132
XXII. FIGHTING THE SAVAGES. 141
XXIII. ELECTRIFYING THE SAVAGES. 149
XXIV. A PEARL WORTH A FORTUNE. 159
XXV. THE MAN OF MYSTERY. 169
XXVI. THROUGH THE EARTH. 177
XXVII. THE ESCAPE--CONCLUSION. 183

THE WIZARD OF THE SEA.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCING OUR HEROES.

"Hip, hurrah! Hip, hurrah!"

"Well, I declare; Mont Folsom, what is the matter with you?"

"Matter? Nothing is the matter, Tom, only I'm going to a boarding
school--just the best place on the face of the earth, too--Nautical
Hall, on the seacoast."

"Humph! I didn't know as how a boarding school was such a jolly place,"
grumbled old Tom Barnstable. "They'll cane ye well if ye git into
mischief, lad."

"Will they, Tom? What for? I never do any wrong," and Mont Folsom put on
a very sober face.

"Jest to hear the lad! Never do no mischief! Ha! ha! Why you're the
wust boy in the town fer mischief, Mont--an' everybody knows it. A
nautical school, did ye say. Maybe they'll take ye out in a ship some
time in that case."

"They do take the pupils out--every summer, so Carl Barnaby was telling
me. He goes there, you know, and so does Link Harmer."

"Then you an' Carl will make a team--an' Heaven help the folks as comes
in your way," added Tom Barnstable decidedly.

"But we are not so bad, I tell you, Tom," said Mont, but with a sly
twinkle in his bright eyes.

"Oh, no, not at all. But jest you tell me who drove the cow into Squire
Borden's dining room and who stuffed the musical instruments of the
brass band with sawdust at the Fourth of July celebration? You never do
anything, you little innocent lamb!"

And with a loud guffaw the old character sauntered down the street
toward his favorite resort, the general store.

Montrose Folsom continued on his way. He was a handsome youth of
fifteen, tall and square-shouldered, with a taking way about him that
had made him a host of friends. He was the only son of Mrs. Alice
Folsom, a rich widow.

A moment after leaving Tom Barnstable, Mont reached the home of his
particular chum, Lincoln Harmer. Throwing open the gate, he espied Link
in the barnyard, and made a rush forward.

"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!"

"That settles it, Mont, you're going with me next term!" exclaimed Link,
a bright fellow of our hero's age.

"If I wasn't I'd sing a dirge instead of shouting, Link.