Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 453 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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ew Captain Coldgrip’s Long Trail. 9 A smile came to Cyclone’s lips. ‘‘ It may be a dangerous experiment. They wouldn’t give me any satisfaction, and since | came back, I’ve put some of the slyest of ques- tions to them, but all for nothing.” “T think I know who to begin on,” answered the Russian. “cc Well?” ‘‘ I'd try the little fellow who wears his hat to one side, revealing the end of a scar on his tem- e. ‘* Ho! Natty Nick!” ejaculated Cyclone, with a ey ‘* What about him?” asked Redpath eagerly. * “Well, you’re a good judge of men, count. ‘* Tf there is any man in Silver Deck that I had to pick out for a traitor, it would be Natty Nick. He’s been cursing fortune for a year.” Colonel Redpath said nothing, and it was evi- dent that he had made = his mind. ** Now, if Captain Coldgrip comes, will he as- sist you?’ asked Cyclone. ‘*He ought to,” ‘But will he? You know you once played fast and loose with him.” ‘* Yes,” said the Russian half under his breath. ‘* He told me, though, that he would help to run the exiles down.” ** Does he know anything against you?” ‘*What do you mean, Cyc one?” and Colonel Repath’s look suddenly became a breathless stare. ‘* Oh, 1 just inquired!” smiled the Jate proprie- tor of the Wildcat in an off-hand way. ‘ You know, count, that we’re no seraphs, now by a long bow. This man Coldgrip, from what I have heard of him, can follow two trails at once, and when you think yourself safe, his cold hand is ready to swoop down upon T like an eagle, You saw him last in New York?’ ‘* In his Broadway office.” ‘* When?’ ‘* A year ago.” - You then put him on the exiles’ trail?” es, ‘** Hasn’t he never sent in a report?” ‘** T have not asked for any.” ‘* Tf he comes he will probably report to you. But I wish to Heaven he would stay away.’ ‘** Why, Cyclone?” **T don’t like a man like him!” ejaculated the tough. ‘‘ He’s got an eye like an eagle, and his voice can pierce your vitals like a knife. Con- found your professional man-hunters, anyway! If he comes, get rid of him, throw him off. If you and I can’t find the exiles without Captain Coldgrip, Ill retire in disgust. The camp holds the secret of their hiding-place. Silence is the word here. I can read it on the face of every man, Mark Million must have got wind of The Russian neared Silver Deck’s gaming es- tablishment, and when abreast of the door the portal was opened and a man came out, ‘‘ Great Caesar! the Yankee sleuth in person!” Count Paul exclaimed. The door shut behind Coldgrip, and two steps carried him to the figure of the Russian. ‘* He'll find me anyhow. Why need I avoid him now?” was Redpath’s conclusion, so he put out his hand in a quick movement, and stood face to face with the cold-handed sleuth. ‘“* By Jupiter! this is better than finding a bo- ; ‘* You’ve come to the wrong place for infor- mation, if that’s what you want,” mentally vowed Natty Nick. ‘‘ I’m willing to draw you out, but if you get too inquisitive, why, I'll drop you like I would a hot bar.” The Russian took the roughly-fashioned seat near the miner’s table, and spread his net. “ Just going to turn in, eh?” he asked. ‘* Had a notion to.” ‘You've probably swamped the boys at the tables.” Nick could not keep back a grow] for bis mis- nanza!” the Russian cried. ‘ Did you expect to | erable luck. find me here, captain?” <s always expect to find people. Iam never surprised,” was the answer, and the faint light prevented Colonel Redpath from seeing the sparkle of the American’s eyes, They walked away together, past the silent and dark cabins of Silver Deck. When they paused the camp was behind them, ‘What do you know?” asked Captain Cold- grip. a came here,” was the answer. ‘‘ They were here a few hours ago, Their hiding-place at this time is Silver Deck’s secret. But we will hunt it down, won’t we, captain ” **T came here to find out,” was the reply. CHAPTER XI. \ THE JUDAS OF SILVER DECK, WHEN the two men, sleuths both, came back from the borders of the mountain camp, they for the night. ‘* Found at last,” mused Captain Coldgrip, as he threw a last look at the stalwart figure mov- ing from him. trail for nothing. 