, and do
you Suppose I would sell myself for money?
Where is Art.
“He's safe, Ned. We wasn't going to hurt
him, only just send him, away somewheres,
50, he « couldn’t bother
you wou! have fixed me the same
way, T suppose?’ Where have you put him?”
and Ned suddenly snatched at the man’s
neckerchief again and gave it a twist.
“Stop, Ned, stop, I’ll tell you all about it.
He’s put on a ship what sails to-morrow.”
“What ship is it?” asked Ned, excitedly,
terns go his hold.
‘Find out!” cried Brockton, striking
lown Ned’s revolver, leaping to his feet, up-
setting his chair and bolting from the room
before Ned coul
“Find out?” cried Ned. “Yes, by heavens,
I will find out and this villain and all the
rest that have been concerned in the affair
shall be made to suffer for it.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A MEETING OF OLD -FRIENDS.
My attack on the surly-looking man who
had ordered me below was so sudden and so
fierce that he was taken literally off his feet
by the terrible onslaug)
He fell heavily to the deck and before he
could get up I had darted past him and was
making for the ri
The vessel was ‘not lying at a wharf, but
was anchored at some little distance from
it, so that there was water all around us,
but that mattered little to-me, as I was a
good swimmer and was bent on making my
“Stop the young villain!” roared the man,
getting up as I reached the rail.* “Ten dol-
lars to the man who stops him.” :
Four or five rough-looking men sprang
toward me and I saw that it would be im-
possible to get up on the rail in time.
“Stop!” I cried. “I will give a hundred
dollars to the man who keeps the others
back till I can leap overboard.”
“Don’t listen to. him, men, he hasn’t a
’ cried the other, drawing a pistol.
“Seize him or I’ll shoot the lot of you.
I suddenly beheld a familiar fave just be-
hind the captain, tor a e was, and my
heart gave a great ie:
Among the men behind the captain was
my attendant, Sam, and I had no di
that he had gone out to see th
had been shanghaied like others on board.
e was dressed in coarse clothing and
wore a rough cap, but I could not mistake
his face and I recognized him in an
stan
“Sam!” I called out, in the man’s own
language, “seize and disarm that fellow.”
In an instant Sam dashed forward, seized
the captain from behind, pinioned both
arms behind his back and took away his re-
volver, the whole thing being accomplished
in an incredibly short time.
I never saw any one so astonished as were
the captain and his men, but they were to
be astonished still more.
low me, Sam!” I said. “We are going
. Throw that brute down the fore-
castle and follow.”
an adroit movement, which scarcely
took a second, Sam brought the man to his
knees and then, before one could realize
what was going to happen, he was shot like
an arrow straight for the forecastle gang-
way and shot down it like lightning.
Then Sam sprang toward me, wav: ring the
revolver at the men, who quickly retreated
and in another moment we were both on
the rail ready to dive.
“Go,” I said, and we shot through the
air and struck the water at the same mo-
ment.
we came up I swam toward the
nearest wharf, saying to Sam
“This way, Sam. I don’t ‘know where it
is, but we can find our way easy enough
when once we are on shore.
“All right, Mr, Arthur,” said Sam. “H’m!
Man very much astonish. Him no foo! with
us some more.”
“Did you join the ship, Sam, or were
von kidnapped?” I asked.
“No join, no want go sea, no uke a
Very sorry, Mr. Arthur, but I gues:
get drunk, no know nothing till find hum
self on ship.”
“Well, I’m very glad you were there, Sam,
for it would have gone hard with me if you
had not
“Me go out see city, big place, more big
as island, plenty heap peoples, me meet
feller, take drink, take ‘nother drink, den
nother, bimeby no know nothing, find him-
self on ship, go far away.”
“It’s a common practice to get men drunk
and kidnap them when sailors are scarce,
Sam, so I hope you'll learn a lesson and
not get drunk after this.”
