The Halfpenny Marvel, Vol. 5, No. 109 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

Ved — ; ey C ‘baw 1" F bee“ ' ae ee ‘ a 3 aes fe wt HAL ‘tha anchor and threw the line ouf for Gordon, The latter nl 1 f the car and dropped inside. The weight of the two men bore the car down, and for some minutes they fleated-in the trough of the waters. “Throw over the ballast!’ oried Haverlock, suiting the . *eaught tho’end, and, swarming up the rope, gained the edge . -gotion ‘to the word, “Were mounting!’ exclaimed the“tdoctor presently. “ Better Jeave What remains.” | “Wo! Out with it! She's overweighted, aid can never mae headway in this gale. Quick! we're over the surface, 1! ; | Haverlock hung on to the edge for dear life, ag, spinning round, the car struck the crest of a gigantic wave and partly overturned. Two sacks of ballast were washed owt, aod, thus lightened, the balloon sprang upwards. Gruce had not been so fortunate. The force and concussion wrenched apart his grasp, and threw him violently against the wicker bottom, where he lay stunned and naconselous. Working singlenanded, Haverlock lightened the balloon tu], gtterly exhausted, he was forced to desist. Forward and onward, souring upwards through the dense clouds, they rushed, whirled hither and thither, as the force of the gale- either aided or retarded thei ascent; thence into tha impenetrable blackness of the soudding clouds, till, pierc- Papy 7. AT AAS eal \ SLIPPING DOWN THE GBAPPLING-LINE, HE GAINED THE STUAMIR'S DECK WITH THE / 7 VERRIBLE EXPLOSIVE. (See page 6.) 1. _ “THROUGH EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.” Complete Story Commencement of “DICK DANVERS, THE YOUNG VENTRILOQUIST.” ay Finish of the ‘favourite Story, ““WNDER NELSON'S FLAG.” - Mats “fy Pie : 2 pet ~ Fee 5 $ cS Le rite rose TS eS ‘ a7 y oS to tt, ez h , ou a= ad feet! cy, Ya JL a T 34 RAAT AD UH CRP ATE: yr $f eS tJ. ~ s 4 r “ ' P e ly ha ne e r i Ws 7 ed PAST TY oe OVI sey ay wy, PARE; of SUN aed eee of ee SO RATICR A sl 9 Mo 0 EY 45 ferent 43) sepia foe Ket SNS aia Oey Fos Fit abitit 2: we T bor ig zap taney raciat A sheathing Ayn yas su rs Bi fn Suns if it ar: is Yow a ay eV, Ai ? DST a alt at ag RAC ar ata i topmost layer, they burst inte broad gleam of sun ~ 1p ® a : a 8 a ar. = teetd ane The contrast evoked a cry of amazement from’ Hayerlock,’.... and for some minutes he was compelled: ta close his. eyes;\for - the glare was unbearable. But the “genial heat of the:sun | sent a‘warm thrill through his chilled frame, and by degrees. °< he was able to look about and note tha marvellous beauty of 1%) the scene below. RS ig But other objects claimed: his attention,.and, for the frab “> °°4 time, he noted that the balloon held an occupant besides hws. ! , unconscious friend. Huddled up in one of the corners lay the), body of a man dressed in the garb of the-Hast.. We. was pros o.\. bably a Malay, for so Gordon concluded, as, bending over, ha. turned the unconscious form about, and gazed at the swollen .|*)\) face and horrible, protruding eyes. ae ne ‘The man had died of suffocation. Se ik His next thought was‘to revive his friend, but this was no easy task, and he could only chafe his hands and gently raise his head, that the glow of the sun, might awaken the dormant. faculties of the unconscious man, ‘ oy Slowly, however, Bruce awoko from hig stupor, and big °°) astonishment exceeded Gordon's as he caught a glimpse of ther ~ .,. gurroundings. 7 yo a a “This is wonderful, marvellous{" he cricd, attempting to =“ rise, but finding his strength not equal to the occasion, Then apes his eyes wandered to the further corner of the car, and he at onupht sight of their horrible load, : “A dead body! Who can it bat? _ “Same poor devil of a Malay, by his dresa,’’ replied Gordon, His features are too distorted to indicate what nationality.” In spite of his professional instinets, Bruce recoiled. There was something hideously repulsive about the dead face, which both men felt instinctively, though neither of them knew quite how, “here's been murder done here!’ cried Wallace Bruce, ag wv some minutes later he carefully examind ths body. “ Thosa are finger marks on the neok, And, see! here's a Mesh wound {” He laid bare the man’s chest and exposed a ghastly cut im the side, just above the heart. {n drawing aside the clothes a small packet fell to the bottom of the car. It contained a e. tittle powdered opium and a large | signet ring, wrought in gold, aad evidently of Kastern workmanship. ‘There's some mystery tn this {” cried tha doctor; ‘‘ mystery we must try to solve presently. Mor the time boing we must rest ; flesh and blood won't stand the strain thet you and I have been put to.” Lt was sensible advice, but the danger lay in resting simultane- ously, At any moment the balloon migzht descend, and their plight would be worse than before, So ib was atranged that Gordon shouid take first watch, while Bruce slept. Vor six hours he kent a silent vigil amid those grand and solitary sur- roundings. The sim sank below Ha 4 wl, ie ‘i ‘N14 ret es ey 4 the western horizon, tipping the fi layers of clouds purple and gold, a and sending a splendid halo abou a che western heavens; then thestars =} shone forth in their myriads, send- ing streaks of silver light over tha-y, rippling sea of clouds, while later on, us the moon east her pale bears if over the scene, the effect wasene hanced a thousandfold. is Waverlock guessed the time a Be hest he could. When the moon i attained the zenith he roused the doctor, and, lying down full leagth ) along the car, he slept till ce byt after daybreak, rising cefreshed fe and hingry. Greatly to hisamoze: io ment, Bruce produced a bag of 0 a3 crooked rice. & “YT found it in this locker,” ex- i plained the doctor, painting to a ans wicker-basket attached to the seat, **There’s fruit, some papers, &> quantity of powder, and two kniveg stowed inside,” poh Later, they examined the “find,” The papers proved strange reading, They related to the loas of an Ing- lish brig on the eastern coast of For. mosa, and thealtemptonthe parsof for CHRISTMAS NUMBER next weeks.) Qur Grand New Serial 2. COME OOOKS.COla: