Captain Sparkle, Pirate; Or, A Hard Man to Catch

CHAPTER XXIV.

Chapter 247,103 wordsPublic domain

THE DUEL IN THE TOWER.

The detective stood closely against the door when he rapped upon it, and the moment it started to swing open in response to the summons he applied his strength against it so that it was flung inward with a force which nearly upset Count Jean de Cadillac, who appeared on the other side. And with the same gesture Nick forced himself across the threshold, followed instantly, of course, by Antoine Lafetre, who sought to close it again as quickly as possible.

But quick as he was, he was not soon enough to prevent the count from giving the signal of alarm, which Lafetre well knew would be heard by one or more of the guards, and which in a short time would bring a horde of men thundering at the door in their chief’s defense.

In that first pressure against the door when he partly opened it, Cadillac had recognized the presence of an enemy; it is doubtful if he did not at that instant also recognize Nick Carter; and even while he staggered back from the force of the blow which the weight of the door delivered against him, he placed a silver whistle to his lips and blew upon it.

But that was all. The door was closed and locked on the inside by Antoine, who withdrew the key, and then stood with his back against it, awaiting orders; and he was as entirely calm as the detective himself.

As Nick stepped into the center of the room and turned to confront the count, Bessie Harlan sprang, with a glad cry, from the embrasure of one of the windows, and almost threw herself into his arms. But she recoiled before she quite reached him, and shrank backward again with her hands to her eyes, for Cadillac had drawn a revolver from his pocket and was in the very act of aiming it at Nick Carter’s heart.

He was prevented from firing, however, for a gleam of steel shot through the air, and a light, quick blow descended upon the count’s wrist, knocking the weapon from his grasp to the floor, and Antoine said quietly:

“If monsieur le comte attempts to recover his weapon, I will spit him upon this rapier.”

Nick Carter laughed aloud. Then he turned to Bessie, who had now recovered somewhat; but she stood staring at him as if she could hardly believe her senses.

“I knew you would come to my rescue,” she said at last. “Thank God you are here!”

“Yes; I am here, Miss Harlan; very much here, as this double-dyed scoundrel shall soon discover,” replied Nick.

But the count had now also recovered some of his accustomed coolness. He had retreated to the opposite side of the room, so that he had placed a table between himself and the detective; and Nick turned again toward Bessie.

“Return to the window for a moment while I deal with this fellow,” said Nick to her; but Antoine stepped forward hastily.

“Ah! monsieur,” he said, “I have the key of the door in my possession, so that he cannot get out; and the men who are coming this way—neither can they enter. Then, afterward, there is another way out which the count does not suspect I know about, but which I will show to you. It is true that it leads through a part of the château, and that we will doubtless be obliged to fight, but it will not be like fighting a hundred men on the narrow stairway we have just ascended. And now, monsieur, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor, Antoine? What is it?”

“Permit me to fight with the count with the rapiers. See; I will give him mine—so!” and he tossed his own gleaming weapon upon the table in front of the count. “And now, you will let me have the use of yours? Is it not so? Yes! Ah, it would be child’s play for you to kill him—you, who have defeated me—Antoine Lafetre—as if I were a babe. It would not be an equal combat. Shall it be so? Yes. I thank you.”

“Go ahead, Antoine—if he will fight you. The mademoiselle and I will act as witnesses.”

Antoine turned, with Nick’s rapier in his grasp, and approached the table behind which the count still lingered.

“You are a dog,” he said quite calmly. “See! I treat you so!”

He withdrew a glove from his pocket, and after wadding it in his hand, threw it deliberately into the count’s face.

“It shall be fair play, count,” said Nick, “if you have the courage and the skill to fight with Antoine.”

But he need not have said it. At the blow of the glove, and because of a little, nervous laugh uttered by Bessie Harlan, the count seized the rapier from the table in front of him and leaped from his barricade into the center of the room.

In an instant the two were at it, and the fighting was rapid, furious, deadly.

Nick knew that such a pace could not last, and for a moment he felt a qualm lest Antoine should fall before the fury of the count’s attack. But he speedily discovered that there was no need for his misgivings, for the combat was as fatal as it was swift.

One lunge the count gave which seemed impossible for Antoine to parry; nor did he do so. But he stepped quickly backward beyond the reach of the point, and then lunged forward his own weapon, so that he put the point of it, to the guard, straight through his adversary’s breast, piercing his heart.

It was all done so quickly, and it was over so suddenly, that neither of the spectators had time to realize it; and the stroke was so deadly that the count sank back upon the floor with only a sigh. He never uttered another sound after that.

Bessie, when she saw him fall, ran quickly toward him and would have knelt beside him had not Nick restrained her. The man was dead; and he died so suddenly that he had not even the time to turn his eyes toward the woman whose every sense of propriety he had outraged, but whom, withal, he had treated kindly and considerately to the end.

And then they were brought to themselves again by Antoine, who was in the act of presenting the borrowed rapier to Nick.

“Permit me,” he said, bowing. “I did it with that trick I learned of you, monsieur, but now. And now, monsieur and mademoiselle, if you will but follow me—no? Yes! Listen! The smugglers are already on the stairs. In a moment they will be hammering at the door; but in an hour they will only just have broken it down. It is strong. It is reliable. Below, where it is necessary that we emerge again into the interior of the château, it is possible that we may meet with opposition; but, monsieur, we will not anticipate. No. If you will but have the kindness to come with me now. See!”

