The Spider’s Web

A COMPLETE NOVELETFE

By S. Ten Eyck Bourke

Halpera wooM h»ve refused con true*, to build the big Bonne.-''

1oT contniewr- Bound* *n< r

found Tom Stone rr** to bo out ‘ him eonetructlng engineer if be hndn't wsated to make good will Rouads. and. brinr eaeen'iidly a

undertook to do It by

But Halpern. who had picked up s | "I bet that’s the dancing chap tha'

BEcatteilng of Buraxwe

occupied with certain muttering! he had heard surong Ms men. He onlj glared when Stone toe*'U orer

mall with an inaolent:

“A Indy's haadwriting. Halpern! Stuffing the envelope with Nora’s

" good with her father. i writing on it in hi* pocket, and lear Contractor Rounds himself, know-1 tng the reel on the teble In his tent, both men had an eye on pretty f he strode oS to the bridge where the took it none too seriously when Eurasian war working in the noon i pointed out that while the I glare, near the Up of the gorge. Aslan raUroad had ordered th- J “It Is these ’bends’ which you aay dung across the haU-ial4 (is a twisty, crampy disease that comes in far-off Burma with a lavish to time to nil

I of cort ao man could re-

they wanted It built to a min-

or time that presented enoogr to satisfy any ordinary builder without adding

by signing on a man of Stone'! unruly spirit and Jealous t '"Ilo’s a capable civil engineer, if ir —*t for his black temper with him,*' Halpern said. -- builder hasn’t a chance unless is A sort of uncrowned king with * authority over all h!s men hate trouble enough dodging that Sr's web of forf- i tores for dele.' Trane Asian baa tied us up with. i him to fomer;- Record i Burmese natives hav* to depend on to fill up the of American bridgemeu .re allotting me. Mr. Rounds.’’ ’’■You know 1 haven't the money to for breaking Stone's contract, 5." he *‘i'm in a financial that wll, swamp me unless you good on that bridge; it's make

e on that, son.”

wa under no iUucisn as ts difVu'-.Us be would fsce lu fllngthe goesame’- steel structure of lammotb bridge across the tropic with Its towers set to defy the winds of the monsoon oj caisson* sunk In the river hewlrted 800 feet below It Bat [knew Bounds could not find andependable engineer to take the , as he had, on the c'—tlngof a partnership U he made gcod; : be was serving his own perintoreet—a very big intoreetiittle Norn, when be said shortly,

knew be would:

sticking of course. !" and went on his way halt rd the world to make gold bebe saked for the girt he wanted of exasperated *tfort in tk<i Barmese seaport-a week of time he could 111 afford to ualnted in rounding up native laborers and riveter* tie their equipment inland, and t bis crew of workmen. mp bis distrust in Stone iu immediate worries, chief among being the necessity of tak'ng on i interpreter for hit s after he bad failed a native who could flu the poeis Hoteon's choice Halpern toid 1 can’t waste any But I’m slated for troubb him; that drop of white t-iooi the native stand-up fight out . and they hate a white man : the black blood keeps them of. so they lay for him iu the Keep an ore on him Slone e eye* him abUquriy. with th» thought that if Halpern ; might still get his cha*re Pretty Nora In spile of her ggfir “No" rbt* had sent him oh Halpern. the chief he d to back loyally In this far-off i. MnK a*- ne shrewdly «ure one who stood between i and the girt, be wouldn’t grievt gigamh enterpriss that had iy set thu Rurinee* vaBey i-e-ac to the clangor of steel and lows of hammer on her hot me’*’, to naught, in spite of Round*'

dependence ot neant hi* rival

(Bern wae bending every energy “ work, driving his men ms they be tangle of beams and rod*. ■ ■ ts and 1 raves togotber, with the ler. the huge derrick, diligent 1> lex its tong arm over them, as Mdy at he had concentrated on ttiniatR> thi’ had given t in- the whs of every bolt, the exact efd wiou and vlbravlon. of the ex an of heat and cold on every rod. i knew just where to use a rigid and where a steel so flexible uid almost tie It In a bow-knst. - slender structure bad won it* cell into space, supporting tuwij i own web 'ike a spider, and were starting to *ink the founb

*arr," the Eurasian said. "Since two if their number have suffered th men «ra a.ring the alrlack Is a JinJlnnee of the air, and this slcneas is a -nanlfestarion of hie disptoasuie b-xaure vou are btrilding this bridge to block

’ho open space of the gorge." As be spoke a ragged, bent form

Iwabod suddenly Into vtow on the tank as if the earth had erupted him, wi ring to a fantastic dance to the weira -bromatlc nolee of thi chant be intoned. Sarka Hass’ face blanched. he lifted a warning finger to his

