Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 583 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 fool the average clerk is, nia Wiese acce:Giscie te “Life hboaidthionsto | pid tdiean calito? his ambition to win on the races. He let’s on to his chums that he’s a judge of borse-flesh, but, really, he don’t know the first thing about it A fever to win on the races runs 1n his veins, and he sends ‘his cash for a‘ tip.’ Scratley is plucking his pigeons right and left—and ob! his tips are so valuable. Pll bet you a V, Mat, that you may put a 2:20 racer beside of a four minute nag and Scratley can’t tell which is the better horse, But he can give tips to pigeons—oh! yes!” ‘‘There’s logs of funny business going on,’ agreed Matthew, with his oily smile, and St. Percy laughed and snapped his fingers for some mysterious reason, ‘Shall you be around at the dog-fight, old man?” continued St. Percy, ‘* Wriday’s event?” 46 Yes, 9? “Oh! Tll be there; ’ve gotan X up with a oung dude down on Wall street. He’s am- hitiotn to be a sport, the dear chappie is; and Ill help him to the extent of taking his ten. He thinks he’s ‘ up’ on dogs, but he don’t know the A B C of it —another pigeon to pluck, Gerald. What would we do without these soft-heads to fill our pockets?” ‘Bless them and their money!” St. Percy ut- tered, humorously. ty Their money ts good,” Mr. Solace admitted, smiling more broadly than ever. Wrestling Rex gazed at the men in disgust. His experience in the ‘*sporting” arena had been brief, and he was inclined to think that it would come toan end very sovn. He was not pee with the men he met. He gave the pro- ession the benefit of the doubt, and admitted to himself that his experience might possibly be an exception, but those whom he met as patrons of the various ‘“‘sports” were flashy men who looked like blacklegs, and would- be gay young men about town. The latter seemed to be chiefly clerks, and he judged that they wished to add to their slender income by betting. What was their success? As far as be had observed they came in only to fall afoul of those “in tbe ring ”—the flashy men—who proceeded to pluck them like pigeons, as St. Percy would say. Rex Peters was an honest, upright boy, and he was getting very much disgusted with his life. It had only just begun, and he was re- solved to end it promptly, Sclace, St. Percy and their fellow sporting men digusted him thoroughly. St. Percy turned to the boy wrestler. ‘* Well, my young man, are you going to down the West Street Wonder?” ‘* I’m going to try,” Rex modestly replied. ‘You don’t feel sure, eh?” ‘* Why, yes,” Rex slowly returned, ‘ As long as Mr, Solace is my backer, I'll say that I have all the confidence in the world that I am going to win.” St. Percy and Solace exchanged glances. ‘*Sam Upperly is a good ’un; he’s not called the West Street Wonder for nothing,” cautioned iSt. Percy. ** No doubt.” ‘¢ Yet you think you'll win?’ ‘6 T do,” bb) Rex answered quietly, but very firmly. ‘¢ You are poor, I believe?” ‘* Yes, sir. “¢ And what you get out of the match will be a great blessing to you?” ** Certainly St. Percy ais at Solace, and then drew his chair closer to Rex ** Suppose,” he “said, lowering his voice and trying to make it very ‘pleasant ‘and persuasive, ‘(that you could make more by losing?” “Why, I get nothing if I Jose.” Mr. St. Percy laughed very softly and agree- ab! “But s suppose some One would give youa good round sum to lose on purpose!” he said, coming directly to the point. Rex’s face flushed perceptibly. ‘Speak plainly!” he said, in a voice which should have nape the sharper caution. ‘*T will, my boy. You see, this match is cre- ating a good deal of excitement, and there is a chance to win a good deal of money if the thinz is worked right. Unfortunately, it is the gener- a Balen that vou will best the West Street der, and we don’t see how we can place our néy. Now if we bet against you, we can get ds, but we know if the thing goes on its merits you will down Sam Upperly.” ** Well?” “Well, if the thing is ‘ fixe 1,’ with Upperly as winner, your friends can make a good thing, BE RAE ti SR ee aaa Rex. and iy can pull in two hundred on one stake, + 5 ust so, You want me to sell the match.” ‘* Putting it that way—yes.” ‘* I decline!” Rex spoke shortly and sharply, and the faces of both his companions suddenly became gloomy, ‘* Decline?” echoed St, Percy. “That’s what I said.” 46 But—” ‘‘ Mr, Solace is my backer—do you suppose _ I am going to lose his money thus?’ It was aremark to test the great man of the Sixth Ward. Rex felt sure that he knew how Solace stood, but he wanted it in plain words, ‘My dear’ boy,” exclaimed Matthew, with his most unctuous manner, ‘don’t hesitate on my account, I beg of you. ’ Tecan easily set myself right; m fact, if you will oblige St. Percy I shall be glad, and it will give me a chance to rake in a good-sized boodle.’ ‘* But what of those who bet on mein good faith?” "None of our friends will do that; I'll let ’°em on. ‘*Others may.” ‘‘They must look out for themselves,” indif- ferently returned Solace. ‘‘Tf [am a better man than Sam Upperly,” firmly declared Rex, ‘‘ those who bet on me can rely upon me to help them out, I won’t sell out; P aH win, if [ can!” CHAPTER VII, A WAGER IS MADE. THE two schemers gazed at the boy in speech- less dismay and anger. Solace had known him well enough so that he bad entertained grave fears that their attempt would result just like this, and he had duly cautioned St. Percy, but when the cold fact met them it was a severe blow, despite all that had been said, St.’ Per cy had his part to play, however, and he went ahead. ‘¢ Nonsense! You’re joking, my lad.” ‘‘T am in earnest,” Rex firmly replied. ‘“‘-You won't lose the match? ‘* Not if I can help it.” ‘* But remember that I have offered you two hundred dollars to lose it.” ‘*No use, Mr. St. Percy.” ‘* Ts two bundred of no use to you?” ‘*It would be of great use, but I don’t pro- pose to get it dishonestly.” ‘*Oh, nonsense! Now see here, Rex; let me open your eyesa bit, You're new in § rting matters, and don’t ju ust understand how it goes. I want to say, and Solace will back me up, that nearly every event is ‘fixed.’ It’s better to put up your money on a dead sure thing than on a vexibare, but the event is settled in advance by mutual consent, and when it’s over those who are in the ring pocket the cash, while the out- siders—the ‘suckers’ they have caught—get left. See?” ** That is all plain.” " Consequent y,” put in Matthew Solace, very blandly, ‘‘ if a wrestler sticks to his friends, his friends will stick to him,” ‘*' You can throw me over as soon as you see fit!” indignantly replied Rex. ‘I think I’ve had about enough of sporting life—why don’t you cali it robbery, and be done with it? ‘‘ My dear boy, you don’t understand—” ‘Yes, I do; I have suspected for some time that the business I was temporarily in was all a swindle, and now you confess it!” Both men smiled, They did not object to be called swindlers, but the danger of losing Rex made them uneasy. Their smiles were forced and unhappy, as it were. ‘*But remember the money you can make,” urged § St. Percy, as he jingled some loose silver. I don’t want to make it that way. Mr. Solace, I suppose my match with Sam pperly isa fixture, so [ will not back out, but after that I shall retire. Idon't think this business will suit me.” Mr. Solace shifted his position uneasily, but St. Persy was more determined. He renewed the attack upon Rex, and presented his side of the case in its most alluring lights. Money!—money!