Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 365 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Eo ‘* Dropshot said it war no account when he saw it,” continued the tough; ‘‘ he may hey tossed it aside.” ‘Tn this shanty?” ‘*In this shanty.” ‘* Pardon me,” said the Shadow, catching up thelamp. ‘I had that diagram fixed in m mind a short time ago, but your bullet lost it all to me, I could choke you for that shot, Johnny, but I won’t hasten your time.” The Red Eye rough saw the Shasta sleuth move about the little room with the lamp in search of the paper whose secret was yet to cost more than one life, He sat at the table breathing hard and fol- lowed him in his search. Ali at once Keen Kennard pounced upon an object in one corner, and then came back to the table with triumph in his eyes. ‘is this it?” he asked, displaying his ‘‘ find,” to the dilated eyes of the alcalde’s pard. ** Thet?s ther dockerment thet’s cost this indi- vidual his life blood,” assured Johnny, eying the little piece of folded and blood-dyed paper in the detective’s hand. ‘It’s ov no account, though, don’t yer see?” Kennard made no reply but began to undo the matted folds, watched with intense interest by the man on the stool. Several minutes passed in watch and work when, allat once, Dagger Johnny fell forward on the table. ** Death got there at last!” remarked the Shadow from Shasta, looking up from his work, **T will accomplish my task if my patience holds out. There are lines on this paper. They make up the map I once had in my head. [am going to keep my oath to Queen Moro if the trail to the lost Ophir is crimson like this gold map!” CHAPTER XIV, THE BLOOD MAP’S FORTUNES. On the face of the man who walked from Dropshot Bluff’s cabin when the morning stars were beginning to pale, there was a firm, set de- termination, and with steady step he walked toward the mountain. Behind him, dead, perhaps, on the little table, lay Dagger Johnny. The weird light of the lamp fell athwart his Herculean figure; he stirred not as the morning advanced, and the last stars crept down the trails of the sky. Keen Kennard never looked behind him. In his bosom was the paper stained with the blood , of the man he was leaving for dead: he had ex- amined it far enough to notice that it contained many suggestive lines, and Dagger Johnny had told him that it was the diagram of the lost mine, drawn by the hand of Gilbert. But what puzzled the Shastan most was the presence of Queen Moro in that country. By the merest chance, as we know, he had missed her in Red Eye, and the announcement of her presence there had struck him with a shock, Tired of waiting for his report, the masked woman of Sacramento had taken up the hunt herself. Perhaps she believed that he had fallen by the hand of some guardian of the golden treasure, or rather she might believe that, de- spite his oath, he had played her false. Keen Kennard found just beyond the cam the horse on which, as Magic Merle, he had rid. den among Dropshot Bluff and pards. He walked straight to the animal and threw him- self into the saddle. | Sullenly he rode away, and the morning when it came found him deep among the sierras studying in the light the crimsoned paper found in the cabin. The horse picked his way over a narrow trail hemmed in by lofty walls, covered in many places with large-leaved mountain creepers, He did not seem to glance ahead, but was ab- sorbed in the mystery clutched by his hands. ‘The more I examine this map, the surer I am that [ have grasped the key to Gilbert’s well-kept secret,” he murmured, ‘‘ The lines re- call the map he drew for me on thetable. Here are the bearings at the top, where the blood- stains are not so deep. By and by I will have it all at my fingers’ ends! Somuch for going back to Red Bye at a venture.” During a part of this time a number of men were regarding Keen Kennard from the moun- tain-slope above. They were nine in number, and were some of those started out upon Gil- bert’s trail by the alcalde. _ See ** Thet’s no fool paper, boys,” said one of the | gang, covering the detective with his finger. **Magic Merle didwt come hyer for nothin’. We hevn't found Gilbert, but we needn't go back ter Red Eye empty-handed. We kin first make that man stand an’ deliver, and then we kin turn ’im over ter Dropshot, paper an’ all.” “Not yet, Duncan; let’s foller him awhile. ‘Suthin’ important may develop itself,” was the answer, ‘“ By haltin’ him whar he is, we may spoil a game too soon. Dagger Johnny called that man Keen Kennard.” ‘But took it back with a six-shooter at his head!” laughed Duncan. ‘‘It war a foreed re- traction, an’ I’m willin’ ter stake my share in ther Ophir that Johnny knew what he war sayin’. Halt ’im