n. You have only to watch the queen, one card. I have to watch three
cards. You have your two eyes, I have my two hands. You spot the card only
when you think you can. I meet all comers. It is an even gamble."

Jim remarked us as we joined.

"How you comin' now?" he greeted of me.

"We won a dollar," My Lady responded.

"Not I. She did the choosing," I corrected.

"But you would have chosen the same card, you said," she prompted. "You
saw how easy it was."

"Easy if you know how," Jim asserted. "Think to stake a leetle here? I've
been keepin' cases and luck's breaking ag'in the bank to-night, by gosh.
Made several turns, myself, already."

"We'll wait a minute till we get his system," she answered.

"Are you watching, ladies and gentlemen?" bade the dealer, in that even
tone. "You see the eight of clubs, the eight of spades, the queen of
hearts. The queen is your card. My hand against your eyes, then. You are
set? There you are. Pick the queen, some one of you. Put your money on the
queen of hearts. You can turn the card yourself. What? Nobody? Don't be
pikers. Let us have a little sport. Stake a dollar. Why, you'd toss a
dollar down your throat--you'd lay a dollar on a cockroach race--you'd bet
that much on a yellow dog if you owned him, just to show your spirit. And
here I'm offering you a straight proposition."

With a muttered "I'll go you another turn, Mister," Jim stepped closer and
planked down a dollar. The dealer cast a look up at him as with pleased
surprise.

"You, sir? Very good. You have spirit. Money talks. Here is my dollar.
Now, to prove to these other people what a good guesser you are, which is
the queen?"

"Here," Jim said confidently; and sure enough he faced up the queen of
hearts.

"The money's yours. You never earned a dollar quicker, I'll wager,
friend," the dealer acknowledged, imperturbable--for he evidently was one
who never evinced the least emotion, whether he won or lost. "Very good.
Now----"

From behind him a man--a newcomer to the spot, who looked like any
respectable Eastern merchant, being well dressed and grave of
face--touched him upon the shoulder. He turned ear; while he inclined
farther they whispered together, and I witnessed an arm steal swiftly
forward at my side, and a thumb and finger slightly bend up the extreme
corner of the queen. The hand and arm vanished; when the dealer fronted us
again the queen was apparently just as before. Only we who had seen would