CHAPTER XXVI. MAJOR TOPPLETON’S PROPOSITION.

“What does Toppleton want with you?” asked Colonel Wimpleton, coming up to me after the major and his son had retired.

The magnate of Centreport looked ugly, as though, in the moment of his great triumph, he feared a conspiracy to rob the steamboat company of the laurels it had won.

“Nothing in particular, that I am aware of,” I replied, not exactly pleased to have even an unkind look bestowed upon me, after the victory which I had been instrumental in winning.

“You seem to be on excellent terms with him,” sneered the colonel.

“I do not wish to quarrel with any one.”

“What did Toppleton want?” demanded the great man, rather more sharply than the occasion seemed to require.

“I don’t know that he wants anything. He invited me to call at his house, and I promised to do so,” I answered candidly.

“You did!”

“I did, sir. Both the major and Tommy were kind enough to say that they did not wish to quarrel with me; and certainly I have no ill-will against them.”

“You have not!” repeated Colonel Wimpleton, with emphasis. “Am I not your bail on a groundless charge preferred by them?”

“But they have done me more of good than of evil; and the major said no harm should come to me on account of the trial.”

“Wolf, I don’t like this way of doing things. If you are in my service, I don’t want you to have anything to do with my enemies. If three dollars a day is not enough for a boy like you, I will give you four or five; but you mustn’t play into the hands of Toppleton.”

“I don’t intend to do so, sir. I never yet deserted those who used me well, and I don’t intend to begin now. If you think you cannot trust me, sir, don’t do it.”

The time for starting having arrived, the conversation, which did not promise very agreeable results, was interrupted. The band struck up its music, and the _Ucayga_ left the wharf. I went into my stateroom for the purpose of being alone a moment, for I wanted to think over what the colonel had just said to me. He was evidently jealous of anything like intimacy between the Toppletons and myself, and was afraid I would “sell out” the steamboat company. I was not flattered by the suspicion. I considered the subject very faithfully; but I decided that it was unreasonable in my present patron to insist that I should have nothing to do with the Toppletons. As long as Grace lived and smiled upon me, I could assent to nothing of the kind, even if I lost my situation. At the same time, I intended to be true to my employers, even if Grace ceased to smile upon me for doing so.

On the up trip the _Ucayga_ was even uncomfortably crowded; for, besides the excursion party, we had a large number of through passengers. But, as soon as the boat was clear of the wharf, they began to settle down, and to cease to crowd each other. The band played splendidly, and everybody seemed to be satisfied. At Centreport we left the crowd, though the boat was still well filled. The program of the preceding day was repeated. We passed the old _Ruoara_ near Gulfport, and arrived at Hitaca a little before the time in my table. As we had kept all our promises, the new line was in high favor with the public.

The next morning, the old boat departed with hardly a corporal’s guard of passengers, while the _Ucayga_ was crowded. We landed our freight at Ucayga on time, and everybody was satisfied that the new line was an assured success. I need not follow its triumphs any further, for it would be only a repetition of what has already been said. The steamboat line was carrying nearly all the passengers. The old-line boats had hardly business enough to pay for the oil used on the machinery, though the Lake Shore Railroad did tolerably well with its local trade.

When the _Ucayga_ arrived at Centreport, on the day after the excursion, I crossed the lake; and, after a short visit to my mother, I hastened to the mansion of Major Toppleton. I was not only curious to know what the major wanted of me, but I was thirsting for the opportunity to meet Grace. The latter motive was doubtless the stronger one; for, since the poor girl had risked so much to give me warning of the intended arrest, I flattered myself that she was not wholly indifferent to me.

With a fluttering heart I rang the bell at the door of Major Toppleton’s house. I was admitted to the library. Neither the great man nor his son was at home; but the servant assured me they would soon return, for it wanted but a few minutes of lunch-time. I ventured to ask if Miss Grace was at home. I knew she was, for I heard the piano in one of the neighboring rooms, and the music was so sweet I was sure no hands but hers could produce it. In a moment she entered the library, her soft cheeks crimsoned with a blush, which made me feel exceedingly awkward.

“Why, Mr. Wolf! I am so glad to see you!” said she; and, in the enthusiasm of the moment, she advanced toward me, and gave me her hand.

“I’m sure you cannot be as glad to see me as I am to see you,” I replied, pressing the little hand in mine.

Dear me! What was I doing? Straightway I began to feel very queer and awkward, and cheap and mean. She was confused, and apparently astonished by the boldness of my remark, for she retired to a sofa on the other side of the room. I was beginning to thank her for the great service she had rendered me on Monday, when Major Toppleton and Tommy, whom the stupid servant had taken the trouble to summon, entered the library. I wished they had deferred their coming for half an hour. Both of them seemed to be very glad to see me, and took no notice of the presence of Grace. To my astonishment, the magnate invited me to lunch with him. I had not the courage to refuse, or, in other words, to banish myself from the presence of Grace.

“Wolf, we had just nine passengers from Hitaca this morning,” said the major, with a chuckling laugh, as though he intended to make the best of his discomfiture.

“We had over two hundred and fifty,” I replied.

“Yesterday afternoon we had a fair freight down; but we can’t do anything against that new steamer, especially when you have a band of music on board,” added the major. “Will you take some of this cold chicken?”

“Thank you, sir--a little. For your sake I am sorry the steamboat line is doing so well.”

“You can do anything you please with Colonel Wimpleton, just now,” he added.

“I think not, sir.”

“I believe you can. The fact is, you suggested the plan by which the railroad line has been defeated.”

