Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 814 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 Ace High, the Frisco Detective. by her half Spanish dress of scarlet and blue, an oval face lighted up by great flashing dark eyes, and a massy crown-of blue-black hair coiled high upon her proud head, Her-low necked bodice, bare arms, throat, and hair were fairly aglitter with jewels of every de- scription, and as the crowd surged into the hall that first night they unanimously voted her the most beautiful creature they had every seen, Only two men, besides the dozen waiters who bad gathered for the occasion, were present. Ruby Rob, the proprietor of the Golconda, was lounging close by, watching a lively game be- tween his girl champion and a tall, elegantly- attired, long-mustached and handsome man, who seemed to be coolly losing a small fortune, to judge by the pile of golden coin and nuggets the Girl Sport bad already raked to her side of the table. More than one there easily recog- nized in the handsome gamester none other than Acs High, the Gambler Detective, For an hour he held bis position, and lost steadily; and indeed every wight since, Ace High could be found at that table, now log ng, now winning, until at last it seemed as though he had wearied Fate itself, for of late he bad been winning large sums from the game presided iover by Flash, the Girl Sport, Some thought it was a sharp game to draw others on. If so it was successful. The luck of the Gambler Detective encouraged the crowd, and at the time of young Bander- son’s visit on the night in question, all were eager to try their luck with the Queen of Fortune, It was Flash who had “ bu’sted” the young * blood,” and fifteen hundred of the two thou- sand before mentioned had gone to pay a “ debt of honor.” As young Banderson advanced to her table, Flash Se ee him: ‘*Ah, Mr, Banderson, good-evening, Then you are not discouraged with your losses last night?” ‘Not at all, senorita; though you nearly played me to bed-rock! ** But I am not very ‘ flush’ to-night!” “‘ Oh, you were not discouraged, but you had rather play a tame game until you see which way your luck is going to run, eh?” and there was just the suspicion of a sneer in the silvery voice as she spoke, Banderson’s face flushed hotly, for, truth to tell, he had begun to flatter himself that he had made a decided impression upon the beautiful siren of the Golconda, But he could hardly mistake that tone, _ “Tam no coward, Senorita Flash!” he cried, pulling a rouleau of gold from his pocket, and flinging the shining mass upon the table. ‘There are five hundred on the king and seven spot, on which this gentleman has just lost two hundred, & “Tam laying against the house!” At an almost imperceptible gesture from her geome hand, Ace High and the gent who had ost the two hundred, stepped back. ‘* Please accept my thanks, Mr, Banderson, The bauk is getting low, as the detective gentle- man yonder has been a winner for twenty thou- sand, and your five hundred will come bandy.” ‘Tf you get it!” growled the * blood,” ‘* There is the ‘rbino,’ play!” Round went the golden wheel, the cards were examined, and Banderson was the winner. ‘Your luck has changed,” smiled the siren. ‘** Never mind the luck; there is the thousand on the same cards—play!” The cards clattered musically upon the table, and the ‘** blood ” again won, ** Two thousand on the king and seven!” cried the excited sport, Again he won, and again he bet the lucky cards, For a full hour this was kept up—the king and seven winning evenly, and without a break, and Barry Banderson at last found bhiin- self fifty thousand dollars ahead, *© Once more, and the last call!” he cried as he ie the mass of gold and notes upon the le. 4 ‘*'You will lose!” said Flash, her wonderful eyes just a little brighter, but otherwise calra, “* Tbat is my affair,” growled the ‘* blood.” **'You have bled me to the tune of a hundred thousand in the last fortnight, and now I will have it back!” “Perhaps you think the game has not been conducted fairly!” and there was a dangerous flash in the great dark eyes. ‘* 1 do not say that.” 7 “Very well, You will