BY MEYERS & MENGEL. TERMS OF PUBLICATION. TUB BEDFORD GAZETTE IB published every Thurs day morning by MEYERS A MESSEL, at $2.00 per annum, tf paid strictly in advance : $2.50 if paid within six months; $3.00 if not paid within six months. All subscription accounts be settled annually. No paper will be sent oat of the State unless paid for is ADVASCK. and all such übscriptions will invariably be discontinued at the expiration of the time for which they are aid. All ADVERTISEMENTS for a less term ;han three months TEN CENTS per line for each In sertion. Special notices one-half additional All resolutions of Associations; communications of 'iu.ited or individual interest, and notices of mar riages and deaths exceeding five line?, ten rents per lino. Editorial notices fifteen cents per line. All legal Notices of every hind,and Orphans' Court and Judicial Sales, are required by law t be published in both papers published in this place All advertising due after first insertion. A liberal discount is made to persons advertising by the quarter, half year, or year, as follows : 3 months. 6 months. 1 year. *One square - - - $4 50 $6 00 $lO 00 Two squares - - - 600 900 16 00 Three squares - - - 8 00 12 00 20 00 Quarter column - - 14 00 20 00 35 00 Half column - - - 18 00 25 00 45 00 One column - - - - 30 00 45 00 80 00 •One square to occupy one inch of space JOB PRINTING, of every kind, done with neatness and dispatch. THE GAZETTE OFFICE has just been refitted with a Power Press and new type, and everything in the Printing line can be execu ted in the most artistic manner and at the lowest rates. —TERMS CASH. letters should he addressd to MEYERS A MENGEL, Publishers. gob i'vinting. POWER PRESS P RINTI NO ESTABLISHMENT, BEDFORD, PA. M.E YE 11S & MENGEL PROPRIETORS. Having recently made additional iin provemeuts t< our office, we are pre pared to execute all orders for PLAIN AND FANCY JOB PRINTING, With dispatch and in the most SU P E Ji/OJi ST YL E. CIRCULARS, LETTER HEADS, BILL HEA DS, CHECKS, CER TIFICA TES, BLANKS, DEEDS, REGISTERS, RE CEIPTS, CARDS. HEADINGS, ENVEIs- OPES, SHOWBILLS, HANDBILLS, IN VITATIONS, LAB ELS, be. fye. Our facilities for printing POSTERS, PROGRAMMES, &c., FOR CONCERTS AND EXHIBITIONS, ARE UNSURPASSED. "PUBLIC SALE" BILLS Printed at short notice. We can insure complete satisfaction as to time and pric-e rriHE INQUIRER BOOK STORE, opposite the Mengel House, BEDFORD, PA. The proprietor takes pleasure in offering to the public the following articles belonging to the Book Business, at CITY RETAIL PRICES : MISCELLAN E< )US BO()KS. N O V E L S. BIBLES, HYMN BOOKS, AC.: Large Family Bibles, Small Bibles. Medium Bibles, Lutheran Hymn Books. Methodist Hymn Books, Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. History of the Books of the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, Ae., Ac., Ac. Episcopal Prayer Books, Presbyterian Hymn Books, SCHOOL BOOKS. TOY BOOKS. STATIONERY, Congress, Legal, Record, Foolscap, Letter, Congress Letter, Sermon, Commercial Note, Ladies' Gilt, Ladies' Octavo, Mourning, French Note, Bath Post, Damask Laid Note, Cream Laid Note, Envelopes, Ac WALL PAPER. Several Hundred Different Figures, the Largest lot ever brought to Bedford county, for sale at prices CHEAPER THAN EVER SOLD in Bedford. BLANK BOOKS. Day Books, Ledgers, Account Books, Cash Books, Pocket Ledgers, Time Books. Tuck Memorandums, Pass Boobs, Money Books, Pocket Books, Blank Judgment Notes, drifts, receipts, Ac INKS AND INKSTANDS. Barometer inkstands, Gutta Percha, Cocoa, and Morocco Spring Pocket Inkstands. Glass and Ordinarv Stands for Schools, Flat Glass Ink Wells and Rack, Arnold's Writing Fluids, Hover's Inks, Carraine Inks, Purple Inks, • Charlton's Inks, Eukolon for pasting, Ac. PENS AND PENCILS. Gil lot's, Cohen's, Hollowbush A Carey's, Payson. Dunton, and Scribner's Pens, Clark's Indellible, Faber's Tablet, Cohen's Eagle, Office. Faber's Uuttknecht's, Carpenter's Pencils. PERIODICALS. Atlantic Mon hly. Harper's Magazine. Madame Demorest's Mirtor of Fashions, Electic Magazine, Godey's Lady's Book, Galaxy, Lady's Friend, Ladies' Repository, Our Young Folks, Nick Nax. Yankee Notions, Budget of Fun. Jolly Joker, Phunny Phellow. Lippincott's Magazine, Riverside Magazine, Waverly Magazine, Ballou's Magazine, Gardner's Monthly, Harper's Weekly, rank Leslie's Illustrated, Chimney Corner. New York Ledger, New York Weekly, Harper's Bazar, Every Saturday, Living Age, Putnam's Monthly Magazine, Arthur's