Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

“ pat yd * -o ~ ae t it rae aptain Velvet’s big Stake. tween the Californian and the pressing crowd, and lifted the former from the counter, It was a bit of mystery to the men. ‘* When do you go back, Colonel?” called out one. ‘*He doesn’t know,” answered Dun Dnff. **You men must not forget thet I am at the helm now and Colonel Bluff your master has commanded you to obey me,” Despite these words the still thunderstruck crowd stared at their master. All seemed to see that he was in the shadow of some dreadful fear, Dun Duff almost brushed the figure that crouched at the door when he went out with the crippled gold-bug in bis arms, he figure sfood erect and looked at the giant as he crossed the Plaza. **T see what is before me,” he cried. ‘“‘Itis a struggle for lif-—for love—for everything that is dear tome, It is either Dun Duff or Norgan. And by heavens! if [ lose my bead for a moment it will be Dun Duff the gold scorpion of tie South!” The last words were still on his tongue when the chemist of No Man’s Ground turned away, but instead of darting into Shasta Sam’s whose door and crowd invited him, he hurried toward the cabins, CHAPTER XXVIII. SECTION 101. ‘WHAT do you want?” asked a voice as Nor- gan was about to rush into a certain shanty which barred his furtber progress, The assayer fell back and looked at the speaker, He had stepned forward from he knew not where and stood like a statue in bronze between him and the portal. A second look told Norgan that he confronted Johnny Jumpup. ‘* Where's your friend?” ** Gideon Goldbar, eh?” “et Yes,” **He isn’t in at present,” answered Johnny, who had not gone off with the Goths, ‘** Where can he be found?” “TL cannot tell you. If it is very important and no secret, [ guess you can risk the matter with me.” Norgan stepped close and regarded the guard for a few seconds, He had coms to see the detective; he did not like to trust another. ‘Just as you like,” continued Johnny, smil- ing. ‘Of course [ ain't Gideon Goldbar, but I’m nearer to him than anybody else in Shasta Land.” ‘“‘ Then I want to tell him what has happened,” said Norgan. ‘** What has happened?” ‘*The domain has a new master,” ‘Yes. He came in a while ago from Sacra- mento.” “*But I don’t refer to him,” replied the as- sayer, quickly. ‘Oh! To whom, then?” *'To Dun Duff.” If it had been ay. pee else, Johnny Jumpup would have vented his astonishment in a pro- longed whistle. As if was, he shrugged his shoulders and looked at Norgan, ** When did this happen?” ** Just now. The ceremony has not been con- cluded ten minutes. It took place at Shasta Sam’s, where all orders are first promulgated,” **' Was Colonel Bluff there?” 77 Yes.” ‘** He did not walk?” "No. Dun Duff carriea him down, and took him back in the same manner.’ ‘Looks like he manipulated things to suit himself, eh?” The assayer started. ** Dun Duff has a grip on Colonel Bluff that holds him in spite of everything. What is the spell? Do you know?” Johnny Jumpup shook his head. ‘* Does Gideon Goldbar know?” ‘You must ask him.” Norgan, of No Man’s Ground, looked away ig he expected to see the man he wanted to **Tf Gideon comes within an hour, set a light in the window of this cabin, will you?” he went on. ‘Tt shall be done,” “Thanks,” said Norgan, ‘‘ Within an hour, remember, After that time you need not bother about the light.” Jobnny Jumpup leaned against the logs and saw the chemist move off, watching him till his : figure disappeared. *Pears to me that somebody’s playin’ trumps,” muttered the detective’s pard. ‘‘ Master o’ No Man’s Ground, eh? Crowned with all theauthor- ity that place gives one, of course. T'll bet my head that Colonel Bluff didn’t ride all the way - up from Sacramento, tied in the saddle at that, to make our tiger autocrat. No; he came for another purpose. But Dun Duff has played the first cards—that is all.” He turned back into the cabin and shut the ‘* A light in the window if the captain comes back in an hour; that’s the bargain,” murmur- ed Johnny. ‘‘When Norgan sees it he will come here. Don’t I see that there’s a link wv’ love between him and the girl, and haven't I read other looks, too, during the last several days? Master of Satan City—Dun Duff. By Jupiter! I[ can’t forget that. I see what it means, Blood. gentlemen, blood.” and