to the name
of Garstang.

"Dolphin," said he to the man with the lump, "cut in."

"No, no; let it be Carnac," said Dolphin, looking at the keen-eyed man,
who replied, "I pass it on to young William."

"Gor' bli' me, why to me?" exclaimed the stripling. "I never strike any
luck. I hand the chanst back to you, Carny."

The man with the shrewd eyes sat down at the table, on which he first
placed some money. Then he said in a clear, pleasant voice:

"You've no objection, I suppose, to a stranger joining you?"

"Not at all, not at all," said the genial Benjamin.

"If you're meanin' me"--the digger glanced at the company
generally--"all I've got to say is: the man as increases the stakes is
welcome."

They threw, and the digger won.

"That's the style," said he, as he took the pool. "That's just as it
oughter be. I shout for the crowd. Name your poisons, gentlemen." He
rang the bell, and Gentle Annie appeared, radiant, and supreme. She held
a small tray in one hand, whilst the other, white and shapely, hung at
her side. As the men named their liquors, she carefully repeated what
they had ordered. When Carnac's turn came, and she said, "And yours?"
the handsome gambler stretched out his arm, and, drawing her in a
familiar manner towards him, said, "You see, boys, I know what's better
than any liquor."

In a moment Gentle Annie had pulled herself free, and was standing off
from the sinister-faced man.

"Phaugh!" she said with disgust, "I draw the line at spielers."

"You draw the line at nothing that's got money," retorted the owner of
the glittering eyes, brutally.

"Gentlemen," said Gentle Annie, with a touch of real dignity in her
manner, "I have your orders." And she withdrew modestly, without so much
as another glance at Carnac.

The play continued till her return. She handed round glasses to all but
the handsome gambler.

"And where's mine?" asked he.

"You forgot to order it," said she. "I'll send the pot-boy to wait on
_you_." In a perfectly affable manner she took the money from the
uncouth digger, and then, throwing a disdainful glance at Carnac, she
tossed her head defiantly, and went out.

The game continued. Now Tresco's pile of money was increased, now it had
dwindled to a few paltry pounds. The digger looked hot and excited as
he, too, lost. Carnac, wearing a fixed, inscrutable smile, won almost
every throw.

The gambler's feverish madness was beginning to seize Tresco as it had
already s