ir
still rumpled from the bed.

"Where's that dealer?" he shrilled in his high, complaining voice.
"I'll kill the danged piker--that bank ain't broke yet--I got a big
roll, right here!"

He waved it in the air and came limping forward until he stood facing
Rimrock Jones.

"You think you broke me, do you?" he demanded insolently as Rimrock
looked up from his count.

"You can see for yourself," answered Rimrock contentedly, and held out
his well-filled hat.

"You're a piker!" yelled Bray. "You don't dare to come back at me.
I'll play you one turn win or lose--for your pile!"

A hundred voices rang out at once, giving Rimrock all kinds of advice,
but L. W.'s rose above them all.

"Don't you do it!" he roared. "He'll clean you, for a certainty!" But
Rimrock's blue eyes were aflame.

"All right, Mr. Man," he answered on the instant, and went over and sat
down in his chair. "But bring me a new pack and shuffle 'em clean, and
I'll do the cutting myself."

"Ahhr!" snarled Bray, who was in villainous humor, as he hurled himself
into his place. "Y'needn't make no cracks--I'm on the square--and I'll
take no lip from anybody!"

"Well, shuffle 'em up then," answered Rimrock quietly, "and when I feel
like it I'll make my bet."

It was the middle of the night, as Bray's days were divided, and even
yet he was hardly awake; but he shuffled the cards until Rimrock was
satisfied and then locked them into the box. The case-keeper sat
opposite, to keep track of the cards, and a look-out on the stand at
one end, and while a mob of surging onlookers fought at their backs
they watched the slow turning of the cards.

"Why don't you bet?" snapped Bray; but Rimrock jerked his head and
beckoned him to go on.

"Yes, and lose half on splits," he answered grimly, "I'll bet when it
comes the last turn."

The deal went on till only three cards remained in the bottom of the
box. By the record of the case-keeper they were the deuce and the
jack--the top card, already shown, did not count.

"The jack," said Rimrock and piled up his money on the enameled card on
the board.

"You lose," rasped out Bray without waiting for the turn and then drew
off the upper card. The jack lay, a loser, in the box below and as he
shoved it slowly out the deuce appeared underneath.

"How'd you know?" flashed back Rimrock as Bray reached for his money,
but the gambler laughed in his face.

"I outlucked you, you yap," he answered harshly. "Th