Johnny Jumpup smiled grimly as if the prospect near at hand had at that moment risen before him, Captain Velvet, or Gideon Goldbar by which name we know him best, seemed in no harry to put in an appearance, and the man in the cabin faithful to his trusts sat down to wait for him. Half an hour passed and he did not come. All at once a voice came in from the outside, Johnny left his place and went to the door, He was about to open it and look out when he heard it again. ‘* A proclamation, eh? Is that according to the queer code of No Man’s Ground?” he asked himself. Then standing against the wall at one side of the door Johnny heard distinctly spoken on the night air words like these: * Listen all who hear. Ob ye! Oh ye! Oh ye! By authority granted him by Section 101 of the Solemn Code and Covenant of No Man’s Ground, Captain Duncan Duff warns all people not members of our league to vacate the prem- ises of Satan City within three hours, and to quit the domain itself immediately thereafter. A refusal on the part of any one to obey this mandate will incur the penalty attached toa violation of the section!” It was apparent from the sound of the voice that the crier stood in the street directly in front of the cabin, and when Jobnny Jum>up turned to the window he saw a man walk away. ‘Still playing his hand!” ejaculated the de- tective’s pard. ‘‘ Just now the pains and pen- alties of Section 101 are aimed at Captain Vel- vet and Johnny Jumpup, for since Dun Duff has become the head of the league of No Man’s Ground we are the only peor on the outside. But go slow, Captain Dun. The man I serve came up here for a purpose and it is to be ac- complished at the risk of hislife. You don’t want the broken bowie pieced, you would keep the dastardly crimes of the past in the dark, and be able to say that the woman who waits in the dark found nothing. We laugh at your procla- mation. It has been fifty to one before in Gideon Goldbar’s life. He will not shrink if it should be that again.” The man who communed in this strain with himself was not the only person startled by the nocturnal proclamation. ‘“‘In Heaven’s name, what is this the begin- ning of?’ cried the young girl, who had caught the sounds which had been borne to Johnny Jumpup’s ears. ‘“ All aliens to quit No Man’s Ground within three hours! ing his band. His first blow is against his rival, Mona’s sleuth-hound, Does be know what brought the detective hither? Thespell that he has woven round Colone! Bluff is full of subtle witchery, and the work of a cool devil. What will Gideon Goldbar do? The penalty attached to Section 101 1s death. We had a fool here once. He refused to obey a similar proclama- tion issued by Boss Nevada, and his life went ont like a candle suddenly snuffed. Has Cap- tain Velvet the courage to treat this command with contempt?” Opai had barely ceased, when a rap sounded on her door. She opened it, to see a visitor quite unex- te **The Colonel would like to see you, miss,” said the man, as bis hand drop from the brim of his hat. ‘* You know, perhaps, where he is to be found—at Lolas’s cabin.” Though he had delivered the message he had been commissioned to deliver, the gloating eyes of Dun Duff remained fixed on Opal’s face. She met the look calmly. **Do you ever congratulate the new masters of No Man’s Ground?” he asked. ** We've neverhad but one.” , ‘* That is true, but you have another now.” “You?” “* The man before you! “You heard the procla- mation a while ago, did you not?? **T heard it.” ** As one of the people of Satan City, it was not new to you.” ‘**] knew Section 101 was in the code.” ‘Well, we want no aliens near the secret,” continued Dun Duff. “I intend ,to carry out the code and the wishes of Colonel Bluff, who, as I have said, waits for you at Lolas’s shanty.” In another second the beauty of the Shasta Camp stood alone once more. Still fresh in her mind was her last interview with the Crippled Croesus of California. She recollected that at his anncuncement that she would have to hate Norgan, she had fallen senseless at the foot of the cabin wall. hee! she had been summoned to his presence again. To have the command repeated and empha- sized? She could not tell. Opal seemed reluctant to leave the cabin ee Dun Duff is show- |. which had been the sharer of her little thoughts and secrets