dealt the third card. Longstreet waited
breathlessly.

This time there came to him another king, the king of spades, and his
little exclamation of genuine delight was a pretty thing to hear. But
the next second a look of frowning incredulity overspread his features;
the king of hearts fell to Chavez and the king of diamonds to Mendoza.
Barbee gave himself an ace. But it was not the ace that interested
Longstreet; his newly-born theory of chances was a trifle upset. That
three kings, when there were only three left in the deck, should come
one on the heels of another was a matter for reflection. But evidently
there was no time granted for readjustment of preconceived ideas.

'Longstreet's the only man with a pair in sight,' said Barbee. 'It's
your bet again, Longstreet.'

Longstreet hurriedly bet a dollar. Chavez, with a king and ten in
view, raised the bet four dollars. Mendoza withdrew his hand and his
attention and began rolling a cigarette, never once taking his eyes
from Longstreet's eager face. Barbee tossed in his five dollars, and
Longstreet was brought to realize that if he wished to remain in the
game it was in order for him to add another four dollars to his bet.
He did so without a moment's hesitation. And again he began his search
of the deathless underlying mathematical law of the game of stud poker.

Meanwhile Barbee dealt the fourth card. When the fates had it that a
second ace fell to Longstreet's lot they should have been amply repaid
by the glowing smile that widened his good-humoured mouth. He now had,
and he realized to the full his strategic position in that no one else
could have his secret knowledge, a pair of kings _and_ a pair of aces.
The two biggest pairs in the deck! He looked with renewed interest at
the other cards. Chavez now had two tens exposed; before Barbee lay no
pair at all, just a jack, an ace and a five. There was but one more
card to be dealt. He could therefore count Barbee out of the running.
It remained to him and Chavez, and Chavez had only a pair of tens in
sight.

'Your bet again, Longstreet,' Barbee reminded him. He started and bet
his dollar. Chavez repeated his earlier performance and raised the bet
four dollars. Barbee tossed away his cards; Longstreet noted the act
triumphantly, and nodded in the manner of a father approving the wise
act of a young untried son.

'What you do, _senor_?' asked the Mexican. Longstreet withdrew his
eyes from Barb