Hugh Pendexter

“ He was more than a thousand dollars ahead and drank to his luck. Now his heart was that of a full grown Numidian lion. All others in the room, except the laughing girl, were pygmies. He never felt so scornful of humanity in his life before.
His ambition expanded. Expense money and the winnings before him were nothing. The El Dorado looked to have much gold. Surely his gold-mine was here in stead of in the hills. And he found himself returning an empty goblet to the table without remembering having picked it up. At times the face of the laughing girl was a bit blurred. ”

“ After all, his paying for the privilege of talking with her a bit would not be gambling. And he fished a gold piece from his pocket and put it down without understanding the game in the least.
He was astounded to find he had won enough to keep him at an excellent hotel for two days. His New England bias, the reflection of teaching rather than the result of experience, began to fade. Surely the institution of gaming could not be wholly evil when it good-naturedly bestowed gold on him. Out of decency he would risk what he had won. ”

“ Men were running to their stores and offices to save precious papers.
Gilbert, running madly for his room near the wharves, was not noticed. All was confusion. Panting from fear rather than from exhaustion, Gilbert stood at his window and watched the ruddy splotch on the sky widen and brighten. He did not remember the bag he had brought along with him and had dropped on the bed until he tried to sleep. It contained three hundred dollars. It be longed to some one, perhaps to the management of the El Dorado. ”

“ On the second morning of May he awoke to discover a new Joseph Gilbert, one who loudly scoffed at the breakfast-in-bed habit. This new fellow bounded to the middle of the floor and made haste to get outside and discover the world. He was secretly dismayed on descending to the office to be presented with a bill at the rate of ten dollars a day, plus certain extras. Back home a dollar a day at the Commercial House would have entitled him to the best, although only a hopeless invalid would have been permitted to eat in bed. ”

“ The wild thought entered Gilbert's head to claim he lost his gold in the fire. This suggested the fiction Joaquin had robbed him of it in the El Dorado. But he knew he could not persevere in any deception. Some of the Gilberts might be fools, but it was an honest strain. However, it was the burning of the hotel Gilbert had quit that morning that afforded him a safe passage to his humble lodgings. A strong northeast wind was blowing, and only the improvements in fire protection saved the entire city from being consumed. ”

“ The girl continued: “It is the man who does not care for a bit of gold, or a bit of love, who always wins. Is it not? Sí.”
A rapid calculation told Gilbert he would soon have winnings sufficient to pay all expenses he had incurred in San Francisco. What was especially refreshing was the girl's joy at his success. Then came the insidious, ambitious thought to make the game pay all his expenses from New York. A turn of the card would do it. ”

“ There followed days of recuperation and soul-building; rather pleasant after he had been initiated, into the luxury of taking;some of his meals in bed, in Home folks would have been much scandalized could they have known of such unheard-of ways of living. Fortunately a continent stretched between the Rassette House and the Vermont village. Finally his voracious appetite told him he was well, and conscience rebuked him for not being about his business. ”

“ By not buying a theater-ticket he would save the difference between cabin and deck passage. He would stroll the streets for an hour, eat a light supper (for one must live) and go to bed.
He passed the gambling-halls on Commercial Street, and wondered that men could be so weak as to risk their money on games of chance. ”

“ Gilbert was now convinced the Mexican girl Maria was keeping close in her cabin if aboard. He believed she had provided weapons for the bandits. His recollections were very clear in spots, much as a man emerges occasionally from a heavy fog long enough to get his bearings. ”

“ Joaquin was smart to pick a night when no one would be wearing pistols.”
“If they could pass pistols through the window why didn't the robbers enter that way?” asked a Sacramento merchant. “Now I was there, and I figure it out this way. A woman carried the pistols in.”
“Damn me, pard! That sounds like book wisdom!" exclaimed the first speaker. “That's how it was played. The young feller who opened the winder got the pistols from the woman and had them ready for the robbers!”
Gilbert feared he would be recognized. He imagined men were casting curious glances at him ”

“ He could easily explain to the Coloma men he had run out of funds and had borrowed a trifle. He passed behind the curtains and got at his belt and extracted three twenty-dollar gold pieces. That would cover the debt to the girl. His fare to Sacramento and room rent for the night were paid. As he was replacing the belt he realized he must have something to live on and pay stage-coach fare, and he might as well borrow it from the belt now as later. Then temptation took him by the throat and demanded why he lacked courage to bet at least three times more in an effort to recover his losses. ”

“ The crowd at the bar hurried on deck and the young man drew his first free breath. The electric telegraph was being discussed, but had not yet connected San Francisco with the outside towns. In Roger's company Gilbert watched the sights of this, the beginning of the two-hundred-mile journey. Barring accident they would reach Sacramento in ten hours. ”

“ All boats will be watched.”
“They all say the greasers rode for it, but that the young feller never quit the town,” spoke up another. “He's the one they plan to pick up. Figure he planned the robbery, knowing the lay of the land. El Dorado people say that window is hid by hangings and ain't been open for a long time. No one with weapons got by the door. ”

“ The mountain man stared at the door-tender curiously, and his voice was low as he remarked:
“Son, when folks tell Old Misery he can't do a thing, that thing is the very thing he hankers to do. I come with a peace-pipe; but I can paint for war afore you can tell your true name. I'm looking for some one, a streak of scarlet. A tempest'ous young female hellion. Good gal, but she will sneak away from her old grandpap when he forgits hisself and fetches her a crack. ”

“ Sells bears and animals to the miners and the towns. Good Lawd! He's the one that shot and killed one of the band. They say the dead man is 'Scar-Faced' Luis, Joaquin's best shot.”
“Be back in a minute,” Gilbert told the proprietor, who was broiling his steak. ”