Cheer Boys Cheer: The Boys' Journal, No. 62 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

== 3 “TY = ere . Trriing Instalment of this Magnificent New Serial. 13 2S III OI IIT TIAL STITT II II ANA A HH eH HM MMH % She Yee ae Mea aca Ne a aM ai se aN Ne ae a Nc aN SN Ne a A A a THE STORY IN A NUTSHELL. Left alone in the world by the death of his widowed mother, BOB MANLEY awakes one morning with the knowledge that in a few hours-his little home at Riverport is to be sold by auction. Bob has only the faintest recollection of his father, who died in Australia some time previously, under mysterious circumstances. In the old home there is a small ivory box, which seems of no value in itself, yet when it is put wp for sale by the auctioneer a stranger bids keenly for it, and hurries away with his night, when Bob is alone in the eottage, the seafaring man returns, the lad that he was his father’s friend in Australia, and he knows that the ivory box contained something of vital im- portance to Bob’s future. Bob and the sailor, whose name is TONY SILVER, set out to track the purchaser of the ivory box, and after many adventures they find themselves at Portsmouth. Here Tony is captured by hirelings of the mysterious mian,-and Bob cannot find out what has become of hint. ee The boy follows up\clues that take him to Rackwood Hall; a. fine mansion in the country. Crouching by an open window, he sees the purchaser of the box, whose name is EDWARD MANDEVILLE, talking with EAWYER BASSET. The two open the box, and from what Bob overhears he realises that it contains proofs of his being the rightful heir to Rackwood Hall, whilst Mandeville is only a usurper. = Bob is captured by his enemies, and taken to a boat on the marshes, on which Tony Silver is also-a prisoner. BUDD LARCOMSBEH, a man employed to act as gaoler suggests that the boat shall be sunk, go that the captives will disappear for ever, and he is ordered to carry out this plan by Basset. (Now read this week's absorbing instalment.) Adrift ! Silent, with a sardonic grin of triumph, Budd Larcombe gazed down upon his captives, his head erouched forward to clear the low beams of the eel-boat’s cabin. Bob watched him in wonder. As yet he only knew the man as the tool and hireling of his enemies. He had not learned the depths of black eruelty of which the scoun- drel’s heart was capable. But Tony Silver had, and, as Bob turned his glance towards his friend, he saw again that terrible look in Tony's eyes which he had noticed at their first meeting. Tony's face was set and immobile, y of the Ivory Box? ast on the W $4 An Enthralling New Story of Mystery and Adventure. but his eyes had narrowed; and, jet black though Bob knew them to be, they now burned with a glint of fury. Se They were the eyes of a savage, and Bob almost shuddered as he saw them. Budd Larcombe, too, realised the menace in Silver’s glance. His look changed, the smile died on his lips, and his brows drew down into a scowl. He realised that Silver was burn- ing for revenge for the ill-treatment he had received at his hands, and the realisation disconcerted him. Budd had come to cut their bonds, conforming to his promise to Mande- ville, and, indeed, to his own maturer judgment. For Budd him- self now realised the risk, however faint, that discovery would entail if their corpses were found manacled. By cutting their bonds, Budd, with some show of commiseration, had hoped to win their thanks, or even their friendship. Given this he might contrive to wheedle out of them some scraps of knowledge to arm him against Mandeville—some details which he could hold over Mandeville’s head to enforce black- mail and secure himself against the possibility of a future confession by his cowardly accomplice. One glance at Tony, however, showed him that such a scheme was foredoomed to failure. He must take another course. *T've brought you food,” he said abruptly—‘ food and water. You won't find me a_ stony-’earted - gaoler,”’ he added, with an uneasy ‘laugh. Silver did not reply for a moment, but cyed him silently. When he spoke it was in a low, tense voice that showed the relentless passion that held him. “You dog!” he breathed softly. * You dog !”’ “?’Hre, no names!’’ flashed Budd. “You keep a civil tongue in your ead, or you'll starve!” “You dog!’ breathed Silver again. ‘“‘Are you a man at all, I B Geoffrey Author of ‘‘ Jack Straight, Boxer,’’ etc., etc. @ cma : Murray, HAR AE AE A REE AR A BOE I HE TT TR RR IR ITE ay CaN wonder? Will you untie my hands and let me get at you—weak as I 929 am? Budd Larcombe laughed uneasily. *“ Not likely!’ he sneered. “I’m your gaoler, Tam! No; it ain’t no good tryin’ to bnibe me! I’m gettin’ better paid for looking after you than you'll ever outbid.” “You crawling skunk! You could kick me in the head when your blackguardly crew had me down in the lane yonder. You could draw your red-hot iron bar across my shoulders, here in the cabin, to make me talk, when my hands and feet were tied. But you've too much fear for your dirty life to stand up to me with bare fingers, big as you are, you cur!” Bob Manley shuddered in horror, and turned his wondering gaze on Tony. It was the first inkling he had had that the scoundrels had actually been torturing his friend in order to extract the truth from him. Budd did not answer. With an angry scowl, he drew a parcel from his pocket and, opening it, displayed a loaf of bread, some hunks of meat, and a piece of lettuce. These he placed on the deck between the friends, while Tony eyed him with savage hatred. Budd ignored his glance studiously. He iooked carefully all round the cabin. His eye feli upon a short, straight bar of iron—the same with which he and the captain had tor- tured Tony—and he picked it up and, opening the door, pitched it out and cver the side into the water. Then he turned and stood hesi- tating a moment. He was thinking how to free the prisoner’s limbs without risking an encounter with Tony. Not that he feared to pit his great strength against the sailor's weakness. But a scuffle just then would not fall in well with Budd’s scheme of things. He hauled a jar of water inside the cabin, and stood in the door- way, the rain beating past him, as if considering a moment. “een le iar OOO KS COL An =