Adventure, November 1915 — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Gold Lust and disheveled, a bruise on his forehead, blinking wonderingly in the light. “Hello, Archer,” he said. ‘‘Good work! I thought I was in for life. Say, they g ot: 9 He stopped at Addams’ imperative signal of silence, and the four climbed three flights of wooden stairs, creaking despite their care, and entered the rear door of a Chinese general store through another carefully pro- tected entrance. “Vou stay here,” said Ah Sing. look see evellything all li!” Winton felt for Addams’s hand in the darkness and gripped it. ‘They got the figures out of my pocket-tag,” he whispered. “IT know,” returned Addams in the same tone. “ll explain later.” Ah Sing, re-entering the store, called softly to them. In a moment they were in the narrow street where a hack was drawn up to the curb. “Betteh we lide,” said Ah Sing dliver, he my cousin. He all hi’.” Addams hesitated for a second and reas- sured himself. So far the two Chinese had at least set them free. ‘“This THE four climbed into the stuffy } hack, filled with faint Oriental odors. Ah Sing gave the direction to drive to the Royal Hotel. The horse moved off with unexpected briskness as the Chinese hackman cracked his whip, and they were soon rolling swiftly over the a tically deserted streets. Addams held the news of disaster Hae Winton until they should arrive at the cot- tage. In his present mood he was disin- clined to discuss anything aloud, friendly as Ah Sing appeared. “Tuan Yuck,” said the latter, leaning from his seat beside the keeper of the opium den and speaking softly, “he one time too much beat this man, too much floggee, take his wife, one, two wife. He plenty think Tuan Yuck no good, but all time aflaid. He belong same tong. Me I no belong Quong Sing Tong. I go to this man fo’ smoke pipe —number one hop he catch all time. Tuan Yuck, he no good. Plenty lich, plenty stlong. He speak along you? You sabby him? He fat all same me—one velly big diamond he catch? “Yes,” said Addams grimly, “I saw him.” “Al li’. Hotel we stop now. Bimeby I tell you more.” 43 At Addams’s orders Ah Sing directed the driver to the cottage, and the oddly assorted quartet hastily mounted the veranda and entered Winton’s. room. “Go over to the hotel, Jim, and get five hundred dollars on the jump,” said Addams, curbing his impatience till the Oriental was dismissed. He had hoped against hope to find Selim waiting for them. Now the tan- gle seemed as hopeless as ever. The old Chinaman crouched in a chair, looking fearfully about him. Ah Sing pulled down the blinds while Addams paced the floor. The hackman had been told to wait. “This man he too much aflaid,” said Ah Sing. China. Now he get money, he hide.”’ “Tuang Yuck has gone away,” said Ad- dams. The close-fitting lids of Ah Sing’s eyes lifted almost imperceptibly then closed to their normal slits. Winton came in with a clinking double- handful of coin. “T caught the manager up,” he said. “‘There’s a dance on. Here’s the money.” He piled the twenty-five twenty-dollar pieces in a glittering rouleau whose yellow glitter seemed reflected in the old Chinaman’s covetous eyes. Ah Sing spoke to his fellow countryman and the latter nodded. “He say you can thist him. I say so, too,” he said, turning to Addams. “He all li’. He no speak.” ° Regarding the five hundred dollars as fair pay for their release, regardless of other obligations,. Addams clinked the money into the yellow cups of the Chinaman’s palms. In the split of a second, by some act of legerdemain, it had vanished, and the man stood looking for his leave to go. Addams nodded at the door and he disap- peared, the padded soles of his slippers noiseless on the veranda. Addams turned to Winton, but Ah Sing stepped in front of him, pointing at a charm that swung from the chain restored by Hen- ley. It was a Masonic emblem of the higher degree. “You sabby that?” asked Ah Sing, lightly touching the ornament. Addams nodded bruskly, eager to tell Winton the news and start search for Peggy. “I sabby too, plenty much,” said Ah Sing. He wheeled and looked at Winton, on COMMICOOOKS (E) “Fihst steamboat it come, he go —