Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 375 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

J — Hurley looked disgusted as he nodded his head. He had to do it, and yet Gentle Joe had a hand that most men would have stood on. There are ‘‘ big hands” in seven-up as well as in other games. The result was that they stood five apiece when the hand had been played, and it was Lipscombe's deal, ‘‘ Here, I'll give you some show for your money. Give them a shuffle before | get hold of them,” he said, pushing the cards over toward his antagonist. ‘*Maybe you wouldn’t mind letting me deal them, too?” was the cheeky query of {furley, as he ran the cards deftly together from the ends. “Thanks for the suggestion, but there’s a limit to the amount of pork that can be pur- chased for a shilling, and I don’t care to give my luck clean away. Here, I'll finish the agony in short order,” The ecards were run off smoothly, the ex- pected Jack turned, and the two were look- ing at what they had in order to decide what they would do, when they became aware that they had a spectator. Royal George, who had undoubtedly heard the greater part of their conversation, was standing at Gentle Joe’s shoulder, looking at his cards with a grin of interest on his face. How he had slipped in was not so apparent, but there he was, ‘Kinder strikes me that you fellers don’t need ice ter keep yer heads cool, Ef I war in your place Vd be sayin’ my prayers an’ gittin’ ready fer to-morrer. Jest finish this hyar game out, an’ then let me in. Seems ter me it'd be areal pleasure ter tackle sich neavy fellers ez you be. Drive on, quick, fur I ain't much time ter spare.” “You won’t have long to wait. This hand settles the whole pile. Take cne, Hur- ley; it’s the best I got.” “'That’s so,” exclaimed Hurley, with an air of disgust. ‘‘Show a trump and take the pot.” ‘“There’s a handfulof them, Sorry, pard, but really you can’t play worth acent. If the king, here, don’t pan out better, he won t ye common amusement.” ‘* We'll see about that,” said Royal George, dropping into a seat. ‘Ef. thar’s any two- legged critters kin lay over my game, I want ter know.” CHAPTER XXI. AN HOUR’S GRACE. ‘‘Lyr the farce proceed,” answered Hur- ley, Waving his hand in answer to an in- quiring look from the road-agent, as he . pushed back from the table. aes ‘*1’m dead broke now; in about five min- utes this man will be broke, too; and you can turn us loose without hesitation. As the women have no money, I suppose you will be willing to include them in the arrange- ment. It’s the coolest, cutest bit of robbery I ever heard of.” ; ‘Ef yer rattled, pull out an’ keep yer mouth shut, You don’t know beans, any- how. Now, Joseph, how 1s this game to be?” He spoke gruffly, and in some dis- pleasure. ‘Fix that to suit yourself; but any way you fix it you can put up all you're,worth that I'll play it for all that’s in the ecards,” ‘‘T ain’t jest quite so reckless—we'll start even, Hyar's my leetle sack-full. It’s ernuf ter win with, an’all ’'m goin’ ter lose. I don’t keer fur reckless playin’; we'll try a hundred a corner, an’ then jt’ll last longer. Wade in.” As has been intimated, Hurley was an old card-player, and as he looked at the two men setting to work, he felt that he could not be mistaken in what he saw in their faces, and wished that he had husbanded his resources. There was no mistaking the gambling gleam in the eyes of the outlaw as he counted out his stakes and then shuffled the cards, It certainly looked like a bona fide game, in which each side was anxious to win. The deal fell to Royal George, and he made the most of it. Each played with de- liberation, and after the work had fairly begun, neither face showed the shadow of a change, ; Contrary to Hurley's expectations, Gentle Joe won the first game, the second and the third. Either it was going to be a long sit- ting, or the money went with the merit. The fourth game Spey to Royal George, but the . | be ee “le + om, in a ws d ae Royal George, fifth and sixth to Lipscombe. The wealth he was accumulating began to amount to quite a respectable little fortune. like a square game to Hurley, and he was a judge of such matters. Then the seventh game began, with the opening hands in Lipscombe's favor. *'That’s good enough for me,” he said, as he gathered up the cards from Royal George’s deal and looked at the deck-head. ‘‘ Play your game and play it steady, if you don’t want to go down into your stocking. I’m on the war-path to-night, and it takes a boss to tackle me,” For the first time the outlaw’s face gave signs of his inward emotion. He was los- ing, and he was a bad loser. : tfurley, looking at him, no longer had doubts, and began to think that a crisis in their affairs was very near, Royal George was no match for the silky little gambler, and was more than half in- clined to resent the wonderful run of luck that would have set at defiance the best of play. When he turned to Gentle Joe he saw something else. He was handling his cards with one hand, while the other rested carelessly on the table, but pointing toward Royal George in a way that, to Hurley, was more than suspicious. If there was oot a derringer concealed in that sleeve, it seemed, in the light of a lengthy experience, to be more than singular, If he had known Gentle Joe’s record from A to Izzard, he could not have been more cer- tain. “That's your low,” remarked Joe, as the vards came out, ‘‘and here’s your high, and your jack, safe as a church, and it’s hardly necessary to count for game. Your deal, and we'll put up for a new game.” His right arm remained extended in the same careless way, While with his left hand he gathered in the stakes. ‘“Guess not. I don’t kick on a fair game, but I don’t go more ner so fur when luck’s dead ag’in’ me. I reckon ther way ther keerds run ter-night you'd bankrupt ther hull | gang, ef they hed ole Flood ter back ’em, I'll lose jest so much with any of ’em, but I don’t go a cent more, nohow. more ner once. I hev yer hyar, though, an’ ef it looks ez though luck hed changed by to-morrer mebbe I'l! give ye another bitch. It’s a mighty big pile ov boodle, an’ ’tain’t everybody ez would keer ter hev it about ‘em with sich a gang around.