The Halfpenny Marvel, Vol. 5, No. 109 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ia 1 10 “THE PHANTOM MOUNTAIN, Haverlock sprang to his feet, and, seiziag a couple of spears, he handed on¢to Bruce. Then, dashing across the enclosure, followed by the devtcr, he gained the low wall, helped his friend up, and leapt over. A babel of yella were echoed, ag priests and people followed close behind. CHAPTER VII. uscape—The Flight Through the Chasm—A Strange sceue—The Phantom Mountain—Recaptured—In the Hands of the Pirates. oF Iquorn led the advance. He knew the fuyitives would plunge into the thick growth of timber which intersected the valley and stretched half-way up the mountain side. The bloodthirsty hillmen, equally Josh that their victims should escape. gained inch by inch on the fying pair. Still, darkness greatly aided their flight. Suddenly Gordon raised a warning note, as a black chasm loomed across their path. But toc late! Unable to stay their progress, the fugitives stumbled into the depths beneath, and, dropping swiftly, wera thrown violently against a protruding ledge. They heard the yells of their pursucra, and as they grew Jess distinet the adventurers breathed freely again. But they dared not move, for the ledge was narrow, and their feet hung over the edge. Crradually the darkness grew more intense, and, ehilled with cold and exhausted for want of Food, Uaverlock and hig com- panion waited till the dawn. The hours seemed interminabl.. Imperceptibly a dense yellow vapour curled up from the depths of the abyss. The deadly sulphurous fumes almest choked tha two men, as, lying face downwards, they were foreed tu remain inactive. Slowly the pale streak of daylight plereed the mist, and, faintly lighting up the chasm, enobled them to take note of their surroundings. The ledge extended some distance in, meeting the receding chif averhead twenty or thirty yards iu advance, The dovior cautiously crept forward, and, gaining the in- side. he serambled to his feet aud assisted Gordon, who found, on attempting to move, that the fall ficd sprained his ankle. for an hour they groped through the gloom, ascending by the path, till they reached a wide plateau, and suddenly emerged into broad daylight. The plain stretched away for two miles; then dipped, as further on it met the ovean, What strock the fugitives aa remarkable was the absence of any mountain ridye either before or behind them. The country was flat, and richly elothed in vivid patcies of green sugac-cane, On the right rose a forest of hananaa, and skirting the shore drooped a row of ciunamon trees, Maverlock started jn amazement. The ocean svarkled ahead in the morning sun, while al} around waving plantitions sont their gentle rustle on the breeze: hut not a sign of the mysterious mountain could be acen. ‘Am ? dreaming or not?” ha eried. “The mountain has vanished!” exclaimed Bruce ineredu- Jously. “ Dnpossible! Ts lies an the right, and must be hidden by the mist,” retuened Haverlock., But, though they both ecarched the horizon for signs of its snow-clad peal, they saw naught but the Jandsoape, brilliantly olethed with varicpated foliage. Lhe doctor eyed his companion curiously. “ook!” suddenly cried the latter. ‘What make you of that?” ollowing his friend’s gaze, Bruce saw in the distance the western portion of the landscape vanish apparently into thin air, exposing berond the steep sides of the mystcrious muun- tain, “A mirage!" continued Haverlock; “though the substan- tiality about those mauntsin sides is not to be gainsaid.”’ They watched the vapour slowly roll away. Then, to their diamay, » shower of glittering spears surrounded them, and, accorapanied with savage yells, fifty sleek Formosais, led by tquorn, dashed forward to the assault. ; Bruce was the first to recover his presence of mind. Seizing one of the weapons, he hurled it with terrifie foree at Iquorn: but the wily chief dived swiftly as the spear whigzed past and uried its head deep into the breast of ihe nett man. A cty of rage soared up from the natives. Tquorn Mrped them on to fresh effort, and, dashing into the midat of a sugar plantation, they quickly lessened the distance between themselves and iho two fugitives. Bue Bruce and Haverlock were desperate They kaew the ohase mush either end in death or escape, and so prolonged it till the very last moment. 