," muttered the third plainsman.
"W'ich is a plain duty an' a pleasure. Bet ye a plew I nail him atween
his eyes, fust crack, if he gits hostile."

Suddenly there came a loud smack as Uncle Joe's left hand smashed down
on the cards in Stevens' hand, holding them against the table while his
right hand flashed under the partly buttoned edge of his long frock
coat. It hung there, struggling with something in the inside pocket.
Stevens had jerked his own hand loose, relinquishing the cards, and with
the sharp motion a small, compact percussion pistol slid out of his
sleeve and into his grasp as his hand stopped. He was continuing the
motion, swinging the weapon up and forward when Tom, leaning suddenly
forward in his chair, sent his heavy skinning knife flashing through the
air. The first trapper had thrown a pistol down on the gambler's
partner, the second stopped Ephriam Schoolcraft's attempted draw against
Tom, and the third plainsman was peering eagerly along the barrel of his
pistol at a spot between the Mexican's eyes. Had it been a well
rehearsed act things could not have happened quicker or smoother.

Not five other persons in the cabin had any intimation of what was
coming until Tom's knife, flying butt first through the air, knocked
the pistol from Stevens' hand. The weapon struck the floor and exploded,
the bullet passing through a cabin window. As the knife left his hand
the thrower had leaped after it and he grabbed the desperate gambler in
a grip against which it was useless to struggle. Uncle Joe, loosening
his hold on the pocket pistol tangled in the lining of his coat, leaped
around the table and quickly passed his hands over the clothing of the
prisoner.

"What's th' trouble here?" demanded the quick, authoritative voice of
the captain as he ran in from the deck. "Who fired that shot, an' why?"

He soon was made familiar with the whole affair and stepped to the
table, picked up the cards and spread them for everyone to see. Asking a
few questions of disinterested eye-witnesses, he looked about the cabin
and spoke.

"I've nothing to say about gambling on this boat as long as gentlemen
play," he said sharply. "When the play is crooked, _I_ take a hand. I
can't overlook this." He motioned to the group of boat hands crowding
about the door and they took hold of Stevens and his partner. "Take
these men and get their effects, and then put them ashore in the yawl.
I'll have provisions put aboard while you're