Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 523 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

——— Seen en 4 . Soe = 6 Se me mm ee ee re me ee eee ee ee —- one ** Well, it’s all the same thing,” returned the gambler, coolly. ‘* You were the instigator, and i the willing tool. Which is the worse?’ A deep groan was Ry’s sole response. * Pricks you, does it?’ laughed Cool Carl, de- os moniacally. ‘Sorry you have such sensitive feelings. Well, to wind up my harrowing tale, I will say that you returned to Denver, manag- inz to take with you the lion’s share of the boodle, while I was left to look after the claim. You told a pitiful yarn'to Robert’s wife about his accidental fall from a epee pice, and she, poor thing, the shock killed her. You took the little girl and returned to New York, invested your ill-gotten gains, and prospered. I disposed of the claims at considerable profit, and have since lived on the fruits of my nimble fingers, relying on the earnings of these poor fools, to whom my word is law. “Such has been our history, Reginald Ray. Quite a romance, is if not?” ** urse you, man, Why do you tell me this?” exclaimed the merchant, excitedly. ‘*Can it be that you have sent for me, simply to torture me with recollections of the past? Certainly you can bear no ill-will toward me, for | did the square thing by you.” ‘“Of course you did, old pard. Pvenota word of fault to find. I have simply told you this to remind you that I have not forgotten past events, aud to prepare you for what is to fol- low.” ev And tis is—"? “Just ‘us, Reggy,” and the gambler’s face Was WW) {inasardonic smile. ‘“‘I sent for you sin, y \ecause [ am tired of this dare-devil life ot | ing.@ blessedness, and I propose to get married | ‘* Well, what the deuce have I to do with your marryiug?’ demanded Ray. ‘‘Kverything, my dear boy. To come to the ony! ten I want you to furnish the bride!” ‘Ah! “Yes, ah! Isee that you grasp my meaning at last. You know, I always remembered Mrs. Ray, and it struck me that if her daughter were half as charming, she would suit my idea of a wife, So I sent you that- important message with the intention of getting the girl out here and I am pleased to say that my plan succeeded rfectly. I caught a glimpse of fair Rachel his morning, and she far surpasses my expecta- tions,.so now nothing remains but your consent, dear Reggy, to make me happy for life. What do you think of the arrangement?” Reginald Ray had risen to his feet, and now his eyes flashed fire as he confronted the gam- bler. ‘Is that what you have enticed us here for, Cool Car)?” he demanded. ‘* Exactly!” ‘** Then you have bad your trouble for nothing; fordet me tell you, once for all, my niece shal] never become the wife of such a vile scoundrel as you. Now—” “Stop! You forget that you are both wholly in my power. You have fallen into my trap like a lamb going tothe slaughter-pen, and now you must do as I bid you.” ““Never! 1 defy you!” cried the merchant, excitedly. A crue}, scornful laugh escaped the lips of the gambler king, while his keen eye glittered like those of a rattlesnake. 4 “Take care, you fool!” he hissed. ‘* You know not the true hopelessness of your situation. Rich and powerful as you may be in your native town, let me tell you that here in Canyon City it will avail younothing. This is my kingdom; among these Wild mountaineers I reizn supreme. Were l to say the word you would never leave this camp alive. The morning sun would find you dangling from the nearest limb.” Reginald Ray was Speechless; he could only bury his face in lis hands and moan aloud. He was notslow to realize that the gambler spoke the truth: he was helplessly in Cool Carl’s power, : ** You comprehend the situation,” went on the latter. ‘The game is in my bands, I have your niece, fair or foul, Consent to take me for your loving nephew, and you are at hberty to depart 1n peace as svon as tbe nuptials are completed; refuse, and you die. It is a question of life or death, and the answer lies wholly with you. Do you consent?” : Yes,” groaned the New Yorker, in despair, ‘Fool that I was to be Jured here! Go your length, Cool Carleton, You are triumphant now, but the time will come when you will re- pent of your deviltry. Leave me, now! I want to be at peace.” Again Cool Carl laughed in mingled scorn and derision. ee er wwe ale Dandy Sport. se ‘* A pretty subject you are to talk of peace and repentance,” he said. ‘* However, li not afflict you any longer by my angelic presence. Having other business to attend to, Vl leave you to find your way back to the hotel. To- morrow I will pay my respects to my beautiful bride that is to be. ‘Ta-ta!” With a motking courtesy, Cool Carl turned and strode away. ' Reginald Ray watched his receding form with clinched fists and flashing eyes. ‘* Curse you, Cool Carl!” he his-ed. ‘‘ Pll out- wit you yet. God knows I have sinned enough without surrendering this pure, innocent girl into the hands of such an unscrupulous scoun- drel. For years I have endeavored to atone for my wrong-doing by doing all in my power in her behalf; and now must it come to this? Never! [ll defend her to the last drop of my blood. We must, we will escape from this trap. This very night I will fly from this cursed place —away from Cool Carl and his band of cut- throats!” Excited and panting, quivering in every limb, Reginald Ray rushed madly from the spot; while scarcely bad he disappeared when a dark form suddenly showed itself from behind the very rock where the two men had been seated. Evidently the conversation had been over- heard! ‘Jiminy! Hyar’s a pretty mess,” squeaked the new-comer, and the voice was unmistakably that of Tommy tbe Kid. ‘I reckon that dood would like ter hear o’ this conflab, fur onless ’'m mightily mistaken, he thinks a powerful lot of that purty piece of caliker. But gosh! thar’s the swell in limbo, an’ it’s lucky if he gets of with a whole skin; so, how am I to tell him? Jiminy! I must contrive a way, somehow.” Tommy the Kid lost no time in making bis way to the camp, but was disappointed on ar- riving there to find that his friend had been liberated and turned out of town. This made things more perplexing than be- fore, but the bold lad was not discouraged. Without a moment’s delay, he set out in quest of the missing ‘‘ dood.” CHAPTER VI. THE DANDY SPORT PLAYS BALL. CANYON CITY was notat the hightof its pros- poe Like many other towns of its class, it 1ad seen better days. The