“Then it would seem to be up to Coffee John again. He seems to be the
god in this machine. Come on, and we’ll give an imitation of a
three-stamp mill crushing ore!” So saying, still jubilant, still
heartening them with frivolous prattle, the Harvard Freshman piloted his
comrades down Clay Street.
As they passed the old Plaza, Drake looked over his shoulder once or
twice and said, “I reckon we’re being followed, pardners. There’s a
chink been on our trail ever since we turned out of the lane, up yonder.
I hope they ain’t got it in for us because we saw the scrap!”
The soft-footed coolie was half a block behind them, when, without a
word of explanation, Coffin suddenly bolted and ran up Kearney Street.
Vango gave a gasp and clutched the cowboy’s arm.
“What’s the matter?” he whimpered. “Where’s Coffin went? Is he scared?”
“You can search me!” Drake said, philosophically. “I give it up, unless
he’s running to get an appetite for dinner. Don’t you fret, I’ll stand
by you if there’s any trouble.”
Taking the medium’s arm, he walked down Clay Street until they came to
Coffee John’s window. Then, looking round, they saw the Chinaman coming
up to them boldly, with a grin on his face.
“You name Vango?” the coolie said.
“That’s right! What d’you want with him?” the cowboy replied, for the
Professor was too frightened to answer.
The Chinaman felt inside his blouse, while Drake watched for the first
sight of a weapon. Nothing more formidable was brought forth, however,
than a smallish paper-wrapped parcel. Vango took it cautiously. It was
suspiciously heavy.
“Moy Kip wife send,” explained the Chinaman, and retreated up the
street.
The medium, in an agony of excitement, opened the parcel by the light of
the window. It contained fifty golden double eagles. His little beady
black eyes sparkling, he jubilantly entered the restaurant with Drake.
Close on their heels came James Wiswell Coffin, 3d, waving a bunch of
greenbacks above his head. “I got him! Oh, I got the green-eyed
Klondyker all right!” he cried. “He had cashed my lottery ticket, and he
handed me over ten hundred pea-green dollars! Oh, frabjous day, we dine,
we dine to-night!”
Coffee John, who had been conversing with some unseen patron in a tiny,
curtained-off room in the rear of the shop, now came forward and greeted
the Picaroons.
“My word,” he remarked, “yer do look bloomin’ ’appy, reg’lar grinnin’
like a Chinee at a Mission Sabbath School! All but Dryke,” he added,
noticing his favorite’s gloomy looks, in sharp contrast to the delight
of the others. “Wot’s wrong? Ain’t your aig ’atched, too? Well, per’aps
it will, yet. They’s a lydy a-wytin’ darn in thet there room for you.
Been there a ’arf hour an’ is nar nacherly a bit impytient. Looks like a
narce gal, too, if she didn’t put so much flar on her fyce. She may ’ave
good news for yer.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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