garding one drink a day. "No, no, not
broke, and not busy! Not at all!"

"I don't know," said Dunwody. "Suppose we make it one more
jack-pot all around?" They agreed to this. It was Judge Clayton's
deal.

"Gimme at least three," began the senator from Belmont, puckering
out his lips in discontent.

"Three good ones," consented the judge. "How many for the rest of
you?"

Dunwody shook his head. "I'll stand as it is, please."

The judge quietly discarded two cards, Carlisle having done the
same. The betting now went about with more than one increase from
the Honorable William Jones, whose eyes apparently were seeing
large. At last the "call" came from Carlisle, who smilingly moved
the bulk of his remaining fortune toward the center of the table.
Thereupon, with a bland and sane smile, the Honorable William Jones
shook his head and folded his cards together. The judge displayed
queens and tens, the gentleman opposite queens and deuces. Dunwody
laid down his own hand, which showed aces and fours. They all
sighed.

"Gentlemen, you all deserve to win," said Dunwody. "I feel like a
thief."

"I have a thousand acres of niggers 'n four hunnerd cotton lands,"
remarked the Honorable William Jones, amiably, "says you can't do
it again. I can prove it from Mr. Gibbon's _'Cline 'n Fall_."

Judge Clayton rose, laughing, slapping Dunwody on the shoulder and
giving an arm to Mr. Jones, whom he assisted to his room.

CHAPTER V

SPOLIA OPIMA

Dunwody remained seated at the table, carelessly shuffling the
cards between his fingers. Once in a while he cast an amused
glance toward Carlisle, and at last remarked, as though continuing
an arrested thought:

"Amanuensis, is she?" He chuckled. The other ventured no reply.

"My dear sir, at your age, I congratulate you! The choice of an
amanuensis is one very important for a public man, not less so, I
imagine, for a military man. Consider the need--"

"I think that will do, my dear Dunwody," rejoined Carlisle at
length, the hot blood in his face. "Frankly, this conversation is
unwelcome to me."

"I'll tell you what I'll do with you," exclaimed the Missourian
suddenly. "I'll bet you every cent in this pile of my winnings
here that that young lady isn't your amanuensis, and never has
been. I'll bet its like that she is no relative of yours. I'll
bet it all over again that she is the most beautiful woman that
ever set foot on a boat on this river, o