Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Captain Velvet’s Big Stake. ————— wooo nn nn a Opal. ‘‘ They don’t know that he is the mur- derer of Nicol Macbeth, their comrade.” ‘** Td do them no good to tell them that, miss,” answered the man. **Perbaps not. If they are bent on blood they won’t stop short of it.” ‘“‘Of course not, If Captain Nevada was to go to the scene before the crowd got fairly started—” ** But he is asleep.” The miner stepped to the window alongside the door and looked into the cabin. ‘* Asleep? not now, miss!” he cried, turning to Opal. ‘* Not asleep? He was’a moment ago,” ** Look at him, Opal.” The beauty of No Man’s ground was doing this already. Sure enough, Boss Nevada was asleep no onger. He stood in the middle of the floor as if he had just sprung from the cot, and his eyes were fastened on the door. ‘ ‘*T can tell him how the land lies down yon- der,” continued the man. ‘‘ The boys sent me. If we bold back we’ll not get to finish Dun Duff ourselves,” Opal caught the miner’s sleeve and held him back, ‘*T will go. Something has happened to the captain, and he is not in a condition to be sud- denly confronted by you.” i What has happened?’ She did not wait to reply, but opened the door as softly as possible and glided into the cabin, She could not help eapcing at Boss Nevada’s hands, which were only half-closed at his sides, Nothing was seen of the Mexican button. ‘*You? ha! ha! ha!” laughed the man of Satan City when he caught sight of Opal, and the girl stopped short on account of the demon- ism that pervaded his merriment. ‘* No, you are not the Queen of the Darkness. T see now. You have not her face nor her hands, hot as fire and keen as talons,” Opal looked toward the open door, The miner was there, mystery and borror on ‘his face and a speechless tongue in bis hea, ‘* In fortune’s name what does he mean?” she whispered. ** He must be off a trifle bere,” was the reply, and the speaker touched his head significantly, ** You said that something had lrappened. What did you mean?” Opal could not reply before Boss Nevada, with an ejaculation that had no sensible mean- ing, bolted toward the open door, The girl barely had time to tumble out of bis road, and the miner at the portal drew back and escaped being run over, “The captain is mad!” cried Opal, looking spellbound at the figure vanishing in the star- light toward the Square, ‘*Mad or not, miss, by Jove! he’s going just where they want him,” was the response, ‘* But he will do the wrong thing. Mad people always do that.” ‘*He will toss Duncan Duff into the clutches of the Goths, and the other man, too, may be.” 4 ae that would be the wrong thing.” “4s h?’ Opal found berself face to face with the man who was called Lucky Lucifer, ‘‘Tf those men have no business here why would it be wrong for the captain to give them to the crowd crying for blood on the Square.” ‘‘ They are guiltless.” ‘‘Ha! they are, eh? Guiltless of what?", ‘‘ Of shedding the blood of Nicol Macbeth.” ' 4* Let them prove it.” | “They will not get a chance, You know that, Lucky Lucifer.” The miner laughed. ‘‘A moment ago you wanted to send Captain Nevada down to check the Goths, ow you want him to let them kill whom they like, hy this change?” She was looking the man squarely in the face. ‘‘They’re no good,” flashed he. ‘ Norgan’s chemicals brought out the command that Dun Duff brought unbeknown to bimself from the Colonel, our master. This is no secret to you, miss.” ‘“‘ That is true.” ‘* Now what difference does if make who does the work—we or the Goths?” ‘* He ought to be fairly tried.” ‘For coming up here with a letter from the Colonel in his bosom?” ‘* No, for murdering the goldhunter.” Lucky Lucifer looked away and gavea whistle of profound surprise, ‘*What about the other man, Opal?” he sud- denly asked. ‘Gideon Goldbar?” “Yea,” ‘** He has been accused of nothing.” ‘* No, but those of us who have used our eyes have seen several things that look bad for him. They are pards.” ‘* Those two men?” **Gideon GoldBar and Duu Duff.” **T do not think so,” replied the girl calmly. ** What do you know about them?” “Nothing, I never saw either before they came to No Man’s Ground.” parental OE Sesser ‘t Neither did I, but I didn’t have to for that matter. We're all o’ one