hat he had but just begun. After the fifth hand he looked
up and caught again the eye of Bert Rogers. Bert pulled his eyebrows
together in a warning look, and Irish thought better of staying that
hand. He did not look at Bert after that, but he did watch the other
players more closely.

After awhile Bert wandered away, his interest dulling when he saw
that Irish was holding his own and a little better. Irish played on,
conservative to such a degree that in two hours he had not won more than
fifteen dollars. The Happy Family would have been surprised to see him
lay down kings and refuse to draw to them which he did once, with a
gesture of disgust that flipped them face up so that all could see.
He turned them over immediately, but the three had seen that this tall
stranger, who had all the earmarks of a cowpuncher, would not draw to
kings but must have something better before he would stay.

So they played until the crowd thinned; until Irish, by betting safely
and sticking to a caution that must have cost him a good deal in the way
of self-restraint, had sixty dollars' worth of chips piled in front of
him.

Some men, playing for a definite purpose, would have quit at that. Irish
did not quit, however. He wanted a certain sum from these nesters. He
had come to town expecting to win a certain sum from them. He
intended to play until he got it or went broke. He was not using any
trickery--and he had stopped one man in the middle of a deal, with a
certain look in his eye remarking that he'd rather have the top card
than the bottom one, so that he was satisfied they were not trying to
cheat.

There came a deal when Irish looked at his cards, sent a slanting look
at the others and laid down his five cards with a long breath. He raised
the ante four blue ones and rolled and lit a cigarette while the three
had drawn what cards they thought they needed. The man at Irish's
left had drawn only one card. Now he hesitated and then bet with some
assurance. Irish smoked imperturbably while the other two came in, and
then he raised the bet three stacks of blues. His neighbor raised him
one stack, and the next man hesitated and then laid down his cards. The
third man meditated for a minute and raised the bet ten dollars. Irish
blew forth a leisurely smoke wreath and with a sweep of his hand sent in
all his chips.

There was a silent minute, wherein Irish smoked and drummed absently
upon the table with his fingers that were free. H