“But the plan is already in working order, and it will go on just as well without me as with me.”

“I am sorry we had any trouble with you, Wolf, for suddenly from a boy you have become a man, and a dangerous man, too, for our side of the lake.”

I was forced to believe that this was mere flattery, intended to help along some object not yet mentioned.

“I have done the best I could for my employers, on whichever side I happened to be engaged.”

“That’s true. I am going to speak plainly now, Wolf. We are beaten; but we don’t intend to remain beaten for any great length of time. The prosperity of Middleport depends greatly upon the Lake Shore Railroad, and I intend to make that a success if it costs me all I am worth. I shall build a bridge at the foot of the lake, so that I can go into Ucayga without the aid of a ferry-boat. A Lightning Express is going through from Middleport to the station at Ucayga in three-quarters of an hour. So far I am determined.”

“That will not help your case much, so far as through travel is concerned.”

“Considerable, Wolf. We shall save fifteen minutes.”

“But we shall still beat you by half an hour.”

“Very true; but I don’t intend to stop here. I shall either build a steamer equal or superior to the _Ucayga_, to run between Hitaca and Middleport, or I shall run the railroad to the head of the lake.”

“Will it pay?”

“I think it will, but, though Wimpleton and I have always quarreled of late years, I am willing to be fair. I have a plan, which I will state to you. If Wimpleton will run the _Ucayga_ from Hitaca to Middleport in connection with the railroad, I will take off my boats. This will be a fair thing for both of us. You may state the case to him. If he agrees to it, all right; if not, I shall make my next move.”

This, then, was what the major was driving at, and I was to be the ambassador between the rivals. I was willing to do the best I could, but I proposed that Tommy and Waddie should meet and discuss the matter. The little magnate of Middleport promptly and indignantly refused to meet the other little magnate. I promised to report the next day on my mission. As I was leaving, I invited Mrs. Toppleton and Grace to make a trip with me up or down the lake. Somewhat to my surprise, at the suggestion of the major, they accepted the invitation for that day. We crossed the lake, and I assure the reader I took every pains to make my guests happy.

Neither Waddie nor his father was on board again that day; but the latter went up to Hitaca with me in the afternoon. Cautiously approaching the subject I stated Major Toppleton’s proposition. The colonel would hardly listen to it, much less accept it. He swore, and abused his great rival. He would have nothing to do with Toppleton. He would sink the _Ucayga_ before he would help the railroad to a single passenger. He was very savage, and, before he had finished, poured out the vials of his wrath upon me for mentioning the subject.

The next day I reported the result of my mission; and Major Toppleton was quite as savage as the colonel had been. He swore, too, and declared that he would run the _Ucayga_ off the route before another summer.

I spoke to Waddie on the subject, and he expressed a strong desire to meet Tommy, and to be friends with him. He favored the plan of Major Toppleton, and if he had possessed as much influence over his father as Tommy over his, the arrangement would doubtless have been made. I was not without hope that the plan might yet be adopted.

But I have told my story as a steamboat captain; and anything more would be but a repetition. I had labored to make peace, but had failed. If there were olive branches in the future, there were none in the present. I continued to run the _Ucayga_ during the winter, with the same success which attended her from the first of my connection with her. We did about all the through business, and the Lake Shore Railroad languished under the competition.

At the next meeting of the steamboat company Waddie resigned, to the intense indignation of his father, and Dick Bayard was elected president. He also declined a reelection as major of the battalion, and Ben Pinkerton was chosen to the command. Thus far Waddie was true to his good resolutions, though he had much difficulty with his father on account of the change. He often came to me for advice, for the students of the institute seemed to distrust him still. No mutiny or rebellion occurred on his side of the lake, for the resigning of his offices prevented any collision.

Tom Walton made a good thing out of the _Belle_, and when the season closed, I obtained a place for him as deck-hand on board of the _Ucayga_, where he did tolerably well for the winter.

In November our family moved up to Hitaca, for my father and I were compelled to spend our nights and Sundays at that port. Our place in Middleport was let for the winter. Occasionally, while lying at Centreport, I made an errand over to Major Toppleton’s that I might see Grace; but I seldom met her. I hoped, most earnestly, that the two lines might be united, and peace restored between the two great houses. As Waddie was in favor of it, the prospect was not altogether dark. As the union meant peace, I continued to labor for it. If effected, the _Ucayga_ would lie at the wharf in Middleport between trips. I earnestly desired it. Then Grace would be a frequent passenger on the boat.

I have told the story of “The Young Captain of the _Ucayga_ Steamer;” how he became captain, and how well he succeeded in this capacity. The story is complete, and nothing more remains to be said of him; but the history of the great quarrel between the two sides of the lake, which has other phases, is not finished. There is another story to be told; but, as most of its events transpired while I was absent, I could only tell it from hearsay. I prefer that it should be related by an actual witness, and for this reason I have invited my friend Ned Skotchley to take the pen, and write “Switch Off; or, The War of the Students.”

I told Ned not to say anything more about me than he was obliged to do; but he is an obstinate fellow, and I find, by looking over his manuscript, that he has, to a very great extent, disregarded my instructions. But I am not responsible for the praise he bestows upon me, though, whatever he says of me, I am conscious that I have tried to be a Christian, to be faithful to my employers, and always to be “On Time.”

THE END

“Switch Off” is the title of the next volume in the ALGER SERIES, No. 150, by Oliver Optic, in which there are many rare adventures and an ending which is eminently satisfactory.

