The Winds of Chance

oad placed a crisp ten-dollar bill in an eag

d summoned Mr. Broad's audience and now held its observant interest. This audience, composed of roughly dressed men, listened attentively to the seductive monologue which accompanied the dealer's deft manipulations, and was greatly entertained thereby. "Three tiny tepees in a row and a little black medicine-man inside." The speaker's voice was high-pitched and it carried like a "thirtythirty." "You see him walk in, you open the door, and-you double your

s; incidental to his practised manipulation of the polished walnut-shells he maintained an unceasing chatter of the sort above set down. Now his voice was loud and challenging, now it

t joined the charmed circle, he murmured, invitingly: "Better try yo

ess shook his head. "A

en," s

and and it won't cost you a cent. Fix your baby blues on the little ball and w

s a center of interest. He grinned half-heartedly and, after a brief hesitation, thr

n't it lucky for me that we played for fun? But you got to give me another chance, Lars; I'll fool you yet. In walks the little pill once more, I

n fumbled in his pocket. At the last moment, however, he thought better of h

feeling; then to the group around him he announced, sh

Norseman's benefit, carelessly returned his winnings. "Sur

ntly laid them to rest in his bank-roll. "Yes, and they g

procession in the street and had paused long enough to win a bet or two. Now he straightened himself and stretched his arms. "Th

ed and tore in half a cigarette paper, out of which he fashioned a thin smoke for himself. It was that well-earned moment of

note of warning in his voice he declared: "You ain't strong enou

vement showed that his burden was indeed no more than a cun

with it," the Kid retorted. "This here Dawson is going to

ed with the Canucks to let you through? I s'pose the chief of polic

ke; there's always

rowth of beard into the likeness of a stampeder. "A thousand bucks and a ton of grub, that's what the sign s

they put over an edict it lays there till it freezes. They'll make you show your 'openers' at the Boundary. Gee! If I h

alfa pack. "I ain't broke. When you boys get to Dawson, just ask for Kid Bridges' saloon a

. I'm going to shuffle the shells for him and let him double his money. Keep your eye on the magic pea, Mr. Bridges. Three tiny

's son and I ain't likely to in this place. These pilgrims have sewed their money in their underclothes, and they sleep with their eyes open. Seems like they'd go blind, but they don't.

dison and State is another good stand; so's Market and Kearney, or Pioneer Square, down by the totem pole. New York, Chicago, 'Frisco, Seattle, they're all hick towns. For every city guy that's been stung by a bee there's a hundred that still

s setting northward from the States, a tide which swelled and quickened daily as the news of George Carmack's discovery spread across the world, but at Healy & Wilson's log-store, where the notice above referred to had been posted, the stream slowed. A crowd of new-comers from the barges and steamers in the roadstead had assembled there, and now gave voice to hoarse indignation and bitter resentment. Late arrivals f

d the most excited group of Argonauts. He was still somewhat dazed by his perusal of that Police edict; the

llows who were sailing close-hauled were equally noisy in their denunciation of it. The latter could see in this precautionary ruling nothing except the exercise of a tyrannical power aimed at their ruin, and in consequence they voiced threats, and promises of violence the which Phillips put down as mere resentful mouthings of no actual significance. As for himself, he had never possessed anything like a thousand dollars at one time, therefore the problem of acquiring such a prodigious sum in the immediate future presented appalling difficulties. He had come north to get rich, only to find that it was necessary to be rich in order t

not discouraged. He was rather surprised at his own rebound after the first shock; his reasonless optimism vaguely am

t and go home, but I sha'n't. I'm going to win out, somehow, for this is the real thing. This is Life, Adventure. It will be wonderful

resolute nature must have been reflected in his f

you much, partner. I

up and into a su

smiled. "I'm the worst-

ok; it's a man-killer, and the rate is forty cents a pound to Linderman. It'll go to

and they're losing a hundred head of horses a day-bogging 'em down and breakin

stand the strain you'd better stay where you are," said he. "Grub's sky-high in Dawson, and might

