Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 486 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

. _ as green as you imagi ‘first. If Iwinl = ae Ce a } , In the course of a few minutes some instinct must have warned Sealskin Sam that she was watching him, for he took the cigar from his lips, and gradually turned his head around toward her, their eyes meeting for an instant in a searching pence She quickly dropped her gaze, however, and aver it to the card-table, a wave of color leaping into her cheeks, for the expression of surprise and instant admiration that beamed from his magnetic eyes rather confused her. ‘* By Jove! here’s a royal surprise!” was the thought uppermost in the Sparkler’s mind. ‘A veritable queen among women, in thedisguise of a girl sport of the mines! Would that some op- »ortune chance might make it my luck to form er acquaintance.” Seeing thatshe was embarrassed by a con- sciousness of his bold stare, he returned to watching the smoke of his cigar, giving her only now and then a furtive glance, when their eyes were almost sure to meet. The two men at the card-table were getting excited over the game, judging by the character of their conversation. ‘*Curse the luck, I’ve lost again!” one of them cried. ‘‘I believe you are cheating me, Salem Sphinx, I count myself a good card- ha er, but you have certainly got the devil’s uck, or his cunning!” “Tf you suspect that I would do such a thing ascheat you yer had best quit playing, Mr. Ashcroft!” Sphinx retorted, his tone decidedly expressing triumph, ‘What! quit after you have won nearly all of my money? I guess not, I am perhaps not , sir! “Oh! suit yourself, then, If your money is burning a hole in your pocket, I can perhaps save you from being consumed ae a conflagra- tion. What shall we play for, sir?” He spoke as cool and calculating as if wholly indifferent. He was a man of uncertain age, this swarthy- complexioned, black-haired individual, Sphinx although it was safe to say that he had passed his thirtieth year. He had a hawkish sort of ap- pearance, looking just what he was, a profes- sional card-sharp. Ashcroft was a younger man by several years, and more prepossessing of appearance, although there was that in his face which in- dica that he was on the downward road to consumption. He looked at the cards thoughtfully before he answered the gambler; and taking a wallet from an inner pocket, counted,his money, a des- perate expression upon his pale face, ‘* See here!” he suddenly exclaimed, staring at Salem Sphinx; ‘‘ you have won precisely three thousand dollars from me!” Bp inx nodded, with half-closed eyes, as he lit a cigar. : co ptaltelea them’s the figures,” he agreed, ‘‘And I’ve but five hundred left. Do you know I came to tae mines and worked hard for this money, and to-morrow I was to start back for New York, to see the old folks, pay off the PHA Se a on the homestead, and then marry a faithful lassie, who has been waiting for these two years? Now you see what I have left to go on! Ill either win back what l’ve lost, and take to-morrow’s stage, or will lose what I have got and blow my brains out.” ‘* You're a fool, young feller!” / It was the girl sport who spoke, and her tone expressed what were evidently her candid con- victions. Ashcroft looked up at her with a scowl. ‘Of course I’m a fool, and you’d make me a worse one, if I were not capable of resisting the smiles of your baby face!” he gritted. Salem Sphinx was getting impatient. ‘*Come, come!” he interposed. ‘‘ Either put up or shut up! Palaver never pays the spot- painter. Are you goin’ the five hundred?” > ‘‘- Yes,” desperately. ‘‘Five hundred for the double it; after that I will double jt every other game, till you or I are broke.” “* Very well!” | A fresh pack of cards was produced, and each man received his hand. skin Sam, having overheard the conversa- tion, arose and sauntered to the table, where he paused to look on, : “a Salem Sphinx gave him a sir gle scowling glance, and then scanned the cane in his hand. The game was seven-up, and was played care- full and quickly, Sphinx betraying} § skill as a player, not Grantee, bots h Hew R Rs best posable advanta , but also in his shuffling and dea ot > r ¥ — » = ' “a ent * J a > i : ~~ 5 : a. Sa —. t 7 = a9 My ¥,\ +. veh! t . sees - . ]on.? a