Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 814 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

sleek, powerful mules, had been brought tc a halt by a band of rough riders at a table-like spot, high up on the narrow trail that wound, like a dark ribbon, across the face of the rugged old mountain, White, scared.faces peered from the windows of the big coach; but old Chain-trace Tom, the driver, had “ been there” before, and he leaned back in his seat indifferently as be greeted the jeader of the road-agents with; ** How’r’ ye, lieutenant? ‘‘ Guess ye got out abead o’ time, this Joad of Poles ‘‘ Thar hain’t a hunderd dollars in ther boxes, and they hain’t much more’n thet ’mongst ther passigers, ‘‘ Weel sorry fer yo, lieutenant, but d’-noz-I kin ee? yer any!” he leader, who was known as the ‘ Lieutenant,’ smiled grimly as he returned: ‘*That’s all right, Thomas, my boy; I know Rog are not very well ‘ heeled’ this morning, ut I will try to be satisfied with the one par- ticular nugget I am after!” ** Allright, lieutenant, What’sther fu’st thing on thér programme?” ‘* Please invite your passengers to alight,” ‘kK’ rect, lieutenant; but ’ve got a lady inside, so don’t make any more row than ye kin help,” ae Pi ar leaned down from his seat and called: ' * Billo thar, folkses! Pile out, please, while I give yer all a knock-down tew his royal jags, ther Hi-muck-a-muck of ther Overland, Lieuten- ant Redbird, R. A, ‘* Don’t be afeered of ther lieutenant, folkses; he won’t hurt yer, but he do love gold-dust etarnally!” The ‘“folkses,” consisting of three roughly appareled miners, two well-dressed, Eastern appearing gentlemen, evidently speculators, and a handsomely formed, dark-eyed girl, most likely a beauty, but her face was half concealed by a dark mantilla of lace, alighted, ‘* Gentlemen, throw your weapons back into the coach,” ordered tbe lieutenant, and he was quickly obeyed. ‘*Now, Chain-trace,” turning to the driver, who was covered by a rifle in the hands of an outlaw, ** | don’t want to harm you in any way, for you are a good man, and full of pluck, sol hope you will not interfere with me in carrying out the captain’s orders, ‘**T don’t know what his object is in the present instance, but be has ordered me to detain this ‘young lady, so you must go on without her!”, Chain-trace straightened up instantly. ‘Took here, lieutenant!” be cried harshly, ** you've held me up nigh onto a dozen times, and ‘ve never kicked but once; then I layed out four of yer men and got a bullet in ther shoulder ter pay fer it, an’ now I’m tellin’ yer straight: yer can’t hev the lady while Chain-trace Tom in pull a trigger, or draw a bead!” *‘ Don’t be foolish, Tom; that lady has got to o with me if I have to plant every driver be- aan here and ’Frisco, That’s straight, too!” ‘Then begin on Chain-trace Tom!” yelled the driver, as he snatched up a revolver and leaped to the ground, But the old driver was 4 corpse almost before he touched the earth, Crack! Crack! and Chain-trace Tom pitched forward with a rifle ball through his brain. . But, almost upon the instant he was avenged. A second shot followed the first so quickly they sounded almost ss one discharge, and the road-agent threw up his arms and fell across the body of his victim, the slain driver, The lieutenant turned with a vengeful curse —to find bimself say iat by a brace of heavy re- volvers in the hands of a horseman, who had come silently around a sharp curve in the trail just abead, The outlaw band had the horseman covered _with their rifles upon the instant, and only waited a word from their chief to drop him from the saddle, ‘“*‘ Ah, lieutenant, we meet ‘once more!” spoke the horseman, who was a handsome, dare-devil looking fellow, dressed in cordurays. ** Who, in the fiend’s name are you?” gasped the lieutenant, who dared not give his followers the word to fire while those two motionless revolvers .seemed to glower upon him like two eyes of a vengeful Fate, . ‘* Hey? Can it be possible you hav> forgotten me, lieutenant, after the clever manne,’ in which ou escaped from the little trap I set for you in ilgrim’s Camp, last month?” ‘*Curse