* * * * *

NICK CARTER STORIES

New Magnet Library

Price, Fifteen Cents _Not a Dull Book in This List_

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 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 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 By Nicholas Carter 851--A Tangled Skein By Nicholas Carter 852--The Bullion Mystery By Nicholas Carter 853--The Man of Riddles By Nicholas Carter 854--A Miscarriage of Justice By Nicholas Carter 855--The Gloved Hand By Nicholas Carter 856--Spoilers and the Spoils By Nicholas Carter 857--The Deeper Game By Nicholas Carter 858--Bolts from Blue Skies By Nicholas Carter 859--Unseen Foes By Nicholas Carter 860--Knaves in High Places By Nicholas Carter 861--The Microbe of Crime By Nicholas Carter 862--In the Toils of Fear By Nicholas Carter 863--A Heritage of Trouble By Nicholas Carter 864--Called to Account By Nicholas Carter 865--The Just and the Unjust By Nicholas Carter 866--Instinct at Fault By Nicholas Carter 867--A Rogue Worth Trapping By Nicholas Carter 868--A Rope of Slender Threads By Nicholas Carter 869--The Last Call By Nicholas Carter 870--The Spoils of Chance By Nicholas Carter 871--A Struggle With Destiny By Nicholas Carter 872--The Slave of Crime By Nicholas Carter 873--The Crook’s Blind By Nicholas Carter 874--A Rascal of Quality By Nicholas Carter 875--With Shackles of Fire By Nicholas Carter 876--The Man Who Changed Faces By Nicholas Carter 877--The Fixed Alibi By Nicholas Carter 878--Out With the Tide By Nicholas Carter 879--The Soul Destroyers By Nicholas Carter 880--The Wages of Rascality By Nicholas Carter 881--Birds of Prey By Nicholas Carter 882--When Destruction Threatens By Nicholas Carter 883--The Keeper of Black Hounds By Nicholas Carter 884--The Door of Doubt By Nicholas Carter 885--The Wolf Within By Nicholas Carter 886--A Perilous Parole By Nicholas Carter 887--The Trail of the Finger Prints By Nicholas Carter 888--Dodging the Law By Nicholas Carter 889--A Crime in Paradise By Nicholas Carter 890--On the Ragged Edge By Nicholas Carter 891--The Red God of Tragedy By Nicholas Carter 892--The Man Who Paid By Nicholas Carter 893--The Blind Man’s Daughter By Nicholas Carter 894--One Object in Life By Nicholas Carter 895--As a Crook Sows By Nicholas Carter 896--In Record Time By Nicholas Carter 897--Held in Suspense By Nicholas Carter 898--The $100,000 Kiss By Nicholas Carter 899--Just One Slip By Nicholas Carter 900--On a Million-dollar Trail By Nicholas Carter 901--A Weird Treasure By Nicholas Carter 902--The Middle Link By Nicholas Carter 903--To the Ends of the Earth By Nicholas Carter 904--When Honors Pall By Nicholas Carter 905--The Yellow Brand By Nicholas Carter 906--A New Serpent in Eden By Nicholas Carter 907--When Brave Men Tremble By Nicholas Carter 908--A Test of Courage By Nicholas Carter 909--Where Peril Beckons By Nicholas Carter 910--The Gargoni Girdle By Nicholas Carter 911--Rascals & Co. By Nicholas Carter 912--Too Late to Talk By Nicholas Carter 913--Satan’s Apt Pupil By Nicholas Carter 914--The Girl Prisoner By Nicholas Carter 915--The Danger of Folly By Nicholas Carter 916--One Shipwreck Too Many By Nicholas Carter 917--Scourged by Fear By Nicholas Carter 918--The Red Plague By Nicholas Carter 919--Scoundrels Rampant By Nicholas Carter 920--From Clew to Clew By Nicholas Carter 921--When Rogues Conspire By Nicholas Carter 922--Twelve in a Grave By Nicholas Carter 923--The Great Opium Case By Nicholas Carter 924--A Conspiracy of Rumors By Nicholas Carter 925--A Klondike Claim By Nicholas Carter 926--The Evil Formula By Nicholas Carter 927--The Man of Many Faces By Nicholas Carter 928--The Great Enigma By Nicholas Carter 929--The Burden of Proof By Nicholas Carter 930--The Stolen Brain By Nicholas Carter 931--A Titled Counterfeiter By Nicholas Carter 932--The Magic Necklace By Nicholas Carter 933--’Round the World for a Quarter By Nicholas Carter 934--Over the Edge of the World By Nicholas Carter 935--In the Grip of Fate By Nicholas Carter 936--The Case of Many Clews By Nicholas Carter 937--The Sealed Door By Nicholas Carter 938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men By Nicholas Carter 939--The Man Without a Will By Nicholas Carter 940--Tracked Across the Atlantic By Nicholas Carter 941--A Clew From the Unknown By Nicholas Carter 942--The Crime of a Countess By Nicholas Carter 943--A Mixed Up Mess By Nicholas Carter 944--The Great Money Order Swindle By Nicholas Carter 945--The Adder’s Brood By Nicholas Carter 946--A Wall Street Haul By Nicholas Carter 947--For a Pawned Crown By Nicholas Carter 948--Sealed Orders By Nicholas Carter 949--The Hate That Kills By Nicholas Carter 950--The American Marquis By Nicholas Carter 951--The Needy Nine By Nicholas Carter 952--Fighting Against Millions By Nicholas Carter 953--Outlaws of the Blue By Nicholas Carter 954--The Old Detective’s Pupil By Nicholas Carter 955--Found in the Jungle By Nicholas Carter 956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery By Nicholas Carter 957--Broken Bars By Nicholas Carter 958--A Fair Criminal By Nicholas Carter 959--Won by Magic By Nicholas Carter 960--The Piano Box Mystery By Nicholas Carter 961--The Man They Held Back By Nicholas Carter 962--A Millionaire Partner By Nicholas Carter 963--A Pressing Peril By Nicholas Carter 964--An Australian Klondyke By Nicholas Carter 965--The Sultan’s Pearls By Nicholas Carter 966--The Double Shuffle Club By Nicholas Carter 967--Paying the Price By Nicholas Carter 968--A Woman’s Hand By Nicholas Carter 969--A Network of Crime By Nicholas Carter 970--At Thompson’s Ranch By Nicholas Carter 971--The Crossed Needles By Nicholas Carter 972--The Diamond Mine Case By Nicholas Carter 973--Blood Will Tell By Nicholas Carter 974--An Accidental Password By Nicholas Carter 975--The Crook’s Bauble By Nicholas Carter 976--Two Plus Two By Nicholas Carter 977--The Yellow Label By Nicholas Carter 978--The Clever Celestial By Nicholas Carter 979--The Amphitheater Plot By Nicholas Carter 980--Gideon Drexel’s Millions By Nicholas Carter 981--Death in Life By Nicholas Carter 982--A Stolen Identity By Nicholas Carter 983--Evidence by Telephone By Nicholas Carter 984--The Twelve Tin Boxes By Nicholas Carter 985--Clew Against Clew By Nicholas Carter 986--Lady Velvet By Nicholas Carter 987--Playing a Bold Game By Nicholas Carter 988--A Dead Man’s Grip By Nicholas Carter 989--Snarled Identities By Nicholas Carter 990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle By Nicholas Carter 991--The Crescent Brotherhood By Nicholas Carter 992--The Stolen Pay Train By Nicholas Carter 993--The Sea Fox By Nicholas Carter 994--Wanted by Two Clients By Nicholas Carter 995--The Van Alstine Case By Nicholas Carter 996--Check No. 777 By Nicholas Carter 997--Partners in Peril By Nicholas Carter 998--Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé By Nicholas Carter 999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives By Nicholas Carter 1000--The Man Who Vanished By Nicholas Carter 1001--A Battle for the Right By Nicholas Carter 1002--A Game of Craft By Nicholas Carter 1003--Nick Carter’s Retainer By Nicholas Carter 1004--Caught in the Toils By Nicholas Carter 1005--A Broken Bond By Nicholas Carter 1006--The Crime of the French Café By Nicholas Carter 1007--The Man Who Stole Millions By Nicholas Carter 1008--The Twelve Wise Men By Nicholas Carter 1009--Hidden Foes By Nicholas Carter 1010--A Gamblers’ Syndicate By Nicholas Carter 1011--A Chance Discovery By Nicholas Carter 1012--Among the Counterfeiters By Nicholas Carter 1013--A Threefold Disappearance By Nicholas Carter 1014--At Odds With Scotland Yard By Nicholas Carter 1015--A Princess of Crime By Nicholas Carter 1016--Found on the Beach By Nicholas Carter 1017--A Spinner of Death By Nicholas Carter 1018--The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor By Nicholas Carter 1019--A Bogus Clew By Nicholas Carter 1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols By Nicholas Carter 1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel By Nicholas Carter 1022--A Bite of an Apple By Nicholas Carter 1023--A Triple Crime By Nicholas Carter 1024--The Stolen Race Horse By Nicholas Carter 1025--Wildfire By Nicholas Carter 1026--A _Herald_ Personal By Nicholas Carter 1027--The Finger of Suspicion By Nicholas Carter 1028--The Crimson Clew By Nicholas Carter 1029--Nick Carter Down East By Nicholas Carter 1030--The Chain of Clews By Nicholas Carter 1031--A Victim of Circumstances By Nicholas Carter 1032--Brought to Bay By Nicholas Carter 1033--The Dynamite Trap By Nicholas Carter 1034--A Scrap of Black Lace By Nicholas Carter 1035--The Woman of Evil By Nicholas Carter 1036--A Legacy of Hate By Nicholas Carter 1037--A Trusted Rogue By Nicholas Carter 1038--Man Against Man By Nicholas Carter 1039--The Demons of the Night By Nicholas Carter 1040--The Brotherhood of Death By Nicholas Carter 1041--At the Knife’s Point By Nicholas Carter 1042--A Cry for Help By Nicholas Carter 1043--A Stroke of Policy By Nicholas Carter 1044--Hounded to Death By Nicholas Carter 1045--A Bargain in Crime By Nicholas Carter 1046--The Fatal Prescription By Nicholas Carter 1047--The Man of Iron By Nicholas Carter 1048--An Amazing Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter 1049--The Chain of Evidence By Nicholas Carter 1050--Paid with Death By Nicholas Carter 1051--A Fight for a Throne By Nicholas Carter 1052--The Woman of Steel By Nicholas Carter 1053--The Seal of Death By Nicholas Carter 1054--The Human Fiend By Nicholas Carter 1055--A Desperate Chance By Nicholas Carter 1056--A Chase in the Dark By Nicholas Carter 1057--The Snare and the Game By Nicholas Carter 1058--The Murray Hill Mystery By Nicholas Carter 1059--Nick Carter’s Close Call By Nicholas Carter 1060--The Missing Cotton King By Nicholas Carter 1061--A Game of Plots By Nicholas Carter 1062--The Prince of Liars By Nicholas Carter 1063--The Man at the Window By Nicholas Carter 