Year: 1865

gy hair and tangled beard, and arms so
long that the ch-backed monster re-
sembled huge ape more than human
being.


With flaming eyes that rolled ferocious-
ly over the undauated front of the ',ath-
letic youth, as he placed his tall and deep
chested frame before the trembling girl,
and gripping with its long spider-like
claws this thing clad ip loose robes of q
reddish brown, snarled.


"What are you here for? Go away
She's to be my wife when Hugh comes
back Go awayp


"Ah he will murder me if you gop'
cried the girl, clasping her snowy hands.
"Oh if you go, take me with you. My
uncle stole me from my parents in fir-
ginia--he is keeping me to force my faith
er, the husband of Garrbolt's sister, to
sighn away all his property to him to get
me back--do not leave me p


an tear him to pieces if he doesn'tP'
snarled the dwarf 81 saw his track near
the house, and here am-true to Hugh


Instantly seeing that the dwarf was of
low intellect, if not an idiot, Albert did
not wish to shed his blood, but ordering
him to get out of the way, he turned to
encourage the girl,


With yell and bound the Red Dwarf
was at his threat.


Manfully, then, did Albert's stout sin
ews, toughened in many a wrestle with
his burly comrades, second his struggles.
The dwarf was giant in strength, and
as active as panther. He howled, snap
ped his sharp teeth, and tried to sink
them into Alberts throat, who used his
strength alone, dsdainiug the weapons in
his belt, and having cast aside his cut
lass. For fully half an hour the contest
was doubtful. but at length Vandemeer
excrting all his prowess, hurled his foe
headlong down the trap, just as the head
and face, Hugh Garrbolt, pale and death
like, was pccrng from below. The weight
and impetus of the vanished dwarf bore
Garrbolt down with him against one of
iron spikes used as means of ascent, and
there hanging 1y the great gagged nail,
piercing fully four inches under right car,
Hugh Garrgolt, shrieking with agony, was
for moment suspended, until desper-
ate plunge and struggle cast him head
long to the hard earthen foor below, as
dead as if knife had cut his throat from
ear to ear-fit ending to his long career
of atrocious villiany The dwarf, sense
less and blecding-tor the spikes had
dreadfully lacerated his breast and shoul-
ders-lay gasping under the corpse of
his father--f5r such was the relation
| borne to him by Hugh Garrbolt. Not
| pausing to await the recovery Of the dwarf,
Albert safely descended with the joyous
but trembling girl and Instead of spend
ing the night in "The House ofthe Skel-
eton," he slept in his own snug bed, after
hearing the brief story of the rescued one,
who gave her name as Ella Avail, and
was warmly welcomed to the home of the
kind hearted Widow Vandemeer.


Ella Avail was the niece of Hugh Carr
bolt, who had for many years led life of
infamy all along the colonial coasts; and
she had been kidnapped by him three
months before her rescue, and hidden in
that house so eagerly Stunned by all and
there the miserable offspring of her step
unclc-for her own mother was dead ma
ny years-kept vigilant guard over the
helpless girl; though the gastly thing in
I the chair in the lower room left there by
Hugh to terrify her and such as might
| venture too nearly, would have been to
her ;imid mind guard as fearful as a
thousand savage men.


When Hugh Garrbolt first visited the
spot, its adaptability as place of conceal
ment struck him at once; for even then
he had it in mind to abduct the only
child of Leonce Avail, his sisters hus-
band wealthy and noble gentleman of
Virginia, who had often filled the purse
of the ungrateful Garrbot.


When his life was SO abruptly ended.
he was just returning from Virginia with
the solemn agreement on the part of the
half-crazed father, to sacrifice every dol
lar be had in search of his lost and below
ed child. The treasure of the dead bucca-
neer he had sepandered within six months
after his departure from New York.
| When Albert, with some dozen or more
astonished hprghers, returned to "Ihe
Skeletons House" the next dag, they
found the place smoking ruin, and
whether the Red Dwarf perished in the
flames or escaped with the body of his
father, remains mystery to this day.


the very spot where the dwelling stood is
unknown, though have often tancied ]
saw the scarlet visaoe of the unhappy