Ralph Bonehill

“ Outside of the crowd of men was another crowd of women and children, also with lighted torches, who were singing a song of their own. On the ground sat four old men beating drums fast and furiously, while a perfect hag of a woman occupied her time by spinning around and around on one heel of her naked and bony foot, like a teetotum.
"By Jove, here's a scene!" cried Oliver. "Do you know what these people are? They are fire-worshipers, and this is their annual sacred dance." ”

“ Carlos Remora had disappeared entirely, nor did he show up again, thinking that all of the party were buried under the fallen ceiling of the cave.
The side of the mountain was wet and slippery, and they had to proceed with care, for fear of slipping into some hollow and becoming seriously hurt.
On all sides were the evidences of the terrific storm—shattered trees, bushes laid flat, and here and there a ripped-up portion of grass, as if some giant's hand had reached down and twisted it up from the roots.
"It's wonderful what a power the wind has when it lets itself loose," remarked Dick. ”

“ No one who has never been surrounded by snakes can realize the terrible feeling which awakens in one's breast at such an experience. It is a feeling that, once realized, is never forgotten. Allen said afterward he felt as if his hair had lifted from his head and his heart had had a bath in ice water.
"Great Scott!" were the words which escaped from his lips. "This is the worst yet!"
He had no time to say more, for at that moment one of the snakes leaped through the air directly for his hand. He threw his hand up, caught the reptile by the tail and flung it, hissing, among its fellows. ”

“ There is no gradual coming on of daylight. The sun came up in all of its fiery splendor, and day was at hand, hot, oppressive, and enervating. To look around one would have thought that it had not rained for a week, yet there was a steam in the air—a steam that by noon gave place to a peculiar vapor laden with that smell which, once experienced, is not easily forgotten, the smell of rank vegetation mingled with the delicious odor of spices. ”

“ The sun was now well over to the hills in the west, and the trees along the shore cast long shadows over the rippling surface.
"No use of talking, such a spot as this is a regular Paradise," was Snap's comment. "I can tell you, there isn't anything like a life in the open!"
"Especially when it rains," suggested Giant.
"Or when you're caught in a blizzard," added Shep. "Do you remember that blizzard last Christmas?"
"Will we ever forget it," answered Giant. "Just the same, what Snap says is true—give me such an outing as this every time. ”

“ As Rasco was now in plain view, and as each of the enemy had a firearm of some sort aimed at him, it would have been foolishness to have thus courted death, and the man of the plains halted.
"It is Jack Rasco!" cried Vorlange. "Boys, this is Pawnee Brown's right-hand man!"
"I know him!" growled Tucker. "Rasco, you're in a box now and don't you forget it. You've been spying on us."
"Make him a prisoner," said another of the cavalrymen, an under officer. "If he is a spy we'll have to take him back to the fort and turn him over to the captain." ”

“ As for Joe and Darry, the first shock over, each felt as if he was in a dream—as if this terrible sight presented to their gaze could not be true, They shot off their rifles mechanically, yet when it was all over Joe remembered how he had sent one redskin tumbling back into the ditch, and Darry could tell of a desperado who had dropped his gun because of a shot through the shoulder.
"Fight to the last, men!" shouted Captain Moore, as he discharged his pistol at the leader of the desperadoes. ”

“ I cried out, and shoved the bushes aside, to uncover a man who lay on the ground with his eyes closed, as if asleep. He was dressed like a sailor, and his left arm was missing from the elbow.
"Who's who?" asked Mr. Raymond.
"Here's a man asleep under the veranda."
"A man? Can it be that good-for-nothing gardener?" cried Mr. Raymond, and ran down the steps. "He's a stranger—a tramp, most likely," he added, a second later. "Hi, wake up here and give an account of yourself," he cried, and caught the one-armed man by the foot. ”

“ When at last the two boys reached the spot where the raft had been moored they found everything in readiness for departure. Whopper and Giant had strung all the craft together in a line, making quite a flotilla.
"They are after us—we've got to dust out lively!" cried Shep, as he and his chum struck the water's edge.
"You can't get in the Snapper," explained Whopper. "The outfit is in such a jumble there is no room."
"You stay where you are," ordered Snap. "I'll get in their rowboat and Shep can get in the canoe. ”

“ The light illumined the cavern, casting a ruddy glare on the rocks and the rippling water. It was a weird and uncanny scene, and he shivered involuntarily. He would have given a good deal to have been in the outer world once more. Allen saw that the river had simply widened at the spot, and that a hundred yards further on it flowed into a narrow channel, as before. Only on the side which he occupied was there anything in the shape of a shore. Opposite the rocks stood straight up, and were covered with moss and slime. ”

