Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 802 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

hah F> of yg 8 Deadwood Dick, Jxr.’s. Diamond Dice. now, and it was clearly no troub.e for him to keep awake, The small players, who had eagerly followed the new-cower’s first bold stroke, hesitated be- fore they followed him a second time, but finally they did so, he cards were drawn, and—the bank won. ‘‘ Ha!” the dealer cried, with a breath of re- lief. ‘* You are not in luck to-night, it seems,” “The game is young yet,” was the quiet re- sponse, Thirty of the bright, new beauties, at which more than one man present looke longingly, were now laid on a card, this time the tray. The dealer was regaining bis nerve, and dealt with a cool, steady band, Now the small players had deserted the bold leader, and were playing against his play, to win when the bank won, Again there was some delay, but at last the card came, and, yet again the bank had won. The excitement was now intense, and every man in the room was pressing around the tabie, every one eager to see and hear, ‘¢ Well, well, luck does seem to be dead against me,” W bite George remarked, as coolly and quietly as ever. ‘‘I can’t back out now; I'll have to double again, to protect myself if I win. If I lose— Well, that will floor me for this time.” ** Hold on, sir,” Sportive Sport ordered, push- ing back the sixty bills which the new-comer was about to place. ‘* The limit is fifty thou- sand, as I told you.” ' White George looked at him keenly. ‘But,’ he said, ‘‘your bank has been strengthened by the thirty thousand you have just won from me, If I win now, your loss will be but twenty thousand,” **Can’t help it, sir; you understood the limit when you began.” c ee you refuse to accept my double?” 0.” ** And you call this a square game?” ‘‘ Perfectly so, sir. ‘The limit is what I stated.” ‘*Ttis nota white game, at all events, such as I am used to playing.” ‘You understood what the limit was when you began, You wade inquiry about it at the start. Make your play, gentlemen,” Sportive Sport was now icily coo], and master of the’situation, White George was as cool as be had been at nes: and bad spoken quietly and dispassion- ately. ‘You had better take his bet, Sportive Sport,” spoke out the mayor. ‘It’s an even chance that you'll win, anyhow. If you lose, then ye can't kick.” **My decision bas been stated,” was the re- sponse. ‘* Make your play, gentlemen,” ** Well, here is fifty thousand, then,” the new- comer stated, having taken up ten of the bills, ‘*T will go your full limit, at any rate.” ‘‘'You may do that as often as you like,” The cards were dealt, and a pin could have been beard to drop anywhere in the room, One by one they came out, for and against, for and against, and at last came the one so eagerly looked for, he bank hail won again! ‘*T am done for,” said White George, quietly, and he showed not the least degree of excite- ‘*T can make but one more effort to- He counted his money, and found that he had only forty of the bills left. ‘*Ye had better try it in small lots.” advised the mayor, ‘‘ Yer luck may change and put ye on yer feet again.” **No; I hate to dabble. I like to play big or not at all. Were I better fixed I would stand more of a chance. But, easy come easy go, ’tis said, and so here it goes, More than half the cards had been dealt by this time, yet there was one card on the table that bad not been represented, and over that the small players were hovering like hawks, They had some knowledge of the chances of the game, evidently, and knew that their best chance lay there. Contrary to that plan, however, the newly arrived sport placed his last stake upon a card thet bad three times appeared, and of which there was only one more in the box. Perbaps he had been studying the run, and bad made bis calculations accordingly. Be that as it might, the dealer looked at him keenly for a second before he drew the cards from the metal box, On the first draw the small players won. They were jubilant, and immediately doubled their plays, taking the risk of anotber favorable turp, Another draw, and they bad won again, But, this time they deserted the favorite and scattered their bets, not caring to trust further to the run. Better had they remained there, for again that card won for the players. The card most wished-for, however, was tardy toappear. But, it came at last, aud a shout went up. White George had won! ‘I thought the tide would turn,” he coolly observed, ‘** Now, Mr. Bondell, I am able to take vou at your limit.” ‘* Very well, sir, the game is open to you, of course. Make your play, gentlemen.” Again and yet again did the sport win, heavy sums each time, and at last the dealer had to de- elure the bank broken, Such a run of luck had never been seen in the Sarcophagus, and scarcely aman there bad ever seen so much money dis- played at one time, CHAPTER IX, THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, SPORTIVE SPORT rose from his seat, white to the lips. ‘You have spoiled me,” he_ said. cleaned out as clean as a whistle,” ‘‘T have been there myself,” declared the new sport, ‘*I know how you feel, I will buy your game,” ‘* How much will you give me?” ‘** Name your price.” ‘* Well, ten thousand dollars for the fixtures and good will.” ‘‘Here is your money! Let these gentlemen witness the bargain, 1 will take your place,” ‘* And I[ will take yours,” ‘Not to-night, I will not allow you to risk your little nest-egg while your nerves are un- steady, as they are. Come to-morrow night, and you shall have all the opportunity you want,” ‘* No, sir; [refuse to accept it that way. If you open the game lam going to play against you, , ‘* Very well, if you insist, If you go broke, don’t blame me,” ‘*T will not, if you play a fair game.” ‘‘fam knownas White George, for my fair dealing. I say it myself