1064--The Red League By Nicholas Carter 1065--The Price of a Secret By Nicholas Carter 1066--The Worst Case on Record By Nicholas Carter 1067--From Peril to Peril By Nicholas Carter 1068--The Seal of Silence By Nicholas Carter 1069--Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle By Nicholas Carter 1070--A Blackmailer’s Bluff By Nicholas Carter 1071--Heard in the Dark By Nicholas Carter 1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter 1073--The Cashier’s Secret By Nicholas Carter 1074--Behind a Mask By Nicholas Carter 1075--The Cloak of Guilt By Nicholas Carter 1076--Two Villains in One By Nicholas Carter 1077--The Hot Air Clew By Nicholas Carter 1078--Run to Earth By Nicholas Carter 1079--The Certified Check By Nicholas Carter 1080--Weaving the Web By Nicholas Carter 1081--Beyond Pursuit By Nicholas Carter 1082--The Claws of the Tiger By Nicholas Carter 1083--Driven from Cover By Nicholas Carter 1084--A Deal in Diamonds By Nicholas Carter 1085--The Wizard of the Cue By Nicholas Carter 1086--A Race for Ten Thousand By Nicholas Carter 1087--The Criminal Link By Nicholas Carter 1088--The Red Signal By Nicholas Carter 1089--The Secret Panel By Nicholas Carter 1090--A Bonded Villain By Nicholas Carter 1091--A Move in the Dark By Nicholas Carter 1092--Against Desperate Odds By Nicholas Carter 1093--The Telltale Photographs By Nicholas Carter 1094--The Ruby Pin By Nicholas Carter 1095--The Queen of Diamonds By Nicholas Carter 1096--A Broken Trail By Nicholas Carter 1097--An Ingenious Stratagem By Nicholas Carter 1098--A Sharper’s Downfall By Nicholas Carter 1099--A Race Track Gamble By Nicholas Carter 1100--Without a Clew By Nicholas Carter 1101--The Council of Death By Nicholas Carter 1102--The Hole in the Vault By Nicholas Carter 1103--In Death’s Grip By Nicholas Carter 1104--A Great Conspiracy By Nicholas Carter 1105--The Guilty Governor By Nicholas Carter 1106--A Ring of Rascals By Nicholas Carter 1107--A Masterpiece of Crime By Nicholas Carter 1108--A Blow For Vengeance By Nicholas Carter 1109--Tangled Threads By Nicholas Carter 1110--The Crime of the Camera By Nicholas Carter 1111--The Sign of the Dagger By Nicholas Carter 1112--Nick Carter’s Promise By Nicholas Carter 1113--Marked for Death By Nicholas Carter 1114--The Limited Holdup By Nicholas Carter 1115--When the Trap Was Sprung By Nicholas Carter 1116--Through the Cellar Wall By Nicholas Carter 1117--Under the Tiger’s Claws By Nicholas Carter 1118--The Girl in the Case By Nicholas Carter 1119--Behind a Throne By Nicholas Carter 1120--The Lure of Gold By Nicholas Carter 1121--Hand to Hand By Nicholas Carter 1122--From a Prison Cell By Nicholas Carter 1123--Dr. Quartz, Magician By Nicholas Carter 1124--Into Nick Carter’s Web By Nicholas Carter 1125--The Mystic Diagram By Nicholas Carter 1126--The Hand That Won By Nicholas Carter 1127--Playing a Lone Hand By Nicholas Carter 1128--The Master Villain By Nicholas Carter 1129--The False Claimant By Nicholas Carter 1130--The Living Mask By Nicholas Carter 1131--The Crime and the Motive By Nicholas Carter 1132--A Mysterious Foe By Nicholas Carter 1133--A Missing Man By Nicholas Carter 1134--A Game Well Played By Nicholas Carter 1135--A Cigarette Clew By Nicholas Carter 1136--The Diamond Trail By Nicholas Carter 1137--The Silent Guardian By Nicholas Carter 1138--The Dead Stranger By Nicholas Carter 1140--The Doctor’s Stratagem By Nicholas Carter 1141--Following a Chance Clew By Nicholas Carter 1142--The Bank Draft Puzzle By Nicholas Carter 1143--The Price of Treachery By Nicholas Carter 1144--The Silent Partner By Nicholas Carter 1145--Ahead of the Game By Nicholas Carter 1146--A Trap of Tangled Wire By Nicholas Carter 1147--In the Gloom of Night By Nicholas Carter 1148--The Unaccountable Crook By Nicholas Carter 1149--A Bundle of Clews By Nicholas Carter 1150--The Great Diamond Syndicate By Nicholas Carter 1151--The Death Circle By Nicholas Carter 1152--The Toss of a Penny By Nicholas Carter 1153--One Step Too Far By Nicholas Carter 1154--The Terrible Thirteen By Nicholas Carter 1155--A Detective’s Theory By Nicholas Carter 1156--Nick Carter’s Auto Trail By Nicholas Carter 1157--A Triple Identity By Nicholas Carter 1158--A Mysterious Graft By Nicholas Carter 1159--A Carnival of Crime By Nicholas Carter 1160--The Bloodstone Terror By Nicholas Carter 1161--Trapped in His Own Net By Nicholas Carter 1162--The Last Move in the Game By Nicholas Carter 1163--A Victim of Deceit By Nicholas Carter 1164--With Links of Steel By Nicholas Carter 1165--A Plaything of Fate By Nicholas Carter 1166--The Key Ring Clew By Nicholas Carter 1167--Playing for a Fortune By Nicholas Carter 1168--At Mystery’s Threshold By Nicholas Carter 1169--Trapped by a Woman By Nicholas Carter 1170--The Four Fingered Glove By Nicholas Carter 1171--Nabob and Knave By Nicholas Carter 1172--The Broadway Crofts By Nicholas Carter 1173--The Man Without a Conscience By Nicholas Carter 1174--A Master of Deviltry By Nicholas Carter