a fa -? < 9°46. eaat De a ‘ Twice the lynx-like eyés of Sealskin Sam de- tha . ri . ‘ ¥ > + 7 P , Pr. MS Pha » as Ay « ‘ o Set See! i. 2. +... cin. * . *~ a 7 re J ren ’ ry a> +944 ~ Voz ‘ 4 ‘ *\ cre * dol © ¥ a” a me a Sealskin Sam, the Sparkler eee tected him dealing himself a valuable card from the bottom of the pack, the act being accom- plished so quickly that not one out of a hundred would have noticed it. . The Sparkler was about tc interfere several times, but hesitated, for it was really none of his business. If the Easterner was foolish enough to believe he could beat a professional gamester at his own game, he deserved to be ‘‘ stuck.” At last the game stood tie at six points each, having one to go. .lt was Salem Sphinx’s deal. He looked into the flushed, excited face of his opponent rather pityingly, as Ashcroft clapped the pack down on the table, after having shuffled the cards, ‘* Ashcroft,” he said, “I rather like you, and I'd truly like to see you win. Therefore, to give you a chance, you can have the deal, and [ll mark myself three instead of six, making me four to go. If I cannot make four times out of the hand you deal me, I'll give you back the en- tire amount that T have won from you. That’s fair, isn’t it, Sealskin?’ and the gambler darted a peculiar glance at the stranger, as much as to say, ‘‘I know you are watching me,” ‘* [should judge it to be an over-fair offer, pro- vided both parties play an honorable game!” Sam answered, his face not changing from its usual serene expression, ‘“Ah! do you suppose I would disgrace my reputation by cheating, sir?” ‘I believe I heard you remark something to the effect that you would not, a few moments ago!” was the dry answer, which brought a quiet glitter to Sphinx’s eyes, ‘It’s a good offer, Mr. Ashcroft, or my name ain’t Placer Poll!” the girl sport cried laying her hand upon his shoulder, ‘‘ Here’s your chance to gt back to your true-love!” | is only answer to. her was a slight COMBE RE sion of the lips, while Sealskin Sam wondered if the beautiful girl opposite him had. purposely alluded to her title that he might know it, Ashcroft spoke rather wearily, addressing Salem Sphinx: ‘* Give me the cards; I will accept your offer. Nothing but my regard for those many thousand miles away from here could tempt me to thus humble myself.” He took the cards and dealt them, his face un- naturally white, his eyes betraying scarce a gleam of hope. A number of bystanders. had gathered near the table, and upon every face was an expression of intense interest, | As Ashcroft turned the trump—which proved to be the four of hearts—Sphinx picked up his hand, and glancing at the cards for a moment, uttered an exclamation of surprise and threw the cards on the table, face up, exposing to. view the ace, king, queen, jack, ten and deuce of hearts, _. ; He had four times—high, low, jack and the game—a strange fatality. { ‘‘That settles it,” Ashcroft remarked, as he shoved the stakes over - his victorious op- ponent. ‘It is not my luck to win anything, except by hard labor,” Then turning to one of the waiting-maids, he added: ‘* Fetch me some whisky, Kitty, I’ve a little change left,” and he arose from the chair and stretched himself, with a yawn, doing it so cleverly that no one suspected his purpose until too late. : He suddenly clapped his hand to his breast, in the region of his heart; then there was a pistol report; he staggered, and falling, a revolver of the bulldog pattern dropped from his nerveless rasp. Several persons sprung forward with cries of alarm, and he was raised to a partly reclining sture, ‘' Don’t!” he said.. “It’s no use, I couldn’t go back broke. Vd rather dic. Tell em I tried to lift the mortgage, but luck was against me.” He was silent a moment, his gaze roving around from face to face, A hush of death prosalieg in the room as the habitues of the p tip-toed to the death- ‘‘ There’s something I wanted to say,” he said, directly, in fainter accents. ‘‘ Ye know—ye know there’s a band of villains—” He paused a moment, gasping for his breath. ‘‘ A band of villains, clubbed together, sworn to enrich themselyes, and protect themselves, to the death, ‘in def ance of all Jaw or order. They rob stages, commit murder—anything to add to their booty. Their main object, however, is to capture this