Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 512 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Captain Velvet’s Big Stake. 5 veal the stranger to its owner’s satisfaction, so he picked up the lamp and held it in a position more to his liking. ‘*Captain Nevada, I presume?” observed the man to the scrutinizing boss of Satan City. ‘* That’s me; or Boss Nevada, rather.” The word “ Boss” was slightly emphasized, ‘*You may call me Dun Duff,” answered the stranger, who had come straight from the shaving of Mark Moline under the lynchers’ tree. ‘‘From the South?’ asked the Boss, setting the lamp down, ‘‘ From the South, as you’ve said,” replied Dun Duff, who had taken the three-legged stool al- most opposite the magnate of No Man’s Ground. *‘ Does a fellow have to be from ’Frisco or Sacra- mento to hail from there?” ‘*Of course not,” laugbed Nevada, and while he laughed he took another survey of the stran- ger. **{ came in just too late to see how you carr out your criminal code on No Man’s Ground,” continued Dulf. ‘‘ Ha! bave you discovered already that we’ve just had a little hanging?” ‘* Yes, [came upon a man shaving the victim on the Square.” ‘* Burrell, the Rolling Stone,” was the re- sponse. ‘*He wanted the beard for what might be in it—half an ounce o’ dust, maybe. Hard you ever seen the—the dead gentleman before?” Duff shook bis head. ‘“‘T guess he got what he deserved. By George! we couldn’t do otherwise, There was the code staring us in the face, and there stood the man convicted by his own confession, It had to be death, sir. He took fifty ounces, and though we got every grain back, the code could not be pushed aside.” ‘* He stole from. you, I understand.” ‘Did Burrell mention that? Sohedid. The fifty ounces belonged to me, but I wanted to see justice done above anything else. The man died game. He said he would repeat the act if spared and. was placed in the same circum- stances. Well, it is just as certain that we would repeat our part of the programme. You should bave been here and seen the code carried out. Duncan Duff remarked that he had witnessed more than one similar scene in his time, and that he probably bad lost nothing new by miss- ing the one just past. e was glad to see that there was law and justice on No Man’s Ground, and continued by saying that he trusted it would always be so. Then the two men, met for the first time, fell into a train of reminiscences, which brought out the fact that,both bad traveled over a large part of the gold regions of the wild West, though they had never heard of each other before their unexpected introduction, At last Duff hinted at the excitement in Sacramento, caused by late reports from No Man’s Ground. In an instant Boss Nevada’s brow darkened. ‘* Who spread that canard?” he exclaimed. ** T cannot say.” “By Jove! we hang liars as well as thieves here!” was the response; then he leaned toward Dun Duff and continued: ‘*What do they think of it in Sacramento? Are we to be invaded by an army of adven- turers—a lot of gold tramps like some we've got in camp now?” ** There’s likely to be an exodus,” replied Duff, **But the many will not come. Sacramento waited for the Colonel’s opinion, and when it came out to the effect that the story was a hoax the excitement went down in a jiffy.” Nevada smiled. “* The Colonel said that, did he?” he demanded, as though he knew something about the crippled Nabob cf Sacramento. ‘‘ We owe him some- thing for the favor he’s done us, A hoax? You shall see for yourself to-morrow,” Dun Duff said that he would be happy to he informed as to the true state of mining in No Man’s Ground, and remarked, with a how, that Nevada’s word would be enough even though it was not backed up by evidence, There was something sO suave, so genteel about Duncan Duff that the Boss was in danger of going too far. Thestranger did not seem one of the impertinent class. He asked no questions that suggested that he was any man’s spy or emissary. He appeared to be just what he said he was—a gentleman looking through the Shasta country for a quiet spot to squat on. ‘* One grows tired of roughing it, Captain Ne- vada,” he remarked, when he came back to him- self and his intentions. ‘‘ One tires of the pleas- ures of the cities, and doesn’t want to always be going from camp to camp for nothing. I’m no nabob, neither do I belong to the family of Lazarus. I’m comfortable and not too bhigh- toned to go down into the mine and dig for new dust.” ** How fares the Colonel?” asked Nevada. ** You mean Colonel Bluff?” “‘- Yes, I