Beadle's Dime Library No. 392 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

: ge The Lost Bonanza. mountain Ishmaelite had thrust a cocked revol- ver into his face. ** Will you take me to Kate or shall I find her na -after your funeral?” came over the shining bar- y rel of the weapon. ‘“‘ Touch the pistol on your : hip and the wall behind you will have to be ‘papered oyer! It is ace ag’in’ ace, colonel. ou’ve played games ov this kind afore, Shall I proceed to manipulate this trigger, or will you show me the major’s heiress?” What could the thunderstruck colonel say? He had led two trackers into the dentin of ~ of Trigger Bar had told her a thousand stories about it; Pious Phil had described its beauties and its wealth, and Idaho Ivan; her young friend, had told her of it as he had heard from people whom she had never seen. The reader will recollect that Golden Gate Kate believed that in childhood she had lived in | a vast city. Was this the one? | There were several years of her life which were completely forgotten—blotted out, as it were. Where had she passed them? Was the city life a dream, and had sleep transformed | Chinatown and there lost them to hurry to his | some gold-camp into a brilliant metropolis bb hotel to be confronted by an enemy who was | grander than Frisco? bn proving to be the most dangerous one he had.’ So absorbed was the girl at the window that | Be The eyes of Colorado Carlos fairly blazed be- | she did not hear the door open nor the footsteps ie hind the weapon. He held it with a steady | behind her. Rest hand and his bronzed fore-finger was at the San Tonquin Maud had glided into the room, trigger. | and had closed the door softly. Her eyes fell ‘*Make up your mind, colonel,” he said. don’t sit here all night waitin’ for a man who is always quick ter decide. This isa game ov two, an’ more.” ‘** An’ more?—what do you mean?” rea ** You'll never know if I am forced ter leave | “you hyer dead,” said Carlos. ‘‘ Whar is the 2 Golden Gate queen?” Be ty ‘**Curse you! you hold a hand that makes me a, throw up mine,” was the response, ‘' l’ll show om you the girl.” Sie A quick gleam of victory !it up the Colorado- an’s eee gee ‘All right. We godown an’ out tergether. a At the first sign ov treachery I'll blow yer brains out, be if in this hotel or on the street. You may play successful games ir. Texas, colonel, for smaller stakes than three millions, but you lose the biggest game man ever set his heart on. Come, now, we go down in the elevator. If yer’ achin’ ter put on white wings, just show Colorado Carlos a sign ov treachery!” **T have a chance yet an’ a good one,” said Colonel Taranula, under his breath. “I know ‘the city like a citizen, this man does not. He has me now, but [ll show him a play that isn’t down on the bills. Take him ter the Golden Gate heiress an’ see the three an’ a quarter mil- tions disappear like a snow-flake? I'd walk bare-shod through Tartarus first!” He got up and appeared ready to go. Nobody suspected that of the two men who . -~ A> Pi Se Fats | * . . - + =i, SPS ce, < * . was under the surveillance of the other. Ot my do we say? “* For Heaven’s sake, look yonder!” exclaimed a boy, looking up into a man’s face as he spoke. Colorado is going off with some man—with— yes! it is Colonel Tarantula!” **Then we will follow. Those two men have- ‘ n’t united their fortunes? I will not believe it!” _ And man and boy left the hotel with eyes fas- -_ tened on the two desperadoes hurrying down the lighted street. CHAPTER XXV. ae A TERRIBLE FATE. ss MEANTIME, asks the reader, what has become of Mountain Moss, the Golden Gate heiress? Let us see if we can find her. Not far from the thickly-settled Chinese quar- ter of the city, but beyond the domains claimed _ by the yellow inhabitants, stood and stands yet .s (. | ey" iw . £ fy: for that matter, a three-story brick house, fair if not prepossessing, exteriorly. In a certain room on the third floor was a | young girl whose figure was faultless in shape, and whose face was beautiful. The furniture of the room, besides a bed, con- _. sisted of several chairs and a small table. The floor was earpeted, and the walls were adorned with several cheap and flashily-framed_pic- + Colonel Tarantula knew where to conduct the dre ie he had found in the mountains. He was not a stranger to Frisco, though several years had passed since he had last seen the city. % ‘ ,¥ So ~ « , 7 ees s Dent * 4 ° a _é - . < Be Mountain Moss was the young person whom ‘we have just seen in the third-story room not far from Chinatown. ~ s The railroad had helped Colonel Tarantula and his eae to Frisco, and he had conducted the girl from the depot to her