“ Bob broke off short and pointed up the broad highway. Around a bend a fine carriage had appeared, drawn by a team of coal black steeds.
For some reason not now apparent, the team had taken their bits in their teeth and were running away at topmost speed.
The turnout had two seats, but its sole occupant was a little girl not over six or seven years of age—a pale, blue-eyed creature, with yellow curls streaming down her back.
"Help! stop the bad, bad horses!" sobbed the little girl, as the tears of terror ran down her cheeks. ”

“ Once at the fort the two boys felt that a vacation full of fun and pleasure would follow. Never once did they dream of the perils which awaited them in that wild region, which was not as civilized as it was to become a handful of years later.
"It seems to me it is growing hotter," remarked Darry, after riding a quarter of a mile in silence.
"It is growing hotter," answered the old scout. "And that makes me more certain than ever that a storm's at hand."
"We'll have to take what comes," said Joe. ”

“ A sharp flash of lightning at this instant nearly blinded me, and the report which followed was deafening. Caleb Merkin's hold on me loosened and a roll of the steamer sent me flat on the deck. To keep myself from sliding I knew not whither, I grabbed the netting below the rail. I expected to have the one-armed sailor tackle me again, but—he had disappeared!
Yes, it was true, he had disappeared! Whether he had gone overboard or not I could not tell, but I felt that the chances were nine out of ten that he had landed into the ocean. I strained my eyes in vain to pierce the darkness. ”

“ An ear-splitting whistle from the chief of the Tagals had brought twenty or thirty others to the scene, and now our party of five were all made prisoners, Sandram being cast out into the waves which lapped the Dart's sides.
"Here's a pickle, truly!" growled Tom Dawson. "I wonder what they intend to do with us?"
"Mebbe they'll eat us, hang 'em!" answered Watt Brown.
"No, they are no longer cannibals," put in Vincent. "But you can make up your minds that we won't sleep on a bed of roses to-night."
"They have no right to make us prisoners," went on the first mate. ”

“ With the pressure upon the pistol trigger he went down like a flash and the bullet intended for his head merely grazed the top of his hat and flattened itself upon the cave wall opposite.
"Bah!" hissed Yellow Elk, when he saw how he had missed. He attempted to take him once more, but now Pawnee Brown hurled himself on the redskin, turning the barrel of the weapon aside, and both went to the stone flooring with a crash. Nellie Winthrop let out a shriek of terror.
"Do not let him shoot you! Make him throw the pistol away!" she cried, as she wrung her hands. ”

“ At this Captain Marcale's face grew as dark as a thunder cloud.
"Have a care!" he hissed. "I will not be insulted before my own men. I will give you your choice, to do your duty as sailors, or to be put back into the hold, on bread and water."
"I won't work as a sailor," came from Oliver promptly.
"Neither will I," came from myself.
"You had better consider the matter carefully. The hold is no nice place, as you know, and the stomach craves something better than ship's bread and stale water." ”

“ Paul and Chet gave a groan. Something like a lump arose in the throat of the younger youth, but he cleared it away with a cough.
"The mean, contemptible scoundrels!" burst out Paul. "We must get after them somehow!"
"I'll go after them," replied Allen, with swift determination. "Give me my rifle. I already have my pistol."
"You are not going alone, are you?" demanded Paul.
"I'll have to. There is only my mare to be had."
"It's foolhardy, Allen," urged Chet. "What could one fellow do against two or more? They would knock you over at the first chance." ”

“ The end of the jungle reached, Dick came out into an open patch probably a hundred feet in circumference. It was covered with moss, and unsuspicious of danger he started to cross to the other side.
But the moss only covered one of the most treacherous of bogs, and the youth had scarcely covered fifteen feet of the distance than he sank up to his ankles in the sticky soil. Growing alarmed, he tried to turn back, only to find himself glued to the spot, and sinking deeper and deeper with every movement made to extricate himself. ”

“ On all sides were the immense trees and dense brushwood, while the stream was dotted with little islands, covered with reeds and rushes and small, thorny bushes.
The sun had gone down, and as the darkness increased the boys looked at each other wonderlngly. This was not at all what they had expected.
"If this is Narsac Lake I don't want to stay here," remarked Shep. "Why, it can't hold a candle to Cameron or Firefly."
" No wonder nobody comes here," grumbled Whopper. "It's nothing but a swamp." ”