guess he is the only man in Cali- fornia who has a right to the title of “th Colonel "—the exclusive right, I mean.” ‘He still fills his little chair on wheels,” ob- served Duff. ““Of course. He is destined to die there, The colonel is a genius; the Colonel is a power.” ** And a cool man besides—a man of iron, one might say.” evada inclined his head, ** And so he denounced the reports from here as a hoax, eh?” ‘* He did,” answered Duff. ‘Colonel Bluff appeared on the streets of Sacramento and quieted the excitement with a few well-chosen words. They listen when he talks down there.” ‘*So Pve heard,” Nevada remarked; then smiled as he went on: ‘‘T saw the Colonel last, years ago. He was then in his chair, but be had hopes of getting out of it. But, there wasn’t the least chance for him. How long have you known the Colonel?” ‘* Not very long nor very intimately.” ** But vou have visited him?” oe Yes,” ** Lately?” ‘*The last thing I did before I left Sacra- mento.” ‘* Ha!” exclaimed the Boss, and he looked his visitor over again scrutinizingly. He saw one of Daff’s hands move toward his bosom and disappear there. A second of sus- pense followed and when the hand came forth again 1t helda bitof paper folded and sealed with wax bearing a peculiar stamp. **Do you know that?’ asked Duff, thrusting the paper into the light with the seal uppermost. ‘*T was coming this way and the Colonel thought he would take advantage of it. I guess the paper speaks for itself, Captain Nevada?” Already the packet was in the Boss’s hand and Dun Duff watched him narrowly while bis bronzed fingers broke the seal and unfolded the paper. A message from Colonel Bluff by a stranger was sure to be an event in Boss Nevada’s life. He tried to keep back any emotion that would betray his eagerness to the messenger, but Dun Duff was shrewd enough to see that there was a link of some kind uniting the manof Shasta land and the crippled Nabob of Sacramento, The Boss spread the letter out on the table and beneath the lamp. Duff a agit to look away, at this juncture, as though he did not want to seem interested in the contents of the message, but, though his eyes seemed to wander round the cabin taking in every thing in their ver he saw more of Nevada and his letter than the Boss thought, From the first, theeyes of the Boss dilated with astonishment, but before the reading was finished they recovered their natural ex- pression. Without comment Nevada folded the letter and placed it in a pocket behind his belt, ‘*You don’t mind keeping shanty a little while, I suppose?” he asked. ‘* Not at all.” ** 'Whar’s your horse?” ** Outside,” and Dun Duff glanced toward the oor. ‘* Pll see that he’s put up an’ made comfort- able. Ill be back presently.” Duff found himself alone. A queer smile came to his lips, and his eyes got a gleam they had not had before. ‘*Say I’m not the man for an emergency!” he cried, striking the table with his fist. ‘“‘B Jericho! when they beat Dun Duff they will have no other worlds toconquer. Wait? Ot course I’ll wait for you, Boss Nevada. If I did come too late to see the code work on No Man’s Ground, I’m in time for something ten times as | important—to the scheme!” Meantime Nevada was some distance from his shanty. He proceeded toward the last cabin in Satan City. As if to satisfy himself on a certain point, he crossed the Square, passing under the boughs of the lynchers’ tree. The corpse of Mark Moline no longer lay on the ground where Burrell had shaved the face, Perhaps the lynchers had taken the body to the little graveyard, whose few headboards, with badly-spelled inscriptions cut into them, leaned in the moonlight. Nevada found in the last shanty a man who laughed when he entered. ‘** We've got him under ground, and Burrell’s got the golden beard!” announced this man, ‘* Which winds up the career of Mark Moline. But, look here, Norgan,” and the letter was jerked out and thrown upon the table in the middle of the room, Norgan, a wiry little man with a smooth face, picked up the paper, and after one look turned to Boss Nevada: ‘* Who brought this?” ** Never mind. Is it genuine?” ‘** We'll see, captain.” The next moment the little man opened a secret cupboard in one of the logs, and took therefrom a small vial, which he brought to the table. Then he found a tin on a shelf, and poured some water into it. Having done this he dropped a portion of the contents of the vial into the basin and then plunged the letter in, immersing it completely. Nevada looked on in silence. * We'll see, captain,” repeated