Beadle's Dime Library No. 392 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

26 | hack.” - ‘* Ah! what did she say?” f ‘¢ \mong other things, she said that the girl { was dead, an’ that Colonel Tarantula would lose | three millions by her death, She was leaving the city to find some woman who was some- | where in Colorado,” t _ “Tt was San Tonquin Maud!” exclaimed Ruby | Rob. ‘She has gone to hunt Nugget Nell. The fool! if she had hunted nearer home she might have found her. Let her go. Now, sir, we go to California street. Come!” The pair left the room and poured through the i saloon to the sidewalk. The hack tightly closed oe stood a few feet away cast in shadow and ready iy for use. : ‘‘Remember! you play me no false hand,” said Captain Rob, to the driver. ‘‘ There ar’ five eagles for a good job; death for a bad one!” The man nodded and opened the back door. r Ruby Rob sprung in, settled himself back | BO ie among the cushions, and drew and cocked a |: revolver. + ** A fool for luck!” he said to himself, with a i triumphant chuckle. ‘‘The bonanza isn’t lost | yet. kin play a winning game in the city as well as in the mountains. y trail among the _ ¢ab drives ov Frisco warn’t a foolish one for all. - Agate Alf laughed when I suggested it; but I | didn’t think it a forlorn hope.” ! _ Meantime the hack had started, and Ruby with his boots on the seat before him, was being ‘a whisked through the streets of the Golden City | at a lively rate. | . He was proving qui | -—- @ool-blade, who was | for Kate Lossing’s millions. | —- eutwit Cuban Con, he might strangle Anita and _ take the gold-girl from the Spanish-blooded ‘oe sport’s power; but he had found his match in in the boss of Satanscrown, who could foil him anywhere. eh :, Captain Rob, riding through the California - _ eity, did not think for a second that the hack s -was carrying three. He knew that he was the only person inside, and he had cocked his revol- ver for the driver. Behind the vehicle, and almost under the seat ' . occupied by the Colorado sport, was a dark ob- ject doubled up like an animal. Tt hung on with much tenacity, for the hack -_ bounced over some pretty rough places without _ shaking the third passenger off. _ This is to be an important ride,” muttered | this strange rider. ‘‘If Captain Rob has ac- | tually found a clew to Colonel Tarantula, I will _ have it in my hands. What do I care if the | irons under this hack are almost skinning me _ alive? This is a play for Kate.” - On—on went the vehicle, as if it was bearing _. the Colorado sport to the end of the city. More | than once he leaned forward and looked out, as | _ if to see whether he was being carried in the | right direction, but the streets looked strange, _ and he was obliged to fall back and await re- a match for the Texas aying a desperate game The colonel might os - ‘ eh At last the carriage turned a certain corner, and the gait of the horses decreased; the next moment they had dropped into a walk. _. ** We are nearly there,” said the person under the vehicle, and at the same time Captain Rob Be oe" wee a similar remark, eee e man on the box drew the reins at last, and the carriage cape ug. She Ruby Rob felt for the door-handle in his eager- ness to alight, but the driver sprung down and opened it a little. “Tt is the sixth house to the right, up the street,” he said. ‘I thought you didn’t want me to stop in front of it.” en “ By ove! that war shrewdness on your ee part, ‘said the mountain sport. ‘The sixth house, eh? You will wait for mehyer. I won't os am be gone long.” —_ Ruby Rob stood on the sidewalk, and in the pee of the only lamp near. He saw only the - man who had driven him to California street; he did not notice the person who stood in the | Poy): shadow of the cab. All at once this person stepped out. “Throw up your hands!” he said, in a voice that went through pe jai Rob like the sting of - an Apache spear. ands up, Captain Rob, of ee Batanscrown a At the curbing stood the ee aker with two leveled revolvers, and in the hands that held them out there was no quiver. ‘The sport grew dark in the face and his eyes Bigs ss ed; despite the stern commands, one of his hands went toward his weapon, but did not draw it forth. Tn fate’s name, who ar’ you?” growled the Satanscrown sport. __ ** The person who did not fall into your cabin eet ne when Topaz Tom dropped before Colorado me rlos’s revolver.” > bid Idaho lvan!” exclaimed the mountain ed? . h : “Idaho Ivan, Captain Rob. Your carriage has carried three. J am in luck, not you, to- night. Go back into the hack!” Vet oe Phe man from Satanscrown ground his teeth nid and gave the young miner a defiant look. oe You will