Home Magazine, Oliver Optic's Boys and Girl's Magazine Ac. Constantly on hand to accomodate those who want to purchase living reading mr.tttcr. Only a part of toe vast, number of articles per taining to the Book and Stationery business, which we are prepared to sell cheaper than the aheapest, are above enumerated Give us a call We buy and sell for CASH, and by this arrange ment we expect to sell as cheap as goods of this etass arc sold anywhere na'2 H sMsrfUaneous. TILEC T R I C TELEGRAPH IN CHINA. THE EAST INDIA TELEGRAPH COMPANY S OFFICE, Xos. 23 & 25 Nassau Street, NEW YORK. Organizoil under special charter from the state of New York. CAPITAL $5,000,000 50,000 SHARES, SIOO EACH. DIREC T O R S. Hoy ANDREW 0. CURTIN, Philadelphia. PAULS. FORBES, of Russell A Co., Cbißa. FRED. BUTTERFIELD, of F. Bu tterfield A C New York. ISAAC LIYERMORE, Treasurer Michigan Cen trai Railroad, Boston. ALEXANDER HOLLAND, Treasurer American Express Company, New York. Hon. JAMES NOXON, Syracuse, N. Y. O. H. PALMER, Treasurer Western Union Tele graph Company, New York. FLETCHER WESTRAY, of Westray, Oibbs A llarjcastle, New York. NICHOLAS MICKLFJS, New York. OFFI C E It S. A. (J. CURTIN, President. N. MICKLES, Vice President. GEORGE ELLIS (Cashier National Bank Com monwealth,) Treasurer. HON. A K. McCLURE, Philadelphia, Solicitor. The Chinese Government having (through the Hon. Anson Burlingame) conceded to this Com pany the privilege of connecting the great sea ports of the Empire by submarine electric tele graph cable, we propose commencing operations in China, and laying down a line of nine hundred miles at onee, between the following ports, viz : Population. Canton ..., 1,000,000 Macoa 00.000 Hong-Kong 250,000 Swatow 200,000 Amoy 250,000 Foo-Chow 1,250,000 Wan-Cbn 300,000 Niogpo 100.000 Hang Chean 1,200,000 Shanghai 1,000,000 Total 5,910.000 These ports have a foreign commerce of $900,- 000,000. and an enormous domestic trade, besides which we have the immense internal commerce of the Empire, radiating from these points, through its canals and navigable rivers. The cable being lai d, this company proposes erecting land lines, and establishing a speedy and trustworthy means of communication, which must command there, as everywhere else, the commu nications of the Governraont, of business, and of social life especially in China. She has no postal system, and her only means nowofcommuuicating information is by couriers on land, and by steam ers on water. The Western World knows that China is a very large country, in the main densely peopled; but few yet realize that slio contains more than a third of the human race. The latest returns made to her central authorities for taxing purposeg by the local magistrate make ber population Four hun dred and Fourteen millions, and this is more likely to be under than over the actual aggregate. Nearly all of these, who are over ten years old, not only can but do read and write. Her civili zation is peculiar, but her literature is as exten sive as that of Eurepe. China is a land of teach ers and traders ; and the latter are exceedingly quick to avail themselves of every proflored facili ty for procuring early information, it is observed in California that the Chinese make great use of the telegraph, though it there transmits messages in English alone. To-day great numbers of fleet steamers are owned by Chinese merchants, and used by them exclusively for the transmission of early intelligence If the telegraph we propose connecting all their great seaports, wero now in existence, it is believed that its business would pay the cost within the first two years of its suc cessful operation, and would steadily increase thereafter No enterprise commends itself as in a greater degree renumerative to capitalists, and to our whole people. It is of vast national importance commercially, politically and evangelically. LP "The stock of this Company has beta un qualifiedly recommended to capitalists and busi ness men, as a desirable investment by editorial articles in the New York Herald, Tribune, World, Times, Post, Express, Independent, and in the Philadelphia North American, Press, Ledger, Inquirer, Age. Bulletin and Telegraph. Shares of this company, to a limited number, may be obtained at SSO each, $lO payable down, sls on the Ist of November, and $25 payable in monthly instalments of $2.50 each, commencing December I, 1868, on application to DREXEL & CO., 34 South Third Street, PHILADELPHIA. Shares can be obtained