1 don’t often pursue a double lead, but .his time Lam at just sucha case. [I | begin to see—” figure rose in the path before him, and the next moment’the New York spotter caught the glimmer of a revolver’s barrel. ‘* You beat me in Leadville,” cried a voice. ‘*'You tossed me into the clutches of its devil- marshal; but ’m on my own ground, now, Cap’n Coldgrip, an’ ’m gcin’ to get even!” he detective’s answer was a leap forward | _nabobism, here or elsewhere,” poss J at the speaker, and his mght hand caught the wrist above the revolver, and held it in a grip like that of a vise of steel. “You, Bolivar Blink, is it?” laughed the sleuth: ‘* You did get to Silver Deck, | see.” ‘* All the powers couldn’t keep me back!” was the answer. ‘‘ Don’t you know that you dare not touch me hyer?” ‘*T’ve got you in my grip now, Bolivar. You | don’t want to show your teeth. There, sir! you are free! Sneak off like a whipped wolf, or [ll drag you among the boys and exhibit the man ‘“*T guess I haven’t pursued this | _he said. 1 | that | the you ‘* Me swamp anybody?” he laughed, dolefnlly. “Why, the goddess wouldn’t look at me—not | through a smoked glass even!” ‘*Pshaw! you don’t woo her persistently.” “Don’t I? I work under the daylight te 'and throw my dust at her feet at night. that’s not ‘ persistent wooing,’ colonel, I wish you'd define the term.” ‘“ Maybe a change of tables, a new deck, and | other opponents would fetch her to terms,” said | the Russian, in a suggestive voice. Natty Nick burst into a laugh. ‘‘Talk to Lazarus about opening a bank!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Why, I couldn’t at this moment buy a second-hand deck to open business with!” ** So bad as that, my man?” ‘Tt was never better!” ‘The very fellow I want, and in the right humor, too,” thought the Russian. ‘‘ He adver- tised hi by the way he wore his hat.” alias Court Demidoff, Then Colonel Redpat Nick with a faint sem- leaned toward Natty _blance of victory in his deep-set orbs. ‘You wouldn’t let me help you, I presume?” ‘* Maybe you wouldn’t want to,” smiled Nick. ‘* There’s no need of your Oey Tea dar- ling in Silver Deck,” continued path. “* You might become a nabob in ’Frisco, for ve noticed ou play well.” ‘* With infamous ‘ hands,’ was the response. ‘* With money to wait for good ‘ hands,’ you would soon be on top.” ‘‘That might be, colonel; but when I don’t own any bonanzas, | have no right to think of ‘* You don’t want to leave Silver Deck, I see.” ‘*T’m not glued to the place,” ejaculated Natty Nick. ‘‘I own nothing, therefore, I’ve got noth- ing to sell.” othing to sell! The Russian started, he could not help it, at miner’s last words. Natty Nick was the possessor of a very im- portant secret, and the stalwart Muscovite had come to buy it. ‘* Let us come down to business, to hard-pan, —E ee your coming. Grant Thurston and his child | who bas inspected the interior of Lesdville’s | as you call it inthe mines,” he commenced again, ~ were in high feather here a week ago; but where | jail.” lowering bis voice just a little. ‘I wish a favor are they now?” The cold hand no longer held Bolivar. He | which you are able to grant me, Natty Nick, aa and I am willing to pay for it.” The miner’s eyes got asparkle. He thought | he had adroitly led the Russian up to the busi- free before the man whose eyes were piercing him, and the revolver which he had thrust into the detective’s face, hung at his side. ‘* Where Paul Demidoff will find them!” cried the Russian. ‘‘I haven’t tracked an enem across Europe, and into the heart of the Ameri- can continent to be baffled by a lot of mountain Coldgrip walked away. | ness of his errand. Now he would see what Col- - hares! I never give up a trail till I find success ‘Jehu! I don’t want to fool with that man!” | onel Redpath wanted, but he thought he could , atthe end. If he could escape from Siberia Bolivar. ‘Quick as a cat and strong as | guess. : ‘*T am anxious to find some people who left “i the East some time ago,” continued the foreign- er. “ They came to Silver Deck on the stage with a nuiber branded on his shoulder, J can gasped find him in thi I a lion! He’d just as soon make me the laughing- | m in this country!’ stock of the camp as not, and I don’t want to be | rst Silver Decker who fell into Count Demidoff got up and walked back and forth in the little cabin with the mien of an an- ery lion. ‘I wouldn’t want that man to hunt me,” mur- mured Cyclone, as he covertly watched him. ‘**T don’t believe that he will find Captain Cold- grip so much in his eneny as he thinks when they come together. mething happened in New York less than a year ago. f Saad all about it froma man whom 1 met in Denver shortly after the event. He said that a big foreigner had something to do with it; I be- lieve he said the man was supposed to be a Rus- sian. But what makes me think of this now? I have got to help the count for the second pag in my life, I don’t know how it will pan ou It was a few minutes later when the two men separated, and the stalwart figure of