Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 499 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Now go, —— 2 - — Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport. ee — ing upon the thief. ‘‘ I did not think you would | The Chinaman was still reluctant to withdraw, come back—” The girl stopped abruptly, for the person whom she confronted was not Captain Ringbolt, but a he re ae Celestial—a perfect stranger to rer. He was the incarnation of a yellow devil while he stood between her and the door, con- fronted by the insulted girl. ‘¢ Master and man, is it?” cried/Finette, going toward the heathen, ‘‘ Hand back the picture, you yellow-skin scoundrel.” : But the Celestial’s eyes devilishly dared Finette to attempt a seizure. ‘*Me no givee back picture,” he grinned. ** Girl no takee, either.” ‘Where did you come from?” she asked. ** Who are you?” ** Me allee Chinee,” was the retort. ‘** But you don’t belong here. You came to Red Flash with Captain Rin bolt.” The heathen shook his head with emphasis. ‘* Captain Ringbolt me not know,” the China- man declared. . ‘*The picture you have just concealed in your bosom gives the lie to your words.” ‘* Does ’Mellican girl say Ah Sin lie?” ‘Yes, if you say you don’t know Captain Ringbolt!” was the brave response. ‘* The mas- ter has just left; the man—the tool—has come! A sight of the portrait threw the captain into a rage. If you keep it, Red Flash will soon be- come too hot for you and the man you serve.” Ah Sin’s yellow face was pushed forward like the face of a ager on the eve of a spring, when Iinette, quickly stepping backward, threw ber band up to a small shelf fixed to the wall, and a small dagger was in her grasp, with an ebony handle, about which Finette’s fingers wound “Girl show fightee!” laughed the Chinaman, showing his teeth, but at the same time shrink- ing nearer the door. ‘Go!” commanded Finette, sternly. ‘‘ You llute the house! Take the picture to ‘ Red- eld.’ Begone!” The Celestial showed his teeth again and put his hand on the latch. ‘* Girl no get tocut Ab Sin!” and with a laugh on his ugly lips he was gone. The abruptness of his departure startled Fin- ette; and she did not see him join aman who was waiting for him half-way between the cabin and the Beelzebub Hotel, and where the shad- ows of Red Flash were deepest. “Tt took you a long time,” ch the man, out of humor, ‘ You did not have to choke the mountain angel, eh?” ‘‘No. Girl want to fight, though,” was the reply, andi Ah Sin took something from beneath is coat. ‘* Ah! you did not fail! Thank fortune! She resisted, eh?” The Celestial nodded. ** Did she threaten?” ‘* She sail she’d make Red Flashee too hotee for us.” ‘She did, eh?” and Ringbolt glanced toward Finette’s cabin, ‘*The girl will make it too hot for you if she takes a notion.” Ah Sin seemed to draw back; he did not relish the remark, ‘*'You’ve already performed an invaluable service and can afford to withdraw,” continued the Denver sport. ‘‘I can swear my way out of all connection with you, Ah Sin; but they don’t like Chinamen here, and one word from the girl would put all Red hon you. Dont you see?” The Celestial did not speak, “* So you’ve got to go!” Ringbolt decided. ‘“ Where me go?” ** Anywhere, so you are within callif we want ou. ou must run off to-night—right away. ury your brass-tipped box, or take it along, just as you like.” ‘* Will cap’n stay here? ‘Yes; I must — Everything is at stake.” ‘**Girl may talk about you?” “Tet her!” cried em oe venomously; ‘‘I have Rico with me, and he is a mountain here. The boy who drove us up from Dolores has taken possession of Old ee Mine.” ‘Yes; boy much foolee!” grinned Ah Sin. ‘‘Right you are! But we must part. If all goes well, and by heavens! it sball not go other- wise, you will be the richest Chinaman in erica, Now, make yourself scarce. You've rendered me an invaluable service to-night, I -am not the man who forgets. The sixth owner of the mine is a boy—not a handful! The game won't last long. The agent has been equipped. Sin. Good-by.” i oy . < 7 ¥ a / * ’ - - =e - : - = = - | but Captain Ringbolt’s actions repulsed him. All at once the man from Denver turned