Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, February 26, 1916, Page 3

About The City Dr. M. C. Caslin of Minneapolis will occupy the pulpit at the Pres- byterian church tomorrow. Mrs. Lillie McGay of Northern was among the out-of-town visitors and shoppers in Bemidji yesterday. —_— Frank Bertram, after a week’s stay in Bemidji on legal matters, returned last evening to his home at Kelliher. Dancing every Saturday night, City Hall. Admission free.—Adv. 3d226 Little Ione Sellers, who has been confined to her hed with bronchial pneumonia, is reported to be im- proving. Mrs. Belle Eck of Yola spent yes- terday in this city shopping and vis- iting with friends, returning to her home this morning. J. K. Walker, representative of the Certain-teed Roofing company, is visiting in Bemidji over Sunday as the guest of friends. Good time Saturday night—City Hall.—Adv. 3d226 E. B. Berman ,of the Berman Land and Insurance company, left last eve- ning on a business trip for Kelliher and other northern points. Miss Marie Rice is improving from a case of appendicitis, for which she underwent an operation at St. An- thony's hospital last Monday. Mrs. H. Bolster is ill at her home on Park avenue. She has been sick for the past several weeks but is re- ported somewhat improved today. Toilet soap 2 bars for 6c at Schroeder’s store, Saturday and Mon- day.—Adv. 24226 William Rogers was attending to matters of business between trains in Bemidji yesterday. He returned in the evening to his home at Nary. Mr. and Mrs. William Matterson of Northern were business callers at the court house Saturday. They also visited with friends while in the city. Miss Alice Dyer entertained the “We Are Eight” club at her home on Beltrami avenue last evening. Miss Benda was the guest of the club. Parties owning timber in the vicin- ity of Wilton had better look after same.—Adv. 104226 The Ladies’ Aid society of the Ny- more Free Lutheran church will meet at the O. J. Tagley home for its reg- ular meeting on Wednesday after- noon. Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Getger and fam- ily of Yola were callers in this city yesterday while enroute to Red Lake Falls where they will make their home. In entertainment of the Akeley high school basket ball girls, the members of the local girls’ tem held a dance last evening in the 0dd Fel- lows hall. Everybody goes Saturday nights to the City Hall. Admission free.— Adv. 3d226 Miss Hazel Dahlstul arrived in Be- midji this morning from her home at Shooks and will spend Sunday visit- ing as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Johnson. Miss Annie Morrison, who has vis- Had Terrible Pains in Kidneys and Back. Dear Mr. Editor—1 want to write you about “Anuric.” I was very sick, could hardly be up; I was in bed most of the time. Had terrible pains in my kidneys and back, so much so that I had to scream sometimes when I was sitting down and wanted to get up, the pain was so great. I had tried a well-known kidney medicine but it didn’t help me. T heard of Dr. Pierce’s Anuric Tablets g0 I thought I would try them. I took only one box of the Tablets, and my back is now free from pain and I can work and take care of my family. I feel I cannot say enough for this medi- cine. Sincerely, MRrs. Wi. KELLER. Nore: This “Anuric” is adapted especially for kidney complaints and diseases arising from disorders of the kidneys and bladder, such as backache, weak ~back, rheumatism, dropsy, con= gestion of the kidneys, inflammation of the bladder, scalding urine and urinary troubles. The physicians and specialists at Dr, Pierce’s great Institu- tion, at Buffalo, N. Y., have thoroughly tested this prescription and have been with one accord successful in eradicat- ing these troubles, and in most cases abgolutely curing the diseased kidneys. Patients having once used ®Anuric” at Dr. Pierce’s Invalids’ Hotel, have re- seacedl sent back for more. Such a emand has been created that Dr. Pierce has decided to put * Anuric” in the drug stores of this country, in a ready-to-use form, If not obtainable send one dima_ by mail“to Dr. Pierce for trial package or 50 cents for full treatment Dr, Pierce’s Golden Medical Discoyery is a blood cleanser and alterative that starts the liver and stomach into vigorous action. It thus hssists the body to make rich, red blood, which feeds the heart, ne brai d f_the body. ited with relatives at Nebish for a short time, spent a few hours in Be- midji yesterday enroute to her home at Northern. Attorney A. A. Andrews, of the firm