Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 589 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

a Se — a Xa Ss SA ee Tee sow ls Pa PSA NS Oe ws : | er : ee breathed twic’t after the bullethit him, He war the turriblest lookin’ sight I ever see. The bul- let must ’a’ been a big one, for it act’illy smash- ed his face all to pieces, He looked so orful that we put ’im into the ground’s quick’s we c’v'd the next morning.” ‘* No relatives, I suppose, to carry on the pro- secution? It may be that Edgerton will not need any money after all—that is, no great sum,” rentwood flipped the ashes from his cigar, and asked the question as coolly asif he really ‘ had no interest in the affair beyond loaning the prisoner a sum of money for the defense, ‘* Waal, he jest will, ef he ever pulls through this scrape alive, J don’t think money kin save him; though they do say it kin ’most raise a «lead man!” The detective threw his half-smoked cigar through the open door and got up from his chair. ‘* Might ’a’ guv me that, boss!” exclaimed the jailer, blinking at the cast-off cigar, as it rolled along the gravel. ‘* You rich chaps air so thun- derin’ extravagant!” ‘* Perhaps this will please you better,” said the detective, handing hima five-dollar bill. ‘* That’s for your gentlemaniy treatment of me, on the present occasion. ow, if you will show me the way to the prisoner’s cell, I will consider the debt more than paid!” ‘¢ Thankee, boss! Thankee!” grinned the jailer, working his eyelids horribly. ‘‘It does my old eyes good to look ata piece of green paper like that. This way, please! Cell number four air the identical place you air lookin’ fer,” He had evidently forgotten to make the pre- liminary search which he had said was necessary. ‘* Hyer you air!” he cried, jingling a handful of keys and applying one to the lock of the cell- door. “Tll have tolock you in. When you ‘want to get out, pound on the door er holler.” The door clanged heavily bebind the detective, the bolts creaked as they shot into place; and he found himself face to face with the prisoner. ‘* What do you want?” growled the Gold King, through the semi-gloom of the cell, Brentwood handed bim his card. ‘‘Perhaps you cannot see to read it!” he re- markei, ‘It’s rather dark in this cubby-hole.” Then, lowering his voice so that it could not reach the jailer, should that individual be lis- tening: ‘‘My name is Brentwood, Iam a detective, and have come here at your daughter’s request to see if I can assist you in any way.” he prisoner retreated to the wall, stared hard at the detective, and asked: ** Well, what can you do?” ‘* That’s what I came to ascertain.” Edgerton gave a snort of disgust. ‘‘Tt's ungentlemanly to say so, perhaps, Mr. Brentwood, but I’ve never been in love with the members of your profession, It’s a sneak- ing, prying trade!” The detective flushed slightly as these harsh words came from the lips of the prisoner. ‘¢ We will not stop to discuss that point!” he replied, somewhat coldly, ‘‘It’s a question about which men are free to differ. I came to learn what you can tell me of the trouble into which you have fallen.” He had unconsciously raised his voice to a louder pitch than prudence would have dictated, ‘‘T do not care to diseuss it!” was the curt rejoinder. ‘‘Have you no word you desire to send to your daughter?” ‘‘ None! She is an ungrateful girl, Mr. Brent- ~wood,” ‘*She is lying in bed now at home, heart- broken,” observed the detective, his voice soft- ening at the remembrance, ‘* Such wounds heal easily!” was the sneering, reply. ‘* Believe me, she will not die from the effects.” Brentwood could scarcely refrain from flying at the prisoner’s throat. Before he had regained control of himself, the Gold King continued: ‘‘T warned her to give up that dirty dog, and ‘she refused. Let her suffer the consequences, If a man cannot rule in his own household, Mr. Brentwood, where can he hope to rule?” The detective was thoroughly disgusted by this exhibition of heartlessness. ‘‘Then you haye no word to send?” ‘‘ None whatever,” The prisoner rudely turned bis back on him, and walked to the other end of the little cell. ‘* Here, let me out!” cried Brentwood to the jailer, giving the door an angry kick. A jingle