7 Xb was useless, as they goon found. and, unable to move another step, they waited back-to hack, prepared ta moct tha onslaught of their angry foes. : a With 4 snarl and a rush, the natives gained their prey. The THE “BOYS' FRIEND,” 4d., Late ' ayy an 1 es - , Tart rerG CAA SS re ae j 3 2 Be KOM SN Eee ey fe? : > ; &} tine :% mse ts =~ : ; 4 a =f srk y = - ‘ fight was sharp and furious, but the odds were too heavy, and the fugitives had to succum). “Eheir enemies bore them away in-triumph. ; As the party neared the outskirts of the plantation, if halted unexpectedly, for, barring further progress, appeared 4 horde of Chinese cut-throats, who, levelling their firing-irons, poured a leaden volley into the rarwks of the foremost. Tquorn foamed with rage, as his party, taken by surprise, faltered, and, making but a poor resistance, turned bn theiz heels and sought safety in Hight. The Chinese, yelling furiously, fired a second volley ufter their hereditary foes. Then, reughly handling their three prisoners, Bruce, Haverlock, and iquorn were earried along to the shore. | | ‘They had fallen into the clutches of Chin Apo, the raffianly chief of the lorchas. He recognised the three -captives jn. stantly as having been concerned in the fight on the steamer. Grinning savagely at Iquorn, he shook his fist at thaé scoundrel’s face, and treated the two Englishmen with as sexnt ceremony. Lhe pirate gave orders that the three prisoners should lis bound toyether, and in a trice his barbarons intention wu, executed. A score of formidahle-looking ruffians tore off tive Ungishmen’s bacts and cut away the skin footgear af the native. ‘Then, manipulating a line of stout cord. they Inoped it about the ankles of each man: and, when this had bi. + done, the prisoners were urged forward at a rush. Helpless, and retarded by the rope, they stumbled and fell, and the tough line, cutting deeply into their flesh, pradtiged the most cxeruciating agony, Finally, their captors, growing tired of the sport, earrii i their vistuns te the beach, and, after rubbing a quantity +. brine inte the wounds, shipped them into the VATU Cor fie of a dark, ili-smelling hold, "he Once a day a sipply of food was shoved through the toe @. way anove.> and for weeks the three prisoners were Jef: their owi: resources. Fate was gradually, though surely, drawing the net whic held the destiny of these three men; and, though they ln undergone inuch hardship and peril, at the instigatvou «! one of their number, yet their trials bad only now begun. ee OS ee CMAPTER VIII, An Eventful Chase—The Pirates’ Ruse-—Treache: —The Fight for the Pass—Escane--An Unseo fFoe--The Strange Savages—iIn the Heart of ti: Forest. Gordon supposed their captor would transmit them at o. ve ty the mainland, but this Chin Apo had no intention of dais. . Iv the first place, their capture was not the outcome of chance, hut the result of a well-organised plan, conceived by the \:: Mi priests in the heart of ‘Thibet, and executed by their oi, and servant the pirate chief, Steeriug a south-east course for Luyan, the pirate sa: a round the island, and, keeping a sharp. look-out for Brits) and Irench cruisers, made a northerly passage throug’: t': China Sea. On the eleventh day, greatly to his terror, Chin Apo +... sighted by a British war-vessel, and presently ordered ¢- stand by. Knowing that acquiescence meant detection, 2... to show fight was eut of the question, he embraced the outs alternative, and promptly decided on flight. The cruiser gave chase, and, just beforo nightfall, caus: ° the lorcha up, and, having disabled her by two well-ain shots, sent of a boatload of marines with orders te board ii priae. The sailors drew alongside, but a3 they prepared ta Tuas! & murderous volley was poured down upon them. For gever-’ minutes the fight waxed furiously. At length, Anding *i. were being worsted, the crew of.the lorcha crployed a curic -- device, Quickly hauling up a portion of their ill-gotten car, they pitched it overboard, Ib consisted af several handiie sacks of cocoanuts, and these, being split open, disgarged thi contents, which floated on the surface. Simultancously i.!: the emptying of the last sack the pirates leapt averboart. ‘Tr boatload of marines drifted off, for the sailors found it VDipet sible to make headway through the stranziy dotsam. Nor s:¢ they able to mark their wily antagonists. who kept afin naimongs’ the disbanded cargo: and when, in obedience to u signal from the cruiser, the bluejackets pulled back, the piusr- gave vent to a loud ory of triumph, _ Darkness quickly overspread the scene, and, erowdiny UU: lorcha with every stitch of canvas she could carry, Chin Ag steered straight for the rockbound coast of Annam. Haverlook and his fellow-captive heard the din of haltic. and, with quickened pulses, waited for the result. Crash! One of the shots fired from the cruiser tore through the hota, and found an outlet on the Jarboard port. Ik was just aleve EVERY WEDNESDAY. GOOD STORIES, GOOD PISTURES, PLENTY OF FUN, COMICMOOOKS.CORnn