present quarters, _ Which were under the control of a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Nugget Nell, the ‘beauty of Satanscrown. iA He knew that this woman would do his bid- _ ding, especially when he hinted of a great re- _ ward for faithfulservice. They were not stran- gers: San Tonquin Maud had drifted to Frisco ae the natural course of events; her proper place was among the disreputabie characters of the Gold State capital. ae Mountain Moss noticed the resemblance be- “4 » tween alittle younger than the Satanscrown beauty, g ad but this did not render the resemblance less About the time that witnessed the events de- tailed in the preceding two chapters, Mountain - Moss stood at one of the windows that fronted the street, and was looking thoughtfully at the “myriads of lights that glimmered in every direc- * 4 *e” 4 her keeper and Nugget Nell. The woman San Tonquin, wherever that was, looked f +s tion beneath her. This was Frisco; this was the Aladdin-like ity of which she had heard so much, The men ‘ OT | stepped out of the elevator a minute later, one | No- | Nell.” | instantly upoh the gold heiress, and for several minutes she watched her with an intense eager- ness. : Phen she glided across the carpet with the noiseless movements of the mountain cat; her hand was suddenly uplifted, and .as it fell upon the girl’s shoulder her lips pronounced her name, | ‘* Mountain Moss!” | Colonel Tarantula’s prisoner turned quickly, and at her first sight of San Tonquin Maud, re- | coiled with a light cry: *‘ Heavens! when did you get here from Satanscrown?’ / The woman started forward with a sound be- tween a laugh and an exclamation of surprise. ‘** What is that?—from Satanscrown? Where is that, and for whom do you take me?” she asked. ‘*T am San Tonquin Maud.” ‘* Pardon me,” said the girl. take now. I thought—” ** You thought what?” interrupted the woman, and the next moment her fingers encircled the gold-girl’s wrist. ‘‘DoI look like any person you have seen elsewhere?” ‘* Yes,” said Mountain Moss, speaking mechan- ically and without the least effort. | “Tell me! You need not fear the disapproval | of Colonel Tarantula. Iam mistress here. Be- | ‘*T see my mis- | yond the walls of this house he may rule or play | } | ' you came, I did not know I was receiving such for a fortune; but here lam power. Whoam I like? go on.” ‘You resemble a woman who iscalled Nugget | -. 5 the place you have called Satanscrown?” | ‘ Yes. ‘* Where and what is it?” “ft isa gold-camp somewhere in Southern Colorado.” ‘Tt is a long way off,” said the woman speak- ing aloud, but to herself. ‘* Whose wife is this woman?” she suddenly asked, ‘Ruby Rob’s, [ suppose.” ** Not Colonel Tarantula’s, eh?” es No.” ‘** Did you ever see her left wrist?” It was a strange question, and Mountain Moss saw how the woman’s eyes glistened when it was asked. ‘** lve seen it several times,” she said. ‘* Was there a mark about it—a mark like one that a band of red hot iron would make?” ‘*She wears a bracelet on that wrist,” said Mountain Moss, ** All the time?” **T think so.” ** It is she—at last!” exclaimed San Tonquin Maud. ‘ Ruby Rob’s wife now! Who is this new lord she has picked up in Colorado?” ** He {s the boss of Satanscrown—the man to whom I really owe my presence here.” ‘“‘ But you came with Colonel Tarantula.” ‘He stole me from Nugget Nell who was guarding me for Captain Rob. I must be some rson who has a history. I amcertain of it by his time. Do you know any one to whoma great fortune is to come when found?” The woman who faced Mountain Moss was silent for a moment. ** Yes; one-half of Frisco knows it,” she said. The young girl went toward her with a start- ling cry and gras her arm. ‘Tell me who I am, then?” she cried. ‘‘ What I am to Ruby Rob, or to Colonel Tarantula I do not know, but your answer tells me that you can enlighten me. I have a mark on my shoulder—a strange tattoo, which may make certain my identity. Shall I show it?” ec Yes.” San Tonquin Maud’s impatience increased while the mountain girl was baring the shoulder which was tattooed with the deuce of diamonds, When the woman caught sight of the tattoo, she leaned forward with a startling cry. ‘Merciful heavens! did Colonel Tarantula actually find you?” she exclaimed. ‘*‘ Where have vou been all these years?” ‘Who am I?” asked the girl, her excitement increasing. ‘‘One thing I do know. Colonel Tarantula has no right to or gu here!” Her eyes flashed and her re straightened majestically. San Tonquin Maud drew back. ‘Why, Sy almost worth your weight in diamonds to the man who plays you successful- ly,” she said, eying Mountain Moss. ‘* When i LL a distinguished