Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 416 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

alll as ; Monte Jim, the Black Sheep of Bismarck. ee ————— 7 tele : v4 ——s ———— —— ee eee his knuckles showed plainly through the oil- cloth covering. ‘Touch lightly, Curly!” warningly muttered Monte Jim, his blue eyes allaglow. ‘One card at a time, if you please!” pus A barely perceptible hesitation, then the dealer slowly moved the queen, and a wild cry came from the excited crowd as they beheld the six-spot of clubs lying next card! CHAPTER XI, MONTE JIM AS A MORAL EXHIBITOR. THERE was death in the glowing black orbs of the King of Bismarck as he lifted them to the face of his rival with a surly, wolfish snarlin his tones as he muttered: . ‘* Are you satisfied now, Monte Jim?” ‘‘T’d be a hog if I wasn’t,” laughed the suc- cessful gambler, still keeping on hisguard, how- ever. ‘“‘I had anidea I could catch the turn, and, as you see, my theory was correct. Pay your debts, old fellow!” ‘* | always pay them—and I'll settle with you, be sure of that, Monte Jim!” grated Curly Kaine, viciously. Sats? ‘‘ There’s prussic acid and aquafortis in your tones, old boy, but I reckon there’s drug store enough about me to stand the blast for a time. Pay the gold, first, then we can settle up our lit- tle lead or steel account after your own liking.” ‘‘Tll not let it slip your mind, Monte, rest as- sured of that,” said Curly Kaine, with a white, sickly smile, as his practiced fingers quar counted over the sum of cash which his ban contained, and pushed it partly across the ta- ble. ‘‘ Your stake was ten thousand. [t called for four times its face, making forty thousand dol- lars. Am I correct?” ‘* Straight as a string, old fellow.” ‘* Here is twenty-one thousand, four hundred and sixty-five dollars in cash, as part pay- ment—” ‘‘ Bank bu’sted and you going into bankruptcy, eh?” sneered Monte Jim, swiftly cutting his de- liberate speech short. ‘* Want to compound for fifty cents on the dollar, I sup ?” ‘“Don’t squeal before you’re hurt, Monte,” was the cool retort. ‘‘l never yet failed to square accounts with my customers, and rather than fall short with you, ’d coin every drop of my heart’s blood into pennies,and pawn my soul for the balance!” For one instant the crust was broken, Sat be a glimpse of the burning lava beneath. tre the most intense fairly transformed that hand- some countenance into the visage of a veritable demon; but Psa J . mag ed herent “= took his mocking gaze from versary, feel- ing confident that his allies could be trusted to — his rear against the “‘heelers” of Curly .aine ‘‘In other words, perform impossibilities!” laughed Monte Jim. ‘' For heart you never had, and that which serves you as a soul was mort- gaged to Satan in the hour of your birth! But a truce to compliments. Do you offer pn? age as full payment of my claim against youu , Only as far as it goes,” quietly responded the eninbiley, taking a c eck-book from his pocket and oH a stylographic pen to fill in the blanks as he spoke. “I don’t want it red over town that I killed you to get rid of paying a debt contracted over the papers. I didn’t expect such a run on the bank this evening, or I would have been better prepared to meet it. As it is, 1 must ask you to accept my check for the balance due. If you have an doubts concerning it, possibly Mr. Morgan will be kind enough to assure you that I have in his hands ample funds to meet your demands,” ‘‘Tt’s good as new wheat,” nodded the banker Curly Kaine dropped the check upon the pile of gold and bank-notes, pushing them across to whi ' Damed, the winner, adding: ‘* Now are you satisfied, Monte Jim?” ‘“ Asfaras my winnings go—yes.” “Count it over and be sure you're satisfied.” **T prefer takin g — word for it, just at present, my dear fellow,” laughed the dashin sport, whose bands still clasped the heavy-cali- bered derringers, ready for instant use. “Very well, Now I demand my turn!” *‘ All right, my covey! You shall have your wish—satisfaction till you can’t rest!” coolly re- torted the sport. ‘“T am some thirty-eight thousand dollars ahead of the game on this evening’s play—call it that, anyhow. I’m open to stake it all, double or quits, that I can prove you a barefaced swindler and common cheat right here and now! If you're the clean white article, you'll jump at the chance to get your money back, to say rs of showing me up to these gentle- men as a liar and calumniator. Money talks, old man!” Sharp and st2rn rung out the voice of Monte Jim, each word striking its mark with the di- rectness and force of a bullet. Curly Kaine turned ghastly white at the bold defiance, and his hands m ically moved to cover the deal- ing-box. . ; ‘Fingers off, your roval highness!” cried Monte Jim, his blue eyes glittering hke those of ee a serpent about to strike. ‘‘My money is on