CHAPTER VIII
"HE MEANS FIGHT"
Winston remained staring blankly at the closed door behind which shehad so swiftly vanished, his mind a chaos of doubt. He assuredly neverpurposed saying what he had said under the spur of deprivation, yet heregretted no single word that he had uttered. That he earnestlyworshipped this briefly known woman was a fact borne in upon himsuddenly; yet now, the fact once completely realized, he surrenderedunconditionally to the inevitable. For a moment his thought of herobscured all lesser things; he saw nothing else in the wide worldreally worth striving after--every aroused impulse thrilled to the fairface, the soft voice of Beth Norvell. He was no "quitter," nofaint-heart either in love or in war, and he was now far too deeply inearnest to accept as final a stingless rejection spoken by lips thatwere so openly contradicted by the smiling eyes above. Whatever ofstern necessity might have inspired the utterance of such words of coldrenunciation, it was assuredly neither indifference nor dislike. Heforgave the lips, recalling only the eyes.
With his hand still pressed against the porch railing, the young mansuddenly recalled Biff Farnham, his cool gray eyes as instantlyhardening, his lips pressed together. What possible part in the duskof the shadowed past did that disreputable gambler play? Whatconnection could he hold, either in honor or dishonor, with theprevious life history of Beth Norvell? He did not in the least doubther, for it was Winston's nature to be entirely loyal, to beunsuspicious of those he once trusted. Yet he could not continuecompletely blind. That there once existed some connection it wasimpossible to ignore entirely. Her laughing, yet clearly embarrassed,attempt at explanation had not in the slightest deceived him, forbeyond it remained her quick surprise at that earliest unexpectedmention of the man's name, the suddenly blanched cheeks, theunconcealed fright revealed by the dark eyes. The full truth was to beread there, and not in her later more deliberate attempt at leading hissuspicions astray. There was nothing pleasant about this thought, andWinston's sensitive face flushed, his glance wandering uneasily downthe midnight street. For the space of a block, or more, where numeroustents and low wooden buildings stood deserted of tenants, all remaineddark and silent; but just beyond glowed brilliantly the many-huedlights of the wide-awake Poodle-Dog, and he could even hear the bandplaying noisily within the still more distant dance hall. Thiscombined sight and sound served to arouse him to action and a coolresolve. If he really intended to play out this game successfully hemust learn something of its conditions. Besides, he had now two mostexcellent reasons for desiring to form an early acquaintance with thisman Farnham--the fellow had come across his line of life twice withinthe past twelve hours. For the purpose there could be no time betterthan the present. He struck a match against the rough railing andlighted for himself a fresh cigar, his clear-cut, manly featuresshowing calmly determined in that instant glare of sputtering flame.Almost unconsciously, following the instinct of his long Westerntraining, he slipped a revolver from its customary resting-place at thehip, and dropped the weapon conveniently into the side pocket of hisloose sack coat. He had heard some tales of this man he purposedseeking, and it might prove well to be prepared for emergencies.
The bar-room of the blazing Poodle-Dog was thronged with men--menstanding before the long, sloppy bar, men seated around rough tables,and men lounging here and there in groups about the heavily sandedfloor. Uninterestedly glancing at these, Winston paused for an idlemoment, his eyes fastened upon a whirling spectacle of dancers in thehall beyond. It formed a scene of mad revelry; yet in his presentstate of mind, he cared little for its frontier picturesqueness, andsoon turned away, mounting the broad stairway down which, like aninvitation, echoed the sharp click of ivory chips, and the excitedvoices of those absorbed in play. In both size and gorgeousness ofdecoration the rooms above were a surprise--a glitter of lights, ababel of noises, a continuous jumble of figures, while over alltrembled a certain tension of excitement, terrible in its enchainingpower. The very atmosphere seemed electric, filled with a deadlycharm. The dull roar of undistinguishable voices sounded incessantly,occasionally punctuated by those sharp, penetrating tones with whichthe scattered dealers called varied turns of play, or by some deep oathfalling unnoted from desperate lips as the unhappy end came. Winston,who had seen many similar scenes, glanced with his usual coolindifference at the various groups of players, careless except in hissearch, and pressing straight through the vibrating, excited throng,regardless of the many faces fronting him. He understood that Farnhamdealt faro, and consequently moved directly down the long main roomtotally indifferent to all else. He discovered his particular goal atlast, almost at the farther end of the great apartment, the crowdgathered about the faro table dense and silent. He succeeded inpressing in slowly through the outer fringe of players until heattained a position within ten feet of the dealer. There he halted,leaning against the wall, the narrow space between them unoccupied.
He saw before him a slenderly built, fashionably dressed figure,surmounted by clear-cut, smooth-shaven features--a man of thirty,possibly, decidedly aristocratic, perfectly self-controlled, his eyescool, calculating, his hands swift, unhesitating in play. From somemysterious cause this masterful repose of the absorbed dealer beganimmediately to exercise a serious fascination over the man watchinghim. He did not appear altogether human, he seemed rather like someperfectly adjusted machine, able to think and plan, yet as unemotionalas so much tempered steel. There was no perceptible change passing inthat utterly impassive face, no brightening of those cold, observanteyes, no faintest movement of the tightly compressed lips. It was asthough he wore a mask completely eclipsing every natural human feeling.Twice Winston, observing closely from his post of vantage slightly tothe rear the swift action of those slender white fingers, could havesworn the dealer faced the wrong card, yet the dangerous trick wasaccomplished so quickly, so coolly, with never a lowering of the eyes,the twitching of a muscle, that a moment later the half-jealous watcherdoubted the evidence of his own keen eyesight. As the final fatefulcard came silently gliding forth and was deliberately turned, faceupward, amid bitter curses telling the disappointment of thatbreathless crowd, a young woman suddenly swept around the lower edge ofthe long table, brushing Winston with her flapping skirt as she passed,bent down, and whispered a half-dozen rapid sentences into thegambler's ear. The hands, already deftly shuffling the cards foranother deal, scarcely paused in their operations, nor did those cool,observant eyes once desert the sea of excited faces before him. Heasked a single brief question, nodded carelessly to the hastily spokenreply, and then, as the woman drew noiselessly away, Winston gazeddirectly into the startled black eyes of Senorita Mercedes. Instantlyshe smiled merrily, exhibiting her white teeth.
"Ah, senor," and she bent toward him in seductive whisper, "so my lady,de Americana, let you escape early to-night!"
Surprised at her recognition, he failed to answer immediately, and thegirl touched him gently with her hand.
"De girls of my race never so cold, senor. Try me some time, an' see."
With a happy laugh and coquettish uplifting of the dark eyes, thedancer was as quickly gone, vanishing into the throng like a flash ofred flame. For a breathless moment Winston's admiring gaze followed,conscious merely of her dark beauty, her slender, graceful figure. Hewas young, impressionable, and there was rare witchery about the girlwhich momentarily fascinated him. His attention shifted back toFarnham with a swift remembrance of the stern purpose which had broughthim there. The gambler was playing out his case silently, emotionlessas ever. If he had observed anything unusual, if he consideredanything beyond his card-play, no eye could have detected it in thatimpassive countenance, those cold, expressionless eyes. Apparently hewas a mere automaton, the sole symbol of life showing in the whitefingers so deftly dealing the fateful pasteboards from the box. Theimpatient, excited crowd facing him moved restlessly, cursing orlaughing with each swift turn of play; but he who wrought the spellneither spoke nor smiled, his face remaining fixe
d, immutable, asemotionless as carven granite. Suddenly he glanced meaningly aside,and, nodding silently to a black-moustached fellow lounging beside thecroupier, rose quickly from his chair. The other as instantly slippedinto it, his hands guarding the few remaining cards, while Farnhamstood for a moment behind the chair, idly looking on. There was nonoticeable interruption to the game, and when the final card camegliding forth from the silver box, the imperturbable gamester turneddeliberately away from the table, heedless of the desperate struggleabout him, the curses and uproar, and faced the younger man stillleaning against the wall.
