I guess. Did you ever see such a plumb dam-fool break in your
whole life?" he said, appealingly, to the crowd.

"I guess," said Steve sagely, pushing the eight-spot in with his other
cards--"I guess if you'd separated from a thousand big round dollars
to draw a card and then got it turned over, _you_ wouldn't have cared
a whoop if your left eye was out, either. It _is_ warm, ain't it?" He
sat down with a sigh of relief.

The Stockman bunched his cards idly and tapped the table with them.
The Judge was casually examining the chandelier with interest and
approval. Presently, he looked down and around.

"Oh, thunder! What are you waiting for, Thompson? I pass, of course!"
he said testily.

Steve shoved in his pile. "As I mentioned a while ago, you're not
obliged to call this," he said demurely. "Just suit yourselves."

One card at a time, with thumb and forefinger, the Eminent Person
turned over his hand with careful adjustment and alignment. After much
delay, he symmetrically arranged an Ace-full, face up, and regarded it
with profound attention.

"That was a right good-looking hand, too--before the draw," he
remarked at last, sweeping them into the discard.

"Ye-es," assented the Stockman, mildly dubious. "It might have taken
second money--maybe." He tossed in four deuces.

The Transient spread out a club flush. "Do you know?" he said
confidentially--"do you know, I was actually glad to see that hand
when I first picked it up?"

"Won't you fellows _never_ learn to play poker?" said the Judge
severely. "Why don't you stay out till you get something?" He laid his
hand down. "Four tens and most five! The Curse of Scotland and Forty
Miles of Railroad! _For_-ty miles, before the draw--and gone into the
hands of a deceiver!"

"Oh!" Leaning over, Steve touched the ten of spades lightly. "So
_that's_ why I couldn't fill my hand!" he remarked innocently.

"Get out!" snorted the Judge. "No use throwing good money after bad. I
wouldn't call you, not if I had five tens!"

He slammed in his hand. The Eminent Person thoughtfully took out the
hundred he had saved. "Some one press the button, and I'll do the
rest," said Steve. He removed the side-money, placidly ignoring the
"pot" of some fifteen hundred dollars, for which the Transient, having
his money all in, was entitled to a showdown.

The Transient's jaw dropped in unaffected amazement. Dealer and
Stockman drummed their fingers on the table unconcernedly. And the