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A 12 , =
O rattles were
. fellow ‘slipped off a log
7 Brady.
, will go up to. the house arid see what we can find."
So Old King Brady picked up the little grip,’
" and they pushed on tOW8X’(lS‘i.hC.il011S0. :.Tlle)‘ had
bedstead glided aiyrattlesnake at least four feet
long. '
back to the boathegfound Alice in the position
described. The poer“girl f had dozed off forsthe'
moment. , ,
“Well?” demanded Harry. . : . . l.
“I don't see how you could ever have thought of’
going there. The place is alive with rattlesiiakes.’.
“I saw none, then.” . >
' “You can see them now,
“Cut it out.” She is -sleeping. O, We‘niust' gofon
hat h . A , nu. . i ' .
toutlvu ddmtslize rowing. Don”: disturb her. She
.was quite flightyafew moments ago- Every nun-
ute of sleep she gets is J11StrS0 much to the 8004-" '
Oldliing Brady took the ears and.I111l18d’0X1
up the bayou. ‘Before they had -gone a dozen
yards they began to s:fi?1da%i'%zSll’ti(e)3ldS.agClCiIr1!:t1i?lli%
right oar. As they advancedthey saw that they
were entering. a densely wooded swamp. They
had now lost sight of the house, owing to the
windings of the bayou. . - , ‘
“This place corresponds very closely to the de-
scription we had of Belle Voir, Harry,”,1-emuarlied
the old detective. . . . . .
“That’s what it does. I was Just thinking the
same thing. Do you think Alice is likely togbe
very sick?” . ' ' ' . ‘ " .
Old King Brady shrugged his shoulders.“-
“It is probably a touchof the dengue, or the
fever of this country,” he replied. “It Sometimes
runs for weeks”... i f
“Interesting.” .. . . ; .
“Very; but we must take it as it comes.”
Soon they saw the house again. It was a large,
frameplantation house of the old-style. It looked
old and weatherbeaten, but was not in a ruinous -
condition by anyymeans. At last they came .in
front of it. .'There.were the remainsof a little
pier here, and a path leading, up to the door.-.‘ The
house itself was not under Water, as it stood on
a knoll, but everything all around it wasailoat.
The trees were not large, however, and it was easy
toesee that they had grown up in the last fifteen
vears or so. Not a soul was to be seen anywhere.
The striking feature of the house was the unusual
number of doors leading into the main building
and the wings. Beyond were what was left of
‘various outbuildings. almost all being.in ruins.‘
‘ Alice still remained sleeping, and this was a
feature which the old detectivebegan to fret
about, for he had expected her to wake’ right up.
-“Arouseehe.r, Harry,” he said. “We will go
ashore now.” ‘ .
“Alice! ' lice! You want to wake up, Alice!”
Harry called. .. y. l
‘‘‘.‘-.’here are we?” murmured Alice drcamily.
“Let me sleep. I am so tired-ah, so tired.”
Old King Brady climbed upon the pierand made i
the boat fast. Harry assistcd.Alice up, and
climbed up himself. The poor girl was so weak
that she could scarcely stand. ‘ A
“You will have to carry her,” said Old King
“Take her in your arms,,Harry, and we
" .-
He could see others there, and answering .
heard. - Old King Brady. slammed ‘
"the door, and beat a hasty retreat. V When he got
all right,'if you will
‘ take the trouble to 8'0 Uprthere-"
. statues.
> Take’ me away!” moaned Alice.
King ,Brady : bu;-ri(;,d]-V. -
9 lady s,!o‘.'.'n,’ ..
THE BRADYS’; sBiLIi‘lECKI:".,R‘;.;;iSTREET 'I71xirsTERr
covered but half the distance when suddenly" there A
appearegdiin one of the doorways amost remark’-'
able figure. ' It was a. negrogman, dwarfed and
hideously m1sshapen.,..He lookedimore like‘a ba-
boon than a human being,’ As he caught sight of
the procession‘ he gave ashrill cryandivanished
VV1‘i';i"ll1bIIl1ti1e.d0t()1:.'.t? -A vkg L‘ A. I r
a 15 a . mon e ?” moan -Al’ .
"931, don’t take me in there!’.’ y. I w, 7 gdi "lie
. We must,:’ said Harry. “Have no1fea"r..-,I
shall let nothing harm you, be very sure of that.”
They ascendecl to the broad veranda, which ran
the entire length of the house. jWhati mightebe
termed the main door stood open, and they passed
into a circular hallway.” Here there was a’ wind-,
mg staircase leading to the floorsabove. On all!
sides weredoors, all closed. - ‘
.“It is the house of the hundred doors, all right,
Governor,” remarked.Harry. ’ T . e ‘
, “In.deedr 1t190kS 50,” replied the old detective,
‘but if we can only finda place where Alice can be
properly cared for it is all I ask.”, ' ;
As one door was just as likely to lead to this
as another, Old K1ng,Brady dpened the first one
he came to. Behind it was a long room,,and,on
one’ side there were several doors in a row, open--
mg into a space which had been partitioned off
from the rest of-theroom. -The Bradys entered,
HMTY C-'1I‘1‘Y1n$;‘ Alice inhis arms. Beforesthey
hgld advanced -ten feet three doors flew open. Be-
hind. each was a dusky figure in‘ Oriental ‘dress,
holding a sword. They stood as niotionlesstas
Suddenly a wild yell rang out throuz
theliouse. Slam, bang, wentthe three doors.
Bradys could hardly tell. s- .
- “Oh, take mefaway from this dreadful ..placel
'Whellh81‘Th0Y had seen living men or dummies the
..“We must try it on the floor above,” said Old
, I , ‘‘All this mystery can
be investigated later.’? 1 A -A A .
.They.1’-etreatcd.to the hall. As they approached
the‘ stairs a voice called from above: ' “ ’
Who is-yo’? ’Why.yo? come hyaigwvhite folks 7.
G0 0” about 3'0’ bizness. Dis am no place fo’ Y0’-
Y0' see deni sword men?s Yo’ get dam sworrls -in
de neck if yo’ doan’ go ’wa .” ' 1 , .
They could seeno one. Old, King Brady re‘
solved to bring matters to a head. .. ‘
“Look here, friend, whoever you are," 1lOVShOut‘ t
, ed, “we are passengers who neariy lostieur 1i"83
on the steamer which blew up on the river la9t
Night The lady is sick. In the name of humanity I
give us shelter ‘for a little while. You will -be
well paid.” i V x, A v ‘ i
There was no answer, but the’ detectives could
hear the murmur of voices above stairs. At last.
an old darky with wrinkled face and sriow-wliite
hail‘ 8DI=<‘.are<l at the head ofthe stairs. . - '
1 “Yo’ come to a bad place,” he said, “but ifjthg
lady am sick I will heipivo’. ’It’s more than, yo
Woilllil do for a colored woiuan, yo’ know dd’: right
we . ’ .
“Don't you believe it, friend," replied the Old.
detective. "We are not that kind." A "
“Whar yo’, frum? Up Nerf?” . '
“Yes. We come from New York.” r d
“Don dat’s; different. If ya’ belonged‘ ‘W-
h.V31‘ I Wouldri’t' trust yo’. Come upsta31‘Sy‘ ‘mo
keemans. "I ‘show yo’. placepwhere yo’- kirlput .. .
. l(