Red Hand: A Tale of Revenge
CHAPTER I.
"Life's but a walking shadow--a poor player."--Shakespeare.
"Let me die to sweet music."--J.W. Shuckers.
"Go forth, Clarence Stanley! Hence to the bleak world, dog! You
have repaid my generosity with the blackest ingratitude. You
have forged my name on a five thousand dollar check--have
repeatedly robbed my money drawer--have perpetrated a long series
of high-handed villanies, and now to-night, because, forsooth,
I'll not give you more money to spend on your dissolute
companions, you break a chair over my aged head. Anyway! You
are a young man of small moral principle. Don't ever speak to me
again!"
These harsh words fell from the lips of Horace Blinker, one of
the merchant princes of New York City. He spoke to Clarence
Stanley, his adopted son and a beautiful youth of nineteen
summers. In vain did Clarence plead his poverty, his tender age,
his inexperience; in vain did he fasten those lustrous blue eyes
of his appealingly and tearfully upon Mr. Blinker, and tell him
he would make the pecuniary matter all right in the fall, and
that he merely shattered a chair over his head by way of a joke.
The stony-hearted man was remorseless, and that night Clarence
Stanly became a wanderer in the wide, wide world. As he went
forth he uttered these words: "H. Blinker, beware! A RED HAND
is around, my fine feller!"
CHAPTER. II.
"--a man of strange wild mien--one who has seen trouble."--Sir
Walter Scott.
"You ask me, don't I wish to see the Constitution dissolved and
broken up. I answer, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!"--H.W. Faxon.
"They will join our expedition."--Anon.
"Go in on your muscle."--President Buchanan's instructions to the
Collector of Toledo.
"Westward the hoe of Empire Stars its way."--George N. True.
"Where liberty dwells there is my kedentry."--C.R. Dennett.
Seventeen years have become ingulfed in the vast and moist ocean
of eternity since the scene depicted in the last chapter
occurred. We are in Mexico. Come with me to the Scarlet
Banditti's cave. It is night. A tempest is raging tempestuously
without, but within we find a scene of dazzling magnificence.
The cave is spacious. Chandeliers of solid gold hang up
suspended around the gorgeously furnished room, and the marble
floor is star-studded with flashing diamonds. It must have cost
between two hundred dollars to fit this cave up. It embraced all
of the modern improvements. At the head of the cave life-size
photographs (by Ryder) of the bandits, and framed in gilt, were
hung up suspended. The bandits were seated around a marble
table, which was sculped regardless of expense, and were drinking
gin and molasses out of golden goblets. When they got out of gin
fresh supplies were brought in by slaves from a two-horse wagon
outside, which had been captured that day, after a desperate and
bloody struggle, by the bandits, on the plains of Buena Vista.
At the head of the table sat the Chief. His features were
swarthy but elegant. He was splendidly dressed in new clothes,
and had that voluptuous, dreamy air of grandeur about him which
would at once rivet the gaze of folks generally. In answer to a
highly enthusiastic call he arose and delivered an able and
eloquent speech. We regret that our space does not permit us to
give this truly great speech in full--we can merely give a
synopsis of the distinguished speaker's remarks. "Comrades!
listen to your chief. You all know my position on Lecompton.
Where I stand in regard to low tolls on the Ohio Canal is equally
clear to you, and so with the Central American question. I
believe I understand my little Biz. I decline defining my
position on the Horse Railroad until after the Spring Election.
Whichever way I says I don't say so myself unless I says so also.
Comrades! be virtuous and you'll be happy." The Chief sat down
amidst great applause, and was immediately presented with an
elegant gold headed cane by his comrades, as a slight testimonial
of their respect.
CHAPTER III.
"This is the last of Earth."--Page.
"The hope of America lies in its well-conducted school-houses."
--Bone.
"I wish it to be distinctly understood that I want the Union to
be Reserved."--N.T. Nash.
"Sine qua non Ips Dixit Quid pro quo cui bono Ad infininim E
Unibus plurum."--Brown.
Two hours later. Return we again to the Banditti's Cave.
Revelry still holds high carnival among the able and efficient
bandits. A knock is heard at the door. From his throne at the
head of the table the Chief cries, "Come in!" and an old man,
haggard, white-haired, and sadly bent, enters the cave.
"Messieurs," he tremblingly ejaculates, "for seventeen years I
have not tasted of food!"
"Well," says a kind-hearted bandit, "if that's so I expect you
must be rather faint. We'll get you up a warm meal immediately,
stranger."
"Hold!" whispered the Chief in tones of thunder, and rushing
slowly to the spot; "this is about played out. Behold in me RED
HAND, the Bandit Chief, once Clarence Stanley, whom you cruelly
turned into a cold world seventeen years ago this very night!
Old man, perpare to go up!" Saying which the Chief drew a sharp
carving knife and cut off Mr. Blinker's ears. He then scalped
Mr. B., and cut all of his toes off. The old man struggled to
extricate himself from his unpleasant situation, but was
unsuccessful.
"My goodness," he piteously exclaimed, "I must say you are pretty
rough. It seems to me--."
This is all of this intensely interesting tale that will be
published in the "Plain Dealer." The remainder of it may be
found in the great moral family paper, "The Windy Flash"
published in New York by Stimpkins. "The Windy Flash" circulates
4,000,000 copies weekly.
IT IS THE ALL-FIREDEST PAPER EVER PRINTED.
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IT'S THE CUSSEDEST BEST PAPER IN THE WORLD.
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IT'S A MORAL PAPER.
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SOLD AT ALL THE CORNER GROCERIES.
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-THE END-
[Charles Farrar Browne] Artemus Ward's short story: Red Hand: A Tale of Revenge
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