The Halfpenny Marvel, Vol. 5, No. 109 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

oe ; : me A , G | ClHE PHANTUM MOUNTALN” , , : iy Malay natives to seize the crew and barharously murder them. With the singles exception of Captain Hordfelt, the crew Apparently perished. “ I make these notes,” wrote the captain, “that he who finds them may transmit the sorip to Dr.“Wallace Bruce, of Teindale, Engiand. My end, I am assured, is close athand. For days I have been followed by two Malay raseals, who mean mischief. A secreb of vital importance to Dr. Bruce is in my possession. The notes will explain.”” Then followed two closely-written pages of strange hieroglyphs. Gordou read the context with increasing wonder. “This is indeed a strange coincidence!’’ he exclaimed. “What do you make of these figures; Bruce?” He handed the strange document to his friend, who closely scanned the figurea, and gave vent to a ery of horror. “They refer to the snake-wort!” he said. ‘The ecevet of its whereabouts has been discovered by a Chinese scoundrel, who mtends to obtain it. Bué how this Hardfelt cauld have probed the secret of these characters, and actually written them, surpasses my comprebension. Ah!’ he exclaimed quickly, and his hand shook as though palsied. | “The man was some time captive m the MiMi Tower, in the heart of Thibet,” he continued, “and there saw the counter- part. These characters were explained to bim, and he was informed that a countryman reteined a copy. Search has been male for the stone since my ancesfor first brought it to Englaud, and reiaiied if as an heirloom, with a facsimile of these characters, which were given to him by an Indian fakir who happened io he present whew the stone was obtained.” “Phe Mi Mi ower!” interposed Haverlock. “It was there I saw the suake-wort. Tt is jealously guarded, and geldom shown to strangers. Ah! now 1 reeallect! I was siil- fully questioned, aud aghed if Y bad cver seen a stone te- wembling it. J had not, and must have convinced the rascally priests, for they let we go.’ “By all that is fiendish?” exclaimed Bruce, “they have conceived & plan to unite the stones in the heart of London!” Both imen stood aghast. “Wiuch means---- 2" ventured TWaverlock. “That the peculiar nature of the chemicals of which the stoncs are formed will destroy every human ercatuce which lives and breathes 1a thai great vapitel!” added Bruce. Vor some momvot: ucither spoke. “ Are you really certain that the properties of these strange jewels are av deadly in connection as they are claimed to be?” wsked Gordon. “Jt as, T know, a common tradition in the Kast, but then these traditions are not always reliable.” Sut this one ig!’ returned Bruce quickly. “TI have tested their quahties for my-elf, T know they exist!” ; “Then we are on a fool's errand!” eried Paverlock. ‘ We should be in London. And yet the man who stele the snake- wort is certainly bound for Yokohama!" “Tet us hope he may not be in league with these fiendish priests,” r&phed Bruce. “ He may be aware of the tradition, and yet not know thal two such stones exist,” And such, as succeeding events proved, was the care, Bruce carefully folued the strange manuscript, and placed xt in his pocket; then, looking over the edge of the car, he wis amazed to ree the clouds had dispersed, and far below the shimmering ocean viretchcd away in one yast dark-grey patch, | “What shall we do with our ghastly cargo?” asked Gordon, pointing to the dead Alalay. “ Bary him as veverenily as we can,” rephed Bruce. _ And together they Ufted the stiff form and quickly dropped it over, Lighteued once more, thy balloon scared further up, till ocean and sky beneath secmed blended in one faint line. ee ete CHAPTER IV. Land at Last-- The Swift Descent—Besieged by Pirates—In the Nick of Time—A Dangerous Manouvre ---Sudden Flight —Engulphed in a Deadly Mist--The Strange Mountain--Triwoph --4. Dastardly Act. “Sy Daviight again merged into darkness as the teavellers drifted ewiftly past. ach took his turn at keeping waten, and so the night passed on. Both Hayerlock and Gordon carefully examined the balloon, A rough log hal been kept, and they found it had been made in England, sold in France, and used in Fronen Cochin China. A further discovery showed that Hordsfilt had navigated the balloon from Foanhoa to For- moaa, intending thence.to escape northwards by way af J apan. Fis ie were somehow frustrated, for the last entry into the loghook spoke of two Malays amcompanying him, ostensibly as guides, but really the vpies of the Mi Mi priests, who, in some manner, had become aware of his intention {o communicate with Wallace Bruce. The fact that lis deepatches Out To-morrow week, the CHRISTMAS DOUBLE NUMBER, but same price as usual, 4d. had been found in the clothes of the dead Malay confirmed the supposition that the Englishman had been murdered, ana the two natives, left to themselves, had fought for the viiy] gecret, ee | “Murder will out,’’ said Bruce thoughtfully. “This ic a strange and jamentable“discovery.. It will entirely alter vur plans.” , | —'" We can do nothing till we ses fdob on terra firma,” (-r- claimed Gorden. 