ift of the speech, but he could respect a
confidence, and laughed a little. "It's not often I have done any one
a good turn, and the novelty has its attractions."

Dane did not appear contented with this explanation, but he asked
nothing further, and the two sat watching the men about the table, who
were evidently growing eager.

"That's two hundred the kid has let go," said somebody.

There was a murmur of excited voices, and one rose hoarse and a trifle
shaky in the consonants above the rest.

"Show you how a gentleman can stand up, boys. Throw them out again.
Two hundred this time on the game!"

There was silence and the rustle of shuffled cards; then once more the
voices went up. "Against him! Better let up before he takes your
farm. Oh, let him face it and show his grit--the man who slings around
his hundreds can afford to lose!"

The lad's face showed a trifle paler through the drifting smoke, though
a good many of the cigars had gone out now, and once more there was the
stillness of expectancy through which a strained voice rose.

"Going to get it all back. I'll stake you four hundred!"

Winston rose and moved forward quietly, with Dane behind him, and then
stood still where he could see the table. He had also very observant
eyes, and was free from the excitement of those who had a risk on the
game. Still, when the cards were dealt, it was the gambler's face he
watched. For a brief space nobody moved, and then the lad flung down
his cards and stood up with a grayness in his cheeks and his hands
shaking.

"You've got all my money now," he said. "But I'll play you doubles if
you'll take my paper."

The gambler nodded and flung down a big pile of bills. "I guess I'll
trust you. Mine are here."

The bystanders waited motionless, and none of them made a bet, for any
stakes they could offer would be trifles now; but they glanced at the
lad, who stood tensely still, while Winston watched the face of the man
at the table in front of him. For a moment he saw a flicker of triumph
in his eyes, and that decided him. Again, one by one, the cards went
down, and then while everybody waited in strained expectancy the lad
seemed to grow limp suddenly and groaned.

"You can let up," he said hoarsely. "I've gone down!"

Then a hard brown hand was laid upon the table, and while the rest
stared in astonishment, a voice which had a little stern ring in it
said, "Turn the whole pack up, and hand over the