n triumph. "Eet ees to me!" He threw down his
cards and reached for the pile.

"Excuse me," said the lieutenant, quietly looking at Rouleau's cards.
"Ah, a straight flush, queen high." Coolly he laid his cards on the
table. "Thought you might have had the ace," he said, languidly, leaning
back in his chair. He, too, held a straight flush, but with the king.

Rouleau gazed thunderstruck.

"Mort Dieu!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "The deal was from you."

"Mine," said De Lacy, quietly, looking up at the excited Frenchman.

"Ah," cried Rouleau, beside himself. "It is--what you call? One cheat!
cheat!"

The lieutenant sat up straight in his chair.

"Do you mean that I cheated you?" he said, with slow emphasis. "Beware
what you say."

"Oui!" cried the Frenchman; "sacr-r-re--so I mean!"

Before the words had well left his lips, and before any one could
interfere De Lacy shot out his arm, lifted the Frenchman clear off his
feet, and hurled him to the floor.

"Stop! you coward!" Ranald stood before the lieutenant with eyes blazing
and breath coming quick.

"Coward?" said De Lacy, slowly.

"You hit a man unprepared."

"You are prepared, I suppose," replied De Lacy, deliberately.

"Yes! Yes!" cried Ranald, eagerly, the glad light of battle coming into
his eyes.

"Good," said De Lacy, slowly putting back his chair, and proceeding to
remove his coat.

"Glengarry!" cried LeNoir, raising the battle cry he had cause to
remember so well; and flinging off his coat upon the floor, he patted
Ranald on the back, yelling, "Go in, bully boy!"

"Shut the door, LeNoir," said Ranald, quickly, "and keep it shut."

"De Lacy," cried Harry, "this must not go on! Ranald, think what you are
doing!"

"You didn't notice his remark, apparently, St. Clair," said the
lieutenant, calmly.

"Never mind," cried Harry, "he was excited, and anyway the thing must
end here."

"There is only one way. Does he retract?" said De Lacy, quietly.

"Ranald," Harry cried, beseechingly, "you know he is no coward; you did
not mean that."

By this time Ranald had himself in hand.

"No," he said, regretfully, forcing himself to speak the truth. "I know
he is no coward; I have seen him where no coward would be, but," he
added, "he struck a man unguarded, and that was a coward's blow."

"Macdonald," said De Lacy deliberately, "you are right. True, he called
me a cheat, but I should have given him time. Still," he added, rolling
up his sleeves, "I