supply of the pre- cious dross that had once attracted thousands of prospectors to the vicinity, was rapialy growing less, and the prospect was that a few months at the furthest would find Canyon City a thing of the past, However, it was no worse than its sister camps in that respect; throughout the entire region the ore was fast being exhausted, and as no new bonanzas were brought to light, it was but natural that the citizens should prefer to re- main quietly at home, for want of a better place to go to, and wait, Micawber-like, for something to turn up. Shut out from the outer world by frowning mountain walls, with nothing todo but drink, gamble and fight, it is not strange that the majority of the cits pined for fresh amusement, and hailed with delight any means of enlighten- ing their dull and irksome existence. So when a pilgrim roamed in from the outer world one day, and told of the popularity of base-ball all over the land, and how thousands assembled daily to witness the brilliant play and harass the luckless umpire, the desires of the people to test the merits of the game were at once inflamed. _ Here was the opportunity for which the Canyon Cityites bad long been sighing. Scarcely a man who had not played ball in days of yore, and now the memories of the old-time sport came rushing back to them. The necessary paraphernalia was procured with some difficulty, and the idea, once started, took like wildfire.” Soon 1t was a common and somewbat amusing spectacle to see gaunt, red- shirted miners chasing the nimble ball with all the enjoyment of frolicsome schoolboys. Other towns in the vicinity soon caught the fever, and at this period base-ball was at the bight of its popularity, , It quickly became a question as to what town possessed the best bull team, and the rivalry was intense, notably between Canyon City and Silverton, a camp further wp the gulch. As each place claimed the distinction, it was deemed necessary to play a series of three gumes to decide the , en of superiority ; and also to incite the players to do their best work. a purse of one thousand dollars had been sub- scribed, the whole to go to the sinning nine. ee ee 7 ——- been contested. The Silvertonians opened in good style by coming to Canyon City and beat- ing the home team after a close and exci'ing battle; but in the return game, the Canyon Citys, who bad meanwhile developed a good pitcher, wiped out the score by shutting out their opponents. And now, on the day following the exile of Algernon Arnold, the decisive game was to be con.ested. It was an occasion eagerly looked forward to by the inbabitants of both towns, for as each club had won a game, this would decide the champions|iip, Large sums of money were said to he wagered on the result, and when the morning of the event/ul day arrived, the excitement had reacbed fever heat. Toose who had work to do, neglected it to see the fun, everybody was on the gui vive, aud the streets of Canyon City were crowded, As noon approached, excitement increased with the arrival of the Silverton nine, They were accompanied by the entire popwation of that enterprising burgh, comprising bearly two hundred rongh-and-ready cits, all eager for fun and ready to back their favorites to their last copper. Amid great confusion, with discord- ant yells and tooting of horns. the Silverton contingent marched proudly into town, and mingled with the Canyon City crowd. Preparations were immediately made to open the game. The grounds were just outside the camp. They were spacious and remarkably level, nat- urally, and a little labor had served to improve their condition to a considerable extent. To the right and left a space was roped off, for spectators, leaving the field beyond first and third base entirely clear and uncbstructed, The minutes went by slowly enough to the impatient multitude assembled there to witness the game; but, suddenly, just before the time had expired, renewed excitement was caused by the report going the rounds that Dandy Jim, the crack pitcher of the home team, had been so unlucky as to fall and break his right arm, at the very time when bis presence was relied upon to help the team to victory. At first the story was thought to be a clever ruse on the part of the Canycn Citys to infiuence betting; but investigation proved that the rn- mor was not without foundation, Dandy Jim was, indeed. disabled; and the team seemed irretrievably crippled, Swiftly sped the intelligence, and the result was quick to be seen, The Canyon City men were inferior batsmen, and were relying mainly upon their battery to carry them through: now that they were crip- pled in what had been the strongest point, the chances for victory seemed very poor indeed, for no other man in town was competent to stand before the brawny ‘‘sluggers” from Sil- verton., Knowing this, they who bad put their money on the Canyon Citys made every effort to hedge; and where once the betting bad been even, now odds of five to one on the men from Silverton were freely offered, Here was a pretty state of affairs! In a neighboring shanty the disabled team had as- sembled, gloomy and despcndent, to discuss the situation. Seth Jones, the burly captain, was fairly te- side himself. If they failed to appear on the field at the appointed time, the game would be declared forfeited to the Silvertons, nine to nothing: and to try and play withovt a pitcher would be sheer foolishness. S¢mething must be done at once, for but ten minutes rr mained, but what?” ‘A million curses On our infernal luck howled the captain Pe les) air. “Somebody show me a pitcher. Me_king- dom for the galcot who kin piich a bell! Every cent in my pocket would [ give to the man who could down thr Silyertons, an’ pull us outen this pesky hole!” ‘Then turn your pockets inside-out, perd for ’m the chap who can do that little trick!” Quietly the words were uttered, «nd the eccus pants of the catan looked up to find thata new-comer bad entered the room unnoticed, ** The dandy dood, by thunder!” was the amazed cry. ‘* Yes, if was indeed Algernon Arnold, the young sport so unceremoniously bounced from the camp but a few hours before: and be stood there as cool and affable as ir such an event had never oceurred, “Gentlemen, you seem surprised to see me again so soon,” remarked the young man. “‘T must admit I have considerable cheek to come to !? At this time two of the games had already ‘a place I have been invited to steer clear of; 900 (2.