Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 469 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 os Eee oe ---——— > ‘*This game must be played with the utmost care,” resumed Trotter. ‘‘ That St. Elmo in- tends to wage a bitter war against you, there is nota particle of reason to doubt. Then, too, the hunchback, having formed a bitter enmity toward me, has been delegated to take my life at the first opportunity, He seeks revenge for my having thwarted him at the moment when he had you suspended between heaven and earth. Shasta Sam is to see that your quietus is prompt and effectual. ‘* More than that I could not overhear. The four remained closeted tegether until an hour ago. About daybreak, with Hunki Hans, I made an effort to see you. Failing in that, we returned to the Fair Play. We decided that the first move was to get the hunchback out of the way. He is dangerous—far shrewder than St. Elmo himself. Accordingly, we spread the re- port that we had received the reward of five thousand dollars for the capture of Jabez Four- che, last night. Of course that brought St. Elmo and his cappers around us in aswarm, and we were quickly inveigled into a brace game of faro, Shasta Sam dealing, ‘‘Losing the dust, I picked my quarrel with hunckback, with the intention of disabling or killing him then and there; but, bad and dan- serous as the man is, I disliked the idea of de- liberately shooting him down, and so gave him a fair and equal chance.” ‘‘Rather a hazardous proceeding, I fear,” commented the alecalde, who had in a great measure recovered his wonted immobility. ‘This bunchback is a master of almost every weapon in vogue.” ‘*So Ikave been informed by Rivers. Win- chesters are to be the weapons.” ‘‘ That is worse yet; if there is a deadlier shot in Nowhar than this deformed wretch, it is not known. This, too, in the face of the fact that the camp has its full quota of crack marks- men.” ‘ Really, the thing begins to look sericus,” murmured the mock Yankee, ‘‘But since I have blundered into the affair, I must trust to juck and a fair degree of proficiency in the use of the weapon to pull throvgh right end up. Rivers informs me that you have a weapon of the kind named, and [ shall have to request the loan of it.” ‘*You can have it, most assuredly, together with what assistance I can render in the mat- ter,” promptly returned Gold Gabe. ‘* Where is the meeting to take place?” ‘“ At a point designated as the horseshoe pla- teau, up the mountain-side.” ‘‘Humph! the wily rascal again has you ata serious disadvantage, I fear. The horseshoe is certainly a strange place for such an affair, W hat are the conditions of this duel?’ ‘““Can’t say,” replied Trotter, laconically. ‘‘They are to be fixed upon after we have reached the ground. Right here I have another favor to ask—that you act as my second in the affair.” ‘“ Willingly; for if I am not greatly mistaken there is something decidedly crooked back of all this. Evidently, Dunkle wishes to confer with some of his confederates before naming the terms, Was St, Elmo present?” “No; Ugly Mike, chief of the Cripples, ap- peared while the game was in progress, and he and the gamblerretired to the private apart- ment of the latter.” ‘‘ Then, depend upon it, the hunchhack wishes to talk the matter over with St. Elmo before meeting you,” declared the alcalde, ‘* Do you think it possible that they suspect anything?” ** Possible?—ves, it is more than possible; else why the hunchback’s eagerness to get me out of the way?” Gold Gabe’s fingers beat an idle tattoo on the bench. ‘* You are assuming that St. Elmo, being the party we suspect him to be, has made a-confi- dant of Dunkle?”’ he queried. ‘* Not only a confidant, but an ally.” ‘‘ The assumption is plausible; yet, while their suspicions may be aroused as to our working in concert against them, can they be aware of our personal identity, or the basis of our opera- tions?” | ‘‘T don’t know, I’m sure,” observed Trotter, reflectively. ‘‘ The fact is, we are by no means certain in this matter ourselves. For the life of us, we couldn’t tell whether we are on the trail or only working a blind lead, We are working at a disadvantage. If we were positive we had struck the trail at last, our movements could quickly be ridded of much cumbrous secrecy and unnecessary by-play. The developments of the next few hours promise to throw