Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 365 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

et Keen Kennard, the Shasta Shadow. back. Come! To the lost bonanza of Califor- Fe 199 Gilbert Golden sprung up as the hand of the strange woman alighted on his shoulder, as if the touch possessed an electric thrill. ‘‘Spare me this useless trip!” he cried. ‘I tell you that the map of the mine, carried so long in my mind, is all jumbled. It is like a spider’s web torn down and thrown together. I can never separate the threads.” ‘You have done it before, you acknowledge. Why not again?" I am not here for play, Gil- bert Golden; Iam here for work, If I were to expose my future schemes, you would stand there and turn pale. Come on, I say. My horse is at the door, To the El Dorado seen by you once. It must be found again!” Gilbert Golden stood like a person unable to move in the presence of the masked woman, “Tf I thought I could ever find it—” ‘* Pshaw! we'll do that!” interrupted Queen Moro, witha laugh. ‘‘The moment we find it, you shall go back to Floss, I must have the lost Ophir for revenge. Don’t make me use harsh means, Gilbert. I have nothing against the lost man of Gold Gorge, but I have sworn that no life shall stand between me and the bo- nanza. If youutterly refuse to go with me, the secret will never come back to you for the bene- fitof the watching vultures of thiscamp. Death, Gilbert, will never straighten the jumbled lines!” The boy, for boyish the youth looked, despite his elegant, manly stature, saw the hand of the woman tighten on the silver-mounted revolver she held. There was ‘‘shoot” in the dark eyes back of the heavy silk mask. ‘You will go?’ contmued the woman. *“*There, that’s a sensible boy. It will come back to you among the mountains; the secret will be found there.” ‘‘'The mine may be far away.” *¢ Distance shall never balk us. Ah! we're off now.” Gilbert Golden found himself being pushed Sei § toward the cabin door, by the cool being who had swooped suddenly and unexpectedly upon him. He seemed to have lost the power of resisting. ‘‘Zounds! she charms him like a serpent charms the bird!” ejaculated the man who had witnessed all this, ‘‘Now, whatshallI do? My orders ar’ ter drop thet woman on sight, but hyer’s a chance ter get at ther secret we’re rowin’ gray for. What ar’ yer goin’ ter do, agger Johnny? Which horn oy ther dilemma ar’ yer goin’ ter take? Ye’ve got ter make up yer mind in ther flash ov an eye.” The alcalde’s pard drew back in the deep shadow of the cabin, and almost forgot that he clutched a revolver in his excitement. Queen Moro and her prisoner were at the door. “‘Dropshot or ther secret?—which? I feel like a feller decidin’ between rope an’ bullet. Why, war I put on this confounded trail any- ow? He might have touched the masked woman by taking a step forward, but he did not move. ‘* Here is the horse,” said Queen Moro ad- dressing Gilbert. ‘‘ Get up into the saddle, and at the peril we yee life play me false! I don’t want your blood, Gilbert, but you must not try me.” The youth obeyed, and still undecided, Dag- ger Johnny saw him climb into the saddle. ‘* Let me tell you for the last time, woman—” ‘* Silence!” said Queen Moro, ‘I know that the secret will come back to you among the mountains. Not another word!’ . She laid her hand on the steed’s bridle, and led him away. The start roused Dagger Johnny, and that worthy sprung forward, to find the horse and his rider between him and the Queen of the kk. ‘* Pll give ther secret a chance,” hesaid. ‘‘ Ef it fails ter come back ter Gilbert, I'll carry out Dropshot’s instructions. Ef he gets a grip on it ag’in, why he shall guide Dagger Johnny ter ther lost Ophir. I can’t fail twice.” The horse moved slowly away with the alcalde’s right bower, a creeping shadow at his heels. Down the street and beyond the camp and toward the towering mountains it led Dag- ger Johnny. The night seemed to grow darker among the ghostly pines, and this drew the tracker closer to his prey. He could just see the outlines of the Eeryy he tracked; ho knew that, watched by the black eyes of the masked huntress, and perhaps cover- ed by her revolver, Gilbert Golden was riding into the wooded heart of the sierra. “‘ Jehosaphat! what ef ther secret should come back ter him!” ejaculated Dagger Johnny more than once. ‘It tumbles my heart inter my throat ter think ov such a thing. But what if he should rekiver it an’ nobody by but thet merciless she-tigress—ther masked spy ov ther Gentile e, as Dropshot calls her? I wouldn’t miss this trail for a_cool thousand plump in my hand. By Jupiter! Dageer Johnny, yer’ in luck! What’s