He approached the high wainscoting at one side of the room and pressed against an invisible spring—invisible to the others, but plain to him—and a section of the wall opened before them.

“My father was fencing-master to Monsieur Jean’s father,” he said, simply, in explanation. “I learned the secret from him. _Aprez vous, monsieur, et mademoiselle?_ No? Then be so good as to follow me. I will lead the way.”

The stairs which they descended were not unlike the others by which they had gained the tower-room, save that they were narrower; and it seemed to Nick that they wound down and down, interminably. At last, however, they came to a halt at the foot of them.

“Beyond is the corridor of the ground floor of the château,” said Antoine, pointing at a door in front of them.

“Wait a moment,” said Nick, as he was about to open the door. “Antoine, I have a double duty to perform. I did not come here alone. I was accompanied by a friend—the one to whom the other letter is addressed.”

“Max?” asked Bessie.

“Yes. He is here somewhere. He was to meet me at a point outside the castle, and he did not appear. It is possible that he has fallen into the hands of the smugglers, but it is also possible that he is still out there waiting, for I left a message for him if he should return. But if, on the other hand, he has been captured, I must first put you in a place of safety, and then——”

“Will monsieur permit me?” asked Antoine at this juncture.

“What, Antoine?”

“If monsieur’s friend has been taken prisoner, I know where he would be confined. Come! We will look there for him. It is on our way out.”

“Antoine, you’re a treasure! Lead on. Bessie, have you got that gun yet?”

“Yes; I have never parted with it for a moment, save once.”

“Good! Go on, Antoine.”

They passed into the corridor. It was silent and deserted, but not dark, for here and there a light gleamed dimly through the massive hall.

Along this and down another flight of steps they passed, and at last stopped before a heavy door, barred with iron on the outside; and this bar Antoine lost no time in removing.

“It is their prison,” he said; and threw the door open, but only to be thrown from his feet to the floor by the precipitate attack of Maxwell Kane, who had been waiting for just such an opportunity.

“Great Scott, Nick!” he exclaimed, when Antoine had been assisted to his feet and a few necessary explanations were made; “I didn’t expect to find you here, or I wouldn’t have come out so swift. I was pounced on from behind while I was waiting for you, a blanket was chucked over my head, and I was brought here and locked in before you could say Jack Robinson. That must have been a week ago, at least.”

“Two hours and a half,” corrected Nick.

“Is that all?” Then he gathered Bessie under his arm and led her from the château, following Nick and Antoine.

* * * * *

There was no more fighting.

Their progress out of the château was not impeded in any way, nor did they meet with interference across the causeway.

The place where they had left their conveyance was reached at midnight, and just as the sun was rising in the morning they succeeded in signaling the _Dolphin_.

The United States vessel took them to a convenient harbor and left them there, for passage home via one of the liners; but the war vessel returned to the Château de Cadillac, accompanied by a French gunboat.

Of the resultant fate of the smugglers themselves, there is no record; but of the _Shadow_, it is known that she was raised from the bottom, where she was resting, and ultimately delivered to her owner, who was a Russian prince, for whom she had been built to order.

Bessie Harlan was restored to her friends, and the secret of her mysterious trip abroad was never divulged.

And Monsieur Antoine Lafetre? And his beloved art? He returned to America with Nick Carter and Maxwell Kane, and is now a very successful fencing-master, thanks to Nick’s patronage, whom the Frenchman seems to regard as something more than human.

“_Mon Dieu!_” he will exclaim when Nick Carter’s name is mentioned. “Monsieur Carter is not a man, as you or me. He is, what you say, a genius. He is a master of the fence, and brave, ah! he is a wonder!”

THE END.

NEW MAGNET, No. 1230, entitled “Nick Carter’s Fall,” by Nicholas Carter, is well worth reading.

NICK CARTER STORIES

New Magnet Library

_Not a Dull Book in This List_

ALL BY NICHOLAS CARTER

Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that the books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the work of a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no other type of fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of new plots and situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from all sorts of troubles and landed the criminal just where he should be—behind the bars.

The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories than any other single person.

Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of them as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth covers which sells at ten times the price.

If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

850—Wanted: A Clew

851—A Tangled Skein

852—The Bullion Mystery

853—The Man of Riddles

854—A Miscarriage of Justice

855—The Gloved Hand

856—Spoilers and the Spoils

857—The Deeper Game

858—Bolts from Blue Skies

859—Unseen Foes

860—Knaves in High Places

861—The Microbe of Crime

862—In the Toils of Fear

863—A Heritage of Trouble

864—Called to Account

865—The Just and the Unjust

866—Instinct at Fault

867—A Rogue Worth Trapping

868—A Rope of Slender Threads

869—The Last Call

870—The Spoils of Chance

871—A Struggle with Destiny

872—The Slave of Crime

873—The Crook’s Blind

874—A Rascal of Quality

875—With Shackles of Fire

876—The Man Who Changed Faces

877—The Fixed Alibi

878—Out with the Tide

879—The Soul Destroyers

880—The Wages of Rascality

881—Birds of Prey

882—When Destruction Threatens

883—The Keeper of Black Hounds

884—The Door of Doubt

885—The Wolf Within

886—A Perilous Parole

887—The Trail of the Finger Prints

888—Dodging the Law

889—A Crime in Paradise

890—On the Ragged Edge

891—The Red God of Tragedy

892—The Man Who Paid

893—The Blind Man’s Daughter

894—One Object in Life

895—As a Crook Sows

896—In Record Time

897—Held in Suspense

898—The $100,000 Kiss

899—Just One Slip

900—On a Million-dollar Trail

901—A Weird Treasure

902—The Middle Link

903—To the Ends of the Earth

904—When Honors Pall

905—The Yellow Brand

906—A New Serpent in Eden

907—When Brave Men Tremble

908—A Test of Courage

909—Where Peril Beckons

910—The Gargoni Girdle

911— Rascals & Co.

