Read Online The Call of the Wild: Klondike Cannibals, Vol. 2 by Herbert Ashe - Free Book Online Page A

closely. He knew that many—if not all—of the crowd were actually shills, and were in on the scam. The trick would be to extricate Annie and her aunt before they got in any deeper. He needed a distraction.
    Jack stepped forward. “How much does the lady owe?”
    “ No! Please,” Annie said to him. “You don’t have to do this.” There was an edge of desperation in her voice.
    “ Four hundred dollars,” Dr. Fiddler said to Jack, with the faint trace of a smile on his bluish lips.
    Jack grunted, a little shocked. But there was no backing down now. “I’m good for the money,” he said. “Let me stand in her place. Double or nothing.”
    The words were out of his mouth before he could fully think through the consequences. But Jack lived life on the fly, and liked it better that way.
    Dr. Fiddler laughed, looking at the crowd in disbelief. “Eight hundred dollars is a lot of money, son.”
    Jack opened his wallet and took out the cash that Joe had given him. He placed it on the table.
    T he crowd gasped with excitement. Here, at last, was some gambling worth watching!
    “She gets to keep the necklace,” Jack said. “And we go one more round.”
    “Ladies and Gentlemen!” Dr. Fiddler bellowed, twirling his cane gleefully, suddenly energized. “Can our young hero outwit Indian Jack? Let’s find out!” He signalled to Indian Jack, who held up a dried pea in between his fingers for everyone to see.
    Then Indian Jack put the pea down on the table, and placed the middle of the three clamshells upon it. Starting slowly, he began sliding the shells around on the table, leisurely at first, and then faster and faster, until the shells were a blur, shifting positions at incredible speed.
    It was mesmerizing to watch . Indian Jack’s hands slid the shells effortlessly around the table. Jack remembered what Scotty had said: He had a way about him, I’ll give him that.
    Annie and her aunt watched the shells whirl about, trying desperately to keep track of where the pea ended up.
    But Jack didn’t bother. He was too busy thinking. He knew that, now that he’d shown his money to the gang, they would try their best to separate him from it, regardless if he won or not. He glanced around, trying to locate a possible escape route. He noticed three young toughs at the back of the group watching him like hungry wolves, and knew they would be the ones to come for him, when the time came.
    Jack leaned over to Annie. “Get ready to run,” he whispered very carefully in her ear.
    S he looked torn. But she nodded, ever so slightly.
    Finally, In dian Jack slowed his movements, and then the shells slid to a stop.
    “ And so, young man,” Dr. Fiddler pointed theatrically at the table with his cane. “Where is the pea?”
    “T he middle one,” Annie’s aunt whispered.
    Jack ignored her, and leaned in, as if to take a closer look.
    “That’s an easy one, Doc—” he said, reaching out and scooping up his cash. “It ain’t on the table!”
    Before Dr. Fiddler could react, Jack kicked the table over, scattering all three shells onto the cobblestones.
    It was true. T here was no pea under any of them.
    Annie looked up at Jack, astonished.
    Indian Jack had been palming the pea, and placing it under whichever shell he chose. That way he could let an easy mark like Annie win the first few rounds, before suckering her into wagering some real money.
    Jack had hung around in saloons long enough to know that trick.
    For a split second no one moved.
    Jack was dismayed to see that Annie didn’t immediately turn and run. But there was no time to think now—
    He tucked his cash back in his pocket, then whirled around to face the three young wolves, who—as he’d suspected—were headed straight for him.
    He ducked under the first one’s swing, getting his weight low to the ground before springing upward, savagely striking the man in the chin with his shoulder, knocking him down. The second managed to grab Jack by the collar, which