Gordon Young

“ One of those rare runs of luck that occasionally attend some men had come to him. He had begun to play about four o'clock in the morning. It was about eight o'clock when, during one of the lulls in which Dawes shuffled a fresh deck of cards, Hales straightened up and ran his glance over the faces of onlookers.
A dozen men spoke to him, many voices together. They were the sort of men who would praise a winner, any time. They were eager to say something, particularly to one who, judging from the Washington Hall episode, would probably throw away his winnings on those who flattered him. ”

“ Gold is got in other ways than honest men get it!"
"The de Solas are a wealthy family, señora. Their horses are famous."
"Those horses—oh?" exclaimed the señora excitedly. "Two years ago at Monterey Don Miguel's Zapateodor for the first time lost his race, and to a de Sola! Don Miguel had waged five thousand head of cattle. Oh, señor, it was a heartbreak to see the beautiful Zapateodor run behind another horse! I felt all my blood turn to tears. Those de Solas—poh!"
Hales now knew that a horse race had bred the feud. He replied with earnestness:
"Señora, I am sure Don José is a man of honor. ”

“ Lazy Indians, men and women, drifted about under the shade of fig trees and live oaks, idling at their easy work.
Hales beckoned; and Don José Roderigo Velazquez de Sola pressed through and came near Hales as the crowd gave way, regarding the young Spaniard, who held himself so aloof and almost insolently, with curiosity.
Hales, glancing toward Don José's revolver, said:
"You've reached the city as soon as I did. Thought you weren't coming. Why didn't you come with me?—Indians stole my horse—that one you gave me. I had to track them on foot. Lost a week. Lost all count of days." ”

“ When Señora Carrillo came from the house and into the shade of a fig tree, she fretfully unfolded her troubles to Hales, and called José as many bad names as a Spanish lady may use. The language conveniently places many at the disposal of respectable women.
Hales sympathized with the pretty Lucita's woe, and ventured to point out that José was a handsome youth, and a remarkably fine shot with a revolver.
"Ah, but, señor, though ugly men are always bad husbands, the handsome are not always good!" ”

“ She was middle-aged, with high cheek bones, and dark eyes that looked as if instantly ready to flash with anger.
Dawes, who had never seen her before, regarded her with an impersonal gaze.
"What you want?" she asked. Her voice had an odd huskiness, not hoarse, not harsh, even smooth, but nearly guttural.
She spoke English clearly enough, but as if reluctantly.
"I desire," said Dawes, inflexibly formal, "to speak with Mr. Cronin."
Cronin was the new house-manager of the Magnolia. He had been in San Francisco, in the employ of the French Gambling Syndicate, for some time. ”

“ He stared toward the shadows where the Basque woman squatted and mumbled to herself in a low-voiced chant.
"The gambler. From the first glance she took a dislike to him."
Mr. Tesla laughed, but said:
"Nothing good comes from any one that Kredra dislikes—and you see what Dawes did. Sometimes I feel that she really thinks she is a prophetess."
"Oh, she is quite sure of it, " said Ilona.
Mr. Tesla went out.
As soon as he was gone, Kredra raised her voice, continuing the chant, calling down misfortune upon some one.
"Kredra! Kredra!" ”

“ Hales told him, speaking in English.
"Pardon, señor, eet is not to be sold."
"I don't blame you," said Hales, who was wholly ungifted in the art of barter. "It's one of the best guns ever made. Shoots like a rifle and handles like a glove."
"Si, señor. Eet does."
"We'll put up a target. The man that makes the best score takes both guns."
Don José smiled faintly and shook his head:
"Perhaps you do shoot the better than I shoot, señor. ”

“ No. One eet is enough."
"I don't need it either, but I want it. They are mates. Like two lovers. Sell me that gun, Don José—won't you?"
"What has money to do with love, señor?"
"A horse race sometimes has a good deal to do with it."
Don José gave him a surprised look, then his smile broadened:
"Si, señor. Eet was I who rode against Don Miguel's Zapateodor."
"And you will never be forgiven."
"I have the fear, not."
Stewart Dawes, after patiently shuffling and reshuffling as he listened, put out the cards to be cut.
"Don José," said Hales, "I'll deal you monte. My gun against yours." ”

“ The spectators, more tense than those who played, announced the result as Stewart Dawes said coolly:
"The bank has lost."
"I'll play it all", said Hales.
At that every eye turned expectantly toward her. There had never been in San Francisco such a wager as this offered. Ilona, not quite daring to accept so tremendous a wager, was too irritated to refuse. She hesitated.
Kredra spoke to her rapidly, and Ilona, startled, glanced up just as Mr. Tesla agitatedly pushed his way through the crowd, followed by two men who had entered the Magnolia with him.
Mr. Tesla reached the table as she stood up. ”

“ In the afternoons, when the wind came up flinging dust and sand, dishes and tables were covered with dust.
Burton squeezed in on a bench, Martin wriggled in beside him.
"Three hen-nuggets, hard, coffee an' a hunk o' bear meat!" said Burton to a middle-aged, slightly flustered waiter.
"Same f'r me!" Martin shouted, only vaguely aware of what he was ordering.
Men all about poured scalding coffee, sweetened with Mexican sugar or blackstrap molasses, down their throats, and crammed big pieces of meat, seared and burned outside, raw within, into their mouths, and talked. All had their hats on. ”

“ Tesla was pleasant, as if there was something else to be talked of, friendly.
"You don't? Why?"
"I made it a rule many years ago."
"Everything else in life being a gamble," said Hales with a steady look, "I don't see why not risk monte."
"Few men have such luck as yours, Mr. Hales."
"They are welcome to it—if they will take it all."
"By the way, Mr.Hales, " said Tesla in a conciliating tone "you haven 't any deep-rooted feeling against Col. Nevinson, have you?" ”

“ Men who had not been in bed at all walked along aimlessly, usually a little drunkenly, with money gone, strength gone, hope gone. Hundreds of miners, overheated by the hot sun and feverish work, chilled by the icy water and frosty nights of the mountains, sickened by rough food and rougher liquor, had crept back down from the diggings. There were many suicides every day, as if the crushed weaklings took themselves out of the way to make room for more boisterous and daring men. ”

“ When Señora Carrillo was not looking, he passed a note to an Indian woman, who concealed it with the deftness and impassivity of one accustomed to bearing surreptitious letters.
José de Sola regarded Hales with a trace of suspicion. It was easy for young girls to have their heads turned by strangers.
"Señor," said Hales, "I need a horse. I've only a cripple to offer, now; but I am Hales of the Venegos Rancho and will pay later." ”

“ Tesla with firmness, "under the circumstances I am compelled to consider the loss as personal."
"Twenty thousand dollars is the devil of a lot of money. Tesla. But see here, Tesla, don't be in a hurry to pay it. If this is the Hales I think he is, by——, sir, you won't have to pay him—not unless you want to pay his heirs!"
"Colonel Nevinson!" protested Mr.Tesla.
"Yes, sir, —— his soul! I have reason to believe that he has something against me. You saw this morning how he tried to force the quarrel. You saw, Tesla? And that greaser—they were waiting for me. ”

“ Sam knew that usually it was better for him to make up stories than to come back with an empty mouth, so he returned with an exaggerated report of the winnings that Hales up to that hour had made, and also the report regarding Washington Hall.
Elvira dressed with care, choosing black silk from thoat to ankles—an artifice of dress that her clever mother had devised; and Tota got more slaps than usual for alleged awkwardness. The mistress, always particular, was this morning in an exacting mood. ”

“ Ilona felt like throwing the cards into his face. What angered her mostly was that he took her for a woman gambler, a housewoman. She furiously resented the stupidity of men who could not instantly tell one kind of woman from another.
"I sy," Martin shouted at Hales. ”