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, evidently taking in the gang that kept ward without. ‘You're right about that last, old man, but I'll run the risks. And I'll tell you what I'll do with you. I'll put up the whole pile against an hour’s grace on the road to Blazer's; and Tl let Hurley here throw around and the first jack takes the rake. If you've got any sand now is the time to set up a sack full.” ‘“An’ ef yer win, nothin’s ter be said "bout this hyar leetle game, an’ what’s goin’ on hyar?” - a gambling fever was on the road-agent ad, ‘““What do you take me for? Ain't I trusting you—and don’t you think I’m just as square? It’s my night on, and I feel it in my bones. It’s my offer—take it or leave it. [ ain’t sure but what, from the way I left the burg, I’m in more danger in Blazer’s than | am here; but Pll risk it anyhow.” ‘Done, then, an’ double done. Put up ther oro an’ I'll sce that there’s no shenani- gen.’ As he spoke he drew from his belt a pair of revolvers; but when he looked up from their rising hammers he saw that Gentle Joe, from some unseen receptacle, had drawn a similar pair, and was looking at him over the ile of notes and coin that flooded the table. Ie no longer relied on the hidden derringer. ‘* You observe I’m not making a threat, or saying a word how things ought to be done; but as you're looking after your interests, I’m looking after mine; and Hurley can be sure of fair play all the way ’round.” Instead of being angered, Royal George burst into a laugh. it was hearty. _‘* That’s the kind of talk I like to hear— right to the point, and the bark all on. Go on with the deal. Gentle Joe don’t shoot fur the Three in One. It looked | I’ve swore it . It was a harsh one, but 17 ee glory any more, an’ ef .he can’t be trusted with firearms, who kin?” ‘Who cuts?” asked Hurley. The game was beginning to get interesting. It looked as though, sooner or later, there would be pistols for two or three, and his regrets were deeper than ever that they had ‘so effectually deprived him of his fire-arms at the time of his capture. For the present he was simply a puppet to dance as these two men ordered. The question that was most importunt to his mind was, which was the better master? He took possession of the deck as he asked | himself the question, and methodically began | to shuffle. ‘*] guess that’s my percentage,” responded * Royal George, ‘‘ Ef thar war ary gougin’ it stands ter reason Joe, an’ I reckon he's too squar’ a man ter want ter hev it all his own way. Pass ’em over this way, an’ I'll lift ther top keerds fur good luck,” When the cut had been made the slender white fingers of Hurley threw off the ecards one at a time, first to the left and then to the right, and for a little while nothing was _heard but the compressed breathing of the men, and the regular flip, flip of the paste- none as they dropped upon the table, “Ah!” Gentle Joe was too thoroughpaced a gam- bler to allow a sign to escape him, but Royal George, trained in a somewhat different school, could not restrain the low exclama- tion. Then he watched Lipscombe as, with- out the least haste or excitement, he gathered up the stakes and thrust them carelessly in the side-pockets of his sack coat. “Tt war a nervy sort ov game you played all through,” was the outlaw’s comment, ‘‘an’ not one man ina thousand would ’a’ took ther risk ez cool. Gamblin’ are gam- blin’ though, an’ Royal George’s word are ez good ez any man’s bond. When he loses yer never hear him squeal. That hour'll begin ter run purty shortly; are yer ready ter _ slide?” | ‘All set, George; and I’ve found you just as white as I always said you were. If you want your revenge I'll meet you anywhere 'on the continent and put up dollar for dol- lar while the pile lasts. ow, I'd like to | say good-night, and pull out my prettiest for the Bar. If I don’t get in before daylight they'll be apt to wing me as I come.” “Allright; but afore yer go are ther’ any- one else ez knows this ranch like you do? Ther’ might ’a’-bin a heap ov trouble ef ther wrong inan hed ’a’-got in.”’ ee all there is of us, and we don’t talk.” All of Hurley’s old doubts came back as he saw the two rise from the table together, _and yet if this game had been but a farce the acting of it looked very real. For tho present he accepted the position under pro- _ test, and saw the two depart without even a | good-night, He saw them depart; that is, he saw them rise up, and heard their vanishing footsteps _and the sound of a closing door; but before | they had made their exit through the door to their prison pen the light above once more disappeared, and he was left alone in the darkness, with the three slumbering wo- / men, The last words he heard were from Royal | George: | ‘*T ll trust yer, pard, fur 1 don’t go back | On my word over a prayer book; but ef you go back on me it won’t be no use ter pray fur yer soul. 1 won't leave none ter pray fur. Now, git. Yer time starts, an’ you'd better start too.” CHAPTER XXII, NEDDY’S JUNGLE. Iv is almost needless to say that Gentle | Joe found his way back in safety to Blazer's Bar, making about the best time on record for the distance. It was a little before day- light when he silently crawled into his shanty, and lay down to slumber, The notes and gold in his pockets were very real; it'd be in the interest ov ° on’'t worry. Me and my pard—that’s :*/ Pat es ; / , *)? form 4* * on but the balance of his adventures seemed no © more than a troubled dream. When he awoke it was well toward evening; and © ith- out hesitation, after a plain though | supper, he turned his face toward Jungle, ‘* Neddy’s Jungle ”’ was one of the institu ' tions at Blazer's; where they drank, gambled comic eddy’s lentiful * it?