Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

TOTEM SIGNS. He opened a number of safe deposit boxes crammed with bills and gold. ‘“ There is a fortune here. I am ready to go. I have sense enough not to go too far nor remain too long.” She listened to the fascinating tale as it unfolded and realized that in truth Limpy Ford was actually crazy and the sinister yellow creature before her had played upon his disordered mind to the limit. ‘“On Kodiak Island one finds the most beautiful native girls. The Russian and Aleut blood blends strangely, and coloring and beauty results. I wanted one of these creatures for my princess to take to China with me. I ordered my men to select the prettiest from a number going south to at- tend school. They failed and they knew what failure meant, particularly Limpy Ford. Then he brought you. I am satis- fied. I tell you this so you will know there is no escape.” “ Release that poor girl in there. She is going mad with fear.” ‘Whenever you consent to go through the simple ceremony of becoming my con- sort,” he answered. The white girl shuddered. He bided his time knowing sooner or later the unfortu- nate’s screams would drive the other girl to distraction. Sing Yat stepped into the open at the sound of footsteps and the girl noticed he instinctively gripped his pistol. Two men were climbing up the slope, bear- ing a burden... Like Limpy Ford they showed a strain of white blood—the off- spring of scum tossed ashore by the restless tides of the North Pacific. The pair dropped their burden at Sing Yat’s feet, and almost instantly she was up and struggling. There was something wild about the native girl that aroused Sing Yat. His eyes lighted with the fire of covetous possession for she was fighting furi- ously and her eyes blazed as she struggled. ‘“¢ We almost kidnaped a Kodiak girl when the steamer stopped at Wrangell,” said one of the men, panting from his efforts, “ but failed. We stopped at a cannery, and when - she walked on the beach we caught her. She leaped overboard when a gasboat turned the light on us, but with our faster speed we backed and picked her up. That was 837 last night. The boat was the Taku, I be- lieve, but we escaped easily.” Both men dropped to their knees in the most humble manner, but Sing Yat ordered them up with a wave of his hand. His face was inscrutable once more, but in his mind thoughts ran swiftly. ‘Two will go,” he mused, “ the white and the native girl, and one’s spirit will break. She shall be the drudge and the other the consort. I shall win her love and devotion.” The yellow eyes narrowed, then widened, as a man burst from the timber line. It was Limpy Ford. Watching him, they: did not observe something akin to a shadow flash from bowlder to bowlder, Like Ford, the pursuer limped slightly. Ford’s face was pale as he threw himself down before his chief, then he suddenly caught sight of the native girl. ‘“ Mary!” he cried. ‘ Mary!” Madness leaped into his eyes as he saw the sallow face of Sing Yat. The Chinaman went for his gun and fired as a knife flashed. The thing on whose disordered mind he was preying had turned and was about to destroy him, for he had touched the thing the mad native loved. The same knife that had split a weasel now split Sing Yat’s yellow wrist. He jerked the knife clear and fled, bound- ing like some frightened animal up the_ slope. Hard on his heels came the native. His limp hampered him somewhat, but his madness was carrying him on remorselessly. Around his mouth was a slight froth, and he hurled epithets in dialect at the fleeing Sing Yat. The shadow that had flitted from rock to rock now came into the open, quick to take advantage of the diversion. “ Put up your hands!” he barked, and backed the order with a forty-five automatic pistol. “ Bob MacGregor! Thank God!” ‘“'Where are you, Edith?’ There was utter relief in MacGregor’s voice. ‘ Are you all right!” “Yes, Bob, safe enough, thanks to my hunting knife. Sing Yat did not want a dead girl and things were deadlocked.” MacGregor manacled his two prisoners, removed their weapons, and then released Edith Fleming. It was no time for ex- COMED OOo! (©