yer hand but a daisy flush !” Down the wild trail, with the little cabins of Oe Red Eye already far behind, deeper and deeper | thet. into the mountains. Dagger Johnny had trailed big game before, for he had the step of the cat, the noiseless body movement of the panther. ll at once, without a warning of any kind, a hand clutched Dagger Johnny’s arm. **See here,” said a voice, ** Aren’t you out of your latitude?” The man stopped, leaned forward, and cried: ‘*1’'m not, Grim George! Don’t stop me hyer!” CHAPTER XII. THE BLOOD-SOAKED MAP. ‘‘Sue’s thar yet, wagon an’ all; with ther big bonanza, what a prize she is! Dagger Johnny will foller ther masked woman till he gits a chance ter carry out my instructions. He isn’t as good as Grim George war, perhaps, but I kin trust him.” Dropshot Bluff, the big alcalde, spoke in this strain while he stood in the door of his cabin, from which he could see the covered wageu which had carried Floss into Red Eye. The eventful night had given place to another day, and the morning light revealed the vehicle and its surroundings. The girl still slept, and the rd who had watched through the night had finally left his t. The eyes of the boss of Red Eye glittered while he spoke. In the fair young girl who had come to Red Eye he beheld a prize worth play- ing for, f It'll be nothin’ ter beat ther youngster,” Dropshot went on with a light chuckle of de- light. ‘* He will ee lead us ter ther lost rich an’ then Ill coolly toss ’im ter one side while appropriate both ther mine an’ thet daisy in ther wagon. What a society queen she’d make with Ophir back ov her!” ager to see once more and in the broad light of day the face that looked so lovely in match- light, the alcalde of Red Eye walked to where the wagon stood and raised the curtain. **Good-mornin’, Miss Floss,” he exclaimed bowing to the young girl who was wide awake arranging her simple toilet. ‘‘ This is Red Eye ther capital ov these diggin’s, not as big as Sac- ramento, nor as lively; but we've got a town in thet we’re proud ov. Welcome ter Red “ye! Yer friend ov last night has left camp.” **@ueen Moro?” cried Floss. ‘Yes, an’ she’s not comin’ back either,” was the answer. ‘‘ We have no use fer such timber in Red Eye.” Floss let slip a breath of relief. The i ta of Sacramento was gone already. She would not have to face her again. ** That woman,” she cried, ‘‘is my enemy. I don’t know why. She hates all my kin.” ‘** What’s her face like?” asked the alcalde. ‘**T don’t know for I never saw it. She hides it from me as if it were a hideous spectacle. I never dared to look under the mask she wears.” ‘* Where did you first meet her?” *“*In Sacramento years ago. My father, Max Mogalle, went to the mines and never came back. Gilbert knows that, for he was his com- panion. By and by I heard that four out of five men had perished on the trail of a mine of fabu- lous wealth, Gilbert the surviving one came back to Gold Gorge a lunatic. Before this I was taken eee of by this masked woman on the authority of a letter from the person to whose care father left me when he went away. I have reasons for believing that that letter was a for- gery. My home in mento was an elegant one, but Queena Moro kept me there. I learned to fear her. I was watched like a hawk, not by her all the time, but by two mutes who knew nothing but obedience to her. Whenever she came she alweys wore that mask. ‘**At last I managed to escape. My life in that house had become a living death. I be- lieved that trace of my father was to be found. I might even find Gilbert. Imbued with this belief, I at last gavemy dumb watchers the oe I heater of gre rs after sme ays an m unt. party of pros- Pome took me with them to the mountains, was asked, implored a thousand times to turn back, but I would not. From camp to camp and from trail to trail I went, sometimes alone, sometimes with a guide. By merest chance I found the site of Gold Gorge Camp, That encouraged me. I pushed on, now in this wagon drawn by the two miserable horses that brought me here. Fortune must have guided me after all; but heavens! has that masked (ae been on my track? From what I learn- ed last night I am not far from Gilbert. I will hear from his lips the fate of my father. He is not mad now, I hope.” Dropshot Bluff who had not interrupted the girl’s story during its narration, hardly knew what to say. **Don’t tell me that he is not here,” she went on. ‘‘I have dared everything to find him. You have called him the lost man of Gold Gorge; but he is lost no longer. Gilbert has been found!” **Mebbe, arter all she'll get ther map out o’ him,” muttered the alcalde. at eee It won’t be