912—Too Late to Talk

913—Satan’s Apt Pupil

914—The Girl Prisoner

915—The Danger of Folly

916—One Shipwreck Too Many

917—Scourged by Fear

918—The Red Plague

919—Scoundrels Rampant

920—From Clew to Clew

921—When Rogues Conspire

922—Twelve In a Grave

923—The Great Opium Case

924—A Conspiracy of Rumors

925—A Klondike Claim

926—The Evil Formula

927—The Man of Many Faces

928—The Great Enigma

929—The Burden of Proof

930—The Stolen Brain

931—A Titled Counterfeiter

932—The Magic Necklace

933—’Round the World for a Quarter

934—Over the Edge of the World

935—In the Grip of Fate

936—The Case of Many Clews

937—The Sealed Door

938—Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men

939—The Man Without a Will

940—Tracked Across the Atlantic

941—A Clew from the Unknown

942—The Crime of a Countess

943—A Mixed-up Mess

944—The Great Money-order Swindle

945—The Adder’s Brood

946—A Wall Street Haul

947—For a Pawned Crown

948—Sealed Orders

949—The Hate that Kills

950—The American Marquis

951—The Needy Nine

952—Fighting Against Millions

953—Outlaws of the Blue

954—The Old Detective’s Pupil

955—Found in the Jungle

956—The Mysterious Mail Robbery

957—Broken Bars

958—A Fair Criminal

959—Won by Magic

960—The Piano Box Mystery

961—The Man They Held Back

962—A Millionaire Partner

963—A Pressing Peril

964—An Australian Klondike

965—The Sultan’s Pearls

966—The Double Shuffle Club

967—Paying the Price

968—A Woman’s Hand

969—A Network of Crime

970—At Thompson’s Ranch

971—The Crossed Needles

972—The Diamond Mine Case

973—Blood Will Tell

974—An Accidental Password

975—The Crook’s Double

976—Two Plus Two

977—The Yellow Label

978—The Clever Celestial

979—The Amphitheater Plot

980—Gideon Drexel’s Millions

981—Death in Life

982—A Stolen Identity

983—Evidence by Telephone

984—The Twelve Tin Boxes

985—Clew Against Clew

986—Lady Velvet

987—Playing a Bold Game

988—A Dead Man’s Grip

989—Snarled Identities

990—A Deposit Vault Puzzle

991—The Crescent Brotherhood

992—The Stolen Pay Train

993—The Sea Fox

994—Wanted by Two Clients

995—The Van Alstine Case

996—Check No. 777

997—Partners in Peril

998—Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé

999—The Sign of the Crossed Knives

1000—The Man Who Vanished

1001—A Battle for the Right

1002—A Game of Craft

1003—Nick Carter’s Retainer

1004—Caught in the Toils

1005—A Broken Bond

1006—The Crime of the French Café

1007—The Man Who Stole Millions

1008—The Twelve Wise Men

1009—Hidden Foes

1010—A Gamblers’ Syndicate

1011—A Chance Discovery

1012—Among the Counterfeiters

1013—A Threefold Disappearance

1014—At Odds with Scotland Yard

1015—A Princess of Crime

1016—Found on the Beach

1017—A Spinner of Death

1018—The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor

1019—A Bogus Clew

1020—The Puzzle of Five Pistols

1021—The Secret of the Marble Mantel

1022—A Bite of an Apple

1023—A Triple Crime

1024—The Stolen Race Horse

1025—Wildfire

1026—A _Herald_ Personal

1027—The Finger of Suspicion

1028—The Crimson Clew

1029—Nick Carter Down East

1030—The Chain of Clews

1031—A Victim of Circumstances

1032—Brought to Bay

1033—The Dynamite Trap

1034—A Scrap of Black Lace

1035—The Woman of Evil

1036—A Legacy of Hate

1037—A Trusted Rogue

1038—Man Against Man

1039—The Demons of the Night

1040—The Brotherhood of Death

1041—At the Knife’s Point

1042—A Cry for Help

1043—A Stroke of Policy

1044—Hounded to Death

1045—A Bargain in Crime

1046—The Fatal Prescription

1047—The Man of Iron

1048—An Amazing Scoundrel

1049—The Chain of Evidence

1050—Paid with Death

1051—A Fight for a Throne

1052—The Woman of Steel

1053—The Seal of Death

1054—The Human Fiend

1055—A Desperate Chance

1056—A Chase in the Dark

1057—The Snare and the Game

1058—The Murray Hill Mystery

1059—Nick Carter’s Close Call

1060—The Missing Cotton King

1061—A Game of Plots

1062—The Prince of Liars

1063—The Man at the Window

1064—The Red League

1065—The Price of a Secret

1066—The Worst Case on Record

1067—From Peril to Peril

1068—The Seal of Silence

1069—Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle

1070—A Blackmailer’s Bluff

1071—Heard in the Dark

1072—A Checkmated Scoundrel

1073—The Cashier’s Secret

1074—Behind a Mask

1075—The Cloak of Guilt