of keys was heard in the hall, the door swung open, and the face of the jailer ap- peared in the opening, Tom-cat and Pard. *“*Do business right up to the handle, eh?” as he allowed Brentwood to slip through into the hall, ‘*Didn’t expect to hear yer yawp fera half an hour yit.” ‘*Couldn’t loan him anything,” Brentwood replied, dryly. ‘Got dust o’ his own, I reckon!” He led the way briskly to the front entrance, ‘* So long!” he cried, as the detective stepped into the street. ‘‘ Bring another V when you come ag’in an’ you kin board with me as long as you like, That war the best cigar [ve smoked sence the year one.” ‘* The scoundrel!” muttered Brentwood, as he walked down the street, thinking of the prisoner and not of the jailer. ‘‘If it wasn’t for his daughter I'd say that he ought to be hung!” CHAPTER VI. PELION ON OSSA. THE next morning, Silver City was treated to a genuine surprise. he town supported quite a number of men of the black-leg and sporting variety—conscience- less scoundrels, who would rob a man or cut a | throat without the slightest compunction. The king of these gentry was Hank Ham- mond, the notorious gambler. He had been in Silver City long enough to gain a controlling influence over the class he represented; and, as he was as shrewd and capa- ble as he was conscienceless, other villains of high and low a served bim Abe As has been intimated, Philip Edgerton, the Gold ae was also something of a gambler, He played for mere love of tbe play, however, and not with any expectation of gain. In fact, it was one of his expensive luxuries, for his losses generally exceeded his winnings ten-fold. It was his misfortune to fall into Hammond’s clutches, The Gold King was deficient in many respects, and in none more so than character- reading. He had little of the discernment of the physiognomist. Hammond was gay, reckless and dasbing, and exceedingly clever as a conversationalist; and the Gold King soon came to regard him as an exceptionally bright and gifted young man. Hammond knew ‘‘ which side of his bread was buttered” and assiduously cultivated Ed- gerton’s acquaintance; and not many weeks rolled by until 1t became tacitly understood that the Gold King was his especial ‘‘ chum” and quarry. No one thought, however, that Edgerton was becoming financially involved, for it bad never been his custom to play for high stakes, Therefore, when Hammond went before the mayor, that morning, and produced a sale-bill giving him possession of the Edgerton Mine, after a certain date, if the amount named there- in was not then paid, Silver City was aghast with surprise, The time of payment bad expired more than a week before, and Hammond asserted that the money was not yet forthcoming. The payment of the amount named would seriously cripple the resources of a richer man than the Gold KEE : : ‘*'You will notice that the instrument gives me the right to enter into instant possession of the property!” observed Hammond, addressing the mayor in his smooth, oily voice, ‘*Tt is duly signed and witnessed, as you can see. The witnesses are Bonanza Bill and Fight- ing Fred, both well-known in the town, so I think there will be no question as to the genu- ineness of the document. The witnesses named were well-known as worthless vagabonds, but the signatures were undoubtedly theirs, and there seemed little doubt that Edgerton’s signature was also genu- ine, ‘If there is any doubt as to whether Edger- ton really appended his name to this or not, the matter can be quickly settled by sending the jailer to question him. He will not deny the execution of the instrument,” 2 Oe a in reply to the surprised look of the of- cial. ‘* What is it you want me todo with it?” questioned the mayor. ** Nothing!” was the rejoinder, ‘I know you have no authority in such cases and there is no court anywhere near that has, I simply wanted to present the matter to you, as you represent about all the law we have in this country. By so doing the legality of the instrument can be tested, if necessary, and the news of the trans- fer of the property will be more quickly spread. ‘*T would not have made the matter public, only for one thing. I thibk if Edgerton pulls through his present difficulty he can pay the amount named herein