hard ter tear ’em apart when I wantter. Dagger J 4 reported last night thet ther boy hed come back,” Then he looked at Floss and said: ‘* Gilbert is hyer!” The girl uttered a cry of delight, ‘We'll hunt him up right away,” he said as he assisted her from the wagon. ‘' You'll find Red Eye squar’ in every respect; all goods hyer a full yard wide, gir].” Walking beside the eager girl, Dropshot Bluff led the way to the cabin oceupied by Gilbert Golden and knocked on the door. Of course there was no reply. ‘* We'll see about this,” said the alcalde in no good humor. ‘* By Jove! when thar’s a lady in the case, we want no foolishness.” He opened the door and looked in. The cabin was empty. Floss gave utterance to a cry of ae eg and looked up into Dropshot Bluffs face in search of an explanation. ‘*He war hyer last night,” said the alcalde of Red Eye. ‘‘ We'll have ter wait, girl.” ** When will he come?” ** Probably before sunup.” Floss went back to the wagon. She gently refused an offer to domicile herself in one of the cabins, saying that the poor wagon had been ‘“*home” to her for many days, and that she would keep it till Gilbert came. * She’s a curious creature, but what a daisy!” ejaculated Dropshot Bluff when he left her. ‘* Whar did ther boy g ter? It cannot be thet he knows thet ther girl’s incamp. He didn’t go away with thet female spy?) Pshaw! what fool- ishness!” The day waned and Gilbert did not come back. Floss grew tired of watching and the big alcalde avoided her questions. What had became of Gilbert? ‘We can’t afford ter lose thet ye tt claimed Dropshot Bluff in the midst of the as- sembled pards of Red Eye. ‘In his head lies our only hopes of ever touchin’ ther big bonanza, We've waited for years on his vagaries. Now and then the secret comes back to him in full power and leaves ’im as suddenly. He’s liable to take one of them knowledge pee at any time. What if he should wander off and locate italone! Jewhizz! just let thet thought pet a firm grip on yer, men. What if Gilbert s ould locate phir, when none ov us war trailin ex- him? The suggestion drew exclamations of horror from the alcalde’s auditors. ** We lost him once at Gold Gorge an’ broke ss dame. an’ follered him, We have ter hunt ; ag in, I guess, Thet boy can’t be lost ong! ‘** But Red Eye? we can’t break it up now,” and the kers glanced significantly at the wagon that contained the new arrival. ** No,” said Bluff, ‘‘ an’ then he might wander back. We can’t wait another minute for his re- turn on hisown accord. Gilbert must be trailed; he must be found!” That was the opinion of all. Dropshot Bluff then proceeded to parcel the pards of Red Eye into hunting parties. They were to scour the mountains for the missing youth worth so much with his wild secret to the camp. He had been hunted down once before, — not now? he sun was beginning to drop westward, when three parties stole from Red Eye Bar for the search. They had received their last in- structions from Dropshot Bluff, who was to re- ae behind, the camp’s guard and Floss’s com- panion. The girl was assured that Gilbert would be found and brought back. ‘**He will not know meif he comes back in sane,” she said, excitedly. Xe Oh, it doesn’t last long,” was thereply. ‘‘ A im sleep is liable ter brin back to bis senses, an’ then he’ll call yer Floss. He’ll give us ther clew ter Ophir, mebbe.” ‘ ‘** Always gold—gold!” said Floss, with a smile. ‘**Thet’s ther magic word in Californy, girl!” laughed the alcalde. ‘‘It has exiled this whole camp. We've all been hangin’ on Gilbert’s lips for years, an’ we're still poor as . Hang it all! why didn’t fortune smile on us long ago? Waitin’ on a secret locked up in a boy’s head— thet’s been ther song for months!” — a secret which may amount to nothing when told. *“No! I believe it as I believe I live!” cried Dropshot Bluff. ‘‘I have seen too much to doubt. I once had the diagram before me—all but ther bearings. Then I saw ther hull thin blotted out by one sweep ov a lunatic’s arm. war provokin’, Floss. I got nothin’ by waitin’ arter all; for a map rubbed out is nothin’.” The alcalde of Red Eye kept the girl oaapepy beside the wagon until far into the night. When she retired to sleep, he folded his arms and lean- ing against the wheel, became a wakeful guard. obody came to disturb the vigils of the bi alcalde, and more than once he turned his hea — liste Bere to the soft breathing of the friend- ess gir As the night deepened there fell over Red Eye the silence of the grave. Dropshot Bluff looked like a statue carved against the wagon as he ‘Tt all depends on ' watched and waited with his face turned towar? / GOmMIichbooks — . a _ 2 —.*