1076—Two Villains in One

1077—The Hot Air Clew

1078—Run to Earth

1079—The Certified Check

1080—Weaving the Web

1081—Beyond Pursuit

1082—The Claws of the Tiger

1083—Driven from Cover

1084—A Deal in Diamonds

1085—The Wizard of the Cue

1086—A Race for Ten Thousand

1087—The Criminal Link

1088—The Red Signal

1089—The Secret Panel

1090—A Bonded Villain

1091—A Move in the Dark

1092—Against Desperate Odds

1093—The Telltale Photographs

1094—The Ruby Pin

1095—The Queen of Diamonds

1096—A Broken Trail

1097—An Ingenious Stratagem

1098—A Sharper’s Downfall

1099—A Race Track Gamble

1100—Without a Clew

1101—The Council of Death

1102—The Hole in the Vault

1103—In Death’s Grip

1104—A Great Conspiracy

1105—The Guilty Governor

1106—A Ring of Rascals

1107—A Masterpiece of Crime

1108—A Blow for Vengeance

1109—Tangled Threads

1110—The Crime of the Camera

1111—The Sign of the Dagger

1112—Nick Carter’s Promise

1113—Marked for Death

1114—The Limited Holdup

1115—When the Trap Was Sprung

1116—Through the Cellar Wall

1117—Under the Tiger’s Claws

1118—The Girl in the Case

1119—Behind a Throne

1120—The Lure of Gold

1121—Hand to Hand

1122—From a Prison Cell

1123—Dr. Quartz, Magician

1124—Into Nick Carter’s Web

1125—The Mystic Diagram

1126—The Hand that Won

1127—Playing a Lone Hand

1128—The Master Villain

1129—The False Claimant

1130—The Living Mask

1131—The Crime and the Motive

1132—A Mysterious Foe

1133—A Missing Man

1134—A Game Well Played

1135—A Cigarette Clew

1136—The Diamond Trail

1137—The Silent Guardian

1138—The Dead Stranger

1140—The Doctor’s Stratagem

1141—Following a Chance Clew

1142—The Bank Draft Puzzle

1143—The Price of Treachery

1144—The Silent Partner

1145—Ahead of the Game

1146—A Trap of Tangled Wire

1147—In the Gloom of Night

1148—The Unaccountable Crook

1149—A Bundle of Clews

1150—The Great Diamond Syndicate

1151—The Death Circle

1152—The Toss of a Penny

1153—One Step Too Far

1154—The Terrible Thirteen

1155—A Detective’s Theory

1156—Nick Carter’s Auto Trail

1157—A Triple Identity

1158—A Mysterious Draft

1159—A Carnival of Crime

1160—The Bloodstone Terror

1161—Trapped in His Own Net

1162—The Last Move in the Game

1163—A Victim of Deceit

1164—With Links of Steel

1165—A Plaything of Fate

1166—The Key Ring Clew

1167—Playing for a Fortune

1168—At Mystery’s Threshold

1169—Trapped by a Woman

1170—The Four Fingered Glove

1171—Nabob and Knave

1172—The Broadway Cross

1173—The Man Without a Conscience

1174—A Master of Deviltry

1175—Nick Carter’s Double Catch

1176—Doctor Quartz’s Quick Move

1177—The Vial of Death

1178—Nick Carter’s Star Pupils

1179—Nick Carter’s Girl Detective

1180—A Baffled Oath

1181—A Royal Thief

1182—Down and Out

1183—A Syndicate of Rascals

1184—Played to a Finish

1185—A Tangled Case

1186—In Letters of Fire

1187—Crossed Wires

1188—A Plot Uncovered

1189—The Cab Driver’s Secret

1190—Nick Carter’s Death Warrant

1191—The Plot that Failed

1192—Nick Carter’s Masterpiece

1193—A Prince of Rogues

1194—In the Lap of Danger

1195—The Man from London

1196—Circumstantial Evidence

1197—The Pretty Stenographer Mystery

1198—A Villainous Scheme

1199—A Plot Within a Plot

1200—The Elevated Railroad Mystery

1201—The Blow of a Hammer

1202—The Twin Mystery

1203—The Bottle with the Black Label

1204—Under False Colors

1205—A Ring of Dust

1206—The Crown Diamond

1207—The Blood-red Badge

1208—The Barrel Mystery

1209—The Photographer’s Evidence

1210—Millions at Stake

1211—The Man and His Price

1212—A Double-Handed Game

1213—A Strike for Freedom

1214—A Disciple of Satan

1215—The Marked Hand

1216—A Fight With a Fiend

1217—When the Wicked Prosper

1218—A Plunge into Crime

1219—An Artful Schemer

1220—Reaping the Whirlwind

1221—Out of Crime’s Depths

1222—A Woman at Bay

1223—The Temple of Vice

1224—Death at the Feast

1225—A Double Plot

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in January, 1928.

1226—In Search of Himself

1227—A Hunter of Men

To be published in February, 1928.

1228—The Boulevard Mutes

1229—Captain Sparkle, Pirate

1230—Nick Carter’s Fall

To be published in March, 1928.

1231—Out of Death’s Shadow

1232—A Voice from the Past

To be published in April, 1928.

1233—Accident or Murder?

1234—The Man Who Was Cursed

To be published in May, 1928.

