Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 888 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

7 that’s the wa - look around -. about equal, _ “Never mind that. Ill play my luck ' “Ve . x 7 )i 7 ‘ ' rs : : ‘ ‘ a) a <<. wv look after myself. before ‘as a cougar, and had the reputation in Dead Latch of caring for neither man nor angels. - He had been tried in the crucible, as it vets and found to be as good as they make em, It was doubtful if any one man had any- thing to do with him when it came to draw- mS the drop, or playing chief. et, he was not given to brawling for its own sake, and never yet had he fired a shot which the most partial of frontier juries would have been willing to say was in any- thing but self-defense. Of course, with such a title, he could hard- ly be anything else but a gambler, and yet it was 2 misnomer, He never played the game of monte at Dead Latch but once, so far as was known, and that was the night he opened a bank, and won the right and title of the Break of Day, after cleaning its proprietor out of all his available cash. The title was not worth very much then, but afterward, when the work necessary to hold the claim for the next year had been done, its value bad been enhanced a hundred fold. There was pay ore in sight, and the chances were the vein would widen as the shaft went deeper. After that, he spent more of his time on the mine, and less over the card-table, and it was even hinted that he was losing his grip, but they didn’t say it when he was around, and when he did sit down at the tables he made the game as interesting asever, He knew the value of a hand and was not afraid to put up the money to back his judgment. Besides, he always had the luck of the Old etn | | ll this evenirg his usually clear face had been clouded and he wasin something of a brown study as he glided along, making not a sound which might give notice of his ap- proach, | The noise of voices recalled him to himself; and as the voices were in an undertone, as though not intended to be overheard, it was natural enough for him to halt and listen for . a moment, if only to locate the speakers, ‘How it isto be done is a matter | will The old man is in the way and will get out of it.” ‘“And stay out. - He’s a little hard to get at, but the thing can be worked. How about the little daisy of a daughter? Is she to go in the same boat?” ‘‘ Hands. off, there!” answered the: first voice, in a little louder key than before, as though the very mention of the daughter had given a shock, uA ‘‘T mean it too. Ifany harm comes to her there will be music in the air, I'll at- tend to all that,” “All right, if you will have it so, but I Missy mind taking the job of consolation myself,” cf Look out that Monte don’t get into that ou both,” said a third voice, **T don’t know that he is going to go ahead in earnest, but I’ll swear I thought I saw him making sheep’s eyes in that direc- tion. If you mean sport you better down him first. It will have to come to that any- how, and the rest of the work would be a good bit plainer sailing with him out of the way.’ | “That's one of the things we are here for,” tee the first speaker. ‘* All Dead Latch-knows there is war be: tween him and me, and if anything happens folks would look my way, so it ought to be all fair and above board, and I’ll undertake to turn the trick myself. He’s not the only a who can handle a shooting-iron, curse 1 ae ano | srk ‘‘More pluck you than judgment. If you are beginning to talk I'll r a new boss. but he has the luck of the : ’ ’ j : ’ ’ *, ' ea ‘7? ’ fT, € : i rf _ gi - vc>- . ’ J Lae - ’ ¢ 3 F ad 7 ‘ eee: o Bae 4 i= Ay ob ee a - eo SE b. a . - | oP ra ‘* . ©. Peee- _ a: The spon 3 : ld | Monte Saul’s hand was simultaneous. ts Bova ‘ ee ’ ; ‘ » ae : : , Seen : Vg Aye RY ‘sad. A 5 ~ % . - a rye a ua? fe ‘mite yi a "es wy £ yt * ns o? ~ ¥ Py » ¥ a2 7 : ; . Say =p ty 2° ; 5 5 * i yay GI ag ey! . oy 1 ~ re pee nef, Nie a ; ty : aah * 4 : ~e 7 a * wy ms ow tL ¢ ; nate Ue ‘ts x a ’ he = a d Monte.Saul, the Sport. against his any .day in the year. But, come along: Number Four don’t appear, and we’ll have to do without him for to- night. We can talk the matter over, and have it all cut and dried when he shows up to-morrow night, as he must, After that there must be no more delay.” away. \ . ‘*That’s enough,” he thought to himself. ‘* They calculate on attending to me first, and I’ll be ready for them when they come. It is hardly worth while troubling Miss Ames; and yet, it might be as well to send her a word of warning. Something might happen tome. That was Clark Bruce, and a couple of his gang—I wonder who the fourth man Then an idea seemed to strike him, and he gazed keenly in the direction the party had taken. ‘‘T wonder, too, if by any chance they saw me. If they did the chances are they will come back on me mighty sudden.” He heard nothiag more of them, however, and finally pursued bis way to town with the same noiseless tread, and swung around pions the boys after his usual careless style. Nothing did he see of the man he had call- ed Clark Bruce, and the evening went by without any startling event. Between Clark Bruce and himself there was something like war, though in the only preliminary skirmish which had yet occurred the advantage had been allon the side of Monte Saul, " . Bruce was a man but little older than him- self, and-apparently built much after the same fashion, though he was an older in- habitant of Dead Latch, and possessed of a larger crowd of personal friends, . ! ‘He had mining interests not far from the Break of Day, and had a finger in a good many