surely lose on this turu of the cards, but to satisfy you that all is straight I will Jet Mr, Ruby here deal)” Ruby Rob glanced at her questioningly, but she waved him forward with a commanding gesture. No objeetion was made to this, and Ruby Rob sent the cards fluttering to the table. The crowd surged forward, with breathless eagerness to catch the result, ** You are a loser of fifty thousand, Banderson; the king and seven are not here!” announced Ruby Rob, At that moment an evil-faced chap touched the trembling “blood” upon the arm and | whispered to him a moment, Banderson shot a malignant look at Ace High, then left the room. CHAPTER V. ACE HIGH IS TRAPPED. ‘‘ Now, Cotty! What did you see passing be- tween Ace High and the Girl Sport?’ asked Banderson of the tough, as soon as they reached the street. ‘*Tn good time, boss; but we hain’t got no time now! ‘¢ She ordered him to follow you!” Banderson’s face flushed angrily. ‘*Good, Cotty! It will be the last time he willfollow a mau! ‘*T firmly believe he is in with the siren to clean me out. We will wait for him to gef on our trail then lead him to the ‘ Crib’ !” ‘‘Then let’s be moving, for that fellow with the full bead standing just inside the door is Ace High in disguise, or 1 am a snoozer!” The ** blood” looked in vain for some resem- blance in the hairy, rough-lcoking miner in the doorway, to the dashing Gambler Detective; but Cotty, the ‘Hoodlum,’ never made a mis- take, and he passed down the street with his tough companion as though all unconscious of his footsteps being woney dogged. Nothing more was said until they reached the ‘ Crib,’—a popular resort for the worst gang of thieves in the Golden State. Probably wore murders and burglaries hai been planned, and hatched inside the Crib, than in any spot of its siz» in California. Only the worst characters in the city were supposed to enter its dark doors, but the elegant Barry Banderson walked in as though perfectly familiar with the place, Cotty and the ** blood” had hardly seated them- selves in a curtained alcove, and their order for drinks filled, when the bearded miner entered and began the rounds of the card-tables. “He'll keep, Cotty, till you’ve told your little story,” muttered Banderson ; ‘' so tell me all yeu sa Ww, ‘* Well, in the fu’st place, just arter Raby Bob stepp2d up to the wheel, I saw the girl tell the bloodhound that she had fixed the oards se’s ter bu’st you on that deal, ‘* Then she told him to follow you till you was safe home; but to look out for traps, fer he well knew you wes snucks with all the wu’st characters in ther city!” ‘* The fiends she did!” ‘* Fact, boss, I take it the bloodhound hez b’en shaddering of you fer some time.” ‘¢ But for what purpose, Cotty?” ** Give it up, boss. ‘* But jest put a line under this: Thet ar gal ain’t what she seems ter be; and she hey gota big scheme afoot. ‘*T hain’t lived on my wits fer ten years fer nothin’, boss, an’ I says thet gal ar workin’a big deal fer somethin’, tho’ what it is I don’t know,” ** But how did you find out all this? : ‘* She could not have told him what you have repeated in so many words,” ** By no means, boas. ** She had her hands in her lap, and pertended ter be pickin’ at the fringe of her serape, but enstid, she war torkin’ ter the bloodhound in ‘ deaf-an’-dumb,’ which, as you know, I onder- stan” havin’ a brother that can’t tork. - ‘‘T war watchin’ of her all ther time, think- in’ likely she war up tew some trick ter beat you, so I seen her when she signaled ther ‘ detec.’ ” ** And you are sure this is all she told him?” ‘* Wal, she did ask, first, if he’d got a trailer on ther track of ther captain, but who ther ‘ cap- tain’ is I’d’no}” ‘IT can’t imagine who it could be; but I don’t think it concerns us any.” ** Just my idee, boss. I didn’t keteh his an- swer quick enough, but I think it was ‘ yes!’” ° ‘* Very likely; Ace High has never yet been a to make a mistake of that kind, curse him! ‘* But now to trap the bloodhound! ‘‘Once he is out of the way, our coast is ohn we ~ yd - te : a9 - . a NPS Oo eer (a eo : ; A | a a nt - er f u e is ar Ye . . : . : . “. é ty dog } Pl p ; * % 2 : - = Se. et) Cw | (-| = en