you! I know you now! “You are ‘Ace High,’ the Gambler Detec- _ tive!” ** At your service, lieutenant!” . (aes ss Piet 4) °Ee 2 Ace High, the Frisco Detective. -p yy), 1.4,9,/7s0, . SS a I —- ——--—- * Well, you ave a cool one! but of course you don’t have any idea of escaping me, with my men covering you with rifles even if you have the drop on me,” * But, of course Ido! and that young lady al- so, whom, I understand from the last words of the driver, which I chanced tooverhear, you in- tend to abduct! You dare not order your men to fire, for you know I am a dead-shot with a re- volver, and the first motion on their part to fire seals your doom!” The lieutenant glanced from his men to the rigid form in the saddle, his brain busy with the problem in band, ** Ace High,” the Gambler Detective, bad been tight after him for nearly three months, and he well knew his own doom was sealed if the moun- tain hound was not thrown cff the trail at once and for all time, Finally the road-agent seemed to arrive ata decision, ~ **T will tell'you what I will do,” he announced, ** Well, you said you would!” *“T believe you consider yourself ‘ well up’ in cards,” ‘*T understand several games pretty well.” **In fact, if itwas not for your mania for gambling you would be the greatest detective in the West!” The face of the rider flushed hotly, but he re- turned in a calm tone: “That is my business, Lieutenant Redbird! You just attend to the proposition you were about to make!” ** Oh, no offense; I was merely going to pro- pose that we decide who is to have the lady by a game of ‘ draw!” ** Ob, that is too thin!” exclaimed the gambler, though bis eyes gleamed eagerly at the mention of his favorite game, ** You know you are no match for me at draw- poker; but you think I will get so interested in the play that your men can easily capture, if not ki 1 me outright—” ‘*T will attend to that part!” As the young girl spoke she drew a brace of dainty revolvers from beneath her fur jacket, apd coolly brougbt them to bear upon the lieutenant, All stared in astonishment at this unexpected turn of affairs. ‘*Mr, Lieutenant,” she went on, * you pro- posed this game, and now, if the gentleman yonder still thinks the stakes are worth the game, I will pledge my word that no interference is offered by outside parties, Do you accept the outlaw’s challenge, Mr. Detective?” Ace High put up his revolvers and dismounted. ‘‘With pleasure, senorita,” he answered, bowing low before the fair stranger. ‘‘I am only Ace High, the Gambler Detective, but my poor services are entirely at your disposal!” ‘* Thank you, sir,” she answered, still keeping a close watch over her leveled pistols on the lieutenant and bis men, ‘* Perhaps one of the passengers has a deck of cards they would lend you?” A new pack of eards was produced, and the two men sat down to the strange game, though evidently much against the outlaw’s inclination. The first deal fell to the road-agent, who drew one card, and his example was followed by the detective. ‘¢ Two pairs—aces high,” announced the latter, ‘A house of sevens!” cried lieutenant Red- bird, He had * drawn a fill,” Again the cards were dealt and again each ** A club flush!” ** A spade flush!” ** King high!” “Ace high!” and the detective had won numbe: two, And now Redbird resolved upon a desperate move, He “stood” the cards under the other’s cut, and dealt himself the detective’s spade ush, Each held their own hands, ‘* A spade flush!” cried Redbird exultantly. ‘¢ Aces full!” and the Gambler Detective arose, the victor, CHAPTER II, THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD-SHOT. “THAT was a very transparent trick, lieuten- ant. ‘*T noticed that you were very careful to keep that flush together, so I took the liberty to slip the four aces between!” The lieutenant glared at him vengefully, but spoke not a word, so Ace High proceeded: ‘‘ And now, Sir Outlaw, we will leave you for the present, I know it is my natural duty to shoot you where you stand, way I want to take you into Sacramento—you ut that is not the ara cut out to stretch hemp! All aboard, gen- tlemen!” ‘‘Can you drive a three span