in Bedford by applica tion to Reed A Sehell, Bankers, who are author ized to receive subscriptions, and can give all ne cessary information on the subject. sept2syl W E combine style with neatness 01 fit. And moderate prices with the best workmanship j JONES' ONE PRICE CLOTHING HOUSE 1 604 MARKET STREET, GEO W. NIEMANN. PHILADELPHIA. [9epll,'6B,yl | I rpHK BEST PLACE TO BUY I choice brands of chewing Tobaccos and Ci gars, at wholesale or retail, is at Uster's. Good natural leaf Tobaccos at 75 cents. Try our 5 cent Yara and liavanus cigars— they cant bo beat, unelßm3. BEDFORD, PA., THURSDAY MORNING OCTOBER 21, 1869. !ht ffwifcrA THE BOY MAGICIAN: OR The Secrets of the Sea. CHAPTER I. THE PRISONER OF MID-OCEAN. Late one summer afternoon, a dozen years ago, a solitary white man stood before an idolatrous temple on an is land in the South Pacific. He was of middle age, tall thin, and gaunt, with rugged featurers and sor rowful eyes, and with every sign of goodness and intelligence. Beside him was a grim stone idol, in grotesque human form, more than twice as tall as himself which he had just finished, and was indicated by the mallet and chisel in his hands. "It is done," he muttered. "And these heathen littlesuspect that I have cut my name and story in the base of this idol." He ran his eye rapidly over the in scription in question. It was as fol lows : "The Bth of May, 1852, I, Da vid Lester of the firm of Lester & Nichols, of Norfolk, Vir ginia, sailed as a passenger from Charleston to llongKong, via Cape Horn, in the ship 'Hecla.' A cyclone struck us in mid-ocean, the ship founder ed, and we took to the boats, which all filled, with the ex ception of the oue 1 was in. Alter drifting several days, during which my companions perished, I reached this island, The Idolatrous inhabitants made me a slave in their tem ple, and for more than four years I have been doing meni al offices and carving images. I have been chained every night, and watched continual ly by day, but have neverthe less made three attempts at es cape, and shall soon make an other—doubtless my last, as 1 am resolved to succeeed or die, preferring death to a longer cap tivity. I therefore write these words upon this idol, praying any one who may see them to report my fate, if possible, to my family at Norfolk, Virgin ia." Finished this inscription this 7th day of July, 1857." For several minutes the prisoner contemplated these lines in silence, and then aroused himself, looking warily around. "Three times I have tried to escape in a canoe," he mutered," "and every time I was caught, and visited with tortures. To be caught again in such an attempt will be certain death. Yet I will risk all the first opportunity that offers. This longing for freedom and my family is becoming a positive madness. Oh, my God! what is that ?" 110 giir.rd in pcrfout etupofitation to the eastward, far out upon the ocean. There, miles and leagues away, was a ship, her white sails gleaming as she lay becalmed upon the waters. "A ship ! a ship!" cried Lester, sob bingly. "At last, oh Heaven! At last my prayer is answered ! THE PRISONER'S HOME. On the east bank of the Elizabeth riv er, just out of Norfolk, and overlook ing Hampton Roads, stood a beautiful cottage, the home of the wife and dauyhter of David Lester, the prisoner of the lone island in the far Pacific. Near the close of a lovely afternoon in May, Mrs. Lester and her daughter sat together upon their front veranda. The mother was a lovely sweet-fac ed, sad-eyed woman of two-and-thirty years. The daughter, Amy lister, not yet fifteen, was a strange compound of child and woman. "You are thinking of father, dear mother?" murmured the maiden, sis she marked the lady's longing gaze. "Yes, child. Your father, my hus band ; where is he? Somewhere un der the sea waves, wrecked on a desert island, or languishing on a hostile shore ? It is five years since he left us on that fatal voyage to China. My reason assures me that he is dead ; yet, Amy, I can only think of him as liv ing?" "It is so with nie, mother," said A rny, with a tremulous quiver of her lips. "I dream often that he is living —that he is coming home!" "We need him in a hundred ways," said Mrs. Lester, sighing. If any thing were to happen to me Amy, I shudder to think what would become of you. You have lieen brought up in luxury, and would feel keenly any change to poverty." "Are we not rich, then, mother?" asked Amy, in surprise. "I supposed so, dear, until three