Gentleman Joe's Double Eagle; or, A Dance at Frog Back Curve — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

be. Pla pnt day Pee AT ey i Lav, ¥;. ~~ “. ee >: a , farts Prat : * wet 4 ad Pe a . ‘ =i ' ‘ ” v- * py) 4 te Eee st .< AS aif A sas : HAD es © : aoa * . ¥) “¢ iy . ; TES hiss es A iy Oe ease 1 ry! r 7~ ’ a ‘ : ’ Wirt ok “2 A ; 4. - \y ‘> rea, Me oh ‘. a ~ * fe { fata 1 ae a ral - ~ ay wel ‘ + 7 N ~ - z ? & > : "yi ‘. ~ rat iy tf 3 fs a the crowd of miners de of the cliff until With Gentry acting as guide, climbed up the narrow trail along the $i they came to the trail of the outlaws. They dashed into the place without waiti xvas occupied in the hope that they might b some member of the gang alive. But they were too late. ) The cave was deserted. Everything of value which cou Was gone, : Heavy pieces of quartz, mining tools, cooking utensils, and many articles of little value were scattered around the floor of the cave in great confusion. The outlaws had evidently departed in great haste. The members of the vigilance committee scattered through the hills and spent the entire day in a vain search for the followers of the dead outlaw chief. - > No trace of them could be found, and the Shadows of the Hills were never seen again in that region. Gentleman Joe joined in the search for a little while, but failing to strike the trail of the fugitives, he left the vicilantes to complete the work, and returned to the rail- road station. The officers of the comp had not yet arrived. . Gentry found Reuben Waters, the landlord of the hotel, and his wife and daughter busy preparing for a dance that was to take place that night. : A long, rambling, wooden building situated on the main street of the town which had been put up for a saloon and gambling-hall, but was now unoccupied, had been en- gaged ‘by a committee of miners, and they were going to give a public dance. ; It was to be the first affair of the kind that had ever taken place in the little mining town, and every one was interested. There were very few women in the place, but others had been invited, and were coming from every nlining camp and town for twenty miles around. For davys,the proposed dance at Frog Back Curve had been the talk of all that section of the country. Miss Nancy Waters, the pretty daughter of the landlord 6f the hotel of Frog Back Curve, who had taken an active part in getting up the affair, and had superintended the work of decorating the hall, expected to be the belle of the ball. Gentleman Joe was invited by and as he had nothing else on promised to do so. It was nine o’cloc hall The place was lighted by a hundred kerosene lamps and lanterns, and it was already well-filled with rough miners and coarse-featured women. A large open space was left in for the dancers. Around the sides of t refreshments, and a bar h for the occasion. Perched on a small platf Black Joe, the fiddler. The negro, who had been an active member of the Rocky Rangers until they were disbanded and almost exter- ‘¢ more successful rivals, was the only minated by thei violin player to be found in any of the near-by camps. He had been engaged to furnish music for the night, and was to receive a considerable sum of money for the per- formance on condition that he did not break down, but fiddled as often and as long as any one wanted to dance. It wasastrange-looking throng gathered there, in the big dance hall. Women in ealico, or plain woolen dresses, danced with big, rough-looking miners in woolen shirts and overalls. Almost every man in the room wore 4 heavy leather belt around his waist, and from these belts stuck up in plain view the handles of big revolyers and long-bladed -pbowie-knives. There were ten men present to every woman, and the rivalry between the rough miners to be first to dance with the young girls of the party was intense, e able to find ld be easily carried away o any by which he was employed the landlord to attend, hand for that night he k when Gentry entered the big dance the middle of the floor he building were small stands for orm at one side of the hall was , : : : by ' rf . 7 ay ey od iy . i” 4 “A ’ ’ % - - ; J ; ee y f My - s9 A . A GAR, is o Ba, ye v ° = i ae $55. mo) a f op = 4 4 : wu Pte sy ya «45 + . - - ‘ ‘ . : ~ . A es ie Seat 5 ——OO— OOOO rr ————— +” , “ig 4 a . r* ' ~i7he, = #4 i. > fi yf +e os ea? THE. LOG CABIN LIBRARY. ng to see if it. ing an old Virginia r ad been fitted up atthe back end =. ATT \ ik Sl? aes Re 4 +. Pea ae ios 9 4" ate. 420 NV <> te CS bv . " - , cS 2 C wa etal) cad SoMa : » < 4a 7 oe ’ cs of be \: 7% Aes: yt f eaten _ t= Ah al ke Xa = by “—* M4, yx Bae] i2 Nina ee) AOS ee ny git te ieee ae sn - eit. . og ee na ba . 