Norgan, taking the letter from its bath and carefully drying it her again. by thelamp. ‘Ah! hereitis. Look for your- self!” The chief of No Man’s Ground leaned forward with eyes full of fire. ‘*By Jove! is it true?” he cried, and then be read again these words on the paper—the only ones it now contained: “This is a viper that must be crushed! I shall hold you accountable for every breath he breathes after you read this!” CHAPTER VI. THE EDGE OF THE SHADOW, THREE times the Boss read the writing before him, twice in silence with bis eyes alone, and once aloud through his teeth. ‘“* A wonderful chemical that of ycurs, Nor- gan,” he cried at last, ‘* Don’t give me the credit, Captain Nevada, You know that I did not discover it, as well as I do, myself. But, who is the viper the Colonel nas warned us against?” ‘* Ah, you cannot know for you baven’t seen him,” was the response. ‘‘ Well, at this very moment he isat my shanty waiting for me to come back,” The paper still in Boss Nevada’s hand shook before his breath. It was perfectly dry and showed no signs of the chemical] bath beyond the complete blotting out of the words which the Boss of Satan City had read in his own cabin. The mysterious chemical had obliterated the words in one sympathetic ink, and brought out those in another. The one message had been written to deceive, the other was intended tostand and to be obeyed, The words which had disappeared when put together ran something like this: ** SACRAMENTO. *““Capramn NEVADA, * Satan City, No Man's Ground :;— **T send this by one Duncan Duff who! thinkis a man to be trusted. Everything is ‘solid’ here. I have allayed the excitement about the new bonanza, I can bold the lines here if youdoyour part. Detain Captain Duff if you can use him, Of course I would send no dangerous man to No Man's Ground, there- fore, Irecommend the gentleman who hands you THE COLONEL.” How unlike this was the command which bad taken its place on on the same sheet! ‘‘This is a viper that must be crushed, I shall hold you accountable for every breath he breathes after you read this!” Norgan, the expert, looked almost incredu- lously at Nevada when he announced that at that very moment the ‘‘ viper” was an occu- pant of nis cabin, ‘Of course we’re strong enough to carry out the command instanter,” remarked the smooth- faced expert looking at the paper. ‘“ But, by Jove! Id like to see something of him, first. I mean, I'd like to know what he expects to do here. ‘‘ Nothing that’d suit the Colonel. You could bet your head on that!” exclaimed the Boss, after it was written.” The big Californian laughed, ‘The seal looked right though 1 didn’t ex- amine it,” said he, ‘* If he is a person who is to be erushed, he is just the kind o’ man to play some sort o’ legerdemain with a seal like it, It’s along distance twixt Sacramento and Satan City, Norgan, and seals can be counterfeited as easily as you can bring out writing with your powerful fluids.” ‘Right you are, Boss Nevada,” replied Norgan. ‘ But can I see this man in the Kesh, and to-night?” ‘‘' Yes. He’s where I left bim as a matter o’ course, Iam going down to the office. If you Will go to my shanty and look in at the window you'll be rewarded for your trouble. Do the act nicely, Norgan. We don’t want bim to sus- pect that he’s been uncovered till it’s too late.” Nevada folded the paper, and not caring to trust it again behind his belt, placed it in a pocket in his bosom and walked toward the door. ‘* When do we crush the viper?’ asked Norgan following him with his look. ‘*When I raise my hand,” came the answer, ‘We've got the whole thing in our clutches, and the Colonel’s power is as absolute on No Man’s Ground as it is under the roof that shelters bim in Sacramento.” With this the head of Satan City went out and left Norgan alone. The little man with the bright eyes returned the chemical] to the secret recess in the log and threw the contents of tbe basin on tbe pun- cheons. Then he washed bis hands in clean water by way of caution, picked a hat from a peg and went away. ‘*T wonder if Opal knows that they’ve planted Mark, the gold-dust thief?” he remarked to him- self afew steps from his shanty. ‘ The girl would have given usa little trouble to-day if Boss Nevada badn’t put down bis foot before- hand. We kept our promise to the mountain tramp, and kept the y from Opal’s sight. She won’t talk about bim, I hope, when I see It’s the only fault I find with her— ‘‘Certainly. I wonder if he saw the letter — Ta er: , rel poe \ we Se ee GEomilchbooks Cc (E(0)