years ago," replied the mother sadly. "Your father was a merchant and ship-owner, a partner of Colonel Nich ols. bu. two years ago Colonel Nich ols informed me that the out-standing debts of the firm more than balanced the assets; in short, Amy, that he was on the verge of bankruptcy, his for tune and ours alike wrecked!" "I don't like Colonel Nichols!" said Amy, thoughtfully. "If he lost all his money with ours, how does lie live in such grand style? To whom do his ships and great house belong?" "To his nephew, Ally Bell. Colonel Nichols is Ally's guardian. The Colo nel has nothing of his own, excepting a farm or two up country, which were not risked in the business. Amy contracted her little brows re flectively, and was about to reply, when the garden gate swung on its hinges, and a boyish figure came light ly up the walk. "It's Ally, mother—it's Ally Bell!" exclaimed Amy, all smiles and blushes. "I'll bring him to you." The young girl ran lightly down the varandah steps and met the new comer, linking her arm in his and drawing him gently toward the house. He was a lad of seventeen, an orph an, the nephew aud ward of Colonel Nichols. Blight and gay and hand some, Allen Bell was also impelous, ar dent, and intelligent—one of those no ble, manly boys who mature early in to grand and noble men. Boy as he was, lie loved Amy Lester with a pure and chivalrous love, which bade fair to deepen in time into the great love of his life. He was the bearer of a letter from his uncle to Mrs. Lester, and having delivered it, he strolled with Amy down the garden walks into the cool shadows of a grove at the bottom of the garden. "I've been expecting you this good while, Ally," said Amy wij.ii charm ing frankness. "I thought you would be down here to try those scientific ex periments to-day." We'll try them to-night, Amy," re plied Ally. "The blue lights show better at night. I'm getting along finely in my chemistry, Amy. 1 like it best of all my studies." "I am sure you do," said Amy earn estly, "You are the nicest hoy I ever saw." Ally Bell laughed aloud. Amy's child-like simplicity and outspoken truthfullness, were her greatest charm in his eyes. "The sight of that brig yonder," said Ally, "reminds me that I promis ed to meet Colonel Nichols on board of it directly after I delivered that letter to your mother. I must go now, but you may expect me as soon as it's dark." ' lie clasped her in his arms and kiss ed her. For a minute the youthful lovers stood at the garden gate, toward which they had slowly walked, and here they parted soberly—All to go down to the brig where he had engaged to meet his uncle, and Amy to return to her moth er. She found Mrs. Lester, the open let ter in her lap, silent and motionless as a statue, her attitude that of profound dopair. "What is it, mother?" cried Amy in wild alarm, springing to her side. Mrs. Lester looked at her daughter with a woe-stricken face. "Oh, Amy !" she cried, turning to that brave, childish heart for strength and comfort, "Colonel Nichols writes me that we are beggars. He reminds me that he has asked me three several times to marry him. And Amy, he says lie knows your father to be dead, and he offers himself to me for the last time, lie reminds me of my ill health, of your youth and helplessness. And he says"—and Mrs. Lester's voice broke down in a tempest of sobs— "that on the one hand he offers me wealth, comfort, and happiness, on the other poverty and sorrow. If I refuse him he swears to turn us out of our home to-morrow." "Oh, mother!" exclaimed Amy, with a sharp cry, as she hid her face in her mother's bosom. CHAPTER 11. ALLY ENTRAPPED Before Ally Bell reached the brig ly ing at the wharf, his uncle, Colonel Nichols, had been there and arranged with the Captain, who went by the name of Hiley, to carry Ally off to China, for which service the Colonel promised to give the Captain the brig and ten thousand dollars, in case the boy never came back. Ililey was a murderer, whose real name was •Sprouls, and Colonel Nichols knew it. And Colonel Nichols had robbed Mrs. Lester, and now wanted to rob his nephew and have him murdered, and Ililey knew that, and resolved that Ally Bell should never six; Norfolk a gain. "Where is the Jad?" he asked, as ho and Colonel Nichols finished drinking success to their nefarious schemes, to which the Colonel replied: "He should be here at this very mo ment. Ah, I hear his step on deck now! Here lie comes!" Even as he spoke Ally Bell came hurrying