guest.” ' / | ** But that does not answer my question,” con- tinued the Golden Gate heiress, ‘‘I am some person who has been lost a long time. That is plain tome now. I don’t care for what may be coming to me. I'd sooner go back to Trigger Bar—to the rough but true friends I had there, than be a gold princess in Frisco. Are you go- ing to keep me in ignorance about my identity, when I am convinced that you can tell me all?” ‘** Tt wouldn’t do, my girl,” said Maud, with a smile. ‘If cannot afford to tell you what I am sure of. Let us go back to Satanscrown. You don’t know where it is?” ‘* Ask Colonel Tarantula, the gold gambler,” was the reply. ‘** No insolence!” flashed the girl’s keeper, and although Kate involuntarily shrunk from her, her fingers found her wrist again, ‘‘ Colonel Tarantula, the thief of the chapparal is not here now. This is my kingdom. I[ have reigned here for years. I can touch a dozen concealed buttons in this house and open as many death its. Lam interested in the woman you called ugget Nell. There is a mark under the brace- let she wears. It was made by a red-hot iron, and the man who ordered it still lives in. Frisco —lives, thatis ail! You want me to ask Taran- tula where Satanscrown is. I believe you can tell me. Look mein the eye and say you can- not if you dare! Whereisit? I have a map of Colorado here.” She dropped Kate’s hand and went to the lit- tle table across the room. Opening a small drawer which the Golden Gate heiress had not discovered, she took out a map with which she care back to the prisoner. ‘* Now, where is it? Show me Satanscrown,” she said madly as she opened the map to Kate’s gaze. : ‘*T cannot show you. I donot know,” replied Mountain Moss. Apair of eyes that seemed on fire were sud- denly raised to her, ‘You mean you will not!” hissed San Ton- quin Maud. ‘* You do not want me to find my— this marked woman, J mean. I vill force the truth from you, and when Colone! Tarantula re- turns to his mountain thrush, he may find her less valuable to his schemes than she now is,” Kate comprehended in a moment what was coming; she drew back but not quick enough, for the agile pantheress, San Tonquin Maud, was at the young girl’s throat in the drop of an eyelash, and before Kate could lift a hand in self-defense she found herself forced against the window and felt the sash yielding outward! It was a terrible moment! The eyes of the keeper of the city den gleamed like the orbs of a tigress. Her desperate hands seemed to meet in the girl’s throat, and her cry of horror when she heard the sash crack was choked down, ‘** Won’t tell me where I can find the branded woman?” hissed Maud. ‘“T will choke your life out and make you valueless to the chapparal thief! Tam a tigress born and bred. Colonel Taran- tula doesn’t know who I am although he proba- bly knows Nugget Nell’s identity. hat will you do? Will you open your mouth and tell me, or shall I push you through the window to the stones below?” Golden Gate Kate heard these words but could notreply for the bands under her chin. She was helpless in the clutches of a woman who seerned to possess the strength of a maniac. ** Won't tell, eh? Then down you go!” It surely wes not San Tonguin Maud’s inten- tion to carry out her terrible threat. It was made for the purpose of intimidating the gir], but her anger got the upper hand. Mountain Moss felt herself pressed harder than ever against the half rotten sash as the og? before her spoke last. he glass broke, the frame that held them yielded, and all at once a wild cry pealed from the woman’s throat. The body of the young girl was more than belf out of the window. She was a weight which San Tonquin Maud could not hold! Mountain Moss threw out her hands to clutch something. They closed only on air! It was the most terrible moment of her life. All at once the hands of the mad woman left her throat. San Tonquin Maud had to save her- self, for the weight of the bonanza girl was dragging her from the window. — "hy My God! I am doomed!” cried Mountain oss. | Suddenly she felt herself fall backward, and oe: — instant she was shooting down—down— own CHAPTER XXVL IN THE DARK, **T WOULDN'T swap ‘hands’ with you for ten thousand to boot. You may think you have me, Colorado Carlos, but we will wait an’ see who rakes in the stakes at the end of the game. I can’t say that ve ever been in a tighter place than this, but I’m not at all alarmed about the unpleasant situation of this one, Colonel Tar- antula has always been able heretofore to take care of himself.” Thus muttered the little man whom we left in a previous chapter walking away watched like €om C ‘S fir: * PBS 4, JOO ’ ; / 4 LN = Se ae ‘ z Oo + a ae