for so many years. She did not stir till Dun Duff had been gone some minutes, When she passed out she saw a bright light in the window of the cabin which had become the abode of Gideon Goldbar and pard, It was unusually bright, and the girl won- dered what it meant. ** Mona’s sleuth-bound is in peril,” she thought. ‘¢ Unless he balks the ambition of Dun Duff he will never get to put the broken dagger to- gether. It isa strange, wild story that he tells me. A woman was once happily married. Her husband was all pure to her when he was living a double life, with the sin of more than one crime at his heart. Mona, the woman who sits in the dark with the child Vetla, is that person. Her first child is somewhere—as lost to her as though a mountain rose above her grave. Step by step Captain Velvet bas proceeded in Mona’s interest, e bas not found the missing child, but he has picked up link after link of the chain of crime, He knows that one night Mona’s hus- band was found in bis recom stabbed a dozen times and mutilated for life; he knows that she found near hima broken dagger blade. Point and hilt were gone. Mona has that blade still, and her sleuth wants the missing parts. That crime was the one which unmasked Mona’s hus- band to her. Then he stood before her the des- perado, the secret leader of a band of mountain cut-throats. She nursed him through his wounds and bade him good-by. That night the child went. The one she loves now—the little Vetla with the gold hair—is one she bas taken to cheer her in her blindness, but the lhttle gir] thinks she is her real mother. Mona believes that when the dagger has been restored she will know whose bands robbed her, and for what, Such is Captain Velvet’s story. This is the hunt which has brought him to No Man’s Ground, Why bas he shadowed Dun Duff? Is it because the secret is locked in that man’s bosom? Is this why the mandate that all aliens must quit No Man’s Ground has gone forth? But [ forget, I have been summoned to Colonel Bluff’s side. What does the maimed magnate of California want with me?” Opal, the waif, made up for lost time between ber abode and Lolas’s cabin. She did not rap, but opened the door and walked in, ‘Ah! I thought you would never come,” greeted her. She went forward. The speaker was the ite Nabob, His eyes glittered strange- y: ‘* Stand more in the light, girl. I want to look at you. There!” Then he watched her without saying a word, and Opal seemed to feel the curious eyes of the Crippled Croesus entering her very soul. CHAPTER XXTIX. THE CRIPPLE’S CRAWL. ‘*WHo are you, girl?” asked Colonel Bluff, at t ‘**T have already told you. Iam Opal.” ; He looked at her a long time in silence as be- ore. ‘That is all, Opal. You can go now.” Instead of stirring, the beauty of No Man’s Ground did not move. This sudden and unaccountable dismissal was not in accordance with her expectations, She had been summened to the cabin for, she thought, an interview. Why had she n stared at and asked but one question? It was a mystery to the young girl. “That is all, my child,” continued the crip- pled gold-bug, with a gesture of dismissal which could not be misunderstood, ‘‘ You know that No Man’s Ground has a new alcalde. He will carry out the code to the letter. Section 99 affects you. Go home and wait.” Opal saw that the tensely-drawn countenance before her was not that of a man with whom she could bandy words. She made no reply to his last words, but with her gaze fastened on the face as if she would never forget it, she went to the door and passed out The interview had not lasted ten minutes. ‘““What manner of man is he?’ exclaimed Opal to herself, as she walked toward the Square theugh she did not reach it, turning aside and going to her own abode, / ‘* Well, what did he say this time?’ The girl stopped and looked at the speaker, who seemed to have overtaken her with noise- less step. ; ‘‘Norgan! He said ncthing to take time in telling. Again he asked me who I was, made = a n the light, and eyed me like a awk. ‘* Did he say nothing about the change of cap- tains?” ‘* Was that a “He told me that Captain Duff intended to carry out the code to the letter, including Sec- tion 99.” ‘* He mentioned it, did he?” cé Yes.” ‘“ He said he presumed I bad heard of it.” ht Opal?” ¢ «4 Ye ~=-€oO “=? ) at ses . SF ee ee ee ot ty mnicbook