into the cabin, his face flush ed with pleasurable excitement. "I'm just in time to see you off, Cap fain Hiley," hesaid, not noticing the guilty looksof the conspirators. "The wind is fair, and the crew anxious. A good voyage to you, Captain. Bring me some rare shells when you return. They are for a little girl's cabinet, and must be pretty." "Aye, aye, Mr. Allen." re-ponded the Captain heartily. Didn't you see my collection of shelJs in yonderstate room ? No? You are welcome to your choice of them all, sir." He advanced and flung open the state-room door. Ally bent forward and looked in. With a quick thrust, Hiley pushed him into the little room and hurried ly locked the door. With an exultant smile Colonel Nichols said adieu and went ashore. The next minute the hurried tramp ling of feet was blended with the songs of the stout seaman, as the brig moved slowly from the wharf toward the sea. Ally's first thought, on finding himself shut up in Captain Ililey's state-room, was that the two men were joking—merely intending to scare him a little, and then let him out ; but he soon discovered that the Quickstep— the brig was so named—had left her wharf and was standing down Eliza beth river toward the ocean. The truth flashed upon hiin. "I see it all!" he cried, leaping to his feet. "Ililey is taking me to sea with him ! Captain Hiley!" he shout ed, pounding on the wall, "open the door this minute! Let me out, or it will be bad for you I" No reply was made to him—no atten tion paid to his cry. He saw that he was fast, and was stunned by the knowledge of his situ ation. CHAPTER 111. LESTER ESCAPES AND HEARS FROM HOM K. We left David Lester on his lonely island, planning his escape, with a ship in sight from the elevated point where he was at work. He waited till night and until a priest of the idolatrous temple cauie to chain him in his dun geon, where they nightly confined him; and then suddenly leaping upon the priest, he bore him to tiie floor, chain ed and gagged him, disguised himself in his priestly robes, stained his face brown with dirt, went to the shore where the canoes were lying, entered one of them, and paddled out to sea in which he had seen the ship. He paddled for hours with all his strength, had gone so far that (he lights of the island could not be seen, and yet no ship had been found ; and now the wind was rising and a storm was threatening. "Oh, God! Am I forsaken?" he cried, in an awful anguish, seized with a fear that the wind would take the ship from him. "Must I perish here?" At that moment when hope was dy ing, he beheld a sight that turned all his wild woe into yet wilder ecstasy. There, to the northward, was a ship standing directly towards him with all sails set to catch the ris ing breeze, and not half a mile away. "Yes, there she is!" he shouted. "She is coining this way. lam saved —saved!" lie raised his arms to heaven in a mute thanksgiving and sobbed aloud the glad tears streaming down his worn aud haggard cheeks. The ship came nearer and nearer. Ileerdoubled his wild shouts, his heart and soul in his voice. An answering cry came suddenly from the ship's deck, and she drew steadily nearer—swerved from her course slightly, and a rope was thrown from her deck, falling into his canoe. He seized the rope in desperate eag erness, and a group of sailors leaning over the ship's side drew him aboard. In an instat more the ship had re sumed her course, and was moving in stately fashion before the breeze. "Safe at last!" murmured Lester, leaning against the bulwarks, weak and nerveless as an infant. "Oh, the gladness of this hour!" Poor man ! He did not dream at that moment that his adverse fate was even then relentlessly closing around him ; that he was on one of his own ships—the Cyclone ; that that ship was commanded by a bitter foe in league with Colonel Nichols, who, on recog nizing him, would without remorse consign him again to the mercies of the Pacific in his Indian canoe. On inquiry Lester learned that the vessel was the Cyclone , and in the light of the cabin lamp recognized her cap tain. Tearing off his priestly robe, and wiping the stain from his face with its coarse folds, he exclaimed : "Captain Sales, dont you know me?" "David Lester!" cried the Captain, turning ashy pale, and grasping his stationery seat as though he had receiv ed a shock. Lester wiped his brows and sat down, the Captain taking a seat opposite him. lie had so much to ask that his emo | tions choked his utterance, and pre i vented him from observing the look j of deadly hatred with which the Cap i tain regarded him. But he finally plied his questions fast, and learned that his wife yet lived, that his daugh ter Amy had grown into a lovely girl, and that both wife and daughter had long mourned hiin us dead. He also learned of his wife's poverty. "Colonel Nichols settled up the firm affairs," said the captain reservedly, "and there was nothing left for Mrs. Lester. She has been living off his bounty these two or three years!