The Coming of Cassidy-And the Others

ut of more than two months' pay and that it has taken him less than thirty minutes to get down to that mark, he cannot be censored much if he rails at that Will-o'-the-w

the middle and played the high card as well-but only when his bets were small did the turn show him what he wanted to see. Pe

him that he could regard as old and tried friends were the battered sombrero and the heavy, walnut-handled Colt's .45 which rubbed comfortably with each movement of his thigh. The weapon, to be sure, had a ready cash val

bonyfied Smart Aleck with a head full of spavined brains. I copper th' deuce an' th' deuce wins; I play th' King to win for ten dollars when I ought to copper it. I lay two-bits and it comes right-ten dollars an' I see my guess go loco. Reckon I

nglish walnut shells lay on the faded and soiled green cloth and a blackened, shriveled pea was still rolling from the shaking he had given the table. H

ly cried a man who hastened

y, trying to locate the cappers, but they were not to be seen, which worried him a little. He always liked to have possible danger where he could keep an

sition. Here it is, right before yore eyes! One little pea, three little shells, right here plumb in front of yore eyes! Th' little pea hides under one of th' little shells, right in plain sight: But can you tell which one?

t was. "Do I look like a kid? Do you reckon you have to coax like a fool to get me all primed up to show how re-markably smart an

more-I up an' says it at a funeral once; that is, part of it-th' first part. That's dead right! But I reckon I 'm wastin' my time-unless you happen to feel coltish an' hain't got nothin' to do for an age. I 've been playin' in hard lu

and quickly by his memory, shoved out that face before a crowd of others. Five years is not a long time to remember something unpleasant; he had reasons to remember that countenance. Knowing the face he also knew that the man had been, at one time, far from "square." The associations and means of livelihood durin

seen operate and when he had won again he stopped, as if to leave. "When I hit town a short time ago I didn't know I 'd be so lucky. I went an' drawed two months

eried the shell-man, wondering how

couple of drinks since I hit

Well, luck's with you today-you 've called it right twice. I 'll bet you a cool hundred that you can't call it th' third time.

e more of yore money," replied the punc

ther. "But I ain't got no small change, nothin' but te

ight or

ixteen even. Come on;

tringin' 'long like that

my hand in, won't you

plied the gambler, an

ore to practice-then every red," he repeated, shifting his feet nervously. "I 'll cle

e. An' I 'll fool you next time, too. Yo 're quicker 'n most men I 've run up agin, but I can beat y

slowness and getting angrier every moment. "Yo 're th' cussedest man I ever bet ag

e an' two simoleons; all I 've got, every

had to let this fool play again with the fire hurt his pride. He had no fear for his money-he knew he coul

earn it, at that. Thought you had money, thought you drew down two months' pa

drinks in this town, which I hit 'bout an hour ago. But I shore lost a wad playi

to have those two miserable dollars and break th

umbled the other. "Think I care 'bout two dollars?

t it on t

u put you

yes as he played with the shells. "Watch me close! Mebby it is, an' mebby it ain'

chin', all right. Thin

ay quiet, and the gambler gazed blankly

little pea ain't under no shell. Stop! Step back one pace an' elevate them paws. Don't make no more funny motions with that hand, savvy? But you can drop th' pea if it hurts them two fing

tally cursing his two missing cappers. They were drinking once too of

ght agin th' Johnson brothers, who gave you that scar. I thought then that you were a great man-now I know you ain't. I would n't 'a' played at all if I had n't knowed how crooked you was. Take yore layout an' yore crook

play at faro many small details came to him and now he found them interesting. The dealer was not a master at his trade and Hopalong had seen many better; in fact the man was not even second class, and this fact hurt his pride. He had played a careful game, and the great majority of his small bets had won-it was on

ionally wise; and even then a really good dealer will get away with his play nine times out of ten. While he seldom played a system, he had backed one that morning; but he was cured of that weakness now. If the game were square he figured he could get at least an even break; if crooked, noth

e articles in question and Hopalong, drawing some hurried lines, paid his b

his place, and opposite the dealer and the lookout. He was not surprised to find no other players in the room, for the hour was wrong; later

gave no sign of having observed it. After that he never looked up from the cards while his bets were small. Two deals did not alter his money much and he knew that so far the game was straight. If it were not to remain straight the crookedness would not come more than once in a deal if the frame

dollars. He broke even and then played heavier on the following deal. His first high bet, twenty dollars, was on the e

player, after studying his cue-card, placed fifty dollars on the Queen, open, and coppered the deuce, a case-card, and then put ten more on the high card. This came in the middle of the game and he was prepared for trouble as the turn was made, but fortune was kind to him and he raked in sixty dollar

osed noisily and a surprised and doubting voice exclaim

ly and back to the cards

you onct an' I wonde

some money if I go broke." The man who knew Mr. Cassidy silently faded, but did not stick

nd an anxious look came into his eyes as he realized that the deal must go on. It was far from reassuring to set out to cheat a man so well known for expert short-gun work as the Bar-20 puncher and he wished he could be relieved.

winnings, his coat sleeve at the same time brushing the cue-card off the table. But he had forgotten all about the tally sheet in his eagerness to win and played several more cards before he noticed it was missing and so

ew what he was doing, and he knew every card that had been drawn out of the box. So far he had seen no signs of cheating and he wished to give the dealer a chance. There should now remain in the deal box three cards, a deuce, five and a four, with a Queen in sight as the

he four: "Two hundred and seventy on t

excitement of the turn. If the four lay under the Queen, Cassidy lost; if not he either won or was in hock. The d

ungled the shuffle in his indecision and now he did n't know what might develop. And in his agitation he exposed the

as he sprang to his feet and his left hand, dropping swiftly to the heavy table, threw it over onto the lookout and the dealer at the instant their hands found their guns. Caught off their balance they went down under it and before they could move sufficiently to do any damage, Hopalong vaulted the table and kicked their guns o

!" he s

king against the wall. The case-keeper was still unconscious and

' business, or play straight. So you had five fives agin me, eh? Instead of keepin' th' five under th' Queen, you bungled th' deuce in its place. When you went to pull off th' Queen an' five like they was one c

get that two-seventy I just pulled down, neither. Make it in double eagles an' don't be slow 'bout it. Money or lead-with you callin' th' turn." It was not a very large amount and it took only

erson to equalize the weight, gathered up the guns from the floor. Backing toward the door he not

s of his expression relaxing into a broad, apologetic grin. "Would you mind

he surface of the globe, and grinning still more broadly, Mr. Cassidy si