Colonel ed ee lided toward Coral’s cabin. A brought him no response, and then he opened the door and walked inside, The in- terior of the | poor was dark, and the very silence breathed of desertion. After awhile the Russian struck a match, and found that no living being was near him. ** Maybe = threat frightened Coral away!” he ejaculated, with a grin. ‘I didn’t intend it should bring about such a result. I can use the woman by and by. I used herto advan- tage once before this, and, now that I have Cy- clone for my ally, I can keep a grip on her.” But Coral did not respond, and while the match burned between thumb and finger, the fair exile of Silver Deck was riding away on the horse furnished by Gaptain Mark. At length the Russian threw the match down in disgust and went out. ** To-morrow we'll know more!” he continued held up as the the hands of, the Leadville marshal. T guess I don’t want to play with the Coldgrip fire.” And Bolivar put up his six-shooter and vanished. The American detective had already out of sight, therefore he did not see the man who came from the saloon and disappeared beyond a certain cabin door on the outskirts of Silver Deck. _A young man he was, the youngest citizen of the camp, and the dandy-like manner in which he wore his hat told that he was Natty Nick. ‘* Broke! always to bed broke!” he exclaimed, throwing his hat against the wall, out of humor. “Why can’t I get a smile from fortune once in a while? what keeps me here? Here! when there are Denver, Leadville, Frisco? Can’t I never get a hand worth a copper? If I stay here awhile louger, I won’t have a bed to sleep on!” The man was mad and disgusted. He threw off his coat and tossed it after his hat, then drew his boots and kicked them into one corner! rf “ae have a servant to keep me at this time if I hadn’t stuck to this pov ranch so long!” he resumed, ‘‘It’s dig, dig, dig for the little you get, and these hands ar’ out of their sphere when they hunt for nuggets a hundred feet below daylight.” At that moment Natty Nick turned and listened with his face toward the door. ‘Come in,” he said, the next moment; and then his eyes grew large with astonishment, for he saw the giant figure of Colonel Redpath, It was evident from the young miner’s stare that the Russian was the last man he expected to see under his reared roof; but, quickly recov- ering to some extent, he invited the colonel in— from Denver, a man and a young woman, father | and dang Thurston by name,” Natty Nick said nothing. | ~~ hag ge gf: “ern which St oe to pie dis- covery I am willing to pay liberally. oney is nothing to me, Natty Nick: and ra sooner Jin your pockets than those of any other manin Sil- ver Deck. I never beat about the bush when I can put my band in and catch the bird. What is the information worth?” The question was blunt enough, but Natty Nick affected not to understand. ‘‘ Information, is it? he exclaimed. ‘‘ You want to find two people—” “Grant Thurston and Medora!” interrupted the Russian. ‘Is the information worth a thou- sand, Natty Nick?” The young miner left his stool] with a flushed face, and stepped back. ‘**'You’ve struck the wrong man, Colonel Red- path!” he cried, as the Russian looked up and confronted him with the confidence of a general who knows what he bas in reserve, ‘* You may have ten thousand at your command but you bring it to the wrong market! What I know I don’t sell for money!” “That’s all put on,” inwardly exclaimed Paul Demidoff. “Very well,” he said aloud as he looked at Nick, ‘‘There’s a dozen others who have the same goods to sell.” ‘* Not in this camp, sir!” | *“*T did not think you wanted to remain in poverty here when, with a stake which can be won in five minutes, you may roll in wealth in any city in America. Now, sir, I know humani- too well to see that you don’t want a raise.” ni the Russian left his chair and crossed the an invitation which was, of course, accepted. Natty Nick searched the face of his visitor | with a look full of caution. He knew bow Mark Million regarded this man, that nobody was to mention within his to himself. ‘ Then, I think, ll take a step that will give me the prey. I’ve bought men before ‘S this who wear their hats on one side, and, if I’m Ph not mistaken, I'll find in Natty Nick a fellow spi - that intervened between him and Natty ick, ‘‘T think I am a fool if I let this rey slip,” passed like a flash through Nick’s mind. a: whose ers itch for the roubles I’ve exchanged hearing aesigew about the exiles, Grant Thurs- | ‘‘ What’s the stranger and the A We to me. any- + Tor American gold ton and his ¢ how! If thisman pays me well, why not sell | ae: , ee comichbooks.com