t it and then held it
in his palm as though to judge its weight. His expert opinion was, "It's
gold, Okie," and was uttered without a shred of modesty.

"Are you sure?"

The old-timer was highly insulted. "Am I sure!! Why you lop-eared,
sun-stroked jackass, of course I'm sure!!! Nugget McDermott is drawed to
gold like nails to a magnet! Why when this here town was nothin' but a
patch of cactus--"

"All right, all right," Okie waved him off, "don't get your gander up!
Go on back to the blackjack table and tell Sam to give you a drink on
the house."

"Much obliged, Okie, much obliged," said Nugget, doffing his hat and
trotting back to the blackjack table.

The barkeep's face was pure sunshine when he turned to the aliens again.
"Gentlemen, with this kind of a substitute you don't need money in my
place. Drink up!"

"Thank you ex-ceed-ing-ly," said Sartan.

Okie arbitrarily judged the gold piece to be worth ten dollars. "The
management invites you to try your luck, gentlemen. Go on give it a
whirl."

Toryl and Sartan wore blank expressions as Okie slapped seven dollars
and fifty cents change on the bar--four silver dollars, four
half-dollars and six quarters.

"Don't be bashful, gentlemen. Okie's machines are friendly to one and
all," said the barkeep.

* * * * *

Toryl removed the change and gave his companion two silver dollars, two
half-dollars and three quarters.

"_What is the purpose of the machines?_" thought Sartan as they
approached the one-armed bandits.

"_I suppose that is what the one called Okie wishes us to learn._"

"_Perhaps it is some type of registration machine._"

"_It is doubtful. The gentleman you disturbed has been at the same
machine since we arrived._"

Sartan gripped the handle of a vacant machine. "_Do you think it might
be a kind of intelligence test?_"

In lieu of an answer Toryl focused his attention on a small card, above
the machine, which gave the winning combinations.

"_There is that term again._"

"_What term?_"

"_Gambling._" Toryl pointed to a line on the card warning minors not to
gamble. A look of perplexity fell upon his face. "_I am no longer sure
the term has anything to do with fraternizing_," he observed mentally.

"_Let us find out._"

Sartan placed a quarter in the coin slot. The three little wheels went
spinning. Cherry. Lemon. Lemon.

Nothing.

Toryl and Sartan looked at each other, their faces blanker than ev