* * * * *

Western Stories About BUFFALO BILL

Price, Fifteen Cents Red-blooded Adventure Stories for Men

There is no more romantic character in American history than William F. Cody, or, as he was internationally known, Buffalo Bill. He, with Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer, and a few other adventurous spirits, laid the foundation of our great West.

There is no more brilliant page in American history than the winning of the West. Never did pioneers live more thrilling lives, so rife with adventure and brave deeds, as the old scouts and plainsmen. Foremost among these stands the imposing figure of Buffalo Bill.

All of the books in this list are intensely interesting. They were written by the close friend and companion of Buffalo Bill--Colonel Prentiss Ingraham. They depict actual adventures which this pair of hard-hitting comrades experienced, while the story of these adventures is interwoven with fiction; historically the books are correct.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1--Buffalo Bill, the Border King By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 2--Buffalo Bill’s Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 3--Buffalo Bill’s Bravery By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 4--Buffalo Bill’s Trump Card By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 5--Buffalo Bill’s Pledge By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 6--Buffalo Bill’s Vengeance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 7--Buffalo Bill’s Iron Grip By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 8--Buffalo Bill’s Capture By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 9--Buffalo Bill’s Danger Line By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 10--Buffalo Bill’s Comrades By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 11--Buffalo Bill’s Reckoning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 12--Buffalo Bill’s Warning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 13--Buffalo Bill at Bay By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 14--Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Pards By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 15--Buffalo Bill’s Brand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 16--Buffalo Bill’s Honor By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 17--Buffalo Bill’s Phantom Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 18--Buffalo Bill’s Fight With Fire By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 19--Buffalo Bill’s Danite Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 20--Buffalo Bill’s Ranch Riders By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 21--Buffalo Bill’s Death Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 22--Buffalo Bill’s Trackers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 23--Buffalo Bill’s Mid-air Flight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 24--Buffalo Bill, Ambassador By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 25--Buffalo Bill’s Air Voyage By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 26--Buffalo Bill’s Secret Mission By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 27--Buffalo Bill’s Long Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 28--Buffalo Bill Against Odds By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 29--Buffalo Bill’s Hot Chase By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 30--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Ally By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 31--Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Trove By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 32--Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Foes By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 33--Buffalo Bill’s Crack Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 34--Buffalo Bill’s Close Call By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 35--Buffalo Bill’s Double Surprise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 36--Buffalo Bill’s Ambush By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 37--Buffalo Bill’s Outlaw Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 38--Buffalo Bill’s Border Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 39--Buffalo Bill’s Bid for Fame By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 40--Buffalo Bill’s Triumph By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 41--Buffalo Bill’s Spy Trailer By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 42--Buffalo Bill’s Death Call By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 43--Buffalo Bill’s Body Guard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 44--Buffalo Bill’s Still Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 45--Buffalo Bill and the Doomed Dozen By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 46--Buffalo Bill’s Prairie Scout By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 47--Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Guide By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 48--Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 49--Buffalo Bill’s Swoop By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 50--Buffalo Bill and the Gold King By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 51--Buffalo Bill, Dead Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 52--Buffalo Bill’s Buckskin Bravos By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 53--Buffalo Bill’s Big Four By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 54--Buffalo Bill’s One-armed Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 55--Buffalo Bill’s Race for Life By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 56--Buffalo Bill’s Return By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 57--Buffalo Bill’s Conquest By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 58--Buffalo Bill to the Rescue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 59--Buffalo Bill’s Beautiful Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 60--Buffalo Bill’s Perilous Task By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 61--Buffalo Bill’s Queer Find By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 62--Buffalo Bill’s Blind Lead By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 63--Buffalo Bill’s Resolution By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 64--Buffalo Bill, the Avenger By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 65--Buffalo Bill’s Pledged Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 66--Buffalo Bill’s Weird Warning By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 67--Buffalo Bill’s Wild Ride By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 68--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Stampede By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 69--Buffalo Bill’s Mine Mystery By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 70--Buffalo Bill’s Gold Hunt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 71--Buffalo Bill’s Daring Dash By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 72--Buffalo Bill on Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 73--Buffalo Bill’s Alliance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 74--Buffalo Bill’s Relentless Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 75--Buffalo Bill’s Midnight Ride By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 76--Buffalo Bill’s Chivalry By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 77--Buffalo Bill’s Girl Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 78--Buffalo Bill’s Private War By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 79--Buffalo Bill’s Diamond Mine By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 80--Buffalo Bill’s Big Contract By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 81--Buffalo Bill’s Woman Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 82--Buffalo Bill’s Ruse By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 83--Buffalo Bill’s Pursuit By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 84--Buffalo Bill’s Hidden Gold By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 85--Buffalo Bill in Mid-air By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 86--Buffalo Bill’s Queer Mission By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 87--Buffalo Bill’s Verdict By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 88--Buffalo Bill’s Ordeal By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 89--Buffalo Bill’s Camp Fires By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 90--Buffalo Bill’s Iron Nerve By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 91--Buffalo Bill’s Rival By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 92--Buffalo Bill’s Lone Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 93--Buffalo Bill’s Sacrifice By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 94--Buffalo Bill’s Thunderbolt By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 95--Buffalo Bill’s Black Fortune By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 96--Buffalo Bill’s Wild Work By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 97--Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 98--Buffalo Bill’s Treasure Train By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 99--Buffalo Bill’s Bowie Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 100--Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Man By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 101--Buffalo Bill’s Bold Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 102--Buffalo Bill: Peacemaker