"Mr. Winston?" he questioned quietly.
Surprised by this unexpected notice, the other bowed in silentacknowledgment of his name.
A faint sarcastic smile curved the thin, compressed lips, while Farnhamran one hand carelessly through his slightly curling hair.
"I should like a few words with you in private," he explained politely."There is a vacant room we can use--this way."
Astonished into yielding without protest, and at the same time feelingsufficiently eager to learn the cause for such a request, Winstonunhesitatingly followed the other through the press, marking as he didso the slender erectness of that figure in advance, the square set ofthe broad shoulders, the easy air of authority with which he clearedthe way. Without ceremony Farnham flung aside a heavy brocadedcurtain, glancing inquiringly into the smaller room thus revealed. Itcontained a square table and half a dozen chairs. Three men satwithin, their feet elevated, quietly smoking. The gambler coolly ranhis eyes over their uplifted faces.
"I desire to use this room, gents," he announced quietly. "You 'llfind plenty of vacant space outside."
Whether the lounging trio knew the speaker of old, or were sufficientlysatisfied from his stern face of the probable results should they longhesitate to comply, the three pairs of feet came down together, theirowners passing out in single file. Farnham waved his hand politelytoward the vacated interior, a slight measure of deference apparent inhis modulated voice.
"Help yourself to a chair, Mr. Winston, and permit me to offer you afresh cigar; a fairly good one I imagine, as I chance to be somewhatparticular regarding the weed."
A moment they sat thus furtively studying each other's face across thetable through the increasing clouds of blue smoke, the younger manpuzzled and filled with vague suspicion, the elder still ratheruncertain of his present ground, as well as of the exact sort ofcharacter opposing him. He was somewhat expert in judging humannature; and the full, square chin, the frank, open look in those steadygray eyes across the table left him doubtful of the final outcome.
"No doubt, my addressing you by name was something of a surprise," hebegan, leaning slightly forward, his cigar between his fingers; "but asit chanced, you were pointed out to me on the street a few hours since.May I inquire in this connection if, by any freak of fortune, you canbe Ned Winston, of Denver?"
"I am."
Farnham permitted his lips to smile genially, although his eyesremained utterly devoid of humor. He was skating upon rather thin icenow, realizing it to be far safer to make the venture in all boldness.What he might need to say later would altogether depend upon how muchthis man really knew.
"I was not previously assured of that fact," he explained, pleasantly."It was my pleasure at one time to be quite intimately associated withan old friend of yours, a college chum, I believe--Robert Craig, ofChicago."
The swift light of pleasant remembrance glowed instantly within theother's watchful eyes. For the moment he dropped his guard in thesurprise of this avowal.
"Bob Craig! Indeed; why, I do not recall his ever having mentionedyour name to me."
Farnham's suspended breath burst through his compressed lips in suddenrelief.
"Very probably not," he admitted, quietly, yet having the grace tolower his eyes slightly. "My own intimacy with Craig occurred sincehis college days. However, he has spoken to me regarding you quitefrequently, and I naturally esteem it a pleasure to meet with youpersonally."
Winston did not immediately reply, puzzling his confused mind in awholly useless attempt at recalling his ever having heard this man'sname before. But Farnham, placed completely at his ease regardingpossible recognition, proceeded coolly.
"Yet, that does not sufficiently account for my inviting you here."And he leaned farther across the table, slightly lowering his voice."My important reason for speaking is entirely a business one. You are,I understand, a mining engineer?"
Winston permitted his eyes to acquiesce, fully determined now to allowthis man to exhibit his own hand completely before making any returnplay. Farnham, watching the face of the other closely, paused torelight his cigar.