not, eh? Then I will kill you in Ee tk me: t V9 . a A Fi tare The Lost Bonanza. | the depot, an’ she talked to herself in the | your boots and where you stand. Stand back, | I don’t want to paint you with this | driver. old demon’s blood! Once more, Ruby Rob— into the carriage!” The foiled desperado went toward the vehicle, the door of which stood open, ‘*A thousand dollars if I had known this young fox was under me,” he said to himself, and as the door closed on him he heard the boy say sternly to the driver: ‘** Get up and drive that man back!” CHAPTER XXX. THE HOUSE OF THE CRIMSON TRUMP. ‘“*TxHIs,” said the young miner as the horses nog off, ** This is my lucky night or’ seems | to be. He turned toward the house designated by the | driver when he opened the door for Captain Rob to alight. | ‘* Mountain Moss is yonder,” he continued. ‘*T have found her at last after the long trail from Satanscrown to Frisco. If Ruby Rob had | imagined that I was clinging to his cab, he. wouldn’t have failed as he has, Pious Phil thought he had found a clew when we separated a while ago, but lam the one who has succeed- The vehicle carrying Ruby Rob away had | turned a corner and Idaho Ivan did not see the | door open, nor hear the voice that called a halt, | ‘** I’m not going to let a boy beat me,” grated | the man who sprung out pistol in hand. “Tl | go back and end this part of the game by shoot- | ng. him dead!” he sport of Satanscrown was capable of do- ing just such a deed. | ‘What sball I do, cap’n?”’ asked the driver. | ‘**T don’t like the looks o’ thet young ferret who | rode all the way up here between the wheels.” ‘*Go whar you please,” said Ruby Rob toss- ing the man several gold-pieces. ‘‘I know this pert of Frisco better than any other, an’ if the — ouse you mention is the sixth one from : ! ® oF corner I know it all over. My dead pard, Lion Dick, ran a private game in it for two years.” The driver of the carriage was eager to get away. He thrust the gold-pieces into his pocket, gave his team the whip and rattled away. ‘*1’m not euchered till the last card has been played,” growled the stalwart fellow who | walked back toward California street. ‘‘I will have the bonanza bird in my cage before morn- ing I Baffled by a boy? I haven’t come to that et. In the mean time, Idaho Ivan had walked to- ward the house supposed to contain the object of his quest, the heiress of the Golden Gate, Outwardly there was no visible sign that the old two-story brick structure had a single in- mate. It was beyond the light of the nearest street lamp and its whole front was cast in shadow. There might have been people living near who could have told the young miner that the place had a bad reputation. It had been the scene of more than one private faro game, and its own- ers had been men who had the record of the des- perado. Idaho [van did not like the appearance of the house. It looked dangerous from the outside, ae well be suspected o! being dangerous within. ‘‘T am here to find Kate,” said the boy after his brief inspection. “If there were a dozen a like this to be searched I would not hesi- te. He did not like the idea of seeking an entrance by the front door. Of course he would find it locked, and if he knocked there was no telling who would open it, or whether it would be open- ed at all. Almost directly opposite was a quiet-looking saloon whose windows were pain so that no one from the outside could see within, ‘*T will know something about this house,” said Idaho [van while he looked at the saloon, and then he crossed the street and entered it. A man was drinking at the counter; he was the only visible customer of the place at the time, and his figure sent a thrill through the young Coloradan. The opening of the door made noise me to cause the lone customer to wheel upon the visitor. Idaho Ivan recoiled the instant their eyes met. ‘** Colonel Tarantula!” he exclaimed. ‘*You hyer, you young ferret?” flashed the man from Texas, and then there was an oath and a bound, and Tdaho Ivan, with his revolver Paula wes in the clutches of the cool ade. The barkeeper, a desperate Jooking fellow, seemed to enjoy the exciting scene. ‘**Caught a ferret, eh, colonel?” he laughed as he leaned over the counter, ‘* Thet reminds me how I war once hunted by a youngster in Den- ver, Ha! he’sa daisy, he is! Hold him fast! Them ar’ eyes mean business, or I’m not Glory George o’ Golden Gulch.” | Idaho Ivan was safely lodged inthe grip of the man who beld him. He had never been so close to the cool Texan before. ‘*IT thought I finished you in Satanscrown,” hissed Colonel Tarantula, ‘‘ You must have as . ae —— he ad af f ie "dl ele be : J ‘ m many eyes as a cat. You