Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 802 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

i ie See Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Diamond Dice. 11 One of these had handed Sport the gold. ** There don’t seem to be any doubt about it,” one was saying. ‘*So [ think,” agreed the other. ‘“‘ The man is undoubtedly Deadwood Dick, as that fellow declared, ‘* And if it is he—” ‘‘ We know what he wants here,” “ Sure, His words at the table there proved it. ‘* Saying that the limit of the game was five Millions, Yes; that was all the proof we needed,” ‘* Well, what is to be done?” . ma here is only one thing to be done, and that is— He did not finish in words, but by a sign which the other understood. ‘You are right, and it shall be done, too, But, what about the womar? Rough on her,” ‘* She is as bad as the man, if she is really his wife, and as much to be feared, too. She must be disposed of, somehow. An accidental shot would do it,” “It’s the only way, I guess. It is a case that means one thing or the other, for us, and the sooner we take it in hand and do the fellow up, the better, Whatis the plan?” They talked in low tones, then, and for a con- siderable time, when they parted, After that, men were seen to leave the saloon, singly and by twos, until a goodly force of them had gone out, the worst characters the camp could show, It was seen, but whether any particular atten- tion was paid to it or not did not appear. The game was still in progress, and now Sportive Sport was winning, Some other players bad dropped in by this time, too, strangers to the camp, it appeared. One of these was a rough-looking teamster in rough attire, whose face indicated that he had been recently under the hands of the camp’s new barber. He was a quiet man, and was risking only small sums in a quiet way, and little attention was given to him. Low down on the front of his red shirt, where his vest almost hid it, was a diamond pin with two stones. Bebind him stood Lawyer Bungle, evidently deeply interested in the game; or, it might have been, simply feasting his eyes upon the display of wealth. The others of the players, fellows of ordinary dress, wore diamond pins, one having a pin with four stones and the other a single one, Had any one noted it, the pins represented the spots of a die, the only missing one being the tray. But, it was something that was not noticed, save by those concerned, The woman, Fearless Fan, wasstill there, She was not playing, but was standing near the table, almost opposite to the dealer and not far from Lawyer Bungle. ; Presently there came an excited stir near the front of the room, and there was a call for Mil- ton Armstrong, “Here I am,” the mine manager responded, from his place near the table. He bad only recently come in, after having been out for some time, and was watching the game closely, incompany with his superintend- ent, Keeler, - ‘*Hyer’s yer darter wants ter see ye,” a man called out. A young woman was pushing her way through the crowd, and presently she came to where the manager sat, She was not bad-looking, but had a hard, ‘sed look that did not by any means suit her Station, - “ What isit, Eva?” the manager asked, “Oh! papal” sbe exclaimed, with excitement that seemed forced, “that horrid Duteh ped- dler has broken into our house, and he must he Tobbing us, I think.” ‘The Dutch peddler!” cried the manager, He exchanged a quick look with Keeler, and the latter cried: “Til Dutch peddle him, if he is there yet, Pll go back with your daughter, Mr. Armstrong, alfa dozen of you men come with me, and catch the rascalif you can, He won't be hard bits , ll go with you,” the manager declared. “ Ana so wi »’ cried the mayor of the camp, ‘* We'll hang the cuss, if we git him to rights,” hese three, with half a dozen or more of tbe employees of the mine from ouf the crowd, set vee 5 once, the YOUDg woman returning with The play had stopped for the moment, but it a OTT EE ——— CC Ch was resumed as soon as the momentary interrup- tion had ended, Sportive Sport’s luck seemed to change, short- ly,and again he was on the losing side, His face was clouded, and a desperate expression seemed to come into his eyes as be played. It was some time after the going out of the mine-inanager and those with him, that another stranger entered the saloon, He was a keen-eyed man, with smooth face, clad in ordinary attire, and he seemed tosaunter in as though with no especial interest further than to see what might he going on, He made bis way to the faro-table, where he looked idly on at the game, Like some of the others, he wore a diamond pin. It had three stones in it, in a row from left to right. The Dutch peddler was not likely to be found by those who had gone out in quest of him, as more than one man present could have pre- dicted, after the coming in of this man, The Sportive Sport lost steadily, and the hour was growing late, ‘* In balf an hour more I shall close the game for the night,” the dealer made announcement, ‘‘ Make your play, gentlemen.” ‘* Tt will be closed sooner, if I lose this turn,” grated Sportive Sport. His face bad settled into a hard, white expres- sion of desperation, and he made his last play, with cold calculation, He had been watching the run of the cards closely, and bad been playing where calculation bad shown the player’s best chance to lie, but he had lost steadily. This was his last effort, and he staked all he had, A turn of a card, and he had—lost! With alightning move he drew a revolver from under the table, and— But, it did not happen, White George might have died then and there, but a friendly hand interposed, It was Lawyer Bungle who grasped the fellow’s wrist, with a grip of steel, and in a show of greatest excitement and consternation, he gasped: cae, goodness, Mister Sport, don’t do any- thing like that. Your must not kill yourself! Fortune may be ready to smile upon you again “tee ig as has been the case many a time be- ore. With a quick movement the lawyer bad