"The simple fact is," he resumed, carelessly, "we are having somelittle difficulty at present regarding certain mining claims we areoperating up in Echo Canyon. Nothing at all serious, you understand,but there 's plenty of bad blood, and we naturally prefer keeping theentire controversy out of the courts, if possible. A lawsuit, whateverits final result, would be quite certain to tie up the property for anindefinite period. Besides, lawsuits in this country cost money. Theman who has been making the greater part of the existing trouble, adrunken, quarrelsome old mountain shell-back, named Hicks, came in hereto see me this afternoon. He was in blamed bad humor, and threatenedto blow my brains out unless I came to his terms. No doubt he meantit, and consequently I got rid of him the easiest way I could, and thatwas by lying. I 've always preferred to lie rather than get shot.Hard to account for tastes, you know. However among other things thefellow chanced to mention while here was that you had been employed tolook after their interests. I presume that statement was merely abluff?"
"Well, not precisely," admitted Winston, when the other paused. "Iagreed to go out there, and look over the ground."
Farnham smiled deprecatingly, his cigar gripped tightly between hiswhite teeth.
"Just about as I supposed. No particular harm done as yet, and nocontract made; time enough left to draw out of a bad bargain. Well,Winston, I am here to tell you that outfit is not the kind you want toassociate yourself with if you desire to stand well in this camp. That's the straight goods. They 're simply a lot of blackmailers andirresponsible thieves. Why, damn it, man, the actual fact is, theycan't get a single reputable mining engineer in all this whole districtto take hold of their dirty work. That 's why they 've had to hunt upa new man, and got track of you."
"So Hicks admitted," interposed the younger man gravely, "although heput it in rather different form. He said it was because you had themoney, and your crowd bought them all up."
"Oh, he did, did he?" and the gambler laughed outright. "Well, thatsort of a job would n't be very costly--to outbid that measly outfit.It would be a sight cheaper than litigation, I reckon. What did heoffer you, by the way?"
The young engineer hesitated slightly, his cheeks flushing at the coolimpudence of the other's direct question.
"I do not recall that any positive offer was made," he replied finally."At least, the question of payment was not broached."
"The old cuss proved more honest than I had supposed," and Farnhamdropped his clinched hand on the table. "Now, see here, Winston, Ipropose giving you this thing right out from the shoulder. There is nouse beating around the bush. Those fellows have n't got so much as aleg to stand on; their claim is no good, and never will be. They 'resimply making a bluff to wring some good money out of us, and I don'twant to see you get tangled up in that sort of a skin game. You 'reBob Craig's friend, and therefore mine. Now, listen. There are twofellows concerned in that 'Little Yankee' claim, this whiskey-soakedHicks and his partner, a big, red-headed, stuttering fool namedBrown--'Stutter' Brown, I believe they call him--and what have they gotbetween them? A damned hole in the ground, that's all. Oh, I know; I've had them looked after from A to Z. I always handle my cards overbefore I play. They had exactly two hundred dollars between themdeposited in a local bank here last week. That 's their tota
l cashcapital. Yesterday one of my people managed to get down in their dinkymine. It was a girl who did the job, but she 's a bright one, and thatfellow Brown proved dead easy when she once got her black eyes playingon him. He threw up both hands and caved. Well, say, they 're downless than fifty feet, and their vein actually is n't paying themgrub-stakes. That's the exact state of the case. Now, Winston, you don't propose to tie yourself professionally with that sort of a beggarlyoutfit, do you?"
The younger man had been sitting motionless, his arm resting easily onthe back of the chair, his eyes slowly hardening as the other proceeded.
"I never before clearly understood that poverty was necessarily acrime," he remarked thoughtfully, as Farnham came to a pause."Besides, I am not tied up with that special outfit. I have merelyagreed to examine into the matter."
"Of course, I understand that; but what's the use? You 'll only cometo exactly the same conclusion all the others have. Besides, I havebeen especially authorized to offer you a thousand dollars simply todrop the thing. It's worth that much to us just now to be let alone."
Winston's eyes half closed, his fingers gripping nervously into thepalm of his hand.
"It occurs to me you place my selling-out price at rather low figures,"he said contemptuously.
Farnham straightened up in his chair, instantly realizing he had beenguilty of playing the wrong card, and for the moment totally unable toperceive how safely to withdraw it. Even then he utterly failed tocomprehend the deeper meaning in the other's words.
"I was thinking rather of what it was directly worth to us," heexplained, "and had no conception you would look at it that way.However, we are perfectly willing to be liberal--how much do you want?"
