seventeen
thousan'. Wild Water wins seventeen thousan'. Them eggs of Gautereaux's
was Wild Water's all the time. Anything else you're curious to know?"

"Yes. Why in the name of common sense didn't you find out whether those
eggs were good before you paid for them?"

"Just as easy as the first question. Wild Water swung the bunco game
timed to seconds. I hadn't no time to examine them eggs. I had to hustle
to get 'em here for delivery. An' now, Smoke, lemme ask you one civil
question. What did you say was the party's name that put this egg corner
idea into your head?"

Shorty had lost the sixteenth consecutive game of solitaire, and Smoke
was casting about to begin the preparation of supper, when Colonel
Bowie knocked at the door, handed Smoke a letter, and went on to his own
cabin.

"Did you see his face?" Shorty raved. "He was almost bustin' to keep
it straight. It's the big ha! ha! for you an' me, Smoke. We won't never
dast show our faces again in Dawson."

The letter was from Wild Water, and Smoke read it aloud:

Dear Smoke and Shorty: I write to ask, with compliments of the season,
your presence at a supper to-night at Slavovitch's joint. Miss Arral
will be there and so will Gautereaux. Him and me was pardners down at
Circle five years ago. He is all right and is going to be best man.
About them eggs. They come into the country four years back. They was
bad when they come in. They was bad when they left California. They
always was bad. They stopped at Carluk one winter, and one winter at
Nutlik, and last winter at Forty Mile, where they was sold for storage.
And this winter I guess they stop at Dawson. Don't keep them in a
hot room. Lucille says to say you and her and me has sure made some
excitement for Dawson. And I say the drinks is on you, and that goes.

Respectfully your friend,
W. W.

"Well? What have you got to say?" Smoke queried. "We accept the
invitation, of course?"

"I got one thing to say," Shorty answered. "An' that is Wild Water won't
never suffer if he goes broke. He's a good actor--a gosh-blamed good
actor. An' I got another thing to say: my figgers is all wrong. Wild
Water wins seventeen thousan' all right, but he wins more 'n that. You
an' me has made him a present of every good egg in the Klondike--nine
hundred an' sixty-four of 'em, two thrown in for good measure. An' he
was that ornery, mean cussed that he pa