Beadle's Dime Library No. 395 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

oe: Deadly Aim, the Duke of Derringers. | 25 naturally be expected, contrasting the men one with the other. Rufus Cramp pressed fortune to the utmost, and occasionally won a heavy sum, for as all who knew the game parva ed could see, Kyte Darley disdained to avail him- self of his superior skill and experience to deal foul. Socareful was he that all should see this, Rufus Cramp even charged him with purposely delaying the game by such slow, painstaking dealing; but Kyte Darley went on unmoved. Then—betting grew high. Cramp put up all his ready cash, and with forced politeness asked his adversary what amount his note would stand goodfor, ‘‘ Any sum within reason,” was the cold re- nse. Rufus Cramp hastily wrote on a slip of paper, ing it across the table. Reading it, Darley coldly wrote another line or two, and after handing it to his adversary for inspection, said: ‘* You are quite satisfied, Mr. Cramp?” **More so than you will be, ’'m thinking!” cried the other, as he faced his cards—four kin and asked: ‘‘ How do you like them?” ‘“Much better than you will these, I fancy,” laughed Darley, as he deftly “strung” his hand, an ace falling opposite each king. That was before the ‘‘ royal flush” was fully recognized, and thus one deal had brought out the two highest hands in the entire deck; a thing that very rarely can happen, without judicious ‘‘ assistance,” For an instant Rufus Cramp glared at_the cards, turning fairly livid, but then, as Kyte reached out to draw down the stakes, he cried: ‘“You scoundrel! You’ve dealt foul! Two such hands couldn’t turn up in a single-handed game without cheating!” Pale as death, but still icy cold, stil] with un- shaken nerves, Kyte Darley drew back his hand from the stakes, slowly saying: ** Do you fully comprehend what you are say- ing, Mr. Cramp?” ‘You are a vile, cheating scoundrel!” panted Rufus, beside bimself. ** Gentlemen, I appeal to you all,” calmly ut- tered Darley, still in that icy cold voice. ‘* You have eyes. You saw me deal. You have watched the game from beginning to end. I ask you—have I attempted to take any unfair advantage of this madman?” The response was instant and unanimous; the dealing had been perfectly fair, and so delib- crate, on his part, at least, that there could not possibly have been foul play without detec- tion. ‘You hear, Mr. Cramp? Now beg my par- don, if you please.” “ll cut your cheating heart out first!” snarled Cramp, jerking forth a knife and making a vicious lunge across the table. _ Kyte Darley leaped lightly back, a rectly ap dropped into his hand, a large bore covering his adversary as he cried icily: ‘Take that drunken idiot away, some of you, or [ll kill him!” It was a strange de of forbearance on his part, for report said that Kyte Darley wasquick cn the trigger, and as deadly as the hooded snake when insulted. But still he meant just what he said, as none who heard his voice could doubt, and several men flung themselves upon Rufus Cramp, forcing him back, fighting and cursing. And then— There came a tremendous shock that flung all to the floor! CHAPTER XVI. A DUEL, AND—GHOSTS? THE Superb shook from stem to stern, groan- ing in every timber, creaking in every joint, shivering like a veritable thing of life after that first frightful shock, Chairs and tables were sent sliding or fairly upset. The chandeliers were rob of porcelain and glass, adding the probability of fire to the rest. Strong men were flung headlong, and Social Hall was little short of a pandemonium with yells, oaths and cries of terrified surprise. ‘* Struck a snag!” ‘‘ The boiler’s bu’sted!” ‘Wire! fire!” These and a score different cries went up from that demoralized gathering, while even above the other tumult, rose the shrill, terri- fied shrieks of women from the other end of the boat, ; Even as the shock hurled him forward and against the table, Kyte Darley caught at and secured the bits of paper which had formed the final stakes in that memorable game of straight poker, and though he lost his derringer in the en scramble that ensued, he kept the stake sate, : He was among the first to regain his feet, and though the shivering, throbbing of the wounded steamer made footing very uncertain, he was the foremost of those who dashed to the aid of the women. It was his hand that rolled apart the partition and tore aside the heavy cur- tains, and his white face that met the fright- ened gaze of Miss Wellspring as she flung open the door of her state-room and sprung into the cabin, wrapped tightly in a cloak. ET ee a ee eS ee sss sleet tenons “Thank Heaven!” ejaculated Kyte, hisstrong arms clasping her shivering form tightly to his bosom. “I feared you might—” ‘“What is it? What has happened?” panted the girl-woman, even as she