—money! That was the bur- den of his cry. Money was the lever that moved the world. Without money a man was a nobody; with it, he was a power. Labor was a bore: it broke down the system; it wearied him who bound himself toit. If Rex Peters could get a good living without work, simply by betraying the more honest class of bettors— what of it? It would be nobody’s business; Rex would be a fool to miss the chance, Such was the drift of St. Percy’s argument, | > but Rex was not convinced, The young wrestler was honest by nature and ‘training, and now that he plainly saw the kind of men and influences he had gone among, he had no more desire to keep in the * sporting ” arena, What he had seen of sporting men seemed to show that they were nearly all alike. They were flashy, ignorant, dissipated and unscrupu- lous; they were menit was well to let alone. There might be many honest members of their profession—no doubt there was now and then one—but he had seen that every influence aris- pe the life was demoralizing. e wanted no more of it. ‘*T will wrestle Sam Upperly,” was his ulti- matum; ‘‘ then I retire from the life.” They’ left the room, and then Rex, who had not been able-to fix his mind wholly upon one subject, looked out of the window again. A. shade of diss ppointment crossed his face; there was still no sizn of Five Points Pbil. “Tt’s very “str ange,” murmured Rex; ‘he ought to have been back three hours ago, I hope no harm has come to him!” Solace and St. Percy left the house and walk- ed down the street to Paradise Park. They went in utter silence until they had passed the Mission, when the latter put out his hand and stop ed his companion, Vell, what are we going to do about it?” he asked, in an angry voice, ‘*T see no hope of moving that obstinate young viper,” replied Solace, with more venom that seem fg for a gr eat mau to use, ‘Nor I “Tts bad.” ‘Infernal bad! Must I give up my designs on Willis Landerson?” ‘‘ No!—by the fiends, no!” Solace asserted. ‘But what can I do? He's probably at the hotel now, waiting to close the bet, and I can’t take him up because that villainous boy 1sa@ fool!” Solace looked carefully around, and then, low- ering his voice, replied: ‘* See here, St. Perc y, you go ahead and scoop in that fellow: Ill see that Rex Peters don’t win, I’ve already laid one beton Sam Upperly, against Rex, and I ain’t going to lose the seads. Rex says hell wrestle, and you can bet high that he don’t win!” *¢ How’ll you work it?” ‘‘ How did Rubber-leg Joe lose the go-as-you- please race last winter?” ‘*Drugged!” whispered St. Percy. * Just so. Well, my hand ain’t lost its cun- oi at, will ao ‘fix’ the Pride?” “T will. Goon and bag your nabob; put every dollar you can raise on the West Street Wonder. Rex will lose that match—and when it’s over, he andI are done. Confusion seize the fellow! T’ll make the Sixth Ward so hot for him that he’ll be glad to get out of it!” St. Percy grasped his friend’s hand; they re- mained in conversation some little time longer ; and then, while Solace went through Elm street, the young man went on to Broadway and walked up that thoroughfare. On the way he had time to meditate, and though he had left his partner in iniquity in a confident mood, be was rather shaky when he entered one of the large hotels above Prince street. He had come to keep an appointment, | and was soon shakiug hands with a young man | of about his own age, This was Willis Landerson, the man he had mentioned to Matthew Solace, Landerson was very well dressed, and his whole appearance in dicated that he was of the upper rank in life. Expensive as his garments were, they were not flashy and he made a striking contrast to St. Percy. He would bave teen good-locking, too, had it not been for the brand of dissipation in’ delibly fixed upon his face. He had the appearance of a wan who, being blessed with th 18 rood things of life, was fast going to ruin, an’ his first act was to ask St, Percy to have a drink. Then they settled down to talk. “T's getting late,” said Landerson, “and I will come right to the point. Is your friend ready to put up @ thousand on the West Street ' Wonder?” ‘T haven’t been able to see him yet,” replied St. Percy, still shaky. ‘* Have you written?” ‘“No. I tried to see him in person.” ‘*{ don’t like this delay. I am dead sure the Pride will win, but I am not so anxious to make a thousand thatd am going to chase Upperly’s supporters around town.” ‘You shall not be disappointed again; Pll urely see my friend to-morrow,”