Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 279 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

<b poy, he saw the figure of a man lashed to his c The steed came forward with drooping head and blood shot eyes, the very picture of exhaus- tion. Unable to climb the mountain patb that ascended toward the clouds from the other end of the canyon, be had turned back. Modoc’s horse sent forth a whinny when he saw the exhausted animal. A faint response ws given, and the rough put up his revolver and leaned eagerly forward. He saw that the face of the unknown victim was still covered by the dark cloth. There were now gouts of blood on his breast and arms, and his head hung lower than it had dur- ing the journey through Eldorado. “Old Winch’s bullet found his paya-pan after all—curse him!” grated Modoc. ‘Pll go back now an’ settle with the old t for I owe him one fur last night’s insults. Jes’ ez soon ez I kin take the carcass from the hoss an’ bury it somewhar hyarabouta, I'll turu my at- tention tothe old man. Plumas hez got his eye on the gal a’ready; but he’s a boy—no match fur Modoc!” By this time the horses were together; their distended nostrils touched and they wero mak- ing friends. Frodoc leaped to the ground and sprung to the side of the masked Mazeppa. “T'll solve this mystery now,” fell from his a “If this man ar’ ther cap’n, Ill know it. he is, Mex did not git to see him last night, an’ he never got the broken bowie blade an’ the three words | sent with it,” His hand was on the mask, which he began to lift with no little fear. What did he see when ha had raised it, and why did he start back with a cry that sounded far away? “‘Great God! a yaller face, but a whiteskin!” be exolaimed letting the mask fall back to its lace. ‘‘It beats my time all holler. He must the devil!” Ten feet away Modoc stood and stared at the man whose limbs, almost as rigid as the limbs of a co , bad ceased to quiver. He had stared fora momentinto a face as yellow as a Mexican miner’s, although the skin elsewhere, where it was not bloody, was as white asa child’s. A pair of eyes filled with a wild expression were staring at the stars over- head, and the teeth were clinched like the teeth of a man in great agony. ? It took no stretch of the imagination to be- lieve that the masked Manenpe was dead! Modoc was astounded; he could no longer give expression to his horror. “Let me git out ov this!"he exclaimed at last. ‘‘I wouldn’t touch the two-colored man ag’in for all the claims in Californy. I wish I hedn’t follered 'im. I might hev knowed he warn’t the cap’n!” The next moment he was mounted again and his borse’s head was turned toward Eldorado. ‘*Come, Golddust, take me back ez fast ez you brought me bhyar,” he said to his steed. Away he went, but a snort and the sound of boofs in bis rear told him that the Mazeppa was following. The wild horse had rested a ll, and was bound to keep up with the new friend he had found, “Follered by a dead man!” Modoc. ‘Great Jehosapbat! This ar’ more than I bar- gained fur. I’m not afraid to face all the knives and pistols in Californy, but you can’t reason with a stiff, dead man hezn’t got a grain ov sense.” He urged his horse forward, and was soon re- traversing the trail to Eldorado at a gait which, ope re) circumstances, would have delight- Every now and then he glanced over his shoul- der to find that he was still followed by the Ma- zeppa’s horse, which would soon travel abreast of his own steed. Modoc drove the spurs deeper into the rowels of bis own animal, but it availed him nothing. The strange horse had the better bottom, an in spite of the rough’s efforts, he came abreast. odoc shrunk from contact with the dead man witb a gasp anda groan. If the trail had been wider he would have moved away, but it was hardly wide enough for two. The borse and his ghastly en kept along- side for a mile or more, ** Curse you, I'll fix you!” suddenly pe the rough. ‘‘I’llleave yon both hyar fur the wolves