“ Some one asked:
"What kind of a fellow is he?"
"Say, he'd fight anything, that feller. Hales? Say, he'd fight a rattlesnake an ' give it first bite!"
"Ain't he the fellow that bought out the Washington Hall last night?"
"If that ain't just like it!" cried the waspish man in disgust. "One o' the best scouts in the Army, next to Dave Crockett and old Kit himself. An' he could go right where Dave 'r Kit 'r nobody else could go. He growed up mostly down somewheres in Californy. Can look like a greaser till he'd fool a Mexican's own mother. I was in the Rangers myself." ”

“ Tesla could feel his flesh creep.
"And don't ever interfere again as you did this morning, Tesla. When a gentleman has a quarrel forced on him, keep back, keep well back!"
"Colonel Nevinson, I deplore the violence between gentlemen in this city. I would——"
"Call a greaser a gentleman! And this Hales, too, sir, is a greaser! That hat! His face—at least half greaser. I know how to teach those fellows. I've taught one right. They overrun this country. We Americans must keep a high hand against them. ”

“ Hales, I dislike to accept the return of this. The wager was made, you won. It is really very unusual. A large sum, too. Few men would feel about it as you do."
Hales, rolling a cigaret, glanced up sharply, then with slight shake of head:
"You're wrong, I know lots of men that would."
Holding the cigaret between his fingers, he touched his sombrero with the suggestion of a military salute, turned and went down the stairs.
Mr. Tesla looked after him, then, with a nearly mystified expression, looked down at the torn paper in his hand. He pushed the door closed and went to Ilona. ”

“ Don José tried the revolver, and shot with surprising accuracy and quickness, though the Californians were rarely skillful with firearms. They cared little for hunting, and in personal encounters used knives chiefly, or from horseback the riatas.
"Señor, for this gun I will give you a horse. In one hour I shall return."
Don José rode off.
While he waited, Hales could hear from within the house Señora Carrillo scolding the youthful Lucita. The señora used harsh words against the young man, and Lucita protested tearfully.
"He comes because your father is not here!" ”

“ Shameful," said Mr. Tesla. "I too know something of Spaniards. At one time I lived in Spain."
"I hadn't been in this city ten minutes before a fellow struck me with a whip, thinking I was a Spaniard. Why, if I had been a greaser, as he called me, I'd have killed him—then and there. I don't understand what Americans are thinking about."
Mr. Tesla went toward the balcony. When he had mounted the steps and disappeared, Stewart Dawes replaced his glass on the bar, flicked a speck or two from his dark sleeve, and, with a leisurely air, started across the room toward Hales. ”

“ If I may have the honor, I myself—this very afternoon, sir—will accompany you and your daughter to Cowden's ranch and see that everything is arranged for her comfort. That, sir, is settled. And as to the other matter—no, Tesla. I won't go on your note. But I'll give you a check for the amount. Just come with me. But if that's the Hales—well, sir, I'll probably have trouble with him shortly."
Col. Nevinson aggressively went to the bar, drew a pad of checks, called for pen, ink and sand, withdrew his arm from the sling and wrote: Pay to the order of Franz Tesla $20, 000. ”

“ A Mexican off'cer on the purtiest hoss I ever seen an' he shore could ride, too, that feller. He come out under a white flag, with sword, gun an' lance—them greaser lances was shore bad medicine. He dares ary gringo to come out an' fight him a duel. There was hundreds of us yellin' at our off'cers to get picked to go out an' fight 'im. An' some of the off'cers was yellin'to their s'perior off'cers too. But Dick Hales he don't ask anybody. He just saddles up an' goes streakin' out for Mr. Mex!
"Hales can ride with anybody, he can. ”

“ It was long before the miners realized that these shopkeepers robbed them, brazenly.
Near Burton the talk was of a man who since about four o'clock that morning had been bucking Stewart Dawes' bank, hitting it hard.
A lean, thin, waspish looking sun-burned man across the table was saying—
"I got money, an' here it is, that he breaks that gambler's bank. Any you fellers want it?"
Men were too busily eating to take the time to bet with him.
"Who is he?" asked Burton, lifting a peeled egg.
"Him?" said the waspish man. "He's Dick Hales. ”