Part 22 (1/2)

”Look--look,” he said, releasing his hand and affrightedly pointing to a little trickle of blood on his arm ”I'm--I'm shot--look--”

CHAPTER XVI

CONNOVER BREAKS LOOSE

Advancing stealthily, our young hero raised his rifle and leveled it at the chief of the howling Zulus, who clustered threateningly on the farther shore The young girl whom they had kidnapped lay bound hand and foot, and Dan Dreadnought clenched his teeth with anger as he heard her cries for help The poisoned spears of the infuriated Zulus were flying all about him, but they did not cower the brave lad He was resolved at any cost to rescue that girl

”I aes if need be” Then, uttering the cry of the Eureka Patrol, he dashed into the dugout which lay drawn up on the shore, and using the butt end of his rifle for a paddle, he guided his unsteady boat across the raging torrent amid a fusillade of spears and arrohich the frantic Zulus vainly sought to stay his approach

”I am Lieutenant of the Eureka Patrol!” called Dan ”Untie those fetters, or every one of you shall die!”

His trusty coore, tried to hold him back, but all in vain

Connover Bennett laid down the copy of _The Eureka Patrol in South Africa_, by Captain Dauntless, U S A, and dragging hi hard as if he had been running

The bungaloas deserted save for the maid in the kitchen, and Connover was monarch of all he surveyed

Quietly, he crept upstairs and into the ”den” In the corner aolf sticks stood a rifle It was forbidden to Connover, but unfortunately _The Eureka Patrol in South Africa_ dealt not with scout honor and made no mention of the Seventh Lahich stipulates that a ”scout shall be obedient” Nor had Captain Dauntless thought it worth while to mention Law One, which says that a ”scout's honor is to be trusted”

Connover glanced up and down the road froht have forgotten so back Reassured in this particular, he took up the rifle and, standing before the large pier-glass, he adopted a heroic attitude of ai

Then he looked froh which he could see little glints of the river

It was not glints of Salmon River that he saw, but the ”Deadly Morass River” of South Africa; the woods were not quiet, fragrant pine woods where the First Bridgeboro Troop of real scouts was encamped, but the deadly morass itself; and he was not Connover Bennett, but _Dan Dreadnought_, and this was the trusty rifle hich he would--

He looked again froht Then the creaking of a door startled him and he laid the rifle down It was queer how every little sound startled hiee shi+rt at the neck and, standing before the pier-glass, arranged it as ht_ as possible There was a curious fluttering feeling in his chest all the while which annoyed hiram

Yes, this was the rifle hich he would

He tiptoed to the stairs and listened, ”Molly, is that you?” he called

”Yes, Master Connover”

”All right, I just wanted to know”

He went back into the roo the drawer of the desk, took out a box of cartridges, extracted several and put theot which end of the drawer he had taken it from and was in a quandary where to place it He took up the rifle again, then laid it down and the thud of its butt on the floor startled him What a lot of noise it seemed to make!

It was oily and his hands were oily fro of the desk He placed the inkstand over it, and all the while he felt very strange and nervous; tre almost as he planned his exploit

Then he took the rifle and got behind the revolving-chair, and rested the weapon on it It was not a very realistic jungle, but

He saw the Zulus just as plain as day; and he saw hilass