The Halfpenny Marvel, Vol. 5, No. 109 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

‘The reptile talsed its head aloft to atrike the shivering. coe wretch.” Ita charmer had but to relinquish his hold and it you have sought!’ he would assuredly bury ita fangs into the quivering flesh of its For a moment Iquorn remained speechless with terror, Then, finding. his tormentors withdraw, he renewed his supplicationa for. mercy. The tinglishman | It is he whom eried, pomtimg to Bruce, The Buddhists turned on the new-comer with an angry gesture. Half a dozen of the foremost surrounded him, and, carrying him forcibly tothe foot of the image, displayed-on: its lap the scintillating counterpart of the snake-wort, ; Bruce, recoiled. A moment after a piercing shriek rené the pagada, and, darting through the circle of | Hilda Armitage sank exhausted and terrified into her uncle’a arms, —-- . * They have brought me here by stealth! They mean to kill you, and get that stone!” she cried. Gordon, who had followed the doctor, stood « alono some’ paces behind. To say that he was amazed at’ the appearances of his friend’s niece [ poorly describes his feelings. Terror and amaze- / ment rendered him speceliless, i A score of ruffanly monks rushed forward to) reparate uncle and niece. But Haverlock, ren- dered desperate by conflicting emotions, turned ikea hon at bay, and, with an angry snarl, caught the foremost up, and, swinging round like a child, hurled him at his evil associates, The man fell with a crath, bringing down two of the advancing crowd, who, in their turn, clutching at others for support, added to the con- fusion. : Yor a minute the snake-charmer hesitated; then, quitting his hold of the reptile, he joined the iray. The sheesh-nag nowied its head, and hiesed ominously, . Haverlock heard it, and, turning, caught Bruce by the arm, and, almost wrenching it apart, spun him awiftly round. Hilda fell, and Bruce, stooping to assist her, mniased the extended fangs by half an inch. _ Like @ lightning dash, Iquorn rushed paas, gained the steps of the image, and, racing up, placed his hand on the broad top, and, with a triumphont shout, fingered for a moment the énake-wort. Possessed of that he might brave any danger, and wreak a terrible vengeaice on his foes. The crowd of priests recoiled a moment in horror; then a great shout rent the pagoda, and ® terrified stampede followed. The sheesh-nag, attracted by the peculier pro- perties of the stone, coiled up the extended leg of the image, poised its head, and, darting for- ward, transfixed the wretched chieftain's hand, and in an instant swallowed the glittering stone. Iquorn uttered one yell of fearful agony, and, rolling to the bottem of the steps, writhed in the (tbroes of death.” The immenee reptile turned an:l faced the audi- ence, “It struck the air viciously with its fangs, and, whether from fear or rage, emitted a loud purr., Then.’ gliding down the steps, it struck once more the blackened arm of its victim, and, sending its broad head high into the air, it hissed defiance wt its foes, Shrieking with terror, priests and Malays fled, tlinging the burning brands behind. They splut- tered for some minutes on the dry boards; then a gteat sheet of flame crogsed the building, and, Mereing: the wooden walls, shot upwards, and, ‘iingling with the forezt undergrowth, sent a trail of fire fram tree to tree. : Terrified at the sound of the fire and the glare of the flames, the Moi savages fled in company with the Buddhist monks ; While, towards the east, by the way whence they had come, hurried Bruce and Gordon, with Hilda Armita ge, who, though forsalren: by hersescort of women, still retained the services of & little Malay girl, It was a rough and toilaome journey, bub on the second day the little party reached] Hue, and from thence, afier a week’s delay, found a vessel. which, after being aeven weeks out, landed them at Yokohama. They reached Vancouver in due course, and, crossing the broad continent of America, sailed for home and England from Quehbeo, | ; _ the party had not diminished in size when, 2% Teindale, Gordon *ook Hilda's hand in his, and placed on one of tha slender fingers held out to him a small circlet of gold, into | “THE BLUE ROOM MYSTERY.” CUTS,” 3d. Bégin at once. You will be just in time, 8 eG rete Bates . q ws L4 LYPENNY MARVEL” Malay women, — MONSTER, MASS OF ROPES, AND SLOWLY BUT SCHELY THE BALLOON WAS DRAGGED DOWNWARDS, t (we ' 6 < s <a < Bae Pa thd 173° which had been set what mosh people supposed 0. he @ blue. diamond of exceeding lustre, °° ig es Th, adn, The snake-wort had been eu}, and, for , for better or worse, Hilda Armitage joyfully accepted a portion, | : Nab CHAPTER ZX. . : Concerning the Snake-wort Mystery—A Dast atily: Device—Butrappéed—Finis. When Hilda Armitage was left in charge of the deetor’s. -- household, and her uncle, with hia new-found friend, had. gone, the events of the preceding days recurred go vividly ag te’. ° impress her with a vague serise of alarm. Moreover, Dre. Sharpe, her uncie’s locum tenens, seemed curiously anxious to” a INCH BY INCU THE VEGETABLE WONDER STRUGGLED WITH ‘THR ARIAL THE LANK. BINUOGUS ARMS CURLED HIDEOUSBLY AROUND THR (See page 7.) probe the underlying secret of hia fellow-practitioner’s sudden departure. Not dreaming there wae any harm in telling him, Hilda explained all she knew. Sharpe's eyes opened wide ag he listened, and, going oub one morning, be remarked to him. Belf : “A niece pickle I’ve made of it all these years! ‘lo think the stone should have been in Bruce's possesxion, and yet I, who am a constant visitor, have neither seen nor heard of it. This will be good news to despatch when the mail for Burraah leaves. But wait! what am I about? The stone ia Jost, and the owner is about the quest!” News which he forthwith transmitted to the East. As a matter of fact, Dr. Sharpe was a European agent of the Mi Mi priests, and bound by them to report all he knew cancern- ing the snake-wort. It happened, however, that two decoys Grand original Serial Story now commencing in “COMIG Ad aa Pr Ne a ’ ; a el A a hat fe - faite t K ad é j ‘ ! , id reat { ' “ti ‘EComicoooks co