The Boy Chums In The Forest Part 36

While the others gazed at him in surprise, he drew out a bundle from under the thwart of one of the canoes. Undoing it he took out a long feathery plume.

"Where did you get that?" exclaimed Charley in surprise.

"It's one of those we dug up on the chief's island," explained Walter.

"You see I used to work in a store where they used to handle such things, and I got an idea when we first opened the package that those plumes were not in as bad shape as they appeared. I did not say anything about it, because I did not want to run the risk of possibly causing more disappointment, but I put the box in the canoe and the first chance I got on the island I took a weak solution of vinegar and water and went to work on them. I had only time to clean two or three, but I am sure that at least three-fourths of them can be made saleable."

"Walter, you're a trump," exclaimed Charley in delight, and the others were not much behind in expressing their admiration and joy.

Owing to Walter's thoughtfulness, it was a gay, happy party that took up the trail back for the coast.

The return trip was made without any uncommon incident and the little party arrived safely at the little seacoast town of Shelbourne. Here they sold their ponies and arms, and renting a little house, went busily to work cleaning and preparing the damaged plumes for market.

When the task was finished and the last plume sold, they found themselves the happy possessors of the not insignificant sum of $3,200, which divided between them gave each a capital of $800.

With the first money they received from their plumes, they purchased a handsome repeating rifle which they despatched to their friend, Little Tiger, by an Indian who had come into town to trade.

A couple of weeks after, the hunters received a visit from the Seminole who had acted as their guide. He was the bearer of a bundle of beautifully tanned deer-skins, a present from the chief.

"The Little Tiger mourns for his white brothers," said the chief's messenger, "the beautiful rifle speaks to him like a message from them.

He bids them when they will to return and end their days in the shelter of his wigwam. He says, if the gray-haired one desires, the offer of a squaw is still open."

The joke on the captain was too good to keep, and the boys have told it to the widow lady whom the captain is interested in. She sometimes tasks him with having given the dusky ladies too great encouragement, and the old sailor gets very red and protests that such was not the case; that he couldn't help it; that he always was a great favorite with the ladies. At first, he used to call upon Walter and Charley to prove the truth of his statements, but they would only shake their heads ominously and remain gravely silent.

Upon their return the hunters had prepared a full statement of the death of the convicts and mailed it to the proper authorities, but, much to their indignation, their story was not believed but was regarded as an attempt to secure the reward money that had been offered.

Chris is just now greatly incensed over a song that every one seems to be humming. We believe the chorus runs, "c.o.o.n, c.o.o.n, c.o.o.n, how I wish my color would fade." He regards "c.o.o.n" as a much more offensive t.i.tle even than n.i.g.g.e.r, and contends that it is no name to be applied to a free-born black English gentleman.

Just now all our hunters are resting up from their terrible experiences. One would think that they had pa.s.sed through enough to discourage them from undertaking another hazardous trip, but adventures breed a love for adventure, and the free, open air calls loudly to those who have followed stream and forest.

THE END.

THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS SERIES

By FRANK FOWLER

A Series of Stirring Stories for Boys, that not only contain considerable information concerning cowboy life, but at the same time seem to breathe the adventurous spirit that lives in the clear air of the wide plains, and lofty mountain ranges of the Wild West. These tales are written in a vein calculated to delight the heart of every lad who loves to read of pleasing adventure in the open; yet at the same time the most careful parent need not hesitate to place them in the hands of his boy.

THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or,

Three Chums of the Saddle and Lariat.

In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of the devoted chums, Adrian Sherwood, Donald McKay, and William Stonewall Jackson Winkle, a fat, auburn-haired Southern lad, who is known at various times among his comrades as "Wee Willie Winkle," "Broncho Billie," and "Little Billie." The book begins in rapid action, and there is surely "something doing" up to the very time you lay it down, possibly with a sigh of regret because you have reached the end; yet thankful to know that a second volume is within reach. Besides the adventure, there is more or less rollicking humor, of the type all boys like.

THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA, or,

A Struggle for the Great Copper Lode.

The scene s.h.i.+fts in this story, from the free life of the cattle range, and the wide expanse of the boundless prairie, to that rugged mountainous section of Arizona, where many fabulous fortunes have been won through the discovery of rich ore. The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled, by a stern sense of duty, to make a brave fight against heavy odds, in order to retain possession of a valuable mine that is claimed by some of their relatives. That they meet with numerous strange and thrilling perils while enlisted in this service, can be readily understood; and every wideawake boy will be pleased to learn how finally Adrian and his chums managed to outwit their enemies in the fight for the copper lode.

THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or,

The Hidden Treasure of the Zuni Medicine Man.

Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in the saddle, bent on seeing with their own eyes some of the wonderful sights to be found in that section of the Far Southwest, where the singular cave homes of the ancient Cliff Dwellers dot the walls of the Great Canyon of the Colorado. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into a series of happenings among the Zuni Indians, while trying to a.s.sist a newly made friend: all of which makes interesting reading. If there could be any choice, this book would surely be voted the best of the entire series, and certainly no lad will lay it down, save with regret.

THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL;

or, A Mystery of the Prairie Stampede.

As the t.i.tle will indicate to readers of the previous stories in this Series, the three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the Wyoming ranch belonging to Adrian, but which has been managed for him by a relative, whom he has reason to suspect might be running things more for his own benefit than that of the young owner. Of course they become entangled in a maze of adventurous doings while in the Northern cattle country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried themselves through this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting leading. No boy will ever regret the money spent in securing this splendid volume.

THE BIG FIVE MOTORCYCLE BOYS SERIES

By RALPH MARLOW

A Series of Splendid Stories, in which are contained the Strange Happenings that befell a bunch of five lively boys, who were fortunate enough to come into possession of up-to-date motorcycles.

THE BIG FIVE MOTORCYCLE BOYS' SWIFT ROAD CHASE;

or, Surprising the Bank Robbers.

It is doubtful whether a more entertaining lot of boys ever before appeared in a story than the "Big Five," who figure in the pages of this volume--Rod Bradley; "Hanky Panky" Jucklin; Josh Whitcomb; Elmer Overton; and last, but far from least, "Rooster" Boggs. From cover to cover the reader will be thrilled and delighted with the accounts of how luckily they came by their motorcycles; and what a splendid use they made of the machines in recovering the funds of the robbed Garland bank.

THE BIG FIVE MOTORCYCLE BOYS IN TENNESSEE WILDS;

or, The Secret of Walnut Ridge.

In this story the boys with the "flying wheels" take a trip through Kentucky, and into Dixie Land. The wonderful adventures, and amusing ones as well, that were their portion on this glorious spin, have been set down by the author in a way that will be most pleasing to the boy reader who delights in tales of action. There is not a single dry chapter in the book; and when the end is finally reached, the happy possessor will count himself lucky to have it handy in his library, where, later on, he may read it over and over again.

THE BIG FIVE MOTORCYCLE BOYS THROUGH BY WIRELESS;

or, A Strange Message from the Air.