The Halfpenny Surprise, Vol. I, No. 20 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

JHE RIVER OF DEATH, 5 concentrated fury in his voice, as he handled his re- peating rifle ominously. Something in the speaker’s manner and tone cowed the scamp. “No, mister, I didn’t do it. I saw the man who did though; he was a giant of a fellow. My uncle owes him a hundred pounds, which he’ll willingly pay him, I know, for certain family reasons.” “You unmitigated brute to speak thus of as base a murder as ever was committed,” cried Frank, his face pale with righteous indignation. Before Bob, the bully, wasscarcely aware of it, he was seized by the collar and soundly thrashed with a riding whip, which Frank carried stuck in his belt. Bob Greene roared like the proverbial town bull, and pleaded piteously for mercy, but none was shown him. At the finish, Frank said: “Tell your infamous uncle that it was Frank Lister who thrashed you; and that if he or you ever dares to show up in Hagers- town again we'll lynch you both. Having given this defiant message Frank strode away, mounted his horse, led Rose’s by the bridle, and made his way back to the settlement, his heart as heavy as lead. Now apart from the thrashing he received, Bob Greene’s deplorable position grew worse every moment. He was alone in an African forest, at a time of night when predatory animals roamed about in search of prey ; and though he was lanky, freckled, had a squint, and was not much to look at, yet a lordly lion might not disdain to sup off him. He had a splendid pair of lungs which he used to advantage, yelling so pro- digiously that a pack of jackals started in rivalry against him, and made the night hideous. ; “ What’s the row, youngster,” asked Flinter, appear- ing before him suddenly. “T’ve been horsewhipped to within an inch of my life, uncle, that’s the matter,” whined Bob. ‘The man who did it was Frank Lister. He told me to tell you so.” “Frank Lister ? then he has helped Charles Holmes to escape P” “ Oh, no, he hasn’t. Fighting Charlie lies in the river, with a bullet through him.” “ Are you sure of that P” asked Flinter, eagerly. “Yes; he won't trouble us again; but a I can’t understand is, why your friend, the giant, should have thrown that girl in.” “What girl; surely you don’t mean Rose Coglan ?” “T don’t know her name, of course; but from the glimpse I obtained of her face, she’s the girl I saw out- side the saloon at Hagerstown.” “ Perdition seize him,” hissed Flinter. “ What made him do that? He’ll have to reckon with me!” “Oh, don’t put yourself out about him, uncle; the reckoning has taken place already.” “ What do you meanP” “That he’s gone to join the other two in the river. I’m sure it was Frank Lister who settled him.” “T’m not sorry for that; it saves me a hundred pounds right away. If they’re where you say they are, they won’t come out again alive. The natives callit the River of Death.” “Why ?” asked Bob Greene. “ Because it holds all it gets in its fatal embrace. It sinks into asubterranean passage, and at the other end is an immense whirlpool.” “ That’s all right then; we’ve seen the last of Charles Holmes, you bet. What are we to do next uncle, go back to Hagerstown and brave it out, eh? ” “Not if I know it. Nat Riordon will put all the blame of Rose’s death on me.” “ Tm sorry she’s dead, though, poor girl. She wasn’t half a bad sort.” “You'd a sneaking regard for her, eh?” “Had she lived I meant to make her my wife by hook or by crook, because she would have been a rich heiress. However, that’s neither here nor there now; we'd better make tracks for England, nephew Bob.” “How are you off for coin, uncle?” “Not very flush. Gambling has been my ruin. You're not short, I hope ?” “ Well, no!” “Give what you have to me; I'll take care of it.” “T’m old enough to do that for myself, uncle, thank you,” Bob said, drily ; ‘ but I’m willing to share it with you. The dad will behave generously, no doubt, so that we needn’t spare the cash we have in hand.” “It’s a pity the young cub didn’t leave a will in his favour P” “ He has,” replied Bob, with a triumphant leer. “ What? and actually signed it?” “Don’t ask questions, Uncle Dick; the trick’s done, let that suffice you.” “ A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse. And now for merry England, nephew mine. If you haven’t yet seen the sights about town, I’m the one to show them to you.” “ We'll see all about that when thetimecomes. Lead on, Uncle Dick, this gloomy spot, so full of lurking perils gives me a fit of the horrors.” CHAPTER II. MONK HOUSE—A VILLAINOUS TRIO—SCHEMES—~ CHALLENGING THE DEAD—THE CLOCK STRIKES ONE—A GHASTLY APPARITION—A - PERFIDIOUS UNCLE—A DOSE OF LAUDANUM—A WRETCHED FATHER—THE DISCOVERY THAT CAME WITH THE MORN. ? THE scene changes to Monk House, the residence of Sir Percival Greene; the time, a year subsequent to the events narrated in the preceding chapter. The baronet, his son Robert, and Dick Flinter, by which alias he will continue to be known, are seated at a table bearing a plentiful supplygof wines and spirits. “You say, Richard, that it isa paying speculation,” said the baronet, his evil face lighted with the gieam of an avaricious soul. “Paying! I should think so,” replied Flinter, whose utterance was a little thick, “the Bank of England is as poor as a workhouse in comparison to it.” “T’ve often heard Uncle Dick speak of the diamond mine in the forest,” put in Bob, who was arrayed in the height of fashion, and made a vulgar display of a quantity of jewellery. “ How is it you didn’t stay out there and work it then ?” asked Sir Percival, suspiciously. gil only found it out just before I started for England,” he replied; “ask Bob if I didn’t leave him for a whole fortnight before embarking.” “That you did,” he asserted, quickly, precious flurry I was in until you returned.” “T doubled back to Hagerstown, in disguise, to see how things had got on in my absence, and to recover my share of a hoard of nuggets.” “And did you? ” asked Sir Percival, sharply; “if so you ought not to dip so deeply into my pocket as you've been doing.” “Let that pass, although I think I’ve earned my salt here, Percival. Listen to my yarn, it won't take long in telling. “TI told my partner—there were three of us in the swim: myself, Black Mathers, and Jonas Price—that someone wanted to see him at Nick’s Gully on im- portant business; nothing more or less than a new goldfield he had discovered. “ As a start would be made at once, I advised him to bring all his swag with him, and bid good-bye to Hagerstown for atime. He took the bait as greedily as a hungry pike, for he was fond of gold was Jonas; at least I thought so. “and a Vol. I, of “Tom Floremall’s Schooldays” is now ready. Price One Shilling. Of all booksellers, This Volume is having an enormous sale. comiclooks.cormn