war playin’ Injun thar, but arter I gave you the bowie, I went back an’ saw yer white skin. Then I knowed thet you war Idaho Ivan ov Trigger Bar. Hunt- ing me, eh? Wal, hyer I am, as large as life an’ as dangerous as ever.” The Texas tough need not have finished the sentence thus, is look was proof of the state- ment, and the next moment he turned toward the man behind the bar and laughed. ‘*George, what did you do with the boy ferret you caught in Denver?” he asked. ‘* What d’ yer imagine, colonel? D’yer think I let im go? I hey been taken for a fool more’n once in my lifetime, but it isn’t on ther books a war one then. Why, I skinned my fer- ret! There was a hideous grin on Glory George’s face when he finished. ‘*f advise you ter sarve yours ther same way,” continued the whisky-seller. ‘It ain’t good policy ter let these kind o’ humans git away.” ‘** Do you hear that advice, boy?’ asked Colonel | Tarantula, sé Yes.” ‘* Wal, what do you think of it?” ‘Tt is the advice to be expected from a man like that.” ‘* You followed me here?” ‘* 1 did not, but I have found you.” ‘‘For the last time!” was the quick retort. “You have come into this part o’ Frisco to see the inside of a sartain house. I will now accom- modate you.” Colonel Tarantula, though not a giant in stature, was powerful enough to drag Idaho Ivan to the door. Glory George gave him an approving smile when their eyes met, and a mo- ment later the young miner was moving once more upon the house. | This was an advance he had not looked for. His mission to the saloon had resulted most dis- astrously. ‘‘Have I trailed this Texas monster all the way from Satanscrown, to fall into his merci- less talons?” he ejaculated. ‘‘ This is one of the mysterious moves of fate. I am going into Mountain Moss’s prison, but the grip of Colonel Tarantula is upon me. Heaven help me now!” The journey across the street did not occupy a minute. Idaho Ivan soon stood on the steps of the dangerous house with the man who was his worst enemy. What could he Eee from a desperado who was playing for millions? This man had killed Dashwood the tongueless in Satanscrown and Colorado Carlos in San Fran- cisco. And both in cold blood! Colonel Tarantula produced a key from his penne and opened the door, He did not loosen 1is grip on the boy; one hand with his vise-like power seemed enough to hold a giant. Idaho Ivan was taken into a hall that-had a carpet. There was no light, and the old house was as silent as the tomb. The door that shut beneath Colonel Tarantula gave out a faint click which told that it had a spring lock. ‘*Make no sound!” was spoken in low tones at the boy’s ear and with that sternness that ac- companied all the ruffian’s speeches. “If you knew the reputation of this house you would never have left the gold-fields of Colorado. This is the House of the Crimson Trump!” ‘* No!” said the boy, hardly above his breath. ‘* Ah! you have heard of it!” cried the col- onel. ‘There isn’t a mining-camp within two thousand miles of Frisco that hasn’t had some stories about this house told in it. Its best days ar’ past, but it is good for some things yet, as I’m likely ter show yer.” Idaho Ivan was taken down the dark hall and into a room oqnany as dark, The fame of this house, if it was the House of the Crimson Trump, had reached Trigger Bar. He had heard the origin of its name, a story about a handsome gambler found dead in it with his last card crimsoned with his life- blood. It was a house with a hundred tales, and not one of them good. In the room into which Colonel Tarantula conducted the young miner, a match was struck and the youth saw an old faro-table with several chairs in position. The table was uncommonly deep, a fact which at once attracted Idaho Ivan’s attention. Before the match went out Colonel Tarantula lit a lamp provided with a ponsnes reflector placed in such a position that the light fell upon the table solely. ‘* Your trail is goin’ ter end in the House of the Crimson Trump,” said the Texan, glaring down into Idaho Ivan's face with rage and tri- umph unabated. ‘‘I would sooner be followed by aman thana boy. You know where to look for a man, but a boy will foil you. You ar’ on the bonanza trail, too?” Idaho Ivan eres kame as much as the grip of the ruffian would permit. | ‘‘Tam hunting Mountain Moss. You know that, Colonel Tarantula,” he said. ‘‘ We know now that she is Kate Lossing lost eight years. ago, that she is heiress to three and a quarter millions kept in trust for her by three men of whom Leroy La Croix the banker is the chief.” ‘* An’ a rascal from the ground up!” said the colonel. ‘*T don’t know about that,” / (E Eomicbooks rad sz a % “ei ri “ TN . _ - =a ee |