opinion, girl. When ou touch one you pinch the other. They be- ong to the conspiracy; they are the head of the cabal.” **'W hat cabal?” ‘’ The one against the Colonel—the plot against the secret of No Man’s Ground, Are you going with me?” I’m off!” ‘** Yes, I am going along. I want to see the end of this affair.” Lucky Lucifer seemed to be goaded on by the increasing tumult where the lights and the crowd were, and Opal kept at his side as much inter- ested in the outcome as he could be, acy Nevada had reached the Square ahead of them, His well-known figure had been seen first by the comrades who were watching for him and next by the assembled Goths, ° In a second the autocrat of No Man’s Ground was the central figure of an excited crowd. He trembled at times from head to foot; then he would drop into a stony calm, and eye those before bim in a manner that produced some strange comment, ‘We want the man who killed our pard!” Boss Nevada heard from more than one throat at the same time. ‘‘ Don’t we know that every- where throughout Californy it is an eye for an eye? Why make an exception of this case? Look hyer, captain. You are the man who first accused him. You know that Macbeth’s blood is on his hands. Duff.” To this the Boss rendered no reply. He stood with his arms crossed on his broad chest and Opal and Lucky Lucifer found him in this atti- Say that we shall have Dun tude when they came up, The gold-hunters pressed closer around him, They were not vociferous, but their mien was that of cool, unyielding men. Their eyes evinced their secret resolves, and their well-knit figures told how capable they were of carrying those resolutions out, ‘* Where’s the Sinha mad queen?” all at once exclaimed Boss Nevada unbending from the attitude he had struck and sweeping the space before him with his band. The men looked at one another. ‘**'You don’t mean Opal, captain?” ventured a citizen of Satan City. ‘* My Queen of the Darkness! Where is she?” Another perplexed silence, The impatient Gold Goths began to growl. Opal had forced her way through a part of the crowd. ‘*Gentlemen, Captain Nevada is in no condi- tion to decide a question of life and death to- night,” she remarked, with every eye upon her as she stood erect in the light, ** What is the matter?” Lcok into his eyes. Those who know him best will discover that he is not the man he was yes- terday. Something has occurred, Ashort time ago I found him lying cead, as I thought, ina certain apartment which 1 will not mention here, I was sent to that place by certain infor- mation which led me to believe that I would find him murdered. I saw him next asleep in his own cabin, and while in that condition, I heard him talk about the Queen of the Darkness. Gentlemen, Goth and miner, Captain Nevada is crazy!” There were numerous exclamations of astonish- ment at the pronunciation of these words, and in a moment the men had glided back, leaving Boss Nevada to himself in the middle of a larger circle than he had occupied. ‘** Captain Nevada, will you listen to me?” re- sumed the girl, fearlessly crossing the space be- tween the madman and herself. Her tones were soft and winning, but they seemed to grate harshly on the listener’s ears. You, ba! ha! ha!” he exclaimed in the same manner in which he had received her at the cabin. ‘* You are not the Queen of Darkness—” ‘* Have a care, girl!” called out several men, but this did not take Opal’s hand from Boss Nevada’s arm. ‘** No, Lam not she,” smiled the girl, meeting calmly the gaze fixed like a stony stare upon er. **Ho! ho! ho! not my queen, who comes and goes in the night?” was the answer. ‘** What does he mean? If you know anything, Opal, let us have it.” Still holding to the Californian’s arm, she turned to the men who had ad All at once she caught a look fixed intently upon her, and-when she attempted to speak, it seemed to keep her silent. ‘Gentlemen, about) the person he calls the Queen of Darkness, I know but little,” said she with a second effort, ““We want that little. It may be a good deal,” answered a sonorous voice. _ Opal looked again toward the eyes she had ust seen. They were still in the same place, ut a man near by had shifted his position, and their owner stood revealed, It was Gideon Goldbar, the Man from the South! *T