TS Pe RS Ce eee en ee eater ' . * <-> = -. = Ps , . ee ee. | - clear. I have found how the Girl Sport leaves the Golconda, and to-nigbt she will be in ou: ower!” ‘* What? You don’t mean to say you've ar- ranged ter abduct the vixen to-night?” ‘Yes, and itis lucky we caught on to the un- derstanding between the two, for otherwise the ‘detec’ might have made us trouble.” ““T’'m yer oyster, bogs; the next alcove on the right is the one with the poisoned bottle—” ‘The poison won't do! Ace High is no kid, and we could never work the bottle act on him.. ‘Do you see where we are?” Cotty glanced around, ‘The ‘spring-board’ chair!” he whispered, pointing to a heavy piece of furniture to his left. ‘‘ That's the ticket, Cotty! Once get him into that chair, and down he goes to be dumped into the cellar full of water. ‘‘ The chair has never failed, nor told a secret, Cotty !” “Right ye aire, boss; s0 bere goes fer ther bloodhound !” Cotty left the alcove, and passed over to where the disguised, detective was drinking at the bar with one ofsthe most notorious characters of the city. Fate seemed to favor the Hoodlum, for the de- tective’s companion was a friend of Cotty. _ ‘Say, don’t you two chaps want a little private game with me au’ my pard?” asked Cotty,. at the same time passing the other. rough a quick signal, ‘I’m willin’ ef my friend, here, is,” answered the disguised man-hunter, intimating his com- panvion with a nod, an “Tm with yer,” was the rejoinder, and the three returned to the alcove, ‘‘T b’lieve you an’ I can beat ’em, can’t we}’” asked Cotty, of the detective, at the same time seating bimself in the chair opposite the one that was arranged to hur] the Gambler Detective to his doom beneeth the ‘‘ Crib.” It wasa neat little trick, on the part of the Hoodlum; but be did not notice those gleaming eyes take in every detail of the fatal piece of furniture, nor the quick contraction of the bearded lips, as those same eyes rested for just one inetant upon the almost indistinct crack run- ing clean around the chair, in the outlines of a. trap-door. ‘ Oh, no; Cotty, the Hoodlum, was perfectly satisfied, for the seemingly doomed man-hunter took his seat without hesitation, and without even attempting to move his chair forward, Cotty slipped his hand beneath the little table; a sharp click followed, and two steel arms shot from the beck of the chair, around the form of the doomed man, pinioning his arms tightly, be- fore he could even stir a finger. If the plotters «expected a struggle, or outcry,,. they were much disappointed; instead, the captive grimned, as he coolly said: ‘Why, you needn’t have been to all this trouble on my aceount, boys; I wasn’t so full of ‘nose-paint ’ but what I cculd have set up alon e! ‘6 That's all right, Asa, my lad!” returned the Hoodlum. ‘‘ We just wanted to ask you a few questions, and for fear you would think we was too in- quisertive and leave, we thought we would festen ye down!” “ Very thoughtful of you Cotty, my son; but, fire away with your questions!” ‘Wal, in the fu’st place: what did you foller me an’ this gent inter this Crib fer?” ‘¢'T'> see what you wanted in bere!” ‘6 Well, you’ve found out, hain’t yer?” ‘‘ Somewhat, only.” ‘And what did Flash want {you to foller us for?” ‘‘ To see where you went.” ‘‘Ob! And what did she want to,know that for?” | ‘* Out of a woman’s curiosity, I suppose,” ‘‘ What relation be you to the Girl Sport?” ‘‘T am her great-grandmother !” Cotty glared savagely at his prisoner, It suddenly occurred to bim that the captured detective, was making sportofhim, _ “* Curse you!” he hissed, again reaching under the table. ‘* You’ve got too much lip, Do you know what I’m goin’ ter do?” ‘* Bu'st, I guess, by your looks!” “1m goin’ ter push on a knob under this table, an’ you'll disappear through the floor!” “ Sort of a sleight-of-hand trick, eb?” “That's right Asa! Go to your death with flying colors “The chair will go down ten feet, then tip bottom up’rds, an ill you into a cement cellar full of water. Ifit don’t dash yer brains ” 4 oo =, | ” | o LL “ Mg cbooks.c eat fs A . 3 é ey S se, ae “ao % Nt Sher —~ os. oe ° -“ ae, cow oP ~~ 7 | * tas vay *, )