Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 100 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

——- oe —— ——— _— down into the depths of California gulch, into | for the king and all the king’s men could not which the shadows of night were dimly gather- ing. Without regard to the roughness of the road Fargett let his horses out into a swift trot, and his long lashed whip cracked incessantly. Suddenly four men sprung from the side of the trail, and by their united efforts succeeded in throwing Jack Fargett’s harses back upon qtheir haunches, ‘‘ Just hold on a bit,” one of them exclaimed, stepping to one side. ‘“‘ We ain’t road-agents, a ack Fargett, an’ you can’t gantlet past ‘Well, what d’ye want?” Fargett demanded, lowering his right hand toward his belt. ‘* You'll find out, presently, if you wait long enough. We want to ride with you, a bft of a ways, if you don’t object.” ‘*Can’t ride. This ain’t the reg’lar stage, but a private snap,” with a nod toward his tourist passengers. ‘* | don’t care a cent if it’s a private or a pub- lic snap,” the spokesman of the party retorted. ‘‘ We’re the chaps as is goin’ to ride, and don’t let it slip your mind. Never heard of me, per- haps—Thoroughbred Tom, at your service. My men, here, and myself, are after a party of road-agents, headed by Captain Hawk. The captain has a plot afoot to stop your stage, and raise the devil, generally, and we have 'a desire to be around when the circus comes off. So we want to hide down in the bottom of your barouche, aad when they pounce down on you, we'll lend a hand in the funeral!” Allright!” sir Noel cried, ‘* Climb in, and with our united force, we'll make it interesting for the gentlemen of the road,” Thoroughbred Tom spoke to his men, and they all climbed into the wagon, and crouching down, they were covered over with blankets. Then, on rolled the stage, until there came a stern order, rolling out of the darkness, in a coarse voice—a single word: sé Halt!” ‘* Now! then,” Thoroughbred Tom said, in a low tone—‘‘ draw and cock your weapons, and make every shot count. You, Fargett, let the horses blaze ahead!” And Jack Fargett did let them blaze, for at a yell from his lips, and an extra sharp erack of the whip, they leaped away ata ‘* dead” n. Then, Thoroughbred Tom and his companions, together with Sir Noel and Chandos Farns- worth, sat waiting for the issue. It came, an instant later, in the shape of a volley of rifle or revolver shots, that did no articular harm, and a chorous of yells from he bandits. Then, in response, those in the flying vehicle returned a volley from their revolvers in the direction whence had come the flash of the enemies’ weapons—not alone one volley, but several in rapid succession. Each shot, seemingly was answered by a fierce vindictive yell either of baffled rage, or pain. An attempt was made to stop the stage by men who had blockaded the road, but it was ineffectual, for Fargett’s nearly frantic horses trampled them under foot, and their agonized sue s only added to the dire confusion of the our, At last the ae whirled suddenly around a sharp bend, and the last of the bandits disap- peared, as eng yer Tom gave vent to a wild, ringing shout of victory, which was an- swered by Captain Hawk’s men from the dis- tance—a yell of baffled Tes ‘‘Oh! maybe we didn’t salivate ’em right liberal, though!” and the young vigilante laugh- ed heartily. ‘‘Ten dollars to one some of ’em "1h home with a headache, never more to lize this trail.” | ‘““My God! where is Lady Belle?’ suddenly gas Sir Noel. “Stop, Bargett—stop for eaven’s sake. Lady Belle, my sister, ts not im the carriage. She must have fallen out!” * Neither was Lady Belle ia the carriage; her seat was empty! ; Lady Farnsworth was crouching beside Chan- dos, in the bottom of the wagon, who had col- lapsed into a dead faint, at a bullet scratch upon the arm. _ Belle! Belle!” shouted Sir Noel, when Far- gett had reined in his horses, at the top of his voice. ‘Belle! where are you?” But, there came no response, except a wild exultant screech from Captain Hawk’s men, around the bend. ‘“That settles it!” Thoroughbred Tom said, when he heard the yell. Phipek “i captured our sister, and you may as well drive on to ville, which is but a short distance away, SSS ct take her again to night!” ‘“ What!” Sir Noel cried, nearly distracted, ‘‘must I leave my sister in the clutches of that pack of demons? God forbid!’ ‘* Nevertheless, you will have to do so for the present,” Thoroughbred Tom said, ‘until you can muster a sufficient troop to make an attack upon the bandit chief. His gang of outlaws numbers many men, and it would be simply an act of folly to Pree to give chase with our resent force. Id advise you to take your lady 1ere, and find her accommodations in Leadville, while you instigate a search for your sister.” ‘‘And you will help me?’ Sir Noel interro- gated, anxiously. ‘‘T cannot in person, but can furnish you a substitute. Fargett, drive on. Leadville!” CHAPTER IIL. OLD FACES—A STRANGE WAGER. LEADVILLE! That new Mecca of the wandering miner, the speculator, the gambler and adventurer, Tho place where many minds gather, to form 4 seething, restful populace—a teeming city near the timber line. What Deadwood was to the Black Hills, but so short time ago, Leadville is to the mountain dis- trict in which it is situated. A ‘red-hot ” town it is, with plently of business men with capital, and generally an industrious class of citizens, though, as every town of its class, there is a pre- ponderance of ruffianly and villainous charac- ters, who are constantly in a jangle among themselves, and who literally ‘‘ boss” the town. Leadville differs in one respect from her sister city of the mining regions, Deadwood. She is within the governing eye of a State, while Da- kota is but a territory; and her laws are en- forced by the iron hands of those who set them- selves up as guardians of the peace. Justice is stern; and then, there is a class, who in defiance of the law, set themselves up as adjusters of their own wrongs, and the measure they mete out to victims is generally a cord and the limb of a convenient tree. Almost to a spirit of insubordination has this thing amounted to among those who plead for justice without receiving it, and hence came the organization known as the Regulators and Ad- justers, making Leadville the possessor of two Sede ae law of the State, and a law of the people. Looking down upon Leadville, one is not struck by anything ve ossessing in its appear- ance. Situated on the left bank of California gulch, upon a gentle elevation, it has the appear- ance of the average mining city that has been built with more rapidity than elegance. The principal thoroughfare, Chestnut street, is constantly crowded with people who have come to the new Mecca in search of wealth— people from every quarter of the globe, one would say, upon looking them all over. All are hurrying along in their respective directions, and everything has a lively, bustling appear- ance, Let us pass along Chestnut street and make observations, It is early evening. The sun gone down over the distant snow- carpe peaks of the great ies, and the early gloaming is settling over the town so far up near the timber line. The shanty stores, saloons and dance-houses on either side of the street are well lighted, while out in the street, disdaining the use of the sidewalks, the crowds meander toand fro. The cries of an auctioneer of cheap jewelry; the stentorian shouts of a corpulent individual who is endeavoring to attract a ‘‘ house” for a cheap variety theater; the yells and curses of drivers, together with the incessant hum of more mod- erate voices, serve to make a strange din that at first impresses the new-comer unpleasantly. Americans, Frenchmen, Jews, Swedes, Ger- mans, Mexicans, Spaniards, Irishmen, China- men, and the everlasting negro, are among the different types we observe moving by. in the eat, restless swarm; speculators, gentlemen of eisure, rough, bewhiskered, dirty miners, in woolen shirts and stogy boots, gamblers, sports, professional oe sets and thieves; men of all stages an in life, may be singled ‘stations in out, if one is an adept in the business. omen are frequently seen hurrying along, but as they, asarule, mind their own affairs, they seldom are molested, unless it be by some drunken tough, who is speedily lugged off by the genial but thoroughly effective sheriff, Jo Murphy. ib Passing along the street, we noticed innumer- able great saloons and gambling houses, which