Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 898 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

sy ; . - “| Ni * ; / "eS a — ¥ ey . es] 4 & Ge or? ; Deadwood Dick, cera ss, + * * 4 ‘ , hs atte ; f he " Ws oe “ Just as you please about that, sir,’ was the off-hand response. ‘¢ You don’t mind?” “Not a bit.” ' So, Van Bascomb placed his chips on the same card with those of the stranger, and won. . ‘Ha! you are a mascot, sir,” he cried, ‘T’1l try that again.” . He did so, and lost! The next time he won, but the next turn after he lost again, and continued to lose. Suddenly something happened that was a surprise to everybody. he stranger reached forth his arm, with a five-shooter in his fist, and covering Spark- ler Sal, cried: ‘ Hands off! Don’t, you touch that box Sparkler Sal’s faced paled instantly, and she looked at him with frightened eyes. “Why, sir, what is the matter?’ she asked, : “Sure enough, what is the matter?” sup- ported McKnight. ‘‘I hope you don’t im- agine there is crooked work here.” “ Not at all, sir,” the cool response. ‘I don’t imagine it, for 1 know it. Hands off that box, for I will bore the first man or wo- man that touches it.” ‘‘What do you mean to do?’ asked the fair dealer. ‘‘T mean to have you produce that slipped card, that is all. Produce it and show it up, please.” ‘* A slipped card! me of cheating?” ‘* Nothing less, madam.” She was now pale to the lips, and glanced at McKnight as if appealing to him to help her out of the dilemma, ‘‘ This is infamous!” that worthy thunder- ed, ‘Mr. Van Bascomb, I appeal to you, hd , Why, do you accuse Sparkler Sal’s table—” . . ‘And a good deal of losing, I venture to say, too,” broke in the stranger. ‘‘You are right, there, sir,” assured the manager. ‘All the same I appeal to you,” cried McKnight, ‘‘or to any other fair-minded man in the house. Don’t we know that Sparkler Sal runs a square game?” ‘+ Yes!’ Yes!” ‘* Yes! “You bet! She's all right!” ‘ hati cries from every quarter in the ‘‘And I defy you to prove that J have done any cheating,” now declared the dealer, sptaking more coolly. At that instant strong arms seized upon the new-comer from behind; his arm was jerked up, the pistol going off and the ball making a hole in the roof, while he was rude- ly jerked away from the table. A quiet signal to assistants had accom- plished this! ¥ ae And in the momentary glance that every eye made in another direction, Sparkler Sal’s fingers deftly removed a card. Taken entirely unexpectedly, Strader had no chance against those who had hold upon him, but the gt he got upon his feet he them off like rats, a were two of them, both strong fel- - lows, but one was sent spinning back against ed the other headlong under a table, — Horse Strader had « brace of guns in hand instantly. - “Hands off!” he ordered. ‘* Somebody will get hurt if that trick is tried on : again.” + ~**Itis against the rule. of this hall, ‘sir, to have weapons drawn here,’ announced ua meenager of the place, now coming for- ward, — ‘Rules or norules, I draw weapons when- ever they are needed for self-defense,” re- _ turned the new-comer. ‘‘ Your lackeys had no business to leap upon me ais they did. ~ for you have done a good deal 2f playing at - ‘the wall, while a jerk by the the collar hurl- | “And you had no reason for drawing a gun upon this lady.” i ‘“'That’s where we differ in opinion, sir. She cheated, and I meant to show it up to the house.” ‘* Impossible to believe, sir. what have you to say?’ ‘* Let him prove it, if he can,” ‘‘Tt is too late, now,” said Strader, ‘‘ The card has been removed, and I have lost the proof,” ‘““That’s one way to worm out: of it,” sneered a man in the crowd. ‘*It will never happen again when I am playing, be sure of that,” retorted the man of horses. ‘‘If it does, and I see it, some- thing will drop.” ‘You will never play again at my table, sir,” declared Sparkler Sal, with a fine showing of indignation, ‘‘ Unless you give up your chair I will close the game for the evening.” ¥ ‘‘Rather than force you to do that, I will -yield, of course,” and the stranger gathered up his chips, had them cashed, and with. drew from that part of the room, every eye following him for a few moments. This was only a passing incident for a place like the Cosmopolitan, and the crowd immediately forgot all about-it; but, not so the chief actors in the little dramatic episode, From that time on, while he remained at the table, Van Bascomb’s losings and win- nings were about even. Finally he rose and took nis leave, and as he did so Sparkler Sal said: | ‘‘ Have you a suspicion that I have cheat- ed you, sir?” ‘* Not the slightest,” the answer. ‘Because, if you have, I will pay back every dollar I have ever won from you, if you can tell me the amount. I want it un- derstood that Sparkler Sal runs a fair and square game.” | ‘That's all right,” assumed the mine- owner; ‘‘don’t mention it,” Sparkler Sal, CHAPTER VIII. SOMEWHAT OF A SURPRISE, WHILE speaking, the gambler queen had looked into the mine-manager’s