team?” asked one of the passengers nervously. “T can—or a ten span, for that matter!” an- swered the detective. At that moment his attention was attracted by the young girl, who, as the road-agents fell back at a sign from their leader, swung berself with perfect ease to the driver’s seat, ‘¢T much prefer riding here,” she said in an- swer to the detective’s look of inquiry. He bowed, then again turned to the lieuten- ant: ‘‘ We are going now, lieutenant; and I advise you not to interfere with our departure!” So saying ho secured a repeating musket from his own saddle-bow; then, commanding his well- trained borse to lead the way he mounted the coach, gathered up the reins and started the six- mule team down the trail at a swinging trot, while the fair passenger kept the lieutenant cov- ered with two revolvers, ‘“Can you handle a rifle?” he asked of the vailed form at his side. ‘* Not so well as Icana revolver. Why?” ‘** As soon as we pass yonder curve in the trail, the road-agents will charge us!” ** Do you think so?” ‘*T will stake my horse on it!” ‘‘ Then let us warn the men inside the coach, and be prepared for them!” ‘‘No, we must depend upon oursalves, for each one of those five men is a coward! Are you good with a revolver?” ‘‘T have never been beaten!” ‘Good! Just beyond this curvo is a desper- ately steep, though perfectly straight grade, I will set the brake, secure the reins and trust to luck, that the mules keepthe grade, While you blaze away with the four revolvers, I will work the rifle for allit is worth!” ‘‘ A - ond plan, but I bave a safer one!” ‘* Hey?” ‘*-Y.s3, When you shot the outlaw back there, the team were so frightened the road-agents at their bead could barely restrain them.” ‘¢ That sof” ‘‘Left to themselves, the mules would upn- doubtedly become frightened and dash us to the bottom of yonder gulch, five-hundred feet below!” ‘* But what—” * T havedriven worse teams then these, I will empty the revolvers—for J flatter myself I can use them as well as even Ace High himself; then I will take the-reins while you attend to them with the repeater!” The mountain detective could but agree to this arraingement, for, just at this moment the six excited mules swept around the curve, the great coach rocked wildly for a moment, then went spinning down the steep’ grade—while the shrieking and grinding of the tight-locked brake was almost drowred by a wild yell from the be ffled outlaws, ‘ It was well for the coach and all it contained that the muscles of the Gambler Detective were like cords of steel, for the yells of the hcrde be- hind seemed to fairly madden the already frantic teams, ' But, although they went plunging down the trail at a dangerous pace, a master hand con- trolled them. A minute later the gang came dashing around the curve in pursuit, at the same time discharg- ivg an ineffectual fusilade, which was answered by the daring unknown with her revolvers. (¢ Twol]—three!~four!” cried the girl, and still her pistols rung out spitefully in answer to the wild fire of the pursuers, Just once Ace High pares back. The stage was bounding and rocking at a terrific rate, yet at that instant the girl’s quick aim, that it seem- ed nothing could disconcert, sent a fifth man burling from his saddle to the dark gulch far below. 3 But now the gang seemed to be taking more care in their aim, for several bullets whizzed ast in uncomfortable proximity, and, a moment ater, the unknown uttered a startled cry as one struck the delicate gold-pin tbat confined tho impenetrable folds of the mantilla, letting it fall from about her head. Ace High fairly gasped as his eyes rested upon that heretofore unseen countenance, for never had his wildest fancy pictured one so beautiful! But, this was no time to become fascinated by a beautiful face, Only eight of the road-agents were left, but the revolvers were empty. “ Here, take the reine and do your best!” As the Gambler Detective spoke he passed over the heavy reing and whirled about in his seat, rifle in hand, nS) C8 | Saar ¥ Sigs - aes si * ie ~ _ ‘ > the 1 ‘ , Ws ¥ ¥ ¥ - ' Aad 5. ' _ ia 1 4 7 " a 1 — « \ g~ j bd > 4 C WH Oo @ | | .S CO Mm. ae