because there is no one here to say it for me,” Under these altered circumstances the game was renewed, and when it was well under way it was seen that the new proprietor was gradually losing what he had won, and that Sportive Sport was gaining. The smail players bad nearly all dropped out, now, having ‘‘ dropped” about everything else they had to drop, and their places bad been taken by men who had more capital to risk. Among these were Milton Armstrong, Bob Keeler, [ke Hokley and others, About this time a new-comer entered the saloon. ’ This personage was the young woman who had arrived by the stage, and who had register- ed as Fearless Fan. Way was made for her, and she advanced un- concernedly to the table, every eye in the room fixed upon her, to which she gave no heed or notice, Her vail had been removed. She was a young woman, about twenty-five at a guess, and ber dark skin made it evident that she was a child of some sunny clime. That she had been beautiful was not to be denied, but now there appeared a white scar across her face from one side tothe other, diagonally, which marred her looks greatly. She wore large earrings, making it appear that. she might claim Italy for ber fatherland. There was not the slightest indication of a foreign accent in her speech, however, and she was a mystery to the close observers. Among these was Lawyer Bungle. He looked at the woman with close scrutiny, but evidently gave it up. When she reached the table, she asked: ‘*Gentlemen, will you allow me to interrupt your play with a question?” White George, Sportive Sport, and the others, looked up instantly, and the first mentioned re- sponded; ‘* Certainly, lady. Ask a dozen if you like.” **{ will @sk but one or two. Does any one here know of a man by name of Brink Kennet?” It was evident that no one did, ‘Well, be may be here under any other name,” the young woman went on, ‘* You may be able to recognize him by this likeness, Take it, and let it be passed around, if you please,” “TT am \ The mayor was nearest to her, and she banded a& card photograph to him, / It was the likeness of a young man, ratber good-looking, but one who was a stranger to the mayor. .“*T have never seen him, ma’am,” that worthy decjared, He passed the card on, And so it was passed, from hand to hand, un- til it had made the round of the room, but no one knew the face. The young woman had stood, meantime, pa- tiently awaiting its return, At last it came back to her, ‘* it appears thatno one here recognizes the face, lady,” said George White, as it fell to him to return the card to its owner, ‘Then I am doomed to disappointment again,” she sighed. ‘* Moucht we ask what that man was to you? the mayor inquired. ** What he was to me?’ the woman repeated, bitterly. ‘‘ You see this scar on my face?” ‘* Yes, sartain,” ‘* Well, he was that to me! I am seeking him to return the compliment.” ‘* And by ther ’ternal, et’s ter be hoped ye will find him!” the mayor cried, ‘‘ Ef ye do, jest pint him out to us, that’s all.” ‘‘Thank you. LIunderstand your offer, but I will deal with the man myself, if 1 ever can find him, Do I mistake in taking you to be the mayor of this camp, sir?” ‘* Not a bit, ma’m.” ‘¢' Then there is a favor I would ask.” ‘¢ Ye hev only ter name et, an’ et’s granted,” ** Will you allow me to earn a little money by telling fortunes bere in your camp?” ‘* Bless yer beart, Jady, ther bull darn camp is yourn, ef that is all ye have terask, And ther galoot what don’t put up a fiver fer bis for- tune has got ter answer to me,” ‘* Thank you, sir; but there must be no com- pulsion about it,” ‘*'You leave that ar’ to me, lady. Do you hear, you galoots of Death’s-Head? I want every man of ye ter have his fortun’ took while this lady is byer to do et.” ‘* Not to-night, sir,” the woman said. ‘ To- morrow I will begin.” She bowed, and was about to turn to retire from the saloon when there came suddenly the tread of hasty hoofs without, and the next mo- ment a horseman thundered into the room, Jim-jam Joe, behind the bar, raisec his hands in horror at the sight, but the next instant he disappeared when the stranger drew a revolver and flourished it, while at the same time he shouted: ‘*Men of Death’s-head Camp, do ye know that ye hev got that infernal detective, Dead- wood Dick, Junior, here in your camp?” ** Deadwood Dick!” So many a one exclaimed, for it was a name they bad beard mentioned in connection with many a deed of et ‘* Yes, Deadwood Dick,” the horseman em- phasized, ‘'Curse bim! only point bim out to me, and [’ll mighty soon relieve ye of all trou- ble on his account,” The rough mayor was now upon his feet. ** Don’t ye go off too soon, stranger,” he ad- vised, ‘*Whoan’ what ar’ you, an’ what bas sent ye byerso red-hot?” ‘¢Who am I?” ‘‘That’s w’ot I said,” ‘¢ Well, 1 am known as Wild Ward, where [ am known at all, [’ma stranger hyer, but I’m at home just the same, I am out on a man- hunt, and it has led me this way. I guess that’s enough.” ‘*And ther man ye avr’ huntin’ is Deadwood Dick?” P ‘Yes, by Goshen! He sent me down for a dozen years, when he was only akid, and [ have bad it in fer him all this time. Show him to me, and that’s all I ask yetodo, [ll do ther rest,” ‘* My friend,” here chipped in Lawyer Bungle, ‘*you are going contrary to law, and the man that goes contrary to law never comes to any good end. Now, to-morrow I am going to swing my shingle to the breezes here, as a Jawyer, and ll take this case of yours and carry it through for you on terms the most reason—” ‘Take nothin’!” was the savage interruption. “Tm my own law in this matter, and judge and jury besides. Has that man been seen here? “ “You will have to ask somebody else, sir,” answered the lawyer, ‘I’m only a stranger bere myself.” ‘‘ A stranger here, are ye? I'll take a closter look at you, I’m thinkin’,” Eomicboo ee met meee I I ef ~