now, I say.” But Duncan found himself overruled by his pards, and Keen Kennard was a ae to ride along, with the armed toughs of Red Eye watch- ing him like a set of mountain hawks. ‘* Jupiter! suthin’ is goin’ ter happen!” sud- denly ejaculated Duncan. ‘‘ Look at that per- son waitin’ in ther trail yonder for ther Shasta sport. Pthe eight men looked over Duncan’s out- stretched arm, and exclaimed at once: ‘* Vera, ther Viper!” All eyes were now fixed on the sorceress of Red Eye, who had ridden into the narrow trail with her black eyes fixed on the detective, who, as he rode slowly along, saw but the bloody dia- gram in his hands. ** Thar’s the woman that lalled Grim George!” grated Duncan. ‘She stands outlawed by ther laws ov Red Eye, an’ kin be shot on sight. She an’ that Shastan ar’ pards. It’s all plain ter me now. She is waitin’ for him ter come up.” ‘*Pards or not, they’re goin’ ter meet within two minutes. Down! neither must see us now.” The nine men dropped, but their eyes did not lose sight of the two parties about to meet in the trail below, The mountain sorceress and her steed looked like a well molded statue; in the earl f light she had not seen the mountain pards. Keen Ken- nard was the sole object she saw. If the pards had been near enongh they would have seen the dark eyes of Vera glitter strange- ly while she watched the man from Shasta, Nearer and nearer came the two together. Suddenly the sorceress seemed to speak, for the detective’s horse stood still and the man him- self looked up. ‘** Pards? no pards thar!” exclaimed one of the secreted nine. ‘‘ By Jupiter! I'd like ter hear what passes between them.” The sight of the handsome woman in front of him startled the gold detective. He clutched the paper he had been studying, and recoiled in his saddle. ‘**Tam Vera,” said the woman in reply to his look. ‘* You are Keen Kennard, from Shasta.” ‘** You must be a witch, besides,” was the an- swer, ‘I have played sorceress, which is akin to witch-craft, you know. I see you have got out of Red Eye with a whole skin, which is more than I expected. Are all your letters red ones like that?” and Vera looked at the map visi- ble in the detective’s clutches, ‘* Never mind about my letters,” said Ken- nard. ‘*Nor about the gold map, ha, ha!’ laughed the woman. ‘*Go back to Shasta, Keen Ken- nard, The key to the new Ophir will’ never turn in your hands, Go back.” . *“T took the advice of a woman once and it cost me thousands, We will wait till the play is out before we express opinions, From Stayin sorceress in Red Eye you have taken to sounding warnings among the mountains, eh?” ‘*T am liable to do more than warn,” “You, Vera the sorceress?” “What if I have sworn that the Ophir shall never be opened to man?” **Then you are liable to see one oath broken,” smiled Kennard. ‘‘ Since you know me and hint at my mission to the sierras, tell me where I am likely to find the woman who came here a few hours ago.” ** Queen Moro! she?” The detective shook his head. ** You know as much about her as I do,” he said. ‘Perhaps I know more. I have looked under her mask.” “é No !”? **T fought for the right, and when I won I made a terrible enemy. Now I'd give my right arm, almost, if I had never seen her face. I see it when awake, and when I close my eyes it dances before me in all its hideousness.” ** What is it like?’ cried the detective, leanin forward. ‘‘ She has the form of a Cleopatra anc a voice full of melody—but her face! I[ havo yearned to lift that mask myself. Once, in Sac- ramento, I could hardly keep my hands off.” ** Don’t ask me to tell you what Queen Moro is like,” said Vera, a perceptible shudder follow- ing the sentence. ‘Had I that face, as I told her, with her vow to kill me ringing in my ears, I'd hide it from the world by death in some un- discovered spot.” ‘*‘ Then she must be terribly marred for life,” ** Horribly marred, Let me forgetit. Beau- tiful she must have been before that, and demons were the person or persons who sent her out into the world thus disfigured.” ‘*t Keep the secret,” cried the detective. ‘‘ The time will come when I will lift that black mask and see for myself.” ‘* She will be dead when you do!” ‘* Dead or alive, I will see that face! Shesent me tothe sierras. She derided my manhood and scoffed at my bravery until I would have taken an oath to penetrate the infernal regions!” ** Ah, she swore you to the task of finding the lost mine.” ‘** That is it.” ** Well, she is trailing the secret herself,” ** With Gilbert?” ‘With the famous lost man of Gold Gorge. In heaven’s name who is nnard, the Shasta Shadow. ee ee ee LL ee—r— 13 That paper in your hand, Keen Kennard, must be the ciagrane the young man drew for her, the one that she had to fight for with Dagger John- ny of Red Eye Bar.” ‘Sorceress you are, by heavens!” ejaculated the Shasta Sleuth. ‘Oh, no. I never league with spirits. I have hoodwinked the toughs of Red Eye by arts that to them ight mystic, but ’m no witch Kennard. I only saw the last of the fight. if saw the man who went back over the trail, now on his feet, now on all fours, leaving behind him a trail as red as your precious gold map. That man was Dagger J Shiny. f I had thought that he carried the map I might have stopped him. He did have it, I see. He took it —to you, but not intentionally, eh?’ ‘It fell into my hands anyhow. But, Queen Moro? How did she fare in the fight?” ‘* She was left lying on the trail so long that I wondered why the one spellbound spectator did not go and lift her mask, Gilbert saw the fight, but, like a man in a trance, he did not seem to realize it.” * php Isthe boy mad again?” cried Ken- ard, ‘‘Tcannot say. If he is not, he will draw an- other diagram for the huntress who had come from Sacramento.” ‘* He shall not!” exclaimed the detective. * That is what I say, too. Or, if he does, it shall avail her nothing, Remember, Keen Ken- nard, that the Ophir shall never be opened,” “What is it to you?” ** Not much, perhaps,” said Vera with a smile. ‘** But I have said under the stars and with up- lifted hand, that two events should never occur while I live—the finding of the lost bonanza and the natural death of the men who committed the atrocious crime of the tenth of July, 1867.” ‘You are avenger as well as sorceress,” ex- claimed the man from Shasta. ‘*'No sorceress,” smiled the woman, ‘Keen Kennard, there will soon be hunters at your heels. The pards of Red Eye, whose whole ex- istence is a hunt for the closed gates of gold, will follow the man who clutches the map drawn by Gilbert. Magic Merle was Keen Kennard, but he hardly believed me. I did it because I saw in you a man who, tomy knowledge, never turned back from a trail until he stood at the end of it. I have watched Gilbert through his long days of insanity, and his short intervals of right-minded- ness, I have heard secrets from his lips which no other being has heard. I would wager my life against the turn of a dollar thrown into the air, Kennard of Shasta, that I could ride to the very door of Ophir.” The detective checked a start, and gazed cool- ly into the woman’s face. ‘*Come with me and I will show you some- thing,” continued Vera, quickly. ‘*The morn- ing isa good one for observation, and you have the eye of an eagle.” . The sorceress of Red Eye wheeled and looked at the gold-detective, who came alongside. “We're not going to the portals of Ophir!” she laughed. ‘‘I am only going to show you the rich region. ted Eye, I might have been money queen of the Coast.” The trail led gradually up the mountain after uitting the scene of the singular encounter, and the twain rode a Re side, watched by the nine bronze hawks of R patiently for the interview to come to a close, They wound among the trees in single file till they resembled a huge serpent creeping through the dawn. At last Vera and Keen Kennard were ferced to dismount and lead their steeds, one after the other, toward the lofty summit of the peak. ‘We are here,” said the woman, turning up- on the Shasta detective on the bare, flat rock that crowned the summit, ‘* Look afar yonder, Keen Kennard, where those three blue ite ey seem to touch, though they are far apart. are miles away, and between them and us lies the trail that leads to Ophir. shadow of those mountains, lies the mine that has cost more than one man his life, and which is yet to cost blood. Mark well the peaks. I see your eyes glitter, Keen Kennard; but, my brave man, you shall never traverse the death land that lies between us and the Jost mine!” ** Who'll prevent?” flashed the Shastan, turn- ing upon the speaker. ‘* Red Eye, think you?” ‘* More than Red Eye!” was the answer calm- ly spoken. ‘* My advice to ws is to go back to Shasta. There are other trails for you. Red Eye will follow you, the big alcalde may get be- tween you and Ophir, but Vera the Viper will also stand in your way!” “Try it!” exclaimed Keen Kennard, seizing the woman’s arm and glaring at her with the rage of a tiger. ‘“‘I have reached that yoint when nothing human keeps me back.” The sorceress looked into his face and laughed. ‘** Since you have seen the ground of what use “A your crimson map/ Here, let me destroy it— thus! Keen Kennard jerked back, but too late. The map was snatched from his hand, and while Vera laughed derisively, the red fragments fell at his feet! IOOKS. “rs Gomilc I told ae Bluff once that. While I was playing sorceress at. Eye, who had waited im- — Yonder; in the . nd ce ,*