1235—Baffled, But Not Beaten

1236—A Case Without a Clew

To be published in June, 1928.

1237—The Demon’s Eye

1238—A Blindfold Mystery

BOOKS OF QUALITY

Select Library

_Big, Popular Standards_

This line is truly named. It is Select because each title in it has been selected with great care from among hundreds of books by well-known authors.

A glance over the following list will show the names of Mary J. Holmes, Marie Corelli, Rider Haggard, “The Duchess,” R. D. Blackmore, and translations of some of the more famous French authors, like Victor Hugo and Alphonse Daudet.

If you are looking for books which will add to your knowledge of literature, a complete set of the Select Library, which is so reasonably priced, will do more for you than a like amount expended on ordinary fiction between cloth covers.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1—Cousin Maude By Mary J. Holmes

2—Rosamond Leyton By Mary J. Holmes

6—Beulah By Augusta J. Evans

10—The Homestead on the Hillside By Mary J. Holmes

14—East Lynne By Mrs. Henry Wood

16—A Romance of Two Worlds By Marie Corelli

17—Cleopatra By H. Rider Haggard

18—Maggie Miller By Mary J. Holmes

27—Under Two Flags By “Ouida”

28—Dora Deane By Mary J. Holmes

29—Ardath. Vol. I. By Marie Corelli

30—Ardath. Vol. II. By Marie Corelli

31—The Light That Failed By Rudyard Kipling

32—Tempest and Sunshine By Mary J. Holmes

35—Inez By Augusta J. Evans

36—Phyllis By “The Duchess”

42—Vendetta By Marie Corelli

43—Sapho By Alphonse Daudet

44—Lena Rivers By Mary J. Holmes

48—Meadowbrook By Mary J. Holmes

50—Won by Waiting By Edna Lyall

51—Camille By Alexandre Dumas

53—Uncle Tom’s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe

54—The English Orphans By Mary J. Holmes

57—Ethelyn’s Mistake By Mary J. Holmes

58—Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson

59—Mildred Trevanion By “The Duchess”

60—Dead Man’s Rock By “Q.” (A. T. Quiller-Couch)

61—The Iron Pirate By Max Pemberton

62—Molly Bawn By “The Duchess”

63—Lorna Doone By R. D. Blackmore

66—Airy Fairy Lilian By “The Duchess”

67—The Cruise of the _Cachalot_ By Frank T. Bullen

69—The Last Days of Pompeii By Sir Bulwer Lytton

71—The Duchess By “The Duchess”

72—Plain Tales From the Hills By Rudyard Kipling

75—She By H. Rider Haggard

76—Beatrice By H. Rider Haggard

77—Eric Brighteyes By H. Rider Haggard

78—Beyond the City By A. Conan Doyle

79—Rossmoyne By “The Duchess”

80—King Solomon’s Mines By H. Rider Haggard

81—She’s All the World to Me By Hall Caine

83—Kidnaped By Robert Louis Stevenson

84—Undercurrents By “The Duchess”

87—The House on the Marsh By Florence Warden

88—The Witch’s Head By H. Rider Haggard

89—A Perilous Secret By Charles Reade

93—Beauty’s Daughters By “The Duchess”

100—Led Astray By Octave Feuillet

102—Marvel By “The Duchess”

107—The Visits of Elizabeth By Elinor Glyn

108—Allan Quatermain By H. Rider Haggard

110—Soldiers Three By Rudyard Kipling

113—A Living Lie By Paul Bourget

114—Portia By “The Duchess”

117—John Halifax, Gentleman By Miss Mulock

118—The Tragedy in the Rue de la Paix By Adolphe Belot

119—A Princess of Thule By William Black

122—Doris By “The Duchess”

123—Carmen and Colomba By Prosper Merimee

125—The Master of Ballantrae By Robert Louis Stevenson

126—The Toilers of the Sea By Victor Hugo

127—Mrs. Geoffrey By “The Duchess”

129—Love and Shipwreck By W. Clark Russell

130—Beautiful Jim By John Strange Winter

131—Lady Audley’s Secret By Miss M. E. Braddon

132—The Frozen Pirate By W. Clark Russell

133—Rory O’More By Samuel Lover

134—A Modern Circe By “The Duchess”

135—Foul Play By Charles Reade

137—I Have Lived and Loved By Mrs. Forrester

138—Elsie Venner By Oliver Wendell Holmes

139—Hans of Iceland By Victor Hugo

141—Lady Valworth’s Diamonds By “The Duchess”

143—John Holdsworth, Chief Mate By W. Clark Russell

145—Jess By H. Rider Haggard

146—The Honorable Mrs. Vereker By “The Duchess”

147—The Dead Secret By Wilkie Collins

148—Ships That Pass in the Night By Beatrice Harraden

149—The Suicide Club By Robert Louis Stevenson

150—A Mental Struggle By “The Duchess”

152—Colonel Quaritch, V. C. By H. Rider Haggard

153—The Way of a Siren By “The Duchess”

158—Lady Branksmere By “The Duchess”

159—A Marriage at Sea By W. Clark Russell

162—Dick’s Sweetheart By “The Duchess”

165—Faith and Unfaith By “The Duchess”

166—The Phantom Rickshaw By Rudyard Kipling

209—Rose Mather By Mary J. Holmes

210—At Mather House By Mary J. Holmes

211—Edith Trevor’s Secret By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

