The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

THE OLD WEST “Perdue will camp with Middling, and give us the Western b-a-a-d man with all the thrills.” “No chance for me to pick up any extra change,’’ mourned Perdue. “Hold up the stage,” suggested Billy Vince. “Catamount Cal will drive the stage,’ said Robbins, ‘‘and when he doesn’t drive to Penyan he’ll make the trip to Rocky Spur. “Old Jack Lightning-that-Strikes will find a neat little dug-out below town, just where the trail crosses the creek,”’ continued Robbins. ‘That’s where he will stay with the bear. Now I guess—”’ ‘Just a second, Robbins,” interrupted Rayner. ‘You haven’t said a word about the slickest little house in camp—the adobe at the end of the street with chintz curtains at the windows. I looked in this morning, and the furniture is the real thing. Don’t you think a right classy gambler ought to have that place for a home? I’m referring to myself, of course.” “Did you read the sign on the door, Ray- ner?” asked Robbins. “Certainly. ‘Reserved for the Judge.’ But who’s the judge?” “Never mind. Sing Lee is to go up there, open the house and have it ready against the judge’s arrival.” “T’m quite a hand for company myself,” said Gentleman Jim, with a wide smile, “and maybe this judge would feel in the same way.” “A gambler and a judge would make a fine pair of bunkies,” laughed Billy Vince. “T’m sorry, Rayner,” went on Robbins firmly, “but that house is reserved. Now, ladies and gentlemen,” and Robbins turned to address his remarks to all the Forty- Niners, “‘we are a compact little community and each of you has a grub-stake to work with. Try to make your hundred dollars grow by getting as much of the other fel- low’s stake as you can. That will mean real activity and inspire a brisk spirit of emulation. “Three prizes are hung up, five hundred dollars, three hundred dollars and two hun- dred dollars. To the man or woman who can make his or her grub-stake grow the largest, the first prize will be given at the end of the month; and to the next person who accumulates the second largest amount, the second prize will be given; and the third prize to the third in line. PER CONTRACT. 295 ‘But there must be no underhand manip- ulations—we are all ladies and gentlemen, remember—and Golshaw as town marshal, will draft a code of laws and look after the peace of Nugget Notch. Castle will be your mayor.” “What are you to be, Robbins?’ asked Pop Handy. “I’m just the business manager and dis- burser of funds,” answered Robbins, with a laugh. ‘“‘Now get your inventories, all of you, and begin to check up. We—” He was interrupted by a wild yell from Old Jack, the Ute. He had left Hot Ta- male fastened to a post by the horse corral and, in some manner, the bear had slipped his chain. The grizzly, unmuzzled, was now charging the crowd, lumbering into sight around the corner of the hotel. The women screamed and ran into the hotel. All the men scattered, save the In- dian, who grabbed a riaia from Lafe Smed- ders and warily went forth to meet Hot Tamale. Rayner, in his haste to reach safety, stumbled over Robbins’s chest of gold. He fell, picked himself up hurriedly, and ran toward the Bazar. “You dropped this when you stumbled, Rayner,” said Reeves, following Gentleman Jim into the store. The object the Tenderfoot. held out to Rayner was a chain, a very peculiar chain made of small nuggets linked together. Gentleman Jim, muttering angrily, snatched the chain from Reeves and turned away. The Tenderfoot wondered at Rayner’s testiness. And he remembered those linked nuggets later, at a time when the remem- brance spelled evil things for the gambler, CHAPTER IV. A BOMB UNDER A HIGH HAT, OT TAMALE had been trained to dance, to wrestle and box, to do tricks with a stick and to drink sugar-water out of a bottle; but he had a sour and unreli- able disposition and was never even reason- ably safe unless wearing his muzzle. Al- ready this had been demonstrated to the Forty-Niners more than once, when casual- ties had been avoided only by a quick scam- pering to places of refuge. Profiting by experience, the members of the Camp, there in Nugget Notch, had lost no time in getting behind closed doors. It ECORNICLOOOKS (C@)