spoke nestling still closer to him. ‘* A snag or sawyer—listen!” ‘*There is no danger—keep cool, all of you!” bellowed the stentorian voice of Captain Iles, making itself heard even above the confused Babel of cries and groans and shrieks. ‘‘ We ee a snag, but there’s no harm done, l — ** She’s going down, Cap! help save the books! Can’t last—” With a fierce curse Iles turned and dashed his heavy fist full in the face of his excited clerk, knocking him headlong; but the mischief was done without much hope of remedy. For one fleeting breath the passengers were silent, motionless, as though suddenly changed from flesh to marble by those terribly signifi- cant words, all the more readily believed from the heavy shock they all had experienced but a few moments before. Then— The wildest confusion, The maddest scram- bling. Blows and curses, thrusts and mad blas- phemy. Each man fighting with his fellows to see which shall be the first to reach the outer air and thus secure the best chance that might offer for escaping the impending death. All honor, manhood, friendship was lost in that say- age scramble. Captain Lles begged, prayed, cursed and fought as he called on them to remember the helpless woman, but he was overpowered and trampled on ry the madmen in that blind, unreasoning rush, To their honor, be it said, there were a few men who did not forget themselves so wholly. A few who rushed back to the little groups of terrified women in time to save some of the most wildly distracted from casting themselves over the low guards into the rushing waters. But little of all this did either Miss Wellspring r Kyte Darley witness. The instant those ords of the captain came to his ears, the ex- srienced gambler knew what they meant, and furtadly uttered: ‘*Trust to me, darling, and I'll save you! Will you?” . Their eyes met, and there was no need for further ey Kyte Yate touched her uplifted lips with his, then lifted her in his strong arms, dashed through her state-room, out upon the ruards, taking a swift, comprehensive glance about him as he reached the outer air, Dim though the starlight was, only partially relieved by the first rays of the rising moon, he and take them off. After all, it was but a rude sort of frolic. During the frightful confusion following the accident, the quarrel between Kyte Darley and Rufus Cramp was entirely lost sight of, even by the ies more immediately concerned, but with the rising of the sun those evil passions revived. There are never lacking officious friends who delight in carrying words, looks and actions back and forth on all such occasions, and it quickly became evident to all that there was se- rious trouble brewing between the recent bosom en 3 . ; usy as he was, overseeing the emptying o the hold and curiae for his freight, Cap i Des found time to note this, and with his cus- tomary blunt decision he sought out first_one and then the other of the enemies, using more 7 forcible than polite words to each. ~ Wrecked though the Superb was, she was still a boat, and he was still her captain. As long as such was the case, he must and would see that the peace was preserved. e “You kick up the row, Mr. Cramp, from | all ’'ve heard. Maybe you had cause, maybe 3 you didn’t; I’ve got nothing to do with that - part; but as sure as you burn powder cr flash i steel on board my vessel, just so sure will I clap y- you | in irons, quick as the good Lord will let | me, And to Kyte Darley he was equally em- 2s phatic. nt ‘“You knew the rules and regulations that 4 govern all on board the Superb, Mr. Darley, and < you subscribed to them when you took passage. e ‘You can’t break them and go scot free. Drop an this quarrel, at least as long as you remain on my boat, or expect to take the consequences.” wg ** The nt ise was none of my seeking, cap- AS tain,” coldly replied the gambler. ‘‘ Any one present can tell you that I tried to get out of playing that fellow. He insisted, and even went so far as to vow he would brand me asacoward — if I still declined his challenge. Heaccusedme | of cheating, and I only or to the bystand- 14 ers for vindication, which they gave without a Ca single silent or dissentient voice. Mr. Cramp ‘i repeated his charge, even after it was plainly — disproved, and when I requested him, as one “ ntleman might another, to apologize or admit . is mistake, he drew a knifeon me and tried to kill me. Even then I held my hand, though I ye was more than entitled to kill him.” ‘**] know—I have heard all that—andITadmit you acted like a gentleman from first to last? admitted the captain, but adding-doggedly: — ‘** But, all the same, I'll have no fighting here, — right or not right, if I have tocallup the crew ~— could see that the Superb had changed her course | and clap every mother’s son of youinto double and was now heading direct for