— When your interest in this ship was sold, I bought it. The Colonel owns the other half!" "But this is base fraud !" exclaimed Lester. "The Colonel lias been untrue to the trust I reposed in him. I have had suspicions of his integrity eluring my long exile, hut I have never dared to entertain them. I'll make matters straight on my leturn. I can prove my claims and bring him to justice, the dastardly villian ! My poor Mar garet !" and he groaned. Lester's threat concerning Nichols seemed to stir up all the malice of the Captain's nature. He beheld hisinterj est in the ship, fraudulently acquired, threatened, and he hated still more the lawful owner whose right in the Cyclone he had usurped. "If report speaks truly," he said, "Mrs. Lester need not be called 'poor.' Colonel Nichols lias long been paying her attentions, and when 1 left port, five months ago, the story was tlint they were engaged. The Colonel told me himself that he loved her and meant to marry hor. No doubt by this time they are married." This cruel thrust struck home to'the poor husband's heart, and uttering a great cry, he fell forward with his face upon the table, while the Captain re garded hiin with a look of mingled ha tred £tid exultation. Leaving his victim thus stunned, Captain Sales went on deck, and see ing that a storm Was rising, and think ing the time favorable for getting rid of Lester, he informed the crew that the strange man in the cabin was an in sane creature, whom it would be un safe to keep on board, and easily con vinced them that it was their duty, as they valued their own lives, to set him adrift again, lie then went below, cal led Lester,on deck, and at onee set him adrift in a well provisioned bout, notwithstanding the wretched man's petious appeals lor mercy. The Cy clone then sailed on, aud Lester's boat Was soon lost sight of in the darkness. A short time afterward the storm broke furiously, and Captain Sales rub bed his hands as he thought of the cer tain fate of the ioor waif whom he had so recently exposed to its power. But the storm was of short duration; Lester's boat outrode it; and the next day he succeeded in reaching the Cloud Islands. His fame as an image carver had preceded him, and the Chief of the Cloud Islands, who was named Lanati, at once compelled him to goto work on an idol, informing him that he should spend the remaininder of his life in that odious service. The unhappy man was driven to despair by this ter rible announcement. He toiled day after day, and night after night he planned to escape. But all his pian nings were in vain, as he was heavily ironed, and closely guarded at night. But finally, after mouths ofdisappoint meiit, when the attention of his guards was attracted elsewhere I y the ceremo nies of a feast, he succeeded in eluding their vigilance, and getting rid of his irons he escaped from the guard-house, and dashed wildly toward the shelter ing obscurity of a thick forest, which he reached in safety, but not before his flight had been discovered, and scores of the islanders had started in pursuit of him. An overuiing Providence had so or dered it that a short time before Les ters's escape, Alley Bell had been left by Captain Hileyonan uninhabited is land, within sight of the group on which Lester then was. Alley had been drugged by Captain Hi ley, and while in a deep sleep had been left on the island, with his chest, a basket of provisions, and a full set of tools. The boy on awakening, and finding himself thus left alone in the vast Pa cific Ocean was crushed by a sense of his calamity. But he was a brave lad, and he soon rallied, and set at work to make the best of his case. He built himself a hut, and having a lot of fire works in his chest, he arranged them so that he could play them off with ef fect, in case of any savages from the neighboring islands should come to molest him. His knowledge of chem istry and of fireworks, and his skill as a ventriloquist, was so great that he