and walked away, and a moment later Ah Sin bound- ed off and was lost among the cabins. Ringbolt went back to the Beelzebub whose porch was now quite deserted. The reception room was in almost the same condition, but as heentered the latter, Yuba Monte came forward with a twinkle in his eye, ‘You made the girl a good visit!” ejaculated the host gleefully. ‘‘Isn’t she a daisy, captain? hat a sensation a man could make with her in the right place! We’ve all wondered a thou- sand times where Babette picked ber up. She’s ther luck o’ Red Flash an’-— Hello!” Captain Ringbolt knew that somebody had entered the hotel, and when he turned toward the door he saw the handsome figure of Chicka- dee, the whip prince of the stage line. His eyes were already fixed on the captain. ‘*What’s up now?” cried Yuba, and then he moved his hand toward the Denverite. ‘‘ You know your old passenger, Chickadee?” ‘*“'Yes, and I’m here to see him,” answered the boy, coming forward. ** Ah! captain, I will trouble you for the pic- ture which was taken from Finette a little while ago!” Ringbolt lost color and started back. ‘What picture?” he cried, affecting ignor- ance. ‘*The likeness of ‘ Redfield’ which was found in Bahette’s chest, and afterward stolen by the Chinaman!” returned the boy, with decision. ‘By Jupiter! do you mean to link me to a yellow thief?” demanded the Denverite. ‘*] mean to say that the picture passed from the thief’s possession into yours!” was the retort. ‘* Let me have the portrait—” “TIL crush you first!” was the interruption, and Captain Ringbolt advanced with clinched hands. “Your quartz mill isn’t big enough for that!” laughed Chickadee, and the next moment he stepped into the middle of the room and coolly leveled a revolver at the Denver sport. ‘** Shall I have the picture?” he asked. CHAPTER VI, A REVELATION. YusBA Monre started toward the boy whip with a cry. ‘You don’t want to play road-agent with my ests!” he exclaimed, throwing Pw his hands, ‘Captain Ringbolt has to be treated like a gen- tleman—” ‘* He will be when he acts like one!” interrupt- ed Chickadee. ; “Tm merely asking you, Mister Sport, for Finette’s property,” he went on. ‘‘I know that the Chinese thief who robbed her turned the roperty over to you. A denial won’t help mat- rs, captain, Hand it over, I say! Or some- thing will happen!” The arenes agent of the Great Gold Union well realized that the boy had the upper hand, and also knew the danger of further delay in acceding to the demand, so he brought forth the picture, while in his eyes was the gleam of bit- ter hatred. ‘Take it, you young robber!” he _ hissed, throwing the packet spitefuily at Chickadee. ‘To-morrow it may belong to Captain Ring- boit.” Chickadee deftly meh, the prize and smiled in the sport’s face. defiant] “ By Jove! I didn’t know they robbed people right in your hotel,” continued Ringbolt, turnin upon the landlord. “If this is the style in Re Flash, [ll hunt another town,” ‘‘T would if I was in your place, captain,” suggested Chickadee, still holding his revolver. “Red Flash can = FY — 9 ee other yle’s property. t, good-night to yuu, cap- ory Stead deceauiea to you!” And the daring boy bowed himself out of the room, and pro- ceeded to his own cabin, at once. “Tam going to examine my booty!” he de- cided as he dropped into a chair at the table on which burned his lamp. ‘“‘ Finette merely said that she-had been rebbed of a picture by a Chinaman, and I caught the fellow as he was leaving Red Flash and made him confess that he gave the prize to Captain Ringbolt. Thy Celestial was the one who came with him from Dolores. The pair appeared to be strangers, but several times I heard them exchange fa- miliar sentences in the stage. Ah! Captain Ringbolt! there is one person in Red Flash who believes that you are more than an agent of the Great Denver Gold Union!” For the next few minutes Chickadee studied the portrait intentlv. | | | | tsetse sites er o ‘*T believe I will dissect it!” he suddenly ex- claimed. ‘‘ The mountain artist has put it up after the usual manner. Ah! there seems to be some paper between the plate and its back!” During the next minute Chick: dee’s fingers