n, you give
up the Church, leaving behind the prayerbook, the Bible and all, coming
with me to do what I shall tell you, for the passing of twelve moons.
It is a great stake--will you play it? Come"--he leaned forward, looking
into the other's face--"will you play it? They drew lots--those people
in the Bible. We will draw lots, and see, eh?--and see?"

"I accept the stake," said Sherburne, with a little gasp.

Without a word they went upon that platform, shaped like an altar,
and Pierre at once drew out a pack of cards, shuffling them with his
mittened hands. Then he knelt down and said, as he laid out the cards
one by one till there were thirty: "Whoever gets the ace of hearts
first, wins--hein?"

Sherburne nodded and knelt also. The cards lay back upwards in three
rows. For a moment neither stirred. The white, metallic stars saw it,
the small crescent moon beheld it, and the deep wonder of night made it
strange and dreadful. Once or twice Sherburne looked round as though he
felt others present, and once Pierre looked out to the wide portals,
as though he saw some one entering. But there was nothing to the
eye--nothing. Presently Pierre said: "Begin."

The other drew a card, then Pierre drew one, then the other, then Pierre
again; and so on. How slow the game was! Neither hurried, but both,
kneeling, looked and looked at the card long before drawing and turning
it over. The stake was weighty, and Pierre loved the game more than he
cared about the stake. Sherburne cared nothing about the game, but all
his soul seemed set upon the hazard. There was not a sound out of the
night, nothing stirring but the Spirit of the North. Twenty, twenty-five
cards were drawn, and then Pierre paused.

"In a minute all will be settled," he said. "Will you go on, or will you
pause?"

But Sherburne had got the madness of chance in his veins now, and he
said: "Quick, quick, go on!" Pierre drew, but the great card held back.
Sherburne drew, then Pierre again. There were three left. Sherburne's
face was as white as the snow around him. His mouth was open, and a
little white cloud of frosted breath came out. His hand hungered for
the card, drew back, then seized it. A moan broke from him. Then Pierre,
with a little weird laugh, reached out and turned over the ace of
hearts!

They both stood up. Pierre put the cards in his pocket.

"You have lost," he said.

Sherburne threw back his head with a reckless laugh. The laugh seemed to
ec