had acquired the title of "The Boy Magician," which title he determined to make good in ease any savage visi tors should attempt to work him mis chief. He had been in his new home but a few days when he saw a fleet of canoes and sail boats approaching his island, and hastily getting his fire works in perfect order, he calmly a waited the arrival of the painted bar barians, whom he could already dis tinguish eagerly gazing at his cabin. CHAPTER IV THE MOST FIENDISH PLOT OF ALL. The summer slipped away, and Sep tember was drawing to its close. One morning late in the month, Co lonel Nichols sat in his office, idly drumming on his desk with his fin gers, an expression of satisfaction on his features. He had been persecuting Mrs. Les ter with his attentions, which she dis dainfully repulsed. He had also con ceived a vehement desire to avenge himself on her daughter Amy, who, believing that Ally had been sent off by Colonel Nichols, had been a con stant thorn in his side for months. "Well," he muttered, with a long, drawn breath, "I finished closing up my affairs yesterday. What is to be my next move? I can leave Norfolk at any time. It might not be a bad i dea to take Mrs. Lester and Amy to my Cape Henry house. People begin to look coldly on me here, and they look on Mrs. Lester as an injured saint!" He frowned darkly, as if unpleasant memories were recurring to him. At this moment there sounded a heavy, uneven tread in the outer office. The clerks had ail been discharged within the month, and there was no business doing. Nichols, therefore, did not stir from his seat, nor trouble himself to inquire the business of the intruder. The heavy tread approached the in nei office, the door was opened, and a man looked in. Nichols saw him and sprang to his feet in astonishment. "Captain Sales !" he ejaculated. "It can't be possible! Come in! Come right in !" The man entered, closing the door behind him. It was indeed Captain Sales, of the ship Cyclone —the same man who had inhumanly set David Lester adrift in the South Pacific, in the very teeth, as he had supposed, of a terrific tempest!" The two men—fitting companions shook hands heartily. "When did you arrive, Captain?" demanded Nichols, proffering a chair. "This is a surprise! I wasn't expecting you this month !" 1 1 suppose not,' said Sales seating hin • self. "I ran into the Roads this very morning, and cast anchor not an hour ago. I concluded you didn't see me, since you didn't come off. We had a gale all the way home that blew us right along. Never made a better voyage out and in." Nichols went to a closet cupboard, and brought out a bottle of brandy and a tumbler. "Have a drink," he said, filling the glass. "How about your trading bsui ness? Seems to me you didn't stay long enough to do well." "Well, I haven't done so well as usu al, Colonel, that's a fact," replied Sales, between swallows of the liquor. "But I've got something of more im portance to you than a thousand dol lars more or less, Colonel." "And what is that?" demanded Nichols. Sales tossed off the remainder of the brandy, and sat the glass down heav ily us he responded : "it's a piece of news that will come hard to you, Colonel. David Lester i VOL. 65.--WHOLE No. 5,513. alive." "Alive!" Nichols reeled as if a bullei had en entered his heart. His complexion turned livid. "Alive !" he repeated, in a shrill, cutting whisper. "He has come hack ? He is in Norfolk ?" He looked around him wildly, as if seeking an avenue of escape. "No, Colonel, he is not here. He boarded us just after a calm in the South Pacific. I saw him face to face, heard him tell how the vessel he went out in had been lost in a cyclone, and how he alone remained alive to tell the tale." "And you brought him back?"cried Nichols, in that shrill, incisive whis per, putting his livid, scared face close to that of Sales, and fairly startling the latter by the glance of evil meaning that shot from his bloodshot eyes.