of Andrews, Gibbons & Huff- man, left last evening for Kelliher where he spent some time attending to legal matters. One of these nice days you ought Neal of the Navy Bp HAMILTON OSBORNE WILLIAM Author of “Red Mouse,” “Running Fight,” “Cats- paw,” “Blue Buckle,” etc. (Copyright, 1916, by William Hamllton Osborne) SYNOCPSIS, On the day of the eruption of Mount Pelee Capt. John Hardin of the steamer Princess _rescues five-year-old Annette Ilington from an open boat, but is forced to leave behind her father and his com- panions. Ilington is assaulted by Her- nandez and Ponto in a vain attempt to get papers which Ilington has managed to send ahoard the Princess with his daughter, papers proving his title to and telling the whereabouts of the lost island of Cinnabar. Ilington’s injury causes his mind to become a blank. Thirteen years clapse. Hernandez, now an opium smug- gler, with Ponto, Inez, a female accom- plice, and the mindlyss brute that once was Tlington, come tg Seaport, where the widow of Captain Hardin is living with her son Neal and Annette Tlington, and plot to steal the papers left to Annette by her father. Neal tries for admission to the Naval academy, but through the treachery of Joey Weicher is defeated by Joey and disgraced. Neal enlists in the navy. Inez sets a trap for Joey and the conspirators get him in their power. In a struggle for possession of the map Her- nandez, Annette and Neal each secure a portion. ~Annette sails on the Coronado in search of her father. 'In Martinique An- nette and Neal are_captured, but are res- cued by a sponge diver. Inez forges iden- tification papers for herself as Annette, In an insurrection Neal and Annette are again_captured, carried to the Sun City and Annette is offered as a sacrifice to the sun god. They are rescued by ma- rines from the Albany. Landed in Tortu- ga, Annette and Neal are captured and exposed to yellow fever infection by Her- nandez, but are rescued by sailors from the "Albany. Inez tries to rob Annette and escapes. On her way to Chantlllo An- nette is captured. Neal is promoted and leads a party of transferred men toward Chantillo, but_is caught in a train wreck * on the way. Hernandez and Inez present the false identification papers to Brother Anselmo at Santa Maria mission. Ponto is caught and killed in his own trap, sot for Annette. TWELFTH INSTALLMENT “BACKED BY THE U. S. N CHAPTER LII. A Thorn in the Flesh. It was late at night when Hernandez and his two companions, Senorita Ines Castro and the Brute, crept to the out- skirts of the village of Santa Maria, and stealthily approached the ram- shackle old hotel. For two days they bad kept carefully eut of sight. They had left the dead Ponto to his fate. He had now become a cipher. He was food for the jackals and they left him to the. jackals. “Then,” said Inez, “it shall be Pon- to’s share for mine.” Hernandez leered at her. “What does it matter,” he returned; “what is mine is yours, fair Inez—Inez, mine own.” She crept to him, resting her shoul- der against his breast. “You mean that, Hernandez?” she queried, a jealous note tinging her tone. “There is no one—there never shall be one—save Inez?” Hernandez leered again. “Time and time have I not told you so?’ he answered. “We are one—as in the past—so in the prsent—so in the fu- ture.” Hornandez brushed her gently to one side and rose to his feet. “War first—love afterwards,” he said. “Busi- ness now—and later, happiness. A whirl of happiness—of world-wide happiness. When I am king of a prin- cipality—and you are queen. Come, let us on.” Softly he crept to a secluded door- way of the hotel #hd knocked cautious- ly upon it. course. The frowzled head of a serv- ant thrust itself forth. “Ah,” whispered Hernandez, good friend.” He slipped a goodly coin into the hand of his good friend—and the good friend became at once a better friend. “The Americanos?” queried Hernan- dez. “Have they gone?” “Gone,” returfed the servant; “to- day they went. Enter, senor.” Hernandez, alert but satisfied of temporary safety, beckoned to his two companions and the three crowded into the dingy little closet of the por~ ter. He turned back to the porter. “Tell us,” he commanded, “the best route to San Pedro and Los Angeles. Our ‘way lies north.” Many hours later at Los Angeles, & coterie of Americans sat around a broad table in an unused courtroom in the post office building in Los An- geles. Spread upon the table were a num- ber of documents—a trinket or &wo. Among them was a locket. Among them were a patched-together parchment map and a Spanish grant. The admiral leaned toward the United States district attorney—the latter had' come down from San Fran- cisco to place the seal of his depart- ment’s approval upon the matter now in hand. “Are you satisfied?” queried the aé- miral.’ “Absolutely,” said the district at- torney, “the paper title is at present unassailable, and as much to be rec- ognized as though”—he bowed to An- nette—“as though our fair daughter here were a sister republic. It re- mains for you, sir’—his glance bent upon the commander of the battle- skip Missouri—“to find out who may be in possession—and to oust them in favor of this paper title.” “] wonder whom we'll find?” mused Annette, her eyes glowing. obably no one,” returned the ad- AL “my | —and kept on saying it. - | ful now. It was opened in due/ to go to Hakkerup’s and have ybur picture taken.—Adv. 14tt Rev. J. H. Randahl, pastor of the Swedish Lutheran church, will leave this evening for Hines where he will attend the meetings of the Sunday school convention. Miss Sylvia Carter, a student in the Bemidji schools, left last evening for Hines where she will spend Sunday Novelized from the Photo Play of the Same Name Produced by the Pathe Exchange, Inc, He returned the documentary evi- dence and the trinkets to his port- folio. “These,” he said to the district attorney, “I take with me.” “Exactly,” said the other, “we have photographs of all of them. The in-' vestigation has been of interest—a curious situation.” ” The district attorney placed before Annette a bulky document. “You will be compensated for this| Lost Island,” he said, “and the gov-| ernment stands ready now to make; you a substantial advance of money upon the signing of this paper.” : Annette signed—and sighed with re- lief. “That’s done,” she exclaimed. The admiral bowed. All rose. “You are rendering our country a great service, Miss Ilington,” he said, “and your country will do its level best to protect you. Can we do more?” Neal saluted. “I umnderstand, sir,” “he said that I am to command the expedition.” “Yes,” interposed the commander, “we've arranged all that with the captain of a steamer. He agrees that what you say shall go—and youll say it, I feel sure.” “I'll say anything and do anything,” returned Neal, “for my country and my—and Miss Annette Ilington.” He said a good deal to her on the way back to her Los Angeles hotel “But,” he added at parting, “care- Don't take risks. This man Hernandez is a wonder. I take my hat off to him. He never knows when he’s beaten.” “He's beaten now,” returned An- nette, “particularly if he knows all that Ires transpired.” He left her—still gravely worried. He would have been more than wor- ried had he known that within a quar- ter of a mile of Annette’s hostelry, in a“secluded cafe, sat Hernandez, with his two companions, the Brute and Inez Castro. He would have been more than worrjed had he known that with them was another individual —Joe Welcher, his own foster broth- er and Annette’s. Welcher was there —depressed, fearful, nervous—but drinking heavily. And he was still the model, shrinking tool, the cats- paw. “And what,” quefied Hernandez, “about the battleship.Missouri?” Joe produced an extra—its head- lines devoted to the navy and the im- pending Allemanian war. “The Missouri,” he announced, re- ferring to the paper, “steams away tomorrow.” “Where does she steam?” “To San Francisco.” “Friend Welcher,” went on Hernan- dez, “does this Neal—does he talk— do you get inside information?” “There’s none to get,” said Joe, “if there was any, I'd get it.” Hernandez waved his hand. “When does the Missouri sail?” he queried. “This afternoon,” said Joe. “When she sails,” went on Hernan- dez, “we'll get this girl. We need her. We want her evidence—but we want her, too—until—until we have no fur- ther need of her. What we shall run into at Lost Isle no man knows. I want her with us there. Listen, Wel- cher. You must arrange it. Our paths must cross this afterncon.” ‘Welcher fumed. “I do all.the dirty work,” he said; “Tm. through.” Hernandez poured him another drink, and handed it to him with a glance that ate into Joe’s soul. The drink had just the wrong ef- fect. Joe became angry—noisy—un- manageable. “I'll be damfied if I do your bidding any more,” snarled Joe. 4 Hernandez darted a glance toward Inez. She returned it. “Leave him with me,” she said. Hernandez did as be was bid. He left her alone with Joe. And in the next fifteen minutes Inez Castro made love to Joe as she never had before. She overwhelmed him