s back, muttering, resentfully: "Another wise guy! Th

you got past the Police they'd follow you to hell but

re and all of them bore painful evidence of their newness. So did the clothes of their owners for that matter-men's garments still bore their price-tags. The beach was crowded with piles of merchandise over which there was much wrangling, barges plying regularly back and forth from the anchor

hat the gold-fields signified to Phillips. Yes, Life! Adventure! He had set out to seek them, to taste the flavor of the world, and there it lay-his world, at least-just out of reach. A fierce impatience, a hot resentment at that senseless restriction which chained him in his tracks, ran through the boy. What right had any one to stop him here at the very door, when just inside g

we never quite come up with either, that we never quite attain the summit whence our promises are realized; the ever-present expectation

about some center of attraction when

'll risk a dollar to win a dollar? It's a healthy sport. It's good for young

th an odd sense of unreality he felt the world turn back ten years. He had seen shell-games at circuses and fairgrounds when he was much younger, but he supposed they had long since been abandoned in favor of mo

the dealer as he paid a bet. "Now then, we're off f

a notoriously unprofitable form of entertainment. Nevertheless, men were playing, and they did

d, nevertheless he exercised some caution at first. He won a few dollars, then he lost a few, but, alas! the gambling fever mounted in him and greed finally overcame his hesitation. With an

the lump,"

"How much you got in t

ndred d

efinger, he turned it over, but instead of exposing the elusive pellet he managed, by an almost imperceptible forward movement, to roll it out from under its hiding-place and to conce

l-case to its owner. He lifted another shell, and by some sleight-of-hand managed to replace t

on. He felt impelled to tell the victim how he had been robbed, but thought better of the impulse and assured h

e of a wheat straw. While thus engaged there sounded the hoarse blast of a steamer's whistle in the offing and he turned his head. Pro

bill was placed beside one of the t

pea unerringly, therefore he was

made a bad bet." His offer was accepted. Simultaneously Phillips was seized with an intense desire to beat this sharp

s one," he hea

you a new hand," t

for the size of his bankroll." The speaker was evidently a miner, for he carried a bulky pack upon his shoulders. He pla

of its owner, appeared briefly to nonplus the dealer.

n. There's three hundred dollars; you cover it, and you cover this boy's bet, too." The fellow winked reassuringly at

ive us the elbow, or I'll close up this game!" To Pierce he murmured, confidentially: "We've got him right. Don'

ed him. He continued to cover the walnut-shell while with his free hand he drew his own money from his pocket. He

ompanion chuckled. "Now I'm going to make you put up or shut up

tting?" the dealer i

d. "One thousand dollars and a ton of food," the sign had read. Well, why not bet and bet heavy? he asked himself. Here was a chance to double his scanty cap

siderations weigh when balanced against the stern necessities of this hour? A stranger endeavored to shove him away from the table and this clinched his decision. He'd

, shortly. "One hundred

count it, for I

picking up," murmured th

inued to hold the boy's

ned forwar

to cover our coin or am

he dealer shrugged reluctantly and counted out four hundred

illips when he felt his companion's grasp r

d, of course; nevertheless,

rior of the walnut-shell in bewilderment, for

dealer intoned, gravely pocketing his winni

at Phillips' side. "Trimmed fo

ep with him; it was the sullen, black-browe

nd thirty-five, eh? You must be r

e than a little dazed.

I had the

shortly. "They laid it up for you on purpose, then Kid Bridge

e-was THAT fellow wit

week and I know 'em." The speaker stared in surprise at Phillips, who had broken into a hearty laugh. "Look here! A li

more. That was my last dollar. Well, it serves me right

now you'll be wanting to sell some of your outfit. That's why I've been hanging around that gam

d of grub. I came

ou'll go bac

momentary silence. "You say you've been here a week?

rve, but-I'm blamed if I don't like it," said he. "My brother Jim