For a moment Winston stared straight at him, his lips firmly set, hisgray eyes grown hard as steel. Then he deliberately pushed back hischair, and rose to his feet, one clinched hand resting on the table.
"You may not fully understand my position," he began quietly, "for inall probability such a conception is utterly beyond you, but I do n'twant a dollar, nor a cent. Good-night."
He turned deliberately toward the entrance, but the thoroughlyastounded gambler leaped to his feet with one hand extended in suddenprotest. He was angry, yet believed he perceived a great light shiningthrough the darkness.
"Hold on, Winston," he exclaimed anxiously; "just a moment. I 'dtotally forgotten that you were the son of a millionaire, and thereforepossessed no desire for money like the rest of us more ordinarymortals. Now, let's be sensible. By God, you must want something!What is it?"
"You have received my final answer. I am not in the market."
Farnham crushed a bitter oath between his gleaming teeth, and flung hissodden cigar-butt to the floor.
"Do you actually mean you are crazy enough to go with Hicks, after allI 've told you?"
"I propose to discover for myself whether his claim is just. If it is,I 'm with him."
The gambler caught his breath sharply, for an instant utterlyspeechless, his face pallid with rage. Then the fierce, angry wordsburst forth in unrestrained torrent through the calm of his accustomedself-control.
"Oh, you 'll play hell, you infernal cur. Do it, and I 'll guaranteeyou 'll get a bullet in the brain, even if you are old Winston's son.We 've got a way of taking care of your kind out here when you get toogay. You 're with him, are you? Well, I 'm damned if you ever get anychance even to sit in the game. We 'll get you, and get you early, seeif we don't. There are other things besides money in this world, andyou 've got your price, just as well as every other man. Perhaps it'ssilk, perhaps it's calico; but you bet it's something, for you 're noangel. By God, I believe I could name it, even now."
Winston wheeled, his right hand thrust deeply into his coat pocket, hisface sternly set.
"What, for instance?"
"Well,--just to take a chance,--Beth Norvell,"
Farnham never forgot the flame of those gray eyes, or the sharp stingof the indignant voice.
"What do you know regarding her? Speak out, damn you!"
The gambler laughed uneasily; he had seen that look in men's facesbefore, and knew its full, deadly meaning. He had already gone to thevery limit of safety.
"Oh, nothing, I assure you. I never even saw the lady," he explainedcoldly. "But I have been told that she was _the_ attraction for you inthis camp; and I rather guess I hit the bull's-eye that time, even ifit was a chance shot."
Winston moistened his dry lips, his eyes never wavering from off thesneering face of the other.
"Farnham," the voice sounding low and distinct, "I have got somethingto say to you, and you are going to listen to the end. You see that?"He thrust sharply forward the skirt of his short coat. "Well, that's athirty-eight, cocked and loaded, and I 've got you covered. I knowyour style, and if you make a single move toward your hip I 'll uncorkthe whole six shots into your anatomy. Understand? Now, see here--I'm not on the bargain counter for money or anything else. I had notthe slightest personal interest in this affair an hour ago, but I havenow, and, what is more, I am going directly after the facts. Neitheryou, nor all of your crowd put together, can stop me with either money,bullets, or women. I don't bully worth a cent, and I don't scare. Youtook the wrong track, and you 've got me ready now to fight this out toa finish. And the first pointer I desire to give you is this--if yourlips ever again besmirch the name of Beth Norvell to my knowledge, I'll hunt you down as I would a mad dog. I believe you are a dirty liarand thief, and now I 'm going after the facts to prove it. Good-night."
He backed slowly toward the curtained doorway, his gaze never waveringfrom off the surprised countenance of the other, his hidden handgrasping the masked revolver. Then he stepped through the opening anddisappeared. Farnham remained motionless, his face like iron, histeeth gripping savagely. Then he dropped his hand heavily on thetable, still staring, as if fascinated, at the quivering curtains.
"By God, the fellow actually means fight," he muttered slowly. "Hemeans fight."