peaawooa Vick 1h Leacvilic, j | ' | ee SS — - eo ee | — = _— put to shame in point of size and taste of archi- tecture the lesser buildings used for more legitimate purposes, {ntering one of these gambling dens, which bears the name of ‘* Leadville Casino,” we find ourselves in a large, partitionless building, well lighted by lamp chandeliers, and e, carpet with matting. Itis furnished with chairs and tables, a bar, faro and keno lay-outs, and nearly every kind of furniture for gambling. The walls are hung with handsome sportin pictures, and everywhere is evidence of wealt and good taste. ; A score of men are engaged in various games at the tables, and some are gathered about a ee of fortune, which hums at one end of the place. There are miners, here, and gamblers by pro- fession; speculators and ruffians, and a mixture of the different types that make up the populace of Leadville. At one table two men seem to be deeply in- terested in a game of eucher. And it is a game for stakes, for piles of money, dust, and paper are viled on the right hand of either player, which indicates that the game had either been a long one, With no particular gain on either side, or _ chee just started. The latter is the more yropapie, One of the players evidently is an American, while the other is a Spaniard, as micht be guessed by his swarthy complexion, and black eyes, as well as his peculfar costume. The American’s name is Ralph Gardner. He isa stalwart fellow of one or two and thirty years, with a well-developed form, and a face that many would pronounce handsome, had it not been for the sinister expression, ever hover- ing about his maquth, and the cold gray eyes. He is inclined to a sandy complexion, tits ‘hee being of a brown color, and curling tight to his head, while a heavy sandy mustache shades his mouth, He is attired in white linen jacket and trowsers, with a spotless shirt-front, which sup- rts a blazing diamond pin, and a soft white elt hat, of enormous brim, covers his head. A massive linked gold chain encircles his neck, reaching down to a watch-pocket in the waist- band of his trowsers, and his trowser bottoms “ip partly tucked into the tops of a pair of fine oots, Altogether he is the ideal make-up of the character he represented—a reckless, rowdying mine-owner, named Gardner, who has naught to do but to kill time and spend a fat income, which rolls in upon him, day by ans The Spaniard isa different sort of a character, altogether. He is short and ficshless, with a pinched, dusky face, set off by a compressed mouth, eyes of midnight blackness, a swarthy ST ed and hair and imperial of the same ue, His Spanish costume is Pree and rich in its ornamentation, end his hat and cavalry boots are all of the best material. He now wears no weapons, while his ac in the game carries a derringer upon hip, in a pistol pocket. The Spaniard plays a square deal and a fair game, but a close observer would notice that Gardner is no slouch with the pasteboards, as he continues to win steadily, while the Span- iard’s pile is on the decrease, rapidly. ‘“Have you enough?” Gardner asked, with a sneering smile, as at last, in the course of ten minutes, he rakes in the Spaniard’s last doubloon. “Tt isn’t your night for aw I should say. You will never win, at this rate,” ‘“‘T will play again,” Carlos Cordova replies, stoically. ‘I will fight you with cards, Mr, Gardner—it shall be guerra al cuchillo—war to the knife between us.” - So saying, the Spaniard brought a pouch of doubloons from under his serape and emptied them upon the table. ‘¢There are sixty doubloons, or nine hundred and thirty-two dollars and forty cents?” he aid, in perfect English. ‘I will wager them aga a like number of dollars and cents, if you dare, senor. ‘You will only lose!” Gardner answered; “but I will play if you wish. Stack your chips, and I will deal.” Carlos Cordova obeyed, and the game be A number of spectators gathered around to await and watch the result of the game, for it was known that Ralph Gardner was 4 card- sharp, and would be likely to fleece the Spaniard out of every real he possessed. Among the spectators were two strangers in the place—an old man, of uncouth appearance, and a young woman. The latter was Calamity Jane. corm ——— ; : books-com