— "You let him live—you, who will lose by his life and gain by his death ?" A regretful expression crossed the face of Captain Sales. "If I did, I didn't mean to!" he ex claimed. "The fact is, Colonel, 1 meant to dispose of him in the quickest manner. I thought there was a big storm coming, so I set him adrift in an open boat. The storm blew over, and Lester, I am sure, made for the nearest islands. He was in a frail boat, the poorest of the lot, and I allowed him only a small allowance of provisions." "Then he may be alive now on one of those Pacific islands!" ejeculated Nichols. "And he may be picked up by a vessel at any time, and come back to ruin me. I wa3 sure lie was dead. Tell me his story as he told it to you." Hales complied with the order, while Col. Nichols paced the floor with hur ried steps. "Yes, he must have gone back to the island he escaped from, or to some neighboring island," cried Nichols, when his confederate had concluded. "What a cursed fatality seems to pur sue me! Hales, Lester is liable to come back, as I said before, at any time. His return would lie my ruin. I tell you," he added excitedly, "I have done things for which he could send me to the state-prison. I should have to fly with the officers of justice on my track, and I should never dare return to claim my nephew's fortune. Sales, Lester must not come back! He shall not come back!" "And how are we going to prevent it ?" asked Sales. "No doubt he went back to the Land in the Sea, and was set to idol-carvings again ; but he may escape again, or a friendly ship may rescue him, or some chance set Jiim j free—" "But there shall not!" interrupted Nichols, with increasing agitation. "Is the Cyclone seaworthy ?" "Yes, Colonel. She's in splendid order. Could be got to sea at an hour's notice, if she were provisioned." "Provision her at once. See to ev erything. She must be off within twenty-four hours. I am going in search of David Lester." "What! to rescue him ?" "No," hissed Nichols; "to destroy him." He continued his walk with increas ing violence. "And I will not go alone : Margaret ! Lester and her daughter shall go with 1 me! If I succeed, and Lester perishes, j his wife shall become mine. If 1 fail," and his eyes gleamed luridly, "and I arrive out there, to find that he has i been rescued, I shall hold his wife and I child as hostages, and demand my safe ty as the price of their freedom." "I'm in with you, Colonel," said Sales admiringly. "And whatis more, 1 can keep every one of the crew by being a little liberal with them." "Then go to work immediately.— Het the men to unloading. Provision the ship, and be sure to provide wine and dainty stores for the woman and girl. I will send aboard furniture for three state-rooms, and one of my ser vants to set them in order. The ser vant will accompany us, to cook for and wait on the ladies. You under stand ?" "Yes; but how are we to get the la dies aboard ?" "They must be taken aboard to night, and we must slip out of the I loads in the darkness that comes be fore daylight. You and I will go up to Mrs. .Lester's cottage soon after dark, and gain an entrance into the house. I The rest will be easy." This programme, with amplifications, was resolved upon. Nichols provided his confederate with the necessary funds, and they separated—Sales to re turn to the ship, and Nichols to make certain purchases, and to send his ser vant down to the Cyclone. They did not meet again until eve ning. The shadows were falling thickly when the two stealthily enter ed her garden, approaching the house while keeping >n the shadow of the trees. Mrs. Lester and Amy were in the parlor, the windows of which were wide open, the security of months hav in restored Mrs. Lester's former con fidence. The two men could see the elder lady seated in her arm-chair, and the young girl, dressed in white, at the piano, upon which she was softly playing, accompanying the instrument with her voice. The room was not lighted, both mother and daughter loving the gray twilight shadows. On the steps of the kitchen porch, the colored serving-woman was sitting, and in the garden old Nicholas Collins and his wife were holding a lively dis cussion on some domestic question. "Now is our time!" exclaimed Nichols, in a whisper. "Got the wool en socks over you boots? Good ! Come along softly. I know Mrs. Lester's room, and the girl's adjoins it. Old Collins sleeps in the rear part. Now for it!" The confederates softly mounted the steps of the verandah, entered the uu lighted hall, and stole up stairs, un heard and unseen. The next moment they had secreted themselves in the closet adjoining Mrs. Lester's room 4 and were ready for the execution of their villainous project. The New York Ledger containing the continu ation of this story is for sale at all the bookstores and news depots. Ask for the number dated October 30, and in it you will get the next installment. The Ledger lias the best stories of any paper in the world.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers