Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 of serving Colonel Bluff and had quietly de- serted, Nobody thought of the crypt whose iron door was shut and immovable; if they had it would not have been suspected that the three men were beyond it. oss Nevada heard the girl’s report with more calmness than she looked for. “*When Lolas comes, remember, I want to see him,” said he, and then he went off on some- thing else, When the day came for the Gold Goths to be shown over the immediate vicinity of Satan City—it was the day after Gideon Goldbar’s visit to Dun Duff—there was considerable excitement in camp, The piloting committee consisted of six of the most prominent miners. The detective and Dun Duff were asked to join the crowd, which invitation was accepted by both. It had been resolved, as the reader doubtless imagines, that tho Goths should see nothing in- dicative of the presence of gold in paying quan- tities on No Man’s Ground. The rumor which had gone out of a fabulous bonanza was to be proved false, and the Goths were expected to fold their tents and continue their tramp. To all outward appearances the investigation was honestly conducted. The Goths were taken first to one place then to another. They were shown pockets which had been worked, and shafts that bore the marks of min- ing-tools. hey were allowed to stop and prospect a lit- tle, which they eagerly did, but the looks of dis- gust that overspread their faces were truthful indexes to their opinions. Their guides took them into the mine which had been visited by the detective and Johnny Jumpup, and where the redoubtable Johnny had been terribly choked by the mysterious woman, Not a gold streak was found, More than once Gideon Goldbar stole covert glanees at Dun Duff, He saw that the cool head had seen through the object of the search, There was a quiet smile of suspicion at Duff's lips, and when the guides would conduct the party to new fields of barrenness the smile wouid broaden. In trutb, he was ‘‘ an old bird ”—too old to be caught by chaff of that sort, These proceedings took up one-half of the day. When the crowd came back to Shasta Sam's, dusty, hungry and tired, a good deal of em- phatie language was indulged in, and liquor dis- appeared with astonishing rapidity. There was among the Guths a disposition to ** move on,” A private caucus was held and the progressive party carried its point. Those who wanted to go back, were to go; the others had started out for gold, and they did not intend to stop short of a bonanza, If they bad but known the hidden secrets of No Man’s Ground, not a single one would have voted to move on, If they could have prospected for themselves, without being taken where the six guides want- ed them to go, and nowhere else, the trip of dis- eovery might have had a different ending. But it was not to be so. “We go away, but we leave Dun Duff scot free. e turn our backs on Satan City, but we are leaving Pard Macbeth unavenged on the mountain.” These sentences from a bronzed spat his words out with energy and had an instant effect on the caucus, Not that the dead man had been a favorite, for he had not, but the hot-heads wanted blood, They had been lured to No Man’s Ground by a silly rumor, and they wanted to get even with somebody for it. ‘We ought to bring that man to trial, Burke is right,” answered another Goth, nod- ding toward the man who had spoken. **But the code here, gentlemen,” observed a quiet man in a corner, ‘* The code be hanged!” 3 os all this they did fear the laws of Shasta and. ** We can do this,” broke out the giant again. **We can fix Dun Duff and his pard, too, for that matter, as a parting shot. I move that we east lots for the man.” ‘*For what man, Burke?’ ‘** Ha! don’t you know? You have roughed it from camp to camp, from failure to success, and back again. Tbe man who is drawn does the work, with Gothdom at his back. Eh?” ‘*Go ahead!” cried a dozen eager fellows, “‘T want a majority vote first.’ Hands up.” Instantly the air was full of swarthy hands, and Burke the miner silently counted them with his two dark eyes. **The proposition is carried,” he announced. **] go out into the Square and gather some stones, one for each man, They lie thick yon- der, as you have noticed, some black, others strangely white. All i secure shall be white but gne, They will be placed in my hat, one of us iant who itterness, ‘ — will be blindfolded and stationed by the till. As each man comes up the blindfolded pard will draw a stone and the man shall take it without showing it to bis companions. The person gettin will be Dun Duff’s executioner. Not in the dark, mind you—not like Macbeth was killed; but open and above board, with Gothdom at his back!” This speech was silently assented to, and Burke, the Gold Guth, went out from the double cabin where the caucus was held and began to pick up stones where they lay thick. He was seen by numbers of Satan City’s citi- zens, but not one guessed the tragedy which was to follow the gathering of the pebbles. The Goth came back with the stones in his pocket, Placing his hat on the table in the middle of the large room, he emptied his find therein and looked at the crowd. ‘** Who shall wear the blindfold?” he asked. **' You,” answered some one, “Allright,” smiled the giant. ‘‘ Tie me up,” and taking the handkerchief he wore round his neck, he offered it for the intended purpose, In a minute he stood before the table com- pletely blindfolded, and then he began calling the Goths by name, one by one, and slowly. As each man was Called he advanced and held his hand palm downward over the hat whose broad brim was turned up forming a deep bowl. Burke would thrust his band into the hat, pick up one of the stones and bring it up to the grasp waiting for it at the rim. In this manner all the pebbles were drawn one one, which remained for the blindfolded oth. He took it with a smile, and holding tightly in one hand removed the bandkerchief with the ther. ‘*The black stone is held by some one,” he said to the crowd. ‘Let the holder shrink not, He has Gothdom at his back. We can’t afford to tarry here till a crazy man gets back his mind, which may be never. We would be cow- ards to go away with Macbeth on the mountain in a bloody grave and unavenged. Fortune would never smile on us, and we would go back, if we ever went back at all, beggars!” ** What is the plan, Burke?” The men seemed to look upon the giant as their captain. ‘*T will state it briefly. To-night, say at eight, we assemble in the Square to take leave of Satan City. We want everybody there, for we expect never to return, The man whom we bate will be drawn thither by the event. Dun Duff could not remain away. His tall figure will be seen against all others, and near by, per- ener: will eee on man who ae g’ playing it cunning by not appearing to be his pard, Gentlemen, as the medal by is qekia, the man who bas drawn _ the black stone throws up his hand, and Dun Duff drops in his tracks— dead! Yeu understand—shot tbrough the head. Instantly the startled pards of No Mau’s Ground are covered by the revolvers of Gothdom, If Gideon Goldbar makes a move he follows Dun Duff. Such shall be our sf ASP ret In such a manner will we turn our backs on Satan City, leaving behind us a fractured code but an avenged comrade,” re men looked at the speaker and approved is plan, There were those in the crowd who would have suggested another if they had been called upon; but as they were not they did not speak. It was generaliy believed by the Goths that the men of No Man’s Ground would not resist this summary vengeance, even though it broke the much-talked-of code, The law of retribution was recognized in every mining-camp throughout California. It over- ruled courts and legal verdicts, building for it- self a statute that could not be suppressed nor set aside. During this time not one man had looked at the stone taken from the bat for him. Some had transferred them to their pockets, while others still held them in their hands, **“Remember, gentlemen, there is to be no backing out,” admonished Burke, addressing the entire crowd as be swept it with his eye. “Satan City must know that we go at eight, that we take leave rather ceremoniously on the Plaza, but not one hint, mind you, that we in- tend to leave one dead man—mebbe two—be- hind!” The Goths filed out of the cabin till it was empty. In the light they separated, and each man looked at his stone. All smiled and looked relieved—all but one. Over this man’s face fell a shadow of stern- ness. The lips met firmly as if behind a reso- lute sentence, and the right hand that dropped vs bis side closed with a clinch on the black stone ere! He seemed to wonder if his comrades suspected that be had drawn the fatal lot. But this did not last more than a second. He walked away with steady step, crossed the’ cree of Shasta Sam’s den and called for quor. As he held up his glass he threw a look across the biack stone in this manner Captain Velvet’s Big Stake. the counter at the rubicund barkeeper in his sbirtsleeves and laughed. ‘** We're goin’ to continue the wild-goose chase to-night, Sam. Ain’t you glad to get rid of us paupers?” ‘** Not by a long shot. Paupers?” cried Shasta Sam. “I wish I had paves like you for cus- tomers the year round. ou ar’ goin’ away, you say?” 46 Yes,” ** When?” ‘“To night at eight. We take formal leave o? No Man’s Ground on the Plaza. No tears and no regrets. You will come out, Sam?’ “If Icen get away.” *’You can, for you'll have nobody here.” The head was thrown back and the fiery whisky of Satan City shot down the Goth’s throat, Then he set the glass down with emphasis and walked out, watched by the barkeeper till his figure was lost, ‘*My head ag’in’ an empty buzg-juice bar’l that thar goes the coolest member o’ the whole gang,” observed Sam, as he turned to take a | drink himself, CHAPTER XXII. NEMESIS IN THE SADDLE, WoOvLD night never come?” As the long afternoon dragged toward a close the pards of No Man’s Ground learned to a man that there was to be an exodus at eight o'clock. They saw the gold tramps saddle their horses, which had had a good rest, and the various uten ils of a prospector’s kit were fastened to the steeds, Satan City rejoiced secretly that its unwel- come guests were about to pull up stakes and move on, The Goths seemed equally pleased, for they bad declared tbat they were glad to get out of a country where there was nothing but bothersome codes; no gold at all. ‘* I wish Dun Duff would make up his mind to go with the banded tramps!” exclaimed Opal, while she stood at the window of ber cabin and saw the preparations for departure that were going on on the Square, ‘* Mona’s sleuth tells me that Dun Duff’s mission to No Man’s Ground means more than the pards dream of, He came all the way from Sacramento alone. He had a friend there—a man called Julius, but I am told that master and man will never meet again in this Jife. Julius started north with the Goths, but he quarreled with Nicol Macbeth, now dead, and was disposed of by a hurriedly organized Vigilance Committee, That is why Dun Duff came here alone, Does be linger for Julius? Is he waiting for the man whose bones were picked by the vultures days and days ago? I wonder where Norgan is?” Of late nearly all of the girl’s thoughts had ended with this question. ‘*T wonder where Norgan is now?” she would repeat. he men who were getting ready for de- parture glanced often at the west, They saw the sun drop reluctantly behind the mountain cone, and then the shadows mingled and became one, More than one man knew wko had drawn white stones from the hat in the sbanty, but the secret of the black pebble was locked in a single bosom, Though the Gold Goths conversed freely they did not mention the death lottery to one another, They inspected the traps they had brought to Satan City, as if they bad resolved that they would take everything away. Opal took much interest in their proceedings, She knew that at eight o’clock they would spring to saddle and depart, but she did not know the rest. After sundown she opened the door and stood in it some time. There were lights on the Square and bere and there could be seen moving figures of men, ‘* What would Boss Nevada think if he could see this?” the young gir] asked herself. ‘* How is the captain now, miss?” It was most singular that this question should be spoken at ber elbow just after her thought about the mad Boss of the camp, and Opal found a bandsome man at her side, ' ‘*'You?” she cried, ‘‘Pardon me, I did not expect you here, Are you going away, too?” ‘* With those men?” laughed the man lookin toward the Square. ‘‘ Why would I go wit them after wbat bas taken place?” Opal could not suppress a smile though bis reply was the most natural one in the world. ‘No, when I go it will not be with those fel- lows!” rejoined Dun Duff, and his emphasis seemed to call forth another sentence—“ It may be after them,” She looked into the cool dark eyes of the mys- terious man a moment like a person spell-bound. He leaned against the cabin his elbow touching the logs and his hat tilted back far enough to display bis deep forebead. ‘* Are they really going?” asked ane ‘They say they are and it looks like it,” added Dun. ‘‘ But you have forgotten my lit- tle inquiry about the captain.” a <S.C ecomicbooks