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.