ears pricked up
for the riot call.

The gambler pretended to deliberate, his cool, shifty eyes running over
the group before him. A small door immediately behind him swung slowly
ajar an inch or so.

"Got the money?" he asked.

"Have you?" countered Orde.

Apparently satisfied, the man nodded.

"I'll go you, bub, if I lose," said he. "Lay out your money."

Orde counted out nine fifty-dollar bills and five tens. Probably no one
in the group of men standing about had realised quite how much money
five hundred dollars meant until they saw it thus tallied out before
them.

"All right," said the gambler, taking up the cards.

"Hold on!" cried Orde. "Where's yours?"

"Oh, that's all right," the gambler reassured him. "I'm with the house.
I guess McNeill's credit is good," he laughed.

"That may all be," insisted Orde, "but I'm putting up my good money, and
I expect to see good money put up in return."

They wrangled over this point for some time, but Orde was obstinate.
Finally the gamblers yielded. A canvass of the drawer, helped out by the
bar and the other games, made up the sum. It bulked large on the table
beside Orde's higher denominations.

The interested audience now consisted of the dozen men comprised by
Orde's friends; nearly twice as many strangers, evidently rivermen;
eight hangers-on of the joint, probably fighters and "bouncers"; half a
dozen professional gamblers, and several waitresses. The four barkeepers
still held their positions. Of these, the rivermen were scattered
loosely back of Orde, although Orde's own friends had by now gathered
compactly enough at his shoulder. The mercenaries and gamblers had
divided, and flanked the table at either side. Newmark, a growing wonder
and disgust creeping into his usually unexpressive face, recognised
the strategic advantage of this arrangement. In case of difficulty,
a determined push would separate the rivermen from the gamblers long
enough for the latter to disappear quietly through the small door at the
back.

"Satisfied?" inquired the gambler briefly.

"Let her flicker," replied Orde with equal brevity.

A gasp of anticipation went up. Quite coolly the gambler made his
passes. With equal coolness and not the slightest hesitation, Orde
planted his great red fist on one of the cards.

"That is the jack," he announced, looking the gambler in the eye.

"Oh, is it?" sneered the dealer. "Well, turn it over and let's see."

"No!" roared Orde. "