with very little trouble, but I am told that a money-loaner visited him esterday. I don’t know whether Edgerton rrowed anything from himor not, He will probably attempt to get money somewhere to ay for his defense, as I uuderstand that bis ank-account is at a rather low ebb. Doubtless the money-loaner who visited bim knew of that re Spee and hoped to take advantage of it. ‘‘Now, I intend to enter into immediate pos- | session of the Edgerton Mine and give warning in this court to money-lenders the world over” that that piece of property cannot be incnm bered by any debts which Edgerton may eon tract.” v poy q Hank Hammond withdrew from the pré of the mayor as seme as he had entered leaving that officer and the spectatons io, tate over the affair at their leisure. “\=a5y He was as good as his word, Within he gathered a large following of alliesand mirers and advanced toward the Edgerton Mine, the most valuable piece of mining ae erty near Silver City. Reke Tanner, one of the employees, was acting as superintendent since the sudden dismissai of;Clifford Curtis, Tanner was a grizzled miner from the Golden State—hence his title, Eureka, shortened into Reke. He had been in Edgerton’s employ longer than any other man in the works, and had a not unnatural feeling of loyalty for the harsh and stern Gold ae ‘‘What air ye wantin’ byer, anyway, Ham- mond, that you bring a reg’mint along 0’ you?” he beg. coming out from among the mine buildings. ‘Some dirt er nuther, Ill be boun’!” ‘* Nothing that is not lawful, Eureka,” replied Hammond, suavely. ‘The mine bas been sold to me and I have simply come to take ion of it. No barm in that, I bope—though you are showing your teeth over it like a bull-dog.” ‘*That’s a lie!” shouted the miner, dancing u and down in frantic rage. ‘ It’s some tric you're tryin’ to play, ’cause you think the old man’s in jail and can’t help hisself.” A dangerous glare came into Hammond’s eyes. eT you were not an old man, Eureka, I'd wing you for that. But we have to look over the chattering of old men and fools!” His voice was as calm and sweet as a summer morning. In reply, Tanner whipped out a brace of six- shooters and flashed them in the faces of the crowd. “You can’t soft-soap me that-a-way, Hank Hammond. You've got a mighty slick tongue, but I know a thing er two as well’s some other people; and I know you ain’t got a shadder o’ right to this property. 3 The Gold. King Daal go under fer his fool- ishness t’other night. ‘Likely he will; but, he’s gota darter an’l intend to look after her in- t’rest same’s ef she war my Own, An’ ye don’t rit into this mine ’ceptin’ it’s over my dead body. Help, boys! Rally fer the Gold King’s darter !”’ The call rung through the buildings and sum- moned to his side three or four determined men, ‘*Why, you old fool, what’s got into your crazy head?’ Hammond demanded, angrily, en- deavoring to brush aside the weapon that was leveled at him, ‘*Mebbe Iam an old fool!” Tanner retorted, ‘But I know two er three things and I know ‘em right well. The fu’st of ’em is, that Pll down ye like I would a wolf ef ye ’tempt to pass me,” There was a dangerous fire in the old man’s eyes that checked Hammond in bis effort to ad- vance. He decided that he must use caution if he did not want to be the recipient of a bullet, ‘Come, come, Reke! This is all child’s play; you are at liberty to look at the instrument giving me possession of this piece of property, if ou have any doubts on the subject, Meantime i must ask you to stand aside and let me in,” ‘‘ Bluff’s a good dog but Hold-fast is a better. We've got possession 0’ the premises an’ ye don’t git in thout a fight; now you hear me!” At this assertion Hank Hammond gave a tiger-like spring that carried him past the muz- zle of the threatening weapon. Reke Tanner was borne backward and the two rolled over and over on the ground, in a desperate struggle. At the same time the revolver was discharged harmlessly into the air. Hammond’s followers leaped to the assistance of their chief; and by the mere weight of over- wering numbers scattered the mine employees ike chaff. “There, you old fool!” the gambler gritted, JIN A, ~ i? Le ae Peo ‘ iy : rvs 2 A ) -— +4 hay wf i. + Piay ay z si ate ae > : Fi ~~ ; 4 > ; ?