'Then he added quickly, as dawn Hit up the seascape, “See to the south that dark line? It’s a ridge oj mountains.” Bruce discovered a faint black speck on the horizon. |: must have been eighty to a hundred miles west by south. Presently they looked again. ‘The balloon was headin, straight for the dark line, which had become larger, and |.y midday the towering mountains and dark-grey shores o! g large island rose from the ocean three thousand feet beneat) “ Open the valve!” eried the doctor. 4nd next moment the gas escaped with a rush, and the balloon commenced to settle down. “Careful!” exclaimed Gordon. “We can’t afford to expend much gas; there is no means of obtaining a supply.” ft was difficult under the circumstances to know how to evi. Bruce clo-ed the valve, and for some minutes they remai:: | stationary. ‘Throw the grappling-rod over!’’ cried Haverlock. Then, as the line spun out, the balloon again commence (« eettle, at first slowly, then, gaining momentum, she droge’! slantwise a@ thousand feet, and clearing the peak of a tawi: .y mountain, she sailed swiftly across a ridge of Wille, juu spimning forward, shot off the lee-shore. A strange and unexpected sight met the travellers, Same thing like eleven hundred feet below they saw a large stcan running the gauntlet of two or three hundred lorchas. {:. war-junks were manned by hundreds of fierce pirates, ancl» » rounded the doomed vessel with a cloud of dense smoke. |. ¢ belehed from every quarter, and the roar of the guns ceafles «| iaverlock and his eompanion. But above that roar flan ! the hoarse shrieks of the defenders. Still the steamer rac d madly ou. cutting im half « couple of huge lorchas wh impeded her progress; buat ae they sank others took +t). yace. ‘The erew, one by one, were cut down by the fur. rush of boarders, who. clambering up the steamer's cides, f.- volley after volley upon the yallant little band, which bus. them back. A cry of astonishment and dismay told Gordon thal ic balloon had been discovered. A moment’s pause enabled 7}. rteaier to forge ahead into the very midst of the pirate i, sending lorcha sfter lorcha to the hottom. Up rose the ov from her two funnels, throwing a long dense Wlack «7, behind: and, as the last of the cufflanly boarders were hui! » overboard, a hearty British cheer rose above the din and i: © shricks of the drowning. Gordon saw his opportunity, and embraced it invtaz .°. Paving-out the grappling-rod to its fullest extent, he canes the steamer’s mizzen-rmast; then, throwing over the remain: | ballast, the balloon strained upwards, assisting the lamp. + | eteamer ty cut through the dense mars of war-junks. The pirates stood aghast as, ane after another, their lor eraft sank swiftly to the bottom, leaving a sea of strugg)ios heads fighting for dear life on the surface. Phen, finding "a: their prey was fast escaping their toils, they rallied once mv to the fight. One huge lorcha crossed the steamer’s bows: her crew lewt4 forward as the vessels collided, and, rushing across the dvi, the pirates met their antagonists with eres of rage and trinni:’: Tt was a gallant stand, but Gorden saw if assistanee did nt forthcome the Hinglishmen must be hacked to pieces. * Hand me the powder!" he cried to Bruce. Lhen, slipping down the prappling-line, he gained th+ steamers deck with the terrible explosive. Every moment was precious, “Ts this a pas-enger-hoat?”’ he asked quickly, receiving a reply in the negative. “Then make for the stern, shasp!” Thea crew fell back as, applying a fuse to the eanister °F powder, TIlaverlock hurled it into the midst of the fur: pirates, Then, leaping back himself, he awaited the rena. Ife chanced to look up at the moored balloon. and, to ‘2 amazement, he saw the figure of a man swarming up grappling-rod. The pirates saw the cathke figure, tog, orl uttered a cry of rage. Some levelled their firearms. Bot. before they could take aim, a terrifie explosion rent theo: the deck wag torn up, aud hundreds of dead and dying meat. - were hurled into the sea. Tue falling débris biocked the engines, a grinding erash +" lowed, and a moment leter the ‘helpless vessel swung rov' locked firmly in the midst of the lorchas. In«tantly the pirs: rushed forward to the attack. Yelling hoarsely, they lapt over the bulwarks, and were met by the steady fire of the hie) band of Engliznmen. Sib) pit NUMBER of “ILLUSTRATED CHIPS.” So CO) COMIC OO®