“Me try very hard, Mr. Arthur, but if no
got drunk, uo be on ship no there to help.”
“That's true enough,” I laughed, “but it
might not happen that way the next time,
so just bear in mind what I say and don’t
get dru
I had t turned my head once or twice to see
if the men were watching us or if any at-
tempt was being made to follow us, but
not until we were nearly to land did I see
any one.
I afterward learned that the captain
had been badly shaken up by being thrown
down the hatchway and all hands had been
so interested in getting him out that we
were quite forgotte:
00, it was known that we had
been shanghaied and those most concerned
im the matter did not care to court an in-
vestigation by going after us.
y the position of the sun that it
all events a night had passed since my en-
counter in my uncle’s office.
We landed at one of the wharves, but at-
tracted little attention, as there were few
eople about at that hour, but, as we were
dripping wet, it was necessary that we
should get somewhere and put on dry
clothes at once.
Neither of us had any money and our
appearance was not such as to invite con-
fidence if we hailed a carriage to take us
to the hotel and it was hardly likely, either,
that we would find one at that time of the
morning.
Nevertheless, I had no desire to walk any
great distance in my clothes, so, as
soon as we reached the street I began to
look about me for a telegraph office so that
I could send word to the hotel for a convey-
ance.
‘here was no one ‘following us, evidently,
but I hurried on, nevertheless, Sam at my
heels, keeping a sharp lookout for what
1 wanted.
We presently reached a more pretentious
street and I noticed a telegraph office \
a carriage standing in front of it and hur-
ried on, wondering if the place was open.
As I started forward some one came down
the steps and.I recognized Ned Downes.
“Hello, Ned!” I shouted, and at the next
moment, regardless of my own wet clothes
or of his fine ones, Ned had me in his arms
and was making no end of a time over me.
“T’ve been looking all over for you, Art,”
he said, “and was determined not to give
you up, but I was about at the end of my
rope and did not know where to look or
what to do next. Where have you been?”
“T don’t know, except in the forecastle of
a ship bound to China or Australia or some
far away place, but I got out, thanks to
Sam, who has had adventures of his own.”
“Sam? Yes, he was missing when I went
back to ‘the hotel and Jim was nearly wild.
But, come, don’t let’s stand here. Get into
the carriage, both of you, and we’ll go to
the hotel. I’ve been trying to telegraph
but couldn’t.”
aust tw hat I was going to do,” I laughed,
I got inside, the driver making a face at
the idea of his fine cushions being ruined.
“I got alarmed when you did not come
back yesterday,” said Ned, as we rattled
off, “and set out to find you. I had no
end of strange adventures, but I say, Art,
first of all, I must tell you somethin ng.
You’ xe wheard of your Aunt Mary
“And of her son being stolen?”
“you remember what I told you about
myself on the island of having lived with
gypsies?”
yes, b but Ned, has this got anything to do
wit!
“Yee 1 it has everything to do with it.
We are cousins. I am your aunt’s lost boy.”
“It serves you right,” I said, with a
laugh, taking his hand. “Now we are closer
friends than ever. I always knew you were
someba dy.
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOW EVEKYTILING ENDED.
On the way to the hotel and after we had
reached it, Ned told me what he had done
and what he had learned.
He had not been able to overtake Cap-
tain Brockton, but he had gone to the chiet
of police and a
were not going out quite so soon, but which
might be in need of men, and among these
was the very ship on which I liad been a
prisoner,
All this took time and Ned had been up
half the night and then up again at day-
break trying to learn what had become of
Sam's absence worried him, too, but he
made Jim stay with Bess and told her not
to leave the house and to see no one, prom-
ising to let her know just as soon as he
heard from me, for he haa been obliged to
tell her that I was suseing | and, indeed, she
had suspected it from the fi
@ was overjoyed at seeing me and it
was some time before we could get away,
for we still had a good deal to do.
We tried at first to find Captain Brock-
x