Bpe

"Better you pay him, aair, before toe Burn *ee bear," he said. ‘That is the Song of the Spider’s to which bo likens your bridge. The natives will not work if they know the spider’s web Is their omea of doom.” Til thrust the damned fakir in his own rags In one of the tenths." Halern began. “Oh. aarr he is holy man!" The Eurasian's shaking voice arrested Halpern. Involuntarily ganced at over the gorge to where of the men were working on the fourtu caisson. Already toe great box rested on the river bottom, with the Burmcet digging to the watery mud beneath 1U iron shod edges, while the American bridgemen supervise-: ercavation from above to make sure that they were even all around eo that the top-heavy structure \:oo : a not overbalance when the men were sent down into the sir chamber. With Us steel cords and Blende beams, the bugs steel span was indec I not uni'ke a huge spider web, and the men poised high to the air on Ui swinging beams were the flies cnugl in IU meshes that the ragged fakir on the bank was singing about. H»lpern could use caution where there was need; he thrust bis hand into his pocket. “Be rid of him. Sarka Das." he ordered. Halpern could have sworn his Bureae workmen had seen and heanl nothing of the trouble-maker, and hgave Salim Daaa no chance to betray and the singing of tbs dire Song of the Spider to there. Yet before nightfall a panic fear ha a ipresd among them. o|>enly that spoke of the bridge as a spider’s web on which they would not venture again. “They’ll go fa 1 have to herd the. out with a gun.” Stone said, somlng late that night Into Halpern* ten! We can't risk any delay behind as we are with the work. I had Ssrkr. Dass tell the n." Halpern shot him a quick glance. Ordinary pi odence ’ ould have told the man he risged plunging them all to Imminent peril; Stcne had been tactum enough before, had shown scan; Interest tn pushing the werk cn the bridge, the.' why had ho Interfered now in the ene sure way to halt fur ther progress In'*''finitely unless You'll need that gun all rigbi. Slone’" he said grimly. “If Sarka Dars was fool enough to repeat that there isn’t a Burmese In the camp by nov But they*!! come back to bust up thiny* for us!" Halpern was right. Hurried inve ligation showed that every Burmes* had flitted, silently as the shadow* into which they had melted. But tt was noon oa the !allowing day befor>tbey gave »lgns of any hostile fatten' Halpern had hi* men mo rehaled jy th-n: th*y we~e a scant company; A me no 8 hridgemen with Stone and himself, ail grimly d.-tei d lo hold off the Burmese until forc»nieni« i ea: te from Jermlndn IC uiiitu distant, wh* fi- he knew • bite officer In command of the tiMtiv- garrison. Sarka Dass had no; fled tbc Eur: sisn's superstiUou* tenw of the day before bad vanished He bore Uimsc'f with an assurance that somehow sugmemed Halpem’s dis'nist ot revived with prescience of disaster. le of a bullet cut short all ; more bullets hit tntj tb at the tree# and be rider* loved the llri.V defending be hillside they faced Uh Wack dot# to*' on by a

came arourd yesterday, to tell them our bridge was an evil spideri* web that would get ’em if they didn -

watch out!

Instead of descending into the open, the Burmese, under the priest’s gui! aaoe. were making for the cliff that commanded the level where Halpeni had entrenched his men. A sudden. dazing Inspiration seised Halpern. up there, the Burmese could pick oft their enemies at leisure while the American* spent their bullets futilely It was a desperate chance, but th: other way they were dooeted. like es to a spider's web. "Four men to go with me up the far side of that cliff and shoot th fear of hell into those devil*hi

'You're mad, man! There are 10. against five!" It was stone's voice, raised in warning, but Halpern had a sadden sense of a note of tnomph underlying the caution; he could havaworu he caught a gleam ot triumph in tne man's dark eyes. Beraeru rage bwept over him with the conviction thmt Stone was at the bottom of the Jeopardy they ' that for purposes c£ bis own lie had wanted the Burmese to wreak their worse on the bridge. “I den’t know bow you managed It, Stone." be cried, “but you've cn gmeeret' this frame-up on us! I'll ge you for It; bet first I mean to gei that holy phonograph up yonder and bold him for a hostage against Urn safety of oar viaduct’" ts off at the words, his men at his heels—five men against 200. inexorably climbing to the crest of th-* hill- They were more than half wa: op before the native priest discovered them and took up his death cnaut again. “They come!” bo chanted. “The gods have stricien them mad. shall slay these death devil#, have brought che thr •« accurs< 1 web of tbc spider In our valley t enmesh us in Us strands! The Americans could not unde■sand the words, but they knew the uiag of the knives that gleamed to the bends of the score of tribesmen who rushed down upon them. The five waited uatil they couto pick out the unites of the eyes from the savage black faces. Then Halpeni rasped out a quick command and the guns spoke, steady md quick the ripple of no Isa drawn out by hand ripped across the keyboaid of a