the board, and I reckon it is about all you'll care to play for, this bout. Let the papers rest until we have decided this little point. Double or quits that you are a thief—that you have been dealing a skin game all this evening! Do you take the bet?” For a brief space there came noreply. Curly Kaine, his eyes turning red, his face that of a wild beast cape seems impossible, glared around the recom, He saw his “ heelers,” dark-browed and sullen; ee | ; 9 those cards lies the truth or falsity of your charge against Mr. Kaine. It is a disreputable affair from beginning to end, and I am ashamed of myself for having become mixed up in it at all, through my natural impetuosity. But, since I have entered it, ’m ready to put it through without unnecessary delay. ‘‘T believe I’m tolerably well known in this town, If any stain rests on my record, as a riven toa corner from whence es- | square man and friend to the right, it has never been brought up against me.” ‘“‘That every man knows!” cried an enthusi- but he saw, too, that Monte Jim’s gang was on | astic voice from some place in the crowd. the alert, and so stationed that any movement on the part of his men could be instantly check- mated, Nor was there a gleam of hope to be extracted from the dense group of spectators. A charge of foul murder would have been less dangerous to him, under the circumstances, That, even if proved, would show him a sinneragainst only | partly explaining my reasons a single man; a charge of foul dealing arrayed the entire community against him, turning for- mer friends into bitter enemies so long as the accusation remained unrefuted. | | | | ‘Youre mighty right!” echoed another. | **Let the old gent sift the business, an’ then we all ‘ll know it’s on the squar’, without any hoo- doo fixin’s.” ‘‘I, for one, am more than satisfied to have ou act _as referee between us,” frankly uttered onte Jim. ‘*But first, 1 beg the privilege of or exposing this fellow, and the cause I have for swearing to drive him out of Bismarck for good and all. ‘There has been little love lost between us, as you all are aware, since we set up in His brain was in a whirl, and his thoughts so | business here; but that was only the natural confused that he was. wholl course to pursue. Yet hesaw that his hesitation, brief though it had been, was turning the feel- ings of the crowd still more thorougLly against him, and in his utter desperation he snarled: ‘*’You can make a mighty bold front because you know that I am unable to cover your money, The bank is broken—” A cold, metallic laugh cut him short as Monte Jim picked up his winnings and stuffed them into his pocket, ‘* All right, your majesty. I never crowd a bet when a man shows he lacks the sand to meet it. But all the same, I’m bound to prove my claim of foul dealing. ‘If I do prove it, Vl leave your punishment in the hands of these gentlemen, for you have done them more harm than you have me, so far as wealth goes, If I fail—if you come out of the fire as refined gold—then you can pronounce sentence against me for my error, and I’ll never lift a finger to prevent your putting it into exe- cution. “Will some honest man kindly consent to count those cards which Curly Kaine used in dealing last?” The cornered gambler showed his teeth ina savage snarl. ‘* Whoever dares to take a hand in this game must settle with me/ Ill not be insulted with impunity s ‘** Look here, Mr, Kaine,” said Morgan, k- ing firmly as he pressed closer to the table, ‘*'You’re only making a bad matter worse by uttering such threats, I, for one, do not be- lieve the charge brought against you; but it has been brought, and must be settled in one way or the other, for hey own sake. If it is slurred over now, one-half the town will always believe ros guilty of running a skin game, and your usiness will suffer. You can trust me, and I offer to count those cards.” ‘‘ That’s not the point,” muttered Curly Kaine. “That card-cheat —_ the turn, if he didn’t ‘snake’ my tools to make all sure, and now tries to cover his tracks by bringing this dirty cherge against me. Lappeal to the crowd—which of us has got the cleanest record as square men?” ** Too thin, old fellow,” laughed Monte Jim ‘fand you can’t turn the tide by a dam of sand like that. As to your first insinuation, I did catch the turn as you put it up, and instead of your skinning me, I took your hide. ‘““While I was busy pe with Mr. Pen- nington, you were stocking the cards, That was allright. If the players are green enough to permit you to take that advantage, in addi- tion to the regular odds in favor of the dealer, they alone are to blame. I saw See putting u the turn. It was diamond cut diamond, and got the bulge on you. Once more, I say that was all right. If ei done no worse than stock the cards, putting up splits and regular tricks of that sort, I'll own up that I’m a