CHAPTER II.
A SURPRISE.
In the street they saw a carriage, which Mr. Smith hailed, and when itdrove up he placed Mrs. Holt inside.
"Drive this lady to No. 113 Mission Street," he exclaimed.
Elise opened her eyes wide with astonishment.
"You know where we live!" she ejaculated.
"Certainly I do. Good-evening. Clarence shall be home in half an hour."
He handed the driver two dollars, and Elise was taken to her apartmentsin a luxurious style which was entirely new to her.
Mr. Smith returned to the gambling-saloon, much impressed with themodesty and beauty of Elise.
"Decidedly, she is too good for Clarence," he muttered.
Once again in the gilded saloon of vice he looked in vain for Clarenceamong the players.
"Where is the young man who was winning?" he asked of the dealer.
"He has dropped out," was the answer.
"A loser?"
"Yes. He staked his pile on one card, and somehow it didn't come up ashe expected."
"Fool!" remarked Mr. Smith.
He walked through the suite of handsomely-furnished rooms to see whereClarence was, because he could not have left the place, or he wouldhave been met on the stairs.
In an inner apartment he saw a sight which startled, though it did notsurprise him.
Mr. Smith was a man of the world, whom it was difficult to surprise, asit was part of his education and temperament not to exhibit emotion atanything.
Kneeling before a large mirror, his face pale and haggard beyondexpression, was Clarence Holt.
In his right hand he held a pistol, and in his left a photograph ofElise, which he was kissing passionately.
It was a sad picture, and showed to what desperate straits drink andgambling can reduce their votaries.
* * * * *
Suddenly he dropped the picture and placed the muzzle of the pistol tohis temple.
"God forgive me," he prayed, "and help the widow and the orphan. Elise,my darling, my life, my all, farewell."
Mr. Smith rushed forward and knocked up his arm, so that at this mostcritical moment in the young man's career the weapon went off withoutinjuring him, and the ball lodged in the ceiling.
It was a narrow escape.
"Idiot," cried Smith, "what are you thinking of?"
Clarence Holt looked repentant and abashed.
"I have spent your money," he replied. "I repulsed my wife. I am awretch, unworthy to live."
"Get up and go home."
"Alas! I have no home now. My money is gone and----"
Mr. Smith interrupted him by allowing to flutter down at his side a onehundred-dollar bill, giving it to him as carelessly as one casts a boneto a dog.
"For me!" asked Clarence, eagerly snatching it.
"No, for Elise and your child," was the reply. "Give it to her. Afellow like you deserves nothing but a good thrashing."
"That's what I say," answered Clarence, the old, despairing look comingover him again. "Let me die."
Mr. Smith looked disgusted.
"If you don't leave off whining," he exclaimed, "I shall be stronglytempted to kick you!"
Clarence did not move; he picked up his hat and left the pistol whereit had fallen.
"Be a man," continued Mr. Smith. "Don't be afraid of the world and theworld won't hurt you."
Humiliated, and with his head in a whirl, Clarence quitted the room,and Mr. Smith re-entered the gambling-saloon, in which was a noisyparty of miners who, having come into town with plenty of money, couldnot resist the fascinations of faro.
All at once Mr. Smith was confronted by a man, who exclaimed:
"So we have met sooner than I expected!"
"Harkaway," repeated the person who called himself Smith.
"At your service, my lord," was the reply.
Jack had met Lord Maltravers.
This gentleman was an English nobleman of high rank and great wealth.
They had met in New York, and both had fallen in love with a young ladynamed Lena Vanhoosen.
Lena's brother Alfred wished her to marry Jack, but her mother, Mrs.Vanhoosen, wished her to espouse the rich nobleman.
Jack and Lord Maltravers had quarreled about Lena.
The quarrel took place in a well-known up-town resort, and Maltravershad fired a pistol at Jack.
The shot missed its mark, but the cowardly nobleman had to fly to avoidarrest.
He retreated to San Francisco, and Jack, learning where he had gone,followed him.
They met in the gambling-saloon.
His lordship was perfectly collected after the first shock of surprisehad passed away, and he did not attempt to escape.
"So you have followed me?" he observed.
"That is an unnecessary question to ask," replied Jack. "You see I amhere."
"Not at all. You might have been making a tour of California, but sinceyou have declared that you followed me, may I ask your reason?"
"To bring you to justice for attempting my life, after which I shallmarry Miss Vanhoosen."
"So you have gone into the detective business, Mr. Harkaway? Icongratulate you," said his lordship, sarcastically.
"It was time for me to do something."
"Well, you have found me. What next?"
"I shall arrest you."
"Here?"
"Certainly, my lord. I shall be my own police officer, and not give youa chance to run away."
Lord Maltravers laughed harshly.
"My dear fellow," he replied, "what do you take me for?"
"Precisely for that which I know you to be."
"And that is----"
"An unmitigated scoundrel."
"Thank you; personality seems to be your forte," said Maltravers. "Andnow let me tell you one thing: I am no child to be arrested by you."
"We shall see," answered Jack.
The room, as we have said, was full of rough characters, who werenoisy, and inclined to be riotous; wine was flowing freely.
"Boys!" cried Maltravers, in a stentorian voice.
Instantly he was the centre of attraction.
"Do any of you want to make a stake of a hundred dollars?"
"Yes, yes!" replied a dozen men.
"Then put a head on this man for me."
He held out five twenty-dollar gold-pieces in one hand and pointed toHarkaway with the other.
A big man, over six feet high, apparently strong as a horse, with awell-developed biceps muscle, stepped forward.
He had several scars on his face, and had lost one eye, which gave hima ghastly appearance.
"That money's mine," he exclaimed.
"You can have it if you are my man."
"Hand it over."
Lord Maltravers gave him the gold, and at the same time Jack took astep in advance.
"You shall not escape me in that way," he said.
"Hold on there," cried the volunteer.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of you," cried Jack.
"I'm Nappa Bill," said the man, "and if I can't make you squeal, I wantto go home."
"Listen to me," said Harkaway. "This fellow is a notorious murderer,and is wanted in New York."
"New York be darned!" said Nappa Bill. "If he has killed his man, thereare lots of us in this room who has done the same thing, and his moneyis as good to me as any other chap's. Let him go, and then you an' me'sgot to talk."
Seeing that it would be useless to attempt to arrest his lordship afterthe turn affairs had taken, Jack relinquished his idea.
"Gentlemen, I will leave you to amuse yourselves," exclaimed Maltravers.
Jack was furiously indignant, and burned with rage as he saw his enemymake for the door.
"Stop!" he cried.
"To oblige you? Oh, dear, no. I rather think not. I shall be glad tomeet you at Foster's Cliff House to-morrow at two, if you will promiseto come unattended."
"I will be there."
&nbs
p; "On my terms?"
"Yes."
"Very well; we can then discuss the situation; for the present, it willbe enough to say good-night."
Always a polished villain, Maltravers bowed and took his departure.
Jack was baffled, and was about to sit down to consider what he shoulddo, when Nappa Bill made a furious lunge at him with a knife.
Seeing the movement, he stepped on one side and escaped being killed byalmost a miracle.
Being armed, he drew a pistol.
"Keep off," he said, "or I'll shoot."
"That's good enough. I like to see a man heeled. I'll have morepleasure in cutting you now," answered Nappa Bill.
"What do you want to fight me at all for?"
"Wasn't I paid for it? Why, look at here, I'd scorn to take the man'smoney and do nothing for it."
"Come on, then. The sooner this thing is settled the better."
Nappa Bill did not want to be asked twice; he accepted the invitationand threw himself upon Jack, who received a slight flesh-wound in hisshoulder.
Drawing himself quickly back, he fired a snap-shot at the ruffian, nothaving time to take aim.
The bullet struck Nappa Bill about the middle of the wrist, and with afearful oath he allowed his knife to drop on the floor.
"Curse you!" he cried. "You've broken my wrist."
"It's all your own fault," replied Jack, coolly. "I did not provokethis contest, as all the gentlemen here present, I am sure, willtestify. You have made a little money by your conduct, but I guess itwill all go in doctor's bills."
At this there was a laugh.
Nappa Bill bound up his injured hand with a napkin, which he snatchedfrom the arm of the negro waiter.
Looking earnestly at Jack, he said:
"I'm cornered this time, and I'll own up that you got the best of me,but by thunder, I'll get square with you, colonel, if it takes me allmy life."
"Ah, pshaw! fellows like you can't harm me."
"Are you betting money on that?"
"I never bet with your class," replied Jack.
"What's my class?" inquired Nappa Bill.
"Loafers, frauds and beats."
"You're kind of high-toned, aren't you?" sneered Nappa Bill. "They'reall gentlemen where you come from, I should imagine; don't have to workand look around for a living."
"It matters very little who or what I am," replied Jack, "but if youpick me up for a fool you'll find that you never made a greater mistakein your life."
"That's all right, but remember that Nappa Bill is your open enemy."
Jack put his pistol back in his pocket, and with a careless laughquitted the room.
There were several men standing in his way, but they quickly made spacefor him.
Nappa Bill did not attempt to injure him further. He contented himselfwith using some strong adjectives, which would not look well in print.
Harkaway had won the first move in the game.