212—Cecil Rosse By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

213—Cecil’s Triumph By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

214—Guy Earlscourt’s Wife By May Agnes Fleming

215—The Leighton Homestead By Mary J. Holmes

216—Georgie’s Secret By Mary J. Holmes

217—Lady Kildare By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

218—Kathleen’s Strange Husband By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

219—Millbank By Mary J. Holmes

220—Magda’s Choice By Mary J. Holmes

221—Sundered Hearts By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

222—Bitter Sweet By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

223—Edith Lyle’s Secret By Mary J. Holmes

224—Edith’s Daughter By Mary J. Holmes

225—A Wonderful Woman By May Agnes Fleming

226—The Mystery of Bracken Hollow By May Agnes Fleming

227—The Haunted Husband By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

228—The White Life Endures By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

229—Darkness and Daylight By Mary J. Holmes

230—The Unloved Husband By Mary J. Holmes

231—Neva’s Three Lovers By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

232—Neva’s Choice By Mrs. Harriet Lewis

A CARNIVAL OF ACTION

ADVENTURE LIBRARY

Splendid, Interesting, Big Stories

This line is devoted exclusively to a splendid type of adventure story, in the big outdoors. There is really a breath of fresh air in each of them, and the reader who pays fifteen cents for a copy of this line feels that he has received his money’s worth and a little more.

The authors of these books are experienced in the art of writing, and know just what the up-to-date American reader wants.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK

1—The Desert Argonaut

2—A Quarter to Four

3—Thorndyke of the Bonita

4—A Round Trip to the Year 2000

5—The Gold Gleaners

6—The Spur of Necessity

7—The Mysterious Mission

8—The Goal of a Million

9—Marooned in 1492

10—Running the Signal

11—His Friend the Enemy

12—In the Web

13—A Deep Sea Game

14—The Paymaster’s Special

15—Adrift in the Unknown

16—Jim Dexter, Cattleman

17—Juggling with Liberty

18—Back from Bedlam

19—A River Tangle

20—Billionaire Pro Tem

21—In the Wake of the Scimitar

22—His Audacious Highness

23—At Daggers Drawn

24—The Eighth Wonder

25—The Cat’s-Paw

26—The Cotton Bag

27—Little Miss Vassar

28—Cast Away at the Pole

29—The Testing of Noyes

30—The Fateful Seventh

31—Montana

32—The Deserter

33—The Sheriff of Broken Bow

34—Wanted: A Highwayman

35—Frisbie of San Antone

36—His Last Dollar

37—Fools for Luck

38—Dare of Darling & Co.

39—Trailing “The Josephine”

40—The Snapshot Chap By Bertram Lebhar

41—Brothers of the Thin Wire By Franklin Pitt

42—Jungle Intrigue By Edmond Lawrence

43—His Snapshot Lordship By Bertram Lebhar

44—Folly Lode By James F. Dorrance

45—The Forest Rogue By Julian G. Wharton

46—Snapshot Artillery By Bertram Lebhar

47—Stanley Holt, Thoroughbred By Ralph Boston

48—The Riddle and the Ring By Gordon McLaren

49—The Black Eye Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar

50—Bainbridge of Bangor By Julian G. Wharton

51—Amid Crashing Hills By Edmond Lawrence

52—The Big Bet Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar

53—Boots and Saddles By J. Aubrey Tyson

54—Hazzard of West Point By Edmond Lawrence

55—Service Courageous By Don Cameron Shafer

56—On Post By Bertram Lebhar

57—Jack Cope, Trooper By Roy Fessenden

58—Service Audacious By Don Cameron Shafer

59—When Fortune Dares By Emerson Baker

60—In the Land of Treasure By Barry Wolcott

61—A Soul Laid Bare By J. Kenilworth Egerton

62—Wireless Sid By Dana R. Preston

63—Garrison’s Finish By W. B. M. Ferguson

64—Bob Storm of the Navy By Ensign Lee Tempest, U.S.N.

65—Golden Bighorn By William Wallace Cook

66—The Square Deal Garage By Burt L. Standish

67—Ridgway of Montana By Wm. MacLeod Raine

68—The Motor Wizard’s Daring By Burt L. Standish

69—The Presidential Snapshot By Bertram Lebhar

70—The Sky Pilot By Burt L. Standish

71—An Innocent Outlaw By William Wallace Cook

72—The Motor Wizard’s Mystery By Burt L. Standish

73—From Copy Boy to Reporter By W. Bert Foster

74—The Motor Wizard’s Strange Adventure By Burt L. Standish

75—Lee Blake, Trolley Man By Roland Ashford Phillips

76—The Motor Wizard’s Clean-up By Burt L. Standish

77—Rogers of Butte By William Wallace Cook

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in January, 1928.

78—Afloat in the Clouds By Donald Grayson

79—Around the World in 30 Days By Albert Payson Terhune

80—A Submarine Cruise By Donald Grayson

To be published in February, 1928.

81—The Vanishing Junk By Remson Douglas

82—In Strange Waters By Donald Grayson

To be published in March, 1928.

83—Afloat with Capt. Dynamite By Wilson Carew

84—Bob Steele’s Motor Boat By Donald Grayson

To be published in April, 1928.

85—The Filibusters By Frederick Gibson

86—Bob Steele’s Reverse By Donald Grayson

To be published in May, 1928.

87—On Wooded Trails By Frederick Gibson

88—Bob Steele’s New Aeroplane By Donald Grayson

To be published in June, 1928.