ana

Like foam crumpling from an onrushing wave, the Burmese withered away. Only the white-robed prist carried on by the impetus of his own dowr’warl rush, was flung head-ion? 'wn the steep slope, to fetch up imong- the men whe had sought him as the'r prlxe—the hostage for their safety and the safety of the bridge. Make back tracks! Hustle, you chaps!” Halpern sang out. TU cm you, but ton'' let that parson gi loose, not If you drop bolding on him." 'ending at the top of his little lint. Halpern pumped hi* repeater from hi, hip. and at each report a charging Bunnes* crumpled or leaped ehrieking inio the air.

The upward climb, the rush of their assailants, and the Americana' ataud bad occupied but a few moment*. Theii retreat was oven briefer, but now the Burmese were descending, too. cautiously, keep out of the raug<of Halpern'* gun, but inexorably. "Well have the real .'Vght down below boys. Best we can do is to maktthe bridge and use this nice, danclnr pereon fo - a shield.” be psnted whan they re the lower level. Hnadt steel web that bun? impended Irom the gorge, herding

its men before him.

Heavy Penalties

For Hunters

Fire hundm dollars, the maximum Sine, recently ras levied by a Judgr in Michigan against a hunter (or sell ing 32 duck* in violation of th« Migratory bird Treaty Act. Another violator of the same law in ConnectUui. who baa been guilty ol repeated of tenses waa recently sentenced to three months In jail This offender was :iot given the altera, live of paying a jni. Tfce Migratory Bird Treaty Act n#s *en in force since July, ISIS, and •veral hundred convictions have been secured. These cases are cited by the Bio : i leal Survey. I'nited Stales fto-, per fa: iew of Agriculture, which ad-1

Meat Animals

I mud or fluttering far down the street

■ if a vagrant breese waited

In Combinations 1 I *‘* r 1 ” , ‘ 1< ”' a

i:

the paper on the porch, before It I whisks it a' ay. An ordinary spring clothespin wlU foil the wind. At tached conveniently- outside the door, it serves as a clasp into which the

in the returns of the "Bettor newsboy may fasten the nanar

Sires--Better Stock” crusade of the agricultu.al colleges, the United States Department of Agriculture, and oo-operotlng agencies. This general practice has tong been known, but much more definite information being gathered, and the purpose Is to extend it to such an extent os to determine the relationships among all

meat animal*.

If Marly every man who keep* cattle also keep* bogs, and if nearly every man who keeps bogs also keeps cattle, the Inevitable conclusions u that the combination pays, especially when purebred sires are used. But it Ins to be deto-mlned what are the most common and the best paying proportions. The same thing applies combinations of cattle and sheep and swine. One benefit of the work will be that it will enable tb' man of small personal experience tt avail himself of the wide experience of a great number of men in working out the combinations of meat animals that he will carry on hi* farm.

Mistake to Marry Your Housekeeper Los Angeles—The attempt to rave and control the salary of a houseLee pur by the expediency of marriage . blunder from the beginning,’ said Judge Taft to deciding the divot c suit brought by Doraey O. Andrews against Bescle Alma Andrews. The trial showed that before her marriage to Mr Andrew* Mrs. An draws wss his housekeeper. She received the money at the end of the month as housekeeper to pay the bill*, and also her wages. After marriage, she declared, her wages stopped, a.id Mr. Andrews doled out the mo,icy every day to pay the bUL. She declared that she aardly had “two hit* to spend on herself.’’ She was Mi. Andrew's second wife. Thw court denied Mr. Andrew* a divorce *od granted Mrs. Andrews ISC a month alimony.

Keep the Morning

Paper Clean

What au exasperation it is to find the moraii , paper either down In cue

Don’t Sel! Your Old Tires Send Then Tc U. By Parrel. Po*.. We M»y Save Them for

You By Expen

Re-treading, Doubletreading or Vulcanizing

I if beyond rrpa,-, we will lake

them :r. trade lot any lire tire

K Slightly used or repaired Tiies

om*?3.00

We carry a foil line of

Double Lock-Stitched Pune, lure proof Tires, blade br ripens m out own .hop. DRY CURE RETREADING

OBR SPF.CIALITY

BF.LL TIRE & REPAIR CO. I«S> OOrale *1.. MULADELTHIA, **.

a Week Pays for 1920 CLEVELAND Light weight Motorcycle, ready for immrdiate deliver), numerou. improvvamenta, 75 mile, on one gal. ga*. Call and see the Msrhirv* and »et u» detron.tr.ic, or write fo- foil inlot matioo. Diuribhton for Philadelphia and State of New loreey. Haverfard Cycle Co.

