greater intellectual training, and fully expected
something more than just an 'even break.' He concealed the faces of
his cards cannily and gave his scholarly brain entirely to a pleasant
task in mathematics.

Through many years of training he was familiar with abstruse problems;
hence it may be forgiven him, if, at first blush, this form of poker
appeared simplicity itself. He reasoned thus: There were fifty-two
cards in the full deck; there were exactly four, neither more nor less,
of each ace, deuce, trey and so forth until one got to the king; there
were, also, just four men drawing cards; each man, if he played his
hand out, could draw five cards. All of this was data; it seemed as
though he had _x_ and _y_ given and was merely to find _z_. His eye,
as the game began, registered zest.

He remembered former instructions: Each man's first card, dealt face
down, was to remain face down until the hand was played out; the owner
of that first card, and no other man, had the right to turn up the
corner and discover what it was. So when Barbee tossed his card to
him, Longstreet wasted no time in peeking at it. It was the ace of
clubs; not a better card in the deck! He lifted his face and beamed;
it was a good start. And this time the emotion registered in his frank
eye was that of a guileless old gentleman who has an ace in the hole.
There was no misreading that triumphant gleam.

Again the cards fell gently from Barbee's practised hand, each of the
four faces up this time. Longstreet's was a king; he nodded his
acceptance and approval. All of the time his brain was busied with his
developing theory of chances: there were four aces, four kings in the
deck, and he already had one of each. There were four players in all;
there were fifty-two cards; it was unlikely that in this hand another
king should turn up. And no other king did; he had the high card. He
smiled warmly.

'The high card bets,' drawled Barbee.

'Oh!' exclaimed Longstreet. 'Yes, to be sure. Let me see.'

His sparkling eye roved about the table. Barbee's exposed card was a
jack, one of the Mexicans had a ten and the other a four. Longstreet
felt both warmed with triumph and yet a little sorry for them. So he
did the kind thing by them and bet only a dollar. The two Mexicans
lifted their brows at him, looked to Barbee, and then with a splendid
show of nonchalance both came in. Barbee chinked his silver dollar
down upon the others and