“ At the further side of the brush we came to a small stream, which we plunged into ere we had time to draw back.
"Look out, it may be over your head!" shouted Dawson; but the warning was not needed, as the watercourse proved to be less than a yard deep at any point. The bottom was of sand and small stones, and both sides were overhung with brush, moss, and the ever-present vines.
"Hold on," whispered my companion, as I was about to step out of the stream. "It may be safer here than anywhere, for water leaves no trail. Let us keep to the middle of the stream and see where it brings us." ”

“ It was fully an hour before Gilroy reappeared, accompanied by White Ox and an under-chief known as Little Wildcat.
"Want to talk," grunted White Ox, coming to a halt at a safe distance.
"Have you dug up the hatchet, White Ox?" demanded the captain. "If not, let us smoke the pipe of peace together."
"The pipe of peace is broken," answered the old Indian. "The white man is not the red man's friend. He makes promises only to break them. The Indian must fight for what is his own."
"Do you consider this fort your own?"
"The land is the red man's—the white man has stolen it from him. ”

“ THE START FOR HONOLULU.
The three of us stared at each other in utter dismay, unable for the moment to speak. The map—that precious bit of parchment—was gone, lost! What should we do now?
"And our tickets to Honolulu all bought!" groaned Dan, who was the first to break the painful silence.
"Are you sure it is lost?" I said. "Haven't you it anywhere about your clothing? Feel in every pocket."
"Maybe you left it home," suggested Dan, a faint ray of hope shining in his face. ”

“ The Dashaway had been cruising off the shore of the Carolinas for the best part of a week. She was as trim and substantial a yacht as one could meet anywhere, and had been built especially for Dick Wilbur's uncle by a firm of ship constructors who made a specialty of this class of work. She was long and narrow—yet not too narrow for safety—and while her mast was a towering one, the ballast of lead in her keel was sufficient to render her sailing qualities good even in a heavy blow. ”

“ It resembled the body of a man, and glowed with a strange yellow light, while the horns of red waved menacingly toward them.
"Away! away! away!" came a deep voice. "Go away from the mountain and the lake!"
And then, raising a warning finger and pointing directly at the four young hunters, the ghostly figure suddenly moved to one side and vanished! ”

“ A moment later Yellow Elk nodded to the other Indians and all leaped forward and bound Pawnee Brown fast to the fire-stake. This done the red skins heaped the brush around the scout's feet.
"Now the dirty white dog can die!" hissed Yellow Elk, as he advanced with a torch. "He can pray, but the white man's Great Father cannot save him! He must burn until his bones are as charcoal!" ”

“ From day-dreaming I fell into a light doze, from which I awoke with a start to find the form of a man leaning over me. The man had clutched my arm and this had aroused me. One glance showed that the man was Captain Kenny.
"Now I've got the chance I'll serve you as I served Holbrook!" he hissed into my ear, and hurled me over the edge of the canyon down to where the mountain torrent struck the rocks far below. ”

“ BURNING OF THE STOCKADE.
"What will you do with him?" asked Joe of Benson, as he pointed to Nat Potts.
"Don't be hard on me," pleaded Potts. "I meant you no harm."
"You ought to be hung," grunted the old scout. "You aint fit to live and you know it, Potts. You could make an honest living if you wanted to, but you would rather cheat and steal."
"It was Matt Gilroy who got me into this," answered Potts. "He—"
"Don't put it off on to somebody else, Potts!" cried the old scout wrathfully. "If you aint got backbone enough to be honest, it's your own fault." ”

“ The little racing mare was the very apple of his eye.
"I'll not give up the hunt until I have found her." He turned again to the cavalrymen. "If the finest little black mare, with a white blaze, that you ever saw strays into your camp remember she belongs to me," he went on. "I want her returned at once, and if any body attempts to keep her there will be a hotter time than this Territory has seen for many a day. Dick, hop up behind me," and he turned to his horse.
"That boy is to remain here," blustered Tucker, growing red in the face. ”

“ Yet all on board the Dashaway realized that a human life was in peril, and that some risk must be run in order to effect a rescue, were such a thing possible.
"I can't see him now," said old Jacob, as the lightning seemed to subside for the time being. "It's as black as night."
"Let us fire up with a Bengal light," suggested Leander, and ran off for the article. Soon it was spluttering in the rain, but brightening up the scene about them for several hundred feet.
"Help! help!" came faintly to their ears, as the Dashaway drew closer to the upturned rowboat. "Don't leave me to perish! Help!" ”

