impassivity of expression as an
ordinary game would. After all, the pot opened, it merely became a
question of who held the best hand. There would be no betting. John's
eyes lighted up as he glanced at the index numerals. He held two
"Jacks."

"Can you?" Lablache's husky voice rasped in the stillness.

"Yes."

The dealer eyed his opponent for a second. His face was that of a graven
image.

"How many?"

"Three."

The money-lender passed three cards across the table. Then he discarded
two cards from his own hand and drew two more.

"What have you got?" he asked, with a grim pursing of his sagging lips.

"Two pairs. Jacks up."

Lablache laid his own cards on the table, spreading them out face
upwards for the rancher to see. He held three "twos."

"One to you," said John Allandale; and he went and chalked the score
upon the wall.

There was something very business-like about these two men when they
played cards. And possibly it was only natural. The quiet way in which
they played implied the deadly earnestness of their game. Their
surroundings, too, were impressive when associated with the secrecy of
their doings.

Each man meant to win, and in both were all the baser passions fully
aroused. Neither would spare the other, each would do his utmost.
Lablache was sure. John was consumed with a deadly nervousness. But John
Allandale at cards was the soul of honor. Lablache was confident in his
superior manipulation--not play--of cards. He knew that, bar accidents,
he must win. The mystery of being able to deal himself "three of a kind"
and even better was no mystery to him. He preferred his usual
method--the method of "reflection," as he called it; but in the game he
was now playing such a method would be useless for obvious reasons.
First of all, knowing his opponent's cards would only be of advantage
where betting was to ensue. Now he needed the clumsier, if more sure,
method of dealing himself a hand. And he did not hesitate to adopt it.

"Poker" John dealt The pot was not opened. Lablache again dealt. Still
the hand passed without the pot being opened. The next time John dealt
Lablache opened the pot and was promptly beaten. He drew to two queens
and missed. John drew to a pair of sevens and got a third. The game was
one all. After this Lablache won three pots in succession and the game
stood four--one, in favor of the money-lender.

The old rancher's face more than indicated the state of the game. His