with enchant- ment. “Tonight,” she whispered to him, “tonight, Americano. But breathe not & word to him—he will kill us both.” | Half an hour later Annette swung out of the hotel grounds, mounted on a wiry little pony. She spied Joe and drew in her steed. She noted that Joe was unduly ex- cited. “Joe,” she exclaimed, “tell mother I'll be safe.” Under certain influences Joe’s mind acted with unusual rapidity. Drink and the dark eyes of Inez Castro had set him well on edge.. Without a mo- ment’s thought he stooped by the road- side and plucked a thorny burr. He straightened up again, with the thorny burr concealed within his hand. . He did not answer Annette at first, but approached her and her steed. “Good cow pony!” he exclaimed. He stroked the horse’s nose, its neck, its flanks. And then he did another thing. “Safe as they make ’em,” he con- tinued. - Aud then he did the trick. His #ight hand stole gently up across.the horse’s back, behind Annette—stole to the saddle, 3 g Swiftly—and. unnoticed—he puahed as the _guesg of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carter. Thomas Ervin, of the:Beltrami Ele- vator and Milling company, . after| spending a few hours at Kelliher on business last evening, returned this morning to Bemidji. A. Osborn of Kelliher spent Friday in Bemidji making arrangements to’ move his family to this city. He ex- the thorny burr under the saddle, ne: to the pony’s skin. Then he slouched’ away in the general direction of the CHAPTER LIl A Dangerous Connection. There are few, drivers of a high power car who permit themselves re- straint upon an open road. But the machine that crept along the avenue in this sparsely settled portion of sub- urban Los Angeles seemed almost crippled. Everything passed it—even horse-drawn vehicles. And one horse in particular kept al: ways on ah This horse was An. nette Ilington’s. There were four people in this car— and three of them were waiting for the inevitable to happen. They crept on and on—always two hundred yards behind. “Ah!” exclaimed Hernandez finally, “It eats in.” He was quite right. Suddenly the horse ahead swerved sharply to one side, violently shook its head and neck —Ileaped frantically into the air, and then, with a violent burst of speed, tore down the road like fire. Hernandez increased his speed to twenty miles—to twenty-five—but the horse tore on before him. Annette was riding like the wind—but she had lost control. Joe, in the car behind, leaped to his feet and tried to force his way from the car. “Let me out,” he cried, struggling; “I got her into this, and I'll get her out.” Hernandez turned to the Brute. “Hold him,” he commanded. And the Brute obeyed. Inez Castro now was on her feet. “Look—look—look,” she cried, “the horse is mad—he'll kill her—look— ah—ah—" ) It was all over. In one final burst of frenzy the horse had leaped high in the air, and.come down on all fours, not on the solid road, but in the ditch. Annette was flung violently from her steed—and struck the ground with a thud. The horse, freed of his burden, sped on—up the road—sped on. Hernandez stopped his car. Joe leaped out and ran to Annette. “She’s killed,” he said. Hernandez followed him. “If so, we cannot help it,” he returned calmly. “If she’s killed, I did it, you black- guard,” cried Joe, remorsefully. Inez bent over the girl. “She’s not dead,” she said, “she’s. very much alive. She's only stunned.” "~ " U7 Hernandez motioned to the Brute. “Carry her to the car,” he commanded. And the Brute again obeyed. “Now, slowly,” commanded Inez of Hernandez, “until I revive the girl.” They were in open country now— the community was but sparsely set- tled. Hernandez glanced warily from side to side. “We must make haste,” he mused, taking a grassgrown road to the right. : He stopped the car before a house. It was an ordinary dwelling. There was no sign of life about it. The grass in the dooryard was a foot high. Bverything appeared unkempt: But in the parlor window was a sign: To let, furnished. Hernandez stepped in- to the ‘dooryard and peered into the windows. wr “We'll let it furnished—tree—for & short time,” he said. He forced the door and entered. “All the comforts of home,” he said, smiling, “fetch in the girl.” Back in the city, Neal, off duty once again, sought Annette at her hotel. “She’s gone again—alone,” said Mrs. Hardin, “she would go. She’s so rest- less she couldn’t sit still.” Neal smiled. He was not worried. He got a saddle horse and started off in the direction taken by Annette. lJiects to be located