that ’1l come wig el As he finished, the roffian drew a heavy revol- eds and, cocking it, leaned toward the wild orse. He grated forth an oath as he pressed the Old Winch, the Rifle King. muzzle of the weapon against the animal’s head and touched the trigger. He turned white when no report followed. Never before had the trusty revolver failed him. He felt like throwing it down, ‘*'You’re not to be killed, fur you’re the devil’s own!” he cried, rising once more, ‘ By Jove! I’m not goin’ into camp with a dead man at my side. I’d sooner ride into an Apache village painted fur the torture!” Modoc flung himself from his steed as he fin- ished, and sprung to a narrow bush-fringed trail that led up the mountain, Terror now held entire possession of the su- perstitious desperado’s heart. He fully expect- ed to see the Mazeppa follow him, but the two horses stood in the road side by side and watched him with much equine curiosity, “Rid ov ye at last!” be cried as he looked down upon the horses from an elevation of a hundred feet. ‘“‘The boys’ll laugh when they see me creep into Eldorado afoot; but I'll kee my adventure to myself. One ov these days I'll clear up the mystery ov the white man with a yaller face,” Modoc soon lost 5 of the two horses appar- ently waiting for him in the mountain road. He had no intention of returning to them; all tbe wealth of the mines could not have taken him back. The sun was at the meridian when the fright- ened desperado found himeelf once more in his little cabin, He had succeeded in reaching it without attracting the attention of any one. Eldorado was quiet. As he pas to his shanty he did not catch a glimpse of Old Winch or his proteg-e. Enraged at the revolver which had failed him in the mountains he flung it into a darkened corner and took another weapon of the same pattern from a secret place in the wall. ‘*Thet one is under a devilish spell of some kind!” he hissed, referring to the discarded weapon. ‘‘The failure warn’t in my fingers; no, no! By heavens! I'd like to try this dropper on a livin’ target. Where's old Winch? I told ‘im last night thet I’d see him to day.” Modoc moved toward the door of his cabin with the cocked revolver in his hand. He was in the actof stepping forth when a loud cry reached his ears and a horse stopped in front of his hut. The next moment the body of a man fell from the saddle and struck the ground with a thud that drove Modoc back witha ery of horror. ‘*The Mazeppa, ez they call ’im!” he exclaim- ed, fully believing that the man withthe yellow face had followed him to his very door, but an instant later he bounded forward and was lift- ing the fallen person from the ground, ‘Great Cesar! is it you, Mex?’ he cried, now recognizing the Mexican he had sent to a cer- tain person the day before with the broken bowie and the message of three words. ‘“What did the cap’n say, Mex? Ar’ he comin’?”’ The r se was a gasp; the little Mexican had pa beyond the power of speech. Modoc laid him down and opened the em- broidered jacket he wore. Something fell to the floor. The desperado pounced upon it and lifted the broken bowie he had sent away to the man he had called cap’n. The blade had never been delivered, ** Hello! hyar’s suthin’ else!” exclaimed Modoc espying another object lodged against the gaudy lining of the Mexican’s jacket. ‘‘I don’t won- der now that the boy can’ttalk. Jehosaphat! jes’ think ov sech a thing passin’ through a man’s life-chest?”’ While he spoke he was staring at the iron arrow-head he was holding between him and the sk . Injuns!” he hissed. ‘‘ The red tigers shall pay fur their shot, Mex. We ar’ san’ hev n ever since you risked yer life ter save me on the San Joaguin. When I’ve settled with =, Winch, I'll pay the red Arabs fur this The eyes of the boy opened at that moment and his lips fell apart. ‘* He is here!” he gasped, looking into Modoc’s ce. The desperado smiled. ‘* He thinks be’s deliverin’ the message to the ef he said, ‘‘ Yes, Mex, he is hyar; so am I. Modoc saw the little Mexican’s head fall back, and the death-gurgle as it rattled in his toward the door. : The next moment the doorway was ’ to begin now!” he hissed, starting —_ eS by a human figure, tall, straight, and power- | ful. ‘‘Wal, did you overtake Mazeppaf’ «sked & rough voice, ‘ The gai an’ I'd like wo |.uow be fore we move on.” CHAPTER IV, THE RIFLE KING, THE clicking of Modoc’s revolver was heard before Old Winch had finished bis sentence, **Oh, if that’s yer game, I’m byar!” was the response. he old man-hunter sprung back, and, eager for the contest, Modoc leaped clear of the threshold and halted in the sunlight outside, but he did not lift the formidable navy, for Old Winch stood coolly before him with bis rifle at bis shoulder, “I’m ready ef ye hevn’t changed yer mind by this time, Modoc,” came over the polished barrel of the leveled weapon. ‘‘I came hyar with a civil question. Did ye overtake the man on ther wild horse?” “i Yes,” ‘Wal, who did he turn out to be?” ‘You kin kill me ef I know, Winch.” A breath of relief escaped the old avengers’s mt I know who you thought he war, an’ so did I fur awhile,” continued Modoc. “If he hed been the cap’n, I would hev recognized him ov course, but he warn’t Rob.” “Thank heaven!” “You say thet because you think you'll git to wipe the cap'n out.” **T wouldn’t shoot him for the world,”’ ** What's thet?” cried Modoc. ‘If you don’t expect to kill the cap’n, why did you say last night that you came to Eldorado to shoot?” ‘*T came for more than that, Modoc. You haven't forgot Starvation Camp?” *T hev’n’t thought ov it fur a long time, Winch, but it warn’t because I hed forgotten it. How did you get out?’ Old Winch smiled grimly. “* That’s neither hyar nurthar,” heanswered. ‘It warn’t Starvation Camp when you an’ the cap’n went Ba be you remember, Modoc. Thar war b’ars enough around to meat a bull camp all winter, an’ I war tied to a tree ez belp- less as an Injun baby. Heven’t I a pextect right, Modoc, to send a bullet whistlin’ through yer brain, a right ter hunt Ranch Rob down an’ s’arve him the same way?! What would you do to a lot ov men who would leave Di helpless te the mercy ov a herd ov grizzlies “Td hunt ’em down! I say this, Winch, knowin’ what Ido. It war a mean trick!” ‘*The meanest trick ever played in Califor- ny!” was the response. ‘‘ If Ranch Rob war the ringleader in the plot I hev no right to call bim to account for it. Vengeance ongs to an- otber.” “To the ge ‘To Gold Georgie!” ‘1 never heard the cap’n mention her.” ‘* Mebbe not, but he belongs to her fur ven- geance just the same. Arter you left me in Starvation Camp you fellars went to the Siski- you ening country, didn’t you?” “ es “Do you recollect the beauty ov Golddust mgr ‘The Diamond ov Sonoma the boys called her because her husband found her in thet kentry— I know her!” ‘Wal, what happened thar, Modoc? I want to see if you bev furgotten anything.” ““T don’t think Ihev, Winch? Irecollect thet the cap’n got love-struck soon arter we reached Golddust, an’ ez the Diamond ov Sonoma war the only white woman thar, ov course she hed his heart. But, somebow er other, she didn’t fancy Ranch, although he war a better lookin’ man than ber husband. We all know what the cap’n did then? He war bound ter winin the me he war playin’. He riled the Diamond’s usband one night an’ they fought. The cap’n brought down his man. Wasn’t it a fair fight, Winch?” . An expression of scorn twitched the o]d man’s ps. “Fair!” he sneered. ‘‘ Yes, it war fair—ez fair ez Ranch Rob wanted it. Goon, Modoc. What became ov the Diamond ov Sonoma?” ‘*Tbar’s whar I stick,” was the mg ** Not long arter the shootin’ scrape she le Iddust, an’ the cap’n gave her up.” ‘ Thet’s yer o inion, Modoc!” cried Old Winch with t. “‘He never gave thet poor woman up, but follered her tothe bitterend. She went back to Sonoma, to the chil! sh_ had left there in her father’s care; but Ranch Rob crossed | b ‘ mcomicbooksecom a gent a Ln on. On ek