Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-04-21
GAMBLING
WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author Of The Gold Cleaners: A Story OF
the CYANIDE Tanks. 4" "Wilhys DAN
"His Friend the Enemy, Rogers
OF Butte" ETC., Etc.
Copyright, 1905. by william Wallace Cook)
CHAPTER |.

Darrell RIDES TO SANDY BAR.
When Nate Darrell went to Sandy
Bar he knew he took his life in his
hand. AIurgatroyd was there and
Murgatroyd had sworn to shoot him
on sight
The element of chance, however, en-
tered intimately into every act of Dar-
rel's career. 1t was guide, counselor
and friend for him and formed the
basis of his rule of conduct.
Never since he could remember had
he wavered between the Known and
the Unknown. Luck was the single
known factor in his equation and he
yielded himself blindly into the hands
of fate, always expecting good fortune
yet always prepared for the worst.
The feud between Murgatroyd and
himself was bitter and of long stand
ing; and Darrell while caring nothing
for bridges in front, was careful to
burn those behind An enemy in the
rear is a foe in ambush and ii was well
that this Murgatroyd affair should be
settled once for all.
Thus Darrell reasoned. After study
ing the aspect of his bright particular
star he took team and blackboard, one
fine morning, and travelled out of
Anaconda by the Blackfoot trail.
Anaconda knew little of the astute,
gentlemanly and well dressed young
man. He had been in town over night
and had essayed a game in the
"COlonels Own" causing a ripple of
excitement by showing a discard of
two aces and drawing a pair of knaves
that filled his hand and won him
the table stakes.
Its foolish to tempt fate in that
way said a veteran blackleg who
stood near watching the play.
I'VE make our own fate, my friend"
replied Darrell in the easy, well bred
way that was always his; cit is not
fate that makes or mars us. Be true
ulent and apprehensive and destiny
turns and rends you; lay hold of it
with your bare hands and you make
it your slave. Fortune crawls at the
feet of daring man but hates and
spurns a coward"
The habitues of the "Colonel's Own"
listened wonderingly. Such philosophy
was over the heads of most of them,
but the veteran blackleg was i'm
pressed.
Il have heard of but one man." said
he who invariably discards aces when
he gets pair That man is Nate Dar-
rel of San Francisco"
The veteran might have added that
the play was known as barrels dis
card" and that the man who had
originated it had quit college to fol-
low the cards and prove his startling
theories-a philosopher of the devils
picture books, courting ruin over the
green cloth that he might work out a
hypothesis of doubtful value.
Darrell had no intention of revealing
himself He was tarrying at Anaconda
enroute to Sandy Bar and when his
eccentric orbit crossed Murgatroyd's
he wished it to be sudden and un-
expected.
1t CHANGED, nevertheless, that Dar-
rel had overplayed his hand. That
night the veteran gambler dispatched
mounted man to Sandy Bar with
notice to his friend Murgatroyd that
Nate Darrell was in Anaconda and DOS
sibly would continue on to the mining
camp.
When Darrell drew in his team of
bronchos at the Half Way House,
the hour was high noon. The team
was given into the hands of the hos
tier and Darrell went into the house for
his dinner
This battling place was midway be-
tween Anaconda and Sandy Bar. East
and west trails also crossed at this
point leading to mining regions farther
back in the hills.
There was much travel along the
trails and it was common report that
the Half Way House was the biggest
gold mine in those parts. So it hap
pened that the dining room was com
fortably filled when the Chinese waiter
ushered Darrell to a vacant chair at
side table.
The newcoy2ar was eyed with sus-