dis armed him, = Feeling that his real intention had not been discovered, the Sportive Sport smiled and ac- cepted the situation. ‘*T don’t know whether I ought to thank you or not, lawyer,” he remarked, ‘‘ but you have saved my life. Well, the game is ended, all the same, so far as [ am concerned,” He rose from the table, ‘*’m sorry for your bad run of luck, friend,” said White George. ‘If you will accept it, Vl give you a stake of afew thousands.” ‘‘No, by great!” was the refusal, ‘ Vl try you once more, to-morrow night, and then if my luck is the same I'll take care that I carry out what I tried to do a moment ago,” Just then the mayor, Armstrong, Keeler and the others returned, CHAPTER XIII. THRILLING MOMENTS. “HELLO! did you get the peddler?” asked Sportive Sport, turning at once to them and seem- ing glad of the chance to change the subject. ** No; he ain’t ter be found nowhere,” answered the mayor, ‘‘ Have you gone broke, Scorty?” ‘¢ That’s what’s the matter with me,” ‘*The deuce!” exclaimed Armstrong. ‘* You are in hard luck, Bondell. If you require an- other stake, ll back you.” ‘‘Not to-night, thank you. I have had enougb,” ; ‘‘ See here,” demanded Keeler, ** has this been a square game, boys?” | ‘“ Have you seen anything crooked about it?” immediately challenged White George, who was taking up his winnings, ‘‘No, I have not,” Keeler admitted, ‘‘ but it seems strange that a player like Sportive Sport should be on the losing side so long. We don’t know you, further than we have had from your Own lips,” “*Thatis true; but if any one has seen cheat- g, let him step forward and say so, If it can ® proved, I'll surrender every cent I have won,” ‘So far as that is concerned,” said Sportive Sport, ‘I think the game has been a square one, Lam no child at it, and I have watched closely,” ‘*As you had the right to do, sir,” observed the dealer, ‘‘ When I play, whether as banker LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL. LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLLLLLBLLBLBLBLBDBLLLBLLLLLL LLL LLL LLL or player, the game has got to be a square one. It hes certainly been all in my favor, though.” He had now taken up his winnings, and rose from the table, The other players had already left their places, and were standing near Lawyer Bungle, What should have happened, then, did not take place according to programme, for just at the critical moment there was a wild whoop at the door, and a crowd of men, with weapons flourishing, bounded into the room, At their bead was Wild Ward, who bad some- how escaped. ‘‘Thar he is,” he cried, pointing at White George. ‘* Take him, and we'll make short work of him,” Forward they rvsbed, their weapons to the front, and the way was cleared for them as they came on, , ‘‘Up with yer hands, this hyer time,” cried Wild Ward, ‘Ther jig is up wi’ you now, an’ thar’s no gettin’ out of et. Ther man what draws a pop gits a dose o’ lead.” White George bad been caught with the bags of gold in his hands, and before he could drop them and draw his revolver, it was too late. There were some thirty or more of the in- truders, and each was armed, Most of them were more or less drunk, and it could be seen at a glance that they would hold life cheap. ‘* Well, what do you want?” the cool sport asked, ‘* We want you, that’s what,” was the arswer. ‘Up with yer bands, or you'll git a pull right. byer!” The sport obeyed, raising hie hands with the bags of coin in his grasp. ‘‘Oh! ye kin hold on to ther boodle, ef ye want to,” was sneered. ‘ We'll take keer of that after we have tooken keer of you. Lay onto him, fellers,” Wild Ward advanced a step himself, and two or three others stepped forward with him to carry out his order, ‘¢ Let me out of here!” suddenly cried Lawyer Bungle. ‘* Let me out of here!” Witb his words he made a dash to get pees the armed men, evidently, and in his mad haste he ran against Wild Ward with force enough to knock him almost off bis balance, It was all that was needed; it was something to give White George a chance to act, and the sport did act, promptly. | With sudden energy he dashed the bags of coin at the head of Wild Ward and the man nearest him, and the next instant bis revolvers were out and be was ready. ‘*Now, curse you, try it again!” he cried, savagely, ‘ ‘*Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” cried Lawyer Bungle. ‘‘ Let me get out of here before the shooting begins!” " He was dashing this way and that, asif try- ing to find a way out, while all the time men were going down before him like ninepins, sent to the floor by the force of his quiet blows, White George had now bis weapons against the head of Wild Ward, and the latter was somewhat subdued, The others, by this time, were acting. The men of the DiamondDice, except the six- spot, had their weapons in hand, and the mayor of the camp was with them. It looked as though Wild Ward and bis gang had run up against a snag. Fearless Fan, too, was one who stood ready for the fray, a pair of glittering five-shooters held in her firm hands, ** Hold on, lawyer, hold on!” cried the mayor, “Don’t kill’em al! What ar’ye doin’, any- how ?” ‘“T want to get out and 1 must get out,” the lawyer cried, ‘ Please don’t begin to shoot,, good gentlemen, till I bave got outside,” ‘‘ There will be no shooting, I guess, sir.” This from the sport, “Eh? What's that?” The lawyer stopped suddenly and looked around, | ‘‘ Bless me,” he observed, ‘' I thought every- body was going to begin at once, and I was quite alarmed.” : Those whom he had downed were up again, more or less dazed by whnt had bappened, looked at the lawyer in am#zement. ‘TI thought ye was goin’ ter clear out ther hull dara ranch,” said the mayor, ‘‘ You seem ter be a sporter, when ye let yerself loose, Didn’t know but a whirlwind bad got in hyer.” ‘‘ Really, I was not aware what I was doing,” the lawyer assured, ‘“‘If I bave pushed any~- body rudely, 1’m sure I beg pardon,” | At that there was a laugh, : 7 . I00 if EO ie hey — ¥:5 : : . r irs > — we a & om