much light on the subject. We can only wait ‘and watch. a ee TE — f Our allies are at work, and St. Elmo’s every move will be promptly reported.” ‘* You are right—we can but wait and watch,” wearily assented the giant of the golden locks. ‘But time is flying. ‘Two-thirds of the hour have rolled into the past. We must be moving toward the horseshoe.” Arising, Gold Gabe secured his Winchester, and with the mock Yankee left the cabin. CHAPTER VII. THE SPORTIVE SPORT. THROUGHOUT the camp, with rapidity truly wondrous, had spread a report of Trotter’s ad- venture at the Fair Play, of the challenge and its prompt acceptance by the hunchback. Altovether out of the order of things orthodox in Nowhar was the conflict pending, and draw- ers of the long-bow quickly succeeded in so mag- nifying and exaggerating the exploits of the mock Yankee since his unheralded advent, that at the expiration of the hour the denizens of the gold-camp were gathered en masse on the horse- shoe plateau, intent on witnessing the duel. Bowlder-strewn and barren of vegetation, this plateau was nothing more than a terrace, of the uniform width of a hundred yards, and a thousand in length, five hundred feet above the level of Nowhar, and curving in almost the exact shape of amammoth horseshoe around the base of a bold, jutting, precipitous spur of the mountain. A deadly place for such a combat, for the dis- tance between the duelists would be short, Among the last to reach the level of the pla- teau were the alcalde, Trotter, and the mine superintendent, ‘* By hemlock!” exclaimed the pseudo- Yankee, breathing hard from the rapid and arduous ascent, as the trio halted to view their surround- ings. ‘** Thar’s th’ hunchback an’ St. Elmo over thar, confabin’, Alcalde, they’re beckonin’ us to advance an’ meet ’em half-way.” ‘*Go you with Rivers here and try to get the bearings of this terrace,” quietly returned the ciant of the golden locks, ‘' You will find an insight of the nature of the place an advantage, no doubt, when you are brought face to face with Dunkle. I will go forward alone, and- make the best terms I can.” 3 Nodding a careless assent, Trotter, with the superintendent, turned aside, while Gold Gabe, rifle in hand, strode forward to the point where stood St. Elmo and the hunchback, surrounded by a number of their friends. ‘*T suppose I can trust the men of the Yellow Boy to keep well together,” grimly mused the alcalde, as he noted a suspicious massing of the rough element of the camp about twenty yards beyond the proprietor of the Fair llay. “ It looks very much as if St. Elmo has prepared for a general conflict.” Walking calmly up to the little group, Gold Gabe, with a careless nod, dropped the butt of bis Winchester to the ground and said, crisply: ‘* Gents, [ respresent Mr. Trotter in th’ affair ov honor about to occur; who among ye is th’ second ov th’ other party?’ Back into his speech had crept in a slight de- gree the peculiarities of the miners’ dialect, Julian St. Elmo trod lightly forward, doffing his white sombrero, a mocking smile curling his rec lips, ‘*T have the pleasure to enjoy that peculiar distinction, my dear alcalde,” be said. ‘* Very good,” responded the blonde giant, running hiseyes over the group until he encoun- tered the fiery gaze of Shasta Sam. ‘“‘ Your man wes the challenged party. I suppese you are ready to name th’ conditions ov th’ duel?” ‘* Quite ready; they are as follows: The two ‘men are to ke placed at the ends of the horse- shoe, so that the base of this rocky spur is direct- ly between them, a coin to be tossed for choice of ends; each man is to be armed with a Win- chester rifle, fully charged; Shasta Sam is to be placed at the outer edge of the plateau yonder, equi-distant from the two men, and in full view of each; at a signal shot from his revolver, the duelists are to be at liberty to proceed in any manner they see fit, with the restriction that neither attempts to leave the plateau without the other's consent; the battle to continue until both are satisfied. ** Satisfactory?’ ‘‘ Perfectly.” ‘‘Then call up your man, and we’ll settle the question of choice of positions; it is a compara- tively small matter, but Dunkle here is deter- mined that after the affair is over it shall not be said that he held any advantage over the stranger Yank.” ‘Don’t fret yourself,” retorted Gold Gabe ‘ *il2£ . ~~ ea Oe ew + The Rival Giants of Nowhar. Ee SS —— ee irately, as he turned to signal Trotter to ap- proach, ** As for our misshapen friend—isn’t he crowin’ at rather a premature stage ov th’ game?” St. Elmo laughed softly. ‘Why, my dear alcalde, your Yankee friend really has no show at all in this here affair,” he declared. ‘‘ The little gentleman whom I have the honor to represent 1s right in having every- thing fair and open—that is all he wants. ncth- ing more. His victory was assured from the moment the challenge was issued. All this is gone through with for the sake of form, When it comes to the scratch, he will pick off the Yank at leisure. , ‘And, right in the face of the solemnity of this occasion, allow me toremark that I have with me something lke five thousand dollars, which say, at the generous odds of two to one, that my man will win the fight.” Trotter, in answer to the alcalde’s signal, had rapidly approached, and was within hearing when the bantering offer was made. ‘*Neow don’t yeou add insult to injury,” he protested, striding quickly forward and facing the gambler, frantically sawing the air with his long arms as he spoke. ‘‘ Whack up to him, al- calde; kiver every dollar yeoukin at them thar odds. By tar an’ smoke! I guess somebody ‘Il find they was kinder feoled w’en they monkey- ed ‘ith the b’izness eend o’ Jonathan Trotter. “Say, yeou /”—staring straight into St. El- mo’s eyes, his thin, sharp nose curling with contempt unutterable—‘ kiver thet! Money talks!” Forth from an inner pocket, with a quick, impatient jerk, he drew a small packet, secure- ly wrapped in oilcloth, which, with a careless gesture he flung into the hands of Gold Gabe, “Thar yeou are, alealde—thar’s th’ dust, an’ et sez I’m a winner in this heur leetle scrimmage to come,” he cried. With eager, expectant faces the gamblers sur- rounding St. Elmo pressed forward as the giant . of the golden locks carefully opened the oil- cloth, : A package of bank-bills, those in view of large Genomination, was revealed. ‘Hall into line, yeou gallant sports o’ No- whar,” continued the mock Yankee, in sbarp, bentering tones. ‘* Yeou, thet hev th’ sand in yeour craws, trot for’ard—that’s the good hard cash w’ot sez Jonathan Trotter, Esq. will sali-- vate th’ measly-mouth mounting kiote over thar, an’ bear off th’ proud pennant 0’ a ga-lo- rious victory. Stride—glide—eny way at all so yeour dust kivers my meney.” Attracted by the loud words and strange ges- tures of the mountain tramp, Nowhar’s denizens began to gather closely around. ‘‘ Heavens! what is it?’ exclaimed St. Elmo, starting back, his hands raised, his blue eyes opening wide in well-simulated surprise. ‘¢ Really, my dear alealde, I fear we shall have to appeal to you for protection against this ranting, mouthing, what-may-it-be.” ‘‘Don’t ye worry, dainty sport,” coolly re- torted Gold Gabe, his words almost drcwned by a burst of syccphantic laughter from the gam- bler’s heelers. ‘‘Jt,as ye are pleased to term him, is a man—a man ov sand. ‘‘Ef ye mesn business an’ hev a few thou- sands to Jose, hyar’s yer chance. Ye asked for it, an’ ye’ve gotit. Hyer itis, as gocd an’ honest as any coin ov th’ realm can be. Tt will cover any amount ye or yer friends may care to hazard at the cdds ye proposed. Do yer toes meet th’ scratch or are ye goin’ to climb down backward?” | And the giant of the golden locks, with a tan-— —.. talizirg smile, waved the racket of bank-bills to and fro within an inch of St, Elimo’s nose. A A hot flush suffused the gambler’s face, _ ** Five thousand dollars that Dunkle wins the_ "5 ficht,” he promptly reiterated, preducirg a — | plethoric wa'let. Lint “Covered!” laconicelly excleured Gold Gabe, counting two thousand five bundred dollars, — ‘Who holds the stakes?” oe “How will Sweet By-and-Py suit?’ queried St, Elmo, running his eyes over the crowd un- til his glance fell upon the worthy named. ‘“Gnits me to a dot,” returned the alcalde, placing bis money in the miner’s hands. For the next few minutes the giant of the golden locks wes kept busy booking bets at the odds named. In the opinion of the average Nowharite Trotter was a doomed man. 5 After the sportive side of the affairhad been duly settled, St. Elmo drew a silver dollar from his pocket. ‘Now, Yank, make your call as she goes up © —heads or tails?” he exclaimed. . ‘Hold a minute!” cried Trotter, excitedly. « ' "