land, rushing | ' ahead under the fullest head of steam that the pilot’s signals could summon. That fact alone told him that the case was | gle step to avoid one. about as serious as it well could be, without the boat’s having actually broken in two on the snag or sawyer. He knew that even if the bar was reached before the water conquered, there must be another terrific shock while that rate of speed was maintained, and with hardly an in- stant’s hesitation he rushed up to the kurricane deck, with the girl-woman still in his arms. There was no time for speech. Almost as soon as the couple gained the deck, the end came— one far more favorable than Kyte Darley had dared to hope for. Steady and true, faithful to their charge, the two pilots sent the boat straight for the bar which they knew afforded the passengers their only bope of escaping a battle with the deep waters. It was a frightfully narrow margin; the water was rushing into the engine-room when the keel of the Bdnerb first touched the sand. There was another shock, less violent than the first. The faithful firemen relieved their en- gines all they could, and fled from the clouds of steam that announced the flooding of their quar- ters. But the huge wheels still revolved and drove the water-logged vessel further upon the bar, where she gradually settled on an almost level keel. Fim Serious enough, *“hen everything is taken into consideration, but an accident that might have been infinitely worse. Not a life was lost, and only sundry bruises and sprains marked that senseless panic. The officers of the fated steamer did their duty nobly after the first flurry was over, and though he could never recall how his eves had become so beautifully blackened, Clerk Hoover = one of the most efficient in turning chaos to order. Still, it was a full day before the situation was so completely understood that quiet agair reigned overall. Then the passengers knew that though the damage to the t was beyond re- pair, and the loss on freight must be serious, there was no danger to life, The boat was firmly fixed on the bar, and though the waters were something above the level of the lower deck, the river was still fall- ing, and thus there was not the slightest chance of the boat’s being washed off into water deep enough to wholly sink, At any hour another boat might come along ' tones of Kyte Darley, as the gambler came near | | ‘or the other! te irons!” =a “PH not crowd a row, be sure of that,” was the cold retort. ‘‘ But neither will I take a sin- 4 If that fellow will rush is on his fate, Pll kill him like a dog, though you , = and all your crew stood at his back!” Reef = ‘Then the quicker you reach dry land,the —_ better for us all,” peay cried the captain, =~ ‘* Hither give me the pledge I ask, or Til land Md you, bag and baggage, even if I have to use ~ is force in doing it! a 0 oe ‘*Tf the rest of your passengers prefer toland = while waiting for another boat, I am perfectly — willing to join them. If they stay, 1 stay as) 9% B well, with or without your good will, captain,” et retorted Kyte ripe turning on hisheel © without waiting for a reply. " ey abe Captain Iles was in earnest, but he hatedto use force if it could by any means be avoided, and hurried as he was, he found time to soli soe the interference of Miss Wellspring, believing as he did that she was the promised wife of one ‘ ¥ of the parties who longed to slay each other, = And here he met with another rise,even sj more complete than the others, Instead of — tears and wailings, instead of prayers thathe — might avert this frightful calamity, Miss Well- spring actually declined to interfere on one side ‘‘ To do so would be to lend a color of truthto the really absurd rumors which, I am both © sorry and annoyed to say, I find arecurrenton board,” she said, coldly. ‘‘Neither gentleman = is anything more to me than the merest ace quaintance. I can scarcely call them friends, though, of course, lam very grateful for the ser- = vice they rendered me.” ae Bewildered, stunned, Captain Iles beata hasty retreat, yet more than ever was he determined that he would have no fighting on board. iy): ‘Let the hot-headed fools try it on,and I swear I'll blow them both through before they can take even the ghost of an aim!” he deckared: eS to a little knot of hismore prominent passengers. ‘* Haven't I got trouble enough on my bends as it is? Good Lord!” ots, Daag ‘““Why can’t they land, and have it out in | regular fashion?” suggested one of his present __ auditors. eee ‘**Didn’t I beg them to do so, almost at i, =) two knees?” snorted the*half-distracted official. ‘* And didn’t they both refuse? Of course ‘a did! But Ill snub ’em short if they try to — turn my decks into a shambles!” ; Tea ‘‘One word, captain,” interposed the cold o -,” a” cap aw. 4 - ~) comicbooks.com ‘ .