By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 103--Buffalo Bill’s Big Surprise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 104--Buffalo Bill’s Barricade By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 105--Buffalo Bill’s Test By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 106--Buffalo Bill’s Powwow By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 107--Buffalo Bill’s Stern Justice By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 108--Buffalo Bill’s Mysterious Friend By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 109--Buffalo Bill and the Boomers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 110--Buffalo Bill’s Panther Fight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 111--Buffalo Bill and the Overland Mail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 112--Buffalo Bill on the Deadwood Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 113--Buffalo Bill in Apache Land By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 114--Buffalo Bill’s Blindfold Duel By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 115--Buffalo Bill and the Lone Camper By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 116--Buffalo Bill’s Merry War By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 117--Buffalo Bill’s Star Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 118--Buffalo Bill’s War Cry By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 119--Buffalo Bill on Black Panther’s Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 120--Buffalo Bill’s Slim Chance By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 121--Buffalo Bill Besieged By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 122--Buffalo Bill’s Bandit Round-up By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 123--Buffalo Bill’s Surprise Party By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 124--Buffalo Bill’s Lightning Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 125--Buffalo Bill in Mexico By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 126--Buffalo Bill’s Traitor Foe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 127--Buffalo Bill’s Tireless Chase By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 128--Buffalo Bill’s Boy Bugler By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 129--Buffalo Bill’s Sure Guess By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 130--Buffalo Bill’s Record Jump By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 131--Buffalo Bill in the Land of Dread By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 132--Buffalo Bill’s Tangled Clue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 133--Buffalo Bill’s Wolf Skin By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 134--Buffalo Bill’s Twice Four Puzzle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 135--Buffalo Bill and the Devil Bird By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 136--Buffalo Bill and the Indian’s Mascot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 137--Buffalo Bill Entrapped By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 138--Buffalo Bill’s Totem Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 139--Buffalo Bill at Fort Challis By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 140--Buffalo Bill’s Determination By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 141--Buffalo Bill’s Battle Axe By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 142--Buffalo Bill’s Game with Fate By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 143--Buffalo Bill’s Comanche Raid By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 144--Buffalo Bill’s Aerial Island By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 145--Buffalo Bill’s Lucky Shot By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 146--Buffalo Bill’s Sioux Friends By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 147--Buffalo Bill’s Supreme Test By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 148--Buffalo Bill’s Boldest Strike By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 149--Buffalo Bill and the Red Hand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 150--Buffalo Bill’s Dance with Death By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 151--Buffalo Bill’s Running Fight By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 152--Buffalo Bill in Harness By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 153--Buffalo Bill Corralled By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 154--Buffalo Bill’s Waif of the West By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 155--Buffalo Bill’s Wizard Pard By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 156--Buffalo Bill and Hawkeye By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 157--Buffalo Bill and Grizzly Dan By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 158--Buffalo Bill’s Ghost Play By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 159--Buffalo Bill’s Lost Prisoner By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 160--Buffalo Bill and the Klan of Kau By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 161--Buffalo Bill’s Crow Scouts By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 162--Buffalo Bill’s Lassoed Spectre By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 163--Buffalo Bill and the Wanderers By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 164--Buffalo Bill and the White Queen By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 165--Buffalo Bill’s Yellow Guardian By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 166--Buffalo Bill’s Double “B” Brand By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 167--Buffalo Bill’s Dangerous Duty By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 168--Buffalo Bill and the Talking Statue By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 169--Buffalo Bill Between Two Fires By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 170--Buffalo Bill and the Giant Apache By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 171--Buffalo Bill’s Best Bet By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 172--Buffalo Bill’s Blockhouse Siege By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 173--Buffalo Bill’s Fight for Right By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 174--Buffalo Bill’s Sad Tidings By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 175--Buffalo Bill and “Lucky” Benson By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 176--Buffalo Bill Among the Sioux By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 177--Buffalo Bill’s Mystery Box By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 178--Buffalo Bill’s Worst Tangle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 179--Buffalo Bill’s Clean Sweep By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 180--Buffalo Bill’s Texas Tangle By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 181--Buffalo Bill and the Nihilists By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 182--Buffalo Bill’s Emigrant Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 183--Buffalo Bill at Close Quarters By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 184--Buffalo Bill and the Cattle Thieves By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 185--Buffalo Bill at Cimaroon Bar By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 186--Buffalo Bill’s Ingenuity By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 187--Buffalo Bill on a Cold Trail By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 188--Buffalo Bill’s Red Hot Totem By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 189--Buffalo Bill Under a War Cloud By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 190--Buffalo Bill and the Prophet By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 191--Buffalo Bill and the Red Renegade By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 192--Buffalo Bill’s Mailed Fist By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 193--Buffalo Bill’s Round-up By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 194--Buffalo Bill’s Death Message By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 195--Buffalo Bill’s Redskin Disguise By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 196--Buffalo Bill, the Whirlwind By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 197--Buffalo Bill in Death Valley By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 198--Buffalo Bill and the Magic Button By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 199--Buffalo Bill’s Friend in Need By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 200--Buffalo Bill With General Custer By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 201--Buffalo Bill’s Timely Meeting By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 202--Buffalo Bill and the Skeleton Scout By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 203--Buffalo Bill’s Flag of Truce By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 204--Buffalo Bill’s Pacific Power By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 205--Buffalo Bill’s Impersonator By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 206--Buffalo Bill and the Red Marauders By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 207--Buffalo Bill’s Long Run By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 208--Buffalo Bill and Red Dove By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 209--Buffalo Bill on the Box By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 210--Buffalo Bill’s Bravo Partner By Col. Prentiss Ingraham 211--Buffalo Bill’s Strange Task By Col. Prentiss Ingraham