will not speak now,” continued the girl, addressing the silent impatient crowd. ** Not about the Queen of Darkness?” ee nt ‘* Not about her,” and she walked away. ‘* Let the girl out,” said some one, The crowd parted and made a lane for her, down which she walked to the open beyond, ‘*Take hold of the captain, thar!” yelled balf a dozen men at once. Opal looked back to see the autocrat of No Man’s Ground struggling in the grasp of a dozen miners as strong as himself, “They moved en him just in time, miss,” spoke a voice as a Man Came up. ‘* What bad happened?” ‘‘He had whipped out bis knife and had his eyes on you!” ‘‘On me?’ cried Opal, wonderingly. ‘“ Ah! his crazed brain must have taken me for the Queen of Darkness.” ** Which you are not, girl.’ The beauty of Satan City gave the man a sharp look before she spoke again, ‘‘This is a place of mysteries,” said she. **' You are not Gideon Goldbar.” ‘““No! I am Mona’s sleuth-hound!” ‘Mona? My God!” cried Opal. CHAPTER XVII, THE TALE OF A CRUTCH. Nosopy apparently saw Gideon Goldbar and the girl together, and Opal’s exclamation had not been ueard by the crowd, excited over the actions of the master of No Man’s Ground, ‘* You don’t want to stay here,” continued Gideon, taking her arm gently, and walking ber from the spot. ** Not for the world,” she answered, glancing back at Boss Nevada, held by six strong hands, ‘* But, tell me first, do you think the Goths will take Dun Duff out?” ** Not to-night, miss. Enough has occurred to prevent them, The prisoner is safe, and by to-morrow there will be a different feeling to- ward him.” ‘*Do you think so?” **T can almost promise this,” Opal looked her thanks into the eyes that seemed to shine with a secret pleasure while their owner spoke. ‘* You are glad of this, I see,” Gideon went on. **T am,” was the frank rejoinder. He did not press her for an explanation, but it was forthcoming just the same, ‘*That man is innocent of the charge against him,” said she. ‘‘ He may be guilty of a thou- sand nameless crimes, but of this one I know he is guiltless. 1 do not ask what brought him into No Man’s Ground. He is under a ban issued by a person who lives hundreds of miles away, and if he escapes the acts of the Gold Goths, he must fly from the shadow of another death,” ‘* You mean from the power of the men of Satan City?” 6s Yes.” They were walking toward Opal’s cabin, and for several moments after her last reply they went on in silence, ‘Why did you start and utter a cry when I tol] you that [ was some one’s sleuth-hound?” suddenly asked the man. al started again and looked up. ** Let me keep my secret for the present.” ‘* A secret, is it?’ ‘* A secret—an accidental discovery; one not intended for me. But I would like to ask you one question,” ** Go ahead, miss.” The girl appeared to gather strength for an effort which required strength on her part. ** Who is Monu?”’ A smile stole over Gideon Goldbar’s face, ‘You want my secrets, too, I see,” replied he, | the smile broadening as he : ‘‘Tf itis one, pardon me. I don’t want to be a tresspasser on forbidden ground.” ‘*But, you would like a little information re- garding Mona, eb?” ‘“ Why not, since you have proclaimed your- self her sleuth.” “True, girl. justice.” ‘**Ts she in prison?” ‘*T might answer—yes.” Opal thought of the ending of the paper found in the Mexican button and smiled, “It is all true, then,” she said to herself. ‘*This man comes from Mona, whoever she is, Perhaps he is another man on the trail of the lost’ child. I believe I bave but to ask bim to make this discovery, but ought I to go on now? If ldo I may find myself revealing the secret of the button. I will betray myself at the same time.” She hesitated, yet her countenance told how anxious she was to proceed. Gideon Goldbar waited without urging her. ‘No, not to-night,” thought Opal, firmly, and her lips met as if closing nd a resolute sen- tence. ‘I must wait awhile. 1 must see how events drift here on No Man’s Ground. If I had Norgan to confide in now! But, Norgan is far away—riding like the wind to the master in Sacramento.” _ At the door of her abode she disenga her- self gently from Goldbar’s grasp, and laid one hand on the latch, “One word about yourself,” she observed, Mona is a woman who wants Micboo (E(©) <S)' GO)