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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.