eyes in rather a fond way. Her own full, peerless eyes. seemed to be swimming in tears all ready to spring forth,, and the hard head of the mine-manager swam, too, us he looked into them, : Van Buscomb cwuld not deny the fact, to himself, that he was considerably under the. spell of this good-looking woman.. She had cast an influence over him which he could not fight off. Still, he had not tried to resist it, for he had no objection to a little flirtation with the Sparkler, ‘ And, he had found that she had no ob- jection to eeety him half-way, or even more; and, as he left the saloon, he felt a regret that such a charge had been made against her. eae _ “It’s too bal,’”’ he said to himself, ‘ that it happened, . ‘I don’t believe she cheats; at any rate not me, for any one with half “an eye cad see that she is dead stuck on me. That fellow must have been mistaken, ;and I’m glad he got taken down for his | freshness.”’ He went in the direction of his cottage. ‘* No, Sparkler Sal is all right,” he said fur- ther, ‘* Her offer to give me back every dollar she has won from me provesit. I’m solid py eheres and I’ve no objection to dropping a few dollars at her game to keep solid. +n have to see that fellow and find out just : what he detected, for it is possible that— But, pshaw! she thinks too well of me! Maybe she wanted to scorch him? . Jr.s Double Drive Ries tie ai * > o Nd, yj a ol ~*~. ' x. 4 Me tS ha ’ . ’ ; 4 : ; | > 2 j ‘ 'S ’ ~ Y¢ ing quietly on the shady side of the piazza. n seeing him, Van Bascomb stopped short. | “Don't be alarmed, sir; I only want a word or two with you,” spoke the man, hur- riedly, and in low tone, and as he spoke he stepped forth, ‘Hello! is it you?’ exclaimed the mine- manager, recognizing him as he came into the hght, ‘‘ What do you want a word or two with me about? You are a stranger to me, sir.” The man was Horse Strader. ‘‘T want to see you on business, sir.” - ‘* State it.” ‘‘Can we not gointo the house, where we can talk in private without danger of being overheard ?” ‘* Not until I know who you are and what your business is, sir. I am not in the habit of asking entire strangers into my house. If you are a straight man you can find no fault,” “That's all right, Mr..Van Bascomb, I'll explain,” speaking in lower tone stil). “Some time ago you sent for one Richard Bristol to come here.” | ‘‘ Ha! is it possible?” m ‘Tam Bristol; otherwise, Deadwood Dick, . Y. ”» ‘Why, give me your hand, sir! Ask you in? Well, I should say so!” They shook hands, and the manager led the way up the steps and into the house. closing the door. : | He had spoken excitedly, but in low tone. On entering the sitting-room he found there his daughter, who rose immediately on pcolng that her father had company with — m, Van Bascomb stepped forward to her at once, and said: | . “T have some private business with this man, Clara. Please retire until he has gone, when we will have our hour’s chat, even if it is getting late. He will probably not be © here long.”’ ‘“ All right, papa; just as you say.’”” ! With a smile she turned and passed out by another door than that by which her father and his guest had entered. ‘“‘ Now, then. sir, be seated,” the mine- manager suid, turning immediately to his ruest, ‘‘ We can talk in absolute freedom, { thought it best that even my daughter should not be present.” | Just.as well, sir, to be proud of, sir.” ‘‘And so I am. But, for the business in hand, you want to know what is wanted of you, of course,” | | ‘ Exactly.” | | ‘* You have certainly carried out my sug- | gestion, coming so that no one could possi- bly guess your identity. ‘The vole you are playing is a unique one, and you have man- aged it to perfection, thus far.” , ‘Have tried to, But, what's the case?” ‘“A very peculiar one,” kent ** $0?” ; 5 ‘Yes, and it may not be in your line at. all. Still, 1 sent for you hoping that you — might be able to belp us out.” Let me hear about it,” is Thereupon Van Bascomb told the story of _ the rival mayors, pe saa F nt . ~ ‘Now, sir, we, the solid men of the | camp, the property owners generally, are — not satisfied that everything is being con- ducted honestly here, und we want to find out, That is to say, we did, but now things — seem to bave taken a more favorable in the minds of some.” “ How is that?” ~ | Ceue ea Then he related the matter of the strike Mate and the action McKnight had taken that had | raised him in public esteem, jy eae CI ia “Has that changed your opinion regard- ing him?” asked Dick. \ ceed 34. bh 9 ; biker ‘ ; You have a daughter ‘ ,. . SAa ’ ba TOP, Ged) 5 “ wh « . N ten - TH J . ty) 4 He went on, and when he reached the| ‘‘lt has not, sir, and for this reason; His’), _ , house he found a man awaiting him, stand- | only motive in helping me out of thedilemma f ys é f . « F m ‘ \ . ay Nh re A ~~ bine, : a \; 4 mC ee At Od A ay , RMT AETIARE BAM ERAN Gi Ae ae hg he: 04a ie ig) ee ty, i ke | Vidi ea eee) as pals WANE Fie, NE Poe “aba t' ee ee Alea hag 2% balboa il 4 e ee ‘ A ' “he (the is ) ¥ A is ‘ a \y