camp,.and here make their ruffia y permanent, in defiance of any law except outlawry. This band now numbers e Pe ~~. Me be j - *, er s, * —_—_—_—_——S—S——_—_—_—_——OoOoeeeeeee+ Oe SSO eee CSC -._O”O”O OO. —_—_—_-— —_—_——— o Vo! ore ee OO eee SOC i many of your friends and citizens. Secretly they are on all sides of you. I am not afraid to speak, because I cannot die but one death. Be- ware of the Tribunal of Ten! Their leader’s: name is—” The words never reached the ears of those: surrounding him; for the loud report of a pistol broke the stillness, and a jet of blood spurted from a hole in the center of the informer’s fore-. head! His hand with forefinger out-poimted, which had been raised on high, gradually sunk, until the finger pointed directly toward Sealskin Sam; then it became rigid and :efused to fall further, for young Ashcroft was dead, and his whole: body had suddenly become stiffened as by a. spasm. A horrified murmur escaped the crowd, as the: long, white index finger pointed out the man in reali ulster, Sealskin Sam’s face flushed, and he stepped to- one side, with an exclamation of horror, quickly realizing the effect the startling occurrence would be apt to have upon the minds of the: e, But horror of horrors! What infernal mystery was this? The moment he stepped to one side, the finger crooked sufficiently to still point directly at the man. A shade of pallor pasied over the handsome: stranger’s face, and he was about to make some utterance when he was interrupted by several voices, The cry was: ‘* Stand!” He looked. He saw that.a dozen cocked revol- vers were leveled at him by as many stern-faced. miners—knew that the accusing index finger, in conjunction with the dying words of young Ash- croft, had been the means of getting him into an unenyiable predicament. Stand!” one of the party cried, gruffly. ‘** Throw up, your hands and surrender, or die in your tracks! Your guilt is too clearly proven for question!” CHAPTER [V. BOLLIVAR BULLWHACK, MAKES A CALL. HunkKI-DoRI was the liveliest young mining- camp in the Mount St. Helen’s mountains, and although its fame bad not yet spread afar, it. ce oe of a population of several ,hundred ple, of the various clas; es and nationalities which: usually gather in mining-towns, and in Western peeiarice, was as ‘‘ fly” a city as there was in the: erritory. ) It was located in the wild, deep mountain. gulch, from which it derived its name, and be-- sides its public houses, or ‘‘ hotels,” comprised perhaps three-score cabins, shanties and tents,,. which were of the most primitive character,. with several exceptions. A couple of paying quartz-mines had been drifted into the mountain, and supplied work for all who were inclined to work. Other mines were: being located; a company breaker and mill had been put into operation, and the camp had the usual characteristics of a wide-awake young mining-town. One main street or stage-road was all Hunki- Dori yet boasted, or was, in reality, all that was: required, on this street was locatedymost conspicuous: of att the Cremonia, in addition to which was ‘a barn-like tavern, a theater, a number of stores, saloons, shops and dance-resorts—the latter gen= erally connected with the saloons, Then there were the shanties, tents and cabins,,. two pretentious frame Cwellings, owned by the rival ‘‘ mine kings” of Hunki-Dori—Eben Selden. and Maurice Clarkson. Selden owned one of the opened mines and a considerable portion of the camp, while Clarkson was proprietor of the other mine and another them the two rather monopolized the town’s: business and property, | Both were past the middle age, well educated, with much business tact, and thorough-going gentlemen to the ordinary observer, Both were widowers, and, strange to say, had daughters and sons of nearly the same age; but between the two families, more especially be- tween the. parents, there existed a coldness, which, while it could not be regarded as a fam- ily feud, approached very nearly toit. Neither of the elders spoke to one another. | _ The reason of t bad people of Hi Co el Ma ice. Clarkson, was a tall, slim man, 0 neat of dress, ard ori could never quite Maur te aspect, very. rather impressive in appearance, ™ considerable section of the camp, so that between | Fr poepemen? the good and th hissweey- — | | |