worked rapidly and he was rewarded by ftind- ing a piece of paper nicely folded, as if some hand had deposited it there for safe-keeping. Unfolding this paper, his eyes caught sight of writing, which he read in silence. It was evident from the expression that brightened the boy’s face that the discovery was of importance, and when he reached the end of the manuscript he read the following: “TO THE WORLD! “This picture represents * Redfield,’ one of the coolest villains on the face of the globe. His reeord is that he was born in San Francisco when it was littie more than a camp; he grew up among the roughs and toughs of the mines, where he gradu- atedininfamy. He has bad forty names, but ‘ Red- field’ is the one his mother gave Lim, and to it he sometimes returns. He carries on his \«ft shoulder a tattoo-mark, which united him to a secret order of scoundrels in Northern Californian. He was their chief for three years; they plundered golc-can ps, robbed miners, and, it is beheved. even murcered. The Brotherhood of the Mystic Mark was broken up seme years ago, and the members scattered. But the oaths they took bound them together for life, and * Redfield’ finds one every now and then. “This man is my eternal foe, and, while I have some courage, he is the only person I fear. This is — the only picture of him I have ever seen. He never dreams that it is in my possession. I would be hunted down for it: he would not hesitate to kill to get it back, for there are people who want to get even with the old chief of the Mystic Clan. ‘I have reasons for believing that the owners of the fatal mine who have died before me felt the dazger of a member of that organization. 1 have seen the trail of one of its men in Red Flash Cit but as yet ‘Redfield’ has not appeared. He w come some day. Ili you find this, Finette, beware of the man! ‘*In the end, I call the curses of Heaven down Ag this man ‘ Redfield.’ He knows fifty disguises. fie knows the old members of the Mystic Mark wherever he sees them, I believe he has come to Red Flash before this. I see his hand in the deadly guardianship of Old Fatality Mine, Let the man who comes after me beware! He will be the sixth and the last. BAPETTE.”’ The reader may imagine Chickadee’s thoughts when he reached the end of this Se er. rb peg moments he did not seem to breathe at all. : “This is a fortune-serit. clew!” he exclaimed. ‘“T am now on the trail, and the hand that stretched Babette dead before his é¢abin shall feel the operations of vengeance! J need not tell Finette all this, I will not show the pape to Single Sight. He.is not the cool WE So ‘ Redfield’ carries a mark on eh? Now, who is bis friend in Red sh? Whom did he pick up for one of the Brother- hood here? tte died before he and _ his Chinaman came. It was impossible for the hands to have done the deed! : play) hand well from this hour. Babetteybas put r on my guard. I believe he has given me tain Ringbclt. I know pow as ‘ Redfield,’ once chief of the M of oe rk 9% oo Chickadee hid t daguerrotype on his it not a moment too soon, for a light ra fell 98 2ins and he opened it to find h If face te The boy whip could not suppress a startat é agoan’ you warn’t in,” sight of the giant s ‘*Can you go down to res ‘Twas hyer aw remarked Rico to-morrow?” % ‘* To-morrow?” I just came up to-day.” ‘Yes, but I want to down all the same,” Rico was captain of the Gold Guard which always went to Dolores when a large ar ount of dust was taken down, and sometimes he went alone to transact business for the mines, ‘If yon must go I can serve you,” assented the voung stage-~lriver. “Then we go,” was tle re rh ‘Have the horses ready by sun-up,” and he departed as qui-tly as he had come. “This is sudden—it is strange!” concluded Chickadee, ‘‘ He saw me awhile ago, but never said thet be must go down to Dolores. Is it possible that—” the boy broke his own sentence as if » startling thought had struck him, “‘ We I will watch you, Rico Rob. You need no know that the boy who handles the lines to- - morrow will use his eyes on you at.the same time!” There was a sparkle in Rico’s eyes when he _ walked from the cabin, and went straight to the Beelzebub. 43