Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 570 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

> Ed MEP 246. Be = '12 ‘*¢'You got ten thousand in gold by your bold play that day, when the toll-gatherers got the credit of robbing the coach, ‘* You have a beautiful wife, live in the best style this country affords, and you have laid by a He e fortune made at cards,’ ell, come to the point, for I am growing impatient.” “Tl let you hear all in good time, so curb your impatience, Card King, for it’s to your in- terest to hear me,” ‘** Be quick about it, then,” ‘‘With the amount you stole from the stage that day, I can go East and settle down in busi- ness, so just pay over to me that sum.” “You are a fool.” ‘‘Not such a fool as you will prove yourself by not doing as I demand.” ‘* Au! you threaten again?” ‘* Yes, I do threaten you.” ‘‘ And I repeat you are a fool, to come here and make such a demand of me.” ** And youare the greater fool not to listen, for I shall make known your act to all in Sports Paradise.” The gambler never moved a muscle at this threat, but gazed straight into the face of the road-agent. After a minute he said: ** You’ve got the trumps on me, pard.” ‘*T have, and I mean to play them,” ‘*To a man who gets the drop on mel offer terms,” | ‘Speak out, then.” **T will give you half the sum you demand.” ** Not a dollar less than ten thousand.” “*T have not so much,” ‘¢- You have ten times as much, for I have not <ome here blindly to make my demand. ‘‘ Why, pard, | have been bere a dozen times ‘to find you.” “*T will pay you the sum if you will await my weturn here.’ ‘-T will wait.” ** Do you see yonder rock?” The man glanced in the direction indicated. sé Yes.” **Go there and await my coming. ‘* Have you a horse?” ‘¢ Yes, over the bill yonder.” ‘‘ Bring him to the rock and await for me.” ‘‘Pll do it; but don’t forget to come,” “‘T will be there.” The stranger turned away and Kent Kingdon ‘walked down the hill to the hotel. In half an hour he retraced bis steps to the graveyard, and beheld the man awaiting him mear the rock, while his borse was hitched near by. In his hand Kent Kingdon carried a bag, ~which appeared to contain some heavy weight. Walking up to the man he said: ‘‘T am here, so take your bush money.” The man eayerly held out his hands for the bag, as the Card King raised it as though to give it to him, when there was a smothered re- port, a cry, and the road-agent staggered back- ward and fell heavily. He tried to get his hand upon his revolver, but the Card King sprung upon bimand quickly disarmed him. ‘* You have killed me,” groaned the man. ‘T told you that you were a fool.” * And you are also a fool, for in killing me you have not buried the secret I hold in the grave, for lam not the only one who holds it, as you will soon know, “Ha! ha! ha! Card King, you will soon be hanged in Sports’ Paradise by the very men you deem your friends. ‘¢ You have killed me, yes, and I will be an- other victim for you to bury, but there are others to avenge me.” “ Curses upon you!” cried the 5 Paging and he drew the revolver he had concealed in the bag and aimed it at the man’s head. But there was no need to fire, for with a few convulsive gasps the road-agent breathed his last, 6s CHAPTER XxX. NUMBER THREE, Ir was two days after his meeting with the road-agent in the cemetery, that the Card King lett Sports’ Paradise, He went away mounted on his splendid horse and Isabel was by his side, while several pack ‘ animals followed in the rear, and the large do which had belonged to David Drew, and whic had become the constant companion of the gam- bler’s wife, trotted close to the side of his mis- ‘tress. Where the Card King went no one knew, and “ym believed that the threats made against ‘him had caused his hasty departure, mmm eee ELleeeeeeeeEeEeEeEeEeEeeeeeeeee cs > Le) Camille, the Card Queen. But they were wrong, for he cared little for the threats of the miners whose money be had won, It was the fear that a third road-agent, know- ing his theft of the treasure from the stage-coach would turn up, and if the secret was betrayed he would be quickly swung up to a tree. So it was he returned to the hotel, told Judge Dal that he had been attacked by a stranger in the cemetery, and seut men to bury the body at his expense. The next day he surprised Isabel by tellin her that he was going to at once leave Sports Paradise, Her heart gave one great bound of joy. Was he going to give up his evil life, to take her from the fearful existence she led, helping him in his gambling, and forced to dwell among such a wild lot of human beings? Had he taken pity upon her at last, and was he going to do something to make her life happy? Such were: her thoughts, and she asked him quickly: ‘* Ob, Donald! tell me where you are going?” a I do not know yet; but far away from ‘*Thank Heaven for those words, for you in- tend to give up this red, sinful life you lead, and become a changed man.” ‘*T will give up the life I lead when I make a fortune large enough to support me as I desire to live,” was the sinister response, and it brought tears into the beautiful eyes of the unbappy young wife. The next..day the Card King departed from Sports’ Paradise, and, but for the love all felt for Isabel, he would have found that he had a score of men to deal with whom he had wronged ere he went away. But they allowed him to depart in peace, and the Card King was remembered only as a des- perate man who always gambled tojwin, and took all chances to do so. Two weeks after, Camille Cameron arrived in Sports’ Paradise, and not a soul could tell