here some time during the next week, ) Last evening 4in the basement of the Baptist church a number of young f0lks enjoyed themselves at a social. is is the second of a series which w\as begun a month ago. }Mrs. L. L. Edwards, having ar- rived in Bemidji yesterday from 1tby, passed the day as the guest frlend. We owe him much—much.” | He turned a sneering smile on Wel- cher. Annette uttered an exclamation. | “Joe—Joe,” she cried, “is it—true?” | Joe turned away—his chest heaving, z;s eyes upon the floor. “Aw, I'm no' 0d,” he muttered. | “Never mind, Joe, fair one,” said ernandez, taking from his pocket a legal document already-carefully pre- red, “we have business at hand. his document—you should really, know what it contains. It is in proper shape, I assure you. A bit soiled per- haps, from long disuse in my breast ppcket—but well worded. Look—it is complete. It is even acknowledged before a United States consul in Cen- tral America—acknowledged by you, fair one.” “It is not,” snapped Annette. | “Fair Inez here,” went on Hernan- dez, “signed it Annette INlington—the consul was quite satisfled that she was you. But—I have erased her sig- nature — she lacks the cleverness called forgery. And your signature may be on record somewhere—who kpows. Comparisons are odious. Let us therefore be complete. Take in hand a pen, my pretty. Sign your name, over this erasure—opposite this seal.” “I'll never sign,” returned Annette. “You will sign,” said Hernandez evenly, “and you will hand over to us all the evidence you have upon your person. Sign.” “No,” said Annette. 1“Well and good,” went on Hernan- dez in honeyed accents. “Beast— hold her firm. Disobey and the lash for yours.” Hernandez took from his coat pocket a piece of cord. He tied the ends together. Despite her struggles he fitted this noose-like cord over Anmette’s head and thrust into it a piece of wood. Then he began to twist. ““Tell me when you've had enough,” he said. Like a stone from a catapult Joe Welcher hurled himself across the room and was upon Hernandez in a flash. Under the assault Hernandez retreated violently to the wall, strik- ing his head against the mantel. “Are you crazy, you—worm?” cried Hernandez with a snarl. “I've—turned,” snarled Joe in re- turn. iWithout waiting for breath he flung himself once more at Hernandez. “Help!” cried Hernandez. “Inez— tackle this mosquito.” Inez was a valuable ally. She at- tacked Joe from the rear, and her as- sault was effectual. Her onslaught was so severe that it caused Joe to re- treat. He did retreat until he faced them both. “Now,” said Hernandez. And both descended upon him. Joe was ready for them. He seized a chair and whirled it about his head—frenzy lend- ing him violence and strength. “Come on!” he cried, “all three of you at once!” ‘With one wild final swing he brought the chair crashing down on Hernandez’ head. No, not on Hernandez’ head. It fell short of that, but crashed on something else—the chandelier above Hernandez’ head. ‘There was a ripping, tearing, crack- ing sound—and then a crash. Down came the chandelier in a tangled heap upon the floor. For one instant there was a cessa- tion of hostilities. The shades were down—the lights extinguished—the room plunged into semi-darkness. Annette watched in affright. Sud- denly a strange, familiar odor assailed her nostrils. “Stop—stop!” she cried. But none heeded her. The Brute still held her fast. And Joe, in his new and ungovernable frenzy, was once more at it with the chair, clearing a He Seized a Chair and Whirled It About His Head. Back in the deserted furnished house. Hernandez still looked about him. “We can hide here till doomsday,” he laughed, “running water, too. Look here. Everything but food—every- thing. Look—yonder on the mantel— even pen and ink. This place was meant for us.” He bowed low. “Ah, my charming friend Senorita Iling- ton,” he said to Annette who had re- covered consciousness .and was star- ing about her in astonishment, “you have had a. long sleep—and pleasant dreams I hope.” He drew down the shades and switched on the light. “See,” he, adfed, “you have slept till evening—pretty sluggard. And how is your good health. No bones broken. - That is well.” Annette did not answer. she leaped to her feet. “Joe,”, she cried, “Joe Welcher—youn here?” GEuE “Yes,”. returned Hernandez, - bowing, “Joe is here—he has always Suddenly been here—with ua. Jg;gongml space aboat him on the floor, driving Inez and Hernandez before him into one corner after another. His chair whirling, touched a