503 Market St,

Philadelphia

Caring for the Human Machine

Consider the furnace Theo.wUcully this is u machine for the ec< nomirai production of best. If the proper amount of the proper kind of fuel is properly put Into it, if the uahrs are property cleaned out. If the drafts are properly managed, the chances are that it will heu: the house property. If, on the other band, too much or too little fuel Is pat Into It, if the fuel contains too much inflammable material. If the fire i* not kept clean of ashes, or if the dampers are badly regulated, the furnace operates inefficiently or ceases working altogether. Perhaps the most important thing next to pat ing in the fuel is tc clean out the ashes. If these Hit! allowed to accumulate In the ashpit, the grate bars may be burned out. Food is taken Into the human bod}' for the purpose of producing neat. The standard of Hs value Is the num her of beat units it contains. If too little fuel is taken Into the human body and Insufficient number of beak units to opera!* fa are received and it works inefficiently. If. on the other hand, too great an amount of food Is taken, the body becomes clogged nod works Just as Inefficiently as If It hid received too small an amount Tbc moat important thing Is to remove promptly all of the waste material* remaining after the food has given up its beat units. If too great an amount of this debris is allowed tc remain the fires of the body are in danger of being put out by these poisonous materials. The elimination

of these materials is one of the functions of the Intestinal apparatus. Perhaps this is even more important than an educated set o’ brains. Cer talnly an educated set of brains camv»t work effectively eo tong as the intestinal apparatus Is badly operated. Man In our present state of civilisation Is obliged to pay particular attention to functions which to a state of nature took care of ’beri selves. A robust man engaged in active exercise in the open air may commit dietary indiscretlous which would be exceedingly harmful of a sedentary worker. Exercise as a part of the dally life is, however, absolutely necessary for both. Plain, wholesome faxy' is Just as necessary for the brain worker as for him who labors with bis bands Above all, both must keep the human furnace well shaken down and without accumulation of the ashes and debris in order that the fires of life may bum biightly and steadily.

“How's the baby?" asktd txo neighbor of the new father. ’Fine!” said the proud parent Don’t you find that a baby brightens up the household wonderfully?” pursued the friend. "Yea.” said the parent with a al«h; “we have the gas going most of th*

night now.”

It's short and swe-et—sugar.

I’ Need Thi. Hotueboid Necejuty

ed. Made to last Price S'

l-SgroM cape; hardwood malic* 75c extra; extra cam 35c per

grow; ParceUpoet 10c extra. DIRECTIONS for USING Place cap on bottle, hold c per on the .a me, i

using wooden mal'-t or hammer, give one or two Mroxe* when cap t* on. To use old cape, .trike slightly with spreader end of cap-

per, corrugation, up Mcnufactured By

F. STOY, 1828 FranVford Are. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Phone.Kent.2594

’X

Templar The Superfine Small Car The Rakish “Sportette” Tfce design of the Templar “Sportette” is infused with originality, and has the mark of distinction engraved in every handsome line. It's Iow'hun£, graceful and daring: the summary of motoring style;with clnb chair cver-opho'strrv in smooth blacx leather full aluminum body bronze, windshield set at a rakish angle. Five Pauenger Touring $2685 Pout P.taengrr Sportette $2085 Two Panenger Touring Koadi’er $2685 Five Passenger Sedan $3585 Price, fab. Cleveland Davenport Motor Co. DISTRIBUTER 723 North Broad St. Service Station: 1718-22 Wood St

p lav

ASK TOR THE Kant-bre.xK World’s Greatest Spark Plug COM PA A £f) TO OTHERS. ITS LIKE THE MAZDA LAMP TO THE TAIJ-'jW CANDLE EMirely piotcrud with an armor of .reel No tr,o.» broken porcelain* V1TKI-S1LLA top and cup. Car’i short circuit Teleecope inteowfier or current tranefonnef, to air-tight vacuum chamber, produce* perfect combust'on; more power; lees gas; naps mining, *ki;-ping.. and jumping; main* .ratting eary; increares mileage 15 ;o 3t percent. The "KANT-BREAK.” fire, in oil and give* pej «o cart w:ith leaking cyiivlere. T.ir "KANT-BREAK" i» being aoopted by the leading eoolera. throughout the country, and it the world's greatest spark plug. It i. indestructible and should Iasi as long s> the motor. Sold coder an abtolute guaranies ol eatiafaclion or money back. Price, $1.30. Dealers and Salesmen Wanted Moil Ordrrt fil'tj Prtmpdj. Make Mtnej Order; Pay able / ’—7— LYONS AUTO SUPPLY CO. (Pcnnevlvenia I>'»tributon} 218 North 15th St., Philndolphia, Pa

ILaLi

a- ■ 3£_