89—Buck Badger’s Ranch By Russell Williams

90—Bob Steele’s Last Flight By Donald Grayson

BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN

MERRIWELL SERIES

ALL BY BURT L. STANDISH

Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell

Fascinating Stories of Athletics

A half million enthusiastic followers of the Merriwell brothers will attest the unfailing interest and wholesomeness of these adventures of two lads of high ideals, who play fair with themselves, as well as with the rest of the world.

These stories are rich in fun and thrills in all branches of sports and athletics. They are extremely high in moral tone, and cannot fail to be of immense benefit to every boy who reads them.

They have the splendid quality of firing a boy’s ambition to become a good athlete, in order that he may develop into a strong, vigorous, right-thinking man.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1—Frank Merriwell’s School Days

2—Frank Merriwell’s Chums

3—Frank Merriwell’s Foes

4—Frank Merriwell’s Trip West

5—Frank Merriwell Down South

6—Frank Merriwell’s Bravery

7—Frank Merriwell’s Hunting Tour

8—Frank Merriwell in Europe

9—Frank Merriwell at Yale

10—Frank Merriwell’s Sports Afield

11—Frank Merriwell’s Races

12—Frank Merriwell’s Party

13—Frank Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour

14—Frank Merriwell’s Courage

15—Frank Merriwell’s Daring

10—Frank Merriwell’s Alarm

17—Frank Merriwell’s Athletes

18—Frank Merriwell’s Skill

19—Frank Merriwell’s Champions

20—Frank Merriwell’s Return to Yale

21—Frank Merriwell’s Secret

22—Frank Merriwell’s Danger

23—Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty

24—Frank Merriwell in Camp

25—Frank Merriwell’s Vacation

26—Frank Merriwell’s Cruise

27—Frank Merriwell’s Chase

28—Frank Merriwell in Maine

29—Frank Merriwell’s Struggle

30—Frank Merriwell’s First Job

31—Frank Merriwell’s Opportunity

32—Frank Merriwell’s Hard Luck

33—Frank Merriwell’s Protégé

34—Frank Merriwell on the Road

35—Frank Merriwell’s Own Company

36—Frank Merriwell’s Fame

37—Frank Merriwell’s College Chums

38—Frank Merriwell’s Problem

39—Frank Merriwell’s Fortune

40—Frank Merriwell’s New Comedian

41—Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity

42—Frank Merriwell’s Stage Hit

43—Frank Merriwell’s Great Scheme

44—Frank Merriwell in England

45—Frank Merriwell on the Boulevards

40—Frank Merriwell’s Duel

47—Frank Merriwell’s Double Shot

48—Frank Merriwell’s Baseball Victories

49—Frank Merriwell’s Confidence

50—Frank Merriwell’s Auto

51—Frank Merriwell’s Fun

52—Frank Merriwell’s Generosity

53—Frank Merriwell’s Tricks

54—Frank Merriwell’s Temptation

55—Frank Merriwell on Top

56—Frank Merriwell’s Luck

57—Frank Merriwell’s Mascot

58—Frank Merriwell’s Reward

59—Frank Merriwell’s Phantom

60—Frank Merriwell’s Faith

61—Frank Merriwell’s Victories

62—Frank Merriwell’s Iron Nerve

63—Frank Merriwell in Kentucky

64—Frank Merriwell’s Power

65—Frank Merriwell’s Shrewdness

66—Frank Merriwell’s Setback

67—Frank Merriwell’s Search

68—Frank Merriwell’s Club

69—Frank Merriwell’s Trust

70—Frank Merriwell’s False Friend

71—Frank Merriwell’s Strong Arm

72—Frank Merriwell as Coach

73—Frank Merriwell’s Brother

74—Frank Merriwell’s Marvel

75—Frank Merriwell’s Support

76—Dick Merriwell at Fardale

77—Dick Merriwell’s Glory

78—Dick Merriwell’s Promise

79—Dick Merriwell’s Rescue

80—Dick Merriwell’s Narrow Escape

81—Dick Merriwell’s Racket

82—Dick Merriwell’s Revenge

83—Dick Merriwell’s Ruse

84—Dick Merriwell’s Delivery

85—Dick Merriwell’s Wonders

86—Frank Merriwell’s Honor

87—Dick Merriwell’s Diamond

88—Frank Merriwell’s Winners

89—Dick Merriwell’s Dash

90—Dick Merriwell’s Ability

91—Dick Merriwell’s Trap

92—Dick Merriwell’s Defense

93—Dick Merriwell’s Model

94—Dick Merriwell’s Mystery

95—Frank Merriwell’s Backers

96—Dick Merriwell’s Backstop

97—Dick Merriwell’s Western Mission

98—Frank Merriwell’s Rescue

99—Frank Merriwell’s Encounter

100—Dick Merriwell’s Marked Money

101—Frank Merriwell’s Nomads

102—Dick Merriwell on the Gridiron

103—Dick Merriwell’s Disguise

104—Dick Merriwell’s Test

105—Frank Merriwell’s Trump Card

106—Frank Merriwell’s Strategy

107—Frank Merriwell’s Triumph

108—Dick Merriwell’s Grit

109—Dick Merriwell’s Assurance

110—Dick Merriwell’s Long Slide

111—Frank Merriwell’s Rough Deal

112—Dick Merriwell’s Threat

113—Dick Merriwell’s Persistence

114—Dick Merriwell’s Day

115—Frank Merriwell’s Peril