* * * * *

_A CARNIVAL OF ACTION_

ADVENTURE LIBRARY

_Splendid, Interesting, Big Stories_

PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS

For the present the Adventure Library will be devoted to the publication of stories by William Wallace Cook.

The fact that one man wrote all of these stories in no way detracts from their interest, as they are all very different in plot and locality.

For example, the action in one story takes place in “The Land of Little Rain;” another deals with adventure on the high seas; another is a good railroad story; others are splendid Western stories; and some are mystery stories. All of them, however, are stories of vigorous adventure drawn true to life, which gives them the thrill that all really good fiction should have.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

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, 1925.

1--The Desert Argonaut By William Wallace Cook 2--A Quarter to Four By William Wallace Cook

To be published in February, 1925.

3--Thorndyke of the Bonita By William Wallace Cook 4--A Round Trip to the Year 2000 By William Wallace Cook

To be published in March, 1925.

5--The Gold Gleaners By William Wallace Cook 6--The Spur of Necessity By William Wallace Cook

To be published in April, 1925.

7--The Mysterious Mission By William Wallace Cook 8--The Goal of a Million By William Wallace Cook

To be published in May, 1925.

9--Marooned in 1492 By William Wallace Cook 10--Running the Signal By William Wallace Cook

To be published in June, 1925.

11--His Friend the Enemy By William Wallace Cook 12--In the Web By William Wallace Cook 13--A Deep Sea Game By William Wallace Cook

* * * * *

Round the World Library

Price, Fifteen Cents Stories of Jack Harkaway and His Comrades

Every reader, young and old, has heard of Jack Harkaway. His remarkable adventures in out-of-the-way corners of the globe are really classics, and every one should read them.

Jack is a splendid, manly character, full of life and strength and curiosity. He has a number of very interesting companions--Professor Mole, for instance, who is very funny. He also has some very strange enemies, who are anything but funny.

Get interested in Jack. It will pay you.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

1--Jack Harkaway’s School Days By Bracebridge Hemyng 2--Jack Harkaway’s Friends By Bracebridge Hemyng 3--Jack Harkaway After School Days By Bracebridge Hemyng 4--Jack Harkaway Afloat and Ashore By Bracebridge Hemyng 5--Jack Harkaway Among the Pirates By Bracebridge Hemyng 6--Jack Harkaway at Oxford By Bracebridge Hemyng 7--Jack Harkaway’s Struggles By Bracebridge Hemyng 8--Jack Harkaway’s Triumphs By Bracebridge Hemyng 9--Jack Harkaway Among the Brigands By Bracebridge Hemyng 10--Jack Harkaway’s Return By Bracebridge Hemyng 11--Jack Harkaway Around the World By Bracebridge Hemyng 12--Jack Harkaway’s Perils By Bracebridge Hemyng 13--Jack Harkaway in China By Bracebridge Hemyng 14--Jack Harkaway and the Red Dragon By Bracebridge Hemyng 15--Jack Harkaway’s Pluck By Bracebridge Hemyng 16--Jack Harkaway in Australia By Bracebridge Hemyng 17--Jack Harkaway and the Bushrangers By Bracebridge Hemyng 18--Jack Harkaway’s Duel By Bracebridge Hemyng 19--Jack Harkaway and the Turks By Bracebridge Hemyng 20--Jack Harkaway in New York By Bracebridge Hemyng 21--Jack Harkaway Out West By Bracebridge Hemyng 22--Jack Harkaway Among the Indians By Bracebridge Hemyng 23--Jack Harkaway’s Cadet Days By Bracebridge Hemyng 24--Jack Harkaway in the Black Hills By Bracebridge Hemyng 25--Jack Harkaway in the Toils By Bracebridge Hemyng 26--Jack Harkaway’s Secret of Wealth By Bracebridge Hemyng

* * * * *

Not How Much _But_ HOW GOOD

In the editorial preparation of the STREET & SMITH NOVEL the question of how much in money we were going to get for each volume never really occurred to us. We lost sight entirely of the fact that these books sold at 15 cents the copy, and gave as much serious consideration to the selection and preparation of the stories as though they were going to sell for ten times as much.

We think, after all, that this is the real test of service. That we are performing a service to millions of American readers, there can be no doubt. Never before has such reading matter been placed within the reach of the modest purse. We have striven to keep our line clean and feel confident that we have done so.

The very nature of the stories published in the STREET & SMITH NOVELS insures them consideration from people who have no time nor inclination to read the classics, and who probably would not read anything else if they did not have the STREET & SMITH books.

Any decent literature that instills a desire on the part of the general public to read is, in our opinion, performing a real service.

STREET & SMITH CORPORATION 79 Seventh Avenue New York City

* * * * *

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

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes:

Punctuation has been made consistent.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have been corrected.