her whither the Card King had gone. His trail had been lost in the mountains, a few miles away from the camps, rain had fallen since then, and tbe tracks were obliterated, and no one knew the destination the gambler had in view. In the coming of the Card Queen, the Card King was quickly forgetten, for incidents of a most thrilling kind were, in that wild com- munity but a nine days’ wonder. Camille soon found that she could handle cards far better even than had Donald King, and not a soul ever suspected her of cheating, and many were really glad to see her win. She took big chances, did not flinch if she lost a large stake, and would always take any bet, no matter how large the amount offered. Who she was no one could guess, and though she had scores of fine young fellows in love with om not one had the courage to tell her of his ove, Even the judge dared not ask her to become the Jandlady of the Flush Hotel. There was that about ber that kept men at bay, and not a word was ever breathed in her presence that should not have been heard by ears polite. *You are doing the boys more good, Queen Camille, than Parson Cross Bones ever did,” the judge said to her, ; One of her favorite walks was to the grave- yard, and, as the Card King had done, she passed a long time at the resting-place of those who bad fallen by his band, A strange fascination seemed also to hold her there, or to cause her to seek the weird spot. ‘‘In dogging the steps of Kent Kingdon I follow a trail dotted with graves—a perfect skeleton trai] he leaves bebinud bim, ‘But this skeleton trail that I am following must some day have an end, and bitter will be the ending,” and the Card Queen fairly hissed the words through her shut teeth. Hardly bad she uttered them when she heard hoof-falls, Turning quickly, the Card Queen, at thesame time, dropped her hand upon a revolver and was ready to greet friend or foe, ‘ She saw a horseman riding slowly toward er. Seeing that he was discovered he halted, dis- mounted and hitched his horse. Then he unbuckled his belt of arms, held them up to her view and hung them upon his saddle-horn as an indication that he came with no hostile ir tent; The Card Queen made no move, and awaiting : ae am is : nb ee - x ta -™ his approach still kept her hand upon her revel- ver. ‘‘T mean you no harm, miss,” and the man doffed his broad sombrero, She sawaman with a bearded face, and a reckless,dissipated look, but yet not a wicked one, He was dressed in buckskin, top-boots, and wore a broad-brimmed sombrero, Never did Camille remember to have seen him in the Sports’ Paradise camps before, for sbe had come to know ’most every miner by sight and many by name, ** Well, sir, do you wish to speak to me?” she asked, quietly. ‘* Yes, miss, I have tried to see you here alone for some days, but there was always some one else about, so I hung back.” ‘‘ And why wish to see me alone?” and a sus- picion of foul play flashed from the eyes of Camille, ‘*Not to harm you, miss, for I would not go aught against you for a thousand in paying irt.” ‘* What then?” ‘* To ask you, miss, if you are tracking Donald King?” ‘* You refer to the man they call the Card King?” ‘* Yes, miss.” ‘What of him?’ ‘* Are you not on his trail?” ‘* Why do you ask?” ‘* Well, miss, there are those in this camp that I know, though I keep away myself, and 1 have heard that you came here to find him,” ‘* T did; but he has gone.” ‘* Do you know where he is now?” ‘*T do not know; but I intend to find out,” ‘*T am anxious to alsv find him, miss,” ‘* What have you against him?” ** Do you see the newest-made grave at your feet, miss?” sé Yes,” ‘* The hand of the Card King placed that man there.” **So I know.” ** He was my brother.” és Ah " ‘* Yes, miss, and when the Card King killed our captain and we dispersed, my brother and myself tried to reform.” ‘* What were you?’ ! ‘* Road-agents, miss,” was the honest re- sponse. sé Ah !? ‘Yes, miss; but we had luck go against us, and my brother said he would come and get money out of the Card King.” ‘**He was a hard man to win gold from,” ‘He didn’t intend to play cards for the money, miss, but to force it from him by a se- cret he held. ‘* That he failed his grave proves.” ** And whatis your secret?” ‘* 1] tell you on one condition, miss.” * Well?” “Do you agree?” of ‘‘ Let me hear your condition,” ‘*} am a poor man now, in hard luck, and have no money; butif you will stake me, I will start on the trail of the Card King and find bim for you.” rv Vu “And all I'll ask is to make him pay me money for my secret, and then, if you say so, Vl kill him for you,” ‘*] will strike for my own revenge when the time comes; but I will pay you well to go and find the Card King for me.’ Vl do it, miss, and I'll tell you the secret I bold against him.” ; * Well, out with it.” ‘You will not use it so as to keep me from making a stake?” ** T will not.” ‘Well, miss, he robbed the stage-coach that day Doc Dnoning was killed, and not the road- agents as he claimed,” were the low-spoken words of the ex-outlaw. CHAPTER XXII... FOR REVENGE AND GOLD. THe revelation of the road-agent about the Card King fairly startled Camille Cameron. She had discovered Kent Kingdon to be a very bad man. She knew that he held human life very cheap, and was ever ready to kill, She remembered how often she had heard the story of Doc Dunning’s death, and that the coach had been robbed by the ronad-agents, and the horses. had run away and Kent Kingdon’s skill as a driver alone had saved the team from de struction and the life of Isabel Drew as well as his own, 4 - , : : aw Yes COMICDOOKS. : co t4> re | |