116—Dick Merriwell’s Downfall

117—Frank Merriwell’s Pursuit

118—Dick Merriwell Abroad

119—Frank Merriwell in the Rockies

120—Dick Merriwell’s Pranks

121—Frank Merriwell’s Pride

122—Frank Merriwell’s Challengers

123—Frank Merriwell’s Endurance

124—Dick Merriwell’s Cleverness

125—Frank Merriwell’s Marriage

126—Dick Merriwell, the Wizard

127—Dick Merriwell’s Stroke

128—Dick Merriwell’s Return

129—Dick Merriwell’s Resource

130—Dick Merriwell’s Five

131—Frank Merriwell’s Tigers

132—Dick Merriwell’s Polo Team

133—Frank Merriwell’s Pupils

134—Frank Merriwell’s New Boy

135—Dick Merriwell’s Home Run

136—Dick Merriwell’s Dare

137—Frank Merriwell’s Son

138—Dick Merriwell’s Team Mate

139—Frank Merriwell’s Leaguers

140—Frank Merriwell’s Happy Camp

141—Dick Merriwell’s Influence

142—Dick Merriwell, Freshman

143—Dick Merriwell’s Staying Power

144—Dick Merriwell’s Joke

145—Frank Merriwell’s Talisman

146—Frank Merriwell’s Horse

147—Dick Merriwell’s Regret

148—Dick Merriwell’s Magnetism

149—Dick Merriwell’s Backers

150—Dick Merriwell’s Best Work

151—Dick Merriwell’s Distrust

152—Dick Merriwell’s Debt

153—Dick Merriwell’s Mastery

154—Dick Merriwell Adrift

155—Frank Merriwell’s Worst Boy

156—Dick Merriwell’s Close Call

157—Frank Merriwell’s Air Voyage

158—Dick Merriwell’s Black Star

159—Frank Merriwell in Wall Street

160—Frank Merriwell Facing His Foes

161—Dick Merriwell’s Stanchness

162—Frank Merriwell’s Hard Case

163—Dick Merriwell’s Stand

164—Dick Merriwell Doubted

165—Frank Merriwell’s Steadying Hand

166—Dick Merriwell’s Example

167—Dick Merriwell in the Wilds

168—Frank Merriwell’s Ranch

169—Dick Merriwell’s Way

170—Frank Merriwell’s Lesson

171—Dick Merriwell’s Reputation

172—Frank Merriwell’s Encouragement

173—Dick Merriwell’s Honors

174—Frank Merriwell’s Wizard

175—Dick Merriwell’s Race

176—Dick Merriwell’s Star Play

177—Frank Merriwell at Phantom Lake

178—Dick Merriwell a Winner

179—Dick Merriwell at the County Fair

180—Frank Merriwell’s Grit

181—Dick Merriwell’s Power

182—Frank Merriwell in Peru

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays In transportation.

To be published in January, 1928.

183—Frank Merriwell’s Long Chance

184—Frank Merriwell’s Old Form

To be published in February, 1928.

185—Frank Merriwell’s Treasure Hunt

186—Dick Merriwell Game to the Last

To be published in March, 1928.

187—Dick Merriwell, Motor King

188—Dick Merriwell’s Tussle

189—Dick Merriwell’s Aero Dash

To be published In April, 1928.

100—Dick Merriwell’s Intuition

191—Dick Merriwell’s Placer Find

To be published in May, 1928.

192—Dick Merriwell’s Fighting Chance

193—Frank Merriwell’s Tact

To be published in June, 1928.

194—Frank Merriwell’s Puzzle

195—Frank Merriwell’s Mystery

RATTLING GOOD ADVENTURE

SPORT STORIES

_Stories of the Big Outdoors_

There has been a big demand for outdoor stories, and a very considerable portion of it has been for the Maxwell Stevens stories about Jack Lightfoot, the athlete.

These stories are not, strictly speaking, stories for boys, but boys everywhere will find a great deal in them to interest them.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1—Jack Lightfoot, the Athlete

2—Jack Lightfoot’s Crack Nine

3—Jack Lightfoot Trapped

4—Jack Lightfoot’s Rival

5—Jack Lightfoot in Camp

6—Jack Lightfoot’s Canoe Trip

7—Jack Lightfoot’s Iron Arm

8—Jack Lightfoot’s Hoodoo

9—Jack Lightfoot’s Decision

10—Jack Lightfoot’s Gun Club

11—Jack Lightfoot’s Blind

12—Jack Lightfoot’s Capture

13—Jack Lightfoot’s Head Work

14—Jack Lightfoot’s Wisdom

The Dealer

who handles the STREET & SMITH NOVELS is a man worth patronizing. The fact that he does handle our books proves that he has considered the merits of paper-covered lines, and has decided that the STREET & SMITH NOVELS are superior to all others.

He has looked into the question of the morality of the paper-covered book, for instance, and feels that he is perfectly safe in handing one of our novels to any one, because he has our assurance that nothing except clean, wholesome literature finds its way into our lines.

Therefore, the STREET & SMITH NOVEL dealer is a careful and wise tradesman, and it is fair to assume selects the other articles he has for sale with the same degree of intelligence as he does his paper-covered books.

Deal with the STREET & SMITH NOVEL dealer.

STREET & SMITH CORPORATION 79 Seventh Avenue New York City

End of Project Gutenberg's Captain Sparkle, Pirate, by Nicholas Carter