other pies, In fact, he was one of the rich young men of the catnip, and Being ter- ribly handy with his revolvers, was a bad one to go against, — Neots ‘4 It was something of a surprise to see him wilt when Monte Saul had him lined; but it was reasoned that the end was not yet, and Saul had been feeling that way himself. He thought the matter over the day after overhearing the conference of the cabal, but came to no particular conclusion as to what was his best course. Other things finally drove the matter almost out of his mind, and it was only when he was entering the Head- quarters Saloon he remembered he was on the peculiar stamping ground of Clark Bruce, and if any scheme was to be carried into effect that night it was not likely to be long deferred. fe : _ Jt was still daylight, but those long sum- mer evenings the crowd gathered soon, and there were a dozen men Sinking at the bar when he entered. — | ‘Evening, Curly,” he said as he made his way up to the bar, ‘Seen anything of Ed Hazen around this evening?” At the same time he laid his hand careless- ly on a decanter which was sifting there in solitary grandeur, Bruce and his friends were at the other end of the bar, altogether. _ “ Haven’t seen him to know him,” answer- ed Curly, the bartender, as he twirled a glass along the bar with P ofessional precision. ‘Tf he turns up [ll let him know you're hunting him, and he can tell whether he Ought to want to see you.” — ‘‘That’s about right,” nodded Saul, as he poured out a moderate potion. _ ** Don’t know that itis,” chipped in Bruce, making a step forward, his hand dropping toward his hip, The movement was almost in advance of his words, and quick aa it was the motion fs e -had noticed Clark’s presence as soon as he i : ar r d . \ Ke - tmp ss , - 7 : 4 ‘ai. oe < a e : . ,* : 4 cee y e - ” “~ ~ iy . “™, 4 : i + ey Lie Te "19 ;* C. Wie : ve 2 : ’, AER + aes 2 gow) yi ‘we bave it out the better. crossed the threshold, and after that felt that va. ; ’ ) a te FM) | : Ke : ut { : a . \ Aer re a j PA leaps ~ “ena Bb y+ ( MAG =) @ qs poy aki \y ae al Ss , Ads a ; K : ©) ¥) f a . Gr ve ° ra, =. f as 4 \ i ‘ . an \ Vv Vv q G oy, ah, ; 4 x . S) ; } ) : ) | | | . iy 4 * rs) a Ms i . : r.> i” yi oo \ J | <i VM | } L . Segre’ .' a > # . Ty ro ’ - ; a ee : : ‘ ° . , St hes Ti Fn | ‘ ‘. @ —e ieee ses SS aee SS ee See kee ae Pe ee if he wasn’t ready forhim he ought tobe | © yl shot, anyhow. . . ore “T’'m willing to argue the matter with you,” coldly responded Saul. 2 ee ‘‘ Don’t forget, though, that we are start- ing fair and even, and whatever line of argu- ment you choose to follow I may get there Monte Saul did not follow as they moved: _just_a shade the sdonest.” | « You'll get’to a hole in the ground if you undertake to wring yourself in on this party for drinks.. I told Curly to set them up for gentlemen, and that bars you out.” ‘‘And I notice you're not drinking your- | self, Perhaps he didn’t sling a tumbler your way—and he.did mine, Curly is a blamed good judge of human nature.” | ‘You are a liar and a horse-thief if you want it in strong language; and if that ain’t mild enough you are a piker that would eat sand and chaw dirt to wring yourselfin on a party of gentlemen for the price of one little drink. I’m saying it; and that you haven't got the nerve to shoot a man when his hands are out and his fingers are empty. See?” He extended his empty hands, and stood looking at Monte Saul with a sneer on his lips that was harder to be borne than a slap © fn the face. ‘*What are you working for, Clark? If you want me to pull trigger it’s a clean case of suicide. l’d have you down and dead before any one of your gang could get a hammer back. I’ve been watching them all, And if it’s a big bluff, you ought to know. IJ'll have a sight for all my wealth if you raise over it by a million. Come off the roof and get down to business. What do you want?” | | ‘‘T want to give you a chance tO make a man of yourself. All Dead Latch knows there is bad blood between us, and the sooner Name your. friend, and follow me. One of us won't come back, and the other will be a chief in town,” | It was aregular duel he was Haren and from what Saul had overheard the night before he was not able to say if it was in good faith or not, but he did not hesitate to take the chances, There wasone man there, standing a little apart from the others, and Saul imagined, from what he had seen of him, that. he was a man of nerve, and sufti- ciently honest, Ye)" “All right,” was his quick response, ‘‘Dick Trédgar is good enough for me. [ put myself in his hands, and your seconds can arrange with him, Curly, of course, — will keep dark till the fun is over,” baal CHAPTER II. LEFT FOR DEAD, ‘* ONE!” se Two!” ‘ Very deliberately the words were uttered, = Between them there was time enough for the men facing each other to take a final look at earth and Ae before the master of cere- monies spoke again. ““Three! Fire!” There was a double report, the soundsal- most blending as one. | Then, the younger man threw up his arms_ and fellin a heap, while the four, afterone _ ie & . keen glance in his direction, to make sure = he never stirred again, turned and strode away. men flung back: - ‘“T said, Monte Saul, I’d shaot you, and ° I always keep my word to friend or foe.” ‘(Tm a bit ov a liar meself, but that takes ther cake. Ob, my!” It was just in a whisper those words were uttered, as a boy crawled out of the bushes, - But, as they left the spot, one of the marks- 4h . ¥ Tid, + ' "Pe! 4 4: 4 ros is Ye a iy ,) bs : J ~ * < ‘ —— bg bes Of st ~ a> >. 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