Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-20
NUMBER AZ.

The game went OH quietly for an
hour with about equal success to Har-
old and the Celestials. Then came q
big jack pot. which passed around un.
til heap of gold and grcenbacks were
piled up in the center Of the table.
Hardly had the pot been opencd when
Harold and the youth from down the
coast were raised out, leaving the
miner, who had opened, to fight 1t out
with the two Cinnamon. Presently
one Of them dropped out and 1t was
duel. After the draw Harold, who had
been watching the Chinamen closely.
quietly leaned forward until his gaze
commanded the edge Of the table near
est the Celestial who was playing
against the miner.
The five bits Of pasteboard lying face
downward on the table were partially
hidden by the baggy sleeves OF the
flowing oriental jacket. One Of the
Chinaman's hands lay innocently In
plain view across the top Of the cards,
but the other, which was apparently
hanging by its owners side. Harold
could see was slow.y creeping toward
the edge of the Ia .le, and between two
of the yellow fingers was all ace Of
spades.
For few seconds the hand that held
the card scarcely stirred; then, as the
miner dropped his eyes. the ace OF
spades moved stealth!ly upward to-
ward the five cards. Harold r"ac'"d
suddenly across the table and seiz d
the wrist of the hand that held tie
hidden card. The Chlnaman struggled
to free himself, but the American VS.
the stronger and, with sharp twist,
dashed the hand upon the table and
the ace Of spades fell face upward
across the pile Of money heaped upon
the green baize. The next instant
something glistencd in the miners
right hand. A sharp report, puff OF
white smoke, and the Chinaman fell
forward across his cards, tiny stream
of blood trickling from the center OF
his forehead. Then, before the crowd
could recover from its astonishment,
the miner swept the proceeds Of the
Jack pot into his pocket and, reaching
over, turned the dead mans poker
hand face upward. He had held the
two, three, four and five Of spades, but
the fifth card was the nine Of hearts.
"Crooked way to fill straight
f1ush," said the miner grimly.
When the excitement was over and
the dead Chinaman had been carried
away by his friends, Pete Williams in
vited Harold into his private room to
have a drink.
"See here, young fellow said he,
laying his hand on Harold's shoulder,
you're plucky one an no mistake,
but you'd best get up an dust quick'n
lightnin'. That dirty, thievin' Chink
was the head Of gang, an they don't
never forgive nothin' of that kind. Got
your gun handy?
EYES," said Harold. 81 won't go
about with my eyes shut"
Before Harold had covered half the
distance to his hotel he realized that lie
was being followed. There were no
lights in the forbidding huts and shan
ties that lined the roadway. No police
man was In sight nor Il single human
being to whom he might turn for as
sistance in case he found that he could
not single handed cope with the enemy
who were closing upon him In the dark
ness.
The blow came from an unexpected
quarter. He had stopped in the middle
of the road thinking to better locate
the whereabouts Of his pursuers when
his legs were suddenly seized by an In
visible foe who had been crOuching In
the pathway, and he was thrown vio-
lently upon his back before he could
make move to defend himself. A gag
was thrust between his teeth, his legs
and arms were secured in twinkling,
and he was lifted from the ground 10
one Of the dimly lighted huts Will
stood several hundred yards away from
the highway.
The door Of the hut was opened from
the inside, chorus Of eXclamatoEs
was uttered in a strange tongue, and,
turning his head, he saw that he WAS
surrounded by group Of dozen or
more of the most evil looking China
men that It had eser been his III for.
tune to meet. But what sent the cold
chills creeping down his spine was the
spectacle at the end Of the dimly light
ed room. Stretched on rude bier,
formed from board laid across two
barrels, was the body Of the leader
who had been killed In the gambling
den, and at his feet was an iron brazier
filled with burning Goals.
His captors did not give Harold much
time to wonder what his fate would be.
He saw a pair Of pointed Iron rods
thrust among the sullen embers which
were famed into new life by one OF
his captors until the points Of the I'M
plements of torture became dull red
under the steady glow and he realized
that they first intended to burn out
his eyes. The agony Of the thought
numbed his brain, and no sound escap-
ed him when one Of them knelt beside
him and thrust his long, bOny, yellow
hand into the pockets Of his clothes
Then he became conscious that some
thing unusual had occurred. Thers
was a murmur Of surprise, followed by
cultural exclamations. Opening MS
eyes, he saw that the man had arisen
and was examining something that liz
held In his outstretched palm.
That an unusual occurrence hsA
moved his captors to an inexpl!cabla
state of excitement Harold could sec
The Cinnamon had gathered silently
the dull red glow from the blazing
Goals playing in fantastic shadows
across their weird figures and evb
faces. In their eyes he saw look oi
reverential awe. Then Of an instant
the mystery Of their actions was made
clear to him, flame leaped from the