Tip Top Library: Frank Merriwell in the South Seas — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

24. have a purpose in view, and I will tell you about it briefly. ‘‘My younger brother, always a restless, roving fellow, left England some years ‘ago for a couple of years of travel. He has never been heard from directly since, but indirectly we have learned that he went to the South Seas, and we have} some reason to believe that he is there still. I am trying to find him.” ‘Rather harder than hunting for a needle in a haystack, isn’t it?”? “T think not. There ate thousands of islands in the South Seas, and many of them doubtless have never been thor- oughly explored by whites; but you must remember that whites are comparatively scarce thereabout and therefore easy to trace.”’ (Tre, 73 ‘“‘T have proved that already, though I have not yet found my brother. learned of a white man living on another island hundreds of miles distant. I have followed up every such clew without suc- cess, but at last I think, or rather fear, that I have come upon the right clew.”’ — *°Vou fear it??? | “Ves. Ishould be glad to find my brother alive if he were still the civilized man he once was, but if it proves that he has descended to barbarism 1 could al- most wish him dead.”’ ‘How can you suspect such a horrible thing ?”? ‘Ah, such things have happened be- fore, Frank. There is more than one white man living in the South Seas who in his habits and thought has become as degraded as the vilest heathen.’’ ““TIt seems shocking!” ‘So it does, indeed! I will not go into details to show why I fear for my broth- er’s condition, but you must remember that I have been on the search for a long time and have picked up a great deal of ‘information.”? _ ' ‘tT shouldn’t think of asking for de- tails. ”’ ‘Then understand that I have reason to believe that Harry 1s, or may be, on the island of Walloa, one of the least- known islands in the Tahite group.’’ _ *‘Walloa is an active volcano, isn’t it?’ “Yes, if is in constant eruption. It me to yot. —but no matter;if I go Dll try to be- Several! have myself. times I have called at an island andj ‘we’ FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE SOUTH SEAS. very seldom pours out lava enough to en- danger the natives who live along the shore at its base, but it smokes and burns all the time, and once in a while it throws off great clouds of ashes that drift to other islands scores of miles away.” ‘*T should like to see it!”” ‘“T. thought you might, and I also thought that the possibility of meeting with some strange adventure there would not make you unwilling to go with us. We don’t want you to think that we would have you run into danger on our account, for whatever danger there is we shall share it, but we should be de- lighted to have you along, for from all that we have learned we know you to be courageous and clever.” ‘Thanks to those who have praised I don’t pretend to be a hero But you use the word >? “Ves, my niece is traveling with me. She is Harry’ s only child, and as her mother died before we set out on our journey, she has the most powerful rea- sons for wishing to find her father.’ ‘IT should think so.”’ ‘“There is not only her affection for her father to be considered, but property also.”? “Indeed |"? ‘With his. wife’s death a great fortune passed to Harry’s contro]. As long as he lives nothing can be done with it. The estate is tied up. If he lives and can’t be persuaded to come home and manage it, then we must take some sort of legal measures to get it out of his hands.”’ ‘*Naturally.”? ‘“Now, Maud, knowing nothing of business and law, doesn’t regard the property side of this matter at all. She wants her father to come home, and. that’s all that troubles her. For my own part, believing that Harry never could settle down toa quiet, country gentleman’s life, I feel more the importance of finding him alive or dead, so that we may know what todo. But these are family. matters that will hardly interest you. The. main point is, would you like to visit Walloa with us, going as my guest and free to leave us any time you wish ?”? “Yes, I should like to go.”” COL in ElOO® (CO