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I6 BRAVE AND BOLD.
events. As soon as we get to our hotel you‘ll have to
take a rest and recuperate.”
"But 1 can't lave ye to go about alone in this haytliciiish
place.” protested Pat. “Sure. ye'd be kilt the first hour."
“I can look out for myself," said Tom. “Don‘t you
fret about me."
“But. sliuppose ye mate Dutiield ag'in, sorr? He won’t
let ye off so aisy the nixt toime Don't forgit what Miss
Ixellie did just now be tellin’ ye, Misther Tom."
“I shan’t forget it.” said Tom, with all a boy's confi-
dence; “and I can assure you if I do meet the scoundrel
again I shan‘t let him off very ‘aisy,' either."
An hour later our hero was wandering about the
streets, so engrossed by the strange sights he saw that he
had completely forgotten that such a person as Burton
Duffield existed.
In a very few minutes he had lost his way, but this did
not disturb him any. for he had plenty of time, and had
no doubt that it would be easy enough for him to get
some one to direct him to the hotel when he was ready to
return.
Fate directed his footsteps toward one of the worst
quarters of the city-a fact of which the altered appear-
ance of the houses and the‘ people soon apprised him.
He was in the act of turning to retrace his footsteps,
when he was seized from behind, and struck violently on
the head. Vtlhen he came to he was lying on the ground,
his head severely injured and a citizen, a native. bending
over him
“VVhat is the matter?" inquired the man, in his own
language.
Tom could not understand.
He pulled himself together and dragged himself off to
his hotel.
When the time came for the departure of the steamer
for Yokohama, he had to be carried on board.
Throughout the voyage he was quite ill; but when
Yokohama was reached. he insisted on making the best
of his brief stay.
He left the vessel only a few hours before the time ap-
pointed for her departure for San Francisco, promising
to be back soon.
But events detained him. and when he reached the pier
the steamer was already far out at sea.
“My last chance is gone!” he exclaimed, in accents al-
most of despair. “Nellie Bly will win the race.”
CHAPTER XIII.
A QUEER GENIUS.
It is no wonder that Tom Pinkney uttered a cry of
(lismay as a full realization of the situation burst upon
him.
After holding his own all these weeks. until he had
grown to look upon his success as an assured fact, he
had failed, and through no fault of his own, but as a
direct cause of the machinations of Burton Duffielrl.
Ile gazed upon the Oceanic until she was lost to sight;
then he turned, and was confronted by Pat Casey.
“l have failed, Pat," he said, in a voice broken with
en.otion.
"Sure, ye have. sort: but don't take on like this. Wl":t'.<
the difference, sorr. annyway, if I may make so Iiziiild?
Sure, yell get there a wake later. aiinylimv, an‘ woiilt tl.;u
do jist as well
But Tom shook OH the hand which the Irislnnaii had
sympathetically, almost tenderly, placed upon his Sllfitlls
dcr, and strode away.
"Sure. sorr.“ cried Pat. following him. “do not Hike it
so much ter heart. I've been huntin' the place fer ye iei
the lasht hour, an', as fer mesilf, I'm that glad tor see
ye safe an’ well that I don’t care whether ye hate in me
race or not."
“But I care a good deal," said Tom. with an attempt fit
a laugh.
“Sure, what’s the use 0' thryin' ter bate the purty col--
leen ?" said Pat. “Ye’d ha’ bruk her heart av ye'd reached
Ameriky Erst." '
“It's not that," returned Tom. “I wasn’t so ziiixioiis
to beat Miss Nellie as I was to prove. on my own account.
that the globe can actually be circled in lessltime than that
made by Phileas Fogg, Verne's hero. And I will pron‘
it yet, even if Miss Nellie doesnit, though 1 11am failed
this time.”
“Do not be too sure of zat," said a voice behind him.
Both Tom and Pat turned, and found themselves face
to face with a singular-looking individual.
He was evidently a Frenchman, above the medium
l1e1gl1lI,.(lI1(l with a high, intellectual forehead; there xvus
a peculiar glare in his eyes that betokened illv balanced
mental faculties. '
As our hero scanned him critically, he bowed pro-
f0l‘l‘“Cll.V'; then’, with a glance at Pat, he said:
I must spik wiz you alone. monsieur."
“With me .7" exclaimed our hero.
"Ozii'."
“ “Misther. 'I‘om," whispered Pat, in an aside to Tom,
have nothin at all ter do wid him. Sure he's wan o’
thim divils that that Duftield diz be settin’ on ye.”
. “Nonsense," laughed Tom. “You’re mistaken this
time, Pat. I think we have given Duffield his quietus for
the present: and as for this fellow, he’s evidently a little
05 m,the upper 5t0l”Y- and is not likely to do us much
harm. ’
h ‘Sure. sort, beggin’ yer pardon,” pleaded Pat, “don’t
ave.annyting at all ter say ter the loikes 0’ him. No
good ll come av it, sorr."
. I must Splk. “"2 you alone," interposed the Frenchman,
withmtli suspicious glance at Pat,
r ‘ ' H . .
on aheacllg Sgt ‘573]11Cle:3fJ1e.d ?7?1I1‘1Sl1all have a chance. ylvallt
Vvith 2; 1001; of digfavo; at llfollow you directly.
Shambled Off. - ie stranger, the Irishman
“Noix', then," said Tom
gazing scarchinglv into h
with me .7" I
1 lumlllg to the Frenchman and
is face. “what is your business
“Eet ees a long story, monsi 7'
“Oh, we“. go ahead.” mt eur, began the iiewcomcrv
he glanced in‘ the dirt-it" Llmed-T0m' wlth 8‘ gmnaccl '35
appcarcd H1 harvc plililpn twhich the Oceanic had dis-
..Ym' momicur mu hy Huinie on my hands now.
citcdly; “but mu'nim' Ve::y:V,insta1id the FTCnCllIhall, ex.
' - . ic race.
“VVhat do you mean >" - ,
face of his c(.)mpaniOn". cried Torn, staring at the flushed
‘I