“ Then came a rush of wind, and I heard the tree branches above me, old and rotten, creak ominously.
As the wind increased a fresh danger presented itself to my mind. What if the tree should be wrecked? More than likely my life would be crushed out of me. With fear and trembling I awaited each fresh gust.
Cra-ck! The sound came from above, and in a twinkle I beheld a large branch dangling directly above the hollow. I had barely time to put up both of my hands, when the limb came came down, heavy end first. ”

“ Leaving the brook, the trail wound in and out along a series of rocks and then through some heavy brushwood and along the edge of a jagged cliff. The cliff was overgrown with heavy vines, which hung down and brushed Joe's head as he passed.
"I can't be more than three or four miles from the cave," thought the boy. "And if I hurry—"
He stopped short, and then gave a cry of terror, and with good reason. He had seen the vines ahead suddenly part, and now there came to view the shaggy head of a black bear. As soon as the beast caught sight of the boy he leaped to the trail and advanced upon him. ”

“ ATTACKED BY A WILDCAT.
"You fiend!"
This was all Pawnee Brown could say, as with a face full of bitter hatred Yellow Elk advanced and applied the torch to the dry brush which encircled his feet.
In vain the great scout endeavored to wrench himself free from the fire-stake. Yellow Elk and his followers had done their work well and he was held as in a vise.
"Pawnee Brown shall burn slowly," said the Indian chief, hoping to make the scout show the white feather. "Yellow Elk will watch that the fire does not mount to his body too quickly." ”

“ To Dick and Leander it seemed an age. Again they cried out, but the top of the hole being smaller than the bottom, their voices were as muffled as though they were prisoners in a huge bottle.
"This is truly a pickle," groaned Dick, as he threw himself on one of the fallen rocks. "I must say, I'm stumped."
"So am I."
"I'm going to try throwing stones out of the hole," said Dick, after another interval of silence. "Anything is better than doing nothing."
Both boys began to shy out all of the stones they could pick up. ”

“ Looking upward, I saw that all was darkness overhead, but whether this was because the top of the hollow was closed up, or because it was night, I could not tell.
"Well, this is a pickle truly," I murmured, and put one of my hands, which was over my head, to my brow. My head ached a good deal and there was a lump behind my left ear, where I had been struck.
The air inside of the tree was suffocating and I rightfully guessed that I had been a long while unconscious in consequence. Thinking to climb out as quickly as possible, I put my hand up to catch something by which to pull myself up. ”

“ A pounding of hoof-strokes on the grassy trail below the rocks caused him to stop and listen attentively.
"Somebody is coming. I'll see if I can get help!" he cried, and ran down to the trail, swinging his lantern over his head as he went. In ten seconds a horseman burst into view, riding a beautiful racing steed. The newcomer was a well-known leader of the land boomers, who rejoiced in the name of Pawnee Brown.
"Ai! Pawnee Brown!" cried Dick, and at once the leader of the land boomers came to a halt. ”

“ But there were still many things to learn, and now Robert Menden announced that he would take lessons in seamanship, too.
"I don't want you to think I am lazy," he said. "I am just as willing to work as anybody. I expect by the time Porto Rico is reached I'll be a regular old salt."
"We can't get to that island fast enough for me," cried Bob. "I'm crazy to get at that treasure." And he felt like dancing a jig for joy, little dreaming of all the thrilling adventures and grave perils in store for the party. ”

“ The cry came from Benson, as he rode down the trail at a breakneck speed, rifle ready for use.
"A buffalo!" cried Darry.
"A buffalo? Look out for yourselves."
"Yes, take care," came from Captain Moore, who was behind the old scout.
"We've fixed him," said Joe, not without a good deal of pardonable pride.
"Fixed him?" Old Benson looked out upon the glade. "By the great Jehosophat!" he roared. "Gone and shot a buffalo all by your lone selves! Or maybe he was dead when you got here?" ”

“ As I lay there flat on my back, I could not get the one-armed sailor out of my mind. Beyond a doubt he must be drowned. Was I responsible for his death?
The thought made me break out into a cold perspiration, and before night a fever followed, and once more I was at the rail fighting for my life amid the fury of the hurricane. Caleb Merkin's eyes glared fiercely into my own, until they burned themselves into my brain, and the fever rose until both Dr. Barton and the regular steamer physician were in grave fear for my life. ”