Frank Reade Library, No. 15 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK READE JR.'S ELECTRIO AIR CANOK. It was so dazsling in its radiance that a greatocry escaped ni® lips. ** My soul! here je a diamond the first thing. What a beauty.” — the sand Frank picked a diamond fully the aize of bis thumb- It was a magnificent stone and worth many thousand dollars. The young inventor was delighted. * Hurrah!” be cried. ‘‘ Perhaps we have exchanged old diggings for new and better ones.” aad and Pomp viewed the stone with admiration and wonder- men Then the Celt exclaimed: *¢Qn me worrud, Barney O’Shea, ye’re not smart, or yell foind he mate to that.” ** ] hope you may!” laughed Frank. Then the search began. Bat strange to say, it proved a fatile one. For two days the diamond hunters remained In the bed of the lake. Bat not even the smaliest kind of a precious stone was found. Finally they abandoned the qaeat in despair. *¢ fs 1& possible!” cried Frank Reade, Jr., in dismay. ‘‘Ie this the only stone we are to find?’ ** It luks that way, sor!” said Barney. “I don’ fiok dat de water hab covered up de mos valuable ob de diamonds!” cried Pomp. ‘* We'se not in it!" ‘s Phwat's that—the wather?” interrogated roguish Barney. ‘¢ Shut ap, yo’ good fo’ naffin’ l’1ahman! Dor’ yo’ git) me no sass!” There might have followed a ruction for this, but a stern look from Frank stopped it. ‘* We have no time for fooling,” he declared. “Iet us make one more search, and then if not successful we will leave here.” *¢ A’right, sah,” agreed Pomp. Indeed Frank was in earuest, and very shortly they would have been sailing away on » new course had not a peculiar accident bap- pened to Barney. Saddenly a loud shriek of alarm was heard. Frank and Pomp both turning belield a sturtling sight. There, up to bis neck in a muck hole, was Barney. Indeed, it looked as if he would surely disappear from sight alto- father. Of course it was a dangerous position. There was great danger that the muck might suffocate him, and Frank koew this well. Frank picked up the long handled rake with which he had been rak- ing the sand. ‘¢ Hold on, Barney!” he cried. ‘Iam coming!” Ia spite of his peril the Irishman‘e wit did not forsake him. ‘Share, phwativer will I howld on to, sor?” he cried. But Frank threw the rake tLancle acrogs the muck hole and criad: ‘“¢Throw your arms across that!” Barney quickly obeyed. This did sapport him and right well too. Pomp went back to the Air Canoe for a rope. This was brought and fastened under Baruey’s arms, and he was pulied out of the hole. Bat he was indeed a comical-looking sight. From hea. to foot he was nothing but one mass of slime and mud. It required some time and work for the Celt to clean bimself up. When he had at length succeeded, Pomp and Frank returned from a fruitiess quest, and the latter said: ‘*It is of no use. We will leave this spot at once!” Bat it was decisied first to make a journey around the Valley of Diamonds now occupied by the lake. Barney and Frank performed this feat, Pomp remaining behind to the Air Canoe. The two explorers met with a namber of thrilling experiences. Once they resisted an attack by a number of prowling Mazootas. At another time they narrowly missed an encounter with a gorilla, probably one of the survivors of the flood. Frank looked in vala for some trace of diamonds. But he was not successful. The auriferous soll in which they are usually found seemed to have been wholly confined to the flooded valley. .** It’s of no use,” Frank finally concluded. ‘‘ Fate has snatched the treasure from our grasp.” Yet he could not feel that the quest had been a bontless one. The big diamond he had found in the lake was a small Kohinoor for brilliancy and value. They had quite a number of othess of medium quality, obtained from the natives. Frank decided at once to leave the region of the diamond valley. ‘¢ It is a fated locality,” he declared. ‘See what a horrible scene the lake has covered up. A whole tribe swept away in a moment of ime.” When Frank made up his mind to do a thing, he rarely lost time in execution. ‘Shore, sor, is it home we'll gu from here?” asked Burney. «*No,” replied Frank. *¢ Where thin, sor?” «The Rio Negro is not far from here. [ think we will strike that and follow it down to the Amazon. From there to Rio Janeiro, a trip up the