Beadle's Dime Library No. 278 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

| Bs 4 a) ‘ ’ ea SS ‘ite ff = ’ * ~ _ m a ten a ~~ fs ~~, oe, : _» _— “= et. wy a 65 « + _7) Ase a ata ey tb “> ; 4, * ae | e cong > * ~ ee 1 be Pak .9,. sel - ba ie +" a’ 7 Pn Pm = * ; 2 gn er ee 5 _ Hercules Goldspur, The Man of the Velvet Hand; OR, The Poker Queen’s Deep Game. A Romance of Idaho. BY CAPT. HOWARD HOLMES. CHAPTER I. COLD-DECK CARL. “Tw hyar in person, an’ [ say it ag’in. She’s a daisy! she’s a jumper, an’ the man what says she isn’t ’sa liar!” — These words fell with emphasis from the lips of a clear-eyed little man, whose shoulders bare- ly rose above the counter of the most preteu- tious saloon of You-Bet, a wild-cat city .in mountainous Idaho, on the line of the newly-es- tablished Northera Pacific. He looked like a dwarf aToOnE, the dark- shirted, dark faced men by whom he was sur- rounded. He was not unbandsome, although be had a great scar over bis left eye, and his pants thrust loosely into the tops of bis boots gave him a certain devil-may-care appearance, which might have commended him to the popu- lation of You-Bat. No one at first responded to the little man’s assertion and challenge. The crowd seemed to take for granted bis emphatic assertion of the merits of some one, anda number turned away. ‘‘Thar ain’t a man in You-Bet who dares to say she isn’t a daisy an’ a jumper!” be con- tinued, somewhat nettled by the cool reception of his first remarks. ‘‘She kin ride; she kin play; she kin shoot, Fer acool hand at uraw, give me Lola.” | “Trot ’er out, then!” suddenly exclaimed a voice, at the sound of which the little man turned upon the speaker. “ L’low no man tosay thet without producin’ bis dust. Trot out this queen ov kerds! Whar isshe? I’m kind o’ handy, with the pasteboards myself. Lola ye called ‘er, I think? Show up, er siut up, ye little runt!” These words, the last ones especially, had an instant effect. The eyes of the little man fairly flashed, A stride, and then a bound took bim to the stranger more than two heads his supe- rior in stature. : ‘Ar’ ye in earnest?” he asked, meeting his gaze wita interest, ‘Tam. My mnype is Cold-Deck Carl. [Tm from Muriposa. rot out your boss poker queen |” , For a moment the little man did not reply, but during the silence the scar made answer: it suddenly grew livid. “Cold-Deck Carl, eh?’ he repeated. ‘* Wal, ef you want to see Lola, Pll bring her in.” moment later. the figure of the little man disappeared, and a young girl entered the sa- rac camg took an often-occupied station behind the bar. ‘¢ Thar she is!—the only gal in You-Bet !” ex- claimed a tall, broad-shouldered miner as he leahed over the counter with asmile, ‘ Pigm Pete never talks about Lola when this daisy in the room, Step up, gentlemen, an’ afore the jumper shows up, we'll drink to the boss female of Idaho!” The invitation to liquor-up was received with words of approval, more forcible than elegant, and the young girl, who was beautiful, with a oe of sloe-black eyes, rich complexion and a aultless figure, began to set out glasses suffi- cient for the rough crowd. ‘Lola can’t be purtier than this daisy,” de- cided Cold-Deck Carl after a moment’s inspec- tion of the maid behind the bar. “ The only gal in You-Bet didn’t some one say?” “Ther only one, pard,” echved a voice at Car!’s elbow, telling bim that he had unwitting- ly spoken aloud. " ar dil she come from?” “ Hercules fetched ’er hyar,” * Hercules?’ “Don’t you know him?” ‘‘No, I'm from Mariposa, We don’t know him thar.” : “Hercules is a dandy. Whar he is, thar’s always a boss. We hevn’t see’d ‘im fer three months. Went South at last accounts,”: ** South, hey?” Cold-Deck Carl seemed to take more than a isi apntenee 10 the vara eR Hercules. “’ Yes, Sout was the reply. “ What's his busines?” ‘* Wait till he comes back an’ then ask him.” While these words were not intended to be insulting, it was plainly to be seen that the k- er was quite ng for the man from Mariposa to take tuem in any hamor be pleased, ‘* Mebbe I will,” he said, * an’ if I do, I'll get ’ \a satisfactory answer, too.” At this juncture the man who bad invited the crowd up to drink to the bar-maid’s beauty swung his g above his head, and in tones \ghat Sounded beyond the precincts of the drink- re. eer re re ae ee ee ee le™ OS ing place, proposed her health, which was drank while the girl’s eyes sought the flour at her feet, and a flush stole across her fair ace, ‘* Wed die fer ye, Zoe,” exclaimed the pro- poser of the toast, bringing his empty glass down upon the counter. ‘‘ Thar ain’t a man in You-Bet to-night, but what would give his veins fer ye. Hyar! look up an’ face the crowd,” and he leaned over the counter and tapped the girl under the chin with a great bronzed finger. With another glance at the girl, Cold-Deck Car] left the saloon. ‘* Hold on thar, Mariposa!” called out one of the miners as he stepped into the soft moonlight that rendered the summer night so beautiful; * Ain’t ye goin’ ter wait till Pigmy Pete trots Lola out?’ “T’ll meet bim byar,” he sent back over his shoulder, and then added, through clinched teeth: * l’m hyar fer a purpose, an’ more than ope mun from You-Bet will diskiver it, too.” Without more ado he walked away, nor paused until he stood on the railroad track where it rau through a mountain cut whose wails had an almost sheer ascent of three hundred feet. The full round moon was directly above this place, and the mellow light bathed it in much beauty. ! All at once Cold-Deck Carl put his ear against the rail and listened intently, while he seemed to hold his breath, ‘Not yet—not comin’ yet!’ be murmured. ‘‘ Mebbe the iron hoss ain’t due fer some time. I’ve found one of ’em, an’ he mustn’t go blun- derin’ inter You-Bet as ther land lays now, 'Twould spoil allour plans. J haven’t lied fer nothin’. I haven't said that I b’long ter Mariposa fer fun. No! We are playin’ fer big money, just now—fer the biggest pile ever staked in Idaho, Mebbe I’d_ better go back an’ see that daisy juwwper Pigmy Pete talks about.” He turned his head toward You-Bet af he finished and was about to return to the place when the sound of an approaching train seemed to strike his ears and he dropped upon the ties again. ‘She's comin’!” he exclaimed, his dark but handsome face lighting up with an expression of triumph. ‘At last! I’m glad I kin say (hat. At last!” The ramble of a train was now distinct, and while Carl waited in the moonlight, he drew and looked carefully at a splendid revolver whose silver chasing fairly glistened in his hand. Then ffom another pocket he drew a little ball about two inches in diameter. . On the surface of the ball a fuse was visible, and as the headlight of the © a ery ate loco- motive became visible he touched this fuse with a match and threw the bal]l on the track. For several moments it burned slowly, but all at once little red sparks began to leap up from it, and as the train came thundering down upon it, it exploded with a puff throwing out a glaring red light which filled the cut from the track to the top of the walls, bundreds of feet above. | Cold-Deck Carl stepped coolly from the track and watched the train. He saw it slow up and then stop with the iron point of the cow-catcher almost onto the burning ball whose light grew stronger as it burned, He saw, too, the wondering face of the engi- neer as he leaned from his engine and tried to make out the cause of the weird light; be no- ticed the passengers who had their win- dows and were looking at the same attraction. A smile stole over his face, which brightened as he saw a manleap from the train and stop near the track. , ‘* Move on, thar!” he cried to the engineer who had not yet noticed him. ‘‘Take yer train on ter You-Bet.” gan an instant the engineér’s look became a stare. “Goon! I give be three seconds to epen yer throttle,” and the silver-mounted revolver covered the engineer’s head. “Pm no frain- robber. I ask no man ter hold up bis bands, but I’ve stopped yer train fer a purpose all the same, on!” In an instant the face of the engineer disap- ared, and the red light still being thrown out vy the burning ball revealed the under work of the cars as they passed over it. Standing e against the wall of the nar- row chasm the man who had proclaimed himself as being from M looked gigantic in the strange red light, and at sightof him the occu- pants of the coach drew back from the windows and aan ae — “oe na they had grasped on first glare 6 Ng For a minute after the last car passed him Cold-Deck Car! remained where be had stationed himself; then he turned toward the one passen- ger who bad left the train. Already this individual was advancing upon him, coming down the track with much eager- ness depicted on his face, which was darkly handsome, like Carl's, although the heavy mustache that hid his mouth was iron gray. Hercules Goldspur. er —_ ¥ r * . *, ._ 49 SS ee ” = -* . ars Peat a B oe ee a ee SS ee _“*Tlere you are!” he exclaimed, halting before 5 Wal, I should remark to mention,” was the response, ‘ That little light o’ mine will stop any train, Ef 1 hadn’t stopped you hyar you'd hev a ter You-Bet?’ “Wal, we'll go down afoot. It’s the better plan. Ive found the diamond.” *“ What?’ ** I’ve found Zoe.” ‘é No.” ‘* By heaven, I hev!” and Carl’s hands shut, His friend gave him an inquisitive look. ‘* Who fetched her to You-Bet?” he asked, ‘* Hercules,” ‘* Hercules who?” ‘You oughter know. I don’t.” The man with the iron-gray mustache was silent. ‘*T ought to know all my enemies, but I don’t know this one,” be said. ‘‘Hercules? No! | don’t know him, But come. I will know him to-night. What! Zoe in You-Bet among the wolves of Idaho? Carl, you’ve earned all Pye agreed to pay you.” ‘*] should remark to mention,” smiled Cold- Deck Car]. “If youare ready to go to You- Bet, thither we go.” The two men started down the track, but they had not advanced a rod when the sharp report of a rifle cut the air and Carl’s companion reeled away. _“*My God! colonel!” ejaculated Cold-Deck Carl, springing after the staggering man whom he did not reach till after he had struck the ground. Across the track lay the Night Express’s late passenger, with Carl bending over him, and gazing into the face upturned to the silver moon that illumined the heavens. | It was a strange scene, If the marksman had wanted a second victim how easily he could have sent a bullet through Carl’s brain; but the man was not molested. ‘‘1t’s a lie! they baven’t killed ye, colonel!” cried Carl. ‘Say a word an’ lll stay with ye till ye’r’ on yer feet again. Tell me—” Cold-Deck Carl paused abruptly then sprung erect. In an instant he seemed to realize that his companion was dead, ‘‘1ll draw a blood-line around You-Bet for this!” be hissed, CHAPTER Il. ‘* WHICH ONE SHALL I KILL?” THE tragedy just recorded occurred about a mile from the mountain railroad town. For a moment after Carl's mad threat to draw a blood-line around You-Bet, he stood over the dead man with fire in bis eyes and all the tiger- ish part of his wild nature aroused. ‘“Won’t I doit’ he cried. ‘‘Won’t I go on an’ win alone the big game fer which you war playin’, colonel? Who killed you? I don’t want to know now, but Pll find oat! The man what did it has gone to You-Bet, an’ thar’s whar I’m bound fer.” Instead of moving toward the place, he stooped and lifted tue corpse from the track and carried it up tbe cut until be reached a huge bowlder which cust a shadow more than large enough to hide the body of a man. epositing it there, he searched the garments and took therefrom everything he could find, even to a small gold Setar g. mg then, with a es glance at the dead, he started toward ou-Bet. : His destination, of course, was the saloon to which Pigmy Pete bad promised to conduct Lola, the girl whose praises he bad sounded in loud tones. wonderful calmness settled over his face as he neared the place, and be crossed the thresh- old to be greeted with an exclamation of recog- nition by Pigmy Pete, and Carl’s quick eyes de- tected the girlish face beyond the little man. “Pye fetched the daisy!” cried Pete, gleefully. ** Some ov the boys said you had vamosed ther ranch, buf I told ’em thar warn’t run in yer eyes. Hyarsbeis! Trot out hyar, Lola. This is Cold-Deck Carl from Mariposa,” : Pete turned as he finished upon the girl, a sylpb-like young creature, who looked like the youthful senoritas of the Mexican bor- ders, for her skin was as dark as theirs, and her eyes as sparkling and keen, Sach a dark-skinned witch had never before crossed the precincts of You-Bet, and although the miners had repeatedly heard Pete her raises, they pow saw ker, with Cold-Deck Carl, os ae be a : sie as in Pigmy Pete’s language she Was “ a daisy and a jumper,” she was alee a girl whose eyes spoke indomitable ge, and who knew much about ers ‘+h men al ‘whom she stood. Site eens wets tras cn a s in ction e came for- ward drooping her long black lashes in a courtesy which had much grace. ‘She isa beauty,” went through Carl’s mind as be threw a rapid glance across the counter at Zoe, who stood behind thc Dar, an interested witness of the proceedings. He might have wondered if the two girls, so \ / JOCKS (E ~com - s ; A. ry Ay ok © er ee F ‘