in suspense Diamond, I know why you are here.”
Big Jim leaned forward. “I am prepared to offer you a handsome sum for the Gilded Bird. Name your price.”
“The mine is not for sale, Diamond, and even if she were, you would be the last person on earth and in hell that I would sell her to.”
Big Jim’s face flushed red. He slammed his hand down on the table. “Remember Winter, I made you a fair offer for that mine. I want that mine, and I will get it.”
Devlin said nothing.
Big Jim spluttered.
“Do you have any idea who I am? That mine and what’s in it belongs to me and there is no one that will stand in my way leastways a tinhorn gambler.”
Devlin sneered. “Do you know what lies at the bottom of that mine? Or are you just an ignorant pawn in this Devil’s game? I wonder. If you dare to make good on your threats I am sure you know where to find me..”
Big Jim rose ponderously from his chair and pointed his cigar at Devlin.
“You will regret those words, Winter,” he said. Devlin watched Big Jim back away into the crowd. He had wanted to confront the man; to look into his soul and see if a demon crouched in there. Big Jim had confirmed his suspicions.
The beast had chosen well , he thought, because it looked as if Diamond was a willing vessel in which evil water sought it’s own level.
Later that night in the back room of the Delta Saloon, Big Jim Diamond sat at a front row table and waited for the match to begin. He nearly choked on his fury at being dismissed like a coolee. He felt like smashing everything in sight but most of all, the gambler. He guzzled champagne and oysters while trying to dampen his rage at Devlin Winter. Sore as a bear with a thorn in his paw his thick fingers pinched and prodded a buxom floozy who sat on his lap. At his table the sheriff of Virginia City and a mining superintendent, Robert Wells, of the Belcher Mine, sat down to join him.
“Howdy sheriff,” he said. “Do you have any information on that gambler I told you about? Devlin Winter?”
Sheriff Ahern shrugged. “Can’t say that I do. Nothing heinous if that’s what your aski’n.”
Big Jim squinted. “What do you have on him? A man like that must have a past.”
The sheriff shook his head. “Ain’t nothing specific. Some kind of ruckus in Red Bluff, California, but nobody is talkin’.”
“This is Virginia City Ahern, and may I remind you there’s elections coming up, I want you to find something on him, something that will make him disappear.”
The sheriff nodded, unfazed by Big Jim’s bluster and then got up from the table and left. Big Jim turned to the mining superintendent. “Well’s, your shaft runs parallel to the Gilded Bird, I want to tunnel into her but I’ll need to come through your mine to do it.” The superintendent looked uncomfortable. “I can make it worth your while.”
His answer was drowned out by the sound of hooting and hollering as the terrier and the bobcat were brought out. Men crowded around the pen. The terrier came out growling and snapping at the caged bobcat. Then the cage was sprung and the wild bobcat streaked out in a spinning ball of fur. In a flash the bobcat jumped out of the pen and into the crowd. It bounced off tables and walls before it was finally cornered on the top of the piano.
The next day Big Jim caught up with Laredo at his favorite watering hole, The Bucket of Blood. He went up to the bar and clamped a beefy hand on Laredo’s shoulder.
Laredo, in mid-gulp swallowed hard. “Boss?”
“Let’s get a table so we can talk in private.”
Laredo followed Big Jim to a corner table. They ordered whiskey, and when the girl had served their drinks, Big Jim lit a cigar and glared hard at Laredo.
“What in the hell am I paying you for? That gambler Winter is struttin’ all over town as free as you please. I want something done about him. I want him dead.”
At that moment, Devlin and Walking Ghost crept cautiously through
Big Jim leaned forward. “I am prepared to offer you a handsome sum for the Gilded Bird. Name your price.”
“The mine is not for sale, Diamond, and even if she were, you would be the last person on earth and in hell that I would sell her to.”
Big Jim’s face flushed red. He slammed his hand down on the table. “Remember Winter, I made you a fair offer for that mine. I want that mine, and I will get it.”
Devlin said nothing.
Big Jim spluttered.
“Do you have any idea who I am? That mine and what’s in it belongs to me and there is no one that will stand in my way leastways a tinhorn gambler.”
Devlin sneered. “Do you know what lies at the bottom of that mine? Or are you just an ignorant pawn in this Devil’s game? I wonder. If you dare to make good on your threats I am sure you know where to find me..”
Big Jim rose ponderously from his chair and pointed his cigar at Devlin.
“You will regret those words, Winter,” he said. Devlin watched Big Jim back away into the crowd. He had wanted to confront the man; to look into his soul and see if a demon crouched in there. Big Jim had confirmed his suspicions.
The beast had chosen well , he thought, because it looked as if Diamond was a willing vessel in which evil water sought it’s own level.
Later that night in the back room of the Delta Saloon, Big Jim Diamond sat at a front row table and waited for the match to begin. He nearly choked on his fury at being dismissed like a coolee. He felt like smashing everything in sight but most of all, the gambler. He guzzled champagne and oysters while trying to dampen his rage at Devlin Winter. Sore as a bear with a thorn in his paw his thick fingers pinched and prodded a buxom floozy who sat on his lap. At his table the sheriff of Virginia City and a mining superintendent, Robert Wells, of the Belcher Mine, sat down to join him.
“Howdy sheriff,” he said. “Do you have any information on that gambler I told you about? Devlin Winter?”
Sheriff Ahern shrugged. “Can’t say that I do. Nothing heinous if that’s what your aski’n.”
Big Jim squinted. “What do you have on him? A man like that must have a past.”
The sheriff shook his head. “Ain’t nothing specific. Some kind of ruckus in Red Bluff, California, but nobody is talkin’.”
“This is Virginia City Ahern, and may I remind you there’s elections coming up, I want you to find something on him, something that will make him disappear.”
The sheriff nodded, unfazed by Big Jim’s bluster and then got up from the table and left. Big Jim turned to the mining superintendent. “Well’s, your shaft runs parallel to the Gilded Bird, I want to tunnel into her but I’ll need to come through your mine to do it.” The superintendent looked uncomfortable. “I can make it worth your while.”
His answer was drowned out by the sound of hooting and hollering as the terrier and the bobcat were brought out. Men crowded around the pen. The terrier came out growling and snapping at the caged bobcat. Then the cage was sprung and the wild bobcat streaked out in a spinning ball of fur. In a flash the bobcat jumped out of the pen and into the crowd. It bounced off tables and walls before it was finally cornered on the top of the piano.
The next day Big Jim caught up with Laredo at his favorite watering hole, The Bucket of Blood. He went up to the bar and clamped a beefy hand on Laredo’s shoulder.
Laredo, in mid-gulp swallowed hard. “Boss?”
“Let’s get a table so we can talk in private.”
Laredo followed Big Jim to a corner table. They ordered whiskey, and when the girl had served their drinks, Big Jim lit a cigar and glared hard at Laredo.
“What in the hell am I paying you for? That gambler Winter is struttin’ all over town as free as you please. I want something done about him. I want him dead.”
At that moment, Devlin and Walking Ghost crept cautiously through
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