4 sy 6 ee es ) r é ie | , oe % > a fd i= * “,¥.% - i? 4 TS > 4 G+ eP-8 : » a) y . ait. of Jyh e >. ¥ « i, A Age | be + * ore - ~ i —_ ————_—_——_ ~~ —— — It was like dancing on the brink of a voleano whic “aR might break forth at any momenf. | BY Pos i ae a Scores of times only the tact and ready wit of the wo- ‘7 men prevented bloody encounters, when two or more of | ap tlhe miners would claim the hand of a girl for some par- ¥* ticular dance. . } ma kee The ball was in fu place. A score of couples 2 et 38 f a a 4 - = a de ll swing when Gentry entered the were in the middle of the floor danc- eel, and Black Joe had fiddled until the perspiration was beginning to roll in streams down his ebony face. At the tempor 4 . we 4 ‘in , P we ae ary bar at the rear of the building, a hun- dred miners who could find no partners for that dance. were gathered drinking whisky as fast as three bartenders could pour it out for them. . | Gentry slipped quietly into one corner of the room near an open window, and stood watching the strunge scene in silence. _ : See He could ge and, therefore, dance. | In swinging corners the dancers passed and turned close to where he was standing. : | The reel was:soon ended, and then while another batch | of miners were picking out their partners to make up another set, Black Joe played a waltz. | Very few of those present at the ball knew anything of this form of dancing. | , But as the waltz music struck up, Gentry saw a slender young man, stylishly dressed, pick out a rather good-look- ing girl in the crowd, and the two waltzed across tha room, keeping fairly good step to the music. Go As the faces of the couple were turned toward Gentle- — man Joe in the full glare of the kerosene lamps, he recog- nized the young man as Billy Gramer, the gambler.. : A moment later the eyes of the two men met. The face of the young gambler turned pale in an in- stant, and, without waiting to finish the waltz, he con- ducted his partner back to her seat and left her withont even a word of apology. LAG Then Gramer, mingling with the crowd, tried to slip out of the building unobserved. vie The attempt was a failure. Before he was half-way to the door, Gentry met him face to face. : 7 ‘A word with you,’’ said the Gilt-Edged Sport, quietly, as he touched Gramer on the shoulder. » | , The two men moved over to the window out of the thick . of the crowd. at" ‘“What do you want now?’’ asked told you I had thrown up my hand and quit the game.” a “You cannot quit a game like this until it is finish A iatarly replied Gentry. ay ‘“Woll, you must find a way to finish this up wi me. I have had enough of it.’’ ‘Have you cashed in your due bill?’’ ‘Why do you ask?’’ ; “T may want you'to go to Denver with me. You had better get your money before you start. It may be some — time before you can come back.’’ Mee oe For a moment the young gam ee ee ¥ ~ ) a * . ‘Saito P~ ig hte t ha eT, \ - - =, ory (ee s f ‘ : Saga Is t more amusement out of if as a | spectator, — had no intention of taking part in the Gramer, sullenly. ‘TI ot. thout = / * / a ~ @ 7 ‘ : 7 aa 1 . 4 > yi ut a a f f , é J ‘ \ 4 - 2 - bler was silent, but he — \ < looked sharply at Gentry to seeif the latter was in earnest. i: Just then the,music of the violin started up again. Black Joe was playing a lively reel, and a score couples were on the floor in a the music. f The heavy boots of the miners thumping on the wooden floor drowned all other sounds in the hall. Billy Gramer cast a quick, anxious glance towar open door, which was fifty feet away. ; Abe ieee The Gilt-Edged Sport barred the way, and there was BE ay Mo no escape in that direction. | AILS: gaan me 3 At his side there was an open window just large enough ~ ay to admit the passage of his body. Bees Outside was darkness, and the possibility of escape a i he could get’safely through that small opening in the wall.” Like a flash, the lucky young gambler sprang forward © and hurled himself through the window ata bound. Gentleman Joe caught a glimpse of him as he disap r Ps o~ * | FNS moment dancing in time to ' -« . AY ¢ 3 _- oye ‘ 4 4, «. -& mm! Ee vt - : '. my t : f / . ‘ ~ . . 4 ‘ s ’ * 7 ? hm : + } Nua’ ks * * 4 /o- Peenes3 es ’ as he disap- | 4 war s prin? 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