fool, and restore the money I won by catching the turn. ‘** All tricks of that sort go, if they are per- formed above-board, and those on the opposite side are simple enough to permit such doings; but you have no leave or license to wring in the odd card on them!” “You lie in your throat if you dare even hint such a thing!” snarled Curly Kaine, his blazing eyes fixed upon his adversary, ready to endeavor to dodge the shot which he felt posi- tive this defiance would call forth, hoping to escape with at least life sufficient to kill his foe before dying himself, But Monte Jim did not fall into the snare, as expected. Judging from himself, he had little difficulty in divining the forlorn hope of the penned-up gambler, and only smiled cynically at the desperate subterfuge. ‘“*T’'d sink a mineral shaft in your carcass for that, only I prefer to carry cut my original plan, Curly Kaine,” he said, calmly, still_hold- ing the gambler wholly at his mercy. one of us is the liar will be proven soon enough.” " cut any more time to waste?” impa- tiently demanded Morgan, the banker, ‘In 2 ?. (= ‘ a at a loss what | ‘Which | rivalry existing between two men of the same profession—if skinning ‘angels’ can be called such. There was room and business enough for us both, and doubtless we would bave pulled along without coming in actual collision, only for a little circumstance which transpired on the in-train, two evenings ago. ‘*T happened to catch Curly Kaine insultin a lady passenger, and, by getting the drop, obliged him to apologize to ber, and then leave the coach. He swore to get even with me, and it is not his fault that he has not yet made his threats good, for he lost little time in trying to get in his work, ‘* Twice, since that time, he has had my life attempted, but my good luck stuck by me, and I got off clear. om the first I suspected to whom I owed these attentions, but as I had no Ts proof, [ lay low and waited for the next eal. And I — the turn, too! “The second attempt was made, and I man aged to down the fellow without hurting him much, or raising a row to call attention, from outsiders. I questioned the rascal closely, and by offering him his life, managed to extract the truth from his lips. H Curly Kaine offered him five hundred dollars to do for me,” “* Another infernal lie!” oe the gambler, with difficulty refra’ning from daring certain death and leaping at the throat of his rival. ‘Tf he swears that, it’s because your money has bought him, body and soul!” e is ready to swear that ~ “Let it go at that. then,” coolly retorted | Monte Jim, ‘Fortunately I don’t require his services any longer, for, to be frank, I'd hesi- tate about trusting the fellow on oath myself— he has associated so se, Bes Curly Kaine!” ‘Talk enough,” impatiently interposed Mor- gan, ‘** Webave nothing to do with your out- side quarrel. You have charged Mr. with playing a brace on his customers. That is uite sufficient for the present. Unless Mr. they are correct.” e 7 “‘ It’s little I have to say in this case, it ap- pears, Pd | has pion Sip _ = o. me, and any ap or might as well be oh aseterf ad satisfaction I can get from this crowd. Go on, if you like; but mark my words, for they mean business, chuck-up! sults! I'll kill each and every rascal who takes ceed, if you think you can stand the racket as dealt. Snarling, Curly cried: ‘**Now are you sati our heart?” ‘** Not quite, my fine fellow, — see how many more cards remain in the ox. If they don’t count up to fifty-three, then Curly Kaine may have me for a target!” | Morgan reached for the box, but with a start- ling crash, the four chandeliers fell from the agony—and confusion the most intense reigned throughout the darkened apartment! CHAPTER XIT, ‘PROF. KING SMITH, OF MANDAN.” THAT same evening was destined to prove mo- fate we are interested, and nearly as possible et the same time that Alva Pennington and Frank factotum at the hotel where the Penningtons of Medea’s chamber: ‘* A gent down in the pearlor, mum, which he *, sy axed fer to see ve, mum, ef yeu’d be so kind as | to come down fer a wee, mum.” com (e Medea was perplexed by 5 peculiarly de- SAN 0 J A OOKS ine objects, I will count the cards and see if A sgl smile played on the face of the - amb to ears of stone, for all the | “Tf Tam not murdered this night, Pll call you — one and all to a bitter account for these foul in- Sternly composed, Morgan counted the cards, — and pronounced them correct in number, so far — ed, Monte Jim—curse > Mr. Morgan, | mentous to at least one other character in whose a * a hand inthis game! Now, Mr. Morgan, pro- rs ! ceiling—a pistol-shot rung out—a wild yell fol- tf lowed the explosion, as of a man in mortal ~~ Lisle entered the Clipper Shedes, a frowsy-herd-_ ge ed, dirty-cheeked boy who officiated as general _ were stopping, stood mumbling in theopen door - 1 res —_ . ra - ol