were swept into the arms and then the canvas bag of the
winner. If it was not enough to ruin the miners it was at least enough
to clean them out of ready cash and discontinue the game on that basis.
They rose; they went to the bar for a drink; but while the winner led
the way, two of the losers dropped back a trifle and fell into earnest
conversation, frowning. Donnegan knew perfectly what the trouble was.
They had noticed that slight faltering in the deal; they were putting
their mental notes on the game together.

But the winner, apparently unconscious of suspicion, lined up his
victims at the bar. The first drink went hastily down; the second was on
the way--it was standing on the bar. And here he excused himself; he
broke off in the very middle of a story, and telling them that he would
be back any moment, stepped into a crowd of newcomers.

The moment he disappeared, Donnegan saw the other four put their heads
close together, and saw a sudden darkening of faces; but as for the
genial winner, he had no sooner passed to the other side of the crowd
and out of view, than he turned directly toward the door. His careless
saunter was exchanged for a brisk walk; and Donnegan, without making
himself conspicuous, was hard pressed to follow that pace.

At the door he found that the gambler, with his canvas sack under his
arm, had turned to the right toward the line of saddle horses which
stood in the shadow; and no sooner did he reach the gloom at the side of
the building than he broke into a soft, swift run. He darted down the
line of horses until he came to one which was already mounted. This
Donnegan saw as he followed somewhat more leisurely and closer to the
horses to avoid observance. He made out that the man already on
horseback was a big Negro and that he had turned his own mount and a
neighboring horse out from the rest of the horses, so that they were
both pointing down the street of The Corner. Donnegan saw the Negro
throw the lines of his lead horse into the air. In exchange he caught
the sack which the runner tossed to him, and then the gambler leaped
into his saddle.

It was a simple but effective plan. Suppose he were caught in the midst
of a cheat; his play would be to break away to the outside of the
building, shooting out the lights, if possible--trusting to the
confusion to help him--and there he would find his horse held ready for
him at a time when a second might be priceless. On this occasion no
doub