live wire—from which the insulation had been torn. The wire, recoiling from the blow, struck a piece of disjointed gas pipe still clinging to the ceiling. Then—fizz—a spark—a multitude of sparks. A pause—a second’s pause. And then the whole room, with a mighty roar, burst itself out into the. open air. A horseman, speeding down the straight road, heard the boom. He saw the explosion. He spurred his horse. He reached the wayside lane. Joe Welcher, his head cut and bleeding, was the first to revive. His remorseful frenzy -still lent him strength and energy. He sprang to his feet—looked for Annette. ~He no- ticed nothing else—save that the room ‘was wrecked. ! He found Annette, picked her up and carried her without. A She was stunned, but practically unhurt. - But Joe didn't know all this. He had of friends and relatives, returning to her home in the evening. Mr. and Mrs. Rise, who have vis- ited at the home of the former’s par- ents, Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Rise, of Grant Valley, returned this morning to their home at Waterloo, Ia. B. M. Gile, agriculturist of the Be- midji high school, spent a few hours today conducting a farmers’ institute meeting at Nary, He returned to his home here on the afternoon train. Charles O. Johnson, traveling pas- senger agent . for the Atchison, To- peka & Sante Fe railroad, after spend- ing the day in Bemidji, left last eve- ning for Minneapolis on business mat- ters. . Pay-Up Week, a business stimu- lator, in Bemidji Feb. 21-26. “Up—Up,” He crl;:. Tugging at Her. killed her—he must bring her to life again. With her in his arms he started up the lane—whither -he knew not. Suddenly, in the distance, he saw Neal—on horseback. Welcher broke into a run toward his foster brother. “She—she lives,” said Joe thickly, “at any rate—you can tell her—tell mother—tell yourself—that I brought her back—to life. That pays up—pays up—for—" He fell prone upoa the ground. Neal knelt by his side. “Gone,” he said, taking off his hat, “gone, An- nette.” “We'll forget everything,” she an- swered sobbing, “except that he saved me—that he died a hero—a real hero—at the last!” CHAPTER LIV, A Piece of Steel. Neal's first duty was toward An- nette—his second toward Joe. He carried Joe tenderly to the side of the road and left him there, covered with green boughs. Then he lifted Annette upon his steed and set off for help. It took time to find a surgeon —time to get a car. Meantime things happened at the furnished house—the house so swiftly and violently unfurnished by its in- terloping tenants. - Inside the room nothing but a mass of wreckage was to be seen. But slowly, painfully, impelled by some unseen force, this mass of wreckage slowly rose. Beneath it some giant writhed and wriggled. Finally a head Brute’s head. He looked about the room. Noth- ing was to be seen. He peered into the depths from which he had just emerged. Then suddenly he saw some- thing. Seeing—he worked away like mad. appeared—the Inside of ten minutes, Inez, in a stu- por, was staring-at the Brute from one side of the room—Hernandez from the other. Hernandez shook the lethargy from him. He crawled to Inez. “Up—up,” he cried, tugging at her, “we have no time to lose. Come on, you beast—come on.” 1 Seizing them both, tearing at them frantically, like mad, ke sped with’ them toward a cluster of trees on the other side of the road. In the midst of this dense growth he had hidden his machine. Panting with frenzy, his glance ever over his shoulder, he forced them into the car, sprang to the wheel, threw in the clutch, and was off. It was three days later, on the high seas, that Hernandez—his other two companions well hidden in the hold— stole out of the companion way of a fruit steamer bound for the southern seas, He glanced cautiously around a cor- ner. The first figure that met his sight was Neal Hardin—an ensign in the navy. “What’s he doing here?” demanded Hernandez of himself, He watched warily. disturbed him. Neal was giving orders to the cap- tain of the ship. Hernandez 'looked about him. Sud- denly he darted forward, stooped, and picked up something from the floor. “What is it?” queried Inez. “A piece of steel,” he said. That night, well muffied, he stole toward the compass, and concealed his plece of steel where it would do the most good—or most, harm, as you pre- fer. No one saw him—no one knew. But on'his return, turning a corner, he ran full tilt into Ensign Neal Har- din himself. Neal sprang upon the muffled figure and tore the enveloping cloak from Hernandez’ grasp. “You,” cried Neal, leaping for Her- nandez, “I've got you now.” They struggled like tigers, but Neal took no chances. This was no test bout. He wanted to make sure of his man. He called for help. Help came. A dozen men pounced upon Hernan- dez. ‘When he was safely chained Neal rose to his feet. “We've got him,” said Neal briefly. He gave an order. ‘“Search the ship,” he said. ‘The ship. was-searched, and with- in the next quarter of an hour Inez and the Brute, each in'the:clutch of many powerful men, came into view on deck, 2 ‘What he saw “Lock the woman in a cabin,” com- manded Neal, “and keep guard upon her day and night.” All night he lay, chained heavily, solitary, in the lazarette, working out his own salvation—not eternal, but material. And he always came to one conclusion—“I'll beat them yet.” All night the pilot puzzled his head over his compass. As dawn broke, in the crow’s nest aloft, the lookout shaded his eyes with his hand—then with the same hand shaded his mouth. “Land ho!” he cried, “land ho!” Neal heard him and hurried to the pilot’s side. “Can’t be Lost Isle,” he exclaimed. . “Must be,” said the pilot, “we're headed straight for her—straight as the crow flies, sir. But I can’t under- stand it, either—blest if I—" The sentence was unfinished. With a terrific shock the vessel crashed into an unseen reef—an unknown reef, for ‘hey had ventured into uncharted seas. Neal understood the A;langen The shock was too teriiiic to be ignored. [t.meant a wreck—it would be a mat- ter of minutes only before she filled. “Man the boats,” he cried, “order all on deck. Make haste.” He rushed in person to Annette’s door and threw it open. In person he lifted Annette and her mother into the first boat. Inez also was included. It was lowered safely. Neal tu-ned to his crew. “Get the lazarette prisoner,” he commanded, “drag him into this boat here. Be about it now.” Hernandez, in a frenzy of fear, had been beating with his chains upon the barred door of the lazarette. They dragged him forth, his face working with fear and rage, and bundled him into the second boat—the Brute leap- mg in behind.- Half way down the side something happened—the gear broke. The boat dropped—its one end still held to the tackle—and plunged its human burden into the sea beneath. Hernandez, heavy with his iroms, clung to the Brute. The Brute was stili a paragon of strength. With both Hernandez’ hands upon his brawny shoulders—with the dragging weight of Hernandez’ irons upon him, he swam, with even, steady strokes, toward the shore—swam for an hour, tirelessly, like some huge dog. Suddenly his feet touched sand.. .. Neal and Annette stood upon a strip of beach, staring all about them. “This,” said Annette, “must be Lost Isle—and the admiral was right—it 1s deserted. Unless we find a Robinson Crusoe here—possibly—my father.” Neal shook his head. “I'm not sure it’s Lost Isle,” ke commented, “and I'm not sure it's deserted. See that turn in the short line—let’s round the corner and have a better look.” Around the corner, some three-quar- ters of a mile away, a-goup of naked natives clustered greedily about a fire. Above the fire something—horribly gruesome—turned and turned upon a slowly-revolving spit. Scattered about upon the ground, were human skulls. . . . _ One of the natives held up his arms, uttering guttural sounds and pointed off the shore. The whole crowd broke into a run—reached the shore and waited. Two men staggered from the water toward the beach. The group of natives set up a yell of triumph . . . here, then, were two more human skulls—two more gruesome forms to be turned upon a spit over a hot fire. Yes. Mariners were quite right. These were indeed, uncharted seas—Hermandez and the Brute were pioneers. The Brute looked 'straight ahead. He placed his arm about his master's quivering shoulders and stepped up out of the sea, straight into that dia- bolical group of twentieth-century anthropophagi. The Brute knew no fear. The black brutes reached forth clutching hands and touched him— seized Hernandez. The Brute stretched forth a hand, seized & sav- age by the neck, and whirled him’ round and round about his head, strik; ing the ‘black men right and left. . . . 5 Then he tossed his captive’ into’ the sea, leaving him to struggle out as best he might. There was a wild ory among the na- tives—then suddenly, they prostrated themselves before the Brute. “He has a white face—white beard,” 'they told each other, “down, down on your faces. He is a god—our god.™ (TO BE CONTINUED) - |