coast and then home.” . Barney and Pomp were delighted with this decision. They had not as yet seen enough of Brasil, and were anxious for new adventares. Their cesires were destined to be grantee before many days. Thrilling adventares were at han The air-ship left the diamond valley the next day, and thas ended the quest for the great wealth there buried. Bat we will not take leave of our adventurers for another chapter, in which will be detailed the dire calamities and the great perils which overtook them before they reached the moath of the Amazon. CHAPTER XII. DOWN THE AMAZON—A CATASTROPHE. Tue Air Canoe set out upon its course down the Rio Negro. Many wonderful sights were seen as the Air Canoe continued on its way. Vast faregts of dye. wands were passed over, of mahogany ard rose- wood, of oak and cypress. Jungles and swamps intervaled, and uplands came in turn; and mighty chains of lakes and wide, sluggish rivers added to the variety of the scene. The voyagers never tired of watching it all. What mattered it to them if the jangie beneath was the haunt of the savage tiger, the poisonous serpent or other deadly beasts aud reptiles. They were secure on the deck of the air-ship, and could laugh to scorn any of these mighty perils. For some days the course of the Rio Negro was followed. Frank was much averse to traveling at night, so. when darkness approached, be generally managed to find a good spot to descend and camp. Many rare and curious things were secured at such times. Barney had secured a handsome white monkey, and Pomp had a collection of beautifal plumaged birds. mee at night the wolves would come howling about the air- p. But our adventurers were always secure in the cabin. Occasionally Barney or Pomp would be tempted to give them a shot, which would make them scatter. Thus tbe travelers kept on antil the conjunction of the Rio Negro with the Amazon was reached. And now they bekeld before them a region which was not by any means in comparison with that left behind. ane swamps were ten times thicker, the jcngles larger, the forests rker. For two days they followed the course of the mighty river. It gradaally grew brouder, and in places was only to be compared with o vast inlan: sea. . Bat the third day after reaching the Amazon the water tanks gave signe of giving out. Frank decided to descend upon a sort of wooded peninsula, which jautted out into the river. The place seemed free from wild beasts, and well situated for a stop- ping place. The air-ship descended and rested upon a clear spot. Near by were several massive mahogany trees. It was in the latter part of the afternoon, and as it seemed such an admirable place to stop, Frank decided to camp. At once Barney made a fire, and Pomp going a little way into the woods, shot an autelope. Bat the darky upon the retarn to camp crossed a well-beaten gath. i might bave been made by wild beasts on their way to a watering place. Bat a deadly fear struck the darky. He neckoned, and not withoat reason, that the path bad been made by human beings. ‘*Golly!” he muttered, ‘I jes’ fink I tell Marse Frank ‘bou: dat, fo’ mebbe he wouk like to know.” So Pomp did so. Frank listened with surprise. ** Why, that is queer!’ he exclaimed. ‘I would take my oath that we are miles from any native settlement.” However, taking bis rifle, Frank went back to examine the path. He gave a start at first sight of it. He followed it carefully into the woods for some ways. Suddenly he came to a little woodland stream. In the sof@goil upon its bank he saw the imprint of a foot. It was the bare footprint of a buman being. All doubt was settled. Frank started to go back to the camp. But he bad not proceeded far when a thrilling incident occurred. He was passing a copse, when he heard a a strange rustling sound which set hie nerves tingling. It was not the first time he had heard that sound. Well he knew what was the cause of it. He saw the flash of two diamond-like eyes in the brush, and made Quick agion. He slang his rifle over his shoulder, and grasping the branches of a tree drew bimseif up among them. The occupant of the copse was a huge pytbon. Frank knew the futility of trying to a retres*. Or even to remain upon the A igen Should the terrible coils of the python once envelope him he knew well bis fate would be sealed. EGOMIGIOO (Cc SaGO