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3 “Which side "are you going totake us to?” de-
manded the old detective. ‘ . g I
. .f‘I was going to -‘take you across the river to
dthesplace below here where I landed the others,”
replied Harry. . 7 ‘ ‘ ‘
::“If we could only get away from them. ‘ Isn’t
-that a building of some sort in there among the,
trees on our right?” ,
-‘g‘.‘It looks like it. Yes, it is, but I see no light.”
(“Let us go there, -Harry. at least until we can
repair damages, and if the place proves tolbev
-deserted, why, so much -the better.”
‘:The"building in question was rather a large’
one, and stood at some little distance up an arm
of the river, or a bayou, as. they call these
branches of the parent stream in Louisiana. Har-
ry obediently turned the boat and "pulled up the
bayou. As they advanced they saw that the.build-
ing was a long cotton-shed. It stood out oi water
upon a bank slightly elevated. (There appeared
to be nobody about the place. ’ i
?“This is just what we want,” said the old de-
tective.‘ “I see, by -thelway, that you have man-
, aged to save your grip.‘ Perhaps you will lend me
A a pair of dry stockings,’ of which I stand greatly
in need.” V - A
V Harry laughed.
: “You can take anything I, have,” he replied,
‘fbut it is more than a pair of stockings that you
‘need. .We will land here and see what we can do
. about building a fire and drying up.” . g
. ;The cotton-shed appeared to be deserted. At
one end the Bradys found a little room which had
formerly been the clerk's office, no doubt. The
remainder was just one big‘ room. The whole’-
building was in such a state of dilapidation that
Harry did not hesitate to wrench off some of the 7
Weather boards, which he used to kindle a fire.
Alice was assigned to the oliice, and soon she‘
5 passed out her saturated‘ clothing. Old King
Bra ' went and got. it, and it was hung topdry '
Harry ,
over a rude horse made of the boards.
was not wet, -so he attended to the drying process.
‘I ‘Old. King Brady soon adding his clothes to the
stock on the horse. It was slow, tediouswork,
but fortunately no one came near the place. D11)’-
slight found. theidetectives in dry clothing again.
: fbut a new trouble was upon them, Although she
.said nothing about it, Alice was feeling decidedly
' gsiclc, and no wonder, after what thepoor 9.11‘! had
? massed through. As soon as it was da3’!1$!ht Harry
ipnlled out upon the river to see where they Were
.iat. He soon returned with the report thatrhe
icould see no house anywhere, and that CV9“! F119
grescued ones whom he had lefton the other side
jofqtlie river had all disappeared.
said Olil King Brady. “Help probably came from
the nearest town, wherever that may be-" .
.. “I think I’ll null upithe bayou a little way,”
jsaid Harry. . “This cotton-shed must belong to
someone. There may be a plantation housevup
there. Perhaps you two had better come with D90.
although I can find out whether it is worth‘ while
2 quicker alone.” 2
.. “Go alone,” said Alice, and Harry went.’
ti" 1 And this was the time Old King Brady got on
5 to the situation. ,He saw that poor Alice was
she was suffering from a chill.
X
'. A "A A‘ BRADYS’ 5 BLEECKIEQR STREET MAYSHTDMRAYAJ
' “They have been taken off by boats, I 511DP0S9s’' ‘
struggling all she knew to DYOVCM Sh0“‘iI1g that , ,
‘ “ He Jumpcdlback quick.
VIII.-The Bradys Reach the’lHouste
CHAPTER
, . . , ..of the Hundred Doors.. . ,.
“You are -suffering; you poor child,” remarked A
Old King Brady, as soon as Harry was out of
hearing. '
“That’s what I am,” replied Alice, whose teeth
now began to chatter. “I’m afraid I have got my
death.” A
“Nonsense! ’ You have probably got the swamp
fever, but we will soon break that up.” . K
“I didn’t.want to alarm Harry, Mr. Brady,‘but
I really do feel very sick.” A .
“A good stiff dose of quiniiiewill set you right."
“It was all that was needed to cap the climax
of our misfortunes to have me tumble over.”
“Say ‘no more,” replied the old detective, fumb-
ling for his little medicine case. -He soon unearth-.
ed it, and the quinine was administered.
“Keep as quiet -as you can,” said Old King
Brady. “That won't prevent -the fever from com-
ing, but it will prevent its recurrence, I hope.”
It was half an hour before Harry got back. By
this time Alice was in a high fever, much to his
iiilarm. Of course, he would talk of nothing else at
rst. >
“There is a big plantation house up there,” he!
then said, “but it is quite‘ a long, way up the
..bayou.‘- Nearer there is a deserted negro hut with
a bed and some old sticks of furniture. didn’t
go onto the house. I. only saw it in the distance.
The hut isn’t more than a quarter of a mile from
here.” , ,' ‘ t‘
“Then it is'the hut for ours,” said Old King
Brady, “The quicker Alice ispput flat on her
back the better. We iiiust' lose no time.” -< ’
They accordingly got Alice. into the boat at
once, and Harry pulled on up the bayou. . By the
time they reached the hut Alice was beginning to
talk wildly about the explosion. The more Harry
tried to quiet her the wilder she ran on.
It was quite evident that the fever had struck
to. her brain. Far in the distance up the bayou
the gables ofa large house could be seen among '
the trees. - t I
“I don’t know about this place,” said the old de-
tective dubiously. “It is a pretty niiserable'look-
ing afi'air.” ‘ , '
“It is too full of people. There will be no room
for us!” cried Alice. “Can’t you see them looking
out of the window? Such a crowd! Don't take
me in there!” r
' - “I’ll go and chaseitliem away,” said the old de-
tective quietly. .
“Look out for her, Harry,”.lie whispered. “This
is getting to be pretty serious.” V . .
‘‘You‘don’t have to tell me,” replied Harry. -
Old King Brady pushed on to the hut.
Harry shifted his seat, took Alice in his“arms
without ceremony, and pillowcd her head upon
his breast. s
“Now rest quiet,” he said.
of you all right.” .
“It is dreadful to make so much trouble,” moan-‘
ed Alice, “just dreadful. You better have left me
drown.” ’ t
. Old King Brady pulled open the door of the hut
and looked in. i - g A A ‘ ‘M . .
Ashe did so he heard a queer, rattling sound.
From under’ the dirty old
9
“We will take care
ii
1